Disclaimer: They aren't mine. Not now…not ever. Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company. Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!
A Tense Situation
~Chapter Ten~
As it turned out, Harry wasn't the only person waiting to speak with Albus Dumbledore that evening and shortly after the celebrated Wizard had left the Great Hall, a figure clad almost entirely in black lay down his cutlery and followed the same path the Headmaster himself had just taken to return to his office.
Glaring at the gargoyle and muttering what he considered to be one of the most ridiculous passwords the seemingly senile wizard had come up with to date, Severus Snape swished onto the spiral stairway, his robes billowing softly behind him from the gentle breeze of the stone passageway and was swiftly carried to the entrance of Dumbledore's cluttered office.
"Ah, do come in Severus, I was expecting you several minutes ago in fact," the Headmaster greeted, laying down his quill and indicating a chair that the Potions Master was to occupy.
Snape looked at the man, one dark eyebrow raised in annoyance at the fact that his every move seemed to be calculated in advance. It was almost as if he were some well-trained canine that was being led around by the neck on a studded Muggle leash. It was a feeling that he didn't appreciate in the least.
"My apologies, Albus, but I was delayed by the necessity to deduct House Points from several unruly students in the corridors," the Potions Master replied calmly, determined not to let his ire show through the usual stony façade he presented to the world. "Gryffindors, in fact."
The last line was delivered with a heartfelt smirk and he was gratified to see that the small jab at the Headmaster's favorite House was greeted with what could be construed as the tiniest bit of irritation. Of course, he couldn't be certain since Dumbledore looked up with a congenial smile, but Snape was almost positive that the usual twinkle in those ever annoying and all knowing blue eyes had fled for the briefest of moments. Not to mention the tightness around the other Wizard's mouth that had caused the corners to turn down ever so slightly. Yes, it was a petty thing but Snape had never claimed to be a saint and he'd take his satisfaction, such as it was, wherever he could get it.
'Serves him right for plaguing me with the task of babysitting the Dream Team on Saturday,' he thought, uncharitably. The fact that he would only be forced to deal with two of the three members of the disliked trio was irrelevant in his opinion. Even though Potter wouldn't be accompanying them, a fact for which his nerves were most thankful, he still had to put up with the dim-witted antics of the boy's red-haired side-kick and Potter's walking encyclopedia of information who never seemed to tire of showing her vast array of trivia off at the slightest opportunity. If it weren't for his own innate sense of honor, he would just leave them to their fates after delivering them, as promised to Voldemort. And who knew, perhaps Granger could question and irritate the Dark Lord into an early death? Merlin only knew that Severus had felt that way all too many times thanks to her never ending hand raising throughout the years. It almost made him appreciate Weasley's dumbfounded expressions. At least the boy had the good sense to remain quiet even if it was simply because he was trying to stay oblivious to the Potions Master's notice in the vain hope of not being called on to prove his lack of intelligence to the class.
Yes, almost but not quite as Snape had always been one to respect intelligence and, if nothing else, he would privately grant Granger that much at least. No, it wasn't her brain that he objected to, it was simply the way she constantly flaunted it over the years. He wondered briefly how Potter and Weasley had managed to remain sane with her constant carping at them for such a prolonged period of time.
His thoughts were interrupted as the Headmaster, deciding that his Potions Professor was already wound up more than was healthy for any one person, took a deep breath and dived right into the matter at hand in the hopes of diverting the man's ire and relieving a few of his concerns.
"I take it that your visit here this evening, Severus, concerns the upcoming plans for our favorite Gryffindors?" he asked, the twinkling in his eyes having returned once again.
A derisive snort sounded from the dark haired man by way of reply and though it wasn't one of his more eloquent responses, it certainly managed to convey his feelings, as succinctly as any long-winded soliloquy would have done. Yet again, Albus Dumbledore wondered how one person, be that Wizard or Muggle, could put so much expression into one simple guttural noise. It was truly a talent, in his esteemed opinion.
"This 'plan,' if one could deem it as such, has disaster written all over it. We should seriously consider placing Weasley and Granger into hiding until the Dark Lord's ire has dimmed. We could always come up with another explanation," the Professor claimed, coming straight to the point.
"And yet I hear that you have already managed to lay the foundation by assigning Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley detention on Saturday afternoon. Or was that not your intention when you meted out such a punishment on the final Hogsmeade weekend of the school year?"
"Of course it was, Albus. Why else would I saddle myself with the two of them for an entire afternoon?" Snape demanded, knowing that the Headmaster had no intention of backing down from the flimsy plan. 'How in Circe's name does he actually expect me to pull this one off?' he wondered to himself, angry that he had once again been placed in such an unyielding predicament.
"A very good start, I would say, seeing that most of the upper year students will be away from the castle and will not notice Miss Granger's nor Mr. Weasley's lack of appearance immediately. Such timing should also ensure that you are able to remove them from the premises with the least amount of fanfare," Dumbledore acknowledged.
"You can't seriously expect to carry this off, Albus!" Snape all but shouted, frustrated by the man's dogged persistence in continuing on with something that could cost them all their lives. "They are mere children and as such they have no idea of the situation that they are allowing themselves to be tossed into. The Dark Lord wants them dead and there are too many Death Eaters within the ranks that would be more than happy to carry out such a task in an effort to prove their worth and rise up another inch on the ladder of evil and earn the Dark Lord's favor."
"I am confidant in your ability to diffuse the situation and return them safely home, Severus. Have you not been doing the very same thing for yourself since Voldemort's return?" the Headmaster asked, gazing directly at the agitated Potions Master with a firm look.
"That is entirely different and you know it," he replied, letting out a breath that spoke of pure frustration. "Not only am I responsible for getting myself into this mess in the first place, but I have spent years gaining the Dark Lord's trust in an effort to gain information for the Order. Granger and Weasley have no knowledge of what the Death Eaters are capable of and no practical experience at defending themselves in such circumstances. Or have you forgotten the outcome for Miss Granger when she went up against some of Voldemort's more devoted followers at the Ministry during her fifth year? I believe she ended up in the Infirmary, or worse thanks to an especially unpleasant hex?"
"I have forgotten nothing, Severus, and both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley have come a long way in regards to their defensive capabilities during the past two years," the Headmaster answered softly, but the Potions Master could detect an underlying thread of steel in his voice. "I am certain that if we can think of a plausible distraction, they will be able, with your help, to extract themselves from this scenario."
"You are a fool if you think that it will be that easy, Albus," Snape snarled. "They will be lucky if they make it out alive. Weasley will be tortured for any information on the Boy-Who-Lived and Granger will be passed around as the evening's entertainment until she is no longer fit for even the most corrupt of Voldemort's followers. Have you really thought about what it is that you're asking of them? Is saving my position within Voldemort's Inner Circle really so important as to risk the lives of two innocents, annoying though they may be, in the hopes of gaining more information and buying Potter more time to prepare for his inevitable confrontation with the Dark Lord?"
The Headmaster listened to his Potions Master's tirade with a heavy heart. How he hated being in the position of deciding the fates of so many people but it was a position that only he could fill. Looking at the man who stood before him waiting expectantly for an answer to his well-founded question, Dumbledore removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes before softly replying, "Yes, Severus, it is worth almost any price."
"Even if it costs Granger and Weasley their lives?" Snape asked, incredulously.
"Even if it costs them their lives," he agreed quietly, returning the lenses to their usual position atop his nose. "Voldemort has forced our hand this time, Severus and the cost may indeed prove to be very high. You are the only member of the Order that is highly enough placed to provide us with the information that has been so vital to our defense against him and we must buy Harry more time. He is not ready yet. I fear that if he were to be called upon to face off against Tom now, Harry would lose and then the Wizarding world would fall victim to the whims of the dark. You know the seriousness of the consequences should such an event come to pass."
"If you're referring to that ridiculous prophecy again…"
"Of course I'm referring to the prophecy, Severus, and you know as well as I do that it is anything but ridiculous!" Dumbledore's immense self-control had finally snapped and his voice had become louder with each word he uttered. "Do you honestly think that I enjoy sending these students, these 'children' as you insist on calling them, into a situation that could possibly cost them their lives?"
Snape merely looked at the Wizard that had risen to his feet and was now standing before him. He could feel the power radiating around and off Dumbledore but he refused to back down. There was just no reason, in his opinion that could justify delivering these two students into Voldemort's waiting hands. And what of Potter? Wouldn't he be emotionally devastated if something went wrong and he lost his two best friends? While Severus held ample dislike for the Boy-Who-Lived, he would grant that Potter was fiercely protective of those he cared about; a fact that Severus attributed to the Gryffindor in the boy. How did the Headmaster expect Potter to continue if his friends were murdered at the hands of the Dark Lord? No, the boy would more than likely go off in a rage and face down his nemesis…
A sudden chill raced through the Potions Master's body as he looked at the aging Wizard that had faced off against him. A thought, hideous in nature, had embedded itself within his mind and refused to be dislodged. What if the Headmaster was counting on the fact that the upcoming meeting would bring about the deaths of Weasley and Granger? What if he was intentionally sacrificing them to the Cause in order to anger Potter enough to fully use the powers at his disposal and confront the Dark Lord once and for all? Snape would grant that the boy was powerful, too powerful for the degree of recklessness he had displayed time and time again, and it was common knowledge that abject fury would fuel a Wizard's abilities better and faster than any amount of training ever could.
Yes, it would be just like Albus to concoct such a scheme, after all, look what he forced Severus to subject himself to every time Voldemort summoned him via the Dark Mark. Snape had no doubt that the seemingly gentle Headmaster held hidden within, a core of resolve that would justify the means to whatever he felt needed to be accomplished. And right now, his primary objective was to rid the Wizarding world of the Dark Lord. He gave a mental shake to clear his mind, knowing that there was nothing he could say, no argument that he could produce at this point, that would change Albus Dumbledore's mind. The plan would go forth as previously discussed and the best that Snape could hope for was that he would be able to bring Granger and Weasley back alive and intact. He would have to make his own plans but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what sort of distraction he could come up with that would save his own position within the Inner Circle and still allow Potter's sidekicks the opportunity, not to mention the time, to make good their escape. And even if they did manage to escape, he had no doubt that Voldemort would punish him in retaliation. No, regardless of whatever angle he viewed the problem from he could not come up with a satisfactory solution that would see them all emerge unscathed at the end of the evening. He needed a large drink and the solitude of his chambers and he needed them soon.
"There is still the matter of the Obliviate, Albus," he said quietly. "After careful consideration, I do not feel that a full Obliviate is a good idea considering the fact that they will need every possible advantage to assist in extricating themselves from this fiasco. You know that it takes a while for a person to readjust after an especially strong memory charm and it would have to be a full Obliviate despite what you told Miss Granger the other night. They know far too much about the Order. Such disorientation could cause them to miss potential opportunities. Not to mention the fear factor that they will have to overcome as they will truly believe that I am a Death Eater with the worst possible intentions as to their fate."
"We have no choice, Severus," Dumbledore answered calmly. "I agree that the Obliviate is a drastic measure, but we cannot risk the possibility of Voldemort probing their minds and discovering your true loyalties. Besides, I believe it was you who initially insisted on the Obliviate as it was the strongest spell available."
"Yes, but that was before I had fully considered the capabilities of the participants in this scenario as well as their level of life experience. Perhaps we could place their memories in a Pensieve for the evening?" he suggested. "It would be less disorienting for them and the possibility of having their memories permanently erased will be non-existent."
"I have every confidence in your ability to fully restore their memories and they are already aware of the fact that they may face some discomfort in the process," the Headmaster assured him, unwilling to bend on this particular point of the plan. "There is the very real probability that they will not be able to recall every memory they have of the Order at the time they are to place such memories into the Pensieve and it is crucial that all of the potentially damaging information is erased. Besides, if they were to place their memories in a Pensieve, we cannot guarantee that Voldemort will not discover the information due to the faint imprint of the memories that remain in the subconscious part of the person's mind. You know that as well as I do, Severus."
"Of course I know that! It is my hope that I can remove them from the situation before it comes to that," Snape snapped, tired of the merry-go-round that the Headmaster insisted they play on. "However, it would be far better to chance such a small possibility and have them fully functional, rather than dazed and confused and of little help in their own escape."
"I disagree," Dumbledore said with more than a small note of finality in his voice. "The plan will continue as originally outlined. We have twenty-four hours to come up with a distraction that will buy you the time needed to get them out of there. If we fail to come up with one then we will have to fall back on the Perattrahere spell and I will call them back at a pre-appointed time.
"Somehow, I doubt that Miss Granger will appreciate your thoughts on this matter," the Potions Master offered, a grim smirk settling firmly in the back of his mind. He had seen the young woman fly off the handle a few times in the past with a temper that was every bit as unruly as that bushy head of hair. That given with her sharp tongue and self-righteous attitude, he had no doubt that should they all make it back and have their memories restored, that she would not hesitate to give the Headmaster a very loud account of her opinion on the entire matter. He only hoped that he was around to see what Albus would consider to be a shockingly abrupt display from the usually quiet, reserved girl.
With such thoughts in mind and having nothing further to discuss, he excused himself from the Headmaster's office passing Harry with nothing more than a noncommittal grunt on his way out. From the look on the boy's face, Severus would bet that Potter wasn't any happier about the way things were going than he was. For some reason, Snape found the thought comforting. It seemed that the Headmaster was in for a long night if he read the boy's facial expressions correctly.
Deciding that such matters really weren't any of his concern at the moment, he continued through the halls and made his way back to his dungeons for a quiet evening and a strong stiff drink. Entering his chambers, he noticed with some dismay, the very large stack of parchments that contained the final essays from his sixth year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class. He sighed, knowing that they would have to be graded but Severus just couldn't bring himself to sit down and mark the papers at the present time.
"Forget it," he murmured, crossing over to the well-stocked liquor cabinet. "The dunderheads can wait until Monday to get their testimonies to academic failure back."
And with that sentiment, he kicked off his shoes, took off his robes and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. Sinking into the soft leather of the well-worn sofa, he waved his wand and muttered a quick spell to create a roaring fire in the oversized fireplace and contemplated the upcoming mission.
/^\^/^\^/^\
Lucius Malfoy was not a happy Wizard at the moment and that usually meant trouble for someone. In this case, he had already determined that the someone in question was soon to be Hogwarts resident Potions Master. Yes, Severus had plagued him long enough with his sarcastic comebacks and holier than thou attitude and it was time to put an end to the problem once and for all. It was time to eliminate the traitor and take his rightful position at the Dark Lord's side.
"So you've assigned detention to Weasley and the Mudblood, Severus?" Lucius murmured thoughtfully, reading the letter from Blaise that had just been delivered by a non-descript little owl that was no doubt one of the school owls from Hogwarts. He had previously instructed Blaise and Pansy to inform him of any actions that Snape made, no matter how innocuous, regarding Potter and his Gryffindor friends and it looked like his instructions were about to pay off in a very big way. The only thing that really surprised him was that the brooding Professor actually looked like he was going to follow through with the Dark Lord's instructions by delivering Potter's friends to the Dark Revel scheduled for the coming weekend. It just didn't make sense if Snape was the traitor that he believed him to be and Lucius Malfoy prided himself on never being wrong. Well, almost never…
"Make your plans, Severus, for I will not be thwarted this time," he murmured, sitting down at his desk and pulling out a clean sheet of parchment and an oversized quill. "I will have what is mine and the only way that those two are going to be delivered to the Dark Lord will be by my doing and in my own time."
The elegant scrawl of his handwriting began to cover the parchment as he issued orders yet again to the Slytherin spies that were standing by to do his bidding. If Snape failed to deliver the students then the Dark Lord would end his life once and for all, leaving the path free and clear for Lucius to stand up and take control over that which he already considered to be rightfully his. Delivering Weasley and the Mudblood himself, where Snape had previously failed, would only serve to further his worth in the eyes of his Master and fully secure him the position of Lord Voldemort's right-hand man. He would deal with the annoyance that was Wormtail shortly afterward but until then he would have to wait patiently and bide his time. Giving an evil laugh that caused the short little House-Elf to quickly grab the empty liquor glass and Disapparate back to the kitchens, he sealed the parchment and called for his owl.
Satisfied with his endeavors, he pulled two small objects from his desk and performed a series of incantations over them that would further serve to assure the success of his plan. Even Blaise and Pansy wouldn't be able to ruin this plan; a plan that was so simple that its deceit was not to be discovered. A few more murmured words and a couple of waves of his wand and all was ready at last. He pulled a tiny box out of the drawer in his desk and quickly dropped the enchanted objects into it with a self-satisfied smile. A narrow black ribbon tied securely around the parcel guaranteed that the package would remain closed and away from would be prying eyes until it was delivered safely into the hands of the intended persons. Yes, this plan was far too easy and he could practically taste the upcoming success that was certain to be his. Magically attaching the parcel to the letter, he secured the bundle to the left leg of his owl and muttered his delivery instructions.
Come two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, he would strike and finally put his plan into action. The Gryffindors would be his for the taking and Severus Snape would become nothing more than an irritating memory…
/^\^/^\^/^\
TBC
Author's Note: Special thanks to my beta, OzRatbag2, for receiving, betaing, and returning this chapter all in one afternoon! Also, I would like to send out a very big thank you to all of you who took the time to review the last posting and a very heartfelt thanks to those of you who wished me well in my current bout of illness. Things are progressing slowly and I am still on bedrest, but they ARE progressing and your well wishes and support mean a lot to me! There were a couple of reviews in particular that I felt the need to reply to so I'll take a moment or two to do so now:
One reviewer asked about the feasibility of utilizing a Pensieve rather than an Obliviate in the story. The idea was quite good actually (I admit that I hadn't considered it) and I included an explanation to round things out a bit as far as the plotline was concerned. Thank you for bringing such an idea to my attention!
HarryPotterFreak1234: Thank you so much for your continued reviews but please don't worry that I may have forgotten that this is listed under the pairing of Severus and Hermione. (smile) This will be a long (much longer than originally intended) story and to push them together within the next few chapters would truly compromise the basis of the storyline and that is something that I'm just not prepared to do. I'm sorry to disappoint you but rest assured that they are headed in that direction. Unfortunately, it will take quite awhile as they seem to truly loathe one another at the moment! In the meantime I hope that you will continue to enjoy the plotline and the psychological developments of the characters as they unfold.
Again, thanks to everyone and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!
~Jules
