It had been nearly two weeks, since they had found the photograph
in the Burrow. They had completely evacuated the Weasley household
for the time being, and all the family as well as Harry and Hermione,
were currently living at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, with
McGonnagal coming and giving Ron, Hermione, and Ginny their work from
school, as Harry sent work for his students the next day.
Minerva
had been taking over defense lessons while Harry and the others were
away, but she was beginning to get tired of it. They had not found
another photo since the picture on the Weasley's mantle, and she was
prepared to allow them all to come out of hiding.
She sat in her
study; going over the essays the defense students had handed in, when
she heard a familiar voice from off on her right.
"Evening
Professor," She looked up, Albus, who had been sleeping or out
non-stop ever since she got back from the Weasley's that
night.
"Good Evening, Albus," she said.
"You
look tired, how are you?" He asked politely.
"I'm…well,
yes, I'm tired but I'll be fine."
"Have you come into
any new developments on the case of those mysterious
photographs?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm considering just
letting them all resume daily life. It seems fruitless allowing them
so scare us into defensive mode when we are so close to one of the
Horcruxes. I think it needs to happen soon. If it's true that the
Dark Lord knows what we are doing, we need to move quickly before he
has more time to prepare. Whatever is going to happen...we need to be
at full strength."
"I think so...yes..." he
whispered after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"There is a
room...in the castle, which not even I knew about until a few years
ago." He said quietly. "A room that holds many of my
earthly possessions. I have been avoiding allowing the order to enter
it because I know that it will only put Harry and the others in more
danger."
"What do you mean? I don't understand."
"Below
Severus' old office, I keep my belongings. Books, spells, potions,
that I believe may help."
"What?" McGonnagal said,
shocked. "Why have I never been informed of this?"
"Because
those items are not for you..."
"What? But you said they
could help?" She said, questioningly.
"In that room, is
the Inheritance of Mr. Harry Potter."
"Inheritance?
What? From who?"
"Me."
"But
where are we going?"
"Don't ask questions!" Severus
Snape hissed at the Malfoy Boy. He was getting on his last nerve. He
and Draco packed their belongings; they were going to leave this
place.
"But, I don't understand, we can't just leave, he'll
kill us!"
"KEEP YOU VOICE DOWN!" Snape yelled. And
realizing what he'd just done quieted himself again. "It is only
a matter of time before the Dark Lord kills us both."
Draco
looked startled. "We need protection." Snape Continued. "We
both need protection! This assassin he's hired, if that's even the
right word, when she's done with Potter she'll come for us. I am no
use to the Dark Lord now that the Order of the Phoenix knows that I
killed Albus Dumbledore, and you are no use to the Dark Lord because
he believes you a pathetic underage wizard. You don't even turn 17
until the end of the year. You are no use to him anymore...And do you
know what happens to people he cannot use? He kills them, or leaves
them in the dirt to rot!"
Draco continued looking startled
for a moment but then bent down and shoved a pair of socks into his
suitcase. "What's your plan exactly?"
"We will be
paying a visit to Hogwarts..."
"Potter,
Granger, Weasley...s" Professor McGonnagal walked into the
living room of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place where Harry and Ron were
playing chess. "I have something to show you."
They made
their way to the castle, which was still occupied by bustling
students, and they made their way down to the dungeon which had once
belonged to Severus Snape.
"Down here?" Ginny asked. "He
kept it down here?"
No on answered. McGonnagal had explained
that it was in fact Dumbledore's possessions, and he believed they
could help on the search for the Horcruxes.
"Below...um...Slughorn's
Office." She replied nervously.
They entered the main dungeon
hall, in which Snape's...or Slughorn's Office as is more accurate,
was located, as well as the main potions classroom, and a few unused
dungeons as well. They turned into the office where Harry had had
many-a-detention. It was different now. Slughorn had redecorated, but
there was no way to disguise the mildew and dampness of the
underground dungeons.
The five of them stood there, Harry, Ron,
Hermione, Ginny, and Professor McGonnagal.
"Where is it?"
Someone asked.
They all looked up at McGonnagal; she was staring
at the Oriental rug in the center of the room. "Help me move
this."
Harry was confused. He hid it under a rug? It couldn't
be that simple.
"I cannot open it. Only Harry can." She
said slowly. The others lifted up the run as Harry stared at
Professor McGonnagal.
"Me? Are you sure?"
"Albus
knew magics that most people couldn't dream of." She said, as if
this answered his question.
"What do I do?" He
asked.
"Lift."
"Lift?"
"It's a
sword in the stone conundrum. I can't lift it, only you can."
She demonstrated.
Harry knelt down the easily the stone slid away.
He saw McGonnagal's eyes widen.
"I should go first." She
said. "In case there are any more...safeguards."
Safeguards.
Harry was reminded momentarily of the guards around the Horcruxes.
What might be waiting for them at Merope Gaunt's tomb? Worse then
what happened at the cave? If Dumbledore was so weakened by the
Horcrux, what would happen to the others?
"Damnit...What's
going on?" She was trying to force her way through the hole
Harry had created. "My foot won't go through. Hermione pressed
her foot down, and they rested all of her weight.
"I can't
either. Maybe..."
"Maybe only Harry..." Hermione
and McGonnagal moved their feet and the others all stared down at
him.
Without waiting for instruction he reached into the
hole...and met no barrier. Harry Pulled out his wand and muttered
"Lumos" there was a spiral staircase that led down into the
depths.
"Well..." he said. "Be back in a minute
then." He turned and looked down the stairs. "Why couldn't
he have hidden it in a tower or something?" He took a step and
heard a creak. This was not going to be fun. He made his way down the
dark and creaky stairs. After about a minute he was still journeying
with no end it sight. The light from the dungeon above had faded as
he continued down the steps. Where did it end? He thought to himself
just as he felt his foot his hard ground...Oh.
He saw a torch
next to the staircase and quickly lit it with his wand.
In a rush
of flame, the fire shot into the air and landed in a perfect arc on
the other side of the room, some fifty feet in front of him. Harry
backed against the wall as the flame bounced again. Lighting several
other torches throughout the room. There were tens of trunks around
on the ground. Books lined the walls. Gadgets and gizmos whirred to
life. Shelves upon shelves of earthly possessions, including, he
noticed, Godric Gryffindor's Sword.
He looked at the bookcases;
the books were all old and close to rotting. Books of Dark Magic,
books about obscure things, books with titles he couldn't pronounce,
and books in several other languages, some, he was fairly certain,
may not have even been human languages. Books about the relationship
between magic and the world, even a book about creating your own
spell, all lined the walls.
He looked to the stairs, considering
trying to get the others down here. He noticed the penseive behind
the staircase. One of the most important possessions he had in
Harry's eyes. Maybe he could have the chance to examine it. Just
because someone is dead, their memories were still on this
plane.
"Oscuro" he muttered and the lamps all went out.
He turned, and with deliberation, apperated up to the dungeon
above.
With a loud CRACK he apparated into
Slughorn's office.
"Damnit, Harry," Hermione said.
"What
is it?" Ginny asked.
"What is down there, Potter?"
McGonnagal asked.
"Lots of stuff. I don't know if I'll be
able to get it out. Some of it...some of it I'll need to move to
Headquarters. His penseive is down there, that'll be important."
"I
was wondering what happened to that." She muttered.
He
apparated back town and with a flick of his wand, he transported all
of Albus Dumbledore's belongings to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Draco was finally being quiet. They both stood in a small
room off the main hall, as a group of death eaters walked by,
returning from a mission.
"Oh, Forget it." Snape turned
to the back wall and muttered "Sero Hensive" He grabbed
Draco's hand and pulled him toward the wall. They passed through it
as though it was nothing. Snape muttered something that sounded a bit
like Priori Incantatum but Draco knew it couldn't possibly be that.
Snape was inching slowly along the walls. Draco didn't dare say
anything now, even if he wanted to, he was too scared. He would never
see his mother or father again, and he was going to a school which
housed people who hated him. He had no idea what Snape's plan was
exactly, all he had said was "We'll be paying a visit to
Hogwarts" something he wasn't keen to do.
"DAMNIT!"
Snape screamed as a dementor appeared in front of him. It moaned and
started toward them.
"Please move out of my way, I'm on
business for the Dark Lord." It did not back down. Draco was
trying to remember the spell, it was Patronum...something. He wasn't
sure.
"AVADA KADAVRA!" A Green light flashed from
Snape's wand and the dementor writhed. The hood fell off its rotting
body and he saw its head...or its mouth...it was hard to described
shriveling in pain. What was going on? Avada Kadavra kills? Why was
this Dementor being tortured? The cloak suddenly dropped to the
ground, and the shriveled figure had vanished. Draco stared in a
combination of Disgust and Horror. Snape seemed unphased.
He moved
along the wall again, they were nearing the floo building. How were
they going to get in? Run? What was Snape's plan?
He looked out
over the corner of the building and saw his father making his way
down to the prison. He dared not call out. Snape looked down at him,
as if giving him a look that said if you call out you will suffer the
same fate at that dementor.
His father entered the building and
Snape quickly led him up to the entrance of the building. Behind the
door he used a nonverbal spell to stupefy the guard. The building
was, other them that, unprotected.
Snape pulled him into the
building and threw some powder into the fire. He screamed, "The
Office of Severus Snape"
Draco was whirling around,
green fire all around him. He fell unexpectedly soon out into the
office of Horace Slughorn, which apparently had still been called the
office of Severus Snape in the floo network.
This looked
different. He had no been in the office since it had been Snape's.
Slughorn had really brightened it up. He was in a dungeon...If he
wanted a brighter office he should have checked out one of the towers
for God's sake.
Snape fell out of the green flames that had
erupted in Slughorn's fireplace...and that's another thing, why the
hell was there a fireplace in a dungeon? Was that even there when
Snape had this office, and if it was, what was he thinking?
Snape
bent down and removed one of the stone tiles.
"Wait, no,
Draco, you try," He told him.
"What?" Draco asked,
Confused.
"Try pulling open the panel, only a few people can
do it. I'm not sure if you're worthy to be honest with you," He
said frankly.
Draco bent down and easily removed the stone tile.
"Now what?"
"I knew it. Dumbledore must have
foreseen this. If he did, maybe there's a way we can protect you, and
possibly me. The unbreakable vow I took with your mother may be
broken, but there's still a residual amount of protection laid upon
me." He steps into the hole and Draco saw that there was a long
staircase winding down from below the tile. HE stepped on behind
Snape, and they made their way down.
After a minute, Draco saw
flame erupt and shoot across the room just a few feet below him. He
dismounted the stairs and watched the fire shoot across the room,
lighting a set of torches.
Snape stood there for a moment with a
terrified look on his face.
"It's gone,"
"What's
gone?" Draco looked across the room. Various trunks lay strewn
unceremoniously across the floor. The bookcases along the walls were
mostly bare, with only a few books lying around. Shelves which looked
as thought they had once been in Dumbledore's office, those stupid
obnoxious whirring instruments that no one could ever explain what
were.
"There should be more than this. Someone's been here."
He said worried. He ran to one of the trunks, opened it and found a
few folded sets of robes. "No...No...where is it!"
Snape
almost shouted this last part. What was he looking for? Whose is
this? Snape ran across the room with a look he'd never seen before.
Snape was scared.
"Who could have taken it? Why?"
"All
due respect, sir. Who's taken what?" Draco asked
cautiously.
"This is Dumbledore's storeroom. When he died, I
was instructed to take all of his earthly possessions down here. In
the secret room under my office, which I confess I did not know was
there." He looked around and opened one last trunk. But was
unsuccessful once more. This one was entirely empty.
"DAMNIT!
OW!" He kicked the trunk in anger, but it did not budge. He
grabbed his foot in pain, but was looking down at the trunk with a
sly look on his face. "Can it really be so simple?"
Draco
walked toward his teacher, who's mood had shifted quickly. He was
looking at the empty trunk and smiling.
"I don't think I can
open this one." He said.
"Who do you think
can?"
"You."
Draco had to admit, he was
startled. He knelt over the trunk and tried to lift it up.
"No,
not like that." He said. "The Center."
He looked
inside and pushed down the wallpaper-like interior of the box. And
another hole appeared.
"It's down here." Snape steped
inside the box and made his way down a second spirel staircase. Draco
followed, back down further into the darkness. He couldn't help but
think that this was going to be a bitch to climb back up.
He saw
the fire, jumping from torch to torch again. And made his way into
the second room. This one was smaller. The walls were lined with
shelves the left wall had small clear bottles with white glowing
contents in them. Each labeled differently. The right wall, and also
spilling onto the far wall had bottles like that, only with colored
contents. And the far wall, in the area not taken up by the glowing
colored bottles, were lots of mysterious looking objects, most of
which, Draco could not recognize.
Snape walked over to the side
with the colored bottles, and Draco to the white ones. He examined a
label. "Severus Snape, January 12th 1951"
"Sir,
This bottle is labeled with your name!" He called from across
the room.
"Yes, it would be. Many of them are. They are
memories Draco." He said half-casually.
He looked around. He
defiantly saw some obscure ones. There was one labeled "Narcissa
Malfoy, October 13th, 1979" and "Morphin Gaunt, Exact date
Unknown" He recognized the name Gaunt. They were Slytherin's
heirs, the last known keepers of his locket. The only known relic of
Salazar Slytherin and they had lost it.
"Aberforth
Dumbledore, July 8th, 1931" He said aloud. "Was that
Dumbledore's Father?"
"No, you silly boy. Aberforth is
Dumbledore's brother. He's still alive." Snape said with
discontent in his voice. "It's not here. DAMNIT IT'S NOT HERE!"
He picked up an orange bottle and threw it across the room landing at
Draco's feet. The cork came loose and the orange smoke shot up at
Draco. He fell over, he inhaled some smoke and gagged. On his knees
now, Snape ran over to his side. Draco couldn't
breathe.
Couldn't...
Breathe...
Snape flicked his wand,
and rapped it against his throat in frustration. Draco coughed as his
airway cleared.
"What the hell was that!"
"I'm
sorry, that was...unintentional." Snape said, without offering
any explanation.
"What are those things?" Draco asked,
annoyed now more than anything.
"They are spells, most potant
magics even a wizard as...astute...as professor Dumbledore had
trouble controlling them. He contained them and hid them away
whenever he managed to perform one. For special circumstances."
"What
do you mean? What kind of spells?" He stood up, revived from his
choking experience.
"Well...the kind that can be lethal,
obviously," He said unflinchingly. "I am sorry, that was an
inappropriate outburst." He flicked his wand and the shards of
glass from the broken bottle vanished. He returned to the shelves of
spells. Draco walked up by his side, and examined a line of
them.
"They're not labeled?" He asked, looking at the
swirling, glowing bottles.
"Some are, please get out of my
way." He looked down at the shelf Draco had been
examining.
Draco walked back over to the memories, all of these
were labeled. Damnit, what was going on? Florance Fornax, July 31st
1989. Dawn Orva, November 12th, 1976. Dawn Orva...he recognized that
name. And Florance Fornax sounded familiar too.
"Ah. Yes.
Here it is." Draco turned around. Snape was staring at the
shelf, blocking the spell from view. "No...So crude."
"What's
crude?"
"This...isn't...a spell. It's a potion. But it's
missing an ingredient."
"A Potion? What kind of
potion?"
"We do not have time now. Draco, I am about to
put you in some pain. I am sorry but it is best in the long run. I
promise when you wake up...this will all be over."
"Wake
up?"
"SECTUMSEMPRA!"
Notes: This is where I've really been leading for a long time. The only reason I didn't write this earlier is because I needed lots of other stuff to come first in order for this go make sense and go in order. I've been dying to write these scenes from the beginning. I hope the Trio stuff didn't sound too rushed, for now, I hate to say it but I'm a lot more interested in the Snape/Draco Plot line. But, I also brought the trio down there for a reason. And don't worry, all the questions I've asked...They'll be answered soon enough. I promise it's full of plot holes for a reason. R+R please!
Next: No Good Deed
