A Fate Worse Than Death
By West Dean
Disclaimer as per previous chapters.
Chapter Six: The Order of the Phoenix
Hermione attempted to stifle a yawn and a growing sense of disappointment.
She was spending yet another lunchtime sitting at the study desk in the Restricted Section of the Library. Ancient books of Dark Magic were piled up before her but she was becoming frustrated and despondent. This was not what she had been expecting when she had first entered the Library four days ago with Lupin's open pass.
Madame Pince had scrutinised the piece of parchment for long drawn out minutes.
Her lips had grown more and more pursed and her eyes had narrowed until Hermione had been afraid that her precious pass would burst into flames under her glare.
Eventually she had brusquely beckoned Hermione to follow her and with clear reluctance had raised the rope to the Restricted Section and had shown the student the study desk and how the restricted classifications worked. Even Hermione's status as a perfect library user had not helped her win the Librarian's favour in this matter.
The classification system had been the start of her problems. Remus Lupin had not exactly been putting Hogwarts at risk by letting Hermione loose in the Restricted Section, as it turned out that there were further protections against foolhardy students.
The most dangerous books of Dark Magic had their own personal wards. A small faded notice pinned to the wall highlighted the even more faded sigils carved into the shelves beside certain books, indicating that they would yell or even bite back if disturbed without the correct counter-spells being used. These were naturally in the possession of the appropriate Heads of Department. This meant that if Hermione wanted the darkest of the Potions books she would have to see Professor Snape. No wonder Harry had run into trouble when he had attempted to look at the books in the dark while wearing an invisibility cloak.
So although she was free to search among a thousand years of wizarding knowledge, she suspected that the information she really wanted was still tantalisingly out of her reach. She had come to this conclusion after several long sessions of combing through the Dark Magic books that she could access.
She had made a list of the Potion ingredients that Snape had mentioned on a large piece of parchment. As she read through book after book of ancient magic she had written the various Potions that she had found each substance being used in beside them. The parchment was now covered with lines criss-crossing between ingredients and Potions. Various patterns had quickly emerged and she now had a number of Potions that used all the ingredients in various combinations.
She had soon come across the Amor Velox Potion which she was sure was the one that Snape had been thinking of. He had been correct in thinking that Hermione could easily brew this one. It was a typical student prank potion although she was unsettled by how strong the effects could be.
Her instincts told her that Malfoy was after something even more powerful. All the Potions highlighted on the parchment were capable of inducing various degrees of lust, love or affection - some much stronger than others. A more disturbing pattern was emerging – these particular items were very reactive. The darker the spells, artefacts or other items used with them, the stronger the pull between the two people who used it would be. Some of the Potions seemed to indicate that the physical and mental attraction that they induced could be binding in their effects, even involving the control of a person's magic.
Hence her desire to access the darkest of the books – she strongly suspected that using a particular ritual or artefact of Dark magic could create a substance that would utterly enthral the one who took it.
It was so frustrating and her anxiety was building that Lucius Malfoy was really up to no good. Hermione knew that Lucius had access to Dark Magic artefacts; Arthur Weasley had mentioned this repeatedly. She really needed to talk to someone about this to confirm her suspicions. She had not seen Lupin since her visit to his office and was still unwilling to ask Snape.
She now heard footsteps coming up the aisle towards her and raised her head from Lustiger Zaubertranken (on long term loan from Durmstrang), expecting to see Madame Pince. The Librarian had made a habit of appearing every ten minutes or so while Hermione had been here, always looking as though she was expecting to find that Hermione had evolved into a Death eater.
To her surprise it was Professor McGonagall, who appeared to be rather unhappy to find her student seated among the aisles of Dark Magic.
"There you are Miss Granger. Professor Lupin said you would be here but I hadn't really expected it. Could you come to my office at the end of school hours today?
Don't worry child, you are not in trouble." The stern faced teacher gave a slight smile at Hermione's anxious look. "All will be explained when you arrive."
McGonagall swept away leaving Hermione troubled indeed, – why seek her out?
A note in the Common Room or one of her lessons would have been enough. It looked as though Supper might be delayed so she put away the heap of books and went in search of Lunch.
SsHGss
Later that afternoon Hermione made her way to the Transfiguration Professor's office. As she approached the office door she was surprised to see Harry and Ron coming along the corridor from the other direction.
"McGonagall asked you to come to her office too?" Said Harry. "She came up to us at lunchtime. I wonder what this is about?"
They knocked and went in and stopped dead at the sight that met their eyes.
Professor McGonagall was not there but seated at her desk, resplendent in blue robes that amplified the whiteness of his beard, was Albus Dumbledore. He smiled reassuringly at them while helping himself to a Ginger Newt out of a tartan biscuit tin.
Even more disconcerting, standing at the back of the office leaning against the bookshelves with his arms crossed and his black robes folded closely about his slender body, was Severus Snape. His black eyes regarded them without expression. Remus Lupin was there too, he was sitting casually on a small side desk trying vainly to silence a miniature pair of bagpipes that had burst into a tiny wailing song and were trying to wriggle out of his fingers.
Was it Hermione's imagination or did the gazes of all three adults linger more on her than on the others?
"Come in children and please sit down." Dumbledore indicated three seats drawn up in front of the desk. They sat, looks of puzzlement plain on all three faces.
"Welcome to the first Hogwarts meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. A Sub committee if you like. All the members present in Hogwarts are now here with the exception of Professor McGonagall, who is covering for our absence. It was thought prudent not to hold it in my office, as I believe that our comings and goings would attract too much unwelcome attention.
"The reason for this meeting? I am aware that although you are distanced from the activities of the Order of the Phoenix, you are still prone to the anxieties that beset us all. Even more so, in fact, as you are unable to take any action to calm any fears that you may have about what Voldemort and his followers may be up to. My neglect of such fears in the past have led to tragedy and near disaster as I freely admit."
The unspoken name of Sirius Black hung in the air.
"In recognition of this we have decided," he indicated Snape and Lupin, "to hold a meeting here in Hogwarts to bring you up to date with the Order information that can be freely circulated. And further, to devise ways to help you cope with the burdens that are placed upon you."
The effect of his words was like a spark of muggle electricity. Harry had a fierce grin upon his face as he looked at Dumbledore, as though some promise that had been made to him was coming true. Ron was obviously interested but the lack of Order involvement clearly hadn't bothered him very much. Hermione was grinning inside. Clever Remus! Lupin and Dumbledore had clearly thought up a way of letting Harry and Ron know about the threat of Lucius Malfoy and the theft of the potion ingredients without involving Hermione. A meeting so soon after she had seen Lupin suggested that the escape of Lucius was about to be confirmed and that they would hear of plans to counter this new threat both inside and outside of Hogwarts.
She looked over at Snape standing in the shadows in the corner of the office. Hah – a little voice shouted inside her, See I was right. Draco, your favoured student has gone behind your back, your dear old friend is sneaking about and I've probably saved your life if Voldemort was also involved. Oh how she wished she could say that aloud to his face. It would be a sweet little revenge for the way in which he had dismissed her.
Snape was looking directly at her and his expression was not that of someone grateful to have been given information about a possible mortal threat. In fact in anyone but Snape she would have described it as a look of concern. He quickly looked away as Dumbledore began to speak again.
"Let us quickly proceed before we miss the arrival of Supper in the Great Hall.
"Firstly Professor Snape will outline what he has learned from the last Death eater meeting and current developments from what I might call the front line against Voldemort. I will follow that with information on the activities of members of the Order and Professor Lupin will conclude with the situation at present in Hogwarts."
The excitement among the three young Order members was now palpable, as they had never expected this.
Snape now moved up to stand beside Dumbledore at the desk, his arms still firmly folded.
"As you are no doubt aware I attended a meeting of the Death eaters on the night of the Full Moon. The Dark Lord often chooses his meeting times to be in synchronicity with the phases of the Moon, which is useful knowledge for us. He announced that a new scheme, that would increase his magical powers and eventually lead to an unshakable dominance over the magical world, would come into play on the night of the New Moon, which is now four days away. Unfortunately what this scheme involves is unclear- since his recent disappointments the Dark Lord has kept his plans close to himself and has not shared information with any of his followers."
Snape sounded frustrated.
"The Order remains in the dark about this apparent plot and a further annoyance involves the fact that we are still unable to determine where the Dark Lord is currently hiding. It is obviously an old muggle house but he is very careful not to let the Death eaters know where it is located. The property is heavily warded with obscure spells that even I am struggling to understand – there are certainly anti-apparition, anti-disillusionment and other standard protections but also something that dampens wand magic, presumably this indicates a lack of trust in his followers. This means that the forces of the Light are forced to remain on the defensive. In the face of this new threat it is vital that we discover a way in which Headmaster Dumbledore and the Order can meet the challenge, our eventual objective will be to go on the attack."
Hermione was listening with total fascination; she had never heard Snape talking about his role in the Order before. She was amazed at the passion in his voice. But she was also becoming puzzled. You do know! She was saying to herself. This new plot must involve the escape of Lucius Malfoy and a Potion. If Voldemort is behind it then it is even worse than I ever imagined.
Snape continued, "Our only recent success has been connected with the fact that the Dark Lord has been trying to regain more of his humanity. To this end I have been supplying him with appropriate regenerative Potions. These have had to be very skilled in order not to interfere with the mesh of magic that effectively holds him together. It has been possible to slow the Dark Lord's progress and introduce side effects that have required frequent sessions of treatment, allowing me to visit his location and search for weaknesses. In conclusion the next meeting may be a vital event for which we must be prepared."
Snape stepped back, his eyes daring the students not to show him respect for what he had revealed. It was not necessary; Hermione, Ron and even Harry were totally awed at the revelation of the risks that he was taking.
Dumbledore next spoke outlining what various members of the Order were currently up to. There had been a lot more discreet trailing of suspected Death eaters and much more involvement within the Ministry of Magic, attempting to galvanise its activity against Voldemort and keeping an eye on suspected influence over the various Departments by supporters of the Dark Lord. Hermione really pricked up her ears when he reached the monitoring of Azkaban.
"This is still proving to be a real Ministry weak spot. The Dementors have switched allegiance as expected and we are even not sure of the true loyalty of all the Aurors that have been appointed there. Ministry checks could easily have been fooled.
We are sure that Voldemort will want to recover the captured Death eaters as they are among his most trusted followers. Miss Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt have placed themselves in a good position to monitor activity there and it looks as though Voldemort has not yet made a move. We are hoping to get some information from the likes of Lucius Malfoy and although very defiant at first, he has been rather quiet these last couple of weeks. Perhaps he is considering his position and may be willing to talk at last. Kingsley visited him yesterday with an offer from the Ministry and we shall wait and see."
Hermione was thunderstruck – Dumbledore had clearly emphasised the name of Lucius Malfoy and the word yesterday. But it was impossible that he could still be imprisoned in Azkaban – she had seen him in the Forbidden Forest from a distance of just a few yards.
She looked numbly at the three Professors and there was now no doubt that they were watching her reaction. Great Merlin – they think I've been having a hallucination or something! Thoughts began tumbling rapidly through her head – Is this why they have called this meeting to see how I will react to the news that Lucius Malfoy is still in Azkaban? Do they think I've been affected by stress or that I'm acting under some sort of confundus charm? Snape doesn't believe me – none of them do. But I really saw Draco in the Dungeon and the Forest and the Potion ingredients really went missing. This must be connected to Voldemort.
She knew her confusion must have been showing in her face. Ron and Harry were looking puzzled as though they were aware that something was going on.
Lupin now spoke from where he was sitting on the desk.
"One of the reasons that I have returned to Hogwarts, against the wishes of the Ministry, was to keep an eye on possible infiltration and interference with the School from either Voldemort or the Ministry of Magic. The only incident of recent concern has been a theft of Potion ingredients from Professor Snape's office." Harry and Ron looked interested. Hermione felt that this was her last chance to prove that she had not been dreaming the events of the past few days.
"This incident has had a satisfactory resolution – following a tip off, Professor Snape caught Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson in the middle of brewing an Amor Velox Potion in a disused classroom four days ago and has recovered the missing ingredients." Ron and Harry looked positively gleeful at this news.
Hermione felt as though she had been hit with a Bludger. Damn it! – Her intuition told her that Draco had obviously arranged an alibi to cover his trip to the Forest and the theft of the ingredients. He had even gone so far as to allow himself to be caught by his Head of House. She had seen Draco arranging this with Pansy. But now she was the only person who believed it.
But - perhaps she had imagined it all? Had the continuing threat of Voldemort or the dangerous situations that she kept finding herself involved in begun to seriously affect her? Had she read too much into Draco's activities because he was Lucius Malfoy's son? She was starting to feel unsure of herself. What was going to happen now? She knew that the three adults were watching her. Perhaps they all thought she was suffering a nervous breakdown. Brought on by too much study and the stress of being Harry Potters friend? She felt faint.
Dumbledore now spoke. "Now we are up to date it is clear that we need to help you prepare even more for possible events ahead. I know that you all have heavy study schedules but I think that you will find a little extension of your studies beyond the school curriculum a useful remedy for stress and even a form of relaxation.
"Harry, as you all know, has been studying Advanced Defensive magic and continuing to practice his Occlumency with Professor Lupin. I think it is appropriate to bring out into the open his study of Offensive magic too." Hermione and Ron stared at Harry who managed to look a little apologetic.
"Miss Granger, Mr Weasley I apologise for a lack of recognition of your position as Harry's friends, which may have rendered you vulnerable to Voldemort in ways that we have not yet have considered. I think that it is time to develop your Defensive magic to a new level as well. Also Professor Snape has kindly consented to teach you both Occlumency, which will assist Harry in mastering this vital skill."
This was the final blow to Hermione's shattered composure. She felt that she might burst into tears at any moment and find herself being propelled in the direction of the Hospital wing. She knew from talking to Harry that his Occlumency lessons had not just been about helping him to protect his mind from Voldemort, they had also allowed Snape to get glimpses of what had been bothering him last year, in particular the vision of the Department of Mysteries.
Under Snape's use of Legilimency she felt that Dumbledore must be planning to check her state of mind before taking further action to help what was obviously to him a student in distress. Even worse - Snape would surely find out what she really thought about him, as she knew it was possible to extract feelings as well as memories from another person's mind.
Snape had moved around the desk and now stood before Ron and Hermione. Ron had a look wavering between outright panic and pure horror on his face as he stared up at Snape. He clearly remembered the state Harry had come back in after one of those sessions. Hermione did not even want to look up into those gleaming black eyes. She did not want to see his expression if he thought her now to be suffering from delusions.
She heard his smooth silky voice above her.
"Mr Weasley, Miss Granger I will expect you in my office this evening at six o'clock and seven o'clock respectively."
He swept past them, his robes flapping and vanished through the office door.
Harry was glaring at Dumbledore. Remus Lupin had turned a concerned gaze on Hermione. She was staring at the floor, hearing what could only be Ron's faint whimpers, and trying to resist the urge to stuff her robes in her mouth to stop the wails that she could feel rising in her throat. She was also fighting a strong desire to flee the office and possibly throw herself into the Hogwarts Lake to prevent the unpleasant event now looming on the horizon.
""Well I think that went as well as could be expected," said Dumbledore looking around and smiling at all of them. "Anyone for a Sherbet Lemon?"
TBC
Authors Note: I must be Evil - I enjoyed writing that! This little story was originally going to be a wallow in Snape angst, my favourite sort of Harry Potter Fic, with Hermione being swept helplessly along the way but somehow I've started torturing the poor girl too! It's not going to stop either – next up is Occlumency with Snape –neither of them is going to enjoy that and Lucius Malfoy is ready to strike as well!
I apologise for the persona of Dumbledore at the end but the insane glove puppet Dumbledore from Potterpuppetpals popped into my head and demanded to finish the scene.
Another Thank You to my kind reviewers – seeing the e-mails pop up really spurs me on to writing the next Chapter!
Caeria: I like your suggestion and will try and write in a nice and sweet "I told you so" into the story (as opposed to the mean one above!) Any other suggestions from readers are most welcome.