A New Beginning

Chapter Nine

Further Inquiries

Amestris

Reseembool

Elric House

Severus and Remus arrived just after dinner, they had finally managed to get together all of the information on both the condition of the spells and on the Death Eaters. It was not bad news, but not good news either. Edward invited them in, and Riza ushered the children upstairs.

Roy and Edward lead the way into the office, where the four men settled around the couches instead of the desk before Riza and Winry joined them. Pinako had agreed to watch after the children so that Winry could sit in on the meeting without worrying that the kids would be listening in.

"As you know, Remus was able to make contact with Sirius Black once again a few weeks ago. Though the meeting itself was largely unproductive, we have been looking into it since then." Severus began as soon as the room was sealed with a quick spell.

"So the Blacks have one of them pieces then?" Edward asked with a tired sigh.

"Sirius did not know, though he said that had his brother obtained anything from Voldemort it would be hidden somewhere in his house." Remus frowned. "However, the house is sealed and will only reopen for its true master. So, unless we can find a way to get Sirius out of prison, we aren't getting into the house."

"It may as well be a dead end then." Winry asked.

"Perhaps. Luckily, this also means that the Death Eaters cannot reach it either." Severus leaned back against the couch looking very tired. "It also means that He still will have at least one tether to this world until we find a way to reach it."

"Dumbledore is doubling down on his attempts to gain our attention. After he stopped me on the dock he began writing Severus." Remus added.

"Yes two to three owls a day, demanding I return to my post at Hogwarts." Severus shook his head. "He intends to send Owls to both Yuery and Draco of course."

"Not to sound cruel, but perhaps you should return. Just for a semester." Riza suggested. "Did you not say that there was likely a horcrux inside Hogwarts?"

"We would have to make sure Severus knew enough about reading the Pulse to feel it easily." Ed frowned in concentration. "You have grown very strong in reading energy, but these are very passive as you know."

"I could feel them, when they were placed in the bowl last time." Severus assured them.

"Not until you were close to them though, and there were two together." Roy said. "We will continue practicing, you have a few months before you need to return to Hogwarts should you agree to return next year. I should think it would be better for everyone involved that you not be forced to return part of the way through a year."

"That's it then. I will write him and offer to return next year. Conditionally." Severus sighed. "The Death Eaters have all gone deeper into hiding. They were searching for Him, I fear the silence may be a sign that they have found Him or at least gotten closer."

"You have heard nothing from your contacts?" Remus asked with concern. The idea that they had managed to find Him was terrifying.

"Nothing of importance. They are still searching, or were last week when I spoke to Rooke. I suggested they were searching the wrong area, and perhaps they search Argentina."

"Clever. They heard rumors he might be in Albania. Argentina isn't close at all, though they may fall for it." Remus nodded.

Edward nodded along, with a frown himself. He had considered the problem for a while, but a vague location was a big gamble, when it came to having to travel away from his family so he had not yet suggested they go themselves in search of the wizard. Winry knew he had thought of it, and he was pretty sure his Dad knew he thought about it too.

"I will arrange to meet with Rooke again when I go to speak to Dumbledore about next year." Severus sighed, already tired from the conversation he knew would come. "He is going to ask that I try to persuade you into allowing Yuery to attend."

"I assumed he would, yes. He hasn't been quiet about his intent to try to steal my son away once he was school aged." Edward nodded. "It doesn't matter though, even if I agreed to let him try it out, it would be on my terms not his. I am not going to be trusting my child into his care when I know damned well he will let Yuery die in an instant if it suits him."

"I think…I think he is conflicted by it actually." Remus frowned. "I think it may be part of the reason he spends a great deal of his time drinking. He thinks it's the only way, which means there is no reasoning with him, but I do believe it bothers him."

"I honestly don't give a damn how conflicted he feels about it." Ed growled. "He was willing to let Yuery die as a helpless baby, and he's willing to let him die now."

Hogwarts

Headmaster's Office

Severus decided once he had agreed to the plan, to talk to Dumbledore in person. He needed to make sure the man understood that this was a temporary agreement and that neither Draco nor Yuery were part of it in any way.

He arrived after dinner, but before it was likely that Dumbledore had gotten too drunk. He was surprised to find the Headmaster had not begun drinking yet, though it was possible he had been waiting on a different meeting since he seemed surprised that Severus was the one who came into the room. "Ah, Severus, how can I help you this evening?"

"Should I consider your request, and return to Hogwarts, I will have conditions." Severus began, he saw no point in wasting time with pleasantries. "To begin with, I will only agree to return on a probationary basis. Should I catch you in the bottom of a bottle, or plotting against the children of this or any other school, I will immediately resign."

"I have never plotted against children and would never do such a thing!" Dumbledore sounded deeply offended, Severus refused to argue on the subject.

"Secondly, we both know you will invite the boy to Hogwarts next year no matter what you are told so understand this, when you are ignored let it go. Do not further antagonize his family. They are not a group you wish to go to war with, and that's where it will lead should you continue." Severus said calmly.

"Harry belongs here. It is his fate." Dumbledore said sounding tired.

"His fate changed the moment his parents were murdered. His fate changed once again when he was saved and brought into a new family. Fate is a funny thing, it isn't as inflexible as you would assume." Severus sighed.

"He was born to this Severus. One doesn't have to like it to accept it. I certainly do not like the idea of allowing a child to fight in this war, but it is his fate."

"No. It is your interpretation of his fate. It is the Dark Lord's interpretation of his fate. It is not something that has to happen." Severus frowns.

"I do wish it was that simple Severus. Was that all?" Dumbledore asked.

"For now, yes." Severus replied. "Should I think of anything else I will let you know. Now between now and the beginning of term, leave me in peace and do not send anyone else to visit."

"Why did you help to arrange a meeting between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin?" Dumbledore asked suddenly.

"Why did you seek to block the meeting?" Severus frowned as he sat back down. Clearly the meeting wasn't over after all.

"I do not wish to see Remus suffer further. Sirius Black broke the trust of their friendship as deeply as one possibly can. That is not something that can be recovered easily or perhaps at all."

"Sirius Black claimed to know that you knew of his innocence and did nothing to defend him." Severus sneered. There would never come a time that Severus would feel anything but contempt for Sirius Black, but that did not mean he wanted the Potters true betrayer to be free to try again.

" I know nothing of the sort. He and Peter were thick as thieves since school. It is easy enough to create a false alibi by switching Secret Keepers. You know how easy misdirection can be as your history as a double agent." Dumbledore frowned.

"Yet you never suspected the werewolf." Severus couldn't help but ask. Severus trusted Remus at this point, but that was after getting to know him as adults and Remus taking the vow to do no harm to the boy. It seemed odd that Dumbledore trusted one of the three while believing the other two guilty.

"Try as we might, we often cannot escape the life we were born for." Dumbledore said. "Remus, is forever grateful to the small acts of kindness in his youth. Friends. Acceptance into Hogwarts. He would not repay the debt with betrayal for it would alienate him from the life he so desperately desires."

"So, in your theory, he isn't against betraying the Potters he just won't because he is comfortable in his current life." Severus sneered. "Is there anyone in this world that you have ever just considered a good person?"

"I do not believe in fairy stories Severus. Even the ones that are true. Especially the ones that are true." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair suddenly looking very tired. "I want to believe there is good in everyone. I want to believe you and others when you claim the boy is cared for and loved with no ulterior motive aside from loving him. I cannot risk the possibility of the risk that they would just hand the boy over in the end."

"Isn't that what you intend to do? His family loves and cares for him. Should Elric decide to allow the boy to attend here, you would be on thin ice with the boy. I highly suggest in the unlikely appearance of the boy, that you avoid interacting to him. I would not put it past Elric to have trained the boy to attack anyone who took him away from his home. DO you truly believe you can simply turn him against the man who has raised him all this time?"

"I have truth on my side Severus. No matter how loved the child might feel at the moment, they have betrayed him." Dumbledore frowned looking almost pained at the idea. "He has been lead to believe that Elric is his true father. He went as far as to falsify birth records to cover up his lie. How well do you think anyone would take the knowledge that their life has been built on lies?"

"So that is your intention then. You intend to tear this child apart, completely destroy the foundations of his identity, to lead him into questioning the very heart of his life, just to use him in your war." Severus was furious. He, of course, already knew this was the plan, but to hear it said so plainly disgusted him.

Remus' suggestion that perhaps this man felt guilty about the plan. That it was leading him to drink, and perhaps there was a way to reason with him seemed further lunacy than it had when Remus had said it. Dumbledore had no true regret with the choices he was making. He had completely convinced himself that this was truly the only path to victory.

The best they could hope for at this point, was that Dumbledore and Voldemort tore each other apart before they could harm anyone else, and history of both men had already shown that there was no chance of that outcome.

They needed to find the last two pieces before this could go any further, because they had to eliminate Voldemort's threat so they could focus on Dumbledore's. It was clear to Severus that Dumbledore was going to be as much of a threat to the child as Voldemort himself, if no one else saw it. The worst part, he suddenly realized as he made his way out of the castle grounds, was that he would not be able to voice the entirety of his concerns with Edward.

Dumbledore had spoken to him freely, knowing he couldn't pass it on. He could only say so much before the vow would still his tongue. He regretted the Vow. He regretted trusting Dumbledore to help him when he had asked. He regretted agreeing to return to Hogwarts, even for a moment. He hoped to find the Horcrux quickly, an entire year under Dumbledore's watch would drive him mad.