Chapter 21: Behind the Mask
"Dance with the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin.
Hermione, Narcissa, and the Death Eaters all Apparated a short distance from a massive, unkempt manor. It had three floors with multiple windows, all covered on the inside by heavy curtains that were impossible to see through. Hermione felt an odd chill, like the one she'd felt outside the house in Godric's Hollow. Terrible things had happened inside the house in front of her, as would many more.
Regulus grabbed Hermione's hand again, and he whispered in her ear as they both walked toward the house with the rest of their group. "Stay calm," he said. "Don't speak to him unless you're spoken to. Keep an eye on what Narcissa does and follow her example. She's come with us a few times by now. She knows what to do and when to do it. Try to stay close to her, me, or Snape. Don't trust any of the others. They might try to set you up. Just stay on your toes. Never let your guard down." Hermione nodded frantically. As they reached the front door, Regulus released her hand and noticed blood had rubbed off on his own. His eyes widened and he passed Hermione back to Narcissa. "Get that blood off her before Greyback sees it!" He hissed urgently. Narcissa yanked Hermione to the back of the group filing into the hideout, pulling her sleeve up and whispering cleansing charms to remove the bloodstains from Hermione's skin, though the spells didn't work on the watch.
"Try to stay clear of Greyback," Narcissa whispered to Hermione quickly. "He has a particular taste for young girls like us, and I mean that literally. Even Bella avoids him when she can." Hermione nodded again. Her breath caught in her chest as she followed the young Death Eaters down a long hall with creaking floorboards. They walked past a large wooden staircase and approached a pair of massive double doors. One of the doors bore an engraving of the Slytherin crest, the other an engraving of the Dark Mark. Bellatrix knocked on the door with the Slytherin crest seven times, then she knocked on the door with the Dark Mark nine times. The doors dissolved away completely.
The Death Eaters, Narcissa, and Hermione walked through the tall archway that remained. As soon as they'd passed completely through the archway, the doors rematerialized. They were left standing inside a long, narrow dining hall. At the opposite end of the hall was a tall armchair in which Voldemort was seated, facing a semi-circle of unmasked Death Eaters. Hermione's stomach turned at the sight. Though she could only see the backs of their heads, she could recognize most of the Death Eaters standing before Voldemort. As for Voldemort himself, his appearance differed greatly in this time than how Harry had described him in her real time. Though his skin was pale, it wasn't as pallid as it was in his future form. He had a normal nose between his red eyes and he looked a little less emaciated.
"You know your positions," Voldemort spoke indifferently to the group that had just arrived from Hogwarts. The young Death Eaters moved quickly toward the semi-circle of older Death Eaters, bowed deeply to Voldemort, and stood in different, seemingly assigned positions amongst the other Death Eaters, their school robes looking very out-of-place. Narcissa pulled Hermione to the left side of the group. One woman was already seated on the floor there, presumably the girlfriend or wife of one of the older Death Eaters. In this time, Bellatrix was the only female Death Eater.
"The youngest Ms. Black is joining us again?" Voldemort asked with a little more interest. Narcissa nodded as she reached the other woman. She pulled her Slytherin robe off, leaving her wand in one of its pockets and tossing it to the floor on Voldemort's right side, where the other woman's cloak and wand were laying. Narcissa sat down beside the older woman and turned to Hermione, who was standing a couple feet back, looking around tensely.
"Security measure, Hermione," Narcissa said softly. "Robe off. Leave your wand inside."
"Hermione?" Voldemort repeated as Hermione took an uncertain step forward and began to reluctantly remove her Gryffindor robe. "Hermione Granger?" Hermione nodded. She tossed her robe, wand inside, into the pile beside Voldemort as though she was handing him her life on a platter. It wasn't her wand that she was most frightened to discard. Her turquoise otter pin was still attached to that outer robe.
"I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Granger," Voldemort continued, clearly noting how uncomfortable she was. "You're certainly made out to be more of a Gryffindor than Wormtail. It was so brave and noble of you to save the life of one of my most promising Death Eaters. I thank you."
Though the thanks Voldemort spoke seemed genuine, the way he stared at Hermione told her he wasn't nearly as pleased with other things he'd been told about her. Hermione was careful to guard her mind against him as much as she could and avoided direct eye contact, but Voldemort wasn't trying to catch her eyes. He was looking at her wrist.
"Remove the watch as well, Ms. Granger," Voldemort said. Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet his, startled. Voldemort read her silent question. "True, a basic watch would not normally be deemed a potential threat," he said. "An object of any kind that is rarely ever separated from its owner, however, is always cause for some suspicion, and I see it's been bloodied. Never a good sign. Remove it."
Hermione obeyed the order. Even as she removed Garus' watch, she could feel her pulse pounding rapidly through her wrist. She fought to appear calm as she tossed the watch into the pile with her wand and otter pin. All she could do as she sat on the floor beside Narcissa was pray that Voldemort wouldn't realize that the last hope the wizarding world hand of stopping him was within the reach of his hand. As it was, Greyback looked at the watch and sniffed at the air, smiling at the smell of fresh, female blood. Hermione shuddered lightly. The werewolf that bit Remus thought she smelled tasty. Voldemort turned his attention back to the group of twenty-three Death Eaters: Regulus, Snape, Bellatrix, Macnair, Rookwood, Dolohov, Rabastan, Rodolphus, Karkaroff, Jugson, Greyback, Avery, Mulciber, Rosier, Quirrel, Lucius, Crabbe, Goyle, Wilkes, Gibbon, Nott, Pettigrew, and Travers.
"Has anyone found any potential recruits?" Voldemort asked the group.
"Another student, my Lord," Lucius Malfoy answered, "Barty Crouch Jr., a third-year Ravenclaw." Voldemort nodded slightly.
"Third year is a little young for a Mark," Voldemort said thoughtfully, "but if he's serious about joining us, we can certainly train him to join us a year or two from now. Bring him along next time."
"Yes, my Lord," Lucius responded promptly.
"Wormtail," Voldemort continued, "you're continuing to keep an eye on your friends and listening for any new developments with the Order of the Phoenix?"
"Yes, my Lord, always," Wormtail nearly squeaked, his whole body trembling while some of the older Death Eaters bit back laughter at his weakness. "Nothing new,bmy Lord. Forgive me."
"Forgive you?" Voldemort repeated, glaring at Pettigrew's quivering form in disgust. "You'll remember, Wormtail, that you are still alive right now because you promised you could spy for us and help us stop your friends. The first part of that prophecy Severus overheard this past summer suggested the boy's parents will have 'thrice defied' me. Anyone who has been so daring has been recruited by Dumbledore. The most probable couple, we've decided, is James Potter and Lily Evans. They're your closest friends, Wormtail, and you have yet to give us anything of substance."
Pettigrew was shaking so violently. Hermione glanced over at Narcissa—her eyes were shut against what she expected was about to happen. Hermione tensed. Wormtail wasn't supposed to die! Snape had to become a spy for Dumbledore! This wasn't how things were supposed to happen! "It's not his fault!" Hermione blurted out in a panic. Every eye in the room turned to stare at her, most of them wide and incredulous at Hermione's daring to speak.
"It isn't?" Voldemort asked so icily it was surprising frost didn't issue from his mouth. His eyes weren't wide as they glared dangerously at Hermione, but narrow and burning, silently daring her to look directly into them. Hermione raised her eyes as far up as his clenched jaw before she spoke, choosing her words carefully.
"He has been trying very hard to draw them even closer to him, but my arrival presented unexpected competition," she said. Voldemort's glare softened slightly. Hermione fought not to tremble or squeak herself. "I'm much closer to Remus Lupin than Wormtail is. Sirius Black and James Potter have been spending all their studying time with me as well. As for Lily Evans, she's been spending less time with all the Marauders, spending much more time with me and Molly Weasley. When Wormtail spent the holiday away from the castl, to get his Mark, their favor of me over him was mostly solidified."
"Hermione just had a huge fight with Remus Lupin, though," Regulus chimed in. "He saw her alone with me this morning, and he was furious."
"Then he saw her alone with me," Snape also came to Hermione's defense. "One of us was a shock to him, but two? He'll be sure to tell his friends about what he saw. She'll fall out of the picture soon, and Wormtail can take advantage of the inevitable let down."
"That might even create a good opportunity to move another spy in," Regulus added.
"Like me," Snape said. Everyone in the room looked at him, startled.
"You?" Voldemort asked Snape. He was looking between Snape, Regulus, Wormtail, and Hermione like they'd all gone mad. "I won't deny that you have the skill for the job, but the position? It's a secret to no one that you and James Potter hold hate for each other like you hold for no others."
"He can tell Dumbledore," Hermione blurted. Several of the Death Eaters let out low hissing noises at the mention of Dumbledore.
"Excuse me?" Voldemort hissed much louder, standing up and towering over Hermione. Narcissa and the other woman scrambled away and dove behind some of the Death Eaters.
"About me, not you!" Hermione said shrilly, still seated on the floor at Voldemort's feet, not daring to move apart from instinctively bowing her head in submission. She kept her eyes on the floor as she continued to speak. "Like Snape and Regulus said, Remus found out that I've been sneaking off with various Death Eaters. Even if he doesn't tell his other friends right away, it's likely that he will go talk to Dumbledore about it. If Snape tells Dumbledore first, he could begin to win Dumbledore's trust. Then maybe he could use that to get in." Hermione still didn't dare raise her eyes to see her reaction to her words. The surrounding Death Eaters, however, were watching the scene before them with rapt attention. Greyback was practically quivering in anticipation.
"You, Hermione Granger, the last of your family, are willing to give up all the relationships you've built since you came here, to help us?" Voldemort asked, his tone skeptical. Hermione choked.
'No!' She thought to herself, 'No, I can't do that! I won't! I can't even be sure, if I help Snape get inside the Order, that he'll turn spy for Dumbledore like he's supposed to! What if I've got it wrong?!' Something in Hermione's heart was telling her she didn't have it wrong. She risked a subtle glance at her otter pin and Garus' watch. She blinked when she saw both objects glimmer slightly, as though briefly illuminated by candlelight. When she blinked, one tear fell from her eyes and splashed on the floor. She quickly blinked back the additional tears attempting to escape her eyes and looked up, her eyes automatically finding Regulus.
"I am," she whispered. Voldemort stared down at her for another moment, but then he nodded and turned away from her.
"Snape, what exactly will you tell Dumbledore—"
"That Hermione is with me," Regulus said. He and Hermione were still holding each other's gaze. "He can say that Hermione has been taking advantage of Remus Lupin's feelings for her, passing the information she gets form him along to me. Snape can tell Dumbledore that Hermione is my girl, not Lupin's."
"He can say that Regulus and I trust each other, and help each other," Hermione added softly, "that we'll do anything for each other."
"Anything," Regulus echoed, his gaze growing continually warmer. He meant every word.
"So be it," Voldemort said, addressing the whole room. "Snape, you have your orders. Wormtail, get your act together. Malfoy, remember to bring Crouch next time. Everyone is dismissed." The confused Death Eaters, Narcissa, and the other, older woman quickly filed outside the hall doors and Disapparated. Hermione and Regulus were at the back of the group, Regulus having leapt forward at the moment of dismissal to grab Hermione's robe and watch, helping her quickly put them back on. They were almost out the door when Voldemort spoke again.
"Not you two." Regulus and Hermione stopped dead in their tracks. They turned around slowly.
"My Lord?" Regulus spoke as calmly as he could. Hermione stood very close to him. Voldemort sat back down on the tall armchair and conjured two more chairs in front of him, staring at Regulus and Hermione pointedly. Regulus grabbed Hermione's hand again, and they walked back up the long hall until they reached the chairs. Both Regulus and Hermione sat, perched on the edges of their chairs, tensed and ready to spring into defensive action should that be necessary.
"You knew about Aragog, Ms. Granger?" Voldemort asked after a tense, silent moment. Hermione's stomach plummeted. Regulus flinched. This couldn't be good.
"Yes," Hermione answered softly, knowing that attempting to lie would just be stupid. Voldemort had clearly been told what had happened in the forest.
"And you know the reason the half-giant, Hagrid, was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year?" Voldemort prodded. Hermione glanced at Regulus. The nod he gave her was barely noticeable.
"Yes," Hermione answered, "for keeping a dangerous magical creature as a pet, inside the castle. Additionally, Aragog was believed to have killed Moaning Myrtle."
"You don't believe that to be true?" Voldemort pressed her, his voice low and dangerous.
"No," Hermione answered honestly after noticing another subtle nod from Regulus, telling her Voldemort knew what she'd said to Hagrid.
"You've been petrified by a basilisk before?" Voldemort inquired in the same soft, deadly tone. Hermione's stomach turned again. She opened her mouth to answer Voldemort when his patience with her seemed to snap. "What do you know about the Chamber of Secrets?!" Hermione's heart started pouding like a war drum.
"She's not the only one who knows that you're the last living heir of Slytherin, my Lord!" Regulus interjected. "Of course you were the one who opened the Chamber that year—you were also in school. As for whatever else she knows, relating to the Chamber or anything else, what does it really matter? She's on our side, and even if she weren't she can't prove anything. She's with me, My Lord. I take full responsibility—"
"Then take her punishment!" Voldemort hissed, jumping back to his feet and drawing his wand, aiming it at Regulus. Without thinking about what she was doing, Hermione drew her wand, leapt from her chair, and took a protective stance in front of Regulus, holding her wand only slightly lower than Voldemort's. The Dark Lord stared her down for a moment, then he smirked at her and lowered his wand. "Gryffindors," he sneered. "Loyal enough, it seems." Giving Regulus one more threatening glare, he swept out of the hall and Disapparated.
Hermione's legs buckled and she collapsed to her knees, trembling from head to toe and bursting into tears. Regulus dove forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "It's alright," he cooed, "it's over… You did well... You did beautifully… It'll be okay…"
"R-Regulus," Hermione choked out, "I want you to understand… I want you to know…"
"I still want to know, Hermione," Regulus whispered. "I'm sorry for what I said. I want to help you. Please just tell me what I can do." Hermione checked Garus' watch.
"Not now," she said. "The Pensive Perfume will wear off in six hours."
"Pensive Perfume?" Regulus prodded.
"Six hours," Hermione repeated. "Let's just get out of here."
"The Three Broomsticks?" Regulus asked, helping Hermione to her feet. "Something tells me you aren't up for heading straight back to Hogwarts. Besides, now that Snape is going to out us, we have nothing to hide." Hermione nodded and Regulus guided her out of the forsaken manor before they Disapparated to Hogsmeade.
"Congratulations, Malfoys," Voldemort drawled, his eyes on Lucius and Draco. "Though the Weasley girl wasn't captured, your job was well done. You found the Weasleys, and in so doing you did more for us than I expect you realize." The two Malfoys and all the other Death Eaters looked back at Voldemort inquiringly. "For one thing, one Weasley was killed," Voldemort continued. "More importantly, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter both came out of hiding to protect the other Weasleys. We're getting to them. Granger wasn't with them, so we know she is still missing from the picture. Most of the Order showed up to fight as well, and yet our underground hideout was destroyed at the same time. True, the few Order members who didn't show up at Hogwarts could be responsible, but how would they know where to find it?"
"My Lord," Bellatrix spoke cautiously, "are you suggesting it was Granger?"
"No," Voldemort answered, "not Granger, but someone who is a little closer at hand—someone whom, I'm beginning to believe, may be here in this manor." The face of every Death Eater in the room paled dramatically. Voldemort stood and leered down at all of them. "If there is a traitor before me," he hissed, "I give you fair warning: Come forward now and your death will be quick. Force me to weed you out myself, and you will be begging for death by the time I'm through with you."
All the Death Eaters were frozen, scarecely daring to breathe. No one came forward. Voldemort's eyes flashed. "Fine," he hissed. "No one leaves this manor without my consent! Anyone found to be knowingly protecting the traitor will die! As for the traitor, death will come to you slowly! NOW, ALL OF YOU GET OUT OF THIS ROOM AND OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
The Death Eaters fled the room as fast as their legs would carry them, barreling out of the large doors that bore the Slytherin crest and the Dark Mark upon them. Very few of the Death Eaters went to their own rooms. Instead, they all fled to the rooms of their closest companions and confidants among the group. Without even realizing he was doing it, Draco fled past his father, aunt, and uncle, and tore through the manor until he reached Snape's room.
No one else was in that bedroom yet. Draco walked in and sat down on the edge of Snape's bed to wait for him. When Snape still hadn't shown up a few minutes later, Draco's eyes were drawn to the bag underneath the bedside table. He could see a piece of parchment sticking out, caught in the zipper. He remembered that Snape had thrown several rolls of parchment in that bag when he, Draco, had been in the room before. Draco got up, truly intending to just free the parchment form the zipper and close the bag again. When he got close enough to make out the writing visible on that piece of parchment, he froze.
We'll get back to you when we hear from Hermione again.
Best, Harry and Ron.
Hermione's activation phrase: Fleur Weasley.
Draco looked at the door behind him. He hurried over to shut it. Returning to the bag, watching it as if it was full of explosives instead of parchment, Draco knelt on the floor beside the bag and he slowly unzipped it. Once the bag was open, he turned it upside-down, not wanting to blindly stick his hand inside it. Half a dozen rolls of parchment fell out. Draco glanced back at the door again before he unrolled them. They were all letters: One of them was signed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Two of the letters were signed by Harry and Ron alone. The last three letters were what shocked Draco the most. They were signed by Albus Dumbledore. Draco picked up one of those letters to examine it closely.
Severus,
Harry and Ron have safely returned to their own hideout. We should probably visit them again soon. Still no word from Hermione. I'm sure she's doing just fine. Harry and Ron have promised to write us both as soon as they hear from her.
How are things on your end, Severus? You wrote in your last letter that Lucius Malfoy has taken over the search for the Weasleys. Is he coming any closer than Draco? If the time comes for Tom to carry out his threat against the Malfoys, we'll have to find a way to get Draco out of there. I'm sure he'd be safe with me. Continuing to care for him is the least we owe Narcissa after what she did for us.
Best wishes, Albus Dumbledore.
Hermione transfigured the Pensive Perfume into a bright turquoise otter pin.
Draco stared at the letter, dumbstruck. Dumbledore was alive! His mother, Narcissa, had done something to help Dumbledore! Snape was in contact with Dumbledore, Potter, Ron Weasley, and Granger! Snape was the traitor! Draco had only a moment to linger on that thought before the letter in his hand burst into flame and dissolved into ashes, along with all the other letters. Draco leapt to his feet and turned around just in time to see Snape take aim again. "Expelliarmus!" Draco's wand was ripped out of his reach before he even had time to grab hold of it. There was a tense silence. "Sit down, Draco," Snape ordered after a moment. Draco opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off. "Sit down and do not speak." Draco sat on the edge of the bed and said nothing. He just stared at Snape, stunned, scared, and confused. Snape locked the bedroom door behind him, and he put sound wards on the entire room before he spoke to Draco again.
"Do you realize what you've done, Draco?" Snape spoke softly, with a tone of caring that only served to stun Draco even more. "You heard what the Dark Lord said. You've just put yourself in almost as much danger as I am in. You know the truth, now: My loyalty is to Dumbledore. It has been ever since I was about your age." Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Snape raised a silencing hand.
"I promised your mother I would protect you, but what am I to do now?" Snape asked in earnest. "The Dark Lord will be on the lookout for signs of memory modification. I cannot modify your memory. You've practiced Occlumency, but you aren't advanced enough at it to resist the Dark Lord's power for long. If you side with me and hide what you've discovered, you sentence yourself to death at the hands of the Dark Lord or another Death Eater. If you oppose me and attempt to tell anyone else here what you've discovered, I will have no choice but to stop you by any means necessary. What am I to do now?"
"How does my mother fit into all this?" Draco whispered, afraid of provoking Snape any further by speaking too loudly, sound wards or not. Snape regarded Draco for a moment, eventually deciding Draco was already past the point of no return.
"She didn't commit suicide, as she told your father and as I told you," Snape said, his eyes never leaving Draco's. "She sacrificed herself to protect both of us, and to help Dumbledore. She died in his place. That night, on the Astronomy Tower, that was not the real Dumbledore. That was your mother, under the effects of Polyjuice Potion."
"You killed my mother?" Draco whispered, crestfallen.
"By her own choosing, Draco," Snape said firmly. "She made her final choice of sides, and she died for the side that she chose. I did not want to kill her. That was why she begged me to follow through. She wasn't begging for her life, Draco. She was encouraging me to take it, as planned."
"You and Dumbledore destroyed the underground hideout?" Draco asked after a moment, trying to not focus on his mother. Snape nodded once. "And helped Percy Weasley and Clearwater escape?" Snape nodded again. "Charlie Weasley—"
"Was not your fault," Snape cut him off sharply. "You did not wish that to happen, and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it." Draco nodded, his eyes brimming with tears he was determined to fight.
"Potter, Ron Weasley, and Granger?" Draco asked. Snape shook his head.
"That information is only for allies," Snape said. "As of now, you are undecided." Draco blinked.
"Undecided?" Draco prodded.
"This is your last chance, Draco," Snape said gravely. "You've already been given more opportunities than anyone else to reconsider your side in this war, but you still get this final opportunity: Whose side are you on?" Seconds felt like minutes as Draco stared at Snape in silence. After what felt like hours, Draco finally spoke.
"Yours."
Hermione and Regulus stayed inside the Three Broomsticks for almost the entire six hours before the Pensive Perfume was due to wear off. Hermione had used a Summoning Charm during that time to summon her bottomless bag from Gryffindor Tower. It was slung around her shoulder as she and Regulus stepped out into the rain that had started falling a couple hours before. Hermione casted Impervius Charms on herself and Regulus to repel the rain, leading Regulus out toward the foot of the mountain that towered over Hogsmeade. She then led him up the difficult terrain of the mountain, heading toward the fissure in the rock wall that opened into the cave Sirius had hidden inside during the Triwizard Tournament. Regulus and Hermione were both out of breath when they entered the cave.
"Okay," Regulus panted, "now you're starting to scare me. You knew where to find the acromantula colony and you knew this cave was here?" Hermione didn't answer. She removed her otter pin from her robes and drew her wand. As Regulus watched, she transfigured the pin back into the Pensive Perfume bottle. Regulus stared from the bottle to Hermione, his emerald eyes questioning.
"Just tell me one thing, Regulus," Hermione said, turning to face him. "Do you believe, right now, that I'm half-blood?"
"No," Regulus answered instantly, then he blinked. "Wait a minute," he said, staring calculatingly at Hermione, "How—"
"The potion wore off," Hermione answered his unfinished question. "You'd better sit down, Regulus. This is going to take a while." Regulus sat down on a large rock. Hermione took a deep breath.