CHAPTER 15 - "All That Glisters is Not Gold"

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"You may be wondering how we came to hear about you so quickly," Lucius drawled as he placed a hand on Raven's shoulder and guided her down the busy street. She flinched inwardly at the physical contact...human contact just wasn't her thing - and the fact that the one currently touching her shoulder was a slimy, conceited snob didn't help matters.

"Actually," she said snidely, "I was wondering if you'd consider leaving me alone."

To her surprise, he chuckled. "Oh my dear, it is out of compassion that I refuse you. If only you knew what we can give you, you would thank me for not complying."

"What can you do?" Raven asked.

Lucius' eyes slitted, and a confident smile spread across his chiseled face. "Anything."

A single, cynical eyebrow rose. "Can you caulk a bathroom?" she deadpanned.


The meeting had been officially over for quite a while, but many of the members lingered behind to console the Weasley family. Most made their exit within the hour, and the only one not remaining there for the day who had yet to leave was Lupin. The mild-mannered ex-professor had a very empathetic and soothing nature about him, which brought peace to the household. Sirius, who had woken up that morning from a very disturbing dream about dying at Bellatrix's hand and falling through some curtain, was making more tea for everyone.

"How is everything at school, Harry?" asked Remus. He felt it was an appropriate time to change topics now that the Weasley family had moved back into the kitchen for their tea. Harry and Hermione were left in the living room trying their best not to feel out-of-place. Because Ron left to rejoin his family, the both of them felt rather awkward by themselves during such a sensitive time.

"Fine, I guess," he answered. "Potions with Slytherin once again, and I'm sure Gryffindor's team is out of practice for the upcoming match against Ravenclaw."

He paused.

"And there's this new girl."

Hermione's nostrils flared as she glared.

Lupin raised his eyebrows, somewhat amused. "Oh?"

Harry frowned as he looked at his former teacher. "What?"

"Are you going to tell me about her? You must have brought her up for some reason. You can't just let it go at that, you realize," he said with a wink.

The boy growled out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his messy hair. "No, no, no! Nothing like that! She's just weird, is all! Forget I mentioned it!"

"Weird? How so?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry said sullenly.

Lupin's brows furrowed in concentration. "It may matter a great deal. It's best not to let anything slide, no matter how innocuous it may seem. These are dangerous times, Harry...don't overlook anything. If she seems suspicious to you, then you need to let us know."

"He's right you know, Harry," Hermione offered. "You probably know more about her than I do, so it's best if you tell Professor Lupin everything you've observed. This could be important."

"She doesn't seem the type, though! Everything I am tells me she's okay. It's just..." the black-haired boy looked off into nothing. "I don't know. She doesn't have a wand, a class schedule, or even school robes. When I met her on the train, she..." he seemed at a loss for words.

Lupin and Hermione remained silent. Remus gave a small encouraging nod.

"Well, she..." his face scrunched up. "She could read my mind. Or at least my emotions...she said she had powers. That she was...what was it? Half something. Half Az-er-whatever. I can't remember," Harry ground the heels of his palms into his eyes in frustration. "But Dumbledore told us she was here on his request. He knows what he's doing. I'm sure he can sense her...darkness."

"Darkness?" Lupin and Hermione both asked with alarm.

The boy's head shot up. "Not that kind of darkness...at least, I don't think so. She doesn't seem evil...her aura just feels - I don't know. I can't describe it. Dark is the only word I can think of." Harry bowed his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his thighs.

Hermione debated inwardly for a moment before speaking up. "That isn't all, sir." Her eyes met Lupin's soberly. "Her story isn't consistent. When I met her in the dorms this morning, she told me that her plane had gotten in very late last night, and that was why she didn't attend the Sorting Ceremony or receive a class schedule today. She couldn't have been on a late plane if she rode the Hogwarts Express with Harry. The question is: why is she lying?"


With a well-practiced flourish, Lucius pulled out of his inside pocket what looked like a business card and held it in front of Raven's face. "You know now why the Dark Lord is so anxious to make your acquaintance. This card has been spelled to your personal signature. Only you will be able to read it. It includes the address and time of our next get-together, as well as my own personal information. We hope you will attend the meeting...your presence is greatly valued, and you will be treated with the respect and courtesy worthy of royalty, I assure you. If there is anything else I can do for you, madam, don't hesitate to contact me. I am at your service."

"Don't make the mistake in thinking I can be bought, Mister Malfoy," Raven replied as she took the card.

He smirked. "Now now my dear," Lucius said as he reached inside his robes, "after having lived and negotiated with people as long as I have," his gloved hand resurfaced with a small pouch in the palm, "I believe that everyone has their price." His fingers opened to reveal that the leather pouch was filled to the brim with gold coins shimmering in the sunlight.

She shook her cloaked head disapprovingly. "You think in such earthly terms."

"Well my dear," he said through his toothy smile as he snatched up her right hand, "we are on earth. Do consider my proposal? I shall be waiting for you at the meeting." He clicked his boot heels smartly, and leaned over to kiss her fingers in a very stately manner.

Raven hummed cryptically.


The school day was almost over, and by the time Raven returned to the castle, she barely had time to seek refuge in the library before classes were let out. The library was one place students didn't visit on their free time. She ducked into a dark and remote aisle before stopping to think.

She should probably speak to Dumbledore about all this.

The cloaked sorceress sighed. She didn't like the idea of reporting to an authority about every little thing she did or heard. Besides, Raven was sure he had his ways of keeping tabs on her activities...he was a wizard after all. She was doing what she had promised to do...work for the Light. She shouldn't need to make daily reports on her progress. Whatever. Until Dumbledore stated otherwise, Raven would continue to work independently.

Raven aimlessly meandered up and down rows upon rows of bookshelves packed tightly with all various and sundry titles, some of them interesting, others not so much. The Life and Times of Alexander Prippit by Darius Maxel; Magic in Music by Lorietta Filk; A History of the Paranormal World as We Know It by Claude S. Plume, M.A.; Burial Mounds, Crypts, and Other Ghostly Places in Europe by Anita Rowlette; Ancient Runes and the Mysteries Behind Them by Prof. Jorkin Halabert; and many others were just a few of the tomes that she passed in her endless wandering.

Not knowing what to do with herself, she picked up a book entitled Practical Potions and made for a small leather chair in the darkest, most remote corner of the library. There was a small study table in front of it, but she didn't make use of it. Instead, she curled up in the seat and skimmed through the table of contents. Finding an interesting title, she flipped to that chapter and began reading, trying to ignore the heaviness of her eyelids and the sluggishness of her head. Raven made a valiant effort to stave off her exhaustion, but sleep overtook her by the time she'd reached the last paragraph of the chapter. Her dreams, the few that she had, consisted of the normal fire, brimstone, and death...but now they included another being besides her father. Now there was a slender, snake-like man with glowing red eyes to match her father's four. Now, instead of simple devastation on an apocalyptic scale - with cities destroyed, people turned to stone, a blood-colored sky, and fire consuming everything...now in addition to the sight was an enormous green skull floating in the sky with a serpent slithering from its mouth. Somewhere, amidst the ruin, a hook-nosed man screamed. A bearded old man wept. And no tears were shed by a girl born to darkness - condemned to wallow in the knowledge of her crimes for all eternity.

"Miss Roth!" The harsh voice jerked her back to consciousness.

Raven looked up to meet the stern glare from Professor Snape, who held a familiar-looking book in his hand. She had been caught napping, and not only that, but she had dropped the tome she had been reading when she fell asleep. The pale girl had just lifted her hand to brush the hair from her face when she caught sight of how badly her limbs were trembling, and she couldn't help but notice that she felt somewhat damp. She quickly whipped her shaking arm back to her body and shoved it under her armpit, attempting to mask the action by appearing to cross her arms casually. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead, and she realized the source of the wetness.

Damn, she cursed to herself. Raven said nothing, and instead decided to wait for the Potions Master to speak first.

The remarkably tall man held up her book and sneered nastily, bending at the hip just a tad to tower over her. "Damaging school property," he spoke softly, using every bit of his silky vibrato to his advantage, "is reprimanded with a costly fine."

The girl reached up and tucked her hair behind an ear, giving him a sharp look. "What is it you want, Professor Snape? You're obviously not here to teach me Hogwarts regulations." Damn it all... The sorceress willed her voice to stop quavering. She sounded so weak.

Severus gave no sign that he registered her physical problems. Though in truth, he had been concerned when he found her convulsing in the chair with her fists clenched, her face an expression of pain, and sweat pouring down her face. His voice had grown increasingly loud and alarmed when she didn't wake up to his first attempts to rouse her. Now that she was awake and relatively unharmed, he reverted back to his normally pleasant self, expertly hiding his latent anxiety with years of constant practice. After all, it wasn't as though he was concerned for her. She was an asset, and it wouldn't do for her to become indisposed.

"Actually," he purred, "I was looking for you. The headmaster sent me to fetch you. You will be attending a clandestine meeting this evening presided by Dumbledore."

"Like an Underground?"

"A fair comparison. We will leave as soon as you are ready." His tone brooked no argument that they would be leaving now whether she was ready or not.

Raven unfolded herself from her position in the chair and stood up, freeing her limbs from the long cloak that persistently stuck to her sweaty skin. She couldn't stop herself from bracing herself when Snape whipped out his wand and pointed it at her. But he only murmured something too quietly for her to hear, and at once she could feel her skin drying and freshening. When she put a hand to her hair, she was amazed to find it not only dry, but silky smooth...not in the least bit oily or clumped as it should be if it had merely dried. Her entire body was clean, and the clothing fresh.

"Thanks," she offered when she finally looked back up at her companion.

"Don't thank me. Now come." The tall man spun around and walked away down the aisle with a liquid grace that was so unlike his demeanor. Raven flew over to catch up, then landed next to him, hitting the ground at a brisk pace that matched his.

No words were spoken, and no glances were spared as they made their way out of the castle. But once they arrived on the front lawn outside the big heavy doors, Snape looked down at her over his hooked nose with a raised eyebrow. "Have a good time, did you?" he asked with a contemptuous sneer as they walked.

"How do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. Don't think I didn't notice your absence this afternoon...did you think you could extract information from young mister Malfoy through your little tryst?" Severus practically spat out the word. "Are you so naive to believe you're capable of taking on the Dark Lord and his minions on your own? I mistakenly thought you were half-way competent enough to conduct yourself sensibly...especially since you took witness to his methods last night, or have you already forgotten how ruthless he is when he wants something?"

"My mission was to gain information and to present myself to the Dark Lord. And it was successful."

Snape came to a sudden halt. "Present yourself?" he rounded on her with a furious gleam in his eye. "I don't think you fully appreciate the position you've placed yourself in."

"Unless the Dark Lord has better mind-reading capabilities than my father, then your secrets are safe."

With reservation, the pair resumed their journey to the gates. Severus resumed their conversation. "His Legilimency is just as powerful as Dumbledore's...and if he cannot breach your walls at the start, he has methods of making them crumble."

Raven paused before responding, remembering the "conditioning" Voldemort had implemented on even his most trusted servant just the night before. "I will never allow him to use them."

Being the Slytherin he was, Snape couldn't help but hear an unspoken addition to her solemn statement...now whether she had meant to say 'on her' or 'any more' was anyone's guess. "One can only hope your powers will suffice, madam."

By this time, the both of them reached the tall iron-wrought gates that divided Hogwarts territory and the two-mile path to Hogsmeade.

"As soon as we're through, I'll Apparate us both to the location...You do know what Apparation is, don't you?" he asked with a long-suffering sigh.

"Just tell me what to do, Professor."

Snape unlocked the gates with a wave of his wand, and the two stepped through. Once the gates were firmly locked behind them, the Potions Master turned to her with a hand outstretched. "Take my hand. There needs to be contact between us for me to perform a Side-Along Apparation. And try not to stumble when we land."

Raven glanced between the hand and his face dubiously, finally grabbing it firmly with her pale fingers. Some part of her noticed that their hands matched in hue, although his being a little more sallow. A lot can be determined about a man from his hands...she was instantly struck with how incongruent the feel of his hand was with her impression of his entire body. His long, spindly fingers, although sporting a good many scars, were very soft and smooth...definitely not the hands of a laborer. They were the hands of an artist. Raven imagined that the fine science of potion making was considered an art to some extent. The precise measuring of ingredients, the preparation of them, and the overall sense of touch must be very important in the business. The scars - the few she could see in the brief moments she observed them - were a combination of commonplace cuts (most likely with a knife for ingredients) and chemical (or magical) burns...probably from potion spills or mistakes.

Her musings were cut short by a most alarming sensation. She felt as though her entire body was being forced through a very small tube...and the most interesting aspect - her body was making it work. Her vision went black, and all she could feel was a great suction, the focal point being the side of her body with the hand still clutching Snape's. She held on to him tightly for fear of being disconnected and lost.

It was over almost as soon as it began, and Raven found her feet slamming onto a stone street. She caught her balance before she could stumble, and dropped his hand as soon as she had. They were in the middle of a typical English neighborhood. Tall, two-story homes were crammed in next to one another- leaving no room for walking in-between houses or yards. Small iron gates and matching rusty fences divided every two homes, and a few automobiles were parked in the street. It felt like industrial Britain with the smokestacks and tall buildings in the far background.

Snape strode forward towards one of the homes, and Raven quickly followed. Suddenly, he disappeared into thin air. The girl stopped quickly in surprise. Had he walked through something? Was she supposed to follow? Was this normal? "Professor?" she whispered tentatively. No response. "Professor Snape?" she repeated, though no louder than the first attempt. Still no answer. "Severus?" she asked a bit louder.

A disembodied arm suddenly appeared and reached for her. Raven shrieked as she was seized by the front of her robes and dragged forward. She had the sensation of walking through jello, and then realized she was "on the other side." Snape was right next to her.

His eyes were narrowed indignantly. "Skipping formalities, are we?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "I thought, considering you know my past and I've seen you naked, that formalities were rather superfluous."

His face paled significantly...which was nearly impossible, since his face was already white as a sheet. His mouth worked a few times, but no sound came out. Once more, the masterful Slytherin snark machine was struck speechless. His lips curled in a snarl, and the only thing that he managed to hurl out was, "No one, you understand?! Not one!" He then picked up the side of his robe and spun around, making for a building labeled 'Number 12'...one that hadn't been there only moments before. He made it a grand total of five lengthy strides before he whipped around again. "Come along, girl!" he snapped impatiently. "This way!"

The demoness followed his lead, and soon they were both on the doorstep. Snape didn't bother knocking, and instead flicked the door open with a twist of his wand. He didn't bother to usher the guest in first. He unceremoniously stepped into the dark corridor and disappeared into the hallway. Raven followed warily, shutting the door behind her quietly and making her way forward.

She ran into something. That something tipped over, and a whole lot of somethings came tumbling out onto the floor. The racket startled her, and she was even more startled to hear a woman's voice shrieking right next to her. Raven stumbled back against the opposite wall to see the painting that was making all the noise. There were hollers in the neighboring rooms of people who heard the commotion, and rapid footsteps approaching.

"Filth! Half-breed! Slime! Defacing my home! How dare she enter my most noble and sacred home!"

The young sorceress was too shocked to become outraged by the words the painted woman screamed at her, and before she calmed herself, a man came running into the corridor in socks, slipping occasionally as he raced across the hardwood floor towards her. He too was cursing, though not at her. "Shut up, you old bat!" The man yanked some curtains over the face of the painting and held them there for a moment or two before the ungodly shrieking stopped.

He turned to Raven, who by this time, had adjusted to the dim lighting and the situation around her. "Sorry you had to meet my mother right off the bat," he winked. "Welcome to my home! I'm Sirius."

"I can tell already," the girl replied with a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "A good quality to have."

His eyes widened in surprise, and his face showed pleasant surprise. He then let out a laugh so large, he bent backwards with a supportive arm on his stomach, and the other hand clapped on Raven's shoulder.

She hadn't thought it was that funny...

"Oh," he said finally, wiping a tear from his eye, "I haven't met anyone lately who's not afraid to let it loose, you know? I mean, there are some great people here, don't get me wrong, but man is it refreshing to find a new one! And such a lovely one, at that! What can I call you?"

"Raven."

"Pleased to meet you, Raven. Come along with me and we'll get the party started. Dumbledore's been waiting for you...in fact, all of us have been waiting for you." With a hand on her back, Sirius guided her down the corridor, through a hallway, and into a living room filled with people.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room for people she recognized. She spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione over on a couch against the side wall. Other than that, everyone present was a stranger. She felt isolated and alone, even amongst the crowd...The crowd that gave her furtive glances, and even some unabashed stares. Suddenly the desire to disappear felt overwhelming. Where was Severus? she thought before she could help it.

"Here she is!" Sirius announced cheerfully. If the room wasn't silent before, it was now. Every pair of eyes found its way to Raven. A seemingly endless moment passed where everyone just stood (or sat) quietly, staring at her.

The awkward silence was broken by a middle-aged man approaching her with a warm smile on his face and his hand extended. "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix. My name is Remus Lupin," he said as he grasped her hand and shook it with both of his, "and I must apologize for our caution, but we hardly ever introduce new members to our band. Security, you understand." His smile was infectious.

Raven said nothing as he shook her hand, but she relaxed just a bit under his engaging eyes. His hair was already growing gray, and he had deep frown lines on his face, as well as crow's feet next to his eyes. However, she couldn't help but notice an underlying current of...darkness? She didn't intentionally use her empathic powers on the man, but with him being in such close proximity to her, there was little she could do to stop the brief flash of his innermost feelings. There was something underneath the calm, friendly exterior...something evil. She would keep this in mind when she next saw Dumbledore.

Truth be told, she had no idea how to receive this friendly welcome. So rarely had she ever encountered anyone who didn't shrink in fear or stare in curiosity. Granted, it was only Sirius and Remus who didn't appear to be affected by her getup or her attitude at the moment, but that was still more than she was used to. It was a combination of exhilaration and suffocation. She was so accustom to being ignored and left alone, that all the attention felt overpowering and claustrophobic. She felt trapped. In the past, if she were to leave suddenly, she wouldn't be missed...or even known to have left. Here, though, her presence was not only required, but the object of attention. She couldn't exactly teleport away because she felt uncomfortable.

"Hello there, mate!" said a young woman with bubblegum-pink spiky hair. She sported a spiked dog collar, a nose and eyebrow ring, torn jeans, and a faded tank top. "Name's Tonks!"

"Yeah, and we're Fred and George Weasley!" said a pair of red-headed twins in the corner simultaneously. "Doesn't really matter who's who," piped up the one on the left, "'cuz we like to switch it up every so often," finished the other.

Sirius suddenly stepped to the side to seize something, and dragged the familiar tall man out from seemingly nowhere. "And I take it you've already had the displeasure of meeting ol' Snivelly, here." Raven sensed the mocking hatred from Sirius at once...the tension between the two was almost palpable. "If only Dumbledore would let me out of my home, I would have been there in a second to escort you and spare you from his company."

Snape shoved his hands off his cloak, anger radiating off him silently.

"I have no complaints," the demoness offered dryly, trying to defuse the situation before it became worse.

"I'm Bill Weasley," said another red-head in the center of the room, stepping forward just a tad to try and deflect the attention. "The oldest of the Weasley children. And this," he said, reaching behind him and dragging a lumpy, stumpy, horribly disfigured old man in front of him, "is Alastor Moody. And he may be ugly, but on the inside, he's actually quite...uh, ugly!"

The other man growled an inaudible comeback to Bill, and Raven noticed that one of the man's eyes was wonky. It was eerie, but the pale blue orb continued to stare straight at her, even when his head turned to speak to the Weasley next to him. A glass eye? But they look straight ahead continually. It looked unnatural, and it put her on her guard.

An older, balding, and bespeckled red-head stood up from his chair at the side wall. "I'm Arthur...father of all the red-heads you see here. My wife Molly is in the kitchen preparing supper. You'll forgive me if I'm not as chipper today, but we've suffered a great loss...my son..."

"I know," Raven spoke at last. "He was very brave in his last hour. My condolences."

The room was silent again, the mood turned sour by the tragedy.

Suddenly, Sirius clapped his hand on her shoulder once more with a bright face. "Well! Now that everyone here's been introduced, I'd like for you to meet our newest member, Raven! Dumbledore thinks very highly of her, and I'm sure he'll explain everything once he arrives. If you'll come with me, milady, I shall escort you to a chair."

She was so drained from being in a room full of people that she didn't even resist when he guided her to a chair between the couch with the Trio, and the chair where the two twins were trying to share a seat. Oh lord, she thought even as she sat down, right between the chatterboxes...

"Oh no, no, no, Sirius," interjected Lupin as he approached. "Let her have my chair over in the corner...it's much more comfortable." Remus helped her up and guided her over to a secluded armchair in the furthest corner. Raven gave him a sideways look. The sandy-haired man caught her glance and gave her a wink. Suddenly, Raven didn't feel so alone in the crowd anymore.