The Truth of Things
Ron was the first to wake and was very confused. He was in a room he had never seen before and yet was in a hospital bed. Was he at St. Mungo's? Hermione lay sleeping in the bed next to him and Sirius Black lay in the other. Harry was on the convict's other side and Neville was next to Harry. A fifth bed lay across from them and held a very injured Professor Lupin.
The air literally shimmered around the wounded man because of the many healing spells working on his broken body. Ron felt a bit nauseous at the sight of the open gashes and bruises he could see and quickly turned his face away. Hermione was awake and blinking sleepily at him.
"Hey." He said softly. Her eyes widened and she bolted upright. "Hey, calm down! What's wrong?"
"There was this… explosion and I thought… I was so afraid." She whispered, her breathing becoming quick and ragged.
Ron got out of his bed and sat on her's, pulling his friend into a loose embrace. He'd never seen Hermione this upset. He suddenly wondered what he had missed when he passed out. The events of the night before (or what he thought was last night; it was hard to tell in this windowless room) flashed through his mind.
How could Scabbers be a person? It just wasn't possible. Everything had been staged in the Shack, it had to have been. But why would Harry be in on it? Ron frowned as he remembered his friend's behavior. Harry had never glared at him like that or spoken that way to him, let alone threatened him by wand point. Not even those horrible moods that one week could compare with the… coldness and uncaring he'd seen in Harry when Remus had come into the Shack.
"What did I miss and where are we?" He asked, trying to shake his dark thoughts.
Hermione looked around, "I don't know."
"So what did I miss? What explosion?" Ron asked again.
"I don't know." Hermione repeated, shivering and running her hands almost desperately through her hair. "Professor Lupin transformed. Professor Snape got knocked out. Black went after Pettigrew who had escaped. Harry stood in front of us and refused to budge when Professor Lupin tried to attack. He cast a spell and Professor Lupin ran away.
"Harry ran off to help Black. I levitated you over to Professor Snape who woke up and told me to take you to the Hospital Wing. I stood, still trailing you with the levitation spell, and then… the ground was shaking. The sky… black and red lightening struck dozens of times… I couldn't see…. The noise, God the noise…"
"What happened after?" Ron held Hermione tighter as she began to cry.
"I don't know. I fainted and just now woke up." She wiped at her eyes and visibly pulled herself together. "What do you think all that was in the Shack?"
"Craziness." Ron shook his head hard. "I don't know what to believe. It's like a bad dream. It doesn't make sense. What if it was all staged? I mean how can Peter Pettigrew be my pet rat? Harry was acting weird and Black's just nuts! He broke my arm and leg for pity's sake! And… Well, Professor Lupin's a werewolf… Can we trust that he was telling the truth?"
"Ron." Hermione frowned. "Professor Lupin isn't untrustworthy for being a werewolf. He's just like us! … But he admitted to being school friends with Black. What if he is really being fooled by him? Black's story was really convoluted. I mean, why would Pettigrew stick around after the Dark Lord's downfall? How did Sirius find him? And then how could Aurors just arrive like that to capture Black at the scene of the crime? Why didn't Black say something then?"
A wet cough from the very man they were talking about drew their attention. Black looked better than he had. His hair was combed and clean and there wasn't a spot of grime on his face or hands. But he was still sickly thin and pale, blue tinged his lips and eyelids, and his breathing was wet and rattling. He looked a bit flushed from fever as well and his sleep was restless as he tossed weakly and whimpered.
"They wouldn't leave him with us if he were a danger." Hermione conceded after a minute of study. "Maybe he is telling the truth and is innocent."
"I can't believe it. Pettigrew just can't be Scabbers." Ron shook his head helplessly, his blue eyes troubled. "Why didn't he show himself before now? Or do something!"
"I don't know, Ron." Hermione sighed and turned to look at Neville who was waking. "Do you know where we are?"
Neville blinked at her stupidly. He felt empty and it wasn't his magic. That felt much better. No. It was Harry. He turned to look at his friend and the numbness got decidedly cold. He'd felt this way before. It signaled a merciful break from overwhelming despair. Hermione impatiently asked where they were again and he felt his numbness fading as anger warmed his chest.
"Do you care at all that Harry is hurt?" He asked her.
She flushed, "Of course I do."
"I don't know. Should we?" Ron snapped at Neville. "He made it pretty clear last night that he didn't much care for us."
"Harry was… rude," Hermione hedged a bit. "But he protected us, Ron. Professor Lupin was coming right for us, and his eyes were glowing with such… hunger. Harry stood right before us and wouldn't move. He saved our lives."
"What happened?" Neville asked worriedly. He knew that if… No! When… Harry woke up he had better know just how much damage Harry's alters had caused with the other Gryffindors.
Ron and Hermione shared a look before Hermione said, "I don't know how much we can say. It's really up to Harry."
Neville stiffened with hurt and anger. He had never imagined they'd not tell him. He cared about Harry too. And he was sick of Hermione treating him like he was a moron or a child to indulge. Ron was no better, acting like Harry was just pitying him. Neville was sick of being the charity case. He had to leave. He couldn't stand being near them.
"Where are you going?" Ron called out as Hermione said, "Are you allowed to leave?"
"We're in a room near the infirmary at Hogwarts." He said tensely and left without turning around.
Hermione and Ron shared a guilty look, but couldn't have done anything different. Not without talking to Dumbledore and Harry first. As if the thought summoned him, the headmaster walked into the room. He looked tired, but his eyes were twinkling as bright as ever. Hermione and Ron smiled in relief, and then Hermione began asking questions.
"Wait." Dumbledore chuckled and took a seat on Ron's empty bed. "Tell me all that happened and I will try to answer some of your questions."
So Hermione and Ron told what happened. Hermione got choked up again when it came to describing the storm, but she didn't cry. Ron was very grateful for that. He didn't think he could have survived hugging her while Dumbledore was smiling knowingly at him like that. He was blushing bright red just thinking about it.
"Sir? Is Black really innocent?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, my dear. He really is. I've already verified it with Veritaserum. He never was given a trial. We were all so sure of his guilt, but the Marauder's had one last trick to play, I fear."
"So Scabbers is Pettigrew?" Ron said glumly, flopping back against the pillows with a sigh.
"I'm afraid so." Dumbledore smiled and patted his knee.
"What caused that storm, Headmaster?" Hermione cut in.
"Magic storms happen periodically. They are impossible to predict or to chart, but they do happen. We just happened to get caught up in a particularly nasty one." Dumbledore turned his eyes on Harry and his face became grave. "Sadly Harry got the worst of it."
"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked worriedly.
"His magic was almost fatally depleted and he has slipped into a coma."
Hermione gasped and Ron stared in shock. They had realized their friend was ill, but fatally? And he was in a coma? After everything that happened to and around Harry, they had come to believe he could bounce back after anything. He always came out of his battles banged up, but fairly healthy.
"Will he be alright?" Hermione asked tearfully, feeling even worse for the way they had treated Neville now that she knew how serious Harry's condition was. "Do you think Harry somehow felt the coming storm and that's why he sometimes became so moody?"
"I will be looking into the cause of his unusual temper." He assured him. "Especially after hearing about his behavior in the Shack. But I don't believe it is serious enough to cause concern as of yet. And I am confident Harry will recover from the storm. His brain functions occasionally rise to the levels of a sleeping mind and I believe he will stabilize and wake soon. You are free to stay with him for a bit longer, but the Leaving Feast will be served in a few hours. Madam Pomfrey has released you, so I expect to see you there. Remember that you can't help Harry by making yourselves sick."
"Leaving Feast?" Ron frowned.
"Alas." Dumbledore twinkled at them. "You've slept away a whole day."
"What about Harry?" Hermione pleaded with the ancient wizard. "We can't just go home and leave him here like this."
"I'm sure we can work out a visiting schedule, but I'm afraid you can't stay."
"We understand." Ron sighed.
"I knew you would. Don't worry. Harry will be fine. He always is."
Dumbledore offered them lemon drops. Both accepted and he left whistling a happy tune. Ron and Hermione moved over to the bed Neville had left and sat by their friend. They were angry with him for treating them the way he had, but that wouldn't stop them from sitting by him for as long as they could.
xXxXxXx
"What are you doing?" A voice called out to him.
"N-n-nothing." Neville stammered, quickly hiding the razor he had been sliding along his skin as he turned to face the girl.
"That's not very productive." The girl smiled and reached for one of the books on the shelf beside him.
Neville had come to the library thinking no one would be there since school was out. There was much better things to be doing like sitting in the spring sun or celebrating the end of exams. He felt himself blush with nerves. The girl just smiled at him. She had long, braided, black hair and sparkling blue eyes. Neville guessed she was a fourth year or so. She was wearing plain school robes, but they didn't have a House patch.
"You're Neville right?" She finally spoke.
"Y-yeah." He answered weakly. His eyes looked around for an escape route. He stilled when he heard her laugh. He looked over to find her coming closer.
"Don't be afraid." She whispered. "A friend of mine said you would need my help. I won't hurt you."
"H-help?" Neville asked confused. He took a step away from her and only pressed himself further into the alcove he had been sitting in. He was becoming quickly trapped and felt his heart begin to race. Who was this girl?
"Yes." She smiled. "To be honest, I'm excited about it. It's been so long since I've taught anything and Elemental wizards are always fascinating. None ever have the same talents or skills even when they share the same affinity. It's rather fascinating."
"Don't be rude." A boy drawled as he faded into sight next to the strange girl. "Introduce yourself before you start rubbing your hands together in joyful anticipation of dissecting him."
Neville jumped a foot and squeaked, but the girl didn't seem startled at all. The boy was solid within a minute. He looked the same age as the girl. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. His face was round and his eyes deep-set, making him look a bit like a monkey. But there was nothing at all silly or welcoming about this teen.
"You've scared him." The girl scolded.
"What do I care?" The boy shrugged.
"What's the hurry?" She huffed.
"I want to know about Harry." He glared impatiently. "And if it weren't for me you wouldn't know about this Elemental."
"Fine." She flipped her braid over her shoulder and turned her attention back to the trembling boy before her. "I am Rowena and this is Salazar. It's nice to meet you Neville."
"W-w-what!" Neville jumped to his feet, but had no where to run too. The two… ghost people… were blocking his way quite thoroughly.
"They always react like this." Salazar drawled, sounding a lot like Malfoy. "How boring."
"Oh hush." Rowena smiled. "I think it's endearing."
"You would." He sneered back.
"It's like this, Neville." The witch explained gently. "The four Founders of Hogwarts spelled memories of themselves into the castle. Over the years we've grown and adapted, influenced greatly by the thousands of children within our walls. Mostly we sleep and dream of the happenings within Hogwarts, only to fully waken and manifest when something great happens. And by this point, we're very much different from the Founders. We like to think of ourselves as merely named after them and are unique and original in our own right."
"We are Hogwarts. We are not ghosts. We are phantoms projected by the castle. We are independent and conscious, but do hold the knowledge of the Founders we are named after. Now can we get on with this?" Salazar crossed his arms and leaned against the bookshelf behind him.
"Neville dear, you should sit down." Rowena said gently.
Neville stared at them stupidly and did as she said. She smiled and bent to pat his hand reassuringly. Neville started; her hand was warm and very much real. He shook his head in helpless confusion.
"Maybe we should come back later?" Rowena asked her cohort.
"I don't care what you do." Salazar straightened. "You can do whatever you want with him. He is not my concern. I just want to know about Harry."
"W-w-why?" Neville whispered fearfully.
"His mind is intriguing. I've never seen anything like it." Salazar then explained what he had seen in Harry's mind. "Do you know what it is?"
Neville nodded slowly. So Harry wasn't in a coma? Not really? Boy was still aware and was sleeping to conserve strength? Harry would be fine? He felt tears burn his eyes from soul deep relief. "Thank you." He told the phantom sincerely. "I was worried he would never wake."
"He'll be fine." Salazar brushed it off. "The sleeping toddler is feeding the others magic slowly to restore them. But what is it? Why is his mind like that?"
"You can't tell anyone." Neville warned, growing suddenly fierce and strong. Rowena smiled proudly and Salazar nodded impatiently. Neville sighed. "Harry has Multiple Personality Disorder. Bad things happened and his mind broke. Instead of going insane, he fractured his mind into pieces.
"Those pieces are parts of Harry's personality standing independently of the original whole. They each have memories that Harry can't access while the separate personality is fractured away from the core personality. Because Harry doesn't know what happened to him in the past, he can function and survive. Does that make sense?"
Salazar was staring off to the side thoughtfully, "I think I see." Without a sound or warning, he disappeared. Between one eye blink and the next, the phantom was gone. Neville jumped again and Rowena laughed, making him turn a very hot red.
"Don't let him get to you. He's a rather obsessive type of guy. The mind and psychology fascinates him." She took a seat next to him. "Me, I'm more interested in studying magic than people. That's why he woke me up. Elemental wizards are a specialty of mine."
"You mentioned them before." Neville fidgeted. "What are they and why do you keep bringing them up?"
She shook her head sadly, "So much knowledge lost… Neville, I bring them up because you are one. Your affinity is with the Earth. The storm damaged a portion of it and because you are connected you felt the backlash. That's why you went into shock."
"W-w-what?" Neville stuttered and gaped at her like a fish.
She opened her mouth to explain further, but something caught her attention. She looked behind her and turned back to the young Gryffindor with a sigh. "Someone's coming. I'll explain everything later. Here." Neville took the slender book that suddenly appeared in her hands. "This is a brief summery of Earth-elemental wizards." And the she was gone just like Salazar.
"Longbottom." Snape demanded irritably as he approached. "Why were you not at the Feast?"
"Sorry, Professor." Neville fidgeted nervously, cheeks hot still.
"What are you doing?" Snape growled suspiciously.
"R-r-reading, Professor." Neville lied. "I-I think I'll take it with me while I sit with Harry."
"Do remember to eat something." Snape sneered and stalked away.
Neville smiled after him. He knew that his teacher's aggravation was directed inwards for coming and checking up on him. Snape was the Slytherin Head of House. Gryffindors weren't supposed to be his concern. Neville shook his head and made his way to Harry's sick room. He felt bad for his teacher.
He knew how much Snape cared for Harry. He knew the man was worried Harry would not wake up or would be insane if he did. He wished he could tell him Harry would be fine. But Snape wouldn't believe him if he did. How would Neville know such a thing? And telling him that the castle had come to him in the form of two of the Founders as children would only get him sent to St. Mungo's and placed in a bed by his parents.
Neville quietly entered Harry's sick room. Professor Remus was still unconscious. Pomfrey wouldn't allow him to wake until he was almost fully healed. Black was in a drugged slumber, but his breathing was a bit clearer. Neville wished he knew why Sirius Black was being treated and sheltered. Wasn't he supposed to be after Harry?
At least Ron and Hermione had left. He climbed up on the bed next to his best friend. Harry didn't look any different than he had this morning, and Neville felt doubt rise in him. What if Salazar had lied to him? What if Harry wasn't going to be alright? He pushed away those dark thoughts and turned his attention to the book in his lap.
It had a brown leather cover and the pages inside were yellow and soft with age. Neville ran his fingers over it respectfully and opened it carefully. The words "An Affinity for the Earth by Rowena Castle" sat in the middle of the page in a beautiful cursive script. Neville turned the page and began to read.
An Elemental wizard has a magic very different than the average wizard. They are tied irrevocably to one of the six Elements of this world. Fire is the most common affinity for an Elemental wizard to possess and is followed by Air, Water, Earth, Lightning (also called Energy), and last Metal.
Their type of magic is considered a deep power and isn't as malleable as surface magic. Because of this, everyday spells and incantations are awkward for them. Spell work outside of their element is often weak and inconsistent, but when they work within their strengths they can achieve feats not even the most powerful wizard could hope to accomplish.
Of the affinities, Earth is the third rarest. There have been only a few dozen wizards recorded to have possessed this affinity. They have a wide range of potential abilities, but will only manifest two or three of these talents.
Some Earth-elemental wizards can make plants grow healthier and at rapid speeds, and make the earth rise in front of or around them as a protective shield against both physical and magical attacks. They have been known to be able to borrow the earth's strength to lend them temporary super-human strength, and a few have the ability to sense destructive (recently labeled Dark) magic by feeling a taint residue in the earth were it was used and on the caster. More rarely they can cause earthquakes and even communicate with trees.
To train and find their abilities, meditation is necessary. Most pupils are taken by a Master Elemental (not always with the same affinity) and trained personally by them. One-on-one teaching has proven to work best in honing an Elemental wizard's talents. Elemental magic is a deeply internal, instinctive power and distractions of any kind are a hindrance to mastering this magic.
Neville shut the book and took a deep breath. Wow. He shook his head in faint denial. No way could he be powerful. He hardly had any magic. He was barely a wizard, practically a squib. This couldn't be true. Rowena and Salazar were mistaken. He didn't go into shock because the storm hurt the earth; he went into shock because he was frightened. Right?
He felt lost and confused. More than ever before he wished Harry would wake. Harry would believe him about the Founders' phantoms and would know what to do. "Oh, Harry." He whispered, grabbing the boy's hand. "Please wake up soon. I need you."
xXxXxXx
"Ah, Severus, my dear boy. I've been waiting for you."
Severus hesitated in the doorway to his chambers on seeing the headmaster sitting on his couch by the fire. He entered completely and his door shut behind him. He scowled, but his heart wasn't in it. It was currently too busy beating rapidly against his breast. He had been Dumbledore's man for a very long time and had suffered tortures almost beyond endurance just to win this man's good opinion. This was the man whom could doom his soul as well as his life.
But as well as Dumbledore knew his soul, Severus had come to know him in return. His tone and expression now did not promise good things. He braced himself for the worst; braced himself for the news of Harry's death or irreparable mindlessness. He wished that Dumbledore would just spit it out, but in all the time he had known the ancient wizard the man had never been generous with news or knowledge. He knew it would be a drawn out process, a slow painful slice and withdrawal.
"Severus?"
He shook himself and snapped, "What is it that I can do for you, Headmaster?"
"I asked if you were well, but obviously you are not. Your mind is preoccupied elsewhere." Dumbledore gestured to the seat across from him. "What is it that bothers you so?"
Severus wanted to scream that the man get it over with, but stopped himself, shocked at his lack of self-control. Pale and trembling faintly, he sat obediently. With a bitter smile, he wondered when he was ever anything else. Despite his unpleasant manner, he had been a most obedient servant to this man for over half his life.
Again he shocked himself with his thoughts. He had never disobeyed Dumbledore and for good reason. The man was the leader of the Light. Dumbledore, better than anyone, knew of evil and how to conquer it. He had saved Severus' soul as well as his life. He'd be nothing without Dumbledore's wisdom, mercy, and guidance. If Dumbledore required his life, he would lay it down without hesitation. What cause had he to disobey? What madness would make him want to?
"I see you keep your silence as always." Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Very well, my boy. But know you can come to me with any problem you may have."
"What brings you here, Headmaster?" Severus asked tiredly.
"Ah, of course, straight to business as always with you." The old wizard chuckled, eyes sparkling. "I have come to ask you your opinion on one Harry James Potter."
Severus sat straighter and became much more alert, "What about him?"
"Minerva and I were concerned with Harry's behavior in the beginning of November. But when he settled down after a week, we felt satisfied that it was due to the dementors affecting him during the Quidditch game and were put at ease. Before dinner, I was informed of a reemergence of this… attitude by Hermione and Ron while they were in the Shrieking Shack. This worries me and I wanted your opinion on the matter."
Severus froze. There was no room for evasive action and he wasn't sure he was ready to outright lie. Now that he was faced with letting the headmaster know of Harry's condition, he wondered why he had kept it secret for so long. Surely, the headmaster would want to do everything he could to help heal the boy. Harry was his precious savior, after all. Why had he been so keenly against telling him?
"Why do you think I would know enough to have an opinion?" He heard himself stalling.
Dumbledore smiled, but the twinkle in his eye was sharper and not at all congenial. "I am well aware of the many detentions Harry has suffered with you. Minerva complained often enough, though has recently come to feel that they will do Harry good. It would be extraordinary if you didn't have some measure of the boy's emotional state." He sat forward and Severus felt like he was suddenly small and polluted in comparison to the man's absolute righteousness. "In fact, now that I am informed that Harry's erratic behavior has persisted, I am inclined to believe you've been giving him detentions to watch him."
"I have noticed the boy's behavior and thought it best to keep a closer eye on him." Severus conceded, but still felt that odd reluctance to part with information on the particulars of Harry's condition. But there was no other choice now. Dumbledore would have to be informed. The old man would settle for nothing less.
And maybe it would be for the best. Dumbledore may be able to obtain a better cure for Harry's coma state once he knew the details. So Severus described in detail the condition of Multiple Personality Disorder. It took a good half hour before the headmaster felt confident he understood the basics of the condition.
"How many alters does he possess and what type are they?" Dumbledore asked intently.
Again Severus felt hesitation. There was just something about the situation that threw him off, made him doubt. And he wasn't doubting himself. That would have been something familiar. Instead, he realized, all this time he was feeling doubt about the headmaster. That scared him. It really did. If not Albus Dumbledore, then who could he trust?
"I am not certain how many." He finally answered. "I haven't gained complete trust from Harry, but I am aware of two; one that goes by the name Silas and the other by Gabriel."
He gave a detailed description of both. Dumbledore was nodding thoughtfully by the end. His eyes were on the fire. They sat in silence for many moments. Finally, the old man rose and gave Severus praise for being so attentive to Harry's behavior as to be able to diagnose his condition and to try and gather more intelligence concerning it.
"But, my boy, why didn't you come to me sooner with this?" He asked.
"I was not completely sure the boy wasn't faking it. There have been many documented cases where this was done. I had to be sure before I brought it to your attention, and then I felt I had to understand the alters before the information of his condition would be worthwhile to you." He answered easily, though inside he was far from relaxed.
"That is well. I must think on this." Dumbledore stood.
"I believe he can be cured with therapy and better treatment." Severus offered as a test.
"No. Not yet. His condition may be useful and if it protects his mind all the better." Dumbledore gazed down at him, but his mind was elsewhere.
Severus felt his world collapsing around him as the doubts and hesitations that had seemed so unreasonable became justified. No, he prayed silently to the old man, please don't fail me, and he offered one more chance for the headmaster to redeem himself. "If the boy wakes, where will you place him?"
"He must return to his relatives." Dumbledore answered distractedly. "I will be sending him with Poppy once the other students leave whether he had recovered or not."
Severus was floored and spoke without thought, "But, Headmaster, his condition implies he has suffered severe abuse."
"We don't know if the Dursleys are the ones that have caused the trauma that resulted in his condition." Dumbledore faced him with hard eyes, free of their distracting glitter. Severus had seen the calculating expression before, but never had it seemed so foreboding. "Harry needs to spend time in that house with his Aunt or the blood protections will not reassert themselves. The Dursleys may not appreciate magic or their nephew, but I don't feel they are unreasonably cruel people. He will be fine. Do not worry, Severus. I have things well in hand."
Severus stared at the door for a long time after the headmaster left. For long moments he sat crushed as the reality of Albus Dumbledore made itself known. It hit him that the headmaster wasn't his salvation. Dumbledore was a human man, a survivor of two vicious wars. He was just as prone to fault as others. And one of those faults could not be excused: his penchant for seeing humans as tools.
He remembered with painful clarity his own near death experiences and suffering; remembered how the headmaster showed a face of pity and concern, but kept sending him back for more punishment regardless. Severus had let it happen, hoping it would absolve him of his mistakes. But Harry had made no such mistakes. Most importantly, unlike Severus, he had not given his consent to be used as a pawn. And yet Dumbledore did not hesitate.
…flashback…
Dumbledore, McGonagall, and he sat around the staff table dinking a toast to the upcoming school year. Severus was in a fouler mood than normal and his two colleagues more cheerful. The reason for this quickly became clear.
"I can't wait to see him." McGonagall slurred a bit. "Do you think he'll be a Gryffindor?"
"He's a Potter." Severus sneered viciously. "He'll be an arrogant little brat just like his father. Where else would he go?"
"Do not fear conceit from him, Severus." Dumbledore reassured him with a knowing smile. "He was placed with his muggle relatives to prevent him growing up a celebrity and to give him a normal childhood."
"We shall see." Severus scoffed and took his leave.
…end flashback…
How much had Dumbledore known? Severus wondered with bleak disillusionment. How long had he known of Petunia and Vernon Dursley's utter abhorrence of the magical? Looking back there were startlingly unlikely circumstances that led to Harry being placed there. Sirius Black should have become Harry's guardian. Upon hearing of the Potters' deaths, he had asked for his godson, but at Dumbledore's order Hagrid refused him Harry. Grief turned to rage and he went after Pettigrew.
Dumbledore could have insisted Black have a fair trial with Veritaserum. He had interfered in the trials of many, including Severus' own. There was no reason for him not to step in on the behalf of a man who had worked very closely at his side during the war. Severus had thought Dumbledore's abandonment due to the old man's conviction that Black was guilty. Could Dumbledore knowingly allow an innocent man to go to Azkaban just to get him out of the way?
How likely was it that the Potters had not told him of the switch? James Potter was Dumbledore's right-hand man throughout everything. The man never acted without Dumbledore's permission first. And why hadn't Dumbledore stood as the Potter's Secret-Keeper in the first place? Exactly which family had Dumbledore chosen to safe-guard instead and why? Severus had never heard a specific family name mentioned now that he thought about it.
Even with Black gone, Lupin should have been the next in line to take custody of Harry. He was never registered as a werewolf with the Ministry. No one knew of his condition. They would have let him take the baby if he had stepped forward. But Lupin hadn't. Severus knew he had asked for Harry, but Dumbledore had talked him out of it.
Was the headmaster responsibly for that as well? Why did Lupin leave his friends? He had been conveniently out of the country just prior to the Potters death and was crushed when he learned the news. Had Dumbledore used that grief and guilt against him to make him drop the inclination of taking care of Harry? Why would the headmaster go to such lengths? The only motive for such actions would be to purposely put Harry with the Dursleys and what could that possibly achieve?
Unless… Severus grimaced. No. It couldn't be true. That was just too much to believe. Dumbledore would never do that… But Severus was beginning to think he would. If he'd let Black go to Azkaban of all places, then maybe his plans for Harry stretched before the Potter's deaths.
So where was the beginning? Severus thought, his breath coming fast as he tired to fit the pieces together… The prophecy… Dumbledore… He heard the prophecy and sent those whose children fell under the requirements away under the Fidelius Charm. But if he suspected from the start that it was Harry the prophecy spoke of…
A child born strong enough to truly defeat the Dark Lord, something not even Dumbledore could do. Not completely at any rate… That child could be a threat to him as well… It was possible Harry could be turned against him… So… Severus stood frozen as he finished the thought… So he purposely let part of the prophecy reach the Dark Lord through Pettigrew.
The weak rat would never have gone otherwise. He had never shown that kind of initiative in his life. Why would he start then of all times to act on his own? No, Dumbledore had to have sent him. Talked him into being a spy, Severus knew personally how convincing the headmaster could be… But Pettigrew caved under the introduction torture every Death Eater faced. He told the Dark Lord the prophecy… Truly believing he had betrayed his friends, Dumbledore, and the Light, Pettigrew had no choice but to join the Dark Lord in earnest.
This was too horrible to be true, and yet… It made a sickeningly large amount of sense… The Dark Lord naturally wanted the threat the prophecy spoke of removed… Dumbledore sent the families packing, left the Potters open, and then Pettigrew came to the Dark Lord a second time with knowledge of where the Potter's were hiding…
Wait, that only happened because Black had switched places with him… Unless, did the headmaster have a hand in Black's sudden change of mind on who should be Secret-Keeper? With painful clarity, Severus remembered the anticipation of victory the Dark Lord had that night. His utter confidence as he went alone to Godric's Hollow.
Had Dumbledore felt the same sense of victory? Had he hoped both Voldemort and Harry would die? Or was it his hope that Harry would die and leave the Dark Lord and him alone to forever play their games of power? Either way Harry didn't die that night and the Dark Lord disappeared…
What happened next? If Dumbledore did indeed set up the Potters and Harry to fall, what would he have done on hearing of the baby's survival? … There was mass panic, Severus remembered that. And he now remembered that Dumbledore had not been an exception as he usually was…
Was his panic due to fear that his schemes would come into the light? He must have been beside himself with relief when it was believed Black killed Pettigrew. There was no one left to reveal him with the rat's death, and that meant he must really have believed Black had killed the man to revenge his best friend… But Harry was still a threat that needed to be addressed.
So… If you can't destroy a threat, you subvert them… Dumbledore made sure Black was out of the way. He could have stepped in and gotten Black sent to a different prison, one that wouldn't drive him mad and torment him so cruelly. But he didn't. Not only would Azkaban keep him away from influencing Harry, it would also destroy Black's mind. Preventing him from growing suspicious that the headmaster had not done all he could to protect the Potters, and had in fact left them vulnerable.
Lupin was easy to dispatch and manipulate. The man always was too emotional and the wolf in him would have increased the emotional strain at the destruction of his "pack". Dumbledore hardly had to lean on him at all to get him to snap… Buy why go through all this trouble?
Severus placed shaking hands against his eyes, fingers curling painfully in his hair. Oh, he knew why. Dumbledore had seen the effectiveness of playing the protector and savior from abuse through Severus' own rehabilitation. There was no loyalty stronger than that of a supplicant rescued from painful abuse and horror.
Putting Harry with abusive relatives would ensure the child's gratitude once he returned to the wizarding world and would place a deeply rooted feeling of indebtedness in Harry toward the headmaster for saving him. The abuse would also instill in the boy a submissiveness that Dumbledore could use. It would make The-Boy-Who-Lived willing to do anything to keep himself in the wizarding world and out of his family's home. And now Severus had handed him more power to manipulate and control the boy.
Dumbledore didn't want Harry cured. No, of course not. This was too perfect. In Gabriel, he had an alter who wouldn't be able even comprehend being anything less than the superhero. Best of all, Gabriel could be turned off, turned back into the controllable, malleable Harry.
With this condition, Harry was a perfect weapon. There was only one problem: Silas. Silas was a Slytherin. Silas would do anything to survive and protect Harry and was very smart and cunning. He would turn on Dumbledore in a heartbeat. But Dumbledore couldn't do anything about it. Silas was best kept separate from the core personality. That way the Host Harry remained controllable and without Slytherin tendencies.
Severus would bet his most rare potion ingredients that the headmaster would ask him to find a way to keep Silas locked In or to find a way for Dumbledore to control when Silas came Out. Severus felt sick and dirty thinking such horrific things of Dumbledore. It just went against the grain, but he didn't think he was wrong. He had been suspecting the headmaster of darker motivations for a while. Denial was no longer an option.
He had to face the truth that somewhere along the way Dumbledore began committing evils to obtain his pure goals. And that he had suspected for awhile, though he had refused to admit it. That was the reason he had been so willing to hide Harry in the summer and to keep the child's secret for as long as possible once school started. Protecting Harry became even more important when he had come to care for the boy.
Pacing and agitated, Severus knew he had to make a plan. It was time to stop hiding and make decisions. It was time to think on his own again. Of one thing he was certain, Harry would not be going back to the Dursleys. Harry would not be a pawn. And neither would he. Not anymore.
Chapter end. Love it? Hate it? Let me know.