Chris Carter and 1013 Productions own the X-Files. JK Rowling, Warner Brothers and Scholastic own Harry Potter. All I own is this story line, every Harry Potter DVD and a complete collection of X-Files DVD's. I wish I owned Fox Mulder.
A/N This story is set anytime during Sorcerers Stone through Prisoner of Azkaban of HP (although it contains information in all the books) and after X-Files episode "Emily", but before "Requiem".
Funny thing---now that DH has been released, nearly every story on this site is AU, now isn't it? Anyway, sorry for the long delay in uploading this—had to go on vacation (and finish Deathly Hallows) and other stuff. Hope you like!
HOGWARTS GUEST ROOMS
LATER THAT NIGHT
"Scully, you're back!" Exclaimed Mulder with mock surprise when he answered the door to her knock. "What did you learn?"
She sighed heavily. "Mulder, there's something I need to warn you about. We saw Phoebe Green tonight in Hogsmeade."
His eyes turned wary. "What does Phoebe have to do with this?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but she's involved somehow."
"But she's not a witch--or is she?"
"I think that depends on your point of view. But no--she's like us, a muggle. However, she seems to have a contact in the wizarding world and that's how she's infiltrated their ranks, so to speak. And whoever that wizard is, he's placed her under protective charms."
"You're sure it's a wizard?"
"I'm sure. I mean, it would have to be. They say Hogsmeade is unplottable. I'm not sure I could find it again, and I was just there this evening with Professor Snape."
Mulder glanced at her sharply when she mentioned the Potions Master, but she returned his look with an expression as bland as a baby's.
"However," Scully continued. "I don't think Phoebe is the muggle that's been sighted those times. Or at least, not the only one. I talked to another muggle--also a woman. But Mulder, she's from Memento."
"What did she say?" Asked Mulder, suddenly alert.
"That we should be careful of the company we keep. You read their literature--you know Memento calls wizards memory stealers."
Mulder nodded slowly before he sat down on his bed and sighed.
"What are you thinking about, Mulder?"
"I'm thinking that there goes yet another example of a person searching for the Truth. And she won't be believed any more than the alien abductees are believed." He rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily.
Scully didn't answer right away. Slowly and thoughtfully, she turned a desk chair around and sat down across from him. "She reminded me a little of Betsy Hagopian from MUFON--she had the air of somebody who's used to being disbelieved--or simply dismissed as a crackpot," she said low. "The irony is that we actually know she's right."
He looked up at her intensely. "We've been here awhile now, had a look around. What's your opinion? What do you think about all this, Scully--what do you think about the wizarding world?"
Scully put her hands together, started to speak, hesitated. Then she said slowly, "I haven't figured out how they do all this. It's not like any technology I've ever seen, but I'm sure that after enough time..."
He got up and started pacing restlessly. "You amaze me. You're still not ready for extreme possibilities, no matter how many ghosts you see floating in the corridors here, or how many times you've seen food appear out of nowhere at meals in the Great Hall or..."
She held up a hand as a placating gesture. "Look, Mulder, I'm just saying that..."
"Never mind. Their secrets are safe enough, regardless of your opinion about the source of their technology. Most of our people will never know they exist," he said irritably, wrenching aside the curtain over her window and looking out into the darkness.
"It sounds to me like you're angry at the wizarding world."
He turned and looked at her. "No, I'm not angry with them. I understand their dilemma. But I am frustrated, Scully, because we live in the kind of world where they have to hide and we can't come forward with the truth because we can't all live peacefully together."
Scully shrugged. "That's been a problem since the dawn of history. People fear and distrust what they don't understand."
"But if only there were a way to make people understand--and not the ignorant fear-mongering Memento tries to do, either, but real education about their differences. Not that I blame Memento, either, you know. It's not their fault they don't understand. They only know they've had memories taken from them and they don't know why. If there were only a way to make Memento understand that most of the wizarding world does not have any evil intention towards them."
"I suppose in an ideal world that would be nice, but you certainly are in no position to do it. And even if you were to find this woman--explain everything to her--you don't know what she would do with that information. Our loyalty is to this assignment--and by extension to the wizarding world."
"My loyalty is to the truth." Mulder declared.
"Memento hasn't been believed so far, but you watch--they'll keep right on publishing their pamphlets whether or not you reveal what you know to them. Don't forget, there were very good reasons for passing the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy."
He couldn't deny her point and he looked out the window again.
"Are you okay Mulder?" She asked after some time went by.
"You know, Dumbledore said he asked for us because we were trustworthy. But I'm not so sure that was the only reason."
"Oh?"
"He knows more than he lets on. Don't you get that feeling, Scully?"
She nodded slowly.
"I think," Mulder continued, "that somehow, in some way he knows our reputation in the Bureau. He knows the esteem in which the X-Files are held in the FBI at large. Even if we did tell everything we saw here, he knows we would never be believed--I'm afraid my reputation precedes me. I'll bet that's why we were chosen for this assignment--we were the lowest risk around."
Scully sighed. "You may be right, Mulder, but it's also true that they need to live apart from mainstream society. They would be feared or harassed by some muggles, or even taken advantage of."
"I'm surprised to hear you take that argument, Scully."
"They allowed us in here and I don't want to betray their trust."
He looked at her a moment before saying, "I wonder if we're being used as pawns in someone else's Byzantine plot."
"Meaning what?"
"Think, Scully. Does Dumbledore or the Ministry of Magic need us? I know he said he wanted us to watch and observe so we'll be able to recognize signs of You Know Who's activity in the muggle world, but if you ask me, that's a rather flimsy reason to bring us all the way across the ocean. Not to mention that he faced considerable opposition to bring us here. No, I think there's something Dumbledore wants from us--something he knows we're in a position to do for him as muggles working for our government... What did he say to you when you got back tonight?"
"We didn't see him," Scully answered evenly. "He left word that we were all to meet with him in the morning before breakfast."
"Oh, I thought...well...never mind." For the first time there was a shade of a smile on his face.
"What, Mulder?"
"It's just I remember one of the older students saying something about how most of the businesses in Hogsmeade close by eleven at night..."
"And your point is?"
"No, no, forget it. But you'll notice I didn't mention how late it is--let's see," he looked at his watch. "One-thirty."
She raised her eyebrow at him.
"But of course you're very dedicated to your job, Scully, everybody knows that," he added hastily.
"All right, Mulder, that's enough."
"...Naturally, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your thorough...investigation..." He let his voice trail off.
Scully stood up and pushed her chair under the desk. Turning to him, she said briskly, "Good night, Mulder."
"Aw, do you really have to leave now?"
She shut the door behind her.
DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE
6:00 A.M.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, presiding over the staff meeting. He could see some of the faculty stifling yawns as they tried to stay alert at this early morning meeting, but he pretended not to notice. His elbows rested on the armrests of his chair, and his fingertips were pressed together as he peered over the tops of his glasses at Agent Scully. She was standing in front of him, turned a little to the side as she gave her report to him and the other faculty. He wondered briefly what she would be like as a teacher. Her attitude was alert and relaxed, and she knew how to talk to an audience. He watched her eyes scan the room as she spoke, even though she gave most of her attention to the headmaster.
"...We saw two muggle women. The first one was from the organization Memento and she gave me a brochure." With that, Scully reached into her pocket.
"Never mind, Agent Scully." Dumbledore reached over and opened a drawer in his desk. He rummaged around a little before he found what he was looking for. He handed a paper across the desk at her. "Was it something like this?"
Scully took it from him, looked down at the paper, then stared at him in amazement.
"She gave me one identical to it. Address, phone number, even email. How did you get this?"
He waved his hand airily. "Oh, from a delightful young lady who belongs to the organization. I ran into her in a muggle pub once. She was a wellspring of information--they call us memory stealers." He seemed to think the name was amusing.
"Yes, well--we also saw one Phoebe Green. She's an inspector with Scotland Yard."
Dumbledore looked at her narrowly. "Was she alone?"
Snape spoke up and answered. "We didn't see her in the vicinity of any wizards, but she indicated to me that she has a contact among us. Whoever he is put her under charms and enchantments to protect her against Legilimency."
Dumbledore nodded at Snape before he went back to studying Agent Scully. The Headmaster kept his expression neutral, but he was uneasy by the particular complication that had arisen since he assigned her to work with Snape. Dumbledore had thought it would be good for Severus to work with a muggle. He thought it would be a good opportunity to teach him that although muggles were ignorant of wizarding ways, they definitely were not stupid. They merely thought differently than wizards did--a different kind of intelligence. Dumbledore knew Scully was intelligent--apparently she had written a paper challenging the theories of that famous muggle scientist named Einstein. Intellectually she was a good match for Severus--she was a physician and he was a master at potions, and with their common background in teaching Dumbledore believed they would have a starting point for an acquaintance. He was pleased when the respect Severus developed for Agent Scully deepened into friendship. But now their relationship was past the platonic stage and Dumbledore was not so pleased anymore. But who would have thought it was possible--that Snape, who always looked down on muggles, would entangle himself with one? Dumbledore had completely discounted the man/woman element when he threw them together--and Merlin alone knew what the ultimate result of that omission would be. At least they were discreet. Nobody else seemed to know about their feelings for each other--he wouldn't have known if he hadn't caught them together two nights ago. But what would happen when she returned to the States? Would it be harder for her or for him? Oh well. No need to worry about that now.
"She may have a connection with the Memento woman--it's a possibility, anyway, seeing as they were both in Hogsmeade at the same time." Agent Scully was speaking to the room at large, although she'd acknowledged Snape's contribution with a glance and a nod in his direction.
"Isn't it a little dangerous for the muggles who are infiltrating into Hogsmeade at the same time that there is increased activity by You Know Who?" That was from McGonagall. Dear, faithful Minerva McGonagall. Dumbledore knew he was lucky to have a witch like her as his second-in-command.
"It wouldn't be above Voldemort to use a muggle then discard her--or him--when their usefulness was finished," said Dumbledore.
All the Hogwarts staff flinched at that name, but the two FBI agents exchanged a glance.
"I wonder if they know they might get themselves into danger?" This was the first thing Agent Mulder had said during the whole meeting. Good man, Mulder, Dumbledore thought. He was idealistic and earnest. He could have had a brilliant career in the Bureau if he didn't allow his personal obsessions full reign. But he was shrewd, too. This morning when he arrived for meeting, his eyes met Dumbledore's and the older man realized that the truth had dawned on him--he had figured out that the headmaster wanted something from him. Well, Mulder deserved to know the truth. But Dumbledore needed to prepare him a little bit more first.
"I think Inspector Green is already in danger. If she's associating with the type of wizard who would flout our customs like that, she may already be in over her head," stated Snape.
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Actually, I know who she is," he said and without saying any spell that was audible, he conjured a photograph and handed it to Mulder. Scully leaned across to peer at it over his shoulder, and her eyes widened slightly. Dumbledore nodded almost imperceptibly--it was the reaction he was hoping for--and then he stood up. "They'll be serving breakfast in the Great Hall in ten minutes. You're all excused--we can discuss this in greater detail at a later time."
As his staff started getting up and milling towards the door he watched Scully exchange a look with Snape before he continued, "Agents, would you stay a moment? I'd like a private word with you."
Within moments the three of them were alone. Mulder was still looking at the picture, and Scully sat next to him and wondered why Dumbledore would possibly want to speak to them without the others present.
"Amazing objects, muggle photographs," Dumbledore said casually as he slowly walked around the perimeter of the room. "To capture a person in one precise instant in time--truly remarkable."
"Except you didn't keep us back to discuss the science of photography," Scully ventured.
"No. I didn't." He was still walking around the room, but suddenly he stopped and pointed to one of the many objects that cluttered his shelves. "Do you know what this object is?" He asked.
They shook their heads no.
"You don't need to sit there if it makes you uncomfortable," Dumbledore said mildly. "You're not in school and I'm not your professor."
The agents looked at each other and Mulder shrugged. He stood up, handed the picture to Scully, and walked over to where Dumbledore stood.
"Much better. It's easier to have a conversation like this, isn't it? But anyway, this," Dumbledore paused dramatically and pointed at the object again, "is a miniature replica of a Foe Glass. If you look into it you can see who your enemies are. Very useful object to have. Very useful."
Mulder sniffed. "I don't think there's a Foe Glass large enough to reveal all my enemies."
Dumbledore laughed delightedly and nodded. "You haven't told me what you think of the photograph. I mean, you do recognize the two persons in it, I presume."
Scully looked questioningly at Mulder and he nodded slightly.
"Sir," she asked, "Why would you have this picture?"
"I first saw Inspector Green's name in connection with the same arson case that brought the two of you to my attention--I know that the three of you know each other--or did at one time. But I did a little digging around on my own--and a dear squibb friend took this with his own camera."
"I recognize Inspector Green, of course," said Scully slowly. "And I do recognize that man she's with. He talked to me once--at Mulder's father's funeral." She turned to her partner. "Then we talked to him a second time, remember? In that greenhouse that belonged to..." she broke off, not wanting to give too many details. "Professor Dumbledore, do you know who he is?"
"Well, let's see. I know he owns an estate in Somerset. And no, he doesn't seem to have any connection to the wizarding world. In fact, I learned that although he did have some contact with Inspector Green, he found her too...volatile...to be of any use to him. But he does have extensive contacts in various national governments--including yours." He gave them a look that was cunning, but not hostile.
"If I may go out on a limb here, sir, I would wager you wanted us to come here to Hogwarts for more than just to observe," said Mulder.
"And your wager would be correct." He seemed pleased, as if Mulder had just passed a test.
"Will you tell us what our other purpose here is?"
"Yes--absolutely--but not today."
"I have to say, sir, I'm not comfortable being kept in the dark."
Dumbledore crossed his arms and gazed at Mulder, who returned his gaze stare for stare. "I don't blame you for being distrustful. I know you haven't had much reason to rely on your alleged allies in the Bureau, let alone a stranger like me. All the same, I'm going to presume on your good nature and ask you to hold off on knowing everything for just a while longer. But try to understand--we won't make you stay if you don't want to. You're not prisoners here and we'll return you to DC the moment you ask."
"But you don't want us to leave."
He smiled. "No, I would rather you stayed."
Mulder turned to his partner. "What do you say, Scully?"
"I say we stay," she replied promptly, not looking up from her study of the picture.
Dumbledore looked at her, wondering if there were more to her willingness to stay at Hogwarts than mere dedication to her career. Then he decided it didn't matter. Snape and Scully were both adults and their lives were their own business.
"As delighted as I am that you two are staying, I don't expect you go without breakfast. Agent Mulder, I know there are things you want to say to your partner without anybody else listening in, so I'll meet you out in the hallway in a few minutes and we'll all go down to the Great Hall together." And with that Dumbledore swept out of the room.
"Amazing man, that Albus Dumbledore," said Mulder when he was alone with Scully.
"That man in the photograph..."
"I know, Scully. He worked with my father as part of the Syndicate...He knew my father... And he knows Phoebe...of course, Cancer Man knew my father, too...and so did a lot of other people..." he fell silent.
"How far does this web of relationships extend?" Scully asked a little fearfully.
Mulder had no answer for this. He merely shook his head.
CORRIDORS OF HOGWARTS
11:15 PM
"How did you know that woman from Memento was a muggle?" Scully asked as she and Snape walked past some tapestries in a less frequently used passageway near the classrooms.
"It was obvious. Didn't you know?" He replied.
"Not until she told me...in so many words. So, if you didn't know me, you would be able to tell right away that I am a muggle?"
"Of course."
"So by extension, you can identify other wizards at a glance."
"Naturally."
He stopped in front of one of the doors and pointed his wand at the lock. "Alohamora," he said and Scully heard a click as the lock released. Behind the door was a narrow storeroom lined from floor to the vaulted ceiling with shelves full of bottles and jars. Snape climbed a ladder and selected two small bottles and brought them down as she watched from the hall. After he tucked the bottles inside his robe, he closed and locked the door again.
"There's something I need to tend to tonight. Would you like to see?" He asked her.
She nodded and they descended several more flights of stairs. The air became distinctly chillier.
"We're underground now, aren't we?" She asked and he confirmed her guess.
He stopped at another door and muttered another unlocking spell and this
time the door swung open to reveal a fairly spacious room. He flicked his wand and the lights went on.
"Do you live here?" Scully asked as she followed him through the door.
He nodded and shut the door before walking over to a sturdy worktable with a cauldron on it and peering inside. He checked the fire under it and as if that reminded him of something, he flicked his wand over his shoulder with an almost careless gesture and a fire appeared in the fireplace.
Scully was grateful for the fire because it was chilly underground like this. As Snape took the bottles he retrieved from the store closet and placed them on the table by the cauldron, she walked around the room, interested to see where he lived.
The room suited the owner, Scully thought as she peered around. Besides the table with the cauldron on it, there was a second table with a single chair, an old and worn-looking sofa, one threadbare rug on the floor. She noticed there were no pictures, no souvenirs--at least none that would be recognizable as souvenirs to muggle eyes. He did, however, have quite a few books stuffed into several overflowing bookshelves. As she looked at their spines, she noticed a complete and utter lack of titles and authors she recognized. Not that she expected him to choose his reading material from the New York Times bestseller list, but on some level she expected that he would have read at least some muggle books.
The fire drove the chill out of the room rather quickly and she realized it must have been enchanted somehow--muggle fireplaces took longer to heat. Furthermore, there was no visible chimney, but no smoke was in the room. Normally, she would have worried about carbon monoxide poisoning from lack of ventilation, but Snape didn't seem concerned and it was clear he'd lived here for many years.
She took off her jacket and placed it on the back of the one chair and he turned to look at her briefly when he saw her movement out of the corner of his eye. She went to join him at the table.
He was examining a vial closely by the light of one of the lamps.
"Do you remember that first day you were here--when you mentioned quality control?" He asked her, almost absently, as he put down the one vial and picked up another. "I was impressed, Dana. That is the type of thing that is almost impossible to teach. For instance, I like to use my own supplies--I find that ingredients I don't prepare myself are rarely the same twice. They're either too weak or too strong. You have to actually know the ingredients you work with and not just merely follow the directions in some book."
Scully nodded. "Herbal medicine has the same challenges. No two plants are exactly the same, even within the same species. That's one of the advantages of pharmaceutical medicines--they can control the dosage more easily."
Snape scoffed. "Potion making is a much more complicated art than brewing some cup of chamomile tea. But you do understand the challenge I'm talking about. We try to keep a constant supply of certain potions."
"The Hogwarts pharmacopeia."
He nodded. "The potion I'm working on now is Veritaserum"
"Veritaserum," she murmured. "Veracity...verify...Is this some sort of truth-telling potion?"
"Indeed. Comparable to, but much more powerful than, your muggle compounds sodium pentothal and sodium amytal."
Scully shrugged, unimpressed. "Those drugs you mentioned only lower a person's resistance to the point that they're more likely to tell the truth than otherwise--sort of like getting a person drunk. But the recipient can consciously fight their effects and lie if he chooses to. Are you telling me that Veritaserum always makes a person tell the truth?"
Snape paused. "It can be overcome by occlumency--blocking your mind so it can't be read against your will. But that's a difficult skill to learn. The other drawback to Veritaserum is that it takes weeks to compound--and it needs to be done just right, with very little margin of error. This batch is about half finished."
He stepped back then and pulled her between the cauldron and himself so she could look in. "Tell me--what do you see?"
Scully peered inside. "Well, it's colorless, and odorless, as far as I can tell."
"It also has no flavor--it's virtually undetectable when added to food or drink." He added.
"...it looks like water..." she said, continuing with her description.
"Take hold of the ladle gently," he urged.
She did as he instructed and his fingers closed around hers as he showed her how to hold the ladle. Still holding her hand in place, he moved his arm in a stirring motion.
"This potion is really thick!" Exclaimed Scully, surprised.
"It will be the consistency of water when it's finished," he assured her.
"Won't it affect the efficacy of the potion if a muggle helps create it?" She wondered.
He shook his head. "Potions are not like other magic. In one way they're more powerful than the other branches of magic because they work on the body directly and physically. But on the other hand, wands and spells are rarely needed, so even you could learn how to do this--if you had the right ingredients--but muggles don't have any access to our ingredients. You see, the magic," and here he paused as he stopped stirring and looked for a particular bottle from the table. His hand was still closed around hers and she could feel the buttons on his coat press into her back as he reached for it. "The magic is in the ingredients themselves." He added three drops from the bottle into the cauldron. "And when you mix the ingredients together in just the right proportions," he guided her hand as they stirred the potion in the opposite direction. "...and with the right amount of heat," with that he added a drop from another bottle. "...for as long as it takes," they stirred precisely five rotations in the original direction. "...you get a result that is much stronger than the sum of its ingredients." He had her carefully remove the ladle from the cauldron and place it in a vat of some purple-colored fluid that Scully guessed was a cleaning solution.
"Now step back," he said as he retreated a few steps, pulling her with him with his hands on her shoulders. As Scully watched, a puff of golden smoke wafted from the top of the cauldron, followed by a bang and a puff of green smoke that reminded her of a mushroom cloud. The green cloud then dissipated, leaving behind a strange but not-unpleasant odor lingering in the air.
"When you joined me at the table I was checking those vials to make sure nothing was floating around inside them. The ingredients of Veritaserum have to be crystal clear--it requires a high degree of precision. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"I have administered intravenous meds, Severus. I know about checking for particulate matter," she said with a little bit of irony. "Didn't you ever see a muggle doctor at work?"
"I had a pediatrician before I came to Hogwarts. My father insisted. But Mum didn't like him and neither did I. He liked giving shots too much."
"It's part of the job, you know."
"Needles are a muggle invention."
Scully shrugged. She couldn't argue with that. Besides, she wasn't very fond of getting needles herself. But her attention was diverted away from the subject of doctors as he leaned closer to her.
"You know--if you went to Hogwarts you would have excelled at Potions." His voice was quieter as he murmured into her hair.
"I did all right in med school."
He slipped his arms around her from behind and kissed her shoulder and she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against him. He kissed her a second time and pushed her hair from the back of her neck and paused.
"Dana, what is this scar?"
Her eyes flew open as she whirled around in his arms and grabbed his wrist. "Don't touch it," she ordered.
"Tell me what it is."
She shook her head. "It's not important. Anyhow, it's a long, complicated story."
"I'm listening."
She stepped back from him, looking around nervously. "It doesn't matter now. Forget about it."
"But.."
She threw her hands up in the air in a gesture of frustration. "Please, Severus, I don't want to talk about it. Just drop the whole thing. Okay?"
Hope you liked it! Please review and let me know.