Chapter Ten: Anger as Beauty

Professor McGonagall pointed her wand towards the window. "Expecto patronum!" she cried. "Expecto patronum!" Twin silver wildcats streaked across the office and leapt through the glass. Breathing heavily, she turned back to Ginny.

"How many people have you told?" McGonagall asked harshly.

Ginny quailed under the fury of the Headmistress' glare. "N-no one, Professor," she panted. "I came straight here."

"There's no time to lose."

"Please, Professor, have mercy on my brother."

"You foolish girl," McGonagall snapped, yanking Ginny to her feet. "Come quickly." She threw her door open and stumbled over Ginny's winter cloak. Muttering an oath, she levitated it towards Ginny. "You'll need this," she said and pulled her forward once more, forcing Ginny to clasp it around her neck in stride.

"What exactly did Mr. Malfoy say?" McGonagall asked as she and Ginny hurried across the Hogwarts grounds.

"He said he told where Percy and Snape were. I saw the Aurors leave before I went in."

"What did he tell them about Percy?"

"That- that he's a…Professor, it's a big misunder-"

"Spit it out, Miss Weasley." McGonagall pulled Ginny to a halt just outside of the Hogwarts grounds.

"Malfoy told them Percy's a Death Eater spy," Ginny blurted miserably. McGonagall muttered darkly under her breath. "But he's a Ministry spy, so what-"

Kingsley Shacklebolt winked into existence before them. "Minerva," he rumbled.

"It's happened. Get him to a safe house, Kingsley, and make it snappy," McGonagall ordered.

"Of course," he nodded, Disapparating immediately.

Ginny sagged in relief. A safe house. McGonagall wasn't going to let Percy be taken, after all. It's happened. What could that possibly mean? And how did Kingsley know who to rescue? Another, more sinister thought entered her mind, but she pushed it aside without examining it.

McGonagall rounded back to Ginny. "Why are you having conversations with Mr. Malfoy?"

"Well, I- it's a bit of a long story-"

With a loud crack, Tonks appeared in the snow. "Professor," she said, looking curiously from McGonagall to Ginny. "Wotcher, Ginny."

Ginny waved weakly.

"Go to him quickly," McGonagall said, getting Tonks' attention. "He's in danger."

Tonks' eyes widened. "I-yeah, okay," she stammered, her features becoming younger and more masculine. "I'll be back." With a crack, she was gone. McGonagall took a deep, calming breath, lost in thought.

Ginny was swimming in confusion. Why had McGonagall sent two people separately after Percy, and why had Tonks been turning into a boy? The preposterous thought came back to her and she pushed it away once more. Two Order members. Two Aurors. The dark thought slunk back to her and this time she couldn't budge it. Two wizards uncovered. Ginny's mouth sagged open in silent, disbelieving horror. No.

The Headmistress had sent an Auror after a minor spy to keep him safe for interrogation and a shapeshifter to warn Severus Snape of danger. Not two seconds ago, Ginny had been in the presence of two covert Death Eaters. Now, however, it was one-on-one, and her opponent was unawares.

She flicked her wand and McGonagall's went flying into a snowdrift. McGonagall's head jerked up and she took in Ginny's defensive stance. The Headmistress tossed her head defiantly, intimidating despite her wandlessness. "Who are you?" she demanded coldly.

"Who are YOU," Ginny shouted, "and what have you done to Tonks?"

McGonagall blinked angrily. "What are you talking about, Ginevra?"

"You're a Death Eater!" she shrieked, sparks issuing from her wand.

She snorted disdainfully, drawing up her sleeve and showing her unblemished arm to Ginny.

"You're Polyjuiced! and you've put Tonks under the Imperius Curse!"

"What utter nonsense!"

"You're saving Snape!"

"Thanks to your quick actions, Miss Weasley."

Ginny took a breath so deep that it hurt and prepared to unleash a fresh tirade, but was distracted by the arrival of Kingsley Shacklebolt. "She's a Death Eater!" she cried instead.

"What's going on here?"

"Severus is a member of the Order," McGonagall said to Ginny, then to Shacklebolt: "How is he?"

"Safe. A bit shaken, but utterly safe."

"Snape killed Dumbledore!" Ginny shouted, infuriated at being ignored.

"Accio wand!" muttered Shacklebolt.

"No!"

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for not listening to your elders!" McGonagall snapped, snatching her wand from Shacklebolt. "Your brother is safe from the Ministry."

"He…Professor?"

"Kingsley, if you could work some connections to make sure a certain Draco Malfoy remains in Azkaban as long as possible?"

"I'll see what I can do," he affirmed. He looked from McGonagall to Ginny and back again. "I trust there will be no more misunderstandings?"

"Miss Weasley?" McGonagall prompted.

"No," said Ginny, deflated.

"I'll be off, then," said Shacklebolt, and he was.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Ginny began.

"No matter," McGonagall said gruffly. "I'm afraid I didn't debrief you fully; there wasn't time and I hadn't expected these circumstances. You see, Miss Weasley, your brother was put into deep cover on behalf of the Order, working as a double agent. For the illusion to be complete, he had to alienate himself from your entire family. None of you could know what he was doing. That cover is blown now, so I suppose it is of no consequence if you know."

"But Draco said Percy told the Death Eaters how to attack the Burrow!" Her chest constricted as she thought of that night and the miserable chain of events it had precipitated.

"He did, and it turned out to be a fantastic sting. Percy captured Draco personally."

"That doesn't…he would've had to go to trial."

"I performed the Memory Charm on Mr. Malfoy myself," McGonagall said grimly. "I wish there was a way we could've wiped Percy completely from his mind, but it would be obvious that he had been Obliviated."

"Percy let Draco into my room!" Even as she said this, a bubble of hope rose inside her. Percy wasn't a Death Eater?

"It was an acceptable risk," McGonagall allowed, looking uncomfortable. "We believed you capable of taking care of yourself, and you proved us right."

Crack!

Tonks' head was drooping and her shoulders rounded; her chin trembled as she raised her head to look at McGonagall.

"What happened?" McGonagall demanded.

"He…." Tonks took a moment to steady herself, one fat tear running down her cheek. "There were signs of a struggle. He wasn't there, I'm sorry, I failed."

McGonagall gasped, her wand falling to the ground as she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. "Severus!"

"I know!" Tonks wailed, and they fell into each other's arms as Ginny stood by, completely uncomprehending.

The next day, the Daily Prophet trumpeted that an Auror squad had discovered accused murderer and known Death Eater Severus Snape, but he had resisted arrest and had been killed in the ensuing altercation. Many students openly rejoiced and McGonagall made sure to wear a triumphant grin all day, but Ginny had been informed of Snape's situation and knew that this was just the culmination of a long, long list of painful sacrifices the Potions Master had made to ensure that Voldemort never discovered how complete his favourite servant's defiance was until it was too late.

Her heart was so weary of the fight and the abject waste it created.