Chapter Two
The six guests could do nothing but gaze open-mouthed at the sallow-skinned Potions Master, as he hungrily ate his soup, his black gaze never leaving the bowl until he had finished. Looking up, he swept his eyes around the table. Nobody else had touched their soup. As if on cue, they all sprang into action, eating without really tasting anything. Six spoons dropped almost simultaneously as they finished and the bowls were collected by Salome, whilst Hodgeson laid out an impressive spread of roast beef.
"So," Minerva said, determined to break the deafening silence. "What makes you invite us all here Severus?"
Snape merely smiled. All in good time my dear Minerva," he said, voice soft as velvet.
The roast beef was cooked to perfection, and the vegetables were fabulous; soft but with a little bite to them. Combined with beautifully crisp and fluffy roast potatoes, cloud-light Yorkshires and smooth, rich beef gravy, it was a meal to die for, and reminded them all of the wonderful feasts they used to enjoy at Hogwarts.
Once pudding, a warm apple and blackberry pie and cream, head been devoured, the six guests wiped their mouths, finished their wine and looked up the table to their host, who was sitting back in his chair, hands folded on the table in front of him.
"If you could all retire to the study for coffee." Hodgeson ushered them through to a handsomely decorated study, a large writing desk, a leather sofa and a crackling fireplace being the three most noticeable features in the room. Snape followed, carrying a large box, which he set down on the coffee table.
Hodgeson supervised Salome walking round with the tray of coffee, offered the gentlemen a brandy and then left, closing the door behind him.
Snape gave an approximation of a smile – halfway between a smirk, a sneer and his trademark lip-curl. He leaned against the mantle and surveyed the group: the twins were leaning against the wall, Draco standing by the door, Minerva perched on the sofa next to Hermione, and Ginny in the armchair, nervously fiddling with the hem of her beaded shrug.
"I suspect you are wondering why you are here? Well allow me to explain. You all have one thing in common, other than having attending Hogwarts School, of course. I do believe that you are all being blackmailed."
There was a gasp from one of the women.
"How did you know that?" Draco asked, a hint of fear in his voice.
Snape merely smiled. "It says here," he held up a letter that didn't seem to be dissimilar to their invitations, "that I am supposed to reveal the reasons why." He reached into the box and pulled out a small stack of papers and a manila envelope.
"Can't you spare us the humiliation of having our personal problems declared so publicly?" Hermione glanced round, hoping that nobody would think her a murderer or anything.
Ignoring her, Snape looked at his papers, smirked, and turned to Ginny. "Mrs Potter."
Ginny gulped: she didn't like his tone of voice.
"What could someone as innocent as you, Mrs Potter, have done to warrant you willing to pay all you can afford to keep someone quiet I wonder?" Snape started to pace around the room. "Could it be that you not only had an affair (Hermione gasped) but also have neglected to tell your husband something rather important about your youngest two children?"
Ginny remained silent, tears threatening to spill, her mouth a light line. Hermione's hands had flown to her mouth. Ginny, an adulteress? Never!
"Of course, if Mr Potter were to find out that young Albus and Lily were in fact Albus and Lily Longbottom..."
Hermione, being Godmother to Albus Potter, nearly screamed. "Neville? You had an affair with Neville?" She started to hyperventilate and had to be soothed by Minerva, who was looking at Ginny as though she were an alien. Draco looked indifferent, but the twins were astonished that their sister could cheat on her adoring husband and lie about the two lovechildren. Let alone that Neville himself had a daughter and another on the way.
His nasty smile stretching wider as he wreaked his havoc, Snape turned to his next victim. "Speaking of children, Professor McGonagall, I think it's time to tell all about the little, ahem, business you have going in the Room of Requirement?"
Everyone's heads snapped to Minerva, who had blanched. "Severus," she rasped, "you wouldn't dare!"
Snape's eyes were glittering maliciously. "On the contrary my dear, I would. You see, our dear Professor here runs a, well, I suppose one would call it a brothel, within the Room of Requirement, which aid those older students who are a little hard up for cash earn some pocket money." He glanced at the still shell-shocked Ginny. "I'm surprised you didn't know about this Mrs Potter. After all, it's been going for years and your family aren't the best off are they?"
Draco, who had opened his mouth to possibly say the same thing, closed it, looking incredulously at his former Transfiguration teacher. The rest of them were former Gryffindors, and were amazed that their Head of House, one of the strictest teachers on Hogwarts staff, would be capable of sustaining a secret business based in debauchery.
"And this brings us to Mr Weasley over there," Snape continued, pointing to the twins. "Mr George Weasley to be precise. Your brothers and sister would be intrigued to know what you've been doing."
George flushed furiously to the roots of his flaming hair, avoiding the puzzled looks from his twin and sister.
"You two may wish to be careful where you have, ah, relations with in the future. You see, your dear brother here has a rather successful business selling pornography. But not just any pornography. Every video or picture is of a sexual conquest that a member of the Weasley family, bar your parents, has experienced.
A shriek from Ginny and a howl of pain from George indicated to everyone that the blur they had seen was indeed Ginny, who had shot out of her seat and was now pummelling George as hard as she could. "You sick bastard!" she yelled. "Now half the Wizarding World has pictures and videos of me and Harry having sex!" She slapped him hard across the face and Fred took the opportunity to pull her oaway.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" George bellowed.
Snape drew a moving black-and-white photograph from his manila envelope. It depicted a Weasley – by the groan of embarrassment from Fred, it appeared to be him – having a passionate sexual encounter with a woman who was just out of shot, but who appeared to have a large amount of tousled, bushy hair that Fred was using as a handhold, thrusting deep, a look of pure ecstasy on his face. This was a double scandal: not only were six people suddenly aware of Fred having sex, but they were also aware that this was not his wife.
"So Weasley's having an affair as well?" Draco seemed somewhat gleeful. "Is that why he's being blackmailed?" He cast a look towards Ginny, still held in her brother's arms. "Is it you Mrs Potter? Or should that be Longbottom?"
Ginny flew out of Fred's arms and punched Draco hard in the nose. Blood spurted out and down his black silk shirt.
"You bitch!" he shrieked, pulling out a deep red handkerchief to stem the bleeding.
"So, now we know the secrets of Professor McGonagall, Mrs Potter and Mr Weasley. So that leaves Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley and Mr Malfoy over there. Oh be quiet boy!" He strode over to where Draco was still howling and clutching his broken nose, took out his wand and waved it over the bloody mess., the nose healing instantly. He gave a grunt of approval and strode back to the fireplace. "As I was saying, Mrs Weasley. Would you like to spare yourself the humiliation of being exposed as your parents' killer?"
This time everyone, bar Draco who was still mopping his face, muttering darkly to himself as he examined his shirt, gasped aloud. Ginny whispered. "But you said- you said they went to-"
"Australia?" Snape interrupted. "Rather convenient isn't it? The week they announce they disapproved of your courtship with one Ronald Weasley they disappear completely, apparently emigrating to Australia. Unfortunately, it seems all too likely that they were killed, particularly since the officer investigating their sudden disappearance also vanished without a trace."
There was another collective gasp. Even Draco Malfoy couldn't believe that a brainy bookworm like Granger could ever be capable of killing a police officer, let alone her own parents.
"It's a lie," Hermione whispered as Minerva retreated slightly, shocked. "It's all a lie! I have the proof that they did go to Australia! I wiped their memories so they wouldn't miss me when I left to help Harry and Ron find Horcruxes. After I told them that Ron and I were dating, they said that they didn't approve, that he was a bad influence, that he could have gotten me killed. I wasn't going to let them ruin my chances with Ron. But I didn't kill them over it."
"And yet you are paying a substantial amount in blackmail," Snape stated smoothly. "If you are innocent, why are you doing so?"
"Because I don't want a scandal of any kind! You know what would happen to me if Molly suspected me of murder!" Hermione looked imploringly at her brothers and sister-in-law. "You have to believe me, I killed nobody!"
"I believe you," Ginny said quietly, although she didn't seem one hundred percent certain.
"Now," Snape said, turning to Draco, "speaking of sudden disappearances, whatever did happen to Miss Parkinson? You and she had a fond relationship for many years during and after your schooldays, and yet, she is not the woman you married, seeing as she disappeared suddenly a few months before you were due to marry Miss Greengrass." His eyes glittering even more, he pushed off the mantle and advanced towards his former favourite. "Bit odd don't you think? Considering you and Miss Greengrass had been having quite the affair during your courtship with Miss Parkinson."
Draco was shaking with fury, but nobody was truthfully shocked. To the Gryffindors, it didn't surprise them that Malfoy may be capable of murder; he was a little git at school.
"I didn't kill Pansy," he spat through gritted teeth.
Snape said nothing, merely raised an eyebrow, before turning back to the fireplace. "That just leaves Mr Weasley does it not?" He grinned nastily at Fred, who swallowed noisily, suddenly very aware of the food in his stomach. "It has already been established that he had or is having an affair, but this is not the reason for his blackmail." He glanced at George. "Mr Weasley, have you ever wondered why your income is always slightly higher than it should be, if you were to take true account of what you are selling in that highly successful shop of yours?"
George narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his former teacher and nemesis. "Ye-es," he said slowly, looking at his blushing brother and realising that, for once, Snape was right about him. "Why?"
"Well it would appear that all those products that you developed, the ones that were popular but ultimately banned due to safety risks – I believe your Punching Telescopes were among those particular items – are still being sold."
George scoffed, returning to his previous mentality about the Potions teacher. "That's impossible. Any items that end up banned are destroyed. We take them off the shelves, put them in a box and lock them in Fred's office..." He trailed off as the terrible realisation hit him and he whipped his head round to look at his brother, who was standing, mouth tight and eyes squeezed shut. "You cheating bastard, you've been selling them on the black market haven't' you?"
"Precisely," Snape answered, grinning evilly.
"So now you've humiliated us Severus," Minerva said icily, "do tell us what your involvement in this is."
Snape's lip curled and he looked almost happy. "Oh hadn't you guessed?" he said, a note of mirth in his greasy voice. "I'm the one blackmailing you."