Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter
Chapter 63 – Mysteries Presented
"What did you find out?" Kingsley closed the door to the small conference room behind his office cube and took his place behind his desk, pausing for a moment to cast a strong silencing charm.
Tonks settled in the guest chair opposite the desk, her expression grim. "Spear's dead," she said.
Kingsley started in his chair. This was not something he had expected to hear. Missing? Yes. Seen with known Death Eaters? Of course. Dead? No. "Talk to me, Tonks."
"Dawlish was just about to end his shift early this morning when the call came in from Azkaban. The caller said that one of the guards had found him in his cell during rounds just before dawn. Dawlish headed out to the island. Predictably, there was no 'crime scene', as such. There were some signs of a brief scuffle on the floor of the cell, and the empty syringe, but nothing else," Tonks responded. "Dawlish had a time getting the paperwork through to have him transported to London, but he managed. The Examiners at St. Mungo's determined that he was poisoned. They found a small puncture wound in his throat where they believe the potion was administered. The Spell Work-up suggested that Petrificus Totalis was used to immobilize him before the poison was administered."
"What type of poison was used?" Kingsley wanted to know.
"Acromantula venom," Tonks said, quietly. "The Examiners said he died within minutes of injection. "
Kingsley shuddered slightly and looked across the desk at Tonks. "Not a pleasant way to die," he said in response. "Did the Examiners fix a time of death?"
"They think he died no more than thirty minutes before he was found, so sometime between 3 and 4 this morning," the young Auror replied. She paused for a few moments. "We've had a hell of a time getting our hands on the visitors' record, but Dawlish managed to put a sealing charm and several protection spells on the prison office where all records are kept. There has been no tampering with it since he came back."
Kingsley's face darkened. "We can only hope that no one tampered with it before he did so," he said.
Tonks looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, Kings, I don't think anyone did. Think about it. He was a former Auror who had plea-bargained his way out of The Kiss by turning witness against Malfoy. The guards over in Azkaban don't necessarily think about or care whether their prisoners live or die…and they're not the sharpest quills in the desk. I would be surprised if any of the Azkaban guards tampered with the records."
"Perhaps. It would depend on the guards, though, wouldn't it? Do we have Severus' report on the 'serum' in Jarvis' vial yet?" Kingsley asked her.
Tonks shook her head. "Not yet."
"Dumbledore is calling an Order meeting at Headquarters for tomorrow night," Kingsley told her. "I would imagine that Snape would attend and include that analysis in his report."
"Kings, do you think there's a connection between Spear's death and Jarvis' vial?" Tonks asked.
Kingsley shrugged. "There could be, but Jarvis couldn't have used that same potion on Kate. He could certainly never have risked her dropping dead in front of the entire Wizengamot, could he?"
"No," Tonks agreed. "But there are other potions where Acromantula venom is used in extremely low proportion to effect certain behaviors. Some, when used in conjunction with certain spells, can be quite useful – not to mention potent."
Kingsley looked at Tonks thoughtfully for a long moment as a smile slowly spread across his face. "Head over to Hogwarts and speak with Severus. See if he can tie your line of thought back to Jarvis' potion. And let's make certain we've gotten all of Malfoy's wands. A little "Priori Incantatem" might be in order, depending upon what Severus has to say. Let's also be prepared to confiscate Jarvis' wand for review, as well."
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Tonks made her way up the path to the school and slipped inside the massive doors to the school's cavernous entrance hall. As always, she felt the tingle of nostalgia course through her as the familiar sights and smells of the old castle brought her back to her own schooldays. Tonks checked her watch and noted that classes were about to end for the day, which meant that the hallways and staircases would soon fill with students. Not wanting to be seen by anyone – particularly Umbridge – Tonks moved with uncharacteristic stealth as she quickly descended the dim stairwell that led to Snape's dungeon classroom and lab. No sooner had she reached the hall outside the classroom than the door burst open, students spilling eagerly into the corridor. Tonks barely had time to tuck herself into a small alcove to the left of the door where she waited silently for the students to all disburse. She didn't have long to wait; Snape was the type of professor that inspired a speedy exit in his students. No one lingered.
When she was certain the coast was clear, Tonks carefully stepped out of the shadow of the alcove and entered the Potions classroom, closing the door quietly behind her.
"I assume you are here at Shacklebolt's direction," came the rich baritone of the Potion Master, seated behind his desk.
Tonks jumped a bit at the sound – and silently cursed herself for being startled by the dour professor. The place really does take me back to my school days, she thought to herself.
"Well?"
"I am," Tonks confirmed, walking up to the massive desk at the front of the room. "There have been …developments in the Malfoy case and the analysis of Jarvis' potion vial has become even more critical – and time sensitive."
Snape's black eyes rested on her face for a moment. "What has transpired?"
"Spear is dead," Tonks advised. "Acromantula venom, by injection."
Snape raised one eyebrow and inclined his head slightly. "Were you surprised to hear he'd been murdered?"
Tonks shook her head. "Not entirely. Were you?"
Snape remained silent, but rose from his seat and indicated that she do the same. Tonks followed the dark, silent figure across the room and watched him wave his hand over one of the massive stones in the wall. It shimmered then seemed to stretch and grow until a door appeared where the stone had been. With another wave of his hand, the door opened and Snape stood aside, gesturing that she enter. Tonks hesitated, earning an exasperated sigh and a roll of the eyes from the Potions Master.
"Come along, you silly girl," he snapped. "This door leads to my private rooms, the first of which is my personal laboratory, not some medieval torture chamber! I could hardly perform any type of analysis for the Order under the very nose of Dolores Umbridge, could I?"
Tonks flushed and quickly walked through the doorway, taking care not to accidentally brush against the infuriating man as she did so.
"You didn't answer my question," she said once they were both inside the lab and Snape had resealed the doorway. To her relief, the door remained visible, however.
"Nothing escapes you, I see; no wonder you are such an effective Auror," he murmured, removing a vial and a sheaf of parchment from a locked cabinet against the wall.
Tonks huffed indignantly. "Could we just kill the bloody sarcasm for once, Snape? I'd like an answer."
One corner of Snape's mouth twitched a bit and Tonks was stunned to find herself wondering if Severus Snape was actually enjoying a bit of a tease. If he actually smiles, I'll probably need to spend time at St Mungo's to get over the shock!
"Very well, Ms. Tonks," he drawled. "To answer your question – without the bloody sarcasm – no, I was unsurprised; in fact, I expected it. It was largely due to the late Mr. Spear's interview with your superiors that Malfoy was brought in for questioning, wasn't it?" At her nod, he placed both vial and parchment on the table between them. "And, as a result of that interview – and details revealed under the influence of Veritaserum - placed on trial. Surely, you aren't naïve enough to believe that a betrayal of that magnitude would go unpunished?"
Tonks shook her head. "Of course not. Did you know that…"
"My comments are not based on any direct knowledge about Mr. Spear in specific," Snape interrupted her smoothly. "Let's just say that I am a student of history, shall we?"
Tonks couldn't help but smirk a bit at that comment. "Of course. Shall we also change the subject slightly and talk about your analysis? While history is an important teacher, I find that I'm more interested in current events."
It was Snape's turn to smirk at the young woman. "Touché, Ms. Tonks. Yes, let us turn our attention to the contents of Mr. Jarvis' vial. I assume that Kingsley sent you here to see if a link could be established between the contents of this vial and the instrument of Mr. Spear's untimely demise?"
Tonks gave him a genuine smile this time. "You assume correctly, Severus," she said.
Snape's head shot up and he gave Tonks a stern look. "Do not presume that our current level of détente allows you unlimited liberties, young woman," he advised, his voice tense.
"Relax Severus; I just called you by your given name," Tonks said, her voice equally stern. "You don't really need to worry about 'liberties' unless I jump you …which is hardly likely. Now, tell me about Jarvis' potion."
Snape's cheeks seemed to take on a bit of color, unusual against his normal pallor. He cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders and handed her the parchment. "It has a trace of Acromantula venom, as you can plainly see. A low dose, as I've noted. I remember you as a fair potions student, Ms. Tonks. Perhaps you can tell me the impact of this venom in the stated proportion." Snape paused, expectantly, watching his former student closely.
"It's a catalytic agent," Tonks said, distractedly as she reviewed the remainder of his notes. As she reached the bottom of the page, her eyes widened and immediately returned to a notation near the beginning of his report. After reading through the analysis one more time, Tonks looked up at him, her face pale. Snape remained silent, but his eyes glittered.
"It's a catalytic agent for both the asphodel and wormwood and delays the onset of the properties of powdered hellebore," she said quietly. "It further extends the altered effect of the potion so that an antidote is required to release the victim from those effects. Severus, with the powdered hellebore added to the ingredients, this will…"
He nodded, grimly. "Yes, it will extend the Draught of Living Death into infinity; for how can the antidote be administered if the victim cannot be found? The inclusion of powdered hellebore will, eventually, result in the victim being rendered invisible. The catalytic impact of the Acromantula venom, in this combination, delays the invisibility aspect of the potion by as much as ninety minutes.
"Kate would have experienced abdominal cramping, which Jarvis would, no doubt, have put down to her miscarriage. That would have looked bad for Malfoy, but could have been excused as the lingering result of her battle injuries. 'Reasonable doubt' is the Muggle legal term, I believe," Snape continued.
Tonks picked up the thread of the analysis. "They wouldn't have been able to conclusively prove that it wasn't injury-related, and as they had undoubtedly structured the potion to ensure that Kate's symptoms appeared gradually, that claim might have been credible. I'm sure Fudge would have oozed sympathy at her condition and offered to delay the trial until Kate was well enough to continue."
"But by that time, the hellebore would have been activated and she would have disappeared from view – her whereabouts known only to the perpetrators," Snape finished.
"And when she never reappeared, Malfoy would have gone free on mistrial judgment," Tonks stopped, her eyes widening. "What do you want to wager that those gits would have suggested that she'd gone off with Sirius Black, who was obviously responsible for the Azkaban break-out as originally assumed?"
Snape nodded. "Given the aggregate attention of those in power at the Ministry, it seems likely that things would have gone that way, doesn't it? And, of course, Kate would have been implicated as the Auror who controlled it all from the inside. She would have joined Black on the "Most Wanted" list," he finished.
"Like Bonnie and Clyde," Tonks muttered.
"Pardon?" Snape's brows were drawn together in confusion.
Tonks shook her head. "Muggle couple. Americans. Went on a bank robbing and murder spree in the States back in the 1920's." At his incredulous look, she continued. "Dad's a Muggle, remember? Between his infatuation with Americans and Arthur Weasley's love of Muggles, I've picked up a few things over the years."
Snape had stopped listening, lost in thought. "Can you get me a sample of Spear's blood from the Examiners at St Mungo's? I don't suppose you found the syringe used to inject it, did you? That would be helpful, as well."
"I suppose we could manage to get those over to you. Going to try to tie the venom together with this one?" Tonks asked.
"I may be able to do so, yes. If I can obtain a sample of the venom from the syringe, I can possibly analyze the chemical composition against that of the venom I found in Jarvis' potion," Snape said, thoughtfully.
"Brilliant!" Tonks exclaimed. "Then, we'd have him dead to rights!"
Snape shook his head. "Don't allow your enthusiasm to overpower your intellect, Ms. Tonks. If I can tie the two together, it will mean only that the venom came from the same Acromantula."
"But, Severus, obtaining venom from an Acromantula is tricky. The beast has to be freshly dead and the individual removing it has to have some knowledge of how to handle them," Tonks replied.
Snape's eyebrows arched. "Very good, Ms. Tonks. It would seem that you have some investigative footwork to do, wouldn't it? And I will need the syringe and blood sample as soon as you can manage it." He tapped his fingers on the counter as he thought. "If you can bring it here to me tomorrow morning, Floo directly into the Annex Great Room at 10 o'clock. I'll check in at that time. Do not attempt any preliminary communication, as it's too dangerous. Umbridge is most unstable and she turns up at the most inconvenient times and places. It would not do to have her discover our … activities."
Tonks couldn't resist a final tease. "Why, Severus, you make it sound as if we're doing something … naughty."
Snape drew himself up to his full height and looked down his nose at her. "Ms. Tonks, if you do not desist this line of comment immediately, I can assure you that I will make you wish that you had never uttered the word … 'naughty' in my presence."
Tonks giggled. "Yes, Professor," she said sweetly, heading for the door. As she reached it, however, she turned back, her face serious. "Severus?"
Snape stopped short behind her with an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Ms. Tonks?"
"I just wanted to say 'thank you' for all of this; really, for everything you do. I have a fair idea just how difficult it is for you with everything you do for Dumbledore and for the whole Order, really. I'm sorry if I've added to it sometimes by thinking that you're a snarky git and everything, but really…" Tonks stopped, realizing what she had said and looked up at him cautiously.
Snape's face showed his surprise, but he quickly rearranged his features into their typically impassive appearance. "Make no mistake, Ms. Tonks. I am 'snarky'," he said, his rich voice sounding ominous in the dim light of the dungeon. But Tonks recognized that the usual harsh lines of his face were slightly less so and she was glad she's stuck her neck out and spoken her mind.
"See you in the morning, Severus," she said, smiling.
He inclined his head slightly as he held the door open for her. "Ms. Tonks."
Tonks was halfway down the steep path leading away from the school when she remembered that she hadn't stopped to see Kate as she's planned. Tomorrow, she thought to herself and, picturing the small cubicle she called an office, Tonks turned on her heel and Apparated away.
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Kate put the tray on top of the dresser and quietly closed the bedroom door. Casting a quick Stasis on the coffee pot to keep the contents hot, she turned to make her way over to the bed where Sirius still lay sleeping. Kate pulled the chair from the other side of the room and placed it next to Sirius' side of the large bed, making herself comfortable in its depths. She smiled as she watched the dark-haired wizard sleep. Even though the tender skin around his eyes still showed signs of the emotions of the previous two days, his expression was peaceful and for that, Kate was grateful. Her testimony had reawakened all of Sirius' emotions from that time so long ago. It had put him straight back into the restraining arms of the burly MLE wizards on that gray day in London. He could feel the cool, clammy mist on his skin, smell the scent of magic in the air – that curious mix of burnt sugar and cracked pepper. He could see her face behind the Muggle police barricade and then her back as she fled from the destruction – both physical and emotional – that lay before her. Sirius had been unprepared to be even metaphorically returned to that day, that place and the despair of it all had affected him greatly. But it was settled, now. The very last piece of that dark day they had needed to confront, to defeat, had been put behind them. Restoring Sirius' name and bringing Pettigrew to justice was the remaining obstacle to their future. Having got through the past six months, with all the challenges that had been thrown at them, Kate knew they brought unprecedented strength to whatever lay before them. The previous day – and the night of Kate's return to the Annex - had been spent relaxing, talking, making love and generally taking the time they sorely needed to put their relationship back on track. No more missteps for us – well, not in the important things. We'll win this time, Sirius, Kate thought to herself. We have to.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's rude to stare?" a gravelly, low-pitched voice rose out of the mop of black hair on the pillow.
"I can't believe my mother ever had this kind of 'staring' opportunity," Kate replied.
Sirius brought one hand out from under the covers and pushed his tangled hair away from his eyes to look at her, his expression thoroughly amused. "I vaguely remember your mother and I'll wager that you're right!"
Kate chuckled. "Interested in some coffee?"
Sirius shook his head. "Interested in a kiss," he said, scooting over to give her room and patting the space next to him.
Kate rose and settled herself next to Sirius, their faces close enough to feel each other's breath. "A kiss, is it?" she whispered and smiled when he nodded eagerly. Kate leaned over and pressed her lips to his, lingering for several moments. When Kate pulled back, Sirius leaned forward and kissed her again, then once more before lying back against the pillow.
"Good morning," he said, smiling as he reached over and tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear.
"Good morning," Kate caught his hand and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of his wrist. "How are you this morning? Feeling well and rested and so forth?"
"I am well, and rested and so forth," he responded with a grin and a suggestive wink.
"I would think that you'd had enough 'so forth' for one night, Mr. Black," Kate said with a smile.
"Never, Katie girl," he said leaning over to kiss her again. As he deepened the kiss a loud crash was heard from the direction of the Great Room, followed by an equally loud, "Bugger!"
Kate and Sirius looked at each other and said, simultaneously, "Tonks."
"Kate? Sirius?" Tonks called from the Great Room. "Are you here?" Her voice was getting closer.
Sirius leapt from the bed and grabbed some clothing from the back of the chair where he had deposited it the night before. "Tonks! Stay where you are," he hollered, scrambling into his jeans and tugging his jumper over his head. "Bollocks!" he muttered as he stubbed his toe on the bedpost. It didn't help that Kate was giggling at the sight of Sirius hopping on one foot whilst his eyes scanned the room for his boots. "Bollocks, I'll go barefoot," he said, turning to face Kate, who was still lounging on the bed in his robe. "I don't know what you're laughing at, Katie girl. I'm about to throw open this door and you'd better step lively and find your own clothing before Tonks sees you!" Sirius placed one hand on the doorknob. It was enough to get Kate up and moving.
"Fine," she said, untying the belt and shrugging the robe from her shoulders, watching as it puddled on the floor at her feet. It had the desired effect as Sirius immediately fell silent at the sight of her. "Now, where did I toss those robes?"
Sirius swallowed audibly. "Over there," he mumbled, pointing at the chair against the opposite wall. Kate gave him a cheeky smile and walked over to the chair. Retrieving her knickers and robes, Kate dressed quickly and then walked over to Sirius, still waiting, dry-mouthed, by the bedroom door. Kate kissed him quickly then looked pointedly at his hand, still resting on the doorknob. "Are you going to open this thing or are we Apparating into the Great Room?"
Sirius opened the door waited for Kate to pass him. As she did, he reached forward and gave her bottom a soft pinch. "Wench," he whispered, watching her flinch in surprise and bring her hand around to rub the offended spot through her robes.
"Tonks!" Sirius greeted his cousin in a loud voice, intentionally blocking out anything Kate might have said in return. "Sit down," he invited kissing Tonks lightly on the cheek. He turned to Kate, who was standing beside him. "Would you like to sit, darling, or is standing more appealing this morning?" Sirius dropped his gaze to the vicinity of her bottom then looked back at her face, his mouth twitching in suppressed laughter.
Kate walked over to where the young Auror sat on the couch and dropped down easily onto the cushion next to her. "Thank you, dearest, but I think I'll sit over here with Dora," she said, smirking back at him as he sat down in the opposite chair.
"Blimey," Tonks said. "The two of you are starting to remind me of my parents!"
Sirius' eyes narrowed as he looked over at his cousin. "Even though we're not even remotely old enough, right?"
Tonks snickered and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sirius; that's exactly what I meant. You're way too young."
"Acts too young, anyway," Kate put in, bringing her hand to her bottom again and giving Sirius a quick wink.
"Not exactly a new personality trait," came a deep, familiar voice from the direction of the hearth. Both Kate and Sirius rose quickly, turning toward the voice. Tonks remained where she was, but turned to watch the interaction that was about to take place.
"Snape," Sirius muttered, his face darkening. Kate reached over and entwined her fingers with his, unseen by anyone else.
"Hello, Severus," she said, smiling. "You startled us, I'm afraid."
Severus' expression softened slightly at Kate's greeting. "How are you feeling, Kate?" he asked and she felt Sirius move even closer to her.
"I'm well, thank you. And thank you for stepping in and confiscating that potion Jarvis was determined to give me in court. I appreciated your assistance," she said. "Please, sit down."
When they were seated, Kate excused herself and brought the coffee tray from the bedroom and, after everyone had a steaming mug of coffee in front of them, she sat back, looked at both Snape and Tonks and asked, "What brings you both to the Annex?"
Tonks put her cup down on the tray and folded her hands in her lap. "You should both know that there have been some developments in the case. Spear is dead."
"Perhaps you should give them both an update," Snape suggested and Tonks nodded, launching into the details of her meeting with both Kingsley and Severus from the previous afternoon.
"He was murdered in his cell?" Sirius didn't wait for her reply before continuing. "Do you have the visitors' records and the duty roster for the night shift? Someone should put a seal on the…."
Tonks held up her hand to stop Sirius' tirade. "Yes, Sirius. Kingsley has all the records. And, Severus, I believe you're waiting for these," and Tonks reached into her robes, withdrawing a sealed vial and a syringe encased in a magical protection shield and handing them to him.
Snape took possession of the items, glancing at them briefly before placing them in his own robes pocket. "How many people have handled the syringe, do you know?"
Tonks nodded. "Dawlish and Kingsley. Here," she withdrew a bit of parchment from her robes and handed it to Snape. "Kingsley did an evaluation when it came into his possession. Any unmasked magical imprint he found in that evaluation is listed on this report. We thought it might be useful to you."
"Indeed," he murmured, folding it carefully and placing it, too, in his pocket.
Sirius watched the whole exchange with barely contained curiosity. "Snape, what's going on? What are you doing in all this?"
Snape looked across at his childhood enemy and Kate could see him struggle to bite back the first comment – obviously derogatory – that had arisen to his lips. As it was, his response was barely civil. "I have just been given critical evidence that may assist in tying the potion in Jarvis' vial to the substance used to kill Mr. Spear in his cell in Azkaban. I am going to test it, Black and evaluate whether or not there is, indeed, a link. I wasn't aware that I needed to explain myself to you."
Kate squeezed Sirius' hand tightly and he winced. It accomplished her goal, however, as Sirius' next words to Snape were, to the surprise of all, polite. "I'm sure you've also noted that the means used to kill Spear is a Muggle medical device, yes?"
Snape nodded once.
"Muggles cannot see Azkaban, let alone access it," Sirius went on. "I would think that this perhaps would mean that the feat was accomplished by a Dark Wizard with some familiarity with Muggles and, possibly, Muggle medicine…"
Snape sighed. "The list of candidates isn't exactly small, Black."
Sirius nodded vigorously. "I realize that, Snape, but think. Who had reason to silence Spear? Malfoy. Well, he was locked up at the time. Trust me, he couldn't have done it directly. Jarvis. At Malfoy's behest – yes, but I doubt very highly that his name would appear on the visitors' record. Rather than focus on the obvious, perhaps we need to look deeper. Who would be willing to take such a risk? Obviously, someone who wanted to impress; or someone who was forced to take that risk." He leaned forward, his expression intense. "Take the magical footprint of the syringe, Snape, then think of everyone you know on the inside of the Death Eaters. The obvious candidates could not possibly have done it, so let's think about who they could have manipulated into doing their dirty work for them."
Snape's gaze locked onto Sirius' and the latter felt the Potions Master enter his mind. Those watching the exchange saw Snape's eyes widen in surprise, then narrow as he broke the connection.
"Do you understand?" Sirius asked, his eyes glittering.
Snape nodded.
"Good. Because that's the last fuckin' time you get permission to do that. Got it?" Sirius said, shortly.
To everyone's surprise, Snape's voice lacked any sarcasm or anger. "Indeed, I do," he responded. "I shall not need another look. I'll let you know what I find." Snape rose and, as he did so, Tonks jumped to her feet. "Severus! Remember that you need to report your findings to me, as well."
Snape turned. "Nymphadora, I doubt very sincerely that you would allow me to forget and, since I do not wish to be – how did you phrase it? – Ah yes – 'jumped'…in any manner, I daresay I'll keep your wishes in mind. I will contact you," he looked over at Sirius, "all of you, when I know more. I shall endeavor to complete the analysis before tonight's Order meeting. I trust you will all be in attendance." At their nods, he made his way to the hearth, tossed in a small pinch of Floo powder from the mantel and disappeared into the green flames. The last thing the occupants of the Annex heard was his voice, calling out his destination: "Snape's private laboratory – Dungeon".