PB15
Disclaimer – It all belongs to JKR.
Chapter 15
Sirius eyed the people leaving the Quidditch match closely. He'd enjoyed viewing the Harpies creatively displayed busts and had spotted Moody and Dawlish sitting not far from him. When he could tell the match would soon end, he'd signaled a smirking Rita and her photographer and headed outside. Rita loitered nearby 'taking a poll' among the spectators about whether they thought Sirius Black innocent or not.
It being a weekend, there was well-organized cover for him … Severus, Lucius and Narcissa were nearby, disguised as slightly inebriated Quidditch fans.
Sirius broke cover, waving his arms and shouting with wild eyes, "Harry is in danger! … Peter Pettigrew is going to kill him! …" Sirius ran around, flailing dramatically and predicting the end of the world as they knew it if Pettigrew - the rat - was not captured.
This had become Sirius' mission – to keep all eyes on him and to focus the wizarding world's attention on where Pettigrew might be, if Sirius was correct.
The crowd erupted, some people apparated away immediately. Some ran for cover, to watch the show from a safe distance. A few fired stunners at Sirius, who either dodged or ducked behind someone – who would then take the hit and drop like a rock.
There were shouts – from wizards and witches that were getting hexed. A few were shouting questions at Sirius – wanting to know if he really was innocent and how had he managed to escape Azkaban. Rita trotted behind Sirius, shouting questions of her own. Her quick-quotes-quill and pad followed her, writing frantically and dodging a few hexes of it's own by prior victims of Rita's articles.
Moody and Dawlish waded into the madness, shouting for Sirius to surrender in the name of the ministry, and fired off more hazardous spells. Sirius remained able to evade their curses, thanks to a speed and agility potion Severus had given to him just prior to the Quidditch match. Victims of Moody and Dawlish's attempts at capturing the weeping and wailing Sirius added to the angry shouting and the scene soon degenerated into chaos.
Lucius and Severus managed to walk straight into a pair of hexes when they deemed the time was right and fell onto Moody, clutching at his wand arm … and his leg. Moody tried to pull away, but the Slytherins gave a good imitation of wizards under a confundus and they just grabbed harder. It took some doing, but Severus managed to get Moody's leg off – after doing some silent cancellations of the spells on the leg.
Sirius saw his cue for action and popped into his black dog form and raced to snatch the leg off the ground and then ran for it. Moody shook off the wizards with a roar and fired a hex or two after the escaping animagus. Narcissa, hidden in a small group of confused witches cast some shields to protect Sirius' escape and then apparated away before she could be questioned. Lucius and Severus did the same as quickly as possible.
Rita's photographer left before any of his terribly embarrassing photos could be confiscated, leaving Rita to bear down on Moody and Dawlish to quiz them about their clear incompetence and whether they thought Sirius was innocent … and if they knew about him not receiving a trial?
Moody lurched to his feet … err … one foot, actually. He leaned heavily on Dawlish and glared at Rita. The bitch had it in for him since he'd jailed one of her reporter friends that insisted on telling the truth no matter who it aided – ministry or suspected criminals. He could see the of gleam of malice in her eyes and knew there would be no reprieve from humiliation.
"Black is a wanted criminal … print that ya' stupid bint." He barked, too upset to come up with anything brighter.
Rita lifted her nose into the air and apparated to Daily Prophet to come up with the deadliest satire she could think of to lampoon Moody and his attempts to capture Black. She had agreed with Severus to go easy on the Minister and most of the Auror Corp. She needed to keep the Ministry in general from viewing her as an enemy … Severus had said there were future articles coming that she would need Ministry support to be able print, and if they felt she could not be trusted to not bring down the entire administration they would likely silence her.
Rita got to her desk and sent off an owl to Severus, planning to meet with him in room at the Leaky Cauldron … she wanted to see if he had any insults to add to the article and to show him the pictures the photographer had captured – and perhaps show him a good time as well, since he'd thought up the entire scene at the Quidditch match.
Severus was so deliciously wicked and could many times come up with even more devastating insults than she could … and they had discovered that they shared an implacable hatred for several Aurors ... Moody in particular.
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The conspirators met in the drawing rooms of Malfoy Manor, meeting with the eagerly waiting Vernon and regaled him with their tale. Moody's leg was consigned to Sirius' rooms for safekeeping and they toasted each other with Champagne brought out by eager elves that were listening in on the tale as well.
They had rehashed the tale a few times and were reviewing a few possible follow – up insults … leaving the leg in the atrium fountain or owling it back to Moody while he was at work were considered … when an owl arrived.
Narcissa smiled into her glass – Rita was quite taken with Severus it seemed. Lucius was torn – he wished Severus well, but Rita Skeeter? Vernon was uncertain, he had hoped for someone who would soften Severus a bit rather than encourage his vindictive streak – but if she made him happy, he supposed it was alright. Sirius scowled, just as he suspected … Snape was getting some and he had been too busy to get any – what with his being incarcerated and then on the run, damn it all.
Severus squirmed a bit, a trifle embarrassed - at least until he realized Sirius was a tad jealous – then he smirked. "Rita wants to meet to finish off her article with some extra insults … she has a room at the Leaky Cauldron and is awaiting me." Severus stood and swirled his cloak in a triumphant whirl while heading for the floo.
Sirius followed so he could smile innocently to the retreating Severus' back and say, "Tell her you are Hogwarts' new Deputy Headmistress, Severus … she can write an article about that, too." Sirius didn't even care that he sounded jealous, since the insult caused Severus to flush a bit angrily.
Narcissa snorted softly while Vernon paled and gulped. Lucius' eye twitched once in anticipation of the likely explosion. The house elves dove for cover and peeked out to watch, sure that something messy would happen that they would have to clean up after. Sirius continued smiling … the shot about Severus being a Headmistress had been great, he felt.
Of course Severus turning and drawing his wand in a split second was not so great and Sirius didn't totally dodge the static electricity hex. Balls of electricity danced up and down his body, zapping him with static randomly. It was a bit painful he had to admit - and quite humiliating considering he had to have help from Lucius to cancel it. Still, he'd gotten in a good insult … and Snape had been smiling as he left, so they were still sort of 'non-enemies'.
Lucius scowled while Narcissa, the house-elves and Vernon sighed in relief. No blood had been spilt, although Lucius was the only one disappointed in that.
Sirius excused himself to go to his room and plot what to do with 'the leg'.
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Severus hid behind the cover of his Daily Prophet, stifling snickers as he read Rita's article. The pictures of Sirius running in circles and waving his arms, along with the dog racing away with the leg were just perfect. Severus was contemplating starting a scrapbook. They'd left in most of his own insults for Moody – and a few from him about Dawlish as well. He'd known a few things about the two Aurors that were not common knowledge that were a bit embarrassing.
Dawlish had been on probation for drinking on the job several times and had been cited for roughing up prisoners on several occasions. He'd tried his hand at a bit of blackmail … saying that as they were known to have supported the Dark Lord, that it was alright – even if they hadn't had Dark Marks. Albus had hushed it all up, getting the victims to drop the charges in exchange for Albus expunging their records a to make their lives easier.
Moody, of course, had numerous lawsuits from people that he'd arrested and former prisoners that had been made to 'go away'. A few had been settled out of court. Albus had cut deals with others. Once or twice when Moody had gone too far the 'prisoner' was found to have 'committed suicide to escape prosecution' or was found guilty with rather manufactured evidence so their complaints of torture were ignored.
Severus didn't have evidence for all of the people on the list of names, and Rita didn't want to alarm the ministry too quickly. She revealed Dawlish's misdeeds and that Moody had an alarming list of lawsuits even if they'd all 'gone away'. She did state that she would be 'investigating' Moody's obvious issues with playing within the rules.
Between Rita's threatened investigations and Sirius' public appearances Albus would not be keeping as close an eye on Severus, he hoped. Severus snuck a glance at the Headmaster. Albus was flushed with temper and embarrassment and his jaw was tightly clenched.
Moody and Dawlish were his most loyal and dedicated men in the Ministry. He had a recruit that Moody said would be of use, if he agreed and fell in with them. But Shacklebolt did have a mind of his own – a Ravenclaw, and therefore facts could not be just glossed over when persuading him.
If Moody and Dawlish got the boot for their indiscretions he would be down to just a few 'old pals' from the days of Grindelwald that were semi-retired that would anything he asked. All the rest of his contacts were people that would ask questions – young people just out of Hogwarts or simply the sort to not just take his word for things.
Worst of all – some of the 'cover-ups' for the Moody and Dawlish would likely point straight at him. The ones listed by Rita at present were embarrassing, but not really criminal … but if she dug further? He sighed, who had given her this information? If whoever it was told all about the Death Eater and supporters that Moody and he had silenced … and that they had then 'confiscated' their fortunes there would be trouble.
Albus had counted on the fact that the ministry had been in chaos and that later people trusted him implicitly. Now, they tended to question him. If they dug up old cases … Albus threw the paper down and glanced at Minerva, who was looking at the paper in horror. He wondered if she had vented to Rita while sulking about her loss of the Deputy Headmistress position. She wouldn't have had to say all that much to set Rita off on an investigation.
Luckily he'd felt the need for another person to assist him in his endeavors. He had cast around in his memory for someone absolutely trusting when it came to him. Someone deeply indebted to him that he would not have to constantly explain his actions to. Albus had immediately thought of Remus Lupin. He'd intended to worm the man into Harry's life over spring break. Dursley had insisted that Harry not have him visit at Malfoy Manor until then. However, Albus had thought of a way around all that nonsense.
The Headmaster flung the paper down and attempted to ignore the fact that Harry, Draco and a bunch of their friends from various houses were reading the Prophet and laughing rather loudly. He needed to bring that little cretin back under control.
Albus cast a light Sonorus, "I have another change in faculty to announce …" The students looked rather disinterested. Minerva's demotion really hadn't affected them at all … just the teachers. "As Rubeus Hagrid is rather enjoying working with dragons … he intends to stay on the Reserves indefinitely. Therefore I have replaced him with a Hogwarts alumnus … Mr. Remus Lupin."
A slight figure emerged from a nearby alcove; he'd expected to simply be shown to the hut after Albus had finished dinner. The announcement at breakfast was welcome, though, that way he didn't need to try to introduce himself to Harry … with any luck the boy would come to him.
There was polite applause from the students, although who the keeper of grounds and keys was, again, not something that really involved or interested them.
Remus retreated to a seat at the end of the table, trying to ignore the incredulous glare from Snape. The Headmaster had asked him here to keep an eye on Harry and Snape – and to help guide Harry. Snape would just have to deal with it.
Harry listened to the announcement with shock, and tried to cover his anger, as McGonagall and Dumbledore were likely watching. It wasn't fair to have Severus face the werewolf that had nearly killed him. Sure, Severus had been snooping around, but Sirius had set him off on the investigation with all the hints he'd dropped – even Sirius had admitted that Severus had more curiosity that a bagful of kneazles while in school – and likely still did.
Harry looked over at Lupin with reluctant sympathy. How terrible to be so shunned by much of the wizarding world, even if they had reason for trepidation. Yes, he was only truly dangerous during the full moon … and not even then if he took Wolfsbane potion, assuming Lupin didn't want to harm someone … but if a mistake or accident happened – or if he couldn't afford the potions? Well, something tragic could happen.
Severus had said that Lupin had become almost totally dependent on Albus – he had obviously been brought here to help Albus forge a connection with Harry – and to help keep Severus in line. Severus was obviously aware of it, as he folded up his paper and stalked to a door. Harry noticed with anger that Minerva was aiming a bitter sneer at Severus' back.
Harry managed to see Severus between classes, checking to see if he was alright. He arrived in time to hear the Headmaster 'suggesting' that Severus make Wolfsbane for Lupin. The steely undertone warned that it was a suggestion that Severus had best accede to.
Severus finally answered in flat, unhappy tones. "I suppose it is better than having him roaming around without it."
Albus smiled at Severus with a hint of steel in his eyes. He didn't intend for his new Deputy to get ideas like the last one had. He needed to know that Severus would follow his every directive with no questions.
"Lupin will help get Harry back into line." Albus said cheerfully. "He can tell Harry stories about his parents and chivvy him along to where we want him. Minerva has proved less than helpful with this."
Albus waved happily for Severus to continue on with whatever he had been doing and left.
Harry scurried in the door while Severus was still cursing the Headmaster under his breath.
"Don't let him get to you, Professor." Harry said bracingly. "We'll have to last laugh, anyways."
Severus smiled, as he always did when Harry beamed a cheeky grin at him. At first it had just been that it was Lily's laughing eyes returned to him … and that James' boy was looking to him for guidance, which would have made the elder Potter squawk in horror. Now, he liked the boy for himself – a young wizard that he hoped would grow up to be someone he respected.
"As a matter of fact – the next stage of the Horcrux plan is about to be enacted. Quirrell and his parasite are demanding that I get the stone for them. I said I would make the Headmaster fetch it." Severus looked at Harry speculatively.
He hesitated to let Harry know exactly how he would accomplish all this. The boys knew the basics with the nastier details glossed over. Severus grimaced. He would tell Harry the full story when he was older. After all he would need to know everything so he would know what they were doing about the Horcrux that Harry still carried.
"You've been saying you were looking for the perfect curse." Harry looked at Severus in question. "Did you finally find it?" Harry had not been bothered during the planning phase of getting Albus to fall into this trap … but now that they were actually doing it, Harry was a little nervous. He didn't know what curse Severus was thinking of, but he was sure it was unpleasant.
However Severus and Lucius said this was their best plan – and Uncle Vernon said that the plan was necessary, and Harry trusted their judgment. Severus had come up with the plot, and if the others could think of nothing to top it, it was likely the best one to go with.
Severus nodded slowly; he knew Harry had some reservations about getting the Headmaster nicely cursed. "I found a curse that will cause a progressive withering – I can easily confine it, so it would take months to kill him. He'll be easy to persuade to fetch the Sorcerer's Stone from the gauntlet and shut down that particular 'test'. I merely have to convince the Dark Lord to wait until the time is right and fall in with the rest of my plan."
Harry rolled his eyes and grimaced, "Oh, is that all?"
Severus managed a smirk, although it was not all that funny. Voldemort would not be easy to persuade when it meant he would have to wait. Severus would have to be at his most convincing.
Harry sighed and wished him luck. Severus walked up to an upper floor window in a nearly unused corridor. He transformed into the raven and flew to the outskirts of Hogwarts apparition border. Albus had gotten information on where Tom Riddles mother and father had grown up and lived. He felt that the ring might be hidden there – either in the Gaunt shack or the Riddle mansion. Of course no one knew exactly where the places were – other than they were in the vicinity of a town called Little Hangleton.
Severus, of course, was told to go track down exactly where the places were and find the ring if he could. That way Albus could just sweep in and get the ring after Severus gave him the apparition coordinates and location.
Severus would have resented doing Albus' footwork, except that in this case it worked in his favor.
Severus arrived in the village and cast a glamor, so the muggles saw an ordinary person in clothing they expected. A few question had him strolling up the lane to the Riddle mansion. A cursory inspection found nothing – though he got waylaid by the caretaker.
Severus simply muttered a calming charm and a few charms that persuaded him to cooperate. He soon had the general location of the Gaunt shack. Severus eyed the forbidding ruin and stopped just inside the doorway. There were definitely spells in place.
Remembering Voldemort's favorite traps, Severus chanted some disarming spells and as many counter – curses as he could think of. There was an occasional crackle in the air when a spell was negated. Finally Severus honed in on where the ring was. The wave of Dark Magic emanating from the area was rather unmistakable now that Severus had eliminated some of the warding.
Severus stepped closer to the ring very cautiously and cast some disclosure spells. The curses on the ring were few – and all easily broken, if Severus had wished to. It was obvious that the ring had been placed here soon after Voldemort had killed the Riddle family and created the Horcrux. The curses were mild – Voldemort had not travelled and learned the darker magics as yet.
Severus left the curses as they were – Dumbledore would be expecting them and could deal with them easily. Severus carefully placed his own withering curse, concealing it beneath the others. It would only activate after Albus put it on. The inherent darkness of the Horcrux would hopefully mask its presence.
If Dumbledore found it and avoided it, Severus would have to curse Albus more directly and say it had been a time-delayed curse and hope the Headmaster believed him. Severus backed out of the hut carefully and let some of the wards he hadn't needed to completely dismantle snap back into place. With luck Albus would never know he'd gone inside. Even his footprints he carefully obliterated.
Severus reported back with an air of 'a very put-upon over-worked henchman' who had just completed a very arduous task with several death - defying near misses. Dumbledore twinkled happily - pleased to have the apparition coordinates of the ring's location and an initial scan without having had to do the work himself.
The Headmaster nodded at Severus while looking at a parchment the Severus had noted down his findings on.
Severus grimaced; he supposed that was Dumbledore's way of saying 'your ghastly suffering for the cause has been duly noted'. Albus only really patted him on the head when he was afraid that Severus would refuse the next similar assignment or if Severus had needed to stay in the infirmary for more than two days.
Albus glanced at the clock and out the window – he would have time before it became very dark to get the ring. Now that it was so close he was anxious to get the last Horcrux … and the third Deathly Hallow. He flooed to the Leakey Cauldron and then apparated to the coordinates in front of the Gaunt Hut. In the distance, through the trees, he could make out the outline of a mansion. The sight of it must have fueled Merope's fantasies on a daily basis.
Dumbledore shrugged off Merope's unhappy fate and started disarming the remaining wards on the hut. He was a bit disappointed in the rather elementary curses in the warding and on the ring itself, but as Severus had noted – this had likely been done when Voldemort was rather young, and he had recklessly never returned to update things.
The ring still reeked of dark magic, but Albus was sure that he'd removed all the protections. He levitated the ring into the air and over to him. It hovered in the air – a rather crude gold ring with a black stone set into it. He recognized the Peverell coat of arms incised into the stone. The ring gave off no further warning sparks or hint of further curses and Albus smiled.
Albus quickly injected two drops of the ruinously expensive Basilisk venom into a crack in the stone, and listened with satisfaction to the screaming of the dying Horcrux. It would make a fine tale when he wrote his memoirs … properly embellished, of course.
At last he would be claiming the third Deathly Hallow. At the right time he would reclaim the cloak and then he would be the Master of Death.
Dumbledore reached out and let the ring slip onto his right ring finger. There was an immediate, sharp pain in his hand, moving quickly up the arm. The burning that continued no matter how many counter – curses and finites he shouted told him he was in trouble.
Albus apparated to the Leakey and flooed back to his quarters, ignoring concerned questions from patrons at the pub. He shouted for a house elf and frantically asked for Snape to be brought to him immediately.
Severus was waiting for the summons and quickly controlled his triumphant grin when he was sent for. He donned a concerned look and quickly went to work at limiting the curse to Albus' hand.
"I know of no counter for this curse, but I can limit it, I hope." Severus watched Albus pale in horror with some satisfaction, and worked on the already blackening hand with a sense of glee.
Albus glared at the ring lying on the table, feeling quite betrayed by it.
"I've contained the curse as best I can, for now, it will creep up your arm and eventually migrate into your chest and finally kill a vital organ." Severus said, trying to inject a little regret into it. "You have a month or two, three at best."
Albus frantically cast about – perhaps if he demanded the cloak back? As the Master of Death … perhaps he could put off dying, or trade a Hallow to death to remove the curse? Once Severus had named the curse he'd known there was no hope of the usual spells or even phoenix tears repairing this.
Severus saved him from making a decision, "I have heard of an ancient potion that might reverse this … this is a rare curse – and the potion is equally rare. It is ignored by most because of the rather impossible ingredient it requires …" Albus looked at him in confusion. "… it requires a vial of the elixir of life."
Dumbledore relaxed back. Ah, he could always rely on Severus to know about obscure potions – especially ones that no one else ever heard of.
"It is a good thing I have a Sorcerer's Stone at hand." Albus twinkled. "I'll fetch it tonight."
Severus nodded to Albus and excused himself to go 'ready his private lab'. He allowed himself to smirk in triumph as he got to the dungeons, and even snickered. Albus' doom was at hand, along with Voldemort's.
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A/N – The Groundhog lied! I have six inches of snow outside my door and freezing rain added to it.