Chapter 24

The letter:

"Blimey, Harry," Ron muttered, whilst leafing, disgruntledly, through an old book. "Can't you at least give us a hint on why we're even doing all this here?"

Harry had up until now refused to tell Ron and Hermione the details of his plan. It all stood and fell with the possibility to send an owl to someone without knowing the receiver's address. When Sirius had sent them Pigwidgeon for the first time, he had told them that Hedwig knew where to find him, so that meant that a normal owl would not have been able to get to him.

Which was kind of logical, since otherwise, the ministry only needed to send an owl to their escaped prisoner, following the bird afterwards on brooms. Still it was amazing that the animals found addresses of places to which they had never been before, finding persons who they didn't knew. This proved, first off, that they had a high intelligence, and secondly, it confirmed some magical intervention. Not even humans were capable of doing such stuff.

There must be a way to block an owl, but Harry had to know first how you did that and if it would be the case with Snape. Maybe it was enough that someone didn't want to be found, but as long as he wasn't certain, he didn't want to say too much. He didn't want to get Ron's hopes up and Hermione…well. Hermione would probably be less than thrilled anyway, but for the moment Harry simply didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I'll tell you all, when we've found it."

Hermione came back at this moment, putting a huge leather-bound tome on their round wooden table.

"If we can't find it in here, then I don't know where to look anymore," she breathed, sitting down and opening the heavy cover of the thick book.

Two hours later, they were not any the wiser and slowly a feeling of resignation filled them, as, suddenly Hermione yelped out in joy. "I've found it!"

She moved the book so that Ron and Harry could read the text too.

"Here it is, you see?" She had her forefinger pointed at a passage and begun to read out loud: "The first birds which had been used to deliver mail were not necessary owls. Every kind of bird was used. The animals were at first being charmed, so that they would fly to their destination. However they were not domesticated and fastening or retrieval of letters often ended with scratches and bites. That's why Alina and Romano Della Piazza from Sicily had established the first owls breeding.

Since back in those times, Witches and wizards were persecuted and the common people were pretty superstitious, the Della Piazza's had chosen owls for their nocturnal existence. The first generations of those mail-owls could only be used for destinations they knew and then only in two directions. Every new receiver needed a new owl, or a charm had to be placed on the ones they had. The Della Piazzas had over the years worked out a potion that would increase the owl's sense of orientation and give them the ability to have a distinct feeling to find the receiver of a letter, even in a crowd. That ability was passed on genetically to the next generations of the owls.

Still it's easy to evade that instinct of the owls with some simple protecting spells as, for example, the 'Anima sumere ex'. Sometimes, people don't want to be found and the Della Piazza's had always respected that wish."

Harry thought about that for a moment. Had Snape put such a protecting charm over himself? Maybe Voldemort did that automatically with all his men, but what reason should he have to do such? Most wizards didn't seem to think excessively about owl-mail and had no reason to hide anyhow. Voldemort surely did, but his influence was steadily growing and he had his sources everywhere. It was surely more secure to get his information by owl, instead of letting all his spies use the floo network.

It would be safe to assume, however, that the dark lord had a warning system that would inform him of any owl approaching. Harry even counted on that. Of course it was a risk, but one with which he'd lost a bit of his time at most. If it didn't work, and Voldemort and the death eaters were not with Snape on the next new moon, he would simply send another letter to Malfoy. That was more specious and he'd have a harder time to find a way making it plausible, but it were possible still.

"Are you gonna tell us now, what you're planning?" Ron asked impatiently.

"You know that Snape can easily be freed by Voldemort again, should he be caught and brought to Azkaban, right?"

Both nodded confused, not knowing where Harry wanted to go at.

"That's why we will make sure that Voldemort doesn't want that greasy Git anymore. If Snape doesn't get himself killed by Voldemort after what I plan to do, then he's God damn lucky but he will be on the run until the rest of his days, from both, Voldemort and the ministry. He's getting all that Sirius had to face, only a hundred times worse."

"What do you plan to write to him?" Hermione asked suspiciously. It seemed that she was slowly understanding his plan.

"I will send a nice letter to Snape, in which I will thank him for the warning about the Maeby's. With the best wishes from his grandfather Albus Dumbledore, who is expressing his gratitude that Snape is spying again and who asks him to be careful by it."

"And what will the use of that be, apart that it's not the truth? Snape will hardly be unsettled by it."

"The letter wouldn't be meant for Snape, Ron."

"But you said..."

"I'll send it to Snape, that's right but I'll do it so that he'll get it next new moon. If the timing is right, then he will receive it when Voldemort will be with him."

Ron's face lightened up, as he understood Harry's Intentions. "Hey that's a great plan. You-know-who will surely want to see the letter and when he does, Snape is history."

"I don't know", Hermione interrupted. "If that really works then, with all probability, Voldemort will kill Snape on the spot, leaving us responsible for his death."

"So what? It's only Snape, after all."

Hermione flashed Ron a scanting glance.

Harry though, had already anticipated her doubts. "Hermione, I have seen myself how Snape has killed two people, the unborn child not even included and the poison that killed those muggles is certainly from him too. He is murdering people, Hermione, and Voldemort uses him to keep on killing. If we don't make use of that chance then we're also guilty of future murders by him. Besides, even if he's become insane, Snape is not stupid. Maybe he will manage to escape. You know how slippery those Slytherins can be."

Hermione sighed and her eyes told Harry that she agreed with him, even if she wasn't happy about it. "But how do you know when to send the owl? You don't know where the meeting is and how long the owl needs to get there, nor do you know the exact time of the gathering."

Harry nodded. "I know. It's far from secure. Last time I had a vision, it seemed to be late afternoon, as low as the sun shone into the room, which would make sense too, since most of the death eaters would be having normal jobs besides their service to Voldemort. Of course, a risk remains, but if we fail, we can still arrange to let something slip to Draco, or send an owl to Malfoy senior. There are still other means, even if they would not be so useful. I'll send the owl around three o'clock and hope that it'll make it there before the end of the meeting."

"And what exactly do you plan to write?" Ron asked. "That Snape has regretted his actions and went to Dumbledore to cry about it?"

"Ron has a point, Harry. The whole thing needs to be thought through carefully. Snape has killed Sirius in front of hundreds of witnesses, and that he will simply crumble with remorse afterwards will not be plausible enough."

"Neither can we say that Sirius isn't really dead because Snape has pronounced the words wrongly, or something. Like Hermione said, there were too many witnesses and you-know-who has surely enough spies in the ministry, who could have questioned the two medi-wizards who examined Sirius. One of them may even be working for the dark lord. That would explain the cruelties they did to his body", Ron continued. "And there is still Azkaban. If Snape would spy for Dumbledore, then the headmaster would surely not have turned him in. He would instead have found a way to keep him from being imprisoned."

Harry listened to the whole dialogue, while doing some thinking on his own. "You're forgetting the little detail that Snape is insane. Even Voldemort has seen that and if I write that Dumbledore is his grandfather, be it true or not, then all will make sense. Snape snaps and kills Sirius. Dumbledore has to turn him in, but does all to keep him from the kiss, since Snape says that he regrets and acted solemnly on an impulse. After Voldemort gets him out, he contacts Dumbledore to suggest new spying for redemption. By giving information to the light side, he wants to show his good will."

"And what about the couple he has killed?" Hermione asked reluctantly.

"That was another fit of insanity. We will mention it in the letter and since Voldemort doesn't know about my visions, he will think that the only way Dumbledore could know about it, would be through Snape."

"Well then, let's get started. I like this idea more and more", Ron said enthusiastically, digging a piece of parchment and a quill out of his schoolbag.

After an hour and several fruitless tries, they had managed to create a letter, which looked quite good to them.

Dear Severus,

I thank you for your information, with which we could warn and hide the Maeby's. I understand your desire to keep on spying to appease your guilt on having killed Sirius but please stay careful.

When Voldemort will be vanquished once and for all, I will take care that you don't have to go back to Azkaban anymore and that you will be getting medical help. They will silence the voices in your head and heal you. That you have killed the McGregors has saddened me immensely, but the fact that you told me about it and truly regret that deed shows me that it was not you who were responsible, but your illness. I understand your fear of more such episodes of mental derangement, which may lead you to do more bad things. However, in this moment, with Voldemort's steadily growing power, you can, even in the state you're currently in, do more good than damage. Your information will save many lives. We will help you when this whole thing here is over and if you should ever think that you don't have the strength to carry on your spying, then please come to me immediately.

Your Grandfather

Albus Dumbledore

Harry read the letter one more time. He was highly satisfied with the result. This piece of parchment would once and for all erase the danger named Snape, avenging Sirius in the same way.

All they could do now was wait for the next new moon.

T.B.C.

WARNING! From next chapter on, the rating will be deserved, since there will be gore and very detailed torture.

Thanks to my betareader Slytherin's silver snake hugz