Title: All That Glitters

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Author's note: I know, this is so incredibly late, and I am really, really sorry. I just had so much other stuff going on, I actually forgot about the story. It won't happen again, I promise.

Summary: Kingsley receives a clue, Harry says goodbye, and Narcissa and Lucius argue about her decision.

All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost

Chapter Ten: The Calm Before the Storm

Kingsley stared at the vial on his desk. He had been surprised when Narcissa Malfoy had shown up and shoved the thing under his nose, but her explanation of its origins had left him even more unsettled. The idea that he actually held, in his possession, a memory of Severus Snape was both elating and disturbing.

The potions Master was a brilliant man, far too intelligent, far too powerful, to do anything that would put him in danger. He appeared, also, to enjoy taunting the Aurors, for why else would he try to make contact with them now?

Kingsley sank into the chair behind his desk, groaning. Mrs. Malfoy had opened herself up to quite a bit of danger with this one action. He now had proof that she had been in contact with Snape. And although she had informed him that Snape had merely shown up and requested that she pass along this vial, and although she had emphasized that she did not know where the traitor was hiding, it was still cause enough for suspicion. And perhaps enough suspicion to warrant an arrest of the Malfoys, to demand that they undergo a truth potion.

But why would anyone as cunning as a Malfoy leave themselves open to such dangers?

What memory was stored in that vial? And did Kingsley even want to see it, or was it too dangerous to do so? Could it be some sort of trap?

But it would have to be a very elaborate trap.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Kingsley summoned a pensieve. He uncorked the bottle and tilted the silvery almost-liquid into the basin. Placing his hands on either side of the basin, he leaned forward, letting himself fall into the memory.

When the world around him reformed, Kingsley found himself standing in the Headmaster's office. Snape was sitting behind the desk, and Dumbledore's portrait on the wall was watching him with a concerned gaze.

"I am worried about the Carrows," Dumbledore said finally, leaning forward in his frame. "They are violent, and the students are in grave danger."

Snape frowned, lifting his eyes to Dumbledore. "There is nothing I can do that I have not already done," he said sourly. "I cannot risk incurring the Dark Lord's displeasure… or suspicion."

"Of course," the portrait replied, but still he appeared unsure about something.

A moment of silence passed, then Snape shoved the chair backwards and rose to his feet. "If you have any suggestions for me, Dumbledore, I am listening," he snarled.

The portrait shook its head. "I know you are doing your best," he said. "I ask nothing more from you."

Snape appeared to be refraining from rolling his eyes with great difficulty. He rose to his feet and faced Dumbledore's portrait completely. "But you want more."

"All I asked of you was to protect the students and professors, and to do it to the best of your abilities," Dumbledore replied calmly. "I do not ask for more."

"Indeed," Snape hissed, "you've already asked for quite enough, haven't you?" Then he let out a sigh, half-frustrated, half-resigned. "You know I will do everything in my power to protect the students… and every… legitimate… professor. As I have always done."

"I know," the portrait answered quickly. Then there was a pause, before Dumbledore added, "I trust you."

A moment later, Kingsley felt himself flying upwards, and his office materialized around him. He fell slowly into a seat, staring at the silver, trying to understand what had happened. What had he seen? How could Dumbledore trust Snape, even after he had been murdered by the man?

After the war had ended, many people had called for him to become the next Minister of Magic. In fact, there was a growing movement that wanted him made Minister for life. And although he was quite sure he would be better at the job than the more recent string of wizards, he had also been reluctant to accept the position. Yes, he was a war hero. Yes, he had experience in many areas that could help him. But he still firmly believed he could do more good as an Auror than he ever could as Minister. He simply was not cut out to be the person who had to make the tough decisions required when running a country.

So the job had gone to Amos Diggory, who was much better at it anyway.

But now… his job had suddenly become quite a bit more complicated. Politics entered into everything where Snape was concerned, and there was a lot of outside pressure to catch the traitor, and quickly. He had to think over his choices, and carefully.

But, he knew, there were only two people with the answers to this, and one of them was dead. He could go to Dumbledore's portrait, and maybe later he would, but not right now. Narcissa had said that Snape wanted to meet with him, and with that thought in mind, he clasped his hand tightly around his wand and left the office.

The Head of the Auror Training Program peered over the tops of his square spectacles and gave the boy before him a searching look. He was ill-pleased, that much was obvious from his expression. But there was something else in his eyes, something that was not quite readable, as though he hadn't made up his mind about some decision.

Harry shifted nervously from foot to foot, waiting for the other man to speak. He refrained from running a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he had picked up during his studies here. Instead, he bit his bottom lip hesitantly, and remained silent.

"So you wish to retake the final examinations at a later date, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered, his voice firm as he spoke. He knew better than to show any signs of doubt in front of this man, because doubt would be interpreted as a sign of weakness.

"We do not usually make that sort of exception, Mr. Potter. Not even for celebrities." The older man turned his back for a moment, crossing the room to his desk. He shifted through the pile of parchments, searching for something. Finally, he lifted a thin sheaf of paper and unrolled it. "You have done well in all your classes, Mr. Potter. Very well. Why do you wish to delay the examinations?"

"I have something I need to do, sir,' Harry answered honestly. "I… I need to finish something I started a long time ago."

"Hm…" The other man gave a knowing look. "Kingsley Shacklebolt mentioned to me that you had expressed quite a bit of interest in Severus Snape as of late."

Harry flushed. Then, strangely, he thought of Luna, of the words she had uttered to him after he had unintentionally attacked Malfoy. "A friend of mine," he said slowly, "told me that I don't always think. And I don't, I know that. I… am reckless."

"Very true," the Head Auror agreed, a slight quirk pulling at his lips. Although the young celebrity had done quite well in all his courses, his tendency to act first and think later had worried him for a while now. Potter did not know how to follow orders, and a good Auror had to know when to defer command to someone else.

"I guess… I never really got over what happened." Harry paused, wishing he could put this into words in a more coherent way. Hermione was always good at this sort of thing, but he knew better than to approach her with favors right now. After their conversation with Ron, she'd returned to Edinburgh and most likely would not be joining them again for a while.

This was, he knew, something he needed to figure out on his own.

"With Severus Snape?" the Head Auror prompted.

Harry nodded. "I… He betrayed my parents, lead them to their deaths. And Dumbledore, Sirius…" Again, the same hesitant pause as he carefully chose his words. "I need to end this before I can move on."

The other man sighed. Harry Potter had grown during the training, that much was obvious. He had matured, and was now able to see all the shades of gray he had missed before. But he was still angry, so angry. His fury gave him power, but it was uncontrollable and an Auror had to have control over his emotions.

"Very well," he replied finally, giving his approval to Potter's plan. "But before you go, Potter, I must warn you… if you think bringing Snape to justice will give you any sense of closure, you are sorely mistaken. The type of closure you are looking for comes from within, and you must come to terms with that."

Andromeda Tonks watched as her young grandson played happily with the blocks on the floor. His hair, a bright red that continually morphed into darker shades of maroon and sometimes blue, fell over his eyes. It was longer than she would have liked, but every time she tried to cut it, he would simply grow it out again.

"He enjoyed his visit to the Weasleys'," Andromeda said, turning to face her grandson's godfather.

Harry, perched on the edge of an armchair, nodded. "Mrs. Weasley always spoils him, but Fleur says his company is good for her daughter."

"I am glad he has you for a godfather," Andromeda confessed, "and the entire Weasley family for friends. He'll need those, growing up."

"I know," Harry agreed. He remembered what it was like to be completely alone, to have no one to talk to, no one to turn to. He had been a stranger in his own home for a decade, and it had been a miserable experience.

Still, he thought of his uncle… Vernon's death was not something he would have wanted, no matter how much he disliked them. And he was truly sorry for the toll the war had taken on that family.

"So, what brings you here, Harry?" Andromeda asked. Although he frequently stopped by to visit little Teddy, it was clear that this time he was here for something else, and she could not help but be curious as to what it was.

"Actually… I wanted to tell you that I am taking a holiday," Harry explained. "I'm not sure when I'll be back, and I wanted to say goodbye to Teddy before I left."

"Where are you going?" Andromeda asked.

"I need to tie up a few loose ends," Harry replied casually. He stood and walked over to Teddy, kneeling down on the floor and picking up one of the blocks in his hand. He stacked it on top of a few others, and Teddy promptly knocked the entire thing over and let it crash to the ground. The little boy began to laugh in delight, and Harry found himself smiling as well.

"Loose ends?" Andromeda prompted.

Harry faltered. "Remus would have wanted…" he began, but then stopped at the look that crossed Andromeda's face. The loss of her son-in-law was only magnified by the loss of her husband and daughter, and the pain in her eyes was proof that some wounds run to deep to heal.

"My son-in-law would never have wanted vengeance," Andromeda said mildly, filling the empty silence with her words.

"I was thinking… more along the lines of justice," Harry answered calmly.

Teddy, annoyed at being ignored, grabbed a block and shoved it at Harry, catching him in the elbow. Harry winced in pain and barely managed to refrain from cursing, something he could not do in front of the young child. Instead, he took the block in his hands and held it, a contemplative expression on his face.

Unlike everyone else he had spoken to, Andromeda did not try to talk him out of the plan or make him feel guilty for it. Instead, she just shrugged and said, "Whatever you think is best."

Harry nodded, unnerved by her calm acceptance. Still, it was one less person he had to argue with, one less person who would probably think he was wrong.

"I suppose he does deserve justice. I never expected him to go that Dark." Andromeda shrugged and turned towards the kitchen where the tea kettle was now whistling. "Your mother must not have, either," she added as she left the room.

Harry's head snapped up at that comment, and he watched her retreating figure with surprise. When she entered the room again, carrying a tray of biscuits and two cups of tea, he could barely hold back the urge to rush to her side and demand an explanation.

Instead, he asked quietly, "What does my mother have to do with it?"

"Well, she was friends with him," Andromeda replied, "when they were younger." She placed the tray on the small table by the chairs and took a seat.

"But he was in Slytherin!" Harry protested, shaking his head angrily. He rose, and took the seat across from her, gratefully accepting her offer of tea.

Andromeda gave him a hard look, her brown eyes narrowing slightly. "So was I," she rebuked, and Harry felt himself blush hotly. He looked away quickly, embarrassed by him comment, but her earlier words still rang in his head.

"How could they have been friends?" he asked finally.

"Oh, didn't you know? Your mother and your aunt grew up near Spinner's End, same place that he grew up," Andromeda answered. She paused thoughtfully, surprised by Harry's ignorance on the subject. "I'm surprised Remus and Sirius never told you any of this. But he and Lily were good friends for the first few years. Really good friends."

"What happened?" Harry asked, awed despite himself.

"They had a falling out, probably," Andromeda replied, scrunching her nose slightly as she tried to remember. "I am seven years older, you know, so I left Hogwarts just as your parents were coming in. But Narcissa was there for a few years at the same time, and I remember her talking about it. She said he… Snape… was a disgrace to Slytherin." She paused, it was the first time during the conversation she'd said the potion Master's name aloud. Then, after a moment, she added quietly, "Then again, so was I."

"She was the one who was the disgrace," Harry offered, trying to make up for his earlier comment.

Andromeda shrugged. People said that once someone was drawn to the Dark Arts, nothing else mattered. But Andromeda had not been drawn to them, and she knew that, Dark or not, Narcissa was still her sister.

"I guess she changed her mind at some point, though," Andromeda pointed out, "because she trusted Snape later on." Trusted him enough to protect her son… and kill Dumbledore in the process. But she shook her head and forced that thought aside. "Anyway," she said, changing back to the earlier subject, "your mother probably just realized at some point that Snape was going Dark, so she stopped being friends with him. The Dark Arts do have a dangerous pull."

Harry let out a slow breath. "They were friends, and he killed her," he whispered, horror-struck.

"Have you heard the rumors?" Andromeda asked. "They say he just kidnapped Minerva McGonagall."

"I heard," Harry replied, anger glinting in his eyes. "Kingsley and some other Aurors are looking for her."

"I'm surprised you have not join in the hunt," Andromeda confessed.

Harry shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "I am going to," he admitted. "I just… needed to say goodbye to some people first." He looked across at Teddy who was watching the conversation with wide eyes. "I don't want to just disappear, you know?"

"Yes," Andromeda agreed, "I know."

The last person he saw was Ginny. He simply could not face Mrs. Weasley right now, and endure her continued pleas to abandon his quest. He didn't even need to speak to her, he knew exactly what she would say. He could only hope that Ginny would consent to inform her mother of where Harry had gone once he left.

Ginny was sitting on the edge of her bed in the flat she shared with Luna. She was staring at a letter held tightly in her hands. She was clearly displeased about something, and her fingers dug into the parchment, almost tearing it.

She looked up as Harry entered and offered a smile. Tossing the parchment aside, she rose to greet him with a hug and a quick kiss.

Harry, however, glanced at the discarded letter, openly curious.

Ginny sighed. "It's a letter from the Head Healer at St. Mungo's," she replied. "You know that I applied to shadow a Healer there, right?"

"Yes," Harry answered, puzzled. "I thought you were already accepted." He could not help being proud of her, knowing that only a very few Healer Trainees were awarded this position. But the smile that would have normally graced his face was absent as he observed her annoyed expression.

"I was. They've assigned me to a Healer already."

"So?"

Ginny shrugged and sat back down on her bed. "It's Penelope Clearwater."

Harry blinked a moment, then said, "Isn't that the girl that Percy was snogging when you walked in on him during my second year?"

Ginny grinned, remembering the mortified expression on Percy's face as his little sister caught him in a compromising position. "Yes, that's the one," she agreed. Then she sobered and explained, "Dad says that they're still going together."

"Penelope and Percy?"

"Yeah."

"But…" Harry hesitated, a frown wrinkling his forehead. He had never really paid attention to Percy's social life, but that was no reason to assume that the other Weasley boy did not have one. "So, you're going to be shadowing Percy's girlfriend?"

Ginny nodded glumly.

"Why is that a bad thing?"

Ginny shrugged. She wasn't entirely sure what the reason was. Part of it, she knew, was that she had always imagined that anyone Percy dated would be just as much a prat as he was. Would she look down on Ginny because of her lack of money? It seemed unlikely, given that she was dating Percy, but then hadn't Percy looked down on them all for the very same reason?

But another part of her reluctance had to do with the fact that she didn't know her brother anymore, and now she would be spending the summer with someone who probably knew her brother inside and out. It made her feel awkward and just a little out of place.

But she pushed those thoughts out of her head and focused on her boyfriend instead. "So… what's going on?"

Harry hesitated, then said, "I'm going away for a little while."

She stared at him with that hard look in her eyes, and said simply, "You're going after Snape."

There was no point in denying it. He was only relieved that she hadn't made him spell it out. "Yes," he said simply. What else was there to say?

"How long?"

Harry sighed. "I don't really know. Until it is over, I guess." He gave a sheepish smile and added, "Can you tell your Mum for me?"

Ginny almost laughed outright at that. Instead, she just gave a knowing look and said, "She's going to be upset."

"I know," Harry agreed. "But I… I have to do this."

"Are you going alone?" Ginny questioned, pressing her hands flat against the bed.

"Probably," Harry replied. He knew, if necessary, Hermione would be at his side in a heartbeat. No matter what she thought of his ideas, she wouldn't leave him to walk into danger alone. Ron, too, would have come with him, but more and more he tended to stick by Hermione's side. So, at least for now, he was alone.

Ginny nodded. It hurt, somehow, that she had never broken into the Golden Trio. But now she wished that the three of them were all together again, wished that Ron and Hermione were going with him. Hermione, at least, would keep him from rushing into something without thinking it through first.

But it was his decision, and it was something he needed to do.

"Okay," she said. There was nothing else to say, really, so they sat side-by-side for a few moments, listening to the silence.

"You'd better know what you're doing, Narcissa," Lucius hissed as he adjusted the collar of his robes and checked his reflection in the mirror. "This is a dangerous game Snape is playing, and he's dragging us into it."

"He saved Draco," Narcissa countered furiously. "I won't turn on him now."

Lucius glanced at her for a moment, a disgusted look in his eyes. "I'm not asking you to turn on him," he said quietly. "I'm asking you to think… really think… if this is what is best for your family." He shot a quick look at the bedroom door. "For Draco."

"I know," Narcissa replied, annoyed. "I am thinking." She placed her hands on her hips. "I would not do anything that put Draco in danger."

"Our entire continued fraternization with Snape puts him in danger," Lucius countered. Narcissa opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand to forestall her comment. "Cissy," he said, using a nickname no one other than Bellatrix had used since they were in Hogwarts, "I am not telling you to turn your back on our friend. I won't do that. But you have to know that what you are doing… what we are doing… is putting us in danger. We already escaped the wrath of the Dark Lord and the Aurors. Will you send us to the Wizengamot now that we've just established our innocence?"

Innocence was perhaps not the best choice of word, which Narcissa knew perfectly well. They were guilty of many things. But she was not Bellatrix, she would not turn on her friends and family just to save her own skin.

"Are we in this together, Lucius?" she asked softly. "Are you still with me?"

Lucius gave an impatient huff, but nodded. "I am."