Title: All That Glitters

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Summary: Tempers flare on all sides, and a line is finally drawn.

Chapter Fifteen: Into the Night

"What do you want, Shacklebolt?" Snape asked warily, refusing to let his guard down even in front of one of the few people he thought he might actually be able to trust to not break his word. Still, he had been betrayed before, and this would not be the first time that trying to help someone had ended only with his own grief and pain.

"Mrs. Malfoy seems to be under the impression that you are not in any way responsible for the attack on Minerva," Kingsley answered calmly. He, too, was on his guard, wand held tightly in one hand, eyes never leaving the potion Master's sallow face.

"I believe I've already implied as much," Snape replied silkily. "If you did not believe me, why would you believe her?"

"Let us pretend," Kingsley continued, "for the sake of argument that I do believe you. What can you do to help me, Snape? What can you do to help Minerva?"

Snape folded his arms over his chest, wand hanging loosely from his fingers. "What do I get in return?" he demanded. "And how do I know that this is not simply a trap?"

"You don't," Kingsley admitted. "But I also do not know that this isn't a trap, a elaborate plot set up by you and the Malfoys. So I suppose we are both in the same sticky situation, aren't we?"

Snape hesitated, eyes narrowed. "Fine," he said sharply, his tone clearly indicating how little he thought of the other man. "For the sake of argument, we shall pretend that I trust you as well." It seemed as though he was having trouble saying those words, and he spat out the end of the sentence with bitter distaste. "As Narcissa informed you, as I myself told you at our last meeting, I am not responsible for the attack on Headmistress McGonagall. But I believe I know who is."

"Do you now? I suppose you still think it is Yaxley and Runcorn? And possibly Hannigan." Kingsley asked quietly. There was no mocking in his voice, no derision. Just honest curiosity, and Snape realized with some vindictive pleasure that the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was realizing just how dangerous these enemies were. And that Snape was his best shot at finding them.

Snape nodded. "I do."

"Do you know where they might have her?" Kingsley pressed.

Snape hesitated, then shook his head. "All I have are guesses. Although I imagine they are fairly close to the mark." He turned sharply, his eyes scanning the woods as he thought he heard something sharp, like the sound of footsteps on dried twigs. He saw nothing, and he forced himself to ignore the forest and focus his attention back on Kingsley.

He wanted to find Minerva. And quickly.

"And what are your guesses?"

"What do I get in return?" Snape asked again. He was no fool, and he would not reveal all his cards until he was sure that his own actions would not be what finally hung him.
"I cannot offer you freedom," Kingsley replied simply. "I have neither the inclination nor the power to do that. What I can tell you is that, should we successfully find Minerva, I will not arrest you then and there. Nor will I go after the Malfoys. You will be given an hour head start to hide wherever you wish, and Mrs. Malfoy and her family will be left alone."

Snape hesitated, clearly torn. He wanted to take the deal, wanted to trust that Kingsley would hold his end of the bargain. But he didn't trust that, not completely. And yet, with Minvera's life in more danger every single minute that they tarried, what else could he do but agree?

Before he could speak, a new voice filled the still air. "How dare you!" And Harry Potter stepped into view, his Invisibility Cloak dropping around his heals, his wand held out in front of him as fury blazed in those green eyes.

Lily's eyes.

"How could you make a deal with him?" Harry asked, venom dripping from every word. "How could you betray us all?" He was staring hard at Kingsley, but his wand was pointed at Snape.

"I trusted you, and you..."

"Harry..." Kingsley started, but Harry did not wait to hear what he would say. Instead, he whirled towards Snape, wand swiping viciously through the air, a silent curse flying towards the potions Master. Snape reacted quickly by throwing up a shield charm, easily blocking Harry's attack. But Harry pressed forward, his rage making his magic more powerful and his next curse blasted through the shield and sent the potions Master careening backwards through the forest.

"Cru-" Harry began.

"No!"

It was Kingsley who reacted first, blocking the Unforgivable. The curse rebounded harmlessly off a nearby tree, causing splinters of wood to rain down on the grassy forest floor. A moment later, the Auror had disarmed Harry, and the two of them stood, bodies heaving with exertion, staring at each other in the the tense night.

"How could you?" Harry said again, and this time his words were quiet, but his voice trembled with emotion. "How could you do this to us?"

Kingsley held Harry's wand loosely and stared for a moment at the black-haired boy. Finally, he said, "You tried to use an Unforgivable, Harry."

Harry slammed his hands into his pockets and glared at Kingsley. "He's a Death Eater. He's a traitor! Dumbledore trusted him, and look what happened. How can you even consider working with him? All he does is betray!"

Kingsley's eyes softened slightly as he heard the unadulterated pain in Harry's voice. He would have liked to be able to say something, anything, to take away that ache, that haunted look in the boy's eyes. But he couldn't. He couldn't help Harry unless the young wizard allowed that help. So he said, "That doesn't excuse an Unforgivable, Harry. You are not an Auror, not yet. You do not have permission to use them." His gaze flicked to Snape, who had risen to his feet and was brushing the dirt from his robe. "Even on him."

Harry shook his head, eyes burning into Kingsley. "Did you know that he used to be friends with my mother? Andromeda Tonks told me. And he betrayed her as well. Just like Dumbledore. Just like everybody else who has ever cared about him."

Snape gave a convulsive shutter at Harry's words, but his movement went unnoticed by the two arguing wizards.

"Harry, you do not get to decide what happens to him! The Ministry does not condone revenge."

"He deserves it!"

"That isn't a decision you get to make," Kingsley cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. "You need to look at the larger picture."

"What larger picture?"

"Minerva is gone. She could die, and this world cannot afford to lose our Headmistress. Her murder would destabilize the community, would cause widespread panic and fear. We have barely managed to survive these past few years since the end of the war, and I will not let anything, even your desires, jeopardize our future."

"My parents would want him dead. My mother would want him dead!"

"Lily Evans never wished death on anyone, even the most foul of Death Eaters," Snape snarled, the words spilling from his mouth before he could think over what he was saying. Black eyes narrowed at the green ones, and he continued with a furious venom dripping from his voice, "Lily Evans did not hate!"

A ringing silence met those words, a pause in which Snape struggled to regain his tight control and both Kingsley and Harry gaped at him in surprise. But the silence did not last long.

"How dare you speak about my mother!" Although he no longer had his wand, Harry launched himself at Snape, pummeling him with his fists. He was still scrawny, despite being fully grown, but the wrath that burned in his veins gave him a not-quite-human strength, and he was able to physically shove Snape to the ground. The potions Master brought his wand in front of him, finally catching his breath enough to form a quiet spell, and Harry drew back in shock as pain rushed up his arm.

He stumbled to the ground, and Snape rose to his feet, lips curled into a thin smirk.

Uncontrolled wandless magic burst out of Harry with a great flash of white, and Snape was thrown backwards again. He rolled over to his knees, his wand in front of him, just as Harry crawled back to his feet, hands outstretched as though about to attack again. His use of wandless magic was something that unnerved Snape; it was far more powerful than what would normally be expected of a young wizard. The amount of sheer, raw power radiating from him was impressive. And dangerous.

But before another fight could break out...

"Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand flew from his grasp at the same time that Harry spun around to see Kingsley deftly catching the slim wood. Then the Auror wordlessly waved his own wand at Harry, and the boy crumpled to the ground.

Snape took a hesitant step forward.

"Don't," Kingsley warned, pointing Snape's wand towards the potion Master. "Don't even think about coming closer." He walked over to Harry and knelt by his side, his face marred with concern and disappointment. Slowly, he levitated the body into the air and began to navigate him towards the boundary where the anti-Apparation spells ended. He kept his eyes fixed on Snape the entire time.

At the edge, he turned and tossed Snape's wand back to him. "Stay here," he said coolly. "I'll be back soon."

And he was gone.

Snape paused thoughtfully, staring at the place Shacklebolt had stood. The distrust simmering in the Auror's eyes had not been any surprise to him. But he had been surprised by the vehemence with which he had defended his own actions, as well as the fact that he had prevented Potter from using an Unforgivable. He doubted any harm would come to the Boy Who

Lived for his actions, and certainly not the required lifetime in Azkaban. But he had been impressed by Shacklebolt's emphatic refusal to condone revenge.

His thoughts wandered to Harry. Harry, who was far too powerful for his own good. Power like that had to be controlled, had to be disciplined. It had taken him years to learn that lesson, but he had learned... the hard way. Power fed on more power, only ever increasing the thirst for it, until the unfortunate soul make a terrible mistake.

And he knew about terrible mistakes.

But Potter was not his concern.

And yet... the boy was Lily's child. And...

And he still loved Lily.

He would wait, he decided, for Shaclebolt to return, and then he would accompany the Auror as they attempted to rescue Minerva. He would do this, because he had been unable to save any of the other people he cared about, but he wasn't going to let her come to harm without a fight.

He pocketed his wand and said to the still night, "I am trying to be a better man, Lily. I am."

The night held no answers for him, however, and he listened to the wind rustling the trees and sighed. The moon gave a quiet glow, almost peaceful, but he did not feel at peace.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the Invisibility Cloak, discarded where it had fallen at Potter's feet. He walked over to it, lifting it between his fingers and feeling the smooth material against his skin. It could come in handy, he decided, and he pocketed it, slipping it next to his wand.

Then he turned back to his contemplative thoughts. He had told Shacklebolt that he had guesses, and he did. And he prayed that they were right. But what if they weren't? How was he supposed to know? What if they wasted time while Minerva languished in the captivity of Death Eaters? He knew their version of mercy, and he could not wish that on anyone.

"What are you reading?" Snape asked as he approached Lily.

She looked up, cheeks flushed in the summer heat, and grinned at her best friend. "Sev! I wasn't sure if you would be able to come."

"Of course I would come," Snape replied, indignant. "I just..." he shivered, cutting off the sentence, and looked away. "It was hard to get away from my Dad is all. He and my Mum were arguing again."

"Oh..." Momentary sympathy washed through her eyes, but she quickly put it aside. He tried to smile, he didn't like her sympathy. It felt too much like pity.

"What are you reading?" he asked again, gesturing to the book in her hands.

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," Lily replied. "It's wonderful, Sev! It's so exciting. It's about this magic place called Narnia and the wicked Witch is trying to rule it, but these four children come and want to defeat her." She looked down at the book and said, "Only one of them has just done and joined her because she promised him power."

Snape blinked. "How can they defeat her if one of them is on her side?"

Lily smiled again, shaking her head. "Oh, he'll come back to the right side in the end," she said. "He'll see that he was wrong, and he'll apologize. And it will all be okay again." In a conspiratorial whisper, she confided, "I've read this one before. It always works out in the end."

He looked back up at the moon, and sighed.

"If only it was that simple, Lily. If only real life was that simple."

Harry opened his eyes and blinked. The first thing he noticed was that he was lying on something rather lumpy. The next thing he noticed was the blurry red-headed thing hovering above him.

He blinked again.

Mrs. Weasley's concerned face swam into view.

"Harry, dear!"

"Uh... Mrs. Weasley?" He sat up, stretching slowly, and realized he was in the Burrow. Sunlight was streaming through the window, red and gold. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon. The events of the previous night came rushing back suddenly, and he snapped his head around, eyes widening. "Snape!"

"Yes, yes, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, somewhat distracted. She placed a hand on his forehead, frowning at the heat of his skin. "How do you feel?"

"How did I get here?" Harry demanded.

"Kingsley brought you," a new, deeper voice said, and Arthur Weasley stepped into the room. He looked tired, his weary features drooping slightly. "How do you feel, Harry? You were unconscious for a while."

"I'm fine," Harry said, forcing himself to smile reassuringly at the two adults. "Really. It's nothing to worry about. I was just..." He trailed off, his face suddenly tightening. "Just stunned." By Kingsley.

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Weasley agreed. "Well, let me get you some breakfast." And she bustled away, into the kitchen.

"Are Ron or Ginny here?"

"No," Mr. Weasley answered calmly. "Ron is back at your flat. And Ginny has her first shift shadowing a Healer at St. Mungo's. It was a night shift, she'd probably just finishing now."

"Oh... okay."

"Harry, we need to talk," Mr. Weasley said, his tone grave.

Harry settled back into the sofa, knowing exactly what was coming. "Alright," he agreed, but the word was tinged with annoyance, an emotion that was not lost on the older of the two men.

"Harry, this is not the first time you've attempted to use Dark magic," Mr. Weasley began. "All of the times that you have done that... at least, those that I am aware of... you have been acting on instinct and emotion. It is not premeditated, Harry, and that is incredibly important. Because the fact that it is not premeditated means that the Minister of Magic and Kingsley can continue to cover for you. But you must understand that such magic is not acceptable. And you need to learn to control your temper before you do something that we cannot fix."

Harry refrained from rolling his eyes, but it was difficult. Instead, he said quietly, "The only times I have lost my temper and used that kind of magic are around Death Eaters. Once Snape is gone..."

"You used Dark magic on Draco Malfoy," Mr. Weasley countered, "and he has been exonerated."

Harry snorted. "He's hardly innocent. He was a Death Eater, we all know that."

"And when the Wizengamot and the Ministry declare him no longer accountable, it is not up to you to challenge their proclamation. Whatever Draco Malfoy was then, he is not a Death Eater now. And you do not have the right to impose your own ideas of justice on a society that has decided differently."

Harry forced himself to remain calm as he countered, "Society is wrong. And this won't be the first time the Ministry has made a mistake."

"Minister Diggory is not Minister Fudge," Mr. Weasley said sharply in a tone that Harry had never heard before, "and Kingsley is not Madam Umbridge." He took a breath and exhaled slowly, then said, "Yes, there are times that you must circumvent the law. But those times are rare indeed. Nobody in the Order did something like that without discussing it with others. We did not... do not... make decisions solely on our own."

"But I did. I had to," Harry countered, jumping to his feet as all signs of calmness were lost. His temper flared behind his eyes and he forgot that he never yelled at these people, that he never treated the two Weasley parents with anything less than the respect and love that they deserved. "Dumbledore left me with the task of killing Voldemort. The prophesy said I was the only one who could defeat him. I had to hunt down the Horcruxes on my own. I had to do everything alone!"

"You weren't alone," Percy Weasley snapped as he walked into the room, Ginny trailing behind. "You dragged my brother and Hermione Granger into that danger with you."

Harry spun on Percy, shaking with rage. Before he could say anything, however, Ginny interrupted, forestalling the impending argument.

"Harry? What's going on?" Ginny asked, glancing between her older brother and her furious boyfriend. "What are you doing here?" She, too, looked tired. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail and her robe and cloak were rumpled. There was something moving behind her eyes, something Harry couldn't quite identify. But he knew her well enough to know that her first night of following Penelope Clearwater around the hospital had not gone well.

"Nothing," Harry muttered, not wanting to have to defend his actions to yet another person.

"He broke into Hogwarts and interrupted official Ministry business by trying to use an Unforgivable on Snape," Percy explained to Ginny, his voice laced with bitter sarcasm. "It is hardly nothing."

"How did you...?" Arthur started curiously, worriedly.

Percy sighed. "I was at the Ministry finishing up some last minute letters when Auror Shacklebolt stopped by. He told the Minister what had happened. Or, at least, some of it." He turned to Harry and added coldly, "They think because you were not able to finish the curse, the imprint of it won't show up on your wand. You are lucky."

"Does Amos know that Kingsley went after Snape?"

"Yes. But not why," Percy answered. "At this point, no one seems to know what exactly is going on. Between the accusations against the Malfoys and Auror Shacklebolt's refusal to arrest them..." He trailed off with a tired sigh. "People are clambering for explanations. The Minister is worried."

"Do other people know about Kingsley?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her tone unnaturally serious as she reentered the room carrying a tray laden with toast.

"Not yet," Percy said grimly. "But it is only a matter of time."

"But what is he doing?" Ginny asked, still not understanding the conversation. She had so far determined that her boyfriend may or may not be in trouble, but the rest was over her head.

"He's working with Snape!" Harry spat, shaking his head. "He's going to let the greasy git go free."

"Did he say he was going to do that?" Mr. Weasley asked, confused. He sincerely doubted that Kingsley would just let a traitor defy justice. More importantly, Kingsley did not have the power or the popularity to do so, as he well knew. He would not attempt something that would only throw the world into greater disarray.

"He as good as said it," Harry retorted. "He told Snape..."

"He told Snape?" Percy asked softly, pointedly. "You are trusting what he said to Snape? How do you know this isn't a trap of some kind? Why would you believe what he told Snape?"

"Lay off, Perce!" Ginny said, glowering at her brother. "Stop attacking Harry just because you're annoyed that I don't like Penelope Clearwater."

Percy retorted with a fire of his own, "Don't bring Penny into this. And I am not upset about it. I don't care what you think of her."

Anyone who knew Percy well knew that his statement was a boldfaced lie. Since the quarrel and eventual reconciliation with his family, Percy had cared about his sibling's opinions And he liked Penny, loved her even. And he wanted his family to feel the same about her. But his pride kept him from admitting just how much Ginny's approval would have meant to him, and he could not keep the anger from his voice.

It disguised the hurt.

"Well, that's good, because nobody's going to like her until she learns to start being friendly and stop being such a arrogant brat..."

"You are not there to be friendly with her," Percy hissed. "You are there to learn!"

"She should be friendly to me. She should want to be friendly to me. She's my brother's girlfriend and if you're going with her..."

"I've been going with her since my sixth year at Hogwarts and you never cared before," Percy said, his tone glacial.

A complete silence met those words, and then Mrs. Weasley ventured hesitantly, "So your first days wasn't as much fun as you had hoped, dear?"

"It's Healing," Percy muttered under his breath. "It isn't supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be useful."

Ginny ignored him. "The Healer I'm shadowing barely speaks to me, Mum," she said. "Just ignored me most of the time. Unless she's pointing out everything I do wrong."

Percy ran a hand over his face. He'd spoken to Penny briefly that night. He had purposefully arranged it so that he would be in his office when she would be taking her break, and she'd been grateful for that. It wasn't going well. They'd both known it wouldn't, there was too much baggage for Penny and Ginny, both of whom had easily aggravated tempers, to work professionally together. Ginny had been sour and Penny had been short and curt and occasionally downright rude and now... It was frustrating because under any other circumstance, the two of them might have gotten along very well indeed. They had enough in common and their personalities, though quite different, were still compatible.

But Penny could not let go of her anger at what she perceived was ill-treatment of her boyfriend, and Ginny could not completely forgive Percy for all the things he had said and done.
Percy let out a long breath, wishing the tension could as easily drain from his body.

"No wonder she and Percy get along so well," Harry sniped.

"Harry, you need to stop thinking about yourself!" Percy countered harshly. "You can't just rush into something and start cursing people left and right. Don't you see what you could have done?"

"Besides succeeding in catching the traitor?" Harry asked.

"You could have gotten yourself or Auror Shacklebolt killed. You didn't know what was going to happen when you rushed to Hogwarts. You didn't know what might have been planned. You put yourself and a member of the Ministry in grave danger, and you still act like this isn't a problem. Like you aren't at fault!"

"And Merlin forbid we put your precious Ministry in danger," Ginny muttered.

Percy shook his head, then turned and left the room.

He was done here.