Author's Note: Sorry about Hagrid, everyone! It's just going to get worse, so be warned. Thank you all for the kind reviews. I've only gotten a few (barely) negative reviews, which is nice but surprising. And Harry Potter isn't mine.
Marches and Maneuvers
As Minerva was guiding Severus towards the headmaster's office...
And as Bill and Rock watched Hagrid's body being taken to the infirmary...
And as Kingsley and Tonks studied the Marauder's Map...
And as Mad Eye Moody and Nicholas Flamel apparated to Hogwarts' front gate...
And as Albus Dumbledore spoke to Fawkes about what the next few hours would bring...
And as Remus and Sirius watched a silent Harry in concern...
Amelia Bones and Dirk Cresswell were sitting down in Gringotts most lavish conference room, awaiting Ragnok, the Chief of the Goblin Nation and director of Gringotts. The chairs looked extremely uncomfortable, but as the witch and wizard sat down, the chairs molded themselves to fit them individually. Dirk looked nervous as he started and stopped the tapping of his foot every few seconds. The director of the Goblin Liaison Office had, with quickly rising impatience, told Amelia several times that their chances of getting the goblins to agree to any of the Ministry's requests was as likely as a dragon getting along with a pygmy puff.
Amelia began to go over what she had planned to say one more time in her head, but was startled out of her thoughts as the door to the conference room opened and four goblins scurried inside. They were followed by a goblin who, while not noticeably bigger than the others, radiated a self-assuredness she had only seen matched by Albus Dumbledore...and perhaps one other, much younger, wizard.
Both Amelia and Dirk Cresswell stood in greeting while the imposing goblin leader took a seat directly across the table from Amelia. Both humans spoke the traditional goblin greeting in Gobbledegook, gaining a short nod of acknowledgment from Ragnok.
"You requested this emergency meeting, Minister. Please explain what you ask of the Goblin Nation," said Ragnok.
"Chief Ragnok," began Amelia. "The Ministry of Magic respectfully requests a negotiation regarding one-time access to the vault belonging to the Lestrange family. In exchange, we are willing to listen to and consider any and all offers from you and the Goblin Nation."
Every goblin in the room, save Ragnok, hissed in anger at the idea of Gringotts violating the trust of a client, even one as despicable as the Lestranges. Ragnok gazed at her for almost a minute with a neutral expression as the rest of the room waited silently for his response.
"Leave us," said Ragnok. The other goblins grinned fiercely before their Chief turned to them. It was clear he meant to speak to the Minister alone. The stunned goblins shuffled out of the conference room and Ragnok fixed his gaze on Dirk Cresswell.
"Right," muttered Cresswell in disappointment, knowing he was about to miss one of the most historic moments in Wizarding-Goblin relations. The thin, balding man stood walked out of the conference room quickly, leaving the two most politically powerful beings in Britain alone together.
"Chief Ragnok, I appreciate you taking the time to hear me out."
"How could I not? The Ministry of Magic under your leadership has shown more respect to goblins than any other administration in our shared history. Your Wizengamot still thinks of us as little more than bankers at best, but I sense that you and your...advisors," Ragnok drawled the words with a knowing look, "desire a more equitable arrangement. It would only be polite to hear you out."
Amelia did her best to keep her face as expressionless as the goblin. "What would it take for you to allow us access to the Lestrange vault?"
Ragnok tilted his head. "I would like to know exactly why you are requesting this access."
"Can I count on your absolute discretion?" asked Amelia.
"Minister Bones, it amuses me that you ask for such a commitment from me while urging us to break the exact same type of agreement with one of our clients."
She nodded in agreement. "Indeed. I suppose it won't matter if anyone finds out. Either you will allow us this one-time access or Gringotts will most likely be destroyed by Voldemort."
Ragnok stiffened. "Are you threatening us, Minister?"
"Not at all, Chief Ragnok," responded Amelia. "Do the goblins believe that the dark wizard known as 'Lord Voldemort' ceased to exist on October 31st, 1981?"
"An interesting choice of words. Do you believe he is still alive?"
Amelia shook her head. "Not quite. When he attacked Harry Potter that night, the killing curse was reflected back to him, obliterating his body. His soul was tethered to this world through several dark artifacts he had created prior to his body's destruction. Are you familiar with this type of magic?"
"I have heard that some powerful wizards possess the knowledge to create such abominations, but until now it had not been confirmed. Few goblins have the desire for immortality."
"Four artifacts, originally belonging to three of the Hogwarts founders, were located and stolen by Tom Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort. They were then turned into what we call 'horcruxes' through the intentional murders of various people close to Voldemort and subsequent dark rituals. One of them, a goblet belonging to Helga Hufflepuff, was entrusted to Bellatrix Lestrange. She placed it in her family's vault prior to being incarcerated in Azkaban. A small group of witches and wizards, as well as a goblin, have spent the better part of the past two years locating and destroying these horcruxes."
"That would be Rockspear, if I'm not mistaken?" said Ragnok.
Amelia felt she did an admirable job of not letting the surprise show on her face. "Yes, he and William Weasley have been assisting us. I want to assure you that we never asked either of them to violate any agreements they have with Gringotts."
The expression on Ragnok's face made Amelia want to gulp. "Of that I have no doubt. Both of them would have died extremely slow and painful deaths had they violated their Gringotts oaths."
Amelia continued, trying to ignore the thought of her two friends being eviscerated by goblin magic. "We have located and destroyed all but two of the horcruxes. One of them, a diary created by Tom Riddle while still a student at Hogwarts, will hopefully be destroyed tonight. All we need now is access to the Lestrange vault so that we can get the goblet and destroy it."
"I understand," said Ragnok. "I only question your certainty that Voldemort, should he regain his lost power, would attack us. I am especially skeptical that he would do so knowing Gringotts refused to hand over his last remaining horcrux."
Amelia smirked inside as she imagined the look on Rock's face as she outmaneuvered the head of Gringotts. "Chief Ragnok, if Voldemort discovers that the goblins know the location of his final horcrux, that alone would give him cause to make every effort to destroy you. The fact that you considered allowing us access to the vault, even if it was only to satisfy your curiosity, assures it."
The goblin's expression didn't change, but she could see him hesitate almost imperceptibly before he spoke. "Well played, Minister. I don't believe I have met a human as ruthless as you when it comes to the possible extinction of an entire species."
"Are you familiar with an American wizard named Benjamin Franklin?"
Ragnok looked bewildered at the sudden non-sequitur. "What?"
"He was quite famous in both the muggle and magical worlds. He was one of the leaders in the American's fight for independence and once said to the group of muggles leading the fight, 'We must all hang together, else we shall all hang separately.' Whether the goblin's believe it to be true or not, we are all grouped together in Voldemort's eyes. He will attempt to destroy you as surely as he will us and anyone else not considered pure in his version of reality."
The conference room was silent for several minutes as Ragnok considered the words of the Minister. Finally he spoke. "I could have you and Mr. Cresswell killed and no one would ever know this meeting occurred."
Amelia nodded in acceptance of that fact. "I was aware of that before I came here, Chief Ragnok. However, others much more powerful and influential than I have the same information and they also know I am here tonight."
"I assume you're speaking of Albus Dumbledore?"
"He is one of several."
Once again, Ragnok was silent as he considered his options.
"I need to speak with the High Council. Return in one week and we will give you our decision." The Chief goblin rose and nodded to Amelia with more respect that she expected before exiting the conference room.
Amelia sat in her chair, which had returned to its original, uncomfortable form, and sighed. "That went better than I'd hoped," she said to herself before showing herself out, hoping that things were going well at Hogwarts and that the nearly forty year nightmare of the threat of Voldemort was nearing its end.
"Minerva, what in Merlin's name is going on?" asked Severus as they approached the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office.
"We know where the Chamber of Secrets is and Albus believes you will be able to assist us in destroying the basilisk," she said.
Severus' eyes widened momentarily, though that was the only change in his expression. "Are you joking? A basilisk that old must be over twenty meters long. The only recorded successful capture of a full grown basilisk required over twenty wizards, and half of them died just from its stare alone!"
"One of its eye's has already been removed."
"What? How?" asked a now thoroughly shocked Severus Snape.
Minerva's voice quavered slightly as she answered. "Hagrid encountered the basilisk on his way to the feast. He...he was bitten three times, but managed to destroy one of its eyes before succumbing to the venom."
Severus had never hidden his dislike of the half-giant gamekeeper, but he hadn't had any doubts about the man's skills with magical animals. "That is unfortunate," was his only response as Minerva gave the password and the two of them stepped onto the ascending staircase.
The lack of a greeting before entering the headmaster's office unnerved Severus, who was quite used to Albus knowing who had made their way past the gargoyle guardian. When they entered and he saw who else was in the office, his face closed down and formed the customary sneer.
The office was in a state of hyper-activity but Remus and Sirius managed to gave him a nod of acknowledgment, which was infuriating in its civility. Albus was speaking to an ancient looking wizard who Severus didn't recognize, while Alastor Moody momentarily focused both natural and magical eyes on him for a moment before continuing to fuss with a wooden crate about one meter tall. A barn-like smell permeated the office, and Severus surmised it originated from the crate. Nymphadora Tonks, who he remembered as a walking disaster in the potions laboratory was holding an unrolled piece of parchment and talking in a low voice with Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill Weasley and, to Severus' continuing shock, a goblin wearing dragon hide armor.
However, the one person in the office who surprised him the most was also the only student in all of his teaching career to cause him to regularly loose his self-control. Harry Potter stood silently next to Fawkes, who was perched by the window. Severus couldn't hear the phoenix over the voices of the others, but saw the immortal bird opening its beak every few seconds near Potter's ear as the two of them stared out into the dark night that had enveloped Hogwarts' grounds.
He hadn't noticed Albus finish his conversation with the other ancient looking wizard and approach him.
"Severus, thank you for coming so quickly."
"What's Potter doing here?" the potions professor nearly spat.
"My boy, I need to explain some things. They will be difficult for you to hear, but I beg of you to accept what I say as the truth. We may have very little time before-"
"Headmaster!" shouted Tonks who was clutching the parchment. She crossed the office so quickly that Severus was amazed nothing had been destroyed in the process. Arranging the parchment on the headmaster's desk so that those who began to crowd around could see it, he realized that it was a map of Hogwarts that tracked the locations and movements of everyone in the castle.
Tonks finger quickly pointed out a single dot that was rapidly moving away from the sea of black dots and names that covered where the great hall would be. Underneath the dot was the name 'Tom Riddle'. Severus blanched with the realization of who had opened the Chamber of Secrets.
"The Dark Lord is here?" he asked in a horrified whisper.
"Aye, Snape," responded Moody with a grotesque smirk. "Not thinking about running off to rejoin him, are we?"
"Alastor," warned Albus at the same moment Harry turned from the window and spoke. "This isn't the time, Mad Eye."
Severus was prepared to berate his most hated student for speaking out of turn before Moody nodded and apologized. "You're right, Potter. My mistake. Go on and explain to Snape so we can get on with it."
The look on Severus' face was one that more than one of those present resolved to view again in a pensieve. Jaw hanging wide open, it took him a moment to collect himself before his eyes narrowed and he glared at Harry. He then turned to Albus. "Explain," he demanded.
"We don't have time to go into specifics, so I will be blunt. Harry is a time-traveler. We do not know how or why, but the Harry Potter you have come to know is actually thirty-one years old and has the experience of defeating a resurrected Voldemort in his original time. He retains his knowledge, skills and power and he is in charge this evening. Please obey him as you would me," at the look on his younger friend's face, Albus qualified his request with; "At least for tonight."
Severus turned to stare at Harry, who looked directly into his eyes, inviting a legilimency probe. The others in the room tried not to watch as the perpetual antagonists waged a mental battle before Severus gasped and stumbled backwards. "Merlin," he gasped.
"Sorry about that, Snape," said Harry, not sounding terribly sincere. "That last memory you tried to see isn't something I'm ready to share with you, yet."
Severus only nodded and rubbed his forehead. Albus gently grasped his arm and sat him down in the headmaster's own chair.
Suddenly, Tonks gasped loudly and choked back a sob. Bill, who had been watching Tom Riddle's dot groaned and turned to the goblin that Severus still didn't know the name of.
"Guys, we need to go now. It's Neville Longbottom. The diary possessed Neville."
Albus controlled himself for the moment. "We have no more time, Severus. We must go now. This is Nicholas Flamel," Severus gaped for a moment before nodding to the famous alchemist with as much respect as he could manage. Albus continued. "He will be your partner for this evening. Please follow his directions unless Harry or I contradict them. Rockspear," he indicated the goblin, who was producing several blades from an obviously magical bag and handing them out to everyone, "is immune to the stare of the basilisk, so he will be our eyes. So to speak."
Severus nodded, already knowing of the goblin immunity to various deadly magical creatures.
"He's approaching the entrance," Tonks informed them shrilly.
"Alright, let's go," said Harry, with such authority that Severus hadn't even considered disobeying as he stood and brandished his wand.
Eight wizards, two witches and a goblin marched out of the headmaster's office, intent on ending the second war with Voldemort before it could begin.
Author's Note 2: Heh. I'm sure you're all wondering how and why Neville got the diary, eh? We all know Tommy Boy loves exposition, so all will be explained in the next chapter. I would like to see your guesses, especially if they are in review form. Also, if you see any mistakes, let me know. I haven't had a beta in a long, long time.
