~ Chapter Fifteen ~

Voldemort was not pleased. Everything was working well. All plans were settling into place. His minions were working on time and to a satisfactory level which he could keep everything secret. No one knew what he was planning, not even the Ministry of Magic or Dumbledore could predict the next move he would make. However he really wasn't pleased.

His grandson was being continuously harassed by Dumbledore and his army of misfits. It had been occurring all year long even after the warnings he had given the child at the beginning when it had first been acknowledged.

Ciaran was being placed in an unnecessary situation that could be costly. The Dark Lord wasn't about to let his only blood relative be killed because of a misunderstanding or a misuse of information. Dumbledore would find himself six feet under before he even raised his wand towards Ciaran. No one touched the Dark Lord's grandson without his permission.

That was why at this very second his grandson was making his way to his private study. They needed to put this into perspective. It wasn't safe for Ciaran to remain at Hogwarts any longer so he would make sure that his grandson was safe and well cared for until he eventually had control of Wizarding Britain. Then everything would be moderately safe for his grandson to walk about freely. Until then, he needed protection.

The fateful knock on his door was what made him sit as straight as possible. Though he may no longer be Harry Potter, he still had a lot of fight in him, no doubt a trait from his mother.

His grandson walked inside a confused look marring his perfect Slytherin face.

"You called for me, grandfather?" he enquired.

His grandfather had seemingly called for him out of the blue. Draco and his father had been equally shocked and confused by the calling. Nothing good came from a sudden call. If it had been in the past, Severus would have feared that he was to be punished. However that had all changed with the discovery of his grandson so they weren't too concerned when Ciaran left.

"Indeed, I believe it would be beneficial if you would take a seat."

Ciaran sighed, though not a lecture or torture, he had a feeling this wouldn't be very pleasant for him. He waited with his hands in his lap as his grandfather appeared to find the correct words to express what he desired.

"Ciaran I have made the decision you will not be returning to Hogwarts after the holidays."

His mouth fell open. He knew it was a social no-no but he didn't care. In the presence of family he would do whatever the hell he wanted to express his emotions. No one could tell him otherwise.

"What?" Ciaran exclaimed.

He certainly hadn't been expecting this…

"You will remain here in the Citadel now that Dumbledore has begun to pester you more frequently. I can't risk having you there in danger."

Danger, all of this was about danger? As Harry Potter he had been in danger for most of his schooling life and no one had cared at all about what Harry wanted. Now as Ciaran it was the same just in a slightly different manner. However this little argument wouldn't get him far with a Slytherin especially his one. No he had to take a different turn on things if he was going to finally win and gain what he desired. Time to act like the Slytherin he was born to be…

"Quite honestly, grandfather, you can't risk not having me there." He said logically.

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed in his grandson. What was that child planning now?

"What do you mean?"

"Without me, Draco can't get into the Chamber of Secrets where we are working on the cabinet. Without that cabinet, your major blow to Dumbledore won't go through."

The Dark Lord refused to admit it later but he growled. He hadn't thought of that when planning to keep his grandson safe. His one weakness and his greatest strength all belonged in the same person. It was terribly frustrating. Was this how all people felt when it came to the safety of a family member? He didn't know how they did it on a daily basis.

"I will not allow you to return to that place! It is too dangerous." He insisted angrily.

No grandson of his would remain around that bumbling idiot of a Headmaster.

"Grandfather," Ciaran started soothingly, "It won't be for that long and I'll be back within the safety of the citadel. Besides the Headmaster isn't looking that well at all this year. Something has obviously happened to him that he's hiding. He looks weaker and frailer every time I have the misfortune of seeing him."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed. If this was the truth, why hadn't anyone spoke of this? Surely someone other than his grandson had noticed the signs or was everyone in denial?

"Why hasn't your father mentioned this to me?"

Ciaran shrugged but gave a formal answer regardless.

"He probably doesn't know. I don't think anyone knows the full extent to the damage that the Headmaster has caused himself over the past summer. I overheard McGonagall saying that it was probably just the common cold at work again. Since she has known him the longest everyone simply believed her word as truth."

"No one has questioned this?"

The shake of his head was all the answer his grandfather needed. The wheels inside the Dark Lord's head immediately began to turn.

If the old man was frail, he wouldn't attempt anything that would tax him greatly until he absolutely had to. That explained why he wasn't attempting to use his magic to affect his grandson. Dumbledore couldn't afford to waste what was most likely slowly diminishing. His grandson would be safe from any abuse the Headmaster dished out. He would merely have to put up with the verbal attacks. Ciaran would be able to return to Hogwarts and continue with their plan if that was the case.

"Perhaps this will work well in our favour…"

x-x-x-x-x

Ciaran walked into Charlie's room. For the longest time he had been the first person he went to when confused. That still wasn't likely to change though he didn't see as much of him as he liked to during Hogwarts. If only he had more time between Draco, his father, assignments and the cabinet. Then he wouldn't have to put up with the measly minute or so that he spoke with Charlie after class.

"Charlie, why haven't you moved in with Lucius?"

It hadn't been the question he wanted to ask but it was one he asked nonetheless. He did pose a good question though. Lucius and Charlie had been dating for a while now and they lived in the same building since the Death Eaters weren't taking any chances with their families. Sharing the same rooms was the next step logically.

"Oh, hello Ciaran, um…" It was obvious Charlie didn't have an answer for him. Whether this was because of his own doing or a misunderstanding with Lucius Ciaran wasn't going to attempt to get into.

"It's good to see you." Charlie finally said after an awkward silence.

"Yeah, I figured we hadn't really spoken in a while so…" Ciaran gestured to him standing before Charlie.

Charlie finally cracked and laughed causing Ciaran to collapse against him laughing as well. They were such idiots at times. It was rather freeing in a way.

"Alright, so something is obviously bothering you, let's hear it." Charlie said dragging Ciaran onto the small lounge in the room.

"Charlie, I think my grandfather has lost it slightly."

"Why do you say that?"

It wasn't much of a response considering who they were speaking of.

"We were talking about Dumbledore in his private study." Ciaran began. "I mentioned that I believed something was affecting the Headmaster and he dazed off in thought. Then he began to cackle and I wasn't sure if I should remain or not so I kind of scampered away without him realizing I'd left."

Charlie frowned. "Did he say anything before you bolted?"

Ciaran thought back and nodded.

"He said, "Perhaps this will work well in our favour…", and then trailed off."

Charlie frowned. Obviously, Dumbledore becoming ill was a very big topic of thought for the Dark Lord. It made sense really. If the leader of the Light was down for any length of time then it would be the most opportune moment for them to attack. It was understandable why the Dark Lord would begin to lose focus on the person before him. He was already figuring everything into his carefully laid plans.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Ciaran. He's as sane as he's always been just… Dumbledore is a weak topic for him. At any moment he'll probably finish his train of thought and return to his mind. I'd give him time and make sure to be in a safe, public place when he does."

"Why?"

"We'll he's bound to realize that you aren't there when he comes to. He'll freak out, though he won't admit it, and then he'll go searching for you. If he finds you in a compromising position it won't be good for the poor soul you are with." Charlie explained.

And truly that poor soul wouldn't live to see the end of the day if it were true. The Dark Lord would personally make sure of that.

"He has a lot of problems he doesn't admit to." Ciaran commented.

Laughter surrounded them.

"Of that we are in agreement."

x-x-x-x-x

As Charlie had said, as soon as the Dark Lord had noticed he was missing, he'd dashed off to locate him. By that time he had returned to Severus and Draco and was no worse for wear than when he had been in the private study. They were all informed, after a long health check to Ciaran, that a Death Eater meeting was being called and they were all to attend.

Ciaran and Draco had never truly attended a full meeting where everything occurring within their group was discussed. Yet it made sense it the Dark Lord was about to discuss their project with the others. Severus was in the dark as was Lucius about the full extent of their project so they were merely concerned about their children and what this would mean for them.

They needn't have worried for long however as the Dark Lord decided their project would be the first to become their discussion as they sat at a long dining table.

"As some of you have realized I have Draco Malfoy and Ciaran Snape joining us today."

A ripple went through the group not because they were present but because they were ranked higher than those that had spent years in service without reward. However if they attempted something, they would only get death as a reward for messing with them.

The Dark Lord continued. "They are here because I have given them an important task which shall soon come into fruition."

"What is that plan my Lord?" Bellatrix crooned.

She really needed to get a snap back into reality. The Dark Lord wasn't interested in her in anything besides her continuous loyalty. She' probably scream if anyone was to tell her that.

"We are going to infiltrate Hogwarts at the end of the year when Dumbledore is at his weakest."

Silence followed. It wasn't that they didn't believe their Lord only that it had never been done before or at least that was what they thought. Not many people knew about the incident with Quirrell or the fact that Moody hadn't really been Moody that one year. The Ministry and Dumbledore had kept those incidents as low key as humanly possible.

"How are we to achieve this, might I ask, my Lord?" Rabastan questioned.

Rudolphus remained silent beside his near hyperventilating wife.

"It is so simple, I don't know why no one else thought if it. All we must do is walk into Knockturn Alley and into a single store that holds the item we have purchased. That item will lead us through a wormhole of sorts and directly into Hogwarts." Voldemort explained vaguely.

He wasn't idiotic enough to reveal everything in a single instant. The plan would come today, the details in the future when it was known that everything was perfected. Until then, they were in the dark.

"Who do we have to thank for this plan?" Lucius enquired.

It was a rather ingenious venture.

"Actually, Lucius, it is your son we should praise."

Draco's flush was very well hidden. Only a few would be able to recognize it as one of success and praise.

"Ciaran has been a major aid as well. Without him I wouldn't have made it this far without attempting something rash and foolish." Draco complimented.

A small round of applause congratulated them before they returned to the topic at hand.

"Do you know what the conditions will be like upon our arrival?" the Dark Lord questioned.

Ciaran stared at Draco telling him without words to speak first. This was after all his big moment in the ranks.

"The conditions in the shop are appropriate for what will be needed." He began, purposefully leaving the name out as the Dark Lord had done. "The owner shan't get in our way as the item, as you said, is owned by us. He will allow a group at a time in the shop with one person leading so the item can be used with no one becoming overly suspicious."

It was difficult to become overly suspicious in Knockturn Alley what with everything occurring in there however they weren't about to take any chances with this. They needed everything to run smoothly.

"Upon arriving at Hogwarts, the groups technically won't find themselves in a room within Hogwarts known walls." Ciaran said cryptically. "The room is large enough to hold everyone you need and keep them in their established groups. Leaving however could be a bit of a concern. Draco and I are looking into ways out of the room without detection currently as we work on fixing the item."

The Dark Lord sat back, deep in thought on the matter.

"If you are where I believe you to be, all you should need to do is ask for stairs. That should solve your problem."

Ciaran and Draco nodded their thanks. That gave them more time to work on the cabinet rather than worry about numerous other things that could go wrong with this plan. However now that Severus knew more, he should also be able to help in a way that would be beneficial to them.

Yet some of the Death Eaters still weren't' pleased by this.

"Why are they speaking like this? Why can't you just tell us what it is and where everything is going to be occurring?" one of the younger members demanded.

The Dark Lord twitched slightly granting those that had been around the longest the knowledge that he wasn't pleased.

"Are you questioning the way I lead?" he growled.

"That is not what I meant, my Lord." He peddled back. "I just don't understand why these two are allowed permission to know everything that you have planned, when there are so many more loyal to your plight that have been here longer."

"Somehow I doubt he will be accompanying us," Lucius whispered.

Ciaran and Draco snickered behind their hands while Severus gave a smirk. All of the Inner Circle was looking down on him for even daring to question their lord. He should have known better than to do that. That poor sod wouldn't be promoted anytime in the near future.

"I trust that the son of my second in command and my grandson would do a better job than half of the people inducted simply because they don't back talk when they realize something is important." The Dark Lord spat.

The man curled in upon himself, realizing he had been far out of line. He wouldn't be able to come back from that any time soon.

"I am assuming that your task is nearly complete if you are concerning yourselves with the location and such?"

"Yes, my Lord," Draco answered. "The item in question just needs a few tweaks to make sure no one is disfigured during transit. Other than that it should be working perfectly within the month."

The Dark Lord smirked. His plans were moving along faster than he had hoped and it was all thanks to two children living beneath Dumbledore's nose. Everything was working according to plan.

"Very well, you will send work when the item is ready for use and I will grant you further instruction."

"What is to be the main aim of this attack, my Lord?" Severus questioned.

Being an Inner Circle member and a teacher at Hogwarts it was obvious to everyone present; Severus Snape would have a rather large past to play within the attack. No one could refute that.

"Everything shall have to be prepared before the attack commences and there will be much work ahead of you Severus. However the most important and the one you can begin working on immediately is removing all valuable items out of the castle."

That was an enormous job. Not only would he have to remove everything from the Slytherin dorms but he would also need to collect everything from the potion labs. Slytherin items in the Chamber would be removed by Draco and Ciaran. Even the one item only Ciaran could touch, the diadem hidden within the Room of Requirement. All of it would need to be removed before they took the castle. He wouldn't want any of the items to become damaged in anyway because of the attack.

"After that there would also be the children of supporters. They will need to all be informed that they will need to leave swiftly should you get the signal. Everything shall have to be timed perfectly for us to gain the upper hand in this."

Many eagerly agreed to this notion. No one wanted their children to be caught up in something as terrible as that when they weren't truly prepared to fight in a war. That just wouldn't do, they weren't the Light after all. Children didn't belong in war zones.

"That shouldn't be difficult to do. I will have groups set up with prefects in charge of everything within their groups. We'll have a pre-signal check to make sure everyone knows what to do during this time. The other houses may be slightly more difficult but I doubt we'll need anything terribly technical to get them out." Severus said.

The Death Eaters were very relieved at this. They would also speak with their children but it was good to know that Severus would take care of all of them and not just the Slytherins.

"There is also one thing I forgot to mention about this attack," The Dark Lord continued, "Albus Dumbledore must die."

The group were only beginning to realize that this job would be the biggest they had ever attempted. Not only were they moving objects, people and attempting to kill as many light followers as possible (they assumed so anyway) they also had to kill off the Light leader. By the sound of it as well, Hogwarts would be flooded with Death Eaters all having a different jobs and expectation. It would beery hectic.

"More information shall be given closer to the time of attack. For now I would like to focus on other concerns." The Dark Lord informed them.

It was safe to say that particular topic of conversation wasn't up for debate. Any further queries would have to wait.

"There really aren't any concerns that need to be addressed my Lord." Lucius began. "Everything is either being taken care of or closely monitored so we can fix it should it change suddenly."

Voldemort was pleased. If everything was on track then all he needed was the signal from Ciaran and Draco before all the pieces fell into place. There was just one little thing that he needed to attend to know…

"Very well, you may all leave. Severus, I have a job for you to do."

Severus nodded warily but something in the man's eyes told him that it wasn't going to be a very favourable job. No, that gleam meant trouble for whoever was on the end of this job and he was certainly relieved it wasn't going to be anyone from the Citadel.

x-x-x-x-x

At the same time, Dumbledore had called an Order Meeting. It was only logical as they needed as much information to continue flowing through the group as possible. What with the loss of Harry Potter to the Dark Lord they couldn't afford to not have everyone as up to date as possible. It would be a huge blow to them should something slip through their grasp again.

Yet Harry Potter remained to be the topic of major discussion whenever they met.

"Where is Severus?" Dumbledore enquired looking around.

Severus hadn't been seen all holidays. He had taken his son to visit his grandfather as far as anyone knew. It was entirely possible but the Headmaster refused to believe that such a man of high class existed that he didn't know. Severus had never mentioned them before either so it was fair to assume that it was a hoax.

"More than likely, the greasy bat is attending to his precious master." Ron spat.

"Very well, let's start this meeting then. Does anyone have any news?"

By the looks of the surrounding faces none of the news he was bound to receive was likely to be good. The Light continued to circle down into nothingness without their saviour.

"From what we can tell, all of the creatures are siding with the Dark Lord at this point in time. No one wants to be caught around someone from the Light. To them we aren't worthy to be around because you want to bring two separate worlds together. They don't approve." Kingsley said.

Mumbling from the group occurred. Some didn't understand why the creatures didn't want the worlds to be joined. To them it would make the world a better place. They couldn't see the trouble it would also bring. The remainder of their group understood where the creatures were coming from but didn't believe the Dark Lord was the correct person to monitor everything.

"Is there no hope?"

"They will have nothing to do with us." Kingsley reaffirmed.

Dumbledore hung his head. This wasn't going the way he had expected it to. The creatures were meant to see how much better everything would be with the worlds joined. What had the Dark Lord said to make them change their mind? Could it have been someone else?

"What of the Dark Lord's new recruits?"

"Supposedly they are meant to be inducting new members these holidays. The new recruits will more than likely consist of Hogwarts students that have parents within the Inner Circle and people desperate from the Ministry to join the right side." Moody grumbled.

Dumbledore sighed. That would most likely consist of everyone within Slytherin and a few others from different houses. Ciaran Snape and Draco Malfoy would be top of that list considering who their parents were. It was days like today he regretted not being able to do more to keep them away from that terrible monster.

"The children will have to keep an eye out for those that they might believe have taken the mark. Hopefully some have seen the light and decided not to take the mark."

It was a long shot but that was all they could really hope for. If they could keep people from turning to the Dark for comfort and hope that was excellent. If however they didn't, they could only hope like Severus they had seen the error in their ways and begged for salvation.

"Is there anything else that must be discussed?"

"Dumbledore we can't keep meeting like this. There must be a better place for it?" Arthur asked.

Unfortunately there was no other location for them to call meetings. The Burrow would have to do for now. When the children left for the holidays they could then utilize the castle but until then, this was all they had. Once Harry returned they might be able to reclaim Grimmauld Place but until then they would have to make do.

"We also don't have enough funds to keep going like this." Tonks pointed out.

That too was rather unfortunate. They couldn't take everyone's money. For a time they had been pilfering from different vaults of people that were long dead with only children for relatives. They couldn't do that any longer as many of them had grown up and claimed the vaults. No one would be getting anything from them any longer. They were pretty stuck there as well.

"Was there anything else pertaining to the Dark Lord?" he questioned.

There was a negative reply from all. Truly there wasn't anything else they could comment on. They had lost far too much to the Dark already for it to be worthwhile.

"Very well."

Just as they were about to call the meeting to an end, they heard the front door opening and falling close with a bang.

"Severus has returned. Perhaps he has better news." Dumbledore said.

The sight that Severus brought with him had everyone bursting out. Tears streamed down the faces of many of the people gathered at the meeting. Many wailed, many gripped onto each other for the body held within Severus' arms was none other than Harry Potter.

The body appeared to be intact with not a scratch on him as Severus laid him down on the table for everyone to see. Even his clothing was immaculate as if the Dark Lord had returned Harry's body with as much dignity as he had fought with. It was rather a large strike at them. His hair was still as messy as always and no glasses were perched on the bridge of his nose. All in all, without his eyes open to many it appeared as if James Potter himself was lying before them.

"Severus, how did this happen?" Dumbledore asked solemnly.

"From what I understand the Dark Lord commanded that Harry Potter wasn't to be touched. He was kept secluded from everyone and only the Dark Lord was permitted to visit him. The entire time that he spent with Potter was to learn information on us via Veritaserum. After Potter provided him with all of the information he could gather, the Dark Lord picked up the very wand Potter used and cast the curse that was meant to kill him the first time. There was no pain and he didn't suffer."

Ginny was wailing into her mother's chest. It was quite sickening really. The girl was the only one expressing herself in such an obscene manner. The adults were in shock and the children were in disbelief. No one could truly believe that their last hope, their saviour was dead.

This was nothing like what Albus expected to see. He had predicted to receive only a portion of Harry back from the Dark Lord. It wouldn't have to have been much to send them in to melt down. He had thought the Dark Lord would have mutilated the body of their saviour beyond recognition. This was something else entirely. This was unexpected and it made Albus worried.

If the Dark Lord was becoming unpredictable then what did that mean for the rest of the resistance? Could he accurately predict the Dark Lord's movements and choices beyond this day? Would he be able to lead this group to victory?

"What the hell are we meant to do now?" Ron cried in dismay.

He had lost the one connection to a large sum of money. None of the other purebloods wanted anything to do with him but Harry, Harry had kept him at his side and he was getting compensated for all the damage that caused from the Potter accounts. Without Harry, he was going to be a nothing in this world.

Hermione's thoughts were also heading in the same direction. It was the end of everything. Without Harry no one would be able to recognize her. They would merely shun the muggleborn that she was and choose someone with a higher blood status. There wouldn't be any hope for her to find work in the Ministry or even at Hogwarts. Everything, after all, went through the Ministry or the Board of Governors. She didn't have a hope in the world of obtaining a decent job now that Harry was gone.

Ginny… well Ginny didn't even know where to begin. She was meant to be Mrs Potter! She even looked exactly like Harry's mother or so people commented. She was meant to never have to work and have all the time in the world to lap up the luxury she so deserved. None of that was going to be possible now. No one would take a second glance at the only daughter of a poor outcast family. Her life was ruined.

"What are we going to do now, Albus?" Molly asked gesturing to the children.

She had no words to describe what she was currently feeling.

"We shall have to wait for the Will reading then to see if he has left us with anything." He finally said, staring in deep thought at the body before him.

Severus frowned. He'd never heard of anyone mentioning this at all within the group. Not even Ciaran made mention of it though he knew what would happen should 'Harry's' body was returned to them.

"When did he make a Will, Headmaster?" he questioned.

"I suggested that it be done considering the dangers he faces every year."

Severus nearly scoffed, suggested, more like he forced Harry to make a Will. Ciaran had more sense than to listen to the idiot of the Headmaster. However he knew that no one was allowed to be within the same room when Harry made his Will so it made him wonder what Harry had done with his Will. He definitely wouldn't have left it to this lot. Regardless of who he had once been, Severus knew Ciaran had sense to keep everything to the people he knew best, who he trusted the most.

"I will have Harry's body removed from here and prepared for burial with his parents." Dumbledore said as the meeting drew to a close.

As the group began to break away and leave, Dumbledore made the correct requests through floo to have Harry buried in the Godric's Hollow cemetery beside his parents. It wouldn't be anything flash and the funeral would have to be private but the spot would be something for people around the world to be able to look upon. It would an icon to the world.

Yet even as he did this, Albus was at a loss. He no longer had a saviour to aid him. What was he meant to do now? He needed someone to help him what with his ailing health. Though no one could see it, his right hand was blackened. It was beyond repair and his brother had reluctantly informed him that he had little over a year left before the curse took him to the grave. But that was in the back of his mind at the moment. No he needed a champion that would take up his work when he was gone.

The first name that came to mind was Neville. He was after all the other boy in the prophecy. If circumstances had been different it could have been him instead of Harry that was chosen as the Boy-Who-Lived. Yet even that wasn't something he was willing to consider. Neville, though excellent in Herbology, was abysmal in everything else he did. Sure his Defence had improved but it wouldn't be enough so Neville was off his list.

Ron and Hermione were next on his list. They had both been there for Harry when he always found danger. They had faced everything that headed in their direction. It should be instinct that guided them when it came to danger now. Yet that wasn't even true. Ron would always allow his pride and jealousy to get in the way of everything as he had done many times. Hermione would think too much on the topic before she acted. The combination would be dreadful.

Then there were the two people he considered but didn't hold high hopes for. Ciaran Snape and Draco Malfoy worked very well together. Of that no one could deny. They were brilliant and appeared to accomplish unimaginable things together. However if they were to be marked they would be of no use to him. Their loyalty would be towards the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord alone. They wouldn't even think about serving Albus or the Light. It wouldn't be for them.

They all had flaws. Albus finally conceded that the only way to pick one of them would be to test them. Hogwarts was after all a rather dangerous castle. However they would also needed to be tested for loyalty. With his mind made up, Albus began planning his tests.

See? He's still insane… just not overly so. That's how I like the Dark Lord. Well this Dark Lord at least… And did you think I forgot that Harry Potter's body was never found? Well, here it is and the Light no longer have their scapegoat.

Thank you to all that reviewed.

~MidnightEmber