Quoth the Raven

Disclaimer: See chapter 1. Reviews are welcomed, flames aren't. Also see personal rant at the end of the chapter. And yes, 'censer' is spelled correctly. - GF and the Frau.

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Chapter 30: Perfumed From An Unseen Censer

The moon was high when two figures exited the front doors of the great castle and made for the Forbidden Forest. The Welcoming Feast was long over and most of the inhabitants of Hogwarts were asleep.

"So, your meeting with the Headmaster is set for after breakfast?" Wolf asked as they stepped into the trees at the edge of the forest. The Sergeant Major was taking his charge to a small clearing he'd found when he attended Hogwarts as a student.

"Yes, Wolf," Harry replied, shivering slightly as a sense of wrongness washed over him. "And he's everything you and Aunt Amanda have claimed. He really is living in his own dream world, isn't he?"

"What about that Umbridge bitch?" Wolf snarled.

Harry shrugged, forcing his mind back to the subject at hand. That little speech she tried before the feast left a sour taste in the back of his throat. He hadn't interfered with her spouting ministerial dogma as he wanted to hear the Ministry's take on why she was there in the first place. It had been more than a little disturbing! He'd have to do something about her, and the Ministry as well. It might take some time though.

"I will wait until her first class. If what I suspect is true, then the Headmaster will be needing a new DADA professor before the week is out," he said with a grimace. He really didn't want to tip his hand too soon, but the very idea of that sadistic bitch 'teaching' innocent students turned his stomach.

The clearing was small, but not far into the forest. Late summer flowers, wild grasses and early autumn leaves dotted it along with evidence of the local wildlife passing through. It would have been perfect, if not for the growing feeling of discord that Harry was finding hard to ignore.

"Looks like someone else has used this place to do a Summoning," Harry said as he moved to a small altar sitting within a quartered circle in the centre of the clearing.

"Indeed," came a deep, silky voice from the shadows. A tall, ominous figure stepped into the clearing. "So, Mr Potter, I see that you are following in the footsteps of your father in rule breaking," the dark, rich voice sniped.

Harry stiffened. Wolf went for his wand, only to have his hand stayed by the lad. "Professor Snape, I presume? I think you will find that I am not a clone of either one of my parents. In fact, sir, I never knew them as they died when I was just a baby. Do not presume to know me, sir."

Severus Snape sneered at the teen before him, and curbed his tongue. One glance told him that the pair were highly trained in the arts of violence, if they wished to use it. "Indeed."

Harry gave a slight bow and flicked his hand. A blackthorn wand shot out and grew to the size of a six-foot staff. Going to the altar, he carefully cleared it of debris and placed two candles, one white and one black, on it. Wolf stepped out of the circle, to the edge of the clearing.

Professor Snape moved to stand by the altar with a strange look on his face. "You... you serve the Lady?" the professor exclaimed. 'But..."

Harry shrugged as he lit the candles with his staff and laid his offerings of a cauldron cake from his ride on the Express, a bit of silver wrapping foil and a bright red apple on the altar. He stepped back. As offerings go, it wasn't much, but to a raven, it was worth more than gold and silver. This was probably his last childish gift as he was now a blooded warrior, but for now, it was all he could gather, and he hoped She found it worthy.

Severus Snape raised an eyebrow in surprise at the pitiful offering before him as he added his own gifts: a small ruby, a black feather and a fresh blackthorn leaf.

The moon slipped from behind a cloud and illuminated the small altar in a ray of silver light as both looked up. The Morrigan stepped serenely through it into the clearing. She waved her hand over the offerings as a raven cawed overhead.

"My little raven and My dark one. Well met," she said, gazing deeply into their eyes. "And what brings you to Me this night?"

Harry knelt before his Lady and smiled. "I have come to Hogwarts as you wanted me to, my Lady. I wanted to give thanks for your protection and wisdom. The school year ahead will be interesting; the battle lines are already being drawn, and I seek Your blessing for the contests ahead."

"My little raven, so far from your Tower. You need but remember, you are My raven child. You are free and crafty. Let stealth and cunning be your guide," she smiled at her chosen before turning her attention to the other man before her. "And you, My dark one, do you seek My blessings as well?"

Severus was not normally surprised. He made it his business to be on top of things, as any good spy would. "Lady, You honour me with Your presence. I only wished to ask for a safe year, with protection over my little snakes as always."

She laughed. "You both please me this night. Go in peace and look to each other for support and comfort. My dark one, do not judge this little raven against his father; he is nothing like him, for he was raised to serve Me and to fulfil the destiny that was laid before him 'ere he was born. Help him, and in doing so you will help yourself." She turned once more to Harry. "I see you feel it, My chosen. The imbalance of the forest affronts Me and My Kin. Go now, both of you, with My Blessings."

She stepped away from the clearing and the altar behind lay bare with her exit. The night breeze drifted through, carrying with it a scent of moonbeams and wild flowers. A flock of ravens could be heard calling hoarsely in the distance.

Harry sighed as he turned to the professor, holding out his hand. "Hello, Professor Snape, I am Lord Harry James Potter. I go by many names, but I grant you leave to call me Mr. Potter, if you wish."

Severus looked into the eyes of the young man before him. He had hoped to see his lost love in those eyes, but all he saw was bottomless green. "I am Severus Snape, your Potions Master, Mr Potter. I look forward to seeing how well you perform in my class."

"I don't think I will disappoint, sir. I hope we can start off on an amiable footing."

"As amiable as my situation will allow, Mr. Potter." Snape gazed at him questioningly. When Harry looked back, a question in his own eyes, Snape spoke again. "I am a spy, Mr. Potter. I carry the Dark Mark and stand in the Dark Lord's inner circle."

He stopped, waiting for an explosion of disgust from the young wizard facing him. When it was not forthcoming, he continued. "From there, I keep the headmaster informed of the Dark Lord's plans. I served so in the first war, and with his restoration I do so again. As you may assume, I cannot show any favour to students other than my Slytherins; to do so would be suspicious in the eyes of the Dark Lord and his followers."

Harry nodded, "I understand, Professor. It is worth your life to do otherwise." They shook hands and turned to walk back into the castle, parting company before they broke the cover of the forest.

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Dolores Umbridge was a witch on a mission. Cornelius Fudge had assigned a very important task to her. She was to bring the school under Ministry guidelines by any means necessary. Her little speech at the Welcoming Feast had been upstaged a bit by the arrival of that Potter brat! Dear Cornelius informed her that the brat was not to be touched. He held too much political clout now to be trifled with. However, at least the half-blood brat had enough respect for his betters as to not interrupt her welcoming speech!

She knew there were ways to bring a person to heel indirectly, but perhaps dear Cornelius was right. She, after all, had bigger fish to fry.

Dumbledore's star was waning. With the disaster of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the near-death of a Hogwarts student, the so-called Leader of the Light was not shining so brightly.

The Diggory boy had to be neutralised. He kept insisting that the Dark Lord was back and, since Cornelius could not silence him, it fell to her. His father, Amos Diggory, was too well-liked in the Ministry to force the issue from that end, and as his son was not given to wild and fanciful renditions, all that was left was to deal with the boy at Hogwarts.

She could bide her time. She had all year, after all!

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The task of arranging Lord Potter's classes fell onto Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. She had received his records and found that the boy had been home-schooled all his life.

His scores on all of his tests were outstanding. Even his magical training seemed to be rather exceptional. How was she going to place him? According to his test results, the lad could sit for his OWLs now and probably pass them all!

Albus was so sure that Lord Potter would be placed with the Gryffindors that he wanted her to assign all of his lessons with them. That man! She still hadn't forgiven him for placing poor Harry with those... those... Muggles!

Shaking her head to clear it, she brought her mind back to the present. With Lord Potter's performance in the Great Hall earlier, she felt he would be more comfortable with the Ravenclaws. He seemed very friendly with two young ladies in that house and she wondered how he had met them. They seemed too chummy to have just met on the Express.

"You wished to see me, Minerva?"

"Hello, Filius. Come in." She looked up from the report. "I was going over Lord Potter's academic records. I must say I am very impressed with them."

"Quite the surprise, wasn't he?" the dwarf-like professor and Head of Ravenclaw chuckled as he made himself comfortable in the overstuffed chair across from her. She passed over her tentative timetable. "But I don't see... Oh, Minerva! Albus will have a fit!" He rocked with laughter as he scanned the timetable.

She smiled a very feline smile. "Then he shouldna hae dropped this in ma lap!" She snorted, her Scottish brogue flaring with her anger. "I didna care fir those chancy Muggles he left Harry with, an' tauld him so repeatedly! He didna listen then, and now I'll be damned if I'm going to clean up his mess for him!" She finished with a huff, trying to control her temper.

"About bloody time you stopped bowing and scraping to Albus, if you ask me, my dear. He is, after all, only a man like any other, not the infallible icon he chooses to see himself. So what do you have in mind?"

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A/N: First, a bit of clarification. Yes, Harry said he would not attend Hogwarts as long as Dumbledore was HM. It was said so that Harry could get other concessions later.

Now the rant: Frau and I have received a couple of reviews about the Morrigan. One reviewer wanted the vengeful goddess to die and another wanted to "punch her in the mouth!"

Please, people, Frau and I are being very careful in how and when we use the Goddess. Phil has even pointed out a few details we have missed or misused. We do NOT wish to offend anyone; so please grant us some respect. We know what we are doing. That said: Do the Research! We did! The Morrigan is known as a blood-thirsty deity with a rather unforgiving nature. Threaten her at your own risk and not in our reviews. Thank you very much.

Until next time -GF and the Frau.