Chapter 19 : Reality Check
Over lunch, Severus explained to the group how he'd taken everything his mother had taught him about potions and used it to edit his school textbook, the one that Harry was going to wind up using the next year, that is, if he doesn't remove it from the book cupboard where Harry finds it that first day of Slughorn's class.
"It was a bit unfair of you to use it, don't you think, Harry?" Hermione questioned him, a bit smugly.
"No! I don't think it was," retorted Harry. "I just considered it an edited version - an updated textbook, with some practical and useful hints."
"You're just sore he was beating you at something, Gran . . . Hermione," Draco teased. "Not used to not being top of the class, are you?"
"It's not that!" huffed Hermione, as most of the kids rolled their eyes and shook their heads. "Seriously! It's almost cheating!"
"Ha! If your book had the edited instructions instead of the old ones, you wouldn't think a thing of it, would you?" Ron asked, eyebrow raised.
"Well . . .maybe not . . . Right . . . in that case, maybe Professor Snape should think about editing and publishing a new, updated, and improved Potions textbook . . . after all, with Voldemort out of the way and no more Death Eater meetings to attend, you'll have all kinds of spare time, won't you?!" Hermione turned to Severus and smiled sweetly.
"The thought had crossed my mind once or twice and I may consider it more seriously if, as you say, I have some free time in my future . . . and it seems I will have a future, now . . . I'll put that on my 'to do' list, straightaway." Severus replied, then ducked his head in an attempt to hide the smile threatening to spread across his face.
Sirius elbowed him, grinning. "You could make a packet on that book, Severus, old man. If I promise to buy a copy will you promise to autograph it for me?" He clenched his hands, pleading outrageously.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Black, I can tell you spent a few too many days talking to yourself in that cell, didn't you?"
"Too bloody right I did, It was only when I started answering myself that I realized I really did need to get out of there," laughed Sirius. "Seeing 'Scabbers' in that photo of the Weasley family in the Daily Prophet was a bit of incentive, too, mind you."
"Yes, Wormtail . . . imagine my surprise to find him at the Dark Lord's side, not long after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. That's when I knew you hadn't betrayed Lily and James." Severus looked at his new friend and smirked, "But we'll both get our revenge on him this time."
"Too right we will," agreed Sirius, clapping Severus on the shoulder. "Now, be a good lad and pass me another piece of Molly's Christmas cake."
X X X
"A bit of breaking and entering?" asked George.
"REALLY?" Fred grinned.
"Let's consider it a 'behind the scenes/after hours tour'. The other sounds a bit dodgy." Tom winced, but smiled at the twins. "We're just doing research, so you'll see what we mean about realism. We're not nicking anything, just getting a good close look, and getting some ideas."
"That's our story . . . " Fred replied.
"and we're sticking to it!" added George.
"Right, so here's where we need to go . . . " Tom pulled out a map of London and spread it out on the end of the kitchen table.
X X X
"Blimey, Harry!" Ron said as the final film ended. He turned to stare at his best friend. "I look bloody awful and the only thing changed about you is that your glasses are gold instead of black!"
"Ronald! THAT'S what is foremost in your thoughts after watching the Battle!" Hermione gasped. "Harry sacrificed himself for all of us, you insensitive twit!" she scolded, as she swatted him with a dusty old pillow, to emphasize her point. "Honestly! *whomp* You have the emotional * whomp* range of a teaspoon!"*whomp*
"Gerroff! 'mione! Harry lived! or didn't you get that bit! And now we know what's NOT going to happen; we're not going to have the Battle!"
"But Harry still has to surrender to Voldemort, even if we do know how to defeat him and get all the Horcruxes destroyed!" she replied, sobbing as she turned to Harry. "Don't you?"
Harry gave a weak smile and nodded. Ron's mouth dropped open and he stammered, "But mate . . . he . . . you . . . no . . . really?"
Harry laughed and shook his head, and after looking at Dan, who nodded, he stood and faced everyone in the room.
"It's true, I am the seventh, accidentally made Horcrux . . . and . . . Voldemort has to be the one to kill me, or rather . . . kill his last Horcrux . . . and I must let him kill me. It is good to know I've done it once and survived, but I will need to be totally prepared, mentally and then, if all goes as planned, old Tom will ruin his chances all by himself. We will still have to duel to the death, however, it will most likely be in a different meeting place and time, so that bit we'll have to improvise and be ready for it, no matter where or when."
"However, there is a big difference with how the movie ended after the Battle and how it ended in the book . . . . Harry, Ron and Hermione go to the Headmaster's office and talk to Dumbledore's portrait and Harry uses Dumbledore's wand, the Elder Wand, to mend his own, broken one. Then it's decided to return Albus' wand to his crypt, the thought being that if Harry dies a peaceful death, the Elder Wand's power will die with him, thus taking that Deathly Hallow out of the world forever. The Resurrection Stone, well, we think that should go to the Department of Mysteries and Harry's cloak really and truly belongs to him, it's a family heirloom." Dan shrugged.
"In other words, Dan, if Harry is mentally prepared and we've destroyed the other Horcruxes, then it's a matter of letting Voldemort meet his own fate at his own hand?" Remus asked.
"Yes, but we'll have to be careful about the circumstances for Voldemort facing Harry; he'll be suspicious if it's too easy . . . there may have to be a bit of a battle or at least an invasion of Hogwarts . . . but if we're prepared, which is also where the "Felix Felicis" potion comes in to play, well . . . it will depend on when we start destroying the Horcruxes . . . as you saw in the movie, he'll feel it every time we get rid of one and it won't take long for him to figure out what we're doing . . . we may have to keep some and finish them as he's dueling Harry, just as Neville killed Nagini at the end, then Harry can finish him." Dan explained.
"Yes, as much as we've planned and schemed about this, in the end . . . well, Harry, you're on your own, mate," added Rupert.
"What about the Elder Wand, won't he still be trying to get hold of that, after Albus 'dies'," questioned Remus, framing the word 'dies' with his fingers for quote marks.
"We will have to get Gregorovitch and Mister Ollivander safely tucked away, I'm afraid, or else arm them with a Portkey, to escape any Death Eater kidnapping attempt," Dan suggested. "You, Headmaster, have a bit of time to work that out, at least until the end of this school year."
"I'll see what I can arrange, although Gregorovitch might be reluctant to listen to me, seeing as I have his beloved Elder Wand, myself. But I can talk to Garrick Ollivander in private. He'd be opposed to leaving his store, so your Portkey idea might be offered to him." Albus leaned back and got that familiar "thinking about it" look in his eyes, fingers steepled in front of him. However, his thoughts were interrupted when Tom brought up another facet of the operation.
"Also, that bit about you dying is going to take some Muggle inventiveness in order to fool the Death Eaters into thinking you are out of the picture, Professor," Tom looked over at the Headmaster. "But we have a few suggestions that, with a bit of magical enhancement, should do the trick nicely."
"I look forward to hearing the details, especially as it's a very, very long drop off the Astronomy Tower. I doubt if the Death Eaters will just take Severus' word that I went over the edge. They'll want to see my body on the lawn." Albus chuckled.
"That's where Slytherin cunning comes into the plan," Tom explained. "Draco and I put our heads together, and with a little help from the wonderful world of FX, we believe we can successfully 'kill' you so convincingly that even the rest of the students and faculty at Hogwarts will believe you're dead and gone, Headmaster." Tom sat back beaming, then looked over to Draco. "You really are a devious bloke, Draco . . . I'm glad you're on our side."
"I came up with the idea?" Draco looked surprised. "Well, I'm really going to enjoy this, then." He looked at Harry and winked, "Your fate is in my hands, Potter . . . how's your confidence level now?"
"Just fine, Malfoy, as I know how single minded you are, once you've made up your mind about something . . . almost Hufflepuff in focus, really, but then there's the ulterior motive angle, which brings us back to Slytherin."
"No need to be insulting . . .. Hufflepuff . . . HA! " Draco grumbled, lifting his chin and looking highly offended . . . until Emma reached over and pushed him sideways, laughing.
"You don't mean a word of that, Draco," she giggled. "I can see the laughter in your eyes."
Draco turned and looked at the pretty Muggle. "Do you? What do you see now?" He continued to look at her, face blank.
"A professional flirt," she shot back, rising from her seat and patting him on the head. "Nice try, but I've been dealing with that look for ten years," Emma continued, "from Tom, until he met Jade, that is. But he still flirts with me, don't you, Tom."
"Practice, practice, practice." Tom muttered, which caused everyone to laugh.
X X X
"It's alright, Mum, I'm not going to die; that's why we're doing this." Fred put his arm around Molly as she wiped her eyes.
"You did Bella, though, didn't you. That was your Prewett side coming through!" exclaimed George, as he patted her on the back.
"But did I really do that in the book or just in the movie . . . they've changed a lot of the story, you know," Molly questioned.
"Oh, that's the way it went down, almost precisely as in the book, including your little line to Bella," responded Rupert, as Molly blushed crimson.
"Oh, dear . . . well, it was in the heat of the moment . . . I really didn't realize what I'd said . . . I'm a bit embarrassed," the Weasley matriarch stuttered.
"Don't be, Molly! My lunatic bitch of a sister deserved exactly the end you gave her." Narcissa advised her, nodding emphatically. "And she won't get a chance to kill two of her relatives, when we're through with her this time around."
"You mean Bella killed me?" Tonks gasped.
"She did, as you were bent over Remus, who had just been killed by Dolohov." Dan informed her. "I told Narcissa that fact on the way up here to watch the movies, so she'd be aware of what Bella had done, as it didn't show how you and Remus died.
Remus put his arm around Tonks, leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Not this time," he whispered, causing her to look up at him and smile.
X X X
"I think it was brilliant how Seamus rigged the bridge to blow up . . . do you think we should have him prepare it ahead of time, so there won't be a mad rush when it happens, if it happens, at Hogwarts?" Neville asked. "I would bet Knuts to Nifflers that Voldemort will attack the school as soon as he thinks he's got enough Death Eaters to pull it off."
"I agree with you on that one, Neville. I think we could come up with all kinds of booby traps and surprises for old Tom and his gang of merry maniacs, if we put our minds to it!" agreed Sirius. "I volunteer to start planning that bit of the defenses, if there's no objection?"
"Actually, I think you'd be perfect for the job," Tom replied. "Whatever ideas you come up with, do half of them and you'll have plenty of mayhem to run amok with, around the old stone pile you call Hogwarts." Tom burst out laughing at the offended look on Sirius' face. "I'm joking, Sirius, you know all about that school and its vulnerable points, so who else could defend the place better?"
"Too right I know it," grouched Sirius, before he grinned back at Tom.
"Those plans should also include evacuation of the younger students, or at least finding shelter for them, until any fighting that takes place is over," injected Professor McGonagall. "That means getting Aberforth involved, you realize, Albus."
"Yes, and I think it's about time he and I reached an understanding . . . it's been too long . . . and I admit, now, freely, that it was my fault, and he's been right all along." He reached over and picked up his steno pad and started writing . . . looking at the pen and shaking his head. "Muggles are so practical. This is getting to be quite a 'to do' list, Daniel . . . anything else?"
"Actually, no, sir. I believe you and Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape can return to Hogwarts. Also, Draco and Narcissa are up to speed, so they can return home, also. But remember, it'll still be early afternoon, on Christmas," he reminded all of them. "Neville and Luna can also go. We'll have one more get-together on this coming Friday afternoon. . . Dobby will come and fetch you all, when you know you'll not be missed . . . just call his name, right, Dobby?"
"Yes, Mister Dan, Dobby will bring them all back here when they is calling Dobby."
"Good. Okay, Tom, you can stop the 'Time Turner'. Draco and Narcissa first, as they have to be careful not to be noticed as absent, then Neville and Luna. Albus, Minerva and Severus can come and go by Floo any time they want."
"Well, we'll see you all on Friday, then," agreed Narcissa, as she hugged Tonks and Sirius and waved goodbye to the others. "Come along, Draco." She held out her hand and grasped Dobby's.
"Goodbye, everyone . . . it's been . . . well, interesting and educational . . . I'll see you on Friday." He took hold of Dobby's other hand and 'Pop', the three of them were gone.
'Pop' Just that quick, Dobby was back, grinning. Luna and Neville walked over and held out their hands, then looked around the room.
"Goodbye everyone and thanks for including us in your plans," Luna said, as she grasped Dobby's hand, smiling down at him.
"See you all on Friday. Happy Christmas!" Neville put his arm around Luna's waist and took Dobby's hand. 'Pop'
X X X
"NARCISSA!?"
"Yes, dear, I'm in the sitting room," called Narcissa, as she turned toward the door. Draco was laying on the rug in a pool of afternoon sunshine, alternately releasing and then catching a Snitch, when his father walked into the room.
"Ah, there you two are! Well, we're due at your sister's for that Christmas party in a little under an hour, so you'd better go change your gown and Draco . . . "
"Yes, Father?"
"Put that thing away and go freshen up, there will be some important Ministry people at this party and I want you to make a good impression. I understand Dolores Umbridge is quite pleased with you."
"Yes, Professor Umbridge is really making some good changes at Hogwarts, Father; it's almost a school, now, with teachers being held accountable to the Ministry's new standards." Draco drawled, as he rose from the floor.
"Indeed," sniffed Lucius, pulling on his shirt cuffs. "If we could get rid of that old fool Dumbledore, Hogwarts could be made into the kind of Wizarding School that we pure-bloods would be proud of, instead of tolerate. No more Mud-bloods to drag the standard down. Only deserving young Witches and Wizards will be allowed to attend, if I have anything to say about it!"
"Yes, dear," Narcissa patted his arm, as she walked past heading for the door. "You always have the welfare of the school at heart."
"I do indeed," smiled Lucius, self-satisfied, as he followed her out into the hallway.
Draco stood for a moment, watching their retreating backs, then absentmindedly reached out, caught the Snitch, pocketed it and followed his parents, shaking his head.
'Father, you have no idea what's coming . . . oh, well, every Slytherin for himself.'
X X X
"Well, goodbye, Neville, Dobby, sir," Luna smiled down at the blushing House-Elf.
"See you Friday?" asked Neville.
"Of course . . . I'm looking forward to it." replied Luna, as she looked at Neville. "And seeing you, too, of course."
"Really?" Neville's eyes got wide in surprise.
"Really." With that, Luna stretched up on her toes and gave Neville a kiss. As he stood there, gob smacked, Dobby grasped his hand. 'Pop'
Luna giggled and went toward the kitchen to start making dinner for her father.
X X X
'Poof'
Albus, Minerva and Severus stepped out of the fireplace in the Headmaster's office.
"I'm heading straight to my potions lab and get started brewing, Headmaster, Minerva, so if you'll excuse me?"
"Certainly, Severus. We'll see you at dinner?" asked Dumbledore.
"If I don't get too caught up in the preparations . . . send a House Elf if it looks like I've forgotten, if you don't mind?"
"Of course we will," Minerva assured him, then watched as he swept from the room. Turning to her old friend and colleague, she sank into the nearest chair. "Well, what do you think our chances are for surviving this, Albus?"
"Better than our other attempt at getting Harry safely to adulthood." Albus sank into his chair and leaned back, sighing. "I've been such a fool and made too many mistakes, thinking I was protecting Harry . . . when I was putting him in even more danger!" He shook his head.
"Then consider this a do-over and don't make the same mistakes! That's how we ALL learn, seeing where we went wrong and doing something about it . . . only it won't be hindsight, but foresight and forewarning that will be the difference this time, Albus." Minerva took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose before replacing them, positioned just so.
"Indeed, we'll all have a second chance to get it right and live through this. You and I can talk more in the next couple of days and see if we can think of anything we should try to get in place while I'm still alive . . . once I'm 'dead' I won't be able to help and you'll be at Dolores' mercy."
"Oh, I can handle Dolores, Albus, don't you worry about that!" McGonagall huffed, which caused Albus to shake his head.
"Don't underestimate her, Minerva," warned Dumbledore. "She may be loathsome, but she's well placed at the Ministry and won't hesitate to use what power she has to get her way!"
"Well, be that as it may, I have bigger fish to fry . . . or rather, rat . . . I'm actually looking forward to this . . . I may even recruit Miss Granger's pet, Crookshanks, to be my partner in the hunt."
"Oh, dear, oh dear . . . Peter is in trouble now," laughed Albus.
"Too right he is . . . and he'll not get away this time!" declared Minerva, crossing her arms, with a fierce look on her face.