Chapter 57 : The quiet before the storm

Severus' eyes rose from the parchment on his desk to see Theo Nott's excited face.

"I beg your pardon?" drawled Snape. "You saw . . .what . . . in the dungeon hallway?"

"The ghost of Headmaster Dumbledore, sir! He was just walking along, humming and then vanished into the wall!" Theo told him, almost bouncing up and down in his excitement.

"When was this?"

"Last night . . .well, actually early this morning, sir. I was doing my patrol and was heading through the dungeon to go past the storage rooms and . . . there he was! I came to tell you as soon as I thought you'd be here in your office."

"And he didn't speak to you?"

"He didn't see me, sir," Theo replied. "He was reading a parchment and walking along, then he disappeared. I checked that stretch of wall and there are no openings . . . he just went through, like all the ghosts do." Theo shrugged.

"I see . . .it was inevitable, I suppose. Well, thank you for your report, Mister Nott. If I run into Albus on my way to the loo, I won't lift an eyebrow," Severus drawled, causing Theo to snicker. Severus smirked. "Dismissed."

"Yes, sir," replied Theo, smiling, feeling a bit special that the Headmaster had shared a 'joke' with him. As he left Severus' office Theo was feeling very good about himself; he wasn't too surprised that the Headmaster wasn't upset about the newest Hogwarts ghost, and was happy to be thanked for reporting so promptly. His father would be glad to hear he was in good favor with the Headmaster . . . Draco wasn't the only one who knew how to play that game!

After Severus was sure Theo had descended the staircase, he called for Tykey and sent a message to Albus. This could prove to be quite tricky; the Dark Lord would want to know if it really was Albus' ghost or if the old man had pulled a fast one. Which meant Severus would have to be doubly convincing about Albus' death. He sat back and started mentally reconstructing and reinforcing his 'memories' of that whole 'battle' and how Albus had died.

X X X

"Ah, Severus . . .my faithful servant . . . come . . . sit." Voldemort waved Severus to a chair to his left, as Snape entered the dining room and came around the table.

"Master." Severus bowed before he sat, noting that Nott had taken over Lucius' seat opposite him, next to Bella. She, of course, was glaring at him. "Bella."

"Snape," she rudely shot back.

Voldemort looked at Severus as if waiting for him to speak, but Severus said nothing, waiting for the Dark Lord to control the conversational topics.

"I understand," Voldemort began, after a minute's silence. "That the ghost of that old fool, Dumbledore, is walking the halls of our school, Severus."

"That is, indeed, what has been reported to me, Master," Severus replied, casting a glance at Nott. "Theo Nott saw him the other morning, in the dungeon corridor, while doing his patrolling. He reported to me immediately, and it has been ordered that any other sign of his ghost be noted - time and location. But no other sightings have occurred . . . yet."

"Do you think it is his ghost, Severus?" Voldemort asked, silkily.

"It would hard to mistake him for anyone else, Master." Severus frowned.

"You misunderstand me, Severus. Is it his ghost or is that meddling old fool hiding in the castle?" Voldemort hissed, even as Bella grinned, licking her lips in anticipation of Severus' answer.

"Dumbledore is dead , Master. Draco killed him and I also hit him with the 'Avada Kadavra' spell, even as I saw the light leave his eyes from Draco's spell."

Severus was looking right at Voldemort as he gave his assurance that Albus had died that night, so many months ago. He felt Voldemort in his brain, checking his memories, again, of that time in the corridor outside the stairs to the Headmaster's office. The flashes of green light hitting Dumbledore in the chest, lifting him off his feet to crash down at the base of the stairs, and then the stairs starting to turn, carrying the body upward.

But this time, Severus allowed Voldemort to see Dumbledore's face come into view as the stairs turned, Albus' eyes lifeless and dull, unseeing, his life force gone. This seemed to satisfy Voldemort, as he pulled away from Severus' mind, deep in thought.

"Why hasn't anyone seen him before, I wonder?" Voldemort asked. "Why hasn't he shown himself to you, Severus?"

Bella was wiggling with excitement, hoping Severus would slip up and get himself into trouble, but his answer was not what she expected.

"Perhaps because I had his portrait removed from my office and put in a storage room deep under the castle. He might be quite content down there, with all of his possessions piled in the room. Frankly . . . I don't care," finished Severus. "It's Harry Potter and his little band who concern me, Master."

Voldemort sucked in his breath, eyes flashing at Severus' insolence, but then he smiled, disappointing Bella, as the Dark Lord nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, let us concentrate on the living, not on the dead. Have you anything new to report about our young . . . 'friends'?" Voldemort hissed.

"They have been spotted going into the Forbidden Forest, so they must have established a base camp there, raiding the school kitchens for supplies. It has been noted that they do these forays at odd times, with no set schedule, so as to avoid setting a pattern, thus avoiding being trapped. They also use different routes through the school, for the same reason, we've surmised. However, their entry point is always the same and the kitchens are their goal."

"Splendid. We can let them continue their little trips, thinking they are fooling everyone, but we'll know where we can capture them when the time comes." Voldemort leaned back, thinking.

The gathered Death Eaters waited in silence, only Bella's snickering could be heard.

"Oh, by the way, Severus," Voldemort continued. "Has anyone spotted Draco accompanying those three on their little raids?" He was watching Severus closely, while waiting for his answer.

Severus eyebrow shot up, then he looked thoughtful. "I'd not seriously considered that possibility, Master. I wasn't made aware that Draco had left with those traitors until long after the fact. But to answer your question . . . no. Draco has not been seen since I confronted him in the Great Hall last December. Whether Potter took him by force or he went willingly, he's not been seen since. And I'm assuming you haven't seen or heard from your sister, either, have you, Bella?" finished Severus, turning to look across the table at the now livid witch.

Voldemort waved his hand dismissively, before Bella could say a word.

"We will assume the Malfoys are huddled together in hiding somewhere . . . they'll be found, by one means or another and then . . . well, we'll worry about what punishment should be handed down when the time comes, eh, Bella?"

"Yes, Master," Bella whispered, revenge gleaming in her eyes.

X X X

At the next meeting of the D.A., Severus told them all of Voldemort's acceptance of Dumbledore's 'ghost' being spotted.

"However, do we risk someone actually confronting your 'ghost' late at night, when you venture out or do we make sure you are deliberately seen, occasionally, from a distance, giving you time to 'disappear'," he questioned. "OR . . . do we 'ground' you and send you to your room?" Severus added, with a smirk, causing the students to laugh and the adults snort with barely concealed laughter.

Ignoring them all, Albus sat, thinking. "I suppose I was lucky not to have been caught by Mister Nott; the shock of my presence being the saving grace," he added, but with that tell-tale twinkle in evidence. "I suppose I could orchestrate the odd sighting, but I will limit myself to the dungeon corridors, late at night, as the dim atmosphere will lend itself admirably to the deception." Dumbledore looked around, smiling.

"Albus, you are having way too much fun with this." admonished Minerva. "Please take this seriously . . . you must NOT have any actual, one-on-one contact with the students . . . especially the Slytherins!"

"I realize that, of course, Minerva . . . but it is tempting . . . you must admit." Dumbledore stage whispered, winking at the Transfiguration teacher, who huffed, shaking her head.

Sirius turned to Remus, his mouth open to start speaking, but Remus held up a hand, cutting him off.

"Don't even suggest it, Sirius!" Remus gave him a stern look.

"Suggest what?" asked Sirius innocently.

"It doesn't matter what, the answer is still no!" came the reply.

"You're no fun anymore, you know that," grumbled Sirius, settling back in chair.

"Be that as it may," said Remus, as he turned to Severus. "How did you explain Albus' ghost being in the dungeons?"

"I said he was probably staying in the room where I had ordered his possessions stored . . . in the lowest part of the dungeons . . . as far from my office as possible and still be in the castle . . . along with his portrait, which explains its absence from the wall, where it should have been hanging since the school year started."

"Your portrait!" Hermione gasped, turning to Dumbledore. "How could we have forgotten! It should have been upstairs, hanging over Severus' desk like the other former Headmasters! Why hasn't anyone asked about it?" she wondered.

"Not many have ventured into my office and most who have know that Albus is still among the living . . . but even the occasional visit from a member of Slytherin House hasn't caused any questions to be raised about it. And the Carrows barely remember the password to visit the office, much less what should and shouldn't be in there. I just thought it plausible as a reason for Albus' presence in the dungeons and wouldn't raise too many questions, "Severus concluded.

"Well, you students should be getting back to your dorms, before curfew," Minerva stood, motioning for those members who were still taking classes to leave, so they wouldn't get in trouble."

After they had taken turns leaving the Room of Requirement, the remaining occupants continued talking.

"I know the Slytherin mentality but besides wanting to be the one to see Albus' ghost and perhaps talk to him," Severus picked up his train of thought. "The students curiosity might lead them to try and find your personal property, Albus and we can't have them stumbling across Pettigrew's abode."

"It's well warded, Severus, but perhaps if we, indeed, put my worldly possessions in one of the storerooms for them to find, that would solve the question of their needing to know where my ghost is residing." Albus suggested. "I'll have Tykey move most of my things into a not too hard to find room tomorrow."

"Right," Harry said. "Now that we've been caught up on Tom's last meeting, I think we need to have a bit of a discussion about a tiny hiccup in our plans."

"What hiccup?" Ron asked.

"How are we going to get Tom to attack the castle when we want him to, when we're ready, not when he decides to come at us . . . which, truthfully, could be anytime."

"I don't understand, Harry," Neville leaned forward, brow furrowed.

"The first time through, Hermione, Ron and I were on the run; we'd broken out of Gringott's with the Hufflepuff Cup, we came to Hogsmeade and set off the alarms, so he knew we were here, we showed up in the Great Hall and Severus had to flee, so then Tom attacked. He'd been chasing us for eight months and thought he'd run us to ground. Now, he knows we're here, but hasn't given any indication that he's ready to invade. That is making me a bit nervous," Harry concluded.

"Ah, we need to make him want, desperately, to attack . . . but what could make him that uneasy . . . that's the question?" Remus puzzled. "I think he has felt each of the Horcruxes that we've destroyed . . . which are still intact?" he asked Harry.

"The Ravenclaw Diadem and the Locket," replied Ron, pointing to the cupboard at the side of the 'Common Room'. He thinks the Hufflepuff cup is still in Bella's vault at Gringott's, along with the Gryffindor sword. But we really don't know if he has even considered that we've figured that bit out or if it's just coincidence that he's felt weakened when he was under stress from another scenario. Nagini being killed as Peter was getting snatched could have just been bad luck. But then getting clocked by the door in the cellars at the Malfoy's and having the same feeling, the same sensation, if Severus' report was any indication, might have worried him."

"Perhaps a check of the Gaunt homestead we might tell us if he's been there searching, although I don't think we should go near the cave," Albus reasoned. "It's entirely too dangerous and, if he has found Regulus' note, he'll think the Locket is lost, maybe even in Grimmauld Place, but still viable. I'm more concerned with how he'd react to knowing that the Hufflepuff Cup is a fake . . . now THAT might set him off and have him heading here to Hogwarts as quickly as he could manage. He'd want to know how someone managed that theft, and Severus would be the prime suspect."

"What if we set the dragon free again?" Ron volunteered.

"Oh, no! I'm NOT going in there as Bella again . . . that worked once, but there's no guarantee it would work this time," Hermione stated, with her arms crossed.

"I agree, Miss Granger and you have no remnant of Bella for the Polyjuice Potion in any case. Admirable as it was to free that unfortunate animal, the chances of being able to precisely replicate the breakout are slim," agreed Dumbledore. "We'll see to the welfare of that creature after this is all finished, as it's condition and imprisonment is against several Wizarding laws."

"So, how do we get him to panic? Or get REALLY mad?" Luna asked. "Enough that he'd head straight here to confront Harry at the school?"

Everyone sat there, brows furrowed, as they each thought of and then rejected different possibilities.

"Why don't you just do a takeover of the school like the first time," proposed Draco. "He thinks Hogwarts is his, more or less, so why not dare him to prove it!?"

"That would depend on how he hears about it and we'd need to really get him upset, enough, in fact, to throw caution to the wind," Lucius added. "Might I suggest letting him know that Harry has the last two Horcruxes in his possession. That sounds worthy of a bit of panic on the Dark Lord's part," he added with a smirk.

"I know I'm going to regret this . . .but, how, exactly, would we manage to do that?" Severus asked, rubbing his forehead, as if he felt a headache coming.

"Easy!" Sirius grinned. "Harry shows up, wearing the Locket and Hermione could be wearing the diadem."

"Hey, what about me?" Ron asked.

"You would have the sword of Gryffindor in your hand."

"He's rupture a blood vessel!" Tonks giggled.

"Better than that, Bella will go ballistic thinking someone's been in her vault . . . !" Cissa added, looking positively gleeful.

"Alright, we'll iron out details about staging this 'take-over', but when should we do it?" wondered Hermione.

"I know!" Luna spoke up. "How about at the end of breakfast on the day the students go home for Spring Break. The younger students would be safe on the train, on their way home, while the rest of us get ready, calling in all of our re-enforcements and being ready for him to arrive that evening, at the earliest."

Most of the group sat there for a few minutes, trying to think of any reason that time frame wouldn't work and finding now, started planning in earnest.