A Study in Magic
by Books of Change
Warning/Notes: This is a BBC Sherlock and Harry Potter crossover AU. The HP timeline and BBC Sherlock's timeline has been shifted forwards and backwards to match up. One major BBC Sherlock character's gender has changed for the sake of the plot. The story was planned and written before season 2, but incorporates elements of season 2 as much as possible. Readers beware!
Chapter Sixty Eight: The Dark Lord Questions
Two hours after the initial burn of his Dark Mark, Severus Snape left Hogwarts and Apparated to a location he didn't know, but to a person whose presence he could sense.
He reappeared in what looked like a dimly lit hall. A long table stood in the middle of it, and a few hooded figures occupied the seats on the longer sides. Severus couldn't help but suppress a shiver as he took in the sight of the person who sat at the head of the table: the Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord looked more inhuman and terrifying than he did last. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was flat as a snake's with slits for nostrils, his countenance was nightmare personified. His large, pale spider-like hands caressed a wand made of yew and looked ready to strike without warning.
"You are late, Snape," said the Dark Lord in cold, high voice as Severus bowed low. "But more importantly, you are here. I confess I had not expected you to return."
"I came as soon as I was able to, my Lord," said Severus solemnly.
"What delayed you?"
"My Lord must know all your Death Eaters have noticed your steady regaining of strength through the gradual reappearance of the Dark Mark," Severus replied. "Albus Dumbledore didn't fail to notice its reappearance also, and ordered me, his supposed stooge, to return to your side as his spy should my Dark Mark burn. I consented because it would allow me to both return to you and retain my role as your spy. So here I am, ready to receive my next orders."
Silence fell in the hall after this statement.
"You have come after Dumbledore gave you orders to leave," said the Dark Lord. It was not a question.
Severus dipped his head lower and said nothing.
There was another bout of perilous silence. Then the Dark Lord issued a chilly command:
"Raise your head."
Severus did so. The Dark Lord's scarlet eyes bore into Severus's for a long time. Severus never once looked away or blinked. All the black-robed and hooded people seated at the table seemed to hold their breath as the Dark Lord probed into Severus's mind.
At length a thin, amused smile flickered on the Dark Lord's lipless mouth.
"The old fool," the Dark Lord concluded. "But then again, Dumbledore always did want to believe the best in people … always willing to give second chances…"
"He counted me among his greatest triumphs," said Severus contemptuously. "But, my Lord, you know better."
"I do now," said the Dark Lord. "I regret not confiding to you three years ago, when I attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Relying on a mediocre wizard like Quirrell was tiresome."
"I would have helped you," said Severus quietly. "But as it was, I thought the unworthy Quirrell was trying to steal the stone for himself."
"So you did; it doesn't matter now," said the Dark Lord. "I welcome you back into the fold, Severus Snape. But I require from you payment—payment for never seeking me out these last thirteen years, as did all who are here with the exception of two…"
"As my Lord wishes," said Severus, bracing himself.
The Dark Lord rose to his feet.
"Come," he hissed softly. "The rest of you, remain."
Severus followed after him, down a narrow hallway and into a smaller room furnished in silver and green. It was cold and dark inside. A single lit candle on the mantelpiece flickered as the chilly afternoon breeze filtered through an open window. Dark green tapestries hung on the walls and ceiling, and they, too, rustled subtly.
The Dark Lord stopped in front of the old stone fireplace and turned halfway to Snape.
"Tell me what Dumbledore knows," he ordered.
Severus dutifully recited the rehearsed script prepared months in advance: Dumbledore knew he would hear something from the Dark Lord after Pettigrew escaped, but didn't notice what he and his unexpected rescuer were up to until Bertha Jorkin's disappearance. He concluded her disappearance was a blind, as the time gap between the event and Pettigrew's escape was too wide. He also reasoned from the goblet's fourth flame that a loyal Death Eater had infiltrated the Ministry of Magic in order to force Harry Potter to compete in the tournament. However, this Death Eater didn't know Harry Potter had changed his name, so the attempt had been foiled. Since then Dumbledore sought to uncover the agent.
"What does Dumbledore know of my loyal Death Eater?" the Dark Lord asked.
"Dumbledore concluded he must be Bartemius Crouch, Jr., and that he used the Polyjuice potion to replace his father during the Triwizard Tournament," said Severus.
The Dark Lord's expression was like marble.
"…How did he find this out?" he asked quietly.
Severus explained how Dumbledore first used an enchanted map of Hogwarts that revealed the real names of the people present to uncover the agent during the First Task of the Triwizard tournament, reasoning the person who had the wrong name for their physical appearance would be he. When the map didn't reveal anyone who fit this description, Dumbledore used DNA profiling to discern the Death Eater's identity. It was difficult to describe what exactly DNA was to the Dark Lord, but Severus sensed the moment when the Dark Lord understood enough to see how Barty Crouch had blundered.
"So by attending the Yule Ball, Crouch had revealed himself."
"Yes, my Lord," Severus confirmed. "When the DNA profile of Crouch at the ministry was compared to that of Crouch at the Yule Ball, it was determined they were father and son. Therefore, the son must have escaped Azkaban somehow."
"Even though there are witnesses to his burial?"
An ironic smile touched Severus' lips.
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," he quoted. "Dumbledore came very close to discovering Crouch, my Lord, but fate has favoured you. Though Dumbledore knew who to look for, he did not have the means of finding him until the second task. So he waited."
"And waited too long," said the Dark Lord, smiling thinly. "Yes, I see how fate has been on my side in more ways than one…"
Then he abruptly turned serious.
"I have been warned against DNA," said the Dark Lord. "I admit to not paying much attention it, for the warning came from a man who is a poorer wizard than even Wormtail. I see that I have erred. It shall not happen again. Now, who gave Dumbledore the idea to use DNA profiling?"
"Detective Chief Inspector Lestrange, my Lord," Severus answered. "He is the lost Lestrange son—the one Hamon Lestrange abandoned in the Muggle world when it was thought he was a Squib. He is now a senior Muggle law enforcement officer specializing in serious crimes. I have been told DNA profiling is a regular part of Muggle criminal investigations."
"Lucius told me he is rising rapidly through the ranks in the Ministry of Magic," said the Dark Lord thoughtfully. "He cannot be a Squib if he can use magic now. How did he lose the use of his magic and then regain it, Snape?"
"My apologies, Lord," said Severus, bowing. "But I'm not privy to that information."
"Then I expect you to obtain it," said the Dark Lord severely. "You are his pure-blood daughter's teacher, are you not? Gain her confidence and ask."
"I will—immediately."
"See that you do. Now what can you tell me about her grandfather, Shin June Hu?"
Severus dutifully reported Grandmaster Shin was as inscrutable as he had been in the past, and just as disinclined to give his allegiance to any side. But he definitely cared about his family; he left no doubt of this when he threatened to take away the magic of the person responsible for petrifying his daughter via Basilisk. Lucius Malfoy was lucky Shin placed the sole blame on the 'soul wand' that manipulated the Basilisk—i.e. the Dark Lord's diary.
"Lucius, my slippery friend…" said the Dark Lord with cold fury when Severus finished talking. "I see he had acted presumptuously. He shall answer to me. So what came of the diary, Snape?"
"It was destroyed."
A dark aura radiated out of the Dark Lord like a black shockwave after this statement. The candle went out and the tapestries flapped furiously as though a gale tore through them. A weaker wizard would've dropped to their knees at the onslaught, but Severus stoically remained on his feet.
"The fool!" the Dark Lord shrieked. "Lucius would not have live past this day had he still not have some use to me! But he will live to regret it! I shall see to this!"
Severus remained silent while the Dark Lord poured out his fury. Finally, the Dark Lord withdrew his wrath and the tapestries settled down.
"So Shin will neither hinder nor help," said the Dark Lord coldly. "Then so he shall remain. The rest of his family is worthless or else useless. The eldest daughter I have slaughtered and the younger daughter is a Squib. I heard his sons live as Muggles and his granddaughter cannot even properly wield a wand."
"Your information is true, my Lord."
"So much for the Shin family," the Dark Lord sneered. "The son-in-law is an interesting possibility, but I shall wait and see how true the Lestrange blood runs through his veins."
The Dark Lord further inquired into Dumbledore's activities. Snape reported Dumbledore had regrouped the Order of Phoenix and was planning to send an envoy to the Giants. Dumbledore was also planning to send overtures to the werewolf community, promising them a cure. The Dark Lord sneered derisively at both gestures.
Once he sensed the Dark Lord was satisfied with all the information he had, Severus ventured to ask a question.
"My Lord … may I dare ask … how did you achieve this miracle?"
"So you are curious as well," said the Dark Lord, looking amused.
"Dumbledore shared with me his guesses, but he cannot be entirely correct," said Severus. "If it is not too much to ask, how much did he get wrong? He believed your ultimate goal was to kidnap Potter—to kill him in order to show the world the boy has no power over you."
"Not bad," said the Dark Lord, smiling his terrible lipless smile. "Two out of three isn't bad at all … but then, the old fool is sharper than most …
"You know, of course, that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill the boy?" the Dark Lord said softly, his red eyes gazing upon a distance. "I did offer his mother the choice to flee, as you had requested, but she refused. So his mother died in the attempt to save him— and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen … I could not touch the boy."
The Dark Lord raised a white hand and twitched the skeletal fingers as though remembering an old injury.
"His mother left upon him the traces of her sacrifice," the Dark Lord continued. "This is old magic, I should have remembered it, I was foolish to overlook it … the miscalculation cost me dearly. My curse was deflected by the woman's foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon me. Aaah … pain beyond pain, Severus; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost… but still, I was alive. What I was, even I do not know … I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal— to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked … for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive and without the means to help myself …"
The Dark Lord continued his monologue on how he survived in Albania through the only power he had left: the ability to possess the bodies of others. He sometimes inhabited animals— usually snakes as it was his preference— but that was no better than being a pure spirit, apparently. Then Quirrell came to him, four years ago. Quirrell brought the Dark Lord to Hogwarts, and eventually the Dark Lord possessed him to better supervise his efforts to steal the stone. But his plan ultimately failed. He was thwarted, yet again, by Harry Potter.
"But through it I have gained some insight into the boy's powers," said the Dark Lord. "He had an interesting turn of mind and a curious ability … the ability to drain magic. This can be the only reason why he can make Muggle trinkets work in Hogwarts and recover from a stunning spell without any outside aid."
Then the Dark Lord's mouth curled into another cruel smile.
"Tell me, Snape, is the boy's health still fragile?" he asked.
"He requires five different potions daily to maintain it," Severus answered. "I, unfortunately, am no longer in charge of brewing them. It seems Dumbledore wanted to … remove me from certain temptations."
"Yes, I heard your hatred for the boy is strong," said the Dark Lord, sounding satisfied. "It is fortunate that you didn't succeed in poisoning him. Otherwise my second plan for return would have faced a serious setback…"
The Dark Lord then continued his previous monologue. He had almost lost hope after another year and a half in the forests of Albania, but then, on New Year's Eve, Wormtail and Barty Crouch, Jr. came to him.
"It was the perfect birthday present," the Dark Lord mused. "One Death Eater, perfectly loyal to me, and another, though a poor wizard, able-bodied and capable of following directions…"
Through the combined efforts of Crouch and Wormtail, the Dark Lord was able to create a rudimentary, weak body he could inhibit while awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth. With a few spells of his own invention, and a potion concocted from unicorn blood and the snake venom taken from his newly acquired pet Nagini, he almost returned to human form, and strong enough to travel. But his difficulties had only just started.
He couldn't hope to steal the Philosopher's Stone again, as he was certain Dumbledore would have seen it destroyed. So instead of seeking immortality directly, he chose to set his sight to regaining his old body and old strength, before resuming his old goal. To achieve this, he required three powerful ingredients. One he already had: Flesh of a servant, willingly given. Wormtail had a hand to give and he gave it as payment for his treachery only hours ago. The second was the bone of his father. This led him to the place his father was buried. How convenient he was already dead. But the third ingredient, blood of a foe, was tricky…
"Wormtail would have had me use any wizard," said the Dark Lord. "Any wizard who had hated me … and many of them still do. But I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potter's blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago … for the lingering protection his mother once gave him and his ability to drain magic would then reside in my veins as well…
"But how to get Harry Potter? He is far better protected than I think even he knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy's future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy's protection as long as he was in his relations' care. I thought this protection dissolved when they died, but no: Dumbledore had somehow managed to transfer the old blood protection to Potter's new guardians. Not even I can touch him in his new London home."
Severus frowned at this.
"Of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup," the Dark Lord continued. "I thought his protection might be weaker there, away from his guardians and Dumbledore, but I was not yet strong enough to attempt kidnap in the midst of a horde of Ministry wizards. And then, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night. So how could I take him?"
The Dark Lord told Severus how he, Wormtail and Crouch returned to the latter's estate and put Crouch's father under the Imperius Curse. Through Crouch, Sr. they were able to learn about the Triwizard Tournament, Bertha Jorkin's knowledge of Crouch, Jr. and her summer plans. Crouch, Jr. arranged her assassination in Albania—the incompetent wizard he hired being more than capable of killing people from a distance, apparently—and then made his father go about his usual Ministry business. Dumbledore was correct that the Dark Lord had intended to make Harry Potter compete, ensure he won the tournament—that he touch the Triwizard Cup first—so the cup, which Crouch would turn into a portkey, would bring him to the Dark Lord's waiting arms.
"But even this plan almost failed," said the Dark Lord. "Wormtail's blunder would have ruined everything—everything!—had not the boy been in charge of broadcasting the Triwizard Tournament. Even Crouch, loyal and resourceful, failed me many times. He failed to bring the boy to me at the first task, and then he revealed himself to Dumbledore during the Yule Ball. It was pure luck his old House-elf came to visit him when it heard about his father's troubles … he had the presence of mind to order the elf to bring Potter to him, but made the blunder of telling the elf he needed Potter's blood. The elf thus brought only the blood, not the boy!
"I was torn: On the one hand, Crouch procured what I needed in order to restore my old body. On the other hand, I did not have Harry Potter himself. I knew the elf spoke the truth when it had said it had taken the blood directly from Harry Potter. Harry Potter could not stop her because he was ill. Nevertheless the elf had not brought the boy as Crouch ordered. I had no use for an elf that does not obey its masters. So I had it disposed of."
The Dark Lord flared his slit like nostrils, and his red eyes were blank and pitiless.
"For days I brooded," said the Dark Lord. "Should I use the blood, or should Crouch attempt to bring the boy to me again during the second task? Crouch had proved himself loyal, but unreliable. Also, that the elf had known its master was in trouble seemed to suggest Dumbledore was very close to foiling my plans. So I used the blood… and here I am, as you see me…"
The Dark Lord stood tall with smug satisfaction. Severus stood quietly in attention, waiting for his cue.
"Any additional remarks, Snape?" asked the Dark Lord.
"…There is one thing," said Severus, after a long beat. "Your entire rebirth process—from the moment Wormtail placed you inside the cauldron and cut off his hand, to the time you rose from the Cauldron with your old body—has been broadcasted over the Magical Mobile Network.
"But I think my Lord need not worry too much," Severus added as the Dark Lord wiped around in fury. "The Minister for Magic is inclined to believe the broadcast was fake footage a user concocted and sent through the Magical Mobile Network as a tasteless prank. He even went so far as to put the blame on the owner of the Magical Mobile Network for allowing such a thing to happen. So it seems, once again, fate has taken your side."
-oo00oo-
"Well, Severus, I am very glad to see you return in one piece."
That was the first remark Dumbledore made after Severus Snape shakily entered his office just before sundown. Severus grabbed the drink Dumbledore offered and downed in one go.
"Define 'one piece' and we can discuss how wrong you are," Severus snarled after wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
Dumbledore's expression turned grave. "He didn't like your information?"
"He liked it well enough. There was a slight problem in the presentation process."
"Oh, Severus, what happened?"
Severus told Dumbledore how he presented the facts in the order that he gave them. Dumbledore shook his head when he finished.
"It is unfortunate you had to mention the broadcast," said Dumbledore. "But considering the huge uproar it created in our world, it would have been unwise to keep it from him. Did Lord Voldemort ask you how it was filmed?"
"No, he was too upset," said Severus sarcastically.
"Excellent," said Dumbledore grimly. "Then let it remain a mystery to him for now."
"So you will not tell me how Ms. Shin gained the footage?" asked Severus.
"I am not in liberty to talk about it. I'm sorry, Severus, it's more than my magic's worth."
Severus fumed.
"But for what it is worth, I can tell you that it set the stage to our advantage," said Dumbledore.
"How?" Severus growled. "You know the official stance and popular belief is that the footage is a fake."
"Our world has a reason to believe Lord Voldemort has returned," said Dumbledore. "This by itself won't be enough to persuade those who do not wish to believe, but one cannot say there is no reason. That's a good start."
"Your optimism is inspiring," said Severus, heavy with sarcasm. "So what are you up to now?"
"I have a chat with Sherlock that is overdue," said Dumbledore. "I also need to get kidnapped."
"…By whom?!"
"A certain Muggle civil servant," said Dumbledore as he checked his pocket watch. "Speaking of which, I am overdue for that as well. Do try to sleep well, Severus. I'll see you in the morning."
And with that, Dumbledore went swiftly away.
-oo00oo-
Final Notes: You can either read this as the epilogue of GOF or prologue of OOTP. Whichever the case, I hope it clears up several things I was not able to cover in GOF proper.
ETA: though I have finished covering all necessary GOF material as of this chapter, fourth year in ASIM isn't over! You'll get details about the Triwizard Tournament in the later chapters (no longer as relevant to the case, but who knows…)