Severus sat in his office, waiting for Potter and Miss Weasley, bracing himself for what was to come. As he waited, he mulled over his visit earlier with Lucius Malfoy. In his mindseye, he replayed the encounter. He had been aware of the sensitive nature of what he wanted to ask Lucius, and did not want him to refuse to answer in order not to incriminate himself , as the visit was monitored. Severus had therefore devised a plan to get what he wanted.
He had taken his seat across the rough hewn table from the heavily chained Lucius, studying him momentarily, allowing the haggard man the chance to speak first.
"Well, Severus, come to gloat?'' Lucius had croaked, his expression struggling to impart his usual haughtiness.
"No, Lucius," Severus replied, "I've come to speak with you about your son. I imagine you may be concerned about his welfare, given the abrupt ending to your visit with him."
Lucius paused before replying, clearing his throat as he did. "Yes...that was unfortunate...I was caught...off guard with what he asked. My reaction was, I am sure, quite...alarming for him. Is he alright?"
"He was shaken, but seems to have recovered," Severus said, "I answered his question for you."
Lucius gave the expected surprise, caught off guard again, and Severus put his plan into action. "Do you remember when we were in school? How they taught us to...keep an open mind?" Severus asked, simultaneously casting a silent Legilimens and pushing into Lucius' mind.
Severus could tell when the penny dropped; Lucius' eyes widened as he stared at him.
"Exactly," Severus murmured aloud.
Lucius' mind was a chaotic melee of images, but Severus was only interested in one thing.
"The other question Draco asked you, Lucius," Severus prompted quietly.
Images of a frightened and wrong footed Draco during his visit flooded through Lucius' mind. Severus waited until the one he was referring to surfaced.
"That one," he murmured, "where did you get it from? Tell me about it."
Images of a Voldemort as he'd been then, red eyes flashing, seeped in. He handed Lucius a book, saying, "I am entrusting you with this book, Lucius. It is of utmost importance to me. Put it somewhere safe, and guard it with your life. Do this for me, and you will be handsomely rewarded."
"No mention of what it was?" Severus murmured.
"Just a book," Lucius said hoarsely.
Severus could find no memory of Lucius being told anything other than what he'd seen.
"The girl," Severus said, and images of tiny Ginny Weasley holding a cauldron full of books appeared. A hand, Lucius' , Severus could tell from the signet ring, slipping the book into her cauldron unnoticed.
"I see," Severus said.
"Draco tells me the girl...said the name," Lucius said, "I..I don't know h-how she knew it."
"Nobody does," Severus said curtly.
"Severus," Lucius said, and his face was full of a tightly controlled horror. "He's dead, but I fear...the worst."
Severus stared at Lucius, who's mind filled with images of a library, his hand pulling a tome of dark rituals from a shelf. The book opening to an entry describing the ritual involved in creating perhaps the darkest object of all.
Severus' musings were interrupted by a knock at the door, and Potter peeking in.
Severus said, "Enter, Potter. We are awaiting a third for this conversation."
The boy came into his office, which was lit by a warm fire. He had his usual mulish expression, Severus couldn't comprehend why. He had been absent the entire day on his errand. Had the boy got into some mischief? If so, Severus had heard nothing from his colleagues.
Potter took one of the seats reserved for students who dared to take up Severus' valuable time with inane questions and ponderously stupid observations. He sat with a sullen bonelessness that would have quite impressed Severus but for the glare the boy affixed him with when he noticed he was under observation. Severus sighed and waved his wand, doing his best to transfigure the chair in which the boy sat, into something more comfortable.
Potter yelped. "Warn a bloke next time, will you?"
Severus merely quirked a brow at him, letting Potter know that his comment was close to crossing the line they had established earlier about a show of respect.
"Sir," Potter said with a sullen, but not quite disrespectful tone, letting his eyes rove over the shelves of carefully curated oddities that Severus had collected over the years. He displayed them for effect. They discouraged the more squeamish from taking up his time, and were off-putting to those who had the misfortune of incurring his wrath.
As Severus considered the boy, Miss Weasley knocked. Severus bid her enter.
She took the other seat, biting her lip as she did, her eyes casting about nervously. Severus waited a beat, letting both Gryffindors settle before he said, "I am sure you are wondering why I asked you to meet this evening."
Miss Weasley jumped at the sound of his voice, Potter, whose expression had changed to one of bafflement, sat forward with an almost preternatural alertness. The boy's expression reminded Severus forcefully of Albus. There was power in the boy, of that Severus had no doubt.
Potter finally said, "I assumed I was in trouble for something."
"Give it time, Mr Potter, I'm sure we can find some rule-breaking you have done." Severus' answer was said with a dry humour that most teens didn't have the sophistication to perceive.
Potter frowned until Miss Weasley snickered, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Potter muttered, "Merlin, I never can get you… Sir."
"Be that as it may, Mr Potter, Miss Weasley," Severus began, "I would like you both to answer some questions for me about last year's incident."
Miss Weasley squirmed in her chair, clutching her stomach. Severus hid his alarm behind his Occlumency shields as Harry and Ginny looked at each other worriedly.
"Erm...Sir", Harry said hesitantly, "we...well, we...kind of try not to think about that much."
Ginny nodded her agreement, but said nothing.
"Allow me to assure you that while I understand the incident was traumatic for you both, it is of the utmost importance that I understand exactly what happened in the Chamber. Specifically the events surrounding the book Lucius Malfoy slipped into your cauldron, Miss Weasley," Severus said.
Ginny swallowed audibly, looked at Harry, then visibly bracing herself, said, "It was some sort of magical diary, Sir. It...it answered when I wrote in it, it wrote back."
"Yeah," Potter said, "it did when I wrote in it too. It was possessed, Sir."
"Possessed, " Severus repeated.
"Yes, Sir," Ginny spoke up suddenly, " by Tom Riddle. He came out of the diary."
Severus frowned and asked, "He came out of the diary. A ghost?"
"No, Sir," Harry said, "not a ghost. He said he was a memory. He...he was pulling the life force out of Ginny, and using it to... come back to life, I guess. We're not really sure, but it wasn't a ghost."
"It tried to kill Harry too!" Ginny said, "it set the basilisk on Harry, but Harry killed it with the Sword of Gryffindor. But the basilisk bit Harry, and he was dying. It...the memory was glad, because he was taking my life force and Harry couldn't stop him. But then..."
"I killed it, the memory," Harry said, "I stabbed the diary with the basilisk tooth, and it killed him."
Severus stared at the boy, trying to wrap his mind around what he'd just been told.
"Do you mean to tell me you outmaneuvered a fully grown basilisk and stabbed it to death?!" Severus couldn't keep the note of incredulity from his voice.
"With the Sword of Gryffindor, Sir, yes," the boy confirmed.
"And how did you come to possess the Sword of Gryffindor?" Severus asked.
"Fawkes brought me the Sorting Hat, and I pulled it out of there," Harry said guilessly.
"Potter," Severus said, "I would, with your permission, like to cast the Legilimens Spell on you. This will allow me to see into your mind and view the incident you have just relayed. All you need do is relax, bring the memory of it to the forefront of your mind, and allow me to view it. You will feel my presence, but if you remain calm, it will cause you no pain."
"You mean...you're going to...read my mind?" Harry said doubtfully.
"Not exactly," Severus said patiently, "simply view what you allow me to see. In this case, the events in the Chamber. I can give you a Calming Draught to make it easier."
Potter appeared to ponder this a moment, when the girl piped up.
"I'll do it, Sir," she said, "you can look into my mind."
"Thank you, Miss Weasley," Severus said, "however, without your parents' permission and presence, I am afraid it would be inappropriate. As I am Potter's guardian, I only need his permission ."
"It won't hurt?" Harry asked.
"No, Potter. As I said, you will feel my presence, but there will be no pain."
After another few moments, Harry said, "Obviously it's important you do this, so...okay. Go ahead.
Severus fetched a Calming Draught for the boy, watched him take it, and when it had taken effect, said, "Relax. Open your mind as if you were opening a door and inviting me in. Picture it in your mind." He silently cast Legilimens and said, "Show me what happened in the Chamber of Secrets." Severus viewed the events unfold as Potter and the girl had described, watching with horrified fascination as a young Tom Riddle emerged from the diary, Fawkes save the boy with his tears, then carry the children out of the Chamber.
"Finite." Severus said, withdrawing and ending the spell. He kept his suspicions and the revulsion he felt under tight control as he thanked the children, made sure Potter was alright, and sent them off back to Gryffindor Tower.
"I fear, Lucius, you may be right."Severus said to himself.
Severus flung a bit of floo powder into the fireplace, and shouted, "Albus!"
Shortly, the headmaster's smiling head appeared, the green flames licking at his garish hat, "What is it, my boy?"
"Stand aside, Albus, I'm coming through," Severus said tersely.
"Certainly, Severus. Let me call an elf to fetch some tea and cakes." Albus disappeared from the floo.
Severus stepped through and ground out, "I don't need tea or cakes. I need to speak with you about the events in the Chamber of Secrets last year. I've just spoken to Potter and the Weasley girl about those events. Why was the staff not informed, Albus? The boy fought off a basilisk! Used its fang to 'kill a memory'. A memory of Tom Riddle. The Dark Lord in case you've forgotten!" Severus was trying mightily not to lose his temper at this latest outrage.
Albus took his time making his own tea, four sugars, and a dollop of milk. Then he sorted through the cakes, as if looking for the best one. He needed the time to think. Severus was almost like a son to him, no doubt, but he was also the Order's spy. Albus hadn't planned on ever disclosing his suspicions about the cursed diary. If Tom found a way to return to a corporeal state, Severus would have to resume his duties, no matter what. They could not lose him. He was key to Albus' plans.
As Severus began pacing in front of the fireplace, casting darkling looks at Albus in his impatience to get to the crux of the matter, Albus decided. "Sit down, Severus. I do think you have some more information for me, something to do with your trip today."
"After what Draco Malfoy told me about his visit with his father, I paid a visit to Lucius Malfoy myself. Draco had asked the Weasley girl about the events in the Chamber. She told him to look up Tom Riddle. Draco, instead, asked Lucius, and Lucius reacted with horror, frightening his son badly, and the visit was terminated. I wished to question Lucius about the book he slipped to Miss Weasley. He had denied it was anything other than a book to Draco, but the boy knew it had something to do with the events in the Chamber. Lucius allowed me to cast Legilimens on him. I saw that he was given the book, and told it was of utmost importance, to guard it with his life, but was told nothing more. I believe he did not think it to be anything other than a dark tome, and gave it to the girl in an effort to discredit Arthur Weasley, which you know, backfired spectacularly for him." Snape recounted, his tone curt.
Albus sipped his tea, his heart beating a quick tattoo as his mind raced. It took a few moments for him to be able to master the panic and surprise he felt. He needed to keep his tone calm and not give away secrets he might need to keep. He finally asked, "And what do you think the diary was?"
"I believe it was Draco asking about Tom Riddle that prompted Lucius to show me what he, and now myself, having spoken to Potter, suspect the diary actually is. I fear, Albus, that Potter didn't just 'kill a memory". I believe he destroyed a...horcrux."
Severus' words hit Albus as if the younger man had punched him in the gut. He exhaled, growing cold and then hot at the mention of the term horcrux. There was a reason his spy had been considered dark during his school years. He was the most learned scholar in the Dark Arts that Albus had seen in a great while. "I believe you may be correct. I suspected as much when Harry told me what had happened in the Chamber. I also suspected that Miss Weasley had been possessed by the shard of Tom's spirit ensorcelled in that diary."
Albus placed his teacup back on the tray, and looked into the fire. "I also fear that Tom made more than one, possibly as many as five."
Severus turned to look at his mentor with horror. "Five?" he whispered hoarsely. "I've never heard of such a thing! Of anyone...how is that possible?!" He stared at the old man, trying not to recoil in revulsion. "What makes you have such an...abominable thought?"
"Tom is nothing if not… determined." Albus answered, his expression calm. "I've had a bit more time than you have to explore just what my former student might have got up to. He came from a fairly dismal background, even though his mother was truly an heir of Salazar Slytherin. She grew up in poverty with an abusive father and a brother that… well, let's just say he didn't have a normal brother's affection towards her. She died after giving birth to Tom after a failed attempt at marriage with a member of the local gentry. Hogwarts was the first place he'd felt welcomed. I believe that is all the horcruxes he made purposefully. I suspect there may be another but I don't want to make a conjecture about what it might be, just yet."
Severus narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster. What was the old coot up to now? "I became the boy's guardian at your insistence, Albus. When were you planning to tell me you suspected he destroyed a horcrux? I told you when I took him on, I would not tolerate interference from you, nor would I allow you to use him for any of your mad schemes. I asked you to keep me informed about anything concerning the boy, therefore, I ask you once again, Albus. When were you planning on telling me?" His fury was beginning to leak through into his voice, but he no longer cared. This was not to be borne.
"Now, Severus…" Albus began.
"No, Albus, do not 'Now Severus' me. I insist, I demand that you tell me everything you know or suspect about this. If you believe the Dark Lord made other horcruxes, Potter is not...but of course. That is why you insisted I take guardianship. Not mere suspicion then. Do you also suspect Black knows something?"
Albus waved his hand in a vague dismissal. "I have no idea what Sirius Black knows or does not know. As for Tom, we discussed his supposed death before. If you will remember that is why you stayed on at Hogwarts in the first place, to aid Lily's son when, not if, Voldemort made his return." Albus sat forward. "For everyone's sake, I hope my supposition is erroneous. I, however, am not willing to take a chance on either yours or Harry's safety. I will begin hunting for them when I can. Rest assured, I will not allow that monster to return."
"I insist you include me in your hunt, Albus," Severus replied, "I cannot protect the boy to the fullest unless I know exactly what we are up against. Should he indeed return, I will need to convince him that my loyalties have not wavered, that I have remained here at Hogwarts to spy on you, as he bid me do before he was vanquished. I will not only need ro convince him of this, but also as to my motivation for taking guardianship of Potter. Convincing him of my loyalty and the intent of my actions will afford me the opportunity to gain information as to what these other horcruxes may be, and what he did with them."
"I have already asked so much of you, my boy." Albus put all the earnest feeling he could behind the words. "I hope we can avoid his return at all cost. You are so much more than a useful tool. I hope you know that. Perhaps…"
He stopped speaking to gather his thoughts. When he began this day he had no plans to discuss this subject. Severus had blindsided him. He was cognizant of the younger man's impatience, aware of the dangerous position he was in if Tom did, indeed, return. He finally said, "Let me think on this, Severus. We must consider what is best for Harry as well as yourself."
"My peace of mind will serve both myself and the boy best, Albus," Severus said, "you agreed to my conditions in regard to the boy. You have already broken that agreement by not informing me of the events in the Chamber. I trust you will not abuse my trust further."
With that, Severus flooed back to his quarters and the drink he now sorely needed.
Office hours were over for the day and Remus was glad of it. He plodded through his office to his quarters. He'd had to make do with what the elves had provided him for furnishings. He'd had no belongings of his own, not even photographs. The small things he'd inherited from his parents had gone to paying bills, lost in his frequent moves, or been destroyed by the wolf when he couldn't find a safe space during his time of the month. He'd tried to liven things up with a few plants that he'd cadged from Pomona, but they did little to brighten the space. It was filled with things a few might consider antiques, but were really just refuse kept out of the bin by spells and charms.
He took off his teaching robes and his jacket, hanging them neatly on the hooks by the door. His shoes came next. They were as worn as he felt today. He slipped into the one nice thing he owned, a pair of leather slippers that had been given to him by the Muggle family he had worked for a few years back for Christmas. They were fleece lined and comfortable. Next came his tie, a nondescript knitted thing he'd found in one of the vintage boutiques he'd lived by. It had been on sale because of the holes made by moths on the section that would lie closest to a shirt.
Finally he was ready for his night of contemplation. The elves had laid a crackling fire and thoughtfully left a bottle of wine and a glass on the table next to his chair. They'd left it to breathe, the bottle new and ready for consumption. He sank into the chair, grateful it wasn't near his cycle. He needed to think clearly after what Miss Granger and Harry had told him this afternoon.
Obviously, it wasn't a Grim they'd seen, since they, as well as Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy were still alive, and there was no church or churchyard on the grounds for a Churchyard Grim to guard. He chuckled a moment thinking how disappointed Miss Granger would be to know that Grims actually did exist. But back to the question at hand. A large, menacing black dog that had appeared before Harry three times now. While it could indeed simply be a stray from Hogsmeade, it was odd that Hagrid had not encountered it, for surely he would have adopted it and let them all know about his new friend. Remus stretched his feet out closer to the fire, sipped his wine, and stared into the flames. The fire warmed him, and he had a rare moment of contentment. His mind wandered back to Harry, him telling of his latest sighting of the big black dog, by the Shrieking Shack. The Shack...and a big black dog...
Suddenly, Remus sat up straighter, his eyes wide with revelation. Could it be?
He willed himself to relax again. It would do him no good to panic. Surely Sirius, after the depredations of Azkaban, wouldn't be able to work any kind of complex magic. An animagus transformation, while not the most taxing, would most likely be beyond what a man who had spent twelve years in Azkaban could maintain over any length of time.
He attempted to resume his calm state of mind, dwelling on the past they'd shared. It had been quite a shock to Remus that Sirius had betrayed James. Truth be told, he always thought Sirius was a bit too devoted to Potter than was healthy. As a natural observer, he had watched Sirius closely. It didn't take a seer to know that Sirius had been deeply in love with James Potter. Even poor Peter had seen the signs, though James, in his usual careless fashion, had been blissfully unaware of Sirius' feelings for their friend. Perhaps if James had paid closer attention, Sirius' need to exact some type of twisted revenge on him for the sin of not loving him in the way Sirius needed, would have been lessened.
Although Remus had been more surprised to find out that Sirius had become a Death Eater. When Regulus had taken the mark, they'd all had to restrain Sirius before he did harm to his mother, father, and brother. Sirius had fought his entire school career to overcome his family's dark reputation. At the time of his arrest, it seemed so very unlikely that they were talking about Sirius that Remus had dismissed the story out of hand. He'd only accepted it when Peter' finger had been found in the rubble. '
So why now? What had Sirius found so compelling that it prompted him to make a bid for freedom after twelve years?
Was it truly Harry he was after? Was it revenge for baby Harry vanquishing his master, or to simply destroy all those James had loved more than him?
Remus finished off his wine, contemplating the fire. He couldn't stand by and allow Sirius, if indeed it were Sirius, to kill the last bit of James and Lily left. He would search out the dog, see for himself if it were Sirius. He was sure he could recognise him on sight, and if all else failed, he had an excellent sense of smell.
Harry returned from Snape's office to the Tower, and bade Ginny goodnight before climbing up to his own dorm. Sleep would come easy tonight, with the Calming Draught Snape had given him. He felt no ill effect from Snape's foray into his mind, but it had been the strangest sensation. As the man had said, he could feel his presence, but couldn't see him, as if he'd been hiding just out of sight. He'd had the constant feeling he'd catch sight of him at any moment, but never did.
When he entered the dorm, Ron was sitting cross-legged on his bed looking at the map.
"Any luck?" Harry asked, crossing to his own bed.
"No," Ron sighed, "no sign of Scabbers or Crookshanks. So, what happened with Snape? I saw Ginny go down there too, both of you in his office."
"He wanted to know what happened in the Chamber," Harry said.
"Why's he asking about that now?" Ron asked.
"Dunno, " Harry shrugged, "he didn't say why. We just told him and he sent us off."
"That's...those rats!" Ron suddenly exclaimed
"Scabbers?" Harry asked.
"No, " Ron said darkly, "my rat brothers! They came and told me you said they could borrow your invisibility cloak. Said they needed to get some of their prank plans they left in the library. Look where they are! In the kitchens."
Harry looked, and sure enough, there were the twins', in the kitchens, apparently talking to Dobby. He laughed, even as he said, "I never did, you know, I never even saw them."
"I should have known," Ron groused.
"This really is amazing," Harry said, watching the hundreds of the castle's inhabitants moving about their business. "I wonder how this works, how it's made. What spells or charms it took.
Ron shrugged and murmured, "No idea."
"But don't you think we should find out if it's dark or not?" Harry said
Frowning, Ron said, "It's just a map, Harry."
"You mean like how the diary was just a book?" Harry asked.
Ron stared at Harry a moment, then tsked and said,"C'mon, Harry, I don't want to give it up! Besides, Fred and George have had it for a couple years, and nothing bad happened to them!"
"Well...I don't mean give it up, like, turn it in. How about if we ask Professor Lupin to just check it over to make sure it's not dark? I mean, we could ask Snape..." Harry said, going to put his pajamas on.
"No, don't do that," Ron said hastily. He looked down at the map again, watching the footsteps swirl about. "Yeah, alright, we can ask Lupin. But if he confiscates it, Harry, you owe me!"
"Anything you want, Ron," Harry said, climbing into his bed, "be worth the peace of mind."
He yawned hugely, mumbled a goodnight, and drifted off to sleep.
Padfoot made his nightly visit to the bins behind the shuttered shops in the village. He went first to Puddifoots, gleaning some clotted cream and scones. He wolfed that down as quickly as he could, knowing that his hunger, which was bone deep, would not be assuaged by that little treat. There were more sweets and dainties, but they were unreachable to Padfoot, so he loped onwards. His next stop was to Glad Rags. He went there every night to see if there were discarded articles of clothing he could possibly wear. There was still nothing appropriate for a wizard, but several very cute tees with Brownies and depictions of Titania festooned with glitter were to be found. He thought about taking them and wearing them under his prison garb when it grew colder, but just couldn't. Maybe if James or even Remus had been there to witness it for a laugh…
Thoughts of his friends always made him unnecessarily maudlin. He couldn't afford the dark path they led him down, so he turned from the bin of the shop. Across the street was The Three Broomsticks. He could usually find a fairly decent amount of fresh food. He slipped into the shadow, taking the long way around to avoid notice. Once in the alleyway, he headed towards the bin. He was in luck tonight. Someone had discarded several meat pies and a not quite spoiled rasher of bacon. He quickly scarfed those down, and then looked for more. He found a few half-eaten treacle tarts and a bit of dry cake. He ate the tarts, but left the cake. He'd need water or a glass of good wine to make that edible.
He was full, so he made his final circuit of the forest that lay between the village and Hogwarts. As Padfoot, he could feel when he crossed the magical border of the school. Suddenly his little friend, a crup that had discovered him a few weeks ago, ran up to him. The little dog licked his face affectionately, then gave a play bow. Padfoot was content and full, and gave chase to the smaller dog, who scampered around for a bit before it began snuffling through some leaf litter excitedly.
Padfoot's heart raced. Could it be that the dog had found Peter? Things couldn't be that easy for him, could they? The crup barked once and then pounced on the interesting spot a few times. Padfoot rushed to the dog, hoping to catch the scent of the traitor so he could show the world that Sirius Orion Black had most certainly never taken the Dark Mark. He joined the crup in his sniffing, only catching an old whiff of the rat. Pettigrew had been in the area, but it had been a few days ago.
A man's voice called from a distance away, "Toooooooony! Big Tooooooooony!"
The crup whined, but then shot off with a joyful bark at the larger dog.
Padfoot resumed his final round of the day, circling back into the woods until he reached the Shrieking Shack.
As the dog, he pushed his way through the loosened boards of the structure's doorway. Once inside, he transformed back into his human form.
Sirius pulled the boards back in place and trudged up the creaking stairs to the room he called his. It was where Remus had spent his nights when Moony came out. There was a tattered and stained mattress and not much else in the room. He sat on it, taking off his stolen boots and pulling up the blanket he'd found on a cottage fence that had been left to air out. While the shack was less drafty than the cave in the hill had been, he couldn't risk a fire, so he usually huddled under that blanket until exhaustion made him unable to stay awake.
He settled in for his usual night time torments when he felt another presence. He sat up quickly, pulling his father's wand out of his sleeve and into his hand. "Who's there?"
A soft answer came, "Mwroar!"
Sirius relaxed. The hideous cat was back. Somehow the kneazle hybrid had made it his quest to take care of Sirius. He would bring beheaded mice, small rabbits, and the occasional fire newt and frog to him. It was sweet and Sirius, while he wouldn't eat the offerings, would thank the moggie, thoroughly praising him for his efforts. Some nights the cat stayed with him, sleeping against his back or at the top of his head.
Sirius felt the squashed-face cat climb onto the mattress and as he finally laid down, the cat assumed his place at Sirius' side. He butted Sirius with his head several times before settling down for a good cleaning. The soft rhythmic motion soothed Sirius, and before he knew it, he was asleep.
