CHAPTER FIFTEEN: CONFRONTATIONS

Quidditch Pitch

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland

19 November 1994

Harry bounced on the balls of his feet, nervous energy coming off him in waves. This was it. This was the day of the first Quidditch match, and the first real test of Harry's leadership. Sure, there had been individual practices, and the inevitable squabbling that came with the role of captain, but this was the first test. If he failed, Harry didn't know how he'd handle it. It would be too embarrassing for words.

Harry took a moment to take a deep breath, center himself, and square his shoulders before entering the locker room. It was important that he lead by example, and it was especially important today. If the team saw he was relaxed and confident, they would be relaxed and confident, and play at their best. Otherwise... Harry hated to think of the consequences.

Projecting a confidence and sense of balance he certainly didn't feel, Harry strode into the locker room. Most of the team was already there, and in the process of changing.

"Alright," Harry announced. "We're going to have a team meeting in about fifteen minutes, so make sure you're ready by then. Who's missing?"
"Just Ginny and Demelza," Ron replied from the other side of the locker room, "I'm sure they're on their way."

Ginny and Demelza arrived, breathless, just a minute later. "Sorry, didn't mean to be late!" they chorused.

"It's fine, we'll be having a team meeting in fifteen minutes to go over our game plan," Harry said. "Do whatever you need to get ready."

Fifteen minutes went by in almost no time, but the entire team managed to get their kit on and be ready for the meeting. Harry studied his team closely. Everyone looked relatively calm, with the exception of Demelza, who clearly was quite nervous for her first Quidditch game at Hogwarts. The uniforms...were uniforms. Harry had a strong suspicion that Professor Dumbledore had taken over the uniform designing job since they were rather brightly colored in different shades of red, yellow, and orange with a bold hippogriff emblazoned on the back.

"Alright, everyone! Gather around!" Harry called. "As you all know, we have our first match today!"

"Here, here!" shouted Ron.

Harry gave him a look. "We're going up against the Bouncing Unicorns -"

Ginny stifled a snort.

"- and while they're a good team, we're a whole lot better! We've got a great Keeper, Ron!"

The team cheered.

"Three amazing Chasers, Ginny, Demelza, and Baptiste!"

The team cheered again.

"Two phenomenal Beaters, Stefan and Leila!"

The team cheered a third time.

"And," Ron said, chiming in, "we've got a Seeker who's just okay!"

The team booed, and Ron grinned.

"Just messing with you," he said, "we've got the best Seeker at Hogwarts, the youngest Seeker to play on a House team in a century, our very own Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter!"

The team cheered and stomped their feet. Harry could feel himself blushing. "Thanks, Ron. Anyway, we've got quite the team, and we're going to crush the other team. Their captain is Roger Davies, who also captained the Ravenclaw team last season. He's got decent Chaser tactics, but doesn't have any idea how to coach his Beaters and Seeker. Their Chasers will likely be favoring the Hawkshead formation and very likely won't go for a Holyhead style zone defense. Beaters, if you can disrupt the Hawkshead, then most of their plays will be compromised. Also, Ron, remember that Draco favors the left hoop."

Ron nodded his understanding.

"Individually, both of their Beaters are strong - Fred Weasley and Brutus Scrimgeour. However, Weasley and Scrimgeour aren't going to have nearly as much chemistry as Weasley had with his twin, so they should be manageable. Their weakest link is probably the Keeper, Andrew Davis, so make sure to press that advantage early so they can't recover. Baptiste, what's your sister like as a Seeker? Anything I should worry about?"

Baptiste chuckled. "Harry, if you can nearly best Viktor Krum, you have nothing to worry about from my sister."

Harry could feel himself blushing again. "Alright, if we're all ready, let's put our hands in. Hippogriffs on three! One, two, three…"

"HIPPOGRIFFS!" they cheered.

"Let's line up," Harry said. "They'll be announcing us soon. Everyone make sure you have your broom."

They lined up, Chasers, then Beaters, then Keeper, then Seeker. Harry walked up the line, checking to make sure everyone looked ready. "Doing alright, Delmelza?"

Demelza offered him a weak smile. "I'm nervous. I'm...I'm worried I'll let the team down."

"You won't," Harry said confidently.

"How do you know that? I'm the least experienced and -"

Harry cut her off before she could finish. "I was in your shoes once. I did fine, and so will you. Everyone gets nervous - I would be more worried if you weren't, actually. Besides, I wouldn't have picked you for this team if I didn't think you were capable."

"But -"

"Demelza, you are very talented. You're going to do just fine. I believe in you." Harry clapped her on the shoulder, and took his place in line.

From outside, they could hear the familiar tones of Lee Jordan.

"Welcome, all, to the first match of the Cooperative Quidditch Tournament! In the spirit of international cooperation and forming friendships, each Quidditch team in this tournament has a mix of different Hogwarts houses and international students. This tournament is a double elimination style tournament, so each team is guaranteed a minimum of two games.

"Today's match features the Dancing Unicorns versus the Galumphing Hippogriffs! Playing for the Dancing Unicorns we have…Davies! Malfoy! Viridian! Weasley! Scrimgeour! Davis! Aaaand Malfoy! Playing for the Galumphing Hippogriffs we have...Weasley! Robins! Malfoy! Krum! Warrington! Weasley! Aaaaaaand Potter!"

All the tension Harry had been carrying with him drained away as he kicked off, wind tearing at his hair. Everyone got into the faceoff position, and Harry failed to suppress a loud chuckle. If the Galumphing Hippogriff uniforms were bright and colorful, he didn't quite have words to describe what the Bouncing Unicorns were wearing. Their uniforms were decked out in various shades of pink, purple, and silver, and Harry was worried he might go blind from the sheer shock of it.

"Captains, please shake hands," Madam Hooch demanded. "Quaffle is ready...TWEET!"

"And the Quaffle is in play!" shouted Lee Jordan, "Weasley in possession! She used to play Seeker for Gryffindor, but has taken up Chaser. Merlin, look at her fly! Quaffle goes to Malfoy - Baptiste Malfoy, that is - back to Weasley, Weasley passes to Robins, back again to Weasley...Weasley shoots...and scores! Unicorns Keeper just barely misses saving that Quaffle!"

Harry inwardly cheered. Scoring the first goal always had a way of lifting a team's spirits, and now it was just a question of whether they could keep it up. The other question was a matter of finding the Snitch. Harry started moving in a serpentine search pattern, carefully scanning the pitch for any sign of gold while simultaneously keeping an eye on his teammates and the other Seeker. Apolline Malfoy was busy scouring the other side of the field, albeit not in the most efficient way. Harry quickly debated trying a Wronski feint to test the other Seeker, then decided against it. It was better to keep his skill with that particular move quiet, especially given how much he'd managed to improve his feint since the last time he'd used it in competition.

Harry checked the scoreboard - 40-0 in their favor - before continuing to look for the Snitch. Usually it wasn't seen this early in the game, but sometimes Harry got lucky. After over five minutes of careful searching, Harry finally caught a glimmer of gold. He subtly corrected his course so Apolline wouldn't catch on until it was too late, and then went into a dive. Moments later, the snitch was clutched in his hand.

"Galumphing Hippogriffs win in a landslide!" Lee Jordan announced in seeming disbelief. "220-30!"

Joy soared in Harry's chest. They'd done it. It was only the first match, but still, they'd done it, and no one could take that joy away from them.

Severus Prince's Personal Quarters

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland

19 November 1994

It was very cozy, Aurora reflected, sitting as they were. She was cuddled up in an afghan in the corner of Severus' slightly worn chesterfield, feet tossed unceremoniously across his lap. He'd conjured a desk to float over her feet, and was working on grading, occasionally pausing to read particularly stupid exerpts. It was very cozy, it was very easy, this thing they had. It would be all too easy to pretend that everything was peachy, and that none of Severus' political responsibilities would come between the two of them.

Regretfully, neither she nor Severus were that stupid. She also couldn't forget the last time she had tea with Sybill. Aurora believed in Divination selectively. There were plenty of pretenders who claimed to tell fortunes, but Sybill was a True Seer. She'd made predictions on Aurora's behalf several times, and hadn't been wrong. At least not yet. Aurora shivered, remembering the last time she had tea with Sybill. There'd been something different, that time. Something older and more terrible had spoken through her friend, and Aurora feared following the advice as much as she feared ignoring it.

There was, of course, the off chance that Sybill had been wrong. It was the lie Aurora kept telling herself, putting off confronting Severus. It was an exercise in futility, and Aurora hated herself for it. She needed to screw her courage to the sticking place and simply ask one question. It was easy to say within the confines of her mind, but very difficult to follow through with.

Aurora closed her eyes, and all she could picture was Sybill, blood oozing from her pores, and the rotten odor that had taken over her breath. The words, uttered in a rambling, panicked scream, the cards don't lie, Aurora Sinistra, and should you fail to listen to their warning, as you have failed to listen to the omens before, all of us will be in grave danger...should you continue forth blindly, your fate will be a dark one, the forged sword will cleave you in two, and the Chessmaster will rise not as a saviour to us all but as a dark and broken figure that will haunt wizardkind for generations to come.

Aurora shivered again, and Severus began to absentmindedly rub her feet. The reading hadn't been the first time Aurora saw Sybill bleed from her eyes. However, it had been the first mention of the Chessmaster, which had been decidedly odd. Sybill typically used astrological symbols in her readings, referring to different actors as planets. Sometimes she would deviate from that, preferring symbols that occasionally resided within her tarot cards, such as the forged sword, or a simple moniker, such as the prodigal son. The Chessmaster, however, had been spoken with a weight to it, as if she were speaking of a Deity themself.

Try as she might, Aurora could not get Sybill's words out of her head. "Severus?"

"One moment," he said absently, quill scratching on parchment. "Yes?"

Aurora swallowed. It was cozy, this thing they had, and with one question, she was more than capable of destroying it. "Severus, when were you going to tell me the Dark Lord returned?"

Silence hung heavily in the air, and Severus' fingers twitched, as if he were about to draw his wand. "Where did you hear that?" he demanded, voice a soft, deadly whisper.

"Sybill."

Something changed in Severus' face. "Sybill."

"Yes." Aurora pulled her feet back from Severus' lap. "She...she Saw things. The implications were frightening."

"And you believe such things?"

"I do." Aurora's voice was barely a whisper.

"Why?"

"Because if I listened to her during the last war, some of my family could still be alive."

Silence hung once again in the air.

"Severus...Sybill Saw many things swirling around you, and most weren't kind."

"I have experienced many unkindnesses."

"You know that's not what I mean, Merlin damnit! Please. Answer my question."

"And if I decline to?"

Aurora fixed him solidly in her gaze. "You won't."

Severus looked away, and for a moment, Aurora thought he wouldn't answer. "I don't know."

"What?"

"My answer. Honestly, I don't know."

"I don't understand."

"There is nothing not to understand. I quite honestly had no plan to tell you."

Aurora was shocked. "...why?"

Severus once again refused to make eye contact. "Because it was the best way to protect you."

"Severus, I -"

"Please do not push me on this," Severus said, suddenly sounding tired.

"I -"

Severus stood up abruptly. "I will be back later. Please do not follow me."

Aurora watched him leave, wondering if she'd ruined the only good thing she had. She stayed up to the wee hours of the morning waiting for him, but he didn't return. Not for a long while.

Salazar Slytherin's Secret Library

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland

20 November 1994

Harry entered the library, idly whistling through his teeth while swinging a bag of dead rats, then stopped short. Hermione had entirely taken over the desk, and had multiple books and parchments strewn across the entire surface.

"Hiya, Hermione."

Hermione jumped. "Merlin, you scared me!"

"I'm not Merlin, I'm Harry!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Did you need something?" She caught sight of the bag. "Harry, what are you carrying?"

"Dead rats."

"Why?"

"I was going to spend some time with the basilisk. She gets lonely."

Somehow, this made Hermione look even more distressed. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

Harry took a closer look at his friend. Hermione had dark circles under her eyes, and seemed rather frantic. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said shortly.

Harry put down the bag of rats. "You don't seem fine. What's going on? Anything I can help with?"

Hermione stuck out her chin, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to tell him to get stuffed. Then, her chin dropped, and she stared morosely at her notes. "I figured out the second task."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Harry asked, aiming for positivity.

"I'm hoping I'm wrong."

"Why?"

"It involves flying. As in, on a broomstick flying."

"Oh."

"I don't know what I'm going to do!" Hermione all but wailed. "The stupid flying part in the first task is why I didn't get to the Snidget fast enough to win! I know it's stupid, but I feel like this whole thing is stacked against me, and everyone is just waiting for the muggleborn to fail."

"Breathe, Hermione. Alright. Breathe. It's going to be fine. There's plenty of time before the second task. Ron and I will make sure you're more than comfortable flying, and it'll be so much easier for you to learn on a Nimbus 2001 than on those shoddy brooms we had to use for flying class."

"Harry, I can't afford a Nimbus 2001."

"I didn't say you had to buy one. I'll make sure you can borrow one from the Slytherin House brooms."

"Aren't those just for Quidditch?"
"Technically. But don't worry, I'll make it happen. All you need to worry about is the other components of the tasks and getting on the broom when we tell you to fly. Alright?"

Hermione was only partially listening. "What if I fail?"

"You won't."

"But what if I do? It'll be humiliating…"

"Hermione. Look at me. Firstly, you aren't going to fail, at least not with whatever flying stuff they've concocted. Ron won't let you fail, and I sure as hell won't let you fail either. If you fail on other parts of the tasks, I'm certain the other champions will fail worse. You're easily the smartest person I know, and if you can't figure out how to solve a challenge, I doubt any of the other champions will be able to solve it either."

Hermione wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Harry."

"You'll do amazing, I know it. Now, I'm going to go feed these rats to Tilly, and then I'll go talk to Professor Prince about letting you borrow a broom. Alright?"

Hermione gave a watery smile. "Alright."

"And then Ron and I will make a plan, and then we'll teach you to fly better than the Hufflepuff Quidditch team - er, sorry, that would definitely sell your abilities short…"

"Just go entertain the basilisk."

"Yes. Alright. Sorry. Going now." Harry exited the library, bag of rats in hand, and climbed the concealed staircase up into the Chamber of Secrets, mind buzzing with how to convince Hermione that flying really was quite easy.

Thomas Gaunt's Personal Study

Gaunt House, Cornwall

20 November 1994

Thomas took a moment to savour the whiskey. It was a wonderfully rich and subtle whiskey, and likely cost more per bottle than most wizards made in a month. Thomas expected nothing less from Lucius. He gave the glass another swirl, taking a moment to admire its dark amber color before taking another sip.

"Fantastic choice, Lucius."

Lucius inclined his head. "Thank you."

"Now, on to more important matters. The Dark Lord wishes for me to continue with our summer camp initiative, and also desires your insight on several other matters."

Lucius' interest was clearly piqued.

"For the summer camp initiative," Thomas continued, "we plan to continue our current program, and also add in some additional programs to further educate underprivileged wizarding youth on the proper traditions. We already determined one program we would like to implement, however, there is one logistical roadblock that would require your assistance. The program is tentatively titled 'Home to Hogwarts' and will target incoming first years. The challenge, of course, is identifying those individuals."

"The Board of Governors will be more than able to assist with that request," Lucius said smoothly. "How many students do you anticipate including, and what is the duration of the program?"

"Our initial goal is ten students, and the program would run for a minimum of one week. The students would each pay a nominal fee, and the Gaunt Estate would fund most of the program."

"Would you be looking for additional funding? Malfoy Enterprises is always looking for new opportunities."

Thomas smiled. "Actually, I was hoping you would fund an initiative of your own. After all, it defeats the purpose of summer camps and programs to educate the youth if they go home to Muggle filth each summer and forget all they have learned. Perhaps Malfoy Enterprises could fund an internship program to help pair young mudbloods and disadvantaged halfbloods with job opportunities in our world appropriate to their station."

"I am certain we could develop something," Lucius said, a shark-like grin gracing his features.

"Excellent. We can discuss this matter again, say, this time next week and determine other parties who should be involved. I would advocate for Narcissa's involvement, since she holds a position on the primary school board."

"I will speak to her and have her sound out any other who may be sympathetic to our cause."

"I look forward to it. The next question may strike you as strange, but it is of the utmost importance."

Lucius indicated his understanding with a graceful nod.

Thomas swirled his glass, and took a sip. Wonderful. Just wonderful. He made eye contact with Lucius. "Do you trust Severus?"

Lucius was clearly surprised by the question. "I do not truly trust anyone, with the exception of Narcissa. However, I do trust Severus more than most. Am I foolish to do so?"

"Many point to the years spent in Dumbledore's pocket as reasons to disbelieve Severus, alongside certain admissions made in closed court."

Lucius shook his head. "I am aware of those admissions, however, I went to Hogwarts with Severus. I sponsored him as a Death Eater, and financially assisted him in obtaining his R. in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts - although for Severus, it was much more of a study in the Dark Arts and Magicks Arkane. I know that man, and he could never be the kind of creature who would work for Albus Dumbledore."

A slow smile crept across Thomas' face. "Good. The last discussion we need to have tonight directly involves the Dark Lord's plans involving the Ministry. He wishes for us to keep our 'humanitarian' efforts separate from the actions of the Death Eaters, and wants both of us to ensure we have ironclad alibis for any upcoming Death Eater attacks. He has several in the works and would like our opinions…"

Lucius leaned in closer, and they began to plan in earnest.

A/N: And here's another chapter! I've had a lot more time to write due to the quarantine, so in addition to working more on this fic, I've started going through my google drive and rehabilitating some old abandoned projects. I'm starting to post those, so shameless plug to go check out Purple Like Violets, which is my take on a Pureblood!Hermione AU. More chapters and more fics will hopefully be posted this weekend! Here's to staying safe!