#because he was an infant and has never seen bellatrix | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

halothenthehorns · 3 years ago

Text

TLTNL- SPINNER’S END

Jeez! I went back and checked, and James has read both previous chapters where Wormtail's done crap to them! Not to mention the crappiest chapter in two and Sirius' death in five! Merlin help me, I didn't do it on purpose, I swear! Prongs forgive me! At this point it's not even funny anymore, it's just depressing that James once again got the chapter where Wormtail is in it and doing more things to torment them...

HPHPHPHP

James started without much more enthusiasm than his wife had, but after that beginning he almost wished it would get back to Harry. Better to hear of his son than the rest of the depressing news they couldn't escape in their own time, they didn't need Harry's future piling it up.

Many miles away the chilly mist that had pressed against the Prime Minister's windows drifted over a dirty river that wound between overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks. An immense chimney, relic of a disused mill, reared up, shadowy and ominous. There was no sound apart from the whisper of the black water and no sign of life apart from a scrawny fox that had slunk down the bank to nose hopefully at some old fish-and-chip wrappings in the tall grass.

They all raised confused brows at the start to this as well. Unless Harry was starting in some truly odd place, this was like nothing they recognized.

But then, with a very faint pop, a slim, hooded figure appeared out of thin air on the edge of the river.

"Oh, well at least we're still hearing about our world, I got concerned there for a minute Evans had picked up one of her other books," Sirius rolled his eyes.

The fox froze, wary eyes fixed upon this strange new phenomenon. The figure seemed to take its bearings for a few moments, then set off with light, quick strides, its long cloak rustling over the grass.

With a second and louder pop, another hooded figure materialized.

She called out for the first, but the harsh cry startled the fox, now crouching almost flat in the undergrowth. It leapt from its hiding place and up the bank. There was a flash of green light, a yelp, and the fox fell back to the ground, dead.

Remus couldn't help but frown lightly at such brutality to an animal. All of them were shifting in unease that clearly they were hearing of something they wouldn't want Harry around. Anyone who sent that kind of curse out on a first instinct could be nothing but a Death Eater.

The second figure turned over the animal with its toe and muttered for herself the explanation of it being a fox, though she'd feared it being an Auror- then called after Cissy to wait again.

As if he'd needed his suspicions confirmed, Sirius' face spasmed with hate for that echo of his childhood being recalled. Only Narcissa's sisters called her that, when he or his brother tried they'd been cursed with much worse than a stinging hex. Obviously, unless something quite deranged was going on, that wasn't Andromeda chasing down a Malfoy, so then...

"Sirius?" The concern of his godsons voice jolted him out of his own head, but it helped nothing to have even a vague idea of what was being told. All he could do now was hope more than ever Harry wasn't anywhere around this. "Don't worry pup, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," James disagreed at once, scrutinizing him as much as Harry was.

"You recognize who that is," Remus agreed, crossing his arms and making it clear Sirius wasn't going to worm out of this one.

Sirius sighed, but recognizing it would come sooner than later so there was no point in sitting on it, he admitted his shrewd idea of who these two women were.

The reaction was not pretty.

"Deep breaths Harry," he tried to soothe anyways, his godson had at once flipped to that look of murderous outrage that honestly scared the others. It just wasn't natural for him.

Harry hardly seemed to hear him, unable to focus on anything but that mad laugh echoing through his mind.

"Come on now Harry," Sirius kept wheedling, throwing his mind around for anything he could say, and more disturbed than anything it was so hard keeping his attention.

"Why do we have to hear this!" His voice filled with far more anger than any of them had ever heard.

"You think we've enjoyed hearing the rest of the mess you've been in? We don't exactly get to pick and choose," Lily reminded with sympathy, she'd happily skip this as well, but worried that since it was included, it would be important to Harry later, and that was far more important than her own discomfort for the reminder of what this woman would do.

Harry wanted to keep arguing, he didn't find it important at all to hear what they were up to, it would only make the pain all the sharper when he was forced to remember his miserable time at the Dursley's later, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt the murder of Sirius had only impacted his life and no one else's.

As his father kept going though, he held his tongue for one reason only, he wanted to know what their plan was, to be able to stop it.

Narcissa paid her no mind, telling Bella to go back.

Sirius flinched, not exactly happy he was right, but yawned theatrically to keep attention on himself for another reason, smiling innocently on them all.

She'd already heard what Bella had to say, she'd made her decision.

James already had little goosebumps all along him, wanting to smash this book on both of their heads and then continue into cursing them with everything he had, but instead he forced himself to focus on what they were actually saying. It wasn't a good sign they were arguing about something.

Bellatrix ignored her and followed her sister into a row of dilapidated old houses, frowning with contempt he lived here? In this Muggle dunghill?

Sirius made a heavy noise of contempt and rolled his eyes, stating, "of course if it isn't covered in little kids she can torture she won't approve-"

He stopped as Harry's grip on him turned bruising painful, and he relinquished he wasn't going to be getting away with that kind of humor around his pup, who kept freaking out about every little thing like it was going to drag him away right now.

Narcissa ignored her and continued on her path, but Bellatrix caught her again at the tail end of a street, imploring Cissy he couldn't be trusted. Narcissa snapped the Dark Lord did, but Bellatrix stated with great unease she believed the Dark Lord mistaken.

They all startled in surprise for that, though Sirius hardest of all. He just couldn't picture it, that maniac of a teenager fantasizing about You-Know-Who as long as Sirius had known her, the cold blooded woman who'd dropped out of school the moment she'd found a way into their crew. It was mind numbing, what Narcissa could be doing to have Bellatrix saying something like this!

"Well whoever this is, I approve," James said at once.

"Don't go jumping conclusions now," Remus tired to caution. "Just because Bellatrix approves of him doesn't mean-"

James completely ignored him. He was going to keep looking for something to put a smile back in his wife, even if it wouldn't work on himself, and her seeing him push for this to be a good thing was the closest he'd already gotten today, so he wouldn't let Moony ruin it.

Narcissa drew a wand from beneath her cloak, holding it threateningly in the other's face. Bella merely laughed.

"That sounds right," Sirius muttered for himself.

Claiming she wouldn't to her own sister, but Narcissa declared in near hysteria there was nothing she wouldn't do anymore,

They all frowned uncomfortably for this. It didn't garner sympathy for her exactly, James was still trying to read with the air this should all be considered a good thing for them, but at the same time it was worrying what had this Death Eater so on edge.

and as she brought down the wand like a knife, there was another flash of light. Bella let go of her sister's arm as though burned.

Sirius wasn't even surprised she'd done it, he'd give Narcissa credit for being determined, plus he wanted to applaud anyone burning Bellatrix considering with every passing second Harry paled more for just having to hear her name.

Bellatrix shouted after in, more surprise than pain, but Narcissa had rushed ahead. Rubbing her hand, her pursuer followed again, keeping her distance now, as they moved deeper into the deserted labyrinth of brick houses. At last, Narcissa hurried up a street named Spinner's End,

Lily startled so much in surprise the infant in her lap wailed. She moved robotically to place him closer to her chest, her eyes a far distance away from their home now.

"Lily?" James called in concern, moving to put this aside and go to her.

"I-he- why-" she seemed incapable of getting a full sentence out, even when her husband sat down beside her and started playing with her hair. He'd never missed an opportunity to learn something about her, even the unpleasant things like this so clearly was.

The boys were honestly terrified to know what had caught her so off guard, worse than even Bellatrix could have done. Yet Harry picked up the book his dad had discarded and kept going through the stunned silence, still far more determined to keep Bellatrix Lestrange in his sights and not get distracted by anything else.

over which the towering mill chimney seemed to hover like a giant admonitory finger.

Sirius did manage a snort of laughter of all things, still eyeing his would be sister with worry and hoping to catch her attention like usual, but she still seemed lost beyond holding her child as close to her as she could.

She had knocked on the door before Bella, cursing under her breath, had caught up. Together they stood waiting, panting slightly, breathing in the smell of the dirty river that was carried to them on the night breeze. After a few seconds, they heard movement behind the door and it opened a crack. A sliver of a man could be seen looking out at them, a man with long black hair parted in curtains around a sallow face and black eyes.

"That's not-" James tired to yelp in protest, but his infant still whining slightly in his mothers ear cut him off. The reaction wasn't any less vivid in silence, his face twisted with more dislike than he ever could have called upon as a teenager. After what Snape had done to Sirius, to Harry last year! He didn't care what Dumbledore or the Order said, he'd never get near Snivellus without making sure the man never walked away from it.

Then it all really caught up to him, and he glanced down at his beautiful red head, whispering what he already knew, "you knew that was going to be him."

Lily had to take a careful breath before answering, and even then she spoke so quietly it was as if she was hoping no one would hear her. "Spinner's End is the street we used to live on." Now that the words were out, the damn of her mind broke, and so many questions poured through her she didn't know where to begin. Why was he still living there, he'd hated it more than her! She knew teachers could live at the castle, and that's where she'd thought he'd been staying if she'd considered it at all. Why this place? What held him there all these years later when Lily hadn't even been since her final summer there with her parents, and had refused visiting his actual place since the summer before. She wouldn't speak to him at their home anymore than she would at school.*

"Sounds like a dump," Sirius inserted in what he clearly thought was a helpful tone of voice. "Suits him, though I can't picture you in such a rundown place."

"Gone to seed just like your old neighborhood," Remus reminded. Honestly neither could picture it, even with how many years they'd spent in school watching Evans seek out Snivellus, the same little girl going over to her friends house like they had for James so many summers.

Harry was no more happy to continue than his mother now. If Umbridge and Voldemort appeared here, all the people he most hated in his life would be in one place, only focusing on half of them wasn't anymore fun.

Narcissa threw back her hood. She was so pale that she seemed to shine in the darkness; the long blonde hair streaming down her back gave her the look of a drowned person.

Harry shivered in particular disgust for that description.

Snape answered the door cordially enough, greeting Narcissa with something of a pleasant demeanor, though Bellatrix with a mocking nod.

Sirius made an agitated little expression he shared anything with Bellatrix, their blood was already too much, he didn't need added something like Snape's loathing.

They had stepped directly into a tiny sitting room, which had the feeling of a dark, padded cell.

James opened, and quickly closed his mouth. Of the multiple snide comments he had for that, seeing Lily so tense and ill at ease would never make any of them funny. He wasn't even sure he understood why she was so upset, she'd been adjusting to listening to him the past few days without such a clear problem. She'd even defended his position in the last one that he'd done all he could to help Sirius, not that James believed that. The only conclusion he could draw was somehow picturing him back in his childhood home made it all the harder to continuously recognize he was in fact now using the very same place Lily had once sought refuge to house Death Eaters instead.

He was exactly right, she just didn't have the words for it. Lily instead took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, just taking comfort in her life now and refusing to cry again for her past.

The walls were completely covered in books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather; a threadbare sofa, an old armchair, and a rickety table stood grouped together in a pool of dim light cast by a candle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling. The place had an air of neglect, as though it was not usually inhabited.

Sirius did not have the same reserves as Prongs, taking full advantage of this. "Which genuinely surprises me he leaves his cave at all! How he can stand the sunlight I still don't understand."

Remus gave a forced laugh while Harry couldn't even muster up a smile, just trying to get through this as fast as possible.

Snape gestured Narcissa to the sofa. She threw off her cloak, cast it aside, and sat down, staring at her white and trembling hands clasped in her lap. Bellatrix lowered her hood more slowly.

Dark as her sister was fair, with heavily lidded eyes and a strong jaw, she did not take her gaze from Snape as she moved to stand behind Narcissa.

Snape asked what he could do for them, but Narcissa first confirmed they were alone?

Snape agreed they were, considering he didn't count vermin like Wormtail.

"He what!?"

Sirius had gone still as stone, and Remus had actually fallen out of his seat in surprise. Lily took the moment to leap across him and everything as she went to put their infant away from any mention of this.

James' shout reverberated off the walls and was still echoing back when he snatched the book back to him, nearly taking a few of Harry's fingers with it. He just couldn't imagine this, of all things!

His Peter in the company of Voldemort was enough to burn his soul, what he'd done to Harry was unforgivable, but this was...just unbelievable! He'd hardly a moment in the haze of his worry for Sirius to just be grateful there had been no mention of his lost brother, to find some small bit of happiness Peter hadn't been involved in Sirius' death. Beyond trying not to think about him at all, he'd never questioned what he was up to, let alone this!

Then Sirius started to laugh.

It was maniacal, and unhinged, but he neither noticed, nor cared. This was by far the one and only thing in the world Sirius had never envisioned doing to him, and yet it was such a punishment Sirius couldn't have done better himself! They'd spent the best years of their life looking down on Snivellus, now him of all people was in the same house as him, and Snape was the superior of this!

Remus got uneasily back into his seat, but even more distracted from what he was really hearing now more than before. This mess of a future just kept managing to hit them with the heaviest bricks it could find, every one of them leaving a larger hole than the last.

Lily came practically stamping back in, rubbing at her temple and not aware of any of this as she sat down next to Harry. She had been expecting a miserable start to her sons next year, unavoidable considering who would be missing from all of it now, but none of them would have predicted they'd start off this bad when they hadn't even gotten to Harry yet.

Harry felt the same, and honestly wished to get back to his own life already, at least he could take comfort in hearing Sirius' real life in that than this cackling that gave him chills. So he offered his hand out for the book, but his dad refused.

Through gritted teeth, foul mutterings, and sheer willpower to pretend this didn't bother him no matter how much he failed at it, he violently kept going. Only taking one more glance at Lily, who looked no happier at the proceedings, but was at least off of that nasty shock of where this was all taking place, and instead was on the same level as the rest of them wrapping her head around this. They were all failing.

He pointed his wand at the wall of books behind him and with a bang, a hidden door flew open, revealing a narrow staircase upon which a small man stood frozen.

The man crept, hunchbacked, down the last few steps and moved into the room. He had small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and wore an unpleasant simper. His left hand was caressing his right, which looked as though it was encased in a bright silver glove.

Remus reached out and kicked Sirius, hard, as his noise had only increased into hysteria at the reminder. Padfoot did stop, abruptly, and Remus took the opportunity to drag him over to sit beside him instead, telling him not so politely to shut up as that wasn't helping anyone.

Still very red in the face and breathing heavily, Sirius didn't protest, but instead was watching Prongs now like he expected him to go into a fit next now that he'd had his. His best friend sadly was still in the middle of one, and clearly would be until he'd finished.

He began to greet the sisters, but Snape cut him off and told Wormtail to go fetch drinks.

Something about hearing Snape refer to him like that was even worse than Voldemort doing it! James just couldn't understand, why of all things did the book keep having to refer to him as that!

Then he would return to his room.

Wormtail winced as though Snape had thrown something at him.

Lily's eyes were swimming, being forced to watch her husband read that as if force fed poison, wondering just the same what Snape had done to him, and reminding herself she didn't care, she shouldn't...but she still did.

He protested he was not his servant!

Snape replied he was there to assist him, and Wormtail disagreed assisting was not cleaning house and fetching drinks!

Sirius couldn't repress a deep throated rumbling noise, like he was going to start that mocking version of laughing again for this, but this time Remus grasped his shoulder painfully tight and hissed in his ear, "this isn't about you, Prongs is going to go mad if you interrupt him again!"

Sirius nodded, the noise ceased, but the look of incense somehow still managed to grow.

Snape was not impressed, mocking surprise he hadn't been aware Wormtail wanted something more of a challenge. He'd happily pass this along to the Dark Lord-

Wormtail cut across he could address him whenever he wanted!

Snape agreed of course he could, but in the meantime, those drinks.

He still looked like he wanted to argue, but finally stormed out of the room to do this.

Somewhere deep in the corner of his mind that hadn't yet been blackened with all this, Remus still had to fight back the urge to warn Snivellus not to drink that, his sneaky mate may have poisoned it...but then it all caught up to him and he couldn't decide who he'd have drink it first.

Within seconds he was back, bearing a dusty bottle and three glasses upon a tray. He dropped these on the rickety table and scurried from their presence, slamming the book- covered door behind him.

James stared at that for a long time, like he was hoping his old friend would leap right out of the pages and somehow still explain it was all an elaborate ruse, or Snape would go after him and cut him down on the spot like he'd had a hand in doing to him...but neither was happening, and he forced some kind of relief back onto his presence as he meandered back over to Harry, not even recognizing anyone had changed seats or much of anything past getting through the rest of this so he'd never have to think of that again.

Snape poured out three glasses of bloodred wine and handed two of them to the sisters. Narcissa murmured a word of thanks, whilst Bellatrix said nothing, but continued to glower at Snape. This did not seem to discompose him; on the contrary, he looked rather amused.

He toasted the Dark Lord, raising his glass and draining it.

Lily flinched like she'd been slapped, Sev might as well have all over again. She could pretend all she liked, but no matter how many years later, the sting was still there from the first day he'd shown what side he was really on.

The sisters copied him. Snape refilled their glasses. As Narcissa took her second drink she said in a rush that Severus was the only one who could help her-

Remus had to shake his ears like he was getting water out of them, he could hardly remember already what had started all of this.

Snape held up a hand to stop her, then pointed his wand again at the concealed staircase door.

There was a loud bang and a squeal, followed by the sound of Wormtail scurrying back up the stairs.

It took no time at all to process that, and as if thinking of a true ghost rather than refusing to admit the fate Sirius would befall, it was almost nostalgic for James to remember how often their old friend got away with this at school, how much had changed...

Snape gave the apology for that, saying Wormtail had taken to listening at doors lately, there was no telling what he meant by it.

Unbidden, because he'd allowed just one single moment of nostalgia, the hope was back in a smothering amount. How he still wanted to piece together more than anything some plan gone awry, and his old brother would come out a good man still...and then his breath caught, and he shook his head so hard his glasses slid right off. He quickly put them back and kept going louder than ever, refusing to acknowledge what his heart was pleading for.

He encouraged Narcissa to go on, but Bellatrix interrupted this was no talk for present company!

Snape sardonically repeated that, asking what Bellatrix meant by that?

She needlessly explained that she didn't trust Snape, as the man knew!

Sirius couldn't seem to help himself now and was insisting playing this all off. Too much else was happening, he needed to vent, so he theatrically grabbed his throat and vomited for agreeing with her, at least getting to watch Remus fake a smile, Harry couldn't yet mange it even as he did watch his godfather with an open expression again.

Narcissa let out a noise that might have been a dry sob and covered her face with her hands.

Snape set his glass down upon the table and sat back again, his hands upon the arms of his chair, smiling into Bellatrix's glowering face.

"At least some things don't change," Remus mock pleasantly agreed with Sirius' idea of playing this off. "He still smiles at others pain."

He politely asked Narcissa to wait then and let Bellatrix say her feelings, asking openly why she did not trust him?

Over a hundred reasons apparently,

"Please don't name them all," Sirius huffed, "I've more than enough reasons without further agreeing with her."

and she listed each one, though only apparently seven, and paused with her chest heaving at the end after venting it all.

James paused for breath himself, and glanced anxiously again at Lily. He'd already corrected himself, his false hope would always remain just that when it came to his friend, and he'd never want to watch Lily go through the same thing.

Sadly, he found the opposite, with hope kindling clear on her face. Despite Bellatrix being the one to hurl these around, the exact same things had been festering in Lily's mind from day one of this. She may have moved on with her life, and even tried disregarding him from her past especially recently with the way he'd been treating Harry in school, but some small part of her had been wondering these very things, leaving her unable to completely leave him to hang.

"Lily," he tried anyways, to curb whatever he could and lessen the blow, but she gave him a studious look that to his dying day he'd back down from.

"James, if you don't keep going, I will."

"Yes dear," he muttered, knowing he'd still be there for her even when she ignored his warning.

Snape smiled. He stated he would answer her, so that she may give these back to others who still distrusted him, but first he returned with one question of his Dark Lord had asked all of this of him already, and if he hadn't given a satisfactory answer, would he still be sitting here?

Sirius just scoffed. "He's always managed to slime his way free of half the detentions he earned. Though disappointed, I wasn't exactly surprised to find he'd lived through it."

Bellatrix hesitated uneasily, so Snape supplied for her that she really thought he'd fooled the Dark Lord, the greatest Legilimens of their time?

Then Sirius' face puckered with disgust, and Lily was back to nibbling at her lip. Of one mind, with two different thoughts behind this. That did seem to give him more credibility when put like that...

James reached around Harry to give her shoulder a squeeze, but she still flicked her fingers at him to continue, she'd still rather hear him out...she hoped.

While momentarily stumped, Snape began answering her complaints, first with the demand of where he'd been at the Dark Lord's fall? At Hogwarts of course, where their master had requested he be, to spy on Albus Dumbledore.

Causing all five of them a spasm of disgust. Dumbledore said he knew Snape to be innocent of this, yet Snape and Voldemort clearly thought otherwise. Harry felt a deep ache in him he knew not to even glance at for an answer, but there it would sit for far longer than he thought he could stand. The end result was the same, he was still there torturing students in the meantime.

Why had he not gone looking for the Dark Lord, deserted his post when their master seemingly fell? The same reason Yaxley, the Carrows, Greyback,

Harry watched the four around him make a face at that name, but felt a nasty crawling feeling up his spine for that and all of those names so didn't think much of it.

and many other Death Eaters had not. He'd believed his demise. If the Dark Lord had not forgiven this, he'd have very few followers left.

Bellatrix passionately reminded he'd have her! She, who spent years in Azkaban for him!

"She says that with such pride," Sirius muttered in disgust, still fighting back the urge to scream at the mere mention of that place.

Snape was not impressed, only admitting that this could give her worth by sharing stories about dementors, but the gesture was fine enough.

"Make it stop!" Sirius howled in frustration, looking likely to beat his head against the wall he kept thinking the same thing as the pair of them! His mind felt so contaminated he wanted to set it ablaze!

"Think of it this way Pads," James softly offered, anything to focus on the here and now for a moment. "You're technically saying it first, so they're mimicking you."

Sirius did manage a smile then, he'd of course happily gloat over the fact that those two were just admitting he was right.

Bellatrix kept to the point she'd suffered while he remained Dumbledore's pet!

Snape returned it had not all been for fun, he hadn't been allowed to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dumbledore had seemed to feel it would keep him in his old ways.

Harry got a funny feeling for that, putting a new frown on his face he blissfully ignored while he could.

Bellatrix shrieked this was his suffering!

Snape was growing impatient now, demanding she think! Why leave his comfortable post with Dumbledore's protection? The Dark Lord was pleased when he came back in the same position, why should she continue to complain of it?

"I still have something to say about it," James huffed, but in a truly odd turn of events was quite glad of Snape for once. At least he was keeping the conversation going. Remarkably, he still found him less repugnant than Bellatrix by just a few greasy hairs.

Before she could keep going, he turned his attention to the query about Quirrell. He admitted he had only seen the greedy man, as their master had not yet been sure of whether to trust Snape any longer. Snape regretted the Dark Lord's unease with him, as he could have helped, instead he chose to hinder a useless man to keep in Dumbledore's good graces.

Lily could not help it that time, she preened. The boys had given her hell when she'd stood up for him at that time, but she still hadn't believed Sev would absolutely side with killing Harry over helping Voldemort... she wished she was as sure of herself now, there were to many other questions, but for the first time since all of this had started, she felt like she was finally getting them. Peeling back the layers of snide comments he used only on others but her, she wanted to cry with jubilation it was Severus just giving her information instead of beating around the bush like her old Headmaster tended to do.

Next he addressed why he had not gone to the Dark Lord the night of his return. He had instead waited two hours to acknowledge the summons. Just two hours, and apparently on Dumbledore's orders. Their master looked through his past and saw the man Snape still was and took him back, where he had been able to share valuable information about Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix.

James hated the biting way he had to say that, as much for it finally being from the man's mouth as well as seeing what it did to Lily. She flinched again with confusion, clearly as wrong-footed on going so back and forth with him as he was. He glanced to his friends, but their expressions of pity helped nothing. It bothered him just as much as anything he couldn't read past this to see what their real thoughts were regarding, anything right now.

Bellatrix sneered what real use had he been?

Snape shrugged if the Dark Lord chose not to share this with her-

She shrieked he shared everything with her!

"Really? Even when he does very certain things, like-"

Remus flicked him in the ear more for the comment than the actual interruption.

He called her his most loyal, his most faithful-

Snape asked if this were still true? After that fiasco at the Ministry?

James's breath caught hard in his throat, and this time he was purely grateful for Sirius choosing that moment to snidely say, "well of course he would! That wasn't her fault at all for having to be rescued by him from Harry!"

Harry muttered something while James forced his eyes to drag away from his brother, convincing his mind all over again by looking at these words they were proof Sirius was still with him.

Bellatrix flushed even as she snapped that was not her fault, Voldemort had entrusted her with his most precious tasks before!

Harry jerked hard from a returned memory that still ached him raw and instead was nearly propelled into one he didn't yet have, but was sure he wasn't going to enjoy understanding.

If Lucius hadn't-

Narcissa cut in not to blame this on her husband!

Snape cut in to remind there was no point assigning blame, what was done was done.

Bellatrix didn't agree. Where was he when they faced dangers on their masters missions!

Snape reminded his orders of remaining behind at the castle, after all even Dumbledore would notice if he didn't side with the Order. Not to mention dangers? There were only six teenagers.

"Six teenagers that kicked their arse," Lily reminded with fiery pride.

"Six teenagers that never should have been there," Harry quietly reminded before anyone else could agree, which he no more wanted to hear than what Sirius predictably snapped.

"We're not going there again Harry!"

He simply nodded he understood, meeting his eyes long enough to prove he agreed, even if when he finally looked away they immediately were covered with the ghost of a film being replayed over and over again.

Bellatrix heatedly reminded they were quickly joined by the Order. Speaking of, exactly what useful information was it being passed along through him? They still did not know the location of the Headquarters.

Snape pointed out as he was not the Secret-Keeper, that was not information he could share. Yet what he did pass on had recently led to the recent capture and murder of Emmeline Vance,**

Lily hissed in disgusted frustration, as blackened at the confirmation of this as she was with herself for believing otherwise for even a second. She smacked James' hand away and refused to even acknowledge she'd been entertaining any such thing though, she had enough practice at it by now.

and it certainly helped dispose of Sirius Black, though he gave full credit for finishing him off to her.

James turned a pasty, nasty color in shock for this just being mentioned so casually twice now! He'd been expecting it sure, but from Harry, with the love and respect of what he'd done being in there as well, this was callous and disgusting! He only read the next line from sheer shock before his voice froze over.

He inclined his head and toasted her.

Sirius couldn't help but shake his head at the most threatening noise he'd ever heard Remus make while shifting protectively beside him, the other three being no better over there. This was no more pleasant to be thinking of than realizing he'd been there as well, so Sirius just whistled innocently, catching Prong's attention, who quickly moved on.

Bellatrix disregarded this by snapping what of her last question? Why had he not killed Harry Potter while he'd been near him the past five years?

Snape asked had she not already wondered this of the Dark Lord?

She hesitated in answering,

"So much for, tells each other everything," Sirius pleasantly mocked.

but snapped at him to do so now!

Snape casually began he had no intentions of murdering the boy the moment he walked through the doors. That would put a slight dent in Dumbledore's protection of him all these years.

"Well it's so nice to know what was going through his head during his first mocking of me," Harry bitterly muttered.

There was also a small tint of curiosity. He like others had wondered at Potter's ability to vanquish the Dark Lord,

Harry turned green with disgusted shock, moving to cover his scar then rub at it for once. While not exactly something he enjoyed having, it was not something he'd ever considered dark when he found what had truly given it to him. For anyone to think he could be the next Voldemort because of it, even when he himself feared it would take over his life...

His dad elbowed him hard in the ribs while his mother gently took his hand away, both showing in their own not so subtle ways they no more believed this than they would of themselves.

if in fact he may be one to rally around some day soon.

Still he couldn't help wrinkling his face up in disgust again, and no one disagreed, it sounded as ludicrous as if Snape had spoken of falling in love with Sirius.

It quickly became apparent he was nothing but mediocre, getting out of situations with sheer dumb luck and more talented others.

Harry couldn't help sheepishly avoiding a nod in a bit of agreement with that though.

As obnoxious and self-satisfied as was his father before him.

James tried for almost a smug, proud look at how much like him his son was, no matter the way Snape phrased it, and almost managed the first pleasant expression of the day.

Bellatrix was not convinced Dumbledore couldn't see him for what he truly was in all this time, and Snape replied she was overlooking the mans greatest weakness, his want to see the good in others. He'd embraced the Death Eater fresh from his ways with open arms.

"Which is going to be the death of him, I swear," Sirius scoffed, unbelieving that old bat was just speaking so casually about all of this, but that was the Snape he'd always loathed and hated. He just couldn't wait to wave this particular bit under Dumbledore's nose before he got a chance to start all this.

Snape had enough with explaining himself and turned to Narcissa, who'd taken the chance to collect herself and begin by admitting she knew she ought not to be speaking of this, and Snape agreed the Dark Lord's word was law. If he said not to, she ought to hold her tongue.

Bellatrix looked pleased for the first time being in here, triumphantly saying even Snape agreed with her on this.

"Urgh, you know this is bad when the two are agreeing with each other, worse than when I was," Sirius said with pure disdain.

Lily though was looking a touch concerned again, though not for anyone present. She'd wondered before, but this was growing more worrisome by the moment. What was Narcissa Malfoy so afraid of?

Snape cut to the chase then by acknowledging he knew of the plan, therefore she was free to speak anyways.

Ignoring Bellatrix's scoff of disgust he was in on this, Narcissa launched into a plea for his help with her son, her only son!

James looked as if he'd swallowed a particularly foul smelling lemon, while Lily's face crumpled with misery again, and all for Malfoy...Draco Malfoy!

Harry glanced at them in disbelief, then even to the other two who looked like they had no clue how to react to this. While most recently lowest on the list of people he wanted gone from his life, he by no means would go out of his way to help Draco...and yet something in him agreed with their put out expressions. What Narcissa was doing was so, human! More than they'd ever seen from any Death Eater, ever! She was pleading for help with her child, like any of them would do for Harry, like Lily had once done to no effect of the same Dark Lord...could Snape really make a difference for this?

Bellatrix cut in Draco should be proud! The Dark Lord was asking him to do a great honor, and Draco was clearly glad to help.

"The bloody hell are they having him do?" Sirius burst with more confusion than outrage, but it was all mingled in there. "He's sixteen, what's he going to do against anyone?"

"Something Narcissa has no hopes he can do," James muttered, gazing at all of this like a lost lamb. He wanted to sneer and scathe yet more workings of the Death Eaters were going on, but it was much harder than he would have thought, hearing of this through a parents tears.

Narcissa knew better though, that this was only punishment for what Lucius had failed to do. The Dark Lord did not expect Draco to succeed in doing this, and he would die! Nobody yet had been able to!

James paused again, they were all puzzling those words together, and it wasn't creating an easy picture. Whatever this was going on, it gave Harry the worst pain yet of his young mind, and yet a sense of triumph, like he wanted to shout he knew it all along...it was the most disorienting feeling there was.

She pleaded with Snape to help! He was Lucius's old friend!

"Urgh, now I have this idea Snape's Malfoy's godfather or something, please stop explaining his chain of friends to me," Sirius grumbled for himself, not wanting Lily to hear that one.

Snape told the Dark Lord would not be persuaded, he was indeed angry.

Narcissa gasped she was right, this was truly only punishment!

While this may have been of news to them, it was hardly shocking to those of this time. Of course this was the way Voldemort operated, they'd all known this from what felt like the beginning of their lives. New though, was this shock of Narcissa's, as if learning for the first time what she was involved in, who she was serving.

Hearing this, Sirius couldn't help but wonder again, what had made Regulus back out? Had made him start to question all this?

She seemed to lose her will then, crumpling to the floor and sobbing for her only child.

James couldn't help the honest sorrow piercing his words, his gaze actually understanding of all things. He knew nothing more about her than what little Sirius would have said, but this one moment showed all he needed to know. He would have helped her, right then, no matter what. He kept going as if actually reading the death of a friend, a fellow Order member even. As far as they could tell, Draco was as good as dead, likely not even going to show up for Harry's sixth year, and Narcissa would mourn this loss with their sympathy.

Bellatrix ruthlessly told her sister she should be proud! If she'd had sons, she'd have gladly offered them as service to the Dark Lord!***

"Let's see her have a child and say that again," Lily spat in disgust, having the sudden urge to put herself between the sisters. It was no more than she expected, watching her boys hold their tongues and silently feel for this woman, but Lily alone knew what it was to feel the loss of a mother's child, she'd felt it the moment she'd learned who Voldemort's true target was that Halloween night.

Snape however seemed to take pity on her, and offered there was something he could do.

Harry's eyes flipped with concern, or surprise, the lurch pushing through him was hard to make out. It may have been the latter, it certainly mirrored the others expressions, that Snape was offering help!

Though it was likely the Dark Lord's intentions he continue the job when Draco failed, he would help the boy along as much as he could.

Life breathed back into Narcissa, and she demanded he mean his word? Would he make the Unbreakable Vow?

Sirius let out a low throated whistle and Remus shifted uneasily in place, while Harry gazed around clearly missing something. Curious enough, and having that annoying feeling it would come up again anyways, he asked what that was.

"A magically binding contract. If you willfully break it, you drop dead." Lily distractedly told him, missing the expression on his face as she sat laser focused on James. This Snape may be lost to Voldemort as the Death Eater he was, but to her own disgust, even this couldn't stop her finding that same childhood friend of hers all over again, in helping this crying girl in need once more, on the very street it started for her.

Bellatrix mocked this at once, saying the man claimed he'd try, empty words used to slither out of any action-

"She says that as if she wasn't a Slytherin herself," Remus muttered.

but Snape cut in that he would do this for her.

James glared down at that, his eyes squinted and honestly unsure what to make of this. It was probably the most admirable thing he'd ever heard Snape do in his life, truly an odd thing to be thinking about someone he so deeply loathed, who he put partial blame on for what happened to Sirius.

Lily clasped her hands together and just looked at peace. This didn't exactly make up for what he'd done to her all those years ago, but finally, despite everything he'd done and would do; she'd still never forgive him for the way he treated Harry and the hand he'd just admitted to in Emmeline's death, yet he was still in there. Maybe, just maybe, if Lily still went to him now, pleaded for her child in this same way...she must still mean something to him.

Bellatrix's mouth fell open. Snape lowered himself so that he was kneeling opposite Narcissa. Beneath Bellatrix's astonished gaze, they grasped right hands.

Snape coldly told Bellatrix she would need to be their Bonder, and should have her wand out.

She drew it, still looking astonished.

"That's an expression I wouldn't mind immortalizing," Sirius sniffed.

Narcissa spoke, would Severus watch over Draco as he attempted to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?

"She really should clarify watch over more," Remus critiqued for himself. These were of the most powerful magical bindings after all, wouldn't want a little something like not checking on Malfoy every half hour be the death of him...or well, anybody but Snape.

as soon as Snape agreed, a red flame coiled from her arm to his, binding them together. She asked next that he would do all in his power to protect Draco from harm? When he again agreed, and second appeared, twining with the first. Her final request, if Draco should prove to fail, (Snape's arm twitched but he did not pull away,)

"Could he?" Harry's question came out as a whisper, watching all of this with deep interest. Usually he didn't feel so strongly for anything regarding Snape, but now, he just knew something of this, whatever was being unsaid, he'd have to know every detail about in a not so pleasant way.

"Break away? No, not until Bellatrix draws her wand away, otherwise he's breaking it right then," Sirius explained, the same detached expression on his face as the others. There was just no mocking to be had for what Snape was doing right now, a concept in itself for the Marauders.

would he perform the task for Draco?

A moment's pause, the room seemed to grow hotter with the burning flames of the spell entrapping the two.

Then Snape said he would, and underneath Bellatrix's astonished face, a third and final flame sealed the deal.

"That's finished," James muttered, face still to pale, hands shaking slightly as he moved the book away from him. Of all the opening's to these they'd yet had, this one certainly took the cake for most surprising.

HPHPHPHP

This is my least favorite chapter in all the books, not counting character deaths. Those are a different kind of bad. It's just such a buzzkill for me at the end when I realized there was no 'secret meaning' behind this. I kept expecting Bellatrix and Narcissa to show up at school for some reason and have another chat with Snape explaining something further, and then in the end when I realized this was not a red herring but in fact just ruining the whole middle of the book where you know Harry's right, this chapter alone made me dislike this book the most out of the whole series. This couldn't have been shown during Snape's memories during the seventh book? This bit of plot couldn't have been worked in any other way?! I hate spoilers, and for this book to be giving one in its very own chapters just made me want to mark this whole bit out with whiteout. I was even tempted to skip this chapter for the reading, but ultimately decided against it purely for the sake of authenticity, so be grateful this one exists.

* This actually is something that puzzled me, and I put it down to a wishful nostalgia. Snape probably did go back there, frequented the park and their little forest spot all the time. Who needs dementors when you can relive your own childhood bitterly in person.

** This one saddens me. As we know from the next book, often times Snape is helping both sides while keeping the Order first, but still accidentally screws up, like getting George's ear cut off. Yet how on earth could he 'accidentally,' give the right information for Emmeline? I honestly think that he may have really given real information to get her killed, Voldemort was probably looking for something else and Snape put this up there as a red herring and Voldemort fell for it, and so did Emmeline.

*** I've seen people try to give credit that JK had planned on Bellatrix being pregnant during this scene for this line. I guess I kind of of see why people think that, but don't entirely agree either. I reread this after I learned who Delphini's mother is, and apparently she would have either very recently, or is fixing to have Delphini for the timeline of this to work...and really? I know Bellatrix has no feelings for anyone but the Dark Lord, and I've already had a rant about those two having a kid in a previous Author's note, but Bellatrix gives no feeling whatsoever for Narcissa here? In my opinion, she's still acting way to callus about the whole thing, as if she has no idea what she's talking about, not actually fixing to do just that. I know Cursed Child wasn't written by JK, just approved by her which is why it's marked as default cannon, but I still scratch my head why people go back and try to legitimize it through the books like this.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #HBP #The Life That Never Lived #HP #Marauders #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter

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inmyownlittlecorner5 · 5 years ago

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Moonlight Chapter 21: Dust to Dust

A fanfic Novel by la-topolina

Rated for Mature Audiences

Warnings: Language, Violence, Sexual Content

Chapter 21/26

Moonlight Masterpost+

<< Chapter Twenty+

Chapter Twenty-Two+ >>

“Avada Kedavra!” A shock of acid green light blasted from Severus’s wand, striking its target with a sickening finality.

Bile rose in his throat as he stared down at the crumpled body of the old Muggle. He forced himself to slow his breathing as the nausea threatened to overtake him. Most of the time he was able to avoid murder. Sometimes he was even able to prevent it. Killing had never been particularly enjoyable to him, even when he had truly been what he pretended to be now. It was so wasteful.

“Finished already?” Lucius asked from the stairwell leading to the crumbling basement of the warehouse that was to be this unlucky group of Muggles’ tomb. His face was obscured by his etched silver mask, and a smaller Death Eater was on his heels. “I left that one specifically for you.”

Severus shrugged, his stomach mostly settled. “He was a good tailor. I thought he’d earned a quick death. Bella took more than a few bites out of him before you threw him down to me.”

“I think you’re getting soft, Snape,” hissed Bellatrix’s voice from behind her mask. “It’s no wonder that you are going to be left behind when…”

“Bella,” Lucius interrupted, “go upstairs and help Vincent with the rest of the mess.”

She gave Severus a final glare before flouncing away, her shoes clicking noisily on the metal staircase. Lucius continued into the basement, avoiding the heaps of rubbish littering the floor. He glanced indifferently at the corpse and prodded it with the tip of his polished shoe. Severus continued to force himself to breathe slowly as the bile rose up again, worse than before. It would not do to lose control in front of Lucius, so Severus willed himself to think of anything other than the current moment. Perhaps because he had been so stern during the last month about forgetting the scene by the Lee’s fireside, it immediately came to mind. He did not bother to question it, he merely allowed the warmth and comfort of the thought of Miranda holding the sleeping infant to flow through him. Gradually his nausea subsided, and he held onto his memory like a dragon clings to gold.

“I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that the time has come for you to deliver your little plaything to the Dark Lord,” Lucius commented.

“Has it?” Severus hoped that he sounded as bored as he meant to. He was glad that his mask covered the twitching muscle in his jaw. “I am rather busy at the moment. A jaunt to Romania to subdue her would be impractical.”

“No doubt you have your ways. And fortunately for you, you have until Thursday to complete the task.”

“Why Thursday?”

“That is my business. Your business is to do as you are told. I doubt I need to explain the consequences if you fail to do so.”

“I understand you perfectly, Lucius.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Be so good as to clean up down here before you leave. Best that this look like a Muggle crime for the time being.”

Severus inclined his head to his ambivalent friend and Lucius started back up the stairs.

He paused halfway to add, “I am sorry to deprive you of your whore and your tailor in such rapid succession.”

“Of the two, the tailor will be the more difficult to replace.”

Lucius laughed. “Truer words were never spoken. What a cold bastard you are.”

Severus waited until Lucius was gone before stooping to close Mr. Frost’s eyes. It was not lost on Severus that his neighborhood and his neighbors had been targeted tonight. He knew a warning when he saw one. Lucius must be smarting under Miranda’s humiliations of him more than Severus had thought.

Merlin, he hated his life.

*****

Miranda dismounted easily and gave Balour a firm scratch just behind his purple, scaly ears. He snorted flames and rubbed against her appreciatively. She knew now just how to lean into him so that his affection wouldn’t knock her to the ground. It offended him when she stumbled under the weight of his mighty head. Although the second task was less than a week away, she felt they were more than ready to take on the mountain.

“Thanks for the ride,” Miranda murmured.

He nodded imperiously, and she waited politely until he had lumbered off for his lunch and afternoon doze. When he was out of sight, she started down the path to the locker-rooms and her own meal. As she approached the lake, she saw Charlie and another man coming around to meet her. Even from a distance, she could make out a long white beard and brightly colored robes. Miranda furrowed her brow. What was he doing here?

“How was the ride today?” Charlie asked as they met.

“Good. I think we’re ready,” Miranda replied. “Albus, what a nice surprise. How are you?”

“Well, very well,” Albus said. “Charlie, thank you for helping me locate our wayward American. I will speak with you in your office soon.”

Charlie accepted this dismissal, although his face bespoke his curiosity, and he headed back up the path. Albus waved his hand and a pair of the rocks bordering the lake shifted into a pair of comfortable armchairs, complete with umbrellas to shade them from the noonday sun. They seated themselves and Albus produced a basket from his robes. A pair of table legs popped out of it and, when he set it on the ground between them, it opened to an inviting spread of ham, watercress, plum cake, and butterbeer.

“All this for me? What do you want?” Miranda said wryly as she helped herself to the bounty. Dragon riding did tend to give her an appetite.

“Merely a concession to the time of day,” Albus reassured her as he did the same. “You look well. I take it that the Romanian climate is agreeing with you.”

“It’s a lovely place. Although I won’t be sorry to be released from it when this is all over. I’ve never liked being trapped anywhere.”

“Trapped is such a strong word.”

“What would you call it? I’m under the equivalent of the Unbreakable Vow.” She took a sip of her butterbeer. “But if I can help those children, it’ll be worth it.”

“Yes, you are quite a helpful person, as I have seen. Even if you are also rather a headstrong one.”

“There’s good and bad in all of us. So, what’s happened? Do you need me to take another vow?”

“Not exactly. I don’t suppose that Severus has communicated with you about recent events regarding our friend, Lucius Malfoy?”

“Friend is not the descriptor I would have chosen. And no. I actually haven’t heard all that much from Severus since I visited in May. I assumed he was busy with the end of term troubles. But I take it something else is going on?”

Albus sighed. “Plum cake is a delightful confection, is it not?”

“It is.” Miranda raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Apparently Lucius is planning some large, and presumably unpleasant event that will occur this week on Thursday. He wishes for Severus to have you on hand to bring to Tom.”

“Tom?”

“Pardon me, Tom Riddle is the true name of Lord Voldemort. At least, that is how I knew him when he was a student. Old habits die hard.”

“It’s good to know that Hogwarts turns out such promising pupils.”

“Everyone comes from somewhere. Alas, I cannot take credit for some of Tom’s more, shall we say, impressive accomplishments.”

“I assumed as much. This is the first I’ve heard about Malfoy’s plans. Why am I hearing it from you and not Severus?” The hair on the back of her neck pricked her in warning. She did not like the direction this conversation appeared to be headed.

“I believe that Severus wishes for you to remain ignorant.”

“Then how is he going to introduce me to his other boss?”

“I believe that he does not intend to do so.”

Miranda frowned. The plum cake no longer tasted quite so good, and she pushed her plate away.

“This is a test, isn’t it?” she asked.

“A test for whom?” Albus responded. His face was pleasant and inscrutable, and his tone was incongruously cheerful.

“I’m guessing it’s a test for both of us. Malfoy and the Dark Lord want proof that Severus is on their side, and you want proof that I’m on your side.”

“I’ve always thought that you were a clever young lady.”

“Thanks.” She choked down another sip of butterbeer and twirled the bottle slowly between her fingers. “If Severus doesn’t bring me to Tom, as you call him, they’re going to kill him, aren’t they?”

“That is entirely within the realm of possibility. Of course, I do understand that Severus is not the most pleasant individual and he may not have secured your loyalty to the point that you would feel the need to walk into the lion’s den for him.”

Her loyalty? Good Lord, this was not exactly the moment that Miranda wanted to contemplate what Severus meant to her. And, in any case, she wasn’t about to discuss it with Albus Dumbledore.

“Albus,” she said, letting the edge of her anger into her voice, “let’s not muddy the waters with that kind of game. It’s beneath you.”

He smiled as one would smile at a child who has said something particularly adorable, but his eyes lost their customary spark. “I thank you for the reminder, my dear. Your relationship with my spy aside, if he were to be killed it would be a gross loss for the Order. I’m certain that you realize this. His information and the information that he may be privy to in the future could be the difference between victory and defeat.”

“I know.” She blew out her breath. “Should I just go to his rooms on Thursday then?”

“That would be for the best. Then you would be in a position to adapt to whatever is required of you.”

“Fine. I’ll be there with bells on.” She stood up quickly. “Have a good day, Albus. Thanks for lunch.”

He was beside her before she could storm off, his wrinkled hand on her arm to stay her.

“Please know that I do understand what I am asking of you. If it could be any other way…”

“Then it would be another way. I guess Catalina Dragnea will have to save the children herself,” she snapped.

“Perhaps it is not quite time to give up hope. Severus is a clever man and you are extremely resilient. All may not be lost.”

“I haven’t given up yet.”

“Very good. I shall inform Severus of your arrival as soon as I have finished meeting with Charlie.”

“No. I’ll tell him. Have a safe trip home, Albus.”

She shook off his hand and stalked back towards the mountains before he could say anything further. Severus was going to hate this but, as infuriating as Albus was, she was angrier at Severus for not telling her about the problem in the first place. It was her own fault that Malfoy wanted her dead. She’d known what kind of man her former employer was when she’d baited him and beaten him all over town.

If there was a lion’s den to walk into, she and Severus were going to walk into it together.

*****

“Coffee. You do like me,” Miranda said.

It was ungodly early on Thursday morning, and she was pleased to see that Severus had thought to have breakfast ready when she arrived. His sitting room had gradually been acquiring more furniture during the time she had known him. In addition to the arm chair and desk, the space now held a sofa, and a table just large enough for two. She poured herself a cup and started buttering some toast. Severus paced with his teacup, irritably straightening his already immaculate desk and the perfectly aligned books on his shelves.

“You should eat,” she chided gently. “I get the feeling it’s going to be a long day.”

“I do not require a nursemaid,” he snapped, but he did sit down and follow her advice.

“I take it Malfoy is still being coy about his plans for tonight.”

“Unfortunately. We shall have to think on our feet.” Severus stabbed a sausage with his fork as if the entire predicament were the banger’s fault.

“Well, assuming the worst happens and I get the pleasure of meeting the Dark Lord, I’ll just taunt him until he kills me. Then you won’t have to.”

He gave her a ghost of a smile and shook his head. “I believe that now I understand how you came to destroy your potions classroom. Subtlety is not your strongest quality.”

“Do you have a better plan?”

“I should hope so.” He pulled a small round box out of his pocket and pushed it across the table to her. “Keep this with you. There is a pill inside that contains the Draught of Living Death. When we are summoned, you will conceal the pill in your mouth. When the torturing begins, break it and drink it.”

Miranda eyed the box. “This plan didn’t work so well for Romeo and Juliet.”

“That is because they involved a third party. We do not have such complications. I am certain that the Dark Lord will find it most appropriate for me to dispose of you. Then we will simply have to hide you back in Romania the best that we can.”

She pushed her food around with her fork and sighed. “Severus, I don’t think you should take this chance. I knew what I was risking when I pushed Malfoy the way I did. If you’re caught…the Order will lose one of its best assets.”

Severus set his fork down and fixed his black eyes upon her. “I told you that I would not hand you over to the Dark Lord. I will thank you for not arguing with me about it.”

Miranda returned his gaze steadily. “Were you going to tell me about what happened last week at all?”

“No.”

“So I have Albus to thank for cluing me in on everything.”

“I don’t believe that thanks are the proper sentiment for Albus’s interference.”

“Do you have anything you’d like me to do while I wait around for my impending doom?”

He sighed with resignation. “There are always flobberworms to be juiced if you wish to borrow trouble.”

“Borrowing trouble is my middle name. And I’m the world’s fastest flobberworm juicer.”

“Dare I ask why?”

“What do you think I did in detention all those years I was at Ilvermorny?”

“Ah. My sympathies to your professor.”

A bell chimed, warning that it was nearing time for classes to begin. He started for the door but, when he reached it, he stopped and returned to her side. Before she realized what he was about, he had pulled her to her feet and kissed her with a combination of tenderness and regret that made her heart ache.

“Miranda, it should not have come to this,” he said roughly.

“It hasn’t come to anything yet,” she replied, with rather more bravado than she felt. “Go teach. I’ll be here when you need me.”

He took the time to trace her cheek with his finger, and then he was gone.

*****

“Miranda, put your boots on!” Severus ordered as he burst into the sitting room around dinnertime that evening.

His tone left no room for argument, and Miranda set aside her book and silently accioed her boots before bothering to ask why.

“Quickly!” he barked.

“I’m going as fast as I can. Can’t Malfoy and the Dark Lord wait two minutes?” she asked as she tied the final knot.

“It isn’t them. Dolores took Potter and Granger into the Forbidden Forest hours ago. They never returned and you are going to help me find them.”

Without further explanation, he whirled and strode back out the door so quickly that Miranda was hard pressed to keep up. They made a beeline from the dungeon to the forest, cutting through the strange twilight shadows heedless to whether or not they were seen together. Miranda could tell by the way that his jaw muscle was twitching that her companion was in no mood for conversation, which was just as well. She needed her breath to keep up with his long strides. Although she was not a slow walker by any means, he was a head taller than she was, and by the time they were half-way across the lawn, he had broken into an outright run.

The Forbidden Forest loomed ahead of them, ominously quiet. Only a few feet into the trees it was already full dark. Without speaking, Miranda and Severus split apart, both of them stooping to study the mess of footprints marring the ground. The light was so dim that Miranda drew her wand, and the doxies flocked to her, tugging at her hair and clothing in protest of a stranger’s magic. She swatted them away and continued her search, but the battered ground was not giving up its secrets willingly.

“It looks as though the entire school has been over this patch of dirt today,” she muttered.

Severus grunted, his face drawn with worry and anger as he searched. A quarter of an hour passed and they were squatting shoulder to shoulder. He passed behind her, going over the ground that she had already covered, and she sat back on her heels. Instead of redoing the work he’d done, she let her eyes drift over the torn grass, slightly unfocused. For a time, patterns formed and faded before her until they suddenly snapped into place. She leapt forward, stopping over a trio of prints—two sets of trainers and one set of sensible heels.

“Bingo! I’ve got you. Miskawew.”

The rainbow colored light shot out of her wand, skipping over the trail and into the forest. She and Severus were hard after it, making far more noise than was prudent in their haste. The dark pressed in on them as they wove through the trees, but she refrained from casting Lumos. The creatures lurking here were sure to be more used to Severus’s magic than hers, and they could make due with the light from his wand. Best that they not draw any more attention than they were already doing.

They were both panting for breath when they halted ten minutes later in a jagged clearing. The rainbow light from the tracking spell fizzled away and Severus held his wand high as Miranda dropped down to explore the floor of the forest.

“Well?” he demanded.

“There’s too much damage to the ground,” Miranda explained, running her hands over the trampled earth. “Severus, there was a herd of centaurs here! They were everywhere. They wouldn’t have hurt the children, would they?”

“They usually leave the young in peace, but it is possible,” he replied grimly.

Miranda scoured the ground, patiently following the tangled hoof prints. The marks spiraled around and around, and it was difficult to make any sense of the stampede. Severus followed, keeping the light over her. When she reached the edge of the clearing she gasped in surprise.

“What is it?” he snapped

“There was a giant too! Good Lord, what goes on in these woods?” she breathed.

“They are forbidden for a reason.”

“So I see. And I had thought that Bigfoot was trouble.”

“Bigfoot?”

“Never mind. I’ll tell you later.”

The height difference between the forest floor and the giant’s footprint made it easy to distinguish, but there were still a host of prints littering each one. She searched methodically, hoping that she would not miss a trainer among the hooves. Severus’s eyes darted about the darkness, vigilant for centaurs or anything worse as he lit her way. She greatly appreciated that he held his impatience in check, but she knew that they were losing time. Wherever the children were, it was almost certain that they were in some sort of trouble.

“I see them!” she said at last. “Miskawew.”

The rainbow light took off again, and they ran after it. Miranda was starting to wish that she’d brought a broom after all, when the spell circled a new clearing and faded away. They began their tedious search again and, before long, their patience was finally rewarded.

“I see Potter and Granger, but Umbridge is gone.”

“She is not important. Where did they go?”

“They were joined by three, no, four other people. They look lighter than adults, but not by much. Miskawew.”

“I suspect their little friends must have escaped Dolores’s office,” he said irritably, watching the tracking spell skip between the twisted trees. “I shall have to see what damage they did to the members of my house when we return to the castle.”

The rainbow light circled the clearing twice and disappeared.

“What does that mean?” he snapped.

“It means they didn’t leave the clearing. Not on foot anyway.”

“Brooms then.”

“I’m not sure of that.”

She chewed the inside of her cheek as she traced one of the teenager’s footprints. While she didn’t think that they were deep enough to suggest that their owners had been carrying anything beyond wands, it made more sense that they would have gone off on brooms than anything else. She followed the tracks around the clearing once, twice, coming to no satisfactory conclusion. On the third circuit, her stomach lurched as she caught a whiff of something terribly familiar. She dropped to her knees, burying her hands in the earth and bringing a handful of dirt to her nose. Myrrh. Tentatively, she touched the tip of her tongue to the dirt in her hands. The taste of blood and aloe was unmistakable, and she could not stop the image of her dearly departed from flashing before her eyes.

“Thestrals,” she murmured. “There were thestrals here too.”

Now that she knew what she was looking for, the flickering tracks of the ghostly creatures were obvious. She could see where they and the children had come together, and she could see where the children’s footprints had disappeared. There was a clear depression where the thestrals had pushed off the ground to gain the air.

“The children rode the thestrals out of the forest,” she said, astonished.

“That’s impossible!” he protested, pulling a mirror out of his pocket, even as he denied the reality of the situation.

“That’s what happened. I’m sure of it. But where would they have gone?”

He didn’t answer her, his attention was on the face in the mirror.

“Albus,” he snapped, “Potter has gone to the Department of Mysteries.”

*****

Waiting was the worst part of any hunt. It made perfect sense that Severus could not possibly risk his cover by joining the Order at the Ministry, but staying behind might well drive the man insane. After the few moments it had taken him to disperse Bat Boogey Hexes and give his students a dressing down for allowing the missing members of the DA to escape, there had been nothing left to do but watch the minutes turn into hours. In an attempt to pass the time, Severus had decided it was necessary to undertake the annual purge and deep clean of the Potions room and supply closet. Miranda hadn’t argued with him, she had simply rolled up her sleeves and started scrubbing. Every half hour or so Severus would break something in the closet and swear under his breath. She wisely let him be.

Sometime in the small hours of the morning, she gave in to her rumbling stomach and excused herself to the kitchens. He didn’t acknowledge her errand, but she did take the trouble of bringing back a tray of roast beef sandwiches and a pot of tea for him. She set the sustenance on his desk, put a warming charm on the teapot, and went back to scouring cauldrons. The smell of the tea wafted through the room, drawing him out of the closet to irritably partake of it.

“It must have taken them hours to fly from here to London,” Miranda observed calmly. “There’s every chance that the Order was able to get to the Ministry in time to help.”

“I’m aware of that,” he replied tersely.

“This must be the big event that Malfoy was talking about.”

“Obviously.”

“Look, it’s not my fault that Potter and the others decided to go out on heroics. You don’t have to be sarcastic with me.”

Severus glared at her and opened his mouth to retort, but she never heard what his caustic wit had devised for her, due to some obnoxiously loud singing that began that moment in the hallway.

“Severus, Severus, Severus Snape! Looks like he’s dressed in electrical tape! His nose is an uncircumscribable shape! Severus, Severus, Severus Snape!”

“Peeves!” Severus roared, setting down his cup with a rattle and storming out the door after the naughty poltergeist.

Miranda laughed out loud, but she managed to get herself back under control by the time Severus returned. From the way he was fuming, it appeared that he had not managed to catch his tormentor.

It was impossible to resist. “Dare I ask the provenance of that ditty?”

He answered her with a black glare, but the laugh had rid her of her irritation. She glided over to him and traced his nose with the tip of her finger.

“I think your nose is perfectly circumscribable. It’s an aquiline nose, in fact. You probably have Roman ancestors lurking in your family tree somewhere,” she commented, placing a kiss on the end of his maligned facial feature.

He did not smile, but he did stop glaring and went back to his tea and sandwich. She curled up in his desk chair, tucking her legs under her and suppressing a yawn and watching him pace as he ate.

“This is exactly the sort of self-aggrandizing stunt I would expect from Potter. I should have known that he would not allow his betters to deal with matters,” he said bitterly between bites.

“From what you said earlier, the boy thought that his godfather was being tortured. I can see why he would feel compelled to do something.”

“He should have left it in my hands.”

She shrugged. “In his place, I would have done the same thing.”

“Merlin, woman. I should hate to think you capable of such stupidity.”

“I think we’re all liable to do stupid things when someone we care about is in trouble. Why do you think I’m here now?”

The change in his countenance at that observation was something remarkable. The angry mask fell away to display the fear and anguish that had been lurking beneath all night, and he turned away from her, leaning heavily on the doorframe of the supply closet.

“I haven’t been summoned yet. There is still time for you to leave.”

“And miss my chance to play Juliet? I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”

“Be serious, Miranda. You know as well as I do that this plan is foolhardy at best.”

She contemplated his taut shoulders and rigid back. It had been longer than she could remember since she had thought about the future, and she’d been careful not to think about the startling revelation that he’d considered with pleasure the prospect of them having children together someday. It was entirely possible that her future would end tonight. But she couldn’t bring herself to be sorry that she had met her fascinating, infuriating lover. And she wasn’t sorry that she was with him now.

Pulling herself up from his chair, she crossed the room to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He tensed under her touch, but she left her hand where it was.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said firmly. “I trust you.”

He froze for a moment at her words. Then a shudder went through his body, and he turned to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. She wasn’t sure exactly why, but she had the distinct feeling that she’d said something exactly right.

“Whatever else might be said about Peeves, he does think of catchy tunes,” Albus said as he entered the potions room, humming the ghost’s most recent song.

“Albus! What has happened?” Severus demanded. His mask was firmly back in place, and he released Miranda from his arms, stepping away from her.

“Is everyone all right?” she demanded at the same time.

Albus held up his hands, and Miranda could see that they were shaking slightly.

“All in good time. I only have a moment, as this is one of many meetings I must attend this morning. In short, Harry and the rest of the children are all fine. Lucius and his friends have been arrested and taken to Azkaban, all except for Tom and Bellatrix, both of whom managed to escape. Cornelius cannot deny reality any longer and will be publicly announcing the state of things shortly. And the Order came through mostly unscathed, save for one.” He paused and swallowed before continuing. “Sirius Black did not survive the battle.”

Miranda crossed herself automatically. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Not as sorry as Harry is.”

“That poor boy.”

“Yes, Harry has been given more to bear than a child of his age should be given and I must soon add to the burden.” Albus mustered a smile that did not reach his eyes. “But do try to take some rest now. Severus, I suspect that none of your students will object to a free hour today in lieu of a potions lesson. Please join me this afternoon so we can discuss the day’s events more thoroughly.”

“That is, assuming Miranda and I are not summoned in the meantime,” Severus remarked angrily. “The Dark Lord will be furious with Lucius’s failure.”

Albus’s body seemed bent with exhaustion. “All the more reason for you both to rest while you can.”

With that, Albus withdrew before either Severus or Miranda could say anything further. When the older wizard was gone, Severus reached over to take Miranda’s hand, but absently, as though he were not quite aware of what he was doing.

“I will say that I could use a nap at least,” Miranda said. “Should we go to your rooms while there’s still the opportunity to do so?”

“Actually,” Severus said slowly, “I was thinking that a walk in the downs by your cabin would be a more effective aid to composing myself for sleep, if that is not disagreeable to you.”

“And watch the sun come up over the Channel?” she asked with a tremulous smile. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my last hours on earth.”

*****

Friday afternoon found Miranda only mildly refreshed as she attempted to sort though the various stacks of papers scattered throughout the cabin. This was one of her least favorite chores, but she’d already cleaned everything that could be cleaned and she was in no state to be distracted by a novel. Severus had been in a foul mood when he’d left an hour ago to see Albus and she wasn’t sorry to miss that meeting. As the day dragged on though, her anticipation of being summoned grew exponentially. She almost wished that the Dark Lord would just call them already and get it over with.

A ping sounded in her ear and she jumped involuntarily as she felt the prick of the wards tripping. Her wand was in her hand in an instant, but when she saw who it was that had disturbed her, she threw open the door happily.

“Aaron! What brings you here?” she asked.

Aaron embraced her and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I tried to get you through Charlie Weasley, but he said you were here. I thought I’d take the chance that you were home and not at Severus’s.”

“Severus is in a meeting with Albus, but he’ll be back later,” she explained as Aaron settled himself on the sofa. Just having her friend nearby put her at ease, and she filled the kettle, setting it boiling with a charm. “That still doesn’t answer my question. Are Rachel and Maggie alright?”

“They’re just fine. In fact, why don’t you and Severus come by for dinner, we’d love to see you. You won’t believe how big Maggie’s got since you saw her last.”

“It’s a deal, but what’s going on?”

“Robert just had a hell of a meeting with Cornelius Fudge. Thought you’d like to know about it.”

“Let me guess. Fudge finally admitted that Voldemort is back?”

“You are always stealing my thunder, woman,” Aaron complained good-humoredly.

“Sorry. It’s a specialty.” When the tea was black enough, she started pouring sugar into Aaron’s glass, stopping when she’d added two spoonfuls more than David had thought perfect. When the tea had submitted to the invasion of the sugar, she cast another charm to chill it to cellar temperature. She didn’t care much for sweet tea herself, but she had learned to make it for David in a fit of teenage affection.

“How did you know about it? Don’t tell me you were at the battle?” he asked, taking the glass she offered.

“No, I was at Hogwarts. But I did help Severus figure out that Harry Potter had gone off to the Ministry. And Severus got the Order to the Ministry in time for there to be a battle instead of a slaughter.”

“I’ll drink to that. And did you also hear that Lucius Malfoy is snug in prison as we speak?”

“I did. Good riddance.”

“Agreed. I feel bad for Narcissa though. She deserves better. And there’s that kid of his too. I can’t imagine what it’d be like being brought up by a man with that kind of sick view of the world. You’d have to be crazier than an outhouse rat to want to join the Death Eaters.”

Miranda almost choked on her tea, but she covered it with a smile. “I don’t know. People join extremist groups for all sorts of reasons.”

“They join them for a few reasons, all of them bad. And I’d find it hard to believe that they’d ever really get over it, even if they learned to act housebroken later. Look at Lucius.”

“Point taken.” She’d been fairly certain that keeping Severus’s former loyalties to herself was a good idea, and she was glad that she’d listened to that instinct. “Did you just come to gloat together?”

“Pretty much. And for your sweet tea. Rachel’s never been able to get it right. She thinks sugar and tea together are an abomination.” He finished his glass and started for the door. “I’ve got to head back to the Embassy, but I’ll see you and the fella later. Do you have any idea how much longer you’re going to be on this Romanian assignment?”

“I should be able to come back in October. Why do you ask?”

“Robert wanted to know. He’s got some ideas cooking and I expect he’ll want you to be part of it.”

“Do I want to be part of it?”

“With Robert, it can be hard to tell. But he’s at least worth listening to.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. See you soon.”

She kissed his cheek and shut the door after him. Severus was probably going to complain about going out, but she thought it would be better than staying in and driving each other crazy while they waited for her doom. If the Dark Lord was going to kill her in the next twenty-four hours, she’d rather spend some of them pleasantly.

*****

The wild metal knocker of St. Matilda’s seemed to throb with life as Miranda pulled open the creaking door later that night. Dinner had been a welcome diversion, but she knew she was far too wired to go home yet. When her walk with Severus had taken them past the church that had witnessed such happiness the month before, she felt compelled to go in.

“Thanks for agreeing to stop in,” she said as they crossed the threshold. He grunted noncommittally and she left him to pace the back of the church alone.

Ever since she had been a little girl, walking into a church at night had sent a thrill of anticipation down her spine. Her brothers had not been shy about telling ghost stories to their baby sister, and more than one story had involved the spirits that supposedly haunted such sanctuaries. Upon entering the magical world, Miranda had met more than her share of ghosts, most of whom were perfectly decent folk. But something about encountering a ghost in a church still struck her as different. It was as though the veil between the worlds were thinner here, and legions of spirits and other beings were watching and whispering just beyond it. As she drifted up the aisle lit only by flickering candles, she felt that at any moment Sirius Black himself might appear from behind a pillar and give her his hand.

Her rambling led her past sober statues in their lonely alcoves until, near the transept, she found the perfect spot. There, set apart from the others, sat a charming carving of a young woman holding her laughing Son. Unlike graver representations of the Holy Child, Miranda was drawn to this playful moment and the honesty of the amused and exhausted face of the Virgin. She dropped a coin in the waiting box, lit a candle on the rack of sentinels sending prayers up to heaven, and knelt on the prie-dieu before the statue with her beads in her hand. Although she was not consistent with her prayers, she did try to pray them with her whole heart when she took the trouble.

Most of her thoughts tonight were on the late Sirius Black. Severus might be convinced that Black was the worst creature ever to crawl the face of the earth, but Miranda felt oddly connected to the unfortunate man. She’d spent almost a year trying to protect Black by pretending to work for his enemies. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had thought that they would meet someday and laugh over her charade of a hunt like old friends. And the idea that he had left behind a lonely boy who had known so much loss already tugged at her heart.

As the smooth beads ran through her fingers, other faces appeared, calling for their own attention. Columba and David were never far from her mind when she thought of the dead, and she spared prayers for them even though she presumed that they didn’t really need them. A gust of wind blew through the church, making the candles sputter. She shivered and the superstitious thought occurred to her that death and sorrows come in threes. As the candle flames righted themselves from the assaulting breeze, she began fervently and selfishly praying that her Englishman was not going to be one of those three. This intention was on her heart until she finished the round and rose to join him and say good night to the church and its secrets.

“Are you quite finished?” Severus asked when she fell in next him.

“I think so,” she replied, her mind still on the living and the dead.

He shook his head at her. “I have no idea why you insisted on coming here.”

She shrugged absently. “I guess I wanted to say thank you that I’m still alive.”

“Those thanks may be premature.”

“Maybe. But maybe not. And I had a few souls on my mind that I thought could use a word.”

He smirked as they walked out of the church into the warm June night. The streetlights obscured all but the brightest stars and the light of the crescent moon was feeble in comparison to them.

“For a woman as intelligent as you are, I find it astonishing that you can be so superstitious,” he observed.

“I wouldn’t complain if I were you. You are one of the souls I mentioned. If you don’t need prayers, I don’t know who does.”

She was certain that he would have a snide remark to give her in return, and she was surprised when he took her hand instead and pressed his lips to it.

“I have never complained about you wasting time on me before. Far be it for me to do so now.”

*****

An unceremonious crack broke the quiet of the woods, sending birds shrieking into the air. Severus stumbled, caught his balance on the trunk of one of the trees, and sank down to the ground, leaning his back against the rough bark. He hated apparating that soon after enduring the Cruciatus, but he would rather risk splinching himself than stay a moment longer than necessary in the Dark Lord’s presence. The man was a hyena. If he scented weakness, he would attack without mercy.

With a shaking hand, Severus fished the cigarette case out of his robes. He dropped it more than once before he managed to extract a cigarette and light it. One drag. Two drags. The smoke filled his lungs and the magic spread through his body, soothing the pain. The heat was unusually welcome to him, warming him after the chilling effects of the curse. For a long while he simply sat and smoked, thinking of nothing at all.

Presently the cigarette case on his knee reminded him of his Barbarian. He had promised to inform her if the Dark Lord called him after her return to Romania, but he was tempted to let it be. All she could do now was worry.

The cigarette kept him company as he deliberated. In the end though, a promise was a promise, and he took pains never to make them idly.

I HAVE BEEN TO SEE THE DARK LORD His fingers were slow at tapping, but he managed.

ARE YOU ALRIGHT was the instant reply.

YES THE CRUCIATUS WAS LACKLUSTER TODAY HE MUST HAVE SPENT HIMSELF ON BELLA

WHEN DID HE CALL YOU

AN HOUR AFTER YOU LEFT

I AM SORRY I WAS NOT THERE

DO NOT BE SORRY HE DID NOT MENTION YOU AT ALL I THINK WE MAY HOPE LUCIUS TOOK HIS PLAN TO MURDER YOU TO AZKABAN WITH HIM

THANK HEAVEN FOR SMALL MERCIES ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE ALRIGHT

He shifted against the tree, trying fruitlessly to find a comfortable position. YES I HAVE THE CIGARETTES AND IT IS NEAR ENOUGH TO EVENING THAT I WILL USE THE OCCASION AS AN EXCUSE TO MAKE UP FOR LOST SLEEP

YOU WILL EAT SOMETHING BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP RIGHT IF ONLY FOR MY SANITY

He snorted, but capitulated. I SUPPOSE BUT ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR SANITY THE LAST THING I NEED IS A MAD LOVER

YOU ARE TOO GOOD

DO YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO FINISH PREPARATIONS FOR THE NEXT TASK

I AM READY DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THAT JUST WISH ME LUCK

He was worried, but not because he doubted her abilities. YOU DO NOT REQUIRE LUCK YOU REQUIRE SKILL WHICH YOU HAVE

THANK YOU I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES

YES DO

He hauled himself to his feet and set off towards the castle, moving at a slow but determined pace. The pains he had taken during the previous month to put Miranda out of his mind proved useless now, and his thoughts were full of her. Trust was a gift that Severus found he prized above all others. It was a gift that he had rarely been given and a gift that he had been known to mismanage when it had been bestowed. He had neither expected nor hoped to receive such a gift from Miranda, and it had startled him as much as it had warmed him when she’d presented it to him with no questions or reserve.

As unexpected as it was, he found he wanted it the way he wanted air to breathe.

*****

End Notes:

Many, many thanks to Potionspartner for beta-ing this chapter and saving me from an enormous blunder!

I think that Thestrals would smell and (shudder) taste differently to different people, based on their experience and beliefs.

Peeves’s song was written by my husband, Mr. Zingarella. It was featured in my one shot, Mairi’s Ghost--check it out if you’d like to know the whole story.

The term “uncircumscribable” means “not able to be circumscribed” or “not able to draw a circle around.” It was used during the debates in the Eastern Church about whether or not God could be depicted in icons. The iconoclasts argued that God was “uncircumscribable,” or that one could not depict Him in icons, and the iconodules, argued that He could be depicted, most often as the Ancient of Days. Was that too much information? Anyway, Peeves is just using that fancy word here to make fun of Severus’s nose.

Miranda is praying the rosary with her beads. Catholics do all kinds of things for the dead.

Churches are totally haunted, but only by souls looking for prayers.

*****

Moonlight Masterpost+

<< Chapter Twenty+

Chapter Twenty-two+ >>

#severus snape #snape #severus snape fanfiction #severus snape fanfic #snape fanfic #snape fanfiction #harry potter fandom #snape x oc #oc appreciation #second wizarding war #ilvermorny #american magic #espionage #spying #romance #adventure

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fakemuggle529-blog · 5 years ago

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"HARRY DID YOU PUT YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE?!?!"

I could go on for days about the differences between the HP books and the movies (just ask my wife). 7 books, 8 movies, 4 directors, 2 screenplay writers, a myriad of actors or varying levels of talent, but this 1 line haunts every single Harry Potter fan. One comment about this line was "we're never going to get over this, are we?" That one comment sparked this post, which was originally meant to be a list of my least favorite movie moments and why.

But Harry Potter is my favorite subject, and my rant about this became a separate post to answer that rhetorical question.

Simply put, no, we're not going to get over it. But why won't we?

As with any adaptation, since the world isn't ready for a 10 hour movie based on 1 book, bits and pieces of the Harry Potter books needed to be cut out. (I'd be down for that movie, but I digress)

Things like the Draco/Pansy romance, Rita Skeeter being an unregistered Animagus, or winning the Quidditch cup ultimately don't have an impact on the plot of "evil wizard finds path to immortality, boy wizard must stop him with the help of his friends," so they can get cut pretty easily.

Even things like the Marauders' full moon adventures and creation of the Map, Umbridge setting the dementors on Harry, and Neville's parents' fate are secondary material, meant to give more weight to the main story:

- The world would still be in mortal danger without four teenagers creating a map of their school, but that map helped stop that danger;

- Umbridge would still be a cruel bitch if we hadn't known she sent the dementors, but that tidbit show her own demented state of mind and how far she'll go to get what she wants.

- and we'd still want Voldemort dead even if we'd never heard of Neville Longbottom, because we've seen the impact he had on Harry. The info about the Longbottoms just gives more depth to the characters involved.

But regardless of what they left out, the basics stayed the same: "evil wizard finds path to immortality, boy wizard must stop him with the help of his friends" continued, except the written version had more information than the visual. The fans already knew what was missing, so our brains filled it in for us. And leaving out that bit of info for the adaptation process allowed people who hadn't read the books to know what was going on and how the information fit together, even if they had less information than the fans.

(I think of the miniseries Chernobyl, when the general asks how a nuclear reactor works. He gets a bare bones explanation, and can parrot it back to his subordinates later. He might not me able to do the math or understand all of the technical jargon, but that simple explanation has given him enough info to get things going.)

As the movies progressed, we saw more and more get left out since the books only got longer, or more in depth, or both which each new addition, but no matter what, that skeleton was still there, "evil wizard finds path to immortality, boy wizard must stop him with the help of his friends." And the 'friends' part was even more accurate with supporting characters!

Hermione was the nerd from the books, Ron was the goofy best friend, Neville was the underdog, Draco was the bully!

Every single character was fitting their book counterparts perfectly, they just couldn't be as in depth in this medium!

Lucius was the oily bastard you knew he was, Sirius was the Godfather who wanted to be there but couldn't, Bellatrix was the psychotic fanatic who'd do anything to earn Voldemort's praise, Dumbledo--

And that's where the similarities stop.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a lot of things: he's the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot (the Wizard High Court), honoree of the highest medal of Honor possible for Wizards, one of the most notable contributors to the field of alchemy, and from what I understand a PHENOMENAL dancer.

He's human, and fallible like any other human, but he is definitely not stupid.

Just in book 1, before Ms. Rowling had even gotten into her stride as a storyteller, we see Dumbledore:

Send Harry to the safest place possible; watch over him as much as possible; send updated owls to Harry with every change of address; send Hagrid as the most friendly way to introduce Harry to his true world; Send Harry the invisibility cloak as a connection to his dad; say that he 'doesn't need a cloak to become invisible;' RETURN the cloak after Harry lost it; and turned around on his trip to London on some intuition, barely managing to save Harry's life.

While he might not be the warmest of people, probably due to a tendency to think too deeply, Dumbledore shows the strongest of power when he needs to fight, the quickest of words when he needs to talk, and what seems to be a clear sense of right and wrong (the waters get a little murky with that last one, but he stands up for what he sees is wrong, regardless of what he thought at 18), and a calm dignity, even while getting his feathers ruffled.

And that's exactly why this gets under our skin so much.

As fans of the books, we see Dumbledore do it all, in great detail. Even that infamous line is ended with "he asked CALMLY" (All Caps is my addition). We see Dumbledore:

-sit next to an 11-year old who nearly died recently and promise to some day tell him about the first time he nearly died as an infant AT THE HANDS OF THE SAME GUY... Calmly, because this is a conversation he's been dreading for years, so he's prepared.

- hire a clear fraud just to fill his staff; have two 12-year olds crash an illegal flying car into a living tree AND talk down the teacher that wanted to skin them alive; deal with an unknown threat that was attempting to kill his students; get forcibly removed from the school, only return ready to console grieving parents AND watch the same 12 year olds from earlier emerge from an unfindable chamber WITH the 11 year old who was thought to be dead....calmly, because he's lost loved ones, and he knows what it is to grieve.

- Hire a werewolf; keep that a secret from his students, their parents, and maybe even the government; and have two 13 year olds illegally time travel to save an animal an a convicted felon...calmly, because an innocent man's life is important.

- Host a death tournament specially designed to 'not kill;' and slowly watch a plot to revive to worst wizard ever unfold before his eyes....calmly, because he didn't have all of the information yet.

- Get slandered by the entirety of the government, and forcibly removed from his position in the Courts; have a government spy forced onto his staff; purposefully pissed her off; evade arrest and go on the lam...calmly, because he knows he's right, and the truth will out. THEN come back, fight every Death Eater in the ministry, fight Voldemort, convince the government not to arrest him, then talk Harry through his Godfather's death....calmly, because he knows he messed up, he even says that Harry show be so much angrier, and 'please, by all means, destroy my possessions'.

- Find out he's dying; find out there's a hit on him; recruit an old colleague, and use Harry as a means to reveal a crucial part of Voldemort's past, which he's been teaching to Harry all year; find a horcrux as well as pass on as much info about them as possible; AND get psychologically tortured mere moments before being murdered....

- AND, postmortem, we find out that Dumbledore has been playing pretty much everybody, but especially Harry....calmly, because for once, it really was "the greater good."

But he was fun loving too, maybe childishly so due to the fact that he had to grow up so fast.

- Some of His first words after Harry starts school are, "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! And tweak!"

- He did what was best for the school AND Firenze by hiring the centaur, but he clearly enjoyed shoving it in Umbridge's face.

- and let's not forget the night he picked Harry up front Privet Drive. He obviously made those glasses hit the Dursleys as some small payback for how they treated Harry.

That's Dumbledore. Serious, wise, and seriously wise, with a penchant for mischief.

The movie Dumbledore gave none of that, especially with that terrible, terrible reading of that line.

That one line changed the entire character of Albus Dumbledore. Instead of the cool, calm, and collected man he always was, he lost control. In front of his foreign and governmental guests nonetheless. That would never happen to Dumbledore. He's seen the signs, and can tell something is up. That's WHY he hired "Mad-Eye."

Even that stupid Christmas scene added to the HBP movie, as much as I freaking HATE it, doesn't CHANGE anything. The Death Eaters attack and for some reason burn the house down. Boo hoo. Nobody gets hurt, nobody dies, the house is back to normal the next movie. No big deal. They just wanted to add to the drama some, instead of the usual deduction from the cuts.

This change is why we hate SO many other adaptations, or "cuts" as they call them.

-Those of us who are old enough to remember will freaking riot over the "Han shot first" argument, because we knew that there was no way in hell Han would sit and let Greedo take a shot at him, ESPECIALLY since they freaking showed it first, then changed it later.

-It's why we all hate M. Night. Shyamalan's fucking guts, because he took the single greatest cartoon masterpiece ever created, and tried to make it better. The one scene that sticks out to me is when they're trying to escape the earth-bending prison camp. First, they had to be removed from the land entirely, or their pride would cause a rebellion instantly; second, 6 benders did what we see Toph do her first lesson as a blind toddler. Unlike Lucas, Shyamalan wasn't trying to appease anyone. He just wanted a name for himself, so he decided to take on the most popular cartoon ever. Pass or fail, he has that fame now.

Some of the fault might lie with the director, or possibly even the actor himself. Michael Gambon is a respected actor, and probably had a sense for how the character would play, even if that sense might not have been based in the books. Couple that with multiple directors by this point, multiple actors having playing Dumbledore, and the books still gradually coming out, and the information and range for the character of Dumbledore might have been quite limited.

And let's not forget those cuts that needed to be made. With a shorter story comes a need to get the information across faster.

Instead of mulling it over for a moment while the rest of the group argues (and probably for a good year or so by this point), and calmly asking Harry if he entered himself in the tournament, the quick explosion both saves time by cutting the opening argument AND gives the audience a cue for suspense. They know something is wrong NOW, and they don't know what, but they'll find out as the people on screen do.

Personally, I believe that this system can be broken by a rather simple solution: TV show.

Instead of one movie, each book gets one Season, and every couple chapters or so gets an episode. I foresee problems as we get to the later books as opposed to the early one, since they start getting thick AF with GoF.

But I think the pros outweigh the cons.

-The locations for HP are actually incredibly limited. They pretty much go back and forth between the same dozen locations all seven books, so you could make sets to switch out whenever needed, and just reuse the exact same sets for seven straight years, with little to no change in between.

- We have all of the books now, and then some, and then some extra BS on top of that, and the plethora of headcanon out there, so we have more than enough information for every single thing about this place, excluding literal physical dimensions. Find a kid who looks like Harry, another actor who can flawlessly pull off Snape, and some old guy who wants to be goofy sometimes, and you've got gold.

- We could actually include the minor characters too. Peeves could pop in and out every few episodes, Dobby can play the role he was meant for, Kreacher can exist as more than 3 lines. The vanishing cabinet could actually be introduced in year 2, then addressed in Year 5, then revealed properly in year 6. Moaning Myrtle has her scenes, Bill Weasley has his, Tonks could be the most important female character besides Hermione or Ginny.....

Anyway, you get the picture. This whole thing was inspired by one comment, and I've been working on this for almost 6 hours now. Pretty sure I've worked harder in this post than any papers in high school...

Hollywood, if by some miracle you see this, I'll totally be a screen writer for the Harry Potter TV show. In the meantime, goodnight.

#harry potter series #harry potter #albus dumbledore #dumbledore #draco malfoy #ron weasley #hermione granger #sirius black #molly weasley

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