Disclaimer: JK Rowling and Scholastic own Harry Potter and associated characters and materials. Fred Saberhagen owns the Swords of Power. While I… Well, I own a couple bit characters, plus the computer I'm writing this on. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that.
A/N: Yeah, I know, this chapter took a really long time to get up, too. It's been a really tough quarter in school for me, though, but now that I'm nearing the end of it, I actually found a little spare time to write, and lo and behold, I finished most of this chapter in a single night. I'm terrible, I know. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, because it's a mighty important one!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: INNER NATURE
Dumbledore gathered the members of the Order along with Cornelius Fudge, Reynolds, and another couple senior Aurors. Harry, Hermione and Ron were also attending the meeting. Neville hadn't felt well after the revelation that someone was helping Voldemort, and had gone to rest. Harry sat next to Sirius, who occasionally mumbled rather colorful metaphors, speculating on the ancestry of the traitor, whoever they were.
"That son of a bitch," he was now muttering, "when I get my hands on him, I'll tear his throat out."
Lupin glanced at him. "Calm down, Sirius. We need to solve this problem, and to do that, we need you with a clear head."
Dumbledore nodded to them. "Indeed, that is what we need. A review of who knew what, who's been where, and who can be accounted for and who can't. I cannot say that I enjoy being paranoid about those whom I trust, but I am afraid such measures are going to be necessary for now. Lupin, Sirius, you'll be in charge of this. Work with Reynolds. He has access to much more information than we about the myriad Ministry personnel involved."
The three nodded. Harry sighed inwardly. This would probably get them nowhere. And if Snape had known something about this, no doubt he would have already mentioned it. Harry still didn't like the man, but did have to admit he was at least good at what he did.
While Dumbledore discussed other implications, Harry fingered the hilt of Sightblinder. As he gazed up from the table, he almost fell out of his chair. Everyone looked… Different somehow. It was like he perceived a slight haze about everyone that looked something like an aura. It was a little different for everyone, though. Looking about the room, he saw, oddly enough, that he perceived Sirius, Hermione, Lupin, Dumbledore, and Reynolds completely different from all the others. He shook his head and removed his hand from Sightblinder. He'd worry about that later.
The meeting was breaking, and after a couple quick goodbyes, the three headed up to their common room. Harry found Luis Garcia and Taylor Ward chatting idly near the fire, and they waved him over as he entered. "Give me a moment, guys. I'll be right back." He wandered over to the two Quidditch players. "What's up?"
Luis shrugged. "Good question. I know you've been busy doing a lot of other stuff, Harry. Really important things… But still, it helps to have a few normal things go on, to sort of help people get on with their lives, right? And we were wondering, what with you so busy and all, do you want someone else to temporarily take your spot as Captain, try running practices? I mean, I have no clue if the season will be canceled or anything, but if it isn't… I know this must sound horrible, with everything that's happened, but if it isn't, I'd like the team to be ready."
Taylor nodded. "It's just… You're out doing all this, and there's nothing we can do about that. But we can do this, to try and help people feel like their lives can still go on, even after the horrible things that have happened."
Harry gazed at the two for a long moment, trying to wrap his head around what they were saying. He remembered the chess game he had played with Ron not long ago.
What I mean is, we've mourned the dead, and we still do. And worrying about things we can't currently control isn't going to help anything. And while people have died, we are still alive, and have to choose life. I don't want to spend mine moping about, and I don't think you do, either.
Harry looked back at Ron and grinned. Ron stared at him for a moment, before Hermione elbowed him, and he smiled back hesitantly, not quite sure what was going on. Harry turned back to Luis and Taylor chuckling slightly. "Sure, guys, I understand. Luis, I know I can count on you to take care of things. And it looks like you've already figured out that Taylor's got a good head on her. You two look after things for me, alright? But I promise I will be there for our season opener, not matter what."
Luis grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way. Good luck."
Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "You too." He walked back over to Hermione and Ron, surprising her by sliding his arm about her waist and kissing her head.
"What was that for?" she asked, smiling up at him.
He shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just a little bit of normalcy."
Ron made a gagging sound. "If you're going to act like that normally, I think I'll hang myself." Hermione and Harry laughed, Ron joining them a moment later.
* * *
Harry tried to remain calm and free of tension the rest of the day, but he found his mind wandering back to the events of the morning and the subsequent meeting of the Order. He couldn't, however, figure out for the life of him who the traitor might be. Hermione and Ron had no thoughts on it either.
"Well, it obviously has to be someone fairly high in the Order, or in the Ministry, hasn't it?" Hermione said, frowning, as they sat around a table in the empty common room, everyone else having long since headed for bed. "Nobody else would have known about what was going on that day at the Ministry. Unless of course, it was one of the Aurors who was there, but that just doesn't seem to be consistent with the facts."
Harry shrugged. "I really don't know. I mean, obviously, Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Charlie, and we three couldn't possibly be the traitor. Who else is there, then?"
Ron frowned. "Well… The only other people who knew about it were Reynolds, Fudge, a couple other Order members, and a few high ranking Aurors. But Harry, I don't think we can go around accusing the Minister of Magic, or the head of Magical Law Enforcement of being spies for You-Know-Who."
Hermione sighed heavily, leaning back into her chair and staring at the ceiling. "It just doesn't make any sense at all. And you're right, Ron, I don't see how we can just accuse Minister Fudge or Mr. Reynolds, or anybody else without any sort of proof, other than we can't be completely certain they're innocent."
"This isn't going to be something can be solved in just one night, and probably not even by a mind as sharp as yours, Hermione," interrupted Lupin's voice. He and Sirius walked into the common room, looking forlorn. "We've spent the entire day with Reynolds, poring over the files of everyone who knew about what was happening with any prior notice. So far, there's been nothing. They run checks on these Aurors very close in the first place, and so we haven't seen anything at all suspicious."
Sirius nodded, collapsing into one of the chairs. "Incredible as it sounds, the only remotely possible people, looking at the files, would be Fudge, Reynolds, this Auror named Whitaker, or one of us," he finished, gesturing about the room.
Ron looked up at him. "Whitaker? I've never heard of him. And why was he slightly suspicious."
Lupin shrugged. "Ah yes, well, there are a few months of his life we can't account for in his files. But he was with Reynolds that morning; he's one of his top deputies. Like Sirius mentioned, that's the only remote possibility. But it's so farfetched; I can't it being very likely at all. Certainly nothing to start doing any questioning on. And Fudge may not be the smartest person in the world, but a traitor? I can't see that."
The five of them sat silently for some time, the fire crackling beside them. Their minds all churned over the past days events. Nothing at all seemed to fit in their thoughts. Harry suddenly recalled their fourth year.
"Well," he started slowly, "maybe it's not a traitor at all, but… Voldemort has some sort of way of listening in on things that are happening within the Ministry? Something that allowed him to know what we were planning?"
Lupin crinkled his brow, deep in thought. "It's possible," he conceded, "but also highly unlikely. I'm not sure how he might have managed to charm an object to alert him of things being said in the Ministry, not with the security there. However… It may bear some looking into."
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. "We'll have to check that out tomorrow then. But for now, it's getting a little late, and like it or not, you three do have class tomorrow, do you not?"
The three teenagers grinned sheepishly. "Yes, that's true," admitted Hermione. "We had better be off to bed. You'll let us know if you find anything?"
Lupin nodded. "You can count on it. Good night, you all."
The next day, the three of them attended class again. It seemed almost normal, going to class for the past couple days, rather than running around England trying to save the world. Still, Harry found it difficult to concentrate on what was going on in his academic life, with all the events of the past few months prodding at his mind. Still worse, he couldn't help but notice the whispers and glances thrown in his direction. Though he hadn't been aware of it until just now, he realized that people had been doing that a lot. When he asked his friends about it at lunchtime, they all just shrugged helplessly.
"Well, it's kind of like, you were already something of a hero, Harry, and now, with everything else, and they keep hearing how you're involved in it all… Well, it's hard not to be impressed, I guess," explained Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan nodding next to him.
Harry scowled. "The last thing I want to be is some sort of hero."
Hermione poked him in the ribs. "Probably should have thought of that before you told Professor Dumbledore we were in this until the end, then?"
He gave her a sardonic look. "OK, mistake on my part, I'll admit to that. What can I say?"
"That you have a really good sense of dramatic timing, but not much else?" commented Ron.
Harry laid his head on the table. "The world is about to collapse around me, and you guys make fun of me. Well, I suppose I was the one who wanted a little normalcy, wasn't I?"
Hermione smiled at him, patting him on the back. "Yes, you were, and a little thing called having fun being around friends is part of that, silly boy. Now, cheer up. You can't save the world if you're gloomy all the time."
Despite himself, Harry had to smile at that. The rest of them laughed as they collected their things and headed off to their next class. For the first time in a long time, Harry felt a little of the weight lifting off his shoulders.
That's right, these people are my friends, and they're here to support me, and be there for me. I don't have to do everything alone. They're right here beside me.
That afternoon, Harry even managed to get in some Quidditch practice with the team, finding that he was a little rusty, but then again, so was everyone else. The sheer excitement of flying around on his broom, playing the game he loved, nearly made him forget about everything else that was surrounding his world. Still, by the time evening came and Neville came in to tell them Professor Dumbledore wanted to see them, he was eager to learn what Sirius and Lupin had found out that day. On impulse, he buckled Sightblinder to his belt once again.
The four headed into Dumbledore's office, finding Sirius, Lupin, Reynolds, and Dumbledore waiting inside. They all had rather grim looks on their faces. Harry frowned.
"Don't tell me. You still have no idea who the spy is? Or how Voldemort is spying on us?"
Lupin shook his head. "Unfortunately, we don't, Harry. We went over the entire Ministry with a fine tooth comb. Nothing suspicious at all. We got back some reports we had asked for about various Ministry officials. Nothing there either. It looks like a total dead end. This one has completely stumped me. Whoever this traitor is, he's buried deep."
"I'm surprised we didn't at least find a decoy or something. Wouldn't they have set up someone else to look like the traitor?" asked Ron.
Hermione sighed heavily. "That kind of thinking is exactly why we didn't, Ron. Finding someone so easily would have been too suspicious, and we'd know it was a diversion. And something like that might have led us to the real person. Hence, there was no decoy. There's just nothing."
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "That is precisely correct, Ms. Granger. However… Even the lack of evidence may be evidence. Clearly we are dealing with a very skilled, intelligent opponent who has anticipated all of our moves. All the more reason to be increasingly cautious. I cannot say to suspect everyone; that would be madness and would disrupt our functioning. However… It might be necessary to suspend operations for the time being and debate our next move."
Harry looked glum, fingering Sightblinder, considering this course of action. At once, his senses were again assaulted, seeing various auras surrounding the room. All at once, he was aware of footsteps sounding someplace. They sounded hollow and distant somehow. Casting his glance about, he suddenly realized that he was hearing footsteps outside Dumbledore's office, in the hall. He was suddenly aware of various other goings on around him he hadn't noticed before, that he could perceive if he so chose. Sightblinder not only would cause illusions, but it was enhancing his senses.
He turned back to the people in the room. He still perceived the auras, though they were indistinct. Again, as before, he only saw auras surrounding Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius, Hermione, and Reynolds. On a whim, he drew an inch of Sightblinder's blade, vaguely aware the others were now discussing whether they should suspend operations or continue on another line.
Immediately as Sightblinder's blade was exposed, the auras became clearer. As he studied them, looking at the nature of the auras surrounding those in the room, he realized he was looking at the inner nature of everyone. Everything about themselves that was not evident to the outside world. He glanced around. Reynolds' aura was black as the night sky, quite different from the hues of everyone else. He looked even closer. Suddenly, the image of a coiling snake seemed to burst from the center of Reynolds' aura, and the image began to burn his eyes. His knees gave out, and he snapped Sightblinder back into its sheath.
Hermione was instantly at his side, gripping his arm. "Harry, are you all right? What happened?"
Dumbledore had moved around his desk, kneeling in front of Harry. Harry looked up at him. "I'm fine… Just got a little dizzy suddenly. I'll be ok."
Dumbledore studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. Sirius, Remus, Reynolds, would you please see if there might have been anything you missed? I shall consider what we discussed. Please report back to me soon." The three nodded and departed. Dumbledore turned back to Harry. "Now, Harry, what is it you wished to tell me, but could not in front of the others?"
Harry looked up at the old man, feeling his throat tighten. He didn't want to believe what he was about to say, but didn't see how he could have been wrong. Sightblinder had given him insight into what lay within everyone he looked upon. He had seen what had lay within Reynolds' heart. "Professor… I know who the spy is. Sightblinder… It doesn't just disguise you, it… Somehow, it allows you to see inside someone's heart. I can't really explain it, but… Just now, I drew it, just a little. And I saw."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, Harry, that means that the traitor was one of those three? That's impossible!"
Harry shook his head. "No… It's… It's Reynolds. I saw, he was the one. He's Voldemort's spy."
Dumbledore stepped back, a look of genuine shock on his face. Ron gaped at Harry. "The head of Magical Law Enforcement? A spy for You-Know-Who? I can't believe it! He's been with us almost since the very beginning!"
Dumbledore had stepped over to his Pensieve, and was currently staring into it. A few moments later, he looked up. "No… It all fits. How did I not see it before?"
The four turned to him. "What do you mean, Professor? I don't understand," said Hermione in a quavering voice.
Dumbledore shook his head in disbelief. "I should have seen it, but… The former head of Magical Law Enforcement, he was killed by a sword thrust, while in his office. Clearly the work of Farslayer, yet how was the blade removed? In fact, it is not possible to Apparate into his office, as wards were set up some time ago. However… Reynolds was the person to find the body."
Harry nodded slowly. "Which means he could have removed it before anyone else knew about it."
"Exactly," agreed Dumbledore. "Further, if you will recall, Reynolds left shortly after Graff arrived, ostensibly to get help from the Ministry. However, he must have also during the time alerted Voldemort. You will also recall, he left to help tend to the wounded just before Voldemort arrived."
Hermione frowned, thinking back. "That's right, he did. He wasn't actually there for either battle."
Dumbledore continued. "Also, he was intimately aware of every single plan that we had conceived. You'll also recall that Whitaker, his aide, was his alibi. However, Whitaker himself has some time which was not accounted for. Undoubtedly, Whitaker is actually under the control of other Death Eaters, or Reynolds himself."
Neville collapsed into a chair. Ron stood still, looking shell-shocked. Hermione turned to Dumbledore, still looking astonished, a chill running down her spine as she ran all of this through her brain. "That means… All this time… Every single thing we've done… Voldemort's known all of it. He planned it like that since the beginning, by assassinating the head of Magical Law Enforcement, ensuring that his own agent would take his place."
Dumbledore nodded gravely, slowly seating himself. "That's correct. However… Now that we are aware of this, we have the advantage. I believe that it's time we set another trap for Voldemort. This time… A real one."
Harry looked up, setting his jaw and nodding his agreement. This was their opportunity. They finally had a chance to strike a real blow, and catch Voldemort unawares, to force him out where they might have a chance. "Surprise has always been their best weapon, hasn't it? Now… It's ours."