Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time and had the courtesy to leave a review. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it. I will try to keep it up…
Chapter 9 - To the Manor Born
Severus Snape sat in his room at his desk poring over his notes when he was interrupted by a knock on his door.
'Come!'
The door opened and in stepped Draco Malfoy. He approached his former professor tentatively.
'I believe you wanted to see me, professor?' Malfoy asked.
Snape regarded his former pupil for a moment. There was no doubt that the strain was taking its toll on the young man standing before him. He had lost a lot of weight and his normal drawn features now looked gaunt. His hair - usually so neat and glossy - now resembled an old kitchen mop, such was its colour and state of untidiness. He was not handling things well, Snape concluded. Good. This should make what he now had to do that little bit easier. He placed his quill on the desk and leaned back in his chair, knowing that he had to handle this situation very carefully indeed.
'That manner of address is no longer appropriate, Draco,' he began. 'I am no longer your teacher and you are no longer a student at Hogwarts. You may call me Severus. Please, sit down, Draco,' he added, gesturing to the chair in front of him. He noticed a pang of regret in the boy's eyes as he slumped into the chair and Snape mused that he must have been jolted by the reminder of simpler times when all he had to worry about was homework and detentions. Things change.
'How are you feeling, Draco?'
Malfoy was instantly taken aback by the question. Never - in all the years that he had known Snape - had the man expressed an interest in anyone's feelings, never mind those of a former student. He was immediately on his guard.
'OK, I suppose,' he replied cautiously.
Snape nodded. 'You always were a terrible liar, Draco,' he said with a grim smile. 'Remember, it is I you are talking to; not some foolish schoolchild.' He paused for a moment before dropping the next bombshell. 'It is difficult, isn't it, being a Death Eater?'
Malfoy did not know where to look.
'Dumbledore was correct in his assessment of you, Draco - you are not cut out for this. When the Dark Lord discovers this fact - and he will; believe me, he will - then things will get extremely unpleasant for you. You know this to be true.' He was taunting the boy with these words but it was necessary for what he had to do next.
'How do you…' began Draco. 'What did…Is this some kind of sick test?' he finally managed to ask, his voice betraying the fear and pain that was threatening to overwhelm him.
'A test, yes; but not the sort of test you are thinking of. You have a choice to make, Draco. Right here and right now you have to make a choice. You can either continue as you are until the Dark Lord discovers you do not have the stomach to serve him; or you can join me and take a stand against him.'
'You? Join you? But you are his most trusted advisor. You killed Dumbledore!'
'I did, but only because it was necessary. He was dying; he used his own death to further our cause.'
Draco looked stunned; his mouth opening and closing like a stranded fish. 'But I cannot go against the Dark Lord. He will kill me!' he finally cried out in anguish.
'He is going to want to kill you whatever you decide, you young fool!' Snape watched his words hammer at Draco as if they were physical blows, but carried on relentlessly. 'You must understand this simple truth, Draco. The Dark Lord does not tolerate failure!'
'He doesn't tolerate betrayal either!' snarled Draco.
Excellent, thought Snape. He does have some backbone after all.
'It is your choice, Draco. Remain here and surely die, or join me and fight - yes fight - and there may be a chance of life. And if not? Then at least you will have died a man, and not as a coward.'
'Some choice,' said Draco, quietly, looking at his feet. He sounded absolutely defeated. 'How do I know I can trust you?'
'If this were a trap, Draco, you would already be begging for death. You have just revealed your true nature to me. I could kill you right now and the Dark Lord would reward me. You know this to be true. You must also know that the merest hint of revealing this conversation to anyone will mean your death. The Dark Lord is not the only skilled Legilimens in this manor. Do I make myself clear?'
Draco nodded his acceptance and his understanding. 'So what do I do?' he finally asked.
Snape hid his relief as he sensed the truth in Draco's words. He was glad, not least because this meant he would not have to kill the boy.
'You will wait until I give you instructions. Do not fear - the time for actions draws close. However, until that time, it is imperative that you do not go any nearer to the Dark Lord than you have to. If you spend too long in his immediate presence, he will know of your betrayal.'
'But if he summons me…' began Draco.
'If you are summoned you must flee, but I do not think you will be summoned. If you are then you will go to this address,' said Snape, handing Draco a slip of parchment. 'If you are forced to flee then you will remain at this location until I call. If I do not contact you within three days then you must make your own arrangements. That is all for now. I will speak to you again soon.'
Snape picked up his quill and began scribbling notes. Draco stood rooted as he watched, knowing he had been dismissed but hoping for something more. When it was evident that no more information would be forthcoming, he turned slowly and made his way out of the office, closing the door quietly behind him. He leaned against the closed door and shut his eyes. All he was aware of was an overwhelming sense of relief.
***********
Harry, Ron and Hermione materialised in a copse of trees near to the graveyard at the Riddle Manor. Harry had remembered the site from one of the pensieve memories and was relieved when they all seemed to have arrived in one piece. The spot was ideal - it was secluded and it provided them with the opportunity to make sure there was no one around to witness what they had come here to do. Seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, he removed his cloak from the three of them.
Ron and Hermione quickly had a look around and confirmed that the coast was clear. Harry had suspected that this would be the case as he knew that the villagers tended to avoid the old house due to its bloody history. For once, the vile actions of Voldemort worked in their favour.
Hermione led as they gingerly made their way towards the gravestones. She continually swept her wand in front of her as she attempted to detect traps or snares. To her surprise, she could find nothing. Harry was grateful for her presence. He had been dreading the return to this place almost from the moment Snape had voiced his theory. It looked very different in the brilliant summer sunshine but he could not escape a deep sense of dread as they finally arrived amongst the stones.
'It seems to be clear,' Hermione finally said, putting her wand away and turning to face Harry and Ron. 'Are you OK, Harry?' she asked after noticing him stop suddenly by a patch of spare grass.
'That's where it happened,' said Harry in a strangely dispassionate voice as he pointed to the ground in front of them.
Ron and Hermione shared a look.
'Where Cedric died?' Ron asked in a small voice.
Harry nodded. 'He never stood a chance. We had just landed over there,' he said, pointing to a spot about ten yards away, 'and neither of us had any idea what was going on.' He grimaced. 'Cedric thought it might have been another test - you know, another part of the tournament. There was no warning. It was dark and we couldn't see anything. There was just a voice and then he was dead. I…I still dream of him sometimes.'
Hermione held back her tears at hearing this, knowing that she had to be strong for him. She knew that it had been a terrible night for him but had never heard the details of what had happened. Seeing the spot where Cedric had fallen made it seem much worse, and despite the warm summer sunshine, she felt a chill run through her body.
'Then what happened?' she asked. She thought that talking about it might help him banish some of the demons from that night. At least, she hoped that were true.
Harry sighed. 'I was too shocked to move. I just stared at his dead eyes and did nothing when Wormtail disarmed me. He tied me to that gravestone over there.'
Ron and Hermione followed his gaze and the three of them approached the stone. It was weather beaten and scarred; the ground surrounding it unkempt and overgrown. The inscription on the stone was faded and rough, testament to long years of neglect; but the words could still be deciphered.
TOM RIDDLE
A long silence ensued as the three of them stared intently at the gravestone. The sun was shining and birds could be heard singing in the nearby trees, but the three teenagers felt as cold as winter as they contemplated the final resting place of the man who had sired Lord Voldemort. Strangely, Harry found himself feeling sorry for the man buried beneath him. He realised for the first time that this Tom Riddle was as much a victim of Lord Voldemort as anyone. He had been duped, Harry remembered; duped into marriage and duped into fathering a child. Whilst his subsequent abandonment of that child did not speak well of the man's character; he had nonetheless paid the fullest, fullest price for that mistake. It occurred to him that this man had been Voldemort's first victim; a victim claimed before the younger Tom Riddle had even been born. Had that been this man's destiny? Harry thought. Put on earth merely to father Voldemort? What did that say about my own destiny? Had the elder Tom Riddle been as much a slave to fate as he himself was? It was a thought that chilled the bones on a warm day.
His contemplations were finally interrupted by Ron loudly clearing his throat.
'Where did this crack come from?' asked Ron, a thickness to his voice as he pointed to a deep scar that ran nearly halfway down the stone from the top.
'I think that's from when he tried to hit me with a Cruciatus curse,' Harry replied. 'After he'd gotten his body back, he had me untied and ordered me to duel. He tortured me before trying to put me under the Imperious curse. I threw it off and when he tried to torture me again I ducked behind the stone. His curse struck it and caused the crack, I think. I wasn't behind there for long - I knew that he would send his henchmen to fetch me so I decided to come out and face him on my own terms.'
Hermione marvelled at how matter-of-factly he was discussing this. Actually seeing where his duel had taken place was really driving home what he had done that night. She felt a surge of pride course through her as she contemplated the courage he had shown. She had to fight to stop herself from crying - not from sorrow - but from the pride and hope and love that he inspired. And he never even realised that he was doing it. She reached over and planted a soft kiss on his lips before drawing him into an embrace.
'Harry, Hermione? Come and look at this,' said Ron.
Harry and Hermione disentangled themselves and joined Ron up close by the gravestone. He was pointing at a spot at the very bottom of the crack.
'Look; the crack only runs down halfway because it stops at this mark,' he said, indicating towards a small square on the stone just above Tom Riddle's name. 'What is that?' he asked.
'I don't know - it looks like some sort of family emblem,' said Hermione, peering closely at the square. 'It's been eroded by the weather so it's hard to make out. It was certainly put there deliberately; look - it's been cut into the stone.'
'Family emblem?' asked Harry, doubt in his voice. 'Let me see that - I don't think the Riddles were grand enough to have a coat-of-arms. Rich? Yes, but not nobility.' He peered closely at the mark, looking at it from a number of angles. 'I've seen this design before,' he said quietly.
Hermione gasped. 'Where?'
'Here,' he replied, tossing her a small object. 'On the ring. It's the same design and it looks like it will fit perfectly into that square. Dumbledore knew what he was doing all along,' he added, a note of admiration in his voice.
'You think that this is a key to releasing the Horcrux?' asked Hermione. 'You never said anything about this the night Voldemort returned. How could they have released the Horcrux when you were tied to the gravestone?'
Harry looked at his feet. 'The cauldron was already prepared - there was some potion in it before I arrived. Wormtail dropped Voldemort into it before adding the bone, the flesh and the blood. If they were using a Horcrux, it was probably already in there.'
Silence greeted this revelation for a few moments before Ron finally got back to the matter in hand.
'So what do we do now? Do we try it?'
Harry nodded. 'I think so. Hermione? Can you detect any traps?'
Hermione scanned the stone for a few minutes before replying. 'I can't find anything, Harry; I think it will be OK. Are you sure about this?'
'Definitely,' replied Harry. 'I'm not going to muck about this time; if it is a Horcrux I'm just going to destroy it right away. I'm not interested in talking to this one,' he added grimly as he put his cloak on the ground and took a firm grip of the sword. 'Here, give me the ring please, Hermione.'
'No,' said Ron suddenly. 'If you want this to be quick then it would be better if I used the key. Then you will be ready to stab it as soon as it appears.' He grabbed the ring from Hermione before she had time to react. 'Besides,' he continued, 'if there is a trap, it would be better if it got me rather than you. I'm not the "Chosen One",' he added, with a smile.
Harry smiled back at his friend and the two of them shared a look that said all that needed to be said between them. Sometimes, words weren't necessary.
'OK then,' said Ron, approaching the stone. 'As soon as I put it in, I will get out of the way. Ready?'
Harry tightened his grip on the sword before nodding. 'Ready,' he replied.
Ron placed the ring carefully in the hole where the mark had been cut and turned it. There was a soft click.
***********
Lord Voldemort - who at that moment had been conversing with Snape about the imminent attacks - suddenly lurched his head up as if struck.
No! How can this be possible? This cannot be possible! He abruptly got to his feet, a look of shock on his drawn features, and glanced over to where Nagini was being fed by Wormtail as if trying to reassure himself on some point.
'Master? Is there anything wrong, master?' asked Snape, taken aback by the Dark Lord's sudden strange behaviour. He too glanced at the snake and saw the same perplexed look on the face of Wormtail as he stopped feeding Nagini to regard his master. The two men shared a look.
Voldemort composed himself. 'No, Severus, nothing is the matter. Please leave me. I have much to ponder,' he added with a dismissive wave of his hand. 'You too, Wormtail. Nagini can be fed later.'
Snape stood and began to gather his notes from the table in front of him. He took his time before bowing to Voldemort and slowly walked from the room accompanied by Pettigrew. He closed the door quietly behind them, but before he headed down the corridor he could have sworn he heard a soft crack of Apparition coming from within the room.
What the hell was all that about? he wondered.
***********
Harry didn't waste any time. As soon as he saw a black mist begin to emerge from the gravestone, he thrust the sword of Gryffindor with all of his might straight into the heart of the emblem.
A loud scream - such as that which had accompanied the destruction of the locket - could be heard as the soul fragment within was destroyed. Harry could feel the sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to contain the shockwave, but with a final lurch the soul fragment disappeared into the ether. Harry collapsed to his knees.
'Harry! Are you all right?' cried Hermione, rushing to his side.
'I'm fine,' he gasped in reply. 'Just need a minute to get my breath back.' He tried to get to his feet but the effort proved too much for him and he collapsed into a heap. 'Just give me a minute,' he wheezed, clearly exhausted.
Ron, who had been watching the whole thing in amazement, was suddenly distracted by a muted crack that could just be heard behind him. He turned and - to his absolute horror - was confronted by the serpentine form of Lord Voldemort who had Apparated to a spot about fifty yards from where he was standing and who was clearly trying to get his bearings. It was at this point that Hermione also stood to investigate the source of the noise. Voldemort finally turned and spotted the two of them as they peered out from behind the gravestone. A flash of pure rage could be seen on his slit features and he raised his wand. For a fleeting instant Ron was rooted to the spot, but then his legs decided that his brain wasn't working fast enough and with a speed that would have astonished any casual observer, he thrust himself to the ground behind the grave, pulling Hermione down with him. Grabbing the invisibility cloak, he threw it over the still struggling Harry.
'It's Voldemort,' he hissed at Harry. 'He's here; get your shields up, Harry. Then we have to get the hell out of here. Now!' As he said this, a chunk of the gravestone was suddenly blasted over the three of them as a result of a curse from Voldemort. Ron thrust his wand round the side of the stone and randomly fired curses in the general direction of the Dark Lord. He didn't expect to hit him, but figured that it might keep him occupied. Glancing at Hermione, he noticed that she was trying to help Harry to his feet.
'Keep him down, you idiot!' he hissed at her. 'He mustn't be seen! Now, can you get us out of here?'
Ron froze before he heard the reply for he suddenly felt a chill run right through him as he became aware of a shadow passing overhead. Glancing at Hermione, he noticed a look of horror on her face as he heard a soft thud behind him. Somehow, Voldemort had got past them. He closed his eyes in despair. This was it.
'Who dares to challenge Lord Voldemort? Show yourselves to me! I command you!'
The voice was pure malevolence; a hissing caustic sound that was filled with rage and it left Ron rooted to the spot. He noticed that Hermione seemed to be feeling the same helplessness as he, for she too seemed unable to move. Of Harry there was no sound; it was as if he was not there.
'I said show yourselves!' I would see you before you die!' repeated the voice. Ron realised that Voldemort was actually struggling to breathe, such was the anger he was feeling. He had no time to dwell on that however, as in an instant he felt himself being forced to stand against his will. A moment later, both he and Hermione found themselves standing together facing the full wrath of Lord Voldemort who was standing a mere ten yards away, teeth bared and eyes flaring. Ron found himself completely unable to move. How had Harry possibly faced this man and escaped?
'So, a Weasley,' hissed Voldemort. 'Ron Weasley, I presume. Which means you must be the mudblood Granger,' he continued, looking at Hermione. 'How touching; Potter's little helpers carrying on his work. You must be missing him?' he asked viciously, not expecting a reply. 'Well, do not distress yourselves, you will be joining him shortly.' He raised his wand.
Ron felt strangely calm at that moment, accepting his fate.
'Avada Kedavra.'
Ron's entire world in that instant was a jet of green light that shot towards him. He raised his arm and yelled in defiance, knowing the gesture to be futile.
***********
Harry struggled with all of his might to keep his mental shields up as he lay panting on the grass. He knew that Voldemort would sense him if he dropped his guard for even a moment. Thankfully, Riddle seemed to be in such a state of apoplexy that he was not at his full mental capacity at the moment.
Thank Merlin Ron had thrown the cloak over him, he thought. He summoned what remaining strength he had left and rolled over onto his stomach. Clawing at the earth in front of him, he dragged himself as quietly as he could towards his friends. Inch by inch he pulled himself closer until he was finally near enough to touch them. His heart was pounding in his chest and the exertion was blurring his vision; the sweat cascading down his face. He had reached breaking point and for a brief moment he felt he could give no more. Then he heard the fateful words; words that suddenly gave him a new lease of life, a new strength.
'Avada Kedavra'
With one last effort he reached and grabbed both Ron and Hermione by the ankle before pulling them all away back to the Briars.
Please God, I was quick enough, he thought despairingly.
***********
Arthur Weasley was enjoying a quiet moment of peace as he read that day's copy of the Daily Prophet in the garden of the Burrow. He was taking a sip from a glass of pumpkin juice when the tranquillity was shattered by the sudden crack of numerous Apparitions that could be heard coming from just outside the Burrow's wards. He immediately got to his feet and snatched up his wand, ready to face the intruders.
He sighed with relief. It was James Walsh.
'Mr Walsh,' he began with a smile, before seeing the expression on the Auror's face. 'What's wrong?' he asked, a sudden feeling of dread overwhelming him.
'Arthur, I don't have time to explain,' began James, 'but it is imperative that you get your family and come with me. You must leave here as soon as possible. We think Voldemort may be about to attack.'
Arthur did not waste any time. Within a few minutes he, Molly and Ginny were standing in the garden, a few valuable possessions stashed hastily in an old trunk.
'What about the rest of my family?' he asked James. 'They don't all live here anymore.'
'Aurors are fetching them as we speak. The Grangers too, for that matter.'
'What's happened?' asked Arthur. 'Is Ron OK?'
'He's fine. I'll explain when we get there,' replied James, 'but for now we have to go. We are taking you to a safe house - all of you. Here; take this, it's a Portkey,' he added, thrusting an old snuff box towards Arthur. He took it and made sure that Molly and Ginny had grabbed a hold of it. Within a few seconds, he felt the familiar tug at his navel and the three of them were thrust towards their new destination.
***********
Lord Voldemort arrived back in the drawing room of his manor, his face a mask of fury. How had they gotten away? He had been certain that he'd had them under his full control and yet they had somehow managed to Disapparate from his presence.
No matter; how they escaped was irrelevant now, what mattered was that they had escaped. At least he was now aware of this new threat and he would deal with it in the same way he dealt with anyone who dared to challenge him. He began heading towards the main hall, his mind racing.
How had they known? His Horcruxes were his most closely guarded secret and yet it was clear that these two brats knew of them. He had examined the gravestone and had been horrified to discover that the Horcrux that had lain within was now destroyed.
Potter.
Potter must have discovered the secret before his death. This meant that Dumbledore must have known too. This stopped the Dark Lord in his tracks for a moment. If Dumbledore and Potter had discovered his secret, then how many of his Horcruxes had they found?
It was the diary, he realised. Dumbledore must have wondered about the true nature of the diary and acted accordingly. He had to contain this information; no one else must discover the truth. For now, he would have to deal with those who did know.
***********
Severus Snape was appalled. Never had he seen the Dark Lord in such a mood and that really was saying something. He had materialised in their midst and had demanded the immediate presence of every senior Death Eater. Snape was relieved to find that Draco had not been included in the summons.
Once the hastily arranged audience had commenced, the Dark Lord had begun a rant against blood traitors and mudbloods. True, it was not the first time that he had spouted such filth, but this time there was a difference. He had ended his rant with a demand for an immediate attack on the Weasley family and also on the Muggle Grangers. Attacks that he would lead in person.
Snape knew right then that something significant had occurred.
He knows. He knows someone is after his Horcruxes. The only saving grace seemed to be the fact that the Dark Lord had not discovered the truth about Potter. Had that been the case, Snape suspected that many in this room would be lucky to escape with their lives. As it was, he knew that he himself could not - must not - join in any attack on the Burrow. If something had happened, the Ministry would be sure to have evacuated the family and would be lying in wait. It said much for the Dark Lord's current frame of mind that he had not considered this point. He also knew that he had to tread extremely carefully in the next few minutes.
'Master? He asked tentatively. 'If I may be permitted to speak?'
The room held its breath as Voldemort turned to Snape, the fury plain on his distorted features.
'Proceed, Severus, though I warn you, this had better be worth your master's attention.'
Snape bowed his head. 'Thank you, master.' He composed himself, wondering the best way to approach this. Vanity, he knew, was always a good place to start with this man.
'Whilst I would never dream of questioning my master's orders, I cannot help but wonder if it is sufficient to merely attack the Weasleys at this juncture. In view of the fact that we are nearing your final victory, master, would it not perhaps be more gratifying if you were to deal with the traitors once you have achieved your goal? It would prove useful as an example to others how the mighty lord deals with those who dare defy him. These traitors and mudblood fools are not worthy of my master's attention at the moment - it can be likened to taking a hammer to crack an egg. And I believe that they will be guarded. Whilst these guards are obviously a trivial matter for my lord, I cannot help but think that it would be better to wait until the final victory? And if not, would it not be better if my master left such a trivial matter to be dealt with by his less worthy minions? The Weasleys can be brought to you here, my lord; to be punished at your leisure. I am sure there are many here who would be honoured to carry out your wishes in this matter.' Time for a gamble, thought Snape. 'I myself would be only too grateful to perform this duty, if it pleases you, master.' He kept his head low, his eyes averted. He only hoped he had not gone too far this time.
Voldemort regarded him for a long moment. Finally he leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath; evidently a little calmer for having considered Snape's words.
'There is much in what you say, Severus. Perhaps I have been too hasty. Perhaps it will be sending out the wrong message at this juncture to lower myself to go chasing after this filth. Yes, indeed. I will have them brought before me. Then they will feel the full wrath of Lord Voldemort.'
'My master is too kind,' replied Snape. 'I would be honoured to obey any orders he deems fit to give me.'
'As will I, master!' exclaimed Bella. 'It would be an honour to perform this task for you. Please grant this to me, master, I beg you.'
The gamble worked then, thought Snape as he watched the Dark Lord turn to Lestrange.
'It shall be so,' said Voldemort. 'You, Bella, shall lead this attack. You shall decide who to take and who to leave behind,' he added, with a glance at Snape. 'Do not fail me, Bella.'
'Of course not, master. Thank you, master,' she crooned.
Snape glanced up at Bella to see the flash of triumph on her face. He knew she would not select him to go on this mission. He had been banking on her doing exactly what she had just done.
He stood with the others as the Dark Lord rose to leave them. Thank Merlin some people are so predictable, he thought to himself.
***********
Harry tried not to wince as he was crushed by a fierce hug from Molly Weasley. He had been expecting something like this as it had dawned on him that none of the Weasleys (save Ron) had seen him since his 'death,' but he was still overwhelmed by their reaction at seeing him again. Arthur had embraced him with a smile before Molly had the chance to suffocate him. Her tears were flowing freely.
After disentangling himself from her clutches, he turned and was immediately gripped in a vice-like embrace from Ginny. She too was sobbing and clung to him as if her life depended on it. Glancing over her shoulder, Harry noticed Hermione watching them; her lips pursed so thin that he reckoned Minerva would have wept for joy in the knowledge that there was someone to continue that particular tradition after she herself was gone from this world.
For her part, Hermione wasn't too happy with the train of events that had led to their peace in the Briars being shattered, but she knew it was necessary. She thought back to earlier when they had arrived back from the graveyard. Harry - as usual - had taken control of the situation, despite the fact he was still clearly exhausted.
'Are you two OK?' he had asked as soon as they had arrived, panic evident in his voice. He had been breathing heavily and had struggled to raise himself up high enough to shake them both as they had all landed prone on the ground.
'I…I think so,' said Ron, white faced and obviously shaken. He had turned to the side and had vomited onto the grass.
'Hermione?' Harry had asked next as he enveloped her in his arms. He had been crying; from fright more than anything else and she had felt his heart hammering away in his chest.
'I'm OK, Harry,' she had replied, although her voice had cracked, giving away the lie. He had held her so tight that she could barely breathe.
'I'm sorry I took so long,' Harry had continued, slowly recovering. 'I was dead beat after destroying the Horcrux and it was taking all of my strength to keep my mental shields up so Voldemort couldn't sense me.'
'Do you think he did?' Ron had asked, wiping his chin with the back of his sleeve.
Harry considered the question. 'No,' he finally replied. 'You need to be in control of your emotions to be successful at legilimency; I think Riddle was too angry to notice me.' He had regarded Ron for a moment. 'Just so you know; you were bloody amazing today. We would have been dead meat had it not been for you.'
Ron had flushed scarlet at the praise. Harry had turned back to her.
'It was a trap, wasn't it? He had it arranged so that he would sense if anyone tried to release the Horcrux?'
She had merely nodded her agreement.
Harry had looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders at that moment. With a deep sigh, he had looked to the sky and shouted:-
'Sukey!'
The little house had elf appeared immediately with a loud crack.
'Sukey,' began Harry, 'it is vital that you find your master and tell him that he must come and see me at once. Tell him that it is of the utmost importance that he gets here as soon as possible. Do you think you can do that for me please?' he had asked, not unkindly.
Sukey had nodded before disappearing. Harry had led them back to the house and a few minutes later, Rufus had arrived.
'Harry? What's wrong?' he had asked without preamble.
'Rufus, I have reason to believe that Voldemort will attempt to attack any of the Weasleys that he can get his hands on and that he will do it soon.' He had glanced at Hermione. 'I also believe he will go after Hermione's parents.' He had ignored the sudden yelp of fear that had escaped her lips. 'Do you think you would be able to get them all somewhere safe as soon as you can? And I mean as soon as you possibly can - we have no time to lose.
The result of this hasty request from Harry was that within two hours, the Briars was bursting with people as all of the Weasleys and her own parents were brought to the safe house. As Rufus had explained; 'We never had time to set up anywhere else. This will have to do for the moment.'
She had been pleased to see her parents, of course, and had spent some time with them as they had arrived first; but as they were now settling into their room, things had calmed down enough for her to escape for a few moments alone. She knew that she was still in a state of some shock after the events in the graveyard.
As she was leaving the room she listened as Fred and George had some fun at Harry's expense.
'We don't know what to call you now…' began Fred.
'…as the "Boy Who Lived" isn't appropriate anymore…' continued George.
'…we gave the matter our utmost attention…'
'…but the best we could come up with was "The Boy Who Lived - Twice!"'
'So what do you think?' they asked simultaneously.
Harry seemed to consider the question carefully. 'Nah,' he finally said. 'Sounds too much like a James Bond title for my liking.'
The twins looked nonplussed. 'Who's James Bond?' they asked.
Hermione suppressed a smile as she headed up the stairs. The presence of so many people was unsettling her. It was not as if she had been the focus of attention - that dubious pleasure had been reserved for Harry - but she was still feeling exhausted. She wondered how Harry managed to deal with this all the time.
She had just settled onto her bed when she was disturbed by a soft rap on her door.
'Hermione?'
She smiled at the voice. 'Come in, Harry, it's not locked.'
He entered the room and silently closed the door behind him. Without saying a word he approached her and soon she was enfolded in his arms. They lay together for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke.
'How did you do it?'
'Do what?'
'Get us out of there. I couldn't do anything; I was completely under his control. So was Ron.' She shuddered at the memory.
'He didn't know I was there, remember? He wasn't trying to control me.'
'But you have faced him before and remained in control. You even threw off one of his Imperious curses!'
Harry shrugged. 'I don't know, Hermione. Can we just leave it for now and be glad that he can't affect me, even if we don't know why?'
She nodded and buried herself deeper into his embrace. After a long moment, she finally spoke again.
'Do we tell Ginny?'
'Not yet. She will find out soon enough, but if you don't mind, I would rather wait until this was over.'
She nodded her agreement. 'Things just got harder, didn't they?'
He nodded. 'He will know, Hermione. He will know that we are going after his Horcruxes. He will do everything he can to safeguard those remaining. He's holding all the Aces now.'
'No he isn't. He still doesn't know about you. You are the Trump card, Harry.'
He smiled at the analogy. 'At least I'm not the Joker.'
She tried to match his levity. 'No, that would be Ron. Definitely Ron.' She looked at him and tried to keep up a brave face, but she couldn't hide from his penetrating eyes.
'Oh, Harry,' she sighed. 'What are we going to do?'
Harry didn't reply. Instead he held her tight as if his embrace alone could keep at bay the horrors of the world.
For the moment, she realised, that would have to be enough.
***********
Severus Snape sat in silence as he watched his master stand looking out of the bay window, deep in thought as he stroked the head of his pet, Nagini. He had been summoned to his master's presence in order to present his plans for the attack on Hogwarts and he had answered the call with alacrity.
Bella had left with twenty Death Eaters not long before and Snape was sure that the Dark Lord was preoccupied with that mission. He was certainly preoccupied with something anyway. Despite this, he still had to give his full attention to Snape's proposals.
Snape was certain that the Dark Lord would adopt the plan that he had just outlined. The reason for this was simple - Snape knew that the plan he proposed would be almost exactly the same as the one the Dark Lord had in mind. His master would always make his own decisions - he just liked to test his lieutenants and Snape was only too happy to comply.
In consequence, his plan had been understated. Snape knew that the true impact from the mission would be as a result of taking both targets at once. However, if they were to encounter difficulties at the Ministry, then it was crucial for them to capture Hogwarts and - more importantly - the children. A bloody battle for the castle would get people's attention, but not as much as holding several hundred children hostage. Also, Snape had realised that if the capture of the school appeared easy - that the Dark Lord could take it on a whim - then the fragile confidence of the magical community would be shattered whether the Ministry fell or not. Many people already viewed Voldemort as invincible; if he could be seen to capture Hogwarts without any apparent effort then the legend of his power would grow out of all proportion.
So Snape's plan had been simplicity itself. Instead of attacking on September the first when there would be a full Auror guard, Snape had proposed that they move a few days early, before the children arrived. He had reasoned that if the school could be captured before the full guard arrived, and subsequently held without the knowledge of the Ministry, then the hostages would simply walk into their arms.
That would provide the impact, he had argued. The Ministry would be congratulating themselves on successfully opening the school and would then be hit with the news that the Dark Lord had been toying with them all along. That would be the moment to launch the attack on the Ministry. Just as they were thinking that things could not get any worse, they would be struck by an attack at the heart of government. It would add to the Dark Lord's air of omnipotence, the message stark; no matter what you do, the Dark Lord will be there first. Resistance to such a force is futile.
Simple, yet elegant.
Snape also knew of something else that made the adoption of his plan almost certain. If there really was a Horcrux in the castle, the Dark Lord would want to ensure its safety before the struggle commenced. Arriving a day or two early would allow him to do this. Also, he had stated that he knew how to get round the castle wards. This wasn't true, but he believed that Potter would be able to arrange for the defences to be removed before the attack began. This was a risk, but a calculated one.
He looked up as his master finally turned to face him.
'Well done, Severus. Sometimes I think you can read my very thoughts. It shall be as you propose.'
Snape tried not to show his relief. 'Thank you, master.'
Voldemort regarded him for a moment. 'You took a risk in speaking out against me today. I do not usually tolerate such behaviour. Why did you dare to challenge my orders?'
Snape had been expecting this. 'Forgive me, master, but I was concerned for you.'
Voldemort looked amused. 'Concerned?'
'Yes, master. I had suspected that you had received some unfavourable news and that this had led you into making a potential error. I believe that the Ministry will have both the Weasleys and the Grangers extremely well guarded. I fear that Bella may be walking into a trap.'
'You believed I was making an error?' the menace in this question was unmistakable.
'Yes, master. I did. I did not want to voice this thought in front of the others, for I knew you would soon recognise it for yourself. Forgive me, master, if I have overreached myself.'
Voldemort remained silent for a long moment. 'You were correct in your assessment, Severus. Quite correct, and it took a great deal of courage to speak as you did. I was overwrought - I had received tidings that did not please me and it led me to lose my focus for a moment. I am glad you had the wit to recognise this and the discretion not to draw attention to it. You have done me a great service today, Severus. Your master is pleased.'
'Thank you, master.' He decided to risk a question of his own. 'And Bella?'
'It will do her some good. If an ambush is laid and some are taken then so be it. I do not tolerate weakness and it is better, I think, that the weaklings are weeded out before the main attack. If they cannot overcome these Ministry guards then they are of no use to me. Perhaps it would not be a bad thing if Bella was to learn some humility. You may leave me now, Severus. I have another matter of importance to deal with. I shall be leaving for a day or so and I am leaving you in charge here. I will make this plain to the others. Ensure that Wormtail takes good care of Nagini when I am gone.'
'Of course, my lord. Thank you, my lord,' replied Snape, bowing low as he backed out of the room.
***********