Chapter 15: Trust
Draco stomped through the corridors of Hogwarts, glaring at anyone who happened to be in his way. Pansy was keeping up as best she could, shooting him concerned looks all the while, but Draco ignored her as usual. She couldn't begin to appreciate the weight of responsibility on Draco's shoulders, nor would she be able to understand why Snape's actions the previous night had made him so angry.
A night of sleep had done nothing to improve Draco's mood. In fact, he'd gotten little to no sleep, so upset was he with his Head of House. How dare Snape try and insert himself into Draco's mission! Draco knew that this was his opportunity to prove his worth to the Dark Lord, and there was no way he was going to let Snape get involved in any way. It would be Draco who enabled the Dark Lord to rid their world of Potter, Dumbledore and every other mudblood and blood traitor who stood in his way, not Snape.
Draco was so consumed with his anger for Snape that he did not notice the oncoming form of Harry Potter until the two collided shoulder-to-shoulder in the middle of the corridor. Draco stumbled, but was able to remain on his feet by grabbing hold of Pansy's shoulder until he was able to regain his balance.
"Ooh, Draco, are you hurt?" Pansy gasped, clutching his arm in worry, but he shook free from her grip and scowled at the Gryffindor golden boy, who was flanked by Granger and Weasley as usual.
"Watch where you're going, Potter," Draco spat, glaring at his hated nemesis. Potter didn't back down, and returned Draco's look with just as much animosity.
"You're the one who bumped into me, ferret," Potter said, knowing how much that particular insult angered him.
"Very funny, Potter," Draco said. "I'm sure the weasel and the mudblood were amused, but-"
"What did you call her?" Potter said, his eyes narrowing as he took a step towards Draco. Draco's hand fell to his wand, but the mudblood restrained Potter before he could come any closer.
"He's not worth it, Harry," the mudblood said as she held the so-called 'Chosen One' back. "Forget about him, and let's get to Professor McGonagall's class."
"Yes, listen to her, Potter," Draco said, smirking as he watched Granger lead a clearly reluctant Potter away from him. "You wouldn't want her angry with you. After all, who knows how much time you'll have together?"
That got Granger to turn and look back at him. "Is that supposed to be a threat, Malfoy?" she asked, sounding calmer than Potter had, but her eyes made her distaste for him clear. The feeling was very much mutual as far as Draco was concerned.
"Of course not," Draco said dismissively, as if it was beneath him to even acknowledge her existence. Which it was, of course. "But these are pretty dangerous times, aren't they? There's no telling what might happen next."
"Whatever happens, Harry won't be beaten," Weasley said, joining the conversation for the first time. "Just ask the Dark Tosser you worship so much. Or daddy, if you can find the time to make a trip to Azkaban."
Draco seethed at the insult to his father. He wanted nothing more than to use his wand to put this dirt-poor blood traitor in his place, but now was not the time to initiate a duel. The task ahead of him was far too important to risk physical injury, no matter how unlikely it would be for a wizard of Weasley's calibre to defeat him. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't respond to Weasley's verbal jab with one of his own—and he had a perfect one in mind.
"My father's stay in Azkaban is temporary, Weasley," Draco said smoothly. "What happened to your brother, on the other hand, is quite permanent."
That comment surprised the Gryffindor trio, to be sure! Weasley's face turned as red as his hair—quite an ugly sight. Granger looked surprised that he would go that far, for some reason. Potter looked about as angry as he had ever seen him, and Draco knew that the grudge between them had just escalated yet again. The thought pleased him to no end.
As it turned out, his comment had even taken Pansy aback, if her gasp was any indication. "Draco, maybe we should go back to the common room," she said, sounding afraid.
"Don't worry about it, Pansy," Draco said, turning his head to smirk at her. "The golden boy and his followers were just about to..."
Draco cut off abruptly as he heard heavy footsteps stomping towards him. His head swivelled around in time to see Weasley closing in on him fast, fists clenched. Draco's hand fell to his wand, but he didn't have enough time to draw it before Weasley's fist connected with his face. His nose made a sickening crunch, and he fell to the floor despite a shrieking Pansy's best efforts to hold him up.
Draco braced himself for another blow, but thankfully none came. His hand flew to his nose, and his palms quickly turned crimson. The mongrel had broken his nose!
Draco lurched to his feet, hand clasped over his broken nose, and saw that Weasley was being restrained by not just Potter and Granger, but Professor Snape as well. Draco pulled out his wand, prepared to retaliate regardless of the consequences, but Snape saw it out of the corner of his eye and shook his head at him.
"Put your wand away, Mister Malfoy, or you will join Weasley here in a month's worth of detentions," Snape warned. Draco glared at him as best he could with his other hand covering his nose, but reluctantly complied.
"Weasley attacked him, professor!" Pansy wailed, near tears. "He's bleeding! Poor Draco! Are you OK?" She tried to comfort him with a hug, but he angrily turned his body away from hers.
"I am well aware that he is bleeding, Miss Parkinson," Snape said calmly. "If you would be so kind as to escort him to the hospital wing while I deal with Mister Weasley?"
"O-of course, professor," Pansy said through her sniffles. "Come on, Draco, let's go," she said softly, and reached for his free hand. He snatched it away and stomped off in the direction of the hospital wing, ignoring her as she silently walked alongside him.
Draco hadn't needed any convincing to begin with, but this was just further proof of how much their world needed to be changed, to be remade to fit the Dark Lord's vision of the future. That a pureblood wizard such as Weasley would resort to using his fists like a common muggle or mudblood was maddening to Draco. Small wonder that Weasley would throw a punch like a simpleton rather than use his wand like a proper wizard. The uppity mudblood Granger and deluded half-blood Potter had obviously been a bad influence.
No matter. Very soon, the Dark Lord would eliminate all of the rubbish dragging them down, and Draco would be right there with him to make sure that he succeeded.
-NMM-
"Something about the way Malfoy was acting today is bothering me," Harry said quietly to Hermione, careful not to speak too loudly so he wouldn't anger Madam Pince. They were in a rather secluded corner of the library, but he saw no reason to push his luck. Few things would earn him Hermione's wrath faster than getting her thrown out of the library.
Hermione turned her attention away from her book and turned to look at her boyfriend. "He was just trying to get under your skin—and then Ron's," she said. "What he said about Bill was classless, even for him, but I'd think you know Malfoy well enough by now to expect that kind of thing from him."
"It's not that," Harry said with a shake of his head. "It's the threats he was making, how there wasn't much time left, and who knew what might happen next."
"He's a braggart, Harry," Hermione stated. "He's always boasting about his family's power and wealth, or warning what will happen when his father hears about whatever problem he's having."
"Yeah, I know," Harry conceded, "but it just feels different to me this time. I don't think he's making idle threats this time. I think there's more to it."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Remember when we saw Draco and Snape arguing in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked. It took a moment for Hermione to remember what he was talking about, but she eventually nodded.
"Yes," she said. "I'd forgotten about that, because my house was attacked that same day."
"So had I," Harry said, "but listening to Draco running his mouth today reminded me of it, and I still think they were arguing about something important. I'm not sure how Snape fits in or what side he's really on, but Draco's a slimy little git just like his father, and I think he's up to something."
"Something involving Voldemort, you mean?" Hermione said, and Harry nodded in confirmation. "Why do you think Voldemort would involve Draco, of all people, in his plans? Voldemort has far more dangerous witches and wizards at his disposal than Draco. What would he need him for?" Hermione asked. Harry was pleased to note that, though she clearly had her doubts, Hermione was not dismissing him out of hand.
"Draco's nothing special, even for his age," Harry agreed. "I'm sure most, if not all, of Voldemort's followers are much stronger. But there's one thing Draco can offer that none of them can, assuming Dumbledore's right about Snape." Hermione's eyes widened as she realised what Harry was suggesting.
"You think he'd use Draco to try and attack someone within Hogwarts," she said. She hadn't phrased it as a question, but Harry nodded anyway.
"Yes, why not? If Draco is half as devoted to the cause as his father is, it makes perfect sense that Voldemort would try to find the best possible way to make use of him. And what better way to take advantage of Draco's loyalty than to have him try and take out one or both of Voldemort's biggest targets?"
"You and Dumbledore," Hermione said simply, and Harry nodded. Hermione was silent for some time as she considered Harry's theory, and he began to think that she was going to reject it.
"I know it seems unlikely that he'd rely on Draco for anything, Hermione, but..."
"We need to go to Dumbledore about this," Hermione said, cutting him off. Harry blinked at her, surprised.
"You believe me?" he asked.
"I'm not sure what to believe," Hermione said with a shrug. "You're right, I do find it unlikely that Draco would be entrusted with anything of significance, or that he would succeed even if he was. He talks big, but I think he's just that—talk. Still, I know better than to dismiss your hunches or gut feelings out of hand. At the very least, you can tell Dumbledore your suspicions, and maybe he will keep a closer eye on Draco."
"You want to go with me to talk to Dumbledore, then?" Harry asked, and Hermione nodded. "When?"
"No time like the present," Hermione said. She closed and put away her book, gathered her things, stood up from her chair and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry blinked before smiling at his girlfriend.
"Lead the way," he said, and the two left the library and set off for Dumbledore's office hand in hand. On the way, they realised they had a problem; neither one of them knew Dumbledore's current password. Fortunately, the stone gargoyle stepped aside without a word and allowed them to enter.
"Ah, welcome, Mister Potter and Miss Granger," Dumbledore greeted them from behind his desk as they stepped into his office. "I was notified of your approach and instructed the gargoyle to admit you without a password. Neither of you appear to be under any distress, thankfully, so I trust nothing urgent has happened?"
"Not really, no," Harry confirmed as he and Hermione sat down on the comfortable couch Dumbledore had conjured for them. "We just wanted to talk to you about Draco Malfoy."
"I see. Professor Snape informed me of the altercation between young Draco and your friend Mister Weasley earlier today," Dumbledore told them. "I support the detentions Professor Snape assigned to Ronald, as violence within Hogwarts is not to be tolerated no matter the circumstances. However, Draco's remarks were unacceptable, and he has been punished accordingly."
"We didn't come to talk about that," Hermione said. "Not directly, at least."
"Oh?" Dumbledore said. "Please explain, then."
"I think Draco is up to something," Harry said."
"Up to something?" Dumbledore repeated. "What do you mean, precisely?"
"I think that he's been given a task by Voldemort," Harry said. The change in Dumbledore was instantaneous. The Headmaster leaned forward in his chair, eyes widened, and looked at Harry quite intently.
"And what drew you to that conclusion, Harry?" Dumbledore asked him.
"It's not any one thing. More a gut feeling than anything," Harry admitted with a shrug, and Dumbledore sighed and deflated.
"Your feeling is correct, Harry," Dumbledore said. "During the summer, Lord Voldemort did indeed assign Draco a task to carry out."
"He did?" Harry said incredulously, shooting off of the couch so he could stand directly in front of Dumbledore's desk. "Why didn't you tell me? You promised you'd keep me up to date on what was happening with Voldemort!"
"I don't know any of the details, unfortunately," Dumbledore admitted, and he smiled briefly to himself as Hermione automatically got up from the couch and stood beside Harry so she could trace comforting patterns up and down his back with her hand. "Draco's mother pleaded with Professor Snape to help her son, but Draco did not take her into his confidence. Professor Snape has made numerous attempts to get Draco to confide in him, but he has resisted thus far. I was hoping Draco had accidentally revealed something to you during your confrontation, but alas, it was merely your instincts pointing you in the right direction."
"If you know he's working for Voldemort, why is he still here? Why haven't you had him arrested?" Hermione asked.
"There are multiple reasons," Dumbledore stated. "For one, if we were to have Draco arrested or expelled before we learned his objective, we would risk Voldemort passing this assignment on to another person sympathetic to his cause—perhaps someone we would not readily suspect. Knowing that Draco is at the centre of this plot, whatever it is, allows us to monitor him closely and be on the alert for anything out of the ordinary."
Harry could see that that answer did not satisfy Hermione, but he actually found himself nodding in agreement with Dumbledore's logic. Voldemort seemed to be working on some scheme or another within Hogwarts every year. Until they were able to interrogate Draco and force the information out of him, he needed to stay exactly where he was.
"Also, I still hold out hope that Draco can be made to see the light and thus avoid making the same mistakes his father made at his age," Dumbledore said.
Now Harry joined Hermione in giving Dumbledore a disgruntled look, but the Headmaster was not finished. "As far as we are aware, Draco has not broken any laws as of yet, and I consider that an encouraging sign," he said. "I believe that he can be saved from this dark path before it is too late."
"He doesn't want to be saved!" Harry growled. "Just because he hasn't acted yet doesn't change the fact that he's just as evil as his father!"
"An opinion that Professor Snape shares," Dumbledore said sadly. "Yet he himself is proof positive that redemption is possible."
"Whatever," Harry said testily, before changing the subject. "What matters is finding out what Draco's mission is, and figuring out how to stop him."
"On that, we agree," Dumbledore said. "As I said, Professor Snape has made several overtures, but Draco has refused to cooperate. He will continue to reach out to Draco, and we will keep a very close eye on his activities. Beyond that, there is not much we can do at the present time."
"That's it?" Harry said, shaking his head in disbelief. "What about veritaserum? Snape threatened me with that when he thought I was stealing from his storeroom. Why couldn't he use that to make Malfoy spill his secrets?"
"Or legilimency," Hermione added. "I don't know if Draco has ever been taught occlumency, but I doubt he'd be able to repel someone like Professor Snape. Or you, Headmaster," she finished. Both teens stared at Dumbledore expectantly, but their frustration grew when he shook his head.
"Unless they are suspected of having committed a crime, neither of those options are legal to use on a student without the express permission of the student or their guardian," Dumbldore explained. "To use either of them would be condemning Draco as a criminal, someone beyond salvation, which is not something that I am prepared to do."
"So that's it then? Just wait and see what he does?" Harry muttered, not believing what he was hearing.
"I would like to believe we're doing a bit more than that," Dumbledore said softly, but the fire in Harry's eyes did not dim.
"I can't believe that you would put the entire castle and everyone in it at risk to try and save one nasty, foul, bigoted son of a bitch!" Harry shouted. Dumbledore looked taken aback at Harry's explosion, and many of the portraits of former Headmasters were complaining. But the only reaction Harry was concerned with was Hermione's. The nod of approval she gave him was enough for Harry, everyone else be damned.
"I think we'd better go, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "There's nothing more to be said."
Harry nodded and allowed her to grasp his hand and lead him out of Dumbledore's office. Before he left, Harry turned his head to glare at Dumbledore one last time. The Headmaster looked profoundly sad, hunched over his desk with his eyes closed.
In different circumstances, Harry would have felt bad for the man. At the moment, though, he was too frustrated with Dumbledore's refusal to admit what was right in front of him. Harry did not doubt for a second that, given the time and the opportunity, Draco would wreak havoc within the walls of Hogwarts. He needed to be stopped, by any means necessary. If Dumbledore wasn't going to do anything about it, Harry would just have to look elsewhere.
-NMM-
"Thanks for coming, everyone," Hermione said to the group that had assembled in the Room of Requirement on short notice. Also present, aside from herself and Harry, were Ron (fresh from the first of many detentions he'd earned for his altercation with Malfoy earlier in the day), Neville, Luna and Ginny. The room had provided them with a circular table, and the 'Ministry Six', as the Daily Prophet had dubbed them, were seated around it.
"So what's going on, Hermione?" Neville asked. "Why'd you ask us all to meet up here in such a rush?"
"Earlier today, Harry and I had a meeting with Dumbledore," Hermione said. "He told us that Voldemort has given Draco Malfoy some kind of mission to perform here at Hogwarts." As she'd expected, the reaction from their four friends was immediate. With all four of them trying to speak at once, though, it was impossible to hear what any of them were actually saying.
"We don't know what the mission is, and neither does Dumbledore," Harry said, raising his voice to be heard over the chatter.
"So what's he going to do about it?" Neville asked, and the other friends all looked to Harry expectantly. When Harry's only response was to scowl, they became quite confused.
"The Headmaster isn't prepared to take any action against Draco," Hermione said, taking over for her seething boyfriend. The other four were stunned at first, but that turned to outrage very quickly.
"You've gotta be bloody joking!" Ron shouted. "He's got a Death Eater planning an attack in the castle and isn't going to do anything about it?!" His face was red with rage, and he looked as if he wanted nothing more than to leave the Room of Requirement, march down to the Slytherin dungeons and wipe Malfoy off the face of the Earth.
Hermione understood Ron's anger. It had been a Death Eater attack led by Voldemort himself that had cost him his eldest brother, Bill. Malfoy had even used that fact to taunt him earlier that very day. That the Headmaster would knowingly harbour someone who was working for Voldemort, even if it was a Hogwarts student who had yet to commit any of the atrocities Death Eaters were infamous for, had to be immensely frustrating for Ron in particular.
"That's Dumbledore for you," Harry said. "Gather information that you fail to do anything with, and keep everyone else in the dark until it's far too late. We should be used to it by now."
Ginny and Neville looked surprised to hear Harry speak about the Headmaster with such hostility, but she understood, as did Ron. Harry's opinion of the revered older wizard had taken a severe beating over the summer, one it had never fully recovered from. Incidents like this made it seem more and more likely that the two of them would never quite see eye to eye again.
"Dumbledore insists that he is having Draco closely monitored," Hermione said, wanting to keep everyone's focus on the task at hand rather than getting sidetracked by Harry's issues with Dumbledore. "But I don't think it would hurt if we did a little observation of Draco ourselves."
"Sod observation," Ron said, banging his clenched fists on the table. "I want to break the ferret's nose all over again, and then snap his little scrawny neck."
"Not if I get my hands on him first," Harry said, "but Hermione is right. We can't move against Draco just yet."
"Why the hell not?" Ron asked, frowning at Harry. Ginny and Neville looked similarly confused, but Luna nodded, smiling serenely.
"You wish to figure out what Draco is doing before you confront him," Luna stated.
"That's it exactly, Luna," Hermione agreed, smiling at the Ravenclaw. She'd always found Luna quite odd, but there was no denying that she also made some astute observations at times. "I was reluctant at first, but Harry has sold me on the idea. Voldemort will always be plotting and looking for ways to strike, but this time we have the chance to figure his game out beforehand. Then, we can use that knowledge to our advantage."
"So how do we get to the bottom of it?" Ginny asked. "We can't just beat it out of him, unfortunately." Ron looked as if he wanted to argue in favour of that plan of attack, but Harry shook his head.
"No, you're right," Harry said. "Brute force and threats aren't likely to get Draco talking, not if he's as committed to Voldemort as I think he is. We don't have the means to brew veritaserum, and none of us have any legilimency training. There's no easy way for us to force the information out of him, unless any of you can think of something we've missed?"
There was a pause as all six friends tried to come up with another available solution they had overlooked. When no one spoke, Hermione spoke up. "Right. So, until and unless a better option comes along, we aren't going to act directly," she said. "But we're going to track Malfoy very closely."
"So basically, stay alert and wait and see," Neville summarized. "I know we're more restricted with what we can do, but how is that really any different from what Dumbledore said he's doing?"
"Not even Dumbledore knows everything that goes on inside the castle," Harry said. "But I have something not even Dumbledore has; something that will help us keep an eye on Draco at all times, no matter where he is."
It didn't take Ron long to figure out what Harry was referring to. His fists finally unclenched, and his face lost a bit of the anger it had held for most of the day.
"The Map," Ron said simply, nodding in understanding. "Yeah, that could work."
"Map? What map?" Ginny asked, cocking her head curiously at Harry. Neville was also looking at him, interested in the answer. Luna was looking at him too, but her facial expression was as impossible to read as it had always been.
"This map," Harry said, reaching into his trouser pocket and pulling out what would appear to the uninitiated to be nothing more than a blank piece of parchment. Ron and Hermione knew better, of course, and thus were unsurprised when a muttered phrase from Harry revealed the parchment's secret.
The same could not be said of the other three. Neville's eyes widened as he watched the map's transformation, and Ginny could be heard muttering under her breath. Luna stared down at the map, and Hermione marvelled at her ability to keep her eyes open for so long without a single blink.
"This is very fascinating, Harry," Luna said, breaking the silence while continuing to stare at the map. "But where are our names?"
"What do you mean, Luna?" Hermione asked. "The map shows everyone in the castle."
"Everyone but us," Luna said, still not looking up from the map. Harry had also begun to examine the map after Luna's comment, and he frowned as he tried in vain to find their names.
"She's right," Harry said, confused. "We're not on here, and I don't see the Room of Requirement either."
"Maybe the room, and everything in it, is unplottable?" Hermione suggested. "Or maybe the Marauders just never found the room?"
"Maybe," Harry said, narrowing his eyes as he continued to study the map. "I'll have to ask Remus—he's Moony," he mentioned for the benefit of the three friends that had never seen the map until moments earlier. "Either way, it does show Draco's name on here, and that's all we really need it for right now."
"You're right," Hermione agreed, before glancing at all of their friends in turn. "Harry and I want to use the map to track Draco's activity as much as we can. Where he goes, and when he goes there. Who he talks to, who he avoids, who he follows around. We want to learn his regular routines as much as we can, and look for any deviations or anything that seems suspect."
"We can't do it alone though, just the two of us," Harry added. "That's what we wanted to talk to you guys about. We want you to help us with this."
"What do you mean? Is there more than one of these maps?" Ginny asked, looking excited at the prospect of getting a Marauder's Map of her very own.
"No, we've only got just the one," Harry said, chuckling at Ginny's disappointed sigh. "But Hermione and I can't spend all of our time staring at the map; we've got classes, prefect duties, training..."
"Don't forget quidditch," Ron put in, and Hermione rolled her eyes, albeit with a smile on her face.
"How could I, mister captain?" Harry said with a smirk. "And on top of all that, I'm dating a beautiful witch that I'd like to spend some time with now and then."
"I'm sure she feels the same way," Hermione said, giving Harry a quick peck on the lips amidst wolf whistles from Ginny and exaggerated gagging from Ron. "As Harry was saying," she continued despite the slight blush colouring her cheeks, "we have too many responsibilities to study Draco's movements as much as we think we need to. But we figure that if we pass the map back and forth amongst the six of us, we can keep a much closer eye on Draco."
"That's a good idea," Neville said. "We all have different class schedules and activities and such, so we could work out a timetable of sorts."
"Right," Harry said. "We can work out all the details in a bit, but first, we need to know if you're in. We wouldn't trust just anybody with this, but all of you stood by my side when I needed help last term. We trust all of you without question. Will you help us?"
"You know I'm with you like always, mate," Ron said without hesitation. "I'd rather just pound the cocky arse's face in, but if Hermione says this is a good idea, I'm not stupid enough to disagree."
"My brother is right, for once," Ginny quipped, smirking over at Ron. "You can count me in."
"Me as well," Neville said.
"Yes, I'd very much like to help. It sounds quite fun," Luna said happily.
"So we're all in then," Hermione said. "Good. Between the six of us, this should be much easier to manage."
"Thanks, you lot," Harry said, nodding in gratitude towards his friends. "I don't trust too many people any more, but I trust all of you. If we work together, I know we can catch Draco before it's too late. And when we do, we'll stop him, no matter what Dumbledore or anyone else thinks."
Chapter 16: Detention and Discussion
Harry watched impatiently as the sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins left the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Malfoy was one of the first to leave, and he glared at Harry as he walked past. Harry itched to leap out of his seat and wrap his hands around the ferret's neck until he choked his scheme out of him, but he was able to resist the temptation.
Before long, only Harry, Hermione, Ron and Professor Lupin himself remained in the classroom. Lupin and Ron were standing on the opposite side of the room, ostensibly chatting, but Harry suspected they were actually giving he and Hermione a bit of privacy to say goodbye. Harry and Hermione rose together, and he helped her gather her things.
"Well, I suppose I'd better be off to Potions," Hermione said reluctantly. "Tell me how it goes."
"I will," Harry promised with a nod, and he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. She smiled tenderly at him before turning to wave at Ron and Lupin, and then she was gone. After she was out of sight, Lupin and Ron left their little corner and approached Harry.
"How about the three of us have a seat?" Lupin offered, and when Harry and Ron nodded their assent, he pulled his chair out from behind his desk and sat down, motioning that the two boys should sit opposite him.
"So," Lupin began once everyone was settled, "are you prepared for the big quidditch match tomorrow?"
Ron winced beside him, and Harry knew Lupin had struck a sore spot. "I'm not allowed to play. I've got detention with Snape," Ron said glumly, and Lupin nodded in sympathy.
"I had wondered about that," the Defence professor said. "I spoke with the headmaster in your defence, given the extenuating circumstances that led to the incident with Draco, but I know Professor Snape was adamant that you should serve one of your detentions tomorrow, quidditch or no quidditch."
"Big shocker there," Harry said sarcastically, and Lupin smiled at him.
"I suppose it doesn't come as a surprise to see Professor Snape come down hard on you," Lupin admitted. "But you must use this as a learning experience, Ron. No matter what is done or said, you must try and stay in control of your emotions. It is often difficult, and I will admit to not always managing it myself, but you have to do your best to try. Acting out of anger or rage will lead to mistakes, far more often than not."
"I know," Ron said, and Lupin smiled at the sincerity in his voice and on his face. "I'll try."
"That is all anyone can ask for," Lupin said. "And, look on the bright side: your punishment will be over and done with in plenty of time for you to play in the second match of the season."
"Right," Harry said, "but in the meantime the team has to put up with that git Cormac."
"Ah, yes, Mister McLaggen. He is rather...brash," Remus said diplomatically. Harry chuckled, and even Ron forgot his own misery long enough to crack a small smile.
"That's an understatement," Harry said, shaking his head. Cormac had done pretty well during try-outs. Truthfully, he was probably Ron's equal as a keeper, and so he was made a reserve. But now that he was actually practising with the team regularly in Ron's absence, Harry was growing to dislike the cocky 7th year more with every passing day.
"I'm sure the team will do just fine, Harry," Remus assured him, and Harry merely shrugged. They were probably more talented than the Ravenclaw squad, but losing Ron hurt. He had high hopes for the game, but wasn't about to underestimate their opponents.
"That aside, you asked to meet with me after class to discuss a problem you were having with the Marauder's Map?" Remus asked, moving on to the reason they'd approached him and asked for this chat.
"That's right," Harry said. "We were looking at the map the other day while we were in the Room of Requirement, and we noticed that it didn't show either us or the room itself."
"No, it wouldn't," Lupin said. "The room itself is unplottable."
"So there's no way we can use the map to track whether or not someone is in the room?" Ron asked, and Lupin shook his head in response. Harry sighed, both at the answer and at Ron asking a question Harry would have preferred to avoid, or at the very least word differently.
"No, that is not possible," Remus stated, and then looked at Harry intently. "Can I assume this has something to do with Draco Malfoy?" Ron looked as if he was going to respond, but Harry cut him off with a sharp elbow to the ribs.
"What if it does?" Harry asked, attempting to adopt a neutral expression. He liked Remus, and felt he was trustworthy overall, but he knew full well that the werewolf was a Dumbledore man through and through. That had shone through earlier in the term when he and Hermione had explained the reasons behind their lack of faith in the headmaster. Lupin had been sympathetic to their issues, but there was no doubt that he still trusted Dumbledore implicitly. Given his current feelings towards Dumbledore, specifically his handling of the Malfoy situation, Harry was reluctant to tell Lupin anything he didn't already know.
"Headmaster Dumbledore explained the situation to me," Remus explained, surprising Harry. "He only did so after your conversation with him, though. He hoped that I would be able to convince you to step back and allow him to deal with Draco in his own way."
"You can't," Harry said simply. "Dumbledore isn't dealing with Draco; that's the problem. There's not much I can do at the moment, not as long as Dumbledore refuses to help. But I have to do something."
"I understand," Lupin sighed. "And frankly, I wasn't going to try and talk you out of it anyway. I owe Dumbledore more than I could ever say, but that doesn't mean I share his optimism about Draco. I'm not convinced that he has it in him to be a killer, but he could still be a threat to the safety of the school."
"Will you help us, then?" Ron asked hopefully, but Harry knew from the resigned look on Lupin's face that their professor would be of no help to them with this problem.
"I don't think there's much I can do," Lupin said with a frown. "I suppose I could contact Tonks about having the aurors investigate the situation, but I doubt they would be able to do much without solid proof. They certainly wouldn't have the legal right to administer veritaserum unless Draco or his mother allowed it, but we both know that isn't going to happen."
"And I'm guessing you wouldn't help us get our hands on some veritaserum of our own, legal or not?" Harry asked. It was a long shot, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
"Absolutely not," Lupin replied. "If it came down to a choice between Draco's rights and the safety of his fellow students, my choice would be easy. But I do not think the situation is that dire just yet. Even if I had easy access to veritaserum, which I do not, I am not ready to break both the law and Professor Dumbledore's trust. Not unless you can prove to me that lives are at stake."
"I figured as much," Harry said with a shrug. "You're Dumbledore's man, after all. You've looked to him for guidance and leadership for too long to be able to see that he makes mistakes just like the rest of us."
"I know he has made mistakes, Harry, particularly where you were concerned," Lupin admitted. "But the headmaster is a great man who tries to do the right thing. I may not always agree with his decisions, but I know that he has our best interests at heart. I hope you know that too."
"I do," Harry said. "But I'm not going to put my faith in him blindly. He's making a mistake with Draco, I know he is, and you are making a mistake in following his lead. But if none of you are going to stop Draco, we will."
-NMM-
"Those parchments won't sort themselves, Weasley. I suggest you work harder if you wish to be released any time soon."
Ron grumbled to himself as Snape strode past him, but he wasn't fool enough to let the head of Slytherin hear him. He stared down at the massive pile of unsorted parchments spread out around him and redoubled his efforts. Some were formulae for potions that had long ago become obsolete, some were student essays that had accumulated over several decades, and some had nothing at all on them. Ron had been given the unenviable task of sorting each one into its proper category so they could be catalogued. He doubted Snape would ever have any use for a single one of these parchments. In fact, he was convinced that Snape picked this task for that very reason, so all of Ron's effort during this detention would be utterly meaningless.
"The skies appear very clear today," Snape said, his back to Ron as he stood facing the window. "It's not windy, either. Optimum quidditch weather, I would say."
Ron scowled, but did not look up. Snape had been making little comments like that since the detention had begun. He knew how much it was killing Ron to be cooped up inside sorting parchments while the Gryffindor quidditch team played its first match of the season, and was rubbing his face in it at every opportunity. Ron knew that responding to his former professor's goading in any way would only land him in more trouble, so he did his best to ignore him and focus on the incredibly dull task he'd been assigned.
"It's a pity your temper landed you in here," Snape went on. "I'm sure the Gryffindor team is considerably disadvantaged without their captain."
Ron bristled at that remark, and his guilt over letting the team down threatened to overwhelm him. He gripped Benedict Bell's 1971 essay on flobberworm mucus so tightly that the parchment threatened to tear, but he managed to calm himself before Snape turned around. Snape stepped away from the window to examine Ron's progress, and though he did not look up, Ron thought he saw a hint of disappointment on the potion master's face.
"It is evident that you will not be finishing any time soon, so I must step out and attend to more important business," Snape brusquely informed him. "Do not take this as an opportunity to avoid your responsibility, because I will expect you to have made significant progress by the time I return. Also, if you attempt to sneak out of my classroom for even a moment while I am gone, I will know. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," Ron replied, still not looking up from the parchments. He continued sorting them for a few moments, well aware that Snape was standing by the door and watching him. Even after he heard the door open and then close behind Snape, he kept working for a few minutes just in case. Once he was quite convinced that Snape was indeed gone, Ron tapped the parchment sitting on top of the blank pile and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
One of the few benefits of this particular detention was that it gave Ron easy access to the Marauder's Map, and he had used said map to periodically check up on Draco Malfoy when he was sure Snape's attention was elsewhere. The fact that Draco was not in the stands watching quidditch with virtually every other student in the school was cause for alarm, but other than that, Ron had not seen anything suspicious. He'd been in the Slytherin dorms for a bit, and since then he'd been in the library.
Ron's eyes immediately went to the library, expecting to find Malfoy in the same location he'd last been in, but there was no one there except for the librarian herself. He then looked in and around the general area of the Slytherin dungeons, but Draco was not there either. Ron, now worried that Draco was taking advantage of the nearly deserted castle to carry out this mission of his, began searching for his dot in earnest. When he at last located Malfoy on the map, Ron froze.
He was right in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. He was trying to get into Gryffindor Tower.
Ron did not doubt Snape when he said that he would know if he tried to leave the room, and he knew that being caught doing so would result in more punishment being piled on top of what he was already facing. But the other five members of the 'Ministry Six' were all outside, either watching or playing in the match. It was up to him to stop Draco before he could break into the tower, even if it meant he wound up in detention every Saturday until he graduated from Hogwarts.
He hadn't brought anything with him aside from his wand and the map itself, so Ron was up and out of Snape's classroom in a flash. With virtually every student and much of the staff out of the castle for the quidditch match, the corridors were largely deserted. This made things much easier for Ron, who found his progress unimpeded as he ran as fast as he could. He had no time to look at the map and check whether or not Snape was in pursuit, so he could only hope that if he was, he would be able to catch Draco before the greasy-haired git could catch him.
Ron's luck held out, and he made it to the portrait in record time. What he saw upon arriving, however, caused him to draw up short. Where he was expecting to see Draco Malfoy, he instead saw Neville Longbottom. Neville appeared to be trying to convince the Fat Lady to let him in despite his having forgotten the password. This had actually been a fairly common sight in their first few years, but Neville had gotten much better at keeping the passwords straight since then.
That wasn't the most confusing part, of course. The real question was, why had Neville come back in the middle of the match? And, more to the point, where had Malfoy gone?
"Nev? Why aren't you at the match? Did you forget something?" Ron asked cautiously. His confusion only increased when Neville spun around and stared at him. Neville was wide-eyed and pale, and looked nothing like the brave Gryffindor he'd grown into over the past couple of years. Ron waited for Neville to answer, but when several seconds passed without a peep from the Longbottom heir, Ron spoke once again.
"So...Nev, have you seen Malfoy lurking around here?" Ron asked. Neville grew even paler after that question, and to Ron's utter bafflement, he stepped away from the portrait and took off on a dead run down the corridor. As he watched Neville flee, comprehension dawned on Ron.
That's not Neville; it's Malfoy. He's using polyjuice.
Without a second thought, Ron was off to give chase. He ignored the confused mutterings of an apparently tipsy Fat Lady and took several long strides in the same direction Malfoy had run, only to be abruptly stopped by a hard yank on the collar of his school robes. He squirmed to try and free himself, but his unknown assailant had a firm grip. Ron was forcibly spun around, and found himself face to face with an irate Snape.
"I told you I would know," Snape snarled, and he glared at Ron with such anger that the redhead felt a chill run down his spine.
-NMM-
"I think that is enough for today, Harry," Dumbledore said, sounding rather winded after spending the better part of the evening tutoring Harry. "You're making great progress."
Harry nodded and wiped some sweat off of his face as he put his wand away. "Thank you, sir," he said, sincerely. His feelings about Dumbledore, particularly his decisions and his methodology, weren't very positive. But the headmaster had been true to his word about teaching Harry things that would hopefully be of use when Harry inevitably found himself in battle against Voldemort and/or his followers.
Their meetings had been infrequent as a result of the myriad responsibilities each of them had to deal with, but Harry found every one very beneficial. Dumbledore didn't teach Harry all that many spells, though there was the occasional obscure curse or defensive charm that Dumbledore would introduce if he thought they could be of use. The main focus of their one on one meetings was how to best utilize the spells in Harry's arsenal in a variety of different scenarios. Dumbledore had pretty much seen it all, and Harry knew that the battle-tested experience he was sharing was going to be invaluable.
All that said, he was still frustrated with Dumbledore's refusal to act against Draco.
"I'm guessing you haven't changed your mind about Malfoy," Harry said. Two days had passed since Gryffindor's victory over Ravenclaw, but due to Dumbledore's obligations both inside and outside of Hogwarts, this would be Harry's first opportunity to talk to him about what had happened inside the castle while he was busy hunting the snitch He accepted the goblet of water that Dumbledore offered him, and took a healthy swig while waiting for an answer.
"No, I have not," Dumbledore said after a pause. Harry sighed, but he couldn't claim to be surprised. Ron had explained both how the Marauder's Map worked and what he had seen on said map, but Dumbledore had yet to do anything with the information.
"Do you not trust the map?" Harry asked. "Because it's never failed me before, and polyjuice doesn't fool it, either."
"I do not doubt the accuracy of the map," Dumbledore assured him after taking a sip from his own goblet. "Nor do I think your friend Mister Weasley was being deceitful. As your Head of House herself was able to assure me that Mister Longbottom was in the stands and did not depart until after the match was over, I readily accept that Mister Malfoy disguised himself as your friend Neville and was attempting to gain access to Gryffindor Tower."
"So why hasn't Draco been punished, then?" Harry demanded. "This proves that he's up to something!"
"It proves that he was trying to gain unauthorized access to Gryffindor Tower. It is against school rules to do so, and Draco could receive several detentions as a result. But I trust that you do not want this map of yours to become common knowledge, correct?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry shook his head in the negative.
"Without the map, we would have no reason to single out Draco as the individual trying to pass themselves off as Neville Longbottom," Dumbledore explained. Harry thought it over for a moment and reluctantly nodded.
"If all he'd get is a few detentions, it's not worth letting anyone I don't trust know about the map," Harry admitted. "But I don't see why you won't do anything more than that. Doesn't the fact that he was trying to break into Gryffindor Tower prove that Draco is actively trying to carry out this mission of his? That he's made his choice, and you're putting everyone in danger for nothing?"
"That is one interpretation," Dumbledore said, causing Harry to roll his eyes. "However, attempting to enter the dormitories of a House other than one's own is not cause for the rather extreme measures you would like to see me take. I have heard rumours that your friends Fred and George Weasley found themselves in a similar predicament on occasion. Even you yourself sometimes wind up in places you really shouldn't, you must admit."
"I do," Harry agreed, "but you never had to worry about me, Fred or George trying to kill anyone."
"You don't know that Draco is trying to do so, either," Dumbledore said. Harry shook his head as if to argue the point, but Dumbledore continued on. "We don't know what Draco's task is. It may not involve violence at all. In fact, Draco's attempt to break into Gryffindor Tower while everyone else was outside would suggest that it doesn't."
"Or maybe he was trying to slip some kind of poison or lethal potion to someone in Gryffindor," Harry retorted, using the theory Hermione had come up with. Dumbledore reluctantly nodded in admission that that was a possibility, but said no more on the subject. It went without saying that if that truly was what Malfoy had been attempting, Harry himself had in all likelihood been the target.
"I thought you were keeping a very close eye on Draco," Harry said, repeating the phrase Dumbledore himself had used when he'd first admitted that Harry's suspicions about Malfoy were correct. "So why was Ron the first one to show up?"
"Alas, an oversight," Dumbledore sighed. "We had assumed that Draco, an avid fan of the sport, would attend the quidditch match like the majority of the school, and thus our observation of his movement was not as keen as it should have been. It was a most unfortunate error on my part."
"Not the first time someone's managed to sneak around right under your nose," Harry said sarcastically, thinking of Quirrellmort, escaped convict Sirius, and Barty Crouch Jr. posing as Alastor Moody for months on end. Dumbledore nodded at Harry, looking just as sad and defeated as he had the last time they'd argued about his handling of Malfoy.
"You are unfortunately correct," Dumbledore said quietly. "I am not perfect, Harry. I make mistakes like everyone else, as you yourself have learned all too well. I wish that I had the means to go back and correct some of my more egregious errors, but I do not. All that I can do is continue to trust in my judgement, and hope that I am doing the right thing. I know that you disagree with me about Draco Malfoy, but to do what you ask of me would be immoral, in my view. I hope you can at least respect my thoughts on this matter, even if you don't agree with them."
"I understand why you feel the way that you do," Harry replied evenly. "But we've already been over this. If you aren't convinced yet, I see no point in having the same argument again."
"Very well, Harry," Dumbledore said, both sounding and looking relieved that their biggest point of contention would be shelved for the time being. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss before we part for the evening?"
"There is, actually," Harry said. "I've been wondering, if I beat Voldemort..."
"When you beat him," Dumbledore interrupted, and Harry saw that his eyes had regained their customary twinkle. "I have the utmost faith in you, Harry, and do not doubt that you will be victorious in the end."
"OK, when I beat him, then," Harry corrected himself. He didn't have the same unwavering confidence about his prospects as Dumbledore, Hermione and Ron, among others. He knew better than to voice those doubts, though, as it would only lead to an argument. "When I beat him, how do we know he'll be gone for good this time?"
"I assume you ask because Voldemort's soul lived on after his body was destroyed that night in Godric's Hollow?" Dumbledore asked, and Harry nodded at him.
"Yeah. I mean, if he can come back from that, is there anything he can't come back from? Is he even mortal? He said something in the graveyard about coming closer to immortality than any other wizard," Harry stated.
"There is no such thing as immortality," Dumbledore answered. "Despite what Tom may say or think, my dear friend Nicolas Flamel likely came closest. Yet even he was not immortal. Not truly. And neither is Lord Voldemort, I assure you."
"How did he survive, then?" Harry pressed. It was reassuring to hear him dismiss Harry's fears, but even if Dumbledore were right, what difference would it make if Voldemort had some trick up his sleeve that would prevent Harry (or anyone else) from finishing him off?
Dumbledore didn't respond right away, which did nothing to ease Harry's uncertainty. He seemed to be debating the best way to frame his response, while Harry waited impatiently for the answer.
"What happened on the night of October 31st, 1981 was unusual in so many ways," Dumbledore finally began. "You wouldn't be able to recreate those circumstances if you tried." He went silent again, obviously considering his words, and Harry decided not to rush him. It was a shorter pause this time before Dumbledore spoke. "Do you know what saved you that night, Harry?" he asked.
"My mother's love," Harry answered automatically. "She sacrificed herself so I could live."
"Exactly correct," Dumbledore nodded. "But tell me, Harry: do you believe that your parents were the only ones who willingly gave their lives in an effort to protect their children from Voldemort or his Death Eaters?"
"I guess not," Harry replied after considering the question momentarily. "I've never really thought about it much, but I guess most parents would probably do anything for their kids. I know Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would. Hermione's parents too. Heck, even my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would probably sacrifice themselves to save Dudley."
"I'm sure they would, if they truly love their son," Dumbledore agreed. "Your parents made that ultimate sacrifice for you, but they were not unique in that regard. What made that incident different from all of the others was that Lord Voldemort gave your mother an option that none of his other victims had been given. He gave her the chance to save herself."
"What?" Harry exclaimed, stunned. He'd definitely never heard thatpart of the story before. "Why?"
"It was in honour of a promise he'd made to one of his followers," Dumbledore answered. "That follower pleaded with him to spare your mother, and since his objective was to kill you and thus prevail over the potential child of prophecy, Lord Voldemort agreed. After he killed your father, Voldemort gave your mother the chance to leave Godric's Hollow unharmed. Her life would have been spared if she'd stepped aside and allowed him to kill you. She refused, obviously, and he was forced to kill her to get to you. This act, dying to protect you even when she was given the chance to save herself, invoked an ancient magic that served to protect you from Voldemort. That is what caused his killing curse to fail."
"OK, so that explains why I survived," Harry said. "But what about him? Why didn't his killing curse destroy him completely, body and soul together?"
"That is a more difficult question to answer, Harry," Dumbledore said. "No one can answer it with absolute certainty, not even Voldemort himself. Perhaps it was an odd side effect of the ancient magic your mother's sacrifice invoked. It is also possible that the simple act of a killing curse rebounding—something which has never happened otherwise, before or since—warped the curse in some way. Regardless of the precise reason, though, I feel quite confident in saying that it is not a scenario that will repeat itself. Lord Voldemort is an exceedingly powerful wizard, but he is just as mortal as you are."
"I guess that's good enough for me," Harry said grudgingly. While he didn't agree with Dumbledore's methods, he knew the man was just as committed to stopping Voldemort as he was, and saw no reason for him to lie about something like this.
"Very good, Harry," Dumbledore said with a broad smile on his face. "I am glad I could ease your concern about this subject. "Now, is there anything else?"
"One more thing," Harry said. "I was wondering about that follower you mentioned, the one who pleaded for my mother's life."
"Alas, that is not my story to tell, Harry," Dumbledore answered, looking pained. Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but Dumbledore merely shook his head. "I swore not to speak of it. You are the first I've told even that much, and even that was something of a betrayal of trust. I am sorry, but I can say no more."
That answer did not exactly appease Harry, but he knew that was as much as he was getting out of his secretive headmaster. As they bade each other a good evening, Harry mulled over what he'd learned. Dumbledore had cleared up one mystery for him, but in the process, he'd replaced it with a new one.
-NMM-
"What did you summon me for this time, Dumbledore?" Snape asked curtly as he seated himself in the Headmaster's Office. "I've had a long day attempting to teach potions to unappreciative brats, so I would like to get this over with as soon as possible."
"I will keep that in mind, Severus," Dumbledore said, his eyes doing that damnable twinkling that never failed to grate on Snape's last nerve. "I called for you because I wished to discuss a rather important conversation I had with Mister Potter earlier this evening."
"And what makes you think I am interested in hearing about what that boy had to say?" Snape scoffed. "I know you believe that he can do no wrong, but I see him for what he truly is."
"Come now, Severus," Dumbledore scolded. "I know that young Harry impressed you with his performance in Advanced Defence."
Snape scowled at Dumbledore, but made no other response to his comment. It was true, but Snape wasn't about to give Dumbledore the satisfaction of admitting it. Besides, looking capable against fellow Hogwarts students was a far cry from defeating actual Death Eaters, or even the Dark Lord himself. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head, but Snape refused to budge.
"I see you are just as stubborn as ever, my friend," Dumbledore said. "If you were ever to set your old grudges aside and judge Harry purely on his own merits, I think you would see just how capable he is. The two of you actually have more in common than you imagine."
"I beg to differ," Snape spat angrily. How dare the old fool compare him to the son of James bloody Potter!
"It is true, Severus," Dumbledore insisted. "Both of you feel that I am making a mistake in my handling of Draco Malfoy. In fact, Harry and Miss Granger have urged me to make use of veritaserum or legilimency on Draco, just as you continue to."
"That's because it is the clear solution, as I have said all along. If even Potter can see that, perhaps you should admit you were wrong and take action before it is too late."
Snape's words had little effect, though he hadn't truly expected them to. Once Dumbledore got an idea in his head, it was nigh impossible for Snape to change his mind or force him to reconsider.
"I am not ready to resort to those measures," Dumbledore insisted, just as Snape had expected him to. "If I change my mind, you will be the first to know. Until then, I wish for you to monitor Mister Malfoy as usual, and periodically attempt to gain his trust."
"It won't work, but I've said that several times and you've ignored me without fail, so I won't waste my breath," Snape said. "Did you call me in here for something of greater importance than trying to convince me to coddle Potter? If not, I will take my leave."
"Draco was not the only topic we discussed," Dumbledore said quickly before Snape could stand up. "Harry was also worried about Voldemort potentially being immortal."
"How droll. Did he also tell you he was afraid the Dark Lord is actually The Warlock from The Warlock's Hairy Heart?"
"He had legitimate reason to be concerned, Severus, given the history between he and Voldemort," Dumbledore said as he gave Snape a disapproving frown. "As such, I shared with him my belief as to how Voldemort's soul survived that night, and what separated his mother's sacrifice from all others."
"You didn't," Snape hissed, outraged. If looks could kill, Hogwarts would be looking for a new headmaster in the morning. "You swore to me you would never tell anyone!"
"I told him that Voldemort attempted to spare Lily at the behest of one of his followers. But he does not know it was you, nor does he know why you wished for Lily to be spared," Dumbledore clarified, but Snape shook his head angrily.
"How hard do you think it will be for Potter to figure out that it was me?" Snape said heatedly. "I'm the only former Death Eater that you trust. Even a dolt like Potter won't take very long to reach the obvious conclusion."
"No, I suppose not," Dumbledore admitted wearily. "Perhaps I revealed more than I should have, but he deserved to know the truth, Severus. I have hidden far too much from him in the past, and it has had catastrophic repercussions. I am not about to let him go off into battle against Voldemort uncertain of his chances. Not if I can help it."
"Justify it to yourself however you want, Dumbledore. You have betrayed me. I have lied, spied and risked my life for you, but you have broken your word to me despite all of it."
"I suppose I have, but I do not regret it," Dumbledore said frankly. "That boy is our best hope, Severus. Our only hope. When the time comes, he must face Voldemort with a head clear of doubts or uncertainty. If helping him do so changes things between us irrevocably, that is a price I am willing to pay."
"Of course you are. Anything in the name of the 'greater good', right Albus?" Snape taunted, knowing that the reminder of Grindelwald would wound Dumbledore. And indeed it did, as the older wizard flinched as if he'd been slapped across the face. Snape knew he was being petty, but given what Dumbledore had done to him, he relished the chance to lash out at him.
"I do not blame you for being angry with me, Severus," Dumbledore finally said after a long moment of tense silence. "That's something else you and Harry have in common, you know."
"We're hardly alone in that," Snape said dryly, and Dumbledore smiled at him.
"That is likely," Dumbledore responded, chuckling. "It is not, however, the only other thing you and Harry have in common." Snape scowled, but Dumbledore held up his hand before he could reply. "Please, Severus, hear me out. Whatever the differences between the two of you, you share one very vital goal: you both want to see Lord Voldemort destroyed, for good. The two of you wish for that with a fervour that surpasses even mine. If only you both could see that, this needless hostility could cease, and you could join me in helping Harry prepare to meet his destiny."
"That will never happen," Snape said firmly. "I have done my part to keep the boy alive for Lily's sake. Not yours, not his, but Lily's. But that boy is every bit his father's son. Aside from that, he has never shown me the slightest respect. Even if I attempted to pass my expertise on to him, he would have no interest in listening to what I had to say."
"If you gave him a chance, I think you would be pleasantly surprised," Dumbledore insisted. "Of course, there is one other thing linking you and Harry together. It is the strongest bond of them all." Snape stared at Dumbledore blankly, confused. "Love, Severus," Dumbledore continued. "Your mutual love for Lily Evans-Potter."
"You go too far," Snape said, his voice dangerously low. But Dumbledore either didn't get the hint of warning, or chose to ignore it.
"If you would only tell Harry the truth, the two of you would surely find common..."
"ENOUGH!" Snape exploded, shooting up out of his chair and staring, wild-eyed, at Dumbledore. "We will never speak of this again."
Without another word, Snape stomped out of Dumbledore's office and back to his quarters, fuming. The gall of that man, asking him to reach out to the son of James Potter! Perhaps the boy really did have the potential to defeat the Dark Lord, even if Snape had his doubts. But one thing was for sure: there would never be anything but dislike between the two of them.
Not for the first time, Snape found himself second-guessing his choices, his priorities, and his loyalties. He had a feeling it wouldn't be the last.