A Different Kind of Magic--UNDERGOING EDIT

Thanks again to VIVAvivacious for betaing this for me. I know there are a few things I need to fix and I will get to them ASAP. Reviews are greatly appreciated! Check out my Livejournal to leave comments or suggestions! http://ladydagger27.livejournal.com/

JK Rowling makdes all the money from the characters and owns them. I do not.


Chapter 16 – Meeting of the Minds


Space was tight in the Headmistress’s office, where a portion of the inner circle of the existing Order of the Phoenix gathered for an impromptu meeting. As usual, everyone was waiting for the last two members to arrive before they could start.

Harry tapped his wand on the end of Minerva’s desk. He was impatient to get back to his post at the Ministry. As an Auror, he wasn’t even supposed to be here when he was on duty. If someone found out he had left his post, he could get sacked, or worse, put under magical restraint for compromising Ministry security. “Bloody hell! Why are those two gits always late? I haven’t got all night! Someone is going to notice I’m gone!”

Minerva sighed, taking a long drink of water from her glass. “We can’t start without them, Harry; I’ve told you that before. This information is very sensitive, and I can’t risk repeating it if it can be avoided.”

She looked behind her at the wall of portraits behind her. The dead headmasters and mistresses of old all appeared nonchalant in the face of some juicy gossip, but Minerva knew better. The wall of her office had some mighty big ears. She’d gotten into more than one argument with them over their irritating interruptions while she was conducting sensitive Order business.

Hagrid’s chair groaned under the heavy weight of the half giant as he slapped Harry on the back. “Eh now, don’cha be worrying, Harry, me lad. I’m right sure our frens will be poppin’ ‘round any moment now. Ah, see Harry, what’d I tell yas, here’s they are now!”

Right on cue, the door slammed open, and two wizards in varying stages of drunkeness stumbled through the door.
“Sah-sahr-ry we’re late, Mahnervia. I forgot wer the cashle wash!” shouted out the inebriated Potions master. Remus Lupin grinned sheepishly, while his companion split into a gut-busting laugh, staggering into a chair while his breathing gasped into a coughing fit. Harry scooted his chair over an extra foot to get away from the stench of Firewhisky and smoke.

Lupin’s companion slammed the door and slumped against it, obviously not inclined to incur any further embarrassment than they already had.

Minerva McGonagall surveyed the state of her staff and slowly rose from her seat, leaning over her desk to shoot her most disapproving glare at the two men. “I have come to expect a certain unpredictable nature with the Deputy, but I am sorely disappointed you allowed him to drag you to Hogsmeade with him, Professor Lupin!”

“I was babysitting,” he grumbled. “He never gets back to the castle on his own.”

“When I summon my staff for an Order meeting, I expect them to have the decency to be properly sober when they arrive in this office! You all know where Poppy is, next time you will stop by the infirmary for a Sobering Draught. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes ma’am,” the chastened wizards grumbled, casting each other guilty looks. A pursed-lipped Headmistress gruffly stalked over to a cupboard and gathered two Sobering Draughts for them. After they had been consumed, Minerva resumed her seat and looked pointedly at each person present.

“I have called to order this meeting to discuss the events of the previous evening. Very few Order members were able to attend this meeting due to other external matters that are more pressing than the one at hand. I have made everyone that requires the information aware of our two… guests in the dungeons. Dobby and Ava are attending to most of the needs of our guests, but I am restricting their movements to that room, until I am able to ascertain their loyalties, because of the sensitive nature of the matters that led us to them.”

“I have restricted the personnel who may go into the room to me, the Deputy Headmaster, Remus, Ava, Poppy, and Dobby. It goes without saying you are all sworn to utmost secrecy. Not a word of this must escape these walls.” The pictures on the walls behind her murmured to one another in assent.

“Hagrid, I will need you to be on standby in case I need one of our guests escorted out of the castle quickly, in order to avoid suspicion. You are often seen coming and going, so this will not raise suspicion among the student body.”

“Yes, Headmistress McGonagall, you kin count on ol’ Hagrid!” he nodded.

“Thank you, Hagrid.”

She turned to address Harry. “I know you need to leave, Harry, so you may do so after I give you your instructions. Instruct Ron or Arthur Weasley to have Molly prepare a room at the Burrow. When our charges are fully recovered from their injuries and their intent ascertained, I will need to move Hermione to stay there. There is too much risk that she could be discovered within the castle. We will determine what is to happen after that at a later time.”

Harry stepped forward. “About Hermione, is she okay, Headmistress McGonagall?” he asked softly.

Minerva gentled her tone for the young Auror. “Yes, Harry, she is going to be fine. She suffered a nasty head injury, and seems to have temporarily lost her speech capacity, but we feel she will recover in due time.”

Harry thanked her, relief etched on his face as he took his leave to return to work.

A much sterner look was reserved for the shamed Remus Lupin. “Professor Lupin,” she began, “I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am with your behaviour today. I have never seen such an utter lack of respect from another staff member in years. I daresay my Deputy Headmaster is a bad influence on you. I am forced to confine you to school grounds. You are not allowed to leave, without my express permission, for the remainder of the term. We can’t afford any rash mistakes, like going to Hogsmeade to get pissed, no matter the excuse. I expect your companion to take responsibility for himself, and not drag others down with him. I shall also dock your house fifty points for insubordination. It grieves me to dock points from the Head of Gryffindor house, but you’ve brought this shame upon yourself.”

“Your presence here tonight, Professor Lupin, is for my instructions to you regarding Miss Longbottom and Madam Pomfrey. You shall be their liaison, in case neither one can make it to the dungeon to attend to our guests. I also need you to be my eyes and ears for whatever I may miss. I daresay, we are going to have trouble with our old friend Severus. He has already put up his defences, against my wishes, and I need you to try and talk some sense into him. I told him, that if he will not submit to a Pensieve or Legilimency, we would have no choice to but to turn him over to the Ministry and Azkaban.”

Remus leaned forward, distress showing in his eyes. “Minerva! How can you think I’m the right candidate to convince Snape of anything? The man has hated me for years, and will never listen to anything that comes from me. I beg you, please ask someone else to take charge of this.”

“Aye, and what’s this about accusing Professor Snape o’ any wrongdoins’?” piped in Hagrid. “Tis’ a shame, when ye speak ill of our dear friend, Headmistress. An fergive me fer sayin’ so, ma’am, but if we turn’im over to the Ministry, we’s ain’t no better than the one’s that did this to’em in the firs place!”

Minerva held up her hands in supplication. “This course of action has not been chosen hastily. I was up all last night, conferring with our late Headmaster Dumbledore on this matter. He concurs, the threat of espionage is of greater risk than putting a dent in Professor Snape’s pride. The matter is not up for discussion. You two have your assignments, now go. I need to speak to the Deputy Headmaster. Alone.”

Hagrid and Remus cast each other dubious looks, said good night to Minerva, and left the room.

A long silence rested heavily in the air with the remaining Order member, who had said nothing during the entire exchange. He was used to biding his time, and only speaking when it suited him.

“Please, sit down.” Minerva gestured to a chair opposite her desk.

The man continued to stand, stoic calm glittering behind deep brown eyes that gave away nothing of what he was thinking or feeling inside.

He was huge, with broad shoulders, a thick chest, arms like tree trunks, and even more massive legs. As if his frame wasn’t imposing enough, an ugly scar graced his chin and ran up the left side of his cheek, making it seem as if he had a permanent sneer etched upon his face. Rugged, heavy features, a prominent nose and square jaw, were softened somewhat by flyaway, shoulder-length brown hair that escaped from the leather band tied at the nape of his neck. Thick robes of silver and green flowed around him, touching the ground while twirling around his black-booted feet when he walked. Smart black pants with a decidedly Slytherin belt had a sharp, green linen shirt tucked in at the waist. For his entire imposing demeanour, Minerva wasn’t cowed one bit.

She quickly strode from her desk to stand in from of him. He towered over her at six foot five inches, making her crane her neck to meet his eyes.

“I am most disappointed with your little performance this evening. Imagine, the Deputy Headmaster, sodding off to get drunk during a crisis! It really is just like you to do something like this! If I didn’t know better, I would swear you couldn’t give a damn about the House Cup this year! As Head of Slytherin, it is your honour-bound duty to uphold the standards of this institution, and I will not have my staff dragging their corpses through the castle, in a wanton display of drunkenness, for the entire study body to witness!” She paused then, giving a great sigh and studying the medallion sporting the Slytherin crest he wore around his neck.

“I shouldn’t have to be lecturing a grown man like he was a small child. I am docking fifty points from Slytherin also for your misconduct, and I expect to see you helping Hagrid groom the Quidditch pitch for our next game. I cannot impose restrictions on your movements, due to your arrangements with the Ministry, but do not think for one minute I will cut you any slack for this awful behaviour!”

It did make Minerva a little uneasy when he just stood there so calmly. The man was so unreadable when he wanted to be, never betraying his feelings unless truly unsettled. It reminded her eerily of the former Potions master convalescing in the dungeon that very moment.

“On to business. You will continue reporting to the Ministry. Tell them we received news of a disturbance in the north of Scotland from a returning student, but do not let on the true extent of our knowledge thus far.” He nodded once.

“Furthermore, although I have given you access to our guests, I would like you to refrain from making yourself known at this time. It will only upset them, as they will not understand the dynamics of your presence at Hogwarts. When the time is right, you will need to meet with Miss Granger. Providing she can be trusted, I would like to place her at the Burrow and act as our go-between for you and our other Order members. This will provide you with further protections from being seen conversing with other Order members unnecessarily, while maintaining the image we’ve so carefully cultivated all these long months. There is still much to be done. I forbid you from speaking with Severus unless it becomes absolutely necessary, and not until I give you the order. I loathe his reaction if he were to find out you were my second-in-command, Head of his former House, and have taken over the Potions position. We must tread carefully where Severus is concerned. He is already being a stubborn old git.”

Minerva clapped one hand onto the arm of the towering figure. “Please be more careful. I implore you. The risk is too great. Keep me apprised of any news from the Ministry when you visit next, and carry on as you were until further notice, minus the drunken escapades with Remus.” She gave him one last disapproving glare, but it was negated by the twinkle in her eye.

Only two words were boomed in reply to her speech. “Done!” Then, “Minerva,” and he bowed very deeply to her, the great cloak draping down across his broad frame and sweeping the floor.

Headmistress McGonagall listened as the heavy footfalls of Rabastan Lestrange faded from earshot. She really needed to get a good night’s sleep, if she were going to have the energy to deal with all of this again in the morning.