Inside the Blackest Heart (Edit, Not Update)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 18 ~ Snape and Dumbledore Have a Little Talk

Dumbledore returned to his office. Fawkes sat sullenly on her perch, whirling her eyes at him. She was a loyal Phoenix, bonded to her Master until his death, at which point she would follow him, never to emerge from the ashes again. But the great bird was unhappy. Dumbledore had changed, become dark, seduced by power. She rarely sang anymore.

The Headmaster rapidly searched through his drawer for the Marauder’s map. Finding it, he swiftly unfolded the parchment. It was blank.

“I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” the Headmaster intoned. Small labeled footsteps appeared on the page. He studied it intently, searching for Hermione. He found her, sitting in a small niche outside the castle. Evidently she felt the need to get away from everyone. He sighed. She hadn’t seen what she did to Ron.

The Headmaster had done a bit of damage control in the Great Hall immediately. He had made the students quiet down as Ron was taken to the infirmary by Professors Flitwick and McGonagal, braying disconsolately as he walked between them. The Headmaster chided the students, asking the one who transfigured Ron’s head to come forward. Of course, no one did. He then imposed a castle-wide curfew of six o’clock as punishment. The pupils all grumbled, swearing to find the culprit. Hermione never came to their minds.

Harry had looked at the Headmaster sharply. He had found out years ago, when Sirius died, how manipulative the old wizard was. He didn’t completely trust Dumbledore. He didn’t fully believe that someone had transfigured Ron’s head as a joke when Hermione called him an ass. He thought Hermione did it somehow, but not on purpose. And he thought she dried up their polish too, still not on purpose. Hermione was a very powerful witch for her age, and was studying spell work. She might have tapped into something that she wasn’t aware of. He had seen her try to do wandless magic on the donuts, and they had moved, though the spell she cast hadn’t worked. There was something going on here. He’d find out what it was soon enough.

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Albus searched the map again, for Snape this time. The Potions Master had left the Hall in a great hurry, right after Hermione. He found him in the library. Hm. Severus rarely went to the library. No doubt he was looking for answers to what he had seen. The Headmaster’s eyes narrowed as he watched Snape’s footsteps leave the library. Walking to the Main Hall and circling, before proceeding to the stairs and upper floors, then heading in another direction. The steps went to Gryffindor Tower and hesitated, then entered the common room, going up the stairs and to the empty Head Girl’s room. So he was looking for Hermione.

The Headmaster scowled. He was sure Snape had discovered Hermione was a Primordial and was seeking her out to tell her. He couldn’t let this happen. Albus looked at the map.

“Mischief managed,” he said. The map went blank and he put it back in the drawer. He walked over to his floo and grabbed a handful of powder out a box on the mantle and threw it into the flames.

“Gryffindor Tower,” he said, stepping through.

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Snape examined the empty bottles and vials sitting on the nightstand by her bed. He had easily broken the ward on her room and entered, hoping to find the witch sulking there. She wasn’t, but she had left clear evidence of her theft of potions. He wasn’t concerned with that now. He wanted to talk to her, persuade her stop being manipulated and take control of her situation. If he had to seduce her to get her to comply, he would. But she probably wouldn’t be susceptible to seduction right now, since she was sated and probably still sore from him. Maybe he could trick her into believing he was interested in her as a lover, and wanted to continue their association.

She might be willing to do this, since it was doubtful she could find another wizard who would meet her needs like he could. He could continue to fuck her as long as it suited his purposes. But he would probably have to be less brutal, for his own protection. She was powerful and he might end up a pile of ash if he went too far. No more choking.

He exited her room and hurried down the stairs, forming plots as he descended. He almost walked into Dumbledore, who stood in the center of the common room, his eyes narrowed. The old wizard cast a silencing dome around them wandlessly, so the nosy portraits would not hear their conversation.

Snape looked at him sharply. The Headmaster had no pretense of civility on his face.

“You know about Miss Granger,” the Headmaster stated.

“Yes,” Snape replied. He had his hand on his wand. He was no match for Albus, but he might be able to out-hex him and escape if he needed to.

“Take your hand off your wand, Severus. I have no intention on harming you,” the Headmaster said.

Snape looked at him, his eyes glittering.

“If it’s all the same to you Albus, I think I’ll hang on to it. I seem to remember you telling that to the last deatheater you interrogated. We both know how that ended,” the Potions Master replied.

“Fine,” Albus said. Then he narrowed his eyes at the dark wizard. “You are not to tell Miss Granger anything about her being a Primordial. It is bad enough you sped up the process of her awakening. You just couldn’t keep your dick out of her, could you?” he hissed, his blue eyes flashing.

“She wanted to dance with a deatheater, Albus. I gave her what she wanted,” the Potions Master replied.

“Yes, I heard what you gave her,” the Headmaster said evenly. “Miss Granger is the most important weapon we have against Voldemort. She will be the one who destroys him. I can’t afford to have her rebelling against me, now that we are so close to success. You are to tell her nothing. And you are not to touch her again. Do I make myself clear, Severus?”

The Potions Master looked at the Headmaster consideringly.

“I think, Headmaster, that your plans for Miss Granger go much further than destroying Voldemort. You wouldn’t let that much power get away from you. You want to use the witch for your own purposes,” he observed, “She will be the most powerful human on earth. You know you can’t let her go.”

Dumbledore smiled at him unpleasantly.

“Very astute, Severus. I have spent years grooming that girl, manipulating her, filling her with ideals that will serve a greater purpose. The wizarding world is much too fragmented. It would be better off unified under one leader.”

Snape quirked his lips.

“And I suppose that leader would be you,” the Potions Master said silkily.

“Yes. Right in one,” the Headmaster replied.

“You’re no different than Voldemort,” the Professor sneered. “You sit here in this castle, making your little plans for world domination. You have your loyal Order members, just as he has his deatheaters. I know for a fact that some of the female deatheaters they’ve captured don’t pass through their ranks unsullied. Your followers may not exercise all the same dark tendencies as deatheaters do, but they rape and murder just the same. I know they do, Albus.”

“Yes, but only those on the side of darkness,” Albus replied.

“No. Only your competition,” Snape responded, his black eyes locked to Albus’ blue ones.

The Headmaster grimaced at him, his demeanor threatening.

“No matter how you perceive me, Severus, you will obey me. You are my spy. Unless you want a pensieve of our little ‘conversations” to fall into the hands of Voldemort, you will continue to follow my directives, collect information and leave Miss Granger to me.”

“Headmaster, you may have me under your thumb, but don’t press down too hard. I too have memories that the Ministry would find quite interesting,” the Potions Master said evenly.

Dumbledore’s hand trembled as he fought the urge to strike the deatheater down where he stood. How dare he threaten him? But Snape was still important. He still needed him to spy.

“It seems we both need to cooperate with each other,” the Headmaster said, his voice somewhat strained. “You should realize, Severus, that when I emerge victorious, you will be set for life with all the riches and power you could ever want.”

Snape frowned at him.

“Now that sounds familiar. Tom Riddle told me that years ago,” he replied, his black eyes hard as stone. He knew that if Dumbledore emerged victorious, he would most likely be set six feet under hard earth. His usefulness would be over, and the Headmaster didn’t like loose ends.

“And as for Miss Granger, if she wants me Albus, then she will have me. I won’t deny myself the pleasure of using her body. You intend to use her, after all, in a much worse manner than I,” the Potions Master said smoothly.

Albus sighed. The witch had already been intimate with the Potions Master. It seemed entirely possible that she might want to be so again. He was going to try to thwart her, change her mind about the wicked wizard, but he knew he might not be able to do so, and that could be a sure way to make her rebel against him.

“Very well, Severus. Fuck her then if she wants it. But don’t try to change her. Eighteen is a delicate age,” he said, frowning, “Very impressionable. I need to remain her main influence.

“If she changes, Albus, it will be because it is already in her to change,” the Professor replied, thinking of the darkness Hermione was already evidencing.

“Well she won’t need your help in any case,” the old wizard snapped. “Now, are we agreed on how we will handle this situation?”

Snape hesitated, then nodded.

“Good,” the Headmaster said shortly. “I am going to have a talk with Miss Granger this afternoon. Hopefully I will get her back on the right track.”

The Headmaster removed the dome of silence.

“I will talk to you soon, Severus,” the Headmaster said, stepping back through the floo.

Snape stood there scowling. Damn Albus. How had he known he was in Gryffindor Tower?

At that moment, Harry walked into the common room.

“Professor Snape? What are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the dark wizard. He felt the urge to go for his wand.

“I was looking for Miss Granger. Do you know where she is?” the Potions Master asked him smoothly.

“No,” Harry said shortly, thinking if he did know, he wouldn’t tell this greasy bastard. The two wizards locked eyes, mutual dislike on each of their faces. Then Snape swished by him, heading for the exit.

“What did you want her for?” Harry called after the departing wizard. Snape turned.

“That, Mr. Potter, is my business,” he replied, exiting.

Harry stared after him, then walked over to the couch and sat down heavily. Something was going on with Hermione. Something that wasn’t good. His scar throbbed, and he ran a forefinger over it, wincing. It only hurt when Voldemort was up to something.

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Snape was walking down the staircase when the pain hit him.

“Not now,” the Potions Master groaned, grasping his forearm and grimacing.

He was being summoned in the middle of the day. This couldn’t be good.

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A/N: Wow. Now we know Dumbledore’s motives. Snape has to go see the Dark Lord. Harry is suspicious. Lots going on in this story. Please review.