E Pluribus Unum

A/N - I hope everyone had a lovely New Year! It\'s raining here in California as I type and the cats are all huddled around the warmth of my computer. Thanks again to Katot oot only for being the bestest beta ever but for catching the plotholes and errors and also for being moral support! Couldn\'t do this without you, babe.

Jeanette - Me, too. :)

Len - Remember to drink lots of water, a hangover is mostly dehydration. :) Thank you for your reviews, my dear.

Chapter 19 – Tumbling Down

Kathryn opened the Daily Prophet at breakfast and felt her heart sink into her shoes. “Dementors Abandon Azkaban, Prisoners Escape!” screamed the headline and while it scared her to know how many of his Death Eaters Voldemort would have at his side again, Kathryn couldn’t help wondering why it had taken even this long.

A low rumble of voices came to her. She saw the paper being passed among the students and the ripple of panic that followed in its wake and sighed. The fear she was attempting to combat would only be heightened by the news. She passed the paper to Severus. He read the headline and raised an eyebrow at her, otherwise remaining emotionless before the audience of students.

Ryan kicked his legs in the high chair and made a happy little squealing noise that caused a ripple of laughter to move through the student body. It dissipated the burgeoning fear and Kathryn smiled at the baby, grateful for the distraction.

The brilliant sunshine that poured through the windows and the crisp clear sky above them made it hard to accept the reality of the dark terrors that lay outside theool.ool. She hoped that the children would absorb the news and quickly settle down.

Her hopes were in vain, however, and classes were unbearably tense that day, the children taking the Defense lessons far more seriously than usual. It was gratifying as a teacher to have students hanging on your every word, but as an adult looking into the scared faces of young children, she was shaken by it.

She had overheard Harry’s comment in the Library about her adding the ancient dark creatures to the curriculum and she had done so, of course. Fauna looked pale and stricken in the class as Kathryn described how the ancient Dark Ones fed upon the fears and secret desires of others. She described the Ancients’ battles between the Elves and the powers of the Dark. She talked about ways of recognizing them, how sly they were and how they could appear as something fair and beautiful to trick the unwary. The classes were mesmerized by the information, shivering in fear and vowing to be vigilant. She hoped it was enough.


That evening, Albus called an emergency teachers’ meeting to discuss the breakout from Azkaban. The teachers congregated in the lounge with faces gone serious and still. When Voldemort attacked, the school would be a major target; Albus and Harry’s presence here dictated that. Every one of them knew that their academic instruction could change in an instant to that of very practical applications.

It was a strange setting for a council of war. Chintz and floral patterned chairs, lace edged shelves. Teapots, cups, plates piled high with scones and academics of all ages clustered about an old table covered with plaid tablecloth.

Some of them already had experience with combat and battle -- Minerva had fought de Ade Albus against the dark wizard Grindelwald, Filius had worked in the underground during the war creating Charms for the allied wizarding communities but he had had to fight as well. Madam Pince had been a deadly killer, Kathryn was secretly amused to learn, having gone behind enemy lines to eliminate the Nazi’s Wizard allies, one by one.
But the rest of them had been born after the war, in the days of peace. Many of them had fought seventeen years ago when last Voldemort attacked, but some, like Sinistra, Pomfrey, Sprout and Vector, simply had never raised a wand in combat before and had no clue how to go about it.

They were a frightened group of would-be soldiers: teachers and nurses and scholars turning their minds to the defense of the children in their care, to the defense of the castle.

From her perch on the arm of Severus’ chair, with his hand at her waist and his warmth beside her, Kathryn watched as they discussed the breakout.

“Why did he wait so long?” Minerva asked Albus with a sigh.

“I think I may be able to answer that.” Kathryn piped up. She had been thinking about it all day and now as every head swiveled to look at her she shrugged. “I think it has to do with his new allies.” There was a general shudder. “As the Headmaster told you, they feed off fears, much as the Dementors do. In fact, some scholars theorize that the Elder Dark spawned the Dementors, since there is no record of their having existed in ancient times.”

“So, you think that Voldemort plans to use the Elder Dark to better control the Dementors.” Albus murmured thoughtfully. “It would make a great deal of sense. The bargain he struck with them to give them free reign in feeding would have to run out at some point. The Dementors are insatiable, always hungry; even Voldemort would eventually run out of food for them.”

“Precisely! However if he had control of the Elder Dark, they could compel the Dementors to obey regardless. But there is also another reason why he might have waited to free them.” She had their attention now and she took a deep breath. “He may not have wanted them back sane. The longer they were in Azkaban under Dementor control, the less grasp they would have on their sanity”

Silence fell as they thought about that.

“They were already a rather unstable group.” Severus pointed out.

“Not Malfoy, he was quite sane.” Kathryn retorted.

“There are some who would argue that point, Kathryn, but I do understand your meaning.” Severus responded thoughtfully. “He might have been a sadistic bastard, but he was clear-headed most of the time. More than a year in Azkaban would have changed that.” He nodded at her.

“But why?” Vector wailed. “They are his allies!”

“Would you go along with someone who has allied himself with the Elder Dark?” Minerva asked with a stern look over her glasses. There was restless shuffling.

Severus remained silent; only Hagrid, Kathryn, Poppy, Minerva and Albus knew of his spying efforts and if he said too much, the others might begin to wonder how he had gained such knowledge. Kathryn squeezed his hand, trying to let him know how much she loved him and understood his frustrations in not being able to be utterly forthright with his own allies.

“I would imagine that there are several very nervous Death Eaters in Voldemort’s service right now.” Albus spoke the words that Severus could not. “At least the sane ones would be quite likely to be fearful of his new ‘allies’.”

“Perhaps having spent so much time under the Dementors makes them more vulnerable to the Elder Dark?” Sinistra looked up from her ubiquitous charts and pushed a lock of hair from her eyes. They all turned to look at her in surprise; Sinistra so rarely spoke that it was a shock at times to hear her voice. She met their gazes calmly and then dropped back to her charts again.

Sibyll, her huge glasses glinting and her shawls draped over her in a display of foolishness that made Kathryn very impatient, leaned forward to speak.

“Grandmother used to say that the very young, the very old and the very mad were the most easily influenced by the Dark.” It was such a sensible statement that Kathryn stared at Sibyll openly. “I see a dark time before us all; we must watch the students carefully.” Had it not been for the dramatic pose she struck and the way she let the words trail off to spooky effect, Kathryn would almost have gained a modicum of respect for the woman. If only the woman didn’t try to dress like how she imagined a gypsy fortuneteller looked when she was so obvio as as English as they come, Kathryn might have been able to feel something other than repelled.

“I should think that would be obvious, Sibyll.” Minerva snapped and Trelawney huffed and subsided back into silence. Firenze, who was settled down on the floor with his hooves tucked neatly beneath him frowned.

“The stars are vague right now; they speak of danger and war. They speak also of threats both subtle and obvious, but they do not speak of an outcome.” He shifted restlessly, and Sibyll shot him a venomous look. The ongoing rivalry between the two Divination teachers was amusing to the rest of the staff. They each thought the other to be a fraud and the division of their classes -- with Firenze teaching the N.E.W.T.s classes and Sibyll teaching the younger students -- made for a schizophrenic course.

Binns floated forward and tilted his head in contemplation.

“There is some mon oon of the Ancient Dark in history.” His usual monotone had become thoughtful and they all leaned forwards to listen. “They are shunned by most wizards because of their treacherous nature, but in 1322, Middlefinch the Mad bargained successfully with them.”

“Successfully? How on earth did he manage it?” Minerva’s eyes gleamed and she leaned forwards in fascination. Binns seemed a bit taken aback by the scrutiny and Kathryn wondered if he didn’t deliberately make his clasdulldull because he was naturally shy.

“Well, his own madness didn’t allow for him to feel fear or lust, so he was immune to their draining effect, but he provided them with people who were vulnerable to feed upon in his stead.” Binn’s words dropped like stones and Kathryn clutched Severus’ hand hard.

Suddenly the party made sense; Voldt hat had been giving them food. Ordering Severus to torture the Muggle girl had been an attempt to provide them with sustenance. Kathryn was terrified, scared she could lose Severus to the Dark Ones and she was white and frightened. Her own fear was lost in the general shudder, but Severus pulled her into his lap and tucked her head under his chin. She saw Albus’ worried gaze resting on them but she was too concerned for Severus to return his look. Even a man as strong as Severus could be tempted and to give even a little could be fatal.

She drew in a deep breath. She would simply have to trust him and give him all of her support and love. There was nothing else to do. She could not ask him to stop spying, it was too important to the Order and it was how he felt he was redeeming himself from his youthful mistakes. Another breath and she relaxed against him, realizing that the conversation had swirled on around her without her awareness of anything but Severus holding her and her own terrors.

“But if he feeds his own people to them won’t they rebel?” Vector was asking with a perplexed air.

“They won’t necessarily know what he’s done to them for years. The process of draining can take a very long time.” Kathryn replied from within the circle of Severus’ arms.

“How do you know so much about them?” Madam Pince asked suddenly.

“Almost twenty years as an Auror, Madam.” She replied calmly, trying not to lose her temper.

“So you say, but I’ve done some digging and there is little record of you for the last decade or so. There you sit, cuddled up to a man who was a known Death Eater telling us about the Dark. Why should we trust you?” Her words were venomous and she could feel Severus stiffen beneath her. The other teachers were appalled by her words, but they stayed out of it.

“Because I tell you to.” Albus said quietly. Poppy opened her mouth to say something shot a look at Kathryn and Severus and then fell silent. She could not speak without blowing Severus\' cover.

“You believed Quirrell was fine and you trusted the fake Mo Wha What’s to say that those two are any different! Where did that baby come from? You’ve never really said. What did he do to make you trust him, eh? Why should we believe that he’s not a Death Eater still? Who’s to say he and his whore haven’t already gone over to the Dark?” Pince was screaming now, fury writ in every line of her body and Kathryn stared at her in shock and dismay. Her hair was wild and spittle flew from her lips as she shrieked. “They’ll betray us!”

The other teachers were silent and still, staring at Pince in horror. Severus clutched Kathryn to him as though she would be snatched from him at any moment and Kathryn was so stunned she couldn’t reply, simply staring at the other woman.

“They will get us killed!” She snarled at them.

“That’s enough Irma!” Minerva shouted and slammed her hands on the table. The librarian subsided but her eyes had lost none of their suspicion or hatred.

“Irma.” Albus said softly, his eyes filled with sorrow and disappointment. Kathryn looked into the older woman’s eyes and knew what she was seeing.

“Madam Pince.” Kathryn began, pulling herself from Severus’ embrace. “You know nothing about me; you certainly know nothing that could make you believe such things. Who has been whispering to you in the night?” she kept her voice low and polite, in direct contrast to Pince’s fevered tones. The other teachers looked at Pince in sudden understanding. Albus paled as the realization washed over him.

“Shut up, you stupid cow! You whore! You’re fucking the Head of Slytherin, what else is there to know? He’s a Death Eater!” Kathryn sighed and closed her eyes. She hated doing this, as it was so terribly draining, but there was only ever one power that could oppose the Dark in full possession. She reached inside herself and pulled on the ancient magic of her blood.