Seek

"No, no. I'm fine Hermione."



Harry had been gone to Spinner's End less than an hour and could hardly understand what Hermione had worked herself into such a froth over. He was sitting in his cozy little Marylebone flat, his bare feet on the sitting room table and a slim mobile to his ear, scowling half-heartedly at the little book just beyond his toes and doing his level best to pay attention to her protests.



"It's a bloody diary Herm, I can't see that it'll do much harm."



"Oh, because we haven't run across nasty little diary surprises before. I know Snape's spells have dissipated, Harry, but that's no reason to be incautious! He could have had any number of other wizards ensorcell it - "



"I've scanned it pretty thoroughly. What else shall I do,run a security wand over it?"



"Oh, Harry."



He stared bemusedly at the diary, then prodded it with a toe.



"Hell!"



In front of her kitchen sink Hermione Granger jumped at least three feet into the air, and was shouting Harry's name into the phone before she hit the floor. "Harry! Harry!" She dashed into the living room, shouting. "Ron! Ron, something's happened to Harry!"



From his place on the squashy velveteen sofa, Ron Weasly leaped up. "What's wrong with Harry?! What's happened?!"



Hermione frantically shushed her fiance and gestured wildly at the little urn of floo powder on the mantle, lifting the reciever to her ear and calling, "Harry! Harry!"



"What?"



Both Ron and Hermione froze at the sound of his voice on the line, and Hermione hissed, "What happened?"



"Knocked my beer over, sorry."



Ron met Hermione's eyes and their heads shook as one.



---



Twenty minutes and two dish cloths later Harry disengaged with Hermione and opened the last beer, alone with Snape's diary.



He picked the book up and wiped away a stray droplet with the edge of his sleeve. "So, Severus, what secrets are you keeping after six years of peace?" Harry paused a moment, suddenly unsure, then spoke firmly to the little book, "Addo pacis."



Half an hour later, the beer sat untouched.



~~~



Sept. 5



As planned, Albus is dead. A task I wish had never fallen to me, and of which I am more proud than any will ever comprehend.



Which means that soon I too will die. I can only hope it will be the final blow against the Dark Lord that takes my life. This is my last will and testament.



I am as sound of body and mind as ever I have been.



My library and laboratory to the Hogwarts School of WitchCraft and Wizardry. May the destestable Irma Pince catalogue them with the utmost delight.



My home and furnishings to be sold to any interested party at reasonable price by my solicitors (Wolfram & Hart) and the proceeds to be donated to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.



All personal effects and the Snape vault at Gringotts to be inherent of my godson Draconis Lucius Malfoy.



Severus O. Snape



-



Beneath the neatly printed text of Snape's will Harry was surprised to see swirls of incautious handwriting whorling their way across the page.



-



And here is my absolution. Whoever you may be, I chose to entrust this missive to you and you alone. I ask that you turn this diary and it's password over to my solicitors at the soonest possible opportunity. Be aware that this message is for you alone and will appear only once.



My godson, Draco Malfoy, is not a Death Eater. The purge of the Dark Mark will not have released him from his fears. I sent him this morning to America, to Seattle, Washington, in the care of a colleague. He will not return willingly.



I ask that you retrieve him. My colleague, Alex Timmons, will know his current whereabouts and identity.



Draco Malfoy possesses information that will be vital to the reconstruction. He carries within him the final key to peace. Exercise the utmost haste in retrieving the boy. Tell him pacis procul sumptus.



---



Harry reread the message twice before tearing his eyes away to down the bottle at his side in three long pulls, and when he looked back to the page, it was blank.