The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 31
Back to London

So the gang of muggles traveled in two cars on their way to London again. Claudia had in her purse, her amulet and also the wooden box. She had told no one yet about the vial. She thought she should wait until everyone was there. That way, she only had to tell the story once.
They checked into their hotel later that afternoon after hours in the car. Emma was tired and fussy after being locked away in the car for so long. So Claudia took her for a walk around some shops and had an early dinner.
“Mommy, are you still sad?” Emma asked over her hot soup. Claudia felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She really had been neglecting her daughter for some time. She tried a smile and ruffled her daughter’s hair.
“No baby. I’m not sad anymore. I’m with you! I am sorry sweetheart for being so busy lately.” Emma shrugged and sipped at her soup. Claudia resigned herself to being a better mother from now on. What had she been thinking?
They returned to the hotel and were met by the guys and Remus.
“Claudia. You’re looking good.” He said. He should have said “Better’, but Claudia knew what he meant. For in fact, she didn’t look good at all. She looked in the mirror and was reminded of another young woman who was heartbroken and let herself go. Claudia thought she ought to try and actually look decent before setting off for Grimmauld Place.
“Remus says we are invited to Grimmauld Place this evening.” Claudia nodded at Nick.
“And Molly asks that you bring Emma with you. She says Emma can play with the kids while we are meeting. Ginny will take great care of her.” Claudia smiled as she remembered meeting Ginny. She also frowned as she remembered her last encounter with Molly.
“Remus, is Molly still…you know…hating me?” She asked him. Remus exhaled loudly and shook his head.
“Claudia, you have to remember that her son was badly injured. He is doing great now. He and Fleur are getting married in a few weeks too. So her spirits are getting better. We were all shocked at what has happened. But Molly is a good person. She knows it wasn’t your fault.’ His words made her feel a little better and she smiled.
Later that night, they all took off towards Grimmauld Place. Once again Claudia was wracked with guilt upon entering a building she had bad memories of. Her last encounter with Sirius was here, she thought as she walked up the steps to the house. Remus knocked on the door and they heard the familiar clicks of locks opening for them. The door opened and they waked quietly inside. The house was still dark and musky. They walked into the back and into the kitchen. Everyone was there waiting for them. When they arrived, every head turned to see them. Claudia noted every wizard she had ever met was there. Including a few she didn’t know. Her eyes rested for a few moments on Molly’s son Ron who was standing very close to a pretty girl with bushy brown hair. She gave them a quick smile as they entered. Next to her was a tall, skinny young man wearing glasses. He really reminded her of Chester. He had messed up black hair and stunning green eyes. He also had a lightening shaped scar on his forehead. He, in fact, was not smiling at them. He looked, if it was possible, more angry then she had ever seen anyone. Her eyes dropped as she realized that everyone in this room already knew her role in all of this. They knew about her and Severus and she felt sick thinking about the questions that were sure to come.
They were ushered into the room and they closed the door. There was silence so thick, it was hard to breathe. Finally, a voice spoke.
“Harry, have you met Ms. Claudia Moore? These are her friends, Antonio, Nick, Zulu, Chester, Bones and Rod. They are muggles, as you know. And they are here on our request.” Arthur said patiently. For Claudia was not the only person who saw how much Harry was glaring at her. The muggles waved their hellos quietly and once again the room was still.
“Why don’t we just clear the air right away.” Came Mad-Eye Moody’s gruff voice. “Claudia didn’t know Snape was going to do anything. All of us agree to that. However, there are some things she needs to explain, so I think we should all hear them and settle this once and for all.” He nodded to himself in a matter of fact way. Others nodded too and the entire room turned to look at Claudia. She felt her throat tighten up and she looked around desperately at her friends. Nick held her hand under the table and she took a deep breath.
“Severus and I began…our relationship a long time ago. I suppose almost three years now. We kept it secret because that is what we were comfortable with. Many of you, I know, didn’t like him even before we knew what he really was. But some of us believed Dumbledore. So we fell in love and carried on for a long time in secret. Remus knew, as did Tonks. My friends here knew too. Oh, and Sirius knew too…” her voice failed her.
“Claudia, can you tell us a little about the amulets?” Arthur asked. Claudia nodded and produced her amulet from her pocket. It was red.
“Severus and I created these with a potion he made. I don’t remember what it was called…but -” Molly cut her off.
“It is called Coagmento Pectus. Advanced potions. It’s a protective spell and very powerful You must be truly in love for it to work.” Molly’s eyes finally met Claudia’s an she felt a wave of love for Molly. For Molly smiled a sad smile and her eyes filled with tears. Molly had understood, after she calmed down, the loss Claudia felt as well. Claudia felt stronger and she continued.
“Yes, that’s what it was. Anyway, it protects me, and him, from magic. It also shows what we are feeling, in a vague way. Different colors with different moods. Like right now, he’s angry.” Every eye was on the amulet that now lay on the table. “The night the Dementors attacked us, he was able to know I was frightened and my life was in danger. The amulet has a locater spell in it as well. He apparated to me and saved us. “
“That is really powerful magic! I’ve never read about them before. You said it was an advanced potion Mrs. Weasley?” The bushy haired girl asked. Molly nodded.
“I also was given something else by him…awhile ago. One night he came to the house and he was in a terrible state. He gave this to me and he sounded so…I don’t know. Sad I guess. Anyways, he gave this to me and told me to keep it until the time was right. Well, I really don’t know if the time is right. But the time is now. So here you go. I have no use for it and don’t even know what it is.’ Claudia laid the box on the table. Minerva reached over and pulled the box forward. The three younger wizards stepped forward too and everyone was craning their necks to see inside.
“Oh Harry! Do you know what this is?” The bushy haired girl exclaimed. Harry picked up the vial and inspected it. Others gasped and nodded. Everyone else seemed to know just what it was.
“What is it?’ Claudia asked meekly. She felt like she was an intruder and they were no longer needing her after they had gotten what they came for.
“That Claudia, is a memory.” Said Mad-Eye.
“A Memory? Like one of his memories?” She asked. She became a little embarrassed at the thought of people being able to see some of Severus’s memories.
“Yes indeed.” Said Arthur. “ We wizards can extract out memories and put them inside of, what is called a Pensieve. Then, we can either store them or review them as is necessary.” Claudia frowned. What memory would Severus give to her he couldn’t keep?
“Does anyone have a Pensieve?” Harry asked.
“At the school, I will go when the meeting is out and fetch it. Perhaps this will help us understand what he was…well…maybe it can help us at any rate.” Said Minerva.
“Claudia, how long ago was it that Professor…I mean Snape gave this to you?” The bushy haired girl asked.
“At the beginning of your school year. In fact, the night Dumbledore went to get Harry and take him to the Burrow. I remember that much…” Claudia said. Harry’s eyes narrowed at Claudia, but he still didn’t say a word to her. Well, at least he didn’t know about me and Sirius. Then he would have never let me step foot in this house again.
“Well, the next thing we need to do is let you all know that Minerva is the Order’s new Secret Keeper.” Everyone nodded at Arthur’s statement. “Also, Harry…did you want to say something?” Harry looked down at his shoes and took a deep breath.
“The night Dumbledore was murdered, we were in search of something. But what we found was a fake. The real one was taken by someone with the initials R.A.B. Anyone have any idea who that is?” Everyone murmured a little running a list of names to each other. Claudia noticed no one asked what it was they were searching for. Perhaps they all already knew.
“Wait…R.A.B…Regulus Alphard Black.” Remus said. Some murmurs and the bushy haired girl ran from the room. Everyone looked at the door and Ron laughed a little.
“There she goes…she probably will have it all worked out by the time she returns.” Harry laughed with him.
“You mean Sirius’s brother?” Molly asked. Remus nodded.
“He was a Death Eater, but they killed him when he tried to leave. Seems that if it is really him, maybe they killed him for other reasons.” Mad-Eye said. Claudia thought back to something Severus told her one night. ‘To leave the Dark Lord’s service is a death sentence.” Well, Claudia thought, I guess he was right about that.
A few seconds later, the bushy haired girl came back in looking triumphant.
“Well Hermione?” Harry asked. Hermione? What kind of name was that? Claudia asked herself.
“Sirius did have a brother by that name, his initials were R.A.B. Harry, Ron, do you remember when we came here and helped clean the house? Kreacher was nicking things from the rubbish. Do you remember the locket we found that we couldn’t open?” Everyone was looking at the younger wizards with interest.
“Yeah,… I remember that! It was in that music box that put us all to sleep. Sirius threw it out…” Ron said.
“Well, maybe. But I think Keacher got it. Harry, can you call Kreacher?” Harry nodded and he spoke into the air.
“Kreacher!” A cracking noise was heard and all of a sudden, a small, rat looking thing with no hair was standing in front of Harry. He had huge ears and wore a towel as clothes.
“Filthy…rotten…brat…not my master…oh no…” It muttered in a deep, harsh voice. Everyone was staring at the little thing.
“Kreacher…I am looking for something. I need you to tell me where it is. I am looking for a locket, it has a snake on it. It can’t be opened and we found it cleaning one of the rooms here.”
“Kreacher knows many things…oh yes he does…knows what you are up to. But Kreacher won’t help you…no he won’t..” Harry grabbed the little thing by his ears and screamed. Hermione yelled for Harry to stop, but he didn’t listen.
“Alright you crazy elf! It was an order! Find it for me now!” And Harry threw the elf across the floor and the elf hurried to his feet. He bowed in a low bow and muttered on his way out the door.
“I finds it master…I will…not that it will do you any good the filthy half-blood…’ And with those words, he rushed from the room. Everyone sat still and waited for Harry to speak.
“Harry dear…it might help if you told us what it is you’re looking for.” Came Molly’s voice. Harry shook his head.
“Sorry Mrs. Weasley. Can’t do it. This is between me and Dumbledore. Since he’s no longer with us,” Here he shot Claudia a nasty glance. “it is up to me and me alone.”
“But we can help you!” Came a voice Claudia didn’t know.
“All I need from all of you is information. Where he is, what he’s doing. Other than that, we,” He motioned toward Ron and Hermione. “can handle the rest.” Mutterings all around. No one seemed happy with this situation, but Claudia was relieved to find she wasn’t the only one caught off guard by everything the boy said. These people were here to help him. Why wouldn’t he accept their help? She shook her head and realized people were standing to go.
Tonks and Remus came up to the muggles and started talking. Claudia let her eyes follow people as they left. Some gave her nasty looks, others ignored her completely. Hagrid, was one of the few who waved a greeting to her. Granted, from across the room. Mad-Eye came over to her and she was watching his roaming eyes as he spoke to them.
“You all have a place to stay for awhile?” They nodded yes and he grunted. Claudia made excuses to go and find Emma and Ginny, so she let herself out of the kitchen.
She walked up the stairs and realized the little house elf in the kitchen looked just like the heads of the animals on the walls. She then realized that in fact it was the heads on the walls that were house elves. Disgusting.
She rounded a corner and heard voices coming from a room to her left. She knocked.
“Come in!” A female voice bellowed. Claudia opened the door and saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and Emma in the room.
“Mommy! Come look! Fred and George have the best toys! It’s like magic!” Claudia rolled her eyes as Emma dragged her over to show her a statue of a little man flying a broom stick. Claudia was also aware of all eyes on her as she looked at the toy. She felt her heart beat wildly in her chest and she seized Emma’s arm.
“Come on sweetheart. It’s time to go.” Emma started throwing a fit about this and it was during Claudia’s attempt to quiet her down that Harry spoke.
“Have you heard from him?” Claudia froze. Him being Severus she assumed. She turned to meet a pair of green, glaring eyes. She looked down at the floor and felt tears in her own eyes. Here it comes…
“No, I haven’t.” She said.
“And you had no clue that he was loyal to Voldemort? Or were you too busy snogging him to find out?” His voice roared. From behind Harry, another voice spoke.
“Harry, you shouldn’t.” It was Hermione’s voice. Ginny spoke up to.
“Yeah Harry. It’s not Claudia’s fault she fell for him. Sometimes, we have no control over it.” Harry turned around at Ginny’s words and seemed to deflate.
“Harry…all of you…I did truly believe Severus was good. As did Dumbledore. I thought he knew pretty much everything about all of you. I never really considered that he would ever be wrong about anything. I never considered the possibility that Severus could ever…you know.” her voice drifted off.
“Claudia, we know you had nothing to do with it. It’s just that Snape really betrayed all of us, including you. We shouldn’t blame her Harry.” Claudia felt relief and gratitude toward Ginny. Harry stepped back and sat on the bed.
“I know you didn’t know. Just by looking at you I know. But it still doesn’t make what he did go away. I really want to see that memory…” He said. All of them nodded, including Claudia.
“Harry, don’t you think…I mean, don’t get mad, but since Snape trusted Claudia with this memory, shouldn’t she see it too?” Hermione asked. Claudia frowned. Did she want to see it?
“I don’t know. Can muggles even use a pensieve? Everytime I looked in one, I had to point my wand into it. Maybe…” He started pacing the room again.
“I really don’t think I want to.” Claudia said. Harry stopped.
“I thought you, of all of us, would want to know.” Hermione said.
“I would if I were you Claudia. You will never rest until you have all the facts.” Ginny said wisely. Claudia considered it for a moment. Yeah…she was right. Claudia nodded.
“When Mcgonagall brings the Pensieve, we will all go.”
“Not us mates! We have to get back to work tomorrow. Got some shopping to do for the wedding and all. Count us out.” Said one of the twins.
“Count me in.” Claudia said.
“Me too.” Said Hermione
“Yeah…I guess me too.” Said Ron. Everyone turned to look at Ginny. She looked sheepish and Harry spoke to her.
“Ginny, if you want, we could use the help.” Ginny’s face brightened and she smiled.
“Of course, I’m in.” Claudia realized the moment was over and she led Emma from the room. She went downstairs and out the front door. Heading back to the hotel, she wondered what she would find out tomorrow when they viewed Severus’s memory. She just hoped she had the stomach for it.


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A/N: So what can the memory show? And so we see the trio, finally. Funny to see them from another perspective, huh?