Silence is the Price

----- Harry Potter and his wonderful world belong solely to J.K. Rowling, who has my apologies for mangling her brilliance like this.




*******************************************************************************






Henry had a lot to think about at breakfast. Padma was eating with a group of her fellow third-years, and Amy was nowhere to be found, so he had plenty of time to mull over his questions alone. If only he had an answer or two to go with them. He was positive something had happened in the library that night, and Amy was clearly afraid of Snape, but exactly what happened he wasn’t sure. And why wouldn’t she talk to him? Last night he’d enlisted the help of the Weasley twins before following her as an act of desperation.


He’d had some idea of keeping watch, perhaps protecting Amy if Snape tried to hurt her… but when Snape kissed her he’d been too shocked and confused to move; not only by Snape’s actions, which were strange to say the least, but Amy’s as well. She’d just stood there. Where was the girl who’d knocked his fillings loose for stealing a kiss their first year? Where was the beater who bloodied noses? Amy, who was always ready for a row, had not spoken or cried out, had not even taken the means of escape presented to her by McGonagall. And yet the misery on her face had been apparent. She’d so clearly wished herself elsewhere, so what was going on?


The more he though the angrier he felt; at Snape for what he’d done, but at Amy as well, for not taking him into her confidence. What the hell was she doing anyway? He was boiling inside, and was just resolved to find Amy and make her answer him when a friendly hand clapped him on the back.


“Hiya Henry!” said Fre- George. Henry looked up.


“Hi. What are you guys up to?” He scooted over to make room for them, but neither sat.


“Can’t chat Henry, we’re making business rounds.” George, no, Fred, grinned impishly. Actually they were both grinning, really.


“How’s it going? Thought of a name yet?” The shood their heads in tandem.


“Not yet. –”


“– One of the house-elves calls us wheezies –”


“– and we’re thinking about using that. –”


“– Business is booming though.”


They made Henry dizzy, switching off like that.


“We’ve got five orders now. Six including yours.” George produced from within his robes a pair of sunglasses.


“Occulenses,” said Fred proudly. “Innocuous and inconspicuous. Handy for recording what goes on behind closed doors or watching the occasional muggle film on Hogwarts grounds.” He winked conspiratorially.


“We expect them to be big sellers once they’re done,” said George.


“Done?”


“We’ve still got problems with the sound –”


“– there isn’t any –”


“– but we’re working on that, and since you said you were in a bind we pulled out one of the prototypes. Better than nothing mate, although why you want to watch Snape grade papers all night is beyond me.”


“I’m having trouble sleeping and it’s duller than counting sheep. Did you look at what was on there?” Henry began digging through his pockets for money.


“Nah,” said Fred, “the customer’s footage is the customer’s business, not ours. Six sickles please.” Henry exchanged the money for the sunglasses and tucked them in his pocket.


“By the way,” he said, struck, “how did you two get the Occulenses into Snape’s office without him seeing you?” Henry had not seen them last night as he kept watch.


“Sorry Henry, trade secret.”


“Oh c’mon.”


“We-ell… confidentially? We got one of the house-elves to put them there while Snape was in the outer classroom giving some Ravenclaw girl a detention. But mum’s the word eh?” Henry nodded and put a finger across his lips before bidding the twins goodbye and turning back to the table. He put the Occulenses on.


It was as if he’d been plunked down on a side counter in Snape’s office to watch a silent movie. He saw Amy follow Snape into the room and sit in a chair before the fire. They exchanged a few words Henry couldn’t hear and then Snape left. Amy sat with her head in her hands for a while, then suddenly leapt up and began rummaging through Snape’s things. Had she gone mad?


He saw Snape return before Amy did. He spoke a few more unheard words. Amy sank to her knees, Snape crossed the room, stood looking down on her for a minute, and then…


Oh God. Oh holy God.


Henry was rooted to his seat. He wanted to rip the Occulenses off; wanted to burn the foul things, but somehow he couldn’t move. He remained motionless right up until the end as Amy collected herself and made her way shakily to the door, flinched as if struck as Snape spoke some final words to her, and finally left.


Henry was shaking with a kind of quiet fury as he removed the sunglasses and looked around the great hall. It was nearly time for the day\'s first class, so the hall was almost deserted and there were no teachers to be seen. He rose and left, looking for Dumbledore but half-hoping he’d run into Snape first. He didn’t know what was keeping Amy silent but it couldn’t possibly be a good enough reason. He clutched his wand convulsively. As he passed the Charms classroom the door flew open and a hand yanked him roughly in by his necktie.


He stumbled into the room, managed to compose himself in time to see Amy close the door and turn to him. She looked terrible. Her face was drawn, her eyes dark and desperate. She was pale and restless, like some hunted thing.


“Did you tell anyone?” Her eyes burned quietly. Henry had never seen her like this before.


“What?”


“Did you tell anyone!” Her voice was high and sharp, like a violin strung too tight. “I know you were down there last night. I heard McGonagall. Whatever you saw or heard, did you tell anyone?”


“I didn’t tell anyone what I saw last night. I was going to talk to you, get some answers. But what I saw this morning… I’m telling the first teacher I find.”


“This morning?” He tossed her the Occulenses. She put them on with a puzzled look, but yanked them off again with a cry less than a minute later. She held the occulences between two fingers, as if they were covered in filth. The look on her face was enough to break Henrys heart. He waited patiently as Amy slowly calmed and composed herself. She looked at the Occulenses, her expression unreadable. Suddenly she hurled them to the ground and stamped her foot on them, over and over until there was nothing but tiny pieces left. Her breathing was ragged and she looked near tears. She kicked the pieces, scattering them, and turned away from Henry.


“If you tell anyone, I’ll deny it. I’ll say I don’t’ know what you’re talking about.”


“What? Amy what’s wrong with you? How could you let him get away with doing that to you?” His voice was rising with his temper. She turned around to look at him, her face set as if in stone.


“I don’t have a choice.” Her voice was low and gritted, but just as angry.


“I don’t believe that! There’s no reason good enough for you to keep quiet! Why–”


“BECAUSE OF YOU!” She screamed. Her face was red with anger, and anguish. “BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR BLOODY CAUSE!”


“What does that have to do with – you know he’s innocent.”


“I didn’t care! I believed in him because you believed in him, and now we’re fucked.” Her eyes widened and she giggled maniacally. “Literally.” She clapped a hand over her own mouth to stifle the sound of her slipping sanity.


“Amy,” Henry’s breathing was heavy as he fought to keep his tone low and reasonable. “Amy, what happened in the library? What does Snape know that’s keeping you quiet?”


She didn’t look at him, stared past him at the wall.


“Snape has the letters.”
Henry didn’t react right away. It took a moment for her words to fully sink in, and even then he had no idea what to do. He wanted to yell at her, she should have told him. He wanted to shake her until her eyes lost that terrible glassy sheen, until she stopped being this stranger and went back to being his bright, funny Amy. But she stood so still… so unnaturally still, as if she might shatter if he touched her. Instead, he spoke, trying to keep his voice soft and even.


“Then we’ll just have to get them back.”




*************************************************************************************************************
I just wanted to thank tygress for being so nice in her reviews - it means a lot to me, so thank you!