A Dark Time For The Light

65

Alice watched the surprise on all of their faces as they felt the old wards around them. She made sure to secure the doors to stop the Magic leaking out, then sat back against the wall as the trained Magicians sorted through the selection of wands. Dean was slumped against a wall, weeping as he hugged a box. After a while, Terry was in the same state as he felt the familiar but long-gone crackle of Magic around him again.

Ginny also cried upon finding a wand similar to her own, as did George. She spotted a Willow containing Unicorn tail hair, a bit shorter than his original and saved it for Ron to try. They all turned at Alice’s squeak. A Hazel switch containing Unicorn’s mane-hair was in her hand and the connection was made. Her eyes brimmed over and she desperately tried and failed to hang on to a shred of composure, then wept and kissed the short shaft of wood. “This one’s mine, isn’t it?”. Her knuckles were in her mouth and her eyes were round. Harry and Draco nodded.

Harry searched and searched and with a cry of triumph pulled out a Holly. A bit longer than his old one, a little more flexible with a Dragon’s Heartstring at it’s core. Draco pulled out a black Ash also with a Heartstring, but somewhere he still had the one he rescued on the day of the Final Debacle. They looked at each other delight in their faces and snuck a quick kiss and a hug. Harry whispered, “I think we should get Alice dowsed. What do you think?”. Draco nodded, “It’s a good idea, the sooner the better, I say”. They pulled apart, “I’ll just go and have a word with her”.

Harry regarded his new friend cautiously, “Alice would you consent to a dowse?. It’s just that I sense power from you and I’ll admit, both of us are curious. Well, I think all of us are curious”. She shrugged, “Make the appointment. I’m good for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s. All day. And I’d love your Auror people to read these, whaddyacallem, wards, around the place”. Harry and Draco glanced at each other and nodded, complicitly. Everyone else missed it.

Draco stepped outside and called Alastor. The best in the business. He agreed to an appointment ten days into the future, “Merlin!. Draco. I’m being kept busy with new cadre entrants and Tonks is busy elsewhere. We’re tired. I hope we don’t let in any undesirables”. “This one needs testing. She’s dark but on our side. She’s a demi, but bloody dangerous. We can send someone to fetch you”. Steffie offered to go and was despatched without further ado. An hour or so later and Steffie re-appeared with the oddest looking bloke Alice had ever seen in tow. He seemed to look into her mind until she mentally told him to ‘sod off’ and closed it against him with her lips pursed and her eyes slitted. Severus made a mental note. Alastor started the hand dowse, his hands about six inches from her body frequently wringing out his hands. The dowse took only a few moments.

His hands finished. Roaming up and down and over an under. “She’s a full-on. A real Magical, a natural Occlumens, too. Worthy of a Hogwarts education”. The rolling-eyed man gazed at her curiously. “Why weren’t you trained?” He leaned into her face. Her breath was but a mere whisper, that folk had to lean in to catch. “Because he said, ‘no’, that’s why”. Her face crumpled as she related the barrage of mail. Her father’s refusal, the real reason why, so he could continue in his abuse of her. “I killed him in fourth year”, she sniffed, “Mum and I buried him under the patio as a matter of fact. It’s where I learned courage and to snap my mind shut. I take it that’s what that Occlu-thingy is all about. It was bad enough the bastard invading my body, but he wasn’t having my fucking mind”, her voice was shaky.

Moody shook out his hands, “Your darkness comes from your life, Alice, not your magic”, then stepped away from her. Remus put an arm around her and led her over to the wall and they both sat. He rubbed her back as she brought her emotions under control, “Sorry about all this, Remus. I feel such a mess. For Christ’s sake, I’m nearly fifty. I’ve wanted this all of my life and never thought it would finally happen, then you lot waltz into my life and my dreams all start to come true at once. It’s a bit overwhelming”, she managed a wobbly laugh. Remus smiled back, “It’s never too late to start learning and we’ll all teach what we know”. He looked up as his lover approached and crouched before them.

Severus gently removed the wand from Alice’s hand and tucked it into the sleeve of her sweater, “That’s how we all carry them, ready to wield at a moment’s notice, but you are a little distraught to be waving it at the moment, you could do damage unintentionally”. He held her hand in both of his, “I know that this is a bit of a shock to you, but I would love to be allowed to test your Occlumency skills sometime. I am myself a Legilimens like Alastor also an Occlumens. It’s how I was able to function as a spy. I taught Harry Occlumency but these are skills that are not taught at Hogwarts particularly not Legilimency”. She wasn’t sure she wanted her mind read again but she said that she would think about it.

Severus continued on a lighter note. “I think, Remus my love, that we old teachers need to start classes again. Evenings, weekends, summer schools etc. We need to find Minerva again. We know Flitwick was still up at Hogsmeade and Rosalba Sinistra is in Kilmarnock. Hermione, Draco and Harry will also make excellent instructors for the younger set”. He grinned then, “The spirit of Hogwarts will rise again, Alice, and it’s all down to you”. She looked up at both of them, “Flatterers”, she answered with her own smile as she extracted her hand. They all stood.

“I think I want a word with the Auror a moment. I want him to read the wards in my unit. Thanks, guys, for your kind words. I’m really looking forward to learning everything”. She made to move away, but Remus stayed her. “Draco tells us that you have some interesting stuff in your library. Real Magical texts. I don’t suppose you would care to loan them, would you?”. She winced visibly, she never lent her books as a rule and these tomes she prized highly, particularly as they were also extremely valuable. “If it’s a question of money then we could perhaps purchase them from you. Set your price”. She thought a long moment then made up her mind, “Oh, sod it! I’ll donate them. For free. There’s a couple of things in my stacks in the warehouse that may be of interest, too. Come on, let’s go and see”.

She made her request of Alastor and the four of them slipped out to her own bunker. She let Alastor go down the stairs first and he dowsed the space. “As you thought, m’dear, these wards go back about forty years. There’s protection and silencing charms, old recognition wards, too, keyed to sixteen people although I think more lived down here than that and there’s a few tatty old locking wards. That explains the tingle when you walk in. I don’t recognise any of the casting signatures, though the casters were all young folk, maybe up to 25 years old or so. There’s nothing dark here, I’m pleased to say. Would you like me to remove them for you?”. Alice shook her head, “No, leave them be. I like being surrounded by them. One day I may be able to remove them myself and put up new ones of my own”.

She wandered over to Severus and Remus whose heads were close together over a book. Remus looked up. “We’ve found a fourth year Potions text. How did you get this?”. She shrugged, “Same way I get most of my books. I bought it from somebody or it might have come from Bert, my house-clearance guy”. At Remus’ frown, she explained. “When someone dies and the relatives go in to clear out the house, they ring someone like Bert who sells second-hand furniture and he goes out to them and offers them an all-in price for the contents. He keeps the furniture and he comes down here with any books. I usually give him a couple of quid per box. I’ve had some real gems that way as the bereaved relatives have no idea of their value or could care less. Some of it is total junk, too”, she laughed.

Consulting her database, she printed off a list of books that she thought may be of interest and noted the locations of a couple of the titles from the list that the teachers called up from memory, then closed the computer down and went in search of them, piling them on her packing bench as she did so. The three others started to browse through them. Remus chuckled at a dusty copy of Hogwarts: A History, and Severus squawked in surprise at an intact and reasonably new copy of Moste Potente Potions. There was an outdated History of Magic text from the Victorian era and a handbook for the Medi-Witch or Wizard caring for those with Magical Maladies, with an excellent section on curing minor hexes and jinxes. A dubious little text on Love Philtres and Charms and a paperback for Muggles on preparing a Magical child for school.

At the bottom of the pile was a small dark green leatherbound book on Tantric Magic that Severus snatched up, a light in his eyes and cast a meaningful look towards Remus who scooted closer to see. “Mmm, naughty boy”, he nuzzled Severus’ neck. Severus grinned at him, “Alice, can we buy this one?. I don’t think it should go into the Wizarding library”. She took it off him, looked at it and handed it back, grinning, “Dirty old buggers”, she smirked. “Less of the ‘old’, if you don’t mind”, Severus shot back. They all laughed and she pressed it into their hands. “Yours, gratis. Take it home and have fun”.

They descended the stairs to Bunker 7 again with caution. Little flashes of coloured light could be seen and the sound of spoken incantations drifted towards them in the stairwell. Severus and Remus entered first. Alice just caught Harry casting an Incendio on the bits of paper he pointed his wand at to see it burst into flames. She squeaked and jumped. “Fuck! I’m glad I didn’t let you lot use next door. I’d have no stock left”.

Hermione deftly Accio’d the pile of books in Remus’ arms with a delighted squeal. “Fourth year Potions? Oh, Merlin. Hogwart’s: A History? I don’t believe this. The foundation stones of the new Hogwarts library”. She handled the tomes reverently and Alice noticed with approval and mentioned that she was also going to donate a few of her own books. Draco entered the conversation, “She’s got stuff that was in the Staff Only section, not to mention a couple of Restricted Section items”. Alice looked serious for a moment, “Where will you set it up? Your library, I mean. You can’t exactly have it in here, chucking all these fire spells about now, can you?”

This made everyone pause, then Alice offered, “I could keep it next door. I’m open most days in the week. Would it be a lending or a reference library?”. “Both I suppose”, countered Draco. “Can you make a bit of in here safe from spells? Like a large cupboard or something? You don’t have the little corner room like I do. Just a loo and basin”. Draco and Hermione looked at each other, “Yeah, charming a cupboard should be easy enough. We’ll get one of those breakfront bookcases like we had at home. The glass fronted top bit, we stash the books for general use and the lockable cupboard below becomes the Restricted Section. I nominate Hermione as librarian”, Draco finished. So that was settled.

Ginny came rushing up to them, “I’ve just taught Caro to Accio!!”. They looked over to see the girl practicing with a frown of concentration. She placed her wand box on the floor a short way away from her and Summoned it with a flick of her wrist. It didn’t move the first two times, but on the third attempt it flew into her hand and she took a step backwards in surprise. She turned to see the others watching and blushed deep crimson. Then turned away and started again.

Severus and Remus were busy choosing a wand each. There was no Willow with Horntail scales, but there was a perfectly serviceable Ash with the same core for Remus while Severus examined a splendid Ebony with a Hippogriff’s feather within, feeling it’s heft in his hand. With a small smile, he tucked it into his sleeve.

They spent a crazy afternoon learning stuff. Steffie as the only non-Magical stayed on the sidelines and watched. Alastor cast a surreptitious dowse over her with his new wand. She was ‘clean’, no dark stuff, also no discernible Magic. The boys were making each other howl with various Transfigurations. Harry and Draco were practicing hexes and counter-hexes, keeping them reasonably gentle as there were so many people in the room and no Medic anywhere. Remus was teaching Alice to Summon. The girls were working two-on-one with Caroline teaching her to levitate a piece of paper. Alastor dowsed Caroline while he was at it. She had magic but it really was a bit under what was generally acceptable for Hogwart’s entry, though should still make the girl trainable to a point.

Evening was definitely night before they decided to call it a day. They piled back into the vans and drove back to the East End, Sev following on his bike. They were all going back to the House and Harry and Draco were treating everyone to take-out. Alice rang Tony and explained she would be out late, she didn’t want to break the contact with her own kind yet after such a mind-wringing day. It was gone midnight before the little party split for their various homes.

Before going to bed that night, Harry carefully extracted the core of his wand and replaced it with the feather. Now it felt like his again, a little whippy but he was getting used to it. Draco did the same with his own and both were tucked under their pillows as they slept.


****

Sunday passed quietly for everyone. Harry dug out his birthday cards and found the one from Minerva, programmed her number into his phone and called her. She had taken a house in Brighton with Hortense and sounded really happy and, although she was upset at the sudden disbanding of the cadre, she had no lament for Pettigrew and even chuckled at the method of his demise. He then dropped bombshell after bombshell. The demi-magiques, the website, the two trips to Diagon Alley, the bank heist, the letter from Narcissa and finally the fact that they could all do Magic again in a safe and undetectable space, and that there was now a selection of wands to choose from.

She was quiet for so long that Harry thought she’d hung up. “Still there, Minerva?”. “Yes, sorry, Harry. It’s just.... oh Merlin, Harry....Magic”. Harry laughed softly, “Yes it’s true. We’ve been casting spells all day and not a sign of a Death-Eater. We’ve even started training a couple of demi’s, well, actually, one is a full-on, but she was never trained. Alastor and Tonks are being kept on their toes dowsing demi’s who want to join us. I tell you, it’s hectic up here. I’d love for you to come up soon and pick yourself a wand. I also think that Sev and Remus are into setting up classes to teach everybody, and due to a generous donation of books from the lady I just mentioned, the one who wasn’t trained – we now have the start of a library again, even a Restricted Section”, he giggled. They arranged for Harry to meet them at the station on the Friday evening after Harry had finished work and rang off. Harry made an appointment with Alastor to meet him at the same time. Hortense would need dowsing. As he knew the woman he put off his Friday appointments to favour her.

Harry and Draco turned off their phones and spent the rest of the day in bed, rising only to eat. The House whiled away their day. George met Caro for lunch and a walk in the park, Ginny and Hermione did some washing and sat in front of movies all day. Dean took Belinda out shopping, Colin slipped out to meet his new boyfriend for a pub lunch, Seamus and Terry spent the day joined at the hip and Remus and Severus enjoyed the cold but sunny day roaring about the Kent countryside on the bike.

Monday, and back to work for everyone.

Everyone was still a bit dazed from the amazing weekend. Steffie couldn’t stop grinning at her workmates. Cellan remarked, “I take it that your little ‘mission’ was a success then?”. The Magicals nodded. Harry ran a hand idly down the outside of his right thigh, his new wand tucked snugly in his jeans and carried on with his bit of wall. At lunchtime, Cellan demanded, “Show us yer wands, then, no, not that one, yer real one”, as Seamus jokingly went for the fly of his jeans. All three had them with them and laughingly revealed them.

Ginny and Draco each felt insufferably smug on their respective Tube trains with their wands about them. Ginny loved being Magical again and surreptitiously showed Josie at lunchtime. Caro and Draco kept grinning at each other like loonies until their colleagues insisted on knowing why. They revealed their wands and Marcus begged for a demonstration but Caro was resolute, “No way. They’ll send those Death-Eaters round and Draco will be put in jail, I’ll probably be tortured to reveal what I know about my friends and then killed. This isn’t pulling rabbits out of hats, you know”, she finished, heatedly. She cast a glance at Draco who gave her a small smile and a slight bow, “Well put, Caro, and quite right. We have a safe place to practice in, but only there can we use our Magic. We dare not use it elsewhere. Magical gaol is not like Mundane. The prison guards there suck all the happiness from your soul so you are left with your misery and despair, then place you under an Imperius curse so you are no more than a living puppet to do with what they wish. It isn’t three square meals a day and cable TV in every cell”. This quelled the others.

Remus sailed through his day and even his class of ten year olds didn’t irritate him today. Severus had an altogether different day.

He had set his fourth years a project that involved dangerous chemicals and bunsen burners, and with a snide, “Don’t blow us all up”, settled down to mark his third year essays. He was about half way through, when he opened a book from the middle of the stack. There was a note pressed between the pages.

Dear sir,

You may not remember me as I was a Hufflepuff at school, but my little brother has told me about his new science teacher and I wondered. Are you the same Professor Snape that taught at Hogwarts, only I am in hiding and would love to meet up with more of my kind again. My brother was supposed to start at Hogwarts, too, but the Last Battle prevented this. If you are not he, then please throw this away, but if you are, then, please help.

Yours sincerely,

Ernie Macmillan, previously of Hufflepuff.

p.s. if it helps then I was in the same year as Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

Severus was stunned. He vaguely remembered Macmillan, a doughy lump with the same for brains, but he couldn’t refuse the boy if he were genuine. After school, he called Harry for Alastor’s number. It was texted through in minutes. He ripped a page out of his ring-bound notebook and wrote,

Dear Mr Macmillan,

It is indeed I, Severus Snape, formerly of Hogwarts School. If you wish to join the rest of us in the Underground, then you will have to be dowsed first for any residual Darkness that there may be about your person. We have all undergone the same treatment. I am giving you the number of Alastor Moody in the first instance. You must not try and contact me direct as my position is tenuous but go through the proper channels as has everyone else. I wish you luck,

Signed,

S. Snape.

Then slipped it into David Macmillan’s exercise book to be given back the following day. He went home in a thoughtful mood. There was the smell of cooking as he entered the flat and Remus greeted him with a heated kiss. As they surfaced, Severus growled, “Will dinner wait, only I’d far rather be deep inside you right now?”. Remus’ breath caught and he nibbled his lover’s ear, “I’ll turn the lights down, we can eat later” and allowed himself to be led to bed.

A while later, lying stickily in each other’s arms, they spoke of their day. “There’s another that wants to join us, possibly two. Macmillan from Hufflepuff, a lad in Draco’s year and maybe his younger brother. It appears that I teach the younger one. I’ve given Alastor’s number. Was that your stomach growling or mine?”, they both laughed, kissed and got up again. Remus sighed, “Oh to cast a simple cleaning charm”. Severus whacked his arse as he passed, “Nothing wrong with good old soap and water. Stop whinging”. That earned him another kiss and they set about dinner wrapped in dressing gowns.

The next day, Severus gave back the third form’s essays and watched the face of young David as he read and pocketed the note. He looked up at his teacher who let a half-smile tug at his lips. He asked the boy to stay behind after the lesson.

“So you are a Magical?”, the boy hung his head and nodded. “Never be ashamed of it, David. I know Ernie. I taught him and I’m sorry that you could not fulfil your own Magical potential, but it will happen again, we are all working towards that. We always need more warriors. Ring the number I have given you, see this man first, then you will be allowed to join us. You must not bring your brother here. There are rules to follow and you must follow them, do I make myself clear?”, the boy dared a look into his teacher’s eyes and nodded, then spoke, “I was supposed to join Hogwarts for my first year, sir. I’d had my letter. I still have all my books and my cauldron and stuff. I had a cat as my familiar, but now she’s just the family pet. We buried my wand in a lead-lined box my dad made. Will I learn to do Magic, sir?”

The man smiled then at the scared boy, “Maybe, but you have to be dowsed first by an Auror. Ask Ernie if you don’t know what one of those is”. David smiled shyly, “They are people who can ‘read’ Magic levels, aren’t they?”, his expression had gone from terrified to shy to fascinated in moments. Severus felt the connection and did a little unofficial Legilimency, seeing only awe and a deep respect for what he was, backing off as the boy’s eyes widened. He was clean but he’d let Alastor sort it out officially.

The boy passed him a note at the start of Thursday’s class, “We have an appointment with Mr Mudy next week, from David”. They caught each other’s eye and grinned. David was certainly his most capable student in this particular class and Severus was pleased for him. He’d long since abandoned this ‘Slytherins are the only house worth bothering with’ bullshit about the time when he had apparated Harry away from school and knew they needed the extra hands, wherever they came from. All Magicals were precious now, whatever their provenance, even a scruffy small boy with a daft grin who applied himself even more diligently to his studies with a man who would have taught him at his real school.

On Friday, Harry drove over to the theatre and picked Draco up, then they drove to meet Minerva and Hortense from the train. Alastor met them and gave Hortense the once over then hugged her, “Good to see you, Hortense”, the three were contemporaries after all. They separated. The women had booked into a modest bed and breakfast and Harry gave his ex- House Mistress the address of the new Bunker and arranged to meet them both there in the morning.

It was in a state of high excitement that Harry greeted them as they stepped out of the taxi early the next morning. They were led into the Bunker. Both could feel the magic the moment they set foot over the threshold. They were led to the stacks of looted wands. Minerva ran light hands over the boxes, her eyes closed. Her hand kept coming back to one. “It’s not like my original wand, but it’ll do”. She opened the box and withdrew a handsome Hazel with Dragon scales. “This one speaks to me”. She pointed it at herself and in a flash, a tabby cat stood there. A moment later, she was back and hugged Harry long and hard.

Harry murmured, “We need you back, Minerva, to teach. We’ve found about 4 thousand so far who want to join us. Alastor and Tonks are working flat out to dowse as many as possible. This time we will be ready. This time we will have a proper army”. Minerva gazed into those impossibly green eyes, “And you will lead them, Harry. If at first you don’t succeed....”. Harry held her tight, “Try, try and try again”, he mumbled into her shoulder. She patted his back absently.

He looked up fervently, “I know you were nearing retirement, Minerva, but would you consider teaching again? We’ve sent a message to Professor Flitwick and Rosalba Sinistra already has a school at Kilmarnock. We have Remus and Severus. We have this place. I know it’s a bit bleak but we can practice and learn here and teach the demi-magiques. There are people who should have been trained and weren’t, for whatever reasons. We aren’t the only Magical folk, Minerva, and if you need help to re-locate, then there’s money in the cadre funds to help. I’ve come in for a hefty chunk of the Black fortune. Speaking of which, Draco’s mother has run off from his Father and is hidden somewhere. Life is mighty strange right now”, he ended on a sigh.

She felt the passion and Magic running through her favourite pupil and held him tight. “I’ll come back, Harry. I can make the trip a couple of times a week. I’ll teach if you need me”. She felt the boy melt against her and cry, then thank her sincerely. She was needed again. Hortense felt an affinity with a Beech wand with Hippogriff feather and took it with grateful thanks to Harry. He grinned, “Don’t thank me, thank Draco. He led the raid”. Draco said nothing just blushed and lowered his eyes.

Harry e-mailed the House and the rest of the cadres that weekend. “Come down and practice in safety. Pick a wand. We have a teaching staff again and a limited supply of books”. E-mails flew thick and fast that weekend. Manchester had found and rented a similar bunker near a private hospital in Cheadle. Sometime over the next week or so, the Manchester contingent were going to want to check out the wands. The London cadre braced itself for an invasion, clearing floors and organising sleeping bags. And so they arrived, led by Pansy. Twenty two people, split between the two flats and the House. It was a bit cramped but all of the Mancunians left with a wand. Not the best, not their first choice, but a serviceable wand nonetheless. The three properties felt the silence as their guests left.

Within a fortnight, Severus was informed by his Headmistress that David Macmillan was to re-locate north of the border and would be leaving at Christmas. The boys had been passed and were headed to Kilmarnock, where they couldn’t practice Magic, but there was a thriving school amongst the cadre and the boys would be back amongst their own kind again. The thought warmed him all the way home, nosing the bike through the rush-hour until he tumbled into his beloved’s arms again. Remus responded with his usual enthusiasm but seemed tired again tonight and dropped asleep again as soon as his head touched the pillow. Severus was a little concerned, particularly as his lover seemed to be a bit off his food as well.