Trials and Tribulations

Trials and Tribulations - Chapter Eight


 
Chapter Eight - Lie With Me
Hermione was stood wondering why Harry insisted on employing such complete
idiots.  Her arms were folded and her expression showed that she had
gone into teacher mode, as she waited for the bubblegum blonde airhead
to come back and tell her she could go and see Harry.
The bimbo tottered back into the small reception room and sat back behind
her desk.  “I’m sorry, Miss Grady,”
“Granger,” Hermione interrupted.  “Hermione Granger.”
The bimbo smiled and wrinkled her nose.  “Whatever.  Anyway,
he says that you’ll have to make an appointment.”
“And I am telling you he wouldn’t mind if he knew who was here.”
The bimbo raised an eyebrow.  “I’m very sorry, Miss,” she said
in her thick Essex drawl, “but it’s a rule of the Department. 
yo
you don’t have an appointment, you can’t just take one.”
Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.  “Well, screw this!” 
She exclaimed, and turned on her heel, heading for Harry’s office.
“Miss!  Miss, you can’t do that!”
“Watch me,” Hermione growled as she pushed open the large oak door. 
She heard the bimbo racing after her, but had the door open before she
had a chance to catch up.  “Harry, I’m sorry, but…”
She trailed off as she took in the sight before her.  Harry was
leaning against his desk, looking stressed and harassed.  This was
nothing new – it was the way Harry usually looked at work.  Stood
opposite him however, was a tall, feminine figure dressed all in flowing
forest green robes and with long platinum blonde hair.  She turned
to look over her shoulder at the intruder and fixed Hermione with pair
of eyes such an incredibly pale shade of green, they almost melted into
the whites.  Peeking through her hair were a pair of pointed ears.
“I tried to stop her, Mr Potter,” the bimbo said from behind her.
Harry blinked and dug his hands into his trouser pockets.  “Um,
that’s alright, Melanie.  She’s here now, and we were just finishing
anyway.”  Harry shot Hermione a look and half-smiled at her.
Melanie-the-bimbo nodded and left, closing the door behind her.
“Could you just give me a moment, ‘Mione?”  Harry pushed off of
the desk and walked towards the other woman.
Hermione nodded wordlessly, turnturned away to look out of the window
down at the Portobello market.  She listened closely, however, as
Harry spoke quickly in a language she didn’t recognise.  It sounded
like Welsh and Gaelic and Old English and Latin, all jumbled into one. 
Then the woman spoke back.  Hermione tried to pick out individual
words, but the pair were speaking too quickly and the words seemed to melt
together like a cocktail.  Eventually, she heard a word she recognisnbspnbsp;
The woman spoke it: ‘Snape’.  Hermione frowned deeply and watched
their reflections in the glass, playing with the rose quartz crystal that
hung on a chain round her neck.
“It was…nice to meet you, Miss Granger,” her voice was halting and uncertain
when it came to this alien language.
Hermione turned to look at the woman again and smiled distractedly. 
“It was nice to meet you too.”
The woman smiled, then the air around her shimmered a little, and she
disappeared.  It was as though the air had simply swallowed her up. 
No apparation spells, no invisibility cloak.  Just gone.  Hermione
blinked twice, then looked at Harry, who didn’t seem at all surprised that
a strange creature had just vanished into thin air.
Harry sat behind his desk and smiled.  “Now, Hermione.  How’re
you?”
“Bugger ‘how am I’, what on earth was that woman?”  Hermione collapsed
into the chair on the other side of Harry’s desk.
Harry frowned, and magicked a pot of tea onto his desk.  “You know
I can’t talk about work, ‘Mione,” he admonished.
“Harry,” Hermione leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, “was
that an…an elf?  A real one, I mean.”
Harry stared very hard at the teapot and smiled stiffly.  “I thought
real
elves didn’t exist?  That’s what you’ve always said.”
Hermione smiled triumphantly.  “Oh, yes.  That’s what they
all want us to believe!  The Ministry and the text books and the education
facilities.”
“So I suppose it’s a big conspiracy?”  He began pouring into two
enchanted teacups.
“Naturally.  Everything is these days.”  Hermione picked up
her cup of tea and stirred it with her wand, magically adding milk and
two sugars.
“Perhaps books aren’t as trustworthy as you’ve always made them out
to be.”  Harry rested his chin in his handd hid his elbow on the desk. 
“Seriously.  You weren’t here.  You saw-“
“I saw nothing, I know the drill.  Anyway, to business.  Where
did you disappear off to?  I hope you haven’t been enjoying yourself
when you’re meant to be working.”
He smiled wryly.  “Fun?  What’s that?”  The pair grinned
at each other over their teacups.  Harry shook his head.  “I
was following a lead Snape gave me.  He asked me to go and get something
that should help us out, and I complied as quickly as possible.  Sorry
I didn’t tell you, but I wanted to leave ASAP.”
Hermione nodded.  “I take it your meeting was fruitful, then.”
It was an innocent question, but it made Harry pause.  “You could
say that,” he flashed a brief smile, then put down his cup and opened his
desk drawer.  “We discussed the first prosecution witness, and how
we’re going to get around whatever crap Lucius has been feeding him.”
“What did you come up with?”
“I’ll be brief, because I’m only telling you things you already know. 
Draco’s taken up residence in cloud cuckoo land, so they’re going to dose
him up with Veritaserum and hope for the best.”  Harry pulled the
large book out of his desk drawer.  “The problem with Veritaserum
is it makes you speak what you think is the truth, rather than what is
the actual truth, so if Draco truly believes whatever Daddy dearest drummed
into his head, then we’re more buggered than a particularly pretty rent
boy.”
Hermione smiled at the analogy.  “Right.  So what did Severus
suggest we do about it?”
“Well, we didn’t quite get that far,” he smiled guiltily and slapped
the book down onto the desk, pushing it over to Hermione.  “He told
me to get this and give it to you.  Said you’d know what to do with
it.”
Hermione’s face lit up at the sight of a book.  She picked it up
and examined the cover.  For the second time in twenty minutes her
jaw dropped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Harry, where did you get this from?”  She opened the cover carefully,
as though holding it too firmly would cause it to disintegrate.
He shrugged.  “Snape’s library.  He gave me the key to his
house, as it were.  Why, is there something wrong with it?”
“Harry, this book is by Claudius Lethaby, one of the greatest
and most controversial potions masters that ever lived.  Only about
five copies are still in existence, and three of them are in museums!”
Harry had the decency to look impressed.  “OK, so we’ve established
that Snape has rare books.  Can we establish that he also has useful
books?”
Hermione’s eyes were scanning the contents pages rapidly, looking for
anything of use.  “I’m not sure.  Did he give any clue as to
what exactly I should be looking for?”
Harry shrugged.  “Anything to do with Veritaserum and truth potions. 
Maybe something to reveal the true truth?  Does that make sense?”
Hermione had began flipping through the pages.  “This particular
volume seems to have quite a lot about truth in it.  Would figure,
really.  Lethaby wrote during Grindelwald’s time.  He was a bit
obsessed with truth and justice.  I think he did a lot of work based
on court cases, things like that.”  Hermione closed the book carefully,
and smiled at Harry.  “I’ll take it back to Hogwarts and keep looking
tonight.  I’ll send a fire message if I find anything really important. 
If nothing else, you have to thank him just for letting me get my hands
on this book.”  Her eyes went misty for a moment, “I wonder what else
he’s hiding in that library of his,” she smiled broadly at Harry. 
“You don’t think that we could just…”
“I am not taking you to North Wales to flit around Snape’s library while
he’s sitting in prison twiddling his thumbs!”  Harry smiled wryly. 
“Now you’d better be off.  I need to go home and think about what
the heck I’m going to do.”
Hermione nodded.  “You’ll hear from me if I find something. 
If not I’ll drop in tomorrow, so please sort out that idiot you’ve got
working as a receptionist.”
He grinned.  “What, Melanie?  She keeps the big cheeses happy,
which keeps me happy.”
Hermione nodded and waved as she left.
***
Harry was sat in a large armchair in the living room of his small London
flat.  In his lap were the case notes he had been given, and in his
hands was the smaark ark red diary.  He caressed the worn leather
with his fingertips, once again battling with his conscience as to whether
or not he should open it.
“Harry?  Harry!”
Harry jumped and turned quickly towards the fireplace, dropping the
book into his lap.  He smiled, relieved.  “Hello, Remus. 
How’re you?”
The familiar face in the flickering fire flames smiled.  “The better
for seeing you again, Harry.  Are you busy, or can I drop in?”
Harry made a face and lifted up the notes to show his old teacher. 
“I am busy.  But I’d appreciate an excuse not to be.”
Lupin nodded, and the head disappeared.  Harry got up from his
seat, placing the contents of his lap on the coffee table.  He brushed
himself down and ran his fingers through his hair.  The flames in
the fireplace flared green and out stepped Remus Lupin, as shabby as ever.
Harry grinned and shook his hand firmly.  “It’s good ee yee you
again, Remus.  How’s life treating you?”
The werewolf nodded.  “Admirably.  I’m finding that life as
a gentleman of leisure suits me very well.  And you, Harry?”
“Not too bad.  Just getting a bit stressed about all this court
business.”
“Ah,” Lupin grimaced.  “Yes.  How’s that progressing?”
Harry sighed and gestured for the other man to sit.  He himself
slumped into his armchair and ran his fingers through his hair.  “It’s
a nightmare.  The whole court seems to be biased against him, and
Ron’s heading the prosecution, and I’m not allowed to ask anyone who really
knew him for help, and he’s being all resentful that it’s me defending
him and it’s all going to end in a big fat splatty of of crap!” 
He paused for breath.  “On top of that, my own head’s messed up and
I’m starting to feel like a school boy again.”
Lupin sat patiently listening until Harry was finishnbspnbsp; Then he
said, “In response to your tirade, I am sure the court is not entirely
biased, or they wouldn’t even give him a trial, I think you’ve already
been asking Hermione for help, and she knew him as well as anyone that’s
not behind bars, and he’s being resentful because that’s the only way he
knows to react,” Remus smiled his fatherly smile.  “As to feeling
like a child again, Snape has that ef on on people.”
Harry lowered his gaze and said very quietly, “That’s not what I meant.”
He glanced up at Remus through his lashes, and saw now that the older
man looked very serious.  “Oh.”
Harry half-smiled.  “Exactly.  ‘Oh’.”  He shrugged and
leaned back in his chair again.  “It’s just, being close to him again. 
I thought that it would have gone away by now, that I would have changed,
or he would have.  But it’s all exactly the same as it waen Ien I
was eighteen.”
“Harry, is this the reason that you took up the case?  To try and
prove something to a childhood crush?”
Harry stood quickly and began pacing the room.  “No, it’s not that
at all.  It’s just…he did so much for the cause and put himself in
so much danger, and people never knew.  I don’t think a single person
outside of the Order thanked him for it.  If that weren’t bad enough,
they then try and stick him in Azkaban for it.  It’s just not fair,
and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that he gets the thanks
that he deserves.”
Remus had a faint smile playing on his lips.  “Well, if nothing
else you’re passionate about the man.”
Harry smirked.  “You could say that.”
“In all seriousness, Harry, you are an adult.  You have been through
more than many people, and so has he.  If you want to pursue something
with him, it’s perfectly within your rights to do so.  But leave it
until after all of this is over, because if they find out that there’s
something going on you will be pulled from this case so quick you won’t
know what hit you.”
Harry nodded.  “I know that.  Don’t worry; I do have some
self-control.  As for it going any further,” he shrugged.  “I
don’t even know what his feelings are on the matter.  I never have. 
I’m not even sure he gets feelings.”
This made Lupin chuckle.  “I can see you didn’t know the old Severus
Snape.”
Harry smiled at the implications that statement gave rise to in his
mind.  “Has he changed a lot from when you knew him?”
“Oh, yes,” Lupin replied.  “All this war and spying nonsense has
changed him beyond recognition.  When I knew him he was enthusiastic
for knowledge.  That’s partially what pushed him into the Death Eater
path to start off with.  He was too ambitious for his own good. 
But now,” the werewolf sighed.  “He really needs to learn to feel
again.  He’s kept everything hidden for so long, he’s just forgotten
how to let go.”
“That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking,” Harry said enthusiastically. 
“It’s like he wants to talk to people and he wants to trust them, but he
keeps testing them by pushing them away and hiding behind sarcasm.”
A small smile was playing on Lupin’s features.  “When we get through
this, I think spending time with you could be exactly what our Professor
Snape needs.”  He stood slowly and folded his hands in front of him,
looking more like a teacher than ever.  “You’re a lot better at reading
people than you let on, Harry Potter.  I can see exactly why they
shoved you into the line of work they did.”
Harry frowned.  “You’re not meant to know about that.”
“And to the rest of the world I don’t, dear boy.”  He smiled and
leaned forwards and placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder. 
“Now I’m afraid I must away.  Things to do, places to see.  I
shall perhaps come and visit you again in a few days.  See how you’re
getting on with…well…everything.”
Harry nodded and leaned against the mantle piece as Lupin took some
floo powder from the pot and threw it into the flames.  He stepped
into the fireplace, nodded once at Harry and said, “Norton’s Creek.”
Within moments he was gone, and Harry was once again alone.  He
looked around his empty flat and felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. 
“I need to get a dog,” he said to the fireplace.  From the mocking
flicker of the flames, he thought the fireplace probably agreed with him.
His eyes fell onto the diary as he slumped back into his chair. 
He picked it up and deliberated the ethics behind taking another quick
peek.  Lupin’s words kept running through his head: ‘You didn’t
know the old Severus Snape’.
“Well, I suppose if I’m to help him get back to that, I’ll need a goal
to work towards…” The diary had been opened before the end of the sentence
had left his lips.
He opened the diary, this time, to an earlier page.  He read the
date aloud, “September the third, 1977.  Let’s see what you have in
store,” he drew his wand and placed it against the page.  “Revello!”
Black lines started to scribble themselves across the page, filling
in colour as they went.  Eventually, Harry was left with a scene depicting
a line of seven or eight teenagers in a dark torch-lit room that he recognised
as the Slytherin common room.
***
Snape was stood right in the middle of the line of fifth year Slytherins. 
They had been called together by their head of year, without explanation
of the whys and wherefores.  A head taller than any of the others
in his year, Snape was painfully aware of how much he stood out, but held
his head high nevertheless.
Gabriel MacNair entered the common room and took in the small assembly
with a critical eye.  She was a large woman, nearly six foot in height,
and with a build to match.  Her long, black hair was scraped into
a tight bun on the top of her head, and her piercing blue eyes studied
each student individually.
“I will not keep you from your evening studies and homework, although
I am sure that will disappoint you.  I have called you together to
introduce a new student.”  She gestured to a small boy who stepped
from behind her.  Snape’s heart skipped a beat, although he wasn’t
entirely sure why.  Something struck him as…intriguing about this
new boy.
“This is Lucius Malfoy.  He has transferred from Durmstrang
Instution.  I trust you will welcome him into our house and treat
him as one of our own.”  She rested a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder
and pushed him forward gently.  “That is all.”
She turned and walked briskly towards the exit.  There was a
moment’s silence before the majority of the group disbanded and went their
separaays,ays, until only Snape and Lucius were left.
Snape had always been a quiet child and found new meetings quite
difficult.  He felt, however, that in this case it would be worth
making the effort.  He stepped forward and smiled, ducking his head
slightly in a nervous attempt to hide his height.  “Hello.  I
am Severus Snape.”
The boy raised his eyes from the floor slowly.  They were a
stormy shade of greyish-blue and flashed when they caught the light of
the torches and candles.  His hair, which was pale ash blonde and
fell past his shoulders, fell in front of his eyes, and he lifted a slender
hand to push it back.  Snape watched every movement, wanting to take
in every element of this new person.  He studied him as an astrologer
studies the beauty of the night sky.
Lucius smiled, showing a set of perfect teeth.  “I’m Lucius. 
It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He spoke in a very crisp English accent, which made Snape smile. 
“I thought you might be German, coming from Durmstrang.”
The smaller boy shook his head and looked up at Snape from beneath
long pale lashes.  “No.  My father sent me there because he thought
I would have a better education.”
“Did your father change his mind?”
“Not really.  But I had a tendency to get myself into trouble,
and mother missed me when I went away.  So, my father requested a
place at Hogwarts and it was granted.”
Lucius twisted his hands nervously, causing Snape to smile reassuringly. 
“I am glad for it,” Snape felt his cheeks grow hotter and bent his head
again quickly.  “That is to say, I am glad…that your mother will not
have to miss you anymore.”
Lucius smiled widely and extended his hand to Snape.  The taller
man took it and shook it.  “I think we shall be very firm friends.”
They each noticed that the other held on a little longer than was
perhaps strictly prudent.
“Yes, I think we shall.”
***
AN:  You've read, now go review, or it'll be another
six months before you get the next installment!  I know I'd promised
an encounter between Snape and an old friend, but I couldn't remember what
that was all about.  Hope that what I've done will do!  Next
chapter should, memory permitting, include Snape getting lots of visitors. 
He never knew he was so popular!