The Raven

Disclaimer: I do not own HP though I wish I had a Snape of my very own, but until that time ill barrow hers! LOL


The Raven

By: Bree McGregor

Chapter 8

Snape watched Hermione as she made her way down the hall. ‘She seems to be genuinely happy for my return. Not a sentiment shared by many,’ he thought. With a deep silent sigh he lowered the wards on his chambers, glad to see nothing had changed or was disturbed.

He located a bottle of firewhisky, lit a fire, and sat down on a slightly dusty chair. He sipped his whisky slowly as he stared into the flames. His mind wandered back to earlier in the day, and the horrid meeting with the Order that took place in the Headmaster’s office.

* * * * * *

Snape had sat deep in the shadows, watching the other Order members pile into the Headmaster’s office. Molly was the only one who showed up for the Weasley clan. ‘Thank the gods!’ thought Snape; he didn’t think he could have dealt with the twin’s pranks without hexing someone to high heaven by the end of the meeting.

He enjoyed not being seen for the time, which was one of the reasons he sat in the farthest darkest part of the room, but that all changed when most of the Order members were present except for Albus and Minerva. Molly was the first to notice him; she gave a loud gasp, then a cry, as she rushed over to him and enveloped him with a large hug.

To say Snape was shocked by her display of affection would have been an understatement. Everyone else in the room looked over in shock at the small round woman hugging what they all had assumed to be a dead man.

“Mrs. Weasley, if you mind!” Snape said in his gruff manner. While deep down he was touched by the woman’s actions, nothing compared to what he felt as she pulled away from him and he saw her tear-streaked face.

“Don’t ever do that again!” she yelled at him as she wiped off her tears from her face. “We all thought you were dead! No note! No message! No nothing!!!”

“Indeed, Severus was dead, in a matter of speaking,” everyone turned to the deep voice of Albus Dumbledore who stood in the doorway with Minerva McGonagall. “Now, Molly, if you will please stop manhandling Severus and sit down, all will be explained.”

Molly left Severus standing in the shadows and took her seat. Albus waited until everyone was seated before he began to talk.

“Severus was indeed hurt during his last summons,” the Headmaster explained. “We almost didn’t find him in time, but the problem was that he was hurt in his Animagus form. So, from then until just a few days ago, he was not in his human form. On top of that, he has been discovered as a spy, and Voldemort has been looking everywhere for him. It was wise to keep everyone believing he was dead.”

“So what has changed now that he’s back?” asked Kingsley Shacklebolt. “Wouldn’t you-know-who still want him dead?”

“Oh, I’m sure he would. This is not going to happen, though. Anyway, our problem is that we have now lost a valuable ally within Voldemort’s inner circle. We need to find another way to find out what he is up to.” The room went into an uproar, and the Headmaster just waited until everyone settled down before he turned to Severus.

“I take it you succeeded in your mission, my boy?”

“Yes, Headmaster. ‘It’ is in place.” Snape replied.

“In place?! What’s in place? What’s going on, Albus?” Moody demanded, his hands slamming on the desk and his one eye rolling around angrily.

“We placed a spying mirror within the headquarters of Voldemort so we can keep watch on him with no one present. The war is coming, and we need all the help we can get.”

“Indeed, but the spying mirror can only show what it sees. If no one is in that room, then we can see and hear nothing,” commented Snape.

“That’s true, my boy, but at least we know the information is correct. We have been suspicious for some time that he has been feeding you wrong information. We know he no longer trusted you. Too many things have happened that you had no information about. So the mirror is the best way. He will never expect it.”

”I’m not so sure; he wasn’t too fond of mirrors once his last transformation took place.” Snape really didn’t want to get too deeply into this conversation, as he felt the other Order members need not know the true nature of that mirror. The “spying mirror” was one-half of the Deconoulus… also known as the Mirrors of the Void, or the Twin Demon Mirrors of the Soulless. Whatever they were called, their magic was darker then even the Dark Lord could control, but somehow the Headmaster had control of it, just as surely as he possessed the other half of the Deconoulus.

After a few more comments and discussions, the Order meeting was adjourned. They had agreed to explain Snape’s absence by telling everyone that Snape had been off to Kazakhstan, where there was a great flora and fauna reserve that grew many wild and virtually extinct and exotic herbs. According to the official story, he had been researching some potions and ingredients. Everyone on both sides would know it to be a lie, but something had to be said to explain his disappearance, and to the rest of the wizarding world it was as good as any excuse.

Snape stayed behind to talk to Albus; this was the part the he feared. To make the Deconoulus work, they needed a person of strong will and intelligence to focus the mirror and its twin, someone pure of heart who would not get drawn into the void housed within the mirrors themselves. Snape feared the answer before he even spoke the question.

“And who did you find to control the mirrors?” he asked softly.

“My boy,” Albus gave a deep sigh, “I know you have grown fond of her these past few months.”

“NO! I WILL NOT HAVE IT! NOT HER, ALBUS! NOT HER!” Snape screamed at him. He was expecting this answer, but he was not prepared for the rush of emotion that hit him when he heard the words out loud.

“My boy, calm yourself. I know what you are feeling, but there is no one else that can do this. I have looked deep into Miss Granger many, many times these past few years. I believe she was born to do this. I believe she was always meant to be the mediator of the mirrors.”

“You’re wrong, Albus. This time you’re very, very wrong!”

“You know I speak the truth. You were with her in her deepest private moments. She has a sorrow deep within, but her soul shines with an incredibly bright light. She is the combination of light and dark that balances the universe. Her pure heart and strong have helped her friends numerous times. You know who I had in mind when you took the mirror there. Did you not?”

“I had an idea,” Snape said in an empty voice. He knew that what Albus said was true; he just didn’t want his little Hermione caught up in all this. ‘My little Hermione? Where the hell did that thought come from?’... He knew where it came from, and it was a wish that would never come true.

“You know I speak the truth. You will have to teach her to strengthen her mind so she can focus and control the mirrors. We already know she has the will and intelligence; she just needs to learn to focus herself, and she needs to become a full member of the Order as soon as possible.”

“As you wish,” Snape said as he walked out of the Headmaster’s office without looking back. If he had, he would have seen a devilish sparkle mischievously dancing in the old man’s eyes.

* * * * * *

Snape looked up at the clock that hung over his mantel. It was hours after the meeting, well time to make his appearance in the Great Hall as the walking-living-dead-man. He swallowed the last of his firewhisky and slowly left his chambers. He knew he was late, but he thought if he was going to make an entrance then he better make it memorable.

~~~~~~~~

Everyone was chatting away eating when Hermione looked up at the staff table sorrowfully.

‘Isn’t he coming to dinner? Is Dumbledore keeping him away since he’s not an official teacher anymore?’ she thought, looking at the other professors. ‘They do seem to be a bit worried.’ She noticed Professor McGonagall looking at the empty seat next to her.

Just then the front doors slammed open with a loud BANG! Every head in the room snapped to attention just in time to see a tall man with black billowing robes stride into the room, his movements perfect in every domineering way. The only sound heard was the echoing of the heels of his boots as he strode between the house tables. All the students started talking at once as soon as he made his way to the High Table.

“You summoned me back from my vacation, Headmaster?” said Snape in a clear voice, following the script that Dumbledore came up with earlier that day.

“Yes, I am so sorry to call you back so soon. I know how you wanted to do some research, but as things stand I need you here. Please take your seat next to Professor McGonagall.”

Snape snarled and bowed ever so slightly to the Headmaster, and made his way dramatically to his seat.

“Putting it on a little thick, aren’t you, Severus?” whispered Professor McGonagall, her lips barely moving.

“Only giving what is expected, Minerva,” he replied as he reached for a goblet, deliberately hiding from the students’ view that the two colleagues were in any form of verbal communication. It was a strategy to a game the two of them had played for years; they both knew that this was no fun rivalry, but another spy game in a seemingly never-ending war.

Dumbledore lightly tapped a spoon against a goblet, to get the excited students to quiet down.

Ron turned to Harry and Hermione with a horrid look on his face. “He’s back! NO! I can’t believe it!”

“I’m sure it’s fine, Ron. Calm down,” Harry said as he looked up at Dumbledore.

Hermione wasn’t paying attention. She had noticed that Draco’s complexion had turned white as snow. He looked like someone witnessing the dead coming back to life. In many ways, she was sure that was exactly what he was feeling. And to think he had been bragging to her about Snape’s death just last night. Hermione smirked at Draco when she caught his eye. His eyes narrowed at her with pure menace, but she didn’t blink or look away from his challenge.

Their wordless exchange didn’t go unnoticed. Snape watched the two having a silent standoff, neither backing down. He knew he should find a way to stop them, so he looked at Dumbledore — who had also noticed the two students. The Headmaster decided to make another ring, louder this time, tapping his spoon and goblet so that it was heard throughout the Great Hall and outside the doors.

“Ahh yes, now that I have EVERYONE’S attention,” the Headmaster said as he stood. “I would like to make an announcement. I’m sure with that wonderful dramatic entrance from our own Professor Snape that it is obvious to all that he is alive and well. He just needed some time off for a bit of a vacation away from Hogwarts and his beloved dunderheads, as he so enjoyed calling ALL of us throughout the years.” He waited until the small chuckles and polite laughs came to a stop before continuing.

“You see, Professor Snape was in the state of Kazakhstan, which was formerly a lower province of Russia, visiting a flora and fauna reserve. I believe they have many exotic and rare plants there.”

“Yes, Headmaster, they do,” a deep voice came from his right side.

Dumbledore looked at his dark friend and smiled at his sneering face.

‘Yes, the dear boy made a great actor,’ the Headmaster thought. ‘But for some reason I have this feeling it’s not all an act, almost like he didn’t want to come back from the grave.’ He looked across the room to see Miss Granger looking quite delighted at seeing that her old Potions Professor was alive and well. ‘Maybe teaming those two up wouldn’t be a bad idea.’ Realizing that he was staring into space a little too long, he smiled and continued his speech.

“So I would like us all to welcome back our own Potions Master, Professor Snape.” There was a round of polite hand-clapping, as only a few students put any heart into it, and of course the Gryffindor know-it-all was one of them. “Do not worry. He will not resume teaching the potions classes this semester, but he will be holding an advanced study group for those looking to become a potions master or enter any field that requires high potions marks, such as Medi-wizardry. This group is only open to seventh years who are ready for such a high-level course. Those of you that we have considered for this group will be notified very soon. Now, I believe it’s time for dessert!”

With that he sat down and began to eat again. Snape looked over the room and noticed the students in his own house were not happy to see him. That was expected, since most of their fathers had told them of his great demise, so to now see him alive had brought great confusion to their young minds. How could their fathers be wrong about whether a man was dead or alive? Why would their fathers lie to them… why indeed.

Looking around further, Snape noticed Miss Granger talking to her friends, as her hand reached unconsciously to her shoulder to pet something that wasn’t there. He saw her face as she realized what she was doing, and the sadness that came into her eyes. ‘Perhaps a visit from Mr. Mistoffelees would not be a bad thing every once in a while,’ he thought.

At the end of dinner, Professor Dumbledore looked over at Snape and said that he would like to see both him and Miss Granger in his office in ten minutes. Snape nodded and made his way to the Gryffindor table.

“I don’t care what anyone says. I don’t like him back… the old bloody bat!” Ron said to Harry and Hermione.

“I think it’s great that he’s back. I haven’t learned anything new in Potions class this year,” Hermione replied.

“I don’t doubt that. I swear you must make love to your textbooks,” Ron retorted.

“RON!” yelled Harry, flabbergasted at his friend’s thoughtless words.

“Ron!” Hermione looked hurt and angry.

“Mr. Weasley, detention tonight with me for that comment,” a soft deadly voice came from behind them. The three students looked back at him in shocked horror. Snape noticed that Hermione’s face turned red with embarrassment from the incident. He became even angrier with Mr. Weasley for his thoughtlessness. “Yes, I can use help this evening gathering some herbs. I think a dunderhead like you can easily do such labor.”

“Oh, can I come too?” asked Hermione excitedly. Ron and Harry looked at her if she had lost her mind. Snape only lifted one eyebrow and looked down his nose at her.

“WHAT?!” Hermione exclaimed to her friends. “Didn’t I just say that I hadn’t learned anything new in Potions class?”

“As much as I would love to give you detention as well, Miss Granger, I do not think you will have the time for it. The Headmaster has informed me that he wishes your presence in his office immediately.”

“Wow, what did you do, Hermione?” Ron asked.

“Nothing that I know of. Well, I guess I’ll see you guys later.”

The two boys watched their best friend walk off with their most hated professor.

“Hey, Harry, I was thinking.”

“Yeah, Ron?” said Harry as he still watched the door, even after Hermione and Snape had left.

“What comment do you think I got detention for? The ‘old bloody bat’ or the one about Hermione?”

“Why would Snape be upset that you made such a comment to Hermione? He hates her as much as he hates us.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Ron left the Great Hall to head back to their common room. Harry didn’t want to mention it to Ron, but he definitely got the feeling Snape was indeed upset with Ron about his comment to Hermione. He noticed a look that was on Snape’s face for only a split second after Ron’s remark. Harry had to be glad it wasn’t him that had detention tonight with Snape.

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A/N: OKOKOK IM SORRY!!! I know it was like WAY too long before I updated please for give me but well I got an \'A\' on my Forensic exam!!! WOOHOO!