The Longest Day

Harry Potter sat dejectedly at the table in the private conference room of the House of Black.

Harry had picked the table specially. It was square rather than rectangular; he'd bought it in the hopes that he and the three people closest to him in the world - Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley - would meet daily around it and work together on the plan to bring Voldemort to defeat. For a time, he, Ron and Hermione had shared the table, and the empty chair across from Harry was a source of sorrow; a reminder that he was being kept from the girl he cared for so much it terrified him. Then, nine days ago, Ginny had taken her place at the table, and for one glorious week the four of them had worked seamlessly together; for the first time since he'd heard the ill-fated prophecy of his fate to murder or be murdered by Voldemort, Harry Potter began to hope he might win.

But now Ron lay comatose in St. Mungo's hospital, the victim of a vicious curse from the wand of Lucius Malfoy, and no one knew when or if he'd wake; and Ginny, who'd turned sixteen just yesterday, had been taken and confined to her home by her parents, who in their fury over her deception (not telling them she was dating Harry) and their fear had forbade her to see him, or to leave their home.

Dragging his eyes away from the two empty chairs, Harry turned to his left to find Hermione gazing desolately at the chair opposite her. "Hermione?"

Hermione started and looked sheepishly at Harry. "Oh- I'm sorry, Harry, I just..."

"It's okay," Harry said quickly. "Of course you're…I mean, I'm thinking about it too." Hermione nodded sadly. "But we have to decide how to proceed. Try to focus, okay?"

"Of course," Hermione said, visibly pulling herself together. "All right…what's our biggest priority right now?"

"Getting Ginny back," Harry said promptly.

Hermione stared wide-eyed at Harry for a moment. "Harry, I know Ginny is- is important to you, but…"

"No, it's not that, Hermione," Harry said. "I mean, she is important to me, but we do need her back. The D.A. needs her. During the week she was here, everything went so well. The rest of the Army knows and respects Ginny; they know that she's one of the few I trust with everything, who knows everything, and she can make decisions the same as you or Ron-" Harry cut himself off and cursed silently, fighting back his furious tears. Every time he thought about Ron it hurt, deep in the bone like an ache from the war he hadn't even fought yet.

Why did it always feel like his life was one long succession of systematically losing the few people he'd ever loved? His parents were murdered. Remus Lupin had been forced out of his life for over a year. Sirius was murdered. Dumbledore was murdered. His best friend, his brother in everything but blood, was as good as dead, a vegetable, a living corpse. And the girl he was in love with was barred from his presence for at least a year…which may well mean the rest of his life. A small part of him felt paralyzed with fear every time Hermione left the house; she was the last person he truly loved left in his life, and he was sure she would be the next to be taken away.

"We…we need her back," Harry managed to force out. "The rest of the Army…they're all scared, after- after what happened. Having Ginny return would be a huge boost, it would help bring back the focus we've lost." He blushed a bit. "And it would be a real help to me. No point in denying it."

Hermione smiled back weakly. "Of course it would, Harry. You don't have to be embarrassed about that with me. And I think you're right, it would help, but what can we do? Ginny isn't old enough to make her own choices; if her parents say she can't leave…"

"I have an idea," Harry said, surprising Hermione. "I did a bit of research - oh, don't look so shocked," he murmured, and Hermione grinned. "I'm pretty sure it would work, but it's risky."

"When is anything we do ever not risky?" Hermione pointed out sardonically.

"That's true. All right, give me a day or two to work on it, and then we'll talk it out again. I need to send a few owls, and have Fred and George sneak a message to Ginny."

"It's a very good thing that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley didn't figure out that Fred and George were in on anything," Hermione said.

Harry nodded his agreement. "All right. What else?"

"What do you want to do about Snape?"

Harry's face twisted in an expression of pure rage. Their former teacher Severus Snape had murdered Albus Dumbledore in front of Harry, and had broken into Grimmauld Place with Lucius Malfoy. He was currently locked in a warded room in the basement, and as far as Harry was concerned he could die in there.

Some of that obviously communicated itself to Hermione, who frowned. "I know, Harry," she said softly. "I'd like to watch him suffer a bit too. But we need information that at this point we're only going to get from him."

Harry knew Hermione was right. "How he got through the Floo to the House of Black," he stated, fighting down his anger.

Hermione nodded. "We can question him under Veritaserum," she suggested, producing the vial of clear liquid she always kept on her. "We find out how he got here around the Fidelius Charm, and then we can turn him over to the authorities."

"He'd just escape again!" Harry snapped. "And then we'd have him attacking us all over! And he's seen the house, he knows what's going on!"

"All right, Harry, don't yell!" Hermione shot back, and Harry dropped back into his chair, not even realizing he'd gotten to his feet. "We'll question him under Veritaserum, and then cast a Memory Charm," Hermione amended.

"Memory Charms can be broken."

Hermione sighed. "Well, we can decide what to do with him later."

"Fine," Harry agreed reluctantly, and sighed. "Shall we get it over with?"

Hermione nodded, so the two got up and exited the room. As they headed for the stairs, Harry peeked around a door to his left and saw Padma Patil and Cho Chang practicing dueling, observed by Lee Jordan, Katie Bell and Sally-Ann Perks, who were keeping watch for openings or weaknesses. It gave Harry a bit of a lift to see his fellow members of the D.A. practicing with renewed fervor.

As they approached the kitchen Harry and Hermione heard the murmur of voices; they didn't think anything of it until they stepped into the kitchen. Hermione gasped in shock.

George Weasley had Luna Lovegood pinned up against the fridge, snogging her enthusiastically. George's hand had pushed up Luna's shirt and was covering her breast, and her hand was down the front of his trousers. One of Luna's legs was wrapped around George's waist, pulling him closer as her hand worked rapidly. Fred opened his eyes and caught the reflection in the refrigerator door; he squeaked and pulled away from Luna, grasping his trousers to keep them from falling.

"What is it?" Luna asked, her breath a bit short. Then she noticed Harry and Hermione standing with gobsmacked look on their faces, and smiled dreamily. "Oh. Hello, Harry, hello, Hermione," she said pleasantly.

"Er…" George stammered, his face a bright Weasley red.

Harry's face split in a huge grin. "George, you should know better. At least take it to Luna's room before the clothes start coming off!"

"That sounds like a good idea," Luna said, reaching out and taking George's hand. "The refrigerator is cold, but we can just use my bed." At that Luna dragged the non-protesting George to the stairs and up out of sight.

Hermione turned to Harry, clearly trying not to laugh. "Did you know about that?"

"No," Harry answered with a chortle. "But George told me that when Angelina gets in today Fred's going to accost her at the Portkey station."

Hermione just shook her head. "Those two are incorrigible!" she muttered, and headed for the basement.

Harry's face darkened again when Hermione levitated Snape out of the warded room. They conjured a sturdy table with straps, and made sure Snape was well and truly secure. Hermione opened Snape's mouth and dropped three drops of Veritaserum on his tongue. Then they turned the table up on its end so Snape was upright. Hermione turned to Harry nervously. "What exactly do you want to ask him?"

"How he managed to get through the Floo even though there's a Fidelius Charm," Harry said. "And how he managed to convince Dumbledore to trust him for years when he's really a slimy, betraying murderous arsehole!"

Hermione frowned at Harry's language, but nodded. "Is that all?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, also whether anyone else would be able to get through the Floo the way he did. And we should find out what Voldemort's plans are and whether he knows or suspects anything about what we're doing."

"That's good, Harry. We can worry about anything else later."

Harry grunted in agreement, pointed his wand at Snape and muttered "Enervate."

Snape's eyes fluttered open. He looked somewhat dazed - not surprising, considering he'd been unconscious without food or water for thirty-six hours. Wanting to get it over with, Harry quickly asked "What's your name?"

"Severus Snape." Snape focused a bit, and when he saw Harry he sneered. "Potter. Am I to assume that-"

"Shut up!" Harry shouted, interrupting him. "Just answer the questions or I swear I'll Stun you again, throw you back in that closet and let you rot!"

"I daresay you wouldn't get answers to your questions then," Snape replied smoothly.

Seeing it was up to her to resume their task, as Harry and Snape were doing nothing but glare daggers at each other, Hermione blurted out "Where did Harry finally learn the truth about Sirius Black?"

Both Harry and Snape glared at her. Snape actually managed to resist the Veritaserum for a moment, sneering when he recognized the potion's pull, before gritting out "The Shrieking Shack."

Harry got his anger under control. "How did you get into my house?"

"I Flooed, as you very well know."

"How did you get around the Fidelius Charm?" Harry shouted.

There was no way Snape could give a half-answer to that question. "Since I had been included in the previous Fidelius Charm on the house, I was able to slip around the current one."

"There's a loophole?"

"Yes," Snape said, the words coming out reluctantly. "It is very painful to endure, but it is possible."

Harry was giving Snape a very penetrating look. Indicating for Hermione not to interrupt him, he continued: "Could anyone in on the previous Charm get through like you did?"

"Yes."

"Did any of the others know about it?"

"Albus did," Snape said with a strange glitter in his eye. "No one else."

"Could Voldemort do it?"

Snape winced slightly at the name, but replied "No."

"Does Voldemort know I have others living with me?"

"No."

"Does he know where we are?"

"No."

"You're immune to Veritaserum, aren't you?"

"Y- no," Snape blurted, and then glared furiously at Harry. "Well done, Potter. How very Slytherin of you."

Hermione gasped. "Immune? I thought that was impossible!"

"He's been around potions his whole life, Hermione," Harry growled. "He even threatened me with Veritaserum our fourth year. Considering he's Voldemort's lapdog, wouldn't it make sense that he would make himself immune? He could dupe the Ministry easily."

"But Harry…" Hermione drew Harry aside, out of Snape's range of hearing. "It means we can't trust anything he tells us!" she whispered.

"I know," Harry replied. He rubbed his forehead. "Is there anything stronger than Veritaserum?"

Hermione gaped at Harry. "Well…well yes, there's another potion I read about that's much stronger, but it's never used!"

"Why not?"

"Because it can cause permanent damage!" Hermione exclaimed.

"So what?"

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I will not help you intentionally kill someone, not even Snape!" she hissed.

"You weren't so high-and-mighty when you cast the binding Charm on Pansy," Harry shot back, and Hermione blanched. "You agreed to abide by my decisions even if you didn't agree with them," Harry reminded her. "So make the potion."

"Fine," Hermione spat, beside herself with fury. "But you can bloody well poison him yourself. I'll have no part of it!"

She made to storm past Harry, but he caught her arm. "Hermione…"

"Don't, Harry!" Hermione snapped.

"Listen!" Harry said sharply; then he sighed. "We can afford a bit of time. Get with Pansy and Neville, and see if you can't figure out a way to…lessen the risk." He smiled weakly at Hermione's surprised look. "I don't actually want to kill him," he said. "Contrary to what I might have said earlier."

Hermione studied Harry for a moment, and her expression softened slightly. "All right," she said finally. "Give me a day?"

Harry nodded. "A day."

Hermione headed to the stairs, but turned back in puzzlement when Harry didn't follow. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'll be up in a bit," Harry said. Hermione didn't trust the casualness of Harry's attitude, but after a moment she went up the stairs.

Harry shut the door behind Hermione and cast a number of strong Locking Charms on it, and a powerful Silencing Charm. Turning back, he saw Snape regarding him warily. "I suppose you think-" Snape started.

"Shut up," Harry interrupted. He walked back over to Snape and regarded him almost thoughtfully for a moment. Then with surprising speed, Harry's fist shot out and slammed into Snape's face. There was a crunch as Snape's nose broke. Harry shook his hand and regarded the bruise carefully before tapping it with his wand and muttering a Healing Charm.

Besides a slight grunt Snape hadn't make a sound. "So childish, Potter," he said contemptuously. "A bit of revenge for Albus?"

"No," Harry said, flexing his fingers. "I figure you'll get your punishment for Dumbledore soon enough. That was for me. I've wanted to break that huge, ugly beak of yours for years."

He pointed his wand and muttered the Healing Charm, and Snape's nose fixed itself with a slightly painful jolt. "Then why heal it, you imbecilic brat?"

"So that later," Harry said simply, "I can break it again." He held out his wand as far from his body as possible and said "Hete Somus." The tip of his wand began to heat up greatly, until Harry could feel the heat all the way to his elbow.

"So you are going to attempt to torture me," Snape growled. "I didn't think you strong enough to do it." When Harry said nothing Snape's lips curled up in a sneer. "Potter, I have in the past endured the worst tortures the Dark Lord could devise. In the art of causing pain, to him you will never be more than a rank amateur."

Harry pressed the tip of his wand to the spot on Snape's chest exposed by his robes. Snape didn't react to the rising heat, although he was watching Harry carefully. "You're right, Snape," Harry said. "I have no experience with this. In truth, it kind of makes me sick that I'm doing it. I guess that means that my first few attempts are gonna be clumsy; I might hurt you more than I mean to before I really get the hang of it." He smiled slightly. "But I don't actually have to get you to talk. See, I've been practicing my Occlumency and Legilimency. I know I'm not as good as you, but you haven't got a wand. So all I have to do is get you angry enough, or in enough pain, you'll lose your concentration and I'll be able to pull what I need right out of your head."

Snape's eyes flickered to the large silver bowl on the table nearest him. "Is that supposed to be in any way frightening?" he asked with disdain.

"Of course not. I don't want you afraid. I want you enraged. I want you seething, foaming at the mouth, apoplectic. And I want to watch the look on your face when you realize how helpless you are, and see how much angrier you get. You're not the sort to get scared - the only thing I ever saw you afraid of was that scaly psycho you follow so blindly. So I'll just have to take you the opposite direction."

Snape was sweating profusely from the heat of Harry's wand, but still hadn't reacted to it. After a moment of silent contemplation, he sighed. "Oh, very well. What do you wish to know?"

Harry was so surprised he almost dropped his wand. "Are you caving already?"

"I am practical. Bumbling fool though you are, I am certain even you could distract my focus long enough to steal the memories you seek; I may as well give them to you and spare myself the time in your presence."

After a second Harry got over his shock and muttered "Finite Incantatem," and the heat from his wand dissipated. "How did you get through the Floo, and can any other Death Eaters or Voldemort do it as well?" He asked again.

Snape inclined his head, and Harry recognized both that Snape was offering his memory, and was turning the gesture into an ironic bow. Gritting his teeth, Harry pressed the tip of his wand to Snape's forehead, and drew a silver wispy image out of his head. Harry drew the memory to the makeshift Pensieve he'd used to temporarily store Ron's memories, and placed it inside. Then he drew the memory out to be displayed for him.

Harry's blood boiled as he watched the scene play out. Snape was speaking with Voldemort about how to get to Harry. Although Snape had been unable to reveal the location, he explained what he had just told Harry and Hermione - that he could get around the Fidelius Charm. When the memory ended and sank back into the Pensieve, Harry stared at Snape. "I didn't understand what you said about bringing Malfoy along with you," he admitted.

Snape gave him a look like Harry was being exceptionally stupid. "Lucius had been here before," he explained slowly, as though talking to a small child. "I was able to 'carry' him with me, essentially. The Dark Lord had never been here, and thus was not able to come himself, though he truly wished to." He looked grudgingly curious. "Where is Lucius, Potter?"

"Dead," Harry snapped. "He fell down the stairs when I Stupefied him and hit his head. We took him to St. Mungo's but he died there."

"He would not have granted you the same courtesy," Snape pointed out.

"Well, I'm not him!" Harry yelled, and Snape fell silent. "So there are no other Death Eaters who could get here the way you and Malfoy did."

"No," Snape said carelessly, as though it didn't matter to him at all. "Black's younger brother Regulus could have, of course, had the fool not turned his back on the Dark Lord so long ago."

"Sirius told me a bit about him," Harry said. Something was on the edge of his consciousness, trying to get his attention. "Did he really try to back out of being a Death Eater?"

"He did, the more fool him," Snape acknowledged with a contemptuous sneer. "As much as the Dark Lord despises mudbloods, he reserves a special hatred for blood traitors."

"Regulus," Harry said contemplatively. "Regulus Black."

Snape regarded Harry oddly. "I always knew you were feeble-minded, Potter," he mocked eventually. "Never did I actually expect you to provide me proof."

Harry looked up at Snape in shock. "Regulus Black," he whispered. "What was Regulus' middle name?"

"How on earth would I know that, Potter?" Snape snapped.

"It can't be," Harry gasped. "It bloody well can't be!" Pointing his wand, Harry shouted "Stupefy," and was heading for the stairs at a dead run while Snape was still slumping.

Harry flew up the stairs and burst into the kitchen, startling Hermione, Sally-Ann Perks and Neville, who were having an early lunch. Oblivious to their startled hails, Harry continued up the stairs, unaware that his concerned friends were following him. He ran down the hall on the second floor and went up the next set of stairs until he reached another door on the third floor. He'd sealed it himself, unwilling to be constantly reminded of what was inside, but now he needed it. Harry muttered the counter-lock Charm and pushed the doors open, and walked slowly over to the tapestry.

They'd been unable to figure out how to remove the Black Family Tree. Hermione, clever witch that she was, managed to take down Mrs. Black's portrait from the front hall, but the Charm holding the tapestry up was made of more powerful stuff. Now Harry was grateful, and he studied the tapestry until he found the name he was looking for. "I don't believe it," he whispered. "I don't fucking believe it!"

"Harry?" Harry turned to find Hermione and half the D.A. staring at him as though afraid he'd gone mad. "Harry, what is it?"

"I found it, Hermione," Harry said quietly so only she would hear. "He was right here in the house the whole bloody time!"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Hermione asked nervously. "Found who?"

Harry strode over and took Hermione by the arm. "Conference room," he said shortly. "Now."