Unforgivable Promises

Unforgivable Promises

Chapter 4

As he began removing Snape from his memory, Harry had been unsure how he would feel after the morning's Occlumency practice. Now, two hours later, with memories returned and Snape heading to his quarters, Harry still was not sure how he felt. He left the library to find Ron and Hermione, hoping Hermione would forget about the morning's quarrel so he could discuss what had happened. He wouldn't tell them everything, of course, but he was confused about the Potions Master and needed someone to talk to. Hogwarts's brightest student did give good advice when asked, after all, though Harry was getting fed up with Hermione's penchant for giving advice that was unwanted and unneeded.

He found Ron, Hermione and Ginny in the girls' room, heads together in quiet conversation. Hermione looked frustrated.

"Well, Harry," Hermione said as the young wizard entered, "you'll be happy to know we didn't get the chance to learn anything from Hagrid. He left almost as soon as you stormed out of the kitchen. But we'll get him when he comes back. I don't know why you're so willing to be left in the dark, but eventually you'll be glad that I'm here to find out what's happening. Trust me."

Harry kept silent, realizing he'd been doing a lot of that lately. Hermione must have mistaken his silence for agreement, or at least acquiescence, and let the subject go. After a few moments, Harry was just about to bring up Snape when Mrs. Weasley interrupted the group.

"Ron, Hermione, I just received an owl from Neville's grandmother. She's invited you both to come visit Neville. She asked for Harry to come, too, of course, but it's far too dangerous for him to leave here until Professor Snape's satisfied with his progress."

Aside from the fact that Snape would likely never be satisfied with anything Harry did, nothing about what Mrs. Weasley said rang true, and even her cheerful smile seemed a bit too cheerful. Even Ginny, who did not know Neville's grandmother as well as the others, seemed skeptical.

"The Grangers agreed, so I told her you'd both love to go. I'm sure Neville would love some company, and after his help last month he's certainly earned it. Headmaster Dumbledore thinks it's safe enough, as you'll be out of the way, and I'll be having the clock brought from the Burrow so we can keep an eye Ron at least. We'll leave as soon as you've packed for the week." Leaving no time for anyone to argue or question her, Mrs. Weasley stepped from the room.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked the question they'd all been thinking.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked in reply. "They're trying to keep us apart. It didn't take them long to realize they can't hide anything from us. They're probably worried we'll get Harry into some kind of trouble." She rolled her eyes. Hermione was right, of course, and they all knew it. Most likely, Mrs. Weasley had written to Mrs. Longbottom. Harry couldn't imagine that overbearing woman inviting anyone over.

"Well, you have to go," Harry said. While me may be annoyed with Hermione lately, he didn't want to see his two best friends leaving for a week without him. Sure, Ginny would still be here, but that wasn't the same. Ron looked like he was about to argue. "It doesn't matter why they're sending you away, Ron, you're mum's right. We never would have made it out of there that night without Neville, even though he probably wouldn't believe that. He shouldn't be alone with his grandmother all summer if we can help it."

"Easy for you to say, Harry, you don't have to go. Who knows what kinds of exciting things will happen while we're gone?"

"Like summer school with Snape?" Harry asked and chuckled.

"I think I'd prefer that than a week with Longbottom's grandma."

"But is it really safe?" Ginny asked.

"Well, if I'm kidnaped by Death Eaters or something, the clock will know. And I'm not letting myself get kidnaped without Hermione. She'll bore Voldemort to death with questions!" said Ron. Hermione simply rolled her eyes with a patient grin.

-----

An hour later, Harry and Ginny were alone as the Weasleys rushed Ron and Hermione out of the house. Ginny may not be Hermione or Ron, but after last year, Harry had learned she was a good compromise between the two. Not quite as bookish as Hermione, and not quite as impulsive as Ron, with a bit of the twins thrown in too, of course.

"Hey, Ginny?" Harry said. "What do you think of Professor Snape?"

Ginny scrunched up her nose in distaste. "Ugh. I can't stand him! The way he treats you!"

Harry chuckled. "There's that Gryffindor loyalty."

"More like Weasley loyalty. We've practically adopted you, in case you hadn't noticed."

The mention of adoption made Harry cringe inside. That was the kind of thing he'd spoke to Sirius about. Ginny immediately realized her mistake and reached out to touch Harry's hand. "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean..."

"It's okay, Ginny," he said as he gave her hand a squeeze and released it. "Really it is. Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. I don't even want to think about it now. I've got enough in my head as it is." Ginny nodded. "Forget how he treats me, though. I'm not in your potions class, after all."

Ginny thought for a few minutes before replying. "He's not too bad, I guess. We take potions with Ravenclaw. I hear he's worse on the Hufflepuffs my year when Slytherin's around." Harry knew all about Snape's favoritism. "But Ron's told me what he's like in your class, and I think he's a lot worse because you're there. He's still mean but not so vicious, I guess." She seemed almost apologetic.

"I sort of assumed that," Harry said.

"Why does he hate you so much?" Ginny asked. Harry had expected the question, but he shifted uncomfortably when she finally asked it.

"I. . . I can't really say," Harry replied. "I saw something I shouldn't have, and it explained why. I can't tell you what it was. It's private, I guess. Between Snape and. . ." Harry trailed off, then shrugged. "Anyway, I don't really blame him for the way he feels." Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"But he knows I saw," Harry continued. "So now he hates me even more, I guess." Harry explained how his Occlumency lessons had been going, and how today's lesson had been different. "It's bloody strange looking at Snape and having no memory at all of him. I knew he was a teacher, and I knew why I didn't remember him, since I left in the memory of him telling me to forget him, if that made sense."

"So, what did you think of him?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I didn't really think anything of him. I trusted him, since I remembered Dumbledore telling me he'd teach me. Plus, I knew he was a spy for the Order, since I could still remember what he did for Remus the other night. But it was like we'd never met, or like. . ." Harry searched for an example. "Like someone who works at a shop, I guess. You sort of know who they are because you shop there. Maybe you know their name, and you've talked to them a little bit. But you don't really think anything about them one way or the other."

"I guess that makes sense," Ginny said. "What was he like?"

"That's the odd thing," Harry explained. "He wasn't like he usually is. I guess he was more like, well, how he is with your class. The practice certainly wasn't easy, but usually he makes everything so much harder just by being so nasty."

"None of his famous comments, then?"

"Well, yes, actually, but I didn't really mind them. Maybe they weren't as mean as before, I guess, or maybe they didn't seem as bad since I couldn't remember all the years' worth from before. And one time, I even. . ." Harry frowned. He did not want to say what he had done. Not because it was anything bad, it was just so bloody odd for him to react that way to Snape. "I laughed!" Harry threw up his arms, and Ginny giggled at Harry's distress.

"What did he say?" Ginny leaned forward.

"He'd asked me a few questions at the beginning to make sure I hadn't forgotten too much. I still had to remember my other lessons, after all. And I said something about needing to protect my mind from Voldemort. Then Snape said I should be learning this from my Uncle, since no wizard in England could find a thought in the head of a Dursley. And I started laughing! But now, I just think it was an odd thing to say."

Ginny asked, "Why would he say that? Maybe something you'd forgotten about?"

"Well, I'd remember it now, wouldn't I? He did say a few things that only made sense after I had my memories back. And a few of those I'd thought were funny at first, but now I wouldn't laugh at them. But he knows insulting the Dursleys isn't going to get me mad." Harry stammered incredulously. "I think it was just a joke!"

"Well," Ginny said, "that can't be a good sign." The young wizards shared a small laugh and decided that any change in Snape's mood could only be an improvement. Especially with the mansion being empty most of the time, except for Harry and Ginny, and Snape, whose movements were necessarily limited.

-----

The following day's Occlumency lesson brought another surprise for Harry.

"Mr. Potter, as you are not progressing as poorly as initially expected, Headmaster Dumbledore has requested that we add another dimension to your instruction," Snape said as Harry entered the library. "Occlumency is merely one part of the whole. In order to better control what we so forgivingly call your mind, you must also learn some of the art of the Legilemens."

Harry blinked, and Snape continued. "Sit down, Potter." The Potions Master settled into his chair and crossed his legs. "As with any new course of study, there are ground rules that students are expected to follow. You, Mr. Potter, are no exception, no matter what the rest of the world may believe."

"Sir, I would never-"

"You are forbidden from practicing Legilemency in any form outside of my instruction. You are forbidden from practicing Legilemency on anyone but me, here in this room. Normally, formal instruction in the art would include study of physical signs of stress, deception and emotion. You will not be learning that. We are only interested in the magical and mental aspects, and even then, only a small scope. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." Clearly, they would be focusing on how Voldemort entered Harry's mind.

"There is one final rule." Snape leaned forward in his chair and held Harry in a heartless gaze. "If you find yourself in the Dark Lord's mind again, you will not use any form of Legilemency whatsoever. You are to rely solely upon Occlumency to mask your presence and remove yourself from his thoughts immediately. If I discover that you have violated any of these rules, I will cast the Obliviate spell upon you myself. And if I am given cause to even suspect that you have actively attempted to gain access to the Dark Lord's mind, even Dumbledore will be unable to protect you from me. If the Dark Lord does not drive you mad first."

Harry swallowed and nodded. Why in the world would he want to get into Voldemort's mind? Snape's threat was nothing compared to the memories Harry still harbored of his past forays into the dark wizard's twisted mind.

Once both Pensieves were full of milky threads, Harry discovered that learning Occlumency without Legilemency was like learning Defense Against the Dark Arts without every talking about curses. They were opposite sides of the same coin. And while Snape provided no practical instruction for the offensive tactics, he took the time to explain what he was doing and why it was effective. About halfway through the lesson, Snape was acting the inquisitor, attempting to discover where Hermione and Ron had gone, and Harry, so far, had successfully kept the mock secret.

"Were I a complete stranger, you could probably hold me off for some time," Snape said. "But The Boy Who Lived is at a disadvantage. While most of the wizarding world is a stranger to you, you are no stranger to anyone who can read a newspaper." With that introduction, Snape began to assault Harry's mind with a series of faces and names. The face of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley flashed before his eyes. Lucius Malfoy, looking smug. Luna Lovegood. Ginny. Ron and Hermione. Bellatrix Lestrange. Ron and Hermione again, this time cowering before Voldemort. His parent lying dead at Voldemort's feet. Harry focused inwardly and allowed the images to pass over him. In the past few days, Snape had tried similar tricks. Harry had learned to ignore them all. Some were real, others imaginary, all were supposed to shake Harry or cause him to react. Sirius yelled at Kreacher, and Harry stood firm. Neville appeared, and Harry turned his attention elsewhere, lest he show some signs. More images flashed through his consciousness. The Dursleys, a wizard he had never met, Draco Malfoy, Cho, Seamus, Neville again. Dumbledore. An unknown woman. Fudge. Neville again. Neville again. Harry focused harder on ignoring his friend's face and keeping his secret safe. "And there it is."

"But I-"

"Your complete lack of reaction to Mr. Longbottom is telling."

"I didn't react to any of them, just as you told me not to."

"That is not quite accurate, Mr. Potter. Your reaction to the others was casual indifference, as it should have been. You clearly ignored Mr. Longbottom, however, and that is noticeable to the trained mind." Harry furrowed his brow, and Snape took a different approach. "Imagine entering a room of people. Your eyes glance over the crowd, but you refrain from looking in the direction of one person. That omission can be more easily noted than if your eyes had passed over them as the rest."

Harry wasn't entirely sure that the Professor hadn't focused on Neville on purpose. He knew, after all, where Harry's friends were. Snape pressed his point.

"When I showed you other faces and gave you other names, you considered them briefly, casually, and let your attention wander from them. You did not divulge anything. You reacted the same to Dumbledore and Fudge as you did to the people you have never seen, for which I give you credit. But you completely shut yourself down when it was Neville. As you know, you can never really shut you consciousness down for more then a moment. That is the key."

"So, it's almost like acting. I need to act like Neville is no more and no less important than anything else."

Snape nodded and said, "Again." The potions master began another series of attacks on Harry's mind. The onslaught was interrupted by the slam of the library's door as it banged open.

"Professor Snape, Harry!" Ginny rushed into the room. She grasped a crumpled parchment in her shaking hand and her eyes were wide. Her breathing was heavy and her face red.

Harry pushed himself from his chair, and Snape asked coolly from where he was sitting, "What is it, Weasley? You were told not to interrupt our lessons."

"Ron. Hermione. Neville. Death eaters." The girl looked down at at the torn parchment still clutched in her hand and began smoothing it against her thigh. "This just came by owl. Pigwidgeon may be dead. Remus took a sleeping potion an hour ago."

Harry reached for the parchment, but Snape pushed him aside and grabbed the letter. Harry could not see much of the writing in the taller man's hand, but he recognized Hermione's handwriting, though the letter was unusually messy for the girl.

"It seems, once again, your friends have managed to get cornered. And once again I must save another inept hero." He turned to Harry. "Stay here with Miss Weasley. If anyone returns, tell them to follow. I will try to find the brats, but its quite likely that I will not be in a position to help them as I was with Lupine."

Harry barely had time to nod dumbly before Snape swept from the room. "Ginny? What did the letter say?" Ginny was still shaking and her eyes darted about the room. "Ginny?"

Her head snapped around to face Harry and here eyes focused on the boy. "We have to go help them!" She grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him to the door, but Harry held firm.

"Ginny, Professor Snape is going to help them. We can't do anything for them if there are Death Eaters after them. What did the letter say?"

Ginny let go of his robes and ran from the room. Harry took a deep breath and followed her down the stairs and into the parlor. "Ginny, please. What did the letter say? I can't help if I don't know what's going on," he said from the doorway.

Ginny knocked a porcelain statue off the mantle as she grabbed the box laying next to it. Harry winced as the white shards flew across the floor, then he was in the air himself, jumping to grab hold of the girl as he noticed the box of floo powder in her hand. He even managed to feel her cotton robes in his hand before she disappeared into the fireplace.

-----

Snape cursed as he stared across the clearing as the gathering before him. A collection of some very notable wizards milled about the center of the village here. Snape imagined that the combined worth of the families represented would amount to more than the entire town was worth, land and all, by several orders of magnitude. He knew them all, of course, and he knew whose business they were on today. Many of them had bowed before him in the Dark Lord's presence. The potions master knew he could walk into the group right now and send them all away, claiming the honor of the kill for his own. But that would be suicide unless he followed through and delivered the bodies of the three students to Voldemort.

So instead, he waited. He was a patient man, as all Potions Masters must be. Eventually, an opportunity would present itself, most likely in the form of Arthur or Molly Weasley. For the most part, he would be useless. That was a feeling he was having more and more lately. In fact, had it been anyone but Remus the other night, Snape thought, he probably would have enjoyed the rescue mission if for no other reason than the distraction it provided.

The sound of someone running behind him drove Snape deeper into the shadows. A flash of red hair and black robes introduced the Weasley girl. Of course she hasn't the sense to stay put. Harry should have tied her to a chair. She was still out of sight of the gathering Snape had been watching, and he made to silence her before she could cause more problems when she fell suddenly, hit from behind by a flash of red light.

Snape had his wand in hand and slowly made his way from behind the wood pile he had been hiding behind. The house he was using for protection was only yards from a dense copse of trees, and he waited silently for the girl's attacker to show himself. Within seconds, a form detached itself from the shadows of the underbrush and moved quickly towards Ginny. Snape prepared a hex of his own, but stopped again as another form flitted from the trees and ran quietly behind the other wizard.

The trailing wizard pulled out a wand and Harry Potter's voice, unmistakable, caused Snape to flinch. Must he always shout his spells?

"Petrificus totalus!"

With their attacker neutralized, Harry ran and knelt beside Ginny. Snape pulled a hood over his exposed features and rushed first to the prone dark wizard's. Once he turned the petrified form onto its back, he recognized the woman as a lesser underling of Voldemort's. Sent as a scout, no doubt, as she did not rank high enough to share in the honor of killing Potter's friends. Her eyes did not move, a testament to the power of the boy's spell. Snape knew, though, that she could see him, and that was unacceptable. In a swift motion, the former death eater produced a knife and drew it across her neck. The woman was unable to even whimper as her blood pooled around her shoulders. Satisfied, Snape strode to Ginny and Harry. He scooped the girl into his arms and said, "Follow. Quickly."

Harry's eyes shone with tears. "How could you-"

"We are at war. This is not a game, nor is it a formal duel. It was her life or mine, and I hold my life a bit more dear. There are other lives at stake, still. Now, follow." Trusting the boy to obey, Snape made his way back to the safety of his shadows.

"You were told to stay behind, Potter."

"Yes, sir, but Ginny used the floo to get into one of the homes here. No one saw us," he said as Snape glared. "I couldn't let her run around here, so I followed."

"You should have let her get caught. A few hours with the Dark Lord will teach her to think before she acts." Snape turned his attention back to the group of wizards and took another count. Seven dark wizards, all of whom, he knew, had used at least two of the Unforgivable Curses in the past, and all eager to ingratiate themselves to Voldemort.

"She knows who you are," Harry said.

"What are you talking about?" She's dead, she knows nothing worth telling any more.

"Ginny knows you're a spy, Professor. You didn't know she followed you, so you wouldn't know to look for her. If she'd been captured, she wouldn't be able to keep your secret."

Snape's eyes narrowed. The boy was right, dammit all. It was dumb luck that he'd seen Ginny being attacked by just the one wizard. If she had wandered into the group on the other side of the clearing, Snape's position as spy, and his life, would be worthless. "Very well, then. We must act quickly. The Death Eaters are waiting for something, or someone, before they storm that cottage over there."

"We? But, what about the others? Shouldn't we wait until some of the aurors get here?"

"Used up all your reason for the day, have you? Who will tell them where we are?" Harry's eyes grew wide behind his glasses. "I will not expose myself, but I do not believe that will be needed." Harry's cooperation was assumed. The boy had spent the past five years running off in aid of his dimwit friends. Harry would need to deal with what he'd seen eventually, but for now Snape was keeping his attention fixed on Granger and Weasley.

-----

Snape watched Harry's lithe form disappear into the trees as the boy made his way around the clearing. Snape headed in the opposite direction to find a closer place to hide. He wouldn't have much time to act, and any delay would put everyone at risk. Harry had more distance to cover and some of that would be in the Death Eaters' line of sight, so the older man again called upon his patience. He would have preferred to do this without Harry. Seven to one, though, were not the odds he would have asked for. There would be no way for Snape to take down all of them without at least one recognizing him and escaping, so Harry had to act as a distraction. Hell, he would have preferred to sit back and watch someone else do it. But options were limited. Weasley and Granger would be unable to keep his secret under questioning; his life was at risk as long as theirs were. Harry was resourceful, though, and Snape was as certain as he could be that the boy would escape to the same cabin from which he had arrived.

Finally, from the other side of the surrounded cabin, Snape saw a flicker of movement. One of the death eaters closest to the trees toppled silently to the ground. Snape had instructed Harry to use the Stupefy spell, as that would prevent the target from recognizing him. Once the rest of the wizards realized one of their number had been attacked, they turned towards the woods but held their ground. Snape waited for Harry's next move.

The Death Eaters certainly did not anticipate seeing their Dark Lord's greatest enemy walking casually towards them, but that is exactly what confronted them. As one, they raised their wands to attack, but Harry was prepared. "Expectro Patronum!" Harry's stag charged into the group and scattered the wizards. Before they could regroup, Harry was disappearing into the woods. All discipline disappeared as the temptation of capturing Harry Potter for Voldemort took over. Only a single guard remained behind. Snape gave him credit. Harry was on the run, and the teens inside were a sure bet. Or seemed to be.

Snape stood and hit the wizard with a curse that sent him flying several feet in the air. At the cabin, he peered into a window and surveyed the interior. Several adults surrounded Weasley, Hermione and Longbottom, as expected. The potions master drank a mouthful of a bitter liquid from one of his many hidden vials. Wasting no time, he pulled another bottle from his robes and threw it through the glass window.

By the time he blasted the door open and entered the cabin, Snape was the only person conscious for a hundred yards. Quick use of the Mobilicorpus spell had the three students outside, and a portkey put the group in an alley not far from Grimmauld Place. Snape prepared the immobile trio to be invisible to Muggles and floated them quietly through the streets. By now, Harry should be back in the parlor. If not, well, Snape would deal with that if he found the house empty. Better to focus on slipping through the streets unobserved.