Death to Belladonna's Enemies

I WEPT 'TIL TEARS CREPT BACK TO PRAYER

(Chapter II)

It was a hot summer day, but the thick stone walls kept Hogwarts isolated from all the heat. Snape was invited to Dumbledore's office for a small talk. Despite the hot air accumulated outside, he knew he will not be getting out of the cold castle for next few days, so he wore his thick layers of black robes, anyway.

Dumbledore surveyed Severus' pallid face, who sat opposite of him, buried into an article of the Daily Prophet. As his eyes darted down the page, he mouthed words, his face rigid with horror of what he was seeing.

"Professor, I swear, I was not aware of any schemes to get those Death Eaters out of the Azkaban..." he said automatically upon finishing the article, shaking his greasy head.

The old man said nothing in reply. Severus delayed slightly with initiating a conversation.

"What do you think, Professor?" finally said Severus, putting the paper on the desk in front of him.

The Hogwarts Headmaster heaved a great sigh and replied, speaking very slowly.

"They couldn't have escaped by themselves, not without any wands (Azkaban security wasn't that lax at the moment). Before they were imprisoned, they were thoroughly searched if they have anything on them that could abet them out, and all potentially dangerous items were confiscated. Even a cane that held a wand inside it was taken away..."

Dumbledore stopped for a moment before continuing.

"Two days before the break out, a permit was issued to Mr Darren Goyle to visit Mr Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban. The day of his visit, the Minister personally, with delegation to ensure higher security, was to come to Azkaban. They arrived to find cells empty and two sentinels, that were supposed to temporary guard the entrance, savagely murdered.

"I think, Severus, that someone from outside, someone who is acquainted very well with what is happening in the Ministry, must have planned their escape. Otherwise, if they have planned it a day later, the escape would be harder."

"And that person sent Darren to get them out?" asked Severus, quizzically. He was assured that Goyle alone was not sly enough to plan it.

"Beside my wildest guesses, there is no evidence of anything. Especially now that we are unable to questions Mr Goyle - he is gone. Last seen by his wife telling her that he is to go and do some work."

"And the person who issued the permit?"

"Mr Abraham Pinkly is currently being interrogated by the Aurors. Miss Tonks was put on that case. He claims that he did not issue such a permit, but Ministry believes that they put a memory charm on him."

"I see," said Severus, thinking hard. Surely Lucius Malfoy, with whom he has been allied, would have contacted him by now if he was out. That meant that he will have to find means of contacting Lucius himself.

"Alas, it is of grave importance that we protect Mr Potter even further. He is quite safe with the Muggles... at the moment. We sent Ms Vance to stay with Mrs Figg, as an additional caution. Of course, we all agreed that it is best if he was not to know about Ms Vance. Mr Fletcher is still following him around, though..."

Severus made a sour face, thinking of Harry.

"I know that there is a lot between you two... but you must try to put all that behind. How did your Occlumency progress?"

"Not as well as you would think. Potter has been crossing the line ever since he arrived at Hogwarts, why would he be any more obedient with advices I give him..."

Dumbledore raised his hand which was a cue for Severus to stop talking. He flexed his face muscles, leaning foreword.

"I appreciate that you were teaching him, but I have another request - I want you to continue with classes in the summer."

Severus winced.

"In addition to that, I want you to teach him how to Apparate."

Immediate petrification of his completely body solely, stopped from jumping out of the chair in shock.

"Illegally?" he said, raising his eyebrow.

"It is a skill of uttermost exigency. He needs to know it. Mr Potter is a very bright boy, and if he's able to conjure such a powerful Patronus, Apparation is going to be very easy for him."

"But it would also mean performing magic during the holidays, which as we all know is against the law. Such amount of magic would mean immediate expulsion for Potter," said Snape. Comprehension dawned, and Snape realized what he said; he could not help but think of all the wonderful possibilities of Potter out of Hogwarts.

"I've taken care of that," replied Dumbledore with reassuring archaic smile. Snape's spirits sunk.

"Of course; when do you want me to start?" Severus said through gritted teeth.

Dumbledore ignored this stifled remark and responded: "After his birthday. I'll explain you how to get to where he is. You can go now and write him a letter to tell him you'll be turning up so he can get prepared."

Severus was numb with anger, but mumbled something like 'Yes, Professor.' He got up, and set towards the door out of Dumbledore's office.

"Oh, and Severus - do wear something more appropriate when you go to visit Mr Potter. His cousins are not very keen on company of wizards and you'll boil in all those layers of black flannel."

This time, Severus could not get himself to respond, but turned around abruptly and opened the door of the office violently, setting outside. But at the top of the round stares he bumped into Professor McGonagall. She seemed frantic, and panting for breath, ran past Severus towards Professor Dumbledore. Severus turned after her and went back inside the office.

"Albus! Albus... Something just happened..."

Dumbledore got up and caught Professor McGonagall, who in her run tripped on a chair.

"Oh Albus, you must come!"

"What happened?" he asked calmly.

"Sybill Trelawney... she's gone... I just went to her to see if she's going to continue teaching next year, after that awful woman, Umbridge, sacked her... and I entered her chambers... they were empty. I found only a note telling how she saw something in the crystal ball... I tried to contact her family, but none of them had any idea about her whereabouts..."

"All right, you can tell me the rest on the way. Now, let's go!"

They set off towards Trelawney's chambers that were right above her classroom, Snape following them like a cloaked Dementor, almost gliding with his frivolous walk and stooping.

"What was it that she saw in the crystal ball?" Dumbledore asked, as they were climbing another flight of stairs.

"Some rubbish how she's seen that people will be coming after her... Oh, that foolish woman and her nonplussed inner eye... I just hope she didn't do anything stupid," Professor McGonagall was saying through tears now.

When they entered her chambers, McGonagall showed the note to Dumbledore. It was written on the large oval mirror that hung between two windows. Dumbledore read it few times, examining it.

However, Snape snooped around, no one paying any attention to him and he not paying attention to the note on the wall (that seemed very distorted). Nevertheless, he found a small note under the old mattress on which Professor Trelawney slept. He looked over it. A name of the place, Nar'yan-Mar, was written on it. That name seemed familiar to him, but he could not remember from where. Under it stood a name of wizarding chain of taverns and information on reservations. Severus now knew where Professor Trelawney has run away to - she was in Russia. He could not explain it to himself, but repressed with his current anger towards Dumbledore, he chose not to say anything.

"But Albus... could it not be that they found out that Sybill was the one who made the Prophecy?" asked McGonagall in hushed voice.

That was it for Severus, all he needed to know; he noiselessly got out of the room, heading back to his office in the dungeons.

Certainly, now he knew how to get to what the Dark Lord was looking after. He could give this information to Lucius Malfoy, and that would get Lucius to tell him more about Death Eaters' plans, which he would later report to Dumbledore. It would all work out perfectly...

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...but it did not.

Lucius was delighted to hear from his friend, Severus. He was even more delighted by the information Severus had dug out for him, about Sybill Trelawney. He told that to Lucius in hope that Lucius will inform him on how they got out of Azkaban, but Lucius was bound quiet.

Lucius did not dillydally for a second, but went straight to inform the Dark Lord about the news.

"Are you absolutely sure, Lucius, that that is the old crone who made the Prophecy?" asked the Dark Lord in his sibilant speech.

"My Lord, I am sure. It came straight from the mouth of no one else than Albus Dumbledore," Lucius said oily, a huge fake smile on his face.

The Dark Lord surveyed him, flanked with Cassius Acrates, his most loyal and important supporter. Cassius was well over sixty, with grey coarse hair that always stuck up and pair of iron-grey eyes. His mouth was thin and his nose large.

"What do you propose to do, Lucius?" asked Cassius in off-hand voice, making sure he does not lose eye contact with Lucius. Cassius was kind of a mentor to Lucius; a father which Lucius lost when he was very young.

"I shall go and hunt her down. Then I shall force her to tell me what exactly the Prophecy is. Of course, My Lord, you will be the first person to find out what is in it," he was saying. On the surface, Lucius appeared very calm. But inside, as every time he spoke to Lord Voldemort, his stomach was upset, uneasy. It felt like something oozing with many thin tentacles crawled inside of him.

"Good. You shall find her and do what you told me. You shouldn't go alone. Take Dolohov and Bella with you," he ordered.

"Yes, my Master," said Lucius, bowing his head, cowering under the power of the greatest Dark Lord who ever lived.

"May I have your permission to immediately set off?"

"Of course."

Lucius bowed once more, averting his eyes down, but before he was able to set off, Dark Lord spoke again:

"And... take your trainee, Trent, with you. I want to see how she is in practice."

"Yes, my Lord."

"You know if she does something wrong... it's your head?" said the Dark Lord with a coltish smirk.

"My Lord, I assure that something like that will not happen," Lucius responded, feeling that odious feeling rise up from his stomach into his throat.

Dark Lord just nodded grimly and dismissed Lucius.

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Lucretia was not aware that Lucius' life depended on quality of her performance and strength to commit the most macabre acts of which she only has read. If she did, she could not forgive him for taking her so important that he would compare her revenge impulse with his life.

Lucius and Lucretia always shared a tenacious bond. Both of their parents ceased to be alive when they were very young; Lucretia was unhappy enough that her father was killed in front of her by the Aurors two nights before her departure for the first year of Hogwarts.

Part of the plan was for Lucretia to be back at the Order, as close to them as she could possible get without them discovering what she was really up to. It was a tough job for her, especially since she was not too good at hiding her emotions and purpose. Rabastan Lestrange advised her that it would be best if she does not speak too much, rather just listen. Maybe, if she made herself believe that she is telling the truth when she is not, Bellatrix told her, she would not behave as if she was lying. Lucretia tried her best to follow those tips because she needed all help she could get.

When she finally stopped mourning Sirius in black, she showed up to one of the Order of Phoenix meetings wearing her common attire of all white. Gabardine coat, with very little details on it, beside diagonal pockets and silver clasps that ran all the way from the high collar to the middle of the thighs, reached down to her ankles. Under, she wore ruffed blouse and pants, that touched the floor, so only toes of her stiletto sandals were visible. Her charcoal hair had only few grays, at the tip of her roots, and her almond-shaped blue eyes were veiled by arched eyebrows. She never bothered with any make-up that you can actually see, so even though it took many years off her face, it did not bestow any additional beauty.

The meetings of the Order of Phoenix were still held at the Grimmauld Place, despite the death of Sirius Black. It was still a safe place, protected by Dumbledore and Fidelius Charm. After Sirius' mother died, in her will, she left it to Sirius. Otherwise, Narcissa would already have taken it and made it into a place where she can store her old dressed that she does not want anymore, but does not feel like having them worn by anyone else.

Lucretia took a few long moments to breath deeply as she entered the ancient and most noble house of Black. The furniture may have lost its previous luster since the time she has been over for the first time, and walls might yellowed, but the smell was same. Old and rotting are the two best words to describe it.

She glanced at the curtains that concealed Mrs Black. Few moth holes were at the bottom. Mrs Black always liked Lucretia for her parentage and heredity, and would go around saying how Lucretia was the best thing that ever happened to her useless son.

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Since the Drawing Room was cleaned up and much better looking than the underground kitchen, Order of Phoenix meeting were ergo held there. Lucretia opened the door quietly and instantly, every face of every person sitting at the long handsome table, looked up at her. Everybody, except Dumbledore and Sirius, naturally, were present. Lucretia, as she headed towards a seat opposite of Shacklebot Kingsley, was looking down at her feet, noticing how worn out the blue carpet was.

She did very well with acting, and at the end of the meeting she told Remus Lupin how she needs time for herself. She told him she will be taking a vacation. Of course, that given time she will use to go and seek out Professor Trelawney.

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Narcissa had to give up another guest room to store her dressed, but at least she was not at total loss. Kreacher, the damned traitor, has found a permanent residence at the Malfoys.

"...I want that room spotless, and tonight for dinner I'll have... well something low fat, possibly just a salad, but make sure you season it nicely. Otherwise, it has no taste..." Narcissa was saying, sitting in the living room, and filing the nail she just broke, while her crossed leg was gangling rhythmically back and forth.

"Yes, Mistress Narcissa. Is that all, Mistress Narcissa?" the creature asked, bowing down in euphoria.

"For now," she said, and ignored the muttering of Kreacher, while he was exiting the lengthy room.

"Mistress Narcissa is good. Not like those brutish filthy traitors. She is just like my old Mistress...."

Narcissa was just thinking how convenient is to have an elf back (she was sick of having to pay for the service, when that new pair of sateen shoes are just what she needs; mind you, she could easily afford ten pairs of those shoes paying the whole herd of servants at the same time) and what shall she wear tonight, when she meets up her social equals for the night of night life.

A knock on the door of her room was unexpected. She waited few moments before ordering those people outside to enter.

It was her least favourite maid, Vanessa, with long blond hair, and she, just for today, curled it up. Narcissa thought it was pointless to criticize her maid's slavish sense of fashion, when Vanessa told her how there is a 'man with covered face waiting to see you in your husband's study'.

After she informed Vanessa to iron her black dress, she headed towards the room on the bottom floor of the house. She also informed Vanessa to clear off because she's fired.

Even though she was aware that what she wore under her kimono-resembling pastel green robes was highly conservatively (yet very sexy), she still closed the robes with the belt that she tied at the waist. She knew that woman commands more power when she was all zipped up.

Lucius' study was a windowless room, with brown wood shelves, full of useful book on any subject; from forbidden Dark Arts (those books were tucked into the highest shelves, seldom examined by guests) to large genealogy collection. Huge rectangular desk was in the middle, with two candlesticks in each corner, and very thin board over the space where he would write. Beside that, two handsome black quills were in a black wooden holder.

The man waiting in there wore a cloth over his face, black hat, and intimidating black cloak. When Narcissa closed the door, politely puzzled look on her face, the man theatrically took off his cloak and cloth, holding each in different hand, both arms outstretched.

"Rodophus," gleamed Narcissa, coming over and giving him a kiss on cheek.

"My dear, you look gorgeous," he said.

She rounded around the table and sat down at the high chair where Lucius always sat like he was on some kind of golden throne imbrued in jewels. She surveyed man with her sharp eyes. Her eyes flew from his pointed chin, face with very short and carefully shaven beard, and bushy eyebrows, that gave him a lot of characters. His high hair line was hardly noticeable because of the prominent, wrinkled brow and slightly Roman nose. All the facial hair shared colour with ravens, though some silverish spots started appearing on his beard. Regardless of his wan body built, he was still a muscly man. He wasn't very tall - Bellatrix, indeed, was two inches taller than him.

"So, what brings you here?" Narcissa beamed, having a sudden urge not to listen to what Rodolphus was going to say, but to go through all the drawers in Lucius' desk. She could not believe she did not do that before.

"Since your husband is taking a long journey - to which I was not recruited - he took my wife away. But then, he was very concerned for you here, all alone... he sent me here to take care of you," he was saying, beaming back at her.

'Take care of me? If you try to touch me, I'll be jamming this candlestick down his anus... ooh, I wonder what he holds in the bottom drawer. He never opens that one when I'm around.'

"That is so caring of you, darling," she still beamed.

"Oh, it's nothing. What else are in-laws for than to be protected," he laughed with fake mirth.

'She won't talk as much when I nail her - Bellatrix always shuts'.

Narcissa joined in this sham charade, but at once her shimmery face converted into a nasty sort of threatening grimace, and Rodolphus abruptly stopped laughing.

Nosetrils on her slim pointy nose were flaring, and she said very imperiously: "You try as much as touch me, Rodolphus, I'll tell Lucius and he'll be slicing you in pieces."

"Funny thing, that is, indeed, the threat he just issued me before departing," sneered Rodolphus, his eyes definitely alert.

Narcissa, without second glance, got out of the room, and went to find Vanessa. She won't lose her job today after all, since if Rodolphus was staying at her house, she will need an extra servant.

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Harry's summer was traditional mix of suffering, boredom, and longing to be over. Dudley was insufferable bastard to all the little neighbour kids, and Harry was yenning to hex Dudley good. His top choice was to do to him what Hagrid did (grow him a nice tale that matches his appearance), but since it was very unoriginal, he decided that the curse which would make him allergic to unsaturated fat and sugar would be as good. But there is always the next year when he will be allowed to use the magic out of school - that is, if he does not get himself killed in the meantime while rescuing someone.

His birthday presents were two days late - they arrived on August 2nd. Harry assumed that the delay was due to the terribly hot and humid weather outside.

Throwing the book away, he reached for the parcels he got. Hermione sent him another homework planner. He also received a letter in which she also showed her concern for Harry losing his last one. She said that this new, improved one, would immidiately start shouting Harry's name, after Harry activated it, when it was lost. '...so you don't lose it,' wrote Hermione.

'Oh, that's a relief,' thought Harry.

Ron's present was a bit more amiable; it was a wand-polishing solution. Hagrid got him a book on dragons, and, to Harry's surprise, Lupin wrote him and got him a book on Occlumency. He also received an owl from Hogwarts with his OWL results (they were amiable - he receives marks high enough that will enable him to persuade his dream as an Auror). Last letter, that was brought by a very vicious black owl, was from Severus Snape. When Harry saw it was from him, he dropped it on the floor, jumping on his legs. He approached it carefully, fearing that it might bite or burn him, but it did neither. The parchment was rough under his hands and he opened it. Snape's narrow, violently slanted to left, handwriting, was not as neat as it usually was.

Dumbledore wants me to continue teaching you Occlumency. He obviously has too much faith in you, though it is obvious that your tiny mind is incapable of grasping such an advanced matter. He also wishes me to teach you Apparation (which you are undoubtedly too arrogant to be capable of performing). I will be coming on the 10th of August at 4pm. Be prepared.