Death Whispers

Chapter Five - Codes and Breakthroughs

Hogwarts, 6th November 1981

Severus walked into the Great Hall cautiously. It was barren without students and the charmed sky looked bleak. The staff table was sparse, Severus scanned it for faces he recognised, Professor Binns, Professor McGoungall, Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick had all been here in his day, and the others were new.

He noticed that the staff were staring at him too. They looked grave. Albus Dumbledore, however, looked as radiant as always.

"Ah, Severus," he rose and greeted the man, "so good of you to join us."

The teachers eyes had united upon him on his arrival, now after Dumbledore's warm welcome their eyes darted to one another questioningly.

Minerva McGonagall had taught in his day and he recognised her as she glanced at him lips pursed in the thinnest of lines. She didn't even try to whisper as she pulled Dumbledore aside.

"What," she demanded, "is he doing here?"

Severus still hovered by the table not sure about this arrangement at all. He felt like a student again.

Dumbledore ignored her and smiled.

"Staff," he addressed the small number at the table, "I would like you to meet our new Potions Professor, Severus Snape."

They glared at him. He looked to the faces he recognised, Professors Spout, Filtwick and even the ghost Binns seemed to be offended by his presence, their eyes screamed 'guilty!' Did they think he couldn't be trusted? Is this what was expected of him? It was not a friendly introduction and it put Severus on guard. He drew himself up taller and pasted a blank expression on his face. He deserved no less.

"Professors," Severus nodded curtly, or rather jerked his head irritably at the table and then turned his attention to Dumbledore, "I brought you this," and he handed over the black folder shining with the Dark Mark. Worst suspicions confirmed the staff started to murmur uneasily.

"Thank you Severus," said Dumbledore looking at the opened folder. Severus had kept some of the maps and some vague documents and felt no guilt as he handed the incomplete file over, "Won't you join us?" Dumbledore offered.

"No thank you Professor, I have lessons to prepare for," Severus said curtly, and turned on his heel.

Dumbledore nodded dejected but understood and bade him good day. Severus walked the long empty distance across the hall and felt the teacher's eyes boring into his back. He didn't even reach the entrance hall before the staff table exploded with commotion.

******

"'Ello," said a gruff voice. Hagrid looked into the small dungeon office of Severus Snape. He sat behind a small table with papers, assumably lesson plans, spread over it. Upon hearing his intruder his head jerked up and eyes glittered dangerously.

Severus Snape's gaze however went unnoticed by the bumbling friendly face of Hogwarts Groundkeeper Rubeus Hagrid. He was huge yet his small round black eyes shone friendly yet uncertain as he hovered in the doorframe.

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds," he said taking a tentative step into the office, and offering a huge gnarled hand across the table. Hagrid had been nervous in this mans presence but quickly puffed himself out with pride reminding himself that he was one of Dumbledore's most trusted personnel. This was a position of which he thanked himself for everyday, he felt undeserving of so such trust. But, Dumbledore was a great man and despite Hagrid's unfavourable background he was one of his trusted circle. Oddly enough for Hagrid this stern young man also earned the headmasters trust and after seeing the new recruit flee from the Great Hall this morning felt compelled to come visit him.

Severus continued to stare at him in vain. He recognised Hagrid from his days at Hogwarts, however had never talked to the man before, in fact, as a child he had always been rather scared of him. This time it was Hagrid who looked a little anxious.

"Can I help you?" Severus asked bitterly, turning back down to his papers to signal that he was busy and ignoring the outstretched hand.

Hagrid, bless his soul, continued when others in his position would have fled never to return. He sat in the seat opposite Severus his large frame falling over the edge.

"Things didn' seem ter go so well in the hall this mornin', just wanted yer to know that it'll be alrigh'. People will warm up to yer, bit like myself when I first started."

"I gather you don't share their sentiments then?" Severus asked eyebrow cocked.

"Nup," Hagrid answered smiling broadly, "yer seem alright ter me, a little on the nervous side, eh, don' worry yer'll be fine, and Dumbledore trust's yer an all, great man Dumbledore. Look here if yer ever feeling a bit wurried, don' yer fret one bit, yer here, jus' come down an see me, I'll make you sum tea an cake. Classes should be easy enough yer jus' gotta know how to handle them. Like a Acromantula, big an scary for some, but once you know how to calm em."

Pausing to change the subject Hagrid asked, "Wot yer workin' on there?"

Severus looked at the man and hesitated a short time before answering, "Lesson plans for fifth year, Dumbledore said I could have reign on the syllabus so I'm making some changes."

"Oh," said Hagrid genuinely interested, "I never finished potions meself, jus' between yer and me thou, been tryin' a potion to keep away Doxies from the cabbages."

"You should try a Trioxy Potion," Severus suggested summoning a book from the shelf, "You'll see the properties of silthine will coat the Doxies wings and arms without harming the cabbages. They won't come back after that, smart things Doxies, and one you stopped them breeding there."

He handed Hagrid the book and relaxed into his chair just a little as he watched the big man thumb through it. The two spent the next half-hour talking, or rather Hagrid asked a lot of questions that Severus answered, about all sorts of potions. Hargid grinned, Dumbledore had once told him that to get formidable people to talk you had to approach them with a topic they liked. In fact, Hagrid wondered if Dumbledore had told him that with this exact eventuality in mind. Hagrid smiled knowingly.

Great man Dumbledore.

*******

"I've got most of these codes Albus," Emmeline said into the fireplace, and then jumped back as Albus Dumbledore walked right into her small house in Godric's Hollow. The tiny wiazrding town was a close-knit community and one that after the war and the destruction of the Potter's house were still in grief.

"You could have warned me," she said adjusting her nightgown and purple shawl.

Dumbledore chuckled as he reached down and scratched behind the ear of a kneazle. It purred and another two came to rub Dumbledore's legs. Emmeline looked on with anger as her kneazles took a warm interest in the old man. They were obviously taking sides and she glared at the headmaster astutely.

"Albus! You brought cat treats!" she exclaimed outraged.

"I have too when travelling here," he chortled.

He stopped petting the creatures and returned his attention to Emmeline who asked, "How's Harry?"

"He is living with his family in Surrey," Dumbledore answered.

"Aren't they Muggles?" asked Emmeline. "You know my husband and I would be happy to take him, half the families in the Hollow would. It seems so empty here without the Potters, the large house on the hill just smoky ruins." Emmeline clutched her nightgown protectively.

"I know, but he is safer there," said Albus.

"You don't think the dangers past?" asked Emmeline.

Albus sighed, "I fear not."

Just last week he had performed the charms to protect Harry in the care of his relatives calling on a binder, his old friend, squib Arabella Figg, and old blood magic. Arguments had broken about where to put the boy however he was most protected in his relative's care.

Albus sat down on Emmeline's couch and thumbed through the coded papers on the coffee table.

"It has to be over," Emmeline said softly, "it is awful. The codes, Jugson must have written them, the runes were perfect he's the only one that could have done them, taught him myself. There are some pretty shocking orders here, the Travers murder and the Bone's. The worst though, are these," she said and pulled more decoded papers from beside her chair. Albus looked at them gravely and Emmeline continued, "They are plans. It has to be over, there was talk of testing, a sort of wizard Holocaust...."

Albus interrupted as his face paled, "Severus managed to open it, he told me of some of the plans," and he handed the black folder over to Emmeline.

The wizard went quiet as she quickly shuffled through the new papers Dumbledore had given her. She gasped choking back rising bile. Thank God she was sitting down. Decoding the plans had been enough, know that some were implemented, it sickened her, and she tossed them onto the table.

"Did he have any part in this?" she eventually asked the anger in his voice shaking.

"No," Albus answered, "he knew it was going on, put a stop to it when he came to me, says it's part of the reason he came. Stopped it from happening to her."

Emmeline shook her head she didn't believe him, as wise as Albus was he wasn't all knowing. Emmeline would never trust a traitor but she knew better than to say that.

"Are there names?" she asked, looking up hopefully.

"Only one," Dumbledore sighed, "Blair Dolohov and he is dead, killed by Aurors when they reached the camp."

Blair Dolohov, the name evoked so much fear, Emmeline would not speak it. He was known for aggressive blood lust but could anyone perform these atrocities?

"They're going to get away," she growled, her voice bitter, "Get away, with this," and she gestured over the coffee table, "It's not right, it's not right. And, if he comes back......" Emmeline was a strong woman and she had trouble keeping the tears from her eyes.

"The Aurors are still searching, we might find him soon, while he's weak," Albus offered.

"Don't count on it, the whole Ministry's a mess, they couldn't find a Dragon on a doormat, why do you think I'm thinking about leaving," Emmeline said jumping up.

Albus cleaned his glasses and conjured up some tea. "Sit," he kindly commanded.

Albus stirred in some sugar and the two sat in silence and sipped their tea.

"We need you Emmeline, stay with the Ministry. This is what we have been fighting; we'll stop this." Albus said and he took the younger woman's hand.

"You bet we will," Emmeline growled, "I'll find the one who started this if it kills me!"