The Source of Magic

Chapter 3 ~ Class Reunion at Spinner's End

Severus Snape was sitting comfortably in an old armchair, absorbed in an ancient leather-covered book. A number of similar dusty tomes lay piled haphazardly on the rickety old table; some had scraps of parchment marking places of interest.

"Researching a new potion, Severus?"

Snape instinctively went for his wand but found he was unable to move. It felt like an Impediment Jinx, except he was able to move his head; and he did not need to move it far to find the source of the unexpected voice. Sitting casually on the threadbare sofa opposite, was a stranger dressed in weird eastern-looking clothes.

"How the hell did you Apparate past my wards?" demanded Snape. "Who are you, and what do you mean by intruding uninvited upon my privacy?"

"Come, come, Severus, is that a polite way to greet a long lost school friend?" asked the stranger, smiling innocently.

"I had no friends at school," spat Snape, desperately trying to place the stranger. There was something familiar about him. After a few moments, he said, "You were in my year at Hogwarts, I think."

"Very good, Severus; we were not exactly friends, but we did tolerate each other. Although, as I recall, you did have one friend ... one very good friend ... what happened to her?"

Snape's face turned a pallid white. He did not want to think about Miranda. He had trained his mind not to go there. The stranger was staring hypnotically into his eyes, and he found himself unable to turn away. Snape stared back at him disbelievingly, his mind completely open to the stranger - except it was not a stranger. He knew exactly who was plundering his mind; it was Jason Trolove, whom he had not seen for twenty years, since their seventh year at Hogwarts. How had he so effortlessly bypassed the considerable and elaborate defences he had constructed to thwart such intrusions? Even Voldemort, considered the greatest living Legilimens, was unable to penetrate his defences. Worse still, he had no idea what memories Trolove was trawling through, what secrets he was unearthing. After several minutes, he was able to turn his head away and avert his gaze, although the rest of his body remained immobilised. Presumably the intrusion was over.

"Where have you been since Hogwarts, Trolove?" he asked in a flat, controlled voice, not wishing to acknowledge the humiliating mental invasion.

"Oh, here and there, Severus. I've been pursuing some of the ideas I used to speculate about in our school days."

"Like your Unified Theory about Magic, the Universe, and Everything?" sniped Snape derisively.

"Something like that, Severus. From the way I bypassed your secret-keeper, industrial-strength wards, and sophisticated anti-intrusion devices, then disabled you and learned everything I wanted to know from your own mind, would you say I've been wasting my time?"

Snape grunted and then added evenly, "It would have been more polite to ask. What exactly did you wish to know?"

"You're as cunning as ever, Severus; damage assessment time, is it? Trying to find out what I've learned? Considering the company you keep these days, and the possibility that anything I tell you could be involuntarily given up to others, you will appreciate it if I am a little circumspect about what I say - even though we are on the same side - which, of course, was the first thing I wanted to know."

Snape fixed Jason with an inscrutable glare.

"Come on, Severus, I've been inside your head. I've seen Dumbledore's brilliant plan: Knowing he'd sustained a mortal injury to his wand hand, and didn't have long to live, he decided to use his death to lay Voldemort's lingering doubts about your loyalty to rest. Not only did you obtain Voldemort's total trust, but you were forced to flee Hogwarts, giving you the opportunity to rejoin him and to get close enough to learn what Dumbledore had been unable to discover for himself."

Snape sighed. There was clearly no point remaining silent any longer, Trolove had taken the crown jewels. He shuddered to think of his fate if Trolove was not really on his side, as he claimed. "I don't suppose you are going to tell me how you managed to invade my mind," hissed Snape resentfully.

"Not a chance. The less you know about me the better. So, anyway, Dumbledore figured the only way of finding the remaining Horcruxes was from the only person who knows where they are hidden - Voldemort himself. Any luck yet with creating the potion to overcome Voldemort's legendary Occlumency skills and to peruse his mind unnoticed?"

Snape remained silent, glaring at Jason. "Come on, Severus. I was trying to be polite and give you the chance to cooperate. Do you really want me to get the answer myself?"

"No! To both questions," spat Snape. "Would you like me to give you a personal introduction the Dark Lord? Or better still, Polyjuice you to look like me? Perhaps you think with your considerable skills you would be better able than I to obtain the crucial information? But, I must warn you, Trolove, he would kill you on the spot - your intrusion was very obvious."

"It was meant be," replied Jason. "I wanted you to know what I was doing so we could discuss my ... findings. But it can be done without trace, even without eye-contact. If you don't have any luck with the potion, you might consider letting me have a try," he said.

"I'll bear it in mind," said Snape contemptuously. "And what else were you rummaging for in my mind, Trolove?"

"I already knew why you became a Death Eater - I believe James Potter deserves the dubious credit. But I was curious to know why you changed sides and joined Dumbledore."

"And have you satisfied your voyeuristic curiosity?" asked Snape coldly, turning pale.

"Yes, Severus, I have, and well ... I'm sorry."

Snape remained silent, his face still pale as he struggled to control his emotions. There was an awkward silence.

"I better go," said Jason suddenly. "Pettigrew is approaching. I'll drop by some other time. Take care, Severus."

With that he was gone, and Snape found himself able to move. Dumbledore had mentioned just before his death that someone would come to help Potter. Clearly, he was referring to Trolove. He could not help but be impressed at Trolove's powers; he certainly had not wasted his time since Hogwarts. But he would need more than magical powers to keep James Potter's arrogant brat under control; personally, he would rather deal with the Dark Lord, any day.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Harry was sitting in the lounge after dinner, a week after arriving at the Burrow. Hermione had her head buried in a book, and Ginny, who had just beaten him and Ron rather spectacularly at Gobstones, was grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat.

Harry let out an enormous yawn; he was suddenly feeling really tired. "That's it for me," he said, getting to his feet, "I think I need an early night." He climbed the stairs to his room on autopilot, but as soon as he entered, he was suddenly wide awake. There, lounging comfortably in the battered old armchair in the corner was Jason. He was again wearing weird, loose-fitting clothes. Tonight they were a strange assortment of bright colours, which Harry thought made him look like a clown.

"How did you get past the wards and all the other protections?" asked Harry.

Jason just grinned. "I hope you're not still tired?"

"Did you do that ... make me feel tired, so I'd come up here?"

Jason said nothing; he just continued grinning in that infuriating manner.

"Um ... would it be alright, if--"

"Yeah, sure, it's great idea; I was going to suggest it myself," said Jason before Harry could finish. "Your friends will be on their way up soon. I expect they will be feeling tired, too. Why don't you go intercept them."

When Harry returned with Ron and Hermione, his bed had been transformed into a large, comfortable couch.

Jason got to his feet. "Hermione Granger, we meet again," he said mysteriously as he shook her hand.

"What?" asked Hermione. She was quite certain that she had never seen him before in her life.

"And you must be Ron Weasley," he said taking Ron's hand, ignoring Hermione's confusion. "Obviously, Harry is going to pass on everything I say to the pair of you, so you might as well hear it first-hand. Take a seat," he said, waving towards the large couch. Ron turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow, cocking his head towards Jason. He was obviously as unimpressed with him and his weird foreign getup as Harry.

"Have we met before?" asked Hermione, puzzled.

"You'll find out," said Jason, smiling cryptically.

Hermione could not make him out. "So, it was you who made us suddenly start yawning and wanting to go to bed, wasn't it?"

Jason nodded.

"Ginny joked that her mother must have spilled sleeping potion in the dinner tonight, the way we were all nodding off. She was the only one who wasn't tired."

"I think Harry would prefer for Ginny not to join us," replied Jason, giving Harry one of his penetrating looks.

"Yeah ... definitely," exclaimed Harry. Then he quickly asked, "So did you find Snape?" Jason looked fit and healthy, so Harry was guessing the answer was 'no'.

"Yes," replied Jason, draping himself over the corner armchair. "We had a nice friendly chat."

"What? You mean he didn't try to hex you or curse you?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"He didn't get the chance. He was immobilised the whole time apart from his head, and I didn't get close enough to find out if he bites."

The three students laughed at the image of their dreaded Potions master in such a bind. "I would have loved to have seen the slimy git--" began Ron gleefully.

But he was cut off by Hermione, who elbowed him in the ribs. "Did you learn anything useful?" she asked.

"Indeed I did - several things. Firstly, Dumbledore planned his own death. Snape did not want to go through with it, but Dumbledore insisted. He--"

"I don't believe it!" interjected Harry angrily. "You've been duped by Snape - just like Dumbledore was. How can you believe Snape's version of what happened? He's a professional liar - of course he was going to say something like that!"

"But he didn't say it. I would not believe the word of someone who is presumed to be working for Voldemort."

"Well, if you used Legilimency, he still fooled you," said Harry. "It may be easy enough to read my mind, but Snape is one of the best Occlumens around. He told me himself he could fool Voldemort, who's supposed to be the greatest Legilimens alive. He said he'd been hiding his true allegiance to Dumbledore for years. I reckon he could make you think exactly what he wanted."

"But, Harry, you're contradicting yourself," said Hermione. "If Snape's been working for Voldemort all along as you claim, then he had nothing to hide from him."

"True," said Ron. "But he sure as hell had something to hide from Dumbledore, who is ... err ... well, who was, probably almost as good a Legilimens as You-Know-Who."

"Yes, I do know who," said Jason, "but his name is Voldemort. Would you mind using it? I find all this You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named nonsense rather silly. In any case, I did not use Legilimency. I have learnt many things in my travels that are unknown here. I had total access to Severus' mind and learned everything I needed to know."

"But what was the point of Dumbledore throwing his life away like that?" demanded Harry, still unconvinced.

"Dumbledore was dying. The injury he sustained to his wand hand, from the Horcrux concealed in the ring, would not heal. The curse that caused it to wither was slowly permeating his whole body; there was no counter-curse or antidote. Knowing he had only a short time to live, he decided to use his death as conclusive proof of Severus' loyalty to Voldemort - who had always had his suspicions. Furthermore, Severus would be forced to flee Hogwarts, putting him frequently in Voldemort's presence.

"Severus told Dumbledore that Draco Malfoy had been ordered to kill him, and he was persuaded by Dumbledore to magically commit himself to do the deed if Draco failed (something Dumbledore confidently expected). He was waiting for Draco to make his move, and although the infiltration of Hogwarts by Death Eaters was unexpected, he pursued his plan with the utmost determination when the opportunity finally presented itself. Why do you think he disabled you with that Freezing Charm, Harry? He had to prevent you from saving him - and ruining everything."

"But why did Dumbledore want Snape back with You-Know ... err, Voldemort? Is Snape supposed to kill him?" asked Ron.

"No, of course not," said Hermione. "Voldemort can't be killed yet - well not completely - he would just come back again. He can't really be killed until the remaining Horcruxes are destroyed - that must have been the whole point of getting Snape close to Voldemort - to find out where he has hidden them. After all, Snape is a very accomplished Legilimens."

"Spot on," said Jason. "Yes, that, in a nutshell, was Dumbledore's plan."

"I guess it does kind of make sense," conceded Harry. "Voldemort is the only one who knows where they are. Well, maybe not all of them. Someone stole one - the one concealed in Slytherin's locket. They stole the locket from the cave and left another one in its place with a message that said the Horcrux would be destroyed. But, what if they weren't able to destroy it? What if it's hidden and Voldemort doesn't know where? Anyway, there are the other three. How is Snape going to get past the defences of such a powerful Occlumens to find out where they are?"

"Severus is trying to create a potion that will both weaken Voldemort's powers of Occlumency and also prevent him from noticing an intrusion. It would not be difficult for him to include some of it with one of the other potions he regularly brews for Voldemort. I think we can all appreciate that finding and destroying the Horcruxes is the most important task right now. Until it's done, Voldemort remains immortal."

"Maybe you should do it," said Harry. "With your abilities, you would have no trouble extracting the information from Voldemort's mind. You could Polyjuice yourself to look like one of his Death Eaters." Harry didn't say it, but he secretly doubted Jason would have the nerve to go anywhere near Voldemort.

"Indeed, I have offered to do just that, but Severus likes to do things his own way."

There was silence while they digested the new information about Dumbledore's death and Snape's allegiance, which appeared to be to their side, after all. Hermione finally asked, "You told Harry you wanted to find out why Snape changed sides and joined Voldemort, did you?"

Jason sighed. "As I told Harry, it was his father destroying Severus' relationship with Miranda Malfoy that set him on the road to becoming a Death Eater. Severus felt utterly betrayed by Miranda; he never spoke to her again while we were at school. One of the tasks of Death Eaters was to recruit others to Voldemort's cause. Being invited to become a Death Eater was not something that could be easily refused. Methods of persuasion included threats against family members, who might be tortured or even killed.

"Severus was ordered to recruit Miranda Malfoy. She seemed the ideal candidate. She was from a pure-blood family who were all supporters of Voldemort. She was also a very powerful witch with a brilliant academic record at Hogwarts - just the sort of person Voldemort prized. Severus, himself newly recruited, could not refuse the order - not if he wanted to live. So, he gave Miranda the invitation. When she refused to join, he pleaded with her. Since all her family were either Death Eaters themselves or committed supporters of Voldemort, they were safe - but she was not. He told her she would be killed if she continued to refuse.

"When it became apparent that he could not convince her to join, Severus implored Miranda to flee or to go into hiding; he even offered to help her, but she stubbornly refused. Finally, Severus received the order to kill her. It was a simple choice: kill or be killed. He put it off as long as he possibly could, but finally he did it. He was immediately overwhelmed with guilt and remorse. He discovered that his feelings for Miranda had not been extinguished by her betrayal at school, as he had believed, but merely repressed, and now they burst forth with a vengeance. He had killed the only person he had ever loved and been loved by. The guilt was unbearable. He knew he could not leave the Death Eaters - the only way out was in a coffin, so he went to Dumbledore and offered his services as a spy."

Hermione sniffled and wiped away a tear. "Poor man, what a terribly sad story."

"Well it's certainly more believable than Snape changing sides because he felt guilty about my parents being killed," said Harry. "That's what Dumbledore thought. He said Snape blamed himself because he overheard Trelawney giving her prophecy to him at the Hog's Head and then repeated it to Voldemort. I knew Snape would never have felt bad about being responsible for my Dad's death. I bet he gloated over it."

"I very much doubt that, Harry, despite the longstanding enmity between them, and what your father did to destroy his relationship with Miranda. And Severus certainly would have been most upset knowing his actions had led to Lily's death. Despite her being Muggle-born, Severus came to respect and admire your mother. You could almost have called them friends by sixth year. In any case, Severus could not have known to whom the prophecy referred when he passed it on to Voldemort. It would have taken Voldemort some time to determine that himself. Severus could not possibly have known what the consequences would be."

Harry grunted; he still blamed Snape for giving Voldemort the prophecy that led to his parents' deaths, and he could not imagine Snape feeling the least bit guilty about the part he played. He still hated Snape - just like Snape hated him. Then he remembered what he wanted to ask Jason. "What about the prophecy you said my mother gave, the one Dumbledore mentioned in his messages, what was that about?"

"Another sad story," said Jason with a sigh, looking momentarily a little lost and downcast. "But I suppose you have a right to know. As I told you, your mother and I were best friends from our first day at Hogwarts. At some stage that friendship turned into love, although we didn't realise it until fourth year. Maybe Lily realised it sooner; girls are a bit more perceptive about these things. We were inseparable, and the bond between us grew stronger each year. It seemed inconceivable that we would ever part.

"Then, in our sixth year, Lily started having visions. She'd never had much faith in divination, despite sometimes experiencing premonitions that turned out to be accurate, or instinctively knowing something, like Remus being a werewolf. She'd always dismissed these things as coincidence or intuition, but now she began to suspect that she might have the Sight.

"At first the visions were vague and indistinct, but they became clearer over time, and eventually they coalesced into two quite different and contradictory portents of the future. In one, the wizarding world was overcome by darkness and evil. She called it the Future of Darkness. But in the other, the forces of darkness were forestalled for many years, and there seemed a real possibility they might finally be defeated. She called it the Future of Hope. Lily was not sure what to make of the visions and did not attach too much importance to them at first. Even if they were true, there was nothing she could do to determine which one would eventuate.

"But, at the start of our seventh year, the nature of the visions changed. They became more clearly defined and detailed. Previously, the future worlds she saw were vague and impersonal; there were no identifiable individuals, no one she knew or recognised. But now, there were people she knew, including herself in both visions. This greatly disturbed her, and she desperately wanted them to stop, but they wouldn't. For months she refused to talk to me about the people in her visions. It was the first time she had ever been unable to confide in me. It was a very difficult time for Lily. Finally, she could bear it no longer and told me everything.

"The Future of Darkness, she said, was just a few years after we finished school. Voldemort triumphed and everyone who opposed him was brutally murdered. In the terrible nightmare world that followed, Voldemort's Death Eaters exterminated all the Squibs and Muggle-born witches and wizards. Lily said she could see us in that future world. We were together, and we perished along with all the other Muggle-borns in the Great Purification.

"The Future of Hope seemed to Lily to be quite a bit further in the future. Although she could not see what preceded it, she thought there must have been some kind of struggle in which Voldemort and his Death Eaters were somehow contained. Eventually, a young wizard arose who had the power to destroy Voldemort. That wizard was her son ... and his father was ... James Potter."

The three students gasped. Harry felt a chill run down his spine. They remained silent, waiting for Jason to continue.

"Lily thought that if we stayed together, the Future of Darkness would come to pass; whereas, if she married James Potter, the Future of Hope would prevail. She thought her actions - her choice - could determine the future. I was not convinced that either of the two competing futures would necessarily eventuate - or that Lily's choice was the key determinant. And even if she was right, even if she married James and ushered in the Future of Hope, there was no guarantee their son would defeat Voldemort - she never saw how it ended. I never mentioned my doubts to Lily; I was convinced she had the Sight, and I had to respect her decision - whatever it might be. But Lily was unable to decide what to do. Eventually, I suggested she go to Professor Dumbledore and seek his advice.

"Dumbledore treated Lily's visions seriously. But he also cautioned that visions were not infallible and their meanings were not always what they appeared to be. He thought there was a real possibility that Lily's choice would determine the future, but he said there was no way of knowing for sure. Ultimately it was up to Lily; she would have to decide whether to act on her visions or not."

"What a terrible choice to have to make," said Hermione. "To have to choose between what you love and want on the one hand, and what might be best for everyone on the other - and never knowing whether your choice would ultimately matter or not. It must have been incredibly distressing for her."

"It nearly tore her apart," said Jason, sighing. "She begged Professor Dumbledore to decide, or at least tell her what he would do in her place. But he steadfastly refused. Then, there was a new development. Lily saw something further in the Future of Hope vision. It was me. I had come to guide her son, to help him destroy Voldemort. She was persuaded that if the Future of Hope came to pass, and I helped her son, he would defeat Voldemort and avert a terrible catastrophe in which thousands would perish."

Jason's voice had become thick with emotion; a tear ran down his cheek. Hermione was sobbing into her handkerchief. "So that finally made her decide?" asked Hermione softly, her voice muffled.

Jason took several deep breaths and his voice became calm and clear. "No, Lily still hesitated. She hesitated because she did not completely trust her visions; she did not fully believe in her own powers as a Seer. She wanted proof that the Future of Hope would really happen if she made the terrible choice which lay before her."

"But how could it be proven?" asked Hermione.

"It was proven. I am sorry, but I cannot explain. Lily got her proof that the Future of Hope would really happen if she left me for James. I never blamed her for her choice at the time; and now, with twenty-twenty hindsight, it is absolutely clear that she made the correct decision. But I could not remain at Hogwarts. I knew she would soon be with James. He had made it obvious for years that he fancied her. I couldn't bear to see them together, and I knew it would be just as hard for Lily to keep seeing me in class and around school. It was best for both of us if I left. So I returned to my parents' place in Coventry. Dumbledore was very supportive. He arranged for my professors to owl me lecture notes and mark my assignments for the few months of school that remained. I returned to Hogwarts for the NEWT examinations. Dumbledore prepared a disused classroom where I slept, ate, and sat my exams. I never saw Lily or any other student. Immediately after the exams, I left England. I couldn't bear to be a part of the same wizarding community as Lily ... and James. It wasn't hatred; it was love. But I did not want to see them. I did not want to think about her."

"But, you must have known that war was coming," said Harry critically, "especially after my mother's visions. How come you didn't stay and fight Voldemort - like my parents did? Like Sirius and Lupin and all the others who joined the Order of the Phoenix?"

"I am not proud that I left, Harry. But it was not fear of Voldemort that drove me away. I could not have been in the Order of the Phoenix together with your parents. I hope none of you ever experience such overwhelming emotions. They overcame all reason, all other considerations, and moral imperatives. I had to leave." Then giving Harry a penetrating look, he added, "What you are experiencing at the moment is nothing in comparison, and I would not wish it on you."

Harry squirmed uncomfortably as Ron looked at him uncomprehendingly and Hermione, sympathetically. She knew he was referring to Harry's struggle to part with Ginny.

Jason concluded, "So I left, and occupied myself for the next twenty years, trying to find answers to the question which had been rattling around in my head since I first came to Hogwarts. But I'll leave that for another time." He smiled a sad smile and disappeared in the same moment that the couch reverted to a bed, leaving them sprawled awkwardly across it. Hermione jumped up, and after checking that the chair where Jason had been sitting was really empty, she sat down, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. Harry and Ron sat up on the edge of the bed.

It was Ron who spoke first. "You know, Harry, he may have been a Ravenclaw, but I think he might turn out to be quite a powerful wizard. Anyone who could do that to Snape deserves some credit."

"I can see why your mother was in love with him," said Hermione, in a slightly dreamy voice. "He is rather attractive ... and those blue eyes ...."

"I've got blue eyes, too," mumbled Ron peevishly. Then realising the obvious inference, he tried to change the subject. "Anyway, he's old enough to--"

"Date Rosmerta?" asked Hermione archly.

Ron, who could never keep his eyes off the shapely barmaid when he was at the Three Broomsticks turned red, but kept silent - he definitely did not want to go there.

Harry had been very quiet since Jason left. Hermione looked at him with concern; he looked upset and confused. She suspected her comment about his mother being in love with Jason had not helped. "Are you upset about your mother and Jason?" she asked, determined to get him to talk about it.

Harry remained silent.

"Well, of course he is--" began Ron, but he was silenced by a withering glare from Hermione.

"Just because she was in love with Jason when she was younger, doesn't mean that she didn't like your Dad ... or eventually come to love him," said Hermione.

"Yeah, well, how do you think my Dad would have felt, knowing my Mum was only with him because of some vision, because she was trying to save the world? Not very nice for him, was it? And if she told him about the vision, then he would have had to stay with her, even if he didn't want to." The image of his mother and father, happily in love with each other, that he had carried since he was eleven lay in tatters.

"But she wouldn't have told him," said Hermione.

"How do you know?" asked Ron.

"Jason told Harry that only his mother, he, and Dumbledore knew about the visions."

"Yeah, but he left Hogwarts and the country," said Harry, "he doesn't know what happened afterwards."

"True," said Hermione, "but I'm sure she wouldn't have told your father. Firstly, it would have been really unkind. Secondly, if he knew why she had split up with Jason and become his girlfriend, he might not have wanted her, being so proud - and she was determined to fulfil the vision."

"It's still not very nice for my Dad," said Harry, aggrieved.

"Your mother probably came to really love your father," said Hermione. "After all, just about every other girl in school had a crush on him. He looked just like you, so he must have been very good-looking," she added with a mischievous grin.

Ron snorted and was about to say something, but he thought better of it and kept his silence.

"Yeah, you might be right," said Harry. "Everyone who knew them says how happy they were together, so maybe it did happen that way. Still, I don't like hearing Jason talking about my Mum and all."

"Actually, I thought he was being very careful not to say too much about their feelings," said Hermione. "He just stuck to the facts. What I want to know is why he acted as if he knew me when I came into the room; and I really want to know what he was researching for twenty years. It sounds fascinating."

"The only thing I want to know," said Harry, "is how he's going to help me defeat Voldemort."