As The Falcon Hath Her Bells: Taking Flight

Chapter Fifteen

The next summons from Voldemort was the day after the Christmas holidays began at Hogwarts.For Snape, it was five minutes of impatient waiting whilst Tosca found Musetta, wherever the hell she was.Musetta knew the procedure well by now, so they were at the Malfoy Manor quite quickly.Snape was still cursing angrily over the lost time, though.

A quick reconnaissance of the house's perimeter revealed that the Death Eaters were in none of the rooms with windows.He mutter a Locating Charm, then said quietly, They're in the dungeons tonight.He remembered all too well what had gone on in those dungeons years and years ago.He hoped that they weren't in store for it tonight.

Landing on the sitting-room windowsill, he said the Fenestration Charm, Fenestratis Dungeon, and there was suddenly a view of the dungeons in the window.A Sonorous Charm amplified the noises within enough to let them resonate through the charmed, now one-way, window. They could see and hear the Death Eaters, but blessedly, the reverse was not true.

He managed to quell the usual twinge of disgust at seeing Voldemort again, and at seeing the Death Eaters groveling over him, remembering how he had been years before.A long tirade from the Dark Lord about how Muggles, Mudbloods, and those who supported them were betraying the wizarding heritage, and Wormtail, whom Snape recognized from the gleam of his silver right hand, eagerly piped up that he would be proud to serve his Lord in the fight.

Voldemort's thin, lipless mouth turned up in a sneer."Very good, Wormtail.Always good at ingratiating yourself to the right people, aren't you?"A faint wave of laughter went through the waves of masked and robed Death Eaters."No, Wormtail, ridding the world of the Muggles is not possible until we kill," he said the word so casually, "those with magic who protect them.I grow weary of killing them off one by one, like the vermin they are.If their protection is gone, our work shall be accomplished with ease.Tell me, Wormtail, my eager pet, who do we need to eliminate?" he purred."A true servant should always be able to anticipate his master's wishes."

"Du--Dumbledore, my Lord," Wormtail stuttered."And Snape--he spied against us."

"Dumbledore, yessss," he hissed."Running that school and harboring any freak or Mudblood that comes his way and teaching them magic they are not worthy of.And yet he will not face me.The old man cowers in his ivory tower and tries to deny what is happening--tries to deny this revolution.The old fool, but a powerful and influential old fool indeed: we must destroy him."He paused.

"And I cannot have my Death Eaters betray us to the Muggle-lovers.Did I not say that to betray me meant your death by my hand when I welcomed you to my ranks?Apparently dear Severus," he sneered the name, "has forgotten his priorities.He is no longer a danger, but I have not forgotten him.If any of you can capture him and bring him to me for his--" an amused tone, "--just reward, you shall be at my right hand, rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.Dumbledore I shall have the pleasure of dealing with myself, when our power is great enough."

Snape couldn't help muttering that his captor's "reward" would likely be a cell in Azkaban and to be forgotten by Voldemort.He knew he was under sentence of death from Voldemort; hearing it again hardly affected him.He had lived with the shadow of death over him for over two years now.

You'll be safe at Hogwarts, right?Musetta gave him a worried glance.

Musetta, there's not been a wizard since Merlin himself who had the power to storm Hogwarts.My prison and my haven, he added with a touch of irony.Now, hush and listen.

"Snape is common Mudblood filth," Malfoy spoke up smoothly."He was obviously unworthy to serve you, even if he had his uses.It is better he is not here still tainting those who loyally serve you, my Lord."Snape would have rolled his eyes if he were less self-controlled.Once Lucius had found that tasty little morsel about him, he had seized it and never let it go.

Mudblood? Musetta squeaked, looking sharply at him.True: almost all the wizard world thought he was a pureblood.He had certainly cultivated the impression the best that he could.

He really didn't feel like explaining himself to a bloody falcon at the minute.Now now, Musetta.We have work to do!

The meeting went on for awhile, naming the targets for the next few weeks, Lucius Malfoy reporting upon new recruits."My son is eager to wear your Mark, my Lord, as soon as he is free from Dumbledore," he said, tones fraught with something near to paternal pride.Crabbe and Goyle echoed the sentiment for their sons.Snape sighed again to be reminded of his failure with those three.Pansy Parkinson was a loss as well--he had confirmed that.

Draco won't last five minutes, Musetta said confidently.

And why is that?

He wants everything his way--expects it.No discipline; he can't work with others, she replied calmly.And Voldemort expects discipline and obedience.

He'll be under Cruciatus within a week after joining, he agreed. How do you know all this? he asked suspiciously.There were times he was convinced Musetta wasn't just a falcon.She seemed too human at times.And too, she had refused to stay in his quarters with Tosca so she could be readily available for missions.Odd, but so long as she was a good partner to him, he really didn't care who or what she was.Besides, he knew Tosca wouldn't have paired him with a double agent for Voldemort or the like, so he was fairly confident.She had handled herself well thus far.

You know Hogwarts.Even the kitchen mice know everything going on.Is--is that why you favor him so?To ruin him, as it were?

Mostly.In years before, it had also been to keep his favor up with Lucius Malfoy so that he could rejoin the Death Eaters as a spy if Voldemort should return.After all, a Death Eater would certainly favor the child of another of the brotherhood.That obligation was gone now, however.Now stop talking, else I'll put a Laryngius Charm on you until we return to Hogwarts! he threatened.

Voldemort dismissed them and Disapparated himself, but a few of the Death Eaters remained."I hear you have some entertainment for the evening," Avery said smugly to Lucius.Snape's eyes went wide as he remembered what Avery and Malfoy considered "entertainment" at a Death Eater gathering.His muscles knotted tightly in sick frustration as he realized what was likely to happen; and that he could not prevent it.That would give him away and get him killed, which would lose valuable, life-saving information in the future.He knew he couldn't save whoever their victim was tonight, but he burned no less in rage for it.Silently, helplessly, he watched.

* * * * *

"Indeed."Lucius crossed the dungeon to open the door.Hermione's blood ran cold at the smirk on his face.Draco stood there, holding his wand, with a figure drifting limply beside him in the darkness.Somebody stunned and under Mobilicorpus, likely.Draco stepped cautiously into the dungeons, looking rather puzzled, and the unconscious figure bobbing beside him proved to be a pretty blond girl of about sixteen.She was dressed in a school blouse, sweater, and skirt, reminding Hermione of many of her counterparts at Hogwarts.What do they want with her?Entertainment? she thought wildly.

They put the girl upon a heavy oaken table, Goyle and McNair stepping forward to pin her arms down.Draco looked ready to leave, but his father gestured firmly for him to stay put.Lucius stepped casually up to her and studied the school patch upon her sweater."Our thanks to the Briarwood Academy for our guest this evening," he said, while the rest of the company snickered.He touched his wand to her forehead, and said, "Enervate!"Her eyes fluttered open, fixing immediately upon Lucius' smirking silvery-blond countenance.

"I don't know who you think you are, but my parents are looking--" she said, eyes wide in terror.

McNair clamped a rough hand across her mouth, cutting off her protests.Lucius looked at Draco, hooded eyes suddenly lighting up with something close to unholy merriment."Well, Draco, time for a taste of first blood?"Draco?Hermione's mind felt numb.This wasn't what she had thought--she had thought she'd deal with simple evil killers, not perverse monsters.But…why else would they kidnap a teenage girl and call it "entertainment"?With growing horror, she realized how utterly wrong she had been about what spying entailed.

It was the first time she had ever seen Draco Malfoy look frightened.His eyes darted wildly around the dungeons, never once resting upon the girl whose muffled shouts had grown more frantic as she slowly realized what Lucius was implying."Draco," Lucius said impatiently, with a warning tone to his voice.

Draco stepped forward, and she could see his knees trembling.McNair removed his hand from the girl's mouth, saying with a laugh that he wanted to hear her screams.The girl stared straight at Draco, whimpering pleas for him not to do this.He looked away.

He froze again, prodded only on by his father saying lazily that he had better prove himself, the threat in the words barely veiled.Don't do it! Hermione silently pleaded, hoping Draco would have the spine to refuse.But quickly he pulled up the girl's skirt and yanked off her underwear as if any hesitation would make him unable to do it.He tried to pry her legs apart, but she kept them firmly clenched, still begging.

Lucius applied the Imperius Curse, saying in a rather bored tone, "Now, spread your legs, slut.We haven't got all night."She obeyed; fighting it as best she could, tears running down her cheeks at her sheer powerlessness.Hermione let out a slight gasp.There was something obscene about making the girl assist her own rape, but Lucius was looking rather content at the sheer perversity of the idea.Draco carefully avoided looking at or touching the girl, fumbling beneath his robes as Lucius took off the Curse."Don't want her too willing, do we?" he smirked.

She wanted to cry out.She wanted to turn and run.But she was frozen in horror, unable to look away.She was as helpless to do anything as the girl on the table now screaming in pain.That could be me there, was racing through her brain like a poison.That could be me too easily.They hate Muggle-borns.Oh God, she had been so stupid!She had thought she could be a spy, be something grand and glorious, and never become dirtied by the taint of these perverts.She was being proved horrifically wrong right before her eyes.

Draco finished and stepped back, wiping his lip quickly, but not before Hermione saw the blood on it.He had bit clean through it.You didn't want to, but how could you? she asked silently, horrified.She knew him--he was a petty bully and a whining brat.She could never have imagined Draco Malfoy in depravities like this, though.But then, she hadn't imagined depravities of this sort either.

Avery stepped forward, took Draco's place, and hit the girl with Cruciatus during the rape, smiling almost blissfully to hear her choked cries of pain as she writhed beneath him.When he finished her off with the Killing Curse after he had taken his turn, she heard cries of protest from the others at missing out on their "fun".

She felt like she had suddenly been released from her transfixed state.Panicking, horrified, she felt her shape shifting, trying hard to return to its human form in her extreme stress and emotion.I--I have to go! she choked, firmly shoving herself back into falcon form and taking wing, bile rising in her throat.

She made it to a field a mile or two away, landing roughly as she resumed her human form almost painfully quickly.Collapsing to her hands and knees, ignoring the snow soaking her robes and the cold burning of it against her bare hands, she was violently sick.Shoulders heaving with sobs, she huddled there, wishing to Heaven that she had never heard of Animagism.Oh God--did Snape do things like that when he was a Death Eater? she thought wildly.Forcing himself on women and killing for amusement…She gave another dry heave at the thought of the man she had come to trust and sometimes almost like over the past months doing such things.

She suddenly heard the light crunch of footsteps behind her as she stared miserably at the snow, stomach finally coming to rest but mind and heart still infinitely sick. "Miss Granger," came the familiar voice, tones now cold and clipped, "we are going back to Hogwarts now.You had best start thinking of explaining yourself, and quickly."

Chapter Sixteen

Hermione said nothing while he almost dragged her from the edge of the Forbidden Forest all the way to his quarters.Tersely he barked, "Incendio," at the fireplace, obviously noticing her soaked robes and gesturing her impatiently to a chair by the fire.Can't shout at me if I freeze to death, she thought with a nearly hysterical mental giggle.Her brain still felt frozen and numb with the monstrosities she had just witnessed; the additional punishment of what Snape could now do to her barely registering on her consciousness.He briskly cast a Silencio on the room so none would overhear them, even the few who were at Hogwarts for this holiday.

She realized he was speaking and turned to him, not saying a word."…damn foolish!What in the hell were you thinking?"

She raised her eyes to meet his furiously blazing black ones."Please, sir," she said, the words rasping oddly, "I only wanted to help…"

"Do you realize that had that happened at a less opportune time you'd have gotten both of us killed?That you deceived me into jeopardizing the safety of one of my own students?"

"Yes, sir."She bit her lip and decided to have out with it.There was no use holding it back."I--I thought that this was my chance to be more than 'that ugly Mudblood Granger' or 'that bitch that broke the grade curve'.I wanted to prove that I could do something…"She swallowed hard.

"Damn Gryffindors," he swore, stalking over to her and roughly thrusting a mug of hot tea in her hands."Drink it.You're not getting away from this by freezing to death," he said grimly."You wanted some glory.That's it.Much as you decry us, at least a Slytherin would be honest about that ambition instead of trying to make it seem altruistic like you noble," here he sneered, "Gryffindors.So please, Miss Granger, no games.Admit it.You wanted glory, correct?"

"Yes," she admitted faintly, feeling warm again from the tea and the fire.

"You stupid girl!What the hell did you think spying was?What do you think Death Eater meetings entailed--milling around reading bits of awful, twee poetry we wrote?" he snapped.In other circumstances she might have laughed at that idea.She noticed he included himself as a Death Eater still.Has he ever forgiven himself? she wondered dully."Don't you realize--damn you, Granger!The last spy Voldemort caught was sent to her father in pieces a week later!You'll never earn glory as a spy, but you're very likely to earn an awful death."He paused for a moment.

"I saw it," he went on in almost a trance."There was no time to call for you or Tosca--she was out hunting, and of course I did not know where to find you.Do you realize how powerless you are as a spy, Miss Granger?"Here he paced the room almost nervously, perhaps from the recollection.His voice lowered to a near whisper."You may only observe--never act.You must weigh your actions--let the victims they've captured die so that you will not be killed in a foolhardy and futile attempt to save them, so that the information to save other lives is still open to you.But it tears at you no less to sit there so powerless, able only to report who they were, if they died well, how much they betrayed…"He sighed."You play God, Miss Granger, in deciding who must be sacrificed for the good of all, and that is an assuredly heavy and awkward burden."His eyes met hers, looking almost gentle for a moment."But you know that now, don't you?" he asked quietly.

She nodded slowly."But sir," she said, her voice slowly gaining strength, "I--I know how it is now.I'll be prepared for the next time."

"There will be no next time!"The eyes turned to blazing fury again."You will not risk your life--"

Now she dared oppose him."I have every bit as much right to risk my life to fight that--that monster as you!"

"I risk my life," he said slowly, "to pay a debt, Miss Granger.Not out of some misguided sentiment."Lies, she thought.He does this because he knows it's right.The debt was paid long ago for any mistakes he made.The fire burns every bit as bright in him, if not brighter; for he's seen the darkness, and knows it.It's not just a distant shadow to him.

"Sir," she pleaded, "I did well.You said so yourself…"

"That was before I knew you were an Animagus out of control!Good God, girl, how long have you been one?"

"Two months, sir.It--well, I just had never seen such a thing," she explained.

"You'd see much more, and worse," he said flatly, half-turning as if to hide some memory written openly across his face."I do not think there is a level they would not sink to."She realized that even in attempting to discipline her, the habit cultivated in the laboratory and on missions of treating her more as an equal stayed with him."That reminds me," he frowned."Tosca!" he shouted."If you're near, get in here!"

The white gyrfalcon lazily glided in the window.Evening, Sev, she said cheerfully.

"Tosca," he said, almost pleasantly."Would you care to explain your little part in facilitating Miss Granger to act as a spy?She quite easily could have gotten us killed, so I am quite interested to know what you had to do with this!"

Tosca turned and saw her.Got caught, did you? she said with a sigh.Gryffindors don't know how to deceive worth a damn, I swear.Very well, Severus; I heard her bemoaning to that cat of hers how useless and lonely she was.Spying gave you a purpose, so I figured she was a bright enough girl to try the same.Made her find your notes, she took a copy of them--

"You did what!" Snape said, turning to Hermione.

"Somewhat Slytherin of me," she offered a feeble joke, "don't you think?"

Tosca continued.She found her way through, I taught her to act falcon-like, and she said she wanted to help you.I figured she'd be a much better partner than I would, and so I introduced her to you.

"Musetta," Snape said, with a wry twist of the lips."Quite the misnomer."

She probably intended that, you lackwit, Tosca said dryly.All right, so the little passager has made a mistake; so did you in joining them years and years ago.Really, Severus, you need to learn to forgive and move on, especially for yourself.She's damn good; you said so yourself.

"I will not risk the life of a child under my care for some delusions of grandeur!" he said through gritted teeth.

"I am eighteen, Professor," she said, trying to gather a little dignity."So I am hardly a child.I can make my own decisions."

"You are still a ward of this school, Miss Granger, and subject to its rules.I could have you expelled with ease.All I need do is visit the Headmaster."Her cheeks drained of blood as she considered whether he was serious.Perhaps he was.

"If so," she said, lifting her chin and trying to sound brave, "knowing I helped save lives is worth it."

"Gryffindors," he muttered, making it sound like a foul word.

"Sir, you think me capable of a complex Memory Erasing Potion.Why do you doubt that if I work on my skills, I could be an equally good spy?After all, drinking a failed potion to test it could as easily cost me my life as a failed mission," she said reasonably.

"A little less at stake with the potion," Snape said wryly."This is not a game, Miss Granger.It is very real, very foul, and very dangerous."

"And I know that now.I know what they're capable of.I--didn't know before.I thought you only…killed the enemy, not…"

Rather like you in that aspect, hmm? Tosca nearly purred.You didn't think they did that sort of thing either when you first knew them, did you, Severus?Something within her was relieved to hear that.Did that mean he hadn't committed such atrocities?He had killed.That she was certain of.But perhaps he hadn't done such things as she had witnessed.

"Enough, Tosca," he said warningly.

"Sir?" she asked quietly."What will happen to Draco?He didn't look like he wanted to…but he did."

"That will be between Mister Malfoy and myself," he replied with a dismissive tone."You are not to mention it to him."

She decided to use another gambit."If you go spying, I swear I will fly after you," she said grimly."You need a partner, and I know Tosca will not do it any longer."Tosca nodded."My motives were foolish, but I genuinely wanted to lend aid.Why should Harry be the only young person capable of anything in this war?"

"You have not seen the worst, and if you cracked at that, I cannot trust you to maintain yourself in even darker situations."

She took a deep breath and gave him a challenging look.Gryffindor courage, Granger, she thought."Then show me the worst, Severus."She unconsciously called him by his first name, as she was used to it from her masquerade as Musetta."Show me the worst," she repeated, her gaze not wavering from his, "and if I can handle it, you'll keep me on and teach me so that I am capable.If I crack," she swallowed hard, "you'll go straight to Dumbledore.Is that agreed?"

"Miss Granger…"

"Come now, you Slytherins are fond of bargains.Either way, you win.You either retain the partner you need or you remove me as a risk entirely," she said, rising to her feet, feeling bolder by the moment."Show me."

* * * * *

Brown eyes bored into his with no hint of retreat.It was the most insane thing he had ever heard, and somehow also the most sensible.Once again he thought with regret she'd have made a fine Slytherin."Very well," he said smoothly.One glimpse of the things Death Eaters were capable of would have her shouting and running.He had no intention of going to Dumbledore.She had punished herself quite well enough by knowing the danger she had put them in, and seeing what she had.

With a resigned sigh, he performed a Summoning Charm, catching the Hypnos Potion as it came flying towards him.After ordering her to drink some, and taking a few swigs of the fiery stuff himself, he reached for her hand.He would not use a Pensieve so that she could accuse him of editing or omitting memories.She gave him a puzzled look as he took her hand in his, noticing idly the calluses of Potions work.She's not screaming at me touching her at least, he noticed with something close to relief.After what had happened, he would not be surprised if she automatically assumed he had been involved in such activities.Tosca's running interjections had dispelled that notion; at least.

He thought of Draco Malfoy for a moment.The boy had done something terrible, indeed, but so too had he when he was little more than a boy.And Malfoy obviously had no taste for a Death Eater's games.Perhaps he was redeemable still.He somehow hoped Draco would seek him out, because he could hardly talk to the boy without revealing his spying role and possibly betraying himself into Voldemort's hands if Draco had no intent of reform.Still, that could be dealt with later; but he had the feeling that Dumbledore had gained a powerful ally in Draco Malfoy this night.

"Sir?" she asked softly, and he stupidly realized he was still holding her hand in his.Feeling a slight flush in his cheeks of embarrassment, he brought her hand to his forehead and murmured the words of the Binding Spell.Combined with the Hypnos Potion, this would allow her to see into his mind and find the memories.Foolishness, he thought again, just as he felt the odd flowing sensation of the Mind-Meld.