Harry Potter and the Guild of the Night

Chapter 22

Harry was quiet and subdued when he joined his friends for breakfast the next morning and they watched him with concern. They became doubly concerned when they realised that he had disengaged his Oversight as soon as he had put his breakfast on his plate. He had not done this often since learning about Oversight but whenever he had it was because he was particularly unhappy about something. He seemed to feel that if something was wrong he didn't want to see anything; that the blackness was preferable. Ron, Ginny and Hermione attempted to get him involved in the conversation but he clearly wasn't in the mood to cooperate. When he stood to leave, Ginny decided to take the bull by the horns.

"Harry?" she asked firmly. "What's wrong? You know you can tell us."

Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to face his friends, looking a little shamed. "I...Look, can I tell you later?" he said quietly. "I'm not sure how much of this I can tell you and I have my er, thing with er, Professor Dumbledore." Harry hesitated over the last; not having his Oversight active meant he wasn't sure who was near.

"But you will tell us, won't you?" Ginny pressed.

Harry smiled tiredly. "Yes, as much as I can. Just...later, alright?"

Ginny caught his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Okay, Harry. Just don't shut us out."

Harry smiled again and kissed her hand. He then tapped his way out of the Hall. He made his way along the corridors and stairways towards the Headmaster's office. He hadn't slept much last night and had come down late to breakfast, not worrying overly because it was Saturday. He had debated whether or not to go to his Potions lesson today. The lack of sleep would not enhance his ability but eventually decided he had to. Snape would be there, of course; the man had never missed a class even after being subjected to the Cruciatus curse and it would not look good if he missed simply because he was tired.

He tapped along the corridors in his self-imposed darkness, deep in thought. Thus when he was grabbed and slung into a classroom, he was totally unprepared. Unlike when he faced the Lethifold, this time he managed to hang onto his cane. As soon as his momentum stopped, he rolled to his feet and stood in a crouch, listening carefully as he initiated his Oversight. He heard the whistle of the fist through the air and ducked and rolled. As he came up, he drew his sword and, Oversight now active, saw three figures in the room with him. He was not surprised to find that it was Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. He sighed; Malfoy was being particularly persistent this year. He then noticed that the three Slytherins were backing slowly towards the door and he grinned. They obviously hadn't expected him to react the way he did and they undoubtedly hadn't expected him to draw as sword. In fact, they were the first people outside of his friends and the teachers to even know about the sword. As he watched, grinning triumphantly, the three boys quickly slid out of the door. Harry snorted with contempt as he sheathed his sword and he left the classroom to continue his journey up to the Headmaster's office.

When he got there, he nodded at Dumbledore and flooed through to his potions classroom. Snape was waiting for him and for once the Potions Master did not look much better than he did. Obviously he was not the only one who had not slept well.

"Sir?" Harry asked before Snape could say anything. "During the holidays I asked you whether you would tell me about the potion you were brewing for Vol...the Dark Lord. Will you tell me now?"

Snape sighed and, much to Harry's surprise, slumped into a chair. He scrubbed his face with his hands and when he looked back up at Harry, he looked old and weary.

"Sit down, Mr Potter, and I will attempt to explain," he said dully.

Harry slowly walked over and sat down opposite the Potions Master.

"You realise that you will probably regret asking me this question?" Snape asked with a poor imitation of his normal glare.

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir, but I think I need to know."

Snape closed his eyes and nodded. He then seemed to get lost in thought. "Mr Potter," he said finally, "why do you think I joined the Death Eaters?"

"I...well, I don't really know, sir," Harry stammered in surprise. "Um, I thought perhaps it was because they offered you respect and acceptance but that doesn't seem a very good reason. Erm, then I thought perhaps it was because you had something they wanted or perhaps because they offered you the opportunity to do any kind of research that maybe the Ministry would get worried about. But, really sir, I don't know."

Snape smirked sourly at the list of reasons. "Your last two options are closer to the truth, Mr Potter. Do you know what hubris is?"

Harry shook his head silently, not entirely sure what to make of this mood that the Potions Master was in.

"Hubris," Snape mused, "is a dangerous thing. It is the arrogance and over-confidence that leads one to ruin and disaster. I achieved my Mastery in Potions only six months after graduating from Hogwarts. I was eighteen, Mr Potter, and I was the youngest person to ever achieve any Mastery in any subject. Hubris was a good description of my attitude at that point in time. That hubris was dented a little in the next six months. I couldn't get a job. I wasn't interested in teaching; I wanted a research position but no one would hire an eighteen year old Potions Master. I never did find out why. Then just as I was getting truly frustrated, Lucius Malfoy approached me. I knew him, of course; he was two years ahead of me at Hogwarts. He said he knew someone who was interested in hiring me. It would be on a consultancy basis until he was sure I was what he wanted. I worked for the Dark Lord for four months before I found out exactly whom I was working for but by then they had me. I had been asked to produce a number of very delicate potions; ones that required the skill of a Potions Master and I had produced them perfectly. I was well-paid for them and they were very flattering about my skills."

Snape stood at this point and began to pace around the room as he continued. "In hindsight, I would say they fawned over me. But I was young and did not recognise it for what it was. Lucius, whom I had spoken about six words to at school, began to invite me to dinners and parties. He showed interest in me and my opinions. He offered me the opportunity to carry out any kind of research I wished, all funded by my mysterious employer. He very skilfully gathered my opinions on the muggleborn and muggles and equally skilfully pointed me in the direction he wanted. When he took me to meet the Dark Lord for the first time, I was pleased, even eager, to take the Dark Mark. I did not think beyond the opportunities that I was being offered. My hubris led me right into the trap, Mr Potter."

Snape walked back to the chair and sat down again. "But then the Dark Lord began asking for potions that were steeped in Dark magic. And finally when he could not find the potion he wanted, he asked me to invent it. To develop a potion that would cause addiction, so that whoever had taken it would need it, would have to take it or suffer. This was when I began to have second thoughts about my decision. I had rarely been to Death Eater functions. The Dark Lord has always valued my skills over anything else I might have to offer and I had made it plain that I thought many of their activities were beneath me and my intellect. So I had managed to convince myself that what was happening was not my problem and not something to worry about. But this, what the Dark Lord had asked me, had shaken even my hubris. This was some of the darkest of things that he was asking me to make and I had no choice but to obey. Even I knew that there was no leaving the Death Eaters. Regulus Black had tried and the Dark Lord had summoned us all to witness the penalty for betrayal. That was not a path I cared to take."

"Was that why you...chose to become a spy?" Harry asked. He was alternately fascinated by this insight into the normally taciturn Potions Master and taken aback by the bitterness and self-hatred that had crept into his tone.

Snape blinked and looked at Harry. His gaze hardened for a second. "It...was part of the reason, Mr Potter, but not the whole of it. The full reason...is none of your business." Harry nodded and Snape continued. "The potion that the Dark Lord asked me to develop was the one that was given to your godfather. The Egeovenenum potion, I chose to call it. I developed the counteragent to it at the same time. I could not, in all conscious, develop the potion alone. I did not develop this potion because I wished to, Mr Potter, but because I had gotten myself into a situation, through my own hubris, that I could not easily get out of. My only consolation is that the potion is nearly impossible for any but the most skilled of potion makers to brew. Professor Dumbledore ensured that the Ministry found out about it, though he did not tell them who had invented it. It is forbidden to make the potion which would discourage most of those who would attempt it. The rest would be discouraged by the difficulty of the task. If they even knew how to make it. I have never written the full process down. I dare not and I burned the notes I had made during my experimentation. The only one other than the Headmaster whom I have told about the process is the Dark Lord himself and he is not skilled enough to make it."

"Well, that's good," said Harry as he thought about what Snape had told him. After a few minutes he looked up. "Thank you for telling me that, sir," he said quietly. "I...I never knew why I should trust you before this but...well, I do now and I'm sorry that I haven't before."

Snape raised an eyebrow at this admission but nodded solemnly in acknowledgement nevertheless. He stood and quietly began to gather some potion ingredients while Harry thought some more.

"Sir?" Harry asked finally. "Do you have any idea how we can get Sirius out of there?"

Snape stopped and looked at Harry with a blank expression on his face. Eventually he grimaced. "No, Mr Potter, though I do know it would be unwise to try anything right now. The Dark Lord has some plan involving Black. It could be dangerous for all concerned to try anything before I can find out what that plan is."

Harry sighed with frustration and defeat. "I...guess your right," he said dully.

"Yes, I am," said Snape with some of his usual acerbity. "Now, Mr Potter, I believe we are here for a Potions lesson. Come over here and tell me what potion these ingredients would be used in. Then tell me what their purpose is in the potion. If you manage to get those two things right, I may permit you to attempt to brew it."

Harry sighed and slid off the chair to see if his potions ability was improving.

**********************************

Sirius sat cross-legged on his bed, his back against the wall. He'd been a bit surprised to find that he was locked in when he woke up this morning. He thought that Tom would probably have a good reason but there was some part of him that was strongly protesting about being confined. It was that part that was making him a bit uneasy. It was as though the part of his brain that still remembered everything was trying to warn him about something. The problem was he had no reason that he could remember to be this jumpy. Breakfast had been provided this morning and had been good. Lunch had been equally good. The room was comfortably furnished and there was a well provided, if small, bathroom. He was warm, well-fed, comfortable and alive; he wasn't really sure what he had to complain about.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the door opening and Tom entering.

"How are you feeling today, Sirius," he asked.

"Much better," Sirius replied with a smile. The smile faltered. "Tom? Why am I locked in?"

"For your safety," Voldemort said smoothly. "This house belongs to an associate of mine. He is accepting of you being here but some of his friends may not be. I do not wish you to come to any harm."

Sirius face cleared; that was a fairly logical argument. He frowned again. "Why wouldn't they be accepting of me?"

"Because you are a condemned criminal, Sirius," Voldemort said with the barest hint of glee in his eyes. "You escaped from prison three years ago."

Sirius stared at Tom, aghast. "W...what did I do?" he stammered.

"You murdered your best friend and his wife," Voldemort replied bluntly, "and you then went and killed another friend along with 12 muggles."

The blood drained from Sirius' face and his eyes became bleak. "Why?" he whispered.

"Because they betrayed you. Your reaction was a bit extreme, I'll admit, but you can't be faulted for repaying betrayal," Voldemort said smoothly and then stepped back to judge the effects of what he had said on the man in front of him. There was an art to doing this and he was well skilled in that art. The trick was not overwhelming the subject too much at the start. Shock them with something that was a close version of the truth and then let them stew. Eventually they would believe you and that would make believing future 'truths' so much easier. He decided he had done enough for today, now it was time to let Sirius stew on those statements for a while.

"I should go," he said in a parody of gentleness. "I've given you a shock and you need to sort this out."

Sirius nodded absently and Voldemort left the room. As soon as he was alone, Sirius slid down onto the floor and wept bitterly. Of all the things he had thought about himself, he had never thought that he might be a murderer. Fifteen people, he wailed silently, I killed fifteen people. He wrapped his arms around himself and shook.

*****************************************

Harry left his Potions lessons felling both exhausted and pleased. His reading had paid off and he had been able to answer all of Snape's questions but trying to brew a potion with nothing more than Oversight was an entirely new challenge. He had no way of judging the colour of the potion for a start and he had to memorise the instructions since he couldn't read with Oversight. Thankfully he'd been making a fairly simple potion that didn't have too many steps and he'd gotten it mostly right. Snape had even been vaguely complimentary, for his standards, and nothing had exploded.

He stumbled out of the fire into Dumbledore's office to find that the Headmaster wasn't there again. That had been the norm for these lessons. Harry wasn't sure whether it was because Dumbledore was being considerate and whether he was just incredibly busy. He didn't have time to think about it though; he was waylaid by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna the moment he stepped out into the corridor. They hustled him off to the Room of Requirement, which once again had looked similar to the Gryffindor common room, and sat him down in a comfortable chair.

"Alright, mate," Ron said firmly. "What's happened?"

Harry sighed and then grinned weakly. He wondered how long his friends had been waiting for him to get out of his Potions lesson. Then the grin faltered and shut his eyes.

"Harry?" Ginny said softly, placing one hand on his knee. He covered her hand with his own and opened his eyes.

"Sirius is alive," he said. The others stared at him for a long moment and then broke out in exclamations and questions. Harry finally waved them to silence.

"It happened last night. Voldemort did some kind of magic in the room with the Veil and somehow got Sirius out of there. Snape was there, he saw it. That's why Voldemort wanted those potions; he wanted to use them on Sirius," Harry said quietly.

"Where is Sirius now?" Hermione asked.

"In Malfoy Manor somewhere," Harry replied.

"So what are we going to do?" Ron asked excitedly.

"We're not doing anything," Harry said flatly. The others gaped at him in surprise and he scowled at them. "Last time we did something, look what happened. Besides Snape said that trying to get Sirius out before he finds out what Voldemort has planned could be dangerous and I trust him on that."

"You trust Snape?" Ron said in disbelief.

"Yes," said Harry in a tone that brooked no argument. "He got the information to us. He's trying to come up with a plan to get Sirius out of there and he doesn't even like Sirius. He's on our side, Ron."

"How do you know that?" Ron persisted.

Harry paused. "I...I just know, Ron. Please just trust me," Harry said quietly, hoping his first and best friend would understand.

Ron looked at Harry for a long moment, a worried expression in his eyes. Finally he sighed. "Okay, Harry."

Harry relaxed then smiled grimly. "Of course, I did tell Dumbledore that if they took too long, I would take matters into my own hands."

The others grinned; now that sounded more like the Harry they knew.

**************************************

Two weeks later, late in the evening, pain shot through Severus Snape's left arm. He gasped and clutched at the Mark then quickly rose and headed to the fire. He threw a handful of floo powder in and quickly informed the Headmaster that he had been summoned. He then made his way out of the castle until he was outside the anti-apparition wards and answered the summons.

Once again he apparated into the Malfoy's formal parlour. This time it was the Dark Lord himself who was waiting for him. He bowed low before his master.

"Welcome, Severus," Voldemort hissed, clearly in a very good mood. "Come. Sit."

The Dark Lord sat in a chair in front of the fire and Severus walked over and sat down in the chair opposite.

"Tell me, Severus, how easy would it be for you to get a person into Hogwarts?" Voldemort asked, his fingers steepled in front of his face, his red eyes glued on Snape.

Severus blinked and thought. "During the day, almost impossible. There would be too many people, both staff and students, around. But it might be possible at night when everyone is asleep." He did not ask why; he knew from long and sometimes painful experience that if the Dark Lord wanted him to know the 'why' of anything he would tell him.

"Good, good," Voldemort hissed. "And what about getting someone into the Gryffindor tower?"

"All of the teachers are given the current passwords to all of the dormitories, in case of an emergency, so that would be not a problem."

"Excellent," Voldemort hissed, his eyes almost glowing. "I would like you to spend some time with my guest, Severus. He is coming along very nicely and I want him to trust you as he trusts me."

Severus nodded. "Yes, Lord."

"He believes that he was betrayed by Potter, Potter's wife and Pettigrew and that he killed those three plus twelve others. He believes that he has escaped from prison to ensure that Potter's son does not cause trouble, does not become evil. I have convinced him that the boy is destined to become the next Dark Wizard and that he is the only one who is capable of stopping him. Do not deviate from that, Severus." Voldemort stopped and chuckled; a thin, evil sound that made the hair of the back of Severus' neck stand up. "I will use Sirius Black to kill Harry Potter. The idiot godfather murdering his own fool godson. I intend to make sure that he remembers everything after he has killed his godson, Severus. It will be beautiful."

Voldemort threw his head back and laughed while Severus shivered. As much as he disliked Black, that was a fate that he would not wish on anybody.

"Go, Severus," Voldemort ordered with amusement. "Go and become friends with Black. The locks will open for you; simply place your hand on them."

Severus rose and bowed. He left the room and headed for Black's room. He paused outside the room to regain his composure and placed his hand on each of the locks. There was a quiet click as each unlocked and he opened the door and entered. Sirius looked up when he entered and Snape was only just successful in containing his shock. Black had looked gaunt and ill when he had seen him in the Veil Chamber but now, while he had lost a lot of that particular look with regular meals, he now looked drawn and his eyes were bleak and almost dead. There was no curiosity in his face and Severus wondered what exactly the Dark Lord had done.

"Sirius," he said in greeting and got a small nod in reply. "Do you remember me?"

Sirius blinked slowly. "You...you're S...Severus," he said finally.

Severus looked at Black for a moment longer then came to a snap decision. He turned around and drew his wand, locking the door and casting a silencing spell. He then turned back to Black and pulled out a small vial from his robes. He had placed the vial in his robes a week ago when he was checking the supplies in the cabinet in his office. The situation with Black had been playing on his mind and when he had gotten to his stocks of Memory Restoring Potions he had slipped a small vial into his robes without really thinking why. He crouched down in front of Black, spearing him with a dark glare and handing him the vial.

"Drink this," he ordered.

Black looked at the vial with disinterest then took it and drank the contents. Snape took the vial back and settled back on his heels. After a few minutes, he grabbed Black's chin and raised his head.

"Black!" he said sharply. "Do you remember me?"

Sirius frowned and started shivering. His brow became furrowed and his breathing deepened. He stared at Severus and something seemed to spark in his eyes and he broke away from Snape's hold on his chin.

"Severus," he whispered then his eyes narrowed. "S...Snivellous," he said softly then moaned and held his head.

Triumph filled Snape's eyes. "The pain will pass, Black," he said calmly.

After a few minutes Black raised his head, his eyes full of wonder and some suspicion. "Where am I?" he asked hoarsely.

"In Malfoy Manor with your friend, Tom," Snape said snidely.

Sirius frowned until the memory came back to him then he swore quietly. He looked up sharply at Snape and grabbed his arm. "Harry!" he gasped. "What happened? Is he alright?"

Snape was about to make an acerbic reply when he recalled what had happened to Potter. Realising he couldn't tell Black that right now, he chose to answer the question he knew Black to actually be asking.

"He is fine," he said impatiently. "When has he not come back from one of his idiotic ventures completely alright?"

Sirius scowled at him. "Don't talk about him like that!" he snapped and then sighed. "I...Sorry, Severus. I...Thank you," he said grudgingly, realising that Snape had probably done a great deal for him.

Snape stared in surprise; that was, as far as could tell, genuine thanks.

"Your welcome," he replied brusquely as Sirius levered himself to his feet.

"So how do I get out of here?" Sirius asked as he stomped around the room, shaking his head from time to time. Memories kept welling up and trying to overwhelm him.

"You don't," Snape answered shortly as he too stood. "You are in the middle of Malfoy Manor and the Dark Lord...has plans for you. Getting out will be difficult at the best of times."

Sirius scowled at him. "What kind of plans?"

"He intends to use you to kill your godson," Snape replied bluntly.

Sirius stopped and stared at Snape in horror. "No!" he whispered and Snape became irritated.

"Obviously that will not happen," he snapped. "Do think for once in your life."

Sirius started and shook his head. "Sorry," he said absently.

"I must go. The Dark Lord will become suspicious if I stay too long," Snape said as he drew his robes around himself. "I trust you can act appropriately after I am gone."

Sirius looked at him and, as Snape's words sank in, his expression became somewhat uncomfortable and a touch forlorn.

"I've been locked in before," Sirius said quietly. "How long before I can get out of here?"

"I...I don't know," Snape said reluctantly as he realised that for someone who had spent twelve years in Azkaban, being locked up again would be sheer torture. Snape couldn't honestly say whether he was reluctant to let Black out or reluctant that he had to tell him to stay here. "This will obviously change things. Do not do anything to draw suspicion upon yourself. I will be back in a day or two. The Dark Lord wishes for me to gain your trust; his plan relies on it."

Sirius snorted, little of his usual manner coming back. "I think I'll be alright, Snape," he said with irritation.

Severus turned and was about to unlock the door when Sirius' voice, filled with emotion, stopped him.

"Severus, tell...tell Harry I'm okay and I...I'll be with him soon."

Snape nodded, removed the spells he had cast and opened the door, slipping quickly out and locking it again.

Sirius watched the door close and slumped back down on the bed. He gave a sour, barking laugh. He supposed there was some kind of irony in this; forced to rely on the person who probably hated him the most in the world in order to get out of here. A small voice in the back of his head said it would serve him right if Snape left him here to rot. Sirius scowled at the voice and lay down to wait as patiently as he could.