A Cloud Before the Moon

Chapter 14

A crash of thunder startled Letha from sleep. She looked around, but it was pitch black. There was a torrential storm raging outside; she could hear the rain pouring down above her, water running through the gutters below her. For a moment, she drew a complete blank. She remembered now - she supposed she must have gone home with the Muggle policeman Harris, though he was nowhere in sight. She looked at the clock on the bedside table; it was 4:00 a.m., and her head was pounding. It occurred to her that she had to get up.

Letha carefully reached over and felt for her bag on the floor, drew out her wand and whispered "Lumos!" Then she opened the door and found herself in another room with a couch on one end, and it was apparent there was a person lying upon it, swathed in a blanket. Her first priority was to ensure that Harris should not wake up and start asking questions she would not care to answer. She cast a sleeping charm on him and then walked over to where he lay. As she held the lit wand near the head-end of the blanket-lump, she made an unexpected discovery - from under the cover spilled some strands of black hair. She peeked under the blanket and, sure enough, it was Davy Adams. "How," she wondered, "did this come to pass?"

Letha went back to the bedroom, picked up her bag and made her way to the bathroom, so she could wash up. She opened the medicine cabinet and found a bottle labeled "Aspirin". She had heard it was good for headaches, so she took two of the tablets, popped them in her mouth and began to chew them. They tasted so vile, she immediately spit them out and rinsed her mouth with water.

She then looked at her map, and considered the location of the police station. Once she had oriented herself, she Disapparated, and then Reapparated in a dark, musty room. She laws surrounded by piles of boxes, files, crates and bags. Apparently, she had successfully located the police station's storage room. After hunting around for nearly an hour, she located a box which contained packets full of photographs, soil samples, charts and various other items Letha did not recognize. In addition, there were some papers, and among them was McCullough's report. She was not surprised, though she was disappointed, to read an account that matched - exactly - what Bailey had told her and what she had subsequently read in the Daily Prophet and in Ministry records. Again, there was the reference to the evidence, which was "to be evaluated;" as the evidence referred to was sitting in the very box she was looking through, it had apparently never been examined. She debated whether she should take it all with her, but decided that would be highly unethical, and logistically difficult. If she needed, she knew where she could find it again.

In a separate alcove, she found a disorderly hodgepodge of bags and boxes, through which she also rummaged. Among them, she discovered a large plastic bag containing an assortment of papers shoved together haphazardly with a collection of personal photographs, plaques, knickknacks, magazines and other items. She picked up one of the plaques - it was awarded to Inspector Michael McCullough for meritorious duty. Clearly, she was on the right track.

She brought the bag over to a table and dumped out the contents. She pulled out all the papers, notes and memos she could find and began to skim through them. She pulled out a note written on lined yellow paper, which was partly stuck into a magazine of nearly naked women. It had caught her eye because of the large red question mark drawn in the top margin. She opened it up. In the center, someone had drawn a large irregular oval. A dozen X's were scattered throughout the oval, labeled X1, X2, X3, and so forth. On the left arc of the oval was written "SB," and on the right arc was a question mark. A note at the bottom said "X3 angle? X11 dir.?" Below that it said "Target?" And "Check w/ lab". It certainly didn't make any sense to Letha, but it clear that McCullough had some questions in his mind, before they were wiped away with apparent over-enthusiasm by the Ministry. She decided that the note would not be missed, and popped it into her tote. Then she stuffed the rest of the papers and items back in the plastic bag, which she replaced where she'd found it. Her timing was perfect; just as she was putting the bag back in the alcove, a light went on and she heard someone descending the stairs. Hastily, she waved her wand and Disapparated, Moments later, she was back home.

Chapter 15

Several days later, Letha came home from work to find a large gray owl patiently waiting for her. She untied the note from its leg.

In a large, uneven scrawl, it said:

Dear Miss Faraday:

It was lovely to hear from you. An evening visit from you would be most welcome, the sooner the better.

Fondly,

Hagrid

It was apparent that Dumbledore was being cautious in his communications, as she had been, because she certainly had never written to Hagrid. If the Headmaster was involved in some clandestine activities, she only hoped he had enough confidence in her to allow her to be of some assistance. She wasted no time in preparing for a visit to Hogwarts. She was not sure what exactly would transpire there, but she was excited at the prospect. She had not been back since she'd completed her studies, and thought how nice it would be to return. Some pleasant memories of her school days brought a smile to her face - but the smile faded as she recalled some of the less agreeable details.

She remembered returning to Hogwarts for her third year. She remembered how carefully she had avoided certain people. She remembered her tearful meeting with Professor Dumbledore, begging him to change the schedule so she would not have to take any classes with the Slytherin students. He had told her could not do that. She had endured a fair number of classes shared with the students of that accursed house, and she had found it almost unbearable when some of the Slytherin boys would smirk at her malevolently and whisper behind her back. Fortunately Malfoy had graduated, but clearly, he'd made no secret of what had happened. Snape had never joined in the ridicule, to her recollection; perhaps even he had limits to his capacity for cruelty. Instead, he simply avoided her altogether, and she had done the same.

She remembered getting the terrible news about Grandma Ephie and Mimi - Dumbledore had been so kind, letting her go home for a while and make up her work when she returned. When the Ministry held a hearing on whether to suspend her father from his job on a permanent basis, the Headmaster had come himself to testify on Walter's behalf - to no avail. It had been a big comfort to her and her parents, to know that he, at least, did not believe that Grandma was senile or that she had started the fire herself. Nevertheless, Daddy was demoted and the rumors continued to circulate. She remembered returning to school afterward - the comments, the whispers, the insinuations, not only from Slytherins, but from some those whom she had counted as friends. One night her father went to his office, pointed his wand at his temple and killed himself. Again, Letha headed home for an unscheduled and unwanted holiday.

Already desolate, her mother found Walter's death more than she could bear. Her mind began to wander and she gradually lost all touch with reality. By the time Letha had started her fifth year, May Faraday was living at St. Mungo's, endlessly searching for her husband who would never return and her little girl who was no longer a little girl; she did not recognize the teenager who came to visit her. For her part, Letha threw herself completely into her studies and a few close friendships, eventually giving up on visiting the mother who did not know her.

Letha remembered how, in those terrible years, the rumors about You-Know-Who became more than rumors, the terrible stories she heard, the disappearances, the tales of torture and murder, the growing anti-Muggle sentiment. Some had become bold enough to threaten and menace the so-called 'Mudbloods' at school, to intimidate those who did not agree with them - and she also remembered how Dumbledore was able to control them, quite effectively, under the circumstances. She could think of no one else who would have been powerful enough to keep Hogwarts a safe haven for so many children. No one else could have held together a school where followers of Voldemort studied alongside their Muggle-born classmates, and yet no really serious incidents occurred. At least, not at the school.

Under the circumstances, Dumbledore had done an incredible job of keeping Hogwarts functioning smoothly. It was really a wonder, when she thought about it, that she did even have some happy memories of her school days.

Letha finished preparing her travel bag and took a long restful bath. She thought about Black and Snape and Dumbledore. She wracked her brain trying to remember how she'd ended up in bed with the tall laconic dark-haired policeman, and had an uncomfortable feeling she knew why, if not how. It was not a feeling she welcomed. She came out of the bath and dressed. Once darkness fell, she threw on a cloak and Disapparated.

The next thing she knew, Letha was standing in a densely wooded area. As she glanced around, she saw a light between clumps of trees. That, she recognized as Hagrid's hut. She made her way over to it, trying with moderate success to avoid tripping over roots or getting scratched by thorn bushes.

Almost as soon as she began knocking on the door, a huge figure appeared in the doorway, his face an unruly mass of thick and bushy beard. "Come in, come in!" he boomed. "I've been expectin' ye."

"Oh, Hagrid, it's wonderful to see you again," she said enthusiastically.

"I'd offer ye some tea, but the Headmaster said to bring ye to him straight way." He grabbed his coat and opened the door for her. They walked across the grounds between the Forbidden Forest and Hogwarts Castle. "Gettin' you over here sure was easier," he commented.

"Easier than what?"

Hagrid smiled sheepishly. "I'd better not say no more. It's just that - well - you don' have Dementors trying' ter follow ye into Hogwarts."

Who were Dementors following to Hogwarts? she wondered. They entered the school and she followed him over to the entrance to Dumbledore's office, where they climbed a flight of winding stairs. The Headmaster stood at the top. Recently, Letha had only seen him from a distance at some of the trials; close up, she could see how tired and worn he looked.

"Thank you Hagrid; you may go."

Hagrid nodded and left.

"Come in, my dear," Dumbledore said, "It is a pleasure to see you."

"You too, Sir. It's really lovely to be back here." She glanced around the office, of which she only had a hazy recollection. She'd only been in there a few times, and they were not times when she'd have been likely to have examined her surroundings with any interest. As her eyes scanned the room, she realized there was someone else standing on the other side of the office. Although his face still bore a strained haggard look, his skin was less gray than it had been at Azkaban, and his eyes, no longer unfocused, regarded her with undisguised dislike. "Good evening, Mr. Snape," she said curtly. He did not respond, except with a sneer in her direction.

Dumbledore looked over at Snape. "Of course, I am certain Severus is aware that had you not contacted me, he would still be in Azkaban at this very moment. Is that not so?" he asked Snape mildly.

"And I am grateful to you, Headmaster." Then he turned to Letha and bowed deeply. "I am most grateful for your kindness," he declared, in a tone of sincere sarcasm, his words belied by his belligerent glare.

Letha frowned. She had alerted Dumbledore to his situation, against her better judgment. It was true she'd been a bit overzealous in her interrogation at Azkaban, with nearly disastrous results, but she had apologized. What right did he have to be so surly? Why did he seem to hate her? And if he did hate her, why had he sought her help?

"Professor Dumbledore," she asked, seething with irritation, "why is Snape here without any guard? He could try to escape. And after all, he could be dangerous!" She knew she was simply being spiteful, but she didn't care. All the anger and resentment that had been festering while she kept silent through the past ten years was coming to the surface. Although she spoke to Dumbledore, her eyes were focused on Snape. He glared back at her with malice equal to her own.

Dumbledore responded mildly. "On the contrary, he is the one who is in danger."

"From the Dementors?" she asked sourly. "Well, that's understandable, of course. After you're finished with him, I suppose he will be back at Azkaban, and we can continue our investigation. Perhaps he will go to reside there on a permanent basis."

His face a shade close to vermilion, Snape snarled, "You pretentious, hypocritical little bureaucrat."

"Severus," said Dumbledore, "So far, Miss Faraday has no reason to trust you."

"Nor I her," said Snape.

"Then why," Letha asked him between clenched teeth, "did you take the risk of asking me to contact Professor Dumbledore? What if I'd refused?"

The Headmaster answered. "He did so at my instructions. I told Severus if he ever found himself in Azkaban, I would certainly find out, but that it would be quickest if he had a way of notifying me - through someone I could trust, with whom he might come in contact there. You are one of those few people."

Letha was truly touched to know Dumbledore had such faith in her, but then, it seemed that he trusted Snape as well. Well, she thought, she knew better. "Headmaster, there is can be no doubt that Snape is a Death Eater. Why are you helping him?"

"Actually," he answered, "Severus has been helping me. He has not been a Death Eater for some time."

"I did not know that a belated change of heart can excuse the vilest acts...."

Snape practically lunged at her. "Vilest acts! You, of all people, accuse me?"

Letha was taken aback. What was he talking about? She looked at Dumbledore quizzically.

"It is true that Severus has done things of which I do not think he is very proud. Am I not correct, Severus?" he asked Snape, who seemed to shrink under the older man's gentle gaze. Then Dumbledore looked at Letha. "I believe that people deserve a second chance, even when they have made serious mistakes. Have you never made a mistake for which you feel remorse?"

Letha considered. Confidently, she responded, "No, not really, Sir. Nothing of any particular note." She glowered at Snape. "Regret, perhaps, but not remorse."

Snape walked over to her, slowly and calmly, bringing his eyes level to hers. In a silky voice, he whispered, "Ah, I see there is something else you share with Lucius Malfoy."

Letha felt ill at ease, and confused. What was he talking about? Malfoy? She despised Malfoy. What could she possibly share with him? Evil, unrepentant, cruel, wicked - she put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, no!" she gasped in horror, and felt herself sinking to the ground.

Snape reached out a hand and grabbed her elbow roughly to steady her. She covered her face with her hands and dared not look up. She had locked that memory away in a deep recess of her mind, and had managed to forget it, for the most part. Yet here he was bringing this horrible childhood memory back to her consciousness, throwing it in her face like vitriol. As if it was her fault. As if it had even mattered to him.

Dumbledore gently led her to a chair and sat her down. His eyes bored into Snape's. "Severus, that was really uncalled for. Besides, you are well aware that it was not a matter over which your friend had any real control."

Letha and Snape both sneered at the word "friend."

Dumbledore pretended not to notice. "You will be kind enough to explain that to her, will you not?"

"Yes, Headmaster," he responded, with the tone of a chastised child.

"Now I'm afraid I really most leave you..."

"One moment, Professor Dumbledore, before you leave?" she begged. "Could I come to work for you? The Ministry - "

He interrupted. "The Ministry is where you are most helpful to me. I need to know whom I can count on there."

Letha's shoulders sank. She was getting sick of working for Crouch. As Dumbledore reached the door, Letha called out to him; "One more thing?" and he stopped and waited.

"Well, then, I have to write up a report about him." She glared at Snape. "For the Ministry. Is there anything it should say especially? Or not say?"

"That is a good question." Dumbledore considered. "No, you are a prosecutor. You must present your best evidence - include it all - except - I ask that you put in nothing of what has been said in my office tonight."

"In your office? When was I ever in your office?" She smiled grimly.

Dumbledore looked at them both very seriously. "Some believe Voldemort is dead. I do not believe that is so, and I know you, Severus, have expressed your own skepticism in that regard." Letha stared first at Dumbledore, then at Snape, with horrified astonishment, but she said nothing. "We must ensure that his return will be as difficult as possible. When - not if, but, when he returns (Letha shuddered), his followers will return to him as well. In the meantime, many of them are still among us. We need to know as much as possible who and what we are facing - and will be facing in the future. I can rely on you both, can't I?" They both nodded. "I also hope you can rely on one another?" Again, they both nodded, with somewhat less enthusiasm.

"Good. I am going to have to leave you two for now. I have other matters to which I must attend. Please remain here, and feel free to talk." And with that, he left them alone in his office.