The Staff of Orkney

Chapter XIII

The Truthstone

“We need to find out what Draco was talking about,” Hermione said as soon as they returned to the common room.  It was rather empty, most everyone finding something exciting to do before the Christmas feast.

“I’m not taking any more polyjuice potion,” Ron stated firmly, kicking off his shoes.

“Oh, we don’t have time for that,” Hermione assured.  “We need to find another way…”

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione.

“I’m going,” Harry broke in.  “I’m taking my cloak and I’ll find a Slytherin and just follow him in.”

Ron and Hermione stared, finally, Ron piped up, “What if by the time you get there, he has already spilled the beans?”

“And that’s going to be so dangerous, Harry,” Hermione pointed out.  “If you were caught in the Slytherin common room…”

Harry had to laugh to himself.  That wasn’t exactly what he considered dangerous anymore.

“Do you want me to come with?” Ron asked.

Harry shook his head.  “I don’t know if the cloak can cover the both of us anymore.  Besides, if I get caught it will be less points taken from our house if only one of us is found.”

Plopping himself down in one of the large red armchairs, Ron let out an irritated sigh.  “I don’t see why Malfoy continues to go to school here when his father’s such a criminal.

Hermione took the other chair while Harry remained standing.  “Well, at least this way we can keep an eye on him.”

A hooting noise interrupted their conversation.  An owl had mysteriously appeared before them, holding a letter in its beak.  Ron reached for it, but it hopped out of the way, flying onto the back of his chair and presenting the letter to Harry.

“Suppose it’s for you.”

“I wonder if it’s from Sirius and Lupin,” Hermione said excitedly, clapping her hands together.

After thanking the owl with a friendly pat, Harry tore open the envelope:

Merry Christmas Harry!

I thought that you would like to celebrate the holiday with some dear friends.  Meet me in the Great Hall before the feast and I shall take you down to a special gathering.

Sincerely,

Prof. A. Dumbledore

P.S.  Miss Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasley are also cordially invited to attend.

*          *          *

Before heading down to the Great Hall, Harry slipped his invisibility cloak into a leather satchel that he slung over his shoulder.  In it, he also placed a present he had picked up for Sirius.

“Ready,” he proclaimed as he stepped out into the common room.

“You got the cloak?” both Ron and Hermione asked at once.  As soon as the party was over, Harry hoped to catch some of the Slytherins as they were coming back from the feast.

Neither Ron nor Hermione had been given the chance to enter the staff quarters, and so they both marveled as they stepped through the mirror.

“I don’t think even Fred or George know about this,” Ron commented excitedly.   Harry could easily see in Ron’s eyes how he would love to finally be able to share something with his brothers that they didn’t already know.

Dumbledore seemed to see it too and informed nicely, “As you see, this is a great privilege, and I trust that all of you will keep this to yourselves.”

Well, at least Ron could know there was something that he knew but that his brothers didn’t.

They followed Dumbledore down to the cold, stony corridor where the Snapes lived.  He lifted the knocker once and let if fall, tapping out a tune as he did so.  A minute went by before they heard the lock slide back and Remus Lupin showed his face.  He smiled warmly and opened the door.  The front room looked much the same as when Harry had seen it first, only that Professor LeSal’s side had been somewhat tidied up and now collected dust.

“Sirius!” Lupin called back toward the hall.  “Albus is here.”

Sirius soon appeared in the doorway.  “So this is our Christmas present!” he exclaimed.  “I knew it was going to be good.  So how are all of you? Ron? Hermione?”

They both grinned broadly and everyone began to join in the middle of the room, passing out hugs.

“Looks like I’ll leave you all to a good time…” Dumbledore stopped and clapped his hands and there were suddenly garlands, wreaths, and a blinking Christmas tree and floating candles bringing fresh cheer to the dark and musty apartment.  “Much better,” he commented with a satisfied tone.  “Now I must really be going.  I’ll be needed in the Great Hall.  I’ve placed Dobby in charge of seeing to it that some of the feast is brought down here for you all to enjoy, and—Remus, Sirius, is Severus still here?”

            No sooner had he asked this when Professor Snape stepped out wearing a black knit turtleneck and black pants with a worn looking pair of brown house robes thrown haphazardly over it all.  His hair was dripping water onto a green towel he had draped over his shoulders.  He had stopped abruptly at the sight of all the decorations and Gryffindor guests that had invaded his apartment.

“You aren’t coming to the Christmas Feast, Severus?” Dumbledore asked.

Snape, once he pried his eyes off all the glittering decorations, put on an extremely sour look.  “No, Headmaster.  I had planned on staying here.”  He didn’t sound too certain now.  “I sent out Bertram to find Salazar and was going to wait here.”

“Ah, yes.” Dumbledore looked more serious.

Harry wondered who Bertram was but then realized that the blackbird he had seen earlier was missing from its cage.

“Then I’ll leave you to stay and you can join in on the festivities here, instead.”  Snape clearly flinched as Dumbledore patted him firmly on the back, eyes twinkling.  “Well, I’m off, and have fun.”

Harry swore that Dumbledore was laughing as he left.  As soon as the door shut, Snape’s eyes darted around the room, briefly landed on each of the five Gryffindors before him, the he turned and retreated back into the recesses of the apartment.

“Awe, looks like he’s not going to be joining us for the party,” Ron joked.  “Wait a minute.  His hair was wet, wasn’t it?  Did he just wash his hair?”

“Shhh, shhh.” Lupin was nearly bending over, trying not to laugh, but everyone else was not so successful.  “He’ll hear you.”

“Oh, let him,” Sirius said with a smile and put an arm around Harry and Lupin as they chuckled their way into the dining room.  “This should be a wonderful evening.  Ron, Hermione, come on in.”

Harry thought he saw a house elf scuttle by, as they approached the table.  It was heavily laden with ham, goose, turkey, stuffing, potatoes, different sauces, gravies, puddings, along with fruits and vegetable both plain and served up as casseroles.  After ogling at the feast before them, they settled down and began to pass the food around, but before they could bite into the mouth-watering dishes, they noticed that there was an extra place setting.  Neither Sirius nor Lupin picked up a fork as they stared at the empty chair at one end of the table.

“I suppose we should go get him,” Lupin ventured.

Sirius didn’t look too keen on the idea of fetching the missing party that was at the moment, most likely plodding along like some great shadow, scaring dust bunnies out from under the beds.

Lupin quietly pushed himself away from the table.  “No one deserves to miss dinner on Christmas.”

With a sigh, Sirius tore his napkin out of his shirt collar and placed it scrunched-up on the table.  “Be right back,” he told Harry with a grimace.

“Oh, this ought to be fun,” Ron commented as they were left alone.  “Christmas supper with Snape.”

“Bet you anything he doesn’t come, so don’t worry.”  Hermione glared at Ron who had bit off some of a turkey leg.  “Though I have to feel somewhat sorry for him.  Do you think anyone even bothers to give Snape a present?”

Ron nearly choked on his food then snorted a laugh.  “I could think of some good things I’d like to give him.”

“Oh, please.” Hermione rolled her eyes.

Harry found it sad, yet, as Ron whispered some of his thoughts on the perfect gift for Snape, he couldn’t help but laugh.

To their surprise, Snape did enter the dining room, though both Lupin and Sirius were doing their part of steering him to his seat.

“How nice of you to join us.” Harry couldn’t believe Hermione’s boldness.  He was almost surprised that Snape didn’t snarl and deduct points from Gryffindor.

“Awe no, it’s Christmas,” Lupin coaxed.  “Not right to have you sitting back in a corner all by yourself during Christmas dinner.”

Ron snickered and grabbed his goblet to hide his smirk as Snape threw him a dirty look.  “I have important things to attend to.”  The towel was gone off his neck and Snape was trying to look as dignified as possible.

“You were grading papers.” Lupin kept a straight face.  “Surely you can put that off for an hour or two.”

There was no arguing with that, and together Lupin and Sirius pushed down on his shoulders, forcing the irritable Potions Master into his chair.  As soon as they backed away, however, Snape sprang from his seat as if he’d just sat on a spring.

I’ll take some dinner with me,” and he reached across the table to gather food and pile it on his plate.

Lupin sadly shook his head.  “Let him.  He’ll just spoil it for us if he stays,” Sirius said to Lupin, but loud enough for Snape to hear.

Harry couldn’t help but find this cruel, making him somewhat angry.  Sure, he hated Professor Snape, but Dumbledore didn’t, and any friend of Dumbledore’s deserved more respect than Sirius was giving him.  He sorted through his mind for the right thing to say.  Though he couldn’t grasp his thoughts and put them in order before Snape snatched up his goblet, he did manage to pull out his wand under the table and mumble the first charm that came to mind.

Snape reached and grabbed the edge of his plate.  It wouldn’t budge.

Eyes wide and lips pursed, Snape tried to move the plate again but it seemed determined to remain fixed to the table.  Lupin, upon seeing this, grinned like the Cheshire Cat.  Immediately, Snape turned on him, “You did this?  Undo it now, Remus.”

Lupin now began to chuckle.  “I’m not the one, Severus.  I’m just as surprised as you are, though I do believe I see more humor in the situation than you do.”

Snape’s lip curled and he mocked Lupin before darting his eyes over to Sirius.  However, Sirius returned the stare with a look that immediately conveyed that he had no intent of inviting Snape to stay.

“Perhaps,” Harry ventured early, “Dumbledore charmed your plate.”

Unfortunately, Snape’s accusing stare landed on Harry this time, who was trying very hard to not appear as the cat that ate the bird, and stayed fixed there until he settled himself back into his chair.  When he lowered his eyes, he commenced to stab at the shreds of goose on his plate with his fork.  For a while, no one dared to speak.

Harry, feeling guilty that he had made this happen, grasped at topics, mulling them over, but couldn’t seem to think of anything that couldn’t in one way or another easily head in the wrong direction and cause someone to be offended.  He started to wish that Sirius hadn’t said what he had about Snape. Then maybe he wouldn’t have felt bad enough to cast that charm on the plate.  Why can’t you all just get along?  Harry wanted to scream at them all.  They were all being so stupid.

“So, Harry,” Sirius was the one to break the silence, “how do you like being Quidditch captain?”

This could go well, Harry thought.  And if played right, Snape might even be given the chance to say something that wasn’t so horribly snide and cutting.  “It’s a lot of work.  I find I have a lot less time between Quidditch and classes to do much of anything else.”

“As long as you put your classes before Quidditch,” Lupin reminded.

They babbled on about classes for quite a while until Hermione cornered Lupin into talking about some Defense Against the Dark Arts topic.  Luckily, Sirius managed to save Ron and Harry, “You two been staying into trouble I take it?”  Harry recognized a smile he had begun to love.

“Not much..”   Ron was making a volcano out of his mashed potatoes as he spoke.  “But you should have seen what Fred and George did to Draco Malfoy!”  He stopped and looked over at Professor Snape who was idly dipping a tea bag into an earthenware mug.  Momentarily, he lifted his coal-like eyes to show that he had heard then nonchalantly took a sip of his tea without putting anything in it.

  “I had heard of some transfiguration,” Sirius noted.

Ron figured that the damage had already been done so he unfolded what happened.

“How do they make those?” Harry asked at the end of the explanation.

“I’m not really certain, but I wish I knew…”

“One of the many transfiguring draughts.”  Snape had put his mug down.  Both Harry and Ron turned to stare.  “Many of those annoying gags require the maker to have some rudimentary knowledge of Potions, though I dare say they should go beneath the category of Potions.”

Ron poked grimly at his fig pudding, clearly disappointed that Professor Snape had sullied such a fun topic with an academic lecture.  Harry however, decided to take advantage of the fact that Snape had finally spoken, though it had taken him to dessert to do so.  “Did you ever do anything like that when you were at school, Professor?”

Snape appeared to have just swallowed a bug.  He coughed slightly before burrowing his eyes into Harry’s.  Quickly, he realized that if Snape had done any such thing, Remus and Lupin had most likely been at the receiving end.

“A few times,” Snape unexpectedly replied, wrapping his fingers around his mug, warming them.

Lupin had stopped conversing with Hermione about Yetis and had started to listen in.  He decided to speak up, much to Sirius’ chagrin, “Yes, I remember one of those times.  Wasn’t happy about it when it happened, but now that I look back at it, you were very clever, Severus, to pull it off.”

“What happened?” both Hermione and Harry prodded.

“Well, somehow he managed to infect the cake for the House Cup celebration our fifth year, which was won by Gryffindor, with a delayed engorgement draught that didn’t start to take effect until everyone had eaten their fill.  I recall that the nurse had to be dispatched to the scene as many of us couldn’t fit through the doors.”

Despite himself, Ron snickered.  Admittedly, that had been a perfectly executed prank.

“Rather mean spirited, I’d say,” Sirius commented blandly.

“Not as mean as the dangerous prank someone tried to pull on me,” Snape returned coldly.  “A simple engorgement charm is far from deadly.”

Everyone seated at the table could see where this was headed.

“This isn’t good,” Ron whispered then took another sip from some butter beer he’d been enjoying throughout the meal.

“No it’s not,” Hermione replied loudly enough so that all could hear.  “They’re acting like you and Malfoy.”

This seemed to put a stopper on the catastrophe that had been about to boil over, and Lupin added cordially, “Very well put, Hermione.  Very well put,” and he chuckled slightly.

Despite Lupin’s good humor, Sirius and Snape appeared as if they both were about to grow fangs.  Snape was the fist to break and he threw his napkin on the table and strode away.

“Good riddance!”

“Sirius!” Lupin exclaimed.  “As I said before, you’re just as much of a problem as he is.”  He looked over into the den where Snape had disappeared and was gathering together some books to take back to his private room.  It was then that a pair of glistening black wings came swooping by.

“Found! Found! Found!” the bird crowed.  Harry leaned over in his chair to see it alight on Professor Snape’s arm.  Then he distinctly heard the bird screech out, “Lucius!” and “Says merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas indeed,” Snape snarled.

There was a frantic flapping of wings as the bird was shoved into its cage and moments later, Snape had on a wool cape that swirled in his wake as he stormed from the apartment.

*          *          *

A damper had been put on the party after Snape had left in a huff and the mention of the name Lucius had reminded Harry of what he needed to do.  He became anxious to leave.  After promising to come back before classes started again, he left.

Once in the regular part of the school, Ron and Hermione wished him luck as they headed up the steps and Harry headed down toward the dungeons.  However, he first decided to try his luck and see if Malfoy was still in the Great Hall.  Sure enough, one of the last students left at the Slytherin table were Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson.  With the invisibility cloak shrouding him, Harry silently drifted over and seated himself at a spot at the table.  He glanced around briefly, taking in the view from the Slytherin side of the hall.

“Do you think you can get away with that?” Pansy was asking.  She twirled her hair in her hand as she spoke.  “I mean, if you were caught…can they make you forfeit for that?”

“I don’t think so.” Malfoy’s smug look was washed away with a yawn.  “After all, it’s not something that takes place on the field, so I don’t see how we can be penalized for it.”

“Just be careful then,” Pansy warned.  “I’d really like to see Slytherin win the Quidditch Cup this year.”

Harry wished that he had come in a few minutes sooner.  Now he’d have to be on the lookout for some foul play from the Slytherin team members but wouldn’t know when or where. 

Professor McGonagall had stayed, and as it was now time for everyone to clear out, she was urging them to leave.  Carefully, Harry followed.  He couldn’t have asked for it be any easier.  Pansy and Malfoy were jawing away, trying to outdo each other by saying what they each got for Christmas, covering up any noise Harry might be making as he stepped along on the cold flagstone floor.

“Mr. Malfoy.”  They were nearly to the Slytherin entrance when a dark voice behind them caused them all to stop and turn.  Harry nearly fell over as he scrambled to get out of Snape’s way.   “You may all run along to your common room,” he said more as an order than a suggestion.  “Except for Mr. Malfoy, whom I need to speak with alone.”

Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle all nodded and gladly took off while Malfoy frantically tried to come up with something he had done that Snape would have reason to punish him for.

“Draco.” Snape placed a hand on Malfoy’s shoulders.  He sounded urgent.  “I need to know if you talked with your mother or father today.”

“Yea,” Malfoy’s eyes scanned Snape’s face wildly, trying to read an answer to his question, “Why?”

“I haven’t got any word from Salazar other than that he may be at your house.”

“Oh, yeah.” Malfoy relaxed.  “He’s spending Christmas with my mum and dad. Didn’t he tell you?”

Harry couldn’t read whether Snape was angry or relieved. “No, he didn’t say,” he said tersely.

“Sorry,” then Malfoy brightened, “but my dad got a special gift for him.  Something he’s been wanting but is—uh—difficult to find.”

Snape’s face grew darker.

“And look.” Malfoy held up a pendant that Harry hadn’t noticed before.  It began to give off a soft, red light.  “Your cousin gave me this.  And wow, it’s glowing!  It hasn’t done that yet, though he wrote that it would.  He sent it by owl this morning.  Neat, huh? He said it had to do with truth or something another…”

“It’s a Truthstone,” Snape said simply.  “It glows only when you’re in the company of someone you can trust with your life.”

“Wicked.” He smiled at Snape, eyes glowing with excitement.

“It’s quite a valuable gift,” Snape commented.

Malfoy rubbed the stone with his thumb then let the pendant fall back down on the chain.  “Would you like to use my owl to contact your cousin, Professor?”

“No thank you.”

“Or I could send a note saying that you’re coming.  Did you ever get an invitation?”

“Yes I did.” Snape looked ready to leave.  “But I had to turn it down.  I have a lot to do, with a new Minister of Magic and…”

“I heard all about what really happened to Fudge.  Too bad the Dementors didn’t get Potter,” Malfoy interrupted slyly.  “But I can’t believe they made that Mr. Weasley the Minister.  Dad’s furious.  He’s going to have to do something about it.  Which reminds me,” Malfoy glanced around and lowered his voice, “father asked if I’d get you to send him an owl.  He wants you to help him with something and I’m pretty sure it has to do with that.”

Harry felt a shiver go up his spine.  He wanted to lunge out and strangle Malfoy so badly.

“That’s enough.” For a moment, Snape looked about ready to strangle Malfoy himself, but he kept his calm demeanor in tact.  “Why don’t you return to your common room and enjoy the rest of Christmas?  All right?”

Malfoy nodded.  “I will, professor.  And merry Christmas.”  With that, he turned and headed for the spot in the wall where the Slytherin entrance was hidden.  “Basilisk,” he said aloud, and the hole in the dungeon wall appeared.  Harry scooted close, ready to follow when Malfoy turned around.  Immediately, the Truthstone began to glow.  He noticed it.  “Strange.”  Then he looked up at Snape, smiled one more time, and turned back to his common room.

“Just one moment,” Snape said, striding forward.  Harry felt his heart skip a beat and he jumped aside.  “It would be nice if you wrote LeSal a note letting him know that he is wanted back as soon as possible.  And—you can tell your father that I am interested.  I’m afraid to send an owl as I’m right beneath Dumbledore’s nose, so it would be better if you did so.”

Malfoy’s face looked hideously evil.  Harry wanted to punch it in, but he disappeared through the entrance before the temptation became too strong.  Unfortunately, Snape went and stood right before the entrance and Harry suddenly found his plan ruined, as he could only look on hopelessly as it shut.

“Okay, Potter.  Show yourself.”

Harry held his breath.  If he stayed really still…maybe, just maybe, he could make Snape think he was mistaken.

Not a chance.

“I know you’re there, Potter.  Show yourself or I’ll find you myself,” and he watched in horror as Snape withdrew his wand from the sleeve of his robes.

Not wanting to risk finding out what spell Snape would use to find him, Harry grudgingly lowered his hood.

Snape looked so satisfied, it was sickening.

A moment passed while Snape seemed to revel in his finding.  Harry could only stare down through his still invisible body.

“You realize,” Snape said at last, and Harry braced himself for the venomous scolding that was about to come, “if Draco Malfoy had known that you had made that Truthstone of his glow, he would think it broken.” He paused and met Harry’s eyes.  “Come with me, Potter.”

Compliantly, Harry followed Snape down to his office and seated himself in the same chair he had sat in before while he had been glowered at for flying the Weasley car into the Whomping Willow and for being suspect of sneaking into Hogsmeade and throwing mud at Malfoy.  With all the detentions he had served and now with the organizing of the Potions storeroom, he was beginning to know Snape’s office all too well.

“Just what were you doing down by the Slytherin common room in an invisibility cloak, Mr. Potter?”  He was speaking close enough to Harry’s face that he could smell the tea on his breath.

“I…um…” Harry was going to have to do some creative thinking.

“The only thing that I could see a Gryffindor down near the Slytherin common room for is if he were planning on entering and causing trouble.  Unless of course, you believe you should be in Slytherin. Would you rather be in Slytherin, Mr. Potter?”  The questions were voiced in the calm and dangerous tone that only Snape could manage.

Violently, Harry shook his head, “no.”

“No, you’re a Gryffindor. So why were you down by the Slytherin common room, Potter?” His voice had taken on an edge to it.

Harry had to look away from Snape’s stare in order to think.  Those eyes just seemed to be able to suck you in and leave you out in the cold.  He wondered if he should tell the truth.  If he did, surely Snape would see the truth that he was trying to do…then again, this was Snape.  No matter what he did, he could expect to be scrubbing cauldrons for a month.  Strangely, he realized he must have set a new record: the only student to have ever received a detention on Christmas.  “Malfoy said something.” He was somewhat embarrassed at the high octave in which his answer came out.

“Malfoy said something and that is why you decided to break some major school rules?  What were you planning to do to Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter?”

“Nothing,” Harry said quickly.

“Now see here!” Snape sprayed spit and some it landed on Harry’s nose and speckled his glasses.  “I’ve been teaching for near thirteen years.  Don’t expect I don’t know how your little adolescent minds work.  Now what were you planning on doing, Mr. Potter?”

Harry stared right back and said firmly, “I was going to listen to what he had to say about his ‘duty’ to his father and Voldemort here at Hogwarts.”

Harry saw the reaction immediately.  Snape knew the things Malfoy was capable of saying—he’d just heard it!  As he had hoped, this made Snape back off.  His face fell and his mouth slightly parted.  “What did you say?”

“I overheard him say that his father gave him a duty because he was so close to Dumbledore.  I was going to find out what that was and warn Dumbledore about it.”

Slowly, Snape leaned back against his desk and ran a hand over his face.  “You should have come to either Dumbledore or me and let us handle it, Harry.”

There he went with the “Harry” again, and he did have a point.  Harry had to agree with that.

“From now on, if you hear anything, you come to one of us.  Understood?”

Harry nodded.  By the sound of Snape’s voice, he began to wonder if he was going to be let off easy.

“No I want you to return to your dormitory—and Potter, about what you undoubtedly heard about Mr. Weasley.  I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Ronald or any of his brothers or sister.  I’ll see to it that the right people know.”  This seeming to be all, Harry grabbed his cloak to leave.  “And one other thing: leave your cloak here.”

“What?” The thought of leaving his beloved cloak with Snape startled him.

“Do as I say, Potter, before I decide to start deducting points.  Now get out of here.  And I expect to see you back here the first day of classes, serving out the rest of your detention.”

“Yes, sir,” and Harry removed his cloak with a bitter sigh and placed it in Snape’s hands before slipping out of the Potion’s office.