Band of Gypsies

Chapter Twenty

It was only after Harry sat through a double potions class, with Snape tearing into him at every opportunity did he realize something what Dumbledore had told him before. "When you save a wizard's life, Harry, they are in your debt." Snape had been horrible to him before just because James Potter, his father, had saved his life.

I wonder what he's going to do to me now? he thought.

He spent the evening redoing the potion from class until Snape was satisfied. Harry stood up to it as well as Snape had stood up to the snake. He didn't blink.

What did alarm him was the pain that shot through his scar and awakened him in the night. It was the first time he felt it in months. He knew immediately Voldemort was having a raving fit. Afraid that he would give himself away, Harry searched desperately in the dark to find his robe. He once again slipped out in the night and went searching.

"Professor?" he called and knocked on the Potion Master's door. He had never been to Snape's living quarters and only hoped that the door near the Potion's classroom was the right one. The pain was blinding him.

The door opened, there was no light.

"What do you want?" it was his voice.

"My sc...scar," Harry's hands were holding both sides of his head. "He's angry, really angry. Can't...can't let him know I'm here," Harry said and felt the world spin and then darkness swept over him.

He woke to discover Dumbledore's face looking down at him.

"I think he is awake now, Severus, and out of danger."

Harry blinked to clear his eyes. Snape was standing close by.

"Thank you, Severus, for calling me." Dumbledore straightened up, "I'll leave you with him now."

"Very good, Headmaster."

Harry stared at Snape and then asked, "What happened?"

"You passed out," he said, handing him a cup. "Drink this draft, you'll feel better."

Harry drank without complaint and felt his queasiness ease, "Thank you."

Snape stood by and watched.

"Do you think he was aware of me, Professor?" Harry managed to say.

"No. Drink all of it." He disappeared around the end of the sofa and reappeared with a small glass. It held brandy. "Now this."

"But..." Harry, took it and swallowed a mouthful. He struggled to a sitting position. It gave him a moment to notice Snape's quarters. They surprised him. He sat in a very clean, comfortable room with heavy, polished mahogany furniture, and a beautiful Chinese carpet. A green-shaded lamp lit a writing desk. Harry was lying on a leather sofa and had a woolen blanket draped over him.

"What am I going to have to do?" he asked.

"The Dark Lord still does not know that you're alive. But he is aware that he has lost Nagini," Snape said and sat down in a straight-backed chair. "This is a terrible loss for him. He will seek to avenge that loss."

"What does that mean?" Harry stuttered, "P-Professor."

Snape shrugged.

"Does this jeopardize our plans?" Harry asked.

"No," Snape said.

Harry wasn't sure Snape would be honest with him. They stared at one another.

"It seems that our fate is entwined, Potter," he said. He took a small glass filled with brandy and drank it. Harry watched fascinated. He thought to himself, that watching Snape like this felt very uncomfortable. He couldn't read the man.

"I'll be going then, Professor. I'm sorry to have bothered you so late," Harry stood and found the room spinning. He didn't make it.

"Perhaps you should wait for that elixir to have an effect," Snape said.

Harry sat again. "Professor, do you think we should begin occlumency lessons again?" Harry thought he would at least try to meet him halfway.

"Professor Dumbledore has discussed that with me." Snape took a sip of brandy, "I have not decided whether to pursue that or not," he murmured.

Harry was feeling annoyed, but once again tried to speak to him. "If He," Harry emphasized the word, "is so angry. Will he call you to him?"

Snape was staring at the wall and turned and looked him in the eye, "He already has, Potter."

Harry looked back at the steady stare. He knew that Snape was risking torture even possible death by responding to the summons. Voldemort was in a fury as evidenced by the pain in his scar, that was slowly receding.

"Did I make a mistake in setting the snake free?" He was dearly hoping that it had been the right move.

"I don't know yet," he admitted. "I haven't gone to him have I?"

"The snake was a spy," Harry continued.

"Yes."

"Under your control?" Harry ventured.

"No."

"Then it was dangerous. It could report everything to Vol...to Him." Harry stuttered.

"What was there to report, Potter?" Snape asked coldly.

Harry sat back in surprise.

"Until you entered that room, Nagini did not know you existed. There was nothing to report."

"Could you speak to it?" Harry croaked out. "Do you speak parseltongue?"

Snape waited for a moment and then replied, "No, I can't. That hardly matters."

"I think it does!" Harry stood. He felt angry. For some reason he sensed that Snape wanted him to feel guilty, wanted him to think that he had made a mistake. "You have no way of knowing what information that snake took back to Him."

"No, Potter," Snape stood and sat his glass down. "But I think -I- " he emphasized the word, "shall soon find out."

On Friday morning, the morning of Halloween, Malfoy coyly followed him around until he couldn't stand it any longer. "What is it?" he asked, gritting his teeth so that his jaw was working.

"Wanted to tell you," he said, "my father's coming home." Malfoy grinned and said, "Around Christmas time, he thinks. Would you like to meet him? Unless of course you want to go home to your parents."

Harry almost choked on the pumpkin juice he was drinking. He could see the scene. There he would be, going home with Draco, just chummy as could be. They'd go into Malfoy's mansion and sit down to a nice cup of tea with Lucius Malfoy, a Death Eater in Voldemort's army. Not any old Death Eater, either. Voldemort's right-hand man!

" I'm an orphan, I don't have any parents," he spat out. "Let me think on it, Malfoy," he said. "It's a bit early. Halloween is just tonight." What was really in his mind was to say Oh yes, Draco I'm all of a flutter to meet your mum and dad, but he held back.

"Alright," he said. " Say, Tommy, we need another person on our Quidditch team. Would you like to try out? All I have to do is recommend you. They do anything I say, you know."

For the second time, Harry swallowed hard and felt pain in his chest. It was difficult to eat anything while Draco was present. " I don't play," he said.

"Alright." Draco sat looking at him. "Anyway, I wanted you to know that I won't tell anyone."

"Tell who what?" Harry asked watching him closely.

"I saw you get up last night and leave the room," Malfoy said and looked around carefully. "It's alright, you can tell me what you were doing."

Ever since his father and several other Slytherin student's fathers, particularly Crabbe and Goyle, had been put in Azkaban prison, Malfoy had been working to regain some of his former prestige. It certainly meant he was willing to break the rules and if possible get a number of people in trouble, most notably Dumbledore.

Harry decided to tell the truth, " I went to Professor Snape's quarters. I was ill and he gave me a potion."

"You were in his rooms?" Malfoy's eyes twinkled. "Really? No one's ever been in them. Not even my father, and they are close 'friends', if you know what I mean?"

Yes, Harry knew exactly what he meant. Malfoy was basically confirming that Snape was a Death Eater, too.

"Next time you go, let me know, will you?" Draco asked. "I'll pay you to get me in there. I bet he has loads of Dark stuff in there."

They were interrupted by Pansy Parkinson. Harry was in a particular hurry to leave the lunch table. Pansy had been flirting with him over the past few days and he found it always upset his stomach when she did it.

"I'll tell you about it sometime, Draco." Harry picked up his bag and headed out the door to Transfiguration class.

Harry knew what lay ahead that evening and he wasn't looking forward to it. However, it felt good to see Hermione and Ron in Transfiguration class. They both glanced at him, but with practiced eye. He had taught them a hand signal Jolie had shown him. Hermione crossed her fingers and scratched her nose so briefly that no one would have known what she was doing.

Harry nodded and sat at the back of the room. There were a lot of things that kept him from paying attention to the lesson. He wondered if Snape would return from his visit with Voldemort. He wondered what it was going to be like to see his dead mother. He wondered if their plans would work. The classroom emptied before he realized he was left alone in the room with McGonagal.

"Is there something you wished to speak to me about, Mr. Pane?" she asked.

"No... no, Professor" He started and hastily drew his things together.

"I wanted to tell you, Mr. Pane, since you are here, "she said coming up to his desk, "you're work is very good for not having attended school before now."

Harry wanted desperately to reach up and cover his scar with his hand. McGonagal was an intimidating witch. If anyone was going to find him out, it would be her. "Thank you, Professor.

"I noticed that you were inattentive today, though, and I thought you might like to talk to someone. You are new here and I have noticed that you have not made many friends," she said, her brow knitted in worry.

"I like to be alone," he muttered and then turned to leave.

"Very well, Mr. Pane," she said to his back. "I am always available through the day if you wish to talk."

Harry thought that it was difficult to be back at Hogwarts and endure not having his friends around, living in Slytherin House and not playing Quidditch. What was making it so much harder was hearing kind words from McGonagal. He missed being himself.

Harry attended the Halloween feast and ate alone, slipping away early. He followed his old route, through the room, down the castle well, out, and down the steps into the forest. The moon was a full yellow, harvest moon. He knew the path without light and didn't use one until he reached the stone dwellings. As he walked, he heard the faintest sounds of a fiddle and then it was gone. A glimmer of light shone from a window. He ducked, pushing aside the cloth covering the opening.

Lupin stood before the fire. "Hello, Harry. You look well," he said grinning.

"Pro...Remus!" Harry ran into outstretched arms which returned his rugged hug. "You know about me!"

"Yes, Harry. I've known from the beginning. Dumbledore told only a few in the Order. Those he thought the Dark Lord could not interfere with," Lupin said gravely.

"But why are you here?" Harry noticed Snape arrive. He was dressed in his old Romani clothes. His hair was clean and cut, but he looked dreadful. Harry turned back to Lupin.

Jolie answered in English, "There are some final preparations for tonight, Harry." And then in Romani, "Avakai (come here)."

Harry left Lupin and sat by the gypsy who reclined on a mat, a fiddle by his side and smoking his pipe. His dark velvet eyes were half closed. They spoke in Romani. "The wolf is safe for now. But the moon calls to him. He is your friend?"

"Yes, Jolie. Remus is my friend."

"He would die for you?" Jolie asked.

Harry considered the little man and spoke in English. "Yes, Remus would die for me. But why is he here, Jolie?"

Jolie nodded. "He is here to bear witness to the her'y (truth)."

At hearing his name Remus joined them. Snape also joined the circle but sat back, his hat on his head, pulled down over his eyes. Harry noted that even in the dark, he looked pale.

"There can be no hookamen (lies) between men," Jolie said and Harry translated. "Here tonight we pull back the veil between the world of living and dead. You cannot travel this road if there is a secret that lies between you. The dead know all and it's dangerous to try and deceive them."

Snape looked up, pain etched his face.

"Tonight you walk the great star highway," Jolie's eyes were glazed. "First, you must speak your heart." He pointed at Harry first. "Tell him," he pointed to Snape, "tell him your heart. You will walk as brothers; you must tell him!"

Harry knew what Jolie wanted. He looked at Snape. "I...when I looked in the Pensieve during occlumency lessons and saw what my father did to you when you were in school together; I wanted to blame you. I didn't want to believe that he was a cruel man. But, what he did was wrong." Harry bit on his tongue and waited. "I've hated you for telling the truth about him. I also blamed you for not keeping Sirius from going to the Department of Mysteries. For taking away the last person I... I cared about."

Jolie turned to Snape and pointed his pipe at him.

Snape's voice was low and soft. "I loved your mother, I loved Lillian. Your father couldn't stand it. He hated me. And I hated him for taking away the only person I ever loved."

Harry's throat constricted and a great roaring started in his head. He stared at the man who looked back with sadness in his face. "No! No!" He shook his head.

Remus' hand was on his arm. Harry turned to the prematurely aging man. "It's true, Harry."

The room seemed to spin. He felt angry. Angry that people kept deceiving him, that he kept getting his memory of his parent's tricked. He was afraid, looking at Remus and then at Snape, who never removed his eyes from his face. Who could he trust? No one had ever told him the entire truth!

"No!" he said.

"She never loved me in return," Snape whispered it, "she only loved your father."

"Stop!" Harry shouted, almost rising to his feet except for the hand that held him down.

"I can't bear this, I can't stand this!" He felt the tears of anger and frustration falling and wiped away at them with his arm. "Get off, Lupin!" He shook the hand from his arm. "Haven't I given enough! I didn't ask to be born the Boy-Who-Lived! I don't want to know anymore!" Harry hadn't felt this bad since his rage in Dumbledore's office just before summer holidays. This time his anger was mixed with other feelings. His mother, the only one he had any pure memories about, now they were in question. He thought he would rather die than hear anymore.

Jolie sat quietly, cross-legged, watching him. He nodded, pulled the pipe stem from his mouth and sprinkled incense into the flames. It had an instant calming affect on Harry.

He spoke gently and kindly, "We must do this now. Tonight is the only night. Now you walk as brothers."

"Jolie, they aren't ready, " Lupin said. "They're both in shock. Severus is hurt. How can you do this, it could very well kill both of them."

Jolie shrugged, "They understand. Tonight is the night." Jolie looked at Harry "Jin (understand)?"

"Va," Harry said.

Snape nodded.

"Professor Crow," Jolie said and Harry translated, feeling as if he was almost in a trance, "Ne releesa tu Romanes (can you speak Romani)?

"Va," Snape answered.

"Harry, Si tut (and you)? he asked.

Harry nodded, "Va, Jolie."

"Kusthi Bak (good luck)!" Jolie picked up the fiddle and began to play. It was very similar to the tambourine beat he had played before.

Harry's eyes began to droop and Lupin's face grew fuzzy.

Harry and Snape stood in the room looking back at their bodies collapsed beside the burning fire. Jolie was playing, laying on his back one leg crossed over the other. Once again Harry felt as light as the smoke that curled up the chimney.

He heard a sound and turned to see the silhouette of Verillieon standing in the doorway.

"Come, Travelers, we walk the stars."

They stepped out side by side, and Harry saw Dante's raven-wings circling over the face of the moon.

"Lead on, Verillieon." Harry flew into the brilliant cold night, the dark shadow of Snape beside him.

They traveled over landscape unfamiliar to Harry. He watched with interest the lights that appeared below and felt none of the feelings that lay back with his sleeping body. He experienced the gentle pull of the guiding light of the elf.

They moved with such speed that Harry once again wanted to laugh with joy. This is wonderful! he thought.

The elf slowed them down and Harry stepped, as he had on the staircase, down

to earth and knew immediately where they were. They were standing in the overgrown ruins of his parent's house, in Godric's Hollow. He felt Snape standing beside him, although they didn't speak.

"Call to her, Traveler. "Verillieon's voice was somewhere above his head. "Call to the one you wish to speak to."

"Mother?" Harry heard his echo voice, "Mother, it's Harry."

A woman materialized in the ruins of the house. At first a cloudy, wisp of smoke and then a shape. She was young, with long auburn hair. She walked through the grass and Harry noticed he could not see it move. She took a solid form until Harry could see the creaminess of her complexion and the pink of her lips.

"Oh my love," she said, smiling. "I have longed to see you. You are such a man now."

"Mother," he gasped. Everything his heart desired was coming true. "I miss you. I love you."

"I love you too, Harry." She reached out a hand.

"Do not touch her, Harry," Jolie's voice was in his ear. "She is muladi (a ghost). She can't be alive for you anymore. If you touch her, you are mulo; you possess a corpse."

He pulled back his hand and they looked at each other with sadness.

She turned to Snape, "Severus, I'm so sorry your heart has been burdened all of these years."

Harry glanced over at an disembodied Snape.

"I'm sorry too, Lilly," Snape said gently. "I wasn't sure you knew."

She smiled, "How could I not know, after all the times I came to you and cried on your shoulder. But, I loved James."

"Yes, I know Lilly," Snape mumbled.

Harry couldn't look at him, he was still caught up in examining his mother.

"And now you've brought me, Harry," she said smiling brilliantly and Harry could see a bright light in her green eyes. "I'll always be grateful."

"We've come to ask you for your help," Snape said.

Harry was staring at his mother and had forgotten what their task was. He was shaken by Snape's abruptness. He just wanted to look at her and hear her voice. Not the voice that he heard screaming at the last moments of her life, but this voice; the sweet happy voice, the beautiful green eyes.

"What is it?" a frown appeared on her forehead.

"Tom Riddle lives, Lilly." Snape whispered.

Her eyes grew fearful and her mouth formed in a big O and her essence seemed to fade a little. She looked at Harry., with fear in her eyes. She whispered, "What do you need?"

Snape told her.

"Yes, it is nothing." she answered.

"You must leave, Travelers," Verillieon's voice spoke from the clouds sweeping over the golden face of the moon. "She can not linger here or she will wander the earth forever."

Harry fought the voice and pleaded, "No, no, I want to be with you mother. Let me stay!"

"No, my darling, you must go." She stepped back, fading even more with each step. Her voice echoed, "I will see you again someday. Severus take care of him. If you ever loved me, then take care of him!" And then, she faded from their view.

"Mother!" Harry's hand reached out.

Harry didn't recognize the familiar pull on the back of his neck until they were away.

He woke with the fire warming his face. Across from him Snape's black eyes watched him.

Jolie sat stirring a cauldron and said, "So be it."

For the second time in his life, Harry's arm was stretched out and a cut made with a knife. Snape mixed the ingredients that were handed to him. Bound by the spell, they worked together and didn't speak. Jolie stood by and instructed until the potion was completed. They worked through the night while the moon was still high in the sky.

When they were finished Jolie decanted a flask full of the finished potion. "Tell him," Jolie said to Harry, "the potion must be drunk before the day comes. Does he understand?"

Harry translated, "He says it has to be drunk before daybreak."

Snape looked at him and nodded.

"How are you ever going to do that?" Harry asked.

"It will get done," Snape said with none of his previous viciousness or sarcasm. He stepped out the door and Harry heard a familiar Pop! as he apparated.

Harry watched the door and thought, he's gone to his death.