Band of Gypsies

Chapter Twenty One

Harry joined the rest of the advanced Potions Class outside of the dungeon doors the next morning. He had spent the rest of the night and dawn, sleepless, and rose early. He waited impatiently through breakfast, unable to eat.

Has he returned? Did he do it? Harry worried anxiously. It was all he could do to remain seated and not pace or fly down to Snape's quarters to see if he was all right.

Exactly on the hour, the door opened. It was Dumbledore. The students filed in and took their seats. Dumbledore stood at the head of the class, avoiding Harry's eyes.

"Good Morning, class," he said.

Most responded, " Good Morning, Professor Dumbledore." Some looked mildly intimidated by being so close to their headmaster.

"I'm here to teach your class today. Professor Snape has been called away on personal business." Many in the class whooped with joy. "Alright now, settle down, settle down." Hearing these words coming from Dumbledore was an all new experience. When Snape had said them it was usually stony and cold.

They spent the two hours in luxury. Dumbledore was very gentle and complimentary. "Oh that is very good Mr. Malfoy, excellent work." He made a slow progressive circle around the benches and steaming cauldrons until he got to Harry. "Hello, Mr. Pane. Yes that's the correct ingredient. Place it in, just so, and let it steep. Three minutes, no longer. Use your timer." His hand turned the glass over and the sand began to spill to the end. When he moved on, Harry noticed a small slip of paper under his own hand.

Come to me later. A. , it read.

Harry touched the paper with his wand and whispered quickly, ABSENTIA. It vanished.

In the late afternoon, after finishing with Herbology, Harry sped across the grounds toward the castle. He took a moment to glance over at Hagrid's hut and saw with some sorrow, Hermione and Ron leaving it.

Avoiding teachers roaming the halls, Harry ran the full length, up the stairs and skidded to a halt in front of Dumbledore's guardian gryffin. He uttered the password, "Chocolate Bonbons." The staircase began to move up.

"Professor?" Harry stepped into the room and saw the tapestry pulled aside into Dumbledore's private quarters. He stepped through. Dumbledore, Remus Lupin and Jolie were waiting for him.

"Come in, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"It's bad news isn't it?" Harry said nervously. "He's dead?"

"We don't know that for sure, Harry," Lupin said, looking his normal shade of gray, with some additional lines. He was still in his wolf phase, the moon was still full at night. Harry wondered what Dumbledore had done so that Lupin was in human form.

"Have you had anymore pain in your scar, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, nothing." Harry touched his forehead, completely forgetting that it would be a means to determine how Voldemort was feeling.

They sat in silence.

"We have to go fetch him, Albus, " Lupin said.

Dumbledore ignored Lupin and stared at Harry.

Harry's feelings from the previous night returned. "I don't owe him anything Professor!"

He knew the minute he said it that it wasn't the way he felt.

"I am not arguing with you, Harry. Professor Snape made the choice to take the potion to Voldemort, himself." Dumbledore looked away. " What he did, he did for all of us. He also knew the risks he took."

"Remember what happened the last time I tried to rescue someone?" Harry was still on his feet and looking at all of them. "You don't know that he's in trouble."

"Harry, once again, you are not here because we want you to rescue, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"Then, why am I here?" Harry sputtered.

"We want you to understand that you are not to do anything about Professor Snape," Dumbledore said. "This must be left in our hands."

Harry stared at him. "That's why you called me to this meeting?"

"Yes, it was what Severus made me promise I would do if something happened to him. He expressly forbade your further involvement if this plan did not work," Dumbledore said. "He forbade anyone to act upon his behalf and I agreed."

"You did what?" Lupin was on his feet.

"In a moment, Remus," Dumbledore said and continued to stare at Harry.

Harry stood glaring at him. "Fine. Good!" He spun on his heels and left the room.

Harry met up with Ron and Hermione in the Shrieking Shack during the next Hogsmead weekend. They had planned the meeting in some detail to keep anyone else from knowing of Harry's existence.

"So what are we going to do, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know Hermione, he could already be dead." Harry sat on the dirty floor, memories flooding back. It was one of the few happy moments he'd had with Sirius, remembering when he learned that Sirius wasn't guilty of being a traitor to his parents; when Sirius was going to be his godfather and they were going to live together.

Now he felt mixed feelings. "You know, it seems like we inherit all of our parent's baggage," he said thoughtfully. Harry strolled around the room examining the rags that once were curtains. "You think you've got it all figured out, and then you grow up and realize it's all been lies. That you don't really know anything at all. And they go and make a mess of things and leave it for you to fix."

"What you talking about, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. Hermione spoke, "It feels that way Harry, but I don't think they had any more control over the way life turned out then we do. Your parents didn't intend for you to have to live with all of this. They didn't expect to die."

Harry turned to her. He could hear this from her. She was the only one who could put his thoughts in words. "No, they didn't." He thought of his mother, she had been a friend to Snape. How would she feel if he abandoned him to Voldemort.

"You forget Harry, Snape is the one who was going to let the Dementors suck the soul out of Sirius." Ron was glaring at him. "What do you want to go risking your life for him for?"

"Ron!" Hermione said recoiling in horror.

"Well it's true, Hermione. Your always on about how Snape has been on our side. When he's not been, not truly," he said.

"When are you ever going to believe me. Snape is working for us; he's working for the Order. He's switched sides," Hermione argued.

"You know what Dumbledore told me once?" Harry said cutting into their impending argument.

They both looked at him.

"He said it's our choices that make us who we are. I don't care about Snape," he said, "but I do care how I feel about myself. I don't think I could live with myself if I let Voldemort torture and kill him." Harry was thinking of the look in his mother's eyes when she talked to Snape. I don't think I can live with myself if I had to look you in the eye mother, was what he was thinking.

"So how are we going to go get him?" Hermione said.

"If I do this Hermione, do you think that I'm justified? he asked.

"Do you mean, do I think that your doing the saving-people-thing again?" Hermione shook her head, "Are you ever going to forgive me for that?"

"Hermione, if I'd listened to you in the first place and.... trusted you, I..." Harry began.

"Oh stop it!" Ron glared at them, "What's done is done. Do you wanna know if you should go after Snape? Well, you've already decided. Do you need our permission? No. Do we think your wrong for doing it? It's your choice. But you don't get to make a choice for us either, Harry. We're going to help too or you're not going," Ron stood and towered over Harry.

Hermione is right, Harry thought, you have changed.

"Glad to have you along, mate." Harry extended his hand and Ron shook it. Hermione did the same.

"Alright, then, " Harry said, smiling, "what's the plan?" it felt good being with the two of them again.

It was Ron's idea that surprised Harry the most.

"It's going to take a long time, but we can be doing some things while we wait. In the meantime, you've got to accept Malfoy's invitation to Christmas at his house." Ron said.

Harry and Hermione stared at him. They were sharing butterbeer and pumpkin pasties laid out on the tablecloth on the floor.

"What?" Harry mumbled.

"Yeah, that's the only way I can see, " Ron said nodding. "You go there and Lucius is there. Maybe you can learn where Snape is, and what's happening to you-know-who... V...Voldemort, to see if the poison is working."

Harry stared at him. He didn't think he'd ever hear the name come out of Ron's mouth.

"I'm not mad about that idea, Ron," Hermione looked positively terrified.

"Lucius is not going to recognize, Harry," Ron said. "I didn't. Besides Professor LeClair has taught us a lot of useful tricks to getting information and such. If Snape is still alive then we can move in and get him. If he's not, Harry can learn what Malfoy is up to. I mean, the guts Lucius must have to return home in the first place; thinking that the Ministry wouldn't be watching for him and all."

Harry thought it over. "Yes, you're right. I think that's what we'll have to do. But it's still a long time before Christmas."

"Are you two mental?!" Hermione asked. "Malfoy is a very powerful wizard, Harry. And... and if Voldemort has taken the poison then he's going to be extremely dangerous. Your going to be right in the viper's nest!"

"Got any better ideas?" Harry asked.

"We could wait for the Order," she began.

"No!" Harry and Ron said together.

"I told you, Snape made Dumbledore promise not to send anyone after him. Snape's sacrificing himself and Dumbledore's going to let him," Harry said to her.

"Alright, Harry," she said studying him seriously. "What do you want me to do?