Rating:
PG-13
House:
The Dark Arts
Characters:
Albus Dumbledore Harry Potter Remus Lupin Sirius Black Severus Snape
Genres:
Action Drama
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire
Stats:
Published: 01/12/2003
Updated: 05/03/2003
Words: 102,224
Chapters: 28
Hits: 39,099

Death Before Dishonor

RobinLady

Story Summary:
After being rescued from the Dursleys by Sirius, Harry finds that there ``are still plenty of ways for Voldemort to catch him--and that his life ``may have to be bought at a very high price. Set in fifth year and the ``summer before it.

Chapter 13

Chapter Summary:
After being rescued from the Dursleys by Sirius, Harry finds that there are still plenty of ways for Voldemort to catch him--and that his life may have to be bought at a very high price. Set in 5th year and the summer before it. Please review!
Posted:
03/01/2003
Hits:
1,172

DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR

Chapter Thirteen: Evil Rising

Mail interrupted breakfast a few mornings later as owls of all kinds swooped into the Great Hall. While that itself was not an unusual event, the students´ reactions were--a shocked buzz ran through the hall as, to Harry´s right, Hermione let out a shocked gasp.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"Oh my god..."

"Hermione?" Harry looked worriedly at his friend; she was abnormally pale, and he could have sworn her hands were shaking as she held her freshly delivered copy of the Daily Prophet. "Are you okay?"

She ignored him. "I can´t believe it..."

Glancing wildly around the hall, Harry searched futilely for any sign of what could be affecting Hermione so badly. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no monsters creeping out from under the tables--but all of a sudden, he noticed that every student who had received a copy of the Daily Prophet was reacting with equal shock. And all of them had suddenly gone very quiet.

"Hermione?" Ron repeated with concern.

"It´s impossible..."

"What´s impossible?" Ron demanded.

Wordlessly, she passed the paper over to Harry, who held it so that both he and Ron could read the front page--Hermione hadn´t gotten any further than that. When he read the big, black words on the top of the page, Harry´s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He couldn´t believe it.

BEAUXBATONS DESTROYED

Late last night, a tragedy was confirmed. Led by a former headmaster,

a group of concerned witches and wizards located the ruins of Beauxbatons

Academy of Magic. "After having received no communication from the

school for the past three days, we knew something was wrong," says Jean-

Paul Bourbon, retired Headmaster, "but we had no idea it would be like this."

Upon arrival at the (as of yet undisclosed) site, Bourbon and the others

discovered that the manor had become a burnt out shell. Bodies of students

and teachers alike have been found in the wreckage, most of which are too

mangled to properly identify at this time. However, the remains of Olympe

Maxime, the Beauxbatons Headmistress, were identified just outside the

Academy´s gates, where she apparently fell, attempting to defend her

students. All of the bodies in her vicinity are thought to belong to professors.

Little remains of a once proud institute of magical learning, now, and no

survivors have been found. As of yet, no one has claimed responsibility for

this brutal attack and there was no evidence left behind. The only clue was

the appearance of the Dark Mark, the sign of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-

Named, floating in the sky above the ruins.

"The defenses of Beauxbatons were unbreakable," Bourbon replied

mournfully when asked. "The amount of power it would take to

destroy this place is unfathomable. I can only think of one Dark Wizard

in history who is capable of such a thing."

Although attacks by Death Eaters have been increasing in past months, the

Wizarding world is still struggling to find out the impetus behind these

gruesome acts. After the Ministry of Magic´s recent announcement

that Sirius Black, once thought to be the heir apparent to He-Who-Must-

Not-Be-Named, was in fact not ever working for the Dark Lord,

everyone is left wondering what evil might be lurking in the shadows.

Is there a new Dark Wizard out to pick up where He-Who-Must-Not-

Be-Named left off, or are these attacks simply carried out by the Dark

Lord´s old followers? Worse than all these possibilities, though, is the

possibility that the darkest rumors may be true--has the Dark Lord

indeed returned?

A cold chill ran down Harry´s spine. It was impossible--Beauxbatons destroyed? Gone? With wide eyes, he turned to face Ron and Hermione and saw his worry and fear echoed on their faces. If Voldemort had destroyed Beauxbatons, was even Hogwarts safe?

"This can´t be true," Ron finally whispered. "It just can´t be."

Hermione´s face was grim. "No one would lie about something like that, Ron."

"But all those people..." the red-haired boy whispered shakily. "Is even You-Know-How that powerful?"

"I think he just set out to prove that he is," Harry said flatly, remembering his conversation with Sirius from the day before. "Don´t you see? It´s meant to be a message. He´s showing people that nothing can stand against him."

"What about Hogwarts?" Ron gulped.

"I don´t know," Harry replied. What had Sirius said? He´d said that Hogwarts would be the last place to fall--but that Voldemort would have to take out Hogwarts, and therefore Dumbledore, to win. "I don´t think that he´s strong enough to come here yet."

"What do you mean, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Taking a deep breath, he told them about his conversation with Sirius. Harry hadn´t wanted to share that with his friends before--not because he didn´t trust them, but because he didn´t want to show his fears, even to Ron and Hermione, when Sirius had told him that Voldemort wouldn´t come yet--but this had changed everything. The attack on Beauxbatons had to be a message. And it proved that Voldemort was every bit as strong as he once had been, despite the fact that the Ministry was still denying the fact that he had come back. After he´d finished, Hermione nodded knowingly.

"Remember what everyone says about Dumbledore?" she asked. "They say he´s the only wizard who You-Know-Who has ever feared. It makes sense that You-Know-Who has to take him out, but wants to leave him for last--he wants to wait until Dumbledore doesn´t have allies to back him up, and he can take him alone."

Ron gulped again. "But that still means he´ll come here eventually."

"He has to," Harry said softly, remembering the other things that Sirius had said. "He can´t win if he doesn´t."

Whatever reply his friends might have made was cut off by Dumbledore´s entrance into the Great Hall. He was accompanied by a group of grim looking professors, including McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout--the Heads of all the Hogwarts houses, Harry immediately noticed. The Headmaster stopped, looking around the hall, which was suddenly very quite since his arrival. He spoke gravely.

"I am sure all of you have learned about what has happened," he said. "And indeed, the story is true--Beauxbatons Academy of Magic has been destroyed by Lord Voldemort and his followers."

A quiet ripple ran through the hall, this one more from Dumbledore´s use of the Dark Lord´s name than from the news. However, Harry noticed students looking at one another apprehensively, wondering if they would be next. Before any screwed up the courage to ask, though, the Headmaster continued.

"I have been in communication with the Ministry of Magic concerning these events. From what we know, Voldemort was able to infiltrate the staff of Beauxbatons, therefore gaining access to information that allowed him to defeat the layers of wards defending the school. For what it is worth, I can guarantee you that will not happen at Hogwarts. Everyone here is committed to your safety." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed many eyes--especially those at the Slytherin table--flicker towards Professor Snape. Is that because they think he´s still a Death Eater, or because they know he´s not? Harry wondered.

"Over the next few days, many of you will undoubtedly receive owls from your families, asking you to return home," Dumbledore went on. "Some of your parents will feel that you are no longer safe at Hogwarts, which is understandable. But before any of you consider leaving, I ask you to remember this--nowhere is safe. The world is at war, and you are either Voldemort´s ally or his enemy. He sees no middle ground. The Dark Lord will not spare innocents. He never has.

"Accordingly, classes will continue for those of you who wish to remain, which I encourage all of you to do. Now, more than ever, you will have need of the skills you will learn here. I cannot guarantee your safety, but I can promise you this: for many years we have known of the Dark Lord´s existence, and for many years we have prepared. This moment was not unforeseen, and we, your teachers, do not stand alone.

"Years ago, when the actions of government could not stop Lord Voldemort, a group of witches and wizards united to oppose him. They became the Order of the Phoenix. The Order has always been dedicated to ensuring Voldemort´s downfall; when the rest of the Magical world relaxed, we remembered. And we still do. Do not interpret Beauxbaton´s destruction as a sign of the Dark Side´s victory. There is still a war to be fought, and there are many willing to fight it. The Order of the Phoenix will fight to the last, and Hogwarts´ defenses will not be breached by betrayal. This school will not be broken by Darkness. When all other things fall, Hogwarts will remain."

----------------

"You realize what this means, don´t you?"

As Remus asked the quiet question, Dumbledore slumped wearily in his chair, looking older than Sirius had ever imagined him being. The headmaster was silent for a long moment as he sat by the fire, his eyes closed and seeing things that the others could only dream of. Sirius had long wondered if the old man might be a Seer, or if he at least might somehow know things that others did not, but he´d never asked, and now was not the time to do so. Now was the time to plan, and to pray.

"I realize that it means many things, Remus," Dumbledore finally responded, opening his eyes. "This means that our most likely source of allies has been destroyed. This means that Voldemort has pushed forward harder and faster than we had expected him to. This means that the war has truly begun now." Dumbledore sighed. "And it means that Cornelius Fudge is a bigger fool than I took him to be."

"Coward, more like," Snape hissed.

"Coward, if you will," the headmaster agreed. "Regardless of what his personal attributes may be, his policies are a mess."

"He´s going to make us lose the war before it has even begun, Albus," McGonagall interjected.

Around the staff room, heads nodded in agreement. This was a small gathering, made up of only those members of the Order of the Phoenix who were on hand--and who were also in the Order´s inner circle. Each teacher was in that circle for a specific reason: Minerva McGonagall, for her status as the woman who would take over Hogwarts should Dumbledore fall; Remus Lupin, for his years of research and uncanny ability to poke holes in any strategy; Severus Snape, for his firsthand experience as a Death Eater and knowledge of the Dark Arts; and he, Sirius Black, for his years spent as an Auror and status as Harry´s godfather. The five of them, counting Dumbledore, were the only ones who knew of the entire inner workings of the Order of the Phoenix; even the rest of the professors were left out of planning sessions like this. It wasn´t that Dumbledore did not trust the others completely--it was only that those in the room stood to lose far too much to even consider betrayal as an option.

"Minerva is right," Remus said. "Fudge is still trying to fool everyone, including himself. For Merlin´s sake, he issued a statement saying that the Ministry is certain Voldemort is dead! And other nations believe him because he refuses to acknowledge the solid proof you have offered--the man´s a fool, and he is going to get a lot of people killed."

"He already has," Sirius said quietly, wishing he could be surprised at the vehemence in his best friend´s voice. Remus Lupin was generally a quiet and even sad man, but he could hate with passion. And there was nothing Remus despised more than those who harmed innocents.

"Something´s got to be done about him," Minerva agreed acidly.

"Of course it does," Dumbledore agreed. "But what? And if we do remove him, Minerva, who is there to put in his place? Who can we trust?" The headmaster´s piercing blue eyes swept around the room, taking them each in turn. "I cannot leave this school knowing that it is a target. I will not endanger the students in that way."

McGonagall looked slightly abashed. "No one would ask you to, Albus."

"No?" Dumbledore arched one elegant eyebrow. "Perhaps you would not, Minerva, but the Ministry would. And if I come out against Fudge, they will. For who else is there to choose? Lucius Malfoy, and play into Voldemort´s hands? Arthur Weasley, whom far too many dismiss as inept and dim? Ludo Bagman, who is inept and dim? The most acceptable choice for many would be Amos Diggory, but he has taken a leave of absence since Cedric´s death, and I know he would not accept the job now. We must propose a solution before we create a problem, Minerva. And I have no legal right to come out against the Minster of Magic."

"Legality is beginning to have less and less to do with this situation," Snape growled.

"So what do you propose to do?" Remus asked, making Sirius smile inwardly. Leave it to Remus to get straight to the point and stop everyone else from wondering what might have been. He had always been the sensible and logical one.

"We must work with the Ministry," Dumbledore said for the hundredth time. Then again, we´ve had this argument a hundred times, too, Sirius reflected. Too bad that hasn´t changed anything.

"They won´t listen," Severus said quietly, and Sirius had to agree. For almost five months, Dumbledore had been trying to convince the Ministry--namely Fudge--that Voldemort was alive. The problem, however, wasn´t proving the truth; it was forcing the Ministry to admit it to the public. Fudge claimed that it would cause a panic. The Order knew it would save lives.

"No, they won´t," the headmaster admitted. "But we will try. One more time."

"And then what?" Remus asked slowly, as if dreading the answer. This was the first time Dumbledore had said that it would end, that they would stop trying--but then what?

The weariness and age suddenly left Dumbledore´s face, and his eyes hardened. "Then we act," he said evenly. "In the past, I have told Fudge I will not act against him, so long as he continues to oppose Voldemort, but his refusal to act has become a liability. If he will not act, I will. Unless he announces the truth to the Wizarding world, I will publicly oppose him."

"I thought you just said you didn´t want to," Minerva said with some exasperation.

"I do not. But I will," Dumbledore replied. "You are all right in that we cannot afford to wait...but we cannot truly afford to divide the Ministry over this, either. However, it has come time to make a choice of the lesser of two evils."

There was a long moment of silence as all the professors considered the consequences of what they were about to do. Unless Fudge decided, against all odds, to submit to Dumbledore´s ultimatum (which the man had entirely too much pride to do, Sirius knew), Albus Dumbledore was about to rock the Wizarding world to its very core. Had any other in their group come out against Fudge, the world might well laugh at them and continue on in the same old manner, but Dumbledore was different. Dumbledore was famous. He was widely considered one of the most powerful wizards to have ever lived. He had taken out Grindelwald and survived. He had been places and done things that no one else could dream of.

And Voldemort feared him.

Sirius knew that Dumbledore´s actions might very well cause the crisis the Order of the Phoenix was fighting to prevent. While they all knew that proof of Voldemort´s rebirth would cause panic in the Magical world, they also knew that knowledge would encourage people to protect themselves better. Had the Ministry made the announcement when Voldemort was still weak and without his legions of followers, many deaths--such as those in the destruction of Beauxbatons, might have been avoided. However, when the public found out that Fudge had outright lied to them, many would come to distrust the Ministry. Most of them would follow Dumbledore--but some would see Fudge´s cowardice as proof that the Dark Lord couldn´t be defeated. Fear would reign. And some would go to Voldemort.

"We´ve got to strike back," Sirius said before he´d even realized that he´d spoken aloud. "Before people can panic, we´ve got to show them that Voldemort can be beaten."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Snape asked dryly. "Walk up to the Dark Lord and challenge him to a duel? Is there a special sonnet you´d like on your tombstone, Black? "

"Severus!" Dumbledore stared at the Potions master before Sirius could reply, and shot a warning glance in Sirius´ direction to forestall that, too.

"Forgive me." Snape shrugged, but at least he meant it. "But my point still stands. You can´t strike at Voldemort. He won´t give you the opportunity--yes, you can hunt Death Eaters, and yes, that would probably help matters. If the public can see a few Death Eaters taken, it will help to keep panic from setting in, but that doesn´t solve the real problem. The real problem is Voldemort, and no one has yet to come up with a realistic idea for taking him out."

"Just because we have not found a way, Severus, does not mean one will not find us," Dumbledore replied cryptically. "Do not give up hope."

Snape´s response came in a quick jerk of his head, but his dark eyes were glittering. "Not while I still breathe."

"Very well," the headmaster continued, bringing the conversation back on course. "Tomorrow, Sirius, I want you to go to the Ministry for me."

"What? Me?" Dumbledore had to be joking. The Ministry might have declared Sirius innocent (after a great deal of arm-twisting on his behalf by the Hogwarts´ headmaster), but he was definitely still persona non-grata where the Ministry of Magic, and especially Fudge, was concerned.

"Yes, you," the old man replied patiently, smiling slightly.

"Uh...in case you´ve forgotten, Fudge is not exactly my biggest fan." Sirius tried to make his point diplomatically, but it was hard to be fair to a man who wanted to give him the Dementor´s Kiss without a trial. "And I´m not exactly his, either."

Snape snorted at the understatement. Remus just sighed. Minerva actually had the grace to look worried, but Sirius wasn´t sure if she was concerned over his well being, or the havoc he might leave behind if sent to the Ministry of Magic alone. Dumbledore, though, met his gaze steadily, and it took all the effort Sirius could muster to remember that he was a grown man (not to mention a professor) and not some wayward student caught red-handed in a prank.

"I am more concerned with others´ perceptions than Fudge´s, Sirius," the headmaster replied. "You are still well-known in the Ministry, and by sending you, everyone there will realize that I am serious. No pun intended, of course."

It was very hard not to roll his eyes, but to his left, Snape groaned out loud. There were certain times when Albus Dumbledore could be maddeningly exasperating. "Right," Sirius replied. "So I´m well-known as a mass murderer. What good will that do us?"

"You know that is not what I mean." Again, Dumbledore gave him the patient headmaster-awaiting wayward student look. "Had things turned out a little differently, Sirius, you would have become as well known as Alastor Moody. You were certainly as effective, if not more, in the three years you spent in the field as an Auror. That is why so many were willing to believe you were Voldemort´s right hand man--no one can argue with your skills or your powers."

"So you want me to present him with your ultimatum."

"I would prefer a gentler term--say, `request´?" Dumbledore´s eyes twinkled briefly. "But yes, give him the option, and tell him that there is no changing my mind."

"Why me?" Sirius had to ask. He knew there were other reasons. With Dumbledore, there always were.

"First of all, I need to send someone I can trust," the headmaster replied. "Which means it needs to be someone in this room. I, obviously, cannot afford to leave right now. Minerva and Severus need to remain at Hogwarts because they are the heads of their houses, and in the next few days, I expect to be bombarded by owls about the school´s security. And, of course, there is the fact that the moment Severus sets foot outside of the grounds, he will be the target of every Death Eater wanting to get onto Voldemort´s good side.

"Aside from that, I do not send Remus because I would much rather him teaching your class than having to watch you suffer through teaching the history of Magic." Dumbledore smiled for a moment, and then grew serious once more. "Also, Sirius, you need to get out."

"Get out?" Sirius repeated. "I´ve done nothing but see the world for the past few years, Professor."

"Ah, but people need to see you, Sirius," the old man replied. "They need to see what you truly are, not the horrible monster the Ministry made you out to be. The Magical world needs to be aware of who you are, because you will play a pivotal role in the war to come. Not many can do what you can."

It always comes down to power, Sirius thought to himself. And people need to see that it´s not all on the other side. He sighed quietly, knowing that Dumbledore was right, and that the one argument he really wanted to use wouldn´t work. Harry was safe at Hogwarts. His leaving for a day or two would not change that, thankfully, and he supposed that there were times when images counted for everything, and that his did need a lot of fixing. One of the things he´d learned as an Auror (which seemed at times to be part of a previous life) was that people needed to believe. They needed to see that Voldemort wasn´t the only big kid on the block, and even Dumbledore did not have enough of an image to offset the fear alone. There had to be others who publicly opposed the Dark Lord, others for people to see. And unfortunately, the career path he´d picked so long ago fulfilled those requirements perfectly. Finally, he snarled his agreement.

"I hate this game."


----------------------

Author´s Note: Well, here we go...the game has begun. Thanks for all the reviews, and I´d be eternally grateful if you´d send a few more my way...(please?). Stay tuned for more on the Dark Mark, and of course, "When Sirius Met Fudge...Take Two." Thanks for reading and please review!