Harry Potter and the Amulet of the Moon

Chapter 12

Slytherins and Power

Looking around, Harry's ability to see magic told him that there was a field of dark red magic spread all over the floor of Snape's quarters, from the ground to about a foot above the floor. Any part of Harry that was above that point could move, but it was only his head, shoulders, and part of one upper arm.

"Hello, Professor," said Harry calmly. He felt that he was in no real danger; as long as Snape was on their side, he wouldn't kill Harry. But he found that even if he contemplated being killed by Snape, it didn't bother him that much. "I came to have a chat with you."

Snape moved forward a little on the bed. "And how, pray tell, did you make your way so far into the room? You should have been stopped at the door."

He must not have heard the Apparition noise, thought Harry. Good. "I'll answer your questions, Professor, after you've removed this... whatever this is, and given me my wand back. We'll go out into the other room, sit down, and have a talk."

Snape's sneer became stronger. "It seems to me, Potter, that I am the one who will make the rules in this situation. You will tell me how you advanced so far into the room."

Harry shook his head. "Sorry. What I will tell you, and you may not believe this, but it's true... I have no hostile intentions. I just came to talk."

"Those without hostile intentions normally just turn up and request an audience."

Harry sighed. "Professor, please, let's not waste time. We both know that wouldn't have worked. Now, do you believe what I'm telling you?"

"Why should I?" Snape ostentatiously pointed his wand at Harry.

"Because you're a Legilimens. You would know if I was lying."

"Perhaps you have become a skilled Occlumens," said Snape smoothly, as if it were the most logical possibility.

Harry rolled his eyes, and in so doing, got Luna's view; she was in the Room, talking to Kingsley, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. "Not yet," he muttered under his breath, letting Luna know they should attempt no rescue. To Snape, he said, "Yeah, because I was so good at Occlumency in fifth year. I don't have to be a Legilimens to know that you don't really think that. You know I'm telling the truth, you just don't want to believe it, you want to pretend I'm lying."

"Do not presume to tell me what I think!" shouted Snape, glaring at Harry.

Harry sighed in annoyance. "Look, Professor, we're not going to get anywhere like this. I told you what the deal is. There's absolutely no reason for you not to do as I've asked."

"Quite the contrary; there is no reason for me to do as you've asked," retorted Snape. "I have a wand, and freedom of movement. You have neither. Elementary tactical analysis suggests that I need not yield my advantage."

"In that case, your analysis is very elementary," Harry couldn't resist needling Snape, even though he knew it was in his best interest not to get Snape any more emotional than he already was. "What are you going to do, kill me?"

Snape spoke slowly and deliberately, with a cold fury. "I advise you not to tempt me."

"Well, it's your choice," admitted Harry, trying to sound unconcerned. "But you should keep this in mind. You know very well that there's a prophecy, one that Professor Dumbledore showed me and believed, that said that I was the one who would be able to kill Voldem--"

The rest of the word died in Harry's mouth as Snape's Silencing spell took effect. Harry couldn't help but grin; he had said the word on purpose, taking a calculated risk that Snape would in fact Silence him.

"Idiot!" spat Snape. "Do you not know what happens when you say that word?"

"Yes, I know. I said it to find out where you stood. If you were really loyal to him, you'd have just let me say it, and his people would come and take me away. You know I'm the one who can beat him, so you don't want that to happen. So you stopped me. So since we're on the same side, why not treat me as someone who has the same goal as you do?"

Snape appeared very unhappy to have been tricked. "Perhaps I simply wish to keep my options open."

Harry's sense didn't detect a lie, which he realized was due in part to Snape's use of the word 'perhaps', not making it a firm statement. "Yeah, I don't think so. It seems to me that you have two choices: kill me, or give me my wand back and talk to me. So, what's it going to be?"

"I see a third option, which your very elementary tactical analysis apparently does not," said Snape menacingly. "I will Silence you, then use the Cruciatus Curse until you tell me how you entered the room. It should not take long."

Finally, Harry found himself truly thankful for one of his Auror Leader enhancements. "Actually, that's ironic, considering what I came here to talk to you about. But as to what you said, no, I'm still not talking."

"Crucio!"

Harry saw the purple bolt come at him. He experienced a strong blast of pain when it hit him, but as he concentrated, the pain quickly reduced in intensity, and after a few seconds became nothing more than a minor annoyance. He regarded Snape with slightly raised eyebrows, his expression asking the question, 'is that all you've got?'"

Snape's jaw dropped. "Impossible," he gasped.

"Well, clearly not," responded Harry.

"How did you do that?" demanded Snape.

"I'm not going to tell you that either." As if he had a sudden brainstorm, he added, "Oh, you know what you could do, you could threaten to torture me unless I tell you how I resisted the--oh, wait, that doesn't work..."

As he saw fury form yet again on Snape's face, he reflected that he really shouldn't try to provoke Snape. It was just so difficult not to...

Snape pointed the wand again, and this time, Harry felt a light brushing sensation on his left cheek. Unable to move his hand to check, he tilted his head so that it touched his robe. Looking at the sleeve, he saw the bloodstain. Again, he rolled his eyes. Seeing through Luna's eyes again, he murmured, 'no.' To Snape, he said, "Yes, you can cut me, for all the good that'll do you. I'm invulnerable to pain, not to physical damage. So, what do you plan to do?"

"I could start cutting off body parts," said Snape, with a superior expression."

Again, Harry couldn't resist. "I guess they didn't name you Severus for nothing. Body parts, tree branches, it's all the same to you."

The tree reference provoked a strong reaction, but Snape didn't ask a question about it. "Does this not concern you?"

"Look, I don't care if you kill me, so why should I care--"

"A lie!" said Snape triumphantly. "You do care!"

"A misstatement," Harry corrected him. "I was careless with words. I'm... not particularly bothered at the idea that you'll kill me. How about that? Any lie there?" Snape was silent. "Or did I suddenly become an expert Occlumens again?"

Snape pointed his wand at the floor; Harry saw some of the magical field which had ensnared him fade away, as Snape was creating a path to the door. He stood and left the room.

Harry took the opportunity to speak to the others through Luna. "I'm okay for now, don't leave the Room. But be ready. He's not exactly being reasonable."

After a few minutes, a frustrated Snape returned. "Our stock of Veritaserum seems to have disappeared."

Harry's tone was more flippant than he intended. "You know, it's interesting how you thought of torture before you thought of Veritaserum, even though Veritaserum works better."

Snape's eyes bored into Harry. "If you do not tell me how you entered this room, I will cut off your left hand at the wrist."

Harry's sense told him that Snape was serious. Time to roll out the heavy artillery, he thought. "Lily Evans would be so proud," he said, as the blood drained from Snape's stunned face. "So pleased that you plan to cut her son into pieces. If she's watching, I'm sure she'll forgive you. You had a good reason."

Snape tried to put up a brave front, but had already given himself away. "What does your mother have to do with this?"

"You're not a very good actor. You loved her. You asked Vold--what's-his-name not to kill her, but he did, and you turned against him because he killed the woman you loved."

Snape paused, anger and disbelief on his face. "Dumbledore said he would never tell anyone, but he told you." Harry realized that Snape felt as though he'd been betrayed.

"He didn't. I also know that before coming to Hogwarts, you broke a tree branch, and it hit Lily's sister Petunia. Lily was angry with you. After a few years at Hogwarts, it made you very happy that she said that James Potter was 'an arrogant toerag.' These are things Dumbledore didn't know, aren't they?"

Snape was shocked into dropping all pretense that what Harry said wasn't true. "How..."

"Sorry. Not telling. Unless I get my wand back, etc. etc."

"You will tell me!" shouted Snape.

Harry was beginning to fear that this would end badly. He bowed his head so Snape couldn't see his lips move, and looked up to talk to Luna. "Get in position," he said, very quietly. He knew they would move from the Room of Requirement to the outside of Snape's quarters, ready to come in at his signal. The magical field would prevent their coming in, but not pointing their wands through the door.

"Professor, please, let's calm down, okay? Is there any reason we can't talk about this like two reasonable people? Or is your anger at me so much, or should I say, your anger at my father--because I know that's what you see when you look at me--so much that you can't control it? Because I'm not my father, you know. And I'm not my mother. I'm just me. Can you just accept that?"

Snape's face was as hard as stone. "I will not discuss anything until you have answered the questions I have asked."

Harry tried the simple approach. "Why?"

Snape stared back. "Answer my questions."

Using advice from the Auror Leader portraits, Harry tried to analyze the situation, and something came to him. "Power! That's what this is about for you! You'll talk to me, but only as long as you have the wand and I don't, you can move and I can't. You've got me in a situation that you would've dearly loved to get my father in, and you're so deep in that you can't see the difference. Letting me up off the floor would be like letting James Potter, your tormentor, off the floor, and you won't do that. Professor, listen to me. I am not James Potter. I have never done anything to hurt you. I am trying to accomplish the same thing you are. Please, let's talk about it."

Again, the stare. "Answer my questions."

Harry sighed. "Okay, I'm going to have one more try. Because I entered your quarters as I did, and you had some right to be unhappy, I am going to give you one piece of information. It may answer your questions, it may not. But it's all you're getting until I get my wand. Do a Reveal Magic spell on my forehead."

Snape didn't react to the odd request, but he did react, again with shock, when he saw the result. "Impossible."

God, this is tedious, thought Harry. "And yet..."

Snape seemed to be thinking. "This may explain how you entered, and how you resisted the Curse. But it cannot explain your knowledge of my memories. You must tell me how you know this." Snape pointed the wand again.

"I already told you, I'm not carrying on this conversation with you at wandpoint!"

"We will sit here until you tell me."

Screw this, thought Harry. "No, we won't. Here's the deal. If I don't have my wand in my hand one minute after I finish speaking... one minute after that, you won't have yours. Two minutes after that, you'll be out of Hogwarts, never to return. You'll never hold a wand in your hand again. I'm not joking, and I'm not lying. Now, it's up to you."

"You are not in a position to--"

"What is wrong with you??" Harry exploded. "Are you so traumatized by what my father did that you have no sense of reality? Get it through your head, I'm not him! When they were at Hogwarts, he and Sirius were immature, arrogant, cruel, bullying asses! A lot of people are like that when they're that age! It happens! Most people get over it, but apparently not you! Are you going to let this hatred you had as a schoolboy dominate your whole life? What kind of life is that?"

Snape continued to stare straight ahead, showing no reaction. Harry waited for a few seconds.

Harry lowered his head and directed his eyes upward. "Okay. Time's up."

Two seconds later, the magical field on the ground disappeared, and his wand was being tossed to him. "Belay," he whispered quickly, looking upward. Drained, he leaned against the wall from his position on the ground. "Was that really that hard?"

Snape's expression hadn't changed much, except now he seemed to be staring past Harry instead of at him. "How do you know those memories?"

Harry had to fight hard not to say the words, 'to hell with this, I'm not going to deal with you,' He strongly felt it, but he knew that it would be better in the long run if he could manage to deal with Snape. Clearly, Snape wasn't going to make it easy. "I'm from another dimension, very similar to this one. In my dimension, it was the same as this one until the point where Draco Malfoy had to make the decision whether to kill Dumbledore. In my dimension, he was indecisive until you got there, and you then killed Dumbledore, as he asked you to do. Several months later, the Dark Lord killed you because you'd outlived your usefulness to him. I found you as you were dying, and you gave me some memories that helped me understand what had happened in your life, including the fact that Dumbledore believed that I just had to go off and die after finding the Horcruxes."

Snape appeared to be trying to digest all this. After a minute, he said, "That is a... very unlikely story."

Harry grunted. "Tell me about it. Not anything I wanted, believe me."

"What brought you to this dimension? What of the Harry Potter that is native to this dimension?"

"An accident brought me here, and I switch with my counterpart in a way that's outside of my control. The time I spend here increases every time I switch.

"Look... my main objective is to stop this switching, to get back to where I'm supposed to be, but I don't know how to do that. While I'm here, my objective is to figure out how to get the Horcrux out of my other self, and eventually get rid of the Dark Lord. Malfoy had an idea, from an old book--"

"Ah, the break-in at Malfoy Manor."

"Yes. It didn't work." Harry briefly described what had happened. "We're trying to figure out another way." He went on to explain how it had happened in his dimension. "We don't assume it'd happen the same way here, so that's kind of a last resort."

"Why did you come here? What did you wish to talk to me about?"

Snape was still on the bed and Harry was still on the floor, but he didn't particularly care, as long as he had his wand.

"Well, I hoped we could work together, or at least, somewhat cooperatively. I had wanted to talk to you at some point. But the timing was caused by all the torture that's been going on at Hogwarts, especially what happened to Seamus today. It was lucky for him that you happened along when you did."

"It was not luck," said Snape derisively, as if Harry should have known it. "Some Dark wizards can detect significant Dark magic being done nearby, and I sensed that the Curse was being done in a sustained way. I entered the room for the purpose of ending that session."

Impressed, Harry nodded. "I'm sure Seamus will appreciate that when I tell him."

"You will do no such thing," instructed Snape sharply. "Nothing I say here is to be repeated to anyone, for any reason. Do you agree to this stipulation?"

"Provided I get the same courtesy from you, yes," Harry countered. "Do we have an understanding?"

Snape paused, considering it. Harry found he couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes yet again. "I'm sorry, Professor, I know this is difficult for you. But I'm sure you can understand that as Auror Leader, I'm just not going to deal with anyone on less than equal terms. So, are we agreed?"

Snape paused again. "Agreed," he finally said.

Harry detected reluctance, but no lie. "Good. So I'll say, I'm sure Seamus would appreciate it if he knew, which he won't. Now, one of the important things I wanted to say in this visit is that the torture at Hogwarts has got to stop."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it does, does it?"

"Yes, it does."

Snape's sneer was back. "And how do you suggest that this be accomplished?"

"You're the headmaster. You just decree that it's not allowed."

Snape gave Harry a 'how can you be so stupid' look. "Oh, yes, I am sure that the Dark Lord will not find such a thing suspicious in the least."

"Is it really so important to him that there's torture here?"

"There is a reason, Potter, that we call him the Dark Lord, as opposed to, say, the Bright Lord," said Snape derisively. "Torture is a weapon of power. The Dark Lord wields power, and expects those who wield it on his behalf to use it as a weapon to increase their power, and by extension, his own. It was his decision to put Carrow here, then Yaxley, and they acted as they believed he would wish. Yaxley may very well have been acting under specific orders. All I can do, which I have done, is decline to do it myself, and to find various excuses to curb such... excesses as we saw today. There is nothing more I can do."

Harry shrugged. "Then you're going to have a lot of DADA teachers this year."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Where is Yaxley?"

"In a safe place. He said he was planning on doing the same thing to a lot of--"

"You idiot! Do you really think this is going to accomplish anything? Do you think that it will occur to the Dark Lord to send in more... kindly instructors? Or will he see this as a challenge to his authority, and take ever-sterner measures to consolidate his hold over Hogwarts? Not to mention, he will put increasing pressure on me to discover the reason these instructors are disappearing. If I fail, I will be replaced, my standing with the Dark Lord will fall, and my value in the fight against him will be dramatically reduced. Tell me, Potter, is this a desirable outcome?"

Harry closed his eyes in frustration, as what Snape was saying made sense. "No. But I'm just not going to sit around while my friends are being tortured."

Snape loudly scoffed. "You just castigated me for allowing my emotions to cloud my judgment! You are no better, simply in a different way. One must face reality, Potter, as you told me just a short time ago. He has Hogwarts; that is a fact. Any student who wishes to avoid the possibility of being tortured would be well advised to simply leave, as Longbottom and apparently now Finnegan have done. Failing that, I suggest you attempt to find a more... creative solution to this problem."

Harry slowly nodded, Snape's comment about students leaving Hogwarts having planted the germ of an idea in his mind. "I'll think about it."

"You should also return Yaxley to his quarters, give him a Memory--"

"No way. Not after what he did to Seamus. Not going to happen."

Snape seemed to have expected that answer, but continued to argue. "If Yaxley is not returned, it will become apparent that the Carrows' action was not as it was made to appear. Stricter security measures are a likely result, and I will be held to account."

Harry thought about it. "If you can hold off the news getting out--cancel his classes, put out the word that he's sick or something--I can do something that'll make it look like the Carrows, and that would take the pressure off of you. You can tell him those quarters may be jinxed, and you'll put the next teacher in different quarters."

"You are thinking of some public action under the Imperius Curse?"

"I was actually thinking of Polyjuice Potion, but something like that, yes."

"It could work, if it was sufficiently clever," allowed Snape. "I find that I do not have overwhelming confidence in your ability to do such a thing."

"Don't worry, I'll get advice."

"Besides Malfoy, who else is with you?"

"Sorry. Not talking about who's with me."

Snape shrugged lightly. "It would be helpful to know."

"I know. But I'm trying to be very careful about what I let out. I don't want anyone to know that I'm Auror Leader, for example."

Snape was puzzled. "Why not? You could recruit many Aurors, you would have more public support. Granted, the Dark Lord's forces would more energetically work against you, but it seems a price well worth paying."

"I may yet consider it, just not right now." Slowly, he got to his feet. "Well, I'll be off now, unless you think there's anything more we need to discuss."

"There is one thing. I would like you to relay to Mr. Malfoy some aspects of our conversation--anything dealing with operational matters, or strategy against the Dark Lord--but not other aspects. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "Perfectly."

"I am sure that you do."

Nodding his goodbye, Harry walked out of the room, through the main living space of Snape's quarters, and out the door. He assumed that Snape might watch or follow him surreptitiously, so he didn't want to either Disapparate or walk to the Room. Instead, he decided to walk directly to the castle gate. As he neared the entrance to the castle, down a hall to his right as he passed he saw Filch approaching, fifteen meters away. "Stop! Whoever you are!"

Harry knew the distance was enough that Filch probably couldn't recognize him, and he didn't want it known that he'd been there. Wand already in his hand, he sent a low-power Stunner at Filch, who went down instantly. Just not his week, thought Harry as he exited the castle.

* * * * *

"You can't tell us anything?" complained Ron, back at the cave.

Harry shook his head. "Sorry. That was his condition."

"It certainly seemed as though there was a lot of... spirited negotiation," observed Kingsley dryly.

"You could say that," agreed Harry. "But I will say that it was useful, and that I think we understand each other better. It wasn't easy, though."

"He's hated you for so long, it was probably difficult for him to see you as anything like an equal," commented Hermione. "Almost any word he ever said to you was some kind of insult."

Harry decided to have some fun. "Well, yes, but that used to be true with Malfoy here, too. And look at us now! Best mates."

Ron and Hermione chuckled. "Get stuffed, Potter," retorted an annoyed Malfoy.

Harry grinned. "See what I mean? Just like old pals. Actually, Malfoy, would you come outside with me? There's something I need to talk to you about."

They stopped walking after Harry was sure they were far enough away not to be overheard. Harry told Malfoy about the meeting with Snape.

"Why me, and not anyone else?" wondered Malfoy after Harry finished.

"I don't know, he didn't say. If I had to guess, I'd imagine that he wants to keep in contact with you. He's hated me for so long that it's hard for him to deal with me in any adult, as-equals way. He wants to be in contact, but with you rather than me."

"Makes sense," agreed Malfoy. "So, ready for later?"

"Yeah, no problem. Hey, do you think there's any reason I shouldn't Apparate into my vault?"

Malfoy shook his head. "The security magic isn't in the vaults themselves, they're in the halls, passageways, and the vault doors. They just assume nobody can Apparate in. I think there'd be almost zero risk."

"Yeah, but that's what I thought about Apparating into Snape's quarters. He could've killed me if he'd wanted to."

"You can't start doubting yourself just because one thing didn't go as planned. There's some risk in anything you do. Start down that path, and you're no good to anyone."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"I usually am."

Harry grinned. "I'll keep that in mind. Let's go tell Ron and Hermione the plan."

* * * * *

At two minutes to three, Harry and Malfoy stood still along the side of a building about twenty meters away from the spot at which Malfoy planned to meet his godfather. "Is he going to be on time?" asked Harry.

"He will," said Malfoy confidently. "He's very punctual, and he's impatient with those who aren't. I'm going to start reciting the incantation; you have to do it for about 20 seconds before the spell works, so don't interrupt me." Malfoy started reciting words in a low voice. A half a minute later, an old man Apparated near the three large trees. Malfoy pointed his wand, and he suddenly appeared next to the man, even though he was still standing next to Harry. It was somewhat disconcerting.

"Mr. Blackstone," said Malfoy warmly, extending his hand. "It's good to see you."

"You too, my boy," said the man, reaching out to shake Malfoy's. "I've missed you."

Harry saw Malfoy's face take on a rare contrite expression. "Sir, I wanted to apologize. I should have listened--"

"Draco, Draco," Blackstone waved Malfoy off. "You need not apologize. The pull of family is powerful, as it should be, and you are young. Speaking of which... I was sorry to hear of your parents' fate."

"It's my fault--"

"It is not your fault, Draco," snapped the old man, his voice suddenly steely rather than tender, as it had been. "Murder is a hard thing, and it should be. When you make the decision to take a life, you begin playing by a different set of rules. Your father understood this, but he believed he would always end up on top. When he joined the Dark Lord, he no longer commanded his own destiny. He, not you, is responsible for his fate. I am just glad that you escaped. Did you assist Dumbledore?"

"Yes, sir. He told me how the Dark Lord survived. Seven Horcruxes. One deposited, by accident, into the baby Harry Potter."

"Merlin," exhaled the man. "The Dark Lord must no longer be in his right mind. What did Dumbledore ask of you?"

"That I help remove the Horcrux from Potter, allowing him to fulfill the prophecy. I tried, but failed. A small but important oversight. Dumbledore is now dead, and I don't know how the Horcrux can be removed. We are investigating other means."

"Something will come up. There is always a way."

"I'm sure you're right, sir. Of course, I would welcome your help."

"I will do what I can. What kind of man is Potter?"

"Quiet. Serious. Not worldly. The epitome of a Gryffindor, may be the best way to say it. Some Hufflepuff qualities. Loyalty, fairness."

The old man grunted. "I never had much use for Hufflepuffs, except as shopkeepers. They treat the regular customers well. But the combination you describe has the potential to be a great Auror--"

With multiple popping sounds, six people Apparated in within a second, a few very near the old man. "Ron, Hermione!" Harry said to Luna urgently.

Malfoy reached for Blackstone's hand, but the man went down under a Stunning spell, and Malfoy came up empty. Malfoy dove to the ground, just missing a few Stunners.

Ron and Hermione Apparated in near Harry, and without a word, all pointed their wands at the group of enemies; the spell, a wide-field Stunner, had already been decided. At twenty yards, the spell normally wouldn't have much impact, but it reached its target; all six men went down. Harry dashed forward, Ron and Hermione behind him. The image of Malfoy that had been near Harry had disappeared; Malfoy was fully at the other location, trying to help Blackstone. He tried to Disapparate, but one of the attackers had put down an anti-Disapparation field. "Potter! Get him out of here!" shouted Malfoy.

A few seconds later, Harry reached Malfoy and his godfather, and bent down. As he did so, Ron and Hermione were firing individual Stunners, as some of the attackers, while knocked down by the wide-field spell, weren't unconscious.

One attacker on the ground pointed his wand at Harry and Malfoy as Malfoy tried to hand Blackstone over to Harry. Before Harry could Disapparate, a gold piece of magical energy that looked like a whip wrapped around all of them, and the man fell victim to Ron's Stunner as the world started spinning.

The next thing Harry knew, they were in the familiar basement of Malfoy Manor where Luna had been held. The attacker whose spell had taken them there--pretty interesting spell, thought Harry, have to learn it sometime--was unconscious, as was Blackstone.

"Get him out of here," Malfoy said urgently.

Harry knew that Malfoy couldn't leave, and Harry could Apparate into and out of a room in which Apparition wasn't normally possible only so many times in a short period. If someone came down the stairs quickly, Malfoy would be captured. "Will you be okay?"

"The sooner you leave--"

Harry knew the rest of the sentence, and immediately Disapparated along with Blackstone. In the cave, Harry handed the old man to Luna. "Kingsley and Professor Lupin went to help Ron and Hermione," she reported.

"Good. I'm going back to get Malfoy."

He Disapparated again, and was back in the Malfoy Manor basement. This Disapparation took more effort than usual, and Harry knew he wouldn't be able to get them out for another minute, maybe less.

"Potter!"

A ball of white energy had entered the basement, traveling through the air and heading for Harry and Malfoy. Harry had never seen it before, but somehow knew what it was: a ball of energy that sought out a target and exploded, probably with stunning effect. He could have tried to destroy it or change its direction--he had no idea what would work--but impulsively chose to put up a magical shield large enough to cover himself and Malfoy.

Hitting the shield, the ball exploded, knocking the two back against the wall of the basement, where they slid to the ground. Harry hoped no one would come down for a second, because with the effort of the shield, he was sure that he was still a minute away from being able to Apparate them away. He could chance it, of course, but a Splinch would be disastrous under current circumstances.

"I'll try to get us out in one minute," Harry said quickly. "Sooner if I have to, but I'd rather wait."

Malfoy started to get up. "I'm all for that--"

"Get back down, play dead," said Harry, having heard footsteps above, suggesting that someone might be about to come down. Malfoy did as Harry asked; Harry made sure to arrange himself on the ground so that his head was down and not easily visible, but an eye could be kept on the stairs leading to the basement. His wand was seemingly accidentally pointed in the direction of anyone who might approach from the stairs.

Twenty seconds later, two sets of footsteps started down the stairs. Harry quickly decided not to try to Disapparate yet, so they would have to deal with these two.

"What do you think the Dark Lord'll do to Malfoy?" asked one conversationally.

"Whatever it is, I'm not sure I'd have the stomach to watch," said the other. "Oh, look! He got some friends! The Dark Lord'll be happy--"

The man not talking was taking out his wand, preparing to use it against Malfoy. Without moving, Harry shot off a low-power Stunner, trying to keep the spell invisible. The man went down; his partner wasted a second looking around before realizing it had to be the man on the ground near Malfoy. Before he could do anything, he had been Stunned as well, his Protection charm not enough to stop Harry's highest-power Stunner.

"Okay, we can get up," said Harry, sitting up. "Ready to go?"

"Too bad we can't take them with us," mused Malfoy.

"I suspect Hermione and Dean will have their hands full with the ones we got near the trees," pointed out Harry. "Let's go there, see if they need any help mopping up."

Apparating to their former hiding place in Hogsmeade, they found that nobody was there, so they went to the cave. Hermione and Ron were sitting on the ground, Hermione checking Blackstone with her wand.

"I'm pretty sure he's okay," she said to Harry and Malfoy. "Just Stunned. I'm not sure whether or not to Enervate him."

"He would want us to," said Malfoy firmly as he did so. Getting his first close-up look at the man, Harry was mildly startled to find that Blackstone was not just blind, but was using glass eyes that were pure white, with no attempt to simulate a corona or pupil. He found it disconcerting, and wondered whether that was the idea.

The man started moving, slowly. "Mr. Blackstone, are you all right?" asked Malfoy, with more care and concern than he'd have imagined Malfoy would treat anyone.

"I... I will be. Where am I?"

"They Stunned you, sir. We were able to get you away; this is a man-made cave, a kind of hideout. I Enervated you, so you may be groggy for a bit."

The man waved Malfoy off. "I'll be fine. I sense that there are a few people around me, Draco. Would you be so good as to introduce me?"

"Yes, sir. To your left is Ron Weasley, and to your right, Hermione Granger. They helped rescue us after we were attacked."

"My appreciation to the both of you, then," said Blackstone, who then looked straight at Harry. "That being the case, I imagine that I am addressing Harry Potter."

Harry decided to follow Malfoy's lead and treat the man with respect. "Yes, sir, that's right. How did you know?"

"I know enough about events in England, and Hogwarts, to know that where there are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry Potter cannot be far behind. Besides, you are... conspicuous."

"In what way, sir?"

"In a way that only I would be able to tell. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Leader Potter."

Stunned, Harry looked at Malfoy, the accusation in his eyes. Malfoy was utterly baffled. "I didn't tell him, Potter! I had no chance!"

Harry turned back to Blackstone. "Sir, right now that is a very closely held secret. I would very much like to know how you knew that."

"The answer to that, Leader Potter, is also a 'very closely held secret,' and has been for over forty years. But I am getting old, old enough that I need not keep secrets for the sake of keeping them. It is a reflex, I suppose."

Blackstone sat up straighter, then continued, with a gesture indicating his eyes. "Soon after this happened, young Draco's paternal grandfather, a close friend of mine, arranged for me to see a Brazilian wizard, a specialist in the senses. He told me that he could give me back my sight, after a fashion. These eyes would help me see colors, shapes, and vague outlines of various items. I would not be able to read, or discern expressions, but I would be able to walk without a cane, not at the mercy of those who care for me.

"I engaged him in conversation. He told me that he was capable of providing sensory information of very different kinds. He had a knack, the only one in the world as far as he knew. To a blinded Chilean Healer, he gave the sense of being able to look at a body and immediately see what the problem was. Another of his patients chose, rather than partial sight, the ability to see emotions as if they were flowing strokes on a constantly changing painting."

He 'looked' at Draco. "What would any self-respecting Slytherin do? Intrigued by the possibilities, I chose to be able to see power. I can look at a person and see both how much power he has, and how much he believes he has. By 'power' of course I do not mean magical power, but rather power in the sense that Slytherins desire it. Influence. The ability to persuade, bend others to one's will, or guide others to do one's will with such a gentle touch that the other does not know he is being guided. The hues of power appear to me in such a way.

"For example... the young man to my left is of a family that cares not for power, and therefore has little. But he himself has some, of an unusual shade; it is the knowledge that his accomplishments have brought him the respect of many, and he will be listened to for this reason. Oddly, I am not aware of the events that bring this knowledge--they must be secret to me--but they cannot be denied, to me they are as plain as day. The reflected power of being a close friend of the Auror Leader is present, but secondary.

"Now, the young lady I would know was Muggle-born even had I not already been aware; there is a stripe of newness to the magical world. She is also not interested in power, but respect, and has more of that than she is aware. She is in the process of realizing this, and will soon rid herself of the need to prove herself. Like the young man, there is also power in the knowledge, known by many, that she has the respect and confidence of the Auror Leader."

Amazed, Hermione shook her head. "Remarkable."

"The man who provided me with this was remarkable indeed," said Blackstone. "Now, the Auror Leader... this confuses me, actually. Draco, perhaps you would explain this to me, because I sense that you know. The evidence of my senses contradicts what I know to be true; it is as if I saw a boy whose countenance revealed less than ten years, yet who possessed the knowledge and wisdom of an old man. Weasley and Granger have the self-possession of those who have done great deeds that have brought them wide acclaim, yet I am unaware of those deeds, and would certainly know if they had occurred."

Malfoy explained the situation regarding the dimensional shifts; Blackstone listened quietly. "Fascinating. It seems that no matter how long I live, there will always be some magic of which I was not aware.

"This explains the Leader, who I have no doubt has defeated the Dark Lord where he comes from. Power emanates from him, a power unsought but well-earned, that he is only beginning to learn how to use. This power is a hue I have never before seen; it springs from a moral authority so powerful that good men would not say no to any request from him; they would be shamed to do so, knowing what he has done. The only man I have ever seen whose power was in any way similar was Dumbledore, whose defeat of Grindelwald gave him moral authority, though less than that of the Leader. But Dumbledore did not trust himself with power, and shut himself away at Hogwarts. The Leader, though at first reluctant, trusts himself to do what he considers to be the right thing. His power will grow slowly through time, as will his comfort in using it."

Harry exchanged impressed glances with Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy. "That Brazilian wizard did quite a job."

Blackstone nodded. "He did indeed, he did indeed. I have occasionally regretted my loss of sight, but what I acquired in return seems to me a more than fair exchange. And I seem not totally blind, since I can know where people are, based on the sensory information I get from them. I can recognize individual people as well, based on the uniqueness of the information. And--I have occasionally performed this as a party trick--I can tell with 98% accuracy which Hogwarts house a person belonged to. I never make a mistake with Slytherin or Hufflepuff; I do occasionally confuse Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, as their power signatures are similar.

"But what I find most fascinating about the Leader--he is, of course, the first Leader I have ever met, as the last one died eighty years ago--is that not only do I see a strong and truly unique brand of power, but I also perceive, at the spot corresponding to the forehead, the Auror Leader symbol itself! Quite remarkable indeed; I would not have thought it possible."

"Wow," marveled Malfoy. "My father never even knew this?"

"No, he did not. Perhaps I should have told you, Draco. It is my vanity; one wishes to keep one's secrets."

"I can really understand that, sir," said Malfoy; Harry could tell from his tone that he was thinking of his mistake that had had such a disastrous effect on Harry's counterpart. "We have a tough job, and I'm really hoping that you'll be able to help us."

"Of course, my boy. It was my intention to be of service when I contacted you; I knew you must be in dire straits. And I apologize for having brought along the company I did; I thought I was sufficiently careful as to avoid that."

"It's no problem, sir," Harry assured him. "We were prepared for the possibility, of course. Now we just have to figure out what to do with them."

Hermione looked at Harry. "Which reminds me, I need to go help Dean with that, and it may take the rest of the night. Ron, could you come and help us out?"

"Sure," agreed Ron; they excused themselves and left the cave.

Harry and Malfoy spent more time filling Blackstone in on the current situation, and Harry asked him about an idea he was working on. Blackstone and Malfoy helped him refine it, and after an hour, he was happy with it.

Malfoy helped Blackstone get ready to sleep as Harry walked over to the other side of the cave. Xenophilius was sound asleep in his sleeping bag; Luna was reading a book. Harry sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"You've had a busy night," she observed.

"But productive. How's your father?"

She shrugged. "He's all right, but he's discouraged. He wants to feel useful."

"Well, then he should feel better soon, because he's going to be useful, sometime in the next week." He told her the broad outlines of the plan.

She smiled. "I like that idea. As for him, I'm sure he'll be happy to do it, but he won't be happy that it won't be the Quibbler. He'll think it makes perfect sense for it to be that."

"The plan wouldn't work if it was."

"Oh, I know, of course. Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll tell him during the next switch, it's better if it's me." They sat in silence for a few minutes. "You know, I was watching a lot when you were talking to Snape. I'd heard a lot about how terrible he was to you in your classes, but seeing his face when he was talking to you... I was kind of scared, to be honest. I've never seen anybody with so much hate."

He nodded. "I know."

"But then, at the point where he gave you back your wand, his face really changed. It was like all the emotion went out of it, and he was talking like it was business. What changed?"

Harry decided it wouldn't be breaking his word to Snape if he told Luna this small detail. "I threatened him, and I meant it. If Kingsley and the others had had to rescue me, he'd have gone into the Muggle world with the Carrows. Since he's a Legilimens, he knew I was serious, and that I could back up my threat. Snape is a Slytherin, he understands power. By showing him that I was Auror Leader, and by threatening him, he knew I was his equal, and that whether he liked it or not, he had to treat me as such. It was difficult for him, because he was so used to hating me. But fortunately, his self-preservation instinct kicked in."

"Would you really have done that? I mean, he is on our side, we pretty much know that."

"Yes, I would've done it; he would have seen if it was an empty threat. I had to mean it. And yes, he's on our side. But if his hatred of me was so strong that he'd torture me, lop off body parts, or keep me captive until I talked on his terms, then it doesn't do me much good to know that he's an ally. I couldn't know that he wouldn't decide he hated me more than what's-his-name. I don't like it, but with the prophecy, I'm basically the focus of the anti-what's-his-name forces, and anyone who does to me what he did has to be considered adversarial. I didn't want to do it--it was a last resort--but I think he wouldn't have respected me if I hadn't. Like I said, that's the language he understands."

Luna sighed. "It must be difficult."

"It is, but... sometimes I feel like, this is my life, this is what happens to me. People have been after me, strange things happen around me, ever since I was one year old. I don't know if I can say I'm used to it, but it's something like that. So, it may be difficult, but so is my life. It's just the status quo."

She put her hand on his knee and squeezed it. "I was surprised, and a little angry, when he cut your face like that."

Harry nodded. "After I withstood the Curse, he was just checking to make sure I could be hurt, that a Severing spell would work."

"But he didn't actually cut off any body parts."

Harry smiled. "No, he didn't."

"Good," she said with a straight face. "There are some things I'm looking forward to."

He laughed and looked over at her; now, she gave him a small smile. He smiled again, and held her more tightly, his arm still around her shoulder. He would soon have to get back to thinking about what had to be done, but he was glad that he could have a moment like this once in a while. It made it a lot easier to deal with everything else.

* * * * *

Next: Chapter 13, The False Prophet: Angered by a perceived lack of respect, Xenophilius withdraws his assistance to an operation Harry hopes will bring an end to torture at Hogwarts.

From Chapter 13: Zabini gave Harry a crooked smile. "How's it going, Potter?"

Harry did a double-take. "Sorry, who?"

Chuckling, Zabini shook his head. "Nice try, but you're not a good actor. I'm not saying how, but Polyjuice Potion doesn't fool me. Now, do you want to talk, or not?"

This is annoying, thought Harry. It could also be dangerous.