After the Storm.

Harry waited as Umbridge and her small procession trouped around the lake to stand in front of him. Behind the toad-like former 'Inquisitor' Harry recognised the two Magical Law Enforcement officers that had attempted to take him from Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. Neither looked friendly. Harry thought he recognised one of the three Aurors as the man that Tonks had called to at the station. Styles? Nearly a month ago, to Harry it felt like yesterday.

'Mr. Potter, how nice to see you again,' simpered Umbridge. Are you well?'

Harry stared at her. 'Oh dear,' said Umbridge. 'In a bit of a snit are we? She tut-tutted at his impoliteness. 'Now then, as you have have had the midfortune of being thrown out by your family, under Ministry Regulation 17d for the Protection of Minors (amended), I am authorised to take you into Ministry Custody for your own protection.' The old toad was clearly enjoying herself immensely. 'Get up, dear,' she said. 'You're coming with us.'

'I have a home,' said Harry flatly.

'With muggles,' murmured Umbridge in saccharine tones, 'who can not and should not be expected to cope with a young wizard; especially one such as you. However we, at the Ministry, do have that ability. Now, this is for your own good, Mr. Potter, so try not to be difficult.'

'Then you've given up wanting to use Cruciatus on me?' said Harry.

'Still that problem with the truth, I see.' Umbridge's voice had sharpened slightly. 'Skelper, take away his wand.'

One of the Aurors that Harry did not recognise, an older man with a distinct pate, moved forward and Harry got up quickly and stepped back amongst the members of the Defence Association who rose to their feet around him, as did the Inquisitorial Squad. Harry noticed that Ron had drawn his wand and was aware of other drawn wands. 'Put it away,' he whispered, seeing Snape's dark figure sweeping across the lawn towards them. Unwillingly Ron obeyed but the behaviour of his friends had not gone unnoticed and Skelper was now being cautious.

'I don't have a problem with the truth,' said Harry. 'You do. 'Voldemort was back. But you only wanted to know where Professor Dumbledore was and you were prepared to use an unforgivable on me to find out.'

Umbridge's mouth opened and closed and Styles came to stand beside Harry. 'Those are extremely serious accusations,' he said. 'Even if you're not of age yet, you can get into a great deal of trouble . . .'

'It's the truth.' Harry objected.

'Well, that's hardly likely is it?' said Umbridge. 'Unfortunately, if for no other reason than misguided loyalty his friends are like to support him in his allegations.'

Harry drew a sharp breath. What was she implying? Confundus? Imperius? Suddenly Harry knew what it was like to be too angry to speak.

The young Auror beside him smiled. 'I understand that Draco Malfoy was a member of your Inquisitorial Squad. Perhaps he can tell us what happened.'

'Certainly,' said Umbridge.

Smirking nastily at Harry, Malfoy came forward. 'Hello Draco,' said Styles, grasping the young Slytherin's shoulder. 'How's it going?'

'Hello Adam,' replied Malfoy. 'Fine thanks. Do you know yet when the Ministry's going to let go of my money?'

'In view of your previous assistance, Draco, dear,' gushed Umbridge, 'I can see no reason why the matter should not be investigated quite soon. In fact I can promise it.'

'That's what I thought,' said Malfoy turning back to the blonde Auror. 'Potter's telling the truth. She was going to use the Cruciatus, quite excited about it in fact, and she boasted about having sent Dementors to attack him.'

Umbridge's pasty face was darkening with rage. 'You little ingrate. I gave you power and you . . .'

'And you expected my allegiance?' By contrast, Malfoy was far paler than usual. 'I am a Malfoy and my own master and I have no doubt that my property will be returned to me as soon as you and your cronies are thrown out of office.'

'Is that what he promised you?' demanded Umbridge furiously. 'Because if so, let me tell you now that he is not going to be able to deliver.'

'Potter promised me nothing,' said Malfoy. 'Although - that Decree about litigants having personally to lodge a hundred and fifty galleons with the Ministry before commencing any legal case? To prevent vexatious litigation I was told. Well, Potter lent it to me. Didn't even ask what it was for.' Malfoy sneered. 'Why should I support you?' He turned to the Auror. 'I'll be happy to answer any further questions that you might have.'

'Perhaps Madam Umbridge only intended to frighten young Potter?' suggested Styles.

The former Inquisitor had puffed herself up with rage and indignation. 'Quite. Quite,' she muttered, struggling to get a grip of her temper. 'It proved quite impossible to reason with Potter. Throughout the year he consistently interrupted, lied and generally displayed his disrespect for my authority. Well he'll learn.' Umbridge's wand twitched in her fingers.

'What?' demanded Harry. 'I must not tell lies?' He thrust out his right hand. 'You had me cut that into my own hand and I wasn't lying.'

Styles took Harry's hand and examined the scar and then turned back to Umbridge. 'I was under the impression that the torture of children was illegal,' he said.

'He needed discipline,' spat Umbridge. 'I saw to it that he got it.'

'Our byelaws do, indeed, prohibit torture,' said Snape in a quiet, deadly voice. Only Harry had noticed his arrival. 'I have therefore to inform you that, as you were in breach of the law, Hogwarts will be registering a complaint.'

'We can change the law,' ground out Umbridge, all trace of girlishness gone.

'Indeed,' said Snape's silkily. 'But you did not change the law, you broke it. You committed a criminal act.' Snape turned to the Auror. 'Mr. Styles, I am asking for the arrest of Dolores Umbridge.'

'You . . . you Death Eater,' croaked Umbridge, her eyes bulging with self-righteous fury. You'll never get out of Azkaban . . . you'll never see daylight again. Arrest him.'

Snape crossed his arms and snorted with derision and Dolores Umbridge tried to hex him.

Bad move Umbridge thought Harry delightedly as a large toad struggled out of a collapsed tent of floral robes.

'You can't just do that!' yelped one of the MLE officers drawing his wand and finding himself outnumbered by the DA and the IS. Malfoy looked self satisfied and Crabbe and Goyle delighted and then, exchanging glances, Crabbe and Goyle put away their wands and flexed their knuckles.

'If you insist, I suppose I could also pickle it for you,' said Snape but, as he glided towards the toad, it fled clumsily into the lake. Snape watched it go. 'I suggest that you remove Umbridge immediately from the lake and arrest her,' he said.

'Who the hell do you think you are to . . . You're under arrest,' spluttered Skelper. Together with the two MLE officers, he advanced on Snape whose sneer appeared to have been specifically designed to infuriate and practiced frequently.

'You should be aware that Professor Snape has been cleared of all charges,' said Styles.

'What? How?'

Snape shook his head as if in disgust at their stupidity and went to stand by the water's edge. 'Again,' he said placidly, 'I must ask you to remove Umbridge from the lake.'

'You don't tell us what to do, you greasy slime ball,' snarled Skelper.

Snape did not immediately react to the insult but continued to gaze out over the lake. 'You choose not to accept my advice then?' he asked softly as he turned.

'We don't need your advice!'

'Very well,' said Snape. 'However Potter will not be going with you. We, at Hogwarts, do not feel that it would be in his best interests.' He turned as if to leave.

'Accio Umbridge!' Skelper was clearly out of ideas.

A moment later he was also missing his wand which had arched from his hand to fall, with a soft plop, into the water. The surface of the lake suddenly appeared oily as if something large and fast were moving beneath it, and then a long tentacle snaked out, slapped Skelper, seized him around the waist and dragged him into the lake. Screams and splashes accompanied the Auror's alternately being thrown into the air, batted against the water's surface and, apparently, dragged over the lake bed. The other Aurors and the MLE officers raised their wands but could not risk an unfriendly spell hitting their colleague. Affecting an air of mild interest, Snape turned to watch. After a few minutes a slimy, green, weed wrapped bundle was thrown choking onto the grass.

'It can be unwise to aggravate the giant squid,' remarked Snape, 'especially just after it's eaten.'

'It ate Umbridge?' whispered Ron. Hermione looked green.

'And now if you will excuse me?' Snape gave a small bow and headed back towards the castle.

'He did that deliberately,' whispered Hermione.

'Yeah,' said Ron, 'Bloody, bloody brilliant.'

And that appeared to be the opinion of the Inquisitorial Squad along with not a few of the DA. Harry tried to comprehend what had happened. He accompanied Ron and Hermione to Charms but took in nothing of the lesson. He had just been adopted by a man who had, within the hour, quite casually murdered someone.

At the end of Charms, Harry followed Ron and Hermione down to the Dungeons, his only thought being that it would be not Snape but Madame Karnstein who would be teaching. He sat down and Hermione set her book open between them and began to explain what they had been doing in class until the door was slammed open and the former Potions Master assumed his accustomed stance at the front of the class. 'I shall be covering this lesson for Madame Karnstein who has been called away to a funeral of an aunt in Transylvania.' A sneer indicated his opinion of this excuse for absence. 'While this is not the first interment of this particular relative, we are assured that it should be the last,' he continued. 'I have been informed that you are covering basic vitalising potions.' Snape flicked his wand at the blackboard and words appeared. 'You may confer.'

Harry tried to concentrate but attempts to clear his mind gave produced only images of Umbridge hopping into the lake and of Snape staring out over it. Had Snape's Legilimency allowed him to observe what was happening? Had he really deliberately annoyed Skelper and the MLE officers so that they would not take action until it was too late?

Harry was vaguely aware of a russet coloured mess escaping over the edge of Neville's cauldron and sliding rapidly away and up a wall to take refuge on the ceiling, where it reposed making the occasional sloppy stalactite and vaguely obscene slurping noises every time that Neville attempted to get it back down, but the only thing that he seemed able to focus properly upon was Snape. By the end of the lesson Gryffindor was down thirty-five points.

'Remain behind, Potter,' said Snape.

Harry sat and waited until the Professor had closed the door and sat down at his own desk. 'You did that deliberately,' he accused. 'You murdered her.'

'I decided that her life was worth less than yours,' replied Snape. 'I assassinated her.'

Harry stared at the professor.

'Potter, amongst her other achievements, her anti-werewolf legislation requires that, during the period of the full moon, any injured werewolf, whatever the nature of the injury, is subject to confinement, without treatment, until the full moon is passed. Such confinement is also obligatory in the case of poisoning, whatever the lunar phase, for three days. She has been responsible for a number of unnecessary deaths and would, doubtless, have contrived to be responsible for others.'

What, Harry asked himself, if it had been Lupin who had been the one bitten at Grimmauld Place? 'You hate werewolves,' said Harry.

'No,' replied Snape idly. 'Lycanthropy is merely an illness. I loathe Lupin.'

'Why?'

'Because he is careless of his condition and the wellbeing of others, because he despises me and because he is a coward who, despite believing that he knew the difference between right and wrong, always chose to do nothing.'

Harry steadied his breathing and achieved some measure of calm. 'Every time I think I understand you, I don't,' he said.

'Then perhaps it is your expectations that are at fault,' said Snape. 'You are thinking like a muggle. I am a wizard and a Pureblood. I have been told that certain aspects of the mindset are medieval. That may be so, but I would consider it utterly wrong not to protect the things that I believe are important. You know what I was. Many of the things that I am prepared to give credence to are different and I am also considerably more careful about reaching decisions, but I am no less ready to take action should I deem it necessary.' Harry swallowed and stared instead at the floor, at the dark lines between the flagstones, at the ancient, worn stone. For the first time his robes felt strange around him. Hogwarts felt alien and unreal. He felt strangely as though he was only pretending to be Harry Potter.

'Potter,' Snape continued more quietly, 'I have been Voldemort's Inquisitor. I have . . . cleared up after Bellatrix Lestrange. A few weeks ago I slaughtered a large number of people, some of whom I had considered friends. I have since had to deal with their children.'

Harry remembered the horrors of the throne room and Lucius Malfoy's courage and love of his son and concern for Snape. 'Lucius Malfoy knew that you were a spy?' he said.

'Certainly,' replied Snape.

'But . . . 'Harry shook his head in incomprehension. 'Then what about what he did to Ginny Weasley?'

'Voldemort was a means to an end for Lucius. When Lucius discovered that he was trapped, and needed a way out, he decided that Tom Riddle would be more amenable to persuasion than Voldemort. He was wrong as Riddle and Voldemort were, in essence, the same. The older wizard would have occupied the younger body. I think it unlikely that Lucius would otherwise have tried to harm Miss Weasley but someone had to die and Arthur Weasley had been a thorn in his side for a long time. He may even have convinced himself that choosing a child from a larger family was a compassionate act. Like some muggle drugs, the use of Dark Magic is highly addictive and erodes the mind. Even so, most of the Death Eaters not only made no effort to assist in Voldemort's return but secretly opposed it hoping that he would remain disincarnate and weak until their own eventual deaths removed the life source.'

Snape stared at his hands. 'There was no other way to destroy the Dark Lord and I did what was necessary,' he said quietly. 'Do not ask me to pretend to care about Umbridge.'

That Snape might grieve for his victims in the throne room was not something that had occurred to Harry.

Snape had done what he had to and afterwards tried to rescue him. Harry wondered what would have happened to Snape had what had remained of Voldemort managed to reach him. As the Dark Lord had closed in on Snape unseen, in order to warn him of the danger, Harry had been forced to allow his astral self to overlap with Snape's body. The memory of his contact with Snape's mind had subsequently prevented him from doing anything for several minutes. Harry thought about Snape, picking his way over the rubble of the throne room, scared almost beyond reason and still utterly determined to find and rescue him and using his own anger to hide his fear, even from himself. He realised that Snape had been forced to face his own terrors and those inflicted upon him until it no longer occurred to him not to. 'Seriously messed up' had been Tonks' opinion: a damaged child who had grown into a man to whom any show of emotion was weakness. Harry was conscious that his guardian was hurting but had no idea what to do about it.

Snape stood up and went to the door. 'Potter, no witch or wizard would question a parent's right to protect their child,' he said, 'and yet Umbridge was imprudent enough to try to attack me. We may therefore assume that the Ministry is unaware of the adoption. Have you told anyone?'

'No,' said Harry.

'Then you will not.'

Ok thought Harry. If that's what you want. But this wasn't finished yet. He couldn't simply walk out. 'Can you tell me what happened to my eyes?' he asked as a delaying tactic.

'It is not always possible to make permanent corrections to congenital faults magically as the subject's own magic tends to resist changes, especially to vulnerable areas such as the eyes. You however were, at the time, effectively dead and so there would not have been a problem.'

'Wonderful,' said Harry. 'I think I'd rather you didn't mention that to anyone, sir.' For a moment Harry almost believed that that he had seen The Dark Arts professor's lip twitch as though suppressing a smile and he was encouraged to ask another question. 'At the cottage,' he asked, 'what was that with Tonks.'

Black eyes considered Harry and when Snape spoke he sounded unusually reticent. 'She suggested that Miranda had been forced to raise Jane on her own and that, her runes being her only magical legacy, I should try to accept your presence with better grace.' Snape turned towards the door. 'She also offered to help.'

'In what way?' asked Harry.

'I think . . . it is possible that the offer was intended as some sort of proposal.'

'You're kidding . . . I mean that's great.'

'Do you really think so? About the only thing I can say in favour of my life expectancy is that it probably exceeds yours.' Snape opened the door, ushered Harry through and then locked it behind them.

Harry found himself rubbing at his scar. 'I had thought that when Voldemort was dead it would be over,' he said.

Snape's expression of disbelief at Harry's naivety was almost comical. 'With Voldemort out of the way there are aspiring Dark Lords and Ladies coming out of the woodwork. Most of them would consider killing you to be an excellent career move.'

Harry swallowed. 'And the rest?'

'Will already be engaged in attempting to discover an effective method of control. Be very careful, Mr. Potter.' Snape turned towards the Slytherin common room and Harry began the trek back up to Gryffindor Tower.

&

'Sorry Colin, I asked Jane to sit with us,' said Hermione. 'Jane, over here.' Jane glanced up and then obediently headed down the train towards them.

'Oh, right,' said Colin, replacing the lens cap of his camera. He slid open the door of the adjacent carriage and he and his brother went in.

Harry was going home with the Weasleys for the Christmas holidays, as was Hermione. Her parents would be joining her there, so the house would be full. Jane, he supposed, was going home. 'Hi,' she said, shutting the carriage door behind her and reaching up to put her shoulder bag into the luggage rack. 'I suppose they can be a bit much.' Jane smiled faintly and Harry realised that Hermione had been lying. She had just wanted to spare Harry the Creevey brothers' photographic courtesies and Jane was well aware of this.

'This is Jane,' said Hermione, flushing slightly. 'She's in my Arithmancy class.'

'And my Transfiguration class,' added Ginny.

That was certainly impressive for someone who had done magic for less than a year, thought Harry. She must have been working hard. 'Hello,' said Harry. 'Hufflepuff isn't it?'

'Yes.' Jane smiled and settled herself into a corner with a transfiguration textbook, while Harry felt foolish. Of course the badge on her robes would have told him her house.

'How are you finding Hogwarts?' he asked.

'It's a bloody zoo.' A sudden smile. 'I suppose I should be glad that they're all out of Basilisks.'

'Plenty of Acromantula,' said Ron cheerfully.

'Not if you stay out of the Forbidden Forest,' said Jane.

It had been a surprisingly calm few months for Harry, although there was a continuous suppressed tension that suggested the calm before the storm.

After Voldemort's fall, Dark Magicians struggling to fill what they perceived as a power vacuum had indeed seemed to be coming out of the woodwork. The Ministry of Magic's increasingly draconian counter measures and general public hysteria had fed off one another in a vicious circle. As far as possible Harry had tried to ignore the 'Prophet'. He had busied himself with catching up with his schoolwork and been pleasantly surprised when Snape had returned his Firebolt after a week with the excuse that various Slytherins required distraction.

The same week, after an uncontrolled exothermic reaction, Jane had been thrown out of OWL level 'Potions' and immediately been befriended by Neville Longbottom. 'After all,' he said, 'one fine grey powder does look pretty much like another'. Harry felt guilty about his inability to warn Neville of the reason for Snape's singling him out in Defence Against the Dark Arts but, whatever the cause; Neville's reactions were becoming dangerously fast and his new wand had made a difference. No one picked on him any more; in fact people had become wary of even making loud noises around him and Harry had been told that the Venomous Tentacula had taken to creeping out of Neville's way, to lurk nervously in corners until the young botanist had gone. Having seen Neville's spell casting he could believe it.

Girls first, they all changed into Muggle clothing: Jane into the biking gear that he had first seen her in. Seeing this, as a gesture of solidarity, Harry chose to put on the check shirt that she had bought for him. As she sat back down in the compartment, Jane began to hum 'The Lumberjack song.' Hermione raised her eyebrows and Jane shut up suddenly and stuck her nose back into her book. Conversation gave way to a game of chess between Harry and Ron. As usual, the pieces were small and polite and, also as usual, Ron won. 'Thank you,' said Harry, tapping the board gently with his wand. 'Now sod off.' The game had finished just in time as the train was approaching King's Cross Station.

With minimal baggage they were soon on the platform and Harry looked around expecting to find Arthur Weasley. He could see no sign of him although few yards away was a woman whose smart suit and bobbed hair he recognised at once. It was Tonks, as she had arrived at the cottage, although her face now resembled Jane's - a mother or perhaps an older sister. Hugging Jane, she began to ask about school in an unfamiliar, slightly husky voice. Harry realised that she was deliberately delaying, obviously waiting for someone to arrive

As the platform emptied Lupin appeared through the barrier. 'Sorry,' he said breathlessly,' Arthur Weasley couldn't get time off. 'We're to go back to Grimmauld place and he'll pick you up after work.'

'How are you?' asked Harry.

'Fine.'

It wasn't true.

Lupin looked scruffy, tired and unhappy and was now moving with a steadiness that betrayed chronic exhaustion. Harry wondered how much of Lupin's appearance related to his loss of Sirius for a second time. Harry had owled him about Sirius' return through the veil but Lupin's reply had been far from optimistic.

Tonks had picked up Jane's bag and begun to carry it along the platform for her. An amicable struggle ensued as Jane tried to take it back.

Still embarrassed to have been caught out using Jane as Creevey repellent, Hermione turned suddenly. 'Hey Jane,' she called, 'you were going to give me your e-mail address.' Jane stopped and pulled a notepad from her jacket pocket. A breeze blew her hair into her eyes and she tossed her head slightly to clear it in a gesture that Harry recognised as one of Snape's. Immediately Lupin tensed beside him.

Who's that?' asked Lupin.

'Jane Norton.' said Harry. 'New girl. We had five older students this year.' Harry began to wonder if he was wasting his time. In the aftermath of his injury and treatment at Grimmauld Place, Harry had talked in his sleep. Subsequently, Remus had wanted to know who 'Jane' was.

'She looks familiar.'

'Really?' Harry replied indifferently, picking up his own bag and starting along the platform, praying that Lupin would just forget about it. They had passed through the barrier, and were half way to the exit, when Harry heard a frantic, suddenly strangled, barking. He turned to see two men in wizard's robes dragging a large, emaciated black dog, fighting against a choke chain, through the barrier to platform 9 ¾ .

'Sirius,' whispered Harry in disbelief. Lupin turned his attention away from Jane just a heartbeat too late. Drawing his wand Harry had already begun to sprint back along the platform and then he was hurtling through the barrier. He emerged onto the platform to find Skelper and the two MLE officers waiting for him, heard an oddly solid thunk behind him and realised, rather sadly, that this was another trap and then 'Expelliamus!' took away his wand and 'Stupefy!' his consciousness.

He awoke to find himself gazing upwards at Fudge and Skelper, both of whom appeared to be standing on some sort of raised platform. Something exceptionally hard was hurting the back of his neck and then Harry realised that he was lying over the rails in front of the Hogwarts express. Up on the platform Fudge was consulting his pocket watch.

'No!' choked Harry, the horror of realisation half strangling him. 'I've done nothing . . .'

'No, not yet. But you do understand, don't you, Harry?' said Fudge. 'Power corrupts. And we can afford no more Dark Lords. You are just too dangerous. We tried to protect you from yourself but you refused to cooperate. What the Wizarding world needs now is stability.' He put his watch back into his robes. 'Don't bother to struggle: the train driver can't see or hear you. I'm sorry, Harry, but this tragic accident is necessary for the safety of our kind. Goodbye Mr. Potter.'