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What Might Be Done	By : LoupGarou1750 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 19349 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Chapter 10: The Pusher Man
In which our hero turns manufacturer and the Trio are Gryffindors

...the pusher is a monster
Not a natural man.
The dealer for a nickel
Goin to sell you lots of sweet dreams.
Ah...but the pusher will ruin your body;
Lord he'll leave your mind to scream.
God Damn! The pusher.
God Damn! God damn the pusher.
I said God Damn! God damn the pusher man.
�Hoyt Axton: The Pusher

Although he had had qualms in the beginning, there was no longer any doubt about it; life in a tower room was infinitely more pleasant than life in a dungeon. Infinitely more pleasurable and infinitely less invigorating. Snape had pulled his favourite armchair close to the wide-open window. His finger held his place between the covers of an ancient, heavy book and his eyes were closed. He was thinking, not dozing; never mind the quiet snore that occasionally escaped his prominent nose. A soft breeze crept into his room and attempted to ruffle his hair.

A stronger gust brought a dance of red and white petals, one of which became hooked like a fish on Snape�s great beak. A soft exhalation caused the scrap of red to flutter gently. A slightly more emphatic inhalation sucked it down over a wide nostril. Snape�s nose twitched, and twitched again. He sneezed which, if he had been asleep would have woken him up. As he was not sleeping, it merely caused him to open his eyes. He took a deep breath and the red petal disappeared up his nose. He gagged.

Coughing, he looked around his room in wonder. Flashes of white and red frolicked in the stream of sunlight warming his floorboards. Floorboards. Wonderful, warm floorboards. Nothing at all like the icy damp stone that used to greet his feet every morning. And why the hell were there petals floating about annoyingly in his room? He pinched his lip. Ouch. He was definitely awake, not dreaming. Long, yellow-tipped fingers snatched at the air and he looked closely at his prize. Much like exceedingly fine parchment, but definitely unprocessed plant material. Suddenly his eyes widened in fury!

Without even thinking about it he bellowed, �POTTER!� Striding over to the window, he stuck his head out and glowered at the appalling scene taking place between the ground and the third storey. His instincts had been right. The scarred brat chose that moment to swoop past Snape�s window, bent low over his broom, robes trapped by his jet-stream and clinging sinuously to his . . .

�POTTER! WEASLEY! FINNEGAN! GRAN-ger?� Snape couldn�t recall ever seeing Granger on a broom. The sight did not bring him any ease. He shook his head and glared down at the ground. �LONGBOTTOM! What are you doing with my POPPIES!!� It really wasn�t a question.

�Twenty-five points from Gryffindor!� Snape roared.

Ah, yes, that got their attention.

Snape waved his wand and Potter�s broom shot forward between his legs, racing off alone in the direction of the Forest. Snape�s eyes glittered maliciously as he watched Potter tumble through the air, turning several exceedingly ungraceful somersaults. So tempting was the vision of Potter landing in a heap, Snape almost didn�t cast a cushioning charm in time.

Pointing his wand at his own throat, Snape muttered, �Sonorous!� although it was hardly necessary. �The rest of you will land instantly! Don�t even think about running away. You Gryffindors,� he sneered, �have gone too far this time! Stand there until I arrive.�

Forty-seven seconds later, Snape was striding across the grounds towards the miscreants.

�What in the Devil�s name do you imbeciles think you were doing? Those are opi� � Snape thought better of what he was going to say.

�Weasley, Finnegan, Longbottom, detention with Mr Filch tonight. And tomorrow night. And the night after that. You�ll be polishing floors until your fingers bleed.�

Snape smiled with pleasure and then grabbed Potter by the ear. A few moments fumbling in Granger�s great bush of hair and he had her ear between his thumb and forefinger as well. �If it�s not clear, you two will be coming with me.�

Up until that minute none of the Gryffindors had spoken or moved, but Snape�s tug on Potter�s ear seemed to open the floodgates. Weasley and Finnegan began to protest vehemently about their detention. Potter glared and struggled, wincing as Snape tightened his grip. Granger looked as if she were seriously contemplating stomping on his foot, but a lethal scowl in her direction nipped that in the bud. Longbottom, as might be expected, looked as if he�d like to run away, if only his legs hadn�t been wobbling with terror.

�SILENCE! You three, report to Mr Filch immediately!� Snape glared.

�Leave Neville out of it,� Harry begged, �he was trying to help.�

�Longbottom�s help,� Snape sneered, �is little different than anyone else�s attempt at wanton destruction. He had no business getting anywhere near my poppies! Go! NOW!� He roared at Weasley, Finnegan, and Longbottom, who had yet to depart.

Ron opened his mouth to protest again but Neville tugged on his sleeve and whispered, �Come on! Don�t make it any worse!�

�You, my little lovelies, come with me. Granger, bring the seed trays.�

Hermione looked at Harry across Snape�s chest and mouthed, �My little lovelies?� Harry just shrugged and then stumbled slightly as Snape treated him to another vicious yank on the ear. Hermione pulled her wand out of its sleeve and said, �Mobilipapaver!

Snape gave her a black look and muttered, �Show-off.�

It wasn�t until they reached Snape�s tower rooms that he let go their ears.

�I thought you lived in the dungeons,� Harry said, looking around Snape�s quarters with obvious curiosity. �Seems awfully bright in here.�

�What�s that supposed to mean, Potter?�

�Er, nothing. I just sort of assumed you�d prefer the dark.� Harry bit his lip in an attempt to keep from grinning.

A success or two during Occlumency lessons and the boy was becoming unbearably smug. Snape�s look was withering and Harry�s half-smile disappeared promptly.

�I assume you were the ringleader in that little display, Potter?�

�What? No! I was trying��

�Shut up. I believe I�ll let Miss Granger explain. Keep it short and to the point,� he said shifting his attention to Hermione.

�The poppies were delivered to the Great Hall with no tag saying whom they were for. Some of the students were starting to pick the flowers. Neville stopped them.�

�I�m impressed. Apparently you do understand conciseness, a skill which I wish you�d demonstrate in class. Your explanation seems to leave out a few things, such as broomsticks and reckless flying.�

�Professor,� Potter interrupted, �why are there flower petals all over your room? Hot da��

�Don�t say it! Don�t even think it! Sit down, both of you!�

Snape himself sat down in the armchair by the window. Potter and Granger looked around the room and, seeing no more chairs, sank to the floor and looked up at Snape. For his part, Snape ignored them. He steepled his fingers and pressed his forefingers to the corners of his eyes.

He had known the opium was too be delivered today. He had been expecting a small, plainly wrapped parcel, not three seed trays of living plants. Damn Albus. Living plants meant he would have to extract the opium himself, a tedious task, and for a wizard more than a little dangerous. Opium was illegal in the wizarding world, not because it was a narcotic, but because it had strange and unpredictable effects on magic. It could strip a wizard of his powers entirely, or alter them so that any spells cast were strange and unpredictable. It also was a powerful soporific, a pain-killer, and a mood-altering substance. Quite dangerous, and quite rightly prohibited. He wondered briefly how the Headmaster had managed to acquire them. No matter.

Snape didn�t have time for the extraction process. He already had several delicate potions simmering in his lab, potions that required all his skill and concentration to complete successfully. He would need help. Slowly he pulled his hands away from his face and looked at the two students sitting quietly on his floor.

�Continue, Miss Granger. Please explain how broomsticks and flying daredevils became involved. Explain why all of you should not be expelled for your reckless behaviour.�

Hermione glanced nervously at Harry who just gave her a small shrug. She looked at Snape and remained silent. Snape sighed in irritation.

�Gryffindors! Tell me the events that transpired. You will not be expelled. Weasley Number Six, Finnegan and Longbottom have already received their punishments. Telling me the truth will not make it worse for them. Ultimately, little damage was done, or I might not feel so generous. Your punishment, or escape from it, will depend on the truth. Mr Potter�s fate also rests in your hands.�

�Neville thought the plants should go to Professor Sprout. He was afraid to carry one and leave the others, so he levitated all three seed trays.�

�And you allowed that imbecile to get away with it, not knowing what the plants were or what effect the use of magic might have on them?�

Hermione looked very put out. �There�s no student in this school that knows half as much as Neville when it comes to plants and their care!�

�Spare me your histrionics, and I said I wanted the truth.�

�It is the truth,� Harry spluttered. �You just have it in for Neville, and for no good reason!�

�Don�t you dare speak to me in that tone, Potter. I have very good reason for doubting Longbottom�s capabilities in any area. No other student in the history of Hogwarts has wreaked so much devastation, and I include Weasley Numbers Fourandfive in that.�

Harry turned red in the face and looked as if he were about to start shouting. Hermione quickly continued her tale. �If Neville thought the plants could be moved magically, then we had no reason to doubt him, no matter what your view of him. Seamus thought it would be funny to get the seed trays away from him. He and Ron started a game of keep-away. They summoned their brooms. Neville was frantic.�

�As well he should have been,� Snape muttered.

Hermione gave him a black look and continued. �Harry and I thought we�d better put a stop to it. That�s what we were doing when you saw us. We were just trying to get the poppies back from Ron and Seamus.�

Snape looked from Hermione to Harry and back again as if trying to gauge the truth of Hermione�s story. Finally, he nodded abruptly.

�Very well. The two of you shall go unpunished.�

�What about Neville then?� Harry asked belligerently.

�Using that tone of voice will gain you nothing, and it won�t hurt Longbottom to scrub floors. Perhaps the next he�ll think twice about meddling in things that are none of his business.�

�That�s not fair!� Harry shouted.

�And your point would be?�

�If Neville hadn�t meddled there wouldn�t be a flower left on those plants! Where would you get your opium from then, Snape?�

Snape�s face changed from its usual sallow tone to bone-white. �How did you know?� He whispered.

Harry looked at Hermione and grinned. �Neville was right then.�

�Papaver somniferum, opium poppies, illegal in much of the Muggle world and all of the wizarding world except a few of the smaller Chinese provinces.�

Snape was surprised to hear nothing but curiosity in Granger�s voice. He nodded at her and then fell silent again, and thankfully his two students seemed inclined to let him think. If he needed help, and he�d already admitted to himself that he did, Granger would be an excellent choice. However annoying her personality, she was the most capable young witch he�d ever taught. The only other student with a similar talent in Potions was Draco Malfoy, and he was obviously out of the question. None of the Order members had any particular skill with brewing, and he certainly couldn�t get outside help for such a delicate, and illegal, project.

Working with Granger would be trying in the extreme, but it would also give Snape an opportunity to become more comfortable with her, so that if things with Potter didn�t work out � a scenario that seemed more likely every day � he just might be able to seduce her to his protectorship. Snape sighed. It wasn�t a very good idea, but it was the only one he had at the moment and he couldn�t count on the Dark Lord leaving him alone for very much longer. Creating a suitable potion could be critical to the war effort, and finding someone with whom he could ally himself was only slightly less important to him.

Taking a deep breath, Snape made his decision. It would have been better to discuss this with Albus, but he had taken a turn for the worse in the last month and Snape was loathe to bother him unnecessarily.

�Do you like Potions, Miss Granger? You�re certainly skilled at making them.�

Hermione and Harry looked at each other in shock.

�Y-Yes. I do. I think they�re quite interesting.�

�Have you thought about applying for an apprenticeship?�

�I haven�t decided what I want to do when I leave Hogwarts. I had thought about going to uni, but I don�t know what I want to study. There are so many possibilities and I��

�Quite,� Snape cut her off abruptly, suspecting she could go on for hours once she got started. �I think it�s safe to say that were you to sit for a Potions NEWT tomorrow, you would achieve an outstanding. I�m not sure even Mr Malfoy could do as well.�

Hermione blushed and looked bewildered.

�I am going to take the two of you into my confidence. Nobody else must know what we talk about, and that includes Weasley Number Six. If you can�t agree to that, you should leave now.�

�Right then,� Harry said, standing up.

�What are you doing, Potter?� Snape snapped.

�Leaving. Ron can sometimes be a prat, and he behaved terribly today, but he�s my friend and we�ve been through a lot together. I tell him everything eventually and I�m not comfortable with Hermione and I knowing something that he can�t.�

�Sit down! You�ve complained before that people keep things from you, and the first time someone tries to let you into their confidence you plan on bolting like a frightened rabbit? Where�s that Gryffindor spirit?� It was plain from Snape�s tone that �spirit� had been substituted for �idiocy�.

�I won�t promise not to tell Ron. If you can�t accept that, then I should leave. It�s that simple.�

�You are the most stubborn, thick-headed��

�Yeah, maybe, but I�m still not making a promise I don�t know I�ll be able to keep.�

�Fine! You win! If you must tell Weasley, you must. Please at least swear him to secrecy, as if that will do any good.�

�Don�t you get down on Ron! He�s a trustworthy as I am!�

�My point exactly,� Snape sneered, but his heart wasn�t in it. �How�s your scar?� he asked, changing the subject abruptly.

�What?�

�That lightning-shaped cicatrice on your forehead.�

�What about it?�

Snape expelled a harsh breath through clenched teeth. �Does it hurt, you ninny?�

�Yeah, all the time now.�

�I don�t know whether or not the Headmaster has taken you into his confidence.� It was clear exactly what Snape thought of that idea. �The Dark Lord has been having headaches. Bad ones. Headaches that, so far, have withstood all my ameliorative attempts. It makes him irritable.�

�I knew he was ticked off about something.�

�The poppies!� Hermione said excitedly.

Harry looked at her questioningly.

�Exactly,� Snape said.

�Won�t he be able to tell?�

�I think not. Opium has been illegal for 4000 years. I doubt he has any familiarity with it, not that its illegality would stop him, but knowledge of any of its magical uses has long since faded away. Even the most esoteric texts only refer to it obliquely. It�s a risk, but a calculated one.�

�Would someone please tell me what we�re talking about?�

�Miss Granger? Let�s see if you�re as intuitive as you think you are. Explain your deductions to Potter.�

�Opium is a painkiller and a sedative. It also can produce a sense of well-being. It�s addictive, and highly illegal in the wizarding world as it can interfere with magic in unexpected ways, although it�s not understood why. That�s all I know about it, although in Hogwarts: A History it says��

Harry held up a hand. �Don�t start with Hogwarts: A History or we�ll be here all day.� His smile took the sting out of his words.

Snape heaved a sigh of relief. Obviously Potter was used to dealing with her propensity towards lecturing. Apparently the boy had more patience than one would credit, although you could never prove it by Snape�s personal experience.

�Very good, Miss Granger.� The thought that he would rather have sneered condescendingly at her than compliment her, flitted through Snape�s mind. There was a damn good reason he had never married or formed any lasting arrangement with anybody. Humans were mostly intolerable, students more so, and Granger most of all. Except, of course, for Potter. Except lately he wasn�t finding Potter quite so intolerable.

Snape was torn. He saw no possible way to rectify his failed efforts with Potter, but the thought of being even socially intimate with Granger was enough to make even a grown man quail, and deep inside Snape knew he hardly qualified. He had to become friendly with her just in case, but he promised himself he would redouble his efforts with Potter. The boy didn�t talk half so much. Even if what he did say was mostly drivel, it was compensated for by a good nature and a luscious . . .

�Normally apprenticeships do not start until a student has completed their Hogwarts education, but I would be willing to consider making an exception in your case. I don�t expect your answer now. It�s too late to start anything this year anyway. Think about it over your summer holidays. If you decide to accept, owl me towards the end of the summer. I will discuss it with the Headmaster and your Head of House.�

�Are you offering me an apprenticeship?�

�That is the sort of response I would have expected from Potter. Yes, you drooling idiot! I�m offering you an apprenticeship!�

�Thank you,� Hermione said primly. �I will think about it, and I�ll let you know.�

Any reasonable student, Malfoy for instance, would have been kissing the hem of Snape�s robes. It was an unheard of honour to be offered an apprenticeship in Potions at Hermione Granger�s age. The girl had no appropriate sentiment of gratitude.

�In the meantime,� Snape said through gritted teeth, �I am working on a potion for the Dark Lord�s headaches. I had thought to experiment with the opium, hoping to create something that would ease his head while stifling his magic. I�m working on several bases right now. They are delicate and quite time consuming. Had the opium arrived already processed, the situation might be different. I don�t have the luxury of time. I�ll need assistance.�

The two students looked at each other, clearly expecting something more. Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, Potter said, �Are you asking us to help you?�

�These poppies will obviously yield a high grade of opium, just being in the same room with the flowers has addled your wits! Both of you! Yes, Potter,� Snape gritted his teeth again, �I am asking for your assistance. Forgive me for not making that clear.�

There was another pause.

�That�s it?� Harry asked. �You�re not going to go on for five minutes about what complete dunderheads we are?� His face was the picture of innocence.

Snape�s mouth twitched and the ugly vein in his temple began to throb. �Don�t push it, Potter.�

�Yeah, we�ll help. Or at least I will.�

�Miss Granger must agree as well, or the offer is rescinded.�

Snape expected Harry to explode any second, but the impertinent little twit just laughed.

�So, no help is better than my help alone?�

�I couldn�t have said it better myself.� Snape looked at Hermione. �Miss Granger?�

�It�ll be quite dangerous.�

Potter�s eyes lit up. Snape�s rolled.

�Yes, but you�re a Gryffindor. I would think that the last thing to worry you.�

Now Hermione laughed. Snape would never, ever understand students, and Gryffindors least of all.

�Yes, I�ll help. What do you need us to do?�

***

Snape�s dungeon laboratory was not a good place to cultivate poppies, which needed sun and warmth, two commodities in short supply beneath the castle proper. He was sure Professor Sprout would have been accommodating, but it was bad enough drawing three students into illegal activity without involving another teacher. Regretting the invasion of his privacy, Snape set up a temporary lab in his private rooms.

�Neville says,� Hermione began, stopping for a moment when Snape winced and then continuing, �he thinks it will be okay to use magic before we start collecting the opium, and we can induce the plants to finish flowering more quickly that way.�

�Longbottom thinks? Why am I not reassured?�

�Well, unless you have knowledge you haven�t shared with us, Neville�s the best resource we have.�

�The world has ended and this is hell,� Snape muttered. �Fine. Do it. I have no idea how much time we have, but I know the Dark Lord will not go much longer without summoning me. I�d like to have a potion available whenever that is.�

Snape looked at the two students. �You will do exactly as I say. There will be no questioning my judgement, no arguing. We don�t know what effect the actual harvest will have. Miss Granger, you will be doing that part by yourself.�

�What? No!� Harry shouted. �It�s too dangerous!�

�Shut up, Potter! We have no time to indulge your tender sensibilities. We are at war, or had you forgotten? Miss Granger I trust you understand?�

�Yes. Harry, of the three of us, I�m the one that�s most expendable if something goes wrong.�

�Hermione!�

�It�s okay, really it is. Everything we�ve read would seem to indicate that there�s little risk in handling opium, it�s just ingesting it that causes problems. But if there is a risk, I�m the proper one to take it. Professor Snape is our only contact with Voldemort��

�How many times must I tell you? Do not use the Dark Lord�s name!� Snape could feel his face getting hot. He chose to think it was anger rather than fear.

�Sorry. Professor Snape is our only contact with the Dark Lord, and we just can�t risk your magical abilities at all, given the prophecy.�

�We could get someone else!� Harry insisted.

�And who would you suggest, Potter,� Snape sneered. �Which one of your beloved Gryffindors would you risk?�

�Why does it have to be a Gryffindor? We could use one of your Slytherins. Nobody would care if one of them lost their magic!�

�Ten points, Potter! And which of the Slytherins would you trust, hmmm? Mr Malfoy, perhaps. Should I summon him?�

Harry�s shoulders sank. �I suppose you�re right. But what will we do if something does happen to Hermione�s magic?�

�We will do what we can, Potter. Whatever that may be. Let�s hope the need does not arise.�

�Explain to me again why you think this potion will work?�

�Listen, Harry,� Hermione said as she traced her finger across the text of a large and rather mouldy volume. �...resists poison and venomous bites, cures chronic headache, vertigo, deafness, epilepsy, apoplexy, dimness of sight, loss of voice, asthma, coughs of all kinds, spitting of blood, tightness of breath, colic, the lilac poison, jaundice, hardness of the spleen stone, urinary complaints, fever, dropsies, leprosies, the trouble to which women are subject, melancholy and all pestilences.�^* She looked up from her reading. �That was written by a Muggle, but this was written by a wizard. ...Opium provides the same healing properties to wizards as to Muggles but physiological damage to the magical system is so prevalent as to outweigh any benefit.�

�So,� Harry said slowly, clearly focussing hard on what Hermione had read, �opium does actual physical damage to a wizards magical system?�

�Exactly, Mr Potter. Well done. Two points to Gryffindor.�

�You�re giving me points?�

�It is said that it is wise to not look a gift horse in the mouth.�

�As if I would look in your mouth, you snaggle-toothed git.� Harry was not successful in keeping that mutter from Snape�s ears.

Snape smiled widely, with genuine pleasure. �Two points fromGryffindor. You never learn, do you?�

Harry opened his mouth and then clearly thought better of it. �So, the potion will cure Voldemort�s headache, but it will make his magic wonky.�

�Yes, wonky would be the technical term,� Snape said with a moue of distaste and not a little sarcasm.

�See? And you thought I couldn�t learn.�

Harry�s grin was infectious, but Snape was damned if he was going to be infected.

�How do you know it�ll go wonky in a way we want it to? What if it makes his powers stronger?�

�I�ve considered that carefully. Potions skill is a matter of intuition as much as competent brewing. It becomes increasingly clear that you do better with more information. I�ve said as much to the Headmaster for years, for all the good it did. Have a seat, this will take awhile.�

This time, Snape conjured two chairs so Hermione and Harry did not have to sit on the floor. To their amazement, he summoned a house-elf and ordered tea.

�Although opium is illegal, and no reputable wizard has had anything to do with it for four thousand years, there are those who still fall sway to its pleasures.�

�You sound as if you�ve got personal experience.�

�Don�t be impertinent. You may not like me, but I am reputable.�

Harry snorted. �Yeah? Tell that to Moody, or any other auror.�

�Ah yes, and the good opinion of that lunatic means so very, very much to me.�

�I�m just saying...�

�Well stop saying, and let me continue!� Snape snapped.

The arrival and a few moments consumption of the tea brought tempers back inside the stratosphere. They were silent for as long as it took Potter to consume five small cakes and a cup of tea, while Snape and Granger each had a digestive biscuit.

Snape looked at Harry, sneered, and then touched his forefinger to his lip and gave it a small swipe. Harry looked confused momentarily and then wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his robe.

�Charming,� Snape said.

Hermione giggled.

�If we could get back to the matter at hand...� For some unaccountable reason Snape shuddered. �There are places in Knockturn Alley and elsewhere, where wizards and witches are able to succumb to their various vices if they so choose.� He felt, and suspected he probably looked, completely uncomfortable.

�We�re sixteen, Snape. We know some stuff, okay? You mean like prostitution and drug use and things.�

�Yes. Specifically drug use. I have made it something of a mission to find and interview as many opium eaters as I could. With their testimony to its effects, and with what I have been able to find in medical histories, I think I have figured out a way to effectively poison the Dark Lord�s magical system. We will only be able to test it on him, of course. So whatever success we have will be a product of trial and error, but I see no other options readily available.�

�Well, we�d better get to work then, hadn�t we? Judging from the pain in my scar, he�s getting angrier by the day. I�m guessing his headaches are getting pretty bad.�

�I�ve been expecting to be summoned for months. It could happen any day now.�

***

It was not without trepidation that Snape apparated to the designated arrival point. Months had passed since the last time the Dark Lord had summoned him, but that last time had been the occasion of Snape�s extremely painful �birthday present� and the memory still made him tremble. He despised himself for his weakness. Walking with leaden feet up the incline, in the direction which he was being magically pulled, Snape crested a small hill and was confronted with the ruin of a house.

The eaves sank with the weight of years, some windows were boarded and others not, although jagged pieces of glass in cracked and weathered frames indicated more than a passing need. He looked at the sagging structure dubiously. Many wizarding buildings and homes were magically made to appear derelict to the eyes of passing Muggles, but the magic didn�t usually blind wizards. Either the Dark Lord was expending great personal power masking the true nature of this house, or it really was an ancient wreck. With a start, Snape realized it was the latter. This was not a wizarding home designed to look like a decaying Muggle house; it actually was a decaying Muggle house. How very disconcerting.

Sweat trickled down the back of his neck and between his shoulder blades. The small black case he was carrying seemed to get heavier by the moment. With a grimace of self-disgust, he straightened himself, donned his most imperious, self-confident expression, and strode briskly up to a door sagging on its hinges. Knocking was unnecessary, the door swung open on its own as Snape approached. He crossed a large, empty entranceway and put his hand on the first door he encountered. This one opened of its own accord as well. At first, Snape thought the room was empty, except for the dust and detritus of long abandonment, but in the far corner of the room was an immense fireplace, and in front of that the high back of a decrepit chair with sagging springs and leaking white fluff from the many tears and rips in its upholstery. It appeared to have been used as a scratching post by a very large cat in need of a nail trim.

Slowly the chair rose an inch or two off the ground and pivoted until Snape was staring across the long, bare expanse of floor into the red eyes of Lord Voldemort.

�Do you like my house, Severus?� The Dark Lord, thankfully, wasn�t bothering with his usual affectation of prolonged esses. It was a mannerism that had always irked Snape.

�I would have thought my Lord would have commandeered Lucius�s mansion.�

�Would you?� The Dark Lord asked, clearly displeased.

Snape fought to keep his back rigid and to stop the trembling that threatened to unman him. He struggled to think of something to say that would mitigate whatever error he had just made. Instinctively, his muscles clenched, preparing for the pain of Cruciatus.

�I do not take what is not rightfully mine, Severus.�

�Of course not, my Lord,� Snape said smoothly, �but I�m sure Lucius would never begrudge you anything.�

�Do not trifle with me, Snape. You�re lucky you caught me in a good mood, otherwise I would be inclined to punish you. Don�t stand back there, man! Approach.�

Mentally, Snape rolled his eyes, but he was careful not to allow any change of expression to signal his loathing. Crossing the room, he knelt as gracefully as he could and kissed the hem of the Dark Lord�s robe, resisting the urge to wipe his mouth with it. All that would accomplish was a severe punishment, and it would not rid the bitter taste in his mouth caused by having to kneel at the foot of a madman.

And Voldemort was insane. Any doubts Snape had ever entertained about the Dark Lord�s mental health had been resolved years before; he was mad as a hatter. For that matter, so was Albus Dumbledore. Perhaps madness was necessary to wield such great power, which went a long way in explaining Potter�s infamous idiocy. The thought of what power might be invested in Miss Lovegood crossed Snape�s mind before he came back to his senses.

�You may rise.� Voldemort languorously waved a thin white hand, as if Snape were nothing more than a servant. Which of course he was.

�This house was my father�s house. This is the house where it all began, it seemed appropriate to make a new beginning here. Besides which, I take great pleasure watching it all crumble around me.�

Definitely deranged. With any luck, Potter would never have to fight Voldemort; it was more likely he would be killed by a falling beam.

�I understand, my Lord. Were it possible, I would probably enjoy doing the same with my father�s house.�

�You presume too much, Severus.�

�Yes, my Lord. Sorry, my Lord.�

Voldemort raised his hand again, this time summoning a chair from the other end of the room. �Sit.�

�Thank you, my Lord.�

�Oh, do stop grovelling. You don�t do it well. You never have. It�s part of your charm. As a matter of fact, it�s probably your only virtue.� The Dark Lord sounded amused and dangerous.

Snape wisely bit his tongue.

�Rumours have reached me, Severus. What�s going on between you and Potter?�

Even Snape hadn�t known it was possible to invest a single word with so much loathing.

�Ah, you�ve heard about that. I was sure you would. I intended to tell you soon, in any case.� Snape could again feel the sweat prickling between his shoulder blades. He had to be very, very careful here. �I�ve been asked me to step into the breach, as it were. I�ve told you Potter is unhappy with the Headmaster. Although I hardly seemed the logical choice, Dumbledore has asked me to attempt to befriend the brat, become his confidant.�

The Dark Lord�s laugh was high pitched and unpleasant. �And is it working?�

Snape bowed his head. �No, my Lord. Potter still loathes me, and the feeling is mutual. I�ll confess, I haven�t been trying very hard.� Snape�s lips twitched upward.

�Crucio!�

Snape fell out of his chair, his back arching almost enough to allow his head to touch his heels. In seconds his voice was hoarse from screaming as he thrashed on the ground.

�So, Severus? What�s between you and Potter?� Voldemort held the spell for a moment longer before allowing Snape to answer.

�Nothing, Lord,� Snape gasped. �I�d kill the little prick if I thought I could!�

Voldemort laughed again. �I believe you mean that. Tell me, is there any chance at all the boy could be swayed to our side?�

Snape attempted to laugh but it came out as little more than a huff of breath. �None, my Lord. He is too enamoured of his celebrity to consider doing anything that might disappoint his fans.�

***

�Harry, I don�t think this is a very good idea,� Hermione was frowning.

�It�s probably not the best thing I ever suggested, but Hermione,� Harry was almost pleading, �it�s me that�s going to have to kill Voldemort or die trying. And nobody will tell me anything. The Order won�t, Snape sure won�t, and Dumbledore is sick. I have to find out for sure, and if he�s on our side, then he might need help.�

�Harry, you know he�s on our side.�

�All the more reason. So, you�ll help?�

�Harry . . .�

�Well, I�m in,� Ron said, flopping on the sofa. �He may be a bastard, but he also may be our bastard. Maybe. And it beats studying Potions.�

�Hermione?�

�Oh, all right! Somebody with sense needs to be involved.� Hermione didn�t sound pleased.

�Great! Good! I knew I could count on you. We have to think. We don�t want it to end up like it did at the Ministry.� Harry looked away, feeling a lump in his throat as he thought again of Sirius.

�You two have to agree that we�re only going to look,� Hermione said sternly. �If Snape�s in trouble, we�ll come back here and get help.�

�But Hermione,� Harry began, but Ron elbowed him in the ribs and gave his head a minute shake before saying, �You�re right, of course. She�s right, Harry. We just find him. If he�s in trouble, we�ll hotbroom it back here.�

Harry looked at Ron in shock, mouth open, then snapped it shut, allowing his shoulders to slump at the same time. �Fine. Yeah. You�re right. But let�s just go, okay? We�re wasting time!�

Hermione looked suspiciously at the two of them.

�How are we going to find him,� Ron asked quickly before Hermione could say anything.

�I put a tracking spell on him.�

�Oh Harry! You didn�t! Voldemort will be able to tell!�

�No, really it�s okay. I�m not tracking him so much as I�m tracking his bootlace. It�s a really small spell. No! Honestly Hermione. I looked it up. The smaller the item, the smaller the spell, the harder to detect. Voldemort�s got other things to be worrying about. He�s not going to notice a spell that small. It will just sort of slide into the aura of Snape�s own magical signature.�

�I�m impressed.� Hermione smiled at Harry.

�You�re impressed?� asked a wide-eyed Ron. �I�m gobsmacked! You actually do know what you�re doing, don�t you? That�s amazing!�

�Shut up,� Harry said, punching Ron�s arm, but smiling good-naturedly.

Harry thought it would be hard to fit the three of them under his invisibility cloak -- he himself hadn�t grown much, but Hermione was as tall as he was, and Ron was a young giant -- but the cloak apparently made itself into whatever length was necessary. When Harry and Ron had grabbed their brooms and taken Hermione down to the Quidditch broom shed to pick out one for herself, he discovered that the cloak would easily cover the brooms as well as themselves. A reckless smile crossed his face.

�So, how�s this spell work?� Ron asked.

Harry pulled his wand from its pocket and, holding it loosely said, �Show me.� The wand quivered in his hand and then pointed southeast.

�Show me? That�s the incantation?�

Harry ducked his head with embarrassment. �You know I�m no good at Latin. The spell allows the caster to weave his own incantation into it, makes it more secure you know, so that nobody can interfere. I thought it would be better if I made my incantation something I wouldn�t forget. Plus, you know, nobody would expect English.�

�That�s surprisingly logical.�

�Gosh, thanks Hermione.� Harry invested his words with Snape-like sarcasm.

�I only meant��

�I�d drop it if I were you,� Ron said. �He knows what you meant.�

�If we�re going to do this then we�d better hurry,� Harry said, mounting his broom and kicking off.

***

�My head hurts abominably.�

�I have something else for you to try, my Lord.� Snape set his black case on its side on the floor and opened it, revealing a number of bottles and flasks in a variety of shapes. He pulled a wide-mouthed bottle roughly the size of a half-pint glass from the case and held it up. The light from the fire revealed a liquid the colour of red currants; in its depths swirled something vaguely black, something shown more by motion than by any tangible essence.

�What is it?�

�I found an ancient manuscript listed in a catalogue from Rome. On no more than a hunch, I ordered it. In it was a potion purported to be created by the wizard Asclepius himself. It seemed worth a try, as nothing else I have found has helped.�

�How do I know you�re not trying to poison me?�

Snape smiled bitterly. �Sometimes your little jokes frighten me. You know I am loyal unto death, my Lord.�

�It will be your death if you try anything.�

�Never, my Lord.� Snape thought it prudent to kneel.

�Well, give it over. It had better work this time, Severus. I�m growing impatient.�

***

Harry had his wand clutched tightly in his fist, which meant he only had one hand on his broom. When his wand suddenly began twisting in his hand, seeming to fight him to get free, he almost lost control. He had two choices, hold onto his wand or hold onto his broom, he couldn�t do both. Swearing inwardly, he let go of his wand and clutched his broom in both hands before diving after it. Before he could reach out to snatch it he realized it wasn�t falling. It was flying! Straight and true it aimed for something that looked no more than a brighter shade of the darkness that surrounded them.

�We�ve found it,� he screamed above the wind. Ron and Hermione were close on his tail and they nodded in understanding.

The trio dove straight down after the wand, swerving dangerously around oncoming trees.

�Lumos! Harry yelled, taking a hand off his broom and pointing it at his wand, barely visible a metre below them. Thankfully, it worked and the tip of his wand glowed. It was much easier to follow. Dodging in and out of branches large and small, the wand darted toward what was gradually becoming clear was a house. Harry heard a loud thwak and then heard Ron curse. The tree branches were thickest here, it was a wonder none of them had been knocked off.

The branches thinned and suddenly the ground was rising fast and hard to meet them. Harry put on a burst of speed and stretched out as far as he dared to grasp his wand again. He saw with relief that Ron and Hermione had landed safely, but his attention was snatched away as he struggled to pull out of his dive before he crashed.

A minute later, looking pale and shaking, Harry emerged out of the gloom of the woods and walked towards his friends.

�Let it never be said you can�t fly, mate! That was amazing!�

�If I had half the brain Snape thinks I have,� Harry laughed, �which would be half of nothing, I�d have just let my wand fall and found it when I landed. I was only three feet from the ground, it�s not as if I would have lost it.�

�I think we�d better be quiet,� Hermione whispered. �There�s a house just up there.� She was already moving up the incline. She stopped and looked back at the two boys. �We�re just going to look/i>, remember?�

Harry and Ron hurried up the hill after her. Harry�s wandpoint showing they were on the right track.

�You�d better put the light out, mate,� Ron whispered, �we don�t want anyone to see us.�

�You should have thought of that sooner,� a voice said as hands clamped down in an iron grip on the shoulders of the two boys.

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