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Practice to Deceive	By : SailorSol Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 12424 -:- 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
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Disclaimer: Any characters & situations you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling. Any characters you don�t recognize belong to me. You can borrow them, but email me first and check on the characters.

Author�s Note: This story is AU after book 5. It contains NO REFERENCES to book 6 or 7 in any way, shape or form.

CHAPTER 20: UNSILENT NIGHT

Christmas Dinner at Hogwarts was a spectacle not to be forgotten. Astrid and Lilith brought all of the Hogwarts students with them, leaving the younger children in the care of the house elves, Voldemort, Bellatrix, and the Lestrange brothers.

Dumbledore greeted all of the students with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. He assumed that their quiet demeanor was due to the trauma they had endured, not their understanding that the man their parents trusted had betrayed them.

The Creevy brothers ate as quietly as the other students. Colin had his camera with him, but he didn�t even pick it up when Harry came in with one arm around Draco and one around Ginny.

�Are you certain that you are up to taking in all these children, Lady Castlemoor?� Minerva asked while they ate.

�I�m not a student any more,� Lilith said. �That great barn is fine right now, but this summer it�s going to be very lonely there. The students will help fill it up. If the Ministry causes a problem, I�ll adopt all of them. I don�t think there�s any question that I can support all of them.�

�No, none whatsoever,� Minerva said, smiling. �The Evans family is one of the wealthiest in the Wizarding world.�

�I�m a bit worried about the Creevy brothers,� Lilith said. �I�m thinking of asking Madame Pomfrey if she feels they should stay here for a while.�

�She has them heavily dosed on calming draughts,� Minerva said. �They were screaming when they came in, both of them. They saw Death Eaters kill their parents. They�re Muggleborn.�

�I�ll check with Madame Pomfrey,� Lilith said. �I want her assurance that they should be away from her.�

Further down the table, Dumbledore turned his attention to Astrid.

�How have you been doing, so far?� he asked. �

�Just fine, Headmaster,� Astrid said. �I�m upset that I won�t be able to finish teaching, but other than that, and this morning�s unpleasantness, everything is fine.�

�What do you think about this turn of events?� he asked her.

�It sounds as though someone is trying to unsettle Harry,� Astrid said. �I wish there were some way to keep children out of this, though.�

�I have always wished that,� Dumbledore said sadly. �I have never found a way. Perhaps you and your sister will find what none of the rest of us have been able to: a way to keep children from falling victim to their elder�s follies.�

�That would definitely be an accomplishment,� Astrid said.

�Now, my dear,� Dumbledore went on. �Tell me what those bracelets that all of the students you brought with you seem to be wearing.�

�It�s Christmas, Headmaster,� Astrid explained. �I wanted them to have something, no matter how small. I put those bracelets together, and I embedded protective spells into them. If they are knocked out or injured, it portkeys them to the Manor. If Lilith and I are taking care of them, then I wanted to be serious about it. Some of them brought smaller children with them, and I put a bit more into their bracelets. I wasn�t going to give Harry and his group bracelets, but then I reconsidered. This will give Harry peace of mind, and the other students, as well. They�ve survived a horrific experience. Severus and I are going to have a supply of Dreamless Sleep potions for the next few days, I think.�

�You are very wise,� Dumbledore said. �I�m pleased to hear that you are taking this seriously.�

~*~*~*~

When they returned to the Manor, Astrid and Lilith were pleasantly surprised to see all of the younger children gathered in the parlor with Voldemort, listening while he told them a story from an ancient book he held in his hands. They were so captivated that they did not even notice the new arrivals until Sarah�s bright eyes settled on her favorite wizard.

�Dada!� she shrieked in delight.

All eyes turned towards them, and Severus dutifully came forward to bow to Voldemort and retrieve his adopted daughter. She immediately clamped her little hands into the front of his robes and leaned into him, making happy noises.

Astrid crossed the room to kiss her father and Bella in greeting, and then to sit down and put her feet up.

�You can be very proud of all of the children, Father,� Lilith said as she copied Astrid�s actions and sat in her own chair. �Not one of them gave the Game away, and they all comported themselves with complete believability. Dumbledore doesn�t suspect a thing.�

�Excellent,� he said, watching while Harry crossed the room. �What did you think, Harry?�

�He thinks I�m still a good little pawn,� Harry said. �I�ll let him think so. If you can, try to send me something horrific in the form of a vision. I should have something to give him.�

�I was going to suggest the same, My Lord,� Bellatrix said. She was holding Justin Finch-Fletchley�s baby sister in her arms while the child�s mother sipped at a cup of tea.

�Very well,� Voldemort said. �I shall produce something appropriately horrifying.�

�Don�t tell me what it is,� Harry said. �I want to be completely believable. Just wait until school starts again.�

�I told Dumbledore that we were dosing everyone with Dreamless Sleep for a while,� Astrid said. �He won�t expect a vision just yet.�

~*~*~*~*~

Midnight had struck, and Astrid took Sarah from Severus and headed out to take her up to the nursery. Voldemort, Bellatrix, and the Lestrange brothers had left nearly an hour before. Bellatrix had tucked the smaller children in before she left.

She was barely out of the room when the fire turned green and Ron Weasley stumbled through, holding onto a bleeding gash in his arm. His mother followed quickly. Molly was leading Fleur Delacour-Weasley. The French witch was ungainly due to her advanced state of pregnancy. Fred and George followed them. Charlie and Bill came after them. The only one not injured were Fleur and Molly. Molly stood to the side of the fireplace and called into it.

�Arthur! We�re all safe! Come through now!�

Suddenly afraid, Lilith summoned a house elf and had it return with two buckets of water. Fred and George saw the elf appear, and they each took one of the buckets. They took up positions flanking the fireplace as their father�s face appeared in the flames, followed by the rest of his body. As soon as Arthur Weasley was clear, the twins both threw their buckets of water to extinguish the fire.

As the water hit the flames, another figure began to come through. The flames died out, leaving the masked form halfway through the brick backing of the fireplace.

The figure thrashed its one fully transported arm for a moment before the entire partial body went limp.

Astrid swallowed hard, fighting a sudden nausea that had nothing to do with her pregnancy.

�Cho,� she called out. �Will you please go upstairs to stay in the nursery. The house elves will get you all of the bedding you want. Padma and Parvati, please help Cho.�

All three girls came over to Astrid and voiced protests about being sent away.

�You three are our last defense,� she whispered to them. �You have your bracelets, and all of the children have them, as well. Cho, you�re a Ravenclaw. You have the coolest head. If someone tries to get into the nursery, you use the floo powder and call out �Serpent�s Lair�. You hand the smallest children to the older ones and start pushing them through the floo as fast as you can. Padma, Parvati, you are going to guard Cho�s back until all of the children are through the floo, and then the three of you go through. If we can come for you, we will. In the meantime, my father will keep you safe.�

�When you put it that way,� Cho said.

�We agree,� the Patil twins said together.

Astrid handed Sarah to Cho and watched while the three girls ascended the stairs.

Astrid returned to the parlor to find that Lilith had sat the Weasleys down, and that Harry and his fianc�s were eyeing Ron cautiously. After a moment, Hermione drew her wand and approached Ron.

Astrid walked in and sat down next to Max, watching the interaction of the teenagers. She saw Ron make a few starts at conversation while Hermione healed the cut on his arm, and then he took Hermione�s hand and kissed it. He frowned when she snatched her hand away and retreated to sit next to Draco. Draco put an arm around her, and scowled at Ron menacingly.

�Don�t get any ideas, Weasley,� he growled.�

�Down, Draco,� Max said. �I am sure that Mister Weasley was only expressing his gratitude for Miss Granger�s healing spells.�

Draco continued scowling, but he didn�t say anything more.

Lilith had requested tea from the house elves, and when it arrived she poured a cup for Molly.

�Here,� she said. �Why don�t you tell us what happened?�

�We were just getting ready to go up to bed,� Molly said softly. �Bill said he heard something, and he opened the door to look outside. He closed it again quickly, and sealed it with a spell. He looked back at us and said �there are Death Eaters out there�. Charlie looked at Arthur and said �Where can we go?�. Arthur, bless him, smiled and said �Castlemoor Manor. The wards there won�t let Death Eaters in, and we are related, although in a minor way�. He took a handful of floo powder, threw it in the fire and called out �Castlemoor Manor� just as the door collapsed and cutting hexes started flying.�

�We know the rest,� Lilith said. �I have to firecall the Headmaster. He�ll want to know about this.�

�We don�t want to impose,� Molly said. �We can reinforce the wards on the Burrow in the morning, and then we�ll be back home.�

Lilith was about to protest, more out of form than anything else, when Fleur doubled over and cried out loudly.

Astrid and Lilith looked at one another in confusion, but Molly moved over and started rubbing her daughter in-law�s lower back.

�I was afraid of this,� she said. �It was almost time for the baby, anyway, but stress sometimes makes a baby come early.�

�Now I HAVE to call Hogwarts,� Lilith said. �I have no idea how to deliver a baby.�

�Let�s just floo her to the Hospital Wing,� Astrid said.

�Good idea,� Lilith said, nodding. She and Astrid watched cautiously while Molly comforted Fleur. When the spasm passed, Molly helped the younger witch up and helped her follow Lilith out of the parlor and to the next closest fireplace. Astrid beckoned Ginny and Hermione to follow her, and then looked significantly at Severus.

�I�m sure you men can think of something to do while we�re gone,� she said. �Alfred, please call your cousin, Terrence, the one that�s a Special Forces Auror, and get him to come clean out the fireplace. Severus, you see if young Mister Weasley�s chess skills really are all that. Max, you see what you can do to amuse the rest of the gentlemen, except for the twins and the expectant father. I want the twins locked up in an empty room, and I want the new daddy with us.�

�My goodness,� Arthur said, his eyes shining with admiration. �You�re as good as my wife, at taking charge. Severus, you have a true gem here.�

�I am well aware of that, Arthur,� Severus said. �Well, Mister Weasley, shall we see who is the better chess player?�

�Okay,� Ron said. �Where are Ginny and Hermione going?�

�They�re going to observe a birth in progress,� Max said. �Since they will be in that position one day, themselves, the experience will be good for them.�

�What�s the big deal?� Ron asked while he helped get out the antique chessboard that had sat unused in the parlor since the last time the house had been inhabited.

�You would not understand, apparently,� Snape said while the pieces set themselves up.

~*~*~*~

When Lilith came through the floo into the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, she nearly froze in surprise.

Madame Pomfrey was bustling about, tending to wounded people, and Dumbledore was talking to an old woman. The woman was holding onto Neville Longbottom as though she were afraid she might lose him.

�Headmaster?� Lilith said, stepping forward. �What is going on?�

�It seems that the Death Eaters were not pleased with the results of this morning�s activities,� Minerva said, walking over to them. �They attacked three more families tonight. Whatever is Molly Weasley doing with you?�

�They attacked the Weasleys,� Lilith said. �They came to me. The younger Mrs. Weasley is in labor. Neither Astrid nor myself have any experience with anything like this.�

�And Professor Tyler has Miss Granger and Miss Weasley with her so that they may observe,� Minerva said. �She doesn�t miss a trick, does she?�

�Not often,� Lilith said. �Where can I put her?�

�She can go into that side room, there,� Minerva said. �I�ll send Poppy as soon as I can. Molly should know enough for the initial parts. William, you help your wife.�

�Yes, ma�am,� he said, one arm around Fleur.

Astrid led Hermione and Ginny over to intercept Madame Pomfrey.

�Can you use some more hands Poppy?� she asked.

�Not really,� Madame Pomfrey replied. �I can use some potions restocking. Simple things like blood replenisher and burn salve. Can you do that?�

�Of course,� Astrid said. �Hermione, you do a quick inventory. Ginny, you come into Poppy�s office with me, and help me start putting ingredients together.�

�Will that be safe for you?� Ginny asked.

�Yes,� Astrid said. �Besides, you and Hermione are going to do the brewing. I�m only going to supervise and give instructions.�

�Will this count towards our classwork?� Ginny asked impishly.

�I think that Professor Snape can be persuaded,� Astrid said. �Poppy, do we need Severus here?�

�It might help,� she said. �He could give me an idea of what curses we�re looking at.�

�I�ll get him,� Astrid said. She turned back to the fireplace and tossed some floo powder in. She stuck her head into the green flames, and then withdrew a few moments later and stepped aside so that Severus and Max could both come through.

�I will brew what Madam Pomfrey requires,� Severus said. �You will stay away from where I am brewing. Miss Granger and Miss Weasley will tell you what I need, and they will bring the prepared ingredients to me. You will lift nothing heavier than a mortar and pestle.�

�Yes, Severus,� she said quietly. She walked over to where Madam Pomfrey�s preparation area was and sat down while she watched him guide Hermione and Ginny over to another preparation table and assist him in setting up seven cauldrons.

�If you can accomplish what we need to tonight, Miss Weasley,� he said. �I will give you top marks in your practicals for the rest of the term. The trick to potions making is not just being able to brew one correctly, but being able to do so when they are needed, not just in a classroom atmosphere.�

�I can do it, Professor,� Ginny said, her face determined.

�Good,� he said. �You will brew Pepper Up and Calming Potion. Miss Granger, you will brew Skele-Gro and Pain Reliever. You should both be able to remember the ingredients for those. I shall handle Blood Replenisher, Shock Ender, and Flesh-ReGro.�

�Yes, Professor,� they answered in unison. They turned towards Astrid to find that she had several ingredients prepared already, and she was emptying a large beaker full of liver into an odd looking beige bowl with shining black runes on it.

�Dessicare,� she said, staring at the bowl. The liver in the bowl immediately turned from a glistening, slimy mass to a solid piece of dark brown matter.

�Pulvis,� she said next. The solid brown mass turned into a pile of brown powder. Astrid calmly picked up the bowl, poured the powder into a smaller beaker, and then wiped out the bowl.

�What is that?� Hermione asked.

�My bowl of preparation,� Astrid said. �It certainly cuts down the preparation time for ingredients. Ginerva, the items you need for Pepper Up and Calming are on the tray to the left. Hermione, the initial items you need for Skele-Gro and Pain Reliever are on the right tray. By the time you need the others, they will be ready.�

While she was speaking, she had measured out several of the ingredients she had available, and placed them on saucers on yet another tray. She handed that tray to a house elf, and the elf carried the tray to Snape. He spoke quietly to the elf, and then began taking items off of the tray.

TBC
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Practice to Deceive