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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 24: CONTINUANCE

�It would seem that the Dark Lord believes someone is impersonating Death Eaters,� Astrid said calmly. �I wonder who would want to do something like that.�

She felt Dumbledore�s eyes on her and raised her eyes to meet his.

�I also wonder why he bothered to send this to you,� she said. �I mean, you wouldn�t have anything to do with something like this, Headmaster. The only other thing that makes sense is if he is trying to send a message that not all of the raids were the work of Death Eaters.�

�That possibility had occurred to me, Professor Tyler,� Dumbledore said. �Is Severus recovered enough to take up his duties?�

�Most of them,� she replied. �I�m going to keep teaching first through third year, and we�re splitting the responsibilities of Head of House. Severus should be fully recovered in a few more weeks, though. I am only helping in the meantime.�

�Yes,� Dumbledore said, his eyes cold as ice. �Poppy did say you were not to teach defense or brew more advanced potions while you were carrying a child. I am very much looking forward to seeing Severus� children attending Hogwarts.�

�As am I,� Astrid said. �I always wanted a large family. This is just the start.� She smiled at the old wizard, but like him, her smile did not reach her eyes.

***** *****

The Saturday after the delivery, the afternoon tranquility of the school was shattered by shouted spellcasting and screams of pain.

Students and teachers alike ran to the unused classroom that was the source of the disturbance, only to find themselves incapable of entering the room. Locking spells with two different magical signatures kept the door closed, and none of the students had any success with breaking them.

Astrid and Severus arrived sometime after Lilith and Alfred, and watched with the ex-Auror and the WARTs graduate bent their magic and their intellect to breaking the spells.

When the portal finally yielded to their combined efforts, they pushed their way in, followed by Astrid. Severus stayed outside to guard the door. Of all of the people clustered in the hall, he had actually recognized the voices involved.

After a few moments, in which the noise had rather abruptly ceased, Astrid came out, her expression murderous.

�Miss Parkinson,� she said. �Please get the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey. The rest of you students, get to your Common Rooms. If I see one student here by the time I count five, you will be in detention until the end of the year.� Before Astrid could start counting, all of the students had turned and begun hurrying away.

�You need to come inside, Severus,� Astrid said. �This involves you, as Head of Slytherin.�

Inside, Snape saw Draco standing in the middle of the room, wand in hand. He had an enraged expression on his face, and his eyes were wide and dark with fury. Alfred was standing next to him, one hand on his shoulder, and his own wand was in his hand.

Pinned against the back wall of the room, bleeding from several cuts and twitching from other spells was Ron Weasley with his trousers and drawers around his ankles.

At the front of the classroom, amid the torn remains of clothing, Hermione was curled in a fetal position. Livid bruises showed on her shoulders, hips, thighs, and knees. Lilith was stroking her hair and whispering to her.

Astrid left Severus to help Lilith with Hermione. Severus walked over to where Draco and Alfred were standing.

�Draco?� he queried.

Draco looked at him blankly for a long moment. Then, one lone tear trickled down his cheek. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

�I don�t have to wonder what happened here, Severus,� Alfred said quietly. �It seems that history repeats again.�

�He wasn�t alone,� Astrid said from the front of the room. Hermione was floating above the desk, wrapped in Astrid�s cloak. The desk and the torn clothing on it glowed with a stasis spell.

�How do you know?� Alfred asked, turning towards her.

�You can�t hold a woman�s shoulders down and pry her legs apart from two different angles at the same time,� Astrid said. �It�s physically impossible. He had a partner.�

�Then we will find out who,� Severus said, turning towards the pinned student.

In the distance, a dog began barking. Then the barking stopped and a man started screaming.

Astrid looked down at her arm abruptly, and then looked up at Alfred and Severus.

�Alfred, you handle this,� she said. �Severus, you get Max to come here, and get Minerva and meet me at the Quidditch pitch.�

Astrid quickly ran out of the classroom, making her way as quickly as she could to the source of the noise.

Under the stands of the Quidditch pitch, she found Harry and Sirius standing over the semi-conscious form of James Potter. Sirius� expression was one of outrage, but it was the cold fury on Harry�s face that gave Astrid pause.

�He passed me,� Sirius said. �He paid no attention because I was a dog. He smelled like Hermione, sex, and blood. I know what that means. I know what he did.�

�You cannot be here,� Astrid said. �Change back, so you can stay with Harry. If you�re seen, you�ll be turned in. You are of no use to us in Azkaban or worse.�

Her oblique reminder of what awaited him if he was captured sobered Sirius a great deal. He turned to Harry, and reached out to put a hand on his godson�s shoulder.

�Harry?� he inquired softly.

Harry jumped a bit at the sound of his name, and then he turned haunted eyes to Astrid.

�She�s going to be afraid, now,� he said. �What are we going to do?�

�I�ll show you what to do,� Astrid said. �Don�t worry about it too much. Who did the spellcasting?�

�I don�t have a wand,� Sirius reminded her.

�Good,� she said. �We�ll rectify that later. For now, Harry�s actions are justifiable. You shouldn�t be here.�

�You�ll take care of Harry?� Sirius asked, his expression anxious.

�Of course I will,� Astrid said. �Do it now.�

Sirius nodded and closed his eyes. He changed back to the smooth-coated, black and gray dog that had accosted Harry outside of Hogsmeade. He sat down next to Harry and looked up at him, whining in concern.

At their feet, James Potter groaned and opened his eyes.

Running feet heralded the arrival of Severus and McGonagall. She looked with wide eyes at James� prone form, and then at Harry, standing over him.

�Will someone please explain what is going on?� McGonagall said, looking at Astrid.

�I don�t know if you are aware of what recently happened,� Astrid said in a formal and detached tone. �Hermione Granger was raped. Draco Malfoy caught her attackers in the act and managed to apprehend one of them. Ginerva Weasley�s familiar and Harry Potter tracked down the other man. Whether he actually participated or just held her down is unknown.�

�Siri,� James croaked softly, trying to raise himself off of the ground. �I heard Sirius.�

�Are you mad?� Astrid asked, looking down at him. �Sirius Black is nowhere near here. As far as everyone knows, he is dead.�

�How do you know his name, then?� James asked angrily, struggling to his feet.

�Harry talks about him a great deal,� Astrid said defensively. �I am unaware that there is any other Sirius around.�

�Sirius WAS here,� James insisted. �He goaded Harry into attacking me!�

�Sirius would not tell me to attack anyone,� Harry said. �The one time he had the opportunity, in the Department of Mysteries, he told me to get away. Of course, that was against Death Eaters and not a pathetic coward that attacks students.�

�What are you saying, Mister Potter?� McGonagall asked.

�Snuffles, here, followed his scent,� Harry said. �It led from where Hermione was attacked. He was there, either showing Ron what to do, or helping him.�

�That�s a dirty lie,� James said. �I would never do anything to harm a student.�

�You mean, like you didn�t almost choke Harry?� Astrid asked. �Stop lying, Potter. It only makes you look more like a child. Come on, Harry, I�m sure Hermione would like to see you. She must be in the Hospital Wing by now.�

�This is very serious, James,� McGonagall said. �I�m going to have to report this to the Headmaster.�

�I�m not worried, Minerva,� he replied. �I�ve done nothing improper or even illegal.�

�I hope not, James,� Minerva said sadly. �For your sake, I hope not.�

**** ****

By the end of the day, it was evident that every student above second year knew what had happened.

Girls were either staying with boys, or clustering in groups of three or more, and many of the groups were mixed houses.

No one was wearing Quidditch gear or anything associated with Quidditch.

Wands were being kept in plain sight and in easy reach.

James Potter had not been seen since the encounter at the Quidditch pitch. Dumbledore was not at the Head table. McGonagall sat in the center seat, anxiously watching everything that was going on.

�I don�t like this at all,� she told Astrid. �I don�t like seeing the students so afraid.�

�They were betrayed by someone they should have been able to trust,� Astrid reminded her. �It�s only natural that they be afraid. Look on the bright side, there is a great deal of inter-house cooperation going on right now. Perhaps this will strengthen that.�

�The Hat has been going on about that for some time, now,� McGonagall said. �How are you feeling, dear? Any signs from the little one yet?�

�It�s much too early for that,� Astrid pointed out. �Maybe in a month or so. I feel fine, though. I haven�t even been sick. Severus is giving me nutrient potions for pregnant women all the time, so that might be why. I�m doing very well, and so is Lilith.�

�That�s wonderful,� McGonagall said. �I can�t wait to see your children coming to Hogwarts.�

They both turned when one of the doors opened and Dumbledore walked in, followed by several wizards that Astrid did not know, and Lucius Malfoy.

�Attention, everyone,� Dumbledore said. �It has been decided that until this afternoon�s incident can be completely investigated, that classes will be suspended. We do not expect this to last for more than a month. Any students that wish to may go home and we will notify you by owl when classes are to be resumed. Hogwarts is still, of course, second home to you all, but you will not be allowed in any classrooms or outside while the Aurors are here. This is for the safety of all the students. You need to make your decisions by morning. The Hogwarts Express will be departing at noon.�

He turned to the head table.

�Professors, your input will be needed,� he said. �You are of course free to go home, but please be aware that you may be called back at a moment�s notice.�

While he was speaking, Astrid noticed something that she resolved to bring up to her husbands.

Lucius Malfoy was looking at Alfred with no signs of recognition whatsoever.

TBC
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Practice to Deceive