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Ashes of Armageddon	By : emilywaters Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 96542 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
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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Slytherin Ways

Only half an hour later, a knock on Severus' door advised him of Percy Weasley's presence. Severus opened the door, and stood aside, allowing the Weasley to come in.

Percy entered, and glanced around cautiously, ensuring that the two of them indeed were alone.

�Who knows so far?� Percy demanded without a prompt. His voice was about an octave higher than usual.

�Nobody,� Severus said sternly, raising a calming hand, �and if you deign to lower your voice, even my Muggle neighbors won't know.�

Percy stared at him suspiciously. �You want me to believe that you ...�

�Weasley, do shut up and sit down,� Severus said gruffly, and walked over to the bar, pulling out a bottle of Firewhiskey. �Drink?�

�Yes, please,� Percy agreed meekly and sat down at Severus' dining table.

Severus poured him a glass, and took one as well. He sipped the burning liquid, and predictably a wave of nausea rose in his throat, but he fought it down, and took another sip. The second sip was easier, and he smiled inwardly. Drinking together was a useful ritual when one needed to build rapport, and this was just one of those times.

Percy's hand shook slightly when he drained his shot of Firewhiskey.

�Well,� Percy said softly, staring at a disassembled puzzle piece on the dining table, �that is just bizarre. How on earth did you figure it out?�

Severus smirked. �I wouldn't have survived long as Dumbledore's spy without paying attention to detail. I noticed the irregularities in the pieces. The game was perfect for something like this. It would be a while before Hugo outgrew it, and the incessant biting made it too irritating for anyone else to take an interest in it and want to borrow it.�

�Of course,� Percy said bitterly.

�So,� Severus mused, �I take it you were monitoring the conversations in your brother's home for the past two and a half years. The moment you overheard us discussing the chance that Albus Sirius was infected by Tom Riddle's Dust, you knew you had to act quickly. You contacted Ginny, and convinced her to reveal the location of her home to you. She respects you and looks up to you, or so I am told... Just what on earth did you say to her? That Harry might try to kidnap Al, and you wanted to place tracking spells on the boy as soon as possible, just in case?�

Percy said nothing, but the shocked expression on his face informed Severus of the accuracy of his guess.

�So,� Severus continued, �having the location of her house, you've led a team of Aurors loyal to you to her place, and took the children to a secure location. You even brought a skilled Legilimens to wipe her memories. How am I doing so far?�

Once again, Percy rewarded him with absolute silence.

�I am wondering about why you felt the need to take Hugo into custody as well,� Severus continued. �I have two guesses. One possibility that I see is that Hugo was inadvertently injured in action, and you took him to care for him. Another, more likely possibility is that the Legilimens you brought along refused to Olbiviate him, claiming that Obliviating someone so young completely would cause too much damage to the developing brain, and you had no choice but to detain Hugo as well.� Severus paused a little. �Not badly executed all in all. I imagine the house-elf got in the way, though,� he added, as an afterthought.

Percy smiled bitterly.

�My guess is that the damned creature decided to fight for his Mistress, and her offspring,� Severus mused. �I heard he was incredibly loyal to Ginny after she had rescued him from Godric's Hollow.�

�I see you have everything figured out,� Percy said noncommittally. �So now what? Are you going to turn me in?�

Severus smiled benignly. �To whom? I am no idiot, Percy. I realize all too well that something on this scale had to have agreement of all the members of the Security Council. Not just one or two. You all had to be in on it in order to pull this off.�

�Besides,� Severus continued softly, �collateral damage aside, I cannot fault you for your actions. What else could you do, really?�

Percy's face remained completely blank.

�You need to cover your tracks better,� Severus told him bluntly. �You should remove the bugs from the pieces tonight, and repair the broken pieces. I will bring the puzzle back to their place, before they notice it is gone. Without the surveillance objects to link you to the puzzle, there will be no way to prove your involvement, or link you to Ron's place.�

Percy glanced at him with surprise. �Why are you helping me with this?� He demanded.

Severus considered the question carefully before giving the answer. If he had said the wrong thing, it could all go very wrong, very quickly.

�Because in your place, I would have done the same thing,� Severus said, staring right at him.

Percy's expression was that of complete disbelief. �I thought you and Harry...�

�My dysfunctional affection for Harry notwithstanding, do you really think I would want to live like this?� Severus snapped. �Do you think I want to spend the next ten years of my life watching the calendar and the clock, waiting for that Dust of Tom Riddle to mature inside Harry's son, and turn on me again? I'm too old for this sort of thing, and in all honesty, I have had enough.� Severus shrugged tiredly. �All my sympathies aside, as a Slytherin, I know when to cut our losses, and cope with the collateral damage. I am only surprised you've had the bollocks to do the same.�

Percy sighed and poured himself a glass of Firewhiskey. �I surprised myself, I think,� he admitted reluctantly, �but I remember what it felt like... that Dust.. reaching into my mind... twisting everything... for three years after it was over, I kept waking up in the middle of the night, remembering that ... I used my own wand to brand you... used to be Harry Potter's little puppet on strings...� Percy glanced at Severus warily. �We all remember,� he said softly, �Kingsley, Amos... all of us. We remember what it was like... how everything went straight to hell, and we were a part of it... we'll never forget, for as long as we live. I don't know if I am doing the right thing... but I do know that Al can't be with Ginny, either. He needs to be under guard, under supervision.�

Severus nodded curtly. �What's your plan for him?� Severus asked.

�Plan?� Percy chuckled quietly. �We have no plan. We are just scared out of our minds, and muddling along, hoping we don't screw things up too much... and hoping it's not too late.�

�It's not too late,� Severus said softly. �The problem is contained. Or is it?� he stared at Percy intently. �How secure is the location?�

�Fairly secure,� Percy said reluctantly.

�Fairly?� Severus hissed. �Don't tell me you've placed baby Riddle under anything less than level ten shielding.�

Percy glared at him angrily. �We can't use the high-energy shielding to secure the location,� he snapped. �The Security Council knows, but the rest of the Wizengamot... the media... the people.. fuck, the surviving Death Eaters... if anyone detects an unusually strong shielding where it's not supposed to be, we'll have to repel a full-scale assault. Given the secrecy of the operation, we simply have got no resources to do that.�

Severus smirked. �So how are you keeping the location secure? With barbed wire and guard dogs?� He saw the stunned look on Percy's face and shook his head disdainfully. �I believe I need another drink,� Severus said and poured himself some more Firewhiseky. �To the end of the wizarding world as we know it,� he murmured, lifting the glass in the air before draining it.

�You are being overly dramatic,� Percy said defensively. �Besides, what do you suggest I do?�

�Do what the Death Eaters did during the First and the Second wars,� Severus snapped. �Get proper guard animals.�

Percy snorted. �Oh? And pray, where would I get those? Do I just show up at Borgin and Bruke's and ask them to sell me some Basilisks, or some Cockatrice cubs?�

�Cockatrice have chicks, not cubs,� Severus said snidely. �I should know. I have a whole clutch of them.� He stared at Percy meaningfully.

�You do, don't you,� Percy whispered. �Are you.. I mean, you need them for Remusin, don't you? Or... would you be willing to...�

Severus nodded slightly and smirked. �All in all, I like living even better than I like the werewolves,� he said dryly. �You cut through the red tape, and I'll prepare the animals for transport.�

�Done,� Percy said quietly.

They remained silent for the next half an hour, dismantling the bugged puzzle pieces, removing the surveillance objects, and spelling the pieces whole again.

�That's all of them, I think,� Percy said, placing the �bugs� in his pocket.

�You think?� Severus snapped. �You need to be sure. There's no margin for error with something like this.�

�I am positive,� Percy said and stood up abruptly. �I'll be on the island tomorrow night to pick up the Cockatrice. Have them ready.�

�Of course,� Severus agreed.

Percy shook his head and cast another wary look at Severus.

�What is it?� Severus snapped.

�Somehow, I expected you to ask for something in return,� Percy admitted with a small smile. �Like, Hugo's release, or... I don't know.�

�Hugo's release at this point is impossible,� Severus said pointedly. �Besides, he is your nephew, and I imagine you will cause him no harm... but releasing him now? Too risky. In matters such as these, secrecy is everything.�

Percy nodded. �I guess I shouldn't be surprised,� he said finally. �You know what's at stake, better than anyone.�

�I do,� Severus said with an angry scowl. �See that you do not forget.�

�How could I?� Percy said unhappily. �Until tomorrow, Snape.�

�Good night, Weasley.�

When Percy Weasley was gone, Severus allowed himself a sigh of relief. His hand shook slightly, when he poured himself another glass of Firewhiskey. He could tell that Percy bought his performance. Being a good actor paid off, after all this time, and now they had a chance of tracking the abducted children and rescuing them. Exposing the conspiracy would be have to be the next step, but once the children were safely returned home, Hugo's testimony, and a Pensieve of Severus' conversation with Percy might be sufficient.

Might, Severus reminded himself. This was the Ministry of Magic he was playing with, and ... it was still dangerous and might land him in Azkaban, if things went wrong.

Severus took advantage of being in Hermione's and Ron's house wards as he Apparated silently into their home, not wishing to disturb Hermione in the middle of the night. However, when he appeared in the living room, he saw that the kitchen light was on, and heard the unmistakable sound of Harry's choked sobbing.

�Oh, Harry,� Hermione's mild voice said soothingly. �I'm so � so sorry...�

�She deserved better,� Harry whispered. �Ginny deserved better. She could have ... done so much more with her life... And ... instead, she died alone. Alone, in St. Mungo's... � Harry sucked in a furious breath. �I've always figured she'd... live to the ripe old age of two hundred or something. You know? She's been through so much, it just seemed fair. And this? Neurological damage due to Obliviation? Fuck. It's so meaningless.�

Severus' mind reeled from the overheard revelation. Ginny Weasley succumbed to the neurological damage caused by Obliviation. The charmed self-updating medical chart Hermione had stolen from St. Mungo's earlier in the day must have advised her of Ginny's death...

�I swear,� Harry said with sudden calm in his voice, �When I find out who was behind this... when I find out who murdered the mother of my child, I'll kill the bastard myself on the spot.�

�Stop,� Hermione snapped. �This is no time for vigilante recklessness. Harry, your son, when we find him, will need you alive and not in Azkaban. You are the only parent Al has left at this point.�

�I'll kill whoever murdered Ginny,� Harry repeated stubbornly, as if Hermione's words did not register with him at all.

Severus decided to take this opportunity to make his entrance.

�Hello,� he called from the living room.

�Severus?� Harry exclaimed, and went out into the living room to greet him.

Severus reached for him and hugged him tightly.

�You've heard us then,� Harry said, standing rigid in his embrace.

�Yes. I'm very sorry, Harry.�

�Thanks,� Harry said, his arms reaching around Severus to return the embrace. For a few minutes they stood in silence, holding on to each other, while Hermione crept upstairs unobtrusively, leaving them alone.

�Where were you, anyway?� Harry demanded, and sniffed the air. �Have you been drinking?�

�Yes,� Severus said. �I needed... to just go home, be alone for a few hours, and have a drink, that's all.�

�Fine,� Harry said gently and stroked his back. �Severus... I probably should have asked this sooner, but... are you all right?�

�I'm all right,� Severus said firmly. �Does Ron know yet?�

Harry shook his head. �I should go wake him and tell him,� Harry said dejectedly. �Molly and Arthur, too...� Harry's voice broke, and he choked back a sob.

�You do that, then,� Severus agreed. �Please convey my condolences to them.�

�Right.� Harry's gaze never left Severus' face. �Severus? Is there something you aren't telling me?�

Severus shook his head. �I'm just a little drunk, and more than slightly dazed, but that's all.�

�All right,� Harry said. �See you tomorrow, right?�

�Of course.�

Harry took the Floo to go back to the Burrow, and Severus returned to the guest room. Lying in the dark, he shut his eyes, and weighed his options carefully. He considered enlisting the trio's support in tracking down the children, but the more Severus thought about it, the more it seemed like a bad idea.

Perhaps Harry and Ron would be able to set aside their emotions and play along with Severus' plan for rescuing the children.

However, the plan, the way it formed in Severus' mind, was exceptionally risky. Depending on where exactly the children were kept, the rescuers could still be charged with breaking into the Ministry's restricted area, and assault on the Officers of the Ministry. And if one ended up using Unforgivables... And if the proof of the conspiracy turned out to be insufficient... those involved could end up in Azkaban all too quickly.

Hermione's voice echoed in his mind, Harry, your son, when we find him, will need you alive and not in Azkaban. You are the only parent Al has left at this point.

She was right, Severus thought. He would have to do this alone. It was the most logical option.

He sat up abruptly. Once the decision was made, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Severus consulted the clock. He had less than fourteen hours remaining to prepare for his second meeting with Percy, and he had no time left to waste.

It was time to go.

To Be Continued...

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Ashes of Armageddon