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The Years After	By : Araea Swiftwind Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male Views: 2598 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off the writing of this piece of fiction. The views expressed herein do not in any way reflect the views of J.K. Rowling or Warner Bros. and their affiliates.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
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Part 7 – Chapter 5 - Dec. 22, 1991

Going through the register of Muggles was incredibly tedious, made even more so by the fact that they were doing it mere days before Christmas. They started with the entry on the Evans family from when they were living on Spinner's End. It claimed that Mr. and Mrs. Evans were deceased, and had been for many years. Their youngest daughter, Lily Potter (nee Evans) was missing, and had been for the last ten years. Their oldest daughter, Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) had married Vernon Dursley several years prior, and had produced one child with him, a Dudley Dursley. Searching farther down the entry, they noted that there was no address listed for the family. This confused Severus, as he was fairly familiar with Muggle registers, so the lack of address was odd, and it made Lucius rather irritated.

“Well, what are we going to do now?” Lucius asked, the disgust with the situation plainly evident in his voice.

Severus sneered at Lucius, not appreciating the older man's tone. “We keep looking. Perhaps there will be some information listed in another location.”

“What are you talking about?”

Again, Severus sneered. Lucius could be so dim sometimes. “I am referring to the husband, Vernon. Or perhaps their son. Most registers are not listed solely under one person. We look at the Dursley family, and see if that information is missing as well. If we can't locate information that way, then we will rethink our options at that time.”

It was clear that Lucius wasn't at all certain that this method was going to work, but as he had no other ideas, he was forced to go with it. “If this doesn't work, Severus, then you will be the one to tell our Lord of your failure.”

Severus bowed his head in acquiescence and sifted through the pages of the register to locate other Dursleys.

After several hours of looking through the dusty pages, it was clear that they weren't going to find anything. It was the strangest thing. Each and every entry that referenced either Petunia or Vernon decidedly lacked an address, current or prior. It was as if someone was making sure that those people could not be found. Severus mentally scratched his head in mild confusion. He wasn't sure what to do now.

“Are you prepared to return to the Manor and relate your failure to the Dark Lord? I assure you that he will not be pleased.”

“Come off it, Lucius. You are a part of this, too. I am not the only one who will be a disappointment.”

Lucius bared his teeth for a fraction of a second before regaining his composure. It would do no good attacking Severus for telling the truth. He was a part of this, even if it was not his specialty. They had both been given the task of finding Petunia and the Potter child. One's failure meant both's failure.

The only thing that came out of this search was that they now had an idea of what was going on. Putting the lack of addresses together with their earlier trouble to locate P. Dursley using magic, it was made clear that the house was unplottable, which was awfully strange for the home of a Muggle family. The only one who would have any reason to do so would be Albus Dumbledore.

Severus and Lucius finished putting away the registers and took their leave of the Muggle Archive room. The woman who was in charge of the records had been stunned, so the men disillusioned themselves and woke her up as soon as they were out the door. It took them only moments to apparate back to the Dark Lord's base of operations, which at this moment was Malfoy Manor. Lucius, as Lord of the Manor, could—and did—apparate them directly inside the foyer.

Now that they knew who they were looking for—though could not think of a way to find her—it seemed an impossible feat to swoop in and abduct Potter. They had no idea where the family was, no hints or clues. Lord Voldemort was indeed livid when he was told about this lack of knowledge. If there was one thing he hated in his followers, it was failure. Once again, it would come down to him to solve the problem. He very much disliked having to do everything himself.

Voldemort sat quietly for a time, simply looking at the men—and few women—he had serving under him. They claimed to be the brightest and most connected wizards and witches in England. But here they were, overlooking something so simple. Admittedly, it had taken the Dark Lord himself quite a while to think of it, but honestly, he had a war to fight. He wasn't expected to think of all the little details. That was the job of these people.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Voldemort gathered what little patience he had left after the years of struggle to find the child. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his dark eyes and stared out at his followers.

“You are all intelligent wizards and witches, are you not?”

The mass of people were not quite sure how or even if they were supposed to respond. Only Severus, at his lord's side, dared speak. “My Lord?”

“Severus, I expected more from you.” He looked once more out at the people, giving them an obviously disappointed look. “All of you. What of the letter that had been sent out to Potter earlier this year? Has anyone deemed it worth their time to go and check the address on that letter?”

It was as if a light bulb had gone off in everyone's head at once. Lucius and Severus, more than the rest, felt quite foolish at not having thought of this solution in the beginning. Especially Severus, who knew exactly how new students were contacted, and that Harry was on the list to be contacted.

“My Lord, my deepest apologies for my lack of intelligence. If you would permit me, I shall go at once and speak with Minerva and gain the knowledge that you require.”

“Severus, how can I possibly trust you to complete this task after so many failures?”

The man in question, though he didn't show it, was quite terrified. He knew that he had disappointed his master in the past, but he had thought he'd been forgiven after receiving the proper punishment. He was wrong, and at the most inopportune time.

“My Lord, I will gladly take any punishment you see fit. I only ask that I be given the chance to prove myself.”

Voldemort drew himself up and looked at his Potion Master. Though he was quite disappointed and had said that he doubted his follower's trustworthiness that was not exactly the case. He knew that Severus was loyal to him. He also knew that in some circumstances, failure is the only option when the odds were heavily stacked against them. But it would not do to show weakness in such company. They would turn like wolves and aim to devour him, and many of their fellows in the process.

Raising his wand slowly, he pointed it at Severus and calmly said, “Crucio.” He left the man under the curse for a few seconds, to prove that he was in control, then lifted it and let the man catch his breath. “I do not like failure, Severus. Once more, and you will be begging for death. Go, and return quickly. It has been long enough.”

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

Severus quickly made his way back to Hogwarts. He could apparate no farther than the front gates or the middle of the forbidden forest, so he was forced to walk up the long drive to the front steps. Luckily for him, it was late and there were no students milling about to get in his way and slow him down. Unluckily for him, Dumbledore was waiting for him in the Entrance Hall, wanting to know what the latest meeting was about. It was so very tiring trying to prove his loyalty to this man as well as keep him in the dark.

After speaking with the man for nearly an hour, giving him false information and making it seem true, Severus was quite tired. He used that as an excuse to get away from the headmaster. However, instead of heading to his rooms, he stopped in to see Minerva. She was quite shocked to see him at her door so late in the evening, but ushered him in nonetheless.

“What can I do for you, Severus?” She asked, a quizzical look on her face.

Sitting in the proffered chair and taking a sip of the provided tea, he got straight to business. “I need to know what address was listed on the letters sent to Potter. I know, as well as you do, that he is alive somewhere, but I do not believe that he is well. If he were, he'd have received his letters and arrived at the start of term.”

“I would be more than happy to give you that information, Severus, had it ever been in my possession. But, I do not address the letters, and when the owls returned from their aborted delivery, the envelopes held nothing more than Potter's name. Do you not think I would have immediately left for that location had I been privy to it?”

“Of course, Minerva. I had not even thought about the letters myself until it was brought to my attention.”

“Brought to your attention, by whom?” There was a dangerous look of suspicion on the woman's face. Severus knew that he would have to explain everything, and hope that she would still be willing to help—and speak to him—once he was finished.

“As you well know, I still must attend Death Eater meetings. For the last ten years, the Dark Lord has been looking for Potter, not to kill him, but to examine him and find out what went amiss all those years ago. Yes, originally he had planned on killing the child to save himself the same fate. But now, now that he knows that it isn't as easy as all that, he wants to get to know more about the magic the boy wields. And, if I may interject my own opinion, I believe that he is intrigued enough by the boy that, should he even discover the mystery, he still would not wish the boy to die.”

“What makes you say that, Severus?”

“It has been his driving factor for so many years that I do not believe he would know what to do, should Potter not be there anymore. He has devoted so much time and energy on discovering the boy's whereabouts and what happened on that Halloween night that without something—namely Potter—to fill that void, he'd fall apart.”

“Oh, Severus. Do you realize what this means? You have just given us the key to taking down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

“What? No, Minerva, you misunderstand me. He would not cease being a threat, should his pastime be removed. He would simply become a mindless killer, as that is the only other thing that has ever given him pleasure. His sanity would be at an end, but that would make him no less dangerous.”

Realizing that she had been wrong, her face fell. It seemed as though, no matter what they tried, they would not be able to overthrow the Dark Lord. He would never go away.

“Why do you work for him, Severus? If he as bloodthirsty as you say, then why?”

“I understand him, I suppose. He is an obvious master. When he is displeased, there is no question. Your orders are always clear, and you never wonder what to expect from him. All of his machinations are clearly visible and shared with his followers, though some get more information than others. I don't see that with Albus.”

“Albus is not a Dark Lord, Severus. He is the leader of the Light. All he wants is for the people to be free and see evil defeated.”

Severus gave his colleague a sad look, knowing that she was still so deceived. She knew that the headmaster was a liar, but she still trusted him in all other matters. “You are still blinded, Minerva.”

“How can you sit here and insinuate that Albus is even on the same level as...as...HIM! He gave you asylum once you came to him, after you learned about the Potters. He's given you a job, and he trusts you implicitly. And now you are telling me that you don't trust him!”

“Minerva!” Severus said, quite loudly to stop her tirade. “I know him. I've worked with him so closely that I see him for what he is. He manipulates and hides the truth. He never tells anyone anything more than the bare necessities to get the job done. After what he has done with the Potter boy, how can you still trust him?”

“He has never given me reason not to!” Minerva was standing now, her face flushed with anger.

Severus, too, stood and met her word for word. “Never, Minerva? Not when he let no one in to the Potter house the night they died? Not when he told the world that Harry Potter was dead? Not when he sent James and Lily off to the continent so that, should they ever awake, they would not know anything about the fate of their son? You don't find any of that suspicious or worthy of doubt?”

“Fine!” Minerva spat. “Fine, maybe he has done a thing or two that I don't agree with and that I find a bit suspicious. But he is the defeater of Grindelwald. He has saved the whole world from pain and fear and domination. That alone earns him my trust. Albus Dumbledore is a good man.”

“Oh, Minerva...there are no good men, only men who do good deeds. All men are subject to corruption. And don't you think that even your precious Albus Dumbledore could have become corrupted after spending so much time on top? No one questions him. He can do whatever he wants. That kind of power would go to anyone's head.”

“Enough, Severus. Enough. I can't listen to this anymore. You are lucky that I don't want to see the man right now, or I would march straight to his office and tell him what you really are. But, that will not last forever, and you better hope that once I am ready to look him in the eye again that you have done something to put yourself in my good graces. Now, politely remove yourself from my office.”

Holding himself up with the utmost grace, Severus left Minerva's office. Once again, he did not head for his rooms, but instead left the castle from a back courtyard. It didn't take him long to get to the edge of the forest. And, once there, it took him no time at all to move past the anti-apparition wards and return to his true master.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

“My Lord, I am ready for my punishment,” Severus spoke quietly at his master's feet. None of the other Death Eaters were in attendance. Voldemort had sent them away to gather what information they could about the Muggle world. He had a feeling that Severus would fail him in some way, and because he did have some care for the man, did not wish him to be punished in front of everyone.

“Give me your report, and then we will see what needs be done.”

Severus bowed as low as his spine would allow and spoke softly, “Minerva reports that there were no addresses on the returned envelopes, simply Potter's name. I was also forced to explain to her why I was looking for the boy. However, I could not get her to see reason and cease following that fool, Dumbledore. She...had me remove myself from her presence with a threat to out me to the headmaster, though not until she wishes to speak with him again.”

Voldemort held his breath, as well as his anger. He was shocked at Severus' recklessness. The man was normally very tight-lipped about his Death Eater activities, even with other Death Eaters. For him to say so much and risk his position with Dumbledore was a serious matter.

“What, pray tell, possessed you to spout off at the mouth to Minerva McGonagall?”

Severus sighed and knew he was in serious trouble. The Dark Lord's voice was low and cool, devoid of any emotion. “My Lord, I believed that she was of the same mind as myself. I was sorely mistaken.”

“Obviously, Severus!” Voldemort burst out. He could no longer reign in his temper. “You have behaved most idiotically tonight. I warned you what would happen if you failed me again, and this time you have failed most spectacularly. Crucio!” This time the man held Severus under the curse for well over a minute, he was so angry. Finally, however, he released him.

“My Lord, thank you.”

Taken aback, Voldemort looked warily at his servant. “Why?”

“I live to serve you, My Lord. I relish in your punishments when I have wronged you.”

The Dark Lord was now certain that he must have left Severus too long under the curse. His mind was obviously addled. “Go back to the school and rest, Severus. I will call you when I need you.”

“My Lord,” Severus responded, before rising slowly and bowing himself out of the room.

“Lucius!”

It took no more than a second for Lucius to materialize in the room, kneeling before his master. “My Lord?”

Dropping his terrifying mask, he looked frankly at his top follower. “I think I broke him...”

Taking his cue to stand, Lucius too spoke frankly. “Severus? I'm sure he is fine. He's stronger than any of us when it comes to taking punishment.”

“He thanked me for torturing him.”

“Well, that is odd. But, My Lord, he does have a certain...fondness...for you. Even though you had him go to Dumbledore and ingratiate himself, he never stopped being loyal to you. He believes in your vision. He trusts your judgment implicitly. I believe he hates his failures more than you do.”

“Are you trying to tell me that Severus...cares...for me?”

“I doubt it is a romantic feeling, My Lord. But, there is a level of respect that not many of your followers have. Most simply fear you. Severus fears and respects you.”

“Was I...perhaps...too hard on him? This failure was not completely his fault, nor were many of the others.”

“I would not worry about it, My Lord, as he was not afraid or upset at his punishment. He should be fine once he gets rest and a potion for the nerves.”

“I sincerely hope that you are right.” Pausing, the Dark Lord changed the subject slightly. “What should we do now about the Potter boy? We are no closer to finding him than we were before.”

“Well, My Lord, after you sent me away earlier, I looked in the Malfoy Libraries to see if there was anything I may have overlooked before. I happened to find a dark spell that may be useful. I had come across it before, and we might have even discussed it years ago, but never thought too hard on it because of its requirements.”

“Which are?”

“The spell needs an almost unheard of amount of power, the name of the target you wish to find, the rough location of said target, and a fierce determination to find said target. I think that, now we have Petunia's name and a rough location, somewhere around London—Spinner's End is as close as we have come so far—the spell should work.”

“It is definite that I have the power and determination. Let us hope that using Spinner's End as the location works. If not, we may never find the boy, save by sheer blind luck.”

Lucius handed over a crisp piece of parchment that held the spell and instructions that he had copied over earlier. Once it was in his hand, Voldemort stood and made his way to a door hidden in the wall of the drawing room. He'd had it installed a few years back, and only he and Lucius were aware of its existence. Lucius made no move to follow.

“Come along, Lucius. You will see to it that this succeeds. If I alone have not the power to perform this spell, I will use yours.”

The eldest Malfoy took a deep breath and gulped quietly. He sorely wished that his magic would not be needed. But, in all things, he was behind his master. So, he followed with his shoulders squared and head up.

O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O

They were lucky that the spell was not a long one, nor would it take a long time to perform. After a minute or two, they had their answer:

4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey

Neither of them had any idea where Little Whinging or Privet Drive might be. Voldemort conjured a map of Surrey and pored over it, looking for Little Whinging. Lucius stood behind him, quietly, waiting for instructions.

After several tense, quiet moments, Voldemort cursed. “It is not on this map.”

“My Lord?”

“I have found Surrey, and even Greater Whinging. But Little Whinging is not here.”

Lucius moved forward so that he, too, could see the map. He took a few seconds to look where his master was pointing at Greater Whinging and the surrounding area. Little Whinging was not to be found. “I am sorry, My Lord. I do not know enough about Muggle areas to solve this problem. Perhaps, if I may suggest, once Severus had recuperated, we may ask him his opinion. He did live in the Muggle world as a child.”

“As much as I am loath to admit it, you are correct that we must wait to act on this. None of my other followers can know this information, not that it would make much of a difference, as they are so pureblooded that they would know even less than you.”
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The Years After