See the prologue for the disclaimer.
Afraid of the Dark
Written by LJP
Chapter 8
"Shock tarts." Professor Snape said, waiting for the stone gargoyle to move aside and let him into the passageway leading up to the Headmaster’s office.
After trudging through the candlelit, twisted hallway, he reached the door to Dumbledore’s office. It opened even before Severus raised his fist to knock.
"Ah, Severus, please come in."
The Potions Master found his Headmaster seated behind his large oak desk. Fawkes, Dumbledore’s magnificent phoenix, was perched next to the window, staring out over the Hogwarts grounds. "Lemon drop?" The older wizard offered, holding out a bowl filled with small yellow candies.
"No, thank you." It was not often that Snape used such pleasantries in speech. Dumbledore noticed, and immediately sensed something was wrong. He did not speak of it yet though. It would be revealed in due course. "Headmaster, you know that I do not share your affection for Muggle sweets."
"I know Severus, I know."
Silence washed over the room as Snape waited for his mentor to pose the question. It held in the air, unspoken, and both men knew it would soon need to be brought up. Finally, Dumbledore broke the silence. "You bring good news, I hope."
Snape’s pale expression did not falter. "I do not."
Dumbledore’s face clouded over with a worried look. "How many?"
"Six total." There was a sigh of relief — almost. "Five from Hogwarts alone."
"I see. It could be worse."
Snape hesitantly nodded his agreement. "It could be."
"Tell me everything." The Headmaster’s blue eyes looked old and fragile as he pleaded with Snape’s dark, brooding ones.
Snape took a deep breath, and then he began.
"I was called to the gathering place, as usual, at midnight. I apparated to the edge of the clearing, as is custom. When I took my place on the circle, the usual suspects had already arrived. I could, however, pick out a few unfamiliar forms, standing nervously rather than erect and proud as those of us...veterans...do. Soon though, everyone was present, and the Dark Lord made his entrance.
"There was nothing new in how he went about the ceremony. Nothing at all suggested that last evening would be any different from the others. He made his rounds amongst us, greeting us personally and individually, as he often did. He spent more time than was expected in front of an individual I didn’t recognize. She stood apart from the rest of us. It is most unusual for him to show favoritism amongst us, but then again, he does work in strange ways. I’d love to know just what’s going on his his mind...
"The ceremony began with Lucius, as usual, officiating. Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe went first, with Blaise Zabini and Viktor Krum following shortly thereafter."
Dumbledore gave no hint of surprise; it had been anticipated.
"The Dark Lord then made a rather startling announcement: he had invited a witch to join the circle. Before, he had assumed them to be weak and not worth the effort. I remember immediately expecting it to be Pansy Parkinson, but she doesn’t have either the loyalty or the intelligence that the Dark Lord expects of his followers. Then Millicent Bumstrode crossed my mind, but she’s not quite ambitious or power-hungry enough to have caught his eye. So, I feared the worst.
"My fears were, in fact, well-founded. The Dark Lord had recruited none other than the youngest Weasley to join his ranks."
Astoundingly, Dumbledore did not make any sound, seemingly accepting the news calmly. Snape continued.
"I have to hand it to her; while Crabbe, Goyle, and even Krum reacted harshly to the Mark, she didn’t so much as even flinch throughout the entire initiation. One thing that stands out though, is that the Dark Lord had me preside over her initiation. I fear he may be growing suspicious as to where my loyalties lie. Perhaps he thought that my initiating a student — and one whom no one would have ever expected to be doing this — may either verify or discredit his accusations.
"Young Malfoy was the last to join. I officiated that as well, much to Lucius’ surprise. He immediately objected, causing the Dark Lord to use the Cruciatus curse in order to silence him. He fell into unconsciousness throughout the rest of the ceremony, missing Draco’s vows and the Mark. I’m sure he’s not doing well with the loss.
"The only other thing left to report is what the Dark Lord repeated more than once during the ceremony. He continued to emphasize that both Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy are expected for greatness. He seemed almost fatherly in his words to them. Now, I do not know what is planned, though I am certain both Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy will be involved."
Snape finished his story, and fell back against the cushion of the chair, tired. His head fell into his hands in shame. "I’m sorry Headmaster."
Dumbledore held up a hand. "Nothing you could do would have changed the minds of any of those individuals." He stopped, deep in thought. "Though I do wish we would have seen Miss Weasley’s discomfort sooner rather than later. I fear her exclusion from her brother and his friends has driven her to take such a drastic step."
The Potions Master nodded.
"Keep an eye on them all Severus. I am sure they all know you are a part of the Circle, and because of that, I do not hesitate to assume that any of them may go to you with problems or questions. Do keep me informed."
He nodded again before leaving the office and heading back to the dungeons.
Dumbledore slowly stood up and walked to where Fawkes was perched next to the window. A tear was beginning to form in Fawkes’ eye. "Yes, my friend. We may need that, now more than ever."
***
"Every man has his fault, and honesty is his." — William Shakespeare
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