Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts
Moody finished reading the letter again and put it down. He glanced at the stack of newspapers and their many, many circled words and phrases.
His eye, as always, rolled around, peeking into every corner, searching for threats.
"You trust him?" He asked, uncorking his hip flask and taking a sip.
"Do I trust that his motives are entirely pure? No. But I trust what he is saying to be correct. We have the evidence before us"
"That we do. This is a lot bigger than we had thought. Been planned a lot better"
Albus sighed and nodded, picking up one of the newspapers. It was from a year beforehand.
"It began early. And we didn't notice, then"
"Albus. I feel- like something's going to happen. Something big. Feels like the bristles are coming off"
Albus nodded, face grim.
"In some ways, it feels worse than last time. I can't put my finger on it, Albus. But it just feels like… things are spiraling. And we're standing in the dark"
"No luck getting a spy in?"
"Been in contact with one or two people. So far, nothing. We'll see what happens"
"I think, I must meet Gellert. If Voldemort truly did contact him back then. Well, it could give us information"
"What could it help? That was fifty years ago"
"I hope I am wrong. But, it could help us understand how he survived that night"
"Huh?"
"Don't worry about it. Not yet. If my suspicions are correct, however. Well, we will have a big job ahead of us"
Silence stretched out between the pair, broken only by the background noise of Albus' office.
"Any luck with recruiting for the Order?"
"Aye. One or two who seem promising. Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks. You know them?"
Albus nodded.
"I haven't spelled it out to them. Not yet. But I'm leading them in the right direction. You had any ideas?"
"Not really. I haven't had the time to think. Madam Maxime will make a useful ally, but I fear that article will cause her to distance herself. It's a great shame, I had planned on sending her and Hagrid to make a treaty with the giants. Other than her, the Weasley family strikes me as being appropriate"
"The whole lot?"
"Of course not. I will not send school children to fight a war"
"Voldemort will"
"Not necessarily. For him, it would be purely practical reasons preventing that. Children make unreliable soldiers"
Moody shrugged at that.
"But the parents, certainly. And their three eldest. William is working with the goblins, and Charlie is overseas. And Percy is in the ministry. They could all be most useful"
Moody nodded.
"Alastor. Do you have any updates on Harry?"
' Let him tell me he was mistaken. Please. Let it just be Alastor being his paranoid self'
Moody grimaced. "There's something fishy about that boy. I don't like him"
"Alastor. Do you have anything concrete?"
"No. But I'm telling you, Albus. There's something-off. I wouldn't be surprised if he was involved with Voldemort"
"That's ridiculous. Voldemort killed his parents. Voldemort destroyed his childhood"
"I didn't say it's logical. But Albus, you're too emotionally involved. You need to look at it objectively"
Albus tried to speak, but Moody just carried on talking.
"Kid has reasons to hate muggles. Kid has reasons to hate you. He's friends with a lot of Death Eater's kids. He's shown willingness to use potentially lethal, Dark spells. That curse he used on the Weasley boy? It's fueled by hatred, Albus. You know that as well as I do. And he must have been real happy when the orphanage he grew up in burned down"
' He doesn't even know about the muggles he killed'
' No! This is not the case!'
"Alastor" Albus' voice cracked across the room.
"Harry could not have been the one to burn the orphanage. The trace-"
"Is easily beaten, and you know it! Albus just-just bear it in mind. At the very least, he's at risk for their recruitment"
"Except that they wish to kidnap him"
"And isn't that mighty convenient!
"Alastor. It's not-"
"If he wasn't the Potters' kid, you'd be able to see it! You'd be worried"
"Perhaps. But you are not telling half the story"
"Maybe I'm not. It doesn't matter. You're not willing to see"
"I am perfectly willing to see, but only that which is there"
"Leave it. Maybe I'll be proven wrong. But at least keep watch. Like you would for any kid with the same situation. Keep watch, and keep an open mind"
"I will"
Albus sighed. "And now, I must plan a visit to an old friend"
' First, though, I must speak to Severus. Could it be that the connection between them is affecting Harry? Could Voldemort be using it?'
Gryffindor Common Room
"What did Potter say?"
Hermione looked up at Ron, closing the thick tome before her with a snap.
"What?"
"When he danced with you. What did he say?"
She took a moment to study her friend. His ears were reddening, a sure sign of embarrassment. He'd been difficult to be around since Viktor had taken her.
"He-I asked him why he hated me"
"And?"
"He tried to deny it at first. Then he said he was jealous of me. That I grew up with 'good muggles'. His words, not mine"
Ron seemed a bit relieved at that.
"Oh. I was worried. I wasn't sure-"
"Thanks. It wasn't a comfortable conversation. Not for either of us. I feel bad for him. He's suffered so much. And we haven't been very kind to him, the last few years"
A snort from behind her interrupted their conversation. She turned around to find Ginny looking at them.
"What?" She asked.
"Please," Ginny said scornfully, "he's playing you"
After an uncomfortable silence, Hermione said, in a soothing tone.
"I know you don't trust him, Ginny. And I don't either, not really. But he was really sincere, and-"
"People can seem sincere without actually being honest!"
For some reason, a voice whispered a name in her mind.
' Tom'
Ginny shivered.
"Ginny-"
Ginny stood up, shocked to realize she was close to tears.
"No, Ron! I've heard you complaining about him since your first year here! Am I the only one who remembers that he almost killed you?! He could have! And he's been mocking and insulting you both for years! And now you just-you just give in and feel bad, like you deserved it! He's manipulating you!"
"Ginny, he's fourteen years old, I don't think he's that smart. Or that cold. He's just a kid"
She stomped a foot on the ground, and ran to her room, crying frustrated tears.
Ron turned to Hermione. "What the hell?"
Hermione just shook her head.
Severus Snape's office
Severus sat, face in his hands, alone.
' The Dark Lord is going to be furious'
Dumbledore had left minutes earlier. Snape had stared into his old mentor's eyes, hoping against hope that he would feel his Occlumency being overrun. That Dumbledore would see into his worthless mind.
But it did not happen.
He had tried asking Dumbledore about the mechanics behind an Unbreakable Vow, hoping that it would serve to alert the man.
But the words caught in his throat.
Every time he allowed his hopes to rise, he found them dashed. His lord had chosen the Vows very, very carefully.
And now, Moody was suspicious. The old Auror's instincts were simply too fine-tuned. He could tell something was wrong. And he was slowly convincing Dumbledore.
There was only so much Snape could do to assuage Dumbledore's fears.
There was only so much Harry himself would be able to do.
Snape let out a groan.
' At least this time there's no reason for Him to be enraged with Harry'
Severus had seen the Dark Lord angry before. Many times. He'd seen Him furious. He himself had been the focus of that fury before.
But seeing the Dark Lord rage about the action of Lily's only child. That had been extremely difficult. And seeing the way the Dark Lord simply turned off His anger. Well, that had been new.
' Perhaps Dumbledore is correct. But there is definitely more to it. This connection between them, whatever it is, it's important to the Dark Lord. Very important. He wouldn't have been that forgiving with anyone else. He focuses on Harry. There must be more to it'
For now, though, Dumbledore was satisfied. But it wouldn't last. He would be watching Harry more carefully now, he would see the way his friends-those that knew the truth at least, treated the boy with such fearful respect.
' And it will only be more obvious once the others have joined. Once they see Harry's position'
It was absurd. If anyone had ever told Severus, that a boy of fourteen would have a higher standing than Lucius or Bellatrix, he would have thought them insane.
If he had been told that the boy would be Lily's son, he would possibly have murdered them.
But it was true. The Dark Lord-well, He didn't truly care about anyone other than himself. But the way He acted towards Harry was probably the closest thing He could come to caring.
He was losing Harry, Severus knew. He knew Harry didn't view him as he once did. Knew that Harry was growing to be as devoted, as fanatical a follower as the Dark Lord ever had.
And he was powerless to stop it.
In fact, he had no choice but to encourage it.
He had even hoped that the Dark Lord would punish Harry. Would punish him and cause him to move away from His service.
The Dark Lord has been too smart for that.
"Hope is the ambition of the weak," he said, wishing he hadn't spoken when the bile filled up his throat.
He groaned again, once more wishing he could be allowed to taste the sweet oblivion of death.
12 Grimmauld Place
"What's up? You're looking far too serious"
Remus started worrying when Sirius didn't respond, only moving to pick up his glass and down it.
"Sirius? What's wrong?"
"I don't understand him, Remus," Sirius said, voice coming out in a hoarse rasp. He coughed, filled the glass with water and drank.
"Harry?"
"Yeah. He's not at all what I expected. He-he just-he's full of anger. And he's-almost as damaged as I am, in some ways"
"When did you get to be so perceptive?" Remus asked, half-jokingly.
"All that bloody therapy. Made me far too self-aware"
Remus sat down opposite Sirius, and with a small wave of his wand, summoned the bottle of firewhisky and another glass.
"It'll be ok, Padfoot. He just needs time. You know what he's been through. You'll get to know him, to understand him"
"I just-I look at him, and I see James. But then I look closer. He's so bitter. So angry. And his friends"
He sighed and reached over for the bottle.
"Only one more. You know how those potions interact with it"
"Yeah. His friends. I haven't spoken to him about them, not much. But they're all-they're all-"
"The kids of people we fought?"
"Yeah. I can't just be ok with that. I know they're not their parents, I know they weren't a part of the war. But I see that Malfoy kid and I remember the Vineyard. What Lucius did. And I can't say anything to Harry about it, or he'll just start hating me too. I can't have that. It'd kill me, Remus. I broke out of Azkaban for him. To get custody. I can't just-just watch him hurting and not do anything. But there's nothing I can do. He's too fucking old for me to just take over his life. I've got to give him space. Let him make his own mistakes. And I've got to watch him do it"
They clinked their glasses together.
"He's not James, Sirius. You know that. But he's got James' blood. He's got Lily's blood. He's strong. Resilient. He'll be ok. Just give it time"
"He damn well better be" Sirius muttered darkly.
"If you're so worried, why don't you write Dumbledore? Or even-"
"I'm not writing Snape. Not a chance. I may not hate him anymore, but that doesn't mean I want anything to do with him"
"So speak to Dumbledore"
"Maybe I should"
"Sirius. After what happened with the boggart, Dumbledore managed to calm me down. You should write to him. No buts about it"
"Fine, mother. I'll write to him tomorrow"
"You should call me that in front of your mum's portrait"
"Merlin, can you imagine? Can portraits have heart attacks?"
"Let's find out"
Location unknown
The man sat in a dark room with a glass of tequila in his hand. He sat and thought.
' So, Moody wants me to infiltrate the Death Eaters'
He felt the old pull of the challenge. It would be something no-one had ever managed, not on the scale he would be aiming for.
He looked at the bottle of tequila and chuckled softly.
His operation in Mexico had been considered near impossible. Of course, he had managed it flawlessly.
' This though. This could be a real test'
It would be more than just a test. He'd have to start preparing immediately. Even so, it would take months before he was ready to start making contact.
' It'll have to be perfect. Rock-solid background, perfect Occlumency . Wouldn't be surprised if Voldemort uses Legilemency on all of his people. And I have to be under total, deep cover. Moody might not like that. And he definitely has protection against memory charms'
' What if he wins?'
It was a question that every spy had to ask themselves before beginning their mission. There was another one of those questions he had to ask himself too.
' What if I get swayed to his side?'
He sat in utter silence for a few minutes, mind focused on that singular outcome.
' Wouldn't be so bad. He would definitely have some serious enemies. Could be interesting. Not as interesting as working against him from the inside, but still fun'
He thought a bit longer.
' No. If I do this, I have to be totally committed. More than ever before. It'll be tough, even with that. Can't go in thinking of playing both sides'
He sipped his tequila, relishing the burning sensation that didn't quite match firewhisky, yet somehow beat it.
' I'll need contingency plans. Escape options. The Mark will be a problem, especially if I'm in deep cover mode'
He thought, and thought, putting all the pieces together in his mind. He made plans, and backup plans, and thought about them objectively. He split his mind and split it again and again.
The sun was starting to rise when he made his decision.
A quill rose. Pushed down on paper.
One word.
' Yes'