The Road Not Taken: Chapter Nineteen Part Two
“We’ve got to go to Dumbledore,” said Hermione once they reached the entrance hall. “Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy and it was either Snape-”
“Oi,” said Nott.
“Or Voldemort under that cloak - it must’ve been easy, once he’d got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Where is his office?”
“Now, look here, Granger,” Draco began.
“We don’t have time to argue!”
“We still don’t know for sure -”
“What are all of you doing inside,” came McGonagall’s voice. They turned to see her carrying a large stack of brooms.
“We would like to see Professor Dumbledore,” Hermione blurted out. Harry saw Nott cover his eyes with a hand.
“See Professor Dumbledore?” McGonagall repeated. “Whatever for?”
“Well, see,” Harry began before Hermione could blurt anything else out.
“Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,” McGonagal frowned at them. “He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once.”
“He’s gone?” Hermione yelped. “Now?”
“Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Ms. Granger, he has many demands on his time and -”
“But this is important!”
“Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry, Ms. Granger?”
“Of course not,” Draco stepped in, clamping a hand over Hermione’s mouth. “It’s just - uh, see, we, um. There was this game, see, and, uh…”
“We made up a study game that the Headmaster might like,” Harry cut in, ignoring Hermione’s furious glare. “We didn’t think to show him before the exams, but now that they’re over, it occurred to us.”
McGonagall gave them a long, suspicious look before saying, “The Headmaster will be back tomorrow. You can show him then.”
“Of course,” said Nott. She frowned at them one last time and swept off.
“Merlin, you are gross!” Draco snatched his hand from Hermione’s mouth once McGonagall had left their sight. “You slimed me!”
“To get your hand off my face, you git.”
“You - you - mu -,” Draco stomped a foot. “Muggle!”
“Look,” Harry cut in before Hermione could launch herself at Draco. “Whatever is going to happen will happen tonight.” This much I remember. “With Dumbledore gone, the castle loses some of its strongest protections.”
“So what should we do?” Neville asked.
“We should tell -”
“Snape!” Hermione exclaimed.
“Eh?”
“Good afternoon,” came the Potions Master’s voice.
Harry turned to see the man standing by one of the corridor intersections.
“Professor Snape!” Draco perked up. “We’ve got to tell you something! We’ve put it together, see, and…”
“A game,” Harry cut in. He kept his eyes focused on the man’s jaw, so Snape couldn’t be able to read his mind.
“But - but -,” Draco sputtered.
“A game?” Snape said. “And are you claiming all the credit for this game, Potter?”
“Of course not,” Harry wanted to smack the man. A part of him - the adult part of him - knew it would be best to tell the man about their plans and suspicions, but…but. Harry had never liked the man and the feeling had been mutual, all the way up to the man’s death and Harry got to see just how wrong he had been about the great git. Still, it didn’t mean he had to like the man, now did it? No. So there.
“You shouldn’t be inside on a day like this,” Snape said, after Harry realized that the silence had dragged on for a moment too long.
“You’re right, Professor, sorry,” remember, Harry, he glanced up and met the dark eyes. He’ll hate you forever, remember that. Harry wrestled his gaze away. “Come on,” Harry caught Hermione’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“But,” Draco said.
“Let’s go,” Harry said.
“Telling others what to do, Potter?” Snape’s tone had gotten rough.
“No, sir. I just figured we’d get out of your way,” he looked back at the man. Out of the way, like a bloody broom closet. Merlin, I hope I get to move out of the cupboard under the stairs this year. Harry looked back to Hermione. “Come on. Let’s go try that thing you were talking about.”
She stared at him. “The thing.”
“Yes,” Nott said, surprising Harry. “The - ah, charm you read in the supplemental book.”
“The - oh. Yes. Of course. Right,” she blinked fast.
“Have a good afternoon, Professor,” Harry called over his shoulder. Snape’s hands were hidden in his sleeves, but Harry could have sworn he felt that dark gaze linger on his back all the way to the door.
“Are you mad?” Draco burst out once they had reached the lake. “We should have told him what we know! Professor Snape is an amazing wizard - he’d be able to guard the Stone, no problem -”
“But if it’s Voldemort, he won’t have a chance,” Harry said, voice flat. His mind had begun to focus like it did when he was on the trail of a dark wizard. “Snape might be an amazing wizard, but Voldemort, even half dead, is more powerful. Never mind the fact that Snape used to be a Death Eater -”
Hermione gasped.
“How did you know that?” Draco whispered.
Harry snorted. “What, like I don’t know that your father was one, too?”
“He was under the Imperius charm!” Draco’s cheeks had taken on a deep flush.
“Curse or not,” Harry caught Draco’s gaze. “They bear the mark, don’t they?”
“But - but - ”
“That’s not to say that people can’t change,” Harry looked away. “Can you imagine? To make a decision like that without all the facts, only to find out later you were wrong?” He turned back to Draco. “You used to call Hermione a mudblood,” the blond flinched. “Do you still want to?”
“Of course not!” Draco’s hands were balled into fists.
“You almost did it again, back there.”
“But I didn’t mean it!”
“Why not?”
“Because I know her!” Then Draco blinked. “I know her,” he repeated, softer. “Oh. Oh.”
“Oh,” Harry agreed. “So, even if we told Snape, do you think he would go after the Stone? He’d have to face Voldemort, and if the great git realized that Snape had betrayed him, what do you think he’d do to Snape? Torture would be the least of his worries, so forget about him saving the Stone.”
“Then what do we do?” Neville asked.
Harry let out a breath. “I’ll go.”
“You’ll go,” Nott sputtered. “Just like that, all alone?”
“Harry, you’ll be expelled,” Hermione cried.
“Don’t you get it,” Harry snapped. “It doesn’t matter if I get expelled and Voldemort gets the Stone. Then he’ll be brought back to life and we’re all dead. The man is mad, don’t you see? All he wants is power - power and to dominate the whole world! He’ll kill anyone, everyone, who gets in his way, he doesn’t care. What’s risking death now, if I don’t stop him, since I’m good as dead anyway if I don’t!”
Hermione was staring at him, one hand over her mouth. The Slytherins seemed to be holding a silent conversation between themselves.
“I’ll go with you,” Neville said. They turned to him. The other boy was pale, but steady. “V-Voldemort’s followers tortured my mum and dad to insanity,” Neville looked at Draco, who flinched. “Your Aunt Bellatrix held my mum under the Cruciatus curse for ages. She doesn’t even know my name anymore, did you know?”
Draco flinched again. “I - I - I don’t -”
“How is that good?” Neville continued. “To have followers who kill people because of how they were born? To have followers who torture people because they can? Is that the type of man you’d want to follow?”
“I - no - I -”
“Would you be able to do it?” Neville tilted his head to one side. Harry had never seen this side of the boy before, at least not until the Battle of Hogwarts. Maybe it was here the whole time. “Would you be able to torture Hermione until she died, just because of how she was born?”
“No!” Draco shouted. “Of course not! She’s my friend, I would never -”
“That’s what he’ll make you do,” Harry said. Draco snapped his mouth shut. “There are Muggle-born and half-bloods in Slytherin, too. Would you be able to kill them, just because -”
“Stop,” Draco turned away. “Just…stop.” Nott put a hand on the blond’s shoulder that Draco didn’t shake off.
“I have to stop Voldemort,” Harry said softly. “Because if I don’t, all that bad stuff will happen, to us, to you, to everyone.”
“You don’t know that,” Draco sniffed.
“But I do,” Harry shivered. He looked away towards the castle, seeing the Battle, the dead, the dying, Hammerstein and - Merlin, his children and -
“Do you,” Nott said. Harry glanced back to see the speculative gleam in the Slytherin’s eyes.
“I do,” Harry held that gaze.
Something passed across Nott’s expression, too fast for Harry to follow. “Come on,” was all he said, guiding Draco away without another look for the Gryffindors.
“I’ll go with you, too,” Hermione said, touching Harry on the arm. “We’ll go together.” She took a deep breath and a fire seemed to spark to life in her eyes. “Come on. We should go to the library. We’d better go look through some books, there might be something useful we could use…” Harry let her grab his arm and Neville’s hands, intent on dragging them back towards the castle. It’s not the same, Harry bowed his head and let Hermione’s words wash over him. But I’ll stop him. I promise.
Chapter Twenty
“Oi,” said Nott.
“Or Voldemort under that cloak - it must’ve been easy, once he’d got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Where is his office?”
“Now, look here, Granger,” Draco began.
“We don’t have time to argue!”
“We still don’t know for sure -”
“What are all of you doing inside,” came McGonagall’s voice. They turned to see her carrying a large stack of brooms.
“We would like to see Professor Dumbledore,” Hermione blurted out. Harry saw Nott cover his eyes with a hand.
“See Professor Dumbledore?” McGonagall repeated. “Whatever for?”
“Well, see,” Harry began before Hermione could blurt anything else out.
“Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,” McGonagal frowned at them. “He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once.”
“He’s gone?” Hermione yelped. “Now?”
“Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Ms. Granger, he has many demands on his time and -”
“But this is important!”
“Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry, Ms. Granger?”
“Of course not,” Draco stepped in, clamping a hand over Hermione’s mouth. “It’s just - uh, see, we, um. There was this game, see, and, uh…”
“We made up a study game that the Headmaster might like,” Harry cut in, ignoring Hermione’s furious glare. “We didn’t think to show him before the exams, but now that they’re over, it occurred to us.”
McGonagall gave them a long, suspicious look before saying, “The Headmaster will be back tomorrow. You can show him then.”
“Of course,” said Nott. She frowned at them one last time and swept off.
“Merlin, you are gross!” Draco snatched his hand from Hermione’s mouth once McGonagall had left their sight. “You slimed me!”
“To get your hand off my face, you git.”
“You - you - mu -,” Draco stomped a foot. “Muggle!”
“Look,” Harry cut in before Hermione could launch herself at Draco. “Whatever is going to happen will happen tonight.” This much I remember. “With Dumbledore gone, the castle loses some of its strongest protections.”
“So what should we do?” Neville asked.
“We should tell -”
“Snape!” Hermione exclaimed.
“Eh?”
“Good afternoon,” came the Potions Master’s voice.
Harry turned to see the man standing by one of the corridor intersections.
“Professor Snape!” Draco perked up. “We’ve got to tell you something! We’ve put it together, see, and…”
“A game,” Harry cut in. He kept his eyes focused on the man’s jaw, so Snape couldn’t be able to read his mind.
“But - but -,” Draco sputtered.
“A game?” Snape said. “And are you claiming all the credit for this game, Potter?”
“Of course not,” Harry wanted to smack the man. A part of him - the adult part of him - knew it would be best to tell the man about their plans and suspicions, but…but. Harry had never liked the man and the feeling had been mutual, all the way up to the man’s death and Harry got to see just how wrong he had been about the great git. Still, it didn’t mean he had to like the man, now did it? No. So there.
“You shouldn’t be inside on a day like this,” Snape said, after Harry realized that the silence had dragged on for a moment too long.
“You’re right, Professor, sorry,” remember, Harry, he glanced up and met the dark eyes. He’ll hate you forever, remember that. Harry wrestled his gaze away. “Come on,” Harry caught Hermione’s arm. “Let’s go.”
“But,” Draco said.
“Let’s go,” Harry said.
“Telling others what to do, Potter?” Snape’s tone had gotten rough.
“No, sir. I just figured we’d get out of your way,” he looked back at the man. Out of the way, like a bloody broom closet. Merlin, I hope I get to move out of the cupboard under the stairs this year. Harry looked back to Hermione. “Come on. Let’s go try that thing you were talking about.”
She stared at him. “The thing.”
“Yes,” Nott said, surprising Harry. “The - ah, charm you read in the supplemental book.”
“The - oh. Yes. Of course. Right,” she blinked fast.
“Have a good afternoon, Professor,” Harry called over his shoulder. Snape’s hands were hidden in his sleeves, but Harry could have sworn he felt that dark gaze linger on his back all the way to the door.
“Are you mad?” Draco burst out once they had reached the lake. “We should have told him what we know! Professor Snape is an amazing wizard - he’d be able to guard the Stone, no problem -”
“But if it’s Voldemort, he won’t have a chance,” Harry said, voice flat. His mind had begun to focus like it did when he was on the trail of a dark wizard. “Snape might be an amazing wizard, but Voldemort, even half dead, is more powerful. Never mind the fact that Snape used to be a Death Eater -”
Hermione gasped.
“How did you know that?” Draco whispered.
Harry snorted. “What, like I don’t know that your father was one, too?”
“He was under the Imperius charm!” Draco’s cheeks had taken on a deep flush.
“Curse or not,” Harry caught Draco’s gaze. “They bear the mark, don’t they?”
“But - but - ”
“That’s not to say that people can’t change,” Harry looked away. “Can you imagine? To make a decision like that without all the facts, only to find out later you were wrong?” He turned back to Draco. “You used to call Hermione a mudblood,” the blond flinched. “Do you still want to?”
“Of course not!” Draco’s hands were balled into fists.
“You almost did it again, back there.”
“But I didn’t mean it!”
“Why not?”
“Because I know her!” Then Draco blinked. “I know her,” he repeated, softer. “Oh. Oh.”
“Oh,” Harry agreed. “So, even if we told Snape, do you think he would go after the Stone? He’d have to face Voldemort, and if the great git realized that Snape had betrayed him, what do you think he’d do to Snape? Torture would be the least of his worries, so forget about him saving the Stone.”
“Then what do we do?” Neville asked.
Harry let out a breath. “I’ll go.”
“You’ll go,” Nott sputtered. “Just like that, all alone?”
“Harry, you’ll be expelled,” Hermione cried.
“Don’t you get it,” Harry snapped. “It doesn’t matter if I get expelled and Voldemort gets the Stone. Then he’ll be brought back to life and we’re all dead. The man is mad, don’t you see? All he wants is power - power and to dominate the whole world! He’ll kill anyone, everyone, who gets in his way, he doesn’t care. What’s risking death now, if I don’t stop him, since I’m good as dead anyway if I don’t!”
Hermione was staring at him, one hand over her mouth. The Slytherins seemed to be holding a silent conversation between themselves.
“I’ll go with you,” Neville said. They turned to him. The other boy was pale, but steady. “V-Voldemort’s followers tortured my mum and dad to insanity,” Neville looked at Draco, who flinched. “Your Aunt Bellatrix held my mum under the Cruciatus curse for ages. She doesn’t even know my name anymore, did you know?”
Draco flinched again. “I - I - I don’t -”
“How is that good?” Neville continued. “To have followers who kill people because of how they were born? To have followers who torture people because they can? Is that the type of man you’d want to follow?”
“I - no - I -”
“Would you be able to do it?” Neville tilted his head to one side. Harry had never seen this side of the boy before, at least not until the Battle of Hogwarts. Maybe it was here the whole time. “Would you be able to torture Hermione until she died, just because of how she was born?”
“No!” Draco shouted. “Of course not! She’s my friend, I would never -”
“That’s what he’ll make you do,” Harry said. Draco snapped his mouth shut. “There are Muggle-born and half-bloods in Slytherin, too. Would you be able to kill them, just because -”
“Stop,” Draco turned away. “Just…stop.” Nott put a hand on the blond’s shoulder that Draco didn’t shake off.
“I have to stop Voldemort,” Harry said softly. “Because if I don’t, all that bad stuff will happen, to us, to you, to everyone.”
“You don’t know that,” Draco sniffed.
“But I do,” Harry shivered. He looked away towards the castle, seeing the Battle, the dead, the dying, Hammerstein and - Merlin, his children and -
“Do you,” Nott said. Harry glanced back to see the speculative gleam in the Slytherin’s eyes.
“I do,” Harry held that gaze.
Something passed across Nott’s expression, too fast for Harry to follow. “Come on,” was all he said, guiding Draco away without another look for the Gryffindors.
“I’ll go with you, too,” Hermione said, touching Harry on the arm. “We’ll go together.” She took a deep breath and a fire seemed to spark to life in her eyes. “Come on. We should go to the library. We’d better go look through some books, there might be something useful we could use…” Harry let her grab his arm and Neville’s hands, intent on dragging them back towards the castle. It’s not the same, Harry bowed his head and let Hermione’s words wash over him. But I’ll stop him. I promise.
Chapter Twenty