Forever Knight [Harmione]

Chapter 32: Allies

Harry whisked himself to the Ministry shortly after his conversation with Draco, reporting most of his findings to Shacklebolt, Remus and Moody.  They were, of course, appalled, and Remus felt horrible.

“It was my fault, then,” Remus said, his eyes filling with despair.

“Don’t be foolish, Remus,” Moody had said in a tone of voice that bespoke of dire things.  “It wasn’t your fault.  It wasn’t even the ferret’s fault.  It was Snape.  That oily, good for nothing traitor.”

No one outwardly disagreed, but Harry wasn’t so quick to put a label on Snape just yet.  The “oily, good for nothing traitor” had done many things, but Harry wasn’t so sure about the reasons behind them anymore.  He decided it was best if others thought of Snape as a traitor.  Harry would venture on this strange territory of Snape-ambiguity on his own and hope that the hoard of anti-Snape Order members would be enough of a safety-net in case Harry found himself utterly and completely wrong. 

After Harry processed the papers for Roberts’s and Turner’s “detainment”, Remus took it upon himself to order Harry to get some rest.

“Frankly,” Remus began.  “I’m dead knackered, and I’m a werewolf.  I couldn’t even begin to imagine how you feel, Harry.  I think nothing short of a coma would do you good.”

Harry had to admit that at seven in the morning, he was finally feeling the effects of the long, embattled day.  It felt like lead was seeping into the marrow of his bones, making each step he took heavier by the minute.  He was more than willing to take Remus’s advice, but he needed to make one last stop before he went back to Grimmauld Place. 

He needed to go to the Ministry archives, and perhaps wanting to make sure that Harry went straight home afterwards, Remus went with him. 

Harry looked back on his memories and tried to remember the exact spot Snape had been standing.  It had been a shelf where candlelight winked and flickered just beyond Snape’s shoulder.  Harry followed his recollections and found the book he was looking for.  It was still where Snape had put it, its dirty blue cover distinct among the musty beige and brown-spined tomes. 

He took the book in his hand and shook it by its front cover.  A tiny, unmarked envelope fell out of its pages.  He dropped the book and scrambled for the envelope, hastily breaking the seal.  He pulled out the encased letter and turned up blank stationary.  He muttered a revealing spell.  What he saw next had him cursing at Snape all over again.

The words, “Did you think it would be that easy?” bled on the surface of the water-marked parchment. 

He cast some more intermediary revealing charms on it, but each attempt was mocked and laughed at by the Snape-made epistle. 

“Why am I not surprised?” Harry said with a tired sigh.

Remus mirrored his weary tone.  “Take the letter and we’ll figure it out after we’ve gotten some rest.  It’s waited in the last week and a half and it can wait another few hours, I’m sure.  We’ll meet at the Ministry at four-thirty tomorrow.  I’d pick an earlier time, but I have some research work to finish at the MRI.  Can’t put it off, I’m afraid, as I’ve been doing just that these past few days.  It needs finishing, mainly because this is the only job that’s kept me for this long.”

Harry certainly wasn’t going to argue with that.  Remus had been working for the Magical Research Institute for the last two years, and the fact that the institute had kept Remus in spite of his wolfy problem meant a lot to the mild-mannered educator.  He had a career, and far be it that Harry would get Remus sacked from a job he loved.