Checkmate by Phoenix Sworn
Past Featured StorySummary: Partial AU. With the World turning against him, and everything going horribly wrong, Harry is stuck. He has to keep fighting, but he may have to do it all alone.
Categories: Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco
Snape Flavour: None
Genres: Angst, Drama
Media Type: None
Tags: None
Takes Place: 6th summer
Warnings: Alcohol Use, Torture
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 36 Completed: No Word count: 77077 Read: 168707 Published: 29 Jan 2005 Updated: 12 Jun 2006
Chapter Fifteen: Necessary by Phoenix Sworn
Author's Notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own JK Rowling’s world or plotlines. I do own my own plotlines and since this is being written about things JK has not yet published, most of the plotline is mine. However, my brilliant sister inspired the story, and I lovingly thank her for her contribution.

A/N- I'm having trouble getting the program to accept italics. Some comments are being put in regular fonts when they are supposed to be inside Harry's head. Please don't get confused.

“His early years at Hogwarts would have been much easier had he just taken the Sorting Hat’s advice. I’m not kidding. He’s already half of each…makes him look a little like a Christmas tree really…”

-Remus Lupin

Harry-

It seems that the Order isn’t feeling particularly trusting lately. I’ll stop by in a few days. I learned through Severus that they have me tracked at all times so I need to find a stealth device or it won’t be safe for me to visit. I’ll be sure to buy one for you as well.

Keep your chin up.

-Moony

*~~~*~~~*

Professor Severus Snape poured the last ingredient into the simmering cauldron and recoiled as it boiled over.

“Dammit.” He growled. Turning, to find his wand, he started and nearly disapparated on instinct. “Why can’t you make noise like a normal human being, Lupin? Oh, yes, I forgot, you aren’t human are you?”

Lupin smirked, and slipped past him to examine the contents of the cauldron. “No,” he said cheerfully, “but at least I can make a decent potion.”

Snape felt his lip curl upward into a tight sneer, he vanished the mess, and asked, “did you have an actual reason for intruding on my home or were you just here testing your poor insults?”

“Actually, yes, I do have a reason…is there somewhere we can sit?”

Severus flicked his wand and the back wall began to melt. At the center it caved inward, and the emerging hole stretched downward. The sides split outward, and when it was at full size, a sculpted border appeared around its edge. Both men walked through and sat down in the large chairs. Everything in the room was black, silver, or emerald. The chairs were deep and soft, and the hardwood floor was perfectly smooth.

It was his favorite room in the house, and was itching for Lupin to spill something as a reason to let the room demonstrate its protective personality.

He floated drinks from the table and gestured for Lupin to continue.

“We need to make sure both of us are following the same plan, and I need to know what you taught him, not to mention how long you were there.”

“Very well then. He succeeded in completing the potion after a day. He could apparate in less than an hour, and by now could likely group-apparate four or five at a time. I was there for approximately 36 hours. He is responding as was predicted, nearly to the letter. Loathe though I am to admit it, you were right. In a few weeks, if we continue, he will be prepared, and will have a chance at surviving the next level.”

“Good.” Lupin paused, “Severus, is this right?” Snape glared at him. “Should we really be doing this? Is it necessary?”

“I thought I was the one who would not mind his young and painful death. You were supposed to convince me, and for that, it is your fault that I am involved in this insane, if ingenious, plan.”

“Yes, I know, but he will kill us when he finds out. If he’s feeling generous he’ll make it fast. Not that we won’t deserve it, but…”

“Shut up Lupin.”

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes that stretched to almost half an hour, consoling themselves in their drinks. Finally Severus flinched and stood. “Redo the potion and deliver it, the scroll is on the table.” He said quickly, summoned his mask and cloak, and disappeared.

*~~~*~~~*

“Harry?” Petunia said quietly from outside the door of the second bedroom. Harry opened the door with his wand out, but slipped it into his pocket again when he saw how terrified Petunia looked. The woman did not need anything else to scare her.

“Yes?”

“There is someone for you. I had him sit in the lounge, but he’ll need to leave quickly, your uncle has a business meeting here tonight.” She turned to leave, but Harry grabbed her elbow, and made her look back at him.

“Aunt, I need to know exactly what he looked like, and how he behaved.”

Harry listened to her recant the boy’s arrival, and nodded at the perfect description of Neville Longbottom, complete with tripping over an umbrella stand, and the mimbleus mimbletonia he carried.

If it was an imposter they were doing a good job with it.

He sighed, redrew his wand, and brushed past his aunt. By the time he had walked down the stairs, he had removed the bottle of Veritaserum from his pocket, and was wearing an emotionless mask.

“Neville?” He called from the foot of the stairs.

“Hello Harry, um…Prof- I mean, Mr. Lupin said that you would want to use Veritaserum to make sure I was, well me.” Harry nodded. “I’ll just sit here then.”

Harry administered the potion and after a few brief questions, released his year-mate. “How are-”

“Thank you Harry.” Neville interrupted. Harry tensed; Neville was not famous for interrupting someone else’s speech. “I know I already said it in that letter, but I wanted to say it out loud. In the Department of Mysteries, I wanted to do it so bad, but with that curse, I just couldn’t. I’m sorry that your Godfather was killed, and I’m sorry that you had to deal with my problems, but, Harry you know me. I’m the ‘Gryffindor klutz.’ I’m the village idiot, the near squib who can’t even fly a broom.” Neville chuckled, humorlessly, trying to seem lighthearted about his horrible reputation.

“You don’t have to be, Neville.”

“Yes I do. I don’t have any other choice. I am a klutz, and I’m horrible at magic, everything but Herbology, and that barely counts. It isn’t really magic.”

“Neville, I have seen what you can do. I saw it in the DA and I saw it in the Department of Mysteries.” Neville was just shaking his head and muttering about inadequacies and an ‘inherent subordinate nature.’

Anyone that can use that kind of vocabulary in a normal thought obviously is not a part of either group. Dammit Padfoot, but here goes another motivational pep-talk.

“Neville were you ever told that our roles could have been switched?” the blonde looked uncomfortable, and shook his head in shock “Listen, there was a prophecy that I know you haven’t heard all of. It was actually given by Trelawny, but that’s not important. It said this: The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies. Both of us fit it enough for us to both be targets.”

“Harry, I could never ‘vanquish the Dark Lord.’ I’m me, it’s not like I could ever do anything that you do. And you treat it like it’s nothing. Look at you now. Your Godfather was killed and you are still living. I could never do that. In your first year you defeated You-Know-Who. In your second it was a basilisk. Your third you went after someone you thought was a deranged maniac, and ended up saving his, Lupin’s, Hermionie’s, yours, and probably Ron’s life too. You also saved Buckbeak, fought down dementors, and almost had Sirius Black named innocent. Then you fought You-Know-Who in your fourth year, competed in the Tri-wizard tournament, and brought back Cedric. And then last year, just – everything! Umbridge, your Godfather, standing up against the press and against even our house’s scrutiny.”

“I did it because I had to Neville, not because I enjoy it. It was necessary, I hate it, and if I weren’t the Boy-Who-Fucking-Lived, then I would never have tried to. It’s the same thing for you. You never had a reason to have to try.”

“My Parents-”

“Bull Shit. You were a year old.”

“So were you!”

“That’s different!’

“How? You fight for your parents, any sane person would fight of their parents.”

“Are you actually saying that I’m sane?” He smirked, breaking up his friend’s possible tirade, “haven’t heard that in a while.”

“Harry, your parents are dead, you don’t have to go visit them and see your failure and have it pushed down your throat.” Neville’s voice was quiet and cold, it cracked but he continued talking, “You don’t know my Grandmother, she could make You-Know-Who feel like he was nothing, and like he had failed. I know that I couldn’t save them when I was a kid, but I just feel like I should be doing something, anything, to help them. Did you know that it was really Bellatrix who did most of it? Rodolphous just liked to watch her and occasionally gave suggestions. It was mostly her. But I want him dead too though. I want him dead, and I want it to hurt. I want them dead, and I want my parents back. Did you know that the Longbotom Manor has modified muggle camera’s in it? It has had them for years, and the tapes are indestructible. My Grandmother thought she had hidden them all, but she hadn’t, and I stumbled, quite literally onto one. I watched it, and…” Neville took a breath, clearly fighting away the memories of what he had seen. “Dammit, I want the Lestrange’s dead.” His voice broke entirely, and he looked up. With closed eyes, he whispered, “Merlin, Gods Merlin, I want them back.”

The room fell to silence as Neville wiped off his eyes and tried furtively to regain some composure. He seemed to realize what he had done and said, and hurriedly jumped up. “Um…I’m sorry, I, I’ll leave. Just, Thank you Harry.”

Harry was so deeply enthralled by the emotional breakdown his friend had displayed, that he was unable to stop him as he ran outside and port-keyed, presumably home.

“Well, dad, this is incredible: an easy decision. What a shock. Harry Potter isn’t supposed to have easy decisions. Of course, the universe will certainly balance out later, but for the moment, I think I may enjoy this. Yes, after thought, I do enjoy easy decisions.” He smiled as the Gryffindor side of his mind came into dominance.

He was ruled by the four houses, and at they constantly fought for control. Most wizards did have aspects of multiple houses in them, and only rarely did someone remain under one house at all times. Ron was one of the few in the school. Until the Department of Mysteries, Harry had ruled almost constantly by his Gryffindor side, with a Hufflepuff’s loyalty and a Ravenclaw’s thirst for knowledge occasionally appearing in sparks. He had also seen slight aspects of Slytherin in himself, but had tried to block them.

After Sirius had died, the dominant house had begun to change. Instead of glimpses of green in a scarlet world, it was inverted. The sparks of the other two houses hadn’t left, but Harry Potter had begun to see the advantages in Slytherin planning, cunning and most importantly their ability to close out the pain of the world and continue working.

However, no pure Slytherin would do what Harry was about to.

He summoned a jar from his room and walked to the fireplace, tossing in a small pinch. “Remus Lupin.” He said as he ducked his head into the green flames.

Remus appeared immediately. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m doing someone a favor.” Harry could see the shock of the Werewolf’s face. “Incredible isn’t it?”

“Quite, considering how Slytherin you’ve been lately. Not that that’s a bad thing. It seems to keep you alive, which is a plan that I wholeheartedly support.”

“Have you heard of some American witch working on a cure for those who have been driven insane by Cruciatus?”

“Yes, she’s been working on it for a few years, but nothing has come of it. Not enough funding. Why?”

“What’s her name?”

“Er…let me grab the article.” He vanished for a few seconds, but came back with a Marauder-esque smile. “Her name is Cynaephyra Alstance, she lives in some place called Silverton, Colorado. It doesn’t give an address. What are you planning, Harry?”

“I’m going to ask her to come to St. Mungo’s, and if she agrees I’m going to give her my Gringott’s key.” He said plainly.

“Gryffindor.” Remus said in a mock insult, almost perfectly impersonating the Potion Master’s voice.

“So the hat tells me. Thank you, but I need to go.”

“I understand, oh, before you go, congratulations on getting the sword. I’m not sure how, but Dumbledore had difficultly speaking coherently for hours after. A wonderfully executed prank. Why did you take it, though? You don’t know how to use a sword. Or do you?”

“I needed it,” Harry said mysteriously, “Have a nice day Remus.”

He pulled his head out of the fire, closed the connection, and turned to see his uncle triumphantly holding up the Daily Prophet.

More specifically, the issue with the two inch Headline: SUPPORT FOR HARRY POTTER REMOVED!

Fucking shit and a half.

“I see that your ‘friends’ aren’t so keen on you anymore. Maybe I should just put those bars back on your window. And there will be no more owls in this house. You’re still underage, I asked your aunt, and you can’t even do any of your freak stuff here.” Vernon had turned a rather remarkable plum color in his elation. “And if I want to, I could just-”

“Be quiet Uncle.” Harry said coldly.

“How DARE you speak to me that way!” Vernon took a step forward and raised his hand to hit him. Harry didn’t move. Years of Quidditch had improved his reflexes, but also told him when he wouldn’t need them. He lifted his own hand and flicked his wrist. His wand jumped to place, and he gestured at his uncle. Suddenly neither of them were moving.

Unspoken magic now? I really need to remember to ask about these sorts of things.

“Uncle, do not try that again. I am going back up to my room in a moment, but first I will explain something to you. The wizarding world has removed support from me, but they are too afraid to actually punish me. By law, I am now allowed to use magic here or anywhere else whenever I want. No one will challenge me. Which means that I can do whatever I want to you, and no one, will challenge me. I do not recommend tempting me into doing that, as I have learned quite a few ways to hurt someone in my life.”

He walked away, releasing his uncle only when he had reached the top landing.

Harry smirked again.

His Slytherin side seemed determined to remain in power.

To be continued...


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