Chapter 45: The Strange Door
At the offer, Severus's eye twitched. Another voice surfaced in his memory, unwelcome:
"Alan, we are the Order of the Dark God Abaddon. Join us. Our God calls to you. Kneel and accept his will."
He suppressed the shudder. Five years of those cultists pursuing him because of the dark flame. Five years was long enough to leave permanent associations with certain words.
"Severus?"
"Forgive me. An unpleasant memory." He cleared his throat once and returned his expression to something appropriate. "I will have to decline."
"May I ask why?" A slight frown from Dumbledore.
"I already told you what I want. If I involve myself in this war, there is a real probability I simply die, and that does not interest me. When I finish at Hogwarts, I am leaving the country immediately. There is nothing here to hold me."
Dumbledore was quiet for a few seconds.
"I will not press you. But be careful: I am not the only one who wants your allegiance, and the others will not be as understanding as I am."
"I understand. Do not worry, Headmaster. I can look after myself, and I have a plan."
That drew a quiet smile from Dumbledore.
"I am glad to hear it, my boy. That allows me to worry a little less. But if you ever need anything, the door is open."
"Thank you. And if you need potions, you can come to me directly. I will let Karner know to prepare a regular supply. For now we have enough for about a month." Severus opened his notebook, flipped through briefly, nodded. "Ten a day: is that sufficient? I cannot guarantee more. And I am happy to offer a discount. Artefacts, I am afraid, are not something I can help with in any quantity: a single one takes a considerable amount of time."
"Ten a day is more than enough. We are not a large group." Dumbledore paused. "As for those artefacts. Mr. Macmillan did mention them," he added, with a brief expression that was not quite the one he was trying to produce.
Terrible actor, for a man so sharp in other respects.
"Headmaster, I have a request as well."
"Go on. If it is within my power."
"I would like to take a house-elf for household work. I would not mistreat them. I simply need someone reliable to manage the daily tasks I cannot always attend to myself."
"Of course. I will speak with Minerva, and tomorrow you will be able to choose. Though you should know—"
"I believe it costs a thousand Galleons." A pouch appeared in his hand, and Dumbledore shook his head.
"That is Minerva's domain, not mine. Give it to her tomorrow."
"Understood. Thank you, Headmaster."
"You are very welcome. One question of my own, if I may." His gaze dropped briefly toward Severus's chest. "Your snake. You know who she is, do you not?"
Severus touched the right side of his chest with a warm smile. A moment later Nagini's head appeared from under his collar, eyes narrowed, watching Dumbledore without warmth.
"Her name is Nagini. I believe you already know that."
Surprise moved through Dumbledore's expression.
"Severus. you know?"
"I do not speak Parseltongue," he said, stroking her head. "We have the same kind of bond you share with Fawkes. I understand her through that."
"I see."
"Will you answer a question of mine in return, Headmaster?"
"Of course, my boy."
"Why does she dislike you? Did you know each other before?"
A deep and genuinely sorrowful sigh. Dumbledore turned toward the bookshelf, presenting his back.
"It was during the war. I promised a young woman that I would help bring someone back. A friend of hers who had crossed to the other side. I could not. He died." He turned. Nagini had not moved, and had not stopped looking at him. "If you are asking about her specifically. then she must have already lost her memory of it?"
"I managed to stop the deterioration. But everything prior to the moment she left Hogwarts cannot be recovered."
Shock crossed Dumbledore's face.
"Severus. you stopped the effects of that curse?!"
"With considerable difficulty. And I intend to help her become human again."
"That will be extraordinarily hard. A curse of that kind cannot be lifted. When I was young I attempted it myself, and as you can see, I failed."
"Would you share your research with me, Headmaster?" Severus asked, with the carefully neutral tone of someone who had noted the brief, particular quality of discomfort that had crossed the old man's face at the question.
"Of course. I am not entirely certain where I put it. Come tomorrow: if I have found it, I will give it to you. I also need to help you with the elf's contract in any case."
"Understood. I should go. I have classes in the morning."
"Of course, my boy. Good night. And if you ever have questions, or simply want to talk, a cup of tea and an open door are always available." Dumbledore's familiar warmth returned.
Severus returned the smile and left.
He lied. I am fairly certain of it. Although.
He did, but not entirely. He is genuinely difficult to read. The part about the curse research, though: that was not a lie. I am certain of that much.
"So he is a good person?"
Severus tapped her gently on the nose, smiling.
Naive creature. He is a dangerous man. If I were given a choice between facing him or the pale-faced one, I would choose the pale-faced one.
"That strong?" Nagini sounded genuinely thrown. In all the time she had known him, Severus had never backed away from anything.
I am not afraid of him. If it came to it, I could kill him, probably, though not without real effort. I do not know his fighting style or what he has kept hidden over a century. I would simply rather avoid the question entirely. The fewer people who know what I can actually do, the quieter our lives will be. He smiled and winked. She flushed slightly and began poking him in the side with her tail, as she generally did when she had no other way to respond.
Walking along the eighth floor toward the staircase, Severus suddenly stopped and turned toward a completely blank wall, frowning.
What is that density? Someone used illusion magic here. Concealment, possibly. A moment of stillness, and then white light moved briefly over him. When he opened his eyes, enormous transparent doors stood before him where the wall had been, stirring something like curiosity.
Hm. There will be some specific mechanism for opening them.
"Severus, why are you standing there staring at a wall?" Nagini asked.
There is a door here. He sent the image through the link. But it can wait until tomorrow. It is late.
"Since when has that ever been a reason?"
I would like to try today, but it is not worth the risk. I need to understand what I am working with first. I have no idea what is behind them.
"Snow. Today. Definite."
Stop being clever. I have always been careful. He flicked her on the crown.
"Want me to bring up the basilisk's chamber?"
She was already rubbing her forehead, which earned her a second flick.
"Hey!"
Everything was completely under control.
"I remember exactly what kind of contr—" His hand was rising again. She decided not to finish, though the expression on her face was quietly triumphant.
"Come on. We need to sleep. Tomorrow will be long." He glanced once more at the wall, then looked across at a peculiar painting on the opposite side: a man in a bard's costume, apparently attempting to teach trolls to perform ballet. He turned and headed for the staircase ten metres away, around the corner.
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