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Entry tags:
Scars, Part 18
Rating: NC-17 overall
Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa; also a little Theodore/Blaise, Dylan/Hermione, and Aric/Takeshi
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts; [] indicates song lyrics.
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; song lyrics are from "Scars" by Papa Roach. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III.
Summary: Greyback and the Macnairs plot to steal the werewolf medallion from the museum.
Part 17b
Pairings: Snape/Lupin, Ash/Tsubasa; also a little Theodore/Blaise, Dylan/Hermione, and Aric/Takeshi
Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts; [] indicates song lyrics.
Disclaimer: Based on the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; song lyrics are from "Scars" by Papa Roach. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: AU. This story contains a character from Half-Blood Prince, but does not follow the HBP storyline.
Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, Phoenix Rising, Aftermaths, The Revenant, Ash's Story, and Summer Vacation III.
Summary: Greyback and the Macnairs plot to steal the werewolf medallion from the museum.
Part 17b
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Here are the scrolls you requested, Professor, and today's mail delivery," Imogen said, laying the items down on Bletchley's desk. The scrolls were ancient documents from the museum's archive that Bletchley had requested for his research, and Imogen noticed that one of the letters was from Theodore Snape-formerly-Nott. Imogen hoped that she might learn what it contained if she lingered in Bletchley's office for a bit, although it was probably merely innocuous correspondence about the Irish artifacts. Still, she wanted to gather as much information about the Snapes as she could, because you never knew what might prove useful in the future, and besides, she also wanted to find out if the medallion that Bletchley was researching really was a device to control a werewolf's transformation. There was the Wolfsbane Potion, of course, but it would be so much easier not to have to brew the complicated potion every month. Perhaps someday, after they rose to power, she would claim it as a reward for their pet werewolf, Greyback.
"Please call me 'Henry,' Imogen," Bletchley said with a friendly smile. "I've told you before that I'm not really a Professor."
Imogen smiled back at him with feigned shyness. Bletchley had felt sorry for her after Shacklebolt had practically accused her of being a Death Eater spy, and he had gone out of his way to treat her kindly ever since. He was suprisingly softhearted for a Slytherin, but Imogen intended to take full advantage of that, and had been working to cultivate his goodwill by pretending to be grateful for his kindness.
"Yes, Henry," she murmured, giving him another quick, shy smile before casting her eyes down demurely. "How is your research going?"
"It's going very well," Bletchley replied. "Perhaps even better after I hear what Master Tremayne has to say." He opened the letter from Theodore, and looked a little disappointed. "Ah, it seems they haven't broken the code yet. But Theodore says that he thinks they're close to it, so I suppose that's good news."
"Very good news, Prof...Henry," Imogen said politely. They chatted about his research for several minutes; like most scholars, he loved nothing better than to talk about his work, and she suspected that he took a secret pleasure in deliberately going against Shacklebolt's wishes. Maybe he was a true Slytherin, after all. Imogen acted properly attentive, showing enough interest to be flattering, but not so much as to arouse suspicion by seeming too interested in Dark Magic artifacts.
The rest of the day went the same as always: boring clerical work carried out under the eyes of the rest of the museum staff, who regarded her with varying degrees of smug superiority, vindictiveness, or pity. After leaving work, she met with her brother and Greyback at the safe house, hoping that Warren's day had proven more fruitful.
The scowl on her brother's face told her that it had not been. Still, Imogen asked, "Did your contact at the Ministry provide any useful information? There was nothing printed in the Daily Prophet about Ash Randolf being arrested for Alden Madley's murder, nor even a hint that the Aurors are close to making an arrest. But surely he must be their prime suspect? Is Arthur Weasley still protecting him?"
"Not only is he not being arrested, but his name has been cleared!" Warren replied disgustedly.
"What?!" exclaimed Imogen. "How can that be?"
"It seems that Randolf swore under Truth Potion that he had no part in the murders," Warren growled. "And not even Dawlish could argue with that." He glared at Greyback as if this were all the werewolf's fault.
"Don't look at me!" Greyback snapped. "I did my part; I killed both Madleys like you told me to! What else was I supposed to do, write a confession in blood and sign it with Randolf's name?"
"That might not have been a bad idea," Warren muttered.
"That would serve no purpose," Imogen pointed out coolly. "They would be able to tell that it wasn't Randolf's handwriting."
"I hope that your day went better than mine, sister dear," Warren sighed.
"Not really, although I'm cultivating an ally in Henry Bletchley," Imogen replied. She laughed scornfully. "It's easy enough with such a softhearted fool; all I have to do is look meek and sad, and bat my eyelashes a little, and he feels sorry for me."
"I'm sure that you have no trouble putting men under your spell, my Lady," Greyback said sardonically. "But of what possible use can this scholar be to us?"
"He is an expert in magical artifacts, with Dark items being his specialty," Imogen replied. "His knowledge could come in useful someday. And his family is trying to marry him off to the Dietrich heiress, in which case he would gain a good deal of political power. It doesn't hurt to plan for the future, Greyback."
The werewolf shrugged indifferently. "As you say, my Lady."
"Oh, by the way," Imogen added as an afterthought, "one of the artifacts that Bletchley is working on is a medallion that might have the power to control a werewolf's transformation."
"Medallion?" Greyback asked, suddenly snapping to attention, his eyes filled with excitement. "Can you describe it for me?"
Imogen paused to think. "It's made of stone, and engraved with the phases of the moon, and some runes that Bletchley can't read. The Runes Master that Snape's son is apprenticed to says that they're in some sort of code."
"And by any chance, did this artifact belong to a wizard known as the Dark Prince?" Greyback asked eagerly.
"Why...yes," Imogen replied, startled by the question. The werewolf had never shown any interest in history or archaeology before.
"The Dark Prince?" Warren asked, sounding puzzled. "Was he a precursor to the Dark Lord?"
"Not quite," Imogen replied. "Like the Dark Lord, no one ever called the Prince by his real name, but for different reasons. People were afraid to speak the Dark Lord's name, while the Dark Prince was afraid to let people know his name, because of the legend that knowing someone's true name gives you power over them. He kept his name a secret, and killed anyone who knew it, even, rumor has it, his own parents. Because no one knew his real name, the locals started calling him the Dark Prince, because he was a powerful Dark Wizard. Unlike our former Master, however, the Dark Prince was less interested in conquering the world than he was in hiding from it. He had many enemies, and he sealed himself up in his tower, which he warded with various magical spells and traps, and it was said to be guarded by many ferocious magical beasts."
"Someone must have gotten through his protections, if his tower was left in ruins," Warren said, smiling cynically. "Somehow I can't picture this Dark Prince dying peacefully of old age."
"Some people say that the tower was destroyed in a duel with another wizard," Imogen said. "And others say that it was due to a magical experiment gone wrong. But either way, the tower was destroyed in a massive explosion, and the remains sunk beneath the earth. The nearby villagers were too terrified to go near the place, and over the years, vegetation grew over the site where the tower had stood. Generations passed, and no one remembered the exact location of the tower, and the tale of the Dark Prince became a legend, a mere footnote in the history books, until the archaeological team uncovered the ruins this summer." Imogen crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at Greyback suspiciously. "So tell me now, Greyback, exactly how you came by the knowledge of an artifact belonging to a long-forgotten Dark Wizard, and what your interest is in it."
Greyback gave her a wide, sharp-toothed grin, looking too excited to be offended. "My late, unlamented Master told me about it years ago, when I was still in his favor. He had read in some old book that the Dark Prince had werewolf servants, and that he had created a device that allowed them to transform at any time of the month."
"What?!" Imogen and Warren exclaimed in chorus.
"According to the book, the Prince used to send his werewolves out to hunt down his enemies, or even just people who wandered too close to the tower for his liking," Greyback continued. "A rare survivor from one of these hunts claimed that he and his party had been attacked by what they had first thought were tame dogs, because they had collars around their necks--collars hung with strange medallions etched with the phases of the moon. By the time that they got close enough to see the medallions, the men realized that the 'dogs' were neither dogs nor tame, but it was too late, except for the one witness who managed to escape while the wolves were busy killing his friends. However, he might as well have been left to the wolves, because when he reached the village and told his story, the villagers put him to death. He had been wounded, you see, a few non-lethal scratches, but the villagers weren't about to take the risk that he would turn into a werewolf himself on the next full moon."
Neither Imogen nor Warren wasted any time feeling sorry for the hapless victim of the Dark Prince's werewolf pack. "So it's more than just the equivalent of the Wolfsbane Potion," Warren said thoughtfully.
"If Greyback's story is true," Imogen added.
Greyback shrugged. "At the time, it was only a story recorded in a book filled with rumors and half-truths. The Dark Lord thought the medallions might really have existed, but he had no idea where the ruins of the Prince's tower were buried. He followed a few leads, but when they all led to dead ends, he decided that it would be more practical to get Snape to invent a potion that would control the transformation."
"Which he did, in a sense, although he didn't share it with the Dark Lord," Imogen said dryly. "But the Wolfsbane Potion merely keeps a werewolf sane during the full moon. The medallion--"
"Would allow me to transform at any time of the month!" Greyback finished. "I've done everything that you two have asked of me, and I want that medallion as my reward!"
Warren scowled at him and said sharply, "Your reward is your freedom, Greyback! If not for us, you'd still be locked up in that sanatorium!"
"The medallion would allow me to be even more useful to you!" Greyback countered. "You said that you wanted me to spread fear through the wizarding world--well, what could be more fearful than a werewolf attacking at any time of the month? You said that Randolf proved his innocence? Well then, I can go on a killing spree and make everyone so scared of werewolves that they'll lock them all up, and they won't care if your dear half-brother is guilty or not!"
Imogen considered Greyback's words carefully. "That is tempting," she agreed reluctantly. "But stealing the medallion would be a great risk, for I would surely be the first one that the Aurors would suspect."
"If you can find a way to get me into the museum, I'll steal it myself!" Greyback declared. "Then you and your brother could go out in public at the time of the theft and create an alibi for yourselves."
"Even so, it will do us no good if you are captured," Imogen cautioned.
"I'm touched by your concern for me, milady," Greyback said with an insolent grin. "But I don't intend to be caught. Remember that I was a Death Eater; I know a thing or two about getting past locks and wards. At least tell me about the security arrangements at the museum, and we can decide whether it would be possible to carry out the theft."
His words were reasonable enough, but there was a determined glint in the werewolf's eyes that said he wasn't going to give up this idea so easily. Imogen could kill him, if necessary, but she hated to throw away such a valuable pawn, especially when they had not yet succeeded in framing Ash Randolf or freeing their father from prison. It might be time to throw their pet werewolf a bone.
"All right, let's go over this carefully," Imogen said as she fetched a pen and a roll of blank parchment, and began sketching a diagram of the museum. "The medallion is kept locked in Henry Bletchley's office, but first you'll need to get into the museum. There are warding spells in these locations. I'm not supposed to, but I know the passwords to bypass most of them."
"Impressive," Greyback said.
Imogen smirked. "It's amazing what you can learn when you remain quiet and keep your eyes and ears open. Besides, the curator was a good friend of my late mother, so she's a bit careless around me."
"What about guards?"
"There is a night guard, but he follows a set patrol route, so you should be able to avoid him if you're careful..."
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"Theo!" Lupin exclaimed as the fireplace burst into green flames and his son stepped into the room just as he and Severus were about to head to the Great Hall for breakfast. "We weren't expecting you, but of course we're always delighted to see you. Would you like to join us for..." His voice trailed off when he saw the worried expression on Theo's face.
"This isn't just a friendly visit," Snape said quietly.
It was more of a statement than a question, but Theodore nodded in reply. "I can't stay long," he said. "I'm on my way to the museum, but I thought I should stop by and tell you what happened first. Master Tremayne and I were finally able to break the code for the medallion inscription."
"But isn't that good news?" Lupin asked in a puzzled voice.
"It would be, if someone hadn't broken into the museum and stolen the medallion last night," Theodore replied grimly.
"What?!" Lupin exclaimed. "That's terrible! But why would someone want to steal it, when they couldn't know what it does or how to work it? Did you tell anyone what you discovered?"
Theodore shook his head. "We just finished the translation last night, and haven't had time to tell anyone about it yet. But someone must know, or at least have guessed what the artifact actually is. I have to talk to Henry and the Aurors right away."
"Let me guess," Snape said, his eyes narrowing shrewdly. "The medallion does a little bit more than simply regulate a werewolf's transformation."
"As usual, you are correct, Father. Would you and Remus like to come to the museum with me? I'm afraid the Aurors aren't going to be very happy with what I have to say, and I could use a little moral support."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
"The medallion does WHAT?!" Kingsley roared, and Theodore flinched slightly, while Snape glared at the Auror.
"It isn't his fault, Shacklebolt!" the Potions Master snapped. "If you want to yell at someone, yell at whichever idiot is responsible for the museum's security!"
That in turn provoked a spluttering protest from the museum's Director, until Kingsley impatiently waved at him to be silent.
"Kingsley's not really mad at Theodore, Severus," Tonks said placatingly. "He's just a little upset to hear the bad news."
"To put it mildly," Kingsley muttered, but gave Theodore a strained smile and said, "I didn't mean to take it out on you, though, Mr. Snape."
"It's all right," Theodore said graciously. "I understand that it's shocking news. Master Tremayne and I were surprised, too. I never dreamed that such a thing was possible."
"So the medallion allows a werewolf to transform at any time of the month?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Well, that's what the inscription says it does, anyway," Theodore replied with a shrug. "We have no way of knowing if it really works without testing it, but most of the other artifacts were functional, so..."
"This is a disaster!" the Director wailed.
"But wasn't the medallion damaged?" Lupin asked. "Wouldn't it be useless to whoever stole it?"
"Not necessarily," Henry Bletchley replied, looking troubled. "It radiated a strong magical aura, and tentatively responded to the exploratory spells I cast. There's a good chance that it might still be functional, although using a damaged item is always risky."
"It can't be a coincidence that an item that allows a werewolf to transform at will is stolen just after a series of murders committed by a werewolf," Kingsley said, frowning.
"You're sure that it really was a werewolf who committed the murders?" Lupin asked.
"Well, we're not really sure about Mrs. Abbott," Tonks said. "But the Healers are certain that the Madleys were killed by a werewolf. And Takeshi certainly has no reason to lie about it."
"But even if the murderer was a werewolf, we know that it wasn't Ash!" Harry interjected.
"It doesn't matter, Potter," Snape said impatiently. "The public will see him--and any other werewolf--as a threat unless you bring the killer to justice quickly. And if it becomes known that the medallion was stolen, that will only add to the panic and hysteria." His black eyes flickered over to the Director, who was wringing his hands.
"I don't want the theft publicized any more than you do, Professor," the man protested in a whiny voice. "It's bad publicity for the museum! But I don't see how we can keep it quiet when a guard was murdered..."
Startled, Lupin and Snape turned towards the Aurors, who nodded. "There was a night guard on duty," Tonks explained. "He was found this morning with his neck broken, much like the Aurors who were guarding Alden Madley."
"It doesn't take a werewolf to break a man's neck," Lupin said uncertainly.
"No, but werewolf strength would certainly make it easier," Kingsley said, rubbing his hand against his bald head distractedly. "And only a werewolf would have motive to steal the medallion."
"Was the medallion the only thing stolen?" Snape asked, frowning.
Henry nodded. "There are far more valuable items in the museum, but that was the only thing taken."
"How did the thief break in?" Lupin wanted to know.
"We're not sure," Tonks replied. "The warding spells seem to have been disabled somehow, and he or she used some sort of spell or magical device to break through the physical locks." She pointed at the lock on the office door, which appeared to have been melted.
"Sirius used to have a penknife that would open locks," Lupin said, smiling nostalgically. "It was a child's toy, though. It wouldn't have worked on locks spelled with strong magical wards."
"Almost any ward can be bypassed, through powerful magic or through deception, if one is determined enough," Snape said with a dismissive wave of his hand, and the Director looked offended. "The Death Eaters used to do it all the time. Sometimes they would break the wards magically, and other times they would trick someone into letting them in. What really puzzles me is how the thief discovered the medallion's true properties. Theodore says that he and Tremayne only recently deciphered the runes and told no one else of their findings."
Kingsley looked to Theodore for confirmation, and he nodded. "I swear, we told no one. We only just finished the translation last night, and spoke to no one else about it until Professor Bletchley contacted us this morning to tell us about the theft."
"Could someone perhaps have overheard your conversations or secretly looked at your notes?" Tonks inquired. "A housekeeper, maybe, or another member of the archaeological team?"
"No," Theodore replied firmly. "We left the dig site weeks ago, and have been working in Master Tremayne's home. He's a recluse, and he has no servants, not even a house-elf." He smiled wryly at Lupin. "I've been doing all the cooking and cleaning. He never has visitors, and when he must communicate with the outside world, he does so by owl or mirror, or he sends me in his place, as he did today. He grudgingly admits that taking me on as an apprentice was a good idea, because it means that he can send me on errands and doesn't have to leave the house at all. No one knew of our discovery."
"Very little is known about the Dark Prince, and most of it is speculation, exaggerated tales about his mastery of the Dark Arts," Henry said. "But perhaps someone might have discovered a heretofore unknown piece of information in some obscure text. Or maybe a member of the archaeological team somehow came across the knowledge at the dig site, although I know most of them, and I can't picture any of them as thieves. For one thing, they could easily have stolen the item at the site before it ever reached the museum, but most importantly, they would rather have the glory of discovering an important new artifact than whatever money they could make selling it on the black market. And an item like this would truly be an historic find."
"I don't think the thief wants to sell it," Kingsley said, his expression growing grimmer by the minute. "I'm terribly afraid that he means to use it himself."
"Then that lets out the archaeological team as suspects," Henry said. "They've worked together in close quarters for weeks on end, and it would have been impossible for a werewolf to hide their lycanthropy from the rest of the team."
"They could have sold the information to someone else, but I agree that it's unlikely," Kingsley said, then glowered balefully at the Director. "I'm thinking that it was probably an inside job."
"Surely you're not suggesting that one of my staff could be responsible?!" the Director shouted indignantly.
"You have the daughter of a convicted Death Eater working for you, and she was right here in this office the day that we delivered the artifacts to Professor Bletchley!" Kingsley snapped.
"Miss Macnair is only a clerk," the Director protested. "She was never given any keys to the museum, or the command words to disable the wards!"
"She's clever and no doubt has an extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts," Kingsley said, then turned to Snape. "Can you honestly tell me that a Death Eater would not have been able to break into the museum?"
"No," Snape replied reluctantly. "It would have been child's play for the more powerful Death Eaters, but Miss Macnair was never truly a Death Eater..."
"But surely Macnair taught his children everything that he knows!" Kingsley insisted.
"Maybe not quite everything," Snape said dryly. "The Death Eaters tend to keep a few tricks in reserve, even from their own kin. Or it might even be fatherly concern, not wanting to teach them things they aren't ready to handle. But even if Imogen and Warren could have broken into the museum, would they really have done such a thing? They've been keeping a low profile ever since the Dark Lord's fall, and they have a great deal to lose--if they were convicted of a crime, the Ministry might well confiscate the family estate. They wouldn't take such a great risk unless the benefits were commensurately great."
"And they have an alibi!" Henry snapped. "As an Auror, it's natural for you to be suspicious of anyone connected with the Death Eaters, but you seem to have a fixation with the Macnair family, Mr. Shacklebolt!"
"Is that true?" Snape asked sharply. "Do they have an alibi?"
"Imogen and Warren Macnair were both spotted at a Weird Sisters concert last night at the approximate time of the break-in," Kingsley said disgustedly.
"It seems they caused a bit of a ruckus," Tonks added. "Some hothead tried to pick a fight with Warren, calling him 'Death Eater scum'. Concert security broke it up before they started hexing each other, though."
"If they have an alibi, then why are you still suspecting them?" Snape demanded.
"You and I both know that the Slytherin elite like to have others take care of their dirty work for them," Kingsley retorted. "They could have hired someone to steal the medallion."
"I don't much care for Warren and Imogen, but what would they want with a werewolf artifact?" Theodore asked skeptically.
"Walden Macnair went to school with Rosalind Madley," Harry said thoughtfully. "But then, so did several other Death Eaters."
"None of whom work at the museum," Kingsley said.
"Don't be so sure about that," Snape said with a malicious smile. "All the pureblood families are inbred, after all. I'm sure there are more than a few people here with indirect ties to the Death Eater families."
"Well, the Macnairs are still my prime suspects," Kingsley said irritably. When Henry looked like he was about to protest again, Kingsley added, "But I'll keep my options open and investigate all possibilities. I don't intend to make the same mistakes that Dawlish did."
"Even assuming for the sake of argument that the Macnairs would want to hire a werewolf assassin, where would they find one?" Theodore asked, still looking doubtful.
"That's what's been puzzling us, too," Tonks admitted. "All the members of Lukas's pack seem to be accounted for, and we haven't been able to track down any rogue werewolves."
"So...what about Miss Macnair?" the Director interrupted in a nervous voice. "Do you really think she's the culprit? Should I fire her?"
"That wouldn't be fair," Lupin instantly replied, frowning uneasily. "We have no proof, and if she's innocent, that would be a great injustice. It could drive her to follow the path of the Death Eaters, even if she hadn't intended to before."
After a moment of thought, Kingsley told the Director, a bit grudgingly, "No, we have only a few suspicions, based on her father's reputation. That isn't enough to justify firing someone."
The Director nodded, still looking a little uncertain. "Very well," he said. "I'll hold off for now, but please get to the bottom of this as soon as possible!"
"We will," Tonks said reassuringly. "It would help if you could give us a list of all the museum employees, including people who have official access to the keys and warding spells."
"Of course," the Director replied. "I'll have my secretary get that list to you." Then he left the room, muttering to himself fretfully about bad publicity.
"I understand that we shouldn't punish someone without proof," Harry said slowly, glancing back and forth from Kingsley to Lupin, obviously torn between suspicion of the Macnairs' connection to the Death Eaters and the desire to be fair. "But...if she is involved with the theft and the murders, is it safe to let her remain here?"
"I'm not really happy about the idea," Kingsley grumbled. "But since we have no grounds for arrest, I'd prefer that she remain here where we can at least keep an eye on her."
"The only basis for your suspicion is the fact that Imogen is related to a Death Eater," Henry said angrily.
"That and the fact that she works at the place the artifact was stolen from," Kingsley retorted. "A very convenient coincidence."
"As Professor Snape pointed out, most of the purebloods are related directly or indirectly to the Death Eaters," Henry countered. "Are they all suspects, too?"
"You're awfully protective of Miss Macnair, Bletchley," Kingsley said, scowling at the scholar suspiciously. "What exactly is your relationship with her? I thought you were supposed to be courting Erika Dietrich!"
"Erika Dietrich--Aric's sister?" Harry blurted out, staring at Henry in surprise. "But you're so--" He hastily clamped his mouth shut, cutting off the rest of his sentence, but the unspoken words "much older than her" seemed to hang in the air.
"Well, Potter, you are as tactful as always," Snape said in a familiar tone of sarcastic humor.
Harry blushed, flashing a quick glare at his former teacher, then turned back to Henry and stammered, "I-I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean--"
"It's all right, Mr. Potter," Henry said, casually waving off his apology. "I agree that I'm too old for Miss Dietrich--and Miss Macnair, for that matter. I am not courting either lady." He smiled bitterly and added, "Rather, you might say that my family is courting an alliance with the Dietrich family. But I am sure that Miss Dietrich can find a better groom than an older bachelor scholar set in his ways. And I have no romantic interest in Miss Macnair, although she is certainly a beautiful young woman, and I doubt that she has any such interest in me."
"Then why are you defending her so vehemently?" Kingsley asked, the hostility in his voice easing and giving way to curiosity.
Henry sighed wearily. "I feel some sympathy for Imogen, because I was a student at Hogwarts for most of the first war, and I remember what it was like to be treated with suspicion just because I was a Slytherin. And I know what you're about to say, Mr. Shacklebolt--that Imogen is more than just a Slytherin, but she didn't choose to be born the child of a Death Eater."
"That's true," Kingsley conceded. "But I have to take into account the fact that Walden Macnair almost certainly impressed his Death Eater values onto his offspring."
Henry sighed again but said nothing, unable to dispute Kingsley's words.
"We've done all we can here," Kingsley said. "Thank you for your cooperation, Professor Bletchley." His tone of voice was carefully polite, with no detectable hint of sarcasm, but Henry smiled mirthlessly and bowed ironically in reply. Kingsley then turned to Snape, Lupin, and Theodore, and asked, "Could the three of you accompany us to the Ministry? I have a few more questions for Theodore about the medallion."
When they arrived at the Ministry, Kingsley said, "Actually, I just wanted to continue this conversation out of Bletchley's hearing, although I do want to find out as much as possible about the medallion. What do you think, Snape? Could he be involved with the theft?"
"No," Snape replied, shaking his head. "All Bletchley cares about is his work. He doesn't care about money or politics, and he certainly wasn't a Death Eater."
Lupin smiled. "He sounds like an odd sort of Slytherin."
"He was more the Ravenclaw type, actually," Snape agreed. "He didn't have much ambition for a Slytherin, or rather, the focus of his ambition was extremely narrow: he was determined to become the best scholar in his field, and from what I know of his reputation, he's well on his way to achieving his goal. Bletchley might be tempted to kill for the opportunity to work with such a unique and powerful artifact, but since it was already in his possession, he had no reason to steal it."
"Do you know him well, Severus?" Tonks asked curiously.
Snape scowled, as he always did, at what he considered her impertinent familiarity, but he answered her question. "Well enough. We weren't close, but he was a couple of years behind me in Slytherin, and I spent enough time around him to know that he isn't the murderous sort."
"I didn't really think he was involved with either the theft or the murders," Kingsley admitted. "But I wanted to be sure. And I'm afraid he might unwittingly pass on information to Imogen Macnair. Alibi or not, she's still a suspect in my mind."
Harry frowned, his brow creasing in thought. "If he's around the Professor's age, Bletchley is too young to be Ash's father, if we're still going with the theory that the person behind the murders is Ash's real father. So is Warren Macnair, and Imogen obviously can't be a father..."
"Your powers of observation astound me, Potter," Snape said sarcastically. "Clearly, your Auror training must be paying off."
Kingsley glared at him, and Tonks giggled, while Lupin gently chided, "Be nice, Severus."
Harry flushed slightly, and persisted, "But Walden Macnair is old enough to be Ash's father, although we haven't been able to find a connection between him and Rosalind Madley, other than that they were both Slytherins attending Hogwarts at more or less the same time."
The mocking look on Snape's face faded away and he said in a much more serious voice, "Getting rid of a werewolf half-brother would be reason enough for murder. But if the twins are behind this, they're most likely acting on their father's orders."
"They faithfully visit their father in Azkaban about once a week," Kingsley said. "All visits with prisoners are supposed to be supervised, but..."
"But guards can be bribed to look the other way," Snape finished. "Or they could be using some sort of code to communicate--in fact, I'd consider that likely, even if they did bribe the guards. They wouldn't take the risk of openly discussing murder where someone might overhear them. The Death Eaters used to have a number of code words and signals that they could use to communicate with each other in public without arousing suspicion."
"I'll check on the security at Azkaban and make sure Macnair's visits are closely monitored," Kingsley said, sounding pleased to finally have something constructive to do. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd share those code words with us."
"Are you sure you trust the word of a Slytherin?" Snape asked pointedly.
"I trust the ones that fought on our side," Kingsley retorted. "That includes you, but not Imogen Macnair."
"I'm ever so flattered," Snape replied sarcastically.
"Please, Severus?" Tonks asked cajolingly, flashing a cheerful smile at him as her hair began changing from violet to a rainbow array of colors: bubblegum pink, lemon yellow, candy apple red, and neon green.
"Enough!" Snape said irritably as Lupin and Theodore smiled. "I'll give you the code if that means I can leave the presence of you Gryffindors. It's bad enough as it is, putting up with the werewolf and the students!"
"Thank you, Severus," Tonks said sweetly as Harry choked back a laugh. Snape just gave them a sour look and wrote out the code while the Aurors questioned Theodore about the medallion, although there was little more that he could tell them.
"All we know is it what it does," Theodore said. "I'm not even sure how to activate it. If only Henry had been able to test it further..." He sighed in frustration.
"Will the medallion allow the werewolf to remain sane during his transformations, the way that the Wolfsbane Potion does?" Harry asked.
"According to the runes, yes," Theodore replied. "Besides, it wouldn't have made sense for the Dark Prince to keep werewolf guards that he couldn't control."
"Of course, 'sane' is a relative term," Kingsley said wryly. "The killer has committed three brutal murders so far, at least one in human form if we include Mrs. Abbott, since she wasn't killed during the full moon."
"One doesn't have to be a werewolf to enjoy killing," Snape said curtly, handing over the completed list to the Aurors. "The Death Eaters are proof of that."
"Do you think that the Macnairs could be involved with the theft and murders, Severus?" Lupin asked when he, Snape, and Theodore had returned to Hogwarts.
"Is it possible?" Snape replied. "Certainly. But as to whether they actually are...I don't know. I admit that it rankles that a Slytherin family are suspects, even if I have no love for the Macnairs."
"It casts a shadow over Slytherin House once more, even after the war has ended and we are trying to put the past behind us," Lupin said softly.
"Yes, and it makes things harder for Theodore, Draco, Serafina, and anyone else related to a Death Eater," Snape agreed. "They'll all suffer guilt by association if the Macnairs are arrested." He paused, then added grudgingly, "Still, Shacklebolt is right to investigate them; he would be a fool if he didn't, especially since Imogen works at the museum."
"Knowledge of the artifacts wasn't exactly a secret, though," Theodore said. "The discovery of the Prince's tower was big news, at least in the academic world. A list of the artifacts found in the ruins was printed in a few scholarly journals, and gossip would have spread by word-of-mouth, too. Someone could have recognized the description of the medallion if they had already heard of it. The thief must already have known what it does, or they wouldn't have bothered stealing it."
Snape sighed, rubbing his brow as if he had a headache. "If the Aurors don't find the medallion quickly, there will be a bloodbath, you know. Imagine how much damage even one werewolf could do if he could transform at will--even more if he brings other werewolves under his control, perhaps by deliberately turning people and forcing them to join his pack, the way Greyback did. Moreover, it will cause mass hysteria even worse than the panic created by Williamson's little fraud. The public will very quickly fall back into their old habits of hating and fearing werewolves."
"Lukas's pack will not be safe," Lupin said, turning a little pale as the full implication of Snape's words set in.
"Nor you, either, Remus," Snape reminded him gravely. "At least, not outside the bounds of Hogwarts. I don't want you leaving the castle without me."
"Yes, dear, if it will set your mind at ease," Lupin said with a smile.
"It's no joke, Lupin!" Snape snapped.
"I'm sorry, Severus," Lupin said gently. "I only meant to lighten the mood a little, but I understand full well the seriousness of the situation. We should warn Lukas and his pack to be careful."
"Yes," Snape agreed. "If they're attacked by vigilantes and fight back, that will add further fuel to the fire. And Arthur Weasley will either have to turn against the werewolves, or more likely, since he's a typical idealistic fool, lose his position for supporting them. Either way, the werewolves will be out in the cold."
"The Ministry could bring back the Registry," Lupin whispered, recalling the old days of hiding and lying, of poverty and lost jobs. "They could bring back the anti-werewolf legislation that kept me out of work."
"Could Remus lose his job at Hogwarts?!" Theodore asked, his voice rising in alarm.
"He could lose more than that," Snape said grimly. "In a worst-case scenario, he could lose his freedom, even his life. In the distant past, werewolves were automatically imprisoned, even executed for no crime other than simply existing."
"We can't let that happen, Father!" Theodore cried.
"Of course not," Snape replied coolly. "We would flee the country before that happens. Professor Kamiyama would be willing to give us temporary shelter, and I'm sure that we could both find work in Japan. But I would rather not uproot my life and start over from scratch except as a last resort. And the Snape estate would probably be forfeit should I be branded as a fugitive from the law."
"You know I don't care about that, Father," Theodore said.
"No, but Lady Selima might," Snape replied dryly.
"It won't get that far, surely," Lupin said nervously. "Surely Kingsley and Tonks and Harry will find the killer."
"Eventually, I'm sure they will," Snape said. "But by that time, the damage may already be done. It won't be so easy to rescind the anti-werewolf laws a second time."
"Then we have to stop things before they get that far," Lupin declared.
"Easier said than done," Snape replied in a sour voice. "We don't have time to run around playing detective, Lupin. We have classes to teach and that blasted trial to deal with. But I'll make some inquiries among my contacts, both in Britain and abroad, to see if anyone has been looking for a werewolf, or dark magic pertaining to lycanthropy. If we can track down the werewolf responsible for the murders, we might be able to find the person controlling him or her."
"I thought that Kingsley and Tonks were already following your suggestion of looking into sanatoriums that might have been keeping a werewolf prisoner," Lupin said.
"Yes, but some of those places might be more inclined to talk to a Dark Wizard than an Auror," Snape pointed out with a cynical smile. "Of course, I am regarded as a traitor in certain Dark circles myself, for betraying the Death Eaters, but still...greasing a few palms with liberal amounts of gold should serve to overcome whatever meager moral scruples they might possess."
"And I'll speak to Lukas again," Lupin said. "His people are supposed to be watching for signs of any rogue werewolves intruding on their territory."
"What should I do, Father?" Theodore asked anxiously.
"Go back to Tremayne," Snape told him. When Theodore started to protest, he added, "You will be far more help there than here, I assure you. Continue your translation work; perhaps you may come across a reference to the medallion that might prove helpful--it would certainly help if we could find a way to disable it! Tremayne also has a very extensive library, so make use of it, and see if you can find any information about the Dark Prince and his artifacts. You should also check with the members of the dig and see if they remember anyone showing an excessive interest in the artifacts, particularly the medallion."
"Yes, Father," Theodore said in a determined voice, and took the Floo back to Tremayne's house.
"Actually, it's mostly make-work," Snape admitted to Lupin once they were alone. "Tremayne's home is well-warded, and I would prefer that Theodore remain safely out of the way until the murders are solved, not to mention keep him away from Sebastien Delauney's lawyers. And there is the off-chance that he might find something useful about the medallion."
"Everything will be all right," Lupin said reaching out to clasp Snape's hands in his own. His voice tried hard to sound reassuring, but the fear lurking in his eyes belied his words.
"I prefer to expect the worst, Lupin," Snape said sourly, although he gave Lupin's hands a gentle squeeze. "That way I'm prepared when things go wrong--as they usually do, in my experience."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Greyback had been waiting impatiently at the safe house all day, staring at his prize with hungry eyes, his fingers lovingly tracing the runes on the stone medallion. He would have tried it out right away, but Imogen had extracted a promise from him not to use it until they were all together. Having to follow the Macnairs' orders still chafed at him, but he had developed a certain respect and admiration for Imogen. In a wolf pack, she would definitely be the alpha female.
In fact, it was obvious to Greyback that Imogen was the alpha member of the twins, although Warren probably wasn't consciously aware of it. She kept up a respectful demeanor towards her brother, as a proper young pureblood lady should, but Greyback noticed that when the two disagreed about something, Imogen inevitably got her way. Warren wasn't stupid, Greyback grudgingly admitted to himself, but he was a bit hot-tempered and impulsive, while Imogen always remained cool and collected, and thought things through logically. Greyback had tested her at first, trying to make her lose her temper, but she had not risen to the bait as Warren had, so now he treated her with the respect that he would have shown another alpha wolf, although he still regarded her brother with contempt.
He was also impressed that she had never shown any sign of fear of him, while he could practically smell the fear on Warren, although the young pureblood man tried to hide it with a show of bravado. It wasn't a reckless sort of fear, though; Imogen was clearly aware that he was dangerous, and was careful not to let her guard down around him. At the same time, she firmly demonstrated the authority she held over him via the Unbreakable Vow without being too heavy-handed about it. By no means did he delude himself into thinking that she regarded him as an equal, but he knew that she held a wary respect for him, the same as he did for her.
And Merlin, she was beautiful! At times he fantasized about thawing her ice queen demeanor, about taking her to bed and unleashing the passion that he was sure was lurking beneath her cool exterior. She had everything that he could possibly want in a mate: beauty, intelligence, strength, and ruthlessness. The only thing that she was lacking was the ability to hunt alongside him in wolf form, and that could easily be solved with one bite...if not for the Unbreakable Vow.
But he was bound by the Vow, and while Greyback was bloodthirsty, he wasn't a fool. He enjoyed fantasizing about her, and enjoyed the flirtatious banter that they indulged in, but he never forgot that she was the daughter of a Death Eater and that she would never willingly let a non-human lay a hand on her precious pureblood body.
He was essentially a slave to the Macnairs, but at the same time, they were bound not to harm him, either. It was better than being locked up in that wretched sanatorium, and as long as they gave him the freedom to hunt, he was content...for now, anyway. He would watch and wait, and in time, maybe he would find a loophole, a way to free himself from the Vow. Imogen had ordered him not to touch her without her permission, but what if he could somehow arrange it so that she was forced to give him that permission?
He had spent some time getting up-to-date on the news of the wizarding world, and had heard about how that so-called pack leader Cyril Diggory, a.k.a. Lukas Bleddri, had saved the life of the young Dietrich heir by biting him and infecting him with lycanthropy. Although of course the Dietrich family had immediately disowned the boy. Greyback couldn't harm Imogen, even by indirect means, but they were plotting against the Ministry, which meant that they might very well have to engage in combat with the Aurors at some point, through no fault of Greyback's. And if Imogen should happen to be mortally wounded in combat, how far would she go to save her life? Would she choose death before dishonor, or would she choose to live by any means necessary, even a werewolf's bite? Warren might be idiotic and noble enough to choose the first, but Greyback suspected that Imogen was more practical. She would choose to live, and deal with the consequences later.
It was a very slender hope, little more than a pipe dream, really, but still, Greyback filed the thought away in the back of his mind, then turned his attention back to the immediate situation at hand when the twins Apparated into the safe house.
"I certainly hope this was worth it!" Warren said disgruntledly. "The Aurors questioned us for ages, even after we told them we had an alibi. Let me see this precious artifact." It was a direct order, so Greyback had no choice to obey, and reluctantly handed it over. "Huh," Warren snorted skeptically. "Doesn't look like much."
"It doesn't have to, so long as it does what it's supposed to," Imogen said, with her typical coolness. "Are you sure about this, Greyback? A damaged item can be dangerous to use."
"You said that scholar thought it was functional," Greyback pointed out.
"But he couldn't be positive, and he didn't have a chance to properly test it," Imogen replied.
"I'm willing to take the chance," Greyback insisted stubbornly. "You wanted me to cause terror in the wizarding world--well, think how much terror I could cause if I could turn people at any time of the month! Besides, what's the point of stealing it if I'm not going to use it?"
"Do you even know how to use it?" Imogen asked. "Some devices require a command word, but the runes aren't decipherable without a translation, and I doubt that the Ministry will share it with us, and I'm sure they've instructed Bletchley not to, either."
"Well, the medallion is supposed to allow a werewolf to transform from wolf to human, and vice versa, and a wolf wouldn't be able to speak a command word," Greyback reasoned; he had been thinking about this very question all day while waiting for the twins. "So I'm guessing that all it requires is a mental command. If I'm wrong, then I'll just have to experiment with it."
"Fine, but we'll take some precautions," Imogen said.
They moved down into the basement, where Imogen and Warren drew a large protective circle around Greyback that would theoretically prevent him from escaping in case the magic of the medallion went awry and caused him to go berserk. It was the same type of circle traditionally used in demon-summoning, and Greyback grinned. He didn't mind being thought of as a demon--in fact, he rather liked it.
"Are you sure this will hold him?" Warren asked nervously. "Maybe it would be better to just lock him in the room until we know it's safe."
"If a circle of this power won't hold him, then I doubt that a wooden door will, either," Imogen replied dryly. "Even if he manages to break through the circle, it should still slow him down long enough for us to get to safety. And besides, I want to observe the transformation process. Assuming the medallion works, that is."
Warren shook his head, looking unconvinced, but as usual, deferred to his sister's judgment. Greyback had strung the medallion with a new cord, and he hung it around his neck as the twins stepped back, watching from the doorway at a prudent distance. When the medallion came to rest against his chest, he felt a tingle of magical power, like a small burst of static electricity. Encouraged, he laid one hand on the medallion and closed his eyes, concentrating on the memories of past transformations, willing himself to change from human to wolf.
He felt the familiar pain of his flesh and bones reshaping themselves, but he welcomed it, because that meant the medallion must be working. Then he heard both twins cry out in shock and fear, and his eyes popped open. The transformation was often frightening to normal humans, but the twins had been prepared for this, and an alpha female like Imogen wouldn't normally show weakness by voicing her fear, so something must be wrong...
And then Greyback realized that he was still standing on two legs rather than all fours. He glanced down at himself and saw that his arms were still human, but they were covered with gray fur, and his fingernails had thickened and lengthened into sharp black talons. He reached up to touch his face and felt fur there, too, and a long, pointed wolf-like snout.
He turned to look at the Macnairs, and saw that they were both pale and trembling, raising their wands up defensively with shaking hands. "Merlin's beard!" Warren whispered. "The magic of the artifact must have been altered because of the damage--he's turned into a half-man, half-wolf monstrosity!"
"Gr-Greyback," Imogen called out, in a voice that quavered only slightly, "are you sane?"
Greyback grinned, exposing a set of sharp fangs that only seemed to alarm the twins even more. "I feel better than I ever have in my life, Lady Imogen." His words came out as a low growl, huskier and raspier than his normal voice. Greyback flexed his arms, watching the muscles ripple beneath layers of fur and skin; he could feel the power and strength of his wolf form combined with the flexibility of his human body. He loved hunting in his wolf form, but there were times when it was inconvenient not to have the use of his hands and arms. A closed door would no longer be an obstacle on the full moon, not to mention that he could now literally tear a victim to pieces with his bare hands if he wished. Maybe he could even cast spells in this half-wolf form, although he would have to experiment to confirm that. He actually took more satisfaction in killing his prey with teeth and claws rather than magic, but it would certainly be useful to be able to Disapparate if he needed to escape quickly after an attack.
Greyback threw back his head and howled in delight, and Warren nearly jumped out of his robes--a sight that would have been more amusing if the hand holding his wand hadn't involuntarily jerked upward as well. Greyback tensed, preparing to dodge whatever spell Warren might hurl at him, but Imogen hastily grabbed her brother's arm and pulled it back down.
"Don't forget, the Vow is still in effect!" she snapped at Warren, then turned to Greyback. "And you, don't you know better than to startle a nervous Dark Wizard?"
Her face was still a little pale, but her voice was defiant, and she met his gaze unflinchingly, and Greyback's admiration for her increased. Ah, what a fine mate she would make for him, if only he weren't bound by the damned Unbreakable Vow! Still, the thought of being able to transform at will filled him with a fierce sense of joy, and he grinned at her again.
"Forgive me, my Lady," he growled, bowing in a parody of a courtly bow. "I was overcome with joy and forgot myself for a moment."
"Well, it seems like he's in control of his senses, at least," Warren said shakily, looking cautiously relieved although still a bit wary. "But...is the medallion supposed to do that? What if he's trapped permanently in that form?"
"I wouldn't really mind," Greyback said, flexing his claws and admiring the sight of his talons. "This body has the best of both worlds. I'm sure that I can still turn people with a bite." He wouldn't be able to prove it until he actually bit someone, but somehow he instinctively knew it was true.
"But you would be a bit conspicuous in that form, Greyback," Imogen said dryly. "And for now, we still need you to keep a low profile. Will you please try to transform fully into a wolf, and then back into a human?"
"Since you ask so politely, my Lady," Greyback said, bowing again. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and found himself falling to his hands and knees as his body transformed yet again, into the familiar form of his wolf-self. It felt comfortable, like slipping into an old and well-worn robe. He barked and wagged his tail.
Warren laughed nervously. "It almost looks like he's saying, 'Come closer, Little Red Riding Hood.'"
Imogen smiled, looking relaxed and confident now that the medallion had proven to be effective. "And indeed, I can see what big teeth you have, Greyback, but forgive me if I don't get any closer. I wouldn't want to tempt you to break the Vow, after all."
Greyback barked out a laugh, and dipped his head in acknowledgment, then willed himself to transform. A few moments later, he stood before the twins in his human form. "There!" he said triumphantly. "The medallion works, like I told you it would! Now would you mind letting me out of here?"
Imogen flicked her wand, releasing the wards on the protective circle, and Greyback stepped over it and joined the twins. "You were right," she told Greyback, to his immense satisfaction. "It was worth the risk. With this device, we will be able to spread terror throughout the wizarding world! A single werewolf can do as much damage as an entire pack!"
"It's a pity we don't have more of these," Greyback said, touching the medallion. "I don't suppose you could find a way to duplicate the magic?"
Imogen shook her head regretfully. "It would take a far more skilled mage than myself. I'm not sure that any living witch or wizard could duplicate the Dark Prince's magic. But perhaps after Father and the other Death Eaters are freed from Azkaban, we could try. The Dark Lord taught his disciples far more about Dark Magic than is ever taught at Hogwarts, or even Durmstrang. But for now, it will be enough for you to simply spread fear and chaos."
"So I can go hunting tonight?" Greyback asked eagerly.
Imogen smiled and nodded. "Yes, go and try out your new toy."
"Any particular target you have in mind, my Lady?"
Imogen paused for a moment to consider his question, then shook her head. "Not really. Any random citizen will do for now. But be careful. Don't attack in a crowded area; we don't want any witnesses at this point. And don't take on a dangerous target, like an Auror or another werewolf."
Greyback scowled, feeling rather insulted. "An Auror is nothing! I killed two of them with my bare hands at Madley's place, remember? And I thought you wanted me to defeat Cyril Diggory and take over his pack."
"All in good time, Greyback," Imogen said coolly. "It's not that I doubt your strength, but you shouldn't be careless of the Aurors. They'll be on their guard now that two of their own have been killed; you won't find it so easy to ambush them a second time. As for Diggory, he spends most of his time at Hogwarts and Diggory Manor, and you don't have easy access to either of those places. When the time is right, we'll find a way to lure him out, but for now, I simply want to create a growing sense of dread in the wizarding world. It will start with a single victim here, another victim there, with the number of victims gradually increasing until full-blown panic breaks out and Arthur Weasley is forced to resign. Have patience, Greyback. Remember, our goal is not just to kill, but to gain control of the wizarding world. Would you rather sneak around in the shadows as a fugitive, or walk freely with the authority of a Hit Wizard?"
Greyback remembered the Macnairs' promise, to place him in charge of a squad of Hit Wizards--or Hit Werewolves--should they succeed in their goal of usurping control of the Ministry. It was only a fantasy at the moment, but one that definitely appealed to him. He decided that it wouldn't hurt to humor Imogen; she was a clever girl, and if anyone could pull off such a feat, it was her. If he had strength, then she had cunning and foresight. Greyback reluctantly admitted to himself that if Imogen had been part of his pack during the first war, he probably would not have made the mistakes that had caused him to fall out of the Dark Lord's favor. They complemented each other perfectly, Greyback decided--wolf queen to his king, as he had once jokingly remarked.
"Very well," he said, bowing his head, and the twins looked pleasantly surprised that he had given in so easily. "I will defer to your judgment, Lady Imogen."
Part 19
"Here are the scrolls you requested, Professor, and today's mail delivery," Imogen said, laying the items down on Bletchley's desk. The scrolls were ancient documents from the museum's archive that Bletchley had requested for his research, and Imogen noticed that one of the letters was from Theodore Snape-formerly-Nott. Imogen hoped that she might learn what it contained if she lingered in Bletchley's office for a bit, although it was probably merely innocuous correspondence about the Irish artifacts. Still, she wanted to gather as much information about the Snapes as she could, because you never knew what might prove useful in the future, and besides, she also wanted to find out if the medallion that Bletchley was researching really was a device to control a werewolf's transformation. There was the Wolfsbane Potion, of course, but it would be so much easier not to have to brew the complicated potion every month. Perhaps someday, after they rose to power, she would claim it as a reward for their pet werewolf, Greyback.
"Please call me 'Henry,' Imogen," Bletchley said with a friendly smile. "I've told you before that I'm not really a Professor."
Imogen smiled back at him with feigned shyness. Bletchley had felt sorry for her after Shacklebolt had practically accused her of being a Death Eater spy, and he had gone out of his way to treat her kindly ever since. He was suprisingly softhearted for a Slytherin, but Imogen intended to take full advantage of that, and had been working to cultivate his goodwill by pretending to be grateful for his kindness.
"Yes, Henry," she murmured, giving him another quick, shy smile before casting her eyes down demurely. "How is your research going?"
"It's going very well," Bletchley replied. "Perhaps even better after I hear what Master Tremayne has to say." He opened the letter from Theodore, and looked a little disappointed. "Ah, it seems they haven't broken the code yet. But Theodore says that he thinks they're close to it, so I suppose that's good news."
"Very good news, Prof...Henry," Imogen said politely. They chatted about his research for several minutes; like most scholars, he loved nothing better than to talk about his work, and she suspected that he took a secret pleasure in deliberately going against Shacklebolt's wishes. Maybe he was a true Slytherin, after all. Imogen acted properly attentive, showing enough interest to be flattering, but not so much as to arouse suspicion by seeming too interested in Dark Magic artifacts.
The rest of the day went the same as always: boring clerical work carried out under the eyes of the rest of the museum staff, who regarded her with varying degrees of smug superiority, vindictiveness, or pity. After leaving work, she met with her brother and Greyback at the safe house, hoping that Warren's day had proven more fruitful.
The scowl on her brother's face told her that it had not been. Still, Imogen asked, "Did your contact at the Ministry provide any useful information? There was nothing printed in the Daily Prophet about Ash Randolf being arrested for Alden Madley's murder, nor even a hint that the Aurors are close to making an arrest. But surely he must be their prime suspect? Is Arthur Weasley still protecting him?"
"Not only is he not being arrested, but his name has been cleared!" Warren replied disgustedly.
"What?!" exclaimed Imogen. "How can that be?"
"It seems that Randolf swore under Truth Potion that he had no part in the murders," Warren growled. "And not even Dawlish could argue with that." He glared at Greyback as if this were all the werewolf's fault.
"Don't look at me!" Greyback snapped. "I did my part; I killed both Madleys like you told me to! What else was I supposed to do, write a confession in blood and sign it with Randolf's name?"
"That might not have been a bad idea," Warren muttered.
"That would serve no purpose," Imogen pointed out coolly. "They would be able to tell that it wasn't Randolf's handwriting."
"I hope that your day went better than mine, sister dear," Warren sighed.
"Not really, although I'm cultivating an ally in Henry Bletchley," Imogen replied. She laughed scornfully. "It's easy enough with such a softhearted fool; all I have to do is look meek and sad, and bat my eyelashes a little, and he feels sorry for me."
"I'm sure that you have no trouble putting men under your spell, my Lady," Greyback said sardonically. "But of what possible use can this scholar be to us?"
"He is an expert in magical artifacts, with Dark items being his specialty," Imogen replied. "His knowledge could come in useful someday. And his family is trying to marry him off to the Dietrich heiress, in which case he would gain a good deal of political power. It doesn't hurt to plan for the future, Greyback."
The werewolf shrugged indifferently. "As you say, my Lady."
"Oh, by the way," Imogen added as an afterthought, "one of the artifacts that Bletchley is working on is a medallion that might have the power to control a werewolf's transformation."
"Medallion?" Greyback asked, suddenly snapping to attention, his eyes filled with excitement. "Can you describe it for me?"
Imogen paused to think. "It's made of stone, and engraved with the phases of the moon, and some runes that Bletchley can't read. The Runes Master that Snape's son is apprenticed to says that they're in some sort of code."
"And by any chance, did this artifact belong to a wizard known as the Dark Prince?" Greyback asked eagerly.
"Why...yes," Imogen replied, startled by the question. The werewolf had never shown any interest in history or archaeology before.
"The Dark Prince?" Warren asked, sounding puzzled. "Was he a precursor to the Dark Lord?"
"Not quite," Imogen replied. "Like the Dark Lord, no one ever called the Prince by his real name, but for different reasons. People were afraid to speak the Dark Lord's name, while the Dark Prince was afraid to let people know his name, because of the legend that knowing someone's true name gives you power over them. He kept his name a secret, and killed anyone who knew it, even, rumor has it, his own parents. Because no one knew his real name, the locals started calling him the Dark Prince, because he was a powerful Dark Wizard. Unlike our former Master, however, the Dark Prince was less interested in conquering the world than he was in hiding from it. He had many enemies, and he sealed himself up in his tower, which he warded with various magical spells and traps, and it was said to be guarded by many ferocious magical beasts."
"Someone must have gotten through his protections, if his tower was left in ruins," Warren said, smiling cynically. "Somehow I can't picture this Dark Prince dying peacefully of old age."
"Some people say that the tower was destroyed in a duel with another wizard," Imogen said. "And others say that it was due to a magical experiment gone wrong. But either way, the tower was destroyed in a massive explosion, and the remains sunk beneath the earth. The nearby villagers were too terrified to go near the place, and over the years, vegetation grew over the site where the tower had stood. Generations passed, and no one remembered the exact location of the tower, and the tale of the Dark Prince became a legend, a mere footnote in the history books, until the archaeological team uncovered the ruins this summer." Imogen crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at Greyback suspiciously. "So tell me now, Greyback, exactly how you came by the knowledge of an artifact belonging to a long-forgotten Dark Wizard, and what your interest is in it."
Greyback gave her a wide, sharp-toothed grin, looking too excited to be offended. "My late, unlamented Master told me about it years ago, when I was still in his favor. He had read in some old book that the Dark Prince had werewolf servants, and that he had created a device that allowed them to transform at any time of the month."
"What?!" Imogen and Warren exclaimed in chorus.
"According to the book, the Prince used to send his werewolves out to hunt down his enemies, or even just people who wandered too close to the tower for his liking," Greyback continued. "A rare survivor from one of these hunts claimed that he and his party had been attacked by what they had first thought were tame dogs, because they had collars around their necks--collars hung with strange medallions etched with the phases of the moon. By the time that they got close enough to see the medallions, the men realized that the 'dogs' were neither dogs nor tame, but it was too late, except for the one witness who managed to escape while the wolves were busy killing his friends. However, he might as well have been left to the wolves, because when he reached the village and told his story, the villagers put him to death. He had been wounded, you see, a few non-lethal scratches, but the villagers weren't about to take the risk that he would turn into a werewolf himself on the next full moon."
Neither Imogen nor Warren wasted any time feeling sorry for the hapless victim of the Dark Prince's werewolf pack. "So it's more than just the equivalent of the Wolfsbane Potion," Warren said thoughtfully.
"If Greyback's story is true," Imogen added.
Greyback shrugged. "At the time, it was only a story recorded in a book filled with rumors and half-truths. The Dark Lord thought the medallions might really have existed, but he had no idea where the ruins of the Prince's tower were buried. He followed a few leads, but when they all led to dead ends, he decided that it would be more practical to get Snape to invent a potion that would control the transformation."
"Which he did, in a sense, although he didn't share it with the Dark Lord," Imogen said dryly. "But the Wolfsbane Potion merely keeps a werewolf sane during the full moon. The medallion--"
"Would allow me to transform at any time of the month!" Greyback finished. "I've done everything that you two have asked of me, and I want that medallion as my reward!"
Warren scowled at him and said sharply, "Your reward is your freedom, Greyback! If not for us, you'd still be locked up in that sanatorium!"
"The medallion would allow me to be even more useful to you!" Greyback countered. "You said that you wanted me to spread fear through the wizarding world--well, what could be more fearful than a werewolf attacking at any time of the month? You said that Randolf proved his innocence? Well then, I can go on a killing spree and make everyone so scared of werewolves that they'll lock them all up, and they won't care if your dear half-brother is guilty or not!"
Imogen considered Greyback's words carefully. "That is tempting," she agreed reluctantly. "But stealing the medallion would be a great risk, for I would surely be the first one that the Aurors would suspect."
"If you can find a way to get me into the museum, I'll steal it myself!" Greyback declared. "Then you and your brother could go out in public at the time of the theft and create an alibi for yourselves."
"Even so, it will do us no good if you are captured," Imogen cautioned.
"I'm touched by your concern for me, milady," Greyback said with an insolent grin. "But I don't intend to be caught. Remember that I was a Death Eater; I know a thing or two about getting past locks and wards. At least tell me about the security arrangements at the museum, and we can decide whether it would be possible to carry out the theft."
His words were reasonable enough, but there was a determined glint in the werewolf's eyes that said he wasn't going to give up this idea so easily. Imogen could kill him, if necessary, but she hated to throw away such a valuable pawn, especially when they had not yet succeeded in framing Ash Randolf or freeing their father from prison. It might be time to throw their pet werewolf a bone.
"All right, let's go over this carefully," Imogen said as she fetched a pen and a roll of blank parchment, and began sketching a diagram of the museum. "The medallion is kept locked in Henry Bletchley's office, but first you'll need to get into the museum. There are warding spells in these locations. I'm not supposed to, but I know the passwords to bypass most of them."
"Impressive," Greyback said.
Imogen smirked. "It's amazing what you can learn when you remain quiet and keep your eyes and ears open. Besides, the curator was a good friend of my late mother, so she's a bit careless around me."
"What about guards?"
"There is a night guard, but he follows a set patrol route, so you should be able to avoid him if you're careful..."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Theo!" Lupin exclaimed as the fireplace burst into green flames and his son stepped into the room just as he and Severus were about to head to the Great Hall for breakfast. "We weren't expecting you, but of course we're always delighted to see you. Would you like to join us for..." His voice trailed off when he saw the worried expression on Theo's face.
"This isn't just a friendly visit," Snape said quietly.
It was more of a statement than a question, but Theodore nodded in reply. "I can't stay long," he said. "I'm on my way to the museum, but I thought I should stop by and tell you what happened first. Master Tremayne and I were finally able to break the code for the medallion inscription."
"But isn't that good news?" Lupin asked in a puzzled voice.
"It would be, if someone hadn't broken into the museum and stolen the medallion last night," Theodore replied grimly.
"What?!" Lupin exclaimed. "That's terrible! But why would someone want to steal it, when they couldn't know what it does or how to work it? Did you tell anyone what you discovered?"
Theodore shook his head. "We just finished the translation last night, and haven't had time to tell anyone about it yet. But someone must know, or at least have guessed what the artifact actually is. I have to talk to Henry and the Aurors right away."
"Let me guess," Snape said, his eyes narrowing shrewdly. "The medallion does a little bit more than simply regulate a werewolf's transformation."
"As usual, you are correct, Father. Would you and Remus like to come to the museum with me? I'm afraid the Aurors aren't going to be very happy with what I have to say, and I could use a little moral support."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
"The medallion does WHAT?!" Kingsley roared, and Theodore flinched slightly, while Snape glared at the Auror.
"It isn't his fault, Shacklebolt!" the Potions Master snapped. "If you want to yell at someone, yell at whichever idiot is responsible for the museum's security!"
That in turn provoked a spluttering protest from the museum's Director, until Kingsley impatiently waved at him to be silent.
"Kingsley's not really mad at Theodore, Severus," Tonks said placatingly. "He's just a little upset to hear the bad news."
"To put it mildly," Kingsley muttered, but gave Theodore a strained smile and said, "I didn't mean to take it out on you, though, Mr. Snape."
"It's all right," Theodore said graciously. "I understand that it's shocking news. Master Tremayne and I were surprised, too. I never dreamed that such a thing was possible."
"So the medallion allows a werewolf to transform at any time of the month?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Well, that's what the inscription says it does, anyway," Theodore replied with a shrug. "We have no way of knowing if it really works without testing it, but most of the other artifacts were functional, so..."
"This is a disaster!" the Director wailed.
"But wasn't the medallion damaged?" Lupin asked. "Wouldn't it be useless to whoever stole it?"
"Not necessarily," Henry Bletchley replied, looking troubled. "It radiated a strong magical aura, and tentatively responded to the exploratory spells I cast. There's a good chance that it might still be functional, although using a damaged item is always risky."
"It can't be a coincidence that an item that allows a werewolf to transform at will is stolen just after a series of murders committed by a werewolf," Kingsley said, frowning.
"You're sure that it really was a werewolf who committed the murders?" Lupin asked.
"Well, we're not really sure about Mrs. Abbott," Tonks said. "But the Healers are certain that the Madleys were killed by a werewolf. And Takeshi certainly has no reason to lie about it."
"But even if the murderer was a werewolf, we know that it wasn't Ash!" Harry interjected.
"It doesn't matter, Potter," Snape said impatiently. "The public will see him--and any other werewolf--as a threat unless you bring the killer to justice quickly. And if it becomes known that the medallion was stolen, that will only add to the panic and hysteria." His black eyes flickered over to the Director, who was wringing his hands.
"I don't want the theft publicized any more than you do, Professor," the man protested in a whiny voice. "It's bad publicity for the museum! But I don't see how we can keep it quiet when a guard was murdered..."
Startled, Lupin and Snape turned towards the Aurors, who nodded. "There was a night guard on duty," Tonks explained. "He was found this morning with his neck broken, much like the Aurors who were guarding Alden Madley."
"It doesn't take a werewolf to break a man's neck," Lupin said uncertainly.
"No, but werewolf strength would certainly make it easier," Kingsley said, rubbing his hand against his bald head distractedly. "And only a werewolf would have motive to steal the medallion."
"Was the medallion the only thing stolen?" Snape asked, frowning.
Henry nodded. "There are far more valuable items in the museum, but that was the only thing taken."
"How did the thief break in?" Lupin wanted to know.
"We're not sure," Tonks replied. "The warding spells seem to have been disabled somehow, and he or she used some sort of spell or magical device to break through the physical locks." She pointed at the lock on the office door, which appeared to have been melted.
"Sirius used to have a penknife that would open locks," Lupin said, smiling nostalgically. "It was a child's toy, though. It wouldn't have worked on locks spelled with strong magical wards."
"Almost any ward can be bypassed, through powerful magic or through deception, if one is determined enough," Snape said with a dismissive wave of his hand, and the Director looked offended. "The Death Eaters used to do it all the time. Sometimes they would break the wards magically, and other times they would trick someone into letting them in. What really puzzles me is how the thief discovered the medallion's true properties. Theodore says that he and Tremayne only recently deciphered the runes and told no one else of their findings."
Kingsley looked to Theodore for confirmation, and he nodded. "I swear, we told no one. We only just finished the translation last night, and spoke to no one else about it until Professor Bletchley contacted us this morning to tell us about the theft."
"Could someone perhaps have overheard your conversations or secretly looked at your notes?" Tonks inquired. "A housekeeper, maybe, or another member of the archaeological team?"
"No," Theodore replied firmly. "We left the dig site weeks ago, and have been working in Master Tremayne's home. He's a recluse, and he has no servants, not even a house-elf." He smiled wryly at Lupin. "I've been doing all the cooking and cleaning. He never has visitors, and when he must communicate with the outside world, he does so by owl or mirror, or he sends me in his place, as he did today. He grudgingly admits that taking me on as an apprentice was a good idea, because it means that he can send me on errands and doesn't have to leave the house at all. No one knew of our discovery."
"Very little is known about the Dark Prince, and most of it is speculation, exaggerated tales about his mastery of the Dark Arts," Henry said. "But perhaps someone might have discovered a heretofore unknown piece of information in some obscure text. Or maybe a member of the archaeological team somehow came across the knowledge at the dig site, although I know most of them, and I can't picture any of them as thieves. For one thing, they could easily have stolen the item at the site before it ever reached the museum, but most importantly, they would rather have the glory of discovering an important new artifact than whatever money they could make selling it on the black market. And an item like this would truly be an historic find."
"I don't think the thief wants to sell it," Kingsley said, his expression growing grimmer by the minute. "I'm terribly afraid that he means to use it himself."
"Then that lets out the archaeological team as suspects," Henry said. "They've worked together in close quarters for weeks on end, and it would have been impossible for a werewolf to hide their lycanthropy from the rest of the team."
"They could have sold the information to someone else, but I agree that it's unlikely," Kingsley said, then glowered balefully at the Director. "I'm thinking that it was probably an inside job."
"Surely you're not suggesting that one of my staff could be responsible?!" the Director shouted indignantly.
"You have the daughter of a convicted Death Eater working for you, and she was right here in this office the day that we delivered the artifacts to Professor Bletchley!" Kingsley snapped.
"Miss Macnair is only a clerk," the Director protested. "She was never given any keys to the museum, or the command words to disable the wards!"
"She's clever and no doubt has an extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts," Kingsley said, then turned to Snape. "Can you honestly tell me that a Death Eater would not have been able to break into the museum?"
"No," Snape replied reluctantly. "It would have been child's play for the more powerful Death Eaters, but Miss Macnair was never truly a Death Eater..."
"But surely Macnair taught his children everything that he knows!" Kingsley insisted.
"Maybe not quite everything," Snape said dryly. "The Death Eaters tend to keep a few tricks in reserve, even from their own kin. Or it might even be fatherly concern, not wanting to teach them things they aren't ready to handle. But even if Imogen and Warren could have broken into the museum, would they really have done such a thing? They've been keeping a low profile ever since the Dark Lord's fall, and they have a great deal to lose--if they were convicted of a crime, the Ministry might well confiscate the family estate. They wouldn't take such a great risk unless the benefits were commensurately great."
"And they have an alibi!" Henry snapped. "As an Auror, it's natural for you to be suspicious of anyone connected with the Death Eaters, but you seem to have a fixation with the Macnair family, Mr. Shacklebolt!"
"Is that true?" Snape asked sharply. "Do they have an alibi?"
"Imogen and Warren Macnair were both spotted at a Weird Sisters concert last night at the approximate time of the break-in," Kingsley said disgustedly.
"It seems they caused a bit of a ruckus," Tonks added. "Some hothead tried to pick a fight with Warren, calling him 'Death Eater scum'. Concert security broke it up before they started hexing each other, though."
"If they have an alibi, then why are you still suspecting them?" Snape demanded.
"You and I both know that the Slytherin elite like to have others take care of their dirty work for them," Kingsley retorted. "They could have hired someone to steal the medallion."
"I don't much care for Warren and Imogen, but what would they want with a werewolf artifact?" Theodore asked skeptically.
"Walden Macnair went to school with Rosalind Madley," Harry said thoughtfully. "But then, so did several other Death Eaters."
"None of whom work at the museum," Kingsley said.
"Don't be so sure about that," Snape said with a malicious smile. "All the pureblood families are inbred, after all. I'm sure there are more than a few people here with indirect ties to the Death Eater families."
"Well, the Macnairs are still my prime suspects," Kingsley said irritably. When Henry looked like he was about to protest again, Kingsley added, "But I'll keep my options open and investigate all possibilities. I don't intend to make the same mistakes that Dawlish did."
"Even assuming for the sake of argument that the Macnairs would want to hire a werewolf assassin, where would they find one?" Theodore asked, still looking doubtful.
"That's what's been puzzling us, too," Tonks admitted. "All the members of Lukas's pack seem to be accounted for, and we haven't been able to track down any rogue werewolves."
"So...what about Miss Macnair?" the Director interrupted in a nervous voice. "Do you really think she's the culprit? Should I fire her?"
"That wouldn't be fair," Lupin instantly replied, frowning uneasily. "We have no proof, and if she's innocent, that would be a great injustice. It could drive her to follow the path of the Death Eaters, even if she hadn't intended to before."
After a moment of thought, Kingsley told the Director, a bit grudgingly, "No, we have only a few suspicions, based on her father's reputation. That isn't enough to justify firing someone."
The Director nodded, still looking a little uncertain. "Very well," he said. "I'll hold off for now, but please get to the bottom of this as soon as possible!"
"We will," Tonks said reassuringly. "It would help if you could give us a list of all the museum employees, including people who have official access to the keys and warding spells."
"Of course," the Director replied. "I'll have my secretary get that list to you." Then he left the room, muttering to himself fretfully about bad publicity.
"I understand that we shouldn't punish someone without proof," Harry said slowly, glancing back and forth from Kingsley to Lupin, obviously torn between suspicion of the Macnairs' connection to the Death Eaters and the desire to be fair. "But...if she is involved with the theft and the murders, is it safe to let her remain here?"
"I'm not really happy about the idea," Kingsley grumbled. "But since we have no grounds for arrest, I'd prefer that she remain here where we can at least keep an eye on her."
"The only basis for your suspicion is the fact that Imogen is related to a Death Eater," Henry said angrily.
"That and the fact that she works at the place the artifact was stolen from," Kingsley retorted. "A very convenient coincidence."
"As Professor Snape pointed out, most of the purebloods are related directly or indirectly to the Death Eaters," Henry countered. "Are they all suspects, too?"
"You're awfully protective of Miss Macnair, Bletchley," Kingsley said, scowling at the scholar suspiciously. "What exactly is your relationship with her? I thought you were supposed to be courting Erika Dietrich!"
"Erika Dietrich--Aric's sister?" Harry blurted out, staring at Henry in surprise. "But you're so--" He hastily clamped his mouth shut, cutting off the rest of his sentence, but the unspoken words "much older than her" seemed to hang in the air.
"Well, Potter, you are as tactful as always," Snape said in a familiar tone of sarcastic humor.
Harry blushed, flashing a quick glare at his former teacher, then turned back to Henry and stammered, "I-I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean--"
"It's all right, Mr. Potter," Henry said, casually waving off his apology. "I agree that I'm too old for Miss Dietrich--and Miss Macnair, for that matter. I am not courting either lady." He smiled bitterly and added, "Rather, you might say that my family is courting an alliance with the Dietrich family. But I am sure that Miss Dietrich can find a better groom than an older bachelor scholar set in his ways. And I have no romantic interest in Miss Macnair, although she is certainly a beautiful young woman, and I doubt that she has any such interest in me."
"Then why are you defending her so vehemently?" Kingsley asked, the hostility in his voice easing and giving way to curiosity.
Henry sighed wearily. "I feel some sympathy for Imogen, because I was a student at Hogwarts for most of the first war, and I remember what it was like to be treated with suspicion just because I was a Slytherin. And I know what you're about to say, Mr. Shacklebolt--that Imogen is more than just a Slytherin, but she didn't choose to be born the child of a Death Eater."
"That's true," Kingsley conceded. "But I have to take into account the fact that Walden Macnair almost certainly impressed his Death Eater values onto his offspring."
Henry sighed again but said nothing, unable to dispute Kingsley's words.
"We've done all we can here," Kingsley said. "Thank you for your cooperation, Professor Bletchley." His tone of voice was carefully polite, with no detectable hint of sarcasm, but Henry smiled mirthlessly and bowed ironically in reply. Kingsley then turned to Snape, Lupin, and Theodore, and asked, "Could the three of you accompany us to the Ministry? I have a few more questions for Theodore about the medallion."
When they arrived at the Ministry, Kingsley said, "Actually, I just wanted to continue this conversation out of Bletchley's hearing, although I do want to find out as much as possible about the medallion. What do you think, Snape? Could he be involved with the theft?"
"No," Snape replied, shaking his head. "All Bletchley cares about is his work. He doesn't care about money or politics, and he certainly wasn't a Death Eater."
Lupin smiled. "He sounds like an odd sort of Slytherin."
"He was more the Ravenclaw type, actually," Snape agreed. "He didn't have much ambition for a Slytherin, or rather, the focus of his ambition was extremely narrow: he was determined to become the best scholar in his field, and from what I know of his reputation, he's well on his way to achieving his goal. Bletchley might be tempted to kill for the opportunity to work with such a unique and powerful artifact, but since it was already in his possession, he had no reason to steal it."
"Do you know him well, Severus?" Tonks asked curiously.
Snape scowled, as he always did, at what he considered her impertinent familiarity, but he answered her question. "Well enough. We weren't close, but he was a couple of years behind me in Slytherin, and I spent enough time around him to know that he isn't the murderous sort."
"I didn't really think he was involved with either the theft or the murders," Kingsley admitted. "But I wanted to be sure. And I'm afraid he might unwittingly pass on information to Imogen Macnair. Alibi or not, she's still a suspect in my mind."
Harry frowned, his brow creasing in thought. "If he's around the Professor's age, Bletchley is too young to be Ash's father, if we're still going with the theory that the person behind the murders is Ash's real father. So is Warren Macnair, and Imogen obviously can't be a father..."
"Your powers of observation astound me, Potter," Snape said sarcastically. "Clearly, your Auror training must be paying off."
Kingsley glared at him, and Tonks giggled, while Lupin gently chided, "Be nice, Severus."
Harry flushed slightly, and persisted, "But Walden Macnair is old enough to be Ash's father, although we haven't been able to find a connection between him and Rosalind Madley, other than that they were both Slytherins attending Hogwarts at more or less the same time."
The mocking look on Snape's face faded away and he said in a much more serious voice, "Getting rid of a werewolf half-brother would be reason enough for murder. But if the twins are behind this, they're most likely acting on their father's orders."
"They faithfully visit their father in Azkaban about once a week," Kingsley said. "All visits with prisoners are supposed to be supervised, but..."
"But guards can be bribed to look the other way," Snape finished. "Or they could be using some sort of code to communicate--in fact, I'd consider that likely, even if they did bribe the guards. They wouldn't take the risk of openly discussing murder where someone might overhear them. The Death Eaters used to have a number of code words and signals that they could use to communicate with each other in public without arousing suspicion."
"I'll check on the security at Azkaban and make sure Macnair's visits are closely monitored," Kingsley said, sounding pleased to finally have something constructive to do. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd share those code words with us."
"Are you sure you trust the word of a Slytherin?" Snape asked pointedly.
"I trust the ones that fought on our side," Kingsley retorted. "That includes you, but not Imogen Macnair."
"I'm ever so flattered," Snape replied sarcastically.
"Please, Severus?" Tonks asked cajolingly, flashing a cheerful smile at him as her hair began changing from violet to a rainbow array of colors: bubblegum pink, lemon yellow, candy apple red, and neon green.
"Enough!" Snape said irritably as Lupin and Theodore smiled. "I'll give you the code if that means I can leave the presence of you Gryffindors. It's bad enough as it is, putting up with the werewolf and the students!"
"Thank you, Severus," Tonks said sweetly as Harry choked back a laugh. Snape just gave them a sour look and wrote out the code while the Aurors questioned Theodore about the medallion, although there was little more that he could tell them.
"All we know is it what it does," Theodore said. "I'm not even sure how to activate it. If only Henry had been able to test it further..." He sighed in frustration.
"Will the medallion allow the werewolf to remain sane during his transformations, the way that the Wolfsbane Potion does?" Harry asked.
"According to the runes, yes," Theodore replied. "Besides, it wouldn't have made sense for the Dark Prince to keep werewolf guards that he couldn't control."
"Of course, 'sane' is a relative term," Kingsley said wryly. "The killer has committed three brutal murders so far, at least one in human form if we include Mrs. Abbott, since she wasn't killed during the full moon."
"One doesn't have to be a werewolf to enjoy killing," Snape said curtly, handing over the completed list to the Aurors. "The Death Eaters are proof of that."
"Do you think that the Macnairs could be involved with the theft and murders, Severus?" Lupin asked when he, Snape, and Theodore had returned to Hogwarts.
"Is it possible?" Snape replied. "Certainly. But as to whether they actually are...I don't know. I admit that it rankles that a Slytherin family are suspects, even if I have no love for the Macnairs."
"It casts a shadow over Slytherin House once more, even after the war has ended and we are trying to put the past behind us," Lupin said softly.
"Yes, and it makes things harder for Theodore, Draco, Serafina, and anyone else related to a Death Eater," Snape agreed. "They'll all suffer guilt by association if the Macnairs are arrested." He paused, then added grudgingly, "Still, Shacklebolt is right to investigate them; he would be a fool if he didn't, especially since Imogen works at the museum."
"Knowledge of the artifacts wasn't exactly a secret, though," Theodore said. "The discovery of the Prince's tower was big news, at least in the academic world. A list of the artifacts found in the ruins was printed in a few scholarly journals, and gossip would have spread by word-of-mouth, too. Someone could have recognized the description of the medallion if they had already heard of it. The thief must already have known what it does, or they wouldn't have bothered stealing it."
Snape sighed, rubbing his brow as if he had a headache. "If the Aurors don't find the medallion quickly, there will be a bloodbath, you know. Imagine how much damage even one werewolf could do if he could transform at will--even more if he brings other werewolves under his control, perhaps by deliberately turning people and forcing them to join his pack, the way Greyback did. Moreover, it will cause mass hysteria even worse than the panic created by Williamson's little fraud. The public will very quickly fall back into their old habits of hating and fearing werewolves."
"Lukas's pack will not be safe," Lupin said, turning a little pale as the full implication of Snape's words set in.
"Nor you, either, Remus," Snape reminded him gravely. "At least, not outside the bounds of Hogwarts. I don't want you leaving the castle without me."
"Yes, dear, if it will set your mind at ease," Lupin said with a smile.
"It's no joke, Lupin!" Snape snapped.
"I'm sorry, Severus," Lupin said gently. "I only meant to lighten the mood a little, but I understand full well the seriousness of the situation. We should warn Lukas and his pack to be careful."
"Yes," Snape agreed. "If they're attacked by vigilantes and fight back, that will add further fuel to the fire. And Arthur Weasley will either have to turn against the werewolves, or more likely, since he's a typical idealistic fool, lose his position for supporting them. Either way, the werewolves will be out in the cold."
"The Ministry could bring back the Registry," Lupin whispered, recalling the old days of hiding and lying, of poverty and lost jobs. "They could bring back the anti-werewolf legislation that kept me out of work."
"Could Remus lose his job at Hogwarts?!" Theodore asked, his voice rising in alarm.
"He could lose more than that," Snape said grimly. "In a worst-case scenario, he could lose his freedom, even his life. In the distant past, werewolves were automatically imprisoned, even executed for no crime other than simply existing."
"We can't let that happen, Father!" Theodore cried.
"Of course not," Snape replied coolly. "We would flee the country before that happens. Professor Kamiyama would be willing to give us temporary shelter, and I'm sure that we could both find work in Japan. But I would rather not uproot my life and start over from scratch except as a last resort. And the Snape estate would probably be forfeit should I be branded as a fugitive from the law."
"You know I don't care about that, Father," Theodore said.
"No, but Lady Selima might," Snape replied dryly.
"It won't get that far, surely," Lupin said nervously. "Surely Kingsley and Tonks and Harry will find the killer."
"Eventually, I'm sure they will," Snape said. "But by that time, the damage may already be done. It won't be so easy to rescind the anti-werewolf laws a second time."
"Then we have to stop things before they get that far," Lupin declared.
"Easier said than done," Snape replied in a sour voice. "We don't have time to run around playing detective, Lupin. We have classes to teach and that blasted trial to deal with. But I'll make some inquiries among my contacts, both in Britain and abroad, to see if anyone has been looking for a werewolf, or dark magic pertaining to lycanthropy. If we can track down the werewolf responsible for the murders, we might be able to find the person controlling him or her."
"I thought that Kingsley and Tonks were already following your suggestion of looking into sanatoriums that might have been keeping a werewolf prisoner," Lupin said.
"Yes, but some of those places might be more inclined to talk to a Dark Wizard than an Auror," Snape pointed out with a cynical smile. "Of course, I am regarded as a traitor in certain Dark circles myself, for betraying the Death Eaters, but still...greasing a few palms with liberal amounts of gold should serve to overcome whatever meager moral scruples they might possess."
"And I'll speak to Lukas again," Lupin said. "His people are supposed to be watching for signs of any rogue werewolves intruding on their territory."
"What should I do, Father?" Theodore asked anxiously.
"Go back to Tremayne," Snape told him. When Theodore started to protest, he added, "You will be far more help there than here, I assure you. Continue your translation work; perhaps you may come across a reference to the medallion that might prove helpful--it would certainly help if we could find a way to disable it! Tremayne also has a very extensive library, so make use of it, and see if you can find any information about the Dark Prince and his artifacts. You should also check with the members of the dig and see if they remember anyone showing an excessive interest in the artifacts, particularly the medallion."
"Yes, Father," Theodore said in a determined voice, and took the Floo back to Tremayne's house.
"Actually, it's mostly make-work," Snape admitted to Lupin once they were alone. "Tremayne's home is well-warded, and I would prefer that Theodore remain safely out of the way until the murders are solved, not to mention keep him away from Sebastien Delauney's lawyers. And there is the off-chance that he might find something useful about the medallion."
"Everything will be all right," Lupin said reaching out to clasp Snape's hands in his own. His voice tried hard to sound reassuring, but the fear lurking in his eyes belied his words.
"I prefer to expect the worst, Lupin," Snape said sourly, although he gave Lupin's hands a gentle squeeze. "That way I'm prepared when things go wrong--as they usually do, in my experience."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Greyback had been waiting impatiently at the safe house all day, staring at his prize with hungry eyes, his fingers lovingly tracing the runes on the stone medallion. He would have tried it out right away, but Imogen had extracted a promise from him not to use it until they were all together. Having to follow the Macnairs' orders still chafed at him, but he had developed a certain respect and admiration for Imogen. In a wolf pack, she would definitely be the alpha female.
In fact, it was obvious to Greyback that Imogen was the alpha member of the twins, although Warren probably wasn't consciously aware of it. She kept up a respectful demeanor towards her brother, as a proper young pureblood lady should, but Greyback noticed that when the two disagreed about something, Imogen inevitably got her way. Warren wasn't stupid, Greyback grudgingly admitted to himself, but he was a bit hot-tempered and impulsive, while Imogen always remained cool and collected, and thought things through logically. Greyback had tested her at first, trying to make her lose her temper, but she had not risen to the bait as Warren had, so now he treated her with the respect that he would have shown another alpha wolf, although he still regarded her brother with contempt.
He was also impressed that she had never shown any sign of fear of him, while he could practically smell the fear on Warren, although the young pureblood man tried to hide it with a show of bravado. It wasn't a reckless sort of fear, though; Imogen was clearly aware that he was dangerous, and was careful not to let her guard down around him. At the same time, she firmly demonstrated the authority she held over him via the Unbreakable Vow without being too heavy-handed about it. By no means did he delude himself into thinking that she regarded him as an equal, but he knew that she held a wary respect for him, the same as he did for her.
And Merlin, she was beautiful! At times he fantasized about thawing her ice queen demeanor, about taking her to bed and unleashing the passion that he was sure was lurking beneath her cool exterior. She had everything that he could possibly want in a mate: beauty, intelligence, strength, and ruthlessness. The only thing that she was lacking was the ability to hunt alongside him in wolf form, and that could easily be solved with one bite...if not for the Unbreakable Vow.
But he was bound by the Vow, and while Greyback was bloodthirsty, he wasn't a fool. He enjoyed fantasizing about her, and enjoyed the flirtatious banter that they indulged in, but he never forgot that she was the daughter of a Death Eater and that she would never willingly let a non-human lay a hand on her precious pureblood body.
He was essentially a slave to the Macnairs, but at the same time, they were bound not to harm him, either. It was better than being locked up in that wretched sanatorium, and as long as they gave him the freedom to hunt, he was content...for now, anyway. He would watch and wait, and in time, maybe he would find a loophole, a way to free himself from the Vow. Imogen had ordered him not to touch her without her permission, but what if he could somehow arrange it so that she was forced to give him that permission?
He had spent some time getting up-to-date on the news of the wizarding world, and had heard about how that so-called pack leader Cyril Diggory, a.k.a. Lukas Bleddri, had saved the life of the young Dietrich heir by biting him and infecting him with lycanthropy. Although of course the Dietrich family had immediately disowned the boy. Greyback couldn't harm Imogen, even by indirect means, but they were plotting against the Ministry, which meant that they might very well have to engage in combat with the Aurors at some point, through no fault of Greyback's. And if Imogen should happen to be mortally wounded in combat, how far would she go to save her life? Would she choose death before dishonor, or would she choose to live by any means necessary, even a werewolf's bite? Warren might be idiotic and noble enough to choose the first, but Greyback suspected that Imogen was more practical. She would choose to live, and deal with the consequences later.
It was a very slender hope, little more than a pipe dream, really, but still, Greyback filed the thought away in the back of his mind, then turned his attention back to the immediate situation at hand when the twins Apparated into the safe house.
"I certainly hope this was worth it!" Warren said disgruntledly. "The Aurors questioned us for ages, even after we told them we had an alibi. Let me see this precious artifact." It was a direct order, so Greyback had no choice to obey, and reluctantly handed it over. "Huh," Warren snorted skeptically. "Doesn't look like much."
"It doesn't have to, so long as it does what it's supposed to," Imogen said, with her typical coolness. "Are you sure about this, Greyback? A damaged item can be dangerous to use."
"You said that scholar thought it was functional," Greyback pointed out.
"But he couldn't be positive, and he didn't have a chance to properly test it," Imogen replied.
"I'm willing to take the chance," Greyback insisted stubbornly. "You wanted me to cause terror in the wizarding world--well, think how much terror I could cause if I could turn people at any time of the month! Besides, what's the point of stealing it if I'm not going to use it?"
"Do you even know how to use it?" Imogen asked. "Some devices require a command word, but the runes aren't decipherable without a translation, and I doubt that the Ministry will share it with us, and I'm sure they've instructed Bletchley not to, either."
"Well, the medallion is supposed to allow a werewolf to transform from wolf to human, and vice versa, and a wolf wouldn't be able to speak a command word," Greyback reasoned; he had been thinking about this very question all day while waiting for the twins. "So I'm guessing that all it requires is a mental command. If I'm wrong, then I'll just have to experiment with it."
"Fine, but we'll take some precautions," Imogen said.
They moved down into the basement, where Imogen and Warren drew a large protective circle around Greyback that would theoretically prevent him from escaping in case the magic of the medallion went awry and caused him to go berserk. It was the same type of circle traditionally used in demon-summoning, and Greyback grinned. He didn't mind being thought of as a demon--in fact, he rather liked it.
"Are you sure this will hold him?" Warren asked nervously. "Maybe it would be better to just lock him in the room until we know it's safe."
"If a circle of this power won't hold him, then I doubt that a wooden door will, either," Imogen replied dryly. "Even if he manages to break through the circle, it should still slow him down long enough for us to get to safety. And besides, I want to observe the transformation process. Assuming the medallion works, that is."
Warren shook his head, looking unconvinced, but as usual, deferred to his sister's judgment. Greyback had strung the medallion with a new cord, and he hung it around his neck as the twins stepped back, watching from the doorway at a prudent distance. When the medallion came to rest against his chest, he felt a tingle of magical power, like a small burst of static electricity. Encouraged, he laid one hand on the medallion and closed his eyes, concentrating on the memories of past transformations, willing himself to change from human to wolf.
He felt the familiar pain of his flesh and bones reshaping themselves, but he welcomed it, because that meant the medallion must be working. Then he heard both twins cry out in shock and fear, and his eyes popped open. The transformation was often frightening to normal humans, but the twins had been prepared for this, and an alpha female like Imogen wouldn't normally show weakness by voicing her fear, so something must be wrong...
And then Greyback realized that he was still standing on two legs rather than all fours. He glanced down at himself and saw that his arms were still human, but they were covered with gray fur, and his fingernails had thickened and lengthened into sharp black talons. He reached up to touch his face and felt fur there, too, and a long, pointed wolf-like snout.
He turned to look at the Macnairs, and saw that they were both pale and trembling, raising their wands up defensively with shaking hands. "Merlin's beard!" Warren whispered. "The magic of the artifact must have been altered because of the damage--he's turned into a half-man, half-wolf monstrosity!"
"Gr-Greyback," Imogen called out, in a voice that quavered only slightly, "are you sane?"
Greyback grinned, exposing a set of sharp fangs that only seemed to alarm the twins even more. "I feel better than I ever have in my life, Lady Imogen." His words came out as a low growl, huskier and raspier than his normal voice. Greyback flexed his arms, watching the muscles ripple beneath layers of fur and skin; he could feel the power and strength of his wolf form combined with the flexibility of his human body. He loved hunting in his wolf form, but there were times when it was inconvenient not to have the use of his hands and arms. A closed door would no longer be an obstacle on the full moon, not to mention that he could now literally tear a victim to pieces with his bare hands if he wished. Maybe he could even cast spells in this half-wolf form, although he would have to experiment to confirm that. He actually took more satisfaction in killing his prey with teeth and claws rather than magic, but it would certainly be useful to be able to Disapparate if he needed to escape quickly after an attack.
Greyback threw back his head and howled in delight, and Warren nearly jumped out of his robes--a sight that would have been more amusing if the hand holding his wand hadn't involuntarily jerked upward as well. Greyback tensed, preparing to dodge whatever spell Warren might hurl at him, but Imogen hastily grabbed her brother's arm and pulled it back down.
"Don't forget, the Vow is still in effect!" she snapped at Warren, then turned to Greyback. "And you, don't you know better than to startle a nervous Dark Wizard?"
Her face was still a little pale, but her voice was defiant, and she met his gaze unflinchingly, and Greyback's admiration for her increased. Ah, what a fine mate she would make for him, if only he weren't bound by the damned Unbreakable Vow! Still, the thought of being able to transform at will filled him with a fierce sense of joy, and he grinned at her again.
"Forgive me, my Lady," he growled, bowing in a parody of a courtly bow. "I was overcome with joy and forgot myself for a moment."
"Well, it seems like he's in control of his senses, at least," Warren said shakily, looking cautiously relieved although still a bit wary. "But...is the medallion supposed to do that? What if he's trapped permanently in that form?"
"I wouldn't really mind," Greyback said, flexing his claws and admiring the sight of his talons. "This body has the best of both worlds. I'm sure that I can still turn people with a bite." He wouldn't be able to prove it until he actually bit someone, but somehow he instinctively knew it was true.
"But you would be a bit conspicuous in that form, Greyback," Imogen said dryly. "And for now, we still need you to keep a low profile. Will you please try to transform fully into a wolf, and then back into a human?"
"Since you ask so politely, my Lady," Greyback said, bowing again. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and found himself falling to his hands and knees as his body transformed yet again, into the familiar form of his wolf-self. It felt comfortable, like slipping into an old and well-worn robe. He barked and wagged his tail.
Warren laughed nervously. "It almost looks like he's saying, 'Come closer, Little Red Riding Hood.'"
Imogen smiled, looking relaxed and confident now that the medallion had proven to be effective. "And indeed, I can see what big teeth you have, Greyback, but forgive me if I don't get any closer. I wouldn't want to tempt you to break the Vow, after all."
Greyback barked out a laugh, and dipped his head in acknowledgment, then willed himself to transform. A few moments later, he stood before the twins in his human form. "There!" he said triumphantly. "The medallion works, like I told you it would! Now would you mind letting me out of here?"
Imogen flicked her wand, releasing the wards on the protective circle, and Greyback stepped over it and joined the twins. "You were right," she told Greyback, to his immense satisfaction. "It was worth the risk. With this device, we will be able to spread terror throughout the wizarding world! A single werewolf can do as much damage as an entire pack!"
"It's a pity we don't have more of these," Greyback said, touching the medallion. "I don't suppose you could find a way to duplicate the magic?"
Imogen shook her head regretfully. "It would take a far more skilled mage than myself. I'm not sure that any living witch or wizard could duplicate the Dark Prince's magic. But perhaps after Father and the other Death Eaters are freed from Azkaban, we could try. The Dark Lord taught his disciples far more about Dark Magic than is ever taught at Hogwarts, or even Durmstrang. But for now, it will be enough for you to simply spread fear and chaos."
"So I can go hunting tonight?" Greyback asked eagerly.
Imogen smiled and nodded. "Yes, go and try out your new toy."
"Any particular target you have in mind, my Lady?"
Imogen paused for a moment to consider his question, then shook her head. "Not really. Any random citizen will do for now. But be careful. Don't attack in a crowded area; we don't want any witnesses at this point. And don't take on a dangerous target, like an Auror or another werewolf."
Greyback scowled, feeling rather insulted. "An Auror is nothing! I killed two of them with my bare hands at Madley's place, remember? And I thought you wanted me to defeat Cyril Diggory and take over his pack."
"All in good time, Greyback," Imogen said coolly. "It's not that I doubt your strength, but you shouldn't be careless of the Aurors. They'll be on their guard now that two of their own have been killed; you won't find it so easy to ambush them a second time. As for Diggory, he spends most of his time at Hogwarts and Diggory Manor, and you don't have easy access to either of those places. When the time is right, we'll find a way to lure him out, but for now, I simply want to create a growing sense of dread in the wizarding world. It will start with a single victim here, another victim there, with the number of victims gradually increasing until full-blown panic breaks out and Arthur Weasley is forced to resign. Have patience, Greyback. Remember, our goal is not just to kill, but to gain control of the wizarding world. Would you rather sneak around in the shadows as a fugitive, or walk freely with the authority of a Hit Wizard?"
Greyback remembered the Macnairs' promise, to place him in charge of a squad of Hit Wizards--or Hit Werewolves--should they succeed in their goal of usurping control of the Ministry. It was only a fantasy at the moment, but one that definitely appealed to him. He decided that it wouldn't hurt to humor Imogen; she was a clever girl, and if anyone could pull off such a feat, it was her. If he had strength, then she had cunning and foresight. Greyback reluctantly admitted to himself that if Imogen had been part of his pack during the first war, he probably would not have made the mistakes that had caused him to fall out of the Dark Lord's favor. They complemented each other perfectly, Greyback decided--wolf queen to his king, as he had once jokingly remarked.
"Very well," he said, bowing his head, and the twins looked pleasantly surprised that he had given in so easily. "I will defer to your judgment, Lady Imogen."
Part 19