Aftermaths, Part 138

by Geri ([email protected])

Rating: Mostly PG-13, but NC-17 for overall story

Pairing: Snape/Lupin, Theodore/Blaise

Warning: AU; events that occurred at the end of Order of the Phoenix were significantly altered from the book.

Sequel to: Always, Summer Vacation, For Old Time's Sake, Three's a Crowd, Return of the Raven, Phoenix Reborn, and Phoenix Rising.

Summary: The various characters deal with the aftermath of the war, and Snape and Lupin try to build a family together with Theodore and Dylan. However, some people are unable to let go of the past...

Author's note: {} Indicates character's unspoken thoughts.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, except Hob, who belongs to William Mayne; no money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
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As it turned out, Stewart did not need to distract Lupin, because the werewolf was so busy hugging and congratulating the Slytherins on their win--after thoroughly scolding Draco for being so reckless--that he didn't even notice Master Diggory quietly slip out of the stands. None of the other teachers seemed to notice, either. Stewart decided to follow at a discreet distance; he was consumed by curiosity, wanting to know what Williamson had planned, and he wanted to witness the Auror's--and by extension, the R.A.'s--moment of triumph. Surely it wouldn't do any harm if he watched, so long as no one knew he was there...
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Meanwhile, in the Hufflepuff section, Tristan had been surprised but happy to see his Uncle Amos attend the match, since he and Tristan's mother had not been speaking to each other since Master Diggory had filed the lawsuit against him. Amos and Gwendolyn exchanged stiff but polite greetings, and Amos patted Tristan on the shoulder with sincere affection, although his smile looked a little strained. The Diggory family concentrated their attention on the game to avoid having to make awkward small talk with each other, but Tristan noticed that his uncle looked pale, worried, and distracted, and his mind seemed to be on something other than what was happening on the Pitch. His eyes kept darting nervously over towards the section where the teachers were sitting--where Master Diggory was sitting. Of course he was probably upset about the trial, but he seemed scared rather than angry, which in turn worried Tristan so much that he too had difficulty concentrating on the game, and didn't even care when Slytherin won. Although he didn't like the Gryffindors much, he was beginning to think that maybe he had been wrong about Harry, and anyway, it was better to root for Gryffindor than a House full of Death Eaters. But now he was too concerned about Amos to care who won the game. After the match was over, Amos abruptly said goodbye and hurried out of the stands, but he didn't seem to be heading towards the school gates. He glanced over at the teachers' section of the stands with his binoculars, and saw that Master Diggory was heading in the same direction as Amos.

"Listen, I'm going to go say hi to a few of my friends," Tristan told his parents, but instead he followed his uncle.
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Back on the Pitch, Draco was being scolded by a tearful Narcissa. "You could have been killed!" she sobbed. "What would I do if I lost you, Draco? You're all I have left!"

"I'm sorry, Mum," Draco said remorsefully, beginning to feel guilty for making his mother cry. "But see, I'm fine. I promise I won't do anything like that again." An easy enough promise to make, since this was his last match at Hogwarts, and it was very unlikely that any professional team would hire the son of an infamous Death Eater.

"You had better not!" Narcissa said, then hugged him tightly. Draco noticed that she seemed just a little thicker around the waist than normal, and then he noticed that she was wearing loose, voluminous robes rather than her usual gowns which clung to her torso and showed off her figure. Maybe she had been sampling a bit too much of her own cooking, or maybe she was eating a lot because she was depressed--he vaguely recalled seeing some of the Slytherin girls gorge themselves on chocolates after breaking up with their boyfriends. No wonder she was wearing loose, baggy robes--Narcissa was very proud of her beauty, and she wouldn't want any of the other pureblood women making catty remarks about how she'd gained weight. And then Draco felt even more guilty, because it was his fault that his mother was depressed, since he had forced the werewolf to break up with her. He would try to make it up to her after graduation, and spend a lot of time at home with her so she wouldn't be lonely.

Aileen Pierce came over and gently pulled Narcissa away from Draco. "There, there," she said soothingly. "Draco's fine; there's no need to cry." She handed Narcissa a handkerchief and said, "Why don't you sit down for a minute and compose yourself?" Then she said in a much sterner voice to Draco, "And don't you make your mother cry like that again! Honestly, Draco, use a little common sense!"

"Yes, ma'am," Draco said meekly.

"But he won the Cup for us, Mum!" Damien exclaimed, still exuberant over their victory. His mother swatted him on the back of his head, and he protested, "Hey, what was that for?"

"Teenage boys!" Aileen said crossly. "They're all the same!" But she looked relieved as she watched Damien and Draco laugh and accept the congratulations of their housemates, and Draco didn't realize that it was not just relief that he was unharmed.
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Meanwhile, Allegra happened to notice Tristan quietly sneaking away from the Pitch. She didn't like the Hufflepuff boy because he was always making snide remarks about the Slytherins, including her brother's friend Theo. And there was something a little sly and sneaky about him, that she didn't trust. Although recently, he had been too upset about his family feuding with each other to make trouble. In fact, he had been looking so miserable that she felt a little sorry for him in spite of herself. But now it seemed that he was definitely up to something, and she wanted to know what it was.

"Come on," she said eagerly to Portia; their other friends Emma and Chloe were busy talking to their families. "Let's go see what he's up to!"

"But we're not supposed to go wandering off alone," Portia protested. "We might get in trouble."

"We won't be alone," Allegra said reasonably. "I'll be with you, and you'll be with me."

"I don't think that's quite what the teachers meant," Portia said.

"I want to see what he's up to," Allegra insisted. "He's acting kind of suspicious, and we still don't know who was behind all those hexes and pranks. And he thinks all Slytherins are Death Eaters--maybe it was him. Come on, Portia, it'll be an adventure!"

That reminded Portia that the Sorting Hat had told her that she was braver than she thought. Maybe it was time to prove it, if only to herself--to prove that she was a real Gryffindor, unlike her traitorous uncle. "Okay," she told Allegra.
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To Aric's horror, the Tierneys were back from France, and had come to the match to meet the prospective bridegroom. Mrs. Tierney chattered inanely about what a handsome boy Aric was and what a lovely couple he and Miranda would make. Mr. Tierney shook Aric's hand and said heartily that he would make a fine son-in-law and he couldn't wait to welcome him into the family--in fact, he and Miranda should wed as soon as school let out. But to Aric's ears, it sounded more like he couldn't wait to get rid of his daughter, rather than being eager to gain a new son-in-law. To Aric's relief, his mother firmly squelched that idea, saying that they must have time to properly prepare for the wedding--it must be a suitably grand occasion, not something rushed and hurried. They would hold the betrothal ceremony after Aric graduated, but the actual wedding would take at least a few months to prepare. So he had a few more months of freedom--not that it mattered; he had already lost Takeshi.

As for his betrothed, she was indeed a beautiful girl, but she said little, slouching in her seat and pouting sullenly. It seemed that she wanted this marriage as little as he did--well, at least they had something in common. She ignored him and he ignored her, while their parents happily made plans for the wedding and Aric's career at the Ministry. Mr. Tierney was especially eager to be making new allies right now, since Arthur Weasley's star seemed to be waning. Meanwhile, Aric's mother and Mrs. Tierney were discussing what kind of flowers to use at the wedding, and what sort of dress Miranda should wear.

Aric whispered to Miranda in a wry voice, "Maybe they should just marry each other and leave us out of it." His future bride actually smiled a little, which made her look a great deal more attractive. He knew that he shouldn't hate her; she obviously had no choice in the matter, either. Maybe they could become friends, but he knew that he could never love her, because his heart already belonged to Takeshi. That made him sad, not just for his sake, but for hers. It didn't seem fair for her to be tied for the rest of her life to a man who would never love her. He wondered if she had someone that she liked, too--well, maybe not, since it seemed like her parents had been mainly concerned about her running wild, but on the other hand, that could be a euphemism for dating the wrong guy. But even if all she wanted was her freedom, she deserved to have it. Why should she be forced to marry some man she didn't even know just so that her family could put up a front of being "respectable"?

Miranda studied his face, looking thoughtful and then sympathetic. "You don't want to do this either, do you?" she asked quietly.

"No," he replied, just as quietly. "But we don't have any choice, do we?"

"Not unless we want to be disowned by our families," she replied.

Aric's mother and Mrs. Tierney saw their children talking quietly with each other, and smiled happily. "Oh, isn't that sweet?" Mrs. Tierney gushed. "They're getting along so well; I knew they'd make a good couple!" Miranda and Aric both glared at their mothers murderously.

To Aric's relief, his parents and the Tierneys didn't linger after the match, but had to leave right away, because the Tierneys were having a party at their house.

"It's Mother's birthday," Miranda explained.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Tierney," Aric said politely.

"It was so nice of the Tierneys to come today, when they're busy getting ready for the party," Alison Dietrich declared. "You should thank them for coming."

"Thank you for coming," Aric said obediently, if without much enthusiasm.

"No need to thank us, son!" Mr. Tierney said with a grin. "We really wanted to get a look at our new son-in-law!" Behind his back, Miranda rolled her eyes, and Aric smiled a little.

"There are no classes today, are there?" Mrs. Tierney asked. "Why don't you come join us at the party? It would give you more time to get to know Miranda."

"We're not allowed to leave the school without permission from our Head of House," Aric said hastily. "And Professor Snape has been in a really bad mood lately. I don't think it would be a good idea to bother him right now."

"We wouldn't want to get Aric in trouble," Miranda said quickly. "There will be plenty of time to get to know each other after he graduates."

"That's true," Mr. Tierney conceded. "Snape's always been a nasty git. He'd probably deny you permission just to be spiteful. Well, we'd best be on our way, then. But we must all get together for dinner after Aric graduates."

"That sounds lovely," Alison said.

Aric politely said goodbye to his future in-laws, and held out his hand to Miranda. She shook it firmly while their mothers frowned. They probably thought that he should give her a kiss on the cheek, or at least a courtly kiss on her hand, but Aric didn't think he could manage that right now, and Miranda didn't seem offended. "It was nice to meet you," he told her, and was surprised to find that he meant it. It was too bad that they hadn't met under different circumstances; he wouldn't have minded having her as a friend, even if he didn't want a bride.

"Likewise," Miranda said, with a small, ironic smile that seemed to indicate that she was thinking much the same thing.

Aric sighed with relief when he was finally left alone, and decided to go take a walk by the lake to calm down and sort out his thoughts.
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Perhaps the teachers might have noticed so many students sneaking off, if they had not been preoccupied with the disturbing messages sent from the castle.

"Severus suspected Stewart from the beginning!" a distraught Lupin said. "I knew he was troubled by his father's death; I should have tried harder to reach out to him. Maybe if he'd had someone to confide in, things wouldn't have gotten to this point."

"He resented you because of your relationship with Severus," Dumbledore pointed out. "You did make overtures of friendship towards him, as you do with all your students, and he resisted them. It isn't your fault."

"The Slytherins resisted my efforts at first, too," Lupin said, not sounding comforted. "But I kept trying until I got through. But I was so busy dealing with all my personal problems that I didn't make time for Stewart. I overlooked problems with Draco, too..."

"You had your hands full with your new family, Remus," Dumbledore said firmly. "No one expects you to save the world single-handedly."

"If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," Flitwick said, looking as guilty and upset as Lupin did. "I'm his Head of House; I'm the one who should have tried harder to get him to confide in me. Of course I knew he was troubled about his father's death, but I refused to take Severus's concerns seriously. I refused to believe that one of my students could have done such a thing, but the signs were there..."

"And Isabelle," Lupin continued, as if he hadn't heard Flitwick. "I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I sensed there was something a little off about her. She and Aric both went through major changes in their lives: transferring to a new school in a different country. Aric obviously has had a difficult time adjusting, but Isabelle has adjusted very well---maybe a little too well. And she's always so guarded; I can never really tell what she's thinking. I tried talking to her once, but she brushed me off..."

"I can't believe that my Gryffindors were involved with this group," McGonagall muttered to herself, shaking her head. "Didn't they learn anything from the war?"

"You can feel sorry for yourselves later!" Branwen snapped, and Lupin, Flitwick, and McGonagall gave her sheepish looks. "But right now we have to round up the miscreants: Ackerley, Laroque, Ames-Diggory, Talbott, Thomas, Sloper, and Kirke."

"And the Aurors," Satoshi added.

McGonagall frowned. "That's odd...come to think of it, I don't recall seeing either Dawlish or Williamson at the match today, and they've attended every match since the one where the false Dark Mark was cast."

"I noticed that, too," Sinistra said. "I thought they must be too busy trying to frame Lukas and Severus to have time to come to the match."

"Speaking of which," Satoshi said, looking around. "Where is Lukas?"

Lupin frantically looked around the Pitch. "Oh no," he said. "You don't suppose Williamson's plot has anything to do with Lukas, do you?"

"Quickly then," Dumbledore ordered. "Everyone spread out, round up the R.A. members, then search the grounds for the Aurors and Lukas."

Sirius, who had come along with Branwen when Dumbledore had called the teachers together, volunteered to help as well, and his wife told him, "Search the castle; you should know all the hiding places and secret passages better than anyone."

Sirius grinned, then he and Lupin stared at each other as the same thought simultaneously occurred to them. "The Marauder's Map!" they chorused. A crowd of students was watching from a distance, looking curious and a little concerned as to what the teachers were talking about. Harry was in that crowd, and Sirius beckoned for him to come over. "Harry, you still have the Marauder's Map, right?" he asked urgently.

"Er...well..." Harry replied nervously, his eyes flickering over towards Branwen and then the Headmaster.

"This is important, Harry," Branwen said impatiently. "We don't have any time to waste."

"You're not in any trouble," Lupin added kindly.

"Yes, I have it," Harry admitted.

"Where is it?" Branwen asked.

"In my room," Harry replied.

"Damn!" Sirius said. "We'll have to go all the way back to the castle to get it."

"It's still our best bet to locate Dawlish and Williamson--and Lukas," Branwen said. "Take Harry and go get it--you can ride that fabulously expensive and fast broomstick you bought for him. Take Bane with you; once you find out where they are, he can pass the message along to me." Sirius and Harry both stared at her uncertainly, not sure whether she meant for Bane to carry a written message, or whether she and the bird could communicate telepathically. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Branwen snapped. "Get moving!"

Sirius and Harry decided that they could figure it out later, and jumped on the Firebolt, with Bane riding on Harry's shoulder, and they took off for the castle.

Meanwhile, the teachers set about rounding up the R.A. members. McGonagall confronted Dean Thomas, Jack Sloper, and Andrew Kirke; the guilty looks on their faces told her everything she needed to know, and she sternly marched them back to the castle. Flitwick likewise apprehended Corbin Talbott, but could not find Stewart Ackerley.

"I don't know where he went!" Corbin sullenly insisted when Flitwick questioned him. "I saw him take off after the match, but I don't know where he went. I just figured he didn't want to watch the Slytherins celebrate their win."

When Isabelle saw Branwen heading towards her with a grim expression on her face and a steely glint in her eyes, she started to reach for her wand, but the Summonings Professor said, "Don't even think about it, girl," and Isabelle's hand dropped to her side. "Miss Bones told us everything, Miss Laroque," Branwen said. "Your curse wasn't quite as effective as you thought it was."

Isabelle looked angry and frightened, but also strangely relieved. "It's over," she whispered.

"Indeed it is," Branwen said coldly. "Where is Mr. Ames-Diggory?"

"I don't know," Isabelle replied.

Branwen pulled out her wand. "My patience is wearing very thin, Miss Laroque. I want to know where Mr. Ames-Diggory is, and I want to know now!"

"Branwen!" Lupin protested, looking alarmed.

"She could have killed your sons, Remus!" Branwen told him.

"I don't know!" Isabelle shouted, turning a little pale. "I honestly don't know! I saw him leave after the match was over; I think he wanted to go talk to his uncle."

"Amos?" Lupin asked, looking startled and worried. "Amos Diggory is here?"

Isabelle nodded. "He was sitting with Tristan's family."

"Lukas, Amos, and the Aurors missing--not a good combination," Lupin said to Branwen, who nodded.

Dylan, Theodore, Blaise, and Serafina came running up. "Remus, what's going on?" Dylan asked anxiously.

Lupin hesitated. "Nothing I can discuss right now, but there may be trouble brewing. All of you, get back to the castle and stay put in the dorm until you hear from me or Severus."

"I can't find Allegra," Blaise said, looking worried. "I checked with the Gryffindors, and they say she and Portia Pettigrew wandered off somewhere together. They don't seem to be on the Pitch, and Allegra never came over to congratulate Theo and Dylan, which is pretty odd."

"All right," Lupin sighed. "Get back to the castle, and we'll look for them, too."

"I'm not leaving without my sister," Blaise said stubbornly. "I'll help you look."

"Then we will, too," Theodore said, and Dylan nodded. Serafina said nothing but came over and stood next to them.

"Get back to the castle this instant!" Lupin snapped, in a voice that sounded more like Snape's.

"I refuse," Blaise said, quietly but implacably.

By this time, Prospero and Selima had joined them. "From what I can gather," Prospero said, "it seems that you are searching for several students and a couple of shady Aurors. It's a big campus; you can use all the help you can get."

"Are you willing to let your grandson put himself in danger?" Lupin asked incredulously.

"I know him well enough to know that we would have to Stupefy him before he would leave his sister in danger," Prospero replied. "Not that I haven't considered it, but he and his friends are adults, or nearly so."

"Selima?" Lupin pleaded, his inner wolf so anxious about protecting his cubs that he forgot to call her "Lady".

But Selima just gave him a faint smile. "I would rather my grandson and his friends return to safety, too. But Theodore is stubborn, like his father."

"We fought against the Death Eaters," Dylan pointed out.

"Prospero and I will accompany them," Selima said, and Lupin gave them a doubtful look. "I can do more than organize dinner parties, Remus," she told him dryly, then took out her wand and smiled slyly. "I'm quite adept with curses, if I do say so myself."

"She is, too," Prospero confirmed with a grin. "I was on the receiving end of them a few times in school. We are Slytherins, Remus. We know how to defend ourselves."

Lupin sighed helplessly, too worried for his conscious mind to register that Selima had just called him by his first name for the very first time. "Very well," he said reluctantly. "I don't have time to argue further."

Branwen handed Isabelle over to the nearest teacher, who happened to be Sinistra. "Take her to the Headmaster's office, and if she gives you any trouble, Stupefy her."

"With pleasure," Sinistra said.

"Maybe I should have kept Bane with me," Branwen said regretfully. "It would be useful to have him scout the school grounds from the air."

"I can do it!" Satoshi volunteered brightly, and instantly transformed into a very plump raven. With some difficulty and much flapping of wings, he managed to get airborne. "Haven't done this for awhile!" the bird called out cheerfully. "I'm a bit out of practice!" Then he flew off, somewhat unsteadily.

"Is he really going to be any help?" Selima asked dubiously.

"If not, we're no worse off than we were before," Branwen said with a shrug. "Hopefully Sirius will be able to pinpoint their location with the map, but in the meantime, we should split up and start searching the grounds."

"I'll take my broom and search from the air, too," Hooch declared.

"You lot come with me," Lupin said firmly to Prospero's group. "I want to be able to keep an eye on you."

They decided that Hooch would search from the air; Branwen and Hagrid would head in the direction of the Forbidden Forest ("A good place ter hide," Hagrid declared); and Lupin's group would search by the lake.

"The rest of you get the students safely back to the castle," Branwen ordered the other teachers.

"I will scry for the location of our missing students in my crystal ball," Trelawney announced dramatically.

"Yes, yes, fine," Branwen said dismissively, and the search parties set out.
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Meanwhile, Lukas and Amos confronted each other on the shores of the lake. "Where are the papers?" Amos demanded.

"Not so fast, Uncle," Lukas retorted. "You will receive them when Ash is freed, and not before."

"You really think I have that much influence over the Aurors?" Amos argued.

"You'd better hope you do," Lukas snarled. "Because otherwise you're useless to me, and I might as well just give the papers to Rita Skeeter."

"No!" Amos protested, a panicked look on his face. "You can't do that!"

"Tell me the truth for just once in your life, Uncle," Lukas said in what was half an angry demand and half a desperate plea. "There is no one but here but you and me, and we both know that the word of a werewolf counts for little. Tell me what really happened to my father. You can always deny it later. I just want to know the truth."

"I didn't kill him!" Amos shouted, backing away fearfully from his nephew.

"Tell me the truth!" Lukas shouted. "I swear on my father's name that I will not kill you no matter what you tell me--if only because I cannot protect my pack from a prison cell! But I want to know the truth about how my father died! Do you honestly expect me to believe that it's just a coincidence that he died after discovering information that could have ruined the Diggory family?!" He lunged forward, grabbed Amos by the front of his robes, and bared his teeth threateningly. "Tell me the truth!"

"It was my parents who did it, not me!" Amos screamed. "I swear I didn't know about it until it was too late! I would have stopped them if I had known, I swear!"

Lukas had long suspected that either Amos or the elder Diggorys--or possibly both--had been involved with Cynric's death, but suspecting and knowing were two different things. Lukas, stunned by the knowledge that Cynric's parents actually had killed their own son, loosened his grip on his uncle's robes. Amos quickly pulled away and stumbled backwards, his face still white with terror,

A faint rustle in the bushes alerted Lukas to the fact that they weren't alone, and Williamson jumped out of the bushes, shouting, "Impedimenta!" Lukas tried to dodge the spell, and normally would have succeeded, but his reflexes were slowed by his state of shock. The spell grazed him, paralyzing him but not having its full effect. He snarled and glared hatefully at the Auror as he fought to shake off the spell.

"It took you long enough!" Amos shouted.

"I was waiting for the right moment," Williamson replied. Actually, he had been about to attack the werewolf when he started questioning Amos about Cynric's death, and held off because he was curious to know what Amos would say. The knowledge that Amos's parents had murdered Cynric--and that Amos had concealed that knowledge--could prove useful someday, in case he ever had reason to blackmail Amos. Of course he and Amos were allies at the moment, but one never knew when things might change; it was always nice to have a little insurance. And on the off chance that Amos became Minister of Magic after Arthur Weasley was removed (as some people were speculating), it certainly couldn't hurt to have a hold over the new Minister.

The Auror lazily raised his wand, smirking as he watched the helpless frustration and anger on the werewolf's face, and Amos snapped nervously, "Stop toying with him and finish him off already!"

"Any last words before I send you to join your father, Cyril?" Williamson asked. "If you'll testify against Snape, perhaps I'll spare your life."

"Liar," Lukas snarled. "Do you think that I don't know how your slimy little mind works? Even if I would a betray a friend, which I wouldn't, you would still kill me as soon as I gave you what you wanted."

"Then I guess this is goodbye," Williamson said mockingly. "Maybe I'll send your friend Ash to join you, too--or maybe I'll just let him rot in Azkaban until he goes mad and kills himself and saves me the trouble. You werewolves don't deal well with confinement, do you? He's only been there for one day, and I hear he's practically clawing at the walls..."

Lukas finally managed to shake off the effects of the spell and lunge towards a startled Williamson. He reached into the pocket of his robes for his wand as the Auror cried out in fear and raised his wand in earnest this time.
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While Amos and Williamson were confronting Lukas, Stewart and Tristan were converging on the trio's meeting place, and came to an abrupt halt as they simultaneously spotted each other and stared in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Stewart asked.

"I was following my uncle," Tristan replied. "He seemed really upset during the match, and I think it has something to do with Master Diggory. What are YOU doing here?"

"I was following the werewolf," Stewart said. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Look, since you're already here, I'll let you in on a little secret. Williamson is going to arrest Master Diggory today; it seems that he's an accomplice of Snape and the Death Eaters. I wanted to watch it happen."

"No way!" Tristan protested. "Master Diggory would never be involved with the Death Eaters!"

"Shh!" Stewart hissed. "We're getting close to the lake; you don't want them to hear us!"

"My cousin is not a Death Eater!" Tristan whispered fiercely.

"I didn't think so at first, either," Stewart said. "But Williamson says he is, and he's an Auror, so he should know."

"Well, Williamson is wrong!" Tristan insisted.

"Well, let's go see what they have to say to each other," Stewart suggested. "I'm a little confused myself; I didn't know your Uncle Amos was involved with this. But keep quiet, and remember not to let yourself be seen, because we're not supposed to be here, and we'll probably be in big trouble if we get caught. We could even be in danger if they start dueling and we get caught in the crossfire."

"Master Diggory is not a Death Eater," Tristan muttered stubbornly, but he followed Stewart. They made their way towards the lake, trying to stick to the cover of nearby trees and bushes.

The three adults didn't notice them, perhaps because Amos and Lukas were preoccupied with their argument, and Williamson was preoccupied with watching Amos and Lukas. They arrived just in time to hear Amos scream that his parents had killed his brother Cynric, not him. Tristan opened his mouth to cry out in surprise, but Stewart quickly clamped a hand over his young friend's mouth.

"Quiet!" he hissed. "We're not supposed to be here, remember?"

Tristan nodded, and Stewart released him. "My grandparents murdered Master Diggory's father?" he whispered, his eyes filled with shock and horror. "How could they kill their own son?"

"I don't know," Stewart whispered back. "I guess they wanted to protect the family name, but that does seem a bit extreme. And I don't see what this has to do with Master Diggory being a Death Eater."

"I told you, he's not a Death Eater!" Tristan insisted.

"I know he's your cousin, but you've only known him for--" Stewart started to argue, but they both fell silent when they heard Amos say, "Stop toying with him and finish him off already!"

Then Williamson said, "Any last words before I send you to join your father, Cyril? If you'll testify against Snape, perhaps I'll spare your life."

"Wh-what?" Tristan gasped incredulously. "They're not going to arrest him--they're going to kill him!"

"No, that can't be," Stewart said, but he sounded shaken and uncertain. "Williamson must be bluffing; he's trying to scare Diggory into a confession, that's all."

But the Auror certainly didn't seem to be bluffing. "Then I guess this is goodbye," Williamson said in a taunting voice. "Maybe I'll send your friend Ash to join you, too--or maybe I'll just let him rot in Azkaban until he goes mad and kills himself and saves me the trouble. You werewolves don't deal well with confinement, do you? He's only been there for one day, and I hear he's practically clawing at the walls..."

Lukas suddenly broke free of the Impediment Curse and lunged towards Williamson as Tristan ran forward screaming, "No, don't kill him!"

"Tristan?!" Amos cried in shock and alarm.

Stewart ran forward as well, shouting, "Stop, stop!" He was not sure whether he was talking to Tristan, Williamson, or both of them, but he knew that something was horribly wrong here.

Williamson and Lukas were both distracted by the sudden appearance of the boys, but Williamson recovered first. The Auror was closer to the boys than Lukas was, and as Stewart ran past him, Williamson reached out and grabbed him, then pulled the boy up against his chest like a shield, and pointed his wand at Stewart.

"Drop your wand!" Williamson shouted. "Drop it, or I'll kill the boy!"

"You're bluffing," Lukas retorted. "Stewart's father was your friend!" But he froze in position, his wand half-raised.

"What are you doing?!" Tristan screamed at his uncle. "Were you planning to kill Master Diggory the way your parents killed his father? And now that crazy Auror is going to kill Stewart, too!" His eyes filled with tears, and he asked in a soft but accusing voice, "What would Cedric think of all this?"

Amos, his face filled with guilt and shame, pointed his wand at Tristan and shouted, "Stupefy!" and the boy fell over unconscious.

"I'm not bluffing," Williamson said to Lukas in a cold voice. "Drop your wand!"

"Do you think I'm a fool?" Lukas snapped. "Once I do, you'll kill us both!"

Williamson moved his wand closer, until the tip of it lightly touched Stewart's cheek; the boy flinched and whispered, "Please, Mr. Williamson...Ian...don't..."

"Avada," Williamson said softly, his eyes filled with desperation and just a hint of madness, and Lukas knew he wasn't bluffing.

"All right!" Lukas shouted, and flung his wand away; it landed several feet away from him. "All right, I've dropped the wand! Let the boy go!"

Williamson lowered his wand slightly, but did not release Stewart. "Pick up the wand, Amos," he ordered.

"This is isn't how it was supposed to happen," Amos said in a distraught voice, practically whimpering. "You said it would be easy. You said all I had to do was lure Cyril to the lake, and you would take care of everything!"

"Pick up the goddamned wand!" Williamson shouted. Still whimpering, Amos obeyed. "Cast an Impediment Curse on him with it," Williamson said. As Amos raised the wand, Lukas started forward, and Williamson snapped, "Don't move, or I'll kill Ackerley!"

Lukas hesitated for a second, just long enough for Amos to hit him with the spell, full force in the chest this time. Unable to move, he whispered, "The boy has nothing to do with this, Williamson. Let him go. You can Obliviate the memory of this from his mind so he won't be a threat to you. Just let him go."

Williamson laughed. "Oh, but he has everything to do with this! You're such a fool, Cyril! You have just sacrificed yourself for a student who has been conspiring against you. He's been feeding me information about you, and he stole the Hogwarts library books that enabled me to frame Snape."

"I'm sorry, sir," Stewart said miserably, flushing with shame. "He told me that you were involved with the Death Eaters, and I believed him. Because you're friends with Professor Lupin and Professor Snape, and I thought Snape was a Death Eater." But now he was no longer so sure. Everything had just turned inside out and upside down; if Williamson was a villain, then maybe Snape wasn't a Death Eater, after all.

"He's just a boy," Lukas said to Williamson. "He made mistakes, and if I were free, I might give him a good thrashing. But at least he has the excuse of being too young to know any better--and of being influenced by someone who should know better. You are lower than low, Williamson--maybe you think that a werewolf's life is worth nothing, but to kill a child? That's the sort of thing that a Death Eater would do!"

"Oh, shut up!" Williamson snapped. "Of course I wasn't really going to kill you," he told Stewart in a reassuring tone that rang hollow. "I was just pretending, in order to trick Diggory into dropping his wand."

"I don't believe you," Stewart said, looking sick and betrayed. "You must have known all along that he wasn't a Death Eater. A real Death Eater would never have thrown away his wand and put himself at risk just to save a student."

"You're a little too smart for your own good, Stewart," Williamson snarled. He cast an Impediment Curse on the boy and shoved his aside; Stewart toppled helplessly to the ground. "Give me the werewolf's wand," he told Amos.

"You...you're not going to kill the boys, are you?" Amos asked, staring at his friend with a look of horror on his face.

"Of course not!" Williamson snapped. "We'll Obliviate them, and we'll tell the Ministry that the werewolf attacked them, and we killed him in order to save them. We'll be heroes!" But the Auror was thinking to himself that Obliviated memories could sometimes be recovered, and maybe it would be safer to kill the two boys and blame it on the werewolf. But that meant he would probably have to kill Amos, too. Nothing had gone the way it was supposed to today; if only the boys hadn't followed them out here! Well, the first order of business was to kill the werewolf before he managed to break free of the spell again. He could figure the rest out later.

"What do you need his wand for?" Amos asked, as Williamson snatched it out of his hand.

"The werewolf tried to attack us with a Dark Magic spell," Williamson said, raising Lukas's wand. "But fortunately, I was able to reflect it back at him and kill him with his own spell. And a Prior Incantato spell will support my story later, if certain other Aurors--such as Tonks and Shacklebolt--should choose to question it."

"Very clever," Amos said in a tone of admiration, although he still looked nervous and worried.

Chapter 139

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