Knowledge is Power

Chapter 58

After dinner the family retired to the library as one to read. The peace of the evening was disturbed when Severus jerked to attention, hand moving to his arm where the dark mark was obviously flaring. Mag sighed. She'd be so glad when this was all over, and the sinking in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Severus facing Voldemort and putting himself at risk AGAIN, could end for good. She wished he'd allow her to accompany him as Nightshade did, but she knew that would never happen. He was adamantly against it to say the least when she'd suggested going under cover with him, pretending to be interested in Voldemort's cause. She wanted to be there with him in case things ever went south as two fighting against an attack was obviously better than one. Severus wasn't interested in that sort of math though.

Nightshade jumped to his black robed shoulder, then promptly vanished as Severus worked the chameleon charm. When he apparated, Mag knew it was to the bedroom for his Death Eater robe and mask.
"I hate this," Heather muttered, and Mag felt her own mouth tightening with stress.
"He was so damned stupid to fuck with Voldemort for any reason," Raislen ranted, but Mag knew it was because he worried for Severus too.

Dropping her gaze determinedly to the book in her hands, she tried to read for something to focus on, but the words just didn't stick in her mind. Fortunately the meeting was a short one and Severus was back in half an hour. When he apparated in she jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him, clinging tightly as relief flooded over her. It wasn't that she particularly expected anything to happen each time he left, it was just that she didn't know.

"He's going to take the Ministry, or at least he has plans to do so that I don't see going wrong," Severus reported to the room at large, hugging her back.
"He wants me to be headmaster at Hogwarts," he added, voice heavy as he made a face.
"Can you imagine that?"
Heather snickered.
"All the little prats will be petrified," Mag said with a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Moving to Raislen's desk, Severus sat down to draft a quick report to Adler that he could pass on to everyone else. Those who worked at the Ministry like the Bulstrodes and Boxwoods would certainly appreciate a heads up just in case Voldemort's plan for a Ministry take over happened.
"If that shit goes down, we're going to take sick days," Raislen said darkly.
"You probably have a year of them built up," Mag said with a chuckle.
Her parents never used their sick days and there was a roll over system so they had a ton.

Mag didn't go to Areecen's cave the next day as she usually did, because she wanted to be around when Grindelwald was ready to meet with everyone. Wolfgang was freeing him from Azkaban today with the help of the Zabini family. She was glad they were involved rather than she and Severus, as breaking someone out of a highly warded prison had many risks. Severus risked enough as it was and he'd already done his part by supplying Grindelwald with enough life force from a Death Eater to make him young again, or at least middle aged. That would ensure he was fit enough to do whatever he needed to do to keep the world as safe against Voldemort as possible.

Blaise Zabini had made his house elf a medallion to wear that unraveled magic around him. This would allow him to move effortlessly past any of Nurmengard's wards and apparate Grindelwald out. Elves could move effortlessly around wards that wizards could not, so having an elf break Grindelwald out was a brilliant idea on Wolfgang's part. With the medallion Blaise had crafted, any alarms that would normally go off during such an escape would be disabled. Mag had to admit that was impressive. Some day Zabini would probably be one of those wizards who went down in history for making something legendary because that was already some extremely advanced work.

After breakfast, Severus wanted to go check up on Albus so she went along.
"Do you think he'll want to come to the meeting later to speak with Grindelwald about plans to work against whatever Voldemort is doing," Mag wondered as they walked across the grounds toward the castle.
"Somehow I doubt it," Severus said.
"Especially after that book."

Albus was enjoying a bag of twizzlers in the room of requirement when they opened the door. He sat at a small table with the bag of rope like candy in one hand. The Skeeter book was closed on the table before him.
"Good morning, Severus, Mag," he greeted politely.
"How are you feeling," Severus asked and Albus sighed.
"Disgusted, horrified, resentful, violated, and angry. I may feel better after I eat this entire bag of twizzlers, though," he concluded hopefully.
"Thank you for asking. How are you?"

"Voldemort is probably going to take over the Ministry before term begins, and if so he will make me headmaster," Severus grumped, widening dark eyes in horror.
Mag tried not to smile and nearly succeeded.
//That shit is going to be awesome,// Nightshade thought gleefully.

"That's good," Albus said before shoving another entire twizzler into his mouth.
He chewed and the candy puffed out his cheeks, putting Mag in mind of a chipmunk.
"Then you won't be wanted for my murder anymore, and freedom is always nice."
"What," Severus nearly shouted.
"That's what you took from what I said? Do you know what he'll do with the Ministry if he succeeds? Do you know how much I hate people and children? I don't want to be headmaster."

"Which is worse for you, Severus," Albus asked with a chuckle, swallowing the candy in his mouth.
"The Ministry's downfall or the prospect of running Hogwarts?"
Severus's only reply was a baleful glare.
"When I asked how you were feeling, I mean physically."

Albus sighed.
"I wish you'd stop fawning over me. If I were going to relapse, it would've happened by now. Look my hand is improving even faster than the goblin healer predicted," he said, extending a hand that had some pink flesh showing in small lines through all the black encrusting it.

"That is good," Severus said, giving a pleased smile.
"I'll try to stop worrying so much," he added, but Mag doubted that and from Albus's raised brows, she assumed he agreed with her.
"I think we should have Grindelwald help to prevent the ministry take over," Severus said.
"We're freeing him to help, after all."

Albus surprised Mag by shaking his head.
"I don't think that's the best idea even if it does seem the most prudent. If Voldemort fails in this take over of the Ministry, his confidence will flag and he will become more unpredictable as a result. This could be better or worse in the end, but as it is now, I can predict more of his actions."

Severus sighed.
"Fine."
Mag hoped, not for the first time, that he was correct to trust so in Albus's judgment.
"Apparently Grindelwald helped to kill my sister," Albus said suddenly, expression twisted with pain and sadness.
Mag's jaw dropped.
"He did what," Severus demanded.
"Not really," Albus said, gesturing with disgust at the book.
"Bringing my sister into it was really too much. I will have her put out of business for this as soon as I'm able. When I've finished with her, no one will pay for a single word she writes," he vowed.

//Cool,// Nightshade thought to Mag.
//Dumblefuck going all bad ass vengeful. I like it.//

"Grindelwald did work with an Obscurial, so I suppose that's where she got the connection, but it had nothing to do with my sister," Albus said tightly.
"He wanted the power, needed it to rock more institutional foundations than he could alone."
Mag tried not to cringe at the thought of such uncontrollable magic. And people thought dragons were bad. Ha. Unlike an Obscurial, dragons could be reasoned with if one knew how.

"The book speaks of getting the information from a source close to me, and I just bet I know who it is," Albus continued darkly.
"Who," Severus asked curiously.
He wondered if said close source would have something in store for them along with Skeeter when Albus was free to...live again.

"My brother," Albus said, making a face as though his twizzler had become the most tart lemon ever.
"He hates me, and when I am free to be out among society again, I will remind him why one should respect one's older brother. Right now, though, I need him to help Harry."