Knowledge is Power

Chapter 77

The next step in securing his survival involved getting everyone together who would be helping him, as Nightshade so gently put it, fuck up a Death Eater's head. Not that it would really be fucking it up to overlay it with Severus's own memories, but as it would bend the will of said Death Eater, perhaps he, whoever he ended up being, would feel his head was effectively being fucked up. Ah well, he'd not live long to fret over it, if Mag's rune reading was accurate, and her rune readings always were. When it came to saving his own life at the expense of Death Eater scum who truly wanted to serve Voldemort, Severus had no sympathy.

Due to not wishing to draw attention to his activities at this point, Severus chose to meet with everyone in the very late evening close to midnight. He asked everyone to meet at Adler manor, sending all the letters via Nightshade to ensure they weren't intercepted. The owl bitched, because he hated carrying letters and felt such demeaning work should be given to ordinary tard baby owls. Understanding that in this case his help was entirely necessary, though, he took the letters with minimal bitching.

Severus wrote to Regulus, Grindelwald and Wolfgang. In Regulus's letter he enclosed a note to Albus, asking Regulus to send it along in case anyone happened to watch for mail leaving Hogwarts and going to Durmstrang for any reason. Being careful and even a bit paranoid these days could only keep one alive if applied properly, Severus thought. He'd asked everyone to meet on a Wednesday night because hopefully nothing would go wrong at Hogwarts while he was elsewhere. Weeknights were relatively peaceful, these days more than ever. No one wished to risk the even indirect notice of Voldemort for misbehaving, after all.

Severus decided to take Filius along at the last minute. He'd planned to leave him behind to keep the shit from hitting the fan if anything went wrong in his absence, but he decided the charms master's help could be more valuable on this project. He had a private word with Flitwick after classes were over that Wednesday and asked him to have Minerva cover for them if necessary. Severus just hoped the woman could be creative if need be. Though she wasn't one of his favorite people, Albus always liked and trusted her a great deal, so he was, not for the first time, betting on the old headmaster's good judgment.

He, Mag and Flitwick left Hogwarts half an hour before midnight Wednesday evening, taking one of the castle's secret passages into Hogsmeade to avoid detection.
//You need to sort out the time of your next meeting during this one so I don't have to take more letters,// Nightshade thought to Severus as they hurried through the dank stone passage.
//But Mag wants you exercising more,// Severus pointed out, trying not to smirk. //She feels I feed you too much turkey and that you never hunt anymore.//
//So,// Nightshade replied mutinously. //She doesn't fly o her broom much anymore either. She sits in a dragon's cave all day then she comes back and just wants to get into the bed with you.//

Severus did finally smirk. //Should I be complaining?// Nightshade decided to ignore him and preen his feathers from where he sat on Severus's shoulder. The sound of the feathers running through the owl's beak echoed strangely in Severus's ears due to the acoustics of the passage, distracting him from productive thoughts until they were out and in Hogsmeade. The town was relatively quiet. The three of them wasted no time in apparating to Adler manor, where everyone else was already waiting.

Wolfgang's little blue kobold opened the door and showed them into the library where Wolfgang, Millicent, Grindelwald, Kreacher, Regulus and Albus were having tea. Seeing Albus seated comfortably in an overstuffed armchair caused Severus to recall just how much he missed having him about in his daily life. "Albus! Thank you for coming," he said, reaching to embrace the older man who returned the embrace tightly.

"Anything for you, Severus, you know that," Albus said. "Besides, it's nice to be out and about a little. What with the me being dead business, I try to stick to Durmstrang as much as possible," he added with a chuckle. "Oh and Bera sends her regards," Albus added, resuming his own seat as Severus settled onto a sofa between Mag and Filius.
As Albus and Filius exchanged greetings, Severus gave a slight frown, recalling the last private conversation he'd had with Ms, Karkaroff. //I'm bloody sure she does,// he thought snarkily to Nightshade.