The Dark Lord's Literary Appreciation Society

Chapter 7: Interlude for Lunch

Severus looked up at the dilapidated old Black Townhouse. He hated Number Twelve Grimmauld Place almost as much as he hated its owner. In his opinion, Sirius Black had done little that could be considered good and much that he knew without doubt was bad in his pathetic little life. He sneered as he trudged up the steps. He did not want to be doing this. Especially since he had no idea who was in the house at the moment.

It turned out to be everyone. He stepped into the kitchen hoping to find one lone animagus drowning his imagined woes in a bottle of firewhiskey, and instead he walked into a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. One he hadn't been invited to. He raised an eyebrow, and took a seat.

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded toward him. "Severus, I'm glad you're here, my boy. We have just discovered some distressing news."

"Oh?" Severus wondered what the man was playing at now. He scanned the room. Black looked manic at his end of the table. Next to him, Lupin kept a firm hold on his arm and was speaking softly to him, but he looked very concerned as well. The aurors, Moody, Shaklebolt, and Tonks all looked distressed, but they appeared to be containing their worry. Molly Weasley was actually wringing her hands, and sending lost looks toward both her husband and the headmaster. The elder Weasleys appeared worried, too, but a gleam in the eldest's eyes seemed to indicate some secret knowledge. William met his gaze evenly, before glancing at the headmaster and then back. The young man worked at the bank. The Dark Lord must have already contacted them and Weasley had caught wind of it but not informed anyone. Severus tilted his head and William nodded before returning his eyes to the headmaster.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I'm afraid that Harry, and all his belongings, have disappeared from Privet Drive."

"We should've gone to get him before this." Black shouted out. Severus privately agreed but kept his mouth shut.

Moody narrowed his eyes. "I told you that the day after the attack, Albus. His security had already been compromised, why did you wait?"

Dumbledore sighed, "I believed that to be a bigger risk. I did not want to move him while the Ministry had their eye so firmly on his location. As it turns out, that was a mistake." He turned to Severus, "What does Voldemort know of the situation?"

Severus repressed his flinch at the name, and damned Dumbledore again in his mind. "He knows of the attack. Lucius brought the news to him."

"Fucking Malfoy!" Sirius jumped to his feet again, only to be pulled back down by Lupin.

Severus raised an eyebrow, and then raised his voice slightly to be heard over the Black temper tantrum at the end of the table. "Indeed, I do not believe the Dark Lord knows of Potter's disappearance." He looked down to hide a smirk. Merlin, he loved not lying to the old man. Of course the Dark Lord didn't think Potter had disappeared. The two were sitting down to a no doubt gourmet lunch with the elder Malfoys.

The Dark Lord had stopped the recitation of the books, ordering everyone into the antechamber, and then transfiguring the furniture into several large round tables. He then brought everyone back in and had the house elves serve up a large meal. He had left strict instructions to Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan that Draco was not to leave the ballroom, and then he, Lucius, Narcissa, and Severus had left.

Lucius was discussing the upcoming trial with Potter, starting with basic courtroom etiquette and moving on to the various people who would no doubt be present. He also warned that Minister Fudge was making noise about moving both the time and the location of the trial. Severus knew that he would likely be the one escorting the boy to the Ministry for the day, and he made a mental note to check on his supplies of polyjuice potion. Lucius would be needed in the Wizengamot, Narcissa still had patients in the hospital wing recovering from some of the worst of Azkaban, and the Dark Lord was deliberately lying low. Of all the options, Severus knew he would be the best choice. Harry didn't trust any of them, but he had the closest rapport with the boy, and even a despised potions professor was better than a hostile stranger.