When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 108: A Slytherin's Encouragement

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 108: A Slytherin's Encouragement

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

December, 1997

Loyalty toward Potter infected people like a poison. It was a positive thing for the boy but it was a nightmare for him. It made directing the school even more difficult and hurt more students in the end.

Hagrid had been a particularly gigantic pain in the arse. He'd been singing, well, more like shouting, heroic songs about how Potter managed to escape and incapacitate a group of Death Eaters that surrounded them at the Lovegood house. It didn't matter that it'd been night. The drunken voice had been heard from the small house outside Hogwarts, filling every part of the Great Hall where the students were eating. They'd started to sing with him, chorusing his stupidity.

He would've preferred to allow it to continue, to block out his world with a silencing spell, but that would've been too lenient. He'd had to put on his evil servant act.

He'd gone to Hagrid's cottage with the Carrows and confronted him. He'd tried being civil but was rewarded with an angry, drunken, half-giant barreling out the door, calling him a hypocrite, traitor, and murderer. He'd tried to warn him subtly that he was being stupid, but the moment those words came from his mouth Hagrid pushed him back, his ribs cracking at the pressure. The Carrows had bombarded Hagrid with hexes. Ineffective ones thanks to the giant's blood.

Hagrid easily knocked the Carrows off their feet and then ran into the dark forest. He was pleased to let the man go. He knew that forest better than anyone did and would be able to escape. Nevertheless, he'd told the Carrows to notify the Dark Lord's circle. Maybe a few Death Eaters would be killed if they dared to venture inside. It would thin out their numbers a bit and make things slightly easier during the final battle.

He'd ordered the students that had emerged to go back to their dorms and was now making his way to his office. Pomfrey had stepped forward to help him but he'd shot a glare at her, warning her not to dare try it. If she helped him, it would possibly turn the staff and students against her.

He pushed open his office door and entered. He sank down in his desk chair, and summoned a vial with a potion for mending bones. He popped open the cork and downed the contents without hesitation. He dropped the vial immediately and gripped the desk as his bones began mending themselves. He focused on the events at hand instead of the pain.

Why were they at Lovegood's place? Why did they change their hiding strategy? He glanced at Phineas' portrait to see he was missing. He knew Phineas was likely in the portrait in Hermione's bag.

He'd have to wait for information. He leaned back further in the chair and stared at the books on the top shelves, reading each of the titles and mentally organizing them in alphabetical order. Instead, Albus had organized them by color. So impractical.

His memory harked back to a time when Hermione had mentioned the organization of his books in his rooms. He gripped the chair arms as yet another rib moved and merged together, making it feel as if someone lit that area on fire.