Deepest Darkness by MithrilQuill

Remus’s Reflections

Chapter 23 Remus’s Reflections


Cold coffee sitting on an old, tired desk
Ink stains and scribbles and a crick in my neck


Remus was asleep on top of the small table in the Gryffindor Common Room with his wand clutched in his right hand when the Owl came. For a few heart-stopping seconds, seconds he would do anything to relive over and over, he actually thought he was a fifteen year old again, being poked awake by Sirius after he’d fallen asleep studying late. This hope was shattered by the squawk of the impatient Owl.


It was a black bird with a sharp pointed look to it that made him think Slytherin before he even saw the writing. Of course it could not really be Ginevra Weasley because he had been to the girl’s funeral, had seen the rubble that used to be her home. The sender must therefore be someone familiar with her handwriting, someone that had something to hide.


Remus unrolled the parchment and saw that the rest of the writing was also in the same faked script. All thoughts of casting the charm that would reveal the identity of the real sender flew out of his mind as soon as he noticed some of the words in the first paragraph.


One does not come across a new spell very often and it would be a shame for such a promising spell not to be used. The wand movement is a quick upward flick followed by a sweeping arc, the caster of the spell must be feeling exceptionally angry at the time, I am afraid, but the results will not disappoint.


Remus put his hand to his forehead and knitted his brows. Well this was quite interesting. The last, and only, person he’d known who could invent spells was Snivellus and all the research he’d done showed that it was a rather dodgy sort of thing to do, mostly used by Dark Arts obsessed witches and wizards who apparently thought there weren’t enough creative torture spells around already or were just obsessed with getting credit for it. There were a few exceptions of course, but the sound of this one was quite worrying.


If the rest of the letter was true, though, detailing the exact date of an attack on Hogwarts and the fact that the order Headquarters were now revealed to Voldemort at last then they might just find uses for this spell. It sounded like a Death Eater who wanted a way out, there were plenty of those, Remus knew that all the cruelty didn’t sit well with all of them, even if they did believe in their Dark Lord’s cause. It was trusting in this person that posed a problem, but the third piece of information given would be of some use in this respect.


It was a riddle, of course, and Remus had little time to figure it out, but it seemed to point to the location of three runaways who were in hiding from Voldemort. Remus clutched the letter in his hand and rushed off to the library; if he found these three then he would take the leap and trust this person on the other counts since it was well known that the three boys had deserted Voldemort. He didn’t think he could afford not to, not when an attack on Hogwarts could be turned to their favor.


And then there was Twelve Grimmauld Place, if they could ambush the Death Eaters there that would fit very nicely with the beginnings of Ron’s plans and it would provide good protection for Flitwick, it didn’t seem like the man was going to get better anytime soon; they just couldn’t risk moving him out.



A few hours later Remus had succeeded in finding the boys and speaking with them. They had been surprised at his arrival which meant they were either good actors or none of them had sent the letter. Upon entering the room he immediately went to his desk, but it wasn’t there. Remus rubbed his eyes and looked under the texts and on the floor and everywhere.


“You’re overworking yourself, Remus, get some sleep.”


It was Professor McGonagall. She walked in and pointed her wan at the papers he was holding: they slipped out of his hand and flew back onto the desk. Finally, he gave up and allowed himself to sink into the couch for a quick little nap, just to get enough energy to conjure a cup of coffee…



Minerva smiled at her old student and, second to Moody, her biggest support these days. The Weasley boy wasn’t doing a bad job giving orders either. She smiled a little, if the situation had been any less dire, if they didn’t get into a little skirmish with the Death Eaters almost everyday; then she might have felt useless with them taking on so much responsibility and the school closed down.


Sinking into the chair Remus had vacated and pushing the cup of cold coffee away she picked up what looked like a list in his handwriting.


Meeting
Research properties of Phoenix Tears or other possible ways to vanquish Dementors
Do something about Loon- Luna
Get Diary from Professor McGonagall
Sleep…maybe


She smiled fondly and turned to another one of his papers. Apparently Remus was trying to figure out this whole ‘perpetual darkness’, because they both agreed that it had to have some explanation and solution and it had to be defeated in less than twenty four yearsas the prophecy stated. A prophecy was one thing, she’d go far as to say she believed it now, but that didn’t mean it would just fulfill itself alone. Apparently the Pheonix needed to be reborn in order for all this to stop, so he was looking into the properties of Phoenix tears, but what were they going to do with the phoenix tears, make a potion and sprinkle it into the air all over the country? Minerva knew this was something much bigger than them, bigger than Voldemort, bigger than they could handle.


Or maybe it means the Order of the Phoenix will be reborn and you just can’t admit that people aren’t as close as they should be. Everyone was blaming Luna Lovegood for their bad mood these days and Minerva knew that no matter how harshly honest the girl was it was unfair, but she couldn’t exactly get into a fight with them over it; that was the last thing they needed right now. It was morale, morale was low and without Dumbledore there wasn’t one clear path, there wasn’t one person that all would trust to lead them right.


Ronald seemed to be the only one that wasn’t depressed yet, him and the poor boy they’d brought in, but then again the boy couldn’t see to know that the world around him was always literally dark. She wondered if he sat there sometimes and imagined that the sun was up and falling on his sheets through the window and making eye-catching shapes that he couldn’t see.


She shook her head and grabbed something else off the table to keep her mind off that track. The headline flew out at her:

First Muggle City to Resist He Who Must not be Named and Death Eaters
Group calling themselves Phoenix Alliance responsible



Remus had circled the word Phoenix with a heavy line and on top of the headline he had scribbled twenty four weeks? Well that was a nice hope since they had had around Twenty one weeks of darkness now, but Minerva wasn’t going to let herself hope. She summoned Helga’s Diary and quickly flipped to the page with the Prophecy, not that she really needed to see it, the words were etched into her memory by now.


The badger will flee her stronghold and sparrows will fall, in the knowledge of the keeper of the count, one and twenty…Darkness will reign ere the breaking of the friendship for four and twenty years before the Phoenix is reborn.


The badger was Hannah, at least they’d been operating on that assumption for a while now. Sparrows would fall…that was no surprise, almost everything was falling apart. Then there was the keeper of the count, Minerva often wondered about this part. Did it simply refer to time passing or was this an important person that they could benefit from finding? And the Phoenix, the phoenix had to be reborn. She gritted her teeth. No one would admit aloud that the Order wasn’t in the best shape, but they had a meeting today and Remus had some news that, if told in the right way, could be a little heart-lifting. Perhaps it was the right time to begin talking about it, because if an attack on Hogwarts was coming they needed to all be on one front and they needed to be determined, hopeful, and confident, not depressed.


They began filing in in small groups and Minerva noted that there wasn’t much talk. She looked at the faces around her. With Ronald, RAB and Kingsley at the Ministry, there weren’t really any young faces around, unless you counted Tonks. “Tonks; go get Hermione’s coin for me please and drop by Madam Pomfrey’s and tell her to bring Susan with her when she comes.”


Tonks’s face broke into a large grin, “Shall I call Dean and the others if I see them, then?”


“Yes.”


“Wait, Tonks, make sure the Lovegood child is otherwise occupied and doesn’t attend.” Minerva stared back at Alastor Moody’s serious expression, the girl was a little irritating, yes, but really, she should not be excluded like this, she was intelligent and had quite a bit to offer to the discussion Minerva was planning.


There was a long silence as the young ones, former members of Dumbledore’s Army, filed into the room in varying degrees of excitement. Ernie McMillan actually had a notebook with him and a quill at the ready. Finally, Moody broke the silence, addressing Minerva directly: “We don’t have time to consider her feelings, Minerva,” he firmly voiced what she knew was on everyone’s mind, “And Hagrid is late again!”


“I think we can begin without him, then,” McGonagall said addressing the room at large, “Remus has some good news for us today and a piece of information which could be very beneficial. First, however, I would like to address the subject we have all been ignoring.”


She left it like that for a few seconds, studying their faces too see their reactions. “We all need a good bar of chocolate right about now, don’t we?” Tonks said aloud, “Shame most of the shops have closed down, do you think house elves can make good chocolate?”


Several of the youngsters laughed and Minerva noted Remus’s fond smile as he shuffled through his papers again, apparently looking for something. “Yes, Ms. Tonks, I believe we do need a little cheering up, and a little more harmony in the group. We are on the eve of battle, a battle that will most likely take place in Hogwarts, and while we all have our respective roles and everyone is working night and day, we have allowed the darkness to begin to affect us and tear us apart and I don’t believe that Luna is responsible for this, one person cannot alone be the cause for this and especially one person who has always told the truth.”


“Yes, her own loony version of the truth,” Seamus said, “We’re not talking to each other because there’s nothing to talk about except death and darkness, Professor.”


“On the contrary, Mr Finnigan there is everything to talk about, because we will win this War, we must, and we have many sunny days of rebuilding to plan for. Many new homes to build and a school to reopen. We have much to talk about, and death does not erase memories.”


“Hear, hear,” said a voice from the doorway that made everyone jump a little in their seats, “Sorry to interrupt, Professor, it’s just that someone must have forgot to tell me there was a meeting and I need to talk to you before I go.”


“Go, Ms, Lovegood?” Minerva said wondering how much Luna had heard. She couldn’t have been there for too long since she had come with Hagrid and they would have noticed him right away.


“Yes, of course, I’ve just found out where the last ingredient we need to get rid of the Dementor mist is and I need to let you know I’m going and ask you for some things I need to take with me.”


Minerva did not respond, but just kept staring at the girl waiting for further explanation. The way she said Dementor Mist made it sound like a very unlikely fairy-tale, but Minerva reminded herself that she’d been thinking about it only a couple of days ago and she’d seen it in Remus’s notes this morning.


“Well Neville just left this morning so I need some herbs and things to heal myself in case the centaurs aren’t too friendly, see I don’t think they’re going to be too pleased at first, but I’m going to also take a gift for them so I’m sure it’ll be alright.”


Centaurs, she couldn’t really be thinking of going into the Forbidden Forest. They could not let the crazy girl throw herself to death, but it seemed that no one else was willing to speak up. Minerva realized that she too was strangely silent, but Pomona Sprout beat her to it, “We cannot allow you to go into the Forbidden Forest at all, Luna!”


“Oh, I’m not asking for persmission, Professor,” Luna replied matter-of-factly, “The end of the war depends on this ingredient. I’ll leave some instructions for finding it just in case I don’t succeed, but I’m sure no one else is going to go so I’ve got to make sure to do it myself.”


“Ms. Lovegood, your life is more important than the Dementor mist, sit down!” the Head of Hufflepuff said firmly.


Luna smiled, “Oh, but I know you’ll all be glad to get rid of me,” she said, “It’s all right, I can take care of myself, just thought I’d let you all know I was going to get the fairy wings and I didn’t want you to blame anyone else for stealing the healing things.”


No one had any more time to object because she floated out of the room and closed the door rather loudly behind her. Minerva, Alastor and Remus shared looks and then Remus took a deep breath and took charge of the meeting, explaining the new information and the measures he’d taken to ensure Professor Flitwick’s safety at the old Headquarters. The girl had said that she wasn’t taking permission after all, they couldn’t exactly lock her up if she wanted to go…they hadn’t been able to keep Hannah in here.


The meeting soon ended and Minerva was very pleased with the way Remus had handled giving his news. It seemed that some sort f dam had broken and everyone was talking to each other in lighter voices and really hoping, believing in themselves. That left only three Gryffindors to worry about the fact that Remus’s “new Order recruits” were former Slytherins and Death Eaters, a fact which he’s failed to mention to the group at large. They also had to worry about the new spell possibly backfiring and the fact that they’d sent the girl to her sure death…allowed her to go, Minerva reminded herself. None of them had actually come up with the stupid idea. And they were running out of time, Harry and Hermione were still working on destroying the Horcrux and there was still one missing, and even though they’d finally told everyone about their mission they were still doing it on their own. Harry was the only one who could destroy them and this was worrying Minerva.


“She’s crazy,” Remus saud waving around a paper Luna had left, “But she’s clever, I don’t see anything wrong with her little theory. She’s not actually fighting the Dementor mist, she wants to try and find a way to kill the Dementors.”


“But that’s impossible, Remus,” Minerva said, “It’s been studied for years and years.”


“It’s more plausible than trying to bring back a lost sun or destroy a darkness that we don’t even know the cause of. If she can do this, she won’t be the first from Ravenclaw to find a solution to the seemingly impossible.” Moody’s grim expression was a still serious, but he looked somewhat more hopeful that before.


“I’m sending someone after the girl,” Minerva said, “Just as soon as we make sure this next attack on Hogwarts is blocked.”


“Nah,” Hagrid said before leaving the room, “Don’ worry too much abo’ her she’s got Grawp with her.”


The three exchanged looks and then Moody stood up resolutely. “Let’s go to Hospital Wing, Minerva, Poppy’s been asking me to help her transfigure some vials and things and more beds for the patients and I want to show you something.”


“Alright then,” she agreed, “Remus you should…” but he was already at his desk again, idly casting a heating charm on his cup of coffee with one hand and flipping through pages with the other.



They did not have time to do too much transfiguring in the Hospital before a large silvery Patronus, a Corporeal Patronus in the shape of a whale, flew over their heads and out through the window. Susan bones looked out the window after it, and Minerva was afraid the girl would fall out behind it when she suddenly yelled: “They’re here, they’re attacking Hogwarts now!”


Minerva smiled a little and stared at the little boy who was sitting in his bed with his wand held aloft. Perhaps there really was hope.

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