Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
***
When Alastor Moody stepped through the threshold of 12 Grimmauld Place the night sky behind him flashed with a bolt of lightning that seemed to split the stars. There was no rainfall, it was almost as if those raw crackles of electric power were the residue of some terrible magic that had taken place.
“The Longbottoms are dead.”
His announcement fell on stricken faces. None of the Order members gathered could bring themselves to speak.
Finally, with tired eyes that already knew the answer, Albus asked, “And the boy?”
Moody did not speak. His expression was enough.
They had lost.
Albus rose to his feet, his arm swirling as he summoned Fawkes to his side. They had precious moments to spare when they could still act, and perhaps put some key motions into place that would not spell their doom completely.
“Alert Hogwarts,” he addressed his familiar, “everyone must evacuate now. The Dark lord is coming. Hagrid must ensure Sybill Trelawney leaves as well. And one last thing of great import: collect the school registry of all those who would have been accepted to Hogwarts when of age.”
Fawkes flew away, soaring into the stormy night sky to complete his given tasks. Sirius looked at him, puzzled. “Why do you need that piece of paper, Albus?”
“Despite what Voldemort may think, there will be young witches and wizards coming into their power despite their parentage. They cannot be abandoned.”
Sirius snorted in disbelief. “And you want to, what? Pick up teaching again? When all of us now have death sentences on our heads? We will be hunted more mercilessly now than ever. None of us will be able to show our faces in the wizarding world-“
Albus’ voice was soft, but there was a steel spine in his words that cut off Sirius’ frustrated venting. “I will not deny any child an education, especially now that they are so vulnerable.”
Molly Weasley had a dark look on her face as she started to tidy up their tea things. Keeping her hands busy was one of the habits she used to keep collected, and she was an intuitive woman that perceived far more than the other combat-skilled members of the Order. And she disapproved.
“And you will teach them. And they will become the greatest weapons you can wield against him.”
Albus countered gently, “They are our natural allies. All of our lives depend on us uniting together against him.”
Molly’s eyes were sharp, she was defeated to concede his point but she would not pretend she liked it. “But they will suffer the most.”
Perhaps to break the tension building in the room, and because the question was burning on her lips, Lily Potter looked to Albus beseechingly. “Who was it? Who found out about the prophecy and told him?”
Sirius let out a much louder noise of contempt and hurled his next words to her. “Who do you think, Lily? And you’ve defended him all this time.”
Lily ignored Sirius, she wouldn’t believe it until she heard it from Albus, but he was doomed to disappoint her as well. Her face fell, crushed by a betrayal she had been trying to deny for so long, when he finally confirmed her darkest fears.
“It was Severus.”
***
“Come to my side, Severus, so I may see you.”
Snape bowed low to the ground, approaching Voldemort with reverence. Cloaked in his black robes he was a shadow splitting away from a crowd of darkness to be singled out by a cold and terrible light.
“The prophecy has been broken. You have served me well.”
Snape muttered his gratitude in humble tones, as was expected of him, though in his mind he was allowing himself a private moment. He knew appreciation from the Dark lord did not come without its reservations or trials. And just now, in this brief second, he allowed himself one thought before closing his mind into an impenetrable fortress in anticipation of what was to come next.
Lily, you are safe…
Voldemort lifted his wand and hissed, “Legilimens!” before plunging into Snape’s mind, to ensure the loyalty of his trusted servant was faultless. And what he saw left him satisfied.