Relation

Thanks to my wonderful beta, Sempra.

Relation

Mundungus Disapparated to the gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a crack. He knew the gates would be locked. Therefore, he sent his Patronus to the Headmaster. "Expecto Patronum," he called, and a silver goose erupted from the tip of his wand.

Patiently, he waited for the Headmaster to come. The wringing of his hands was the only nervousness he showed. Then, he heard a muffled sound beyond the gates and squinted to make out who it was. Finally he saw the form, clothed in black with a billowing cape that made him look like a bat. Severus Snape approached the gate and stood there looking down his hooked nose at Mundungus.

"And to what do we owe this incommodious pleasure, Mr. Fletcher?" Snape questioned him with condescension.

"Please, Severus, I have some information for Dumbledore. I think he would really want to know this," Mundungus stated.

"Well, you can tell me, and I can relay the information to the Headmaster. I believe it is very late, and the professor needs his rest," Snape said coolly.

"Now, now, Severus, my boy... please let our associate in. Perhaps he would like a spot of tea," Dumbledore said as he came up to the gate behind Severus.

Severus gasped and turned slightly. "Headmaster..." he began, but Dumbledore waved him away and opened the gate for Dung to enter.

There was a twinkle in Dumbledore's blue eyes as they met Severus' black ones. Snape tightened his hands but said nothing.

"Please, please... let's go to my office, shall we?" the Headmaster asked as he led the way. Dung followed, and Snape, seething, brought up the rear.

On the way to his office, they ran into Minerva McGonagall. Her hair was in a loose braid down her back, and she was wearing a tartan dressing gown. Her square spectacles were perched primly on her nose, and she tilted her head up to look at the Headmaster apprehensively.

"What's going on? Is everything alright?" Minerva launched quickly, her thoughts going immediately to a smiling boy with green eyes and black, tousled hair.

"Shush, shush, Minerva. Everything is fine. Harry is fine. Mr. Fletcher, here, simply has some information he thinks we may desire," Albus told her. Then, Professor McGonagall also joined the parade to Dumbledore's office.

Suddenly, Mundungus hoped he was right about this. Dumbledore was one thing, but Snape and McGonagall were another. They had not always trusted him, and honestly, he couldn't blame them. The last time he was supposed to guard Harry Potter, the poor boy had been attacked by Dementors. Then Potter'd had to go to trial because he had used magic, and well... Dung didn't want to continue down that road. He shuddered a bit at the thought.

When they reached the Headmaster's office, Albus gave the password, "Licorice Snap." Swiftly, the gargoyle guarding the entrance jumped aside to reveal a spiral staircase. Once at the top, they all entered the double, heavy oak doors.

"Please have a seat," Dumbledore told them as he flicked his wand, and three cushioned chairs appeared.

Minerva settled into one, as did Mundungus into another. Severus, however, remained standing with his arms crossed over his chest, as if in defense against the world.

Albus sighed. "Severus, really, please sit down... unless you have somewhere else you need to be right this moment," Dumbledore finished tiredly.

Severus continued standing a moment, looked to the side as if thinking, 'oh, all right!' and sat down with a swish and flurry of black robes.

"Thank you." Albus smiled and took a seat behind his large desk.

Behind him, Mundungus heard gentle... What was that? Snoring? As he turned to look, he noticed the portraits of previous Headmasters lining the walls. They all seemed to be asleep. Well, it was rather late.

Dumbledore flicked his wand again, and a teapot on a trolley immediately began to pour steaming tea into four cups. Each cup floated to a recipient, and as they sipped, Mundungus started to fidget. Finally, Dumbledore put down his cup and stared at Dung with a small smile.

"Well, Mr. Fletcher, to what do we owe this midnight rendezvous?" he asked with interest.

"Yes – oh, that – um," Dung stuttered. "I was on my way to Diagon Alley to..." 'What?' he thought frantically, "meet a friend, and I noticed someone putting up a sign on a new night club across from the Leaky Cauldron," he finished.

"I see. And you thought the Headmaster could do with a bit of dancing so you ambled right over," Severus mocked.

"Severus..." said Dumbledore stoically, eyeing the younger man, and Snape settled again.

"Umm... I thought the name of the singer listed on the sign sounded familiar. So I slipped around back to see if it was who I thought it might be," he began and told them what he had overheard.

"Magic!? In front of a Muggle?" Snape questioned offensively at the part about the sign.

"Yes, but the other one was a Squib, and I think this John fellow is aware of magic folk," Dung repeated.

"Well, was the singer who you thought it was," asked Albus.

"Yes! Oh, yes! It has to be. She's practically the spittin' image of her mother," Dung told him excitedly.

"Then, what is her name?" asked Minerva, who until now had been silent.

"You realize I had to be sure. I thought I heard she had died. Only remembered the father's name," he continued.

"What is her name?" They all asked the question simultaneously, stopping Dung from going off in a rant again.

"Oh, yes, that! Serena Celestia," he finished, and there was a sudden sharp intake of breath to his right.

They all looked at Minerva and noticed she had turned dreadfully pale. Her hands started shaking, and Albus rose swiftly to take the cup and saucer from her. He set it on the tea trolley and quickly turned, taking her hands in his.

"Minerva, my dear." Dumbledore searched her face earnestly. She looked so pale, and she shook almost violently, bordering on shock. Soon, she seemed to draw strength from his hands, and her breathing, which had been somewhat shallow, began to steady.

"Albus? The name... it can't be! But...how? And he said...her mother...she looks like her mother..." Minerva pointed at Mundungus and searched Albus' eyes frantically.

"How could she!? How could she do this to me?" Minerva began ranting, her voice climbing higher and higher with anger. Her shock turned to rage, and her body trembled with the force of it. Abruptly, she wrenched her hands from Dumbledore and stood up. Frenetically looking at Dung, she asked angrily, "Where is she?"

"I just said..." he began, cowering at the woman's fury and jabbing a thumb over his shoulder.

"No, no... I meant–oh, never mind!" Minerva moved toward the door.

Albus reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Minerva, I know you are angry. But flying off like this will not help your grandniece," he reminded, and Minerva gasped again.

She whirled around, eyes full of ferocity, and snapped, "Well, someone had better go get her! And that no good sister of Sam's! I'll, I'll–" she sputtered as Albus took her hands and led her back to her chair.

Reluctantly, she sank into the softness, staring blindly ahead but remaining ramrod straight. After a moment, her green eyes rose to meet Albus' blue ones. He noticed the tears beginning to glisten there, and he sat on his desk facing her, squeezing her hands.

"I thought she was dead, Albus." Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

"As did we all, my dear Minerva," he spoke softly and sadly gazed in her eyes, squeezing her hands again.

"Adelaide," she began, and a grimace crossed her face. "She told me Serena was dead... she showed me the pictures. Why, Albus?" Minerva pleaded, her heart aching. "Of course, she always did dislike me. I guess I just never knew how much," she stated ironically.

"Shhh, there, there, my dear." Albus placed a hand on her shoulder as Minerva halfheartedly pulled her hands from his and covered her face. Albus then moved back behind his desk.

"Was there anything else, Mr. Fletcher?" Dumbledore asked of Mundungus who simply stared, open mouthed, at the shivering form of Minerva McGonagall.

Shaken from his dumbfounded state, Dung looked at the Headmaster. "No, well, I simply figured you'd really want to know, since I seemed to recall her mother had some sort of ancient power..." he began, and Minerva's head snapped up.

She looked at Mundungus and then quickly turned to Albus. "Albus? You don't think she... Serena could have..." She let the words stop falling from her mouth. "I mean... when she was here there was no–" she started, then stopped and frowned.

"Indications? Yes, yes, I know. But you know as well as I do that a power like that takes time to show, and even then, if they aren't aware," he told her, and she nodded gravely.

"Excuse me? But what–" Dung began to ask. However, Albus cut him off by turning to a cabinet behind him.

Dumbledore retrieved something from a box and offered it to the other man. Dung held out his hand, and Albus placed a purple bag containing galleons in it. Dung's eyes seemed to glitter. He no longer thought of his question and looked up at the Headmaster.

"Thank you, sir!" Mundungus could hardly believe his luck. 'There must be sixty galleons here,' he thought.

Professor Snape, who had watched all of this with growing concern, rose and walked to the door at a look from Albus. "Thank you for the story, Mr. Fletcher. And now it would seem the rest of us would like to retire." As Snape opened the door to usher Mundungus out, Hagrid was standing there, poised to knock. Snape rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Ahh, Hagrid, my boy! Would you be so kind as to show our associate out?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You've got the slug root I asked for, I see." Albus' eyes rested on some slimy tendrils hanging from a bucket being carried by the half-giant.

"Yes, sir, Professor Dumbledore, sir. And I would be deligh'ed to show Mister Fletch'r out. Righ' this way!" Hagrid placed the bucket on the floor by the door and waved for Mundungus to follow him.

"Oh, yes, right!" Dung rose quickly and strode to the door. "Pleasure... um, thanks for the tea, Albus," he said as the Headmaster gave a simple nod.

"Good night, Mundungus, until we meet again," called Albus, and Dung was gone as Severus closed the door.

As they listened to Mundungus and Hagrid descend the stairs, Severus cast a silencing charm on the door and turned back to the others. He looked at the other two and stated, "As you were saying?"

Albus looked at him with the ever familiar twinkle. However, there was also intensity in the older wizard's gaze for Minerva, who had started wringing her hands. "I think we should explain, Minerva." Albus looked at her steadily.

She closed her eyes, nodded gravely and then began, "Seraphenia, who is Serena's mother, was my niece. She worked for the Department of Mysteries and met Sam Celestia, who worked for the Ministry of Magic's counterpart in America, when he was stationed here as an Ambassador for Magical Cooperation."

"In my family, a certain power is passed from mother to eldest daughter. Occasionally, it skips a generation. In my generation, my sister, Melissa, had the power, and she passed it on to her daughter, Seraphenia, who it seems, has passed it on to Serena," she told them.

"What power? How can you be sure the girl has it?" Severus asked, intrigued.

"By what Mr. Fletcher said, Serena is being very cautious. If she had the power, she would guard it and, therefore, would not take to singing too often in public. The man, Charles, mentioned seeing her sing before. That the night club had been filled to bursting. When Mr. Fletcher mentioned this, I had no doubt. Her mother was always very careful not to mention it or draw attention if she could help it," Minerva continued.

"But..." Severus began.

"Yes, yes... you see," Minerva went on exasperated, "my ancestor was a Siren. You are well read, I believe, you know what Sirens are and the power they possess." Minerva looked at him a little incensed.

Severus took in this last bit of information with a thread of shock. Yes, he did know what a Siren was, but he had no idea they still existed. "But, how is she not corrupted? All the stories I've ever read or heard indicate Sirens bring peril to those who answer their song. Yet, Charles is still alive, and he didn't mention anyone else–" Snape contemplated as Minerva cut him off.

"Yes, well the folklore in my clan states the Siren, Thestia, fell in love with Thaddeus McGonagall, who was deaf. Her song could never lure him to peril. With each generation thereafter, the power was passed and further dispersed. Each female in which the power is centered differs from the next. It can be very strong or very weak. The magnitude depends greatly on the powers of the witch in question."

"With Seraphenia, she knew she had the power at a very young age, and she loved to sing. This seemed to cause a few problems when she was a teenager until she learned to control it. I believe her study of this control led her to the Department of Mysteries, and then, eventually, to Sam."

"When they had Serena, I did wonder, but while she did have vast magical abilities, she didn't show any indications of having the power of Siren song, even when she began here at Hogwarts." At this point Minerva's green eyes grew darker, the irises dilated. "Then, Sam got called back to America and took them with him, and... everything seemed... to come apart." Her voice broke a little, and Minerva looked down at her hands.

Without looking up she continued, "About a month after Sam and the girls left, I received an owl from his sister, Adelaide. Informing me they had been attacked. I got there as quickly as I could but–" She shuddered at the memory and tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat. "They weren't there; only Adelaide was at the estate, and she seemed very upset to see me. Of course, I remembered her from Sam and Seraphenia's wedding, and I gathered she disliked me, but I never knew why." Minerva shook her head, looked back up at Albus and Severus and noted the tears hovering in Albus' eyes.

Letting out a deep breath, she went on, "Anyway, she huffed and told me they were dead, that it was too late to do anything and threw pictures of all three at me as proof." A dry sob burst from Minerva, and Albus took her hand again. "Oh gods, they were so awful... who could have done that to a child!? Adelaide said they were Death Eaters...." Minerva looked up, her eyes resting on Severus this time. Severus' eyes reflected pain for the anguish emanating from her every gesture. "That they cast the Dark Mark. She said the American Ministry arrived in time to engage the Death Eaters but killed all in the struggle that followed."

"Adelaide told me–" she broke off momentarily, struggling to regain some of her usual level-headedness but went on, defeated, "where the children were buried... and... and I went to the graveyard. I laid my flowers and tokens on their plots. I... she...They were all so young...Why?" Minerva looked into Albus' moist blue eyes, and her tears began. Huge drops gathered at the corners of her eyes and spilled down her face.

As she wept, her mind raced frantically over the facts. Something had happened which she didn't understand. She had seen the pictures, she had been to the graves, yet she had just heard, somewhat, verification that Serena was still alive. 'But... how and why?' she thought anxiously.

Albus watched Minerva's eyes dart back and forth. Her trembling increased. Panic was rising within her as a realization struck her. A realization she was having a hard time comprehending. Accepting Serena's death had been heart-breaking for her, he knew. But, how would she deal with it if that death had been a lie. And a lie to what gain, he wondered.

"Minerva, my dear–" he started.

"No, Albus, don't," she cut him off. "I need answers... I need...oh gods, can it be true? After all these years... She was my heart, Albus! It feels like its being torn open again. You know... you remember," she tried to continue as her voice rasped, the words torn from her throat, "what it was like... we were like." Minerva covered her face with her hands as her shoulders shook.

As Minerva sat there in her grief, she felt her hands being pried from her eyes. But it wasn't Albus this time. She looked up into the soulful black eyes of Severus. He had come down on one knee and kneeled there, searching her face.

"Minerva... let me," he said simply. "I will not fail you. I can get the answers you seek. I will help you uncover the truth. Please... I have never seen you so distraught. I know I can find the answers."

Severus held both of her hands in his as he finished his appeal. Minerva was touched. Albus had always told her Severus had his full confidence, but she had never known he could have such compassion. It was true; they did not always see eye to eye, but apparently they were of one accord when it came to family.

Severus' hand over hers steadied her, and Minerva's trembling decreased. "Severus, how?" she asked as her eyes searched his.

"Well, we will be in need of a plan," he intoned dryly as a small smile played about his lips for just an instant.

Minerva thought she must have lost her mind. She could have sworn she saw Severus smile, but when she rubbed her tearful eyes and looked again, it was gone. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as Albus watched the two people he cared for most in the world finally come to an understanding, the twinkle shining madly in his brilliant blue eyes.