Chapter Eighty-Four: Suspicion

Chapter Eighty-Four: Suspicion

Monday, 29 March 1999

Poppy woke up and decided against going to breakfast that morning. Instead, she reset her alarm and rolled over and slept for another half hour. When the Charmed clock rang again, she still felt it was too early to get up, but she sat up, reached for her wand, and called Perlie.

The elf was there promptly, arriving before Poppy had shoved her feet into her slippers.

"Morning, Perlie. I'm going to take a shower. Please bring me tea, eggs, and toast when I'm out."

As she showered, waking up as the water streamed over her, Poppy reflected on the night before. Severus had been wonderful, and he had gone to so much trouble for their date; he had clearly stepped well outside his usual comfort zone in order to make their date special for her. They had even danced for quite a while, and he had told her before that he didn't like dancing. That had clearly changed...at least for the previous evening. He'd been warm and witty, and yet still showed the shy vulnerability that always touched her heart so.

She dressed in a set of pale blue robes and went out to her sitting room, where Perlie was setting out her breakfast. The large bouquet of lilacs was sitting in the centre of the table.

"Twiskett sends these from Professor Snape," Perlie said, smiling. "They be's very pretty."

"Yes, they are very pretty," Poppy agreed. There was an envelope sitting among the flowers that she hadn't seen the night before. She plucked it out and sat down. Her name was on the front of the envelope in Severus's handwriting.

Holding the envelope and smiling, Poppy barely nodded at Perlie as the house-elf asked if she wanted her tea poured. She pulled the parchment from the envelope and unfolded it.

Monday, 29 March 1999

PS My turn: Poppy Prunella Pomfrey. (Please tell me I'm wrong!)

Poppy smiled. Yes, she could tell him he was wrong, at least about her middle name. She was looking forward to seeing him that evening, though.

She finished her breakfast quickly, then put on her matron's white pinny and hat. Before she left, she bent over the bouquet of lilacs and breathed in their scent. Severus had said to look at the flowers and think of him. Lilacs, the first emotions of love. He was falling in love with her, it seemed. Poppy could not deny to herself that she had already fallen in love with him, and the evening before had simply brought her more deeply in love.

She broke off a small stem of lilac, charmed it to stay fresh, and pinned it to her pinny just above her watch. She could catch its scent wafting up gently, and she took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly. Although she didn't know when she would be able to tell Severus that she loved him, she would enjoy these feelings. She had believed that she was long past feeling the rapturous love that was welling up in her, but it was there. When she looked at the flowers and remembered Severus's gentle kisses, she felt it even more strongly.

Her worry would be a thing of the past, she decided. She could still be hurt, Poppy acknowledged to herself, or the relationship could make either of them miserable, but those dangers would exist whether she worried about them or not...and dwelling on them might actually make them more likely to come about. She still wanted to step back and keep the pace as it had been the previous evening, though. It would be too easy to have their sexual passion become the overriding feature of their relationship, and she wanted a full, meaningful relationship with him.

In the infirmary, Poppy was surprised to see that yet more flowers awaited her: the two potted birds-of-paradise that had flanked Severus's fireplace the evening before. There was another note.

29 March 1999

Severus

Poppy had just finished arranging the plants in the corner of her office by the window when she saw a gaggle of fifth-year students limping toward the castle, followed by Hagrid, who was carrying two more. Letting out a tut of annoyance and wondering what beast Hagrid had been showing them that day, she picked up her potions basket and left the infirmary to go down to meet them. It didn't look as though it would be a quiet morning.

Severus was slightly disappointed not to see Poppy at breakfast, but if she were able to get a few minutes extra sleep, he was glad. His own sleep had been disturbed, and he felt unfocussed and distracted. Although he had felt quite content when he'd returned to his quarters after leaving Poppy, he'd had a hard time falling asleep, then woke several times during the night. Seeing Bulstrode's memory had made the attacks feel much closer to home, even more so than the attack on Malfoy had. When he did sleep, his dreams had been vague and peculiar; he couldn't remember them on waking, but they left him feeling unsettled.

As he taught his morning classes, Severus focussed on the students and their brewing, but every now and then, he would put his hand into the pocket of his robe where he had put the sprig of lilac he had taken from Poppy's bouquet. He had charmed it to stay fresh and to retain its blossoms so that it would last the day in his pocket. Touching the woody stem of lilac, he thought of Poppy. He hoped that she was having a quiet morning. After their late night, she deserved to have a peaceful morning.

His own morning was punctuated by dunderheads who could not follow simple instructions and who, as a result, produced inert sludge...when they weren't melting their cauldrons or creating toxic fumes. After smothering the third explosion of the morning, Severus was ready to cancel classes for the day.

"Did they serve stupid juice with your breakfasts this morning? What part of 'grind to a fine powder' was difficult to understand?" Severus demanded.

"I thought it was fine enough," Norbert Twiffle mumbled.

Severus lifted the mortar that still contained some of the ground Chimaera hoof. He turned it upside down on the table. "It's like gravel. Look at it, Twiffle. What is 'fine' about it?"

"I was in a hurry, I guess," the Hufflepuff said.

"In a hurry to blow yourself up, Twiffle? Don't answer that," Severus said in disgust. "Clean up this waste of expensive potions ingredients. You'll brew this again tonight...no, tomorrow. Seven o'clock. Be here." He looked around the room at the rest of the potions. "In fact, everyone be here but Brett, Harper, and Gleason. Tomorrow evening, seven sharp. And I suggest that between now and then, you all read the formula and instructions until you can repeat them by rote. Hopefully, with some understanding."

He dismissed the class, telling them to go to the library and reread the potions formula, and then he Vanished all the potions. Brett, Harper, and Gleason hadn't finished brewing theirs, but they had been the only ones whose potions were at the correct stage and whose ingredients were all properly prepared.

Thinking that he could go up to the infirmary and spend a half hour with Poppy before lunch, Severus started up from the dungeons. As he came down the hallway past the staff room, he was surprised to hear the great door open and then see Gareth step into the entry hall. The younger wizard was as white as a sheet and clearly upset.

"McGonagall? What's wrong?"

"Severus! I have to find Uncle Albus and Aunt Minerva right away."

"Dumbledore's teaching and Minerva's in London. What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's Mum."

A few students came down the stairs, and Severus took Gareth's elbow and pulled him toward the staff room. "In here," he said. "Tell me what is going on."

Gareth took a shaky breath and began to pace as Severus closed the staff room door.

"They've taken Mum to the Ministry. They're questioning her about the attacks. They're treating her like a suspect."

"What? That's ludicrous..."

"I know, I know. And it's my fault."

"Sit down and tell me what happened."

Gareth took a deep breath and let it out, taking a seat in the armchair by the fire. "A couple Aurors came by this morning, Auror Plummer and a younger Auror named Appleton. It was just me and Hermione there today. They asked us both some questions about where we were yesterday. Hermione was at Weasley's, and they confirmed that you were with me at Grandmother Siofre's yesterday afternoon. I thought they were finished, but then Plummer asked me whether I owned a Chameleon Cloak or knew anyone who did. I told her that there are a couple at the Tyree place, which they seemed to already know, and then I mentioned that my Dad used to have one. They wanted to know where it was and who had it now. I told them that last I knew, Mum had it on the island. She never used it much, but I'm pretty sure she had it there, and that it's still there."

"A lot of people have Chameleon Cloaks...perhaps not a great many people do, but your mother's not the only one. Why did they bring her to the Ministry?" Severus asked.

"The two of them whispered together for a while, then they asked me where my mother was, since she was obviously not at home. I said that she's been staying at the estate recently. They wanted to question her right away, so they went to the Three Broomsticks to Floo through...the estate's still on the Floo Network even though our Hogsmeade house isn't. I Apparated ahead of them, and when they called through the Floo, Mum let them come through.

"They asked her about where she was yesterday afternoon and evening, and there was a significant portion of time when she was in the library alone, reading, and then she went out for a hike before dinner and didn't get back until seven. She wasn't seen by anyone. So she doesn't have an alibi. She also doesn't have an alibi for the previous two attacks, not one that the Aurors liked, anyway...when the two witches were attacked, she was still at the house in Hogsmeade, but she'd gone out for a walk before breakfast and she said she didn't remember seeing anyone who might have also seen her. Then when Malfoy was attacked, she was here in Hogsmeade, but she was in her study and neither I nor Hermione had seen her all afternoon. The attack before that, she was in Hogsmeade, as well, but she'd already gone to bed for the night, and clearly she has no witnesses that she was tucked up in bed when Huffy was being cursed. For the others, she doesn't even remember where she was, though most of the time, she must have been at the house in Hogsmeade. But she didn't know that she'd need an alibi, so she didn't make note of anyone she might have seen. They're questioning her as a suspect, Severus. Mum may seem strong, but this could be too much for her."

Severus shook his head. "Hopefully, they will treat her with respect. Auror Plummer must have been one of her students. Did anyone go with her?"

Gareth shook his head. "Quin and Alroy are working...in their Muggle offices in the City...and Rosemary isn't supposed to Floo or Apparate anywhere at this point in her pregnancy. I wanted to go, but then I thought I should let someone else know. Besides, Plummer said I couldn't stay with Mum even if I did go with them. I sent Gluffy to Grandmother Siofre, and I came here."

"I don't know what your grandmother can do for her, but Minerva and Albus might be able to help," Severus said. "Blampa!" He paused and was about to call Minerva's house-elf again when she popped into the room.

"Blampa, find the Headmistress. I believe she is still at St. Mungo's...visiting Bulstrode," Severus added to McGonagall. "Tell her . . . here, I'll write a note to give her."

Severus went over to a small secretary and pulled open its middle drawer, found some parchment, and took a quill from its holder on the desk.

29 Mar 1999

...S. Snape

Gareth took the note and the quill, and added a postscript saying that Siofre should be on her way there herself.

"Grandmother Siofre's an advocate," Gareth explained, handing the parchment to Blampa. "She doesn't go before the Wizengamot any longer, but she's a canny witch. She'll put them in their place if they try to get Mum to take Veritaserum or something. Mum has her rights."

Blampa Apparated away to find Minerva, and Severus shook his head and sat down. "It can't be your mother..."

"Of course it can't!" Gareth interrupted.

"I mean that even if it could be her, it isn't. There's something . . ." He shook his head again. "There's something very wrong with her even being a suspect, and I can't put my finger on it."

"It's because it's stupid. Completely lame-brained," Gareth said, becoming upset again. "How they think it could be Mum..."

"Listen, Gareth, she'll be fine. I'm sure of that. Minerva will go straight there. But there is something I know, but I can't think . . . Go find Dumbledore. You know where his classroom is. Tell him what has happened, but have him come down here to see me. I need a moment of quiet to think."

"Yeah, Snape, you have your moment of quiet, whilst Mum could be in chains somewhere..."

"Gareth! Stop. Think. Take a breath, then go get Dumbledore."

"Sorry, Severus. It's just, she's already gone through more than anyone should."

"I know that. But if you give me a moment of quiet, I might be able to help. Go fetch your uncle."

After Gareth had left, Severus closed his eyes. There was something dancing at the fringes of his consciousness, but he couldn't catch it. If he'd had more sleep, perhaps he'd already have it. Or else it was just an illusion . . .

Five minutes later, Severus still didn't know where this conviction came from, and Albus and Gareth stepped into the room.

"Gareth told me that you sent Blampa for Minerva," Albus said without any preamble.

Severus nodded. "She was already in London. She's probably with Professor Gamp already, or will be shortly. Faster than we could get there."

"What other questions did they ask your mother?" Albus asked.

"They wanted to know where Dad's old Chameleon Cloak was, they wanted her to show it to them, but she said that she doesn't have it. She left it in the house on the island. They didn't like that answer."

"I should have remembered that Cloak last night and dispelled any concerns about it then. One of us can go to the island and look for it, if that becomes necessary," Albus said gently. "What else?"

"They were interested in her alibis, but as I already told both of you, she doesn't really have any alibis. She didn't know she'd be needing them, did she, and Plummer wasn't happy about that, either. Then they were interested in her shoes, of all things. Wanted to know what kind of shoes she wears when she goes walking or hiking."

Severus shot Albus a glance, then asked, "What did your mother tell them?"

"She has a few different pairs of walking shoes and hiking boots. They're all these Muggle shoes she likes. They have good treads, she says. Don't even need a traction charm most of the time."

Albus sighed. "And they're rubber-soled?"

"Yeah, of course they are." Gareth looked at the two of them. "What do her shoes have to do with anything? Did they find footprints or something? They could test her shoes then, and they'd see they weren't the ones, right? So that's a good thing."

"The perpetrator appears to wear rubber-soled shoes, or possibly crepe," Severus said, feeling uncomfortable that he had been the one to point that out to Moody the night before. Moody had obviously already passed on his observations to the Auror Department. "I don't know whether they've found footprints."

"Great," Gareth said with a sigh. "Did you remember whatever it was that you needed your moment of quiet for?"

Severus shook his head. "I think there's something in that memory that we viewed last night, Albus, but I can't put my finger on what it is. But there's something . . . I just don't think that figure could be Professor Gamp. It seems to be the right height and general build...if there's no charm distorting the appearance of height, but . . . I need to see the memory again. Can you get Moody back here with his copy of the memory? Or can you remember more than I do? You've known Gamp for years, did it look like her to you?"

"I don't know . . . I think that if it had been Gertrude, I would have recognised her..."

"It couldn't be Mum!" Gareth said indignantly. "You're speaking as though it could be!"

"I don't believe she'd ever do anything like this, Gareth," Albus said soothingly. "I am merely speaking hypothetically. We need to think clearly in order to help her."

"I know, I know," Gareth said, slouching down in his chair. "I just . . . I couldn't do anything to help her. And she would insist on being truthful and not making anything up."

"Of course, and that's always better. Lies exposed have a way of making a person look very guilty," Albus replied. "But back to your question, Severus. I think that if it had been Gertrude, I would have recognised her even with the Disillusionment and Chameleon Cloak, and I didn't, though she does resemble the general build of the person in the memory."

"We'll need to see the memory again," Severus said. "Or I will. Gareth, you should go to the Ministry and see what you can find out. They might let you be with your mother if Minerva and Madam Tyree insist on it. They may even have let her go home already. Dumbledore will find Moody, and after we've reviewed the memory again, I think we'll be able help more." He hoped that they could exonerate Gamp completely, but he wouldn't promise that to McGonagall.

Gareth and Albus both left, and as the door to the staff room opened, Severus could hear the students chattering as they went to the Great Hall for lunch. Hoping that whatever was niggling at the edges of his consciousness might become apparent as he ate, Severus went to the Great Hall, too. With Minerva gone, and Albus, as well, it was best if he were there.

Just as it had that morning at breakfast, the conversation at the staff table revolved around the most recent attack, this one on a witch who had been a student only the year before.

"Is Minerva still at St. Mungo's visiting Bulstrode?" Vector asked on his right.

Severus looked at her distractedly. "I believe she is still in London," he replied, "as she is not here."

"Where's Dumbledore?"

Severus shook his head. "I don't know." True enough; he had no idea where Dumbledore would begin looking for Mad-Eye.

Sensing that Severus wasn't in the mood to talk, Vector didn't pursue the conversation.

Poppy came into the Great Hall, and as she approached the table, she caught his eye and smiled. He nodded. He hoped nothing would interfere with his seeing her that evening, but if the business with Gamp didn't get cleared up, he should probably spend the evening with Gareth. It was partly his fault that McGonagall's mother was being questioned by the Ministry. If it weren't for the business with the Chameleon Cloak and the shoes, they probably wouldn't even have asked her for an alibi...although she was a witch with reason to harbour a grudge against Death Eaters. Not only had her husband been killed by them, but she'd been attacked, too. By him.

Severus sighed and looked down at his plate, which still held most of his lunch. Suddenly, he realised what it was in the memory that he needed to see once more. He felt slightly sick, and he pushed away from the table. He couldn't eat anything more. He would await Albus and Moody in the staff room, and if they hadn't returned before his first afternoon class . . . he would call Twiskett and have him post an announcement cancelling it. He had to see the memory again.

Although Severus doubted that the Aurors would treat Professor Gamp as they had treated him when he'd been arrested all those years before, the less time that she remained a suspect, the better. And it was the least he could do for Gareth and his mother after having been the direct cause of so much pain in their lives for so long.

On his way out, he stopped at Poppy's chair and bent close to her.

"Can I see you for a moment, Madam Pomfrey?" he asked softly. "I see that you haven't finished your lunch, but it's somewhat urgent."

Without hesitation, Poppy got up and followed him out.

"What is it, Severus?"

Severus held up one hand, then led her to the staff room. Only after he had closed the door did he answer her question.

"I thought you should know that Professor Gamp has been taken to the Ministry for questioning about the attacks. I don't believe she's under arrest," Severus said in response to Poppy's expression of alarm, "but Gareth was here earlier, and he said that she's become a suspect. She doesn't have adequate alibis for the last few attacks, she owns a Chameleon Cloak...which she could not produce...and she wears rubber-soled shoes. And she's a witch of about the right height and build."

"But that's absurd!" Poppy exclaimed. "It couldn't be Gertrude. She wouldn't do things like that. She certainly wouldn't hex people like Clematis and Virginia, but I can't see her ambushing anyone and attacking them from behind."

"I know. And I think that I know something that will help her, but I want to view the memory from last night one more time. Dumbledore is fetching Moody, if he can find him."

"The memory?"

"I'm not certain, but I think I'm right about something. I just need to confirm it."

"What? Something in the memory . . . Of course!" Poppy exclaimed. "The curse...it seemed to come from the attacker's right-hand side. Is that it?"

Severus nodded, smiling slightly at the speed with which Poppy had realised what had taken him longer to remember, despite being so personally familiar with Gamp's injury. "I think it did. But there was so much distortion from the Cloak and the charm, I want to view it once more. I am unsure."

"I'm certain of it," Poppy said firmly. "And there was even a movement when the spell was cast. I couldn't make out the wand very well...it looked like it was a dark one, but that could have been the Disillusionment Charm...but I was pretty sure I saw the arm reach out with the wand. And it was on the right. The attacker's right, I mean, not ours. I didn't even think it was significant last night."

Severus shrugged. "If I had viewed it when I was fresher, perhaps I might have made note of it, since it would eliminate at least some suspects, but perhaps not. It wasn't obvious, and we're also all so used to seeing someone use a wand with their right hand, it only seems remarkable when they don't, if you know what I mean."

Poppy nodded. "I never thought that Gertrude would find it lucky to be missing her right arm, but in this case, I think that she is...although that's probably what they see as her motive. That and Malcolm's death and Quin's affliction. Those would be motive enough for some person, I'm sure."

Severus nodded, controlling his expression and the feeling of self-disgust that rose in him. Poppy could have no idea how the thought of Professor Gamp's injury affected him...and he didn't want her to know.

"I am going to wait for Dumbledore," Severus said. "I will tell him what we have remembered, and we can view the memory once more and make sure of what he and Moody can tell the Ministry."

"I could do that for you if they're not back before your next class," Poppy offered. "Why don't we wait up in my office? We have a good view of the gates from there. I also have a few students in the infirmary who I should check on again shortly."

Severus nodded. "All right."

Up in the infirmary, Poppy fixed them both tea, and they sat in her office and waited.

"Thank you for the plants, and for your lovely notes. They really made my morning, Severus," Poppy said. "I can also reassure you that my parents did not name me Prunella!"

Severus smiled. "That is reassuring."

"I've devised a new strategy for guessing your name," Poppy said, taking a sip of tea.

"I didn't realise you had any strategy before," Severus said with a smirk.

"Ha ha," Poppy said. "As if you've done better."

"So what's your new grand strategy?"

"You're so clever; you figure it out," Poppy said.

"Getting tough, hmm?"

"I want to win."

"So what's your next guess?"

"Severus Stephen Snape."

Severus snorted a laugh.

"Wrong? Oh, well."

"Now you're going from the outlandish to the pedestrian; that's your new strategy?"

"As if 'Prunella' weren't outlandish," Poppy said.

"Not as outlandish as 'Septimius' or 'Salazar.' Then . . . Poppy Patience Pomfrey?"

"Patience? Do I look like a Patience to you?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "In that cap of yours, you look like a lot of things. A Pilgrim, perhaps." He laughed.

Poppy raised one eyebrow. "Okay, now you're going for the low blow...though I certainly do have to have a lot of patience to deal with you. But I won't be thrown off, Severus . . . Sextus Snape."

Severus smirked and shook his head. "I'm going to win, Poppy. And you'll be glad about it."

"I'm not giving up yet," Poppy said with a smile.

"Neither am I. However, I am going to have to leave," he said with a glance out the window. "I hope that Dumbledore finds Moody soon. McGonagall was upset. I've never seen him quite like that. Even when he's angry, he's . . . he's in control, somehow, if you know what I mean. Coldly rational beneath his anger. He was very emotional this morning."

Poppy nodded. "He would be. Gertrude's his mother, after all, and she's already had enough trouble in her life without having people suspecting her of being a mad vigilante."

"Hopefully, his concern has already been allayed, but if not, Dumbledore and Moody can help. Thank you, Poppy. I appreciate your help." He reached out and caressed her arm. "And your company."

"I wish we'd had more privacy, but Hagrid will insist on introducing his students to 'lively creatures.' It was a Mackled Malaclaw this time. Fifth-year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students. I'd be careful what you assigned them. Their luck's going to be bad for at least a week. You're liable to have more melted cauldrons than usual." She looked out the window just as Severus started toward the door. "Wait, Severus...Rath's letting Miss Granger onto the grounds. Does she know what's going on?"

"I don't know...she was with McGonagall when the Aurors came to question him, but then he went to the Gamp estate alone, I think. I'll go down and talk to her. She may not have a clue what's happened, why Gareth never came back to the house. She'd be concerned."

"Good idea. I'll call Strilpa and have her put a sign on your classroom door telling your students to wait for you in an orderly fashion."

"They should know that already...but this is the second-year Gryffindor-Slytherin class. They are undisciplined. Thank you." He paused at the door. "I'll see you this evening."

Poppy nodded. "Events allowing."

"Events allowing . . ."

Severus left to meet Hermione.