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ATHENA FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO GET UP the following day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Her mind was swarmed with information she couldn't divulge. She couldn't tell anyone about this. Dumbledore had never specified that the information she learnt was secret but she gathered from the lateness of the meeting and the tone in which he told it that only Snape and Athena should know what would happen to him.
She would never feel sorry for Dumbledore. There were so many reasons she disagreed with him, so many angered words she wanted to shout at him before it was too late. He had often been a source of blame for her. Sirius going to jail, Harry growing up with the Dursley's, Theodore being stuck with the death eaters. Where there was a problem, Athena could usually find a way to pin it on Dumbledore.
The idea of him dying didn't give her great sadness. Maybe she was cruel for this as he had accomplished much despite his faults. However, she wouldn't miss him when he was gone. She wouldn't miss being dragged to his office to find out more horrible news, she wouldn't miss his condescending tone or the cryptic way that he talked. She wouldn't miss the fact that he always knew more than he was letting on.
However she would miss his knowledge in the order, she would miss his expertise on the war. How were they expected to win this battle when Dumbledore was gone. Voldemort would find it easy to take over now. Hogwarts would be his first target but of course Dumbledore had already seen that coming. Snape would no doubt lead the school. Voldemort would trust him after he killed Dumbledore.
This was another thing that made her blood run cold. Why was she the one who had to know of this internal plot? When everyone turned against Snape she would have to be the one who knew, the one who understood. She would have to lie again and there was nothing that worried her more than the consequence of a lie.
As she walked around day after day in a mood that could challenge even the saddest of onlookers. Her mind was cast to Draco Malloy. Athena was required to care for all students, to look out for them no matter what. Athena had never cared for Draco. Maybe this was simply because of her terrible experiences with his father or the rivalry he had sparked with Harry from the offset. She'd always thought him cruel, a bully, a copy of his father.
Now she was not so sure. Draco was his own person and whatever terrible attitude he'd donned before, he didn't deserve this. He was being punished for the failures of his father. Only sixteen and burdened with killing the most well renowned wizard of all time. A wizard even Voldemort was unable to kill.
He was being set up to fail, it was clear to see. Even with Snape's help, it would be a wonder if the boy didn't break, if he made it through the panic. Would he even accept Draco's help? Athena was unsure if Voldemort had permitted him to accept help from anyone.
There was nothing she could do about any of this. Dumbledore had instructed Snape to help Draco and to kill Dumbledore. Of course Athena could have never done either of these things. The only reason for her involvement was the weird connection she had with the war. Dumbledore expected her to lead the order when he was gone. Athena didn't think this was something she was able to do.
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Athena had expected fallout from the plan. Specifically Draco's mission. Dumbledore had seen this coming too which is why he asked Snape to help Draco in the first place. Ensuring that no one got caught in the crossfire.
Unfortunately the following week it seemed this plan had failed and the worst fears had come to light. McGonagall and Athena were strolling the halls and discussing how to improve results (which would usually be Aurora's job if she had not been busy teaching) when they heard thunderous footsteps pounding up the stairs.
Turning in surprise, Athena and McGonagall saw Hagrid running towards them with a girl lain in his large arms. Athena recognised her immediately. She was Katie Bell from Gryffindor. Her dark hair lying limp, her face turned to the ceiling pale and ghostly.
"What on earth had happened?" McGonagall gasped.
"Looks like she was cursed" Hagrid grunted, "got to get 'er to the hospital wing, 'Arry knows more"
"Harry?" Athena asked in exasperation. Why was it always Harry?
The two teachers hurried down the stairs into the great hall to see five students standing around. Harry, Ron and Hermione (which could of course be expected), a girl Athena presumed to be Katie's friend based on her scared expression and to Athena's surprise, Eleanor Lupin.
"What are you doing here?" Athena asked Elle immediately.
"I was having an occlumency lesson with Snape" she explained, "when I walked out, I saw it happen"
"Miss Lupin you accompany Katie to the hospital wing, I shall see you there shortly" McGonagall said straight away. Elle nodded quickly before she disappeared up the entrance hall steps.
"Hagrid says you four saw what happened to Katie Bell—upstairs to my office at once, please! What's that you're holding, Potter?"
"It's the thing she touched," said Harry.
"Good Lord," said Professor McGonagall, looking alarmed as she took the necklace from Harry. "No, no, Filch, they're with me!" she added hastily, as Filch came shuffling eagerly across the entrance hall holding his Secrecy Sensor aloft. "Take this necklace to Professor Snape at once, but be sure not to touch it, keep it wrapped in the scarf!"
Harry and the others followed Professor McGonagall upstairs and into her office. The sleet-spattered windows were rattling in their frames, and the room was chilly despite the fire crackling in the grate. Professor McGonagall closed the door and swept around her desk to face Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the still sobbing friend of Katie's who was apparently named Leanne.
"Well?" she said sharply. "What happened?"
Haltingly, and with many pauses while she attempted to control her crying, Leanne told Professor McGonagall how Katie had gone to the bathroom in the Three Broomsticks and returned holding the unmarked package, how Katie had seemed a little odd, and how they had argued about the advisability of agreeing to deliver unknown objects, the argument culminating in the tussle over the parcel, which tore open. At this point, Leanne was so overcome, there was no getting another word out of her.
"All right," said Professor McGonagall, not unkindly, "go up to the hospital wing, please, Leanne, and get Madam Pomfrey to give you something for shock."
When she had left the room, Professor McGonagall turned back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"What happened when Katie touched the necklace?"
"She rose up in the air," said Harry, before either Ron or Hermione could speak, "and then began to scream, and collapsed. Professor, can I see Professor Dumbledore, please?"
"The Headmaster is away until Monday, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, looking surprised.
"Away?" Harry repeated angrily.
"Yes, Potter, away!" said Professor McGonagall tartly. "But anything you have to say about this horrible business can be said to me, I'm sure!"
Harry hesitated for a brief moment. He looked to Athena more trustingly than he had looked at McGonagall. There was a small understanding between them in that moment where Athena realised exactly what Harry was going to say. It was also in this moment she realised he was exactly right.
"I think Draco Malfoy gave Katie that necklace, Professor."
On one side of him, Ron rubbed his nose in apparent embarrassment; on the other, Hermione shuffled her feet as though quite keen to put a bit of distance between herself and Harry.
"That is a very serious accusation, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, after a shocked pause. "Do you have any proof?"
"No," said Harry, "but..." and he told her about following Malfoy to Borgin and Burkes and the conversation they had overheard between him and Mr. Borgin.
Now Athena listened to this story again she picked up on more she had missed the first time. Of course the first time she's been sure that Harry was worried about nothing. Now she was aware of Draco's plot. She knew that something was going to happen and Harry was right to think it was connected to this store.
When he had finished speaking, Professor McGonagall looked slightly confused.
"Malfoy took something to Borgin and Burkes for repair?"
"No, Professor, he just wanted Borgin to tell him how to mend something, he didn't have it with him. But that's not the point, the thing is that he bought something at the same time, and I think it was that necklace --"
"You saw Malfoy leaving the shop with a similar package?"
"No, Professor, he told Borgin to keep it in the shop for him—"
"But Harry," Hermione interrupted, "Borgin asked him if he wanted to take it with him, and Malfoy said no --"
"Because he didn't want to touch it, obviously!" said Harry angrily.
"What he actually said was, 'How would I look carrying that down the street?'" said Hermione.
"Well, he would look a bit of a prat carrying a necklace," interjected Ron.
"Oh, Ron," said Hermione despairingly, "it would be all wrapped up, so he wouldn't have to touch it, and quite easy to hide inside a cloak, so nobody would see it! I think whatever he reserved at Borgin and Burkes was noisy or bulky, something he knew would draw attention to him if he carried it down the street--and in any case," she pressed on loudly, before Harry could interrupt, "I asked Borgin about the necklace, don't you remember? When I went in to try and find out what Malfoy had asked him to keep, I saw it there. And Borgin just told me the price, he didn't say it was already sold or anything --"
"Well, you were being really obvious, he realized what you were up to within about five seconds, of course he wasn't going to tell you--anyway, Malfoy could've sent off for it since --"
"That's enough!" said Professor McGonagall, as Hermione opened her mouth to retort, looking furious. "Potter, I appreciate you telling me this, but we cannot point the finger of blame at Mr. Malfoy purely because he visited the shop where this necklace might have been purchased. The same is probably true of hundreds of people --"
"-- that's what I said --" muttered Ron.
"-- and in any case, we have put stringent security measures in place this year. I do not believe that necklace can possibly have entered this school without our knowledge --"
"But --"
"-- and what is more," said Professor McGonagall, with an air of awful finality, "Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade today."
Harry gaped at her, deflating and Athena turned to the woman in sudden confusion. What was this if not Draco's scheme. How had he pulled this off while remaining in the castle walls. To Athena it seemed as though he was using outside help. This made her uneasy, picturing death eaters hiding out in Hogsmeade.
"How do you know, Professor?"
"Because he was doing detention with me. He has now failed to complete his Transfiguration homework twice in a row. So, thank you for telling me your suspicions, Potter," she said as she marched past them, "but I need to go up to the hospital wing now to check on Katie Bell. Good day to you all."
She held open her office door. They had no choice but to file past her without another word.
"Professor, where's Snape?" Athena asked suddenly.
"Snape?" McGonagall raised her eyebrows, "why on earth do you need to talk to Snape?"
"It's nothing... I just need to ask him something"
"Athena do you know more about this?" McGonagall asked very seriously, "because if you do—"
"I don't" Athena interrupted a bit too quickly, "it's nothing to do with this"
"Snape will be in his office looking over the necklace I sent to him via Filch" McGonagall stated slowly, "I'll be up there as soon as I check on Katie Bell"
Athena nodded before she left the room and hurried in fast strides towards the defence against the dark arts office. Snape was indeed in there, running his wand over an ornate blue necklace. It was incredibly pretty, shining in the light of the white sun outside. It twirled and hissed every time Snape tried a new spell over it however Snape still had a furrowed brow as though he couldn't figure the curse out.
"Draco wasn't in Hogsmeade, he was with McGonagall" Athena said immediately as she shut the office door behind her. Snape jumped and the necklace fell back down onto the desk in front of him.
"Warning would be appreciated" he muttered, "why do you assume this was Draco?"
"The girl almost died, Draco is desperate and why else would someone be smuggling a cursed necklace into the castle? It is of course a ridiculous plan that never would have worked. I thought with your help, we were supposed to prevent happenings such as these"
"We?" Snape raised his eyebrows, "I believe the headmaster placed his trust with this mission to me, not you"
"I can't just ignore this!" Athena hissed, "I can't just sit back and pretend I don't know. How is he doing it? Are there death eaters in Hogsmeade? How many more students will he be putting in danger before—"
"I have not had a chance to confer with Mr Malfoy about this" Snape interrupted, "I assure you none of this was my plan"
"Does Draco even have a plan, one that could work?"
"Presumably he has an idea" Snape went on, "as I already said, I haven't had a chance to confer with him"
"The curse on the necklace, is it deadly?" Athena asked, "is Katie going to make it"
"If she's lasted this long it means she barely touched it" Snape sighed, "in which case, she should recover eventually"
"Eventually?" Athena exclaimed, "you need to stop this from happening again, do you hear me?"
"I can hear you quite well yes, as will the rest of the castle if you do not keep your voice down—"
The door to the office burst open and McGonagall came striding in. She looked between Athena and Snape in suspicion but didn't say anything about the way they were standing angrily nor did she mention any raised voices she may have heard. Instead she started asking about the necklace while Athena turned and left the room slowly her mind still revolving around shadows and curses.
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A/n
Words - 2474
Published - 9th August 2021
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