“beyond wandpoint” 013 by gingerbred
Mar. 19th, 2019 07:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beyondwandpoint“11 07-08f Fri - Sat - Dumbledore's Decision”
...in which Albus in an absolute Arse and then finally goes to bed.
Albus
Originally Published: 2017-11-16 on AO3
Chapter: 013
Pairing: Hermione Granger / Severus Snape
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
The bonding doesn't need to happen now, but it needs to happen before someone astute recognises the key to destroying his spy irrevocably and makes use of it. Albus suspects Bellatrix is at the core of these problems. On the other hand, were it to happen now, it increases the risk to his Potions Master physically, as he desperately needs time to recover. Albus is reasonably certain that Tom currently has no desire to see Severus dead. He thinks he can trust to that. And if Severus is in his weakened state, he's less likely to kick up an effective fuss against this scheme. Albus has no doubt he can get the man to consent to it eventually, but whether that will happen before the opposition breaks him...
And were his spy's life in great peril now, and could Miss Granger be convinced that this arrangement is primarily for her benefit... What Albus knows of the young woman would indicate that she is likely to quickly become Severus' staunchest ally. Indeed, guilt would help her stand by him, no matter how difficult he's inclined to make it, and realistically an honest assessment needs to admit he's likely to make it extremely difficult. But feelings of guilt should prove easy enough to arrange. They're already present. And should she stand by him unwaveringly, in response, perhaps she could succeed in gaining his trust. Albus expects that will prove more challenging.
He's encouraged by the young woman's recognition and acknowledgment of some of Severus actions and his willingness to sacrifice. She's actually grateful. With luck, she might not fight this all too much. Severus, naturally, will rely too heavily on her refusal. That in turn creates opportunities Albus won't hesitate to make use of. If Severus can be manoeuvred to agree if she does... Her responses to Albus' questions demonstrated to him not just how close to his limits the Potions Master is, but that she sees him, at least in part, for who he is. And appreciates what she sees.
That is... extraordinary.
There's respect. Even some admiration. There are things she likes about him. That's so singular as to quite probably place her firmly in a minority of one.
Additionally, the behaviour Miss Granger has routinely tolerated from both Harry and Mr. Weasley, while still counting them as her closest friends, would indicate she has a high threshold for abuse. Or a fundamentally faulty understanding of the normal dynamics of friendships. Probably both. That, coupled with extremely low expectations, most likely related to self esteem issues as an awkward Muggle-born, all accompanied by an almost unhealthy degree of loyalty. Yes... She's practically perfect for this plan. Albus almost feels guilty for exploiting that. He might, even, did he not consider this so... necessary.
With some amusement, it occurs to him that that is something she and Severus have in common. Very low expectations of and correlating demands on their friends. In fact, they seem to have inherently flawed definitions of what friendship entails. While both being more than willing to offer more, they regularly settle without complaint for far less.
Perhaps they could bond over it... He wonders if he's just being mean. But it could be a good thing for them. Not that it matters to him much if it is.
The only question will be how to enable this to happen without jeopardising her friendship to Harry. Albus has some ideas. They will take time. But then this tactic might just provide them all with the time they need for those ideas to come to fruition.
He's now reasonably certain, without Severus, Albus himself falls, and without Miss Granger, Harry won't make it to the battle. Not that it would matter, because he wouldn't succeed anyway, as Severus wouldn't have sorted the Invincibility Potion. And Albus firmly believes Severus and Miss Granger are at risk. So obviously this is all frightfully necessary.
There's a slim possibility that he's trying to convince himself that the witch is at such risk because he needs to use her for this scheme of his. If so, he's done such a thorough job that he no longer recognises that fact.
More difficult than convincing the young woman will be wrangling the Professor's tendencies to distrust and push away all and sundry. Some of that is a inclination towards self-flagellation. But Albus expects that should be reducing the more Severus is very concretely and harshly punished by others. At some point, the man should hit bottom and decline such treatment. Or at least see the sense in no longer adding to the problems. Indeed, it's conceivable someone could teach him the wisdom of that before it gets that far. Were he only able to trust that person.
And that, of course, is the second factor in his self-imposed isolation. A fundamental lack of trust in those around him. It's not unjustified. Quite the contrary. But it can be disadvantageous. Particularly now in his vulnerable state. Albus thinks he has an idea how to solve that, too.
Indeed, his plan is coming together nicely. At least in his own thoughts.
Minerva won't be pleased. That much is clear. But then she doesn't need to be. She'll blame Severus; she always does. That might even be expedient, providing more cover for the man. And perhaps Miss Granger can offer sufficient support to counterbalance that. Albus suspects she'll be inclined to try. He only needs to see to it that the Potions Master accepts that support...
The members of the Order won't be pleased. They certainly don't need to be. That, too, might work to their advantage, given that Severus' days as a spy per se are numbered. In the next phase of the operation, the less he is liked (can he be liked any less?), the fewer doubts as to the reasons for his actions, the better. The safer, even, for the man in question. It's practically a boon.
Severus won't be pleased. But then he doesn't need to be either. If anything, it might add to the growing resentment that will enable him to cast the Avada when the time comes. And all while providing him with a replacement confidante when Albus is no longer... available for that purpose.
Clearly this is the best option.
Firmly resolved to present his plan to Miss Granger in the morning, the Headmaster retires for what little is left of the night. He has much research and a fair bit of lobbying to do tomorrow.
A/N:
Thank you for your patience. We now return you to your regularly scheduled SS/HG.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-26 04:03 pm (UTC)> They need to find and destroy the horcruxes AND brew the invincibility potion?
Correct (ish). They need to find two horcruxes, one known (Nagini), one unknown, and Albus assumes Harry was inadvertently turned into one as well. They also need to figure out how to brew the counter potion to Merlin's Invincibility Potion. (Severus is on it.) And to make it as effective as possible (they're trying not to take any risks here), they'll need to employ the same artefacts for doing so. If all else fails, they could conceivably skip it, but as long as Albus was stuck searching through Tom's past for clues to the Horcruxes anyway, if he can use what he's learnt to get closer to those tools, well, it's too much of an advantage to pass up.
> Is Severus just trying to recreate the invincibility potion OR brew an antidote?
It's helpful to understand the Invincibility Potion because it provides him with clues to how the antidote must work, but he only needs to brew the antidote. The riddles that describe the potions are equally difficult, but there are more steps in the antidote, so that makes it harder, and that's what he's currently working on. The IP was also much easier to brew than the antidote, but it was more complicated to to take. But that's not Severus' problem. His problems are 1) figuring out the ingredients and brewing process (nearly done) 2) sourcing those ingredients without attracting attention (close), 3) brewing the damn thing (logically, he hasn't even started) and then 4) figuring out a way to get You-Know-Who to take it (at a complete loss). Albus put himself and Harry (and co.) on the other problem: if possible, recovering the artefacts You-Know-Who used to brew it for maximum efficacy.
> Have you specified the number of horcruxes in this story?
Albus told Harry two, and to the extent he'd mention it to anyone, that's the number he'd name. He is quite sure, however, that Harry is number three, and the audience knows this. (As that really only comes as a surprise the first time you read it in book 7, I saw no point to not revealing that earlier. Instead it'll give us a chance to see Albus' thoughts on the matter once in a while.)
> In chapter 001, when we find out what good ole Sluggy told Tom, was he saying the horcruxes were ONLY an option IF you could also brew the invincibility potion? Or was he saying something totally different and I missed it?
'Sluggy immediately high-handedly criticised Horcruxes as a solution if only one could brew [the] Invincibility Potion instead. Whatever that is. Hmm...'
If you can figure out how to brew the Invincibility Potion, you wouldn't need the much clumsier Horcrux approach to Sluggy's way of thinking. He's far less enamoured of murder than Tom, so he doesn't see a Horcrux as quite the solution Tom does, and he isn't accounting for the antidote to the Invincibility Potion (mostly because to the best of his knowledge it hasn't been done since the days of Merlin and Nimue) in that dismal of Horcruxes either. But given the Invincibility Potion wouldn't shred the practitioner's soul, even if all other things were equal, it still seems the better solution. Sluggy's is a purely academic response, he understands these things have been done, can be done, but has little to no idea how to do them himself, and no willingness to put the things he does understand about Horcruxes into play. And Tom is a belt and braces sort of a wizard, who didn't have the answers to the Invincibility Potion ready to hand at that point in time, and he went with the Horcruxes first while he worked on the potion. Just as well as he hadn't finished taking the courses of it before the Avada on Harry rebounded and would have killed him.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-11-26 04:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-08-16 05:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-06-05 12:53 am (UTC)Hermione is so pragmatic and forgiving and now really appreciative (for Severus) and, well, as Albus said...He is in a weakened state and could be pressed to agree.
Yikes. But I'm glad cuz they belong together!