either end. But as Snape tapped his wand at the centre of the desk and murmured a brief incantation, a fifth, much smaller drawer appeared.
The hidden compartment sprang open, revealing a small bundle of green velvet. Snape stared at the bundle for a moment, and then removed it. His hands might have shook somewhat, but he was a Potions Master, and there was no place in his profession for that kind of weakness.
Snape gingerly unwrapped the cloth. Nestled inside the material was a bright, golden key.
**
Harry couldn' t decide whether to sit or stand. It was all Ron' s fault for not being there in Dumbledore' s office. Ron was currently using McGonagall' s private fireplace to speak to his father.
Usually, it was Ron who needed to be told to calm down. In his absence, Harry was officially the most worked-up person in the room and he didn't like it.
He was too anxious to stay still for longer than a minute and Professor McGonagall had already snapped at him twice because of his 'distracting pacing'. So he allowed Ginny to pull him into the empty seat beside her and didn't seem to notice that she was currently gripping his hand hard enough to cut off the circulation in his fingers. He was used to it from attending seven years worth of Quidditch matches with Hermione.
For all her eye-rolling and alleged indifference when it came to the sport, Hermione was very big on hand-holding when anxious. Ron had once remarked that she had very nearly snapped his fingers off during Harry's first task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
"This is all my fault," Ginny whispered. She had relayed the entire encounter with fake-Harry in front of Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Lupin. The details may have been mortifying, but it was nothing to the guilt of having unwittingly aided Hermione' s kidnapper.
"I can' t believe you thought that was me," Harry muttered, unhelpfully. "And you kissed him!"
Ginny made a sound that was halfway between a sob and a moan and put her face in her hands for what had to be the fifth time in the past ten minutes.
Dumbledore had just finished briefing Professor McGonagall on his findings from Gryffindor Tower. "Harry," he began, "if the entire faculty mistook a Death Eater for Alastor Moody, for the duration of a school term, I assure you that it is quite possible for Miss Weasley to be similarly duped. Keep in mind that I have known Alastor for over forty years."
"Where is Alastor?" McGonagall asked.
"Making an inspection of Miss Granger's room," Dumbledore informed. He was completely calm, but it was the calm of dark rain cloud in a windless, humid, sky. A thunderous downpour was imminent. "His team has sealed off all exits. If Miss Granger is still in the Castle, we hope to keep her here."
"Why kidnap her now?" Lupin wondered. "If that was the plan all along why wait until the last day of school? There was no guarantee that she would even be here. Most of the school has packed up and left already."
Ginny's head came up. Her face was stark white as she stared at Harry. "Oh, Harry we have to tell them!"
"Tell us what?" McGonagall barked.
Yes. They would most definitely have to tell. If Dumbledore was looking for a red flag, something out of the ordinary, then Draco and Hermione's marriage was probably it.
Harry nodded jerkily and ran a hand roughly through his hair. He opened his mouth to begin, but was forestalled by the Headmaster.
"Professor Snape has seen fit to inform us of Miss Granger' sunique situation," Dumbledore explained. "In light of what has happened, it was the prudent thing to do."
Harry gaped at him. "So you know they got married after the Graduation Party?"
Professor McGonagall had apparently not been told as yet. She made a startled sound. "Who got married?"
"Yes, Harry, he knows now," Lupin supplied.
He gave McGonagall a sympathetic pat on the hand and proceeded to explain how her star pupil had run off with Hogwart's most notorious student and had taken it upon herself to marry the lad. While extremely drunk, he hastened to add. And then there was the business about marriage tattoos and an irreversible spell.
McGonagall looked apoplectic by the end of the summarised explanation.
Moody entered Dumbledore's office. Although perhaps 'entered' was too gentle a word. He stormed in, flanked by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Astrid Huggins, Donald Bligh's Auror girlfriend.
Lupin was surprised to see her back at work so soon since Bligh's and Tonk's