T. K.: I sent the muses out for a roll in the garden I planted in my Alternate Universe #12. That's the universe where James and Lily survived Voldie, so they're having a blast with the Marauders and Harry.
*BOOM*
T. K.: *Yelling across her hammerspace* I didn't mean that literally! *To the audience* Anyhow, thanks for the reviews. They've been glowing so far. You know the song and dance. *Peeves appears*
Peeves: *dancing* Oh Potter, you're a rotter, cause T. K. can't afford you!
T. K.: *pulls a vial filled with what looks like bottled moonbeams from a desk drawer*
Peeves: *looks at the vial* What's that?
T. K.: Poltergeist-Away, Snape owled it to me this morning. Now, Peeves, go away. *Peeves disappears and T. K. sits back* Thank you, Sevvie.
~~~~~~
Harry's broom sat down gently just outside of Hogsmeade and he decided to walk the rest of the way into the village. He wouldn't make it.
~~~~~~
Dumbledore apparated just inside of Malfoy Manor's wrought iron gates and looked around, the sight that greeted was not what he expected. A flying carriage he knew belonged to Snape lay crashed on the ground covered in an inch of snow, the front door to the Manor was open and an elf had it's head poked out. Quickly making his way to the carriage, Dumbledore looked inside. Nobody was in it.
"Sir," the elf said waving him over to the door. "The man is inside." The elf ran back in, Dumbledore looked at the wreckage once again then followed the elf. Dumbledore had been inside Malfoy Manor once, before Draco was born. It hadn't changed very much since then, aside from the fact it looked like a tornado had swept through. The elf turned left down a hall then entered a room partially closing the door behind him. Dumbledore opened the door.
"Severus!" Dumbledore gasped. Snape didn't move from where he lay broken and beaten on a couch in a drawing room. Dumbledore swept across the room and knelt beside Snape, quickly checking for a pulse. It was weak but it was still there. Turning to the elf, Dumbledore said, "I need a fire and some floo powder." The elf nodded, its ears flapping wildly.
"Segue will make a fire and find the powder," the elf, Segue, said before running off.
Dumbledore pulled out his wand and turned back to Snape. "Just hold on, my friend."
~~~~~~
Charisma woke with a start. Draco had shifted in his sleep and dislodged her head from where it rested on his shoulder. Charisma leaned back against the wall on listened to the silence of the dungeon. Water dripped here, a rat scampered there, and Draco's breathing beside her. Charisma stood up, stretched, and her hand brushed the ceiling. Charisma walked the length of the cell in three strides.
So this is hell?
she thought as she sat back down next to Draco. He's been here a month and the Ministry never sent anyone to the house? Gods, Cornelius Fudge is such a screw-up! Charisma thought about everything that Draco had told her. The Death Eaters had busted in the door at Malfoy Manor, found him in the study. Draco had tried to fight them off, but one of them cast the Imperius curse on him and made him leave the house quietly. The next thing Draco knew, he was in this cell and had stayed here for the past month. He had thought about shifting to his Animagi form but had stopped himself when the idea of the whole castle or fortress or whatever caving in on him finally hit him. Not even a dragon could withstand that he had figured.Charisma stood up and measured the cell. Three paces long, five paces wide and about seven feet tall, she thought. She could transform in this room but it would be a tight fit, she would ask what Draco thought when he woke. Charisma lay her head back on Draco's shoulder and was about to doze off again when she heard a door open. Charisma closed her eyes and pretended be asleep. Nothing happened, no footsteps, no sounds at all. Charisma lifted her head up and almost screamed when the cell door opened and a grey robed figure that Charisma knew as a Dementor stepped in and threw a prone body on the floor. Another one glided to the door and threw another person in with them. Without a sound the Dementors left.
The first person to be thrown in sat up and shook his head. "Well, damn it all," he said.
"Nevercry?" Charisma asked crawling closer to him.
Dante looked at her, surprised. "Granger, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing much," Charisma drawled waving her hand about, "just sitting in this dark, dank, completely disgusting dungeon waiting to either be cursed or killed."
Dante smirked and said, "Oh, really, you're waiting to be cursed or killed too?"
Draco sat behind Charisma watching the exchange when the second person rolled over and muttered a string of curse words. Harry sat up; in the dim light Charisma could see he was sweating and shaking. "Lovely language, Potter," Draco taunted. "Do Dementors still screw you up?"
Harry put his head in his hands. "Yes," he said miserably.
Charisma shot Draco a look that told him to be quiet. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Harry looked at her, noticing her for the first time. Worry crossed his face but was quickly covered. "I'll be fine," he said. Charisma nodded and sat back against the wall next to Draco who put an arm around her waist. Charisma leaned into the half embrace. Harry bit his tongue; he wouldn't say anything.
"How did you two get here?" Draco asked.
Dante shook his head. "I was out by the lake the other night at Hogwarts when those things swarmed me. It was like they drained the energy out of me and I couldn't move or get away. Then these people in black robes came out of the forest then dragged me into the forest and put me into a carriage. I don't remember anything after that until I got thrown in here."
"I was on my way to Hogsmeade when the Dementors swarmed me," Harry said. "I don't remember anything after that."
Draco sat silently and Charisma leaned her head back onto his shoulder. This place seemed to suck the energy out of her like a sponge. Dante felt vaguely out of place as Harry and Draco glared daggers at each other. What seemed like hours passed. Draco listened to Charisma's breathing and figured she had fallen asleep.
"Does she know?" Harry asked finally.
Draco's arm tightened around Charisma. "Does she act like she knows?"
"Why didn't Hermoine tell me?"
Draco scowled and said, "Because I asked her not too."
"WHAT?!"
"Please, Potter, if you wake her, I'll be forced to hurt you." Draco sighed, he supposed Harry at least deserved a reason as to why he didn't know he was a father for almost seventeen years. "I asked Hermoine not to tell you because I didn't want Charisma to be famous before she could talk. I mean imagine the life she would have led. Not a moment's peace, reporters following her everywhere, she would never be Charisma she would be The Daughter of The Boy Who Lived."
Dante shifted uncomfortably.
"She would not have been The Daughter of The Boy Who Lived," Harry said, his voice even, not betraying the anger rising within. "She would have been Charisma Potter, the daughter of Hermoine Granger and Harry Potter, writer, and student at Hogwarts. As it is she's Charisma Granger-Malfoy, the girl who doesn't even know her father, the charge of Draco Malfoy, and currently imprisoned."
"Look, Potter," Draco said quietly, "Hermoine agreed not to tell. I didn't order her not to, I asked her not too." Dante cleared his throat and Harry and Draco looked at him. Dante stared at Charisma. Oh, shit, three minds thought. Charisma's eyes shifted from Draco to Harry to Dante.
Charisma didn't know if wanted to slap them, rip them apart, or just scream really loud. "You have five seconds to tell me what is going on before I shift and tear you both to pieces."
"Charisma," Draco started.
Charisma stood up quickly and stared down at Draco. "Is it true? Is he really my father?" Draco closed his eyes and nodded. Charisma turned to Harry. "You never knew?" Harry nodded. "Gods! And you both feel it necessary to discuss this in front of one of my schoolmates?"
Dante stood up and said, "I wouldn't tell anyone."
Charisma rolled her eyes. "Why? It would be perfect gossip for the Slytherin Common Room."
"Very true," Dante said thoughtfully. "I was joshing," he said when Draco stood up. Charisma wheeled on Draco and was about to tell him what she thought when Harry went rigid and fell over where he sat.
"Dementors," Draco said moving to Harry. The door opened and four Dementors glided in followed by Narcissa Malfoy. "Get them out of here," Draco said waving at the Dementors as he kneeled beside Harry and rolled him onto his back.
Narcissa glanced coolly at Harry then at the Dementors and said, "Pick him up." The Dementors moved forward and Draco quickly picked Harry up and threw him over his shoulder.
"I've got him," Draco said.
"Stop," Narcissa said. The Dementors stopped and went back to her. "Fine, Draco. All of you come with us." The Dementors surrounded the four and urged them forward.
Charisma let out a small squeak as one of them touched her as they walked out of the room. Dante took her hand and said, "Don't worry; I won't let them Kiss you or anything."
~~~~~~
Snape brought a tentative hand to his forehead and wondered if a dragon had stepped on him. "Severus," Madam Pomfrey said rushing to him. "Albus! He's awake!"
Snape cringed. She's entirely too loud at the moment. Snape's head was pounding, his mouth was dry, and he felt like dung.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, smiling with apparent relief.
Snape tried to sit up but Dumbledore stopped him with a gentle hand. "What happened?" Snape asked hoarsely.
"You don't remember?" Dumbledore prodded gently.
Snape thought a second. "I remember going to Malfoy Manor with Charisma," Snape said. "CHARISMA! Death Eaters ransacked the mansion then they crashed our carriage and took Charisma!"
"All right, Severus, calm yourself," Dumbledore said. "Do you know where they would have taken her?"
Severus thought. "No," he almost wailed. "No, but they have Draco too."
Dumbledore was about to say something when the infirmary doors busted open and a rather upset looking Ron came in. "Harry didn't come back yesterday," Ron said walking up to Dumbledore. Dumbledore had told him about sending Harry to Hogsmeade in search of Dante. "And Professor McGonagall is still a student short." Ron took a breath and looked at Snape. "Oh, you're awake."
Dumbledore asked, "Anything else?"
"Sirius and Remus are here and don't seem very happy," said Ron.
Snape grumbled before a thought hit him. "BLACK! Black could help us find Charisma!"
"Pardon?" Ron asked.
"Ron, please go get Sirius and Remus," Dumbledore said quickly, before Ron put two and two together and got the sum Charisma was missing. Ron nodded and walked out, but not before glancing back at Snape.
"He didn't know, did he?" Snape asked watching Ron go.
"Nope," Dumbledore said doing the same.
"Think he'll want me dead when he finds out?" Snape asked in a conversational tone.
Dumbledore nodded and said, "Probably."
~~~~~~
Sirius, Remus, and Ron listen to Snape's story, each thinking up new and inventive curses. "Now, what makes you think I can find Charisma?" Sirius asked.
"You created that map and can tell where anyone in the school is," Snape said.
"The school was one thing," Remus said, "The whole world is something else."
"Well, isn't there anything that we can do?" Ron asked. "I mean like take a map of the world and track them on it?"
"We could do that, Ron," Sirius said.
"We'll need something of Charisma and Harry," Remus added thoughtfully.
Ron asked, "What do you by 'something of them'?"
"Like hair or fingernail clippings," Sirius answered.
"You may be able to find some of Charisma's hair on my pillows," Snape said.
"And I can get Harry's brush out of his bag," Ron offered.
Sirius nodded and said, "Then all I need is a map and our wands."
"I'll go to Severus' rooms and get Charisma's hair and I have a world map in my office," Dumbledore said before going to get it.
"I go get Harry's brush." Ron ran off.
"We'll be right back," Remus said, "don't worry Charisma's bound to be with Draco and Harry, they'll keep her safe."
"Actually," Snape said, "I think Charisma could take on anyone who threatens Draco."
