Chapter Seven: Enter Severus
'The mirror has broken
what do you see?
A million of you and a million of me
the future's unspoken.
Who do you see?
The one on the outside
that's not me.'
- O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) 'The Stranger'
-x-
Severus Snape was not amused.
"Yes, me."
Rose opened her mouth, but snapped it shut again. The glare the man was sending here spoke volumes. He reached around her bonds and whispered something, the ropes falling to the floor. Still weary of the man she had only seen in pictures, Rose stayed still.
"A-are you going to hurt me, too?"
Snape's brows narrowed. He wasn't sure how she knew who he was, but didn't question it. There was no time.
"No. But unless you get a move on, I may change my mind." He snapped. "Now up."
Rose scurried to obey, barely registering the man grab her, and drag her to the fireplace. She barely heard the whispered floo command, before they were whisked away in a sea of green.
-x-
When they landed, Severus grabbed her hood and pulled it over her head, shielding her from sight. They were in the Leaky Cauldron, but nowadays you never knew who was watching. Careful so as to appear casual, he grabbed her shoulder and steered the frightened child towards the back stairs.
He produced a room key from his pocket, and as soon as they reached the end of the hall, he ushered her into a small room, then locked and silenced the door. Rose was looking at him with eyes like a deer caught in headlights.
"S-sir?"
Severus placed a hand over her mouth. "Shhhhh." He urged. "There's no time."
Rose, too frightened to challenge him, stayed silent.
"I need you to stay here." He stressed, black orbs starring her down. "Under no circumstances are you to let anyone in your room, contact anyone, or usher a word." He spoke sternly. "I will be back to escort you elsewhere later. Do not fight or question me, understand?"
When she nodded, Severus stood and gathered his wits again. "Good."
Then he was gone.
Rose stood there for a long time; starring at the spot she just saw the man apparate from. So many thoughts rang through her head, she found herself unable to process even one.
'Was she going home now?'
She really hoped so.
-x-
Severus was not a happy man.
When the Dark Lord came to him earlier and pronounced he had a young prisoner that he needed Severus to supervise while he was away, the Potions Master's temper flared.
If there was one thing he hated, it was children being used in war.
Being a child of war himself, Severus was not amused. He put on the face, as expected though. 'Yes my Lord, I'll watch her,' And 'Yes Master, I'll look for the insolent brat who dared challenge you.'
Now all he wanted to do was vomit.
The boy, he assumed from Voldemort's description, was obviously as stupid as he was brave. 'Has the words Gryffindor stamped on his forehead,' he mused bitterly. As much as he hated acting under the insane Dark Lord's orders, this was one mission he was curious about. But first came the girl. He needed to plan this carefully, and maybe, just maybe, a person may show up and help him out…
As soon as he was released from Voldemort's presence, he ordered a room anonymously at the Leaky Cauldron, and set up a plan that could either get them both killed, or the child rescued. It was a risk he was willing to take.
'Stupid, Stupid Severus. How do you get yourself into these situations?' The answer was burned on his left forearm, a marked forever tainting his skin and sole. He stared at the ugly thing; a snake entwined with a skull, green and black twisted ink. The mark of slavery…of a Death Eater.
'Oh the wonders of adolescent idiocy.'
Stomach churning, he left the room his young charge was in, knowing he had a pleasant evening with the Dark Lord to look forward too.
'Losing' his charge after all, did not escape punishment. He shivered.
-x-
Harry retraced his steps back to the grungy motel he was staying at. His scar had started prickling the moment he walked through the door and collapsed on the bed. Groaning, Harry fought to stay awake. He needed to know what Voldemort was up too. Maybe he could find out where he was keeping the girl.
'If she's still alive.'
Harry ground his teeth. 'Stop it! She's not dead; I'd know about it by now.' Or so he hoped. Usually Voldemort's victims deaths were portrayed in his dreams, with Harry feeling every curse cast upon their body. Well, almost. Sometimes he was Voldemort himself. Another strange twist to this reality he was in. In his old world, he was only Voldemort, but now…now he was the victim's too.
Truthfully, and horribly, he'd rather just be seeing through Voldemort's eyes. Having constant crucios' is not the way he wanted to spend his nights, thank you very much.
Another jolt of pain. Harry gasped.
'…Failed…watch girl…gone.'
'If I may…escaped…master…'
'Crucio!'
Harry withered; feeling like his bones were on fire and his head would explode. It continued like this for an entire minute, before the relentless pain seized. He gasped for breath, not noticing the blood that was dripping form his lip where he had unknowingly bitten it. The pillow had fallen to the floor.
'…One more…find her…dismissed.'
Shivering, Harry picked up the pillow and squeezed it – hard. The vision was static this time, coming in through clumps, but he got the jest of it. Somehow she was alive, and had seemingly escaped. The Death Eater was getting one more chance to find her.
'Maybe I haven't failed after all.'
Harry shoved the pillow away, taking a shaky breath and standing up.
He had a girl to find.
-x-
Now if he only knew where to find her.
The streets of Diagon Alley were just as busy, if not more so, then a few hours earlier. Spinning on his heel, he found the alley dividing the muggle world from the wizarding one. He stepped into the shadows and took out his wand.
"Point me." He whispered, picking the girl's image in his mind's eye.
The wand struggled for a second, then spun rapidly around until it stopped in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry raised a brow.
'It can't be that simple. Not unless somebody was counting on someone to find her…'He quickly walked through the wall, and tapped the bricks, ending up in the noisy warm atmosphere of the pub. Tom at the bar smiled at him in acknowledgement, before taking someone's order. Harry paid them no mind, instead slipping his hood back on and heading towards the stairs.
If she were here, of all places, then it wouldn't be in the pub area. She was young, and no doubt would try and escape if there was a slight hope she could. Harry smiled grimly, remembering the time he was her age and the world wasn't a big bad dangerous place; it was just a game, and you only had to overcome the obstacles to survive it.
Boy, how that had changed quickly.
At the top, there were several long dark hallways, shadowed by brass door numbers and glowing torches. Harry headed straight for the darkest, and smallest, one.
"Lumos." He whispered. The torches didn't give off much light.
He started by checking the doors for concealment charms, and wards. When he came across none, he started on the next hallway. He gradually came to a stop outside the last door in the third hall, which showed a silencing charm, and several undecipherable, other ones. Taking a deep breath he blasted the door open.
Two very naked people stared back at him.
Harry blushed, immediately realizing exactly why there was a silenco on the room.
"What the hell?" The two men barked, quickly covering their torsos.
Harry hastily backed away, repairing the door as he did so. "Sorry, wrong door!"
"Hey you – what do you think your doing? Get back here!"
He fled.
'If that wasn't embarrassing I have no idea what is.' He mused, starting over with the third corridor. This time, though, he wasn't going to blast the door open because of a single silenco.
He repeated these thoughts and actions for nearly five more doors, before he came upon one at the very end, with no brass number. Frowning, he cast a revealing charm, to try and see into the room. Squinting, he pressed his nose to the door.
The 'Revealo' charm was not designated so you were able to see every detail, merely the outline of shapes and people. He only saw one, small shape somewhere by the left bay window. Heart racing he pulled back. This could be the one.
He pointed his wand at the door. "Alohamora!"
Nothing.
He tried again, only this time a slightly more, ah, 'advanced' spell.
"Redackto!"
An angry wind blasted at the door, flinging it open. Harry took a moment to survey the scene, before letting his wand down.
A little girl with red pigtails and blue-green eyes starred back at him. She took a step back. "D-don't come any closer!"
Harry instead squatted so he was eye level with her. She looked at him warily.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Ms…?" He inquired softly. "I'm here to take you home."
"Rose." She whispered after a minute. "Rose Potter."
He blinked. Did she just say…?
"Excuse me?"
"Rose Potter." She said slowly, as if he were an idiot. "And I know you heard me the first time. Who are you?" Clearly once she realized he was not going to harm her, the confidence came back. "I want to go home."
Harry sighed, extending a hand. "Then let's go."
Rose stared for another moment, before taking the offered hand.
-x-
He huffed; there must have been at least ten blocks of walking to be done. The girl on his hip never stopped chattering in his ear the whole way.
"And then I was in the library while my parents were in a meeting and Ms. Ponce watched me. Except she isn't very nice and wouldn't let me touch any of her books. So when she fell asleep on her desk, I sneaked out and went looking for my parents…"
Harry smiled fondly, occasionally shifting her weight so she fit more comfortably on his hip as he walked. She may talk a lot, but as far as he could see, she was his sister and even more precious because of that. After they apparated to a point just beyond a hill two blocks back, he questioned her about her family and friends, and when she refused to say anything about them ('smart,' he mused), she just told him information about herself.
"…I heard they went to the alley, so I followed by stealing a bit of Auntie Minerva's floo – you won't tell on me will you? I just wanted to see them! And when I got the alley this tall gross snake man grabbed me and held me hostage…take another left here."
Harry found himself feeling angry with 'the tall gross snake man' once again. Couldn't Voldemort stop harassing his family? They had already killed him and now he wanted to kill Rose? The man was a raging lunatic. Nuts. Off his rocker. Whatever you wanted to call him. Harry wondered just how far gone this Voldemort was already. In his world, he went insane after the fourth task, loosing sight of all he strived for in the beginning, just to give in to temptation of the Dark Arts. He shivered, holding Rose tighter as they rounded the next corner.
"Stop!" She said, pointing. "We're home!"
Harry hardly registered her use of 'we're' and put the young girl down, watching as she raced to the gate and through the yard. As soon as she crossed the gate the front door opened revealing his mother, who shrieked and gathered the young daughter in her arms.
"Rose! Oh Rose!" Lily checked her face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? JAMES!"
Not wanting to be seen, Harry turned and vanished into the shadows of the woods beside the home. His heart was clenching, and there was an odd wetness at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to leave just yet.
James burst out of the house, closely followed by Remus, Sirius, and Dumbledore. All who had a smile on their face. James collapsed beside his wife and daughter, clinging to them both as if they were the only things that mattered. Harry's chest contracted again.
"Oh Rose…never leave us again…" Lily gasped through her tears. "Promise!"
Rose frowned, struggling to get out of their squishing grasp. "Okay, okay! But you're squishing me!"
They both let go and laughed shakily.
Harry turned away, not able to watch anymore, and apparated.
To Be Continued…
