*8*
Landing lithely in the place where seconds ago an enormous dog-like creature had contemplated slicing Harry into ribbons with it's claws were two slightly smaller but equally enthralling creatures.
Harry couldn't breathe as the two animagus (he knew) ignored him, the stag lowered his antlers in perfect imitation to how Harry had seen his Patronus behave. Harry forgot for a moment that this was not his favorite spells enchantment and that there was a great danger in approaching, but he came nearer and made to stroke the stag.
A growling reminded Harry this was not his father, or a father that could recognize him yet and he froze mid-reach. The warning had been issued by the grim dog whose toothy-grin was present even on his canine visage, a very threatening leery grin full of jagged fangs.
Making sure Harry backed off the dog returned its gaze to the wolf-beast, he stopped growling and began a sort of urgent whining. The beast looked a the dog with a curious expression, despite being wild and blood-lusting. It responded in kind with a snort and snuffling whine.
The stag became very still, holding its position behind the dog as it went forward and nudged the wolf under its jaw. Harry wondered if it could work, the last time he'd faced a wild werewolf…
With the wolf distracted Harry raised his wand to a patch of it's chest visible between the stag and the dog between them.
"Stupe-" the spell had barely formed on his lips when a sharp pointed hoof on the end of a long slender limb buried itself into his own chest, sending him sprawling back into the dirt again.
The dog had abandoned its negotiation, now it came leaping and landing on Harry who in a night of déjà vu found himself pinned just as before. Though the dog , not being wild and possessing a human intelligence and nature had a paw firmly pressed on Harry's wand hand.
Harry could lift his head and between the dog's legs glimpsed the stag shaking its antlers at the wolf. The wolf barked and growled, trying to weave it's way under the stag toward Harry.
It lunged but was caught against the antlers and tossed into the air, spinning into the side of the alley. The glass shattered, shards slicing into the wolfs fur, veins burst with such energy, blood flying onto the three figures opposite and even staining Draco above.
The wolf screamed, not a howl but a terrible high noise as it scrambled up and shook more blood from its fur. The dog whined and strained to see around it's bulky shoulders but kept it's paws in place, preventing Harry any useful movement. The stag kicked the wolf as it made to return, a hoof into the shoulder sending it crashing snout first into the dirt.
Harried the wolf turned and ran down the remains of the alley, vanishing as the stag cantered after it, head brought low in case of a return.
The dog remained still, listening to the sounds of retreating things. A minute passed before it leapt deftly backwards off of Harry, it watched with dull eyes as Harry sat up. When Harry tested his wand hand, it gnashed it's teeth, Harry understood.
"Liberacorpus."
Draco's body twisted unpleasantly in midair before dropping like a hanged man being cut down from the noose. Panicking Harry cried, "Mobilicorpus!"
The body was stilled an inch and a half from impact with the ground, Harry lowered his wand and with it the body. Harry looked around but, the dog was gone and with it the noise of the wolf and stag. He half wanted to run after them, to see his father as the flesh and blood thing he'd only glimpsed before as a Patronus.
Sighing he wondered how the glass and gore would be explained in the morning? He had never repaired anything and couldn't get rid of the broken glass or the red soaked into the dirt (could you clean dirt anyway?).
Now he came to Draco, he looked terrible, cuts striped his white face and the wolfs blood shone on his robes. Though unconscious Draco's ragged intake of breath worried Harry, he would have to risk the hospital wing. When he tried to lift him however, Draco's chest in places seemed to give in.
The bones were shattered, mostly on the left and his breathing was becoming more strangely sob-like. Gasping in his sleep, Draco looked really bad. Even in the half shade beginning to fill the alley as the moon drifted, Harry could see the cuts were beginning to bruise around the edges.
With a wolf running around, probably in a large amount of pain and a vengeful mind, Harry couldn't risk leaving Draco here and waiting it out seemed just as much a folly. Hoisting Draco was difficult, not heavy like Dudley but awkwardly he dragged him out of the alley.
The moonlight made it easy to see if anyone or anything had been attracted by the commotion, nothing moved except the grass in the breeze. After another half-minute's struggle Harry could feel the place were the stags hoof had cut into him bleeding, leaking out in time to his pulse which was beginning to race.
He stumbled, dropped Draco, every step taken seemed to increase the weight of the body. The air seemed to have become moist and warm, his hair slick with the sweat that clung to his skin and hair, mingling with the drying wolfs blood. Harry quickly wiped his face clean, brushing aside his bangs and made to start moving again-
"Isn't It funny?"
Harry spun around, behind him was the smirking Severus Snape.
"What are you doing?"
"I should ask you." Snape sneered.
"Yeah?" Harry was short of breath, "Well… never mind, just help me with him."
Severus laughed, "Why should I touch him? I don't want to develop an allergy."
"Allergic to not being scum?" Harry panted, the insult didn't sound nearly as good between halting intakes of air. Severus snapped, "There's a tale you'll be interested in about a beast the lurks in the forest on full moons and you reek of it's blood!"
Harry froze, the moon that shone indifferently on the scene in the alley now had them in the shelterless gap between here and the castle.
"You…You aren't afraid?" Harry asked, feeling the bubble of panic rise in him.
"No, after you two the thing will be kept well away by it's friends," Severus spoke cautiously.
"I need to get him inside," Harry tried again.
Severus pointed his wand, Harry lifted his and Severus sighed. "Idiot, I don't want to touch either of you. I have to use a spell, though it's a wonder a seventh year can't perform a hover charm."
Ignoring the last bit, "Did you follow us?"
"No, not you." Severus answered no more questions as he floated Draco ahead of them.
*8*
Inside the great hall students were being herded by pajama clad professors, something had happened and everyone was being stripped of their wands. Those who'd left theirs behind earning extra sharp words of abuse from their bedraggled professors.
The entrance hall was clear and Harry did not really feel like making another of his famous appearances covered in blood. Severus held up a hand and Draco came to a halt in air, Severus slipped wordlessly into the hall beyond.
Severus took so long , Harry listened in frustration and he was amazed a werewolf would cause this… it had been frightening but he was the one who'd gone into it's territory. If you stayed inside then what was the problem? He thought, wanting to protect the Marauders.
His legs felt numb, staying upright suddenly seemed like an enormous effort, gravity fighting him. Exhausted as he was the panic bubble burst when his scar burned and in the same instant the doors opened and out came a line of students followed by Riddle.
Eyes heavy from tiredness flew wide, faces set with irritation fell into open-mouthed amazement. Taking in Harry's torn robes, sweaty and bloodied along side a body. Harry felt like a 2nd year again, his case worsening with the discovery of Justin Finch-Fletchly and Nearly Headless Nick (floating) next to him.
"It seems," Riddle said coolly, "That you will have to continue your return to the dormitories with out an escort, can you all be trusted to wait for your housemates' return?"
No one answered, all struck silent. Riddle ignored them for the moment and continued to gaze at Harry appraisingly, "Hand over your wand, Mister Hood."
"No, not to you." Harry spoke in as normal tone as he could surrounded as he was with witnesses. Riddle smiled, in a movement so quick Harry barely had time to react and close his fist around his wand as it was jerked invisibly out of his fingers. Swearing Harry leapt after it, the wand arcing away from him and into Riddle's outstretched hand.
"My, My." Riddle said in amused mock-shock. "Such unseemly language from my own house, I suppose ten points ought to be taken?"
The students smirked and Harry noticed for the first time that they were all Slytherin. Riddle pointed at him with Harry's own wand, and with a jerk of the head indicated the students to move, three stepped forward and took hold of Draco tugging the body down into the subterranean dungeon corridors.
"Come along now," Riddle continued after Harry's stillness. "Let's talk."
He felt the ghost of the vice-like hands on his wrists, he would have no other recourse but to follow.
*8*
The deeper they traveled the colder it became as Harry trekked after Riddle who did not turn to be sure his spell or whatever it was succeeded. Harry hated the sensation and jogged to keep the hands from touching him, if he performed the task with enough speed and accuracy they loosened, a dog whose walker has dropped the leash.
Inside an unused classroom the Slytherins dumped Draco in the middle, with as much care as a bowling ball would need. They pulled back into the darkened edges of the room, nearly vanishing with their black robes, only their pale faces hovering at varying heights marking their places. Riddle waited just inside the doorway as Harry came in, then shut and sealed the heavy lead door.
Harry stood next to Draco, his sense of panic rising again, nearly bursting as Riddle performed the same spells Hermione would have to keep their campsite safe from undesireable company. Unsurprisingly Riddle's incantations failed in bringing any measure of calm and assurance to Harry.
Turning to Harry, "I believe it's time for you and I to establish just what exactly the rules are to this little game? Wouldn't you say?"
*8*
