Chapter Ten
Questions and no Answers

Dumbledore let out a groan when the wards informed him that annoying Madam Bones was at the Hogwarts Gates, along with four Aurors. The timing could not be worse: dinner had just started and the Great Hall was as busy as ever.

"Hagrid? Seems like we have some unexpected guests at the front gates. Could you collect them and bring them to the Headmaster's Office?"

Hagrid nodded wildly at Dumbledore's request, and abruptly stood up, his plate nearly flying into the air and landing on Professor Flitwick, who just waved his wand to catch it mid-air and continued eating as if nothing had disturbed him. Over time, one came to expect the impulsive behaviour of the groundskeeper...

"Dumbledore if you don't open this gate right now I am breaking it down!" Amelia Bones yelled, slamming her glove-covered fist on the closed Hogwarts gates as she and her Aurors waited outside. Then finally she saw Dumbledore's half-Giant employee come up to them.

Seeing one of the junior Aurors raised his wand, Amelia placed her hand on his arm to stop him. "It's just the groundskeeper, he's a good guy."

"Sorry fer the wait ma'am!" Hagrid took out one of his keys, and opened the gates for them. "Headmaster Dumbledore, Great man he is, asked me ta come get you an" bring ye ta his office."

"Mr... Hagrid was it?" the gentle giant nodded in reply, "I have little time to waste. Could you make sure we are joined nut just by the Headmaster, but also by the Head of House for one Her –" she took another look at the parchment, "Err... Hermo-ninny Granger?"

Hagrid's eyes seemed to light up, "Ye found Hermione an" Harry then? I were so worried when I heard them two had disappeared. I was the one ta bring Harry to the Wizarding World first, ya know?" He beamed with pride.

Amelia stopped in her step, and with a sharp look prevented any of the Aurors with her from speaking further. "We're close, Hagrid. How exactly did the two of them disappear?"

"Oh it was weird," Hagrid was expanding as he led them through the corridors of the school. "Harry and Hermione were in their common room you see, and had been practising spells. Hermione is one of the smartest little witches ye'll ever seen. Somehow she hit Harry with some spell, and he passed out and the Gryffs took him ta the Hospital Wing. When he woke up he hit Hermione with the same spell, and then they both left. I tell ya Headmaster Dumbledore is really upset about that all..." suddenly the half-giant paled... "and asked us not to talk about it. Err... best ya pretend I dinnae say that all?"

"Don't worry Hagrid, I'm with the Ministry and you can trust us," Amelia re-assured him. At the same time her mind was in overdrive, trying to work out the story. So Harry Potter had left with this girl with the odd name, and Dumbledore was chasing them down? Why then the expelling of Hermione, and not a single report on Harry Potter missing? Something smelled rotten in Hogwarts and it wasn't just Snape's body odour.

After Hagrid spoke the password to let them into the Headmaster's office and left, Amelia had her Aurors begin to inspect the Headmaster's office for any evidence about the case, without disturbing anything. When else did one have the opportunity to do so inside Dumbledore's domain?

–-

"Harry? Hermione? We should think about leaving now. It's dinner time so if we take the portkey now, we have the best chance of not running into the French magical border patrol. How... how is Emma?" Remus had a mixture of guilt and sympathy on his face as he addressed the two teens. Harry was sitting on a comfortable couch, and Hermione was sitting half next to and half on top of him, her head resting on his shoulder as Harry softly brushed her hair.

"Mummy was sleeping when I came down," Hermione said in an almost dreamy tone. "I don't know if she can travel... she really misses dad– daddy..." Tears began to sprout up again, and Harry wrapped his other arm around her as well and held her as she cried. Remus left the two, thinking his sort-of godson had it well in hand.

"A damned shame about Dan, but looks like my godson has caught a big one hook, line, and sinker," Sirius remarked. "If they keep this up I'll have to give Harry the "Talk" before long," he barked out a laugh.

"Really Padfoot? Now is not the time," Remus grumbled.

"Lighten up Moony. I feel awful about Dan as well, but look on the bright side: we are still safe and free, and as soon as we get Emma ready we'll be in the land of cheese and wine, away from Dumbledore and his pet Death Eater!"

"Maybe... you keep an eye on the two of them and make sure they don't go any... further... I'll see if I can get Emma ready to leave." Remus let out a sigh, and went up the stairs.

"Emma? Are you awake?" he knocked on the door, and after hearing something inside entered. Emma Granger stepped out of the attached bathroom, her face wet but otherwise looking remarkably fine.

"Remus? Is it time?"

"Err... yes. Emma, how are you holding up? Seriously now."

"I won't lie Remus, I want to do nothing more than curl up in a ball and cry for days. But that potion you gave me works wonders. I'll... manage at least until Hermione is safe..." a furious look suddenly appeared on her face, "but you have to promise me you will make that Snape pay! I want him dead!"

"Easy Emma... did you really think I would let that snivelling coward run for long?" Remus let a bit of the Wolf come out, changing his usual friendly soft features into a feral look even the likes of Greyback would back down from. "Snivellus Snape is a dead man, he just does not know it yet. I may only have known you both for a little time, but Dan was a good man and nobody hurts my friends and gets away with it!"

"We are friends then Remus?" Emma wavered, then rushed him in a hug. As Remus almost felt his ribs crack, he realised that Hermione's "Hermy-hugs" were something she definitely got from her mother.

"Err... we'd better collect the kids before they start tearing at each other's clothes, and get the portkey." Remus extradited himself from the hug.

"Oh honestly, that girl..." The distraction worked, Emma turned from the vengeful widow into a worried mother immediately. "Do you know how many times I've already caught her trying to see Harry naked in the past few days?"

Remus was laughing, as they came down the stairs.

–-

Snape was cursing up a storm. He and Macnair had barely cleaned up the Granger home of any evidence in time to escape before any Aurors arrived, then went their separate ways just in case. He had contemplated returning to Hogwarts, but that imbecile Macnair had used his name in front of the Wolf, so there might be more problems for him. Instead, he had apparated to his home in Cokeworth to think over matters a bit.

"We have movement inside, over," the MI5 agent on top of the house opposite Snape's home in Spinner's End called to Ground Control.

"Do not engage as long as target is inside, backup is on the way, over," the tinny reply came. The agent looked back through the scope of his sniper rifle, and followed the shade of a man walking in the room inside.

It had been a stroke of luck that they had found the records for Tobias Snape. The man had been found brutally murdered in late 1980, at the local graveyard, near the grave of Eileen Snape née Prince, his wife that had died under equally unsolved circumstances a decade earlier. Since nobody had been able to find any evidence of who would have wanted to kill Tobias Snape, the case had been closed.

However with the suspected terrorist Severus Snape, evidently his son even though no birth record could be found, the current theory was his own son may have murdered his father at some point. The son in question did seem to use the Snape home in Cokeworth as his own residence, although he had not been at home the past two days while first the police and later MI5 had searched through the neglected two-storied shack.

"Suspect location, over?" came over the radio, breaking the agent's line of thought.

"Still inside. He was pacing the living room until a moment ago, I cannot see his shadow now. Over."

"ETA for the interception team is five minutes. If suspect makes a move to leave, shoot to disable, over."

Inside the house, Snape willed his magic into the small orb on the bookshelf, and the hidden stairway downwards opened. He descended downwards, and took off his Death Eater robes. Snape almost caressed the silver mask his true master had given him, before he placed it back on the mannequin. This was no time to think of the good old days!

Snape walked to a storage cabinet in the back, and opened it. Just like he kept his "collection" of female student items at Hogwarts, here at his home he kept a few items belonging to his most hated enemies. He passed over the sock that once belonged to James Potter, never used as the object of Lily's affection had hid under the Fidelius before the Dark Lord had erased him from the world. Next to it was a scarf that once belonged to Peter Pettigrew. Snape knew very well that Pettigrew was in Hogwarts at that very moment. Did the rat really think he could hide from him? The first day the Percy boy had come in with the rat, Snape knew. But Pettigrew was also a follower of his Master, so he let the rat hide like the coward he was... for now.

He had never gotten anything of the wolf, but there he found what he needed... a coin purse that had been Blacks, emptied of course seconds after Snape had robbed it of him, but still useful for today's purposes. If the Wolf was with the brat and the Mudblood, chances were the Dog was not far behind.

Snape placed the coin purse on a table in the middle of a ritual circle, and began preparations to cast a locator spell.

Meanwhile a team of heavily armed Muggles was racing through the sleepy town, closing on the last home at the street called Spinner's End.

–-

Dumbledore ran through the halls to his office. Curse those Weasley twins! He had been about to leave to make sure he would arrive before that Bones women entered, but then the pranking duo had somehow managed to cause several dung-bombs to explode at the same time at the Slytherin table. The resulting chaos had kept him and the other teachers busy for a good ten minutes... and ten minutes of Aurors in his office was not something anyone with secrets to hide would like! Curse that simple-minded fool of a groundskeeper for not letting them wait outside!

"Amelia, I am sorry to make you wait," Albus spoke the moment he rushed into his office – making it appear as if he had come at a slow walk instead of a manic run. He activated the mage sight on his glasses with a tap on the side, looking for any disturbance in his many wards. He didn't trust how calmly the annoying woman and her Aurors were sitting in his office.

"That's all right Headmaster, I am sure running a school and keeping your Death Eater employee out of trouble is a full time job," Amelia cut through his thoughts.

"Now now Amelia, you know Severus was never charged. So what brings you here again?"

"I'll have to ask again Albus," Dumbledore frowned as Amelia used his first name, sure he did it to others but they owed him some respect!

"Will you allow me to take Snape in for questioning? If he is really innocent as you claim he is, he has nothing to fear after all."

"We talked about this earlier, and the answer is still no," Dumbledore let a little bit of his annoyance creep in his voice. "If that is all?"

"Not yet headmaster. I would like to know why we suddenly received a report one Her– Hermione Granger was expelled, and her wand was to be snapped at the earliest possible opportunity."

"A sad decision that," Dumbledore let out a fake sigh. "Miss Granger was a promising student, but she left the school grounds without permission, and her parents do not appear to be home. That leaves me no alternative but to permanently expel her, and as a Muggleborn witch without her OWLs, her wand must be snapped by law."

"Really headmaster?" Amelia raised her eyebrows, "Miss Granger, a third-year witch somehow left on her own? And how exactly, did no-one stop her from taking her things and getting out the front gate?"

"Alas, I don't have all the information, but yes she did somehow sneak past Mr Filch and leave the grounds. Now if that is everything, I am a busy man and–"

"Cut the crap Dumbledore," Amelia interrupted him. "I know Miss Granger left in the company of the -Boy-Who-Lived, right from under your wards. Why was the DMLE not informed about two missing students? And if you expel Miss Granger for this, why not Mister Potter as well?"

"Who told you Harry was missing? I know exactly where he is, and he is safe," Dumbledore countered, mentally cursing Hagrid for apparently still being unable to keep his giant mouth shut.

"You do? Well that comes in handy, because I wish to speak to him about his friend Miss Granger. You see Albus, her home was invaded twice by Dark Wizards so far, and the second invasion left her father dead. I am sure Mister Potter would like to know so he can comfort his friend."

"Erm... he is..." Dumbledore was spared the need to search for an excuse when one of his little devices on his desk began screaming and puffing out purple smoke.

"He is leaving England?" Albus jumped from his seat, momentarily ignoring the other people in his office, as he cast a "Point Me Harry Potter" spell. A blue streak of light left his wand and quickly went to the southeast, leaving his office.

"France..." Dumbledore muttered, then snapped back to reality and found a smirking Madam Bones and several Aurors watching him, their wands out.

"Albus Dumbledore, I am placing you under arrest for lying to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, endangering children under your protection, and I am sure a load of other crimes I will think of later. Hand over your wand."

"Amelia, it is all a misunderstanding, surely you can see that?" Dumbledore tried, looking around for an escape venue.

"Albus, your wand, now. I will not hesitate to stun you," Amelia looked to be all business.

"I am afraid I cannot do that... Fawkes! Get me out of here!" Dumbledore held up his hand, and his phoenix burst into activity, taking him by the hand and flaming the two out, leaving a furious Director behind.

"Curse that doddering old fool sideways! Aurors, begin bagging up every single peace of parchment and all books in this office, I need to contact Fudge ASAP before the old bastard gets to him!"

Amelia rushed towards the floo, as the Aurors jumped into activity.

–-

"We have an unregistered portkey coming in from England, I am rerouteing it to the questioning chamber now," Sebastian De la Salle, officer in the French Magical Border Patrol commented to his superior.

"Very well Sebastian, I will see who thinks they are too good to use the normal ways to travel," his superior answered.

The chief stepped into the adjacent room, and waited. A few seconds later two adult men, one adult woman, and two teens were dropped in the middle of the warded room as their portkey suddenly was forced to change course by the French magical wards, and stopped them in this secure facility. He was not surprised to see three of them, the woman and children, lose their stomach contents as the spinning portkey had changed direction and speed mid-spin, and now had slammed them down on the floor. With a wave of his wand the mess was cleared up, and he waited for the group to get their bearing.

"Welcome to France. Do you all speak French?"

"Errr... hello to the France, we is the speak a little," the black-haired man started, before obviously being lost for words.

The chief grinned a bit, then switched to English: "Very well. Welcome to France, I take it you are English?" Seeing a nod, he continued, "You are currently in the Office for Magical Border Patrol, following the interception of your illegal portkey. Please place your wands on the floor and step away from them. You are not in serious trouble, this is simply routine."

He saw the wizards look at each other, and the sandy-haired one nodded. At that, the two adult men, followed by the two teens, placed their wands on the floor.

"You as well ma'am," the chief instructed the woman.

"I... I am not a witch," she said. The chief raised his brows, and nodded. A wave of his own wand had the four wands on the floor pass out of the warded circle.

"Bon. Well then, your names please, and why did you use an unregistered portkey to cross over to La France?"

He saw them look among each other again, worry on their faces. After a bit more hesitation, the dark-haired man spoke up. "This is Harry Potter," he indicated the red-haired teen standing next to him, "his girlfriend Hermione Granger," the brunette blushed at that introduction, "her mother Emma Granger, Muggle," the woman was a Muggle? Unexpected... "Former Hogwarts teacher Remus Lupin," the dark-haired one indicated his taller friend, "and my name is Sirius Black."

"Black? As in Azkaban escapee Sirius Black?" The Chief saw the man nod, and raised his wand. "Then you will understand I am placing you five under arrest pending investigation."

"He is not guilty!" the teen introduced as the Harry Potter shouted out, but was calmed when the woman – Emma – placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not," Sirius Black added, "and that is one of the reasons we came to France. We are asking asylum."

"Merde," the chief cursed softly. "Very well... Monsieur De la Salle will collect you in a moment and bring you to a holding area, while I contact my superiors about you. For the moment you are in custody, and any actions against myself or any of my men will be seen as a hostile act, understood?"

"Understood," the sandy-haired man replied. "May I get your name sir?"

"I did not introduce myself? How rude of me," the chief answered. "Jean Delacour, at your service."

A/N: Cokeworth is from a Pottermore press conference. I have MI5 go after Snape here because they seem to handle domestic terrorism in the UK, hope that is not wrong.

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