Chapter 20- 'People his enemies are close to…'

When James, Albus and Rose visited Harry later that morning they were delighted and relieved that he was back to his normal self and were able to concentrate more fully on their classes that day.

After their classes were finished, they met Ginny and together went to visit Harry to see if he could come home, after Professor Snape did some final tests on him, of course. Luckily, Harry was perfectly fine and Snape was glad that the remedy potion worked as planned. Ginny and the children couldn't thank Snape enough for what he had done, though only Ginny knew exactly what did happen earlier that morning as Harry took her aside to tell her in private. Ginny was extremely grateful towards Snape and although she didn't think it would be right to bring up what happened with the man, she hoped that he could sense her gratitude.

That night, after having dinner in the hospital wing, Ginny and Lily went home with Harry and arrived safely with no sign of Greyback or Dementors near Hogwarts or their home. Hoping against all hope that Greyback had given up on looking for the Hallows after failing his first attack, Harry was able to sleep peacefully that night.

The following morning Harry returned to the ministry as Head Auror and was greeted enthusiastically by Ron who was glad to have his best friend back in action. But Harry knew that there were a few things he needed to discuss with the department and so organized a meeting that concerned all of the Aurors and Kingsley, if he was able to come. Assembling in one of the meeting rooms within the ministry, Harry called the forty or so people to order.

"Excuse me, everyone. Sorry to interrupt your conversations but I won't be long here today," Harry said, adopting his authoritative tone. The room went silent as they looked up at the standing Harry.

"My apologies for being absent the last couple of days, but for those who don't know why I was ill, I think it necessary to inform you because it could be a very important issue for this department." Harry now had everyone's attention and although most of them already knew why Harry was absent, they didn't know the whole story and were dying to know more.

"I have evidence that Fenrir Greyback, a known werewolf and once a follower of Lord Voldemort is now at large." A few wizards looked at each other concerned, but a majority already knew this fact.

"We also believe that he is responsible for releasing the Dementors on several occasions though we are unsure exactly how he is managing to do this. I can assert however, that he is planning to obtain information that could be very dangerous to the wizarding world as we know it and as Head of the Auror department, I must emphasise how important it is that he does not obtain this information."
"What information are you speaking of?" One of the Aurors asked. He was young and had only recently become an Auror. Harry had trained him himself and knew that the boy, at only twenty one years of age, had great potential.

"What I am about to tell you is a secret, I will bind each of you to keep this information strictly to yourselves by way of this contract," Harry indicated a piece of long parchment in his hand. "Everyone in this room must sign it before I tell you anything further. If you do not wish to sign then I must ask you to leave, I'm sorry," Harry said. He knew he was being strict and perhaps a little too paranoid, but if he was going to tell a group of people about the Deathly Hallows still being in existence, he needed to make sure that all of them will keep it a secret from anyone who may be in Greyback's league.

One by one, every witch and wizard stood up and signed the paper, looking at Harry a little strangely as if wondering if his time off had somehow made him abnormally paranoid. Once everyone had signed the paper, including Ron and Kingsley, Harry continued:

"I am sorry to take such drastic measures but what I am about to say could potentially cause the downfall of the wizarding world as we know it and I do not want to be responsible for that just because I wasn't careful enough. Last Friday my son was targeted by Greyback. Thankfully, my son wasn't injured and that it wasn't the full moon. It appears however, that Greyback was hoping to obtain information from me. At first, I did not know what information he could possibly be after, but after conversing with Severus Snape-" there was a lot of whispering at this, so Harry thought perhaps he better clear Snape's name for those who were still suspicious.

"I know that many of you are still concerned about the loyalty of Severus Snape. I will assert to all of you that Severus is definitely on our side and always has been. If you are unable to work alongside such a wizard then I must also ask for you to leave because unless you are willing to listen to his advice and accept his help, I am afraid I will have little use for you." No one moved; it seemed that they all trusted Harry enough to trust Snape.

"Anyway, Greyback sent the Dementors after me but because I was so worried about my son, I wasn't able to produce a Patronus which made me weak and vulnerable. Severus then came and used his Patronus to deter the Dementors but was unable to stop Greyback from feeding me a potion-"

"What potion was it?" A female Auror asked; she was gorgeous and very talented, but perhaps a little too sure of herself at times.

"The name of the potion is not of any concern and I am not going to go into detail about it's name, it's origin or what it did because we will never see it again. What I will tell you is that it made me incapable to work until Severus was able to brew the remedy potion which took three full days. However, what will interest you most and what I wanted to talk about with you today is that Greyback thought the potion was Veritaserum. We, meaning myself and Severus have since concluded through various means that Greyback is interested in finding the Deathly Hallows-"

"But you said many years ago that they were destroyed," Kingsley interrupted, hardly believing that Potter lied about something so serious.

"I am aware of that and I apologise for lying to all those who heard me announce it. However, I thought it was for the best that I tell the lie so that no one would look for them. Unfortunately, we are almost one hundred percent certain that Greyback knows they are still in existence and is currently finding a way to obtain them. Now, here is where our department comes in. For those who are not aware of what the Deathly Hallows will do once combined, allow me to explain. The tale goes that if all three are combined, the holder of them will become immortal and be more powerful than any of us can imagine because they will be the master of both the Elder Wand and death . If Greyback manages to do this, the world will be in grave danger. So the main objective is to ensure that Greyback never, under any circumstance discovers where these objects are. Luckily, only four people know the exact location of all three objects and they are: Ron," Harry said, indicating his friend to his left, "Ron's wife, Hermione who works in the Department of Magical Law enforcement; my wife, Ginny and myself. My children know where one of the objects is, but that is all. Of course, Ron and I are going to do everything we can to alert our children and our wives to what is happening and ensure that under no circumstance will we risk being contaminated by Veritaserum or be persuaded to give the information away. However, I ask that everyone present here today ensure that if you hear anything of Greyback's actions or objectives that you please inform Ron or me of this information. Also, if there is a battle and it seems that Greyback is desiring to get a hold of any of the people I have mentioned, that you do everything in your power to ensure that he does not get the opportunity to find out the location of the Deathly Hallows. I know this is a huge request, but I think everyone here agrees that unless we keep alert and do what will ultimately benefit our world, everything will fall apart. Also, as a final reminder, the contract you have all signed will alert me to anyone who willingly tells another person about what we have discussed today. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask me, otherwise, thank you very much for your time and I hope that with your cooperation and excellent skills, Greyback will never succeed in his plans." Harry finished and looked at the many witches and wizards who stared at him momentarily before getting up and walking towards their offices.

"No offence, but you sounded so much like Hermione just then," Ron said, smiling slightly as he approached his friend.

Harry smiled back. "I know, do you think the whole contract thing was going a bit far?" he asked, remembering all too well the method Hermione used during their fifth year to detect any betrayers in Dumbledore's Army.

"Perhaps, but still if any of the Aurors did betray us, it would be useful to know exactly who did it so we can kick their arse," Ron said, contemplating which curse he would use if anyone broke the contract.

"I don't think anyone will betray us, to tell you the truth, but we have to be cautious; we can't make any mistakes." Harry reinforced, wanting Ron to know that despite the contract, he did trust everyone who was present at the meeting. Harry just hoped that with the Aurors being aware of Greyback's ultimate goal that perhaps they will be able to stop Greyback from obtaining what most men desired: invincibility. Harry shuddered to think what would happen if they failed…

Whilst Harry was in the Hospital Wing, the rest of the school seemed to be restraining themselves from asking Al, James and Rose any questions with regard to Harry's health and wellbeing. But now that Harry was well and away from Hogwarts, nearly every person the children came across wanted to know how Harry is. Al, James and Rose couldn't deny it; they loved the attention and although they knew they shouldn't be basking in their father's fame, it was nice to know that people seemed to care for Harry. One particular afternoon during charms, Rose and Albus were working at their desk next to a couple of Slytherins who even made the effort to ask how Harry was. Rose and Al were completely shocked by this because, after all, the Slytherins very rarely talk to them, and when they did, their tone was usually of sarcasm. But today, two Slytherin boys- Al and Rose didn't even know their names, asked how Harry was going.

Al answered that his father was well and thanks for their concern to which they replied in a sincere and genuine tone: "Not a problem." When Al looked beyond his two Slytherin classmates however, he saw Scorpius staring at him only momentarily before he looked away and continued practicing a Levitation charm.

"Hey, Rose," Albus whispered to his cousin.

"Yeah?" Rose replied whilst controlling her feather which was high in the air.

"Look at Scorpius for a minute," he said quietly making sure no one else could hear.

Rose, lowered her wand and looked at the boy her cousin was referring to.

"He looks a little pale," Rose said a little concerned. "Perhaps he has the flu? I heard it has been going around despite it being spring," Rose suggested.

"Nah, I don't think so, he doesn't seem sick… perhaps he's stressed."
"Well of course he is stressed, the exams aren't far away. I also heard that he wasn't doing very well in Defense against the Dark Arts, so perhaps he is worried about that?"

"Maybe," Al said, still looking at Scorpius who was struggling to levitate his feather.

"But it's not just that," Albus continued. "Recently he hasn't been talking much to anyone. When was it the last time you saw him with his friends… he's a bit of a loner these days," Albus said a little concerned by the sudden change in Scorpius' behaviour.

"Like I said, maybe his father is putting the pressure on him to do well and he's cracking," Rose asserted, returning back to her feather.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," but even as Al said it, he knew it was something else that was troubling Scorpius. He was tempted to ask the boy himself, but thought that perhaps he would be rejected or he wouldn't answer truthfully. Regardless, Al knew something was wrong… something bigger than school marks and exams…

Finally the weekend arrived and it was clear that the majority of the school was glad to be able to catch up on their homework or at least, in Rose's case, this meant studying hard for the final exams.

Professor Snape on the other hand was to be found on Saturday morning, sitting at his desk marking a recent batch of assignments he received from his sixth year class and was able to assert that the standard wasn't all that bad. Another thing Snape wasn't expecting was a pecking at his window, a large black eagle was flying outside. Snape leapt up to let the bird in, recognizing it as one of the eagles Lucius used to bring packages to Draco when he was at Hogwarts. Hoping that nothing was wrong, Snape carefully took the letter from the eagle and opened it hurriedly to read:

Dear Severus,

Lucius and I wish to invite you to our manor tonight for a small discussion, followed by dinner. Myself, Lucius and Draco have been keeping an eye on Scorpius' marks in Defense against the Dark Arts and we are a little concerned that he is not up to standard. We would greatly appreciate it if you could give us an update on Scorpius' doings in the classroom and ways in which he can improve.

Please send your reply by return owl.

Narcissa Malfoy

Snape had never received a private letter from Narcissa before, but had seen her writing several times when either she or Lucius would write a letter of complaint to him regarding Draco's punishments whilst he was a student. Snape was looking forward to spending a quiet weekend in his office, but thought that perhaps he should go and see the Malfoys, especially because Scorpius' marks in his subject were below par. Writing on the back of the letter, he asserted his attendance at their manor at 6pm, signaled their eagle to him and watched the bird fly back to its owners with Snape's letter tied to its leg. Turning back to the impressive essays he was reading, Snape resumed marking, giving the current paper a large, red 'E'.

Snape spent a majority of the day in his office marking papers. He wondered if Scorpius knew about the somewhat formal meeting he was going to have with his father and grandparents and kept an eye out for the boy when he did manage to escape his office, but he never saw Scorpius at all. A little concerned for Scorpius; the boy didn't seem well of recent, Snape planned to ask the Malfoys about the boy and his wellbeing when he went to dine with them that night. At 5:55pm, Snape informed Minerva quickly that he was going to be at the Malfoy's for the night and then flooed to the Malfoy manor from his office fire place.

Narcissa Malfoy was waiting for Severus at the Malfoy fireplace, wringing her hands and looking more pale than usual. She watched apprehensively as Snape stepped out of the green flames.

"I'm so sorry, Severus," Narcissa whispered, as she clung onto Severus' arm as they walked towards the dining room.

"What are you talking about Narcissa?" Snape asked, noticing the panic and fear that was evident in the woman's tone.

"I couldn't help it," she continued as if she couldn't hear anything Snape was saying to her.

Thinking that perhaps this was something to do with Scorpius, Snape was about to ask if she was referring to some mistake she made with regard to her grandson. But as Snape walked towards their dining room, his worry for Scorpius multiplied tenfold, not because the boy wasn't there, but because he was…

"Well, well Severus, I'm glad you could join us," Greyback said, smiling in a way that made Snape's stomach churn. "I am glad to see that an invitation from your friend's wife is enough to initiate an interest in you, for I was unsure such an invitation would bring you here."

Snape was scared, not for his own life, but for Scorpius', who was being held forcefully by Greyback. Draco and Lucius were standing next to them, both as pale as Narcissa, looking as though they had both given up on the current situation.

"Would someone please explain what the hell is going on?" Snape asked, angrily; exactly what was the meaning of this meeting? What did Greyback want exactly?

"Well someone is impatient," Greyback sneered. "If you haven't noticed, I am here at the Malfoy manor so as to bring you out of Hogwarts."

"And what makes you think I want to talk to you?" Snape asked, both fury and fear filling him.

"It's not a question of whether you want to, Severus. I give you no choice. So far, Narcissa has obeyed my orders by writing to you with a plausible excuse to have dinner and Draco has fetched his son from school under my command and I am hoping that you too will be as smart as they have been."

Snape didn't know what to say. He knew that if he obeyed whatever command Greyback was about to give, he may be saving his life as well as those present before him, but if it had something to do with the Deathly Hallows…

"So what is it that you want to ask me, Greyback?" Snape asked, trying to stay as calm as possible.

"Oh I don't want any information from you, Severus. No, no, I want you to be my pawn," Greyback growled- so far his plan was going perfectly.

"And exactly what do you want me to do?" Snape asked, shaking slightly with rage.

"To be honest, I am surprised you haven't already done it."

"What are you talking about?" Snape asked, aggressively.

"I thought for sure when you laid eyes on me, the first thing you would have done is contact Potter. It is he I want to speak to, not you," Greyback spat. "So, I ask that you contact him now by means of a letter, so I can read what you write. If you don't, I will take Scorpius and ensure he gets bitten tonight."
At this, Narcissa yelped and sobbed quietly on her husband's shoulder. Lucius hadn't moved a muscle since Snape arrived.

Snape looked quickly between the people present. He knew that Greyback would not be lying with regard to the full moon being present tonight because although Snape hadn't noticed himself, Greyback would surely have picked tonight due to it being the full moon so he could have an excellent incentive for the Malfoys to do his bidding.

Snape didn't know what to do; he was sure Greyback must have some plan, probably Veritaserum that he would use against Potter once he arrived and Snape knew that once infected, there would be nothing he could do to stop Potter from telling the truth. But at the same time, he didn't want Scorpius to become a werewolf, especially after everything Lucius had done for him.

"Come on, Severus, we haven't got all day," Greyback hissed, wanting to hurry Snape along.

"How can I be sure that you will let Scorpius go if I contact Potter?" Snape asked, wanting a sure way of not getting ripped off by the werewolf.

"If you make an Unbreakable Vow with me that you will contact Potter via the exact means and words that I give you, then I will make another Unbreakable vow to assert that I will let him go if and only if you contact Potter first." Greyback said looking serious. It seems that as long as Snape contacted Potter, he didn't care about Scorpius' being there or not. Looking at Narcissa, Draco, Lucius and Scorpius in turn, all of whom were pale and extremely frightened, looking both hopeless and terrified, Snape said:

"You will make an Unbreakable Vow with me first, stating that you will release Scorpius of any physical or magical restrain or damage after I have contacted Potter. Is that clear?" Snape demanded with confidence, wanting to make sure that if he was risking Potter's coming here, he had to make sure that Potter was the only person he needed to worry about.

"And once I have made that vow, you will contact Potter or otherwise, I will bite Scorpius once the moon rises," Greyback asserted with an equal amount of confidence. Snape looked out the window and saw that they had an hour, if that, for Potter to arrive and ensure that Scorpius was out of danger.

Snape nodded and Narcissa walked up and bound the Unbreakable Vow between Fenrir and Severus. Snape then conjured some parchment and a quill with his wand and sat at the dining room table, ready to write whatever Greyback wanted him to.

"Potter," Greyback began in dictation. "I am currently at Lucius' manor and he has revealed to me important and urgent information with regard to Greyback and his plans. I think it would be ideal for you to meet us here so that we can discuss these recent findings. You may use the floo network to get here, simply shout 'Malfoy Manor' and I will greet you when you arrive. Please come as soon as you can, Severus Snape."

Greyback then snatched the letter out of Snape's hand and read it over. When he was satisfied, he ordered Lucius to fetch their eagle again so that he the letter could be sent.

"Give this letter to Harry Potter," Lucius told the eagle, quietly and with great regret in his tone. The eagle flew away and once it was out of sight, Snape stood up quickly and spun around to look at Greyback.

"Now let Scorpius go," he said in a deadly whisper.

Greyback, who had been holding the boy sharply to his side, released the boy, who ran to his father. Draco bent down and hugged his son quickly. For the first time that night, he spoke:

"May I take Scorpius back home to ensure he is completely safe?" Draco asked, not really expecting Greyback to allow him to do such a thing.

"I suppose that would fulfill the Unbreakable Vow I made," Greyback said thoughtfully. "But if I allow you to do this, we must make a vow asserting that you will not return until after 11pm tonight when I am sure to have finished. Until this time, no one from your family will return here until my work here is done, is that understood?"

Draco, looking both resigned and tired, nodded and walked forward to make an Unbreakable Vow with Greyback, his mother doing the charm. Finally, he ran, his son next to him, beyond the boundaries of the manor, kissing his mother on the cheek before he left and Apparated with his son.

"I have no use for you any longer," Greyback said looking at Narcissa and Lucius. "I do not want you to hear what answers Potter may give me, so I order the both of you to resign to your bedroom and not interfere at all with my interrogation of Potter tonight."

Resigned, the Malfoys looked solemnly at Severus before turning and leaving the dining room.

"Wait! Where do you think you are going? Are you just going to obey everything the man tells you to do?" Snape asked furiously, surprised that both Narcissa and especially Lucius would give up so easily; Lucius knew what was at stake after all.

Narcissa turned around, with tears in her eyes: "We're so sorry, Severus, but before you arrived, Lucius and I made an Unbreakable Vow with Greyback that we would obey his every order for the rest of the night to ensure the safety of Scorpius, Draco and ourselves. I'm so sorry, Severus," she whispered, tears falling down her pale cheeks. "Be careful." Narcissa finished and ran after her husband who was already ascending their stairs towards their bedroom.

"Before you go to the fireplace to wait for Potter, I insist that we make another Unbreakable Vow."

To be honest, Snape was getting tired of these Unbreakable Vows, but of course he expected nothing more of Greyback. But unlike the Malfoy's, Snape hadn't made an Unbreakable Vow with the man to obey his every order and had no intention of making another one, even if that meant a duel, severe injury or even death. He chose to spare Scorpius' life and risk Potter's because he was relying on somehow being able to alert the Harry before he made contact with Fenrir. But making a vow would erase all possibility of warning Potter and that situation was one Snape was not going to allow to happen.

"No, I am not going to make another Unbreakable Vow with you. There is no way I am allowing you to get away with this so easily!"

To Snape's horror, Greyback laughed.

"Well whether you like it or not, Potter is on his way, so either you can wait here for him and bring him to me without uttering a word or I can kill you right now. Either way, Potter is still at risk. So… what will it be?" Greyback asked with an evil grin; the werewolf knew he had won.

But Snape saw a third option: duel Greyback and avoid being killed as best he could.

Whipping out his wand, Snape prepared himself for the first real duel he has had since his early days as a Death Eater. Greyback laughed maniacally as he too pulled out his wand. Without any words flowing between them, the two men sprang into action. It was a duel like none other. Though it would never meet the standards of those who witnessed Dumbledore and Voldemort's duel at the ministry many years previously, it was still spectacular. Due to both wizards being able to do Legilimency and Occlumency, curses and hexes were blocked and reversed with such quick movements of the men's wands that it was impossible to keep track. But due to there being several prized objects displayed in the manor and furniture in their way, the duel, though intense was not as spectacular as one may expect of the two wizards. Snape was trying not to lose his composure; Greyback was good at dueling and it was at this point that Snape knew that someone must have been helping the man for he guaranteed that there was no way Greyback could have learnt such efficient dueling without a tutor and much practice. Also, Snape was not so much attacking as defending because once Harry entered the living room, he would surely hear the commotion and if Snape was responsible for Potter's death or injury, he would probably hope for death himself. Of course, there was a small part of Severus that hoped Harry would not receive the letter or perhaps decide against coming, but like most of Severus' wishes, this one didn't come true.

"Ginny, I'm going to the Malfoy Manor for a short while. Severus and Lucius have discovered more information about Greyback and wish for me to join them. I won't be long!" Harry yelled up the stairs.

"Not a problem. Stay safe!" Ginny yelled back as she went into her daughter's room to kiss her goodnight.

Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepped into the fireplace, which he hoped was connected to the Malfoy Manor and yelled: "Malfoy Manor!"

After getting the soot off his robes and stepping out of the fire place, Harry noticed the scene that was before him. Greyback and Snape were dueling furiously in the large entrance hall of the manor, just beyond the living room. Green curses were flying from Greyback's wand, each narrowly missing its objective or otherwise being deflected by what must have been the very powerful shield that Severus created to prevent certain death. Harry was transfixed; he had never seen either wizard duel before and was a little worried that they both seemed equally matched; he never would have thought Greyback would have magical talents that could rival Severus'. Realising he had remained stationary for too long, Harry summoned his Patronus and sent a message to Ron, telling him very briefly what was happening and to be cautious. Although he wasn't keen to bring his best friend into what was sure to be a dangerous battle, he wanted to capture Greyback if he could and to do that, he needed reinforcements. He would have contacted more of his department, but thought against it; they were indoors and there was too much risk that people could be unnecessarily injured.

Of course, Harry realised that the letter Snape sent, though written in the small, cramped print he remembered from Snape's memories, was obviously a ploy to get Harry there. Harry realised that Greyback was most likely wanting to discover more about the Deathly Hallows, so Harry kept his guard up and remained alert as he approached the duel cautiously, ready to enter the fray.

When Snape saw the green flames appear in the fireplace, he knew that Harry had arrived. Luckily, Greyback was unaware of this as the two wizards continued to battle. Snape was relieved, now that Harry knew Greyback was present, that at least he would be on his guard. But when Snape saw Harry approach the duel, he wished the man would turn around and leave Greyback to him. Although he knew Harry was a fine fighter, one mistake could lead to Greyback's success.

Harry's approaching Snape distracted the man for a moment, which allowed Greyback a split second advantage; a curse was coming straight for Snape, the man only realised too late that he was about to be hit, but in a split second, Harry responded.

"Protego!" Harry shouted as a shield-like force rose in front of Snape, protecting him from Greyback's curse. Harry smiled at the shocked look on Snape's face: it's not as if Severus was ungrateful but surprised that Harry reacted so fast. Snape's expression was nothing compared to Greyback's however, who believed that he had finally won the duel which would have allowed him to hide Snape before Harry arrived, so he could interrogate the man freely. But unfortunately for him, Greyback was now outnumbered two to one and although Harry may not be able to use Legilimency like Severus could, there was no denying that he was an equally tough opponent.

"Do you want to surrender, Greyback?" Harry asked, aggressively, knowing exactly why the man was here in the first place; he could only imagine what possible dangers he must have put the Malfoy's through.

"I will never give up Potter, even if that means fighting the both of you," Greyback growled, slightly sneering at the way Snape and Potter were standing at the ready, directly opposite him, side by side.

"Suit yourself," Harry replied and the three men continued to duel. Spells were flying everywhere, glass cabinents were breaking, lights shattered, the floor was littered with glass and dust, but the three men didn't care; they were fighting for their goals and nothing could stop them from achieving them. Of course, however, one side had to win and which side that would be became obviously when the fireplace glowed green again and out stepped three people. Greyback may have failed to notice Harry's entrance, but he was unable to ignore the arrival of Ron (who obviously received Harry's message) as well as Hermione and Ginny. Noticing that Greyback was distracted, Snape and Harry ventured a look at the fire place. Harry's immediate instinct was to tell his wife to go home- he didn't want her getting involved and although he didn't think they could possibly lose now, it was still too dangerous. But both witches looked determined and the moment they laid eyes on the werewolf, it was clear that they wanted nothing more than to attack him with every curse they could think of.

"Sorry we're late," Ron said smiling, though he was still aware that Greyback could attack at any moment, but the man seemed so beyond speech that Ron doubted it.

"Glad you made it," Harry said, smiling back. The three of them joined Severus, Ron giving him a nod as he stood next to him and Harry. The five of them turned to face Greyback.

"Still want to duel?" asked Harry.

"Absolutely," Greyback growled with his classic, evil grin spreading across his face, looking up at the moon.

Suddenly Snape remembered: "Shit, the full moon!" he exclaimed, causing his four companions to turn pale.

Greyback continued: "There is no way I am leaving now, not when I have such a wholesome dinner before me." And then brandishing his wand, Greyback aimed a curse at Ginny, she dodged it just in time and sent a red, stupefy spell back at him.

"You're going to stun me? What good will that do?" Greyback sneered, surprised that his opponents weren't aiming to kill.

"So that you can suffer for everything you have done to our family and everything you plan on doing to our world!" Ginny yelled back; extremely passionate about what she and her companions were fighting for.

"Ha! I won't suffer, but you will," Greyback exclaimed, as he turned swiftly to his right and silently aimed an Avada Kedavra curse at Hermione, who silently conjured a shield in front of her.

"I see that you can do Legilimency too," Greyback sneered, though couldn't help being impressed.

"Of course I can; there is no way you are going to win that easily."
"Perhaps not in my current form, but once I am a werewolf, I am sure I will have certain… advantages," Greyback whispered, licking his lips. Ginny and Hermione were revolted.

"We don't have long," Snape said hurriedly as he saw the sun set in the distance.

"Let's go!" Harry yelled and all at once, all six wizards present released a spell towards the opposite side. A variety of colours were flying momentarily through the air, some making contact with their targets. Harry managed to dodge the killing curse aimed at him by Greyback, but Fenrir wasn't so lucky. He was hit by Harry's Expelliarmus spell, causing the man to lose his wand. But before any of them could react, Greyback, realising he was definitely outnumbered, quickly bent down to pick up his wand and sprinted from the scene.

The five remaining wizards watched as the man ran beyond the boundaries of the Mafloy property and Apparated as quickly as he could.

There was silence. Finally, Harry asked the group at large:

"Why did he run? It won't be long before the full moon appears, he could have killed us all."

"Perhaps that's just it, Harry. He didn't want to kill us, or rather, he didn't want to kill you. Also, he isn't stupid: he realises he's out numbered. What he did was pretty smart if you ask me," Hermione asserted.

"Damn it, I so wanted to catch him!" Ron exclaimed, disappointed that they didn't have the chance to capture the werewolf.

"So did I, Ron; it would have meant that we wouldn't have to worry so much about the Deathly Hallows," Harry replied, also disappointed that Greyback wasn't caught

"So, what should we do now? You don't think he'll comeback do you?" Ginny asked, slightly panicked.

"Greyback doesn't keep his mind when he transforms, just like any other werewolf," Snape answered Ginny. "So it is unlikely he will return whilst he is still a werewolf. Also, I am sure Lucius will put up certain protective spells to ensure the man cannot enter their property without their permission," Snape asserted, trying to reassure the others as well as himself that they were safe- for now.

"So we can basically say that we are safe as long as we are here," Harry said more to himself than his companions.

"So what exactly has been happening? Why was Greyback here and where are the Malfoys?" Ron asked, looking around as if he only just realised Lucius and Narcissa were no where to be found.

"I do not know the full story of what has happened with regard to the Malfoys and Greyback. Although I do know a little, it would probably be best if we invite them to tell us what happened," Snape suggested, looking for the approval of the others.

"Good idea," Harry asserted almost immediately; he was eager to know exactly what has been happening with regard to Greyback and his plans.

"Then I will make contact with Draco," Snape said. However, the name 'Draco' seemed to ignite some fire in Ron, who exclaimed:

"Why would you want to speak to him for?" Ron asked, a little aggressively. Of course their current location was where the man used to live, but other than that, he couldn't see how Malfoy was connected to the present situation.

"Because Weasley, Draco was here when I arrived, he was sent home by Greyback with Scorpius and I wish to speak to him, if that's okay with you," Snape replied, trying to keep as calm as possible.

"There is no problem with him being here," Harry butted in; "the more information we can gather, the better."

"But, you are sure Draco is on our side, right?" Ginny added, a little uncertain.

"I am sure," Snape replied with confidence. "Only problem is that I do not know how to contact him to ensure that he knows it is me and not an imposter."
"You could use your Patronus," Hermione suggested.

Snape paused at this; the only way Draco would recognise the Patronus would be if his father told him about his silver doe, otherwise, revealing his Patronus would be entirely pointless. But with no other possibility he could think of, he whispered: "Expecto Patronum" and did the necessary incantations to allow his doe to deliver the following message to Draco: Draco, Greyback has left. Please come to the Manor, I wish to discuss a few things with you.

After he watched his doe gallop away, he turned back to the group as they were discussing what to do next. Thinking that he should probably wake Lucius and Narcissa, though he doubted they were asleep, he excused himself and ascended the stairs to the room he knew to be the master bedroom.

Knocking on the door, Snape heard a yelp and a cry:
"Who is it?" Narcissa was clearly afraid.

"It is Severus, Narcissa. Greyback has left and Potter and his, ah, friends are here. We wish to talk to you to find out more information about what exactly happened tonight."
"We are not coming out until you can prove you are, Severus Snape," Lucius asserted and Snape had no doubt that the man had his wand brandished, ready to fight.

Realising for the second time that night that there was no other way of proving his true identity, Snape whispered "Expecto Patronum" once more and sent his Patronus through the door towards the Malfoys. After a few seconds, Snape heard movement behind the door and stepped aside as Lucius and Narcissa emerged from their bedroom. Despite the hour or so that had passed since they were ordered up here by Greyback, it was clear that they were still shaken by the night's events.

"Your Patronus really is a doe," Lucius said, smiling a little as he walked out of his bedroom.

"I wouldn't lie about something like that, Lucius," Snape replied sourly, but soon the subject was dropped as Narcissa brought them back to more pressing matters.

"Is everyone okay?" Narcissa asked faintly.

"Everyone is fine, probably thanks to the timely arrival of Potter's friends," Snape reassured the woman. "I also took the liberty of inviting Draco back to the manor because Potter wishes to discuss a few things with him, I hope you do not mind?" Severus asked, looking between Lucius and Narcissa.

"No, that's fine; we'll be glad to see him and make sure he and Scorpius are safe," Narcissa answered.

Snape, Lucius and Narcissa descended the stairs and walked towards Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. It didn't take a genius to realise that Lucius and Narcissa had been through a lot of recent; as well as being really tired, it was also clear that the two people before them were unhealthy, anxious and shaken. All four of them couldn't help but feel sorry for the Malfoys, something of which they never thought would happen. The group of them stood there in silence waiting for Draco to arrive so that the discussion could take place.

Finally, a tall, pale, pointed faced, wizard was seen just beyond the boundaries of the Malfoy Manor. Seeing the group of people waiting for him, he headed towards the crowd, looking around the area to ensure that Greyback wouldn't be able to sneak up on him. Narcissa ran up to her son the moment he arrived and hugged him, sobbing as she asked if he was okay and where Scorpius was now.

"I'm fine, Mother. I took Scorpius back to Hogwarts; he should be safe there. But- what are they doing here?" Draco asked, whispering the final sentence.

Narcissa whispered back: "They helped Severus get rid of Greyback, I think Harry wants to ask us what we know about Greyback's plans."

Draco didn't like the sound of this; he hadn't talked to Potter, Weasley and Granger since they were students and felt a little uncomfortable being in their presence, seeing as he knew that he was at fault for the whole night's events.

"Come on, Mother," Draco said quietly as he led Narcissa r towards the group that were standing a few metres from them.

"I assume you received my message?" Snape asked when Draco and Narcissa had joined them.

"Yes, Father told me your Patronus was a doe. The same as Potter's mother's Patronus, I believe?" Draco said, trying to make conversation.

Severus nodded.

Draco then turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione as if silently asking for their approval.

There was a awkward pause until finally Harry held out his hand.

"How are you?" he asked Draco.

"Not as well as I would like," Draco replied as he shook Harry's hand. Then releasing Harry's hand, he turned to Ron, hoping for the same form of acceptance, which Ron gave however reluctantly. Hermione gave Draco a small smile and it was only then that Draco felt at ease.

Now that everyone present seemed to be accepting of every other person, Harry wanted to get straight to business.

"We were wondering if we would ask you a few questions about what happened before we arrived. Anything you can tell us about Greyback, how he's been acting and any plans you think he may have would be greatly appreciated," Harry said kindly, looking between the Malfoys.

"We're glad to be of any help," Narcissa replied on behalf of her family and led the group to the dining room table which could easily sit eight people.

"Greagor!" Lucius yelled.

A second after Lucius had spoken, a house elf appeared by the man's side.

"Please get us some tea, coffee and cakes for our guests," he said, signaling Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Severus. The latter, Greagor recognised immediately and ran up to Snape asking:

"Mr. Snape! Greagor is honoured to see you once again, sir. Have you fully recovered from your injuries, sir?" The elf asked, very excited to see a familiar guest.

"I am much better, thank you," Snape asserted.

"Greagor! The food please!" Lucius interrupted, realizing that his elf could probably speak to Snape for hours if he allowed him to.

"Of course, Master," Greagor exclaimed as he hurried out of the dining room, his ears flapping madly behind him.

Suddenly, Harry remembered something.

"Ginny, who's looking after Lily? And Hugo?" He asked, looking between Ginny and Hermione.

Ginny smiled. "You don't think I would have left her alone at home do you? Ron, Hermione and I met up at Grimmauld Place and together we took Hugo and Lily to Mum's." Ginny replied, still smiling.

"Okay, good," Harry said, relieved. "Well, shall we begin then?" Harry suggested, receiving nods from everyone present. Once Greagor returned with a variety of cakes, two kettles of boiling water, tea and coffee, the conversation began…

A/N: I don't know what time the sun goes down in England, so I have made it that the sun sets at around 7pm. Sorry for my ignorance on this matter.

Also, I realise the many Unbreakable Vows may seem very confusing, but I just wanted to use them as a device to get Draco, Narcissa, Lucius, Severus and Harry where I wanted them. The Unbreakable Vows and exactly which vows were made between whom is of no significance to the overall story, so don't spend ages trying to figure it out 

Anyway, chapter 21 will be posted up tomorrow and then you probably won't get another update from me for another two weeks or so. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to reading your reviews!!! Hint hint lol. Anyway, the next chapter is called: 'What I am capable of' and I will post it up sometime tomorrow after I come back from uni.

Happy reading and please remember to review!