Chapter 25:

Saturday dawned with a bright sun. The weather was still cold, but students were turning their thoughts to warm, spring days. Unfortunately this led to an increase in cases of spring fever, meaning the Dragons had a hard time controlling classes. Fortunately, spring fever allowed for the perfect distraction for a daring rescue mission.

Students milled about the school, noticing that their dictator had left the school with a bunch of his morons. "He's left the really idiotic ones on duty," James reported to Rawlins. "Today should be a piece of cake."

"I hope so," Rawlins replied. "I really hope so. Is everyone ready?"

"Just waiting on us. Madi isn't looking forward to this," James explained.

"Well, she volunteered," Rawlins shot back.

"I know!" James yelled, startling a painting nearby. "I'm sorry," he apologized. The subjects of the painting merely huffed and turned their backs on the Black boy. "Great." James sprinted to catch up with Rawlins, who was almost near the stairs. "Wait!"

"What? We're near to running behind schedule, James."

"Rawlins, relax, it's only five to three. We've got time," James said. "Look, we're all tense but this is going to work. Trust me."

"I want to, but reason is telling me otherwise," Rawlins shot back. "Just get to the third floor, James. I have to go meet Maxim in the dungeons."

"What are you doing down there?"

"James, go!" With that, Rawlins practically ran down the stairs, leaving James behind. He ran a hand through his black hair, staring at the girls' bathroom. He sighed, heading upstairs to meet with Madison and Susan.

"Hello? Mom? Daddy? Have you already left for Nana's? Itsy? Daisy? Somebody? Hello?" Sam asked, walking into her house.

Severus walked out of the parlor to greet his daughter. "Sorry, sweetie, I was just busy wrapping your grandmother's present for your mother," he said, hugging her. "How was your week?"

"All right. Yours?"

"Same."

"So, why did you call me over here?" Sam asked. "I mean, I know you and Mom have to go…"

Her father waved her off. "You know your mother. She's still in the shower. It'll take her another thirty minutes to get ready. I think your poor grandmother would die of shock if Mom and I came early," he said.

He started walking towards his study but turned when he realized his daughter wasn't following him. "You coming?" he asked. She shrugged and started walking after him.

They entered his study. "Have a seat, if you want. I promise this won't take long. I can't hear the shower anymore," Severus said, motioning to her favorite chair. She flopped down happily, bouncing slightly. Severus began to search through his desk, trying to find something. At long last, he pulled out a wooden box with a Slytherin crest on it.

"Happy Birthday," he said, handing her the box.

Sam took it, confused. She looked at her father. "Daddy, my birthday isn't for another week," she said.

"I know that, silly. I was there for it," he replied. "This actually part one of your birthday present."

"My present has parts?"

"Yes. Well, only two. I'm giving this one to you now and then you'll get the other one on your birthday."

"Why not give it to me on my birthday and make me find the other part, like a scavenger hunt or something?"

"I did think of that, but something has been telling me to give you the key in advance. Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," she said, hugging him. "Thank you."

"Aww, isn't this a sweet family moment?" Kiki's voice drifted from the doorway. Severus and Sam turned around to see her standing there, all ready to go. Sam walked over and hugged her mother. "Nice to see you, Sam."

"Hi, Mom. Well, I guess you'll want to leave now?" Sam asked. Kiki nodded. "Alright. I'll go. Bye, Mom." She kissed Kiki's cheek. "Bye, Daddy." She kissed Severus' cheek. "Love you both!" With that, Sam left.

"Why was she here?" Kiki asked her husband.

"I wanted to give her the first part of her birthday present early."

"I told you that you would spoil her. Remember when she was born?"

"I know, I remember. But I didn't just spoil her, did I? No, I believe I spoilt Madi and Garret as well."

"Fine, yes, you did," Kiki sighed. "Let's go. I don't want to be later than usual."

She started out the door, but Severus remained behind. "I love you," he said. She whirled around, confused. It wasn't like he didn't say constantly—he did—but not at random moments like this.

"What?"

"I love you. I…I just wanted you to know that," he replied, hugging her. "Come on, let's go." He left the study, followed by his shaken and suspicious wife.

"What are we waiting for?" Draco asked Harry. Frankly, the blonde man was tired of standing so close to his former enemy. But they had to remain hidden, huddled under Harry's invisibility cloak. With both their brooms. It was not comfortable.

"We're waiting for the signal that the kids have properly distracted the Dragons, now shut up. I think I hear someone coming." Draco started to groan but silenced it once he realized Harry was right. A large group of men in red stopped in front of them.

"No one ever suspects the Spanish Inquisition!" Draco whispered dramatically. Harry nearly jabbed him in the gut.

"Who said that?" one Dragon asked.

"Said what?" another replied.

"Never mind," the first said. "Okay, we need to deal with these pesky kids! Reports!"

"Two brats have exploded potions in the dungeons and the Malfoy boy and a few friends have started a food fight in the Great Hall," one of the Dragons said. Draco felt very proud of his son.

"Nothing beats his sister," another replied. "She and the Longbottom girl are tossing various things off the Astronomy tower!" Now Draco was proud of both his children.

"Not to be outdone, Harry Potter's daughter has released a bunch of blast-end skewerts in the fifth hallway with Frank Longbottom and Garret Snape. We'll have to scold that oaf later."

Another scratched his head. "Well, at least it's not as smelly as what the Black and Lupin girls are doing on the floor below them. They've exploded all the toilets! Whole corridor is flooded and Filch doesn't know what to do."

"Those Weasley twins are trying to give their uncles a run for their money," someone else reported. "And they've dragged the eldest Dumbledore with them. They're playing catch with a golden snitch."

Someone else sighed. "I've got the Snape girl having a panic attack and her stupid boyfriend and friend aren't doing anything to calm her down. I think they're just riling her up more!"

"Oh…makes my floor seem a little, well, tame. It's just two cousins in the middle of a cat fight."

"Think…what would Newman do?" They all sat around pondering this. Harry and Draco thought the group was going to stand there all day. Finally one last Dragon stormed up to the group.

"What are you all doing around here? The Order children are creating havoc and you are just standing doing nothing! Get a move on!"

"Oi! Who died and put you in charge, David?"

"I did since you are all incompetent fools!" David roared. "Now, split up and get those kids to calm down."

"Really? You and what army?"

"I don't need an army. How do you think Newman is going to take it when I explain why you all let twenty teens run the school when he gets back?"

That seemed to spur the Dragons. They quickly decided on which floors they would handle and split. Draco and Harry sighed in relief, starting their careful trek down to the bathroom. "I hope the children don't get in too much trouble," Draco whispered.

"With Newman as the Headmaster, I highly doubt they care," Harry shot back. "Okay, here we go!"

Harry whipped off the invisibility cloak. "Good Merlin, Potter. How did you three all fit under that thing back in school?" Draco asked.

"It was easy when we first started. Got a little tougher once we hit our growth spurts. You ready?"

"I guess. Where's the entrance?"

"You're looking at it."

"I only see a bunch of sinks."

"Yeah, you see the one with the snake on the faucet?"

"The entrance to the infamous Chamber of Secrets is a sink?"

"You bet. I have to hand it to old Salazar, he really was a genius," Harry said. "I mean, would you think a sink would be suspicious. A sink in a girl's room, no less?"

"I guess, but how do you get it to open? Turn the hot and cold knobs in a strategic manner? Can't anyone get in?"

"Well, yes, if it were set up like that. However, it's not," Harry said, arms crossed. "Now, would you mind shutting up so I can open the chamber before the Dragons finish with our children?"

"Sorry," Draco said, shuffling on his feet. Harry turned to the sink and hissed at it. The sink sprung to life, shifting so that it created an entrance way. "It takes a Parseltongue to open this thing?"

"Only time it came in handy. Wait…there was also the time I set the snake on my cousin, but I didn't know I could actually talk to snakes then."

"I see…So, shall we go in or what?"

Kevin thought he was going to go insane. "Three bottles of beer on the wall, three bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, two bottles of beer on the wall," he sang to himself. "Two bottles of beer on the wall, two bottles of beer, take one down, pass it around, one bottle of beer on the wall."

He lifted up his head. "You ready, buddy?" he asked the skeleton. "We're on the last verse. Again." He cleared his throat. "One bottle of beer on the wall, one bottle of beer, you take one down and pass it around, no bottles of beer on the wall!"

Kevin jumped when he heard clapping. He turned to see Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy standing there, brooms under their arms. "Very good," Harry said. "I'm guessing you were bored."

Draco walked around near the skeleton. "What is this?" he asked, kicking one of the bones.

"Don't kick Ralph!" Kevin exclaimed. Draco and Harry stared at him. "What? He's been the only person to talk to for a long time."

"Okay," Draco replied. Harry hit his arm. "Ow, Potter!"

While Draco rubbed his arm, Harry released Kevin from his chains. "Thank you," Kevin replied. "I hated that thing."

"Okay, we got him. Let's go. This place gives me the creeps," Draco said.

"Can I say good-bye to Ralph, please?" Kevin asked. "I know it's weird…but he's my Wilson."

"Your what?"

"I'll explain later, Draco," Harry said. "You know what, I'll even let you take a bone home. Hopefully it doesn't freak Jamie out. For some reason, I don't think it will."

"Thank you," Kevin replied, pulling out a bone. "Sorry, Ralph. But now I'll always remember you!"

"Great, now that this good-bye fest is over, can we leave?"

"Draco, stop whining. Kevin, where is your father?"

"He's in a room just to left of here. Fred—or was it George?—told me so."

"Great. Now whose broom will you ride on?"

"Not mine. No way. I'll take his dad. Maybe he's more sane then his son," Draco argued. Harry and Kevin sighed, but boarded Harry's broom. Draco boarded his. "Good. Let's go get Papa Gregory."

They flew out of the Chamber, but were stopped in the bathroom by a Dragon. Draco and Harry realized it was the one someone had called David earlier. And from what they had seen, he was more than competent. They landed, staring him down. He just watched them, arms crossed, a bemused expression dancing on his face.

"I knew it," he said after a while. "I just knew it."

"Knew what?" Draco asked before Harry hit him. Even Kevin was rolling his eyes. "Ow! That's it, this the last time I help you with anything, Potter!"

"HUSH!" David roared, silence thus reigning. "The others may be too dense to see it, but all the Order children causing trouble at the same time? Oh no, it was more than coincidence. And that nothing was happening on this floor was a bigger clue. We knew you would do something like this."

David pointed his wand at them. "Oh, imagine how rewarded I will be when I bring Newman the great Harry Potter!" he exclaimed, a gleam in his eye. Harry was suddenly reminded of a time so long ago. A meeting with a deranged man back in his fourth year…Barty Crouch, Jr. He barely had time to wonder if these two men were related when he felt Kevin jab him.

"What are we going to do?" he hissed at the man. Harry cast a sideways look at Draco, who shot him a "yeah, what are we going to do?" look in response. Harry sighed as David continued to advance on them.

Harry and Draco pulled out their wands but Kevin just patted his pockets apologetically. "Oh no…you're not going to pull anything. Newman will be returning soon," David said, running a hand through his brown hair. He raised his wand as did Harry. He wasn't going down without a fight, despite whatever this David thought.

"STUPEFY!" Harry called out, but swore there was an echo. David went down, unconscious. "That's weird. I've never knocked someone out with that spell," he commented.

"That's because you're never really shooting it at the same time with someone else," Fred explained, stepping over David's body. "David McDonald. Should've known. He's been angling to be Newman's right hand man for a long time coming."

"I thought you went out with Newman to distract him. What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

Fred sighed. "George and I had arranged for Angelina to watch the store, but she backed out and Alicia couldn't do it. So I stayed behind while he went with Newman. I just got here when I heard this idiot's voice. I panicked and came to see this!"

Fred kicked David's body, causing the man to emit a groan. Kevin was startled but Harry shook his head. "It'll take a while for him to come to," he explained. "How many Dragons are free?"

"None, except Sleeping Beauty here," Fred said, pushing David with his foot. "Your children are still running amok with the aid of a few dung bombs." Fred seemed very proud.

"Gee, wonder where they got those from?" Draco muttered. Harry and Fred looked like they were going to hit him again.

"I hate to break up the love fest but we still need to rescue my father and my wand," Kevin said. The others jumped and looked at him. "Great. You forgot me, the reason why we are standing in a girl's bathroom."

"A haunted girl's bathroom," Fred filled in. Harry began looking around anxiously. "What? You're not afraid of a ghost, man, are you?"

"You don't understand…Moaning Myrtle…she, ah, she had…a…thing for me," Harry explained.

The other three men looked at each other, then at Harry, then back to the others. And then they burst out laughing. It echoed off the bathroom walls, making it even louder to Harry.

"Oh, poor Harry, are they teasing you?" an ethereal voice said, stopping the laughter. Harry merely groaned as Myrtle popped out of a nearby toilet. Kevin, Draco and Fred stood aghast. "I've missed you," she purred.

"Oh, hi, Myrtle," he gasped out, now a bright shade of red. "How've you been?"

"I'm fine. How about you? I've missed you since you graduated. I would've thought you'd come back to teach," she said, getting closer to Harry. He shot a "help me" look to the others.

Fred coughed. "Um, we better go. I don't know how much longer those dung bombs will keep the Dragons busy or David will remain unconscious. Shall we?" He pointed to the door.

Draco and Kevin began inching towards the door—being sure to step on David—as Harry stuttered out apologies to Moaning Myrtle. They finally made it out, breathing a sigh. "Alright, I'm going to check on the Dragons. Kevin, you remember where I said your father is?" Kevin nodded. "Good," Fred continued. "I'll bring your wand later on, okay?" Another nod. They dispersed.

It took them five minutes to get Mr. Gregory, who was quite relieved to see his son well. The two hugged. "Kevin, you need a bath," Mr. Gregory said.

"So do you," his son shot back.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything…" Draco started, but trailed off to defend himself from Harry's next assault. "Shall we go?" The others nodded and away they went.

"You cleaned my apartment?" Kevin asked Jamie. She merely shuffled on her feet, smiling shyly as Lily stormed over to her.

"You cleaned his apartment but can't clean your own side of the room?" her twin yelled.

Jamie stuck her tongue out at her twin. "You clean it much better," she argued. Lily looked ready to kill her sister.

"We are never going to find the body," Giachi whispered to Sam, who was watching with amusement.

Avoiding World War III, Kevin grabbed Jamie's wrist and dragged her to an unused parlor. Giachi remained to comfort Lily while Sam walked into the kitchen to offer help to Molly.

"Sorry I missed your birthday," Kevin apologized to Jamie. She hit him.

"It's not like you purposely missed it or, worse, forgot it. You had a pretty legit excuse." The two shared a laugh. "How are you holding up?"

"Oh no, don't you dare start psychoanalyzing me or something! Please?"

A sigh. "I won't, but I want you to see someone. Anyone. I can even recommend people. Please?"

"I'll see. I mean, how are they going to react when I say an evil wizard wannabe kidnapped me and left me in a hidden chamber with a rotting Basilisk I named Ralph?"

"I know someone who knows of the wizarding community. She'll help you."

"Thanks," Kevin said. He pulled out his present. "Now, the real reason I brought you here."

"Not so that I didn't kill my sister and vice versa?"

"Well, that, and this. Happy Very Belated Birthday, Jamie," Kevin said, handing her the present. She smiled and ripped it open. She opened the box and her jaw dropped. "I hope you like it."

Jamie latched herself to Kevin's neck, causing him to stumble back a bit. "Like it? I love it! Oh, it's so beautiful!" She lifted the necklace out of the box. "Put it on me, please?"

He obliged her, gently clasping the necklace around her neck as she held her hair out the way. "Glad you liked it. Took me forever to pick it out—had to find just the right one you know," he said.

And Jamie kissed him. After a few minutes, they broke apart, smiling at each other. "FINALLY!" yelled three voices. The couple turned to see Lily, Giachi and Sam standing in the doorway with their arms crossed.

"It has taken you so long to realize that you two have essentially been dating for awhile now?" Sam asked. "Jeez, and we all thought Uncle Ron was blind about Aunt Hermione."

The two were spared answering the question when the back door was thrown open. "KIKI!" they heard Harmony exclaim, causing Sam to bolt for the kitchen.

Her mom was in shock, that was clear. "Mom, what's the matter?" Sam asked Kiki. The woman merely sat there staring at the table. Sam sighed and turned to her shaking grandmother. "Nana?"

"It happened so quickly. I came here since I knew this is the safest place now for us," Grace Wright explained.

"What happened quickly, Mrs. Wright?" Harry asked. She didn't say anything. He turned to her daughter. "Kiki?"

Kiki still didn't say anything, scaring her friends and daughter. Harry left the room abruptly. Lily wanted to take Sam out of the room, but she shook her off. Sam sat down next to her mother, hugging her close. Lily took Mrs. Wright out instead. A few minutes later, Albus walked in, concerned.

"What is going on?" he asked. Everyone shrugged.

"She isn't saying anything, Grandpa Albus," Sam explained. "Neither is my grandmother."

"I know. Minerva is with her now." Albus sat down next to Kiki, putting a fatherly arm around her shoulders. "Kiki, what's wrong?"

At that, the floodgates opened and she began crying hysterically. She wretched herself away from Dumbledore and her daughter, trying to leave the kitchen. Sirius and Remus stopped their friend and she collapsed in their arms, sobbing.

"Shh," Sirius comforted, rocking his friend. "What's the matter?"

"It's Severus," Kiki choked out. "He's…gone missing…they've taken him!"

Sam hit the floor in a dead faint. Molly bustled over to her, but her daughter waved her off. Ginny checked Sam and then asked Giachi to move the Snape girl out of the kitchen. He did so as Kiki continued to cry in Sirius' and Remus' arms.

"Okay, okay," Sirius said, pulling Kiki back a little. "You have to be more specific there, sugar. Who took Severus?"

"Who do you think, Einstein?" Kiki shot back. Sirius smiled. "Stop smiling! My husband is gone, for Merlin's sake!"

"I'm smiling because you are out of the shock—you're insulting me!"

"Keep talking and I'll also hit you. We need to find Severus. Maybe they took him to the same place they kept Kevin and his father?"

"I don't think so," Dumbledore admitted, now slumped down the table. "It would be too risky for Newman. He knows we've gotten into the Chamber before and could definitely get in again."

Kiki sighed as Sam ran back in. She immediately threw herself in her mother's arms, now that Kiki was more fit to comfort her upset daughter. "Don't worry, dear, we're going to get him back," she cooed in her ear. Sam just sniffled and let her mother rock her.

"How?" Harmony asked. "We don't know how many other hiding spots Newman has. Let alone how many Hogwarts has."

"The Marauders' Map?" Ron suggested but Albus shook his head.

"He's not going to take Severus to Hogwarts. He knows Severus is still the true Headmaster of the school."

"So," Remus inserted, "the school would do his bidding rather than Newman. So if Severus asked for a way out…"

"The castle would provide one for him, yes."

Everyone fell silent for a bit. The only sounds were Sam's gasping as she stopped crying and calmed herself down. Kiki walked forward, grasping a chair's back. "We need to get Fred and George to find out where else they may have taken Severus," she said.

"Of course," Harry replied. "I'm sure they know. Or can find out somehow. They are Fred and George."

"I think we've had enough excitement for tonight. We will help Severus better were we all to sleep on it, I think," Dumbledore replied, standing up. "Kiki, will you be fine?"

"I'm a trooper," Kiki replied. Dumbledore nodded. He squeezed her shoulder, hugged Sam and walked out. A few minutes later, Grace walked back in.

"Kiki, sweetie, I'm going to visit your brother since my house is now a crime scene. Do you want to come?"

"No, thanks. I'll be okay," Kiki said, hugging her mother. Grace reluctantly hugged her back before hugging Sam. Once she was gone, Kiki turned on her daughter. "Okay, now you should go too. You have work tomorrow. Why does the ministry always insist on ruining a good weekend like that?"

"Oh no," Sam said. "How could you think I'll be able to concentrate with Daddy missing?"

"Because he would want you to."

"But…"

"You know I'm right."

"But…"

"Sam…"

"Mom…"

"Samantha Kristin Snape, you are going home and that's it. And because I'm the Mom, that's why." Kiki crossed her arms.

"Ach! Gryffindor stubbornness!" Sam threw her hands up in defeat. She kissed her mom's cheek. "Alright, I'll go home and go on as usual. You take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Kiki promised. Sam left after the Lupin twins said good-bye to their parents. As people began to drift home, Kiki walked over to Bianca and Sirius. "Is it alright if I stay here? I just don't feel right in the house without Severus around. And I annoy everyone since when left alone, I tend to rearrange the furniture."

"Of course you can stay," Bianca replied, Sirius nodding vigorously next to her. "Stop that, your head is going to snap off."

"Thanks , I really appreciate this."

"Do you want one of us to go and help you collect your things?"

"No, Remus already said he'd go with me."

While Kiki went back to pack some stuff up, Bianca recruited her husband to help her clean out a room for Kiki to stay in. They considered giving her the room she had used back during the last war with Voldemort, but decided against it. She did share that room with Severus, after all. They didn't want to upset her any more.

They heard someone pop through the fireplace downstairs. They walked downstairs to see Kiki standing there with a house elf. Sirius and Bianca eyed it wearily—neither had good experience with the serving creatures. "Sorry 'bout this, but the house elves weren't going to let me go anywhere without at least one of them," Kiki explained.

"Daisy stay to take care of house and other elves and Itsy come help Miz Snape!" the house elf declared proudly.

"That's nice…Itsy," Bianca replied, a bit dazed.

"Don't worry," Kiki assured her, "all of our house elves are well-behaved. Come on, Itsy. Good night!" With that, the two disappeared upstairs.

A/N: Miss me…Smiley Bitch? Seriously, you're the only one reviewing this story. Hello? Where did everyone go? Is it me? Well, I've had a busy month with college. I'm taking a lot of courses that focus on writing, which is why the delayed chapter as well as focusing on another story as well. And I'm not sure about making David a recurring character…he's just thrown in there as a tribute to my new Doctor Who obsession as well as to an idea I had toyed with involving Newman and Arden. Oh well. Please review.--Mac