Title: Blood Loyal
Series: Sherlock!Wizardverse
Fandoms: Harry Potter/some BBC!Sherlock in the prologue, and references after
Pairings: pre-slash and slash Drarry, Romione, and others as they come along
Author: Lady Bryan (formerly Z-sama)
Beta: TDFitz
Corrections: MelMalady
Legal: We don't own the characters created by Ms. Rowling or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Or stuff controlled by the BBC.

WARNINGS: please see first chapter for full warnings

MISC: This is 6th year AU, and sets up background of the Sherlock!Wizardverse. This is also a prequel (of sorts) to our other story "John, I'm a Wizard".

Professor Snape had been absent for much of the time Hermione, Draco, and Harry had attempted then succeeded getting into Ron's mind. While he may not have been loyal to Dumbledore any longer he was loyal to his godson, Draco. By extension, he was loyal to Harry. He was loyal to THEIR cause. For that reason alone, he continued his position as a double agent. Spying on the Dark Lord and his followers.

While the teenagers played with dangerous, unpredictable magics, Snape kept up his appearance as a loyal Death Eater, sitting in Council with the Dark Lord. Acting as the group's potions master - brewing poisons and all manner of foul concoctions.

It was during this particular... session... that Voldemort had decided Lady Malfoy would be questioned again. They knew she helped her son's escape. That was clear when they had recaptured her. They knew he now stood on the side of the angels, of the Light, of Potter. What they desired to know now was how she had put the entire plot together. Who among his followers had helped her spirit her son away from them?

For months she had fought them by sheer force of will alone. The Dark Lord himself had ravaged her mind as the wolves ravaged her body. Raping her from the inside and out. But even then, she would growl. She would scream. She would cry and flail and fight. She would not speak the name. She would not think of it. Under Cruciatis, Imperius, Veritaserum, and the threat of an instant death, she continued to struggle. Continued to fight.

But she was breaking. Piece by piece, her sanity chipped away until the mighty Narcissa was little more than a sobbing, twitching heap on the floor.

And once more, she was brought forth. To be questioned. To be humiliated. To be raped and ravaged and used.

And once more, Snape was made to watch.

This time was different. When she was dragged past him, she could not meet his eye. The fight in her... was gone. This moment, this "session" he knew would be the one. She would at last break, and in doing so would seal her fate.

He excused himself midway through proceedings, on the pretense that he needed to prepare the potions and poultices needed to make her ready for the next session. It would rob the Dark Lord of his entertainment if she were to die prematurely from her injuries. While he had desensitized himself to the perversions and the wickedness and the evil of Voldemort and his followers, there were still a few lingering emotions he would not fully hide when those he truly cared for were forced to endure these evils alone and without any true aid.

He was summoned again hours later, the potions he had readied for Narcissa were taken, to be administered by another, less careful hand.

Snape now stood in judgment before the Dark Lord. One of his mongrel pets sniffing and huffing around him. Growling. Scenting him... Scenting-

"Narcissa claims it was a wolf who helped steal her son from me."

"I had heard rumor of one."

"Yet you have kept this information from me."

"I could not confirm the existence of such an individual other than the pet Dumbledore keeps close out of pity."

"I am familiar with Remus Lupin."

Snape felt it. The pain at the back of his skull. The fire of rage attempting to ravage his very soul. Burning into his mind, forcing it's way in. Even as a master of Occlumency it was difficult to maintain his secrecy, his privacy when such a man wanted to rip it from him. So drastically different from the attempts of Dumbledore. Who pulled and tugged and kneaded until he weakened the barriers, then crashed in with a sudden urgency of pain. The Dark Lord was not like this. He was forceful, and used brute strength and force against the mind. Bludgeoning and burning until he gained entry, laying waste and leaving fear in his wake.

The fire in his head abated. For now.

The pet that sniffed him ceased, stepping back and growling angrily.

"What do you scent?"

"The Runt. The Loner..." he growled, then turned his attention back to Voldemort. "The Red One."

"The Red One..." Voldemort pondered this a moment. Then nodded. "Send for Greyback."

The werewolf scurried from his lord's presence as Voldemort turned his full attention back on his agent. "Clearly you have come into contact with this wolf of Narcissa's."

"Not to my knowledge, my Lord. There have been many new members to Dumbledore's Order in the last year. It is possible one of the new recruits is the wolf. I would not recognize them, as I had no reason to prowl among your dogs of war." He felt the fire once more, so he gave a little more... a smidgen. "I did hear of a few of the new members hiding at the school. One of them meant to protect the Malfoy boy."

Voldemort let not a single twitch give away his thoughts on the matter. "Letters from my youngest disciples state the Malfoy boy has not been seen since Miss Parkinson's failed attempt to kill him. Potter and his friends have disappeared as well."

"Yes. We have searched for him, but it seems he knows the castle better than all others. He hides within it, in places even the headmaster cannot discover. It has been hoped the fighting among the students will draw him out of hiding. Potter does have a savior complex."

"Indeed, he does..."

Severus watched the Dark Lord's face, but no hint of his thoughts could be read upon it. He hoped, though knew in his heart it was a foolish hope, that he would not be called upon to act for the Dark Lord in the scheme he currently devised.

After a few moments Greyback appeared, a smaller, bloodied man trailing behind him through the door. "You wanted me, my Lord. Here I am."

Voldemort nodded, turning his attention from Severus to the werewolf. "The Red One."

Greyback was visibly enraged. He spat and he growled. "When I get my claws on that one I'll rip his bleedin throat out."

"My disciples at the school have nearly completed their task. The Red One resides in the castle with the traitor and Potter. You will have you opportunity once the headmaster has been removed. Severus will aid them when the moment comes. We will take Hogwarts by force, flush out its champions, and I will kill Potter."

Snape's heart beat quickened but for just a moment before he could will himself to remain calm and steady. "What of Lady Malfoy, my Lord, and Lucius?"

Voldemort seemed to consider this a moment. With a wicked, sickening smile he spoke. "Death is but a mere moment's suffering. A mercy I will not allow them. Narcissa will live to see her child slaughtered before her then be given over to the horde to do as they so wish. A punishment for her betrayal, and a reward to those who have remained loyal. Lucius? The failure? He will be neutered and he will be trained. And he will be molded to fit the new station to which I assign him."

Severus nodded as he swallowed back the bile burning his throat as it threatened to escape him. "Very wise. Prevent such failure from continuing through the generations."

"Despite my exile, he made a small effort at avenging his Lord's destruction. For this, he will keep his life. But for his failures, he will be punished."

He paused, sitting in his chair with his hands resting on the arms of it. Nagini slipped out from beneath his seat, encircling her master's legs before slithering off to hunt.

Severus remained silent, awaiting further instruction and intrusion. The fact his werewolf ally could be scented on him was not lost on the Dark Lord, nor his chief dog of war. He would, in the future, need to limit his contact with the rebellion within the heart of Hogwarts if he was to maintain his roles in this war over the soul of magic itself.

o0o

Draco had slept some, a deep and fitful sleep as he recovered from the excursion into the mind of a hated rival for Potter's attentions. But once rested, at Tobias's bidding he returned to his studies and practice. Harry had been released of his duties to help with Hermione and Ron, finding himself having little to do but either watch Malfoy or aid the other older students with the children hidden deeper in the castle.

An empty frame had opened in the wall, and noting it he figured he might as well follow it instead. He found himself sitting in a room with walls adorned each with an empty frame. Blue. Gold. Silver. Black. In the center of the room a large, round table. With enough chairs to sit only a handful of people. Though he was sure if there were a need, more chairs and space would easily be found.

It was here that Tobias found him later, examining the designs drawn into the table in correspondence to the frames upon the wall.

"This is Godric's war room. The Lion's Den."

Startled Harry looked up to see the golden frame open and a short passage to the shared rooms behind him. The werewolf stood with one hand on the frame, the other in his pocket.

"Is it... is it done?"

He nodded. "Draco is cleaning Weasley up now. But... it is done."

Harry rounded the table to leave and rejoin his best friends. Tobias put a hand to his chest and shook his head. "Not just yet Potter. You and I need to go over some matters first."

"But-"

"They are still asleep. They'll wake up on their own. Until then we need to make preparations for your return to the school. You know you have to face the Headmaster down, otherwise... more students are going to get attacked. There is the sense that their savior has abandoned them."

"I am no one's savior."

"Champion then. Please. Sit."

Harry protested, but did relent and seat himself. Tobias made a point of walking around the table to sit opposite of him. He sat before the vacant portrait of Slytherin, as Harry had seated himself before Gryffindor's. Tobias filled him in on everything. All the details he could safely recount, minus any indications of his true connection to Potter and Malfoy, of his arrival in England. He claimed to have arrived via a branch of the family in France, having been alerted to the death of Sirius Black. He told Harry of his experiences among Voldemort's wolves, of Greyback's ferocity. He spared little when he explained the plan he had hatched with Narcissa to spirit her son away from the Dark Lord, knowing that his experiences with the Dursleys would allow him to see the situation from a unique perspective. One of compassion and pity.

Harry had questioned why Tobias had told him the entire sordid affair. The reply was simple. "You hate liars. By telling you our story, the sacrifices we have made to come to your aid, you know the truth of our intentions. Feel free to remain suspicious, but you cannot say that we have not been truthful."

For long moments Harry considered this. Then, at long last he leaned forward in his chair, folding his arms on the table before him. "What move do we make now?"

"The Headmaster knows what I have done to you and your friends. Without you, he cannot make a move against the Dark Lord and expect to win. You are the symbol of hope for the Order. You are the symbol of strength and unity for Dumbledore's Army. I suggest we come out of the shadows. I've wheeled and dealed with Dumbledore about teaching the creature students. Snape and I have been working to create antidotes and counter spells to his machinations. Each time we are alone with him, or attend a meeting, we return and duel. Ripping the spells away from one another to know the effects and curse symptoms so that we may know what best will shield you and teach you.

"But you must return to the school. You must form a treaty of peace with the Headmaster. Without him, we lose access to valuable information on the enemy. And without you-"

"He has lost his greatest weapon." Harry chewed his lip as he thought. Giving a sigh of defeat, he nodded. "You're right. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I will need to retake control of the DA from Ginny. And Slytherin house is going to be a problem now that Blaise and the others have been found out."

"You leave Slytherin to Draco and I. We have a few tricks up our sleeves. We will make peace at Christmas. You leading the way, of course. A unified front."

Harry shook his head and sighed. "Is there anything else?"

Tobias's face lit up with a big, toothy grin. "We need to get you into training. You kids got lucky this time only because Draco had enough foresight to research what we did to help you, and he applied what he knew to help Weasley. But that was reckless, even for you. With the blocks on your magic weakening and breaking, you are stronger than you've ever been. A little more force applied to the binding spell at the wrong moment and you could have killed your best friend by accident."

"I'm already meant to be getting special lessons from Dumbledore-"

"Information gathering torture sessions is more like it-" Toby interrupted, only to be interrupted himself by Harry.

"And Occlumency from Snape. I have to catch up on my school work, too. I won't have time to do anything else. Especially after everything you've put on my plate now."

Tobias considered this but only for a moment. "Then I will have to experiment with Draco to find the best solution. We know that in the dreamscape we can wield magic. But we also need a mind far more secure than your own to work in. You need training to control your wild magic and test your limits, my young liege lord. Perhaps..." he lapsed into thought, at last dismissing Harry with a small wave towards the blue frame on the wall. It opened into the shared common rooms, and Harry could hear Hermione and Ron beyond.

o0o

Snape had returned to Hogwarts, intent on meeting with Draco before all others... To tell him the news of his mother's admission at last. But he was caught off guard by Minerva who had been waiting for him at the potion stores. She was obviously bothered, but trying her best to hold it in until the two were safely within the confines of his potions closet. "Yes Minerva?"

"Severus, we... feel the Headmaster has been... I mean to say since Potter disappeared-"

"You would like me to brew a potion for you? Veritaserum perhaps?" Her narrowed eyes answered for him. "I'm afraid the headmaster has used up my stores already, and I have not had the opportunity to brew more. However, Professor Slughorn-"

"Horace is, pardon my language, full of dragon dung. I am loath to admit, but compared to you, his potions and poultices are little more than joke shop novelties."

Snape considered this for a moment, then gave a nod. "I lack more Veritaserum, however I know where I may obtain an equally powerful recipe. How soon do you need it?"

"Today is preferable."

He shook his head. "Tomorrow is the earliest I may get it to you... Why do you suspect the Headmaster of withholding information from you? This is most unlike you Minerva."

"Surely even in your hidden cave you have learned of the children fighting one another? We can hardly keep the peace since Potter... We are running out of staff to give detentions. And your classes have been assigned to another wizard from the Order. This school is falling apart around us and he does nothing in his tower but order us about."

Snape's face remained impassive, but already he had begun slotting information into place. He would need to meet with the headmaster alone to discuss plans towards the end of the second term. The Headmaster was dying already... though he could not tell Minerva this. The two men needed to finalize the details of the agreement they had made before Draco and his pet threw everything out of control. The Gaunt ring was taking its time with its victim... but that time would not last forever. He realized he appeared to be staring off when Minerva huffed at him.

"Tomorrow it is then," she said, watching him closely. "But no later than noon. We need to strike while the iron is hot if we will bring this school back under control."

"Of course," he said. She left him there in his stores, closing the door behind her. He locked the door and sighed, gathering what supplies he knew would be needed. "Take me to Black and Draco's chambers," he said, not even turning to see the black and yellow frame that had raised itself on the back of the door. It swung open, and he stepped through the hidden passage in the door itself with arms full of ingredients and supplies. When the frame swung closed behind him, Helga Hufflepuff remained long enough to tut at insufficient fresh ingredients before pulling her frame back into the hidden spaces between the walls of Hogwarts once again.

o0o

When Tobias emerged from Gryffindor's war room, it was to find Draco, his face covered in glistening blue scales, angrily hexing the same scorched part of the wall of the training room where a target had been.

"Well, then, I suppose next we'll need to have you learn control over your..." He indicated his face, causing Draco to glare at him. "The stronger you're getting, the more your animagus form is pushing through to the surface. For we Blacks, it's easier to transform than most others, since our family has kept mostly to its own bloodline. The magic is very strong."

Draco willed himself to calm down, causing his face to return to normal as the scales began to shrink and pull back into his pale skin. "It's been happening more often, and when I least wish it to. What have you done to me this time?"

"Absolutely nothing," Tobias said, moving to sit at the desk. He turned the chair around to face Draco before seating himself. "It's completely you... unbound at last. And as such... we need to talk. I just finished with Potter, and we have come to the realization of a problem in time management."

"Meaning?"

"He doesn't have time to spare for proper training. He's a loose canon now, and would benefit from your experience with my methods. Unfortunately we're going to be coming out of the shadows soon to take control back of Harry's little army, and to give a big screw you to the headmaster. And... Harry doesn't have the time for everything that needs doing."

"So let his friends handle his little army. There, problem solved." Draco turned, raising his wand to begin his target practice once again, but stopped when Tobias spoke.

"I'll teach you how to properly control the beast within you. To still your mind and sharpen your focus. The secrets of the Mind Palace, to protect you from our family curse, the Grim."

At this, Draco turned. His silver eyes wide and wild. "And you will tell me how I came to be in your mind, visiting that strange world you come from?"

Tobias nodded quickly. "Yes, because it is the only way we can train Potter without stealing him away from his other duties. Hopefully, if we succeed, I may implement it with others. There is no better, more secure way to conduct the business we must in absolute secrecy from all prying eyes."

"Tonight we will begin our practice. Time is against us. Now then you'll need to learn to still the mind if you wish to keep that animagi transformation under control. Have you considered meditation to control your emotions?" he asked.

Draco did not respond, but the answer was written upon his face. Tried. And failed. "I see..." The wolf's voice was soft, contemplative. The final block on Draco's magic would not come unglued until his birthday, of that he knew for sure. It would be a long time between now and May..."It's time for that crash course I promised. You're bunking with me tonight."

Draco was about to ask for further details, when Rowena appeared upon the wall beside them. "Hurry! There's been another attack!"

"Where?!" Draco and Tobias shouted together.

"The dungeons. The students have already been moved to the infirmary. But the culprits... no one knows who. There were trace of poly-juice found nearby."

Tobias was on his feet, with Draco right behind him. "Whoa buddy, where do you think you're going?"

"I know those dungeons better than most."

"Fine. But stay out of my way," he growled.

The pair left the training chamber through Rowena's portrait. As she swung closed Hermione, Harry, and Ron had entered, searching for Tobias.

A/N - I can't believe I have to say this, but - if you can't be arsed enough to log in, don't bother leaving a review or critique. I have moderation turned on for a reason. If you're giving me constructive criticism, PLEASE log in so we can better discuss where I'm having trouble or my weak points, that way I can actually correct it and see what you mean instead of trying to figure it all out without an real context.

Also, a note on the grammar issues - my beta and I are working on very limited machines right now. He's using a phone, I'm on a laptop that can't even install basic word processors and must rely on Google Docs (which only has a built-in spellchecker, and the only grammar checker Add-on worth a darn keeps freezing up on me) and Notepad to get any writing done. So yes, I fully expect and accept there will be problems. But again PLEASE LOG IN to tell me these things so that I can actually respond and discuss the issues with you. I don't bite.