Vernon Dursley scowled when a knock on the door interrupted what was already a very uncomfortable breakfast. He looked over at his son.
"Go see if that's more of those weirdoes trying to trick us."
He glanced at his wife to see if she was going to react to the way he'd phrased it – after the events of the night before, he just wasn't sure any more what to expect from her – but Petunia didn't bat an eye.
The knocking came again, more insistently, as Dudley stood up and he hurried to the door in a grumpy mood. Lack of sleep coupled with someone pounding on the doorway too early in the morning had a tendency to do that to him. He opened the door, and saw two people standing there. One was a man of medium height with dark, long hair and dark eyes, and the other was a young man about his own age with pale hair and eyes and a frightened look in his expression. The man was dressed in a dark cloak that pretty much hid the rest of his outfit; the boy was dressed in rumbled slacks and a t-shirt.
"Is Petunia Dursley here?" the man asked before Dudley could do more than register their appearance. Even so, he had a feeling he should know who they were – almost as if he'd seen them before somewhere.
"Who are you?"
"Severus Snape," the man said without hesitation. "I need to speak with Petunia Dursley."
Now, of course, Dudley knew who he was – and who the boy was with him. He was just surprised that either of them would show up on his doorstep – and admit who they were. As far as he knew, neither of them were part of the Harry Potter fan club, and from what he'd read, Snape especially was a dangerous person to be anywhere near.
"She's busy," Dudley said. "Go away."
Dangerous or not, he wasn't going to let either of them in the house. He wasn't as stupid as Harry, and he wasn't going to let his mother be in danger just because Harry had enemies.
"She's in great danger," Snape told him, not making a move either direction. "You both are."
"We're not the ones running from the Order of the Phoenix," Dudley shot back, greatly daring, since he knew what his father would say if he'd heard the comment.
Snape didn't even flinch, although his eyes narrowed.
"You're running from a far more deadly enemy than I am, boy," he said. "If the Dark Lord gets hold of you, he'll use your blood connection to Harry Potter, and he won't care if you're-"
"Dudley, who's at…" Vernon Dursley trailed off when he saw Snape and Draco, and his piggy eyes narrowed as well when he realized from Snape's garments that they weren't his type of people. "What now?"
"He wants to talk to mom."
Uncle Vernon placed himself between his son and Snape.
"About what?"
"She's in danger," Snape said. "I was hoping to-"
"She's in danger because of you weirdoes!" Vernon snapped, interrupting. He stepped out onto the porch, using his size to intimidate as he had so very often in the past. "Get out of here and take your freaky clothes with you."
Draco shrank away, paling even further, but Snape didn't move more than he had to to keep from touching the Muggle.
"Sir, I assure you that I am not the one who is interested in harming your-"
"Get out or I'll call the police."
It wasn't a very good threat, since there was no way Vernon Dursley would want to draw any attention to himself or the weirdoes he had on his doorstep, but Snape stepped back, his eyes still filled with cold indifference.
"Very well. Come Draco, we'll-"
A loud crack interrupted him, and suddenly where there was only Draco and Snape there was now another man as well. He grabbed Vernon's arm in a rough grasp with one hand and with the other made a quick motion with the wand he'd been carrying in the other hand. A bolt of red energy shot out of the tip of the wand, directly towards Snape, who had grabbed Draco and pulled him to the side while pulling his own wand and shooting a stream of crimson fire at the man.
"Hey!"
Vernon ducked away, but the man's grip never relaxed, and his weight overbalanced him. With a curse, the man waved the wand again, but this time he vanished with another loud crack, and Vernon Dursley vanished with him.
Dudley stared in horror at the empty place that had only moments before held his father, but before he could do much more than whimper in shock, Petunia was at the door, alerted by the noises of the short battle.
"What's going on?" She quickly took in the strangers, and her son's frightened expression. "Where's your father?"
Dudley opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
"The Deatheaters have him," Snape said. "Which means that very soon, the Dark Lord will have him."
Petunia gave a soft gasp.
"What? Why? What could Voldemort possibly want with Vernon?"
"Absolutely nothing," Snape said. "It's Harry Potter he wants. Vernon Dursley is just a means to the end."
Petunia shook her head.
"Grabbing Vernon isn't going to do him any good. Harry hates Vernon."
"With good reason, from what I understand" Snape said. "But it doesn't matter. Somehow the Dark Lord has decided that he'll be of some use and sent one of his underlings to collect him."
"Thanks to you!" Dudley shouted, finally coming out of his shock. "You distracted him and made it easy for him. Voldemort probably sent all three of you."
"I assure you, boy, I had nothing to do-"
"Who are you?" Petunia interrupted.
"This is Snape," Dudley answered before Snape could have a chance to lie – or worse. "He's the Potions teacher at Harry's school."
"Severus Snape?" Petunia asked, looking surprised. "I remember you…"
"And I you, Petunia. Now, we need to discuss how to get your husband back."
"We need to get word to Dumbledore," Dudley said, not at all impressed by the fact that Snape knew his mother – and not pleased, either.
"Dumbledore's dead."
"What?"
Dudley looked just as shocked.
"He's dead?"
Snape nodded.
"Yes."
"Does Harry know?" Petunia asked.
"Of course. Everyone knows. Why do you think the Dark Lord is ready to make his final push? He knows there's no one to stand in his way."
"The Order…" Dudley started.
Snape sneered.
"Without Dumbledore they're unorganized and helpless. Potter's as good as dead. Unless you're willing to help me…"
Petunia frowned.
"You?"
OOOOOOOOOO
"Harry Potter!"
Harry dropped his roll into his milk, startled, when Dobby came rushing up to the table he'd been sitting at with the others. They'd gone to the dining hall to eat, and had still been discussing the scroll that none of them had been able to use. A short while later, they'd been joined by Minerva McGonagall – who'd turned the tour of Hogwarts over to one of the ghosts, just to make it more interesting for Jack and Sam.
"Dobby? Where have you been?"
"Watching, Harry Potter. Watching Kreacher."
Sirius frowned, standing up to get a better look at Dobby, who was on the other side of the long table they'd been sitting at.
"What about Kreacher?" he asked. "He's at the manor."
Dobby shook his head, his big eyes mournful.
"Kreacher has been informing for the Dark One," Dobby told them. "Spying on the Order."
"He can't do that!" Sirius roared. "He's mine."
"You told him to go away, Sirius," Lupin reminded him. "He took it literally last time. He probably still is."
Sirius scowled.
"I'll show him literal," he muttered.
"Wait," Minerva said, holding up her hand. She looked at Dobby. "What has he found out, Dobby? What have you found out?"
"The Dark One is looking for the Potions Master and the son of Dobby's former master…" Dobby said. "He sent his people to find them but the Potions Master escaped."
Sirius sat down.
"So Snape's in trouble with his Master huh?" There was a definite hint of satisfaction in his voice. "I can't say that that bothers me at all. I hope he catches him and flays him."
Harry couldn't agree more, but it was Teal'c who spoke next.
"If Voldemort is after the Malfoy child, then perhaps there was no trap intended when he helped Harry Potter escape."
Daniel nodded.
"Obviously he's in trouble for it now…"
"Good," Sirius said, vindictively. He couldn't really find it in his heart to feel all that much concern for Draco after the troubles the boy had given Harry.
"The Dark One has a new target," Dobby said. "He is sending his people after Harry Potter's uncle."
"Uncle Vernon?" Harry echoed, confused. "Why?"
Dobby shrugged, but Teal'c fully understood the workings of the evil mind. He himself had been subjected to one for years before breaking away from his own former master.
"Because he cannot get to Harry Potter directly. He has to go through a relative."
"He can do whatever he wants with Uncle Vernon," Harry said, although he didn't sound like he really meant it, and Daniel was sure he didn't. Harry had been through a lot at the hands of Vernon Dursley, but he couldn't wish death on him. Not deep down.
"They have him…" a new voice said from the closest entrance.
Everyone looked up at the new arrival and watched as he stumped across the room towards the table.
"What's that, Moody?" Minerva asked.
"They've got Potter's uncle. Just grabbed him from his front yard."
Daniel frowned.
"I thought they were protected at Harry's house?"
Lupin shook his head.
"Only Harry's blood relatives – in this case his aunt and his cousin, since they're the only ones who have the same blood. His uncle would have been easy…"
"So what do we do?" Harry asked, looking a bit pale.
"Get him back," Minerva said, standing up. "With force, if need be."
Sirius frowned.
"It might help if we knew where to start looking…" he said.
"I know where to start, Sirius," she assured him.
"And if Voldemort already has him?" Daniel asked. "Are you willing to go against Voldemort?"
"If need be."
Now it was Moody's turn to frown.
"He's just a Muggle, Minerva," he said, with an apologetic nod to Daniel and Teal'c. "And not even a very nice one, at that…"
"Right now he's Voldemort's key to everything," Minerva corrected, sternly. "If Harry's aunt starts trying to find her husband, Voldemort could very well capture her, too. Then we'll have someone with Harry's blood in the hands of the Deatheaters – and that'll be the end of things. I know what he can do with a blood relative and so do most of you. Do you really want that to happen?"
"What to happen?" Jack asked, entering the room with the American wizards and Sam.
"Blood calls to blood, Jack," Lupin said. "If he had the right spell, Voldemort could use Harry's blood relatives to force a final battle."
"One we're not really ready for," Sirius added. "Despite all the plans we've been putting together."
Jack frowned.
"You can use the blood of a relative against a relative? Only if they're a wizard?"
"Anyone," Brandon Steele replied before the others could. "It just has to be someone with the same blood."
"Then why hasn't someone used mine against Voldemort?"
"Because it's a good way to get killed, Jack," Sirius said. "It's dealing with old magic and those kinds are the most potent and deadly. We just can't risk-"
"Old magic like this spell that is supposed to be some kind of protective spell?" Jack interrupted. "The one I just activated off that scroll?"
They all stared at him.
