Rescue Me
A few weeks passed with Harriet and Severus firmly the centre of attention in the castle. Harriet accepted it with resignation, as something she was used to, but Severus seemed to be in a state of constant agitation. He snarled and snapped at anyone who dared approach him and had even cursed a couple of Slytherin's who made comments about his relationship with Harriet. The only time Harriet had seen him quite so openly hostile was when he had been forced to interact with Sirius.
"If you're not careful McGonagall will have you in detention." Harriet told him, one evening when they were alone in her bedroom.
"She can try," growled Severus, "but as far as I'm aware there's no rule against getting annoyed by idiots."
"Good job," she observed, "otherwise you wouldn't have held the potion master position for so long."
"Just as well there is no rule against being an idiot or you wouldn't have lasted your first year." Severus sniped in a foul temper. "You are in no position to lecture me about behaving appropriately. You spent your entire life breaking rules."
"Stop taking this out on me." she frowned at him. "You said we were a team, you can't just push me away whenever you get in a mood."
"Don't tell me what I can't do, Potter." he snarled.
"Then don't treat me like I'm my father, Snape." she spat back at him. "When you've finished being a moody prick then come and apologise, until then leave me alone."
As soon as she stormed from the room Severus felt the weight of guilt in his stomach. He hated seeing that look on Harriet's face, even more when he was the one who put it there. He wanted to apologise immediately, but his foolish pride wouldn't let him go after her so quickly. He would let her calm down so she didn't hex him before he could say sorry, then he would apologise. He shook his head at the idea, Severus Snape begging Harriet Potter for forgiveness, no one would believe it.
XXXXXX
Harriet was still fuming with Severus as she stomped through the corridor towards the library. She muttered insults under her breath, working out her anger before Madam Pince could give her disapproving looks for stomping around the library. Her attention was focused on finding new insults when she walked straight into Blaise Zabini. He was wearing a thick travelling cloak and his eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
"Watch where you're going Potter!" he snapped and tried to push past her.
"Zabini wait," said Harriet grabbing his arm, "what's wrong?"
"Get off me." he hissed, shaking his arm from her grasp and glaring at her. "I have to go." he made to turn away, but Harriet grabbed his arm again.
"Blaise," she said, "maybe I can help."
"I don't need your help," he sneered, "I can sort it out myself."
"Sort what?" she asked. Blaise said nothing and avoided her gaze. She spoke coaxingly, "If I can help I will. You can tell me."
"They've got my little sister, Valeria." he choked out.
"Greyback!" snarled Harriet, not needing to ask. "What happened?"
Blaise swept a hand across his eyes, wiping away his tears. He took a deep breath.
"They took her from her bed while Mother was sleeping. They left a message. I could exchange her for someone else. They want you, but now they want Draco and Evan too. Evan hates me, and I can't ask Draco to make a sacrifice like that after what I did, and Evan certainly wouldn't let you get involved. So I have to try and rescue her myself."
"They'll kill you Blaise." she said.
"They'll kill her if I do nothing," he said desperately, "I have to try. She's only ten!"
"No," Harriet said thoughtfully, "tell me where she is and I have a way of getting there undetected. You stay here and find Draco and McGonagall, tell them where I've gone."
"But then they'll kill you." said Blaise.
"No," said Harriet urgently, "because when you tell Draco and McGonagall they'll send help. Come on Blaise, where is she?"
Harriet listened patiently while Blaise explained where the pack were holding his sister. Then, assuring Blaise she would rescue the little girl, she cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself and hurried out into the grounds.
Blaise stood in the corridor long after she left, chewing at a fingernail in a distracted way, locked in an internal debate.
XXXXXX
The grounds were quiet and dark, mainly because of the added security, as Harriet swept across the grass towards the gate. She wished she had brought a thicker robe, but she would be warm soon enough. She changed into her animagus form as she neared the gate and swooped effortlessly over the high, wrought iron structure. She felt a surge of fierce joy as she soared south over the dusky landscape. She thought she spotted some dark shadows in a clearing a few miles from Hogwarts, but she was moving too fast to see any details and in too much of a hurry to give it much thought.
She flew for miles, over towns and farms lights flickering on below her as night fell. She worried about the little girl held by the pack and what might be happening to her, but she wasn't afraid for herself. Severus, Draco, and the others would be following close behind with McGonagall and The Order. Between them they could deal with the pack and Greyback, but she had to try and keep the girl from coming to harm in the meantime. She wasn't sure what she would do when she arrived yet. She had no invisibility cloak or Weasley products on her to provide a distraction, but maybe she could sneak in there in owl form and get the girl to safety before the inevitable battle started.
She spotted the derelict farmhouse Blaise had directed her to in a valley below and began a slow descent, surveying the area for threats and cover. She landed in a thicket on the edge of the farm grounds and changed back into her human form. She peered through the darkness at a flickering fire in the doorway of the delapidated building, spotting three young men huddled around it. They were skinny but tough looking, with scruffy hair and clothes, they sniffed the air and scanned the surroundings. Harriet suddenly remembered about the enhanced sense of smell and her heart began to race as she backed deeper into the thicket, bumping into what she thought was a sturdy tree trunk.
"Leaving so soon Potter?" said a gravelly voice, as impossibly strong arms wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side. "We had such fun planned."
More figures appeared from around her jagged teeth bared as they laughed and sneered. She tried to struggle but the werewolf holding her was too strong.
"You better let me go," she yelled, "because I've got back up coming. Give the girl back unharmed or you'll regret it."
"No one is coming for you Potter," growled her captor, "at least not here, and when they arrive at where they think you are Greyback and the rest of the pack will tear them apart. Then Greyback will let us share the girl." he leered and the other werewolves howled with laughter.
"What are you talking about?" Harriet said, struggling in vain.
"Harriet Potter, always rushing in to save the day." sneered the werewolf. "That's why you walked into our trap so easily. Zabini was meant to send you here."
"But his sister?" she said, her heart freezing in her chest.
"Oh yes, we have his sister," he sniggered, "but Zabini will send your entourage to our other trap, where Greyback and fifty others will destroy them. You and the girl are to be savoured and enjoyed, but you'll both die too."
"Zabini wouldn't-" she started.
"Oh but he would," the werewolf sneered, "because the idiot thinks it will save his sister. But Greyback loves to play with his food, especially young female food."
Harriet struggled frantically as they dragged her to a barn beside the house, but it just made the werewolves laugh harder. She had done it again. She had run off without thinking and straight into a trap. Now her friends would try to rescue her and they would get killed, just like Sirius. She couldn't think like that, she had to try to find a way out, a way to stop her friends from getting hurt. She was thrown into a wire cage in the barn and she rolled over dirty straw and into a pile of wood, hitting her head and seeing stars.
"You can wait here for Greyback to get back," snarled the werewolf, "then the party starts. And don't think about trying to apparate, the anti-apparition wards will tear anyone to shreds who tries it." they left the barn laughing, leaving Harriet dazed in the dark with no hope of escape. She heard a sniffle behind her and turned her head, pain flaring in her temple at the movement. A small, dark haired girl huddled in the corner of the cage, shivering and sobbing quietly, tears streaking her dirty face.
"Valeria?" Harriet whispered groggily, the girl looked up, eyes wide with terror. She nodded and crawled over to Harriet. "It's okay, Blaise sent me. I'll get you out of here." the girl cuddled against her and Harriet hoped she wasn't lying.
XXXXXX
Severus had sulked for about an hour before deciding to look for Harriet and make his apology. He didn't do well with apologies, but if Harriet needed to hear it he was prepared to humble himself, however much it irked him. He stalked through the corridors searching for Harriet, the scowl on his face growing more pronounced with every place he looked. It was approaching curfew now and very few students remained in the library or corridors, those who did fled when they saw the look on Severus's face. He arrived outside McGonagall's Office in a foul mood, almost ready to forget his apology and go back for another sulk, but his concern for Harriet's absence overruled his stubbornness. He gave the password and, as he stepped onto the moving spiral staircase, Blaise and Draco appeared round the corner at a run. Spotting Severus on the stairs, Blaise skidded to a halt with a look of terror, Draco dragged him onto the stairs. They were both trying to regain their breath as the staircase moved, Blaise determinedly avoiding Severus's gaze.
"What is wrong gentlemen?" asked McGonagall as the door opened.
"I can't find Harriet." said Severus.
"Harriet is in trouble." said Draco at the same time.
"What trouble?" Severus snarled, "Where is she?"
"Could you elaborate please Draco?" said McGonagall, looking grave.
"Blaise just came to find me," Draco said, watching Severus for his reaction, "he told me..."
All eyes were on Blaise, Severus's were staring daggers, and he looked at the floor. He looked up at McGonagall, his face an image of anguish.
"Greyback took my little sister," he said looking shame-faced, "I didn't want to, but they said they would kill her. I didn't have a choice, I had to send her there."
"Want to do what?" asked Severus, his voice dangerously calm, "Where is Harriet?"
"Greyback set up a trap," Blaise moaned, "for all of you. She's already left, I was meant to send the rest of you to a different location. It was a double ambush, but I couldn't go through with it. Now they're going to kill my sister." tears fell freely down his face but he made no effort to wipe them away. "I'm sorry."