Lucius clearly remembered the night he had been initiated. The Dark Lord had whispered a low hiss at his forearm, and a large cobra that glowed a sickly yellow twined around his arm. It had bitten him savagely where he now displayed the Mark.
As he nodded in agreement, the wand neatly laid across Dumbledore's desk began buzzing intensely. The headmaster, suddenly seeming more concerned, snatched it up and waved it in a precise pattern. A map, with words and all, hovered in the air in front of them.
The wizard paled even further as he stood up abruptly. "Severus is in grave danger."
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Dudley Dursley was in his family's kitchen. He was wandering around, terribly confused. He had to find his smelting stick - the fireplace needed it. He rummaged around the unfamiliar drawers, finding an ocean of kitchen utensils. He bent over as far as he could, feeling around until he touched a familiar piece of wood. As he was starting to retreat out of the kitchen and into the lounge, a huge bird crashed through a big window that was… supposed to be there.
Yes.
Dudley scrambled back with more agility than he thought he ever possessed. However, he couldn't escape the bird that was pecking the ground loudly. A big boom happened every time its beak hit the ground. It got closer and closer and closer until-
He jerked upright in his bed. His heart was racing at a pace that couldn't possibly be healthy. He calmed himself down as he realized what he had just experienced was just a dream. He scratched his voluminous stomach, getting the sense that something was wrong. Out of place.
Dudley cast a cursory glance over at Harry's bed. Not immediately seeing anything weird, he looked back at his lap.
Wait.
Where was Harry and that snake?
The boy stood up and tiptoed over to the seemingly empty bed. He peeked underneath the sheets to make sure what he was seeing wasn't an illusion. Sure enough, Harry and Nagini were gone.
Dudley faintly remembered the odd noises and sounds he had heard before drifting off to sleep, but he had thought them unimportant at the time. Well, at least less important than his rest. Now he was regretting not getting up to investigate.
Whoosh.
An actual noise echoed through the huge house.
Dudley froze in terror. After a few seconds, he shook his head calling himself a scaredy-cat. It was either the floorboards creaking under him or the house settling. Yes. Or it was just his imagination.
Then he heard people speaking in low voices.
He swore he could feel his heart drop to his toes. He debated internally on what to do, what to do. It was at this moment he realized, not for the first time, how brave and courageous Harry was. Dudley had no doubt in his mind that his cousin would have gone downstairs and faced the intruders head-on.
However, Dudley was not Harry.
It was probably a futile action, for obvious reasons, but Dudley burrowed under his covers for the illusion of safety. He tried to keep himself from shaking, because it made his entire bed frame quake. (He was unsuccessful.)
Some of the whispering voices started walking up the stairs rather quickly. Dudley cowered against the wall next to his bed, more terrified now than ever. He heard footsteps stop at the first door in the hallway, open the door, and after what seemed like a few seconds, shut it. He ducked his head under the blankets when the doorknob turned and someone peeked in.
Before he obscured his vision, he saw that it was a young woman, with vivid short purple hair.
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Nymphadora Tonks never thought she'd ever see Severus Snape's living quarters, let alone walk inside. But here she was, turning past the banister in his very house. Then again, these were extenuating circumstances. She raised her eyebrows at the very Snape-like decor. There was abundant dark and glossy wood, and there were snakes carved into almost every surface. It hurt Tonks's Hufflepuff heart to admit that the interior of Snape's house was very pleasing to look at.
Her fellow Aurors were whispering behind her. She could hardly make out what they were saying, but it was on a topic very similar to Tonks's thoughts. A foreign witch in their entourage had no idea who Snape was, but she was very intrigued by the stories the British witches and wizards were telling her. "He seems like quite an… interesting person," she whispered in a slightly accented voice.
Tonks began quietly opening each of the doors in the hallway, one by one. How many rooms does one man need? she thought to herself. She eventually got to the final door, and cracked it open. She immediately knew that this room was occupied by someone, due to the large figure she could see shaking on the mattress. She made herself look as innocuous as possible. Although, she did keep one hand on her wand - just in case. She wasn't an idiot.
A pale, drawn face peeked out from under the covers. His eyes widened as he took in her odd appearance, and Tonks doesn't blame him.
Tonks gave him a half smile, trying to calm the terrified boy down. "'Lo there, I'm Tonks. You must be Dudley?" Dudley didn't stop trembling under his covers, but he did nod. "I'm here to help. Do you know which room your cousin Harry is in?"
The teenager, gripping his blanket tightly, sits up in his bed. He shook his head.
"You don't know?" Tonks asked, losing just a bit of her careful patience.
Dudley sucked some air through his teeth. "No- no, Harry was sleeping in this room too, but I don't know where he is! Both he and the snake are gone!" By the end of this sentence, Dudley's voice was shrill and panicked. "Please don't hurt me!"
Tonks raised her hands in a placating manner, foregoing her wand. "We're not gonna hurt you, we're here to help you and Harry. Could you tell us what exactly happened tonight?"
Dudley opened his mouth and began to spill everything. The terrible closet-demon, the playful, glowing dolphin that came out of Harry's wand. That was a bit strange. Tonks had never heard of that kind of magic before, so she figured that Dudley was remembering things wrong. She wouldn't put it past the clearly distraught boy in front of her.
"Okay, Dudley." Tonks nodded to the witches and wizards standing out in the hallway. A quill was floating in the air, writing down everything that was said. Magic is a wonderful thing. "We're going to have you come downstairs and we'll fix you some hot chocolate. Do you like hot chocolate?"
Dudley blinked, and tilted his head down. He muttered something. Tonks asked him to repeat it, and he said, "I'm on a diet."
Tonks's mouth dropped open slightly. "Of course. You can have some milk, then. Come on, follow me."
Still clutching at his blanket, the muggle teenager trailed after her. He hesitated when he saw the group of Aurors outside his door, but he ducked his head and squeezed past them. Something about his mannerisms made it clear that Dudley was not used to acting this docile.
Her thoughts turned back to Snape and Harry. Those two self sacrificing idiots were two peas in a pod, that was for sure. After what Harry had gone through mere weeks ago, it was surprising the young man was still on his feet. Tonks had studied the illness called "PTSD" before. The muggles were exceptionally good at one thing - and that was their mental health studies. Harry had, reportedly, displayed a good portion of the symptoms present in a severe case of PTSD. He was just very, very skilled in hiding his emotional distress in most cases. In Tonks's (unprofessional) opinion, the way Harry was stifling his trauma wouldn't be good for him in the long run.
But nothing could be done, now that both Snape and Harry were missing.
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It took approximately thirty minutes of Albus's best spellwork to get through the formidable defenses around Malfoy Manor. Even alongside the top, most trustworthy Aurors the MOM had to offer, it seemed to take eons before they seemed to make a dent in them. Their best chance of getting Severus out alive was if they went quietly - the element of surprise.
Albus had feared the worst as soon as he had gotten the beacon spell. A creeping chill of anxiety trailed down his spine as he and the Aurors crept through the expansive Malfoy gardens. Not only would he lose the best potions master in this side of Europe, he would lose a friend. The headmaster immediately shut that train of thought down. It wouldn't do anyone good to freeze up and panic.
With discrete movements, they got their brooms out to circle the house. Dumbledore had never personally entered the Manor, but some people in his group had. They had theorized that the most likely place Severus would be located would either be the dining room or the main hallway. Sure enough, when Albus peered through one of the large windows, the large room was full of witches and wizards spectating the brutal torment of one individual curled on the ground.
A ghostly pale peacock screeched behind the old wizard, making him suck a startled breath through his teeth. Albus closed his eyes and bit his tongue. When he had opened them again, Voldemort had lifted his wand to end the cruciatus curse he was obviously previously using.
He prodded Severus with his booted foot, and the potions master gave a minute twitch. So, not dead. Albus desperately hoped he hadn't lost his mind- no one knew exactly how long he had been tortured, but it was no secret that it would be a miracle if he made it out with no... complications.
Albus made a discreet motion with his wand.
All hell broke loose.
At his signal, the many Aurors that were surrounding the Manor automatically began shattering windows and knocking down walls. Through the glimmer of the demolished glass cascading down onto the floor, Albus could see the startled expressions of all the Death Eaters inside.
Limber in a way that belied his age, the headmaster leapt off his broom and fired spell after spell into the fray of frenzied dark wizards. Colors of all kinds flew around the cavernous chamber. The first thing Albus did, however, was cast the strongest shield spell he could possibly conjure over Severus's prone body. The man had more than atoned for his past errors, and causing any more pain would be pointless.
After blocking a curse that was heading directly towards his forehead, Albus unleashed a Furnunculus hex. His assailant immediately began to break out in tremendous, painful boils that made him drop his wand. He conjured up ropes, tied the man up, and tossed him out the broken window.
As soon as he had gotten that Death Eater out of the way, the wizard began glancing around for the most dangerous players in the battle - Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort himself. However, the two fanatics were nowhere to be seen. Albus huffed out a disappointed breath, and rejoined the fight. He easily deflected a deadly entrail-expelling curse, and returned a minor Expulso that knocked a line of dark wizards through a stone wall.
Before the attack, Albus had briefed the Aurors what the main course of action would be. Their primary goal was to extract Severus Snape from the grasp of the Death Eaters. Their secondary goal was to capture as many dark wizards as possible for interrogation. Therefore, they would be using non-lethal forces when possible. It would be too much to hope for to take out Voldemort. Nonetheless, it was mentioned that if there was an opening to attack or detain the man, it should be taken.
This good luck was short-lived, however. Their element of surprise wore off, and some genius (probably Crabbe) ignited a Fiendfyre. A gigantic, red-hot snake reared its head inside the room. The crackling and spitting of the aggressive flames drowned out the hoodlum of the shouted hexes and curses. The Fiendfyre was a very effective curse. Be that as it may, it was a double edged blade. It might be able to subdue your enemies, but it would also take out your side as well. In other words; it was a last-ditch effort.
Albus decided to cut his losses and call for a retreat. He sent a yellow flare up through the gaping window that they had come through. Dumbledore's forces promptly went back the way they came, most bringing defeated and unconscious Death Eaters with them. Albus levitated Severus into the air and hastily withdrew from the building that was rapidly being consumed with the destructive flame.
Once everyone was out of the Manor, he and the rest of the Aurors turned back around to watch the ancient mansion be annihilated. It was a truly frightful sight. The glowing snake had morphed into an even bigger scorpion, and it was delving in and out of the dramatic arches and spires of the house. The alabaster peacocks that had been peaceful and regal before had begun screeching dreadful calls to whoever would listen.
The flames rose, consuming the entire Manor. Whatever dark artifacts that were stored in that domicile were almost certainly destroyed. Albus let some of the tension that had been stored in his body drain out in an inaudible sigh.
The wizard gently set Severus down onto the grass, and sent up a green flare. That was the signal they had agreed upon to begin apparating back to the castle. The air was suddenly filled with harsh snaps and cracks as the Aurors began to head back to Hogwarts with their hostages.
Sparing one last glance to the ruined Manor and its creature of brimstone and destruction, Albus and Severus disappeared into the night.
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Honor sat on the couch, tapping her toe anxiously. Her dad had woken up in the middle of the night to go into the city. He had given her a minimal explanation- "Someone needs me to go pick him up. I'll be right back. No, you can't come."
That was about half an hour ago. Honor tried to go back to sleep, but she had been thoroughly disturbed from her rest. She was waiting for the telltale sound of the lock on the front door to unlatch. She was the only one awake at this hour. Her mom knew where dad had gone, but she had slipped back into sleep fairly easily.
She tilted her head back onto the soft cushion that was still a bit unfamiliar. It hadn't been a long time since they moved to the UK. Only about a month had passed since they boarded the airplane headed to London. It was interesting to see all the new sights of a different country, though.
The catchy tunes of Take On Me started making rounds in Honor's head. She furrowed her brow in confusion. She hadn't heard that song in AGES. Why on earth was it suddenly making an appearance in her brain? Oh well. She surrendered herself to listening to that song on repeat for the foreseeable future.
Unexpectedly, she heard someone fiddling with the lock on the front door. That startled Honor out of her 80s-music fueled reverie. She sat at full attention, listening to what transpired next. The door opened, and she could hear the familiar voice of her dad speaking with someone in low tones. A slightly less familiar voice with a British accent responded.
"-will have to stay outside. Don't tell anyone about her, okay?"
"Okay. You have my word."
As Honor struggled to identify the person speaking, the two people came into her line of vision. She automatically recognized the silhouette of her father, but there was a smaller figure with obviously wild hair. Her dad flipped on the light switch, and the identity of the second person became known.
It was the guy that had found Vickie at the store! She'd recognize that weird clothing anywhere. If she remembered correctly, his name was an H name like hers… Henry. No, it was Harry. His name was Harry. Honor was forever grateful to Harry, but she was very confused as to why he needed to come to their house.
As her father was filling a cup of water for Harry in the kitchen, she decided to make her presence known. She cleared her throat and said "Hey, there."
Harry took a quick breath in and spun around quickly. His right hand was reaching into his long robes, as if he was about to grab a weapon of some sort. As soon as he recognized who she was, tension quickly bled out of his shoulders and he adopted an easy smile.
"Hi," he whispered back awkwardly.
Honor had risen her hand to her mouth. "I didn't mean to startle you- I'm so sorry!"
Harry scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. "I startle easily, don't worry about it," he grinned. "You're Honor, right? Your dad said you'd probably still be up when we arrived."
She nodded. As she drew closer, she noticed Harry had white, shiny lines tracing his entire face in very pleasing patterns. His circular, wide-rimmed glasses made the vague lines less noticeable, but they were definitely there. Honor doesn't remember Harry having these marks on his face the last time they met. Could they be tattoos? Does he usually keep them concealed? Could they be scars? What was he doing here? Was it related to the marks on his face? Questions flew through Honor's head, but she didn't mention any of them. She figured it would be disrespectful.
She does ask one question, though. "Who is the person you were talking about? You know, when you were walking through the door?"
Her dad and Harry stiffly turned to look at each other. "I didn't think you heard that," her dad muttered. "Whatever, I know you won't freak out. You can tell her, Harry." He flapped a dismissive hand up from where his arms were crossed. He had set the glass of water down on the kitchen counter.
"I have a pet snake named Nagini." Harry tilted his head towards the door, placing his hands on his hips. "She has to stay outside, because she's… a bit large."
Her dad shook his head disbelievingly. "I swear, it's like this boy has a psychic connection with that behemoth. He can merely look at that snake, and it obeys his every command."
Harry gave a strained laugh. "N-not literally. That would be ridiculous if it were literal, right?"
Honor laughed as well, feeling sympathetic for Harry. Her dad loved to tease people. It was easy to get flustered under that kind of attention unless you were used to it. "Can I see her? I love snakes."
"How about we do that in the morning? Well, technically it is already morning, but you get what I mean," Honor's dad interjected.
Both teenagers nodded. "I guess that would be a good idea," Honor sighed. "Where's Harry sleeping?"
Harry pointed at the couch Honor had been sitting on earlier. "We agreed that I'd sleep there."
Honor stood on her tiptoes and bowed her upper body. "Cool." She flicked her hand up in a small wave and said, "Well, I'm gonna head up to bed. It's nice seeing you again, Harry."
After goodnights were traded, Honor tiptoed back into the room she shared with her sisters. She crawled into her bunk bed silently, so as to not disturb her younger siblings. She released a sigh as she settled into her pillow, waiting for the morning to come.
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Hey there! Wow, it has been a GOOD while since I posted another chapter. I did NOT mean for it to be that long, but life ended up happening. I'm slowly winning a battle with depression, and my summer was very busy. Hope you enjoyed this new chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing that action scene. As you can see, the family will play a greater role in this story!
