Disclaimer: see prologue
A/N: Whoa! What a response! Thank you all so very much! There are no words to express my happiness so I did the next best thing: giving in to the huge motivation boost that you provided and writing the next chapter : )
Thanks a lot! You´re all absolutely wonderful!
Dumbledore´s office hadn´t changed one bit, Draco thought as he sat stiffly in one the large plush chairs in front of the headmaster´s enormous, claw-footed desk. Behind it sat Albus Dumbledore himself, eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses which danced on the back of his long nose with every word.
"Sherbet lemon, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked in a pleasant voice offering a few to his reluctant guest who merely shook his head. "Ah, well," Dumbledore sighed and popped one into his own mouth. "It´s good to see you again although I wish we could have met under different circumstances. I believe you´ve had a nice trip from London?"
Draco nodded curtly not bothering to reply which dimmed the merry twinkle in Dumbledore´s eyes to a sad glimmer. So the Malfoy boy was being uncooperative, the headmaster thought with a sigh and readjusted his spectacles. Being away from the wizarding world had changed the young man in front of him, Dumbledore mused, although there were some traits of character that nothing could ever erase from a Malfoy. For example there was the trademarked sneer that had found its way onto Draco´s face and the cold, steely eyes which reflected his keen intellect. Next to that, of course, the boy had grown into a man who bore a frightening resemblance to his father with his lean body, pale complexion and carefully styled silvery hair. Apparently young Mr. Malfoy was as vain among the Muggles as he had been when he had attended Hogwarts all those years ago, Dumbledore thought and an amused smile lit up his features and the twinkle in his eyes returned as he watched Malfoy fighting desperately to suppress his curiosity and impatience. It was time to give the lad something to think about.
"No doubt you want to know more about Severus´ abduction." The headmaster began anew and Draco nodded almost imperceptibly while leaning forward carefully, his expression saying `Get on with it already, old man!´. Once more Dumbledore found himself smiling.
"I´m sure that Harry has already told you everything that he knows about it but we haven´t been lazy in the meantime! Mr. Ronald Weasley and his sister are currently in the Ministry of Magic researching every case from the past seven years which might have something to do with the Death Eaters and Prof. Longbottom is fetching up Miss Granger from St. Mungo´s. We´ll all meet – "
"What?"
Dumbledore paused at the look of pure astonishment that was plastered on Malfoy´s face. The elegant young man was staring at him wide-eyed his mouth making a perfectly round `O´.
"What is it, Mr. Malfoy?" The headmaster asked amusedly, barely able to contain the pearls of laughter that bubbled up inside him. `Oh! You are a bad headmaster!´ Dumbledore reprimanded himself, `You can´t resist teasing him, can you?´
"Granger is in St. Mungo´s? I always knew she must be crazy." Draco mumbled. "That´s the only explanation. Nobody can learn as much as she did without being…"
Now that was enough to make Dumbledore´s last restraints crumble and the long thin man broke out laughing while Draco eyed him suspiciously as if he wasn´t sure about the headmaster´s sanity as well.
"She´s not…" Dumbledore tried to speak but another burst of giggles interrupted him. "She isn´t mad, Mr. Malfoy." The headmaster finally gasped while wiping away a few tears. "Miss Granger works there, as a mind-healer. She figured that after learning everything there was to learn, life presented only one more challenge to her – learning how the mind of a human being works."
"Oh." Draco said, suddenly feeling very stupid. Then he felt familiar anger surging through his veins and glared at Dumbledore. "Why am I here?" he demanded. "I´ve got better things to do than listen to the life-story of some mud-," he stopped himself at Dumbledore´s glare, "-of some witch. In case you´ve forgotten – I left the wizarding world and if you can´t offer me further information about Severus - I´m gone."
`My, the lad is tense,´ Dumbledore thought and nodded getting serious once more. "I understand, Mr. Malfoy. Please sit down again." He gestured to Draco who had already gotten up from his chair ready to leave his office. "Sit down." The headmaster repeated and with a last frown Draco complied. "Like I said, Mr. Weasley, Harry, Miss Granger and a few others are going to meet in a few hours to compare notes – for the lack of a better expression. Right now Severus´ house is surrounded by Aur- … ministry associates so that nobody can get in and no evidence can be manipulated. We´ll decide our next steps in a few hours and I felt that you had the right to take part in that. I know how much you mean to Severus."
Draco nodded and as the headmaster gently led him to a room where he could refresh himself he wondered idly where the stinging sensation in his eyes and the warm wet drops on his cheeks came from and fervently wished that Severus was still alive. Still, Dumbledore´s hand on his shoulder felt comforting in an odd and unexpected sort of way.
~*~*~*~
Severus Snape awoke in darkness. He was lying on a stone floor feeling its coldness creeping into his body and chilling him to the bone. He moaned softly and hoped that none of his captors had heard him or they would take it as a sign of his weakness. Severus lay still for a moment listening attentively. Something was dripping in the distance and the rhythmic sounds of the drops – followed shortly after by a soft echo – threatened to lull him into an unhealthy sleep. He shook his head in determination and shortly after regretted it as searing pain flooded through his skull. `Galloping Gorgons!´ he thought with clenched teeth, `that was unpleasant.´ Snape was no stranger to pain as he had had his share of it during his spying days but he had to admit to himself that the past seven years had made him comfortable. He was no Cornelius Fudge - heaven forbid! – but he wasn´t the young man that he had been once either. Grunting Severus shook his head once more, though this time more carefully and heaved himself into a sitting position. As soon as the world had stopped spinning he would be able and willing to investigate his new surroundings. No matter how long Snape had been out of the game, there were some things that he would never forget and he was determined to use them.
~*~*~*~
Being back was comforting and aggravating at the same time. Of course, he had only come back to learn more about Severus´ abduction, Draco thought, but an annoying voice in the back of his head told him that this was what he had been waiting for all these years. Could it be possible that he had actually yearned to come back? `No!´ Draco decided with a shudder as he recalled Crabbe´s face on that fateful night. His friends, Crabbe and Goyle and so many others, had died because of him! Because he had…
Draco felt sick and sat down heavily on the large bed in the cold chamber that Dumbledore had led him into. Sighing he put his head in his hands and drew his legs close sitting on the edge of the bed like a little boy. What was he supposed to do? Severus needed help, that much was clear but could he bear it to return? Even if it was only for a short time?
A soft voice interrupted Draco´s musings as a small creature with bat-like ears approached carefully. "M-Master Malfoy?"
Draco raised his head and stared blankly at the intruder. "Who…?" Then his eyes got as big as saucers and an unexpected smile lit up his face. "Dobby?"
The house-elf nodded furiously and nervously tugged on the odd combination of clothes that he liked to call his uniform. The tiny creature raised his high-pitched voice once more as he started to tremble. "Master Malfoy-" he squeaked, fear evident in his enormous green eyes, "Dobby thought you were dead. Are…are you here to…punish Dobby?" The house-elf finished in a terrified voice.
"Why would I…?" Draco started but was interrupted once more as Dobby started smashing his head into the wall wailing miserably.
"Dobby shouldn´t have left! He thought that the young Master would be safe without him but he was wrong! Dobby deserves to be punished for letting the young Master vanish! Please punish Dobby, Master Malfoy!"
Draco sat on the bed without moving as suddenly the answer to Dobby´s odd – well `odder´ than usual – behaviour dawned on him. "Dobby, I´m not Lucius."
Dobby didn´t seem to hear a word and proceeded punishing himself helplessly falling back into a behaviour that he had thought he´d abandoned years ago while Draco felt himself getting impatient.
"Stop it this instant!" Draco hissed in a low determined voice faintly marvelling at the fact how easily he slipped back into his old role. "I´m not Lucius, you silly elf." Draco made a grab towards his belt to retrieve his wand and realized with a start that he didn´t have it anymore. He had broken it seven years ago on a deserted field when he had left.
However, Draco did not have much time to reminisce about it as he suddenly felt two slim arms close around his waist as an overjoyed house-elf hugged him as tightly as he could.
"Let go!" Draco snarled and struggled against the arms which bore an unexpected strength. He hated to be touched! He hated being too close to other people! "Aren´t you supposed to be Potter´s fan?" He asked in an icy voice.
Dobby froze and slid away from the former wizard, an embarrassed expression on his ugly face. "Dobby does like Mr. Potter, Sir," he squeaked in his high voice that had always annoyed Draco, "But Dobby saw you grow up from a wee little lad to the great wizard that you are now!"
Draco winced. `Wrong on both calls,´ he thought since he had hardly ever been a `wee lad´ and certainly wasn´t a great wizard now. Not that he wanted to be one, mind you.
"Why are you here, Dobby?" The young man inquired and the house-elf threw out his chest importantly.
"Master Dumbledore has sent Dobby to fetch you, Sir. He trusts Dobby enough to let him lead you to a secret meeting."
"Lead the way, then." Draco sighed hoping that his brief return into the wizarding world would be over soon, before the feeling of insecurity about where he belonged spread even further.
~*~*~*~
Their `council of war´ as Ron Weasley liked to call it, took place in a turret in the west wing of the castle which reminded him eerily of the old Gryffindor common room. Like his childhood-headquarter in which he had planned so much mischief , this room was round with large windows against which the rain drummed in a steady rhythm and enormous fluffy armchairs next to a fireplace which illuminated the room with red and golden sparks of fire. But despite the warmth from the fire and the hot cup of chocolate that he held in his hands Ron still felt shivers of cold running up and down his spine as he had done ever since he had left the Ministry leaving his sister there to continue their investigation.
"Ron? Do you want me to get you a blanket? You look cold."
`Dear Harry´, Ron thought with a smile. Despite the fact that Harry could put up a fierce fight when the need arose, the-boy-who-lived had a protective streak inside him that was only rivalled by Mrs. Molly Weasley´s . "I´m fine, Harry. Thank you."
Potter didn´t seem convinced but at the same moment the door opened with a creaking sound and Albus Dumbledore, Dobby and Draco Malfoy entered, the latter looking as if he were suffering greatly by enduring their presence. On his shoulder sat Sokrates, Snape´s scrawny owl and the only witness of the abduction.
"Good evening, gentlemen." Dumbledore smiled and went straight for a large purple armchair. "Or should I rather say `good night´ as we meet right in the middle of it. I take it you all still know each other." He waved to Draco who was making his way to an elegant green chair. "Mr. Malfoy here is taking a little `out-time´ from his life as a Muggle and has agreed to help us during this meeting."
Ron and Harry nodded as Harry had already told his friend all about Draco´s extravagant choice of living. Malfoy nodded curtly into their general direction as a greeting and slithered into his armchair gracefully accepting a cup of tea from Dobby.
"Harry has just taken over for Madam Hooch who has retired last year to `re-live her wild years´ as she put it." Dumbledore continued and Harry smiled shyly while Draco raised a perfect eyebrow.
"I thought you wanted to become a professional Quidditch player? Were all teams too afraid to take Potter-the-trouble-magnet?"
Ron´s ears turned pink and the tall man threw out his chest before Harry even got a chance to reply. "He has been a professional player. He even played for England and won the champion´s cup five years in a row!"
Malfoy looked as if he had swallowed a lemon but nevertheless snarled back. "And why did you stop, Potter? Was avoiding the adoring masses too much stress for you?"
"No," Harry answered calmly. "I felt I needed to come home. To Hogwarts."
That seemed to strike a chord in Draco and the former Slytherin failed to reply and averted his eyes.
"Let´s continue with our introduction, shall we?" Dumbeldore proceeded with twinkling eyes and a warm smile. "Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic and we´re all very proud of him." He beamed and Ron stared back with a slightly puzzled expression on his face, opening his mouth to object. He wasn´t just working for the ministry! He was an Auror! And one of their best, too!
"This is why he and his sister had the opportunity to look into some things for us. What have you found, Mr. Weasley?" The headmaster quickly proceeded stopping Ron from even making a sound. Dumbledore eyed Ron intently urging the younger man to trust him and keep quiet and the Auror nodded almost imperceptibly. Dumbledore would have his reasons and Ron had learned to trust the headmaster´s instincts.
In his chair Draco Malfoy watched them with an interested glimmer in his eyes while Sokrates proceeded to empty Draco´s tea all on his own.
~*~*~*~
`They have left me in my own clothes,´ Severus Snape noted with satisfaction. `Amateurs!´ He did a quick search through his pockets and sleeves and noted with a pang of disappointment that his wand was missing. He really had a talent to get into all kind of trouble without his wand! Thankfully the pounding in his head had subsided soon enough only to be replaced by…pounding again?
Severus staggered to his feet and closed his eyes to sharpen his other senses. There was a pounding sound coming from the outside of his cell. It was closing in on him and any second now…ah, yes!
Suddenly light filled the cold, damp room and Severus blinked against the dazzling brightness.
"Traitor!" An ominous voice announced and two black-clad thugs appeared and took hold of his arms with iron grips. Slowly Severus´ eyes began to readjust to the light and the Potions Master blinked at his captors as he was dragged out into a freezing stony corridor.
"You´re doing this wrong, you know." Snape noted in a voice that he usually reserved for stupid pupils.
His captors proceeded on their way, quietly following a smaller person whose chalk-white mask differed somewhat from the others´, clearly indicating a higher rank.
"You´re doing it completely wrong, really." Snape persisted, determined to get a reaction from those black-clad loonies. Anything that would get him more information. "No respectable Death Eater would transport their captives like that."
They entered a small room with stone walls and a wooden chair onto which they threw Severus.
The small leader raised his wand and suddenly a spray of ropes came out of its tip and fastened themselves around Severus, pinning his hands to his sides and binding him to the chair.
"What do you use Jobberknoll feathers for?" Their small leader asked in an oily voice.
Severus stared at him. What were they doing? Making a potions quiz with him? Stern eyes behind the mask bore themselves into his and Snape sighed. "You should have learned that in school. It´s elemental. I fail to imagine how you passed our O.W.L.´s without knowing that."
"What do you use Jobberknoll feathers for?" The leader asked again, tension evident in his every movement.
Severus threw him an exasperated look. "It´s an indigent of memory and truth serums."
The small Death Eater nodded and scribbled something onto a block. Then he turned his attention back to Snape. "What do you do with tubeworms?" He asked in a threatening voice.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Be serious for a moment! You captured me to ask some silly questions about potions? Why didn´t you just buy a book?"
A sharp pain surged through Snape as a huge Death Eater backhanded him brutally across the face, drawing blood with his hard gloves. "Answer him!" He bellowed in a gruff voice but before Severus had a chance to react the leader started screeching hysterically.
"You fool!" He howled, "The master said that we need him alive and well! How is he going to brew that potion for us if…" He stopped and clasped his gloved hands over his mouth cursing himself for his stupidity. Still, his outbreak had an effect on the other henchmen as they retreated a few steps while the `leader´ approached Severus once more and bent forward until their noses almost touched.
"What do you do with tubeworms?" He hissed in a low voice.
Snape smiled lazily and made himself as comfortable as you could get when you´re tied to chair while his hands vanished in his pockets. "Since I am the Potions Master here," Snape drawled in a bored voice, "Wouldn´t it be prudent if I ask the questions?"
With a sudden movement Severus produced some odd looking substances from his pockets and threw them at the `leader´ whose robe was stained by them. He looked down at it with an incredulous expression, then back at Severus.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, half-mocking and half-insecure as he took in the concentratedok on Snape´s face who was muttering under his breath.
Suddenly Snape kicked out with his untied legs and the Death Eater staggered several feet away.
"Incendio!" Severus bellowed and the substances on the `leader´s´ robes burst into flames sending him into hysterical howling.
"Put it out! Put it out!" he hollered and jumped onto the hem of his robes in hope of suffocate the fire. Next to him a huge Death Eater stared around wildly in search of water while another one was having trouble holding back his laughter at the undignified sight of his superior. To more of them were swinging their wands wildly but ineffectively as Severus kept as calm as possible and began working on his ropes. If he could get them loose…
"Extinquo!" A low voice suddenly boomed and the flames went out instantly as did the chaotic activity and the room fell silent but for the distinct sound of clapping hands.
"Very good, Prof. Snape," the figure that had appeared in the doorframe continued, "I am most impressed." The tall Death Eater slid into the room, his long black robes billowing behind him and his silver mask sending shivers of fear through the small room.
"Thank you for putting out the fire, Master Nimrod," the `leader´ kneeled before his Master and pointed at Snape who was watching everything with rapt interest. "I was merely testing him, Master. I had to see whether he possessed enough knowledge…"
"Quiet!" Nimrod snarled and took Snape´s chin into his hand forcing the Potions Master to look into his eyes. "Of course he knows enough. The dear professor is the world´s capacity on potions and he will not disappoint us. He will brew the potion which will bring our cherished Lord back! Lord Voldemort will live again!"
At this moment Severus decided that he should have stayed in bed today.
Comments:
· Demeter: I still love your name : ) ;I share your view of the Aurors which is why I wanted to show some of them in a different light. Whether all of them are as self-righteous as they seem remains to be seen. After all, we just learned that Ron is an Auror, too…
· Gagou: Does the end justify the means? If you think so, you belong into Slytherin, I believe : ) ; You´re right, I wrote the prologue completely new to have a background for the story while I used parts of the former chapter one for this chapter one again (confusing, huh?). But don´t fear: there won´t be any more repetitions. Right now I´m working on my newest challenge – finding names for my chapters and revealing a bit more about Snape´s captors!
· Ice: Wow! You said `delightful´ and `lovely´. The author blushes deeply and hops around in an undignified but very happy way! Thank you a lot for that kind review and for putting the link of this story into your favourites. That´s just so amazing :D
· Caius Julius: Ave! Thank you for your nice review. We´re both in luck I think – because I just love to write stories where Gryffindors and Slytherins are forced to work together, especially Harry and Draco. They´re unbeatable if they don´t kill each other first ; )
· TotallyMe: I´m glad that you like it so far and please don´t hesitate to tell me as soon as anyone acts out of character. I´m constantly re-reading the original books to keep the feeling for the characters like Mrs. Rowling created them although I have trouble picturing Draco as anything else but very sexy. : )
· animegirl-mika: Since you liked my `thank you´, here´s another one for you and it´s just as heart felt: THANK YOU : ) It´s a wonderful feeling to know that people read this story and even have as much fun reading it as I have while I´m writing it. I hope you liked this chapter as well.
· Star: It´s great to have you along for the ride! I´ve got some twists and turns planned as well as a little mystery which you can solve just like you did in `Hogwarts under siege´. It´ll all be revealed in the last chapter, of course. Thanks a lot for your nice review.
· Star magic: Hi! Thank you for reviewing. This story can be read as a continuation of `Hogwarts under siege´ and I may address things that have been left open there (such as Hermione´s unusual hatred of Slytherins). On the other hand `Return to Hogwarts´ is completely understandable even if someone hasn´t read `Hogwarts under siege´. Do you want it to be more of a continuation of `Hogwarts under siege´? I´m open to suggestions.