ICLYLM chapter 23 "All There?"



(A/N: Thanks to all who have been reviewing... it really helps!)



Dumbledore finished reading the parchment, sighed heavily and let his head drop to his hands. Lupin didn't like that and moved sharply toward the Headmaster.

"No, no, it's alright, Remus," Dumbledore said raising his head. "Sirius reports that Jeffrey Barnes and Phoebe Taylor are in the Riddle Mansion. They're in the basement. He looks fine, she looks ill."

"And Severus?" Lupin asked

"No sign of him," Dumbledore said heavily, "But Sirius may not have been there long enough to see him. He's probably there as well."

The owl who had brought the message gave a soft hoot and shifted impatiently. Dumbledore reached for a small parchment and scribbled a short note, attaching it to the owl and carrying him to the window.

"I told him to keep watch and send word if anyone leaves," Dumbledore said to Lupin as he resumed his seat.

"So you think they're all there?" Lupin asked. Dumbledore nodded, "Including Voldemort?" Dumbledore sighed and nodded again. "So, the trick is to get them out under Voldemort's nose. Not exactly a cakewalk, I'll wager," Lupin mused.

"No, but we have the advantage in knowing where they are."

"Won't they know we're looking for them?"

"Voldemort took pains to have Severus send word he would not be back. Still, he should expect us to be looking for Barnes and Taylor. Still, he can't be too worried we'll find them if he didn't try to cover his tracks by sending more communications. If Voldemort leaves the manor for any amount of time that would be a clear sign he's not too worried.

"Voldemort has few weaknesses but one is overconfidence in his own abilities. He has undoubtedly put magical wards up around the mansion. I wouldn't be surprised if he feels they are more than sufficient so long as he lets a few death eaters linger."

"That's all well and good, Albus," Remus said, "Except for the fact that his warding and guarding charms ARE probably more than sufficient to guard the place. I don't know if I, for instance, could break them. I don't know of many who could ...aside from you."

"Indeed, and Voldemort does not expect me to leave Hogwarts these days... I doubt he expects me to tend to this little situation personally."

Lupin's eyes widened, "You're thinking of going... of coming with me- us?"

"Not thinking, planning on it." Dumbledore said with a steely glint in his eye, "The stakes are far too high... not simply because people I care about are there... though that might be more sufficient cause than Voldemort imagines," Dumbledore noted grimly

"The child." Lupin said.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied gravely, "No matter what happens to the pregnancy, he must not be allowed to get his hands on the child... or whatever is left of it."

Lupin blanched. He had been thinking the child was a danger if born into Voldemort's hands. He hadn't even considered what the Evil Wizard might be able to do even with a miscarried, deceased child. He repressed a shudder and tried to focus on discussing exactly how he and Dumbledore were going to get Barnes, Taylor, and Snape out of there.







Snuffles trotted across the field toward the house, stopping occasionally to nose at bushes and hillocks in dog-like fashion. Eventually he made it to the outbuilding the three mutts used as sleeping quarters. It was some sort of small barn and was far enough out for the warding charms on the house not to raise his hackles.

He contemplated keeping watch from here but, with a sigh, realized it wasn't quite close enough. He'd need to work his way closer, building by building until he had a better view. Agrippa's Wand, he hoped it wouldn't be too close.

He was checking the view from the garden shed when three wizards apparated on the garden lawn. One was fairly tall and thin. On either side of the thin wizard two thick-set wizards stood. All three paused a moment then turned and entered the house. Damn his faulty memory! The three looked familiar but he couldn't place them to save his life!

Carefully, he crept forward, all senses on the alert. He had made it to a veranda when he heard the shuffle of approaching feet. Quickly, he crawled through the overgrown bushes surrounding the porch to hide beneath. One man, heavy footed; another, light of step; a third clunking heavily; now a fourth... not heavy just clumsy sounding... Snuffles took careful note of the footsteps on the rotting wood above him. Finally a light, but clearly tired set of footsteps make their way across the porch. Silently he crawled forward on his belly to get a better look at the garden from between the trunks of the bushes. The same three wizards as before, he noted. The fourth was rather shorter and very, very familiar. Snuffles felt a growl building in his chest... very familiar. A glint of silver at the end of one of his sleeves made it certain then. HIM. Snuffles dug his claws into the earth and felt his body tense to spring.

NO! No, he mustn't! All would be lost. He swore! With a tremendous effort he swallowed the growl and made his body settle to the ground and wait. It was fortunate he did, for the fifth wizard, a dark, thin man, looked back at the house anxiously. Snape! Then, with swift movements of wands the five wizards disapparated. Suppressing a last snarl at the thought of Wormtail, Snuffles crawled carefully out from under the porch and slunk around to the french doors around the corner. Now was as good a time as any to see if Voldemort was here. Then he needed to send an owl...

Low to the ground in the gathering dusk, Snuffles edged his head forward through the riot of weeds and grass choking the outside of the doors. The people inside would need magic to get those open against all that had grown there, Snuffles thought. He squinted and looked carefully waiting for his eyes to adjust to looking into the dim room on the other side of the dusty glass.

A snake slithered around the base of a wing-backed chair that was turned three-quarters of the way away from him toward a fireplace. He could see a man seated there but could tell nothing about him save he was tall and quite thin. As he watched, the snake slithered around the man's leg and up to his lap. An arm reached out to gather up the large snake as the man rose, his back to Snuffles. His hackles were now so on end that it actually hurt. He knew he was looking at Voldemort. As he struggled to master the hatred surging within him The Dark Lord raised his wand and disappeared.

His emotions were so confused that, for a moment Snuffles didn't really appreciate what had happened. Voldemort had left the manor. The largest obstacle to their saving the Healer and the Professor had just been removed! He needed to get word to Dumbledore swiftly, there was no telling how long Voldemort would be gone.

He resisted the urge to gallop across the lawn... he didn't know who was still in the Manor, who might see. It was agony in his excited state, but Snuffles made his way away from the Manor in the same careful way in which he had approached it. At long last, he gained the small barn and was greeted by his mutt friends. Merlin was smiling on him...

"Whad'ya go to the house for?" Ripper yipped.

Snuffles paused, wondering how best to make the three dogs understand.

"The men there have taken some of my pack and I want to get them back." he finally said.

The three dogs growled, but not at Snuffles, at the house.

"I'll go, I'll get 'em!" Ripper yipped as the other two dogs rolled their eyes and Blackie cuffed him.

"No, I have help coming. I need to go... call to them... can you watch the house and tell me if any more men come or go?" Snuffles barked.

"Yes. Go." Blackie ruffed, turning his eyes toward the house with a low growl, "go."

Snuffles did as he was told, sprinting out across the field toward the town.