So, Is Harry dead?? Hmm... We'll see... ::evil giggle::
I'm so glad you like my story still! Please keep reviewing!! I love all your reviews! Was laughing especially hard at Panko's and Hyper Princess's this time. But I loved everyone's reviews!
Also, I changed the title of this chapter. The storyline got away from me again... Guess you got your wish for a longer story, Lycoris! It's definitely going beyond 10 chapters!
Enjoy!
Sirius and Lupin finally arrived together at the White Wizard Inn, the inn run by wizard's which was closest to the White Cliffs, at about half past one.
Needless to say, the innkeeper was quite put out.
"What," he said sleepily as he stumbled down the stairs. "Don' ye know it's rude to arrive so late without prior warnin'?"
Lupin patted Sirius's dog head and replied soothingly, "I'm sorry, sir. We arre on urgent business, though. My dog and I are searching for a kidnaped boy."
That barely phased the innkeeper, but his wife, who had followed him, gasped and held her housecoat closer to her chest.
"The poor boy," she exclaimed. "Do you know who took him? Have you traced them here?"
Lupin nodded, "I have found reason to believe that he has been brought here. As to who took him, I am not at liberty to say. Have you seen anyone suspicious here lately, ma'am?"
"Besides you," snorted the man. "No."
"Well..." said the woman, thoughtfully, "there was that one man. He had pale, sallow skin and greasy hair. Thought he could do with a good shampoo and dinner myself, he was awfully thin."
Lupin had to smile at that, not only did he know who she was talking about, but saw where she had gotten the idea. The woman was quite plump and probably thought everyone should be just as plump unless they were starving.
"He was alone, though," she continued. "He really only caught my attention because he was in such a hurry."
"How long ago did he come through," Lupin asked her.
"At a decent time, unlike some people," the innkeeper said snippishly. Obviously he did not like having his sleep interrupted.
"John," his wife gasped. "Think of that poor boy, what his parents must be going through."
She turned back to Lupin and Sirius, "He came through at about dinner time. Haven't seen him since, though."
"Thank you," Lupin said. "And may I inquire of you one more thing?"
The woman smiled widely, her grin splitting her round face nearly in half, while her husband scowled. He REALLY did not like having his sleep disturbed.
"Go right on ahead, young man," she told Lupin.
"Which way is the White Cliffs, please," Lupin asked as politely as he could.
"Follow the path to the right once you leave here," the innkeeper's wife told him.
"Thank you," Lupin told her and her husband with a nod. "Sorry to disturb you so late. Good night."
"Good night, indeed. It's morning," the innkeeper said surlishly.
"You make sure to find that poor boy, now," the woman called after Lupin as he left with Sirius.
Lupin just nodded politely and continued on his way out the door and down the path.
"Well," said Sirius, transforming as soon as they were out of sight, "at least we're on the right track."
"Yes," Lupin agreed. "Severus must have found Harry and been captured."
"Where we find the git, we will find Harry," Sirius agreed before transforming back into a dog.
The two picked up their pace, a sense of urgency falling over them once more.
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It took Snape a moment to realize that the screaming in his head was in his own voice. It took him a moment longer to realize that the screaming wasn't in his head. It filled the room, his ears and even invaded the night outside, startling sleeping birds from near-by trees.
"I knew he would be there," the dark figure said when the scream had quieted.
Shaking began to overtake Snape as he dispassionately watched the dark figure stand and laugh triumphantly. Aside from the shaking, he could feel nothing and soon even the shaking disappeared.
The dark figure's laughing began to die down and it turned back to the window, "Let's see how everyone's favorite Boy-Who-Lived looks in the arms of death. Quite sweet, I sup -"
"What," screamed the dark figure suddenly, taking a quick step toward the window.
Feeling flooded back into Snape in an overwhelming rush. He whipped his wand out and, pointing it at his enemy, screamed, "Crucio!"
Now it was the dark figure who screamed, even as he disappeared headfirst out the window.
"That was my boy," Snape growled angrily as he got to his feet.
Anger had cleared his head and eradicated whatever pain remained from his injuries. Snape fund himself capable of only feeling hatred toward the one who had killed Harry Potter. Harry Potter, who was not The-Boy-Who-Lived but was Harry Potter, the boy who had stolen Snape's heart somehow. Who had crept into his soul and become like his son.
Snape was furious. He was furious at himself for not realizing how much he had cared for Harry, for not realizing why he still protected Harry even with his debt to Harry's father repaid.
He walked outside, not even really realizing what he was doing even as he crossed the threshold of the front door. He walked in a red haze until he made it to the bushes where the dark figure had fallen, where Snape had left Harry. There his vision and mind cleared as he realized that neither Harry nor the dark figure were anywhere to be found.
Frantically, he threw his gaze around, searching for Harry. Snape would not allow the dark lord even his body. He at least wanted to give Harry a proper burial; You-Know-Who could not deprive the boy of that.
"He's not there, said the voice of the dark figure.
Snape whirled around, bringing up his wand and shouting out a curse even as the dark figure shouted a curse. The curses met mid-way, deflected each other and cut trees in half as they flew wildly off-course.
"Where's Harry," Snape snarled, wand still raised and ready.
"Why don't you tell me," the dark figure snarled back.
For a moment, Snape was taken aback, but realized it for a trick when the dark figure shot out another curse. He dodged into near-by tress and ran for it.
Around the house, hoping for a bit of luck, and back to where the dark figure should be. He'd hoped to catch it from behind, but the dark figure was gone. Snape glared around the yard for a moment before taking cover in the trees once more.
He found a good spot to watch and wait for the dark figure's next move and had no sooner settled into it than he heard an annoyed voice behind him.
"Finally. I thought you would never stop running around."
Next Chapter: The Run (for real this time)
