Disclaimer: I own the plot and Saerry Snape. Everything else is JKR's.
Harry Potter and the Dark Defenses
Chapter 23 ***A Meeting and a Dream***
Remus sat in Dumbledore's office an hour or so later. Sirius lay beside his chair in his Animagus form, exhausted.
The werewolf sighed and closed his eyes. They had lost Harry and an Auror had nearly taken Sirius' head off as Sirius had attacked him in order to get up the stairs to the Owlery. Remus had had to save him and in turn had to be saved by Dumbledore, as the Auror had turned on Remus when he had tried to help Sirius.
Now they were waiting for Dumbledore to return. He had promised to tell them all Harry had said as soon as he had rounded up others who would like to hear it as well.
Just as Remus was about to nod off the flames in the fireplace turned green and Ron stepped through them, covered from head to toe in soot. He used his wand to get it off as best he could then looked at Remus.
"Professor?"
Remus jumped and opened his eyes.
"Oh. Hello Ron. What are you doing here?"
Ron shrugged and replied, "Professor Dumbledore called me and told me to come quick. Said it was important."
He paused for a moment then added, "Which more than likely means its about Harry."
Remus smiled slightly and said, "Your probably right about that."
"Hmmm." Ron peered down at the floor and said, "Sirius?"
Sirius opened his eyes and sat up, promptly turning into a man.
He sullenly said, "Hello Ron."
"Good to see you too."
Sirius growled then scrambled to his feet as the door started to open. He slipped behind the door as it opened.
Into the room came Ginny, who gave a cry of joy and hugged her older brother tightly. Behind her came a red-faced Hermione with Draco behind her, one arm wrapped around her waist.
And after them came Snape, who scowled at all of them and moved over to stand in a corner.
Lastly came Dumbledore, who closed the door and smiled at Sirius, who grinned sheepishly and moved to stand beside Remus. Dumbledore walked behind his desk and sat down.
"Sit, sit."
The seven other people looked around. Only two chairs were in the room. Remus occupied one and Draco was sitting Hermione in the other.
Dumbledore waved his wand and five more chairs appeared.
The rest sat down gratefully except for Draco, who stood behind Hermione, and Snape, who skulked in a corner. Sirius glared at Snape and growled, "What's he doing here?"
Snape smirked and replied in a sarcastic voice, "I'm just here for decoration Black."
Sirius blinked.
Dumbledore smiled at the two of them and said, "Severus is here of his own accord."
"Meaning…?" Sirius leaned forward, arching his eyebrows.
"I mean to help," growled Snape from behind them.
"Help kill Harry more like it," muttered Sirius.
Snape snarled and Dumbledore held up a hand. "Now, now, we are here to talk, not fight. Hermione are you up to this?"
Dumbledore turned toward Hermione, who blinked then nodded. She softly replied, "I'm fine Professor. I want to do all I can to help Harry." She sniffled and Draco's hands gently pressed on her shoulders.
Dumbledore nodded and said, "Good. Now, I have something…yes, Ms. Weasely?"
Ginny lowered the hand she had half raised and asked, "Um, how do we know Harry isn't really…"
"GINNY I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD ACTUALLY THINK HARRY WOULD BE A DEATH EATER!" Ron rose half out of his chair, his face as red as his hair. He bellowed, "HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT HE WOULD DO THAT WITHOUT GOOD REASON?"
Ginny's face turned red as well as she screamed back, "I NEVER SAID THAT!"
"WELL YOU CERTAINLY IMPLIED IT!"
"DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT I SAID! I KNOW WHAT I SAID!"
"WILL YOU BOTH BE QUIET!?"
Ron and Ginny blinked at Hermione, who was standing glaring at them. Draco glowered at them from behind her and kept his hands on her shoulders.
Hermione snarled, "We're here to help Harry, not argue with each other."
Dumbledore nodded and said, "Indeed we are not. Sirius would you mind explaining things to Ms. Weasely?"
Sirius looked ready to object but instead he sighed and said, "C'mon Ginny." Gently he had pulled her through a door that had suddenly appeared behind Dumbledore's desk.
Hermione had left out a little huff and sat back down. Ron quickly followed suite.
Dumbledore sighed and said, "Now that we have that explained, I have some news for you."
Leaning forward slightly he began to tell them all Harry had told him earlier.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harry lay on his side in a small cave he had found. He had the invisibility cloak pulled over him not only for fear of being seen but for warmth as well. His wand and glasses lay within easy reach and Hedwig had settled down near his head.
As he fell into sleep he was pulled into a dream that was nowhere like the last one he had had. Instead of him talking to Voldemort he was seeing where the Dark Lord was.
He stood in a corner of a musty old room that smelled of rats and spiders. It was made of crumbling bricks, some of which looked like Swiss cheese from all the holes in them.
In the center of the room stood Voldemort, laughing, his wand pointed at bundle curled at his feet.
"CRUCIO!"
The bundle jerked in pain and screamed; a high, feminine sound.
Harry didn't have to guess who it was. One of the spasms of pain had given him a glance at the person's face. A face he had seen in his class just a few days earlier.
Saerry Snape.
Saerry jerked on the floor for a few seconds more before Voldemort turned away from her, taking the curse off of her. Harry could hear soft whimpers coming from the girl's form.
"Now, I'll ask you again girl, will your brother come for you when he finds you gone?" Voldemort's cold voice cut through Harry and made him shiver.
Saerry struggled to her knees and looked up at Voldemort, her greasy black hair hiding half her face. Behind it her black eyes blazed with fury and hate. She snarled, "My brother doesn't give damn about me!"
Voldemort smiled evilly and hissed, "Wrong answer." Turning he roared, "CRUCIO," and Saerry fell to the stone floor again.
Harry winced, knowing full well what pain she was going through.
Voldemort took the curse off once again and Saerry lay still, the only sign of life being the quiet gasps of breath coming from her. Red-eyes focused on Saerry again and Voldemort hissed, "Now tell me the truth girl or you will watch your brother die a slow, painful death."
Saerry managed to pull herself up onto her elbows and give the glare Harry had seen so often on Snape's face at Voldemort.
"You can take your truth and shove it up your…"
"CRUCIO!"
Harry's scar burst into white-hot pain as Saerry collapsed on the floor in pain.
Harry shot awake, sitting up quickly.
"ARGH!"
He rubbed at his head and cursed for a full five minutes before remembering his dream.
Hedwig hooted angrily at him and rustled her feathers in annoyance.
Harry gave the owl a smile in apology and grabbed his glasses and wand.
"C'mon Hedwig."
Clambering out of the cave, he pulled the invisibility cloak on over himself and took off in a sprint for Hogwart's. He had decided not to go back until he truly needed to.
And in the case of a former student, he needed to return.
A/N: MWAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! *evil grin* Am I evil?
Sâerwy: Yes.
IVW: I never asked you.
Snape: What about me?
IVW: HOW THE HECK DID YOU GET HERE?
Sâerwy: At the moment you have direct contact with all of the characters.
IVW: SINCE WHEN?
Sâerwy: *smirks* Since I made a little link between you and them.
IVW: WHY YOU….
Snape: Now, now, Megan, let's not get testy.
IVW: *rolls eyes* Oh your one to talk Severus.
Snape: *smiles* I'm a completely different person out of the stories.
IVW: And I'm supposed to believe this?
Snape: Yes
Sâerwy: Of course.
IVW: WHYYYYYYY MEEEEEEE?????
Moving on from the little conversation with my muse and Snape…
Snape: I resent that remark!
IVW: Be quiet Sev.
Snape: No.
IVW: I'll turn your hair maroon and gold.
Snape: Point being?
IVW: *grins evilly* And make you dance the mambo while singing the praises of Gryffindor.
Snape: *sighs* You are an insane little person.
IVW: *wide grin* I am aren't I?
Anyway, to anyone worried, Saerry is NOT going to die. Oh, and Sirius will be kidnapped next. ^-^ Did I mention Ginny's Animagus form will be revealed too?
Snape: No.
IVW: SEVERUS!
Snape: *pouts* Fine.
Sâerwy: Not easy to live with is she?
Snape: No.
IVW: ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!
A/N 2: Long author's note ain't it? ^__________________^