A/N: Despite the title, I didn't write the actual rescue. I just don't know how they did it. I just know that they did. And watch the first spoken encounter between Alathea and Draco. Oh, was that fun to write. Well, enjoy everyone.
A/N 2: Margery is from America, so she uses very few British words and phrases, the only ones she'll use are the ones she picked up from Alathea
Chapter 12: The Rescue
The Halloween feast got underway without any more conversations about Margery or Voldemort. Alathea was well aware that there was a plan for the rescue, but she didn't know what it was. And no one would tell her. Every time she asked, the question was deflected. Harry had offered her his invisibility cloak to spy on some of the meetings, but she had declined. As much as she wanted to, she wouldn't spy where she wasn't supposed to.
Instead, Alathea sat at the Gryffindor table with her brother and his best friends, trying to enjoy the feast. It was hard. Her father and Bill had left earlier in the evening, probably to go rescue her best friend. Up at the head table, the teachers were all deep in serious conversation, most especially Dumbledore and McGonagall and they were paying no attention to the students.
Which explains how Draco Malfoy was able to sneak over to their table. "Enjoying the festivities Potter? You and Weasley better eat what you can now; everyone knows your families can't feed you." Ron immeadiately began to go red in the face.
Harry began to scowl as well, but it was Alathea who turned and answered him. "Draco? Draco Malfoy?" Her voice was cool and soft. "Well, I never. Tell me, does your father still employ your nanny? I remember he used to just adore her, of course that could be because she went far more willingly to his bed than your mother would." Draco's face turned even paler than usual. "You listen to me you little shit bairn, you leave my brother and his friends alone or you'll have to deal with me. And Draco, I know plenty of secrets that your family wouldn't want spilled."
His eyes widened. "You…but…your father…"
"My father is my father, not me. Harry is my brother. I think you will find that you are better off not insulting any of my family. Now go back to your own table and eat, before I let something else spill."
With a squeak, rather like the ferret he'd once been, Draco shot off back towards the Slytherin table and the Gryffindor's erupted into cheers. That did draw the attention of the professors. They all looked on in confusion as Snape's daughter bowed, then sat back down.
The feast went on until nearly eleven o'clock at night. As a matter of fact, even at that point it showed no signs of actually stopping. It was called to a halt rather abruptly when Fawkes flew in one of the windows and over to the head table. He landed on the headmaster's plate and it was very shortly after that when Dumbledore announced that the feast was over and all the students should go back to their dormitories. Alathea looked up from where she sat, hoping to catch either her uncle's eye, or her aunt's, but both of them left without so much as a glance in her direction.
"That's it!" She hissed, slamming her open palm down on the table, and rattling the dishes that hadn't been cleared yet. "This has something to do with my best friend and no one's telling me anything. Harry go get your cloak."
"I'm coming with you." He told her as he stood.
"No you're not." Green met green, one set angry and stubborn, the other simply showing unbending determination. Alathea sighed. "Fine. Just be quick."
Harry left to the common room, Ron at his heels, but Hermione stayed in the Great Hall. "You know," she started cautiously after the boys had left; "there's probably a good reason why you weren't told anything. I mean, I can't imagine anyone who's had dealings with Voldemort is in good condition when they get back…and it's your father and your best friend, and well…Bill…"
Alathea looked up. "What about Bill?"
"It's not exactly a secret that you like him." The older girl ducked her head, letting her black hair cover her blush. "Anyway, I'm just saying maybe they don't want to upset you and their waiting for Madam Pomfrey to get done with them."
"Are you ready?" Harry had the cloak over his arm. Alathea glanced at Hermione, wavering a bit, but in the end she nodded. Hermione sighed and wished them luck before heading back to the common room. Harry pulled the cloak around both of them and they headed off towards the hospital wing.
"Severus, any problems?" The Headmaster asked softly.
Alathea stifled a gasp from the doorway. Her father was hurt, badly. "Beyond the usual? No, not really." Harry slid an arm around her waist as she tried to run to her father.
He pinned her to him and she didn't struggle too much, but they made just enough noise to be heard by McGonagall. She leaned over to whisper to the headmaster and he turned, staring at where they stood. "You may as well let her go Harry." Dumbledore told him gently. "She's just worried about her father.
Harry pulled the cloak off them and took his arm from around the Alathea's waist. As soon as she was free, she ran away from him and dove over to her father. "Daddy?"
Snape winced a bit as he sat up. "I'm fine Thea. I promise. Poppy'll have me all ready to walk out of here before class tomorrow."
"Nice to know, where I lay on the priority scale." Bill teased from one of the other beds. Alathea flew over to his side, then realized what she'd done, and blushed. "I…are you alright?"
"Never better. Honestly, this isn't any worse than helping Charlie with his dumb dragons."
"Oh, okay….well, ummm, thank you." She finally whispered. Lightening quick, before she could change her mind, she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Then she ran off to where Margery was staring wide-eyed.
After she left Bill turned as red as his hair. "You're welcome." He mumbled.
"Women like her come around once in a lifetime Mr. Weasley." The Headmaster told him in a low voice. "You may want to snatch her up quickly."
Bill barely registered his advice, before the old wizard left his side and walked over to Margery and Alathea. "Welcome to Hogwarts Ms. Nolten." He greeted her in a gentle voice. "I assume you have a variety of questions to ask and I promise you that Thea, or her father or I will answer all of them in good time, but before we do I must insist that you tell us everything you remember from your captivity."
Margery turned her frightened hazel gaze to her best friend. Alathea sat next to her and took her hand. "It's important Mari. The men who took you are trying to get to my brother and I."
Margery nodded. "There were three men that came down constantly. A short, scrawny man with a rather frightened, squinty face…."
"Wormtail." Harry hissed.
"A man with long blonde hair who looked as though he thought he owned the world and he was only putting up with the people on it by a very thin bit of patience…"
"What an appropriate description for Lucius." Snape chuckled from his bed.
"And a man they called their Lord. They left me alone mostly, although the scrawny one kept asking when they were going to kill me. They didn't say much that I ever understood, except once. They were talking about Alathea. They said she fulfilled a prophesy that resulted in the "Lord's" death." Margery turned to her best friend. "They said that your Grandma owned a brooch that you could activate. The brooch would protect you and your brother so that you couldn't be killed. Then once you couldn't be killed, your brother, could take the sword of some guy named Gryffin-something and kill the Lord, because he's the sword guy's heir and no spell could save the "Lord."" She shook her head. "Heirs, and prophesies, and brooches…I didn't know there was any place left like this, it all sounded like something out of one of your historical romance novels."
Alathea shrugged and swept her arms out wide to gesture to the castle. "Welcome to the wizarding world, as ass-backwards as you can get without having to reinvent the wheel."
"And Thea has this brooch?" Dumbledore questioned.
"No. He said that her grandmother still has it, which boggles my mind cuz Ali told me that all of her grandparents are dead."
"He knows." McGonagall whispered, nervously fingering the pin she always wore on her robes. She and Dumbledore shared a look.
"He knows what?" Alathea asked.
