A/N: Ack! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up! I've had it written for awhile but have been a little lazy in typing it. In this chapter, Germanus goes to Hogwarts and meets with Dumbledore. Someone asked me in a review to put up a warning if Severus was going to die...but that would spoil the surprise, wouldn't it? Anyway, onto the fic. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: A Companion

"Germanus, where in Merlin's name are you going?"

Germanus turned away from the courtyard where the Portkey was being set up to face his colleague. Anna was looking at him suspiciously, her arms crossed, silently demanding an answer.

"I'm afraid that is top secret, Seneschal. I express my fullest apologies at missing tea with you." He was tired, emotionally if not physically, and conversations with Anna tended to be draining. He could only pray that, for once, she would be satisfied with the official answer.

"Bull. What's up?"

"Anna, please, I can't...not now. I'll explain later," he said, rubbing his temples.

"Germanus, you look like death warmed over. What's wrong?" she asked, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"It has been reported to me that Severus is dying. Since he is my heir at the moment, I am required to make an official visit to England to check up on him," he said.

She removed her hand from his shoulder and covered her mouth in shock. "No. Oh no, not poor little Sevvie..."

"Are you satisfied, Seneschal?" Germanus asked coldly, turning away.

"No!" she said. "And I won't be until we're on our way! What are you waiting for?"

He turned back toward her. "We?"

"Two Seneschals never travel together, Seneschal," one of her guards reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, what are they going to do? Fire me? And as for you, Germanus, if you think for a moment that you're leaving without me you're mad!"

"We'll have to get another squad of guards together-"

She cut off her guard's protests. "No you won't! Germanus has twelve with him, and I have you two; fourteen guards will be more than sufficient. England is hardly a war zone."

"But...but you haven't packed!"

"I'll sleep in my clothes!" With that, she walked right past a stunned Germanus and toward the Portkey. "What's taking so long?" she yelled at the bug-eyed guards. "Get that damned Portkey tuned!"

"Sir," one of Germanus' guards said to him, "will she be allowed to go with you?"

"Yes," he said, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "It's not like anything short of a tranquilizer dart is going to stop her now."

And even that was debatable.

Soon the Portkey was tuned to its destination. It was no small Portkey, but rather a platform in the courtyard that could be made into one for the transport of a large group. The two Seneschals, the guards and the doctors stepped onto the platform, with a few guards in charge of levitating the luggage. Then one of the guards bent down in the center of the Portkey, pressed a tiny, nearly invisible buttion, and they were on their way.

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They landed in the International Arrivals via Portkey section of the Ministry of Magic building in London. It wasn't proper to enter the country unannounced, even for a Seneschal; even so, Germanus was dreading having his presence known. They would have to leave quickly after they checked in or he and Anna would be swarmed by well-meaning but irritating Ministry officials.

There was a long line ahead of them to the front desk, but clearly at least one of his guards had been through this before. He walked directly up to the front of the line, a litany of curses following in his wake as he budged through. He spoke with the podgy woman at the front for a few seconds, and she looked in their direction. Her eyes widened, and she nodded. The guard gestured for them to follow, and they did so, though Germanus couldn't see in front of him because of all the guards surrounding him and had to trust that they knew where they were going. As it turned out, the captain of the guards most certainly did, and seemed to be bright enough to understand that Germanus didn't want to be waylaid.

They walked down the hallway to the National Departures Via Portkey section. There was another long lineup, mostly composed of parents with young children. Next to the lineup was the empty VIP line. The guards ushered he and Anna there and spoke with the Ministry worker there. He quickly led them to the next room, which had a large Portkey in the center platform.

"Where are you going, sirs?" the man asked.

"Hogwarts," Germanus said.

"Ah," the man mumbled, twiddling his fingers. "Well, you'll need to get in contact with Albus Dumbledore for that; we aren't able to tune the Portkey for Hogwarts from this end. Security reasons."

"Then have it take us as close to Hogwarts as possible."

"That would be Hogsmeade, sir."

"That will do." He didn't have a clue where Hogsmeade was, but he also couldn't wait around to get a message to Dumbledore. The man nodded and set the Portkey

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Germanus' hand clenched tightly in his robes, the only outward sign of irritation he would allow himself to show. Normally he didn't mind being stared at - in fact, he quite enjoyed the attention - but now was not the time for it. Not that he could blame the townspeople for their curiosity; he and anna and their guards, not to mention the doctors, were an odd sight.

At least the town was indeed close to Hogwarts. He could see the castle looming over the little village the moment he arrived. That was where they were headed, and on flying carpets, no less.

Yet another thing that caused the people of Hogsmeade to gawk.

He wasn't entirely sure that it was legal to fly around on a magic carpet in England -- in fact, he was mroe inclined to believe it wasn't -- but there were no Muggles anywhere nearby, so he didn't see the harm in it. His guards had brought them along for just such a situation. A few carpets were far easier to store in luggage than almost two dozen brooms and were far more effective at transporting the suitcases and medical equipment they had brought along.

"Germanus? Are you okay?" Anna asked, reaching up to touch his face.

He brushed her arm aside. "I'll be fine once we're at Hogwarts." She frowned and turned away from him, looking toward the castle.

A few minutes later they arrived outside the gates of Hogwarts. The carpets swept down and levitated a foot above the ground. Germanus jumped off immediately, followed seconds later by a few guards. Oddly enough, the castle gates were open. Even odder, the Headmaster was walking out toward them, with two other people, presumably teachers, flanking him. It occured to him that the flying carpets would have been clearly visible from Hogwarts and that the staff would naturally be curious about who was on them. The Headmaster, Dumbledore, was smiling openly at him, while the other two -- a severe-looking woman and a man dressed in mangy robes -- regarded him suspiciously, the woman in particular looking at the flying carpets with disdain. Before the trio could get within ten feet of him a guard stepped in.

"Sirs, madam, I'm afraid I must ask you to hand over your wands," he said.

"That will not be necessary," Germanus said. "They're just teachers, for Merlin's sake, and we're not in hostile territory."

"But Seneschal, Albus Dumbledore is-"

"I know very well who Albus Dumbledore is," Germanus said sharply. The guard reluctantly stepped back. Dumbledore was still smiling; it was a little unnerving, that smile, not that Germanus would ever admit such a thing.

"Seneschal!" Dumbledore greeted him. The other two teachers looked surprised to say the least.

"Dumbledore," Germanus nodded, shaking the man's hand when it was offered.

"It is a pleasure to finally see you in person, although it is a pity that it would have to be under such unfortunate circumstances," Dumbledore continued. "And who is your lovely lady friend?"

"Anna Ravenspoon, Seneschal of North America, Headmaster," she said.

"What a delightful surprise! A pleasure, madam," he smiled, shaking her hand vigorously.

"Excuse me, Headmaster, but what's going on?" the poorly dressed man asked.

"Oh my, I've been rude! Seneschal Snape, this is Professor Lupin, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and the lady here is Professor McGonagall."

"Seneschal what?" Lupin cried. "He's related to Snape? Our Snape?"
"Yes," Germanus said, deciding he didn't care much for this Lupin fellow. "Excuse me, Dumbledore, but I'd appreciate it if we left the remainder of the pleasantries for another time. I'd like to see my brother now."

"Brother?" Lupin said. McGonagall flushed with embarrassment for him and gently tugged him away.

"Of course, Seneschal. Classes are in session, so you shouldn't have any trouble in the halls," Dumbledore said. "Follow me."

Germanus and his company walked up the marble staircase and through what seemed to be an endless series of hallways and moving stairs. Finally he smelled the faint scent of infirmary, which was getting increasingly pungent as they went.

They stopped outside a room that reeked of that smell. The curtains were drawn. "Here we are, Seneschal."

Germanus nodded. "I'd like to go in alone. You may wait outside," he said to his guards before they could protest. He turned to Anna and his face softened. "I would like to go in alone first, if you don't mind." She nodded, her eyes never leaving his, until he broke her gaze by turning to face the door to the room.

He grabbed the knob and the door creaked open. The curtains along the bed were drawn. He walked to the curtains slowly and quietly, feeling like an intruder in the home of a dragon. Finally he got to the edge of the bed.

He took a deep breath and pulled the curtains open.