All right. I'm about to do something with my story that is either
completely insane or a stroke of genius. That's right, I'm going to bring
in characters from another book.
Don't worry, you don't have to go and read the books. What I like about these characters is how ordinary they are, and rather than create my own ordinary characters I'd rather just steal these ones. If all goes well, then these characters won't seem out of place at all. I suppose I'd better tell you that they're from Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown's mystery series. You won't need to know any more than that. Promise. And here's my disclaimer: I disclaim any of the characters that are Rita Mae Brown's or Sneaky Pie Brown's. There.
By the way, you don't actually meet them in this chapter. They're mentioned. I'll save introductions for the next chapter.
*~*~*~
At 12:05 on Saturday morning, Erin Kristoff was sitting beneath a tree on Hogwarts' grounds, listening to the birds and stroking the bracelet on her wrist. It was certainly a strange bracelet; it was, in fact, the communication line between Draco and her. She fingered the silken blonde hairs woven with her own golden ones and wondered what he had discovered.
At 12:06 on Saturday morning, Severus Snape was sitting in his office with a stack of tests before him. He sighed, dipped his quill in dark red ink, and proceeded to scribble a very large zero on Neville Longbottom's test paper.
At 12:07, Erin felt a sharp sting where the bracelet touched her skin.
At 12:08, Severus was bending over and clutching the tattoo upon his left forearm.
They reached the Great Hall at 12:10, just in time to intercept a very disheveled looking Jonathan Avery.
"Draco's been blown," Avery gasped.
*~*~*~
Harry was flying idly on his broomstick when he felt a strange tickling in his mind. He frowned and slowed down. Six years at Hogwarts was enough to teach him when something was important, and this tickle was important.
The tickle strengthened, then evolved into a formless whisper. "Come on," muttered Harry to himself, closing his eyes for concentration. "What is it?"
Loud and clear, Erin's voice inside his head shrieked, "Harry!"
*~*~*~
Severus didn't even pause. "How?" he asked, his voice quiet and dangerous.
"I don't know," said Avery, leaning against a table and massaging his ribs. "I was at my house, and I got Voldemort's summons, so I left. And when I reached the spot, I saw Draco tied up and gagged. I pretended that I left my wand behind, Apparated to Hogwarts' grounds, and ran all the way here."
Severus was pulling on his cloak. "How did Draco look?"
Avery's face was pale. "Bad."
"Did Malfoy Senior do anything?"
Avery laughed mirthlessly. "You know Malfoy as well as I do."
Severus nodded shortly and walked out of the door. Before he left, he turned back to Erin. "And don't even think about leaving!" Erin stepped forward and started to protest, but Severus was already gone.
Erin looked on, desolate. She had to help her friend, she just had to - it was all her fault! But how could she find where Draco was? She couldn't Apparate, she didn't even have a broomstick. Wait a minute. Dumbledore had once hinted something that might be useful -
Erin closed her eyes and concentrated. : Harry!: she cried out in her mind.
A few seconds passed. : Erin? : came the faint answer.
: I need a ride. :
: What's going on? :
: Draco's been caught. :
: Be right there. : Harry may not like Malfoy, but he knew that Draco was important to her.
Erin opened her eyes to find Avery looking suspiciously. "You're not going anywhere," he said firmly. "For that matter, neither am I."
Erin shook her head. Valor, thy name is not Avery.
She felt a psychic tingling. "Sorry, Avery, but I've got to go." Avery stepped forward, but Erin pulled out her wand and gave him a brilliant smile. Avery looked at the gleaming wand, shook his head, and held up his hands. Erin grinned and ran out the doors, where Harry was waiting.
*~*~*~
It could be worse, thought Severus.
But not by much.
Draco was, indeed, tied up and gagged, and like Avery said, he looked bad. There were bruises all over his face, and his nose looked broken. Blood gushed from a headwound. Luckily, he was unconscious, and couldn't feel the pain.
Severus was lying on a low hill, looking through the bushes to see the gathered Death Eaters. He noticed that a few of the Death Eaters wore red robes and red masks. Looking closer, he saw that Draco wore a red robe. Ah-hah. Red robes meant you were an apprentice - an acolyte.
Voldemort was standing next to Draco, his red eyes shining. Malfoy stood on Draco's other side, his face absolutely expressionless. The Death Eaters were gathered in a circle. Voldemort held up his hand, and the entire circle became as silent as the grave.
"You are my faithful Death Eaters," said Voldemort in his sibilant voice. "And faithful you shall remain. 'Why?' you ask. I will show you." He turned to Draco's limp form. "Enneverate!"
Draco blinked and painfully began to sit up. His gray eyes were wide and frightened. He looked at his father, but Malfoy made no move to help.
"Here before you is a traitor," said Voldemort loudly. "He sold you all for that Mud-blood loving fool, Dumbledore."
There were murmurs of shock at this statement. Severus shook his head. Draco hadn't turned spy for Dumbledore; he'd done it for Erin. But Voldemort was clever enough to not bring his daughter into this. The last thing Voldemort wanted was his Death Eaters wavering between him and Erin.
Voldemort raised his wand and lowered it at Draco. "Crucio!" he commanded.
Draco screamed, then screamed again. His body shook and writhed with pain, spraying blood over the rocky ground. Voldemort raised his wand still higher, and the screams intensified. A piece of cloth fell to the ground. Draco had bitten through his gag.
"Father!" he screamed. "Father!"
Malfoy looked down coldly at his son, then looked away.
Severus burst out over the hill. It was a complete surprise attack, but he was badly outnumbered. It was hopeless. All of these thoughts flashed through his mind in the time it took him to take out one Death Eater. An elbow in the gut and he was down. A fist to another's jaw and the second was unconscious. But they were taking out their wands, and Voldemort had not stopped Draco's torture. In a few moments Draco would go the way of the Longbottoms.
Fury exploded in Severus - fury at Voldemort, fury at Malfoy, and fury at himself for letting his student become involved. He was knocking out Death Eaters as fast as they could come - if there was one thing he'd learned from the Labyrinth, it was street fighting - but there were simply too many. Severus took his last resort and become not Snape, but Snap.
The Death Eaters halted completely as their target vanished. Only a few of them saw the rust-colored mongoose whipping past their ankles. Voldemort lowered his wand, and Draco stopped screaming. The boy lay completely helpless on the ground, gasping for air and sobbing quietly.
Voldemort knew where Severus was. He'd heard all about the mongoose from Malfoy's party. He was raising his wand, and Snap knew there was simply no way to escape. All thoughts left his brain except for one thing; if he was going to die, he was going to die tasting Voldemort's blood.
The little mongoose lunged for the wizard. The wizard raised his wand. And, if Erin had obediently listened to her guardian, in all probability Professor Severus Snape would never have survived that encounter.
A broomstick soared overhead, and a girl's voice cried out, "Expelliarmus!"
The wand left Voldemort's hand and zoomed up to the girl, knocking Voldemort to the ground at the same time. Immediately afterward four horse- like shapes plunged out of the darkness. And something big flapped overhead.
The unicorns scattered the Death Eaters. In the darkness they looked like ghosts, their white manes and horns gleaming eerily by the torchlight. And the cloaked figure astride one of them looked like Death himself.
"RALLY!" screamed Voldemort, lunging to his feet. "They're unicorns!" At this point Voldemort screamed again, because Snap had finally gotten to his ankle, but in the confusion it was hard to tell.
The Death Eaters rallied a little. After all, their culture had always believed in the peaceful, utterly passive unicorn.
(Heh) said Wind-Runner.
(Humans are stupid) agreed Flower-Scent. (No offense to the present company).
(None taken) said Dreamer.
(They're coming) said Vision in a low voice.
(Stand your ground) commanded Watcher.
The Death Eaters charged, but the unicorns merely lowered their heads. The Death Eaters impaled themselves upon the horns, then fell as the unicorns shook them off. Blood stained the pearly horns in glittering drops of crimson.
At this point, the something-big overhead decided to heat things up a little. The Death Eaters screamed, then fried.
"A dragon!" the survivors shouted. Voldemort kicked the mongoose off of his ankle and flung him against a tree. Snap heard bones break but was satisfied in knowing that he'd at least gotten one good chomp.
Voldemort probably would have killed him then, but he had other things to worry about: like complete desertion by his Death Eaters. "Apparate!" he yelled over the neighing of the unicorns and the fierce roar of the dragon. The Death Eaters began to vanish. Up overhead, two figures upon a broomstick shouted in frustration, but it was too late.
Voldemort was just about to vanish when he saw the figure upon the unicorn. "You," Voldemort hissed. The man said nothing. And then Voldemort was gone.
*~*~*~
"Well," said Sheila Flamewinged, "that was interesting."
"What's the dragon's name?" asked Bryan Quirrell.
"Thorny. She's half Peruvian Vipertooth, half Swedish Shortsnout. Got a temper, too."
"Very pretty, though."
"I'll tell her you said that."
Madame Pomfrey emerged from the hospital wing.
"Will Snape be all right?" asked Bryan.
"A few broken ribs, but yes, he'll survive."
"Pity," said Sheila.
"Oh, I don't know about that," said Bryan. "I was actually starting to grow rather fond of him. He's wonderful to tease."
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Madame Pomfrey. "He's leaving."
"Leaving?" asked Sheila.
"All of them. Right now."
*~*~*~
"It's becoming too dangerous," said Dumbledore to Harry and Erin. All three were sitting in Dumbledore's office. What he was saying was like a death sentence.
"We can't leave Hogwarts," said Harry desperately. Erin knew that he was thinking of the Dursleys.
"You have too," said Dumbledore firmly. "You two, Professor Snape, and Draco Malfoy are his three biggest targets. All of you have humiliated him, in some way or another."
"And besides personal hatred, he has to kill us to re-gain his respect among the Death Eaters," said Erin quietly. Dumbledore nodded approvingly, but his eyes were sad. He hated times like these, when children were forced to learn such strategy just to survive.
"Harry, you and Draco are going with Mariah Snape to the Labyrinth."
Harry was still struggling with leaving. "But Hogwarts is safer. You're here, there are enchantments - "
"Enchantments that he has studied, Harry. And I am not all- powerful." Dumbledore leaned forward, his blue eyes intense and his words curt. "I don't want to lose any of you. It will be far better to put Voldemort in a situation he hasn't studied, then to keep you in the very school he attended!"
Harry and Erin fell silent. Then Erin spoke up. "Where will Severus and I be going?"
"You'll be going back to America. We've arranged for you to rent rooms from a woman named Mary Minor Haristeen."
"Where in America?"
"Crozet, Virginia."
Don't worry, you don't have to go and read the books. What I like about these characters is how ordinary they are, and rather than create my own ordinary characters I'd rather just steal these ones. If all goes well, then these characters won't seem out of place at all. I suppose I'd better tell you that they're from Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown's mystery series. You won't need to know any more than that. Promise. And here's my disclaimer: I disclaim any of the characters that are Rita Mae Brown's or Sneaky Pie Brown's. There.
By the way, you don't actually meet them in this chapter. They're mentioned. I'll save introductions for the next chapter.
*~*~*~
At 12:05 on Saturday morning, Erin Kristoff was sitting beneath a tree on Hogwarts' grounds, listening to the birds and stroking the bracelet on her wrist. It was certainly a strange bracelet; it was, in fact, the communication line between Draco and her. She fingered the silken blonde hairs woven with her own golden ones and wondered what he had discovered.
At 12:06 on Saturday morning, Severus Snape was sitting in his office with a stack of tests before him. He sighed, dipped his quill in dark red ink, and proceeded to scribble a very large zero on Neville Longbottom's test paper.
At 12:07, Erin felt a sharp sting where the bracelet touched her skin.
At 12:08, Severus was bending over and clutching the tattoo upon his left forearm.
They reached the Great Hall at 12:10, just in time to intercept a very disheveled looking Jonathan Avery.
"Draco's been blown," Avery gasped.
*~*~*~
Harry was flying idly on his broomstick when he felt a strange tickling in his mind. He frowned and slowed down. Six years at Hogwarts was enough to teach him when something was important, and this tickle was important.
The tickle strengthened, then evolved into a formless whisper. "Come on," muttered Harry to himself, closing his eyes for concentration. "What is it?"
Loud and clear, Erin's voice inside his head shrieked, "Harry!"
*~*~*~
Severus didn't even pause. "How?" he asked, his voice quiet and dangerous.
"I don't know," said Avery, leaning against a table and massaging his ribs. "I was at my house, and I got Voldemort's summons, so I left. And when I reached the spot, I saw Draco tied up and gagged. I pretended that I left my wand behind, Apparated to Hogwarts' grounds, and ran all the way here."
Severus was pulling on his cloak. "How did Draco look?"
Avery's face was pale. "Bad."
"Did Malfoy Senior do anything?"
Avery laughed mirthlessly. "You know Malfoy as well as I do."
Severus nodded shortly and walked out of the door. Before he left, he turned back to Erin. "And don't even think about leaving!" Erin stepped forward and started to protest, but Severus was already gone.
Erin looked on, desolate. She had to help her friend, she just had to - it was all her fault! But how could she find where Draco was? She couldn't Apparate, she didn't even have a broomstick. Wait a minute. Dumbledore had once hinted something that might be useful -
Erin closed her eyes and concentrated. : Harry!: she cried out in her mind.
A few seconds passed. : Erin? : came the faint answer.
: I need a ride. :
: What's going on? :
: Draco's been caught. :
: Be right there. : Harry may not like Malfoy, but he knew that Draco was important to her.
Erin opened her eyes to find Avery looking suspiciously. "You're not going anywhere," he said firmly. "For that matter, neither am I."
Erin shook her head. Valor, thy name is not Avery.
She felt a psychic tingling. "Sorry, Avery, but I've got to go." Avery stepped forward, but Erin pulled out her wand and gave him a brilliant smile. Avery looked at the gleaming wand, shook his head, and held up his hands. Erin grinned and ran out the doors, where Harry was waiting.
*~*~*~
It could be worse, thought Severus.
But not by much.
Draco was, indeed, tied up and gagged, and like Avery said, he looked bad. There were bruises all over his face, and his nose looked broken. Blood gushed from a headwound. Luckily, he was unconscious, and couldn't feel the pain.
Severus was lying on a low hill, looking through the bushes to see the gathered Death Eaters. He noticed that a few of the Death Eaters wore red robes and red masks. Looking closer, he saw that Draco wore a red robe. Ah-hah. Red robes meant you were an apprentice - an acolyte.
Voldemort was standing next to Draco, his red eyes shining. Malfoy stood on Draco's other side, his face absolutely expressionless. The Death Eaters were gathered in a circle. Voldemort held up his hand, and the entire circle became as silent as the grave.
"You are my faithful Death Eaters," said Voldemort in his sibilant voice. "And faithful you shall remain. 'Why?' you ask. I will show you." He turned to Draco's limp form. "Enneverate!"
Draco blinked and painfully began to sit up. His gray eyes were wide and frightened. He looked at his father, but Malfoy made no move to help.
"Here before you is a traitor," said Voldemort loudly. "He sold you all for that Mud-blood loving fool, Dumbledore."
There were murmurs of shock at this statement. Severus shook his head. Draco hadn't turned spy for Dumbledore; he'd done it for Erin. But Voldemort was clever enough to not bring his daughter into this. The last thing Voldemort wanted was his Death Eaters wavering between him and Erin.
Voldemort raised his wand and lowered it at Draco. "Crucio!" he commanded.
Draco screamed, then screamed again. His body shook and writhed with pain, spraying blood over the rocky ground. Voldemort raised his wand still higher, and the screams intensified. A piece of cloth fell to the ground. Draco had bitten through his gag.
"Father!" he screamed. "Father!"
Malfoy looked down coldly at his son, then looked away.
Severus burst out over the hill. It was a complete surprise attack, but he was badly outnumbered. It was hopeless. All of these thoughts flashed through his mind in the time it took him to take out one Death Eater. An elbow in the gut and he was down. A fist to another's jaw and the second was unconscious. But they were taking out their wands, and Voldemort had not stopped Draco's torture. In a few moments Draco would go the way of the Longbottoms.
Fury exploded in Severus - fury at Voldemort, fury at Malfoy, and fury at himself for letting his student become involved. He was knocking out Death Eaters as fast as they could come - if there was one thing he'd learned from the Labyrinth, it was street fighting - but there were simply too many. Severus took his last resort and become not Snape, but Snap.
The Death Eaters halted completely as their target vanished. Only a few of them saw the rust-colored mongoose whipping past their ankles. Voldemort lowered his wand, and Draco stopped screaming. The boy lay completely helpless on the ground, gasping for air and sobbing quietly.
Voldemort knew where Severus was. He'd heard all about the mongoose from Malfoy's party. He was raising his wand, and Snap knew there was simply no way to escape. All thoughts left his brain except for one thing; if he was going to die, he was going to die tasting Voldemort's blood.
The little mongoose lunged for the wizard. The wizard raised his wand. And, if Erin had obediently listened to her guardian, in all probability Professor Severus Snape would never have survived that encounter.
A broomstick soared overhead, and a girl's voice cried out, "Expelliarmus!"
The wand left Voldemort's hand and zoomed up to the girl, knocking Voldemort to the ground at the same time. Immediately afterward four horse- like shapes plunged out of the darkness. And something big flapped overhead.
The unicorns scattered the Death Eaters. In the darkness they looked like ghosts, their white manes and horns gleaming eerily by the torchlight. And the cloaked figure astride one of them looked like Death himself.
"RALLY!" screamed Voldemort, lunging to his feet. "They're unicorns!" At this point Voldemort screamed again, because Snap had finally gotten to his ankle, but in the confusion it was hard to tell.
The Death Eaters rallied a little. After all, their culture had always believed in the peaceful, utterly passive unicorn.
(Heh) said Wind-Runner.
(Humans are stupid) agreed Flower-Scent. (No offense to the present company).
(None taken) said Dreamer.
(They're coming) said Vision in a low voice.
(Stand your ground) commanded Watcher.
The Death Eaters charged, but the unicorns merely lowered their heads. The Death Eaters impaled themselves upon the horns, then fell as the unicorns shook them off. Blood stained the pearly horns in glittering drops of crimson.
At this point, the something-big overhead decided to heat things up a little. The Death Eaters screamed, then fried.
"A dragon!" the survivors shouted. Voldemort kicked the mongoose off of his ankle and flung him against a tree. Snap heard bones break but was satisfied in knowing that he'd at least gotten one good chomp.
Voldemort probably would have killed him then, but he had other things to worry about: like complete desertion by his Death Eaters. "Apparate!" he yelled over the neighing of the unicorns and the fierce roar of the dragon. The Death Eaters began to vanish. Up overhead, two figures upon a broomstick shouted in frustration, but it was too late.
Voldemort was just about to vanish when he saw the figure upon the unicorn. "You," Voldemort hissed. The man said nothing. And then Voldemort was gone.
*~*~*~
"Well," said Sheila Flamewinged, "that was interesting."
"What's the dragon's name?" asked Bryan Quirrell.
"Thorny. She's half Peruvian Vipertooth, half Swedish Shortsnout. Got a temper, too."
"Very pretty, though."
"I'll tell her you said that."
Madame Pomfrey emerged from the hospital wing.
"Will Snape be all right?" asked Bryan.
"A few broken ribs, but yes, he'll survive."
"Pity," said Sheila.
"Oh, I don't know about that," said Bryan. "I was actually starting to grow rather fond of him. He's wonderful to tease."
"Well, it doesn't matter," said Madame Pomfrey. "He's leaving."
"Leaving?" asked Sheila.
"All of them. Right now."
*~*~*~
"It's becoming too dangerous," said Dumbledore to Harry and Erin. All three were sitting in Dumbledore's office. What he was saying was like a death sentence.
"We can't leave Hogwarts," said Harry desperately. Erin knew that he was thinking of the Dursleys.
"You have too," said Dumbledore firmly. "You two, Professor Snape, and Draco Malfoy are his three biggest targets. All of you have humiliated him, in some way or another."
"And besides personal hatred, he has to kill us to re-gain his respect among the Death Eaters," said Erin quietly. Dumbledore nodded approvingly, but his eyes were sad. He hated times like these, when children were forced to learn such strategy just to survive.
"Harry, you and Draco are going with Mariah Snape to the Labyrinth."
Harry was still struggling with leaving. "But Hogwarts is safer. You're here, there are enchantments - "
"Enchantments that he has studied, Harry. And I am not all- powerful." Dumbledore leaned forward, his blue eyes intense and his words curt. "I don't want to lose any of you. It will be far better to put Voldemort in a situation he hasn't studied, then to keep you in the very school he attended!"
Harry and Erin fell silent. Then Erin spoke up. "Where will Severus and I be going?"
"You'll be going back to America. We've arranged for you to rent rooms from a woman named Mary Minor Haristeen."
"Where in America?"
"Crozet, Virginia."