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Not Myself by Saerry Snape
Chapter 152 – Rescues of All Sorts
"'Don't do anything…stupid.' Heh, as if I'd do anyt'ing stupid."
The white wolf at Harry's side gave him a Look as he repeated Sirius' warning and he scowled.
"Oh, shaddup, Mik."
Mika shrugged as best he could then growled softly, dark amber eyes gazing off into the night. Harry followed that dark gaze and spotted the wolfish form of Remus slinking on the edge of the opposite tree line. His father was with the older werewolf and Sirius was hiding in the bushes, ready to jump in if they needed him.
Hopefully they wouldn't.
Severus had informed them of his plan of action on their way to the stronghold; Sirius hadn't agreed with it but as everyone else had he was forced to comply with it.
The plan was as thus: Severus and Remus would play decoy while Harry and Mika went in search of Amadeus. One problem that faced them was the difficulty of containing a full-grown werewolf without the Wolfsbane Potion once they found him. Severus, of course, had concocted a solution a month before.
He had placed an amount of Wolfsbane and another potion (the contents of which he had not revealed) in several phials that he had given to Harry. By throwing them at Amadeus, the potion within should force the same effect as the Wolfsbane Potion did.
Or so they hoped. They hadn't had the time to test it and if they failed…well, then Harry was either going to be dead or a werewolf. Or Amadeus would be all crispy and a perfect addition to the next Death Eater picnic menu.
"Cmon," whispered Harry, tugging gently at Mika's fur. The werewolf turned and the two of them inched along the tree line until they found the abandoned passage that Severus had told them to go through. A door, rusted and not used in a very long time, blocked their way in a highly ominous fashion.
Harry flicked his fingers at the simple padlock that had been shoved roughly through the latch the reached into his pocket, pulling out a slightly battered lock pick. He swiftly picked the padlock and stuffed it into his pocket along with the pick as he gently pushed at the door. When it groaned but didn't move, he gave it a swift kick.
The rusted door swung open on squealing hinges and Mika winced before following Harry inside.
* * * *
Severus and Remus were moving as quickly as they could through passages, a train of Death Eaters rushing along behind them. They were shouting insults about Severus' parentage and ancestors as well as yelling something about barbecue.
From the wince the werewolf running beside him had given, they were discussing wolf-meat and not simple chicken.
Striking a Death Eater who came out of a corridor in front of them a glancing blow with his elbow, Severus spun and shot a Stunning Spell at him. He then flung a curse at the ceiling of the corridor behind them. The stones quivered then collapsed in a roar of rock and buffeting clouds of dust.
Severus choked and stumbled out of the dust…to find himself at the end of Lucius Malfoy's wand.
"Well, well," purred the blonde man. "What have we…AHHH!"
He was cut off in mid-sentence as Remus, the dust turning his coat to the color of ash, leapt out of the sifting clouds. Amber eyes flashing, the werewolf's powerful jaws come down on the elder Malfoy's wand arm, snapping the bones of the forearm with a hideous crunch.
Lucius' wand clattered to the ground as his hand spasmed. Severus scooped it up and snapped the length of dark wood, plucking a unicorn hair from the center of the broken ends. He set it on fire with the tip of his wand then cast it to the stones, where it sputtered before going up in a small blaze that Lucius watched with wide eyes.
The Potion's Master then turned dark eyes on Remus and snapped, "Release him, Lupin." As the werewolf complied, Severus strode forward, coming into Lucius' view.
"S-Snape…"
Snarling in rage, Severus grabbed the front of the other man's robes and slung him onto his feet. He slammed him into the wall with enough force to snap a few bones in his spine. Lucius cried out in pain, his bloodied arm convulsing.
"W-Why…?"
"Why?" asked Severus. "You have to ask why? Revenge is why, Lucius! Revenge…"
"I did nothing…"
"You locked one of my students in a cell with a full-grown werewolf! One of MINE, Lucius!! MINE!"
The gray eyes, generally so cold and black, peered at him in pain. Lucius coughed, spattering Severus' face with specks of blood. Obviously a rib had been broken from that slam against the wall…
"You…you always took the code of honor so seriously…"
"I protect my own!" snapped Severus. "Something you have never done in your miserable life!"
Lucius' eyes glimmered with his normal cold demeanor as he breathed, "And what of us, Severus?"
Severus' eyes hardened and he jerked the sleeve of his robes up to reveal the Dark Mark.
"This? Is this what you are talking about, Lucius?"
"Yes, Severus. Us. Your Death Eater brethren."
"Never mine," spat Severus. "Never mine. My dear, dear father forced this Mark upon me."
"And yet you stayed… You fought by my side."
"No," hissed Snape. "Never at your side. I was always – always – an Auror. Tell our Lord and Master that! Tell him that his most precious of servants was nothing more than a spy and a betrayer!" He shoved himself away from the blonde man, leaving him to slid down the wall to the floor. Glaring down at the broken Malfoy in disdain, he spat, "Tell him that before he kills you for your failure."
Turning on a heel, Severus snapped, "Come, Lupin!"
Remus glanced at Lucius and felt – not shame – but a sense of justice. Justice in the fact that by tomorrow night, Lucius Malfoy would be a beast hated by most of the wizarding world.
Just like Remus himself.
"Lupin!"
The dust-covered werewolf turned his shoulder on the Malfoy and loped after the disappearing form of Severus, whose strides were long and hard with anger. Black eyes burned with a sudden anger than needed a desperate release.
And there were soooo many Death Eater's in the stronghold to loose it on…
"You may claw and maim," he said in a soft, dangerous voice to the werewolf padding at his side. "I am going to butcher."
Remus blinked and looked at the man in horror, smelling the anger that flowed off the dark-clothed form in waves.
This was not Snape the Auror or Snape the Potion's Master. Nor was it the Snape that the Marauder's had tortured in their school days.
It was not even the Snape who was the father of Harry Potter.
This was Snape the Death Eater, the force of destruction that had been created by Septimius Snape's trickery and Lily Evans leaving.
This was the Snape that everyone had the right to fear.
* * * *
Several levels below the ground, Harry and Mika searched through cell after cell for Amadeus. They had found two other werewolves, a Manticore, thirteen skeletons, five corpses, and one severely tortured Muggle.
But no Amadeus.
Suddenly a door in front of them was slammed into by a snarling force and it bent outward. Mika barked, ears suddenly erect and tail up.
"That him?" asked Harry softly at the door was slammed again.
The white werewolf nodded then growled, ducking his head as the door was very nearly thrown open from the force of the werewolf inside. Harry lifted his right hand, focusing his magic as his left fumbled for one of the phials at his belt.
On the next slam, the door was thrown from its hinges and fell to the floor. A huge gray werewolf stepped out onto the door and turned gleaming amber eyes full of hunger on Harry.
Mika, several sizes smaller than the other werewolf, slid in front of Harry, the fur on his shoulders and all down his back rising. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck did the same as the werewolf that was Amadeus Sedwick stared hungrily at him and licked its lips.
Letting out a cry, he hurled the phial he held at it as the huge beast leapt into the air. It smashed against its chest but didn't appear to do anything as the snarling creature just kept on coming.
Harry dived forward as Mika leapt into the air with a snarl of his own, ears laid back against his lean head. The larger Amadeus hurled him to the ground then turned towards Harry again. Mika, however, was not to be beaten down so easily. He rolled to his feet and clamped his jaws down on Amadeus' left hind leg. Bones snapped and Harry grabbed another phial, hurling it at the larger werewolf.
The amber eyes still gleamed with hunger and Amadeus turned on Mika with a howl, leaving his back exposed to Harry. Hurling another phial forward, the teen followed it with a small fireball. The fire caught the gray fur and set it ablaze in a roar. Amadeus howled in pain and turned on Harry again, ignoring Mika and the broken hind leg.
"Shit."
Harry did the only thing he had left to do.
He ran.
Amadeus gained on him, however, no matter how fast he pushed his legs to go. Harry could probably beat every soul at Hogwarts in a race but he couldn't beat a full-grown werewolf that was intent on ripping him to shreds.
Just as he felt hot breath on his legs, Harry looked ahead of him and saw the gaping maw of what looked like a portal. Much like one's he had read about in the few science fiction and fantasy books he had been able to get his hands on as a child.
And standing beside it in gilt finery was an Elf.
Harry blinked then he was there, on the edge of the portal. He teetered then spun to see Amadeus rushing through the air towards him, eyes gleaming with triumph. Mika howled, half in anger, half in defiance of the moment and then the Elf shoved Harry through the portal
He landed hard on his back on a marble floor and rolled to the side as Amadeus leapt through. The werewolf landed and his paws skidded on the marble floor. He slid right into a cage set up in the middle of what appeared to be a great hall. The last wall of the cage slid into place and Amadeus was trapped, left to howl out his frustration.
Mika leapt through the portal a moment later, followed by the Elf. The white werewolf slipped on the floor and tumbled into a head of fur with a yelp. Lifting his head, he spotted Harry with his remaining eye and rose to pad over to his side.
"So," said a woman's voice from behind them. "You must be Severus' son."
Harry turned and saw a female Elf there, her bright green eyes focused solely upon him. Long, ebony black hair cascaded past pale shoulder that were revealed by the green velvet dress she wore. With a gentle smile, she extended a slim hands towards him.
"Welcome, Harry. I am Sheen Ardwith, Queen of the Elven Folk. And this…" She gestured at the Elf who had opened the portal Harry had come through. "…is my counselor Edrin. And your friend?"
Harry took her extended hand and pushed himself to his feet as he replied, "Mika Davids. 'E was bitten…"
"By my Amadeus?" gasped Sheen. She looked at the caged werewolf and whispered, "Oh my poor wolf. Look at what my foolish decision has done."
Harry almost felt like shouting at her for being foolish enough to trust Voldemort but couldn't find the effort. He then remembered that his father, godfather, and Remus were still all at the stronghold.
"My Da…"
"Someone is retrieving them as we speak," interrupted Sheen. She gently touched his arm and said, "Come. You and I have much to speak of."
Harry frowned and started to ask what she was talking about then realized that it could only be one thing.
The fact that he was one of the Tethdaìr.
Mika watched as Sheen pulled Harry away then laid down on the floor, head on his paws. He watched as Amadeus paced in his cage and waited for the others to arrive.
* * * *
"This isn't good."
"Shut up, Black."
"This really isn't good."
"I said, shut up, Black!"
Remus snarled and slashed at the Death Eaters who had the three of them cornered. Severus and the werewolf had swiftly made their way out of the stronghold, where they were met by Sirius – but not Harry and Mika.
Then the Death Eater's had attacked.
Severus and Remus had taken out a good many of them on their way out of the building and the werewolf would never forget the image of the darkly clothed wizard using spells of the darkest sort to disperse the Death Eaters. They had been highly brutal spells, several of which had separated heads from bodies before what had happened was known. Therefore the heads had continued to snarl threats for about five minutes before the brain finally died.
The experience had been highly disturbing.
"This really, really isn't good," said Sirius again, his wand pointed at the Death Eater's around them.
Severus, his back to his cousin's, spat, "Black, if you don't shut up I am going to sever your annoying head from your body!"
Sirius started to reply but was stopped when a huge, dark shape appeared out of nowhere and charged through the circle of Death Eaters. Several were trampled as the dinner-plate sized hooves of the Darcorn came down upon them.
"Hell and high water!" shouted Sirius as he saw the creature, the very same one that he had escaped from the Hogwarts grounds on in Harry's third year. "Its that Darcorn again!"
Severus smiled grimly and shoved his wand up his sleeve before the Darcorn passed them. He lunged out his hand and grabbed a hold of the dark mane, leaping off the ground in the same instant. His momentum and the Darcorn's coupled together to land him upon the broad back and he forced the beast to circle back with a touch of his knees.
"Grab!" he shouted at Sirius, extending a hand.
Sirius seemed to think about it then stuck his wand in his teeth and grabbed Severus' hand in both of his. The Potion Master grunted and hauled the Animagus up behind him.
The Darcorn plowed its way back through the Death Eater's, trampling those who got in its way. Remus rushed after them, curses being flung at his heels and at the two men astride the dark unicorn.
A moment later, the Darcorn disappeared through a glowing archway and Remus followed.
The Death Eater's looked at each other in horror as the archway vanished with a soft pop.
"Oh hell," said one as each and every Mark began to burn fiercely.
* * * *
The glowing archway opened in the great hall where Amadeus was caged and Mika lifted his head as the Darcorn galloped through. A blood-drenched Severus and a wide-eyed Sirius clung to its back while a dusty Remus followed at their heels.
As the archway vanished, Sheen and Harry appeared once more, Edrin following behind them.
"Da!" shouted Harry and rushed across the hall, only to stop when Severus held up a hand. The teen saw the blood spattered across the dark robes and pale face and stopped of his own accord, staring at his father.
"Da…"
"No," said Severus sternly. He then turned towards Sheen, who had come up behind Harry, and added, "Cousin."
"Severus," she replied. "It would appear that you have some of the Tethdaìr within yourself."
Severus shook his head slowly and said, "No, cousin. This is of my own work. You'll find that there are mortals who had no need of any warrior blood to be vicious."
Sheen smiled sadly then said, "Enough. Sleep is what you need – each and every one of you. Edrin, what rooms are open?"
"The Gray and Blue are, m'lady," replied the tawny-haired counselor. "The Green could be swiftly made up and I am sure our wolfish companions have no need to rooms as it is the first night of the fool moon."
"Very well. Come gentlemen."
Sheen turned with a smooth grace that only Harry might have matched and left the hall. Severus motioned to Sirius and they followed her, the Animagus glancing back at Harry worriedly and receiving a smile. It was forced but it was a smile nonetheless.
"Well," said Edrin, looking at Harry. "I suppose the Green Room is for you."
"I s'pose."
"Come then."
Harry sighed and followed, leaving Mika and Remus to curl up on a fur rug in the great hall as Amadeus continued to pace his cage restlessly.