Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the one I created myself. All others belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I have only borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours as well
Chapter 50
They materialized at the door of a large house. Glancing around her, Jo tried to make some sense out of the place. Nothing looked familiar; there was not one thing that she could say she had seen before. She had no clue to their whereabouts and no idea how far they had traveled. The shorter of their two captors stood at the door with his wand out.
"It is certainly taking him a long time to open it," thought Jo. "This place is highly protected. I wonder who…"
She stopped mid-thought. The realization came to her in a flash. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound issued from her lips. Terror gripped her as she thought his name – Voldemort! Her head was spinning and she felt as if she would faint. The words 'this can't be happening' kept repeating over and over in her mind. She fought the irrational urge to try and run. The other man stood behind them, his wand pointed at their backs. She knew that if she made one step, her life would be over and she would take her babies with her into oblivion.
She spoke to herself, "Get control of yourself. Stay calm. You and Harry are helpless. You can't do anything now. You are bound and have no wands. You have to stay calm and wait for the right time. Keep your wits about you. Pay attention to everything; it might come in handy later. Relax."
Her pep talk worked and she was able to push her panic aside. Jo listened very closely, trying to hear the spells that the man was reciting. He was speaking too softly for her to comprehend. At last, the door creaked open and Harry and Jo were pushed into the house. The door slammed shut with a loud bang and they were cut off from the outside world.
Jolicia gasped. The instant the door shut, Severus was gone. He was no longer in her consciousness. She knew that the house with all of its spells, wards and protections had severed their bond. She had never felt so completely alone.
"He must feel it as well," she thought. "He'll know something is wrong. He'll save us, somehow." The notion gave her a glimmer of hope.
Back at Hogwarts, Severus was frantic. He had gone to the last place he had seen Voldemort and had found no one there. The house had been deserted and naturally there was no indication of the former occupant's whereabouts. There was no way for him to trace his wife's kidnapper. Snape paced the room manically, only half hearing what Albus was saying.
"I told you not to go, Severus. What would have happened if you had found Voldemort? All five of you would have been killed. We need to have a plan," said Albus.
"Oh Merlin, the five of us," thought Snape. "The babies… what is going to happen to my children?"
It was not that he had forgotten about them, it was just that Albus' statement hit him hard. He was on the verge of losing the only happiness he had ever known and he was powerless to stop it.
Minerva burst into the office. She had not yet been told of the day's events however, she was obviously upset by something. She held a letter in her hand.
"Severus, this just came for you," she said, extending the envelope in her shaky hand.
Severus took it from her and saw what had upset the woman. On the front of the envelope was written one word – Snape. It was written in blood. He tore it open and extracted a piece of parchment. His face went ghostly white. He gave the letter to Albus. The message was short and to the point; it was also written in blood.
Albus read aloud, "Traitor. You will pay for your misdeeds."
"It would seem that our suspicions were correct, Albus. I have been found out and now Jolicia, the babies and Harry are to pay for my indiscretion. MERLIN, HELP US!" he wailed as he broke down.
The man whom everyone thought was cold, callous and had no emotions, the man who was thought to be evil, the man whom everyone thought was a selfish bastard, did something he hadn't done since he was a very small child; he wept openly. He sank down in a chair, held his head his hands and sobbed, great tears of fear, frustration and anger pouring down his face. Minerva sat beside him, cradled him in her arms and held him as he cried. She cried silently with him, not knowing what to say. She looked towards Albus hoping to see something, anything that might indicate that all was not lost. Alas, looking into the old man's blue eyes, she saw only despair and tears.