AN: Hey, another chapter. YAY! I'm surprised I got this done when I did. School is really taking up a lot of time. But I'm hoping I will get this story done soon. I don't like making everyone wait for as long as you have. -_- Anyway, enjoy...
Eternal Cosmos: You, as always, rock my world! I love the picture, BTW.
Severus Snape and the Boy-Who-Is-Missing
The very next morning, Harry awoke before the sun even began to rise. He dressed, put on his gear and left the cabin without alerting his Godfather and cousin. The pirate ship captain stood on deck, enjoying the rocking of the vessel as the giant squid made waves in the lake.
Leaning up against the port side rail, he looked over the landscape. His one good red eye roamed over the lake, the mountains, the plains, and the dark forest that all surrounded Hogwarts. As his eye looked around the Forbidden forest, it stopped when it reached the edge where Hagrid's hut stood. It pained the dark pirate to see the hut looking so gloomy.
"Day dreaming-"
Harry jumped in alarm, pulling his wand and sword, pointing it at the voice next to him.
"-will only get you killed." Stratus said, not surprised in the least that Harry was caught off guard.
"Stratus!" The startled wizard hissed. "I hate it when you do that."
The uncloaked pure vampire gasped when he saw the patch over his captain's eye. "They could not repair it?" The glowing blue eyes seemed to dim with sorrow. The albino vampire reached up, took off the eye patch, and gasped once more seeing the pale, dead green eye beneath.
Harry could only shake his head negatively at his friend's question. He knew that the vampire wished to say something, anything to comfort him. He also knew that Stratus wasn't at ease when it came to showing concern. The vampire always showed it in other ways, but hardly would he ever voice it.
"I know, Stratus. I know." The Captain said, saving him from fumbling with his words. Stratus smiled, stroking the younger man's cheek. "What have you brought me?" Harry asked his mate.
"Not much I'm afraid." He confessed, taking Harry's hand and leading him towards the other side of the ship, and there, standing by the side of the lake, were about fifty vampires. All of them were looking at Harry as if asking permission.
"Come aboard!" Harry called out to them. Turning to his crew, he called out, "Mr. Smith!"
A tall man came out off the ship's haul and stood in front of his captain. "Aye, sir!?"
"When the vampires come aboard, I want you to give them a weapon if they require one." In an afterthought he added; "They will also need a tent, one for every four vampires. Grab Mr. Kink and Mr. Dart to help you."
"Aye, aye." Mr. Smith saluted and waited for the vampires to come aboard.
Harry calmly stood tall and mysterious as the vampires appeared on deck. "Everyone, in a moment I will want you to follow Mr. Smith." The Captain gestured to his crewmate besides him. Looking over the vampire pack, he saw many that had fought with him before. Harry was thankful their alliance still held true. "I see many familiar and unfamiliar faces. Those that have fought beside me in the past, please inform those who haven't about my rules."
One vampire, very large by nature, bravely walked away from the pack and stood in front of Harry. "What shall the ranks be?" The vampire asked, towering over everyone's heads.
"Hello Boris." The pirate smiled at the tall vampire. "In this battle I will not pick your leader. That I leave up to all of you. When your camp has been set up and a leader has been picked, have them come to me, so I can give them an update." Pointing to Mr. Smith, he said; "Follow him and he will help you get everything you need. I'm trusting none of you will cause any trouble for me or my crew. Also, none of you are to go near the school. If I find out one of you did, the consequence will be merciless. Am I understood?" Getting choir of yeses and nods, Harry said "Mr. Smith, if you please."
"Right, Capt'n." The tall pirate turned to the vampires. "You heard the Capt'n! Follow me, yer ruddy lubbers! Best be watching yer heads!" Harry rolled his one good eye as Mr. Smith took the vampires down into the bowels of the ship.
"It's good to be back!" Stratus laughed, flinging his cloak over his body, fastening it and pulling the hood up as the sun slowly crept into the sky.
"It's good to have you home." Harry told him.
"Your Godfather is awake." Stratus nodded towards the figure walking out of Harry's cabin. "I see he is doing fine."
"Physically, yes." Harry agreed, turning to the master vampire. He smiled smugly. "Draco is also well. I think he'd like to see you."
The Captain couldn't see it, but he felt the vampire smile. "Then I best not keep him waiting." Without a departing word, Stratus jumped over the ship's railing and flew off towards the castle.
Smiling as he watched his friend leave, Harry walked over to his godfather. "Good morning, Sirius." The pirate greeted, and then frowned, noticing he was still wearing his tattered, blood stained clothing. "Perhaps a bath and a new set of clothes are in order." Harry said, linking his arm around Sirius's, leading him towards the bathhouse.
Once Harry made sure his Godfather was properly groomed, he led the older wizard back to his cabin to find him suitable clothes. Sirius bitched and complained the whole time Harry rummaged through his wardrobe. Ignoring his Godfather's protests, Harry picked out tight black slacks, black boots and a black poet shirt for him. "Put them on." Harry pushed the clothes in to Black's hands.
Sirius put them on with little complaint and Harry found the outfit to suit him well. "The Pirate Black!" Harry laughed, pulling all of Sirius's white hair into a braid. He batted Sirius's hand away when he tried to tie the front laces of his shirt. "You look good."
The older wizard looked at himself in the mirror, almost not recognizing his reflection. He ran a hand over his braid. "I'm not sure what Remus will say when he sees me like this."
"Dressed as a pirate or with the white hair?" Harry saw his Godfather flinch when he mentioned the hair. "He'll want to drag you into an empty room and have his wicked way with you," the pirate said bluntly.
"Harry!" Sirius whined, "You're spending way to much time with Snape."
"And you think Remus will not like what he sees." His Godson plainly said to him as if he was reading his mind. Seeing Sirius bow his head and step back Harry sighed, giving him a look over.
The man's blue eyes were faint and darker than the last time he had seen them. They no longer possessed that mischievous glint they normally held. Harry could see nothing physically wrong with his Godfather. The older wizard's white hair seemed to bring out is tanned skin. "What happened to you, Sirius?" The Captain finally asked, not liking the broken man in front of him. And to think that he was once his arrogant, lively and playful Godfather.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Sirius whispered.
"One day, Sirius, you will have to talk to someone. If you don't want to speak about what happened with me, maybe you could with Remus."
Sirius nodded in understanding, knowing his godson was right. "I really can't remember all of it. Except for … pain." The wizard's nose scrunched up. "I remember that very well."
"Do you know who did it?" asked the Captain.
"I never got a good look at any of them." Sirius wrapped his arms around himself protectively. "I'm sure Albus would be able to answer you."
"Yes, I'm sure he could." Said Harry. "The only problem is that McGonagall is by his side constantly. I cannot approach him without getting a glare or a wand in my face."
"So have you backed off?" Asked Sirius.
"Oh, no." Harry smirked evilly. "I ask him every chance I get and I get whiplash from Minerva's remarks." Again, he smirked and a chuckle escaped his throat. "Despite the fact that I have the students and most of the staff on my side, she doesn't think I'm good enough to be left alone with the little Headmaster." In afterthought he added; "I'm almost enjoying her bickering."
"But Harry," Sirius frowned "You need that information, don't you?"
"Yes." The pirate agreed. "And I will get it, one way or the other. Even if I have to kidnap Albus for a short time."
"You're not going to do anything harmful, are you?" The white haired man asked.
"I will not harm him!" Harry snapped, a little offended that Sirius would think so low of him. But then again he did give off a dark aura. "Besides, I have a feeling that he wishes to tell me. He just has to get away from McGonagall."
The pair became quiet, each men lost in their thoughts. Sirius was worrying about what Remus would say when he saw him. He didn't want to repulse his lover. Black just didn't think he could take it if Remus left him.
Harry, on the other hand, was worried about the upcoming battle. He needed to find a way to get information from the other side. He was not too concerned about the aurors and wizards that were on "Albus's" side. What bothered him more were the Death Eaters.
Ever since the night at his club, Harry hadn't heard a word about the D.E. Their lack of activity worried him. Not to mention little Albus said Voldemort was back. The pirate was counting on the Death Eaters to appear in the battle, but if Albus was right and Voldemort was back, then this little battle would go down in the history books.
Potter was brought out of his thoughts by a light ringing of a bell. "Lunch time," he said, looking over at his muggle grandfather clock. Turning back to Sirius he asked; "Will you have lunch with me?"
"I would like that." Sirius smiled a genuine smile for the first time since he awoke and Harry smiled back.
"Perhaps we should invite Hermione and her little girl." To that, Sirius nodded and the pair of wizards left the cabin in search for the smartest witch alive and her daughter.
***
Later that afternoon , Severus made his way to the pirate ship Mistrust. He took one of the boats the first years used when they first arrived at the old school. The little boat carried him quickly across the lake, passed the giant squid and to the ship where the crew greeted him.
His long legs moved him quickly to the captain's quarters where he paused just outside the door. A million thoughts ran through his head. He knew Harry could feel his presence and he knew Harry knew something was wrong with Severus.
The professor deeply wanted to tell his lover, his friend, why he was acting a little strange, but he knew he had to keep his mouth shut. It was just his way of dealing with what he knew was coming. Death, his own death.
He saw his end once, when he was a child. The child Severus watched the adult one laying, dying in the middle of a battlefield. Hogwarts was to his right; the dark forest to his left and right in front of him were two men, fighting. They taunted each other as if they knew one another inside out. A tall man with bright red hair fought, throwing curses at another man; a man with dark hair, one red eye and a patch over the other.
When his Harry lost the sight in his one green eye, Severus knew that what he saw in his dreams as a child was true. Growing up, he feared and hated the battle that was to take his life but now he no longer feared it. The only thing he thought about it was at last he knew what true happiness was and that he was finally loved right. He had the love of one extraordinary wizard and Severus knew he would die happy.
"Are you just going to stand there all day or am I going to have to drag you in here?" Harry asked his love, who didn't even notice Harry had opened the door five minutes ago.
Severus blinked and looked up at the man who had stolen his cold heart and turned it into something wonderful. "I was thinking about standing here all day." He replied dryly with a small smirk.
"Then maybe I could bribe you to come in with a kiss or some tea." The charming pirate said, moving to the side to let Severus in.
Walking past Harry, Snape said; "Tea would be lovely." Noticing the pirate's grimace, Severus laughed and walked back to him to give him a long loving kiss. "Of course, I would want a kiss as well."
"Selfish man!" The pirate captain teased, walking with Severus back to the table where Sirius sat, sipping his tea.
Black looked at the taller man coldly. "Don't you have classes?" He asked.
Sitting down next to Harry, Severus snorted. "My classes are done for the day." Turning to Harry, he said; "I've come to ask if you've heard when Godric and Salazar are coming back?"
"They should be arriving soon. Have you found a suitable lab where you and Salazar will be able to work?" Getting a nod form the potions master, Harry's eye lit up with a small glint. "I suggest you take a calming potion before you work with Salazar." Severus tilted his head to the side, as if asking "why?" "He can be very demanding and is a pain to work with most of the time. All in all he can be well mannered, but he's a hard ass."
"I heard that." The ghost of Salazar Slytherin floated in through the wall.
Harry looked at the bristled Scotsman with amusement. "I know, that's why I said it."
Coming through the wall just after Salazar, Godric smiled upon seeing the other founder ruffled. "We've brought what you've asked for." He said, pointing to the cabin door.
"Show me." The captain said and the ghostly pair nodded, leaving the cabin in the same way they came in.
Harry, Severus and Sirius walked out the door where Salazar and Godric stood with three cedar chests, each with seven locks. Without a word, Harry waved his hand and the three chests lifted into the air and followed the pirate as he got into a longboat. Severus and Sirius, both curious, jumped into the boat after Harry. Both men fell forward as the longboat propelled itself down the lake, towards the castle. Harry just smirked when his lover and Godfather glared at him.
"Where will the lab be?" Slytherin asked, floating on the side of the boat.
"There is a suitable lab close to my quarters." Severus answered. "I've only found the room recently. If I had known it was there, I would have moved my classroom down there. The only problem with it is there's a ghost that doesn't want to leave."
"That almost sounds like my old classroom." Salazar mused sadly. "When I was alive and teaching potions, a student of mine thought it would be fun to see a cauldron explode so he mixed a very volatile potion. Well he got his wish; his cauldron exploded and killed a little first year girl." Softly, he whispered; "That's the year before I became Headmaster. I never taught children after that." Louder he said, "She won't bother us while we're down there. She was a really nice girl."
"I remember that." Godric added. "She was in my house, if I'm right. Very bright witch." Shaking his head, he turned towards Harry. "What do you wish me to do, now that we're back?"
"As Severus and Salazar will be working on the potion, I would like you to teach the 5th and 7th years Defence against the Dark Arts. Draco is doing a good job, but there has been no better teacher in that subject than you."
Gryffindor's silvery skin turned dark grey as he said; "You flatter me, Potter."
The ride to the castle and the walk to the lab were quiet after that. They met many students in the halls, all who bid the group a good day. Severus had to give out two detentions for fighting. On the way to the dungeons, Harry saw Albus with McGonagall, who glared at the party of five. Harry merely winked at her and made a silent promise to Albus, I will talk to you soon.
Just pass Severus's quarters, the potions master and founder stopped at the same place at a stone wall. Tapping his wand three times on the wall it slid apart, dust falling in its wake. Harry floated the trunks's in, unlocked them, gave Severus a kiss, grabbed his Godfather and shouted; "Have fun!" over his shoulder, leaving Severus and the two founders wondering why he was in a hurry.
At the top of the dungeon stairs, Harry stopped and turned to his Godfather. "I cannot wait any longer. I must talk with Albus."
"Why the rush?" Sirius asked, concern swelling in his chest.
Looking around, making sure no one was spying, Harry placed his hand in Sirius's. The older wizard gasped, feeling an overwhelming darkness invading his mind. He felt cold and weak, and the feeling only escalated. He felt, to put it one way, as if he was walking on the dark side of the moon. Above all these feelings, he also sensed evil, pure, dark, all consuming, evil.
It did not go away until Harry let go of his hand. "You felt that?" He asked.
Black, for the life of him, could not respond. He just stood there, blinking his eyes and trying to catch his breath. "What was that?" He gasped out.
"That was the Death Eaters" the pirate explained. "They are gathering and rather quickly. I've never felt so many of them before."
"Shit," Sirius rubbed his hands over his face. "If you need help getting Albus, let me know."
"I need it." Harry told his godfather. "I need you to distract McGonagall for me." Taking off his eye patch, Harry slowly started to switch his form. A talent his Godfather had never seen him use. Harry Potter no longer stood in front of Sirius, but Tom Riddle did. When he spoke, it sounded like two men were talking as one. "I will be able to get closer to Albus in this form but she will recognize me before I can grab him."
Black looked wide-eyed at the sixteen year old boy dressed in Slytherin robes. "Lets get this over with quickly then." He said, as they started walking again. "I do not like that form. Whose is it anyway?" Sirius asked, eyeing the teenager beside him.
"This is what Voldemort looked like at sixteen." Harry said, brushing a hand through his short hair. He didn't fail to notice Sirius's stumble at his words. Looking at his Godfather, he added; "We must hurry. I want Albus on my ship as soon as possible."