A/N: Hello everyone, it's me again... so sorry I haven't updated in almost a
week, as I have bronchitis and a double ear infection. Ok to the person who
asked me to update more often... I'm spitting out 15+ page chapters roughly
every four days as well as studying for my paramedic's courses. I am typing
as fast as I can... I know you love my story so much, which is why I'm not
mad, but my schoolwork comes first. So anyway, thanks for the lovely
reviews, and Hermione and Ron aren't the most open minded of people, which
is why I made them to be gits, and they won't be gits for much longer.
Besides, they are wrapped up in each other and ignoring Harry.
Oh well, enough from me already. On to chapter 16.
Chapter 16
*** Severus lay on the cold, stone floor, confused as to how exactly he had gotten there. Groaning, he tried to stand up, only to fall back against the wall, choking and panting. He grabbed whatever was wrapped around his neck, only to discover that he was chained to the wall. A heavy steel manacle dug into his neck, and an equally heavy chain secured him to the stones behind him. Looking down, he discovered, to his astonishment, that he was not only naked, but *WHAT THE HELL???*, a girl as well.
*All right, Severus, think. What in God's name is going on here? How am I a girl, and where am I?* A sudden noise caught his attention. He shrank back into the wall as a hooded and cloaked figure unobtrusively pushed open the door and slunk inside, keeping to the shadows of the candlelit room.
The figure hurriedly lowered the hood and stepped into the light. "Sirius?" Severus demanded, shocked. "What- How-" he broke off, desperately relieved to see someone remotely familiar in this hell hole.
"Sh... Laurel, not so loud! You'll get us in trouble! I just came to tell you that I felt my godson. He's going to get us out of here, I promise." Sirius gently touched Severus's cheek, trying to reassure Laurel.
"Black, it's me! Severus Snape! Where am I and why am I chained to the wall?" Sirius stared at him, his mouth hanging so far open that Severus could see his tonsils.
"Snape???" Sirius hissed, looking around him to make sure no one was there. "What the HELL???"
"I woke up here. What is going on and where are we?" Severus struggled against his bonds, to no avail.
"We are in Clautius's realm. Laurel has been a prisoner here for the last two years. He's been raping her every day to steal her powers. Is she in there as well?" Sirius asked, genuinely concerned.
Severus shook his head numbly. "Ra-rape?" he asked, stuttering over the word. "How long until Clautius returns?"
"He should be here any minute. I just came to give her hope that we are going to get out of here." They both cringed as loud, booming footsteps could be heard walking outside the room. Sirius's face contorted in misery and terror. "Oh shit, I don't want to see this, I had to see it last week, and it's bad..." Sirius trailed off, close to tears.
"What??? What's going to- oh NOOOO" Severus moaned, finally realizing what was about to happen to him. "Nooo, not again. I can't live through that again..." he whimpered, almost petrified with fear.
"Again?" Sirius asked, eyes wide.
"Did you honestly think that Death Eater initiations were tea and crumpets? You were gang raped if you were lucky. I was unlucky, which meant, additional to being gang raped, I was tortured for days," Severus told him quietly, trying to break the manacle around his neck. Sirius looked towards the door and, seeing it open, disappeared from view.
A tall man with jet black hair streaked with silver strode into the room, black velvet robes whipping around his body. Severus cringed and tried to sink into the wall. Out of sheer desperation, he whispered an invisibility spell, and disappeared, but forgot about the chain still around his neck.
The man, evil radiating off of him, stood in front of where Severus cowered, invisible. "Laurel, Laurel. How many times do I have to tell you. You keep forgetting the chain. No matter, as I can still see you, as I am in tune with your magic. Come on out, my dear appetizer." He waved his hand, and Severus appeared, naked and exposed.
"What do you mean, appetizer," Severus asked, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down his face. All emotional control he had was shot to hell with one look into that monster's silver and scarlet eyes. *Oh shit, ohshitohshitohshitohshit* he thought desperately.
The monster laughed. "Why, I mean that you are here as a substitute for your sister. She is so powerful... I could do such great things with her powers... Hopefully she'll rescue you so I can get her back...." the monster trailed off, a dreamy, conniving look on his face. Severus cringed slightly, and fought to control himself.
"Well, you are chatty today, my dear. Usually, you are in a near catatonic state. What brought on the change, hum?" Clautius looked Severus up and down, inspecting him for some visible change. Finding none, he laughed, a full, throaty sound. Severus shuddered.
*Sirius... help me...* he thought desperately directly into Sirius's mind. The other man could only watch, tears streaming down his face, as Clautius whispered a spell, divesting the monster of his robes. He knelt down in front of Severus and, without hesitation, ripped his legs open.
Severus screamed, completely losing hic already tenuous grip on control. He threw his head back; eyes shut tightly and felt his mate's magic flow through him. Anxiously, he called on his powers as well and felt them respond and flow into him from Hogwarts. Silver and gold ribboned around him and his eyes snapped open, one was gold, the other silver. He bodily lifted Clautius from the floor and threw him against the wall, savagely enjoying the shock and pain that lanced through the monster's features.
Clautius lifted himself from the hole in the wall that Severus had slammed him into, laughing ruefully. Severus stared at him, wide-eyed as Clautius dusted himself off and strode back over to him. Severus held a protective shield around himself, barring Clautius from entering his mind or coming closer than three feet from him.
"Now, now. Make this easy on yourself, my dear and let me in. This feistiness is unlike you. I thought I had broken you three weeks ago. I guess I was wrong." Clautius stood over him, hands on his hips. He swirled black energy around his hand and touched Severus's shields.
Severus's eyes widened in terror and astonishment as his shields drained into Clautius's powers, tingeing the monster's aura gold and silver. "No! NOOOOOO!" he screamed as his shields dropped without a protest. He lay against the wall, just about drained, panting. "You bastard. How could you do this to your own sister," he asked, snarling.
"How could I do this to anyone else?" Clautius countered, once again kneeling between his opened legs. "You siblings of mine have the power I need in order to complete my plans. There is no one else. Now, as I have asked you before, hard or gentle? I will have your powers either way, my dear." Clautius smirked.
Severus smirked back. "Well then, dear brother of mine, you are going to have to take them by force because I will fight you until the day I die. My soul mate will kill you."
Clautius's smirk widened, causing Severus to stiffen. "I'm so scared," he murmured and grabbed Severus by the hair.
Severus turned and sank his teeth into the monster's hand. "You should be," he spat and kicked Clautius square in the testicles. His eyes bulged and he fell to the ground in the fetal position, gasping. Severus grasped what little power he had and willed himself to change form. An ebony kitten with golden eyes scampered out of the manacles. Sirius scooped him up, and turning to run, skidded out of the room.
Dimly, they could hear Clautius calling for his guards. *Put me down, Black. I'm not going to get you in trouble as well. One of us has to survive,* Severus ordered, twisting out of his arms and sprinted down the hall. Sirius followed him, changing into his 'mutt' form. They ran through the castle, desperate for a way out.
Severus ran through the halls, looking for a place to hide. He skidded through an open door. He peeked his nose out the door, and hissed in surprise as a large hand grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He turned, tiny claws extended, trying to slice to ribbons whoever held him.
"Now, now, my dear. You are only making this harder on yourself." Clautius, still a little pale, shook Severus until his brain rattled. They disappeared and reappeared back in the room, Severus once again in the manacle. "Don't even try that again," Clautius warned. "The manacle will shrink the fit you no matter what form you take."
Severus quickly changed from form to form, the manacle stretching or shrinking to hold him snugly. He lay there, in his human form, completely drained.
"It doesn't matter if you take my powers or not. I don't have anything left," Severus gasped, exhausted.
He looked up into Clautius's face, eyes widening fractionally at the evil grin. "At this point, my dear, I don't care. You are going to be punished." He pinned Severus to the floor. "You made your choice, my dear." He ripped into Severus, pounding him against the floor.
*NOOOOOOOO!!!!!* Severus screamed and screamed. Over and over, harder and harder, Clautius slammed into him, ripping him inside. Agony spiked through Severus, more pain than he ever thought was possible. Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the stone underneath him. Clautius grinned at him, evil twisting his features. Dimly, on the verge of unconsciousness, the features twisted into first Lucius then Voldemort's features. Severus's eyes snapped open, continuing to scream anew.
Clautius finally finished, pulling out of Severus's abused body. He picked himself up and his robes appeared on him again. He strode from the room, and turned to face him from the doorway.
"KRYEEK mureva HIshurlu!" he snapped, grinning evilly. Four enormous demons strode into the room, staring at him hungrily. ***
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he shrieked, sitting bolt upright in bed, tearing at his neck.
"Uncle Sev! It's all right, you're safe!" He opened his eyes to see Ginny, Draco and Harry sitting on his bed, all three of them holding his shoulders, trying to restrain his from hurting himself.
"Wha- What happened?" he gasped, falling back onto his pillow. "Where am I?" he asked, staring around him in confusion.
"You're in your room. We heard you screaming, hell the whole school heard you. What happened?" Xander asked, walking over from where he had been standing to sit on the end of Severus's bed. Alanna and the other demigods and demigoddesses stood in a semicircle around his bed. Remus stood next to James.
"Clautius- I was there, instead of Laurel, but in her body and he ra- ra- shit!" he swore, disgusted with his complete lack of control. "He hurt her but it was me and, Remus, your mutt is alive and tried to save my life and..." he trailed off, dangerously close to tears.
Remus gasped, sinking to the floor. Tears clouded his vision. "Siri is alive?" he whispered.
Harry conjured a glass of water and handed it to Severus. Severus gratefully gulped it down and continued. "He - he- oh my GOD he-" tears finally dripped down his face. He let out a strangled sob. Harry, Draco, Ginny and Lily held him, soothing him.
"Sev, please calm down, please calm down," Lily soothed, gently rubbing his back. Severus turned his face blindly into her shoulder, sobbing openly. He dimly heard the door open and close as everyone else left his bedchambers to sit in his living room, giving him some needed privacy.
"Uncle Sev, can you tell us what happened?" Ginny asked, holding his hand.
Severus looked at her with red rimmed eyes. "I don't think you really want to know," he ground out.
Harry looked at him. "It can't be worse than what I went through, Uncle Sev," he quietly told him. Severus nodded and they linked minds.
They sat in silence, numbly seeing what he had gone through. Lily's arms around her brother tightened. *Oh my GOD* was the only thought running through their minds. After what seemed like hours, they drew apart, trembling.
"Sev, are you all right? I mean, will you be all right?" Lily asked, searching his face. He gulped and nodded. Draco reached for his bathrobe and handed it to him without question. He stood up, drawing the robe around his half naked frame. Harry and Draco supported him and they walked out into his living room.
James stood against the wall, eyes troubled. He was trying to comfort the still sobbing Remus. "But James, Siri is alive! We HAVE to go get him! If it were Lily in there, you'd be there in a heartbeat. We have to go NOW!"
Alanna hugged the sobbing werewolf. "We can't just go in there. Clautius is too powerful and he'd kill us all, and then were would your mate be? Still there. We have to plan this." She paced the length of the floor.
"She's right. Clautius took a full power attack and he laughed. It was unreal," Severus stated, wincing as he sat in his favorite leather chair. "Alanna, whatever happens, you can't go with us to rescue them," he continued once he was seated.
"Why the hell not?" she asked angrily.
"Because he would use any rescue attempt to regain control over you." Severus closed his eyes, rubbing a tired hand across the bridge of his nose. "He told me - Laurel - that I - SHE was just an appetizer, something to fill the blank while he found a way to get you back."
Alanna turned white and sat down on Xander's lap. "Love, I promise, he will NEVER hurt you again," Xander promised his mate.
"You can promise your mate that, but you won't get my or Severus's mate back!" Remus yelled, again near hysterics.
"Remus, we have to train and plan. Severus is right about Clautius's strength. In all honesty, Harry and Draco are the only ones with a chance to defeat him, and that is only once their bond has been completed." Gaila spoke up from the corner where she had sat down.
Harry glared at her. Draco noticed him glaring and cocked an eyebrow. Ginny just stared at them both as is they were insane. Severus just shook his head. "Honestly, we do have to figure out what we are going to do. Sirius was in no immediate danger, but Laurel is, well-" James interrupted him angrily.
"Snivellus, what the fuck do you know about immediate danger? He's in HELL, you moron!"
Severus whipped around, a sneer twisting his features. He was about to fire off a retort, when, "JAMES GARETH POTTER!!!!!!!" Lily screamed, infuriated. "OUTSIDE, NOW!!!!!!" She grabbed James's arm and yanked him outside into the hallway.
The room went deathly silent as they listened in on her reaming James out for saying that. "POTTER!!" she screamed, clearly audible. Severus's mouth twitched as he suppressed a laugh.
"Lily, dearest, don't you think you-" They heard something crash into a wall.
"I AM NOT OVERREACTING!!!! NOW, you will apologize to my BROTHER or you will lose the ability to procreate!!!!" she snarled.
"All right, all right, just- OW!!! GET YOUR CLAWS AWAY FROM THERE, HARPY!!!!!" he shrieked in pain and bolted back into the room, Lily hot on his heels.
Severus watched him dive behind his chair and came up next to him. "So sorry, Snape, think you could forgive me before she takes away the family jewels?" Severus stared at his white, strained face. Three angry claw marks adorned his left cheek.
"Ummm..." Severus pondered the offer.
"Listen to me, Severus, if you do not agree to a ceasefire between yourself and my idiot of a husband, you both will lose valuable pieces of equipment," Lily growled.
"That cinches it. James Potter, I accept your apologies, as I do wish to still be able to have children." Severus extended his hand.
James eagerly took his hand and shook it. "Likewise, mate, likewise." Harry sat there and laughed quietly, his mother winking at him.
Alanna sat on the couch, wrapped in Xander's arms. "So, we are agreed then? We will call the leaders of our children to Hogwarts and will have them map out Clautius's realm for us, as well as get messages back and forth. Is everyone agreeable?" There were nods around the room.
Remus crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess," he said doubtfully.
"All right, then, we'll go call them. Hopefully, they'll arrive in the morning." Alanna and Xander stood, ending the pow wow. As one, the whole group filed out, leaving Harry, Draco, Ginny, Lily, James, Remus and Severus still sitting there, talking quietly.
"Do you really think we'll get them back?" asked Remus quietly.
"I don't honestly know. I hit him with everything I had and he LAUGHED. He laughed at it. True he was picking himself out of the wall, but he was still laughing, and he still ra- ra- hurt me afterwards. I even shifted form and he still found me. It was terrifying," Severus said, horribly shaken. He let out a shuddering breath.
"You three have Quidditch practice in ten hours. I suggest you get back to sleep," he told Harry, Draco and Ginny. Lily, James and Remus took this as their cue to leave as well. The teenagers stubbornly shook their heads.
"We want to make sure you are all right," Harry stubbornly replied, Draco and Ginny vehemently agreeing with him.
"I am fine," he tried to reassure them. They stubbornly shook their heads, disagreeing with them.
"Sleepover in Snape's Quarters!" Draco yelled, pulling a pillow from midair and bashing Harry over the head with it.
"Ummm, that is not necessary, please, don't- NOT THE VASE!" Severus yelled as Ginny slammed a pillow into Draco, who knocked over a vase created in the Ming Dynasty. Harry dove for it with his quick reflexes and caught it three inches from the floor, Draco landing on his back on top of him.
"OW!" grunted Harry, Draco still lying on top of him. "Get off me!"
Draco rolled off of him, laughing. "What? I'm not that heavy!"
Harry snickered, slowly getting up. *You walked into this one...* "Are you sure, lard ass? You felt heavy to me..."
Draco scowled at him and tackled him, effectively slamming him back onto the floor, Draco muttering about god damn Gryffindors and their stupid sense of humor. Harry struggled against him, effectively flipping him over. Severus and Ginny watched, amused as they wrestled on the floor, laughing and panting.
"HA! Pinned you!" Harry yelled triumphantly. Alanna walked back into the room, snickering at the sight of Harry straddling Draco, both if them laughing hysterically.
"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked, staring at them with a smirk on her face.
"Nope!" Harry replied, still laughing. "What's up?"
"We got a hold of Claudette, Lucas, Tatyana, Orion, Elei'n, Anowyn, Xavier, Samantha, Lorien, Shareena, Byron and Havanna. They are coming to Hogwarts with their respective councils in the morning." She sat down and made herself comfortable on Severus's leather couch next to Ginny.
"Who are they? I mean, I know Claudette, but the others..." Harry trailed off, slightly confused.
"Claudette is the Queen of both the Vampire and Drow nations. Lucas is her mate and chosen consort. You met him at the party briefly. Tatyana and Orion are the rulers of the Veela nation, and Elei'n and Anowyn are the King and Queen of the Elven Nation. Xavier and Samantha are Clan leaders of the Werewolves, and Lorien and Shareena are the Faerie Emperor and Empress. Lastly, Byron and Havanna are the leaders of the Dragonkin. They will be arriving in eight hours with their entourages." Alanna stood up and walked to the door. "Now that you know, I have to go inform Dumbledore of what will be happening. Good night, you four." With that, she walked out the door.
Harry stared at the closed door. "Did she say the Dragons, Elves, Veela, Werewolves, Drow and Vampires are coming here?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"You forgot the Faerie folk as well," supplied Ginny helpfully. Draco rolled his eyes.
Severus sat on his chair, wracking his brain for a way to get rid of his wanted yet unwanted roommates. *On one hand, I value my privacy, yet I could use the company. I have no idea what might happen if I fall asleep again.* He stared at his godson, nephew, and the girl he had come to think of as his niece. *Lily was the only one who cared enough to stay with me when I had nightmares after my mother died. This is so strange...*
Ginny picked up on his train of thought. "Oh Uncle Sev, we're here because we care. If you really don't want us here, just tell us. We understand. Really, it's all right. Come on guys, let's go." She stood up, ready to shoo her 'brothers' out the door.
Severus watched them go with a mixture of relief and sadness. "Oh, by the way, Uncle Sev," Harry said, leaning in the doorway. "We are here if you need anything." Harry grinned, and Severus felt a vague mental link cement between himself and his three favorite students. *Good night. Yell if you need us.* Harry closed the portrait.
They walked back down to the Slytherin Dorms in silence, terribly worried about Severus. Harry and Draco bid Ginny good night and she disappeared into the Girls' Dorms. Harry and Draco wearily trudged over to their dorm room. They crawled into bed and were instantly asleep.
The next morning at ten o'clock, Harry and Draco awoke to the sounds of Ginny and Emily pounding on their door. "GET UP!!!!" Emily roared, finally bursting through their door and jumping on Eric's bed.
Eric shot out of bed. "MUM! I swear I didn't do it!" he yelped, diving under his blanket. Emily giggled and reached under the blanket, pulling him out by his hair.
"Awww, is ickle Eric scared? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... much," she said with a decidedly evil grin. She gently patted his cheek, noticing that his eyes had completely glazed over. She turned, and, winking at the very bemused Harry, Draco and Ginny, tickled him unmercifully.
"AWWW- OHH HAHAHAHA –stop- please stop – HAHAHAHA- ohhhh- stop" Eric howled, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he grabbed Emily around the waist, pinning her underneath him. She flipped him off of her, and they tumbled to the floor, continuing to wrestle.
Ginny sat cross legged on Harry's bed, watching the tickling turned wrestling match avidly. "You know, we did come in here to tell you that, not only is Quidditch practice in an hour, but the reigning monarchs of the various other nonhuman nations are here. They want to meet you two." Ginny yawned, apparently bored by what she had just said.
Harry and Draco shot each other looks of extreme desperation and shock. *OH SHIT* they thought in unison, dashing madly for the bathroom to shower and change. Ginny just watched, amused, as Emily and Eric forgot all about wrestling and opted to exuberantly kiss each other instead as soon as Harry and Draco had left the room.
Ten minutes later, Harry and Draco were suitably showered and changed. They stumbled back into their room to see their other dorm mate happily making out with the girl of his numerous –wet- dreams. Harry smirked as he stepped over the oblivious couple on the floor. "Ginny, are you ready?" he asked, pulling his 'sister' to her feet.
Ginny grinned and nudged Emily with her boot. "Hey, Em? You coming or do you have more important things to do?" She stared at her now closest friend.
Emily broke from kissing Eric long enough to smirk at Ginny. "I think I'm needed here," she said before reclaiming Eric's mouth as her own. Harry and Draco snickered and dragged Ginny out of their room and into the Common room. They quickly exited the Slytherin Dorms and apparated directly into the Great Hall.
Harry stood, awestruck, at the sight of the magical beings that waited in the Great Hall. He saw Claudette and the man he had met at his party- *Lucas* he thought to himself sitting at the Gryffindor table. Beside him, Draco nodded imperceptibly. Sitting next to Claudette and Lucas were two of the most beautiful beings Harry had ever seen. The man- *Lorien* Harry guessed correctly, stood about five foot four and had enormous silver almost butterfly wings that were attached at his shoulder blades. His *Mate? Wife?* Harry wondered, *Shareena* had gold wings that dwarfed her four foot eight frame. Seated at the Gryffindor table were a blond haired man and a raven haired woman, who were intently conversing with two, a man and a woman, immensely beautiful Veela. *Ok, the two Veela are Tatyana and Orion, but I have no idea who the other two are.* Harry turned and saw a tall, stately Elf and his equally stately wife seated at the Ravenclaw Table. *Eli'en and Anowyn are at the Ravenclaw table* he informed Draco and Ginny a bit unnecessarily. Lastly, Alanna and Xander were talking intently to two human sized Dragons in the center of the room. Severus, Lily, James, Remus and all the other Demigods and Demigoddesses were sitting in various places, talking quietly.
"Um, Alanna? You said you wanted to see us?" Harry asked politely. Within the blink of an eye, everyone stared at him and Draco. As one, the various leaders of the nonhuman nations rose from their seats and strode towards him. Harry watched, awestruck, as they stood in front of him in a perfect semicircle. Without any warning, they knelt in front of him as one.
"My Lord, we pledge our lives and the lives of our people to your cause. Do with us as you see fit." Those words were spoken by all twelve of the monarchs.
Harry gaped at them, completely confused and bewildered. "Alanna, what is going on?" he asked in a small voice.
Alanna smiled at his confusion. "Harry, you're the Leader of this battle. You are going to defeat Clautius. No one else can; you are THE ONE. Therefore, you are in charge."
Harry stared at her incredulously. "I-WHAT???" He stared at the genuflecting monarchs. "Thank you for your support. I am deferring to Alanna in this case because she has more experience in matters of war, as I am only sixteen. So, ummm, Alanna, a little help here?"
Draco grinned. *Harry, repeat after me. 'I accept your lives and the lives of your people as my vassals and I as their protector and Lord. My will shall be the greater good for your people and the greater good in this battle.* Hesitantly, Harry spoke those words. A deep green glow surrounded him and expanded to encompass everyone kneeling in front of him.
Alanna stared at him proudly. "Thank you Draco, for the appropriate Bonding Incantation." Harry stared at her, still in shock. As one, the monarchs stood. "Now then, let's get down to business, people," she ordered briskly. They walked over to the Gryffindor Table and sat down, eager to get the meeting underway.
Three hours later, the visitors had left and a plan was in place. The Vampires, Werewolves, and Drow would completely map Clautius's realm as well as pass information back and forth between Sirius, Remus and James. The Dragons, Faeries, Veela, and Elves would mass the best of their armies for additional training to prepare for the rescue mission. Hopefully, if all went according to plan, they wouldn't need the armies, but better safe than sorry.
Harry, Draco, Ginny and James walked slowly to the Quidditch Pitch, brooms in hand. The practice had been rescheduled to start at two o'clock, and they were early. Listlessly, Harry mounted his broom and took off, flying in a vague circular pattern that extended over the Forbidden Forest.
*Harry, come on. Snap out of it,* Draco ordered, concerned.
Harry turned to stare at him, a dazed look in his eyes. *Why me? What the HELL is wrong with me that I have to save everyone?* He was so out of it that he almost fell off his broom. Draco jolted forward, catching him and lowering them both to the ground. James and Ginny rushed over to them, terribly worried.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked, darting forward to gently pull Harry from his broom.
"I just don't feel well, that's all" Harry mumbled, sitting on the grass. James shook his shoulder, pulling his son onto his lap. Harry leaned his head into his –now adult- father's shoulder, closing his eyes. "It's all so weird. I had the reigning monarchs of seven nations pledging their lives to me. That was really creepy. Plus, I can feel their magic now, slipping in and out of mine. It's making me feel funny."
Draco trailed a hand along Harry's temple, sliding his mind further into his soul mates. *Damn, you're right, that does feel strange,* he commented, cautiously lowering his shields to feel the conjoined magic that surrounded Harry. *It feels really invasive, and not at all natural. I'm sorry I gave you the incantation, Harry.*
Harry sighed. *It's all right, Draco. I'll just live with it, like everything else that has happened in my screwed up life.* James tightened his arms around his son, having heard the last bit Harry had thought.
The rest of the team wandered onto the Pitch and stopped, confused as to why there was a group hug happening in the middle of the field. Emily simply kept walking and sat down next to Ginny, pulling her now boyfriend Eric with her. Ginny slid an arm around Emily's shoulders. "So, Eric, what brings you to practice?" Ginny asked calmly.
"Um, I didn't want to be separated from my girlfriend?" he said sheepishly, turning the statement into a question. Ginny laughed, drawing Emily into the group hug.
Madam Hooch walked over to them and put her hands on her hips. "Are you five quite finished? We have a practice that we delayed for YOU, Mr. Potter," she stopped, glaring at them, "the BOTH of you!" Harry and James looked at each other and shrugged. They stood up gracefully, James reverting to his fourth year self. Hooch grimaced. "That is so STRANGE when you do that..." she commented, trailing off. She shook her head and blew her whistle. "Everyone get in the air, NOW! SPRINTS!"
Everyone groaned, as practice with 'Battle Axe' had just started. They took to the skies for the next four hours.
The next afternoon, in Experimental Potions, Severus had a surprise for them. "I know I let you pretty much have free reign in this class, but this time I need your help," he told his six students. "I need to make a completely new potion." He stopped talking and sat there, thinking about the possible ramifications of what he was suggesting, no pleading with them to help.
The six of them stared at Severus as he sat there, lost in thought. "Um, Sir? Professor?" Emily asked, concerned.
Severus shook his head and continued. "The potion is extremely dangerous and is probably illegal, but it may be the only thing that can save my soul mate from Clautius before we rescue her. What we need to make is a potion that will link a person's mind together permanently without going through the Bonding process."
Everyone stared at him in shock. "Sev, are you really that squeamish about sex?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling.
Severus glared at her. "No, Lils, I'm not. I just can't get to her, and he's raping her and I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!" he yelled, a lone tear sliding down his cheek. He collapsed heavily into his chair. "I have to do something, even if it's to take her mind from her body when it happens. It's all I can do, and I'll be damned if I don't try."
Lily stood up and hugged her brother. "Of course we'll help, Sev. Has anyone ever tried this before?" she asked, all business.
"Yes, and was given the Dementor's Kiss as a result." Severus replied, rubbing his eyes.
Emily and Eric gulped, but nodded resolutely. "That's nice," Emily said. "When do we start?"
Draco, Harry and Ginny nodded as well. "Well, first we have to research the properties of several plants and other ingredients for what to use, I assume you already have an idea?" Ginny asked Severus.
Severus blinked. "Yes, I do, but you do realize that helping me makes you accessories to brewing an extremely illegal potion and could lead to time in Azkaban or worse."
"Yes, yes, but this is important. We need a list of what you planned on using, and how it works, and ..." Ginny trailed off, furiously writing in a notebook. Severus stared at the determined faces in front of him and sighed.
Turning, he began to organize the hastily scribbled notes he had strewn on his desk. "Thank you all for this," he quietly said as he began to pull his research into a semblance of order. "I already have several ideas..."
They hastily got to work, knowing that time was of the essence.
That whole week, none of them could concentrate on their other studies. They spent their free time in the dungeons, going over anything that might help them to create the potion. Harry, Draco, Eric and Emily were even excused from their NEWTS level work in order for research and then Potions experimentation.
That Saturday, October 17th, they had their second game, Hogwarts versus Dragon's Fang in Beijing China. The fourteen team members stood in the Great Hall at ten o'clock, ready to Apparate under their own or another person's power. Harry, Draco, Ginny, Blaise and Seamus stood in a loose circle.
Madam Hooch walked over to the five of them. "Are you ready?" she asked, nervously fiddling with her robes.
"Yes, Madam Hooch," Harry replied, raising his aura. Draco and Ginny did the same, and, on her signal, Apparated the five of them right onto the Quidditch Field of Dragon's Fang. They stared around them in wonder as the rest of the team Apparated right beside them. Madam Hooch quickly found a student from Dragon's Fang and, conversing quietly with the boy in Chinese, had him lead them into the Guest Locker Rooms.
Once in the locker room, she handed out what looked like a small hearing aid to everyone. "These are universal translators. You only get one, so I expect you to keep them safe. They will translate anything you hear into your native language. Don't let them fall out of your ear."
"What?" asked Ron incredulously. "You want us to put those weird things where?"
Harry sighed and slipped his into his ear. "You think I can change the setting to Swahili so I can't understand his complaints?" he asked Draco drolly. They snickered quietly, ignoring Ron's amazed and hurt look.
A loud roar interrupted them. Madam Hooch looked outside the door and motioned them out. "It's TIME! GO ON!" she yelled as they mounted their brooms and shot out of the room.
They took to the sky, swooping over the Pitch. Harry looked in the stands and saw, to his delight that EVERY Hogwart's student was there, along with the Weaseleys, Narcissa Malfoy, and all the Professors. All the demigods and demigoddesses sat together. Gailia and Olivia were conspicuously absent, however.
Gaila dragged Olivia through the streets of Beijing. "LIVVIE!!!! COME ON!!!!" she yelled, dragging Olivia by her robes.
"Gabbers, we have to watch the game!!!!" Olivia protested, trying to pull herself from Gaila's death grip.
"ANIME!!!! The convention has to be around here somewhere..." Gaila anxiously scanned the streets.
Olivia's ears perked up at that beautiful word. "Anime? Why didn't you say so! MegaTokyo!!!! Let's go!" They raced down the street, Quidditch forgotten in their manic glee.
Minerva McGonagall waved a Hogwart's pennant as they swooped by her seat. Severus sat next to a slightly green looking Lily.
"Dad, what's wrong with Mum?" Harry asked, falling back to talk to James.
"I dunno, Harry. She was fine before breakfast, but the sight of food had her green and running for the bathroom." James scratched his head. Harry shook his head, confused, as they all landed on the Pitch next to the Referee.
"Now, I want a clean game. Captains, shake hands," the Referee commanded in heavily accented English.
Harry grinned. "The translator is working just fine." He and Draco shook hands with the Co captains of the other team, two twin girls, the Beaters, which looked to be in their seventh year. Their scarlet and gold robes with a large green Dragon in the center sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight.
The Referee tossed the Bludgers and the Snitch into the air, and finally the Quaffle. Harry quickly snagged the Quaffle and sped towards the goal. He passed backwards blindly, knowing Draco was right behind him. Draco shot past him, Quaffle in hand and, as the Goalie reached to catch his shot, Ginny intercepted and flicked it into the furthest Goal. The Commentator roared "Hogwarts GOALLLLLL!!!"
The Goalie quickly passed the Quaffle to the lead chaser and they shot back down the Pitch. Emily barely managed to deflect the Quaffle from the goal and shot it back to Harry. They raced down the Pitch –again-, and this time the Goalie was able to deflect the Quaffle and pass it to the Chasers.
Damien and Nicholai had a hell of a time trying to keep the Bludgers from hitting their teammates. It seemed that these other Beaters had the same kind of connection that they had as soul mates. *Oh hell, Nick, this is getting unreal,* Damien commented as they slammed yet another Bludger to target the other team. *This team is incredibly good. They're much better than those damn Beaubaxtons gits that cried when you hit them.*
*I must agree, Dami, these player are much better. So, any ideas?* Nicholai asked back.
*I don't care WHAT you do, just do it quick! We're only up by 60 points and Dragon's Fang just scored!* James stared at them angrily.
*I'm so sorry, Your Highness, perhaps if you caught the Snitch?* they mocked in unison. James flipped them the bird and resumed his avid search for the elusive Snitch.
He found it ten minutes later, when the score was 60 to 50 in favor of Hogwarts. Swearing colorfully, he slammed the annoying Seeker for the other team away from his side and concentrated solely on trying to grasp the damn golden ball. The other boy quickly shot into his side, also reaching for that damn elusive Snitch. James discretely elbowed the other Seeker and snagged a wing. He spiraled down, snitch in hand.
The stands filled with Hogwart's students, faculty and friends erupted in cheers as they watched their team pull off another spectacular win of 210 to 50.
On Tuesday, Harry and Draco sat in Runes, barely paying attention to the lecture. Instead, they were focused on learning the proper incantations to the Blood Binding Ritual, tweaking them so that Harry wouldn't wind up related to Draco when they both bonded to Ginny. *I swear, Dray, this is ridiculous. I don't see how we'll NOT wind up related. Once one of us has bonded to her, then the other will automatically become bonded as both her brother and brother to the first bonder!*
*I don't think that's how it works, Harry. I think the blood binder only binds Ginny's blood to the binder, not both.* Draco massaged his temples, praying fervently that the stress headache he could feel building would dissipate.
*But if her blood is now the binder's blood... Unless it were done simultaneously, THAT WOULD WORK!* Harry's shout knocked Draco out of his self induced daze.
*What? POTTER! What the HELL are you yelling about?* Draco's head exploded in a full blown migraine.
*I figured it out. We can use the same ceremony, but have to incant it at the same time or else it won't work.* Harry excitedly started to shove his books into his bags.
*Good for you- wait, you figured it out???* Draco leapt out of his chair, all pain forgotten. *So, spill!*
*I already told you, weren't you paying attention?* Harry asked in exasperation.
*So sorry, I was trying to stop a killer migraine. You were saying?* Draco and Harry walked out of class, completely ignoring the sad look Hermione had on her face.
*If we do the incantation at the same time, it should work. There's nothing in the spell that says they'll react badly.*
*WOW.* Laughing, Harry and Draco apparated to the Wandless and Elemental Magic class. They appeared, still laughing, in the middle of the room. Alanna and Xander looked at them strangely but refused to comment.
*Harry, Draco, I want you to still work on your animal transformations. I need you to find your animal. Get to work, you two.* Still grinning, Harry and Draco sat for almost half an hour, completely ignoring everyone else that had come into the room.
Alanna worked exclusively with Ginny, training her powers, while Xander and Severus worked with everyone else on training their elemental powers. Harry and Draco were oblivious to it all, instead focused in intense meditation.
Sighing, Harry broke his concentration and lounged against the beanbag chair he had been sitting in front of. He stared at Draco, who was still concentrating on finding his 'inner animal'. *He looks like a silver wolf... my silver wolf...* he thought absently.
Draco surfaced from his meditation to see Harry lounging on the bean bag, staring at him with unreadable eyes. *He looks like a huge panther... looks cuddly, but a hidden, deadly strength that you don't see until it is far too late...* Draco shook his head, amazed at the sudden, stray thought.
Harry raised his eyebrows. *A panther? Me?* he asked his soul mate.
Draco shrugged, sending him the image of an enormous black panther with emerald green eyes.
*If you say so, Wolf...* Harry sent him an image of a silver wolf with ice blue eyes.
*A wolf? Me?* Draco asked. Harry just nodded.
Staring at each other, they began to change, trusting their soul mates' judgment. The conversations in the room stopped as everyone watched with their breath held, afraid to even move.
Harry could feel fur sprouting from his body, and claws shoot from his fingers. Emitting a small growl, his vision changed and grew sharper. A tail shot from his spine as he fell forward onto his hands and feet. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. *Oh wow, this is so COOL!* he thought happily, prowling around the classroom. Alanna conjured a mirror and he padded over to it. An ebony panther with emerald eyes and a silver marking on its chest stared back.
Draco stared at his hands, which were rapidly becoming paws. Silver paws. He felt a tail erupt from his lower back, and he wagged it experimentally. Silver fur sprouted all over his body and he shakily stood up on all fours, trotting over to the mirror. He stared at his reflection in surprise. Ice blue eyes and silver fur stared back at him.
Impulsively, Harry nipped Draco's tail and immediately darted away. Harry and Draco ran out of the room, chasing each other down the hall. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, they apparated out of the hall.
Harry and Draco found themselves next to the lake. Ignoring the questions that arose form how they could apparate while in their Animagi forms, they continued to play. They darted in and out of the Forbidden forest, having the time of their lives.
Severus quickly took his raven form and flew out of the window to find them. Alanna and Xander, wishing they could join them, corralled their students back to learning about their powers.
Severus landed on a tree near where his godson and nephew were wrestling and watched indulgently as they mock fought. He didn't have the heart to tell them to stop.
Over the next several days, Alanna and Harry planned the Halloween Party that would happen the 31st. Coincidentally, their third game would happen that morning.
Harry, Alanna and Severus went shopping Thursday evening after Quidditch practice. They bought party decorations, and Harry bought a state of the art stereo system for the Chamber. Severus disappeared into a liquor store and reemerged half an hour later with six enormous bags. He and Alanna shared a grin at the incredible amount of liquor they expected to consume.
Harry and Alanna walked into the Chamber of Secrets Friday afternoon after their Wandless and Elemental Magic class. She stood in the center of the room, calmly surveying the wreckage of the chamber being used as the hangout for rowdy teenagers. "I like the pool tables, but we need more room, and a bar..." She started rearranging the furniture.
Harry and she spent the next two hours putting the pool tables on one side of the room next to a conjured bar. She then proceeded to stock the bar with two bottles of Everclear, three bottles of Vodka, two bottles of Bailey's Irish Crème, four bottles of Ogden's Firewhiskey, two bottles of Bacardi 151, three bottles of Jamaican Rum, two bottles of Kahlua, and three bottles of Scotch. Harry set up the stereo system on a shelf on the other side of the room, and dispersed the speakers around the Chamber.
Severus set up seven vats of dry ice around the Chamber floor and enchanted them to stay frozen until the night of the party. Alanna put up a strobe light in one of the far corners of the room after assuring Harry that the strobe light would have really cool effects. Harry sincerely doubted that, after an hour, anyone would appreciate the decorations.
They finished putting the decorations into place and then Harry sealed the Chamber, effectively keeping anyone from entering until the party.
The next week went by quickly. Harry and the rest of the Experimental Potions class, in an effort to make the linking potion, created three new aphrodisiacs, seven hallucinogens, and five other potions of which they were not sure of the effects. Harry, Draco, Ginny, and Severus made multiples of each potion, with the purpose of distributing them at the Halloween Party.
On the 30th, which was Friday, during Wandless and Elemental Magic class, Harry and Draco finally cornered Ginny.
"Um, Ginny? You got a minute?" Draco asked nervously.
"Yes, Draco?" she asked, not really paying attention.
"Ginny, we would be honored-" Harry began, pulling out the tome with the ritual in it.
"If you would complete-" Draco continued
"The Blood Binding Ritual," Harry and Draco finished in unison.
Ginny's eyes widened and she whipped around to stare at them. "I- WHAT???" She yelped, startled. She snatched the tome out of Harry's hands and scanned the pages eagerly. "YOU FOUND IT!!!" she screeched, throwing her arms around Harry and Draco's necks.
Harry and Draco hugged her hard. "Yep, so how do you think it'll feel to be both a Potter and a Malfoy?"
"Just great," she whispered, grinning.
A/N: Ok, so, yeah, there it was. So, what'd you think? Bad Bad Snape, buying alcohol for minors and making hallucinogens... I wish my teachers had been that cool.... anyway, chapter 17 should be up soon.
Oh well, enough from me already. On to chapter 16.
Chapter 16
*** Severus lay on the cold, stone floor, confused as to how exactly he had gotten there. Groaning, he tried to stand up, only to fall back against the wall, choking and panting. He grabbed whatever was wrapped around his neck, only to discover that he was chained to the wall. A heavy steel manacle dug into his neck, and an equally heavy chain secured him to the stones behind him. Looking down, he discovered, to his astonishment, that he was not only naked, but *WHAT THE HELL???*, a girl as well.
*All right, Severus, think. What in God's name is going on here? How am I a girl, and where am I?* A sudden noise caught his attention. He shrank back into the wall as a hooded and cloaked figure unobtrusively pushed open the door and slunk inside, keeping to the shadows of the candlelit room.
The figure hurriedly lowered the hood and stepped into the light. "Sirius?" Severus demanded, shocked. "What- How-" he broke off, desperately relieved to see someone remotely familiar in this hell hole.
"Sh... Laurel, not so loud! You'll get us in trouble! I just came to tell you that I felt my godson. He's going to get us out of here, I promise." Sirius gently touched Severus's cheek, trying to reassure Laurel.
"Black, it's me! Severus Snape! Where am I and why am I chained to the wall?" Sirius stared at him, his mouth hanging so far open that Severus could see his tonsils.
"Snape???" Sirius hissed, looking around him to make sure no one was there. "What the HELL???"
"I woke up here. What is going on and where are we?" Severus struggled against his bonds, to no avail.
"We are in Clautius's realm. Laurel has been a prisoner here for the last two years. He's been raping her every day to steal her powers. Is she in there as well?" Sirius asked, genuinely concerned.
Severus shook his head numbly. "Ra-rape?" he asked, stuttering over the word. "How long until Clautius returns?"
"He should be here any minute. I just came to give her hope that we are going to get out of here." They both cringed as loud, booming footsteps could be heard walking outside the room. Sirius's face contorted in misery and terror. "Oh shit, I don't want to see this, I had to see it last week, and it's bad..." Sirius trailed off, close to tears.
"What??? What's going to- oh NOOOO" Severus moaned, finally realizing what was about to happen to him. "Nooo, not again. I can't live through that again..." he whimpered, almost petrified with fear.
"Again?" Sirius asked, eyes wide.
"Did you honestly think that Death Eater initiations were tea and crumpets? You were gang raped if you were lucky. I was unlucky, which meant, additional to being gang raped, I was tortured for days," Severus told him quietly, trying to break the manacle around his neck. Sirius looked towards the door and, seeing it open, disappeared from view.
A tall man with jet black hair streaked with silver strode into the room, black velvet robes whipping around his body. Severus cringed and tried to sink into the wall. Out of sheer desperation, he whispered an invisibility spell, and disappeared, but forgot about the chain still around his neck.
The man, evil radiating off of him, stood in front of where Severus cowered, invisible. "Laurel, Laurel. How many times do I have to tell you. You keep forgetting the chain. No matter, as I can still see you, as I am in tune with your magic. Come on out, my dear appetizer." He waved his hand, and Severus appeared, naked and exposed.
"What do you mean, appetizer," Severus asked, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down his face. All emotional control he had was shot to hell with one look into that monster's silver and scarlet eyes. *Oh shit, ohshitohshitohshitohshit* he thought desperately.
The monster laughed. "Why, I mean that you are here as a substitute for your sister. She is so powerful... I could do such great things with her powers... Hopefully she'll rescue you so I can get her back...." the monster trailed off, a dreamy, conniving look on his face. Severus cringed slightly, and fought to control himself.
"Well, you are chatty today, my dear. Usually, you are in a near catatonic state. What brought on the change, hum?" Clautius looked Severus up and down, inspecting him for some visible change. Finding none, he laughed, a full, throaty sound. Severus shuddered.
*Sirius... help me...* he thought desperately directly into Sirius's mind. The other man could only watch, tears streaming down his face, as Clautius whispered a spell, divesting the monster of his robes. He knelt down in front of Severus and, without hesitation, ripped his legs open.
Severus screamed, completely losing hic already tenuous grip on control. He threw his head back; eyes shut tightly and felt his mate's magic flow through him. Anxiously, he called on his powers as well and felt them respond and flow into him from Hogwarts. Silver and gold ribboned around him and his eyes snapped open, one was gold, the other silver. He bodily lifted Clautius from the floor and threw him against the wall, savagely enjoying the shock and pain that lanced through the monster's features.
Clautius lifted himself from the hole in the wall that Severus had slammed him into, laughing ruefully. Severus stared at him, wide-eyed as Clautius dusted himself off and strode back over to him. Severus held a protective shield around himself, barring Clautius from entering his mind or coming closer than three feet from him.
"Now, now. Make this easy on yourself, my dear and let me in. This feistiness is unlike you. I thought I had broken you three weeks ago. I guess I was wrong." Clautius stood over him, hands on his hips. He swirled black energy around his hand and touched Severus's shields.
Severus's eyes widened in terror and astonishment as his shields drained into Clautius's powers, tingeing the monster's aura gold and silver. "No! NOOOOOO!" he screamed as his shields dropped without a protest. He lay against the wall, just about drained, panting. "You bastard. How could you do this to your own sister," he asked, snarling.
"How could I do this to anyone else?" Clautius countered, once again kneeling between his opened legs. "You siblings of mine have the power I need in order to complete my plans. There is no one else. Now, as I have asked you before, hard or gentle? I will have your powers either way, my dear." Clautius smirked.
Severus smirked back. "Well then, dear brother of mine, you are going to have to take them by force because I will fight you until the day I die. My soul mate will kill you."
Clautius's smirk widened, causing Severus to stiffen. "I'm so scared," he murmured and grabbed Severus by the hair.
Severus turned and sank his teeth into the monster's hand. "You should be," he spat and kicked Clautius square in the testicles. His eyes bulged and he fell to the ground in the fetal position, gasping. Severus grasped what little power he had and willed himself to change form. An ebony kitten with golden eyes scampered out of the manacles. Sirius scooped him up, and turning to run, skidded out of the room.
Dimly, they could hear Clautius calling for his guards. *Put me down, Black. I'm not going to get you in trouble as well. One of us has to survive,* Severus ordered, twisting out of his arms and sprinted down the hall. Sirius followed him, changing into his 'mutt' form. They ran through the castle, desperate for a way out.
Severus ran through the halls, looking for a place to hide. He skidded through an open door. He peeked his nose out the door, and hissed in surprise as a large hand grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He turned, tiny claws extended, trying to slice to ribbons whoever held him.
"Now, now, my dear. You are only making this harder on yourself." Clautius, still a little pale, shook Severus until his brain rattled. They disappeared and reappeared back in the room, Severus once again in the manacle. "Don't even try that again," Clautius warned. "The manacle will shrink the fit you no matter what form you take."
Severus quickly changed from form to form, the manacle stretching or shrinking to hold him snugly. He lay there, in his human form, completely drained.
"It doesn't matter if you take my powers or not. I don't have anything left," Severus gasped, exhausted.
He looked up into Clautius's face, eyes widening fractionally at the evil grin. "At this point, my dear, I don't care. You are going to be punished." He pinned Severus to the floor. "You made your choice, my dear." He ripped into Severus, pounding him against the floor.
*NOOOOOOOO!!!!!* Severus screamed and screamed. Over and over, harder and harder, Clautius slammed into him, ripping him inside. Agony spiked through Severus, more pain than he ever thought was possible. Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the stone underneath him. Clautius grinned at him, evil twisting his features. Dimly, on the verge of unconsciousness, the features twisted into first Lucius then Voldemort's features. Severus's eyes snapped open, continuing to scream anew.
Clautius finally finished, pulling out of Severus's abused body. He picked himself up and his robes appeared on him again. He strode from the room, and turned to face him from the doorway.
"KRYEEK mureva HIshurlu!" he snapped, grinning evilly. Four enormous demons strode into the room, staring at him hungrily. ***
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he shrieked, sitting bolt upright in bed, tearing at his neck.
"Uncle Sev! It's all right, you're safe!" He opened his eyes to see Ginny, Draco and Harry sitting on his bed, all three of them holding his shoulders, trying to restrain his from hurting himself.
"Wha- What happened?" he gasped, falling back onto his pillow. "Where am I?" he asked, staring around him in confusion.
"You're in your room. We heard you screaming, hell the whole school heard you. What happened?" Xander asked, walking over from where he had been standing to sit on the end of Severus's bed. Alanna and the other demigods and demigoddesses stood in a semicircle around his bed. Remus stood next to James.
"Clautius- I was there, instead of Laurel, but in her body and he ra- ra- shit!" he swore, disgusted with his complete lack of control. "He hurt her but it was me and, Remus, your mutt is alive and tried to save my life and..." he trailed off, dangerously close to tears.
Remus gasped, sinking to the floor. Tears clouded his vision. "Siri is alive?" he whispered.
Harry conjured a glass of water and handed it to Severus. Severus gratefully gulped it down and continued. "He - he- oh my GOD he-" tears finally dripped down his face. He let out a strangled sob. Harry, Draco, Ginny and Lily held him, soothing him.
"Sev, please calm down, please calm down," Lily soothed, gently rubbing his back. Severus turned his face blindly into her shoulder, sobbing openly. He dimly heard the door open and close as everyone else left his bedchambers to sit in his living room, giving him some needed privacy.
"Uncle Sev, can you tell us what happened?" Ginny asked, holding his hand.
Severus looked at her with red rimmed eyes. "I don't think you really want to know," he ground out.
Harry looked at him. "It can't be worse than what I went through, Uncle Sev," he quietly told him. Severus nodded and they linked minds.
They sat in silence, numbly seeing what he had gone through. Lily's arms around her brother tightened. *Oh my GOD* was the only thought running through their minds. After what seemed like hours, they drew apart, trembling.
"Sev, are you all right? I mean, will you be all right?" Lily asked, searching his face. He gulped and nodded. Draco reached for his bathrobe and handed it to him without question. He stood up, drawing the robe around his half naked frame. Harry and Draco supported him and they walked out into his living room.
James stood against the wall, eyes troubled. He was trying to comfort the still sobbing Remus. "But James, Siri is alive! We HAVE to go get him! If it were Lily in there, you'd be there in a heartbeat. We have to go NOW!"
Alanna hugged the sobbing werewolf. "We can't just go in there. Clautius is too powerful and he'd kill us all, and then were would your mate be? Still there. We have to plan this." She paced the length of the floor.
"She's right. Clautius took a full power attack and he laughed. It was unreal," Severus stated, wincing as he sat in his favorite leather chair. "Alanna, whatever happens, you can't go with us to rescue them," he continued once he was seated.
"Why the hell not?" she asked angrily.
"Because he would use any rescue attempt to regain control over you." Severus closed his eyes, rubbing a tired hand across the bridge of his nose. "He told me - Laurel - that I - SHE was just an appetizer, something to fill the blank while he found a way to get you back."
Alanna turned white and sat down on Xander's lap. "Love, I promise, he will NEVER hurt you again," Xander promised his mate.
"You can promise your mate that, but you won't get my or Severus's mate back!" Remus yelled, again near hysterics.
"Remus, we have to train and plan. Severus is right about Clautius's strength. In all honesty, Harry and Draco are the only ones with a chance to defeat him, and that is only once their bond has been completed." Gaila spoke up from the corner where she had sat down.
Harry glared at her. Draco noticed him glaring and cocked an eyebrow. Ginny just stared at them both as is they were insane. Severus just shook his head. "Honestly, we do have to figure out what we are going to do. Sirius was in no immediate danger, but Laurel is, well-" James interrupted him angrily.
"Snivellus, what the fuck do you know about immediate danger? He's in HELL, you moron!"
Severus whipped around, a sneer twisting his features. He was about to fire off a retort, when, "JAMES GARETH POTTER!!!!!!!" Lily screamed, infuriated. "OUTSIDE, NOW!!!!!!" She grabbed James's arm and yanked him outside into the hallway.
The room went deathly silent as they listened in on her reaming James out for saying that. "POTTER!!" she screamed, clearly audible. Severus's mouth twitched as he suppressed a laugh.
"Lily, dearest, don't you think you-" They heard something crash into a wall.
"I AM NOT OVERREACTING!!!! NOW, you will apologize to my BROTHER or you will lose the ability to procreate!!!!" she snarled.
"All right, all right, just- OW!!! GET YOUR CLAWS AWAY FROM THERE, HARPY!!!!!" he shrieked in pain and bolted back into the room, Lily hot on his heels.
Severus watched him dive behind his chair and came up next to him. "So sorry, Snape, think you could forgive me before she takes away the family jewels?" Severus stared at his white, strained face. Three angry claw marks adorned his left cheek.
"Ummm..." Severus pondered the offer.
"Listen to me, Severus, if you do not agree to a ceasefire between yourself and my idiot of a husband, you both will lose valuable pieces of equipment," Lily growled.
"That cinches it. James Potter, I accept your apologies, as I do wish to still be able to have children." Severus extended his hand.
James eagerly took his hand and shook it. "Likewise, mate, likewise." Harry sat there and laughed quietly, his mother winking at him.
Alanna sat on the couch, wrapped in Xander's arms. "So, we are agreed then? We will call the leaders of our children to Hogwarts and will have them map out Clautius's realm for us, as well as get messages back and forth. Is everyone agreeable?" There were nods around the room.
Remus crossed his arms over his chest. "I guess," he said doubtfully.
"All right, then, we'll go call them. Hopefully, they'll arrive in the morning." Alanna and Xander stood, ending the pow wow. As one, the whole group filed out, leaving Harry, Draco, Ginny, Lily, James, Remus and Severus still sitting there, talking quietly.
"Do you really think we'll get them back?" asked Remus quietly.
"I don't honestly know. I hit him with everything I had and he LAUGHED. He laughed at it. True he was picking himself out of the wall, but he was still laughing, and he still ra- ra- hurt me afterwards. I even shifted form and he still found me. It was terrifying," Severus said, horribly shaken. He let out a shuddering breath.
"You three have Quidditch practice in ten hours. I suggest you get back to sleep," he told Harry, Draco and Ginny. Lily, James and Remus took this as their cue to leave as well. The teenagers stubbornly shook their heads.
"We want to make sure you are all right," Harry stubbornly replied, Draco and Ginny vehemently agreeing with him.
"I am fine," he tried to reassure them. They stubbornly shook their heads, disagreeing with them.
"Sleepover in Snape's Quarters!" Draco yelled, pulling a pillow from midair and bashing Harry over the head with it.
"Ummm, that is not necessary, please, don't- NOT THE VASE!" Severus yelled as Ginny slammed a pillow into Draco, who knocked over a vase created in the Ming Dynasty. Harry dove for it with his quick reflexes and caught it three inches from the floor, Draco landing on his back on top of him.
"OW!" grunted Harry, Draco still lying on top of him. "Get off me!"
Draco rolled off of him, laughing. "What? I'm not that heavy!"
Harry snickered, slowly getting up. *You walked into this one...* "Are you sure, lard ass? You felt heavy to me..."
Draco scowled at him and tackled him, effectively slamming him back onto the floor, Draco muttering about god damn Gryffindors and their stupid sense of humor. Harry struggled against him, effectively flipping him over. Severus and Ginny watched, amused as they wrestled on the floor, laughing and panting.
"HA! Pinned you!" Harry yelled triumphantly. Alanna walked back into the room, snickering at the sight of Harry straddling Draco, both if them laughing hysterically.
"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked, staring at them with a smirk on her face.
"Nope!" Harry replied, still laughing. "What's up?"
"We got a hold of Claudette, Lucas, Tatyana, Orion, Elei'n, Anowyn, Xavier, Samantha, Lorien, Shareena, Byron and Havanna. They are coming to Hogwarts with their respective councils in the morning." She sat down and made herself comfortable on Severus's leather couch next to Ginny.
"Who are they? I mean, I know Claudette, but the others..." Harry trailed off, slightly confused.
"Claudette is the Queen of both the Vampire and Drow nations. Lucas is her mate and chosen consort. You met him at the party briefly. Tatyana and Orion are the rulers of the Veela nation, and Elei'n and Anowyn are the King and Queen of the Elven Nation. Xavier and Samantha are Clan leaders of the Werewolves, and Lorien and Shareena are the Faerie Emperor and Empress. Lastly, Byron and Havanna are the leaders of the Dragonkin. They will be arriving in eight hours with their entourages." Alanna stood up and walked to the door. "Now that you know, I have to go inform Dumbledore of what will be happening. Good night, you four." With that, she walked out the door.
Harry stared at the closed door. "Did she say the Dragons, Elves, Veela, Werewolves, Drow and Vampires are coming here?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"You forgot the Faerie folk as well," supplied Ginny helpfully. Draco rolled his eyes.
Severus sat on his chair, wracking his brain for a way to get rid of his wanted yet unwanted roommates. *On one hand, I value my privacy, yet I could use the company. I have no idea what might happen if I fall asleep again.* He stared at his godson, nephew, and the girl he had come to think of as his niece. *Lily was the only one who cared enough to stay with me when I had nightmares after my mother died. This is so strange...*
Ginny picked up on his train of thought. "Oh Uncle Sev, we're here because we care. If you really don't want us here, just tell us. We understand. Really, it's all right. Come on guys, let's go." She stood up, ready to shoo her 'brothers' out the door.
Severus watched them go with a mixture of relief and sadness. "Oh, by the way, Uncle Sev," Harry said, leaning in the doorway. "We are here if you need anything." Harry grinned, and Severus felt a vague mental link cement between himself and his three favorite students. *Good night. Yell if you need us.* Harry closed the portrait.
They walked back down to the Slytherin Dorms in silence, terribly worried about Severus. Harry and Draco bid Ginny good night and she disappeared into the Girls' Dorms. Harry and Draco wearily trudged over to their dorm room. They crawled into bed and were instantly asleep.
The next morning at ten o'clock, Harry and Draco awoke to the sounds of Ginny and Emily pounding on their door. "GET UP!!!!" Emily roared, finally bursting through their door and jumping on Eric's bed.
Eric shot out of bed. "MUM! I swear I didn't do it!" he yelped, diving under his blanket. Emily giggled and reached under the blanket, pulling him out by his hair.
"Awww, is ickle Eric scared? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... much," she said with a decidedly evil grin. She gently patted his cheek, noticing that his eyes had completely glazed over. She turned, and, winking at the very bemused Harry, Draco and Ginny, tickled him unmercifully.
"AWWW- OHH HAHAHAHA –stop- please stop – HAHAHAHA- ohhhh- stop" Eric howled, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he grabbed Emily around the waist, pinning her underneath him. She flipped him off of her, and they tumbled to the floor, continuing to wrestle.
Ginny sat cross legged on Harry's bed, watching the tickling turned wrestling match avidly. "You know, we did come in here to tell you that, not only is Quidditch practice in an hour, but the reigning monarchs of the various other nonhuman nations are here. They want to meet you two." Ginny yawned, apparently bored by what she had just said.
Harry and Draco shot each other looks of extreme desperation and shock. *OH SHIT* they thought in unison, dashing madly for the bathroom to shower and change. Ginny just watched, amused, as Emily and Eric forgot all about wrestling and opted to exuberantly kiss each other instead as soon as Harry and Draco had left the room.
Ten minutes later, Harry and Draco were suitably showered and changed. They stumbled back into their room to see their other dorm mate happily making out with the girl of his numerous –wet- dreams. Harry smirked as he stepped over the oblivious couple on the floor. "Ginny, are you ready?" he asked, pulling his 'sister' to her feet.
Ginny grinned and nudged Emily with her boot. "Hey, Em? You coming or do you have more important things to do?" She stared at her now closest friend.
Emily broke from kissing Eric long enough to smirk at Ginny. "I think I'm needed here," she said before reclaiming Eric's mouth as her own. Harry and Draco snickered and dragged Ginny out of their room and into the Common room. They quickly exited the Slytherin Dorms and apparated directly into the Great Hall.
Harry stood, awestruck, at the sight of the magical beings that waited in the Great Hall. He saw Claudette and the man he had met at his party- *Lucas* he thought to himself sitting at the Gryffindor table. Beside him, Draco nodded imperceptibly. Sitting next to Claudette and Lucas were two of the most beautiful beings Harry had ever seen. The man- *Lorien* Harry guessed correctly, stood about five foot four and had enormous silver almost butterfly wings that were attached at his shoulder blades. His *Mate? Wife?* Harry wondered, *Shareena* had gold wings that dwarfed her four foot eight frame. Seated at the Gryffindor table were a blond haired man and a raven haired woman, who were intently conversing with two, a man and a woman, immensely beautiful Veela. *Ok, the two Veela are Tatyana and Orion, but I have no idea who the other two are.* Harry turned and saw a tall, stately Elf and his equally stately wife seated at the Ravenclaw Table. *Eli'en and Anowyn are at the Ravenclaw table* he informed Draco and Ginny a bit unnecessarily. Lastly, Alanna and Xander were talking intently to two human sized Dragons in the center of the room. Severus, Lily, James, Remus and all the other Demigods and Demigoddesses were sitting in various places, talking quietly.
"Um, Alanna? You said you wanted to see us?" Harry asked politely. Within the blink of an eye, everyone stared at him and Draco. As one, the various leaders of the nonhuman nations rose from their seats and strode towards him. Harry watched, awestruck, as they stood in front of him in a perfect semicircle. Without any warning, they knelt in front of him as one.
"My Lord, we pledge our lives and the lives of our people to your cause. Do with us as you see fit." Those words were spoken by all twelve of the monarchs.
Harry gaped at them, completely confused and bewildered. "Alanna, what is going on?" he asked in a small voice.
Alanna smiled at his confusion. "Harry, you're the Leader of this battle. You are going to defeat Clautius. No one else can; you are THE ONE. Therefore, you are in charge."
Harry stared at her incredulously. "I-WHAT???" He stared at the genuflecting monarchs. "Thank you for your support. I am deferring to Alanna in this case because she has more experience in matters of war, as I am only sixteen. So, ummm, Alanna, a little help here?"
Draco grinned. *Harry, repeat after me. 'I accept your lives and the lives of your people as my vassals and I as their protector and Lord. My will shall be the greater good for your people and the greater good in this battle.* Hesitantly, Harry spoke those words. A deep green glow surrounded him and expanded to encompass everyone kneeling in front of him.
Alanna stared at him proudly. "Thank you Draco, for the appropriate Bonding Incantation." Harry stared at her, still in shock. As one, the monarchs stood. "Now then, let's get down to business, people," she ordered briskly. They walked over to the Gryffindor Table and sat down, eager to get the meeting underway.
Three hours later, the visitors had left and a plan was in place. The Vampires, Werewolves, and Drow would completely map Clautius's realm as well as pass information back and forth between Sirius, Remus and James. The Dragons, Faeries, Veela, and Elves would mass the best of their armies for additional training to prepare for the rescue mission. Hopefully, if all went according to plan, they wouldn't need the armies, but better safe than sorry.
Harry, Draco, Ginny and James walked slowly to the Quidditch Pitch, brooms in hand. The practice had been rescheduled to start at two o'clock, and they were early. Listlessly, Harry mounted his broom and took off, flying in a vague circular pattern that extended over the Forbidden Forest.
*Harry, come on. Snap out of it,* Draco ordered, concerned.
Harry turned to stare at him, a dazed look in his eyes. *Why me? What the HELL is wrong with me that I have to save everyone?* He was so out of it that he almost fell off his broom. Draco jolted forward, catching him and lowering them both to the ground. James and Ginny rushed over to them, terribly worried.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked, darting forward to gently pull Harry from his broom.
"I just don't feel well, that's all" Harry mumbled, sitting on the grass. James shook his shoulder, pulling his son onto his lap. Harry leaned his head into his –now adult- father's shoulder, closing his eyes. "It's all so weird. I had the reigning monarchs of seven nations pledging their lives to me. That was really creepy. Plus, I can feel their magic now, slipping in and out of mine. It's making me feel funny."
Draco trailed a hand along Harry's temple, sliding his mind further into his soul mates. *Damn, you're right, that does feel strange,* he commented, cautiously lowering his shields to feel the conjoined magic that surrounded Harry. *It feels really invasive, and not at all natural. I'm sorry I gave you the incantation, Harry.*
Harry sighed. *It's all right, Draco. I'll just live with it, like everything else that has happened in my screwed up life.* James tightened his arms around his son, having heard the last bit Harry had thought.
The rest of the team wandered onto the Pitch and stopped, confused as to why there was a group hug happening in the middle of the field. Emily simply kept walking and sat down next to Ginny, pulling her now boyfriend Eric with her. Ginny slid an arm around Emily's shoulders. "So, Eric, what brings you to practice?" Ginny asked calmly.
"Um, I didn't want to be separated from my girlfriend?" he said sheepishly, turning the statement into a question. Ginny laughed, drawing Emily into the group hug.
Madam Hooch walked over to them and put her hands on her hips. "Are you five quite finished? We have a practice that we delayed for YOU, Mr. Potter," she stopped, glaring at them, "the BOTH of you!" Harry and James looked at each other and shrugged. They stood up gracefully, James reverting to his fourth year self. Hooch grimaced. "That is so STRANGE when you do that..." she commented, trailing off. She shook her head and blew her whistle. "Everyone get in the air, NOW! SPRINTS!"
Everyone groaned, as practice with 'Battle Axe' had just started. They took to the skies for the next four hours.
The next afternoon, in Experimental Potions, Severus had a surprise for them. "I know I let you pretty much have free reign in this class, but this time I need your help," he told his six students. "I need to make a completely new potion." He stopped talking and sat there, thinking about the possible ramifications of what he was suggesting, no pleading with them to help.
The six of them stared at Severus as he sat there, lost in thought. "Um, Sir? Professor?" Emily asked, concerned.
Severus shook his head and continued. "The potion is extremely dangerous and is probably illegal, but it may be the only thing that can save my soul mate from Clautius before we rescue her. What we need to make is a potion that will link a person's mind together permanently without going through the Bonding process."
Everyone stared at him in shock. "Sev, are you really that squeamish about sex?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling.
Severus glared at her. "No, Lils, I'm not. I just can't get to her, and he's raping her and I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!!!" he yelled, a lone tear sliding down his cheek. He collapsed heavily into his chair. "I have to do something, even if it's to take her mind from her body when it happens. It's all I can do, and I'll be damned if I don't try."
Lily stood up and hugged her brother. "Of course we'll help, Sev. Has anyone ever tried this before?" she asked, all business.
"Yes, and was given the Dementor's Kiss as a result." Severus replied, rubbing his eyes.
Emily and Eric gulped, but nodded resolutely. "That's nice," Emily said. "When do we start?"
Draco, Harry and Ginny nodded as well. "Well, first we have to research the properties of several plants and other ingredients for what to use, I assume you already have an idea?" Ginny asked Severus.
Severus blinked. "Yes, I do, but you do realize that helping me makes you accessories to brewing an extremely illegal potion and could lead to time in Azkaban or worse."
"Yes, yes, but this is important. We need a list of what you planned on using, and how it works, and ..." Ginny trailed off, furiously writing in a notebook. Severus stared at the determined faces in front of him and sighed.
Turning, he began to organize the hastily scribbled notes he had strewn on his desk. "Thank you all for this," he quietly said as he began to pull his research into a semblance of order. "I already have several ideas..."
They hastily got to work, knowing that time was of the essence.
That whole week, none of them could concentrate on their other studies. They spent their free time in the dungeons, going over anything that might help them to create the potion. Harry, Draco, Eric and Emily were even excused from their NEWTS level work in order for research and then Potions experimentation.
That Saturday, October 17th, they had their second game, Hogwarts versus Dragon's Fang in Beijing China. The fourteen team members stood in the Great Hall at ten o'clock, ready to Apparate under their own or another person's power. Harry, Draco, Ginny, Blaise and Seamus stood in a loose circle.
Madam Hooch walked over to the five of them. "Are you ready?" she asked, nervously fiddling with her robes.
"Yes, Madam Hooch," Harry replied, raising his aura. Draco and Ginny did the same, and, on her signal, Apparated the five of them right onto the Quidditch Field of Dragon's Fang. They stared around them in wonder as the rest of the team Apparated right beside them. Madam Hooch quickly found a student from Dragon's Fang and, conversing quietly with the boy in Chinese, had him lead them into the Guest Locker Rooms.
Once in the locker room, she handed out what looked like a small hearing aid to everyone. "These are universal translators. You only get one, so I expect you to keep them safe. They will translate anything you hear into your native language. Don't let them fall out of your ear."
"What?" asked Ron incredulously. "You want us to put those weird things where?"
Harry sighed and slipped his into his ear. "You think I can change the setting to Swahili so I can't understand his complaints?" he asked Draco drolly. They snickered quietly, ignoring Ron's amazed and hurt look.
A loud roar interrupted them. Madam Hooch looked outside the door and motioned them out. "It's TIME! GO ON!" she yelled as they mounted their brooms and shot out of the room.
They took to the sky, swooping over the Pitch. Harry looked in the stands and saw, to his delight that EVERY Hogwart's student was there, along with the Weaseleys, Narcissa Malfoy, and all the Professors. All the demigods and demigoddesses sat together. Gailia and Olivia were conspicuously absent, however.
Gaila dragged Olivia through the streets of Beijing. "LIVVIE!!!! COME ON!!!!" she yelled, dragging Olivia by her robes.
"Gabbers, we have to watch the game!!!!" Olivia protested, trying to pull herself from Gaila's death grip.
"ANIME!!!! The convention has to be around here somewhere..." Gaila anxiously scanned the streets.
Olivia's ears perked up at that beautiful word. "Anime? Why didn't you say so! MegaTokyo!!!! Let's go!" They raced down the street, Quidditch forgotten in their manic glee.
Minerva McGonagall waved a Hogwart's pennant as they swooped by her seat. Severus sat next to a slightly green looking Lily.
"Dad, what's wrong with Mum?" Harry asked, falling back to talk to James.
"I dunno, Harry. She was fine before breakfast, but the sight of food had her green and running for the bathroom." James scratched his head. Harry shook his head, confused, as they all landed on the Pitch next to the Referee.
"Now, I want a clean game. Captains, shake hands," the Referee commanded in heavily accented English.
Harry grinned. "The translator is working just fine." He and Draco shook hands with the Co captains of the other team, two twin girls, the Beaters, which looked to be in their seventh year. Their scarlet and gold robes with a large green Dragon in the center sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight.
The Referee tossed the Bludgers and the Snitch into the air, and finally the Quaffle. Harry quickly snagged the Quaffle and sped towards the goal. He passed backwards blindly, knowing Draco was right behind him. Draco shot past him, Quaffle in hand and, as the Goalie reached to catch his shot, Ginny intercepted and flicked it into the furthest Goal. The Commentator roared "Hogwarts GOALLLLLL!!!"
The Goalie quickly passed the Quaffle to the lead chaser and they shot back down the Pitch. Emily barely managed to deflect the Quaffle from the goal and shot it back to Harry. They raced down the Pitch –again-, and this time the Goalie was able to deflect the Quaffle and pass it to the Chasers.
Damien and Nicholai had a hell of a time trying to keep the Bludgers from hitting their teammates. It seemed that these other Beaters had the same kind of connection that they had as soul mates. *Oh hell, Nick, this is getting unreal,* Damien commented as they slammed yet another Bludger to target the other team. *This team is incredibly good. They're much better than those damn Beaubaxtons gits that cried when you hit them.*
*I must agree, Dami, these player are much better. So, any ideas?* Nicholai asked back.
*I don't care WHAT you do, just do it quick! We're only up by 60 points and Dragon's Fang just scored!* James stared at them angrily.
*I'm so sorry, Your Highness, perhaps if you caught the Snitch?* they mocked in unison. James flipped them the bird and resumed his avid search for the elusive Snitch.
He found it ten minutes later, when the score was 60 to 50 in favor of Hogwarts. Swearing colorfully, he slammed the annoying Seeker for the other team away from his side and concentrated solely on trying to grasp the damn golden ball. The other boy quickly shot into his side, also reaching for that damn elusive Snitch. James discretely elbowed the other Seeker and snagged a wing. He spiraled down, snitch in hand.
The stands filled with Hogwart's students, faculty and friends erupted in cheers as they watched their team pull off another spectacular win of 210 to 50.
On Tuesday, Harry and Draco sat in Runes, barely paying attention to the lecture. Instead, they were focused on learning the proper incantations to the Blood Binding Ritual, tweaking them so that Harry wouldn't wind up related to Draco when they both bonded to Ginny. *I swear, Dray, this is ridiculous. I don't see how we'll NOT wind up related. Once one of us has bonded to her, then the other will automatically become bonded as both her brother and brother to the first bonder!*
*I don't think that's how it works, Harry. I think the blood binder only binds Ginny's blood to the binder, not both.* Draco massaged his temples, praying fervently that the stress headache he could feel building would dissipate.
*But if her blood is now the binder's blood... Unless it were done simultaneously, THAT WOULD WORK!* Harry's shout knocked Draco out of his self induced daze.
*What? POTTER! What the HELL are you yelling about?* Draco's head exploded in a full blown migraine.
*I figured it out. We can use the same ceremony, but have to incant it at the same time or else it won't work.* Harry excitedly started to shove his books into his bags.
*Good for you- wait, you figured it out???* Draco leapt out of his chair, all pain forgotten. *So, spill!*
*I already told you, weren't you paying attention?* Harry asked in exasperation.
*So sorry, I was trying to stop a killer migraine. You were saying?* Draco and Harry walked out of class, completely ignoring the sad look Hermione had on her face.
*If we do the incantation at the same time, it should work. There's nothing in the spell that says they'll react badly.*
*WOW.* Laughing, Harry and Draco apparated to the Wandless and Elemental Magic class. They appeared, still laughing, in the middle of the room. Alanna and Xander looked at them strangely but refused to comment.
*Harry, Draco, I want you to still work on your animal transformations. I need you to find your animal. Get to work, you two.* Still grinning, Harry and Draco sat for almost half an hour, completely ignoring everyone else that had come into the room.
Alanna worked exclusively with Ginny, training her powers, while Xander and Severus worked with everyone else on training their elemental powers. Harry and Draco were oblivious to it all, instead focused in intense meditation.
Sighing, Harry broke his concentration and lounged against the beanbag chair he had been sitting in front of. He stared at Draco, who was still concentrating on finding his 'inner animal'. *He looks like a silver wolf... my silver wolf...* he thought absently.
Draco surfaced from his meditation to see Harry lounging on the bean bag, staring at him with unreadable eyes. *He looks like a huge panther... looks cuddly, but a hidden, deadly strength that you don't see until it is far too late...* Draco shook his head, amazed at the sudden, stray thought.
Harry raised his eyebrows. *A panther? Me?* he asked his soul mate.
Draco shrugged, sending him the image of an enormous black panther with emerald green eyes.
*If you say so, Wolf...* Harry sent him an image of a silver wolf with ice blue eyes.
*A wolf? Me?* Draco asked. Harry just nodded.
Staring at each other, they began to change, trusting their soul mates' judgment. The conversations in the room stopped as everyone watched with their breath held, afraid to even move.
Harry could feel fur sprouting from his body, and claws shoot from his fingers. Emitting a small growl, his vision changed and grew sharper. A tail shot from his spine as he fell forward onto his hands and feet. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air. *Oh wow, this is so COOL!* he thought happily, prowling around the classroom. Alanna conjured a mirror and he padded over to it. An ebony panther with emerald eyes and a silver marking on its chest stared back.
Draco stared at his hands, which were rapidly becoming paws. Silver paws. He felt a tail erupt from his lower back, and he wagged it experimentally. Silver fur sprouted all over his body and he shakily stood up on all fours, trotting over to the mirror. He stared at his reflection in surprise. Ice blue eyes and silver fur stared back at him.
Impulsively, Harry nipped Draco's tail and immediately darted away. Harry and Draco ran out of the room, chasing each other down the hall. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, they apparated out of the hall.
Harry and Draco found themselves next to the lake. Ignoring the questions that arose form how they could apparate while in their Animagi forms, they continued to play. They darted in and out of the Forbidden forest, having the time of their lives.
Severus quickly took his raven form and flew out of the window to find them. Alanna and Xander, wishing they could join them, corralled their students back to learning about their powers.
Severus landed on a tree near where his godson and nephew were wrestling and watched indulgently as they mock fought. He didn't have the heart to tell them to stop.
Over the next several days, Alanna and Harry planned the Halloween Party that would happen the 31st. Coincidentally, their third game would happen that morning.
Harry, Alanna and Severus went shopping Thursday evening after Quidditch practice. They bought party decorations, and Harry bought a state of the art stereo system for the Chamber. Severus disappeared into a liquor store and reemerged half an hour later with six enormous bags. He and Alanna shared a grin at the incredible amount of liquor they expected to consume.
Harry and Alanna walked into the Chamber of Secrets Friday afternoon after their Wandless and Elemental Magic class. She stood in the center of the room, calmly surveying the wreckage of the chamber being used as the hangout for rowdy teenagers. "I like the pool tables, but we need more room, and a bar..." She started rearranging the furniture.
Harry and she spent the next two hours putting the pool tables on one side of the room next to a conjured bar. She then proceeded to stock the bar with two bottles of Everclear, three bottles of Vodka, two bottles of Bailey's Irish Crème, four bottles of Ogden's Firewhiskey, two bottles of Bacardi 151, three bottles of Jamaican Rum, two bottles of Kahlua, and three bottles of Scotch. Harry set up the stereo system on a shelf on the other side of the room, and dispersed the speakers around the Chamber.
Severus set up seven vats of dry ice around the Chamber floor and enchanted them to stay frozen until the night of the party. Alanna put up a strobe light in one of the far corners of the room after assuring Harry that the strobe light would have really cool effects. Harry sincerely doubted that, after an hour, anyone would appreciate the decorations.
They finished putting the decorations into place and then Harry sealed the Chamber, effectively keeping anyone from entering until the party.
The next week went by quickly. Harry and the rest of the Experimental Potions class, in an effort to make the linking potion, created three new aphrodisiacs, seven hallucinogens, and five other potions of which they were not sure of the effects. Harry, Draco, Ginny, and Severus made multiples of each potion, with the purpose of distributing them at the Halloween Party.
On the 30th, which was Friday, during Wandless and Elemental Magic class, Harry and Draco finally cornered Ginny.
"Um, Ginny? You got a minute?" Draco asked nervously.
"Yes, Draco?" she asked, not really paying attention.
"Ginny, we would be honored-" Harry began, pulling out the tome with the ritual in it.
"If you would complete-" Draco continued
"The Blood Binding Ritual," Harry and Draco finished in unison.
Ginny's eyes widened and she whipped around to stare at them. "I- WHAT???" She yelped, startled. She snatched the tome out of Harry's hands and scanned the pages eagerly. "YOU FOUND IT!!!" she screeched, throwing her arms around Harry and Draco's necks.
Harry and Draco hugged her hard. "Yep, so how do you think it'll feel to be both a Potter and a Malfoy?"
"Just great," she whispered, grinning.
A/N: Ok, so, yeah, there it was. So, what'd you think? Bad Bad Snape, buying alcohol for minors and making hallucinogens... I wish my teachers had been that cool.... anyway, chapter 17 should be up soon.