Chapter 10 ~ Thwarting the Dark Lord Again
The next two days passed in a rush of planning. Members of the Order followed the 27 young witches and wizards whose names Snape had provided. Fred and George were covering Percy. Mrs. Weasley had fought this bitterly, of course, but in the end it was decided that, as they were the only members of the family to whom he was speaking, they would serve him best.
Professor McGonagal had arranged for most of the students to return home, or to a friend's house, which brought Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to Grimmauld place. Professor Deesia made sure that Draco Malfoy understood that he was to stay at Hogwarts.
Draco had seemed furious, of course, when his father was sent to Azkaban, forbidding anyone to speak of it, and hexing anyone who did. Once Lucius had escaped, however, he had become more fearful, hardly speaking of his father at all. Professor Deesia remembered talking with Dumbledore about it, only days after Lucius' escape. Draco's situation was so like what Severus had gone through that she just couldn't sit by and do nothing. Dumbledore had agreed that something must be done, and Professor Deesia felt confident that her plan would solve Draco's problem. Even as often as she saw him being cruel to fellow students, she knew that he wasn't won over to Lord Voldemort, not yet anyway.
Christmas Eve arrived. Hogwarts was left with Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch, and Professor Flitwick, who presided over dinner, and sent the few remaining students to bed as early as possible.
Mrs. Weasley sat with Muriel and Sirius, having sent Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to bed. They were the only members of the Order not out watching over Voldemort's intended victims. "I can't believe I'm expected to stay here and look after children while you are all putting yourselves in danger!" she exclaimed, for probably the third time that night. Sirius caught her eye, and she thought she saw a bit of humor there. She fell silent, remembering that it wasn't so very long ago that she'd been scolding him for his restlessness.
They waited in tense silence. George and Fred appeared suddenly in front of them, supporting a very pale Percy Weasley. As Mrs. Weasley jumped up to help George take Percy upstairs, Fred sank into a chair at the table. "He was hit with a stunning spell before we could get there, so we had to bring him home like that. I hated to do it, 'cause I knew it would upset mum. Avery got away."
At the sound of Avery's name, the glass in front of Muriel shattered. Sirius repaired it quickly, ignoring Fred's questioning gaze. Muriel got up to get some more water and nearly bumped into Tonks, who'd arrived alone, looking frazzled.
"Come on, you two, let's go." That was all she said before disappearing again. It took Muriel a moment to remember where Tonks had been stationed, then she, too, disappeared. Fred turned back to Sirius, but found that he was also gone, so instead he headed upstairs to help Mrs. Weasley and George bring Percy around.
Tonks had been stationed with Arthur, following a young man named Lonsberry. He held the job that Percy had first had in the Ministry of Magic. When they arrived, Sirius could see that Lonsberry was dueling with Severus not far from the visitor entrance to St. Mungos. Muriel rushed to join them, and Sirius and Tonks looked around for Mr. Weasley. They found him; bound and being transported by Macnair down an alley a block away. "Finite Incantum," Tonks screamed, flicking her wand at Mr. Weasley, whose bonds disappeared as he fell heavily to the ground. Macnair hissed angrily as he raised his wand to meet Tonks, who'd already set her second spell loose. Macnair was just a moment too late to block it, and his wand flew out of his hand. Mr. Weasley had just stood up to face him when Macnair disapparated.
Mr. Weasley, Tonks and Sirius ran back toward Muriel and Severus in time to see Muriel cast a stunning spell, which Severus deftly deflected in the direction of Lonsberry. Not expecting the attack, he fell, unconscious. Tonks and Arthur reached Lonsberry and brought out a port key to take them back to Grimmauld Place. In a moment they were gone.
Severus looked around anxiously as Sirius arrived next to Muriel. He was sorely tempted to just disappear. He almost couldn't stand the thought of causing her as much pain as she was about to feel, but it was too late, as she had already lifted her wand. He carefully blocked the curse, sending it back at her. Muriel let the curse hit her, even as she watched Sirius begin his duel with Severus. She knew it had to look convincing, but - then the curse kicked in, and she didn't think of anything at all. All she could do was scream.
Sirius grimaced as she let out the first cry, but sent a few curses toward Snape anyway, missing on purpose. As quickly as he could, he let Snape catch him with an unexpectedly harmless curse and fell backward, pulling out his port key as he fell.
Severus faked a gasp as Sirius and Muriel disappeared, then swore loudly. He knew that he would be closely watched now that Mur was back in town. He was grudgingly thankful at that moment to Sirius, who had done his best to make it a convincing act. He buried his regret about the pain Muriel was surely feeling, and apparated back to the Malfoy mansion, hoping that they could get Draco into her presence quickly, so that this would all be over.
"Turning out to be a bad night, wouldn't you say, Severus?" Lucius was standing by a roll-top mahogany desk, several paces behind him. Lucius, who wasn't supposed to be here.
"Indeed," he replied, putting on an even more sour face than usual. "It seems odd that four powerful witches and wizards turned up to prevent the abduction of a single Ministry underling. I can only hope that the others had more luck than we did. Has Macnair arrived yet?"
"The Dark Lord is meeting with him now." As if in response to these words, a shriek rang out somewhere above them. "It seems that he is most displeased with tonight's escapades."
Severus did not allow his expression to change. He hadn't trusted Lucius in many years. "The fool had the blood traitor, Weasley, bound and ready to bring here. But he couldn't wait for me to finish with Lonsberry and Tonks, so he took him and ran. If it hadn't been for his cowardice, we'd have had three important prisoners. Now we have none." With that, Severus joined Lucius at the desk, which he opened to reveal a rather extensive collection of alcoholic beverages. He poured himself a glass of fire whiskey without asking, and sat down to wait, suppressing a cringe as his one-time dorm mate screamed once more.
The next two days passed in a rush of planning. Members of the Order followed the 27 young witches and wizards whose names Snape had provided. Fred and George were covering Percy. Mrs. Weasley had fought this bitterly, of course, but in the end it was decided that, as they were the only members of the family to whom he was speaking, they would serve him best.
Professor McGonagal had arranged for most of the students to return home, or to a friend's house, which brought Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to Grimmauld place. Professor Deesia made sure that Draco Malfoy understood that he was to stay at Hogwarts.
Draco had seemed furious, of course, when his father was sent to Azkaban, forbidding anyone to speak of it, and hexing anyone who did. Once Lucius had escaped, however, he had become more fearful, hardly speaking of his father at all. Professor Deesia remembered talking with Dumbledore about it, only days after Lucius' escape. Draco's situation was so like what Severus had gone through that she just couldn't sit by and do nothing. Dumbledore had agreed that something must be done, and Professor Deesia felt confident that her plan would solve Draco's problem. Even as often as she saw him being cruel to fellow students, she knew that he wasn't won over to Lord Voldemort, not yet anyway.
Christmas Eve arrived. Hogwarts was left with Madam Pomfrey, Madam Hooch, and Professor Flitwick, who presided over dinner, and sent the few remaining students to bed as early as possible.
Mrs. Weasley sat with Muriel and Sirius, having sent Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny to bed. They were the only members of the Order not out watching over Voldemort's intended victims. "I can't believe I'm expected to stay here and look after children while you are all putting yourselves in danger!" she exclaimed, for probably the third time that night. Sirius caught her eye, and she thought she saw a bit of humor there. She fell silent, remembering that it wasn't so very long ago that she'd been scolding him for his restlessness.
They waited in tense silence. George and Fred appeared suddenly in front of them, supporting a very pale Percy Weasley. As Mrs. Weasley jumped up to help George take Percy upstairs, Fred sank into a chair at the table. "He was hit with a stunning spell before we could get there, so we had to bring him home like that. I hated to do it, 'cause I knew it would upset mum. Avery got away."
At the sound of Avery's name, the glass in front of Muriel shattered. Sirius repaired it quickly, ignoring Fred's questioning gaze. Muriel got up to get some more water and nearly bumped into Tonks, who'd arrived alone, looking frazzled.
"Come on, you two, let's go." That was all she said before disappearing again. It took Muriel a moment to remember where Tonks had been stationed, then she, too, disappeared. Fred turned back to Sirius, but found that he was also gone, so instead he headed upstairs to help Mrs. Weasley and George bring Percy around.
Tonks had been stationed with Arthur, following a young man named Lonsberry. He held the job that Percy had first had in the Ministry of Magic. When they arrived, Sirius could see that Lonsberry was dueling with Severus not far from the visitor entrance to St. Mungos. Muriel rushed to join them, and Sirius and Tonks looked around for Mr. Weasley. They found him; bound and being transported by Macnair down an alley a block away. "Finite Incantum," Tonks screamed, flicking her wand at Mr. Weasley, whose bonds disappeared as he fell heavily to the ground. Macnair hissed angrily as he raised his wand to meet Tonks, who'd already set her second spell loose. Macnair was just a moment too late to block it, and his wand flew out of his hand. Mr. Weasley had just stood up to face him when Macnair disapparated.
Mr. Weasley, Tonks and Sirius ran back toward Muriel and Severus in time to see Muriel cast a stunning spell, which Severus deftly deflected in the direction of Lonsberry. Not expecting the attack, he fell, unconscious. Tonks and Arthur reached Lonsberry and brought out a port key to take them back to Grimmauld Place. In a moment they were gone.
Severus looked around anxiously as Sirius arrived next to Muriel. He was sorely tempted to just disappear. He almost couldn't stand the thought of causing her as much pain as she was about to feel, but it was too late, as she had already lifted her wand. He carefully blocked the curse, sending it back at her. Muriel let the curse hit her, even as she watched Sirius begin his duel with Severus. She knew it had to look convincing, but - then the curse kicked in, and she didn't think of anything at all. All she could do was scream.
Sirius grimaced as she let out the first cry, but sent a few curses toward Snape anyway, missing on purpose. As quickly as he could, he let Snape catch him with an unexpectedly harmless curse and fell backward, pulling out his port key as he fell.
Severus faked a gasp as Sirius and Muriel disappeared, then swore loudly. He knew that he would be closely watched now that Mur was back in town. He was grudgingly thankful at that moment to Sirius, who had done his best to make it a convincing act. He buried his regret about the pain Muriel was surely feeling, and apparated back to the Malfoy mansion, hoping that they could get Draco into her presence quickly, so that this would all be over.
"Turning out to be a bad night, wouldn't you say, Severus?" Lucius was standing by a roll-top mahogany desk, several paces behind him. Lucius, who wasn't supposed to be here.
"Indeed," he replied, putting on an even more sour face than usual. "It seems odd that four powerful witches and wizards turned up to prevent the abduction of a single Ministry underling. I can only hope that the others had more luck than we did. Has Macnair arrived yet?"
"The Dark Lord is meeting with him now." As if in response to these words, a shriek rang out somewhere above them. "It seems that he is most displeased with tonight's escapades."
Severus did not allow his expression to change. He hadn't trusted Lucius in many years. "The fool had the blood traitor, Weasley, bound and ready to bring here. But he couldn't wait for me to finish with Lonsberry and Tonks, so he took him and ran. If it hadn't been for his cowardice, we'd have had three important prisoners. Now we have none." With that, Severus joined Lucius at the desk, which he opened to reveal a rather extensive collection of alcoholic beverages. He poured himself a glass of fire whiskey without asking, and sat down to wait, suppressing a cringe as his one-time dorm mate screamed once more.