"Harry."

The low voice, a cross between amused and chiding, was exactly what he had expected to hear.

Harry crossed his arms, planted his feet and filled the doorway as much as his slight frame would allow. "Don't 'Harry' me. I know what I saw."

"Eavesdropping has never done anyone good."

"Funny, it's saved my life more than a few times. Dunno if you consider that good or not, but."

Remus tilted his head as he took Harry in, then he sighed and pushed a drawer of his desk open. Pulling out a clear bottle of deep amber liquid, he gestured at Harry. "Come in and sit at least. I don't like talking to you from across the room."

Harry glanced out the door, just to make sure there was no evil greasy vampire dwelling in the shadows listening to his accusations. Snape tended to hear things he shouldn't have been able to. He moved through the doorway and shut the door. "You're not going to ply me with liquor and try to talk down to me, are you?"

"Yes and no." Remus smiled. "I'm going to ply you with liquor and talk to you. I'm sure you'll decide whether I'm talking down to you or not. Harry...I don't know how much I should even bother to say. You know by now that Severus is not evil. He's not one of the people we're fighting. He is on our side. He has sacrificed a good deal to the Order, and frankly the fact that you would level an accusation like this is disappointing."

Harry winced, trying not to let that sting. "I know you think he's a bloody saint for some reason."

"I never said that."

"Fine. But you think he's good. I don't. If he was so good he wouldn't have left us to the fighting. He's probably only with us now because he knows we've won."

"Don't be cynical, Harry."

Harry's eyebrows went up.

Remus chuckled and poured a couple of fingers of amber into the two glasses he set on his desk. "Fine. Just tell me why you think he's holding Seamus prisoner."

"Because I heard them! I saw Seamus! Snape keeps plying him with some potion, and he doesn't want to take it. He was scared of Snape when I saw them, and Snape was sure trying his best to bully him. It was sick."

"Isn't there a chance you misinterpreted what you saw? Every time I've seen Seamus he looks rather overly cheerful."

"That's just Seamus. Anyway, this potion probably makes him think he's happy." Harry realized how that sounded and pinked. He grabbed his glass and sat back, holding it in both palms. "Whatever it is, it's not right."

Remus studied him.

Harry met his gaze. He knew what he had seen. He knew when someone was a victim of bullying and fright. He had seen it in Neville Longbottom's face every day for years thanks to Snape, and now he saw it in Seamus.

"I don't know why, alright? I don't know how they even ran into each other again. I know Snape's on our side, but isn't there a chance that he's still got some Death Eater in him? He did join Voldemort willingly, he admits that. He must have hurt people, and he must have enjoyed it. Even if he changed his mind he can't change that part of him." Harry spoke with complete sincerity. People who killed and hurt and got pleasure from it were evil. Simple as that.

Harry had been in his share of fights. He had been on the delivering end of pain, of death in one case. He knew that anyone who had been through a battle and wanted more had something wrong with them.

Snape relished hurting people. He liked making children cry. He liked that Neville was terrified, that so many people were terrified.

Something was wrong with him. And that something made him perfectly capable of holding Seamus against his will.

The only question in Harry's mind was what to do about it.

Remus sighed, as if he had read all those thoughts in Harry's mind and knew to surrender. "Will you promise me something?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Maybe."

Remus leaned in. "Talk to them. To Seamus at least. Before you do anything you might regret, talk to Seamus."

Harry wanted to argue - if Seamus were being controlled he wouldn't answer honestly, and what would be gained? But Remus seemed serious, and looked so tired sitting there that Harry found himself nodding. "Fine. Then will you help me?"

"Talk to him, or find some kind of proof. Then I'll take it to Albus."

Harry was on his way to hunt down Seamus and get some answers from him when a familiar house elf appeared in front of him, eyes so wide they looked a moment away from popping out of its head.

"Mr. Harry Potter! You is coming with me, please!"

Harry frowned. He was on a mission, damn it. "Where do I need to go?"

"To Dumbledore! He is wanting badly to see you."

Harry sighed but changed direction to head to Dumbledore's office. "What's going on?"

"Poddy is not knowing, sir. Poddy is seeing a strange man and is seeing Dumbledore acting very odd, sir!"

"Brilliant. What bloody crisis..." He moved faster though, as the house elf vanished.

A minute later he found Snape himself striding through the corridor ahead of him.

Harry sneered instantly and sped up. He just hoped his hatred showed on his face. "Wants to see you, too, does he? Can't imagine why."

"Because he has more sense than a spiteful child," came the retort. Snape didn't look at him, just moved faster. His long legs carried him ahead of Harry, who sped up again in sheer defiance.

"If it's something bad are you going to run and hide again?"

Snape scowled but didn't answer.

Harry was practically jogging to keep up. "Where's Seamus?" he asked, words sharp.

Snape stopped dead, wheeling back to glower at Harry. "He is resting," came the answer, low and so cold it nearly puffed like frost in front of him. "You will leave him alone."

"I doubt that," Harry answered, lifting his chin and moving ahead.

A familiar man sat in Dumbledore's office, grinning at Harry as he came in. "Oi, hero. Nice to see you again."

Harry stopped, recognizing the odd, scruffy guide from the Department of Mysteries. He moved further into the office, seeking out Dumbledore. "Dom, right?"

"Aye it is. He's not here, mate, he's gone on the the Ministry to check on something. Back in a flash, I'll bet."

"Right." Harry didn't turn as Snape came through the door a moment later. He turned his eyes to the Unspeakable. "What are you doing here?"

Snape cursed under his breath behind Harry as he caught sight of the other man. Harry wondered suddenly if the rest of the world was supposed to go on believing Snape was dead.

Dom shrugged. "The old man'll tell you when he gets back."

Remus pounded through the door, looking around and taking in everyone with alert grey eyes. He showed a flash of surprise when he saw Dom, but didn't comment. "Does anyone know what's happening? The house elves didn't say much."

"Not yet."

The fire burst into life, and every person in the room save Dom tensed and watched. Percy Weasley moved in, followed instantly by Albus Dumbledore.

"Right." Percy looked around until he spied Dom, and he frowned. "You came here?"

Dom shrugged, slouched in his chair. "Nowhere else."

"It's alright. He's perfectly safe." Albus spoke as he moved around his desk.

"It's not him I'm worried about."

Albus went on, ignoring Percy. He didn't look grave, but his usual cheer wasn't there. "Death Eaters have made their first attempt to free Voldemort."

Harry frowned. "It was only a matter of time. I thought he was safe where he was."

"So did we," Percy answered primly. "He should have been."

"What happened?" Remus asked, as usual getting right to the point.

"Two Unspeakables, the regular guards at Voldemort's door, were murdered. They were found a few corridors away from Voldemort's prison, which means we're unsure if the killers now know Voldemort's precise location or not. But his guard has been doubled and the Ministry is watching its halls much closer now."

"Potter's right. It was only a matter of time." Snape's eyes flashed to Dom, then back to Dumbledore. He didn't look pleasant at all.

Albus nodded. "Young Dominic was trained to show the ways through the Department of Mysteries. He was one of the few who could find that doorway, so naturally he is being sought for questioning."

"You're hiding him here? Do you doubt the Ministry's judgement?"

"Severus. I offer Dominic the same protection I offer anyone. He assures me he had nothing to do with the attack. The Ministry, I'm afraid, will not give him as much consideration as a normal suspect."

"Why not?" Snape's eyes dug into the man. Lke he was dissecting with his eyes to find the good bits for some potion or another, Harry found himself thinking.

Dom faced that look with a raised eyebrow. He held up his arm and tugged at his sleeve, revealing a black line across the inside of his wrist.

Harry's eyes flashed to Remus instantly.

His adopted godfather paled but nodded. His own matching tag, a series of small tattooed numbers given rather brutally by the Ministry to Remus and all like him, was hidden by his robes. "You're a werewolf."

"That's what they tell me."

Remus's eyes widened and he smiled suddenly, incongruous with the situation. "That's where I know you from! Of course!"

Dom flashed a quickfire grin. "That'd be it, mate. Sorry I didn't remind you before, but it doesn't pay to go bragging about being bitten when the only way you have your job is to make sure no one finds out."

Remus nodded, understanding on his face. "Harry, you remember Dom, don't you? He shared a room in St. Mungo's with Arthur a few years ago when Arthur was attacked."

Harry studied the man for a moment, but shrugged. He remembered Mr. Weasley in the hospital. They had been too busy with Ron's dad to pay the silent man in the other bed much attention. But he remembered Remus going over and spending time talking to the man once he found out he was put there by a werewolf bite.

"You look better," Remus said to Dom.

Dom sat up, covering his tag again. "Couldn't get much worse then I was back then."

"Can the wolves please leave the room if they want to sniff each other? There are more important things to discuss."

Harry glared at Snape. "Like what? The situation is what it is. They tried to free Voldemort. They'll try again. Now they have a better idea where he is. What's to discuss?"

"Shut your ignorant mouth for five minutes, and you may find out."

"Severus. Harry. I'm afraid you're both wrong. There is much more to discuss, Harry. But not at the moment. It is the end of a long day, and I'm sure our guest is tired. For now all that needs to be said is that the time frame on this matter is more narrow than we suspected."