Harry is not going to like this. No, he is definitely NOT going to like this. I wonder how much damage he'd cause if I tell him that he's not allowed outside? I don't think that I want to know. Maybe I will take him and his friends to Albus later on. Take him there, and then tell him. That sounds good.
"Eli!" Severus called out.
Where is that house elf?
"Eli!" There was a very small pop a few feet away.
"Yes Master Snape?" she said.
"Have you found the children?"
"Yes sir, I did. But they has escaped sir. I seen them, but then the staircase moved, and I could not follow."
"Could you have not taken a different staircase?" Sev was starting to doubt the amount of intelligence that this house elf had.
"Oh no sir, this staircase did not move properly. Master Ha- Nigel said out, and the staircase separated fro the castle sir. It floated all the way to the ground floor, and all the others moved out of its way. Then a door appeared, and Master Nigel and his friends went through it. When the staircases were normal again, I followed, but the door was gone sir. Since Master said out, I went outside, and searched everywhere I could think. I was just about to search by gamekeeper Hagrid's house when you called sir."
Severus closed his eyes for a minute, and took a deep breath.
"Eli, you are to get a couple other house elves, and meet me down at Hagrid's hut. We will look there, and the others can go to places I assign them. Do not tell anyone but the couple house elves that you chose that they are missing. Especially not Dumbledore. If he asks you, lie and say that you haven't seen H- Nigel or the Weasley boys."
"Yes, sir Master Snape," Eli said as she popped away. (A/N what do they do? I can't say that they apperate because you can't do so at Hogwarts.)
Severus was part amused, part furious, and part…proud. Now where did that come from?
You're proud because the boy was barely away from you for ten minutes, and he's already missing.
Good Slytherin trait, what can I say?
Severus took multiple passageways, and was soon outside. He ran all the way to Hagrid's hut, a very un-Snape-like thing to do. Emi, and four other house elves were waiting for him patiently. Severus recognized one of them to be Yui, the house elf that practically raised him until he became sixteen.
"Right then, I'm guessing that you all know what this is about," all the elves nodded. "Eli and I will search this area, Eli, you will look everywhere that a toddler can or can't fit. I will talk to Hagrid, and see if that dog of his will help. Yui, and you there, you two will search the other half of the grounds. Finally, the other two of you, will search the castle top to bottom. Don't skip hidden passageways, and password-protected things. Pictures have been known to let little kids in just because they are small. Look especially hard in our chambers, and the Great Hall, for that is where Nigel has been before. If you find anything relevant, report it to me at once."
As each of the elves went to do their job, Severus hurried over to Hagrid's hut, and started pounding on the door.
"Hagrid, it's me, Severus. Open this door at once!" he yelled. A moment later, Hagrid appeared in the doorway.
"Oh, Professor, are you 'ere for the 'ids?"
"You mean that they are all here?" asked Sev.
"No, two are 'tside with Fang, the other two are 'ere. Surely you'd 'ave seen them while comin' over 'ere?" Hagrid looked not the least bit worried.
"You meant that you left a dog in charge of four toddlers?" asked Snape in disbelief.
"No, 'e's only taking' care of two. One seemed too fri'tened to be near the dog, and the other came back to me hut just a minute ago," said Hagrid.
Inside there was a crash, and Hagrid left the door open while he hurried over to the broken cups. In the middle of the mess, one of the twins was grinning widely, and trying to get his younger brother Ron to come as well. Severus was glad to see that the two were all right, but where were Harry and the other twin?
"Oh 'ook 'ere Professor, Fang's commin' back. But it don't look like there's some one on 'is back. They were ridin' him the two that aren't here."
Severus rushed outside, and took a good look at the dog. Its paws were covered in mud and a little cut up. His fur was matted down on his back, and you could see where two children had been sitting. In Fang's fur, there were twins and leaves, along with more dirt.
"Hagrid! Your dog has just been in the forest! What was he doing there?" Sev yelled, panicking.
"I dunno, I spent a while looking' at how he was with the kids. He wouldn't've gone in there by 'imself."
Severus was no longer listening. Harry, and his young friend were somewhere in the forest, with no means of protection what so ever. It was only a matter of minuet before something happened to them. Dark thoughts ran through Severus' mind as he summoned Eli.
"Has Master Snape found young Master Nigel?" she asked.
"No, but I do know that he, and another are in the Forbidden Forest. I also know that there is not much time. I need you to help me find a place where it looks as though a massive dog ran through in a hurry."
"Yes sir, I will look right away."
Both moved closer to the edge of the forest and started carefully scanning the growth for a sign of an animal running through. There were quite a few spots were the grass and bushes were strangely parted of flattened down. Many were too small, a few, too big. Severus was getting more and more worried with every try and every fail. Suddenly he saw it, a paw print. It was the exact shape and size as Fang's. There was a place that looked as though someone fell down, and rolled away. Of course. Why would only one of the twins go? The other must have been able to stay on, along with Harry, and the one that is at Hagrid's must have fallen here.
"Eli, I think that this is it," said Severus as he lit his wand.
Slowly the man and the elf crept along the path that Fang had followed. Every so often, a creature would stir the silence, and cause Severus to jump in fright. After a while, the paw prints left the path. Snape looked deep into the forest. Fang's tracks were now harder to follow, as the tall grass, and shrubs now hid them. There was an occasional fallen tree here, Making Severus think once more about the sort of creatures that could be found here. Ten more minutes were spent going through the growth, taking turns and detours when the paw prints did.
"Master Snape, look," Eli pointed to a small clump of flattened grass. "I is thinking that they fell off here sir."
"I think so too Eli, but where have they gone? I don't see any footprints, human footprints that is. There are a few here that are most likely from a centaur, but other than that I don't know. What do you think Eli?"
"Eli?" Severus repeated when he received no answer.
"Trespassers are not welcome in this Forest," said a very cold voice from behind him.
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I know, a bit of a cliffie, but I think that you have some idea of whom might be behind Sev. I am very, VERY impressed with the number of reviews. Maybe later on I'll make goals and won't update until you reach them.
~Miki
