Chapter 15: "The Cup of Hufflepuff"

Snape sat at his desk and began to compose a letter to the remaining Malfoys.

Dearest Godson,

I am pleased to let you know that I have survived the little incident and am grateful for the assistance which you rendered me in such a timely manner. I desire a meeting with you and/or your mother at the earliest possible time of your convenience. I possess information that you need to know which cannot be sent via owl post. I am in your debt. Please owl me.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

That should do it he mused to himself. McGonagall was not so happy when she was informed that the meeting was all arranged for later that week.

With exasperation in her voice, McGonagall decried, "Severus, this is really too much. We cannot afford to lose you any more than we could afford to lose Harry. You cannot go alone to meet the Malfoys. I forbid it!"

"Who said I was meeting them alone?" Severus smirked. "I'll have Lupin and Tonks inside and Moody and Kingsley outside as backup. Minerva, I have no intention of walking into a trap and getting myself killed. So stop worrying and start drawing up the paperwork to let me go into Hogsmeade this evening."

She shook her head, "The Shrieking Shack. This is insane, but here are the papers along with a temporary apparition license."

Snape tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, "See, that wasn't so hard, was it, Minerva?"

"Wipe that smug grin off your face and don't get yourself killed," McGonagall glowered over her glasses.

"Would never cross my mind," he gestured as he left her office.

"Ach, Albus," she spoke to the portrait, "When will you awaken and tell me what is going on! We have Severus back, but he seems to have become reckless. What shall we do to defeat He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named? Will you please say something!"

The portrait remained mute, but Phineas was willing to speak, "Headmistress, stop worrying Albus. When he's ready, he'll speak to you."

She glared at the other portrait, "Well, have you any clever ideas about capturing these horcruxes that do not involve getting more of my friends and colleagues killed?"

"Sorry, not a one," he said softly. "By the way, I think your friends and colleagues are doing a fine job, so far."

McGonagall grumbled and turned to watch out the window as Snape made his way to the gates. The sun painted the clouds red and purple as it slipped down under the horizon. All she could do was hope and wait for them to return. Harry and Hermione joined her silent vigil.

It was time; Snape apparated into the Shrieking Shack. He could only hope that this was not a trap and that his friends were in place and on time. He never knew with Tonks, but Moody had insisted she come also even though Lupin did not like the idea much himself. He made his way into the large room where years before he had confronted Sirius and Peter. He waited for Malfoy to present himself, so much the better if he came with Narcissa. He was not disappointed when he heard the distinctive "pop" of an apparating wizard and the second "pop" of his mother. Narcissa entered, wand at the ready. Snape was still seated and waiting.

Rising, "Where is Draco?"

"Here," the young man's voice called out. "What was it that was so important that we had to leave out hiding place?"

Snape gestured to the table where the two pieces of Lucius Malfoy's wand lay, "He's dead."

Narcissa fainted. Snape snorted and picked her up and placed her on the bed then addressed Draco.

"Which side do you want to be on?" Snape demanded.

"The winning side, of course," Draco smugly rejoined his godfather.

Snape's eyebrow rose in annoyance. He strolled over to the younger wizard, "Whose side are you on?"

Snape towered over Draco, leaving Draco feeling intimidated.

"You going to take points?" his sarcastic reply tried to bite but failed.

"No, but I will take your life if you aren't more careful," Snape responded.

Draco understood that it was no idle threat, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to tell me what you know about items from the founders that your father may have held or hidden for the Dark Lord," Snape flatly told him.

Draco was at a loss for words and shook his head.

Narcissa weakly responded in his place, "For some time, he had Helga Hufflepuff's goblet hidden in the manor house. But Wormtail retrieved it months ago, shortly before the Ministry searched the house."

"I see. Where did Wormtail take it?"

Narcissa shook her head, "Can you save us, Severus? You must save Draco; you vowed you would!"

"I fulfilled that vow, Narcissa. It cost the Headmaster his life, remember? I am no longer under a compulsion to protect your son," Snape replied tersely.

Narcissa began to weep, "No," she shrieked. "It can't end like this!"

Draco got down on his knees in front of Snape, "Please protect us. If you won't at least make the kill clean."

"Oh so you don't have to go through what I went through on your testimony?"

"I was wrong," Draco nearly wailed. "I was wrong. I thought I was doing the right thing by telling him about Potter, but now I know otherwise. Please, I'm begging you!"

"It's a good thing for you that I'm a forgiving man," Snape sniggered. "Your wands, if you please."

Draco and Narcissa looked at one another hopefully and turned over their wands.

"Let's go," he herded them back out to the apparation point by the Hogwarts gate.

He was soon joined by Moody and Lupin as escorts up to the castle. Narcissa and Draco were locked into vacant chambers in the dungeons. McGonagall, Moody, Lupin, Snape, Harry and Hermione gathered in the Headmistress' office to try and put together this new information.

"Well, I may have a good idea where Wormtail hid the cup now," Snape said triumphantly.

"Where?" Moody gruffly demanded.

"Spinner's End," Snape continued. "The Dark Lord sent him to live with me last summer. The Dark Lord did not trust me not to be a double agent."

"Instinctively wise move," chimed in Hermione, looking at Snape.

He looked at her for a brief moment then continued, "Wormtail has a secret room where he may have stashed it away figuring that it was safe there, even after what happened last spring on the Astronomy Tower."

"And you propose what, Severus?" Moody looked at him with his magic eye.

"I propose that you and I go search for it. When we find it, bring it back here and decide on the best method of destruction. We may not be able to use the veil again," Snape indicated. "We don't want the Ministry to get wind of what we are doing. They will never go along."

"Besides, they have too much paperwork that they would associate with it before we could execute the plan," McGonagall added.

Lupin mentioned, "Yes, I think we did get lucky last time with Malfoy. Alastor did a masterful job of convincing the Minister that Malfoy got loose and rather than go back to Azkaban leapt to his death through the veil."

"We won't get by with that story twice though," Moody commented. "All right, Snape, let's go get the cup. We can decide how to get rid of it when it's under our control."

Snape nodded, glanced at Hermione, and swept out of the room with Moody.