Disclaimer:  They aren't mine.  Not now…not ever.  Anything recognizable belongs to JKR and Company.  Anything else is simply me having a bit of fun!

A Tense Situation

~Chapter Sixteen~

Hermione instinctively took a small step back when she saw the looming presence of the Death Eaters standing underneath the rickety splintered wood of the aged doorway.  Realizing that she couldn't possibly hope to overpower her assailants, who had the distinct advantage of already having their wands drawn and aimed at both Ron and herself, she surreptitiously moved her hand away from the seam in her skirt lest they discover the spare wand.  Although logic dictated that this was not the time to attempt a heroic escape, she still held onto a small shard of hope that a better opportunity would eventually present itself in which she might take her captors by surprise and hex them into oblivion as she and Ron ran for safety.  It was a long shot and not very likely to happen given the preparedness of the Death Eaters thus far, but she refused to let go of hope completely. 

'Perhaps if they believe us to be truly weak and defenseless then they will grow careless and an opportunity will present itself sooner,' she thought, pasting a terrified expression on her face for the benefit of the advancing Death Eaters that were now within inches of the speechless Gryffindors.  Much to her dismay and disgust, she realized that her terrified expression came more from genuine emotion than of any plans to lure the masked thugs into a state of over confidence. 

'You're a Gryffindor,' she chanted angrily to herself, 'What would Harry do in such a situation?'  Oddly enough though, and possibly even more startling than the situation in which she currently found herself in, the image of dark hair that formed in her mind did not belong to her childhood friend but rather to a dark and brooding man that had spent the last seven years taunting and pushing her to no end.  She audibly gasped as her mind formed a rather clear picture of a frowning Potions Master and she wondered why her psyche would turn from the warm feelings that thoughts of her best friend usually provoked and choose to seek solace in the guise of a man who had given her no reason to trust him.

'But he has,' the nagging voice in the back of her mind mocked, reminding her of the many times in which the Potions Master had intervened on the Dream Team's behalf over the years.  She shifted from one foot to the other in response to her mental wanderings; uncomfortable with the direction her thoughts had taken.

'And didn't he go against the Headmaster's plan and decide to use the Pensieve rather than an Obliviate?' the voice continued, driving its point home in the mind of its reluctant recipient.

The truth of the matter slammed into her conscious mind with the same effect of a bucket of cold water that had been tossed in her face; She actually respected Severus Snape and not just as a Professor and teacher, but as a human being and a formidable Wizard.  Of course she had always respected his intellectual abilities and his obvious mastery of his chosen field of study, but she had never thought about the taciturn man in any other respect even though she had seen the proof of his true character time after time as he performed his duties for the Order of the Phoenix.  The fact that he volunteered for such duties when others would have fled in fear forced her to grudgingly admit that there was more to the man than she and her friends had given him credit for.  How many times had she seen him return to Grimmauld Place the previous summer riddled with the after effects of the Cruciatus?  He certainly hadn't answered the Dark Lord's summons for fun and the scraps of information he had brought back had saved more than one life since Voldemort's resurrection.  Furthermore, she had never heard him whine or complain about his role in the war. 

'Too many times,' her conscience muttered in response to her ponderings, acknowledging for the first time the extent of personal hardships that her dour Professor must have endured for the sake of others.  And hadn't he once again been ready to risk his own life by playing this game with Voldemort and presenting them to the snake like monster that demanded a pledge of loyalty from his long time servant? 

'He could have just ignored Dumbledore and the Dark Lord and gone into hiding under the Fidelius charm to live out a quieter existence,' the nagging voice whispered, taunting her once again with a truth she hadn't faced.  'He knew that this plan of the Headmaster's was faulty and yet he still was willing to risk his life in the name of the Cause.'

She was really becoming tired of that nagging voice in her head but honesty prevented her from ignoring the truth behind the words; unspoken though they had been. 

'It all makes sense now,' she mentally whispered, as her eyes grew wide in astonishment.  She had always associated Harry with the emotions of strength and courage when standing up to Voldemort and knew that such an association probably stemmed from her close proximity to the Boy-Who-Lived and the repeated close encounters that he had faced over the years.  However, Harry himself had always claimed that his success was more a case of luck than actual talent and although Hermione felt that her friend was selling himself short in the talent department, she had to acknowledge the fact that Harry's success was not his alone but rather the combined actions of many people working together; people that had not been publicly acknowledged for their contributions though her friend had tried repeatedly to change that fact.

"The Daily Prophet insists on making everyone believe that it was all me," he had proclaimed with disgust time after time as each new story appeared in the newspaper detailing his encounters against the Dark.

"The Wizarding world needs a hero, Harry, and it looks like they've decided that you're it," she had answered him one time and was met with a fervent nod from Ron and a disgruntled look from Harry. 

"Besides, it's a well known fact that stories about 'The Boy-Who-Lived' sell more papers," she had told him.  "You don't expect them to stop now, do you?"

"I can hope, can't I?" he had replied, crestfallen as he looked at a smiling picture of himself standing underneath a bold caption on the front page of the wizard paper.  He had slammed the paper down on the table and left the Great Hall when the picture grinned and started waving to him. 

And now her mind was supplying her with an image that her subconscious had already picked up on:  Severus Snape, despite all of his snarky, ill-tempered ways, was someone she could trust in such a situation.  He wasn't the stereotypical hero that most Witches might think of but he was one nonetheless.  She snickered knowing that the Potions Master would deduct all of Gryffindor's House Points if he ever learned of her current thoughts.  

'So I need to ask myself what Professor Snape would do in this situation,' she thought, as the strong, vice-like grip of the taller Death Eater clasped her upper left arm and roughly pushed her ahead of him toward the doorway.  Fighting back her Gryffindor nature of reigning Hell upon her assailant in the form of a verbal assault, she bit back the string of words that swiftly jumped to mind and concentrated on her previous question. 

'What would Professor Snape do if he were captured and being held in an unknown location by an unknown enemy?' she pondered and squelched the tiny smile that threatened to break across her face as the answer presented itself.

'He would bide his time, assess the situation, examine his surroundings and study the strengths and weaknesses of his adversaries,' she realized, almost kicking herself for not seeing the advantages of such actions sooner.  While Gryffindor heroism was good and handy in many instances, she realized that she and Ron would never survive a direct assault against their captors at this particular moment in time.  The Death Eaters were far too prepared and even though they had little doubts regarding their own superiority, Hermione knew that they expected their captives to make a last ditch effort for freedom.

'Well, I haven't spent the last seven years surrounded by Slytherins for nothing,' she thought, looking around the slightly larger room in which she had been so rudely 'escorted' to.  Perhaps she and Ron could gain some valuable information that they could take back to the Headmaster; or rather, that Ron could take back to the Headmaster, as she had no doubt that sooner or later the older wizard would be forced to activate the Perattrahere spell.  A sad smile lurked behind her eyes as she thought of Ron being whisked back to Hogwarts while she remained a guest of the tall man in the corner that she was now convinced was Lucius Malfoy. At least her friend would be safe and if it was her time to die then she would accept her sentence when the time came. 

'But you won't accept it quietly,' the voice whispered to her agitated mind once again and she fought the urge to grab hold of the extra wand and make a break for freedom.

'Slytherin tactics,' she reminded herself, knowing that getting them both killed would solve nothing at this point in time. 

'Watch, listen and learn, Miss Granger,' a silky baritone voice whispered to her.  A small gasp escaped her lips and she quickly looked around before realizing that the voice that sounded so much like her Potions Master was coming from her mind and not from the man himself.

'First my mind conjures up the man's face and then I start hearing his voice.  I must be losing it,' she thought sagely, wondering whether or not the Death Eaters had cast some sort of strange spell or slipped her an unknown potion while she had been unconscious.  A quick shake of her head cleared such thoughts and she once again began cataloguing her surroundings though she clinically noted that there was very little that was noteworthy other than the dark robed men in masks and the smaller person shrouded in anonymity behind voluminous black robes in the far corner.  Something about the person seemed oddly familiar but she didn't have the time right now to concentrate upon what that something might be. 

'Could this be the mysterious stranger that the Professor and the Headmaster had spoken of?' she wondered nervously.   

A quick look at the robed Death Eaters stationed throughout the room did nothing to soothe her nerves and she realized if one of the people present had taken her bracelet that they were being careful not to leave it lying around.  She tried to fight back the wave of discouragement that threatened to engulf her as she realized that this particular avenue of escape was firmly out of her grasp.       

Assuming Hermione's unusual silence meant that she had been hurt by the rough treatment of the Death Eater that had entered their cell, Ron lunged toward the robed man in retaliation.  He was within a scant few inches of the minion when he felt his head jerked back as the second Death Eater grabbed the irate young man by a fistful of red hair.  A sharp slap to the face nearly knocked the Gryffindor to his knees and he felt himself being unceremoniously shoved toward the door.  A sudden pain sprinted through his ankle as his foot caught on a jagged piece of the shabby flooring and he bit back a cry of anguish, knowing that his injury would only serve to further amuse their captors.

"Careful, boy," the shorter of the two Death Eaters snarled and a shudder ran down Ron's spine as he heard the underlying note of hate that garnished the older man's voice.  "We were told to bring you to the Master alive but no one said anything about keeping you in good health."

The young man's face paled although it was barely noticeable in the dimly lit room.  Giving his captors a final, defiant glare, he straightened himself up and followed Hermione into the next room.     

As the Gryffindor students stood in what appeared to be the main living area of a small shack, one of the four Death Eaters stepped forward with slow, deliberate movements.  A black, leather clad finger gently traced the outline of Hermione's jaw and a chuckle escaped his mouth as he saw Ron strain against the Death Eater that was holding him against his will. 

"I am so pleased that the two of you could join our festivities this evening," the man drawled in a well-cultured accent.  Each word was emphasized with a whisper soft touch that belied the malice that Hermione knew lurked behind the man's eyes. 

"After all, I have gone to such trouble to personally deliver your invitations," he continued, his growing anger hidden behind his mask as his newest toy refused to show fear or back her gaze down at either his touch or his words.  Obviously, he was going to have a chance to have more fun with the Mudblood than he had originally thought and her defiance would make her final capitulation all the sweeter as far as he was concerned.

"You could have saved yourself the trouble, Lucius," she remarked casually, never averting her eyes from his.  "After all, I doubt there is anything at this party that we would really be interested in."  

Hermione could almost feel her heart leap out of her chest but she reminded herself to stay calm and collected despite the obvious danger they were in.  She had seen Professor Snape use cutting words and sarcasm throughout the years to his advantage and she hoped that her unexpected attitude might anger the Death Eater into giving out more information than he might have intended.  He was certainly boastful enough and confident in his own supremacy that he might not see any harm in divulging his plans if only to further scare her about her upcoming fate.

"Oh, but there will be so much that I will be interested in," he whispered, placing his body in direct contact with hers and casually leaning over to where his lips rested next to her ear. He delighted in the twisted expression of rage and grief that crossed her companion's face at his actions and toyed with the idea of letting the boy watch his friend's part in the upcoming Revel before dispatching of him in an appropriate manner.  A final, impudent caress of Hermione's body and the man stepped back to wonder at her unexpected attitude.  Defiance but seemingly without fear… it was a delicious concept and one that had his mouth salivating with anticipation.   

He had expected defiance given her Gryffindor nature, but he had not expected the casual attitude she displayed in the face of the threatening situation in which he had deliberately placed her and her traitorous friend, especially given how quick she was to strike back in Flourish and Blotts at the beginning of her second year.  He had barely provoked her and she had immediately retaliated with that silly adage about the 'fear of a name only perpetuating fear of the thing itself'.  His lip curled ever so slightly as he openly studied her.  Yes, he would break her if not by subtle intimidation then by outright violence but one way or another the Mudblood would learn her place by the time he was through with her.  It was inevitable not only for her but for the rest of the Mudbloods who dared think they had the right to aspire to be more than what nature had chosen to make of them.

They were less than nothing.  

"So you have figured out my identity," he parried calmly, removing his mask and ignoring the shocked postures of his fellow cohorts who left their own masks firmly in place.  "I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised, given your vaunted intellect."

"It wasn't exactly difficult," she murmured nonchalantly, hoping to further goad him. "Perhaps you should have considered a voice glamour.  After all, it isn't a complicated spell, now is it? Any First Year could accomplish it."

'Remain calm.  Keep him talking and look for an escape,' the voice whispered to her once again.    

She noted the astonished look on Ron's face and the glower that now emanated from Lucius Malfoy.  Perhaps her plan might work provided she didn't anger Malfoy to the point that he killed her on the spot and from the tightening of his lips, she decided that if she were to succeed, or at least stay alive for a little while longer, than she would have to tone her act down just a bit. 

'This Slytherin cunning game is harder than it looks,' she thought, grimacing ever so slightly.  'Maybe the Professor snaps at us so much because he's worn out by all of these silly games.'

It was a thought that she didn't have time to ponder as she realized that Malfoy had begun giving orders to the other Death Eaters.  Moments later, each flanked by two Death Eaters while Lucius Malfoy led the way with the unknown figure, Hermione and Ron found themselves escorted out of the shack and roughly guided through the less than manicured land of this particular part of the Malfoy properties. 

They had barely begun their journey when a bright white light appeared without warning; its sheer intensity momentarily blinding those who looked at it.  Seconds later, Hermione and the others gasped as they heard Ronald Weasley unexpectedly cry out and fall face down on the jagged terrain of the land under their feet, clutching his stomach as if in extreme pain.

/^\^/^\^/^\

Harry Potter entered the office of Albus Dumbledore and gasped at the scene that was playing out before his eyes.  He could feel the immense power that radiated from the Headmaster as the wizard chanted a haunting cadence of words that Harry couldn't even begin to identify.  The light that shone from the crystal of the talisman clutched in his weathered fingers was growing by the second and before The-Boy-Who-Lived could make his way over to the Potions Master to demand an explanation, Dumbledore cried out and fell face down on his desk as the light engulfed both himself and the area immediately surrounding him.

Rushing over to his mentor he was astonished to see the unmoving form of Ron Weasley sprawled across the carpet.  He too was lying face down and Harry noticed how his friend's hands wrapped around his midsection as if he had been in pain before suddenly appearing on the floor of the Headmaster's office.  Turning the young man over ever so gently, he was surprised to see what looked to be a light emanating from the buckle that adorned the leather belt he wore. 

'That's odd,' Harry thought as he watched the light slowly fade into nothingness, 'I don't remember him owning a buckle like that.'          

His attention was momentarily diverted from his friend as he heard the Potions Master tersely order Draco Malfoy to hurry to the infirmary and bring back Madam Pomfrey along with two vials of Restorative potion.  He was even more surprised to see the blond Slytherin immediately comply and nearly choked at the look of concern that rested on the young man's face as he took one last look at the unconscious forms of Albus Dumbledore and Ronald Weasley before grimly exiting the office and carrying out his mission.

"What happened here, Professor?" Harry asked the Potions Master who had withdrawn his wand and was now in the process of muttering several incantations over the unmoving form of the Headmaster.  "Why is Ron here and why are they unconscious?"

Silence was his only answer as the Slytherin now moved to Ron and began uttering the same incantations over the Gryffindor's still form. 

Looking around with trepidation, Harry voiced the next question to pop into his head. 

"Where's Hermione?"        

Having completed his incantations, Snape directed his gaze at the Gryffindor without even bothering to hide his irritation. 

"Mr. Potter, if you would cease with your annoying questions and let me finish my work here then perhaps I would be so inclined as to tell you what has transpired during your absence."

Harry grimaced but remained silent while watching the man glance around the office as if he were looking for something.  Much to his dismay he was soon to discover that Snape was not looking for something but rather someone:  Someone that wasn't to be found.

"She should be here," the Professor muttered and a feeling of dread began to form in the pit of his stomach.  "Weasley is here so the spell obviously worked but where is Granger?  If she took that trinket off after I expressly told her not to…"

"Where's Hermione?" Harry demanded, having stood by long enough without answers to what he considered to be very important questions.  He could only assume that something had gone wrong in the dungeons and that somehow Ron and Hermione had become separated from Snape despite the fact that they were supposed to attend the meeting with Voldemort together.  He had seen the talisman that Dumbledore had been clutching and after seeing the unfamiliar belt buckle on Ron's person, he quickly added two and two together and came up with the Perattrahere spell.  Apprehension began to take hold of him as his mind reasoned that if Snape were still at Hogwarts and Dumbledore had to use the Perattrahere spell earlier than planned…  well, the answer was adding up to disaster and he cursed himself for not insisting that he remain with his friends even if his presence had to be concealed underneath his father's Invisibility Cloak.  What could have possibly happened that had caused this and why was Snape looking for Hermione if she had been with Ron?  By Harry's reasoning, if Dumbledore had cast the summoning spell then both of his friends should have returned at the same time.  Turning to Snape he decided that the time had come to firmly demand some answers and he was in no mood to deal with the man's black moods. As far as Harry was concerned, Snape owed him answers and the stubborn Slytherin was going to start talking right now.

"Shut up, Potter!" Snape nearly shouted as he attempted to figure out what could have gone wrong.  Although he had never cast the Perattrahere spell himself, he knew enough about it to know that Albus had performed the incantation correctly.  Therefore, the only conclusion that made any sense at all was that Granger had removed the bracelet that formed the connection between herself and Dumbledore. 

'But why would she do such a thing?' he silently questioned.  The girl was annoying certainly, but she wasn't dim witted despite his words to the contrary throughout the years.  And he had more than stressed the importance of leaving the trinket on her person at all times.  It just didn't make any sense.

'Unless someone else removed it,' a voice whispered inside his mind.  A frown crossed his face as he realized that this was the only option that made any sense given the nature of the girl in question.  Impetuous and annoying though she was, she would not have removed the bracelet without good reason, especially given the fact that Death Eaters had abducted her.  The bracelet would have served as her best, if not only, hope for escaping to safety. 

'But why would someone take the trinket unless they recognized it for what it was?' his ever questioning mind continued to fathom the dilemma presented to him.  'Surely they would have realized that Weasley would have a talisman as well?' 

'Unless they didn't know what it was and took it for a different reason,' the analytical part of his ever-active mind theorized.     

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Madam Pomfrey who was followed closely by Draco Malfoy and a slightly out of breath Minerva McGonagall.  Upon seeing the unconscious forms of both the Headmaster and one of her prized Gryffindors, the Transfigurations Professor ran across the room to check their condition.

Madam Pomfrey had hurried over to the Headmaster's still form and was currently taking readings with her wand in much the same way that the Potions Master had done earlier. With a rather pointed look towards Harry and Snape, she instantly demanded to know what had happened to cause their current state of unconsciousness.

"He cast the Perattrahere spell," the Potions Master replied stiffly, turning to glare at McGonagall when he heard her gasp of dismay.

"Then that means…" the Transfigurations professor began, only to be interrupted by Snape.

"That something went wrong," he acknowledged tersely.  "Yes."

Not one to miss much of anything, his colleague looked around the room and noticed that one of her Gryffindors was missing. 

"Where's Miss Granger?" she asked, dreading the answer that she could see hidden in the depths of the Potions Master's eyes.  It was obvious that he was upset by the situation and his apparent worry, masked though it was from those who didn't know him well, frightened her as she knew the man was not one to panic in even the most dire of situations.  The fact that Hermione Granger was not there with the rest of her group only furthered her conviction that something had indeed gone terribly wrong. 

"Miss Granger's present whereabouts are still a mystery at this time," Snape replied quietly, his attention returning to the Medi-witch as she poured the vial of Restorative potion down the Headmaster's throat and muttered Enervate.  "It is my hope that Mr. Weasley will be able to provide us with additional information on the matter as soon as he is conscious."

"Why weren't they with you in the first place?" Harry demanded, turning to glare at the dark haired man.  "You were supposed to protect them!"

"That will be enough, Potter," Snape thundered, drawing the attention of the entire room's occupants including several of the former Headmasters' who had been looking on with interest from their portraits.  "Two Death Eaters appeared in the dungeons and abducted them by Portkey.  Obviously, the incantation that you so rudely walked in on earlier was the Perattrahere spell.  It would have been the easiest way to recover your friends and still attempt to salvage something worthwhile out of this fiasco.  Unfortunately, Miss Granger did not return as expected."

"Why wouldn't she return with Ron?" the Boy-Who-Lived questioned, trying desperately to restrain his temper.  "Wasn't she given a talisman too?"

"Of course she was, Potter, but for some reason it either didn't work or it was removed," the Potions Master snarled.

"It was removed," a weak voice interrupted the conversation and all eyes turned to see the now reclining form of Ronald Weasley.  "When we woke up from wherever it is the Death Eaters took us, we noticed that they had taken Hermione's bracelet.  We never did get a chance to figure out who took it though."

"Bracelet?" Draco asked, trying to follow the conversation.

"The Headmaster provided both Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger with a talisman so that he could summon them back in the event that our plans went awry," the Head of Slytherin answered.  "Obviously, our plans did indeed go awry but Miss Granger didn't appear in answer to the summons as her bracelet, which was the talisman in disguise, had been removed from her person."

"Pansy," Draco muttered, remembering the conversation he had heard earlier when he was eavesdropping on Pansy and Blaise in the Slytherin dormitory.

"What?" Harry asked, now more confused than ever and desperately worried for his friend.  Leaving her alone in the company of Death Eaters had not been part of the deal and he didn't know whether to blame Snape or Dumbledore for this latest mess.

"Pansy took a bracelet from Granger in the dungeons as a souvenir of today's events," Draco explained.  "I heard her telling Blaise that she was keeping it and that if anyone asked about it that she would say she had found it in the dungeons."

"But if Pansy is wearing the bracelet then why didn't she appear here in the Headmaster's office when he cast the incantation?" Harry asked, looking to Snape for additional answers. 

"Because the talisman is enchanted to recognize the link between Miss Granger's DNA and the Headmaster's DNA," the Potions Master snapped, understanding what had gone wrong and vowing to strangle Pansy for her intolerable vanity.  "That was the reason for the strands of hair from each of us that were placed in the talismans.  The Headmaster's talisman contained a strand of my own hair as well as strands of both Mr. Weasley's and Miss Granger's hair since he would be the one to cast the spell while each of our talismans only contained a strand of the Headmaster's hair.  That was what established the link.  The incantation activated the connection between the talismans and sent out a burst of magical energy that would identify the DNA and compare it to that of the person who was wearing it.  If the DNA failed to match its predefined target then nothing will have happened other than perhaps a nasty shock to Pansy."

"That's why I felt the pain in my stomach," Ron exclaimed, still sore from the experience.

"Correct, Mr. Weasley," Snape absently replied.  "That along with the effect of transporting you back to this location.  In that respect the talisman operates in a similar manner to a standard Portkey."

"And that's why Dumbledore cried out just before he passed out," Harry said, finally understanding some of what was happening around him.  "But, Professor Snape, if the Headmaster's talisman contained hairs from all three of you then why didn't you feel any pain or pass out? You are wearing a talisman too."

"Because I was already here," Snape explained, though his patience was running thin as a result of so many questions.  Didn't the boy realize that his friend was still in danger and that the longer they stood here talking about it the more likely it was that she would be harmed?

"The Perattrahere spell requires a large amount of magical energy, Harry," the strained voice of the Headmaster broke into the conversation, having been revived and administered to by the concerned Medi-witch that was still hovering over him like a concerned mother hen.  "The greater the distance between the person to be summoned and the instigator of the summons, the more energy the spell requires.  Evidently, Lucius had taken your friends to a place that was a fair distance away.  Either that or I am getting older and weaker than I thought."

"Mr. Weasley," Snape questioned in a stilted voice, "Were you still at the servant's shack when the Headmaster enacted the Perattrahere spell?"

"No, we had just left," Ron replied, rising to a standing position and leaning against the wall for support.  "There were five Death Eaters including Lucius Malfoy and one other person that was hidden underneath a dark cloak.  I can't say who that person was because they remained hidden under the cloak and no one addressed them directly."

"How long had you been walking once you left the shack?" Draco asked with concern.

"Why should he trust you, Malfoy?" Harry spat, angry at hearing of his father's involvement in Ron and Hermione's kidnapping. 

"Because right now, Potter, I'm the only one that knows the exact location where my father took your idiot friends and what wards are surrounding the place," the blond Slytherin replied with a sneer.

Seeing that hostilities were about to break out at any second, Dumbledore took a leap of faith by holding up his hand and ordering everyone to have a seat.  After kindly thanking Madam Pomfrey for her ministrations but firmly dismissing her with orders that she wasn't to repeat any of what she had heard, the Headmaster turned his attention to Harry and Ron.  Dumbledore then calmly explained that Draco had been assisting the Order in keeping an eye on Voldemort for the past several months.  However, it wasn't until he relayed the story of how Draco had overheard Blaise and Pansy discussing his father's plans for Ron and Hermione that the boys calmed down enough to tentatively trust the Slytherin and hesitantly offer their cooperation. 

"They kept us in the shack for a while although we were unconscious so I couldn't really say how long we were there," Ron offered.  "We had only been walking for ten, maybe fifteen, minutes before this bright light appeared around me and I fell to the ground.  The next thing that I remember was waking up here."

"Father is taking them to the Dark Lord," Draco said, turning his attention toward Snape.  "He has anti-apparition wards all around the shack and it's about a twenty minute walk to reach the barrier.  He'll Apparate from there."

"Then it's too late," Ron whispered, feeling the sting of tears behind his eyes as he thought about Hermione being left all alone to face the Death Eaters. 

"No, it's not, Mr. Weasley, although this certainly complicates matters," the Potions Master responded thoughtfully.

"You're not thinking of walking into a Revel full of Death Eaters and carrying her out of there!" Draco exclaimed, knowing instinctively by the look on his Head of House's face that this was exactly what Snape was planning.  "You'll blow your cover and you'll both end up dead."

"Perhaps," was the contemplative man's laconic response.

"It cannot happen, Severus," Dumbledore interjected, hanging his head with despair.  "If you fail to show up with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger then Voldemort will determine that you are no longer loyal to his Cause and he will kill you. It might have worked had they both returned but I fear that our previous discussion is now impossible and I refuse to allow two deaths this night if I can avoid it."

"Hermione and I thought about that though and we decided that if she couldn't get back through the Pettra..  the pretta… oh bloody hell!  If we both couldn't get back through that spell thing then Professor Snape could take me to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named instead and claim that Lucius Malfoy set him up," Ron argued looking directly to the Potions Master as if his mere gaze would will the man into accepting this opportunity.

Snape held Ron's gaze for what seemed to be an eternity before replying to his words.  He was astounded that Weasley and Granger had had the foresight to consider a counter plan to the mess they found themselves in and even more surprised to hear the young Gryffindor voluntarily offer himself up as a potential sacrifice on his behalf. 

"Mr. Weasley, while your plan has merit, there are several flaws in it that the Dark Lord would pick up on right away," the Slytherin said regretfully.

"I know we can make this work…" Ron began to argue but was stopped short as the Potions Master continued to speak.

"First, the Dark Lord will be suspicious if I show up with just one of you while claiming that Lucius was trying to undermine me, especially if I am forced to explain to him the methods we used to retrieve you.  And second, he would not believe that the Headmaster would be fool enough to let you out of his sight once you had been returned to Hogwarts after being abducted from the castle by Death Eaters."

"But…" Ron tried to argue but was stopped yet again by the Headmaster.

"Professor Snape is correct Mr. Weasley," the wizard said tiredly.  "Voldemort would be suspicious and the chances of losing all three of you would rise exponentially."

"Perhaps if I were to attend the Revel and persuade him that Lucius' interference in my plans had alerted you to the danger to Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger then I could get close enough to get Miss Granger out of there."

"But how can you do that when Voldemort sets up anti-apparition wards around his meetings?" Harry asked, knowing that the Dark Mark allowed the Death Eaters to Apparate to a pre-designated location of the Dark Lord's choice but additional wards forbade the early departure of his minions before he had determined it was time for them to go.           

"I will utilize a Portkey," Snape replied tersely, anxious to be on his way.  They were wasting time and the longer they waited the more Death Eaters would have arrived in anticipation of the evening's festivities. 

"Couldn't you just get the bracelet from Pansy and slip it to Granger without being noticed?" Draco reasoned.  "Then the Headmaster could summon her back and you could pretend that you didn't know anything about it."

"The spell is too draining and I fear that the Headmaster does not have enough magical reserves remaining to attempt a second summoning so soon after the last one," Professor McGonagall spoke out for the first time since her initial arrival in the office.  "I fear that if he were to attempt such a thing then we might very well lose both him and Miss Granger."

"Professor McGonagall is correct," Dumbledore agreed softly.

"Well we have to do something!" Harry shouted in frustration and began pacing.  "We can't just leave her there."

"Nor can we risk Professor Snape's position, Harry," Dumbledore answered sadly.  "Lucius has truly forced our hand with his unauthorized actions and I fear, as much as it pains me to say this, that Miss Granger will become a casualty of this dreadful war."

"No!" both Ron and Harry shouted and began yelling at the Headmaster.  Even Draco looked shocked after hearing Dumbledore's quietly spoken words and he quickly turned his gaze in question to his Head of House. 

It was at that moment, amidst the shouting and accusations that both Draco and Snape grabbed their arms as the Dark Lord made his demands for their presence known.  No longer was this the simple but irritating burning that they had been experiencing throughout the afternoon but rather an intense pain that seemed to extend to the very core of their being. 

"We are out of time, Albus," the Potions Master stated in a rather matter of fact voice.  "Both Draco and I are being called for what I have no doubt will prove to be a very interesting meeting."

"You cannot go, Severus," Dumbledore stated flatly, his tone of voice suggesting that he would not hear of any arguments to the contrary.

"I must," Snape simply replied.  "At this point we are already considering my cover to be blown so there is very little to lose and perhaps Miss Granger's life to be gained."

"You will lose your own life in the process, Severus, and I cannot use the Perattrahere spell a second time this evening to summon you back to safety," the Headmaster cautioned, knowing that the man standing in front of him was intent on this reckless course of action.

"Possibly, but I still have the Portkey which I always carry and perhaps that will be enough," Snape stated, walking toward the door.  "Draco, go to your room, change into your robes and make your way to the gate where you can Apparate to the Dark Lord.  Say nothing of your knowledge of what has transpired here this day."

"Yes, sir," the blond Slytherin replied quickly and hurried out to answer Voldemort's summons.

"Professor McGonagall," the Headmaster continued issuing orders, "contact Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt and have them come to Hogwarts immediately.  They will need to take Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson into custody so that they can be questioned under Veritaserum and sent to Azkaban where they can cause no further harm to the students under our care."

"But won't they be summoned by the Dark Lord?" Harry questioned.  "Malfoy is so doesn't it make sense that Blaise and Pansy would be too since they're Death Eaters also?"

"Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson are not ranked highly enough to risk exposure by the Headmaster and be called to this particular meeting," Snape responded tersely.  "The only reason that Mr. Malfoy is being summoned is because of his father's connection to the Dark Lord and his placement within the Inner Circle.  The Dark Lord expects Mr. Malfoy to follow in Lucius' footsteps and one day enter the Inner Circle as well."

"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore called, "does Miss Granger still have the spare wand with her that you received yesterday?"

All of the occupants in the room looked incredulously toward the Headmaster and then toward Ron as he and Harry looked guiltily at one another.

"Yes, sir," the young man answered quietly.  "She hid it in the seam of her skirt and they hadn't found it when we left the shack."

"How did you know?" Harry asked with astonishment as Snape simply shook his head at the audacity of the Gryffindor trio to once again attempt to take matters into their own hands rather than leave such matters to those with more experience.  He ignored the voice that mockingly reminded him that they Granger was in her present predicament because she had trusted them, the experienced ones, enough to try their farce of a plan in the first place.

"Harry, did you honestly think that I wouldn't be aware of such illegal magical objects?" the Headmaster replied gently.  "The wards around Hogwarts are designed to inform me immediately when any potentially dangerous or illegal magical devices are brought onto school grounds."

"Then why didn't you take them away from us?" Ron wondered, unable to fathom the Headmaster's motives.

"I am not quite as heartless as it would sometimes appear, Mr. Weasley," the older Wizard responded but looked directly at Harry.  "I had hoped that our plan would go off as they say…without a hitch.  However, on the chance that such was not to be the case, I decided that it could not hurt to allow you and Miss Granger that one small modicum of protection."

"You do realize that had the Dark Lord discovered these wands then he would have blamed me?" Snape snapped, tired of fielding games from all sides.

"I considered it to be a calculated risk as I knew that, had Voldemort taken the time to use Legilimens on you, Severus, he would have seen that you were as much in the dark on this particular issue as he was."

"A calculated risk…" the Potions Master bit out but abruptly stopped speaking while he tried to regain a modicum of rationality.  "Fine, Albus, I will be leaving now lest I find myself in more trouble with the Dark Lord than I am already in."

"Very well," Dumbledore acknowledged, 'but remember, Severus, your first duty is to the Order.  Attempt to convince Voldemort of your sincerity and that your attempts to carry out his orders were thwarted by Lucius.  If you are successful then you will attempt a rescue if, and only if, it will not endanger your position."             

"We will make our way to Grimmauld Place if I am successful," the Potions Master called, ignoring the Headmaster's final words as he swept out of the office with his robes billowing dramatically behind him.  He never heard the quiet but heartfelt 'Good Luck, my friend,' that Dumbledore whispered as he watched his friend exit his office for possibly the last time. 

/^\^/^\^/^\

To say that Lucius Malfoy was in shock as to what he had just witnessed would have been a very big understatement.  One moment he was walking along with both of his prized toys in tow and the next moment a blinding light had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.  When the light had dissipated, he was left with only one prize and no explanation as to how the Weasley boy had managed to escape his clutches. 

It was not only a very unpleasant surprise but also a mystery and one that the Malfoy patriarch didn't appreciate in the least.  Someone was going to pay dearly beginning with the Mudblood who seemed to have recovered from her initial shock and was smiling quietly with a look of gleeful satisfaction.  It was an expression that he wouldn't have tolerated from anyone let alone a lowly Mudblood. 

"What has happened here?" he demanded, walking over and grabbing a large handful of Hermione's hair and roughly pulling her head back so that she found herself staring directly into his enraged eyes.  "Where has the boy gone?"

Hermione had immediately realized that Dumbledore must have initiated the Perattrahere spell and while she was both saddened and frightened at the prospect of being left alone to her fate with the lunatic that now held her tightly within his grasp, she was thankful that Ron would not have to face the horrors that the evening would inevitably bring.  Fixing her gaze firmly on Malfoy Sr., she bit back the fear that threatened to strangle her and attempted a nonchalant shrug. 

"How would I know?" she asked in a tone of voice that suggested that Malfoy must have lost what tenuous hold he had on his sanity.  "You saw as much as I did."  

Letting out a strangled cry that spoke fully of the older man's rage, he lifted his other hand high above his own head and brought it down forcefully against the tender skin of her cheek.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as a result of the stinging pain despite her inner struggle to remain calm and aloof and she equated the force of the slap as something akin to whiplash.  She doubted that her neck would be fully healed for weeks after receiving such a blow though that nagging voice in the back of her mind mockingly reminded her that she probably wouldn't need to worry about such mundane details, as she most likely wouldn't survive the night.  She tasted the coppery sweetness of her own blood as it ran down her cheek to pool on the edge of her lip and realized that the man's oversized gold ring emblazoned with what looked to be the Malfoy family crest, must have ripped her skin upon impact.  The fact that Ron had escaped and the fact that she still was in possession of the spare wand hidden in the seam of her skirt were the only things keeping her going at this point and she could only hope that she would be able to make use of her one small advantage before it was too late. 

The Death Eater looked as if he were about to say more when he hissed and grabbed his left forearm as if in great pain.  Hermione noticed with no small sense of satisfaction that the other Death Eaters mimicked his mannerisms.  A part of her mind absently noted that the mysterious person in the dark cloak merely stood by and quietly watched the scene as it unfolded.  Obviously, this person had not taken the Dark Mark or, if they had, Voldemort was not summoning them. 

All in all, it was the one and only time she had been thankful to Voldemort as whatever further punishment Lucius Malfoy might have been planning as a result of Ron's disappearance and her lack of information was halted in favor of pushing forward to what she had determined must be the apparition point. 

'Leave it to Malfoy to be too paranoid to remove the anti-Apparition wards long enough for us to Apparate directly from the shack instead of forcing us to walk all over creation before finally being able to Apparate,' she mentally grumbled.  Although, she supposed that in a way such paranoia might serve in her favor as it granted her precious minutes before she would be brought up in front of the Dark Lord.  

It was thoughts of the Dark Lord and the inevitable interview that made her remember the small vials of Mind Strengthening Potion, which were still nestled safely in her pocket.  Having been warned that Voldemort might very well attempt to use Legilimens on her in an effort to learn more about both Professor Snape's and Harry's involvement in the Order, she surreptitiously palmed one of the glass vials and kept it hidden in her hand. 

It wasn't until she heard Lucius Malfoy tell the others that they had nearly reached the apparition point when she pretended to trip over an exposed root on the ground.  Bowing her head as if in pain and out of breath, she allowed her hair to fall about her face in an effort to provide cover for her next action.  It was at that point that she quickly placed the tiny vial to her lips, having already uncapped it within her hand while they had walked, and swiftly downed the contents.  By the time she was roughly hauled back up to her feet, she had once again palmed the vial and let it drop casually and soundlessly to the ground so that it wouldn't be found on her person.  If she had to face Voldemort and the possibility of mind invasion than she was bloody well going to do so with at least a little protection.  She just hoped it would be enough to protect those she cared about.

/^\^/^\^/^\

"Professor Snape!" the voice of Harry Potter rang out through the dungeon corridors.

The hurried man turned and audibly groaned as he saw the two boys rushing toward him.  'Wonderful, just what I do not need right now…Potter and his faithful side kick.'

"Professor, I want to go with you," Harry said quickly, not giving the Potions Master time to refuse his request.  "I understand why Ron can't go with you but there's no reason that I couldn't go."

"There is every reason that you cannot tag along, Potter," Snape snapped.  "First of all it is far too dangerous and I cannot trust your Gryffindor sense of heroism not to step in and cause more mayhem.  Secondly, you annoy me and quite frankly I have enough to contend with in trying to save your Know-it-All friend without losing my own hide in the process."

"But that's just it," Harry protested, determined not to let the Potions Master's snide words deter him.  "I can Apparate with you under the cover of my Invisibility Cloak and help Hermione.  If I can Portkey us out or get her away from there under the Invisibility Cloak then you won't have to risk further exposure."

"You are assuming that the Dark Lord will buy into the flimsy excuse that is currently my only defense in the first place," Snape snarled and resumed his trek toward his private chambers.  He had to quickly retrieve his Death Eater robes, Apparate blindly and then try to appease a psychotic Master. There was no time left to add any more delusional fantasies to the mess.

'Why can't Potter take his childish games somewhere else and let me be?' 

His gait was halted as Harry grabbed his arm and turned the taller man to face him in a last ditch effort to plead his case.

"You don't understand, Snape," he began and the Potions Master was startled to see the honesty behind his gaze.  "Hermione isn't just my friend…she's my family and next to Ron she's all I have left.  Everyone else has been killed.  I couldn't take it if something were to happen to her and she's in this situation because Voldemort wants to get at me."

For a brief moment the Potions Master's own gaze softened ever so slightly and his voice was devoid of the usual biting sarcasm that he usually used when addressing the disobedient Gryffindor. 

"No, Potter, Miss Granger is in this mess because we are in the middle of a war and she happens to be on the wrong side as far as the Dark Lord is concerned.  She is a Muggle-born Witch and the top of her class.  She would have gained his attention eventually with or without your friendship. If you truly want to help her then get out of my way and let me do what needs to be done."

"But I have to do something," Harry whispered and the pain that he felt at the possibility of losing his best friend was almost tangible as he pleaded with the uncompromising Slytherin.

"Potter, for once in your life do not be a pawn," Snape growled, his usual acerbic manner back in full force.

"What do you mean?" the young man asked defensively.

"Exactly what I said," the Potions Master replied hurriedly, knowing that if he didn't answer the Dark Lord's summons soon then neither he nor Hermione would stand a chance at pulling through this evening alive.  "If you are to face the Dark Lord and succeed in overcoming him then you are going to need to learn patience.  You will need to learn to control your emotions and be deliberate in your moves against him.  Otherwise you are destined to fail."

"I can do that," Harry protested, only to be cut off by a sharp wave of Snape's hand. 

"Can you really?" he drawled in a silky voice, and moved closer to the young man.  "Can you honestly follow me to this Revel and sit quietly under that cloak of yours, watching and waiting for the correct moment to attack the Dark Lord despite the horrendous acts of barbarism that are being committed against your friend?  Can you honestly tell me that you would maintain your temper for the greater good and sacrifice your friend if it meant defeating the Dark Lord?  Can you honestly tell me that you can sit there quietly and watch her be viciously raped, beaten and tortured by every Death Eater in attendance until she is no longer of any use to them in even the most basic of ways if it meant putting an end to this war once and for all?"

The Potions Master read the expressions of horror, sorrow and disgust that flashed through Harry's eyes like an open book and knew that he was correct in his assessment of the young man's current emotional state.  There was no way that he would allow Potter to accompany him.  The risk of the boy getting himself killed this night was too high despite his previous successes, or bouts of luck as Severus chose to view them, against the Dark Lord.  His emotions were far too involved and that in and of itself was a recipe for disaster.  He did not question the fact that his own emotions were involved enough to dash out on this fool's errand to rescue a Muggle-born Gryffindor when he should be seeking refuge from an irate and merciless Dark Lord. 

"There are others that would disagree with me and say that your anger would help you confront and possibly defeat the Dark Lord this evening, but I am asking you, Potter, to put your own needs aside for once and let someone else more experienced handle this problem.  As much as it pains me to say this, there are those that consider you to be too important to the final battle and you are not yet ready for it.  There is still much for you to learn.  By barging in this night you would most likely bring an end to Hermio…Miss Granger's life as well as your own.  Listen to reason for once and trust me to bring her back."

Harry dropped his hand from the Potion Master's arm and quietly observed him for a long moment.  "If you fail to bring her back, Snape, know that I will not stop until I have your head on a platter."

The former Death Eater stared at the young man who had so quietly issued his warning while at the same time accepting the Potions Master's entreaty for trust.  Snape understood the boy all too well.  Potter was entrusting him with the life of one of the people who meant more to him than anything including his own life.  Severus could hardly say that he would have threatened less had he been the one standing in Potter's shoes. 

As it was, he merely nodded his head before quietly replying, "Potter, I seriously doubt that you will get the chance to carry through on your threat."

"I meant every word I said, Snape," Harry warned with a low growl.

"Of that I have no doubt," Snape replied with a wry smirk.  "But consider this: should I fail to come back with Miss Granger than it will most likely be attributed to the fact that the Dark Lord saw fit to kill me before I was able to accomplish my task."    

And with that parting sentiment, the Potions Master turned and completed his journey to his quarters to prepare for the Dark Lord's summons.  It wasn't until the man had rounded the corner at the end of the corridor that Harry made the surprising connection between the man's words and his actions.

"He nearly called her Hermione," Harry whispered more to himself than to Ron who had remained uncharacteristically silent throughout the entire exchange.  "He never slips and calls anyone by their first name, especially a Gryffindor.  He actually cares about her." It was that very thought that triggered the first inkling of hope he'd felt all evening.

An astonished look settled on his companion's face as Ron heard the softly whispered words.  He couldn't decide if it was stress that caused his friend to reach such a far-fetched conclusion or if all of the years of dealing with the Dark Lord had finally driven Harry over the edge once and for all.  No matter what was going to happen it was going to be a very long night, and the sooner Ron found something to occupy Harry's mind the better.  'Perhaps a game of Wizard's Chess would do the trick?'

"Come on, mate," he told his worried friend.  "Snape's a git but he'll bring her back, you'll see.  He's too bloody mean to fail."

It was a small comfort but a comfort never the less and with a wan smile, Harry allowed Ron to lead him back to the Gryffindor Common Room where they would anxiously await news of the night's events.

Moments later, a dark man garbed in heavy black robes and a hellish mask Apparated to face his Master for what might very well be the final time.  As he approached the snake like figure to pay his respects, he was appalled to see the tall masked form of Lucius Malfoy dragging a young woman roughly behind him.  Seconds later the Death Eater issued a blow to the side of her face and shoved the girl to her knees forcing her to remain in a kneeled position in front of the Dark Lord.  There was no doubt in Snape's mind as he approached the trio that the bushy brown hair of the young woman in question belonged to none other than Hermione Granger.

/^\^/^\^/^\

TBC

Author's Note:  Apologies for this chapter taking a little longer than usual however real life in the form of family, illness and a serious case of writer's block decided to interfere.  I'd like to extend my many thanks to those of you who have been following this story and sending me feedback in the form of emails and reviews as well as to OxRatbag2 for taking the time to beta especially since she's had her own share of real life lately.   

As always, feedback is appreciated.

~Jules