Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters. They all belong to the wonderful and talented JK Rowling and her publishers. I am merely playing with them.
The Arrangement
Chapter 7-Ministry Interference
Minerva McGonagall was sitting at her desk just finishing up some paperwork before lunch, when a Hogwarts school owl flew in her open window. She quickly took the letter from the owl and shooed it out of her office. She quickly opened and read over the letter that Lily had sent. As soon as she had finished it she went in search of her husband. She knew that Albus had the boy in question in Lily's letter. She also knew why the boy had been abducted.
She found Albus just making his way to where the boy was being kept. When she caught up to him she showed him the letter she had received that morning. He read through the letter and then got a pensive look on his face.
"This just may work in our favor, Minerva. I need to have someone inside Hogwarts keep an eye on the Snape's. At least until the end of the week to see if they comply with my demands. How do you feel about taking some time off and visiting Lily?" Albus asked, looking very pleased.
"That would be wonderful Albus. When would you like for me to leave and what is my reason for being there?" Minerva asked while smiling widely at her husband.
"I would like for you to leave tomorrow morning. Should anyone question why you are there tell them that an old friend sent you a disturbing letter about a missing student and you felt it prudent to investigate." Minerva nodded once to her husband before walking away. Albus continued on to his previous destination. He needed to see if the boy had eaten or drunk anything. It was vital to his plan and he knew that he had to succeed.
Dinner had come and gone with no one seeing any sign of James and Severus. Lucius, Sirius, and Remus had finally decided to go and check on them. When they reached their private quarters, they knocked on the door but received no answer. After a few minutes of silence they let themselves in and stopped at the sight that greeted them. James and Severus were both passed out on the floor, Severus still holding the letter they had received at lunch.
Remus and Lucius quickly revived the two while Sirius went to make some tea and retrieve some calming droughts in case they were needed. Once everyone was settled in a seat with a cup of tea in their hands, Lucius asked the question that Remus and Sirius also wanted answered.
"What happened? What could that letter have possibly said to make the two of you pass out like that?"
James gave a slight sigh before taking a sip of his tea, which was laced with a calming drought, then quietly answered Lucius' question. "Our worst fears were confirmed. Dumbledore has Cale and is demanding that we separate. He says if we comply no harm will come to Cale." Severus, Remus, and Sirius snorted at that last comment while Lucius just looked incredulous.
"No harm will come to him? What does he think he has done by kidnaping him?" Lucius said outraged.
Remus reached out to take the letter that Severus still had in his hand, but a quick word from James stopped him. "Don't touch it, Moony. He has it jinxed to go up in smoke if anyone but Sev or I touch it. He also has placed a spell on it so that we are the only ones who can read it."
"He really is a sick, twisted bastard isn't he?" Sirius snarled. Everyone just nodded their heads in agreement.
"What are we going to do? He only gave James and I a week to comply with his demands. I don't want to think about what might happen to Cale after that time." Severus groaned looking around at everyone.
"I think we need to tell Tom about this. I think he still has some contacts inside the ministry." Lucius replied, standing. The others followed suit and they quickly made their way to the headmasters office.
Albus was once again making his way toward where he was keeping the Snape boy. It was just after dinner time and he wanted to see if the boy had eaten anything. He had eaten about half of his lunch and Albus was hoping that he had eaten at least that much for dinner.
What the boy didn't know was that there was a potion being added into his drink. Albus' whole plan hinged on the boy ingesting the potion. It was not a poison nor would it kill him. It was just something to give him a bit of control over the boy and to allow him to force James and Severus to separate. He had every intention of sending the boy back to Hogwarts in a couple of weeks. He just needed to be sure that the boy understood that two men should not in anyway be in a relationship other than mild friendship.
Albus approached the cupboard where he was keeping the boy and cautiously opened the air vent. He peered inside and from what he could see the boy had barely touched his dinner, let alone his pumpkin juice. Still he knew he needed to try and speak to the boy.
"Mr. Snape, can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can bloody well hear you. You still haven't told me who you are or why I am here." The boy responded angrily. Albus did not react to the anger. He had expected it.
"As for who I am, the time is still not right for me to reveal myself to you. However you do know why you are hear. Your fathers were wrong to get married and have children together. It is unnatural."
"They are not wrong. They love each other very much. What is so unnatural about that?" Cale responded angrily.
"Perhaps in time you will see what I mean. I have other things to attend to. I shall see you in the morning." Once again Dumbledore closed the air vent and left the boy in total darkness.
Once his captor left and Cale was once again left in darkness he let himself relax slightly. He figured that he had been in this small room for nearly 24 hours. He had not seen a bathroom in that whole time and now had a serious problem. He really needed to go but know there was no way he could get out to try and find a bathroom. He began to grope around his small cell and found to his utter dismay and slight relief what appeared to be an old fashioned chamber pot. He quickly relieved himself and moved back to sit on the cot.
As he sat there he allowed his mind to wander back over the events of the past day. His captor had only come around after each of his meals had been served. This worried him greatly because it could meant that there was something in the food or drink.
He didn't remember anything being said between them after lunch but he had been drifting in a half-awake, half-dream state so he couldn't be sure. He thought back to the conversation they had just had. He couldn't believe the audacity of the man! Saying his fathers were wrong in loving each other the way they did.
'He's right you know. It isn't natural for two men to love each other that way. Besides, look where it got you.' a small voice in the back of Cale's mind pointed out snidely. Cale snarled at the voice to 'Shut up' and pushed it away. But the damage was done. A small glimmer of doubt had crept into his mind and would not be going anywhere anytime soon.
The 5 professors quickly reached the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmasters office. Lucius gave the password 'Slytherins heir' and they quickly made their way up the moving staircase. When they reached the top James knocked on the door and waited for the headmaster to allow them entrance.
"Ah, James and Severus..." He trailed off, his eyes going slightly wider as the other 3 walked into his office. "Lucius, Remus, and Sirius, what can I do for the 5 of you?" He sat back in his chair and waited for someone to speak.
"As you are well aware, Headmaster, James and Severus received a note over lunch. It was from Dumbledore. He has indeed kidnaped Cale and is demanding that James and Sev separate within a week to ensure the boys return. He also stated that no harm would come to Cale as long as James and Sev complied with his demands." Lucius informed the headmaster. Tom looked thoughtful for a moment before standing and moving to his fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fire.
"Regulus, I need you to come to my office as soon as you are able." he called into the fire and then moved back to his desk. "Can I offer you gentleman anything to drink?" Everyone just shook their heads no. A few minutes later the fire flared green and a man in dark blue robes stepped out of it. He had long dark brown hair and icy blue eyes.
"Thank you for coming so quickly, Regulus." Tom said standing and crossing the room to embrace the new arrival.
"Of course, Tom. I was just finishing dinner when you called." Regulus placed a chaste kiss on his husbands lips.
"As much as I would like to continue this we have some rather important matters to discuss." Tom said heading back to his desk. It was then that Regulus Black-Riddle noticed the other people in the room. He was slightly shocked to see his brother and brother-in-law in the room along with Lucius, Severus, and James.
"What's the matter Tom? What happened?" Regulus asked, taking a seat next to his brother. The headmaster filled his husband in on all that had transpired in the last 24 hours.
"Hmm... I see. That is quite a problem. I will keep an eye on Albus this week and see if I can come up with anything. I think Frank Longbottom might be able to help out as well. Do you still have the letter Albus sent you?" Regulus asked turning to James and Severus.
"It's right here, but he charmed it so that we are the only ones that can read or touch it." Severus said holding up the letter. Regulus looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again.
"Have you tried any type of copying charm or transferring spell?" Everyone shook their heads in the negative and Regulus pulled out his wand. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try some. The most that will happen is that it will go up in smoke." When the first spell hit it, it did exactly that. The whole thing burst into flames and there weren't even any ashes left.
Cale sighed for what seemed to be the hundredth time. He had been trying for several hours to get to sleep but was having no luck. There was something nagging at the back of his mind but he really wasn't sure what it could be. He was tired of being cooped up in this little room and was sure that if he didn't get out soon he would go mad.
He rolled over again in an attempt to get comfortable but was still having no luck. He finally gave up and sat up on his cot with his back against the wall. He let his mind drift over the time since he had been abducted. He couldn't be sure exactly how long it had been since he was kept constantly in the dark. If he went by the meals he had been given it had only been a day, maybe a day and a half but he didn't really trust the man that had taken him.
He sat there trying to figure a way out of his current situation. He thought he knew what the man wanted. He wanted Cale to agree that what his father's had done was wrong. Cale considered agreeing, not because he truly believed it, but because the man might let him go.
'However if I agree too quickly, then he might not believe that I truly agree with him, which I don't, but I need to convince him otherwise.' He sighed again in frustration at this thought. He was stuck for now, there was absolutely nothing he could do for himself. That thought gave him no comfort.
Classes were just beginning for the day and the headmaster had just begun to sort through his paperwork when a knock sounded through his office. Without taking his eyes from the papers in front of him, he bid whoever it was to enter.
"Headmaster Riddle. It's nice to see you again." a stern voice called out into the silence of the office. Tom looked up his eyes widened slightly. He then stood and extended a hand to the woman that had entered his office.
"Madam Dumbledore, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"I received a rather interesting and vaguely disturbing letter from a friend of mine that's here at Hogwarts. I was hoping you could alleviate some fears."
"What might that be, Madam?"
"My friend mentioned that one of your students appears to have gone missing. I'm concerned about the fact that I learned about this thru a third party, instead of directly from you. Unless, of course, it's not true." The headmaster stayed silent for a moment contemplating how to answer the woman in front of him. He knew that most likely she knew exactly where young Cale Snape was.
"Unfortunately, that does seem to be the case. However, the student in question has some family down in Hogsmeade. That is the main reason we hadn't contacted the ministry as yet. We're waiting to see if he shows up in Hogsmeade."
"I was under the impression that the student in question is Harry Potter, son of James Potter. Isn't James teaching here this year?"
"James is in fact teaching here this year. However, the family I spoke of in Hogsmeade consists of a younger sibling and his surrogate mother."
"Surrogate mother?" Minerva asked, truly curious.
"Yes, Harry's mother died when he was quite young. Narcissa Malfoy has been acting like a mother to Harry and his younger sister, Cassidy, for quite some time now."
"I see. Something puzzles me though. If his father is here, why not just go to him and see if he could not go see then this weekend?"
"Due to James not only being a professor here but also the Deputy Headmaster, Harry might have felt that by asking something like that and being allowed would make others think he was being shown favoritism. He most likely did not want to put extra pressure on his father. Of course that is just my opinion. I truly have no idea what he might have been thinking."
"Of course, headmaster. I was wondering, would you mind if I spent some time here at the castle? I would like to keep an eye on this situation with the young Potter boy and maybe spend some time with Lily."
"I'm sure we can arrange some quarters for you somewhere." the headmaster said rising to his feet, signaling that the conversation was over. Madam Dumbledore also rose to her feet, once again extending a hand for the headmaster to shake.
"Where might I find Miss Evans?" she asked as she moved towards the door.
The headmaster quickly glanced at the clock on the wall by the door. "She should be in the library right now. If you wish to go and find her, I will try to locate some quarters for you. I will have someone escort you to them after lunch if you wish." Madam Dumbledore merely nodded her head as she made her way out of the office and toward the library.
Lily was just finishing putting away some books when Minerva entered the library. Lily was surprised but quite happy to see her old friend.
"Min, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you my dear girl. Also, to keep an eye on the situation with the Potter boy. Your letter was the first the minister had heard of this situation. Tell me Lily, has anyone, in your opinion, been acting oddly since the boy went missing?"
"Well other than James, Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy seem a little overly concerned about the boy. And then there's Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, but since they've been friends with James since his own school days, I figure they just know Harry rather well. I don't think anyone else is acting out of place." Lily replied.
'Ha, Snape is going to reveal James and himself for what they really are if he keeps that up.' Minerva thought to herself. "I came to understand from the headmaster that since Harry's mother died when he was rather young that he has taken to Narcissa Malfoy kind of like a surrogate of adoptive mother. That could well explain Lucius' behavior. As for Severus, I have no clue, unless he and James became good friends after leaving school." Minerva informed Lily.
"I kind of doubt that. The rivalry they had in school was nearly infamous. I don't want to cut this visit short, Minerva, but I really do need to get back to work. Do you have someplace to stay while you're here?"
"The headmaster is supposed to be finding me some quarters for the next week." Minerva answered.
"I have a guest room in my quarters. Why don't you just stay with me?" Lily asked a small grin on her face. "It would give us more time to catch up with each other."
"I think that's a wonderful idea Lily. I'll let the headmaster know at lunch." Minerva said before walking out of the library.
Cale rolled over again trying to find a comfortable spot on this cot he was forced to sleep on. He had lost complete track of time since his abduction. It could have only been a couple of days or it may have been a week and a half. As he rolled over again he felt something pressing into his leg. He fished around in his pocket until he pulled out a small object. He couldn't see what it was as the room he was in was pitch black as usual. He ran his hands over it and felt smooth glass inside a frame. With a start he realized that it was his two-way mirror. Without knowing what time it was he decided to activate his mirror and prayed that Draco had his on him.
Draco was sitting mutely in class staring at his book. He was thankful that he was in muggle studies as he could basically just zone out. He knew that Siri would not call on him right now, he was still upset over his best friend having gone missing.
Draco had been carrying his two-way mirror with him at all times in the hopes that Harry had had his on him when he was abducted. Suddenly he heard a whispered 'Draco' and looked around. No one was even looking at him.
"Draco, please be there!" came the soft whisper again. Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out the small mirror. He gasped as he saw Harry's tired face looking back at him.
At the front of the class, Sirius stopped his lecture when he heard Draco's gasp of surprise. He quickly told everyone to read the chapter he was discussing in their books and made his way to the back of the class where Draco was sitting.
"Mr. Malfoy, what seems to be the problem?" he asked as he approached. Draco looked up at him and then back down at something in his hands. When he finally stood beside Draco he saw that it was the two-way mirror and that it was active. He also nearly gave a gasp of surprise when he saw that it was Harry.
"Come with me, Draco." Sirius quickly led them to his office. He closed and locked the door and put up a silencing charm before he turned back to Draco. "Wait here and keep him talking. I'm going to get James." Sirius then walked out of the door on the other side of his office.
Draco turned his attention back to the mirror in his hands. "Harry?" he said tentatively.
"Dray, how long have I been gone? What day of the week is it?" Harry asked fear creeping into his voice.
"You have been gone for almost 3 days. It's Monday. I was in Muggle Studies when you called me. What's going on Cal? Do you know who kidnaped you?" Draco asked not even noticing he had used his best friends real nickname.
"I don't know who has me or where I am Dray. The only thing he has told me is that he is trying to teach my fathers a lesson." Harry said tiredly. At that moment James came into the room followed closely by Sirius. Draco reluctantly handed over the mirror. He wanted to talk to his friend longer but knew that James needed to talk to his son.
"Harry? Oh god, are you alright?" James asked nearly frantic.
"Dad? Am I ever glad to see you. Listen, I don't know who kidnaped me and I don't know when he'll be back, so I don't know how long I can talk. He really hasn't told me anything other than he wants to teach you and father a lesson. I don't even know what he meant by that." Harry stopped for a moment to take a breath.
"Cale, listen to me. We know who has you and we are just trying to figure out where he has you. We have someone trying to find you even as we speak. You'll e back with us soon, okay?" James saw Cale nod his head. "Have you at least been able to get some food?"
"He's been giving me food but I have been eating as little of it as possible. I don't know what he might have put in it. He said no harm would come to me but I don't know how much I can trust him."
"I know son. I honestly believe though, that he means you no harm. It's your father and I he has a problem with. Eat what you want, but stay on your guard." Cale nodded and then James saw him grow scared and glance around.
"Listen, I think someone is coming. I better go. I'll talk to you again as soon as I can." Cale's face disappeared from the mirror and James gave a sigh. He turned back to Draco and handed back the mirror and quickly left to alert Severus and the headmaster that they had heard from Cale.
Albus Dumbledore had decided to go check on his young charge. As he approached he heard a murmuring coming from inside the small room. He cautiously approached so to not alert the boy to his presence. He could not make out what was being said but could tell that there was more than one person speaking.
'I'm going to have to step up my plans for the boy. He's somehow managed to contact his family.' Albus thought to himself walking away from the room and heading for his office. He needed to obtain more potion to put in the boys juice. For that he would need to contact his potions maker, Frank Longbottom.
Tom Riddle was once again sitting at his desk in his office after lunch. Madam Dumbledore had informed him that she would be staying with Lily while she was at Hogwarts. That was somewhat of a relief as he hadn't really found any quarters for the older witch.
He was brought out of his musings by a tap at his window. He went over to open it to allow in the owl that had arrived. He quickly retrieved the letter that the owl had on it's leg, wondering who it could be from as he wasn't expecting any mail. He opened it and began to quickly read thru it.
Headmaster Riddle,
Regulus has informed me of the situation concerning young Mr. Potter. I am trying to locate where Dumbledore may be keeping the boy. However, that is not the reason I am writing to you.
I was contacted earlier today by Dumbledore. As I'm sure you know, I am a potions master and therefore make most of the potions used by the Ministry. He has asked that I make a type of brainwashing potion though he didn't specify why he wanted them. I fear he may be using it on the boy. If I hear anything I will contact you as soon as possible.
Frank Longbottom
Headmaster Riddle frowned after reading this. He was unsure of wether or not to inform James and Severus of what he had learned. He decided he would wait before upsetting James or Severus anymore. After all, Frank had said he wasn't sure what the potion was being used for.
Cale lay on the cot in his cell, as he had come to think of it, after dinner that night thinking aloud to himself. He was having problems deciding if his fathers had been wrong in getting married. Then a thought occurred to him.
"If my fathers are wrong for loving each other the way they do then wouldn't the same be true for Uncle Remmy and Uncle Siri as well? They feel the same way my dad and father do. Why does it feel wrong for my fathers to feel that way, but not Uncle Remmy and Uncle Siri?" He gave a slight groan. "This is so confusing."
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office chuckling to himself. After he had discovered that the Snape boy had a way of contacting his family he had cast a charm that allowed him to hear anything that was said in the cupboard no matter where he was. He was glad to see that his plan was working even though it was slow work. The boy was stubborn, that was for sure.
He was glad now that he had set that charm up, for it had given him information he could use in the future. He would not do anything with the information right now, he liked the being confused about everything. It gave him a slight advantage at this point. He had no doubt's that once the boy was returned to his parents that they would work to undo the brainwashing he had put the boy through, but that was of no consequence at this point. He was pleased at the moment with just causing a little mayhem for the family. He knew eventually though that the problem would have to be taken care of permanently.
A/N: I want to apologize for the long wait on this chapter. Some people were just being absolutely impossible to write for. I think this is my longest chapter yet. Hopefully it will tide you over till I can get the next one written, whenever that will be.