The Search

Snape's Point of View

I returned to Riddle Manor as quickly as I could and went directly to the lab which had been set up for me. Unpacking the bag of ingredients I had grabbed from my home, I spread the pre-cut herbs out to look like I had been working for some time. I couldn't help but muse that I really am a genius, to have had it all prepared on the remotest possibility that I would have the chance to get Draco out of here.

Within moments, the prepared ingredients were mixed and the potion was put to simmering, making it seem that the Potions master had been hard at work for an hour. And it wasn't a moment to soon, as I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Snape, the Master needs you."

I looked up with a raised eyebrow in response to see the once lush form of Bellatrix Black Lestrange glaring at me. I realized yet again how unkind Azkaban had been to Bellatrix.

With a sigh, I muttered a stasis charm on the cauldron. "Coming, Bellatrix." Gathering my wand, I followed the witch up the stairs, down a long hall, and into the presence of my supposed Lord and Master, Lord Voldemort.

Once I came fully into the room, I noticed Wormtail was on the floor, bleeding and shaking. Apparently, Draco had been missed, and his absence was not going unnoticed or ignored. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for Wormtail.

With three quick strides, I approached the Dark Lord's seated figure. Kneeling quickly, I kissed the hem of his robe and murmured, "Master."

"Severus. Did we disturb your work?"

"No, Master, you are never a disruption. How can I serve you, Master?"

"Look at me."

I looked up into the red eyes of the Dark Lord and felt the once-man gently probing my mind. Carefully, I concentrated on my trip home to get the books, looking at the shelves, talking to my house-elf, and the Apparition back. I thought about the potion I was making in the basement of the house, about my quarters at Hogwarts and the comfortable bed there. I thought about my need for a decent cup of coffee, and how long it had been since I was with a willing woman. Finally, I thought about my hatred for Potter and the look on Potter's face when he had accosted me after Dumbledore was dead.

Finally, the gentle probing ceased.

"Severus, Draco is gone. Wormtail was standing guard on him, and when I sent Bellatrix to fetch the boy for his punishment, the room that he was locked in was empty. His wand is also gone from Wormtail's person, where he had it. Wormtail has been punished for his…indiscretions."

"Master, what would you have me do?"

"The problem, Severus, with having to punish Draco, and with the situation I now find myself in, is that there is a surfeit of candidates for this treason."

"Master, I don't know why anyone would go against your wishes in this."

"Ah, Severus, so naïve. While the most obvious candidate is in Azkaban, we cannot discount the boy's mother, so we will have to find Narcissa, and see if she knows the boy's whereabouts. I have already questioned Bellatrix, who is after all his aunt, and she knows nothing. I thought you were also a likely candidate, since you have already saved the boy's hide once. There are many who owe Lucius a favor, too. If it were anything but going directly against my will, I would not be surprised by this desire of my followers to try and align themselves with power. But as it stands, this is not to be tolerated.

"Therefore, since I have ascertained that you and Bellatrix were not involved with this, you will go to the homes of each of the inner circle together, and search for the boy."

With that imperative, I bowed my head again. "Yes, Master. We will go and search for the boy. Master, I am sure you realize that it is unlikely we shall find him in the home of one of your inner circle."

"Yes, Severus, I have already considered this. But I cannot leave this stone unturned. Some of our inner circle are less than…genius."

"Yes, Master. We will leave immediately."

I stood slowly and left, Bellatrix right behind me.

I went up the main flight of stairs to my small room and grabbed my warmest cloak.

Bellatrix had done the same.

"So, where shall we start?" I asked in my most courteous voice.

"Why, your home, of course, Severus."

"As you wish, Bellatrix." And with that, I offered her my arm and proceeded to escort her from the house and into the woods.

Arriving in my home for the second time that night, I was struck by a feeling of relief that Draco and I had gotten so much done so quickly.

"I am not going to search my own home, Bellatrix. I'll leave that in your capable hands."

"I would expect nothing less from you, Severus."

Nodding to her, I sat down in a wingback chair and proceeded to read, waiting while she poked her nose into every nook and cranny of my admittedly shabby, though book-filled, home.

After about half an hour, Bellatrix again joined me in the study.

"Well, Severus, it seems you were telling the truth. I believe our next stop should be Malfoy Manor."

"Agreed. Ready?" I asked, standing and marking my place in the book in one fluid movement. I laid the book on the chair, grabbed my cloak.

"Indeed." A moment later she was gone, and a moment after that I followed her.

We arrived at the gates, Malfoy Manor looming in the distance. With a brisk stride, we set out up the path to the monstrosity of a home.

After knocking on the door, it didn't take long for a house-elf to appear.

"Is my sister here?" Bellatrix asked the shaken elf.

"Come in, Missus, Master. Bippy will be getting the Mistress.

"Hurry, elf."

With that, the elf disappeared, presumably to alert Narcissa to her guests.

It was only a minute or two before she appeared on the stairs.

"Cissa."

"Bella. Severus. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Draco is missing. Our Lord has given orders for us to find him," I answered her.

At these words, Narcissa paled. I had never before thought it possible for her to loose more color, but in that moment she went from pale to a ghostly translucence.

"Draco is not here," she answered her sister's unspoken question, passed through the arcane way that some sisters have.

"Cissa, we have to search the manor. It won't take long," Bella announced.

At this, I turned to Bellatrix. "Together, or separate?"

"Oh, together, Severus. I still don't entirely trust you."

"It's only fair, Bellatrix, as I don't trust you, either. You are, after all, the boy's aunt."

"I would never betray our Lord, though."

"Are you saying I would?"

She didn't answer me, although she also didn't look me in the eye. Interesting.

"Lead on, then, Bellatrix. Let's get this over with. I want to get back to my potion." I realized, though, that this was going to take forever. We had about a dozen homes to search like this, and these were huge homes. "You do realize this is fairly pointless, don't you? It's not likely that he would be hidden in a main residence like this, or if he was, that he would stay once we knock on the door."

"Perhaps, Snape. But I am going to follow the Master's orders."

"So am I. I was just pointing out that this is fairly futile."

With a grim nod, the two of us began a long night of searching.

When I accepted this task, I had no real idea of what it would entail, and I would like to think the same could be said for Bellatrix. Searching the Malfoy Manor took hours. I had seriously underestimated the amount of space in the mansion, the miles of corridors, not to mention the number of dark artifacts that the Malfoy family had collected over the centuries. Artifacts they had collected and protected with traps. Needless to say, the searching was a slow process.

After completing Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix and I moved on to the next home of an inner circle member, Augustus Rookwood. As neither Bellatrix nor I had any personal ties to the Rookwood family, we agreed that it was in the best interests of the search to split up. After several hours, we met again in the entrance hall, exclaimed over our lack of findings, and moved on to the next manor on the list.

Thus the pattern was set. The homes of those Bellatrix or I had some personal connection to, we searched together. For those that neither of us had ties with, we split up. One night stretched into two and no results were forthcoming.

After two days and two nights of searching, we could finally admit defeat and return to the side of the Dark Lord. He wouldn't be happy, but we had been thorough.

To say that the Dark Lord was unhappy was an understatement. Fortunately, I did not bare the brunt of his anger. That was entirely Wormtail. I was also fortunate that the successful (in a way) completion of my assignment allowed me some time alone. After catching up on my sleep, I sequestered myself in the Potions lab, and began brewing and plotting.

I knew that the reason Dumbledore had wanted me to continue this farce was because it was the only way I could continue to be useful to the Order. But we hadn't finished planning how to let the Order know that I had been acting under his instructions. Now, no one knew the full story.

That wouldn't work. Some one had to know the whole story or my sacrifice and Dumbledore's would be worthless.

Suddenly, I had an inspiration. I knew what I had to do.

Putting a stasis charm on the current potion, I headed back up to the inhabited parts of the old Riddle House, and sought an audience with the Dark Lord.

"Rise, Severus."

Standing up, I made sure to make eye contact, so that he would be able to verify my words without being too obvious.

"Master, I wish to discuss my research with you. I believe I need to return to my home for a day or so to double check some theories in the library available to me there."

"Severus, remind me of what you are working on again."

"Yes, Master. I am attempting to combine a Blood Replenishing Draught with a strong pain killing potion and a stimulant potion. It is my thought that the combination would allow your Death Eaters to be nearly invincible in battle. Most of the curses the Aurors have been using lately have been slicing charms. They are not fatal, but bloody. The Blood Replenishing Draught has some nasty side effects and is very painful to use. I am trying to alter it so that it does not make one feel as though the entire circulatory system were on fire. But I need to have access to my books. You have seen my memories of my home; you know that Spinner's End is where I have kept my real library all these years. I am asking your permission to go there on and off for a time."

"Yes, I can see how this would be useful to my forces in the coming days. Do what you can to make it come to pass. I will Call you if I need you."

"Thank you, Master."

"Your desire to help your Brothers and Sisters becomes you, Severus. You may leave."

Gratefully, I left. Moving quickly, lest I have to offer any explanations to my so called Brothers and Sisters, I went beyond the wards and Apparated away.

Arriving yet again at my once despised Muggle home, I set out to put my thoughts in letter form for one special person. The only person I thought might, based on our years together, give me a fair hearing.

Minerva,

It is with great sadness that I pen this letter, something I had never hoped to have to do, for it means that the plans that I had hated from their conception have come to pass.

I am counting on you, now, to be the person who knows the full tale, the complete circumstances, and to act justly. You have to have wondered in this last week how the abomination that occurred so recently came to be. The full story. For surly you do not have such a complete lack of faith in Albus and in myself that you would think that the reported stories were the full and complete truth. We have worked to long and to hard for you not to know the truth that was and the truth that will still come.

Minerva, I am counting on your innate sense of fairness to judge me only after you have all the facts. And if you still find me reprehensible, that is your choice. I find myself reprehensible. But you have to know why.

To that end, I am entrusting you a secret. Locked in the cabinet in Albus' bedroom that is hidden under the white lace table covering and that supports Fawkes' perch is a set of vials that contain the memories of both Albus and me that were too dangerous to stay in our heads. It contains our conversations about the Dark Lord and the Vow that I was placed under. Those with a red cap are from his perspective; those with a green cap are from mine. I entrust them both to you. They explain everything.

If you wish to communicate with me, please leave a letter, sealed, in the Potions storeroom on top of the tall cabinet that holds the ingredients that begin with E-L. I will receive it.

I remain,

Your Faithful Servant in the Light,

Severus Snape

I closed and sealed the letter. "Nena!" I called my house elf.

It was only a moment before she popped into existence under my nose.

"Yes, Master? How can Nena be serving you, Master?"

"Nena, I am so glad that you are so reliable." She looked bashful and pleased at this. "I have three tasks for you, Nena."

At this news she was bouncing in excitement. Usually I was fairly self-sufficient, and I knew she had always felt unappreciated. I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

"First, I need you to take this letter, and put it somewhere where Minerva McGonagall will find it soon, on her desk or her pillow perhaps. For your second task, I want you to get Draco and bring him here to the lab in the basement and then wait up here so that if someone comes you can make a lot of noise and he can Apparate away. Your third task is going to be to check the top of the cabinet in the Potions storeroom at Hogwarts that holds the ingredients that begin with E through L. If Minerva chooses to reply, she is to leave a letter for me there. You will check at least once a day every day. If you find a letter, take it to Draco, but tell him not to open it. For the time being, I should be coming back and forth a lot.

"Can you do all of that for me?"

"Yes, Master, Nena can do all of that! Nena will start now!"

And just like that, she was gone.

With a sigh, I collected the book I had been reading when Bellatrix searched my home and went with it to my lab in the basement. Settling into a comfortable chair, I prepared to wait.

I didn't have to wait long until Draco arrived. I heard his voice calling from the study, "Professor Snape?"

"Down here in the lab, Draco," I called back. I heard his footsteps on the stairs before he came bursting into the room.

"Professor Snape, is everything alright? He hasn't found me, has he?"

"No, Draco, he still does not know who helped you. He had your aunt, Bellatrix, and I search all the houses of the inner circle for you, and he punished Wormtail extensively, but he has no idea where you are.

"On another topic, please refrain from calling me Professor Snape. I am no longer your professor, and I will likely never be one again. I am your Godfather, and your friend. Please call me Severus." I noticed during this speech, the boy's mouth had dropped open.

He hurriedly shut it before he replied. "Thank you, Severus. Thank you for helping me, and for trusting me, and for being a friend."

"Alright. So, tell me, Draco, how have you been fairing? Has Nena gotten everything you needed? Are you fed, and as comfortable as you could be under the situation?"

"Yes, Severus, I am. I'm bored and lonely, but then, I won't die of boredom or loneliness. I will die of the Dark Lord. So I'll take what I have."

"I am going to have a set of Potions ingredients sent to you through Nena. I want you to continue your studies to keep you from boredom. Also, I am waiting for a letter. Nena will bring it to you. Do not open it. Its contents will be dangerous for you to know. Keep it safe for me until I get a chance to see you again. I should be coming back and forth regularly for a while. I am working on a new potion and need to do research."

"You have my word. I'm glad you'll be coming back and forth. Can I help with the research?"

"Hmmm, yes, I think so." I got up and began pulling some new books off the shelves. "Take these with you to the Refuge. I won't have time to read them all. Takes notes on anything that has to do with blood replenishment. Either the current Draught or anything else that works like it but has fallen out of favor. I am trying to find a potion that will do the work of the Blood Replenishing Draught without making your veins feel like they are on fire."

"I look forward to the mental stimulation," Draco said with a half-smile.

Just then, I heard noise upstairs. "Quick, Apparate to the Refuge!"

I didn't have to tell him twice, he was gone before Bellatrix had made it completely out of the fire upstairs. I would have to think of a way to reward Nena.

"Severus?" Bellatrix's voice called.

"Down here in the lab," I answered.

Once again she found me in the lab. Still standing on the stairs and not entering the room fully, she began to speak, "The Master sent me to tell you that he would be calling a meeting tonight, and that you should be prepared to talk about what you know with the boy."

"Thank you for letting me know, Bellatrix."

And with that she left.

It was around midnight when I once again felt my Mark burn, calling me to the Dark Lord's side.

I quickly returned to Death Eater Central and grabbed my robes from my room, dressed hurriedly and all but ran to my place in the circle.

Wormtail was missing. That could mean nothing, or everything.

When all the members he had Called had arrived, the Dark Lord began to speak.

"My Death Eaters, there have been some upsetting things happening lately. Someone is a traitor, willing to risk my wrath to save the insignificant skin of an unproven boy. I will find out who has done this.

"In the meantime, the boy's father has spent enough time in Azkaban. Our Servants do us no good when they are locked away. Bellatrix, you and Rookwood will be going and getting him out. Assemble a team you will lead, and take care of it."

"My Lord, can we add whomever we wish to the team?" Bellatrix asked. I didn't miss her glance at me. I can't help but wonder why she has it in for me.

"No, Bellatrix. You may take whomever from the lower circles you want, but no one else from this group. If you make any mistakes, I will need enough Generals to get you out."

I quietly hid my sigh of relief behind my mask.

"The two of you may leave to begin your planning. I need it accomplished within a week. Do not delay or fail me."

The two he had singled out for his honor bent and kissed his hem before leaving to begin their plotting.

Once the doors had shut behind them, he told his assembled "generals" what had happened with Draco and Wormtail. Most of them already knew the basics since their homes had been searched. I briefly explained how the search had been conducted and that the boy had not been found.

At length, the meeting was over, and we were allowed to leave. I slowly made my way back to my rooms, wondering if and how I could warn the Order that Lucius was going to be broken out. After much mulling, I realized that it would tip my hand to much, especially since I hadn't heard anything back from Minerva yet. I would have to work out details on how I could communicate with the Order. I just hoped that Minerva would be Gryffindor enough to have a sense of justice, but balanced her Gryffindor nature enough to not rush.

That night, I again had trouble sleeping, thinking about what I had given up for the cause.