-126 - Avada

Harry kept his forehead pressed against the wall, he couldn't bear to look his father in the eye. If he did, he just might crack and tell him everything. He couldn't do that to the man, not after all the trauma he had already put Severus through. They had to get out of here before Bellatrix told Severus about the scar, about the horcrux. Oh Merlin, was this really going to happen again!?!

Harry felt the weight of his father's hand on his shoulder, felt support it was meant to offer. He couldn't do this, it was all too much. He wished he could just fly away, someplace far away with just him and his Dad.

He trusted Severus, he knew Severus loved him and would help him through this awful experience. The problem was, that he didn't want to bring anymore suffering or pain into his father's life. There would always be a part of him that thought he wasn't worth the trouble. If Bellatrix was telling the truth, then there was nothing but pain and suffering in store for him. Oh Merlin, he just couldn't do that to Severus!

He felt his father squeeze his shoulder, then command, "Turn around."

Harry reluctantly obeyed, he forced himself to look up. The moment he saw the deep concern and compassion in his dad's eyes he fell apart. "You don't have to wait around here. I know this collar will keep me from apparating so you should just get Charlet and go when the wards come down."

"Do you truly think I would leave you here?"

Harry tried to turn away from his father's concerned eyes but was stopped by strong hands. He was forced to look up when he felt his chin grasped and tilted up. "You don't understand," Harry said as he pulled out of Severus' grasp with a sharp tug.

"Then, enlighten me."

"No."

"I must be a terrible father indeed, if you think so little of me as to hide your tribulations."

"I can't add more troubles to your life. I just can't do that to you," Harry said in misery.

"And what of my problems? How do you think I feel, dragging you into Vespa's stronghold, watching as they take you away to torture you … feeling as if this was all due to the fact that I wanted you as my son? How do you think I feel about causing you pain?" Severus kept his eyes on the boy

Harry looked up at him with shock and yelled out, "This isn't your fault, you didn't ask for any of this to happen! Bloody hell, Dad! I wasn't about to ignore Vespa's portkey or leave you here!" He suddenly stopped shouting. He heard what he had just blurted out and clapped a hand over his mouth. Oh, so that's what his father was trying to tell him; that they were a family, no one is left behind.

As if reading his thoughts, Severus stated, "Exactly."

Harry understood, he finally understood what family really meant. It was unconditional love, and support. He looked up into the eyes of the most important person in his life, he leaned in closer, accepting the warm embrace the man was offering. His throat tightened up with emotion and he found it difficult to talk.

"I do trust you," Harry managed to say.

"Then tell me what she did to you." Severus held him tighter. He knew under normal circumstances Harry would never expose his suffering but he felt it important that the teen should talk while still in the grips of pain.

It took Harry several long precious minutes to speak again but his father waited patiently. Finally he whispered out, "She saw into my memories of Privet Drive. You know, Uncle Vernon and all that. She tied me down and …" a long pause.

"Go on."

"I could handle the beatings and the whipping but she kept …kissing me," Harry stopped talking when he felt his father become rigid and stop breathing. He looked up into black eyes filled with so much rage that he pulled out of the embrace.

"Fuck, I knew I shouldn't have said anything!" Shame washed over Harry like a wet blanket. He moved back against the wall pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes.

Severus was immediately regretful he had shown his emotions in such a blatant way. He saw the flush on Harry's cheeks and cursed himself again for making the boy feel disgrace over something he had no control over. "You were a victim, Harry. None of this is your fault."

"You think I'm disgusting, don't you?"

"Please, I ask you to continue. My anger is directed at only one person,"

After a few minutes Harry finally said, "I was so stupid … so bloody stupid! Why did I let her see how much the kissing bothered me? Bloody hell! As soon as she knew I didn't like it she started doing it more."

He heard the sharp breath his father took in. Harry quickly added, "Just so you know … it wasn't anything more than kissing and this…" Harry lifted a hand and brushed his fingers over the love bite on his neck, his head was pressed down to his bended knees in humiliation. He didn't want to look at what his father must be thinking again. He felt Severus take hold of his hand and give it a slight squeeze.

"I will heal those once we get home," Severus stated in the most reassuring voice he could muster. His whole being was filled with rage over what this woman had done to his son but he vowed to never show that to Harry again. He could tell the boy was greatly effected by seeing his anger over what had happened to him. He held onto Harry's hand.

"Yeah, that would be good." Harry softly replied, then in a stronger voice he said, "I bit her lip, made it bleed. Maybe she won't try and kiss me again." He sat up and looked at his dad. "She knows about the knife. Uncle Vernon's knife."

Severus made sure to hold his emotions in check… but it was hard, "Yes, I suspected as much."

"I tried not to scream … shite, I was always so bloody weak when it came to that lesson!"

Severus gave him a severe look, "You have never been weak! You behaved admirably, I am sure!" It was said with such intensity that it made Harry feel a rush of pride and it made him brave enough to continue.

"She told me something … about Voldemort … about me." Harry's free hand instinctively went to the lightening bolt scar. His dad didn't look shocked or angry so he continued, "Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?"

Severus' heart was beating madly in his chest but his words came out evenly, "Yes, I am aware of what a horcrux is."

Harry gave a nervous laugh, "Yeah, there isn't much you don't know about. So anyway, she says Voldemort gave me a part of himself through this horcrux thingy. Now all the death eaters kiss it as if Voldemort's still around. You know, like he's living inside me or something. Pretty daft, huh?" Another nervous laugh.

"Yes, it is rather foolish… and erroneous," Severus said but grasped the gravity of their situation. "I will look into this once we escape. In the mean time, try not to worry yourself with gratuitous thoughts. I dare say that you already have enough to think through without adding this to it all."

Harry felt so much relief that he almost was compelled to hug his father again. Severus didn't seem to be appalled or even very concerned about this scar stuff. He squeezed his dad's hand and said, "Thanks, I …" He suddenly stopped talking when they heard a key slip into the cell door. Severus moved forward to push Harry behind him.

Vespa walked in with a small black bowl in her hand. She set the bowl down on the floor before speaking.

"Severus, do you know what this is?"

Severus looked closely at the black onyx bowl with inscriptions around the rim. Oh Merlin, he knew exactly what that was; it was a darker, more sinister form of a pensieve. This type of pensieve didn't just take a copy of your memory but instead took the actual memory with a mind numbing painful rip! He had only seen it used once before and that was when Voldemort had used it against a captured auror. He remembered the cries of pain the man had given, the bloody mess he had made and worse yet … the complete lack of memory from the auror once it was done. He remembered the auror looking around as if he had just arrived. No, this couldn't happen to him too! He couldn't risk losing all thoughts of Harry's dire situation.

In as cool a voice as he could muster, he asked, "And what do you intend to do with that pensieve?"

Vespa's thin lips were pulled into a tight smile, "I should think you would know exactly what memory I am after. You will never win, Severus. I will rip that memory of where the Elixir of Life is hidden right out of your brain! Then I shall give your son to Bellatrix to do with as she pleases." Her glance shifted to Harry as he sat against the wall, one shoulder behind Severus as if the man actually thought he could shield the boy.

"Come here, boy!" Vespa yelled before raising her wand out towards the teen.

Severus gripped Harry's arm when the boy began to move. "Stay here!" Severus commanded sharply to Harry. Then he looked up at Vespa with so much hatred that she actually stepped back. "This has nothing to do with the boy. I will give you the memory if you let him go."

"Hah, you have no choice but to give me the memory! Don't you dare try to bargain with me now! He must die in order for me to get that Elixir." Vespa held tighter to her wand and narrowed her eyes.

"I shall un-adopt him then," Severus leveled at her.

Harry started to protest but was stopped by the now painful grip his father had on his arm.

Vespa shook her head, "No, it is too late for that. I gave you several chances to make the right decision but you were too stubborn to agree." Her gaze went back to Harry, "Boy, get over here or your father will suffer!"

Severus held tight to Harry's arm, even when Vespa shouted out an accio spell that pulled Harry forward. They were both dragged to the middle of the cell.

"Move away from the boy! Get back to the wall," Vespa shouted. When Severus held tighter her patience snapped. She leveled her wand at the boy and yelled out, "Crucio!"

Harry doubled over in pain, thrashing about as the curse overtook him. Severus let go and moved back to the wall, shouting out, "Enough! Stop, I did as you asked!"

Vespa released the spell, watching as the boy panted with pain, covering his face to hide his agony. She put a binding spell on him then levitated him to the opposite wall. It wouldn't due to have the boy-hero interfering.

Harry hadn't been prepared for the Crucio. His mind was still trying to fight free from the fog of pain he seemed to be in. His whole body throbbed with agony when it was levitated to the wall.

Vespa was pleased to have found the key to Severus' obedience. Everything would go much smoother if she didn't have to fight her nephew to get him to comply.

"Do everything I ask or the boy will pay the price."

Harry didn't want to be the cause of his father's obedience. He didn't know what the black bowl was all about but he did see the fear in Severus' eyes. He yelled out desperately, "Don't do it, dad! Don't do whatever it is she wants!"

Severus gave him a look that clearly said to shut up. Vespa shot a curse at Harry that made him wish he hadn't have opened his mouth. He felt as if his whole body was on fire, like the worst fever he ever had. His blood boiled with a burning that left him breathless with pain.

Severus tried to pull Vespa's attention back to him and lunged at her knowing full well that he would pay a heavy price. He wasn't wrong. Vespa turned her wand against him with a body blast that threw him against the wall with so much force that he saw stars before his eyes.

"Stay put!" the evil witch yelled out. She started to incant a spell as smoke formed from the tip of her wand that formed a cloud so dark as almost to be black.

Harry felt the evil presence in the room and began to scream unwillingly.

Severus knew what was coming. He knew that his memories were about to be ripped from his mind in a most painful macabre way. With all his heart he wished his son was not present to witness the incidence that was about to take place. He knew it would be something the boy would never forget.

The black cloud began to float in his direction. He looked desperately at his son before yelling out, "Harry, you know I love you, don't ever forget that. Don't ever forget how proud you make me."

The frantic look his son gave him forced him to explain, "The spell may make me forget about us … make me forget about how much you mean to me…" that was as far as he got … for the black cloud surrounded his head at that very moment He began to scream out as his brain was being ripped apart.

Harry watched in horror as his father began to bleed from his eyes, his nose and his mouth. He watched as Severus clawed at his own head as if he wanted to rip it away from the pain he must be feeling.

Vespa continued chanting the spell as a wispy black strand of smoke was being pulled from Severus' head and placed into the black bowl. She seemed impervious to the agony her nephew was in and continued chanting the dark spell without emotion. The black thread continued to pool in the bowl with gut retching screams from Severus.

Harry was frantic with fear but the body bind held him tightly. He shut his eyes and tried to focus on the magic that he knew was still buried deep inside him. The metal band around his neck only staunched the magic, it did not take it away. Severus screamed his name and it broke his concentration. His eyes opened to see Severus lying on the floor now, his face covered in blood but his eyes locked firmly on Harry's eyes. Harry felt a jolt of magic sent his way. He knew his father was responsible for that. It was almost as if Severus was sending him a piece of his magic.

Harry felt the added power he now had and quickly closed his eyes. He tried to occlude all thoughts of what was happening in that hideous cell and focus on his inner core of magic. He knew their only chance of survival was for him to get control of his magic and use it! .He felt a jolt rush through his body. The dreaded metal band around his neck was interfering but at least he knew he was on the right track.

It was at that very moment that he felt the wards surrounding the cottage begin to buckle. There was almost an audible sigh in the air as the wards began to come down. Dumbledore was here!!! Harry thought with elation. That thought gave him more vigor to try harder. He blocked out his father's moaning and concentrated on the metal band around his neck.

It all happened so fast; first the wards came down. At that same moment Harry felt the locks on the metal band around his neck lose some of their power. The body binding spell that held him against the wall gave way next. Within seconds he called forth all the power he could muster and directed it at the metal band around his neck. He pushed out such a powerful burst of magic that the metal band split in half and went flying against opposite stone walls. Sparks lit up the room as the metal bands bounced off the walls and clanked down to the floor.

The adrenaline rush he felt gave him the burst of energy he needed to stop the spell Vespa was using against his dad. He held his hand out towards her wand and screamed out, "Accio wand!" The wand flew out of her hand, directly into his hand, breaking the pensieve spell she was still holding on Severus.

It took Vespa a moment to realize what had happened. Harry looked at his father, lying unconsciously on the ground. All the hate, suffering and pain this woman had caused in their lives gave him the power to level her own on her. He was so wrapped up in his hatred and anger that he didn't even feel the sharp burning the wand was creating in the palm of his hand.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry screamed with such rage that the walls actually shook. The bright green light filled the cell with blinding fury. Vespa fell to the ground with her mouth open in mid scream.

It seemed as if the whole world had stopped. Everything was so quiet. The only sound was Harry's own gasping breath. He stared at the lavender robes lying in a mound on the stone ground. Vespa was no longer breathing. The black pensieve lay on it's side with the contents spreading across the stone floor, pooling around his dad's head.

He backed up against the wall, dropping Vespa's wand as if it were a hot poker. He looked down at his hand and could see the bloody burn mark the wand had made.

He wasn't aware of the cell door opening. A high pitched scream was heard before an invisibility cloak was dropped. Charlet stood in the cell looking down at Vespa and Severus.

"Are they dead?" she asked in such a high pitched voice that it startled Harry into awareness.

He slowly walked over to Severus and dropped down to his knees. He wiped away some of the blood from his father's face with his fingers. He leaned down and pressed his ear to Severus' chest. He let out the breath he had been holding when he heard a faint beat. He kept his head pressed to his dad's chest, not caring what Charlet thought of him.

Charlet put a shaky hand on his shoulder before whispering, "Harry, we have to get out of here before Bella comes. I have your wand."

Harry felt the familiar magic of his wand pressed into his good hand. He could hear shouts and rumbles in the distance. He didn't think he had the energy to apparate out of the cell with his father, let alone with Charlet as well.

"Do you know how to apparate?" Harry asked Charlet as he heard footsteps running their way.

He was disheartened when she shook her head. He thought he heard Bellatrix's voice shouting out a command. Without waiting another second he grabbed hold of Charlet's hand then stuffed his wand in his back pocket before grasping hold of Severus' hand. He concentrated on the gates of Hogwarts. His eyes were tightly shut, his mind was wholly immersed in getting out of here before they were caught.

The doors of the cell were thrown open in time for Bellatrix and McNair to witness three people disappearing right before their eyes. Bellatrix screamed out in frustration.

The Aurors heard someone screaming but when they investigated the dungeons… they found them to be empty.

XXXXXXXXXXXXTBC

Hi All,

I know many have been waiting for Harry to finally 'off' Vespa. I hope it was worth the wait. I would like to hear what you think.

Thanks,

Rachel