*Sorry for not posting in a while. Here is chapter ten.
Warning! Alcohol use in this chapter if you can't tell by the title!
Chapter 10: Drinks with the Enemy
The early snow that surrounded Hogsmeade rested on the ground. Sunlight speckled through the morning mist from over the mountains. Trudging through the snow, the group of three wizards made their way up to the village.
"I like the long hike in all, but wouldn't it be easier if we just apparited a bit closer," huffed Hagrid as his breath froze to create a cloud that went upward. McGonagall adjusted her winter cloak and continued to face forward.
"Muggles are like Hippogriffs. You can't go on spooking them with fast and irrational movements," stated McGonagall. Harry chuckled at this, thinking about Buckbeak from the year prior.
"How dare you compare such a magnificent beast to a muggle?!" said the offended giant. "Although, the muggles do have the pride thing going for them as well. Bah! I guess you're right." Hagrid said after a thought or two.
Hogsmead was getting closer. Off to the side of the road, a soldier got up and ran over back towards the village. The three stopped and McGonagall shrugged.
"Well, they know we are here." She said and began to continue towards the village. Harry and Hagrid glanced at each other and quickly and followed in step behind her. The three of them knew that Lupin was on standby ready to pick them up if one of them were shot. He was waiting for a simple firework spell that would signal him to take action.
After a few more steps McGonagle stopped and Harry and Hagrid followed suit. They watched as a bunch of flustered muggles surrounded them from a short distance. The leader, who had a cap on his head, walked out of the village with a bit of a stumble to his step. He had a rifle slung over his shoulder and he was carrying a drink in his hand.
The soldiers around the trio presided to aim their weapons, with most of them shaking from a lack of sleep and a bit too much to drink. McGonagall threw her wand on the slushy road in front of her. She motioned for Harry and Hagrid to do the same.
Harry quickly did as he was told. Hagrid bought out his umbrella, looked at it sadly, and tossed it on the dirty ground. The soldiers around them inwardly questioned about the umbrella but didn't stop aiming their weapons at the three.
"We would like to negotiate!" shouted McGonagall. The leader looked at her in thought, then took a few steps closer.
"What makes you think we are open to communication? Some of my men are dead because of your kind!" He spat on the ground and almost lost his balance. Clearly, he was drinking heavily. McGonagall sighed.
"I just require a short discussion with you regarding aid to your men." Her words hit a chord in the drunken's head because he started pacing around.
"How do you know we are in need of aid?" The leader looked at them suspiciously. "You were probably the ones to destroy the porthole in the first place!" McGonagall frowned, trying to find an answer. Harry spoke up.
"Sir? Um, we felt a disturbance in the force, the magical force you see. All of us..." he motioned to the three of them, "...magical folk have this ability to sense when magical items break, or something like that." Harry looked up at McGonagall to see her unimpressed face. The muggle leader seemed to buy it though.
"Your kind is just weird." He said. McGonagall glanced at the drink in his hand.
"How about we discussed our weirdness over a drink?"
"I could go for another drink." The leader smiled. "I could also go with you spilling all your secrets to me, so I guess it won't hurt." He motioned for his men to lower their weapons. "The name's Sharp, Commander Sharp. And you are?"
"Minerva McGonagall. These are my boys, Harry Potter and Hagrid. They will not harm you even though they look tough."
Sharp frowned at Harry, thinking he was a little twat.
"I will invite you in alone. Those two can stay outside," said Sharp. McGonagall was escorted by a bunch of soldiers towards the brewhouse.
As McGonagall walked into the brewery, the familiar smell of butterbeer hung in the musty air. All the tables were occupied by at least one muggle soldier, some of them were passed out. Sharp sat down at a vacant table and motioned for McGonagle to take a seat across from him. She hesitated for a bit then reluctantly sat down in the uneven chair.
"So you must have had a reason for coming here," said Sharp as he poured McGonagle and himself a drink. He then pulled out a flask and poured it into both drinks. "If you weren't here to attack us, then what else?"
McGonagle eyed the drink with suspicion. Then took a tentative sip. Sharp took a few large gulps from his mug.
"I've come to propose a treaty between our two parties," said McGonagle. She took a bigger sip, savouring the taste of butterbeer mixed with a tinge of a muggle tonic. "In return, we provide shelter and food. Since you destroyed over half the place, I doubt you can stay warm for long. It gets quite cold around here." She knew her reasoning was off but she took the chance with the half intoxicated man.
Sharp frowned at his half-empty mug. They sat for a few moments with Sharp staring in the distance in thought. He then answered.
"We can survive perfectly fine here since we have more than enough supplies to last a week." He finished his glass and slammed it down on the table. "My superior will fix the porthole within that time."
"But your men are injured and are in need of medical assistance," said McGonagle as she too finished her mug. She motioned for a refill. "We have the ability to heal all your men in a matter of two days maximum."
After filling the two mugs, he ordered one of his men to bring over a barrel of rum.
"Now that, Mrs. witch, is an offer I am willing to take." He slurred. "However, I will only take it if you can out drink me starting with this barrel of rum." Sharp smiled and stretched out his hand across the table, already fully intoxicated.
McGonagle sighed. Even then after drinking the one drink, she felt foggy, she knew that taking Sharp on his offer would see the difference to how the war ended. She took his hand and shook it.
"If it must be done." McGonagle started by gulping down her second mug of butterbeer until it was empty. Sharp ordered for glasses to be filled with the rum. The soldiers obeyed, tipping the large barrel so that they could start filling the mugs that were lined up. The strong scent of hard liquor cut through the room and McGonagall winced at the thought of what she agreed to.
We must take the chance to befriend the muggles so that the world won't be put into turmoil. Our chance for peace lies with you, Minerva. The words of Dumbledore calmed her thoughts as she grabbed the first mug.
An hour or two passed and the two were still tied on how many drinks they have consumed. McGonagle chugged down another mug as Sharp groaned with his head on the table. She grinned drunkenly and pointed at the barrel.
"When I win," she slurred, "the wine stores… We bring them out for you." Sharp laughed.
"But it's a school. There are children. Won't you be fired or something like that?" He started to hiccup.
"The teachers have a stash. Don't tell Dumbledore, he'd murder me."
"Dumblefloor." Sharp wrongly repeated. "What a weird name."
"'Door' you idiot! Not 'floor'," McGonagle smiled at a joke in her head. "If it helps you remember better, he is opening our 'doors' to you muggles." It was Sharps turn to make a joke.
"Muggles. Sounds like a puggle or a bundle. Yes bundle, that's it." He leaned back in his chair. "As in we muggles are a 'package" deal." No one laughed. McGonagle considered throwing a mug in his face.
"This is why no one thinks you're funny."
They stayed with this banter for nearly another hour until one of the soldiers thought it best to call off the drinks, partly because of the painfully bad jokes. In the end, McGonagall won from one glass, mostly because Sharp was starting to like her. The two needed support from the soldiers to get outside.
Harry and Hagrid were still outside and rushed over to fetch the nearly immobile McGonagall from the muggles. Hagrid had to hold her up from falling over.
"Mrs! Are you alright?" asked Hagrid to the clearly intoxicated witch.
"Delighted my dear Hagrid! Delighted!" She motioned to the two wands and umbrella that were still in the slush. "Fetch the wands, will you, young boy!" Harry quickly picked up the wands and gave McGonagle's back to her. Studying her wand, she waved it towards the muggles.
A bunch of the soldiers fetched their weapons, but instead of the killing spell being thrashed out, five barrels of what assumed to be butterbeer emerged out of thin air.
"A parting gift for you sergeant, or general or whatever you are," said McGonagall. "We will await your arrival at Hogwarts!" Sharp smiled.
"Hogwarts? What a repulsing title to name a school!" yelled Sharp. "We will see you there then."
McGonagall tried to point her wand at Sharp but it was taken away from Hagrid.
"That's enough of that. You, Mirvera, need to get some water and bed," said Hagrid as the three slowly made their way away from Hogsmeade. After they were out of sight from the town, Hagrid apparited them back to the front gates of Hogwarts.
He lost all concepts of time. The light in his cell was never turned off. Snape hazed in and out of sleep. His eyes always felt heavy and any energy he had was pulled out of him. It felt like a part of him was missing. In place was the void of unconsciousness that he desperately tried to stay out of. For the sake of Dumbledore's plan, he must stay aware. It felt like a whole day since Willaim and Umbridge visited him and the medal window stayed shut since.
Sighing, he got up and walked around his cell, being careful not to get his heart rate up too high. Two steps towards the door. Two steps back toward the wall.
Snape pondered if he could test his heart rate to see how high it could get before it shocked him. From what happened before, there would be some delay before it is set off. Going against the idea, Snape sat back down and realized how hungry he was.
Makes sense. He thought. It was some way to keep him weaker. They must not trust the headband fully to avoid giving me at least water.
He heard footsteps from behind the door then the medal window slid open. It was Willaim and assisting him was a woman in a lab coat.
"Good morning. I would ask you to stand facing the far wall away from the door," said Willaim.
So it's morning. Thought Snape as he stayed put in his corner.
"This is your second warning. Face away from the door!" William quickly became annoyed. Without waiting for Snape to get up. He held up a controller and pushed one of the buttons.
Intense electrical shocks pulsed their way through Snape's head. He writhed on the ground, clutching the metal headband. All his senses turned to static.
"Plea..se…. Sto..p…" gasped Snape. The onslaught stopped suddenly but the ache still lingered. William smirked.
"Face the wall. Or you get another jolt," ordered William. Snape quickly stood up and turned away from the door, facing the wall. He hoped that his heart rate was calm enough to avoid a second electrical wave.
The sound of multiple bolts sounded behind him followed by the heavy door squeaking open. Two sets of footsteps stepped toward him. Out of the corner of his eye, Snape saw the shine and shape of a needle positioned near his neck.
"This won't hurt a bit." cooed Willaim. The pinch of the needle made Snape twitch away but a strong hand grabbed his head and held it into place.
Almost instantly, the drug took effect and Snape found himself in the larger muggle's arms. Paralyzed, he was laid out on a stretcher. He was given no rest as the two scientists started taking blood from both of his arms. After a minute, Snape started to feel the world swirl around him.
They… they're draining me dry! Snape tried to move but the drug did its job brilliantly. To his relief, they stopped taking blood and started setting up a scanner that was on a cart near them.
"You would be happy to know, " said Willaim, "that you will be removed from your band once and a while to assist me in testing armour and other things." Snape didn't reply but couldn't help but feel relieved at the fact of getting his magic back.
They scanned his chest with the scanner and a few beeps followed by Willaim's whistle was heard, clearly impressed with the results.
"I must say, you're quite the gifted wizard, Severus." Putting the scanner back he motioned for his assistant to take it away. William then lifted Snape off the stretcher with ease and placed him lying face down in his cell.
"I look forward to your cooperation real soon," said Willaim as he shut the cell door.
All Snape could do was close his eyes and give in to the void that so desperately wanted him.