Chapter 22 Escape Part 2

The signal to move came in the middle of the night. The aurors had interrogated the suspects for hours but had apparently waited for confirmation before going forward with the information. True to his word, Shacklebolt sent word for Severus to meet him and gave him an apparition point in a village in Southern England. As far as Severus knew, it did not have a large wizarding population. Before they left, Severus supplied Lupin with a Pepperup Potion and took one himself. They would need their wits about them.

They apparated into a small copse of trees that was murky with mist. Between Severus's spy experience and Lupin's werewolf senses they were acclimated almost immediately. Their orders were to wait five minutes and then begin walking north. Neither spoke a word. Tense determination was evident in both of their movements once they began. Even during the chess game, the two had barely spoken to each other. A mutual goal united them for now, but they were hardly best friends.

As they trudged on, hardly making a sound, Severus was trying not to imagine the worst-case scenario of what he might find. No matter how you sliced it, two kidnappers had not returned with their prey tonight. Severus was not sure what their orders were. They might have been expected back much sooner. The only thing he knew for certain was that the aurors still believed Malfoy and Harry to be in this residence. They would not be sending the teams in otherwise.

Severus and Lupin reached the rendezvous point as expected. It was a distant outbuilding on the edge of the Goyle farm. The structure was in such bad repair that it was impossible to tell what it might have once been. At this point, it had only three sides and a partial roof, with joists leaning haphazardly in such a way that it looked to Severus as if the entire structure would not make it through the next storm. The floor was rotted, and roof tiles littered the interior. In one corner, three aurors were huddled over lit wands studying plans. They silently joined them.

"We've had a team on the house all day," an auror Severus did not recognize said by way of greeting. "It is impossible to tell how many are inside, or if there are other hostages. Goyle has two children and a wife. Our intelligence indicates they are on holiday, but it could be wrong."

That was disconcerting. As much as Severus did not approve of Goyle, so far, the children were innocent. As Head of Slytherin House he had made it his mission to prevent the children of Death Eaters from following in their parents' footsteps.

"And the basement?" Severus asked hoarsely.

"We have been able to confirm by the plans that there is a small cellar. The boy could very well be there. It is accessed by a narrow storm window or a staircase from inside."

Severus nodded. He was immediately wondering how narrow the window was. Both he and Lupin were slender. It was possible one of them could fit through it or lift the boy out of it.

"Snape, we'd like you to come inside with that team. If there are people in there you know, it might confuse them. Lupin, you can take the cellar window. We might need to get Potter out that way or try to get in." Madison looked at each of them in turn as he spoke to them.

Lupin looked as if he might object at first, but then he just nodded. Severus was not sure what he would find to object to. The plan was fine with him. He was still concerned that they were going in mostly blind. Doing so might endanger Harry.

"What do you want me to do?" Severus asked.

"Go to the door and announce yourself. Be ready in case they try to curse you. If anything happens, tell them Goyle sent you." Madison told him.

"That is the most asinine plan I have ever heard of," Severus scoffed. "Why would Malfoy buy that?"

"We are hoping he will be confused, and in the confusion, we can act."

"Do you take him for an idiot then? Granted his plan hasn't shown much in the way of brains so far. I have no idea what he is playing at. He will still see through this."

"A moment's confusion, Severus. That is all we need."

Against his better judgement, Severus nodded. Arguing was getting him nowhere. He would just have to have his wits about him. It wouldn't be the first time he went along with someone else's harebrained scheme because he didn't have a choice.

"Very well. We will stay out of sight until we know how things are going."

The group moved forward, hanging back once they got to a point where they reached the wards. Those had been tested earlier. Severus apparated to the back door of the crumbling, ancient manor house and knocked loudly. He made sure he was close enough that the wards would alert them almost as soon as his knock did.

The door flew open. Severus was not sure what he had expected, but it had not been that. Standing at the door with a scowl on his face was McNair.

"Don't gape at me like an idiot, man. Let me in!" Severus demanded.

McNair looked confused but responded to the authoritative tone in Severus's voice and moved aside. McNair was a bully and absolutely ruthless, but he was not known for brains. He simply followed Severus without a word as he walked into the house as if he were meant to be there and knew exactly where he was going.

Stopping when he got to a small sitting room, Severus spun around to face McNair and sneered at him. "Well? Where is Malfoy?"

"He is … he was asleep," McNair sputtered. After all, it was in the early hours of the morning. Severus was sure McNair himself had been sleeping by how disoriented he was. He probably wasn't supposed to be.

"I see," Severus said slowly. "Take me to the boy then." At McNair's hesitancy, he continued. "The brat has been making trouble? Is that why Malfoy wanted the potions. I swear, can you lot do nothing for yourselves. It's a simple potion."

"I expect he thought you'd have it on hand," McNair mumbled.

"Right," Severus shook his head in disgust. "Just show me where to go or point me there. I have better things to do. And get me some tea or coffee while you're at it. It's the least you can do."

At first, he seemed annoyed at being ordered around, but then McNair seemed to decide that making a pot of tea for Severus was better than being in his unpleasant company. "He's down there." He pointed to a narrow door. Then he disappeared down the hall.

"Don't interrupt!" Severus called after him. He made sure it wasn't too loud. If Malfoy really was asleep, he didn't want to wake him. Surreptitiously, he sent a patronus off to the aurors. With luck, they could get the boy without anyone the wiser.

The stairs were narrow and lit with dim torches. Even though Severus was used to moving in dark, decrepit spaces he almost tripped twice. When he reached the end, he realized this part of the cellar had a dirt floor. That did not seem right. Knowing he did not have much time, he lit his wand and moved as quickly as he could to the second room of the cellar.

Surprisingly, an alohamora unlocked the door. Harry was awake, sitting in the corner of the room Severus had seen him in before, hugging his knees as if he could make himself smaller that way. He almost shouted when he saw Severus, but a gesture quieted him. Severus was pleased that the boy was awake and not tied down. He went over and scooped him up.

"Are you okay?" Severus whispered in Harry's ear.

"Yes, I knew you'd come!" Harry whispered back.

"Yes, well, we are not to safety yet. Do you know how many men are here?"

The boy shook his head.

"More than two?"

"I've only ever seen one. The one with white hair. He's mean."

"Yes, he is mean." Severus nodded. He was holding on to Harry as if he would never let him go.

When he went into the main room of the cellar, he saw the small window.

"I am going to put you out that window, okay, Harry?"

The boy nodded.

"I need you to be very brave. A friend of mine is out there. His name is Remus. He is going to help you.

Severus did not want to let go of the boy, but he also did not want to risk going back through the house with him. He did not know what was happening up there. With a quick motion, he noxed his wand and opened the window.

With a quick patronus, he confirmed that Lupin was on the other side and waiting.

"Pretty," Harry murmured.

"I am going to levitate you through the window. Remus will catch you. Are you ready?" Severus asked.

Harry looked hesitant.

"I am going to go back through the house, and then I will be right back with you. I have to make sure those men can't hurt you again." Severus assured him.

"Okay," Harry answered firmly. "I can do it."

"Good boy," Severus told him. He kissed the boy on the head and levitated him out the window. As soon as he received confirmation that Remus had him, he headed back up the steps.

"Severus."

He had been hoping that it would be an auror that greeted him at the top of the stairs, but it had to be Lucius Malfoy. The man had a strange expression on his face. He looked like he was not sure what to believe about the situation.

"Ah, finally, Lucious. I have just been dosing the boy with a sedative potion. He should trouble you anymore. The brat tried to scratch me though. No wonder Goyle said he was trouble. The other two have been as timid as mice. What is wrong with this one?" Severus drawled in what he hoped was a bored, easy diatribe. "Where is my tea?"

"Don't you know who that was?" Malfoy asked.

"Maybe I would if Goyle had better lighting. I had to use my wand to see. I nearly broke my neck just going down the stairs. You would not be happy if I had tripped, Malofy, let me tell you that. Because of our friendship I won't charge you for this little house call, but I'm not coming here again."

Malfoy nodded. He seemed to be buying the story. Severus handed him three vials of semi-transparent, purplish liquid.

"It's my own recipe. I have been perfecting it over the years for the Hogwarts infirmary. It keeps the brats drowsy without making them completely comatose. It's not terribly difficult to make or expensive. It is, however, patent pending. I'm afraid I can't give you the details just yet. This should last you awhile. You only need a spoonful every 8 hours."

McNair entered then with a tray containing a cup and saucer.

"Ah, there it is. As much as I would love to stay and chat, I have cauldrons in stasis. If you need something or have some work for me that is actually interesting, please do call." With that, Severus walked toward the door.

"Severus," Malfoy drawled after him.

"Yes?" Severus stopped, boredom and irritation in his tone.

"What message did Goyle send for me?"

"Message?" Severus was confused. "He didn't send me a message. He said he was to stay with the other two muggle children for a day and then join you."

Malfoy looked irritated. Severus could practically see the angry owl he was about to send off to his partner in crime. It was too bad it would never be sent nor received.

"If that is all, Malfoy?"

"Yes, right." Severus was dismissed.

In no hurry at all, Severus opened the door and walked out, then apparated to the spot at the edge of the wards. Now that he was out of the house, his heart was pounding. This he could hardly believe. He had been through much more in his days as a spy. He had much more at stake now though.