Chapter 23 Plans

As quickly as he dared in a night with so little moon and so much mist, Severus returned to the dilapidated structure. There, he found Lupin kneeling in the dirt floor with Harry. As soon as they boy saw him, he stood up and ran past the werewolf and into Severus's arms. Severus grabbed him up and hugged him

"I was worried about you," Harry sobbed.

"I told you I would come back," Severus soothed the boy, stroking the back of his head. Now that he was holding his ward again, relief was coursing through his veins. In the back of his mind, he was wondering what was happening with the aurors back at the house.

"Thank you, Lupin."

"Of course, Severus. Harry seems fine. He is tired and he was worried about you, but I did not see any injuries."

Severus nodded, relieved. He was glad that Lupin had the presence of mind to check Harry for injuries while he was waiting. Over the back of Harry's head, he eyed the man, wondering what he was thinking. He was sure that Lupin was wondering what had happened in the house but didn't want to ask in front of Harry.

"I am going to take Harry to Hogwarts now, Lupin. Please let me know as soon as there is anything to know."

"Of course, Severus."

Not for the first time, Severus wished it were possible to apparate directly into the hospital wing. He apparated Harry to the edge of the wards and then walked with him. The boy had gained some weight and muscle since Severus had taken him in, but he was still small and light. At the moment, Severus did not mind carrying him either. He was just glad to have Harry back.

Once in the hospital wing, Severus sent a patronus to Dumbledore to let him know that he was there. He then placed Harry gently on a bed. In the bright lights of the infirmary, Severus noticed that the boy was filthy. It really stood out against the white sheets of the hospital bed.

"Severus!" Poppy cried. "You have him."

"Yes, he is uninjured as far as we can tell, but I wish you to check." Severus told her.

Harry looked exhausted. He was holding Severus's hand. His eyes were big, and Severus wondered how traumatized he would be by this experience. They boy had been through enough.

"Of course," Poppy told Severus.

The mediwitch immediately began bustling around Harry. She used her wand to case a diagnostic on him and immediately pronounced him dehydrated, exhausted, and hungry.

"Hungry?" Severus asked, amused.

"Would you prefer a more medical definition, Severus?"

"No, Poppy. I'm sorry. Can we get him a bath too? I am sure he is uncomfortable."

She looked like she might object, but then her eyes seemed to take in Harry's filthy, torn clothing and his dirt-caked skin. "I see what you mean, Severus."

Carrying Harry once again, Severus took the boy to the washroom. The tub had already been spelled full of warm water. The boy was so exhausted that he helped him undress and get in and then helped him wash his hair. Normally, Harry was old enough to take care of all of this on his own and Severus knew he had been doing so for quite some time. After what the boy had been through though, Severus was content to baby him just a bit.

Once the boy was in clean pajamas and a few cuts had been tended too, Severus sat on the bed and held him while he drank some soup out of a mug. Poppy had included a nutritive potion in the soup, so the small meal filled the boy quickly. By the time the soup was gone, he could not keep his eyes open. Severus moved aside and made sure Harry was comfortable and well-covered with the fluffy blankets. Then he sat in a transfigured armchair and just watched him sleep. That was where Dumbledore found him some forty-five minutes later.

"How is Harry?"

Nearly ready to nod off himself, Severus turned his head to the headmaster's voice.

"He is unharmed physically, Headmaster. He was mostly exhausted and dehydrated. Poppy wants to observe him overnight."

"And you?"

Severus looked up into Dumbledore's eyes. "I failed him, Headmaster. I know that he is better off not being with those horrid muggle relatives, but I still can't believe this happened while he was in my care."

Dumbledore sat down beside Severus, in the chair normally reserved for the next bed. "I can understand how you would think that on some level, Severus. I am sure every parent does when an accident or tragedy occurs. This was not your fault, however. You have been doing an admirable job of keeping Harry safe. We know he is a target. I tried to keep him hidden. We saw how well that worked. He was denied love and friendship for years. I do not think for a minute that my way was better."

For several long minutes, neither said a word. Finally, Severus broke the silence. "Do you know what happened after I left? Are Malfoy and McNair in custody? Why was Harry targeted?"

Dumbledore nodded. "It is a strange tale, indeed. Harry was the target. The other children were abducted because they were with Harry. Apparently, Crabbe and Goyle went back for them because they feared they were witnesses. Malfoy will be obliviated so that he does not remember you being there."

"But how did they find Harry?"

This was the terrifying question. Severus was worried that somehow the Death Eaters had known where he lived and that he had Harry, but Malfoy had obviously not known. None of the puzzle made sense to Severus. Harry Potter as a target of Death Eaters made sense, but nothing else.

"There was a leak at the Ministry."

If Severus had been holding something, he would have crushed it to dust at those words. Of course, there was a leak at the Ministry. Harry had been sold out to the Death Eaters by some soulless bureaucrat.

"The Trace?"

"It would seem so. As long as Harry was inside your wards, or the wards you set up around his muggle school, they could not find him. The transfer of guardianship was not as secret as we would have hoped. Someone found out about it and tipped off the Death Eaters. This same person also used Harry's Trace to feed them his location."

Severus snarled.

"I am not blaming you, Severus. Although the transfer of guardianship was the inciting incident, Harry is undoubtedly better with you."

"Who?"

"Who was it?" Dumbledore's eyes flashed. "Never mind that, Severus. The Order is taking care of it."

"Albus!"

"No, Severus. If you care about Harry, you will let this go. You cannot take revenge. Let me deal with this. You have more important matters to your mind."

Deflated, Severus nodded. He wanted revenge in the worst way. He wanted to rip the head off of the Ministry of Magic official, and then the three Death Eaters. However, he could not risk losing Harry after just getting him back.

Albus started to get up. "Well, if that is all, I will leave you to it."

"No, Albus, that is not all."

The Headmaster turned back to Severus.

"I have decided to take a sabbatical next school year. The sixth-year potions book is absolute rubbish. I am going to write a new one."

Chuckling, Dumbledore looked down at Severus over his half-moon spectacles. His blue eyes were twinkling. "Is that so?"

"Absolutely. It will give me more time to spend with Harry too, of course."

"Of course. I think it's a capital idea, Severus. I will see you back at Hogwarts when Harry turns eleven."

The End.

Thanks for reading! A sequel is planned, so stay tuned.