Chapter Nine: Black Oil Attack:

Owego New York State, January 10, 1999:

Stephan could not understand how he had got here, he remembered going to see his godson Draco, it was not the most safe thing to do but he had wanted to see how he was getting along. Draco was doing well and passing his classes, he loved the Salem institute and loved all he was learning. He was finding the world to be far more vast than he had ever thought and that muggles were extremely advanced and would end up finding about them sooner than later. It made sense to blend in the best they could and he did like the Technomancy classes he took, he found he liked building things and such and now had a purpose in life aside from being a Malfoy lord.

"I look forward to using my knowledge back in England." Draco had said, "I will miss this though."

"I cannot go back." Stephan said, "it is not my home and never could be now."

"I know, I am sorry that you cannot come back." Draco replied, "still you have a good life here."

"I do that." Stephan replied, a life he was still not sure he had earned or deserved.

He had stayed very late in Salem and instead of heading home he had called Randy and told him he would be home the next day. He wanted to see more of Salem too and so checked into a hotel. He was settling in comfortably in his hotel, barefoot and clad in jeans and long sleeved green buttoned tee when there was a knock at the door. That was the last he remembered before waking here, wherever that was. He sat up and felt very drained and dizzy and groaned laying back down to let his head clear. Once was less dizzy, he sat up and saw he was covered in a black substance, almost like oil! He staggered to his feet and made his way from the room he was in to see he was in a long corridor made of concrete.

He was far too weak to Apparate out, much less defend himself, his magic felt drained and he had no idea why. He was feeling sick and dizzy again and began to make his way out of the corridor he was now in. He heard the sound of boots and realized he was in a military installation and if he was found with his wand he would be in violation of the statute of secrecy. He was trapped, he was too weak to Apparate, could not escape and so had to hide what he was no matter what happened to him. For this reason he looked around and saw a small compartment on the side of the tunnel wall. He cast a few spells, no muggle could see this now but a witch or wizard could. He stowed his wand and mokeskin bag and closed the door just as another wave of dizziness hit him.

The soldiers found him slumped on the floor dazed and confused but they were taking no chances with him. They were already in full battle gear with gasmasks on as they were not sure what they were getting into. Stephan did not fight as his hands were handcuffed behind him and he was forced to his feet. He could barely walk and did not register that he was being asked a question until he was hit. This caused him to focus a bit better and look over at the soldier who had hit him.

"Your name and how you got in here!" The soldier demanded.

"Stephan Stone, I do not know, I don't even know where here is!" Stephan replied.

"He is covered in black oil sir, he will want to see him." Another soldier said.

"Bring him." The first replied. "Resist and shoot you."

Stephan was drug to an elevator and up to the surface, the cold air hit him and he gasped in shock. He was forced to walk over the cold cement to where a man stood, he was tall, very thin and clad in a gray suit and tie under a warm gray trench coat. His hair was gray and he was smoking a cigarette. He finished that and walked up to his captive and looked him over coldly. This was the cigarette smoking man as he was called as a scant few knew his name. The soldiers let go of Stephan who sank to his knees unable to stand at the moment. He was still dizzy, weak and he knew in very real trouble though he had no idea how he had got wherever he was.

"You are in very real trouble Mr. Stone." The smoking man said lighting up another cigarette. "You have trespassed on government property."

"I am sorry sir, that was not my intent." Stephan said, "the last thing I remember was answering the door to my hotel room."

"Yes, and yet you are here, where were you last?" The smoking man asked.

"Salem, sir." Stephan replied, "I don't know where here is."

"Bring him." The smoking man said. "He will soon answer our questions more satisfactorily."

Stephan was drug back to his feet and saw a chopper land, he was drug into this and knew he was a dead man. He had no way of getting out of this, well not unless he could transform and that was not happening anytime soon. He had a secret few knew, he was a raven Animagmus and that could offer him a way out of this situation, if he wanted to break the statute of secrecy that is. If he did that he would really be in trouble, he was going to have to figure out another way out of this. He must have dozed or passed out for the next thing he knew he was drug from the chopper, into a building and down a flight of stairs. He was shoved into a bare concrete room with no windows and only one light over head. He expected them to start beating him right away but that did not happen and so all he could do was sink to his knees and remain there bound and with no way out.

After a few minutes the door opened and he braced himself as another man came in, he was older as well, his once brown hair turning white and clad in an expensive suit and tie. He looked down at Stephan with distain and rage? What could this man have against him? The man closed the door and walked over to him and Stephan saw he had a gun in his hand. He used this to force Stephan to look him in the eye and the look of anger was written all over the man's face. Did this man know who he had been before? Stephan began to feel real fear, if he did than his life was over. He looked familiar as well but he could not remember ever meeting this man.

"You know I got married very late in life" The man said, "had two children, both sons, both very bright boys. One went to Eton and I was very proud of him, still am, he is headed for number 10 Downing street no doubt. The other I was no less proud of, he just finished up at Hogwarts, ah yes you know that place as well as I do. I know of magic Mr. Stone and my son does too, though he was hunted for what he was, he a member of the peerage hunted like common rabble by those who call themselves pureblood!"

"It was a dark time, and the reason I moved here, to get away from all that, I am mundane born myself, sir" Stephan said.

"There was a man a wizard at that school, became headmaster, tormented the students there, and my son." The well manicured man said calmly but the rage was under the surface, "his name was Severus Snape."

"I have heard of him, I was told often that I look like him, I had to hex those that dare state that, as if I wanted to look like the man who murdered the greatest wizard of our age." Stephan said.

"Your life story holds up rather well, almost too well Mr. Stone." The well manicured man said, "I knew you were a wizard the moment that my college stated you somehow ended up from Salem to Owego. But until now I had no idea who you really were."

"I am Stephan Stone, no-one else." Stephan said looking calm on the outside but panicking inside.

"I doubt you are Stephan Stone, no doubt you really are Severus Snape!" He walked behind Stephan and removed the handcuffs and Stephan was not stupid enough to attack him, "get up, remove your shirt now."

Stephan rose to his feet just as the well manicured man stepped back, whatever he hoped to find Stephan knew he would not find. The scars and the dark mark were gone, it was not well known in magical England that a dark mark could be removed, nor that scars could be removed as well. He took off his shirt and stood glaring at the man before him who forced him to show his left arm. He had a small stone on him and how a muggle got a magical stone was beyond him but he did. He used it to scan Stephan's arm and was surprised to come up with nothing but the cross tattoo he had. He had him turn around and was again shocked to not see scars on his back.

"Satisfied?" Stephan snapped, "I told you I am not him!"

"I could have swore, my Justin is well and whole despite that year." The well manicured man said, "why do you visit the Malfoy heir?"

"Him? He is smart and into Lore, I wanted to see if he really was different from his father, who I had the misfortune of meeting years before. Besides the Malfoy family is powerful, if one is over here why should I not wish to meet one on neutral ground? Why is my life any of your business?"

"Watch your tone with me boy!" The well manicured man said, "you were targeted and I want to know why!"

"Probably for my good looks." Stephan shot back.

"Any more of your cheek and I will have you beaten!" The well manicured man snapped looking very angry. "There is one more thing that will prove if you are who you say you are."

"Oh and what is that?" Stephen said coldly.

"Blood sample."

Stephan felt horror deep down, he knew the game was up, when the results came back they would show exactly who he was. Magic could change who he was to the magical population but he knew of nothing that could change his DNA. He did not show his horror and fear but did struggle when soldiers came to bind him to a chair save for his right arm. This was held as blood was taken from him, he was unbound as soon as the doctor left the room with the sample, he struggled to get free but was hit several times for that. He was hauled to his feet and held fast as the Well Manicured man looked him over coldly.

"If I find you are Severus Snape you will suffer badly." He said, "you will not get away with what you had done to my son, do you understand me?"

"If I were him I would agree with you." Stephan said feeling for Justin, he was a good student, and he had done his best to help the lad, and others to escape. Only five percent of the muggleborn were captured and the rest had fought a guerrilla war against the snatchers and the ministry. "Then again no death eater should have escaped justice, and none have."

"We shall see." The Well-manicured man said nodding to a soldier who let go of Severus and shoved his shirt at him, Severus dressed and watched as the Well-manicured man walked to the door, "oh, where are my manners, I am sure you would like a shower, my men will accommodate you."

Stephan found himself bound with his hands behind him and drug out. He was drug into a room under a shower head and the water turned on. It was not cold, but not really warm either, he gasped and sputtered in shock and rage and used language and insults that got the guards to hit him. He was drug back to his cell, unbound and kicked to the floor. The heavy steel door was closed on him and he was left to wonder just what was going to happen next when the Well-manicured man found out who he was.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

So there is that, the reason Stephan disappeared like he did. The way that Stephan was treated, well in this story the Well-manicured man is the father of Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was a muggleborn. He is not a bad man, we saw this in canon in the end, but stuck in a bad situation. He hates all death eaters, and Snape as the one who killed Dumbledore who he had met and liked. If he finds out who Stephan was it's not going to be pretty for Stephan, and can you blame a father for wanting revenge for his son being hunted, and him of the peerage to boot? Yes Justin's family seems of the peerage sort as Eton is a school that caters to them and the upper crust of society both the peerage and the rich, though those that are smart and do not have the funds do get scholarships to Eton.

Anyway, do review please!