27. Meeting Richelle
When Severus arrived at the gates of Malfoy Manor he steeled himself, opened the gate and walked up to the large wooden entrance door. He used the metal door knocker which was shaped like a snake and knocked three times. Even from the outside he could hear the sound reverberating through the cavernous marble hallways. A few seconds later a house elf showed up and let him in. "What can Abbe do for Professor Snape?" the elf asked him.
"I would like to speak to Mr Malfoy," Severus said.
The elf led him into the drawing room which hadn't changed a bit since Severus was there the last time. He took a seat in front of the fireplace and a moment later he heard, "Uncle Severus, how nice to see you."
It was Draco. Severus got up and shook hands with him. "It is great to see you also, Draco. It has been a while."
"It sure has. What can I help you with? Abbe said you wanted to speak with me."
"I was actually referring to your father but I guess it is my fault that I didn't make it clear which Mr Malfoy I wished to see."
"I am sorry but father is not here at the moment. He and mother went to visit some relatives in France. They will be back tomorrow morning."
Severus let out a deep sigh and collapsed back into his chair with his head in his hands. "Merlin, I can't wait that long...!"
"What is going on?" Draco asked with worry. He had thought that his godfather had looked a little rough when he first saw him but now that he saw his reaction he knew that something wasn't right.
"My wife was taken yesterday afternoon," he heard Severus's muffled reply.
"WHAT?" Draco asked in disbelieve. "W... who would do such a thing?"
Draco sat down in the other chair next to the one Severus had occupied and listened to the story of Bobbie's capture. Then Severus added, "They want money, 200,000 galleons to be exact..."
"I will help you with that...," Draco interrupted.
"No, I don't need the money but thank you anyway. I have that much. My inventions are paying well. The reason I am here is that I believe the person who took her is somebody who supported Voldemort. I have a memory from the clerk which shows my wife's captor well. I have seen this person before during a Death Eater meeting but don't know who he is or where I can find him," Severus said.
"Do you want me to look at the memory? You know I had been at some of the meetings," Draco offered.
"I believe that this was before your time but at this point I will take all the help I can get, even if it means I am grasping at straws," Severus admitted tiredly.
"Okay, let me get the Pensieve," Draco said and walked to a cabinet in a corner. He unlocked it and pulled out an intricately carved stone basin and set it on the side table in between their chairs.
Severus pulled out the vial with the memory and poured it into the basin. Draco bent over it and looked at the short memory. When he was done he shook his head and said, "Sorry, I don't remember ever seeing this man."
Severus fished the memory out of the Pensieve with his wand and put it back into the vial and said, "I didn't think you would." Then he put the vial back into his pocket.
"Is there anything else that could be of importance?" Draco asked.
"Yes, but it isn't much to go on. Bobbie called very early this morning. Her captor obviously didn't think anybody in the Wizarding World would use a mobile phone and didn't check for one. She still had it and called when she was alone. She said that she is in the dungeons of a huge manor with grey stucco walls and a round tower with a flat top on the left side. The entrance consists of large wooden double doors. She also said there was a house elf with the name Quincy who called the man Master Preston."
As soon as Severus was done telling Draco about the call he realized that he had totally forgotten to let Minerva know about it. He would let her know as soon as he got back to Hogwarts. Maybe she would be able to shed some light on these clues.
Draco again shook his head but said, "You should ask Harry and his fellow Aurors or anybody else who is working at the Ministry. Somebody there would know about a large mansion like that. What about Hermione? She is head of the Magical Creatures Department. They started to register all the house elves to make sure they are treated well. We registered Abbe just last week."
With these words Severus felt a little hope again and before he got up to leave he said, "Thank you Draco. I will do that. I have to admit I haven't even thought about it."
Draco nodded slowly and said, "That is understandable. I can't imagine how I would feel if somebody would take Astoria. I most likely wouldn't know where to start first. If you can't find anything, come back tomorrow. I know father isn't too keen about you lately but the two of us together may be able to wear him down."
The two men walked to the door where Severus thanked Draco for his help. Draco said, "Thinking about it, I haven't even offered you refreshments or something for lunch."
"Don't worry about it. I probably would not have been able to stomach anything to begin with. You did give me some good points about what to do next."
The men shook hands and Severus walked outside to the Apparation zone to make his way back to Hogwarts where he walked straight to Minerva's office to let her know about the clues Bobbie had given him in her phone call.
Minerva wasn't able to recognize anything off the top of her head but promised she would think about it some more. "There are several great Manors that come to mind and I know the owners of some of them but I can't think of any that would belong to the person in that memory. I do however agree with young Mr Malfoy and think you need to go through the house elf registry. Even though today is Sunday I believe Hermione would gladly make an extra trip to work for an hour or two. Why don't you call her?"
Severus nodded and dialed Hermione's number and asked if he could have a look at the registry to find an elf named Quincy. He was on the phone for a very short time and hung up with a defeated look on his face.
"What did she say?" Minerva asked.
"There is no house elf with that name in the registry. She doesn't even have to look into it. Hermione knows for a fact that they have no names that start with a "Q" in their files yet." Severus said sadly.
"Don't give up hope, Severus. Bobbie needs you. She needs you to bring her home, whether it is by finding her or by paying the ransom. We will get the money together somehow," Minerva said.
"I am not worried about the money. I will gladly give everything I own to get her back."
Minerva patted his arm and said, "I know! Come, let's go to the Great Hall and eat dinner. You have to eat something. My guess is you skipped lunch."
Severus let Minerva talk him into going. He would make up an excuse about why Bobbie wasn't there with him. He knew he needed to keep going. He heard Minerva's words in his mind; Bobbie needs you to bring her home. And by Merlin, he would! Even if it would cost him his last breath.
888
After Bobbie had hung up the phone with Severus she felt a cloud of loneliness and despair fall over her. The darkness in her cell felt heavy and oppressive. During this time of the year it was still pitch black outside and even the moon that had provided a little bit of light when she was first thrown into these dungeons had deserted her. She curled back up in the corner to get as much warmth as she could from the blankets and her own body heat. It wasn't enough and she started shivering after a while. She figured that she hadn't felt it last night because she was too exhausted to notice and she had fallen asleep after only a little while. It was different now and she was wondering if she could call the elf to bring her more blankets. She doubted it since this elf was not assigned to her, so she dropped the idea.
She thought about Severus and hoped he would be okay and that he wouldn't put himself into danger to find her. She also hoped he would take care of himself. She knew what kind of mood he could get himself worked up into... Her wonderful husband. She missed him so much. Tears were pooling in her eyes and just when she was about to let herself fall into a hole of despair she felt her baby move. The feeling of it snapped her back into survival mode. "It's okay baby. Everything is going to be fine. Your daddy is taking us home as soon as he finds us." She spoke in a quiet soothing voice. She had a baby to consider and she would not let herself break down, not as long as there was hope.
When the door suddenly opened and woke her she noticed that she must have rocked herself to sleep again. The dim light of the candle had come on again and her captor was standing in the doorframe with a nasty smirk on his face, "I hope you had a good night."
When Bobbie just glared at him he mocked, "I had hoped the lady would be a little more grateful with the provided accommodations."
"Go to hell!" she hissed.
"Well, well, well aren't we grumpy this morning. Maybe after a good breakfast you will be in a better mood." He called the elf to bring Bobbie a couple of slices of buttered toast and water.
"Enjoy your meal," he leered and then the door fell into the lock and the candle went out. She did notice that by now there was a little light coming through the small window. At least it was enough so she could see what she was doing. She ate the toast which had gotten cold by now and drank the water.
After she was done she went to look around her cell. The small window was too high for her to make it up there without a ladder, and even with a ladder there was no way she could have squeezed through it in her present condition. She went to inspect the shackles which were hanging on the wall and knew right away that they were useless for anything aside from tying somebody to the wall of course. The door was a heavy iron door and there was no way she could open it other than with a key... wait a minute... she and Geronimo had gotten pretty good at picking locks, and this old-fashioned lock would be easy. The keyhole was huge.
Bobbie pulled the pin out of her hair and before she started she put her ear on the door and listened for any sounds on the outside. There weren't any and she went to work. It only took her a few seconds. She carefully pulled the door open just a little bit. At first she thought there was another lock on the outside of the door because it wouldn't open but then she realized that the door was just so heavy that it took a little more strength. She looked in one direction of the hallway through the crack and then opened it a little farther so she could stick her head out and look into the other. It was empty.
She slipped outside and was thankful that she had worn her running shoes for her shopping trip. They were nice and quiet. She sneaked to the first flight of stairs and quietly made her way up. When she came to the next level she carefully looked around before setting foot into the hallway. Just when she attempted to do so the elf ambled by. Even though Bobbie was almost positive that Quincy saw her, the elf pretended not to and kept going. What was going on? Bobbie thought about it for a while and when nothing happened she finally decided to keep going.
She carefully walked up the next flight of stairs and came to the hallway that led to the front entrance of the mansion. She quietly went into the direction where she knew she needed to go. Right when she came by a door it opened and the elf was standing there looking at her. Bobbie knew she was busted and just closed her eyes and let out a huge sigh and gave herself up to her fate. Suddenly she heard the weak voice of a woman coming from the room saying, "Go on, child."
Bobbie opened her eyes and saw an old women lying in a bed. The woman smiled at her and said, "Go on. Save yourself."
When Bobbie just stood there with a puzzled look on her face and staring at her the woman beckoned her to come to the door. Bobbie walked into the room and the elf closed the door.
The woman said, "Quincy closed the door so my grandson won't come in. He knows to stay away when the door is closed and most of the time he obeys it."
"Your grandson?" Bobbie asked.
"Yes, the man who is holding you captive," she answered. "Quincy has told me everything. I want you to know that I do not approve. You need to leave while you can."
"Why did he take me?" Bobbie asked with a look to the door.
When Bobbie didn't leave the woman said," Because he considers your husband a traitor. Preston was loyal to You-Know-Who. He wasn't a Death Eater but he was supplying him with the necessary funds for the havoc he caused. He gave him most of our family fortune and he thinks Severus should pay for taking him down."
"Why Severus? There were others he could hold up..." Then Bobbie realized that the old woman was calling Severus by his name. "How do you know Severus?"
"He is my grandson," came the answer.
Bobbie was stunned. "WHAT? How... how can that..., who are you?"
"Severus's mother Eileen was my daughter. Preston is the son of Eileen's brother. My name is Richelle Prince."
Bobbie looked aghast at the woman for a while before she pointed out the obvious and snapped at the woman. "Are you listening to yourself? You cast Severus's mother out just because she married a Muggle. You never even checked on Severus to find out how he was when he was a boy. He had the worst possible childhood, was neglected and beaten by his father and now that he finally made a life for himself your grandson wants to take his money?"
"Please get a hold of yourself. Things aren't always what they seem..."
"Well, you better have a pretty damn good excuse...!" Bobbie said with a voice filled with indignation.
"Yes, Eileen was cast out but I didn't have a lot of say in the matter. My husband made that decision. For the longest time I didn't even know where she went after she left. I have never been a very healthy person and my husband controlled all the money. Even if I would have found her I wouldn't have been able to help her out with anything. I later heard that Severus was at Hogwarts and I knew he at least was in good hands there..."
"Right, that is what you thought. He was bullied and laughed at because he wore threadbare clothes with pant legs and sleeves that were too short. If he would have had family who would have cared he might not have joined up with Voldemort."
Richelle Prince winced when she heard Bobbie say the name and Bobbie said, "So what, he's dead. You can say his name all day long."
The old women continued, "I didn't know. I thought with Albus Dumbledore there Severus would be protected."
"Well, turns out Albus was only human after all..."
"My husband - Severus's grandfather - died shortly after Severus left Hogwarts but by that time we had heard that Severus was a Death Eater."
"I see! I guess I can't fault you for not reaching out to him then." Bobbie had calmed down somewhat, so she walked over to a padded chair facing Richelle's bed and sat down.
"I tried reaching out to him after I found out that he had helped bringing down You-Know-Who. I wanted to change my will and leave it all to Severus after Preston betrayed us by supporting You-Know-Who, but Preston wouldn't have it."
"Where are his parents?" Bobbie asked.
"Death Eaters raided their country home in Cornwall and they were killed. I suspect Preston had something to do with it to get to the inheritance. I expect I am only alive because he thought I wouldn't live much longer."
"Why don't you throw him out, call the authorities, or leave?"
She smiled sadly and said, "I am unable to leave or call the authorities. I can't leave this room. I am a prisoner in my own house. There are wards on the door and I can't get out even if the door is open..." all of a sudden something clicked in her and she looked at Bobbie, "How did you get in here? Nobody but Preston and Quincy can walk through the wards."
"I can walk through wards. I can't produce magic but I have some abilities," Bobbie said.
"A very beneficial ability indeed. I think you should take the opportunity," Richelle said.
"Can't Quincy get you out? The house elves in Hogwarts can Apparate with people. I have done it."
"Quincy can't leave the house. Preston has strapped a restraining collar on him which traps him inside. He can't get help."
Bobbie looked at the elf and thought, so that is why this elf is wearing a collar. She knew they usually didn't wear anything fancy.
Richelle continued, "The only one who can release him is the one who put that collar onto him, or maybe a skilled Curse-Breaker."
"What about sending an owl?" Bobbie asked.
"I have tried. Quincy nor I can get into the owlery," she said sadly. "But what are you waiting for. You can walk through wards..., go... save yourself... How did you get out of the cell?"
Bobbie said, "My hair pin."
"Then use it on the front door. Go!" Richelle urged Bobbie.
"I'm not leaving without you..."
"You can tell the Aurors later. You need to leave."
"My phone works here," Bobbie said and pulled out her mobile phone. "We can call somebody. I can let Severus know where I am. What is this place called?"
"Prince Manor," Richelle said.
Just after Bobbie had dialed Severus's number the door flew open and Preston stormed in and knocked the phone out of her hands.
Bobbie shouted, "No!"
He ignored her and said, "Well, isn't this cozy. I have been listening at the door for quite a while and I have to say it was very amusing but now it is time to break up this little get-together."
Preston picked up the phone and held it to his ear and said with a malicious voice, "Severus Snape."
He waited and then said with sarcasm, "Well, nice to hear your voice. It is time for our little exchange. Time is up. You will receive the Portkey tomorrow night. You better have the money ready."
He then threw the phone on the floor and stomped on it. When he saw that it had broken he smiled and then said to Bobbie, "Party is over. It is time to go back to where you escaped from." He grabbed her by her wrist and yanked her up from the chair and out of the door.
That was the first time Bobbie made skin contact and saw her captors' flashback. She saw that indeed he had asked Voldemort for the raid on the country home that killed his parents in exchange for a substantial sum of money he had handed over. She also found out that Preston was putting a few drops of some fluid into his grandmother's food sometimes. She suspected it to be poison to slowly kill her.
When he had dragged Bobbie all the way to her cell he opened the door and shoved her inside. "There will be no food or drink for you tonight. Bad girls have to be punished," he mocked. "Now, hand over that hair pin. Imagine my surprise when I wanted to pay you a little visit and found the door unlocked..."
When Bobbie didn't react, "WELL? Hand it over!" he shouted.
Bobbie was afraid he would manhandle her even more than he had on the way down to the cell. She now knew that he was capable of doing anything and may even hurt the baby, so she reluctantly gave in and handed him her hair pin. He put it into his pocket and slammed the door after walking out. She heard the door being locked and then the candle went out and she was back in the cold and dark alone. Not even the moon shone through her small window that night. She fished her gloves out of her pocket which she had taken off in Richelle's nice warm room, and put them back on and then sat down in the corner of her cell and tried to wrap herself as well as she could into the blankets which had started to get damp from the cold moisture in the dungeons.
While she sat there shivering in 'her' corner she went through her captors' flashback and found out all different kinds of things. His parents sent him to Durmstrang where he met a fellow student called Lorena Lestrange. Bobbie thought she heard the name before and by going farther into the flashback she found that she was a sister off Bellatrix Lestrange's husband Rodolphus. Bobbie had never met Bellatrix but she sure had heard about her. She also knew she was Draco's aunt.
She found out that at the end of school Preston married Lorena and that was how he really got affiliated with the Dark Arts and Voldemort. Neither Preston nor Lorena became Death Eaters because they didn't want to get their hands dirty but they were supporting Voldemort financially. Lorena ended up being killed by her own brother Rabastan who thought her too cowardly. Bobbie 'saw' that Rabastan also took Preston by the neck and was about to cut his throat because of his cowardice but some Death Eater told him that 'the Dark Lord needed the Prince Families money'.
Bobbie saw that Preston wasn't too grief stricken about his wife's death since he already had frequented whores more often than sleeping with his own wife. Bobbie also figured out from the flashbacks how annoyed and disgusted Richelle was with her grandsons' lifestyle and the way he was wasting the family fortune.
Bobbie finally fell asleep by dawn, exhausted by hunger thirst and the cold that kept seeping through her clothes.
888
When Severus came back to his Chambers he sat down and went through everything he could think of that he could do. Benton and Bella stayed close to him. He knew that they missed Bobbie too and didn't make them go back to their dog beds, since he also found that he welcomed the company.
Severus thought about how it would go with Lucius tomorrow morning. Would he help or would he lie and say that he didn't know that person even if he did? He was just thinking whether he should bring some Veritaserum when his phone rang.
Severus saw that it was Bobbie. He said her name after picking up and then heard some commotion. He heard Bobbie shout "No" and then it sounded like her phone fell to the floor. He heard some muffled voices and again said her name. Then he heard a man's voice, "Severus Snape."
Severus asked as he jumped up from his chair, "Who is this? Where is my wife? If you hurt her I will kill you."
The man said, "Well, nice to hear your voice," in a sarcastic manner. Then he continued, "It is time for our little exchange. Time is up. You will receive the Portkey tomorrow night. You better have the money ready."
Severus shouted, "Where is my wife. Let me talk to her."
There was no answer. He heard another sound like the phone clattered to the floor and then the line went dead.
"Bloody hell!" he yelled and almost threw his phone against the wall in a fit of frustration but thought better of it at the last second. He laid the phone on the table and started pacing. He noticed that in his worry he had totally forgotten that he needed to go to Gringotts and get the money. He went to the closet and pulled out a large leather bag and sat it onto the table. He would have to go in the morning before going to see Lucius. Another thing he had forgotten was to ask Harry if he would be able to take his classes tomorrow. He checked his watch and noticed that it was almost 10 o'clock in the evening. He picked up his phone and called Harry's number.
"Hello?" he heard Harry's voice coming through the phone.
"Harry, this is Severus. I know it is late but I totally forgot to call you earlier and ask if you could take my classes tomorrow. Lucius Malfoy wasn't home today and I have to see him tomorrow morning to have him look at the memory."
"Don't worry about your classes. I will be there. You concentrate on finding your wife. If you find out who it is and you need Aurors let me know."
"I appreciate it." Severus said. He also told Harry about the strange phone call.
"It sounds like she got caught calling you. That means she is okay."
"I hope you are right. What if he is hurting her now because of it?"
"No Severus! He needs her, because he wants the money." Harry said but he knew how feeble that sounded. He and Severus both knew that this Preston person had all the strings in his hand and the way he had it set up with that Portkey meant that he didn't need Bobbie anymore. When he didn't hear an answer he added, "Anyway Severus, you are the strongest person I know. Don't let him get to you. Not while there is still hope. You can do this...!"
"I appreciate the vote of confidence. I don't feel very strong right now. I hate feeling so helpless..."
"Okay, give me 10 minutes and I will be there. I don't think it is good for you to be by yourself tonight. We can talk, have a couple of drinks, you can beat me in a few games of chess or whatever the hell you like."
The next thing Severus knew was that Harry hung up his phone. True to his word 10 minutes later he heard a knock on the door and Harry walked in when he opened it.
They shook hands and Severus said, "I appreciate you coming over. I feel like the walls are closing in."
Severus didn't know since when he felt it was okay to speak about his vulnerabilities to Harry Potter, but right now he really didn't care. He was actually glad he had a friend. They did have a few drinks and talked about things they could do in the present situation. At one point Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out of the bag he had with him and handed it to Severus, "You may want to take this with you tomorrow, just in case. You can give it back to me later."
Severus was surprised and asked, "Is this what I think it is?"
"Yes, it made my life a little easier going around the hallways during my time as a student." Harry laughed. "Let me tell you a few stories about that..."
888
Severus and Harry talked about Harry's school days and he sometimes even got a few laughs out of Severus. Severus also began to see Harry in a slightly different light. He had always thought that 'the trio' had been reckless and were acting without thinking. When he really thought about the circumstances, about them thinking him a Death Eater, the way some of his Slytherins were acting and Albus and the members of the Order of the Phoenix keeping them in the dark he couldn't really fault them that much.
At around 7 o'clock in the morning Harry stretched in his seat and said, "I think we should go to the Great Hall for breakfast."
Severus agreed and got up from his chair. Before they walked out of the door he shook Harry's hand and said, "Thank you, I am glad you came over. I probably would have gone stir-crazy." What he didn't say was how grateful he was not having to go to sleep and being tortured by nightmares.
Harry nodded and said, "You're welcome!"
After a tense breakfast Harry walked to Severus's classroom and Severus went back to his quarters. Before walking out of the Great Hall Minerva caught him on his sleeve and stopped him. She had been a participant in the conversation with him and Harry about what he was doing today. She looked at Severus and said, "Good luck, Severus! Bring her home."
He nodded and said, "Thank you Minerva!" and then went on his way. He stuffed Harry's invisibility cloak into the inside pocket of his cloak and grabbed the leather bag and left for Gringotts and Malfoy Manor.
