Chapter Forty-six
Harry, who sat on the couch in Severus's chambers the next day, turned his head around at the sound of footsteps behind him. "Severus?" he asked, but it was only Dumbledore, with Snape walking behind him.
"Harry," Dumbledore greeted. "Severus told me what happened."
He sat down on the couch next to Harry, Snape standing to Dumbledore's right. Harry eyed some sort of cloth that Dumbledore had folded, and it now lay in the Headmasters lap with his hands resting on top of it.
"Yeah," Harry responded with a short, brief nod. "Aureus should be here any minute."
"Be careful, Harry," Dumbledore advised, "and I wanted to give this to you."
Harry eyed the cloth that Dumbledore had gently set onto his lap.
"What's this?" Harry questioned, holding it up. It really was a handsome cloak.
"It was your fathers," Dumbledore explained. "It's an Invisibility cloak. Go on, try it on."
Harry glanced at Dumbledore uncertainly before standing up and throwing the cloak over his shoulders, which, as soon as he did, disappeared.
"Wow," he murmured, staring down at his invisible body. He looked back at Dumbledore with a smile. "Thank you."
"You might be in need of it," came Dumbledore's reply. "Just so Topaz Aureus won't be able to see you when she arrives. Be sure to stay out of the way as well, Harry. You never know."
Harry took the cloak off and nodded his head as he sat back down. "Yes sir."
"I hear her," Snape suddenly said in a quiet voice.
"Wait," Harry said quickly, jumping up. "If you hurt Aureus, Severus, how will we know where Slyther is?"
"Don't worry, Harry," Snape answered distractedly. "Just put the cloak on and go in your room until it's safe to come out." When Harry didn't budge, Snape scowled at him. "Now!"
Harry draped the cloak over his head and went into his room as instructed by Snape. He peered out the doorway and watched as Snape allowed Aureus in. She, looking rather disheveled with a furious look formed on her face, made Harry almost nervous that, even though he was wearing a cloak that made himself invisible, that perhaps Aureus could still see him.
A red light shot out of Snape's wand, causing Aureus to crumple to the floor, unconscious. Harry hesitated, fighting the urge to go back out with Snape. He still had a feeling that it wasn't over. He continued watching as ropes shot out of Snape's wand this time, wrapping themselves around Aureus before he used his wand again to make Aureus wake up.
"You bastard," she snarled as she struggled against the ropes that bound her. "You'll let me go this instant! All I've come to do is collect Harry—"
"Which you won't be doing," Snape interrupted coolly. "Instead, you'll be going to Azkaban."
Aureus paled, shaking her head, letting her hair fly all around her face. "I swear to god if you don't let me go—"
"Then what?" Snape answered. "You'll hit me?" He eyed her hands, which were tied behind her back from the rope. "I'd like to see you try, Aureus."
Aureus let out a shrill scream.
"Oh quiet!" Snape snarled, pointing his wand at her head, which immediately made Aureus stop as she cautiously eyed the wand. "Where is Harry's snake?"
"I have no snake," Aureus answered hotly. "I do have a human. Nathaniel Jacobs?"
Snape stared at Aureus before saying, "Where is he?"
"You'll never know," Aureus hissed. "Kill me! Kill me!" Then she threw her head back and laughed. "Oh Harry darling, I know you're here! Why don't you show yourself, love?"
Her false cheeriness changed when Harry made no movement. It became masked with blind fury.
"Fine, don't! You'll never get your snake back, you brat! Although"—She began to laugh manically here—"He's not much of a snake anymore! An animagus, do you know what that is, Harry? Your snake is actually a human. Nathaniel Jacobs. We went to Hogwarts with him, didn't we, Snape?"
Her eyes narrowed. "I had such pleasure killing your snake. I took a knife, poised it over his throat and cut. Deep. I slit his throat; so much blood pouring out of such a thin cut. It didn't take long for him to drown in his own blood. He lay on my bedroom floor in a thick pool of red liquid, his mouth agape and eyes wide with fear; frozen like that for eternity!"
Then all of a sudden she began to scream, looking furious with herself, and Harry—although deeply disturbed by the mental image she ended up giving him—understood why. Her bedroom floor. Unless Aureus had lied about Slyther being an animagus, she might not've killed him, and he most likely could be there. Alive.
Snape said another spell, this time Harry recognized it as "Stupefy", and Aureus fell unconscious again.
"Take her," Snape muttered to Dumbledore, who stood watching quietly with a frown. "Harry, you can come out now."
Harry took the cloak off his head and stepped out of his room on wobbly legs. "Was she telling the truth about Slyther being an animagus, Severus?" he asked quietly. "Is he really Nathaniel Jacobs?"
"We'll have to see," Snape answered.
Harry sat down on the couch, his cloak laying on his lap. "Will you and Dumbledore be going to Aureus's house in the woods?"
"I'm sure," Snape replied.
Harry glanced down before looking back up. "I want to go with you."
Snape frowned. "Absolutely not. No, you'll wait here patiently until Albus and I return."
"With my snake," Harry said with a look at Snape. "Right?"
Harry frowned as Snape took a while to reply, until he said in a much quieter tone: "Yes, with your snake."
Looking away, Harry braced himself for the worst. If Aureus was even telling one speck of the truth, then Slyther could possibly be dead. Just like Sirius, and Harry couldn't bear somebody else dying; first Sirius, and then Slyther? It just couldn't be true. He couldn't handle it…
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A/N: Okay, I admit it, I feel guilty for such a short chapter. THAT'S why I'm posting an extra one, just out of guilt. I should feel guilty more often, right? Anyway… If—by the time I update again tomorrow—I get 10 more reviews (which would make it go up to 1180) I will definitely post an extra chapter again to celebrate. I can't believe I've even got THIS many reviews… it's wonderful, so you deserve extra chapters, readers! Please enjoy.