Chapter Twenty One
Snape and Lupin entered the gates of Hogwarts at dawn. They were met there by Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and Ginny Weasley. All of them were excited and speaking over one another.
"It's Hermione…" Ginny began.
"They've gone for Harry; she took Neville," Dean was saying. "Ron's with them. They left before daybreak…"
"And they have the map…" Seamus cut in.
"Are they in Hogwarts?" Snape demanded.
"Aye," Seamus said leading the way up to the entrance.
"Were could they have gone, Severus?" Lupin was behind him. "Should I tell Dumbledore?" he asked.
Snape whirled and faced him, and said, "Oh, I think he knows already, Lupin." He turned to Ginny and the others. "All of you, go back to your rooms, we will handle this."
"I'm not going," Ginny said standing firmly. "That's my brother and my friends."
"Since when did you think it possible to disobey me, Miss Weasley?" Snape's eyebrow arched and he towered over her.
"If you go, then we'll just follow," she said, glaring back. The other two stood gaping at her and glancing at Snape.
He turned and continued down the hall, "Then follow. However, one of you needs to inform Professor McGonagall that we may be gone for a short time." Seamus headed in the opposite direction at a run.
"Where are we headed, Severus?" Lupin asked. He was hurrying along beside him down a long hall past the kitchens. Snape was positively flying.
"Hermione, we are going to get expelled. You know that don't you?" Ron said as he followed her with the lantern. Neville was behind them.
"Look at it this way, Ron," she said, holding her lit wand in the air. "We have our education and we already have job offers; perhaps they'll ignore the fact we've been expelled."
"What?" he asked in amazement.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ron," she turned on him, "We'll be lucky to stay alive through the next twenty-four hours. Why are you worried about getting expelled?"
He looked at her in amazement and she turned again to lead the way. "It's just that you're breaking a really big rule, you know. At least I think it's a rule. I mean I don't know what they do to people who steal the Hogwarts Express."
"Well maybe we can share a cell in Azkaban prison. I hear it's not so bad now that the Dementors are gone." Ron was hurrying alongside to look at her. She mumbled more to herself then to them, "Ah, here we are."
They entered the cavernous room she and Ron had been in just days before. Neville had been silent as they made their way down the long wooden stairs, through the armory and crypt.
The train and magnificent red engine sat shining and silent on it's tracks just as Hermione remembered it. She walked along the length and stood at the steps leading to the engine compartment. The two boys stood with her, looking up.
"Besides, Ron," Hermione grasped the brass rung, "we don't even know if we can drive her," she mumbled as she climbed up to the cab, "or he or whatever a locomotive on a train is called..."
Neville looked at Ron who shrugged and followed. Neville climbed after.
Snape evidently knew his way through the underground caverns of Hogwarts. He made his way unerringly through the large room filled with crates and storage boxes at the bottom of a long wooden stairway. Lupin had no time to marvel at the armory and the thousands of ancient and unused weaponry filling the room. He was busy trying to keep up with Snape and watch over Ginny and Dean Thomas.
"Where are we going, Severus?" he gasped. Their lengthy sprint was leaving him mildly out of breath and the two children were gasping for air.
Snape didn't answer and they continued, sometimes stumbling along a rough corridor and then moving more quickly as they reached the smooth, polished stone corridors of the crypt. Snape stopped abruptly and waited for them to catch up.
"Miss Weasley, I would very much appreciate it if you would do something for me," he said and waited. He was calm and speaking as if he were asking her to run a simple errand.
She nodded slowly.
"I think I am right in believing we may need some assistance," he said smoothly and not the least bit out of breath. "Would you return the way we've come and take Mr. Thomas with you. Go to the owlery and send a letter to headquarters- you know which one I mean. Tell them to meet us at the way station at Godric's Hollow. The entry to Basgareth is the tunnel on the third floor in the northeast entrance. Also, tell Dumbledore to meet us there."
"But Professor…" she began.
"There is no one else to do it, Miss Weasley," Snape said, gently. She expected his normal grinding, demanding voice and hesitated for a moment. "Time is of the essence now."
She nodded and pulled Dean around to hurry back into the dark.
Snape waited until they had disappeared and then said almost to himself, but aloud, "There, that should occupy them for awhile."
"You meant them not to come," Remus said. "You could have sent a message to Dumbledore from here."
Snape didn't stop to look at him when he answered, "I don't use children for dangerous jobs, Lupin."
Remus nodded to himself and thought, Good for you Severus!
They were halfway through the crypts when Remus heard the noise. It was a steady hum and vibration rumbling through the cave. Then there was a steam whistle; shrill and not far off.
Snape broke into a run which was almost impossible to keep up with. Luckily, Lupin's wolf-like agility was a match for the man. Together they sprinted recklessly into the cavern holding the train. Lupin had not known what to expect. He held his wand out and was preparing in his mind for a fight with some horrendous beast. Instead, he almost pulled up short when he saw that it wasn't a beast, but a gleaming Hogwarts Express, slowly pulling out of it's berth.
"What the dev…!" Lupin gasped.
"Come ON!" Snape shouted and ran full out. He grabbed the stair rail and turned to reach for Lupin's hand. In a second, Lupin felt himself propelled like a rag doll onto the caboose's platform. They made their way through the cars, empty of passengers, forward towards the engine.
They're stealing the train," Lupin said in disbelief as he ran behind Snape.
"They know where Basgareth is," Snape said over his shoulder.
The two men climbed over the coal car, keeping their heads down in the tunnel and dropped down into the engine compartment. Hermione, Neville and Ron turned, their wands out. The noise was deafening in the tunnel and they had to shout to be heard.
"What do you think you're doing, Miss Granger?" Snape asked, holding himself away from the wands pointed at his heart. Hermione turned back to look out the side window.
Neville answered, "We're going after Harry. You can come too or get off but you're not stopping us." His face was granite-hard with determination.
Snape stared at him. "And what happens if you're taken or killed, Mr. Longbottom?" he asked.
"Better it be rescuing Harry then anything else," Neville replied. "We are tied together Snape, and you know it! Without one there is no use for the other." Neville was glaring and shouting to be heard. "You know I can kill you, and I don't need this." He lowered his wand and stood facing Snape. They were almost the same height.
Lupin and Ron watched with anxiety. Hermione had her head out the window, her brown hair was flying back into the cab. Everything around them was black except for the lamp in the cab that glared yellow on their pale faces. The air was filled with sooty smoke threatening to choke them. Lupin could see something was communicated between the man and the boy.
Snape shrugged and said loudly, "Stand aside then and lit me run the train. If you go the wrong way then precious time is wasted." Neville watched him and then stepped away. He pulled Hermione by the arm and she turned.
"Let him do it," Neville mouthed. He nodded towards Snape with his head. She hesitated and then let Snape take her place.
They drove through the tunnel along a more conventional route then Hermione had taken in the cart. It was less circuitous and rolling. The huge headlamp of the engine shone down a long tunnel and finally they approached open air. The blue of the sky began as a small coin-size hole in the black wall and then became larger until, with sighs of relief, they emerged. The sun was shining and the air cool and clean.
Remus sat near the coal car and watched. It had been an hour and he thought it likely they would be traveling a long distance. He was trying to decide what the best course of action would be to protect these young people. Like Snape he did not want to involve them. "Ron and Hermione, would you come with me?" he shouted and pointed behind him.
They looked at each other and then nodded. Together they clambered back over the top of the coal car and entered the passenger area.
"What is it, Professor Lupin?" Ron asked.
"If you're going to tell us we're in trouble then you can save your breath…" Hermione started.
"No, no… I wasn't going to reprimand you, Hermione," Lupin said. "What I was going to suggest is that we find the kitchen compartment and see if we can make something to eat. We have a long way to go, I think. And then we can do a little planning along the way. So let's do what we can, shall we?"
The two stared at him and Hermione nodded. "All right, Professor."
They worked together and joined the other two in the engine compartment with a basket of bread and cheese and a kettle of hot water for tea. Snape refused food and sat with his head in the window staring ahead of them. Lupin broke the bread and gave some to each of them. He watched Neville whose countenance had returned to a normal pug-lie innocence.
Although the rebound noise from the engine had subsided after leaving the tunnel it was still difficult to talk normally. Remus took the time to think about how he could help Snape. He was formulating a plan when Snape reached for some switches over his left hand side.
"We're coming to a junction," Snape said.
Remus stood and leaned out along with Hermione and Ron. He saw a faded sign with writing on it, but it was indecipherable to them as that sped by. It was then the train took a curve and headed for the distant mountains. We're on our way, he thought.
Hermione must have had the same thoughts as he did. She pulled Ron and Neville aside and spoke to them. The three climbed over the coal car and out of sight. Remus used the time to speak to Snape.
"Severus, what are we going to do about those three?" he asked.
Snape pulled his head in and glanced at the empty compartment. "When we get near I'm going to give you a signal. I want you to go back and disconnect the passenger cars. We'll ride the engine in. You need to think of a reason to have them in the cars when you disconnect. If you have to, stun them." His black eyes watched Lupin's face. "Can you do that?"
Lupin thought about it and nodded. So we really are going this alone? he thought. "What's the signal?"
Snape thought for a moment, "When I remove my cloak."
Lupin nodded. "Severus, what did Neville mean when he said, 'without one there is no use for the other' ?"
Snape shook his head and answered, "I don't know for sure. I think Albus did some kind of magic. Neville is generating some kind of power and perhaps that's what he meant when he said Potter was endowed with a special power when he was born. The two are connected in some way."
"Shouldn't we take Neville along then?" Remus asked.
Snape studied him for a long minute, "It's doubtful we are going to make it out alive, let alone rescue, Potter. I won't risk Longbottom."
Lupin suddenly knew what Snape was saying. "Look Severus, you're not going alone. Those three can find their way home. They are old enough to be soldiers in this war. We can let them take care of themselves."
Snape shrugged again, and nodded, "Have it your way, Lupin."
Remus watched the face in front of him and felt like screaming at the man. Instead, he reached out his hand, "I know you don't think much of being with a werewolf Severus, but I consider you to be a friend and I'd be proud to die with you."
Snape looked at the extended hand and then into Lupin's face.
Remus realized it was against the man's nature to trust anyone, especially one of the men who had mistreated him when they were children. He was about to withdraw his hand when Snape slowly reached out and shook it.