DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter Sixteen - Crazy Plans
Harry groaned and raised a hand to his head, opening his eyes slowly. Blinking to clear his blurry vision, he stared up at the group of witches and wizards hovering over him. Relieved looks slid across the faces as he groaned again, fingers massaging the bump on the back of his head. He allowed Fred and George to maneuver him into a sitting position, propping him up with his black leather saddle.
Offering him an apologetic smile, Hermione pressed a handkerchief filled with ice against the bump. "Um, Harry? We have a small problem." She whispered, setting the freezing handkerchief into the hand the dark-haired wizard held up.
Wincing as he dabbed at the bump, he raised his eyes to look at the witch. He stilled as she avoided his gaze, casting her eyes downward. "What's going on?" His question fell into the silence, making his shoulders tense as several of the gathered guards stood up and moved away quickly. Scanning the shadowed stretch of wood he had halted the group in, he immediately noticed Draco was missing. "Where's Draco?"
"That's the problem." Ron stated, biting the bullet. Everyone cringed and backed away, waiting for the explosion that was imminent.
Harry closed his eyes and took a long, slow breath. Counting to ten, he opened his eyes and beckoned Ron closer, waiting for the wizard to halt directly in front of him before striking. In a movement as quick as lightening, he kicked Ron's legs out from under him and rolled atop him. "Rephrase your last statement." He hissed, fingers curling into the collar of the redhead's robes.
Paling, Ron opened and closed his mouth, blue eyes widening as the raven-haired wizard tightened his grip. "The werewolves took him," he gasped out. His head thudded back onto the snow as Harry released him, his hands rising on their own accord to circle his aching neck. Rubbing the reddened skin, he sat up and watched the other wizard storm away from the group.
Harry let out a roar of pure rage, splayed fingers waving above his head. Growling, he sank his fingers into his hair and tugged, repeating a litany of curses in his head as he tried to calm himself. Inhaling deeply, he held the breath for a second but released it in a shriek. He lashed out angrily, his booted foot slamming into the trunk of a nearby tree. The impact silenced him, sending him to his knees as he cupped the injured appendage.
"Are you quite done?" Hermione called at his back, her tone implying she thought it was time he stopped acting like a baby.
Massaging his toes through the leather of his boot, he nodded his head. Biting his lip to keep from moaning in pain, he rose fluidly and limped toward the small fire his team was gathering around. Dean and Seamus shifted uneasily as he pushed between them, ignoring the looks of fear on their faces; he planted his hands on his hips and peered around him. "What happened?"
"We were outnumbered, heavily." Fred offered from his spot in the snow. The redhead had a bandage wrapped tightly around his upper arm and two long cuts on the left side of his face. Grimacing, he ran a loving hand up the blade of his sword and shook his head. "It was an ambush, it could have been a massacre."
Hermione nodded and huddled deeper into her cloak, drawing the folds closer to her body. "From what I understand, they were after Draco." Shaking her head in regret, she looked past the raven-haired wizard into the darkened forest. "Once you were knocked out, he grabbed him and called the rest of them off. They fled almost immediately."
"Why would they want Draco?" Ginny asked, pulling on the bandage she was wrapping around George's thigh. She smiled sweetly as her brother yelped in pain, tugging again just for the hell of it.
"Ransom; that's really the only reason I could come up with." Hermione offered, frowning as she watched the redheaded witch treat her brother without remorse. Sighing as George pushed his sister away from him, she quickly intervened and finished tying the bandage before further injury could be done.
"His father is a Lord, thus a member of the council. Holding him hosta-"
"Potter!" Severs Snape bellowed, pushing his way through the guards. He halted in front of the younger wizard, hands fisting at his sides as he glared angrily down at him. "What the hell are you doing? You should be going after my charge but instead you're standing her gossiping like a little girl! I demand you go after him at once."
Harry stood silently, his narrowed emerald eyes dueling with the obsidian orbs burning down at him. He raised a hand to quiet the offended murmurings of his team, taking the two short steps forward so he stood chest to chest with the older wizard. "Pardon?"
"You heard me, you little brat," Snape snarled down into the guard's upraised face. Curling his lip in distaste, he attempted to shove the guard backwards but failed to even rock him. Hissing softly, he backhanded Harry without thought.
The corridor of forest they stood in went quiet as the slap echoed through the night. Every one of the guards tensed, shifting anxiously as they waited for their leader's response. Some of them reached for weapons while others slid them away, preparing to grab the raven-haired wizard if he attacked Severus Snape. Though they would be cheering their leader silently on, the older wizard was their employer and striking him would have dire consequences.
Harry bit back the laughter that welled up in his throat but failed to restrain it. Chuckling quietly, he turned his head and spat into the snow, shaking his head over the flecks of blood that appeared upon the ground. Lifting a hand, he swiped the edge of his sleeve over his mouth before raising his eyes to meet the shocked orbs of Snape. His hand flew through the air suddenly, as quick as the strike of a snake, connecting loudly with the pale wizard's cheek. "Don't ever touch me."
Blinking in surprise, Severus raised a hand and pressed it to his stinging skin. Realizing that he'd just been stuck, a small smile slid across his face. Letting loose a burst of wild laughter, he leaned down and jammed his face closer to Harry's, smirking triumphantly. "You're fired, Potter."
"Am I?" Harry queried, his eyes sparking brightly. "Than I can finally do this." The last word from his mouth was punctuated with another swing at the taller wizard's face as he lunged forward, slamming his body recklessly into Snape's. Crashing to the ground, the pair immediately started to curse and grab at each other, ignoring the guards trying to pull them apart.
"He's old, Harry!" Hermione shrieked, hands pressed to her cheeks.
The pair came to a rolling stop with Harry straddling Snape's waist and pinning his hands above his head. Puffing for breath, the two glared at each other, ignoring the shouts and warnings of the witches and wizards standing over them.
Shrugging the pulling hands off his arms and shoulders, Harry lifted Snape's upper body off the ground before slamming him back into the hard snow. "Since I'm fired, I think I'll take the time to explain several things to you," He growled, grimacing as Snape spat at him. "I know my job better than you do and I know these witches and wizards better than you could ever dream of knowing them. Even if you were to fire me, one of them would take my place until they arrived back at Hogwarts, at which time I would take back command. None of them would listen to you anyway." He added thoughtfully, smiling as Ron muttered something uncomplimentary toward the noble's chaperone.
"Let me up!" Severus howled, bucking his hips in an attempt to dislodge Harry.
"I think not." Harry purred, shifting his position carefully so the toe of one of his boots was digging into the older wizard's thigh. "Now why don't you be quiet and let us do our job?" Smiling innocently, he punched the man in the face.
"Sweet Merlin, Harry!" Ginny hissed, pushing the raven-haired wizard aside and dropping to her knees beside Snape's limp form.
"He's old, Harry." Hermione said, yanking her friend to his feet and shaking him bodily. She shook her head as she stared down at the older wizard, knowing that he would report Harry's abuse to Dumbledore.
"Yes, and now he's unconscious. I think I like him better this way." Harry murmured, stepping away from her and gesturing everyone toward him. He waited patiently as the stunned guards settled themselves around him, moving slowly as they favoured wounds or the weapons they carried. "Though I doubt they'll be back again tonight, I want everyone out of White Forest before the sun rises."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Ron asked, slightly dumbfounded. He exchanged looks with Fred and George, rolling his eyes as one of his brothers lifted a hand and drew circles next to his temple with his index finger.
"You're flying out," Harry said, frowning as he spun to see what Ron was looking at. Arching an eyebrow, he glared down at the twins. "Five of our mounts are flyers. BlackHeart can carry three people easy, the others will have to bear two people each."
"That only accounts for eleven people." Neville stated, glancing at the line of horses strung out on the path. He counted the horses quickly, noting that both Hermione and Seamus' geldings would have to be left behind, as would Ginny's little mare.
Harry nodded slowly, pacing back and forth as he peered into the shadowed woods. Along the edge of their small corridor of forest, the trees they had set fire to smoldered quietly, flames chewing away at the bark and branches. "I won't be going with you." He turned his back to the group as they erupted unhappily, trying to argue him out of whatever he had planned.
"You can't be serious!" Fred snapped, standing quickly. Waving his hands emphatically, he gestured at the dark forest. "There's an entire pack of werewolves out there waiting for you, if you think we're just going to let you go off on your own, you're crazy."
"I wasn't giving you an option, I was giving you your orders." Harry said softly, turning on his heels to look his friends over. He shook his head as he lifted a hand to run his fingers through his ruffled hair. "Its faster by wing than it is by ground. If you leave within the hour, you'll reach Briaredale by mid afternoon. Once there, you're to rent rooms at the Barn Owl Inn."
"Briaredale is just outside Diagon Alley." Hermione remarked, wrapping her arms around her waist as she sank to the ground next to Ron. She leaned against the redhead as she settled herself, peering up at Harry as he continued.
"Exactly, you can wait for me there. While you're en route, I'll take Minerva and the boys and go after Draco. It should take me a couple of hours to track them down, depending on how far they went and how the horses act. If everything goes as planned, we'll arrive in Briaredale sometime after midnight." Harry finished, rubbing his hands together as he looked over the stunned faces of his team. Widening his eyes, he gestured them into action.
"You know that your plan is completely crazy, right?" Hermione asked, halting in front of him. Rolling her eyes, she dragged him after her as she stalked toward the horses. "There's no way you're going to be able to take on an entire werewolf pack on your own."
"Who said anything about taking the entire pack on?" Harry returned, wiggling his eyebrows as he called BlackHeart to him. Smiling, he slid his hands over the hippogriff's beak and spoke to him softly, observing the people moving around quickly before him.
Horses were saddled efficiently as weapons and packs were juggled and emptied. The phrase 'necessities only' was repeated constantly, generally accompanied by the dumping of a bag or tossing of an object. Without asking, several silver bladed weapons found their way onto Harry's person, causing him to smile and shake his head. Minutes later, the entire group was mounted and sitting uncomfortably in the clearing.
Looking slowly around him, Harry nodded and jammed his foot into the stirrup of Hermione's saddle, swinging effortlessly onto the witch's gelding. Gathering the reins, he accepted the lead line Ron offered him and glanced at the pair of horses tied uneasily to the end. "Thanks," he mumbled, drawing a deep breath.
"No problem," Ron said, giving the horse Harry sat on a light pat on the neck. Shaking his head, the redhead made his way over to BlackHeart and mounted quickly, murmuring a quiet question to Blaise and testing the ropes securing Snape to the hippogriff's wide back. "Be careful, Harry!"
"Always," Harry replied, lifting a hand to wave the group off. In a flurry of feathers, Blackheart launched himself into the sky, leading the two winged horses and the two thestrals past the reaching tree branches to the open air above. "Good luck!" He hollered, tightening his grip on the reins as his mount squealed and pranced, frightened at being left behind.
Putting his heels to the gelding's sides, he wheeled the animal around and pointed him in the direction the werewolves had gone, urging him forward with a shout. Lunging into a canter, the gelding shot over the burning logs, leading the other two horses into the darkness under the careful guidance of Harry. In the night sky above them, the five winged animals circled lazily before deepening the powerful strokes of their wings and heading in the opposite direction.
XxXxX
Draco huddled in a ball where he had been dropped; curling himself into the shadows against the wall of the cave he had been carried into. He wrapped the scarlet cloak closer around his body, shrinking away from lupine forms slinking through the darkness around him. The flash of fangs had him whimpering and drawing his knees up to his chest, cowering away from the silver werewolf that had come to a halt before him. "Go away," he croaked, locking his fingers together.
"I think not, Red." The werewolf drawled, curling back his lips and giving a toothy smile. He stalked forward on four legs, pressing his cold snout against the blond's cheek. "You're bait, for now."
Draco cringed back from the wolf's touch, pressing the back of his head against the stone in an attempt to flee the warm breath bathing the side of his face. "What do you want?" He asked, tugging the folds of Harry's summer cloak up his neck. Inhaling the smell clinging to the cloth, he calmed down a bit, realizing the raven-haired guard wouldn't leave him with a pack of werewolves to die.
"I want Potter!" The silver werewolf howled, jerking back from Draco and tipping his head back. The cry ricocheted deeper into the cave, growing louder as several wolves added their voices to the call. Snarling angrily, the wolf paced before Draco, tail waving liquidly.
Draco shrank back from the frothing wolf, pushing down the urge to flee as glowing eyes followed his every movement from the shadows of the caves depths. "Why? What did he ever do to you?" He demanded, his voice taking on the haughty tone of a true noble born wizard.
"What did he do to me! He got everything I should have! I should be the leader of the Red Lions! Not him! Not that goody-good little wizard." Growled the werewolf, saliva running past dripping fangs and splattering upon the dirty ground. A burst of laughter flew past the wolf's lips, its amber eyes dancing wildly as he paused in his pacing to stare at the blond. "But the chance to get my revenge upon him was handed to me when I was sent after you. The dark Lord Voldemort answered my prayers when he gave Fenrir the task of capturing you. To find that Potter was escorting you was the icing on the cake."
Gasping at the name of the evil wizard, Draco stared in horror at the silver werewolf. "What does he want with me?" He asked through numb lips, locking his fingers in the soft material of the crimson cloak.
The werewolf rose up on its hindlegs, shrugging its shoulders in a purely human gesture as it swung its forearms. "That was none of our business, Malfoy. We were told only to fetch you, and that's exactly what we did. No one ever needs to know we took this little side trip so I might deal with some personal business."
A howl rose in the distance. A singsong call that was taken up by the rest of the werewolves gathered outside the cave. Giving the blond one last look, the gray werewolf dropped back onto four legs and trotted out of the shadowed lair, melting into the darkness. The small slip of sky that was visible was still dark, the light cast by the full moon lighting the forest.
Lifting a hand, Draco wiped werewolf drool from his cheek, shivering slightly as a cold wind whipped through the narrow entrance. Flipping the hood of the red cloak over his pale hair, he curled into a ball waited for Harry to come and rescue him.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review!
PleiadesWolfe – I think this story will actually only be around four or five chapters longer. I mean you have the rescue, the birthday party, and some other stuff I'm not a liberty to share with you yet. I'll try not to drag Draco's rescue out too long.
GryffieGurl - I love mad Harry and pissed Snape; they make such a beautiful combination. I don't think I'll be able to write anything but action, I enjoy the suspense and the fighting way too much.
Crystal Malfoy – I hate coming up with chapter titles, sometimes they're so easy (like last week's) and other times it's terribly hard. Anyway, Snape did reappear but only so Harry could kick his but, which worked for me completely.
Manny2003 – I thought it was quite fitting under the circumstances, lol.
death by storm – Glad you enjoyed it!
NinjaoftheDarkness – A fine butt it is too, lol. All we're waiting for now is Harry to rescue Draco, which I promise will be in the next chapter.
silverrayne13 – Glad you're still with me and still enjoying this story.