Chapter 6 Hiding in Hogwarts
Professor Dumbledore leaned back in the comfy chair located in his office. "So let me see if I have this straight. Draco was to spend two weeks with Severus; in turn he witnessed Tom and his followers torturing Severus. He calls Narcissa who apperates to Snape Manner and stabilizes Severus. Then you, Harry, floo into the middle of this and when hearing that Narcissa apperated to the manor, decide that it was not safe. Harry how did you know it wasn't safe?" Dumbledore asked while stroking his beard as he usually does when pondering puzzles.
"Well, my scar was hurting before I left for my lessons, but I have gotten good enough at blocking that I couldn't see who was being attacked (truthfully I didn't want to see). When I walked in there was enough dark magic residue that I could sense 'new' wards up to alert of anyone apperating to the Manor. But, if what Malfoy said was true and Voldemort thinks that Snape is dead, why would he do that? Was this a test to see if any of his followers are traitors? And did we make a mistake by bringing him here?" Harry answered Dumbledore and then started pacing when he asked his last two questions (which was more thinking out loud than conversation). The Headmaster watched his young protégé try to wear out the floor in front of his desk before answering (the Malfoy's were still in the hospital wing with Severus and Madame Pomfrey).
"I believe this was a test of his followers and to see if Severus was truly loyal. If you, I, or anyone else from the order showed up to help him, he would know the truth. So sadly we have lost our spy in the enemy's camp. But you may have made a mistake in bringing him here. I don't have enough people here to protect the school during the summer. You know the school is warded, but Hogwarts draws some of its magic from the teachers and students. Truthfully I don't know if I can keep any of you safe." He continued to watch Harry's face as he was saying this, yet at the same time he was secretly measuring his power. "Harry are you feeling any different?"
Harry looked at Dumbledore with a stunned look as it all clicked into place. "That's why you would never let me stay during the summer isn't it? Never mind, stupid question, of course it is. What if we hide in an unplottable room here in the castle? Then if old Voldey sends someone to look they wouldn't be able to find us. And when school starts we could 'merge' with the crowd, so to speak." A minute later Dumbledore's last question soaked in and Harry glanced at him with a puzzled expression. "Not really, but I can sense things I couldn't before. Kind of like I know what's going to happen before it does. Oh! And wandless magic… I've been able to do a lot more of that here lately, if I concentrate on something that I want or wish for it suddenly there. It's been kinda cool, yet scary at the same time as I'm having trouble with accidental magic. But I've been working on controlling it with Snape after Occlumency lessons. Sir, have you ever heard of a wizard having magical Animagus? Snape swore he saw me turn into a dragon after one of my Voldey visions. "
Dumbledore looked at Harry with admiration "If you know of such a room it might work. At least until reinforcement arrives" while he digested the rest of what Harry said. Unless he was mistaken Harry was going to go through wizard puberty early, as in his seventeenth birthday. He was also becoming more 'Slytherin' in his strategies. "And yes Harry, I have heard of a wizard having magical Animagus forms, but it is extremely rare as is having more than one form. The last know wizard to have this was Godric Gryffindor. He, of course, was a Griffin, a lion, a bear, and a raven."
Harry looked astounded at all of this information and then he grinned and said "Of course I know of such a place to hide, do you want to know where it is? Or should I just move Snape, the Malfoys, and myself into this unplottable place?"
The Headmaster smiles at Harry "Do what you have to I will not ask what room or where, as far as I'm concerned you were never here. But Harry, you will have to put aside your differences with the Malfoy's, Severus will need a peaceful atmosphere to recover in."
As Harry left the Headmasters office to head to the fourth floor to the room of requirements to get things ready he said over his shoulder, "By the way, I have more than one Animagus form." He was still snickering at the dumbfounded expression on the headmasters face at his revelation when he went to get the rest of the 'unexpected' guests to take them to the room of requirements.
One hour later the four weary visitors were encased in a suite of rooms and Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey conveniently had no memory of having any visitors. A few hours later Lucius Malfoy showed up at the school, under the guise of business for the Board of Governors, the reviewing of the syllabus, curriculum and to make sure the school has adequate lodging to house the students, to search for the Potions Master and whoever helped him. Lucius, after a long search of the school and grounds comes up empty and has to return to a very angry Dark Lord. Unfortunately the Dark Lord has discovered who took Severus Snape's body away and reveals to an astounded Lucius that it was none other than his 'loyal' wife while torturing him with several different curses, when he was finished he gave him to his followers to play with.