Chapter 5: O'Neill, Snape, and Dumbledore… stir and serve warm.
Severus Snape scowled heavily, uncaring about what people around him would think about him for scowling at thin air. He needed the practice and he'd be damned if a bunch of muggles would stop him practicing.
Dumbledore had somehow manipulated him to accept the 'very important' mission. The one he happened to be on right now, which was to pick up Harry James Potter, the bloody Boy-Who-Lived from a Colonel Jack O'Neill, and bring him back to Dumbledore.
Snape still got a headache whenever he tried to remember exactly when it was in the conversation with Dumbledore he had been manipulated, but he suspected it had something to do with the fifty or so odd times that the old coot had offered him a lemon drop.
Rubbing his temples as he felt the headache come back, Snape gave it up when a sting informed him that his perimeter charm was breached.
Looking around he spotted a man walking towards his general direction, next to him a black haired boy, with bright green eyes that Snape remembered in only one other person, walked with him holding his hand.
Portrayed clearly on the boy's forehead was a scar, shaped just like a lightning bolt. Arranging his face into the perfect sneer, Snape made his move, perfected to intimidate.
"O'Neill, I presume?" the drawling voice behind him made Jack turn quickly, his free hand automatically flying to his concealed pistol on his belt. He calmed down when he saw a lone man standing with a sneer on his face, and arms crossed.
'Severus Snape,' thought Jack, 'the name definitely fits with the man.' A squeeze on his hand made him look down. Harry was staring at him, his eyes trying to express something, warning him to be cautious.
In the back of his mind, Jack felt something nagging at him, telling him something he needed to know, something important. As Harry's grip grew tighter the nagging became stronger, until finally a single word made it to the front of Jack's mind.
A single word in Harry's voice, "Wizard!" and Jack understood. Giving Harry's hand a squeeze, his eyes expressing his thanks, Jack turned back to the man.
"Severus Snape." Jack said inclining his head, "A pleasure to meet you too."
The two stood there, Snape glaring while O'Neill stared back his face as impassive as ever. Neither of them was going to back down, and they both knew it.
After a minute, Harry started shifting back and forth clearly uncomfortable with the two men staring at each other. Another minute passed and Harry suddenly froze as he felt Snape's magic 'wake up'. Snape was doing something.
Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on the feeling trying to find out what the magic was doing. He watched as energy left the wizard and headed for his Uncle Jack, in horror he saw as the energy engulfed Jack's mind entering through the eyes.
Panicking Harry tugged hard on Jack's hand, causing him to break eye contact and look down at Harry in concern. Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the energy dissipate, the energy was only in Jack's mind for half a second, and hopefully it didn't do any harm.
"Harry?" Jack asked in concern, "Are you ok?"
Opening his eyes, Harry mumbled something making sure no one would be able to hear what he said. Mentally Harry jumped for joy when Jack bent down so he could listen better. Snape meanwhile just sneered and re-crossed his arms obviously getting impatient.
Quickly Harry told Jack what he 'saw' and what he did in return. Jack was pissed, but didn't let it show. Getting up Jack turned to look at Snape, his face as impassive as ever. "You know," he said blandly, "I would appreciate if you asked next time."
"I'm here for Potter." Was Snape's reply, "I would appreciate if you wouldn't waste my time." His sneer intensified, "I have many more important things to do that I would be happy to list but would no doubt bore your unsophisticated mind while making absolutely no sense to your vastly inferoir intellect."
Jack smiled at him, "Well then," he said cheerfully, "I'll leave you to get to the more important nameless stuff, while my son and I here will go grab some pizza hmm?"
Snape's sneer disappeared and Jack had the feeling that if it was anyone else, they would have been gaping. He really had to hand it to Snape; his facial control was very impressive.
"Your son?"
So was his vocal control Jack mused, his voice was rock steady without a drop of surprise in it.
"Yes actually, haven't I told you?" Jack himself let a tinge of mock surprise enter his own voice. He didn't bother waiting for Snape to shake his head before continuing. "Harry and I agreed it would be best for me to adopt him to prevent any legal difficulties that may arise from him living with me."
"I see." Snape's slow answer belied the speed of his mind as it raced to find a solution to a problem he never even considered before. "However," he continued still speaking slowly, "there is no way in hell you could be trusted with the safety of this boy so, therefore I must insist he come with me."
Jack just smiled and shook his head, "See you later Snapey." He said turning to leave.
Snape moved fast. Within a second a stick appeared in Snape's hand and a burst of red light came out of the top heading straight for Jack. Or at least where Jack was. Jack happened to move slightly faster.
As soon as Snape moved, Jack had his automatic out. A click signaled the safety going off, and the sound of a gunshot ripped through the air as Jack aimed at the stick and fired. He missed. Snape's mouth opened in a silent scream and the beam of red light went flying crazily into the sky where it quickly disappeared.
Jack watched Snape warily, only one type of person could control himself and his emotions so well, and Jack needed to find out if Snape was a good spy or a bad spy, that bullet after all had nearly taken his hand off and he hadn't made a sound!
Snape's left hand suddenly came up in an uppercut but Jack easily caught the hand and twisted it, turning Snape around and pushing him to the ground, Snape suddenly froze when he felt the cold metal of Jack's gun at his head.
"You better start talking, and fast!" Jack growled. Harry was nearby watching unperturbed, the fight had been quite exhilirating for him.
"You know of magic." Snape's words came out coated in hatred but tinged with respect. This muggle could move extremely fast and shoot with impressive aim. Snape would not be fooled in the future.
"I know enough, who sent you?" Jack's reply was enforced with further straining of Snape's arm and pushing the gun harder into his head.
"I suggest you check out the Leakey Cauldron on Charring Cross Road." Snape decided to cut his losses, he highly doubted he could win a fair fight against this man and right now he was severly disadvantaged. He would wait for when he regained the advantage, if he ever did.
Harry eye's widened and he opened his mouth to scream a warning when Snape suddenly disappeared with a loud POP that scared both Harry and Jack. Jack cursed, as the gun went off and the bullet plummeted through the air where Snape's head had just been. At least now he had a place to go.
Turning to Harry, he smiled at him. "C'mon Harry. It looks like we are done here. We wont be seeing him again."
Hogwarts - Headmaster's Office
"Severus," Dumbledore said, his expression showing how disappointed he was, "We had co-operation from the Americans. You SAW Harry today, met with him and the man who kidnapped him, how on earth did you let him slip through your fingers?"
"Albus," Snape said impatience beginning to show at having to explain himself more than once. "I told you already, the boy is in capable hands. He will be well protected and no one will know where he is. The fact that he is in America will only keep him safer as everyone believes that you would hide him in Hogwarts."
The argument was one he had said already and the pain in his right arm was killing him. Damn those blasted muggle bullets. Of course he couldn't explain to the Headmaster exactly why he felt it was safe, nor could he show him his arm, both actions resulting in his pride being badly damaged. Really how could he admit that he lost a duel to a muggle? Preposterous.
Be that as it may, Dumbledore had no cause for concern and Snape was even ready to put his head through a wall if that would convince the old coot! He had even said as much but the wily Headmaster had not accepted it.
However the alternative of letting Dumbledore believe that it was not safe, and once more going out to face the muggle in combat was a situation he very much wanted to avoid. So much so that he was willing to endlessly repeat himself to the great Albus Dumbledore again and again if necessary to convince him that the spoiled brat was safe.
That in and of itself should have alerted Dumbledore that Snape was actually sincere. The fact that Snape was repeating himself over and over; something he never did even once, instead of just giving in to Dumbledore; something he did often to prevent having to repeat himself, must have gotten through to Dumbledore.
Yet Dumbledore was as usual blissfully unaware and cared only about the wellbeing of the precious Boy-Who-Lived, something that would, Snape feared, one day cloud his judgment at a critical time. It was best for Dumbledore to get used to it now he decided.
"Severus," Albus said softly, "I didn't send you to determine whether he was safe or not, I sent you to bring him back to me so I could make him safe! Besides I am his legal guardian and therefore if Harry is with anyone else I can charge him kidnapping!"
"Actually Albus," Snape broke in with a slight sneer, he rather admired the way the muggle had gotten the best of the Headmaster, quite Slytherin. "Potter turned up at an orphanage late last night," the sneer quickly disappeared as Dumbledore shot him a look.
"The orphanage, St. Mary's Orphanage for Children, accepted to be his muggle guardian which, as you know, transfers over to the magical world." Slowly Dumbledore's face began to grow pale. "Early this morning, around an hour before we met, Colonel Jack O'Neill adopted Harry Potter from this orphanage effectively making him Potter's muggle guardian, and by default his magical guardian as well."
Dumbledore finally managed to speak. "Are you telling me that this muggle O'Neill is aware of the magical world Severus?"
"If he wasn't already," Snape said getting fed up, "He will be when he finds Diagon Alley. No Albus I will not go back out to look for him, your wonder boy is safe and I pity the wizarding world when he gets here. O'Neill reminded me of Black and Potter mixed!"
That said Snape turned around and left, still managing to make his robes billow around him despite the fact he was in immense pain.
Dumbledore himself was was left staring after him absent mindedly. What on earth could cause Severus to act like this? Oh well, maybe he was telling the truth.
For now he would leave it as is, he still had the life signs and health detectors keyed to Harry's magic so if anything went wrong, he would mount a rescue operation and force Harry from this Colonel Jack O'Neill.
A/N: Fifth chapter done. You wont actually see Jack and Harry in Diagon Alley. For now Dumbledore backed off and next chapter will be Season 1 Episode 1 of Stargate SG-1 Jack and Harry vs Hammond. Xcuse the spelling and grammer im dead tired.