Thanks so much to everyone for all the feedback on the first chapter. I'm so glad that everyone is still interested. I'm trying to get the next twochapters done as quickly as I can. I should post the next one aboutthis time next week.

Chapter 2

A cracking sound coming from the other side of the house caught Daniel's attention and he turned on his heel and jogged down the stairs towards the source of the noise. When he reached the living room he saw a familiar face staring at him and he shook his head.

"What are you doing here, Sirius?"

"And hello to you too, Daniel. Honestly, a toad has more manners than you."

Daniel rolled his eyes and Sirius smirked back. "Hello Sirius. What brings you here on such a fine day?"

"Now that's more like it." The dark-haired wizard brushed the soot off his shoulders and then turned a serious face towards the archeologist. "Dumbledore sent me. There's been a change."

"Jack?" Sirius nodded. "What happened?"

"I haven't time to explain. You'll have to come along. Time may be of the essence." Staring back at Sirius with a confused expression on his face, Daniel nodded and turned to walk towards the door. "Where on Earth are you going? We haven't time to deal with muggle transportation. Let's go shall we?"

Daniel turned around and saw that Sirius was pointing to the fire place and the younger man's confusion grew. "Um…How exactly are we getting there?"

"By floo of course. It's quite simple." Reaching into pocket of his robe, Sirius pulled out a small bag and opened it so Daniel could see the contents. "You just toss the floo powder into the fireplace and say where you want to go."

"Yeah right." Daniel's skepticism was clear and Sirius shook his head impatiently.

"I realize this may sound insane, but I'm not about to waste time giving you a detailed explanation of how of why this works. Just do what I say." Clearly frustrated, Sirius thrust Daniel onto the ledge of the fireplace and pressed a handful of floo powder into his palm. "Toss it into the fireplace and say Hagrid's hut."

"You telling me if I just do this…" Daniel tossed the powder into the fireplace. "And say Hagrid's Hut!"

Before the archeologist could say another word he was whisked away through the floo system and Sirius shook his head in amusement.

"Muggles!" With that the wizard pulled out his wand and swished it in the air. "Apparate!"

In a flash he was gone and the living room where both had been standing was now empty and quiet.

-

He sucked in a harsh breath and the first thing he heard was the sound of running water somewhere nearby. His eyes drifted open and he caught sight of bird perched on a tree branch just above his head.

"It's about bloody time you came round, Jack."

"Severus? What day is it?" The potions master stared blankly at his brother and then shook his head.

"It's August 20th, why are you asking?"

In a flash Jack was sitting up and trying to get up from the straw mattress he had been lying on. Severus was quick to step in and hold him back, but Jack was adamant as he frantically began to speak. "We have to hurry. There isn't much time. We have to stop them!"

"Stop who? You're in no condition to be going anywhere. You've been unconscious for nearly 3 months. We've all been worried sick about you. Now calm down before I have to fetch Firenze."

"No Sev! You don't understand. I have to finish this before it's too late."

Before Snape could do anything Jack had knocked him onto the ground and was on his feet, running towards the river.

"Jack stop!" Severus managed to shout as he pulled himself to his feet. For a moment he fumbled for his wand and realized it was no longer in his pocket.

He stood to go after Jack, but he heard aloud crack and he knew that Jack had apparated and there would be no way for him to find his brother now.

-

Daniel opened his eyes just as he felt his backside connect with the brick of a familiar fireplace. "Holy Crap!"

"Lo! Daniel it's been a while. Dumbledore's been expectin ya." Hagrid reached out a beefy hand to help Daniel up and the archeologist took it as he gaped around the room dumbfounded.

"I just…the fireplace…Holy Crap!" Daniel was speechless as he stared back and forth between the fireplace and Hagrid and the gentle giant stared down at the young man and smiled wildly.

"No time to explain. Dumbledore'll have my head if I don't get you up to the castle right quick."

Without another word Hagrid ushered Daniel out of the hut and across the Hogwart's grounds to Dumbledore's office. Once there Daniel saw that Both Dumbldore and Jack's brother Severus Snape were seated at the Headmaster's desk, already waiting for him to arrive.

"What's going on?" Daniel looked from Dumbledore to Severus and both sat silently as Daniel approached them. "What's going on with Jack?"

It was Severus who answered first and his words stopped the archeologist cold. "He's disappeared."

"What! He was unconscious. How could he disappear?"

"He woke this morning, stole my wand and disappeared." Daniel continued to stare at Severus and then began to shake his head.

"This makes no sense. Did he say anything?"

"Just that he had to stop something before it was too late."

"Stop what?" Severus shrugged his shoulders in response to Daniel's question and the archeologist was less than pleased. "You were supposed to be taking care of him! What kind of protection is it that lets an unconscious man up and walk away!"

Furious, Daniel turned to leave but stopped in his tracks when the door closed in front of him effectively blocking his exit.

"Please have a seat, Daniel. We've much more to discuss." This was the first Albus Dumbledore had spoken since Daniel hand entered the room and the tone in the old wizard's voice made it clear, that this was not a suggestion.

Before he could respond a chair came up behind him and whisked him forward, so that he was seated next to Severus.

"So what exactly happened with Jack?" Daniel asked as he looked up at Dumbledore and then at Snape, who seemed to be holding his breath as though the world was about to swallow him whole.

"I believe that is something Severus can best answer." Dumbledore's voice echoed across the room and Severus sank further in his seat, the look of frustration clear on his face.

"It happened rather quickly." Severus let his voice trail off and looked away from the other two men in the office.

In a moment of pure irritation on Daniel's part, the younger man straightened up in his seat and raised his voice. "What the hell happened Severus!"

Daniel's voice bounced off the walls with such force, the objects on the wall seemed to shake, and both Snape and Dumbledore seemed taken aback by the younger man's uncharacteristic outburst.

"Don't yell at me, Daniel! This was not my fault! I had no idea that when he woke he was going to be completely insane and run off!" Snape snarled at the archeologist and raised his arms in frustration.

"You didn't even go after him?"

"He apparated to who knows where! For Merlin's sake I couldn't have followed even if I'd wanted to, which I did. He could have gone anywhere!"

"Enough!" Dumbledore's voice caught them both by surprise and the older wizard stepped closer to them as they quieted. "Arguing will not help us find Jack any sooner. We must work together if we are to locate him before anything untoward should befall him."

Daniel was the first to speak and he nodded to Severus. "I'm sorry for yelling. It was uncalled for. This just makes no sense. Jack's been practically catatonic for the last three months and then you all bring me here to tell me that he's just up and disappeared. I really don't understand any of this. Did he say anything? Was there any sign he was gong to regain consciousness?"

"I've an apology of my own to make." Severus chimed in as Daniel came to pause. "I know I don't seem very forthcoming, and I'm quite sorry. This has taken us all by surprise, Daniel. None of us really knows what's going on here."

Both men nodded and silently shook hands.

"Now that you two have stop quarreling, perhaps we can get the matter at hand." Daniel and Snape turned to see Dumbledore pressing his fingertips together as he eyed them both with a curious expression on his bearded face. "We need to locate Jack, and I believe that Daniel and his friends might be of assistance."

tbc...