Here is the full chapter. Yes that was a type-o. I need to go back and fix a few of those.
Wonderful ch. 16
Calling In The Calvery
With all of his concentration, Severus tried to conjure up something that would help him get away. As if expecting what came, the old Gypsy only shook as the shock entered the hands that held the little wizard.
"One of us? Ovid said to himself.
"Es a trick," the old man, Dinu insisted. "No Snapeivitsky vould marry a vitch."
Little Snape snorted out, "Wanna bet?"
"Gramps," Ovid contemplated. "What if it's one of the old families, the ones who came over here with - - "
"Shush, don't say dat name."
"It would explain why half the name is missing."
"Ef et es one of us, even more right to hold him ve have."
"Hold him, Gramps!" Ovid was in disbelief. In all of his twelve years, nothing like this had ever happened. "This is England, you can't just hold kids against their will, its call kidnapping."
"Es called kidnapping in old country too. But vizard, ve can hold. Do you know how much this families fortunes would change if ve had a vizard at our command?"
The Gypsy boy racked his brain trying to think of something that would make his grandfather let go of the strange boy. "This one's so little, it doesn't look like he could do much of anything."
Severus' pride felt insulted, so he spoke up, "Not do much? Watch this. REDUCTO!" Wand or not, everything in the immediate area was knocked over, including the three people. Ovid was beginning to think his elders were not so crazy after all.
-------------------------------------
The young Snapeivitsky still didn't think it too smart to try and hold on to the kid. Sev was now scurrying as fast as he could to get away from them. He was not fast enough. The old woman took something out of one of her pockets and whipped it at the boy as if he were a wicket/ The small cloth bundle hit Snape and an orange/red powder broke out of it, spreading across the boy. It stopped him clod in his tracks.
'No,' Sev thought. 'This isn't happening.' All manner of thoughts were running through his head. 'Witch hunters; They're real.' He had always believed his mother warned him about them to scare him, or keep him in line. Now he knew witch/wizard hunters were real. They were not pretend like Fignoodles or Nergals. These people were not the fake witch hunters of the inquisition who burnt oddballs to keep the people under control, or those Puritan knobs in America who hung their neighbors as real estate scams. These were the real thing; People who hunted witches and wizards to enslave them to do their bidding.
"Buna what is that?" Ovid asked.
"Paprika," the old woman answered.
"Paprika?"
Dinu explained, "Vizards can't stand paprika. Et immobilizes dem."
Paprika, who knew?
Severus felt himself being grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled up again. Dinu dragged him over to a beat up old car and threw him in the trunk. Sev could still hear them.
"Grandpa," Ovid was still protesting. "This kids parents will come looking for him."
"Dat's da plan."
The grandson's face became a question mark.
"De vitch dat knows more magic dan dis one vill come looking for it. Ve vill have her too."
"NO!" Severus kicked the inside of the trunk. He realized they were going to use him as bait to catch his mother. He kept kicking but no one seemed to hear. He began to cry and whimper, "Mum." Of course he wanted her to come and rescue him, but he didn't want these people to hurt her either. After an hour of banging, trying to scratch, and even magic-ing his way out of the trunk, the little boy couldn't fight anymore. In the dark cold place he fell asleep.
Later at the Snape household a fight was in full swing. "When it got dark weren't you the least concerned that out son hadn't come home?"
"I figured you had him."
"I was at work, you know in a pub, where kids aren't supposed to be, especially not at two in the morning." Eileen went to look for her son. She traced Severus' steps; to the river; to Market St.; to the old loading dock lot where a hoard of muggles camped. 'Gypsies,' Ele thought. Then she worried. 'What if they have Sev - - " The wizarding world knew there were hunters among the muggles called gypsies or travelers, not many, but there were some. Her family was especially weary of them. These muggles had a particular grudge against them. She had no idea that her husband was one of them. She would not go into the encampment. If she were captured as well, it would not help Severus. She was going to need help. Her natural mistrust of the ministry, and knowing no help would come from her family (not to help a half-blood), she thought of one of her old teachers. She did not think of Slughorn her old potions master, the head of her house first, she thought of her transfiguration professor, who had been the headmaster for the last ten years, Dumbledore.
Hogwarts was not as far as London, but it was further than she had apparated in a long time. 'Dang,' she thought. 'No wand anyway.' She'd have to go home to use the floo system. Tobias was sleeping on the floor. He managed to as, "Find him?"
Ele growled at him. Grabbed a handful of floo powder, throwing it with a cry of, "Hogwarts, Slytherin common room." She disappeared from Spinner's End and reappeared at the stated place. This startled more than one student who had been studying there before breakfast.
"Who are you?"
"I need to see Professor Slughorn."
"How did you get in here?"
The following commotion brought the head of Slytherin House into the common room. He was still in his nightshirt and robe. "Eileen? Eileen Prince?" He wasn't quite sure if it was the same person. She looked so much changed; so tired, so haggard, paler and skinnier than ever, and overall not well.
"Yes, I'm sorry Sir. I need help; I need to see Professor Dumbledore. I didn't know how else to get into the castle."
"Can't I help you? We need not disturb the Headmaster so early."
Ele looked a bit embarrassed. "I would like you to help, but, no offence, this is a matter in which I have more confidence in Dumbledore. Please can we find him quickly?"
"I'm sure he's still in his chambers. We'll have to go to Professor McGonagall to get the password." Slughorn escorted the former student to the portal of Gyffindor House's dormitory.
"Pass word," the Fat Lady asked.
"I don't have the password," the head of Slytherin said. "We need McGonagall."
"Do I look like butler?"
"It's an emergency," Ele added.
The Fat Lady turned to the inside of Gryffindor tower and called out, "Minerva McGonagall, you are wanted at the portal."
Said witch had just finished brushing her teeth. She wondered who on earth was calling for her at such an early hour. Good thing she'd dressed early. The portrait that served as the door opened and the head of Gryffindor stood there. She blinked on seeing Eileen. An entire class that had been first years when she had graduated had gone off into the world already. Slughorn said one word and she understood. "Witch Hunters."
"They have my child," Eileen added.
"You'll be wanting Professor Dumbledore then." McGonagall proceeded Slughorn and Ele to the entrance of Dumbledore's quarters. She whispered to the gargoyle, "Crystal Ginger," and it let them in. She called out to warn Dumbledore they were on their way up. "Head Master! Head Master, there is an urgent matter you are needed to be told of." By the time they were up the stairs, he was in his office.
"Eileen Prince?" Dumbledore was also surprised by the ex-student's appearance; both how she looked and the fact that she was there. He didn't ask how she got in the castle as no one could apparate into it. "What is the problem?"
"Witch hunters have captured my boy," Ele told. "I know you have had dealings with them before. You are the only help I can expect." She looked into his and Slughorn's faces. "Unless you wouldn't want to help save a - - half-blood."
"You know that's not true," Slughorn immediately put in.
Dumbledore pushed his glasses back up his nose before saying, "You know I have no such apprehensions. I can understand why you couldn't go to your family." He looked as if he were contemplating something for a moment. "I don't think they will harm the child, but in case they have other plans than using him to catch a bigger fish, we should get going." He took out his wand and prepared to apparate to where Eileen would tell him. "Professor McGonagall, you're in charge for a bit. We have to go outside of the castle to apparate."
As Dumbledore, Slughorn, and Eileen walked she told them, "I don't actually have a wand at the moment." She couldn't help but be embarrassed. "A temporary ban."
"I see," Dumbledore said. When they were in a spot where the protective charm that kept people from apparating in or out of the castle he told her, "Grab my sleeve. You too Horace. We may as well all go the same way. Eileen, where to?"
"Muggle Manchester." She told him a safe place to appear. They apparated to a deserted alley around the corner from the encampment where Severus was being held.
"I suppose we should look less conspicuous," Dumbledore put forth.
Eileen was okay; she looked like a muggle already. Both men transformed their clothing to ft in with working muggles. After doing this the three walked nonchalantly towards their destination.
"There seem to be no guard-charms," Dumbledore informed. "I wonder if on the whole these people don't know about our kind. The trap must be specific to a few people."
Slughorn suggested, "Should one of us trip the trap?"
"I will," Ele jumped in. "I can sense where my son is. One of you might scare him more."
"We'll be right behind you," Dumbledore told.
Eileen took a deep breath and stepped into what she considered 'enemy' territory.
tbc
