Okay, first of all thank you for being so patient and I am so sorry for the delay. Hope you all will enjoy this extra long chapter. And no I am not bribing you guys, sheesh!:D
Lectoblix - A species of blix, they age quickly, and survive by draining the youth of others.
Wyvern - A wyvern, is a legendary winged creature with a dragon's head (which may be said to breathe fire or possess a venomous bite) and wings; a reptilian body; two legs (sometimes none); and a barbed tail.
Chapter Fifteen –
Narcissa watched Lucius hand over a sleeping Harry to Professor McGonagall and then leave with the others. She was startled when Draco suddenly screeched in anger and started squirming in her arms. She frowned and looking at Draco's angry and tense face gently enquired, "What is the matter love?"
Answering her query, Draco pointed towards Harry in McGonagall's arms and babbled, "Haawwy… Haawwy. Bad. Hawwy here…" Narcissa's confusion only increased as Draco became more and more agitated.
Meanwhile, Draco's anger and distress woke Harry up and finding himself in an unknown woman's arms whom Draco apparently disliked, he started wailing.
Completely bewildered now, Narcissa walked over to where McGonagall was standing holding Harry in her arms gingerly. Because her attention was fixed on Harry, she missed the fleeting expression of distaste which crossed McGonagall's face.
"Oh dear, it looks like the babies are eager to get home. I'll get the portkey. Here, hold him…," saying so McGonagall dumped Harry in Narcissa's arms.
Narcissa staggered back, not prepared for an armful of babies. Thankfully, both of them calmed down once in her embrace and she sighed in relief.
But unfortunately, her relief was only short lived as she looked up and found a wand pointed at her face.
"Stupefy."
XxXxXxXxXxX
Diagon Alley…
"Professor McGonagall, what are you doing here?" Remus asked, puzzled.
Meanwhile, Severus' instincts went on full alert. And if there was one thing Severus had learned in all his years with an abusive father and an insane Dark Lord, it was to trust his instincts.
Professor McGonagall sighed, "I am sorry that I could not be present for the funeral. It's pretty strange actually. The portkey I had been given to reach the funeral transported me to France instead. I came back as soon as I… Snape? Lupin?..."
Severus and Remus both were looking at her as if she were a Lectoblix instead.
By then Lucius, James and Sirius had successfully managed to wrap up the open interview. It might have had to do something with Lucius looking as if the next person to ask a question would lose their job while Sirius looking as if the next person would lose their life instead.
James was beyond grateful for such an unconditional support.
A sudden crack of apparition made them turn around to find Remus and Professor McGonagall staring at the spot where Severus was supposed to be standing.
"What the hell is going on here?" Sirius barked which snapped Remus out of his daze and into action.
"Professor McGonagall's portkey transported her to France," Remus said explaining, "and so she missed the funeral. Whoever was with us was a bloody imposter. We have to go… NOW!"
Fear dawning in each of their eyes, Lucius, James and Sirius immediately apparated out of there.
Remus took a moment to instruct a half confused and half alarmed McGonagall, "Get Professor Dumbledore and reach Godric's Hollow. He'll understand what the matter is as soon as he sees you."
Saying so, he disappeared with a crack.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Severus apparated to the spot closest to the Godric Hollow's cemetery. That was the spot where they had left Narcissa and the babies. His eyes searched for a sign of them but they were nowhere to be found. He tamped down his rising panic which would only serve to impede him and methodically started searching the area.
A few cracks behind alerted him to the fact that the others had joined him.
"Severus, have you got any lead?" Lucius questioned while trying his best to maintain his composure. At Severus' negative reply he called Dobby to him. Dobby immediately popped in front of him and asked bowing, "What can Dobby do, Master?"
"Has your mistress and little masters returned to the manor?" Lucius asked.
"No Master," came the elf's reply. "Will you be wanting Dobby look for them?"
"Yes, can you help us locate them Dobby?" Lucius was almost desperate by then and so were the others. The seconds ticking by were not something they could afford in that situation.
"Dobby try. But cannot find them for sure till Mistress calls for me," Dobby said wringing his hands in distress.
Lucius nodded and Dobby disappeared with a pop.
James in the meantime was busy drawing complicated patterns with his wand.
"James, what are you doing?" Sirius asked confused.
"I had put a tracking charm on Harry after his birth in case something like this happened," James answered absent-mindedly.
"Thank Merlin," Lucius murmured expressing the relief Sirius and Remus felt on hearing that while Severus looked reluctantly impressed. All of them left James alone allowing him to concentrate but after a few moments of watching James only get more and more frustrated, Severus hissed, "Potter, is activating a tracking charm too complicated for your meagre abilities?"
James snarled at him, "Shut up Snape! I cannot activate the damn charm because there is nothing left to activate. Those bastards must have deactivated it."
"What? How the fuck did this happen? Who are these guys? How and… why did they construct such an elaborate plan?" Sirius screamed in anger and fear.
"Merlin Padfoot, will you shut up?" Remus said, glaring at him. He was trying to bring his wolf closer to the surface in order to locate the scent of Narcissa, Harry and Draco. "All that is not important right now. We have to find Narcissa and the babies first. We can deal with the rest of the shit later."
Remus cursing was not a common occurrence which only served to emphasize the gravity of the situation. The complete silence after that was equally damning.
"Black is right," Severus finally muttered into the silence which made Sirius look at Severus in disbelief.
"Wait I am? About what?" he asked confused.
James beat Severus to the reply, "About the 'why'."
The two men looked at each other. Severus nodded at James and continued, "Why make such an elaborate plan? Why take so many unnecessary risks? Why go to all this trouble?"
Lucius' eyes glittered with cold menace as he posed a question of his own, "Why not simply kill them right here?"
Once again it was James who answered, frowning, "Because whoever wants them dead does not want to fall under any suspicion."
"An accidental death," Remus growled. "That must be what they are aiming for."
"Merlin's teats!" Sirius bit out as he finally caught on. "Those bastards! But where can they be taken so that an accidental death can be staged?"
Severus contemplated for a moment before answering, "It has to be secluded as to prevent any witnesses. It must be hazardous enough and Narcissa along with the babies must have a convincing motive of being there."
"The woods surrounding the Malfoy Manor," Lucius muttered in a grim voice.
XxXxXxXxXxX
"Number One, Number Five is now in position with the targets," one of the Five Messengers of Death informed their leader.
The leader of the Five Messengers of Death aka Number One smiled humourlessly and ordered, "Tell him to complete the job and then get out of there."
"As you say, One," the man nodded respectfully and left.
XxXxXxXxXxX
The five men apparated to a clearing in the woods. All of their wands were held ready in their hands and their looks and stances screamed they were ready to go into a battle.
Lucius cautioned them, "The creatures in this forest are not overly dangerous. Just the ones you would expect in a normal magical forest. Thus if an accident is going to be staged, the assassins must have faked an infestation of some deadly creature."
"Assassins?" Remus asked with a growing trepidation. James and Sirius too stopped in their paths and stared at Lucius in stunned disbelief. Lucius was about to answer but Severus snapped at them, "Later. Right now concentrate on finding Cissy and the babies and apparating out of here with them."
Lucius nodded his acceptance and ordered, "Let us fan out in five different directions. We do not have much time."
But before he and Severus could start moving, James stopped them. "There is no need of that. Moony can track them with the help of their smell. Can't you, Moony?"
Remus did not reply as he was already busily sniffing the air. A moment later he growled and took off. The rest of the wizards followed him wordlessly.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Remus weaved in between the trees, jumping over logs and debris while continuously sniffing the air. He was nearly unaware of the four men hot on his trail. For the first time in his life Remus gave in to his inner wolf and began trusting his wolf's instincts explicitly.
His wolf, just like him, was hell bent on finding the three people whom it considered to be members of its pack.
And thus for the first time the man and wolf became one and Remus continued tracking them as their scents became stronger and stronger until finally he stumbled upon them in a small clearing of sorts.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Narcissa was sprawled on the ground of the forest unmoving, while the children were lying beside her and trying to wake her up. Harry was doing so by bawling his eyes out and pulling her hair while Draco was trying to soothe him and babbling 'Mama' over and over.
The sight of Narcissa lying so still and unmoving made terror strike Lucius' heart and he fell to his knees fearing the worst. Merlin, she cannot be dead. Not my Cissy, please!
Severus and James went to her and the children while Sirius went over to Remus who was still sniffing the air as if trying to identify some threat.
While Severus diagnosed Narcissa, James gave in to the two emotionally and physically exhausted children's demands to be picked up and settled them in his arms. Though the danger had not passed yet, James felt as if he could think properly now. The children were safe. Harry was safe. And he fervently prayed for Narcissa to be safe too.
After all the diagnostic charms showed normal results, Severus declared, "She is alive and has only been stunned. Get a grip upon your emotions, Lucius. We all need to get out of here…" A green flash of light cut him off midway and he instinctively rolled out of its path… barely managing to avoid it.
The green light struck a curious rabbit behind him instead, and the rabbit met its demise.
Instantaneously, spells began raining all around Severus as Lucius, Sirius and Remus aimed at the unknown threat. It only took him a second to cover Narcissa and join them, "Expulso… Deprimo…"
Out of the corner of his eyes he watched James leaping behind a rock to take cover with an armful of distressed babies.
"Leave Potter," Snape shouted, "and take the children with you."
Holding the children closer to him, James did just that. He apparated; or rather he tried to do so… and failed.
XxXxXxXxXxX
"Number One, we have a slight problem," one of the Messengers informed his leader. At Number One's raised brow, the man answered, "Potter, Prince, Malfoy, Black and Lupin have reached the targets. They were attempting an escape when Number Five threw a Killing Curse at Prince."
Number One raised his cold eyes towards the man and ordered, "Activate the anti-apparition and anti-portkey wards. Keep in mind the house elves."
The man sighed. "Shall I activate them now? With Number Five still there?" If they did so then Number Five could become one of the casualties.
"Yes," One replied without remorse. "After all he did commit appalling mistakes…," One trailed off with a sadistic smirk.
The man wisely kept his mouth shut and did what his leader asked him to do. The mistakes made by Number Five could not be overlooked. Not only had their targets been discovered, but also Number Five had used the Killing Curse instead of apparating out of there and then activating the wards.
Perhaps he had forgotten that it's supposed to be an accident.
Whatever the cause may be, Number Five had made a rookie mistake even though he had been training for more than a year. Shaking his head the man activated the wards and made plans to oversee the recruitment of a new Number Five soon.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Severus narrowed his eyes as their target flitted from the cover of one tree to the next. He was no doubt fast and had the added advantage that except James the rest of them were in the open. The man sent an entrail expelling curse at him but Severus banished it easily and then signalled Lucius. He and Lucius had fought together often and worked flawlessly as a team.
Lucius sent a high powered 'Bombarda' while at the same time Severus sent a wandless binding spell which hit the man and managed to bind him successfully.
Thinking quickly, Sirius summoned the man's wand to himself while Remus directed a stunner at him.
"Lucius, take Narcissa and go," Severus told him while reviving Narcissa and then rising to his feet gracefully.
As Lucius went over to a now stirring Narcissa, James exited the safety of the rock with the babies. Harry and Draco spied a now awake Narcissa and started squealing with joy. This made Severus and the others turn towards James in disbelief.
"Potter," Severus asked in a dangerously even voice, "what are you still doing here after I specifically told you to leave with the children?"
James winced and replied, "There's a slight problem… we cannot apparate out of here."
XxXxXxXxXxX
Hogwarts…
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office sucking on his lemon drops and thinking over Severus' request. Just after the funeral Severus had taken him aside and requested to be allowed to resign from Hogwarts' employment.
Now Albus genuinely loved the man like a son and could not turn down his request. Severus was indeed going through a very difficult phase and needed time to heal. Perhaps James and Harry would help him in the healing process…
The wards around his office flared and alerted Dumbledore that Minerva was back. He was surprised tough when she burst into his office looking very haggard and worried. Before he could pose his query she burst out, "Albus… I was not at the funeral. Someone else was polyjuiced as me and now Narcissa Malfoy and the children are missing. Remus asked me to alert you and shall I call for the Order?"
Dumbledore was already on his feet and issuing orders, "I will go after them Minerva. There is no time to call upon the Order. Go to the Aurors and if the Head Auror refuses to co-operate, get the Minister of Magic. Fawkes…"
With a burst of red golden flames Fawkes arrived in his office. He latched on to Fawkes' tail and together they flamed out.
XxXxXxXxXxX
Ensconced in her husband's arms, Narcissa heaved a sigh of relief on finding the children surprisingly unharmed. Even more surprisingly, she too was completely unharmed. It seemed almost too good to be true. So when James proclaimed that they could not apparate out of there, she could not help but think… Of course, I should have been expecting this!
Lucius sighed and called for Dobby instead. But to everyone's surprise Dobby did not appear. And neither did any of the other Malfoy house elves.
James called for his elf Tipsy but even she did not appear.
"They must have put up anti-apparition wards for wizards as well as elves," Severus muttered. "Remain alert. The ones we are dealing with are resourceful and cunning."
"They certainly are resourceful," Remus agreed still sniffing the air. "I can smell some kind of a pheromone on Narcissa and the babies. They have been doused with it. Whatever it is, it cannot be good. The pheromone must have been for attracting the thing which would have caused the so called 'accident'."
"Let's get out of here then," Sirius bit out angrily. "We'll walk till we exit the wards. They could not have warded the entire forest after all. I'll levitate the bastard over there."
The thought of trekking through the forest while unknown dangers lurked around was not very attractive, but they had no other options.
Lucius took Draco from James and passed him to Narcissa. Then keeping Narcissa and James in the middle with the babies, the rest flanked them in the front, back and side ways and in this way the group moved onwards.
All of a sudden, a chilling growl left Remus' throat which simultaneously stopped them all.
"My wolf is warning me that something is stalking us. Something large and dangerous," saying so, Remus turned to face the unknown threat and so did the rest.
James silently passed Harry over to Narcissa took out his wand ready to kill whatever the threat was.
The forest was silent. Too silent… thought Severus just as his watchful eyes caught some kind of movement on the branches of the tree under which James stood. Even before his mind processed the situation, years and years of honing his instincts had him moving towards James and shoving him out of danger just as a large, winged reptilian creature jumped out of the tree.
A Wyvern… a female Wyvern… Merlin save us now! Severus thought frantically.
The Wyverns were ferocious and cruel beasts having fire but the female of the species also possessed a venomous bite. The Wyvern looked in his direction hatefully and spewed fire at him. He did not have the seconds required to cast a shield charm and helplessly watched the fire rush towards him.
"Protego Maxima…" James yelled from behind him and covered Severus with the strongest of shield charms which successfully deflected the fire. By that time the Wyvern had already turned her attention towards Narcissa and the babies.
Looking at Narcissa and the babies though, the Wyvern was confused. These creatures were emitting the smell of her most favoured prey but they looked different. Before she could leap towards them though, three powerful cutting hexes hit her simultaneously from three different sides. She screamed in pain and turned her attention on the one smelling like a dog.
"Merlin!" Sirius gulped in fear and started backing as the Wyvern neared him menacingly.
Fortunately for Sirius though, the Wyvern reached their unconscious and bound prisoner first who was lying unconscious near Sirius' feet . And unfortunately for Number Five, he became the Wyvern's dinner.
Warning them all with her eyes, the Wyvern slowly retreated with her dinner. In moments there was no more sign of her.
The stunned silence which was left in her wake was broken when Professor Dumbledore flamed in with his phoenix. "Ah, it seems that I arrived in time…"
Dumbledore was confused at the deadly glares everyone simultaneously shot him.
"Ah, he says he arrived in time," Narcissa managed at last. "Well, let us see... someone replaced the portkey given to Professor McGonagall with one which would conveniently take her to France so that an assassin could masquerade as her at Lily's funeral and then that very assassin kidnapped me, Harry and Draco and brought us here and doused us in a pheromone which would specifically identify us as a female Wyvern's prey so that the Wyvern could kill us and our death would look as a mere accident. As the rest came to rescue us, one of the said assassins tried to kill them and after he was unsuccessful we realized we were trapped with the said female Wyvern because of anti-apparition wards which not even house elves could breach. The Wyvern tried her best to kill us but fortunately she successfully acquired the assassin we had taken captive as her prey and then fortunately retreated with her prey as she must be nesting and so lacked the energy needed to kill us all. And all this became possible because someone replaced the portkey inside Hogwarts which is supposed to be the safest place in BRITAIN!"
By the time Narcissa finished her rant, sparks were flaring out of her eyes and all of the men were staring at her in awe. Except Dumbledore of course, who was simply dumbstruck.
Severus cleared his throat. "Let us get out of here."
XxXxXxXxXxX
"One, Number Five is dead," Number Two informed him.
"And the main target?" One asked impassively.
His second in command answered after a short moment, "He has survived and so have the rest of the targets. Shall we implement our second plan?"
"No," One ordered, "not now. We will wait and when the time is right… we will strike again."
Okay, it is time for Draco and Harry to grow up now. Well they won't turn 11 in the next chapter. We'll have some fun watching them grow up and having adventures.:)
Guest reviewers - Hplover and Hya... thank you so much for your reviews!:)