Disclaimer:- I neither own nor own anything from this story. My plot is my own but the world of Harry Potter is the intellectual property of JK Rowling and associates.
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A/N:- Thank you to everyone who left reviews and alerts on the last chapter, please know that I appreciate every one of them. My beta, the dragon and the rose, has revised this chapter, and I thank her for her work, but I have also modified it slightly before posting, so any mistakes are mine.
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Chapter Six – Getting Them Out
Harry and Kingsley walked back into the Aurors offices, and they were both completely shocked at Percy's apparent involvement in things. They sent two Aurors to escort Percy Weasley in, and then they caught up with Dawlish, who had finished the interview with Bertha Fletcher.
The Fletcher woman had mentioned a son, but no one appeared to have asked her any more questions about him, and on a whim, John Dawlish decided to do a background check on this son, as the name sounded familiar to him. He looked up as Harry and Kingsley walked back in.
"The woman has a son, Mungo, he has convictions for standover tactics, extortion, and he works in what's appears to be left of the Corrective Services Department," Dawlish told them, and then muttered, "But who the hell would hire him for corrective services with a record like that?"
However, that was enough of a link for Kingsley. "I don't know, this is getting stranger by the second, but right now anything is a bonus. Send Aurors to find him and bring him in while we interview Percy Weasley," he stated, and he turned as a protesting Percy Weasley was led into the room. "Ah, Percy," the minister started, without preamble. "What can you tell me about me allegedly signing off on changes that closed down the Azkaban grid?"
Percy blanched, but then said, in a voice that convinced no one. "Have you forgotten Kingsley, you ordered the grid closed."
"I have forgotten nothing, Percy, and I did no such thing," Kingsley stated, a cool anger settling around him. "Now, kindly inform us of what you've done or we will acquire Veritaserum."
Without warning, Percy broke down. "I didn't want to do it, but they said they could make Penelope disappear. I don't have much, and I was scared," he cried.
Kingsley and Harry looked at one another. "Who are 'they'?" they said in unison.
"Can you promise me that Penelope will be safe?"
"We can," Kingsley answered.
"Bertha and Mungo Fletcher," Percy said softly. "I'm sorry, Kingsley. I didn't think… I just reacted. They threatened me, and now Hermione Granger has disappeared and I'm frightened that they might have done something to her too…"
Kingsley's anger settled somewhat. Percy Weasley had never been a team player, but he knew what fear did to a person. "This issue is not over yet. There may still be consequences, but we'll settle it on Monday. Go home to your wife, Percy, and we'll see what the whole story is."
"Thank you, Kingsley," Percy stated gravely, and got up to leave, all but hurrying from the room. He was so ashamed of what he'd been coerced into doing, and he was feeling incredibly guilty, especially when Hermione Granger had disappeared, but Penelope was his world.
"Undersecretary Weasley is free to go," Kingsley called to the guards, and he glanced at Harry. "You go and file the Veritaserum application, and I'll welcome Fletcher."
"Very good," Harry said.
xox
An hour later, Kingsley, Harry, John Dawlish, Seamus, and Dean were all surrounding a burly looking, stout wizard, who was glaring at them all belligerently.
"We're not going to bother with preliminaries, Fletcher," John Dawlish said. "Who gave you the authority to have Azkaban in lock-down?"
"Don't know what you're talking about," Fletcher replied.
"I believe we do," Kingsley stated calmly.
"How do you know it's me?" he replied.
"Well, let me see," Kingsley drawled. "Everyone we've spoken to so far, has named you as the ringleader."
"Even your mother," Harry added.
"You bastards," Fletcher spat. "You gave her truth stuff."
"We did," Kingsley replied. "And we're about to do the same to you. Open up."
Five minutes later they'd discovered that all the new spells at Azkaban were tied to a wand in Fletcher's possession. They destroyed the wand and Unspeakable Neeves' grid suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree and was back online again, and that was when he saw the true state of affairs.
However, a quick glance told him that all prisoners were still safely locked in their cells, but he also saw that he only had enough power for one transfer until he got the system stabilised properly.
Wasting no time, he flicked a switch on the panel, and pointing his wand, he spoke directly to Severus. "Prisoner Snape, this is temporary Azkaban Warden Neeves speaking, you are due to be released. However, I have a task for you to complete before I transfer you back to the Ministry. I have unlocked your cell, and the cell opposite you. I only have enough power for one transfer at present, but the transfer will sustain two people who are very close together. Please be good enough to collect Miss Granger and stand very still so I can lock onto the both of you."
The Unspeakable watched Snape's footprints running into the opposite cell, and then he saw the two names entwined, stationary. He glanced around as Harry and Kingsley ran into the room, and he said, "Stand to the side, I have them."
A moment later, the room reeked of the smell of mildew and fetid water, but Severus and Hermione were present, and they all heard Severus croon to the crying Hermione. "I have you, and we're safe, love."
Although, the room was incredibly bright after ten years in gloom, Severus saw Harry about to run forward, and he also saw the green healer's robes in the glare currently flooding his dilated pupils, and he held out his hand to indicate stop, but quickly shielded his eyes again. "No, Mister Potter, allow the healer to fumigate us first. Hermione is sick. Thank Merlin you got to her tonight, I don't think she would have lasted much longer."
Harry was horrified, not only by the words, but to hear concern in the Potion master's voice. However, it was his use of Hermione's first name that clinched it, and the Gryffindor wizard stopped dead as he watched a mask arrive over the healer's mouth and nose, as the man walked forward and recited several detection spells, as well as three different decontamination spells.
Then he conjured a stretcher and a wheel chair. "Place Miss Granger on the stretcher and please take a seat in the chair, sir," he told Severus.
"I can walk," Snape stated.
"You need attention too," the healer replied. "Sit."
Severus huffed, but did as he was told.
"We will stabilise Miss Granger here, and then I will accompany you both to the Hogwarts infirmary."
"Why there?" Harry asked, watching Hermione blindly searching for Severus' hand, even as an awful coughing fit overtook her. He'd been planning to take Hermione home with him, but he could plainly hear that she needed medical help.
"Have you ever defied Minerva McGonagall, young man?" the healer asked Harry, already starting to work on Hermione.
"Only a fool does that," Severus scoffed.
"Precisely, and I'd like to think that I am no fool," the healer chuckled in return, as he glanced at Harry. "Apparently your wife has been keeping all parties abreast of the developments, and the cagey old bird found out that you were being released. I have orders to deliver you both to the Hogwarts infirmary," he said, glancing up from his work again.
"Sorry, sir, that will be down to me." Harry stated to Severus. "I owled Ginny again once we knew that you should have been released as well, and I'd say she's passed the information on to Headmistress McGonagall. We've all been worried sick about Hermione."
"I see," Severus replied, watching the healer's progress with Hermione, and surprised that he did not feel at all awkward with her holding his hand. He accepted the blanket that Harry handed him and watched him tucking two warmed blankets around Hermione.
Hermione watched him making her more comfortable, and she released Severus' hand to grab Harry's. "Thank you," she said weakly.
"All good, 'Mione," Harry said, "We'll talk when you're feeling better."
The healer glanced up and saw Severus watching him, and he said, "She'll be fine with a course of potions and a few weeks rest. By the way, I am Healer Augustus Flint," he said, holding out his hand to Severus. "I attended Hogwarts as a proud Slytherin and allow me to say that you are an inspiration to all Slytherins. It's an honour to shake your hand, Professor."
Severus huffed a breath, but otherwise remained silent as he shook Healer Flint's hand; he was most probably too shocked to say anything in any case.
While this had been going on, Unspeakable Neeves, had been collecting Hermione and Severus' belongings, and he now handed Severus the box that contained his wand.
Severus closed his eyes against the emotion that welled up within him as he was handed the channel of his magic, and he felt Hermione taking his hand again.
Hermione managed a wan smile for the Unspeakable as he lay the box containing her wand beside her too, but she was more concerned with the emotion on Severus' face, and she stroked his knuckles with her thumb to show him that she knew how hard this was for him.
Finally, everything seemed to be ready, and Unspeakable Neeves opened a portal to the Hogwarts infirmary, and allowed Healer Flint to levitate Hermione on her stretcher and Harry to push Severus through.
Kingsley called after Harry. "Once you have Hermione and Severus safely to their destination, go home to your wife and children, you're still on holidays. We'll sort the rest of it out."
"With pleasure," Harry replied.
The portal closed and Severus said, "I understand that your wife is pregnant, Mister Potter?"
"Please call me Harry, sir, and yes," Harry stated with a quizzical look on his face.
"Hermione and I talked a great deal this last week," Severus clarified.
"Oh, but why is that significant?"
"Allow Healer Flint to clear you before you leave. A modicum of prevention and all that."
"Oh… oh, yes. I see," and Harry looked to the healer.
"You'll be fine, Commander Potter. The spells I used voided any risk of infection for the entire room."
"Oh good. Then I'll see you both soon," and he squeezed Hermione's arm. You rest, 'Mione." He smiled at Severus. "And sir, it is a pleasure and an honour to know you. Thank you for everything you've done for me."
Severus was not quite certain what to say, and he cleared his throat and nodded his head. He was quite overwhelmed by what people were saying to him.
"I'm going to get going before anyone else arrives, I haven't seen Gin for almost two days."
Hermione nodded, but she had to know one thing. "Okay, Harry, but will you answer me one question first?" She watched him steel himself, and she knew he'd realised what she wanted to know, but she asked anyway. "Who did this to me?"
Harry sighed. "It was Lavender," he said as Minerva burst through the Floo of the infirmary.
Hermione's mouth opened in shock. "W-Why?"
Harry shrugged. "I don't know yet, but Ron's broken up with her. It happened before we knew what had happened to you though," he added quickly. Then he shrugged. "She's nicked off somewhere, but we're searching for her. Look," and he patted her arm again. "Don't you worry about anything, we'll catch her, and when you're feeling better I'll tell you more," and he squeezed her arm gently. "I'm certain that Ron and Gin will want to come and see you as soon as they can too, but you rest now, ay?"
Minerva stood back watching, and she stopped Harry as he walked to the Floo. "I knew you could do it, Harry," she said.
"I just had some information that the other Aurors hadn't considered, and I wouldn't have expected them to, but if you'll excuse me I'm exhausted, and all I want to do is see Gin and the boys now."
"Understandable," Minerva said, and gestured towards the Floo.
"Thank you, Ma'am," he said, and announced his destination.
Healer Flint turned to Minerva also. "I shall also take my leave now. My patients will now only benefit from a good clean up, excellent food and fresh air. All of which I'm certain you can facilitate."
"I certainly can. Thank you, Augustus," Minerva stated.
"Pleasure, Minerva," he said, inclining his head to her.
"Will it be a problem that Poppy is currently away?" Minerva asked.
"I should think not, Miss Granger is essentially on the road to recovery, and the professor has her potions prescription, and will make them all for her. That is all she will need," and then he turned and strode to the Floo.
Once he was gone, Minerva turned to Hermione and Severus. She smiled broadly as she approached Severus. "It is so good to have you back, dear boy. Welcome home."
"Thank you," Severus replied, but his eyes narrowed in a very familiar way. "Slytherin or not, I'm never setting foot as a resident into that dungeon again."
Minerva chuckled. "Understandable."
"Severus will stay in my guest room until he wishes not to," Hermione cut in. Her voice was already starting to sound much stronger. She turned her head and smiled at him, and she squeezed their still linked hands. "If it had not been for him I would not be still here to tell any story, so I will look after him now I can in return."
"I believe I would enjoy that," Severus answered, surprising himself that he so easily accepted her offer.
"Then I shall have your trunk delivered to Hermione's guest room," Minerva said, smiling. "All other discussions can wait until you're fed, cleaned up and rested. I'm certain that your elf will be eager to accommodate if you would like to clean up here in the infirmary's facilities before you go to your rooms." and she turned and went back towards the Floo. "I'll leave you to make your choices," but as she reached the fireplace, she turned back and smiled. "I know I said it once, but it begs saying again," and she smiled happily. "Welcome home, Severus. I'll have the elves set up your lab in the old defence classroom for you, as I'm certain that there are some personal potions you'd like to brew for yourself as well as those for Hermione."
"Very kind, Minerva. I will supervise the set up as soon as I have Hermione comfortable." He watched Minerva walk through the Floo and he got up and took the step to Hermione's stretcher. "How can I assist you?"
Hermione glanced outside and saw that the sun was just setting. "Can we have a cup of tea and watch the sunset, please?" she asked, her voice choking up.
"That sounds like a wonderful suggestion," and he helped her as she started to get up. "Here, you sit in the chair." As he sat her in the wheelchair, he noticed that she was not shivering anymore, and she felt quite dry. "Who is your elf?"
"Tippy," she replied.
The corner of Severus lips rose. "He used to be my elf."
"We can share him, if you like."
"Yes, I would like that. Tippy!"
"Oh, Master has returned to Tippy," the little elf stated excitedly as soon as he arrived, but then he watched between the pair of humans and he saw what they had not yet realised. "Mistress has brought Master back, and they are bonding. Oh, Tippy is being so happy. What can Tippy be getting for Master and Mistress?"
"Bonding?" Hermione asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
"Mischievous, elf," Severus told him. "Bring us a pot of Earl Grey and a selection of sandwiches."
Tippy looked chastened, but happily went off to the kitchens to get what they'd requested.
"Bonding?" Hermione repeated when the elf had gone.
Severus glanced towards the window and wheeled the chair over so they wouldn't miss the sunset. "Does this displease you?" he asked. Now he had his wand back, he could literally feel her magic entwining with his, and it was a heady experience.
"No," she answered immediately. "No, I'm just a little surprised," and she thought about this for a moment, and smiled around at him. "Does it displease you?"
He brought his hand forward and squeezed her shoulder. "No, but you'll find me to be a cranky bugger sometimes."
This made Hermione laugh, but then she started coughing. Eventually she managed to clear her throat, and she covered his hand where it rested on her shoulder. "I shouldn't have laughed, but if you'll pardon me, I think I already know that."
"Cheeky witch," he muttered, but squeezed her hand as Tippy came back with their tea and sandwiches.
They both watched the sunset as they drank three pots of tea and shared a large plate of sandwiches between them.
"I'm so full now that I think I'll sink like a stone in the bath tub," Hermione said, but then her lip went between her teeth. "Sev?"
"Yes, love?"
"I don't want to be alone. I know it's silly that I'm being such a coward…" and she swallowed.
"You are not being a coward, you've been very brave this last week." He sighed. "Look, I'd really like to rid myself of these rotten teeth. Ten years without any dental hygiene was too much for them, but all you have to do is call Tippy to fetch me if you're feeling insecure."
"Thank you," she said, smiling, but then her expression turned serious. "You know that I did try to get you released, but no matter how many times I tried to get an appeal started for you it never got through the initial application stage, and I was always met with a wall of silence, even Minerva couldn't get any sense from anyone. I'm so sorry that you had to endure what you did."
"Back in those days it was still a corrupt system, and there were quite a few influential people who would be very happy to keep me buried. I was probably safer where I was back then, but I can speak up now," and his eyes gleamed with malicious intent. "Shall we head towards the north tower?"
She smiled, and he turned the chair and started pushing her. "But not even Kings seemed to be able to…" but her cough overcame her control again.
"Kings knows the truth about my situation back then, Hermione. He came to see me early on… Although I'm a little peeved that he didn't notice that my release date had passed by," but then he changed the subject. "Minerva said the old defence classroom, why don't they use it anymore?"
"It was found after the war that the curse on the position seemed to die with the wizard who cast it. Nevertheless, Defence Against the Dark Arts along with Muggle Studies have been discontinued, and new revised syllabuses has been introduced, so along with that new rooms were allocated."
"Well, neither subject gave an accurate picture of anything," Severus commented.
"True," Hermione agreed, coughing into her hand. As the night settled, her chest was tightening with the change in temperature.
"I'll brew your cough potion before I commence on my teeth," Severus stated, hearing her starting to wheeze a little again.
"I guess it will take a few days for my lungs to clear completely."
"No doubt," Severus agreed.
xox
An hour later, Hermione was clean and dry, and, above all, warmly ensconced in her bed, and she was slightly incredulous at the changes in her life in just one week. Once she was soaking in her favourite bath salts, with the aromas of flowers and sandalwood enveloping her senses her memory of her awful week began to fade a little, and she started to relive some of the highlights of it instead of the horrors.
She had no doubt in her mind that Severus had saved her life this week, and in their hunger for companionship they had easily fallen into—well, she wasn't quite sure what—something… They were something to one another, call it bonding if you like, but she could not imagine her life now without him in it, and he seemed to feel the same.
As she was considering this, there was a light knock on the door. "Yes?" she called.
"May I come in?" Severus' voice said from the other side.
"Yes," she answered, even as her mind supplied a very different picture of him coming in, but as soon as he put his head around the door all her thought processes ceased in shock. He was dressed in Muggle clothes, wearing blue jeans and an open-necked, black cotton shirt, his hair was tied back with a leather thong, and it was shiny and clean. "You look lovely," she told him before her brain had filtered her mouth.
He gave her one of those sexy half smiles that did weird things to her stomach, and he replied, "I feel wonderful, but I dare say I do not look half as delicious as you do sitting there. Are you comfortable now?"
She smiled. "Yes, very much so," but her eyes panned down to the rack of potion phials he was carrying, and they dipped further down just for a split second, but she quickly adjusted her gaze back to the potions.
He saw, but didn't call her out on it. "Here are your potions for this evening, and first thing in the morning," he told her, holding the rack up and setting it down by the door. He did not trust himself to get too close to her, he had iron-clad control, but she did amazing things to him.
"Thank you, Sev. Will you walk down to breakfast with me tomorrow?"
"I will. Have Tippy fetch me when you're ready."
"And if I need you before that?" she asked with uncertainty, her lip slipping between her teeth.
"I will be in my lab, right next door for most of the night, love, just call. I'll hear you."
"What if I need you now?" she asked in almost a whisper, glancing up at him.
His lips ticked up at the corner again, but he shook his head. "No, tonight I am only being your friend should you need it. However," and his raven eyebrow arched. "Once you're well enough, if you are still intent on offering me a place beside you," and he nodded to the empty side of her bed. "Then I believe that all bets may be off."
"Oh," she said, and looked disappointed, but then his meaning filtered into her lust-doped brain, and she smiled. "Oh… Then here's to a swift recovery."
"Indeed," he agreed. "Sleep well, Hermione."
"Yes, you too," and she watched him making a hasty exit. Once she was alone, she got out of bed and padded over to the rack of potions. They were neatly marked in his spidery scriptl, and he'd even added the time she needed to take them.
She sighed, and held up her first phial of potion. "Thank you, Lavender. You'll never know what you've done for me, but Merlin help you if I ever lay eyes on you again."
On the other side of the door, Severus chuckled softly hearing Hermione's vow of revenge, but then he returned to his lab. He quite liked this new set-up. He had thought that Hermione's quarters would be at the top of the tower, but as he found out they were at the bottom, and the space above was her multi-story library and extra study area. He very much approved, and he envied her so much space for her books. Of course, so far he hadn't been invited to see the space, and he spared a thought for his own collection, which Minerva must have either shrunk down to fit into his trunk, or that still resided at Spinner's End. He could finally sell that dump, and good riddance, but he did want his books.
He couldn't have asked for a better set-up. The castle had decided that he should gain access from his lab—which had once been attached to the defence classroom—through his quarters, and he wandered happily into the classroom now and began the potions he most wanted to brew, the fixative for his poor teeth. That was another reason that he would not touch Hermione tonight, he was not going to inflict his rancid teeth on her. He would rectify the problem tonight and in the morning they would see.
xox
At Auror headquarters, the true picture of the Azkaban issue was slowly being revealed. There had been twenty other prisoners, who like Severus, had been overdue for release. It appeared that Mungo Fletcher had not been concerned with prisoners who had finished their sentences. All these prisoners had now all been released, as had as many of the people who shouldn't have been there, those who the Fletchers had made 'disappear' for a price. However, the Veritaserum had allowed them to find out that, in total, eight people had been falsely imprisoned in this corrupt system. The biggest problem they'd struck so far was that they'd only found five of them, and it was truly horrifying the amount of prisoners who were simply missing.
The picture that was forming of what Azkaban Prison had become was a truly disturbing one, and Kingsley was utterly horrified that he'd not been up to date with the events taking place. This was much bigger than just Percy Weasley's deed, and it made the minister determined to get to the bottom of it. He had called Severus Snape a friend, and they'd both agreed that out of the public eye was the best place for him after the war, but how had he all but forgotten the man who'd personally done so much to win the war for them? There was more than one mystery here, and they needed to start from where they'd just left off to find the truth.
Therefore, around midnight, Kingsley and John Dawlish pulled Mungo Fletcher out of the holding cells, and he was interviewed for a second time, again with the aid of Veritaserum. Kingsley and John had often worked together in years past, and they'd sent all the younger Aurors home for the night, but they were determined to get to the bottom of this before they left.
"Harvested?" Kingsley repeated. "What exactly do you mean by that?"
"That's what she called it," and he'd shrugged.
"Who is she?" Kingsley asked.
Fletcher sneered. "Don't know 'er name. She's a short annoyin' piece with an irritatin' girly voice. She likes pink 'n looks like a toad."
Kingsley and John glanced at one another, they knew that description, but they decided to keep that information to themselves at present. Dolores Umbridge was still a thorn in everybody's side, but even after her involvement with Voldemort's Muggle-born register she'd slipped through their fingers at the end of the war.
"And this witch," John asked. "She's the ringleader?"
"Not sure," was Fletcher's response. "But she organised the spells ta make the place run without guards, and also handled any trouble."
"Did she ever talk of anyone else?"
"Mum usually dealt with 'er," Fletcher told them.
At this point they had Fletcher taken back to his cell. Now that Hermione was safe it was a waiting game until the ringleaders realised that the authorities had Bertha and Mungo Fletcher in custody. Then hopefully they would catch them out trying to cover their tracks.
"Well, we've got people tailing Umbridge, and that's all we can do now until she puts a foot wrong, so I believe it might be time to call it a night," Kingsley stated, and then he sighed. "I'm enjoying this deviation in my routine. Would you like a night-cap, John?"
"Your wife won't mind?" John questioned.
Kingsley smiled fondly. "Luna's off on one of her little jaunts into the wilds. It's why I've been coming down here so often, something familiar, you know?"
"Yes, I know," John nodded. "Then, why not, I'm in no hurry to get home," he said. "You know, we might get a clearer picture of how things worked by speaking to Snape and Granger… After all, they were caught within the system," he said as they walked out.
"That's an excellent idea. I'd really love to pin something… anything on Dolores Umbridge, the witch is a menace, but very cagey. She always comes up smelling of roses," Kingsley growled.
John snorted. "I heard that she came up smelling like centaur shit once."
Kingsley smiled. "Yes, our Hermione got her own back that time."
"The same Miss Granger who's just been found?" John asked. "You don't think it had anything to do with that do you?"
"No, I think that was just a coincidence. The Brown girl paid for Hermione's imprisonment, and we still have to find her too." Kingsley said, as he held the door to his office open so they could use the Floo therein, and he added, "I wonder what harvested means?"
John shivered. "I can't imagine that it's anything good, Kings," and they both Floo'd away.