Severus was enjoying a rare evening where no idiot students were bothering him, his pile of essays to be marked had dwindled down to a more manageable amount and his pester of an employer seemed to have found company elsewhere. As such, he was understandably paranoid. Such calm could not last. Not in this climate, not for Severus and not with a spawn of Potter and the Would-Be-Boy-Who-Lived residing in the same castle.
He was correct to be so wary. He had barely started to truly relax before a banging on his door disturbed his peace, and throwing the door open to a frazzled fourth year with scratches on his face and feathers all over him.
"Well?" He snarled as the idiot gormlessly gaped at him and startling him into movement.
"Sir! The animals - the students! The - the - come quickly!" He yelped before pelting back down where he came from.
Rolling his eyes he barked a customary "three points from Slytherin for running" before he stalked after him.
As he walked into the common room it took Severus a few moments to truly encompass the pandemonium that was before him.
Students were clutching their pests to them, or trying to tug them away from another. Or yelling at each other as one dared to take a single hair from another. Yowls, hisses, squawking and a myriad of other nosies filled the air, quickly giving him a headache. And in a small corner Nott and Zabini were frantically looking around and then back at two quiet - and seemingly smug - animals belonging to previously said spawn of Potter.
"Silence!" He yelled, quelling everyone in an instant - Merlin, he loved that power - including the animals. It was only for an instant before all the students clamored to explain. Avalon forbid that they misbehave as children are wont to do. A single glare and swirl of his robes shut them up again.
"Someone tell me why you are all acting like a bunch of squabbling Gryffindors." He demanded, staring down each student and inwardly rolling his eyes as they cowered away. "Falworth!" He barked to the gangly Seventh Year Prefect, "explain. Now."
"They all were fine and then they just...went mad. Nobody instigated anything."
Severus rose an eyebrow "indeed? So all creatures decided to turn into a mob simultaneously? How remarkable." He drawled with a sneer. "Remind me again why you were overlooked for Head Boy."
Ignoring the sniggering of his charges, he dismissed the crowd as he couldn't help but be drawn back to the corner of where there should have been three First Years, especially as the one missing had been irritatingly morose for too long.
Swooping into the corner he glared down his nose at the prim cat lounging in an empty armchair as the carrion bird hopped about on the back.
"Where is Miss Potter?"
Mr Nott froze as he casually - too casually - looked up from the tome he was reading.
"S-sir?"
"Where...is...Miss Potter?"
Mr Zabini chewed on his lip for a moment before looking up at him dead in the eye.
"We don't know. We were playing chess then these two -" He gestured to the two creatures beside him "went bonkers and caused that ruckus."
Severus gazed at him steadily before turning to the other boy and raising a brow in question, making him nod jerkily.
"Well, we better hope she hadn't had anything to do with the chaos." He murmured before stalking away back through the exit and to his rooms, to hopefully enjoy the remainder of his evening.
He still wasn't holding out hope though.
"Why did you tell him that?!" Theo whispered to Blaise harshly, tempted to throw something at him.
"Because if she's got tangled up somewhere - which is more than likely - it's best to have someone on her side be already aware of a disappearance." Blaise blandly replied. "Besides, aren't you the one who does what is needed?"
Theo opened his mouth to reply when Binky (what a weird name for a cat) and Clacker went stiff all of a sudden before bolting towards the exit. The two boys looked at each other in confusion and would have left it at that if for a few things. One, they never really acted like that before. Two, they were weirdly in tune with Aster. And three - Aster had disappeared and not taken one of them with her.
As such, they bolted upright and shot to follow them out into the corridor, barely keeping the tail of Binky in sight before they slammed into someone stepping out of the shadows.
" What are you doing out of the common room?" Their sometime Defence instructor hissed, looming over them, enclosing them both into the wall.
"Aster's missing." Blaise stated as he looked above Fawley's shoulder, not daring to look him in the eye, but knowing enough to not look down.
"And that warrants you both tearing around the corridors like a couple of Gryffindor hooligans? I think note. Ten points from Slytherin." He drawled before stepping back and snapping his robes around him. "And take that infernal cat with you." He sneered before strolling passed them and heading deeper into the dungeons.
"I can't believe he did that." Blaise bemoaned as they set off at a brisk pace following Binky.
"They're only points, Zabini. We'll make them back easily." Theo panted out as he clutched his side at the growing stabbing pain.
"I couldn't care less about the points!" He sniped back, cursing Aster's familiars as one pelted down the corridor in front and the other kept clacking at them to move faster. "He called us hooligans, Theo! Gryffindor hooligans! It's just-"
"Oh shut up Blaise!" Theo snapped as they came to a stumbling stop at the figure at the end of the corridor, currently glaring through narrowed eyes at a yowling blue-grey cat.
"Messers Nott and Zabini...and still without a third rag tag along, I see. Although," he sneered, grimacing away from Binky as he kept jumping up on to his frock coat with his claws out, "You may have just replaced her. What are you doing out of the common room? And no lies this time."
At their clamped mouths, Snape sighed through his nose, narrowing his eyes to slits as he stepped even closer to them. "You would do well to answer me."
"Aster's missing." A quiet voice murmured into the ensuing quiet, making the professor's eyes snap to the almost cowering curly haired boy, his shoulders hunched up to his ears.
"How long?" He asked, crossing his arms against his chest, before he flared his nostrils as a thought occurred to him. "Since the cacophony of chaos in the common room, perhaps?"
The two boys glanced at each other, grimaced simultaneously and then looked back at him and nodded.
"Hm. And you thought now was the time for a jaunt around the castle with a couple of pests?"
Blaise rolled his eyes. "Of course. When else is a better time to frolick about while one's friend - who has been uncharacteristically morose for weeks - has suddenly disappeared. While leaving her two weirdly susceptible familiars."
"Careful, Mr Zabini," Snape drawled as Theo hissed his name. "You've already misplaced a friend. Best not add points to that list."
"Oh no. How terrible." He dramatically shuddered. Inwardly, Severus couldn't help but agree, although of course the brat of an infamous a woman as Madam Zabini would be apathetic to the points House system.
"Go back to the common room." As they opened their mouths he raised his voice. "Despite what Gryffindors may think, it is the duty of teachers to rally wayward children. Now... go." He snarled as he whirled away in a swirl of black wool.
Bloody hell. Of course the spawn of Potter would find mischief and flounce the rules like the world owed her a damn favour. The fact that it probably did was beside the point. She didn't know that. Not yet. He hoped.
And why were her blasted familiars
following him about? And close to shredding his frock coat too. At least it was only Mooncalf wool. Easily replaceable. He shuddered to think if it were the Acromantula silk robes that Narcissa hoisted on him unneedingly one Christmas. Well - he shuddered at the thought of Narcissa finding out. The idea of it one whole was rather pleasant.
Deciding to bite the Stunner (was that the phrase? He could no longer tell), he followed the frantic animals, winding about over the castle until they reached the third floor. The third floor which nobody was allowed on. Of-fucking-course she'd be here.
Severus had barely taken three full strides when the decoy door was thrown open and a bedraggled - and dusty - first year Gryffindor came tumbling out. One who he unfortunately recognised immediately.
"Granger! What do you think you're doing?"
The girl whirled around in a cloud of bushy curls and white dust before launching herself at him.
"Oh professor thank goodness you're here! But - wait - shouldn't you be -" She started before whipping to look at where she had come from in a panic before spinning back to him. "Oh no..." She moaned, burying her face into her hands.
"Granger! What...are...you...doing?" Snape enunciated, sneering down at her in disgust as she groaned.
"Oh sir! We thought - but that doesn't matter. Ron is hurt! And Neville...well I don't know about Neville. But Ron was flung off a knight and now half buried-"
"Alright!" He barked, for the love of Salazar, please shut up for once, he couldn't help but think as he quickly scanned her for any obvious sign of injury. "What has happened with Weasley and Longbottom?"
"Well, er, we - we thought that y- someone was after the Philosopher's Stone. So, we, well..."
"Thought you knew how to overpower a grown Witch or Wizard with but a few harmless spells. How surprising." And how unoriginal that they thought the grim dungeon bat was the villain in their tale. "Was Miss Potter with you?"
"A-Aster? No. Why? Has something happened to her?"
Ignoring the chit he turned away as he summoned his Patronus, hiding the doe from the nosey girl behind him. "Go to Albus and Minerva first. Tell them that Longbottom and his friends have grounds for expulsion." He grinned at the whimper behind him as he continued on, "then wake Pomona and Filius as well. To all tell them: Miss Potter is missing. Come to the third floor." With his messages sent he frogmarched the Gryffindor to a safe distance away as he approached the scuffed wooden door that Granger barrelled out from.
Silently and slowly opening the door, he poked his head through to see the damn Cerberus lolling about in sleep, a crude melody playing on a Conjured harp. Edging away from the gigantic paws - he had learned well from the last time - he moved towards the open hatch door. The Devil's Snare remained intact and no noises could be heard from further in: either the children were dead and the thief away, or no thief was down there to begin with.
Salazar's balls - he was going to have to go down there. But Granger said the girl wasn't there. And if the thief had the girl - then they were fucked. Well and truly. And, he supposed, he could hardly leave Granger truly alone without fully assessing whether she was injured or running on adrenaline. Fuck. Where were the others?
Moving back towards the corridor, he swooped back to the now trembling girl, who was seemingly trying to hold herself together by wrapping her arms around herself as tightly as possible.
He was just starting to worry on how he was going to ask about her wellbeing without it looking like he cared when his three fellow Head of Houses came running down the corridor.
"Severus! What are you - Miss Granger?" Minerva stopped suddenly, causing Filius to smack into the back of her legs. "Whatever are you doing here? And why are you - what's happened?!"
Stepping in before the whole sordid affair could be told, Severus drawled, "your golden trio decided to take matters into their own qualified hands to protect an artifact they shouldn't know is here from villainous...thieves." He informed them with a sneer, and a look at the girl that told her he knew who they thought was the thief. "You may proceed with how you wish. I recommend expulsion. Avidly." He crooned before turning away and stalking further into the dark hallway and coming to the door in question.
The talking of the people behind him grew quieter as he neared it, his wand clenched tightly in his fist, his footsteps silent, and his breath shallow.
No noise came from the room. He couldn't tell if that was a blessing or a curse.
Unlocking the door silently he moved in, and was immediately met with the unforgettable stench of death. And not a quick one. Without even pausing, he moved further into the room, seeing two unmoving figures laying in an array of sludge.
"Sever-och!" Minerva gagged as she forced her way into the room, a hand flying to her mouth. It only took a moment before she saw what he did. "Gods - that's not Potter is it?!"
Not bothering to answer, he lit his wand, now that he was sure he wasn't going to be attacked, and cast it over the disaster before him.
Quirrell laid face up, although it was burned and blistered beyond almost recognition, except for his custom turban pooled around his feet. Skin seeped from him along with fluids of seemingly every colour in the dim wandlight. The tang of blood stung the air to the point he could taste copper on his own tongue. And beside him was the girl.
It reminded him of one of the fairytales that her mother would tease him with when they were children. How a small young girl would be found amidst the chaos and bloodshed of a rescue. Although in those stories they remained unblemished.
The girl had her own blisters littering her hands, crawling up to her wrists in angry reds and yellows. Her scar was alight and blood seeped from the cracks as if it was freshly given. Strangely, soot streaked across her face as if a burst of flame shot by her at close range, and if he focused, he could smell an additional metallic affect in the air.
In the time that he had catalogued all visible injuries, he had crossed to her side, and knelt by her, immediately checking for a pulse.
"Is she alive?"
He wasn't sure, he couldn't find somewhere that wasn't covered in burns or flaming scars to check. Already his hands were slick with red.
"Severus!" Minerva barked. "Is she alive?!"
"I'm trying to check." He grit out with clenched teeth, not bothering to look at her. "She's covered in, well Quirrell," he ignored the accompanying gag at that, "and I can't find an uncovered enough area to check properly. But I think so. Yes." He reassured her - himself - before drolly adding, "I think we can safely say that Fawley is going to need another help in the Defence position."
"A death should always be mourned, my boy." A wisened voice said into the gloom, making Severus and Minerva look up.
"Even if he has endangered an entire school? Terrified children? Almost, it seems, killing another?" At Albus' grave nod, Severus glared, his fingers twitching against the girls throat as he counted the beats of her heart. "Even if he was possessed by the Dark Lord?"
"What?!" Minerva gasped. "How can you be so sure?"
"I think, Minerva, it would be best to talk of this in a more...private enclosure. Poor Aster here has dire need of Poppy, and Quirinus...needs to be dealt with."
Severus snorted. "That's one way of saying it. The Circle will be rabid with gossip in the morning."
Albus hummed in agreement as he looked upon the scene in front of him. He was suspicious when he received the so called owl from the Ministry demanding his presence. Minister Fudge hadn't requested his advice for a fair few years now, and with him being ousted from his other duties, such as being Head of the Wizengamot, it was far and few between he was asked to go there.
When he received Severus' Patronus, he was both relieved at the end of this endeavour, and anxious over the outcome.
Of course, he'd be worried over whether any student was taken by force, but for not only the face of Voldemort's opposition - the young master Longbottom - and the actual victor of the war was unthinkable. To lose one would be to lose the other. And now, looking at the destruction of Tom's folly in his search for immortality, he couldn't help but feel remorse. He should have prepared better safeguards, Wards, runes, Charms and Enchantments had nothing on Tom's determination. He almost forgot how versatile he was in his spellwork.
As Albus was ruminating, his two most trusted confidants had managed to transfer Aster on to a makeshift stretcher, as well as Severus administering small amounts of healing Potions he already had on him, on to the worst of her wounds. Enough to stop the bleeding at the very least.
It didn't take them long to arrive at the hospital wing, all the students were in bed by this point and his staff on their allocated patrols. As they entered the ward, Poppy had just closed the examination of Mr Weasley, making her turn at their entrance.
It showed just how hardened the nurse was that the only dismay she showed was a slight widening of her eyes before ushering them to go to one of the private rooms at the back. Looking after students for several decades had ensured she saw all manners of illnesses and injuries, but it was the War - and the intervening years - that had hardened her. Although she was never an 'active' War nurse, her closeness to Dumbledore, and thus the Order of the Phoenix - a quasi terrorist anti-Voldemort group - meant that she dealt with worse than jinxes and hexes like leeks for ears. Yet it would be unimaginable that anyone as empathetic as Poppy Pomphrey should not be effected at the sight of a smaller than average eleven year old girl blistered and burned, with signs of heavy bleeding covering her small body. But she had a job to do.
Shutting away all but Snape out of the room, as the resident Potions Master and thus the next best qualified in Healing, she set to work.
It was going to be a long night.
