Severus Snape: Leaving Town

Severus Snape

Severus waited on the street in front of the empty dentist office, studying the cracks of light that showed the alley in Brigadoon. The figure of Hermione Granger stood unmoving. Another eight to twelve seconds, and she would blink, shake her head, and remember nothing.

Obliviation was officially designated as a charm, but sometimes it felt like a curse. To go from enemy combatants to reluctant allies to something close to friendship, and then to lose it all again in the space of an hour. But there was a relief that came with obliviation. Gone were the things he shouldn't have said, the mistakes he'd made. Even now, he debated the wisdom of telling her about Potter. But all her joy and grief had been erased, the twisted lines of her expression removed as if by an artist's hand.

He wished he could do the same for every other line that gathered on her face. What she needed was more wands on her side. With the handful of remaining rebels, there was only so much she could do with the information he supplied. She was right to focus on the horcruxes. It was a task best done by one or two people, so the Dark Lord remained unaware he was losing his immortality.

The shadow of Hermione's form disappeared from the creases in the poster. She'd left the alley, off to see her friends.

It would be so easy to join them. Walk out with Hermione at their next meeting, apparate to their headquarters. With a recovered Potter in tow, he wouldn't need any other credentials to convince them. There were complex spells he could show them—ones that couldn't be described in Hermione's meeting notes, but could prove invaluable in battle. His heart raced. The thought was terrifying and exhilarating. No more obliviation, no more standing by. No more inflicting pain on those who had the misfortune to be born to the wrong parents.

A few weeks. That's all it would take. Enough to get Potter back on his feet. Enough to raid the Ministry of as many resources as he could, and get out before it was discovered.

But that was not his place and never would be. Inserting himself into their tight-knit group would accomplish nothing, and Hermione needed the information he provided. And now that he knew about the horcruxes, his position near the Dark Lord was more essential than ever.

Stepping into the alley, he folded the poster and tucked it away. Time to return home. He doubted Potter could break the wards on the house. Still, it had been over an hour, and he didn't think it wise to leave him alone too long with his plots and strange magic.

A thudding rumble echoed through the alley. He only had time to blink once before a throng erupted and stampeded across the intersecting street. They pushed and shoved, their carefully crafted masks pushed up to reveal wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Green light flashed behind them.

He pressed into the wall and edged against the flow, working his way towards the sounds of battle. By the time he reached the square, it had emptied. The fountain had dark burns on its rim, and the head of a stone unicorn had cracked along one side.

Crashing came from the sea of overturned tables in the Blind Mouse. Lucius Malfoy stood inside, swinging his wand so that shelves of glasses toppled to the floor. He spun towards Snape, his eyes widening. "Severus."

He felt exposed. There was no reason for him to be there. No reason he could give a fellow Death Eater. He went on the offensive. "What are you doing here?"

He expected Lucius to be offended by such a direct question, especially coming from the likes of a half-blood such as himself. But Lucius merely stood there, staring at an empty spot between upturned tables.

Severus hesitated. They'd once been close. Severus had been finishing school with no friends and few prospects, despite Slughorn's glowing letters of recommendation. No one wanted to offer an apprenticeship to the surly half-blood who found fault with everything. Lucius had taken him under his wing and given him a bit of polish. For a while, they traveled the same road towards the Dark Lord. But only Lucius truly believed in the destination. Still, Severus admired his confident control, as though nothing could touch him.

And yet, as Lucius stood there, he'd lost that air of impenetrability.

Severus approached him. "Lucius?"

Lucius broke free from whatever trance had captured him. "Someone signaled the alarm?"

Severus gazed at the trampled plates of food. Among the wreckage was a hood used to hobble prisoners. Another group intended for the camps or Azkaban. "Of course. How many escaped?"

Lucius's jaw clenched. "Amycus had the list of names. No chance of retrieving it now." He gestured to an overturned table. Two unmoving boots protruded from behind it.

Severus rounded the table. Amycus Carrow lay with his wand still in hand, the back and left side of his robes charred and crumbling. Only recognizable from one side of his face, as the other half was blackened and featureless. Familiar and conflicting feelings rose: satisfaction that he would never harm another, and sadness for the boy he'd once known.

He felt Lucius's hard stare, and the hairs rose on his neck. With a last look at the fallen Carrow, he turned and eyed Lucius's wand. Burned to death by a blind, wandless prisoner? Not likely. Amycus was chosen for prisoner duty because of his careful attention to possible escapes. But he never did pay enough attention to his fellow Death Eaters. And Lucius had mentioned that Amycus had been carrying the list of prisoner names. Perhaps he was searching for Draco and tried to wheedle the names out of Amycus. Or perhaps he'd decided not to waste words and approached him unawares.

The walls of the pub shimmered for a moment, and a humming vibration ran through his bones. "Brigadoon's leaving. We'll see the prisoners soon enough once we're all out in the open." If they didn't have the brains to get outside the village boundaries before that happened. He wondered where Hermione was.

The battle still raged outside. Severus and Lucius glanced at each other. At nearly the same time, they both said, "I'll take point."

Severus couldn't help but smile. Neither of them liked having an armed wizard behind them, and they used to bicker about who would take point. "Stacked formation," he said, their old compromise. They headed outside, going shoulder to shoulder.

The main gate bent off its hinges, and a battle raged just inside. It was difficult to see the details as ash fogged the air. Red hair flashed from behind a shop corner. Molly Weasley. A swarm of insects sped to the other side of the alley, engulfing Dark Guardsmen blocking the entrance.

Lucius and Severus crept closer to the shop, unseen by the Weasleys. Molly and Ron took turns weaving spells from different directions to keep the Guardsmen from hitting back.

Lucius gave Severus a silent signal. Closer. Take a clean shot from behind.

His heart quickened. He had to fire curses at the Weasleys without hitting them, while not appearing incompetent, and allowing them to escape. And, of course, not getting killed himself. Battles required as much maneuvering as spying, and the stakes were just as high. He raised his wand.

The Brigadoon buildings creaked as one, dust tumbling from their eaves. Their walls rumbled, and a humming vibration spread, the cobblestones in the streets rattling.

Severus gripped his wand, turning in a slow circle.

The humming grew in pitch until the ground erupted, spewing an expanding cloud of dirt. Cobblestones under his feet shot upwards, tossing him into the air. The wind shrieked around him.

Every spell he ever knew fled his mind. Clouds of dust surrounded him. He couldn't see how high he was, but the fall was coming. The loud noise filling his ears wasn't just the wind. He realized he was screaming. Grit filled his mouth and his tongue dried up.

As abruptly as it had arrived, the wind disappeared. He hurtled down through the dust cloud. He jerked his arm in the motions for a cushioning spell, but his wand had been torn out of his hand. The dust stung his eyes. He searched the air blindly until something flat and solid slammed into him.

He woke to a ringing in his ears. Pain shot from his leg and shoulder. He spat the dust from his mouth. "Accio wand."

Nothing. His leg and shoulder throbbed. He pushed himself to a sitting position. His ankle was twisted at an odd angle.

The street he'd been standing on was gone, replaced by a grassy clearing. Buildings and houses were scattered in the distance, separated by bits of cobblestone streets. The stones of a nearby street wobbled, knocking together, until they launched into the sky like a flock of birds.

Dust-covered bodies littered the field. Some moving, some not.

"Accio—" he began, but the dust in his throat choked him.

"Perhaps you were looking for this?" The hem of an immaculate ministry robe appeared. Percy Weasley stood over him, holding out a wand.

Severus snatched it back and cast a bone-knitting spell, then a healing spell for ligaments. It would take nearly an hour to heal completely, but would be good enough to stand on. He switched the wand to his left hand and set to work on his shoulder. Left-handed spells weren't easy, but he practiced regularly for situations such as these. "What are you doing here, Weasley?"

"With my new position, I've taken greater interest in prisoner exchanges. You'd be amazed at how lax standards have become. Ministry staff are moving prisoners seemingly at random."

A pointed jab at him about their encounter in the Atrium. Weasley remembered Potter's removal from the Ministry then, even if he didn't know it was Potter. He never should have used that stunning spell. It had broken some essential element in the amnesia Potter had cast on everyone.

A café flexed, the bricks in the walls breaking apart like cards and shuffling up into the air, the outdoor tables and chairs folding and darting up after. Two street lamps shimmied, shaking clods of dirt off their bases, and followed. The ground quaked as a row of houses uprooted themselves and shot away. Their departure revealed Alecto Carrow, who'd taken off her Death Eater mask and was rubbing her face, looking bewildered.

Thin lines creased Percy's brow. "I take it the prisoner exchange didn't go as planned. And you." Weasley stared at him. "You weren't supposed to be here at all." He tilted his head, studying him like a beetle found in his porridge. "Please don't tell me you were on confidential ministry business. I've been making inquiries. You often use that excuse."

Severus stood. His mending ankle stabbed at him, but he refused to favor it.

Nearly half the buildings were gone now. Carrow held her wand ready for anyone who might be revealed by the rising buildings. She spun as a section of the town square whipped into the sky. Left behind on the ground was Amycus Carrow's body.

It took Alecto a moment to recognize him. Then she cried out, running closer. She shook him, even though it was clear no life remained. Severus kept himself at the ready. Alecto's visible grief would be over quickly. She processed her feelings through either sadism or anger.

An apothecary shop snapped shut its striped awning and pirouetted into the air, revealing two prone figures slowly stirring. They shakily stood, holding onto each other for support. Layers of dust and dirt had settled on them, making them unrecognizable, but the taller one showed a patch of red hair. He stumbled and groaned, trying to wipe the dust out of his eyes.

Alecto Carrow whipped towards them and stilled, as intent as an English pointer.

Severus strode towards them. "You should go, Weasley. Before you do something you'll regret."

Carrow headed in a beeline towards them, but a line of drifting fence posts blocked her path. She growled, shouting incendio at each post as it passed, sending flaming bolts into the sky.

The two figures tensed. "Accio wand," they shouted in unison. The taller one threw out spells that cleared the dust away while the shorter one siphoned the dust off their faces. Ron Weasley, who had been gaining height even before Hogwarts closed, was the taller one. He protested as Molly put herself between Carrow and him.

The last fence post floated away. Carrow's mouth twisted, baring her canines. She targeted Molly, aiming for the chest.

Shite. Snarling, Severus slashed downward, ripping a tear in the turf beneath the Weasleys. The ground heaved and flung them back. Molly Weasley hit the ground hard, her wand knocked away. She groaned and lay still.

Ron landed with a roll, quickly getting to his feet. He fired off two silent curses—one at Carrow, one at Snape.

"Protego." Severus deflected the curse just before it hit. The impact was still close enough to jar his bones, and he nearly lost his balance.

"Expelliarmus," called out a cool voice.

Ron's wand flew from his hand. Both wands shot through the air, stopping above Lucius and landing neatly in his free hand.

"Damn!" Carrow whirled on Snape. "I had them! That was my kill!"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You had them, did you? Just like you had the other prisoners?"

Carrow glanced around the field, empty except for the five of them, a scattering of Dark Guardsmen, and Amycus's body. "I didn't lose them. We were attacked."

"By a boy barely out of puberty?"

"No! There was another rebel. Couldn't see her face, but…" her cheeks colored. "Older. I'm sure of it. She attacked us and fled with a prisoner." She glanced at Lucius, whose gaze could've cut her in half.

Then Hermione had escaped. Severus allowed himself a quiet breath of relief, but kept his voice steely. "So this witch made off with one of your prisoners. Where are the rest?"

"I don't care about the rest! My brother is dead, and one of these two had a hand in it."

Severus didn't bother arguing that point. Carrow could blame whomever she liked, but he had to get her focus off the Weasleys while making it look like he was indifferent to their welfare. "I'd be more concerned with your own wellbeing. What do you plan to say to excuse your failure?"

"I'm sure I can handle whatever petty bureaucrat is in charge of that. No doubt it's only a matter of filling out one form instead of another at his little desk."

Percy Weasley had fallen back, staying behind Severus. He'd lost his ramrod straightness, curling in on himself, his rasping breath strangled. But at Carrow's words, he drew himself up. "I'm that petty bureaucrat." He flushed. "I mean to say, I'm in charge of prisoner placements and transfers. Successful transfer of this group was assigned to me from high in the Ministry. Very high. I'll need to report who's to blame for this."

Carrow growled at him. "And who's this lordly bureaucrat you report to?"

At the word lordly, Percy flinched.

Even Alecto, thick as she was, knew that familiar flash of fear. Everyone in the Ministry who encountered the Dark Lord experienced it. She glanced back at her fallen brother, her mouth working. It took her a minute, but she finally spoke in a subdued tone. "It was really Amycus's responsibility. He was the one who signed off on prisoners. I was only along to assist."

Severus's mind raced. This was not Percy bragging of his importance. He was genuinely afraid, which meant he'd received an order directly from the Dark Lord. When had he even become aware of Percy's existence?

Lucius stared at Percy. His face had gone white.

Severus connected the dots. Draco. He'd been exiled from the Death Eaters, but had escaped alive. If the Dark Lord was interested in this group of prisoners, that meant Draco had been among them. The Dark Lord would see Draco's lack of execution as a personal affront. But there was no need to let Carrow in on that fact. "One of your prisoners no doubt had valuable information," he told Carrow softly. "You'd best pray one of these two knows something, to make up the deficit."

Percy nodded, pulling out his notebook. His hands shook. "We should follow proper procedure from here on out. No deviations." He found the appropriate passage and read aloud. "Once captured, prisoners should be fitted with an anti-apparation collar."

Ron was helping Molly to her feet and checking her for injuries. As Percy spoke, she lifted her head. Her entire face brightened. "Percy!"

Percy looked up at her, his lips pressed together tightly.

As she looked at him in his ministry robes, her eyes drooped, her smile wilting. She pressed a hand to her heart as if in pain. "Oh, Percy."

Carrow grabbed her and lashed on a non-apparation collar so hard that she staggered back.

Percy tore his gaze away, staring at the tips of his polished shoes.

Lucius clucked his tongue. "Blood traitors. They defile the name of all purebloods."

The streets were gone now, leaving flattened grass that had been buried under the cobblestones. The scent of roasted potatoes and mutton still wafted in the air. Several scattered Dark Guardsmen were headed their way. Little chance of escape now.

When he sent this news as the Phoenix, Hermione would be crushed. Again, all he could offer was information that couldn't be acted upon. He couldn't prevent the Weasleys from being taken to a prisoner camp, and she couldn't help them escape. The only possibility was if something happened during their transport. Or if he made something happen.

"I'll accompany you to the camp," Severus told Malfoy. He jerked his head at Percy Weasley. "You can accompany Carrow back to the Ministry. Make sure she doesn't lose her way when she reports on how many prisoners she lost."

Severus had laid a tempting route for Percy. He could escape this painful family reunion with an opportunity to be in charge and demonstrate his own importance. But instead of seizing it, he cast furtive glances at Ron and Molly, shifting from one foot to another. Idiot Weasleys and their useless sentiments.

Carrow growled. "I don't need a wet-behind-the-ears babysitter."

Lucius's eyes glittered. "And when was it decided that they're going to one of the usual prisoner camps?" He eyed Ron with distaste. "They're part of the rebellion. Azkaban, I should think." He turned to Percy. "Mister Weasley? You sign off on prisoner transfers. At least, I assume that's why you're here, and not some misguided idea of reuniting with blood traitors."

Percy flushed, his throat working. "That's…you don't…" He took a breath, smoothing his robes, his hand alighting on his notebook. "I'd be careful what accusations you make. I've been loyal." He glared at Severus and Malfoy. "More loyal than most."

Ron Weasley surged towards Percy. "Loyal? You disgusting, filthy—"

"Ron." Molly Weasley grabbed his arm.

Ron followed her gaze to Carrow, who had a hungry look in her eye. He fell silent.

Severus watched the young man in the well-tailored ministry robes. Don't do this, Weasley. Don't do this to yourself. I've turned my back on others to climb to the top. But there's nothing there. Look at me. Look at Lucius. Do you see anything worth achieving?

But the young man wasn't looking at him. He stared hard into the distance, but his gaze kept dropping to his family.

"Mister Weasley," Snape said with venom, "the prisoners you were here to oversee are gone. Your services are neither requested nor required. Take yourself back to your reports, where you belong. I've neither time nor patience to deal with low-level bureaucrats." Go now, Weasley. Forget your Gryffindor stubbornness. Tuck your pride between your legs and go, and your family might still have some chance of escape.

Weasley firmed his jaw and straightened. "I suppose you think I'll be cowed," he replied. "But the transport of prisoners—and their disappearances—has been allowed to continue for far too long. My services are very much required to ensure that everyone is following proper procedures!" By the end, he was flushed and breathing hard.

Molly closed her eyes. "Percy."

Percy kept his gaze fixed on his notebook as he made notations. "I've little evidence of rebellious activity for M—for Mrs. Weasley. And with her blood status, we should be careful of placement. There's space available at the pureblood re-education camp near Glasgow."

Lucius stared hard at him. "And the junior Weasley? There are plenty of reports of him in battle, injuring Dark Guardsmen and Death Eaters."

"Too right," Ron said.

Percy flipped rapidly through his notebook, though he did not appear to be reading anything.

"He's been with the rebellion for years." Lucius watched Percy carefully. "Led several battles. More than enough reason to secure him at Azkaban."

Before Percy could reply, a silver otter darted from behind a rising woodshed.

Snape's pulse quickened. Hermione's patronus. Death Eaters hearing her message could be disastrous. If she gave away her location, they would be on her immediately.

It paused in front of Ron, and Hermione's voice emanated from it. "We found a way to—"

Severus lashed out with his wand. He'd feared such a thing might happen when the Order of the Phoenix used patronuses for messages. Some Order members sent them unthinkingly, not stopping to consider that he might be in the Dark Lord's presence. He'd developed a counter spell then. Only dark magic could attack a patronus, and he cast it now, black threads shooting from his wand with a piercing hiss, drowning out the remaining message. They wove and tangled together, ensnaring the otter. The patronus thrashed inside its net as the threads squeezed tighter and tighter until it dispersed into tendrils of silver mist. The threads separated and slithered through the grass, wriggling into the earth.

Severus took comfort in knowing that Hermione was still alive, somewhere. Whatever message she needed to convey, he would find a way to relay it to the Weasleys later.

Lucius looked impressed and intrigued. Percy and Ron were shocked into silence.

Ron, typical of his Griffyndor nature, exploded. "What did you do? That could've been—"

Severus cut in before Weasley could say something revealing. "Protection sent by your little friends? Or plans to help you escape?" He'd unfortunately had to share the Order's patronus messaging system with the Dark Lord, since the Order expected it of him once he'd supposedly turned his coat. Not that it gave the Death Eaters an advantage, since none of them could cast a patronus. "You'll not so easily get away this time, Weasley."

Ron made a move towards him, but Molly pushed him behind her.

Lucius shook his head. "My, my. Still hiding behind your mother's skirts?"

Ron launched himself forwards. Lucius, who'd let his guard down once the two were disarmed, was slow to react. And Ron was no longer the scrawny teenager from Hogwarts. His broad shoulders tensed as he swung, his fist connecting with Lucius's jaw. Lucius thumped to the ground.

Severus intervened before Carrow or a Dark Guard cast a curse that would injure Ron permanently. "Incarcerous."

Ropes wrapped around Ron's arms and legs, dropping him onto his side. Severus knew the others wouldn't be satisfied until Ron was punished for his transgression, but there were ways to avoid curses. He levitated Ron, spinning him fast to cartwheel back to Molly. Snape kept him spinning until his face turned a shade of green, then released him. Ron landed with a thud and vomited noisily.

Lucius got to his feet, his face twisted with rage. "Filthy blood traitor. I should kill you where you stand."

"He's destined for a lifetime of hard labor. Don't make it too easy on him," Severus said mildly. Internally, he was seething. Idiot Weasley was about to have his fate decided and didn't have enough sense to look meek and beaten. "And in any case, he's not standing."

Lucius watched Ron be sick on the ground and nodded in satisfaction, relaxing his wand arm. "Still, he's clearly been corrupted by mudblood propaganda. Unrepentant criminals only belong in one place."

Severus had known there was little chance of the Weasleys escaping, but his heart still sank. Two more gone from the resistance.

The only remaining possibility of lenience remained with Percy Weasley. "Well?" Severus demanded. "You were so quick to announce your importance in prisoner transfers a moment ago. Do your job and transfer them." Send them to a camp where life is at least tolerable. Insist on multiple transfers, each one a weak point where they have a chance of escape.

Percy swallowed visibly. "The, er, the proper…" he fumbled with his notebook. There were paragraphs of regulations copied out, as well as lists of names. He flipped to another page, fussing with it until the paper edges were aligned. His face was flushed.

Lucius watched with rapt attention. "If you would allow me?" He extended his hand towards the notebook.

Percy stepped away, protectively shielding his writing. "I'll find it, thank you."

A flicker of frustration lit Lucius's face.

"The transfer of Suspicious Persons and Enemies of the State is fully within my jurisdiction. As is maintaining comprehensive records. Comprehensive and confidential." He glanced between the two of them. "You might think being a minister gives you authority over everyone, but it does not."

Lucius's entire demeanor changed, his gaze softening and his head tilting sympathetically. He held up his hands, smiling gently. "No need for such antagonism, surely. We're all friends here."

Apparently, Lucius wasn't above befriending a Weasley to get his hands on information about Draco. Severus scowled. "We're hardly that. Mr. Weasley, kindly fill out your paperwork and run along." Percy Weasley might not know what's good for him, but he would be better off if he didn't end up in Lucius's crosshairs.

Lucius kept his gaze focused on Percy. "It must be difficult managing such heavy responsibilities. You must decide who is a hardened criminal, and who has a chance at rehabilitation. Look how far you've come from such beginnings." He gestured dismissively at Molly and Ron. "You could go further still." He stepped in front of Percy, blocking his view of his family. "You simply need the right advocate."

Severus resisted rolling his eyes. Lucius was laying it on thick. Unfortunately, these moments of stress and shame made someone particularly ripe for his plucking. He should know. Lucius had reached out to him in the utter misery of his sixth year, sending personal owls and invitations. He'd lapped up the attention. At the time, Lucius had been everything he longed for but lacked: wealthy, cultured, respected, and pureblooded.

"I doubt it took much to overcome the influence of his family," Severus said. "They're of particularly weak stock. His father died before the war had barely begun." Come on, Weasley. Defend your family using that encyclopedic knowledge of the bureaucracy you so love. There must be some rule somewhere that will keep Ron out of Azkaban.

Lucius sniffed, barely glancing in his direction. "Hmm. I imagine Severus would know about coming from weak stock." He lowered his head to Percy's ear. "His upbringing was rather… uncouth. You can't expect him to be as civilized as…" He gestured at Percy and himself. The purebloods.

Percy flushed and glanced at Severus. And Severus saw it. That look of superiority. In that moment, everything shifted. Lucius and Percy were now brothers in arms. And Severus was on the outside.