Blood Bonds

Chp 22: No mercy

Harry stood behind the staff table, hearing his still-petrified mate's denials in his head. Externally, the room was silent as everyone took in the scene before their disbelieving eyes. Harry Potter and Severus Snape were married? Potter had wings? Dumbledore was...evil?

They might have stood there motionless forever, had the spell holding Snape not worn off.

"Har...ry?" The quiet, broken sob from his mate spurred the furious man into action. With a cry, he engulfed his bonded in his wings and his arms, shielding them both from the world. Rocking them together, he murmured nonsense words of love and comfort.

Outside their huddled embrace, more than one face was wet with tears. Neville, his own tears running freely, moved to the front. Stepping briefly into the role that, but for the whim of a madman, could have been his, he drew the room's attention towards himself and away from the grieving couple at the table.

He spoke with his newly discovered quiet confidence, leaving no doubt that here was a man in control.

"Will all students please return to your dorms. Prefects, please escort them." Despite his outwards poise, he was privately surprised when the students followed his orders. Not a word was uttered as the room emptied. When only the adults and the circle were left, Neville turned to his leader.

"Harry." He cautiously approached the pair, keeping his voice low and non-confrontational. He knew that he had been heard when Harry stilled. "Harry, you need to take Severus to your rooms. He needs to go to his rooms now." Crooning the words gently, he slowly approached the table. Finally, Harry's tear-streaked face rose up from the sanctuary of his wings. The look on the young man's face made the others in the room gasp. So much pain...they'd never seen so much pain on one so young before.

"Oh, Harry..." Hermione's choked sob reminded the ex-Gryffindor that there were others in the room. Awestruck and unashamedly entranced, all eyes watched as he visibly composed himself.

"Auror Shacklebolt, Acting Headmaster McGonagall," Minerva started at being addressed by her new title. "My mate needs me. I will take him to safety and then return to answer your questions and plan our next move. For now, my circle will tell you what they can. I would appreciate none of you leaving until after I have spoken with you." He exchanged looks with his lieutenants, who casually spread around the room, covering one or two adults each. Harry asked that they stay, and his circle would ensure that they did. When he was sure that all would be as he instructed, Harry stood, careful to keep his still-trembling mate hidden beneath his wings and apparated from the tightly warded Great Hall.

"How the hell did the boy do that...?" One of the Aurors voiced the thought on the mind of each of the uninitiated.

With a sneer worthy of Malfoy, Ginny spoke up. "you all expect him to defeat Voldemort, and yet you keep underestimating him. I strongly suggest that you stop thinking of Harry as a child. He hasn't been one in a very long time, and he will not appreciate you treating him as one now."

"Perhaps you are right, Miss Weasley, perhaps you are right. I think that we should sit down and have a nice cup of tea and then you children can return to your rooms while we talk with Mr Lupin. We must plan what to do now, and how to control this before people lose their hope." The new acting Headmistress of Hogwarts spoke soothingly to the young redhead.

"Professor McGonagall, I suggest that you think before you start patronizing us. None of us are children any more, and we have all been victimized by Dumbledore. We will not blindly follow anyone again, our trust must be earned, and our allegiance is to Harry first, the Light second. Please, do not make the same mistakes that bastard did." Hermione's tightly clipped words struck a chord in the Headmistress. She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Neville.