Book Two: Snape's Memories

Chapter Twenty-seven

Harry had Kreacher take him just to the outside of the man's anti-apparition alarms. It was a good five minute walk from where the man was actually holed up. Harry didn't want to turn this into a hostage situation; this was going to done as safely as possible. The man's alarms might not go off from Kreacher's apparition, but Harry's popping in would almost certainly have caused them to go off, unless the man was completely useless.

He found himself in muggle London, in a neighborhood not far from where they'd originally found Tim. Harry was reminded of old Mundungus Fletcher, who used to hide in the seamier places in the muggle world. A wizard was always safer hiding so.

Harry pulled his invisibility cloak more tightly around himself and his house elf. It was in a miserable block of flats and up six flights. Avoiding the various inhabitants of the building was difficult, the stairwell was busy with people moving about. On one floor a group of teenagers sat on the steps, blocking it completely. Harry stood, fingering his wand, wondering what to do. Any use of magic might tip off his opponent. He didn't have much in the way of distractors in his pockets at the moment.

Kreacher, clicked his fingers. After a minute, the teenagers started shifting uncomfortably, until one of the girls put her hands to her ears, "What the hell is that noise?" she asked irritably,

"I don't know...Someone's telly broke?" offered on of the boys, "It's horrible."

"Well, come on. It's doing my head in." one of the other boys said grimacing.

Whatever Kreacher had done, Harry couldn't hear a thing, and Kreacher just grinned at him. They pressed themselves against the wall as the teenagers moved past them.

They came to a door that Kreacher pointed to. Harry nodded and then gestured with his thumb, signaling for Kreacher to head back to Grimmauld Place and lead the Aurors here. Harry took up a position just outside the door, even if the man had a Foe-glass, he wouldn't be able to see Harry with his cloak on. Harry settled in to watch the situation and wait for back-up.

((()))

Tim didn't know what he was expecting when he called for the house elf. There was no pop that announced Kreacher's arrival. Tim's chest was tight with anxiety and tears were dangerously close to the surface.

Patience.

"Can I watch telly?" asked Tim, trying to sound cheerful. He felt so odd. Shaky, like he normally would when he hadn't eaten in a while and he could hear the noise from the next flat as though it were in the room with him. He felt dizzy with standing up. He thought it would be best if he sat down quiet, for a bit.

" 'Course you can." The wizard told Tim, "Whatever you want." Amiable with drinking. The man tipped more booze into his glass and sat down in the living room, "Come on, then."

Tim nodded, sat himself down on the couch and started flipping through channels, reflecting as he did, how at the Potter house, he'd often felt bored without the telly. It never lasted long though, the Potters had about a million books and Lily was always willing to teach Tim a new game. If Lily wasn't around, Kreacher was or even Auntie Ginny or Mr. Potter.

He knew better than to trust in the man's seeming good humor. Drunks were more dangerous than junkies, in some ways. Junkies were only a problem when they didn't have their smack. It took so little time for them to pass out from a hit. Drunks though; they were often mean and sometimes they wanted other things. Things that, so far, Tim's Mum and his magic had prevented them from getting. Given his past experience with the man, it wouldn't be long before the man got mean, or creepy.

That was a sickening thought. The way he was feeling now, Tim doubted that he could do much about it, magically or otherwise. Hopefully, some food would sort him out.