𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹 || 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟏.

"Here's Harry," a tired Minerva McGonagall said, handing the screaming boy over to Professor Sprout. "And here are his things. Although I doubt they'll help you much. They didn't do anything for me." She dropped the Essentials Kit at Sprout's feet.

Professor Sprout smiled at the other teacher. "Thank you Minerva." Then to Harry she said, "And we will have you calmed down in just two minutes, won't we dear?"

Harry made no indication in the affirmative, in fact he went right on crying. His panda shirt was soaked with tears, and his eyes were frantic as he searched around. He knew Napey had to be somewhere nearby. Nape never left him all alone for a long time.

"I wouldn't count on it," McGonagall said, then with a tight smile added, "Good luck. I don't envy you the next two hours."

She turned and headed in the opposite direction taking long, slow deep breaths, glad her shift for the day was over.

------------------------ ~♥~ ------------------------

Snape quickly made his way across the Hogwart's grounds, and once far enough away from the castle he apparated. He appeared in a back alleyway to remain inconspicuous, but quickly got out onto the street. He was not in a good part of town, but this was to be expected. He was not alone on the street. A woman, clutching her shawl around her, hurried down the opposite side of the road, head bent down. Further up the street there was a group of teenage boys sitting on the edge of the pavement. Snape looked around to locate the house. Naturally, it was protected with spells to make it harder to detect but Snape was a master at breaking past this type of spell, especially because he knew the precise methods Death Eaters used to hide their meeting places. Once he'd gotten past a couple enchantments he strode purposefully towards the house. It was two stories tall, made of dark red and brown brick. Everything about it looked very square and no-nonsense. Snape fingered his wand from within his cloak and entered the house.

The door hinges creaked in process as he made his way inside, but was quiet enough as Snape shut it. He looked around him, pulling his wand out and extending it in front of him. He wondered whether there would actually be Death Eaters here now. It was just morning after all. What if they only met at night? Were people staying here or just using it as a type of headquarters? The low murmur of voices floating through the corridor answered Snape's questions. He quickened his pace a bit, but not to the point where he would seem rushed. He had to appear comfortable in this situation, he knew. Acting nervous would defeat the whole purpose of the mission. He was there to act like a Death Eater, to belong to this group and learn what they were planning. He replaced his wand in his cloak but kept his hand on it, ready to draw it in a second.

He came to a room with no windows, and a long narrow table with eleven people seated around it. There was no door, just an archway and Snape paused in it, waiting for the others to notice him. He leaned slightly against the archway, appearing relaxed and like he had been there all along, but despite his appearance his muscles were tensed and he was ready to leap in any direction he had to, if it were to become necessary. It didn't take long for his to be noticed.

"Severus Snape?" said the man sitting at the head of the table. This was a man Snape knew, they had been at Hogwarts at the same time.

"Good day, Amycus," Snape said with a small nod.

He knew almost everyone present, and was surprised so many of them were still free. The Carrows, Redwin Crabbe, Furgis Goyle, and two women who had both been at Hogwarts when Snape had been there, Mathilde Farrell and her sister Risa. Snape also noted with distaste that there were three werewolves at the table. The remaining two individuals were people Snape had never before seen. They had probably been on the outer circle during Voldemort's conquests.

"Who's this now?" said one of them, a short, stocky man with a crew cut and extremely thick eyebrows.

Snape strode into the room. "Severus Snape," he said, acknowledging the man with a small nod.

"And how did you find us?" he asked.

"Calm down, Irigo," said Mathilde. "Severus is a friend." The way she sound friend was haunting. Her tone became quiet and slow, almost reverent. "He was one of the Dark Lord's most trusted."

"Then you'll be interested in what we're discussing," Irigo said. "Please. Take a seat,"

Severus slid the chair back from the table and sat.

------------------------ ~♥~ ------------------------

No one in the Great Hall was very happy that night. Harry made sure of that. It didn't matter one bit who held him or what they tried to feed him, he wriggled and squirmed and cried incessantly. Flitwick pressed a hand over one tiny ear.

"Does he not stop?" he asked in disbelief.

"No," McGonagall responded. "And you should feel lucky. He slept the entire time you were supposed to watch him."

Finally Dumbledore turned to Professor Sinistra who was pleading with the boy to calm down and said, "Just set him down. It is making him agitated to be held by people he doesn't know."

Harry was set down immediately and Harry crawled from where he was set down to sit under the table. Now that he was free he no longer wailed, but tears of fright and confusion still rolled down his face. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and began to suck on them. He hoped that this would help Nape come back faster. Nape always knew when he sucked on his fingers. He would come in and say, "Now Harry. That is hardly a proper way to treat your fingers. Remove them from your mouth." Of course Harry didn't know what any of that meant. He just wanted Nape to catch him and make him stop. He just wanted him to come back. He rested his head on the cool stone floor under the table and hoped that Snape would be there soon.