Harriet Potter 2

Turns and twists

When Harriet had explained the fight to him earlier that evening, Severus had patiently memorised every detail.

It seemed that while she could not remember to clear her mind before she went to bed, Harriet could easily recall every minute detail of the chaotic scuffle that had ensued at the ministry.

He glanced at his watch one last time before slipping through the door to the death chamber, unnoticed in the chaos.

It was all exactly as Harriet had described.

Order members were duelling with death eaters all around the chamber. The room was filled with the sound of fighting and flashes of light.

Severus had worn an invisibility cloak of course. He may be many things, but he was not an idiot. He could hardly turn up and be seen fighting against the side he was supposedly working for.

With casual ease he walked unseen between the fighting pairs, dodging curses and shooting an occasional jinx at his fellow death eaters as he passed.

He paused on the last stone step before the sunken pit, with the stone arch at its centre.

Not many things had the power to make Severus Snape pause in his tracks, but this arch was one of them.

A ragged veil, a shade darker than black, fluttered menacingly from the stone arch. From beyond it, Snape could hear whispers that seemed to draw him closer. For a moment he stood, entranced.

Severus was broken from his reverie by the sound of Lucius' snarl.

Right now Lucius' arms were wrapped around Harriet in a vice-like grip.

Lucius' mouth was altogether too close to Harriet's for Snape's liking.

Snape gritted his teeth but did not move. He was waiting.

Sure enough, Sirius was now sprinting past Snape where he stood invisible, yelling "get your filthy hands off my godbaby!"

Godbaby? Hmm.

Sirius slammed into Malfoy sending him sprawling.

Good. He hoped it had hurt.

Slowly Snape stepped forward, when he noticed McNair pointing his wand at Harriet's back. Snape raised his wand to cast a shield charm when Harriet turned on her heel, her long hair whipping out behind her as she cast an expelliarmous at McNair. Harriet moved quickly, picking up McNair's wand in an exaggerated motion, pretending to think for a moment before slipping it straight into her cleavage with an infuriating wink at the great oaf.

Severus allowed himself an indulgent smile as he lowered his wand. Harriet in action was a sight to behold. She was completely in her element as she ducked and wove, shooting spells in every direction. There was an intensity to her that he had never seen before. She was certain and unflinching in all of her actions. Harriet had never been more beautiful to him than in that moment.

He followed her gaze to the door where Dumbledore now stood and realised with a jolt that during his moment of distraction he had failed to take out Bellatrix before-

Sirius was laughing now, his back to the ragged veil.

"You'll need to try harder than that!" Sirius called, goading Bellatrix.

Cocky Gryffindor bastard. He was going to get himself killed for a second time!

Severus dived instinctively, throwing himself bodily at Sirius, shoving him out of the way of Bellatrix's curse.

The man was heavier than Severus had anticipated.

For a second Severus brushed against the veil.
It seemed as though time stood still when the soft fabric of the veil caressed his cheek. The time turner swung from his neck, dipping towards the veil. Snape snatched at it urgently, pulling it back by its chain. The hairs on the back of his neck stood as the time turner re-emerged from behind the veil, the golden grains of sand within it partially blackened. He could hear whispers calling to him from just behind the arch. For a moment, he could have sworn he heard Lily's voice among them. Fleetingly, a whispered promise lingered on his lips.
I'll protect Harriet, if it's the last thing I do.

Then everything was moving again.

Stunned with surprise, Sirius grabbed at his invisible assailant, tugging the invisiblity cloak.

Severus stepped back quickly, heart hammering. It had been a very near miss. He hoped that Bellatrix had not seen the momentary flash of his dragonhide boots from beneath the invisibility cloak.

In any case, if she had it would not be long before he found out.