Spur of the Moment

Chapter 52

Note: Memory from HBP. Not mine. Changes to Slug Club photo. Severus and Lucius were never in pictures. Just a change I made myself.

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Harry groaned, as usual, when he and Severus landed. He had a brief thought of going back in time and finding the person who invented Portkeys and seriously hurting them.

"No, you can't go back and stop the invention of Portkeys," Severus said absently and Harry glared at him.

"Well, it's no fun if you're picking around in my thoughts," Harry said.

"I don't have to do that to know what you're thinking," Severus said with a smirk. Harry shook his head and began walking forward towards the house they had landed in front of. It was a pretty rundown house. The paint was chipped and peeling off. The front door was hanging on by a single hinge and was cracked. There were no lights on in the house and Harry frowned. Were they at the right place?

"Did Dumbledore send us to the right house?" Harry said, glancing up at Severus.

"He may be completely mental and manipulative, but he knows how to make a Portkey," Severus said. "Come on. Keep your wand out."

Harry nodded and flicked his wrist, pulling his wand from his holster. They walked through the creaky wrought iron waist-high gate and proceeded up the short cobblestone drive. Arriving at the door, Severus gently pushed Harry behind him so that he would be the one to enter the house first. Harry mentally rolled his eyes, but deep down he appreciated the protection. Severus quietly lit his wand and pushed the broken door open. The house was shrouded in darkness, all curtains being pulled closed to keep out the morning light. Slowly following Severus, Harry gripped his wand and gazed around. It appeared that the place had been attacked.

"Do you think Death Eaters were here?" Harry whispered.

"It's possible. Perhaps they are after Slughorn," Severus said.

They walked slowly through the rooms, hearing glass crunch under their shoes. Harry followed Severus through a doorway and into what Harry assumed was the sitting room. Furniture was strewn everywhere in pieces and a chandelier was shattered on the floor. Only two things remained intact in the room: a red armchair and a cabinet filled with pictures and framed documents. Harry glanced down when he felt himself kick something which happened to be a piece of crystal from the chandelier. However, he also found his foot in close distance with a few thick drops of red liquid.

"Sev'rus," he whispered and Severus turned to face him. "Blood," he said simply.

Severus looked down and his eyebrows furrowed at the liquid on the floor. He knelt down and held his wand over the blood. Harry's eyes widened when Severus dipped his fingertip in one of the drops.

"It's not human blood," Severus said after a few moments of inspection.

"Then what is it?"

"Dragon's blood."

They both whirled around and raised their wands when they heard a creak come from the direction of the chair. Severus slowly moved forward and waved his wand over the chair. They stared at it for a while as nothing happened. Harry jumped when the chair cracked and began to contort and change shape. With wide eyes, he and Severus watched as the armchair changed into a man...the very man they were looking for.

Who changes themselves into an armchair? Harry thought absently.

"Merlin's beard!" Horace Slughorn exclaimed as he summoned a robe and pulled it over his red pajamas. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"