Finding Severus

1. The Man in the Woods

The death toll was unnerving.

Thea sat on her couch with a steaming cup of tea in her hand, stirring absent-mindedly. Her eyes were glued to the headline of The Daily Prophet:

VOLDEMORT AND HIS DEATH EATERS MURDER THOUSANDS, REIGN OF TERROR FINALLY OVER

The paper was on her doorstep when she woke up that morning. She hadn't even noticed the headline when she bent down, dressed in her robe and slippers, picked it up, and carried it inside. She had then fallen into her daily ritual: shower, dress, make tea, watch television. She wasn't like the other witches and wizards. She liked Muggle television. Some of the programs were really interesting and humorous. Besides, having resigned from her post as a teacher at Beaubaxtons Academy, she didn't really have much else to do. She couldn't look for a job while Voldemort and his followers were everywhere. She kept herself busy just putting up protection spells and shielding her home from intruders. The entirity of the Wizarding World had gone completely mad when he returned.

She took a sip of tea and then set the cup down on the table in front of her. With shaking hands, she picked up the paper, her eyes still on the headline. Was it true? Was all of this really over? If it was true, if Voldemort had really been defeated, life could begin again. For her, for everyone.

Thea opened the paper and began to read. It took her nearly ten minutes to read the paper, front to back. It was very thin, and understandably so, since the paper had been taken over by Death Eaters. She couldn't imagine that there would have been many left that didn't follow him. Still, she admired them for taking the initiative to get the information out there, even if it was a week after the battle at Hogwarts. The people of the Wizarding World were finally free. The Death Eaters that survived were being hunted down and imprisoned. There was a list of lives lost, which took up nearly half the paper, and people that were still missing. The only thing that had really interested her was on the very last page. There was a picture of a man and he was wanted for murder and for being a Death Eater. As of yet, the new Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, nor his staff of Aurors had been able to locate him. He was still on the move. Even Harry Potter, the boy who took down the Dark Lord, was searching for him. He was nowhere to be found. That's what the paper said. It was like he had vanished into thin air. She frowned. If everyone were looking for her, that's what she would have done. He is a wizard after all.

Thea put the paper down and picked up her cup of tea. She sipped on it until it was gone, then rose to her feet. She stretched as far as her body would let her, then she brushed her hair and put on her shoes. A ray of happiness shone into her heart. She wouldn't have to hide anymore. She could go and apply for a job. She could walk outside of her house without fear of being attacked by a Death Eater or bombarded with requests to join their ranks. She felt like running outside and singing a tune from an old Muggle movie she had seen just last week, about a girl lost in the land of Oz. The wicked wizard (witch on the movie) was dead and all was alright again.

She opened her front door and stepped out into her yard for the first time in months. The air was warm and a small breeze was blowing through the trees. The sun was shining brightly in the sky and the birds were singing songs of pure joy. Thea smiled. She had never seen such a glorious sight.

She took out her wand and gave it a few waves, non-verbal spells running through her mind. It would take her a few hours, but she was taking down all of the enchantments that had kept her hidden for so long from the world. And then, for the first time in forever, she was going to take a walk through the woods and she wouldn't have to worry about anything at all.

*******

He could hear them. It seemed like they were everywhere. Loud voices and footsteps echoed all around him. He was never going to get away this time. This time, they would capture him.