23: Objects In Motion

There are much worse things to wake up with than an owl nestled in one's armpit. Snape, however, was in no mood to count his blessings.

"Do not mistake me for a nature lover!" he squawked angrily at the disheveled featherball, after extracting it from his nightshirt with a most uncharacteristic series of acrobatics. It narrowed its eyes in disdain and flapped up to the curtain rod of his four-poster. "And don't even think about relieving yourself on my pillow, or I'll have you roasted with chestnut stuffing!" Bloody hell, ten years ago I'd have wrung its neck as soon as it delivered the letter... that blasted Albus must be right about 'love being the most powerful magic,' after all. What a way to start the morning.

Classes were a waste of time; the students were all aflutter over recent events, but he was able to brew a cauldron of Tahiti Sunshine for the owl. Invented to advertise vacation covens in Indonesia, a few drops would keep the owl's roosting box hot and muggy for weeks at a time. The little squirt need only stop by when it needed a refill.

He was sitting in his office staring aimlessly at some essays when Draco Malfoy burst in without knocking.

"Professor Sn--"

"Draco! I know you've learned the proper etiquette for entering a room. Try again." The young man backed out with barely-concealed exasperation and knocked. "Come."

"Professor Snape, the Headmistress needs you upstairs right away!"

So it begins. "Does she now." It wasn't a question. "I hope no one's been lighting off fireworks again." Snape refused to rush, hoping that Draco would blather a bit in his excitement. True to form, he did, but not about Lucius. It seemed the Toadies had finally ensnared some prey for the Toadmistress.

"... and she had me disarm Potter, I have his wand right here, and we rounded up the rest of his friends like lambs to the slaughter! He wouldn't tell her who he was Flooing, so she sent me to get you. I think she's going to want Veritaserum. I've so been waiting to see Potter take it, do you think I could give it to him, sir?"

Snape's mind was already in overdrive. "Hmm? I think not, Draco, our Headmistress seems to have made a tactical error. I entrusted her with the last of my supply already. If she wants more, then she must have squandered what I gave her, the fool." He watched Draco carefully; damned if the brat didn't crack a sinister grin and tuck that comment away for later. You are your father's son, child.

He expected to find Hermione and Weasley, but there were even more of the Prat's companions, all held in various positions of compromise by members of his House. Utterly lacking in subtlety. I must inform their parents that they are using physical force instead of magic to hold their captives. Mr. and Mrs. Bulstrode, in particular, would receive a scathing owl from him very soon. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" he asked dryly, deliberately avoiding Hermione's eyes lest he hex the entire room in outrage.

Draco was right--she wanted more Veritaserum. "You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter. Surely you did not use it all?" He wished he could permit himself to laugh; aggravating this woman was one of life's simple pleasures. When he told her it would take a month to prepare another bottle, she seemed to actually swell up as though an explosion was imminent.

If only I could take out my wand, damn it! Finally the Prat was looking him willingly in the eye; if he'd been half as cooperative during the bloody Occlumency lessons, he might have actually learned something. Too late you recognize your friends from your enemies, little idiot. But if I make any show of Legilimency, the Toad will drag this out into a full interrogation. Damn you! Who could he have been Flooing? Albus? Hagrid? Black? The answer was right there behind Lily's green eyes and yet it might as well be buried under ten feet of concrete.

Umbridge wasn't taking no for an answer, either. "I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most hightly of you!" Snape nearly snorted in derision--if she was threatening to "out" him here and now, she'd be in for a surprise when Draco caught on that the "mystery man" in the rumors he'd been spreading was his own father. That would almost be worth seeing. Apparently Umbridge realized as much, and simply dismissed him.

"He's got Padfoot! At the place where it's hidden!"

Holy shit. Snape almost wished he'd simply whipped out his wand. Black's not registered, she can't possibly connect him to 'Padfoot.' But how do you know this, Potter? Did someone tell you just now, in the Floo, or did the Dark Lord put that into your mind? "And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little." Mother of Merlin, must I do everything in this goddamn castle? Some days it felt like the whole war persisted only because he personally kept things running smoothly for both sides.

He'd barely closed Umbridge's door when he broke into a run, dashing down the marble stairs to the castle doors. He forced himself to slow down as he approached the Hogwarts gates, just in case that hag was looking out of her window. Once outside, though, he Apparated straight to his room at the Hog's Head; thankfully, Aberforth hadn't already let it to someone else. Snape's tin of Floo Powder was still in the pocket of his robe.

"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place." It took a long time for anyone to answer his Floo, and for a stomach-churning moment, Snape wondered if Black could really be in the hands of the Dark Lord. That vindictive bastard could stir up some real trouble. He was about to step through the Floo and search the house when Black entered the basement kitchen.

"What do you want, Snape?"

Your head on a stake would be lovely. "There's something amiss. Have you left Headquarters today?"

Black frowned. "Of course not. What're you talking about?"

"Think, Black. Is anyone else there? Anyone that can confirm you haven't been Imperiused or drugged, even for a short time?"

That got his attention. Black knelt down directly before the fire, and for once, the disdain in his voice was gone. He spoke like the soldier he was reputed to be, something Snape had never believed because he'd certainly never seen it himself. "Yes, my house-elf. KREACHER!" he bellowed off to the side, and Snape heard the pop as the elf Apparated to the hearth. "Quickly, the truth: have I left this house today?"

"Master has been home all day, tending that filthy beast in his mother's bedroom."

Black turned back to the flames. "You heard. What's going on?"

"I don't know," replied Snape truthfully. "Potter somehow got the impression that you were detained by... 'You Know Who.' " He would rather eat sawdust than utter that phrase, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. "The new headmistress caught him in her fireplace. He may have been trying to track you down, or someone may have been claiming that you'd been abducted. Potter hinted that you had been taken to the Department of Mysteries. Unfortunately I could not pry him from her clutches to find out what all this is about."

"I haven't heard from Harry for weeks, he didn't Floo here. Bloody hell. Someone tried to trick him into chasing after me..."

"Potter won't escape Umbridge any time soon, she was thrilled to have him at her mercy at last. I will see what I can learn."

"Keep me posted. I'll call people in to investigate."

"Summon Albus if you can. There are other factions also at work."

Black stood up, nodding grimly. "Roger that." Snape withdrew from the fireplace. That was the most civilized conversation he'd ever had with Sirius Black.

He had to take his time returning to the castle; if anyone had spotted him leaving, it would look suspicious if he reappeared too soon. He stopped in to visit the owl just to give himself something to do. The little fellow orbited his head several times, clearly delighted with the new climate in his roost. I have apparently made a new friend. Huzzah.

Snape had no excuse to visit Umbridge and thus was not quite sure how he would check on Potter, but he found Malfoy loitering importantly on the marble stairs as he walked into the castle. Malfoy was watching the oak front doors intently, and looked quite disappointed to see him.

"Expecting someone, Draco?"

"Yes, sir," said the boy sullenly. He looked carefully around for bystanders, then leaned in confidentially. "The headmistress got some information after all. The Mudblood cracked--couldn't bear the sight of poor ickle Potter getting a taste of the Cruciatus." Snape's blood went to a full boil and back down as Draco spoke; if Hermione had "cracked" under the Cruciatus herself, the Toadmistress would not live to see another sunrise. Or moonrise, for that matter.

Snape forced a smirk. "How touching. Where are they?"

"Granger said there was some sort of weapon hidden out in the Forbidden Forest. She and Potter are taking her out there now, to show it to her. I'm not quite sure I believe it, myself, it sounded a bit too convenient, but Professor Umbridge refused to take me--or anyone else--along to watch her back."

Snape nodded empathetically; he knew of late how it felt to be left out of the loop. "So you took it upon yourself to watch for her safe return?"

"Yeah. We're supposed to be keeping an eye on the others, but I--"

"Left them in the competent hands of Thug One and Thug Two?" Draco's eyebrows rocketed as he realized his mistake. "Go back, and stay up there. I will await the professor's return." The young man dashed up the stairs without a word.

Lovely. Who knows how long they'll keep her on this wild goose chase? Snape leaned against the marble balustrade, pondering. He'd wondered last night if Hagrid hadn't simply hidden in the woods--and the great oaf didn't seem to be at Headquarters. Maybe Potter was going to drop Umbridge straight into the giant's lap, fittingly enough. The Toad may or may not come out of such a meeting alive, but Hagrid would not allow Potter to leave the grounds to hunt for Black. The Little Prat was probably safe. There was nothing to be done but wait until someone returned.

An hour later, Snape reckoned he'd check the Toadmistress's office, not because she was likely to know a secret way into the castle, but because standing around anxiously in the Entrance Hall was giving him a migraine. In the corridor, he saw that her door was ajar, and began sputtering four-letter words before throwing it open. Granted, it was essentially a good thing the Prat's brats escaped, but the overconfident blundering of his House students filled him with indignation. He shooed them out without reversing the hexes that had overcome them, forcing them to retreat to the dungeons bearing the marks of their failure.

At least he had the use of the only unmonitored Floo in the castle. Snape took a generous helping of powder from Umbridge's own box on the mantel and went through to Headquarters. Black had managed to summon Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Shacklebolt, but not Albus.

"Things appear to be worse," Snape said without preamble as he stepped out of the fireplace into the kitchen. "Potter managed to lure Umbridge out into the Forest with the promise of some sort of hidden weapon, and they have not returned. The remainder of his friends escaped their captors and have apparently joined him."

"The forest?" "But it's nighttime!" All of them began speaking to him at once. He held up his hands for silence.

"I plan to return and search for them immediately. But I believe we must assume the worst: that Potter has managed to lose Umbridge in the Forest and is even now attempting to find Black in the Department of Mysteries."

"How in hell would they get to London?" asked Black angrily.

"You may have noticed that Potter is rather resourceful when it comes to getting his way," growled Snape in reply. "If he believes you are in the Ministry, he will undoubtedly devise some way to get there."

Black glared at him and spoke very quietly. "If he believes I'm in the Ministry, it's because YOU left him vulnerable to Voldemort's coercions." Black stomped toward him, but the werewolf took hold of his shoulders. Bring it on, you worthless bastard.

"Sirius! Easy! For all we know, someone used the Floo to tell Harry about this abduction business." Listen to the alpha mutt, Black. There's a reason he's in charge. Black reared back as though acquiescing, but Snape braced for a sucker punch just in case. Lupin eyed both of them, then continued. "I agree, if Harry thinks you're in trouble, he'll find a way to get down here."

"Then we need to move out," said Moody firmly. "Lad's being lured to Level Nine, the trap'll be there. Aurors an' I can Floo everyone straight to the Atrium; I still have clearance."

Moody glanced at Shacklebolt, who stepped up to the hearth immediately and disappeared, only to poke his head back in a moment later. "All clear. Come on," said Shacklebolt. Tonks took Lupin's hand immediately and followed.

"Wait," said Snape. "What about Albus?"

"He's on his way here," said Sirius curtly, reaching for Moody's elbow.

"Then you must stay here and brief him!"

Black gave him a cold glare. "I'm not sitting here when Harry could be walking into an ambush."

"Don't be a fool," hissed Snape. "The Dark Lord himself may have set this trap. I believe he is using some of his top people; at least one has been called away. You'll need Albus to get out of there alive."

Moody was an intimidating man, but he didn't have Lupin's touch when it came to making Black see reason. Black shrugged off Moody's grip and shoved Snape against the wall, twisting his robes with his fists. "Or maybe you need us to wait a moment, to make sure Harry doesn't get out alive. Is that it, you traitorous bastard?"

"Black!" roared Moody. "Save it for the Ministry!"

Black slowly released his grip as Snape stared at him in utter contempt. "I'll save it all right, Snape. If Harry so much as stubs his toe..."

Snape shook his shoulders to straighten his robe. "Oh, do save it, and the blathering about it as well. And get out of the way so I may go search the Forest, just in case the brat hasn't managed to flout every safeguard we've put in place for him and leave the grounds." Black was seething, so Snape turned to Moody. "Persuade this cretin that Albus really ought to be advised where you are, not to mention that promenading his worthless hide in the Ministry won't serve anyone, will you?"

Moody's human eye rolled almost as far back as the "mad" one. "You just tend to the Forest, Snape, and we'll see to Albus."

My pleasure. Snape gave Moody a curt nod, stepped into the Floo and returned to Umbridge's office without giving Black another glance.