We convened in the kitchen for a hasty council of war at 7:30 AM. Knowing now that Alaina's skulking ex was involved put quite a different outlook on things. For one thing, we'd be dealing with Muggle kidnappers for the most part, though at least one of them had to be a wizard, and a damn good one, for him to stymie Albus like that.

"One wizard or two we can deal with, it'll be cake compared to the six or seven we'd predicted before," Sirius said firmly.

"I can deal with any ordinary grunts. They're probably not armed, and even if they are, I'm probably a better shot than they are," Dad predicted, his eyes hard.

"Fine, you can take out Dan and any of the rest of them out while I get the children to safety. That's my first priority," I informed them. "But if there are any of them left when I come back, I'll teach them the meaning of pain," I stated grimly.

"Thought you couldn't harm anybody with magic, Sev," Alaina said.

"I can't. But I've still got my fists and a staff," I answered. " I haven't forgotten everything I knew from my combat training as an Auror trainee."

"If Dan's alive when it's all over, and I'm not saying you should leave him alive on purpose, but if he is, I want a crack at him," Alaina said fiercely. "Lexy must be terrified out of her wits. I still can't believe he had the gall to trace me here and kidnap my daughter. Wait, yes I do, considering this is Daniel Chase, courtroom legend and rich as Midas. He thinks he owns the world and everything in it."

"We'll show him different, Alaina," Remus promised. "He can't buy his way out of this predicament."

"No way in hell," Dad growled, his face like stone. "He's going down, one way or another. Nobody messes with my family. He can pay off the devil when he gets to hell."

Just then, a strange owl, gray barred with black swooped down and tapped on the kitchen window. I unlatched it and the gray flew in, dropped two letters on the table and hooted imperiously. When I went to get the letters, the bird tried to nip me.

"Hey!" I snapped, glaring daggers at it.

It whoo-ed insolently at me.

Apollo, my frost-speckled snowy owl, awoke then and hooted back at the stranger in obvious annoyance. My owl was a rare color variation, with light gray specks over his wings and chest. He'd been napping on his perch near the stove when the post owl arrived and he was cranky at getting woken up.

The gray locked gazes with Apollo for a few minutes, and I stared. I had never seen a face-off between two owls before, but clearly the visitor had overstepped some kind of owl conduct code and Apollo was telling him off good, from the way he was hooting and chirping.

The visitor gave a sort of apologetic chirp when I gave him a piece of ham, then flew off.

Apollo hooted derisively before settling down with his head tucked under his wing to finish his nap.

"What in Merlin's name was that all about?" asked Sirius.

"Apollo was putting that snotty newcomer in his place, I'd say," I answered. Then I picked up the letters, one was addressed to me and the other to Hermione's parents, but on top of the address was written C/O Severus Snape. I recognized both kids handwriting, and tore open Harry's first.

It contained a single sheet of paper and I scanned it quickly.

"It's from Harry," I said for the benefit of the others. "He writes that he's okay but he wants me to tell Alaina that if she doesn't give Dan custody of Lexy, he'll send Harry and Hermione to some slave trader that likes little children." I summarized, my blood boiling.

"He's got connections on the black market?" Tobias queried.

"He's got connections everywhere," Alaina said bitterly. "His money makes him friends wherever he goes."

"With friends like that, who needs enemies?" sneered Padfoot.

"Sev, have you heard from Albus yet?" Remus asked. "He was supposed to work some more with us on cracking that damn web."

"No. I'll call him. Hopefully you can break through soon, I want those children out of there as soon as possible, there's no telling what's being done to them."

While I firecalled my mentor, Alaina made coffee, toast, and eggs for everyone. "Since I can't go with you, I'd only be in the way, the least I can do is make you a decent breakfast."

"You're a real sweetheart," Sirius grinned. "Sev, keep this one."

"Thanks for the tip, Love Doctor," I shot back, smirking. "Not that I needed it."

Albus arrived soon after we'd finished our breakfast and Sirius and he retreated into the workroom first to try dismantling the wards the other wizard had put up.

Remus remained with us in the den while Alaina called the Grangers and told them of the letter we'd gotten from their daughter, reassuring them that we were doing all within our power to get the kids back.

"Why aren't you with Padfoot and Albus, Moony?" I queried.

"Albus wanted to try something first, and Sirius is actually better at unraveling concealment charms than I am, hard though that is to believe," my werewolf friend replied, leaning idly against the edge of the fireplace.

But whatever Albus and Sirius had tried didn't work, because then Sirius called Remus into the room and there they remained for a good three hours, only emerging to drink and eat some sandwiches I'd bought for lunch.

"How's it going?" asked Alaina. "Any progress yet?"

"No," huffed Sirius. "This one's the best I've ever seen, his webs are layers upon layers, interwoven and tight as a . . .nevermind," he broke off the rest of what he was about to say, recalling that Alaina was present.

"You saying you can't break it?" my father demanded.

"No, just that it may take us nearly a whole day, Tobias," said Albus. "All of my probes bounce off, this is no novice we're dealing with here."

"Isn't there anything else you could do to find the kids without breaking the spell over them?" Alaina asked impatiently.

Remus opened his mouth to reply, when Inky rose from his spot in the sun and padded over to us. He sat directly in front of me and Remus and yowled questioningly.

"What is it, Inky? I fed you this morning."

Remus hushed me, then transformed into his alpha wolf form. He and the panther communicated for a few minutes, using growls and posture instead of words. Another five minutes passed and then Remus turned back, shock written all over his face.

"Sev, you're never gonna believe this. But Inky says he can find Harry. He says the bond between his young master and himself is very strong, and he can feel Harry even now."

"But can he track through the concealment wards?" I demanded.

Remus nodded, giving the panther an awed grin. "So he says. Nothing will break the bond except death."

"Then I think we've found our catspaw, so to speak," I declared and knelt to rub my purring panther under the chin. "Inky, let's go and rescue Harry, Lexy, and Hermione, all right?"

The panther roared his approval of that idea.

Right in my ear.

I winced and said, "Making me deaf isn't going to help us any, Inky."

He rubbed his huge head against my thigh in apology, and I sighed.

* * * * * *

It was decided that Albus would remain here along with Alaina and the Grangers, who came over in Jane's car, the old wizard was positively gleeful about tricking the strange sorcerer. "I will provide a diversion, make him think I'm trying to break his wards, while you go ahead and track him to his lair with Inky and give him his just commupence, Severus. I haven't tried to trick a clever fox like this since Tommy Riddle." Theh he told Alaina to call Dan back and tell him she would cooperate with him, it would put his guard down. Clever Albus! I was glad he was on our side.

I placed a concealment charm on Inky so people wouldn't panic at the sight of full grown panther running loose through London. It was decided that Dad and I would fly on my broom, and so would Sirius, his dog form couldn't keep pace with the likes of Inky and Moony for a long distance run. Moony would follow Inky in his wolf shape, his were nature gave him superior endurance and speed, enough to keep pace with the magical panther.

"Are we all ready?" I asked my little band of rescuers.

I received nods all around and a rumbling growl from my panther.

"Then let's go find the bastards and teach them a lesson about stealing children from us."

Before we departed, however, Alaina came up and kissed me very enthusiastically. "For luck, Sev. Bring them home safe. And you too, my love."

I kissed her back. "I'll bring them home, blackbird. My honor and oath as a wizard on it. Wait for me."

"Forever," she whispered, then stepped back. "Give Dan a swift kick from me, Sev. I love you."

"I love you too," I replied.

"So, when's the wedding?" asked Sirius, grinning outrageously.

"As soon as my daughter's back where she belongs and he proposes," answered Alaina quickly. "Watch his back, Sirius. Because if anything happens to him, I'll take it out of your hide."

"Okay, okay," laughing, Sirius held up his hands. "Down, woman. Sheathe those claws, wildcat. I'll make sure he comes back in one piece, even if it means I end up a blind and deaf mute."

"Sev will heal you if that happens," my girlfriend laughed. "Good luck, all of you."

Then I mounted my broom, with Dad behind me, performing a quick Sticking Charm so he wouldn't slip off, and assuring him that my broom--it was a new Nimbus Stormstreak--and super fast, had safety spells in it. Sirius was already airborne, waiting for us.

I kicked off and soared up to where my friend hovered. "Dad? You all right back there? You don't suffer from airsickness, do you?"

"No. Don't worry about me, Severus, just concentrate on your flying."

"Yes, Dad," I said meekly, pretending obedience.

Below us, Inky was pacing, his tail lashing impatiently. Moony was sitting, ears pricked and alert, he too had a concealment working on him, for wolves were extinct in the British Isles.

"Find Harry, Inky!"

The panther took off, racing in great bounding leaps, Moony running behind him, the tip of the werewolf's nose just touching the panther's tail.

Above, Sirius and I flew like streaks of lightning, unseen. The hunt was on.

Inky led us through half the city, across busy intersections and through alleys and behind storefronts and in and out of people's backyards, his sense of Harry never ebbing. He leaped over fences and parked cars with ease and once he even went along the top of a roof for a bit. Remus was pushed to keep up with him, for though he was the cat's match in endurance and strength, he wasn't half as agile, and Inky sometimes forgot Moony was following him, so intent was he on finding Harry.

I should have expected something like this to have occurred between them, for Harry had brought Inky alive out of pure love, and such a thing always leaves an imprint on both giver and receiver. If either were to die, the other would know of it, I was certain of that. I wished I'd thought about asking the panther before if he could find Harry, it would have saved us a lot of time and aggravation. I kept forgetting that Inky was no ordinary panther, and he owed his life to my son. His loyalty to Harry was absolute.

We were entering a rather seedy section of the city now, where the dregs of society roamed and the buildings were condemned and ramshackle affairs, half-falling apart. This was gang territory, and I could see some of the youngbloods parading about, wearing their leather and studs and ragged clothes as a status symbol.

Inky ignored them, running right past them and down a long winding street that used to have a textile mill on it back in the early part of the century. The mill had long since been torn down and some businesses had rose in its place. But at the end of a row of partially rundown shops was a large row house.

It appeared deserted, but Inky's soft snarl warned me otherwise. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This was it, I could feel it in my bones. Dad too, he shifted on the broom and hissed, "We've found them. Sayonara, Dan!"

I flew closer to the house, trying to see if there were any windows where I could peer in, when suddenly my broom gave an odd sort of lurch.

The next thing I knew, we were falling, the Flying Charm upon my broom had failed.

"Severus!" yelped Dad, holding on to me for dear life. "What the bloody blazes is happening?"

"The place is warded against flying charms," I answered sharply, quickly casting a hover charm before we crashed.

Sirius drew level with us, muttering a stabilizing charm. "Nice welcome party they've got here. I feel right at home."

We landed then, not wanting to risk our necks any more than necessary.

I called Inky to halt, for I feared there were more traps ahead, and I didn't want anything to happen to Inky. Remus stopped too, his nose wrinkling in a low snarl. Yes, they were in there all right.

The outlines of the house began to waver and ripple as another Don't See Me Charm took effect and I had the strongest urge to look away and go elsewhere.

Dad blinked, rubbed his eyes, and muttered, "Where the hell did the house go, Sev? It was here a moment ago. And why do I want to leave and go back down the street all of a sudden?"

"Misdirection and Don't-See-Me-Charm, Dad," I answered. "The wizard casting these pulled out all the stops." I quickly countered the effects of both charms, and the house reappeared.

"He's got Anti-Apparition and protection wards up too," Sirius reported.

"Can you break them, Padfoot?"

Sirius nodded. Then he made a complex motion with his wand and muttered a spell I didn't catch, and there were two loud pops, like a car backfiring, and the wards were dust. "Any other requests, Sev?"

"Let's move," I whispered, but I let Sirius lead the way to the door, followed by Moony and Inky, with Tobias bringing up the rear. I whispered a hasty Four Points spell just before the threshold, and received a definite tug drawing me onward.

"Stop!" Padfoot ordered, wand pointed at the door to the ramshackle old house, it was gray and weathered and the stonework on the lower half looked mossy and there were gaps in the mortar.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a FireTrap spell here, over the door. Anyone trying to enter who hasn't been keyed to the spell will get burnt to a crisp." Sirius reported grimly.

He countered it and a glittering curtain of flames outlined the door before vanishing. "I'm really starting to dislike this guy."

"Won't he feel you canceling his spells?" asked Dad.

"Nope, because they're passive wards, means they don't react unless someone triggers ‘em. He won't know anything's wrong until we walk through the door. Let's see if he left any other surprises for us here."

A few more passes of his wand and Revealing Charm turned up nothing, so Sirius decided it was safe to enter by the front door and cast an unlocking charm.

We opened the door cautiously, and found ourselves looking down a hallway with multiple doors on either side that seemed to stretch on into infinity. "An Illusion Charm," I remarked. "Not bad."

"How do you know that, Severus?" asked Tobias.

"The outlines are a bit hazy, Dad. See, where the doors are up at the top? The wall wavers and is fuzzy. Illusion."

Dad squinted to see what I meant. "Oh. Clever, ain't he?"

"He thinks so. But he's never played hide-and-seek with the Marauders." Sirius smirked. "Moony, can you dispel the little rat's working? You're the ace at illusions."

Moony blurred back into human shape, and canceled the illusory hallway. "I could've walked through it and so could Inky," he told us. "Illusions don't work on animals."

Now we could see the actual layout of the place, we were in a wide foyer, with half the paint peeling from the walls and two large double doors off the foyer and a smaller alcove that led into what had once been a parlor, but the furniture had been removed and it appeared as if mice had been chewing on the frayed lace curtains, which were yellowed and stained.

Inky growled softly and scratched at the set of double doors, Moony gripped his collar and muttered something soothingly and he calmed. Then he pointed his wand and the double doors leading into the interior of the house unlocked and opened.

The interior was dimly lit by sets of bare lightbulbs in the ceiling, to the right was a collapsed staircase and to the left was another long hallway. I could feel the Four Points spell tugging at me and then Inky sprinted down the hallway.

We heard a door open as we followed, then a sharp scream at the sight of the panther, who knocked the startled man right down and kept going.

"Ahh! It's a Goddamn panther!" screamed the rather big fellow, scrambling to his feet. "Where the hell did it come from?"

"Jack, you been smoking weed again?" came another voice and a red-haired man emerged from a room further down the hall. He spotted us and swore. "Dan! Sanguinius! We've got company!"

Then he made a quick motion with his wrists and suddenly he was armed with two shiny throwing knives. "You want a piece of me? Try this!"

He tossed the knives right at Padfoot and Moony.

Remus moved quicker than lightning, and the knife missed him, burying itself in the wall.

Padfoot shimmered into a dog and the knife flew harmless over his head.

It bounced off my hastily erected shield and I kicked it out of the way.

The big man that Inky had knocked over gaped. "See, Brent, I toldja there was something freaky going on here, and I ain't done weed since Sunday."

Brent cursed and backed away.

Then a soft ice-cold voice cried, "Ah, we have guests. So rude of you to drop in uninvited. But perhaps I could give you a proper Cabal welcome, no?"

A wizard wearing an odd sleeveless red robe appeared out of the air, and chanted a summoning spell like none I'd ever heard of, and suddenly the air was filled with small black fingerling-sized imps. They flew at us, hissing and chattering in rage.

Sirius blurred into human shape and cast a gust of wind spell at the imps, which tore their bat wings to shreds and caused them to fall on the floor. "Imps? That the best you can call up, necromancer?" he taunted, ducking the claws of one of the vicious creatures. "And here I thought you Cabal wizards were tough, like our Death Eaters!"

I cast another shield spell, blocking the imps from coming close enough to harm me or Dad, who was firing at them and hitting five out of ten, but I knew he'd soon run out of ammunition, and so I cast a quick version of my spider trap spell, which made a thick purple web come from my wand and entrap anything it touched in its sticky glutenous strands.

It floated over the swarm of imps and held them fast.

"Nice one, Sev! Incendio!" cried Sirius, burning the creatures to ash.

Moony was lunging at Sanguinius, trying to penetrate his Shield Charm, howling like a wolf gone mad.

The other two kidnappers had run into a room and now came back, armed with a revolver and what looked like a crossbow.

Further down the corridor I heard a door slam and then a sandy-haired man came running down the hall, cradling a shotgun and yelling at someone named Magnus over his shoulder, "Get your ass up here and help us, you lazy bastard! We're under attack, and if I die, there goes your paycheck!"

"Fine with me, Danny boy, since I was never in it for the money," drawled a medium-sized man wearing black jeans and a red shirt with the words This Is Your Last Warning on it. "I'm here to arrest your ass and your wizard buddy's over there." He pulled out a gold shield and flashed it at Dan, who went white.

"You're a cop? An F-ing cop?"

"Yes, though I prefer the term Guardian, since I'm also a wizard. I'm a liaison to NYPD's Special Investigations. And you, Daniel Chase are under arrest for assault and kidnapping and about a dozen other charges." Magnus recited. He drew his wand and barked, "Hands on your head, Chase!"

"Go to hell, you sonuvabitch!" howled Dan and he pointed his gun at the other man and fired.

But the bullet slowed and Magnus ducked.

Then Dad moved and snapped a punch at the other's jaw that knocked Dan off his feet, slamming him against the wall with a thud. "Naughty, naughty, Dan. Didn't your mother ever teach you not to point a gun unless you knew how to use it?" He hit the cowering man a few more times for good measure, until the bastard cringed and whimpered, before knocking him out.

Magnus walked forward, coming out of the partial shadows into the light of the bulb behind the other three kidnappers, and I saw him clearly for the first time, as did Sirius, who was just blocking a curse from the Cabal wizard.

My jaw dropped, for I knew him, though I hadn't seen him in seven years.

"Regulus?" Sirius yelled. "Holy Merlin, is that really you?"

"Hi, Siri. Long time no see, eh, big brother?" greeted the youngest member of the Black family. "And as usual you've brought Moony and Sev along with you." He nodded at us and grinned his familiar devilish grin, the Black trademark.

"Guardian!" hissed Sanguinius, his blue eyes glittering with undisguised antipathy. "How did you manage to hide your aura from me?"

"Simple. I have a fae girlfriend who's expert in masking a wizard's aura. Surprise, Sanguinius!" Regulus shouted, then pointed his wand at the other wizard and snarled a spell that caused fiery darts to shoot out of his wand at the other wizard.

Sangunius deflected them with a sharp sweep of one arm.

It was then that I heard Inky snarling and the sound of wood splintering and decided now was as good a time as any to leave the Aurors to their fight and do what I'd came for and rescue the children.

I Apparated down the hallway past the Aurors and their wizard and Muggle foes to where a black panther was clawing frantically at a heavy locked door.

My unlocking charm blew the door off its hinges and then Inky bounded into the room and pounced on my son, who was wearing a huge grin on his face, which was bruised beyond belief, I noted with a sudden rush of fury.

"Dad! Inky! I knew you'd come for us!" Harry shouted. He tried to wriggle out from underneath the ecstatic panther, who was purring delightedly and licking my son's face from forehead to chin.

"Healer Sev!" Hermione cried. Her eyes were glowing with the light of deliverance, and she jumped off the sagging mattress and raced over to throw her arms about me. "I'm so glad you came! Can I go home now?"

"Of course you can, Mione," I said, using the diminutive of her name as a way of comforting her, she was clinging to me like a monkey. "I'm here to take all of you home. Where's Lexy?" For Harry and Hermione were the only occupants of the room.

"She's in the closet, I think," Hermione said unhappily. "Her dad put her there cause she said she hated him after he made Magnus spank Harry with a slipper."

"He did what?"

"It wasn't for real, Mione!" Harry cried, managing to get Inky off him by that time. "I told you, it was fake, he only acted like he was beating me, so's they wouldn't suspect. Magnus is a good guy, Dad, he's working undercover to arrest Dan. He only hit me twice with the slipper and it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Are you sure, son? Where did you get that bruise?"

"Dan did that, the first time I tried to stop him from locking Lexy into the dark closet, she's got a phobia of the dark."

My eyes flashed. Dan had hit my child, and then had ordered him beaten as well. And not only that, but he'd tortured poor Lexy as well, for he knew as well as I did that the child was deathly afraid of the dark. He was a dead man. I was going to break every finger and bone in his hands and maybe his legs too.

"Come here, Harry. I'm going to Apparate you and Mione home, and then come back and find Lexy. As soon as you get home, ask Alaina to get the bruise balm out of the medicine cabinet, it's on the second shelf, labeled, in the green ceramic jar. Let her put some on your face, Harry, and then you can take a bath and eat and wait for me to return with Lexy. Tell Alaina not to worry, I'll bring her child home safe." I tilted his chin up, looking at his wonderful emerald eyes, which were filled with love and relief and tears. I hugged him hard to me. "I love you, my Harry. More than anything. Now, can you remember what I've told you?"

"Yeah, Dad. I've got a good memory." He reassured me, hugging me back.

I choked back a sob, my relief was so great at having my precious child alive and well in my arms again. I picked up both children and Apparated to my home, handing them over to a tearful Jane and Wally and Alaina.

"Where's Lexy?" Alaina cried, hugging Harry.

"I'm going back to get her now, love. Harry will explain everything to you." I said, then Apparated back to the row house in a blue flash.

Inky was waiting for me, panting and looking mighty pleased with himself. "Good job, my friend." I said, stroking him. "Now, can you find Lexy for me also?"

The panther gave a soft half-growl which I took as an affirmative, and led me from the room and after pausing briefly to sniff the air, padded down the hallway, in the opposite direction of the battle still raging in the corridor. From the sound of things, Sanguinius and his minions were putting up a terrific fight, though I had faith that my friends and Dad would soon put an end to his campaign of terror. The Cabal were a group of dark wizards, very dangerous, and organized under the Council of Threttan, and everyone knew of them, they were one of the worst dark orders ever to come into being, they were a crime syndicate of the most depraved men, based mostly in New York and Chicago.

They had come into being shortly after the end of World War II and were known for their blood rituals and sacrifices of innocent children and virgins, and their ability to summon up demons, as well as vampires and other walking dead. Still, Sirius and Remus were experienced Aurors, and Dad was a marine sergeant, so they should be able to handle one lone Cabal sorcerer, even if he could summon up a few undead or demons.

I followed Inky down the corridor, until the panther paused beside a small door with a brass nameplate that read Maintenance. I sucked in a breath, struggling to contain my fury at the man who could so callously lock his child in a broom cupboard and leave her there for who knew how many hours.

I chanted an unlocking charm, and the door came undone with a soft click. I opened it to reveal a dirty smudged child curled up on a mound of rags inbetween several mops, brooms, and a bucket. There was just enough room for her to turn about and not much else. She was sleeping, her face streaked with tears and I saw a nasty bruise on her cheek as well.

"Bastard!" I swore, then knelt and gathered my poor daughter, for so she would be as soon as I proposed to her mother, into my arms and called softly, "Lexy? Kitten, it's Healer Sev. I've come to take you home."

She woke instantly, her eyes huge and frightened. For one instant she stared at me without seeing me, then she gasped and cried, "Healer Sev! It really is you. It's not a dream, is it?"

"No, sweetheart. I'm here, you're safe and no one will ever hurt you again, not even your miserable bastard of a father."

She buried her face in my shoulder, shaking with dry sobs. "I missed you so much! I prayed and prayed you'd find us, Harry promised you would, but I was so scared. My daddy's the meanest man in the world, Healer Sev, and he said I had to stay in the closet till I learned not to be afraid of the dark, but that only made me even scareder, and then he hurt Harry ‘cause he tried to protect me." She lifted her face from my shoulder to look me in the eyes. "He told one of his men to beat Harry with a slipper, like he used to do to me, and Harry swears that didn't happen, but he was crying and rubbing his bottom when they brought him back to us, so I knew he must've been lying. And it's all my dad's stupid fault! I HATE him! He doesn't love anybody ‘cept himself and he hurts little kids for nothing and I-I wish he was dead and you were my daddy, Healer Sev. ‘Cause you would never hurt me like that. Or my mom either."

"Never, little one. I love you and your mom very much, and I will do anything I have to in order to protect you." I soothed, rocking her back and forth. "I'm going to marry your mom soon, Lexy, and then you'll be my daughter, like Harry is my son. Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes! That would be the best thing in the world!"

"You don't mean that, Alexis Marie!" cried a familiar voice from behind me.

I turned about and saw Dan standing there, his gun leveled at me and the child I held to my chest. Plainly he had heard everything. I felt my heart contract as I stared down the pitiless steel barrel of the shotgun.

Beside me, Inky lowered his head and snarled.

"You don't mean that, Alexis!" Dan shouted again, his blue eyes wild as he glared at me and his daughter. "I'm your father, not him! He's nothing but a trickster, a fake magician like the rest of them. He lies! He won't ever love you, you're not his kid. I should have known, that's why your mother ran off, to find another man, the faithless bitch! But he won't have you, Alexis. You're mine and you won't call anybody Daddy but me, little girl!"

"NO!" Lexy yelled, glaring into the face of her tormentor. "You're not my daddy anymore! I HATE you! You hurt me, you hurt Mom, you hurt everybody. You don't love me at all, you just want me ‘cause Mom does. Well, I don't want you! You're the meanest man in the world and I wish you'd go to hell!"

Dan looked as if she'd punched him in the jaw. "You little traitor!" he spat, his blue eyes blazing. "You're just like her-a faithless whore like your mother! Fine then! You want him so much, you can have him. As a memory, because I'm going to blow his fucking head off! And maybe yours too while I'm at it!" He cocked the hammer back to full.

Three things happened simultaneously then.

Lexy began to scream.

Inky sprang at Dan with a roar of rage.

And Dan fired the gun.

The bullet struck Inky in the shoulder, but the panther didn't halt his leap.

He landed right on top of the startled attorney and sank his teeth into the man's neck, shaking him hard, the way a cat does a rat. All four sets of claws raked down Dan's body and Inky yowled the fierce and terrifying screech of a panther defending his territory and his family. His claws tore into the limp figure and he snarled wrathfully.

I hugged Lexy to me and turned her face into my shirt, for she shouldn't have to see such a thing, no matter how much the man might deserve it.

The panther worried the corpse for a few moments more, growling and snarling. Then the big cat succumbed to the pain and shock of the bullet wound and collapsed atop Dan's body.

"Severus! You all right?" I heard my father yelling, then I saw him come racing down the corridor, revolver in one hand, followed by Moony in wolf form.

"Fine. Dan tried to shoot me, but Inky attacked him and he missed." I said through clenched teeth. Lexy was bawling into my shirt, and I wasn't sure who she was crying for, my poor panther or her father.

Remus shifted into his normal form, and said, "Sev, are they dead?" 

"Dan is. But Inky . . .here, take Lexy and bring her home, please, Remus. I'll come afterwards with Inky. I may yet be able to save him."

I handed Lexy to Remus, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay. "Don't let Inky die, please, Healer Sev!" she sobbed.

"I won't if I can help it, little one. Now go with Moony, he'll take you to your mother." I kissed her on the cheek just before Moony Apparated with her. She needed Alaina more than she did me right then.

Then I knelt on the cold wooden floor and began to try and heal the dying panther.