Harry started to head for the Floo but was stopped by Snape placing a restraining hand on his arm. Harry turned to his teacher yelling, “We’ve got to go now!”

“We cannot just show up there without a plan, Potter. We must think this through.” Snape began to pace in front of the hearth, his face a mask of deep concentration, his brows furrowed and his lips a thin line. He began firing a string of questions at Harry as the two devised a scheme.

Severus mirror-called Mrs. Figg and sent her on an errand to buy some Muggle clothing for Harry. With Mrs. Figg away Snape felt there was less of a chance for distractions, since she would undoubtedly balk at their plan.

Twenty minutes later the pair Flooed to Arabella Figg’s empty house. After checking to be sure that Arabella was indeed gone, Harry returned to the living room and gave Snape a nod. Cautiously stepping over two sleeping cats, Severus pulled aside the drapes, furtively peeking at the Dursley house down the road. Allowing the drapes to fall back into place he then crossed to the middle of the room.

“We aren’t close enough from here to tell very much. Potter, you stay here—”

“—No way! Where you go, I go!” Harry fervently asserted.

Severus’ face hardened and his black eyes flashed. He and Harry stood toe-to-toe glaring at one another, but Potter did not back down.

“It’s too dangerous,” Severus said, shaking his head. “Allow me to do some reconnaissance and then we can go together.”

“That’s unacceptable to me.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest, glowering over his glasses at Snape.

Severus raised one black eyebrow. The Potions Master was becoming angrier by the minute that this teen was not backing down to his obvious authority. “Mr. Potter, I am the one in charge of this mission.”

“I never agreed to that,” Harry said simply.

“It does not matter one whit whether you agreed or not. Listen to me, we need to go and get those children; your Gryffindor pride and arrogance will not stand in the way!” Snape uttered with deep conviction.

“Then neither should your Slytherin pride and arrogance. I’m going.” Harry insisted.

“This is not some foray onto the protected grounds of Hogwarts after curfew, boy, it’s a life or death operation that requires stealth.”

“I can do this. I’m not a child anymore!” Harry’s green eyes fairly glowed with passion.

Severus took a step back and snarled. He strode back and forth in front of Harry before turning to face the teen. Time was running out.

“You,” hissed Severus as he poked one long finger into Potter’s chest, “will follow closely behind me and follow my every order once we leave this home. Do you understand?”

Harry was so close he could smell Snape’s cinnamon toothpaste. Gritting his teeth Harry replied, mirroring the same aggressive stance and poking Snape in the chest with one finger. “I will agree, if you will vow to treat me with respect.”

“Agreed,” Snape barked and turned on his heel in a swirl of black robes.

Snape walked over to the desk and quickly scrawled a note for Mrs. Figg asking her to watch for any movement from the Dursley house, once she returned from the Muggle store, and to keep and eye out for anyone coming or going from there.

“Wait!” called Harry as Snape opened the front door. “Your clothing is not appropriate for Muggle areas!”

Severus looked down at his black robes and then out through the door into the broad daylight of Muggle infested Privet Drive. Quickly shutting the door with a frown, he waved his wand, transfiguring his garments into black pants and black shirt. He pointed his wand at Harry, but the teen had already shucked off his robes, revealing the Muggle clothing he was wearing underneath.

Two Disillusionment Charms later, so as to not arouse Muggle suspicion over two people stealthilypeeking in the windows of a house, Harry and Severus slowly made their way around the side of Number 4 Privet Drive. They came to a spot near a large window with the shades drawn down and Harry silently pointed to the window, indicating that this was the room they were looking for. Severus gingerly stepped in the center of the hydrangea bush and soundlessly made a tiny hole in the window. He reached back to Harry who placed two extendable ears on the Potions Master’s palm. Severus slowly threaded the ears into the room and he and Harry crouched down, listening to the inhabitants of the home.

§§§§§§§

Ron rolled onto his back. “My head, ohhhhh, my head,” he moaned, eyes tightly shut. He grimaced as both hands clutched at his aching head. Tremors shook his lanky body as he tried to push himself up to a seated position. After a few valiant efforts he gave up, moaning softly as he lay trembling on the floor.

“Ron,” asked Ginny in a hopeful voice. “Are you okay?” She pulled her brother’s head into her lap and gently stroked the wavy red hair. “It’s going to be okay, Ron.” She swallowed hard to keep the tears from springing to her eyes as another tremor shook her brother’s body.

“What happened?” asked Ron, as he opened his eyes and peered into his sister’s frightened and concerned face.

“Let me answer that,” replied Voldemort as he approached the siblings and towered over them leering menacingly. “You are alive, dear children, because you are still useful to me,” he drawled in his high-pitched, eerie voice.

Ron’s befuddled mind struggled to form coherent thoughts. The thoughts seemed to pour from his mind like sand from a child’s hand, leaving him unable to grasp what was happening. “Useful?” he echoed uncomprehendingly, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“He seems to be rather confused, Master,” Wormtail said chuckling.

“Yes,” the Dark Wizard said nonchalantly. “But his confusion is transient, whereas your stupidity is, sadly, quite permanent.” Voldemort was still angry with Wormtail for losing Potter the first time and he was unsure of this plan of his.

The barb struck home and Wormtail reddened, further humiliated by seeing the girl stifle her laugh by covering her mouth with her hand. Fuming inwardly he shunted all of his anger into thinking of the ways that he would make the girl suffer before he killed her.

Ginny saw the deadly glare that was directed at her by the traitorous former Gryffindor and hugged her brother’s head to her in a protective gesture. She did not notice Voldemort coming closer until he reached out and ran a cold finger along her cheek.

Ginny jumped, whimpering slightly, “Don’t touch me!” she said with more conviction than she felt.

Voldemort’s eyes narrowed and he grinned lasciviously. “That all depends upon your dear friend Potter, doesn’t it, child? Right now, he and the Order are fighting a deadly battle with my Death Eaters. Oh yes, I cannot imagine that the whelp would go alone as I ordered. He and his ill-fated friends are walking into a trap.”

“No!” Ginny clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Oh yes, dear girl. Don’t worry. Potter will be brought to me unharmed…for now.”

§§§§§§§

Harry felt elated as he heard the voices of his two friends. Granted Ron sounded a bit off, but Harry was happy to hear him.

Snape listened carefully. It would appear that, besides the children, only two others were in the room, Wormtail and Voldemort. The other Death Eaters were busy with the trap that their master had put into action. He felt hope spring up in his chest that their plan would actually succeed. Drawing out the extendable ears and nodding solemnly to the boy, Snape motioned towards the front door.

Harry and Severus slowly crossed to the front door and stood on the doormat. Severus took out his wand and after assuring that there were no Muggle eyes watching them, he removed their concealment charms. Harry then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scrap of cloth. Using Snape’s body as cover from prying eyes he lightly tapped it with his wand and it grew back to its normal size; his Invisibility Cloak was now ready for use.

Severus took one last look into Potter’s eyes as if to ask if he was prepared. Harry nodded and motioned to Snape who accepted the cloth from the teen, draping the cloak over himself and disappearing completely.

Turning back to face the door, Harry rapped his knuckles on the door three times and waited.

Inside the living room Wormtail whirled around fearfully. “Who could that be, Master?”

“Go and see, Wormtail!” Voldemort replied. “It’s likely some Muggles. Just get rid of them without exposing us.”

Pettigrew scampered to the door and peeped through the mail slot, seeing two legs. Feeling slightly more confident he opened the door a crack, blinking in surprise when he found a wand pointing at him. Pettigrew stumbled backwards as Harry pushed his way in, leaving the door open for a few seconds before turning and shutting it with a soft click.

“Take me to your leader,” Harry quipped as he pointed the wand between the rat Animagus’ eyes.

Wormtail stumbled backwards, putting up his hands, the glint of his silver hand catching the light of the morning sun streaming in through the nearby window. The quivering Animagus then led Harry into the living room, waiting for the opportunity to draw his wand. “Master! It’s—!” he began as they entered the room.

“—Harry Potter,” Harry finished as he came to stand before the Dark Lord, his wand still pointing at the cowering Animagus.

Voldemort’s eyes flashed in irritation at his minion before he turned his attention back to Harry. “You’re smarter than I’ve given you credit for, boy,” he spat as he drew his wand.

Now that Voldemort had his wand pointed at Harry, Wormtail found the courage to draw his own wand and point it at Harry as well. Harry tried not to look at his friends, afraid that it would break his concentration. “Let them go, Voldemort. Your fight is with me.”

“You presume to give me orders?” Voldemort laughed, a high-pitched cackle that sent a shiver down Harry’s spine. “You cannot fight us both, dear boy. It’s two against one, with the odds distinctly in our favour.”

“Hardly,” Snape drawled as he pulled off the cloak and deliberately threw it onto Ginny and Ron with a quick glance toward the front entrance. Snape trained his wand on Peter while Harry turned to face Voldemort directly.

While the wanded wizards were occupied Ginny wrapped the cloak around herself and her brother and slowly began to maneuver them toward the door, half dragging her addled brother.

“Ah, my little snake,” Voldemort hissed to Snape angrily, his mouth curling downward with disdain. “I will enjoy crushing you beneath my feet!”

Wormtail was unsure of himself now; Snape was a much better dueler than he had ever been. “Master,” he squeaked. “What would you have me do?”

Voldemort found an outlet for his anger. “Die, you worthless idiot. Avada Kedavra!” The killing curse flew from the tip of Voldemort’s wand and the Animagus dropped to the floor dead.

Ginny and Ron barely made it out of the room before Wormtail was killed, but they did not stop. Once out of the living room Ginny slid the cloak from them and stood. With Ginny supporting her bigger brother, the two lumbered into the hallway and through the front door leaving it open behind them. Once outside they saw Mrs. Figg frantically waving them over.

Harry was shocked that Voldemort had killed his loyal servant though Severus was not. Wormtail had made too many mistakes in too short of a span of time. His death was inevitable.

“Do you think that I cannot kill you both with a easy flick of my wand?” taunted Voldemort.

Severus stepped over Pettigrew’s body placing himself in front of Harry. “I will not let you harm the child.”

“Is that so, Severus?” Voldemort purred. “You would protect the son of James Potter, the boy who continually humiliated you all during your school years.”

“Yes, of course.” Snape affirmed.

“Really, you would protect the child of the man who dangled you upside down in front of all of your classmates?” Voldemort’s eyes glowed with menace.

“Yes!” Severus shouted, his face suffusing with color. Potter did not quite see everything that happened in his memory from the pensieve.

The Dark Lord felt such elation at demeaning his former minion. “You would protect the child of the man who exposed you to the entire student body—”

“Stop it!” snarled Snape. He felt his control wavering. Severus did not want Potter to hear that!

Voldemort grinned. “I bet every student at the school could describe your naughty bits!” he said as he threw back his head laughing.

“Shut up!” bellowed Snape as his wand shook with his fury. He felt as helpless and frustrated as he had that day at the end of his fifth year.

“Leave him out of this, Voldemort!” shouted Harry. “He’s a better wizard than you’ll ever be… Mudblood!” Harry hated the term but if would take Voldemort’s attention from Snape he would say that and much more.

Voldemort turned to Harry, sneering. “I will do now what I set out to do long ago, brat!”

At that moment the air was rent with the sound of multiple loud cracks. In the room with them were now three scarlet-robed Aurors, wands at the ready.

Voldemort hissed loudly and Apparated with a loud crack, as the Aurors’ spells shot from their wands scorching through the suddenly empty air.