Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A special thanks to The Lonely God With a Box for beta'ing my story. :)

A/N: Here is chapter 25. I really hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 25

Harry closed the door after Snuffles walked in the room. He walked over to the tattered bed and sat down dejectedly. The black dog walked over towards the boy and laid his head on the child's lap, whining ever so lightly. Harry absentmindedly rubbed the dog's head, his blank stare not moving from its spot.

Sirius knew his godson needed some comfort, and what he was about to do would be very risky, but he couldn't just sit there and watch his godson wallow in his own depression in the dark crevices of his mind. He moved his head from the boy's lap and walked back over to the door. Putting his ear to the door, he could hear Remus talking to the relatives, so he concluded it should be safe. Sirius transformed to himself and transfigured a lock for the door and made sure it was securely fastened to keep out unwanted guests.

Harry made no indication that he noticed Sirius standing in front of him. Sirius sat down next to Harry and, not saying a word, wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. For the first time, Harry leaned into the embrace with his godfather. Neither one said a word; they just sat quietly.

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Hagrid walked aimlessly through the forest. He didn't know where he was or where he was going. Honestly, the half-giant had a problem remembering the last few days. He remembered he was going out to feed Fang, but everything else was a blank.

As the half-giant continued on his trek, things around him started to look familiar. The Forbidden Forest. How did he get here? Hagrid did not even remember going into the forest. Once he got to the clearing, he couldn't believe what he saw. His house was gone. There was nothing left. The only thing that was there was a large wreath.

“Fang!” the half-giant called out. “Fang, come here, boy. Come on you mangy mutt!”

Hagrid's throat began to tighten. His breathing began to speed up.

This was not right, Hagrid thought. Fang should be here.'

“FANG! FANG!”

Hagrid walked up to where his house use to stand. His massive feet crumbled the charred remains of his house. While walking through the debris, he heard a distinctive sound. A sound that broke his heart in two. He looked down under his foot and saw what was remained of Fang's collar. His tag only slightly charred from whatever happened. Tears began to pool in his eyes as he came to the realization that his trusted friend and companion was gone.

The half-giant began to cry as he brought the burnt leash to his face.

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Fenrir was sitting at the table. Aberforth walked up from the doorway.

“So did you do it?” Aberforth asked sitting down across from the werewolf.

“Yeah,” the werewolf answered. “It's done. One is on his way back to Hogwarts and the other is on her way to St. Mungo's.”

“And you put the devices on them both?”

Fenrir nodded his head as he drank from the goblet in front of him. “They're charmed so that they will go off at the same time.”

“Wonderful,” Aberforth said sitting back in the chair. “Now, there is one more place I need for you to go to?”

Fenrir looked at the man across from him with anticipation.

“Number 12 Grimmauld.”

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After everything that happened in the past few days, Severus felt absolutely elated to have his mother in his arms.

“Severus, what happened?” mumbled into his shoulder.

Severus pulled his mother from his arms and held her at arms length, and truly looked at her. Her clothes were dirty. Her hair was a mess. Her eyes were dark and sunken in.

“You don't remember?” Severus looked at her incredulously. She shook her head.

“What is the last thing you remember?”

Minerva looked up then back at her son with a small smile on her face. She reached up and cupped his face, “I am so proud of you.”

Severus' brow creased.

“Arabella told me that she never saw you, and Tami knew where you were. You had Harry that entire time, didn't you?”

Severus eyed his adoptive mother, but nodded.

“Where is Harry now?”

“Safe.”

“Severus,” Minerva began to get worried by the way her son was looking at her.

“You've been gone for two days. Someone took you.”

Minerva stepped back from him and tried to remember the last two days. Two days. She had been missing for two days.

“Severus,” Minerva looked up at him. “Why are you here?”

“Poppy was....”

A healer walked over towards the two wizards cutting Severus off as he spoke.

“Excuse me,” the healer said. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but Madam, you need to come with me now.”

“What's going on?” Severus demanded.

“I'm sorry,” the healer said reaching out and grabbing hold of Minerva's arm. “We need to go now.”

Severus and Minerva looked at each other. For the first time, Severus saw pure fear in his mother's eyes.

“Severus,” Minerva gasped out as she was pulled away from her son.

The healer and Minerva began walking down the hall, but Severus wasn't letting her out of his sight again. He followed.

“What is this about?” Minerva asked, while she was being manhandled down the corridor.

“Our wards are going off,” The healer explained. “There is something foreign on your person that could be a danger to everyone here.”

Minerva's eyes got large. She turned her head behind her to see Severus was right behind them. After a few minutes the trio of wizards made there way to a secluded room. As the healer entered with Minerva, he then turned to Severus as to stop him from entering.

“You may not want to enter,” the healer said only to be the recipient of a glare that usually made some seventh year students cower in fear. “Fine, but you need to stand back. I don't know what we are dealing with.”

Severus and Minerva exchanged glances as the healer left out of the room.

“Floo-call an auror; have them come here immediately. Get Healer Williams down here as well! Hurry!”

The medi-witch rushed to get done what was ordered, as the healer walked back in the room.

“Please forgive me for this, but it has to be done.”

“What is going on?” Minerva asked. Fear laced in her voice.

“With the rise of terror attacks in London and across the world, the Prime Minster insisted on there being precautions placed on Muggle hospitals. And since he's about the only Muggle that has no ties with the wizarding world, but knows about us he insisted that the Minster of Magic do the same. There are new wards that were placed on the hospital a few months back. The warding went off in the administrator’s office, I'm assuming, when you came inside the hospital.”

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. The healer rushed to open it. On the other side, were Healer Williams and two aurors, Kingsley and Tonks.

“Professor McGonagall,” Tonks said.

“Nymphadora,” Minerva gasped out.

Healer Williams walked over to Minerva with his wand out. He cast a form of diagnostic spell with a distinctive wand movement.

“Professor McGonagall,” Healer Williams' voice was calm. “I am Healer Williams. There seems to be a volatile device on your robes.” Minerva gasped. “I want you to very slowly take your robe off.”

Minerva and Severus looked at each other. Very slowly, she did as instructed.

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Remus walked back to Number 12. It has been a very tiring and mentally exhausting day for the wolf. Having to talk to those blasted Muggles really drained him. He was really happy that it wasn't a full moon. He didn't think his body could take the abuse of transforming after the stress he went through today.

“Let's talk,” growled Remus.

The whale of a man's color seem to drain almost immediately. With force, Remus let go of Vernon's wrist and walked over to the chair and sat down.

“You will leave this house, sir,” Vernon said. His voice not as harsh as it once was.

“No,” Remus said. “I don't think I will. Not yet. There are a few things that need to be said before I leave.”

“If you think I'm going to allow you freaks to stay in this...” Vernon was cut off by a hand to his throat.

“It would be in your best interest to sit down and listen,” Remus' voice was calm, but his eyes showed that the wolf was trying to come through.

Vernon took a tentative step back when Remus released him.

“Now sit.” Remus' voice left no room for argument.

Vernon sat next to his wife who had been silenced by fear when Remus grabbed Vernon.

“Now,” Remus began. “You were charged with watching over my cub, as I have been unable. But that does not mean that I am unwilling to defend him if so necessary. Now, I have learned that you have not been taking your task rightfully. As a matter of fact, you have been abusing that task as well as my cub. I am here to let you know that stops now. You will not lay a hand on Harry. You WILL leave him alone.” Vernon looked like he was about to object when Remus held up his hand. “Please understand me, you will not touch Harry in a manner that is not a loving embrace that he should receive from his relatives. Do not delude yourselves in thinking that just because I am not around that I will not know that you are hurting him. Believe me, I will know. And if you do hurt him again, you will make me very angry. And the last thing you want is to make me angry. Now, I wish you a very pleasant afternoon.”

Remus left the two of them shaking in fear.

Remus walked into the house and headed to his room. He would never understand why Severus thought it would be a good idea for him to be the one to talk to the Dursleys and not him. He understood Sirius not doing it, as volatile as he could get when it came to Harry, but it was really hard trying to keep the wolf at bay while he talked to those vile creatures.

He sat on the edge of his bed, laid back and closed his eyes. His eyes popped open to a strange sound. Remus got up and walked to where the sound was coming from and saw that Hedwig was still in the lounge.

How did we forget you? Remus wondered.

“Come on, girl,” Remus held out his arm. “Let's take you back to Harry.”

Remus walked over to the hearth and through floo powder in the fire. “Arabella Figg.”

Like many times before, Remus through in the powder and then walked through, but something went wrong when he stepped in the floo. Just as the flames turned green, the house around him exploded. He was knocked off of his feet. He landed unconsciously on Arabella's floor. Hedwig came through with such force that it took her a second to regain her flight before she hit the wall.

Arabella screamed as her floo flared and debris and dust covered her living room.

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Minerva slowly pulled off her robe and Healer Williams quickly took it from her. He walked over to a corner of the room and quickly worked on the robe to try and disarm the device that was on there. Once the robe was off, Severus was at Minerva's side.

Everyone in the room watched with bated breath as the healer worked. The tension was so high in the room that it was hard to breathe. After a few moments the healer straightened up and turned to the other witches and wizards in the room.

“It's disarmed,” Healer William sighed.

Minerva put her head down and took a breath. Severus put his arm around her.

“Professor,” Healer William said, walking over to the mother and son. “I would like to keep you here and run a few tests on you.”

Minerva, shaking profusely, nodded.

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Hagrid, still filled with grief, slowly walked towards the school. He couldn't believe that his beloved dog was dead. He was walking through the courtyard towards the front door, when there was an explosion and he was thrown through the front doors of the school. Blood and debris were everywhere.

TBC