Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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

A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 31

“Arthur! Arthur!”

Molly walked into the living room where she saw Alastor's head in the fireplace.

“Alastor,” Molly greeted. “Come through.”

Within seconds the Auror came through the hearth.

“He's in the kitchen,” Molly said walking out of the room. Alastor limped after her.

Arthur was sitting at the head of the table with his head in his hand nursing a nagging headache.

“Arthur,” Molly quietly called out. “Alastor is here.”

Arthur looked up and could see the slight pained look in the Auror's eyes.

“What happened?”Arthur asked.

“That's what I came here for. I just left Privet Drive. Is Potter here?”

“No,” Molly looked at Alastor. “Why would Harry be here?”

“I was afraid of that,” Moody resigned sitting in one of the chairs.

“What is going on?” Molly asked looking between her husband and Moody.

“Something happened tonight,” Arthur tried to soothe his wife.

“I gathered that, Arthur. My question is what and how would you know?”

Arthur and Alastor traded glances before looking back at Molly. Arthur kept this from his wife for fourteen years so that she wouldn't worry. Now he knew that if he told her, not only would she be worried she would be upset.

“Molly, sit down. There are some things that I need to tell you.”

Molly looked between the two wizards sitting at her kitchen table and had the feeling that she was not going to like what she was about to hear. Arthur began telling his wife about the warding over Privet Drive and the suspicion that Minerva had in placing Harry with his relatives. For a while it was quiet in the kitchen, but Arthur knew his wife. And he knew that any second now, there was going to be a rage of anger that was going to fill the room.

“HOW DARE YOU, ARTHUR WEASLEY!” her voice traveled throughout the entire house.

“Now, honey,” Arthur tried to soothe his angry wife.

“I would have easily taken Harry.”

“Ron was about to turn two and you were pregnant with Ginny. When would you have been able to take care of Harry?” Arthur tried to rationalize with his wife.

Angry tears streamed down Molly's face. She knew that what Arthur said was true but it didn't help the fact that something happened in that house and they didn't know where Harry was.

“Have you talked with Minerva yet?” Moody asked after being quiet while Arthur and Molly talked.

“No. No, not yet.”

“Well, maybe she's got more information about Potter.”

“Do you think we should tell Albus?” Molly asked wiping her eyes trying to calm down.

“I think he would already know,” Moody speculated. “The Blood Wards fell. He knows. He's probably going to call everyone soon. But it will not do any good if we don't know where Potter is.”

“I'll try and contact Minerva,” Molly said getting up and leaving the kitchen.

Once she left, Arthur looked at Alastor.

“You said that you just came from Privet Drive.”

Moody nodded.

“What did you see?” Arthur asked.

“Death Eaters were there. They destroyed the house.”

Arthur put his head in his hands letting out a sigh.

“There's more. Arabella's house was destroyed as well.” Arthur lifted up his head and looked at the Auror incredulously. “We have to find Potter.”

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Every one in the room was silent. Remus and Sirius were sitting by Minerva's bed. Severus and Harry were on the other side. Harry still refused to leave Severus' side. After a long silence, Minerva spoke up.

“You cannot stay here.”

Everyone looked at the Transfiguration Professor. She could see each of them were about to argue her statement, but she knew she had to stop them.

“Listen to me,” she began. “Sirius, you're still a wanted man. You can't be here. Harry, it's not safe for you here.”

“I'm only safe with Professor Snape,” Harry said.

Sirius was about to comment on Harry's declaration when he was stopped by Minerva.

“There is one place that you can go that you would be safe. It was a meeting place in case the Blood Wards fell.”

“Where is that?” Severus asked.

“The Burrow.”

Remus, who was deep in thought, wasn't really paying attention to the conversation around him.

“Why now?” Remus asked to no particular person.

“Why now, what?” Sirius asked.

“Why attack now? I just don't understand. Fourteen years there was nothing. Now, Grimmwald Place, Privet Drive, Hogwarts. What the connection? Why now?”

“It's Snape,” Sirius said. “He's the reason.”

Severus eyes narrowed. Harry looked angered. Remus shook his head.

“Sirius, the last thing....”

“Think about it,” Sirius defended himself. “Mere hours after he's left someplace either the people or the place was attacked or destroyed.”

“What part of 'the two of you need to put aside your differences and work together' escapes you?” Minerva reprimanded.

Sirius looked at Remus for support, but all he saw was disgust.

“Look, I'm not trying to be mean,” Sirius defended.

“He's right,” Severus sighed. Everyone in the room looked at the Potion Master. “The mutt's right. The only thing that had not been different was me. I went to Surrey. I was taken to the Infirmary. I was in Grimmwald Place.” Severus looked over at Harry who was trying not to believe what he was hearing. “I was inside Number 4 hours before they attacked,” Severus said to Harry.

There was a pregnant silence after Severus' admission. He looked at his mother and then stood up.

“I must go.”

Severus stood up only to feel a tug on his robe. He turned to see something that if it were a couple of weeks ago he would not believe it. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Weaseled His Way Into The Potions Master's Heart, was clinging on to him. Very gently, Severus pried the small hands from his robe, then walked over to the door.

“Severus Tobias Snape McGonagall, don't you dare leave this room,” Minerva sternly said waving her wand at the door locking it. Severus put his head down then turned towards his adoptive mother. “You will take Harry and Sirius to the Burrow and you will stay there until I get there. I will not lose you again.” At the end of her declaration there were tears brimming in her eyes. Right now, she didn't care that more people knew about the adoption. She was not going to let her son walk out of that room thinking that this was all his fault.

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Aberforth paced back in forth in his office. He closed the Hog's Head after sending Greyback to Privet Drive. He paced the length of his office until he heard a commotion in the alley. Opening up his window, he got the entire story.

“Death Eaters went onto a Muggle street and destroyed two houses killing the occupants that resides in there.”

Once Aberforth heard that, he withdrew his head and slammed the window closed. One thing. That's all those fools had to do was one thing. And they couldn't even do that right. He gave them one order; Do Not Destroy the House.

He wasn't in his angry musing long when he heard the door to his bar open up. Aberforth walked out of his office to see Fenir and Bellatrix standing at the door.

“What did you do?” Aberforth growled.

“What do you mean?” Bellatrix asked. She was calm as if it was an innocent night.

“I told you not to destroy the house. What happened? Where's Potter?”

“He wasn't there,” the werewolf growled. “You said he would be there. You lied.” The werewolf began advancing towards the barkeep.

Aberforth eyes narrowed as the werewolf began to walk towards him. The advancing stopped when the door opened and a very angry Headmaster of Hogwarts entered. Waving his wand, Albus caught the two Death Eaters by surprised and cast Crucio on them. While the wolf and woman were on the floor withering in pain, Albus walked up to his brother.

“What part of low profile escapes your understanding?” Albus growled. “Destroying Number Four. Destroying Number Seven. Destroying Grimmwald Place.”

“I'm doing your dirty work for you. You wanted him to not have a place to turn to. I'm doing that. But you listen and listen well, brother, I will not be your punching bag. You want Severus complacent. You want him alone and following orders. You want Harry to follow you unconditionally. Then maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't have had Dementors in Surrey in the first place.”

Albus' anger deflated. “I didn't send Dementors to Surrey.”

“Well, maybe not,” Aberforth's voice calmed. “But you did preform the Blood Adoption. And no matter what happens, Severus will always have that support.”

“I made him think that he killed his father.”

“Yeah, about that, why would you have that vile man killed? If you wanted Severus under your thumb, he would have helped. Anyway, what good did that do? He has Minerva and Poppy for support.”

“He hasn't told them.”

Aberforth looked at his brother incredulously.

“Do you really think that Severus kept that from his adoptive mother?”

“Yes,” Albus nodded. “Yes I do. Because one thing I do know about Severus Snape is that he keeps secrets. And this is one secret he doesn't want to get out.”

TBC