Severus froze in the act of rising from the chair. That Alastor, of all people, would bind Dumbledore, was taking all of his intelligence to process; so much so that he almost missed Alastor’s question. He was brought back to reality when Alastor coughed.

“Merlin’s balls,” Severus thought to himself as he debated the question of how much to reveal. To reveal nothing was not an option, as Alastor had apparently already worked out something was up. He knew with absolute certainty that Alastor would pursue the hints he had until he had the answer. It was this fact, after all, that had made Mad-eye Moody such an effective Auror. The problem was that Severus had a very hard time trusting anyone; Brendan and Jaidy had both earned his trust the hard way.

“Can you accept that they are still alive?” Severus asked, trusting Alastor’s own sense of paranoia to ensure that there were no unwanted eyes, ears or Weasley Extendibles in the general vicinity, though it was hard enough to do even that; Voldemort had to have another set of ears in Hogwarts and a very well hidden set of ears at that.

“And Black’s scenting of Miss Granger’s blood is just incidental?” The Veritaserum Charm had ensured that Severus had not lied so far, but that didn’t mean he was necessarily telling the whole truth. One case Alastor remembered vividly involved a very strong-willed individual who, whilst under the Veritaserum Charm, had actually been able to say that he had not killed anyone. The fact that he had cast Avada Kedavra at the deceased had nothing to do with his answer; the spell had killed the victim, not him. With Draco’s comments leading the members of the Order to believe that Severus had cast Avada Kedavra on all three missing children, that case was a timely reminder of the inadequacies of relying on truth serums and charms.

“What has Black told you?” Severus asked, curious to see what was said, and more curious to see what was not said.

Trust for trust, the coin was asked for; Alastor recognised that fact immediately. If he failed to trust Severus, even if it meant telling Severus things that would allow him to edit his own accounting, he could not expect any trust, and subsequently truth, from the Potions Master. The manner of his interview of Severus had probably only established that he did not take at face value the information he currently held. A useful trait in an Auror, but in no way did it establish that Severus should trust him.

“Sirius followed you this morning,” Alastor began. “He had Harry’s invisibility cloak and he says he cast a series of silencing and de-scenting charms.”

‘Clever’, thought Severus in the far recesses of his mind, ‘who would have thought the mangy dog had it in him’?

“He followed you towards the Forbidden Forest and it seems that you spotted Lucius Malfoy. By the way what was he doing on Hogwarts grounds?”

“Confirming that I was coming, probably, though he may have had other reasons.” The last thing Severus needed to do was confirm Draco and Pansy had joined the fold, as it were. He knew, and he could keep them away from any dangerous secrets, but if he confirmed it to Moody, then all manoeuvring ground was lost.

Alastor promptly ignored Severus’ ‘careful’ answer. “Anyway, according to Sirius you must not have wanted to be seen as he caught up to you when you dropped to the ground. Sirius swears he saw you reaching for your Dark Mark and that is why he tackled you from behind,” Alastor explained. He was judiciously editing Sirius’ actual words, the kindest of which had implied relations between Severus and Voldemort that Alastor fervently hoped were physically impossible. That kind of communication was likely to enrage the Potions Master, even allowing for the long-standing hatred between Black and Snape.

“I’ve surmised that what you actually used was a ‘port-key’, I suspect Albus thinks so as well, though Sirius seems certain it was the mark.”

“Typical Gryffindor attitude, can only handle at most one thought at a time,” Severus interrupted Alastor, a fine degree of maliciousness in his voice.

“Severus, let’s not get distracted,” Alastor admonished before continuing. “Anyway, it appears that you ‘ported’ to Snape Manor where Sirius was coshed from behind by someone unknown; though he commented about Muggle dress later which we put down to concussion. After some indeterminate time Sirius said he was wakened by a scream fit to wake the dead.

“It was at this point he saw Jaidy and an unknown male, both were apparently distracted and he used that to make good his escape.” Given the other comments Sirius had made about his arrival at Hogwarts, Alastor was mildly hard put not to start chuckling. ‘I’ll never look at Mrs Norris the same way again’, he thought.

‘Well that answers that question’, Severus mused as he considered Alastor’s tale. ‘Miss Granger must have actually woken and discovered her new coiffure’.

Alastor, who had been watching Severus closely while he related Black’s tale, was momentarily worried by the look of panic that crossed the Potion Master’s face.

The look was a result of the realisation that Brendan would have gone to deal with Miss Granger. This would normally have been the sensible option, as he would have been unable to deal with an alert Black. The problem was, that the situation was anything but normal. A panicked, powerful witch, with or without her wand was not something any sane man went near without tactical support and a couple of Dementors. As an ordinary muggle, Brendan would not have had a chance. 

Brendan glanced into the room and wondered briefly if he would have been safer chasing after Black; at least with Black he could have attempted to roll over and play dead. Hermione Granger was currently seated in the middle of the larger four-poster bed keening away like a Greek mother at her son’s funeral. Unfortunately, unlike the Greek mother, Hermione was backing up her keening with wave upon wave of magical energy, so much so that even the totally sight-blind would have been aware something was wrong and Brendan was certainly not that.The room itself had seen better days; yesterday, for example, when it didn’t have to brave the onslaught of uncontrolled power. Jaidy was likely to be a little bit ticked at the damage done to the walls, ceiling, floor, structural integrity of the building, but only if they lived through the next couple of hours. 

“Miss Granger?” he ventured to ask as he stepped over the threshold praying fervently for the Lady’s grace; she must have been listening because Brendan made it to Hermione’s side still whole. Gently easing himself onto the bed beside her he reached out and drew her into a comforting embrace. “Come, Miss Granger, you are safe.”

Hermione, caught in her nightmare, was surprised by Brendan’s gentle touch; he fairly exuded Muggle normality and it was that which broke the cycle of fear she was caught in. Cracking her eyes open she focused on his face and was taken aback by the fear she saw in his eyes. “Brendan?” she whispered, pulling his name out of her encyclopaedic mind.

“Yes, Miss Granger?” Brendan answered dryly, his eyebrow quirking in a very Snape like manner.

“What exactly are you doing here?”

“Trying to decide if chasing after Mr Black was the safer option, actually,” Brendan commented with a smile. “He at least would be trying to kill me.”

The last comment fired off a series of thought processes in Hermione’s still panicked brain, she recalled reading a series of articles about the devastating effects that the loss of magical control could have and realised just what she was doing. A quick look at the room gave her a fair indication of the destructive power she’d been throwing off. She decided that the fact that Brendan was still in one piece was a miracle of the first order. Grabbing her Gryffindor pride by the scruff of its neck, she metaphysically hauled herself up by the bootstraps and in doing so stopped buffeting Brendan with wave after wave of magic.

Brendan, feeling the danger level drop, delved into his pockets and withdrew a green silk handkerchief; the embroidered snakes winking at Hermione. “Blow, I’m sure Severus won’t mind.”

The sheer hilarity of winking snakes started Hermione giggling; the fact that the handkerchief apparently belonged to Professor Snape sent her off into peels of laughter. Precisely the effect Brendan was after.

“You’ll have to get used to the sight of these, Miss Granger, all of the handkerchiefs are like this,” Brendan commented as Hermione tentatively, but eventually with more confidence, began to affect a few repairs on the devastated room.

Nose blown and eyes dried Hermione looked again at Brendan. “All?” she asked quizzically, the idea was just too ludicrous.

“Yes, all,” Brendan commented in return. He wasn’t about to declare that Severus had found that the silly handkerchiefs were effective when dealing with panicked children, he’d even used them in the Slytherin Tower, though none of its inhabitants would every admit to it.

“Better?” Brendan asked when Hermione stopped giggling, rather glad that the spell of laughter hadn’t degenerated into hysteria.

“I don’t know?” she answered honestly, her hand drifting up to the mess of her skull; the Crone had not been careful. That Brendan hadn’t commented on her new look hadn’t slipped by her. Was this type of thing a regular occurrence around here? Still she couldn’t ask that outright, so she asked the other question on the top of her mind, “What do you do here?”

“Look after people such as yourself Miss, Severus has a few others in his care.” Brendan smiled to himself as he thought about the magnitude of that understatement; still Miss Granger didn’t need to know those details, yet. “I expect Severus will be returning soon and in all likelihood we will need to hide you and the boys away for a while.”

“It was whilst in his animagus form that he apparently scented out Miss Granger’s blood,” Alastor finished his explanation. “Now may I please hear your side?” Alastor waited patiently, seeing Severus marshal his thoughts. “Come on, Severus, something is going on, and I’m the only one who can help you,” Alastor pleaded, licking his lips.Trust, the coin had been offered. Could Severus afford to pick it up?

“He probably heard Miss Granger,” Severus said blandly.

Alastor collapsed against the chair behind him, relief warring with fear, given Black’s description of the scream that had woken him. However, Severus making that simple statement also went to fuelling his relief, and fear. What game was the Potions Master playing, and could he afford to know?

“She and the boys are alive, though I have managed to convince Voldemort otherwise. They are currently recovering from their ordeal, though I expect it will take a few days yet.” Severus spoke to Alastor in a very, very tired voice.

“Why haven’t you told Albus?” Alastor asked the most obvious question. “The knowledge that you may well have killed those three students is weighing heavily on him.”

“I can deal with Albus doubting me,” Severus lied, “but I cannot afford to have Voldemort doubt me. So it will have to continue to weigh on Albus. Voldemort believes they are dead and if they were to suddenly appear whole, hale and hearty, I am a dead man walking, and we all lose. All, you understand me, Alastor?” Severus said in a penetrating voice.

Alastor found himself almost blinded by a sudden insight; the unidentified man at Snape Manor had been dressed as a Muggle according to Black. What if he was not only dressed as a Muggle, but actually was a Muggle? “How many times have you done this, Severus?” he asked in a voice verging on respect and just a little awe at the implications.

Severus gave Alastor a wry grimace. “Enough that if word about it were to reach my ‘esteemed’ Lord, I would be exceedingly dead, and so would a great many others. Voldemort would not forgive this sort of transgression.” That was the understatement of the century.

“But that still doesn’t answer why you won’t tell Albus!”

‘In all the way, old chap’, Severus reflected. “Because, Alastor, Voldemort has another spy in the school. Someone with far more access than your general member of the student body.”

Alastor just stared at Severus after that pronouncement. “Are you sure?” he finally asked, which, on reflection, he thought was probably the stupidest question he could have asked. Severus would never have made the comment if he hadn’t been sure.

Severus Snape, scion of Slytherin, reigned in his frayed temper and answered Moody calmly. “Let us just say that Voldemort has on more than one occasion in the past made comments that reflect knowledge of the goings on in Hogwarts that he did not receive from me.”

“But with so many children here, Severus…”

“Don’t you think I haven’t considered that, Alastor? I head House Slytherin after all, Voldemort’s house. The problem is that his spy appears to have been here for longer than any ‘generation’ of children.”

“Merlin’s blood,” Alastor swore as he frantically considered the implications, particularly in terms of the Order.

“Before you worry yourself into a box, I have managed to eliminate members of the Order from the list of possibilities. But look around, Alastor, how many eyes and ears have been at Hogwarts for over 20 years? Portraits, house-elves, Ministry officials, the list goes on,” Severus said evenly; panicking Alastor was not something he wanted to do.

For the second time in only a few moments Alastor asked, “Are you sure?” This time it wasn’t a stupid question and unfortunately he knew he wasn’t going to like the answer, though it would go along way towards explaining Severus.

“Of course I am sure,” Severus snapped, before he continued in a more consilatory tone. “In my line of work, you learn to pay attention to the details; who said what, to whom and when. Voldemort plays his cards close to the chest, but even he slips up occasionally and as he knew of my ‘supposed’ sabbatical the same morning that Albus announced it, I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions, Alastor, but I cannot afford to be careless. And speaking of careless, when does Albus plan to search my Manor?”

The distraction worked as Severus had hoped it would. “What makes you think he is planning on searching Snape Manor?”

“I’m not a fool, Alastor. Black arrived back with tales of dastardly doings. I suppose it is too much to ask that the only people he has spoken to were you and Albus. No don’t bother answering; I know Black’s opinion of me well enough, and his tendency to yap at anyone about my character. Albus will have no choice but to demand that I let him search, all in the name of discounting the obviously biased rantings, and I will have no choice but to agree. So when?”

“I suspect immediately after I leave,” Alastor answered. “Is there anything you can do?”

Severus, his emergency plans already made well in advance of such an occurrence, stated firmly, “I’ll need ten minutes.”

Alastor blinked in surprise, but stated blandly, “No more?” The statement said a lot about Severus’ preparedness and incidentally a great many other things. “That will make it easier dealing with Albus at least. I don’t like the idea of needing to obliviate him.” Alastor finished though he accepted that if the need arose Albus and Sirius would indeed be obliviated.

Severus took his trust of Alastor Moody to the highest level. “Thank you, Alastor. No doubt I’ll see you soon.” With a wry grin and without fanfare, he touched the port-key that would take him home, straight through the anti-apparation wards of Hogwarts. Alastor stood dumfounded as Severus disappeared and his mind turned to the problem of Albus and Sirius.

Severus appeared in the laboratory and began to stride towards the upper halls all the while shouting for Jaidy and Brendan. Both appeared with alacrity, and that eased some of his worries. Surprisingly, Miss Granger was following Brendan, but this was neither the time nor the place to comment.“Master,” Jaidy began to speak but was cut off by Severus. 

“I know, Jaidy, and he had enough time to tell sufficient people that we will be having unwanted guests shortly.” Turning to Hermione, Severus stated in his best ‘Potions class’ voice, “I need you to just do as you are told, girl, and we have no time for questions.”

Hermione, still recovering from the series of shocks the weekend had so far delivered said nothing, but nodded as she drew closer to Brendan; it appeared he had been correct when he commented about a need to be hidden away.

“Brendan…”

“I love the navy life,” Brendan said without hesitation. He knew the emergency plans as well as Severus and Jaidy. “Come, Miss Granger, we need to hide you,” he said gently to the girl, comforter and confidant, a role he had played before.

Severus ignored the by-play, after all that was one of Brendan’s many hidden talents, and Miss Granger was sorely in need of comfort. Taking his master wand out he led the group towards the library. The Manor’s library was a bibliophile’s ultimate dream come true and normally Miss Granger could have been counted upon to fly into raptures, today she just stood quietly and waited.

Overlooking the library was the original wizard painting by Samuel Drummond: ‘Admiral Duncan Receiving the Sword of the Dutch Admiral de Winter at the Battle of Camperdown, 11 October 1797’. Severus quickly began to conjure clothing similar to that worn by the figures moving about in the painting. Brendan, knowing his part, grabbed the lieutenant’s uniform as it appeared and disappeared into the bookstacks to re-emerge the very model of a not so modern lieutenant.

Jaidy, meanwhile, had summoned Pepper and instructed him to begin ‘decontaminating’ the rooms that Miss Granger and the boys had been in. Taking a pageboy’s outfit and short brown wig that would fit the girl; she led Hermione to a screened-off corner. “Miss needs to get into these.”

Severus, meanwhile, summoned the still sleeping boys and transfigured their clothes to a style matching the young seamen at the back of the picture. When all the assembled ‘players’ had returned and were appropriately clad, he began to cast a series of complex incantations; the effect of which was to open the portrait to entry.

As Brendan quickly stepped in, Admirals Duncan and De Winter leapt off from the painting to assist. Admiral Duncan took a hold of Henry Smithson while De Winter grabbed Andrew Dray; both boys were then handed over to a pair of yeoman with instructions to hide them in amongst the netting and to keep them safe.

“Miss Granger,” Severus said gently as Jaidy bought her forward, “stay close to the Admirals if anything untoward should happen.”

Brendan and a boy dressed identically to Miss Granger came over to help Hermione into the portrait. “You’ll be taking my place,” the boy said as he led her to the front right hand area of the painting. “Just keep watch on the Admirals, that’s my role in this painting.”

“Brendan,” Severus called as he prepared to leave the library.

“I know Severus. Just come home safe.”

A wry smile crossed Severus’ face but as only Brendan saw it Severus wasn’t to worried. “I expect to be back soon with guests, so I should be home safe.”

Admirals Duncan and De Winter joined Brendan in watch Severus leave the Library. It was De Winter who commented, “Well we’ll finally see if this plan actually works now.” 

With everyone safely installed in the painting, Severus had one last task before he could return to Hogwarts, Hermione’s blood sample needed to be stored somewhere safe and it was to the temple he apparated. The moment his feet touched the ground he felt the Lady’s influence pulling on him, before he was even consciously aware of the fact, his aspect as Herne had manifested about him.“My Severus.” Her voice was polyphonic in the air. 

“Lady?” he asked as he dropped to his knees. The fact that she wanted to talk to him in this form panicked him for a brief moment, before his aspect exuded calmness.

“Take care of the children Severus, especially keep the girl safe: she is important.”

For the Lady to have said anything pertaining to the future was frightening; she had never in this avatar’s knowledge done so. However, before he could even answer the charge she continued, “she and one still to come to you.” As she finished speaking Severus felt the aspect fall away and with it the sample in his hand faded from sight. The last he heard was ‘I will keep it safe’, as he felt himself being pulled away.