The four wizards apparated back to Spinners End. They then arranged for the Healer to attend Petunia discretely and report her progress to Severus -good or bad. The Healer had told them there was a faint chance that Petunia would survive. The injury was one that was unpredictable - much depended on the patient. However, she seemed to be responding well to treatment.

Dudley was sitting next to Harry on the sofa when they arrived. The Healer reassured them that everything possible was being done for Petunia and that she was still alive, and then the Healer left for St Mungo's. The boys looked relieved and turned back to the book detailing everything about the Welsh Dragon Preserves history. Harry had been distracting his cousin with all he had found out while Dudley had been sleeping. Researching what would be their new home had seemed wise.

The lawyer and Slytherin pair retired to the kitchen table. Lucius looked at the area with resigned distress. "I'll be glad when you move to the Dragon Reserve house, Severus."

Severus laughed at him, "But it's so cozy, here, Lucius." Severus mocked.

The lawyer rolled his eyes; he was used to this sort of banter between the two. "You do need to remove the boys to the Reserve tonight, if possible. I know you expected to move Mrs. Dursley there, but the house does belong to you. Rearrangements must be done - I suggest you move there permanently, yourself, Mr. Snape. If inquiries are made, you should be in residence with your wards."

Severus frowned; he disliked being coerced into anything. However, the house in the Dragon Preserve was becoming more and more appealing. He finally nodded, agreeably. "Yes, Tinker should be able to move my things fairly quickly. The quicker the boys are settled the better." Severus shifted uncomfortably. "What should we then do about Petunia - if she recovers?"

"That will depend on how things go legally. If all is well, and you return to teaching, she will simply be taking care of things at your house with the boys - nothing wrong with that. If you are essentially in hiding from Albus and the ministry - you can always obtain one of the other houses for her, if she and her son require a separate residence." The lawyer answered agreeably.

"How long do you think we can keep this from Dumbledore?" Lucius snarled.

"I don't think we should keep it from him, at all, after Harry and his cousin are safely in the Preserve." Severus answered quietly. He smiled at their incredulous looks. "I want to outsmart Albus, and keep Harry from his control - but I don't want him as an enemy that is actively working against me. Even if, or when we present all our evidence to a court there will be those that will refuse to believe anything bad of Albus Dumbledore, and fight to keep Harry away from me. So it is best to put our cards on the table and tell Albus what we've done and what we will do to keep Harry with us."

"If he has nothing to fear from us, why bother?" Lucius grumbled, he had almost looked forward to the idea of Dumbledore being carted to Azkaban for a stay - however brief it might be. Preferably in a cell next to his crazy sister-in-law.

The lawyer and Severus laughed. "Although he might explain away our evidence, it would still reflect badly on him." The lawyer said. "The binding of Dudley's magic might not - technically - be illegal since he had Mr. Dursleys permission, but there is no one who would not be shocked by it, even if he managed to somehow explain it. The only time a child's magic is bound is when a muggleborn's family refuses to send them to a magical school, -and the parents request it - and even then the child is usually in agreement. The Wizengamot is likely to vote him off for that alone."

Severus nodded. "He may explain all the money given to Vernon; it wouldn't be unusual to assist a family who had taken in an orphan by supplementing their income. However, it's quite obvious the Dursley's didn't actually need it, and the amounts given were grossly overdone - people will think him an idiot, or wonder why he gave Vernon so much - especially after telling Vernon ‘he didn't want Harry raised as a wimp, etc'. And the episode with the Social Services people - he can say that he didn't actually see Harry's injuries, and assumed the affair was overblown by the muggles - but the fact that he didn't check will look suspicious at worst and incompetent at best. His detractors will be calling him senile or worse and demand that he be removed as Headmaster. Albus won't want any of it brought to light for that reason." Severus finished with a smile, the lawyer nodding vigorously in agreement.

Lucius' smirk had grown larger by the moment. Beautiful - if only they could release it all to the general public. He sighed, Albus was to well-loved and knowing him he would somehow turn it all around on them. "Well, when do you plan to drop the news on him, then?"

Severus frowned, "I'll get the boys moved today, and send him an owl that I've news on their whereabouts, and meet him at the Leakey Cauldron this evening."

"We should make several copies of the evidence and papers. My lawyer will keep one, you put one in your vault, Severus, and you can take another set with you to confront him with." Lucius frowned. "I'll follow you under a glamour - you may need backup."

Severus thought for a moment and nodded. Who knew what Albus would do when thwarted? The lawyer nodded in agreement as well, made the required copies for Severus, and then left.

Lucius and Severus ambled back out to the small sitting room. "Harry, Dudley - we'll be leaving for the Reserve in a few moments, so pack up your bags. You may take the books you have out, as well." While the boys were scrambling Severus penned a quick note to Albus and sent his owl with it, reminding him to follow him to the Reserve, after. The owl glared haughtily and left. They instructed Tinker to follow them and disapparated with the boys in tow.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Albus downed the pain potion and rubbed his aching head, hoping the potion would work quickly and considered whether a calming draught was in order. He had gone back today to Privet drive in muggle attire, hoping to get leads on the whereabouts of Harry. He had been treated to the arrival of an angry and hysterical Marge.

There had been investigators there as well, trying to figure out where Harry and Dudley had gone. Apparently Petunia had only told them the boys had ‘gone to a trusted friend' as well. The exchange between the officers and Marge would have been as entertaining to Albus as it was for the Dursleys neighbors, if Albus had not had so much riding on the outcome.

It quickly became apparent that Marge blamed everything on ‘the freak', to Albus' astonishment she meant Harry. "He's been a curse on my brother's family since he showed up on Vernon's doorstep! He should have been drowned at birth - a no good parasite - like his parents." Marge carried on in this vein until even Albus realized that she was unlikely to take Harry in, except to kill him, if Petunia died and she had custody of Dudley.

Albus was disappointed that the officers turned up no information on Harry's whereabouts, and Marge found out that, as Petunia still lived she would not be allowed to remove any belongings from the home or access any bank accounts. She drove off shrieking that some of her lawyer and judge friends would be speaking to them.

Albus had spoken to some of the onlookers, giving them his best harmless-old-man persona. One young lad who was sporting an odd haircut and nose & eyebrow rings was watching the proceedings with a mix of alarm and pensive worry, and he left quickly when he saw Albus watching him. Albus dismissed him, he was much too old to be a chum of either of the youngsters.

The disappointing excursion was topped off by a tearful blond girl who he had overheard telling other children, "Didn't I say that people who treated orphans the way they did would come to a bad end? They beat and starved Harry and kept him locked in a cupboard..." She sniffled, "I hope Harry isn't dead, now." Albus had listened to this with incredulity 'cupboard'?, surely not.

Albus walked to an alley and apparated to Hogwarts with a raging migraine and churning stomach. Didn't those idiot muggles know what he had meant by raising Harry to not be a wimp?

His headache had barely eased off who he saw an owl he recognized as Severus' arrive. He took the parchment apathetically and the owl flew off with a sneering hoot. Albus reflected that the saying about owls becoming just like their masters was completely correct.

Albus,

It has come to my attention that Harry Potter and Dudley Dursley are AWOL from Privet Drive.

I have information on their whereabouts. Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron at 7 pm.

SS

Albus dropped the note in shock. He had told no one of the debacle at the Dursley's. How had Severus heard of it? Had Harry and his cousin been found by some of Severus' death eater contacts? - No Severus would have been more explicit, and would not be making him wait. So how...?

Albus dropped his again aching head back in the chair. Perhaps it didn't matter. He would know soon enough. He downed another pain potion and prayed for relief.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Harry and Dudley chortled in glee at the method of transport. "Cool!" and "Brilliant!" were said numerous times before they settled down. They were hustled up to the rooms prepared for them, to their delight.

"Go ahead and unpack, if you would like any color changes made, let the house elves know. If there are any other things needed, or if you forgot to pack something, let me know." Severus told them. He ruffled Harry's hair, amused at the boy's awestruck look at ‘a room of his own'.

"Thank you, sir - it's wonderful, I love it." Harry's obvious sincerity touched Severus who smiled and nodded before he left the boys to it.

Severus picked out a large, empty corner bedroom, with it's big windows - with a clear view of the walled garden and anything the boys might be up to in it, as well as a view toward the dragon reserve where he would see any wards or godsons that might be sneaking off to see the dragons. He called Tinker and told him to bring his bedroom suite and everything in it right away. ‘Then bring the books, and anything that might be useful for the house, here.'

Severus went back downstairs and helped Lucius open a bottle of elfwine in celebration of his moving ‘to a decent abode'. They sat back in some comfortable chairs and relaxed a bit. Things would hopefully come together, soon.