Severus left Harry to clean the dishes. He went to his study. There was a letter in his inside pocket that needed to be sent off. He pulled the small scroll out and set it on his desk. Looking down at it, now than ever, Harry was going to need the mutt’s and wolf’s help.

“Archimedes,” Severus called.

A Northern Hawk owl flew into Severus’ study and landed on his desk.

“Find Lupin,” Severus said, tying the scroll to the owl’s leg. “Make sure he gets this. Wait for a response.”

The owl screeched and took flight. Severus watched his owl fly until he couldn’t see it anymore.

“PROFESSOR!”

Severus was startled at the scream but shot into action. Flicking his wrist so that his wand would fall into his hand, he rushed into the kitchen. Deep down, Severus knew that no one could come into this house without his knowledge. But he didn’t want to take any chances.

It took only a few seconds to reach the kitchen. Harry was leaning against the sink.

Hearing the rapid footsteps, Harry knew the Professor was coming into the kitchen.

Severus rushed in, looking around to make sure everything was alright. Seeing that all was fine, he walked over to Harry.

“What is…”

Before Severus could finish, Harry thrust his hand out towards the black blur in front of him.

“I didn’t do anything,” Harry said in a panic. “It just started vibrating.”

Severus felt the room get cold. The blood drained from his face as he looked down at the coin.

No. No, Severus kept thinking, shaking his head. “This couldn’t be.”

“Professor,” Harry said. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Listen to me, Harry,” Severus said, grabbing Harry’s arm. “I want you to stay in the library. I have to go.”

Severus started walking, escorting Harry down the hall. His steps were hurried, but Harry didn’t stumble or trip over anything. In the heart of this panic, Harry didn’t have to worry about where he was stepping or bumping into things. His entire trust was in the Potions Professor.

“Go where?”

“Do not move out of this room.”

“Professor, please tell me what’s going on,” Harry pleaded.

Harry was pushed slightly on the shoulder to sit down. Harry lifted his gaze and looked up at the man.

“Stay here, I mean it, Potter.”

“Please tell me what’s going on?” Harry pleaded again.

“This means that someone is in trouble,” Severus said.

“Who?” Harry said, standing up again.

Severus stepped back so Harry wouldn’t bump into him. He knew he needed to find a way to get a new pair of glasses for Harry, but he couldn’t worry about that now. He had to check on his mother.

Severus pushed Harry back down on the sofa and knelt in front of him. He pulled out the salve he promised and started rubbing a small bit on Harry’s hand.

“You are still healing. You cannot see. I need you to be safe. Do not move from this sofa until I get back here. Do you understand?” Harry nodded. “Take your arm out of your shirt.”

“But sir,” Harry tried again, doing as his Professor said. “You said someone in trouble. Who? Maybe I can help.”

“You can help by staying here,” Severus said, putting another amount of healing salve on Harry’s shoulder.

Harry lowered his head. Severus sighed, putting the lid on the small jar.

“Listen, Harry,” Severus said, lifting Harry’s head with his finger. “I know you want to help. And I appreciate that. But as I’ve said, you are still healing. You cannot see. And I need you safe. Once I check on what’s going on, if you’re feeling up to it, we’ll go get you some more glasses.”

The smell from the salve on his shoulders wafted around Harry. He was becoming relaxed.

“What’s happening?” Harry asked.

“What do you mean?” Severus asked. He knew what was happening, but he needed Harry to stay put. If the coin didn’t go off, he was going to make Harry take a nap after he put the salve on anyway.

“I can’t keep my eyes open,” Harry said. His voice was becoming slurred. “What’s in this?”

“The salve is to help relax the muscles so that they will heal easier,” Severus said. “One of the side effects is that it makes the patient sleepy.”

“You did this on purpose,” Harry accused though it didn’t sound as threatening since he was falling asleep.

“Yes, I know,” Severus said, making Harry lie down on the sofa. “I’m an evil bat that is set out to make you miserable.”

Harry scrunched his brow, looking up at the black blur.

“You’re not an evil bat,” Harry said. The slur in his voice was more pronounced now. “A sneaking Slytherin, but not an evil bat. Oh, wow!” Harry chuckled. “sneaking Slytherin,” drawing out the sound of the s, “it sounds funny.”

Severus smirked. “I’m sure. You can tell me more when I get back.”

Harry's eyes were slowly closing. Severus didn’t have anything to lay over the child, so he took off his robe and draped it on Harry. The boy looked so small with that long robe over him. One more thing that showed Severus that Harry was just a child and not his father.

“T’ank yu, sir,” Harry said, finally succumbing to sleep.

Severus softly touseled Harry’s hair. “Rest, child. I’ll be back soon.”

Severus looked down at the now sleeping child. He didn’t want to leave Harry alone; he was waiting for a reply from Lupin, but he couldn’t dismiss that coin going off. Even though their last meeting didn’t go well, Severus was still worried about his mother.

Walking over to the fireplace, Severus floo to his chambers at Hogwarts. Not wanting to have too many people know he was here, Severus put a disillusionment charm on himself and walked out of his chambers.

At first, he was going to go straight to his mother’s chambers but decided to go to see Poppy first. He concluded that his mother would be with her instead of her chambers.

When Severus stepped into the Infirmary, he saw Poppy standing in her supply cupboard — probably making a list of the different potions Severus needed to brew before school started.

Taking the charm off, Severus called out, “Poppy.”

Poppy quickly turned towards the voice and smiled. “Severus,” putting down her clipboard, “where have you been? We’ve been so worried about you.”

Poppy walked towards Severus with her arms open. From the last conversation the Potions Master had with his mother, he didn’t expect to see Poppy this joyful that he was standing here.

When Poppy got close enough, she grasped his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. Severus prided himself in not being surprised but having Poppy embrace him like he’d been gone for ages shocked him.

“Where have you been?” Poppy asked again. Her voice muffled by Severus’ shoulder. “Where’s Harry?” she pushed Severus away to arm’s length.

“I’m sure mother has told you,” Severus said. His voice was cold and uncaring as if he were talking to his students during his lectures.

“Told me what?” Poppy asked. “We’ve been looking for you since yesterday. We’ve both been upset that neither you nor Harry was here. We wanted to know what you’ve done with him. Albus told us to talk with you about where Harry was.”

Severus swallowed at the mention of Albus. Hearing that Albus put it in Poppy’s and Minerva’s mind that he did something with Harry, he knew that there was something amiss.

“Where’s mother?” Severus asked, ignoring Poppy’s questions.

Poppy sighed, stepping back from Severus, “She went to her chambers.”

“Thank you,” Severus said, turning towards the door.

“Wait a minute,” Poppy called out. Severus turned back to face her. “What’s going on?”

“I promise I will explain everything in due time,” Severus said and quickly walked out of the Infirmary, heading to his mother’s chambers.

____0000____0000____0000____0000

Albus was enjoying the day. He had a lovely walk around the inside of the castle. He was now walking around the greenhouses. He enjoyed the smells of the different plants that Pomona had in each glasshouse. Even during school, Albus would take a walk early in the morning around the greenhouse.  

Albus couldn’t help smirking at what happened in the dungeons. Albus prided himself at being able to fool Severus. It was nice having the Potion Master under his thumb.

He could get Severus to do whatever he wanted him to do. Severus believed that he was special. He wasn’t. Just because Severus has brainwashed Minerva and Poppy believing that he’s important, Albus knows better. Severus is just a half-breed Slytherin.

There was nothing special about that boy. He was awkward as a child. He was awkward as a teen. And he awkward now. Severus will never fit in. And Albus was determined to make that happen. If Severus were considered a pariah, he would do whatever Albus wanted him too.

___000___000_____000_____000

It didn’t take long for Severus to get to his mother’s chambers. When he got close to it, he saw that her door was still opened. Not like that one bit, Severus pulled his wand out and slowly walked towards the door. The first thing Severus saw was what looks like blood on the door jam.

Severus wiped a small bit with his finger and looked at it closely and realized that it was indeed blood. Severus looked around the chamber and didn’t see anything else out of place. Raising his wand, Severus took a closer look around the doorway. Besides the blood, he could see small strands of hair in the crevasses of the door. There was a small piece of fabric on the nail of the hinge.

Whatever happened, it happened here. And from what Severus was seeing, whatever happened, his mother didn’t go willingly.

Severus took a deep breath, held it until his lungs hurt, and slowly let the air out.

Usually, he would do that, and it would calm him down. This time it did not. He tried it again. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what he knew was right in front of him. His eyes never leaving the blood that was on the door jam.

No one would be that bold.

Severus took a deep breath, held it, and let it out.

Why would someone take her; What was their motive? What would be the reason behind it?

Severus took a deep breath, held it, and let it out.

She didn’t go willingly. The only explanation is that someone took her.

There is blood on the door, along with hair and fabric. Someone didn’t just use magic to take her. They used physical force.

Severus took a deep breath, held it, and let it out.

Severus closed his eyes; his wand was at his side. His hands were trembling. A small voice in his mind wanted to believe that this wasn’t happening. This can’t be true. But his rational mind knew that as much as you wish it, it doesn’t mean it will come true.

The door and frame started shaking. Severus couldn’t control the magic that was rolling off him like waves.

Someone took his mother. Someone kidnapped his mother.

When Severus opened his eyes again, the door and frame burst into a million pieces. There was nothing left of the door but small splinters of wood.

___000___000___000___000

After Severus left the Infirmary, Poppy went back to what she was doing, making a list for Severus to replenish her stores. Now that she had a minute to think about her encounter with Severus, she noticed that he was stiff.

Something wasn’t right. When Poppy wrapped her arms around Severus, he didn’t hug her back. Now, Severus wasn’t a hugger by any means of the word, but he would wrap his arms around her or Minerva if they initiated it. This time he didn’t.

It has been a long time since Poppy had to wheedle something out of Severus, but she wasn’t opposed to out-Slytherin the Head of Slytherin. She was Slytherin as well and she will use that to her advantage.  

Poppy came out of her musing by a crashing sound, and the phials in her stores were shaking.

That was odd, Poppy thought.

There was only one person in this school that was powerful enough to shake the castle. It’s only happened once before, and that was when Minerva went to Albus about performing the adoption for Severus.

Poppy put her clipboard down and rushed out of the Infirmary. Even though it was a mild shake, it still drained Minerva for a while, and she had to calm down before she strained her magical core.

When Poppy got to Minerva’s chambers, two things shocked her. One, Severus was standing in the doorway or what remained of a doorway. Two, Minerva was not in her chambers. Looking at Severus’ face, she could tell that he was on the edge of completely losing control of his magic. Very rarely has she seen it this bad, the last time being when he was punished unfairly in his sixth year. It took Minerva and Poppy almost sixteen hours to try and calm him. In the end, they had to get Lily to calm him.

“Severus,” Poppy said, in a whisper, so not to startle the Potion Master too much. “Severus, are you alright?”

There was no reply.

“Severus,” Poppy said again, slowly walking towards Severus. “Severus, what happened?”

When Poppy got next to Severus, she cupped Severus’ cheek and turned Severus’ face so he could see her.

“Severus look at me,” Poppy said. When black eyes met blue eyes, Poppy smiled. “There’s my boy. Just keep looking at me. Everything is alright,” raising her other hand to cupped Severus’ other cheek so she was framing his face with her hands, “let's go back to the Infirmary and have some tea.”

“Tea?” Severus’ voice sounded strained.

“Yes,” Poppy cooed. “Tea always calms you down. Come on.”

Poppy stepped back, letting go of Severus’ face and grabbing his hand. She began pulling Severus towards the stairs. As if in a trance, Severus followed Poppy down the corridor.

___000___000___000___000

Minerva felt like her head had been run over by a pack of Centaurs. When she opened her eyes, the light in the room gave her a blinding, searing pain that she quickly shut them again. Waving her hand, she could tell that the light dimmed. The second time she opened her eyes, she was able to take in her surroundings.

She was lying on a small cot in the corner of the room. There wasn’t much else in the room. Only a small table next to her.

She didn’t know where she was.

The door opened. The light from the other side of the door was blinding. It made her pain double.

“Who’s there?” Minerva asked, squinting her eyes against the light.

“I’m glad you finally woke up. I thought I was going to resort to more harsher means to wake you up. This is going to be fun.”

TBC