Normal Raquel Dodd 2 9 2003-05-13T09:27:00Z 2003-05-13T09:27:00Z 1 2343 13360 111 31 15672 10.2625 Clean Clean MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Chapter 14
Harry walked quickly behind the werewolf that was Remus Lupin, noting his agitated movements with caution. Lupin had seemed all right, greeting Harry quite joyfully with much pouncing and licking. But as Harry explained the situation to Professor Snape, the werewolf had become restless and nervous, prompting Harry to encourage the company of his least favorite professor.
It took little time to arrive back in the alley, but Harry found that only Hermione and Ron were there. He frowned, but before he could speak, Ron ran over to them and hurriedly explained that the Headmaster and everyone else had retreated to the Three Broomsticks to plan a course of action.
"How long ago did they leave?" Snape asked, frowning as well.
Hermione opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly the silence of the night was ripped by a piercing howl.
OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOO!!
Harry smacked his hands over his ears and turned to see Lupin standing on his furry hindquarters, his enormous head lifted to the sky and anger rolling off him in waves. It was a terrifying sight; the werewolf stood almost seven and a half feet tall. Harry felt fear grip his heart and he wanted nothing more than to run to the Three Broomsticks as fast as his legs could carry him. But it was Lupin, Remus Lupin; his father's trusted friend, and a friend and mentor to Harry himself. Yet Harry couldn't help but feel fear and confusion as Lupin slowly lowered himself to the ground. It was a shock, then, to hear Snape suddenly cry:
"Lupin, don't!"
Harry looked over at the werewolf in surprise, just in time to see Lupin start running furiously away. Cursing loudly, Snape followed. Without thinking, Harry dashed after them both, followed closely by Ron and Hermione.
"Remus!" Harry cried, running as fast as he could to keep up with the immense, four legged creature. Snape was surprisingly fast himself, and was running close beside Harry. Lupin came to a halt in front of Dervish and Banges, and Harry stopped so fast he nearly tripped. Lupin stood on his hind quarters again and sniffed at the door, then lowered his head and sniffed the ground carefully. Ron and Hermione ran up then, gasping loudly.
"What…-"Ron began, but Snape cut him off.
"Not now, Weasley!" he snapped, then walked over to the werewolf. "Lupin, don't be foolish! We can't possibly pursue them on foot, they've too great a lead! They could be anywhere by now. Let's go to the Headmaster and see what he has planned."
Lupin growled deeply in his throat, barely glancing at the Potions Master before he continued sniffing the ground. Harry stared at Remus, his confusion slowly evaporating as he watched the werewolf try and capture the scent of his quarry. Perhaps this is better, he thought. He didn't think that Dumbledore would be in favor of going after whoever had captured Ginny right away. Most likely he would want to contact the Ministry, and that could take ages. In the meantime, Ginny would move further and further out of reach. He could hear Ron's agitated breathing behind him, and knew his best friend was thinking the same thing. But Hermione-
"The Professor's right Remus," Hermione said anxiously, not disappointing Harry's expectations. "We can't possibly hope to find them this way. We'd do better to see what the Headmaster has planned."
"That'll take too long!" Ron burst out. "We have to go now! Ginny doesn't have a chance otherwise!"
Snape turned back to Ron, scowling. Harry knew that he was about to squelch the whole argument, and thought fast.
"Malfoy could be dead by now," he said quickly. "Anderson as well. If they're alive, we don't have any time to lose."
Snape turned a vicious glare on Harry, who almost quailed. Never let it be doubted, Harry thought in bemusement, that Snape can indeed freeze your blood!
"All right, young geniuses," the Potions Master snapped, "just how do you propose we follow them? I don't suppose either of you thought to bring your broomsticks?"
Harry blushed and tried to think of any way they could possibly follow the trail of the kidnappers quickly. He came up blank, however, and kicked a rock in frustration.
"I see," Snape chuckled. Turning from them, the Professor looked down the darkened street and out into the dark hills beyond.
"A Flying Carpet would be ideal, but we don't have one of those," Snape murmured, then looked at Lupin, who was standing stiffly and also staring into the darkness.
"Do you have their scent? Do you know where they've gone?" he asked the werewolf. Lupin responded with a short whuff.
"You know everything, don't you?" Snape looked at the werewolf in surprise now, and Harry stared at them both, puzzled. Did Snape actually understand Lupin's wolfish growls? He wasn't inclined to think so, but it seemed that some sort of communication was going on. Snape stared at the werewolf a moment longer, then turned and looked carefully at the entrance to the wizarding shop.
"Was this…part of the plan?" Snape asked softly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at the Professor. Lupin stalked around in a circle, then came to a stop right before the Snape, who scowled angrily.
"I don't appreciate being left in the dark! And obviously more has gone wrong than you had anticipated, hasn't it?" Snape looked ready to kill. Lupin whined and growled, then stood on his hindquarters again. The werewolf then turned and began scratching at the shop's entrance.
"Very well," the professor snapped. "Move away from the door!"
Lupin backed up to stand next to Harry as Snape walked over to the door, withdrawing his wand and pointing it at the handle.
"Alohamora Arcanus!" he said softly. A bright green light flared in the key hole for a moment, and they heard the door open with a click. Harry blinked in surprise.
"Well, follow me!" Snape barked at them, entering the shop quickly. The trio followed Snape as he walked purposefully towards the section of the store containing-
Brooms.
Harry blinked, but understood immediately. He stepped forward and grabbed a Nimbus 2002, the best broom Dervish and Banges stocked. He wished he had his Firebolt nonetheless, but they didn't have time to run back to the castle. Harry watched as the Professor and Ron also grabbed brooms; Hermione, however, just stood there.
"Hurry up, Miss Granger," Snape growled.
"I can't," she replied, white faced and trembling slightly. "I…I don't…that is, I'm not very good at flying."
"You can ride with me," Ron said firmly, before Snape could respond harshly.
"Good," Harry said a bit loudly. "Let's go then!"
They all filed out of the shop, Snape stopping to lock the door again. Harry wondered how long it would take the shop owners to discover they'd been robbed, and vaguely hoped some opportunity to give the brooms back would present itself later.
"How will Lupin keep up?" Hermione asked anxiously, making the Potions Master smile coldly.
"We will be following him, Miss Granger. He knows where we're supposed to go, and I'll be able to see him even though night has fallen."
Snape produced a small vial from a deep pocket in his robes. It contained a silvery red liquid, and Snape drained its contents immediately. The students watched as the professor shuddered for a moment, then rubbed his eyes. When he lowered his hands, Harry gaped and Hermione gasped aloud. Snape's eyes were now a glowing red, the pupils long and ovular. The Potions Master took a moment to enjoy the effect he was having on the Trio, then swung his leg over the broomstick. The others followed suit, Hermione gripping Ron hard enough to make him protest. Harry smiled a moment, then kicked off the ground.
The familiar exhilaration flowed through Harry as the wind whipped his hair. He would never love anything as much as he loved flying. Spotting Snape in the darkness, Harry pulled up alongside him, watching carefully as the Potions Master kept his eyes trained upon the ground.
"This way!" Snape shouted, maneuvering his broom to the left and heading south. Harry followed suit, and looked over to see Ron caught between a grin and a wince as Hermione held him in what seemed to be a death grip. Her face was buried in Ron's shoulder, but Ron was handling his broom skillfully. They were on their way.
**************
Draco sighed and stretched, watching the werewolf sit and stare at him. At times it seemed that she was looking through him. He glared at her in disgust, unable to believe he hadn't seen her for what she really was right from the beginning, sitting in the school infirmary.
The Celt had gone, probably to retrieve the others. He'd left Morgan in charge of him and had threatened to break Draco's legs if he tried to escape again. The bitch growled, and Draco felt irritation flash through him as he remembered what had happened when he'd found himself under her paws…again!
"You remember Miss Morgan, don't you?" the Celt had asked.
Ms. Morgan? Elizabeth Morgan was the werewolf? Draco had stared incredulously at the Celt before dissolving into bitter laughter.
"I should have guessed," he'd grinned humorlessly.
"Indeed. Now be a good boy and come along back to the barn before I'm forced to report that we had to dispose of you."
"Get the she-bitch off of me first!" Draco had growled in reply. The Celt had thrown his head back and laughed in amusement.
"My goodness, I do like you!" he'd chuckled, pulling on Morgan's bristly ear. She crawled off Drano's chest and he'd stood shakily, staring at them both with a dazed expression. Reality had definitely jumped out a window somewhere!
"You can carry the Carpet, since you worked so hard to get it free." The vampire smirked, making Draco long to slam a shovel in his icy face. As Draco had gone to lift it, however, the Celt had changed his mind.
"Never mind boy," he'd suddenly snapped. "I have a better idea."
Draco dropped the Carpet and had turned to see the Celt frowning into the darkness, wary and alert.
"Guard him," he'd said to the werewolf, "and if you try to disappear again boy, I will crush both of your legs so badly you won't have anything but bone dust left in them. I mean that."
Then he had flown off like a bat into the dark tree branches above. Draco was glad he'd left so quickly. He didn't want the Celt knowing how much his threat had affected him. Now, as he sat against a tree and tried to ignore the dead boy who was still just a few feet away, Draco felt weariness and hunger pressing upon him. This had to be the longest day he'd ever known, and the end of it didn't seem anywhere close. The she wolf was still watching him like she expected him to try and run any second. He had to suppress the urge to throw a rock at her.
"Don't suppose your boyfriend will be terribly pleased with you," he said coolly, wanting to goad her in some way. "I'll bet the first thing he does is cut up your picture."
She sniffed the air, but otherwise didn't react, irritating Draco. So he tried again.
"Oh, was he in on it? Hard to believe. Lupin's always been such a do-gooder, especially where Potter's concerned." Draco spat out Potter like a curse, and felt his mouth curl as he thought of his longtime rival. Morgan paused, seeming to stare at Draco with curiosity. Encouraged, Draco continued to ramble.
"Yes, I always suspected a certain amount of arse licking going on, especially since he knew the brat's father." Morgan growled finally, and Draco grinned with triumph. Part of him sensed that he was going to regret this, but he was tired of being kicked around by these monsters.
"Tell me, were they as close as I always thought? Did they share you perhaps? I wouldn't be…"
Morgan leaped forward suddenly with a loud snap of her jaws, causing Draco to jump and fall sideways. When he looked up he saw her eyes glowing red, boring furiously down upon him. Draco's heart pounded hard, and he saw the boy's body again out of the corner of his eye.
I guess this is the part where I regret it, he thought in resignation. Somehow, this revenge hadn't proven too sweet at all. The werewolf's growls grew louder, and her face pressed close to Draco's. He closed his eyes, waiting for the bite or the swipe of her huge paw as cold sweat poured down his back.
But no, the growls that he heard weren't just hers. Draco distinctly heard another deep growl coming from behind her, and he opened his eyes. At first all he saw was Morgan's face, or more specifically, her toothy maw. But then she crawled away from him and turned to look behind her. A large black, four legged shape, with eyes reflecting the silver moonlight, seemed to walk from the shadows towards her. Morgan sniffed the ground warily, then trotted to meet the animal and whuffed quietly. Draco strained his eyes to see what it was, but Morgan seemed to be in some sort of communication with it, and her body blocked his view. Sitting up, Draco squinted harder, guessing that it might be another wolf until it walked into a patch of moonlight and looked at him.
It was a dog. A large black, scruffy dog.
Draco blinked, wondering why the dog was acting so peculiarly. It wasn't attacking him, and wasn't trying to play with him or beg for food, as strays often did. It just stood and stared at him in consideration, and Draco felt goose bumps rise along his arms.
An animagus, perhaps? Draco stood slowly, his eyes never leaving the animal.
"Who are you?" he asked in what he hoped was a commanding voice.
The dog barked softly, then turned back to Morgan and they seemed to communicate again. Draco's suspicion that the creature was an animagus strengthened, and he wondered what the hell was happening now. Suddenly both animals stiffened and looked towards the barn. A moment later, the dog shot off into the darkness and disappeared. Draco heard voices then, and was startled when a hand fell heavily upon his shoulder. Roughly, he was turned about to face the Celt.
"Not a word about the dog," he hissed. "Not if you want to live!"
Draco blinked, his heart once again threatening to burst from his chest. The Celt hissed sibilantly.
"Your word, boy!" His grip tightened, and Draco winced in pain as he nodded quickly.
"Laighlinne?" Relah's voice floated over to them. "I have them."
"Good," the Celt called back in reply. "I must feed before we go."
Relah emerged from the shadows with Ginny and Caleb, dragging each along by their collars. She laughed at Laighlinne's words.
"Take this one." She tossed Caleb to the ground in front of the Celt. "He's a useless extra, and rather tiresome."
Morgan growled, and Laighlinne smirked. "He may yet prove valuable. Morgan will guard them. Come."
But Relah frowned at him. "They have tried numerous times to escape. She cannot watch all three."
Laighlinne smiled and clapped a hand upon Draco's shoulder. "I know this one will not try it again, because he knows what I will do to him. As for those two…"
Laighlinne walked slowly forward, dragging Draco with him, until he was in front of Ginny; he stooped to look her in the eye. She glared defiantly back.
"You won't try to leave either, pretty one," he said softly to her, and Ginny's expression became fixed as her face paled, "because you have no choice but to stay."
Without warning, Laighlinne stomped sideways into Draco's tibia, and the sick sound of bones cracking mingled with Draco's strangled cry of pain. Ginny screamed and burst into tears, catching Draco as he fell. Relah began to laugh with delight.
"Well, at least I've left you with more than just dust," the Celt murmured cheerfully to Draco before leaping into the trees above. Relah pointed to Caleb, and Morgan quickly took up a position next to him as the female vampire leaped into the trees after Laighlinne.