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Just Take Me There


Severus Snape stared into the wild eyes of the Dexter, gripping the small boy’s wrist. His mind raced. Two were already through the Floo. What to do? He drew a deep breath. He had to act, that’s what. He’d figure it out as it went. He spun the boy about so that he stood between Dexter and the hearth. “Do you know where the fountain in the center of the village is?”

Dexter nodded, terrified.

“Just past it, heading toward the castle, there’s an inn on the left. Remus Lupin is there by the hearth. Go to him and tell him that the other two have gone through the Floo and not to follow. I will resolve this.” Severus set his jaw. “Do you have Floo powder?”

The boy held out his hand. He had a fistful of the green powder.

Severus held out his palm and Dexter poured the powder from his palm into Severus’s, his tiny little hand shaking as he released the granules. Severus’s fingers closed ‘round the powder. “Go. Now. Run.”

Dexter nodded, and he turned and ran, his feet tripping over each other as he fell out the door.

Severus Snape turned back to face the hearth and he took a deep breath and tossed the powder into the flames, and stepped through. “Malfoy Manor,” he said, and the flames carried him away and he fell through the Network, steeling himself as he went, until he’d stepped through the hearth at Malfoy Manor.

The two boys were on the floor, face down. Bellatrix Lestrange stood over them, her wand drawn, their bodies flat as though being pressed down, their heads turned to look at one another, panic in Liam’s eyes and a cool fear in Wally’s. When Snape stepped into the room, Bellatrix’s wand swept up to aim at his chest and her bright red lips parted to cast whatever spell she’d put on the other two on him before she realized who it was. She stared at him in dismay. “Severus Snape,” she said.

“Bellatrix,” Severus said as calmly as he could, keeping his voice level and low, trying to sound older, more mature, trying to sound as though he belonged there.

“What are you doing here?” she breathed. She looked down at the two first years. “What are they doing here?”

Severus said the first thing that came to mind. “Our new recruits?”

“Recruits? They’re children.” Bellatrix cackled, “Ickle children!” She had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard.

Severus kept his face absolutely straight. “You find the orders of the Dark Lord funny?”

Bellatrix quieted. She glared at Severus solidly.

Severus waved his wand, “Finite incantantum,” he murmured and the pressing that held the two boys so hard to the floor released and they gasped for air that had been hard to come by moments before. Severus motioned for them to stand up and he grabbed onto each of them by the arm - Liam on his right and Wally on his left, and he held them so that they stood slightly behind him. He stared at Bellatrix with a challenge in his eyes. “Where is the Dark Lord?”

“In the parlor,” hissed Bellatrix.

Severus nodded. “You will excuse us, Bella. We have… business… to attend to.” And he stepped around her, pulling the two boys into the hallway outside the dining room they had entered through.

The moment they were in the hall and the door had closed behind them, Severus waved his wand, “Muffliato.” Liam looked about, waiting to see some effect of the spell, but there didn’t seem to be any… except suddenly Severus spoke freely, “What were you thinking, coming here? Pulling a stunt like this?”

Wally stared up at him defiantly. “Don’t tell him nothin’ Lee, he’s a Slytherin, he’s friends with that Mulciber bloke that’s been attacking all the muggle-borns.”

Severus’s jaw set.

“He’s Dark Magic, he is,” Wally continued, “He’s trying to hand us over to the Dark Lord!”

“You’ve handed yourselves over to the Dark Lord, you stupid little idiot,” hissed Severus, “By coming here, you’ve handed yourselves over!” He glared at Wally. “What I’m doing is trying to save your little necks.” He took a deep breath and he looked up and down the hallway. “Now. You can trust me - your only ally here - or you can get yourselves killed. Honestly, I don’t care either way. You mean nothing to me. But Lily Evans will care a good deal and for that reason I will do what I can to save you, despite what imbeciles you are. We are going to walk into that room at the end of the hall and you are to both hold your chins high, do not look away no matter what you see. Do not think. Think only of his greatness. Think only of how powerful he is.” He stared at them very solidly, “And do not speak unless he speaks to you. And if he does, answer yes sir or no sir - answer the way he wants you to, whether it is how you feel or not.”

Liam looked terrified, “How - how is bringing us - to him - how is that saving us?”

Severus glared down at Liam, “You’ll face him either way. I promise you that he already knows you are here. This way, it is on our terms, and we can control the situation. Let me do the talking. Let me explain why you are here.”

Wally’s voice shook, “What are you going to say to him?”

“Whatever I have to,” Severus replied. “Now come.”




Dexter had never run so fast in all his life. He was not a small boy, his cheeks were flushed as he ran, his lungs burning, and tripped several times over his own feet. He stumbled through the door of the inn, burst through it really, and Remus Lupin stood up the moment he’d come in, relief flooding his face, “Dexter!” he said, thankful, “Oh thank Merlin - you boys can’t do this, you just can’t - it’s mad - it’s --”

“Where’s Wally?” Oliver asked, also standing up.

“Liam and Wally went through the Floo and that Slytherin boy that’s friends with Lily Evans - he went after them and he said not to follow. He said he’ll resolve it!” Dexter’s voice shook as he relayed the message.

The witch behind the counter glanced over with suspicion on her face.




“Kreacher, I command you to take us to Malfoy Manor,” Regulus said with a regal tone to his voice.

“Yes Master Regulus, Kreacher will take you to the Manor, Kreacher will take his Master and his friends to Malfoy Manor,” the elf nodded, bowing low.

“Should we get Remus?” Lily asked.

“No,” Sirius said quickly. “Leave Remus out of this. Leave Remus safe.”

Lily nodded.

Sirius turned to Kreacher, “Why can’t you disapparate the Potters to us?”

“The same reason he couldn’t apparate Lucy Minchum from Number 12, I’m sure,” Regulus supplied, “The Dark Lord’s probably put a charm restricting the capabilities of the house elves on the manor.”

“The elf Dobby was punished for trying to disapparate the Minchum Man, Kreacher was told of this,” Kreacher nodded. “His ears were pressed with irons for even trying.”

Lily covered her mouth. “Irons!”

Regulus looked up, “They mistreat their elves horribly,” he explained, “They killed Toddy and Mitzy last year for crying - in fear. They were afraid, and he had Lucius Malfoy murder them for it.” He stared at her.

Lily’s eyes teared up.

“But you can take us to them then, Kreacher?” Sirius asked.

“Kreacher can take you to the prisoners, but he cannot take you back out once we is there, only Kreacher can leave by disapparation. No matter what Master orders, Kreacher will not be able to take Masters and their friends away from the Manor.”

“Just take me there - take me to my mum and dad,” James said, his voice thick and heavy with purpose as he struggled against Sirius’s grip to look up.

“And me,” Sirius said.

“I want to help,” Lily said firmly.

Regulus looked at Kreacher. “Take us, Kreacher.”

“As Master orders,” Kreacher said, and he closed his fist around Regulus’s wrist. CRACK! They were gone.

Sirius looked down at James. “It’s going to be alright,” he said lowly. “We’ll get them out of there. We’ll save them.”

James murmured, “The dragon pox…”

“I know,” Sirius whispered.

“They won’t give him his medication.”

“I know.”

“The dragon fire… it’ll…” James’s voice shook.

Lily’s voice shook, “Your father… has dragon pox? But… but isn’t that a fatal --”

James closed his eyes.

“Shut the fuck up, Evans,” Sirius growled, looking up at her. He stood up, releasing James. “Perhaps if you’d paid attention at all to him, instead of being so sure you already knew everything there was to know about James Potter then maybe you’d have known that his dad’s ill, that he’s been dealing with that, in addition to dealing with everything else he’s been through, as well as dealing with you standing him up! You’re as much of a troll as Annalee McKinnon, deep down, aren’t you? Woman!! Women are horrid! This is why I fuck boys!”

CRACK! - Kreacher was back. He looked up at them and held out his hand, “Kreacher will take who is next to go.”

“Go on Evans,” Sirius said.

Shaking, his words stinging, she took the elf’s hand and as the little fingers closed ‘round her hands, she said, “I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” Sirius replied.

CRACK! Lily and Kreacher were gone.

Sirius knelt back down and looked into James’s face. “Listen to me, Prongs,” he said, “It’s going to be alright. Whatever happens. It will be okay in the end.”

“Sirius… if my dad dies…”

“We will mourn. But we will grow. And we will live. And that’s what he would want.” He stared into James’s eyes. “Do you understand me? Do not do anything stupid because you are upset.”

James’s voice shook, “Irony, isn’t it? You telling me this? You who’s plunged a knife into your chest?”

Sirius hung his head. “James, you are so much of a better person than I am.” He looked up again, “And it would be so much more a tragedy - so much more a loss for this Earth - if it were to lose you than if it were to lose me.” He put his palm on James’s shoulder. “You… my brother… you are so much more than I will ever be. And honestly, James, if I ever lost you, I’d -” Sirius shook his head. “Just promise me.”

“I promise.”

CRACK! Kreacher was back.

Sirius motioned to James and the elf took James’s hand.

“See you in a second,” Sirius said.

James nodded.

CRACK! They were gone.

Sirius stood up in the clearing. He took a deep breath, pushing back everything building in him - all the tension, all the fear.

The dementor in his chest swirled about angrily.

“Quiet Achyls,” he whispered, putting a hand over his heart. “Not now, woman. We’ve got work to do.”

CRACK! Kreacher had returned.

Sirius grabbed onto the elf’s arm. “Let’s go.”

CRACK!