I Just Love To Hex You

I Just Love To Hex You
Chapter 10
by mashnut


The apparition back to Hogwarts was simple, it was trying to find Albus that was the hard part. The school was in an uproar, finding anyone was going to be difficult. Severus\' injuries were catching up with him as he walked towards the Headmaster\'s office, each step becoming more painful than the last. Would the Dark Lord survive the killing curse? Somehow, without being stopped, he made it to the entrance to the office. “Quality Street.” Where that man got his passwords Severus could only guess. He ascended the staircase and entered the office, the only unusual thing being that he didn\'t hear the Headmaster\'s usual “come in.”

“Headmaster, was it you who...” Severus\' words tailed off as he realised that it was not the Headmaster sitting behind the desk, “Minerva.”

“Severus! You made it back? Where\'s Mister Potter?” She looked shocked to see that he was alone.

“I\'d told him to stay here and to return to his dorms. Harry... Potter, took out enough of the Death Eaters to allow me to escape. I didn\'t know he was there. I thought he was urging me to come back here, when he made it possible for me to escape. ”

“Albus gave him a portkey to get him there, but the two of you were expected to apparate back to Hogwarts together.” If possible Minerva\'s face had become paler than ever.

“Where\'s Albus?” Severus started to panic. Harry was out there alone and with no way of returning to the school.

“At the ministry. Fixing what Fudge has caused.” The tiredness showed on Minerva\'s face.

“It\'s only been an hour or two since I was called.”

“But Fudge\'s mistakes have been happening for years. I\'m amazed that more people haven\'t been killed.”

“What\'s been happening here?”

“The children of known Death Eaters found out that you were a spy from their parents. Just in time for the rest of the plan to come to light.”

“What plan?”

“After killing you, Voldemort was coming after the school and Potter. We were able to cut him off at the pass, so to speak.”

“I need to go back and get Har... Potter.” Minerva smiled at the second slip in Severus\' words.

“You are in no fit state, Severus. Go to the hospital wing.” Yet before Severus could take even one step towards the door he collapsed.

***

The last remaining Death Eaters had left, running away now that their master had gone. Only two remained, One who stood tall and proud over the body of his defeated master and the other sobbing on his knees at the edge of the scene. As Harry moved a little closer he could see that it was not the fact that his master had gone that was making the grown man cry, but the ghostly silver hand that Voldemort had given Wormtail had vanished. Wormtail had now lost two hands to that evil creature.

A high laugh rang out over the clearing and the other man removed his mask. Lucius Malfoy.

He picked up the now broken and magic-less wand that once belonged to Voldemort and pocketed it before disappearing.

Harry slipped away into the shadows, towards the apparition point. He knew that Severus had had no way of knowing that he had been close by when he had taken control over Voldemort\'s body, so he only hoped that Severus might be waiting. Yet with the injuries Sev had sustained Harry secretly wanted him to have gone back alone and have them looked at, since he did not know how long he would still be there for, taking care of Voldemort and the rest of his followers dumb enough to stay in the vicinity after he called out the killing curse.

Reaching the apparition point and there was no Severus, Harry assumed that someone, anyone would come for him soon. He was unable to apparate and darkness was closing in on him. Wormtail was out there somewhere and the dead body of Voldemort lay behind him. Now the future seemed, to Harry at least, somewhat brighter than ever before, if only he could get back to Hogwarts.

***

The sun shone in on the sleeping Severus, Poppy was quick to pull the curtains over the offending window as there was no doubt that if Severus woke he would not be happy. Especially if he found out that Harry had spent the entire night out there alone. Minerva had gone to the site as soon as she could leave the school and Dumbledore had not been able to find him when he got back from the ministry. No-one could find Harry and Poppy was wondering if she would be able to keep Severus from leaving or doing something stupid when he found out.

~tbc~