Indago:3

AN: Due to my inability to count properly, I had the chapters mis-numbered. The final chapter count will actually be 23 chapters. I apologise for this error.

Chapter Twenty-One


“Dad?”

Harry’s eyes opened at the whisper in his ear and he immediately tensed for action.

“I have to use the toilet.”

Relaxing and turning his head to look at Azeas in the gloomy light of the cave, Harry smiled and rubbed his son’s back. “All right, let’s give Maia a few more minutes.”

“I’m awake,” Maia whispered. “And I am not going in the bushes.”

Relieved to hear a bit of the bite back in Maia’s voice, Harry kissed both kids’ foreheads. “Let me take a look and then we’ll find us a bit of privacy.” Harry extricated himself from underneath Maia and Azeas and cautiously exited the cave.

The forest was still. The dew was thick on everything as sunlight poured down from the canopy. Listening intently, Harry slowly moved out from the cave that held his children and waited for any signs of danger. The few birds that braved living in the forest twitted about in the treetops and chirped quietly. All seemed safe. After another moment of waiting, Harry moved back and gathered his children.

“All right, Az and I are going to move over there a bit,” he explained to Maia. “Stay right here. I’ll keep you in eyesight. When we come back, I’ll—”

“Dad, please say you weren’t going to tell me you were coming with me?” Maia asked as a hand came up to stop her dad’s words.

Harry sighed and smiled. “Okay, okay. Just wait here and then it’ll be your turn. With more privacy.”

A few moments later, they were all ready to begin their walk again.

“Dad, you think we can find something to eat? Sev said that he got a lot of his potion ingredients from here. Maybe there is some food.”

“Yeah, we’ll keep an eye out.”

“How do we even know what direction we’re going in? We could be going in circles in this place.” Maia looked around with a glare.

“Right now I’m following the sunlight. It’s angled this way through the trees, which means the sun is in front of us. Hogwarts is east of the forest,” Harry explained. “If we keep walking this way, we should be there in no time.”

“But what if we get turned around?”

“The moss grows on the north sides of trees. That’ll help us,” Azeas pointed out.

“Very good, Az. Yeah, that should help us a lot.” Harry ruffled the boy’s hair and smiled. “You keep an eye on the trees for me.”

“All right, Dad.”

They walked in silence for nearly half an hour. Harry kept his ears and eyes trained on their surroundings, searching for any signs of their pursuers. He was trying desperately to not alert the kids to his worry, but he could already feel himself slipping. Lustrum had started and he was being pursued by a pack of Superos and his children were with him. Harry never thought that life would dump him in the middle of another nightmare. Gods, he hated this forest.

“Dad?” Azeas slipped his hand into Harry’s.

Harry immediately shook his hand off.

“Oh!” He blinked and cleared his throat. Azeas was frowning in confusion. “Sorry, Az. I was concentrating on the trees and you startled me.”

“Sorry.” Azeas looked up at him with a crease between his brows. “Something… Is that what Lustrum feels like? Is that why Father and Sev talk about staying away from you?”

Taking a deep breath, Harry smiled. “They just don’t like my attitude,” he replied with a chuckle.

A sound stopped Azeas from saying anything more and made all three of them immediately stop walking. Maia grabbed Harry’s arm and Azeas peered around his sister into the woods where the sound was.

There was another snap of wood and a crash.

“It’s them! It’s them!” Maia whispered frantically, her fingers biting into Harry’s arm. “We have to go!”

“Dad…” Azeas murmured, his eyes narrowed. “I think she’s right.”

“Stay right here.” Harry moved toward the sound but Maia held on tight and Azeas moved in front of him.

“Don’t leave us!” Maia whispered.

“Don’t go over there,” Azeas added. “We should go, Dad.”

“Come on, Dad, please,” Maia pleaded.

“It could be your Father or Sev,” Harry explained soothingly. “I’ll just check.”

He had to peel himself away from his children and inched closer to a large tree in front of them. He carefully peered around it, looking for the source of the noise. He really wanted to see a dour face or a blond head. He’d even be happy if he saw red hair at that moment.

“Dad!”

Harry spun at Azeas’ shout and cursed himself for walking into the trap.

Two men were behind Maia and Azeas. Maia was pale and her entire body trembled.

“Don’t touch them!” Harry growled. “Get away!”

The men, who were different from the day before, moved closer and smiled. Harry also moved forward as the children stood between them.

“He’s nearly ready,” one of them commented with an Italian accent. “The girl should still be easy.”

“You touch one hair on her head, I’ll kill you!” Harry hissed.

“We have heard of you. We have heard of what you are capable of with your own kind,” the Italian said condescendingly.

“I’m much worse in person!”

They were slowly closing in on the children and Harry’s anger rose several notches when he saw how terrified Maia was.

“We’ll be nice to you,” the Italian said, stepping closer to Maia. “You and your daughter will be—”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard this speech before,” Harry snapped. “Let me tell you something, being the beginning of a new breed or a new race or a new dynasty is really not that appealing. Next time try chocolate. It’s a bit more appetizing.”

The two men snarled in anger and lunged for the children. Harry shouted and went after them as Maia screamed.

Azeas grabbed the arm that was holding him and bit down hard. As the man pushed him away in shock, Azeas spun towards Maia. “Don’t touch my sister!”

Harry reached them then and grabbed at the man’s hands holding Maia. Arms came up around him and pulled him off and Harry lost it.

“Get off me!” He shouted and yelled and clawed. The Supero struggled to keep hold before finally dropping him. Harry spun and punched him hard in the stomach before turning back to his children. He shouted curses and spell after spell at the other Supero, who was repelling them, but not well since Azeas was causing him quite a bit of difficulty. Harry slammed into them, knocking all of them to the ground.

Going for the man’s throat, Harry pulled until he was able to get the man’s neck bent enough that holding onto Maia was not worth his life. He let go and Maia rolled away while Harry kept pulling. The Supero cursed and swung hard at Harry with one of his now free hands, catching Harry in the side of the head. Stunned, Harry was rolled under the Supero. He began kicking but the other’s weight and height was greater than his own.

“I’m going to teach you some obedience!” the man snarled down at Harry.

“Yeah,” Harry panted back. “Heard that one before too!”

Growling, the Italian punched Harry hard in the face sending Harry’s spectacles flying. Harry kept his hands round the other man’s neck, trying to squeeze as hard as he could. Blood ran into his left eye, but he ignored it and kept trying to get a better hold.

The man suddenly grunted and fell on top of Harry, unmoving. A dark-haired figure with silver-streaks on his face appeared above Harry.

“Severus?”

“It’s okay, Dad,” Azeas answered and leaned further down to try to shove the Supero off of Harry.

“Az?” Harry blinked, his son’s features coming into fuzzy focus.

“Maia, help me. Dad’s hurt.”

The body was rolled off of Harry and he sat up. Maia knelt down next to him and gingerly touched the bruise and gash on his forehead and cheek. She held out his spectacles, which were none the worse for wear.

“Dad, we better get out of here before they wake up, and before those others find us. We made a lot of noise,” Azeas said quickly. He tossed the large rock he had been holding to the ground and pulled at Harry’s upper arm. “Dad?”

“Are you both all right?” Harry asked as he wiped the blood from his eye with his shirtsleeve and slipped his spectacles on.

“Yeah, we’re all right,” Maia said quietly.

“Dad?” Azeas’ voice held worried impatience.

“Right. Let’s go.”

Harry climbed to his feet and stood for a moment as his head settled. Both men lay on the ground bleeding from head wounds but still alive. Harry nearly made the children turn away so he could finish it, but in the end, he only tied their ankles and wrists together behind their backs with their own belts. They found small packages of nuts and granola in their pockets as well before they left them under some bushes and quickly left the scene.



“We’re never getting out of here, are we?” Maia murmured as the sun sat directly above them. “We’ve been walking for hours. We’re lost. This bloody forest is deliberately confusing us.”

Harry refrained from agreeing with her aloud. “We just need to keep moving, Maia. If we keep heading east we’ll get to Hogwarts or to the edge of the forest.”

“But what if we never do? What if the trees don’t know which way is north in this place? And the Anti-Apparition wards won’t bloody end!” Maia kicked hard at a fallen tree. “I hate this place! I hate it!”

“Maia, we can’t give up,” Azeas said encouragingly.

“Shut it! I don’t want to hear another word out of your stupid little mouth!” Maia hissed. “You’re a creepy little cretin and you are not as smart as you like to pretend!”

“Maia!” Harry grabbed Maia’s arm and could feel the heat radiating off of her. He pulled her face to his and could see how flushed she was. “Maia? Are you all right? Are you feeling well? Were you hurt?”

“Stop asking me stupid questions!” Maia pulled away as her eyes filled with tears. “I want to go home!” she whispered.

Harry laughed. He couldn’t help it. He sat down on the fallen tree and laughed.

“Dad? Are you all right? Is it your head?” Azeas came a bit closer.

“Oh, Az,” Harry gasped. “You poor thing. You’ll have so much ranking over Bran and your father. This is like the family holiday from hell.” He went off into more peals of laughter.

“This isn’t funny!” Maia hissed.

“Oh, yes it is, love. You just haven’t been around long enough to get the joke!” Harry wiped at his eyes and nose and brought it down to bursts of giggles. “Here we are in a forbidden forest, two Subicios in Lustrum and a small but fierce Supero just coming into his stripes, hunted by a pack of Superos. This is absolutely ludicrous. It’s as if we’re in a horrible melodrama!”

Maia and Azeas stared at each other and then at Harry. “I’m in Lustrum?” Maia asked quietly.

Harry nodded with a smile. “Yes, love. Just as I thought, you inherited my luck. You’ll be dodging trouble all your life. Sorry about that.”

Maia nodded and looked down at the ground. Harry stood up and pulled her into his arms. She stiffened but allowed the touch.

“It’s fine, Maia. You’ll be pretty emotional, but nothing else. Well, a bit hot. But that’s probably for the best while we’re out here.” He looked into her dirt-smudged face where tear tracks were still evident. “We’re in the first stage. That’s good. We don’t have to be afraid of the Supero scent right now.”

“But we have to hurry, right? We have to get out of here right now!”

“Yeah, we do. We will.” He turned and herded his children in the direction they were headed. “We’ll get out of here.”

“Dad?” Azaes asked quietly. “Do you really think Father and Sev are going to find us?”

“Yes, Az, I do.”




“Now! Now when we need him he is not here!”

“He would be. In fact, the Headmaster has not informed him lest the giant oaf kill himself rising from his sick bed.”

Draco kicked a log as hard as he could, cracking it in half. “I am chaining him to me from now on!”

“Hagrid?”

Draco ignored the sarcastic question and trudged further into the woods. He pushed a branch out of his way and listened intently. Severus moved beside him, stealthily guiding them through the forest. Draco would thank him later for spending years collecting ingredients and becoming nearly as knowledgeable as Hagrid in the forest.

They had searched for hours the day before. When the woods had begun to shake in a frenzied fit, Draco had nearly lost his mind at what it could possibly have meant. Severus had remained calm and cool though and had immediately assisted Dumbledore in extending the Anti-Apparating wards to enclose nearly all of the forest. If the bastards were able to catch Harry and the children, they wouldn’t be able to disappear with them. Draco wouldn’t permit his mind to imagine anything about them being captured. A trick he had learned long ago and hoped to never use it again.

“The third group is coming in from the south and should have most of that part of the forest searched,” Snape read from a small missive that had flown to him.

“I hate these woods,” Draco snarled as he kicked another stump. “I always have and I always will. I should have burned the entire thing to the ground!”

It was Severus’s turn to ignore Draco. They pushed on, quietly moving through the trees and listening for any sign of Harry and the children or for any of the gang of men who had been spotted by a student just as Harry and the children had disappeared inside the forest.

Draco suddenly paused and motioned for Snape to continue on as he swiftly ducked behind a tree. The soft steps he had faintly heard behind them came closer. He sprung when they were right on the other side of him and grabbed their pursuer by the cloak, shaking him. “I’m going to kill you! I really will! You deserve it!”

“Please, don’t! I’m sorry!”

Snape returned and huffed in annoyance. “Perfect. Another delay.”

“No! No, I’m not! Father!” Bran hung from his father’s fist in his cloak. “Please, I can help! I know I can! Don’t make me sit in the castle while my whole family is out here!”

Pursing his lips, Draco dropped Bran and watched as he fell on his arse in the undergrowth. “This isn’t a bloody picnic, Bran!”

“I know!” Bran got to his feet. “Please, Father! Sev! Let me help!”

“It’s too far back at this point. It would delay us further,” Severus pointed out.

Glaring at his son, Draco grabbed the boy by the ear. “You step one toe out of line, you do one stupid, thoughtless thing, I’ll Obliviate you back to infancy and let your dad raise you all over again!”

“O-Okay. I’ll do as you say. I won’t do anything stupid or thoughtless,” Bran promised quickly, trying not to wince from the grip on his ear.

“Or brave,” Snape added.

“Yes, never that either!” Draco hissed and pinched Bran’s ear a bit harder before letting go. Bran rubbed at his red ear and nodded his agreement. “Right, let’s go. And keep up!”

The three of them trudged further on and Draco swore that he would not leave the forest until he found the other half of his family. He’d drop dead before they could force him out of there. He looked up as the first dark clouds moved in and covered the bits of sky viewable through the trees.

“Perfect,” he growled.



“Just perfect! Now it’s going to rain and we’ve lost the sun to tell us which way to go!” Maia tore leaves off the tree she was passing as she saw the beams of light on the ground disappear.

“We still have the moss,” Azeas pointed out.

“Bollocks to the bloody trees! They are probably hiding the moss, or turning it!”

“Maia, watch your language,” Harry reprimanded automatically as he looked up at the sky.

“I’ll say what I want!”

“I’ll make Azeas touch you.”

Maia’s eyes widened at her dad’s calm words and gasped. She remained quiet for the next ten minutes.

“It’s so hot,” she murmured a bit later.

“I know, love,” Harry said with sympathy. “But if you take your school robe off, your legs will be at the mercy of the forest in that skirt.”

“Why does that stupid Irish get to wear trousers?” Maia huffed.

“I’m fairly sure it’s not a school rule that girls must wear skirts,” Harry said thoughtfully as he helped Azeas over a fallen tree. “In boarding school, I suppose the girls want to fit in with the girls and the same with the boys.”

“We’re going to die!” Maia wailed in anguish, though she was smart enough to keep her voice down in her anguish as well.

“No, we’re not, love,” Harry responded cheerfully. “We’ll be out of here soon.”

“Why are you so bloody joyful?”

Harry smiled gently at Maia. “You’ve always made me a bit calmer, Maia. Your father and brothers were none too pleased when you went off to school, leaving them to my mercies.”

“I’ve kept you calm?”

“Yeah, Maia, you used to make Dad all soft and stuff. Kind of ditzy, but not a raving loon,” Azeas commented as he swung a stick.

Harry chuckled. “Thank you, Azeas. But I think you might have channeled your brother, there, for a bit.”

“Sorry, I’m a little tired,” Azeas apologized.

“Well, why can’t you calm me?” Maia asked in exasperation. “I feel ridiculous!”

“I don’t know. I think it has to do with me having to stay composed when my children are around.” Harry looked up at the sky. “We can at least thank Mother Nature for that small mercy.”

“Yes, well, I’d rather slap the bitch,” Maia growled. Harry laughed and stopped to give her a hug.

“Welcome to adulthood, Maia. May it be everything you thought it would be.”

Maia burst into tears and Harry soothed her by rubbing her back and murmuring sympathetic words.

That was when the rain began to fall softly through the leaves.

“I want to go home,” Maia wept into Harry’s shoulder. “Home, home. I want to be in my room and in my bed and I want you and Az and Father and Sev and even Bran there, and I want to be warm and eating cake.”

“I know, love, I know.” Harry petted her hair and then separated them. “But we need to keep moving first. And, hey, with the rain, we can get some water that’s not from a stream.” Maia did not find that to be reassuring or happy news.

He pulled her along by the arm and smiled at Azeas as they kept moving. “You all right, Az?” he asked the stoic young man.

“Yes, Dad.”

“I was really impressed with your actions back there,” Harry said quietly. “You were very brave and smart.”

“Thank you, but I couldn’t let them hurt you or Maia.” Azeas squinted up into the light rain. “Do you think Father and Sev will be proud that I was brave?”

Harry chuckled as he scanned the forest for any signs of danger before looking down at his son. “Well, if I know them, they will claim it was the only smart thing to do and praise your quick thinking and violence. I doubt they will see it as bravery.” He smiled. “But I do. I’m very proud of you, Az.”

“Thank you, Az,” Maia murmured. “Dad’s right. You were pretty brilliant.”

“Thanks.”

Harry turned to check the forest again with a smile playing on his lips as Azeas turned a bit pink at his sister’s praise. Quiet, little Azeas. Harry blinked back the tears at the thought that his children were all so grown-up. Apparently he wasn’t completely immune from the first stage of Lustrum.

“I think I see some berries,” Maia said and pointed toward a small bush. “Gods, I am so hungry!”

“They may not be edible.” Harry and the children moved closer to look. He racked his brain, trying to decide if they had any telling marks that would indicate poison.

“Well, the creatures in this place have got to eat something,” Maia argued. “What about the centaurs? Or those dead werewolves? What on earth were they eating?”

“We haven’t seen any centaurs. Maybe they don’t come over this way because of the lack of food,” Azeas surmised.

“Well, that’s perfect, then, isn’t it?”

“Maia, calm down. Let me see if—” Harry went silent at a sound. Voices. It was definitely voices.

Harry grabbed the kids and they ducked down behind the bush. He listened, trying to pinpoint the direction that they were coming from as he searched for a place to hide. He saw Azeas’ hand tighten on the stick he held and quickly began pulling the children away from where he had identified the voices to be coming from.

Keeping low, they moved cautiously through the brush and undergrowth. Every time one of them made a sound, all of them froze and strained to listen. The voices were still there, mumbled words periodically passing back and forth. After a few breaths of silence, Harry would indicate to keep moving. He led them back towards a small clump of trees they had just passed and, once there, cautiously pulled back a few branches and made sure it was safe. With a finger to his lips, he gestured for them to quietly hide inside. Once they were safe, he quickly and silently made sure they were hidden from view before carefully pulling some fallen branches to block the entrance after he had wiggled his way inside with them.

The only sounds they could hear were their own hushed and frightened breathing. Azeas still held his stick and Harry saw that Maia had picked up a thicker one from inside their hiding place. He hoped their weapons brought them some comfort and confidence. He hated that they were afraid and his anger nearly overwhelmed him, almost making him go out and attack what was threatening his young. In the last second, he felt Maia grab his hand and he took a deep breath and stayed still.

The voices came closer. Harry tensed, ready to fight if they were discovered. As he listened, he could begin to pick out single words muttered in French. Harry had only a sparse understanding of the language from his years in Canada but was unable to make any sense of the conversation.

The voices got closer and he could hear the stealthy footsteps along with them. Harry took heart in the fact that they were speaking aloud. They must not think Harry and the children were nearby. It might be their first bit of real luck.

As the men came closer, Harry pulled his children closer to him, hugging them tight and willing them to be completely silent and invisible. He was mentally focused and visualizing their hiding spot as completely undetectable, as a place to be avoided.

Maia tensed and bit her hand as the men said something and came to a standstill right in front of them. Harry could see mud-splattered shoes only three feet from him. The urge to surprise them and take them out was strong, but not knowing if there were more that he hadn’t heard or seen was forcing him to stay still and hold Azeas and Maia. He concentrated on visualizing them invisible and he prayed that the rain was dampening their scent down.

It seemed like hours before the men moved away, still muttering quietly to themselves. Harry and the children waited perfectly still for at least five minutes before Harry slowly moved forward to make sure it was safe. He didn’t see anything and pulled his head slowly back in.

“I think they’re good and gone. We’re going to slowly move out, all right?”

“Dad, they… they…” Maia swallowed and visibly tried to get a hold of her emotions. Harry sympathized with the Herculean task. “Dad, they’re going to kill Azeas,” she whispered.

Harry’s eyes widened as realization set in. Maia spoke French and had understood every word.

“They are?” Azeas asked quietly. “I guess that would make sense.”

“Quit being a creepy cretin!” Maia shouted at him in a whisper. “Aren’t you afraid?”

“Maia, stop.” Harry grabbed her hand. “Don’t try to scare your brother.”

“I’m not. I heard them. They said—”

“I know,” Harry broke in firmly. “I know. That’s why you have to run. If something happens, you need to get yourselves out of here. Maia,” Harry looked into her eyes in the gloomy light of their hiding place. “Maia, I need you to get Azeas out of here. I’ll be counting on you.”

“Dad, I can take care of myself,” Azeas said as he rose up onto his knees. “I’ll make sure they won’t get Maia.”

“No, Azeas. If Maia is caught, she’ll survive. She’s right, I am sure they don’t need you and will not want you around. Right now we have to think of survival. Maia will be kept alive.”

“No!” Maia’s face showed horror. “I’d rather die than let them touch me!”

“No, you wouldn’t!” Harry grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “You listen to me right now! Your father and Sev are looking for us. They will never stop looking for us. Every moment that you are alive gives them another moment to find you.”

“But they want to…” Maia got angry. “They want my body! You want me to just let them rape me?”

“No, I don’t! But you will survive it! It’s horrific and you’ll want to go insane, but just know that every minute brings you closer to being found! You’ll make it through and you’ll survive!”

Maia blinked and she stared at Harry. “You… you sound as if… as if you… you know…”

Staring back, deep into Maia’s black eyes, Harry said, “I do know. That’s why I know you can survive, Maia. If things go horribly wrong, I know you can survive.”

“Dad?” Maia swallowed hard and tears flooded her eyes. “You… But you…”

“This isn’t my first time being hunted,” Harry explained quietly. “And I’ve been… caught before. But if I had given up, you would be an only child and I am fairly sure your father would have gone mad from just the impotent anger alone. Survival is more important than pride, Maia.” He gently held her cheek as the tears spilled down from her eyes. “Do you understand?”

She nodded. “I understand,” she breathed. “I understand everything… now.”

“Good. I’m counting on you, love. I’m counting on you to save your brother and to survive if I need you to.”

Maia nodded and she scrubbed at her face. “I understand, Dad.”

“Dad?” Azeas’ voice was soft as Harry turned to him and Harry hoped that Azeas hadn’t quite understood what had happened. The knowledge in his son’s eyes showed that he did and Harry regretfully wished that he hadn’t had to burden his children with such horrible knowledge. “Dad, we don’t have to worry about this, right? We’ll be out of here soon, with Father and Sev.”

Harry smiled and nodded. “We’re going to give it our damnedest. You have your first big test this week, don’t you? We can’t have you miss that.”

Azeas nodded. “I do want to be there for it. It’s for Potions.”

“Right, then let’s get moving.” Harry started toward the entrance. “And pull your hoods up. It’s coming down harder now.”

“What about you, Dad?” Azeas asked as he tugged the hood of his robes up.

Harry smiled. “I’m fine. I used to play Quidditch with your father in worse weather.”

They slowly came out of their small hiding spot and Harry checked for any signs of danger. When there were no sounds or movement, he led the children back out into the rain and in the same direction they had been headed in.

“Dad?” Maia grabbed his hand. “Those men also said something about searchers in the forest. They were talking about hurrying before they were penned in. I’m sure it’s Father.”

Harry smiled. “I’m sure you’re right. Your father most likely got as many people he could press-gang into an immediate searching battalion.”

“He’s making them worried,” Azeas said proudly. “Father and Sev will find us any minute, won’t they?”

“I hope so. I could do with a new set of clothes and a shower,” Harry responded as he ruffled Azeas’ hair. “And I think I’ve been a bit too absent for my first teaching job.”

“Maybe you could put it down as a field trip?” Azeas suggested helpfully.

“I think a family emergency should just about cover it,” Maia added.

“I think you’re right.” Harry smiled gently at Maia. “We have a lot of those in this family, don’t we?”

Maia smiled and squeezed Harry’s hand. “But we survive, right?”

Harry looked away and blinked the tears from his eyes. “Maia, don’t make me cry. I’m enjoying my slight reprieve from this time of year,” he chided with a chuckle.

“And what a lovely time of year it is.”

Harry and the children jumped and spun at the voice. Azeas raised his stick as Maia brandished hers.

Five men emerged from the forest around them. Harry recognized them from their chase inside the woods.

“Now, let’s end this. It’s cold and wet.” The largest man moved forward: big, blond, and had the Nordic accent to go with it. “Don’t you want to go someplace nice and dry? What about you, pretty girl? You want to eat and be warm?”

“Go to hell!” Maia shouted.

“Feisty, like the guy said,” the American commented with a laugh. “A haughty little English princess.”

“Here,” the Viking-man started while looking at Harry. “We all know the script. We actually will be very happy with the girl. You and your boy can go.”

Harry stayed calm. “No.”

“No? You aren’t qualified to say such a thing. Your mate is looking for you. As a courtesy to him, we will let you and his son go back to him. But his embarrassment of riches ends here.”

“Yeah, it’s not fair, is it?” the mouthy American added. “He got you because you were in school together. The old man too. Now the rest of us have to suffer over again just because you don’t want to cut the umbilical cord? I don’t think so.”

“She has a marriage contract. With another Supero,” Harry stated firmly, ignoring Maia’s immediate look of shock. “A Supero with a large family and fortune. Do you really want to have his and our family combine to hunt you down?”

“Well, what’s done is done,” the Viking-man answered. “But, we already killed the rich man and his cousins. They were trying to cheat.”

“Cheat?” Harry scoffed.

“Yeah. Here we are, bustin’ our ass to show the girl how great we are and the guy was just going to buy her?” the American scoffed. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“True. But I’m wet and cold and done with this. Let’s go.” The Viking-man moved forward, which set the others in motion. There were too many to fight on his own, Harry knew. Too many to risk his children.

“Maia,” Harry murmured. “Go.”

“Dad? Don’t!”

“Now. Go! Go!” Harry quickly stepped forward and shouted out a spell. A great whoosh of wind encircled him and the Superos, causing leaves and debris to fly up and around everyone.

Maia ducked down and tugged at Azeas’ arm. “We’ve got to run!” she shouted over the noise of the wind and the men shouting. She saw one of the Superos break off and start to come for them. “Now, Az!”

“No, Dad!” Azeas shouted. Maia jerked hard on his arm and dragged him away. She looked back and saw the Superos moving in on Harry. A sob caught in her throat as she spun around.

“Az, quick! A stunning spell!”

They both pulled their wands and shouted. Two men went down but were struggling back up before Maia pulled at Azeas again. “We have to go!” Tears streamed down her face. “Azeas, now!”

Azeas turned and began running with her as the sound of shouting and fighting overcame the dying wind. Maia quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and concentrated on getting her and Azeas through the forest. She prayed that she was staying in the same direction that they had been traveling in. She tugged Azeas over a large fallen tree, hoping that he could keep up. They ran until they both were panting hard, but neither slowed. The one thing on their minds was to get to help as quickly as possible and go back for their dad.

“M-Maia,” Azeas panted out as he ducked under a low hanging branch. “The moss… has…. switched sides, I think we’re… going… in the wrong… direction.”

“Fine, fine,” Maia gasped back. “Which way, Az?”

“This way, around here.” Azeas swiveled and moved around a wide clump of tall trees.

Right into the arms of a man.

“Get off my brother!” Maia attacked the man using her stick that was clenched in her cramping hand. Another ripped it from her grasp. “No!”

“Maia! Azeas! Stop it!”

Both stopped their frenzied fighting and looked up at the figure.

“Father!” Maia cried and clung to the arm she had previously tried chewing off her brother. “Oh gods, Father!”

Draco’s arms wrapped around his children, pulling them tightly into him. “Sweet Merlin, thank you,” he breathed into Maia’s hair.

Maia clung to her father and breathed in his scent. It made her feel as if she shoud get away, but the familiarity of it also made her want to bury herself inside his embrace and never leave it. Until she remembered and her eyes popped open in horror. She fought against his arms.

“Father! Dad! Dad’s there! He’s still there!”

“He sent us away when they found us!” Azeas added in breathlessly.

Draco looked up and searched the forest around them before glancing at Snape.

“He’s not here,” Snape said quietly. “We need to move.”

“Hurry! Hurry!” Maia began pulling on Draco’s arm, which was already releasing her and Azeas as Draco straightened. “This way!”

“You will stay here,” Snape ordered hurriedly and drew a circle on the ground with his wand. “Do not move from this place and we will be able to find you.”

“No! No, we’ll show you where Dad is!” Maia shouted as Snape and Draco moved off. “We have to help him!”

“You will slow us down. Bran! Stay here!” Draco and Snape moved quickly out of view, their black clothing blending seamlessly into the forest.

“Bran?” Azeas turned and spotted his brother for the first time.

Bran moved forward, his eyes wide. “Are you guys all right?” he whispered quietly. “I… I was really afraid that…” He shook his head and looked up at Maia. “Maia, I think you are the greatest Quidditch player I’ve ever seen and I swear you play better than me. And Azeas,” he said before turning to his brother. “I think you are smart and not annoying.”

“Think that up while we were gone?” Azeas asked.

Bran nodded. “Yeah.”

“Thanks.”

Bran nodded again and looked in the direction their parents had left. “Is Dad… okay? I mean, he’s fighting the bad guys, yeah? Dad’s good at that, right?”

Maia stood silently watching the wet forest intently. Her eyes were full of tears she refused to let drop. Her hands were clenched in tight fists. “Dad’s very good at it,” she whispered. “Best there ever was.”

Azeas and Bran moved up next to her and the three silently stood vigil for signs of their parents’ return.