Jigsaw

A/N Woohoo! *Runs around with t-shirt over head football style* Yeah I\'ve found you all, I knew you were lurking there in the hidden depths of the cyber couch waiting to be rediscovered. Well I\'m glad you liked the update, I did enjoy writing it and it makes me happy when my readers are happy. To answer a few questions, yes, yes, yes and no.... *chuckles* I\'m not telling you which answers fit which questions though, because that would spoil the surprise. Oooh and no, I can\'t really see Harry with a goatee\' but it\'s all part of the plot. Anyway hope you like these two measly little chapters, I promise there will be less heartfelt monologues in the next update, I find too many in one story can make me feel ill. Okay on with the story and thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, I love you all but can not get enough, so review, review and review so that my addiction to other banned and much more expensive substances doesn\'t return.


CHAPTER 26

Harry sat defensively in the chair his arms folded across his naked chest and his expression the same emotionless mask he’d worn for the past 48 hours. Across the other side of the table, sat Minister Archwrite and Chief of the Department of Wizarding Affairs the honourable Gordon Ramsbottom. Also, stationed at the door of the empty, windowless room Harry was being kept in, stood a menacing looking Auror Hatsfeld and one of his senior officers.

“Mr Potter, this is not helping your cause just tell us where you and Severus Snape have been for the past month and a half and what you have been doing?” Harry remained silent, staring at the two wizards opposite him who were becoming increasingly irritated with Harry’s silence. For just gone 48 hours they’d kept him here in this cell alone, occasionally passing in a tray of food of which Harry didn’t eat. On the hour, every hour the same four wizards entered the room and asked him the same questions, over and over again, as if he was going to break. In Harry’s opinion they had tried every tactic in the book to get him to tell them what they wanted but he wasn’t going to be budged.

“What do you hope to achieve by this silence Mr Potter? We already have your wand, have seized what little assets you had, and have more than enough evidence to convict you on the current charges. We are offering you an agreement, for the information we desire, you can be assured a lighter sentence.” Harry huffed a contemptible laugh and shook his head in amusement. The ministry were obviously getting desperate to offer him such a pathetic agreement. Unfolding his arms Harry leaned across the table closer to the two wizards’ who instinctively leaned back away from him in fear.

“Do you honestly believe I would accept such a bargain? Severus Snape’s life is worth more to me than any possible offer you may make.” Still smiling nastily Harry watched as the two ministers glanced at one another cautiously. “And further more what makes you believe that I need a wand to use magic?” With a menacing smile Harry sat back in his chair watching as Minister Archwrite swallowed nervously, before patting his damp brow with a spotted yellow handkerchief.

“Mr Potter, we can make life extremely difficult for both yourself and Mr Snape, in fact Severus Snape is already enjoying the hospitality of our maximum security section. I believe the two day’s he has spent in the sensory deprivation unit has softened his resolve considerably.” Gordon Ramsbottom smiled nastily in return knowing that he’d touched a weakness with Harry, he was willing to abuse to his own gains. Harry didn’t bite though and swallowed around the rage he could feel bubbling inside of him, focusing his energy on his magic. Within an instant the lights in the room flickered and before Gordon Ramsbottom could call for help Harry had thrown him across the room, slamming him into the two way mirrored glass on the far side of the room, without having even lifted a finger. The sickening thud as the man had hit the wall and floor made Harry smile. Wandless magic had been a pet project of his over the past eight years, and he’d found his power far more acute when focused on one Severus Snape. Like lightening the two Auror’s who’d been standing guard at the door, ran over to Harry hauling him up from the chair and pinning him against the wall. Harry didn’t struggle and merely watched as Archwrite helped his colleague up from the floor.

“I believe this meeting has ended Mr Potter.” Ramsbottom spat angrily at Harry, the man still straightening his robes after Harry’s upset. Both Archwrite and Ramsbottom made to leave the room but before they could, Harry spoke up.

“If anyone harms so much as a hair on Severus Snape’s head, I will kill whoever is responsible and anyone who gets in my way.” Harry whispered watching as both ministers looked around at him in shock at the warning. Ramsbottom smirked nastily in Harry’s direction as if he’d just been handed the proof he needed.

“Is that a threat Mr Potter?” Harry laughed sarcastically, knowing already what Ramsbottom was trying to pull. Threatening a ministry official’s life warranted more than just a stay in Azkaban but Harry was smatter and merely shook his head, his green gaze never leaving Ramsbottom’s.

“No indeed sir, just a polite request which you’ll undoubtedly heed knowing that it’s in the ministry’s interest and safety that you do as I ask.” Harry watched as Ramsbottom sneered before the man stormed from the room, leaving an extremely flustered and yellow looking Archwrite to follow him. When the door to the room had closed Hatsfeld and his associate threw Harry to the ground with some considerable force. Harry barely had time to stick out his hands to prevent his face from hitting the ground before he caught the flash of a fist sailing through the air towards him. Without shifting Harry rolled over quickly, his hand shooting out to connect with the swinging punch before it could connect with his body. Hatsfeld was obviously surprised by the move and crumpled a little at the strength of Harry’s iron grip now clasped tightly around his fist. “Trust me sir, you don’t want to do that, the consequences of such an action are beyond what you could ever imagine.” With a fatal stare that would have froze even the worst of hearts, Harry roughly let go of Hatsfeld’s fist watching as the man stumbled back a little clasping his injured hand against his chest.

“You think you’re invincible Harry Potter, but we’ll see who’s the saviour of the world when you’re given to the dementors.” With his parting shot Hatsfeld left the room, his accomplice following him out. Alone once again in the room, Harry felt the ward’s re-lifted and upgraded, at least one of his visitors had been worried enough about Harry’s threats to upgrade the security. With an exaggerated sigh Harry crawled over to the corner of the room, and with his eyes closed and his legs folded Harry fell back into his meditation. Snape had taught him how to meditate during the campaign against Voldemort, in an attempt at improving his occlumency levels. Unbelievably it had worked and Harry had perfected the art of shutting his mind off, just as Snape had taught him. While there was little point in practicing occlumency here, the meditation kept him focused and relaxed him, so he’d taken it up again at least until he was out of this place.

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Harry felt the wards of the room shudder a little before falling away, a sure sign someone was visiting him. No doubt it was the awesome foursome come again to interrogate him. However when Harry opened his eyes he was somewhat shocked when he saw Albus Dumbledore, and current minister of magic Cornelius Fudge step into the room.

“Harry my boy, you look awful.” Harry managed a halfhearted chuckle at the ex-headmasters dry wit, as he pulled himself up from the floor. It was a vain attempt at saving his dignity, even when he was standing in only his boxer shorts having been stripped and searched when they’d first hauled him back to the ministry.

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company.” Harry whispered in return, causing Dumbledore to laugh heartily to himself.

“Still finding your sense of humour even in such situations as these Harry, it’s refreshing to see.” Before Dumbledore could continue with his lighthearted banter, Fudge cleared his throat, drawing the two wizard’s attention to the short stocky man. Falling silent Harry waited for what the bumbling old fool had to say.

“It is with deepest apologies Mr Potter, that I signed these release forms. I do not know what possessed my officers to arrest you, and under such flimsy evidence but I hope that this has not dissuaded you from trusting the system?” Harry stared at Fudge unmoved; somewhat shocked that he was being released so easily. For explanation Harry turned to Dumbledore but the elder wizard merely smiled brightly and gestured for Harry to follow him out of the cell. Cautiously Harry followed Dumbledore his brow furrowed deep in confusion. Fudge was rabbiting away and fussing around him like he was god, but Harry ignored the minister and merely accepted his wand and clothes back from the Auror they met in the corridor. It was only after he’d dressed, signed some forms and reached the lobby of the Ministry that Harry realised what was happening and he turned abruptly to the older wizard.

“What about Snape.” Harry bit out from between gritted teeth watching as Dumbledore merely smiled at him brightly again.

“Not here my boy, not here.” Before Harry could question Dumbledore further the pair of them were engulfed in a rush of photographers and journalists all vying for an interview and picture of him to put on the front page. Angry Harry ignored all offers of interviews, the slanderous comments coming from their mouths enough to ignite his rage. It was with relief when Harry and Dumbledore stepped into the elevator, leaving Fudge behind to tackle to media fuss. In the silence of the elevator Harry spoke again, determined now to get a straight answer about Snape. If Dumbledore had no intention of helping the man, then Harry would be parting company from him as soon as they reached the surface.

“I’m not leaving without him.” Harry muttered determinedly watching as Dumbledore sighed heavily and nodded in reluctant agreement.

“For now you will have to Harry. He is safe enough where he is until his trial two weeks from now. It gives us enough time to think of a strategy. We’re going to The Broken Broomstick, the order is waiting for us there.” With a shuddering jolt the elevator deposited them in the telephone box on the muggle street. With a knowing smile Dumbledore stepped out of the booth and with a polite smile at a passing muggle disappeared with a sharp pop. Harry sighed heavily after Albus had gone wondering what price he would have to pay for the ex-headmasters rescue. Knowing however that he had nowhere else to go, and no other way of helping Snape Harry stepped out of the phone booth and with a crack disappeared too.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>