The Breaking of a Dragon

Severus was in the middle of making another memory enhance potion at his family’s manor when he was so rudely interrupted by the squeaky panicked calls of his family’s house elves. Grunting in frustration Severus moved the kettle from the fire and started upstairs out of his lavatory near the wine cellars and up towards the parlor where a mystery guest was awaiting. It was more than likely just Kingsley or Weasley here for another sedative potion for the mystery guest they and Dumbledore had refused to tell him about. The secrecy going on behind his back was riding his last nerve; in fact, he had plans to deliver the next batch of potions to the old Grimmauld Place himself to see what all the fuss was about. He had an inkling feeling about who they were hiding, but didn’t want to get his hopes up until he knew for sure. Wiping his cold and clammy hands on his black work robes, Severus entered the parlor room only to balk where he stood at the entrance upon finding what had once been one of his good friends.

“Lucius?” Severus greeted trying to keep the surprised shrill from his voice as he walked over to greet his old Slytherin companion, Lucius seemed amused by Severus’ surprised reaction and grinned back as they both gave one another a good firm shake of the hand.

“Severus, you know my son has been missing for quite sometime, yes?” Severus frowned at his friend’s blunted statement. Lucius Malfoy had lost his son nearly two years ago, and his wife around six months ago and the man still seemed so damn chipper about it. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have thought it was Lucius that did the conspiring deed behind the Ministry’s back.

“Yes, of course...” Severus replied to the question with heavy heart, it goes without saying that Severus loved Draco; after all, the boy had been his godson, why wouldn’t he care for him? After Draco had disappeared just before the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, people had thought Lucius had just hid him away so the boy couldn’t talk, that is if the boy wasn’t in on what happened at the tournament when it came to the resurrection of the dark lord. But when the Malfoys had written to the school questioning them about their son’s whereabouts, Severus knew something was not right. Draco Malfoy was posted on the missing list for two years and three months. Still no signs of the boy’s existence, nor was there any leads. It was only due to Lucius Malfoy’s money that the search had yet to be called off; Severus feared the Minister would pull the plug soon, regardless to what Lucius wanted.

“I need you to tell me the truth Severus, our Lord wants my son back quite badly...you are going to tell me where your precious headmaster is hiding my son or I will tear Hogwarts apart brick by brick until I find him. Do you see where I’m going with this Severus?” Severus was frowned down at the wand pointing to his chest; looking back up Lucius he cocked an eyebrow inquiringly, had the man gone insane? How would he know where Draco was? And why would the dark lord want him back...unless...

“You were the one that kidnapped your son?” Severus’ question was more like a statement, but either way Lucius had a cruel smirk playing on his pale full lips.
“The missing posters, the rewards...all of it was just a cover-up, wasn’t it?” Severus couldn’t believe how blind he had been, some spy he made, he could barely see through the people closest to him, how would he see through the master minds?

“Yes, our Lord wanted a strong protégé, he chose my son as his own project. Draco was reluctant to join the inevitable so I took a short cut to make sure the boy kept his mouth shut.” Lucius replied coldly as he took a seat in Severus’ office chair, his wand still pointed directly at Severus was he did so.

“And Narcissa?” Severus inquired now fearing the answer he was about to receive

“Narcissa....she was such a manipulating little bitch, don’t you agree? Yes, she was beautiful...her body enthralling, but there just wasn’t the brain to complete that little package. She was getting in the way, and she was getting too sloppy around the aurors, she had to go.” Lucius answered bluntly, his hands folded gently on top of the oak desk.

“So your son got away from you and our Lord, at least that’s what you’re leading me to believe. Why on earth would he come here if he knows that I serve the same Lord as you?” Severus asked with a sly tone hitched into his voice to make him sound smug. Lucius scowled at his reaction and automatically tightened his grip on the wand still held firmly in his hand.

“Because Draco is a stupid boy under the assumption that if he can get Dumbledore’s protection he’ll be protected from our Lord that is why he would go to you. Draco isn’t the boy you remember Severus, he’s changed...reformed or refined I would say. It’s amazing what two years of torture could do for the mind, he’s just as sadistic as Bellatrix now. Bella seems exceedingly proud of her nephew; that is until he ran. Once you go dark you can never go back, you know this better than anyone Severus. If you find him, you let me know...I wouldn’t want any of your students in danger after all.” Lucius admonished sarcastically as he finally stood to his feet. Severus refused to even look at the Slytherin as the house elf led him out, he was still in shock. How could he not know where Draco was? Why would Voldemort hide Draco’s presence from him when others in the inner circle knew?

He knew where Draco was....he needed to get to Grimmauld Place immediately.

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Draco was in the middle of reading another book that the bushy haired girl Hermione had lent to him. The girl wasn’t so bad once you got over her know it all attitudes; she had said that since he liked the prayer he said at dinner that he would be interested in a book called the Bible. Draco had heard about this, the religion and the belief under one God. The book so far had been enthralling though after a while of reading began to make him get a headache as each verse tended to go into gibberish. He wondered if perhaps Shakespeare was related to the man who wrote the bible, they both seemed to have similar writing styles, and he had no clue what either of them were saying most of the time.

“What are you doing here? Dumbledore said to stay away from here until further notice and you know it!” Molly’s shrieking could be heard from the sitting room down the hall. Draco frowned, the only time Molly ever really yelled was when one of the other children had done something stupid. But wasn’t everyone at Diagon Alley visiting those redheaded twins’ shop? Draco shut the good book and set it down on the coffee table where mountains of other books of various sizes could be seen sprawled about. Draco smiled at his accomplishments over the weeks, it seemed he’d have more knowledge then Merlin himself by the time summer would end when it came to both the Wizarding and Muggle World.

“Where is he? Where is he Molly? How could you do this to me? I’m the boy’s godfather for Merlin’s sake! You had no right to keep him from me!” Draco frowned, he knew that voice; it was the cold monotonous voice he had often heard giving lectures during his youth about...Quidditch? No, that wasn’t a Quidditch instructor’s voice...Arithmetic? No, that wasn’t right either...Potions? Yes, Potions and the Dark Arts, no, Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts. Severus! Severus Snape! Sev...his Severus...did he come for him?

Getting up from his curled up position on the oversized chair, Draco walked slowly over to the library door, holding his breath Draco prayed to this god he had been learning about that Severus had finally come for him. But what if it was only to take him back to his father? No! Severus wouldn’t do that, he was loyal to his mother and that was it. But his mother knew of his location as well, and still she did nothing to save him. Would Severus be the same? Would he too die in silence?

“Severus Snape! Leave this house immediately or I will get Dumbledore here! Severus! Are you even listening to me?” Draco stepped away from the door, his hands wrung themselves nervously back and forth in front of his frame, taking a calming breath, Draco opened the door and peek his head out into the hallway. There he was, standing, nay, looming over his protector with a wand? NO!

“NO!” Draco spat out frantically as he flung himself in front of Molly, shaking his head furiously he put up his fists in a protective fight stance, he had no wand, but that didn’t make him helpless. Did it?

“Draco...” Draco just continued to shake his head wishing the wand in front of Severus’ hand away. With a flick of his wrist, the wand that had been clutched tightly in the palms of his godfather had disappeared, only to reappear in his own shaking grasps. Draco gaped at the wand still in his hand and trembled as his grip fell and he released the wand to the floor still shaking his head in disbelief.

“Now look what you did Severus...Draco? Draco, come here dear...it’s alright, Severus was just having a temper tantrum.” Draco allowed his body to be swept up into the embrace of the woman he had just jumped in front of to protect. He would never allow any harm to come to Molly; he would kill himself before he would see his savior in any pain.

“Please don’t take her away…” Draco knew he must look pathetic, for gods’ sakes he was whimpering like a three year old, that was a very un-pureblood like…wait. Why did he care if Severus saw him like this? The man wasn’t a pureblood anyhow.

“Draco, why don’t you go to your room? The children will be back soon and I’ll send Ginny up as soon as I see her.” Draco stilled at this, still looking at Severus with distrust he slowly moved away from the woman hold him and left the hallway feeling somewhat betrayed that he was being sent away.

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“None of this makes sense Molly, why doesn’t he remember his Hogwarts years? Voldemort would want him to remember Potter, Granger, and your son; they were the top three that powered his hate and rage. Without them there would be nothing to fuel it…something had to have happened to make him forget.” Severus muttered where he sat slumped in one of the cushioned chairs in the sitting room. Molly sat in front of him stirring her own cut of tea and looked passed his soldier and to the staircase where Draco had disappeared nearly an hour ago.

“He had marks on his neck Severus, finger marks; he had been strangled quite a few times if the bruises count for anything. If he had been beaten, tortured, one would receive head injuries obviously; he could be suffering from traumatic amnesia. But from the books Hermione gave me, the only thing he should have trouble remembering are the events that led up to his injuries, but to me it seems he remembers places, experiences in classrooms and knowledge, just not the people in it. But he remembers you, he remembers Dumbledore, his family, certain friends from Slytherin. Nothing else seems to ring a bell, he knows who Harry Potter is, but he doesn’t remember Harry.” Molly explained shakily as she still sipped quietly at her tea waiting for her family to get back.

“It’s triggered then, Draco’s forcing himself to forget…but why?” The seemed to be the question that would remain unanswered until a certain blonde boy would speak out.
“Has he said anything else? Has he told anything who took him and why? How he got out? Anything?” Molly just shook her head with a tired sigh. It hadn’t mattered that they had drugged him, yelled at him, spoken gently, they would get nothing out of Draco without going into another one of his mental attacks.

“Lucius Malfoy was at my house last night.” Molly paused at that, with narrowed eyes and a tightened grip on her teacup, Molly gave a firm not for Severus to continue.
“He told me that if Dumbledore was hiding him at Hogwarts, that we’d better give him back or regret the consequences that would be given. He had him Molly, Lucius had kidnapped his own son, and lied about the whole bloody thing with a cover up of wanted posters and reward moneys to any information concerning his son’s whereabouts. He knew where Draco was the entire time; the bastard gave his own son to Voldemort!” Severus spat out angrily as he shoved his tea away no longer having the mind nor stomach to handle anything at the moment.

“What about Narcissa? There was a body…but was that really her?” Molly asked reluctantly as she moved over to the couch that was pressed against the chair inhabiting Severus’ side.

“He ordered the own murder of his wife to keep her quiet. Narcissa was a good woman, I admit she was vague and stupid when it came to seeing what was right in front of her, but she was still kind. She didn’t want Draco turning in Lucius. Narcissa obviously was afraid of telling what happened to Draco and so she dropped hints, clues, Lucius found out and had her killed.” Severus retorted bluntly.

“That poor dear…”