Bonds of Affection

Harry found himself Apparated, but not above ground. Apparently, one could only Apparate so far with the wand being left behind. Good to know, he thought. For next time he was buried alive...



He felt soil shifting around him to accommodate his body. Not knowing how far he was from the surface, he kept his mouth shut and clawed desperately, thanking heavens that the soil was loose, as if recently upturned. He finally felt a thicker layer of earth above him, that did not yield easily to his fingers. He struck at it desperately, and scraped against it until finally, one of his hands reached out of the ground. He forced another hand out, and spread the soil apart, worming his way out into fresh air. He gulped, and breathed deeply, crawling out of the ground, lying on top of the wrecked graveside. The first of the sunrise touched his face, and he laughed out loud.



He lifted himself up on his elbows, scarcely believing he'd made it. Then, as the euphoria faded, he realized that his wand was still buried underneath. He had considered using his bare hands to dig up the grave, but then realized that, were he noticed by Muggles, it would probably result in him being arrested for defiling the grave, or something along those lines. He stood up, shook off as much dirt off his body as he could, and decided to walk to the village, and look for a wizard household, and ask them to use the Floo, to place a firecall. Or maybe, just get someone to come with him, and help him unearth the grave.



He had been walking for about ten minutes, when he saw a shadow on the ground right above his position. Then he heard his name.



“Harry!”



He looked up instantly, to see the Weasley flying car, with Hermione at the wheel, and Ron waving at him, leaning out of the car so far that he was nearly falling out.



Harry jumped up and down, waving back. The car descended, and Ron hopped out, running up to Harry, and nearly slamming into him. For a few seconds they just stared at each other in silent amazement, and then, erupted into a flurry of jumping and triumphant shouting.



“I can't believe I am seeing you!” Harry cried out loud. “This is bloody amazing!”



At the wheel Hermione was looking at Harry with a satisfied smile. “Hop in, you two,” she called.



Then, they both climbed back into the car, Harry into the front seat, and Ron, into the back.



“Take me to the graveyard!” Harry demanded without a preamble. “Right next to my parents' grave. My wand is there. It's buried.”



Hermione nodded and the car headed back. Ron looked at him with his eyes wide open. “Why is your wand buried?” he asked. “Why are you covered in dirt?”



“Long story,” Harry said. “Brief version: Voldemort buried me alive, Severus slipped the wand in. I got out of the grave, but the wand is still there.”



Hermione gasped, and her hands clutched the wheel. “No wonder we couldn't find you until you got out. Oh, Harry... How horrible! I said sending you to Voldemort's hideout was a stupid idea. But nooooo, why should anyone ever listen to me; what harm would it do to spend two days with Voldemort” she mocked.



Harry laughed again and patted her back. “Stop whining and tell me how you found me,” he demanded.



“Fine,” Hermione agreed. “Well, Harry – remember when we were staying with you and Sev... - Snape at the Manor? How we went shopping every day?”



Harry nodded. How could he forget?



“Well, we didn't exactly do it to give you two privacy. We decided that we wanted a backup plan for tracking you – but something that would likely go unnoticed by Voldemort and others. Something... non-magical. So, on our shopping trips, we researched and purchased some new Muggle technology. The best GPS tracking system we could find. The implant, the mobile phone, the receiver, and the solar-powered charger... I mean, we didn't know how long we would be following you, and most places in the wizarding world don't have electric outlets... By the way, that's why had to leave so soon after we healed you that day – we needed to recharge the battery...”



Harry blinked. “What the... how does all of that work...?” he stammered.



“Well,” she said, with not a small measure of satisfaction, “First of all, the implant goes in your body...”



“Stop right there,” Harry said. “You placed an implant into my body? Where? How? When?”



She snickered a bit. “Remember the tongue piercing? When I applied the numbing and healing spells, I took the liberty of implanting the GPS tracking chip right into your tongue.”



“Oh,” he muttered. “You two are nuts. You got your tongues pierced just so that you could goad me to do the same...and then microchip me?”



“Yup,” Ron said, completely unapologetic. “It worked, didn't it?”



Harry laughed, with just a trace of disbelief in his voice. “I've been microchipped like a cat.”



“No, Harry,” Hermione said with amusement. “A cat would have been a lot more difficult to microchip. You've been microchipped like a... turnip.”



“Okay,” Harry said, not sure whether to be irritated, amused, or simply deliriously grateful. “So. I have the microchip. How does it work?”



“Basically it's a data-pusher. Same technology rich parents use to track their kids, or ..conservationists use to track endangered animals...”



“Which one am I?” he asked with a smirk.



“A little bit of both,” Ron muttered.



“I thought Muggle technology didn't work in the wizarding world,” Harry said, still not believing his own ears.



“Well, some places have anti-electricity spells, and some locations have too much natural ambient magic that interferes with Muggle technology,” Hermione said. “And many locations are Unplottable, as you know, invisible to detection by Muggle means. But that doesn't matter. The Wizarding world is embedded within the greater world, so the GPS logs the position within the Muggle world near the entrance to the wizarding world where you are located... and then all we need to do is find the entrance and follow you in.”



“So –...” Harry mused. “If I was going to Diagon Alley, the thing would have told you my last location as Charing Cross Road, and then you would have been able to follow me in, right?”



“Yes,” Hermione confirmed.



“Bloody brilliant!” Harry exclaimed. Hermione and Ron, using magic and Muggle technology at once, putting the best of both worlds together, to track him and find him, wherever he was.



“Well, actually, it's not fool-proof,” Hermione said sadly. “We got the best unit we could find, but it still works only partially indoors... and not at all, underground. Your last location was logged somewhere near Godric's Hollow, but ... we would have never found you in that grave, if you hadn't escaped on your own.”



Ron twitched a bit. “Can't believe it. Harry... this is fucking insane.”



“Wait,” Harry said suddenly, as a suspicion dawned. “The GPS tracking stuff? Isn't it expensive?”



“Kind of,” Ron confirmed, a bit reluctantly. “But we figured it out.”



Harry looked at him with even more suspicion. “You didn't rob a Muggle bank, did you?”



Hermione laughed. “No, Harry. My parents are dentists, remember? They make quite a bit of money in Muggle terms.. they gave me a car as an early birthday present... I just can't drive it yet. So anyways, on our first shopping trip, we sold it.”



“You sold your.... car?” Harry asked pitifully. “You could have just asked me for money, you know.”



“We didn't want you to know something was up,” Hermione said reasonably. “We've told you nothing for a reason. If Voldemort had managed to look into your mind, and you hadn't been able to withstand him... well... bottom line is, I think he'd be seriously pissed, to find a Muggle tracking chip in your tongue.”



Harry shuddered at the thought. “He probably would have ripped my tongue right out...”



“Yes,” Hermione mused. “And as we all know, Severus is quite fond of your tongue.”



Harry found himself blushing furiously. Ron snickered, then covered his mouth.



“All I am saying,” Hermione continued serenely, “Is that he seems to enjoy it when you speak your mind.”



“Oh.”



Soon, the car landed near the graveside Harry had pointed them to. They ran to the grave, and Hermione and Ron opened it quickly, and lifted the coffin out of it. A quick Revelio spell later, they found the wand, embedded into the wood, and picked it out. Harry took it and tucked it away.



“Now, on to Hogwarts,” Hermione said, opening the door of the car. “We need to go to Dumbledore.”



“No,” Harry said firmly, not moving. “We have to go after Severus.”



“And how do you propose to do that?” Ron asked sceptically. “He's not microchipped...”



“I thought of microchipping him, too,” Hermione admitted, “But couldn't pull it off without him noticing... and was afraid that his Dark Mark would be aware of something foreign entering his body...”



Harry stayed silent for a while, thinking – and feeling an inner urge that was driving him somewhere; he could not quite tell where. He did not know how, or why, he only knew, with absolute certainty, that the destination his instinct was pointing him to, was where Severus was, too. He felt a small shudder of dread go through him.



“I can find him,” Harry said. “I can Apparate us to where he is.”



Hermione looked at him dubiously. “How?”



“I don't know how,” he admitted. “I just know that I can.”



“No,” Ron protested. “No more nonsense. We have to go to Dumbledore, have him assemble the Order, and ...”



Harry knew that it would have been more reasonable to do it that way. But the dreadful feeling within him intensified.



“I don't think there's time,” Harry whispered. “I think something is wrong...I have to go after him.”



“We will,” Hermione said firmly. “As soon as we have backup.”



“No,” Harry said with finality. “Now. Hermione – you and Ron go to Hogwarts, and... well, find Dumbledore, or whatever. But I have to go after him right away. I can't not to.”



Ron slammed his fist against the car. “Dammit, Harry ...”



Harry sighed a bit. “Ron.. Hermione... I can't. I have to go there.”



“But you don't know where it is!” Hermione snapped. “You have an urge to Apparate somewhere, but you don't know where – and how do you know that it's Severus on the other end of this...urge?”



“I just do,” Harry repeated. “I don't know how I know. Maybe the slave-bond knows where he is, and is telling me.”



Ron shook his head with loathing. “No, Harry, the slave-bond doesn't know any such thing,” he said. “It's impossible.”



Harry felt his temper flair up instantly. “And how would you know? How many times have you been slave-bonded?”



Ron opened his mouth, clearly to say something spiteful, but Hermione stopped him, placing her hand on his shoulder.



“Timeout,” she said. “Fine. Harry obviously feels strongly enough about it, to go with or without us. So let's go together. Let's Apparate there together. Once there, the GPS will tell us where we are. Then, before we cross the lockdown barrier, we will send out a Patronus with a message to Dumbledore.”



Ron nodded in agreement.



Harry looked at both of them with gratitude. “You know... maybe you shouldn't come with me this time. I mean...”



Hermione smiled a little. “No. This is a job for three, not one. Let's go.”



To Be Continued ...