First Place - Angst

Cornelius Fudge deserved a slow and painful death, but public humiliation would have to do for now. Severus was proud of his son, taking the Minister's attempt at buying popularity and turning it into a public exoneration of the once most hunted man in the wizarding world. The Minister of Magic had been forced by a teenager to swallow his pride.

Severus picked up the photograph of James that smiled and waved at him. The death of his bonded hit him harder than ever before. For the past year he had been consumed by the need to heal Harry, to know Harry, and now Harry, while not one hundred percent healthy, was finally doing well enough. Severus could stop thinking obsessively about the welfare of his son... and miss the other parents.

James.

The photograph wasn't enough. It didn't smell like the man, didn't have his voice, such a warm tenor, didn't feel like him, didn't taste like him...

Severus put the photograph back on his mantel and leaned his head against the cold polished marble. His memory was a mess. In half his thoughts James Potter was an arrogant fool, a true bastard. The others showed his kindness and caring, the loyalty even when loyalty was entirely undeserved, the faith that the people he loved were good people. It ached deep inside where Severus could not reach to quench the cold flame of loss.

His forearm burned and he knew that Voldemort was active that night, causing pain and death somewhere. He gripped the Dark Mark and cursed.

"Severus!"

He jumped back, remembering exactly why leaning against a mantelpiece was generally a bad idea. The urgency in Albus's voice just didn't register at that moment.

"What is it Albus?" Severus didn't bother trying to mask the tired hurt in his voice.

"The Dursleys."

Once again, a situation was there to stop him from grieving. He narrowed his eyes, "Let them rot."

"They are Harry's family Severus and they are under attack," Albus narrowed his own eyes in return.

Severus snatched up a useless glass ornament, not really knowing what it was or who put it in his quarters, and hurled it at the opposite wall. It shattered and sprayed tiny slivers of glass around his room. In the fire Albus flicked his wand and repaired the ornament.

"Fine. I'm going. The bastards had better appreciate it," Severus growled and grabbed a cloak as he strode out of his quarters. It swirled in the air before settling around his body and he met up with both Remus and Kingsley on his way to the edge of the anti-apparition wards. The Aurors were still patrolling the corridors of the school on occasion.

"Everyone knows where they're going?" Severus snarled at the other men. He was met with silent stares and sharp nods and the 'crack' of three wizards apparating filled the night air.

Number four Privet Drive had become a battlefield. There were already several Order members there, fighting a medium sized crew of Death Eaters. Severus joined the fight immediately, for once on the right side, and caught a glimpse of the dark skinned Auror and the werewolf fighting at his side. He was actually proud to be fighting along side them. The thought itself forced a chuckle and he threw himself into the battle.

Curses flickered through the air and Severus cut down Death Eater after Death Eater. They were not Inner Circle, could not possibly be. These masked and robed figures did not have the dueling skills of Severus's former compatriots, but they were enough for some of the less seasoned Order members.

His analytical mind began examining the situation even as he cursed yet another of Voldemort's minions into unconsciousness. He examined the yard quickly and saw no trace of the Dursleys themselves, and the father would be hard to miss. They were either already gone and these wizards were a distraction or they were inside with the more dangerous Death Eaters. These were just a speed bump and warning.

"Fuck," Severus felt his blood begin to boil. He grabbed Remus and headed towards the house. "If anyone is going to kill those pathetic muggles it is me."

Remus's eyes widened, "Severus?"

"I am not going to wolf," Severus spat. "Harry would never forgive me."

"Then lets go save them," Remus shot a stunner at a Death Eater in their path. Voldemort could have sent many more of them but knowing him this was not the only attack tonight though. It wasn't big enough for Halloween.

Severus blasted the front door off its hinges. There wasn't time to be neat about things. He followed the screams to the master bedroom.

Crucio!

Severus heard both a woman's screams and a soft growl. It made sense to some degree. As Lily's sister Petunia was part of the pack to some degree, as despised as she was. He and Remus raced up the stairs and barged into the room with wands drawn.

"Severus," Lucius Malfoy kept his wand on the woman as she shrieked and writhed. He had at some point discarded his mask. Severus knew he like his victims to see his face after the initial shock factor. Vernon Dursley was most likely petrified as his eyes were all that were moving. "I never thought to see you keeping company with a werewolf."

"It's a step up from you," Severus replied scathingly. "He is far more human."

Lucius seethed and redirected his wand to point at Severus. There was only one other Death Eater in the room and he had to be Inner Circle as well. It made sense to have them divided, leading various troops of regular Death Eaters.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," Lucius snarled.

Severus had his own wand brandished and saw Remus edging towards Petunia. The other Death Eater was watching Severus and Lucius, not seeing what might have been a larger threat. Severus flicked his wand, Flagrante! It was a more powerful version of Incendio, and Lucius's cloak burst into all consuming flame.

The other Death Eater jumped into battle with Severus while Lucius tried to put out the flames. In the end he threw his cloak to the ground and abandoned it to throw curses at Severus.

He felt alive, blocking, hexing, relying on his reflexes and instincts. Training Harry had been as beneficial for Severus as for his son. Fighting these two was not nearly as difficult. As he fought, Remus created Portkeys from various objects in the room. The werewolf mouthed one word to him, the keyword for activating the Portkey that was being held by an unable to resist Vernon Dursley.

Remus took Petunia's hand in his own and pressed it to a shoe and the two of them were sucked away, most likely to either St. Mungo's or the hospital ward of Hogwarts. Petunia looked like she was in bad shape.

"Not so good when your opponents can defend themselves, eh Lucius?" Severus smirked as his former friend.

Lucius hit him with a cutting hex, "I can take you either way Severus."

"Didn't know you swung that way Lucius," Severus taunted in a husky tone. "What would Narcissa think?"

Lucius was enraged further and the flush to his skin was most unbecoming, "You are the only filthy pervert here Severus."

Severus was fighting both men but concentrating his taunts on Lucius as he hadn't identified the other. It was smart of him not to talk.

"Did I touch a nerve Luke?" Severus used the nickname he knew the man hated. The angrier Lucius was the more mistakes he would make.

With a flick of his wand Severus sent the other man flying against the wall and his head hit the window frame with a loud 'thud' and he slumped to the floor. It was just Lucius and Severus.

"Ready to face your master again Severus?" Lucius asked in the same drawl Draco had imitated for so many years.

Severus faked a yawn, "This is getting old Lucius. I'm amazed you haven't been killed already with how poorly you duel."

"Getting all high and mighty Severus?" Lucius growled. Severus had intentionally not used dark magic yet, saving it for the proper moment. "How does your arm feel?"

Severus cried out a curse he had only recently taught Harry. This particular dark curse made the victim feel as though they were being flayed alive, without actually harming them. It Lucius dead on, but not before he got his own curse and shattered the bones in Severus's left arm. He gritted his teeth and petrified Lucius so he would continue to feel the curse but could not move or cry out.

With the knowledge that Dursley might be suffering the same Severus grasped the Portkey, "Marauders."

There was a tug behind his navel and they slammed to the floor of the Hogwarts hospital wing. Severus ignored the pain and floated Vernon Dursley to a bed.

"Poppy!"

Poppy came bustling in as Severus was yelling, "I just sent Remus on to Mungo's with Harry's aunt. This is his uncle?" Severus nodded and Poppy glared at the man but still began diagnosing him. "He'll be fine with rest, but he should go to Mungo's and be with his wife. Use my fireplace."

Severus nodded. Neither of them had taken the paralyzing hex off him. The muggle was much easier to deal with as he was. Severus threw the Floo powder into the flames and floated Dursley in after him. The man's eyes widened and Severus took hold of him with his good arm, "St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries!"

Severus stepped out the fireplace in the atrium of St. Mungo's to find it ominously quiet. On Halloween, with Voldemort active, there should have been many more people there. There was just the usual collection of sick children and charm, potion, and transfiguration accidents, with a smattering of animal run-ins.

"What can I do for you?" a woman in nursing robes eyed Dursley with distaste. Obesity at that level was not common in the wizarding world.

"This muggle's wife is being treated," Severus said as he motioned towards Dursley. "Their home was attacked by Death Eaters."

"Oh dear," the woman looked over Severus with a practiced eye. "You look like you need some treatment yourself."

Severus pulled a vial out of his robe and drank it to dull the pain, "Poppy Pomfrey will see to me later." He flicked his wand and Dursley regained the ability to move on his own.

"Dudley!" the man's eyes were almost wild. "They know where Dudley is."

"Fuck," Severus swore again but didn't admonish himself. He could live with a few bad habits. They were better than torturing muggles for sport like Lucius was so fond of. "Where is he Dursley?"

"Smeltings, his school, it's...," Vernon Dursley babbled.

Severus cringed. There would be hundreds of muggle children there, "I know where it is." He turned to the nurse, "Take him to his wife. I have to contact Albus Dumbledore."

Severus apparated straight to Headquarters. He strode inside and down to the kitchen, conjuring a splint and sling for his arm on the way. It would take Skele-gro to fix the arm and he didn't have time for that just yet. In the kitchen the Weasley twins and Charlie were manning the fireplace, ready to act as runners if necessary.

"Call Dumbledore," Severus ordered from the door. "Some of them have gone after Harry's cousin."

Fred immediately called out for Albus and Charlie directed Severus to a seat. He looked him up and down and sent George for some potions, "What were you hit with?"

"Cutting, bone-shattering," Severus said sharply. "A pain curse or two got through."

Charlie nodded and found the gash from the cutting curse. Severus glared when the redhead pointed his wand but Charlie ignored him, "Every handler has emergency medical training and you can stop glaring Severus. It won't work on me. I know what you're feeling."

The gash healed and Fred turned to them from the fireplace, "We'll stay here. You two go after Dudley. He's seen us before and would not react well."

George returned and handed Severus a vial which he drank down. The only remaining injury was the arm, but he could barely feel that. Charlie followed him outside the house.

"Take hold of my right arm. I'll guide us," Severus had been to Smeltings once that summer as they checked over the security. It was light, as they never expected Death Eaters to even get through at Privet Drive, never mind find out where Dudley was and go after him. The wards would be broken quickly.

"How did they get through?" Charlie asked as they arrived on the dark grounds of the muggle boarding school.

Severus shook his head, "I don't know, but we'll find out soon enough."

They crept quietly, using hand signals to communicate. Luckily, Severus knew which room Dudley Dursley lived in. They crossed the campus stealthily, and broke into a run when lights began flashing and alarms blaring.

"Muggle security is interesting, I'll give them that," Charlie yelled over the shrill bell.

Students began pouring out of the buildings and Severus quickly banished his robe, thankful he wore trousers and a shirt beneath it. He and Charlie tucked their wands away and scanned the crowds for the obese boy.

"Have you seen Dudley Dursley?" Charlie question boys dressed in orange knickerbockers and maroon tailcoats. Each one shook his head and Severus continued to scan the crowd. They were fighting against the current.

"Charlie!" Severus yelled as he saw a flash of light in one of the windows. It seemed they had found Dudley.

They ran as quickly as they could, pushing teenagers out of their way. Severus's death glare was put to good use. Once inside the building they exchanged a glance and apparated to the floor the flash had come from.

Crucio!

"Death Eaters are so unoriginal," Charlie commented, but his eyes were hard and angry.

Severus snorted and they made their way towards the room the screams were coming from.

Crucio!

It was a second voice, and one Severus recognized, "Belletrix, damn."

There was a black robed figure standing guard over the door. Severus looked Charlie over and flicked his wand, changing the redhead's clothes to a Smeltings uniform. Charlie wrinkled his nose but nodded and started running towards the guard. Weasleys did not look good in maroon or orange, Severus noted in some detached portion of his mind. The Death Eater had his wand out and took his time, not expecting the 'student' to whip out a wand of his own, dive, roll, and come up hexing.

"Not bad," Severus commented as Charlie changed his clothes back. The Death Eater was stunned and covered in a variety of hexes that really shouldn't be mixed as he recalled Draco Malfoy had discovered on the Hogwarts Express two years in a row.

Alohomora!

The door opened and showed three Death Eaters with wands trained on the disgustingly obese boy, who was screaming and crying. At least he was still able to do both.

Stupefy! Severus and Charlie cast at the same time and felled two of their opponents. They turned their wands to the remaining Death Eater.

The only one left held up his hands and dropped his wand, "Get the brat out of here!"

Charlie lowered his wand and went to Dudley, leaving the Death Eater to Severus.

"Pettigrew," Severus growled, advancing on the smaller wizard. "I will make you pay for what you did to my family. I would like nothing more than to rip your heart out of your chest with my bare hands, but Albus actually thinks you may be of some use." He then mentioned casually, "It was a binding contract you know."

The man trembled and looked at the fallen Death Eaters, "I have to bring them back."

"Get out of my sight Pettigrew," Severus snarled, barely restraining himself from snapping the man's neck. "After Harry kills Riddle we'll deal with you."

Pettigrew summoned the other Death Eaters and once he was touching them apparated away.

"He's in bad shape Severus," Charlie said from where he was kneeling by Dudley. "We need to Portkey straight to Mungo's."

Severus nodded and created the Portkey while Charlie cast a number of healing charms on the muggle teen. There would be chaos at the school and it would probably be hours before anyone noticed that Dudley Dursley was missing. The Ministry could take care of the muggle memories casually in this instance if there was any need.

The same nurse was waiting for Severus when he Portkeyed in with Charlie, who was holding Dudley, "This is their son?"

Severus nodded and Charlie relinquished control to the nurse, "He's been hit with numerous Cruciatus that we know of, at least two at once and possibly three."

The nurse shook her head as they made their way towards the emergency section. Charlie listed off the spells he had cast and the nurse just nodded as they went. Severus and Charlie were shooed away and a curtain closed around the muggle boy and a team of healers.

"Severus, Charlie," Remus Lupin's voice called.

Severus turned. Remus had gotten in the way of a few curses it seemed but he was fairing better than Severus as his pain potions were beginning to wear off. The way the werewolf inspected Severus with both eyes and nose was disquieting, especially as he appeared to restraining himself.

"How's Petunia?" Charlie questioned.

Remus shook his head, "We won't know for a few hours at least. Dudley?"

"Just got here," Severus replied and motioned towards the curtained area with his head.

"Go to Hogwarts," Charlie ordered the professors. "You two both need Poppy."

Remus nodded. Neither of them could really be treated at Mungo's. No matter what the papers said about Severus, one look at the Dark Mark on his arm and the healers wouldn't help him. Remus would be sent to the dangerous creature ward and treated like he had a deadly contagious disease.

"Stay with the Dursleys," Severus ordered the redhead. "Make sure they're safe."

Charlie nodded a bit reluctantly. Like most of the Order, the young man had no desire to protect the Dursleys. He would rather hex them himself for the years of abuse Harry had suffered at their hands. Chances were, only the knowledge that Harry wouldn't want it was keeping Charlie from telling the healers exactly who the muggles were and what they did to the famous teen. All Mungo's was told was they had a nephew at Hogwarts.

Poppy had Severus strapped to a bed and stripped of his clothes and wand before he could utter a word. He could duel multiple Inner Circle Death Eaters at once but Poppy could best him in seconds. Remus, on the other hand, was talking amiably with Poppy and was allowed to summon a house elf for a snack.

"Drink Severus," Poppy ordered harshly. She stood over him and glared until he swallowed every drop of the Skele-gro. "You are not leaving until that arm is fully healed."

His glare did nothing and she swept away. Remus came and sat at his side, handing over a mug, "Dreamless Sleep. You don't want to be awake while that stuff is working, trust me."

Severus took the mug and drank the contents. He had almost faded out when he remembered, "Someone needs to tell Harry."

Finding the Key - Chapter 28

Back to Chapter 26

Back to Results