Chapter Twenty Three
“You didn’t think I’d come here without a way to get out,” Harry said casually.
“Did you?” Snape said, “I’m impressed.” Both stopped when they heard a noise from outside. Harry’s hand flew to his scar. He was immediately on his knees retching. “I’ll be more impressed, Potter, if it works,” Snape said, his hand reaching under Harry’s arm as he doubled over. “Do you think you can rely on me to do the rescuing for the moment and get us out of here?”
Harry nodded, stumbling along with Snape’s hand holding him steady. “There’s something you ought to know, “ he whispered.
“What’s that, Mr. Potter?” Snape grunted.
“Hermione’s been teaching me how to apparate,” Harry said.
“Oh, very good,” Snape said with the usual sarcasm resounding in his voice. He was pulling Harry down the hall, putting out lamps as they went, “ Unfortunately, we have to be outside. This house has a number of protective spells on it and we can’t apparate from inside.”
Harry managed to steady himself against a pillar as they came to a junction and stopped. He was feeling horrible pain and anger; a by-product of Voldemort’s pain and anger.
“Alright Potter, I’m going to put a spell on you,” Snape said and pulled his wand from his pocket, “I’m going to modify your memory.”
“What? Why?” Harry stammered.
“A precaution. If HE should touch your mind, he will not know it is you,” Snape said.
“Oh no, I don’t think so,” Harry said and reached for his own wand.
They stood glaring at each other in the half-light. They were at a deadlock.
“Can you walk?” Snape asked.
Harry was bent over with the cramps in his stomach and the room was once again spinning. “I don’t…don’t know.”
Snape pulled Harry’s arm around his neck and they started down a darkened staircase. “Alright, I’ve got you.”
Harry knew where they were when they reached the bottom floor. They stepped into a large kitchen where several wizened house elves were washing dishes. The elves looked up and then away quickly and resumed their work.
Snape pulled him along a dark narrow hallway, through a broom closet, lined with several dozen brooms, including several Firebolts and out into a barn. Besides horses, the barn held the limousine that Harry had arrived in.
Harry could hear a commotion in the house and knew that an alarm had been sounded. “Are we in trouble yet?” he asked Snape.
“Not yet, but we will be in a minute or two. Malfoy made it very clear later this evening that I would be brought before Him tonight,” Snape replied. “Now, tell me Potter that you have actually managed to apparate, not just across the room, but truly apparate.” He sat Harry on a bale of hay and was watching the door they had emerged from.
“Across the grounds of Hogwarts,” Harry said and added, “but I know I can do it.” Harry wasn’t sure he could do it. He’d practiced and was successful, but not while trying to hold his splitting head together. Apparating took enormous concentration.
“We’re going to have to find another way,” Snape was rolling his eyes and striding back and forth over the barn floor. “That’s all we’d need is for you to splinch yourself.”
Harry knew what Snape was talking about. He’d once asked Mr. Weasley what happened when someone didn’t apparate correctly and he didn’t like the sound of the results.
“What about the brooms?” Harry said.
“All of them have protective charms on them,” Snape answered. “Damn! If I only had my wand.” He was seething.
“Who are you?” Draco asked, behind them. He had his wand out and was pointing at them.
“What are you doing?” Harry asked calmly, composing his face.
“I might ask the same thing. I followed the two of you down here.” Draco said and stepped into the dim light. “Shouldn’t you wait and speak to my father, Professor. I’m sure he’d like a word with you. Or perhaps our GUEST will; he’s arriving soon. I‘m sure the Dark Lord would love to talk to… both of you.”
“Professor, would you mind indulging me and show me that little charm we just spoke of on our friend here,” Harry said, turning away from Draco and threw his own wand into Snape’s hands. As anticipated, Draco’s raised his wand and began his spell.
“OBLIVIATE MODECUM!” Snape shouted, and pointed the wand at Draco.
“Get in,” Harry shouted. He pulled the driver’s side door open to the limo. Draco stood transfixed in the middle of the barn.
“What? Use this muggle thing?” Snape said, frowning at the limo. “Do you know how to ride it?”
“About as well, “ Harry grinned and said, “as I know how to apparate.”
Snape sneered and slid into the passenger seat. “We’ll be lucky to live through the night.”
Harry started the car, pulled the gear lever to drive and started forward. “Professor, if you’ll just get the barn door for me. Thank you.”
Snape waved his wand nonchalantly and the door sprung open.
Harry stepped on the gas and then the brake, almost slamming both of them into the windshield. “Yes, alright, I’ve almost got it.” He glanced over to a very disgruntled, ugly Snape. “Put that thing around your middle and fasten it. It’s called a seat belt.”
Snape looked at the device and waved it together with his wand.
Harry pulled forward gently, guiding the long car through the doors.
“We have to go faster than this Potter or they’ll catch us,” Snape said, briskly, peering back.
“Hold on,” Harry pressed his foot to the pedal and they shot forward, his inexperienced hand barely turning the wheel in time to avoid a snow drift. They were flying through the dark as Harry frantically turned knobs and switches until the headlights suddenly illuminated the road ahead of them.
“Ah, too late!” Snape shouted looking ahead.
Three Death Eaters stood in the middle of the road, directly in their path, wands out and pointed their way. Harry pushed the pedal all the way to the floor and directed the limo at them. They scattered, barely in time to avoid being run over. He and Snape were moving down the drive gathering speed.
“And what was your plan to rescue us, Mr. Potter?” Snape said between his gritted teeth.
Harry had already pulled the mirror from his pocket, “Hermione?!” he screamed. The headlights of the car picked up the forest trees and strange moving shadows. They were bolting down the lane.
And then it happened, he lost control. The car hit an embankment and sailed through the snow and over once, landing on its’ top.
Harry crawled from the wreckage directly into the pointing wand of a Death Eater. He glanced over and saw Snape roll out of the door and get unsteadily to his feet. He had a bleeding gash on his head. Harry stood awkwardly in the snow and examined his own body. He knew he had a broken arm, because he had broken the same arm the year a rogue bludger hit it during a Quidditch match.
“Stand still,” the hooded figure shouted over the loud music coming from the limo’s radio.
Suddenly Hermione and Ron apparated beside them. Snape looked with surprise, “Now you’ve done it Potter, you’ve gotten us all killed.”
“Do you mind if I do the rescuing now, Professor?” Harry shouted.
“Harry,” Jolie’s voice echoed in the dark, “it is time.”
Harry closed his eyes and began to whisper, inaudibly.
“Potter!” Snape shouted.
He felt the wind rise and the snow begin to swirl and sting his face. He opened his eyes, chanting and watching as a dozen Death Eaters began popping in around them.
“Do as I say Snape, do it now!” he shouted over the gathering roar of the blowing snow. The headlights of the limo pointed eerily up into the dark sky, the music shrieked and the blizzard of snow whirled around them.
Lucius Malfoy apparated and pointed his wand directly at Snape’s chest, shouting, “Avada Kadavra!”
“Take him now Hermione!” Harry shouted at the same time. Two Death Eaters apparated in front of them and shot blue streaks at Hermione and Ron. They didn’t appear to be touched. The Death Eaters stood stunned for a moment and turned towards Harry.
Harry ducked and shouted, “I’m right behind you.”
Harry dove into the snow and rolled as he heard Lucius Malfoy’s voice, “ Get them, get them! Don’t let them get away!” A tornado of blowing snow covered him. “They’re right there!” Lucius shouted in a frustrated, angry voice. “Get out of my way!” And then, Harry heard the cracks as the Death Eaters fired at the images of Ron and Hermione and sent two trees crashing to the ground. A plume of ice crystals and mounds of snow sent up a cloud into the dark night and the blowing snow.
Oh please, please, let this work, he thought and disapparated.
Harry found himself in one piece in the Shrieking Shack. Whoa! That was too close! he thought and glanced up. He’d made an imperfect landing and found himself lying on his broken arm, in the dust, face-down.
“Harry, Harry you all right, Mate? “ Ron rolled him over gently, studying his face.
“No, I’ve got a broken arm,” Harry coughed, breathing in the dust, “just help me up.” He struggled to a sitting position and noticed Snape sitting in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, studying him. Other than a bleeding scalp he looked perfectly fine; and angry. Next to him stood a tall mirror and Jolie.
“That worked pretty well,” Harry said. Hermione and Ron grinned at him.