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A Tense Situation

Chapter Nineteen

Turning questioning eyes to Voldemort, the perplexed Potions Master was surprised to witness the beginning of a truly hideous smile as it erupted over the twisted features of his Master's face. Watching silently, Snape followed the path of the Dark Lord's eyes until they came to rest on the crouched figure of a heavily panting, not to mention wide-eyed, Malfoy Sr. Whether the blond haired man was panting as a result of his previous bout of Crucio or the fear of having nearly been killed by the very same man he had attempted to expose, Severus had no idea but quickly decided that the experience was unusual enough to be memorable at least.

'Why did he stop me?' the Potions Master mused as his gaze continued to rest on Lucius' quivering form. It was a question he would have loved to simply ask outright but knew from past experience that following through with such a course of action would serve no purpose aside from landing him hexed and writhing in agony in the dirt next to Lucius. Exhibiting the patience he had come to be known for throughout the years, Snape wisely held a reign over both his curiosity and his tongue while awaiting the answer he knew would be forthcoming in due time. It was simply a matter of waiting until Voldemort condescended to let him and everyone else in on the joke.

"No doubt you are wondering why I have confiscated your wand and stopped you from following through with your assignment," the Dark Lord hissed, his snake-like speech adding an unnatural emphasis on the final word and thereby drawing it out in such a way that it reverberated throughout the group with a ghostly echo.

"Yes, My Lord," Snape answered, his head bowed in respectful submission. Although he didn't mind being stopped from adding yet another death to his conscience, he was uncomfortable with the fact that he was no longer in possession of his wand. And whilst he was unusually proficient at wandless magic, the Potions Master entertained little doubt that his talents in the area were advanced enough to allow him to escape the wrath of Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters unharmed should the need arise.

'Perhaps he actually did discover my true allegiance while rifling through the girl's mind and has been toying with me all this time?' he wondered silently as the instinct to flee bore down upon his body like a ton of bricks.

Trying not to appear overly anxious as visions of his dismembered head being paraded about the group at the tip of a bloodied pike played out before his obsidian eyes like a bad movie, he stood silently as a mixture of anticipation and dread entwined around his emotions.

'It's a fine spot you've got yourself in now,' the all too familiar, and completely uninvited voice, which Severus now seriously suspected was a twisted form of what was left of his conscience, whispered maliciously. 'You can't see the Granger girl, the Dark Lord has your wand, and if you so much as reach for that portkey then he'll be upon you faster than you can say Avada Kedavra.'

The fact that the voice was correct did absolutely nothing to allay his current state of nerves.

A crook of the Dark Lord's skeletal like finger drew his attention back into focus and Snape was surprised to see the mysterious robe clad figure hesitantly move forward and come to a standstill directly before him. Seconds later, following an undisguised look of pure loathing toward the figure, Voldemort turned his attention upon the Potions Master and returned his well-worn wand with the air of a person bestowing a great favor upon a lesser being.

"Lucius is mine to deal with as I see fit," the creature hissed in a tone of voice that had several of the nearby Death Eaters hurriedly taking what they hoped to be unobtrusive steps closer toward the back of the gathering. A sharply drawn breath from Lucius Malfoy left the Potions Master with little doubt that his one time friend had understood the thinly veiled threat behind Voldemort's words. Strangely enough, the knowledge that the blond haired wizard who had plotted to destroy him would more than likely reap what he had so diligently sown gave Severus no pleasure in the least. It was as if a feeling of numbness had taken over his emotions where the older Malfoy was concerned. And whilst he didn't take any joy from Lucius' current plight, Severus found himself strangely unmoved to speak up on the blond haired man's behalf in an attempt to spare him some of the Dark Lord's wrath.

"And now, look upon your true enemy, Severus," Voldemort decreed and with a flick of his wrist, the hood covering the face of the mysterious informant dropped and a mass of long red curls with just the slightest touch of grey cascaded down thin shoulders as the gathered Death Eaters looked on with undisguised curiosity.

Hermione, who had just begun to roll her eyes at the theatrical way in which the Dark Lord carried on, found it impossible to stifle the gasp that forced its way from her mouth. Her highly acclaimed mind simply refused to believe the message her eyes were sending to it as she looked on in complete astonishment at the figure which was now revealed before them.

"Amelia Bones?" Draco whispered softly, shocked to his core that the woman who was heralded to be such an upstanding citizen and Ministry employee had turned her back on the Light and was now revealed as the Potion Master's accuser. How many times in the past had he heard his father curse this same woman's name because she refused to accept any of his artfully offered bribes over various Ministry matters? What on earth could he have offered or threatened her with to make the seemingly unbendable witch join forces with him?

"That can't be possible," Hermione whispered brokenly, her face a mask of horror and disbelief. Momentarily forgetting her own dire circumstances, the young Gryffindor made as if to move forward to confront the woman that stood silent and terrified at the front of the group.

It was the soft tug on her arm that drew Hermione's attention to the Death Eater next to her as he held fast to prevent her from heading forward and drawing further attention to herself.

"For once in your life play it smart, Granger, before you make matters worse than they already are," Draco whispered fiercely between clenched teeth. The last thing he needed was for her to go charging about with her high handed Gryffindor morals and landing herself in more trouble than she was already in. And Draco had to admit that the irritating girl was in just about as much trouble as a person could be in at this point. She needed to stay quiet while things played out so that the Dark Lord would temporarily forget about her in the hopes that his Head of House could use the additional time to figure a way out of this mess. Although if there really was a way out of this particular mess then Draco certainly couldn't see it! Still… stranger things had been known to happen and the blond Slytherin had learned long ago to count nothing out of the realm of possibility.

"Oh just shut up, Malfoy," she whispered back just as fiercely, still unaware of the dual role the young Slytherin was playing. "If you think I'm going to just stand here and play the meek little victim all night long and make you look good in the eyes of that menace you call 'Master' then you can just think again!"

For a very brief moment Draco felt something akin to sympathy for Harry and Ron and wondered how they had managed to put up with such a bossy witch for so long. He bit back the retort he would have made had they been housed within the safety of Hogwarts and reminded himself of his true purpose in attending the revel. A quick mental count to ten in English, French and Latin did little to bring his breathing, not to mention his temper, back under control but it helped even if only slightly. Yet again he mentally cursed his father for placing him in the midst of such a situation.

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Oblivious to the battle of wills being waged between Draco and Hermione, Severus was trying desperately to process this new turn of events that had been thrust upon him. Amelia Bones had held a respectable position within the Ministry of Magic since she had left Hogwarts so many years ago and never once could he recall an instance in which her character had been called into question. So what means of threat or bribery had Lucius employed to make her act so out of character? She had never been known to accept monetary bribes and Severus knew for a fact that her person had been threatened more than once in the past during difficult cases involving various misdeeds of several known Death Eaters.

He turned an expressionless gaze upon the quivering woman who stared back at him with tears in her eyes. And though she couldn't see his face as it was hidden behind his mask, she still made a point of looking him straight in the eye and whispering what looked to be an apology. It was that one simple action that made the Potions Master all the more determined to discover the reason behind her deception.

"Legilimens," he intoned in but a breath of a whisper, holding her blue eyed gaze captive within his own. Seconds later he was sorting through the barrage of recent memories that came pummeling at him in rapid succession. Memories of Lucius in her cramped office at the Ministry as the blond wizard picked up a picture of her niece and murmured several words that made the woman's complexion turn white as a sheet. More memories of him visiting her home in the middle of the night where he had practically threatened to bring that very same niece to the attention of the Dark Lord if she failed to cooperate with his carefully laid out plans to entrap and dispose of Severus. Memories of the shame she felt for betraying her own morals as she reported to Lucius and the Dark Lord. Memories of visiting Hogwarts and her niece during a Quidditch match as the young girl stood within the embrace of Harry Potter surrounded by Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

'Of course,' he murmured to himself as he broke the connection to her mind, 'it always boils down to Potter.' It was now more than obvious to Snape that Madame Bones had complied with Lucius' demands in an attempt to keep her niece safe from harm. Lucius had used the one thing the woman held dear; her attachment to her niece, Susan Bones, who was currently dating none other than The Great Harry Potter himself. A flash of pity and understanding flowed through the Potions Master and he held the frightened woman's gaze for a second longer as if willing her to accept the fact that he understood her motives and even, on some level, forgave her such actions.

"Well, Severus, do you have nothing to say to this filth that would falsely accuse you of being a traitor to your brethren?" Voldemort demanded. The fury emanating from his blood red eyes as he gazed hatefully upon the witch in question was more than enough to let all present know what he thought of those who would dare deceive him.

"I have nothing worth saying to such a creature, My Lord," Snape responded carefully, regretfully knowing that his need to continue playing the part of a devoted Death Eater would most likely end in this woman's death. "I am merely thankful that, in your unfailing wisdom, you were able to detect her treachery and see the truth behind such tales."

"Ah, Severus, you have always had a gift for eloquent speech," the reptilian hissed. But even though Snape had appealed to the Dark Lord's vanity, he still knew enough to be wary of such seemingly innocent compliments. Past experience had seen many of his fellow Death Eaters relax their guard as a result of such words of praise only to be hit immediately with Crucio: Or worse… Avada Kedavra.

Keeping such thoughts in mind, the Potions Master inclined his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement of such 'praise' and spoke the most benign and gracious words that he could devise given his current predicament: "I only speak the truth, My Lord."

"See that you continue to do so," Voldemort hissed, eyeing the dark haired Slytherin speculatively. "And now, my 'devoted' servant, you will prove to me once and for all where your loyalties lie by disposing of this rubbish so that we may move on to other, more pleasant, matters."

And with a sharp thrust, Amelia Bones was thrown to her knees to await her final moments at the hands of the man she had accused of being a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. A trail of tears coursed down her cheeks as she thought of the lives that would be lost at the whim of the maniacal creature that had so nonchalantly ordered her death. Hermione Granger didn't deserve to die for such an unrighteous cause but Amelia knew there was very little chance that the young woman would escape with her life. Oh she knew in her heart that Severus Snape was not of the same meager and sadistic caliber of wizard as those who stood by watching eagerly for the final curse that would strike the breath from her body, but she also knew there would be nothing that he could do if he were to maintain his position within the Order. Her only other regret was that she would not get to explain to her niece why she had chosen such a path or ensure that her younger relative would remain unharmed due to her association with Harry Potter. Taking a final determined breath, the witch squared her shoulders and tilted her chin defiantly as she gazed at the masked face of Severus Snape and waited for him to complete his odious task.

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"It's been too long," Harry announced, haphazardly tossing his disgruntled chessmen into the felt lined drawer that rested underneath the chessboard. "We've played how many games while we've sat here waiting to hear something…. Anything… about Hermione, and where has it got us? No where!"

"Hey!" Ron shouted, glaring at one of Harry's angry chess pieces as it waved its shield in a menacing manner toward anyone who would pay the slightest bit of attention to its complaints. "Where do you think you're going? McGonagall told us to stay here until Snape and Hermione got back and that's what we need to be doing right now. It isn't going to help if McGonagall or Dumbledore come to tell us they got back to the castle and they can't find us because we're out roaming the castle!"

"But this is Hermione we're talking about, Ron!" Harry pleaded, pulling a folded piece of parchment from his back pocket. "We can't just sit here playing chess and doing nothing!"

"So what should we do then, Harry?" Ron asked, though his question was more of a rhetorical nature than a sincere plea for direction. Perhaps if he could keep his friend talking then he could distract him from leaving the Common Room. Although the red headed young man had to admit, if only to himself, that such a scenario had about as much chance of happening as Snape awarding points to Gryffindor.

"We go to Dumbledore and demand answers," Harry declared, his mouth set in a determined line that spoke of determination and a touch of desperation. "And if that doesn't work then we stay with him until he hears back from Snape."

"Do you really think that's going to help Hermione all that much?" Ron asked skeptically.

"No," the darker haired young man answered with a ragged sigh. "But it will help me to feel more involved than sitting here playing chess."

A doubtful lift of his brows and a twist of his lips was the only answer Harry received from his long-time friend as they made their way through the aged door of the Gryffindor Common Room towards the Headmaster's office.

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The Potion's Master cursed silently as his agile mind quickly took in the desperate reality of the situation before him. He would have no choice but to kill the witch kneeling before him unless he wished to lose the all too tentative trust the Dark Lord was placing in him. There was no doubt in Severus' mind that the killing of the woman was nothing more than another test designed to probe the bounds of his commitment to his brethren and to Voldemort himself. After all, the Dark Lord had all but confirmed such suspicions mere moments before. Should he fail such a test then his own life would be immediately forfeit along with that of the woman kneeling before him and, subsequently, Miss Granger's life as well. He bit back the string of curses begging to escape his lips on his next gusty exhalation and raised his wand, blocking out all but the most negative of emotions so that he might summon up the necessary energy that would carry forth the deadly power of the most unforgivable of all curses.

"Avada Kedavra!" he muttered disdainfully whilst what was left of the humanitarian part of his personality raged in protest at the senseless loss of life now withering before him. It took but the briefest of moments for the deadly green beam to reach Amelia Bones and even less time for her eyes to succumb to the unseeing glaze that accompanied such a curse; it was proof positive that the woman's death had been a result of anything other than natural causes.

A round of cheers and laughter rang out from the assembled Death Eaters and the satisfaction of the woman's death could be felt in waves as it emanated from the Dark Lord to all that followed his command.

Seizing the only opportunity he could find, Draco pulled Hermione further away from the otherwise occupied attentions of the blood thirsty Death Eaters and hissed a scared but determined directive intended for her ears alone.

"Quick, Granger, hit me and run toward those trees as fast as you can. Don't hesitate, and whatever you do just keep running."

Hermione turned unbelieving eyes on Draco, her mouth hanging open in what could only be described as a less than attractive gaping expression that reminded the blond Slytherin of the funny orange fish his mother had acquired for him from the Pet Emporium when he was barely out of infancy.

'Funny, the fish never seemed to listen to me either,' he thought exasperatedly, trying to unobtrusively push the bushy haired Gryffindor closer to the patch of trees he had just pointed out. He could sense the momentary reluctance in the young witch as she quickly weighed her options. The briefest of glances toward Amelia Bone's lifeless body assured her as nothing else could that the older woman couldn't be saved. A brief thought of further treachery on Draco's part crossed her mind and the unsettling possibility that this could yet be another sorry prank skimmed along the surface of her thoughts.

"Look, Granger, we can stand here all night until they decide to turn their attentions toward you, which should be any moment now, or you can listen to me for once in your pathetic life and make a run for it," Draco whispered urgently, uncomfortably aware that precious seconds were ticking away. "But if you're going to make a break for it then hit me NOW and go!"

'An invitation like that won't come along more than once in a lifetime,' her mind whispered derisively as she quickly took in one final look at her surroundings. Realizing she probably wasn't going to get a better chance to make a break for it, she turned to her childhood nemesis with a grim but resolute smile.

"If you insist," she muttered, pulling her right hand back and letting it fly forcefully forward to connect with his stomach while simultaneously kneeing him in the groin. She barely had time to register his pained surprise before she found herself running toward the small copse of trees, all the while tugging the hidden wand from its hiding place and mentally running through the defensive spells she had learned over the previous years in the hopes that they would aid in her escape.

She didn't have time to savor the experience of decking Draco yet again or even smiling at how his body had crumpled when her knee connected with the more sensitive parts of his anatomy. Instead, her small feet were running as fast as they could carry her. Several times she nearly tripped over exposed roots and jagged rocks that hampered her way, but she kept her attention focused solely on her goal. She WOULD make those trees no matter what. How she would find her way to safety without the aid of apparition or a portkey she knew not, but at least the trees would provide some cover and a better defensive position to start tossing out hexes at the Death Eaters she knew would be pursuing her any moment.

No sooner than the thought entered her mind, Hermione felt the force of the first hex speed by her, just inches away from her shoulder. The ominous crack from one of the tree trunks and its subsequent splintering of bark in all directions told her that Voldemort's minions were playing for keeps.

"I swear if I ever get out of this alive that I'm going to kill Pansy for taking my bracelet!" she muttered through gritted teeth, reaching the small copse of trees and ducking yet another hex which landed on a nearby rock with a spray of bright blue light.

"Come to think of it, I'm going to kill her even if I do die," she exclaimed, ducking behind one of the larger tree trunks and shooting off a volley of her own hexes and curses toward the mass of black clad robed figures hurrying her way. "Just think of all the stress I can cause her if I'm a ghost! Peeve's antics will look like mere child's play by the time I'm finished with her!"

Another round of hexes was fired at her in rapid succession from several of the Death Eaters. They were so much closer now and even though she had managed to knock a few of them unconscious and disarm a few more, the young Gryffindor wasn't foolish enough to believe she really had a chance of escaping them all. Her thoughts were proved correct when a red band of light connected squarely with her shoulder, knocking her wand out of her hand and sending it flying somewhere behind her. Numbness quickly spread through her shoulder to her neck and down her arm through her hand and fingers. A cry of dismay escaped her lips as she swiftly realized she had been hit with one of the more potent paralysis hexes. Not deadly, but it would certainly leave her temporarily paralyzed, unconscious, and thoroughly helpless. She felt the magic of the spell tingle and swirl throughout her body as blackness began to cloud her vision. She heard the triumphant shouts of the band of Death Eaters and Voldemort's crackling voice ring out through the blood thirsty crowd demanding that she be brought before him.

A movement in the air caught her attention and she used every bit of willpower she had to focus on it. The small dark flying object loomed into view and seemed to touch her shoulder ever so lightly. Hermione realized that it was a black bat and for a moment she thought she must be hallucinating as bats weren't common for this hour of the evening or even this particular area of the country. Suddenly, she was falling toward the ground as the paralysis hex spread down her legs. At the last possible second, just as two of the Death Eaters were within mere feet of reaching her, she felt a movement just behind her head and instinctively knew it was the little black bat.

'I must really be losing it if I'm dreaming up bats to save me,' she thought with no small amount of derision, wondering what Freud would make of such a thing.

"Relax, Miss Granger," a deep, familiar baritone voice whispered in her ear and she felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder where the talons of the bat had been just seconds before.

Understanding dawned as she felt the tug at her navel indicating the use of a portkey. Professor Snape was an Animagus and had come to save her after all!

'Merlin! Harry and Ron were right… He really is the bat of the dungeons!'

It was the last thought she had before giving in to the black pull of unconsciousness.

TBC