Chapter 30 Pursuit
Sirius raced back to Remus' quarters in the castle, the werewolf only steps behind him. Without speaking the two of them began gathering their traveling gear, both changing into heavier dragon-skin leathers and heat-spelled cloaks and gloves. Having only recently returned from a reconnaissance mission for Dumbledore, all their equipment was on ready hand and it took them only moments to prepare.
They then headed down to the dungeons of the castle, neither of them needing to speak to know they were of one mind. They would collect Severus Snape and then head after the men who had taken Harry from Hogwarts.
It should be James traveling with them, Sirius thought. James should be leading them, Remus and Sirius following on either side. Instead Severus Snape now held the prominent place in Harry's life and Sirius couldn't help but think that he had failed his childhood friend in so many ways.
"We could not ask for a better companion in this than Severus," Remus said suddenly, startling Sirius. He glanced at his friend, seeing the knowing look in his amber eyes. It was eerie when Remus did that, almost as if he could read his mind. "Severus will stop at nothing until he is safe."
"And you think James wouldn't have done the same?" Sirius demanded. It was still hard for him to understand why Remus was so accepting of Snape. He had missed the years when Snape's loyalties became known and it was hard for him to see beyond what he remembered of the Slytherin.
"Sometimes ruthlessness is called for," Remus told him. "And James was always too kind."
Sirius shivered. It disturbed him to hear Remus say things like that. He was the kindest, most gentle man he'd ever known. It always startled him when Remus said something that reminded him that he understood the darkness all too well.
They found Diana Snape waiting in a hallway next to a portrait of Salazar Slytherin and a large snake. Considering the potential good that could come of the notebook Harry had translated for Christmas, Sirius could not bring himself to look quite so critically on the Lord of Slytherin any more.
Ignoring the woman, Sirius pounded on the portrait. A moment later it opened and Severus Snape ushered them all inside his chamber. A quick glance at the man assured Sirius that Snape was ready to travel. He too wore black leathers that were hardened with dragon scales. Over that he wore a coat made of black wyvern skins which Sirius knew would turn aside most blades - it was a style many Slytherin had favored when he was in school.
To his surprise, Snape glared at his sister. "Do you know the Winter Lands?" he demanded of her.
But she shook her head. "No, I've never been there. Alrik has always told me it was too dangerous. I've lived in England all this time."
That seemed to startle Snape. "Alrik does not live with you?"
The woman shrugged, her dark eyes glittering. "One week out of each month only," she admitted. It seemed an odd thing for Snape not to know about his sister, but then Sirius had heard that the man was on poor terms with his family.
"What kind of a marriage is that?"
She glanced briefly at Sirius and Remus, but just shrugged. "I love him, Severus," she said simply. "I take what I can get." She sighed and brushed her black hair back from her pale face. "And truthfully, I like my life in High Hill. I am free to study my books."
"And how long have you known about this plot against Harry?" Severus demanded.
She just gave him a sad smile. "I only just learned of it, right before they left. They told me that so that someone would know to check on the other children and they would not be left alone in the cold."
To Sirius' surprise, Severus sneered at his sister then turned his glare on the two of them. "Come with me," he snapped. He moved into the library and waved his wand at one of the large bookcases on the far wall.
Immediately the bookcase slid aside revealing a wall covered in weapons - swords, bows, crossbows, axes. It was an impressive collection from all periods of history. The Black family had a similar collection in his ancestral home.
Severus immediately removed a long thin blade that was etched with druidic runes. As he tested the edge he motioned to Sirius and Remus. "Take what you want," he informed them.
Sirius did not hesitate, quickly removing an English long sword from the wall and spinning it in his hand to test its weight and his grip. It was the sword both he and his brother Regulus had been most frequently trained with. It was the weapon he was most comfortable wielding.
"Take one, Lupin," Severus insisted and Sirius turned, seeing Remus still standing by the library door. He knew his friend had never studied the sword, his family too poor to afford such things. And his temperament had never made him suited to duels.
"I never learned to use a blade, Severus," Remus told him with a shake of his head.
Severus cursed under his breath and moved back to the wall, grabbing a large iron mace from its case. Judging by the way Severus hefted it with both hands, grimacing slightly as he lifted, Sirius imaged it was extraordinarily heavy - a great handle with a large spiked iron ball at the end of it. He held it out to Remus.
"This does not require much skill. Just swing it and bash anything that moves."
Sirius could see the flash of distress in Remus' eyes, but he lifted it lightly out of Severus hands, seeming not to notice the weight at all. It was so easy at times for Sirius to forget the strength the werewolf possessed; he went out of his way to hide it.
"This would split open the head of any man I hit with it," Remus told him.
"And you will use it on any man who tries to stop us," Severus informed him, and Sirius could see now what Remus meant by ruthlessness. "But it is not humans I'm worried about. The Winter Lands are populated with all sorts of monsters. The Dark Forest is tame in comparison."
Remus just nodded, glancing across the room at Sirius. Sirius tried to give him an encouraging smile, but he suspected it failed, as the man did not look heartened. Truth was, Sirius could not bear to think of what danger Harry might be in right now.
Minerva entered a moment later, calling out to the men as she stood in the main chamber. Weapons in hand, they went to join her. She looked them over critically, before handing a traveling satchel to Severus. "There's food in there and the most recent map to the Winter Lands I could find," she explained. "The children have awakened. Hermione said they were hit with some sort of concussion grenade. None of them were damaged but they all have headaches. They did not see the men who took Harry."
"Is Albus back?" Severus asked.
But Minerva shook her head. "You know how the Ministry is."
"We can't wait," Severus decided, though he glanced at his sister. "Are you going to stay here?"
She nodded. "It's the least I can do. I'll watch your classes for you if you are not back before then."
His eyes narrowed, but he nodded in agreement. "Are you going to plead for me to spare his life?"
Sirius turned away at that. That was the sort of question his own father might have asked. He would never understand the Slytherins.
"Would it do any good?" Diana asked, her voice filled with bitterness. "He kidnapped your bond-mate. I have always believed you to be a good man, but you have never been a merciful one."
To Sirius' surprise, Minerva did not berate Severus for his cruel words. "Be careful you three," she said simply as if not concerned that this man had just threatened to kill his sister's husband. Granted if any harm had come to Harry, Sirius would do it himself ... but still.
Severus shrank the pack Minerva had given him, and grabbed his own cloak from the couch. Remus and Sirius followed him out of the dungeons.
Hagrid was waiting for them at the doors to Hogwarts, holding a Wizarding-lantern against the darkness creeping into the corners. "Lock the gates when we leave," Remus told him. "If word gets out that Harry is missing, this place will be overrun with Aurors and reporters."
Hagrid nodded. "Bring him home," he urged and watched as the three of them disappeared into the night.
They walked swiftly out past the apparition wards on the castle. "Do you know the apparition point for Hallow Hill in Icefell?" Severus asked them, naming a small seacoast point in the northern most unplottable county of Britain. Both of them nodded. "I'll see you there. There will be a warden on duty at the dock so I suggest you transform first and have Lupin take you." With that, Severus disapparated.
Sirius glanced at Remus who just gave him a grim smile. He pulled in his magic and let himself transform, feeling his body shifting and molding into the familiar form of Padfoot. The transformation was a bit slower than usual due to the sword he was now carrying - he was unused to transmuting iron with the spell, but he was not willing to leave the weapon behind.
When it was done, Remus crouched down beside him and draped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into his body. For a moment he reveled in the warmth of his companion, and then he was being pulled away, across the land, by Remus' magic.
They reappeared on a wooden dock in the small town of Hallow Hill. Immediately Sirius was buffeted by the ice-cold wind blowing in across the small bay. It was too dark to see beyond the hills of the inlet to the vast open ocean beyond. There were small fishing boats moored along the docks, ranging in size from small two man crafts to much larger vessels. None of them were of Muggle design, none of them powered by engines.
Severus was already speaking with the dock master and Remus and Padfoot made their way over to them.
"I saw them," the old man was saying to Severus as they approached. "Large group of Brand's man from the Winter Lands. They had their own long boat with them, great hulking beast with thirty oars."
"How long ago did they leave?" Severus asked.
The old man scratched his head beneath the thick wool cap he wore. "Must have been nearly two hours ago. Came in on a port key, large group of them."
"Was there a boy with them?" Remus demanded.
But the man shrugged. "I didn't notice. Crazy though to come across the sea this time of year."
"We'll need a boat," Severus informed him, glancing up and down at the lot moored to the dock. "That one there." He pointed to a long boat with ten oars in total, five on either side. It sat low in the water, but with high sides and a tall prow and stern for cutting through the high waves of the sea. Sirius knew it would be a rocky journey, but the boat would be far safer than brooms. The wind currents above the ocean this time of year would make flying impossible, and the unplottable wards around the Winter Lands made it impossible to apparate to.
The old man just shook his head, but made a motion to the boat. "It's your funeral," he told them. "I wouldn't want to go out this time of night myself, but have at it. But I'll be holding the price of the boat till your return. Sixty galleons and not a knut less."
Severus handed over a pouch of gold without thinking then motioned to Remus and Padfoot to follow him.
Sirius awkwardly hopped into the boat, scratching his claws on the wooden planks as he tried to find his footing. Remus joined him, sitting down on one of the wooden benches and grabbing hold of Padfoot's fur to steady him. He leaned heavily against his friend's leg, grateful for the company.
Severus seated himself and pulled his wand from his sleeve. A quick spell and the boat untied itself, the oars springing to life. They moved out across the water, using the light from the docks to guide them as they steered away from the shore.
When they were well clear of the docks and out of sight of any curious eyes, their boat swallowed up by the darkness of the bay, Padfoot transformed back into Sirius. Severus was already removing the map from the pack Minerva had given him, using a small lumos spell to brighten their work area as he spread the map out on one of the wooden benches.
"You remember the navigation spell?" Remus asked.
Sirius nodded. "I'll guide the boat, you lock the map."
Severus' eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as Sirius drew his wand and pointed it at the prow of the boat. Remus pointed his own wand at the map and muttered a long incantation. On the map, near the drawing of the shoreline, a small plaque appeared in the shape of a small boat, it glowed faintly and began moving slowly across the map page. Had Severus been familiar with the Marauder's Map he would have recognized the design.
Once Remus was done with his spell, Sirius finished his own spell, connecting the guidance spell directly to the shape on the map.
"Where do we want to land, Severus?" Remus asked, motioning to the shape of the Winter Land upon the map.
Severus seemed to understand what it was the two of them were doing and did not ask for clarification. He pointed to a spot on the map. "Bifrost Hall is here. They would have taken the shortest route, so they would have landed here." He pointed to a spot on the shoreline of the Winter Land. Sirius locked his navigation spell on the spot he indicated. Immediately a silvery line appeared on the map connecting the moving placard of the boat to the landing site. The boat automatically turned to that course guiding itself now through the water. Now all they had to do was wait and pray that they reached Harry before anything bad could happen to him.
Severus rolled up the map and the three of them sat in silence. As they moved out of the relative calmness of the bay, they were struck by a bitterly cold wind and the boat began to rock violently in the waves. Several buffering charms eased the motion some, but they could all see it was not going to be a pleasant journey. Sirius couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Harry who was bound to have a headache from the concussion grenade he'd been hit with. He was just grateful that Harry was not prone to motion sickness.
He and Remus shared one of the benches in the center of the boat, the ride somewhat smoother there, and Sirius found himself moving closer to his friend for warmth. When Remus made no effort to move away, he cast a warming charm over the cloak he had brought with him and slipped it over both their shoulders, using the cover to slide his arm around Remus' waist. Remus smiled faintly at him and to his surprised moved closer to him, settling into his side. He'd rebuffed most of Sirius' prior flirtations, so this was a welcome change.
But then perhaps he did not see this as a flirtation - it was more an act of comfort on both their part. Sirius did not want to admit it, but he was frightened. While Diana had insisted this kidnapping had nothing to do with Voldemort, they could not be certain. And even if she were right, there were other dangers in the world. The Winter Lands was no place for an unprotected child. He doubted Harry even knew that such a place existed. He'd been startled to learn that England possessed unplottable counties. He probably could not imagine that there were entire countries that the Muggles knew nothing about out there in the world.
He found himself staring at Severus as they sailed silently through the waters. The man was sitting near the front of the boat, several feet away from both of them. He was ignoring them, his dark eyes scanning the waters around them though Sirius knew he could not see anything. The sky was overcast and they could see neither moon nor stars over head. The glow from the lumos spell that he'd cast on the bench between them was all the light they had to see by.
Severus seemed as grim-faced and bitter as Sirius had ever seen him. The wind whipped his black hair around his head and the night cast heavy shadows along the harsh planes of his face. There was no beauty in him, no gentleness at all, Sirius thought. He did not deserve someone like Harry and Sirius could not understand why someone like his own gentle Remus could bring himself to trust him.
He's on our side, Remus and Dumbledore had both told him, time and time again. And according to both men he had tried to save James and Lily, warning Dumbledore when he had learned that Pettigrew had betrayed them. But even still - from what Sirius could see there was no light within him. He did not smile, did not joke, did not laugh. He seemed to take no joy in anything beyond berating and tormenting his students.
He was brilliant at potions - Sirius would grant him that. And the idea that there might soon be a cure for his poor Remus . . .he tightened his hold around the werewolf. As long as he lived he would not forget the look of desperate hope he had seen in Remus' eyes on Christmas Day when Harry had explained what his gift was.
Strange, Sirius thought. He had not doubted for one minute that Snape would make the potion for them. It hadn't even occurred to him that the man might refuse, and he wondered what that said about his feelings.
But of course he would not refuse, Sirius reasoned. Pride alone would make him do it - something no other Potion Master save Salazar Slytherin had ever done. And in a way he was duty bound as well - Harry was his bond-mate, and Remus was, in Harry's mind, family. Sirius would have to concede from what he'd seen, Snape had been taking his duties as Harry's bond-mate quite seriously.
He frowned at the man, trying to figure out what made him tick. As he stared, he noticed that Snape had a cloak draped across his knees, one hand clutched almost compulsively in is folds. That was odd; the man was already wearing a cloak. Why would he need two? Though there was something familiar about the one in his hands.
"What's the second cloak for, Snape?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Snape's hand tightened on the cloak as if he thought Sirius might take it from him, but his face remained hard and unreadable. "It's Harry's," he said simply. "He forgot to put it on."
Sirius stared hard at the man, but he did not react, did not turn. His face gave nothing away. But still his hand held tightly to that cloak, almost the way Sirius himself was holding on to Remus. Possessiveness, he thought. But was that why he was holding Remus? He didn't think so - it was comfort he was seeking and trying to give. But why would Snape seek comfort from a cloak?
He wouldn't, his mind reasoned. But it did imply something - implied that Snape believed Harry was going to need that cloak and that Snape was going to be able to give it to him. It also implied that he was worried that Harry might be cold.
It struck Sirius suddenly that for whatever reason, as impossible as it seemed knowing what he did about the Slytherin, that Severus Snape cared about his godson. In a weird way, seeing his hand clutching tightly to a cloak Harry had forgotten said more than any words Severus might offer.
He glanced at Remus only to find that the man was also looking at Severus, staring at the cloak draped over his knees. There was a sad look in the werewolf's eyes and a faint curve to his lips that Sirius knew was a smile of sympathy. But then Remus always had been quicker with things that he was.
My God, he thought, the realization hitting him like a punch to his gut. Snape actually cared about Harry. Snape might even love Harry. He found himself resting his head against Remus' shoulder, his heart aching for things he could not explain. What on earth was this world coming to?