Chapter 32 Growing Pains
Bifrost Hall appeared through the trees, an enormous castle-keep upon a rocky hill which looked out over the farming plains of the Winter Land beyond the forest. The Brand flag flew from the top most tower, indicating that the lord of the castle was in residence, and though still daylight out, the gates were barred, armed men patrolling the walls of the Keep.
Severus, crouched near a fallen tree, felt Sirius and Remus move up on either side of him. The three men took note of the armed contingent guarding the walls.
"There will be powerful wards on the gate," Severus informed the two men as Remus pointed out several archers that Severus had not noticed hiding in the shadows of the guard towers. "But beyond that there will be very little offensive magic. It will be a physical attack if we're forced to fight, and they'll have some of the best weapons around. Even dragonskin won't turn back their blades."
"Do we mean to attack openly then?" Sirius asked. Severus could tell by the tone of his voice, that he was not necessarily against such a thing, merely more curious than anything else. Remus on the other hand hissed in displeasure.
"Surely we can try negotiation first," he reasoned. "There are women and children inside those walls. I'd rather not risk harming innocents if we can avoid it."
"They started this," Severus reminded the werewolf. "The trick will be to get the wards down as quickly as possible. Once inside the walls, we should be able to subdue the warriors with spells readily enough. Alrik will be the only really magical threat, and he'll be easily dealt with. He has little skill as a duelist."
"Remus and I can get the wards down," Sirius told him. "You just keep those arrows off of us."
Though Severus didn't particularly like the two men, he was aware of the fact that they were both capable of casting magic in tandem, a rare skill. Years of familiarity not to mention the bond between them that they were only just beginning to acknowledge made them a very formidable team. Given enough time, he was certain they could pull all the wards from those ancient walls.
"We only need the wards on one of the gates down," Severus reminded them, knowing that as Gryffindors they would likely overlook this fact and go for total overkill - such a thing would cost them time he did not want to waste.
"What if they hurt Harry?" Remus asked, voicing a fear they all had.
"We don't give them the chance," Severus insisted. "We move quickly, stop anyone who gets in our way. No wasted time." If he had to, he knew he would take those very women and children Remus had mentioned hostage against Harry's safe return. He would use their own weaknesses against them - what ever it took to retrieve Harry alive. He did not want to think about the possibility that Harry may have already been injured - he was alive when he cast that Patronus. He had no reason to doubt that he remained alive still.
Sword in one hand, wand in the other, Severus nodded to the two men. "Let's move." As one they left their hiding place, moving at a swift run across the open ground beyond the forest edge toward the gate of the castle. No sooner had they emerged from the shadows of the forest and began making their way across the snow dusted ground, did they hear the horns on the walls of the castle sounding the alarm. More armed men moved toward the walls, archers raising their bows.
It took them a while to traverse the distance between the edge of the forest and the castle walls. As they ran, Severus felt the two men beside him calling up their powers even as they raised their wands to begin attacking the wards they could feel pulsing through the earth, protecting the ancient gate. Severus threw a shield up as they ran to ward off any arrows that might fly in their direction. But before the two men could throw their first blasting attack at the wall, a man hailed them from the castle.
"Hail, strangers!" he called down to them. "May we render some assistance?"
It was neither a threat nor a warning, a distinction all three of them could understand. And though every instinct in Severus was crying out to simply blast first and ask questions later, he knew he could not, knew also that the two Gryffindors beside him would not attack first when so obviously unprovoked. He was pleased however to note, that while he felt both men reining in the blasting power they had been summoning, neither man lowered their wands. He was reminded constantly that Gryffindor did not necessarily mean stupid.
He had no choice but to answer the hail from the wall.
"Return Harry Potter to us or we will pull down your walls!" Severus shouted up to the man on the battlements, his own wand raised in warning. The shielding spells he had cast pulsed around them, glinting in the pale sunlight.
But before the man could respond, they heard another voice calling from beyond the wall. "Open the gates!" Startled, Severus glanced at his two companions.
"Harry?" Remus murmured in surprise, his heightened senses no doubt making that voice even clearer to him than it had been to Severus.
"Let them through!" the voice shouted again, and this time Severus was positive that had been Harry shouting. Surprisingly, men on the wall moved immediately to do as commanded, and he heard the heavy chains of the great wheels and gears that held the door shut beginning to turn. Severus found himself somewhat at a loss - how could Harry be issuing orders when it was he who had been kidnapped? What was going on?
But only moments later they saw the great gates to the castle swinging open, and though the men watching from the walls did not relax their stances, the bows and arrows were lowered. A moment later, to Severus shock and utter relief, he saw a slender, familiar figure running through the gate toward them, a dark-haired young man with flashing green eyes who was grinning from ear to ear as if he'd been given the greatest gift imaginable.
Sirius broke first, stepping swiftly forward to meet the form, bracing himself as the young man launched himself at him. Sirius caught him in a bone-crushing hug, crying out his name as a seemingly unharmed Harry Potter hugged him back. A moment later, the boy had moved on and thrown his arms just as enthusiastically around a grinning werewolf, hugging Remus Lupin as he had his godfather.
And then to Severus' surprise, no sooner had he finished hugging Remus, Harry threw his arms around Severus, and for one brief blissful moment Severus found himself with an armful of Harry Potter, his lithe young body pressed intimately against Severus' own, the heat of his body burning past all his defenses and touching something utterly unknown inside him. Severus found himself flushed and befuddled, clinging to the young man with a desperation he didn't want to name. All he knew was that Harry was alive and whole and for whatever insane reason was momentarily in his arms. Though the hug lasted only a moment, he knew he would never forget that moment as long as he lived.
It wasn't until Harry had drawn back and turned toward the grinning Sirius and Remus that Severus became aware of the group of men moving more sedately through the gate toward them, not to mention the crowd of people gathered around the gate watching in curiosity.
Severus immediately recognized Alrik in the crowd and his anger and protective instincts returned full force. That something unexpected was going on here, he had no doubt. Harry did not appear to be a prisoner. But that did not change the fact that this man, his brother-in-law, had betrayed his trust and kidnapped his bond-mate.
No sooner did he identify Alrik than he raised his wand again, his face hardening with his displeasure. Harry, still laughing with his two fellow Gryffindors, notice the change in his demeanor and swiftly stepped between Severus and his prey. Finding his bond-mate at the other end of his wand startled Severus greatly. "Harry!" he hissed, drawing his wand back in alarm - had the boy no sense at all, stepping in front of him like that!
The action though had stopped the advance of the men approaching, and though not one of them raised a weapon against them, he could see the wariness in all their eyes. Indeed Harry raised his face toward the wall where the watching archers were still poised - one hand upraised toward them as if to warn them against firing off any shot.
"Severus, stop!" Harry insisted. "Things are not as they seem. Please!"
Severus stared at the boy in confusion - indeed Remus and Sirius were watching the proceedings uncertainly now, glaring at the warriors mistrustfully. Harry frowned and inclined his head toward one of the men who proceeded forward, Alrik only steps behind him standing off to one side. There was enough family resemblance that Severus guessed the older man to be Lord Asgeir Brand, lord of these lands.
"Lord Brand," Harry greeted and for a moment Severus was taken aback by the confidence in the boy's voice. "This is my bond-mate, Severus Snape."
Lord Brand inclined his head deferentially to Severus, who though still angry had no choice but to return the gesture, custom demanding it. "Lord Snape, welcome to Bifrost Hall. Please accept our hospitality."
Severus wanted to lash out at him about the courtesy afforded a man who kidnapped another, but Harry had already moved ahead, indicating his godfather.
"And this is-" Harry began only to be cut off by Asgeir's startled voice.
"Sirius Black!" he exclaimed in surprise and a murmur of alarm arose amongst the warriors and the crowd of people beyond the gate. Though isolated from England, the Winter Lands still would have heard all the stories of the infamous murderer Sirius Black, and the three of them had in their haste made no effort to disguise the fugitive. But before any alarm could be raised, or that murmuring of shock could rise in fear, Harry's shout cut them all off.
"My godfather! And an innocent man!" he shouted to the crowd, his eyes flashing with a fierceness Severus had never seen before. "And I will challenge anyone who says differently!"
His words had a remarkable affect on the crowd, dead silence falling over them all. Sirius, Remus and Severus merely stared in startled shock. It was Asgeir who broke the sudden silence, inclining his head graciously to Harry.
"There are none here who would speak against you, Harry Potter, and as the Ministry has abandoned us, your word shall be as law here. Be welcome in my home Lord Black." His words startled Severus even more than Harry's had - though they would have no bearing on Black's guilt or innocence with the Ministry of Magic, Lord Brand had just offered Sirius Black sanctuary in his land, solely on the word of one boy whom he'd met only hours earlier. That something extraordinary had happened here was certain.
Sirius, rendered speechless by the proceedings, inclined his head to the man as Harry moved on to Remus. "And this is Remus Lupin," he informed Asgeir. "It was he who taught me how to cast the Patronus charm."
Though Lupin's surname would have been unknown, Asgeir bowed to him too as if greeting an equal. "You are also welcome in my home, sir," he greeted. "And indeed we are in your debt for teaching Harry - that Patronus saved lives this day."
Remus, obviously uncertain about what was going on, merely repeated Sirius' gesture and remained silent. But Harry was grinning now and he stepped back toward the three of them turning to smile at Asgeir. "And now that they're here we can do a hell of a lot more that merely seal up a hole in the ground. The Dementors are no match for them!" Though Severus had no idea what on earth Harry was talking about, the crowd of people around them obviously did for there were suddenly cheers of approval and questioning murmurs as Harry's words were repeated through the crowd.
"Harry, what on earth. . ." Sirius began, Remus and Severus moving in closer to hear what explanation they could over the rising voices of the people around them.
But Asgeir motioned them all back toward the gate. "Come inside," he welcomed. "We'll explain everything." He called out to the men at the gate to usher all the crowd back inside and before Severus knew it he felt Harry tugging on his arm, pulling him toward the castle gates. Harry took hold of his arm and Sirius's, Remus falling into step beside them, and led them all inside Bifrost Hall as if they had not been moments before ready to tear the castle to the ground.
They were all led into Bifrost Hall and ushered into a meeting hall where Alrik and Asgeir explained to the three of them what troubles they had been dealing with and the failure of their Ministry to aid them. Sirius Black, having more reason to fear the Dementors than anyone, shuddered at the description of those creatures roaming the land freely, their dark powers unchecked by any spells.
"So you thought kidnapping Harry was a solution?" Severus demanded of his brother-in-law, not so willing to forget the blind terror he had felt on learning that Harry had been taken.
"We were desperate, Severus," Alrik told him, shame in his eyes but no sign of regret. "We had tried everything else - but when I saw the way people reacted to him that evening in Briarwood I knew no one would ignore us then."
"Ignore you!" Severus had to be physically restrained from rising to throttle the man - Remus' hand on his shoulder was restraint enough for he was no match against the werewolf's strength. "Did it not occur to you to come to me?"
"I've seen what you are capable of doing, Severus," Alrik said simply. "I did not trust you."
His words were like a slap in the face. Of course he did not trust him - who did? He was a Death Eater - at least in the eyes of the Wizarding World. Never mind what he had done to aid the Light - he was still tainted as far as everyone was concerned, for no other reason that being a Slytherin. Nothing was likely to change that.
"Did it not occur to you that instead of aiding you, you might simply have drawn the wrath of the Ministry and the Wizarding World down upon you?" Severus bit out - certainly he had been prepared to come here and destroy anyone who stood in his way.
"Harry has said the same words to me," Alrik admitted much to Severus' surprise. He glanced at Harry who was sitting silently beside Sirius Black, both men listening to the proceedings. "It was a risk I was willing to take."
"Really?" Severus smiled coldly at the man. "And what of the other risk, Alrik? Was that one you were willing to take?"
"I knew you would be angry," Alrik began but Severus cut him off.
"I'm not talking about me. What would you have done if the Dark Lord had learned that Harry was here in the Winter Lands and unprotected? What would you have done if Voldemort had come for him instead of me?" All those nearby flinched in horror at the Dark Lord's name, making an old warding sign against evil. Both Alrik and Asgeir had paled considerably, and seemed utterly at a loss for words.
"Severus is right," Sirius told them, his eyes glittering angrily. "All you see are the happy little legends the newspapers print about him, but you forget whose enemy he is. The risk you took in bringing him here was far greater than you know."
"Do you mean to take him from us then?" Asgeir asked in alarm, but Harry answered before anyone else could.
"No," he said quickly and Severus looked at the boy in confusion. He didn't mean to leave after all this?
"Harry?" Sirius questioned looking just as confused.
But Harry only threw the three of them an unreadable glance before turning back toward Asgeir. "I promised you my help, and you will have it. But I think I had best explain things to my family on my own."
Asgeir stood immediately. "Of course," he agreed nodding politely to the three of them. He motioned to his men to back away. "We'll leave you to it. If you need anything please ask."
Severus and the other two turned toward Harry for an explanation. He frowned at them and glanced toward the door at the end of the great hall. "Let's take a walk in the court yard," he suggested. "I could use some fresh air."
They followed him out of the hall without speaking and it did not escape Severus notice how so many eyes in the room followed the young man. What on earth had happened here he wondered? What had Harry meant by 'promise his help'? What had he promised these people who had kidnapped him, and what about that promise made these people so eager to treat the boy with such deference? They had little enough respect for him when they'd struck him with a concussion grenade and tossed him into a boat.
In the pale winter daylight, they walked through the courtyard undisturbed by the inhabitants. Harry paused before an enormous monolithic sundial, and stood staring at the great stone. A glance at the marks on the ground showed it was just past noon.
"Remus," Harry asked suddenly, startling all three of them. "Is it true that five percent of the world's population are wizards?"
The three men glanced at each other in confusion. "Yes, Harry," Remus nodded. "Give or take a few million here or there."
Harry just nodded, thoughtfully. "And is it also true that Hogwarts is the only magic school in Britain?"
"Yes," Remus agreed again.
Harry frowned. "I didn't know that there were so many of us. I suppose Ron and Neville probably knew - they grew up in this world after all. And Hermione probably knew; it's probably in a book somewhere. But I didn't know. There are over half a million Wizarding children in Britain old enough to go to Hogwarts - but only four hundred attend. Hagrid said my name was down for Hogwarts since before I was born. I never really knew what that meant until now."
Severus frowned. Could Harry truly not have understood the privileged position he held in their society? He knew Muggles did not hold to the old ways much any more - they saw their monarchy now as little more than something to read about in the newspapers. But it didn't change the fact that even Muggle children understood status and social structure. And though Muggles liked to believe themselves part of some great equality, they still understood classes and rank.
"You said you had no vote at Christmas, Remus," Harry continued and Severus found himself somewhat bothered by the fact that it was Remus alone Harry was seeking answers from. He had been Harry's teacher a lot longer than Remus had, and yet it was always the werewolf he turned to for information. "You said you had no value as a vassal. But that's not really true, is it?"
Remus frowned at that. "Harry, my nature limits my choices. Magical ability won't change my status in the world."
"Maybe not for the Ministry," Harry agreed. "But it changes everything for these people." He motioned to the men and women working in the castle around them, a bright gleam in his eyes that Severus didn't really understand. Whatever Harry was dealing with, it both upset and moved him, bringing out some emotional response that Severus suspected was quite different from whatever Ron or Hermione or Neville might feel.
"You know when I translated Slytherin's book," Harry said quietly and this time Severus could definitely see something sad in his face. "I thought I found a cure for Lycanthropy. I thought it could cure all werewolves. But it won't, will it - because most werewolves are just like these people here. They can't cast a Patronus, can they?"
"No, Harry," Remus agreed softly. "Most wizards can't."
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking strangely lost and vulnerable. Severus had to fight the impulse to reach out to him. "These people are helpless against the Dementors. I told them I would help them."
And with those words Severus thought at last he understood what was going through Harry's head. He wasn't seeing his position in society as a privilege but as a duty - a duty to protect and serve those weaker than him.
"Harry, you don't owe them anything," Severus told him firmly. "This is the Gryffindor in you talking. This is the Ministry's job, not yours. You're a sixteen-year-old boy who has not even finished your schooling yet. You're not an Auror, you're not a warrior. This isn't your responsibility."
"Yes, it is," Harry told him.
"Harry," Sirius said gently, touching his godson's shoulder as Severus had wanted to do himself. "Severus is right. This isn't your job. You're still a child. No one expects.. . "
"They took my wand, Sirius," Harry interrupted. Sirius frowned but let Harry continued. "Last night they took my wand, and I felt helpless. I stood there and watched, unable to do anything, while a man's head was ripped from his body." His words made Severus blanch, his heart clenching at the thought of what Harry had gone through - why, when so many people wanted to protect him, was this boy so tormented?
"I stood there and watched as men were torn apart and then got their souls sucked out by Dementors and I imagine that for those few moments I felt exactly like these people feel all the time - helpless, powerless."
They could all see the gleam of horror in the boy's green eyes as he spoke, remembering what had occurred the night before.
"And then I got my hands on a wand and drove the Dementors back with a spell I learned when I was thirteen." He looked up at the three of them and there was something hard and painful glittering in his eyes. "I have to help these people because they're brave and strong and good, but they're not capable of doing what has to do be done. I have to help them because I can. I have to help them because they asked. I won't leave until I've done what I've promised, and I'm asking you to help me."
Severus stared at the young man before him, finding himself completely at a loss for words. By all rights he should take Harry back to Hogwarts immediately - he should take him back there and forbid him to even think about these people or their trouble. But something had change - something subtle but undeniable, and he could see it shining in those haunted green eyes. They had twice now referred to him a child, but he wasn't a child any more, and perhaps had not been one for a long time. And for the first time Harry seemed to understand that himself - they could order him back to Hogwarts, but he would not go. They could try to force him, but they would fail. He had seen something, discovered something about both himself and the world that they could not change.
Sirius and Remus both looked at him, and he could tell by the light in their eyes that they too had seen the same thing in Harry. They might all three considering themselves Harry's guardians, but they also understood that they would not sway Harry from his course. At this point Severus doubted even Albus could do that.
"What is it you want us to do?" Severus asked softly, speaking for the other two men as well. He knew neither Sirius nor Remus would abandon him even if Harry asked them to walk through the Gates of Hell.
"Tomorrow we're going into the heart of Grendling country and I'm going to seal up the Well of Despair that the Dementors are coming from. But I can't move the capstone and control the Patronus at the same time. Alrik's warriors can fight off the Grendlings, but I need you three to keep the Dementors away from them. With three Patronus' you might even be able to herd the Dementors back down into the Well and we can trap them back inside - or at least some of them."
Through the Gates of Hell indeed, Severus thought. The boy was speaking of going to war - it was as simple as that.
"Harry, do you have any idea how dangerous that will be?" Remus asked him incredulously.
Harry nodded. "I saw the Grendlings fight last night. I've been in enough battles to know what it will be like." And sadly, though only sixteen, none of them could deny his claim.
"Harry," Sirius sighed. "I can't say as I'm thrilled with the idea of going up against so many Dementors." He visible shuddered as he spoke and Severus saw the look of concern that immediately flooded Harry's features. It hadn't occurred to Severus that the former resident of Azkaban might not be able to handle so many Dementors. "But I'll manage if that's what you need. But are you really aware of what it is they're asking you to do? Did they explain to you what a capstone is? How big it is?"
Harry frowned at this in confusion, but nodded his head. "Yes, of course," he told them. He pointed toward the large monolith in the center of the sundial. "They said it was about twice the size of that stone and I moved that one this morning without much difficulty. Even if it's three times the size I should be okay moving it."
All three men turned to stare at the monolith and for a moment Severus found his mind going blank as he tried to process the words Harry had just spoken. When the words had at last repeated themselves two or three times in his brain he found himself flooded with questions he wasn't certain it would be wise to ask. The three men exchanged silent looks and it seemed as if Remus and Sirius were wondering the exact same thing as he was.
Harry, apparently unaware of their turmoil, asked, "Will you help?"
It was Sirius who snapped out of his shock first - the Gryffindor in him used to agreeing blindly to whatever insanity was asked of him. "Of course we'll help you, Harry," he informed the young man. "Frankly, I'm not letting you out of my sight again, and if you're committed to this crazy plan, then so am I."
If Harry noticed how pale Black was when he said these words, he did not indicate. Instead he just smiled gratefully at the three of them and then urged them back inside where the castle inhabitants had hot food waiting.