A Relative Challenge

Chapter 2: Snake flavored Ice cream with a kidnapping on top

It was four o'clock when Vernon Dursley pulled into his driveway. A full two hours earlier than his normal time of coming home. Being a Dursley, not coming home at the normal time was reason enough for Petunia to start to worry. When Vernon had asked of their lovely stepson Harry, she really eyed him suspiciously.

"Dear? Are you feeling alright?" She asked reaching to feel his forehead.

He smiled oddly, in a way that didn't suit him, and reassured her he felt simply wonderful before leaving a bewildered woman, standing in the hall.

Harry had much the same reaction when his Uncle came into his room.

"Are you feeling ok, Uncle Vernon?" He asked after the said uncle offered to take him out for an ice cream.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. I just wanted to take my favorite nephew out for a treat that's all."

Ok, Harry thought, there was something completely wrong here. "Favorite?"

Vernon still beamed back at him. "Of course! Why wouldn't you be? Now come on, we want to make it before the shop closes, and Dudley catches us leaving. "

Harry remained where he sat at his desk. Surely Uncle Vernon was taking him off to dump him somewhere, or he had finally gone loony. Harry mentally sighed, however, when he saw the smile wasn't fading from his Uncle's face. Strange, yes, but Harry didn't want to push his luck. "Ok, Uncle. I'll be right down."

"Don't dawdle too long!" Came the happy response from the retreating Vernon down the stairs.

Harry still sat there staring confusedly at the door. Yes, his Uncle was strange but even so this happy side of Uncle Vernon was somewhat scary. Harry quickly scrawled a note to Ron telling him of the weird behavior and that if he didn't write for a while, send someone to look for him. Surely Uncle Vernon was getting rid of him.

~!*!*!*!*!*!*!*~

"Ah, Severus. You're back. I assume everything went well?" A voice said from a turned armchair.

"Yes, Master. You're brilliant plan is working just as you had known it would." Snape mentally sighed. These were the moments he really hated about being a Death Eater, having to keep reminding his /master/ of how great the man was, how brilliant and undeniably powerful the Dark Lord was.

"You flatter me Severus. The Muggle didn't resist then?" The high-pitched voice held great amusement in it.

"No, Master. The Imperious curse I placed is strong. He will, with no doubt in my mind, deliver the boy to us." Snape responded with downcast eyes, for Voldemort had turned his gaze upon him.

"Good. Now let's carry out the rest of the plan. Potter /will/ be mine before tomorrow." A smile slithered its way across the pale skinned face of the evil wizard. "I wouldn't want to see how much doubt is truly present in your mind, Severus." The smile was still in place, this time mocking. Severus knew how much entertainment Voldemort would get from watching his body contort, and hear his screams made from the effects of the Cruciatus.

Snape bowed humbly to the Dark Lord. "Yes, Master, I will leave at once for the meeting place where the Muggle is bringing him."

"Very good. I shall suspect the boy within my grasp before midnight. That is more than enough time to carry out this task." The last was said in a tone emphasizing there really wasn't that much time at all. "Oh, and Severus? I needn't remind you how much is riding on Potter being mine, do I?" Voldemort waited for his follower's reply and when he received it flourished his hand in dismissal.

Snape bowed once more with eyes still downcast before turning on heel and leaving the still grinning serpent behind. Severus' brain mulled over the previous conversation comparing it to his task he must carry out. Bring Potter directly to the Dark Lord after Potter's uncle carried him a safe distance from the magical wards.

Severus allowed himself a small smile as he walked into the clearing to Disapparate. Oh, the irony of life. Here he was, Severus Snape, the great Potions professor of Hogwarts and spy for Dumbledore, about to lead the Wizarding world's last hope straight into the awaiting Devil's hands. The irony, indeed.

He took a deep breath and muttered the words to disappear. Damp, still air that held traces of what seemed like death, was quickly replaced by a warm summer afternoon's breeze carrying sounds from birds and passing cars, not to mention the sunlight. The difference was almost enough to cause Snape to forget he was still wearing his wizard's robes in a Muggle park. Another quick incantation caused the long robes to wrap firmly around his body, seemingly with a mind of their own, before blurring into one solid shape and finally molding to him. A white T-shirt tucked into black trousers with a black jacket to cover the shirt formed from the mass.

"Never have understood Muggle fashions." Snape muttered absently straightening the cuff of the leather jacket. Muggle clothes never gave the intimidating effect Severus enjoyed so much. Having long robes that could billow out behind him often caused enough threat for anyone to stop and listen.

Now, all he had to do was wait. That was going to be the hardest part about this. Waiting in the Muggle world, in Muggle clothes trying not to snap at little Muggle children as they played harmlessly, too close, to Severus. He would be very thankful once this whole thing was over, and he could retreat back to the silent calm of his dungeons. One more Mr. Snapping appearance, and he wouldn't be able to trust himself around those small children anymore.

Luckily, though, he spotted the very much out of place fat man waddling his way towards where he stood. His heartbeat quickened when he didn't catch site of Potter with him.

"Just like that boy to ruin my-" Snape narrowed his eyes and breathed again. Harry /was/ with the morosely fat Muggle. He had just been dwarfed by the sheer size of the man. "Well, Severus. Here it goes. Bring Potter to Voldemort and the mission will be a success."

~!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!~

The parchment worn from many re-readings lay unfolded in Arthur Weasley's hands. This was his, give or take, hundredth time reading the letter from Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Dear Arthur,

I write this in hope that it finds you well. I will be blunt Mr. Weasley, as we have little time to act. Through one of my sources in Voldemort's circle, it has come to my attention that an attempt will be made on Harry Potter."

Mr. Weasley sighed to himself. He felt so sorry for that boy. It seemed as though every corner Harry turned, something was after him. A simple thought buzzed in the Ministry employee's mind. Harry had survived his first encounter with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, which was a miracle in itself, plus a few more if the rumors were true, but would he be able to live through /another/ encounter? The man sighed and continued reading.

"He will be lured out from the protective wards of his home and brought to a Death Eater at a predetermined place. Thanks to my source, we know where that is. But. Being able to ensure Mr. Potter isn't taken to Voldemort-"

Did the Headmaster /have/ to keep using You-Know-Who's name?

" . . . we must act quickly. This is where you come in Mr. Weasley. I ask of your assistance in rescuing Harry before the Death Eaters can obtain him. Please come to Hogwarts immediately after receiving this to discuss a plan of action further.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore"

And here Arthur was. Sitting across from the Headmaster himself. He looked up at the aged wizard after finishing the letter.

"Rereading helps me think." He felt he must explain. That amused twinkle in the Dumbledore's eyes made him feel it necessary.

"As with me." Dumbledore responded with a soft smile. "Do you understand what you must do, Arthur? Harry will be completely unprotected, you must reach him before it is too late as we have discussed."

"Yes, sir. I understand fully. But . . . what if there-"

"Are more than one Death Eater?" Albus finished for him. "Severus has assured me the plan only called for one follower. There shouldn't be more." The long white beard piled on the desk before the old wizard as he leaned forward. "Good luck, Arthur. Hurry now, or you will miss the rendezvous."

~!*!*!*!*!*!*!~

Harry looked over at his uncle. The glee filled smile hadn't wavered in the slightest. Harry sighed. They had passed three ice cream parlors now and were still driving. Uncle Vernon had to be dropping him off somewhere. When the car finally pulled over Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes. "

The park. How original, Uncle." Then he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and briefly wondered if he had been thinking out loud.

"I thought we'd have a bit o' fun at the park before we got ice cream. What d'you say, hm?" Still smiling. Why was he still smiling?

"I thought we were in a hurry to get to the ice cream store before it closed?" Harry feigned ignorance.

"Pah, I'm sure there is some salesman out here somewhere selling ice cream. Now come on it's getting dark and we won't be able to see." The fat man almost hopped out of the car in happiness, then almost bounced on heel when Harry slowly joined him after shutting his car door. "C'mon, this will be fun! Just the two of us. Uncle and nephew. We'll get to have some quality time. You are growing up rather quickly before my eyes."

He knew! That had to be it. Harry mentally smacked himself for being so incredibly dull. Uncle Vernon /never/ looked this happy unless he had just come into some large amount of money. He must have found out about Harry's small fortune in the wizarding world and was trying to sucker him up. Harry blinked as he watched the fat man squish into a swing and push off with a 'Wheee!' Nope, there was something else. The man was just acting too strange, and the fact the swing was actually holding the tub-with-legs helped conclude Harry's thoughts.

An hour or so passed which found Harry rocking back and forth slowly in a swing watching curiously as his uncle made it higher and higher with each arc. Soon, though, the man abruptly stopped. His expression changed from joy of a little kid to a stern faced old man.

"C'mon Harry, we're going to be late for ice cream." The tone held no happiness, nor emotion. It was completely monotone.

Harry had no choice but to follow the large man. Harry hoped that if he stayed quiet he would get a ride back home and was doing nothing to get in the way of his uncle.

They walked in silence down a park pathway for a bit, Vernon staring straight ahead the entire time.

"Uh . . . Uncle? Where are we going? It's getting late and the car is in the opposite direction." Harry had dared to ask when the sun had finally settled and the sky was turning navy. If he guessed right they had been at the park for little over two hours now.

Vernon didn't turn to look at him. "To get ice cream, Harry. To get ice cream." It was in the same monotone, no-emotion type of voice.

Harry sighed. The verdict was in. Vernon was a decreed loon.

~!*!*!*!*!*!*!~

Severus jumped when a hand came down on his shoulder. He turned quickly, wand outstretched, ready for anything. Well, anything except for the sight of the man standing before him. "Lucius? What are you doing here?"

"Surprised to see me, I see." The blonde smirked.

Snape lowered his wand and glanced quickly over his shoulder at the nearing Dursley and Potter. "What are you doing here?" He hissed, eyes narrowing.

"Master is very adamant about the young Potter being brought to him." Lucius peered over Severus' shoulder and grinned fully. "He just is being extra cautious that we actually succeed with this."

"The plan only called for /one/ Death Eater to be here." Snape mentally kicked himself for allowing the faintest bit of nervousness to filter into that statement.

Lucius laughed at him. "Wanting to steal all the glory for yourself this time, eh Severus?" A well-focused glare was his response.

Snape was holding back from cursing the sneering blonde right then and there. The plan was going perfectly until he had shown up. Weasley was going to snatch Harry, a mock fight would ensue, Weasley would be the victor and Potter would be safe. Now there had to be adjustments made to accommodate another Death Eater. He was sure Arthur Weasley wouldn't be too pleased when he saw more than one man meeting Dursley. Dursley! Snape spun around to see how close the man had come with Potter. Luckily the tubby man wasn't too close yet.

"I must admit Severus, that Imperious Curse you used is something to make me almost jealous. It seems you /can/ do wand magic after all, instead of just the caldron type." A low chuckle followed the jab at Severus. "What's going on here!?"

Snape broke the infuriated glare he had been bestowing on the fellow Death Eater when he saw the man tense. Severus looked towards Dursley and held back the flavorful words that wanted to flow from his mouth.

Arthur Weasley, the man that was /supposed/ to have waited until Harry had been handed over to Snape, was now in somewhat of a fierce tug-o-war with Dursley and Potter being the rope in the middle. Any plans Severus was trying to put together in his mind were shattered by Lucius' next words.

"Death Eaters! Get Potter NOW!"

"The others are here? How many?" Snape found his blood quickly leaving his face as he notably blanched.

"Everyone." Lucius shrugged still smiling in a complete euphoria as he watched the black robed figures swarm out of the shadows, converging on Potter and that red haired man. He turned to look back at his partner. "I told you He was serious about getting the boy." He blinked then looked around himself. "Severus?" Then saw the said man running towards the fray. A frown crossed Lucius Malfoys' lips. "Still wanting all the glory."

~!*!*!*!*!*!*!~

Arthur Weasley hid himself amongst some bushes off to the side of a park path. The meeting with Severus was only just a little farther up ahead, so he figured that was a good enough spot. He looked around himself. There was Snape in Muggle clothes standing near the top of the hill. In the other direction a /very/ large man was walking up the path with none other than Harry Potter in tow.

Weasley winced. This was his first good look at the boy in a long time, but he knew he shouldn't have been /that/ thin. Harry's hair had grown considerably over the summer as well. The now odd dark hair hung just past his ears with a slight curl. Mr. Weasley noted that the boy's skin was a few shades lighter and cursed Vernon Dursley under his breath. The fat git must have locked him in that closet Harry had mentioned one time, again . Arthur shrugged it off. Harry would soon be safely within the walls of Hogwarts where he would be properly looked after.

It was going to happen soon, the deal was going to go down anytime. Severus would beckon Dursley who was under the Imperious Curse to loyally bring the boy to him. Then Arthur would dash out of the bushes and be the triumphant wizard in the fake duel. Arthur chuckled softly. A ministry official against a Death Eater. The chuckle quickly faded as realization set in. He hadn't thought of it before, but Snape was walking a very fine line. On one side he could go against Dumbledore and take Harry to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That would ensure his life and appease his Master. On the other side, the side of the plan, he would return empty handed to the Dark Lord and surely suffer dearly for his failure, possibly even death. Severus was risking everything for Harry Potter, the boy everyone knew he hated.

Arthur swallowed as the thoughts settled in. A fine line it was! He stole a quick glance back at Severus and his heart skipped. Another darkly dressed individual was now standing with a very angry looking Snape. With blonde hair and the way the man held himself there was no mistaking him as none other than Lucius Malfoy. Mr. Weasley felt his throat go dry. He thought Dumbledore said there was only supposed to be /one/ Death Eater and that was Severus! Now there was another? Arthur watched with increasing nervousness as the blonde man looked over Snape's shoulder. By the way Severus was acting, Arthur concluded, he hadn't expected that man at all.

It was up to him now to save Harry. Death Eaters were like cockroaches, where there was one there were bound to be many, many more. So, Arthur Weasley did the only natural thing to do in that situation. He ran out from his hiding spot amongst the bushes, grabbed Harry's left arm and started to leave when he felt Harry pull back with a slight yelp. The red haired man turned quickly to see Vernon Dursley holding the boy's right arm and not seeming to be letting go.

Panic started to creep into Weasley's composer as he realized he wasn't going to make the clean get away he had hoped for. Then he heard someone shout something that truly made his blood freeze.

Lucius Malfoy's voice rang clearly out over the area. "Death Eaters! Get Potter NOW!"

"Mr. Weasley!" The man looked down at Harry. "Get out of here! They want me, not you. If you stay-"

"I'm staying Harry and I am going to get you out. Don't worry everything will be fine." Arthur wished he could believe those words, because, at that moment, dozens of black robed men appeared from nowhere out of the shadows. All wearing a mask to hide their identities. Weasley got his wand ready immediately and disarmed many as the Death Eaters poured around Harry and himself.

"Sir, go. Please. Before it's too late!" Harry cried out from behind him.

"Just stay behind me Harry. We'll- AHH!" The tall, red haired man fell to the ground screaming and convulsing.

Harry knew immediately what was the cause. He waited for his own turn to come while Mr. Weasley's screams painted the background. He looked at one Death Eater straight in the mask and heard the cold voice say something.

"Now, we've got you, you lil' rat. You're gonna pay for what you done to my master!" The masked individual raised his wand and started the motions Harry had feared from the moment he had first seen it.

Harry thought grimly that he deserved it. It was what had been coming to him because now along with Cedric, and his parents' deaths he had a new name to add to the list of people who have gotten hurt because of him, Mr. Weasley.

The Death Eater laughed as his wand rose up to inevitably come down with a flick to cast the painful Unforgivable curse. "Cruci-"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" A voice bellowed from somewhere cutting of the vile incantation, and just as the evil wand was coming to 'flick' the magic from its tip, its owner was forced to throw it aside.

Harry stared unbelieving as Professor Snape appeared out of nowhere to stand in front of him protectively.

"Potter!? Are you alright?" He said glancing over his shoulder at the stunned boy.

"Y-yeah." Snape in the open fighting the Death Eaters? Wouldn't his cover be blown now? Harry shook his head clear. "But, Mr. Weasley was hit by the Cruciatus."

Snape was busy casting shielding spells, and disarming spells against the many Death Eaters. "He'll be alright, Potter. It's /you/ we are concerned-" A black robed figure was sent hurling away by a spell. "-about. Get out of here, quickly."

Harry had enough. He didn't want to make the list any longer even if it was the greasy haired Potions Master. He wanted to say he didn't want anyone concerned for him. He didn't want people's concern that could be used to hurt them. His thoughts were interrupted by rough voice.

"Harry . . ." Arthur Weasley had stood up by now, rather shakily and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "C'mon. Severus is right we need to go."

"But, sir!" Harry tried to protest, but Weasley simply started dragging him away. Perhaps, Arthur Weasley hadn't seen the blonde glint out of the corner of his eye, or the wand being raised behind both he and Harry's backs. Maybe he hadn't heard the one word spell that brought waves upon waves of absolute pain. He was sure, however that he would never forgive himself for being so foolish as he watched and heard the Death Eaters' laughs as Harry Potter was taken from him. He watched in horror as the limp form of the person /he/ was supposed to protect was being kidnapped right before his eyes. He had to do something!

" 'Arry . . ." He struggled to his knees and tried to make his way after the rapidly disappearing Death Eaters. Then, the world went black for Arthur Weasley.