Mist and Vapors

Chapter 18: Branded

Once again, Severus Snape hurried down the corridor with long strides, and Hannah ran after him at a half-trot, trying to keep up. They reached the entrance hall just as the doors opened, admitting a cluster of teachers levitating a stretcher. Minerva McGonagall impatiently shooed students out of the way while Filius Flitwick carefully guided the stretcher with its motionless burden towards the hospital wing. Professor Vector was not really contributing much other than a general wringing of hands and exclamations of dismay.

Snape strode up to Minerva. "What happened?" he demanded.

"We aren't quite certain. But really, Severus, that can wait."

Snape stepped up to the stretcher, and looked into the pale, still face of Remus Lupin. "How bad is it?"

"I'm sure Poppy will let us know." She impatiently waved him on. "If you want something to do, see that all the students get sent to their respective common rooms for the time being. We left Hooch in Hogsmeade to try and send everyone back here. You," she turned to Hannah, "help him. I'll go with Remus up to the hospital wing, so one of you will need to make sure all of my Gryffindors are accounted for. And you," she turned towards Vector, "find Sprout and tell her what happened, and then take care of the Ravenclaws."

Hannah nodded, and turned to the students milling around them. Several of the younger girls were crying. She put her arm around the shoulder of a dark-haired third-year, who with scared eyes and tear-stained cheeks looked after the stretcher as it gently floated down the corridor.

"Emma, I'm sure Professor Lupin will be just fine," she said soothingly. "I need you to help me right now, all right? See Brennus and Sarah over there?" She pointed to a couple of frightened first-years. "Can you take them back to Gryffindor Tower for me? I'll see you there later." The girl nodded, wiped her tears on the sleeve of her robe, and, still sniffling, walked over to the other two.

As Hannah straightened up, two upper-year Slytherin boys sauntered by.

"...Nah, he'll be all right - werewolves are notoriously hard to kill," the taller of the two said, a mocking tone to his voice.

"More's the pity," the other one drawled.

For a moment, Hannah's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed dangerously as she headed towards the two with her hands on her hips. "To your common room. Now. And not another word out of you."

The two looked at her insolently. The shorter of the two, a smirk on his face, had just opened his mouth to speak when a voice so icy cold it could have frozen mercury came from behind them. The boys swung around in terror.

"Is there something wrong with your ears, Herrick? I suggest you do as the lady says without further delay, or I can assure you I will make quite certain you will regret it." The last few words came out in a low, threatening growl that made the two boys start back with wide eyes.

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir." The two took off at a trot.

Hannah looked at him, her hands still on her hips. "Really, Severus, I think I could have handled -" but the Potions master had already turned away, herding the next group of students towards their dormitories. With a sigh, Hannah turned to do the same.

After enrolling the help of the prefects, it only took another half an hour until the rest of the stragglers coming back from Hogsmeade were rounded up and summarily dispatched in the direction of their respective common rooms. Hannah called back the last of the Gryffindors, telling her to wait.

"Severus, I'm going to make certain all the Gryffindors are where they're supposed to be. Are you going up to the hospital wing after you get the Slytherins settled?"

He nodded grimly.

"I'll see you there, then."

.-.-

As Hannah entered the Gryffindor common room, she was inundated with shouts and questions. It was evident that Professor Lupin was quite popular with his pupils. She held up her hand against the barrage of voices and bodies. "I'm sorry; I have absolutely no idea at the moment. After we are done here, I'll try and find out what is happening, so if we can get everyone sorted out..."

Flustered, she realized that she had no idea how to conduct a roll call without a list of everyone who was supposed to be in residence in the Tower. Pandemonium ruled in the room - older girls trying to comfort each other in the corners, small groups of fourth- and fifth-years talking in loud, agitated voices, some blank-faced first-years who still hadn't figured out what all the excitement was about. She sighed. Well, if she didn't know who all belonged here, supposedly the students would. Spotting the red-haired Head Girl, she called her over.

"Miss Weasley, is it? Right, then. Let's have all the students stand with their respective roommates, please." With a shuffle and a murmur, the students grouped up. "Now, please look around you, and make sure everyone from your dormitory is here. Do we have anybody missing?"

A couple more minutes of confusion, and she ascertained that all students were present and accounted for.

"Good. I'm going to leave now. Miss Weasley, you're in charge. Don't let anybody leave until one of the teachers lets you know it is safe to do so."

The girl nodded to show she understood. Her freckles stood out dark against her pale skin. "Will you please let us know if Remus... if Professor Lupin is all right as soon as you can?" Her voice quavered slightly.

Hannah put an arm around her shoulders, and gave her a light squeeze. "I'll do my best. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey is taking wonderful care of him." She had no idea why the girl was on a first name basis with the professor, but this was not the time to find out.

Having fulfilled her duties, she finally hurried down towards the hospital wing.

.-.-.-

When Hannah arrived in Madam Pomfrey's domain, she found most of the staff clustered in a corner of the large infirmary. Remus Lupin was nowhere in sight - she presumed they had moved him into one of the few private chambers. She walked up to Minerva McGonagall, who sat grim-faced on the edge of one of the many beds, right next to Filius Flitwick, who was nervously kneading his hands. They were talking together in low tones.

"How is he?"

The older witch looked up at her angrily. "Can't say that I know. Poppy unceremoniously shoved everyone except Albus out of the room. - Everything all right with my students?"

Hannah nodded. "They're shaken up, but otherwise fine. I think they would appreciate an update."

"Wouldn't we all," Minerva answered with asperity. Just then, the door opened again, and the Potions master entered in his usual stride.

He stopped next to the two women. "So what happened?"

Minerva shrugged. "A couple students went out towards the Shrieking Shack and saw Remus on the ground. Someone else was with him, but Disapparated as soon as he realized he had company. Remus was unconscious. That's all I know. Until Poppy deems it fit to let us know how he is doing."

"Does this have anything to do with what happened down in the dungeons?" Hannah asked, casting a worried look towards Severus before turning back to Minerva.

"Your guess is as good as mine." The head of Gryffindor house stood up and nervously paced three steps back and forth. "I just wish that Poppy would tell us something..."

As if on cue, Poppy Pomfrey swung open the door and stood aside. "All right, everyone - he is conscious and will be fine, and I'm going to let you in for about five minutes, after which I want the whole lot of you to leave. And I mean that."

Remus Lupin was propped up against the elevated head of the hospital bed. He looked pale and wan, but very much alive. Minerva, who was the first to come in, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. "Remus, how are you? What happened? I would hug you, but I'm not quite sure if that is a good idea at the moment," she said in an over-brisk tone that almost managed to hide the way her voice was shaking.

Remus smiled. "Poppy assures me I'll be good as new in just a few days. But let's hold that thought until then." Apologetically, he half-lifted his arms, which were loosely wrapped in bandages.

After a few minutes of well-wishes and awkward pats on the leg, Albus rose from where he had been sitting on a chair next to the bed, and cleared his throat. "If you are all satisfied that Remus will live, I would ask you to please return to your usual tasks. After dinner, you can all join me in the staff room, and I will try and answer any questions you may have. But let us all give Remus some time to rest now. I'm sure he will be up for some visitors tomorrow, if you would care to come back then? - Oh, and Minerva, Filius, and Severus, stay just a minute, if you would?"

The Potions master had come in last of the little group. Leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, he looked on impassively as the teachers one by one said goodbye to Lupin.

Hannah was one of the last to leave. On the way out, she stopped in front of Severus, and their eyes met. For just a moment, her hand rested on his arm. "Please, Severus, take care," she whispered. "I don't like this." Her eyes were dark with worry.

Severus felt the familiar irritation rise up at her words - but just as quickly, it faded away.

He nodded, and the corner of his mouth twitched for just a second. "I'll do my best."

.-.-.-

After the last person had left, Dumbledore turned to Remus. "If you think you have the strength, you should tell them the whole story now. Severus especially needs to be informed of what happened." Minerva raised an eyebrow, and looked askance at the Potions master.

Remus closed his eyes, and swallowed hard...

After leaving the Three Broomsticks, he had wandered around Hogsmeade without any particular aim. Outside of Honeydukes, he had broken up a shouting match between a couple of Gryffindors and Slytherins before it degraded into something more serious. Some things just never change.

On a whim, he had decided to walk down towards the Shrieking Shack. He had leaned against the fence, looking at the scene of some of his best and worst memories, when the spell had hit him from behind.

"Petrificus Totalus".

Stiff as a piece of wood, he fell hard against the fence before hitting the ground. A hand rolled him over with difficulty, and he looked up into the face of Peter Pettigrew, former friend, present enemy.

"Memories, memories," the small, pudgy wizard said, with a smile that bared his front teeth. "Do you remember the last time we were in there, Moony? Do you?"

Looking at the stiff, wooden face of the werewolf, he held up his hands in a gesture of dismay. "Oh, how thoughtless of me! Here, let me fix that. Just promise not to scream, or I might be forced to... well, we don't want to think about that, do we?" He muttered a word while describing a small circle with his wand tip, and Remus felt the muscles of his jaw and tongue unlock.

"There, now you can talk to me! Isn't that nice?"

Remus didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. Peter's face darkened, his bushy eyebrows drawing together. "What, am I not worth talking to all of a sudden? You do realize I could have killed you just now, right? - I could have, you know."

Buy time, Remus though. Find out what he wants. "What is it, Peter?" he asked roughly.

"Oh, straight to the point, are we? No time for pleasantries? Very well, then. I mainly wanted to send a message to dear Severus. I just needed a messenger. Anyone would have done, really, but I am so glad it was you. The Fates are still on my side, it seems." He smiled gleefully. "You see, we still have a score to settle."

Wormtail watched Remus' mouth tighten. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, Moony. But I have to do something, don't I? You weren't going to be as merciful as that, the last time we met. You would have killed me. You and Padfoot. I have to do something to pay you back for that, don't I? If it hadn't been for Harry..."

He walked around the stiff body of the werewolf, a finger crooked against his chin, as if contemplating his options.

"Do you realize that Harry is alive because of me? I had a clear shot at him during that last battle. It would have been easy, Moony - child's play. If I had, how different things might be now..." His voice trailed off, a little lost. Then he straightened up. "But I didn't do it, you see. I like to repay my debts."

Crouching next to the werewolf, he held up his right hand in front of Remus' face and flexed his fingers. "Look what the Dark Lord gave me to repay his, Remus. It was a good gift. Silver, but stronger than steel. And look what it can do..." He made a fist, and then stretched out his index finger. It grew longer, thinner, until it resembled a thin spike. "A silver stake to the heart - would that kill a werewolf? Silver and werewolves don't get along, do they? I wonder..." The finger reshaped itself to its original form. Peter pulled up the sleeve of Remus' robe until his arm was exposed almost up to the shoulder. Languidly, he drew his finger along the skin. He was rewarded with a sharp, hissing intake of breath.

"Does that hurt, Remus?" With pleasure, he looked down at the arm, where a thick, red welt was starting to rise. Blisters were forming along the line he had drawn. "Well, yes, I think it does." The lines seemed to give him an idea, since he all of a sudden smiled with delight.

"How about that! I had a note written, but this will be so much better...Just hold still for a moment. Oh, I guess I don't really have to tell you that." He snickered quietly to himself. "But just in case you can't keep quiet - Silencio!"

He drew up Remus' other sleeve, and with difficulty turned his stiff limbs so that the soft, white skin of the inner arm was exposed. Then, stretching out his hand, he drew his finger across it, again and again. For a while, the only sound was a low, sizzling hiss as tender flesh rebelled against the touch of the Death Eater's gleaming hand. That, and the ragged intake of breath and rough, choking exhalation which was all the response of which the werewolf had been left capable.

When Peter was finished, he stood up and looked critically at his handiwork. "Yes, that will do nicely. The ending is a bit crabbed; I almost ran out of space. I think it is still quite legible, don't you?" He rubbed his hands together. "So, what should we do next?"

It was at that moment that they had heard the voices of people approaching. Peter looked at Remus with regret. "I could have had so much more fun with you, Moony. Oh well. But I'll leave you with one more souvenir to remember me by, old friend..." He lifted his wand, a ball of bright green fire erupted from the tip, and then the world exploded in fiery flashes of agony until the light finally, mercifully faded to black.

"...and that is all I remember until I woke up in here." Remus' smile was strained.

Filius Flitwick wiped the tears from his cheek while Minerva's face looked grim and pinched. "The curse he hit you with...?"

"Poppy is fairly sure that the effects will wear off in a while. I'm already regaining some sensation. It's just that as of right now, I don't have the use of my legs."

"Paralyzed?" Minerva whispered sharply.

"Just for the moment. At least I fervently hope so," he quipped with a crooked smile.

"And your arms?" It was the first thing Severus had said. "What about them?"

Albus nodded to Madam Pomfrey. "Show him, Poppy."

"Is that really necessary, Albus?"

The Headmaster nodded. "I think he should see for himself."

With an acid look in Dumbledore's direction, she quickly unwrapped the bandages. Self-consciously, Remus held his arms out towards the Potions master. There was a collective gasp from Flitwick and McGonagall, and Severus took a step forward. The burn marks stood out starkly against the pale skin.

On one arm, he read his name: SEVERUS SNAPE

He looked at the other one. SEE YOU IN HELL, TRAITOR.