Hostage Crisis

"Mr. Rubeus Hagrid?"

The half-giant looked up from his gardening and smiled at the stranger.

"Aye, that's me," he said in his rough, grumbling voice. He tossed his hoe aside, dusted his hands off on his trousers and approached the tall, thickset, pale-haired man. "What can I do for yeh?"

The strange man studied a sheet of parchment he had clipped to a board, chomping on the smoldering stub of a cigar. "I have a...what do you call it...flobberworm for you." He indicated the rugged, wobbling crate at his feet, and handed the clipboard over to the giant man.

"Oh!" Hagrid said with a smile. "I'm sorry, of course. I've been expectin' 'im." He took the tiny quill in his massive paw of a hand and managed to scrawl something resembling his name.

"Yer not the usual feller, is why I didn't know what yeh needed," the huge man explained with a kindly smile.

"He's on vacation this week." The blonde man smiled broadly as he took the clipboard back from the groundskeeper. He indicated the castle with his chin, and asked amiably, "Can you direct me to the Potions master, please? I have a delivery for him as well."

"Sure," Hagrid said, "but you'll have to lose the stogie before you go inside. School rules."

"Of course," the stranger said, dropping the cigar and grinding it under his boot.

() () () () () ()

Ten minutes later, the large, fair-haired man was making his way stealthily along the corridor of the lowest floor of Hogwarts castle. He ducked into an alcove as he heard several students approaching. Tossing aside the clipboard he'd stolen from a recently-deceased delivery man, he pulled a silvery cloak out of the voluminous pocket of his robes. He wrapped it around himself, and covered his head.

Totally invisible, Sylvus Bentram, paid assassin and Potions expert, made his way toward the dungeons.

() () () () () ()

"Oh bloody 'ell,' Ron muttered as he and the other Gryffindors filed into the dark, dank Potions classroom. "I'm not up to double potions today," he muttered, "I'm just not up to it." He glared as his best friend Harry chuckled at him.

"Ron, when are you ever up to Snape's classes?" the bespectacled boy joked.

"Good point," the redhead conceded with a half-smile.

Hermione sighed and pushed past the two of them, as if eager to get her seat and start undergoing Snape's torturous lesson. Partway to her seat, she paused, and turned to look at the enormous cabinet against the wall at the rear of the classroom.

"That's odd," she murmured.

Harry and Ron eyed her.

"What's odd?" Harry asked. He looked when she pointed.

"The cabinet is open," she said, cocking her head curiously. "Professor Snape is adamant about it never being unlocked unless he is in the room." She stepped toward the structure. "Should I close it?" she wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't," Ron muttered. "It's probably a test. The greasy git probably wants someone to close it, so he can yell that he wanted it open, or some such...."

"Sit down and shut up."

The three of them jumped as the low, gravelly voice echoed through the room. Snape banged the classroom door shut and clomped in his black boots to the front of the room. He tossed his cloak over the back of his chair, and pointed his wand at the board, where the instructions for the day's lesson appeared.

"You know the drill," he muttered, sitting at his desk. "And let's take care with the sandworm bile, it doesn't grow on...." The Potions master's voice trailed off, and his black eyes went wide as he noticed his cabinet.

Hermione, Ron and Harry watched as Snape all but flew across the room to the storage cabinet. He peered inside, head twitching slightly as he seemed to take a visual inventory. When he stepped back a little, as if stunned, the three Gryffindors looked at each other curiously.

He turned slowly toward his students, black eyes wild with rage. Slowly, he stalked toward them, face going white, lips thin. Harry couldn't remember ever seeing him so angry, when he wasn't the target.

"Someone," Snape growled, "has stolen items from my private stock." He leaned on the desk at the front of the classroom and fixed his glare on Harry. "What do you know about it, Potter?"

Harry blinked. "Nothing, sir! Truly!" His heart began to pound in his chest. The Potions master stared at him for a moment longer, then moved to pace around the classroom.

"There are three items missing," Snape continued, voice low and dangerous. "All three of these ingredients are carefully controlled substances, and unless you are a certified Potions master you can go to prison simply for having them in your possession." His black eyes darted around the room, as if searching for some sort of guilty aura around one of the students.

Harry glanced warily around. All the other students looked just as bewildered as he felt. It didn't look as if anyone in the class had been the one to steal from the professor.

"If one of you has taken these items," the man in black continued, "you may return them to me now, and I promise you that you will not be punished, and no points taken from your house. I will not even raise my voice to you. You have my word." Snape raised an eyebrow at the amazed gasp that rustled through the room.

"Yes," he murmured, "THAT is how serious this is." He waited, but there was only silence. His long fingers began to drum nervously on the desktop as the silence stretched. After a minute he moved to the podium at the front of the room, grasping the edges of the structure as if to draw strength.

"These three ingredients," he began quietly, "when combined in the right quantities, can produce a poison so deadly that a single molecule is enough to kill an adult human being."

There was another ripple of gasps from the students, and several of them looked around to see if their neighbor might be the guilty party.

Snape went on, almost pleading. "Is there no one in this classroom who understands the importance of what I am...," suddenly he broke off and straightened, staring at the far end of the classroom.

The students turned en masse as the classroom door unlatched and opened by itself.

The Potions master narrowed his eyes, and stepped down from the podium. He quickly crossed the room, paused at the open door, and then stepped warily out.

Ron, Harry and Hermione watched. Then they glanced at each other, and slipped out of their seats. They moved to the door and peered around the jamb.

Snape was walking slowly up the hallway, cocking his head curiously, as if listening.

With a glance at one another, the three Gryffindors crept after Snape as he moved silently along, watching the Potions master with undisguised curiosity. He seemed to sense them, for he turned suddenly.

"Go back into the classroom, children," he murmured, distractedly.

They didn't move.

"Sir...what is it?" Harry asked softly.

Snape eyed him, as if considering scolding, but then sighed. "I thought...I could have sworn I heard...never mind." He had started back toward the students, when suddenly he froze. He raised his head, sniffing. Then he looked at the trio before him.

"I don't suppose one of you smoked a cigar before my class, did you?" he asked stealthily and softly, barely moving his lips.

Three pairs of young eyes went wide. "No sir!" said Ron.

Harry's brow furrowed, and he sniffed. He too, could smell the faint, stale, acrid odor of cigar smoke from someplace nearby.

Snape turned and looked once more up the empty hallway, then began to walk along. The trio followed, keeping a few feet behind the tall Potions master. When he stopped, they stopped. He turned to them again, eyes intense. Glancing pointedly down, he slipped his hand into his frock coat and withdrew his wand, holding it close to his body as if hiding it from someone behind him.

He locked eyes with Harry. "Ready?" he mouthed.

Harry blinked twice to let him know he was, his own hand slipping casually into his pocket.

Snape lifted his head and cleared his throat. "I'm imagining things, children. Let us return to the classroom and we shall...ACCIO CLOAK!" Snape whirled and flung his outstretched hand behind him.

There was a rustling, and an invisibility cloak seemed to materialize out of the very air a half-meter in front of Snape. It flew into his hand, and he froze as the cloak's owner was revealed, aiming his wand straight at the Potions master.

"Expelliarmus," the seven-foot-tall blonde-haired man muttered calmly as he was revealed.

Snape jumped as the wand was jolted from his hand. He took a step backwards, staring at the blonde man in horror. "Sylvus," he breathed.

"Hello, Severus," growled the man, with an evil grin. He raised his wand again.

"Run, children!" Snape shouted, charging toward the intruder. He tackled the larger man to the floor and tried to wrestle the wand from his hand.

Hermione ran, but toward Snape, rather than away. She hurried past the two men, heading for Snape's wand, where it had landed near the far end of the corridor.

"Hermione, no!" Ron shouted. He started after her, but was stopped by Harry grabbing the back of his cloak.

"No, go get help!" the bespectacled boy said sharply. Ron nodded at him, and bolted in the opposite direction, turning the corner toward Lupin's classroom.

Sylvus had gotten the upper hand, and aimed his wand at Hermione. "Stupefy!" he shouted, then growled as Snape grabbed his arm, making the shot go wide.

Hermione looked up as the red bolt flashed over her head, and with a startled squeak, leaped out of sight into an alcove in the wall. She didn't emerge.

Harry charged forward, but stopped in his tracks as Sylvus pointed his wand at him.

"Stupe...OOF!" Sylvus fell over backwards as Snape head-butted him.

Stunned, the Potions master rolled clear and reached out for his wand. "Accio wand!" he cried. The black wand flew into his outstretched hand, and he scrambled to his feet just as Sylvus did the same.

The two wizards sized each other up. Then Snape's eyes settled on something on the floor between them. One of the three stolen bottles from his cabinet lay innocently on the cobbles, from where it must have fallen from Sylvus's pocket.

The blonde man followed Snape's gaze, and his eyes flew wide. He dove for the bottle just as Snape uttered a spell.

"Evanesco!" Snape cried, pointing his wand at the vial.

"Noooo!" Sylvus wailed as the small bottle vaporized before his fingers touched it. He just stared at the spot the bottle had occupied for a moment, chest heaving with anger. Then his gaze settled on Snape, and he let out a roar of rage.

"Expelliarmus!" he bellowed. This time, the spell not only knocked the wand from Snape's hand, but sent him crashing against the wall, and then to the floor, stunned.

The Potions master groaned, and pushed himself into a sitting position. But before he could react, a massive arm encircled his waist, pinning his arms, and he was yanked roughly to his feet. He stretched a trapped hand toward his wand, but before he could summon it, the sharp point of Sylvus's wand was pressed painfully into the soft skin of his throat.

"Try it," the pale-haired man taunted. "Please, I beg you, try it. I've been experimenting with several new curses that I'd love to try on you. Did you know there's one that instantly turns all the blood in your body to stone? Wonder what that would feel like, hmm?"

Snape went still, eyes darting around nervously as he stopped fighting. His captor chuckled.

Well, Severus," the evil man purred into his ear. "You've just cost me a great deal of time and money." He shifted his wand arm to press his wrist tightly up under Snape's chin, cutting off his air.

"I don't suppose you have any more Essence of Yarrow lying about, do you?" he asked cheerfully.

Snape couldn't breathe, and therefore, couldn't reply.

"No?" Sylvus laughed, enjoying the look of fear in Snape's black eyes. Finally, he removed his arm from the slim man's throat, and the Potions master gasped, coughing.

"Hey!"

Sylvus whirled, putting the point of his wand to Snape's throat once more. When he saw who had addressed him, he laughed outright.

"Well hello there, little fellow," he said teasingly. "Are you one of the poor souls who has this bastard for a teacher?" he asked, angling his head toward Snape.

"Let him go," Harry ordered, sounding more confident than he felt, raising his wand. His hand was shaking visibly.

"Expelliarmus," Sylvus muttered, sounding bored. Harry's wand popped out of his grasp and flew to clatter someplace behind him.

The man's evil eyes narrowed. "Don't mess with me, boy," he growled, tightening his arm about Snape's waist. "Have you ever seen the Cruciatus curse performed on someone?"

Snape grit his teeth, closing his eyes in pain as Sylvus pressed the point of the wand more tightly against his throat.

"You should see what it can do at this range," the evil man sneered.

Movement behind the two men caught Harry's eye, and he stared as Hermione's hand and arm stretched out of the alcove. A moment later, the silvery Invisibility Cloak shivered from its place on the floor, forgotten by the intruder, and shot into her outstretched hand.

Just then, he heard several sets of footsteps pounding toward him from behind. He turned, just as Ron came tearing around the corner, followed closely by Lupin and Dumbledore. The two men had their wands out, and stopped short when they saw the situation.

"Hello, Sylvus," Dumbledore said quietly, nodding to the big man.

"Albus," the intruder sneered. "Nice to see you." He snickered unpleasantly. "Lower the wands, please." He punctuated the phrase by angling his wand a bit more sharply against Snape's throat.

Ron came to stand at Harry's side, watching everything with wide eyes, his face so pale that his freckles seemed three-dimensional. Harry gave him a small smile of reassurance, feeling unspeakably more confident now that the other two men had arrived.

Lupin and Dumbledore came forward, lowering their wands as requested. They stood near Harry, studying their adversary. Their posture was calm, but Harry could see Lupin's nostrils flaring slightly, almost animal-like. Even Dumbledore's hands were shaking slightly.

"What is it that you want?" the ancient wizard asked softly.

"Three things," the blonde man replied with a growl. "I want what I've taken from Snape's supply cabinet, I want to leave, and I DON'T want anyone to try and stop me."

"Why don't you simply Disapparate?" Dumbledore suggested innocently.

Sylvus's eyes blazed and he thrust the wand's point against Snape's throat so hard it broke the skin. The man in black bit back a small yelp of pain, wincing and trying to pull his head away from the weapon.

Lupin stepped angrily forward, but Dumbledore held out an arm, holding the younger man back, trying to keep the situation calm.

"I'm not an idiot, Albus!" Sylvus roared. "I know you can't Disapparate within this castle!" He looked nervously from the headmaster to Lupin. "What... I Disapparate and land inside a cell in the dungeons, right? Is that your plan?" He coiled his thick arm more tightly around his hostage and started moving backwards, dragging the smaller man with him, Snape's black boots barely scraping the cobbles.

"You think you're dealing with a fool, here," Sylvus snarled. "I kill people for a living, do you think I won't kill HIM? What have I to lose, at this point?"

Harry heard Ron's breath catch in his throat, and felt the taller boy's hand grip his shoulder. No doubt Ron was remembering all the times he had wished harm to befall professor Snape. Now that it seemed as if it would become a reality, perhaps he was feeling remorse.

"Now now, Sylvus," Dumbledore said gently, spreading his hands in a gesture of supplication. "Nobody needs to be hurt, today. Is creating your potion really worth taking an innocent man's life?"

"I didn't come here intending to take his life," Sylvus growled. "I just want the ingredients I need." He twisted the point of the wand deeper into Snape's throat, causing the man in black to moan in pain.

"Take your ingredients," Dumbledore said flippantly, maintaining a calm voice, despite his concern. "Take them, you are welcome to them. Do you really believe I value a few bottles of disgusting goo over the life of my Potions master?"

"You'll let me walk out of here?" Sylvus asked uncertainly, hope showing the faintest flicker in his wild eyes.

"Yes," Dumbledore said, nodding. "As soon as you release Severus."

The blonde man glowered. "Nice try, old man," he snarled, convulsively tightening his arm around Snape's middle. "Look, you have two choices; you either allow me to leave, WITH my hostage, or you refuse to let me leave and I kill him in front of his students."

Lupin growled, startling Harry. He looked up and saw the slim professor's amber eyes fairly glowing with anger.

"Keep control of that mutt, Dumbledore," Sylvus sneered.

Lupin's eyes widened.

"Yes, I know what you are," Sylvus said with a smirk. "As I said, I'm not an idiot," he added with a nasty little chuckle.

Harry and Ron looked at each in confusion, each wondering if the other had any idea what Sylvus was talking about. They looked up at Lupin. He was glowering at the intruder with a look of hatred the likes of which the two of them had never seen on the usually kind face.

Harry looked back toward the man holding Snape, and movement behind him caught his eye. He stared.

Behind Sylvus, down near the floor, a small hand holding a wand appeared out of thin air. It was followed by an arm, and then a face. Hermione, wearing the stranger's Invisibility Cloak, was creeping along the floor toward the man's huge foot.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Professor Lupin reach out and discreetly wrap his fingers around Dumbledore's arm, and realized the sandy-haired teacher had also spotted Hermione. He saw Dumbledore's anxious blue eyes flicker briefly down at her, then back up to the intruder's face.

Hermione extended her wand toward the man's shoe. She was too far away for Harry to hear the spell, but he knew she had used 'incendio' when a small jet of flame shot from the point of her wand. It soundlessly ignited the man's heavy boot, and she scrambled backwards, pulling the cloak back down around herself.

"I'm sorry, Sylvus," Dumbledore said gently. "But I cannot let you leave here with him." He took a small step forward. Lupin tensed beside him.

"All right, HE DIES!" Sylvus suddenly roared. "AVADA..."

Everything happened at once. The flames began licking at Sylvus's leg. He gave a startled cry, leaping backwards.

Lupin charged.

In his surprise at finding himself ablaze, Sylvus released Snape and hopped on one foot, waving his wand and screaming, trying to put out the flames. Snape staggered, one hand to his neck.

Dumbledore raised his wand.

Lupin grabbed Snape in a flying tackle, knocking him clear just as Dumbledore's voice echoed through the corridor.

"STUPEFY!"

Sylvus had time to make a very surprised face just as the red bolt of light struck him. His entire body snapped to rigidity, and then fell in a boneless heap to the floor. Hermione appeared from under the cloak and used it to put out the evil man's still-smoldering trousers.

Harry and Ron just stared, stunned, mouths open.

Lupin and Snape were tangled up on the floor in a heap a few meters away. Once everything had settled, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher scrambled up and slipped his hands under the arms of his fellow professor. He hauled Severus to his feet, and brushed him off.

"Are you all right?" Lupin asked amiably, smiling at the glaring Potions master.

"Oh, quite," Snape growled, "aside from several possibly-broken ribs and a borderline concussion." He sighed as Lupin grabbed his chin and examined the small, bloody gouge on his neck.

"Hold still," Lupin ordered, running the tip of his wand over the tiny wound. It sealed itself over in a heartbeat, and he ran his fingers over the spot.

"Oh, geroff, already." Snape impatiently swatted the fussing hands away, and set to straightening his cravat, collar and the tails of his frock coat.

"That's gratitude for you," Lupin chuckled, patting his comrade once more on the shoulder before moving to examine the insensate intruder.

"Did we need the blasted rugby tackle?" Snape griped after him. "A simple 'Move, Severus!' would have sufficed." He finished making sure every last one of his black buttons was fastened, and then smoothed both hands over his shiny, jet-black hair. "I mean, really Lupin...."

"Professor Snape," Dumbledore interrupted.

The man in black sighed heartily. "Yes sir?"

The ancient wizard indicated Hermione, standing shyly off to the side with Harry and Ron.

"Miss Granger just saved your life, Professor," the headmaster said softly. "And her friends had a hand in it as well. I believe you have something to say to them?" Dumbledore coaxed, raising his snowy eyebrows expectantly.

The Potions master glared, then glanced sideways at the three pupils. With a long-suffering sigh, he lowered his face and mumbled, "Fiftypointstogryffindor."

Harry, Hermione and Ron looked at each other in confusion, then up the Headmaster. Dumbledore reached out and poked Snape in the ribs.

"Ow," Snape grumbled, rubbing his side. He rolled his eyes again. "Fifty...points...to Gryffindor," he repeated more clearly, eyes shut tight as if the words hurt him to say. He shot a look at his headmaster. "All right?" he muttered peevishly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione's faces burst into wide smiles. The smiles vanished when Snape gazed sternly at them.

Dumbledore smiled. "Thank you, Severus. And now I think I shall leave you to complete your class. Double potions with the Gryffindors, isn't it?" The headmaster patted his shoulder, and moved off to help Lupin tend to their unwelcome guest.

Snape just growled. He turned and stomped briskly back toward the classroom. The rest of the class had been watching the drama from the doorway with wide eyes. One black glare sent them scurrying for their seats.

Harry, Ron and Hermione meekly followed the Potions master like obedient sheep, and took their seats.

"Now then, where were we?" Snape said calmly, as if being taken hostage and on the cusp of death was an everyday occurrence. He moved to the blackboard and gave it a tap. It flipped over by itself, revealing the instructions for the second half of the lesson.

"Well?" he barked, in response to the sea of uncertain, concerned faces. "Get to work!" he shouted, slamming his hand down on the tabletop.

The students jumped, and began to assemble their potions.

The tall man in black moved like a shadow of death among the lab tables, sneering at one student's sloppy work, berating another for using too much sandworm bile, criticizing a third for keeping his flame too high. As he came to Hermione's table, he paused, folding his arms haughtily.

The Gryffindor girl looked up at him nervously, heart pounding, wondering what he would find fault with.

He stared down his aquiline nose at her for a long moment, black eyes impossible to read. Then, to her astonishment, Severus Snape dropped one eyelid and winked at her. A small twitch turned up the corner of his mouth for just a fraction of a second, but as he walked away, Hermione knew she had just received what passed for a smile from the Potions master.

Fighting down a smile of her own, she felt a happy little flush color her face. Deciding not to acknowledge Snape's uncharacteristic actions, she simply got back to work on her potion.

He'd just deny it, anyway.

THE END