Band of Gypsies

Chapter Twenty Two

Harry packed his trunk while Draco waited. He nodded, "I'm ready."

Draco was all of a flutter, helping him take his things down to the gate. They were scheduled to take the Hogwarts Express to London and be picked up there by a limousine.

Harry had met with Hermione and Ron in a late-night rondezvous. They devised a plan to cover his departure from Hogwarts so that Dumbledore and Jolie wouldn't be aware of his destination until it was too late.

Now Harry was riding down to the station in a Hogwarts carriage listening to Draco chatter on.

Harry worked to keep Draco amused during the train ride. Crabbe and Goyle surfaced eventually and Harry left them to keep Draco occupied while he walked the train.

They arrived in London in the evening hours and were met by a chauffeur and a limo. Harry was tired of Draco's incessant bragging but knew that he had a week to listen to it and steeled himself for it.

"We can't apparate to the house, even though my father says he'll teach me how soon," Draco was saying. "It's damned inconvenient to have to take this muggle transportation. Hope you don't mind."

Harry didn't mind the hand-tooled leather seats that were much like couches, with room to stretch his legs. There was food sitting in a basket and butterbeer cooled and waiting for them in a champagne pail.

The drive was short. They arrived at Malfoy Manor, mysteriously set in a very rich and private wizard neighborhood. The house itself was an imposing mansion with two wings and over two hundred bright and shining windows that seemed to watch them as they drove the long circular drive. They pulled through the guarded gate just as the sun was setting on the private reserve and forest. The snow-covered trees were beautiful in the pink rays of the sunset.

"You'll meet my parents this evening," Draco said, climbing out. "Dinner is at eight. Until then I can show you the grounds or the house, whatever you like. Or we can ride brooms!" Draco's eyes were shining.

Harry agreed, to keep Draco occupied and placated. In the deepening twilight, Harry skimmed over the treetops alongside Draco while he pointed out the significant areas of the Malfoy estate. Then Harry was guided through the mansion to his own room; a room that was almost as large as the entire commons room at Hogwarts.

"Wash up and I'll knock on your door at 7:45. Father's not here yet, but we mustn't be late for dinner. 7:45 sharp, then." Draco was down the hall and headed towards one of a dozen doors that lined the expansive hallway.

Harry felt a little sorry for Draco. It was clear that he didn't have much company and no friends he thought worthy enough to join him on holiday. Harry was sure that Crabbe or Goyle had not received such royal treatment. He found his trunk lying opened and his belongings neatly folded and lying on a bench at the foot of an enormous four poster bed.

Harry looked at his things. They seemed a little the worse for wear compared to the very expensive velvet settee. Running his hand along the edge of the trunk lining he was relieved to discover the mirror was intact and hidden.

One of the things that Hermione had done for him was to repair the mirror Sirius had given him and to duplicate it. They'd had a great deal of difficulty in stealing into Snape's private quarters and locating Harry's personal belongings. Harry also noted that his Invisibility Cloak was gone, which meant that Snape had taken it with him.

Harry placed the mirror in a pocket in his robes and waited for Draco.

They entered the dining hall at eight o'clock. A table for five was laid out with crystal stemware, china and gold tableware. Draco pointed him to a chair and stood waiting. Harry was mildly uncomfortable. He had never been in a wealthy persons house and wasn't sure of how things were done.

They waited only a moment before a tall woman with pale blond hair entered on the arm of- Snape.

Harry sucked in his breath and hoped that his face did not reflect what he was feeling inside.

"Draco, please introduce your little friend to us," his mother said sounding just like royalty. Harry had to keep from snickering.

"Mother, this is Tomas Pane," Draco said and pulled her chair out, waiting until she sat.

Snape sat at her right side and Draco then nodded to Harry to sit. Snape was looking calmly at him. "Hello, Mr. Pane. Narcissa told me that you were coming." By using her name, Snape made it plain that they were on good terms with one another.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said, dry-mouthed. Are you one of them again, he thought furiously. Decide to go back to Voldemort did you?

"Hello, everyone, sorry I'm late." Lucius Malfoy strolled in, kissed his wife's hand and sat down at the end of the table.

"Hello, father?" Draco stood at his father's entrance to the room and settled himself back into his seat, and said, "Father this is Tomas Pane."

"How do you do, sir," Harry said and stood and shook Lucius' hand.

"Very good, thank you. Nice of you to join us for the holidays. Draco has told me a few things about you. I've been gone on business and only just arrived." Malfoy stopped to look him over carefully. "Severus, I understand that the two of you are related?"

Snape looked up and said, "Yes, Lucius, we are actually second cousins." He looked at Harry.

"Really. Well I thought I knew all about you old chap, but I guess there's something new. I didn't know you had any family." Malfoy dropped a crisp, white linen napkin into his lap and smiled carefully at Snape.

"My family is all but gone, Lucius," Snape's voice was slightly chilled. "I'd only just become aware of Mr. Pane's existence myself this summer. He's been in an orphanage. It wasn't possible to leave him there as you can understand."

"Oh, yes?" Malfoy was sipping at a glass of ruby-red wine. He turned his eyes on Harry, which made it difficult for Harry not to visibly squirm in his seat. Everything on the inside made him want to kill the man where he sat. It took his strength to look Malfoy back in the eyes and smile.

"I was very lucky that Professor Snape assisted me into getting into Hogwarts," he managed.

"Yes, well, you have a fine man to teach you all he knows," Lucius smiled and nodded at Snape. Snape returned the nod and sipped at his wine.

The dinner went smoothly. Harry had been prepped by Hermione as to correct table manners and etiquette. The worst of his worries appeared to be over, as the adults continued a benign conversation through the meal; neither he or Draco were addressed directly. It almost felt like a meal at the Dursleys house, with the exception that Harry could see his Aunt Petunia looking like a poor cousin before such rich fare.

Draco motioned for Harry to leave the table with him when they were finished. "Good night mother, Good night father," he said.

Harry mumbled, "Good evening," and they were out the door and up the long, wide staircase to the second floor.

"Whew!" Draco sighed, "Glad that's over. We won't have to do that again.. The house elves will serve our meals up here from now on."

Harry followed Draco down the hall. "Come on, let's find something interesting to do." Draco led him down the hall to his own room. Harry followed.

He felt the fury just below the surface. Here I am, he chided himself, having to endure Draco-the bloody git-Malfoy, and Snape is safe and sound sipping wine with the enemy!

Harry walked into Draco's room just a step behind him and stopped cold. The room was larger than his own guest room and just as elegant if not more so. What stunned Harry was the amount of things that covered every shelf, corner and surface.

Draco had a mixture of everything that any ordinary muggle would have plus, most if not all, of the wizard things he could acquire. Harry stood looking at the heaps around him in awe.

"I know it's a bit overwhelming at first," Draco was saying. "I have a collection...."

Harry spent the evening watching Draco show him, the Collection. It was late when he made his way back to his own room. A lamp was lit and a fire burned in an immense fireplace. Snape was sitting in a chair by the fire.

"Hello," Harry said, closing the door gently.

Snape nodded and waved him over to the opposite chair. With a wave of his wand he mumbled and Harry felt a gauzy sensation overcome him. He'd not had time to reach for his own wand.

"Don't worry, Potter, I wasn't cursing you. I put a spell on us so that no one can overhear," Snape said. "Now will you tell me what the devil you are doing here? I thought I made it very clear to Dumbledore that no one was to follow me."

Harry remained silent.

"Oh don't tell me you've got it into your mind to rescue me?" he said it with disdain.

"Forgive me for thinking that I needed to rescue you, Snape!" Harry said, feeling every bit the contempt that he showed in his voice. "You obviously don't ever take into consideration that other people are willing to take risks, too. That the job is not all yours."

"Did Dumbledore send you?" he asked.

"No. He said that he promised you he would not send anyone," Harry answered.

Snape nodded. He appeared to be thinking.

"Did HE take it?" Harry knew that Snape understood. "Or have you changed your mind and traded sides?"

"IF I did Potter, you would not be sitting there." Snape moved from his chair, stood at the mantel facing Harry and said, "He did receive our gift. That is why I remain here." He watched Harry carefully. "I am here to prepare potions that are ... healing. He does not care that I am no longer at Hogwarts. My usefulness, now, is in... aiding him."

"And are you AIDING him, Snape?" Harry asked. Snape didn't answer.

They stared at one another.

"Well?" Harry persisted.

"There is nothing that will cure him of what ails him now," Snape said, "Whatever he does, rebounds back on him ten-fold." Snape continued to watch him, "But that does not mean that his servant's are not almost as powerful as he and both of us are now in a very precarious position."

" But HE would have found you out eventually, even if I hadn't come?" Harry asked.

"He was getting rather tired of my incompetence, yes," Snape smirked. "Are you satisfied, Potter? Now that we both need rescuing?" He then turned to the window to look outside. "We have to get you out of here," Snape said, and started to pace slowly in front of him.

"The holidays will be over in a week," Harry began, "I'll just..."

"You don't understand!" Snape said. "HE'S coming here!"

"Who?" Then Harry understood, "HE is?"

"Yes!" Snape stopped, "You weren't practiced enough in occlumency to stop him when you were at Hogwarts. It is very likely HE will enter your mind the minute he is here. Right now he is preoccupied with his... pain."

"What about you?" Harry asked. "Do you intend to stay?"

Snape smiled strangely, "I am a guest. Not a trusted guest, Potter. Malfoy is here to make sure that I tend to the Dark Lord. They don't understand what is happening and The Dark Lord has summoned all of the Death Eaters. They have been alerted to the possibility of an infiltrator; an assassin. They just don't know who that is." Snape continued, " I am an obvious candidate because I work at Hogwarts. Everyone seems to be questioning my loyalties. My compliance now is all that keeps them from believing I have not turned traitor."

"I have a question, Professor?" Harry watched Snape and continued carefully, "Maybe it's a bad time, but I have to know. When did you change your mind and leave the Death Eaters? What made you change it?"

The dark eyes drilled into him and Harry wasn't sure he was going to get an answer.

"The day that the Dark Lord killed your mother," Snape said.

Harry knew what the answer was going to be.

Chapter Twenty Three

"You didn't think I'd come here without a way to get out," Harry said casually.

"Did you?" Snape said, "I'm impressed." Both stopped when they heard a noise from outside. Harry's hand flew to his scar. He was immediately on his knees retching. "I'll be more impressed, Potter, if it works." Snape said, his hand reaching under Harry's arm as he doubled over. "Do you think you can rely on me to do the rescuing for the moment and get us out of here?"

Harry nodded, stumbling along with Snape's hand holding him steady. "There's something you ought to know, " he whispered.

"What's that, Mr. Potter?" Snape grunted.

"Hermione's been teaching me how to apparate," Harry said.

"Oh, very good," Snape said with the usual sarcasm resounding in his voice. He was pulling Harry down the hall, " Unfortunately, we have to be outside. This house has a number of protective spells on it and we can't apparate inside."

Harry managed to steady himself as they came to a junction and stopped.

"Alright Potter, I'm going to put a spell on you," Snape said and pulled his wand from his pocket, "I'm going to modify your memory."

"What? Why?" Harry stammered.

"A precaution. If HE should touch your mind, he will not know it is you," Snape said.

"Oh no, I don't think so," Harry said and reached for his own wand.

They stood glaring at each other in the half-light. They were at a deadlock.

"Come on, then," Snape grabbed his arm and they started down a darkened staircase.

Harry knew where they were when they reached the bottom floor. They stepped into a large kitchen where several wizened house elves were washing dishes. The elves looked up and then away quickly and resumed their work.

Snape pulled him along a dark narrow hallway, through a broom closet, lined with several dozen brooms, including several Firebolts and out into a barn. Besides horses, the barn held the limousine that Harry had arrived in.

Harry could hear a commotion in the house and knew that an alarm had been sounded. "Are we in trouble yet?" he asked Snape.

"Not yet, but we will be in a minute or two. Malfoy made it very clear later this evening that I would be brought before Him tonight," Snape replied. "Now, tell me Potter that you have actually managed to apparate, not just across the room, but truly apparate."

"Across the grounds of Hogwarts. " Harry said and added, "but I know I can do it. Just tell me where we are going."

"We're going to have to find another way, "Snape was rolling his eyes and striding back and forth over the barn floor. "That's all we'd need is for you to splinch yourself."

Harry knew what Snape was talking about. He'd once asked Mr. Weasley what happened when someone didn't apparate correctly and he didn't like the sound of the results.

"What about the brooms?" Harry said.

"All of them jinxed," Snape answered.

"Who are you?" Draco asked, behind them. He had his wand out and pointing at them.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, calmly.

"I might ask the same thing. I followed the two of you down here." Draco said and stepped into the dim light. "Shouldn't you wait and speak to my father, Professor. I'm sure he'd like a word with you. Or perhaps our GUEST will."

"Professor, would you mind indulging me and doing that little memory charm we just spoke of on our friend here," Harry said and stepped to one side. As anticipated, Draco's wand followed him.

"OBLIVIATE MODECUM!" Snape shouted, and pointed his wand at Draco.

"Get in," Harry said. He pulled the door open to the limo. Draco stood transfixed in the middle of the barn.

"What? Use this muggle thing?" Snape said frowning at the limo. "Do you know how to ride it?"

"About as well, " Harry grinned and said, "as I know how to apparate."

Snape sneered and slid into the passenger seat. "We'll be lucky to live through the night."

Harry started the car, pulled the gear lever to drive and started forward. "Professor, if you'll just get the door for me."

Snape waved his wand nonchalantly and the door sprung open.

Harry stepped on the gas and then the brake, almost slamming both of them into the windshield. "Yes, alright. I've almost got it." He glanced over to a very disgruntled, ugly Snape. "Put that thing around your middle and fasten it. It's called a seat belt."

Snape looked at the device and waved it together with his wand.

Harry pulled forward gently, guiding the long car through the doors.

"We have to go faster than this Potter or they'll catch us," Snape said, briskly, peering back.

"Hold on," Harry pressed his foot to the pedal and they shot forward, his inexperienced hand barely turning the wheel in time to avoid a snow drift.

"Ah, too late!" Snape turned and looked ahead.

Three Death Eaters stood in the middle of the road, directly in their path, wands out and pointed their way. Harry pushed the pedal all the way to the floor and directed the limo at them. They scattered barely in time to avoid being run over. He and Snape were moving down the drive gathering speed.

"And what was your plan to rescue us, Mr. Potter?" Snape said between his gritted teeth.

Harry had already pulled the mirror from his pocket, "Hermione?!" he screamed. The headlights of the car picked up the forest trees and strange moving shadows.

And then it happened, he lost control. The car hit an embankment and sailed through the snow and over once, landing on its' top.

Harry crawled from the wreckage directly into the pointing wand of a Death Eater. He glanced over and saw Snape roll out of the door and get unsteadily to his feet. He had a bleeding gash on his head. Harry stood and examined his own body. He knew he had a broken arm, because he had broken the same arm the year a rogue bludger hit it during a Quidditch match.

"Stand still," the hooded figure said.

Hermione and Ron apparated beside them. Snape looked with surprise, "Now you've done it Potter, you've gotten us all killed."

"Do you mind if I do the rescuing now, Professor?" Harry said.

"Harry," Jolie's voice echoed in the dark, "it is time."

Harry closed his eyes and began to whisper, inaudibly. He felt the wind rise and the snow begin to swirl and sting his face. He opened his eyes, chanting and watching as a dozen Death Eaters began popping in around them..

"Do as I say, do it now Snape!" he shouted over the gathering roar of the blowing snow.

Lucius Malfoy apparated and pointed his wand directly at Snape's chest, shouting, "Avada Kadavra!"

"Take him now Hermione!" Harry shouted at the same time. Two Death Eaters apparated in front of them and shot blue streaks at Hermione and Ron. They didn't appear to be touched. The Death Eaters stood stunned for a moment and turned towards Harry.

Harry ducked and shouted, "I'm right behind you."

Harry dove into the snow and rolled as he heard Lucius Malfoy's voice, " Get them, get them! Don't let them get away!" A tornado of blowing snow covered him. "They're right there!" Lucius said in a frustrated, angry voice. "Get out of my way!" And then, Harry heard the cracks as the Death Eaters fired at the images of Ron and Hermione and sent two trees crashing to the ground. A plume of ice crystals and mounds of snow sent up a cloud into the dark night and the blowing snow.

Oh please, please, let this work, he thought and apparated.

Harry found himself in one piece in the Shrieking Shack. Whoa! That was too close! he thought and glanced up. He'd made an imperfect landing and found himself lying on his broken arm, in the dust face-down.

"Harry, Harry you all right, Mate? " Ron rolled him over gently, studying his face.

"No, I've got a broken arm," Harry coughed, breathing in the dust, "just help me up." He struggled to a sitting position and noticed Snape sitting in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, studying him. Other than a bleeding scalp he looked perfectly fine; and angry. Next to him stood a tall mirror and Jolie.

"That worked pretty well," Harry said. Hermione and Ron grinned at him.

Chapter Twenty Four

"It was Ron's idea to apparate their mirror images instead of apparating directly there in person, Professor," Harry told Dumbledore. " I couldn't let them put themselves in danger. And, it was Jolie who sent the mirror image of Professor Snape, to deflect the curses, so he had time to apparate," Harry explained. "Jolie is a master illusionist. We thought that using mirrors sounded a whole lot safer. It's the same thing we used at the carnival grounds this summer."

"And the snow storm?" Dumbledore asked. "Well, never mind that. There are some mysteries that should stay mysteries don't you think, Harry?" Dumbledore was smiling at him.

Harry nodded.

"Well, we've lost a good spy, but that is neither here nor there. Professor's Snape's work is finished as far as that goes. It was bound to happen and I'm actually very relieved," Dumbledore said and poured himself some tea.

"Do you think that Voldemort knew who I was, Professor?" Harry asked.

"I don't know, Harry. Only time will tell, " Dumbledore shook his head. "Perhaps, he thought Snape was the traitor and you just happened to be there by accident; or you've been specially recruited for the job. Let us hope that he remains occupied these days." Dumbledore looked up at him. "Thanks to you, we have the time to prepare a little more. You've saved a lot of lives, Harry. I hope you are proud of yourself."

Harry shrugged. He knew he would still have to keep his identity a secret on the chance that he could continue to evade the confrontation with Voldemort. He had his friends back and he had to admit he felt stronger.

"What's troubling you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, "Will you tell me?"

"I thought I knew my parents, Professor. Then, I found out I didn't know anything about them at all," he said. The teacup was steady in his hand.

"You mean you found out that they were human beings, with all the strengths and weaknesses we humans have. And, they disappointed you." Dumbledore nodded wisely.

"We all have disappointed you, I expect."

"It's just that you... you and the others, like Remus; you could have been more honest about them, you could have told me more." Harry said.

"Told you what, Harry?" Dumbledore said, "People aren't like open books for us to read, to know their every thought and feeling. Sometimes we guess, but we can't be sure. You've got to take the good along with the bad." He studied Harry. "Does it change the fact that they loved each other and loved you? Does knowing more change who they were?"

"No," Harry answered.

"Does it change how you feel about them?" he asked.

Harry thought about it and left Dumbledore without an answer. Harry knew that he loved his parents, that he had stopped being mad at them and he'd even stopped being mad at Sirius. We all make mistakes, he thought. He left Dumbledore's office and walked down the corridor.

"What are you doing roaming the halls, Mr. Pane?" Snape's gruff voice sounded behind him.

"I'm on my way to class, Professor," Harry said turning slowly.

"Then, get on with it," Snape growled.

"Thank you, Professor Crow, I will," Harry said very politely in Romani and turned away, smiling.