~ 20 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
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Despite the ordinary eyes and unscarred nose of the man who had just appeared, Severus Snape recognized him immediately. The long staff and the clunking sound of his steps gave him away.
Alastor Moody.
"I'm a Hogwarts student!" Snape shouted quickly.
He raised both hands, slowly standing and stepping out from behind the armchair.
Moody didn't lower his wand. In a gruff voice, he commanded, "Toss your wand over, or I'll do it for you."
After a brief hesitation under Moody's piercing gaze, Snape slowly reversed his grip on his wand and tossed it at Moody's feet.
"Incarcerous!"
A rope, thick as a serpent, shot through the air and bound Snape tightly, pinning his arms to his sides.
"Hey, I already dropped my wand!" Snape protested, standing helplessly in place.
Of course, he had no intention of making a move. He wasn't foolish enough to think he could challenge Moody wandless and restrained.
Moody ignored Snape's complaints.
Seeing no further resistance, he limped forward and turned, using magic to undo the ropes binding the McKinnon family.
He raised his wand, pointing it at Mr. McKinnon's chest, and muttered, "Rennervate!"
As the spell took effect, Mr. McKinnon stirred weakly.
Mrs. McKinnon and Marlene covered their mouths in excitement.
Mr. McKinnon's slightly swollen eyelids fluttered open. He blinked hard, his expression dazed, then widened his eyes in terror as he glanced around.
When he saw Mrs. McKinnon and Marlene unharmed, crouching before him, he let out a long, shaky breath.
Mrs. McKinnon carefully helped him sit up on a rickety bed.
"McKinnon, what happened?" Moody asked. "I came as soon as I got your signal."
"Someone stopped the carriage, said they needed my help," Mr. McKinnon said, still shaken. "Mrs. Coppet—no, Macnair. He used Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as an old woman.
"I saw Macnair's long gray hair shorten, his frame grow taller. Then he hit me with a spell and knocked me out."
"What did they need your help for?" Moody pressed. "Who stopped the carriage?"
Mr. McKinnon murmured, "I don't know."
"It was Avery who stopped the carriage," Snape interjected from the side. "He's a Death Eater. He wanted me to kill Marlene."
"Severus!" Marlene seemed to notice Snape's predicament for the first time. She screamed, "He saved me!"
"Hmm… you mean him?" Moody asked, pointing at Snape.
When Marlene nodded, Moody hobbled forward on his staff, approached Avery, and bent down to rip off his mask.
Moody's cold gaze swept over the wound on Avery's neck.
Frowning, he studied Snape, then turned to Marlene. "He saved you?"
"Yes! That Death Eater forced him to kill me, but he didn't!" Marlene explained urgently.
Moody picked up Snape's wand and dragged his heavy steps toward him, staring into his eyes for a long moment.
Finally, he released the binding spell on Snape.
"Here."
Moody's expression softened slightly as he handed the wand back to Snape.
"Sorry, I have to stay vigilant."
"Yes, I know. Constant vigilance," Snape replied, tucking the wand into his robes.
He rubbed his sore arms, muttering, "What do we do next?"
"We get out of here," Moody said, glancing at the pitch-black night beyond the window.
As he spoke, he reached into his bulging traveling cloak, pulled out a curved flask, uncorked it, and took a long swig.
Noticing Moody's action, Snape narrowed his eyes, watching him for a moment before asking, "Can I have a sip?"
"Don't drink from the mouth!" Moody snapped, glaring at him as he roughly shoved the flask into Snape's hands. "That's a disgusting request, kid."
"Oh…"
Caught off guard by Moody's reaction, Snape fumbled the flask, pretending it was an accident. A few drops of clear, colorless liquid splashed onto the back of his hand.
"Oh… thanks, never mind. I was joking," he said quickly.
"Fine."
Moody took the flask back, tapped his staff twice on the carriage floor, and barked, "Is the driver still alive? We're heading to Hogsmeade."
"Ern was attacked right at the start and fell out of the carriage," Snape said.
"I'll check on him," Moody said, limping out into the storm.
As Moody disappeared into the wind and rain, a wild thought flashed through Snape's mind.
Macnair had seen his face. He knew his name.
Snape might end up in Azkaban, but what if one day Voldemort freed his followers? What would they do then? What would happen to him and Lily?
Snape quietly drew his wand from his robes again.
He stared down at Macnair, lying motionless in the carriage.
Finally, he whispered, "Sectumsempra—"
A soft splat followed.
Mr. McKinnon heard the sound.
"What are you doing?! Petrificus Totalus!"
Snape's wand clattered to the floor.
He fell heavily, rigid as a statue, unable to move.
"What's going on?" Moody demanded, returning to the Knight Bus with Ern leaning on him, his voice full of surprise. "What happened now?"
"This boy… he… he attacked Macnair," Mr. McKinnon said, kneeling beside Macnair, pointing his wand at the wound.
"Episkey! Episkey!… Finite Incantatem… nothing's working…"
"Let me see," Moody said, pushing Mr. McKinnon aside. But his healing spells were equally ineffective.
He walked over to Snape, looking down into his eyes. "This wound's dark magic. Let him stay like that for now."
Moody turned to Ern. "You alright? Can you drive?"
Ern didn't answer.
He was soaked through, his clothes clinging to his skin, his breathing trembling uncontrollably.
"Todd…" Ern whimpered, his voice breaking.
"Todd… sob… sob…"
He was sobbing now, inconsolable.
"Todd… what do we do… today's Stan's birthday… he's only one…"
The wind howled through the carriage, mingling with Ern's anguished cries.
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