Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe was created by J. K. Rowling.
No monetary profit is being made from this writing
Summary: In order to escape Voldemort, Snape, Harry, Ron, Hermione, McGonagall and Dumbledore have to pose as muggles and go into hiding.
Drama - PG
~~~~~~~~~~
THE WIZARDS NEXT DOOR
Amongst the hustle and bustle of the station, Professor McGonagall approached Professor Snape. "Severus, are you sure about this?"
"It’s the only way, Minerva. When I left him I posed as a muggle for a time."
Dumbledore nodded. "We must hurry. Children ... "
"But won’t we be safe at Hogwarts?" Ron asked.
"If we can get there," Snape said.
"I’ve alerted the school, everyone is on alert and the Ministry of Magic is urging the utmost caution for all wizarding folk until this threat is nullified ... Don’t be such a cynic Severus. I know what you’re thinking."
"Then you must also know the quicker we away from here the better."
Together the foursome hopped onto a muggle train. To their relief they weren’t noticed by the muggles, though some gave them strange looks.
"The first thing we must do is change our clothes," Snape said. "And ..." he continued with a pause. "Pose as a family."
Harry and Ron almost fell off their seats.
"Severus is right," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort and his cronies are looking for two adult wizards, one witch and three wizard and witch children. The more we look and act like muggles the better."
"And we can’t use magic," Severus said. "He will be onto us in a second. The more magic we use the closer he will come. The more powerful the spell, the easier it will be for him to find us. It will be like a muggle homing beacon."
The rest of the journey passed uneventfully.
* * *
Severus lead the group into a muggle clothing shop.
"Find something you feel comfortable in," he said quietly "the more at ease you look the easier it will be."
Severus helped Dumbledore pick out some clothes.
"Must I wear these?" he said, holding up a pair of grey trousers. "They look so dull."
"I’m sorry, but most old muggle men don’t wear robes."
Minerva didn’t seem too happy with much in the shop either, but chose a long green dress. The children didn’t have a problem finding clothes they liked. Ron found football wear looked a lot like Quidditch wear and Hermione being half muggle didn’t mind wearing a purple muggle dress. Snape dreaded choosing his clothes. Most muggle clothes were so restricting. He settled for a loose black shirt and a pair of jeans. At least they fit well.
"But how will we pay for all this?" Minerva asked in a whisper. "I doubt they take galleons."
"I have some muggle money from my time among them," Snape said quietly. "Now no more wizard talk."
Dumbledore placed their old wizard clothing in a charity receptacle.
"Our next port of call is to find somewhere to stay," Snape said.
"A hotel?" Ron asked.
"Too obvious. I know of some serviced housing in these parts. It should do for now." He noticed the children looking afraid and he didn’t blame them. "Come, children," he said, trying to sound sympathetic.
* * *
"You require a house for three weeks, Mr. Johns?" Cassandra asked.
"That’s right, Snape said. "Myself, my wife Mary, our three children Henry, Rory and Helen and my father Darius. Don’t worry, the children are well behaved." He shot a look at them.
The woman smiled. "I have the Brandon. Six bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room and rumpus area and obviously a kitchen."
"We’ll take it."
"Splendid."
* * *
Snape was ready to drop, but he addressed the others. "Admit no one," he said. "I have made a key for each of us. Do not lose it. You will not be admitted into the house if you do. "*He* is conniving and he may use any one of our likenesses to confuse us should he learn where we are. Above all, do not use magic of any kind, not even a simple spell or a tiny flick of a wand."
"I am placing all our wands in here for safe keeping, " Dumbledore said. "He opened a wooden chest. The others handed them their wands. "Should he discover us we will need them, but for now we are safe."
The children took a breath. Safe. They took safety for granted so often. How long would it last?
"So, Professor..." Harry began.
"And we must use our muggle names from now on," Snape said. "Even when we are alone, *Henry.*"
"Yes, *father*"
Snape glowered, but composed himself.
"How do we get back," Harry asked, "if we can’t use magic?"
"There’s an ancient potion, I know of," Snape said "that will help us return home."
"But we can’t use magic."
"This potion doesn’t require the use of magic. It’s like cooking a muggle recipe, it requires specific ingredients, know how and patience. Tomorrow I will search the area for a magic shop. Some muggle towns have them, though they pale in comparison to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed."
The night was not a restful one. Dumbledore seemed to be the only one that got a decent night’s sleep.
That following morning, Snape was particularly annoyed, searching for a local magic shop in the yellow pages. With the help of Hermione he managed to find one of the other side of town called ‘Mystical Gatherings.’
In the house the children were deathly bored, though Hermione found books on Greek and Egyptian mythology in the living room and was able to keep herself entertained.
* * *
"I’m awfully worried about Sever ... Steven" Minerva said. "he’s been gone a long time."
"He’ll be back soon." Dumbledore said. " Don’t worry yourself, Mary dear."
Minerva smiled, wishing she could lose herself in a book like Hermione.
* * *
Severus was suspicious of anyone and everything. He kept his profile low. It would take a trained eye to see he was scared, for himself and the others, but the Potions Master kept his cool.
No sooner had Severus come out of the magic shop with most of what he needed, it began to rain.
"Blast!" he cursed, feeling as though the rain had just come for him alone.
* * *
"He’s been gone too long," Minerva said.
Even Harry was starting to worry. "You don’t suppose he ..."
"Let’s not think about that." Dumbledore said. "I’m sure he’ll be back soon. His potion ingredients can’t be easy to find in the muggle world."
Not five minutes later, Severus appeared at the door. He cursed himself as he had left his key indoors. Grunting, he bashed on the door. The children jumped.
McGonagall and Dumbledore had retreated into the kitchen to make some dinner.
"What should we do?" Harry asked. "He said..."
Snape bashed on the door.
"If he was Voldemort he would have apparated in here ..." Hermione said. "Still..."
"Potter! Weasley!" Snape bellowed. "Open this damned door!"
"How do we know if..."
"*If you do not open this blasted door I will take *every* point Gryffindor has earned this year!*"
"It’s Snape," Harry said, opening the door, letting the wet through and bedraggled Potions Master through the door, carrying quite a few plastic bags.
Snape glared at Harry.
"You said ..."
"I know what I said," Snape growled, grudgingly. "Now help me take these to the kitchen."
"And we’re not supposed to use our real names."
Snape looked murderous. Harry shut up.
"Dinner’s ready," came Dumbledore’s voice.
"Steven, glad you could join us!" the older wizard said.
Snape gave a nod as he dried his hair.
"You acquired all the ingredients?" Dumbledore asked.
"At great lengths, an interesting magic shop, but poorly stocked as far as potions go. I managed to secure the rest of the ingredients at a Chinese herbal shop and a place the muggles call Woolworths."
Gratefully, but silently, Severus began to eat his dinner of thick, sweet pumpkin soup and spinach triangles.
"Cassandra came to us this morning and told us the hot water system has blown, so we haven’t got much hot water, so five minutes in the shower each," said McGonagall.
Snape glowered. He had longed for a nice hot soak.
The children were most annoyed when Snape made them wash up, but did not like his mood and didn’t say anything about it. Harry wondered if Snape would ever wash the dishes, and he scowled as he highly doubted it.
The three children took turns in the shower.
"Five minutes," Snape said when they went for their shower. "and remember, no magic."
"Yes, father," Harry said, his sarcasm was not lost.
Hermione wondered how in the heavens she would wash he hair in five minutes and grudgingly decided to let it go. Snape grumbled silently to himself as he turned the shower on, no doubt he thought Potter was timing him. He had no idea how he managed to wash himself and his hair in five minutes without the use of magic.
"He actually washes his hair..." Ron whispered.
Snape barely heard him but chose not to say anything. What would the children know of him?
He began to dry his thick dark hair.
The night was particularly quiet now the rain had died down. Hermione kept herself occupied by reading yet another book. Bored, Ron and Harry decided to join her. Dumbledore also had a book open, and McGonagall decided to try, and found the book interesting, though she could not get into it as much as she would have liked.
Snape busied himself by getting the ingredients ready.
"No one is to touch these," he said. "It’s a very fiddly and complicated potion."
He pulled out a large tub of honey.
"What’s the honey for?" Ron asked.
"So it doesn’t taste like shit."
"Severus!" Minerva scalded.
Snape was beyond caring. Though he did say, "Stephen, thank you, *Mary*."
He began peeling some asphodel bulbs.
"Aren’t they poisonous if ingested?" Harry asked,
"On their own, yes," Snape said, "though the other ingredients will nullify that. Now unless you want to stay here and wait for *him,* let me get on with it."
Harry scowled as he turned back to his book on the ancient Incas.
Snape got himself a glass of water from the Neverfail spring water unit and wondered how muggles would cope without their machines for this and that.
He began to set the ingredients out.
"How long before it’s finished?" McGonagall asked.
Harry knew he would get an earful if he had asked that.
"When I place all the ingredients in the cauld ... pot, it must simmer for eight hours and everything must be done with precision." He asked them again not to touch anything.
"Does he think we’re babies?" Ron whispered.
"You can go to your room if you like, Rory," Snape said.
Ron glowered.
Later, in the rumpus room, the children seemed to be entertained by a show called "The Worst Witch" which came on television.
"Snape would kill her," Ron said. "He’d give her a worse time than Neville.’
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Good thing she’s not in his class."
Snape continued to cut, crush and mix ingredients, being incredibly careful. He combined all the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ones in another.
"Interesting," Snape said, coming into the Rumpus room, watching the ending of "The Worst Witch" episode. "Amazing what these muggles come up with."
"How is the potion coming along?" Dumbledore asked.
"The ingredients must sit for one hour on their own, then most of them must be placed in the extra and water sit for another hour combined."
Dumbledore nodded. Snape picked up a book on Ancient Greece and began to read.
The children were bored again, but there was little they could do. There wasn’t much more on television. Although they did watch a program on whales and dolphins on the Discovery Channel.
Snape carefully began to mix the ingredients. He was distracted momentarily by a knock on the door, but thankfully he did not lose his concentration. He place down the chopped Asphodel root and grew tense ... As did the other people in the house, but surely if it was Voldemort he would have just blasted the door in or apparated?
Slowly McGonagall answered it and she smiled. "Cassandra, my dear, what can we do for you?"
"It’s just a courtesy call to tell you the hot water will be back on tomorrow morning."
"Thank you."
Snape smiled inwardly. He would get that long soak after all.
"Mmm, what are you cooking?"
Snape dreaded she would ask that.
"Irish stew," he lied.
Cassandra smiled. "Looks great! There shouldn’t be any problems with the water. If there are, let me know."
"We will thank you, good night" ‘Mary’ said as she closed the door.
Everyone was quite relieved.
They went back to their books and Snape went back to his potion, carefully mixing the ingredients together, making sure to add the proper ones first. Patiently he waited for almost another hour before bringing the large pot to he boil. It was not a cauldron, but that could not be helped. Ever so carefully he placed the wet ingredients into the boiling water and began to place the asphodel into the pot. Green smoke arose as Snape stirred with a wooden spoon. He slowly placed the remainder of the ingredients into the pot and stirred until they were well combined, turned down the heat and covered the potion.
"It’s simmering," he said to the others.
"Eight hours you say," Dumbledore said.
Snape nodded. "The honey will be added when it has finished simmering. It is to be consumed when it has cooled. It is not to be disturbed."
"So ho exactly does it work?" Minerva asked.
"It lightens the body," Snape said. "Making it easier to apparate over long distances. To the other side of the globe if necessary."
"But what if we just tried to apparate from here?" Ron asked.
"It’s too risky," Snape said, trying to be patient.
"But isn’t it impossible to apparate on Hogwarts grounds?" Harry asked.
"Unless in the case of an emergency." Dumbledore said. "Don’t worry, the magic that protects Hogwarts can sense the difference between good and evil. This is why Voldemort can never apparate into the grounds."
The children looked relived.
"Once we drink it," Severus said, "I will send you back to Hogwarts one by one. This must be done as soon as possible as the potion will wear off if the spell is not cast within ten minutes. Also Voldemort will sense the magic and the quicker we get out of here, the better."
No one argued.
Snape checked on the potion, then retreated for a well needed rest. It wasn’t his bed, but it was a bed at least.
Before seven o’clock that morning, Snape awoke and at exactly seven am, he turned off the heat and took the pot from the stove. It would take several hours to cool. Snape mixed in the honey, grateful this recipe allowed for it. The rest of the household were sleeping, bar Dumbledore, who was having an early morning stroll in the misty gardens.
The children had nothing better to do than watch cartoons.
"This one’s great, I love Transformers" Ron said. "I used to watch it at home. Our TV picks up a few muggle stations."
"Dudley used to watch them when he was younger, but I had to stay in my room, if you call it that."
Ron shook his head. "Well at least you didn’t have to sit through Sailor moon. Ginny loves that one."
Harry chuckled as they watched the shows. Hermione didn’t seem to mind ‘Sailor Moon’ all that much. "Interesting,’ she commented. "I never used to watch them."
"Let me guess," Ron said, "too busy studying."
Hermione gave him a look.
* * *
Snape checked the potion a few hours later, it was almost room temperature. He retrieved the wands from tho chest and handed them out. "To make it easier, we will all be apparating in the hospital wing. Should Voldemort arrive and attack, it will be the best place to treat any injuries."
"You’re being a bit pessimistic, aren’t you?" Ron asked.
"Realistic is more like it," Snape replied shortly.
The children had read most of tho books, played most of the muggle games and again there was nothing on television, Dumbledore suggested a stroll, but coming so close to the end of their stay here, most of the magic folk were nervous.
"At least let us open the door form some fresh air..."
Still they were nervous.
"If Voldemort were here a door would not stop him, open or closed."
Snape agreed. Dumbledore opened the front door and breathed in the outside air.
"There. That’s more like it."
* * *
Snape checked the potion again. "It’s at room temperature," he said.
He poured a ceramic mug for each of them, including himself. "Drink the entire cup immediately. It will take effect within two minutes."
"I’d hate to see what this stuff tastes like without honey," Ron said,
Snape glared at him. The others didn’t seem to mind the taste. Severus drank his cup and took a deep breath. He gripped his wand. "Stand close together," he said. "The quicker we do this the sooner we will be safe."
"How long before we apparate at Hogwarts?"
"The effect should be immediate."
"What about you?" Minerva asked.
"I will disapparate myself after all of you are safely at Hogwarts."
The witches and wizards finished their potion. Snape took another breath as he aimed his wand at the children. Dumbledore gave the three a reassuring glance.
"Apparate! Apparate! Apparate!" Snape exclaimed in rapid succession.
The second last thing Harry saw before he disappeared was Voldemort appearing behind Professor Snape with a grin that made his blood run cold. Snape spun around before Minerva exclaimed his name. Voldemort grinned as he grabbed Snape’s wand. Severus punched him square in the face and jerked his wand free. "Apparate!" He exclaimed, aiming his wand at Minerva. Both he and Dumbledore were grateful when she disappeared to safety.
"CRUCIO!" Voldemort cursed, aiming his wand at Dumbledore. Snape pushed the old man out of the way, getting blasted in his side, knocking over the Neverfail water unit. Water gushed all over the floor, but the state of the house was the last thing on his mind right now.
Snape cursed, and blasted at Voldemort, but the evil wizard swerved out of the way and cursed again. Snape scampered out of his way, regaining his wand and cursing again. Voldemort wasn’t lucky enough to escape that one and growled in pain. He glared at Snape, if looks could kill Snape would have a one way ticket to the Other Side. Voldemort raised his wand. Snape raised his, however Voldemort was a little quicker.
"Crucio!"
Snape refused to cry out in pain. He had a death grip on his wand as he fell backwards on the wet floor and winced in pain. Voldemort grinned and raised his wand again.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Snape barely had time to move out of the way. The curse hit his side, ripping into him. Voldemort chuckled. "I love it when you scream, Severus."
The older wazard aimed his wand one final time, his eyes glinting evilly in the dim light. Snape weakly raised his and. Voldemort laughed. Severus aimed his wand at himself.
"Apparate ..." he whispered. The last thing he heard before he disappeared was Voldemort’s anguished scream and he permitted himself to smile if only for a moment.
Severus Snape appeared on one of the beds in the hospital wing.
"*Severus!*" Minerva exclaimed.
Harry and the others started at him. Snape tried to sit up,
"Don’t move," Harry said.
"It’s just a scratch," Snape assured. "I need to change into something dry."
"Don’t move, Professor," Harry stressed again.
"I’m *all right,*" Snape assured. "It’s ... " And then he saw the white sheets stained with his blood, dripping onto the floor. " ... Just a ... scratch ..." he whispered, in shock, lying back down on the bed.
Madam Pomfrey gasped and then fussed over him like no one would believe.
Instinctively Harry took the Professor’s hand before he slipped into unconsciousness.
"Do everything you can for him," Harry said.
Dumbledore too looked worried for his friend.
"Of course I will," Pomfrey said gently. "And I’ll keep you informed." She winced at the sight of Snape’s blood and vowed to do whatever she could to save him.
* * *
Pomfrey used every magickal trick in the book to help Severus and she had asked some of the teachers and the more experienced students to help.
Finally they managed to stop the blood and close the wound site. Madam Pomfrey used a gentle, but strong magic healing spell to help heal the wound and minimalise the pain.
* * *
"Ohh thank goodness," Minerva gasped.
"He’s going to be all right?" Dumbledore said.
"Yes, with rest, rest and more rest and plenty to eat and drink, though no alcohol and nothing too starchy or hard on the stomach," Pomfrey said,
* * *
Snape was quite surprised when he woke up, needless to say he was even more surprised that people had left various lollies and treats for him. They actually cared enough to do that? he wondered,
"Severus ..."
"Headmaster."
"I come to you today as a friend, Severus, not your boss. Call me Dumbledore."
Snape nodded. "Thank you, Albus."
"You’re lucky to be alive."
"I know."
Snape checked his wound, still a little red and sore.
"No alcohol or strenuous activity for at least three weeks," Pomfrey called coming to him and telling Snape what she told Dumbledore and McGonagall.
Snape nodded. "I wasn’t planning on boozing or playing Quidditch."
Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the hospital wing.
"Come to see if I’m still here, Potter? Rest assured, I won’t be teaching lessons until next week. So you can celebrate."
"How are you feeling, Professor?"
To Snape’s surprise, Harry sounded genuinely concerned.
"It’s still sore, especially when I laugh."
"You never laugh."
Snape chuckled, then he winced.
"Don’t strain yourself, Professor," Harry said.
There was an awkward pause.
"We came here to thank you."
Dumbledore nodded. "The children are right. Without your potion we’d be up the creek without a paddle as the muggles say."
Severus gave a smile. "Speaking of muggles, we must pay for our use of the house and the damage, lest it being complications."
"Already taken care of," Dumbledore told him.
"You look tired," Harry said. Snape also looked troubled, but harry didn’t say that.
"Here," Ron handed him a chocolate frog.
Snape managed a smile as he opened it and caught it before the frog leapt off and ate it.
"Been a while since I had one of those."
"Who’d you get?" Ron tried to see the card.
Snape looked down and his small smile left him as he looked at the picture. The evil grin faded to black in but a moment. A tear escaped and rolled down Snape’s cheek as he angrily scrunched up the card and let it fall out of his hand. Harry didn’t have to see who was on it to guess, but he looked at the name on the scrunched card anyway.
V...D...M...RT
Snape swallowed. Harry took his hand.
"We’ll defeat him one day, Professor."
Snape managed a small smile, then chuckled. He had just realised that he had survived the killing curse. The only other one that had done that was Harry Potter.
"I ... I need some rest ..."
Harry nodded, but before he left with his friends, he offered Snape a packet of Bertie Bott’s beans. "You might get lucky."
"Then again I might not. The last one of those I had was ... you don’t want to know."
Harry smiled. The Professor humoured him and took a purple one and began to eat it.
"Horseradish," he said. "At last, a flavour I like."
"Speak for yourself," Harry said, with a smile.
Whether he wanted to or not Snape returned the smile.
* * *
He would have to return to classes in a few days, but somehow he didn’t mind that. His wound was healing nicely and only hurt when pressed upon. Snape had almost lost his life a few weeks ago and the person who he thought hated him most seemed most concerned. No things would not go back to normal. Snape wasn’t sure about the change, perhaps it was for the better.
But for now he lowered himself into that steaming hot tub he had been craving and sighed to himself. He looked at the candle flame, so flighty, but so yet vigilant, as it illuminated the entire room. He poured some bathing bubbles from Hogsmeade he had been given as a gift by a Ravenclaw girl and he planed to thank her when he went back to class. Snape smiled as the bubbles changed colour. Again Severus sighed to himself. Not too long ago he followed Voldemort and if it wasn’t for Dumbledore giving him a second chance, he would be in Azkaban, surrounded by Dementors. The Potions Master realised he had a lot to be grateful for as he began to wash himself and his dark hair. He submerged himself, washing the soap suds from his now silken hair, grateful for the simple warm water that surrounded him. He was at peace, but he mused, how long would that peace last? He looked at an ancient painting of Merlin on the wall in front of him. Severus silently asked for the old Wizard’s blessings, for a lasting peace to come to the wizarding world.
*