Severus
Severus Snape willed the shaking Bellatrix to let go of the tree.
“Listen to me, Lucius is not himself right now. He might calm down if you come to him.”
Bellatrix Black shook her head. “He told me to wait. Said others might try to keep us apart. Told me to wait here in the nest. For he and his fledgling.”
“Yes, well, there are issues on the fledgling front at the moment.” Severus said, willing his voice to remain calm. “My veela tells me that he has tried to track his son, but he was being kept outside the barrier to Hogwarts, and has repeatedly thrown himself at it to the point of physical damage.”
“My Lu is hurt?” Bella shrieked. “We must go to him, Severus. Immediately.”
“An excellent idea,” Severus agreed, trying not to shriek himself with impatience. “Fantastic. Let go of the tree and I will levitate you down.”
“Why don’t I have wings, Sevy?” Bella sighed. “Lu has wings. Draco will have. You even have the flowy robe bits that look like wings. Where are my wings, Sevy?”
“You cannot fly, Bella. You must accept that bitter fact. However, if you allow me to levitate you down so you can attend your mate, I am sure one day soon he will fly you wherever you wish.”
Bellatrix gave that half-crazed smile. “He’s always loved me, you know. They made him and Cissa marry. Magically, you know. And me. So strange to figure all that out. He’s so beautiful, Sevy.”
“I’m pleased for you, Bella. I wish you continued happiness. Now please. Let go of the tree.”
“Hmm? Oh yes.” Bella let go of the tree and bounced on the limb.
Severus released shuddering breaths as he levitated her carefully to the ground. “Very good,” he breathed and managed a thin smile. “Come along, Miss Black.”
She threaded her arm through his and let him lead her to her mate.
His own mate was sobbing. “They’ve got Harry. And Tom. And somehow, the wards are suppressing the mate bond. All I can tell is that he’s alive.”
The wolf was, as usual, apparently keeping his head, even as Hagrid threw himself bodily at the wards time after time and Regulus alternated between helping Sirius and casting spell after spell on the wards. “Minerva,” Lupin spoke to his patronus. “You need to find Harry Potter. Protect Tom and Harry. Voldemort is no longer a threat. Dumbledore has them. Report back.
“Tonks, we need you to apparate to Sirius’ location immediately. We’re at Hogwarts and things are going badly.
“Filius, it’s Remus Lupin. Find Harry Potter and Tom Riddle. Voldemort is no longer a threat. They are in danger from the Headmaster. Albus is confused and very very dangerous. Be Cautious.
“Bill, there’s trouble at Hogwarts. Come as quickly as possible.
“Sir Nicholas, Harry Potter is in danger from the Headmaster. Tom Riddle is with him. If there is anything you can possibly do…
Severus watched Fleur shift to her half-veela state, tall and muscular and winged, before backing away and flinging herself at the wards. Severus put a protego and cushioning charms around his mate almost reflexively and then did the same for everyone around him. He watched Fleur morph into her full veela form, and over the protests of the others who insisted that Malfoy had already tried the same thing, flew away to charge back and strike the wards with all the force of a battering ram. Severus broke her fall once again.
“Stop, stop. You’re only strengthening them.” Sirius choked out hoarsely, his hands working faster than Severus could see. “They’re adapting to the threat level, layering on top of each other. Just stop.”
Severus passed a sobbing Fleur to Hagrid, kissed her cheek, and apparated.
He apparated back to Fleur, Sirius, Remus, Hagrid, and Regulus with a crack.
He reached a vial to Sirius. “Drink this, Black.”
“A little busy at the moment, Sev.” Sirius’ voice was strained.
“A little faith, Sirius?” Severus used all his self-control not to lash out at the man.
Sirius chuckled bitterly. “I can’t stop right now, Sev. Pour it in.” Sirius opened his mouth, and Severus spelled the potion into it.
Nymphadora Tonks popped into existence with a crack. “What the fuck is happening?” She asked.
“Locked out of Hogwarts by the wards. Harry and Tom taken by Dumbledore. Mate bond silent.” Remus said succinctly. “But you can imitate anyone, Tonks…”
Severus marveled that he and Lupin could be thinking along the exact same lines.
“Yep, okay…who shall I…Filch, maybe? He should have access anywhere.”
“It won’t work. They’ll read your magical signature.” Sirius said, voice strained.
The Wolf’s eyes fixed on Sirius’s tired face and shaking hands.
“Narcissa, come to Hogwarts.
“Molly, come to Hogwarts."
“Oi, Sev, the hell did you give me?” Sirius asked, his skin literally beginning to crawl on his face. “Reg, can you see what I’m doing with the chain and double…yes, that’s it exactly, take over a moment I’m…”
“I’m sorry, Black.” Severus said. “But I hope you’ll agree it was worth a try. Even if you’re correct about magical signatures.”
“Tonks, love, you need to shield your core.” Regulus said, hands moving rapidly, eyes tightly closed, face tight. “If you’re pretending to be Filch. It needs to be suppressed as much as possible, shielded…Siri, Sev, am I making sense here?”
“You put Harry deeply to sleep to protect me from his magic, do you recall?” Remus said.
“Tell me you have potions on you, Severus.” Tonks said.
Severus laughed without humor. “When have I not?”
“So, I’ll just put a bit of warding around your torso, shall I dear?” Molly Weasley said, her voice warm and comforting. “As I’m one of the lighter of us magically, speaking? And we’re trying to fool the wards and protect the boys from….Albus.” She squinted at Albus Dumbledore who sighed and swore.
“I’m about to give this a try, before you go to the trouble, Molly.” Albus Dumbledore said in Sirius Black’s voice. “I do not think it will work, but I’m willing to try a lot at this point.”
“Er, yes dear. We’ll wait for you, then. Off you pop.”
Albus Dumbledore kissed Remus Lupin, hugged Regulus Black and Nympadora Tonks, and generally squeezed forearms and patted shoulders all the way to the barrier. Severus suppressed a sigh. This was never going to fool the wards.
“Well,” Albus Dumbledore said. “Nothing for it.”
He took a flying leap for the barrier. Which wobbled. Froze. And with a shimmer of light, absorbed him.
Regulus’ eyes flew open. “Fuck!” He shouted. He closed his eyes again, his hands flying madly.
“I take it that wasn’t the plan, then?” Molly said, her voice shaky. “Should, um…should we assume, that Tonks should rethink her strategy as well?”
“Fuck that!” Tonks declared. “If Siri is in the wind, or hell, if that was his plan all along, we could still use people on the inside. Dose me up, Severus, we don’t know how much time we have.”
Severus handed over the serum without a word. Tonks lay down on a low rolling stretcher beside the barrier, turned herself into Argus Filch, and drained the vial. “Molly, shield me if you please.”
Molly nodded and began weaving a tight beautiful shielding spell over Tonks. Severus spelled the pepper up potion into her hand.
“Grip it in your hand, ready to pour into your mouth.” Severus told her. “The sleep potion is incredibly fast-acting. It’s much stronger than what I gave to Harry. The second you’re inside the wards, follow up with the Pepper Up. And stay Filch as long as possible. Merlin knows how deep the wards go.”
Tonks nodded rapidly, tears filling her eyes. “Siri,” she muttered, already looking sleepy.
“He’s alive,” Regulus reported, face twisted in concentration, eyes closed. “But he’s in the wards. I’m helping him get his bearings, but whatever the fuck happened was definitely not the plan.”
“Molly, how are you doing?” Severus asked.
“Nearly there…and done.”
“Alright, Hagrid. Give us a shove, if you please.” Tonks said, giving everyone a sleepy wave.
Hagrid pushed a groggy Argus Filch on a stretcher through the wards, which allowed her to roll across the grass.
Tonks/Filch raised a fist in triumph and threw back the Pepper-up Potion. She staggered to her feet and shook herself before turning back to them with a little wave and sprinting toward the castle.
“Now, if only we had a few more Metamorphmagi just lying around.” Remus murmured.
“It might work on its own.” Severus said slowly. “The magic suppression. And I have a bit of essence of Filch. Unless one wishes to try more essence of Dumbledore.”
“No,” Regulus said flatly. “The wards are a disaster. Dumbledore has them in a vice grip and they’ve managed to edge out Grandfather and Sirius, but it’s not going to work for long because Grandfather is literally everywhere. His wards are the lifeblood of this place. So Siri is being tossed from ward to ward. Hogwarts wards think he’s Dumbledore and welcome him, Grandfather Wards think he’s Dumbledore and reject him, Hogwarts wards think he’s Sirius and reject him on Dumbledore’s orders. Grandfather’s wards know he’s Sirius and draw him in. It’s a nightmare. Nobody else is fucking doing that. Sirius is the only one who could have possibly gotten himself into this, and he’s the only one who could possibly get himself out.”
Severus stared at Regulus for a moment, mind reeling, and then appararted away. He was back quickly.
“We’re going to try a new tactic. Molly, will you get to work shielding our magical cores?”
“Yes, Severus…”
“Regulus, I fear you should stay, yes?” Severus said. “The wards need to come back into some semblance of control, and you are the best bet for your brother.”
“It’s a tremendous drain on him,” Molly said, already at work shielding Severus’ core. “I think I shall have to stay, in case I need to give his power a bump.”
“I’ll leave you both polyjuice.” Severus said grimly.
“Reg, I really think I must…”
“Go on, Remus. I’ll be fine.” Regulus said.
Fleur said nothing, just reached out for her polyjuice potion.
“Hagrid, I have no intention of excluding you, but I have not dosed these properly for your size. I do not know how they would react to your unique body type and genetics.” Severus said with utmost sincerity.
Hagrid nodded. “A-course. I’ll expect to be experimented on in the future, mind.”
“Naturally, remind me and we’ll study you over a summer. I’d be fascinated.” Severus said, again sincerely.
The three of them stood for a moment as Molly worked on their cores. And then, almost as one, they threw back their vials. Severus’ body writhed nauseatingly he staggered, gagged and finally steadied himself. He looked up into the eyes of Silvanus Kettleburn and Quirinus Quirrell. Molly Weasley, to her great credit, continued shielding their cores after a pause of perhaps five seconds. Severus steeled himself looking down at his unfamiliar hands and then looked up to see the others gaping at him.
“Blimey, Severus. Do yeh have all the teacher’s hairs?” Hagrid asked, in admiring disbelief.
“I have everyone’s hairs,” Severus said coolly, as it was barely an exaggeration.
“But why these particular fellows?” Silvanus Kettleburn, former Care of Magical Creatures Teacher, asked.
“I am hideous,” Fleur’s voice sighed. “I just know I am.”
“Well, ya ain’t got Voldemort comin’ out thuh back of your head, so yuh ain’t doin’ too bad, miss.” Hagrid consoled her.
“I am professor Quirrell?” She screeched. “I am the man who tried to kill my little mate and whose face had to be melted off?!!”
“To be fair, wasn’t nothin’ wrong with his face before the meltin’. I mean, long as he just had one of ‘em.”
Severus was presented with the staggering predicament of having Quirinus Quirrell launch into his arms, sobbing dramatically. “Harry will hate me!” She sighed.
“It won’t matter, Fleur, my love, if we cannot get to him. These potions will not last long, we must get through the wards. Hell, as a Veela, I don’t know how long this will last for you in any case.”
“You’re rather handsome, love,” Quirrell said to him sweetly and Severus found that his mind twisted and broke in new ways every day. “Who are you meant to be?”
“You might be the only witch in Europe who was never obsessed with Gilderoy Lockhart.” Severus said and Remus fucking Kettleburn burst out laughing.
“Severus, I cannot…what?”
“How goes it, Mrs. Weasley?” Severus said tightly torn between the urge to laugh and scream.
“Almost there, Sev, dear. Oh, dear. This is a bit awkward for me.” Molly said, a little pink in the face for no reason that Severus could discern.
“Why these particular blokes, Sev?” Regulus asked. “Strange to think that Dumbledore would find them particularly trustworthy.”
“Molly?” Severus asked, handing out sleeping potion as Remus conjured three stretchers.
“Very close. Up you pop onto your stretchers.”
Severus met Regulus’ distracted gaze. “Retired,” Severus gestured to Remus/Kettlburn, “Dead,” he gestured to Fleur. “Institutionalized,” he gestured to himself. “I’m hoping, Reg, that Dumbledore has not thought to ward against the retired, dead, and deluded. But alas. Here we are.”
“Good luck, Sev,” Regulus said, focusing back in on his warding.
“And to you, Regulus.” Severus muttered and climbed up onto the stretcher. “Both of you, if this works, warn me if you see Ronald Weasley.” He murmured. “I’ve no doubt that poor lad will kill me on sight.”
Remus Kettleburn and Fleur Quirrel did not argue. They simply drank their sleep potions, readied their pepper-up potions, and went for a ride as Hagrid gave them a shove. They slipped through the wards and onto Hogwarts grounds, throwing back their pepper up potions and running shakily toward the castle.