Cupboards and Cryogenics

Chapter 4

Unfortunately, Severus has to buy tickets for the attackers as well. The Knight Bus is full of beds right now rather than its collection of mismatched chairs that it has during daytime. After shoving his two statue-esque captives onto beds, Severus sits on a third. There's no way he can sleep on this thing.

"Where to?" The conductor asks.

"The Leaky Cauldron." Snape replies, planning on using Floo powder from there.

The bus shoots forward at incredible speed and all the beds slide towards the back. Why they haven't applied sticking charms to them so they stay in place is completely beyond Severus. He scowls slightly, noting the gleam of terror in his petrified would-be kidnappers' eyes. It lessens his scowl slightly.

After a harrowingly reckless but thankfully quick ride in the bus, Snape and his two frozen captives are dropped off outside the Leaky Cauldron.

Severus Floo's to his office with the two captives, depositing them on the stone floor.

Dumbledore comes to Severus' office before he can even decide whether to call the Headmaster or not.

"Severus, where is Harry?" Dumbledore asks. "His new living arrangements have not been settled. Without the blood wards provided by his Aunt, he is in danger from Voldemort's supporters."

"He is in danger already." Severus informs the old man. "I was about to question these two, who were involved in an apparent kidnapping." He glares down at his petrified captives.

Potter had clearly been terrified. His scream, as well as the bout of accidental magic had made that obvious. And now he's with the most dangerous member of the group of three kidnappers.

Even though the boy is James Potter's son and Severus certainly doesn't like the brat, they need to rescue the boy. Who knows what's being done to him right now?

Hopefully these two can provide some answers.

The two goons groan loudly when they are un-petrified, stretching their stiff bodies. Severus debates conjuring ropes to bind them, but they are not a threat like the third one had been. They do not even have guns this time, since Severus had disarmed them.

"Do you know who the boy you were taking was?" Dumbledore asks them in a calm voice, as if this isn't an interrogation but a simple chat. Severus had been wondering the same thing- they're muggles, after all, what use do they have for the Boy Who Lived- but why hadn't Dumbledore immediately asked where Harry was?

The men pointedly remain silent.

"Where were you planning on taking the boy?" Severus demands harshly. Again, silence. Maybe it's time to break out the Veritaserum. That will get them talking.

"...Hail HYDRA" The two goons mutter, not quite simultaneously, before biting down on something in their mouths.

They almost immediately begin to experience what appear to be seizures and heart attacks at the same time. Severus grabs a couple of bezoars and crams them down the kidnappers' throats. Whatever poison they seem to have used is apparently incredibly fast acting, and they already seem mostly dead by the time he shoves the bezoars down their throats.

The bezoars work on whatever poison they seem to have used. The men gasp and shudder but are no longer at the brink of death.

They seem extremely confused when they realize they're still alive, and surprisingly ungrateful.

Severus pries open one man's mouth and sees a gap in his teeth along with remains of a fake tooth. Severus has read about suicide pills being used in Muggle militaries for people at a high risk of being captured. Are these two men with some sort of military? Why would they be interested in Potter?