It's not easy to explain, but . . .

Chapter 61

"If you think that's necessary, Professor.  Sure you won't need any help?" Neville asked.

"The day I can't handle a couple of Slytherin students will be the day I retire!" Shot back Filius, as he grabbed hold of the ring and touched it with his own wand. " 'Portus!' "

With a flash of blue light, the four students and Filius were gone.

X  X X

'Pop'

Severus, Katie and Dobby appeared in the entrance of the Great Hall, just as Flitwick and the Slytherins disappeared.

"Who was that?" Severus asked, as he walked into the Hall, arm around Katie's shoulder, while she supported him with her arm around his waist, Dobby trotting along behind them.

"Severus!"  Sirius came running up and helped Katie settle her patient on a bench.  "Are you alright? What happened? How did you two get together?"  The questions poured out.

Katie looked at Severus, grinning. "Inquisitive old Marauder, isn't he?"

"Yes, but we'd better tell him what happened or he'll just pester us to death," Snape replied, under his breath.

Just then Harry, Ron and Draco approached, anxious looks on their faces.

"Severus!"  " Katie?"  " How?"

"I sense a theme emerging, Severus.  Should you go first or should I?"  Katie giggled.

"I'll go first, as I have the more pressing news to deliver," answered Severus, who then turned to the three young people.  "Harry, he knows you're here, he suspects the Cup and Sword are fakes - or missing - which he'll be checking, as I speak.  He knows who is here, from the Weasleys to the Malfoys.  He will find out, soon enough, that all of the students were sent to safety, but he has no idea about any of our preparations, he just thinks you're taking over the castle. He'll call all of his followers as soon as he checks about the Cup, but Lucius and I will feel the burn, so that will be a bit of a heads up.  And Katie has started my healing from your excellent spell casting . . . that 'Sectumsempra' stings like the very devil, by the way . . . I was a bit relieved when I realized you'd held back a bit . . . so Katie didn't arrive to find me bled out."

"How did you get involved?"  Draco asked.

"Rabastan Lestrange showed up at my office requesting help. I was off duty, so I agreed to make a house call, knowing who he was and that it probably involved Severus.  I also saw your auntie Bella and Voldemort, who was quite the perfect host, concerned with the welfare of, and I quote, "One of his oldest acquaintances".

Narcissa and Lucius joined the group.

"Bella was there?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes, she had done a bit of rudimentary healing, but I complimented her on the job she'd done, asking if she'd help me tend to Severus, which she did until the Dark Lord bellowed for her; that's the last I saw of her.  He came storming in the bedroom and, I'm assuming, looked through Severus' memories of what must have happened here this morning," Katie explained. "Then he stormed back out."

"Then we called Dobby and returned here . . . I believe my days as Albus' spy have come to an end; it was just not worth the risk, with him in that state, to stretch my luck," added Severus. "And Katie was just so much excess baggage, if things started happening . . "

"Oh, so now I'm 'baggage', am I?"  Katie stood hands on her hips, glaring at Severus, who seemed to realize, a tad late, that his description might have been a bit flippant, that is until Katie laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  "At least you had Dobby bring 'the old bag' along with you!"