The week went by uneventful, unless you count Snape coming up twice that week with a student covered in whatever potion they were making in Potions class. Just as Madam Pomfrey had predicted. Overall, it was a good week for Astoria. She went down to the Great Hall for dinner Saturday evening. As she had her dinner, she saw an owl fly towards Snape. She watches as the owl lands in front of Snape. Snape takes the letter the owl had brought to him. The owl flies off as soon as Snape removed the letter from its leg. Snape checks the letter for any curses, jinxes or any kind of spells that may have been put on it. 'Very wise move' Astoria thought. She watches as Snape opens the letter and reads it. He pockets the letter, after reading it, and gets up from the table. He then leaves the Great Hall with a look of determination on his face, his cloak billowing behind him. Astoria sits there curious, wondering what was in that letter. Madam Pomfrey sees the curious look on her face and answers what Astoria was thinking. "Severus has probably received word of a rare ingredient he's been after. He is Potions Master after all," She smiles. Astoria smiles back and says, "Ah ok. I was wondering what made him leave like that."
Snape's POV:
To finally receive word on a rare ingredient that I have been searching for, for several years, is rewarding. Finally I will have what I have been searching for. I leave the Great Hall determined to get to my location. I walk out the door and towards the gate with the winged boars flanked on either side of it. I know I can disapparate beyond the gate, so I move a little more quickly. I make it to the gate. Then I concentrate on the location that I needed to go to and disapparate. I apparated at the location without any issues. I cleared my mind and occluded just in case. I look around me. The village is quiet, No one is around. I walk up to what looks like, an abandoned house, but I know better. I walk up to the door and knock. I look around me as I waited. My instincts screaming that I should have my wand out and at the ready. I follow my instincts and pull out my wand from my sleeve. I look around once more, wand held at the ready. The door finally opens making me whip back around, wand out. My eyes harden as I recognize the wizard at the door. I keep my wand at the ready as I say coldy, "Selwyn, what are you doing here?" Selwyn smirks and says in his rough voice, "Bellatrix was right not to trust you. How the Dark Lord ever trusted you is beyond me. You are, by far, more cleverer and cunning than I thought. You betrayed the Dark Lord from the beginning didn't you?" It was my turn to smirk, "You already know why by now." Selwyn snarled, " Of course I know why! You loved that filthy mudblood! I jabbed my wand at his throat, making him go still. Anger flaring up in my face, as I said in my most dangerous voice, "Never say that word in front of me! How dare you! How dare you call her that! Yes I loved her. I always will. Did you really think I would stay loyal to Voldemort," (Selwyn flinched at Voldemort's name), "after he targeted Lily and her family?! Did you?!" Selwyn glares angrily back and shouts, "I should have known that you were turn spy against the Dark Lord! I should have believed Bellatrix!" I smirk coldly at Selwyn as I got close to his face, " Yes you should have. I did whatever it took to make sure her death wasn't in vain and I have succeeded! Voldemort is gone, for good and I am a free man at last. I can finally show my true colors." Sewlyn smirks for he had succeeded in riling me up that I did not notice two other figures moving closer to me, their wands raised in unison. I snapped at Sewlyn, eyes narrowing in suspicion, "Why are you still smirking?" Sewlyn still smirking said, "Good bye filthy muggle lover." I look confused at Sewlyn, only to hear from behind me the stunning spell being cast in unison. Before I could turn around, both spells hit me squarely on my back. Selwyn moves out of the way as I get thrown inside from the spell. I hit the ground hard and remember no more.
Snape's wand rolls away from him. Selwyn picks up his wand and pockets it, then look over to the two thuggish figures standing by the doorway and smirks at them, "Well done Crabbe, Goyle." Both nod at Selwyn and walk inside. Crabbe closes the door and locks it. Goyle looks and Selwyn and asks,"What do we do with Snape?" Selwyn looks over at Snape's crumpled figure on the ground and says, "Tie him up, then we wake him and have some fun." Crabbe and Goyle smirk as they go and tie both of Snape's wrists and ankles. Then they moved me to one side of the room. Selwyn walks over to my still figure, and pulls out his wand and mutters, "Ennervate."
Snape's POV
I wake up and realize that I am bound around my wrists and ankles. I glare up at Selwyn, "What will you get out of this?" Selwyn smirks, his wand pointed directly at me. Crabbe and Goyle also had their wands pointed at me. Selwyn says as he continues to smirk at me, angering me even more. "Severus Severus Severus, I'd watch what you say, if I were you. Now, to answer your question, I will have the pleasure of destroying a traitor." I continue to glare at him, aware of his wand, "What a big man you are. About to attack a wandless, defenseless wizard." Sewlyn chuckles coldly, "Exactly, Severus. More fun for me." I start to struggle against the ropes, hoping to free myself. Selwyn chuckles and says, "Ah ah ah. CRUCIO!" I land on my side and begin to twitch and jerk as a familiar pain goes through every nerve in my body, but I never utter a sound. I wasn't going to give him the pleasure nor the satisfaction. Selwyn stopps after a few minutes. I lay there panting as I look at Selwyn with such hatred in my eyes. Selwyn chuckles again. "You can't escape us, Severus. What makes you think you can get past the three of us? Hmm?" I glare at Selwyn as I spat out, "Rot in Azkaban, Selwyn!" Selwyn glares at me, "Tsk tsk tsk. Manners Severus. I think I will teach you some manners. Crabbe, Goyle, perhaps you two can assist me." I now see Crabbe and Goyle as they nod and stepforward to stand on either side of him. Selwyn smirks down at me, "You will soon learn why you should have never betrayed the Dark Lord." I gulp as I look at the three of them and thought, 'If I don't get help and soon, I will never be able to return to Hogwarts alive.' I then glare coldly at the three of them, "You will never get away with this." Selwyn smirks, " I think I already have. Now! Crabbe, Goyle!" Crabbe and Goyle start sending spell after spell, curse after curse at me. I felt the pain washing over me. I feel the Severing Charm cut me. I felt the Torture Spell being cast by Selwyn again. If I was ever going to get out of here, I needed to get help and fast. I concentrated the best I could, despite the onsalught of spells and curses being cast at me. I concentrated on the one person that ever truly made me happy, my only love, Lily. I concentrated with all of my might and somehow, I managed to non-verbally, and without my wand no less, produce my patronus. My silver doe. I noticed that they have stopped their onslaught. All three staring at my patronus with eyes wide open and jaws hanging open. I mentally gave my patronus my message,'Send help. Letter was a trap. Selwyn Crabbe and Goyle have me bound and trapped in a cottage. Being tortured. Send help immediately. Location is a small quiet village. Hurry.' I whispered to my patronus,"To Minerva at Hogwarts my silver doe..." The silver doe bowed its head slightly to me and flew off in a ball of light towards Hogwarts. Selwyn looks at me in shock, "What the hell was that?!" Despite the excruciating pain I was in, I smirked through it, "Haven't you heard of a patronus? Oh, of course, you can't produce one!" Selwyn snaps at me, "You won't be alive, when they find you and rescue you." They resume the onslaught of spells and curses onto me, I pray that my silver doe has made it to Hogwarts, as pain once again washes over me.
The silver doe flies into Hogwarts and up to Professor McGonagall's office. McGonagall looks up with a start as she sees something bright floating in front of her. She sees that it's a silver doe, then realizes whose patronus it was. As the patronus opens its mouth and Snape's voice is heard, "Send help. Letter was a trap. Selwyn Crabbe and Goyle have me bound and trapped in a cottage. Being tortured. Send help immediately. Location is a small quiet village. Hurry." The silver doe, after sending the message, disappears. McGonagall looked horrified, produces her own patronus and sends one back to Snape with the message, "Help is on the way, Severus. Please hold on for as long as you can. We are coming." McGonagall then sends two patronuses to Madam Pomfrey and Astoria. Then several more to what remains of the Order of the Phoenix. She sits and waits for them to arrive. She starts to formulate a plan as she waits.
Snape's POV
McGonagall's patronus finds me and relays the message she had sent with it. Through the haze of pain, I thought to myself, 'I will try.'
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Rubeus Hagrid and Harry were alerted. Harry himself alerted Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, George Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and Ginny Weasley. All arrived in Mcgonagall's office, by floo. As did Madam Pomfrey, Remus Lupin and Astoria. All looking worried. McGongall looks at them all, "We must rescue Severus. I think I know which village he is in." Astoria asks, "How are we going to rescue him?" McGonagall looks at Astoria with an air of triumph, "I have a plan. Kingsley, Remus, Tonks, Molly and Arthur, I need you five to go and subdue whoever has Severus bound." Kingsley, Tonks, Remus, Arthur and Molly nods. McGonagall turns to Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny, George, Seamus, Dean, Fleur, Hagrid and Bill. "I need you twelve to keep a look out, just in case. If the others need assistance, then join them in subduing the ones responsible." They nodded in understanding. McGonagall now turns to Poppy and Astoria, "Poppy, Astoria, once the ones responsible are subdued, I will need you two to safely bring Severus back here and tend to his injuries." Poppy nods but sighs, "I can't leave my patients alone. I have to keep an eye on them, while they recover, Minerva. They may take my absence as an opportunity to leave the Hospital Wing. I'm sorry." Minerva sighs and nods. "Understood Poppy." Minerva then looks at Astoria, "Can I count on you to bring Severus back alive? You will need to perform side-along apparition." Astoria nods, "Yes headmistres, I will make sure I get him here alive. You have my word." Minerva nods, "Good. Let's rescue Severus."