38

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT:

"Hermione wishes you good luck," Severus said quietly, not taking his eyes off the other Order members waiting in Order Headquarters.

Harry snapped his eyes to his lover with a shocked expression. "Hermione?"

"She gave me permission to use her first name when in private," Severus supplied without turning to his partner, neglecting to mention that he had been the first to offer such permission.

"…Wow," Harry said, a grin spreading over his face. He hadn't asked about the conversation the two had had, not wanting to know the details, but now he regretted not having asked. It seemed the two of them had gotten along a lot better than he had expected!

Then a thought occurred to him. "You gave her permission to use yours first, didn't you?"

Severus blinked in surprise and finally turned to look at Harry.

"She wouldn't have offered it first, knowing that as her professor it would give you more power over her," Harry answered Severus's questioning look, and Severus snorted lightly in reply.

"Why is everyone suddenly far more Slytherin than I had thought them capable of being?" he asked rhetorically.

"Ask Dumbledore," Harry replied darkly, turning his gaze back to the room at large. The only members currently out were Minerva and Kingsley, who had teamed up to take care of the Goyles once the Auror had finished with Travers. Everyone had been even more careful this time around, and none of the teams had experienced any difficulties. In fact, both Remus and Severus had returned seeming rather pleased at how they had worked together, which had made Sirius leave the room in a rage. Teaming up the three tricksters – Tonks and the Weasleys – would have been a choice questioned by many, but they worked well together due to their natures being similar. Despite that, Harry preferred the teams of the previous evening, believing that having opposite characters on the same team was a better method than grouping similar types together.

Just then the Floo flared to life and two perfectly composed figures stepped out simultaneously. Kingsley immediately spotted Harry and saluted his commander.

"Went off without a hitch," he said in a smooth bass voice. "Both Goyles swore the oath and are under house arrest."

"Excellent," Harry said, locking his hands behind his back. "That's the last team finished," he said to the room at large, aware of all eyes on him. "Only one target remains. Bill, if you would accompany us it would be much appreciated. Kingsley, Alastor, and Poppy, please wait at Headquarters in case of an emergency. Mrs. Weasley, you're welcome to stay as well, if you feel you'll worry about Bill until we finish," he smiled at her. "Everyone else, thank you for your hard work tonight! I'll call another meeting tomorrow so that we may discuss the next step, but for now go home and rest! Tomorrow is Monday, after all, so many of you will not be able to sleep in. Minerva, please ensure that Fred and George reach their beds safely," he winked at the woman. She was the one responsible for bringing the Weasley twins to the meetings and returning them to Hogwarts, as they had insisted on being members upon reaching their 17th Birthday. Dumbledore had seen no reason to deny the request, assuring their mother that they would not be participating in any missions. Harry had changed that, of course, but they were too useful to leave sitting around at Headquarters.

"I'll see you all tomorrow!" Trading the occasional handshake or nod of the head, Harry was only able to call together his team when the other members had left.

"Alright: Lestrange Manor. Bill, I want you along to get us through the manor's wards, and I'm almost certain that after that you'll be out for the count. Once we're in you're to return here and report to the present members," he gestured at Alastor and Kingsley in particular, "and then get yourself to bed. I'm sure your mother will be happy to help you with that," Harry grinned. Ignoring Bill's grimace, he turned to the two Aurors.

"Alastor, Kingsley, you're our backup in case we call for assistance. I do not expect to need your assistance, but I will send out the emergency signal at the first notice that something may be off. Bill, you'll please take off the charm before going to bed – it will simply disturb your rest if something does happen, and you will be in no shape to help us." Harry held his gaze until the redhead reluctantly nodded, then turned on to Poppy.

"Again, I don't think your services will be needed, but I would prefer to have you on hand just on the off chance that something does happen. Sorry for keeping you from your bed," he smiled crookedly, but she merely waved him off.

"That's it, then," Harry said, nodding to each person in turn. "Let's get going." Grabbing both Severus and Bill, he apparated them to their destination, as only he and Sirius could apparate directly out of Grimmauld Place. He held his two companions steady as they materialized before Lestrange Manor, knowing that the side-along apparition would have them off balance.

"Whenever you're ready, Bill."

OoOoO

Harry and Severus walked silently through Lestrange Manor, the younger man slightly in front of the Potions Master. As Dobby had been the elf to put the Lestranges to sleep, Harry was absolutely sure that they wouldn't wake no matter what he did, but even so the two intruders walked in a combat-ready formation.

Severus made a very soft noise behind him, and Harry promptly stopped, realizing that they had reached the first occupied bedroom. Turning, he gestured silently for Severus to precede him, and the man opened the door after checking the door for possible defenses. Harry entered the room behind him only after the other man had thoroughly checked the room, immediately hitting the witch lying in the huge bed with a stunning spell. A hand on Harry's arm ensured that the stunning spell was the only one he cast, and Harry realized that his entire body was shaking with hate.

Spinning on his heel, Harry walked out and headed to the next bedroom, making short work of the jinx on the door and stunning the occupant – Rodolphus Lestrange – before moving on to the next occupied room. Rabastan, too, was merely stunned despite Harry's burning wish to do worse.

"Let's question them," he said curtly to Severus. "Shall we start with Rodolphus?" At Severus's agreement Harry bound the other brother firmly to his bed, ensuring that he couldn't escape even if he should somehow cast off the stunning spell.

One hour later, Rodolphus Lestrange was dead and Harry faced Severus once more, his face revealing his disgust for the man they had just killed. "Bellatrix or Rabastan next?"

Severus looked at him with an expressionless face as he considered the question. "Whichever you prefer," he eventually replied, and Harry nodded tightly.

"Rabastan, then."

As they headed for the younger Lestrange's room Harry asked, "You ensured that Bellatrix can't escape?"

"She is under the effects of the Draught of Living Death," Severus replied evenly, and Harry actually chuckled in surprise.

"That'll do it," he grinned, knowing that she wouldn't wake from the false death until the antidote was spelled into her. Then they entered Rabastan's rooms and Harry's grin faded. Interrogation first, revenge later, he reminded himself as he eyed the tied-up form. Oh, the things he wanted to do to the Death Eater…

"Let's get this over with," Harry said, his voice ice cold.

OoOoO

Severus could feel Harry's magic roiling as he questioned Rabastan Lestrange, and it made him nervous. Not that he showed it, of course. Neither of them did, in fact: Both Severus's and Harry's faces were perfectly blank, their emotions hidden as they questioned another monster masquerading as a man, but while Severus was capable of completely muting his emotions, Harry was only capable of hiding them – which meant that his emotions were running wild just below the surface.

And that made Severus very nervous indeed.

"Will you renounce the Dark Lord, or would you prefer death?" Severus asked the final question.

"I will die before betraying my Lord!" the Death Eater snarled, his personality shining through despite the mind-numbing properties of Veritaserum.

"Very well," Severus said, his heart rate speeding up now that the questioning was over. He had no idea what Harry planned on doing now, but he had a very bad feeling about it.

"Tell me, Rabastan," Harry said pleasantly, and Severus nearly winced at the dark and dangerous undertones to his soft voice. "Have you ever been tortured before?"

A cold feeling froze Severus as he realized what Harry was planning. He has never tortured anyone before, Severus thought with painful clarity. He has questioned, but never tortured. He has never purposely inflicted pain on another person in that way.

"Harry," he said, keeping his eyes calm on Rabastan and his voice level through sheer force of will. "Please leave us."

He could feel Harry's incredulous gaze on him, but he didn't look at his lover as he said, "This is a matter between the two of us."

To his relief, he felt Harry's magic settle somewhat, and Harry sounded much calmer as he said, "Of course. Do you want me to get started on Bellatrix?"

"No," Severus said evenly, "This will not take long."

"I'll wait outside for you, then," Harry said, and left with a measuring look at his lover. Severus suspected that Harry knew that he had no intention of making Rabastan pay for the things he had done, but it seemed that Harry felt it was Severus's revenge and not his, and that as such the older man was entitled to getting satisfaction however he wanted.

Once the door shut behind Harry Severus spent a full minute simply looking at his former schoolmate, fellow Death Eater, and rapist. Then, without speaking a word, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial. Hitting the other man with a compulsion spell, he set the vial to the man's lips and watched as the man drank down the colored liquid. Stepping back and corking the vial, Severus watched silently as the poison took effect, killing the Death Eater in the same way as it had his brother.

With a last shaky convulsion, Rabastan Lestrange was still.

Letting out a breath that Severus hadn't known he was holding, he spoke five words: "I am better than you." With that he turned and walked to the door, opening it to find Harry waiting for him. And suddenly he knew that if not for this man, he would never have dealt with his past in such a way.

Reaching out to grab the back of Harry's head, he pulled the man into a hard kiss, showing him without words just how much he meant to him. Pulling away slightly, he licked Harry's bottom lip. "Don't lower yourself to their level," he whispered against soft lips. "They are murderers, rapists, monsters. You told me that you didn't rape Lucius in revenge for Bones because you didn't think you could have lived with yourself afterwards – do not stoop to their level and turn to torture for revenge. You are better than that." That said, he leaned back down into the kiss, this time showing just how earnestly he meant those words. Harry stood frozen for a moment, but then relaxed into the kiss, stepping closer to the taller man.

"Why do you always know better?" the younger man murmured, and Severus's heart tightened at the mix of emotions in his lover's voice.

"Because I learned that while 'an eye for an eye' sounds fair, all it truly does is put you on the same level as the other person," he replied lowly. "And that revenge is never as satisfying as one had thought it would be."

Harry smiled wryly, dropping his head to rest his forehead against Severus's shoulder. "Thank you."

"It is of no matter," Severus said, tightening his hold around Harry for a moment before relaxing and stepping away. "Come, let us go interrogate Bellatrix. I have another vial of poison that you can use."

Harry still had that strange smile on his face as he turned and led the way to the first room they had entered. Severus just hoped that the man wouldn't come to regret the lost opportunity, knowing full well that the man had spent many years wanting to hurt the woman for killing his godfather, then wanting to torture the woman to death after she had done just that to Severus. And while Severus could understand those feelings, he knew that Harry wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let himself become the same monster that she had been.