"Your da's pretty strict," Jonah observed.
"Yeah, he takes safety stuff really seriously," Harry acknowledged. "You really are okay, right?" he asked Seth.
The youngest nodded. "I was just a little scared," he admitted, blushing. "I mean, back when I first fell off."
"Are you kidding? I thought I was going to fall over when it happened! I don't think I was so scared even when I saw Voldemort in person!" Harry exclaimed.
"Honest?" Seth's eyes widened.
"Yeah, and your brother grabbed my arm so hard I think he left bruises," Harry added, much to Jonah's horror.
Seth spun to face his brother. "Really? Were you worried too?"
Jonah shrugged elaborately. "Well, I mean I'm used to you, y'know. It would beтАж weirdтАж if something happened to you. That's all."
Seth beamed. That was about as mushy as his older brother ever got, and it was a clear declaration that he had been frightened too. Suddenly Seth didn't feel like such a baby after all.
"What did I tell you, Igor?" A strange voice spoke from the nearby woods and startled the boys. "It is Harry Potter, and he's all by himself. Not an Auror in sight."
The children spun around to find that two men were standing by the table, looking at Harry with an evil gleam in their eye. "How much do you think he's worth? The Carrows would love to get their hands on him."
"Alive or dead?" the other man replied with a casualness that sent chills up Harry's spone. "I mean, he'd be a lot easier to transport dead."
"Go run for help," Harry hissed at the other boys, stepping between them and the men. He flicked his wrist and felt a little better when his wand flew into his hand from its holster. He knew he wasn't supposed to do magic over the holidays, but he suspected his da wouldn't mind one bit under these circumstances.
"Oh, look, Igor. The little brat thinks he's a big man and wants to fight," the first one sneered.
"Like I said, it's easier to kill him outright."
That did it. Harry remembered what Professor Flitwick had said about fighting against greater odds, and he sent a Stunner at the second man, then threw up a quick Protego when the first retaliated.
The second man ducked and grabbed for Harry's wand arm, then yelped in surprise as Jonah landed a punch in his stomach.
"Leave him alone!" Jonah yelled, flailing at the wizard with fists and feet.
Meanwhile, the first man directed a levitation charm at the bench near Harry and used it to knock him flying.
Harry struggled to his feet, only to find his wand arm seized in a grip of iron, while another hand clamped itself over his mouth, preventing him from yelling for help. "Come on! I've got him! Let's go!" the attacker shouted at the other wizard, dragging Harry towards the woods. "Get out the portkey."
"Just one second," the other man growled. He had Jonah by the scruff of the neck and he drew back his fist in preparation for striking the struggling boy.
"LEAVE JONAH ALONE!" Seth screamed, and suddenly an explosion of pure white light shook the earth.
When their vision cleared, Harry and Jonah found themselves on one side of the overturned picnic table, next to a shaking Seth, while their two assailants were crumpled, unconscious, at the base of some nearby trees. Broken branches bore mute testimony to the fact that the men had been hurled against the trees with incredible force.
A white-faced Snape and Brunhilde came running up for the second time that afternoon. "What happened?" Brunhilde gasped.
"They tried to kidnap Harry!" Jonah gasped, just as Seth said, "He was going to hit Jonah!" and burst into tears.
Snape didn't wait for explanations and used his wand to bind the two wizards. "We couldn't find you," he said to Harry once he was sure that the threat had been neutralized. "They must have used a Disillusionment spell on the three of you. It wasn't until that was broken that we realized what was going on. Are you all right?"
Harry nodded shakily. "They were saying they were going to take me away and sell me to some sparrows, and they were trying to decide whether to kill me first or not. I told the others to run and tried to defend myself, but Jonah came to help and then one grabbed him and then the other grabbed me and then Seth saved us both."
"Shhh, it's all right," Brunhilde soothed the youngest, who was still sobbing. "Everyone's all right."
"Yeah, Seth. Why are you crying? You saved Harry and me," Jonah said in tones of unaccustomed respect, patting his brother on the arm.
Seth sniffled and looked up. "I did?"
"Yeah!" Harry agreed. "Look тАУ you knocked them both out."
Seth wiped his eyes and began to smile. "I did that?"
"One of the most powerful bursts of accidental magic I've seen," Brunhilde said, hugging him.
Seth scrubbed at his face and squirmed free of the embrace. He didn't want the other boys to think he needed coddling!
"That's pretty cool, how your brother saved us," Harry said to Jonah while Seth peered over at the two unconscious men, now safely bound. "I mean, he was really protecting you."
Jonah looked at his little brother with newfound appreciation. "Yeah. He's not so bad, really."
Seth caught the approbation and grinned. This was turning out to be the best day of his life! It wasn't often his much-admired older brother deigned to notice his existence, let alone commented favorably about it, and now he'd even managed to impress Harry Potter!
Snape took all three boys back to the heavily warded home of Sirius and Remus, while Brunhilde summoned the authorities and explained what had happened. The adults had agreed that it would be better for a Swiss citizen to make the complaint, while Snape was in a better position to defend the children if another attack was forthcoming.
Remus and Sirius were understandably horrified at the near miss, and they agreed to take the boys out to see a Muggle movie when the authorities arrived to speak with Snape. Even Snape had to admit that it would take the Dark Lord himself to wrest Harry and the others from an enraged werewolf and an ex-Auror, now that they were on their guard, and it was unlikely that most Death Eaters would ever think of looking for Harry in a Muggle area.
At long last, after all the paperwork had been completed and the two would-be kidnappers had been committed for trial, Brunhilde and Snape collapsed on the couch. "Does this happen to you and Harry often?" the normally unflappable witch asked in tones of dismay.
"More often than I'd like," Snape admitted. "Perhaps next time you and the boys should visit us at Hogwarts, where the wards are among the strongest in the world. Unless," he added, looking away, "you'd prefer not to associate with us any longer."
Brunhilde smiled and reached for him. "While the boys are still away, let me set your mind at rest about that."
##
After that experience, Snape, Black, and Lupin decided that it was better to return to Hogwarts as quickly as possible. Harry didn't mind too much. He'd enjoyed the days in Switzerland, but he was looking forward to getting his godfathers settled in the castle so that his prank war could begin.
The only problem facing the men was what to do about the Dursleys. It would be difficult for the Marauders to continue their harassment of the Muggles once the students were back at Hogwarts, and on the last night before Harry and Severus returned to the castle, the men stayed up late, trying to decide what to do.