Two weeks had passed since Harry left, and Will Potter was ecstatic. While Harry was present, he constantly feared the truth, but now that he took off on some mission or whatever, Will was thriving. He no longer tried to avoid his friends, or lost sleep. He slipped right back into being his arrogant King of Gryffindor self. So what happens when Harry returns? Well Will liked to hold to the belief that, he never would; that some how he was bored, or frustrated with school and just left. Besides that one potions class, he never showed any sliver of intelligence. He didn't play quidditch (not that he seen) and the only people he talked to were the know-it-all, Neville the squib, and Draco Malfoy. So after sending off his latest letter to his parents detailing how wonderful school was, and not mentioning Harrys disappearance, Will Potter sat back and observed that Gryffindors. Yes, it was good to be King.
Severus Snape was at a loss. Three weeks ago he got the shock of a lifetime when the Saviour was placed in his house. Then said Saviour actually knew potions. He didn't have a fair bit of knowledge, but after testing him one night, he had such a warehouse of knowledge that he might even know more than the Potions Professor himself. Then just as Snape got used to the idea of the Saviour and was about to brag to the other Professors that HIS student was so superior, Harry left. He may never like the Potter boy, but that didn't mean he couldn't brag about one of his snakes. Two weeks he had been gone. Draco had been frantic Saturday afternoon, when Harry had not made an appearance anywhere. So after a full castle search, they went to Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn't even have the decency to pretend to be shocked at the news. He just let his eyes twinkle, he chuckled, and told them to not worry. He wasn't worried about Harry, he was just upset that his new toy to brag about was gone! Wherever that boy was, he had better be in pain to make up for Snapes suffering.
'Stupid bloody hero boys, going off without telling anyone, or leaving a bloody note. Oh let me just tease you for a week then skip away to save the world. Why does the world need saving when I am here ready to bend his over the nearest table! Little cats stuck in stupid useless trees are not more important than me!' Draco was fuming. The entire time Potter had been gone, his own house avoided him. An angry Malfoy, was a deadly Malfoy. Ask any of his housemates that had the misfortune of running into him on one of his bad days, that once you got past the all the white, the hospital wing was really a lovely place. He wasn't even sure why he was angry. He had teased and flirted with others in the past and he never cared if they just stopped. No, no one had ever said no to a Malfoy. But Potter never said no, he just left! That was like a personal insult. Not being able to think clearly or logically, Draco Malfoy decided that Harry Potter had insulted him and would now have to face the consequences when he returned.
*
"FUCK! It's so bloody cold!" Harry yelled at nothing. He had been in Antarctica for weeks now. 'Oh don't worry Harry, this will be an easy and quick job' the minister had said. 'Just pop over to Vienna, then Antarctica, and you will be done' he stated happily. 'Well minister you bloody arse, you forgot to mention Antarctica being a magic dead zone!' Well it wasn't a complete magic dead zone. The magic dead zone started 15 miles from the coast and since Harry had not discovered that little tidbit till he was 13 mile sin and getting ready to bunker down for the night, he was pissed! He had trekked back the 8 miles and transfigured a thermal tent, and sleeping bag. Then he called one of Kingsleys house elves to provide him with a weeks worth of food.. after getting everything he would need he slept for the night and started out. He figured following the logbook and travelling the same route that Col. Hartmann took to recover the travels. Doing some quick mental math and guess work he called the elf for more food and set out. Now 2 and a half weeks later he was finally nearing the supposed ice caves that the treasure had originally been placed. He would have arrived sooner but no, there had to be so many bloody penguins traveling and getting ready for mating season or leaving it or something. Although the Gentoo Penguins were cute and had let him spend a few nights with them surrounding by their body heat. It may have helped that he had a large supply of rock cod and squid to give them. The Emperor Penguins were just downright nasty. After a narrow escape from them, and they are really fast when they slide on their bellies, Harry continued one to get closer.
Since different countries have different areas that they claim on the frozen continent, Harry couldn't have just apparated to anywhere. Luckily since he didn't know about the magic dead zone, he had apparated to Fossil Bluff, which was on the coast, that the U.K had claimed. Unfortunately it was almost exactly on the other side of the continent from Vostok, the Soviet Union claim, which according to the logbook, was where the ice caves were. So here Harry was, freezing his balls off, running from crazy flightless birds, and almost out of food, but within half a days walk to Vostok.
Trudging along and absently thinking of the blonde waiting for punishment back at Hogwarts, Harry didn't where he was walking. Harry always had extraordinary luck, and today it kicked in again. Just as he began thinking of Draco, a certain transfiguration classroom, and no clothes, he stepped on some slack snow and fell.
*
Draco was just sitting down for breakfast when a tall black man walked in the Great Hall wearing Auror robes. The Auror swiftly walked up to Dumbledore said a few words and watched as Dumbledore paled. Being a very curious boy by nature, and never considering rules, Draco followed the pair as the left the hall unnoticed. Once they reached the Headmasters office, Draco slipped through the closing door and his in the corner. Draco had been trained early in the Dark Arts from his father, so using a spell that allowed the others in a certain room to ignore him, by taking away their ability to sense magic and then making the caster invincible and silent, Draco watched the scene unfold.
"Dumbledore, Harry is in trouble. He went to Antarctica and after the second day he lost all connections to him. The bracelet went dead, his ear piece is dead, and all our tracking spells fell.' WHAT? His Harry was missing? And what in Merlin was he doing in Antarctica? Draco was so surprised at the news of the missing hero that he didn't notice when he had said 'his Harry'. But the Auror was still speaking. "We checked to see what could possibly do this and then I remember his one mission in Antigua, where this happened but he had entered a Magic Dead Zone. Going with this I figured he knew and probably took precautions so I called my house elves, and sure enough, Flimpsy said that Master Harry called her for a week's worth of food. The next day she was called again and gave him another 4 days worth of food to carry and a pile of rock cod and squid. I figure he was using the cod and squid to feed the penguins he may encounter, since he hates seafood, but that means he only had a week and a half worth of food. He has been gone 3 weeks!" Draco didn't know what to think. Not only was Potter missing but he also hated seafood?
"Kingsley, my dear boy, calm down. I am sure Harry was rationing his food, and is perfectly safe and well. Now why was he in Antarctica to begin with? I hardly think Voldemort is hiding there." Dumbledore said in his irritating grandfatherly way.
"Dumbledore! Harry does not just spend his time hunting Death Eaters, and Voldemort. You know he works with MI6, the CIA, INTERPOL, and several other spy agencies in the world. He was on a muggle mission and now he is gone! You may think of Harry as a tool, but I see him as a son, and my son is missing! I demand that you get some of your precious Order member together to go find him." The Auror had demanded. So this 'Kingsley' person saw Potter as a son. 'Why would he think of him like that? Potter had a father. Everyone knew that Potter stayed with his parents to train and be home schooled. But why was he working with all these 'spy' agencies when he was hidden away for protection?' The mystery of Potter grew every day.
"Kingsley, why would Order members have to be sent? Surely the Aurors, or people from Harry's own team can go look for him."
"The Aurors can't go after him since he is at Unspeakable Level Black, and his own team members are not allowed to act until 1 month of no communication has passed." Kingsley looked frustrated and desperate. 'Hmm maybe he is really worried about Potter, but what is this Black level thing he mentioned' Draco thought.
"I will see what I can do Kingsley, but do you know where he was headed, any direction. . ." Dumbledore trailed off.
"All I know is that he was headed to one of the Soviet Unions Claim spot. They are mainly located on the eastern side of the continent. Harry had to travel to Fossil Bluff on the western side, since that is one of the U.K's claim spots. Australia has spots close to the Soviet Unions, but Harry was too impatient to wait for permission. No one knew that Antarctica was a Magic Dead Zone, so we thought it wouldn't matter if he had the use of magic to travel faster." Draco looked closely at the Auror and noticed he was almost about to cry.
"It will be okay Kingsley. I have two order members with Australian citizenship that I can send out. Do you know which claim he was headed for?"
"No, we never know his exact location in case there is a spy or traitor in our midst. Telling us Soviet Union was dangerous enough. Please Albus get my little shadow back!" Draco looked on as a few tears escaped and ran down the once intimating looking Aurors face. 'Oh Harry really is special to this man. I must figure out why on top of my ever growing list of questions involving Potter, and his little shadow? What does that mean?' Draco stopped talking to himself to listen again when Dumbledore opened his mouth.
"Of course Kingsley. I am forever grateful for you raising him all these years. Now you should return to the ministry and I will floo the Grants." Draco knowing this was the end slipped out of the door after the Auror and ducked into an empty classroom to end the spell. 'Potter you have a lot of explaining to do if you return. For starters, why were you in Antarctica?' Draco went to class and spent the rest of the day deep in thought.
*
Dumbledore quickly called Jesse and Helen Grant for assistance. After explaining that an order member was sent to Antarctica to research, they had lost contact. Explaining that it was a magic dead zone, and that the researcher's muggle radio had died, Dumbledore was worried. The Grants quickly agreed to help and so Dumbledore wove a tale of being old and forgetting the exact location but knew it was near a Soviet Union claim, and to be prepared for everything, including serious injury or death of the young researcher. The Grants quickly set off to prepare and Apparate to search for the missing order member. Dumbledore seriously wished that Harry would be alright. He was the world's only hope to stop Voldemort.
*
'Fuck . . . my head . . . why do you hurt me so? Let's see where I am. Last I remember is walking, in Antarctica, and then falling. Yup, I took one nasty fall. Checking body for further injuries . . . and nothing. Good. Now to open my eyes and see where I landed.' Harry slowly cracked open one eye and made sure that any light would not be too bright. Seeing nothing but black, he opened the other eye and sat up. Looking around he noticed everything was dark, and after looking up, he saw the hole he fell through and could make out the night sky. Guessing it was only around a 12-foot drop, he knew he was lucky he hadn't hurt anything else besides his head. 'Well nothing to do but settle down and get comfy, I don't think I have a concussion so I guess it's time to sleep some more.' Harry took out his thermal sleeping bag and climbed in for a long night. 'Fucking cold, and fucking bloody holes' he grumbled as he slipped into a dreamless bliss.
Harry woke as the sun started shining in his eyes. Groaning he rolled over and sat up to inspect his hole. Only it wasn't a hole. 'Well damn! I do have some luck. I fell right into the ice caves!' Laughing Harry stood and packed up. 'okay lets go . . . um . . . left!'
The ice caves were exactly as their name sounded. Underground connecting tunnels covered in ice. They only ran about 2 miles long under land claimed by the Soviets, but still all the turns and twists and different tunnels were highly confusing. Harry was mentally comparing them to the Labyrinth he was in not to long ago and it was a hard decision on which was more confusing. Harry turned a corner and was not expecting to see the tunnel of bones. It looked as if a group of people attempted to travel this tunnel and were shot by arrows. 'Well I believe this is the way to go! Oh shooting arrows I haven't encountered you since that Mayan cave in Honduras.' Harry felt as his excitement seeking grin formed on his face. He dropped his bag and ran down the tunnel.
As soon as he got 2 feet in he felt himself trip the trap switch. Instantly he dove tot he left to avoid the first arrow, dropped to avoid the second and rolled to the right to avoid the third. Quickly he rushed to his feet and ducked more to the right and then dove forward, doing a somersault he avoided his ninth arrow and then rolled to this right again. 'Fuck that was close' he thought as he stood and rushed forward to begin avoiding more arrows. Passing the last corpse, he stepped left, ducked, ran two paces, ducked right, ran three paces, ducked again, and then rounded a corner to finally stop being shot at. Arrows? Really Soviets? Jeez why is it always arrows you would think they would get more creative than that but no, 'Hey everyone we want to hide something and set traps to keep it safe, what should we do? Shooting arrows that always works! Morons .. .' Harry thought to himself as he walked forward. 'and how the hell did those arrows still work? You would think with all the ice, and with time, that they would freeze, or get set in their place that they wouldn't shoot. Pus they seemed to have already taken down one group of people, how did they reload?' He continued to ask himself. Deciding to shelf that mystery as he continued walking, he needed to focus on this spear and if it was really hidden here, and if so was it taken, and if not, then what he would do?
Harry just turned another corner when he saw a door. 'Yes door means I am getting somewhere!' He walked forward and quickly scanned for anything dangerous. Seeing slightly rusty hinges as the biggest hazard, Harry used his gloved hand to turn the handle and slowly pull the door open. The door creaked, but Harry didn't pay attention as he took in the empty room. 'Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!' Harry quickly walked in and scanned for any clues. Seeing a book in the back right corner, he ran over and lifted it from the ground. Opening to the first page he read the note that was scribbled.
'Hello Dear Explorer. If you are looking for the hidden treasure than I Col. Maximillian Hartmann, regret to inform you that I have already taken it away. You will now either give up, or continue searching. If it is the latter, I sincerely wish you luck. Any who finds the spear after a long search and many perils deserve it. I will give you one hint as to where I shall bring the spear once I leave this place.
My hills are always rolling green
and our snakes are never seen.
Come find me where I lie,
in the castle of Lady Shaw.
There's you hint and now Happy Hunting!
Col. Hartmann.'
Harry finished reading and quickly made a plan; get back to bag, eat, get out of hole, get to England, and then find this Castle of Lady Shaw. Harry flipped through the rest of the book to find it completely blank. Thinking he probably had to show his team when he returned, he pocketed the book and resisted the urge to burn it. 'Damn this adventure was almost as exciting as I hoped' he thought.
*
Draco sat in his prefects room and thought. He had been thinking of the same things the last few days. 3 days ago he had snuck into Dumbledores office and listened as some Auror named kingsbee, or Kingslee, or something broke down over the disappearance of Potter. So what he had figured out for himself was that a. Potter did not reside at home with the elder Potters James and Lily, and b. He did some major secret training to work with spy agencies. During the last few days, Draco had owled some people and started gathering information on all that he heard. He got reports and books describing whom this MI6, and CIA were, he had people looking into the Auror, and others investigating the Potters. So far he had learned all about that spy groups and their aims and missions. Potter had to be heavily trained to be part of this. He had also been sent movies and a small TV and movie player, magically altered to work in Hogwarts, so he could watch the films. The films were a spy named James Bond, and it showed all the assignments. Draco sincerely hoped this isn't what Potter did on his, because he did not want to think of his Harry shagging others while being shot at, or that he could be getting tortured. 'Damn those muggles!' he thought. Draco so caught up in what could be happening to Potter, once again did not notice his use of 'his Harry'.
*
Harry made it through the arrow tunnel again. This time they did not shoot off. He retrieved his bag and retraced his steps back to where his hole was. One of the best things about his training was that he had an excellent memory. This memory made it easy for him to get back to where and fell and begin to plan how he was going to get out. Until his dying day Harry would praise and worship his luck, when he saw two figures appear at the side of the hole.
"Hello? Can you hear me up there?" Harry called.
"Hello? Are you alright down there? Anything injured?" a male voice asked.
"No injuries, but would you happen to have some rope so I can get out of here?" Harry crossed his fingers as he waited.
"Yes we do. How far do you think you are from the top?" a woman's voice asked this time.
"Um . . . I'm guessing 12 to 15 feet."
"Okay we should have enough just hold on as we unpack it, and then lower it. What is your name by the way?" the woman asked.
Harry knew he was never allowed to use his real name on missions. The only problem with that was that he had a list of 30 or so names he could choose from. "Riley. Riley Morris. And may I ask who my rescuers are?"
"My name is Jesse Grant and this is my wife Helen. We were sent here to find a find." Harry watched as the rope descended. As it reached the ground, Harry gave it a few experimental tugs before starting to climb. A few moments later he was at the top and climbed out of the hole.
"Thank you so much for the help. I fell and had no clue how I was going to get out." Harry graciously thanked them a few more times before asking "so who is this find you are looking for?"
They looked hesitant to answer a stranger but the woman got a look of resolve in her eye and answered "Our friend Albus, had sent someone down here to research for him. Apparently the researcher lost all communication and so we were sent to find him."
"Albus who?"
"Oh you probably wouldn't know him. His name is Albus Dumbledore." Clearly, this woman never had any type of secrecy training. For all she knew, Harry could be a Death eater or other Dark Wizard sent here to try and find him. He knew she wasn't lying about Albus Dumbledore sending them here, since he had always been able to tell when someone was lying.
"Who were you sent to find?" Harry asked
"Oh um . . . we don't actually know. He never gave us a name or description just that his father is a man named Kingsley and he is deeply worried over his son." Jesse had answered. So Kingsley was worried about him. Well figures, Harry had entered a magic dead zone, and only asked for a week and a half worth of food, plus since a month hadn't passed, Ministry employees technically could not search for Harry.
"Well then you have found the person you are looking for. Kingsley is my father and I was sent here by Albus." Harry figured he would just go with their story and hopefully they could get him to the border of the dead zone. Looking at them they both seemed shocked that they had found him.
"Oh well. . . that was easier than we thought." Jesse said.
"We thought we would be looking for days since Albus didn't know which claim you were headed to. We just got the assignment yesterday." Helen looked shocked and both glad at their good fortune.
"Well I am glad you chose to come here today, for who knows how long I would have been down there. Now do you have a way back to a place I can use magic?" Harry asked.
"Oh Yes! We have snowmobiles. You can ride with Jesse and we will get you back in no time!" Helen then jumped up and pulled Harry towards the 2 waiting snowmobiles.
*
Kingsley was pacing his office thinking about Harry, that he didn't notice his bracelet returning to its gold colour. He also didn't notice when several of the items spelled to Harry came back to life in the room. It wasn't until later when he heard a pop behind him, that he turned around and he saw one of his house elves Moppy waiting. "Yes Moppy?"
"Moppy is to inform Master Kingsley that young Master Harry is currently back in his apartment awaiting your arrival."
"Harry is back?" Kingsley was to stunned to move at the moment.
"Yes Master, he is waiting for you." With that said, the house elf disappeared with another pop.
Finally understanding what the elf said, Kingsley snapped out of his stupor and ran to Harrys apartment.
After one long agonizing elevator ride, which he gave up at the 3rd floor, several flights of stairs, one long hallway, and two room sin the Department o Mysteries, kingsley burst through Harrys door and crushed him in a hug.
"oh Harry iw as so worried and we couldn't get a hold of you and I swear we are getting you muggle communication devices and sending you out with a team and you are going straight to the infirmary to get checked over for injuries young man!" Kingsley ended by stamping his foot and then crushing Harry into another hug. Feeling arms wrap around him, Kingsley loosed his grip just a little bit, but not much.
"It's okay Tad. I am fine but I missed you too." Harry said as he cuddled into his surrogate fathers chest.
"Well men, this is rather touching but we do have an assignment to finish." The voice of the Head Unspeakable rang out.
"Fine ruin my reunion with my Tad, Unspeakable Williams." Harry sighed. He slowly untangled himself from Kingsley and then proceeded to tell the tale of the last few weeks. When he finished they decided he should return to school and then they would investigate the clue. If they found the spear, they would contact him and let him finish the assignment.
*
Draco sat down for dinner, still slightly depressed. Just a little over three weeks ago Harry had disappeared and still Draco could not figure out what was going on. He got over his anger and now just hoped the black-haired boy would return. He never noticed how dull the castle seemed without him. Sure he was only around for a week but still to Draco that was all he needed to find himself drawn to the youth. In truth he had been drawn to the youth that first day in Diagon Alley, and that first week of school only strengthen that power. Draco sat up as he felt a tingle down his spine and looked around. No one was looking at him, so he directed his gaze to the doors when he saw them open.
Standing there in the open doorway was Harry Potter. He looked slightly chilled but still in perfect health. Without realizing it, Draco had stood and then proceeded to quickly walk to the boy. Malfoys did not run. Upon reaching for the youth, he was so caught up in emotions at seeing him he didn't register the words until they left his mouth.
"You hate seafood?"
****