AN: I'm so sorry about how inactive I've been lately, but I'm dealing with a load of personal problems at the moment. I'm thinking of putting this story on hiatus, and possibly for adoption. What would y'all think?
Harry groaned as he paced through the small, damp cell. He wanted to bash his head against the damn wall, but refrained himself from doing so. That would in no way help James, Sirius and Remus.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, he reprimanded himself. Since when had he become so reckless? Opening that unmarked mail without at least casting the basic detecting charms on in. Why had he done it? He was now endangering the life of both his father and his two best friends.
He didn't want to even start thinking about the odds of him escaping. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
His head shot up as he heard oncoming footsteps, and mentally prepared himself. Best case scenario, it was a Death Eater returning with the Marauders. Worst case scenario... he didn't even want to start thinking about that.
Turns out, it was neither of the two. Down the hallway came a solitary Death Eater, head low and hooded eyes gleaming maliciously.
"Incarcerous," he murmured,and Harry found himself suddenly tied securely with thick ropes. He barely heard the next stupefy that followed, but it was difficult to not notice the bright red light that shot out towards him, and then everything went black.
XxXxXxXx
James shuddered as the seemingly all-knowing eyes swept over him. They seemed to assess everything about him: his deepest desires, his greatest flaws...
He shuddered, throwing off the mental image that gave him.
Voldemort smirked at his discomfort, and it was the most ruthless, unfeeling expression James had ever seen. The Dark Lord slowly rose from his throne, taking in the identical expressions of fear that plastered James, Sirius and Remus's faces. He turned to the guard by the door.
"Leave." He ordered curtly, and the Death Eater left with only a slight hesitation. Voldemort then returned his gaze to the helpless young boys that stood before him.
"What do you know of your newest... teacher?" He sneered, seeming to spit the last word.
James only looked back in confusion. Why was he so interested in Professor Potter? What was so special about him?
Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "And of what interest is he to you?" He said sharply. His body language screamed defiance, although his expression told a whole other story.
Voldemort's eyes darkened. "Crucio," he hissed, and Sirius dropped to the floor, writhing painfully. His teeth were clenched tightly together, refusing to emit a sound. His eyes were screwed up, and his entire body was rigid.
After what felt like years, the curse was lifted. But Sirius did not get back up. The only evidence of him being alive was the slight twitch in his jaw.
"I will not ask again. What do you know of Potter?"
Remus could only stare in horror at Sirius's immobile body, and James was no better.
AN:Sorry it's so shortVoldemort flicked his wand irritably, and James was suddenly painfully aware of the coiled snake that hung around the arm of his throne.
"Are you going to answer? Or am I going to have to continue by more... forceful means?"
James shivered at the obvious threat, but remained tight-lipped.
The Dark Lord laughed, a high-pitched sound with a noticeable lack of amusement. "How... cute. Two little boys, protecting their professor. How noble." He hissed, and Nagini slowly unwound from her master's throne, making her way along the cold stone floor. James began to shake as the snake wound tightly around his leg, ripping the already tattered robes.
"Not so Gryffindor now, are we?" Voldemort asked in a sadistic tone. He hissed once again impatiently, and Nagini returned once again to her master's side. James relaxed barley noticeably after his release as the blood flow returned to his leg. "Anything you'd like to add...?"
Voldemort's features morphed to triumph. "I assume, then, that he told you nothing? How fascinating. Abraxus!" The Death Eater guard stepped warily through the large doors. "Take them back to the cell!"
Abraxus stepped forward, shooting two stupefys towards James and Remus, and binding Sirius's arms with conjured ropes, should he wake up.
The doors were barely closed when a cloaked figure shot forward, shooting a bright red spell to the Death Eater as he slumped to the ground. The figure turned to the three unconscious boys, before shooting a purple spell at them. And then, the four people disappeared.
XxXxXxXx
Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his chair at the Head Table in the Great Hall. The students were still noticeably more reserved than they had been prior to the numerous disappearances.
Never to say, he was shocked when an unextraordinary brown barn owl fluttered over to him. It carried a thick parchment, with only his own name visible.
The letter was dropped by the side of his plate, and Dumbledore cautiously pointed his wand at it, casting a wide array of detection charms at it- he had become even more suspicious than he had been before the kidnapping-by-letter.
When the note proved to be harmless, Dumbledore reached forward to pick it up. Opening it, all that the contents consisted of was a few numbers, with no signature.
Curious.
