And now, here we go, the moment you've all been waiting

And now, here we go, the moment you've all been waiting. Get ready for extremely messy, disorganized story telling! Soon, nobody is going to know what the hell is going on anywhere except for Voldemort, since he's not our main character, we wont know either! Anyway, without further useless preamble, I present to you the contents of the Obsidian Chest.

Chapter 12: The Obsidian Chest

Never could Albus have guessed. Around the perimeter, toward the top of the chest, was a shelf, containing ink, quills, and empty gin bottles, but never, ever could Albus have guessed that this was merely a façade for something far more sinister, laying at the bottom of the chest, which was surprisingly deep. In fact, Albus could easily have climbed into the thing, and comfortably shut himself in, but he would not dare, ever! For the horrible, rotting, stinking thing that occupied the bottom of the magical chest. It was, for all its rotted flesh, the body of Aurora Sinistra. Clearly dead, and missing chunks of black hair here and there.

Next to her lay a pair of silver shears, obviously used to cut the hair, and at her feet lay a cauldron full of a muddy substance, vials of the same liquid around it. Several empty bottles of gin were scattered among them. Sinistra… or, whoever the living woman was, had obviously been drinking the mud-like liquid out of the gin bottles. Albus could not think, his mind could not even begin to rationalize why Aurora Sinistra would be dead in her own black chest when she'd just left the room a few minutes earlier.

How was the possible?!

Albus had expected to find something that would get Sinistra into trouble, perhaps something illegal, but never this. And, if Sinistra was dead in the chest, then the Sinistra whose chest he was looking into wasn't really Sinistra, was she? Albus didn't know, he couldn't think, his mind had drawn a complete blank, and Felix was screaming at him. Screaming something incoherent that he could not even begin to listen to.

And then… the sound of the door opening snapped Albus back into reality, he hastily stood up from his crouched position, and turned to face the woman-who-was-not-Sinistra.

"So…" hissed the fake Sinistra. "Little Potter's found out what's inside my chest."

"Who are you?" was all Albus could think to ask in response.

"Not Professor Sinistra, obviously, I serve the Dark Lord. He was going have me take you to him later, along with your siblings, but we can't wait for that, now, can we?"

The fake Sinistra raised her wand, and Felix told Albus he must stay put and not move. As the imposter opened her mouth to shout some incantation, Peeves, the poltergeist, immediately burst in to the room, and begin to hurl ink bottles around the place. Albus ran for it, as the false Sinistra was distracted.

He bolted down the steps toward the corridor leading away from the Astronomy Tower. His initial instinct was Rose. Where had she gone? She'd taken Felix Felicis, she could not be hurt, she couldn't. But if the imposter was a Death Eater…. It was too horrid to think about, and even more terrible to look upon, for there she was, Rose. She lay absurdly sprawled in the middle of the corridor, unmoving. Her eyes were closed. Ignoring Felix's protests, Albus kneeled beside her and gave her a rough, quivery shake.

"Rose," he breathed.

She did not respond.

"ROSE!" he bellowed, his voice sounded distant, and Felix was roaring at him to run, run like hell! It was giving him a migraine! He must ignore it, he must make sure Rose was okay. She couldn't be dead.

Then logic came to him as his initial shock wore down ever so slightly. He checked for a pulse….

There was a pulse.

It was strong, or at least he thought it was. This was more muggle practice than anything, and he wasn't—

"Incarcerous!"

Albus ducked as a snarl of twisting ropes flew over him. He drew his wand, and pointed it toward the end of the corridor he had come from. Sinistra's imposter was charging madly at him.

"Expelliarmus!" Albus cried, that particular spell being the first to come to his mind.

Sinistra's imposter was too slow to block it, she looked livid, and was bellowing incoherently with fury. Her wand escaped her grasp, and flew backward several feet. As she bellowed a slew of nasty curses, Albus tore off again, leaving Rose behind. She would not die, Albus was sure of it, the imposter was too distracted with him.

He ran through the castle with a good head start. Felix told him he must keep going, all the way to the Entrance Hall, he must not stop. But its effects were wearing away, he could feel them slipping.

Felix's warnings were dying. They were feeble and unintelligible. Once he nearly slipped on some spilled water near a flight of stairs. To make things worse, the imposter was gaining on him. As he turned a corner a spell sent chunks of the wall flying behind him. Albus ran, coming to the stairs in the Entrance Hall. He fumbled down them, jumping the last few.

The oak front doors were slightly ajar. Albus pushed them open, and felt the rush of chilly evening air hit his face, then the feel of mud and grass, and pain, his entire face in pain. He could not move his legs. He was trapped. It took him a moment to realize what had happened as he rolled over, Sinistra had hit him with a leg-locker curse, and he had fallen face first into the ground.

He saw her now, but her figure was oddly distorting as she exited the castle. She was becoming more squat and shorter; she had a rather hunched back. A curious giggle escaped her lips as she approached him there, snatching his wand from the ground where it had fallen, barely out of reach.

It took Albus a moment, but he recognized her. She was one of the Death Eater escapees from last year that had broken out from Azkaban with the help of Bellatrix Lestrange. Her name, he thought, was Alecto Carrow.

"Aw, the ickle Potter offspring can't move his ickle legs!" she cooed in a horrible voice.

"You're Carrow, Alecto C—"

"That's Professor Carrow to you, Potter! You'll be coming with me, it'll be oh so fun!"

Albus felt his body rise into the air on its own accord. Alecto was levitating him, and then, he began to move, fast, the Death Eater bobbing at his side, panting slightly.

"You got slapped with a bad name, ickle Potter, very bad. Dumby, that's who he was, saw Snape kill him myself, didn't I, saw him indeed. 'Course, Snape died…." Alecto said through short gasps of breath. "You've got his name! Albus Dumbledore's name, how—"

A deafening cheer sounded from the Quidditch Pitch. Albus halted his flight as Alecto paused for a moment. People were exiting the stands, the game was over! Already he could see robed figures headed toward the castle, and, without thinking he cried into the night,

"HELP ME! DEATH EATER!"

"Damn it, whelp, shut up!"

He could not speak again, and once more he was moving through the air. But his ability to hear was not diminished.

"Oi!" someone yelled. "Death Eater! Merlin, is that a student?! STOP HER!"

XxX

McGonagall noticed it first, being the only staff around in the sea of students; she tore off toward the Death Eater and levitating student with a surprising speed. They were nearing the gates. She didn't dare fire a spell, for fear of hitting the student. He, or at least it looked like a boy, was flying at the running Death Eater's side, and (it looked like a woman) she was waving her wand madly at the gates. Cracks as loud as gunshots rang through the air.

McGonagall's breath caught, she was too late.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" bellowed the Death Eater, but the curse did not kill anyone. Instead, it smashed right through the gates, and set the surrounding grass on fire.

From her voice, McGonagall suspected it was Alecto Carrow, after all, she had been forced to work with her for a year. And Alecto Carrow had gotten the better of McGonagall. The Death Eater exited the grounds with the student, and both disappeared into nothingness just as McGonagall reached the drive, the broken gate yards away. She stood there for a moment, horrified, because she had caught a glimpse of the boy Alecto was taking with her.

Albus Severus Potter.

XxX

To make it even worse, the Ministry was on its way.

Harry felt ill. He had twice kneeled down over the empty pensieve (for lack of a better place) as he felt he would be sick. But nothing came of it. His son, Albus, had been taken, they were sure of it now. It had taken an hour to be positive. McGonagall had informed him of Albus' kidnapper, it was Alecto Carrow.

Aurora Sinistra had also been discovered missing. When Slughorn had been sent to search her office, he returned with grim news. She was dead at the bottom of an open chest made of obsidian, and there was polyjuice potion in it as well. Harry knew now why Alecto Carrow had been sent to finish off the witness to the murder in Hogsmeade. And he was sure he'd no longer have rat problems. It was fitting, in a way, that Alecto Carrow should have learned to become an animagus, and that her form was that of a rat.

In any case, she'd been impersonating Sinistra. For how long, Harry did not know. He assumed it must have been since the start of term in September. How could he have been so stupid? Avery Smith had been a drinker, and that addiction had gotten him lured into a death trap last year. Sinistra, or, rather, her imposter, had gulped down so many bottles of gin. Harry should have said something…. It obviously had not been gin.

"The vile key…."

Trelawney's prediction!

It had not been a 'vile' key, but a vial key. Vials of polyjuice. And she'd been right, if it had been found, nothing would have been lost, but it "must be found before the traitor's final proclamation or…".

Or else all would be lost, not just Albus. But what was the traitor's final proclamation? Was it Alecto Carrow or was it—

The door to Harry's office burst open, and Hermione entered, looking extremely harassed.

"Hermione!" Harry blurted in surprise.

"Harry, oh! We've gotten word. The Order! Cho heard it, she told us as—"

"What is it, Hermione? Just tell me, what's happened?"

"Alonzo Besierwan is calling for a huge policy change today. Not only that, but he's announced that all members of the Order of the Phoenix are fugitives of wizarding law!"

Here was the traitor's proclamation, apparently his final one…. Besierwan, Harry had not liked him in the least.

"This is bad," said Harry. "We need to leave Hogwarts immediately."

"I know, I came to tell you—Ron has already left, he took Rose—she's okay, Madam Pomfrey patched her up—and Hugo, Malfoy's got Scorpius, Neville is going with Phil now—"

"I've got to get Lily and James!" Harry exclaimed, ignoring the pain that stung him because he was unable to say "Albus" in addition.

"Don't worry, McGonagall has already taken them. She was the first to leave. I've told Hagrid and Slughorn to say they have no idea where we are, and they didn't even know we were gone. Of course, we'll be meeting at Headquarters, but Harry, I'm sure the Ministry is on their way now! We need to leave, and we've got no choice but to apparate."

"I know, Hermione, I know, let's move now."

Without another word, both of them set off down the spiraling staircase from Harry's office. The stone gargoyle leapt back in place as they set off at a run down the corridor, probably sealing Harry's office until he should return. As they reached the Grand Staircase, and began a their descent, Harry asked a question that had just entered his mind,

"What about Ginny?"

He couldn't believe he'd forgotten.

"The Order has sent word," Hermione replied.

Harry simply nodded, and they kept on, passing the door to the third floor corridor which burst open. Trelawney nearly ran into them as she exited.

"Dear, me, Headmaster!" Trelawney cried hysterically. "The indignity!"

"Professor, I really don't have time," Harry snapped.

"I should think not! Two Death Eaters popped out of my fire place! They said there were more of them in others; they've come looking for you!"

"Where are they now?!"

"I don't know, they simply left, and broke a half dozen of my seeing stones as well, the—"

"They're in the castle!" Harry exclaimed more to himself.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, drawing her wand.

Harry instinctively drew his as well. Two Death Eaters had entered the place, a staircase below them. Curses erupted from the ends of their wands.

"Go back through the door!" Harry shouted to Trelawney as he parried a navy blue jet of light, sending a streak of crimson at the Death Eater who had shot it.

Trelawney complied immediately as Hermione sent a particularly strong stunner at one of the Death Eaters. The robed figure was forced to duck, and Harry took the opening presented.

"STUPEFY!" he bellowed.

The stunner hit the Death Eater square in the face. He was knocked backward, and tumbled loudly down a staircase behind him which had just begun to move, and now let to a chasm of nothingness. The Death Eater fell into it, and Harry was sure he would have died.

He turned his wand on the other, but Hermione somehow transfigured him into a snail, which Harry found rather difficult in the middle of a duel. It wasn't hard to change inanimate object, but human enemies were quite tricky.

"Good job," said Harry before he could help himself.

Hermione just nodded, and, without the exchange of words, they continued forward.

More Death Eaters would be in the school, and obviously, Voldemort had a huge degree of control over the Ministry. It was his now, Harry was sure. If all of Trelawney's prediction was true, Besierwan was the traitor, and he was the Minister at least in de jure…. Voldemort was the de facto Minister now.

Regardless of what was and wasn't in the Ministry, Death Eaters were in the castle. Fleetingly, Harry thought of his students, and how so many of them could be hurt. But the Death Eaters were out to capture, or perhaps kill him, though he doubted the latter. Voldemort had always wanted to kill Harry himself, why in the world should this time be any different? It obviously wasn't. Albus was kidnapped. Voldemort probably expected Harry to escape to some secluded location, which Harry fully intended to do at the moment. And then the Dark Lord would present Albus as a bargaining chip for Harry's own life. This was certain, it was how Voldemort would operate, because it was exactly what Harry would do.

As Harry and Hermione sprinted onto the landing before the steps leading down to the Entrance Hall, an incoherent growl of triumph sounded below them. Of course, two Death Eaters had been left to guard the main exit, and Harry recognized them both. One was Fenrir Greyback, the other was Amycus Carrow.

"CARROW!" Harry bellowed, the notion of who his enemy was hitting him like a hard slap in the face. For it was Amycus Carrow's sister who took Albus.

"Ah, Potter and the Granger girl," growled Fenrir Greyback. "I remember you, pretty little thing, you were. So juicy and sweet. I prefer the taste of children, but, my dear, I'm sure I can make an exception. I never leave my food unfinished."

Hermione responded by sending a flash of white light toward Greyback which the Death Eater parried and retorted with, no doubt, a nasty curse of his own.

But Harry couldn't be sure, for he flew down the stairs toward Amycus, while Greyback maneuvered his way around the Entrance Hall, casting curse after curse at Hermione, and repelling those she sent at him.

Harry reached Amycus, deflecting a rather difficult curse that was almost too powerful to bat away, it nicked him on the arm, tearing a gash in his robes and causing the skin beneath to burn as though it were on fire. Harry's anger exploded. He responded with the darkest, most painful thing that came to his mind.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Amycus barely dodged, and the curse cut a deep gash into the stone wall behind him. The Death Eater sniggered, and flourished his wand ungracefully.

"Potter, Potter," he hissed. "You learned that from Snape, eh? A traitor, wasn't he. I knew it, I did. He gave you lessons in magic, yeah?"

"No," Harry retorted. "I learned it from a book, and from experience. Want to see some more? Being an Auror, you pick up a few things."

"Is that right, Potter? Is that right, why don't you show me?"

"As you wish."

Harry sent the most effective, nastiest, and powerful nonverbal curse he had in his arsenal. A plume of brilliant white fire erupted from the tip of his wand, rushing to engulf Amycus who, for the first time since the duel began, looked frightened. The Death Eater shot water feebly from his wand to counter the flame, but that merely seemed to feed it.

Finally, he had no choice but to dive out of the way. Harry sent another curse at him,

"IMPENDIMENTA!"

But, horribly, it missed. Amycus snickered.

"Potter, I expect better aim from your son!" the Death Eater taunted.

The look on Harry's face was enough to convince Amycus that what he said was wrong, indeed.

Both combatants aimed their wands, and both bellowed the same curse:

"CRUCIO!"

But Harry's, fueled not only with the desire to harm Amycus brutally, but also with a rage, as hot as the white fire, was far more powerful. It shattered Amycus' feeble curse, and hit its target dead on. The Death Eater screamed so loudly, Harry felt his glasses might shatter.

As the Death Eater screamed and convulsed upon the floor, Harry looked to Hermione and Greyback who were both locked in combat. However, Harry was presented with a clear target. He took the chance he had.

"STUPEFY!"

His stunner hit Greyback square in the chest. The Death Eater gave a wolfish howl of pain, and fell the ground. Hermione gasped.

"Harry!" she cried.

But Harry had turned to Amycus.

"WHERE'S MY SON?!" he roared in fury.

"No, Harry," Hermione pleaded. "We have to go!"

"NEVER!" cried Amycus. "HE'LL DIE, POTTER! DIE! BELLATRIX WILL DO IT! THE DARK LORD LOVES HOW SHE TORTURES BEFORE—"

"WHERE IS HE?!" Harry screamed again.

"Harry, no! The Cruciatus Curse—take it off him! You're better than that! Harry—oh, hurry, we've got to leave!"

'You're better than that!'

Those words affected Harry more than Amycus' about his son, and they elicited a completely different reaction. He was better than that. He was.

Harry pointed his wand at the gasping, convulsing Amycus.

"Incarcerous!" he called. Ropes immediately bound the Death Eater. Then Harry said, "Crucio!" and Amycus was released. He gulped in a huge breath of air, as though he had been underwater for a very long time.

Hermione seized Harry by the arm, and pulled him out of the hall, onto the grounds. Together they ran, their path unhindered by any more Death Eaters. They were very close to the broken gate when a voice rang through the night.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The Killing Curse swept across the grounds, Harry and Hermione turned to see the caster, Bellatrix Lestrange. The jet of green swooped low, heading straight for Hermione.

Harry waved his wand, and Hermione was pushed out of the way. The Killing Curse hit the ground, and it exploded in a bright orange cloud. Harry immediately swiped his wand through the air, aiming it at Bellatrix.

"STUPEFY!" he roared.

He didn't wait to see it the stunner made contact. Harry, this time, seized Hermione, pulled her to her feet, and together they ran through the archway that had once housed the gate. Harry spun on the spot, grabbed Hermione's arm, and they both disapparated.