Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J. K. Rowling

Chapter 12:

It was two weeks before Christmas. At an indoor arena, Harry gave a last brushing to Beau's mount, a tall chestnut gelding called Elliot. Tamara stood behind him, nudging him now and then until he turned and gave her some attention too. They were both of the line of Sheba, and some very high class horses had gone into their breeding since. Simon and Beau were competing in a big show jumping event.

Beth made her brief daily check. He didn't feel her. But Beth knew he was fully involved in doing something he enjoyed.

Melissa's girls were all at Hogwarts, and Julie and Adrian were shopping together. Julie was filled with pleasurable anticipation. Harry was to have a special present this year. Harry didn't know what it could be, he thought he had everything he possibly needed. Unless she could somehow make his home country accept him again. The only Christmas parties he'd been able to go to, were those that included only his family. Even some of the in-laws shrank from him. He never showed how much it hurt.

Jimmy Carr was watching Harry work. Jimmy was a bit tired, he was not a young man any more. Chris and Chrissy Barnes were dressed up, and very proud of their sons. Simon and Beau were immaculate in their riding gear, concealing their nerves as best they could. Harry had an attack of trembling, ignored by everyone including himself. It meant nothing. Their parents were not the only ones filled with pride at the boys' skills and the horses' abilities. The boys may have been muggles, but Harry had known them all their lives.

Simon was doing a muggle accountancy course, and he and Naomi, the oldest of the Wiley girls, planned to marry, and together, take over Margaret Brown's job. The combination of muggle expertise, and Naomi's status as a witch made them an ideal combination. They'd help with the horses as well.

Of course, Naomi was still only fourteen, and Simon only twenty. The pair had not confided their plans to their parents, but Naomi had told Diane who told her mother, who told Chrissy, who told Margaret Brown.

Margaret looked disapproving, but she nearly always looked disapproving. She had a proprietorial interest in Harry's wealth, and if the plan came to pass, she felt, it would be in good hands. Harry, himself, was not to be trusted with it. His casual attitude had always filled her with amazed horror. Once he'd gone away for five years, come back, and just casually asked if he still had enough money!

There was no sense of danger.

**x**

Three big, grim-faced German aurors waited. A muggle ambulance waited. A frightened muggle ambulance driver waited, as not many wizards can drive. The muggle didn't know what was happening, but as long as he stayed quiet, the terrifying man in a cape would not take out his wand again. The trembling of the muggle did indeed mean something, in spite of reassurances that he was there only to take a sick man to his home not far away.

It was quite a small open area, surrounded by trees. The Dementor hovered, not close, but not far away. It was invisible to the muggle.

Another German auror appeared, with Healer Ben Weasley unconscious in his arms. Ben was quite gently lowered to the ground. Beside him, another auror appeared, carrying Ben's bag. Ben had been told that he was to attend a victim of a Dementor, and, under orders, had packed what he thought he might need. He had still been stunned. Apparating with an uncooperative passenger was very dangerous. Prisoners were always stunned and disarmed, and they were always hit with an anti-disapparation Charm.

The muggle watched, unmoving. Was this the sick man? He waited for instructions.

They wanted an English auror, too, one who knew Harry - preferably one who knew him well, and cared for him. The muggle's memory would have to be modified afterward, and Julie and Ben might not know the spell. An auror would. The same pair who'd brought Ben went to do this job. There had been prior arrangements made, and Alex was already an unconscious prisoner. Last, Julie and Adrian were brought to the ground.

Ben and Alex were left as they were, lying on the ground. There was a communication from the Dementor, which then concealed itself in the trees, and damped down its emanations. Everything was in readiness.

Julie and Adrian were to call Harry in their mind. It was common knowledge among the aurors that he could apparate to a person who called, just as long as he knew them well enough. Even German aurors knew. But when Julie and Adrian were revived, there was a problem. Julie pointblank refused. They stared at her in consternation. Adrian took his lead from his mother, and he refused also. The aurors had no intention of hurting anyone. Harry would be hurt, but it had to be done...

Alex caused a diversion by stirring and getting up, furious as he realised his predicament, held under the wands of two large and dangerous looking men. And he knew these men! They had fought together. He was making a lot of noise, demanding an explanation, and no-one was taking notice of a small boy. Adrian slipped out his wand, and the wands of two German aurors went flying.

"Run," screamed the boy, and ran to his mother, grabbing her hand.

Alex ran for a wand, but there were seven Germans, and one sent a trip jinx. Two ran after Julie and Adrian, and Adrian whirled again on them, his wand raised, but he had not yet mastered the stun spell. An auror apparated behind him, picked him up, removed his wand, and held him kicking and struggling, tucked under his arm. Similar tactics quickly had Julie under control.

The muggle watched. More wizards, and they were fighting.

Adrian was hard to control, although the German had thought it would be quite easy. It was just a small boy! He hoped that the Dementor would not decide that Harry's son was a special spirit as well. The squirming boy managed to sink his teeth into the arm that tried to hold him under control, provoking a swear word, and a change in position that hurt the small boy.

Hundreds of miles away, Harry heard his pain. He looked up, and was by the side of his son, instantly, silently. He glanced around, seven aurors were disarmed, and his wife and son were freed. Why were these aurors threatening his family? They must know that even seven of them were no match for Harry.

He turned around, scanning the sky. Oddly, he still had no real sense of danger, and Alex now had a wand in his hand, and was reviving Ben, giving Ben a wand as well. Harry jumped. What had just happened? He snapped, "Alex, take Adrian. Julie, Ben, disapparate now!"

He started to generate his magic, but the Dementor now sped straight toward him. Harry turned toward it, but retreating. He was trying to kill, but it must not get too close. No-one was leaving.

"Go!" he called to them again, urgently, and tried to disapparate himself, to go further away, and attack from a greater distance. This had happened before. He could not disapparate. Was there going to be another black army?

Abruptly, his form melted into that of a hawk, and he launched himself into the air, confusing the Dementor for a moment, giving him time to put some space between them. He could not work magic as a hawk, and he clawed for height instead.

The Dementor drew in its breath, and the Patronus Charms of Ben and Alex died and the two allies of Harry slumped again to the ground.

Julie and Adrian still stood, staring at the hovering dark figure with a terrible hatred. The German aurors rearmed themselves - their job was to prevent interference. The Dementor had undertaken not to harm anyone but Harry as long as it was not interfered with.

The Dementor hovered, waiting. The special one would not leave his family.

The muggle couldn't see the Dementor, but he'd just seen a man melt into a hawk. The man hadn't even looked like a wizard. He'd been in jeans and a colourful shirt.

One of the German aurors jumped. It was a telepathic communication from Harry, mainly a question, What? Why?

The German replied. We are to prevent interference. If no-one interferes, your friends and family will not be hurt. Afterward, it will go away, and never come back.

There was a blast of fury from Harry, and the man stumbled.

Fools! Treacherous fools! You can't believe a Dementor! And with a scream of rage, the hawk dived, hurtling at bullet speed, to claw and slash at the face of the Privileged One, pulling himself away as he began to feel the dizziness.

The Dementor was hurt, but it glided away from the waiting people before repairing itself. A physical attack had never yet much hurt a Dementor.

The hawk clawed again for height. This time the Dementor followed him into the air. The Dementor was fast, and at home in the air. It was being careful. If the special one fell, he might hurt himself severely.

Harry was thinking about it. What would happen if he just hurtled himself into the ground? The Dementor wouldn't have him then. But might it turn on his family?

The hawk hurtled itself toward the ground. The Dementor was slower, watching in consternation. Was it going to lose its morkon? Harry's dive was veering to the left, but he was still in the open when he slowed at the last minute, landed, and reverted to his human form, standing, the cane automatically and instantly conjured, and started again to generate his magic.

The Dementor felt his spirit start to rise, and dived. Harry had no time to raise his strong magic and stepped back, unready, but trying again and again to kill. The hawk form again, and a desperate attempt to flee. The Dementor was on him and now it was too close. As blackness descended, the hawk was lost and Harry Potter was helpless before the Privileged One.

Tenderly, gently, the Dementor gathered him up in its arms. It was a unique spirit.

The Dementor glided toward the group of onlookers. Julie sobbed in the arms of Ben. Adrian and Alex stood side by side, rigid. The German aurors looked more grim than ever. Had they made a mistake? Even unprepared, he'd put up such a fight.

The muggle was wondering if he dared try to run, but just a glance from one of the big aurors had him decide to be very quiet, very obedient. He'd gathered by now that there was something else here, something invisible.

The Dementor lay Harry down gently on the ground, a little away from the waiting group. Harry didn't stir. Silently gliding, the Dementor approached, Adrian retreating in horror, but Julie facing it, head up and defiant, showing more courage that she'd ever done in her life.

The special one will be left alive. He will need care. Great care.

One of the Germans spoke. "The ambulance is waiting. The Dementor says that your home is near."

The Dementor made another communication. The special one must not be made to feel that his kind do not want him. He must be cared for.

Dementors knew the emotions of humans more clearly than they knew their physical needs. The Privileged One knew Harry's deep hurt that he concealed from his family and friends. It wanted him to live. He must not be undermined, but humans were a strange species, their emotions clear to the Dementors, but their thoughts were opaque, and the reasons for their emotions often obscure.

The Dementor hovered in front of them, terrifying, radiating a deep cold. Afterward, I go to join the rest of my kind in death. I will never come back.

Ben was held firmly by a German auror. He looked at Harry in distress. Light reflected on half-open eyes, and Ben plunged in with questions to the Dementor about his care, trying to distract it for long enough for Harry to do something.

Two of the German aurors saw the same thing. They were not on the side of the Dementor, they were only trying to protect as many people as possible. It was their job. They didn't interfere.

The Dementor was very much aware of the special one, and glided back to his side, giving Harry only enough time to struggle half up, head still spinning, and staring in absolute horror at the predator. He couldn't, not again. But the blackness overtook him.

It was time. Only the Dementor knew enjoyment. Harry's wife, his son, his friends, watched with hearts breaking. They were not far away, and each was not only held firmly, but two aurors stood back, wands raised, guarding them. There must be no interference. The Dementor had threatened to take them all if anyone was allowed to interfere.

The Dementor covered Harry's face with its own, and within seconds, began to taste his physical essence, and to feast on his spirit. The spirit was strong. This time the Privileged One could take much more than it had for a very long time. Ecstasy filled its being. The spirit of the special one was unique.

Julie watched. Somehow she felt that she should watch, to suffer with him. She should not have watched.

Adrian had his face buried in Alex's robes, and Alex stared at the trees, grim faced.

Ben watched, though it was terribly difficult. He was a healer. He should know what he had to treat.

The German aurors watched the trees, or the sky, or the people whom they must prevent from interfering. They were not bad men. This was the most difficult job they'd ever had to do.

After a few minutes, Harry's body went into violent spasms, and the Dementor withdrew. It was not really inconvenienced, it was just a signal that it needed to slow down. The morkon could die a lot quicker if the feeding went too fast. And a dead morkon was of no further use.

Almost tenderly, the Dementor held Harry's upper body, not apparently feeling the weight, or any awkwardness in its position. After a time, the jerking began to die away. The Dementor waited. When it was time, it again lowered its hood.

This time it fed longer before the fitting began again. The spasms were discernibly more feeble, and took less time to die away.

Julie refused to look away, although her eyes were streaming with tears. It was like she watched as her husband was subjected to a cruel and horrible rape.

Ben was looking down now, he could not watch this.

The muggle watched. He couldn't work out what was going on. But it was obvious now who was to be the sick man that he had to take to his home.

For the third time, Harry's teeth were locked into position, and the dark tongue snaked down his throat. The Dementor was in no hurry. It took its time. It would soon be finished, and then it would go to join its own kind, in the state of not alive. This time, when the body started jerking, it was very feeble, and lasted only a few seconds. This time, the Dementor did not withdraw, but just waited, the two faces sealed in the Kiss, the embrace of the Dementor.

Ben tried again to watch. He saw it as the duty of a healer and a researcher. How could they breathe? Either of them? He knew theoretically what was happening, although there had been very few survivors over the centuries. Hardly any people Kissed by a Dementor were able to talk about it afterward. Most were in the state of living dead - like Ivan and Brian had been until their families agreed that they should be put down.

The Dementor resumed its feed. Even when the barest flicker of spirit remained, it was reluctant to disengage. For a few minutes longer, it held its position, pulling its mental probe from the pool where it fed, but continuing the physical taste for just a little longer. Concern for its victim was almost unknown to a Dementor, but this Dementor had fed on a unique spirit. It was still filled with the ecstasy of its feed. It wanted the humans to restore the special one to health.

The Dementor slowly withdrew its tongue, unlocked its seriators from Harry's teeth, and released its victim, laying him gently on the ground. The Dementor straightened, hovered for a moment, its head still inclined to its victim, and made a gesture which released Harry from the magic that stopped him disapparating. Then, swiftly, it rose into the air, and flew off.

It had taken just thirty-five minutes.

Julie was the first to the side of Harry. He was very pale, head turned slightly to the side, his mouth partly opened, and deeply unconscious, just as he'd been put down by the Privileged One. Julie put gentle fingers to the lips she'd kissed so often, and suddenly turned away and was violently ill.

Ben gave her a bare glance, as he checked his patient. He was so close to death. There was no way of telling if this would be another like Ivan and Brian, alive but not alive. The Dementor had said that he could get better. But his friend and patient was so far gone!

A long way away, Simon did his victory lap, his big mare galloping, neck bent, ears pricked, knowing that she had done well.

Jimmy wondered where Harry had got to. No-one else had yet missed him.

**x**