Chapter 27 – The switching hour
Harry looked up at the sound of the door opening. A man with glossy black hair stood there, calling something over his shoulder to some unseen companion.
"...check him for every kind of weapon, did you? And I don't think the Master would be best pleased if he were to get here and Potter knifes him."
The man turned and gazed at Harry with hawk-like amber eyes; it was the man from the rooftop. The door shut behind him with a firm clunk and he smiled, pulling a vial out of his pocket. Harry would have frowned if it had been at all possible, but as it wasn't, he had to content himself with trying to remember what the man's name was.
The door was pushed open again and Harry saw the man slip the vial back into his pocket and arch an eyebrow at the red haired woman who was peering around it at him.
"Yes?"
"Bella wants to know when the Master is getting here," supplied the woman, gazing coolly at him.
"As soon as we're sure it's him," said the man – Katherine had called him Julian, Harry remembered.
"What do you mean? Of course it's him," said the woman, looking distinctly ruffled at this slight.
"One hundred percent sure?" asked Julian, quirking a eyebrow. "So sure you'd bet your life on it, because that's what you'll be doing. The Dark Lord doesn't appreciate being tricked. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an interrogation to conduct."
The woman scowled at him but left, all but slamming the door behind her. Harry had the distinct feeling she was going straight to Bella to report Julian's words. Julian apparently felt exactly the same way because he pulled the vial out of his pocket again and crossed the room, kneeling on the floor in front of Harry.
A quickly muttered spell released Harry from the constraint of Bella's hex and a second later, the vial was tipped down his throat. Harry was about to spit it back out again and make a run for it, but Julian darted out a hand and held his nose. In his struggle to inhale, Harry swallowed the liquid and Julian smiled, letting go of him immediately and leaving him to squirm, choking on the floor.
When Harry had got his breath back he looked up at Julian, ready to do what he had to get his wand and run, but something about the man's expression made him hesitate. He was looking critically at Harry with sharp blue eyes, almost as though measuring him up for something.
"What?" asked Harry uneasily, moving himself into a sitting position. The potion Julian had forced down his throat tasted disgusting and he wasn't feeling all that great. To his surprise, Julian grinned wickedly in a way that seemed curiously familiar and ever so slightly out of place, then Harry remembered where he'd seen that smile before and said quietly: "Oh."
x – X – x
Remus glanced up at the sound of falling books and his eyes darted towards the closed door to the Weasleys' study. Cautiously he got up and, holding his wand ready, pushed open the door. A man with jet black hair and amber eyes stood leaning against the desk, looking bewildered and holding a black ebony wand loosely in one hand. He looked up and met Remus' gaze, still looking slightly lost. Remus raised the wand.
"Who are you?" he asked, trying to work out where he'd seen the man before. The man looked confused, then glanced down at himself.
"Ah," he said quietly and Remus' eyebrows shot up; he knew that voice.
"Harry?"
The man nodded ruefully. "Someone gave me Polyjuice. Uh, I think it was Katherine."
Remus half smiled. "Probably. Where is she?"
"Wherever I was," shrugged Harry, looking vaguely at the wand in his hand as though wondering what to do with it. Remus followed his gaze, the smile turning to a frown.
"That's her wand, isn't it?"
Harry shrugged again. "All I know is that she tipped Polyjuice down my throat, stuffed the wand in my hand and...I can't quite remember. Next thing I know, I'm standing here." He glanced up, amber eyes curious. "This is the Burrow, right?"
Remus nodded, though his expression was rapidly turning to worry. "Do you know where Katherine is now?"
Harry shook his head. "Last thing I remember is the Polyjuice taking effect." He frowned, thinking back to the funny look she'd been giving him, the inklings of an idea forming in his mind. "I think...I think she took my place." He looked up at Remus and the older man's countenance told him that he was thinking the exact same thing.
"Do you know who took you, Harry?" he asked, quickly but softly. "It's important."
Harry's face darkened and his next words made Remus' blood run cold. "Bellatrix Lestrange."
x – X – x
"Come in." Robert Avery didn't even bother to glance up as the door opened and a figure entered. "Yes?" he asked, frowning down at the paperwork in front of him. The figure didn't answer the cue and this time he did look up as the door was shut softly, cutting off the babble of noise from the cubicles outside. The frown deepened when he saw who it was, though out of curiosity more than displeasure.
"And to what do I owe this visit, Nic?"
Nicola Meliflua sighed, placing a folder on his desk and gazing down at him out of large brown eyes.
"Officially or unofficially?" she asked as Robert swiveled the folder round to read the title.
"Officially," said Robert, placing the folder in his in tray, "You are delivering a folder that was sent to the wrong department." He smiled wryly at her, something like amusement in his light eyes. "Perfectly innocent mistake."
"Perfectly," agreed Nicola, sitting herself down in the leather chair opposite him.
"Strange how it was mislaid between floors, though," remarked Robert, setting down his quill and leaning back in his chair. "Only meant to come down one level and instead it goes down five. I'm guessing the unofficial business is very important."
"A mutual friend seems to think another mutual friend has gone and done something very stupid," supplied Nicola. "And he's usually right," she added at Robert's confused expression. "And, let's be honest, she usually does."
"Ah," sighed Robert. "How stupid?"
"Very," answered Nicola, as a small note zipped under the door and quivered to a stop, hovering patiently above the desk. Robert grabbed the memo from mid air and opened it, scanning the few scribbled lines quickly.
"Important?" asked Nicola, seeing his expression. Robert looked over at her, chocolate brown eyes, usually so unmoved, showing a glimmer of worry.
"It's from Tonks."
Nicola frowned and it took her a moment to realise he meant Nymphadora Tonks – the Auror. She was about to ask what in heaven's name she could want, but then she remembered something else. Tonks wasn't just an Auror, she was Lupin's girlfriend, and if Remus was sending messages to Robert, then Katherine was in a lot of trouble.
"And?" she prompted, half not wanting to hear the answer.
"And I think we can upgrade 'very' to 'incredibly'."
x – X – x
Remus Lupin sat in a dark booth, head in his hands. If Katherine didn't get out of this, he would never forgive himself. He peered out from between his fingers as the door to the pub opened but it was just a harassed looking woman who strode up to the counter and ordered a pint of mead, so he resumed his solitary musings.
A moment later he looked up, light brown eyes searching the room quickly. He had the peculiar feeling that he was being watched and years of living with Katherine had taught him to trust his instincts. There weren't many people in the small tavern yet the feeling of eyes burning a hole in the back of his head persisted. Cautiously he turned his head, and brown eyes met yellow ones.
Remus barely had time to register his surprise when someone slid into the seat opposite him and he looked around to see the short blond hair and scowling features of Robert Avery. Remus glanced back but the man at the table behind him was already getting up, not even flinching under Avery's glare.
"Lunching with a wolf, Avery, tut tut, what would your wife say?" he muttered, smiling nastily down at the blond man.
"I'd shut that mouth if I were you," answered Avery, his words spoken just as softly but positively dripping with menace. "Unless you want Riddle to put another bullet in you."
Fenrir Greyback sneered, but left them all the same and headed out of the pub quickly, letting the door slam behind him. Avery watched him go, then turned back to Remus, eyes still hard. Remus raised a polite eyebrow.
"Another bullet?" he asked lightly.
"He was being rude," said Avery darkly. "And it wasn't silver. She used the wrong cartridge."
Remus frowned; he would have to have a word with his wayward friend when she got back; if she got back.
"So, are you going to tell me what she's done? It must be bad if you've sought my help," said Avery, casting a silencing charm around their booth under the table. Remus pulled a black wand out of his pocket and laid it on the rough wooden surface of the table.
"Harry was kidnapped by Bellatrix Lestrange, Katherine found out, decided to switch places with him and for some reason best known to herself gave him her wand as well," surmised Remus, smiling wanly and running a hand through his thin, grey flecked hair. Avery swore quietly, hand clenching into a fist and for a moment Remus thought he was going to thump the table, but he managed to stop himself in time.
"Why did you come to me?" asked Avery, glancing up at him, anger rapidly changing into something more useful - determination.
"Because you were the only one of Katherine's friends who I thought I could stand to work with – and the only one that would listen," answered Remus sincerely. "To be perfectly honest I had no idea whether she was still in contact with any of you, except perhaps Nicola – she gave me rather an odd look when I saw her at the Ministry – but I had to try. I thought you'd help, even if it was for old times sake."
"And if I hadn't?" asked Avery, half smiling in that lazy way of his.
"Then I would have swallowed my pride and sent a letter to Snape," said Remus quietly, in a constrained voice. "And have left him to it."
"Not keen on working with Severus, then?" asked Avery, leaning back meditatively in his seat.
"To be quite frank I think if I saw him again it would be all I could do not to kill him," said Remus, a small smile on his lips and an strange look in his eyes.
"Yes, Katherine's not too happy with him at the moment, either," said Avery quietly. Remus looked vaguely surprised.
"She's seen him again?"
"She didn't tell you?" asked Avery, frowning slightly.
"She asked me not to kill him," said Remus levelly. "But she didn't overtly mention that she'd spoken to him, no."
"Well she has," shrugged Avery carelessly. "Shouted in fact. Many times." He glanced up, meeting Remus' gaze with sharp brown eyes and Remus wondered for a moment how anyone could ever think this man was stupid. "He stills love her though."
Remus smiled bitterly and nodded. "That's what I was counting on."
"He's probably not the best person to send up against Bella, though," said Avery after a moment's reflection. "They aren't exactly the best of pals – she doesn't trust him."
"Even after he killed Dumbledore?" asked Remus, scowling.
"Oh no – she trusted him after he killed him," said Avery quickly, waving a hand dismissively. "It's just since Katherine came back. Now she won't go near him – probably thinks Katherine's going to ask him to kill her as a favour or something."
"She wouldn't do that," said Remus, and Avery grinned.
"Course not – she'll hex anyone who even plans an attempt on Bella's life. She's not going to let anyone else have that pleasure. Still, Bella never was the sharpest tool in the box and it's not as though Severus is greatly mourning the loss of friendship." Avery smiled languidly and leant forward, placing his arms on the grimy table. "When's full moon?"
"Next Friday," answered Remus instantly, despite being thrown by the sudden change of topic. "Why?"
Avery was quiet for a while, considering this, then said slowly: "She could survive five days, couldn't she? If Potter stayed hidden and the Dark Lord didn't visit."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"
Avery looked up, brown eyes deep in thought. "I think we could make the Dark Lord sufficiently paranoid so that he won't go near Potter until Bella provides some irrefutable evidence that it's really him."
"Who exactly is 'we'?" asked Remus, folding his arms; he didn't like the sound of his companion's musings. Avery smiled as though this should be obvious.
"His followers," he said softly. "And as we've already agreed, Severus would do anything for Katherine."
"Without asking questions?"
"I can deal with questions," said Avery dismissively. "I'll tell him Katherine wants to annoy Bella – no, I'll tell him it's you."
"Me?" asked Remus, staring incredulously at him. He was starting to reconsider his earlier view of Avery – maybe he was stupid, or perhaps he was mad. Either way, he wasn't making any sense.
"You – I'll say Katherine's found out you were posing as Potter and-"
"Won't work," said Remus shortly. "I was there – Bella tried to hex me when she took Harry and Katherine knocked me over."
"Fine – I'll just tell him Katherine wants him to do it," sighed Avery, looking slightly put out.
"And when he asks why she's not the one asking?"
"I'll tell him if he doesn't she'll die," he shrugged. "He doesn't need any more motivation than that. Well, maybe he'd do it just to wind Bella up, but I think it's only Katherine who's that childish." He grinned again, brown eyes bright with ideas. "Exactly how effective is the Wolfsbane potion?"
"In what way?" asked Remus, struggling a little to keep up with Avery's fast pace.
"I mean how much control do you have over your actions," explained Avery patiently. Remus raised his eyebrows, wondering where this was leading.
"Complete control, so long as I'm left alone," he said carefully.
"And if you're not?" prompted Avery anxiously.
"Well, it's pretty much the same as being human – if someone winds you up, you're likely to retaliate," shrugged Remus. "Only with the wolf so close to the surface, you can't keep your anger in check quite as much. Other than that you're probably ok so long as the wolf doesn't wake up."
"What wakes it up?" probed Avery, looking thoughtful. "Just anger?"
"Yes, and blood."
"Blood?"
Remus nodded wearily. "The smell of blood is very...potent. It's not something that can easily be ignored when you've got a heightened sense of smell. Why all the questions?"
Avery grinned in a way that reminded Remus heavily of his friend and leant forward conspiratorially.
"Exactly how far are you willing to go to save Katherine?" he asked, brown eyes gleaming.
"She's saved my life at least three times now," replied Remus quietly. "I think it's time to repay the favour."
Avery's grin widened. "Good answer."
x – X – x
Harry sat on his makeshift bed in Ron's room, staring blankly at a poster of Chudley Canon's newest chaser, Quentin Miller, slam a Quaffle through a hoop. Hermione was downstairs going through the newest books they'd got now that she was sure Harry was safe and Ron was sprawled across his bed, pretending to read Martin Miggs comics and sneaking worried glances over at his friend every couple of minutes. Harry hadn't said much since his abrupt arrival other than to assure everyone that he wasn't hurt, and it was starting to worry him.
Harry was fully aware of this, but right at this moment, he had more pressing matters on his mind. Remus had persuaded Mrs Weasley that Harry was fine and begged her not to tell the Aurors – he would explain when he got back, he promised. And then he'd disappeared and Harry hadn't seen him since, not that it mattered – he knew exactly why Remus didn't want the Aurors to know he was safe. If they did, Scrimgeour, or whoever was in charge of the Aurors would refuse to keep searching for him and when word reached Bellatrix Lestrange that the Harry Potter sitting in her dungeon wasn't the real one, Katherine was in for a lot of trouble.
Harry himself was fine with this arrangement – he was all for getting Katherine back in one piece; how else would he get her to answer all his questions about Sirius? Remus wouldn't answer them, or even if he did, he would be bound to leave things out – besides, since it had been Katherine who had been with Sirius, it was Katherine who would be best able to tell him what the hell was going on.
He hadn't told Remus he knew about the relationship – partly because he still wasn't entirely convinced that he believed in it, and partly because there hadn't been time. Remus had rushed off as soon as he'd extracted a promise from Mrs Weasley that she'd keep quiet until he could explain properly – he hadn't even asked why Harry had thought it was Katherine, or why on earth he was referring to her by her first name.
He lay back on the bed, prompting another anxious glance from Ron, and dug Regulus' locket out of his pocket. He didn't know why he was still carrying it around – they'd already destroyed the real one after all. He opened it, gazing at Regulus' note, still tucked securely inside the gold rim; he pulled it out – it wouldn't do for it to fall into enemy hands as it could so easily have done only hours earlier.
He dropped the locket on the covers next to him and unfolded the note, more out of the need to do something than wanting to read the note again – he knew it off by heart anyway. To the Dark Lord...
Harry sat up, staring at the parchment in shock, because instead of the elegantly scripted note of contempt, the surface of the letter was completely blank. He turned it over, wondering if he was imaging things, but the other side was blank too.
"Something wrong?" asked Ron, laying down his comic and peering over at him.
"It's-" began Harry, but stopped abruptly, staring at the parchment. A thin line of black ink was spreading slowly across the top of the paper and for a moment Harry thought of Riddle's diary and had half a mind to burn it straight away, but something stopped him. The ink wasn't forming letters, it was forming...a picture. The ink was seeping across the paper, the black line filling out and twisting itself into new shapes. Two lines, intertwining, blossomed into an intricate sketch of a rose – two roses, and snaked off again, mirroring the lines on the opposite side of the paper – lines which Harry now realised were meant to be the stems. Just under the roses, an unseen hand now scrawled three words in elaborate calligraphy: morituri nolumus mori.
"What's that?" asked Ron, sliding off the bed and craning over Harry's shoulder to frown at the parchment as the last few words appeared, clearly written by a different, though just as elegant, hand:
Better than mirrors.
