Chapter 16
Taken
"What is it, Kingsley?" Harry Potter, Head Auror marched into the Minister's office. His eyes were tired but full of excitement and adventure – as they always are when he is assigned a new mission, but that quickly vanished as Kingsley met his eyes with a sombre expression.
The minister sighed as he saw the dark shades of sleeplessness under Harry's eyes, "Harry, you aren't getting enough sleep, if anyone deserves it, it's you."
Harry sighed as he sat down on the chair opposite Kingsley's desk. "Thing is, sir. I can't sleep all the time. Even though he's gone, he…"
Kingsley's mouth thinned and he nodded in understanding. "Of course, Mr Potter, I understand. I still get nightmares myself."
Harry smiled weakly. That's what he loved about Kingsley, the man was so honest. Unlike Fudge or the other ministers. "What is it you want Kingsley?"
Kingsley's shoulder slumped. "I'm afraid our worst fears have been realised. The Founder's Tomb is real. "
"What?" Harry croaked, "Nott?" Harry began to shake, fear drenched his entire body, as though he were drowning in it. "Kingsley…" his voice came out as a pained whisper, "My kids. Hogwarts. Are they okay? Please say they're okay?"
Kingsley took a deep breath. "Harry, Albus is missing."
Harry jumped to his feet, his eyes wild with fright. "Why wasn't I informed sooner? Why didn't McGonagall tell me? Kingsley, why am I NOT AT HOGWARTS RIGHT NOW?" Harry shouted, "MY SON IS MISSING AND YOU…!"
"Harry, please calm down!" Kingsley shouted, gripping the other man tightly by the shoulders, he lowered his voice, "I did not send you in straight away because I know you would be acting like this! Harry, we have reason to believe that Albus has been captured by Nott and his followers. They are planning something which requires your son. And before you come to any conclusions about McGonagall, they were completely deceived. The new Potions teacher was killed over the winter break and Nott used Polyjuice to disguise himself. Please do not blame McGonagall, his act was very convincing."
Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat, tears of fear, sadness and regret spilled from his eyes like a waterfall. "I…I…n…never thought…" his breathing was irregular, his hands shook, "I n…never thought this could h…happen." Harry collapsed onto the chair, "M…my s…son is pr…probably being tortured r…right n…now!" He cried, his eyes terrified. Kingsley had never seen Harry this distraught, not even when Sirius, Fred, Lupin, or Tonks had all passed. Not even when they had held the funeral for those defeated in the Battle of Hogwarts. Not even when Dumbledore had passed. Nor even Hedwig. This was his son. Kingsley knew there was nothing worse than the pain one could experience when their own child was not only in danger of being killed, but tortured as well… mutilated… scarred… Kingsley took a deep breath. They were running out of time. If Nott simply kidnapped Albus for revenge, he would probably torture the boy until his mind broke and then kill him. Kingsley could only hope that they needed Albus for something other than revenge, that way they had more time.
Harry took a few deep, calming breathes and his breathing slowly turned back to normal.
"I'm sorry." Harry muttered, "I'm sorry. I just thought that all was meant to be well after Voldemort was gone. I'm sorry I was being so irrational. I understand why you didn't seek me out first for this mission."
Kingsley blinked back tears, forcing himself to remain composed. The minister smiled, but it came out as more of a grimace. "It's alright, Harry. I've sent a Patronus to the Burrow. Your family should be at Hogwarts now or shortly. James, Lily and Ginny, as well as Rose and Scorpius, are in the Headmistress' study. I suggest you join them. I believe Albus is necessary component to make Armon rise. It says it happens in the light of the full moon. There's one tonight."
Harry nodded, wiping away the remaining tears with the sleeve of his robe, the slayer of Voldemort rushed to the Floo grate in Kingsley's. Grabbing a handful of floo powder the Gryffindor shouted,
"Hogwarts! Headmistress' office!"
He disappeared in a ball of green fire.
Harry tumbled into the Headmistress' study, not caring for a secure landing. His wild eyes found his wife, her fiery red hair tumbled in curtains round her face, as though she didn't want the world to see her cry.
"Ginny!" He cried. Rushing towards her.
Immediately Ginny Potter jumped out of her chair and ran into Harry's arms, her sobs were now uncontrollable.
"They have my boy!" she sobbed into his shirt. "My baby boy! Harry what are we going to do?"
Harry glanced over Ginny's shoulder and his heart broke as his other children were trying not to cry. James was persevering bravely, but Lily was crying into his shoulder. Harry only then realised how crowded the room was, Scorpius was there, along with Rose, Hermione and Ron, Teddy, Molly and Arthur, and of course, McGonagall, Neville and Hannah, Hagrid, and even Nott's own daughter, who looked close to tears herself.
Harry cupped Ginny's face gently in his hands and kissed her lips softly. Her tears slowly stopped and her eyes transformed to ones full of sadness, to ones full of anger.
"Harry when I find Nott…" She left the threat unfinished.
Scorpius laid a comforting hand on Bella's shoulder. The girl's lip trembled and she hesitantly accepted Scorpius' hug that followed.
"I know, honey, I know." He soothed, eyeing Scorpius and Bellatrix before turning round to face McGonagall.
"Harry!" Mrs Weasley cried, "Thank goodness you are here. Are more Aurors on their way?"
Harry shook his head. "They sent us for now but there is a squadron ready for backup at the ministry in case we need any more."
Molly nodded and clung to Arthur, who looked as downcast as a storm cloud.
"How did this happen?" he exclaimed. "How was he taken from Hogwarts?"
"We have reason to believe he is still in the castle."
Harry whirled around, there stood in all his pride, was Draco Malfoy. However, Harry was shocked to see that instead of arrogance in the man's features, there was worry, and fear. His wife clutched his arm, trembling slightly, however her panic vanished the moment she saw Scorpius. Harry was relieved, and surprised, to see Astoria looking well. He sent Draco a confused look, Draco ignored him. Harry brushed the thought out of his mind. He needed to focus on Albus.
"Scorpius!" she cried, relief evident in her voice as she rushed towards her son. Harry felt a pang of jealousy as she cradled the boy in her arms. Scorpius normally hated his mother's cuddles, but at this moment he couldn't care less as he buried himself in her warm embrace.
"Malfoy." Harry nodded.
"Potter." Draco replied and then he took a deep breath, as though the next few words were painful to utter, "Look," he rubbed the back of his neck with nerves, "Albus has become very close to us. As soon as we heard the news, well, even my father…" he snorted, "Even my father was concerned for his safety. Er…" he glanced in Astoria's direction, who smiled, Draco swallowed, "You have a good kid Potter, I'll do everything in my power to help bring Nott to justice."
Draco offered Harry his hand. Harry stood there for a couple of seconds, shocked, his mind lost in memory.
"…You'll soon find that some wizards are better than others Potter. I can help you there."
For a second or so, all he could see was that arrogant little brat who had made his life at Hogwarts a living Hell. But he shifted his gaze to Scorpius, the Gryffindor emblem seemed ablaze on his Hogwarts robes, the boy's eyes were full of innocence, lacking Draco's arrogance. This was a boy that could have been Draco without the manipulations of Lucius and the pure-blooded society he strived to be a part of. So, for the first time in his life, Harry Potter offered a smile to Draco Malfoy, the boy who had had no choice. The two men shook hands briefly.
"Thank you, Draco." Harry said, it sounded weird to call Malfoy by his first name.
"Don't mention it, Potter." Draco said coolly.
"Potter!" A voice called. Harry's eyes darted to the portrait that was recently blank. Severus Snape filled its frame, his expression full of worry, but Harry could see hope in the old Potions Master's eyes.
"Albus Severus is here." The portrait confirmed. "He's at Hogwarts, the Tomb has been opened, I couldn't go any further, but I heard voices inside, but I'm positive he's in there. I heard him…" He swallowed, Ginny gasped. "There must be another entrance into the castle, Minerva had all the secret passages sealed off as soon as we heard."
"Or they never left!" Rose's eyes went wide. "I remember now…" Her face focused with thought, "Scorpius and I saw Al acting strange at the Quidditch match… we went to the library… that was when we saw…" Her eyes began to tear up, Ron gripped his daughter's hand tightly.
Scorpius' and Bella's eyes widened in realisation. Bellatrix, for the first time in her life, felt guilt eating her insides like a disease.
"It's my fault!" She blurted out. She struggled to keep the tears at bay when she walked up to McGonagall, her expression wild.
"Miss Nott?" McGonagall gasped. Harry and Ginny glared at the little girl who was so close to tears.
"Please, Professor. I... saw him take Albus in the library…he was still disguised as Professor Finch… I didn't know what to do…I w…was so s…scared…he's my father…he th…threatened to…" She then burst into uncontrollable tears, they trickled down her face like raindrops sliding down a window sill. McGonagall took a deep breath and placed a comforting hand on her student's shoulder.
"You are not in trouble, Bella." She said softly. Bellatrix offered a small smile through her tears, McGonagall sighed, "Your father, however, is."
Bellatrix looked as though she was going to cry all over again, "Please don't kill him! He's crazy after Azkaban! Don't kill my father!"
McGonagall tightened her grip on the young Slytherin's shoulder. "We won't try to. But you must understand, Albus' life is at stake, we can't promise anything, but we will be aiming to stun and not kill. Understood."
Bellatrix nodded, although she was still shaking a little.
"Now that's settled. Neville, I know this is important to you, but your place is with the Gryffindors, they need their head of house." McGonagall said sharply.
"But Professor! I'm a trained Auror! Hannah could – "
"No Longbottom. You are one of the best teachers here we've had in years. They need you. Plus, I want Mrs Longbottom to accompany us. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but I want a representative of all the houses. Hannah was part of your DA, was she not?"
Neville blanched and then sighed with defeat. "Be careful." He said. Hannah nodded, her face full of determination.
"Always." She said firmly.
"Never underestimate the loyalty of a Hufflepuff." Mr Weasley said, giving Hannah a nod of encouragement. She smiled.
"How do we access the Tomb?" Harry asked Minerva, whose face was pale.
"It can only be accessed by those in Slytherin." She confirmed, "It was said that even though the Founder's built the Tomb together, Salazar sealed it shut, locking the demon away and therefore only a Slytherin can find its entrance. That's why Severus can see and hear it, but he's only a portrait and there needs to be a Slytherin in there who is willing to open the Tomb from the inside for the rest of us to enter."
It was then that all eyes in the room turned to Draco.
But the only set Draco was interested in were his son's.
"I'll do it." He said sharply.
"Thank you, Malfoy, thank you so much." To everyone's great surprise Ginny got up to embrace him. Ron looked as though he was going to be sick. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. Although no one was watching, Dumbledore's portrait had a tear in its eye.
Draco accepted the awkward embrace. Rose and Scorpius even allowed themselves to giggle. Harry, however, was fuming. Draco smirked,
"Looks like I get to be the hero this time, Potter." He drawled.
Harry scoffed, ignoring the comment completely he said, "I think it'll be similar to the room of requirement, once you're in there, your need to save Al will hopefully overpower theirs. Then Nott'll wish he'd never been born."