Unknown place
Harry
He opens his eyes slowly. His head hurts and he realizes he can't see properly, his glasses gone. I have to ditch them, permanently. When he went out on missions he was used to a spell that was enough to replace his glasses, but he never stopped using them because he felt naked without it, but he can recognize that is easier not to use them-
Where am I?
His mind is finally catching up. He was in front of a cake, people were singing happy birthday, Lily and Laura by his side. Then the same blue light of that night, the hooded figures. He acted as fast as he could. He casted a strong protective spell around the girls and was ready to run for Hermione, but he couldn't see very clearly, spells were flying everywhere, many were apparating away. He saw her far away with her wand, taking down a few hooded figures.
Then Draco shouted his name, he looked at his friend and before he could comprehend what was happening, four of the hooded invaders were circling him, close, very close. One took his wand, and then all of them held him in place. He felt the pull. Portkey.
A blank.
Now this. He's tied up. Hands behind his back, feet together. He's floating in the air, probably a spell. He can smell blood. My own? He doesn't remember being hit. He can't describe the place very well, but it's dark. Dark and hot. He perceives that his dress shirt is open, hanging on his frame. His chest stings from cuts that he slowly begins to notice. It's like everything is falling into place little by little.
I think I was drugged.
The Burrow
Hermione
"What?" Her head spins around the place searching for Harry. He's nowhere. Lily starts crying and Laura hugs her tighter.
"DAD?" Lily shouts. "DAD!" She cries harder. Hermione is holding back her own tears. "Where's dad, mum? Where is he?" She hugs Lily.
"Draco, are you sure?" She asks.
"Yes. I saw it. I tried warning him, but it was too fast and-" He stops and sighs.
"It's okay, love." Ginny tries soothing him, Dominic in her arms. But Draco loses it.
"It's not! Don't you understand? Harry is highly trained! And they took him and-"
"Draco!" Hermione cuts him. Laura and Lily's scared faces and sobs are putting her on the edge. Jack is there, by her side.
"Auror Malfoy." He says. "We need to check if someone else was taken and understand how this happened." Jack turns his head and looks behind Hermione. "Auror Chang."
"Include me on the search and rescue." Jack nods and Cho kneels in front of Lily. "I'm bringing him back, I promise."
Hermione's retort to Cho is on the tip of her tongue, but Molly is faster:
"I sent everyone home," Arthur and all the Weasleys are there, Luna too. "Hermione, we can take care of them while you-"
"NO!" Laura shouts. "I want to be with mum!"
"Me too!" Lily says.
She wants to be with them too but, right now, finding Harry is priority. "Girls," She takes their hands. "You'll be safe with Molly and Arthur, okay? I need to see what I can do to bring dad back and as soon as I find him, we'll come to you." She kisses them. "Everything is going to be fine." She wants to believe these little lies she's telling them, she needs to. "Dad is fine." She swallows hard. Don't you dare disappear, Harry Potter, not now that I just got you back.
"Do you promise, mum?" Laura asks.
"I promise."
Ron comes forward. "I'll be with them all the time, Hermione, don't worry." Luna nods behind him, already leading Dominic inside. The girls go with them to the house, not before hugging their mother again and making her promise that everything is fine.
Hermione is left outside with Jack, Draco, Cho and Ginny.
Unknown place
Harry
His muscles are soft and he feels strange, as if a part of him is missing, as if something… like the air he breathes is thicker, odd, unfamiliar. He tries wandless magic to release himself. Nothing happens.
Then he hears a scream. A high pitched scream that usually belongs to children. Harry widens his eyes in a foolish attempt to enhance his sight and improve his hearing. Another scream. He shakes himself, trying to release his hands from whatever that is holding them together, nothing happens. Another scream. He forces his legs down to the floor, putting all his strength into it but still incapable of moving even an inch. Now he's the one screaming.
He tries again. Nothing. He breathes heavily, the effort draining him. He coughs and spits blood. He can't believe he let himself get caught so easily. His thoughts keep going back to Hermione and the girls. They're fine. They didn't get to them. He's convincing himself.
Another scream, louder, and then the word 'DAD' echoes in the room.
"LILY! LILY!" He tries again to free himself.
"I wouldn't even try if I were you." A voice says by his side. His heart starts beating wildly.
"Who are you? What have you done to my daughter? LET HER GO!" He's desperate and the fact that he can't move intensifies his feeling of pure terror. His greatest fear, his worst nightmare is coming true.
"Sure, but first we need to have a little talk."
He can't recognize the voice or see its face. The room is still very dark.
"You have something that I want. A prophecy. One you took from us years ago… tsc tsc, Potter, you shouldn't have."
Harry doesn't answer, he can't hear Lily's screams anymore. He's trying to be as cold as possible, his Auror's instincts finally kicking in. I have to get out of here first. Then search the place. Then take this fucker down. He can't be sure if his daughter is really there or if it's only a way of forcing him to give up the prophecy. His heart tells him not to risk it, maybe she's there and if he doesn't give them anything she'll suffer for it. His mind on the other hand tells him she's safe, they wanted him, not them. And he has to have hope. Hope that Hermione is going to find him, come for him.
Whoever is there with him starts laughing. "Very well, I shouldn't underestimate you… but maybe a little pain can make you talk."
Harry feels the tip of something - probably a wand - entering one of his chest wounds. He grits his teeth to stop himself from screaming, he's sweating and bleeding.
"Did you know that if I cast the cruciatus with my wand inside the subject it will be a thousand times worse?"
He doesn't answer. The pain is blinding and absurd. He passes out.
The Burrow
Hermione
"I think that first we should-" She begins.
"Hermione, I'm not letting you be part of this." Jack says.
"Excuse me? Not letting me?"
"Look, I know you want to help, but this is a job for the Aurors and last time I checked you weren't one."
"Are you serious right now? The father of my daughters just disappeared and-"
"And what, Hermione?" He takes a step closer to her, his eyes emanating anger.
"Hey there, back off." Ginny comes between them, pushing Jack away from her. "I'm not an Auror either and I want to help, Harry is my friend, the same way he's Hermione's. And she saved his life more times you can count even before knowing what an Auror was. So, back off."
Jack sneers at Ginny.
"I think Head Auror Winter is right," Cho says. "Without proper training you two are only a liability."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Chang." Draco says. "Even without training they may be more capable than you."
"ENOUGH!" Hermione shouts. "I don't care who has the training or not, we're only losing time discussing unimportant things."
"You're right. But you're not helping, I forbid you." Jack says. "As Head Auror I can do that. You and Ginevra can't leave this premise until the investigation is over, that's an order that I'll pass along the Ministry, if you disobey me there will be consequences."
And he apparates away. Cho follows. Hermione is shocked. Her mouth is hanging open, she can't believe what just happened.
"What an asshole!" Ginny says. "Draco, there's nothing you can do about that?"
He sighs. "Unfortunately not. I have to go. He'll probably form a team to start the investigation. I'll keep you posted every step of the way."
He kisses Ginny and is also gone. Hermione stares at the floor. The same floor that was moments ago the stage of her dance with Harry. I had him right here, in my arms. It's almost like she can feel him with her. His warmth, his voice, his laugh. She knows he's strong and powerful, but she can't help fearing the worst.
"Hermione." Ginny is there, embracing her, crying with her. "He will be fine."
"I don't think I'll be able to-" She sobs. "Able to live if something happens to him, Ginny."
"Nothing is going to happen to him." Ginny is doing her best to soothe her.
"I can't go inside and tell the girls I am doing nothing to bring their father back. I promised them." She closes her eyes.
"Because that fiance of yours is a jerk! Look, Hermione," Ginny holds her by the shoulder. "Put yourself together. We have to think of something."
"Yes, yes, of course." She takes a few deep breaths. Clearing her mind, trying to push away the sheer disappointment with Jack and the enormous fear that is threatening to take over her. It's been a long time since she saw herself in a situation so desperate like this. "I'm sorry. I lost track of who I am for a moment there." She brushes her tears away. "This order Jack is passing on the Ministry about us is rubbish. I have the power to overrule any of his decisions, so we don't have to worry about that." Ginny widens her eyes.
"Wow, are you really his superior? And he has no idea? That's amazing."
"Yes, so that's out of the way." She waves her hand and starts walking back and forth. "I think I know who attacked us, they call themselves the 'Believers' or 'Agents', it's an extremist group."
Ginny sighs. "Do you know anything else about them? Are they based somewhere? Why are they after Harry?"
Hermione denies with her head. She's not ready to talk about the prophecy. "There should be something in the Archives at the Ministry."
"So, let's get going before-" Ginny stops, Ron and Luna are coming towards them. Hermione turns to them and before she can say anything Ron raises his hand, calming her.
"They fell asleep. I guess the adrenaline rush was too much for them, I don't know." He shrugs. "Mum and dad are watching over them and Dominic. My brothers are there too. Don't worry." She nods. "Why are you two here? Weren't you going to help?"
"Mr Fantastic Head Auror forbid us." Ginny mocks. "I want to punch him. And Cho." So do I. "But we were heading to the Ministry, maybe something there can help us-"
"I think I know how to help." Luna says and looks directly at Hermione. "Hermione, you and Harry have a connection, a magic bond. I think you can find him."
Unknown place
Harry
He jerks awake. Breathing hard. His whole body is aching, his chest is dripping blood, and his mind seems fragile. He can't remember where he is or what's going on. He can't see. Dark, it's so dark. Only the image of two little girls keeps coming back to him. I know them. I love them. Then the image of a woman. Hermione. Lily, Laura. He takes a deep breath. Everything coming back to him at once.
"Impressive." Someone says. "I was afraid that much of the cruciatus might kill you."
Harry grunts.
"If the physical pain is not enough for you to talk, maybe we can try some Legilimency, what do you think?"
A chill runs down his spine. He's an excellent legilimens and occlumens, but right now he fears he might be too weak to protect his mind. I have to. He prepares himself.
It terrifies him when he feels someone trying to intrude his mind walls. He grits his teeth, holding on to the memory of the most important thing in his life, the ones he must protect. Their names his mantra. Hermione, Lily, Laura.
He's deaf for a moment and when he can hear again, it's the laugh of his torturer that invades his mind. "Such an effort. There's not much you can hide from us, Harry Potter. We know everything about you. About your daughters, about Hermione."
"If you-" He gasps. "If you touch any of them, I'll kill you."
"Apparently you're also willing to die here to protect them."
Harry looks up, trying to see the person that is talking to him. He can't. "You bet."
"Where's the prophecy?" Harry closes his mouth even tighter. "Crucio!"
The Burrow
Hermione
"How?" She asks Luna. Ginny and Ron are very quiet, just watching the two of them.
"In exactly what way this connection between you two works?"
"We… we can feel each other's emotions, clearly, as if our own. And-" Ron and Ginny have incredulous looks on their faces. "And we can talk inside each other's heads."
"That explains a lot." Ron says.
"But it-" Should I tell them? Why not? "It only began after the first time we had sex."
Luna seems stunned. "Hermione, you have to try it. Have you two ever talked inside each other's head from long distances?"
"No, no… we never really found out anything about this connection, so we were a little afraid of pushing it and- I don't know." She sighs.
"This is rare, very rare." Luna's voice is dreamy. "Try thinking about him, thinking about the connection between you two, about what it means, about how it was born. About how it is part of both of you. Try talking to him."
Hermione feels unsure. But it may work and going to the Ministry right now is doing the same thing the Aurors are doing. She nods and distances herself from them, sitting on a chair that not so long ago was part of a celebration.
"Channel your magic!" Luna shouts from afar.
She looks at her hands on her lap and her engagement ring feels inadequate. Wrong. So very wrong. She takes it off and places it on the table by her side. She closes her eyes.
You can do this, Hermione. You can do this. She shuts down everything around her. She can't hear, can't see, can't feel anything but Harry. The way he says her name, the way he held her the first time they made love and every time after that, the pure joy they felt when the girls were born, the easy happiness of being around him. Their pure and innocent friendship. All they went through together. The way she feels safe with him, the way he's an amazing father, the way he's ready to die for them. The way he did die. The way he dared put their friendship on the line to live their love. Where are you, my love?
The magic around her becomes wild, if she opened her eyes she would see tables and chairs around her floating. Ron, Ginny and Luna's shocked faces. Her mind eye sees a thread, a red thread. Our connection. She follows it. She can't feel him yet, but she tries talking to him. "Harry, are you there? Harry! Harry!"
No answer. But she keeps following the thread. And just like the air changing directions, something changes inside her and she knows she's getting closer to him.
She can sense his magic.
Sense him.
He's in pain.
Excruciating pain.
She screams.
She can feel it too.
Unknown place
Harry
He's drowning. He's burning up. He's suffocating. He's breaking in half. His head might explode. His veins on the edge of holding his blood. He screams and screams. His throat hurts. He can't feel his hands anymore, he can't feel his legs. He can't feel himself. He's not there anymore. It's like all of him is gone.
Who am I?
Suddenly the pain is not that strong anymore, not that unbearable, he can breathe a little, can feel his heart beating. His mind is a mess. Images of places and people keep going back to him, but none of it makes sense. He can't recognize them, can't make a connection between the image and what it represents to him.
The pain is receding. A voice inside his head keeps calling "Harry! Harry!". Who's Harry?
It's like someone is getting closer to him. A sensation of pure bliss and warmth involves him. The presence is a balm. He feels a little better. He's not drowning anymore, not breaking in half. He can feel his body. It hurts, it all hurts so much. "Harry" he knows this voice. He'd heard it before. In a dream. A beautiful dream. A perfect dream. "Talk to me".
"Who am I?"
"Harry, you're my Harry."
"Your Harry? Who are you?"
"Hermione."
The name means something to him. He knows it does. His heart, his soul, they know it. "My Hermione?"
"Yes, yours."
If he could he would smile.
"Don't you know who I am?"
"I-"
But her presence is gone. His Hermione is gone and the pain is excruciating again. He's not even sure if he still can scream.
The Burrow
Hermione
"NO!" She yells.
"Hermione! Are you okay?" Ron is asking her. Ginny and Luna behind him, worried faces. She's hurting all over.
"I was there, with him. They're torturing him." She feels desperate, her tears falling freely.
"You were screaming, in pain-" Ginny begins.
"She was sharing the pain with him." Luna says. "They're like one divided in two."
"I have to go back to him. He's losing his mind." She gets up and presses her palms against her eyes. "He didn't know he was Harry, he didn't know who I was."
"But isn't it risky for you to try to reach him again? What if something goes wrong in your connection or-" Ron says.
"I DON'T CARE! I have to try! He needs me." She feels weak, her muscles sore. The only time she was ever under the cruciatus was because of Bellatrix. She feels dizzy from the intensity of it. Harry.
"Okay, we'll be here with you." Ginny says.
Hermione nods and sits down again. Her whole being concentrating on finding Harry again, before it's too late.
Unknown place
Harry
"Stop." Someone says. "We need him in his right mind or else we won't get anything."
The pain immediately stops. But it's worse. Waves of shock invade his body, he's cramping all over.
"Let's leave him for a while, maybe he'll see that there's no sense in resisting us."
Silence. He's hurting. It's hard to breathe. He's sure he never felt something like that before. His mind is empty, his last straw of strength is focused on surviving second by second.
Slowly he achieves a normal rhythm of breathing. There's blood in his mouth. He spits it. Where am I? What's happening to me? He tries moving his body, but nothing happens. There's just pain. He's drained. Maybe I should rest a bit, close my eyes and-
"Harry."
I know this voice.
"Listen to me, Harry. Can you tell me where you are? Can you see anything around you?"
"Dark. It's so dark. And cold."
"Is someone there with you?"
"I- there was, I think? I'm alone. All alone."
"Do they want anything?"
"I don't know. Hermione. You're Hermione."
"Yes, it's me-"
"I'm so tired. It's so difficult to- to stay awake."
"Harry. Stay with me. Keep talking to me."
"I'll try. I like your voice. You have such a beautiful voice."
But he already feels himself slipping away. His head throbbing and his heart beating slowly-
"HARRY!"
He wants to answer, wants to talk to her. He likes her presence, he likes that even in this terrible moment she's there, so close. It's sad I can't even say a proper goodbye.
Suddenly he opens his eyes, a rush of adrenaline running through him. He gasps. Logical thought coming back to him. He knows who he is. He knows what's going on. He knows Hermione.
His magic feels right again. He feels stronger. But she's not there anymore. What have you done, Hermione?
The Burrow
Hermione
"Hermione, Hermione." Someone is tapping her cheek, lightly. She opens her eyes. She's laying on the floor. Ron is calling her. "You fainted. What happened?"
He helps her sit. She's dizzy and weak. "Harry-" Her voice is barely audible. "I think he was dying. I could barely feel him, feel his magic and- I didn't know what to do. I- I just thought about what Luna said, about our magic bond and I tried…"
"You gave him some of your magic." Luna says.
Hermione nods. "I guess so. I don't even know if it worked." She sighs. "I feel exhausted."
"Did you find out where he is?" Ginny asks.
She shakes her head. "I need to go back to him."
"Hermione, you have to think for a moment, it's not smart for you to exert yourself-"
Draco apparates in front of them, stopping Ron's words.
"We might have a location." He looks at Hermione. "What happened?"
"I'll explain later," Ginny says. "What location? Are you going?"
"Yes, of course. It's an isolated house, not so far from here. But there's something else I came here to tell you. Head Auror Jerk doesn't know I'm here." He looks around and returns his attention to them. "I was trying to understand how those hooded figures got inside, I mean, there's a lot of protection guarding the Burrow, but they waltzed in here like they owned the place. I was alone, so no one knows about what I found out yet and I intend to keep it that way. At least for now. Will it be a problem for you, Hermione? Keeping this between us? Since Jack is your fiance." The obvious question in his eyes. Are you taking his side or ours?
She doesn't even blink. "It won't. What did you find out?"
Draco nods. "Someone from inside allowed them in. Someone who knows all the wards very well."
"Don't you dare accuse my family, Malfoy." Ron says.
"Of course not!" Draco's reaction is fast. "I would never." He sighs. "I analyzed every spell around the house and checked the last time they were cast-"
"Jack." Hermione interrupts. Her mind reeling. "Months ago he told Molly that the wards were fragile, that he knew a few stronger spells. He volunteered to do it." She understands what she's saying but can't fully comprehend her words. This is a nightmare.
Draco nods and continues. "Exactly. I don't want to jump to conclusions-"
"Oh, but I think we should, don't you? He feels threatened by Harry, he wants him gone!" Ginny says.
"Ginny." Hermione warns her friend.
"What? Are you still going to defend him?" Ginny's voice is getting higher and higher. Draco puts an arm around her shoulders. "What he did put ours children's lives in danger, Hermione! Harry can be dead now because of it!"
Hermione gets up, she's feeling better, her body and mind don't hurt so much anymore. "IF he did it. We can't be sure, Ginny!" Ginny scoffs. "I know how it looks, but I have to give him the benefit of the doubt! It's the least I can do. Wouldn't you do the same? Didn't you do it with your own husband?" She regrets saying it, but to her surprise it seems to work.
Ginny sighs and mumbles "Fine." But her eyes are drilling holes into Hermione.
"Listen," Draco begins, "I don't know who did it. Everything points to Jack, but Hermione is right, we have to investigate it further. For now, the best I can do is not tell him that I know this." They all agree. "I took out my memory of the moment of the attack and watched it over and over again. They did it in a very clean way. Their ultimate goal was to capture Harry. Four of them took him, my bet is the rest was just a diversion, they didn't effectively hurt anyone."
"Give me the location." Hermione says.
"Hermione, you shouldn't-" Ron begins.
"She should. Her connection to Harry can be helpful if he's really there." Luna cuts in.
Draco stares at Hermione. "You know that if I give you this, Jack is going to, in the best case scenario, fire me."
"I'll deal with him later. Give me the location. I'm going."
Unknown place
Harry
He's been alone for a long time, or at least it seems so, he can't be sure. Hermione really helped him. He can concentrate on the facts. They want the prophecy. What changes if they have it? He keeps pondering about that. Why do they want it? Only him, Hermione and probably the girls can hear what it says… and the wicked one, maybe? According to Luna there's no way of changing destiny… then it strikes him. But if I stay away from Hermione there's no way of the prophecy fulfilling itself. Because that was their conclusion, right? The four of them in the same city, but not as family, not really together. Deciding to not be together isn't destiny, it's our choice. The thought messes with his head. He can't comprehend it fully. One thing seems opposite to the other.
He shakes his head as he tries to concentrate on his magic. I need to get out of here. He doesn't feel as drugged as he felt when he first opened his eyes and realized he was there. He's not being tortured either, so is the perfect time to free myself. His body is still floating in the air, his hands and feet tied together. His blood keeps dripping on the floor. He can't recognize what is holding him in place but he had training for this… him and Draco, actually. They always talked about the Auror training and how they thought it lacking, so they went out on their own to perfect their minds, bodies and magic.
One in particular was the most intense and satisfying training of his life. They took a week off from work, Ginny took care of the kids and when it was over he felt like another person. Strong. Ready for everything. Capable of anything. Aware of his magic and its power. They kept this a secret from everyone else.
But he can remember it clearly: both him and Draco only in their underwears in extreme conditions, being pushed to their limits, forbidden to use a wand. The isolated and elderly witch that was their mentor - Marga - yelling at them, throwing spells at them all the time, demanding that they focused on what was inside them, on their magic. She taught them how to channel it and use it with their body strength, use it with not only with their intelligence but with their instincts, with their needs, with their emotions. 'It's all the same thing' she used to say, 'if you can perceive the magic, you can do anything with it'. On their first day Harry laughed and said that she was mental. On the second he was sure she knew the secret of life. He learned how to get in touch with the spells and charms in a way that was totally conscious, thought through. 'You are all lazy nowadays. But the magic is there for a reason, get in touch with it and you can manipulate anything at your will… even someone else's magic'.
Okay, Marga, here we go.
Breathing deeply he concentrates. During his training he discovered that magic emanates some kind of peculiar waves. Waves that can be sensed if you know what you're looking for. And now he can sense everything. His own magic - that's very damaged and weak because of how his body and soul were tortured - the magic Hermione gave him, traces of the curse that was cast on him, and traces of the spell that is tying him up.
I know this spell. If I could just- He knows it won't be easy. He knows that after releasing himself he has to get out of this place, and there's at least two other wizards out there. And I don't have my wand. Okay, one thing at a time. Using the magic Hermione gave him - thank you, love - he focus on a counter spell and-
He falls, hitting the floor with a thud. OUCH. But he's free. He has to move fast.
Ministry of Magic, Hermione's office
She's wearing one of the Aurors uniform that she 'borrowed' from the department, ready to go. Jack can't know immediately that she's there, she doesn't want to argue with him, in fact, she can barely think about him right now.
A memo from Draco warns her. They're ready to go.
She takes a deep breath.
I'm going, Harry.