And When The Dawn Begins

Part 10 - What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger, well, it could leave you horribly mutilated, but that's not the point, eh?

"Professor – you can't just leave him with them – we need to rescue him!"

"I know that Miss Granger, but we cannot rush things, this is a very serious situation."

"SERIOUS – Harry is being held captive by the dark lord! Of course it's serious!"

"Herm, calm down, shouting does no good.."

"Quite, Mr Weasley, but your friend does have a point. We cannot leave Harry where he is,"

Hermione snorted in annoyance, whilst Ron stared, unable to believe his friend had just snorted at the headmaster.

**

Harry smiled inside at his thoughts. I tricked Voldemort. I t worked! Now, all I have to do is get out of this god-forsaken..

"Congratulations, Potter, how does it feel to have finally joined the side of great power?"

"I have not, and will not, ever join you! You forced me to do that!"

Harry glared at his captor, hands still trembling slightly from the severe pain of the Cruciatus curse.

"We shall see, Potter, we shall see."

A slight grin formed on the serpentine man's face, his red eyes glowing like flames.

"Perhaps you would like to see the latest additions to my army, I hear you get along with them very well,"

He turned to the members of his followers that remained in the room, bidding them to move forward.

Harry felt the all too familiar feeling of cold dread washing over him.

Dementors

He desperately tried to block out the screams registering in his mind, concentrating on keeping his head clear,

"Yes, we shall see."

And the laughter rang down the corridors, echoing throughout the stony walls of the castle. Harry twisted, trying to escape the icy grip the Dementors held on him. Trying in vein to run out of the hell, rapidly losing the battle against his own memories, finally falling to the darkness of his own past, unaware as he was dragged from the room, and returned to his cell.

**

"Harry?"

"Don't bother Addie, he can't hear anything!"

"I'll decide when to give up, thank you."

"Well it's obvious – he can't even stand."

"DO YOU TWO ACTUALLY AGREE ON ANYTHING!??"

"Sorry,"

"No, I'm sorry."

"I'm more sorry than you!"

"Me!"

Ellie rolled her eyes in disgust, and then turned her attention to the boy curled up on the floor. His hair in a dishevelled state, his eyes shut, he sat rocking back and forth on the spot. He shook her head, and flew down, gently placing a hand on his neck, checking his pulse. Sighing as she found it to be highly erratic, she flew back to her sisters, who were still 'debating' as to who was more sorry.

"Look, guys, I know you love arguing so very, very much. But could we please focus for just a little while?"

"Why?"

Ellie frowned.

"Ohhhh – right, sorry."

"Why is he like that?" Adelina whispered.

"The evil ones – stood outside – they take away happiness, he has nothing left but fear and cold."

Adelina whimpered, and then went over, patting Harry on the head like a small dog.

"We have to do something, Ellie, we can't stand by him in this state,"

"I know, Gina, but what can we do? Nobody can see us. Harry's the first human we've spoken to in years."

Adelina looked up from her position next to Harry.

"Ell-"

"What are the chances that we'll find someone else around who can hear us?"

"Eugin-"

"Not likely, but we should at least try,"

"Guys!"

"But what can we do?"

"I dunno - you're the one who usually has bright ideas."

"WILL YOU TWO LISTEN!"

The two girls span around to stare in shock at their fuming sister.

"Right. Albus Dumbledore, he can see us - remember mum telling us about the great wizard who saved her and dad from the beast?"

"Yeah - but how do we know where he is?"

"God, don't you two ever listen to mum and dad?"

"They're our parents, why would we?"

"Fine, anyway, he's headmaster at Hogwarts -you know - that big school in a castle across the woods?"

"I can go and tell him! He's bound to know who Harry is, and he can come and help!"

"No, I'll go Gina, I'm eldest."

"Fine. You go. You get to have all the fun."

"No she doesn't, don't say that!"

"Yes she does!"

"Doesn't,"

"Does,"

"Doesn't."

Ellie shrugged her shoulders as her two siblings returned to their normal behaviour pattern after a whole 2 minutes of peace. She was leaving anyway. Flying out of the window, she sped quickly over the forest, shivering as she heard howls coming from within its dark, murky depths, speeding up to leave the area as quickly as possible.

**

"Sirius, I know you want to find Harry, but be reasonable. You can't just march off with absolutely no idea where he is!"

"Arabella, I know, but I have to do something, I cannot just sit around here wondering what could be done, I have to do something!"

Sirius Black ran a hand through his already tousled hair, sighing heavily before leaning against the wall of the headmaster's office. Arabella Figg stood silently next to him, watching as his eyes stared blankly forward, wondering what turmoil was spreading through his mind. She glanced at the headmaster, who for perhaps the thousandth time that day, was looking through a book, eyes concentrating deeply on the fine text. The room itself seemed to be aware of the situation, and was filled with a silent atmosphere, allowing thoughts to easily thread through its occupants minds.

The headmaster himself was growing more uncharacteristically frustrated with every book he started and finished. Nothing helped, they had no clue where Harry could be hidden, and no way of trying to help him. Yet, everyday they left him in Voldemort's grasp, the hope for the light side grew dimmer, as the students began to fear that, after the great hope given by Harry being seen alive earlier, it would all come to nothing.

He sighed silently, wishing again that he had done something, anything to protect Harry better. Looking out of the window, he frowned at the light speeding towards his window, and drew his wand carefully from within his robes. Sirius and Arabella turned to look at what the aged wizard was looking so inquisitively at, but found him to be staring, oddly enough, at an empty sky.

"Are you Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school?" The light asked in a rushed voice.

"I am."

The two onlookers started as they heard the usually sane man talking to himself.

"Who's he talking to?"

"I have no idea."

"Er - Albus? What's going on?"

"Oh, right - it's just a fairy, Arabella, nothing to be alarmed about," he said calmly. Now, my dear, what is it i can do for you?"

The tiny fairy flapped her wings excitedly, and drew a deep breath.

" Sir, it's Harry Potter, sir, we need your help, he is being held captive, and he can't wake up, and they're hurting him, badly, and we can't do anything, me and my sisters, but we knew that you could see us, cos Harry can too, we helped him escape last time, but you need to come and help him, the dark one has him in the castle across the forest, but you can't see it, but it is there and -"

"Okay my child, now, calm down." Dumbledore smiled as the fairy stopped hovering and landed on his desk. "How did you and your sisters know I could help?"

The fairy blushed. "Actually, it was my sister who remembered. You saved our parents a long time ago, and they told us about you."

"Ah yes, Paige and Bryant, of course, I see the resemblance now. Where is it they are holding Mr Potter?"

Sirius stepped forward quickly.

"They know where Harry is? Where - we have to go!"

"They are holding him in the castle across the woods, but you cannot see it, it is invisible to anyone who does not know where it is."

Dumbledore repeated this to Sirius. The fairy, Ellie, curtsied towards the headmaster,

"Please, bring help sir, but now i must return, my sisters will be worried."

"Thank you dear, we will be there as soon as we can."

The light flew out of the window, flittering quickly over the forest. Albus turned towards his companions, to find that they were no longer standing in the room. He heard shouting from beyond the room, and rushed in the direction they were coming from.

**

"Sirius, you cannot just rush off by yourself, be reasonable, please," Arabella cried desperately.

"I cannot, and will not stand around doing nothing when I know where Harry is, I let him down enough times Arabella, but not this time, nothing can stop me, I'm going."

He marched onwards, pulling his cloak around his neck.

"Sirius, stop."

Sirius pushed his hair from his eyes, and looked up at the headmaster, stood in his path. Looking into those electric blue eyes, he suddenly had the feeling he was 11 again, stood under the watchful eye of a powerful headmaster. He hadn't obeyed the teachers then though, and he wasn't going to start now.

"Sirius, I know you want to help Harry, but you cannot just rush into this. Calm down, and come and talk about this rationally."

"No, Albus, I am going, and I am going now."

And with that, the cloaked figure marched out of the school, unable to hear the shouts from those behind him. Or, perhaps as a wise woman once said, "there an none so deaf as those who do not wish to hear."

**

It was a while before Black managed to cross the forest, as, with no wand, he had to use a broomstick, being unable to apparate. When he finally did so, he looked at the wide space that seemed t be bathed in shadow. Trying to find a door, he wandered around, but finding nothing, sat down on a rock thinking hard. Hearing a twig snap, he span around quickly, but upon seeing no-one, returned to his previous state of mind.

"Are you sure that's him?"

"Certain, he was on the news,"

"Well, the master should appreciate this capture."

Perhaps If Sirius had heard this passing of words, he would have been more wary. Perhaps he would have seen the figures emerging from the woods, and perhaps he would have been able to prevent his hands being tied behind his back, and a blindfold being placed on his eyes.

**

Lucius Malfoy shivered as the Dementors left their post outside Potter's cell. Even as a death eater, he felt the effect of those things. He looked in the cell, and saw the boys brilliant green eyes focus slightly, blinking as he took in his surroundings. He was pale and drawn, obviously the Dementors were having the desired effect. The boy grew weaker. He opened the cell, and smirked at the way Potter struggled to his feet, determined to stand up, even in this great darkness. He moved forward and made to grab the boy, but once he had a stronghold, he found the boy squirmed dreadfully, making it as hard as possible for him to be dragged away. Letting go, he snarled Crucio at him, and watched with glee as Potter's face creased with pain. He finally raised his wand, and once again made to restrain Harry, only to be bitten on the arm.

"You little Bastard! Crucio.."

Finally, Harry was dragged, still kicking and shouting in protest, into the throne room. Malfoy turned him around, punched him in the face, and then pushed him down, face first in the mud. His hands, still tied together, were checked, and then a foot, presumably Malfoy's was placed firmly on his back.

"Well hello again Harry, we have a surprise for you today, and quite a pleasant one I'm sure. Presenting, Mr Sirius Black!"

Harry paled, and looked over to the entrance, through which Sirius was dragged, kicking and struggling even more than Harry had been doing so. He was forced down into the mud next to Harry, Pettigrew standing with one foot on his back. Sirius snarled at his old friend, and then turned to look at Harry. He frowned as he saw the state Harry was in, black eye, bloody lip, pale face, but still with a bright grin.

"Hiya Sirius, long time no see."

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as he was raised up from the ground and forced to face the red-eyed man sat on the throne. Voldemort glanced towards him, and then at Harry.

"So Potter, this is the last person you'll ever call 'family', a bit sad really, I suppose,"

Sirius suddenly looked like he had though of something.

"No, Harry, Dumbledore is-"

The Dark Lord growled in anger, and cast the Cruciatus curse on Black, stopping him mid-sentence. Harry cringed as Sirius cried out in pain, falling to his knees.

"This is your fault, Potter, you caused this. Are you happy?"

Harry felt a deep rage surging through him, frantically trying to release itself. Suddenly, Voldemort flew back against the wall of the room, and everything in the chamber stopped. The Death Eaters looked from one face to another, all wondering what should be done. The silence, however, was broken, as and eerie laugh came from the Dark lord's direction. Harry was fuming - this amused him?

Malfoy kicked Harry hard in the back as the dark lord stood once more. Harry span over and grabbed his leg, pulling him to the floor before pouncing on him and starting a struggle. Voldemort turned on Sirius, and, as Harry watched as if in slow motion, formed the words Avada Kedavra.

The all too familiar green light sped from the end of the wand, heading straight in Sirius' direction. It was only a few metres away, when Pettigrew threw himself in its path. Black stared in horror at Peter, who, strangely enough, lay, eyes glossed over, with a wide smile on his face, his mind seemingly at peace once more.

Harry looked over at Sirius, and saw the three fairy sisters hovering around him. They were looking around madly for something, and suddenly, grabbed the wand Peter Pettigrew had in his hand, thrusting it into Sirius' hands whilst muttering something, who, before he knew what was happening, had vanished from sight. Harry smiled at his friends, glad to see Sirius away from harm. He finally turned back to his captor, his face still etched with a grin.

"No matter, Potter, he will be the next one I have you kill."

He threw the Cruciatus curse towards Harry, who, unable to take anymore pain, collapsed. Laughing hysterically, Voldemort bid Malfoy to take him away.

"And Malfoy, it is a long while since the traditional torture methods have been used, why not put them back into use? Take Mr Potter here down for special treatment."

Malfoy grinned, and dragged Harry's limp body from the room.

Disclaimer – I won nothing, JK Rowling owns all