Harry Potter and the Deathday Curse

Harry Potter and the Deathday Curse

Chapter 10 Where is Remus?

A.N. Sorry about Remus being stolen. Please review, and if you have the time, e-mail me, my address is:

Malena.r@bored.com

"Do you have any idea where the Death Eater could have taken Remus?" Dumbledore asked Sirius and James, who had arrived a few minutes after Harry did.

Sirius shook his head gloomily. James, however, looked thoughtful.

"He could be at Voldemort's fortress." James said, running a hand through his messy hair. "Unfortunately, I don't know where that is. Voldemort kept the exact location a secret, just in case someone decided to divulge the secret." James frowned. "I only know that it's on an island in the middle of the ocean."

"Like Azkaban," Dumbledore said, also frowning. Sirius scowled. "It could be Azkaban, after all, it was raided last year. All of the Dementors were taken away, and for all I know, it was probably deserted."

"But wouldn't that be sort of obvious?" Harry interrupted. "I mean, couldn't it be possible that he bewitched the windows to look like the outside is in the middle of the ocean?"

"He could," spoke up Professor Perry, stepping forward. James turned a brilliant shade of red as his eyes landed on Professor Perry. "But wouldn't the Death Eaters have to know where to Apparate?"

"Not necessarily. You see, you only have to know where you need to be, not where you want to go," Dumbledore said. "If I wasn't in Hogwarts, and I wanted to go to Diagon Alley, but I didn't know where it was, I could just think of a store in Diagon Alley or the Leaky Cauldron, and I would go there. The Death Eaters only have to know what the inside of the fortress looks like, and they would be able to get there."

"Um… Professor Dumbledore," Harry said. "I'd better go back to bed, I have classes in the morning." Professor Dumbledore bid Harry good night and Harry left.

Harry walked up the dark hallways, thinking. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the Fat Lady, who was fast asleep. He woke her up and then walked into the Gryffindor Common room. He didn't go back up to bed, instead he sat in front of the fire, watching the embers slowly extinguish.

***********

"Harry, you look terrible!" Hermione exclaimed later that morning, when everyone was at breakfast.

"Good to see you too," Harry said sarcastically, putting some oatmeal into his bowl.

"I'm serious Harry, did you sleep last night?" Hermione asked, looking at the bags under Harry's eyes, and the messy hair that he hadn't bothered to brush.

"For part of it," Harry said, starting to spoon oatmeal into his mouth. He wasn't hungry, he just knew that Hermione would start badgering him even more if he didn't eat.

"What do you mean, 'for part of it'?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"I was asleep until about 3 a.m. but I woke up and I couldn't get back to sleep after that."

"Why?" Harry just shook his head in reply and poured himself some pumpkin juice.

Hermione looked worriedly at Harry, but didn't pursue the subject.

Meanwhile, Ron was groaning in the chair next to Hermione.

"We have double potions today," He whined. "Snape's gotten even nastier after he died." (A.N. In case you didn't know, Snape was killed in Harry's fifth year by Voldie)

"Nasty is an understatement," Harry said. Snape had taken 50 points from Gryffindor just because Neville had asked Harry for some Crocodile scales. On the second week of school Dean was given a detention just because he coughed while Snape was talking!

"What were the animals that Hagrid was showing us before I had to leave a few days ago?" Harry asked.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Firbillibans," Ron said. "They ended up exploding. Hagrid didn't know that they aren't supposed to eat beans."

Hermione shivered slightly.

"What else do we have today?" Harry asked.

"Let me see…" Hermione consulted her schedule. "I have Arithmancy, so that must mean…"

"That we have Divination," Harry groaned. "Great, another afternoon of death predictions."

"I think she would have gotten along with the centaur," Ron said, buttering his toast.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors, walked down to Snape's dungeon classroom. The only light came from a few candles. After a moment or two of setting up their cauldrons, Snape floated in. His slightly transparent face scowled maliciously around the room.

"Today we will be learning about Truth Potions," Snape snarled, "We will also be learning how to make Veritaserum, a immensely complex potion. If someone in this class even attempts to wreak havoc, they will be suspended from this school." Snape started nastily around the room. Then he began to recite the ingredients to the potion while the students copied them down hurriedly.

"Evil git," Ron muttered a few minutes later, when they were adding Rat hearts to their potion. The potions hissed and steamed until they turned clear. "I can't believe that he's still teaching here."

"Now, Ron-" Hermione started, but Snape was calling, "Everyone should be finished adding the ingredients. Wait for five minutes while the Veritaserum simmers."

Everyone went and washed their hands in the freezing cold sink.

A few minutes later, Snape spoke again.

"And now we will be testing the Veritaserum."

Hermione raised her hand.

"But, Professor, the potion is only supposed to be used under strict Ministry guidelines," She cried, sounding like she had swallowed a textbook. Snape sneered and started to open his mouth again, but he was interrupted by the bell ringing. He scowled, and muttered, "Class dismissed."

Speaking of Veritaserum…

"You will tell us why you attacked us," Voldemort snarled, looking down at Lupin. Remus Lupin was tied tightly to a chair in the middle of the room. All of the Death Eaters were crowded into the room, watching anxiously. "If you won't tell us willingly, we'll make you." Lupin wasn't staring at Voldemort, on the contrary, he was staring at one of the Death Eaters. Wormtail.

"I'll never tell you anything," Lupin hissed. "Do your worst, I'll never tell."

"Oh, I think you will," said Voldemort, a smile playing on his lips. "Lucius, get the Veritaserum." Lupin's face paled. He glanced out the window, it was cloudy. He wished that it wasn't. It was supposed to be a full moon that night. Even though his transformations were painful, he might be able to escape by turning into a werewolf. He shuddered, not noticing the man coming up behind him, holding the bottle of clear liquid.

Lupin was grabbed from behind and his mouth was forced open. About three drops of the Veritaserum was dropped down his throat. He coughed and sputtered, but the potion took affect almost instantly. He got a glazed look on his face and he went silent.

"Why did you attack us?" Voldemort asked again.

"Because," Said Lupin in a flat expressionless voice. "We were trying to stop Voldemort from getting more of an edge. Sirius said that he wanted the Death Eaters to pay for torturing muggles."

"Who was doing this?" Voldemort said, starting to pace around the inside of the circle of Death Eaters.

"Me, Sirius Black, (Wormtail gave a shudder), Arabella Figg, Marvin, James, Robert Newman-"

"James who?" Asked Voldemort, looking slightly confused.

"James Potter." Lupin said, in the same blank voice.

Voldemort's red eyes widened. "James Potter? But he's dead, I killed him myself."

"That was a Duplicate," Lupin replied. "He escaped from the fortress and rejoined our side. He wants to keep it a secret. He knows you will come after him if you knew that he was still alive."

Voldemort scowled.

"Has he made contact with that Muggle-loving fool, Dumbledore, yet?" Snarled Voldemort.

"Yes, only a few days ago, Sirius, James, and I were in his office, watching as Harry was placed under the Fidelus Charm." Voldemort's eyes narrowed maliciously.

"Who is the new Secret Keeper?"

"James. Dumbledore and him agreed that it would be best for him to be Death Eater because most people believed him to be dead."

Voldemort nodded. Then he looked at Lucius.

"Throw him in one of the dungeons," He spat, "I might wish to question him later."

"Yes, m'lord," Lucius Malfoy said, taking Lupin out of his bindings. He pulled him roughly to his feet and dragged him away.

Voldemort turned toward about ten of his finest Death Eaters.

"I want you to find some people for me, and bring them here," Voldemort said.

"Yes my lord," Said the first Death Eater, bowing. "Who?"

"James and Harry Potter."

A.N. Uh, oh…

J Malena J