Chapter 9
a plot revealed
The first thing that Sirius became aware of was the pain. Hot, blinding pain that lanced from the back of his head to the base of his spine. Waves of nausea ebbed and flowed with the pounding in his skull and, out of reflex, he lifted his hands to cradle his aching head. It was then that he realized the second thing since fighting his way back to semiconsciousness; his hands wouldn't work. With a strength he would not have thought possible, Sirius forced himself into full wakefulness and, ignoring the spots dancing around his vision, took in his circumstances.
A small windowless room, barely lit by a dim lightbulb hanging from the ceiling gave him the first inkling that he might be in serious trouble. That, coupled with the fact that his hands were manacled above his head, made him certain of it. A further look revealed that his feet were chained as was his waist, a solid band of metal fettering him to the damp wall against which he sat.
*Glynnis,* he tried to send. The pain of just that small effort threatened to send him back into blackness. He swallowed the overwhelming urge to vomit and took several deep breaths. *Glynnis* Sirius tried again. He thought that he may have heard a faint answer echoing in his mind but it was drowned out by the sound of the room's only opening, the door, loudly squealing open. The high pitched wail of rusty, unused hinges was enough to make him wish he was still unconscious, so great was the pain the sound caused. Sirius could only close his eyes and wait for the rushing waves of agony to recede. When it did, he squinted open his eyes and looked up.
"Ah, you're awake. I thought I'd hit you a little too hard there for a while. Not that it mattered."
Sirius stared at the young wizard in front of him. Tall and lanky, his mud brown eyes glinted green in the pale light. Eyes that showed no hint of humanity or mercy, only hate and evil. "Who are you?" The question formed in Sirius' mind and he was not aware he'd spoken he'd said it aloud until the young wizard laughed, another sound to make him wince in pain.
"A very good question. And highly appropriate for the circumstances. Wouldn't you agree?" The voice was cold, calculated words fell from his hard ugly mouth. "I'm Andrus Dakin and you are going to tell me everything you know about becoming Animagi before I kill you." Dakin's smile was cruel and pleased at the same time. Sirius found it hard to think through the pounding in his head. Still, he swallowed and asked another question. "Why?"
"Why what? Why do I want the information or why am I going to kill you?" Sirius didn't reply. He didn't have to. Dakin shrugged and continued before Sirius could have spoken. "I want the information because I believe it would be extremely useful to have it. I know. I know. Why don't I just look it up? Well, truth be told, I've always hated studying. I'd rather have the information handed to me, as you will do. Why kill you? Well, that should be obvious. I don't want you interfering with the plans I have for your godson."
"Harry?" The name left Sirius' mouth before he could stop it. "What have you done to him! If you've hurt him..." Sirius surged against his chains and stopped short when the pain threatened to overwhelm him. He closed his eyes and fought for control as Dakin's laughter echoed off the walls.
"'If I've hurt him' what? What will you do? Turn into a dog and bite me? Hah! Even if you did transform you'd still be chained. I'll make sure of that." With a wave of the wand he'd pulled from his robes, a stiff, iron collar appeared around Sirius' neck, tight enough to choke him. Dakin watched him fight for breath for a few seconds, then loosened the collar's grip with another wave of his wand. "See what I mean?" he asked cruelly, obviously enjoying himself. "You are at my mercy, Black, and I assure you, I have none."
"What do you want with Harry?" Black spit out when he could breathe again. "He's just a boy. What's he to you?"
"To me? Nothing. To Voldemort, everything. You see Harry will be my ticket into Voldemort's camp. And once I'm there, I'm going to kill Voldemort and the world will see who's really the most powerful wizard of all."
Sirius stared at the young man before him. Looked into his eyes and saw the hate and contempt that lay simmering beneath the surface. "You're mad," he whispered.
Dakin laughed again. Loud. Long. "Mad? You Brits are so archaic. Why don't you just say crazy." Dakin shrugged again. "Whatever. But you know what?" He leaned in close to Sirius' face, his face a whisper of breath against Sirius' cheek. "You might think I'm crazy but I'm not mad. Mad is what you're gonna be when you sit bound and helpless while Harry Potter dies." Dakin laughed again. His glee bounced shrilly off the walls as he opened the door and echoed through the wooden partition as he left whatever place this was.
Sirius lay his head back against the damp stone behind him. *Glynnis* he sent with all the strength he could muster *help me* And then there was nothing but blackness.
*********************
"Are we there?" Hermione's voice was muffled and barely audible under the invisibility cloak she wore.
"Almost." Harry whispered, hoping she could hear him.
In the hour they'd had available to them, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Glynnis, Attivus, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley planned out what they were going to do. When the owl came, one hour after the first, they were as ready as they could be. So it was that Harry and his two friends found themselves in a rundown part of outer London in the fog, with no idea of what lay ahead.
"Someone's coming," Harry whispered again, as a shadow formed in the wispy barrier ahead.
"You 'arry Potter?" said the shade, for that's what it looked like in the dark, dim street.
"Yes," Harry replied, surprised at how steady his voice was.
"Come with me. I've been instructed to bring you around to the front door."
Harry followed the shadowy figure, hoping that Ron and Hermione were following him. In a moment's time, they were standing before a dilapidated old factory building.
the ragged sign proclaimed.
"Here ya be," spoke the shade. "This's as far as I'm takin' ya."
"Wait!" Harry cried. "Aren't you the one I'm supposed to see?"
Harry wasn't sure, but he thought the shade shook it's head. "I got me five pounds to bring ya to this doorway." And the shade was gone, faded into the fog as if he'd never been.
"Do I knock or just go in?" Harry wondered aloud.
"Go in."
"Knock."
Harry sighed and Ron and Hermione pulled the cloaks aside long enough to exchange exasperated glances at each other.
"Right then." Harry took a deep breath and opened the door. He stepped inside and looked around, as if to find his way, leaving the door open so that Ron and Hermione might enter behind him. When enough time had passed for them to enter, he shut the door and pulled out his wand. "Lumos," he muttered. A soft light spilled forth from his wand, illuminating the darkness around him. Just as quickly as the light flickered to life, it went out again when Harry cried out in horror and dropped it. His heart beat like freight train in his chest and his breathing came in short gasps.
"What?!" demanded Hermione in a fierce whisper, fear evident in her voice.
"Bodies. Everywhere. Chopped up." Harry spit out the words.
A very dim glow appeared behind him as Hermione's curiousity got the better of her and she lit her wand. She gasped at the sight before her. Arms, legs, hands, and heads lay scattered about the floor and lay heaped upon tables. She could understand what frightened Harry so. "Mannequins," she breathed. "They're mannequins, Harry."
Harry picked up his wand in the faint light coming from hers and illuminated it again. This time he got a better look and realized that he was indeed, looking at the pieces of hundreds of mannequins, strewn from corner to corner of the large room. He took a deep gulping breath and waited a moment for his heart to stop racing. "I see it now," he whispered. "I guess I overreacted a bit. But when I first saw them..." A noise from the darkened interior before him cut him off. A shadow appeared on the wall to his left as a streetlight outside flickered to life and dim light bled through a dirty window.
Someone was coming.
*********************
Glynnis stood by the parlor window, and watched as the Christmas lights reflected off the fog, creating a cocoon of warm light around the house. She'd not spoken since Harry, Hermione and Ron had left, staying silent in case they called out to her. Not that silence mattered. She'd hear them through a raging thunderstorm. No, the silence simply made it easier for her to keep her mind blank and she wanted it blank. She didn't want to contemplate all the things that could go wrong tonight. Still, there had been no visions. No sudden feelings of doom or dread, which was a good thing. Somehow, that calmed her. If something terrible was going to happen, she felt fairly certain she would have known about it by now.
The silence was broken as Glynnis gasped. A slight tingle began in the back of her mind and was working it's way through her senses.
"Glynnis. What is it?" Attivus asked, coming forward from his place by the fire. Glynnis waved a hand at him. He stilled and waited. "It's Sirius," she said quietly a long moment later. "I can feel him again."
No one spoke. Molly, Arthur and Attivus all moved as one closer to her but no one said a word, afraid to break whatever contact she'd established. Suddenly, Glynnis reached out her hand and grasped Attivus' tightly, her fingers almost crushing his. "He's in great pain! His head! It hurts so much it's making him ill." Attivus listened carefully, his face troubled. Again Glynnis fell silent. Another gasp and her face paled. "It's gone again. Oh, Attivus, he's gone again! He asked me to help him then he just disappeared." She turned to him, tears forming in her eyes.
Attivus patted her arm. "I'll be right there when they find him, Glynnis. Don't you worry, I'll make him right as rain."
She straightened abruptly, her worries about her husband dismissed for the moment. "It's Hermione," she announced. "They're being led somewhere." After another moment of listening, she turned to Mr. Weasley. "I know where you have to go."
******************
"Harry Potter." It was a statement, not a question. "I'm honored to actually meet you in person." The voice dripped sarcasm as the shadow came closer. "I'm Andrus Dakin." Harry's wand flew out of his hand, the light winking out abruptly. "Just a precaution, you understand, of course."
Harry only stared at the man before him. "Where's Sirius?" he demanded. "You promised to release him when I got here and I'm here."
"Of course, of course. If you'll follow me." The wizard turned and retreated back into the shadows. Harry had no choice but to follow, knowing that Hermione and Ron were right behind him. In the dark of the far corner, a looming doorway and a deeper shadow indicated a stairway.
"I can't see," Harry called to Dakin whom he could barely see ahead of him.
"My apologies," said Dakin and instantly the stairwell was suffused with a dull, yellow light. Harry headed for the opening and felt a slight shock go through him. He stood, paralyzed for a moment with fear while the shocks continued to course through his body.
"What the...!?" he cried.
"Oh, just a little something to discourage any of your wizard friends from following you," Dakin said with a sly smile. "It's a detector of sorts. No one with a full wizards' power can pass it. If they did, well, let's just say that the fourth of July would come late this year."
Harry waited a moment, trying to look as if he was thinking about that statement while he was, in fact, waiting for Ron's signal that he and Hermione had passed through the barrier. A brush against his foot and he knew they were clear. He stepped out of the force field and onto the top step.
"What do you want me for?" Harry's plan had been to keep up a conversation as long as he was able, to hide any footfalls that his friends might inadvertently make.
"Ah!" Lucky for him, Dakin seemed willing to talk for the moment. "Well, I thought perhaps you could give me some insight on how to defeat Voldemort."
Harry's heart lurched in his chest. "Voldemort?" he asked casually. "I don't know anything about defeating him."
Dakin's laugh carried up from below. "I think you know more than you let on, Harry. Do you mind if I call you Harry? It's just a matter of unlocking the secret for you."
"Why take Sirius? Why didn't you just ask me?" Harry wanted to know as they continued to descend.
"Let's just say that I didn't think they would have let you come. Not without reason. As it is, I'm surprised to see you. I didn't think the Muggle woman would let you go. But then again, maybe you don't mean as much to her as her lover."
Harry didn't comment. He knew that his silence would work just as well as any denial. Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs. The cellar was dark and dank. Harry could feel the moisture in the air, hear condensation dripping off the walls.
"Sorry about the accommodations. It's so hard to find good places to stay these days." For some reason, this amused Dakin and he chuckled to himself as he led the way deeper and deeper into the dark labyrinth of the subbasement.