Chapter 6 - Of Keepers and Captives
Harry was now seeing Remus everyday. They would say hi to each other and be on their way. Andrea didn't seem to like being around Remus, but Harry didn't notice. Another article came out on how a Ms. Claria Incruim was also captured. This again caused lots of gossip around the school.
One day, Andrea came up to Harry looking weird.
"Uh, Harry," Andrea said in the common room. She had been doing her Transfiguration homework and stopped. "I wanted to ask you about something."
"About what, Andrea?" Harry replied.
"Well, it's about Remus."
"What about Remus, Andrea? He's a nice person, right?"
"Yeah, he's nice and all. It's just when I hear his thoughts, they sound strange. They sound like low growls like a dog or something. Isn't that weird?"
"No."
"NO!!! Why?"
"Because that's what I would expect."
"Expect it! Why?"
"Well, there's something you don't know about Remus. Well…he's…um…a werewolf." At that he closed his eyes to the expression of her. At not hearing a scream he opened his eyes.
"Oh," Andrea said and went back to her work. Harry hadn't expected her to take it well, yet she did. That means she didn't take it well, Harry thought. Harry soon forgot about it and was back working, too.
The week was going to be tough to go through. They were going into the first practice for the O.W.L.s, which were almost as hard. The next day they were practicing with Professor Laterwood, the new DADA Teacher. He was teaching them the most important spells to know for the O.W.L.s and then testing them on it. One of the newest spells for them was the Hackels Spell, which made the victim be considerably cold and shiver a lot. Hermione and Andrea got it on the first try when they did it to their rat. Harry got it on the second try while Ron got it on the 7th.
"7 is a lucky number, right?" Ron said when he had finally got it. Everyone but Laterwood giggled.
"Mr. Weasley, this is not a Chuckle Hut. The O.W.L.s are not that far away and it isn't a laughing matter if you fail some of the tests." The giggles quickly stopped. They tried the other spells and did pretty good. The next few days were filled with lessons from McGonagall, Binns, and; worst of all, Snape.
The end of the week brang a new Hogsmeade weekend. Sirius had done an urgent note to Harry the day before to come, so he did. He came out early again with Ron and Hermione. Then, some figures were behind them.
"Who's there?" Harry asked.
"It's me," said Andrea, coming out.
"Andrea, you have to stop doing that," Harry told her.
"Not only me," Andrea said and pulled out Draco Malfoy from around the corner of the door.
"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Ron asked.
"It's okay," Malfoy said. "I came because I care, too."
"That's sweet," Hermione said.
"Well, don't expect it often," Malfoy blurted out. "I'm just doing this because he is your godfather."
"Who is your godfather?" Andrea asked.
"Let's just say that Harry has a strange circle of friends," Ron said. Harry quickly told Andrea of Sirius. Andrea giggled when Harry was done.
"What's so funny," Harry asked her.
"Ron's right. You do have a strange circle of friends," Andrea said, "A werewolf, a half-giant, and criminal No. 1." All of them except Malfoy laughed.
"Wait a minute," Harry stated and they stopped. "A half-giant. How did you know that Hagrid was a half-giant?"
"What? You thought that Britain was the only place where half-giants live?"
"Uh…I guess." All of this just angered Malfoy.
"Could we just get this over with?" Malfoy stated. "I don't want to be seen with you by anyone."
"OK," Harry said and they went over to the Whomping Willow. He pulled the knot at the bottom of the tree and they went through the passageway and down the tunnel to an already waiting Sirius.
"Hello, everyone. We should…Harry, who is this?" Sirius asked and pointed at Andrea.
"It's Andrea. She's a transfer from America," Harry said.
"Well, we have no time for hellos. As all of you have guessed, I'm in grave danger. So, can all of you sit in a chair and listen." They all did what Sirius said and listened closely as Sirius continued.
"As you know, Voldemort is after me." Ron, Hermione and Andrea flinched at hearing his name. "He will stop at nothing to find me so I have made a decision. Since I know that Dumbledore is a keeper, too, I want to stay with him. What I want you to know is I don't want you to see me anymore."
"What!?!" Harry yelled. "Why can't I?"
"I don't want to risk Voldemort getting you, too."
"No! Fuck Voldemort! I care if you get taken. If he takes you, I will go down with you."
"That's why. That's what Voldemort will be expecting."
"I don't give a shit if Voldemort expects it or not! I care about you."
"Such a brave soul you are, Harry, but my decision is final. I just want the best for you."
"The best for me! You think that just leaving me behind is the best for me."
"Harry! You know, you keep forgetting that your parents left me in charge of you! Me to keep you safe from my own judgement. It's not that easy to be on the run and care for you," Sirius yelled at him. There was a long pause after that. Harry was the first to have the courage to speak up.
"So, that's all you had to say to me?" Harry asked.
"No, I also wanted to say good-bye," Sirius said in a softer tone. Tears started to form into Harry's eyes. Everyone else had their heads down except Malfoy.
"No! You can't leave me! I have to see you. This doesn't make any sense! Ron, Hermione, you agree with me right?" Their heads were the lowest of the others.
"It would be best for your safety," Hermione said.
"I don't wanna lose my friend to You-Know-Who," Ron said.
"Andrea, Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"I haven't been here long, but I think Sirius is right," Andrea replied. Harry then turned to Malfoy.
"Don't look at me," Malfoy said, "I don't have any say in this."
Harry gaped at everyone. "I can't believe it," Harry said. In a sudden rush, Harry bolted down the tunnel.
"Harry!" Sirius yelled, but Harry could only hear the whistling wind across his ears as he speeded down the dark, damp tunnel. He seemed to run faster than he flew on his Firebolt. At the end of the tunnel, he did not exit; he just stood there by the wall. Why does Sirius have to go, Harry kept thinking. His tears from before started to flow more frequently now, yet he tried to convince himself that he was not crying. He quickly wiped the fragile tears from his face as he heard footsteps behind him.
"Harry," Hermione said, being the first to catch up to him. "Wait up." Everyone but Sirius came up to him. Malfoy looked sort of happy to see Harry in torment trying to hide his half-smile.
"So I guess that you won't be seeing Sirius anymore, huh," Andrea said mildly
"I guess so," Harry finally replied. As they went through the passageway opening, they were surprised to see someone right in front of it.
"Snape!" said Ron. Snape had a smile on his face.
"I guess you were right, Malfoy," Snape snickered.
"Right? About what?" Harry asked.
"About finding you here, Potter," Snape said, "Good work, Malfoy."
Harry turned to Malfoy and said, "You liar. And I started to believe you."
"No, you've got it all wrong," Malfoy said, "I didn't rat on you, Potter."
"Oh, come now, Malfoy. You don't have to stick up for Potter," Snape said with a cackle, as his smile grew larger. "30 points from Gryffindor for each of you!"
"But…but…but," was all Malfoy could say as Snape dragged him into the school.
When they got to the common room, no one talked for a while. They were al overwhelmed with the problems that have come forth.
"Damn! What's with all of this," Harry finally said, "Why are all of these problems coming at us now?"
"I know," said Hermione, "I haven't answered one problem in McGonagall's class and my knowledge seems to be seeping out." Everyone looked at her funny and the silence came back. Ron next started to talk.
"I know one thing," Ron said, "We never should have trusted Malfoy."
"Yeah," they all said in unison.
"Wanna just have a walk around the school?" Andrea asked them.
"I guess," Harry said, "We have nothing else to do." So they all got up and exited the common room. They went from staircase to staircase, going up and down passages, even finding a fake wall.
"When they got up to the 3rd floor for the fourth time, they stopped to rest.
"I'm still bored," Hermione said. Then they heard voices from a room beside them.
"We have got to do this next weekend. Master is getting impatient," said one voice.
"I don't know. Do you think anyone will be expecting it," said another voice.
"There is no way anyone could expect it."
"True. And Master will lose his temper if we take much longer. You know how mad Master gets when he wants something."
"Yeah. Especially since it will give Master power over the whole wizarding world." They couldn't be talking about Voldemort, Harry thought. "He will be happy when we bring Dumbledore in." All of them knew what they were planning now, to capture Dumbledore for Voldemort. Death Eaters, Harry thought.
"Well we best be off. Next Saturday is the day we will be prized for our doings." Harry and the others gasp as they backed away from the door.
"Wait a minute. Let me get out my broom from my to make it look like we came from outside." At that, the four of them quietly ran down the hallways to get back to the common room.
"When they got back to the common room, out of breath and with scared looks on their faces, they sat by themselves near the edge of the room.
"Do you know what this means?" Ron said finally.
"Sirius is going to stay with Dumbledore," Hermione said, " And those Death Eaters are going for Dumbledore."
Sirius and Dumbledore will be captured," Harry said, getting even more scared, " I knew the idea of Sirius not seeing me was a bad idea!" After a minute, Harry said, "Come on." No one asked questions as they again left the common room. They went to an empty classroom and closed the door behind them.
"We have to save them," Harry said when the door was completely closed.
"What? Are you insane?" Hermione said, "We're only 15, how are we going to save them?"
"I don't know, but we have to."
"I'm with you, Harry," Ron said.
"I am, too," Andrea said, "Sirius seems really important to you."
"Thanks," Harry said and turned to Hermione.
"Well…uh…um," was all Hermione could say until she said, "Well…OK. I'm in." Then the door opened.
"What about me?" said a sulking Draco Malfoy.
"What do you want, Malfoy," Ron asked.
"I come in peace, Weasley."
"I didn't tell Snape!" Malfoy said, " He just saw us go! He also didn't want me to be a friend of yours!" The room went quiet for a few seconds.
"Friend? You were my friend?" Harry asked.
"Well…um…I guess. But don't tell a word of this to anyone."
"OK. We're all sorry," Harry admitted. "How did you find us here?"
"I wanted to tell you about Snape making it up, so I pulled out this." Malfoy pulled out something that looked like a snow globe. It had nothing inside of it but glitter. " It's a finder. Just turn it over, say what want to find, and turn it right side up. When the glitter fades down, whatever you want to find appears and it will show you where it's at. This is where it pointed.
"So, we have just found out…"
"I'm in. I heard it all from outside the door."
"Great," Andrea said, "I just hope we can save them."
We've got to, Andrea," Harry said, "We've got to."