"Third One's the Charm" Part 4
"Interceptions, Interference, Information"
Author's notes; First, some questions to be answered.
As always, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed and sent e-mails, Thank You!! Always appreciated, especially with a big work-load and not a lot of free time for Aly. (Drat being a TA anyway!) Oh well,
Kavish- You're very welcome, thank you for reviewing and for your enthusiasm! :-) As for your questions, heh, heh (evil laughter) can't answer them! It'd spoil the story!! However, answers are coming. Remus and Mappe, well, the attraction there (at least one sided) is apparent. She likes the darker, more turbulent personalities and even though our favorite werewolf appears serene, its just the opposite in many ways. I also think that the werewolf is a separate part of Remus' personality, one he can't simply push aside but one he's assimilated over the years. He's still young here and not very good at it.
Does Remus escape? Well, you don't think that the other Marauders would let their friend down now, right? :-) And Remus isn't helpless, he's strong in ways I think even his closest friends don't realize, which gives him even more in common with Harry, or Hermione for that matter. Yes, he escapes, though I shan't reveal how. And all Mappe wants with him is to 'feed' off of him, she's also a possessive little bugger, scarily enough.
He is in a hypnotic trance, one thing Mappe can do is tap into the fears of her 'victims' and re-enforce them, making them seem real. That's the first stage, then when their emotions are at a peak she drains them, though not intentionally. She's like a Dementor in that she feeds off of people but her intentions aren't truly malicious. It's really all she can understand, getting worse as she gets older and especially without the more stable influence of her parents.
After awhile her victims simply lose themselves, she's like a siren, its how she completely takes control of their minds. Her personality is difficult to understand, especially when it comes to Harry. She has no concept of normal relationships so she has to possess those she thinks she loves, make any sense at all? Hopefully, I can't really come out and say it but things will make more sense later on. Her personality is so unbalanced it makes it difficult to write. (Rotten characters, don't do what you tell 'em)
All she really wanted with Harry is to give him to Voldemort, to try and wiggle her way into his good graces like three other dunderheads that are on the fringes are trying to do with poor Ron. (Percy will get out of this, and his family understands that he would do anything for Ron, so its Ron they have to focus on since he's in the more immediate danger, that's all I can say, that and Percy has a plan up his sleeve. Wasn't Head Boy for nothin'. I like Percy if ya can't tell, I don't think he'll go bad) And I could never kill one of my beloved Weasleys!! Although I like to cause them plenty of angst, especially Ron. Torture the Ron stories are all I seem to be writing, ah well. One more thing and I'll stop rambling, sorry! Draco, I agree totally. He's rotten to the core and isn't going to change, though I do believe his actions are to get approval from his father. Still, he's a twerp and he'll have more to do in this chapter. Ron and Draco, oooohh, what fun to write now that there's no one to keep Ron from punching his lights out. We'll see :-)
Roxy- Thanks for the review, Mappe is a twisted little enchilada isn't she? Gets worse before it gets better, certainly. As said before, she mainly wants Harry at first to give to Voldemort, but now that she's discovered that the boy is a bit tormented, she begins to get possessive of him like she did for Remus. She's human and her emotions change like everyone else's. Let's just say her biological clock and Harry's vulnerability don't match. (Nothing sick though, yikes, I don't swing that way, purely maternal though that's rather disturbing too)
Mione Granger- Thanks for the reviews! Appreciate them always, point of view _is_ fun isn't it? Heh, heh.
One last thing, (these really weren't quick were they? Sorry again) this chapter dedicated to Paula for her great e-mails and subtle hints to work on my fic! (Thanks though, its nice to think that someone likes to read it)
On with the story!
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry- 1978
Still. That was the only word for things. Well, still, tense, worried, frantic....all of these things ran through James Potter's mind as he watched Professor Namart, head of Gryffindor House, talking to Lily.
Sirius and Peter were standing with him, waiting for Lily to come over and tell them the news. James' stomach twisted unpleasantly and the rest of the Gryffindors were standing or sitting around, respectively silent and uncharacteristically sober.
Frank Longbottom made a move as though to come over but shook his head, as though thinking the better of it.
Far from Remus' opinion, he was very well-liked in his house, and elsewhere. The wizard's disappearance had caused significant alarm throughout. Professors roaming through the halls, Dumbledore calling a staff meeting and the Marauders', demanding an explanation, were left without any.
Remus Lupin was gone. *So is Mappe Maleficient* James thought chillingly, the former feeling of uneasiness towards the unstable Slytherin now reaching new heights. It had to be connected, somehow
Sirius seemed even more worried than James. The Head Boy knew how overprotective Sirius was of all of them, but especially Remus. Something about the young werewolf, his calming nature, easy-going personality and most of all, long-suffering attitude endeared him to many.
Sirius kept running his hands through his black hair and rocking on the balls of his feet. Peter, standing a distance from the edgy youth, merely folded his arms and occasionally let out a rodent-like squeak of dismay.
James chewed on his bottom lip, watching Lily. *God she's beautiful, even when she's worried* the disconnected thought ran through the Seeker's head before he nearly bit through his lip when Sirius elbowed him suddenly.
Turning and scowling at his best friend, tasting blood in his mouth, James mouthed a "what?" and Sirius raised his eyebrows, jerking his head towards their dormitory for emphasis. Oh, the map........
*Of Course!!* James wanted to slap himself in the forehead.
Taking Sirius aside, he whispered, "Padfoot, we don't know if he's still on the grounds."
Sirius, not at all surprised that James knew exactly what he'd been thinking, ground his teeth. "Well, we should at least check it out!!" His whisper was hardly that and several stares came their way, along with Lily Evans.
Lily's bright green eyes were now clouded and red-rimmed. Since Remus' disappearance the night before, none of them had gotten much sleep but now her tears were barely kept at bay after the latest news.
"Nothing.....no one knows where they could be. Madam Pomfrey said that Mappe's um...a bit off center, more so than before and maybe..."
"Couldn't Dumbledore do anything to locate him?!" Sirius whispered furiously as James put a comforting arm around Lily.
She simply shook her head. She then turned to James, as did Sirius and Peter, who had finally joined the conversation.
James nodded once and Peter practically galloped up the stairs, ignoring the looks he got. Lily watched him go but her eyes were distant.
James tightened his grip around her shoulders and she rested a head on his shoulder. "Lily...." He began uncertainly, softly running a hand through that wonderful hair. "He's all right...I...I'm sure..." But his own worry was practically choking him.
They were the Marauders, Hogwarts' Pranksters, but they were more than that. They were like brothers, forging such a strong friendship between them that James honestly believed nothing could break it. The loss of one meant that they weren't complete. If anything happened to Remus......his family, friends, the many people who needed him and would need him in the future would be so much worse off.
James shook these uncharacteristically deep thoughts away and tenderly brought a Quidditch-roughened hand to Lily's cheek, brushing away the sudden tears.
"Oh James....." She hugged him like a life-line, her head in the hollow of his neck. Drawing from James' ever-present strength, like she always did. She depended on him. She loved him. It wasn't a statement or even a truism. It was who she was.
Sirius watched the two of them feeling a bit out of place. They fit so well together but..... He shook his head, his worry for Remus pushing any self-centered thoughts away.
Still, he just didn't know if he would ever fit wholly into their lives again.
Peter was back, showing uncommon common sense for once with the map hidden in his robe. The four didn't speak but left the common room immediately to investigate what the map could possibly tell them.
Frank Longbottom held out a warning hand to a few Gryffindors who made to follow, watching the four leave with deep sympathy in his eyes.
The remaining Marauders ducked into an empty classroom and Sirius pointed his wand at the map.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" The map came to life. Peering over it anxiously, the four friends couldn't spot anything at first, but then......
"There!" Peter squeaked, one chubby finger (:-) ) on the Shrieking Shack. Two figures were there, two names. Something strange was there also, however....something......
"W-why is his name fading like that? Is something wrong with the map?" James, Sirius and Peter didn't answer Lily. All four knew that it wasn't the map, as every other name was healthy and glowing, showing up plainly.
The figure of Remus Lupin seemed to be fading away, however. Dumbledore and the other professors were far from the Shrieking Shack, closer to the Forbidden Forest, with Hagrid joining them.
James had a sudden, sinking premonition that something was blocking the search party from looking in such an obvious place. Pushing up his glasses determinedly, he nodded at the other members of the small group.
"We'd better hurry." The other four didn't speak to each other past the Whomping Willow, down the passageway, up to the near-abandoned building.
None of them knew what they would find there and the uncertainty was what James feared most of all.
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"Almost done....okay, little more, watch the margins! Um...almost, _there_!!" With an uncharacteristic flourish, Hermione Granger finished her fourth 'History of Magic' essay.
Grinning and feeling her newly-shrunken teeth, the witch clapped her book shut, blowing on her parchment to dry the ink and feeling the deep satisfaction that only came with finishing yet another perfect assignment.
Crookshanks, as though reading her thoughts, opened one large yellow eye and gazed at her dubiously from the foot of her bed. She fought the urge to giggle and stroked the large cat as he purred and rubbed his ginger head under her hand.
It wasn't as though she was being conceited. It was just the plain truth. Hermione stopped for a moment when she thought of what Harry, and more importantly Ron, would say to that.
Shaking her bushy head she pushed her books and homework aside, thinking again of the only thing that could make her do so.
Not even the sound of a drill coming from downstairs and a child's crying could distract her. They were normal everyday sounds from her parent's offices, attached to their comfortable....and sterile home.
Ron and Harry. It had been a few weeks since she had seen either one of them and, even though she always missed them during the summer, for some reason the separation this time was like a dull ache.
Ron and Harry. Sure, she planned on visiting the Burrow at the end of the holiday and she fervently wished that Harry would be allowed to come as well but even the thought of that wasn't enough to calm the young witch's turbulent thoughts when she pondered on her two best friends.
Ron and Harry. She was worried for them. _Both_ of them. And they, sweetly enough, were worried for her. She was muggle-born and both Ron and Harry's (it was always in that order, Hermione never stopped to consider why) letters had a thinly veiled concern for her, with some subtle (well, not so much with Ron) hints as to her safety.
Ron had actually thought it was best she stay completely away from Krum, drudging up all of his previous arguments of the Seeker's attachments to a school so affiliated with the Dark Arts. Hermione scowled and began shuffling through her letters, ignoring the beautiful, sunny day as she usually did on her holidays.
Ah, there it was, Ron's untidy scrawl in an unusually long letter. Don't go visit Krum, he's a git, he's a prat, he's only using you, he just wants to get to know one of famous Harry Potter's friends, he's a lecherous old man (he must've had some help with that term from one of his brothers), he...he...well.
Ron had run out of steam half-way through the letter but instead of saying...something...Hermione still couldn't say what she _wanted_ him to say out loud yet, he just sputtered on about her being self-centered when Harry needed them.
Feeling herself flush yet again, Hermione pushed the letter aside energetically. Crookshanks opened one eye again and Hermione could have sworn he rolled it in exasperation. Cat was too smart for his own good.
Rather like the owner. Hermione knew that was what Ron would say if he were here. She knew it. She knew him better than.....anyone. Except Harry maybe. Red hair, freckles, long nose and big feet. Nothing about him was remotely handsome she told herself sternly again and again.
Well, he had large hands that she was fascinated with, the way he carried things, held things, even simple things like brushing dust from his robes made Hermione a little light-headed.
Also, his hair. It was so vivid, yet soft and carelessly messy most of the time, though not as bad as Harry's. His hazel eyes, always with a light in them that Hermione wasn't sure he was even aware of. Sometimes burning with anger, other times dimished in concern, like when Harry didn't come out of that maze for so long. Love, hate, anger, laughter, joy, excitement, everything caused his eyes to react in a different way.
Closing her own deep, brown eyes, Hermione pictured them. Pictured them looking down at her with....something....something that twisted her gut and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Something no one else could give her.
Harry made her want to put her arms around him, help him through all of his unnecessary pain. She loved him, Ron did too in his 'I'm too manly to say it' way. But she didn't tingle and forget her own name when she touched him.
Hermione's ink-blotched fingers came to another pile on her desk. The last letter was post-marked a few days ago. She still hadn't written back. She supposed she owed Victor a response.
But instead of reading through each letter every day like she did with someone else, Hermione let out a small sigh and pushed them into her desk.
Why was it that she never had to remember to write back to Ron? Or Harry to a lesser extent. Something jolted the witch's memory.
Harry......she hadn't heard from him for awhile.
More drilling from downstairs, matching Hermione's sharp stab of worry. Actually, she hadn't heard from Ron for a little while either.
She had been so caught up in the enjoyment of doing her homework that she hadn't thought of it. A thousand worries, all she knew both Ron and Harry would roll their eyes at, popped into her head.
But....but...Voldemort was back. Harry.....nothing could happen to Harry! He was safe, Dumbledore said so. And Ron had his family watching out for him. *They're both _fine_* She told herself sternly but the small twinges of worry wouldn't leave her alone.
Hermione reached for a copy of the latest Daily Prophet, relieved that no more Rita Skeeter articles were there to plague her.
Still.....the paper seemed.....bare. Odd. Hermione's sharp mind poked at her. Something seemed wrong. Trelawney may have said that she had no inclination towards Divination, but she knew when things weren't right. Especially concerning those she cared about in a world she was apart from right now.
Hermione's eyes unconsciously watched the window, while she remained deep in thought. The sun was setting when a soft knock on her door brought her attention back to the Grangers' home.
Her mum was there, her large, brown eyes looking at her daughter's mounds of books bemusedly.
"Sweetheart, is anything wrong?" She asked, taking note of her daughter's distracted expression. Suppressing a snicker, she thought of the red-head that usually caused it. Irene Granger could observe magic even if she couldn't do it.
Hermione shook her head. "Are you sure?" A nod.
Irene glanced at the moving pictures in the newspaper in her daughter's hand. She never quite got used to that though it reminded her of what she had brought up. "Here is another copy of your paper, dear." Another quick nod.
"How are Harry and Ron?" That usually got Hermione talking.
Hermione looked at her mum, the worry in her face spreading to her mum's. "Last I heard they were fine."
"Last you heard.....?"
"It's...it's been a little while."
Irene racked her brain for something to say. She knew her daughter had been hiding something of significance from them, something that had happened to her last year at school, but she couldn't push her to talk about it.
"Are you concerned?"
Hermione nodded quickly and returned her eyes to the darkened window.
"Well, don't worry pet. I'm sure they're fine. Um...you..I'm sure...you would have heard something?" *Or however such news spreads among magic folk* Irene thought sardonically.
Hermione nodded again. Sighing audibly, Irene left the room, keeping the door open just a bit, just in case.
Hermione tore her eyes away from whatever she was looking for and began stroking Crookshanks on her bed, chewing her bottom lip.
A loud *thud* caused her and her cat to jump several meters. Crookshanks' fur stood on end for a minute and he yowled before settling down.
Taking that as a good sign, Hermione opened her window and a small, brown-feathered missile entered, hooting with wild abandon.
A small note was attached to the tiny owl's leg and Hermione, giggling, began the task of trying to get the excited creature to come down so she could read it.
Pigwidgeon fluttered down right on Crookshanks' head, still hooting joyfully. Hopping off and then up and down on Hermione's bed, he was practically molting, he was so hyper.
Crookshanks cast one long-suffering glance at Hermione who tried to shush the little owl. "Pig! Pig!! Come here! I....oh for pity's sake...I can't read it if you don't _Come_ HERE!" Grabbing the owl, she barely managed to undo the note before Pig began to hover around her room at supersonic speed.
Hermione laughed before unrolling the note and reading,
Dear Harry......
*What!!* Hermione was stunned. It was Ron's handwriting. But....the date, it was several days off. What on earth.....
"Pig! Silly owl, you delivered this to the wrong person! Oh, come here." Pig, now firmly grasped in her hand, began to nibble on several fingers.
"Stop that" Hermione told him sternly, placing him on her desk with a firm *plunk*. "Now Pig" The little owl looked up at her with those huge eyes, his tiny body still puffed up with excitement.
She almost felt bad for this. "You went to the wrong person" She began rolling up the letter to re-attach the note.
"This needs to go to _Harry_. Harry Potter, Privet Drive. Come on Pig, you know Harry. Owner of the large, white owl who doesn't much like you? Hedwig?" Pig hooted again, a little more subdued.
"All right, now take this to Harry. _Harry_" She said one more time, resisting an odd impulse to read the note. Pig looked up at her, hooted and didn't move.
That in itself was shocking. "Pig! Go to Harry!! What's wrong with you?" Pig began hopping up and down again.
Hermione's confusion gave way to something else. This wasn't right. Usually if a note couldn't be delivered to someone, which was terrifying for her right there, then the owl went back to its owner.
Of course, Pig wasn't a normal owl but he had never gone awry on his deliveries. He was hyperactive but he was a reliable little thing. That meant......
Hermione didn't want to think about what that meant. "Pig?" She said softly as the little owl landed on her shoulder and began to poke his beak into her hair.
She glanced at the copy of the Daily Prophet one more time. To her surprise, she realized it was yesterday's copy. Where was today's? Probably downstairs, she sometimes got distracted by her homework and didn't bring it up. She had also lost a great deal of interest with last year's debacles from the wizarding paper.
She took Pig gently in one hand. "Go back to Ron, give the note back to Ron. Go home, he needs this back if...." Her lips quivered and Hermione wanted to curse herself for jumping to conclusions.
Again, Pig didn't look like he was going anywhere. Crookshanks was now taking an interest, sitting on his haunches and watching the young witch with uncanny intelligence in those yellow eyes.
And next to Crookshanks was....oh, her mum had brought up today's paper. It was weird but Hermione suddenly didn't want to look at it. Her hands were shaking violently as she read the headlines, not even having to pick the paper up.
The Boy Who Lived Missing! No Leads, Minister of Magic Says Nothing Out of the Ordinary. Hermione's breath caught in her throat. Skimming the rest of the article, all she got out of it was that the protective wards surrounding Harry, which the Ministry did have some hand in though less and less thanks to last year had indicated that he was gone. Vanished, no notes, no threats....no Dark Mark. That, at least, was something. But......
Hermione couldn't see for the tears. What did this mean? Did something happen to Ron too? Damn but she felt so isolated here! Her friends were in danger and she had no idea of what to do to help them, or who would have any information for her.
Hermione took a deep breath, went to her desk and began racking her brain, trying to think of someone she could write to. Sirius? No, he was probably panicking as it was and still be unable to do anything without the risk of being caught, besides. The Weasleys? Pig would've gone home to them if he had seen the need. The little owl knew something, that was why he had come here.
Giving up, Hermione picked up Pig and tried to calm herself. "Pig, where's Ron? Is he in trouble? Do you know where Ron is?"
The little owl began hopping up and down on her palm, frantic in his efforts. Hermione was at a loss. She didn't have a broom, couldn't apparate and her home wasn't connected to the Floo network, not that she had any powder to use anyway. She was stuck.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. It was completely nutters but, she needed someone who would know, without a doubt if Ron was in danger. And would help, like it or not. Someone who wouldn't inform the Weasleys if there was a problem, or had connections to Dumbledore. Someone who was inconspicuous enough, yet had enough magic to help Ron if the situation called for it.
Not understanding her own justifications, simply following her own deep-rooted instincts, Hermione picked up her quill and tried to steady her hand. She grimaced, imaging the reaction this was going to get.
Dear Professor Snape........
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_Slam_!! _Slam, SLAM_!!
Books, toys, odds and ends were flying everywhere. Ginny Weasley kicked at them, kicked at her walls, slammed her door, tore the bedspread off of her bed, anything, anything to take her mind off of......
Tears were flowing down her freckled face. Her brown eyes were full of crystal tears, she couldn't see. She was sobbing, breathing in short gasps, her nose running unattractively and she didn't care.
The Burrow was silent. "Mad-Eye" Moody was at the Ministry of Magic, debating with Fudge and his cronies how the news of two vanished children could be kept under wraps for just a little while longer.
While Ginny knew that the only ones who knew about recent events wouldn't breathe a word, more people were beginning to realize something was wrong. Ginny felt stab after stab of guilt, Hermione didn't have an owl and Pig wasn't back from Harry's. Something was wrong, Hermione had the right to know and if Harry hadn't replied.
Stuffing a small fist into her mouth, she smothered the heart-rending sob that racked her body. She couldn't think about them, about Harry. She couldn't be distracted. Percy and Ron, her brothers, were still missing and no word, no sign had been heard from them at all.
Her dad was trying to persuade Dumbledore of the necessity of searching Malfoy Manor, but without sufficient proof all that would accomplish was to alienate influential people in the Ministry that they needed on their side.
Ginny understood Dumbledore's reasoning. The short term didn't matter when dealing with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They had to think of the long term consequences of their actions and look for clues, _any_ clues as to what had happened to the brothers before producing accusations.
She still hated him for it. It may have just been two students to him, a drop in the bucket compared to the coming war's casualties, but she loved her two brothers very much. Nothing made sense. Nothing.
Her parents....Bill, Charlie, the twins, she couldn't stand to see them like this. It was like all life had been drained from them, no leads had been found, no news. With each hour, each night that went by, the possibility that they would be alive.........
Ginny broke down then, rushing out of her room and running up the last flight of stairs, into a vividly orange room that belonged to Ron. She collapsed onto his bed, her lungs aching with the force of her sobs.
The had to be alive, they had to be.
Where was everyone? Sure, Hagrid had even stopped by, along with Professor McGonagall, everyone who knew and cared about the boys, but no sign of Hermione and Harry.
That wasn't exactly fair. They probably didn't know, thanks to the efforts of those searching for Ron and Percy. Although, she and the rest of her family hadn't looked at the Daily Prophet today either, not that it would probably have anything to say.
She understood why the adults wanted to keep it a secret, both of them had enough worries and neither could do anything to help. But she needed them, _both_ of them. Harry........
She began hiccuping as hysterics kicked in. She heard soft footsteps come half-way up the stairs, a loud _thump_ on the wall, and then the footsteps retreated, the owner changing their mind.
A picture of the trio was on Ron's desk, next to his frog tank. Pig was flying around Ron's head madly as he made a grab for the tiny owl, Hedwig was nibbling at Harry's unruly hair and Crookshanks' squashed face was looking grumpily at the camera, wiggling in Hermione's grasp.
Ginny's bright red hair fell around her face as she closed her eyes tightly. She missed Ron and Percy like a dull ache, but the ache grew stronger as she looked at Harry's likeness, his gentle smile. His green eyes sparkled at her, light reflected off of his glasses.
That thin, sensitive face she knew so well could be seen, showing Harry's emotions even in the photograph. She reached out a slim finger and touched it, feeling her heart bang in her chest. She wished it was really him. If he was only here.....to help them, maybe.....
Ginny sighed, more tears falling. She would probably just hide in her room and not be of any help to anybody. After all, fat lot of good she did when she was lying in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry risking life and limb to rescue her. She hated herself sometimes, hated the fact that she believed she was so weak.
She wasn't someone Harry would want, she was distracted even when her own family was in trouble, only thinking of herself. She..she was only little Ginny, Ron's little sister and Harry was a hero, a true hero. He was brave and selfless and kind.
By the Snitch she missed him!
Two large hands grasped her shoulders and she jumped suddenly. She looked up and saw her tear-streaked face reflected in her father's glasses.
Her dad looked so very tired, completely exhausted actually. And his eyes were red-rimmed.
His hands weren't very steady as he rubbed her shoulders and pulled her into a loose hug. What little hair he had was mussed, standing up everywhere. He rubbed her back as she continued to cry, feeling his little girl's misery, sharing it.
Arthur looked around Ron's room, reflective of his son's personality. He couldn't quite swallow the lump in his throat.
"Ginny, sweetie, there's....been some news." Ginny's large brown eyes looked up at him suddenly, full of hope.
But Arthur's face was anything but hopeful. He looked old, the worry lines re-emphasized. Ginny felt a stab of fear.
"I don't know if you remember Ms. Figg, Arabella? She was appointed to look after Harry....."
Ginny's heart was now a block of ice. Harry......no, please, please no, not Harry.
Arthur saw the terror in his youngest's face and spoke quickly. "She wanted to talk to your mother and I alone but we told her we're a family. We stay together to...to face whatever will happen. But it's your choice."
Ginny bolted from the room without a word, rushing down the rickety stairs. Arthur was close behind.
She heard voices from the living room. Charlie was holding her mother, who seemed past grief, her face white as a sheet.
An older lady, wearing a purple, knitted shawl over a calico dress and a straw hat with some fake flowers and birds on a haphazard bun of graying ash-blonde hair sat there. She looked a bit like Molly, except not as soft. She stood up straighter and there was more iron in those gray-blue eyes.
Although Ginny didn't remember ever seeing her before, there was something familiar there.
Now, the lady was deep in conversation with Mundungus Fletcher, who's grizzled countenance looked very grave indeed.
Arabella, seeing Arthur return with his daughter...*Poor thing* came the immediate thought seeing the petite red-head's dejected expression, pulled out a piece of parchment from her large handbag.
She didn't read it right away, however.
"Gus...."
"Ta, Bella?"
"After this is all over, go to the Ministry to back Moody up. Tell that idiot Fudge that proof or no proof we're going to go where ever we think we need to go to get these children back."
Ginny felt sick. Mundungus threw a glance at Arthur, who sat down next to Bill and said nothing, before nodding grimly.
He softly placed a scar-riddled hand on her plump arm. "D-do...Sirius an' Remus....?"
"They know....they're, well....they're like us, pulling at straws."
Arabella unfolded the parchment and read it. A stunned silence descended on the remaining members of the Weasley family.
"It..t-that...that, I don't believe this...." Surprisingly, the stuttered comment came from George, standing with his twin at the foot of the stairs.
"Percy would never do that.....never. He's too much of a goody-goody to...." Fred continued his twin's statement but trailed off himself.
Arthur and Molly exchanged a look of terror. Arabella caught it. "We don't know what this means...."
"It means Harry _and_ Ron are in danger!" Ginny squeaked shrilly, wondering what in bloody hell was wrong with everybody for just sitting there.
Arabella composed herself now. This wasn't going to be easy to say.
"Harry is gone. He vanished last night before this letter ever arrived. We don't know who's responsible for taking him and the only clues we have are some half-written letters he wrote that sound nothing like him. The real mystery is trying to find out if all of these things are connected, but for now there is no reason to believe that they are."
Molly began to sob in earnest.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked, shakily. "He's just.....gone? What about Dumbledore's protection measures? How could he...."
Arabella shook her head. "The only way for anyone to get to Harry is if he left the protection of his relatives' home voluntarily. From what I witnessed, he did."
Ginny wanted to scream out, this was ten times worse than before. And now......
"There are people who are already looking into this. From the nature of this letter, the one that we should be truly concerned with is young Ronald. Whoever has him, and we can assume that they have both of the boys, is holding him hostage and will take drastic measure to get what they want."
This wasn't news, the letter had made that perfectly clear. And if it had been Percy who had written it......
"Percy wouldn't have let anything happen to Ron if he could've helped it. Something's weird here...." George spoke up again. Fred nodded his agreement.
Molly was trying to compose herself. She looked at her husband's friend and co-worker, as well as Arabella. "What do we do? Tell me you have a plan, my boys......"
"I didn't recognize the owl, but this letter gives us enough evidence to begin searching. Arthur, take whoever you need, Gus, go with him and head for Malfoy Manor. That's...um, considering your past animosity...."
Arthur nodded, a look of absolute hatred in his usually mild eyes. If that psychopath did anything to his sons, he would, well......
His wand hand twitched. Bill and Charlie stood up. "We're coming too, Dad." Charlie said as Arthur nodded shortly.
"Me too!" Ginny cried out.
"No, Ginny....Mum needs you, you need to stay here just in case news comes."
Ginny bristled. "Don't treat me like I'm a baby! I have just as much of a right to go as you and...."
"Ginny, for Mum, stay here. Harry's missing too, we don't need anymore problems. Just do as I ask, wait for word here. Try and get in touch with Hermione, she needs to know."
Molly stood up and gathered her little girl to her in a smothering embrace. Ginny didn't have the heart to pull away. Hiding her own tears, Arabella stood up.
"I'm heading to Dumbledore's. He's declared a semi-state of emergency among our small group, you know what I'm referring to?"
Several nods.
Arthur, pulling Molly away from their daughter for a moment, kissed his wife in a way that made their children gape and the twins hoot derisively.
He embraced her and headed out without a word. Molly hugged her two eldest sons, Arabella and even Mundungus, who looked frightfully embarrassed, before all left.
The silence was so heavy it seemed oppressive.
Ginny didn't know how long she sat there with her mum, but about the same time tiny Pigwidgeon was paying a visit to Ms. Granger, a whirl from the fireplace caused both witches to stand up.
A man stood there, dusting off his shabby robes and shaking ash from his graying hair. "Mr. Lupin?" Ginny asked incredously as the former professor stepped into the Burrow.
"Forgive me Molly. I didn't mean to intrude."
Molly's kind face broke into a shadow of a smile, all she could manage right now. The gentle werewolf took her hand for a moment.
"I heard about what happened. Has there been any more news?" She shook her head.
"Harry....?" Remus' gray eyes held deep pain. "No, though we think we're getting closer. It may have something to do with....me, and Sirius, something from school."
"Then....these things...?"
"Aren't connected, as far as we can tell. But there isn't much we know. Sirius is working on a solution. I just wanted to see how you were, to assure you that we'll find Harry but to let you know that if there anything I can do."
Remus trailed off and smiled his calming smile at Ginny, who couldn't help but smile back.
"You know where to reach us if there is any word?" Remus nodded.
"And you?" Ginny nodded for her mum.
Remus seemed unsure of what to do next, so he strolled into their kitchen. "Ginny, how about helping me with a cup of tea?"
Molly nodded reassuringly at Ginny, resting her gaze on the kind man who looked at home in their tiny kitchen.
After the water had boiled and the sun had nearly completely disappeared, Remus began to talk.
He told them about Mappe, about what had happened to him, about the possibility of what might be happening to Harry and how they needed to focus all attention on other matters while he and Sirius tried to find out if this witch, who sounded frightening, was truly a threat to them.
His candor actually helped. It helped this surreal situation become a little clearer, if not less frightening. Resting that intense gray-eyed gaze on Ginny, Remus spoke to her softly.
"You know that we'll do anything we can to help your brothers, and Harry? If he needs....a friend....well...." Remus seemed unsure of what to say and Ginny was shocked that he had any idea.
She really didn't know him that well. It was hard not to trust him, however.
He rested a long hand on her shoulder, hugged Molly then left. Ginny sat with her mum, trying to form the right words to tell Hermione.....and waited.
******************************************************************************
"Eat it!"
Bright red hair and the head it belonged to shook violently. The burly arm around Ron's neck made it hard for him to reply, not that he wanted to anyway.
There were numerous bruises on his freckled face already and his hands were tied securely behind his back, an added precaution when he had nearly gotten out that morning.
"I _said_ eat it, ya little brat!" Henry was losing his small amount of patience. What good was the brat to them if he was skin and bones?
Besides, looking at his beefy companions and his own less than slim figure, he couldn't figure out why anyone would turn down food, even if it looked less than appetizing even to him.
Poor Ron had not been having a good time of it lately. He had been completely neglected by these three goons until last night, only having a small amount of water. He was famished, weak and sore from taking numerous cuffs.
These bullies seemed to like the fact that he wouldn't give them a reaction to his pain or his anger. Then, they hit him again. The fear of humiliation that Ron had been feeling in the beginning was rapidly ebbing away. He only hoped that Percy was doing better than him.
He had overheard the three goons this morning, when they had received a letter. Ron could only assume it had been from Lucius Malfoy, but he had finally been given some actual food that he couldn't help but eat in his starving position.
Then he had made a break for it, but since he didn't know his way around the small alley, he'd quickly been caught again.
So, now he was tied up and wasn't making any head-way on getting free. He'd been fastened to a chair until a few minutes ago but he wasn't eating a damn thing until these goons at least untied him.
Swearing in frustration, Henry shoved Ron back onto the uncomfortable chair while his companions secured the boy again. Ron looked defiantly at one of them, earning another cuff for his efforts.
Knodd, Ron had found out their names rather quickly, glanced at Wynken who smirked his approval.
"Whadda we do if'n he don't eat nothin'?"
"Wha' does'n it matter to us? We got Malfoy's attention, let 'im deal wit' the scrapper."
"Are ya sure t'was Malfoy's letter?"
"A'course! Spellin' all fancy and expensive parchment. Even'a 'ad that symbol, sign, thing'a what're callin' it?"
"Crest" Ron said wearily from his uncomfortable position in the dingy room.
"Shaddup, didn'a ask you!" Another cuff, this one left Ron dizzy.
He suddenly thought of Percy. Where was his brother? What had happened? What did Malfoy want with them anyway?
Surely he wasn't brazen enough to try anything now? Then again, Cedric Diggory had been killed without a second thought, according to Harry, and his family wasn't feuding with a family of powerful Death Eaters.
Blankton sat staring stupidly at the parchment. He was the least bright of the three, which, at least for Ron, wasn't saying much.
"Got any more food, 'enry?"
"Yup, jus' eat this share, 'e won't be mindin'" Wynken rubbed Ron's head who jerked away violently.
"Now, now, none 'o that....you'll be a-wantin' to stay in our good graces, laddie."
"Eh, whatta think 'o this? This 'ere says that 'arry Potter, that, er...famous bloke, just up an' vanished, gone like a puff o' wind, this 'ere paper says."
Ron's head came up in a flash. Harry!! They were talking about Harry! He shifted and opened his mouth to ask for more information before stopping himself, wisely.
These three didn't know anything about his friendship with Harry. If they had any clue, or maybe he was just giving them too much credit, then he was as good as Death Eater bait. Even more so than now.
But still.....Harry! Gone!! Ron's stomach twisted painfully and not from hunger.
Wynken was over in a flash, well, a flash for him and took the newspaper in his beefy fists. "Hmm, lookin' like maybe our ol' pals are doin' better 'n we thought, eh lads? Ta Dark Lord and this 'ere Potter, just gotta give 'em some Weasleys and it'll be like icin' on the cake!" Wynken grinned at Ron who was fighting to keep a straight face. He couldn't betray his emotions!
"Was it an attack?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Don' say, just says that 'The Wizardin' Comm-Com, er, group is in an roar o' sorts, boy just gone, looks like they don' have any more stuff ta write." Another nasty grin in Ron's direction.
"Oh, by t'way, yer brother."
"What about him?"
"Well, letter we got afore ya decided to play dumb an' scamper off says he's bein' turned o'er to our Master. Gonna 'ave fun gettin' info out'a 'im. Torture 'im, then kill 'im, like that other witch, make an 'xample o' 'im. 'Ow's that soundin' to ya?"
Ron's face was ghastly white. It was true that Percy annoyed him to no end, like he did to nearly everyone else, but he was still his brother.
In fact, Percy and himself had been close before the older Weasley had left for Hogwarts and had come back a tad.....stuffy.
He had always been a bit of a stuffed shirt but now it seemed but when he returned it seemed that talking, playing and laughing with Ron was beneath his dignity. And Ron had reacted, siding with the twins more and more and pretending he didn't care about the distance between him and his once, close older brother.
Percy still acted odd sometimes. Fussing over him. Ron didn't understand it, he wished Percy would pick an attitude and stick with it. Like in his own first year at Hogwarts, after Harry and his encounter with that troll.
Percy had lit into him like a blowtorch. Ron could hear him plainly even now.
~_What_ were you thinking Ron! Wandering off like that!! You could have been killed, don't you realize I can't always look after you, I have to watch the other students! I'm a prefect, how could you have done something so stupid.~
And so on and so forth. Percy had only yelled at him then stormed off. Ron, seething with resentment, vowed not to let his older brother get to him ever again. Prickly, perfect Percy could do as he liked.
But that night, Halloween night, after Hermione, Harry and himself had recounted their harrowing tale again and again and most of the students had gone to bed, Percy had gone up to him.
Ron remembered the look on Percy's face, his eyes the same color as Ron's, now full of unspoken fear behind his initial anger.
He had hugged Ron very tightly and Ron had returned it. That was the last time he did so without embarrassment. He had told his little brother he loved him and that was it, Percy the prefect was back.
But he was still Ron's brother.
Ron was shaking. Percy.....who he'd never actually believed would turn to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was going to....what? Die? Be tortured?! No! He couldn't let that happen.
Henry was watching Ron's reaction with ill-conceived glee.
The only thing that stopped the nasty thug's comment was the sound of footsteps on the steps leading to the grimy flat.
They were soft....and sinister. Ron felt the hair on the back of his neck rise up, but he still opened his mouth to yell out for help.
Knodd clapped a dirty hand over it, making Ron gag, just in time. A muffled yell could still be heard, though, when the door was kicked open without any ceremony.
And standing there......was Draco Malfoy.
******************************************************************************
Draco Malfoy, his silver-blonde hair glinting in the afternoon's sunlight, couldn't quite contain his glee at surveying the scene before him.
His pale eyes took in the three thugs, the disreputable place they were living in, and Weasley. Those eyes narrowed maliciously. His birthday present had come early, twice over in fact, according to the barely released Daily Prophet edition.
"'Ere now, jus' whad'in bloody 'ell do you thin' you're doin'" The largest boy's heavy accent became even heavier in his astonishment. "'Ow did'ja get in 'ere?"
"Alohamora" Draco said smoothly, twiddling his wand in his fingers. "Don't worry about _restrictions_, they don't apply to me"
Draco then dismissed Wynken with an arrogant, practiced wave. Being around Crabbe and Goyle had made dealing with neer-do-wells like these all too easy.
His lazy, cold drawl sounded out. "My, my......who would have thought that all my premonitions were correct."
Wynken blinked in fury. "I said....wha'!"
"Stay" Draco said casually, waving a hand at him. To his and his fellow thug's surprise, he found himself obeying this pale shrimp's command.
"Hello Weasley, fancy meeting you here. Got yourself in a bit of a spot, have you?" Draco was almost nose to nose with Ron, who was fighting his bonds with increased fury. Knodd removed his hand.
"What do you want you slimy, no-good bas-?"
"'ho are ya?" Knodd asked the pale boy confusedly, luckily cutting off Ron's tirade.
"I'm here to give you fools some help, and advice. With absolutely no benefit for myself of course, other than to savor this moment for a _very_ long time." Draco was smiling beautifically at Ron who scowled angrily.
"Draco Malfoy" he said smoothly, turning to the open-mouthed Slytherins. "Nice...er, flat, you have here" his sarcasm floated over the top of his companion's heads.
"So, Potter has gone missing, what a shame isn't it Weasley? And I hear that your brother is as good as dead too. Hmm, talk about choosing the wrong side, not that the Dark Lord would want scum like you and your family."
Ron turned dark-red. "And these three are the cream of the crop for your _side_?" He asked snidely.
He regretted it. Another cuff and Draco nodded his approval. Ron tasted blood with that one.
"'ere now....wha'...." Henry was still sputtering in confusion.
"'Ow....'ow didja know we were 'ere?"
"Simple you idiot, the letter." One pale hand motioned to the parchment on the table.
"But...yer, dad?"
"It was what my father would have written, _did_ write, in fact before burning the letter. The gist of it is the same. As if he would have cared what happened to vermin like this, though." Draco smiled again at Ron who was so angry he didn't care that the ropes were cutting into his skin.
"He made a deal with what, Perry? Whatever his name is, to draw Potter out and save your miserable skin. How does that feel Weasley, all warm and sunshine inside?"
Ron felt a little sick. No....Percy wouldn't do that to Harry, he _couldn't_. But.....
"Oh yes" It was though Draco was reading Ron's thoughts. "He did, I assure you, though only to get you out of, ah, a bind?" Three mindless chuckles. Draco rolled his eyes, it was all too easy sometimes.
"An' it worked, huh? It worked, didn'it? It did, sure, cause it says here that he was gone last night...."
"But the letter came this morning..." Ron said, confused for a minute, before grinning in spite of himself.
"So someone outsmarted your dad and his cronies, Malfoy? That's why you're here, he's too busy trying not to take the heat because Harry outsmarted him and you're stuck with the leftovers instead. Guess even your own family can't stand to work with you, you little ferret."
Ron snickered and even dodged the cuff that came his way.
Draco's pale eyes flashed in fury.
Backpedaling quickly, Blankton looked back to the parchment he had been studying. "Uh, your dad says 'ere....."
"_I_ wrote that, you moron!" Draco snarled. No wonder his father wanted nothing to do with them, they were hopeless even as yes-men.
"My father could've cared less what happened to this one, he thought he had what he wanted. And don't look so satisfied, Weasley, your brother is the one who's going to take the punishment for all of this."
Ron paled again. "What makes you think that any of you are possibly going to get away with this?"
Draco smiled, his expression evil. "Because, Potter's missing, everyone is distracted and no one has the slightest idea of what's happened to you and your precious sibling, not that your parents could have kept track. No one cares about riff-raff like you! You and your muggle-loving, pathetic father don't amount to even a small threat to the Dark Lord."
"Then why is your father so hell-bent on getting his revenge on my dad, if we're not worth worrying about?" Ron retorted, the words out before he realized it.
"Doesn't matter. We're going to be a part of the winning side, as I've told you time and time again. All we need to do now is get one filthy Mud-blood out of the way and my life is blissfully complete."
Ron's reaction to this not even Draco could have contemplated. He was so angry he couldn't see straight, Malfoy had hit a very deep nerve.
Although he had taken a step back, Draco was over-joyed at Ron's reaction. "Be grateful Weasley, it's the only reason you're still alive. I turn over Harry Potter's best friends and no one can say I don't belong with the Dark Lord's circle."
"Uh....Malfoy?"
Draco, his expression maniacal, had forgotten about the three master-minds of this whole plot standing behind him.
"What about us?"
Rolling his pale eyes once again, he plastered a fake expression of pleasantness as he turned around.
"Just do what you've been doing and _watch_ him. Gag him too, I don't care, just don't let yourselves be distracted!" Three nods. It was almost humerous to see the three huge, much older Slytherins obeying this pip-squeak's every command.
Ron's head dropped. So, it was all just a ploy to get Harry. Unwittingly, these three had been behind it all.
Malfoy had never had any intentions of letting him or Percy go, and he doubted that these three had either. Now, everyone he cared about was being drawn into it.
Harry was missing, and even though it wasn't Malfoy who took him, he was still gone without a trace. And if Hermione.......
Ron felt a panic he hadn't even felt with Harry, though there was plenty there too.
Draco was still speaking.
"I'd better get busy writing. Can't tell you what a pleasure this was, seeing _all_ of you." Draco even patted Ron on the head, his expression so smugly superior the youngest Weasley brother longed to punch his teeth in.
"One letter to the Mudblood and one to, someone else.....can't let _you_ know, Weasley, it'd spoil the surprise."
Grasping a dingy piece of parchment, a look of great distaste on his pointed face, Draco began writing.
Dear Professor Snape.......
******************************************************************************
It'd taken hours but Percy finally felt he was ready. He didn't know what was going on outside, but from the disgruntled noises he kept hearing outside of the room he was imprisoned in, it wasn't good.
As long as Malfoy kept his word.......
Percy shut his eyes tightly, the terrible feeling of guilt overwhelming him again. How....._how_ could he have done that?
Ron's face floated before him in his mind's eye. Ron could be seriously hurt or....
Percy gulped. No, too much time may have passed but he couldn't give up. And Harry? What was happening? He'd give anything to know.
But never mind. He had to focus on the problem at hand. Solve one problem, move on to the next. Sure, his brothers thought he was meticulous and methodical, but sometimes it came in handy.
Otherwise he'd be overwhelmed by it all.
He'd never mastered the spell in school. He didn't know how far away his wand was, but it was one of the most difficult types of magic. Wand retrieval. In other words, wand-less magic.
And the dark forces surrounding this place was making it hard for him to concentrate. He could feel the evil, the longer he was hear and the harder he tried to block it out, the more it seeped into him.
Percy took his glasses off and wiped them on his dirty robes, though not to much effect. Calming thoughts, confidence....c'mon Perce. You can do this, you have to.
A voice in the back of his head, sounded suspiciously like his dad actually, said over and over. 'Can't trust Malfoy, never, _ever_ trust a Death Eater.' And that meant Ron was in danger, as well as Harry....thanks to him. Always thanks to him.
Those thoughts were far from calming. Percy rested a lean hand on the door and concentrated with all his might.
*Come on, Come on...._please_. You can do this, picture the wand, the core's magic...unicorn tail....you can do this......one......two.....three.......Accio Retrevo, Accio Retrevo!* His hand was shaking with the effort, sweat beads forming on his forehead.
Something stirred inside of him, his thoughts became much clearer before the thought of his wand's magic, it's core, slipped away from him. "Accio Retrevo! Retrevo...uh, Caduceus! Retrevo Caduceus!!"
Percy's fervent whisper finally paid off. Something clunked against the door, his wand poking through at the bottom, though not quite fitting through the crack at the door.
It had worked! Percy grasped the wand and pulled hard. Some splinters came off but a moment later it was in his hands.
"Alohamora" He pointed at the door. Nothing happened. Of course Malfoy was too smart to allow such a simple spell to work.
Losing his temper and giving in to his frustration, Percy slammed his fist against the door as hard as he could.
And it opened......
Too stunned to react at first, he quickly regained his composure and looked out of the door. So far, so good, no one seemed to have heard.
Percy quietly walked out, wondering how he was going to get out of here in one piece. Hearing voices coming in his direction, he darted up some steps and into the closest door. A closet.
Full of long, dark robes. They would just about fit Percy. He made some quick re-arrangements, pointed his wand at his throat and whispered, "Profundus".
Luckily he was only stopped once as he made his way to the door. That girl, Harper, peered at him suspiciously, unable to see his face with the robe's long hood.
"Hey, bright boy.....ya seen Mr. Malfoy's son? Don't seem ta be aroun' this mornin'."
"Uh...no" Percy's gruff voice sounded out, the deepening charm working like a...well, like a charm.
She scowled at him, rolled her eyes and moved on.
So, the little ferret isn't here either? Something prickled at the back of Percy's mind and he stored it away for later.
He was just about to step out into the lengthening shadows of afternoon when something on a side-table caught his attention.
A copy of the Daily Prophet which had obviously been crumpled up, then re-straightened, as though the reader had been greatly agitated, was there.
Percy gulped painfully at the headlines, before doing a double-take. *Last night!! But, it was this morning that I..but, how?*
So it wasn't him, and it wasn't Malfoy. Percy smirked to himself. The bastard didn't get Harry. His boss wasn't going to be happy about this. Now all Percy had to worry about was getting Ron out.
He glared dangerously, the wand in his hand twitching. Which he would.
One thought kept plaguing him as he prepared to apparate to Diagon Alley. If Malfoy didn't have Harry, then who did?
******************************************************************************
"What do you mean?" Through gritted teeth, Malfoy spit out the question.
Goyle, of the older generation, sputtered. "Uh, well....sir, he's gone."
"I _know_ that you imbecile! You just said it!! _How_ did he get out."
No answer. Goyle was sweating under Malfoy's cruel gaze.
"You were careless weren't you? You left something out of place, allowing the brat to escape."
"N-no, no sir...."
"Crucio"
The howl of pain did little to improve Lucius' mood. And _where_ was Draco anyway? Narcissa was a tad worried and he himself was feeling some twinges of unease.
That Weasley brat had escaped! How!! No matter, those goons that had his brother would have certainly made short-work of the whelp by this time. But still......
The thought that he could have had a more personal revenge on Arthur Weasley, but the chance was now gone, made his blood boil.
And to top things off.....
"What about Potter? You've contacted all of our associates?"
The whimpering Goyle nodded. Malfoy swore viciously. This was very, very bad. His Master wasn't going to be happy with this.
Turning even more pale, Malfoy grabbed an inkpot from the top of his desk and threw it at Goyle, who didn't bother to duck.
"Damn them all! How could he have gotten away!! Who else could have known about Potter's protections? He just walked out! It should have been us! The Dark Lord wants Potter, he wants to finish the boy off himself. The plan was perfect......"
Malfoy stopped to brood. Goyle, wiping ink away from his little, dull eyes, bit his lip and choked on the foul-tasting stuff dripping from his face.
"Uh....'cause someone got there first...?"
A steely gaze. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have a remarkable grasp of the obvious, Goyle?"
"Why, thank you certainly, sir!" Goyle beamed.
"Find out where Potter has gone. And find Draco, he's going to get a talk about wandering off without us knowing. Sounds like one of those Weasley rabble. And speaking of which, _find_ that red-haired brat if it's still possible!!"
Malfoy snarled and stomped out, his stomach twisting in fear as to what he now had to do. Report to Voldemort himself. The Heir of Slytherin was not going to be glad to see him.
Goyle, still trying to count off on his thick fingers the number of tasks he was supposed to do, gave up and went stumbling after Malfoy, confident that his boss could remember such complicated instructions.
"How did the news leak anyway?" Malfoy grumbled. At least it could have been kept a secret. Now everyone would know that it wasn't Death Eaters, no Dark Mark. Or would they? No, no one thought that the Dark Lord had returned, only those closest to the Potter brat and Albus Dumbledore had any idea.
*Damn all Mud-blood lovers and interfering idiots, anyway!* He apparated away.
******************************************************************************
"Luciussssss"
Malfoy gulped.
"Yes, my lord?"
"I am......not pleassssssed"
Wormtail, that miserable rat, was smiling gleefully at his rival. Malfoy closed his eyes.
"Crucio!" Trying not to scream, Lucius felt the agony course through him before he was released.
Weak as a kitten, he could barely stand. Wormtail let out a squeaky laugh.
"Potter hasssss been taken. Do we know by who?"
Malfoy didn't answer.
Voldemort turned on him with those slanted, glowing eyes. His long, white fingers twitched and Malfoy backed away. The Dark Lord looked ready to put those spindly hands around his neck.
"An old friend.....hassss contacted me." Hatred dripped from every syllable like a poison.
"Sssshhhe hassss Potter. And she hasssss informed me that he will be ssstaying with her."
Silence.
"I should kill you for not desssssstroying the mad-woman when you had the chance, Luciusssss."
Malfoy bowed his head low. "I beg your forgiveness, Master."
"No matter."
Wormtail's grin quickly disappeared. "Y-you're n-not going t-to punish him, lord?"
That hideous, fanged mouth split into a smile. It gave the two Death Eaters chills.
"No fool. He isssss still key to a larger plan. _You_ will try to retrieve Potter."
Wormtail began to quake. "M-me, Master?!!" He squeaked in terror.
"Your old, dear friendsssss are in league with that dottering old fool at Hogwartssss, true?"
"T-they're not m-my friends, my lord! I have s-shown my loyalties t-to you...."
"You have ssssshown nothing except that you are a cowardly, sssssstinking rat that does not deserve to have my mark placed on him."
Wormtail whimpered and cowered at Voldemort's feet.
"The Pottersssss are dead. Who, then, are the two people mossst willing to find the boy, the most trussssted."
"Remus and.....but Black isn't t-trusted, Master! H-he is still b-being hunted and...."
"Do not asssssume that I do not know those in Dumbledore's inner circle. Black will be sssssearching for his precioussss godson. The werewolf as well."
Wormtail thought he was going to swoon if the Dark Lord said what he thought he was going to say.
He did.
"You will find thosssse two. A cheerful, happy reunion. They have dealt with Mappe before, let them deal with them again. And when they find the boy, you will take him and bring him to me."
"B-b-but M-master!! I...I c-cannot! They will kill me, k-kill me!!" Wormtail's squeaky voice was even more shrill with his terror.
"Whom do you fear more, rat?"
"Y-you Master, a-always you."
"Good. Black will die before allowing you to take the boy."
Silence.
"So kill him."
******************************************************************************
Memories haunted the Dark Lord when his servants had left him. Luminescent eyes, swirling. He, the most powerful wizard of all time, millions cowered before him, felt vulnerable and open under that penetrating gaze.
Howling his rage, he slammed a fist down on his high-backed chair. Memories......
~
"I am Massster here! Foolish girl!!"
But the girl, thin and sickly looking only smiled at him. Her smile held absolutely no fear....and those eyes. They pulled him in.
A gravestone. Riddle House, bodies on the floor. The Chamber had opened and the Basilik was coming....but he was in the orphanage. Always there, alone, forgotten.
His hatred knew no bounds. He screamed his fury but still the eyes wouldn't release him.
"So much....so much!" A shrill, gleeful laugh penetrated through the cavern walls. His followers backed away, alarmed at the Dark Wizard's distress.
Voldemort, the most evil wizard ever, was screaming and cowering. And Mappe, untouched and unbidden, stood in the middle of the floor.
Her gray countenance glowed with new light. "Dark one....Master, thank you, thank you"
Bony arms out-stretched and that shrill laugh. Mappe could stay and feed here forever. So much.....
Agony, fear, hatred, pain, it was like a tapestry woven through these wizards and witches.
And the snake in front of her. Endless, the depth, the blackness......she could feed forever.
Hissing and growling sounded out. Tom Riddle, the foolish little boy, unwanted and orphaned stood there. Voldemort was gone. All that remained was a dark-haired Slytherin, Head Boy at Hogwarts, so much potential, but unwanted.....so much pain.
Evil radiated from the figure as Voldemort gasped out. "Kill her! KILL HER!!" Curses sounded out and Mappe tossed them aside as though they were puffs of wind.
Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light......
Red, serpentine eyes opened. "Nagini....." The huge snake slithered forward.
He stroked her with a white hand. "Never, never again"
******************************************************************************
"Interceptions, Interference, Information"
Author's notes; First, some questions to be answered.
As always, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed and sent e-mails, Thank You!! Always appreciated, especially with a big work-load and not a lot of free time for Aly. (Drat being a TA anyway!) Oh well,
Kavish- You're very welcome, thank you for reviewing and for your enthusiasm! :-) As for your questions, heh, heh (evil laughter) can't answer them! It'd spoil the story!! However, answers are coming. Remus and Mappe, well, the attraction there (at least one sided) is apparent. She likes the darker, more turbulent personalities and even though our favorite werewolf appears serene, its just the opposite in many ways. I also think that the werewolf is a separate part of Remus' personality, one he can't simply push aside but one he's assimilated over the years. He's still young here and not very good at it.
Does Remus escape? Well, you don't think that the other Marauders would let their friend down now, right? :-) And Remus isn't helpless, he's strong in ways I think even his closest friends don't realize, which gives him even more in common with Harry, or Hermione for that matter. Yes, he escapes, though I shan't reveal how. And all Mappe wants with him is to 'feed' off of him, she's also a possessive little bugger, scarily enough.
He is in a hypnotic trance, one thing Mappe can do is tap into the fears of her 'victims' and re-enforce them, making them seem real. That's the first stage, then when their emotions are at a peak she drains them, though not intentionally. She's like a Dementor in that she feeds off of people but her intentions aren't truly malicious. It's really all she can understand, getting worse as she gets older and especially without the more stable influence of her parents.
After awhile her victims simply lose themselves, she's like a siren, its how she completely takes control of their minds. Her personality is difficult to understand, especially when it comes to Harry. She has no concept of normal relationships so she has to possess those she thinks she loves, make any sense at all? Hopefully, I can't really come out and say it but things will make more sense later on. Her personality is so unbalanced it makes it difficult to write. (Rotten characters, don't do what you tell 'em)
All she really wanted with Harry is to give him to Voldemort, to try and wiggle her way into his good graces like three other dunderheads that are on the fringes are trying to do with poor Ron. (Percy will get out of this, and his family understands that he would do anything for Ron, so its Ron they have to focus on since he's in the more immediate danger, that's all I can say, that and Percy has a plan up his sleeve. Wasn't Head Boy for nothin'. I like Percy if ya can't tell, I don't think he'll go bad) And I could never kill one of my beloved Weasleys!! Although I like to cause them plenty of angst, especially Ron. Torture the Ron stories are all I seem to be writing, ah well. One more thing and I'll stop rambling, sorry! Draco, I agree totally. He's rotten to the core and isn't going to change, though I do believe his actions are to get approval from his father. Still, he's a twerp and he'll have more to do in this chapter. Ron and Draco, oooohh, what fun to write now that there's no one to keep Ron from punching his lights out. We'll see :-)
Roxy- Thanks for the review, Mappe is a twisted little enchilada isn't she? Gets worse before it gets better, certainly. As said before, she mainly wants Harry at first to give to Voldemort, but now that she's discovered that the boy is a bit tormented, she begins to get possessive of him like she did for Remus. She's human and her emotions change like everyone else's. Let's just say her biological clock and Harry's vulnerability don't match. (Nothing sick though, yikes, I don't swing that way, purely maternal though that's rather disturbing too)
Mione Granger- Thanks for the reviews! Appreciate them always, point of view _is_ fun isn't it? Heh, heh.
One last thing, (these really weren't quick were they? Sorry again) this chapter dedicated to Paula for her great e-mails and subtle hints to work on my fic! (Thanks though, its nice to think that someone likes to read it)
On with the story!
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry- 1978
Still. That was the only word for things. Well, still, tense, worried, frantic....all of these things ran through James Potter's mind as he watched Professor Namart, head of Gryffindor House, talking to Lily.
Sirius and Peter were standing with him, waiting for Lily to come over and tell them the news. James' stomach twisted unpleasantly and the rest of the Gryffindors were standing or sitting around, respectively silent and uncharacteristically sober.
Frank Longbottom made a move as though to come over but shook his head, as though thinking the better of it.
Far from Remus' opinion, he was very well-liked in his house, and elsewhere. The wizard's disappearance had caused significant alarm throughout. Professors roaming through the halls, Dumbledore calling a staff meeting and the Marauders', demanding an explanation, were left without any.
Remus Lupin was gone. *So is Mappe Maleficient* James thought chillingly, the former feeling of uneasiness towards the unstable Slytherin now reaching new heights. It had to be connected, somehow
Sirius seemed even more worried than James. The Head Boy knew how overprotective Sirius was of all of them, but especially Remus. Something about the young werewolf, his calming nature, easy-going personality and most of all, long-suffering attitude endeared him to many.
Sirius kept running his hands through his black hair and rocking on the balls of his feet. Peter, standing a distance from the edgy youth, merely folded his arms and occasionally let out a rodent-like squeak of dismay.
James chewed on his bottom lip, watching Lily. *God she's beautiful, even when she's worried* the disconnected thought ran through the Seeker's head before he nearly bit through his lip when Sirius elbowed him suddenly.
Turning and scowling at his best friend, tasting blood in his mouth, James mouthed a "what?" and Sirius raised his eyebrows, jerking his head towards their dormitory for emphasis. Oh, the map........
*Of Course!!* James wanted to slap himself in the forehead.
Taking Sirius aside, he whispered, "Padfoot, we don't know if he's still on the grounds."
Sirius, not at all surprised that James knew exactly what he'd been thinking, ground his teeth. "Well, we should at least check it out!!" His whisper was hardly that and several stares came their way, along with Lily Evans.
Lily's bright green eyes were now clouded and red-rimmed. Since Remus' disappearance the night before, none of them had gotten much sleep but now her tears were barely kept at bay after the latest news.
"Nothing.....no one knows where they could be. Madam Pomfrey said that Mappe's um...a bit off center, more so than before and maybe..."
"Couldn't Dumbledore do anything to locate him?!" Sirius whispered furiously as James put a comforting arm around Lily.
She simply shook her head. She then turned to James, as did Sirius and Peter, who had finally joined the conversation.
James nodded once and Peter practically galloped up the stairs, ignoring the looks he got. Lily watched him go but her eyes were distant.
James tightened his grip around her shoulders and she rested a head on his shoulder. "Lily...." He began uncertainly, softly running a hand through that wonderful hair. "He's all right...I...I'm sure..." But his own worry was practically choking him.
They were the Marauders, Hogwarts' Pranksters, but they were more than that. They were like brothers, forging such a strong friendship between them that James honestly believed nothing could break it. The loss of one meant that they weren't complete. If anything happened to Remus......his family, friends, the many people who needed him and would need him in the future would be so much worse off.
James shook these uncharacteristically deep thoughts away and tenderly brought a Quidditch-roughened hand to Lily's cheek, brushing away the sudden tears.
"Oh James....." She hugged him like a life-line, her head in the hollow of his neck. Drawing from James' ever-present strength, like she always did. She depended on him. She loved him. It wasn't a statement or even a truism. It was who she was.
Sirius watched the two of them feeling a bit out of place. They fit so well together but..... He shook his head, his worry for Remus pushing any self-centered thoughts away.
Still, he just didn't know if he would ever fit wholly into their lives again.
Peter was back, showing uncommon common sense for once with the map hidden in his robe. The four didn't speak but left the common room immediately to investigate what the map could possibly tell them.
Frank Longbottom held out a warning hand to a few Gryffindors who made to follow, watching the four leave with deep sympathy in his eyes.
The remaining Marauders ducked into an empty classroom and Sirius pointed his wand at the map.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good" The map came to life. Peering over it anxiously, the four friends couldn't spot anything at first, but then......
"There!" Peter squeaked, one chubby finger (:-) ) on the Shrieking Shack. Two figures were there, two names. Something strange was there also, however....something......
"W-why is his name fading like that? Is something wrong with the map?" James, Sirius and Peter didn't answer Lily. All four knew that it wasn't the map, as every other name was healthy and glowing, showing up plainly.
The figure of Remus Lupin seemed to be fading away, however. Dumbledore and the other professors were far from the Shrieking Shack, closer to the Forbidden Forest, with Hagrid joining them.
James had a sudden, sinking premonition that something was blocking the search party from looking in such an obvious place. Pushing up his glasses determinedly, he nodded at the other members of the small group.
"We'd better hurry." The other four didn't speak to each other past the Whomping Willow, down the passageway, up to the near-abandoned building.
None of them knew what they would find there and the uncertainty was what James feared most of all.
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"Almost done....okay, little more, watch the margins! Um...almost, _there_!!" With an uncharacteristic flourish, Hermione Granger finished her fourth 'History of Magic' essay.
Grinning and feeling her newly-shrunken teeth, the witch clapped her book shut, blowing on her parchment to dry the ink and feeling the deep satisfaction that only came with finishing yet another perfect assignment.
Crookshanks, as though reading her thoughts, opened one large yellow eye and gazed at her dubiously from the foot of her bed. She fought the urge to giggle and stroked the large cat as he purred and rubbed his ginger head under her hand.
It wasn't as though she was being conceited. It was just the plain truth. Hermione stopped for a moment when she thought of what Harry, and more importantly Ron, would say to that.
Shaking her bushy head she pushed her books and homework aside, thinking again of the only thing that could make her do so.
Not even the sound of a drill coming from downstairs and a child's crying could distract her. They were normal everyday sounds from her parent's offices, attached to their comfortable....and sterile home.
Ron and Harry. It had been a few weeks since she had seen either one of them and, even though she always missed them during the summer, for some reason the separation this time was like a dull ache.
Ron and Harry. Sure, she planned on visiting the Burrow at the end of the holiday and she fervently wished that Harry would be allowed to come as well but even the thought of that wasn't enough to calm the young witch's turbulent thoughts when she pondered on her two best friends.
Ron and Harry. She was worried for them. _Both_ of them. And they, sweetly enough, were worried for her. She was muggle-born and both Ron and Harry's (it was always in that order, Hermione never stopped to consider why) letters had a thinly veiled concern for her, with some subtle (well, not so much with Ron) hints as to her safety.
Ron had actually thought it was best she stay completely away from Krum, drudging up all of his previous arguments of the Seeker's attachments to a school so affiliated with the Dark Arts. Hermione scowled and began shuffling through her letters, ignoring the beautiful, sunny day as she usually did on her holidays.
Ah, there it was, Ron's untidy scrawl in an unusually long letter. Don't go visit Krum, he's a git, he's a prat, he's only using you, he just wants to get to know one of famous Harry Potter's friends, he's a lecherous old man (he must've had some help with that term from one of his brothers), he...he...well.
Ron had run out of steam half-way through the letter but instead of saying...something...Hermione still couldn't say what she _wanted_ him to say out loud yet, he just sputtered on about her being self-centered when Harry needed them.
Feeling herself flush yet again, Hermione pushed the letter aside energetically. Crookshanks opened one eye again and Hermione could have sworn he rolled it in exasperation. Cat was too smart for his own good.
Rather like the owner. Hermione knew that was what Ron would say if he were here. She knew it. She knew him better than.....anyone. Except Harry maybe. Red hair, freckles, long nose and big feet. Nothing about him was remotely handsome she told herself sternly again and again.
Well, he had large hands that she was fascinated with, the way he carried things, held things, even simple things like brushing dust from his robes made Hermione a little light-headed.
Also, his hair. It was so vivid, yet soft and carelessly messy most of the time, though not as bad as Harry's. His hazel eyes, always with a light in them that Hermione wasn't sure he was even aware of. Sometimes burning with anger, other times dimished in concern, like when Harry didn't come out of that maze for so long. Love, hate, anger, laughter, joy, excitement, everything caused his eyes to react in a different way.
Closing her own deep, brown eyes, Hermione pictured them. Pictured them looking down at her with....something....something that twisted her gut and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Something no one else could give her.
Harry made her want to put her arms around him, help him through all of his unnecessary pain. She loved him, Ron did too in his 'I'm too manly to say it' way. But she didn't tingle and forget her own name when she touched him.
Hermione's ink-blotched fingers came to another pile on her desk. The last letter was post-marked a few days ago. She still hadn't written back. She supposed she owed Victor a response.
But instead of reading through each letter every day like she did with someone else, Hermione let out a small sigh and pushed them into her desk.
Why was it that she never had to remember to write back to Ron? Or Harry to a lesser extent. Something jolted the witch's memory.
Harry......she hadn't heard from him for awhile.
More drilling from downstairs, matching Hermione's sharp stab of worry. Actually, she hadn't heard from Ron for a little while either.
She had been so caught up in the enjoyment of doing her homework that she hadn't thought of it. A thousand worries, all she knew both Ron and Harry would roll their eyes at, popped into her head.
But....but...Voldemort was back. Harry.....nothing could happen to Harry! He was safe, Dumbledore said so. And Ron had his family watching out for him. *They're both _fine_* She told herself sternly but the small twinges of worry wouldn't leave her alone.
Hermione reached for a copy of the latest Daily Prophet, relieved that no more Rita Skeeter articles were there to plague her.
Still.....the paper seemed.....bare. Odd. Hermione's sharp mind poked at her. Something seemed wrong. Trelawney may have said that she had no inclination towards Divination, but she knew when things weren't right. Especially concerning those she cared about in a world she was apart from right now.
Hermione's eyes unconsciously watched the window, while she remained deep in thought. The sun was setting when a soft knock on her door brought her attention back to the Grangers' home.
Her mum was there, her large, brown eyes looking at her daughter's mounds of books bemusedly.
"Sweetheart, is anything wrong?" She asked, taking note of her daughter's distracted expression. Suppressing a snicker, she thought of the red-head that usually caused it. Irene Granger could observe magic even if she couldn't do it.
Hermione shook her head. "Are you sure?" A nod.
Irene glanced at the moving pictures in the newspaper in her daughter's hand. She never quite got used to that though it reminded her of what she had brought up. "Here is another copy of your paper, dear." Another quick nod.
"How are Harry and Ron?" That usually got Hermione talking.
Hermione looked at her mum, the worry in her face spreading to her mum's. "Last I heard they were fine."
"Last you heard.....?"
"It's...it's been a little while."
Irene racked her brain for something to say. She knew her daughter had been hiding something of significance from them, something that had happened to her last year at school, but she couldn't push her to talk about it.
"Are you concerned?"
Hermione nodded quickly and returned her eyes to the darkened window.
"Well, don't worry pet. I'm sure they're fine. Um...you..I'm sure...you would have heard something?" *Or however such news spreads among magic folk* Irene thought sardonically.
Hermione nodded again. Sighing audibly, Irene left the room, keeping the door open just a bit, just in case.
Hermione tore her eyes away from whatever she was looking for and began stroking Crookshanks on her bed, chewing her bottom lip.
A loud *thud* caused her and her cat to jump several meters. Crookshanks' fur stood on end for a minute and he yowled before settling down.
Taking that as a good sign, Hermione opened her window and a small, brown-feathered missile entered, hooting with wild abandon.
A small note was attached to the tiny owl's leg and Hermione, giggling, began the task of trying to get the excited creature to come down so she could read it.
Pigwidgeon fluttered down right on Crookshanks' head, still hooting joyfully. Hopping off and then up and down on Hermione's bed, he was practically molting, he was so hyper.
Crookshanks cast one long-suffering glance at Hermione who tried to shush the little owl. "Pig! Pig!! Come here! I....oh for pity's sake...I can't read it if you don't _Come_ HERE!" Grabbing the owl, she barely managed to undo the note before Pig began to hover around her room at supersonic speed.
Hermione laughed before unrolling the note and reading,
Dear Harry......
*What!!* Hermione was stunned. It was Ron's handwriting. But....the date, it was several days off. What on earth.....
"Pig! Silly owl, you delivered this to the wrong person! Oh, come here." Pig, now firmly grasped in her hand, began to nibble on several fingers.
"Stop that" Hermione told him sternly, placing him on her desk with a firm *plunk*. "Now Pig" The little owl looked up at her with those huge eyes, his tiny body still puffed up with excitement.
She almost felt bad for this. "You went to the wrong person" She began rolling up the letter to re-attach the note.
"This needs to go to _Harry_. Harry Potter, Privet Drive. Come on Pig, you know Harry. Owner of the large, white owl who doesn't much like you? Hedwig?" Pig hooted again, a little more subdued.
"All right, now take this to Harry. _Harry_" She said one more time, resisting an odd impulse to read the note. Pig looked up at her, hooted and didn't move.
That in itself was shocking. "Pig! Go to Harry!! What's wrong with you?" Pig began hopping up and down again.
Hermione's confusion gave way to something else. This wasn't right. Usually if a note couldn't be delivered to someone, which was terrifying for her right there, then the owl went back to its owner.
Of course, Pig wasn't a normal owl but he had never gone awry on his deliveries. He was hyperactive but he was a reliable little thing. That meant......
Hermione didn't want to think about what that meant. "Pig?" She said softly as the little owl landed on her shoulder and began to poke his beak into her hair.
She glanced at the copy of the Daily Prophet one more time. To her surprise, she realized it was yesterday's copy. Where was today's? Probably downstairs, she sometimes got distracted by her homework and didn't bring it up. She had also lost a great deal of interest with last year's debacles from the wizarding paper.
She took Pig gently in one hand. "Go back to Ron, give the note back to Ron. Go home, he needs this back if...." Her lips quivered and Hermione wanted to curse herself for jumping to conclusions.
Again, Pig didn't look like he was going anywhere. Crookshanks was now taking an interest, sitting on his haunches and watching the young witch with uncanny intelligence in those yellow eyes.
And next to Crookshanks was....oh, her mum had brought up today's paper. It was weird but Hermione suddenly didn't want to look at it. Her hands were shaking violently as she read the headlines, not even having to pick the paper up.
The Boy Who Lived Missing! No Leads, Minister of Magic Says Nothing Out of the Ordinary. Hermione's breath caught in her throat. Skimming the rest of the article, all she got out of it was that the protective wards surrounding Harry, which the Ministry did have some hand in though less and less thanks to last year had indicated that he was gone. Vanished, no notes, no threats....no Dark Mark. That, at least, was something. But......
Hermione couldn't see for the tears. What did this mean? Did something happen to Ron too? Damn but she felt so isolated here! Her friends were in danger and she had no idea of what to do to help them, or who would have any information for her.
Hermione took a deep breath, went to her desk and began racking her brain, trying to think of someone she could write to. Sirius? No, he was probably panicking as it was and still be unable to do anything without the risk of being caught, besides. The Weasleys? Pig would've gone home to them if he had seen the need. The little owl knew something, that was why he had come here.
Giving up, Hermione picked up Pig and tried to calm herself. "Pig, where's Ron? Is he in trouble? Do you know where Ron is?"
The little owl began hopping up and down on her palm, frantic in his efforts. Hermione was at a loss. She didn't have a broom, couldn't apparate and her home wasn't connected to the Floo network, not that she had any powder to use anyway. She was stuck.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. It was completely nutters but, she needed someone who would know, without a doubt if Ron was in danger. And would help, like it or not. Someone who wouldn't inform the Weasleys if there was a problem, or had connections to Dumbledore. Someone who was inconspicuous enough, yet had enough magic to help Ron if the situation called for it.
Not understanding her own justifications, simply following her own deep-rooted instincts, Hermione picked up her quill and tried to steady her hand. She grimaced, imaging the reaction this was going to get.
Dear Professor Snape........
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_Slam_!! _Slam, SLAM_!!
Books, toys, odds and ends were flying everywhere. Ginny Weasley kicked at them, kicked at her walls, slammed her door, tore the bedspread off of her bed, anything, anything to take her mind off of......
Tears were flowing down her freckled face. Her brown eyes were full of crystal tears, she couldn't see. She was sobbing, breathing in short gasps, her nose running unattractively and she didn't care.
The Burrow was silent. "Mad-Eye" Moody was at the Ministry of Magic, debating with Fudge and his cronies how the news of two vanished children could be kept under wraps for just a little while longer.
While Ginny knew that the only ones who knew about recent events wouldn't breathe a word, more people were beginning to realize something was wrong. Ginny felt stab after stab of guilt, Hermione didn't have an owl and Pig wasn't back from Harry's. Something was wrong, Hermione had the right to know and if Harry hadn't replied.
Stuffing a small fist into her mouth, she smothered the heart-rending sob that racked her body. She couldn't think about them, about Harry. She couldn't be distracted. Percy and Ron, her brothers, were still missing and no word, no sign had been heard from them at all.
Her dad was trying to persuade Dumbledore of the necessity of searching Malfoy Manor, but without sufficient proof all that would accomplish was to alienate influential people in the Ministry that they needed on their side.
Ginny understood Dumbledore's reasoning. The short term didn't matter when dealing with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They had to think of the long term consequences of their actions and look for clues, _any_ clues as to what had happened to the brothers before producing accusations.
She still hated him for it. It may have just been two students to him, a drop in the bucket compared to the coming war's casualties, but she loved her two brothers very much. Nothing made sense. Nothing.
Her parents....Bill, Charlie, the twins, she couldn't stand to see them like this. It was like all life had been drained from them, no leads had been found, no news. With each hour, each night that went by, the possibility that they would be alive.........
Ginny broke down then, rushing out of her room and running up the last flight of stairs, into a vividly orange room that belonged to Ron. She collapsed onto his bed, her lungs aching with the force of her sobs.
The had to be alive, they had to be.
Where was everyone? Sure, Hagrid had even stopped by, along with Professor McGonagall, everyone who knew and cared about the boys, but no sign of Hermione and Harry.
That wasn't exactly fair. They probably didn't know, thanks to the efforts of those searching for Ron and Percy. Although, she and the rest of her family hadn't looked at the Daily Prophet today either, not that it would probably have anything to say.
She understood why the adults wanted to keep it a secret, both of them had enough worries and neither could do anything to help. But she needed them, _both_ of them. Harry........
She began hiccuping as hysterics kicked in. She heard soft footsteps come half-way up the stairs, a loud _thump_ on the wall, and then the footsteps retreated, the owner changing their mind.
A picture of the trio was on Ron's desk, next to his frog tank. Pig was flying around Ron's head madly as he made a grab for the tiny owl, Hedwig was nibbling at Harry's unruly hair and Crookshanks' squashed face was looking grumpily at the camera, wiggling in Hermione's grasp.
Ginny's bright red hair fell around her face as she closed her eyes tightly. She missed Ron and Percy like a dull ache, but the ache grew stronger as she looked at Harry's likeness, his gentle smile. His green eyes sparkled at her, light reflected off of his glasses.
That thin, sensitive face she knew so well could be seen, showing Harry's emotions even in the photograph. She reached out a slim finger and touched it, feeling her heart bang in her chest. She wished it was really him. If he was only here.....to help them, maybe.....
Ginny sighed, more tears falling. She would probably just hide in her room and not be of any help to anybody. After all, fat lot of good she did when she was lying in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry risking life and limb to rescue her. She hated herself sometimes, hated the fact that she believed she was so weak.
She wasn't someone Harry would want, she was distracted even when her own family was in trouble, only thinking of herself. She..she was only little Ginny, Ron's little sister and Harry was a hero, a true hero. He was brave and selfless and kind.
By the Snitch she missed him!
Two large hands grasped her shoulders and she jumped suddenly. She looked up and saw her tear-streaked face reflected in her father's glasses.
Her dad looked so very tired, completely exhausted actually. And his eyes were red-rimmed.
His hands weren't very steady as he rubbed her shoulders and pulled her into a loose hug. What little hair he had was mussed, standing up everywhere. He rubbed her back as she continued to cry, feeling his little girl's misery, sharing it.
Arthur looked around Ron's room, reflective of his son's personality. He couldn't quite swallow the lump in his throat.
"Ginny, sweetie, there's....been some news." Ginny's large brown eyes looked up at him suddenly, full of hope.
But Arthur's face was anything but hopeful. He looked old, the worry lines re-emphasized. Ginny felt a stab of fear.
"I don't know if you remember Ms. Figg, Arabella? She was appointed to look after Harry....."
Ginny's heart was now a block of ice. Harry......no, please, please no, not Harry.
Arthur saw the terror in his youngest's face and spoke quickly. "She wanted to talk to your mother and I alone but we told her we're a family. We stay together to...to face whatever will happen. But it's your choice."
Ginny bolted from the room without a word, rushing down the rickety stairs. Arthur was close behind.
She heard voices from the living room. Charlie was holding her mother, who seemed past grief, her face white as a sheet.
An older lady, wearing a purple, knitted shawl over a calico dress and a straw hat with some fake flowers and birds on a haphazard bun of graying ash-blonde hair sat there. She looked a bit like Molly, except not as soft. She stood up straighter and there was more iron in those gray-blue eyes.
Although Ginny didn't remember ever seeing her before, there was something familiar there.
Now, the lady was deep in conversation with Mundungus Fletcher, who's grizzled countenance looked very grave indeed.
Arabella, seeing Arthur return with his daughter...*Poor thing* came the immediate thought seeing the petite red-head's dejected expression, pulled out a piece of parchment from her large handbag.
She didn't read it right away, however.
"Gus...."
"Ta, Bella?"
"After this is all over, go to the Ministry to back Moody up. Tell that idiot Fudge that proof or no proof we're going to go where ever we think we need to go to get these children back."
Ginny felt sick. Mundungus threw a glance at Arthur, who sat down next to Bill and said nothing, before nodding grimly.
He softly placed a scar-riddled hand on her plump arm. "D-do...Sirius an' Remus....?"
"They know....they're, well....they're like us, pulling at straws."
Arabella unfolded the parchment and read it. A stunned silence descended on the remaining members of the Weasley family.
"It..t-that...that, I don't believe this...." Surprisingly, the stuttered comment came from George, standing with his twin at the foot of the stairs.
"Percy would never do that.....never. He's too much of a goody-goody to...." Fred continued his twin's statement but trailed off himself.
Arthur and Molly exchanged a look of terror. Arabella caught it. "We don't know what this means...."
"It means Harry _and_ Ron are in danger!" Ginny squeaked shrilly, wondering what in bloody hell was wrong with everybody for just sitting there.
Arabella composed herself now. This wasn't going to be easy to say.
"Harry is gone. He vanished last night before this letter ever arrived. We don't know who's responsible for taking him and the only clues we have are some half-written letters he wrote that sound nothing like him. The real mystery is trying to find out if all of these things are connected, but for now there is no reason to believe that they are."
Molly began to sob in earnest.
"What do you mean?" Bill asked, shakily. "He's just.....gone? What about Dumbledore's protection measures? How could he...."
Arabella shook her head. "The only way for anyone to get to Harry is if he left the protection of his relatives' home voluntarily. From what I witnessed, he did."
Ginny wanted to scream out, this was ten times worse than before. And now......
"There are people who are already looking into this. From the nature of this letter, the one that we should be truly concerned with is young Ronald. Whoever has him, and we can assume that they have both of the boys, is holding him hostage and will take drastic measure to get what they want."
This wasn't news, the letter had made that perfectly clear. And if it had been Percy who had written it......
"Percy wouldn't have let anything happen to Ron if he could've helped it. Something's weird here...." George spoke up again. Fred nodded his agreement.
Molly was trying to compose herself. She looked at her husband's friend and co-worker, as well as Arabella. "What do we do? Tell me you have a plan, my boys......"
"I didn't recognize the owl, but this letter gives us enough evidence to begin searching. Arthur, take whoever you need, Gus, go with him and head for Malfoy Manor. That's...um, considering your past animosity...."
Arthur nodded, a look of absolute hatred in his usually mild eyes. If that psychopath did anything to his sons, he would, well......
His wand hand twitched. Bill and Charlie stood up. "We're coming too, Dad." Charlie said as Arthur nodded shortly.
"Me too!" Ginny cried out.
"No, Ginny....Mum needs you, you need to stay here just in case news comes."
Ginny bristled. "Don't treat me like I'm a baby! I have just as much of a right to go as you and...."
"Ginny, for Mum, stay here. Harry's missing too, we don't need anymore problems. Just do as I ask, wait for word here. Try and get in touch with Hermione, she needs to know."
Molly stood up and gathered her little girl to her in a smothering embrace. Ginny didn't have the heart to pull away. Hiding her own tears, Arabella stood up.
"I'm heading to Dumbledore's. He's declared a semi-state of emergency among our small group, you know what I'm referring to?"
Several nods.
Arthur, pulling Molly away from their daughter for a moment, kissed his wife in a way that made their children gape and the twins hoot derisively.
He embraced her and headed out without a word. Molly hugged her two eldest sons, Arabella and even Mundungus, who looked frightfully embarrassed, before all left.
The silence was so heavy it seemed oppressive.
Ginny didn't know how long she sat there with her mum, but about the same time tiny Pigwidgeon was paying a visit to Ms. Granger, a whirl from the fireplace caused both witches to stand up.
A man stood there, dusting off his shabby robes and shaking ash from his graying hair. "Mr. Lupin?" Ginny asked incredously as the former professor stepped into the Burrow.
"Forgive me Molly. I didn't mean to intrude."
Molly's kind face broke into a shadow of a smile, all she could manage right now. The gentle werewolf took her hand for a moment.
"I heard about what happened. Has there been any more news?" She shook her head.
"Harry....?" Remus' gray eyes held deep pain. "No, though we think we're getting closer. It may have something to do with....me, and Sirius, something from school."
"Then....these things...?"
"Aren't connected, as far as we can tell. But there isn't much we know. Sirius is working on a solution. I just wanted to see how you were, to assure you that we'll find Harry but to let you know that if there anything I can do."
Remus trailed off and smiled his calming smile at Ginny, who couldn't help but smile back.
"You know where to reach us if there is any word?" Remus nodded.
"And you?" Ginny nodded for her mum.
Remus seemed unsure of what to do next, so he strolled into their kitchen. "Ginny, how about helping me with a cup of tea?"
Molly nodded reassuringly at Ginny, resting her gaze on the kind man who looked at home in their tiny kitchen.
After the water had boiled and the sun had nearly completely disappeared, Remus began to talk.
He told them about Mappe, about what had happened to him, about the possibility of what might be happening to Harry and how they needed to focus all attention on other matters while he and Sirius tried to find out if this witch, who sounded frightening, was truly a threat to them.
His candor actually helped. It helped this surreal situation become a little clearer, if not less frightening. Resting that intense gray-eyed gaze on Ginny, Remus spoke to her softly.
"You know that we'll do anything we can to help your brothers, and Harry? If he needs....a friend....well...." Remus seemed unsure of what to say and Ginny was shocked that he had any idea.
She really didn't know him that well. It was hard not to trust him, however.
He rested a long hand on her shoulder, hugged Molly then left. Ginny sat with her mum, trying to form the right words to tell Hermione.....and waited.
******************************************************************************
"Eat it!"
Bright red hair and the head it belonged to shook violently. The burly arm around Ron's neck made it hard for him to reply, not that he wanted to anyway.
There were numerous bruises on his freckled face already and his hands were tied securely behind his back, an added precaution when he had nearly gotten out that morning.
"I _said_ eat it, ya little brat!" Henry was losing his small amount of patience. What good was the brat to them if he was skin and bones?
Besides, looking at his beefy companions and his own less than slim figure, he couldn't figure out why anyone would turn down food, even if it looked less than appetizing even to him.
Poor Ron had not been having a good time of it lately. He had been completely neglected by these three goons until last night, only having a small amount of water. He was famished, weak and sore from taking numerous cuffs.
These bullies seemed to like the fact that he wouldn't give them a reaction to his pain or his anger. Then, they hit him again. The fear of humiliation that Ron had been feeling in the beginning was rapidly ebbing away. He only hoped that Percy was doing better than him.
He had overheard the three goons this morning, when they had received a letter. Ron could only assume it had been from Lucius Malfoy, but he had finally been given some actual food that he couldn't help but eat in his starving position.
Then he had made a break for it, but since he didn't know his way around the small alley, he'd quickly been caught again.
So, now he was tied up and wasn't making any head-way on getting free. He'd been fastened to a chair until a few minutes ago but he wasn't eating a damn thing until these goons at least untied him.
Swearing in frustration, Henry shoved Ron back onto the uncomfortable chair while his companions secured the boy again. Ron looked defiantly at one of them, earning another cuff for his efforts.
Knodd, Ron had found out their names rather quickly, glanced at Wynken who smirked his approval.
"Whadda we do if'n he don't eat nothin'?"
"Wha' does'n it matter to us? We got Malfoy's attention, let 'im deal wit' the scrapper."
"Are ya sure t'was Malfoy's letter?"
"A'course! Spellin' all fancy and expensive parchment. Even'a 'ad that symbol, sign, thing'a what're callin' it?"
"Crest" Ron said wearily from his uncomfortable position in the dingy room.
"Shaddup, didn'a ask you!" Another cuff, this one left Ron dizzy.
He suddenly thought of Percy. Where was his brother? What had happened? What did Malfoy want with them anyway?
Surely he wasn't brazen enough to try anything now? Then again, Cedric Diggory had been killed without a second thought, according to Harry, and his family wasn't feuding with a family of powerful Death Eaters.
Blankton sat staring stupidly at the parchment. He was the least bright of the three, which, at least for Ron, wasn't saying much.
"Got any more food, 'enry?"
"Yup, jus' eat this share, 'e won't be mindin'" Wynken rubbed Ron's head who jerked away violently.
"Now, now, none 'o that....you'll be a-wantin' to stay in our good graces, laddie."
"Eh, whatta think 'o this? This 'ere says that 'arry Potter, that, er...famous bloke, just up an' vanished, gone like a puff o' wind, this 'ere paper says."
Ron's head came up in a flash. Harry!! They were talking about Harry! He shifted and opened his mouth to ask for more information before stopping himself, wisely.
These three didn't know anything about his friendship with Harry. If they had any clue, or maybe he was just giving them too much credit, then he was as good as Death Eater bait. Even more so than now.
But still.....Harry! Gone!! Ron's stomach twisted painfully and not from hunger.
Wynken was over in a flash, well, a flash for him and took the newspaper in his beefy fists. "Hmm, lookin' like maybe our ol' pals are doin' better 'n we thought, eh lads? Ta Dark Lord and this 'ere Potter, just gotta give 'em some Weasleys and it'll be like icin' on the cake!" Wynken grinned at Ron who was fighting to keep a straight face. He couldn't betray his emotions!
"Was it an attack?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Don' say, just says that 'The Wizardin' Comm-Com, er, group is in an roar o' sorts, boy just gone, looks like they don' have any more stuff ta write." Another nasty grin in Ron's direction.
"Oh, by t'way, yer brother."
"What about him?"
"Well, letter we got afore ya decided to play dumb an' scamper off says he's bein' turned o'er to our Master. Gonna 'ave fun gettin' info out'a 'im. Torture 'im, then kill 'im, like that other witch, make an 'xample o' 'im. 'Ow's that soundin' to ya?"
Ron's face was ghastly white. It was true that Percy annoyed him to no end, like he did to nearly everyone else, but he was still his brother.
In fact, Percy and himself had been close before the older Weasley had left for Hogwarts and had come back a tad.....stuffy.
He had always been a bit of a stuffed shirt but now it seemed but when he returned it seemed that talking, playing and laughing with Ron was beneath his dignity. And Ron had reacted, siding with the twins more and more and pretending he didn't care about the distance between him and his once, close older brother.
Percy still acted odd sometimes. Fussing over him. Ron didn't understand it, he wished Percy would pick an attitude and stick with it. Like in his own first year at Hogwarts, after Harry and his encounter with that troll.
Percy had lit into him like a blowtorch. Ron could hear him plainly even now.
~_What_ were you thinking Ron! Wandering off like that!! You could have been killed, don't you realize I can't always look after you, I have to watch the other students! I'm a prefect, how could you have done something so stupid.~
And so on and so forth. Percy had only yelled at him then stormed off. Ron, seething with resentment, vowed not to let his older brother get to him ever again. Prickly, perfect Percy could do as he liked.
But that night, Halloween night, after Hermione, Harry and himself had recounted their harrowing tale again and again and most of the students had gone to bed, Percy had gone up to him.
Ron remembered the look on Percy's face, his eyes the same color as Ron's, now full of unspoken fear behind his initial anger.
He had hugged Ron very tightly and Ron had returned it. That was the last time he did so without embarrassment. He had told his little brother he loved him and that was it, Percy the prefect was back.
But he was still Ron's brother.
Ron was shaking. Percy.....who he'd never actually believed would turn to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was going to....what? Die? Be tortured?! No! He couldn't let that happen.
Henry was watching Ron's reaction with ill-conceived glee.
The only thing that stopped the nasty thug's comment was the sound of footsteps on the steps leading to the grimy flat.
They were soft....and sinister. Ron felt the hair on the back of his neck rise up, but he still opened his mouth to yell out for help.
Knodd clapped a dirty hand over it, making Ron gag, just in time. A muffled yell could still be heard, though, when the door was kicked open without any ceremony.
And standing there......was Draco Malfoy.
******************************************************************************
Draco Malfoy, his silver-blonde hair glinting in the afternoon's sunlight, couldn't quite contain his glee at surveying the scene before him.
His pale eyes took in the three thugs, the disreputable place they were living in, and Weasley. Those eyes narrowed maliciously. His birthday present had come early, twice over in fact, according to the barely released Daily Prophet edition.
"'Ere now, jus' whad'in bloody 'ell do you thin' you're doin'" The largest boy's heavy accent became even heavier in his astonishment. "'Ow did'ja get in 'ere?"
"Alohamora" Draco said smoothly, twiddling his wand in his fingers. "Don't worry about _restrictions_, they don't apply to me"
Draco then dismissed Wynken with an arrogant, practiced wave. Being around Crabbe and Goyle had made dealing with neer-do-wells like these all too easy.
His lazy, cold drawl sounded out. "My, my......who would have thought that all my premonitions were correct."
Wynken blinked in fury. "I said....wha'!"
"Stay" Draco said casually, waving a hand at him. To his and his fellow thug's surprise, he found himself obeying this pale shrimp's command.
"Hello Weasley, fancy meeting you here. Got yourself in a bit of a spot, have you?" Draco was almost nose to nose with Ron, who was fighting his bonds with increased fury. Knodd removed his hand.
"What do you want you slimy, no-good bas-?"
"'ho are ya?" Knodd asked the pale boy confusedly, luckily cutting off Ron's tirade.
"I'm here to give you fools some help, and advice. With absolutely no benefit for myself of course, other than to savor this moment for a _very_ long time." Draco was smiling beautifically at Ron who scowled angrily.
"Draco Malfoy" he said smoothly, turning to the open-mouthed Slytherins. "Nice...er, flat, you have here" his sarcasm floated over the top of his companion's heads.
"So, Potter has gone missing, what a shame isn't it Weasley? And I hear that your brother is as good as dead too. Hmm, talk about choosing the wrong side, not that the Dark Lord would want scum like you and your family."
Ron turned dark-red. "And these three are the cream of the crop for your _side_?" He asked snidely.
He regretted it. Another cuff and Draco nodded his approval. Ron tasted blood with that one.
"'ere now....wha'...." Henry was still sputtering in confusion.
"'Ow....'ow didja know we were 'ere?"
"Simple you idiot, the letter." One pale hand motioned to the parchment on the table.
"But...yer, dad?"
"It was what my father would have written, _did_ write, in fact before burning the letter. The gist of it is the same. As if he would have cared what happened to vermin like this, though." Draco smiled again at Ron who was so angry he didn't care that the ropes were cutting into his skin.
"He made a deal with what, Perry? Whatever his name is, to draw Potter out and save your miserable skin. How does that feel Weasley, all warm and sunshine inside?"
Ron felt a little sick. No....Percy wouldn't do that to Harry, he _couldn't_. But.....
"Oh yes" It was though Draco was reading Ron's thoughts. "He did, I assure you, though only to get you out of, ah, a bind?" Three mindless chuckles. Draco rolled his eyes, it was all too easy sometimes.
"An' it worked, huh? It worked, didn'it? It did, sure, cause it says here that he was gone last night...."
"But the letter came this morning..." Ron said, confused for a minute, before grinning in spite of himself.
"So someone outsmarted your dad and his cronies, Malfoy? That's why you're here, he's too busy trying not to take the heat because Harry outsmarted him and you're stuck with the leftovers instead. Guess even your own family can't stand to work with you, you little ferret."
Ron snickered and even dodged the cuff that came his way.
Draco's pale eyes flashed in fury.
Backpedaling quickly, Blankton looked back to the parchment he had been studying. "Uh, your dad says 'ere....."
"_I_ wrote that, you moron!" Draco snarled. No wonder his father wanted nothing to do with them, they were hopeless even as yes-men.
"My father could've cared less what happened to this one, he thought he had what he wanted. And don't look so satisfied, Weasley, your brother is the one who's going to take the punishment for all of this."
Ron paled again. "What makes you think that any of you are possibly going to get away with this?"
Draco smiled, his expression evil. "Because, Potter's missing, everyone is distracted and no one has the slightest idea of what's happened to you and your precious sibling, not that your parents could have kept track. No one cares about riff-raff like you! You and your muggle-loving, pathetic father don't amount to even a small threat to the Dark Lord."
"Then why is your father so hell-bent on getting his revenge on my dad, if we're not worth worrying about?" Ron retorted, the words out before he realized it.
"Doesn't matter. We're going to be a part of the winning side, as I've told you time and time again. All we need to do now is get one filthy Mud-blood out of the way and my life is blissfully complete."
Ron's reaction to this not even Draco could have contemplated. He was so angry he couldn't see straight, Malfoy had hit a very deep nerve.
Although he had taken a step back, Draco was over-joyed at Ron's reaction. "Be grateful Weasley, it's the only reason you're still alive. I turn over Harry Potter's best friends and no one can say I don't belong with the Dark Lord's circle."
"Uh....Malfoy?"
Draco, his expression maniacal, had forgotten about the three master-minds of this whole plot standing behind him.
"What about us?"
Rolling his pale eyes once again, he plastered a fake expression of pleasantness as he turned around.
"Just do what you've been doing and _watch_ him. Gag him too, I don't care, just don't let yourselves be distracted!" Three nods. It was almost humerous to see the three huge, much older Slytherins obeying this pip-squeak's every command.
Ron's head dropped. So, it was all just a ploy to get Harry. Unwittingly, these three had been behind it all.
Malfoy had never had any intentions of letting him or Percy go, and he doubted that these three had either. Now, everyone he cared about was being drawn into it.
Harry was missing, and even though it wasn't Malfoy who took him, he was still gone without a trace. And if Hermione.......
Ron felt a panic he hadn't even felt with Harry, though there was plenty there too.
Draco was still speaking.
"I'd better get busy writing. Can't tell you what a pleasure this was, seeing _all_ of you." Draco even patted Ron on the head, his expression so smugly superior the youngest Weasley brother longed to punch his teeth in.
"One letter to the Mudblood and one to, someone else.....can't let _you_ know, Weasley, it'd spoil the surprise."
Grasping a dingy piece of parchment, a look of great distaste on his pointed face, Draco began writing.
Dear Professor Snape.......
******************************************************************************
It'd taken hours but Percy finally felt he was ready. He didn't know what was going on outside, but from the disgruntled noises he kept hearing outside of the room he was imprisoned in, it wasn't good.
As long as Malfoy kept his word.......
Percy shut his eyes tightly, the terrible feeling of guilt overwhelming him again. How....._how_ could he have done that?
Ron's face floated before him in his mind's eye. Ron could be seriously hurt or....
Percy gulped. No, too much time may have passed but he couldn't give up. And Harry? What was happening? He'd give anything to know.
But never mind. He had to focus on the problem at hand. Solve one problem, move on to the next. Sure, his brothers thought he was meticulous and methodical, but sometimes it came in handy.
Otherwise he'd be overwhelmed by it all.
He'd never mastered the spell in school. He didn't know how far away his wand was, but it was one of the most difficult types of magic. Wand retrieval. In other words, wand-less magic.
And the dark forces surrounding this place was making it hard for him to concentrate. He could feel the evil, the longer he was hear and the harder he tried to block it out, the more it seeped into him.
Percy took his glasses off and wiped them on his dirty robes, though not to much effect. Calming thoughts, confidence....c'mon Perce. You can do this, you have to.
A voice in the back of his head, sounded suspiciously like his dad actually, said over and over. 'Can't trust Malfoy, never, _ever_ trust a Death Eater.' And that meant Ron was in danger, as well as Harry....thanks to him. Always thanks to him.
Those thoughts were far from calming. Percy rested a lean hand on the door and concentrated with all his might.
*Come on, Come on...._please_. You can do this, picture the wand, the core's magic...unicorn tail....you can do this......one......two.....three.......Accio Retrevo, Accio Retrevo!* His hand was shaking with the effort, sweat beads forming on his forehead.
Something stirred inside of him, his thoughts became much clearer before the thought of his wand's magic, it's core, slipped away from him. "Accio Retrevo! Retrevo...uh, Caduceus! Retrevo Caduceus!!"
Percy's fervent whisper finally paid off. Something clunked against the door, his wand poking through at the bottom, though not quite fitting through the crack at the door.
It had worked! Percy grasped the wand and pulled hard. Some splinters came off but a moment later it was in his hands.
"Alohamora" He pointed at the door. Nothing happened. Of course Malfoy was too smart to allow such a simple spell to work.
Losing his temper and giving in to his frustration, Percy slammed his fist against the door as hard as he could.
And it opened......
Too stunned to react at first, he quickly regained his composure and looked out of the door. So far, so good, no one seemed to have heard.
Percy quietly walked out, wondering how he was going to get out of here in one piece. Hearing voices coming in his direction, he darted up some steps and into the closest door. A closet.
Full of long, dark robes. They would just about fit Percy. He made some quick re-arrangements, pointed his wand at his throat and whispered, "Profundus".
Luckily he was only stopped once as he made his way to the door. That girl, Harper, peered at him suspiciously, unable to see his face with the robe's long hood.
"Hey, bright boy.....ya seen Mr. Malfoy's son? Don't seem ta be aroun' this mornin'."
"Uh...no" Percy's gruff voice sounded out, the deepening charm working like a...well, like a charm.
She scowled at him, rolled her eyes and moved on.
So, the little ferret isn't here either? Something prickled at the back of Percy's mind and he stored it away for later.
He was just about to step out into the lengthening shadows of afternoon when something on a side-table caught his attention.
A copy of the Daily Prophet which had obviously been crumpled up, then re-straightened, as though the reader had been greatly agitated, was there.
Percy gulped painfully at the headlines, before doing a double-take. *Last night!! But, it was this morning that I..but, how?*
So it wasn't him, and it wasn't Malfoy. Percy smirked to himself. The bastard didn't get Harry. His boss wasn't going to be happy about this. Now all Percy had to worry about was getting Ron out.
He glared dangerously, the wand in his hand twitching. Which he would.
One thought kept plaguing him as he prepared to apparate to Diagon Alley. If Malfoy didn't have Harry, then who did?
******************************************************************************
"What do you mean?" Through gritted teeth, Malfoy spit out the question.
Goyle, of the older generation, sputtered. "Uh, well....sir, he's gone."
"I _know_ that you imbecile! You just said it!! _How_ did he get out."
No answer. Goyle was sweating under Malfoy's cruel gaze.
"You were careless weren't you? You left something out of place, allowing the brat to escape."
"N-no, no sir...."
"Crucio"
The howl of pain did little to improve Lucius' mood. And _where_ was Draco anyway? Narcissa was a tad worried and he himself was feeling some twinges of unease.
That Weasley brat had escaped! How!! No matter, those goons that had his brother would have certainly made short-work of the whelp by this time. But still......
The thought that he could have had a more personal revenge on Arthur Weasley, but the chance was now gone, made his blood boil.
And to top things off.....
"What about Potter? You've contacted all of our associates?"
The whimpering Goyle nodded. Malfoy swore viciously. This was very, very bad. His Master wasn't going to be happy with this.
Turning even more pale, Malfoy grabbed an inkpot from the top of his desk and threw it at Goyle, who didn't bother to duck.
"Damn them all! How could he have gotten away!! Who else could have known about Potter's protections? He just walked out! It should have been us! The Dark Lord wants Potter, he wants to finish the boy off himself. The plan was perfect......"
Malfoy stopped to brood. Goyle, wiping ink away from his little, dull eyes, bit his lip and choked on the foul-tasting stuff dripping from his face.
"Uh....'cause someone got there first...?"
A steely gaze. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have a remarkable grasp of the obvious, Goyle?"
"Why, thank you certainly, sir!" Goyle beamed.
"Find out where Potter has gone. And find Draco, he's going to get a talk about wandering off without us knowing. Sounds like one of those Weasley rabble. And speaking of which, _find_ that red-haired brat if it's still possible!!"
Malfoy snarled and stomped out, his stomach twisting in fear as to what he now had to do. Report to Voldemort himself. The Heir of Slytherin was not going to be glad to see him.
Goyle, still trying to count off on his thick fingers the number of tasks he was supposed to do, gave up and went stumbling after Malfoy, confident that his boss could remember such complicated instructions.
"How did the news leak anyway?" Malfoy grumbled. At least it could have been kept a secret. Now everyone would know that it wasn't Death Eaters, no Dark Mark. Or would they? No, no one thought that the Dark Lord had returned, only those closest to the Potter brat and Albus Dumbledore had any idea.
*Damn all Mud-blood lovers and interfering idiots, anyway!* He apparated away.
******************************************************************************
"Luciussssss"
Malfoy gulped.
"Yes, my lord?"
"I am......not pleassssssed"
Wormtail, that miserable rat, was smiling gleefully at his rival. Malfoy closed his eyes.
"Crucio!" Trying not to scream, Lucius felt the agony course through him before he was released.
Weak as a kitten, he could barely stand. Wormtail let out a squeaky laugh.
"Potter hasssss been taken. Do we know by who?"
Malfoy didn't answer.
Voldemort turned on him with those slanted, glowing eyes. His long, white fingers twitched and Malfoy backed away. The Dark Lord looked ready to put those spindly hands around his neck.
"An old friend.....hassss contacted me." Hatred dripped from every syllable like a poison.
"Sssshhhe hassss Potter. And she hasssss informed me that he will be ssstaying with her."
Silence.
"I should kill you for not desssssstroying the mad-woman when you had the chance, Luciusssss."
Malfoy bowed his head low. "I beg your forgiveness, Master."
"No matter."
Wormtail's grin quickly disappeared. "Y-you're n-not going t-to punish him, lord?"
That hideous, fanged mouth split into a smile. It gave the two Death Eaters chills.
"No fool. He isssss still key to a larger plan. _You_ will try to retrieve Potter."
Wormtail began to quake. "M-me, Master?!!" He squeaked in terror.
"Your old, dear friendsssss are in league with that dottering old fool at Hogwartssss, true?"
"T-they're not m-my friends, my lord! I have s-shown my loyalties t-to you...."
"You have ssssshown nothing except that you are a cowardly, sssssstinking rat that does not deserve to have my mark placed on him."
Wormtail whimpered and cowered at Voldemort's feet.
"The Pottersssss are dead. Who, then, are the two people mossst willing to find the boy, the most trussssted."
"Remus and.....but Black isn't t-trusted, Master! H-he is still b-being hunted and...."
"Do not asssssume that I do not know those in Dumbledore's inner circle. Black will be sssssearching for his precioussss godson. The werewolf as well."
Wormtail thought he was going to swoon if the Dark Lord said what he thought he was going to say.
He did.
"You will find thosssse two. A cheerful, happy reunion. They have dealt with Mappe before, let them deal with them again. And when they find the boy, you will take him and bring him to me."
"B-b-but M-master!! I...I c-cannot! They will kill me, k-kill me!!" Wormtail's squeaky voice was even more shrill with his terror.
"Whom do you fear more, rat?"
"Y-you Master, a-always you."
"Good. Black will die before allowing you to take the boy."
Silence.
"So kill him."
******************************************************************************
Memories haunted the Dark Lord when his servants had left him. Luminescent eyes, swirling. He, the most powerful wizard of all time, millions cowered before him, felt vulnerable and open under that penetrating gaze.
Howling his rage, he slammed a fist down on his high-backed chair. Memories......
~
"I am Massster here! Foolish girl!!"
But the girl, thin and sickly looking only smiled at him. Her smile held absolutely no fear....and those eyes. They pulled him in.
A gravestone. Riddle House, bodies on the floor. The Chamber had opened and the Basilik was coming....but he was in the orphanage. Always there, alone, forgotten.
His hatred knew no bounds. He screamed his fury but still the eyes wouldn't release him.
"So much....so much!" A shrill, gleeful laugh penetrated through the cavern walls. His followers backed away, alarmed at the Dark Wizard's distress.
Voldemort, the most evil wizard ever, was screaming and cowering. And Mappe, untouched and unbidden, stood in the middle of the floor.
Her gray countenance glowed with new light. "Dark one....Master, thank you, thank you"
Bony arms out-stretched and that shrill laugh. Mappe could stay and feed here forever. So much.....
Agony, fear, hatred, pain, it was like a tapestry woven through these wizards and witches.
And the snake in front of her. Endless, the depth, the blackness......she could feed forever.
Hissing and growling sounded out. Tom Riddle, the foolish little boy, unwanted and orphaned stood there. Voldemort was gone. All that remained was a dark-haired Slytherin, Head Boy at Hogwarts, so much potential, but unwanted.....so much pain.
Evil radiated from the figure as Voldemort gasped out. "Kill her! KILL HER!!" Curses sounded out and Mappe tossed them aside as though they were puffs of wind.
Her eyes glowed with an unnatural light......
Red, serpentine eyes opened. "Nagini....." The huge snake slithered forward.
He stroked her with a white hand. "Never, never again"
******************************************************************************