Disclaimer: Never was mine…never will be…

Priori Incantatem
By Liz

Chapter 4
"Hogwarts is closing!"



"I was mistaken, Minister! This boy is very ill indeed!"

Harry woke, feeling a little bit better. He was stretched out on one of the couches in the lobby of the Ministry.

Fudge stopped pacing and hurried up to Harry, "Will he be all right? Should I stay with him?"

"Well, you don't have to..." The doctor started and was cut off.

"No, I- I think I will. He looks terribly sick. I'll just go up to my office for a moment. I'll be right back."

Fudge strode towards the elevators.

Fred and George, wide eyed and yelling at the top of their lungs, came bursting out of one.

"Run for your lives!!! Voldemort! RUN!!!"

"The Dark Lord!!! He's here, he's here!!!"

Witches and wizards began to rush out of their offices on the first floor, hearing the commotion. 

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

"You-Know-Who!?!?!"

"Let's get out of here!"

As Fred and George continued to scream, nearly everyone turned and streaked towards the exit.

As Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins ran with the others, Harry turned, as if in slow motion, and beheld the strangely beautiful flames dance and engulf the Ministry.

And then he knew that no wand would ever survive.  He didn't dwell on the morbid thoughts. He did the only thing that he could; he ran, not knowing where he was going and if he'd ever get there. He couldn't help wondering, as he watched the mighty Ministry crumble before his very eyes, if there was going to be a Hogwarts to go back to.

*-*-*-*

Sirius Black was dragged from his cell and deposited into the same room he'd met Dumbledore before. That same man sat waiting for him now.

"Sirius please sit down."

Sirius did so. He didn't like the look on Dumbledore's face at all.  Dumbledore had never been this depressed looking since they'd almost set fire to the Slytherin dorm 6th year.

"What is it?" Sirius asked urgently, "Something's wrong, I can tell." What else but Harry? Please, please say that something hasn't happened to Harry!

Dumbledore sighed, "The trial has been...postponed."

The way he said postponed filled Sirius with foreboding.  He put his head in his hands, "Oh God...NO. What's happened?"

"Harry is all right, but- I'm afraid that Cornelius Fudge is dead."

"It's not a great loss," Sirius couldn't help mumbling, but he was worried. "How?"

"Sirius, Voldemort destroyed the ministry. And the wand. And almost your godson."

Sirius jumped up, "HARRY?!?" He thundered. "What- what was he doing there?...oh, god..." It was because of him, the blasted wand! Harry could have been killed!! Sirius sunk back into his chair.

"I've got to get out of here," he croaked hopelessly.

"My thoughts precisely," Dumbledore said calmly, "especially since Lucius Malfoy is a favorite for the next Minister."

"That slimy, nasty, evil little bastard..." Could things get any worse?  Of course they could…the world enjoys mocking me, I think.  Then he thought of her.  His hands clenched into fists.

"You know what he'll do if he gets the position. He'll kill you, fire me and hand it all over to Voldemort."

Sirius was shocked at the pain in Dumbledore's eyes.  This as his mentor.  This was the man that he respected and trusted with his life- ands Harry's.  If he didn't know what to do, than no one did.  Sirius fought the sudden pain in his chest.

"But-"

"But me no buts, Sirius," Dumbledore cut in, "You know it's true. There's no denying it. Even if Lucius doesn't get the job, who else will?"  His eyes were flashing, but with sadness.

"Well, you'd sure get my vote and-"

Dumbledore cut in, "I'm at a dead end. A dead end! I cannot leave Hogwarts. I trust Minerva with my life, but...it would fall. I cannot be Minister of Magic. Even if I could, I doubt I could really make much of a difference. Who is to be trusted?! Tell me that! How can anyone know?" Dumbledore's face was expressive for once.  All his feelings were etched out clearly on his face as never before. "I'm not going to live forever, Sirius, nor do I want to. I doubt that Nicholas and Perenelle would really have lived forever either. But," his face was determined. "I will not go without knowing that we will win this war."

Sirius sat in shocked silence. Of course Dumbledore would die one day, but he'd never thought of it before. Who could imagine it?!

"That's where you come in Sirius," Dumbledore continued, "You need to be there when I am gone. You, Severus, Remus, Minerva...you are the ones that will lead the warriors of good when I am gone." He leaned forward. Sirius automatically backed up a little, "You're getting out. Now."

Not even Voldemort would have argued with Dumbledore when he looked like that.

*-*-*-*

"And then we saw him!!" Fred announced to the crowd around him.

"Who?" A Hufflepuff girl asked, just walking up.

"You-Know-Who!"

The girl shrieked,"...really?" She asked timidly.

"Yep," George confirmed, "But we ran like heck and escaped to warn the others."

Harry listened for the 50th time to the twin's story. It was getting a little old, but, as usual, they had captivated their audience. Harry frowned. Something about that night was trying to come back to him. Something was not right…

"Ron did you-" he stopped suddenly. He really had no idea what he would say.

"What?"

"Never mind." Harry sunk into a depressed silence.

"Harry, are you alright?" Ron was peering at him in concern.  Harry, who did not want to seem stupid, was trying to get out of his situation.  He was saved as Hermione hurried up.

"Oh, guys!" she cried. "You'll never believe this!" She looked as if she would cry.

"Wonder if she got less than full marks on a test..." Ron muttered, but very quietly.

"Hogwarts is closing! I- I just talked with Professor McGonagall and she told me everything. They need a new Minister. Fudge is dead."  Her eyes were wide and horrified.  They stopped breathing for a moment.

"Dead," Harry repeated lamely. Not even Ron could think of something bad to say about the recently departed.

"A lot of top ministry members were killed also," she started to cry. "I'm s-so afraid! Oh, w-what will happen to u-us all?!"

"Hermione, calm down," Ron urged her. People were staring. He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder, giving Harry a look that clearly cried out, "What do I do?!"

Hermione suddenly straightened up and looked him in the eye. "What do you think will happen to Sirius?! Do you think the next Minister will have any sympathy for him? They'll kill him!"

"Precisely my thoughts Hermione." Albus Dumbledore's affable face appeared next to her. "That's why I got him out."

*-*-*-*

Narcissa was in a rage.  It was the feeling of helplessness that made her so upset.  The feeling that she was…powerless.  He had always made her feel that way.  But it had never been like that with Sirius!  He- he was different. She smashed a priceless vase on the floor, pretending that it was her husbands head.

The pieces formed a seemingly intricate pattern on the floor and Narcissa stared at them.  She thought of escape.  She had considered it before.  How easy would it be to take one of those pieces and slit her wrist…or her throat.  She reached for one and felt the sharp edge against her finger.

Sharp…so sharp.

She raised it to her slender throat and closed her eyes.

~~*~~

They were dragging him across the hard ground. He could feel the sharp stones dig into his defenseless body. His knees were torn and bleeding freely. He knew what was ahead. He had no disillusions. He had but moments to live.

"We've found him, Master," Lucius Malfoy announced, depositing the man before Voldemort as cruelly as if he had been nothing more than a sack of dirt.

The man straightened himself. He would not give him the satisfaction of begging. It was, after all, of no use.  He would resist to the end.  He would not die praising his mistakes.

Voldemort circled his captive who stood, knees trembling slightly.

"The crime that you are charged with is heinous indeed. You, you who have a blood tie to me have betrayed me," he spat. "Have you any defense at all?" He waited, "HAVE YOU???" 

Silence.

"You will tell me all you know before I kill you." Voldmort continued, still pacing around the man.

"I will never serve you again, "the man said firmly.  There.  He had said it.  He would die with honor.

Voldemort had little patience left.  He whipped out his wand, angered when the man did not show fear.

"Igor Karkaroff!!! Prepare to face the wrath of Lord Voldemort!!!"



A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews!!!  You all are soooo great! I apologize for how long everything is taking me!!!  I cannot explain everything now…I am just…busy!!!  More in…a while…probably a long while!  I'll try!!!

Review!!!

Mrs Grim