Chapter 10: Abduction
It had only taken Sirius a few minutes after finding Selene's ring to decide that he had to go see her, however it had taken him half the day to work up the courage to do so. "Will she forgive me?" he asked himself over and over again. Deep down he thought that she would, but part of him was still scared to death about caring so deeply about someone again. He fought against the urge to stay in his cave forever and just lock the world out and Selene with it. Sirius laughed at the irony that he wasn't as terrified of Voldemort or even of death, than he was of making the trip to Hogwarts to see Selene. Nonetheless he made up his mind to go and left his cave in the late afternoon.
He had decided that it would be best if he traveled in his animagus form. There was still the danger that he would be recognized, a danger that had increased tenfold by the high amount of Death Eater activity recently. Besides, he could move faster as a dog then as a man. The need for speed surprised Sirius. Although he wanted to see Selene again, he knew that she wouldn't be leaving Hogwarts for some time, yet Sirius found himself running all the way there.
He stopped by a small stream to catch his breath and take a drink. He was about to start moving again when he picked up a peculiar scent in the air. It was faint, if he hadn't been in his dog form, Sirius wouldn't have been able to detect it. The smell was sour like milk that had just turned and also nauseatingly sweet. However it wasn't the stench that made Sirius' stomach turn, but the realization of its origin. Sirius had only smelled that particular scent when dark magic was being used, and dark magic meant Death Eaters.
Sirius ran following the smell realizing and fearing that the smell was headed directly to Hogwarts.
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Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Selene leapt from their chairs and ran towards the door. Their curiosity about the screams overwhelmed their fear of what could be causing them and they made their way slowly to where the screams were coming from.
The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end, and he hoped against hope that Death Eaters weren't waiting below for him. He knew Voldemort couldn't be down there because his scar didn't even tingle. He rubbed it to make sure.
"Harry is your scar hurting?" Hermione asked grabbing his arm as they descended the staircase.
"No. It doesn't hurt at all."
"Nevertheless I think you three should stay here." Selene said. "I'll go check it out and come back and get you if everything is okay."
The three nodded and watched Selene walk down the stairs. "It is probably some stupid Slytherin prank." Ron said, but his face showed that he didn't believe it. "Probably." Hermione added trying to make Ron and herself feel a little better. Harry knew instinctively that it had nothing to do with the Slytherins. He leaned back against the railing on the staircase and closed his eyes, hoping that he was wrong, that it was just some silly prank, while on the other hand knowing that he wasn't.
As if an answer to his fear, they heard another scream, and recognized the scream as being Ginnny's. Ron, moving with the speed of a protective brother, threw all caution aside and ran down the staircase, which was beginning to change positions. Harry ran after him followed by Hermione. Ron jumped over the small gap left by the moving staircase and continued running toward the scream. When Harry got to the gap it had gotten significantly wider and he had to make a running leap to land on the platform. However it was much wider by the time Hermione got there and there was no way she could make the jump. Harry turned around and yelled at Ron to stop, but he was either to far away to hear, or he just didn't stop to listen. Harry turned back to Hermione uncertain as to whether he should follow Ron.
"Go on!" Hermione yelled.
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'll find another way."
Harry nodded and ran after Ron. Harry ran as fast as he could but was unable to gain any ground on Ron. He was breathing hard and had a queasy feeling in his stomach. "Ron wait!" Harry gasped, but there was no response. As Harry approached the main hall, he heard whimpers of students mixed in with cries and yells from teachers. Harry forced himself to slow in order to approach cautiously. He peered around a corner hesitantly, and turned quickly away at what he saw. His stomach dropped and he mouthed, "Oh please God, not again."
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Sirius' sides were aching, but he quickened his stride anyway, fearing what would happen if he got there too late. The school had just come into view and with it a new sense of dread had taken root inside of Sirius. He topped a hill and stopped abruptly, unsure of which route to take. The scent was strongest to the east, but if he went east towards the main door, and their Death Eaters there, he would most certainly be killed. And he wasn't any good to anyone dead.
On the other hand he could approach from the west, from the back door. Perhaps he could surprise them. However, it would take a good deal longer to run halfway around the school grounds and then back again through the school, and time wasn't something that Sirius felt that he had an abundance of. To the east then, be what may, he had to get to Hogwarts fast.
So with the stealth of a hunter, Sirius ran towards Hogwarts.
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Harry closed his eyes, swallowed hard and forced himself to look at the main hall again, if for nothing else but to assure himself of what it was that he saw. He took a longer look this time and then turned back out sight and pressed himself hard against the stone wall.
Death Eaters. Five of them. They were standing around in a circle, protecting someone who was in the middle. Four of them had their wands raised. The fifth was holding Ginny and had a knife to her throat. They were cloaked and hooded, not even their eyes were visible from underneath their hoods. Around them were several students and professors lying on the ground, Harry wasn't sure if they were dead or alive, but he wouldn't wager on them being alive.
Professors stood between the Death Eaters and the rest of the students who had been unfortunate enough to be in the main hall when they had appeared. "How had they gotten through?" Harry asked himself. After all the precautions that Dumbledore said had been implemented, how did they get in? Then two more questions haunted Harry, "Where was Ron? Where was Selene?"
His second question was answered before the first. A small red bird landed beside Harry and immediately transformed into Selene. She looked at him with sad eyes, "I'm sorry." she said.
"Sorry? What for?"
"I have brought this evil here."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked confused and worried.
"They are looking for me Harry."
"How do you know that? They probably don't even know you are here--"
"Bring us the Red Witch." A hooded voice demanded.
"They know Harry. They want me to go with them."
"You aren't possibly considering it are you?" Harry asked.
"Let her go!" Ron's voice echoed from within the main hall. Harry and Selene both peered around a corner for a closer look. Ron was standing in front of the Death Eater who held his sister and had his wand pointed at the cloaked figure. All five of the Death Eaters laughed as Ron tried to cast a feeble spell that was easily blocked. One of the four mumbled a spell and Ron was thrown across the room and into the group of professors and students.
"We want the witch now!" The Death Eater demanded once again.
Upon seeing Ron thrown across the room Harry started running towards his friend. Selene tried to hold him back, but he slipped from underneath her grasp. He found Ron being helped up by some students and he looked a little dazed but otherwise okay. Only then did Harry realize that giving up his hiding place was probably not the best of ideas. He hoped that the Death Eaters hadn't seen him, but he soon realized that they had. He felt himself being pulled to them surrounded by a green haze. He felt like he was in a dream in which he was trying to run but couldn't get his legs to respond. Before he knew it a cold hand grabbed him by the collar and held him.
Now within their grasp Harry saw who they were protecting inside their circle. It was Dumbledore. They weren't protecting him as much as they were guarding him. Dumbledore was also dazed and sat on the ground looking intently at the floor. "That's why no one had tried to use their wands on the Death Eaters. They don't want to hurt Dumbledore." Harry thought.
Harry then felt the icy fingers that gripped his collar move up and grip his neck. The Death Eater lifted Harry off his feet with the one hand clasped tightly around Harry's neck choking him.
"Where is she?" a rasping voice asked.
Harry didn't answer and wrapped his hands on the hooded figures hands and tried desperately to loosen the grip that was choking him. The hand brought Harry closer to its body and Harry peered into the hood and saw nothing but blackness, "I'll crush your throat if you don't tell me little boy." the voiced demanded.
"Enough!" he heard Selene shout from somewhere behind him.
The grip loosened immediately and Harry fell to the floor gasping for much needed breaths. Ron and a few others tried to reach him, but one wave of the Death Eater's wands sent them sprawling backwards. Harry looked up and saw Selene come into the main hall, her eyes were fierce and her fists clenched.
"Let them go and I will come with you." she said.
The dark figures snickered and let Ginny go. Once free she ran to Ron who greeted her with a hug. Another Death Eater picked up Dumbledore and shoved him into the crowd where he was immediately surrounded by a dozen concerned professors.
"Let Harry go as well." Selene said.
"No." hissed a Death Eater, "He's part of the package. We were sent to collect you and the boy."
"Then you will get neither." Selene said and sent a shower of red flames towards the Death Eaters. One of them caught fire and fumbled backwards trying to put his robes out. The others blocked the red wave. Selene started to send another but four wands came out and the same green haze surrounded her as it had Harry, leaving Selene unable to move.
"No!" Harry screamed and tried to make his way to her. Two hands seized him by the shoulders and forced him back. He managed to escape the grasp and ran towards Selene. He thought that he had made it when he felt a sharp pain behind his left ear, and then fell watching the world around him turn black.
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By the time Sirius had reached the gate he knew that he was already too late. He slipped in unnoticed as everyone's attentions were directed at about twenty students who were in hysterics. He looked around for Dumbledore knowing that he would be somewhere close. Instead he found Snape.
"Look who finally decided to show up." Snape said. "A fine job you did protecting Harry."
The urge to attack Snape was overcome by Sirius' concern for Harry. He turned his head to make sure no one was looking and transformed back into a man again. "What happened?" he asked.
Snape looked at him coldly, deciding whether or not to tell Sirius anything, but the look in Sirius' eyes implied that he wasn't in the mood to be toiled with. Snape cleared his throat, "Five Death Eaters entered the main hall and held Dumbledore and the Weasley girl hostage. We thought that would be the end of both of them until the Death Eaters took your godson and that Selene woman away. The kept calling her the Red Witch. Why do you expect that is?"
Sirius glared at him. Snape had always believed Selene to be something more than a mere witch, and it took a lot of effort to keep him from discovering the truth. "How did he get to them?" Sirius asked.
"Selene tried to exchange herself for the girl and Dumbledore. Your rather unintelligent godson practically handed himself over."
"That's not true!" Ron yelled approaching the two men, with Hermione behind him. Ron turned to Sirius, "The Death Eaters threw me into the crowd and Harry came to make sure I was okay. That is when they spotted him and grabbed him. He took a nasty bump on the head before the Death Eaters left with him."
"How did they leave?" Sirius thought to himself. Surely if they had left the way they had come, he would have smelled or even seen them. "Where's Dumbledore?" he asked turning back to Snape.
"He's in his office I suppose. I suppose he would want to see you, although we already know how helpful you appear to be."
Sirius didn't even seem to hear the comment as he ran upstairs to Dumbledore's office. However Snape did receive two glares from Ron and Hermione. After Snape left to tend to the chaos in the main hall Ron turned to Hermione, "Lets follow Sirius."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea. All students are supposed to go up to their dorms for a head count." Hermione said.
"Don't you want to know what happened here? To Harry? To Selene?"
Hermione nodded and reluctantly followed Ron up the stairs.
It had only taken Sirius a few minutes after finding Selene's ring to decide that he had to go see her, however it had taken him half the day to work up the courage to do so. "Will she forgive me?" he asked himself over and over again. Deep down he thought that she would, but part of him was still scared to death about caring so deeply about someone again. He fought against the urge to stay in his cave forever and just lock the world out and Selene with it. Sirius laughed at the irony that he wasn't as terrified of Voldemort or even of death, than he was of making the trip to Hogwarts to see Selene. Nonetheless he made up his mind to go and left his cave in the late afternoon.
He had decided that it would be best if he traveled in his animagus form. There was still the danger that he would be recognized, a danger that had increased tenfold by the high amount of Death Eater activity recently. Besides, he could move faster as a dog then as a man. The need for speed surprised Sirius. Although he wanted to see Selene again, he knew that she wouldn't be leaving Hogwarts for some time, yet Sirius found himself running all the way there.
He stopped by a small stream to catch his breath and take a drink. He was about to start moving again when he picked up a peculiar scent in the air. It was faint, if he hadn't been in his dog form, Sirius wouldn't have been able to detect it. The smell was sour like milk that had just turned and also nauseatingly sweet. However it wasn't the stench that made Sirius' stomach turn, but the realization of its origin. Sirius had only smelled that particular scent when dark magic was being used, and dark magic meant Death Eaters.
Sirius ran following the smell realizing and fearing that the smell was headed directly to Hogwarts.
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Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Selene leapt from their chairs and ran towards the door. Their curiosity about the screams overwhelmed their fear of what could be causing them and they made their way slowly to where the screams were coming from.
The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end, and he hoped against hope that Death Eaters weren't waiting below for him. He knew Voldemort couldn't be down there because his scar didn't even tingle. He rubbed it to make sure.
"Harry is your scar hurting?" Hermione asked grabbing his arm as they descended the staircase.
"No. It doesn't hurt at all."
"Nevertheless I think you three should stay here." Selene said. "I'll go check it out and come back and get you if everything is okay."
The three nodded and watched Selene walk down the stairs. "It is probably some stupid Slytherin prank." Ron said, but his face showed that he didn't believe it. "Probably." Hermione added trying to make Ron and herself feel a little better. Harry knew instinctively that it had nothing to do with the Slytherins. He leaned back against the railing on the staircase and closed his eyes, hoping that he was wrong, that it was just some silly prank, while on the other hand knowing that he wasn't.
As if an answer to his fear, they heard another scream, and recognized the scream as being Ginnny's. Ron, moving with the speed of a protective brother, threw all caution aside and ran down the staircase, which was beginning to change positions. Harry ran after him followed by Hermione. Ron jumped over the small gap left by the moving staircase and continued running toward the scream. When Harry got to the gap it had gotten significantly wider and he had to make a running leap to land on the platform. However it was much wider by the time Hermione got there and there was no way she could make the jump. Harry turned around and yelled at Ron to stop, but he was either to far away to hear, or he just didn't stop to listen. Harry turned back to Hermione uncertain as to whether he should follow Ron.
"Go on!" Hermione yelled.
"You sure?"
"Yes. I'll find another way."
Harry nodded and ran after Ron. Harry ran as fast as he could but was unable to gain any ground on Ron. He was breathing hard and had a queasy feeling in his stomach. "Ron wait!" Harry gasped, but there was no response. As Harry approached the main hall, he heard whimpers of students mixed in with cries and yells from teachers. Harry forced himself to slow in order to approach cautiously. He peered around a corner hesitantly, and turned quickly away at what he saw. His stomach dropped and he mouthed, "Oh please God, not again."
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Sirius' sides were aching, but he quickened his stride anyway, fearing what would happen if he got there too late. The school had just come into view and with it a new sense of dread had taken root inside of Sirius. He topped a hill and stopped abruptly, unsure of which route to take. The scent was strongest to the east, but if he went east towards the main door, and their Death Eaters there, he would most certainly be killed. And he wasn't any good to anyone dead.
On the other hand he could approach from the west, from the back door. Perhaps he could surprise them. However, it would take a good deal longer to run halfway around the school grounds and then back again through the school, and time wasn't something that Sirius felt that he had an abundance of. To the east then, be what may, he had to get to Hogwarts fast.
So with the stealth of a hunter, Sirius ran towards Hogwarts.
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Harry closed his eyes, swallowed hard and forced himself to look at the main hall again, if for nothing else but to assure himself of what it was that he saw. He took a longer look this time and then turned back out sight and pressed himself hard against the stone wall.
Death Eaters. Five of them. They were standing around in a circle, protecting someone who was in the middle. Four of them had their wands raised. The fifth was holding Ginny and had a knife to her throat. They were cloaked and hooded, not even their eyes were visible from underneath their hoods. Around them were several students and professors lying on the ground, Harry wasn't sure if they were dead or alive, but he wouldn't wager on them being alive.
Professors stood between the Death Eaters and the rest of the students who had been unfortunate enough to be in the main hall when they had appeared. "How had they gotten through?" Harry asked himself. After all the precautions that Dumbledore said had been implemented, how did they get in? Then two more questions haunted Harry, "Where was Ron? Where was Selene?"
His second question was answered before the first. A small red bird landed beside Harry and immediately transformed into Selene. She looked at him with sad eyes, "I'm sorry." she said.
"Sorry? What for?"
"I have brought this evil here."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked confused and worried.
"They are looking for me Harry."
"How do you know that? They probably don't even know you are here--"
"Bring us the Red Witch." A hooded voice demanded.
"They know Harry. They want me to go with them."
"You aren't possibly considering it are you?" Harry asked.
"Let her go!" Ron's voice echoed from within the main hall. Harry and Selene both peered around a corner for a closer look. Ron was standing in front of the Death Eater who held his sister and had his wand pointed at the cloaked figure. All five of the Death Eaters laughed as Ron tried to cast a feeble spell that was easily blocked. One of the four mumbled a spell and Ron was thrown across the room and into the group of professors and students.
"We want the witch now!" The Death Eater demanded once again.
Upon seeing Ron thrown across the room Harry started running towards his friend. Selene tried to hold him back, but he slipped from underneath her grasp. He found Ron being helped up by some students and he looked a little dazed but otherwise okay. Only then did Harry realize that giving up his hiding place was probably not the best of ideas. He hoped that the Death Eaters hadn't seen him, but he soon realized that they had. He felt himself being pulled to them surrounded by a green haze. He felt like he was in a dream in which he was trying to run but couldn't get his legs to respond. Before he knew it a cold hand grabbed him by the collar and held him.
Now within their grasp Harry saw who they were protecting inside their circle. It was Dumbledore. They weren't protecting him as much as they were guarding him. Dumbledore was also dazed and sat on the ground looking intently at the floor. "That's why no one had tried to use their wands on the Death Eaters. They don't want to hurt Dumbledore." Harry thought.
Harry then felt the icy fingers that gripped his collar move up and grip his neck. The Death Eater lifted Harry off his feet with the one hand clasped tightly around Harry's neck choking him.
"Where is she?" a rasping voice asked.
Harry didn't answer and wrapped his hands on the hooded figures hands and tried desperately to loosen the grip that was choking him. The hand brought Harry closer to its body and Harry peered into the hood and saw nothing but blackness, "I'll crush your throat if you don't tell me little boy." the voiced demanded.
"Enough!" he heard Selene shout from somewhere behind him.
The grip loosened immediately and Harry fell to the floor gasping for much needed breaths. Ron and a few others tried to reach him, but one wave of the Death Eater's wands sent them sprawling backwards. Harry looked up and saw Selene come into the main hall, her eyes were fierce and her fists clenched.
"Let them go and I will come with you." she said.
The dark figures snickered and let Ginny go. Once free she ran to Ron who greeted her with a hug. Another Death Eater picked up Dumbledore and shoved him into the crowd where he was immediately surrounded by a dozen concerned professors.
"Let Harry go as well." Selene said.
"No." hissed a Death Eater, "He's part of the package. We were sent to collect you and the boy."
"Then you will get neither." Selene said and sent a shower of red flames towards the Death Eaters. One of them caught fire and fumbled backwards trying to put his robes out. The others blocked the red wave. Selene started to send another but four wands came out and the same green haze surrounded her as it had Harry, leaving Selene unable to move.
"No!" Harry screamed and tried to make his way to her. Two hands seized him by the shoulders and forced him back. He managed to escape the grasp and ran towards Selene. He thought that he had made it when he felt a sharp pain behind his left ear, and then fell watching the world around him turn black.
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By the time Sirius had reached the gate he knew that he was already too late. He slipped in unnoticed as everyone's attentions were directed at about twenty students who were in hysterics. He looked around for Dumbledore knowing that he would be somewhere close. Instead he found Snape.
"Look who finally decided to show up." Snape said. "A fine job you did protecting Harry."
The urge to attack Snape was overcome by Sirius' concern for Harry. He turned his head to make sure no one was looking and transformed back into a man again. "What happened?" he asked.
Snape looked at him coldly, deciding whether or not to tell Sirius anything, but the look in Sirius' eyes implied that he wasn't in the mood to be toiled with. Snape cleared his throat, "Five Death Eaters entered the main hall and held Dumbledore and the Weasley girl hostage. We thought that would be the end of both of them until the Death Eaters took your godson and that Selene woman away. The kept calling her the Red Witch. Why do you expect that is?"
Sirius glared at him. Snape had always believed Selene to be something more than a mere witch, and it took a lot of effort to keep him from discovering the truth. "How did he get to them?" Sirius asked.
"Selene tried to exchange herself for the girl and Dumbledore. Your rather unintelligent godson practically handed himself over."
"That's not true!" Ron yelled approaching the two men, with Hermione behind him. Ron turned to Sirius, "The Death Eaters threw me into the crowd and Harry came to make sure I was okay. That is when they spotted him and grabbed him. He took a nasty bump on the head before the Death Eaters left with him."
"How did they leave?" Sirius thought to himself. Surely if they had left the way they had come, he would have smelled or even seen them. "Where's Dumbledore?" he asked turning back to Snape.
"He's in his office I suppose. I suppose he would want to see you, although we already know how helpful you appear to be."
Sirius didn't even seem to hear the comment as he ran upstairs to Dumbledore's office. However Snape did receive two glares from Ron and Hermione. After Snape left to tend to the chaos in the main hall Ron turned to Hermione, "Lets follow Sirius."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea. All students are supposed to go up to their dorms for a head count." Hermione said.
"Don't you want to know what happened here? To Harry? To Selene?"
Hermione nodded and reluctantly followed Ron up the stairs.