Chapter 13: In the Dark
Harry was unsure when it was exactly that he regained consciousness, because when he opened his eyes it was just as dark as when they were shut. He blinked several times to make sure that he was indeed awake, then pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Harry realized that it was fairly cold in the room (if it was indeed a room). Although he had no sense of where he was or the dimensions of the room he was being held in, he could he a distant drip of water somewhere in the distance. Drip... drip…drip was the only sound he heard.
As he sat there in the darkness, a feeling of overwhelming helplessness swept over Harry. He was alone…again. He was a prisoner of the Dark Arts…again. He hated the thought of confronting Voldemort one more time. Each encounter with him left Harry feeling weaker, more tired, and dwindled his hope that he would be able to live his life in peace. He thought back to the girl who had ran away from him after class a few weeks ago. All he wanted to do was help her, but his mere presence had caused fear…much like Voldemort's.
Harry felt his eyes water, but knew that tears would not come. His tears had long ago been spent and he was not going to play the part of the helpless little boy that Voldemort thought he was.
Suddenly he saw something move in front of him. Well, he more sensed it than saw it. A shift in the darkness, perhaps, but he knew instinctively was it was. It was Selene. He crawled over to her slowly, afraid that standing would leave him completely vulnerable. But to what he did not know. He squinted in the darkness, hoping his eyes would search out some type of light. He finally reached her, feeling her long hair under his hands. "Selene?" he asked quietly.
For a second he panicked, thinking that perhaps it wasn't Selene, but a soft moan escaped her lips, verifying his initial suspicions. "Are you okay?" he asked. She didn't answer. Harry thought that maybe he should check her pulse. He reached down for her arm, and when he touched it he was surprised to find it to be very cold. It was then that he realized that Selene wasn't wearing her cloak that she had not parted with since Harry had met her.
She let out another moan, and pulled her arm free of Harry's grasp and placed it protectively across her chest. Harry thought back to what Dumbledore told him about magmani… "It is the phoenix spirit of the magmani that give them their power. When you subject a magmanos to extreme cold, the phoenix spirit becomes frozen and the magmani feel not only the cold, but also the immense pain of being shot through the chest."
Harry didn't think that it was that cold in the room, but obviously it was cold enough to cause her discomfort and perhaps to keep her unconscious. Harry took off his robes and put them around his aunt. He then lifted her head off of the cold floor and laid it in his lap. He sat there like that in the darkness hearing only the constant drip…drip…drip.
Sirius had continued to follow the footprints until both the darkness of night and the impenetrable woods made it impossible for him to see them. He cursed himself for allowing them to take his wand and break it. Although he considered the Death Eater no longer a match for him, he did not want to go up against Voldemort with a mere knife.
He had thought about changing into his animagus form about a half of mile back, and now it seemed like it was his only option. As a dog, his senses would be keener and he would most likely be able to track the Death Eater through scent. Only one thing caused him to hesitate, his right hand.
He looked at his hand and even with the pale moonlight as his only light, he was able to see bruises appearing. He knew the Death Eater had broken at least two fingers by grinding Sirius' hand with his boot. While in his dog form, he would have to use that hand as a leg, and was not looking forward to putting a fourth of his weight on it. Sirius' sighed deeply, knowing that it had to be done. He tore a strip of fabric off from the bottom of his robes and tried to bandage and support his hand the best he could. He then transformed himself into his animal form and tested his front right paw. A surge of pain went through his leg, but Sirius ignored it and ran into the darkness.
***********************************************************************
Dumbledore was making his way to Gryffindor tower. He had stopped by each house in order to make sure that all students were accounted for. Although he knew his professors were quite competent in counting their students, Dumbledore was anxious to do something other than pace the long hallways of the school. Gryffindor was his last stop and as he stood in front of the Pink Lady, trying to remember the new password, the door suddenly swung open.
Minerva exited and was surprised to see Dumbledore standing only a few feet in front of her. "Headmaster?" she asked.
"I thought I'd come see how the head checks were coming along."
"That's what I want to talk to you about. Two students are missing. Granger and Ron Weasley. No one can remember seeing them after the…. incident…earlier. One student thought he saw them follow you and another man up to your office."
Dumbledore's face went white. "Oh no."
"Headmaster?"
"They didn't. They couldn't have been that stupid." Dumbledore said unaware of the odd looks that he was receiving from McGonagall. Then he thought about something that he had thought unimportant at the time. When he left his office and shut the door, he hadn't heard it close. He attributed it to old age, but now he wasn't so sure.
Without a word to McGonagall he left the tower and ran to his office. He found the door cracked, which did nothing to alleviate his worry. He pushed the door open and went to his desk where he found the white linen lying on the desk, and nothing more. Frantically he searched his desk drawers looking for the second portkey.
"Albus? What's wrong?" McGonagall asked poking her head in the doorway.
Dumbledore sat in his chair and rested his head on his hands and replied, "They're gone."
The night was now upon them and the light of the moon added meager compensation to the light of Ron and Hermione's wands. The wind had picked up and it lapped against the invisibility cloak causing it to curl up at the edges and sending wisps of cold air into the two underneath it.
Hermione and Ron huddled together under the cloak in an effort to get warm, both wishing they had had the smarts to bring coats with them. "Of course if we were smart we would not have come here." Hermione thought to herself. Ron, on the other hand, was thinking how nice it would have been if Voldemort had decided to take over the world from some place nice, like around the Mediterranean perhaps. He was visualizing himself basking on the warm beaches of Greece when Hermione stopped and motioned for him to do so also.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Listen."
Ron didn't hear anything, and cocked his head slightly in an effort to hear what Hermione was hearing. Finally in the stillness of the forest in front of them Ron heard a soft rustling. At first Ron thought that it was a creature of some kind, most assuredly unfriendly, and gripped his wand defensively. The sound grew until it was all around them and Ron felt the cloak get heavy.
"Rain." He said and Hermione nodded.
She held out her hand and allowed a few drops to hit her hand. They heard thunder rumble in the distance, foreshadowing a storm ahead. Hermione looked down at the trail they had been following. The footprints had already begun to widen and soften. Hermione knew it wouldn't be long before the trail was gone all together.
"Come on! We have to hurry!" Hermione said, and taking Ron's hand the two quickened their pace.
Sirius also had concerns about the storm. Although not concerned about the physical trail (he had abandoned that long ago), it was the unseen one that worried him. The smell of the Death Eater, while pungent, was beginning to fade. Wet Earth and trees began to fill Sirius' senses and at the same time the rain was washing away anything that might have held the Death Eater's scent. Sirius had lost the trail several times and had to back track in order to find it again. He was getting frustrated, as he knew that precious time was being wasted.
He moved quickly and was finally able to regain the trail. Unfortunately, Sirius paid little attention to the changing state of the forest floor. He had just caught sight of his target when the ground underneath him gave way and he went tumbling down a hill. He felt thorns pierce his skin and sticks and twigs scratch his face. He dug his claws into the loose soil in an effort to slow his descent, but to no avail. He landed with a thud and felt his wounded hand hit a rock that caused a large shot of pain to shoot through his arm. Yes, his arm. Sirius sat up and was surprised to find that he was back to his human form.
"The adrenaline rush caused by the fall and the pain of my hand must have caused me transform back". Sirius thought. He looked at where he had fallen and tried desperately to crawl back up the hill, but the wet mud and his hand would not allow it. In frustration he kicked a fallen limb and then sat on it in order to think.
The storm was closing in and dark clouds frequently covered the moon leaving Sirius in complete darkness. When he was allowed some light he examined his hand again. The whole top of his hand was black and two of his fingers were bent in awkward directions. He tried to make a fist, but was unable. He knew that transforming back into his animagus form was now out of the question.
He squinted as a bolt of lightening lit up the skies, a brilliant contrast to the dark of the night. Another set of lightening bolts danced across the sky, but this time the light illuminated another figure about fifty yards in front of Sirius. Sirius squinted as the light faded, wishing he had his dog senses at his command. He waited for the next set of lightening and when it came he saw that it was indeed the Death Eater he had been tracking. Sirius leapt off the log he was sitting on and ran after him.
Since anger and fear for his family fueled Sirius, plus the fact the Death Eater was wounded, Sirius was on top of him in no time. The rain increased and made Sirius' approach almost noiseless. "Finally, something working in my favor." Sirius thought. The Death Eater turned to face Sirius, but too late and Sirius pushed the man into the ground. The Death Eater yelled and reached for his leg. Sirius took his boot and held the man's leg down with his foot. The Death Eater yelled again.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Sirius asked. "Where are they?"
The Death Eater remained silent.
Sirius put more pressure on the man's leg. "Where are they?" he demanded.
"Near." The figure answered.
"Could you please be a little more specific please?" Sirius said bringing out his knife and holding it threateningly to the Death Eater's good leg.
"That way." The Death Eater pointed to the right. Sirius turned his head momentarily and the Death Eater seized the opportunity to bring out his wand and sent a shower of sparks at Sirius.
Sirius flung himself from the Death Eater, managing to miss another curse. Sirius cursed himself for making another, almost fatal, error. Another set of clouds swept over the moon leaving the two wizards in darkness. The Death Eater began to panic and sent curse after curse at anything he heard move. Sirius remained still, patiently waiting until he was able to see again. Lightening flashed and Sirius saw that the Death Eater was again on his feet.
Sirius reached for his knife, but realized he was without it. Making a bold move he rushed the Death Eater and tackled him knocking the wand out of his hand, and the two tumbled into the wet ground. The Death Eater struggled free of Sirius' grasp and made a run for his fallen wand. Desperate, Sirius struggled to his feet and made a run for the wand as well. He almost reached it, but slipped on the muddy ground. When he regained his footing he noticed that the Death Eater retrieved his weapon and had it pointed right at Sirius. Having no place to run or hide, Sirius ran for his enemy hoping to get there before the Death Eater had a chance to use it. The Death Eater stood smiling at the other man and his wand sent out a shower of fiery darts.
Ron and Hermione stopped suddenly. Above the rain, thunder, and wind they had heard someone scream out. The scream was then silenced by a large crack of thunder.
A/N: Ah a cliffie. I know many people don't like them, but if it seemed like a good stopping place to me. Thanks for all the reviews…keep 'em coming
- In response to one review, my story was not ripped from anywhere…to my knowledge. I did come across a fic very similar to mine back in November. But it was obvious that we were going in two different directions with the plot. -R
Harry was unsure when it was exactly that he regained consciousness, because when he opened his eyes it was just as dark as when they were shut. He blinked several times to make sure that he was indeed awake, then pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Harry realized that it was fairly cold in the room (if it was indeed a room). Although he had no sense of where he was or the dimensions of the room he was being held in, he could he a distant drip of water somewhere in the distance. Drip... drip…drip was the only sound he heard.
As he sat there in the darkness, a feeling of overwhelming helplessness swept over Harry. He was alone…again. He was a prisoner of the Dark Arts…again. He hated the thought of confronting Voldemort one more time. Each encounter with him left Harry feeling weaker, more tired, and dwindled his hope that he would be able to live his life in peace. He thought back to the girl who had ran away from him after class a few weeks ago. All he wanted to do was help her, but his mere presence had caused fear…much like Voldemort's.
Harry felt his eyes water, but knew that tears would not come. His tears had long ago been spent and he was not going to play the part of the helpless little boy that Voldemort thought he was.
Suddenly he saw something move in front of him. Well, he more sensed it than saw it. A shift in the darkness, perhaps, but he knew instinctively was it was. It was Selene. He crawled over to her slowly, afraid that standing would leave him completely vulnerable. But to what he did not know. He squinted in the darkness, hoping his eyes would search out some type of light. He finally reached her, feeling her long hair under his hands. "Selene?" he asked quietly.
For a second he panicked, thinking that perhaps it wasn't Selene, but a soft moan escaped her lips, verifying his initial suspicions. "Are you okay?" he asked. She didn't answer. Harry thought that maybe he should check her pulse. He reached down for her arm, and when he touched it he was surprised to find it to be very cold. It was then that he realized that Selene wasn't wearing her cloak that she had not parted with since Harry had met her.
She let out another moan, and pulled her arm free of Harry's grasp and placed it protectively across her chest. Harry thought back to what Dumbledore told him about magmani… "It is the phoenix spirit of the magmani that give them their power. When you subject a magmanos to extreme cold, the phoenix spirit becomes frozen and the magmani feel not only the cold, but also the immense pain of being shot through the chest."
Harry didn't think that it was that cold in the room, but obviously it was cold enough to cause her discomfort and perhaps to keep her unconscious. Harry took off his robes and put them around his aunt. He then lifted her head off of the cold floor and laid it in his lap. He sat there like that in the darkness hearing only the constant drip…drip…drip.
Sirius had continued to follow the footprints until both the darkness of night and the impenetrable woods made it impossible for him to see them. He cursed himself for allowing them to take his wand and break it. Although he considered the Death Eater no longer a match for him, he did not want to go up against Voldemort with a mere knife.
He had thought about changing into his animagus form about a half of mile back, and now it seemed like it was his only option. As a dog, his senses would be keener and he would most likely be able to track the Death Eater through scent. Only one thing caused him to hesitate, his right hand.
He looked at his hand and even with the pale moonlight as his only light, he was able to see bruises appearing. He knew the Death Eater had broken at least two fingers by grinding Sirius' hand with his boot. While in his dog form, he would have to use that hand as a leg, and was not looking forward to putting a fourth of his weight on it. Sirius' sighed deeply, knowing that it had to be done. He tore a strip of fabric off from the bottom of his robes and tried to bandage and support his hand the best he could. He then transformed himself into his animal form and tested his front right paw. A surge of pain went through his leg, but Sirius ignored it and ran into the darkness.
***********************************************************************
Dumbledore was making his way to Gryffindor tower. He had stopped by each house in order to make sure that all students were accounted for. Although he knew his professors were quite competent in counting their students, Dumbledore was anxious to do something other than pace the long hallways of the school. Gryffindor was his last stop and as he stood in front of the Pink Lady, trying to remember the new password, the door suddenly swung open.
Minerva exited and was surprised to see Dumbledore standing only a few feet in front of her. "Headmaster?" she asked.
"I thought I'd come see how the head checks were coming along."
"That's what I want to talk to you about. Two students are missing. Granger and Ron Weasley. No one can remember seeing them after the…. incident…earlier. One student thought he saw them follow you and another man up to your office."
Dumbledore's face went white. "Oh no."
"Headmaster?"
"They didn't. They couldn't have been that stupid." Dumbledore said unaware of the odd looks that he was receiving from McGonagall. Then he thought about something that he had thought unimportant at the time. When he left his office and shut the door, he hadn't heard it close. He attributed it to old age, but now he wasn't so sure.
Without a word to McGonagall he left the tower and ran to his office. He found the door cracked, which did nothing to alleviate his worry. He pushed the door open and went to his desk where he found the white linen lying on the desk, and nothing more. Frantically he searched his desk drawers looking for the second portkey.
"Albus? What's wrong?" McGonagall asked poking her head in the doorway.
Dumbledore sat in his chair and rested his head on his hands and replied, "They're gone."
The night was now upon them and the light of the moon added meager compensation to the light of Ron and Hermione's wands. The wind had picked up and it lapped against the invisibility cloak causing it to curl up at the edges and sending wisps of cold air into the two underneath it.
Hermione and Ron huddled together under the cloak in an effort to get warm, both wishing they had had the smarts to bring coats with them. "Of course if we were smart we would not have come here." Hermione thought to herself. Ron, on the other hand, was thinking how nice it would have been if Voldemort had decided to take over the world from some place nice, like around the Mediterranean perhaps. He was visualizing himself basking on the warm beaches of Greece when Hermione stopped and motioned for him to do so also.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Listen."
Ron didn't hear anything, and cocked his head slightly in an effort to hear what Hermione was hearing. Finally in the stillness of the forest in front of them Ron heard a soft rustling. At first Ron thought that it was a creature of some kind, most assuredly unfriendly, and gripped his wand defensively. The sound grew until it was all around them and Ron felt the cloak get heavy.
"Rain." He said and Hermione nodded.
She held out her hand and allowed a few drops to hit her hand. They heard thunder rumble in the distance, foreshadowing a storm ahead. Hermione looked down at the trail they had been following. The footprints had already begun to widen and soften. Hermione knew it wouldn't be long before the trail was gone all together.
"Come on! We have to hurry!" Hermione said, and taking Ron's hand the two quickened their pace.
Sirius also had concerns about the storm. Although not concerned about the physical trail (he had abandoned that long ago), it was the unseen one that worried him. The smell of the Death Eater, while pungent, was beginning to fade. Wet Earth and trees began to fill Sirius' senses and at the same time the rain was washing away anything that might have held the Death Eater's scent. Sirius had lost the trail several times and had to back track in order to find it again. He was getting frustrated, as he knew that precious time was being wasted.
He moved quickly and was finally able to regain the trail. Unfortunately, Sirius paid little attention to the changing state of the forest floor. He had just caught sight of his target when the ground underneath him gave way and he went tumbling down a hill. He felt thorns pierce his skin and sticks and twigs scratch his face. He dug his claws into the loose soil in an effort to slow his descent, but to no avail. He landed with a thud and felt his wounded hand hit a rock that caused a large shot of pain to shoot through his arm. Yes, his arm. Sirius sat up and was surprised to find that he was back to his human form.
"The adrenaline rush caused by the fall and the pain of my hand must have caused me transform back". Sirius thought. He looked at where he had fallen and tried desperately to crawl back up the hill, but the wet mud and his hand would not allow it. In frustration he kicked a fallen limb and then sat on it in order to think.
The storm was closing in and dark clouds frequently covered the moon leaving Sirius in complete darkness. When he was allowed some light he examined his hand again. The whole top of his hand was black and two of his fingers were bent in awkward directions. He tried to make a fist, but was unable. He knew that transforming back into his animagus form was now out of the question.
He squinted as a bolt of lightening lit up the skies, a brilliant contrast to the dark of the night. Another set of lightening bolts danced across the sky, but this time the light illuminated another figure about fifty yards in front of Sirius. Sirius squinted as the light faded, wishing he had his dog senses at his command. He waited for the next set of lightening and when it came he saw that it was indeed the Death Eater he had been tracking. Sirius leapt off the log he was sitting on and ran after him.
Since anger and fear for his family fueled Sirius, plus the fact the Death Eater was wounded, Sirius was on top of him in no time. The rain increased and made Sirius' approach almost noiseless. "Finally, something working in my favor." Sirius thought. The Death Eater turned to face Sirius, but too late and Sirius pushed the man into the ground. The Death Eater yelled and reached for his leg. Sirius took his boot and held the man's leg down with his foot. The Death Eater yelled again.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Sirius asked. "Where are they?"
The Death Eater remained silent.
Sirius put more pressure on the man's leg. "Where are they?" he demanded.
"Near." The figure answered.
"Could you please be a little more specific please?" Sirius said bringing out his knife and holding it threateningly to the Death Eater's good leg.
"That way." The Death Eater pointed to the right. Sirius turned his head momentarily and the Death Eater seized the opportunity to bring out his wand and sent a shower of sparks at Sirius.
Sirius flung himself from the Death Eater, managing to miss another curse. Sirius cursed himself for making another, almost fatal, error. Another set of clouds swept over the moon leaving the two wizards in darkness. The Death Eater began to panic and sent curse after curse at anything he heard move. Sirius remained still, patiently waiting until he was able to see again. Lightening flashed and Sirius saw that the Death Eater was again on his feet.
Sirius reached for his knife, but realized he was without it. Making a bold move he rushed the Death Eater and tackled him knocking the wand out of his hand, and the two tumbled into the wet ground. The Death Eater struggled free of Sirius' grasp and made a run for his fallen wand. Desperate, Sirius struggled to his feet and made a run for the wand as well. He almost reached it, but slipped on the muddy ground. When he regained his footing he noticed that the Death Eater retrieved his weapon and had it pointed right at Sirius. Having no place to run or hide, Sirius ran for his enemy hoping to get there before the Death Eater had a chance to use it. The Death Eater stood smiling at the other man and his wand sent out a shower of fiery darts.
Ron and Hermione stopped suddenly. Above the rain, thunder, and wind they had heard someone scream out. The scream was then silenced by a large crack of thunder.
A/N: Ah a cliffie. I know many people don't like them, but if it seemed like a good stopping place to me. Thanks for all the reviews…keep 'em coming
- In response to one review, my story was not ripped from anywhere…to my knowledge. I did come across a fic very similar to mine back in November. But it was obvious that we were going in two different directions with the plot. -R