Hermione and Ron waited impatiently outside McGonagall's office.
"Where is she? I don't know… First Dumbledore disappears now McGonagall's nowhere to be found." Grumbled Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him but was glancing down the corridor nervously as well.
"I think you'll find that I'm right here, and for your information Mr Weasley Professor Dumbledore has this night returned to Hogwarts."
Realising that Professor McGonagall was standing in the doorway the two Gryffindors rushed forward.
"Dumbledore's back?"
"Has he found Harry yet?"
"When can we see him?"
McGonagall stepped back slightly at this onslaught, "Okay, first things first. I'm afraid that Mr Potter is still missing, but yes, Professor Dumbledore is here in the castle although I suspect he is still preoccupied at the moment."
Hermione nodded sadly the excitement flowing out of her but next to her Ron was getting angry.
"How are we ever going to find Harry if no-one's looking for him?!" He shouted his face getting rather red.
"Mr Weasley, I am sure you can appreciate that Professor Dumbledore is doing everything he can to find him. He's been in contact with a certain ex-professor of yours and someone else who you know that is very close to Harry, and they are both eagerly searching for him as we speak."
Looking suitably placated Ron fell back next to Hermione, his head bowed.
"Don't worry. I am sure that we will have Harry back with us soon." Said McGonagall her face softening slightly with suspiciously bright eyes behind her glasses.
"Yes, of course Professor." Said Hermione quickly before grabbing Ron's arm to drag him away, "Come on Ron."
***
It was indeed true that Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were looking for Harry. They had set off for Hogwarts from Remus' home as soon as they'd heard about Harry's disappearance. Sirius was understandably frantic and Remus was having a hard time controlling the large black dog accompanying him.
"Really Padfoot! We need to keep our heads."
The large black dog beside him responded by glaring meaningfully up at him but Remus knew better than to let Sirius' frustration get in the way of their finding Harry and communicated this to Sirius by pulling out the Gryffindor scarf that held Harry's scent from his pocket.
Both of them sensed the boy's smell from the garment in the air and it added to their determination to find him.
Sirius abruptly stopped leaping about and put his nose to the ground sniffing desperately for a scent that might match the one on Harry's scarf.
Remus put the scarf away and drew out his wand again to check their tracking charms once again.
"It's no good Padfoot, he's simply not showing up anywhere." Growled Remus softly, running a hand through his greying hair.
Sirius pretended not to hear him and continued his desperate tracking.
"Where are you Harry?" Sighed Lupin to himself as he followed the anxious godfather closely.
Little did either of them realise that Harry was at that moment only one mile from Hogwarts, where they had begun their search days ago.
***
The world was sent spinning in front of Harry's eyes, before he could even register what he was doing he had leapt towards Voldemort. The adrenaline was flowing through his veins like fire and he collided with the Dark Lord, the impact sending both of them to the floor.
Harry found a wand on the floor and automatically grabbed it. He didn't think about where it had come from. He was momentarily distracted by the muggles' shouting, Harry couldn't tell which of them had met with the green light of the killing curse but the other two were hysterical. He scrambled to his feet and was met face to face with the enraged crimson eyes of the Dark Lord.
"Incendio!" Hissed Voldemort with venom lacing the curse.
Harry felt the bottom of his robe flare up into flames. With startling presence of mind he muttered "Extinguo!" And the flames disappeared.
"So, they do teach some useful magic at that mudbloods' haven do they?" Voldemort growled, advancing again. "Crucio!"
Harry tried to dodge the curse but one again felt the crippling pain overwhelm him.
"Bow down at my feet Potter!" Screeched Voldemort as Harry began to stumble.
"Never!" Harry shrieked, between anguished screams.
"If you will not worship the greatest wizard of all time then you will be punished."
Harry felt the curse recede and had to fight hard to remain standing.
"Dumbledore… is… greater." He whispered between gasps of air.
The mocking laughter rang in Harry's ears but he determinedly straightened his back and brought his head up to glare at Voldemort.
"You have learnt nothing. Dumbledore doesn't even dare come to find you! He has not rescued you. He is but a weak old man with a befuddled mind and flagging courage!" Exclaimed Voldemort twiddling his wand in the same manner that 16 year old Tom Riddle had Harry's wand in the chamber of secrets.
"You are a fool Riddle! To underestimate your enemy is a failing indeed. After all, I'm sure you never expected a muggle-born mother to be able to protect her son from you. That mistake cost you 14 years!" Shouted Harry gripping the wand he had found tightly.
"Insolent boy!" Cried Voldemort lunging towards Harry.
Harry was unprepared for the sudden assault and in a dazed shock felt a dull pain throb through his shoulder and heard a distant clatter as the wand fell from his hand.
Distantly he could hear Voldemort laughing again but he noticed through the fogginess of his mind that the muggles had fallen silent.
Bringing his left hand slowly up to feel his injured shoulder he met the ice cold handle of a knife, gingerly the hand made it's way down to the hilt and there met with the clammy skin of his shoulder.
As he brought the hand away he could just made out the crimson hue of blood staining his fingers before his vision dissolved to black and the taunting laughter became fuzzy and decayed to empty silence.
***
"Annie!!!" Ben Morrison could not remember ever having been so scared as he was right now… He could see that his son was just as afraid and he wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but the cruel binds around him held him back. He bit back another yell as his eyes returned to his wife's prone form. He couldn't bring himself to understand that she could be dead.
There looked to be nothing wrong with his wife at all, aside from the fact that her feet and hands were bound similarly to his…
And that she clearly wasn't breathing…
"Oh Jesus." He moaned, feeling as though his own breathing might never return, "Annie…" He whispered sinking to the floor.
Only the muffled sobbing of his son managed to distract Ben from the onset of insurmountable grief and with a sudden surge of raw determination he strained against his binds. Eventually with a snap the rope gave and the man immediately hurried over to his wife and son.
He grabbed Jay into a hug as he felt for a pulse at his wife's slender wrist. Finding none he shook away the deeply cutting pain in his heart and mind, to set about undoing his Jay's binds deliberately positioning himself between his wife and child.
"Come on Jay. We have to find a way out." He gasped under his breath. But his son turned his head towards the commotion at the other end of the room.
For the first time since that horrifying flash of green Ben remembered about the other captive… The distinctive boy who had been brought in after them.
"He saved me from that spell Dad." Whispered his son, the boy's eyes not leaving the skinny youth who was standing up to the murdering creature that Ben had feared for so long. The boy who had indeed spared his son from the cruciatus curse...
But Mr Morrison remembered well all that Albus Dumbledore had told him when they had adopted Auriellis. The warnings had been very clear and they had been informed in great detail of the danger which Voldemort and his Death Eaters presented.
"We have to use this distraction to our advantage son." He said determinedly. Turning his son's face to meet his eye he added. "It's our only chance."
But at that moment the opportunity was taken from them as Harry Potter fell to the floor clutching the knife in his shoulder, and after a few moments disappeared. Leaving the cruel laughter of Lord Voldemort echoing around the room for only the Father and Son to hear.
***
Auriellis was walking with her Uncle Albus towards the Quidditch pitch. She knew that he was trying to distract her by showing her the grounds but she couldn't tear her mind from the fact that her family were missing, possibly dead, and she certainly wasn't paying attention when her Great Uncle froze on the spot staring towards the far end of the pitch.
She looked up however when he rushed past her in a flurry of robes and she followed straight away wondering what he had seen.
As Dumbledore neared the edge of the pitch he saw that he was correct in what he had seen.
There was a body sprawled on the ground at the foot of one of the goalposts.
He was running now, the concern and fear chasing any aches from his weary old limbs. And when he got closer he felt his chest constrict in shock and deepening fear.
"Harry!" He shouted rushing to the boy's side.
******************
A/N – Hi guys, hope u liked this chapter, I hope to finish nxt chapter quickly, it will hopefully have explanation of some stuff in this chp and well, u know the usual stuff. Lotsa luv, jona xxx