A/N: I'm back, and Thailand was awesome, I had a great time. Thank you to those of who reviewed in my absence, it was a very lovely surprise for me to come back to. Snowlily, I see you've introduced a friend who rivals your enthusiasm! Extra warm thanks to both you and Xaviera Xylira for your dedication to long and numerous reviews. The ideal readers! And eclecticmum, I hope you forgot to restock your desk, otherwise I fear I may in for more bruises. Ah, well, that's life, I suppose. See you all again soon, I hope!

Chapter 26.

As Elena crossed the grounds, approaching the towering wrought iron gates that marked the entrance to Hogwarts School, she scanned her surroundings for a tall figure in bright robes.

She reached the rose gardens that flanked the drive just inside the gates with five minutes to spare before two o'clock. There was no sign of Dumbledore. This concerned her a little, for her great uncle had never stuck her as the kind of man who was late for appointments, especially when they concerned matters as important as this.

Important to me, anyway, she thought wryly, knowing deep down that the thought was unfair. Dumbledore would have a lot to say about her decision to leave the safety of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. It would be up to her to remain strong, and stand by her choice.

Strong? Questioned an unwelcome little voice in the back of her mind, You think running away from this is 'strong'?

Elena winced and blocked the thought with all the justifications she had already accumulated. I can't stay. He doesn't need me. He'll never let me close. It would destroy us both if I stayed. Even if he did change his mind, I could never protect him from the Death Eaters when they come. They will kill him, the way they have killed everyone I love. I can not live with him, and I can not live without him… But I must. I have to. I have no choice, not really…

Her heart had taken on the properties of lead - it lay heavy and bitter in her chest. Call it running away, call it an act of bravery and self-sacrifice... What did it matter? She had to leave. That was nothing else to be said.

Turning her head, Elena looked back in the direction she had come, half-expecting to see Dumbledore crossing the lawn towards her.

The castle was visible in the distance, and Elena spied movement on the wide stone stairway at its front. Squinting, she could make out a running figure. Whoever it was, they seemed in a desperate hurry to get somewhere.

Elena was so absorbed in the distant excitement that she nearly didn't hear the soft 'pop' behind her until, shockingly, she heard her own name.

"Elena."

All else was completely forgotten. She spun in the direction of the sound, her blood pounding and her heart barely daring to believe what her ears were telling her.

A young man with curly dark hair and smiling blue eyes stood facing her, just beyond the open gates, and outside the borders of Hogwarts. Elena's lips parted in shock, and her heart seemed to stop mid-beat. The world spun dizzily around her.

Her mouth worked silently for several moments before her throat managed to produce a raw, disbelieving, "Gerald?"

At the sound of his name, the young man's smile broadened, and he opened his arms to her. "Elena," he said again, his voice now tender and welcoming.

With an inarticulate cry of joy, Elena launched toward him.

Behind her, the ragged shout of "Elena, no ! " went entirely unheeded. She ran forward, passing thoughtlessly through open gates and crossing the magical border that protected the grounds of the school without a second thought.

She flew to Gerald's arms in blind rapture, so overwhelmed by the shock and wonder of seeing her beloved brother alive that she scarcely had time to react when all of a sudden he stepped back from her and whipped a small velvet bag from the pocket of his jacket. She started in dazed surprise when, in the same fluid moment, he upended the bag over her hands. Instinctively, she caught the small, hard object that dropped from the little pouch.

A violent jerking motion around her midsection wrenched a cry of fear and surprise from her lips, and the next moment there was nothing but air where she had just been standing.

The dark haired young man showed no surprise at her disappearance, but the instant she was gone the warmth in his smile faded and turned to ice. With an expression of contemptuous triumph, he threw the pouch aside, and turned to face the shabbily-robed man, still sprinting with pointless determination in the direction of the gates.

His smile became mocking. The girl was gone and this fool was still two hundred yards away. Did the man really think he had a hope? He would Apparate before his would-be assailant made it within fifty feet.

The sprinting man must have seen his expression and had the same thought, because as Gerald watched, he grasped his wand and raised it in desperation. Gerald's smile became a grin. Combat spells were useless at such a distance, mostly because in the time it took a Curse to reach its intended target, said target had had time enough to form counter spells three times over.

Gerald deflected the running man's stunning charm easily, and the next with equal calm. He returned one almost lazily, and Remus deflected it without breaking in his stride.

Distracted by this amusing little game, he did not notice the blur of movement shooting across the grounds behind the man.

His grin grew wider as Remus made it within fourty yards of him, and he prepared to Apparate away before the man's Curses began to become a real danger.

But at that moment, something fired past the sprinting man at an unnatural speed, and with a low rush of air it was upon him.

The shout of a youth rang out, two words in quick succession - "Expelleramis, Stupefy!" *

Startled and distracted by the unexpected attack, Gerald released a strangled shout of anger and surprise as his wand was wrenched from his hand and his body stiffened helplessly under the spell's command.

The speeding shape slowed down immediately, and became recognizable as a smallish, black haired boy of about sixteen, riding on the back of a gleaming broomstick. He was breathing almost as heavily as Remus as he landed smoothly beside his teacher, who was finally slowing his pace.

"Harry!" Remus managed through gasping breaths, "How - did - you - "

"It was Fawkes," Harry gasped back, not quite so out of breath as Remus. "I was at training, and Fawkes swooped onto the pitch, flew straight for me, and dropped me a note. It just said, 'To the gates, Harry, now. It may already be too late. ' So I dropped the note and flew as fast as I could, and as I crossed the grounds I saw you and this... person - " he gestured at Gerald, who was still frozen in place, his face a mask of surprise and fury - "trying to Curse one another into obliivion. You could never have beaten him from such a distance, and when you got close he was clearly going to Apparate, so I ... tried to help. I don't even know if I did the right thig yet. Who is he, Professor? What's going on?"

Remus's face twisted in bitterness and anger. Harry, who had never seen his teacher appear anything but calm and reserved, and at worst, wary or pained, was taken aback by this sudden display of naked emotion.

"Elena's gone," he spat, his breath returning now.

Harry's shock was evident in every feature. "Gone? Miss Greenstone? But why? Where?"

"Very good questions, Mr Potter. You have gotten straight to the heart of the matter in two words. Very succinct of you." The cool, clipped tones came from behind them, and they both spun around.

Dumbledore stood behind them, having arrived at a slightly more dignified pace. His face and robes were familar recogizable to them, but his usually kindly eyes flashed like blue ice, and neither of them had seen anyhing of the like before.

"The first question," Dumbledore continued calmly, "Will take rather too long to explain just now. Suffice to say that Miss Greenstone is without a doubt in very grave danger. The second question, however, is one which we would all like to know the answer to. And I think that you, sir," he stared coldly at Gerald, "Will be just the man to help us with our enquiries."

Abruptly, Dumbledore's voice lost all semblence of politeness. He muttered a few words under his breath, and Gerald found the use of his mouth returned to him.

"Tell us who you are," the old Headmaster demanded tightly.

"Gerald Greenstone," returned the paralysed man contemptously.

Dumbledore's silver eyebrows jerked up ward. "Is that so?" He said musingly. "I am glad to hear that."

Both Remus and Harry looked at him in surprise.

"You will come up to the castle with us, 'Gerald Greenstone', and you will tell us what you know." Dumbledore's voice was hard once more.

"I will tell you nothing."

"You will tell us," said Dumbledore calmly, in a voice which brooked no contradiction, "Everything."

He turned to Harry. "You have already been of great assistance, Harry, and I thank you. But I have one more task to ask of you before you return to your training."

Harry looked surprised, for he had forgotten all about training, but he nodded and prepared to climb off his broom. The older man stopped him.

"You will need your broom. I would like you to fly back to the castle and find Professor Snape. He is usually in his dungeon at this time of day, so you should have no trouble. Warn him that we are coming and tell him to prepare himself. We will need his help in this."

Harry's lip twisted wryly at the task, but he nodded again and kicked off to deliever the message.

Dumbledore turned to find Remus looking dubiously at him. He guessed his one-time-student's thoughts, and shook his head. "I know you don't think well of Severus, Remus. And I know you each have your reasons for disliking one another. But you are about to discover just how useful a man he can be. Decide now if you can bear to be in his debt, because if we ever see Elena alive again, it will be through his help."

"Headmaster," Remus said heavily, uncaring of what his words would reveal about his feelings, "Right now I can't think of anything I wouldn't do if it would save her life."

Dumbledore looked at him piercingly for one long moment, then nodded as if something had been decided. "Good," he said shortly. "And now we must hurry. Bring 'Gerald' over there and come with me. I don't know how much time we will have."

* A/ N: My apologies if these spell names are inaccurate. My HP books are all on loan at the moment. I welcome corrections if they're needed.