Chapter 9: A Daring Rescue
Harry felt his heart fall even further to his feet and stared at
Dumbledore in shock. "No, it can't be!" Harry turned to see Hermione half
way out of her seat, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost. "The
Ministry doesn't have any jurisdiction where he is! How could they arrest
him?"
Dumbledore sighed wearily. "He was in England. He came back. I
don't know why and I can't say why. But I do know that we can't leave
him there because I think Voldemort is going after him."
"Voldemort is going to Azkaban?" Harry felt something go click in his
mind. "Professor, how is he going there?"
"By canoe," Dumbledore answered simply.
"Then that settles it." Harry looked at his friends and teammates
expectantly. "We have to go. This could be our only chance to rescue him
and defeat Voldemort at the same time." He turned to Sean. "Sean,
thanks for bringing us your news. I can't ask you to come but--"
"It's too late. I'm coming. Sirius has been a great help to me. I can't
let him rot in that hell of a prison."
Harrry nodded. "Okay. Everyone, let's go get our stuff together. We
leave tonight."
"But Harry, how are we going to get the canoe to the coast? We're
in the middle of Britain!" Ginny asked.
Harry looked at Dumbledore, who offered no suggestions. "Um,
we'll have to carry it I guess. There really is no other way. We'll tie it to
our broomsticks and fly it out there."
"We can put a feather light spell on it so it won't weigh as much!"
Hermione supplied eagerly.
"Good idea. Okay, let's get ready. Wear some warm clothes." With
that, Harry stood up and walked to the door, his teammates following.
Behind him, Sean, Satchel, and Hagrid sat there finishing up their malt
beers with a lot less enthusiasm than they had begun them.
As he trudged up the path to the castle, Harry could hardly begin to
identify the number of strange feelings consuming him now. Sirius had
been like a father to him--he was his Godfather, afterall. He had looked
after Harry and had provided guidance when Harry felt he couldn't turn to
anyone else. The least Harry could do was get him out of that prison and
away from Voldemort. At the very least, they could prove Sirius's
innocence. It was mainly a feeling of desperation and a boost of adreniline
that kept him from collapsing with every step he took. He can't die, Harry
thought. He can't die. If he does, I'll never get to leave the Dursleys. I'll
never know what life was like for my parents. Please, don't let him die!
In the middle of his reverie, Harry felt a small, warm hand touch his
back lightly, comfortingly. He turned slightly to see Ginny there. "I'm
sorry, Harry. It'll be alright, you know that."
He nodded numbly. "I hope so, Ginny, but who can tell?" Then he
smiled, bravely. "Come on, we've got to get our boat to the coast.
After changing into warmer clothes, Harry went out to join the rest
of his friends in the field where they were tying the Green Torch to their
brooms. Hermione was standing next to it, murmuring the spell that
would make the boat feather light. Sean was over to one side standing
against his prized Yugo, looking at a map with Satchel. He hurried over to
them. "So, know what you're going to do?"
"Yeah, we're going to run interference and make sure there's no
trouble getting you to that Island. We'll also keep you kids heading the
right direction." He shook his head. "What is that man thinking, sending
kids to fight Voldemort alone?"
"To each his own destiny," Harry looked to see Satchel staring at
him with a strange glow in his eyes. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable
and moved away to see get on his Firebolt. "Okay, Order of the Phoenix.
Mount your brooms." They all got on their brooms and Sean and Satchel
got into the Yugo and took off. Then Harry shouted up, and all the brooms
rose uniformily; Harry's broom had been rigged so that whatever his
broom did, the others would follow. It would keep them together, and
hopefully out of trouble. Then they too took off, flying into the air and
towards an unpredictable morning.
Harry felt his heart fall even further to his feet and stared at
Dumbledore in shock. "No, it can't be!" Harry turned to see Hermione half
way out of her seat, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost. "The
Ministry doesn't have any jurisdiction where he is! How could they arrest
him?"
Dumbledore sighed wearily. "He was in England. He came back. I
don't know why and I can't say why. But I do know that we can't leave
him there because I think Voldemort is going after him."
"Voldemort is going to Azkaban?" Harry felt something go click in his
mind. "Professor, how is he going there?"
"By canoe," Dumbledore answered simply.
"Then that settles it." Harry looked at his friends and teammates
expectantly. "We have to go. This could be our only chance to rescue him
and defeat Voldemort at the same time." He turned to Sean. "Sean,
thanks for bringing us your news. I can't ask you to come but--"
"It's too late. I'm coming. Sirius has been a great help to me. I can't
let him rot in that hell of a prison."
Harrry nodded. "Okay. Everyone, let's go get our stuff together. We
leave tonight."
"But Harry, how are we going to get the canoe to the coast? We're
in the middle of Britain!" Ginny asked.
Harry looked at Dumbledore, who offered no suggestions. "Um,
we'll have to carry it I guess. There really is no other way. We'll tie it to
our broomsticks and fly it out there."
"We can put a feather light spell on it so it won't weigh as much!"
Hermione supplied eagerly.
"Good idea. Okay, let's get ready. Wear some warm clothes." With
that, Harry stood up and walked to the door, his teammates following.
Behind him, Sean, Satchel, and Hagrid sat there finishing up their malt
beers with a lot less enthusiasm than they had begun them.
As he trudged up the path to the castle, Harry could hardly begin to
identify the number of strange feelings consuming him now. Sirius had
been like a father to him--he was his Godfather, afterall. He had looked
after Harry and had provided guidance when Harry felt he couldn't turn to
anyone else. The least Harry could do was get him out of that prison and
away from Voldemort. At the very least, they could prove Sirius's
innocence. It was mainly a feeling of desperation and a boost of adreniline
that kept him from collapsing with every step he took. He can't die, Harry
thought. He can't die. If he does, I'll never get to leave the Dursleys. I'll
never know what life was like for my parents. Please, don't let him die!
In the middle of his reverie, Harry felt a small, warm hand touch his
back lightly, comfortingly. He turned slightly to see Ginny there. "I'm
sorry, Harry. It'll be alright, you know that."
He nodded numbly. "I hope so, Ginny, but who can tell?" Then he
smiled, bravely. "Come on, we've got to get our boat to the coast.
After changing into warmer clothes, Harry went out to join the rest
of his friends in the field where they were tying the Green Torch to their
brooms. Hermione was standing next to it, murmuring the spell that
would make the boat feather light. Sean was over to one side standing
against his prized Yugo, looking at a map with Satchel. He hurried over to
them. "So, know what you're going to do?"
"Yeah, we're going to run interference and make sure there's no
trouble getting you to that Island. We'll also keep you kids heading the
right direction." He shook his head. "What is that man thinking, sending
kids to fight Voldemort alone?"
"To each his own destiny," Harry looked to see Satchel staring at
him with a strange glow in his eyes. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable
and moved away to see get on his Firebolt. "Okay, Order of the Phoenix.
Mount your brooms." They all got on their brooms and Sean and Satchel
got into the Yugo and took off. Then Harry shouted up, and all the brooms
rose uniformily; Harry's broom had been rigged so that whatever his
broom did, the others would follow. It would keep them together, and
hopefully out of trouble. Then they too took off, flying into the air and
towards an unpredictable morning.