A/N: Okay, I have a few answers for some of the questions you've asked. I know that the other characters – especially Draco – have faded into the background, but there is a reason for that. I need to concentrate on Harry right now, and in Draco's case there is another reason for the absence. A lot of you have commented that Harry is becoming increasingly powerful. That's incorrect. He isn't becoming more powerful right now; he's actually reached a plateau for the moment. He's learning to control his powers without the surges, is all.
Nappa: This fic won't be H/Hr. The only reason it has hints of R/Hr right now is because I needed to give a reason for Hermione's absence from Harry's side, and it was convenient. As for the comments about canon Ron not showing any feeling for Hermione at all—need I remind you of the torn up little Krum figure thingo? He was royally pissed about Hermione liking Krum, and it wasn't just because he thought she was fraternising with the 'enemy', because he continued to hate Krum for it even when Harry told him that he didn't mind Hermione spending time with Krum. The only other reason left is that he thought Hermione was betraying him. She supported Harry during their fight, and then 'abandoned' Ron for Krum. I think that's enough proof, and I can't be bothered going through all the books to find more points. I would like to finish by saying that I appreciate your recommendations and respect your choice in ships, but I won't be changing this fic just because you want me to. I started writing this fanfic for me, and I will finish writing it for me.
Everyone: I had a go at doing a Sirius point-of-view for this chapter. I'm not sure how well it turned out, but please keep in mind that it's my first time writing this particular character from his own point of view. I'm also running a fanart competition, which will be judged in about three weeks. If you have any fanart send it to me at bentoobaka@email.com and it will automatically be entered. I would also like to tell you now that I will not be doing private notifications for updates of this fic. I update on Saturday or Sunday, which is Friday or Saturday for the Americans. There's generally a one to two week period between posts when I write the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Not mine. All JKR's. Well, the main plot idea is mine, I guess. The characters and Harry Potter series in general are hers, however.
Chapter Thirty-One
Sirius had apparated to Russia as soon as he had been off the Hogwarts Grounds, and had been travelling for what felt like three days, although it was probably longer. He had yet to see the northern lights, and he had been praying every night that he was headed in the right direction. The fur coat that he had cursed on hot summer days was now his favourite part of his dog body, and he was currently playing a little game to see how long he could go for before the saliva in his mouth froze. When night fell he would dig a little wind-break for himself to sleep behind, but it didn't cut out the chill of the ground and he often dreamed that he was locked in a meat storage container, about to be shipped off to Indonesia. He didn't mind those dreams, in truth—the thought of Indonesia and its humidity was enough to make him forget the cold for the first half an hour or so each morning.
It was the next day that he first spotted the northern lights. He had stopped in a town to listen for any news when there had been a multi-coloured flash of light outside of the pub he had been sitting in. He had run out, thinking that the town was under attack, to see the same lights flashing in the sky and reflecting off the snow. The people had laughed at the ignorant 'tourist' and explained about the northern lights in broken English. When he asked if there were any pine forests about, they pointed him west.
"Three hour to walk, one to bike. You bike?" said one of the locals, bringing a rusty bicycle out of a nearby shed and pointing to it. "Ten an hour, twenty deposit for safety." Sirius shook his head at that, and told the man that he had never learnt to ride a bike in his childhood and that it would take too long to learn now.
"Don't go in," Another man warned. "Not the forest. Bad place, very bad. People found dead."
Sirius nodded, shook the man's hand, and promised that he wouldn't go too far into the forest.
Eventually, Sirius had to break his promise. After travelling the perimeter of the forest he still had not found the building that had been in Harry's vision. He moved into the forest and headed straight to the middle. It was there that he found the base. It was a large building, all concrete walls and iron-barred windows, and a magical force field about it. Sirius found that out rather painfully.
He had simply taken a step forward and hit a blockage. For a moment he was completely without magic – not a nice feeling, I can assure you – before he was thrown back into a tree with a light burn on his arm, which had been the first place to connect.
"Right. I suppose I'm going to have to find another way in, then," He murmured, rubbing his arm.
The answer to his problem presented itself rather quickly, in the form of a burrow some animal had dug. It ended on the other side of the barrier, and all Sirius had to do was transform into his animagus form and travel to the end of the tunnel before digging his way up and out on the other side. He half expected an army of Death Eaters to appear and tear him to bits, but it didn't happen and after a few minutes of reminding himself not to hyperventilate he continued towards the building. It was exactly how Harry had described it: a concrete compound with pine trees surrounding it with the sharp, slightly metallic smell of snow and blood in the air.
Sirius encountered no further barriers or forms of protection for the building from then on in, and he guessed that the Death Eaters had been lax with them because they believed themselves to be safe from attack there. The torture chambers were also extremely easy to find – all Sirius had to do was listen and follow the sounds of the screams. Finding Mundungus was not as easy, however. It seemed that the entire left side of the compound was the designated torture area, and Sirius knew that, however slack the Death Eaters had been with protection for themselves so far, there would be someone watching the windows. It was for that reason that he reached into his mind and found the end of the 'cord' that linked him to all the other Order of the Phoenix members. He was searching for Mundungus when he felt another mind move partway down his link. Sirius gritted his teeth and tried not to make a noise. It was Snape.
~ What are you doing, Snape? ~ Sirius asked, trying not to let his dislike of the man interfere with his mind-voice. He knew that if he did it would probably end up giving both the men a migraine. He wasn't sure whether Severus would encounter difficulties or not, but there was no way he'd be able to deal with a large headache and still manage to rescue Mundungus
~ What does it sound like? Attempting to contact you, ~ Snape snapped back. ~ We've been trying to get a hold on you for ages! ~
~ Well excuse me if I'm on an important mission and can't be in a place where you can find me! ~ Sirius retorted. ~ I presume that there was a reason you decided to interrupt me? ~
~ Like I'd contact you unless I couldn't help it. Of course there's a reason. Do you realise what day it is? ~
~ No, actually. Couldn't understand the locals when they tried to tell me. ~
~ It's Christmas Eve, Black. You've been out there for a month, and we hadn't heard anything from you over that time. Dumbledore was more than a little concerned. There are more important things to take care of, however. Are you at the place they're holding him? ~
~ Yes. ~
~ We need a basic overview. How well it's protected, size, general area, location…that kind of thing. ~
~ The only protection I've encountered so far is a heat barrier. There's a foxhole leading under it though, that's how I got in. It probably takes up about an acre of land in itself, and is single layer. I think it's predominantly a torture and interrogation area. You-Know-Who's not here, that's for sure. The Death Eaters wouldn't be so lax if he was around to make sure things happened. It's in the middle of a pine forest near the Ruskanhov village. Apparently the Death Eaters have been practicing their curses on any local who goes too far into the forest, and they're terrified of it. ~
~ Good. Dumbledore wishes me to tell you that Potter sends his love and that they both wish you were back here. ~ Sirius could almost hear Snape sneer.
~ Tell them I'll be back soon. You think you could let me get on with what I was doing before you interrupted me, now? ~
~ My pleasure. I'm teaching a class right now and I'd rather like to know if my floor has been melted again while I was wasting time talking to you. ~
Snape's voice withdrew from Sirius' mind and the man continued to search for Mundungus. What he found terrified him. All that seemed to be left of the man's mind was a pool of pain and terror. He still felt Sirius' approach, however, and a wave of gibberish approached to meet him, catching Sirius and whirling him about like a leaf in a maelstrom. Sirius pulled away, but not before a pleading voice cast one message into his mind.
~ Help me…please! ~
A/N: Oooh…stuff is happening! *grins* You didn't really think I'd go and kill Sirius off now, did you? I need him for later on!
