Chapter Ten: Chandler's Danger

Chandler sat quietly thinking on a bench in the back garden of the Potter estate, Dog curled up on the snow beside him. After he had returned from the big, old house, Mr. Potter had asked Chandler to stay with Mrs. Potter and then he had left. Chandler didn't know where he went. It was almost dinnertime of the next day and Mr. Potter had not yet returned. Chandler could tell that Mrs. Potter was worried and confused. She didn't know about Dog; she didn't know what was going on. Chandler didn't even know what was going on. But he knew it had something to do with Dog.
For some reason, Dog seemed content to stay now. Chandler didn't know if Dog had found what he was looking for in the big house, or if he had just given up, but the boy was relieved that Dog had settled down. Maybe it meant he could, too.
There was a stirring in the snow a little ways away and Chandler turned his head at the sound. Beside him, Dog looked up, instantly alert. Then Chandler heard the whispered words and, for the second time in two days, he was completely paralyzed. Chandler tried to struggle, but he couldn't. As if from a long ways away, he could hear Dog barking. Then he was moving, flying again. Over the hedge, out of the garden. Still, he heard Dog barking. No! Get away, leave me alone! Chandler's mind screamed, but it was no use. There were men there, the same men he had seen in the alley. Memory sparked hope. Dog! He could make these people go away, he could make them leave him alone! But Dog did not come. The last thing Chandler heard was one more whispered word. Then his world went dark and silent.

When Chandler woke up, the first thing he realized was that he was that he was on a very cold and very hard stone floor. His hands were tied behind his back, so tightly that his wrists hurt and there was a piece of cloth tied around his head that covered his eyes. He groaned, but didn't otherwise move. What was going on? Was this just another nightmare?
In answer, Chandler felt something wet snuffling his cheek, followed by the lick of a large tongue. Dog! Chandler no longer groaned. He was safe, whatever happened, Dog was there.
As if determined to prove just that, Dog began to carefully pull off the cloth blindfold with his teeth, working slowly until the cloth fell down around Chandler's neck and the boy could once again see. At that point, Dog wandered around and Chandler could feel his canine teeth gnawing on the robe that bound Chandler's wrists. Trying hard to stay still so that Dog wouldn't accidentally bite him, Chandler focused on looking around. He was on a stone floor, all right. His prison was a dungeon cell out of an old fashioned castle, with one open window that let both the moonlight and the chilled winter air in.
The minutes passed and eventually Chandler realized the pain on his wrists was letting up. Then, with a relief of tension, the bonds fell away and Chandler sat up, rubbing his arms. Bruises were already forming, but Chandler didn't care. Smiling, he gave Dog a big hug. "Thanks, boy. I'd give you a cookie, but I don't have one." In response, Dog licked happily at Chandler's face.
Hours passed and Chandler neither saw nor heard from anyone aside from Dog. Eventually, he fell asleep, curled up against his friend, who stood attentive guard throughout the night.

"Cho?" Harry called as he slipped into the house. It was late and the sun had set hours ago. Behind him, Jessica stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She shivered slightly. After ten years on a tropical island, her blood had thinned and the London winter was extreme for her. "Cho, hun?"
"Harry!" Cho came running out of the kitchen. Immediately, Harry could tell something was wrong. Cho was panicked. "He's gone! I can't find him anywhere!"
"Oh, no!" Jessica gasped. Harry couldn't blame her. Now that he knew who Chandler was, the idea of the boy out on his own scared him. "Is he with Padfoot?" Jessica demanded.
Cho gave her a peculiar look. "What? Mrs. Black? What is going on?" She looked at Harry and he grimaced. He hadn't had time to explain before he left. He was going to hear about it from his wife now. "Harry, what's going on? Who /is/ Chandler?" She still looked terrified that he had disappeared out of her care.
Harry opened his mouth, but Jessica stopped him. "There is no time. We must find him." She bit her lip, thinking furiously. "If only I hadn't stopped actively studying magic so long ago. I feel so useless."
Cho frowned, but didn't argue. "We could track him if we had something of his." She glanced at Harry and Jessica, but they both shook their heads.
There was an awkward silence. Then Jessica gasped. "Wait, I do have something!" Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the wedding band. "Will this work?" She asked Harry, but he was already pulling out his wand.
"It will have to!"