A/N Thanks once again to all reviewers. Be warned, there's a bit of violence in this chapter. Not too much but it's still there (involves a giant hairy spider). So, now that I've got that announcement out of the way...enjoy Sirius' escape...
Sirius glared menacingly at Severus' back as it disappeared once more into the shadows. *Damn cloak! Why does it have to be black?* He was so engrossed with his thoughts, that he didn't notice the yawning pit in front of him. Nor did he notice the arm that shot out from nowhere, or at least, he didn't notice it until it hit him. Sirius winced as the fist connected with tender flesh and whirled around to confront Severus, only to find that Severus wasn't there.
"Are you planning on getting us both killed?" Severus snarled from somewhere below him. Sirius looked down and found his life-long enemy looking up at him from the ground. His body, up to the waist, seemed to have vanished down a rabbit hole. Sirius glared again just for good measure.
"No. You're the one leading us down rabbit holes which, I might add, will get very small and we'll most likely suffocate!"
Severus growled in exasperation. "Always were the teacher's pet weren't you Black. *I*, however, happen to know that this is not a rabbit hole!" He gave a smile that could have terrified the life out of a baby, and dropped from sight.
Sirius reigned in his anger and peered at the hole. It was dark and he couldn't see very well: his eyes still hadn't become accustomed for some reason. He shoved the earth at the entrance aside with his foot and sat down at the edge. The hole was smooth and rounded. Upon closer inspection, it was evident to Sirius that the hole had never been used by rabbits and the droppings around it were merely for decoration. He swung his legs over into the hole and dangled them for a brief moment.
He smiled. It would be too good to believe that that slimy git was still underneath the hole. If Sirius...*accidentally* dropped a pebble...
He casted around for a suitable pebble and settled on a golf-ball sized angular rock. He hefted it up from the ground, weighed it cautiously for a moment, smiled again and then, with apparent carelessness, dropped it into the hole.
Moments later, he was awarded by the sound of a dull thud and an angrily exclaimed "oww". Chuckling, he lowered himself into the hole.
The drop was short and sharp and ended abruptly on a mossy carpet. He stood up muttering, "Oops, my foot slipped..." He could hardly keep himself from grinning when he saw the angry look on Severus' head and the grin almost grew into delight when he caught sight of an egg-shaped angry red welt on the side of his head...
* * *
"What do you mean he's escaped?" Voldemort turned threatening eyes towards Wormtail. Wormtail cowered.
"H-He's...gone. Master. Just gone."
"I see...I am most displeased Wormtail. You will, of course, find Black or there will be...consequences. Consequences, I should say my dear *dear* Wormtail that would not agree with you.... Send out our *friends*."
Wormtail visibly paled and swallowed hard. Voldemort allowed himself a small smile. At Voldemort's feet, a sinuous sickly green snake hissed violently and writhed in anticipation. Voldemort's smile grew into a grin.
"Not yet Nagini. Not yet, but soon you will have blood. When the Betrayer has dealt with that interfering witch, and when he has discovered the helpers I have placed near him...then. Then you will have your blood Nagini. And I shall feast with you."
Wormtail shuddered at the sound of the hissing conversation. It was very eerie and, even now, it still sent shivers of fear down his spine. "Wormtail..." The soft sibilant voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around, desperately hoping that last time's mistake had not been repeated.
"There is yet another task I wish you to perform. My web of spies informs me that the werewolf is moving towards Hogwarts. Find out all you can. If he affects our plans, kill him. But discreetly. I don't want the position of my spies jeopardised. Everything must be in place for the release of Azkaban. Do you understand Wormtail?" Wormtail nodded. "Good. Then get on with it."
Wormtail hurried out of the dimly lit room and down the corridor. He fled from the high cruel laugh and the gentle hissing that pursued him. Not for the first time, Peter Pettigrew wondered whether he had made the right choice...
* * *
Sirius once again had to drop behind Severus to allow the other man to take the lead. His earlier joke had cost him dear and Severus had not found it quite as funny as he had. He glanced at the damp walls and at the dripping water and shuddered. Underground wasn't his favourite place. In his opinion, there were only two types of men who ever ventured below ground: maniacs and corpses. As he could quite safely say he wasn't the former, it made him wonder just how long he had until he became the latter...
Sirius shook his head and continued. Thoughts of death weren't exactly the most comforting things at the moment. Abruptly, Severus turned around and Sirius walked right into him. Severus snarled dangerously. "Stop it. You'll get us both killed!" He turned and hurried off into the gloom leaving Sirius lost for words. What had he done now?
Moments later, Severus appeared again from out of the darkness. "I said *stop* it!"
Sirius stared, mouth agape. "What? I'm not doing anything!" he replied indignantly.
Severus glared. "Yes you are. You're thumping the walls. I can hear it and feel it. Stop it now. Don't you know that the dogs will be able to track the vibrations?"
Sirius paled. "Dogs? Are there dogs following us?"
Severus glared again. "Not yet, but there will be soon once they realise you're missing. So get a move on and stop thumping the walls!"
"But I wasn't thumping the walls!"
Severus whirled around to berate Sirius but stopped when there came a low steady thud. Sirius frowned. Where had that come from? Severus paled. "You didn't do that?" he whispered. Sirius shook his head slowly. Why were they whispering? Severus glanced briefly behind Sirius, causing Sirius to look as well but there wasn't anything there.
Severus took a step backwards and jumped violently as the sound came again. "They're coming." Sirius noted how his pupils dilated to tiny pinpricks. "Run!" He turned and scampered off into the darkness.
Sirius stood and stared at Severus' retreating back, having no idea what was going on. He wondered briefly what was supposed to be coming and how horrible it would have to be to reduce a man to such terror.
There was another thump and this one was followed by a shout from above. There was a brief moment of a deep rumbling sound before earth started to shower into the passageway. Seconds later, a long hairy arm found its way into the passageway as well.
Sirius definitely didn't like the look of the arm and he wasn't going to hang around to find out what it was attached to...
* * *
Wormtail watched the acromantula with growing worry. It still hadn't found Black, although it said it could smell him nearby. Another worry was the acromantula itself. They weren't the prettiest of creatures and this one was no exception. The body was black, hairy and plump. The head was small and slightly grey, fixed with eight red gleaming eyes. And on each side, four long hairy legs sprawled outwards.
Acromantula were rare, very rare. There were only two colonies in Great Britain. Voldemort had chosen this one: the second was right on Hogwarts' doorstep which wouldn't do. Firstly, that colony was far too near to that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore. Secondly, there was any number of beasts in the Forbidden Forest who were too loyal to the Light to tolerate the Dark...those bloody star-gazing centaurs among them. He had chosen this colony for anther reason too. Acromantula colonies were one of the few places in the country that had been made unplottable which prevented any muggles from finding them. And any wizard sane enough to value his life, wouldn't go anywhere near them. Except for Lord Voldemort of course.
Wormtail shivered as the giant spider reared up onto four legs and bellowed, waving its other legs in the air. Several of the Death Eaters backed hastily away. Wormtail snarled at the nearest one and the man turned to confront him. Wormtail reached out and whipped off the man's mask. The face was pale and hairless and belonged to a young man barely past adolescence. "Idiot..." he cursed the man, "it's only a spider. It can't hurt you!" Wormtail flexed his silver hand powerfully and watched with delight as the man's eyes widened and he took a rapid step away. The Death Eaters knew only too well just how powerful that hand was...
The young man continued to back away, fear mixed with anger on his face. Behind him, the acromantula turned, fixed all of its eight eyes on the man's back and started to advance towards him. The man continued straight into its path, unaware of the danger.
It happened in less than ten seconds. The acromantula lunged, pincers spread wide. The man, alerted by some primeval instinct, turned in time to see the fiery red eyes and screamed. There was a thud and a sickening crunch that ended the scream abruptly. Blood gushed out of the man and the Death Eaters turned away from the sound of ripping flesh.
Wormtail blinked and swallowed. "Then again, maybe it can hurt you just a tad..."
Seconds later, the acromantula raised its shaggy head and bellowed harshly, making them turn to confront it. It fixed them with all of its eight eyes. It lifted two pincers off the ground and started clicking them. The noise was loud and crude but it wasn't loud enough to mask the words of the creature. "Flesh...is tasty. Be careful, or you may be next..." It made a strange gagging sound that Wormtail supposed was meant to be laughter. The Death Eaters backed away even further, putting as much ground between themselves and the monster. Most of them had not realised that acromantulas could talk.
Wormtail turned away from the scene, disgusted and horrified. He stopped a Death Eater near him and gave him orders. "See that the spider finds Black and kills him. He's too much of a risk: we'll have to find another lure for Potter. And kill anyone you find with him. There is a traitor within the ranks of the Death Eaters." He turned and hurried away from the acromantula. He'd never particularly liked spiders and his encounters with the giant variety hadn't served to up them in his opinion.
Now to find that werewolf. He shuddered at the recollection of his last meeting with Remus Lupin. Being chased by a large hairy dog-like creature wasn't his idea of fun. Looking back, however, he supposed that it might have been Sirius chasing him rather than Remus but it didn't make that much difference. And that meeting hadn't been too nice for another reason...and Voldemort wasn't too happy about it either. Having a wizard's debt was bad in any circumstance but having it to the person you're supposed to be killing was...slightly worse.
He smiled as he hurried onwards. All that would soon be resolved, however, when the werewolf was located. He might even be able to sort out that debt whilst he was at it...
* * *
Sirius finally caught up with the elusive figure of Severus which had collapsed besides the wall and was panting heavily. Sirius came to a stop and bent over wheezing. Severus looked up and then glanced quickly behind him again.
Eventually Sirius spoke. "First, what the hell was that and second, what was it doing here?"
Severus spoke to the floor. "Umm...maybe I should have told you this before. We're in an acromantula colony...we're in their tunnels but they abandoned these tunnels years ago because of weaknesses in the frame. I thought we'd be safe..."
There was silence. Then: "A what colony?"
Severus looked up again, an expression of incredulity on his face. "Did you never do any work at school?" Sirius' expression remained carefully blank. Severus sighed. "Acromantula...giant hairy spiders, carnivores and very fast. There are only two colonies in this country. The other is in the Forbidden Forest."
"Why a spider colony?"
"They're unplottable: muggles don't come here and wizards avoid these ugly things as if they carried the Plague."
Sirius nodded. "I can see why...I think we've lost it. For a while at least."
Severus nodded and stood up. "We're past the wards. We can apparate out of here now." He reached into his robes, rummaged, and then rummaged a bit more. Moments later, he withdrew his hands. Sirius noted, with dismay, that they were empty.
"I've lost my wand...I must have dropped it..." Sirius groaned and looked down the passage. There was no way he was going back that way, not for the world. Judging by the look on Severus' face, he was thinking much the same thing.
Silently, they moved off down the tunnel, away from the distant sounds of movement. Sirius noted, with a certain amount of relief, that they didn't seem to be moving fast. He heaved a heavy sigh. It looked like they were going to have to get to Hogwarts the hard way...
A/N Well there's another chapter. Hope you liked it! Sorry about the violence, but I don't think there's going to be anymore and it wasn't that much...only one paragraph. As you may be able to tell, I have absolutely no love for spiders.
Fortunately, I'm over my illness. Unfortunately, I have a great big stinking tech project to do. Fortunately (for you at any rate), I'm going to ignore that project so you can expect some more quite soon.
Once more thanks to all reviewers:
Sorry whoever lives at [1]seow_wen_bing@hotmail.com (or something like it) I tried to email you but couldn't...did I get the right address?
Bob
Hyper Princess
Sailor Vegeta
butterflygirl
wapi
jona-thanks
Jcorrington
arcee
Starlight
elf_kitty
Lily Evans (thank you!!!!!!!! glad you like it.)
moodyirishbabe- already reviewed another. Keep up the great work!
Prophetess of Hearts-sorry I was so drugged up last time that I forgot to answer your question. Unfortunately, Harry does have to still stay with the Dursleys, for the pure reason that he hasn't got anywhere else to go. Maybe if Sirius' name is cleared...
Thanx and review again!
Next: Christmas, Harry meets Firenze and Wormtail comes across Lupin.
Luv baasheep
Xx
References
1. mailto:seow_wen_bing@hotmail.com
Sirius glared menacingly at Severus' back as it disappeared once more into the shadows. *Damn cloak! Why does it have to be black?* He was so engrossed with his thoughts, that he didn't notice the yawning pit in front of him. Nor did he notice the arm that shot out from nowhere, or at least, he didn't notice it until it hit him. Sirius winced as the fist connected with tender flesh and whirled around to confront Severus, only to find that Severus wasn't there.
"Are you planning on getting us both killed?" Severus snarled from somewhere below him. Sirius looked down and found his life-long enemy looking up at him from the ground. His body, up to the waist, seemed to have vanished down a rabbit hole. Sirius glared again just for good measure.
"No. You're the one leading us down rabbit holes which, I might add, will get very small and we'll most likely suffocate!"
Severus growled in exasperation. "Always were the teacher's pet weren't you Black. *I*, however, happen to know that this is not a rabbit hole!" He gave a smile that could have terrified the life out of a baby, and dropped from sight.
Sirius reigned in his anger and peered at the hole. It was dark and he couldn't see very well: his eyes still hadn't become accustomed for some reason. He shoved the earth at the entrance aside with his foot and sat down at the edge. The hole was smooth and rounded. Upon closer inspection, it was evident to Sirius that the hole had never been used by rabbits and the droppings around it were merely for decoration. He swung his legs over into the hole and dangled them for a brief moment.
He smiled. It would be too good to believe that that slimy git was still underneath the hole. If Sirius...*accidentally* dropped a pebble...
He casted around for a suitable pebble and settled on a golf-ball sized angular rock. He hefted it up from the ground, weighed it cautiously for a moment, smiled again and then, with apparent carelessness, dropped it into the hole.
Moments later, he was awarded by the sound of a dull thud and an angrily exclaimed "oww". Chuckling, he lowered himself into the hole.
The drop was short and sharp and ended abruptly on a mossy carpet. He stood up muttering, "Oops, my foot slipped..." He could hardly keep himself from grinning when he saw the angry look on Severus' head and the grin almost grew into delight when he caught sight of an egg-shaped angry red welt on the side of his head...
* * *
"What do you mean he's escaped?" Voldemort turned threatening eyes towards Wormtail. Wormtail cowered.
"H-He's...gone. Master. Just gone."
"I see...I am most displeased Wormtail. You will, of course, find Black or there will be...consequences. Consequences, I should say my dear *dear* Wormtail that would not agree with you.... Send out our *friends*."
Wormtail visibly paled and swallowed hard. Voldemort allowed himself a small smile. At Voldemort's feet, a sinuous sickly green snake hissed violently and writhed in anticipation. Voldemort's smile grew into a grin.
"Not yet Nagini. Not yet, but soon you will have blood. When the Betrayer has dealt with that interfering witch, and when he has discovered the helpers I have placed near him...then. Then you will have your blood Nagini. And I shall feast with you."
Wormtail shuddered at the sound of the hissing conversation. It was very eerie and, even now, it still sent shivers of fear down his spine. "Wormtail..." The soft sibilant voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned around, desperately hoping that last time's mistake had not been repeated.
"There is yet another task I wish you to perform. My web of spies informs me that the werewolf is moving towards Hogwarts. Find out all you can. If he affects our plans, kill him. But discreetly. I don't want the position of my spies jeopardised. Everything must be in place for the release of Azkaban. Do you understand Wormtail?" Wormtail nodded. "Good. Then get on with it."
Wormtail hurried out of the dimly lit room and down the corridor. He fled from the high cruel laugh and the gentle hissing that pursued him. Not for the first time, Peter Pettigrew wondered whether he had made the right choice...
* * *
Sirius once again had to drop behind Severus to allow the other man to take the lead. His earlier joke had cost him dear and Severus had not found it quite as funny as he had. He glanced at the damp walls and at the dripping water and shuddered. Underground wasn't his favourite place. In his opinion, there were only two types of men who ever ventured below ground: maniacs and corpses. As he could quite safely say he wasn't the former, it made him wonder just how long he had until he became the latter...
Sirius shook his head and continued. Thoughts of death weren't exactly the most comforting things at the moment. Abruptly, Severus turned around and Sirius walked right into him. Severus snarled dangerously. "Stop it. You'll get us both killed!" He turned and hurried off into the gloom leaving Sirius lost for words. What had he done now?
Moments later, Severus appeared again from out of the darkness. "I said *stop* it!"
Sirius stared, mouth agape. "What? I'm not doing anything!" he replied indignantly.
Severus glared. "Yes you are. You're thumping the walls. I can hear it and feel it. Stop it now. Don't you know that the dogs will be able to track the vibrations?"
Sirius paled. "Dogs? Are there dogs following us?"
Severus glared again. "Not yet, but there will be soon once they realise you're missing. So get a move on and stop thumping the walls!"
"But I wasn't thumping the walls!"
Severus whirled around to berate Sirius but stopped when there came a low steady thud. Sirius frowned. Where had that come from? Severus paled. "You didn't do that?" he whispered. Sirius shook his head slowly. Why were they whispering? Severus glanced briefly behind Sirius, causing Sirius to look as well but there wasn't anything there.
Severus took a step backwards and jumped violently as the sound came again. "They're coming." Sirius noted how his pupils dilated to tiny pinpricks. "Run!" He turned and scampered off into the darkness.
Sirius stood and stared at Severus' retreating back, having no idea what was going on. He wondered briefly what was supposed to be coming and how horrible it would have to be to reduce a man to such terror.
There was another thump and this one was followed by a shout from above. There was a brief moment of a deep rumbling sound before earth started to shower into the passageway. Seconds later, a long hairy arm found its way into the passageway as well.
Sirius definitely didn't like the look of the arm and he wasn't going to hang around to find out what it was attached to...
* * *
Wormtail watched the acromantula with growing worry. It still hadn't found Black, although it said it could smell him nearby. Another worry was the acromantula itself. They weren't the prettiest of creatures and this one was no exception. The body was black, hairy and plump. The head was small and slightly grey, fixed with eight red gleaming eyes. And on each side, four long hairy legs sprawled outwards.
Acromantula were rare, very rare. There were only two colonies in Great Britain. Voldemort had chosen this one: the second was right on Hogwarts' doorstep which wouldn't do. Firstly, that colony was far too near to that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore. Secondly, there was any number of beasts in the Forbidden Forest who were too loyal to the Light to tolerate the Dark...those bloody star-gazing centaurs among them. He had chosen this colony for anther reason too. Acromantula colonies were one of the few places in the country that had been made unplottable which prevented any muggles from finding them. And any wizard sane enough to value his life, wouldn't go anywhere near them. Except for Lord Voldemort of course.
Wormtail shivered as the giant spider reared up onto four legs and bellowed, waving its other legs in the air. Several of the Death Eaters backed hastily away. Wormtail snarled at the nearest one and the man turned to confront him. Wormtail reached out and whipped off the man's mask. The face was pale and hairless and belonged to a young man barely past adolescence. "Idiot..." he cursed the man, "it's only a spider. It can't hurt you!" Wormtail flexed his silver hand powerfully and watched with delight as the man's eyes widened and he took a rapid step away. The Death Eaters knew only too well just how powerful that hand was...
The young man continued to back away, fear mixed with anger on his face. Behind him, the acromantula turned, fixed all of its eight eyes on the man's back and started to advance towards him. The man continued straight into its path, unaware of the danger.
It happened in less than ten seconds. The acromantula lunged, pincers spread wide. The man, alerted by some primeval instinct, turned in time to see the fiery red eyes and screamed. There was a thud and a sickening crunch that ended the scream abruptly. Blood gushed out of the man and the Death Eaters turned away from the sound of ripping flesh.
Wormtail blinked and swallowed. "Then again, maybe it can hurt you just a tad..."
Seconds later, the acromantula raised its shaggy head and bellowed harshly, making them turn to confront it. It fixed them with all of its eight eyes. It lifted two pincers off the ground and started clicking them. The noise was loud and crude but it wasn't loud enough to mask the words of the creature. "Flesh...is tasty. Be careful, or you may be next..." It made a strange gagging sound that Wormtail supposed was meant to be laughter. The Death Eaters backed away even further, putting as much ground between themselves and the monster. Most of them had not realised that acromantulas could talk.
Wormtail turned away from the scene, disgusted and horrified. He stopped a Death Eater near him and gave him orders. "See that the spider finds Black and kills him. He's too much of a risk: we'll have to find another lure for Potter. And kill anyone you find with him. There is a traitor within the ranks of the Death Eaters." He turned and hurried away from the acromantula. He'd never particularly liked spiders and his encounters with the giant variety hadn't served to up them in his opinion.
Now to find that werewolf. He shuddered at the recollection of his last meeting with Remus Lupin. Being chased by a large hairy dog-like creature wasn't his idea of fun. Looking back, however, he supposed that it might have been Sirius chasing him rather than Remus but it didn't make that much difference. And that meeting hadn't been too nice for another reason...and Voldemort wasn't too happy about it either. Having a wizard's debt was bad in any circumstance but having it to the person you're supposed to be killing was...slightly worse.
He smiled as he hurried onwards. All that would soon be resolved, however, when the werewolf was located. He might even be able to sort out that debt whilst he was at it...
* * *
Sirius finally caught up with the elusive figure of Severus which had collapsed besides the wall and was panting heavily. Sirius came to a stop and bent over wheezing. Severus looked up and then glanced quickly behind him again.
Eventually Sirius spoke. "First, what the hell was that and second, what was it doing here?"
Severus spoke to the floor. "Umm...maybe I should have told you this before. We're in an acromantula colony...we're in their tunnels but they abandoned these tunnels years ago because of weaknesses in the frame. I thought we'd be safe..."
There was silence. Then: "A what colony?"
Severus looked up again, an expression of incredulity on his face. "Did you never do any work at school?" Sirius' expression remained carefully blank. Severus sighed. "Acromantula...giant hairy spiders, carnivores and very fast. There are only two colonies in this country. The other is in the Forbidden Forest."
"Why a spider colony?"
"They're unplottable: muggles don't come here and wizards avoid these ugly things as if they carried the Plague."
Sirius nodded. "I can see why...I think we've lost it. For a while at least."
Severus nodded and stood up. "We're past the wards. We can apparate out of here now." He reached into his robes, rummaged, and then rummaged a bit more. Moments later, he withdrew his hands. Sirius noted, with dismay, that they were empty.
"I've lost my wand...I must have dropped it..." Sirius groaned and looked down the passage. There was no way he was going back that way, not for the world. Judging by the look on Severus' face, he was thinking much the same thing.
Silently, they moved off down the tunnel, away from the distant sounds of movement. Sirius noted, with a certain amount of relief, that they didn't seem to be moving fast. He heaved a heavy sigh. It looked like they were going to have to get to Hogwarts the hard way...
A/N Well there's another chapter. Hope you liked it! Sorry about the violence, but I don't think there's going to be anymore and it wasn't that much...only one paragraph. As you may be able to tell, I have absolutely no love for spiders.
Fortunately, I'm over my illness. Unfortunately, I have a great big stinking tech project to do. Fortunately (for you at any rate), I'm going to ignore that project so you can expect some more quite soon.
Once more thanks to all reviewers:
Sorry whoever lives at [1]seow_wen_bing@hotmail.com (or something like it) I tried to email you but couldn't...did I get the right address?
Bob
Hyper Princess
Sailor Vegeta
butterflygirl
wapi
jona-thanks
Jcorrington
arcee
Starlight
elf_kitty
Lily Evans (thank you!!!!!!!! glad you like it.)
moodyirishbabe- already reviewed another. Keep up the great work!
Prophetess of Hearts-sorry I was so drugged up last time that I forgot to answer your question. Unfortunately, Harry does have to still stay with the Dursleys, for the pure reason that he hasn't got anywhere else to go. Maybe if Sirius' name is cleared...
Thanx and review again!
Next: Christmas, Harry meets Firenze and Wormtail comes across Lupin.
Luv baasheep
Xx
References
1. mailto:seow_wen_bing@hotmail.com