Harry Potter and his whole world belong to JK Rowling. I am borrowing a few characters from her. This is set in sixth year.
Once More into the Breach Dear Friends
The trip to Diagon Alley was uneventful. Mrs Weasley and Remus accompanied Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny into Diagon Alley, and it was quite fun, going to all the shops. Harry saw Remus eyeing a new set of robes when they were in Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, buying new robes for Ginny. Harry wished he would buy them, now that Sirius had left him some money, but when they left, Ginny was the only one with new robes. Harry knew that Remus would feel guilty, using the money that Sirius had left, just as he would himself.
After they all finished shopping, they slipped into the Leaky Cauldron for a bite to eat before nipping off back to Grimmauld Place. Remus had been right. It had been a very long and tiring day.
Harry took his new school supplies up to the room that he and Ron were sharing. He glanced around automatically, checking to be sure everything was as he'd left it. It was a habit that had started at the Dursleys and he found himself doing it everywhere. Nothing appeared to be out of place, though, so he set his things in his trunk and left to join everyone else in the study. Remus was watching Ron build a card castle with his Exploding Snap pack. Harry grinned, because he remembered what had happened the last time he'd watched Ron doing this. The castle had exploded and singed his eyebrows. Harry glanced around the room and saw, to his surprise, that Ginny and Hermione were in the corner, having a go at the Wizard Chess. Mrs Weasley was reading a new copy of the Quibbler. Harry joined Ron on the sofa. He felt Remus' eyes on him and knew that he was wondering if Harry wanted to back out of their plan. Harry slowly looked up at Remus, meeting his eyes. He was determined to go through with their plan. Harry wanted to talk to Sirius so bad that he could taste it. Apparently Remus could read this in his eyes, as he nodded once and went back to watching the Exploding Snap castle of cards.
"It's going to go," he said quietly. "Right now."
And sure enough, the castle exploded in Ron and Harry's face. Ron let out a shout of laughter. Mrs Weasley was glaring at them over the top of her magazine. Harry had black soot marks all over his glasses, but he too was chuckling.
"How did you know that, Professor Lupin?" Ron asked Remus curiously.
Remus smiled. "Remus, Ron. And I knew it by experience. James and Sirius used to love playing Exploding Snap. They'd play for hours on end. It got quite tiring, really."
Harry smiled. Fred and George enjoyed playing Exploding Snap for hours at a time as well.
Not too long after, Remus stood and announced he was heading to bed. Ginny and Hermione went not long after. Mrs Weasley followed the two girls out of the room. Harry turned to find Ron watching him.
"What's up?" he asked.
"What are you and Professor Lupin planning?" Ron asked bluntly.
Harry raised his eyebrows in what he hoped was an innocent way. "What do you mean?"
"Those mirrors. And you two are always sitting with your heads together. Hermione and I have hardly talked to you since you got here."
Harry flushed, somewhat annoyed. "That's because you and Hermione always have your heads together, I feel like an intruder. What's going on there?"
Ron's ears turned red and a flush crept across his cheeks. "Nothing," he answered, too quickly. "We're trying to figure what you're up to, is all. And don't try to turn this on to me. I want to know, Harry. I can help, you know."
Harry looked at his friend. He nodded slowly. "I know you can help, Ron. I know you can hold your own. Not this time though. Remus and I are just talking about Sirius. He's telling me of when Sirius and my dad were younger."
"Come on, Harry. I know there's more to it. What are the mirrors for?"
"For when we go back to Hogwarts. So Remus and I can talk whenever we like. We don't know if the fires will still be policed and if the owls will still be intercepted. This way we can communicate. Sirius gave me a mirror last year, but it broke, and you saw the other one. Remus is able to leave, so he can take the smaller mirror with him."
Harry hated lying to Ron. Ron still looked a little sceptical, but apparently decided to believe Harry.
"I'm going to bed," Harry said, standing up and leaving the room. Ron followed him.
* * *
It seemed to take ages for Ron to fall asleep. Harry kept tossing and turning, making like he couldn't sleep. When he was certain Ron was asleep, he waited another half hour and then slowly, carefully crept out of bed. He grabbed the bag that he'd put together earlier, with some clothes, some money, his Invisibility Cloak and the knife that Sirius had given him for Christmas a year and a half earlier. Remus had repaired the knife that had melted at the Department of Mysteries. The mirrors were also in the bag. He looked around at the room as he left. Ron was sleeping peacefully, as were the two owls. He could see the outline of Phineas Nigellus in the usually empty portrait. He appeared to be fast asleep as well. Harry closed the door with a faint click and started up the hall toward Remus' room. He knocked softly.
"Come in," Remus said quietly. "I thought it was you, Harry," he said as Harry closed the door behind him. "I thought I best not say 'Come in, Harry,' though just in case it was Molly. She's started checking on me once in a while. I'm sure to make sure I haven't gone mad and blown up my room."
Harry smiled weakly. His heart felt like it was missing beats. Remus was wearing his shabby jumper and trousers. He had Sirius' Invisibility Cloak slung over his arm. He turned when Harry pulled his clothes out of his bag, giving him some privacy.
"Are you still sure you wish to go through with this, Harry?" Remus asked, his back still turned. Harry paused, looking at his back. "Do you wish to get your hopes up? It isn't guaranteed to work, you realize that, don't you?"
Harry wasn't sure, but he thought Remus was also trying to convince himself of that.
"We have to know," Harry answered simply. "If we don't go now, we won't get another chance. And we won't know if it works or not. So we have to go and find out. And it's safe to turn around now," he added with a grin.
Remus turned. His eyes were bright and he was smiling.
"I knew you would say that."
They crept down the stairs slowly, listening for the slightest noises. Harry thought he heard someone cough, but figured that that was all it was. A floorboard creaked and Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. Remus was shaking with laughter by the time they got to the bottom of the stairs.
"You've stepped on that creaky stair every day since you've gotten here," he reminded Harry.
"I know, but when we're trying to be quiet, it sounded like a gunshot!" Harry whispered back, annoyed. Remus continued to shake with mirth. Harry felt like doing something very childish, so he stuck his tongue out at Remus. This made Remus laugh even harder.
Remus locked the door very carefully as they left headquarters. As they stepped toward the sidewalk, the house seemed to sink into the ground once more. Remus looked around carefully before they started down the walk. He told Harry to get his wand out, just in case.
"I thought we'd go by the underground, because I know it runs near there. It's only 10:30, so it should still be running."
Harry nodded, walking swiftly beside Remus, his wand at his side. They both kept glancing around as they walked, waiting for ambush perhaps. Remus stopped a few times, looking behind them.
"I keep thinking that I'm hearing footsteps," he whispered to Harry. "But when I look back, I see nothing. I need Moody with his eye to tell me if there's somebody in an Invisibility Cloak." He grinned sheepishly. "I could also just be paranoid."
Nevertheless, they picked up their pace as they came within shouting distance of the underground station. It was almost deserted at this time of night, and they were lucky to get on a train that was just leaving. Remus kept glancing at the Underground Map, as Mr Weasley had done when Harry had accompanied him a year ago. Remus, however, was much calmer about it.
"Next stop," he said quietly.
They got out at a station in the heart of London. Up the escalators and out onto a street that was dark and deserted. The street lights cast a gloomy, almost sinister glow to the pavement and the run down buildings. Harry led Remus down the side road that Mr Weasley had taken him down. They walked for a while before coming to the old red telephone box, covered in graffiti and broken panes of glass.
"Here we are," Harry said quietly. His throat had constricted at the site of it and for a horrible moment he thought that he would break down right here. Remus laid a hand on his shoulder.
"We can still go back, Harry," he said softly. Harry shook his head, squaring his shoulders determinedly.
"I have to know," he answered. Remus nodded and entered the phone booth. Harry followed. It was a little cramped, but not nearly as much as when Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna and himself had been crammed in there the month before.
Harry watched as Remus dialled 6-2-4-4-2 on the telephone. He panicked when the cool female voice filled the telephone box.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."
"Remus Lupin and Harry Potter. We're here to visit somebody," Remus answered calmly. Harry didn't think that would work. He thought you would need a name at least.
"Thank you," the cool female voice said. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."
Two badges slid into the coin slot on the telephone. Remus grabbed them up and handed Harry his. Harry glanced at it. It read Harry Potter, visitor top secret. He clipped it to his t-shirt quickly.
"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, located at the far end of the Atrium."
"Thank you," Remus said as the telephone box began to lower itself underground. Harry watched the pavement slide up over their heads. A small strip of light became visible at their feet. Remus crouched, watching to be sure there was nobody there to attack them as they moved down even further.
"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," the cool voice said as the telephone box came to a halt and the doors opened.
The first thing Harry noticed is the Fountain of Magical Brethren had been repaired since he'd been there last. It had been destroyed in June by Dumbledore and Voldemort, who had waged battle in this very Atrium. There was nothing to show that a battle had taken place here. Remus looked across the room with his keen eyes.
"There's nobody there, Harry," he whispered.
Harry swallowed. "There wasn't last time either," he said softly. He took this as a bad sign, but nobody could have known they were coming.
Remus continued to watch. He suddenly grabbed Harry and pulled him behind a plant.
"There is a guard there. Let's get the Cloaks on now."
Harry pulled both of their Invisibility Cloaks out of his bag. He slipped the bag back over his shoulders before pulling the Cloak around them. Remus grinned at him, his own Cloak around his shoulders. He looked rather silly, just his head floating in midair. He was clearly thinking the same of Harry.
"I feel like I'm back at Hogwarts, breaking some rule with your dad," he said conspiratorially to Harry. Harry grinned too. Remus pulled the Cloak over his head, and Harry did the same. "Be as quiet as you possibly can, Harry," Remus whispered softly from Harry's left. "Okay, I'm moving." He felt Remus take hold of some of the Invisibility Cloak's silvery material in his hand. He knew this was so they didn't lose each other. They walked past the guard station slowly and silently. The guard was very nearly asleep at his desk. They passed through the golden gates, moving toward the lifts that would take them to the many underground floors in the Ministry.
"Silencio," he heard Remus whisper as he pressed the down button. Harry didn't hear a thing as the lift came to a halt before them. He looked at Remus, amazed. Of course, Remus couldn't see him.
"I didn't know we could use the Silencing Charm on the lifts," he said softly as they clambered inside it.
"You can use the Silencing Charm on anything that makes noise, Harry," Remus explained quietly. Harry saw the button for number nine depress slightly and knew Remus had pressed it. The grilles slid closed silently and the lift began its descent.
"Evanesco," Remus said softly.
"What's that for?" Harry asked.
"Fingerprints," Remus said with a chuckle. "I'm sure they won't look for fingerprints, but it couldn't hurt."
"Department of Mysteries," the same cool female voice said as the grilles slid open. They stepped out of the lift and once more Harry's throat tightened. He swallowed, determined to not choke up. Not yet anyway.
They both turned toward the plain black door. Harry heard Remus take a deep breath, as though he too was fighting back the memory of the last time they were here. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you one hundred percent certain, Harry?" Remus asked urgently. "I need to know, before we take one step more."
"I'm certain, Remus," Harry answered confidently. Remus gave his shoulder a squeeze and released him. Harry pushed on the door. It swung easily again.
"You'd of thought they would put a lock on it," Harry whispered. Remus chuckled.
Once more, Harry found himself in the dark circular room with the blue flame torches. He took a deep breath and closed the door.
At once, the floor rumbled and the walls began to spin. Harry shut his eyes, wanting to keep his vision clear.
"Oh, right," Remus said behind him. Harry turned and to his surprise found that Remus had removed the Invisibility Cloak from over his head. "I figure we can at least take them off our heads. Leave the rest of you covered, at least for now."
"We forgot to mark the door when we came in," Harry said, wanting to kick himself.
"That's alright Harry. We'll be able to find our way out."
Harry nodded, starting toward the room straight across from them. Remus followed him. Harry pushed the door open and stopped dead.
"This isn't the Brain Room," he said. He was in the glittering room that he'd dreamt about so often. The room with the Time-Turners. He and Remus stepped back into the main room and closed the door.
"Damn it," Remus said, annoyed. "We forgot that door too!"
The room started to spin, and sure enough, when it stopped, they had no idea which door they'd just opened.
"That's why you need me here," said a voice from behind them. Harry and Remus both gasped, yanked the hood of their Invisibility Cloaks over their heads and dove sideways, out of the way, in case a Stunning Spell was headed their way. Harry rolled on the floor and looked up to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny all standing in the middle of the room. There was a large, fiery red 'X' on one of the doors.
"What are you doing here?" Remus demanded angrily.
"We followed you," Ginny answered defiantly. "You wouldn't answer us, so Ron waited until Harry left and came and got us. We followed you to the underground, on to the train and all the way here."
Remus whipped the hood of his Cloak off, glaring at the three of them.
"You're going back to headquarters right now!" he told them. Ron's ears were red and Hermione's jaw was set in defiance.
"We're not," she said quietly. "We're staying. We want to help."
Harry stood, removing his hood as well. He too glared at his friends. He wasn't surprised that they'd showed up, but it made him angry that they had.
"I told you," he said to Ron. "You can't help."
Ron's eyes narrowed. "You also said you weren't up to anything."
Remus huffed angrily and started to pace. He pushed his hands through his hair, obviously thinking hard.
"Okay, you can stay. But you are to take this Cloak. One of you is to get into Harry's Cloak. If any of us are going to Azkaban, it's going to be me."
Ron and Hermione both tried to talk him out of it, but his jaw was set and there was no talking him out of it. He took his Cloak off, his movements revealing just how angry he truly was. He flung the Cloak at Hermione. She sighed and covered herself and Ginny. Ron moved under Harry's cloak.
"Professor Lupin-" Hermione began quietly.
"For the last time, Hermione, it's Remus," he snarled at her. She looked up at him.
"Remus, there's some room under this cloak. Ginny and I are both small. Please come under it with us, and then none of us will have to go to Azkaban."
Remus glared at her, but his face relaxed a bit. He nodded and slipped under the Cloak. Harry was surprised when he laughed.
"Now I really feel like I'm back at Hogwarts!"
Harry opened the nearest door and found the Brain Room. He entered quickly, the others following.
"Remember we got to the other room through here?" he said to the others.
"No, Harry," they answered him. None of them had entered the room with him. Hermione had been hit with a nasty curse that Madam Pomfrey had never told them the name of, Ron had been attacked by brains and Ginny had taken a Stunner to the face. Harry had entered the next room quite alone. He continued to the door and opened it.
There before him stood the archway with the veil. His throat seized again, this time his chest did too. Fighting to maintain his composure, he led the way into the room.