A Very Different Story
Summary: This is my alternative to the OOTP. It isn't as good as the original, of course, and as you may know, there are major Order of the Phoenix spoilers in this story. I was just very bored when I wrote this.
Warnings/Notes: Major OOTP spoilers. Also contains an intoxicated Bellatrix Lestrange, a mad Lucius Malfoy and some other Death Eaters. Most of the characters are OOC, too.
Parings: None.
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The story so far...
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny and Neville are all searching for Sirius Black in the Department of Mysteries. Harry's just found the Prophecy with his and Lord Voldemort's names engraved on it. Then, a familiar voice made them all spin round.
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"Very good, Potter, now turn around, nice and slowly, and give me the Prophecy," came the voice of Lucius Malfoy.
Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their heart; Ginny gave a gasp of horror.
"To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up.
Harry's insides plummeted sickeningly. They were trapped, and out numbered two to one.
"To me," said Malfoy yet again.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.
Several of the Death Eaters laughed; a harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"
"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I want to know where Sirius is!"
"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Harry's eyes.
"You've got him," said Harry, ignoring the rising panic in his chest, the dread he had been fighting since they first entered the ninety-seventh row. "He's here. I know he is."
"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock baby voice. Harry felt Ron stir behind him.
"Don't do anything," Harry muttered. "Not yet –"
The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter.
"You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"
"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the Prophecy Potter."
"I know Sirius is –" Harry stopped dead.
"I think around row ninety six – that's where I heard it," said a familiar voice.
Loud footsteps could be heard drawing closer to the other end of their row. Lucius looked around at the other Death Eaters with a confused look about him. Then, he pulled off his mask, put it into his robe pocket and began to make his way up the row towards the voice.
"Yeah, bring them over. If there is anyone down here who shouldn't be, we should really have something to back us up," the voice said again.
Harry looked at Hermione – she had a perplexed looked about her, too, and so did all the other students.
"What's going on?" Ron asked quietly.
A deep, rattling breath could be heard somewhere in the large room. Then, Harry felt an intense cold fall over him. He couldn't move – he was drowning in the cold, and he couldn't see a thing. There was a rushing in his ears, and he was being dragged downwards as the roaring became louder. Then, he heard a woman's scream from far away, although it began to get louder. A white, swirling fog was filling him. The roaring grew louder and the coldness was drowning him. He wanted to black out, to die –
"Nooo!" screamed a voice from next to him. "Nooooo! He will rise again! He will forgive us!"
"Harry, Harry, wake up, quick!" said a quick, urgent voice.
Someone was shaking him, and he awoke, only to find that he was still in the Department of Mysteries. The rattling breath couldn't be heard anymore, although three Death Eaters, including Lucius, were trying to wake the woman named Bellatrix up. She was screaming, although her eyes were closed.
"Quick Harry! They're coming back!" Hermione said desperately.
Then, she looked at the boy for a second and ran away from the aisle. All the other students had gone, although the Death Eaters were still there, trying to wake the shrieking woman up. Then, she stopped moving about on the floor as if she was having a fit and opened her eyes. She was shaking slightly, and sweat shone on her forehead.
"It was them! They're coming to take me away!" she shrieked.
"What was it?" Came the deep voice of Avery Nott, ignoring the woman.
"Dementors," Lucius said impatiently, panting slightly. "There were about eight of them following Cornelius Fudge – you know, the Minister for Magic? He was conversing with a strange looking man who couldn't speak properly – clearly, he was an Auror."
They all looked at the man who had the Prophecy clutched in his hand.
"An Auror?" Harry asked, getting up off the floor.
"I'm not saying it twice, boy. Now, we have to get back to the Dark Lord and give him this," he replied, holding the prophecy up for the boy to see.
"No!" Harry gasped.
He lunged towards Lucius and grabbed the Prophecy, not wanting the Death Eaters to have it. He tried pulling it away, although the Death Eater put his entire grip onto it.
Then, the rattling breath they had heard a few minutes ago drew nearer again, and Bella's eyes widened.
"If they catch me, I'll go back to Azkaban!" she shrieked, running away from the aisle.
Lucius let go of the Prophecy and ran after her determinedly.
"Well, if Fudge knew I was a Death Eater, I'd get sent down, too!" he cried, joining the woman in her hiding place behind the row.
The other Death Eaters looked around, grunted, and vanished out of sight.
"There isn't enough room for you!" Harry heard Bella cry.
Lucius was pushed away and was in clear view of where the Dementors were heading.
"The Dark Lord would break you out of prison!" The man retaliated, now pushing the woman out of the way.
"No! You're wrong! He would –"
Harry, who had been listening to the argument, froze as he saw the hem of a Dementor's robe. Its drawing, rattling breath grew louder, and the creature stopped at the other end of row ninety-seven, sensing the boy in front of it. Then, it made its way down the aisle, and Harry drew out his wand, although the cold was once again filling him. The Prophecy in one hand and his wand in the other, the boy made his way down to where Lucius and Bella were bickering. When they saw Harry, they stopped arguing. Lucius poked his head round the metal he was leaning against, only to be mere feet away from the Dementor. He froze, gasping, and then quietly walked past Bella to make his way up row ninety-six.
"What is it?" Bella asked calmly.
She looked to her left and gasped loudly. Then, she followed Lucius. Harry followed her, and soon, they were quietly creeping up the other aisle, trying to get away from the Dementor.
The rattling breath seemed to get louder, and the cold began to fill Harry again. He looked behind him, only to see the creature gliding up the aisle towards them.
"LUCIUS!" Bella shrieked, now noticing what the boy was looking at. "RUN!"
"Wait! I've got your Prophecy!" Harry yelled.
Lucius turned around, grabbed Harry by the wrist and pulled him along. The three of them ran, not looking back, for they knew the Dementor was also following them.
Then, out of nowhere, came three more Dementors. Then, to the left of them, the other four appeared. They were closing in, their rattling breaths becoming more frequent.
"RUN!" Lucius cried, noticing Harry slowing down.
The man drew out his wand.
"Expecto Patronum!" he hissed, stopping for only a second before moving on, Harry at his side.
They ran into another room and Harry heard Bella's gasps for breath. She stopped, almost fainting, her face white. Then, she collapsed onto the floor.
"Come on, Bella! We have to go!" Lucius hissed.
"What – do – you - expect?" Bella panted. "I've – been – in - Azka-"
"RUN!" Malfoy shrieked, watching hopelessly as the eight Dementors bounded through the door.
Bella looked behind her, her eyes widening. She tried to get up but fell hopelessly to the ground again. Lucius ran over to Bellatrix, put his wand back into his pocket and grabbed her arm, pulling her upright. Then, him and Harry sprinted off towards the door in front of them and entered the moving circular room. The door closed sharply, although when the room stopped spinning, Bellatrix was pushed out of the room they had ran out of. She got up and walked over to Lucius as if she was drunk.
"Has Mr Fudge found a passage way out yet, or is he still stranded on the island?" she asked idly, waving her hands around in midair. Then, she looked at Harry. "Oh, hello Mrs Black. Both your sons tried to poison me this afternoon so I decided to make their hair pink...is that all right with you?"
"Well, Mr Malfoy, I think you've lost one of your master's most faithful Death Eaters..." Harry said quickly as the room began to spin.
Lucius looked at the woman with a hopeless expression.
"I don't mind feeling unwell, although it does annoy me when someone tries and eats my lunch." Bella said simply, looking at her nails and stumbling backwards. "That really gets up my –"
"Right, I think we should send you straight –" Lucius began, but was unable to finish his sentence as four Dementors glided through the door to his very left.
The room stopped spinning, and the eight Dementors who had chased them earlier also glided in. Lucius looked at them, in horror, as Bella began to laugh childishly.
"My, my, Narcissa - I don't remember you having big teeth like that," she giggled, looking up at one of the Dementors and falling onto the floor. Then, she put on a voice like a sulky child. "I've got a head-ache - go away."
"Bellatrix!" Lucius yelled from the centre of the room, running towards the woman as a Dementor began to lower its hood.
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her upright again, dodging many of the creatures that were trying to close in. The man opened up one of the doors and bounded through it, Bella running clumsily along side him. Harry followed them both. They had reached the corridor where the lifts were, torch lit and empty. Lucius and Bella ran ahead, and were soon out of sight. Harry heard a clattering in front of him; he sprinted up the passageway, swung around the corner and skidded right into Lucius Malfoy, who was just getting into the lift.
"THERE THEY ARE!" shrieked a man.
Harry looked behind him to find Cornelius Fudge with two Dementors. He looked thunderstruck and was pointing to the Death Eaters. Lucius grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him into the lift; as far as he was concerned, the boy had his master's Prophecy and needed to get out alive. The Dementor was mere feet away from them, and just as it was about to lower its hood, Harry hammered the button marked 'Atrium'. The doors slid shut. The last thing the three of them saw was Cornelius Fudge's hand reaching out towards them and the Dementor. The three of them began to rise in the lift.
"Oh - pretty buttons -" Bellatrix said softly, her hand reaching out to touch one of the lift buttons.
Lucius gripped her hand and pulled it away.
"What happened to you?" he asked her.
She looked at him and giggled, her hand now stretching out for his nose.
The lift stopped, and the two Death Eaters forced their way out of the lift before the doors were fully open. Harry followed, although he began to feel cold again. Bellatrix looked around.
"It's cold," she whispered. "What's happening? Who are you?"
Then, Harry noticed why it had suddenly become cold. About twenty-five Dementors had come from nowhere and had begun closing in on them. Cornelius Fudge appeared with Percy Weasley at his sides.
"THERE THEY ARE!" The Minister for Magic shrieked. "THERE'S THE ESCAPED CONVICT! SEIZE HER!"
Percy bounded forwards, his arms stretched out, although he landed on the floor. It wasn't long before he had gotten to his feet again. He opened his hand up wide and grabbed some of Bella's hair.
"You won't get away this time!" he cried.
"Get away!" Bella shrieked, grabbing her wand and feebly hitting the boy across the head with it, although it didn't do anything.
The Dementors were drawing closer. Harry felt dizzy again. Cold was filling him, and he couldn't see. He drew out his wand and tried to think of something happy.
"Expecto Patronum!" he cried.
"Help!" Bella shouted as she was dragged away by Percy, her wand rolling away from her.
"Bellatrix!" Lucius called.
Then, out of nowhere, a black boot flew towards Percy's skull. His eyes rolled up inside of his head.
"Why, thank you very much, folks," he managed to say before falling to the ground.
Bellatrix got up, now looking determined. She looked at Lucius, then at Mr Fudge.
"NO!" she shrieked.
The cry had made Harry come to his senses, and ignoring the dizziness he was feeling, sprinted towards one of the fireplaces. He grabbed some floo powder without really knowing what he was doing. Then, he stepped inside the fireplace and held the powder, which was clutched in his hand, above his hand.
"Twelve Grimmauld Place!" he cried, throwing the powder onto himself.
All that he remembered seeing was a Dementor drawing nearer as it lowered its hood; Bellatrix heading towards the next fireplace and Lucius Malfoy battling with Cornelius Fudge.
"What did he say?" Bella asked herself quickly, running over to the fireplace and getting some floo powder. She had now regained her conscious.
"Quick! Bellatrix! Get out!" Lucius shrieked, not looking at her because he was too preoccupied with the battle.
"Twelve – what was it? – Grimhead Place?" Bella said, stepping into the fireplace quickly.
She began to feel cold. Two Dementors were gliding towards her. She had to think, although her mind wasn't clear.
"I remember Mrs Black saying something about twelve. I remember!" She took the floo powder and clutched it in her fist. "Twelve Grimmauld Place – Crabbe!"
She had seen the other ten Death Eaters appear out of nowhere. They immediately drew out their wands and began fighting the Dementors. Also, before she was whirled away, she saw Lucius collapse onto the ground.
Bella closed her eyes as she was forced along the network. The woman felt sick; she hadn't gone by Floo powder for years. Then, it stopped.
She fell out of the fireplace and onto a stone floor, where she stayed.
"Help - " she muttered, not wanting to move.
She looked up onto the table, and through her unfocused eyes, could see the Prophecy. She reached out to get it, although it was too far away.
"No!" Came a familiar voice. "You aren't supposed to be here!"
Harry Potter had entered the kitchen, his forehead covered with sweat. He walked straight over to the woman and looked down at her.
"I'll get you, my pretty - and your little dog too!" the woman tried to say loudly, although it came out rather feebly because her cheek was pushed against the floor.
"I don't think you're in the right position to say that - what am I going to do with you?" Harry asked, looking from the woman to the Prophecy.
Then, someone appeared in the fireplace and stepped out. It was Lucius Malfoy.
"Ouch!" Bella said quietly as the man stood on her foot.
"I thought you were sane again," Lucius said, his voice slightly hoarse.
He had a few bruises over him and his hair was messed up, although he still sneered and his cold grey eyes fell over the objects in the room.
"Get me up Lucius -" Bella said slowly.
Malfoy grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, still taking in everything around him.
"Where am I?" he asked after a while of staring.
Harry sat down on one of the chairs and put his head into his hands.
"This can't be happening -" he said quietly.
Lucius walked out of the kitchen and into the hall.
"Hello?" he called.
Harry immediately sat up, and, ignoring the person who had just appeared in the fireplace, ran into the hall.
"You have to go, now!" he cried.
Then, a familiar voice made the boy shiver.
"Filth! Scum! Traitors of my blood! How dare you enter the house of –" Mrs Black shrieked.
"Mrs Black!" Bellatrix exclaimed, running into the hall and looking at the portrait. "It's lovely to see you again!"
The portrait remained silent and the woman inside it glared at the two Death Eaters.
"Bellatrix, dear! Lucius! It's absolutely amazing to see you! For once, we have some proper Death Eaters purifying the air!"
Then, three people with Death Eater masks walked into the hall. Four other Death Eaters followed them. Harry looked at them all in disbelief.
"No!" he cried. "This is too much! All of you out, now!"
The seven Death Eaters drew out their wands and pointed them directly at Harry's chest. Bellatrix and Lucius were having a heated discussion with Mrs Black.
"OK, maybe it's all right if you –" Harry looked somewhere above him. He had heard footsteps and a very familiar voice.
"No," the voice was saying as it grew closer to them, "I am not going to leave my godson in trouble. If the other Order of the Phoenix members can go, so can I."
Lucius spun round and faced Harry.
"Who's that?" he asked.
Bellatrix, however, suddenly looked as if she had eaten sour apple cream. She stared up the staircase. After a few seconds of glaring, she kicked the wall and began to make her way up the staircase.
"FOOLS! BLACK, I'M COMING TO KI –"
Harry ran over to her and pushed her into the closet under the stairs. She immediately fell silent, although it wasn't long before she began throwing insults at him. The other Death Eaters' eyes rested on Lucius.
"You have to go in, too!" Harry gasped, closing the closet door and sitting against it.
Lucius looked stunned.
"I think I'm the one who has the Dark Lord on my side, Potter," he said softly. "I believe it is me who tells you what to do – not the other way round."
"But you don't understand," Harry replied, thinking quickly. "It's - it's - Cornelius Fudge with the Dementors! All of them – and they all come straight from Azkaban!"
One of the Death Eaters behind the boy shuddered, pushed Harry out of the way and ran into the closet.
"Peter!" Came the deep voice of Goyle. "You can't go in there -"
"Of course I can!" Came the trembling voice of Peter Pettigrew.
Two of the Death Eaters pushed their way past Harry and also went into the closet. Then, the other Death Eaters followed suit.
"You can't do that! I'm leading this team, and I demand that you come straight out – all of you!" Lucius hissed venomously.
There was no response. Lucius sighed.
"Fine - but this is only to give you a lesson!" he cried.
Then, he opened the door up and went to join the other followers. Harry, hearing someone's heavy breathing, ran into the closet with them, where Bellatrix had given up screaming and was resting her head against the ceiling.
"I want to rescue my godson – what is so wrong with that, Snivellus? All the other Order of the Phoenix members have gone, so why can't I?" The voice of Sirius Black said.
"Because it's too dangerous, Black," Severus Snape said softly. "The Death Eaters – there would be many of them if the Dark Lord did what we think – will report you."
"I don't care! I'm going!"
Then, footsteps were heard going into the kitchen. Heavy breathing remained around the closet area.
"Don't blame me when you get caught, Black," Severus said to himself. "Let's see who was right then."
Someone coughed in the closet next to Snape.
"Who is that?" he muttered.
He walked over to the closet door, stretched out his hand and put it onto the doorknob. He was about to open the door when –
"Traitor!" Mrs Black screeched, as a diversion.
Snape looked at her promptly with a confused look. Then, sighing, he turned back to the closet and reached out his hand. He rested it on the doorknob, opened the door a bit and –
"NO!" Harry shrieked.
Snape opened the closet door wide and stared into it, not wanting to believe what he saw.
"Why, hello, Severus," Lucius said, trying to sound as if you opened a closet door and found ten Death Eaters in there every day, "What a surprise."
Snape slammed the door shut and stood against it, taking deep breaths. Then, he opened it again.
Still, Lucius Malfoy was sitting there, pressed up against the wall, while Avery Nott and Macnair were in deep discussion about the weather changes. Crabbe was arguing with Goyle, and Bellatrix was looking at her long black- painted nails.
"That's it!" Shrieked a woman who was next to her. "That's it!"
The woman pulled off her mask quickly and Bella gasped, not realising whom it was.
"That's it, sister! I ate, I mean I hate, black! Can't you get pink nail varnish instead?" Shrieked the voice of Narcissa Malfoy.
Lucius glared at her.
"I thought you said you weren't coming today, dear?" he asked the fuming woman.
"I wasn't, although I decided to join you because I heard they were selling cream teas in the café shop in London," the woman replied, sounding calm and motherly-like all of a sudden.
"Has anyone forgotten me?" Snape asked icily.
"Oh, Professor!" Harry said cheerfully, his voice slightly forced because Crabbe pushed him up against the wall.
"Mr Potter? What were you thinking?" Snape spat. "You're godfather has gone to the Department of Mysteries to look for you, and you bring the entire Death Eater squad here? In the Order of the Phoenix headquarters?"
"Oh! So that's what this is!" Lucius gasped, looking around. "What do you think of that, Bella?"
Bellatrix, who had been glaring angrily at her sister, looked at Lucius.
"You deal with it!" she shrieked.
"Mr Potter, I advise you go straight back to the Department of Mysteries and get your godfather. He has been wrongly lead there because of you," Snape spat, his head in the closet.
"Uh, that's going to be a bit difficult, Profess -" Harry replied slowly.
"Well, actually, that would be a good idea, Potter," Bella interrupted. "You see, my wand, thanks to you, is at the Ministry of Magic, and I can't go home until I get it back -"
"I'm not going to do it for you," Harry snapped.
Bella looked outraged.
"Mr Potter, what is the reason for you not being able to go back to the Ministry?" Snape asked coolly, flexing his fingers and smirking at the Death Eater next to him on his right – Avery Nott.
"Well, I –"
"Dear me, Potter, aren't you going to tell him?" Lucius said briskly. "Well, Severus, the place is absolutely swarming with Dementors. Cornelius Fudge was after us, you see, and he brought in the creatures from Azkaban."
Snape looked furious. His eyes flashed dangerously, and he drew out his wand.
"Either you go back to the Ministry, Potter, or I will take it into my own hands to expel you," he hissed.
Harry looked at the Death Eaters, who were watching him intently, and climbed over them to get out of the closet. Snape pulled him out by the collar, took another look at the Death Eaters, and slammed the door shut. Then, Snape practically dragged the boy back into the kitchen and threw him in the fireplace.
"Now," he said, handing him the pot of Floo powder, "go to the Ministry of Magic and get your godfather. I will deal with the Death Eaters."
"Yes, sir," Harry said, feeling worried. Then, he took some floo powder and clutched it in his hand. "The Ministry of Magic!"
Then, he was gone.
He whizzed past other fireplaces and closed his eyes, although he soon fell onto the ground.
The Atrium was now silent, and there was no trace that anything had happened there.
"Sirius?" Harry called as he got up. "SIRIUS, ARE YOU THERE?"
There was no answer. The boy-who-lived got off the floor and began to make his way towards the lift. He went inside, hit one of the buttons and began descending down.
"Sirius?" he was calling all the while, hoping that nothing bad had happened to it.
Then, another thought struck him. What had happened to the others?
"Sirius, please answer me," he called again as the lift stopped on one of the floors. He left the lift and began walking down the torch lit passageway quietly, making sure no Dementors were about. He turned a corner – still, no one was there. He eventually came to a door and recognized it immediately. Harry took a deep breath and opened the door, only to find himself in the room he had expected to be in.
There was no turning back now.
The room began to spin, as it had done earlier, and when it stopped, the boy chose to go through the door to his left. He opened it up, walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
Harry found himself to be in the area with the veil, although there was no one there. Like earlier, whispering could be heard coming from it, and the boy felt his curiosity getting the better of him, although he didn't dare spend a minute longer in there. He left the room swiftly and came back to the dark circular room again. It began to spin.
"SIRIUS!" Harry bellowed, hoping his godfather would hear him. "Sirius, please!"
The room stopped, and the boy went through the door directly in front of him. Again, he was in the room with the veil.
"Harry?" Said a familiar voice.
The boy spun around, only to come face to face with the rest of his group - Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville.
"Harry! There you are!" Hermione cried, tears pricking to her eyes. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Not now, everyone. I'm looking for Sirius," Harry said.
"But what happened? Did you get taken by the Death Eaters?" Luna asked curiously.
"Yeah, Harry, tell us all about it," Ron said definitely.
"I told you – I don't want you to be here at the moment. Unless -" Harry said, looking at the ceiling.
"Unless what?" Neville asked.
"Unless we spilt up. How many of us are here? Six – OK, we can go into separate rooms and look for Sirius," Harry replied anxiously.
"But what about the Death Eaters, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"You don't have to worry about them – just mind you don't find any Dementors. I've got the Death Eaters, uh, under control."
"You? I don't think so. Where are they, then?" Luna questioned.
"I – Look, we're wasting time! Sirius might be –" Then, a horrible thought struck Harry.
There were no Dementors – they all looked as if they had gone. Fudge wasn't around, neither was Percy, and Sirius wasn't in sight.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Sirius - what if he's been taken - back? I mean, back to - Azkaban?" The boy-who-lived replied worriedly.
Then, he ran out of the room and through another door. He ran down the corridor, turned a corner and came back to the lifts. He ran inside one and hammered on the button saying 'Atrium'. He had to go back to Grimmauld Place and tell Snape...
The lift rose into the air, and, after a while, stopped. Harry ran out and, as he was about to go to the fireplace, saw a glimmer in the corner. He walked over to it cautiously. He picked it up, but it was only a wand. Then, he remembered what Bellatrix had said earlier,
'You see, my wand, thanks to you, is at the Ministry of Magic, and I can't go home until I get it back -'
He glared at it. If he kept it, the woman wouldn't be able to get back, would she? It was a good idea. Harry pocketed it, forgetting why he was at the Ministry again. Then, it struck him. He walked over to one of the mantelpieces, took some floor powder from the gold pot and walked into the fireplace. Then, he clutched the powder in his hand.
"Twelve Grimmauld Place!" he shouted, throwing the powder.
Emerald Green flames erupted in the fireplace and the boy was sped away, closing his eyes tightly. Then, it stopped, and for once, he didn't fall onto the cold floor. He heard voices.
"Of course. I agree with Severus -" said a familiar voice.
The boy opened his eyes and grew slightly angry at what he saw.
Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and the rest of the Death Eaters who had come to Grimmauld Place were sitting around the table drinking wine. Severus was sneering, and Harry shot them an angry glare, making Lucius raise an eyebrow.
Snape turned around.
"Mr Potter - so glad you could, ah, join us. Now, enlighten me on the subject as to where that mutt of a godfather of yours is?" he asked coolly.
"I thought you said you would deal with them!" Harry cried angrily, glaring at the Death Eaters hopelessly.
"I am," Snape spat. "Although, I wasn't expecting the supercilious diminutive Gryffindor to come back so soon without his essence and protection - his godfather," he mockingly replied, sneering openly at the end.
"Have you got my wand, boy?" Bella asked, her glass of wine held in one hand delicately.
"No," Harry lied, walking out of the kitchen. "No, I couldn't find it. Why not go back there yourself?"
The woman opened her mouth to retaliate, but Snape shot her an icy glare and spoke to the boy-who-lived.
"Where is Black?" he asked icily.
"I couldn't find him," the boy replied quietly, his back turned to the Potions Professor.
"What did you say?"
"I COULDN'T FIND HIM!" Harry yelled, running away from the kitchen.
The Death Eaters fell silent and looked at Snape curiously, although he only responded by taking an impatient deep breath.
"He couldn't find him, indeed -" he muttered.
Then, a loud voice echoed throughout the house, making everyone jump.
"STUPID! ABSOLTUELY STUPID!" Someone yelled.
Snape sat up off his seat swiftly and turned away from the other Death Eaters, heading towards the hall. His cape billowed out from behind him as he made his way up the stairs. Crabbe, who was clutching his glass a little too tightly, grunted at the others and got off his seat. Goyle looked at him for a second and followed suit.
"Where are you going?" Lucius asked slowly.
"We're going to hunt some muggles. We're hungry," Crabbe replied, taking some floo powder and walking into the fireplace.
Then, Crabbe disappeared. Goyle, however, didn't go by Floo powder. With a loud 'pop!' He apparated.
"I hope," Bellatrix began, her voice slightly drowsy, "that he isn't actually going to eat the muggles." She began to giggle feverishly.
Lucius shot her a disgusted look.
"Sometimes, Bella, sometimes –"
"That's just, oh, horrible!" Narcissa screeched, spilling her wine. "Oh, Trixie, that's just so disgusting!"
"He said it!" Bella said quietly.
Then, Snape strode into the kitchen, with his face alit with malice.
"He says, would you believe, he says that Black could have been taken away by the Dementors," he said coolly, flexing his fingers. "Oh, I hope he has. I really hope he has: that way, I don't have to put up with the man's snivelling and inappropriate demeanour."
Bellatrix began giggling again.
"Well, serves him right," she sniggered. "It's his own fault for dancing on the table wearing a headscarf!"
The Death Eaters all shot confused looks her way.
"I think you better go," Snape spat at them. "The Dark Lord will wonder where you are else. And he'll wonder why she," he jabbed a finger in the direction of Bellatrix. "is like she is – he's bound to blame one of us for our ineptitude for the duration of the affair."
"Well, I suppose so. Go on then – Avery and Macnair, you can go by Floo powder. I want you to take the –" Lucius stopped dead as he looked at the table. "Where's the Prophecy?"
Snape looked at the table.
"The Prophecy?" Bella asked quietly. "I can make one of those. Lucius – you're going to fall off that chair any minute." Then, she got up, walked over to Lucius's chair and pushed it over. She began giggling. "I'm a prophetic woman! Get it? Pro – thetic?"
Malfoy managed to jump off the chair before it fell over, although he shot the woman a deathly glare. By this time, five Death Eaters had already apparated.
"I think it would be prudent if you kept her here, Lucius," Snape said softly as the other Death Eaters apparated, leaving the three of them alone. "You can't take her back to the Dark Lord like that – he'll have a fit."
Lucius looked at the woman hopelessly.
"What a big nose you have, Lucy," Bella giggled, pointing at the man. Then, she turned to Snape. "You have a funny name. Snake!"
Snape shot her an icy glare, although his mouth began to curl slightly. Lucius, however, stared at the woman as if he was in deep thought. Then, as if he had been having a battle with himself, he looked at Severus and sighed.
"Fine. Fine, Severus, I'll leave her here," he said quietly. "But first, I must enquire where the Prophecy is hidden."
Snape glared at him and sneered.
"I believe Potter had it last time I maxim, although he went back to the Department of Mysteries to give the impression of looking for his dear godfather," he replied.
Lucius sighed and looked around. Then, with a loud 'pop!' he disapparated, leaving Severus with the woman who was now resting her head on the table. She seemed to be singing something quietly.
"The muggles on the bus go scream, scream, scream, scream scream scream, scream scream scream. The muggles on the bus go scream, scream, scream, all day long. The Death Eaters on the bus go die, die, die –"
"Mrs Lestrange?" Snape asked coldly, drawing closer to her.
She lifted her head off the table and looked at the man, smiling an inane grin. Her hair hung loosely over her face.
"Why, it's Snake!" she exclaimed, giggling and holding the glass of wine to her mouth. "Would you like to sing with me?"
"I think I will bypass that offer, thank you very much. How many glasses of wine have you had?"
Bella put the glass down on the table heavily.
"I think'd I had eight today," she slurred and then giggled childishly. "I mean, three bottles of wine."
Snape looked away slowly.
"Well!" Bella began, sitting up off the seat and stumbling. "I don't think it's any use being here – would you like to join me?"
"Join you where?"
"Azkaban, silly," the woman replied with her tongue between her teeth, smiling and taking Snape's wrist with her left hand.
She walked along the hall with him and suddenly stopped.
"Actually," she began, "I think it would be more, uh, clever if we go to the Department of Mysteries. There's a nice veil thing down there which I'm sure you haven't seen, and you'll love it, Mr."
She ran back into the kitchen, Snape at her side, and threw him in the fireplace. Bella took some floo powder and threw it at the man.
"Ministry of Magic!" she cried.
Snape opened his mouth, but he soon disappeared with the emerald flames. Bellatrix apparated to the Department of Mysteries, taking in a deep breath. With a loud 'pop!' she vanished and ended up in the circular room that spins.
"I'm here again," she giggled. "Lucy, wher're 'oo?"
The room began to spin, and the woman was knocked forwards because she hadn't been expecting it. Then, it stopped spinning, and Bella, who was now feeling extremely queasy, walked to her right and through a door.
"Hello?" she called.
She was now alone in the room with the veil. Then, looking down on the floor below, she saw someone knocked out. The woman went down the stair- type things and went to investigate.
It was a man. His hair fell untidily around his young face, and his eyes were open and alert, although he was still breathing. Bellatrix recognized him immediately.
"'aster?" she asked softly, tears prickling to her eyes.
She bent down and clasped his wrist, the tears falling from her cheeks and onto his shabby grey robes. His wand lay a few feet from him, covered with blood. The woman looked closer at the man.
"Yo' eyes have changed colour, master," she whispered to him.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Bellowed a familiar voice.
Bellatrix, whose eyes were unfocused, looked to the door, where three people had just entered. The woman had her hand clutched to the man's wrist and laughed slightly.
"LESTRANGE? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY FRIEND?" shouted the voice again.
Bella looked closer to the man and noticed that it was not her master - end of story. He had brown hair with grey strands and very shabby robes. His eyes were nowhere near red.
Someone grabbed the woman's shoulders and pulled her away. She looked up at them and from what she could see out of her unfocused eyes, it was Harry Potter. Nymphadora Tonks and Ron Weasley were standing behind him.
"Harry – it's her!" Ron said nervously.
"Lupin? Are you all right? What happened?" Harry asked frantically.
Bella laughed. Lupin tried to say something, although he could not. His eyes moved around in their sockets and fell into the back of his head before he passed out – uttering the words 'gotta get 'im, gotta get 'im out of my head...'
-----------
"Master, she's not around," Lucius said quietly in Voldemort's chambers.
The man in front of him was lying on his king size four poster bed, the black satin sheets ruffled slightly beneath him – Lord Voldemort was casually leaning on one arm as he was reading a book in his long, blood red satin gown.
He looked up and lifted an eyebrow at his follower before coughing slightly into the back of his slender hand and turning a page of his old book.
Lucius took this as a sign to continue.
"She was with me - but we got delayed, sir."
Still the slender eyebrow rose, but now the owner had a small curve to his already thin lips.
"How would a fully trained Death Eater go about getting - delayed, Lucius?" he hissed softly, still keeping his eyes engrossed on the book laid out before him.
Lucius gulped.
"Severus Snape, master," he muttered, which made the Dark Lord look up and frown slightly.
"Severus? What the devil has he done now to destroy your cool demeanour, my slippery friend?"
"He got us drunk, master!" Malfoy exclaimed, throwing himself sulkily down on the velvet-covered chair at the foot of Voldemort's bed.
"We?" The man asked softly, checking the page again.
"Yes - the other Death Eaters and I- "
"'Other Death Eaters', Lucius?" Voldemort retaliated.
Lucius looked guiltily down at his well-tailored boots and sighed softly, blowing some of the silky strands of his hair out of his face.
"The others have gone muggle hunting, sir -"
"And I suppose, while you were being 'delayed', you didn't have time to get my Prophecy, Lucius?"
Malfoy looked up at his Master and stared at him for a couple of seconds before answering coolly,
"We had it, Sir, but –"
"Ah," Voldemort began, looking up at the Death Eater with his scarlet eyes, "'but' is forever a word for the weak-minded – and merely the weak-minded." He looked down and frowned slightly at the over eccentric death eater in front of him, then turned the page of his book and continued to read in silence.
Lucius sighed again and brushed some of the silver hair away from his cheek.
"Drunk, indeed," Voldemort muttered, but loud enough for his Death Eater to look up.
"Master, I am sorry. I did not anticipate for this to occur. We were supposed to get the Prophecy and abscond, bu-, I mean, however, the Minister for Magic arrived with his Dementors."
"Frightened of a few Dementors from Azkaban, Lucius?" The Dark Lord asked sardonically, his eyes still fixed on the book.
"Master! I was not, under any circumstances, afraid of –"
Voldemort looked up.
"You were just afraid of losing your reputation with Cornelius Fudge. I comprehend, even though I thought I found you to be trustworthy," He hissed, his eyes going back to the page.
Lucius put his head into his hands and sighed deeply.
This was going to be one long conversation.
--------------
Severus Snape sighed loudly into the invisible shroud around him as he stared into his old fireplace. Of course, it had been a rather big turn of events during the day, and all Severus had wanted to do when he had reached his chambers was to curl up by the fireplace with a good book (One of the Bronte's, he had mused) – but no, we are talking about the spy for the light-turned spy for Voldemort- turned ex-death eater One, like Severus for example, did not simply choose what he wanted to do...and that was why he was still awake and staring into the glowing embers that were dancing around in the fireplace in front of him, the only light source in the dark room.
He took a sip from the glass in his left hand, where some dark thick liquid was starting to stain his glass.
Upon arriving at his family's threshold, he had received a call from the Dark Lord...who (after Severus had gone back to him) had told him to wait for him to arrive at 'Snape Manor' – hence, Severus now waiting in the dark and drinking his most prized drink (brewed from the breath which emitted for a dying Jobberknoll), while pondering over the day's unusual, to say the least, events.
A loud knock, coming from outside of his door, made him look up in slight, unguarded surprise and clear his still dry throat.
"Enter," he replied, his mouth dry and not really responding to his brain's demands. That was one problem with this drink; it didn't quench your thirst but instead cleared your mind.
A house elf appeared, dressed in a filthy teacloth and an odd pair of stripy socks. It bowed deeply to its master, which caused Severus to lift an eyebrow.
"What is it, Blinky?" he asked softly, taking a sip of the concoction in his hand and feeling the warm, sharp sting wriggle down his neck and through his body.
"Blinky wants to say that Blinky has a message for her master, sir. Blinky wants to tell her master, sir."
Severus nodded.
"Which is?" he asked gently. His house elf was the only one he let his feelings show through for.
"Blinky says that there is a visitor for her master, sir. He-"
"Bring him in, Blinky," Severus interrupted hurriedly, placing the glass on the round table to his side and coughing in his hand quietly.
Blinky nodded and went through the door she had just come through – and when Severus looked back up he came face to face with his grandfather, Julian Snape.
"Blinky brought master his guest, sir," and then Blinky nodded, turned and then left.
"You know you shouldn't drink that stuff, Severus," Julian murmured, waving at the dark glass in front of him - that caused Severus to scowl.
"You bring a message, Grandfather?" he asked delicately, trying to ignore his grandfather's more -unusual tastes showing through.
Julian Snape chuckled softly, walking over to the Georgian painting behind his Grandson's chair and staring into it.
"Yes. one about your friend. Black."
This made Severus grunt.
He turned his chair around to face his Grandfather, which blocked out most of the light in the younger man's study.
"He is no more of a friend to me than Dumbledore, sir," he replied softly, closing his eyes slightly and leaning back in the leather chair as the alcohol decided to start working.
"As you wish, my boy. But, I am afraid something rather, ah yes, tragic, has come to light in the last few hours -" Julian finished, still engrossed in the painting of the graveyard.
Severus raised an eyebrow, yet another time.
"You see – he was - in a most unfortunate series of events at the time."
-------------
Sirius Black clasped the arms of his chair that he was bounded to and sighed deeply.
He was in the Cornelius Fudge's office at the Ministry of Magic, and him and Mr Fudge were waiting for the Dementors to arrive. Sirius sighed again and tried to rock in his chair.
"Caught you at last. Wait until the newspapers hear about this!" Cornelius chuckled, taking a sip of the vodka he was drinking out of a clear glass. He took a look at the man. "You're done for."
Black tried to avert his gaze away from the already drunken man. A dread was filling him, and it was mixed with anger and hate. He would have tried to strangle the Minister if his wrists weren't chained to the chair.
"Enjoyed your time on the run, then?" the Minister asked cruelly, his eyes full of victory.
"The only thing I enjoyed was getting away from you," Sirius sneered through clenched teeth, his mind racing with perverse thoughts.
"What about your team you were leading? We will catch them soon enough, too."
"Team?" Sirius asked, now looking at the man angrily. "What team?"
Cornelius sneered at him.
"Don't play games with me. You know very well who I'm talking about," he replied.
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do," the Minister hissed, setting the glass heavily down on the table. "You know, your family?"
"My family?"
"Your family. Your cousin –"
"I don't have anything to do with her!" Sirius cried, almost sitting up. He fell back onto the seat again heavily.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying. Listen, you have to let me go. I have a godson, and he needs me –"
Cornelius let out a cruel laugh.
"Let you go?" he smiled. "After two years of searching – let you go?"
Then, a brown eagle owl flew in through the open window. It carried a large parcel, and Cornelius's eyes lit up as he grabbed the package. Opening it up, his smile began to fade.
"What do they mean?" he muttered.
Sirius tried to lean forwards and read the letter attached to the parcel.
"WHAT DO THEY MEAN THEY CAN'T SEND THE DEMENTORS?" Fudge bellowed suddenly, flinging himself up off the chair.
He gave one more glance at Sirius.
"If you dare try and escape, I will kill you myself," he hissed.
Then, he quickly walked over to the door, opened it and walked swiftly out of the room.
"Terrific!" Black muttered under his breath.
He sat in complete silence, watching the sun set below the horizon through the window. Was he going to die, on this quiet night?
It felt like hours that he sat there for, chained to the chair so he couldn't move an inch. Darkness had now fallen over them all; the stars outside glittered in the sky like thousands of lights, and the light from the three-quarter-moon shone into the office, making the only light source. Then, someone bounded in, although it was rather clumsy how he or she did it.
"When you 'ave your foot on your 'ead, it does 'urt –" A familiar voice slurred as the shadow of someone drew nearer.
Sirius looked to his left and gasped quietly - almost amusedly.
Bellatrix Lestrange had just entered the room, her arms swinging from side to side. She looked at the man in front of her and smiled a very childish grin. Then, her eyes went up inside her head and she fell to the ground.
Black sighed; his only hope of getting away and it had to be her. He sat in his chair once more, gazing out of the window and hoping that someone was going to come and rescue him before it was too late. Fudge had been gone too long, so it wouldn't be a while now before he did arrive with the Dementors. The night sky seemed to become even darker. It was no longer an inky blue; it was now a dark black, and the moon stood out from the darkness like a black dot on white paper.
As he was sitting there thinking, he felt a warm breath on his shoulder. Then, an indistinct voice drew into his ear.
"Incy, wincy spider crawled up the water spout –"
Sirius looked to where the voice was coming from and gasped quietly again. He was two inches away from his cousin's nose. She was sitting on the floor, her eyes bright and sparkly, although they looked distant. Then, the woman began to giggle childishly. She clapped the man hard on the shoulder.
"What happened to you?" Sirius asked quietly, a very confused look on his face.
Bella grinned and rested her head against his arm.
"I don't feel well," she said sulkily, the grin vanishing. "I want to go home."
Then, she closed her eyes and her head fell onto Sirius's lap. She began to snore loudly as if she didn't have a care in the world.
"Great - just terrific!" Black exclaimed sarcastically, trying to push her off, although his hands were locked to the chair. "Wait until Voldemort finds out!"
"No – Mr Sandman, don't eat me yet!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, although her eyes were still closed. "I still have to help my master!"
"Oh, wait until your master finds out that your swindling him!" Sirius said sarcastically to his cousin. "Really – the Sandman and Voldemort! You really do deserve to be in Azkaban!"
Sirius looked at the door desperately. He had to get away before Fudge came back. Maybe if he transformed into his Animagus form he could get away? But surely his hands (or paws) would still be chained to the chair's arms?
"Aunt – your son turned me into a frog," Bella muttered in her sleep. "No dear, aunt replied, that's just how you look. I hate you Aunt."
Sirius, who was beginning to feel highly anxious, almost laughed at his cousin's words. This was an escaped convict who had been in Azkaban after torturing Aurors – there she was now talking in her sleep and saying that she had been turned into a frog.
Footsteps could be heard walking down the passageway outside the office. Sirius closed his eyes tightly, preparing himself. It had to be Cornelius Fudge, didn't it?
Someone came into the room and the footsteps stopped abruptly.
"Black?" A familiar voice sneered. "Ah, I see you're a little - tied up."
Sirius opened his eyes and stared, in disbelief, at the man in front of him. It wasn't Cornelius Fudge – it was Severus Snape. Appreciation filled the escaped convict, although it soon turned to hate and anger. Seeing the Potions master ordinarily was enough to deal with, but when Bellatrix was snoring on his lap, that was unbearable. Snape's mouth curled into a sneer.
"So, thought it would be prudent to get some information straight from the Death Eaters, did you?" he smirked.
Sirius looked down at his cousin's head and then back at Snape.
"She – she's drunk, Snivellus," he replied.
"That's what they all say."
"Snape – you have to help me. If Fudge comes back, he'll have the Dementors with him, and I can't go back to Azkaban – Harry needs me."
Snape looked thoughtful for a minute, although the sneer spread across his face again.
"What if I don't get you out, Black?" he hissed while drawing closer. "Are you going to tell the Order on me and go running back to your hideout?"
"DIE!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, making Snape back away. "Wai' – I didn' mean to kill you master. I thought you'er graff"
"See what I mean, Snape? I can't stand it. I couldn't do anything when she stumbled in as drunk as a skunk," Sirius replied quickly. He took another look at the woman. "Looks like she still is drunk..."
"She said she had three bottles of wine today. I expect she'll be feeling unsettled," Snape sneered, walking over to the window and looking out of it. "I –"
Then, Snape froze at the window.
"What is it, Snape?" Sirius asked, now feeling slightly worried.
"You –" Severus spun round to face the man before him, scowling darkly and folding his arms. "You weren't trying to be funny when you said Fudge was coming with the Dementors, were you?"
Sirius tried to gulp the lump away that had formed in his throat. He couldn't speak.
"By the looks of things, he's brought the whole of Azkaban with him – minus the convicts," Severus continued, adding the last bit with an evil smirk.
Bellatrix turned her head over; her eyes now open, and looked up at Sirius. She looked saner than she did before.
"A-Azkaban?" she whispered.
She sat up, stumbled groggily and slowly over to Fudge's desk and clasped the glass of vodka he was drinking earlier. Then, with shaky hands, she held it up to her mouth and began to drink. Sirius watched, the dread building up inside of him steadily. Then, he felt two cold hands brush against his own. The locks on his chair opened with a loud 'click'. The man looked up to find Severus Snape looking down at him, although he soon turned away swiftly and left the room without saying anything else.
"Thanks," Sirius muttered, sitting up off the chair swiftly and heading towards the door.
Then, sighed and spun round quickly.
Bellatrix was sitting in Fudge's chair. She was twirling her hair around her fingers and smiling childishly, although when she saw Sirius, the grin faded. She stared at the man in disbelief as though he was the last person in the world and was about to desert her.
"What?" Black snapped, drawing closer to the door. As far as he was concerned, Fudge was going to be here with the Dementors any second.
Still, Bella watched him, half-understanding that he was leaving, but the other half not knowing whom he was or why she was there. She took another gulp out of the glass of vodka, still staring as though in disbelief.
"You'regoingtoleaveme?" she slurred, gripping the arms of the chair for support.
Black, as much as he hated everything about the Death Eaters and his family, half wanted to help her escape. She wasn't sane at the moment, and she, too, was an escaped convict who would have the Dementors kiss if caught. The man half-wanted her to go back into Azkaban, although she looked so helpless, and she couldn't even put up a fight if Fudge came back. Besides, what would Voldemort say if he knew? It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't drunk – at least she would know about it.
Sighing, Sirius walked as fast as he could to where his cousin was sitting, pulled her off the chair, grabbed her wrist and led her quickly out of the room. She stumbled alongside him, although Sirius wouldn't slow his pace down. There was no time to lose - Fudge could be here any minute.
They walked down the long, torch lit corridor, Bellatrix stumbling along and Sirius walking swiftly. Behind him, Black could hear loud footsteps and talking. He quickened his pace. They turned a corner and the lifts came into view. The man threw his cousin into the second lift first and then went into it himself, making sure he was quick as he could be. He hit the button saying 'Atrium', and the lift began to drop slowly.
Bella giggled childishly and held her hand out, her fingers reaching for Sirius's hair. He gave her a deadly glare and her smile faded. She turned around to face the doors and didn't say anything else.
"Come on!" Black muttered, pressing the button again.
The lift came to a stop and the doors opened, allowing Sirius to step into the Atrium. He grabbed his cousin's wrist again and pulled her out.
"Right, can you hear me?" Sirius asked the woman slowly, noticing the fireplaces spread out across the room and looking at the woman.
Bella drew her face closer to his, squinted horribly and nodded.
"I want you to go into the fireplace, get some of that powder, throw it into the grate and say, clearly, 'Malfoy Manor', OK?" Black explained slowly. Then, he turned around and walked into the fireplace closest to him, picked out some floo powder and cried, "Twelve Grimmuald Place!"
Then, he disappeared in a fire of emerald green flames, his unkempt cloak billowing out from behind him.
Bellatrix walked over to where the man had disappeared and looked into the fireplace with a confused look on her face. Carefully, she took some floo powder, walked into the grate and said, quite clearly, "Twelve Grimmuald Place."
She also disappeared in a whirl of emerald green flames just as the lift doors opened and Cornelius Fudge stepped out, furious and ready to take drastic action.
-------------
Sirius Black stepped out of the grate and dusted himself off, a slight grin playing across his mouth. He had escaped, yet again. Just as he was about to go over to the stove and boil the kettle, green flames appeared in the fireplace and someone stumbled out. They were smiling ridiculously.
"Got milk?" Bellatrix asked stupidly, spotting Sirius at the stove, frozen with dread.
After a couple of seconds, Black suddenly walked swiftly towards the door, took hold of a very old broom and brushed it in Bella's direction, making her jump back.
"Get out of my house!" Sirius cried, leading her out of the kitchen and into the hall.
"Sirius, what are you doing?" Said a very familiar voice.
Molly Weasley had appeared, and she looked dumbstruck at seeing the Death Eater in the house. Sirius stopped trying to brush his cousin away and took to leaning on the broom.
"Molly. Good to see you," he said frantically, shooting his cousin a warning look as she made her way upstairs.
"What – Right, let's get straight to the point. What's she doing here?"
"Who? Oh, you mean –" Sirius looked up the staircase – "her."
"Yes, the escaped convict from Azkaban who was convicted of torturing two helpless Aurors into insanity." Mrs Weasley said sarcastically. "Yes, I mean her."
Sirius grinned.
"That's no way to talk about me, Molly," he joked.
Mrs Weasley shot him an angry glare.
"I mean – it's a long story," Black said quickly. Then, as though he had thought of something his life depended on, he turned back to Molly. "Where's Harry?"
The mother gave him an angry glare.
"Where do you think he is?" she asked, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He went to look for you, and I am completely outrageous that you left him!"
"Me – leave him? No, Molly, I went to look for him, although Fudge captured me! Don't you dare blame me for what happened – I was looking for him!"
"We all believe that, don't we? And I suppose you just decided to bring the Death Eater into the Order of the Phoenix headquarters out of pure spite?"
"I didn't have a choice in the matter, Molly!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arms around in midair.
Molly looked furious. Her eyes were full of malice.
"Clearly, you're not fit to be a godfather," she replied simply. "I would never leave any of my children in situations that they can't escape from."
Sirius looked at the woman in disbelief. It was the worst thing to say to someone. He couldn't reply; he had nothing to say to her. How could she say something like that?
Without saying another word, Black turned around and made his way up the stairs, ignoring Molly Weasley's penetrating glare. Unknown to him or Molly, Mrs Black had been watching them for the entire conversation, although she was too caught up in it to say anything. She watched the 'blood-traitor' for a few minutes.
"Filth! Rotten half-breeds! Traitors of my blood!" she shrieked, although Sirius didn't even look back. He continued to walk up the stairs as if he was deaf.
Black came to his own room eventually and opened the door, feeling highly miserable. Was Harry in trouble? Where was he now? Mrs Black's shrieks still echoed through the house, although it didn't mean anything to Padfoot now – not at the moment, anyway. Sirius sat down on his wicker chair in front of his cluttered desk, sighed deeply and put his head in his hands. What if Molly was telling the truth and Harry really was in trouble?
As he was lost deep in thought, someone staggered into the room.
"Sirius?" A familiar voice asked.
Black spun around. Remus Lupin was standing in the doorframe, his face looking weak and tired. Sirius sighed. Then, he began talking frantically.
"Remus – have you see Harry? Where is he? Is he all right?"
Lupin walked closer to the man and looked at him, a slight frown lining his forehead.
"Sirius, he's in the Department of Mysteries looking for you," he replied quietly.
Black's worst fears had been confirmed. He sunk back in his chair, while dread filled him once again.
"Is he all right?"
"I –" Lupin looked down at him, frowning, "I don't know."
They sat I silence for a few minutes, Lupin frowning down at Black, and Sirius lost deep in thought while staring into thin air. Then, as though an electric shook had passed through him, the man leapt off his seat and walked swiftly out of the room without saying anything else. Lupin followed him swiftly down the staircase, down the main corridor and back into the kitchen. Sirius walked over to the fireplace and took some Floo powder from the mantelpiece. A familiar voice came into the kitchen; making the two men spin round.
"Sirius?"
Black stared at him.
It was Harry Potter.
--------------------
The End.
--------------------
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! That's it – I am not going to continue with this story.
Summary: This is my alternative to the OOTP. It isn't as good as the original, of course, and as you may know, there are major Order of the Phoenix spoilers in this story. I was just very bored when I wrote this.
Warnings/Notes: Major OOTP spoilers. Also contains an intoxicated Bellatrix Lestrange, a mad Lucius Malfoy and some other Death Eaters. Most of the characters are OOC, too.
Parings: None.
----------------
The story so far...
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny and Neville are all searching for Sirius Black in the Department of Mysteries. Harry's just found the Prophecy with his and Lord Voldemort's names engraved on it. Then, a familiar voice made them all spin round.
--------
"Very good, Potter, now turn around, nice and slowly, and give me the Prophecy," came the voice of Lucius Malfoy.
Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their heart; Ginny gave a gasp of horror.
"To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up.
Harry's insides plummeted sickeningly. They were trapped, and out numbered two to one.
"To me," said Malfoy yet again.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.
Several of the Death Eaters laughed; a harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"
"Always," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I want to know where Sirius is!"
"I want to know where Sirius is!" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Harry's eyes.
"You've got him," said Harry, ignoring the rising panic in his chest, the dread he had been fighting since they first entered the ninety-seventh row. "He's here. I know he is."
"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock baby voice. Harry felt Ron stir behind him.
"Don't do anything," Harry muttered. "Not yet –"
The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter.
"You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"
"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the Prophecy Potter."
"I know Sirius is –" Harry stopped dead.
"I think around row ninety six – that's where I heard it," said a familiar voice.
Loud footsteps could be heard drawing closer to the other end of their row. Lucius looked around at the other Death Eaters with a confused look about him. Then, he pulled off his mask, put it into his robe pocket and began to make his way up the row towards the voice.
"Yeah, bring them over. If there is anyone down here who shouldn't be, we should really have something to back us up," the voice said again.
Harry looked at Hermione – she had a perplexed looked about her, too, and so did all the other students.
"What's going on?" Ron asked quietly.
A deep, rattling breath could be heard somewhere in the large room. Then, Harry felt an intense cold fall over him. He couldn't move – he was drowning in the cold, and he couldn't see a thing. There was a rushing in his ears, and he was being dragged downwards as the roaring became louder. Then, he heard a woman's scream from far away, although it began to get louder. A white, swirling fog was filling him. The roaring grew louder and the coldness was drowning him. He wanted to black out, to die –
"Nooo!" screamed a voice from next to him. "Nooooo! He will rise again! He will forgive us!"
"Harry, Harry, wake up, quick!" said a quick, urgent voice.
Someone was shaking him, and he awoke, only to find that he was still in the Department of Mysteries. The rattling breath couldn't be heard anymore, although three Death Eaters, including Lucius, were trying to wake the woman named Bellatrix up. She was screaming, although her eyes were closed.
"Quick Harry! They're coming back!" Hermione said desperately.
Then, she looked at the boy for a second and ran away from the aisle. All the other students had gone, although the Death Eaters were still there, trying to wake the shrieking woman up. Then, she stopped moving about on the floor as if she was having a fit and opened her eyes. She was shaking slightly, and sweat shone on her forehead.
"It was them! They're coming to take me away!" she shrieked.
"What was it?" Came the deep voice of Avery Nott, ignoring the woman.
"Dementors," Lucius said impatiently, panting slightly. "There were about eight of them following Cornelius Fudge – you know, the Minister for Magic? He was conversing with a strange looking man who couldn't speak properly – clearly, he was an Auror."
They all looked at the man who had the Prophecy clutched in his hand.
"An Auror?" Harry asked, getting up off the floor.
"I'm not saying it twice, boy. Now, we have to get back to the Dark Lord and give him this," he replied, holding the prophecy up for the boy to see.
"No!" Harry gasped.
He lunged towards Lucius and grabbed the Prophecy, not wanting the Death Eaters to have it. He tried pulling it away, although the Death Eater put his entire grip onto it.
Then, the rattling breath they had heard a few minutes ago drew nearer again, and Bella's eyes widened.
"If they catch me, I'll go back to Azkaban!" she shrieked, running away from the aisle.
Lucius let go of the Prophecy and ran after her determinedly.
"Well, if Fudge knew I was a Death Eater, I'd get sent down, too!" he cried, joining the woman in her hiding place behind the row.
The other Death Eaters looked around, grunted, and vanished out of sight.
"There isn't enough room for you!" Harry heard Bella cry.
Lucius was pushed away and was in clear view of where the Dementors were heading.
"The Dark Lord would break you out of prison!" The man retaliated, now pushing the woman out of the way.
"No! You're wrong! He would –"
Harry, who had been listening to the argument, froze as he saw the hem of a Dementor's robe. Its drawing, rattling breath grew louder, and the creature stopped at the other end of row ninety-seven, sensing the boy in front of it. Then, it made its way down the aisle, and Harry drew out his wand, although the cold was once again filling him. The Prophecy in one hand and his wand in the other, the boy made his way down to where Lucius and Bella were bickering. When they saw Harry, they stopped arguing. Lucius poked his head round the metal he was leaning against, only to be mere feet away from the Dementor. He froze, gasping, and then quietly walked past Bella to make his way up row ninety-six.
"What is it?" Bella asked calmly.
She looked to her left and gasped loudly. Then, she followed Lucius. Harry followed her, and soon, they were quietly creeping up the other aisle, trying to get away from the Dementor.
The rattling breath seemed to get louder, and the cold began to fill Harry again. He looked behind him, only to see the creature gliding up the aisle towards them.
"LUCIUS!" Bella shrieked, now noticing what the boy was looking at. "RUN!"
"Wait! I've got your Prophecy!" Harry yelled.
Lucius turned around, grabbed Harry by the wrist and pulled him along. The three of them ran, not looking back, for they knew the Dementor was also following them.
Then, out of nowhere, came three more Dementors. Then, to the left of them, the other four appeared. They were closing in, their rattling breaths becoming more frequent.
"RUN!" Lucius cried, noticing Harry slowing down.
The man drew out his wand.
"Expecto Patronum!" he hissed, stopping for only a second before moving on, Harry at his side.
They ran into another room and Harry heard Bella's gasps for breath. She stopped, almost fainting, her face white. Then, she collapsed onto the floor.
"Come on, Bella! We have to go!" Lucius hissed.
"What – do – you - expect?" Bella panted. "I've – been – in - Azka-"
"RUN!" Malfoy shrieked, watching hopelessly as the eight Dementors bounded through the door.
Bella looked behind her, her eyes widening. She tried to get up but fell hopelessly to the ground again. Lucius ran over to Bellatrix, put his wand back into his pocket and grabbed her arm, pulling her upright. Then, him and Harry sprinted off towards the door in front of them and entered the moving circular room. The door closed sharply, although when the room stopped spinning, Bellatrix was pushed out of the room they had ran out of. She got up and walked over to Lucius as if she was drunk.
"Has Mr Fudge found a passage way out yet, or is he still stranded on the island?" she asked idly, waving her hands around in midair. Then, she looked at Harry. "Oh, hello Mrs Black. Both your sons tried to poison me this afternoon so I decided to make their hair pink...is that all right with you?"
"Well, Mr Malfoy, I think you've lost one of your master's most faithful Death Eaters..." Harry said quickly as the room began to spin.
Lucius looked at the woman with a hopeless expression.
"I don't mind feeling unwell, although it does annoy me when someone tries and eats my lunch." Bella said simply, looking at her nails and stumbling backwards. "That really gets up my –"
"Right, I think we should send you straight –" Lucius began, but was unable to finish his sentence as four Dementors glided through the door to his very left.
The room stopped spinning, and the eight Dementors who had chased them earlier also glided in. Lucius looked at them, in horror, as Bella began to laugh childishly.
"My, my, Narcissa - I don't remember you having big teeth like that," she giggled, looking up at one of the Dementors and falling onto the floor. Then, she put on a voice like a sulky child. "I've got a head-ache - go away."
"Bellatrix!" Lucius yelled from the centre of the room, running towards the woman as a Dementor began to lower its hood.
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her upright again, dodging many of the creatures that were trying to close in. The man opened up one of the doors and bounded through it, Bella running clumsily along side him. Harry followed them both. They had reached the corridor where the lifts were, torch lit and empty. Lucius and Bella ran ahead, and were soon out of sight. Harry heard a clattering in front of him; he sprinted up the passageway, swung around the corner and skidded right into Lucius Malfoy, who was just getting into the lift.
"THERE THEY ARE!" shrieked a man.
Harry looked behind him to find Cornelius Fudge with two Dementors. He looked thunderstruck and was pointing to the Death Eaters. Lucius grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him into the lift; as far as he was concerned, the boy had his master's Prophecy and needed to get out alive. The Dementor was mere feet away from them, and just as it was about to lower its hood, Harry hammered the button marked 'Atrium'. The doors slid shut. The last thing the three of them saw was Cornelius Fudge's hand reaching out towards them and the Dementor. The three of them began to rise in the lift.
"Oh - pretty buttons -" Bellatrix said softly, her hand reaching out to touch one of the lift buttons.
Lucius gripped her hand and pulled it away.
"What happened to you?" he asked her.
She looked at him and giggled, her hand now stretching out for his nose.
The lift stopped, and the two Death Eaters forced their way out of the lift before the doors were fully open. Harry followed, although he began to feel cold again. Bellatrix looked around.
"It's cold," she whispered. "What's happening? Who are you?"
Then, Harry noticed why it had suddenly become cold. About twenty-five Dementors had come from nowhere and had begun closing in on them. Cornelius Fudge appeared with Percy Weasley at his sides.
"THERE THEY ARE!" The Minister for Magic shrieked. "THERE'S THE ESCAPED CONVICT! SEIZE HER!"
Percy bounded forwards, his arms stretched out, although he landed on the floor. It wasn't long before he had gotten to his feet again. He opened his hand up wide and grabbed some of Bella's hair.
"You won't get away this time!" he cried.
"Get away!" Bella shrieked, grabbing her wand and feebly hitting the boy across the head with it, although it didn't do anything.
The Dementors were drawing closer. Harry felt dizzy again. Cold was filling him, and he couldn't see. He drew out his wand and tried to think of something happy.
"Expecto Patronum!" he cried.
"Help!" Bella shouted as she was dragged away by Percy, her wand rolling away from her.
"Bellatrix!" Lucius called.
Then, out of nowhere, a black boot flew towards Percy's skull. His eyes rolled up inside of his head.
"Why, thank you very much, folks," he managed to say before falling to the ground.
Bellatrix got up, now looking determined. She looked at Lucius, then at Mr Fudge.
"NO!" she shrieked.
The cry had made Harry come to his senses, and ignoring the dizziness he was feeling, sprinted towards one of the fireplaces. He grabbed some floo powder without really knowing what he was doing. Then, he stepped inside the fireplace and held the powder, which was clutched in his hand, above his hand.
"Twelve Grimmauld Place!" he cried, throwing the powder onto himself.
All that he remembered seeing was a Dementor drawing nearer as it lowered its hood; Bellatrix heading towards the next fireplace and Lucius Malfoy battling with Cornelius Fudge.
"What did he say?" Bella asked herself quickly, running over to the fireplace and getting some floo powder. She had now regained her conscious.
"Quick! Bellatrix! Get out!" Lucius shrieked, not looking at her because he was too preoccupied with the battle.
"Twelve – what was it? – Grimhead Place?" Bella said, stepping into the fireplace quickly.
She began to feel cold. Two Dementors were gliding towards her. She had to think, although her mind wasn't clear.
"I remember Mrs Black saying something about twelve. I remember!" She took the floo powder and clutched it in her fist. "Twelve Grimmauld Place – Crabbe!"
She had seen the other ten Death Eaters appear out of nowhere. They immediately drew out their wands and began fighting the Dementors. Also, before she was whirled away, she saw Lucius collapse onto the ground.
Bella closed her eyes as she was forced along the network. The woman felt sick; she hadn't gone by Floo powder for years. Then, it stopped.
She fell out of the fireplace and onto a stone floor, where she stayed.
"Help - " she muttered, not wanting to move.
She looked up onto the table, and through her unfocused eyes, could see the Prophecy. She reached out to get it, although it was too far away.
"No!" Came a familiar voice. "You aren't supposed to be here!"
Harry Potter had entered the kitchen, his forehead covered with sweat. He walked straight over to the woman and looked down at her.
"I'll get you, my pretty - and your little dog too!" the woman tried to say loudly, although it came out rather feebly because her cheek was pushed against the floor.
"I don't think you're in the right position to say that - what am I going to do with you?" Harry asked, looking from the woman to the Prophecy.
Then, someone appeared in the fireplace and stepped out. It was Lucius Malfoy.
"Ouch!" Bella said quietly as the man stood on her foot.
"I thought you were sane again," Lucius said, his voice slightly hoarse.
He had a few bruises over him and his hair was messed up, although he still sneered and his cold grey eyes fell over the objects in the room.
"Get me up Lucius -" Bella said slowly.
Malfoy grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet, still taking in everything around him.
"Where am I?" he asked after a while of staring.
Harry sat down on one of the chairs and put his head into his hands.
"This can't be happening -" he said quietly.
Lucius walked out of the kitchen and into the hall.
"Hello?" he called.
Harry immediately sat up, and, ignoring the person who had just appeared in the fireplace, ran into the hall.
"You have to go, now!" he cried.
Then, a familiar voice made the boy shiver.
"Filth! Scum! Traitors of my blood! How dare you enter the house of –" Mrs Black shrieked.
"Mrs Black!" Bellatrix exclaimed, running into the hall and looking at the portrait. "It's lovely to see you again!"
The portrait remained silent and the woman inside it glared at the two Death Eaters.
"Bellatrix, dear! Lucius! It's absolutely amazing to see you! For once, we have some proper Death Eaters purifying the air!"
Then, three people with Death Eater masks walked into the hall. Four other Death Eaters followed them. Harry looked at them all in disbelief.
"No!" he cried. "This is too much! All of you out, now!"
The seven Death Eaters drew out their wands and pointed them directly at Harry's chest. Bellatrix and Lucius were having a heated discussion with Mrs Black.
"OK, maybe it's all right if you –" Harry looked somewhere above him. He had heard footsteps and a very familiar voice.
"No," the voice was saying as it grew closer to them, "I am not going to leave my godson in trouble. If the other Order of the Phoenix members can go, so can I."
Lucius spun round and faced Harry.
"Who's that?" he asked.
Bellatrix, however, suddenly looked as if she had eaten sour apple cream. She stared up the staircase. After a few seconds of glaring, she kicked the wall and began to make her way up the staircase.
"FOOLS! BLACK, I'M COMING TO KI –"
Harry ran over to her and pushed her into the closet under the stairs. She immediately fell silent, although it wasn't long before she began throwing insults at him. The other Death Eaters' eyes rested on Lucius.
"You have to go in, too!" Harry gasped, closing the closet door and sitting against it.
Lucius looked stunned.
"I think I'm the one who has the Dark Lord on my side, Potter," he said softly. "I believe it is me who tells you what to do – not the other way round."
"But you don't understand," Harry replied, thinking quickly. "It's - it's - Cornelius Fudge with the Dementors! All of them – and they all come straight from Azkaban!"
One of the Death Eaters behind the boy shuddered, pushed Harry out of the way and ran into the closet.
"Peter!" Came the deep voice of Goyle. "You can't go in there -"
"Of course I can!" Came the trembling voice of Peter Pettigrew.
Two of the Death Eaters pushed their way past Harry and also went into the closet. Then, the other Death Eaters followed suit.
"You can't do that! I'm leading this team, and I demand that you come straight out – all of you!" Lucius hissed venomously.
There was no response. Lucius sighed.
"Fine - but this is only to give you a lesson!" he cried.
Then, he opened the door up and went to join the other followers. Harry, hearing someone's heavy breathing, ran into the closet with them, where Bellatrix had given up screaming and was resting her head against the ceiling.
"I want to rescue my godson – what is so wrong with that, Snivellus? All the other Order of the Phoenix members have gone, so why can't I?" The voice of Sirius Black said.
"Because it's too dangerous, Black," Severus Snape said softly. "The Death Eaters – there would be many of them if the Dark Lord did what we think – will report you."
"I don't care! I'm going!"
Then, footsteps were heard going into the kitchen. Heavy breathing remained around the closet area.
"Don't blame me when you get caught, Black," Severus said to himself. "Let's see who was right then."
Someone coughed in the closet next to Snape.
"Who is that?" he muttered.
He walked over to the closet door, stretched out his hand and put it onto the doorknob. He was about to open the door when –
"Traitor!" Mrs Black screeched, as a diversion.
Snape looked at her promptly with a confused look. Then, sighing, he turned back to the closet and reached out his hand. He rested it on the doorknob, opened the door a bit and –
"NO!" Harry shrieked.
Snape opened the closet door wide and stared into it, not wanting to believe what he saw.
"Why, hello, Severus," Lucius said, trying to sound as if you opened a closet door and found ten Death Eaters in there every day, "What a surprise."
Snape slammed the door shut and stood against it, taking deep breaths. Then, he opened it again.
Still, Lucius Malfoy was sitting there, pressed up against the wall, while Avery Nott and Macnair were in deep discussion about the weather changes. Crabbe was arguing with Goyle, and Bellatrix was looking at her long black- painted nails.
"That's it!" Shrieked a woman who was next to her. "That's it!"
The woman pulled off her mask quickly and Bella gasped, not realising whom it was.
"That's it, sister! I ate, I mean I hate, black! Can't you get pink nail varnish instead?" Shrieked the voice of Narcissa Malfoy.
Lucius glared at her.
"I thought you said you weren't coming today, dear?" he asked the fuming woman.
"I wasn't, although I decided to join you because I heard they were selling cream teas in the café shop in London," the woman replied, sounding calm and motherly-like all of a sudden.
"Has anyone forgotten me?" Snape asked icily.
"Oh, Professor!" Harry said cheerfully, his voice slightly forced because Crabbe pushed him up against the wall.
"Mr Potter? What were you thinking?" Snape spat. "You're godfather has gone to the Department of Mysteries to look for you, and you bring the entire Death Eater squad here? In the Order of the Phoenix headquarters?"
"Oh! So that's what this is!" Lucius gasped, looking around. "What do you think of that, Bella?"
Bellatrix, who had been glaring angrily at her sister, looked at Lucius.
"You deal with it!" she shrieked.
"Mr Potter, I advise you go straight back to the Department of Mysteries and get your godfather. He has been wrongly lead there because of you," Snape spat, his head in the closet.
"Uh, that's going to be a bit difficult, Profess -" Harry replied slowly.
"Well, actually, that would be a good idea, Potter," Bella interrupted. "You see, my wand, thanks to you, is at the Ministry of Magic, and I can't go home until I get it back -"
"I'm not going to do it for you," Harry snapped.
Bella looked outraged.
"Mr Potter, what is the reason for you not being able to go back to the Ministry?" Snape asked coolly, flexing his fingers and smirking at the Death Eater next to him on his right – Avery Nott.
"Well, I –"
"Dear me, Potter, aren't you going to tell him?" Lucius said briskly. "Well, Severus, the place is absolutely swarming with Dementors. Cornelius Fudge was after us, you see, and he brought in the creatures from Azkaban."
Snape looked furious. His eyes flashed dangerously, and he drew out his wand.
"Either you go back to the Ministry, Potter, or I will take it into my own hands to expel you," he hissed.
Harry looked at the Death Eaters, who were watching him intently, and climbed over them to get out of the closet. Snape pulled him out by the collar, took another look at the Death Eaters, and slammed the door shut. Then, Snape practically dragged the boy back into the kitchen and threw him in the fireplace.
"Now," he said, handing him the pot of Floo powder, "go to the Ministry of Magic and get your godfather. I will deal with the Death Eaters."
"Yes, sir," Harry said, feeling worried. Then, he took some floo powder and clutched it in his hand. "The Ministry of Magic!"
Then, he was gone.
He whizzed past other fireplaces and closed his eyes, although he soon fell onto the ground.
The Atrium was now silent, and there was no trace that anything had happened there.
"Sirius?" Harry called as he got up. "SIRIUS, ARE YOU THERE?"
There was no answer. The boy-who-lived got off the floor and began to make his way towards the lift. He went inside, hit one of the buttons and began descending down.
"Sirius?" he was calling all the while, hoping that nothing bad had happened to it.
Then, another thought struck him. What had happened to the others?
"Sirius, please answer me," he called again as the lift stopped on one of the floors. He left the lift and began walking down the torch lit passageway quietly, making sure no Dementors were about. He turned a corner – still, no one was there. He eventually came to a door and recognized it immediately. Harry took a deep breath and opened the door, only to find himself in the room he had expected to be in.
There was no turning back now.
The room began to spin, as it had done earlier, and when it stopped, the boy chose to go through the door to his left. He opened it up, walked into the room and closed the door behind him.
Harry found himself to be in the area with the veil, although there was no one there. Like earlier, whispering could be heard coming from it, and the boy felt his curiosity getting the better of him, although he didn't dare spend a minute longer in there. He left the room swiftly and came back to the dark circular room again. It began to spin.
"SIRIUS!" Harry bellowed, hoping his godfather would hear him. "Sirius, please!"
The room stopped, and the boy went through the door directly in front of him. Again, he was in the room with the veil.
"Harry?" Said a familiar voice.
The boy spun around, only to come face to face with the rest of his group - Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville.
"Harry! There you are!" Hermione cried, tears pricking to her eyes. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Not now, everyone. I'm looking for Sirius," Harry said.
"But what happened? Did you get taken by the Death Eaters?" Luna asked curiously.
"Yeah, Harry, tell us all about it," Ron said definitely.
"I told you – I don't want you to be here at the moment. Unless -" Harry said, looking at the ceiling.
"Unless what?" Neville asked.
"Unless we spilt up. How many of us are here? Six – OK, we can go into separate rooms and look for Sirius," Harry replied anxiously.
"But what about the Death Eaters, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"You don't have to worry about them – just mind you don't find any Dementors. I've got the Death Eaters, uh, under control."
"You? I don't think so. Where are they, then?" Luna questioned.
"I – Look, we're wasting time! Sirius might be –" Then, a horrible thought struck Harry.
There were no Dementors – they all looked as if they had gone. Fudge wasn't around, neither was Percy, and Sirius wasn't in sight.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Sirius - what if he's been taken - back? I mean, back to - Azkaban?" The boy-who-lived replied worriedly.
Then, he ran out of the room and through another door. He ran down the corridor, turned a corner and came back to the lifts. He ran inside one and hammered on the button saying 'Atrium'. He had to go back to Grimmauld Place and tell Snape...
The lift rose into the air, and, after a while, stopped. Harry ran out and, as he was about to go to the fireplace, saw a glimmer in the corner. He walked over to it cautiously. He picked it up, but it was only a wand. Then, he remembered what Bellatrix had said earlier,
'You see, my wand, thanks to you, is at the Ministry of Magic, and I can't go home until I get it back -'
He glared at it. If he kept it, the woman wouldn't be able to get back, would she? It was a good idea. Harry pocketed it, forgetting why he was at the Ministry again. Then, it struck him. He walked over to one of the mantelpieces, took some floor powder from the gold pot and walked into the fireplace. Then, he clutched the powder in his hand.
"Twelve Grimmauld Place!" he shouted, throwing the powder.
Emerald Green flames erupted in the fireplace and the boy was sped away, closing his eyes tightly. Then, it stopped, and for once, he didn't fall onto the cold floor. He heard voices.
"Of course. I agree with Severus -" said a familiar voice.
The boy opened his eyes and grew slightly angry at what he saw.
Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, Narcissa Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and the rest of the Death Eaters who had come to Grimmauld Place were sitting around the table drinking wine. Severus was sneering, and Harry shot them an angry glare, making Lucius raise an eyebrow.
Snape turned around.
"Mr Potter - so glad you could, ah, join us. Now, enlighten me on the subject as to where that mutt of a godfather of yours is?" he asked coolly.
"I thought you said you would deal with them!" Harry cried angrily, glaring at the Death Eaters hopelessly.
"I am," Snape spat. "Although, I wasn't expecting the supercilious diminutive Gryffindor to come back so soon without his essence and protection - his godfather," he mockingly replied, sneering openly at the end.
"Have you got my wand, boy?" Bella asked, her glass of wine held in one hand delicately.
"No," Harry lied, walking out of the kitchen. "No, I couldn't find it. Why not go back there yourself?"
The woman opened her mouth to retaliate, but Snape shot her an icy glare and spoke to the boy-who-lived.
"Where is Black?" he asked icily.
"I couldn't find him," the boy replied quietly, his back turned to the Potions Professor.
"What did you say?"
"I COULDN'T FIND HIM!" Harry yelled, running away from the kitchen.
The Death Eaters fell silent and looked at Snape curiously, although he only responded by taking an impatient deep breath.
"He couldn't find him, indeed -" he muttered.
Then, a loud voice echoed throughout the house, making everyone jump.
"STUPID! ABSOLTUELY STUPID!" Someone yelled.
Snape sat up off his seat swiftly and turned away from the other Death Eaters, heading towards the hall. His cape billowed out from behind him as he made his way up the stairs. Crabbe, who was clutching his glass a little too tightly, grunted at the others and got off his seat. Goyle looked at him for a second and followed suit.
"Where are you going?" Lucius asked slowly.
"We're going to hunt some muggles. We're hungry," Crabbe replied, taking some floo powder and walking into the fireplace.
Then, Crabbe disappeared. Goyle, however, didn't go by Floo powder. With a loud 'pop!' He apparated.
"I hope," Bellatrix began, her voice slightly drowsy, "that he isn't actually going to eat the muggles." She began to giggle feverishly.
Lucius shot her a disgusted look.
"Sometimes, Bella, sometimes –"
"That's just, oh, horrible!" Narcissa screeched, spilling her wine. "Oh, Trixie, that's just so disgusting!"
"He said it!" Bella said quietly.
Then, Snape strode into the kitchen, with his face alit with malice.
"He says, would you believe, he says that Black could have been taken away by the Dementors," he said coolly, flexing his fingers. "Oh, I hope he has. I really hope he has: that way, I don't have to put up with the man's snivelling and inappropriate demeanour."
Bellatrix began giggling again.
"Well, serves him right," she sniggered. "It's his own fault for dancing on the table wearing a headscarf!"
The Death Eaters all shot confused looks her way.
"I think you better go," Snape spat at them. "The Dark Lord will wonder where you are else. And he'll wonder why she," he jabbed a finger in the direction of Bellatrix. "is like she is – he's bound to blame one of us for our ineptitude for the duration of the affair."
"Well, I suppose so. Go on then – Avery and Macnair, you can go by Floo powder. I want you to take the –" Lucius stopped dead as he looked at the table. "Where's the Prophecy?"
Snape looked at the table.
"The Prophecy?" Bella asked quietly. "I can make one of those. Lucius – you're going to fall off that chair any minute." Then, she got up, walked over to Lucius's chair and pushed it over. She began giggling. "I'm a prophetic woman! Get it? Pro – thetic?"
Malfoy managed to jump off the chair before it fell over, although he shot the woman a deathly glare. By this time, five Death Eaters had already apparated.
"I think it would be prudent if you kept her here, Lucius," Snape said softly as the other Death Eaters apparated, leaving the three of them alone. "You can't take her back to the Dark Lord like that – he'll have a fit."
Lucius looked at the woman hopelessly.
"What a big nose you have, Lucy," Bella giggled, pointing at the man. Then, she turned to Snape. "You have a funny name. Snake!"
Snape shot her an icy glare, although his mouth began to curl slightly. Lucius, however, stared at the woman as if he was in deep thought. Then, as if he had been having a battle with himself, he looked at Severus and sighed.
"Fine. Fine, Severus, I'll leave her here," he said quietly. "But first, I must enquire where the Prophecy is hidden."
Snape glared at him and sneered.
"I believe Potter had it last time I maxim, although he went back to the Department of Mysteries to give the impression of looking for his dear godfather," he replied.
Lucius sighed and looked around. Then, with a loud 'pop!' he disapparated, leaving Severus with the woman who was now resting her head on the table. She seemed to be singing something quietly.
"The muggles on the bus go scream, scream, scream, scream scream scream, scream scream scream. The muggles on the bus go scream, scream, scream, all day long. The Death Eaters on the bus go die, die, die –"
"Mrs Lestrange?" Snape asked coldly, drawing closer to her.
She lifted her head off the table and looked at the man, smiling an inane grin. Her hair hung loosely over her face.
"Why, it's Snake!" she exclaimed, giggling and holding the glass of wine to her mouth. "Would you like to sing with me?"
"I think I will bypass that offer, thank you very much. How many glasses of wine have you had?"
Bella put the glass down on the table heavily.
"I think'd I had eight today," she slurred and then giggled childishly. "I mean, three bottles of wine."
Snape looked away slowly.
"Well!" Bella began, sitting up off the seat and stumbling. "I don't think it's any use being here – would you like to join me?"
"Join you where?"
"Azkaban, silly," the woman replied with her tongue between her teeth, smiling and taking Snape's wrist with her left hand.
She walked along the hall with him and suddenly stopped.
"Actually," she began, "I think it would be more, uh, clever if we go to the Department of Mysteries. There's a nice veil thing down there which I'm sure you haven't seen, and you'll love it, Mr."
She ran back into the kitchen, Snape at her side, and threw him in the fireplace. Bella took some floo powder and threw it at the man.
"Ministry of Magic!" she cried.
Snape opened his mouth, but he soon disappeared with the emerald flames. Bellatrix apparated to the Department of Mysteries, taking in a deep breath. With a loud 'pop!' she vanished and ended up in the circular room that spins.
"I'm here again," she giggled. "Lucy, wher're 'oo?"
The room began to spin, and the woman was knocked forwards because she hadn't been expecting it. Then, it stopped spinning, and Bella, who was now feeling extremely queasy, walked to her right and through a door.
"Hello?" she called.
She was now alone in the room with the veil. Then, looking down on the floor below, she saw someone knocked out. The woman went down the stair- type things and went to investigate.
It was a man. His hair fell untidily around his young face, and his eyes were open and alert, although he was still breathing. Bellatrix recognized him immediately.
"'aster?" she asked softly, tears prickling to her eyes.
She bent down and clasped his wrist, the tears falling from her cheeks and onto his shabby grey robes. His wand lay a few feet from him, covered with blood. The woman looked closer at the man.
"Yo' eyes have changed colour, master," she whispered to him.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Bellowed a familiar voice.
Bellatrix, whose eyes were unfocused, looked to the door, where three people had just entered. The woman had her hand clutched to the man's wrist and laughed slightly.
"LESTRANGE? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY FRIEND?" shouted the voice again.
Bella looked closer to the man and noticed that it was not her master - end of story. He had brown hair with grey strands and very shabby robes. His eyes were nowhere near red.
Someone grabbed the woman's shoulders and pulled her away. She looked up at them and from what she could see out of her unfocused eyes, it was Harry Potter. Nymphadora Tonks and Ron Weasley were standing behind him.
"Harry – it's her!" Ron said nervously.
"Lupin? Are you all right? What happened?" Harry asked frantically.
Bella laughed. Lupin tried to say something, although he could not. His eyes moved around in their sockets and fell into the back of his head before he passed out – uttering the words 'gotta get 'im, gotta get 'im out of my head...'
-----------
"Master, she's not around," Lucius said quietly in Voldemort's chambers.
The man in front of him was lying on his king size four poster bed, the black satin sheets ruffled slightly beneath him – Lord Voldemort was casually leaning on one arm as he was reading a book in his long, blood red satin gown.
He looked up and lifted an eyebrow at his follower before coughing slightly into the back of his slender hand and turning a page of his old book.
Lucius took this as a sign to continue.
"She was with me - but we got delayed, sir."
Still the slender eyebrow rose, but now the owner had a small curve to his already thin lips.
"How would a fully trained Death Eater go about getting - delayed, Lucius?" he hissed softly, still keeping his eyes engrossed on the book laid out before him.
Lucius gulped.
"Severus Snape, master," he muttered, which made the Dark Lord look up and frown slightly.
"Severus? What the devil has he done now to destroy your cool demeanour, my slippery friend?"
"He got us drunk, master!" Malfoy exclaimed, throwing himself sulkily down on the velvet-covered chair at the foot of Voldemort's bed.
"We?" The man asked softly, checking the page again.
"Yes - the other Death Eaters and I- "
"'Other Death Eaters', Lucius?" Voldemort retaliated.
Lucius looked guiltily down at his well-tailored boots and sighed softly, blowing some of the silky strands of his hair out of his face.
"The others have gone muggle hunting, sir -"
"And I suppose, while you were being 'delayed', you didn't have time to get my Prophecy, Lucius?"
Malfoy looked up at his Master and stared at him for a couple of seconds before answering coolly,
"We had it, Sir, but –"
"Ah," Voldemort began, looking up at the Death Eater with his scarlet eyes, "'but' is forever a word for the weak-minded – and merely the weak-minded." He looked down and frowned slightly at the over eccentric death eater in front of him, then turned the page of his book and continued to read in silence.
Lucius sighed again and brushed some of the silver hair away from his cheek.
"Drunk, indeed," Voldemort muttered, but loud enough for his Death Eater to look up.
"Master, I am sorry. I did not anticipate for this to occur. We were supposed to get the Prophecy and abscond, bu-, I mean, however, the Minister for Magic arrived with his Dementors."
"Frightened of a few Dementors from Azkaban, Lucius?" The Dark Lord asked sardonically, his eyes still fixed on the book.
"Master! I was not, under any circumstances, afraid of –"
Voldemort looked up.
"You were just afraid of losing your reputation with Cornelius Fudge. I comprehend, even though I thought I found you to be trustworthy," He hissed, his eyes going back to the page.
Lucius put his head into his hands and sighed deeply.
This was going to be one long conversation.
--------------
Severus Snape sighed loudly into the invisible shroud around him as he stared into his old fireplace. Of course, it had been a rather big turn of events during the day, and all Severus had wanted to do when he had reached his chambers was to curl up by the fireplace with a good book (One of the Bronte's, he had mused) – but no, we are talking about the spy for the light-turned spy for Voldemort- turned ex-death eater One, like Severus for example, did not simply choose what he wanted to do...and that was why he was still awake and staring into the glowing embers that were dancing around in the fireplace in front of him, the only light source in the dark room.
He took a sip from the glass in his left hand, where some dark thick liquid was starting to stain his glass.
Upon arriving at his family's threshold, he had received a call from the Dark Lord...who (after Severus had gone back to him) had told him to wait for him to arrive at 'Snape Manor' – hence, Severus now waiting in the dark and drinking his most prized drink (brewed from the breath which emitted for a dying Jobberknoll), while pondering over the day's unusual, to say the least, events.
A loud knock, coming from outside of his door, made him look up in slight, unguarded surprise and clear his still dry throat.
"Enter," he replied, his mouth dry and not really responding to his brain's demands. That was one problem with this drink; it didn't quench your thirst but instead cleared your mind.
A house elf appeared, dressed in a filthy teacloth and an odd pair of stripy socks. It bowed deeply to its master, which caused Severus to lift an eyebrow.
"What is it, Blinky?" he asked softly, taking a sip of the concoction in his hand and feeling the warm, sharp sting wriggle down his neck and through his body.
"Blinky wants to say that Blinky has a message for her master, sir. Blinky wants to tell her master, sir."
Severus nodded.
"Which is?" he asked gently. His house elf was the only one he let his feelings show through for.
"Blinky says that there is a visitor for her master, sir. He-"
"Bring him in, Blinky," Severus interrupted hurriedly, placing the glass on the round table to his side and coughing in his hand quietly.
Blinky nodded and went through the door she had just come through – and when Severus looked back up he came face to face with his grandfather, Julian Snape.
"Blinky brought master his guest, sir," and then Blinky nodded, turned and then left.
"You know you shouldn't drink that stuff, Severus," Julian murmured, waving at the dark glass in front of him - that caused Severus to scowl.
"You bring a message, Grandfather?" he asked delicately, trying to ignore his grandfather's more -unusual tastes showing through.
Julian Snape chuckled softly, walking over to the Georgian painting behind his Grandson's chair and staring into it.
"Yes. one about your friend. Black."
This made Severus grunt.
He turned his chair around to face his Grandfather, which blocked out most of the light in the younger man's study.
"He is no more of a friend to me than Dumbledore, sir," he replied softly, closing his eyes slightly and leaning back in the leather chair as the alcohol decided to start working.
"As you wish, my boy. But, I am afraid something rather, ah yes, tragic, has come to light in the last few hours -" Julian finished, still engrossed in the painting of the graveyard.
Severus raised an eyebrow, yet another time.
"You see – he was - in a most unfortunate series of events at the time."
-------------
Sirius Black clasped the arms of his chair that he was bounded to and sighed deeply.
He was in the Cornelius Fudge's office at the Ministry of Magic, and him and Mr Fudge were waiting for the Dementors to arrive. Sirius sighed again and tried to rock in his chair.
"Caught you at last. Wait until the newspapers hear about this!" Cornelius chuckled, taking a sip of the vodka he was drinking out of a clear glass. He took a look at the man. "You're done for."
Black tried to avert his gaze away from the already drunken man. A dread was filling him, and it was mixed with anger and hate. He would have tried to strangle the Minister if his wrists weren't chained to the chair.
"Enjoyed your time on the run, then?" the Minister asked cruelly, his eyes full of victory.
"The only thing I enjoyed was getting away from you," Sirius sneered through clenched teeth, his mind racing with perverse thoughts.
"What about your team you were leading? We will catch them soon enough, too."
"Team?" Sirius asked, now looking at the man angrily. "What team?"
Cornelius sneered at him.
"Don't play games with me. You know very well who I'm talking about," he replied.
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do," the Minister hissed, setting the glass heavily down on the table. "You know, your family?"
"My family?"
"Your family. Your cousin –"
"I don't have anything to do with her!" Sirius cried, almost sitting up. He fell back onto the seat again heavily.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying. Listen, you have to let me go. I have a godson, and he needs me –"
Cornelius let out a cruel laugh.
"Let you go?" he smiled. "After two years of searching – let you go?"
Then, a brown eagle owl flew in through the open window. It carried a large parcel, and Cornelius's eyes lit up as he grabbed the package. Opening it up, his smile began to fade.
"What do they mean?" he muttered.
Sirius tried to lean forwards and read the letter attached to the parcel.
"WHAT DO THEY MEAN THEY CAN'T SEND THE DEMENTORS?" Fudge bellowed suddenly, flinging himself up off the chair.
He gave one more glance at Sirius.
"If you dare try and escape, I will kill you myself," he hissed.
Then, he quickly walked over to the door, opened it and walked swiftly out of the room.
"Terrific!" Black muttered under his breath.
He sat in complete silence, watching the sun set below the horizon through the window. Was he going to die, on this quiet night?
It felt like hours that he sat there for, chained to the chair so he couldn't move an inch. Darkness had now fallen over them all; the stars outside glittered in the sky like thousands of lights, and the light from the three-quarter-moon shone into the office, making the only light source. Then, someone bounded in, although it was rather clumsy how he or she did it.
"When you 'ave your foot on your 'ead, it does 'urt –" A familiar voice slurred as the shadow of someone drew nearer.
Sirius looked to his left and gasped quietly - almost amusedly.
Bellatrix Lestrange had just entered the room, her arms swinging from side to side. She looked at the man in front of her and smiled a very childish grin. Then, her eyes went up inside her head and she fell to the ground.
Black sighed; his only hope of getting away and it had to be her. He sat in his chair once more, gazing out of the window and hoping that someone was going to come and rescue him before it was too late. Fudge had been gone too long, so it wouldn't be a while now before he did arrive with the Dementors. The night sky seemed to become even darker. It was no longer an inky blue; it was now a dark black, and the moon stood out from the darkness like a black dot on white paper.
As he was sitting there thinking, he felt a warm breath on his shoulder. Then, an indistinct voice drew into his ear.
"Incy, wincy spider crawled up the water spout –"
Sirius looked to where the voice was coming from and gasped quietly again. He was two inches away from his cousin's nose. She was sitting on the floor, her eyes bright and sparkly, although they looked distant. Then, the woman began to giggle childishly. She clapped the man hard on the shoulder.
"What happened to you?" Sirius asked quietly, a very confused look on his face.
Bella grinned and rested her head against his arm.
"I don't feel well," she said sulkily, the grin vanishing. "I want to go home."
Then, she closed her eyes and her head fell onto Sirius's lap. She began to snore loudly as if she didn't have a care in the world.
"Great - just terrific!" Black exclaimed sarcastically, trying to push her off, although his hands were locked to the chair. "Wait until Voldemort finds out!"
"No – Mr Sandman, don't eat me yet!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, although her eyes were still closed. "I still have to help my master!"
"Oh, wait until your master finds out that your swindling him!" Sirius said sarcastically to his cousin. "Really – the Sandman and Voldemort! You really do deserve to be in Azkaban!"
Sirius looked at the door desperately. He had to get away before Fudge came back. Maybe if he transformed into his Animagus form he could get away? But surely his hands (or paws) would still be chained to the chair's arms?
"Aunt – your son turned me into a frog," Bella muttered in her sleep. "No dear, aunt replied, that's just how you look. I hate you Aunt."
Sirius, who was beginning to feel highly anxious, almost laughed at his cousin's words. This was an escaped convict who had been in Azkaban after torturing Aurors – there she was now talking in her sleep and saying that she had been turned into a frog.
Footsteps could be heard walking down the passageway outside the office. Sirius closed his eyes tightly, preparing himself. It had to be Cornelius Fudge, didn't it?
Someone came into the room and the footsteps stopped abruptly.
"Black?" A familiar voice sneered. "Ah, I see you're a little - tied up."
Sirius opened his eyes and stared, in disbelief, at the man in front of him. It wasn't Cornelius Fudge – it was Severus Snape. Appreciation filled the escaped convict, although it soon turned to hate and anger. Seeing the Potions master ordinarily was enough to deal with, but when Bellatrix was snoring on his lap, that was unbearable. Snape's mouth curled into a sneer.
"So, thought it would be prudent to get some information straight from the Death Eaters, did you?" he smirked.
Sirius looked down at his cousin's head and then back at Snape.
"She – she's drunk, Snivellus," he replied.
"That's what they all say."
"Snape – you have to help me. If Fudge comes back, he'll have the Dementors with him, and I can't go back to Azkaban – Harry needs me."
Snape looked thoughtful for a minute, although the sneer spread across his face again.
"What if I don't get you out, Black?" he hissed while drawing closer. "Are you going to tell the Order on me and go running back to your hideout?"
"DIE!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, making Snape back away. "Wai' – I didn' mean to kill you master. I thought you'er graff"
"See what I mean, Snape? I can't stand it. I couldn't do anything when she stumbled in as drunk as a skunk," Sirius replied quickly. He took another look at the woman. "Looks like she still is drunk..."
"She said she had three bottles of wine today. I expect she'll be feeling unsettled," Snape sneered, walking over to the window and looking out of it. "I –"
Then, Snape froze at the window.
"What is it, Snape?" Sirius asked, now feeling slightly worried.
"You –" Severus spun round to face the man before him, scowling darkly and folding his arms. "You weren't trying to be funny when you said Fudge was coming with the Dementors, were you?"
Sirius tried to gulp the lump away that had formed in his throat. He couldn't speak.
"By the looks of things, he's brought the whole of Azkaban with him – minus the convicts," Severus continued, adding the last bit with an evil smirk.
Bellatrix turned her head over; her eyes now open, and looked up at Sirius. She looked saner than she did before.
"A-Azkaban?" she whispered.
She sat up, stumbled groggily and slowly over to Fudge's desk and clasped the glass of vodka he was drinking earlier. Then, with shaky hands, she held it up to her mouth and began to drink. Sirius watched, the dread building up inside of him steadily. Then, he felt two cold hands brush against his own. The locks on his chair opened with a loud 'click'. The man looked up to find Severus Snape looking down at him, although he soon turned away swiftly and left the room without saying anything else.
"Thanks," Sirius muttered, sitting up off the chair swiftly and heading towards the door.
Then, sighed and spun round quickly.
Bellatrix was sitting in Fudge's chair. She was twirling her hair around her fingers and smiling childishly, although when she saw Sirius, the grin faded. She stared at the man in disbelief as though he was the last person in the world and was about to desert her.
"What?" Black snapped, drawing closer to the door. As far as he was concerned, Fudge was going to be here with the Dementors any second.
Still, Bella watched him, half-understanding that he was leaving, but the other half not knowing whom he was or why she was there. She took another gulp out of the glass of vodka, still staring as though in disbelief.
"You'regoingtoleaveme?" she slurred, gripping the arms of the chair for support.
Black, as much as he hated everything about the Death Eaters and his family, half wanted to help her escape. She wasn't sane at the moment, and she, too, was an escaped convict who would have the Dementors kiss if caught. The man half-wanted her to go back into Azkaban, although she looked so helpless, and she couldn't even put up a fight if Fudge came back. Besides, what would Voldemort say if he knew? It wouldn't be so bad if she weren't drunk – at least she would know about it.
Sighing, Sirius walked as fast as he could to where his cousin was sitting, pulled her off the chair, grabbed her wrist and led her quickly out of the room. She stumbled alongside him, although Sirius wouldn't slow his pace down. There was no time to lose - Fudge could be here any minute.
They walked down the long, torch lit corridor, Bellatrix stumbling along and Sirius walking swiftly. Behind him, Black could hear loud footsteps and talking. He quickened his pace. They turned a corner and the lifts came into view. The man threw his cousin into the second lift first and then went into it himself, making sure he was quick as he could be. He hit the button saying 'Atrium', and the lift began to drop slowly.
Bella giggled childishly and held her hand out, her fingers reaching for Sirius's hair. He gave her a deadly glare and her smile faded. She turned around to face the doors and didn't say anything else.
"Come on!" Black muttered, pressing the button again.
The lift came to a stop and the doors opened, allowing Sirius to step into the Atrium. He grabbed his cousin's wrist again and pulled her out.
"Right, can you hear me?" Sirius asked the woman slowly, noticing the fireplaces spread out across the room and looking at the woman.
Bella drew her face closer to his, squinted horribly and nodded.
"I want you to go into the fireplace, get some of that powder, throw it into the grate and say, clearly, 'Malfoy Manor', OK?" Black explained slowly. Then, he turned around and walked into the fireplace closest to him, picked out some floo powder and cried, "Twelve Grimmuald Place!"
Then, he disappeared in a fire of emerald green flames, his unkempt cloak billowing out from behind him.
Bellatrix walked over to where the man had disappeared and looked into the fireplace with a confused look on her face. Carefully, she took some floo powder, walked into the grate and said, quite clearly, "Twelve Grimmuald Place."
She also disappeared in a whirl of emerald green flames just as the lift doors opened and Cornelius Fudge stepped out, furious and ready to take drastic action.
-------------
Sirius Black stepped out of the grate and dusted himself off, a slight grin playing across his mouth. He had escaped, yet again. Just as he was about to go over to the stove and boil the kettle, green flames appeared in the fireplace and someone stumbled out. They were smiling ridiculously.
"Got milk?" Bellatrix asked stupidly, spotting Sirius at the stove, frozen with dread.
After a couple of seconds, Black suddenly walked swiftly towards the door, took hold of a very old broom and brushed it in Bella's direction, making her jump back.
"Get out of my house!" Sirius cried, leading her out of the kitchen and into the hall.
"Sirius, what are you doing?" Said a very familiar voice.
Molly Weasley had appeared, and she looked dumbstruck at seeing the Death Eater in the house. Sirius stopped trying to brush his cousin away and took to leaning on the broom.
"Molly. Good to see you," he said frantically, shooting his cousin a warning look as she made her way upstairs.
"What – Right, let's get straight to the point. What's she doing here?"
"Who? Oh, you mean –" Sirius looked up the staircase – "her."
"Yes, the escaped convict from Azkaban who was convicted of torturing two helpless Aurors into insanity." Mrs Weasley said sarcastically. "Yes, I mean her."
Sirius grinned.
"That's no way to talk about me, Molly," he joked.
Mrs Weasley shot him an angry glare.
"I mean – it's a long story," Black said quickly. Then, as though he had thought of something his life depended on, he turned back to Molly. "Where's Harry?"
The mother gave him an angry glare.
"Where do you think he is?" she asked, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "He went to look for you, and I am completely outrageous that you left him!"
"Me – leave him? No, Molly, I went to look for him, although Fudge captured me! Don't you dare blame me for what happened – I was looking for him!"
"We all believe that, don't we? And I suppose you just decided to bring the Death Eater into the Order of the Phoenix headquarters out of pure spite?"
"I didn't have a choice in the matter, Molly!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his arms around in midair.
Molly looked furious. Her eyes were full of malice.
"Clearly, you're not fit to be a godfather," she replied simply. "I would never leave any of my children in situations that they can't escape from."
Sirius looked at the woman in disbelief. It was the worst thing to say to someone. He couldn't reply; he had nothing to say to her. How could she say something like that?
Without saying another word, Black turned around and made his way up the stairs, ignoring Molly Weasley's penetrating glare. Unknown to him or Molly, Mrs Black had been watching them for the entire conversation, although she was too caught up in it to say anything. She watched the 'blood-traitor' for a few minutes.
"Filth! Rotten half-breeds! Traitors of my blood!" she shrieked, although Sirius didn't even look back. He continued to walk up the stairs as if he was deaf.
Black came to his own room eventually and opened the door, feeling highly miserable. Was Harry in trouble? Where was he now? Mrs Black's shrieks still echoed through the house, although it didn't mean anything to Padfoot now – not at the moment, anyway. Sirius sat down on his wicker chair in front of his cluttered desk, sighed deeply and put his head in his hands. What if Molly was telling the truth and Harry really was in trouble?
As he was lost deep in thought, someone staggered into the room.
"Sirius?" A familiar voice asked.
Black spun around. Remus Lupin was standing in the doorframe, his face looking weak and tired. Sirius sighed. Then, he began talking frantically.
"Remus – have you see Harry? Where is he? Is he all right?"
Lupin walked closer to the man and looked at him, a slight frown lining his forehead.
"Sirius, he's in the Department of Mysteries looking for you," he replied quietly.
Black's worst fears had been confirmed. He sunk back in his chair, while dread filled him once again.
"Is he all right?"
"I –" Lupin looked down at him, frowning, "I don't know."
They sat I silence for a few minutes, Lupin frowning down at Black, and Sirius lost deep in thought while staring into thin air. Then, as though an electric shook had passed through him, the man leapt off his seat and walked swiftly out of the room without saying anything else. Lupin followed him swiftly down the staircase, down the main corridor and back into the kitchen. Sirius walked over to the fireplace and took some Floo powder from the mantelpiece. A familiar voice came into the kitchen; making the two men spin round.
"Sirius?"
Black stared at him.
It was Harry Potter.
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The End.
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Author's Note: Thank you for reading! That's it – I am not going to continue with this story.