Chapter Forty-four: With One Trace

Summary: Forty-forth chapter. Five to go. That about sums it up.

The next step in learning the spell seemed simple enough to Harry. It seemed at first to involve little more than moving Sirius back into the apartment, which had been conveniently moved to the first floor to better accommodate Sirius' injured leg. But Harry soon found it twice as hard to forget about his anger when the basis for it was sitting in front him every day.

For his part, Sirius seemed to take no notice of how short tempered and irritable Harry was getting. Instead he focused as hard as he could on simply teaching Harry the spell.

Several days after they had started, Arabella came into the front room with a cloth bag in her hands.

Sirius looked up as she fished about in her bag for something.

"Where are you off to, 'Bella?" He asked.

"Hogsmeade. I need to do some shopping."

"Hogsmeade? 'Bella, you're not suppose to leave the castle."

"I'm not going alone, Sirius." Arabella promised. "Justine and Cassie are going with me." She gave her godson an affectionate smile. "And Harry, if he wants. How about it, Harry? A little shopping with your godmother? It's a lovely day outside."

Harry considered the offer, but finally shook his head. "I really need to stay and work on this spell, Arabella." He said with an audible sigh of disappointment. "We're nearly done."

Arabella leaned over and kissed his head. "Well, all right then." She stated. "Just be sure you're careful. Mind your godfather. Pretty soon we'll be starting on the practical side of things, and it'll get even more tricky at that part."

Harry nodded as Arabella checked the clock on the wall. "Well, if there are no more takers, I best be off. I'm already a little late." She leaned down and kissed Sirius before she left. "I'll be back in time for dinner." She told him as she left the room.

Harry watched as the worry didn't leave his godfather's face after Arabella left.

"She'll be all right, Sirius." Harry prompted his attention away from the door.

Sirius turned abruptly to him, having been lost for a moment in thought. "I just don't think it's very wise of her." He replied. "Risking leaving the castle for a 'shopping trip'."

"I think it's more just a 'shopping trip', Sirius." Harry offered. "I think it's more of a 'cabin fever' sort of thing."

Sirius paused, then nodded and returned to the lesson with Harry.

For the next hour Sirius was so distracted that he finally called a halt to the lesson.

"I'm sorry, Harry." He said finally. "Perhaps we should stop for today. My mind just isn't on this right now."

Harry looked sympathetically at his godfather. "Look, Sirius," he offered, "if you're that worried, why don't we just go after her. She might be mad at us, but you'll know she's safe."

Sirius frowned slightly at the suggestion. "It's not that I'm worried, Harry." He explained. "Not entirely. Arabella's an excellent Auror. One of the best Moody's trained. It's more....like a feeling. Just...something doesn't feel right, but I can't put my finger on it."

"But it has something to do with Arabella being gone." Harry suggested.

Sirius thought for a moment as he stared at his godson, then nodded. "That's when it started." Sirius shook his head. "Maybe I'm the one with cabin fever. Fancy a walk about the lake?"

Harry looked a bit incredulous at the offer. He knew Sirius could walk about a bit, but it was also obvious that doing so was less than comfortable for him. Just moving about the apartment was difficult. But all the way down to the lake?

Sirius seemed to read Harry's expression.

"All right." He agreed. "Maybe not all the way to the lake, much less around it. But I could use a bit of a walk or the leg will stiffen up. And that hurts much worse than just walking on it."

Harry helped Sirius get out of the chair and proceeded to hold open each door for him as they made their way to the great hall. At the front doors he stopped and waited for Sirius to catch up, trying to ignore how pained each step looked that he took on the injured leg. But, Harry admitted with a small amount of comfort, he did look like he was doing better.

As soon as Sirius reached the front doors, Harry dutifully opened the right one for him.

Immediately a young woman staggered in through the open door, falling directly onto Sirius and knocking him to the floor.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted, running to help his godfather and whoever the woman was. But Sirius had already eased her back.

"Justine!" Sirius cried.

Harry immediately recognized the name as one of the two woman who had gone with Arabella to Hogsmeade.

"Justine!" Sirius cried again to the now barely conscious woman. "Justine, what's happened? Where's Arabella and Cassie?"

A quick appraisal of the woman's appearance told Harry that whatever had happened, it wasn't good news. Her robes were torn and burnt in several places. Her face and arms had cuts and scraps on them as well as several serious looking burns. The worst of her appearance was that she was covered in blood.

Before Sirius could question Justine any further, Harry turned to the sounds of hurried footsteps on the stairs. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape were headed towards them at a near run.

"Justine?" Dumbledore asked, kneeling next to the woman who now rested in Sirius' lap. McGonagall had already turned an about face and rushed back up the stairs, apparently, Harry supposed, to fetch Madam Pomfrey.

"Justine," Dumbledore asked again. "What happened?"

Justine barely managed to focus on the Headmaster. "Deatheaters." She whispered past bruised and bleeding lips. "They attacked us on the road. There was simply too many too fight."

"Where are Arabella and Cassie?" Sirius asked urgently. "Did they escape?"

Justine shook her head slightly. "I don't know." she replied. Her voice was starting to fail her. "Arabella told me to get back to the castle. Tell you what happened."

Just then Madam Pomfrey arrived with Professor McGonagall. After a quick triage, she moved Justine onto a stretcher and took her quickly off to the infirmary, informing those gathered they could question her further after she had had some sort of medical treatment.

"We have to go and find them!" Sirius stated, back on his feet again and headed for the front doors. "They could still be out there. They could need help."

"Sirius!"

Sirius turned about to find himself facing the Headmaster.

"Snape, Moody, Gregory, Minerva, and myself will go. You stay here with Harry. I need you to inform the others what has happened and have them in the front hall when we return."

Sirius started to protest, but with a sense of despair, he realized all too clearly the reason for Dumbledore's excluding him from the rescue party as he stared down at the hem of his robes. What good would he be except to slow them down? But he shook the self pity off as best he could. He still had a task to complete before they returned.

Sirius had Harry help him round up the others in the castle and had them all assembled by the time the four returned. Between them they directed a stretcher as it smoothly floated along a few feet from the ground. Sirius looked hopefully at the still form laying on the stretcher. But his hopes faded as he caught sight of the bright tuft of blond hair underneath the bandage about her head.

Cassie. The other Auror who had gone with Arabella and Justine.

A quick murmur ran through those assembled as Professor McGonagall directed the stretcher through the crowd and off up the stairs to the infirmary.

Sirius grabbed Dumbledore by the arm as he walked past him.

"Where is Arabella?"

"Cassie said the Deatheaters took her, Sirius." Dumbledore answered quietly, handing him a slip of parchment. "They left Cassie with this to give to us."

Sirius took the piece a parchment and read the single word scrawled across it.

Trade.

"Trade?" Sirius questioned, although he felt fairly certain he knew what the Deatheaters wanted to trade.

"Harry for Arabella." Dumbledore confirmed in a low tone as he watched Harry staring after Professor McGonagall.

"They're insane!" Sirius stated a bit loader than he intended.

The great hall suddenly fell silent.

Dumbledore slowly walked through the crowd until he stood on the first flight of stairs, just high enough to see those assembled.

"Today," he began, "a group of Deatheaters attacked three of our number. Justine Calwell, Cassie Jenkins, and Arabella Figg. Miss Calwell and Miss Jenkins are presently in the infirmary. From what we can surmise, Miss Figg was taken by the Deatheaters."

A few of those gathered quietly gasped at the news while the rest listened attentively to what more Dumbledore had to say.

"The Deatheaters left behind a note, purposing a trade. Harry Potter for Miss Figg."

Harry looked up suddenly, then turned his eyes just as quickly to his godfather. But Sirius didn't return his stare, and instead stood with his attention fixed on Dumbledore, his expression completely neutral.

"The proposal at least gives us reason to hope that they won't hurt Arabella for the time being. But I am sure that time is not without limit. We will need to act and act quickly. We already know where the Deatheaters' lair is....."

"Wait a moment." A voice spoke up from the crowd. "Surely you're not purposing we rush into this? That all of our plans suddenly comprise themselves into a single, rushed rescue mission?"

Dumbledore turned to the man who spoke. A short, but stern looking little wizard. "Time, Mr. Thomas, is not on our side anymore." Dumbledore stated firmly. "The Deatheaters will want an answer soon."

"What about the spell?" The little wizard asked. "Is the boy ready?"

"This is not a full out attack, Mr. Thomas." Dumbledore replied. "It is, in fact, to be as covert as possible."

"And that boy is crucial to our plan succeeding." Mr. Thomas spoke up again. "I came into this with hope of success, Dumbledore, not to volunteer for a suicide mission. If we go into the Deatheaters' lair, the boy has to be ready. If he's not....I can't say I'm that keen on seeing several of our number taken down trying to rescue one person."

Dumbledore started to reply, but it was Sirius who spoke up first, rounding on the little man in a blaze of anger.

"How dare you?" He hissed at him. "You speak about my godson like he's little more than some tool for you to use. And you speak of Arabella as though she were some expendable member of this group. She is one of you. She has stood by you, fought with many of you, saved some of your lives. And now you dare to stand here weighing chances while her life hangs in the balance? You should be more than ashamed to even think like that."

"Fine words coming from a murderer, Black." Thomas replied, staring steadily up at the man before him.

Harry was sure the group's number was in danger of decreasing by one. He watched his godfather's expression darken as he stared back at the man before him.

"No, Mr. Thomas." He said slowly, but loudly enough to be heard by all in the hall. "Fine words coming from one who would willing risk his life for that of a friend. That is what it means to stand in this hall today. That we all stand together. Because if we don't, if we are willing to so callously sacrifice one of our number because we deem the circumstances too dangerous to attempt to save them, then we are doomed to failure before we have even begun. Now, Mr. Thomas, what do you have to say to this 'murderer' who will gladly risk his life to save a friend?"

The man pulled back a few steps, but said nothing more. Instead he steadfastly turning his attention back to Dumbledore.

"If we have settled that small matter then," Dumbledore continued with a small smile. "We will meet back here tonight at sunset. At that time you will all be briefed on the plan of attack. Until then I want regular patrols of the grounds and anything suspicious reported."

Shortly after the meeting in the great hall broke up, Harry found himself escorted by his godfather to Dumbledore's office, where McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape were already waiting, with the Headmaster seated behind his desk.

"The arrogance of the man." Sirius stated as he took his seat. "To suggest that....."

"Thomas was likely voicing the concerns of more than himself, Sirius." Dumbledore spoke up. "And we have precious little time to devise a plan. I suggest we get on with it. Remus, where do we stand with the spell? Is it feasible it could be worked tonight?"

Lupin paused as he glanced over at Sirius.

"Harry's not ready." Sirius answered for Lupin. "He's only been through the spell from beginning to end a few times. Too much could still go wrong."

"And that may be a risk we have to take, Sirius." Dumbledore stated. With a small smile he turned his gaze to Harry. "Well, Harry, what do you think? Do you feel up to this?"

Harry was more determined than ever to perform the spell. Now he had a new reason for wanting to make sure he could perform it correctly that overshadowed his hatred for Voldemort and his Deatheaters. Now his godmother's life hung in the balance of his being ready. Even though, as Sirius said, he had only been through it from beginning to end a few times, he felt confident he could make it work.

"I don't think I have much of a choice, Sir." Harry replied, meeting Dumbledore's gaze. "If I don't go, Voldemort's going to kill Arabella. And he'll never stop coming after the people I care about. This could be my one chance to put a stop to it forever."

"All right then." Dumbledore stated, looking over those gathered in the room. "I have a basic plan laid out that I think will be our best chance to rescue Arabella." Dumbledore's gaze shifted to Sirius. "And I want you all to hear me out before you pass judgment on it."

Sirius steeled himself up for what Dumbledore had to say. Whatever the plan was, he was certain from Dumbledore's stare he wasn't going to like it.

"We need a safe, fast way into Voldemort's lair. One that will take us right to him without too much time wasted. We also need to be sure at that point of where Arabella is, otherwise she could be hidden in the Deatheaters' lair so well it would take us days to find her. The best way, I feel, to accomplish both goals is to agree to the trade."

Sirius barely managed to remain in his seat. "That is your plan? Voldemort is no fool, Dumbledore. He'll know right off it's a trap."

"And that's where you and Remus come in, Sirius. I need you to help the others devise a strategy to second guess Voldemort from there. Whatever measures he may plan to take to make sure we can't escape, we need to have counter-measures in place to make sure we can. Remus, I need a spell that will assure us that no matter what, we won't be attacked while the exchange is being made. That whoever is in the room, which I want only to be you, Sirius, Snape, myself, Arabella, and Harry, stays there, and that no one from the outside can get in."

Lupin looked pensive for a moment. "There are various spells that could accomplish that, Albus." Lupin replied. "But none that will counter the greatest problem we'll have on our hands at that moment. That Voldemort will most likely be trapped with us."

The old wizard smiled slightly. "That, my dear Remus, is exactly what I'm counting on. Now," he added, shifting his gaze again, "Minerva, while Sirius is working with the others on a suitable strategy, I want you to take Harry and continue going over the spell with him. Severus, you and I will help Remus locate an appropriate spell. We don't have much time, everyone. So let's begin."

The room emptied quickly.

Two hours later Lupin looked up over the top of a book as he sat with Dumbledore and Snape in the library. They had been through dozens of spells, discarding each in turn as they found some aspect of it that didn't fit their needs exactly.

"Ah...this is a good one!" Lupin declared. But his enthusiasm faded just as quickly. "Oh, no. That won't work either. Blast!"

Snape looked up from his own book with a tight lipped smile. "Language, Remus." He said in his usual oily voice. "What's wrong with this one?"

"Well, at first, nothing. It's everything we're looking for. The spell is a containment spell. It's to contain whatever you want within a room, and the spell...oh...that's a bit harsh......"

"What?"

"The spell stays in place until whatever you want contained is...ah.....well, that's a bit hard to say. It could be 'dead' or 'destroyed'."

"Same difference."

"No. Not really. And it could be an important point. It's just some of these old texts are getting so faded, it's getting harder and harder to read them."

"So aside form bad quality printing, what else is wrong with the spell?"

Lupin looked up from his reading. "Hmmm? Oh, ah.....it takes four people to perform it. We'll only be three."

"We'll be six, you idiot. You, me, the Headmaster, Black, Potter, and Figg."

"Well, Voldemort too. But I doubt he'll want to help." Lupin added with his usual amiable smile. "But as to the others, Sirius hasn't the ability yet to perform this type of spell. It's a bit complicated. If Harry gets the chance to perform the other spell, he's out. Each person participating in the casting must stay connected to the spell until it's done. They can't work two spells at the same time. And we......well, we have no idea what condition Arabella will be in."

"So," Snape stated slowly, as though he were thinking something over, "this spell is just what we need except that we only have three people?"

"Pretty much."

Snape's usual sneer turned into something just short of a smile. "Then begin passing out copies of your spell, Lupin. Because I have a fourth for this game."

Dumbledore looked up from his own book. "Severus?"

"I would vouch for this person with my life, Headmaster. They are trustworthy. And having them with us may help in getting us past the Deatheaters at some point."

Dumbledore studied his potions master for a moment, then nodded. "All right. You make whatever arrangements will need to be made with this person. They will need to be here at the appointed hour."

"I doubt they will come to the castle, Headmaster. And for their own safety, it would be better they didn't. Their joining us later I think is best."

"Very well."

Lupin watched with intense interest as Snape glided out of the library to go make his own arrangements.

"Sometimes I wonder if you don't trust him a bit too much." He said finally, turning back to Dumbledore.

"Severus has never failed me once, Remus." The old wizard answered. "If he says he has a fourth for the spell, that person will be there."

"But how do we know we can trust this person?"

"Because Severus seems to. And in turn, I trust Severus. So I doubt there will be a problem."

"What!?" Analisa nearly shrieked. She couldn't think of a thing Snape could have asked of her that would have shocked her more.

Snape was sitting in the center of the sofa in her small apartment in the castle, watching her pace back and forth in front of him.

"You said you were looking for a way to prove to Dumbledore he could trust you. I thought you were serious." Snape looked as irritated as was possible. He had been sure Analisa would jump at the chance he was offering her.

"Looking for a way to prove he could trust me? Yes. Looking for a suicide pack with three other crazies? No. Forget it, Severus. Count me out."

"Analisa, we need a fourth. I told Dumbledore I would provide them with their fourth."

"Fine. Then go to St. Mungo's and peruse the crazy ward. I'm sure you can find someone there."

"And what should I go back and tell Dumbledore?"

"Tell him the truth, Severus." She snapped back at him, leaning down until she was nearly nose to nose with him. "Or have you been a spy so long you've forgotten how to do that?"

"I believe I know enough of the truth to tell it to Dumbledore." Snape replied with a cold sneer as she pulled back. "That he made a mistake in allowing you to come here. For hiring you to work at this school. You were a Deatheater once, Analisa, and you still are today."

"I will not be guilted into this, Severus. Dumbledore has some faith in me. If he didn't he would never have hired me to teach. But I will find some other way to prove I am loyal to his cause. Not by suicide."

"Very well, Analisa." Snape replied after a moment. "I had hoped to change your mind, but I can see it's already made up. You believe what we are doing is suicide, and perhaps it is. Without you it is guaranteed. So, perhaps instead you would do me one last honor?"

Before Analisa had time to consider his request, she found herself pulled into a passionate kiss she would have bet her last knut the man wasn't capable of reaching the depth of if he had been given a map and explicit instructions.

When he released her, she found she had to grab onto the desk for a second to stay upright.

She had no idea how long she stood staring at the man before her. To her it was as though she were seeing him for the first time and she wanted to memorize ever aspect of his appearance.

Or maybe it was her fear she may never see him again.

"All right," She said breathlessly, still holding tightly onto the edge of the desk, "I won't be guilted into it. But I can damn sure be persuaded."

At sundown Dumbledore, Sirius, Harry, Lupin, Snape, and McGonagall gathered in the great hall with the others.

"Each of you has been told what part you are to play in this effort to free Ms. Figg." He stated to those assembled. "For the majority of you, your part will be what it has always been in this. To contain Voldemort's followers. A small number of us will proceed forward and attempt to free Arabella. Should the opportunity arise for more, we will certainly take it. But first and foremost is to liberate one of our number. Not a single one of you has a lesser part to play than any other." He continued, lowering his voice slightly. "And not a single one of you is expendable. Fight when you can. Help when you are needed. If we stand united in our goal, we could well see the end of Voldemort before the sun rises. I would like to see those morning rays lighting a new era for all our people. For wizards, witches, and muggles alike. One free of the terror of the Dark Lord."

A loud cheer echoed through the great hall. But Dumbledore did not join in the battle cry. Instead he turned to a very pale looking Harry, who stood next to his godfather, pressing close to him.

Harry looked up and caught the stare of the old wizard next to him.

Dumbledore gave him a reassuring smile. "You've faced Voldemort before, less prepared, and won, Harry." He told him. "Never forget that. He is many things, but he is not invincible. And above anything or anyone else in this world, Voldemort fears you. There must be a reason for that fear."

"Yes, Sir." Harry replied, trying to make his voice sound more sure of itself. He wasn't sure of his answer was the right one, but for the life of him he just couldn't think of anything else to say. All he could see in his mind was Sirius, laying in his bed in the infirmary after they had found him on the castle grounds, and thinking of never wanting to see another person he loved suffer like that again.

Harry turned quickly back to his godfather.

Feeling his stare, Sirius turned to his godson's worried expression. He slowly reached out and gently caressed his cheek.

"Sometimes I never really see just how grown up you are, Harry." He said with a sad sort of smile. "And other times it's hard for me not to see you as a child.

I remember you as a baby. I think I was as excited as James the day you were born. It was hard for the nurses to tell who the father was in the delivery room. And when I held you for the first time......," Sirius grinned at the memory flashing through his mind, "all I could think was, 'This is great. I have to get myself one of these'."

Harry could help but smile at the comment.

"And then James told me they had picked me as your godfather. And he said I could practice with you all I wanted until I 'wised up and married Arabella' and we had a whole slew of our own kids. I never thought I was ever going to even put you down. Lily made me, of course. But I was over at your parents house every chance I got.

And I started to realize that it wasn't just a son of my own I wanted. Selfishly, maybe, I wanted one just like James and Lily's son. You wrapped me around your finger from day one. There was nothing I wouldn't do for my godson." Sirius' expression grew more solemn. "I'll hate forever the circumstances that gave you to me, Harry. But never the outcome of them. I miss your parents everyday. And I wish more than anything in this world that they were the ones raising you. I loved your father and I loved your mother. But there aren't enough words that I know that could ever express to you just how much I love you. Don't you ever forget that."

Harry nodded slowly as he quickly wiped his hand over his eyes. He looked up again as he felt Sirius lay a hand on his shoulder.

"You remember one thing, Harry. Throughout all of this, no matter what, you are not alone. Not for one second. I'll be there, right beside you. I will never leave you."

Harry didn't feel like he could fight the emotions bottled up inside of him anymore. As calm as he tried to look, he was as scared as he could ever remember being in his life. He suddenly wrapped two shaking arms around Sirius' waist and buried his face in his robes, trying with everything left in him not to start crying.

Sensing his godson's failing composure, Sirius pulled Harry with him into a deserted room behind them and quickly closed the door. With a great deal of understanding, he simply wrapped Harry as tightly as he could in his arms.

"It's all right, Harry." He whispered in his godson's ear. "It's all right to be scared. Now is the time to let it out. I'm the only one here.

And you're not alone. We're all scared. Every person in that room is scared of what their facing tonight. And not one of them is facing half of what you might. So you go ahead and cry." Sirius said softly, gently kissing his godson's head. "Heaven knows your entitled to one good cry tonight."

Harry suddenly broke into a flood of tears as he buried his face in the neck of Sirius' robes.

Sirius felt his own silent tears burning down his cheeks as he held his godson's shaking body. There was nothing he wouldn't give if he couldn't walk with the others out the front doors of the castle that night, only to turn and wave to his godson as he stood safely within the walls of the castle.

'Harry's biggest worry should be his next Quidditch match.' Sirius told himself harshly. 'The start of school. His first date. Not facing a wizard the likes of Voldemort. This simply wasn't fair. The boy had been through enough in his life.'

"Harry," Sirius said, trying to sound firm but comforting as he pulled his godson back to meet his eyes, "Now you listen to me." Sirius stated as he brushed his thumb first under one eye and then the other on his godson's tear streaked face. "You remember what Dumbledore said. Voldemort is many things. But he's not invincible. And he's afraid of you, so there has to be a reason. You remember that if you face him tonight. You won't be the only one standing there whose scared. All right? You remember that for me."

Harry nodded as he wiped his eyes on his robes. He felt stupid for breaking down like that, even if Sirius was the only one there to see it.

"Everyone will know I was crying." Harry said quietly. "That'll be a great confidence builder for them. The Boy Who Lived, crying like a two year old."

"And if I had given them the opportunity, I'd have had the majority of them in here crying on my shoulder just as quickly. I'd look like I'd been out in a rain storm, my robes would be so soaked."

Harry managed a slight smile at Sirius' reassurance that he wasn't the only one who felt like a good cry was in order.

"Now, look at me." Sirius said gently. Tilting Harry face to him, he performed a quick charm to remove any tall-tail signs from Harry's face. "There," he stated with satisfaction. "No one's the wiser. So?" He added, standing up as he faced his godson. "All ready now?"

Harry nodded quickly, admittedly feeling better than he had a few minutes ago.

"All right then." Sirius replied. "Let's go kick some bad old wizard's butt."

Harry found himself almost laughing at his godfather's comment as he directed him back out into the great hall.