Getting Out or Dying Trying

by C. Night

I, Harry Potter, am trapped. But by who: Voldemort or Dumbledore? I wish I knew the answer to that. Now I am just putting my magical skills to use and fighting to get back to Hogwarts, because this is a battle I win or... I die. Post OotP.

4. Two Lemon Drops

Author: C. Night

Rating: PG-13

Category: Action/Adventure & Mystery

Disclaimer: Anything that you, Harry Potter fan that you are, recognize does not belong to me nor do I claim credit for it. J.K. Rowling and a bunch of other lucky people claim credit for the H.P. universe. I do NOT.

Note: I think I am pretty clear with it but just incase people get confused:

'...' indicates thinking &

"..." indicates talking.

Title: Getting Out or Dying Trying

Chapter 4: Two Lemon Drops

Running down the hallway I begin to realize that the screaming voice is not that of Adrianna, which I had first thought, but of another child. It sounded like a boy this time.

'Damn,' I thought 'How many kids are in this place? I was unaware that the newest form of torture was to trap your nemesis in a castle with about 10 million kids popping up all over the-'

My thoughts were interrupted when I finally reached the door that would lead to the still screaming little boy. I did not open it just yet. First I leaned my head in toward the entrance and strained my ears.

Of course I still heard the child bellowing. But I also heard someone... or perhaps more than one someones casting spells.

"Dear Merlin," I whisper aloud "Is this some kind of torture chamber?"

Estine hisses at me, irritated that I am speaking in English, but I ignore him. What the hell am I supposed to do now? Do I go in there and battle who knows how many tormenters to save this kid (who may very well be as crazy as Adrianna).

Or do I... leave?

Leave? When the hell have I ever done that?!? Alright well of course I have to go in. But how? Is the door even open?

I lean in toward the doorknob and whisper gently, "Alohomora!" I hear the lock click and I smirk, "That was a bit too easy."

Figuring that the situation would be much easier to take control of if I shocked those hurting the child I threw the door open and dove into the room.

To my surprise my entrance went unnoticed. In the room there was a young boy chained to a table screaming as a circle of navy–blue robed figures cast spell after spell on him.

I felt as if cotton had just been jammed in my ears. I became almost overly aware of the pounding of my heart. I could practically feel sweat developing on my skin and the curses of those around me began to blend together in what sounded almost like a foreign language.

'I am having a panic attack,' I thought vaguely. 'That's never happened before.'

I started counting to ten in my head. Slowly. The boy squirmed on the table at around two and a half and that idea went to hell.

Anxiety attack or freakin not I am not about to let this kid suffer because I decided to get... dare I say it... scared.

So I shot some stunners at the freaky torturers who still haven't even noticed I'm here or at least haven't made any moves to get me out.

Nothing works. It is almost as if they are in a trance. There are five of them. Vaguely I wonder where the other five I left in the huge hall ended up.

Focusing when the boy emits another strangled scream I try to get to him instead. However once I try to step beyond the circle of the five casters I am pushed back by some magical force.

I begin to feel irritated again. Now I am having my second panic attack in five minutes because I can't seem to find a way to rescue some kid I don't even know.

Add that to the fact that I have no idea what I would even do with this kid once I rescued him. I couldn't exactly cart him around with me as I tried to escape. Estine was enough to worry about.

Logically I should just turn and leave. I tried and there is simply nothing I can do. I should not feel guilty.

If I was truly Slytherin as the Sorting Hat said I was I would be able to do that.

But then there was a reason I was put in Gryffindor.

Slowly I back up so that I am a pretty good distance away from the table and the circle of tormentors. I then focus on the vulnerability I feel radiating off the boy and the anger and helplessness I can feel in my self. Then...

I run.

Like some demented bull I charge at that table, wands (yes that is plural... three wands are better than one right and if you've got them... use them.) raised and eyes narrowed.

Looking back I am not really sure what spell I used. If I even used one. I just broke the 'web-thing' around the boy and rushed in and grabbed him. He turned his brown eyes at me (they reminded me of Blaise's and a bit of Hermione's as well). His eyes widened in shock before he promptly fainted.

The spell casters seemed to have been jerked to the floor when I broke their web of spells, but by the time the boy was safely cradled in my arms they were awake.

I could hear Estine hiss as I rushed toward the door, "Time for master and little master to leave... now."

Unfortunately the door slammed before I could get there. My five aggressors it seemed had righted themselves and it looked like this time I wouldn't be escaping.

I scanned the room as I shifted the weight of the boy enough to make sure I had a firm hold on my wand.

No windows. No glass ceiling.

Well that's just great.

"This is going to be one of those 'Battle to the Death' type things then," I said aloud trying to unnerve my opponents as I laid the boy down gently in a corner of the room. "Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

I could practically feel the smirk radiating off the first git to approach me. He didn't think I could win.

'Well we'll see about that,' I thought arrogantly.

Then he did something I should have expected, but for some reason didn't.

He swiftly aimed his wand at me and yelled, "Crucio!"

The curse hit me full on and I fell to the floor screaming. The pain was blinding, it had been two years since the last time I had felt such excruciating, unbearable pain. Finally he took the curse of and I felt that when I feel to the floor I had hit my head hard on the marble.

My head felt like it was slowly splitting in two. The room was silent and I could practically hear the echoes of my screams bouncing off the walls.

'So we're playing dirty then?' I thought.

Before I could even get up another of the blue robes figures had kicked me hard in the stomach. Luckily I didn't hear anything crack, but my breathing became much more labored.

Deciding that I'd had enough I tried to grab a wand from my holster but the nearest assailant stepped on my wrist snapping at least one of the wands I had in two and when the bastard increased the pressure of their foot on my wrist I could feel the splinters of wood from the wand sinking themselves in my flesh.

The pain was getting to be too much, when all five of my attackers leveled their wands at me I was struck with a sudden though, 'I am about to die and I didn't even kill Voldemort yet.'

I believe that was the first time since Dumbledore told me about the prophesy that it took full effect. I was the only one who could kill the evil bastard and if I died at the hands of some gits in blue jump suits the entire world was going to suffer.

So with five wands all pointed directly at my heart I decided that I wasn't about to let that happen.

Desperately trying to ignore the pain in not only my head but my wrist and stomach as well, I used my position on the floor to swipe my legs out and knock down three of my attackers. 'You'd think they would have learned that I have a tendency to do that move the last time.' I thought smugly.

I then popped up from the floor and punched one of the two left standing hard in the jaw, then pushed them so that the force of both the punch and the push sent them flying into the person next to them.

I then swiftly turned to the other three who it seemed were trying to put my in the same kind of web of magic they had trapped the little boy in earlier.

I however wasn't about to let that happen. I took my last remaining wand from my pocket (which to my relief and amusement was my own) and shot a rapid succession of stunners at the three.

Unfortunately it seemed they had learned to dodge while I was away. I missed all three but at least I stopped them from finishing the web. I then felt a sharp pain go through the side of my face. My jaw was broken. I knew it was.

It seemed that the attacker who I had punched was very upset about that and decided to get revenge by doing the same to me.

And damn could that guy pack a punch. Somehow I managed to remain standing, but I knew I was swaying. More spells were being shot at me ands it seemed that the casters were going faster and faster. Thanks to my seeker reflexes I only got hit once.

Unfortunately it was with a Silencing Charm.

'Great, now I can't cast anymore... until it wears off anyways.'

From my knowledge silencing charms can last for about 30 minutes at most, but I would probably be dead by then. The attackers knew I had been hit with the charm and they seemed to turn to each other in congratulations.

They, of course, did not say anything but I could tell that they thought I was down and out.

They obviously didn't know who they were dealing with. It was time to break out the wand-less skills.

And no, I don't mean wand-less magic. I was a little tired of that by this time.

Estine, who didn't know that I couldn't talk anymore was still hissing at me informing my that the two attackers behind me were slowly creeping closer, probably to bind me.

I calmly waited until they were very closer and jutted both of my elbows up and out, hard.

I could hear and feel both of their noses break and I know I was smirking as they fell to the floor.

The other three in front of me looked at each other and lifted their wands and before I could blink had shot three spells at me.

I however was not there to be hit by them. I had apparated.

Wait! I had apparated. Now, yes I'd done some training over the summer, ok a lot of training, but I had only just begun to read about apparating... I was no where near actually doing it.

And last I heard you needed to say a spell to do it.

Damn I'm good.

The Death eaters seemed to think that I had an invisibility cloak or something because they started shouting "Accio! Accio!" like mad.

'Morons,' I thought, 'even if I did have one how would that have stopped me from getting hit by your spells?'

Deciding to use their momentary confusion to my advantage I swiftly changed into the panther for the second time in the past few hours. Silently I approach to strike all three at the same time if I can, but a startled cry alerts them to my presence.

It seems that one of the gits with the broken noses is awake and has seen me from his (or her) position on the floor.

The three in front of my turn swiftly and I strike at the one nearest my paw. I feel my claws lodge themselves very firmly into their thigh and know that this guy would not be getting up for a while.

The other two shot stunning spells at me crazily, but I dodge them all, my cat reflexes are even better than my human ones.

When one of the two lands a kick at me however I hesitated in my shock and was flung about half way across the room.

I was hurting now more than ever and I knew I had to finish this. I was furious and what does a furious cat do but growl.

I let out an ear splitting roar that, I admit even shocked me, and ran at my attackers. Using my momentum I took one down against the floor, hard. The other however cast a spell at me (the same one that Sirius and Remus used on Peter in my third year) to force me to change back to my human form.

It was much more painful than the normal change and took more energy out of me than I had to spare.

I hit the floor with a groan. It was when the sound came out of my mouth that I realized that I had my voice back. I could cast again!

I'm sorry to say, though, that my attacker realized the same thing and cast an "Expelliarmus!" so fast all I could do was try to feeble grasp at my wand as it flew away from me.

The final attacker left circled me slowly and I got the feeling that he was dying to talk, but knew that he couldn't.

I, however, could still talk.

"It's just you and me now Mr. Big and Bad. What are you going to do?"

I could feel the smirk coming off of him as he turned his wand on the two broken-nosed losers still groaning in pain on the floor. "Resarcio Medulla!"

He hissed in a raspy voice that I knew wasn't his real one. The down side of using voice disguising spells was that it made your voice so odd that everyone you approached knew it wasn't your real voice. It kind of defeats the purpose in a way.

I wondered something then, did that mean I knew this guy. He obviously thought I would recognize his voice.

My musing was brought to a halt when I realized what the spell he had just cast did. The two I had knocked out by breaking their noses were up once more, and they looked... mad.

Three on one yet again. Damn it, will this never end!

"Couldn't handle me alone, could you? Had to revive the rest of the dork squad? Well your last two cohorts, I'm afraid are beyond revival... or did you not see the gashes all over them?" I said cruelly.

I'm afraid the effect was not as chilling as it should have been though seeing as my lip was bleeding from... well from one of my many falls to the ground and I had to stop at one point to swallow the blood filling my mouth.

That was when I realized. My lip wasn't bleeding. Blood was coming from the inside of my mouth. When the hell had that happened? Ah yes... broken jaw.

My assailants seemed to be very annoyed with my teasing because one of them swiftly hit me with another silencing charm and I wanted to scream.

How the hell was I going to get out of this with no wands, no voice, and no help?

My attackers seemed to be trying to discuss what to do with me without speaking. I watched them for a moment, exchanging significant glances. All of them keeping one eye on me and their wands pointing to my heart.

Stealthily though I slipped my hand into my pocket to see if I had anything that could help me. I felt two hard round things and a bit of lint.

Trying to remember where I had gotten the two round things it all came back to me, Dumbledore!

I had been in his office having one of our little meetings/training sessions (it depended on if we were in the mood to talk or do magic) and he had offered me some lemon drops before I left.

I had refused seeing as I am really not too fond of the sour treats. Well that and the fact that I am convinced that he puts some kind of calming or sedative potion in them so he can get the answers he wants. But he had insisted that I take some.

I took one from the aged man's hands and he had looked up at me, his eyes serious and intense and he said, "Harry I believe you will need at least two."

I had been somewhat spooked by his intense gaze and had responded, "Right, I'm sure that once I try one I won't be able to resist another right?"

His eyes had softened and they began twinkling once more. "Quite right my boy, quite right. After all my fascination with the sweets began with one free sample a very long time ago...and look at me now!" he answered placidly.

Feeling the hard candies under my fingers a plan began to form in my mind. It would involve some very difficult spells (which I would have to do without a wand and without a voice).

I was still debating over whether or not to even try what I was thinking when my attackers seemed to come to a conclusion. They had all lifted their wands simultaneously some spell on their lips when I made my split second choice.

I might as well try it.

I threw my legs out in a swiping motion once more tripping the three goons, 'WHEN were they going to learn?'

And I, still on the floor placed the two candies down in front on me. I quickly stood at the same time as my attackers and focused.

I built a very flimsy shield around myself and the two treats wandlessly; and as the enemy threw spells at it, I focused on the candies.

I tried to remember everything McGonagall had told me about the spell I was attempting. I focused on each part of the candies in front of me. It didn't take too long to get their exact images in my mind. I then focused on slowly changing their shapes.

Once they were in the relative shapes I wanted them to be (in my mind that is) I focused on the details. Everything had to be perfect if this was going to work.

My enemies must have thought I was crazy standing there staring at two yellow pieces of candy. But I was very focused and was beyond caring.

Once I had them exactly the way I wanted them in my minds I prepared to cast the spell on them.

It was this exact moment when my attackers finally broke my shield. I was hit with a burning hex and I screamed as I seemingly burned alive.

All the while I was still focusing on keeping the images I had created of the candies in my mind. I couldn't loose the exact pictures now, or else I would have to do it all again.

And at this rate I wouldn't get the chance to do it again.

When the spell was taken off I did not look at my opponents I simply stared at the candies with renewed focus and held out my left hand (my right one still had splinters in the wrist and it hurt a lot to move it now).

Thinking the words, 'Aedifico biformatus' as I could not say them, I prayed that this worked.

After a few seconds I heard the startled gasps of my three remaining assailants and I knew I did it. I opened my eyes and right before me instead of lemon drops there were...

...two other Harry Potters.

And they had wands.

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Author (C. Night) Notes: Done! I hadn't planned to stop there. Originally I was going to finish out this whole scene with the 5 attackers, but I thought it was a great place to stop. So thanks to two little lemon drops its three on three... go Harry! If anything was confusing let me know. I am not sure how great a job I did with the spell casting and fighting, but I thought it was good enough.

Special thanks to the following for reviewing the last chapter:

NightSerpent (NS): Glad you approve of the Harry/Blaise thing lol. More to come with her, but as of right now Harry's a bit preoccupied.

Sea- Turtles: Ah yes the freedom that comes with writing. Lots of fun. Blaise does appear to be keeping him sane so far. Slytherins helping Gryffindors... who'd a thunk it!

SilverDragonHawk: I am on a favorite's list! Wow... you rock so hard! Thanks! :)

linky2: Yes Adrianna is a bit weird now isn't she. The conversation Harry had with her though was key. Harry hasn't realized it yet (cuz he's just dumb lol) but there is something very significant about Adrianna.

Elayne Sedai: Harry's sarcasm is very very fun to write. I also like the little flash backs. You learn a lot about Harry through them, but I am not sure how you guys like them. And I have read both of those stories by Ruskbyte they are great. I guess my Harry is a bit like that. Only he isn't on a drug...yet lol. j/k

Until next time...review!

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