"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded. It was too late. Lucius hit
them with a powerful sleeping spell. It was hours before Harry awoke. He
opened his eyes and wished he hadn't. From what he could tell he was in a
prison cell. Zelda was nowhere in sight. Instead his cell door was wide
open and several prisoners had gathered to see who the new inmate was.
Harry felt for his wand. He remembered giving it to Lucius.
"Stay back." Harry warned. Some of the prisoners laughed.
"Leave the boy alone." Someone said coldly. The prisoners hushed immediately and parted for the wizard to enter the room.
"Harry Potter isn't it?" He asked. The prisoner had blue eyes and dark hair. Harry nodded his head.
"Benjamin Gumble." The prisoner said shaking Harry's hand.
"I overheard the Death eaters talking about you, they've got your friend in the highest tower." Harry's face fell.
"I have to get there." Harry said standing up.
"Just a minute." Benjamin said putting his hands up.
"There are dementors on the prowl everywhere." Harry pushed past him.
"I've dealt with dementors before, they're nothing." He insisted.
"Perhaps you have, but you wont last two seconds without your wand." Benjamin stated. Harry looked up.
"Why are you helping me?" He asked in a suspicious voice.
"Sirius Black was a very good friend of mine, in and outside of Azkaban."
*~*~*
Before long Harry had let himself be led away by this stranger. He wondered what Ron and Hermione would think of him accepting the help of a convicted felon. Nonetheless Sirius was a prisoner of Azkaban once and Harry trusted him above anyone else. Benjamin took Harry to a place where most of the prisoners were gathered.
"Alright listen up." He shouted. "It appears the rumours are true and he- who-must-not-be-named has returned. Now you can either help us find Harry's wand and free his friend or let yourselves fall to the hands of the Death eaters who arrived this morning." A murmur went up from the crowd.
"Why should we risk our lives to help the boy?" Someone yelled over the murmur.
"Because Harry here's our only chance of ridding the world of he-who-must- not-be-named." Benjamin said fiercely.
"How do we know that's the real Harry Potter?" Another prisoner shouted. Soon there were more questions in the air than Benjamin could answer. The crowd died down and most of the inmates left in pure frustration. A dozen prisoners remained.
"Well I'm with you Ben." Several of the remaining inmates agreed.
"Either way, we don't stand a chance without Harry Potter, the boy who lived..."
*~*~*
Back at Hogwarts most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix had gathered.
"This is exactly why I didn't want Harry at Hogwarts." Mrs Weasley moaned.
"Please calm down Mrs Weasley." Dumbledore tried to comfort her.
"Albus what are we going to do?" Mad-eye moody asked. Suddenly the door flung open.
"Where is she?" Severus Snape demanded.
"Now, now Albus was just about to speak." Moody started up. Dumbledore put up his hand.
"It's quite alright Moody." He said.
"Come and have a seat Professor Snape." Dumbledore offered.
"I'd rather stand." Snape said stiffly.
"Very well, I have it on great authority that the students are being held at Azkaban prison." Snape looked as though he was going to faint.
"Therefore I declare that a rescue party must be sent post haste." The order nodded in agreement.
"But who of us should go?" Mr Weasley asked.
"I will." Snape instantly volunteered himself.
"Very well, one other wizard should do it." Dumbledore said. Sirius Black burst through the door. All eyes were on him.
"Right then, what'd I miss?"
"Stay back." Harry warned. Some of the prisoners laughed.
"Leave the boy alone." Someone said coldly. The prisoners hushed immediately and parted for the wizard to enter the room.
"Harry Potter isn't it?" He asked. The prisoner had blue eyes and dark hair. Harry nodded his head.
"Benjamin Gumble." The prisoner said shaking Harry's hand.
"I overheard the Death eaters talking about you, they've got your friend in the highest tower." Harry's face fell.
"I have to get there." Harry said standing up.
"Just a minute." Benjamin said putting his hands up.
"There are dementors on the prowl everywhere." Harry pushed past him.
"I've dealt with dementors before, they're nothing." He insisted.
"Perhaps you have, but you wont last two seconds without your wand." Benjamin stated. Harry looked up.
"Why are you helping me?" He asked in a suspicious voice.
"Sirius Black was a very good friend of mine, in and outside of Azkaban."
*~*~*
Before long Harry had let himself be led away by this stranger. He wondered what Ron and Hermione would think of him accepting the help of a convicted felon. Nonetheless Sirius was a prisoner of Azkaban once and Harry trusted him above anyone else. Benjamin took Harry to a place where most of the prisoners were gathered.
"Alright listen up." He shouted. "It appears the rumours are true and he- who-must-not-be-named has returned. Now you can either help us find Harry's wand and free his friend or let yourselves fall to the hands of the Death eaters who arrived this morning." A murmur went up from the crowd.
"Why should we risk our lives to help the boy?" Someone yelled over the murmur.
"Because Harry here's our only chance of ridding the world of he-who-must- not-be-named." Benjamin said fiercely.
"How do we know that's the real Harry Potter?" Another prisoner shouted. Soon there were more questions in the air than Benjamin could answer. The crowd died down and most of the inmates left in pure frustration. A dozen prisoners remained.
"Well I'm with you Ben." Several of the remaining inmates agreed.
"Either way, we don't stand a chance without Harry Potter, the boy who lived..."
*~*~*
Back at Hogwarts most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix had gathered.
"This is exactly why I didn't want Harry at Hogwarts." Mrs Weasley moaned.
"Please calm down Mrs Weasley." Dumbledore tried to comfort her.
"Albus what are we going to do?" Mad-eye moody asked. Suddenly the door flung open.
"Where is she?" Severus Snape demanded.
"Now, now Albus was just about to speak." Moody started up. Dumbledore put up his hand.
"It's quite alright Moody." He said.
"Come and have a seat Professor Snape." Dumbledore offered.
"I'd rather stand." Snape said stiffly.
"Very well, I have it on great authority that the students are being held at Azkaban prison." Snape looked as though he was going to faint.
"Therefore I declare that a rescue party must be sent post haste." The order nodded in agreement.
"But who of us should go?" Mr Weasley asked.
"I will." Snape instantly volunteered himself.
"Very well, one other wizard should do it." Dumbledore said. Sirius Black burst through the door. All eyes were on him.
"Right then, what'd I miss?"