A/N: Sorry it took me so much longer to post, but I had trouble writing this chapter mostly due to lack of time. I'm not sure I even like how it turned out. It felt like I was trying to do too much in just one chapter. Let me know your thoughts in a review!
Chapter 28- The True Meaning of Friendship
A mysterious silence had enveloped the ancient castle with its oppressing arms. Although classes had resumed the next day, the normally cheerful students were now subdued with the knowledge that the war was creeping closer and closer to their own doorsteps. It was as if the glittery illusion of denial had been burst open in all of its glory revealing the truth. It was only a matter of time before many of these innocent souls looked into the blank, nameless faces of Death Eaters as their dreams of the future were shattered by reality. It's one thing to know that there is a war going on in the world around you, but it's quite another to feel the effects of such a haunting revelation directly.
Harry felt both saddened and relieved that he wasn't the only one perpetually worried about what was inevitably coming anymore. Everyone was observably overcome by the present situation. In fact it seemed as if the entire student body had suddenly been connected to one another in a very tangible way- the wizarding world that they knew was being threatened by the most evil wizards of their time. If the light didn't prevail, then the darkness that would ensue would certainly block the rays of happiness from ever reaching their hearts again.
War certainly has a way of putting things into perspective. Things that used to hold great importance in the life of a young teenager were no longer of any value when put against such weighty issues as death, battle, and for Harry… prophecies. Homework hardly seemed relevant when the lives of loved ones were at stake.
During classes and meals that following day, Harry would occasionally receive a furtive glance from his peers; as if to say, "Why isn't the Boy-Who-Lived doing anything about this?" or "Where was our so called savior when all those people died?"
It cut him to the very core to know what was expected of him… but he also knew that it was his fate… his destiny… his right to destroy that which was threatening them. Voldemort had been resurrected using his own blood. Harry realized that deaths of so many people would not have occurred if it weren't for him, and he held onto that shame and guilt… for now it empowered him. For the first time since he learned about the prophecy, he felt driven to do what was right once and for all.
Harry had asked the day before if Remus would help begin training for the inevitable confrontation with Voldemort, and he was feeling more determined than ever. He had spent the better part of his sixth year studying like a mad man in order to quell the depression he had gotten himself into, but book knowledge wasn't going to save his ass when the final showdown began. He decided that what he needed was some practical application and good old fashioned exercise. Long hours on his broom performing death defying maneuvers during Quidditch practice had toned his muscles nicely, but he knew that he didn't have the stamina that he needed when it came to the endless dodging, running, and spell casting that came with a true wizard battle. Harry now understood the importance of his role in this war, and he wanted to be prepared for just about anything; even if that meant hand to hand combat.
While briefly visiting his guardian in the hospital earlier that afternoon, Harry learned that Remus had already spoken with the other professors as per Harry's request. Dumbledore was currently organizing a training schedule that wouldn't interfere with his studies or Quidditch. Harry was anxious to begin, but he also couldn't ignore what was most important to him right now… making sure Remus was alright so that he could leave to bring Sirius home. His life was becoming more and more complicated with each passing day, and he wasn't really sure if he was up to all the challenges he was posing to himself.
After dinner that evening, Harry quickly explained to his friends that he wanted to visit Remus again, and then made his way down to the hospital ward. His heartbeat quickened as he approached his destination. Harry couldn't stop thinking about the condition Remus had been in last night; how he had been covered in so much blood…how he had seemed so weak…how he had almost lost him. He felt like a nervous parent checking on a newborn baby while he slept to make sure he was still breathing, but Harry couldn't help it. Never before had he had anything close to being a family, and he was endlessly worried about the man he had come to depend on.
He soon entered the infirmary and made a beeline to Remus.
"How are you?" asked Harry, walking up to his bed and leaning his hands on the frame of the foot board.
Remus was currently attempting to eat a bit of food, but was managing poorly due to the painful weakness in his limbs. Most of the food ay cold and uneaten on the tray in front of him. It was clear that the blood restorative potion Madam Pomfrey had given him was still affecting his mobility.
"Back again already?" asked Remus, as he slowly brought a cold piece of chicken to his mouth and proceeded to chew with some difficulty.
"I asked you question," Harry responded in a teasing tone.
"I'm fine," he said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the possibility that he wasn't.
"Okay, how are you really doing?" Harry persisted, as he sat beside Remus on the bed.
"I've been better," he finally replied with a heavy sigh. He shifted his position so that he could sit up more and his face grimaced with pain. "At least I only have to be in this stupid bed one more day."
The werewolf's condition had greatly improved over night and into the following day, but Madam Pomfrey still insisted that Remus needed to rest in the infirmary. She was certain that if she discharged him, he wouldn't take care of himself properly and would have a relapse. During the rest of Harry's visit, she pestered Remus with potions and endless questions about how he was feeling. It was difficult to hold a conversation as she continued to hover around them. For once, Harry was grateful that it wasn't him that was gaining the school nurse's bed side wrath. She could be quite intimidating in her motherly-do-as-I-say-or-else kind of way. Even Snape had a hard time managing her, and he could argue with the best of them.
Noticing that the sky outside had turned considerably darker; Harry decided it was time to excuse himself. "I guess I should be going now," said Harry as he stood up to leave. He had already been there nearly an hour and he still had some things he needed to do.
"Thanks, Harry," said Remus, as he grabbed Harry's hand.
Harry turned around and stared down at his tired face. "For what?"
"For taking the time to keep an old man company. I really appreciate it…"
Harry smiled down at him and said, "No problem."
"Maybe we can talk some more tomorrow when I get out of here," he offered. "Something you said last night has been on my mind."
"Uh… sure…" said Harry apprehensively. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell Remus that by tomorrow he would already be gone in search of Sirius. Beltane was fast approaching. He briefly wondered what Remus wanted to talk about. Was it about the information he shared about possibly bringing Sirius back?
Remus, knowing Harry so well now, picked up on the change in the tone of his voice instantly. "What? What is it?"
"Nothing… I just remembered that I promised Draco that I would meet him tonight." It wasn't a total lie. He had told Draco he would see him later.
"Oh," said Remus, but he was sure that the man hadn't believed him. "Alright then… hurry along. Can't keep lover boy waiting," he added playfully.
"I'll see you later," Harry replied as he reached down one last time to hug him. A small part of him realized that should anything go wrong in his plans tonight, this may very well be the last time either of them saw one another. "I love you," he whispered as he walked away.
With the knowledge that Remus was going to be alright and that his training would soon begin, Harry concentrated on his upcoming task as he walked toward the Room of Requirement. Sadly, meeting Draco ended up being a complete and utter disaster.
Harry had found him napping on one of the couches when he entered the room. He stealthily crept towards his sprawled body, kneeled beside the couch, and awoke his love with a chaste kiss on the lips. Draco awoke with a startled smile on his face.
"I wondered when you would get here," he said sleepily. "I literally got tired of waiting." Draco yawned dramatically and turned to face Harry.
"Sorry, I wanted to check on Remus one last time," he replied in a dejected tone.
"What do you mean 'one last time'?" said Draco quizzically as he suddenly sat upright and crossed his arms.
Alarmed by Draco's body language, Harry quickly replied, "Nothing… I just meant one last time before I came here to snog you senseless."
"Oh…then by all means… please proceed." Draco plastered his signature smirk onto his face and seemed to forget about Harry's little slip of the tongue for the time being. The prospect of being alone with Harry again was just too great to pass up.
Neither one said another word as they embraced passionately and began to kiss. Harry climbed onto the couch on top of Draco and fell deeper into his embrace. They both needed this intimate contact desperately as they both felt weight of what was happening around the world. Draco was still thinking about the safety of his mother, and Harry… well, Harry had other things on his mind. A part of him felt like he was saying goodbye to Draco as well in case anything were to happen to him on his journey.
After a lengthy snogging session they lay beside one another quietly. Harry wasn't even aware that he was clinging to Draco tightly until the other made a joke about it. Harry had tried to act casually, like there wasn't any reason for him to be holding on for dear life, but Draco also sensed that something was indeed bothering him. That was the disadvantage to letting others get close to your heart… they can read you like an open book when you want them to the least.
"What is it?" asked Draco as he kissed the top of Harry's head. "Tell me what's on your mind."
"It's nothing… really…" Harry insisted.
"Are you worried about the war?"
"Well, yes, but it's not that…"
"Than there is something wrong… tell me…" Draco sat up quickly and pulled Harry up beside him. His grey-blue eyes searched Harry's face for some kind of answer.
"It's nothing really…"
"C'mon… please tell me…is it about Sirius?"
"Draco it's nothing… leave it alone," said Harry in a frustrated voice.
"No, I won't. You have been acting all distant and mysterious for weeks now and I'm sick of it. What are you hiding from me?" he spat angrily. Something in his eyes told Harry that he knew more than he was letting on.
"It's nothing! Leave me alone."
The blonde continued to question him endlessly, bringing up a variety of issues that could be plaguing him, but Harry refused to admit that anything was wrong. There was no way he was going to reveal to him that he was secretly going to go try to save Sirius. That would mean Draco- and possibly Ron and Hermione- would follow him and he couldn't risk putting their lives at stake for something he was trying to put right.
They each raised their voices increasingly louder until it was clear that an all out argument had erupted. Never before had they fought like this… well, at least not since they had begun a relationship. Harry felt like he was fighting with the old Draco instead of the man he had come to love.
Finally, when it became too much to bear, Harry covered Draco's mouth with his hand and said, "I can't do this anymore… I love you… and I refuse to fight over something so stupid! Good night, Draco"
And with that Harry stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him. He was shaking with emotion as he left, and he felt a huge knot in his chest. He knew that it was the guilt over what he had done eating way at him again. Lying to the man he loved was a horrible thing to do. This certainly wasn't the way Harry wanted to leave things with him. Draco had every right to know what was going on, but Harry refused to say or do anything that might result in Draco getting hurt. In his heart he truly felt that he was keeping the people he loved safe.
Harry swallowed painfully, willing away the thickness in his throat, and made his way towards Gryffindor Tower. The anxiety he was feeling was becoming overwhelming…. so overwhelming, in fact, that he was starting to feel the need to cut again in order release some of pain he was feeling inside. Instead, he went in search of his journal and hoped that it would be enough. Besides, he was secure in the knowledge that he would have to use a blade once again, and he was pretty sure that he could wait until then if necessary.
Lying in the dark for the last few hours, he listened until he was sure that his dorm mates were all asleep. He didn't want to alert anyone that he was leaving because it would rouse too many suspicions. As quiet as the night, Harry slipped out of bed and began to prepare for his impending journey soundlessly.
In theory it all seemed so simple really: fly to the southwest coast of Ireland, find the temple that contained the second veil on Donn Island, use the spell and potion to bring back Sirius, and then fly back. He would really only be gone a few days depending on how things went.
Checking the alarm clock beside his bed, he could see that it was almost midnight- the witching hour. Harry had never felt so anxious or scared in all of his life. He knew what he was doing was risky, but he felt that it was something that he just had to do. If he didn't, he would never be able to forgive himself for leaving Sirius in that hell-like world.
Everything he needed had already been strategically placed beneath his bed for easy access. First he dressed in layers of warm clothing, knowing that if he became warm he could always take off a layer at a time. Spring time can be pretty unpredictable when it comes to weather conditions. One day may feel like a warm sunny day, and the next is more of a reminder of the winter that just passed. And the evenings could be quite chilly as well, so Harry wanted to be well prepared.
Reaching for his glasses that were also on his nightstand, Harry accidentally knocked over a metal frame that contained a picture of his friends. It clattered to the ground noisily, and Harry felt his heart begin thumping wildly. What if I woke one of them up? he wondered.
Harry froze hoping that the pale moonlight wouldn't give away his shadowed form standing beside the bed. He listened for signs that someone may be awake and heard Ron roll over in his sleep. His heartbeat quickened once again. It sounded as if he may have actually sat up slightly in bed, but Harry couldn't be sure in the darkness. He feared for a moment that his red headed friend may be lying awake listening as to what had made the noise, but Ron soon rolled back over as if nothing had happened. Harry waited another few minutes until he was sure that Ron had gone back to sleep before he got to work again.
He decided to ignore the frame that still lay on the floor and focused on what he needed to do. Feeling around blindly, he checked everything he had packed earlier in his bag again, and slung it over his shoulder. He then grabbed his broomstick from the corner and a pair of shoes and padded quietly across the room and out the door. It wasn't until he had reached the bottom of the stairs that he deemed it safe to put on his shoes. He had been too afraid that the sounds his footsteps would have awakened his friends, and the last thing that he needed was anyone asking questions.
Sitting there on the steps he took a moment to gather his thoughts about what he needed to do. He briefly reached inside his robes and felt for the magical amulet that still hung around his neck. He then clasped his hand around the chain and pulled out the silver dragon pendant. Harry still couldn't believe that Draco had given him such a precious gift last summer. Holding it up, he watched as its emerald eyes sparkled in the candlelight. It was all he had to alert him of any dangers on his journey and he hoped that it would be enough. The ever growing presence of Death Eaters was on the back of his mind ever since the battle had occurred in Southern England, and he truly didn't know what he would do if he had any fateful encounters with them.
He replaced the dragon to its hiding place beneath his shirt and straightened up. He then began to walk across the common room when he abruptly stopped in the middle as realized what he was about to do. He was setting off on a dangerous mission… alone… without letting anyone know what he was doing. He suddenly felt extremely guilty. He hadn't even gotten a chance to say to goodbye to Ron and Hermione earlier like he had with Remus and Draco. After everything his friends had done for him, didn't he at least owe them the courtesy of leaving a note behind explaining what was happening? It wasn't like he had to tell them exactly where he was going…no, they would only follow… but he could at least explain that he hadn't been captured by Death Eaters or anything serious.
Sighing heavily he walked over to a large desk that lay against the wall opposite of the fireplace. He fumbled around inside the many drawers until he found an old pad of Hogwarts stationary, a quill, and an ink well. He began to write a quick note to his friends explaining everything, when a noise from the stairs got his attention.
"Oh good… you're still here," said Hermione as she descended the steps. She was closely followed by Ron.
Harry's jaw dropped in shock at the sight of his best friends. Both were dressed in outdoor wear and seemed to be fully awake, despite the late hour. They were each carrying a knapsack on their back and a broom as well.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked angrily. How had they found out? he wondered. He had been so discreet when he had begun to make his plans that he was sure that there was no way for them to know what he was doing.
"What do mean 'what the hell is going on'?" asked Ron as he walked across the common room to stand beside Harry. He plunked his knapsack down onto the floor and lifted his broom off of his shoulder.
"You know what I mean… why are you both up?" he snapped back.
"Because we're coming with you, of course," said Hermione in a matter-of-fact tone as she stood beside Ron.
"Oh no you're not! Besides who said I was going anywhere?" he countered.
"Isn't it a little obvious?" said Ron as he gestured towards Harry's gear lying beside the desk. His eyes traveled to the piece of stationary lying on the table top and he picked it up before Harry could snatch it away. "Hey, Hermione, looks like you won the bet. He was going to leave us a note before he set off on his own."
"I told you that he wouldn't just leave without saying anything. He knows how upset we would have been," said Hermione as she peered over Ron's arm to read Harry's messy scrawl.
"Give that back!" Harry shouted. "I don't want you to read it now!" He tried to grab the letter, but his short stature left him ill suited to reach as high as Ron was now holding it.
"It doesn't matter anyway, Har…" the red head said as he crumpled up the stationary and chucked into a nearby waste paper basket. "We already know what you are up to."
"How? Did you read my journal or something?" he asked fearfully. There were so many personal thoughts written down in his journal that he couldn't bear it if anyone read it. The very thought felt like his soul was being ripped out his body.
"No, of course not, Harry. That's private!" Hermione insisted. "We would never do that to you."
"Then how the hell did you find out? I didn't say anything!" he yelled. Harry was really getting upset now. He didn't want anyone coming with him, and it was clear that it would be difficult to leave now without his friends knowing.
"We know," they both said at once and rolled their eyes in frustration. Harry wasn't sure he liked his two friends ganging up on him like this. Hermione, he was used to, but Ron and Hermione together seemed like an unstoppable force.
"You know, we gave you several chances to come clean, Harry…" Hermione began. "We asked you repeatedly to let us know what you were researching."
"Come clean? But there is nothing going on!" Harry yelled indignantly. He knew that it was pointless to hide the fact that he was going to try and save Sirius, but it was worth the effort if it meant that his friends would be safe.
Ron's face became an angry red as he shouted, "I can't believe you are going to stand here and lie to us still!"
Hermione placed a hand gently on his arm as if to remind him that they had to stay calm. Ron closed his eyes took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he opened his eyes again he seemed calmer. The change was amazing and it revealed just how much Hermione's influence had an affect on him. "Harry, don't lie to us… please… not after everything that has happened…" Ron tried again.
"I don't want to lie, but I don't want you guys coming with me either… I didn't want you to even know at all until I came back," Harry said softly.
"That's why we… well I… had to do some investigative work of my own," said Hermione. "You're not the only one who is all buddy-buddy with Madam Pince now."
"She sold me out?" he said incredulously.
"Well, it's not like you didn't tell her not to, and you did return all the materials you had been using to the library. She just figured that since we had originally started searching the library together that I wanted the same information that she had provided to you. I guess she thought we were working on some project together."
"How did you know I was leaving tonight?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well, it wasn't hard to figure out the time frame in which you would leave. I read the information about the veil being the thinnest around Samhain and Beltane so we figured you would try to make it for the spring festival. We weren't really sure which night you would leave, but we had a pretty good idea. Ron here hasn't slept a wink all week making sure that you didn't leave without us knowing," Hermione replied nodding in her boyfriend's direction with a proud look on her face.
"How did you figure out I would be flying?"
"Well, we know how much you hate using the floo and portkeys, and apparating is out of the question since you don't know how… flying was just a natural conclusion," said Ron.
"Hey guys, let me in…" said a muffled voice suddenly from the other side of the portrait hole.
"Well… I never!" said the painting of the fat lady, as that same someone began to knock loudly on the painting's frame.
"That must be Draco," said Hermione. She brushed past Harry and pushed open the painting to allow Draco entrance.
"How does he know what's going on?" asked Harry. "It's the middle of the night!"
"Nice to see you too, love," said Draco, who seemed a bit of breath. Harry wondered if he had run all the way here from the Slytherin dorms. The tall blonde smiled mischievously at Harry as he and Hermione joined the others. He was carrying a knapsack and a broom with him as well, and it was becoming more and more apparent that the three of them had planned this little intervention long ago. Standing side by side defiantly, Harry's closest friends had effectively formed a human wall between him and his exit.
"Well, that was really a stroke of genius on Draco's part… he transfigured some buttons to work as a sort of signal system. As soon as Ron heard you leave tonight, he activated his button with his wand, which sent a signal to our buttons. They lit up like a Christmas tree and began vibrating. It would be impossible to sleep with something like that attached to your clothing," explained Hermione.
"What? Let me see…" demanded Harry.
Draco and Hermione each pulled out an old S.P.E.W. badge from their pockets. They were apparently left over from Hermione's days of pursuing house elf rights. Ron looked a little less enthusiastic about showing him his button, and Harry soon realized it was because his said "Weasley is our king!" Just as Harry was going to shoot a knowing glance in Draco's direction, Ron tapped his button with his wand four times, which then activated the other two. Sure enough, the light display that emanated from the buttons was quite amazing. Draco seemed to be grinning from ear to ear over his sheer brilliance over such a creation, but Harry knew that part of his smirk stemmed from the opportunity to give a jab at Ron's ego once again.
"So you're telling me that you have known all along that I was planning on saving Sirius, figured out where I was going, when I was approximately leaving, and then devised a plan to alert one another so that you could mess up my plans. How could you guys possibly plan all of this without me knowing?"
"Very carefully…" Ron muttered under his breath. "It's no different than you keeping secrets from us."
"But I don't understand something…I thought you two still hated each other," said Harry as he looked back and forth between Ron and Draco.
"We have had our moments, but looking after you has kind of brought us all together," replied Draco, who gave the other two a lopsided smile.
"Yeah… once you get past Draco's I'm-such-an-arrogant-git routine, he's not such a bad guy," said Ron in a dead pan voice.
"Hey," said Draco, shoving Ron playfully. "You know you're not such easy bloke to get along with either."
"Alright, alright... enough already. You two drive me nuts," said Hermione shaking her head in frustration. "Anyway, Harry… we have been secretly planning all of this for a while now because we had a sneaking suspicions that you would try to do something utterly stupid. It looks like we were right about everything."
Harry shook his head in disbelief while the other three looked at him with anticipation. "No… this isn't happening… you three are staying here…" he said firmly.
"I don't think so," said Draco. "You either go with the three of us or not at all. I'm sorry, but that's the way it's gotta be." He took a step towards Harry, closing in the space between them as if to reiterate the point he had just made.
"No! I'm leaving without you all and you can't stop me. I'll stun you if I have to," said Harry looking at Draco directly. He made a movement to grab his wand, but Ron's hand on his arm stopped him.
"You pull that wand and you will be stunned right along with him," said Ron seriously. As if on cue, they all pulled their wands from their pockets and glanced at each other nervously.
"Why are you doing this? Why can't you understand why I need to do this alone?" said Harry almost desperately. He looked into Draco's eyes and prayed that he would just let him do what he needed to do.
"Because we don't understand… after everything we have been through, why can't you trust us? Why can't you trust me?" asked Draco. He raised his hand towards Harry's face and cupped his chin gently. "I asked you what was going on earlier. I even asked you directly if what you were hiding had anything to do with Sirius. Why are you hiding from me?"
Harry pulled away from Draco's reach and turned to the side in an attempt to distance himself slightly. He then crossed his arms over his chest and thought frantically for something to say that would make them understand. In the end, he could only think of one thing to say. "Because I could never forgive myself if anything were to happen to you… I already live with the guilt over the others everyday… it eats me alive…"
Draco and the others looked at one another quickly before turning back to him. It was Hermione that spoke next. "Harry, I think we understand, but can you explain it to us anyway," she tried.
"You don't know what its like to feel responsible for so many deaths… first my parents, then Cedric and Sirius, and now so many others… It's too dangerous out there with the Death Eaters and Dementors waging war on us… I couldn't bear it if any of you died… I think I would die too…"
"But Harry, that's exactly how we feel about you…" said Draco. "Why can't you see that?"
"What?" asked Harry, turning back towards them.
"You say you live with the guilt everyday… but you couldn't possibly have done anything to stop the death of your parents, Cedric, or Sirius. Nor could you have prevented the battle in Dartmoor. It wasn't your fault!"
Ron stepped into the conversation and finished what Draco was trying to say. "Draco's right, Harry; none of that was your fault… whether you believe it or not… but this is a different case entirely. What kind of friends would we be if we knowingly allowed you to set off on some dangerous mission on your own? What if something happened to you? What if you were captured by Death Eaters and tortured or killed? I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I could have somehow stopped you or at least been at your side."
"Even if it means that you would die too?" asked Harry, staring at his best friend fearfully.
"Absolutely. I would die to protect you. Any of us would," he replied. The other two nodded in consent.
"But I don't want you to die…"
"And we won't… not as long as we stick together… four wands are always better than one," said Draco.
"Can't you see what you mean to us? How much we love you?" asked Hermione.
"I guess I'm starting to…" Harry replied, as he stared uncomfortably at the floor. He knew how much his friends cared about him, but he had been conditioned to feel alone and unloved for so long, that it was still difficult to believe it sometimes. It felt almost too good to be true. Sighing deeply, he knew that he owed them an apology. "I'm sorry I kept all of this from all of you…"
"Just see that it doesn't happen again," said Draco pulling him into a hug. He kissed his temple and then buried his forehead into Harry's shoulder, pulling him in closer. Harry breathed in his scent and felt the comfort in knowing that he truly wasn't alone. "I love you… stop shutting me out," he whispered. Harry nodded into his shoulder and squeezed him tightly.
"Hey, we want to get some hugs in too," said Hermione as she nudged Draco out of the way to allow herself and Ron to also show Harry how much he meant to them.
"You guys are the best friends a guy could ever have..." Harry said, as they finally parted.
"We know," said Ron.
"I can't believe you were actually going to go on this mission all on your own," said Draco incredulously.
Harry shrugged like it was no big deal. "I was just trying to keep you guys safe."
"Speaking of which, do you still want to go save Sirius now that the three of us will be tagging along?" asked Hermione.
"I have to … I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least try… besides, I don't know if I can live with his memories in my dreams for the rest of my life."
"You're still dreaming his memories?" asked Draco. Harry nodded in response. "Any voices?"
"Not since… well, you know…." The others nodded in relief, remembering what happened the last time Harry thought he was hearing voices.
"Well, let's do this then. Let's go bring Sirius home," said Ron, clapping his hand on Harry's shoulder affectionately.
"So what's the plan?" asked Draco.
"Well, I had planned on flying approximately south-south west through Scotland. I wanted try to make at least half the trip tonight. If possible, I want to cross the North Channel before morning and then rest on the shore of Northern Ireland."
The others looked at him incredulously. "Have you ever been on a broom that long?" asked Ron.
"Well, no… but I was on a broom for a couple of hours when the Order brought me to Grimmauld Place. Listen, I know that sounds like long a flight but Beltane is almost here. There is now…" Harry said looking at his watch, "less than 24 hours left before I need to perform the spell and make the potion."
"Then I guess we have no choice," said Hermione. Her jaw was set tightly against her face and Harry knew that she was mentally calculating how long she would be on a broom. Although she was a superbly talented witch, she had never really taken to flying the way the rest of them had.
"Let's check out those maps of yours before we leave," said Ron. Harry pulled out his maps and pointed to the red line that depicted the path he had chosen to navigate. "This all looks pretty good… except that… well, I don't think you should cross the North Channel so far to the south… I owled Percy last week and he compiled a list of known Death Eater locations and Stanraer was mentioned briefly in an auror's report. I think that crossing from here is a better alternative." He pointed to a location on the shore of Scotland a few miles north of the previous location.
"If we cross here we will make it to Northern Ireland somewhere near the Giant's Causeway," said Harry looking up from the map to peer into Ron's eyes. "Do you know if there were any Death Eaters seen in this part of the country?"
"Percy didn't mention it, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Judging from the attack on Dartmoor there could have been a lot of movement in just the last week or so."
"But how will we know we are going in the right direction?" Hermione inquired.
"Well, I do have a compass… and we could always use a 'Point Me' spell of we get off track," said Harry.
"And I am pretty familiar with most of Britain. I traveled with my family a lot when I was younger so I should be able to determine by the landscape if we are going in the right direction," Draco offered.
"Sounds good, let's go!" said Ron. He grabbed his things from beside the common room's desk and began to walk towards the portrait hole. Harry and Draco made movements to follow.
"Wait!" Hermione yelled. "Are we absolutely sure we are prepared for everything?'
"Ugh…'Mione… we're wasting time," said Ron impatiently. "We have plenty of food, water, bedding, and clothing, and we're not going to be gone that long. And you've got those bloody ruin translation books that you insisted on bringing. What else do we need?"
"I'm not sure, but I feel like I'm forgetting something…"
"Listen, Hermione, we need to move. I have my cauldron and all the ingredients I need for the potion. I have my mother's journal, some clothing I have altered for Sirius, and three maps. We aren't forgetting anything. Let's move!"
"No wait! What about Remus?"
"What about him?" said Harry, looking at his friend quizzically. He was pretty sure that he knew what she was alluding to.
"Shouldn't we at least tell him something? He is going to be worried sick!"
"Hermione, don't fight me on this one… please… it's bad enough the three of you are coming along. I don't want Remus to come after us in the condition that he is in…"
"But Harry…"
"Granger, Harry made it clear that he didn't even want us to know. I doubt he wants to tell the one person that is going to run after him to make sure he is alright. He's still in the hospital for Merlin's sake," said Draco, jumping to Harry's defense.
"Fine, I guess I understand. But do you think it is really wise that we're leaving without notifying a professor? I mean we are doing something that could be quite dangerous… no one would know where we were if anything should happen to us…"
"We're not telling anyone…" said Harry as he crossed his arms defiantly and glared at her.
"But if you would just listen…" she tried to explain.
"We're not telling anyone!"
"But I could just…"
"Hermione, we're not tell…" Harry was never able to finish his sentence because his bushy haired friend cast a silencing spell on him. Harry continued to yell, but nothing came out of his mouth. Draco was about to argue that Hermione should mind her own business, but saw that she had turned her wand in his direction. He immediately quieted.
"There, that's better. As I was trying to say… I think we should write Remus or one of the other professors a letter explaining where we have gone off to, but put it on a time lock so that Hedwig can't deliver it until… say 24 hours from now… that way if something were to go wrong they would know where we were and what was going on."
"Hey… that actually sounds like a good idea, Harry," said Ron. "I've never used it before, but there is a time lock box in the owlery specifically for that purpose. What do you say?"
Harry looked at each of his friends faces and finally stopped to look at Draco for some kind of guidance. Draco consented that it did sound like the best way to fulfill their mission and still remain safe. Harry agreed as well, albeit reluctantly.
Hermione lifted the silencing spell, and Harry fetched another piece of stationary in order to write his letter. It took a little longer than he expected because he found himself trying to explain to Remus what he was doing in a way that wouldn't make him feel slighted. When he was somewhat satisfied with what he wrote, the four friends made their way to the owlery.
"Hello girl," said Harry as he approached his beloved pet. "Sorry I've been such a stranger. I'm going to go find an old friend of yours, but I need you to do something for me. I'm going to go put this letter in that red box over there. It's going to hold on to this until it's time to deliver it. When you see it pop out I need you to deliver it to Remus. Can you do that, Hedwig?"
The snowy white owl ruffled her feathers indignantly. Harry knew she didn't like to wait, but he had no choice. "Please…." he pleaded. After some bird-like contemplation, she nipped his fingers affectionately and hooted to show she understood. "Thanks girl… I will see you soon."
Hermione performed the spell to lock the box and set the time once the letter was safely tucked inside. They then made their way outside and stopped only when they had reached the edge of the forbidden forest.
"Okay guys, this is it. There's no turning back once we get started," said Harry, checking his compass one last time before they took off.
"We're coming with you so stop stalling already," said Ron. He then mounted his broom and flew a couple of circles around the others impatiently.
"Get back down here, Ron," said Harry. "It's dangerous to travel by broomstick even at night. Death Eaters would be able to spot us with no trouble at all. I think we should cast a Disillusionment Charm on all of us."
"I've heard of that charm before, but I've never seen it used," said Ron, as he reached the ground once again. "It's supposed to turn you into some sort of chameleon."
"You don't really turn into a chameleon; your body just takes on the appearance of whatever is behind you. I've never cast one myself, but Moody put one on me when the Order brought me to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. I think I can do it too…"
Hermione looked appalled at the idea of any experimental spell casting. "Think? You're kidding me right, Harry? Please tell me you have at least read about the proper enunciation and wand movement associated with this spell."
"Sorry, no…but I do know how to remove it," he offered.
Hermione sighed in frustration and waved her hand as if to say Well, then get on with it already…
Harry pointed his wand at Ron and clearly said "DEFLUO!" Slowly, Ron's tall frame began to vanish before their very eyes. All that was left of him was a faint outline of his body. It was as if they were looking directly through him, but that the scenery behind him was somehow distorted. Even his pack on his back and broomstick, which he was still holding, took on the altered appearance.
"Wicked!" said Ron, as he attempted to look down to see his own body. "This is better than your invisibility cloak, Harry! Why didn't we ever think of doing this before?"
"Because we hadn't learnt it yet, Ron!" said Hermione, who had rolled her eyes at her child-like boyfriend. She in turn cast the same spell on Draco, who looked a bit surprised at the sudden action.
Harry quickly cast the spell on her, while Draco cast one at him. The familiar sensation overtook him quickly. It felt as though someone had broken an egg on his head, like a flood of cold running down over him. Soon the four friends were near invisible to the world around them. Thankfully, they were able to make out each other's facial features and body somewhat so it wasn't impossible to know where each other was at any one time.
Relieved that they were virtually invisible, they mounted their brooms quickly and took off in the chilly night air. The cloudless sky was illuminated by a waxing crescent moon and thousands of stars that twinkled above. They soon formed a tight diamond formation that would allow each other to converse if necessary and notice anyone's change in flight speed or direction. Being the more experienced flyer, Harry took the lead so that the others could fly in his draft. Hermione and Ron flanked either side of him on the left and right respectively. And Draco took up the rear. (A/N: I know that line sounds really funny, but I couldn't think of how to change it. Plus I kind of liked it. LOL).
Although there wasn't as much to see in the darkness of the night, the view was still spectacular nonetheless. Trees swayed softly in the wind, Lakes and rivers glittered in the moonlight, and every now and then they could see the twinkling lights of various Muggle towns and cities. It felt as though they were the only ones awake for miles around, and there was never any indication that they were being watched or followed in any way.
They flew silently over the countryside over the next several hours. Conversation while flying proved to be more difficult than they had assumed because the wind nearly drowned out their voices. Instead they each took to focusing on their mission. Flying all the way across Scotland, then over the sea, and through most of Ireland seemed to become more and more a daunting task as each hour past.
Harry had yet to reveal the true nature of the potion and spell that he had to cast in order to bring back Sirius. And he wasn't exactly looking forward to explaining what he had to do to the others. He knew the conversation would turn up eventually so for most of the journey he tried to think of what he was going to say to make them understand.
The foursome decided to only stop to take a break for a few minutes at a time. They made sure that they were adequately hydrated and that no one seemed so tired that they might fall off their broom. The group tried to keep on moving at all costs just in case they were being tailed by some unseen threat. None of the boys had wanted to admit that they were practically freezing to death flying up there for so long, but each readily agreed to submit to one of Hermione's warming charms once she proposed it. With their thirst quenched from a swig of water, and their bodies considerably warmer, the rest of their night journey went much more smoothly.
Near day break, the group found themselves resting on a rocky shore of Scotland near the North Channel. Harry insisted that they cross the sea before morning due to the late start on their journey. After resting almost a half an hour and eating a few scones Dobby had packed, the group set out over their most difficult leg of the mission. Should anything happen while they crossed the sea, there would be almost no chance of a rescue.
With much determination, the group mounted their brooms one last time that morning. Because they were traveling over open water, there was less likely a chance that anyone would spot them. Harry decided to lift the Disillusionment Charm for the purpose of safety. It would be much easier to determine if anyone were in danger if they were visible once more.
"Now hold still so that I can do this properly," said Harry. "EXSISTO!"
Each of his friends gradually reappeared until their bodies looked solid once more. Draco performed the same counter charm on him and he soon felt a trickling of warmth cover his tired body.
Glancing around at their tired faces, Harry knew that he was pushing them harder than anyone had ever done before. "Are you sure you guys still want to do this now? We can always cross the sea later?" asked Harry.
"No, let's get this over with. I think I'm getting my second or third wind. I'd sleep much better knowing that this part of our journey was over with," said Ron.
"I agree," said Hermione with a slight yawn. "But can we do this as quickly as possible? We're all getting pretty knackered."
"You want to fly full speed across the sea?" asked Draco. Hermione hadn't hidden the fact from them that she was still fearful of flying, and it was amazing that she was willing to fly full speed if necessary to cross the North Channel.
"Might as well get it over with, don't you think?" she said.
"Alright. Everyone ready?"
They all nodded and resumed the diamond position they had become accustomed to flying in. Harry took it easy at first and slowly leaned his body forward, accelerating his broom at an increasing pace. Glancing behind his shoulder ever so often to ensure that the others were still in line behind him, Harry quickened the pace until they were flying at near breakneck speeds. Fortunately, the ever rising sun was to their backs so they didn't have to squint into its offending light. After almost twenty minutes of death defying flying they slowed their pace as land became visible.
Harry glanced back once more and saw that the flight was as exhilarating for Draco and Ron as it had been for him. Hermione looked a little green after their long flight and he knew that he would have to find a place for them to rest soon.
When they reached the shore on the other side of the North Channel, they were met by an awesome sight. The Giant's Causeway.
Both Muggles and wizards alike have told legends about the origins of the mammoth stone structure and it was easy now to see why. The Giant's Causeway lay at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the coast of Northern Ireland on the edge of the Antrim plateau. It was made up of a field of 40,000 rough hexagonal basalt columns created by volcanic activity long ago. Each massive black column stuck up right out of the sea like some kind of ancient stepping stone used by behemoth like creatures. Some reached heights of 40 feet high.
The group followed the strange stone structure inland. The sun had come up fully by now and they knew they had to seek shelter soon. The Giant's Causeway was a popular tourist attraction and it went without saying that four teenagers on brooms would attract more attention than the stone structures would that morning. They needed to find cover quickly.
Harry headed straight towards a wooded area and searched for a place to rest where they wouldn't be noticed. As luck would have it, he found a rocky outcropping in the center of the forest that housed a small cave. It wasn't large enough to contain all four of them, but the stone ledge above the cave created a canopy that would help shield them from prying eyes. They would rest here for most of the day and set off again in the late afternoon for Donn Island.
Hermione quickly laid out four blankets on the ground and handed each a canister of water. When they all had adequately quenched their thirsts, they lay down beside one another quietly. Everyone was too tired for words. Hermione curled up beside Ron looking a little less green than she had earlier. The two were soon fast asleep.
Draco wrapped a protective arm around Harry, and pulled him closer. Despite their risky mission Harry felt oddly safe and secure in his boyfriend's arms. He temporarily put all worries about being able to save Sirius out of his mind. He reassured himself that they were already over half way to their destination, and allowed his over exhausted body to drift asleep without worry. He had no way of knowing the dangers that the rest of his journey would bring.
A/N: I hoped you like the chapter. I know you waited quite a while for it. The next one will mostly be about their adventures while traveling, and the following chapter will be when they arrive at Donn Island. By the way DEFLUO means "disappear" and EXSISTO means "appear" in Latin.
A/N2: I don't know if I'm really supposed to be leaving such long responses to my reviewers in each chapter, or if I'm allowed to respond to you at all. I have seen quite a few opinions about it in other fics. Some one please let me know what the policy is on that. I love doing it, but I don't want to get in trouble. I already had one little altercation with with BMTL. So if in the future I group responses together or not write back to you at all, please don't take offense and feel like I'm slighting you. I love each and every one of you. I just don't want my story taken down again.
Many thanks to all my reviewers and my lovely beta Drae.