Disclaimer: This is getting a bit tedious, don't you think? I mean, I don't think anyone really thinks I own Harry Potter.

I don't like this Chapter. Not at all. Don't know why, just not happy with it. Have re-worked it about a million times, nothing works. I know it doesn't work, so I'm just going to post it and we'll all move on. Next one will be better, I promise.

Chapter 15- Vital Information

Snape was trying to concentrate on a potion Voldemort had set him to brewing. Veritaserum. If Potter wouldn't talk under torture, then he would use that. It was only his sadistic enjoyment of torturing people that kept him from using the more effective and simple method to begin with. Severus had to tread carefully now, because it had to seem exactly like a real Veritaserum, but not have the same effect. He could not have them give up the Order, or worse yet, to give up his role as a spy.

His mind drifted to the things he had brewed for Voldemort over the years. Potions to induce pain, even poisons to kill with great pain. Effective ones, for he really did have a talent for it. He hated what he had done, and he would spend his life making up for it.

He wondered if McCarrick had gotten out and hoped she would not do anything stupid, but go directly to Dumbledore. Snape could not leave, could not send an owl, nothing that would draw suspicion to himself.

Suddenly, a loud explosion caused Snape to drop a vial of leech juice, which smashed all over the floor. Cursing, he went to investigate the sound.

******

James stepped into a room lit only by a large fire. He looked around, not sure where he had been brought. High overhead beams crisscrossed the ceiling. There were windows set up high near the ceiling, but they were so covered in grime no light could get through even during the day, though James guessed it was night. Set up just in front of the fire was just one piece of furniture, a chair. He approached it cautiously, only too aware he was unarmed.

But the person sitting in the chair was not Voldemort, nor one of his Death Eaters.

"Lily?"

She looked at him, her eyes wide and terrified, but she didn't move, and she said nothing.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't James Potter, Dumbledore's golden boy." Said a soft, jeering voice behind him. "She can't speak, she's petrified." Voldemort continued, speaking softly. "I've been wanting to speak to you for some time Potter, but I had no idea you'd make it so easy. By now you've realized I found out about your little exploration into the Department of Mysteries. How? Well, let's just say there is nowhere my power doesn't reach. I knew you would be there, and I know why you were there. You're wasting your time, incidentally, Claremont was unimportant. He was becoming a liability, he was talking too much." He paused, and gave James a twisted smile. "I assume Dumbledore was not aware of your little plan. Would you believe ," He continued, seemingly changing the subject entirely, "there are those who actually think I fear that old man? He is merely an annoyance, and one I will shortly be finished with. And that, Potter, is where you come in." He came to a halt standing between them. "I know Dumbledore has plans, and I know that you, being his favorites, are aware of them."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Dumbledore doesn't have "plans", he just runs a school." He lied.

Voldemort merely muttered something and James was thrown back against the wall by some invisible force

"Do you really think I'm that stupid Potter? That man has plagued me since I was at school." He turned back to Lily. "Finite Incantatem."

Though the spell was lifted, she did not move immediately, there was nowhere to go.

"I don't doubt you can withstand pain Potter. But a more important question: Can you stand to see her in pain?" He pointed his wand at Lily.

"James, don't tell him anything!" She said urgently, guessing quite rightly she was going to be hit with the Cruciatus curse.

"Oh, I think he will, and don't bother trying to lie Potter, I'll know."

He raised his wand on Lily, but before she barely felt a twinge of pain, there was a loud explosion that sounded very near by.

Voldemort strode over to the door and wretched it open. "Lucius?" He snapped, but apparently there was no one there. He left the room.

James hurried over to where Lily sat. "Are you all right? What did he do to you?"

She nodded. "He didn't really do anything. He just talked a lot. It was really creepy, it sounded like he was trying to get me into bed."

James looked outraged at this but said nothing. He was really getting a lot better at controlling his temper. Finally, he squeezed her hand and said "I think he's actually left the room, let's see if we can get out of here."

******

There was nothing about the house that looked unusual, nothing to suggest to the neighbors that the family who lived there was not like everyone else in their quiet suburban neighborhood. Of course, they did occasionally have strange looking visitors, and if any of the neighbors had been looking on Saturday morning, they would have seen two strangely dressed men making their way up the path.

"We should have worn muggle clothes." Remus looked around uncomfortably. "You didn't say it was a muggle neighborhood."

"We don't have time to bother with muggle clothes." Snapped Sirius, tensely. This visit had been his idea, he thought she might be able to help them, but Remus had come along to keep him in check. Sirius Black in a rage could be a dangerous thing.

Suddenly the front door burst open and a little girl raced out and ran right into them, giggling madly. Sirius caught her, took one look at her, and burst out laughing. Remus could see why. She was dressed like a normal child, but her hair was the bright fluorescent orange of a traffic cone and sticking out all directions in mad spirals. Sirius swung her over his shoulder, saying "Not so fast Miss, I've got your number."

When they entered the house a woman was coming out of the kitchen, saying "Where have you got to, didn't you hear-" She stopped. "Sirius?"

He set the little girl down. "I believe this belongs to you Andromeda?"

She put her hands on her hips in a way reminiscent of Molly Weasley and began "How many times have I told you? Change it back right now!"

The girl crossed her arms and stuck out her lip.

"I'm going to count to three Nymphadora...one...two..."

She wrinkled up her nose and a moment later the bright orange had gone to blond and instead of wild corkscrews her hair was in two long braids.

"That's better. Thank you. Now go upstairs and play, and NO MAGIC!"

She gave them another grin before running upstairs.

"Honestly, Hogwart's can't come soon enough for me." She shook her head and turned back to them. "So, to what do I owe this visit from my favorite cousin?"

The amusement faded from his face. "I wish it were under better circumstances. There's been a kidnapping. James and Lily, Frank and Alice, and Morgan." He glanced at the stairs to make sure no one was listening, then lowered his voice slightly. "It's Voldemort." She flinched slightly at the name. "I know over the past few years you've kept in touch with Narcissa on occasion despite your parents. Do you still?"

"Yes, I do occasionally. Malfoy is gone a lot. Really, she's unhappy. I feel bad for her, especially now that she's pregnant."

This was news to both of them. Sirius muttered "Well, that's brilliant, just what we need is the spawn of Lucius Malfoy running around." But then got back to his main point. "Lucius is undoubtedly with Voldemort, as is Bellatrix, and I think Narcissa would know where that is."

"She won't talk to you Sirius, you know that."

"But she will talk to you." He pressed.

She looked at him and he saw it click into place. "Oh." She studied him, shot another glance at the stairs, and then started to pace. "I don't know Sirius. I want to help, really, but it's so dangerous."

"You have every reason to not get involved Andromeda, but I didn't know who else to ask."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "All right. I'll try to find out."

******

The entire building, whatever it was, was nothing but a maze of stone passages as far as Lily could tell. Voldemort had left them alone with only a basic locking charm on the door to investigate the explosion, but now there seemed to be no way out of the dingy passages.

"We're going to run into someone if we don't get out of here soon." James muttered, agitated. And as though answering his words, MacNair came around a corner and stopped dead staring at them. There was a moment of stunned silence, and then he grinned. "I don't know where you're going, but I think the Dark Lord will be quite pleased with me if I return you to him."

He withdrew his wand, but a second later he was thrown back hard against the side of the stone corridor. He slumped to the ground, leaving a small trickle of blood. James turned and stared at her.

"Did you do that?"

She nodded slowly. "I guess. I didn't even try to, it just happened." Not liking the way he was looking at her, she hurried over to MacNair. "At least we have a wand now."

James was shaking his head. "You're brilliant, really."

"James! Lily!"

She spun, wand raised, but it was Frank. They both gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank Merlin, let's get out of here."

Frank nodded, shortly. "In a moment, it's….Morgan….."

******

Snape arrived at the source of the explosion at the same time that several other people did. Antonin Dolohov was lying in a partly collapsed corridor, covered in debris and bits of stone.

"What happened here?" Hissed Voldemort. "Did the idiot hex himself?"

Lucius Malfoy yanked open a door near him, dislodging a pile of debris.

"No Sir, the Longbottoms, they were in here."

"They're gone then." He looked at the assembled Death Eaters. "Well don't just stand here! FIND THEM!"

They all scrambled off, but Snape lingered for a moment. Voldemort shot him a look.

"The Veritaserum?"

"Almost ready my Lord."

"Good. Get him out of here." Voldemort added, nudging Dolohov with his foot, before turning away.

******

"You've got to tell Dumbledore."

"We haven't got time."

"In the time you've stood here arguing it we could be at Hogwart's."

"Remus, HE'S GOT JAMES AND LILY AND MORGAN!"

"I KNOW THAT SIRIUS, I'VE BEEN HERE THROUGH THE WHOLE THING!" Remus's control finally snapped, and he yelled back. The piece of parchment Sirius was clutching in his hand was a description, albeit vague, from Andromeda of where Narcissa thought Voldemort's stronghold was located. It matched with what Regulus had said that it was on an island. Remus lowered his voice and continued. "If we go there without telling Dumbledore we may well walk into a crowd of Death Eaters and then we'll just be in the same situation."

Sirius took a deep breath. "Fine, let's go-"

They apparated to directly outside of Hogwart's gates, and quickly made their way up the path to the school

"D'you think they're dead?" Sirius said suddenly, choking out the words.

"No." Said Remus firmly, as much to convince himself as Sirius. "No, it wouldn't be in you-know-who's interest to kill them. I'm sure they're fine. Probably just pissed off that we haven't come and gotten them yet."

"Right." Sirius wanted to believe that, but he didn't sound the least bit convinced.

As they were coming up the steps, the massive front door opened and Albus Dumbledore stood there. Wordlessly, Sirius handed him the piece of paper. He looked at it, and then looked back at them questioningly.

"That's where Voldemort has been hiding out. It's probably where he has them."

Dumbledore nodded. "Follow me."

In his office, he pulled a rolled up scroll out of a cabinet and spread it out on the desk. It was a map of Europe. He took the piece of parchment from Sirius and laid it over the map, and muttered a spell. They all stared at it for a moment until a small dot off the coast of Ireland began to glow.

"That's where it is." Dumbledore said quietly.

He began to pace again. "A portkey would be the best way." He finally said.

"Sir, we'd like to come."

Dumbledore's light blue eyes bored into them. He saw the desperation that had built up over the past few days.

"Yes, I may need you."

He arbitrarily picked up a paperweight, in the shape of a mermaid, and tapped it with his wand, and a moment later it glowed blue.

"Five seconds now." They all touched it lightly, and a moment later they all felt the familiar jerk as they were pulled through space by the portkey, unable to see anything through the spinning colors. Sirius and Remus landed hard on a stone floor flat on their faces, while Dumbledore stayed on his feet and managed to retain an air of dignity. They scrambled up quickly, brushing themselves off.

"Not much of a decorator, is he?" Muttered Sirius.

The others were prevented answering by the sound of running feet, from somewhere above them, and Dumbledore said tersely "Let's go."

They had walked only about twenty feet when Remus suddenly stopped. "Wait, I heard voices." He backed up a few feet, stopping in front of a door. "In there."

Dumbledore pushed open the door, and although they couldn't see around him, they went weak with relief at the familiar voices of friends.

"We have to get out of here, they'll find us any moment."

"But we can't leave her, I don't know how we're going to-"

James and Lily and Frank and Alice, all looking rather battered but intact, were gathered around a couch. They jumped when the door creaked, and then stared blankly at Dumbledore, as thought they could not believe he was standing there. Alice was the first to whisper "Thank Merlin." Then everyone spoke at once.

"Sir, how did you-"

"Can you help-"

"Death Eaters all over the place-"

"Can't apparate in here-"

"He's here, Voldemort is-"

"Quickly." Dumbledore raised his voice ever so slightly and they all stopped. "I would prefer to leave this place without meeting anyone, they obviously have an advantage in numbers. Where is Morgan?"

James took a step back from the couch. "Sir, she's-"

He let the sentence hang in the air, but it was easy to tell from the tone of his voice what the rest was. Sirius made an odd, strangled sort of sound.

Dumbledore strode quickly to the couch, and leaned over. Sirius stood rooted to the spot, he didn't want to see. Dumbledore straightened up, looking very grave.

"I don't know if there's anything to be done, but there may be a chance yet. There isn't much time though, we have to go."

"How, we cant apparate-?"

"A portkey." He briskly took a vase off a nearby desk and performed the same charm he had in his office, it glowed slightly. "All of you, it will go in twenty seconds."

They all gathered around it, Frank had awkwardly lifted Morgan off the couch.

The door burst open, and they saw just a second of Lucius Malfoy's enraged face before they were flying through a mass of spinning colors, and finally, back in the safety of Dumbledore's office at Hogwart's.

________________________________________________

Okay, well, this is probably it for me until after the new year. There's a lot to do around the holidays and I will be going to visit the fam. And God forbid anyone at home find out about this, then they'll want to know why I'm wasting my time with this rather than doing something important like finding a husband so I can start having lots of babies like all the other girls I went to high school with, because that's obviously the only worthwhile thing to do with my life….

Oops, sorry, a little carried away there…

Happy Holidays everyone!