Truths
By Neurotica
Twenty-Six
Sirius arrived on a dark dirt road on the border of Little Hangleton. He looked around and heard Remus and the others arrive with a pop next to him.
"Padfoot?" Remus whispered.
"Right here," Sirius whispered, reaching around for his friend.
Being disillusioned had its advantages, but Sirius was thrown off by not being able to see his friends in the darkness.
"Are we all here?" they heard Dumbledore ask. Five yes's were sounded and their leader continued,] "Let's move. The sooner we arrive, the better."
Finally, something Sirius could agree with.
They began to walk, careful to stay on the sides of the roads, away from lights and the eyes of Muggles peeking out their windows.
"Sirius," Remus said quietly from Sirius' right.
"Yeah?"
Sirius heard Remus hesitate. "I know when we get in there you're going to run off and find Harry," he said carefully. "But it would be safer for all of us—especially Harry—if we wait to see what we're up against."
Sirius remained silent.
Remus knew him too well. Of course he was forming his own plan to run into that house, wand drawn, to save Harry. How could he not? And he knew Remus wanted to do the exact same thing, but Remus Lupin was the logical one, the safe one. He formed all the smart plans for pranks, one that would not get them caught. True, this was different from some prank on the Slytherins at Hogwarts—much different—but the roles remained the same: Remus was the calm, logical work-things-out-first thinker, while Sirius was still the same irrational get-into-action-now Auror.
"Sirius," Remus repeated, a little louder.
"I heard you," Sirius replied flatly.
"It will be okay," Remus said for the thousandth time that day.
"How do you know, though?" Sirius asked, his thoughts of the day pouring out of his mouth before he could stop them. "How do you know that when we get in there we're not going to find Harry dead at the hands of Wormtail or some other Death Eater?"
It was the first time either of them had voiced their worst fears of the situation. Remus obviously didn't have a reply. Sirius felt his friend's arm reach out for him and settle itself on his shoulder in comfort. Sirius returned the gesture, and the two walked like that in silence for long minutes.
Wormtail stepped quickly down the stairs when he heard the front door open and close. His wand was held in his shaking left hand, since his right couldn't support it correctly with only four fingers. He walked cautiously into the hallway and breathed a half-sigh of relief at the sight of Lucius and Severus.
"Pettigrew," Lucius said coldly and quietly.
"L-Lucius," Wormtail stuttered. "O-our master has been awaiting your arrival."
Wormtail watched silently as Lucius stalked past him without another word. Severus shot him a calculating look and followed. Wormtail gulped and looked around the room once more. He slowly walked into the drawing room where Lucius and Severus stood next to the Dark Lord's chair.
"Wormtail..." hissed their master.
"Y-yes, my Lord?" Wormtail said, going quickly to Lucius' side.
"All of the preparations have been made?"
"Y-yes, my Lord, we are just awaiting your instructions."
"Very good," the Dark Lord hissed in that high cruel voice. "Severus, you will find all the ingredients needed for a potion in the room across from this one. Wormtail has so very kindly written down the directions." The Dark Lord paused expectantly, waiting for Wormtail to act. When he didn't, the Dark Lord hissed louder, "Wormtail, now!"
Wormtail jumped and fumbled around in his cloak for a moment. He looked up and saw his fellow Death Eaters roll their eyes. Finally, he located the piece of parchment and handed it to Severus with a trembling hand. Severus ripped the parchment from his grasp and examined it carefully. Wormtail thought he noticed a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"You can do that, Severus?" the Dark Lord asked.
"Yes, my Lord, of course. It should not take more than forty minutes," Severus replied quietly.
"And you are sure you were not followed?" the high voice asked suspiciously.
"Yes, I am sure. Dumbledore believes me to be running errands for upcoming lessons."
"Good. Wormtail, show Severus to the preparation room; I want this completed soon."
After Wormtail stuttered his obedience, he and Severus bowed to their master and left the room, closing the door behind them. They crossed the hallway, Wormtail leading the way, and reached a closed wooden door. Wormtail opened it and held it for Severus to enter.
"Y-you should find all you need in h-here," Wormtail said.
Snape nodded once to show he heard, but otherwise remained silent.
With another gulp, Wormtail watched Severus gather his ingredients and a cauldron, and left him to work. It would happen soon—forty minutes, Severus had said. But now that Wormtail thought about it, perhaps this wasn't the best idea after all. The Dark Lord back and all powerful was quite a nasty thing—even Wormtail knew that.
But Wormtail also knew it was either have the Dark Lord back, and for him, Wormtail, to reap in the rewards of assisting his master in his rise, or go back into hiding as a rat and wait for Sirius Black to find him. Wormtail shuddered slightly at the thought of facing Sirius again. If he hadn't kept his head that day he had framed Sirius, Wormtail would have been a dead man. In all the years of knowing Sirius, Wormtail had never seen the man look like that...
Wormtail looked around the dark house again. He didn't dare go back into the drawing room; his master was most likely giving instructions to Lucius. For the first time in his life, Wormtail wondered what his worthless life would have become if he had not turned to the dark side after his Hogwarts graduation. The Dark Lord would still be in power, he was sure. James and Lily would probably still be alive. Sirius and Remus would still be his friends. Times would have been dark, but the Marauders would have still been together...
For a fleeting second—it passed as quickly as it came—Wormtail felt the urge to go up those stairs, grab Harry, and go to Hogwarts. Perhaps Dumbledore would spare him.
"Pettigrew," called Lucius' cold, drawling voice.
With another sigh, Wormtail forgot all about his ideas and went to his master.
"Why did Dumbledore bring Dung?" Sirius asked suddenly, breaking the tense silence.
"Probably because he's good at scoping a place out, finding all the exits, figuring out who's there. Dung's pretty handy when he wants to be," Remus replied quietly.
"Yeah."
Remus looked around his surroundings. They had been walking for a good thirty minutes—they should be arriving at the Riddle house soon.
He sighed, wondering again how Harry was holding up. Yes, he had thought about the possibility of Harry being found dead when they got in there, and his heart clenched painfully every time.
Remus had many thoughts about the future with Sirius and Harry, thoughts of Harry going off to Hogwarts, getting into mischief. Remus would, of course, have to be the disciplinarian; Sirius would be too busy urging Harry into more trouble. Having Harry come to them with girl problems would be an interesting thing. If Harry was to be anything at all like his father, the girls would be lining up for him.
Around another bend they walked. Remus looked ahead of them and spotted what had to be their destination. It looked as though it had once been a beautiful home, very well cared for. Now, however, the Riddle House looked dilapidated and abandoned. Boards covered every window, a few of which looked to be broken. Thick green vines climbed the sides of the house, making it seem as though it was covered in snakes. The yard was in surprisingly good shape. Weeds had sprouted here and there, but for the most part, it appeared that somebody had tended to it on a regular basis.
They approached the old rusted steel gate and gathered around Dumbledore's voice, awaiting instructions. Remus gazed into the boarded windows, trying to see through them, wondering if Harry was in fact inside or if this whole thing was in vain.
His question was answered when Dumbledore asked Moody to look into the house with his magical eye. "Two in the drawing room—looks like Malfoy and Pettigrew," Moody said quickly. Sirius growled softly and clenched his fists. "There's—something—in an armchair... Looks like the ugliest baby I've ever seen..." His eye traveled slowly across the house. "Snape's alone in a room, working on a potion it seems..."
"A potion?" Remus questioned sharply. "What could he be making a potion for?"
"Quite possibly to resurrect Voldemort," Dumbledore said gravely.
Everyone, Sirius and Remus included, shuddered at the implications.
"And Harry?" Sirius said to Moody.
Moody's eye traveled up through the house slowly, taking everything in. Finally it stopped. Moody squinted a bit for a better look. "He's there, upstairs, last bedroom on the left."
"Is he okay?" Remus asked tensely.
"Alive. Looks like his leg is broken. He's unconscious."
Sirius and Remus breathed a sigh of relief. Harry was alive—one hurdle cleared, only a million left to jump.
Dumbledore got everyone's attention again. "Now we will have to work in stealth. Even though there only seems to be the two Death Eaters, they could be waiting for an ambush. We are going to split into pairs. Kingsley, you and Sirius will hide out in the hallway, closest to the door. We do not know who else will be arriving, who else Malfoy has contacted. Alastor and Mundungus, the two of you are to search the house and grounds for any hiding Death Eaters. Be sure to check the shack in the backyard. Remus, you will stay with me," he said quickly.
Sirius wanted to argue before he received a sharp elbow in his ribs from Remus. There was a reason Dumbledore did things. What those reasons were weren't always obvious, but they were there nonetheless.
"Quickly and quietly. Do not act unless I send word, no matter what you may see or hear. Is that clear?" Dumbledore asked.
Though Sirius couldn't see him, he knew Dumbledore was looking at him over his half-moon spectacles with a stern look on his old face.
"Yes, sir," Sirius muttered. The others agreed after Sirius.
"Let's go in, then."
Swiftly, the group made its way across the cobblestone walkway and to the front door. Dumbledore muttered a quick silencing charm on the door in case it would give away their arrival. He soundlessly opened the door and they entered. Once they were all inside the entrance way, somebody, probably Dumbledore, closed the door behind them. Common sense told them not to light their wands, so they all waited a moment or two for their eyes to adjust to the complete darkness.
The house had a strong moldy smell to it and a smell that nearly made Remus gag. Cautiously, he sniffed the air around him. It was full of something quite unpleasant that he had never smelled before. He could faintly smell Wormtail, but the other stench was quite intense.
Silently, the group broke apart. Moody and Dung headed up the staircase while Kingsley and Sirius stood guard at the door—albeit unwillingly on Sirius' part. A light touch on his arm told Remus to follow close to Dumbledore. Hesitantly, Remus did so. He only hoped Kingsley would be up to keeping Sirius in check.
Remus and Dumbledore crossed silently to a closed door—the room Moody indicated Snape to be in. For a moment, it seemed as though Dumbledore would enter, but the door remained closed and Remus continued to follow Dumbledore's nearly silent footsteps.
Remus spotted Dumbledore's outline stop just before what had to be the drawing room. A soft flicker of light was dancing on the door from the fireplace. They could hear quiet voices, one high-pitched and cold; the other, low and drawling. The second voice had to be Malfoy, but Remus could not, for the life of him, discern the other.
With a quiet "stay here" that Remus wouldn't have heard had it not been for his sensitive hearing, Dumbledore's outline vanished. Remus was sure he had made himself invisible. The werewolf leaned against the wall, listening with all his might to the voices behind him.
"Wormtail," said the high voice. "Check Severus' progress. Lucius, retrieve the boy."
Remus' eyes widened and his breathing picked up. He heard a dual "Yes, Master" from Malfoy and Wormtail, and retreated further into the shadows, not wanting to be found out. Watching the backs of Malfoy and Wormtail, Remus wanted nothing more than to stun them both, but Dumbledore had told them not to act prematurely. It was times like these that Remus cursed Dumbledore for his patience.
Harry stared around the dark room. Something was coming, something bad, he knew it. He tried to call out, but found his voice still didn't work. He carefully stretched his rope-bound arms down and touched his leg. It hurt terribly, and he wished someone would come to help him soon.
He thought again of Sirius and Remus, and wondered if they would ever come for him. That man said they wouldn't... He wanted Sirius to hug him and tell him he was safe, that everything was okay. He wanted Remus to ruffle his hair and smile reassuringly at him. He wanted to be back in his warm comfortable bed with Prongs. He wanted to be back in his room surrounded by his Quidditch posters and toys. He wanted to fly... He wanted to go home... Period.
Without warning, the door burst open. Harry jumped back and hit his head hard on the wall behind him. For a moment, Harry thought that the short man was back. But this time it was a different man. He was tall, about as tall as Sirius, but of what Harry could see, this man definitely wasn't his godfather. He had long blond hair, and from just standing in the doorway, he made Harry shiver.
The man spotted Harry and crossed the small room in three long strides. He reached down and grasped the rope that bound Harry's arms. Harry began to struggle away from the man as he was dragged across the cold floor. The man stopped, bent down to Harry's level, and slapped the boy hard across the face. Harry couldn't struggle anymore as he was dragged through the door, into the hallway.
If he thought the pain in his leg could get no worse, Harry was sorely mistaken. The man pulled him down the wooden staircase, making his leg scream in unbearable pain. Harry cried harder than he ever had, but couldn't still make a sound. As the pain grew worse, consciousness slipped from Harry once again.
Sirius stood silently in the entranceway's shadows watching Wormtail and Malfoy pass just before them. If he acted now, it would all be over. Who cared about what Dumbledore said? This was about Harry. Just as he reached for his wand, he felt Kingsley's hand on his wrist in warning. Very reluctantly, Sirius relaxed his arm. Kingsley still kept a strong hold on his arm for long minutes after.
Malfoy and Wormtail disappeared. Where they were going was a mystery to Sirius. After a long wait, his question was answered as a door opened and Snape exited carrying a cauldron, helped along by Wormtail. They turned a corner and disappeared again.
Another few minutes...
A sickening thud could be heard above them. Both Aurors looked over to the staircase in question. Malfoy was coming down, dragging something. The thud grew louder and was revealed seconds later to be Harry's limp, unconscious body.
Sirius watched with wide eyes as Malfoy pulled Harry carelessly down the final step, through the hallway as though he were a measly sack of potatoes.
"You son of a bitch," Sirius growled. Kingsley was forced to hold Sirius by the waist until Malfoy went around the same corner as Wormtail and Snape. Once they had gone, Sirius turned to face his partner. "How could you just let them go like that?" he whispered furiously.
"Shut up, Black, or you're going to get us found out," Kingsley whispered just as furiously.
How could not care about what he had just seen?
It was six against two—seven if you counted Snape, which Sirius didn't—and they all stood around stupidly, waiting for what?
Harry was hurt badly. Sirius saw his left leg at a very nasty angle. How could anyone just stand back and watch that? Before this was over, Sirius would have Malfoy in much worse shape.
Remus watched helplessly as Harry was dragged by Lucius Malfoy into the drawing room. He closed his eyes tightly, clenched his fists until he could feel his fingernails digging into his palm painfully, and took a number of deep ragged breaths.
They could not act yet... but when would they? There was no doubt in Remus' mind that Harry was in a great deal of pain.
Remus pushed himself against the wall trying to keep himself steady. It killed him not to act, it really did. He wondered how Sirius had reacted. Remus wouldn't be surprised to see Kingsley with a black eye and broken nose by the time this was over.
A soft thud sounded in the drawing room. Harry... Remus though desperately.
Voices sounded once more.
"It is complete, Severus?" hissed the high pitched voice.
"Yes, my Lord," Snape said softly.
My Lord...? That's Voldemort! Remus thought, his stomach clenching. How had he not realized it before?
"Good work, Severus," Voldemort said. "Wormtail, place the boy before me."
Scuttling of feet... dragging of something (Harry) across the floor.
"My, my, Wormtail," Voldemort said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "What has happened to him?"
"He-he tried to escape, m-my Lord," Wormtail stuttered quietly. "I-I silenced him as well."
Malfoy made a sound of amusement and surprise.
"Good work, Wormtail," Voldemort hissed.
Remus' breathing was coming in short, heavy bursts.
"It is now time to call upon my other followers. Wormtail, give me your arm..."
A second passed. Wormtail howled in pain...
Remus listened in mounting confusion and dread until the sound of a dozen pops could be heard, signaling to that they were now scarily out numbered.