A/N: Yes, it's short. Feel free to whine all you want.
And as always,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Plagiarism? Not worth it.
CHAPTER SIX: THAT'S THE LAST DOOR YOU'RE SLAMMING IN MY FACE
Heading back to the cave, Hedwig felt as though she had been flying for hours, even thought the trip was relatively short. But on the opposite side of the delivery were three people that absolutely wore her out just by being in the same room with them. She had nearly lost a few feathers from her leg as they eagerly worked to get the letter off. But whatever was in the letter didn't seem to please them one bit. Instead there was a lot of rushing around. New parchment, new ink, new spells. And before she knew what was happening, Hedwig found herself grabbed and thrown out the nearest window again with the base instructions, 'Find Harry'.
Not even so much as a thank you or a treat.
Hedwig had quickly found her bearing and flown off, glad just to be away from the over excited group. She was seriously hoping this was the last trip, and that she might be able to have a good long nap after she delivered this last post.
Heading into the cave the large white owl swooped over to a large, spiral rock and perched above it. She paused as she looked about the now deserted cave. A tired hoot drifted into the air as she again took wing and flew out of the cave, heading off to look for Harry.
Eventually her search brought her to Hogsmeade, and as she briefly flew about it, Hedwig again felt her hopes of a long nap rise as she spied her master standing before the door of a closed shop. She wasn't terribly interested in why he was standing about the street in the middle of the night, or who the tall, auburn-haired woman with him was. All that mattered to her was that the one who had given her the letter had impressed that it was very important that she deliver it to Harry as fast as possible. And that was what she intended to do.
Making one last circle of the square, Hedwig turned about and started her decent, swooping in on the cool evening air, heading straight for her master.
But the woman with him saw her first.
Turning about, the tall woman eyed her for a moment. But just as quickly, she suddenly unlocked the door to the shop with her wand and opened it. She quickly ushered Harry inside and, turning about, gave Hedwig a last, mischievous and equally unfriendly smile as she slammed the door on the swooping owl.
The slamming of the door coincided almost exactly with Hedwig's flying into it. The loud thump as she hit the wooden door likely went un-noticed by the two occupants currently in the shop over the sound of the door slamming shut.
Hedwig righted herself on the cobblestones as she regained her balance. The snowy owl looked up at the shut door. She walked about for a few seconds, testing her balance, then took to the air again. But it was only a few short feet of flight as she perched precariously on the handle of the door. She tried it a few times, but found it had indeed been locked again from the inside. And so with an irritated hoot, she took off again. But again she only stayed air born for a few moments as she circled the square, searching for what she needed. She found it resting off to the side of another shop, just on the corner. Hedwig swooped down again, this time wrapping her talons around a large, broken, discarded cobblestone left on the sidewalk. She quickly took to the air again, circling back around to the shop.
Taking careful aim, Hedwig swooped in, letting go of the stone as she approached the window of the shop and abruptly pulled back up into the night sky.
The sound of shattering glass answered her efforts.
With a defiant hoot, Hedwig headed back for the shop and the now open window with only one thought on her mind. Get the letter to Harry.
"What was that?" Harry whispered suddenly as he heard the glass in the front of the shop shatter.
Katlin quickly thought up a suitable answer. One that assured her the boy would keep moving in the right direction. She had managed to get him to take her this far, and she wasn't going to be stopped now by a small ball of white feathers. So she played to his most present fear.
"Deatheaters most likely." Katlin hissed back, hurrying him along even more. "They probably saw us enter the shop, Harry. Hurry! Show me where the door is. We have to get to the passage."
Sped along by the growing fear that they may be stopped so close to freedom, Harry hurried through the shop and yanked open the door to the cellar. With a solid shove from behind, he nearly tripped hurrying down the stairs. Katlin paused just long enough to glance back behind them into the shop, then rushed down the stairs after him.
"I was right." Katlin whispered urgently as they got to the bottom of the steps. "Deatheaters. I saw them coming into the shop. I don't think they saw us come down here, but it won't take them long to find the door and follow. Quickly, where is the door to the passage?"
Harry looked about anxiously. Everything looked so different in the dark.
"Harry?" Katlin whispered nervously, glancing quickly back at the door. In the dim light she could see the handle being worked. Stupid owl!
"It...just looks so different." Harry whispered back quickly. "Give me a second."
Katlin heard the door handle rattle. "We haven't got one. Find that door!"
Harry had never heard Katlin sound quite so forceful with him before, but quickly attributed it to her nerves, since if they were anything like his at the moment, they were near breaking. But suddenly he turned about and spied the familiar stacking of boxes a little off the center of the room. He quickly grabbed Katlin's hand and pulled her after him.
"Here!" He whispered urgently, shoving a box aside. Pulling out his wand, Harry tapped the floor and almost immediately a door with a handhold carved into it appeared. Harry grabbed the door handle and yanked it up, revealing the stairway into the secret passage.
Hedwig was getting a bit tired of having doors slammed in her face. Flying into the shop, she had nearly gotten to the back before Harry and the tall, auburn-haired woman had disappeared behind yet another door, which the woman again slammed shut on her. Hedwig flew to the door, hovering before it until she could perch on the handle. From her precarious position, she tried as hard as she could to push down in the handle, gaining some leverage from her wings.
It had taken three tries before she managed to get the handle down and push the door open. Thankfully the door hadn't had any lock on it. Once it was open she flew into the room and headed down the stairs. In the dim light of the moon streaming into the cellar by way of a small window near the ceiling, Hedwig saw her master and the auburn-haired woman heading down the stairs of a passage under the floorboards. Knowing she would never be able to lift the heavy wooden door, she tried to get Harry's attention by letting out a hoot of alarm, hoping he would hear her.
Harry's fear grew ever stronger as Katlin urged him down the stairs. From behind them he had heard the door at the top of the stairs open. The Deatheaters had to be just behind them. They had to get into the tunnel and seal the door behind them. But as he scurried down the narrow steps, he almost tripped over the last ones as a sound caused him to come to an abrupt halt.
An owl's hoot.
"Hedwig!"
Harry tried to turn about, but a solid shove sent him down the rest of the steps and tumbling onto the dirt floor of the passage.
When he rolled over, he stopped abruptly as he tried to get to his feet. Facing him with a look of utter determination was Katlin, her wand held out before her and pointed directly between his eyes.
"Stay where you are." She demanded in a low voice.
"Katlin?" Harry whispered uncertainly.
Katlin cocked her head slightly as she listened for any sounds above. But the door was thick enough to shut any sound but that of their own ragged breathes. Slowly she lowered her wand as she stared at Harry.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She lied convincingly in a soft voice. "But the Deatheaters had your owl."
"Hedwig?" Harry cried in alarm.
"They won't hurt her, Harry." Katlin stated quickly. "They only wanted to follow her to you. She was only trying to warn you. To alert you to the danger. They'll probably just let her go now. They have no reason to keep her."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked anxiously.
"Fairly. But we have to concentrate on getting to Hogwarts now. She'll probably be waiting for you when we get there."
With one last frightened look at the door, Harry nodded and started off down the passage, led by the lighted tip of his own wand.
Hedwig gave a disgusted hoot as she flew down the stairs, only to watch yet another door being slammed in her face. She perched on the top of the door, walking about on it as she looked for a way in. But the door was far to large and heavy for her to ever hope to lift. With a final irritated hoot, she took to wing again, this time heading back up the stairs and out of the shop. If nothing else, she could let the letter's sender know that she had not been able to deliver it.
Q&A
Silverfox:
You don't have to tell me how funny the site has been lately, Dear. It won't print my asterisks, and the name of the site. Oh well.
I just loved your review. In a few short sentences you ask some of the best questions. So, let me try and answer them.
1. Does Katlin know Sirius? Oh yes. Katlin is a Deatheater, head of the Elite and Voldemort's second in command. Sirius is an excellent Auror in his own right and the brother of one of the most hated Unspeakables where Voldemort's Deatheaters are concerned.. How could they NOT know each other. Past that, she also happens to be his sister-in-law. Ain't life cozy?
2. Orion ought to have problems introducing his family members to each other? Assuming you mean introducing Katlin to the rest of the family (Mom, Dad, I've married a Deatheater.), you have no idea. It was actually such a cute idea I made it a chapter in and of itself called Meeting The Parents, which was part of Enemies. But it was one of the chapters that got deleted due to length. But I kept it as a short story and will post it some time in the future. It is incredibly cute. As for introducing her to Sirius, I keep telling you there are rifts between Sirius and his older brother. What do you think one of them is?
3. Arabella recognizes the name? You bet. Katlin even told Harry the two women know each other, and the relationship isn't any more cozy than it is between Sirius and his sister-in-law. In fact, one of the points of this story is that Katlin has to gamble on how much that relationship really means to Sirius, and if he'll choose to respect it.
4. How did Sirius and Arabella react to 'that innocent little letter'? The start of this chapter gave you some idea. 'Pleased' was not one of the words used. First off, they are contending with the fact their godson is missing. Second, they are faced with the fact not only is he missing, he is traipsing about the country side with Voldemort's most feared Deatheater, acting like it is a school outing. They are probably quite certain she is waiting for the opportunity to give him a 'green light special' and claim it was an accident. Third, Harry's letter gives every indication he thinks of the woman as a friend, and has no idea how dangerous she can be.
Meanwhile, don't forget you have Orion, sitting in the background, who was basically told to 'knaff off and let me do my job' by his adoring wife.
But, a short answer to all your questions. Yes, everyone knows everyone else as far as the adults are concerned, and it is not exactly a Christmas party list of 'must invites'.
Tried And Convicted
King Dimension:
Thank you.
Fever
Lizzie:
Thank you.
All reviews are as of 03/13/2005.
And remember;
If we're here to make others happy, what are others here for?
