A/N: Hey! Sorry I haven't updated for a while, but I was finally working
out the whole plot so that I don't mess up the story. So, the whole summary
is done and all that I have to do is write it. You'll notice that this
chappie is a bit short than my last one–I don't know why. Sorry about that.
One reason that I haven't been working on the story other than the fact
that I've been working out the story, is that I've started taking karate
classes–two nights a week–and I'm really tired afterwards. I've also been
behind on homework because of the karate. But other than that it really
recommend it, especially if you're older than twelve because then you get
the concept of it better. Then there's been my other fanfics–including one
that I've just started working on (I haven't posted it yet–as of the 9th of
April) and last but not least, my website. As soon as I've finished with it
I'll put it up as my homepage, k?
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter content and characters belong not to me, but to J.K. Rowling....and I believe she is something like the fourth richest person in the world because of Harry Potter...who knew...
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: CELLS
A flash of memory slipped through his mind–he'd felt it only twice before. Memories of all of this happening, memories that sneaked through the barriers of the Memory Charm. Only pictures. Maybe a sound. Maybe a feeling. Nothing more. This time only a small flash in his mind, remembering a tall building, one that was only half built, before his eyes.
Remus promptly forgot about it. He blinked and looked up at the dark ceiling. He pulled his cloak closer around him, trying to ward off the cold. His stomach growled with hunger. He wondered if someone would come to give him veritaserum, to get out the Order's secrets....
Harry led the way down the darkened corridor. Soon Voldemort would send people down here. Set as a trap for him. Now was the time to get everyone out.
There were rooms–cells–along this corridor. Each door was made of metal, with a small window at the bottom that would be barely large enough to fit an arm or a leg into. They stopped at each door to look inside. Most were empty.
Why hadn't Voldemort killed Harry when he'd had the chance? When Harry was still locked up, tired and wandless. Voldemort certainly didn't still want a one-on-one match between the two. All of the times he had arranged that, it had ended up in disaster for him. Voldemort wasn't stupid. So he wouldn't stoop to villain cliches just to satisfy his own lust for blood. That was fantasized hope.
They passed one cell and a hand shot out of the low window, grabbing hold of Ron's foot. He yelled and fell.
A jumbled, barely comprehensible, rapid voice came out, giving them something to sense besides the bony hand that wouldn't let go of Ron. It said, while Harry and Hermione struggled frantically to pick off the long fingers, "....Kill the boy....NO! I CAN'T....you will–damned as I am–I won't be damned anymore--"
They finally freed Ron, stumbled backward, and ran as fast as they could away from the hand and the insane man.
"What was that?" Ron asked, frightened.
"It didn't sound like he was on our side..." Hermione gasped.
"Sirius told me last year that Voldemort--" Ron flinched, "–kills his own supporters, as well as those who are working against him. Maybe that used to be a Death Eater, but he disobeyed or something..."
They were all quiet for a moment at the actual mention of Sirius from Harry–but the silence was broken by whispers coming from a cell to their left.
"...So he was talking to you?"
"In was scary. He was in my mind--"
"Mum?"
There was a scrambling sound and James, Lily, and Snape appeared at the little window.
"Just a sec--" Harry said, and he pulled out his wand, pointed it at the lock and muttered, "Alahomora," then the lock clicked and the door creaked open. Harry smiled.
"Where's everyone else?" Hermione asked suspiciously, looking at the three who came out.
"They weren't in the same cell with us. C'mon, I think they're this way--" James said happily, leading the way.
They found Sirius, Moony, and Wormtail without trouble–besides a quiet argument that had begun between James and Lily–and Sirius nearly jumped on top of them all with happiness.
"Yes, yes, yes!" He laughed, helping Harry to his feet (he'd just knocked him over with joy). "So....where to now?"
They all looked at Harry, who said, "Snape told us to go to his dormitory after we've found Professor Lupin. He said it's on the second floor, fourteenth door on the left...."
"Why do you keep calling me 'Professor Lupin'?" Remus asked.
"You were our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in third year–the best one, in fact." Hermione said proudly.
Moony smiled.
"So where's ole Moony?" Sirius asked excitedly.
"I don't know. We'll have to find him."
As they began walking James came forward, pushing in between Hermione and Harry. Hermione sniffed disapprovingly, but James ignored her and addressed Harry instead, "You really trust Snape?"
Harry was silent for a few minutes, then he looked over at James with a strange glint in his eye. "Yes. I don't like him, Dad, but that doesn't mean that I don't trust him."
James raised his eyebrows confusedly. Harry had just called him "Dad". He couldn't imagine himself being called "Dad"....at least not by a kid who was only a year younger than him...
"Sorry--"
"RUN!" Harry yelled, and all of them ran. They didn't know why. Maybe they were startled into obedience, but they ran.
Harry felt the slim wand being jammed harder into his neck as the others sprinted off. Whoever was holding the wand didn't need to say a word for him to understand–One move and he'd be dead. He stared longingly at the retreating feet of his friends and his family. His wand was in his pocket. His fingers were inches away from his pocket.
Harry's finger's twitched and he moaned simultaneously as small sparks burned the skin on his neck. A female voice spoke in his ear as his captor forced him to move, "Have seen you in a while Potter...not since....last June, wasn't it?"
Harry felt anger rising from his stomach to his heart and finally to his throat until he felt as if he were choking. It was Bellatrix.
James was running...running running....His breath caught in his throat as his breathing hardened. Lily was in front of him, her red curls bouncing with every step she took, running just like the rest. Ron was at his side, breathing heavily, his strides longer than anyone else's.
Someone stepped from a doorway in front of them and they all slowed as they realized who it was.
Snape.
He looked at them all, then said, tonelessly, "Come with me."
Ten minutes later they were entering a small room. Second floor, fourteenth room on the left. The room was more so a cell. There was a small window and the walls were bare stone, as was the floor. There was a bed in the corner, a wardrobe, and a chair. A torch was on the wall. Other than that the room was completely empty. With all of them there it was quite crowded.
Snape closed the door behind him.
"What now?" Wormtail asked, sounding frightened. James rolled his eyes.
"Now you'll wait in here," Snape said briskly, crossing over to the bed and pulling a piece of parchment from between the mattresses. James barely glimpsed it–it was a map–before Snape stuffed it in his pocket and crossed back over to the door, "and I'm going to find Potter."
He didn't seem too thrilled about that task.
They heard the lock click in the door.
James sighed and sat on the bed. Sirius and Wormtail sat next to him and Snape sat on the chair. James scowled at him. Lily sat on the floor, straitening out her skirt before folding her slim legs under her. Moony pulled–a book from his robes.
James laughed, "Moony! We're in life-threatening danger, and you're reading a book??"
Moony ignored him.
"So...Prongs..." Sirius said, knocking on the wall leisurely, "Why did you run?"
James looked at him, eyebrow quirked, "Pardon me?"
Lily snorted, and Sirius said, "The other night–in the forest...why did you run?"
James had to think about that. Everyone in the room was quiet as he slowly said, "I had a dream...It was exactly like what happened–I ran toward the lake. In the dream I had a reason, but in real life I didn't. After I had the dream I wanted to know why I ran toward the lake...so that's what I did in real life..."
Moony said, without looking up from his book, "Maybe it was a future sighting."
"What?"
"A future sighting–or at least something like it."
"So we're all in this situation because of some stupid dream that Potter had?" Lily said, scowling.
"I guess so." Moony answered
"I wonder what Snape took with him." Ron wondered out loud.
"It was a map." James said. "I saw it."
"Just a map?" Sirius asked.
"Shouldn't he know where everything is around here by now?" Hermione asked.
"What if it's kind of like the Marau--" Wormtail began, but James interupted him.
"Shut up, Wormtail." He indicated Snape, who was watching them all with little interest painted on his solemn face. "It might've been like it....Does he know about the map now?" He asked Hermione.
Hermione nodded.
They were all silent for a few minutes. Outside it was dark. Scattered stars shone through the window, seeming dimmed by the golden torchlight.
"I want to go and find him." James said finally.
They all looked at him. Silence.
"You can't." Ron said.
"Why not?"
"Because Snape is already getting him. If you leave you'll just be risking your own life for nothing...and...and if we all just stay here, then maybe we can get out of here faster--"
"Listen. I've known Snape for a long time and I seriously don't think he's reformed. I don't exactly care what Harry or Dumbledore think right now. Dumbledore isn't here, and for all we know Snape could be leading Harry and ourselves into death–or the other way around." He glanced at Snape, who's eyes seemed to be bulging out of his head, "He locked us in here. He doesn't trust us–why should we trust him?"
With that said James turned toward the door in a determined manner, unlocked it with a more powerful charm that was closely related to the Alahomora Charm, and stepped out.
"Wait!" Hermione and Ron said at the same time. They both stood up and joined him.
Ron said, with an upward bound of his chin, "Harry's always saving us–we're really past our debt to him--" To which James laughed.
Harry glanced down at the crumpled form of Bellatrix at his feet, then back up at Snape. He had to hand it to the man. Snape would put up a good fight in any duel.
"Thanks." He said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.
Too bad that thanks was wasted on an unwilling receiver. Snape lifted an eyebrow, a sneer played around his mouth, and he muttered, "Come on, Potter."
Harry followed him, feeling rather young and foolish.
A/N: Well, I've decided to begin answering to people's reviews. It would be a nice thing to do, and I've been reading a lot of other people's stuff lately, and it always feels nice when they respond to me.
To: black-cat-on-the-wall, dweem-angel, Silvercrystal77, phoebe666, MuGgLeNeT27, and Ness Lupin: I've finally finished working everything out, now all I have to do is actually write what I've planned....
To: LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e: Wow, thanx! That's basically what I've been aiming for this whole time^_^ I believe that all of this insight is starting to get depressing though...what do you think?
To: Makalani Astral: I know what you mean. Very misplaced was his appearance. I shouldn't have done that, but I had to begin letting on to a very important part to the end...
To: Sariah Greenleaf: Sephiroth is a really evil dude. You cannot blame him for being himself. I am not perfect, and I'm okay with that...also...a lot of my grammatical and/or spelling mistakes can be blamed on my not going back and reading the chappie over before posting it...
To: J.E.A.R.K. Potter: I'm glad u liked it–I'm getting afraid that all of this is getting too depressing...
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter content and characters belong not to me, but to J.K. Rowling....and I believe she is something like the fourth richest person in the world because of Harry Potter...who knew...
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: CELLS
A flash of memory slipped through his mind–he'd felt it only twice before. Memories of all of this happening, memories that sneaked through the barriers of the Memory Charm. Only pictures. Maybe a sound. Maybe a feeling. Nothing more. This time only a small flash in his mind, remembering a tall building, one that was only half built, before his eyes.
Remus promptly forgot about it. He blinked and looked up at the dark ceiling. He pulled his cloak closer around him, trying to ward off the cold. His stomach growled with hunger. He wondered if someone would come to give him veritaserum, to get out the Order's secrets....
Harry led the way down the darkened corridor. Soon Voldemort would send people down here. Set as a trap for him. Now was the time to get everyone out.
There were rooms–cells–along this corridor. Each door was made of metal, with a small window at the bottom that would be barely large enough to fit an arm or a leg into. They stopped at each door to look inside. Most were empty.
Why hadn't Voldemort killed Harry when he'd had the chance? When Harry was still locked up, tired and wandless. Voldemort certainly didn't still want a one-on-one match between the two. All of the times he had arranged that, it had ended up in disaster for him. Voldemort wasn't stupid. So he wouldn't stoop to villain cliches just to satisfy his own lust for blood. That was fantasized hope.
They passed one cell and a hand shot out of the low window, grabbing hold of Ron's foot. He yelled and fell.
A jumbled, barely comprehensible, rapid voice came out, giving them something to sense besides the bony hand that wouldn't let go of Ron. It said, while Harry and Hermione struggled frantically to pick off the long fingers, "....Kill the boy....NO! I CAN'T....you will–damned as I am–I won't be damned anymore--"
They finally freed Ron, stumbled backward, and ran as fast as they could away from the hand and the insane man.
"What was that?" Ron asked, frightened.
"It didn't sound like he was on our side..." Hermione gasped.
"Sirius told me last year that Voldemort--" Ron flinched, "–kills his own supporters, as well as those who are working against him. Maybe that used to be a Death Eater, but he disobeyed or something..."
They were all quiet for a moment at the actual mention of Sirius from Harry–but the silence was broken by whispers coming from a cell to their left.
"...So he was talking to you?"
"In was scary. He was in my mind--"
"Mum?"
There was a scrambling sound and James, Lily, and Snape appeared at the little window.
"Just a sec--" Harry said, and he pulled out his wand, pointed it at the lock and muttered, "Alahomora," then the lock clicked and the door creaked open. Harry smiled.
"Where's everyone else?" Hermione asked suspiciously, looking at the three who came out.
"They weren't in the same cell with us. C'mon, I think they're this way--" James said happily, leading the way.
They found Sirius, Moony, and Wormtail without trouble–besides a quiet argument that had begun between James and Lily–and Sirius nearly jumped on top of them all with happiness.
"Yes, yes, yes!" He laughed, helping Harry to his feet (he'd just knocked him over with joy). "So....where to now?"
They all looked at Harry, who said, "Snape told us to go to his dormitory after we've found Professor Lupin. He said it's on the second floor, fourteenth door on the left...."
"Why do you keep calling me 'Professor Lupin'?" Remus asked.
"You were our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in third year–the best one, in fact." Hermione said proudly.
Moony smiled.
"So where's ole Moony?" Sirius asked excitedly.
"I don't know. We'll have to find him."
As they began walking James came forward, pushing in between Hermione and Harry. Hermione sniffed disapprovingly, but James ignored her and addressed Harry instead, "You really trust Snape?"
Harry was silent for a few minutes, then he looked over at James with a strange glint in his eye. "Yes. I don't like him, Dad, but that doesn't mean that I don't trust him."
James raised his eyebrows confusedly. Harry had just called him "Dad". He couldn't imagine himself being called "Dad"....at least not by a kid who was only a year younger than him...
"Sorry--"
"RUN!" Harry yelled, and all of them ran. They didn't know why. Maybe they were startled into obedience, but they ran.
Harry felt the slim wand being jammed harder into his neck as the others sprinted off. Whoever was holding the wand didn't need to say a word for him to understand–One move and he'd be dead. He stared longingly at the retreating feet of his friends and his family. His wand was in his pocket. His fingers were inches away from his pocket.
Harry's finger's twitched and he moaned simultaneously as small sparks burned the skin on his neck. A female voice spoke in his ear as his captor forced him to move, "Have seen you in a while Potter...not since....last June, wasn't it?"
Harry felt anger rising from his stomach to his heart and finally to his throat until he felt as if he were choking. It was Bellatrix.
James was running...running running....His breath caught in his throat as his breathing hardened. Lily was in front of him, her red curls bouncing with every step she took, running just like the rest. Ron was at his side, breathing heavily, his strides longer than anyone else's.
Someone stepped from a doorway in front of them and they all slowed as they realized who it was.
Snape.
He looked at them all, then said, tonelessly, "Come with me."
Ten minutes later they were entering a small room. Second floor, fourteenth room on the left. The room was more so a cell. There was a small window and the walls were bare stone, as was the floor. There was a bed in the corner, a wardrobe, and a chair. A torch was on the wall. Other than that the room was completely empty. With all of them there it was quite crowded.
Snape closed the door behind him.
"What now?" Wormtail asked, sounding frightened. James rolled his eyes.
"Now you'll wait in here," Snape said briskly, crossing over to the bed and pulling a piece of parchment from between the mattresses. James barely glimpsed it–it was a map–before Snape stuffed it in his pocket and crossed back over to the door, "and I'm going to find Potter."
He didn't seem too thrilled about that task.
They heard the lock click in the door.
James sighed and sat on the bed. Sirius and Wormtail sat next to him and Snape sat on the chair. James scowled at him. Lily sat on the floor, straitening out her skirt before folding her slim legs under her. Moony pulled–a book from his robes.
James laughed, "Moony! We're in life-threatening danger, and you're reading a book??"
Moony ignored him.
"So...Prongs..." Sirius said, knocking on the wall leisurely, "Why did you run?"
James looked at him, eyebrow quirked, "Pardon me?"
Lily snorted, and Sirius said, "The other night–in the forest...why did you run?"
James had to think about that. Everyone in the room was quiet as he slowly said, "I had a dream...It was exactly like what happened–I ran toward the lake. In the dream I had a reason, but in real life I didn't. After I had the dream I wanted to know why I ran toward the lake...so that's what I did in real life..."
Moony said, without looking up from his book, "Maybe it was a future sighting."
"What?"
"A future sighting–or at least something like it."
"So we're all in this situation because of some stupid dream that Potter had?" Lily said, scowling.
"I guess so." Moony answered
"I wonder what Snape took with him." Ron wondered out loud.
"It was a map." James said. "I saw it."
"Just a map?" Sirius asked.
"Shouldn't he know where everything is around here by now?" Hermione asked.
"What if it's kind of like the Marau--" Wormtail began, but James interupted him.
"Shut up, Wormtail." He indicated Snape, who was watching them all with little interest painted on his solemn face. "It might've been like it....Does he know about the map now?" He asked Hermione.
Hermione nodded.
They were all silent for a few minutes. Outside it was dark. Scattered stars shone through the window, seeming dimmed by the golden torchlight.
"I want to go and find him." James said finally.
They all looked at him. Silence.
"You can't." Ron said.
"Why not?"
"Because Snape is already getting him. If you leave you'll just be risking your own life for nothing...and...and if we all just stay here, then maybe we can get out of here faster--"
"Listen. I've known Snape for a long time and I seriously don't think he's reformed. I don't exactly care what Harry or Dumbledore think right now. Dumbledore isn't here, and for all we know Snape could be leading Harry and ourselves into death–or the other way around." He glanced at Snape, who's eyes seemed to be bulging out of his head, "He locked us in here. He doesn't trust us–why should we trust him?"
With that said James turned toward the door in a determined manner, unlocked it with a more powerful charm that was closely related to the Alahomora Charm, and stepped out.
"Wait!" Hermione and Ron said at the same time. They both stood up and joined him.
Ron said, with an upward bound of his chin, "Harry's always saving us–we're really past our debt to him--" To which James laughed.
Harry glanced down at the crumpled form of Bellatrix at his feet, then back up at Snape. He had to hand it to the man. Snape would put up a good fight in any duel.
"Thanks." He said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.
Too bad that thanks was wasted on an unwilling receiver. Snape lifted an eyebrow, a sneer played around his mouth, and he muttered, "Come on, Potter."
Harry followed him, feeling rather young and foolish.
A/N: Well, I've decided to begin answering to people's reviews. It would be a nice thing to do, and I've been reading a lot of other people's stuff lately, and it always feels nice when they respond to me.
To: black-cat-on-the-wall, dweem-angel, Silvercrystal77, phoebe666, MuGgLeNeT27, and Ness Lupin: I've finally finished working everything out, now all I have to do is actually write what I've planned....
To: LJstagflower4e/JCtigerwolf4e: Wow, thanx! That's basically what I've been aiming for this whole time^_^ I believe that all of this insight is starting to get depressing though...what do you think?
To: Makalani Astral: I know what you mean. Very misplaced was his appearance. I shouldn't have done that, but I had to begin letting on to a very important part to the end...
To: Sariah Greenleaf: Sephiroth is a really evil dude. You cannot blame him for being himself. I am not perfect, and I'm okay with that...also...a lot of my grammatical and/or spelling mistakes can be blamed on my not going back and reading the chappie over before posting it...
To: J.E.A.R.K. Potter: I'm glad u liked it–I'm getting afraid that all of this is getting too depressing...