Gemini Star: (out cold on keyboard) Zzzzzz.…zzz…
Midori: Ahem…Author-lady is unable to answer your reviews at the moment, because she has just managed to survive a very hectic last week of school, including finals and stressing over final report cards. As such, she'll be out cold for a while…
GS: Zzzzzz…No, carbon dioxide does not react well with water…Zzzz…
Midori: Uh…huh.
Disclaimer: Author-Lady doesn't own Digimon or Harry Potter. Deal with it.
Chapter 33: No Longer Safe
"Have you guys seen Kouichi?"
Takuya and Izumi looked up from their card game, a bit surprised. It was Sunday morning, right after breakfast, and the Great Hall was almost empty, leaving them free to play Exploding Snap at the Ravenclaw table. They hadn't been expecting Kouji to come up to them with a concerned-badly-covered-by-indifferent look, or the question he had asked.
"Not since yesterday." Izumi shrugged, playing her card. "In Hogsmeade."
"That's just it." Kouji frowned. "He was supposed to meet me at the book store yesterday, but he never showed up."
"He wasn't at dinner, either." Takuya noted, laying down one of his hand. "I thought he went back to the Slytherin dorms for a nap or something. He's been sleep-walking all year."
Kouji's frown deepened. He'd considered that, but usually he'd get at least a tickle from his brother's dreams while they were in range. However, there hadn't been so much as a feather touch through the whole evening, and this morning he just couldn't shake the sickening feeling that something was terribly amiss…
The sound of high-healed footsteps came close, and the three looked up to find Professor McGonagall heading their way. There was a strange look on her face, which raised Kouji's suspicions ever more.
"Good morning, McGonagall-sensei." Izumi bowed slightly, remaining seated.
"Good morning, Orimoto…Minamoto, Kanbara." the woman said stiffly, her face not unfolding from her concerned gaze.
Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Is…something wrong, Sensei?"
"…" The teacher looked rather hesitant, something you did not see on this particular woman. Instead of responding to Takuya's question, she turned her eyes immediately to Kouji. "Mr. Minamoto. Please come with me."
Kouji raised an annoyed eyebrow, but the concerned tone made him followed after her. It wasn't long before he realized the route they were taking, as she lead him right up to the Headmaster's office.
The old man was pacing, moving from the window to the bookcase and back in a nervous fashion. He stopped when the two entered and smiled semi-warmly. "Come in, come in, Minerva…Mr. Minamoto…" he sighed, shaking his head and making his long, white hair rustle back and forth. "Please…Sit down."
Kouji did as he was told, sinking into the armchair while managing to keep his face loosely impassive. McGonagall took a straight-backed chair nearby, a frown set firmly on her face. For a long while, not one of them spoke, as the Headmaster went through his pace once more. Then Dumbledore turned to Kouji with a slight sigh.
"Kouji…I'm sorry to have to call you up here on your free day." he said, as though his mind was on something else. "But there's something we must talk about…Have you seen your brother?"
"No sir." Kouji's frown deepened. This was about Kouichi?
"Heard from him at all?" McGonagall pressed. "Any sort of contact?"
"No." Kouji repeated. "I haven't seen him since yesterday."
McGonagall sighed in a depressed manner, and Dumbledore's concerned look slid into the look of one who had just heard something they had very much wanted not to hear.
"It seams, Minerva…" he whispered quietly. "It may be just as bad as we had feared."
Kouji stiffened slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"
McGonagall glared at him as though about to admonish him for his language to the Headmaster, but Dumbledore waved her into silence. He moved behind his desk to sit in his chair, folding his fingers in front of him. "Kouji…I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but…Your brother was not reported in returning from Hogsmeade yesterday."
Kouji's blood ran cold as various worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind. Part of him knew the McGonagall was telling him how they'd searched the wizarding town, but he could hardly hear her. He was too busy watching images of his brother, lying unconscious in a cold alleyway, or at the mercy of some blood-thirsty Digimon or…or…
"Mr. Kimura?" McGonagall's sharpened tone pulled him back into reality, but with an angry glare at being interrupted. McGonagall's eyes narrowed, about to respond harshly, but Dumbledore waved her into silence.
"Don't trouble him, Minerva. It is rather…harsh." Dumbledore shook his head slowly and sighed, standing. "There is no other choice…I shall inform the rest of the school myself."
( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Dumbledore's announcement was short and sweet.
No one, except Kouji, had been expecting it. They were all ready for dinner, that's all they had been looking forward to. But tonight, just when the entire school had gathered in the Great Hall, was when the Headmaster stood and called for their collective attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said in a voice just enough above a whisper to echo around the immense room. "I'm afraid to tell you all that there has been some… disturbing…news."
The hall was instantly even more silent than it had been before. Dumbledore pushed his half-moon spectacles up the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. "A student of Hogwarts…has vanished."
A collective gasp ran through the hall, followed by anxious whispers as censuses were taken at each table to try to figure out who it was. Most of the prefects, including Hermione, were searching through their tables as best they could while remaining seated.
"I don't think anyone's missing here." she whispered anxiously, turning to Harry.
"That's a relief." the boy sighed. "But who do you think…?"
There was a short 'hmph' from a little further down the table. A few heads turned to find Kouji staring purposefully away from anyone else and glaring sternly out the window, his chin resting sternly on his arm. Ron frowned at him, slightly annoyed. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing." snapped the transfer, ruder than usual.
"Jeez, Kouji." Takuya rolled his eyes. "He just asked a simple question, what're you all worked up abo-"
His mouth fell open suddenly, as though something strange had just hit him in the face. "Oh no. You don't mean…"
Kouji turned and glared at him sourly. Takuya went completely pale and twisted around, snapping his eyes to the Slytherin table. "Oh man…"
"What is it?" Harry asked, dropping his voice down as McGonagall began to silence the hall again. "What's wrong?"
"Takuya-nii?" Tomoki asked, leaning over to his friend. "Kouji? What is it?"
"It's Kouichi…" Takuya shook his head, putting it in his hands. "Aw man, this sucks. This really, really sucks…"
Dumbledore rang one of the empty gold goblets with his knife, cutting off all forms of worried and/or curious conversation. As soon as the hall was quiet, he spoke again.
"As of yet, the student's whereabouts are unknown." he continued, glancing at each of the houses seriously. "But until we can determine the source of his disappearance, I'm afraid there will be some restrictions placed on the student body. A teacher will escort you from class to class. No one is allowed to leave their dormitories after classes are over. And all of you must extend extreme caution.
"Also…" Shining blue eyes turned to the green-robed table near by, focusing on a certain pale blonde student, the sole one not involving himself in the conversations. "If any of you has any information on the disappearance…any at all…I encourage each of you to come forward. The sooner we can return our comrade to his rightful place, the sooner everything at Hogwarts can return to normal…"
( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Harry found himself in a huge room that was undeniably a dungeon. It was dark and damp, a few flickering candles illuminating the rough stone walls, covered in cobwebs and mold.
Also illuminated were the figures around him, all dressed in long, black robes. His loyal followers, forming their circle around him with malicious intent. Lucius, Bellatrix, Melcher, and half a dozen others, all with wide, horrible grins across their faces as though they were watching a very entertaining show.
He raised his hand and motioned them forward, as the snake at his feet hissed joyously. The Death Eaters around him shifted a moment, then pushed something forward so that it fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
The Japanese boy was bound tightly with magical ropes, no knot or seam in sight, his hands pulled behind his back and arms tied to his sides. His body was covered in scratches, bruises and the small burns of spell damage, especially around the wrists where the rope had abraded the pale skin. His clothes were torn slightly and there was a bloody cut above his left eye. He was trembling slightly, but it was from overly-strained physical weakness, not fear.
"So." Harry hissed icily, giving the captive his best glare. "Have you decided to tell us what we need to know?"
Kouichi remained silent and glared slightly in defiance.
"Just nod your head and we'll untie you." Harry continued. "You must be uncomfortable, and you know how hard it will be on you if your persist to disappoint us…"
The boy kept his mouth shut, not breaking eye contact, though he did begin to shake a bit more than before.
Harry felt a devious smile slip over his lips. "Lucius." he whispered icily. "Please remove the Silencio charm. I want to hear who he cries for under my wand."
Malfoy grinned maliciously, stepping forward. He grabbed the boy by the hair and wrenched his head back, exposing the pale flash of his throat. A thin wand pressed roughly into the point where his vocal cords were as the man whispered a spell.
Kouichi's breath was suddenly audible, harsh and ragged in his sorely-abused throat, but he said nothing, just gasped desperately for air. Malfoy stepped back as his Master came forward, pulling the phoenix-feather wand out of its hiding place.
"I'll give you one more chance to beg for mercy, boy." he hissed, straightening his arm to point the wand at him.
Kouichi gasped a few times, but not a word escaped his lips. He continued to glare.
A cold smile wormed its way onto Harry's lips. "Very well, then. Crucio."
The bound boy jerked suddenly with a half-muffled scream, writhing futilely against his bonds. In moments a flood of tears had begun streaming down his cheeks, and Harry knew the spell was taking its full effect, filling his victim's body with the magic pain that seared to the very bones. All around them, the Death Eaters laughed, Bellatrix Lestrange louder than them all.
The captive fell helplessly to the side, still trying to get away despite the despondency of it all. He bit his lip, even though he couldn't even muffle the cries of pain raking from his throat.
"K-Kaa-san…" he whimpered pitifully, evoking more laughter. "M-Mama… K-Kouji…Brother…Kou…ji…"
Harry burst awake, gasping for breath in the darkness. For a moment he sat there, trying to figure out exactly what had happened.
"It. Was. A dream." he told himself firmly, trying to catch his breath.
But it wasn't just a dream, he knew that. It was happening, probably right now, in some deep, dark dungeon miles away. He'd just watched…no, he'd just been Voldemort as he tortured a helpless victim. And that victim wasn't just anyone, he was a classmate who had been missing for over a week now.
Harry sighed, falling back against his pillows in stressed exhaustion. It was confirmation, this dream. Confirming Dumbledore's suspicion. He should go tell him… it was important. But it was so…late…
He rolled over and buried his head in the pillows, trying desperately to push the dream out of his mind, just for the night, making a pact with himself to go to Dumbledore tomorrow morning.
If he had taken the time to listen, the total count of five sets of slow, steady breathing would have told him he wasn't the only one lying away.
( - ) ( - ) ( - )
Harry wasn't the only one in Dumbledore's office the next morning, either. As he approached the top of the staircase (tailed closely by Professor McGonagall) he was a bit surprised to hear a very different voice on the other side.
"They're hurting him, Professor! I know they are!"
McGonagall pushed open the door to reveal a rather desperate-looking Kouji, confronting the Headmaster with a highly labored, exhausted voice. He had slight bags under his eyes, as though he hadn't slept well. Dumbledore was listening to his testimony calmly, his hands folded to rest his chin on.
"Yes Kouji, I understand." he whispered softly. "I know your connection with your brother must be strong…Hakaishi-san did mention your parent's separation may have extended it. But there is nothing I can do."
"We have to do something!" Kouji insisted. "Every night, it's the same thing! Whoever has him, they're…they're…"
"…They're torturing him." finished Harry softly.
Kouji snapped his head around, but Dumbledore simply looked up. "Ah…Harry." he said, almost conversationally as he stood. "I take it you've had another of your visions?"
Harry nodded simply, coming up to stand on the same plane as Kouji. The transfer eyed his housemate suspiciously. "What kind of 'visions'?"
"Never you mind." Dumbledore ran a hand through his beard, turning to the boy. "Tell me, Harry, where have you been this time?"
Harry glanced at Kouji nervously, feeling a bit guilty for what he'd seen himself… no, what he'd seen Voldemort…do, but raised every once of his Gryffindor courage to bring himself to speak.
"I…It was Kimura." he reported hesitantly. Kouji snapped to attention. "He was… I'm not really sure. It was…dark. Like in the dungeons. And there were…people…"
"Which people, Harry?"
Harry frowned, trying to remember even as the images started to slip away. A few names popped into his head and he went with it. "…Malfoy. Lucius Malfoy. And Lestrange…"
Dumbledore's expression grew ever more serious. "And what were they doing?"
"…Like I said, Professor." Harry whispered, glancing hesitantly at Kouji once more. "They were…torturing him. Like they wanted something from him."
Kouji went several shades paler than normal, but hid it as best he could by turning away from them. His ponytail fell over his shoulder and he began running his fingers through it nervously, biting his lip.
Dumbledore, on the other hand, simply straightened to look grimly at McGonagall. "Minerva…It seams our darkest fear may have come true."
She drew in a soft breath. "Albus, it can't mean…"
"I'm afraid so." Dumbledore sighed softly. "One of our students has been taken by Death Eaters. Hogwarts is…once again…no longer safe."
TBC…
"Takuya-nii?" - Basically the same as saying 'Takuya-nii-san' I've been reading too much Fruits Basket. Hatsuharu calls Shigure, 'Shigure-nii', even though they're not related, because he's several years older than him.
(slightly dazed) By the way…The date Is currently May 19th. In two days I will be sixteen. Yea…(faints from exhaustion)
Midori: (sweatdrop) I hate it when my author over-works herself…
