A/N: Looks around nervously. I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated in like forever! I've had a case of bad writers block, not to mention I've got my Sace this year at school and my part-time job as well makes finding time to write kinda hard. I had started chapter four not long after posting Hunted but got sidetracked. Plus I started up a new fanfic The Emerald Dawn, which has been surprisingly popular. But that doesn't change the fact that I feel so bad for leaving it this long! Hits self over the head with hardcover copy of HBP.
My favourite fanfic authors posting their next chapters have also sidetracked me. 'A Year Like None Other' rocks! Aspen I love you; you are an inspiration to all fanfic writers. Also 'A Stranger in an Unholy Land' by Jono is Fantastic! I love you as well Jono. Plus the discovery of a Harry/ Unique Pairing in White Knight, Grey Queen, which I've fallen in love with. Seriously, everyone go read these fics right now. Actually not right now, I want you to read my story now. Oh well. Check them out if you get the time.
A lot of you have concerns over whether TTD will be Slash or not. I've decided Harry will not be in a slash relationship. It just doesn't seem right for this fic. I've got a sweet idea that's been bouncing around in my head for ages regarding Harry's love life in this fic. I've just got to tie up the loose ends and we might be seeing some Lurve later in the story.
I would also like to ask you all a question. Do you think I should up the rating of my story? I've been restraining myself in a few of the scenes, wanting to make them more graphic. I also want to include some kick-ass torture and sex scenes later in the story. I would like to thank Saetan for the LONGEST REVIEW EVER! Siriusly, you rule! (hehe. Get it Sirius, Serious?) Oh I've sunk to new lows . . . Oh well, carry on with the story.
Transcending the Dark
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is the creator and owner of all characters and settings in her Harry Potter series. All other characters and settings mentioned in the following story are mine.
Chapter Four
Gateways
Dripping water echoed through the dark corridors of the old castle. The halls were a dark maze, twisting and turning into each other. Creatures scuttled across the floor and every here or there dark stains covered the stone floor. Every few yards lit torches were set into the damp walls and shadows moved against the stone. From deep inside the walls muffled screams tore from an unknown victims throat.
Out of the shadows walked a man stopping in front of a pair of huge doors. Severus Snape ran a hand through his greasy hair and wished fervently that he were anyplace but here. He stood outside the huge thick doors, breathing deeply as he prepared himself to enter hell itself. The cold stone passageway was dimly lit but enough so that Severus could make out the carvings that ornamented the great black doors before him. Carved into the wood were images of men and women in agonizing pain, hell fire, and great basilisks with glowing rubies for eyes. The flickering of the torchlight made the ruby eyes of the serpents seem almost as real as Voldemorts. The Potions Master tried his best to calm himself, taking deep breaths and slowly drawing his Occlumency walls up around his mind. Finally he closed his eyes and placed the white mask over his face before entering the chamber.
The screaming invaded his ears the moment he pushed open the doors with both hands. In the middle of the huge chamber a cloaked man lay on his back twitching and convulsing, his spine arching off the stone floor, as agonized screams tore from his throat. Several robed Death-eater's stood about the room, pouring over maps marked with tiny red markers and holding scrying crystals. They all seemed to be ignoring the man being tortured in the middle of the floor. Severus forced himself to block out the scene before him and strode purposefully towards the dais at the opposite end of the chamber, where seated there upon a great throne made of stone and black glass, sat the greatest Dark ruler of the age. Lord Voldemort.
Severus approached the throne and stopped several metres away at a respectful distance, before dropping to his knees and leaning down so that his forehead touched the cold stone. As the Dark Lord lowered his wand, the screaming ceased and was replaced with hoarse sobs.
"Ahh, Severus." Greeted Lord Voldemort. "You may rise."
Severus schooled his mind blank and raised his torso from the floor, letting himself kneel comfortably before the Dark Lord. "My Lord . . ." he murmured softly. "You summoned me?"
Voldemort twirled his wand languidly between his fingers. "Yes my devoted Severus, I summoned you."
Severus remained silent, waiting for the man to whom he was enslaved to continue.
"I wonder Severus, how the task I have set for you is coming along?" Voldemort asked as he stood and slowly made his way towards the man kneeling before him.
"The potion is coming along fine my Lord. Only another twelve hours left of the brewing process and then it is ready for your purposes." Severus kept his voice calm. The man lying on the floor behind him sobbed loudly as he gasped for breath, moaning from the pain.
Voldemort nodded slowly. Severus felt his long cold fingers stroke his shoulder through the fabric of his robes and resisted a shudder. "Very well. Has the old fool tried to contact you Severus?"
Severus shook his head. "No my Lord. Dumbledore is most likely running off after Potter. He is . . . affectionate towards the boy. He is most likely putting as many resources he can spare towards searching for him."
The Dark Lord slowly walked back to his throne and turned, sweeping his robes around his long frame before majestically seating himself. His face was a mask, his eyes cold. "I am well aware of this." He whispered. "Have you any news on the Orders plans I should be aware of?" Voldemorts voice was silken with a hint of threat behind it.
Snape swallowed. "I do not believe so my Lord. There was pandemonium when news broke of the boy's disappearance and your faithful attacking the muggles. The boy's owl arrived moments before you summoned me. He claims to have the Key."
"I know of this also Severus. I know that the boy travels the muggle way. I know he travels towards London. I know he has the Key to the Temple. The black heart." He whispered softly, his voice hissing dangerously. "I know all that you can tell me. You are slowly proving that your usefulness is fading, Severus. The only reason I allow you to continue in my personal service is for your conceivable skill in the art of Potions. Your abilities to gather needed information have been distinctly lacking of late."
Severus bowed his head in apology. "You have my greatest apologies my Lord, but Dumbledore has been frustratingly tight lipped concerning his plans for the Order lately. This is no excuse, I know my Lord. I lay myself at your feet and your greater judgment for castigation."
A thin sadistic smile crossed the crazed wizards lips and he raised his wand lazily. Severus stiffened waiting for the curse to fall. Suddenly the doors of the chamber flew open with a crash. The Dark Lord stood quickly, his robes sweeping around his body. "What is the meaning of this disturbance? This insolence!" he roared wand in hand, red eyes flashing dangerously.
A thin weedy man hurried forward, throwing himself at his master's feet, and gazing up at him with fear stricken eyes.
"My Lord," he gasped for breath. "My greatest apologies but Bellatrix sends word of their hunt!"
Voldemort strode forwards at once. Grabbing the man cowering before him by his throat he hoisted him up into the air. Bringing their faces close together his eyes flared intensely.
"Where is Potter?" he hissed, hate pouring from every particle of the man. The Death-eater gasped, clawing at his throat. Voldemorts long pale fingers tightened, digging into the flesh. A thin trickle of blood ran down his neck. "WHERE!" he snarled.
"Making his way to London!" he gasped. "Bellatrix reports his last location just outside – Hemingway!" He was released from the powerful grip and fell to the floor coughing and clutching his throat. "P-potter was sighted by one of your informants mere minutes ago, entering Kingstown. They await your instruction, my Lord. . . "
Voldemort smiled and swept away from the asphyxiating man and waved his hand at the wall to his far left. Immediately the thick black curtains fell away revealing dozens of different mirrors. He drew a dagger from the folds of his long black robes. Slicing it quickly across his palm he peered into the largest of the looking glasses as the blood welled in his palm. "Show me the boy." He ordered and smeared his bloody hand over the glass. The blood slowly ran down the surface of the mirror, dripping tracks of red down the reflection of his pale serpentine face.
Slowly the face shimmered and changed. Eyes the colour of the killing curse stared back at him before glancing away again, unaware they were being watched. Through strands of silken ebony hair the curse scar that the Dark Lord had left in his attempt at murder, was visible. Each mirror portrayed the same image at a different angle. Spidery fingers traced the young mans face, caressing the image's cheek and tracing his strong jaw line.
Blood from his still bleeding hand smeared itself across the boy's young features. The Dark Lords Faithful watched silently. Each knew some fraction of the prophecy. The one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord. Was this boy the key to destroying the greatest Dark Wizard in a century? Each knew of the Dark Lords obsession that went by the name of Harry Potter. Each knew from their masters ranting that the boy was growing in power. Power that would soon rival his adversary's. Each knew that the boy could not be allowed to continue on the way he was. Such power in one so young was unheard of. It was dangerous. Potter was dangerous. And he was growing up. As a child he had been merely an annoyance, a thorn in the side of the pure blood fanatics. But a child he was no more. He was fast growing into a man, and a dangerous opponent. They had all heard rumours of the boy's battles, against their Master and His cause. Many had seen for themselves during the Masters rebirth and at the encounter at the Ministry mere weeks ago. The boy had proven himself worthy in battle and some of the elders of the Faithful had come to respect him for it. They would still have no problem slitting his throat from ear to ear but they still recognized him for what he was fast becoming for all his youth.
Voldemort stepped backwards studying the mirrors that held the image of his adversary. For over fifteen years he had hunted this boy. And now the end was in sight. He smiled coldly. The teenager leapt down the stairs of the building two at a time. A rucksack was hooked over his shoulder as he hurried through the crowd blending into the background of the large shopping complex with ease. Voldemort narrowed his eyes. The boy would have made a good Death-eater had it not been for the child's rather annoying habit of foiling his plans at every turn. A spy most definitely if he'd ever seen one. The boy gained trust easily and could move about unseen despite his fame. It was disappointing that Voldemort hadn't managed to turn Potter to his way of thinking all those years ago when he had fought the boy for the Philosophers stone. By now, the boy would have been trained in all aspects of the Dark Arts and would have stood at his Masters right hand side in place of Malfoy who was currently in Azkaban, disappointing Voldemort greatly once again.
The serpent like face of the Dark Lord broke out into a satisfied smirk as the child passed a sign. Holding up a hand he paused the mirrors movements. Hennessy Shopping Centre. "There . . ." he whispered. "You know where he is, go now and rally Bellatrix and the others. Hurry, he will not stay put for long. Within ten minutes he will be gone from here." When he heard nothing but his followers harsh breathing behind him he whipped around furiously. "GO!" he screamed, robes whipping around his tall form.
The Death-eater ran from the room still clasping his bleeding throat. Severus watched all this with bated breath. "Get out all of you!" screamed the incensed wizard. Severus didn't need to be told twice and quickly got to his feet bowing deeply before sweeping back to the heavy doors. The other Death-eaters all scampered out of the room quickly.
"Severus." The spy paused at the doorway and looked back at his Master. He still stood before the wall of mirrors watching every move that Potter made. Blood dripped from his lacerated hand to pool on the stone floor. He turned his gaze from the boy's image and met Severus' eyes. "Finish the potion." He ordered coldly.
Severus nodded. "Yes my Lord." The image of Harry Potter faded as Severus took one last look at the room before closing the door behind him, leaving the Dark Lord alone with a bloodstained mirror.
O
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Harry hurried through the crowd that filled the large shopping centre in which he was currently trying to navigate his way around. The monstrous arcade was huge. Twelve levels, over two hundred shops, and a large food court covering the ground floor. Light flooded the complex from the glass roof that opened to the heavens letting light flood all the way down to the food court. Large banners, advertising different stores and appliances, fluttered in the breeze the air-conditioner created, and there were fountains, benches and potted palm trees everywhere. The entire place was filled with people.
He pushed his way past a group of teenage girls and jogged a little faster. He wasn't sure if the crowds were an advantage or nuisance. He could lose himself easily here, but it was impossible for him to be aware of everything going on around him. It was times like this when he wished he had Ron and Hermione by his side. Someone to watch his back while he watched their's.
His eyes darted around nervously. Where was it? Did this town even have one? Harry shook his head slightly to clear his mind of negative thoughts. Of course they would have one. Every reasonably sized town in England had a Gateway and every major city out of the country would have three. Bailey had made sure Harry knew of the signs to lead to the Gateways when he was ten years old. Standing on tiptoes he looked over the heads of the crowd in front of him, staring around wildly. There!
Grinning, he hurried through the throng of busy shoppers and past a large group of French tourists being led around by a guide and snapping photographs of everything in sight. Finally he reached the information booth and waited behind a large red haired woman who was asking for the whereabouts of the Lingerie section. Harry gave a little shudder as the woman hurried away muttering to herself about leopard print bikinis. The pretty brunette at the counter turned to Harry.
"Hello, can I help you with anything?" Harry glanced at her nametag. Rachael.
"There is something you could help me with," he said picking up the pen that sat on the desk of the booth and overturned a pamphlet about The Annual Kingstown Festival of Performing Arts. He quickly drew a triangle with a cross through the centre and turned it towards the girl. Her smile vanished immediately and she glanced up to his face, her eyes widening as she noticed the lightning bolt scar across his forehead, partly obscured by his messy hair.
"Harry Potter?" she whispered. Harry gave a quick nod.
"This needs to be quick. There are people after me and I need sanctuary. I need you to act completely normal. There may be someone here watching me."
She nodded quickly her mask of friendly information booth attendant snapping back into place. "Bailey has us all on the lookout for you. You're to go straight to him once you go through the Gate. The Prophet hit this morning with the story of your disappearance and everything has gone to hell. Bailey is hopping mad. Ordered Jackson's head on a plate for closing the Gateway in Surrey last summer. Said you could've gone through there straight to the Monastery." She said softly as she pretended to rummage through a pile of pamphlets on the desk, showing them to Harry one by one. "The nearest Gateway is in the basement of the building. Third door to your left, then inside the supply cupboard. You know the password?" she asked picking up several pamphlets and putting them inside a small paper bag.
"Of course." Said Harry his smile in place as the group of tourists walked past chatting in French as they snapped photographs of the information booth and the fountain not far from where Harry was standing. He turned his body slightly keeping his back to the people passing by.
"You're armed?" asked Rachael smiling nicely as she turned and picked several maps from the display behind her and placed those inside the bag as well.
"Yes." Harry said curtly nodding his head. "What does old Bailey want?"
"To talk to you. I dunno what about." She glanced around quickly. "There's been a rise in Dark activity the past few days. Death-eaters all over the place. 'Course we can't do anything about it. Higher orders and all. You shouldn't need it but just in case, there's a little gift from one of the Lost to another." She pushed the paper bag towards Harry and he noticed the large bulge inside it.
Harry smiled. "Thanks." He said scooping up the paper bag. "Can you contact Bailey for me and tell him I'm on my way. I'll need the Gateway to be closed and sealed after I go through. Just in case."
Rachael nodded smiling pleasantly as she turned to the computer next to her. Harry pretended to flick through a travel guide on the bench top. Her fingers danced over the keyboard. Harry checked his watch. He'd been here too long. Staying in one place was not a good idea. Not with Voldemort tracking his every move.
"Done." Said Rachael she frowned looking over Harry's shoulder. Her eyes suddenly widened. "Don't turn around." She whispered. "Get out of here now. That's one of the Dark Lords informants. I don't think he's seen you, but get going now!"
Harry nodded to the girl and walked away into the crowd. He quickened his pace, passing the escalators leading down to the sixth level, just as he heard a cracking sound come from behind him. He whipped around. A lot of the muggles screamed, thinking there was a gunman in the crowd and hit the floor, throwing their arms over their heads. Harry stayed upright his eyes widening at the sight of six robed and masked figures standing not two hundred metres away. Shit.
"Potter!" screamed Bellatrix levelling her wand at him and screaming a curse Harry didn't recognize. Harry flung himself to the ground as the wall behind him exploded in a blast of blue flames. The muggles started screaming again and running for cover. Four more curses of blue flame hit the wall behind him, one hitting a few feet in front of him and blasting him across the room. He landed hard on his side and gasped for breath. He looked up to see Bellatrix running at him, wand raised and a snarling grin on her face. Once again she was the only unmasked Death-eater.
Oh. Shit.
Scrambling to his feet, Harry ran through the crowd towards the edge of the levels balcony and threw himself over the edge just as a purple streak of light cut through the air where he had been a moment before. Grabbing the nearest banner as he fell he swung himself onto a lower level hitting the ground on all fours. There were more cracking noises and Harry looked up to see three more Death-eaters appearing at the foot of the escalators. Brandishing their wands at the teenager crouched on the floor they all cast the same curse. Silver arrows hit the wall and floor behind him, leaving holes and scorch marks in the plaster and blowing tiles apart. Harry leapt to his feet and sprinted as fast as he could towards the nearest bench and dove behind it. Their curses pelted into the old bench, chipping off fragments of wood and sending them flying into the air.
Harry unsheathed his wand and panting hard scanned the room the best he could from his position. He had to get to the basement. Remembering Rachael's gift he opened the paper bag and found what appeared to be half a dozen eggs all with a red triangle printed on them with a cross through the middle. Harry grinned and pulled one out of the bag clutching it tightly in his fist.
As soon as there was a pause in the curses he jumped to his feet, threw the egg as hard as he could at the three Death-eaters and ducked for cover again. A huge explosion rocked the room sending all three Death-eaters flying. Harry threw himself out from behind the bench and ran for the escalators. The room was filled with smoke and a fire was quickly spreading across the floor. Racing through the rubble that littered the room Harry chucked another egg over his shoulder for good measure and ran down the ruined escalator. The explosion tore through the level and Harry was thrown forward onto his front, hitting the ground hard and sliding forward through the dust and rock fragments. He glanced behind him to make sure he couldn't be followed down the escalators and found them blocked with wreckage. Breathing hard he picked himself up off the ground and ran for the elevators.
The sprinkler system suddenly started up as he reached the lifts and water began raining down, quickly soaking the teenager's hair and clothes. A small sign above the metal doors was flashing. In case of fire do not use Lifts. Harry pulled out the dagger from his jacket sleeve and pried it between the doors. Water ran down his back and trickled down his face. His sneakers were soaked through as the water continued to rain down. He could hear people yelling to each other from above him. They didn't know where he was yet, but they would soon. Harry groaned, barring his teeth as he levered the doors with the knife. His arms strained and he felt the skin on his left palm break open and begin to bleed. Finally the doors screeched loudly as they opened an inch and he used his fingers to pry them apart. He cried out as they finally gave way and slid open the rest of the way. He panted looking into the empty shaft. A big black pit. He frowned and looked up. He could see the bottom of the elevator hanging several floors above him. The elevator was currently on level ten. "Nothing is ever easy is it?" Harry looked down the shaft and gulped. "Just like sliding down the drainpipe." He told himself as he took off his coat and winded it around the thick cable. He didn't convince himself. A yell of "There he is!" however, forced him to take the leap.
"Oh Shiiittttt!" yelled Harry as he slid quickly down the swinging cable. He glanced upwards and could see the patch of light from the sixth level. Several heads were craning around the doorway to look down the shaft after him. The ground was getting much closer. He tightened his grip, causing himself to slow down. His arms screamed in protest as he finally came to a stop a few feet from the bottom and fell the last couple of metres to land on his back on the ground. The wind was knocked out of him and he gasped a few times trying to regain his breath. "Ow . . ." he moaned softly. Far above him he could hear the Death-eaters arguing.
"Well what are you waiting for? Go after him!"
"Why do I have to go down there? I'm not going down there! Why don't you go down there?"
"Because I outrank you, and there's no way in hell I'm going down there!"
Harry smirked and gingerly sat up. He pressed the emergency button and the doors of the shaft slid open. Harry stepped outside wand raised and a curse ready on his lips. He looked around eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. He was in the basement car park. The sprinklers were on down here as well and his sneakers squelched as he stepped forward on the wet concrete floor, slipping his jacket through the strap of his bag to secure it. Confident he was alone in the darkness. Harry pulled out the last four eggs and pricked one with his dagger, watching as a thin yellow liquid bubbled up out of it. He turned back to the shaft carefully placing the eggs on the floor. The sickly yellow liquid oozed out of the egg, slowly spreading over the bottom of the shaft. Carefully, he closed the doors. The liquid inside the eggs was highly explosive. A mix of several potions one of Baileys men had been toying with in the lab several years ago. It reacted to either heat or touch. Throwing them hard usually meant a successful explosion when injected inside the hollow eggshells. But the potion by itself needed very little to detonate. A change of temperature by a few degrees or, oh, lets say a Death-eater stepping on it, would be all that was needed to create a sizeable blast.
Harry smirked and turned hurrying away from the shafts. He passed one door. Two doors. He smiled as he reached the third and opened the door. He closed it carefully behind him and crossed the room quickly to throw open the steel cupboard marked with a red cross. Harry searched through the cupboard pushing boxes and jars out the way until his fingers touched the back of the cupboard. He felt along until he found what he was looking for. A red triangle with a cross through the centre burnt into the steel. He pressed it hard and felt it shift beneath his fingers. "Zuflucht vor der vermisst." He whispered clearly. The symbol lit up blue and Harry placed the boxes back in front of it again before closing the door. He counted to five and turned the handle again. Blue light flooded the room. Harry set his mouth in a thin line and stepped through the door. He closed it behind him just as he heard an explosion from the elevator shaft rock the building.
O
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Kingsley Shacklebolt was not in a good mood. In fact, he was in a very bad mood. The reason he was in a very bad mood was obvious to all around him. That is, obvious to all except the reporters who were firing question after question at the increasingly annoyed Auror. No the reporters were in a very good mood, completely oblivious to the cold stare Kingsley was fixing them as he tried to force his way through the Atrium of the Ministry. The reason of the Head Auror's bad mood and the Press' rather excitable mood was because Fudge had discovered Harry missing after the events at Little Whinging a few day's ago and had informed the public of the fact. Harry's face had been splashed across every wizarding newspaper in Europe within an hour of Fudges report that Harry Potter, Boy-who-lived and Saviour of the First War, was missing after a Death-eater raid at his summer home, and was now presumed captured or dead. Kingsley growled low in his throat as the next wave of reporters shouted question after question at him.
"Is it true that Harry Potter was kidnapped by the Dark Lord?"
"Have you located Potter yet?"
"Mr Shacklebolt is it true you've linked the murders of two muggles outside of Hemingway, to Potter's disappearance?"
"Is the Order of the Phoenix working with the Ministry to find the Boy-who-lived?"
"What is Dumbledore doing about the situation?"
"You! Get out of my way – move you fat lump of lard! – Mr Shacklebolt! Mr Shacklebolt!"
Kingsley looked up at the voice. It sounded very familiar . . .
"Mr Shacklebolt, Rita Skeeter, freelance reporter. Can you answer a few questions for me please?"
Skeeter. Damn. "I'm sorry but the Ministry cannot give out information on a case such as this." Kingsley said gruffly.
"But Mr Shacklebolt – please!" Rita fought through the crowd and grabbed Kingsleys arm, her red talons digging into his flesh. "Please," she said lowering her voice so only Kingsley could hear her. "I know the kid, I just want to know if he's alive."
Kingsley paused for a minute outside the Lift. The sincerity in her eyes was unheard of in the press. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the elevator with him as the doors clanged open.
The press outside the Lift were still yelling at him as the doors slid shut and the Lift began to descend. Kingsley looked at the woman. She was wearing a bright green pencil-skirt and white blouse with matching green robes and a crocodile handbag hanging off her arm.
"You know Harry?" he asked. She readjusted her extravagant glasses and nodded.
"He's done several interviews with me. Met him a year and a half ago. He's a good kid, even if he is a devious little snot."
Kingsley raised his thick eyebrows at her. She shrugged. "He's been blackmailing me. Says until I can write a story without fabricating most of it, I'm his bitch. Well, he didn't use those words exactly but you get the gist of it. I step one toe out of line and he jars me."
"Isn't the term 'before he cans me'?" asked Kingsley raising his eyebrows again.
"Er – um . . . yeah . . ." said Rita glancing around nervously. "Look you have my word that I 'm not going to print what you tell me. See if I do that Potters annoying, bushy haired friend will swoop down on me and then I'm roach food."
"Hermione Granger?" asked Kingsley with a frown.
Rita nodded. "That's the one. Should've been put in Slytherin if you ask me. Crafty little bitch." She muttered quietly to herself. "Last time I saw those two was when Harry sat for that interview about the night You-know-who came back. He bought me a drink. If I recall correctly he was having relationship problems with some girl in Ravenclaw. Of course, Granger wouldn't let me write about that! Bad enough I did that last interview without payment when it was worth thousands of Galleons. Do you know how much Lovegood got from the Daily Prophet for that interview? Five thousand Galleons! What did I get? A free drink. An absolute outrage that's what it is." She sighed. "Can you just tell me if the brat's ok? Please? I need to know."
Kingsley stared at her for a moment before sighing loudly.
"We don't know if he's ok or not. We don't even know where he is. And now with the press jumping all over it, it's going to be twice as hard to find him. Potter knows Voldemort better then any living being in existence. Potter will know where He will search for him and he'll try to keep away from the places he'll be noticed most. We've got nothing to worry about as long as Potter keeps out of sight. But now his fucking picture is on every front page in the country, people are going to be on the lookout for him. This is what Dumbledore was most afraid of." Kingsley ran his hand over his gleaming scalp. "We had orders from the Headmaster not to go looking for Harry, to let him come to us. Now we'll have every two-bit crook in the country looking for him. Do you know what Voldemort will give to have that boy bought to him alive?"
Kingsley shook his head and scowled. "If I see any of this in the papers I will go to Hermione myself and have her tell me what they're covering for you. Understand?"
Rita nodded dumbly. The Lift came to a stop and the doors clanged open. Several memos flew out over their heads as they stepped into the hallway. "You should use the Floo to get out of here. You'll be mobbed if you go back up to the Atrium. You can use my fireplace."
"Alright." The woman said quietly and fell into step behind him.
A second later Kingsley was almost knocked over when a young Auror rounded the corner running smack into the large black man.
"Sir, thank Merlin you're here! The alarms are going off. Dark activity in Kingstown. Large-scale attack underway at Hennessey Shopping Centre. Most of the sixth floor is up in flames. There are muggles swarming everywhere." He paused. "They're saying that a group of men and women in black cloaks were after a dark haired teenager." He added meaningfully.
Kingsley nodded. "I want a team of our best clean up crews down there, as well as forensics. Contact Madame Bones, I want everything out of Fudges jurisdiction. If he so much as says one word about this to the public I will have him charged for endangerment. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir. Would you like me to assemble the aurors, sir?"
"That won't be necessary. The Order of the Phoenix will be handling this operation."
"Yes, sir." Nodded the Auror and hurried off to assemble the men they needed.
Rita watched everything with wide eyes. Her fingers twitched towards her bag where her faithful quick-quotes quill was. Oh Merlin how she wanted to write everything down! Blasted Granger!
"If you'll excuse me Ms Skeeter, I must get to Kingstown." He swept off down the hall.
Rita stood stunned for a moment before regaining her voice. "Wait! I'm coming with you!" she yelled and took off after him as fast as her six-inch stilettoed heels could take her.
O
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Remus stared around the wreckage of what was once Hennessey Shopping Centre. Smoke billowed in huge clouds through the sky. The muggle fire trucks were still there gathering up their gear. Several ambulances stood a few hundred feet away treating victims. Thankfully no one had been killed in the attack. Kingsley had contacted HQ two hours ago ordering a team of competent men and women to get the Kingstown immediately. Remus wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt. The material had already become a dirty grey from the ash and dust from the wreaked building; a little more wouldn't hurt. It almost appeared to be lightly snowing; the ash raining down was so thick. It had settled in the rescuers hair and clothes, streaking their faces with dirt. Kingsley had quickly taken control of the situation, making up some sort of police division that the Order members were all masquerading as. Teams of the best aurors in forensics were combing the sixth floor as well as those directly below and above it. Fleur Delacour had apperated in on Kingsley's request to translate for him. A group of French tourists had all taken pictures of the attack as they hid behind a fountain. They had all given perfect descriptions of Harry. Remus sighed and strode forward into the building. Their pictures would prove invaluable in figuring out what went wrong here as soon as they were printed.
Remus walked through the front doors whose glass had shattered in the major explosion that had torn through the elevator shafts. It had originated from the basement, which now had forensics crawling all over it. They had found footprints on the damp floor leading from the shaft into a small storage room in the basement. Then they disappeared. Apparation or a port-key would be the logical guess, but they were dealing with a yet to turn sixteen year old boy. Dumbledore had assured Aurors that Harry had never been trained to apparate or create a port-key, so they were stumped. Mad-eye and Tonks were at this moment taking all security camera footage for evidence. Remus dodged a pile of rubble that had been swept into a heap and walked up the stairs. Arthur had informed him that the stairs usually moved by themselves. Escalators they were called. Remus smiled slightly. Muggles were really quite ingenious.
The only evidence they had that Harry had once walked this same path were the Muggles descriptions of him, and the fact that a large black motorcycle had been found abandoned between two buildings not far away. The bike had been reported stolen by the Dursley family the same day their nephew had gone missing. Remus scowled. They had not informed any of the Order of this fact. Harry's prints had been found on the bike. Remus jogged up the next flight of stairs wishing he could apparate in front of muggles. He was really getting much too old for this, he thought as he panted up the steps.
"Remus over here!" called Helga from across the large room. Remus hurried over to the group of wizards gathered around the open shaft. Smoke still curled up from the depths of the shaft and the walls were blackened from the heat and flames. His feet squelched across the floor, which was covered in an inch of murky water. The fire sprinklers still dripped slightly. The only light in the room came pouring in from the blown out glass ceiling. He crouched down next to Helga as she shifted through a mound of rubble with her wand.
"What have you found?" he asked glancing at the blackened shaft.
Helga gave him a humourless smile. "Human remains." She said turning over a rock with gloved hands to reveal something decidedly gooey.
Remus' lip curled in distaste and looked back at the shaft where several men were throwing long ropes down into the darkness. "I thought it was reported that no one was killed?" he said.
Helga nodded. "No muggles were killed. We've found the remains of two Death-eaters here and we think there's more down there." She said gesturing at the inky blackness of the elevator shaft. She glanced at Remus. "You coming down there with me? We've already got forensics at the bottom. They say they've found something interesting."
Remus looked down the shaft. He could see lights at the bottom and muffled voices carried up to him. Water steadily dripped down the tunnel. Remus raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Why wouldn't I?" he said as he grabbed a rope. Helga grinned at him and grasped the second one, slipping on the harness. "What were the Death-eaters doing down here anyway?" asked Remus as they crawled backwards over the edge and began their descent.
Helga readjusted the light on her helmet and slid a few more metres down into the shaft. "We think Harry escaped down here. Went through the shaft on the sixth floor and escaped out the basement entry. What we don't know is what happened to cause the explosion." They both slid down another ten metres. "We think Harry might be responsible for it."
"What?" said Remus sharply. "Harry couldn't have done this! There's no way he'd have the power, and the Ministry would have picked up on his magic."
Helga shook her head as they descended further into the pit. "Not magic Remus. Hawkins is positive it was an explosive. There's evidence of at least two other explosions that happened minutes before this one. Nothing of this magnitude of course, but still . . ." she shook her head and gave a low whistle. "Your wolf cub is packing some serious hardware."
They finally reached the bottom of the pit and unhooked themselves. The walls were scorched black and crumbling slightly. The doors leading out to the basement car park had been blown open making it look as though a can opener had sliced open the doors. A foot of water covered the bottom of the shaft and wreckage was submerged beneath the murky pool. Several lanterns casting an orange glow illuminated the shaft. A man stood to greet them. He was of average height, though quite thin making him resemble a stick insect. Glasses perched on the edge of his nose, and a helmet similar to what Helga wore, mostly covered his brown hair. A harness strapped to his torso held many interesting looking instruments and his wand was perched behind his ear.
"Hawkins. It's a pleasure to meet you Professor Lupin, Miss Dunning." He nodded politely to the two and held out his hand for first Remus to shake and then Helga. "I can guess what bought the two of you here." He said raising an eyebrow knowingly at Remus.
The aging werewolf frowned. "Was he here or not?" he asked impatiently.
Hawkins beckoned them to follow him through the wreaked doors and out into the basement. Several Men and women were scattered here and there through out the vast underground cavern trading information and using wand beams to search the floor for any evidence that could be useful. "We believe Mr Potter was here, yes." Answered Hawkins as they made their way over to a long table set up with many strange looking pieces of equipment. "We have several eyewitness reports and video feed should confirm it. We also have traces of blood that we are sure is his. It matches the Potter genes anyway. And with young Harry being the last of the Potter line . . ."
Remus gritted his teeth and frowned. "You think he was injured?" he asked worriedly.
The man nodded. "It's what evidence suggests. There is a blood splatter near the far wall of the seventh floor where the wall was practically blasted apart by several Dark curses. More in the shaft, though that is harder to determine, as there are three different wizards blood in the water." He grinned and sent Remus a dark look. "Two men were in the shaft when the explosive detonated. Most likely Death-eaters. Mr Potters fingerprints, footprints, blood and magical signature were all found outside the shaft so it's a safe bet he is very much alive and survived the blast." He grinned toothily. "I would love to know how he managed the explosion. Ingenious! None of our people can determine what was used. All we've managed to find is traces of egg shells of all things!"
Remus glanced at Helga as they followed the tech-mage over to the end of the table where a white haired man was pouring over a microscope and making notes on a chart. "Ah, Hawkins. There you are. Do you have anything else for me?" For a man of his obvious age the elderly man seemed spirited. His hand was steady as he wrote and his bright blue eyes reminded Remus oddly of Dumbledore. His white hair resembled that of a mad scientist, and his face was smooth except for the lines of age etched around his eyes and standing out prominently from his forehead.
Hawkins grinned. "Not just yet Mr Bismouth. Got some people here who want to ask some questions about what caused the blast and where the kid went to. I'll leave you to it?"
"Of course, of course." Spoke the old man, shooing Hawkins away. "Go find me some more traces of the explosive. It really is quite fascinating." He added turning to Remus and Helga. His eyes paused on Remus for a moment and saddened. "Oh, you poor boy." He whispered. "The curse of the bite at such a young age . . ."
Remus swallowed, his amber eyes widening. "How did – "
"I know many things Mr Lupin." Said Bismouth as he slowly walked around the table to offer his hand to the ex-professor. "The answers are very persistent. They will show themselves to me without my seeking them out."
Remus nodded grasping the man's hand for a moment. "You're a soul searcher?"
The man nodded slowly keeping hold of Remus' hand. His clear blue eyes searched the werewolf's. "You're searching for your cub. Yours in everything but blood and name. He is the last of true pack, the last of the good years, the years of light."
His grip on Remus' hand was becoming painful. His grizzled old face drew closer to Remus' and he pressed his cheek to the younger man's and whispered softly, "You search for the Dark Lords equal."
Remus pulled back quickly, wrenching his hand free. Shock was evident on his face as he stepped backwards quickly, almost bumping into Helga. There eyes remained locked and the old man nodded slowly.
"I know what he is." He said softly. "The blood was enough to tell me that. Blood is one of the only pure substances left on the planet. It cannot tell a lie. I saw the boy's power in the blood and it told me what he is. Just like your eyes told me what you are. I see into the souls and hearts of men and demons. The eyes are the windows into the soul, and the blood is what sustains the heart. I can see into that child's heart and it is pure and without taint from the darkness. No matter how many times the Darkness has touched his soul his heart remains just as it always was. Pure, strong . . . with such need for love it physically hurts. It speaks the truth of what he is. His equal, yet His opposite in so many ways." He closed his eyes and tilted his face upwards. "He is in a safe place . . . Sleeping at the moment. Though where I do not know. Heavily warded . . . protected. There is Darkness here but the Light in their hearts overcomes the shadow." He nodded slowly to himself again and smiled before opening his eyes and looking into Remus'. "Your cub is quite a marvellous young man. He has suffered so much yet still stays strong. He is fiery; his spirit will never be tamed. He is wildness and freedom personified. A wild phoenix who refuses to be caged. I have never felt such determination, such passion in so young a soul. I would very much like to meet young Harry Potter when he returns. "
Remus watched as the old man turned away and went back around the table to check a chart and scribble another few points down on paper. He glanced over at Helga to find her looking just as flabbergasted as he was feeling.
"What do you mean by that? The Dark Lords equal?" asked Remus as he approached the table watching as the soul searcher continued to peek into the microscope.
The man continued to work without looking up at the werewolf and his companion. "I know only what the blood knows." He said as he replaced a slide from the microscope with a fresh specimen to examine. "I would need the child present here to determine exactly what is imprinted on his soul, his true destiny. All I can see is a power fuelled by love and a Child of Prophecy. He is the Dark Lords equal in every way but for that one seemingly small detail. Mr Potter's power, though darkened by shadow at times, is stimulated by his needs, his wants . . . his pure emotions. I doubt very much that this child has ever hated in his entire life. His heart is too pure." He turned slightly to scribble something on parchment and finally looked up to meet Remus' eyes. "I hope you realise what he is Mr Lupin. What the future holds for that boy is pain and heartache. His past was nothing compared to what lays ahead of him. There will be a great battle soon. The spirits are restless and the fates have chosen that boy to bear the front of their war before all others. Ah –" he said seeing Remus' look of anger. "I see you don't agree. You are wrong Mr Lupin. That boy is a Child of Prophecy. Despite all the help and support you may give him, no matter how you try to protect him from the things that go bump in the night, know this: He alone will stand against the forces of Darkness in the fight against Riddle. He alone will have the power to defeat the Darkest Sorcerer in over five hundred years. He alone will bind the Darkness."
He leant closer to Remus across the table, one hand reaching out to grab his arm. His twinkling blue eyes had gone cold and icy as he whispered softly. "You cannot stop fate Mr Lupin. It is the will of the gods. You can however, bend fate to work in your favour." He added meaningfully before he let go of Remus' arm and turned away to look at Helga.
"Albus sent you here for a reason of course." Bismouth said, his voice returning to normal and his eyes regaining their spark of life. "I have little to tell you. All I am sure of is that Mr Potter is responsible for the explosions, the fire, and of course the deaths of four Death-eaters." He looked back into the microscope. "I believe the explosive was a mix of quite a few volatile potions with several spells attached somehow. Most likely to whatever contained the potions . . ." he trailed off as he peered into the microscope again. "I know very little just yet. I will contact Albus when I've had the chance to examine this in my lab . . . I may need a larger sample . . ."
"Er . . . yes." Said Helga as she watched the elderly man appraisingly. "Of course sir. Thank-you for all your time."
The man ignored her returning to scribbling notes down on his parchment. Remus stared at him for a moment before grabbing Helga's arm and pulling her away, back to the shaft.
He had to think about things. The Dark Lords equal? What was that supposed to mean? Remus frowned and walked Helga away from the soul searcher. He had some research to do when they finished here. Harry was a Child of Prophecy. The term sounded familiar but Remus would need to know exactly what it was. There were other questions that needed answering as well. Where in the world had Harry gotten explosives? Remus would have to check the video camera footage to be sure. Harry wouldn't carry weapons. Would he? Remus wasn't sure anymore.
The child he had come to know nearly three years ago was disappearing. He had seen it last year and now . . . Remus sighed. The boy was growing up fast. Much too fast. A child his age should be worried about girls, homework and Quidditch. Instead Harry was thrown into one battle after another. And worse still it was becoming normal to the boy. What was another murder attempt? What was another fight, another enemy, another stolen life . . .
If they didn't watch themselves Harry would be torn away from the light. The aging werewolf stepped back into the shaft and groaned as his shoes sunk into the sludgy black water. Helga smirked at him. "What was all that about?" she asked as she strapped herself back into the harness, gesturing back over her shoulder at the old man still tinkering with his microscope slides.
Remus shook his head, glancing up the damp gloomy shaft. Water dripped down the blackened walls and a square of light opened several floors above them. "I don't know." He said. "But I know where I can find out."
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A/N: Once again soooooo sorry this took so long to get out! Feedback would be wonderful and it might motivate me to write more and faster. (Did everyone catch that not so subtle hint?) I would also like to see how many people from TED are reading TTD. Just something I'm interested in. I apologize once more to my readers and I swear I'll try my hardest to get a chapter out as soon as possible. I may focus more on TED as it seems more popular at the moment, but I'll see where my muse takes me.
Zuflucht vor der vermisst – German for: Sanctuary for the Lost. (Lol, me displaying my lack of German skills – ich kann nicht sprechen Deutsch!)
Thankyou all for being so patient!
Responses!
Ksai: I don't like to think of this as a Harry Power Fic. He won't be all-powerful like many fics portray him. Harry will be powerful but he will have to struggle through that power. Don't worry I'm not putting slash into either of the fics I'm circulating at the moment, although I am writing one at the moment whenever I run out of enthusiasm for TTD and TED.
Chaseme720: hi long time no see! Thanks for the support, I've had work piled onto me at school and have barely had time to sleep over the past two months. No excuse for how long this chapter has taken to get out, I know … it won't be a Harry/Draco, though I am currently writing something on them. I want to have the plot outlined properly though before I post it. I think that's why this story has been so hard to get out; I'm just going wherever my muse takes me. thanks for your review!
Saetan: WOW! You've thought a lot about this! Yes, Harry was stupid leaving his shirt behind, but you must remember that he is just a kid and he makes mistakes. Sanctuary will be a mix of magic and muggle, with both societies contributing to the protection of the Lost that reside within its walls. A lot of the money from Harry spent on Sanctuary goes into research and development for weaponry and security. Hmmm … I'm undecided over whether magic is part of the body or the soul. I don't believe it could be ripped away and when Crouch Jnr had his soul sucked out by the dementor it was never established whether his magic had been taken along with it or not. Very interesting idea about raising capitol. Although Sanctuary does not have a diamond generator they do have monetary dealings with both the muggle and wizarding worlds, but it is all very under the radar, very hush-hush, as they do not want attention drawn to them. Thank-you so much for your review, I hope I've answered all of your questions. Please let me know more about your thoughts concerning my fic!
fhippogrif: thankyou, I've always wondered what Remus thought when he re-met Harry on the train third year. It would have to have been a shock to the system. Don't worry - not slash. I enjoyed creating Sanctuary and now there's a fair bit of descriptive writing for me to do to show exactly what it looks like. Keep reviewing!
Surarrin: Sorry, it's been months! I hope I still have some readers left it's been so long!
bandgsecurtiyaw: sorry you had to wait so long. Let me know what you thought of this chapter!
Snickers: I like you, your review made me laugh, and got me typing when I realised that many people may think this fic had been abandoned. But I'm BACK! Please keep reviewing, I love hearing from my reviewers!
Japanese-jew: yes I think drarry is often OOC as well – finding a fic that sticks to canon is really hard especially after HBP. You read my mind. I'm debating whether to insert my own female character as a romantic interest, inserting a canon female character whom I have recently fallen in love with when paired with Harry, or leaving Harry single. Tell me what you think – in a review!
Love you all,
Jellylegs xoxo