Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: My special thanks to John Adams for her friendship and help in beta reading this story, and for keeping me on character with Harry and the gang. Also for her many suggestions that made this story better than it would have been.
CHAPTER 13: UNSEEN ENEMIES
Draco opened his eyes to find himself on the narrow ledge of a vertical cliff. Looking down he saw a sheer drop of several hundred meters to a heavily wooded river valley. He pinned himself back against the rock wall and closed his eyes tightly.
"Afraid boy?" Voldemort smirked. "You'll find better things up there to be afraid of." And Voldemort pointed to a rocky crag a hundred meters above them.
Draco opened his eyes and looked up, but all he could see were the crumbling walls of a once great castle. "He lives in those ruins?" Draco asked in surprise.
"Draco, you're a fool! Didn't you learn anything from your Father? Come and I'll show you the ruins that he lives in." Voldemort led off along a narrow path that ran precariously along the cliff face; with Draco and Wormtail following close behind. For the first time Draco allowed himself to look around. Snow covered mountain peaks towered above them on every side, lower down the mountainsides were covered with virgin pine forests of dark green, and in the valley far below a rushing, rock-strewn river disappeared into the distance.
The air was rather thin as they climbed the steep path, and Draco soon found himself exhausted. But he knew if he ever faltered his master would leave him to die; or would kill him for showing weakness. So he forced himself onwards, in spite of the burning pain he felt in his lungs.
They finally reached a large basaltic rock that stood beside the path and looked curiously out of place. Here Voldemort paused, and waved his hand across the face on the rock. Draco was breathing so heavily that he hardly realized what his master was doing. After the third wave a metallic voice rang out from the stone demanding the identity of the intruders.
"It is I, Lord Voldemort who calls upon you Laxsor. Admit us at once!" Voldemort demanded.
"Lord Voldemort? Lord Voldemort?" The voice answered in a tone of ridicule. "I know of no Lord Voldemort. I know of Tom Riddle, who was bested by a sixteen year old boy."
"Dare you speak to Lord Voldemort in such a manner?" Voldemort replied in a rage.
For more than a minute Voldemort waited for a response, but the stone was silent. Draco saw the rage building in his master's face, and he backed away in fear. The boy looked across the deep chasm that now separated them from the castle ruins, and wondered what manner of wizard lived there who would dare speak to the Dark Lord in such a fashion.
Finally Voldemort could take the silence no longer. "Laxsor!" He called out.
"Yes, Tom." A soft voice responded. "Do you wish to enter?"
Voldemort gnashed his teeth and replied in barely controlled fury. "Admit me and my servants. There is benefit for you in this meeting as well."
"In that case," the voice replied smoothly, "come forward."
As Voldemort turned to face the ruins, Draco noticed that the tumbled down walls were beginning to blur, and then the whole scene in front of them disappeared in a swirling mass of colors. Suddenly a tall, spired castle rose up out of the confused colors. A stone bridge materialized before them, spanning the chasm that separated them from the castle. As the last of the swirling color disappeared, Draco beheld a castle every bit as impressive as Hogwarts.
Draco was just starting to step forward when he was grabbed roughly by the collar of his robes. "Listen, Boy." Voldemort hissed. "You will speak to no one inside this castle; do you understand me, no one! Believe nothing that you see or hear in this place. All here is an illusion."
As they walked across the stone bridge Draco felt a sudden chill, as if someone had just walked on his grave; this was a long way from the Quidditch Pitch at Hogwarts, and at that moment he wished he was back there.
On the other side of the bridge were two enormous oak doors, heavily encrusted with large iron studs. As the three approached the doors swung magically inwards, admitting them to a large inner courtyard. The courtyard itself was strewn with iron cannon, mortars, and other obsolete weapons from a bygone age. Voldemort led them quickly across the courtyard to another door, flanked by two stone dragons.
The door was opened by an ancient servant, who escorted the group into the main hall of the castle. Draco could clearly see that the man was of great age, with white hair and the careworn face of one who has seen much unhappiness. And yet, strangely, he greeted the Dark Lord with a smile and a touch of pride unusual for one of his caste.
"Welcome My Lord Voldemort, it has been many years since you last visited my Master. I will show you to your rooms as soon as he has properly welcomed you." The servant said with a strange smile.
"Yes, Mallick, I have returned….But I have not forgotten." The Dark Lord replied. What was that strange note in his Master's voice, Draco wondered; could it have been a grudging respect?
The three visitors were escorted into a large formal reception room. A fire was burning brightly in a large marble fireplace giving the room a warm and comfortable feeling. There they were greeted by a man who looked about seventy, with a long salt-and-pepper beard and cold blue eyes. The man was dressed in rich emerald green robes with silver trim, and by his aristocratic manner showed himself to be one born to wealth and privilege. And yet there was something about his cruel smile that gave the impression that he was one who could watch the pain and suffering of others, and enjoy the experience. That realization sent a chill of terror down Draco's spine.
"My old friend, we meet again." Said the man, with a heavy German accent. "You and your servants are most welcome in my home."
"The years have been kind to you, Laxsor. You have hardly aged at all."
"That is because I was born old, my friend; and there is nowhere to go from there but the grave. But what brings you to these lonely parts, besides love for me that is." He responded, a note of sarcasm in his voice.
"I need your help, Laxsor."
"Yes, I believe you do. This young wizard is strong, and the fates are on his side."
"I must kill him!" Voldemort hissed.
"No easy task, my friend. He is formidable in his own right, and with the backing of Albus Dumbledore, almost invincible. Still, it might be arranged. But why should I involve myself, what benefit is there to me?"
"Do you still seek after the secrets of life and death?"
"You know that I do, and always will."
"Would it be worth your assistance if I could put a "Veil of Death" in your hands?"
For the first time since their arrival the strange wizard seemed to show a spark of real interest. "It would indeed be worth a great deal, if you were in a position to deliver one."
"There is a 'Veil of Death' in the Ministry of Magic which I can deliver to you. In exchange for your help."
"An interesting proposal, my friend, and one that I must think about. Let us discuss it further this evening, after you've rested from your journey. Mallick will take you to your rooms and see to your comforts."
As Mallick led Voldemort and his servants from the room, Laxsor watched him with his cold eyes. "This may indeed turn into a profitable meeting," he mused.
Later Laxsor called Mallick into his presence. "Give them everything that they need. See to it that they are made comfortable. We will see how this plays out, my friend." Laxsor said in a calculating tone.
"You would help Voldemort, my lord?"
"I don't know, Mallick. One must always carefully weigh the potential gains against the possible losses. A 'Veil of Death' is a great prize for me. But were I to assist Tom Riddle, and were he to achieve his ends, what would stop him from turning on me? We have no love for each other, he and I. Also, it would be dangerous to ally myself too closely to this 'Dark Lord,' as he calls himself. He underestimates this young wizard; I do not. Voldemort is like Grindelwald; his lust for power blinds him to the strengths of his opponents. As Grindelwald underestimated Albus Dumbledore, so Tom Riddle underestimates Harry Potter. That is a mistake I do not intend to make. If I do choose to help him I intend to be very careful with this young wizard."
Putting a hand on the old man's shoulder, Laxsor continued. "What I need now is information, and for that I need you, my friend. And I think I know the source from which we can get it. You noticed the young boy with Tom, he's Lucius Malfoy's son."
"Ah, yes. I remember Lucius." Mallick said thoughtfully. "A mediocre wizard who tried to use his wealth in place of talent."
"Potter and his friends killed him, along with Belletrix Lestrange and several others."
"Belletrix is dead?" Mallick responded with something approaching glee.
"Yes, I thought that would please you. I never had much use for that particular witch myself. It does seem we are a bit in Mr. Potter's debt. But to the point, I think young Malfoy can give us the information we need. It's been some time since I've seen Eva, and I think perhaps young Mr. Malfoy would enjoy meeting her."
An evil smile spread across Mallick's face, which suddenly began to change. His grey hair grew longer and turned to a golden blond. His cold grey eyes turned a bright summer blue, and softened. His wrinkled, parchment-colored skin smoothed, and developed the blush of youth. Within seconds a beautiful young girl stood where the aged man had once been.
"Ah, yes. Just the thing to make a young boy's heart go all aflutter." Laxsor said with a smirk.
"Yes, master." The metamorph said with a honey-sweet voice. "It seems like old times."
Laxsor smiled. "Yes, my friend. I too have missed the game of life and death. This should be most pleasurable for both of us, with perhaps a great reward at the end."
Later that night, while Voldemort was meeting with Laxsor in his study, there was a knock on the door of their rooms. When Draco answered the knock he was pleasantly surprised to find an attractive young lass of about sixteen. She had silky blond hair, bright blue eyes and a ready smile. With his heart pounding in his chest, Draco asked if he could help her.
"My master sent me to make sure you were comfortable," she said in a shy, sweet voice. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"No, we're very comfortable thank you….err, what's your name?" Draco asked uncertainly.
"My name's Eva," she responded shyly.
"I'm Draco. Do you work here in the castle?"
"Yes, I help…I help in the kitchens. Where do you come from?"
"We come from Britain. I serve Lord Voldemort. He's come to speak to your master. Would you show me around the castle?"
"Yes, if you like." She said with a blush.
Wormtail was already fast asleep, and Voldemort was likely to be some time, so Draco slipped out of the room and the two young people strolled down the hall together.
In the days that followed, Draco fell more and more under Eva's spell. Each night Laxsor would insist that Voldemort discuss details of their arrangements; thus giving Eva time to spirit Draco away into the moonlight. Draco never even realized how methodically Eva was extracting important intelligence from him; valuable information about Voldemort, his weakened condition, and the strengths of his opponents. By the end of the week, Laxsor knew exactly how weak his old enemy was; and that knowledge gave him no end of pleasure.
- o -
But Draco wasn't the only one who was having a pleasurable time. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Dumbledore announced that classes would be suspended for a week of celebration. Special Quidditch games were planned, and all students were allowed to visit Hogsmead. This was a special treat for the younger children who had never visited the all magic village before. As an added treat, the headmaster announced that end of term examinations would be cancelled this year.
The rest of the term passed pleasantly and rather uneventfully; and after the stressful events of past weeks, few people had any regrets. The Daily Prophet was still reporting sightings of Voldemort in various parts of the country, but no one was paying much attention. Over the previous two years the Daily Prophet had lost much of its credibility, as well as many of its subscribers. The reliable source for information had more and more become "The Quibbler;" a fact that delighted both Luna and Harry. That journal had accurately reported that Voldemort, and his few remaining supporters, had fled to the Continent and were attempting to regroup.
A few incidents of note did occur during the last weeks of the term; but nothing to threaten what Harry already considered his best year ever. Two days after their return from Avalon, Professor McGonagall came over to where Harry and Luna were seated before the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Most of the students were spending the day in Hogsmead, so the school was unusually peaceful and quiet. Ron and Hermione had asked them to go along, but Harry and Luna had chosen to stay behind and just enjoy the quiet time together.
"May I join you two?" She said with a smile.
"Certainly Professor," Harry responded.
"You two chose not to go to Hogsmead with the others?"
"No, we thought we'd just stay here and enjoy the fire and the quiet. We're going flying a little later, and maybe take a walk before dinner."
"The peace is welcome after all that has happened," the older woman agreed, but she also understood their need to be alone. She glanced down at the gold rings on their fingers and smiled to herself. No matter what the future held, she felt that these two had been singularly blessed.
"I was wondering if I might talk to you about the DA?"
"Certainly, Professor," Harry responded. "But it really hasn't really been active in over a year. With Umbridge gone there really didn't seem to be a need for it."
"Well, that's what I would like to talk about. I think the need now is greater than ever before. Fear of Voldemort seems to be fading, and people are ready to fight back. Everyone knows what Miss Chang and the others did two days ago, and since then I've had dozens of students ask about membership. I've never seen such enthusiasm. Would you consider restarting the DA and enrolling new members?"
Harry looked at Luna and saw her nod her head enthusiastically. "Of course, Professor, if you think it would help."
"I really do, Harry. With your permission I'll ask Professor Dumbledore to make the announcement tonight. There's just one other thing, Harry." Professor McGonagall said as she got up to leave. "Professor Dumbledore would like to invite you and your friends to join him in the Room of Requirement tonight at seven. Do you think you can make it?" She finished with a sly smile.
"Yes Professor," Harry answered, a little perplexed.
That evening at dinner, Professor Dumbledore announced that the DA was now an officially sanctioned training club, and that anyone interested in joining should speak to Harry Potter or Luna Lovegood. Before they even had a chance to leave the room they were deluged with eager applicants, the first among them was Andrew McDonnell. Harry asked them to spread the word that there would be a meeting on Wednesday night in the Room of Requirement, and that all those interested should attend. He had a suspicion that most of the school would be attending, so he was glad that he had already asked Ron, Hermione and the others to help him with the training.
Later, in the Gryffindor common room, the six teens sat together to discuss how the new DA should be organized. With the large number of applicants that they were expecting, organization was going to be essential. Harry wondered how they were ever going to train so many students with such varying skill levels. Hermione, as always, provided the logical solution.
"I think that the best thing to do is divide them up into groups by their year; that way all of the students in a particular group would have approximately the same skill level." She suggested. "We could put first, second and third years into one group for basic defense training, forth and fifth years into an intermediate group, and sixth and seventh years could received advanced training."
Harry thought that this was a wonderful idea, and it would also greatly reduce the number of people any one of them would have to train.
"Neville and I could train the basic group." Ginny volunteered. Harry thought this a very good idea, as both teens had an easy way about them that had already made them popular tutors with the younger children.
"Ron and I can teach the intermediate group." Hermione suggested. "And that would leave you and Luna to train the advanced group. But even then I think we might need more help."
"Why don't we ask Dean, Seamus and the other members of the DA? I know they would be glad to help, and that would give us plenty of skilled trainers." Neville suggested.
With the major issues resolved, Harry looked up at the great bronze wall clock and saw that it was almost seven, and they should be leaving for the Room of Requirement. Once again he wondered about the nature of the meeting, but he would know that soon enough.
When the six arrived outside the Room of Requirement they saw Professor McGonagall waiting for them, a rather wide smile on her face. "There are some friends of yours inside that want to thank you for your efforts." She said mysteriously.
As they entered the room the teens were surprised by the number of people present, forty at least. Most of them were people that Harry already knew and considered as friends. The entire Weasley clan, except for Percy, was present, as were Tonks, Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Edward Lovegood and many others. Suddenly the realization came to all of them that they were looking at the assembled membership of the Order of the Phoenix.
Professor Dumbledore was seated alone at a raised table at the front of the room, three empty seats on either side of him. As he waved them to come up, all the others in the room stood and began to applaud; Fred and George Weasley cheering wildly. All six were thoroughly embarrassed, but a bit proud as well. As they took their seats, the Headmaster remained standing, and began his address to the assembled membership.
"We've invited these six young people here tonight for a very special reason. In the twenty years that the Order of the Phoenix has existed, it has always been a rule that only witches and wizards who have reached legal age may be enrolled as members. But tonight, by a unanimous vote of the membership, we set that rule aside and invite the six of them to join us. You six have already faced dangers far greater than most people will ever encounter, and it is only right and proper that we should all face those dangers together."
Harry and the others were completely overwhelmed, but extremely proud as well. Harry spoke for the group when he said that they would be honored to join the Order of the Phoenix.
Professor Dumbledore then presented each of the six with a small, gold medallion with the emblem of a rising Phoenix on it. Later the six were to learn, that in addition to serving as a means of identification, the medallion also functioned as a means of communication and as an emergency portkey.
Later that evening, after the official meeting was concluded, the six teens had an opportunity to talk to their friends and family. Molly Weasley and Arabella Longbottom were in tears and could hardly speak. Edward Lovegood told Harry and Luna that this was the proudest night of his life.
It was at that moment that Arthur Weasley chose to make his own announcement. Because of their service to the wizarding world, and by a unanimous vote of the council, the six of them were now officially exempted from the laws restricting the use of magic by underage wizards. This ruling would allow then to use their wands whenever they needed them.
As they walked back to the Gryffindor common room, and thought of all that had happened that evening, they all felt very much adults. It was a very nice feeling.
- o -
The final Quidditch game of the season, between the teams of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Houses, was being played to decide the House Cup. Slytherin House, Gryffindor's traditional rival, had literally fallen apart after the expulsion of their Seeker, Draco Malfoy. In the last game that Slytherin had played, against Hufflepuff, they had been soundly defeated. The perpetually beleaguered Hufflepuff team regarded their victory as something akin to winning the House Cup, and they celebrated for weeks.
In past years this final game would have usually involved a considerable amount of animosity and house rivalry, but this year it was different. The four houses of Hogwarts had come together to face and defeat a common threat, and the animosities of the past had been swept aside. All everyone wanted to see was a good Quidditch game.
The Gryffindor team had a special surprise planned for Luna Lovegood. All through the term she had selflessly devoted herself to practicing and training the Gryffindor team, and now that team was going to make sure that she played in the last game of the season. They had gone to see Madam Hooch and asked her about the legality of substituting players during a game. Madam Hooch explained that while it was uncommon at the school level, the practice was completely legal and she agreed that Luna Lovegood might be added to the Gryffindor team roster and that the Chasers could rotate positions throughout the game.
That night in the common room the team surprised Luna with a cake that read: "Good Luck to Our 4th Chaser." They presented her with her Quidditch robes, which Ginny Weasley had smuggled out of their dorm room, and told her that she was going to be playing in the morning. Luna was completely surprised, as she didn't think she would get a chance to play until the fall term, when Gryffindor would have two Chaser positions open.
The day of the match dawned bright and clear, with a very slight breeze; a perfect day for Quidditch. In a spirit of goodwill the Ravenclaw team visited Gryffindor in their locker room before the match to wish them the best of luck. Cho was especially delighted to see Luna in her Gryffindor Quidditch robes, and to learn that she would be playing that day. She gave the younger girl a warm hug and wished her the very best of luck.
Later during the match, as Harry was cruising high above the pitch, he looked down to see the Gryffindor Chasers moving the Quaffle rapidly down the pitch toward the Ravenclaw goal. They were in a V-formation, with two Chasers flying above and one below, rotating the Quaffle between them as they moved swiftly through the Ravenclaw opposition. Harry knew that it was a strategy that Luna had developed, and he was amazed at how effectively it worked. Just as Luna scored the goal, Cho flew up beside him.
"She really is fantastic." Cho exclaimed in admiration, and then more somberly she added. "We really should have let her try out."
"Yes, you should have." Harry answered, but then hastily added. "But what's past is past."
Cho nodded sadly and flew off in search of the Snitch. Fortunately Harry saw the Snitch and caught it a short time later; no one wanted to run up the score on the game. Afterwards there were congratulations for both sides; for it had been a wonderful, if slightly one-sided game. But it was clear that everyone regarded Luna as the star. Her dazzling maneuvers that day were to remain a prime topic of conversation for the rest of the term.
- o -
For the first time that he could remember, Harry was actually looking forward to the end of term. With Harry and Luna pledged, it made no sense for Harry to return to Privet Drive. Instead he was going home with Luna to "The Meadows;" and it really had become a home to him, one he always wanted to return to. He loved the friendly old house, the wide flowered meadow and the dark green woods every bit as much as Luna did.
But then, a week before the end of term, they were both called into Professor Dumbledore's office. They were surprised to find Edward Lovegood there, chatting pleasantly with the old Headmaster. He smiled as they entered; and Luna rushed over to give her father a warm hug and Harry shook his hand fondly. As they took their seats, Harry noticed broad smiles on the faces of both men.
"I know you two had planned on returning home to "The Meadows" for the summer, but an opportunity has presented itself that I think you might find just as enjoyable." Professor Dumbledore began. "And I'll let Edward explain the details to you."
"We've had a remarkable piece of luck." Luna's father began. "I've received a number of letters from a Quibbler subscriber living on the island of Hoy in the Orkneys group; she has reported several sightings of what I believe to be the last surviving colony of Artic Tweisels. The Artic Tweisel was thought to have been driven to extinction over a hundred years ago, but I now believe that may not be the case. What would the two of you think about a summer expedition to the Orkneys, and see if we can find them?"
Harry and Luna didn't know what to say. Ever since Harry had first heard Edward Lovegood describe the search for the Crumple Horned Snorkack he had longed for such an adventure. Luna had never said anything, but she had always harbored the slightest of regrets that she had missed most of the previous summer's expedition.
After they both responded with enthusiasm, Edward Lovegood explained that he would do all the organization for the expedition, and that he and Freda would pick the two teens up at the end of term and they would portkey to their base camp in the Orkneys.
Harry was delighted that Luna's young cousin, who Harry already regarded as like a little sister, was going to come along. She had experienced so many heartbreaks over the past few months that Harry really marveled at the child's apparent resilience. She deserved to be part of a loving family, and Harry resolved to give her special attention during their trip.
Later that day, as they were returning to their common room, Harry asked Luna a question that had been on his mind.
"Ah, Luna….What exactly is an Artic Tweisel?"
"Oh Harry, it's a fascinating creature. It's also called an Icelandic Lynx, which is rather strange because it's not really a Lynx nor was it ever found in Iceland. It's a burrowing marsupial feline that's slightly larger than a house cat, and is really quite intelligent. It has a thick, snowy white coat with black spots. You know that most cats are solitary creatures, but the Artic Tweisel will only flourish where there are other Tweisels. It needs the company of its own kind. I do so hope we find them."
Harry put his arm around her and smiled. "We will," he said with confidence.
- o -
A week after Voldemort came to Laxsor's castle he sent Draco to bed early one night so he could talk to Wormtail. "My words are not for children," he said with a sneer. "Go to your bed and stay there."
After the boy had left, Voldemort cast a silencing spell around the room to ensure that their words would not be overheard. He then carefully checked to make sure that there were no invisible witnesses to their conversation. Only when he was absolutely certain that they were alone did he begin to speak to Wormtail.
"Soon Laxsor will show me how to kill Potter. And then I can move forward with my plans."
"To conquer Britain?"
"More than that; but I must have the Sword of Astragal. The sword is the key to everything. To kill Harry Potter will give me Britain, but the Sword of Astragal will give me the world."
"It has that kind of power?"
"More power than you can ever imagine. No one but I understands the true power of the Sword. With it I will be able to conquer the entire world. And then I will return to this place and repay Laxsor for all of his "hospitality."
Neither of the two wizards noticed the small fly perched on the leg of the table. A fly that was paying a good deal of attention to their conversation. When the conversation was over the fly left by the window and flew out into the cold, dark night. It carried important information for its master. Yes, Mallick had a number of very valuable talents, and Laxsor always valued them.
When Mallick reported on what he had heard, Laxsor smiled grimly. "So it's the world he seeks. He's so very much like Grindelwald. Well if he would repay me for my hospitality, then I should see that he receives the full measure of it. I'll show our dear Tom some real "hospitality" before he leaves this castle." Laxsor said with a sneer.
"Are you still going to help him, Master?"
"Yes, I'm going to help him. I'm going to help him into his grave. But before he reaches it he's going to deliver the 'Veil of Death' to me. And I'm going to leave the Dark Lord some pleasant memories to take with him." He said with an evil smile.
- o -
Voldemort would not quickly forget the days he spent in Laxsor's castle, as they were among the most nightmarish of his life. In the beginning it was merely a strange feeling of discomfort, and a desire to leave. But with each passing day his discomfort grew more intense, until the need to escape became almost uncontrollable. He was convinced that his every move was being watched, and his every word listened to. But more than this, Voldemort was convinced that even his dreams were being invaded. He was certain that at night his mind was being systematically sifted for information. Even though highly skilled at Occlumency, he was certain that his mind was being violated. Laxsor was a true master at Legilimency, or the ability to read the mind of another; and Voldemort could erect no barrier that Laxsor could not tear down. And as part of his "hospitality," Laxsor would leave behind terrible nightmares to torment the "Dark Lord." Nightmares about his youth, of being an unwanted orphan, dreams of the abuse he had suffered. It reached the point that the Dark Lord shunned sleep almost entirely, fearing what his dreams would bring.
Finally, after three weeks, Voldemort could stand the torment no longer. He went to Laxsor on the pretext that he needed to find a castle of his own, where he might recruit and train a new force of "death eaters." Laxsor was more than accommodating. Having learned all he could from the "Dark Lord," he wished to be rid of him. And he went so far as to graciously offer Voldemort a chalet that he had in the mountains to the west. Laxsor said that when he had finished developing his plan to destroy Harry Potter he would contact Lord Voldemort. What he failed to mention was that the construction of the chalet had included a number of special Dream Stones; so that Voldemort's nightmares would continue and would worsen, and would eventually drive him to the point of madness.