The Seers' Truth: Beyond the Darkness
By Lady Lestrange
Chapter 14
Only ChildrenDisclaimer: The Harry Potter characters and previous situations belong to JK Rowlings. No infringement is meant or implied. No money is made from this Fanfic. Thanks JK
Special Thanks: to my beta, ennui de mort who always does such a good job helping to make these chapters better than I could make them alone. Thanks ennui!
++
Hermione propped her stocking feet up on the new white couch and read aloud from the book. It says here, that "when Herpo the Foul first hatched the basilisks he thought they were filled with bloodlust, but later realized that they mellowed considerably after eating the hatching toad. Some common ailments can be dealt with by a competent wizard, while--"
"Oh, can you quit reading about the basilisks?" complained Ron.
"Alright," said Hermione, turning to another page in Harry's new book. "How about Phoenixes? It says: 'There have been numerous instances of a phoenix saving the life of his wizard by intercepting killing or other dangerous curses, it behooves the wizard to take extra care with his new phoenix. Although several permutations of phoenix are available in the wild, tamed phoenixes are rare and only one breed has deigned to allay itself with the wizarding community. This is a monumentous magical event. When the wizard dies the phoenix usually returns to the wild. On rare occasions, a previously imprinted phoenix will choose a new companion.' It says, 'The phoenix is a loyal creature and will not leave his wizard for any reason other than death; however, immediately after the death of his wizard, the phoenix may choose a new companion and experience a burn. See the aforementioned pages 549 through 557 for after burn care, and page 526 through 548 for a pictorial explanation." Hermione started to leaf through the book and continued reading the section on 'after burn care'. "After burn is a critical time and the wizard should follow the after burn care directions carefully. If the new companion fails to feed his phoenix appropriately at this time, it can vanish into the Elementals. The phoenix is most responsive to the core magic of his wizard which must be pure or the phoenix will leave him, choosing a more appropriate companion.'"
"Hmm," Hermione droned into silence, obviously reading silently.
"Hermione," said Ron, and in response to his question she began reading again.
"Oh, sorry," she said. "'Phoenixes must be kept fit and healthy or the healing power of their tears will be depleted. It is the responsibility of the wizard or witch who has a phoenix as their familiar to care for it properly. It's strength is directly related to the magic of its wizard protector.'"
"You've read this part already," said Ron.
"She read the whole book," said Harry dryly. "Twice."
"Well, what else do you want to do?" said Hermione, snapping the book shut.
"I'm going to send Hedwig back to Sirius," said Harry. "Maybe he'll let us come over to his house."
"What good will that do?" asked Ron. "He'll just start with that you're only children speech. We can't go after the girls without the portkey. Maybe we should just show up on Malfoy's doorstep."
"Don't be stupid, Ron," said Hermione. "We just have to wait until we get back to Hogwarts."
"And you know everything!" snapped Ron.
"I know that showing up at Malfoy Manor is pretty stupid!" snapped Hermione, tears starting to gather in her eyes.
"Awww bloody hell," swore Ron, reaching for Hermione, but she pushed him away.
"Don't you try to sweet talk me, Ron Weasley," she said ducking out from under his arm. "It won't work!" She turned and stalked from the room.
"It always worked before," muttered Ron.
"{Hisssuss?}" asked Shesha from Harry's wrist, and Harry spoke in parseltongue, telling her she couldn't possibly be hungry yet, and she didn't need to eat.
"{But I like to,}" Shesha said petulantly.
"{You're turning into a zis,}" said Harry, indicating a cat, or another creature who liked to hunt for fun and play with their food.
"{I am not a zis,}" said Shesha angrily.
Harry chuckled at her, and then apologized. "{Still friends?}" He asked. "{tsezz?}"
"{Bitemates! Tsezz! Of course still tsezz! Always tsezz!}"
Harry looked up from her to find Ron glaring at him. "Do you have to talk to that thing?" he asked.
"{Hisssuss!}" said Shesha, scenting Ron.
"{No. Not Hisssuss,)" Harry told Shesha. "(Tsezz!}"
Ron made a sound of disgust and stomped out of the room.
Harry sighed and looked at his new watch. It had been a Christmas present from Hermione. He decided he'd better go try to play peacemaker between Hermione and Ron. They only had a few hours before they had to meet Draco at the Muggle library, and he wanted to present a united front.
++
Harry and Ron paced through the Muggle library, causing just as much havoc as they usually caused at its wizarding counterpart. The librarian frowned at them several times and finally came over to their table and told them to be quiet. Harry was quite sure that Hermione would have an earful to say if she trusted herself to talk at all. Instead she got them a collection of books and put them on the corner table. For a while they leafed through the Muggle books Hermione had brought. Ron was fascinated by the fact that the pictures didn't move, no matter how much you poked them. He collected several more children's picture books; just to make sure the color photographs didn't move any better than the black and white drawings.
"They don't," Hermione assured him.
Hermione had curled up in a wing chair in the corner with a novel, saying she had started it last summer and then had to go to school so she never finished it. Ron began pulling books on Muggle electronics from the shelf. "My Dad would be so impressed if I could fix the computer he got last year."
"I don't think any of those books are going to help you to fix it," predicted Harry, as he rearranged the well-fed and now sleeping Shesha on his arm. "If it was that easy, any Muggle could fix a computer. It's a specialized job, like wand making or potions master."
"Oh," said Ron disappointed.
"But are you sure it's broken?" asked Harry. "Maybe you just didn't connect all the pieces properly. I remember Aunt Petunia trying to connect Dudley's—" Harry broke off mid-sentence and looked at the wall of books. "You have to connect everything right," he finished. Harry settled down to discover the differences between soccer and Quidditch, and Ron joined him.
A slight stir at the door caused them to look up. Draco and Lauren had just entered and stood at the door whispering.
"Draco, stop fidgeting," whispered Lauren.
"Malfoys do not fidget," said Draco haughtily.
"Then I don't know what you call it," hissed Lauren. "Quit that!" She slapped his hand away from his crotch.
"You call it pants that are too tight. You didn't transfigure them right," accused Draco, continuing to pull at them.
"They're jeans. They're supposed to fit that way."
"Why would someone wear something so uncomfortable? Even Muggles have to have some brains don't they?"
"Stop it. You're embarrassing me," said Lauren grabbing a hold of Draco's hand, and holding it. She stood grinning at the trio. "There they are—"
Hermione, still sniggering, stood up to wave them over to the table in the corner. Harry and Ron were practically in hysterics, laughing and the Librarian glared at them. Harry put his head down, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Shh," said Lauren. "You're making a scene."
"They're just Muggles. Who cares?" snapped Draco. "Anyway, I'm not making a scene. They are." He gestured to the trio as he wrapped his coat around himself and flung himself into one of the chairs.
"Aren't you going to take you coat off?" Lauren asked Draco as she sat with the trio.
"No," he said, his eyes daring her to challenge him.
++
"So what's your problem Potter? I thought these rescue things were second nature to you, Gryffindors," drawled Draco.
"You could do it yourself. If you're so clever, Draco," said Ron.
"In the past, I haven't had Sirius to contend with," explained Harry.
"Hmmm, I understand," said Draco. "It's the Black blood. Difficult to over come." He smirked knowingly at Harry.
"I've heard you're related to Sirius," said Harry. "What a pity—"
"Not any longer," said Draco. "He was burned out of the tapestry. Torched right off of the family tree. That's what you do with dead wood, you know."
Harry sprang to his feet, and Shesha awoke with a soft hiss.
"Temper, Temper, Potter. Don't want to get the Muggles all upset."
"Draco, why do you do that?" complained Lauren. "We came here for a reason. Let's stick to it."
"Yes," agreed Hermione, while Harry calmed his now agitated basilisk. "We thought we would have to wait until we were back at Hogwarts, but Harry just got some additional news—"
"Sneaking around without an Invisibility Cloak, no doubt? That could be dangerous, you know, Potter," said Draco.
"So why don't you just give back the other piece," said Harry.
Draco smirked. "Why don't you—"
"Why don't you quit it!" snapped Lauren in a harsh whisper. "We're getting nothing done with this bickering! If you want my help, Draco, stop being a prat! And you Gryffindors stop baiting him. "
"Humph," Draco said moodily, but he didn't interrupt while Hermione explained the problem of the anti-magic wards that was placed around her parents' house.
"There's something else," Harry said, glancing at the scowling librarian. "Dumbledore knows the location of the Snow Castle."
"I thought that was what you meant in the letter Lauren forwarded to me, but then I decided I must have misunderstood. No one knows the location of the Snow Castle, not even his most trusted Death Eaters, so how do you know this?"
"Heard Snape and Dumbledore talking," said Harry.
"You were mistaken," said Draco. "He can't know."
"I know what I heard," said Harry coldly
"If you are right, we should hurry," said Draco urgently. "And we can't wait until you are back at Hogwarts anyway."
"Why not?" asked Hermione. "You Apparated into the Gryffindor Common Room before," she said.
Lauren raised an eyebrow at her cousin, and Draco shrugged. "I can't do that now. I think it might be a little suspicious if I Apparate into the Gryff common room, grab Potter and Apparate back out. Even if he appears to come with me voluntarily, someone is bound to call out McGonagall and Dumbledore. Not only that, what if they get the Apparition wards within the school fixed. Then we will really be screwed. I can't go traipsing about the whole castle hunting for Potter while my Dark Mark is burning."
"That's true," said Lauren. "It's not like he knows where you are every minute of the day."
For a brief second the thought of the Maurader's map crossed Harry's mind, immediately dismissed. Malfoy already had a piece of his Invisibility Cloak. He wasn't getting his hands on the Maurader's Map. Maybe a trade, thought Harry. No! Both the Map and the Cloak were his and before this adventure was over, he was going to have them both back.
"What do you think, Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Ah—" He looked at her blankly.
"For Merlin's sake, Potter, try to pay attention," snarled Draco. "We're not studying for a bloody test here. This is life and death: yours, mine and Samara's. Now if you want to get yourself killed that's quite all right with me, but I'd like to keep my skin."
"We think we have to do it now," said Hermione. "We'll work around the wards."
"We're going back to Hogwarts in a couple of days," said Harry. "He might not even call you."
"He'll call," said Draco. "Lots of things going on. He might even call before the day is over, so let's just get this done."
"Ok," said Hermione. "What exactly do we need to do this now?"
Lauren pulled a small folded piece of parchment from her coat pocket, and after a quick glance at the circulation desk, she tapped the edge with her finger and whispered, "Engorgio," and the parchment grew to appropriate writing size. She reached back into her pocket pulling out a quill, but Hermione stopped her, handing her a ball point pen. She looked at it for a minute, and Hermione explained, "The ink's inside of it already."
Lauren began listing
ward perimeter2.
"So how are you going to know Draco is at your house?" asked Lauren.
"He can just come up to the door and ring the doorbell," said Hermione. "That's how Muggles do it."
"Muggle technology?" asked Draco. "No."
"A doorbell hardly classifies as Muggle technology," said Harry.
"I can't use Muggle technology," said Draco.
"What?" asked Ron.
"I can't use Muggle technology," said Draco. "It will spoil my perfect record."
"You're kidding right?" said Hermione.
"No," said Draco. "I've never used any Muggle technology."
"Fine," said Hermione. "Close your hand into a fist like this, and knock. That isn't muggle technology."
"Ok," said Draco. "I can do that."
"You might have to knock pretty hard so we can hear you," warned Hermione.
"If you hand doesn't work," said Ron "You can always use your head. It should be hard enough to make quite a noise."
"Very funny, Weasel," said Draco.
Lauren smirked and Draco glared at her.
"Or you can just conjure some nice elegant Malfoy chimes. That will alert us to your presence. Of course, it will also alert the Aurors!" continued Ron nastily.
"I will not alert the Aurors with my magic," said Draco coldly. "I don't know that we'll be able to say the same for you. Of course, your magic is so pitiful; the Aurors might not notice that it is magic."
"Alright, I think we're ready to go," said Lauren, shrinking the parchment that she had taken notes on, and picking up her coat. "Let's go to your house see where the wards are Hermione."
"Hermione?" said a girl at a neighboring table.
"Hermione Granger? Oh my gosh, I haven't seen you since Primary School. She pulled Hermione into a quick hug and dragged her over to the table where several other girls sat. "How's that private school you go to now?"
"Oh, awesome," said Hermione. "These are—some of my—friends. Harry, Ron, Lauren and Draco."
"Draco? That's an unusual name. Is it a nickname?"
"No," said Draco coolly.
"I like it," said one of the other girls her eyes traveling from Draco to Harry and back again. "Nice jeans," she said softly.
And Ron turned a laugh into a choking cough.
"We have to go," said Hermione, dragging them from the library. "Nice seeing you again," she called over her shoulder.
++
Once they were outside, Draco started shivering and did a warming charm on the coat he was wearing.
"No wonder you're cold," scolded Lauren. "Sitting there all that time bundled in that coat. You can't leave the warming charm on when we get near Hermione's house though," said Lauren. "It might set off the magic alarms."
"I know that," snapped Draco.. "The Gryffindor stupidity is rubbing off on you Lauren. Take care."
She edged forward to walk with Hermione, and Hermione smiled comradely. "I'm glad you came to help us," she said. "Thanks. How did Draco talk you into it?"
"He didn't have to talk me into it," said Lauren coolly. "Contrary to Gryffindor opinion, not all Slytherins are slaves to the Dark Lord."
"I'm sorry," said Hermione. "I just thought—I mean—we all saw—Alvin Nott when the girls were taken."
"Leave Alvin out of this," snarled Lauren. "He didn't do anything wrong."
"Leave him out of this?" said Hermione. "He was in control of the dementors! We saw him—"
"I said, stop," hissed Lauren, grabbing Hermione's shoulder, magic sizzling.
"Lauren! We're too close to the ward!" warned Draco, pulling her hands off of Hermione, and shielding her magic away from the ward.
"But he's your boyfriend, isn't he?—" began Hermione rubbing her shoulder..
"Yes, he is," said Lauren, her gray eyes stormy. "But he has enough trouble caring for that bloody Pandora's box without your damned Gryffindor rumors about Dark Wizards."
"He took over when his father was hurt," said Hermione. "That's enough—"
"Hurt?" shouted Lauren angrily. "His soul was sucked out. Alvin saw it! Eldon Nott is dead."
Hermione reached out to Lauren and then let her hands fall to her sides. "No. No. He isn't." said Hermione earnestly. "Didn't they—Madam Pomfrey—tell—anyone? Surely? Didn't Dumbledore tell Alvin that he's alive? They had to—"
"What are you babbling about, you stupid Gryff?" snapped Lauren. "No one survives a dementor's kiss. Once the soul is sucked out, the body dies!"
"He's not dead," agreed Harry. "We saw him. He was in the infirmary after—after the girls were taken. Dumbledore did something—something to pull his soul away from his body and then—I don't know—put it back."
"That's not possible," whispered Lauren.
"Not without a potion," said Draco thoughtfully, "and it's Dark. Unequivocally Dark—messing with souls."
"Sounds like something Voldemort would do, not Dumbledore," said Lauren.
"You're right, Lauren," said Draco, removing the warming spell from his coat. "Are you sure Dumbledore did the spell, Potter, and not Snape?"
"No. It was Dumbledore," insisted Harry.
"Draco," said Lauren. "If he's alive, we have to tell Alvin, and Alvin will want to find him."
"I know," said Draco. "Let's do one thing at a time."
"We'll help," promised Harry and Ron poked him, whispering, "What did you say that for?"
++
"Do you have any idea how close to the house Draco can Apparate?" Lauren asked.
"Not sure," said Harry. "But Sirius Apparated across the street. I'd say a couple of doors down should do it. Maybe three to be safe."
"Two," said Draco, gesturing. "Under that tree"
They had stopped several doorways away from Hermione's house. "Is that where you live?" he asked gesturing to a brick driveway that wound up a hill.
"Yes," said Hermione. "Top of the drive is the house."
"Stamina charm?" suggested Lauren.
"Probably a good idea," sighed Draco, looking at the hill. "I'll definitely have to run."
"Run?" said Ron. "Why?"
"Dark Mark, Weasel. It hurts. Ok? And the longer it takes me to do this, the more it hurts, until it turns my bloody arm into a torch!"
"Nice friends you have there, Malfoy," retorted Ron.
Draco didn't answer; he just picked up the pace of his walking and left Ron behind.
"Draco," said Lauren. "How did you know that was Hermione's house?"
"I can feel the ward," said Draco softly, holding his hands out in front of him sensing.
"You can feel the ward?" Lauren was incredulous. "From this far away?"
"Can't you?" asked Draco.
"No," said Lauren.
"Must be some residual magic from Samara," said Draco. "I don't think I should go any closer sensing it though, I might set it off, especially with wandless magic. It would classify as Dark."
Lauren nodded and Draco brushed the magic from his hands and released the excess.
"I don't think you will set off the wards coming into the house," said Hermione. "Unless your Dark Mark—"
"Don't worry about it," said Draco. "I'm not coming in. Potter's coming out, and you'd better be ready to run, Potter."
++
It was just after supper when the owl came. Harry recognized it instantly as a Malfoy owl. Huge, black and powerful, it tapped insistently on the window. If it tapped any harder, Harry thought, it would shatter the window. Hermione opened the window, allowing a cold damp breeze into the room and the bird flew immediately to Harry. A moment later, Harry had pulled the wet note off of the owl, thinking it was unlike Draco to neglect to use an impervious spell on the parchment when it was raining. The parchment had a single word scrawled on it. "Go!"
Harry stared at it for a second longer than he needed to, and then he scrambled to his feet, thinking that of course, the owl flew faster than Draco ran, but not by much. Shoving his feet into his shoes and reaching for his coat and his wand, he turned a determined face toward Hermione and Ron, just as Draco's pounding fist hit the door.
Ron and Harry reached the door at the same time and flung it open.
"Move, Potter," snarled Draco, grabbing Harry's wrist and dragging him out of the door.
Shesha hissed threateningly, but Draco ignored her, and without Harry saying anything, Shesha calmed.
Harry ran, leaving Hermione and Ron to explain to Hermione's astonished parents why he left so abruptly with this blonde whirlwind. The stray thought that if the Muggles said anything to Sirius about Harry's visitor, Sirius would recognize Draco, crossed Harry's mind, and Draco started to pull away from him as they ran down the hill. "Run! Damn you," spat Draco, putting on an extra burst of speed. Harry concentrated on running.
When they reached the tree they had agreed to as an Apparition point, Harry put his hands on his knees, taking ragged deep breaths. Draco snatched his hand from his knee, knocking him off balance and Apparated the two of them to a small dark place. Harry staggered sideways and collided with brooms and mops as Draco shoved a small warm canvas bundle into his hands.
"Change of plans," he snapped. "You can rescue Beatrice." Without another word to Harry, he was gone, Apparating to the Dark Lord, leaving Harry alone in a dark cupboard. For just a second, Harry felt claustrophobic, but he took a couple of deep breaths and gained control of himself. He hated closed in places, but not as bad as he hated mazes and he was going to be out of here in under four minutes. He could handle it.
"{Hisssuss!}" exclaimed Shesha. "{Two hisssusss!}" There was a sound of confusion from Shesha and then she corrected. "{No, just one hissuss. Bitemate says the other hisssuss is—is Bitemate? Tsezz?}" Shesha was uncertain.
"Lumos," said Harry, lighting his wand. He started to shiver and would have done a warming spell on his wet clothes, but he knew he had no time to waste. He looked around, gauging his surroundings for the portkey. The broom closet into which they had Apparated was cramped and cluttered and smelled like some sort of animal had been living here for a while. As soon as he lit his wand, he saw the 'animal.' It was Beatrice, sleeping on a rather soiled bed of parchment in a warded corner. A few pieces of lettuce and a withered carrot were lying beside her.
"Oh Beatrice," he whispered, taking down the ward and pulling her thin form onto his lap. She was so tiny! She wrinkled her nose and blinked her eyes, looking thoroughly miserable, but making no sign that she recognized him. "We're going to get you out of here," he promised as he sat her gently back on the ground. He reached into his pocket for the two handkerchiefs that he was going to use as portkeys, and realized he didn't have them. Bloody hell! He had left them at Hermione's in his rush.
Now he had to make two portkeys instead of one! He felt a moment of panic and then the rush of adrenaline flowed over him like a breath of warm air and the core of his magic became calm and capable. No. He could Apparate back to the tree near Hermione's. He would be outside of the Granger's house wards and the Ministry couldn't trace his wand use within the Snow Castle. He still only had to make one portkey. He could do this.
There had to be something in the broom closet that he could use. He considered the carrot, but thought due to its nature, it would rot and that would be a problem. He remembered Flitwick's instructions: Portkeys made from perishable material became unstable. The brooms were too big and every rag he picked up from the floor had been spelled previously to clean and would interfere with his spell. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. He was taking too long.
His eyes fell on the canvas bundle that Draco had given him and he pulled it open to reveal another rabbit about Beatrice's size and coloring. It had been Stupefied, but was beginning to wake. He tucked it under his arm and spread the canvas bag in front of him. He wished he could make one portkey that was reversible between the two sites, but they hadn't learned how to do that yet. He spelled one of the rags to glow to give him a little light, and then he concentrated on making the portkey. It was a little difficult because the rabbit came completely awake and began to struggle under his arm. He tightened his grip, momentarily ignoring its struggles, and concentrating on completing the portkey.
A glance at his watch told him that he was well within Draco's five minute deadline. He wrinkled his nose at the sour smell and put the real rabbit in the corner planning to ward it in as Beatrice was before he left, when he felt a flicker of nervousness. It didn't matter if it was warded in; he needed to be out of here. He hugged Beatrice under his arm, and raised his wand. "Itare Phantasma!"
And the anti-Apparition wards rose up in front of him like a wall of stone.
"No-o-o!" He felt like he just slammed his Firebolt full speed into the Quidditch stands. No that would have felt better. At least then, only one side of his body would have hit the wall. He crumpled, trying desperately to cry silently but he couldn't contain the pain. Harry felt as if every molecule in him had smashed into the ward. Aside from the physical pain, panic assailed him. The wards were back up! He was stuck here!
"Draco said five minutes. It hadn't even been four!"
Amidst the pain of colliding with the ward, Harry realized he felt a familiar burning on his forehead. His scar! He knew! Voldemort knew he had Apparated against the wards!
Fear washed over him. He was in Voldemort's stronghold. No one knew where he was except Draco, who said, if Voldemort asked, he would tell Voldemort everything. All of the panic of last year came crashing back and with it the realization that this time, no one was going to save him. He never wanted his mother's protection more. The searing pain in his head along with the aching of his body was a crude reminder of his vulnerability.
Shesha hissed on his arm, "{Sheisss!}" and Harry froze, trying to quiet both his mind and his rapid breathing. He wished desperately for his Invisibility Cloak, but they thought there had been no need for it, and they had been in such a rush. Now, any minute, someone could open the door of the cupboard and find him. He wished he had learned that niche in the wall spell from Hermione and Ron. His mind flew through possibilities. Should he stay here and just wait until the wards went back down when the Death Eaters left, or should he use this time to try to locate Samara?
Above the sound of his pounding head, he heard the shuffling of feet passing the cupboard and realized that this cupboard was a bare few feet away from a rather large group of people—the circle. Sweet Merlin, when Draco said he needed to Apparate close to the Dark Lord, he didn't realize he meant in a closet in the very same room as the Circle met! After his initial moment of panic, Harry realized he had to calm down. Tonks said, Voldemort was a Legilimens, and he was going to be in close proximity to him. Harry wasn't sure how far away from Voldemort he needed to be to be out of range of the Legilimency. Hermione only knew it was enhanced by touch and strong emotion. It was entirely possible that Voldemort could feel or sense Harry Potter's thoughts from this distance if he was emotional enough.
He took a deep breath and decided he might as well do that drying charm on himself and then he eliminated some of the stink from the cupboard. He would just sit quietly and wait until their little Death Eater meeting was over. He might as well make the portkey back to Hermione's street now. There was no need to call more attention to himself by Apparating again. He found a small jar of Mrs. Skower's floor cleaner, and made it into the second portkey. It took him a bare four minutes without rushing to finish it.
The Death Eaters were still milling around outside and the meeting hadn't even started. He could hear their footsteps and their whispered words. Doing nothing was causing him to concentrate too much on the close surroundings of the cupboard and the threat outside of it.
"Move up here," demanded a feminine voice. "The Mulcibers aren't coming back. And you there, leave more room in the back of the circle for the others."
"They're only children," muttered a male voice
"They're Death Eaters," she snapped, and Harry realized who was giving the directions. It was Narcissa Malfoy.
It was frightening to think that if someone opened the cupboard door, he knew of no place to Apparate to within the wards. He wasn't even sure if the wards would allow it and he really didn't want to smash into them again. He hoped the collision didn't effect his magic, but there was, of course, no way to check. He spent the next few minutes trying to remember some part of what they had seen in the Locator Potion Cauldron in sufficient detail to be able to Apparate to it if need be. It was hopeless. All he could remember was snow.
He gripped his wand a little tighter, thinking of how fast he could block, Testudo, and he hoped they didn't just decide to kill him outright. Would his Testudo be strong enough to hold off a Crucio? He wondered. Could he get the spell off, while running, because with the whole circle present, fighting was not an option, was it? He had to think of Beatrice. He didn't know if he was fast enough and hoped he wouldn't have to find out. He decided to pull Beatrice onto his lap so that he was holding her if he had to run. As much as his Gryffindor heart abhorred running, if it meant saving Beatrice, he was ready to do it.
++
It was the first time Samara was to join the circle. She still felt weak and dizzy, but Voldemort had decided that she was strong enough to be present. She wished Draco was by her side; somehow it made her feel more secure when they were together. She knew that Voldemort felt that link of power too, because he continuously attempted to keep them apart. She was sure that Draco wasn't as busy as Voldemort said he was. Furthermore, every time she tried to speak to Draco about the Dark Mark, he shut down, simply telling her not to consent to it. Easier said than done, thought Samara.
Ginny leaned in to her. "Are you ok?" she asked just as Draco Apparated on the other side of her. He smelled like sweat and rain and the outdoors. The remains of a stamina charm colored his aura with green streaks and although he appeared calm, Samara knew better. His aura was rolling with agitation. She dared not speak of it now. She dared not even think of it.
She reached her hand out to touch him, and closed her mind to everything but the beauty of the Chamber of Forever, losing herself in the memory of the sensations she had shared with Draco. It was supremely easy to do since she had returned from the Elementals. She felt the power of the Air tickle lightly through her hair, and down her fingers but she was sure no one else noticed. Voldemort already thought her an insipid little waif who couldn't do anything but hiss at his basilisks. Let him be fooled. She barely heard Voldemort when he spoke.
++
"Harry Potter!" breathed Voldemort. He turned to Severus, confirming. "You were right, Severus. Dumbledore does know the location of the Snow Castle, and apparently, so does Harry Potter. He just tried to Apparate against the wards!"
There was a flash of fear from beside Samara, and Voldemort turned, his eyes locking with Draco Malfoy's.
Samara looked at Draco's aura and remembered Snape saying, "I cannot go to him with knowledge of you," and her Elemental filled fingers flew to Draco's brow. "Obliviate," she whispered, as Voldemort stalked to Draco's side.
It seemed as if Samara had staggered into her friend Ginny, pushed there by Voldemort's haste to get to Draco, but she felt the power of her spell suck everything out of her. It was too much magic, too soon. The single spell had exhausted her.
Ginny frowned at her in confusion, but Samara shook her head slightly. She couldn't talk of this now. She couldn't even think of it.
Voldemort wrapped his hands around Draco's face, just as Snape snarled, "You miserable little sneak, Malfoy! How did you find out about Dumbledore? Were you spying on me? Again? Crucio!"
Samara heard the sharp intake of breath around the circle that seemed to suck the air from the room. Around the circle, auras flickered with disbelief that Snape would dare to do Crucio against Draco without the Dark Lord's permission. Voldemort's aura, however, looked like it might explode with anger, and with a wave of his hand, flung Snape the entire length of the room, breaking the Crucio spell. Snape hit the wall with a resounding crack and slid to the floor, unconscious.
Voldemort resumed with Draco. The silence of the room was deafening.
++
The moment of fear Voldemort had felt from Draco was pure panic, and now the boy seemed disoriented. That could have been because of Severus' Crucio. He could tell immediately that Severus' Crucio spell was wicked harsh—the type of spell thrown in complete anger.
Like accidental magic, it was raw power, and Voldemort could still feel the remnants of the pain and the fear in Draco's mind. Fear—of Snape?. Still, the original spark of fear had come from knowing that Harry Potter had tried to Apparate in, not from Severus. Voldemort dug deeper into Draco's thoughts, trying to ferret out the truth, and Draco moaned.
"Stop it," snapped Samara. "You're hurting him."
Voldemort glanced at her. "You don't even know the beginnings of pain, child. Nor does he."
"Why don't you just let him tell you?" she asked.
"Veritaserum," he said succinctly. As he glanced at his unconscious potions master, several other Death Eaters stepped forward with vials of Veritaserum, including Lucius Malfoy.
"If my son has done anything to displease you, Master," said Lucius, "I want you to know I was not a party to it."
Voldemort didn't give Lucius a glance as he took the Veritaserum from his hand and poured it down Draco's throat.
He cupped Draco's chin in his hands.
"Are you afraid?" he asked.
"Yes," Draco answered immediately and truthfully.
"I can feel your fear," said Voldemort. "Answer truthfully, and this is as bad as it gets. Try to lie and the combination of my Legilimency and the Veritaserum will make you wish I had chosen Crucio. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I would never lie to you," volunteered Draco.
"Did you know Harry Potter was going to try to Apparate here?"
"No," said Draco, not fighting the power of the Legilimency or the potion, but nonetheless he gasped as the power of the Veritaserum coursed through him. "You said, this is as bad as it gets," moaned Draco.
"I lied," said Voldemort. "Did you know that Dumbledore knows the location of the Snow Castle?"
"Yes."
"Did you find this out from spying on Severus?
"No."
"Were you spying on Severus?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"You said that the one who found the traitor could name their reward."
"Do you have any evidence that Severus is a traitor?"
"Not yet."
"Do you think he is a traitor?"
"I don't know."
"If you found this traitor, what would you choose as your reward?"
"Samara," Draco said without hesitation.
"And did you trust that I would keep my word?"
He watched the boy struggle with his answer. He wanted desperately to say yes, but the Veritaserum would not let him lie and his feelings conflicted. Voldemort laid his hand on Draco's face to feel the conflict inside of him. Draco was afraid that if he answered incorrectly, Voldemort would Crucio him, but the pain was getting up to a level comparable with Crucio, anyway, and Draco was losing. Tears began to leak out of his eyes and he had bitten through his lip. Voldemort enjoyed every minute of the struggle. "You can answer me, truthfully," said Voldemort softly, "or you could scream. I would very much like to hear you scream, little Malfoy.
"Answer me. Do you trust me?" asked Voldemort again.
"No!" Draco spat.
"The truth is so much easier," said Voldemort gently.
"How did you find out that Dumbledore knows the location of the Snow Castle?"
"An owl," answered Draco.
"From whom?"
"My—my cousin."
"Which cousin?" The answer was long in coming and Voldemort reached out to touch him, wondering which cousin earned such loyalty from the boy.
"Lauren Avery," Draco spat out the name, and Voldemort rewarded him with a moment of peace before he resumed questioning.
"What interesting secrets you keep, my little dragon," whispered Voldemort.
"And when did you have occasion to speak to Harry Potter?" Voldemort threw the question lightening fast and Draco faltered.
"I—" Draco hesitated, and Voldemort once again laid a hand on him, expecting him to be trying to lie, but there was only confusion. "I –I talked to him—I was at Knockturn—"
"I remember," said Voldemort coldly. "You didn't buy the diadem. So you met Harry Potter instead. Anyone else?"
"Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Samara's brothers, Simon and Garrett."
Samara gasped, sucking in her breath, her pale face frightened.
"Get her out of here," Voldemort ordered and two Death Eaters came forward, but Samara protested.
Voldemort turned, hand extended. "Somnus! Take her back to the infirmary room," said Voldemort. "I think this may have been too much for her so soon. It is better that she sleeps."
Once Samara had left, Voldemort continued questioning Draco. "This should be a little easier for me now," commented Voldemort. "Of course, it might be a little harder for you, young Malfoy. So you went to Knockturn and spoke to Harry Potter. Was this a planned meeting?"
"Yes," answered Draco, but Voldemort could sense the pain increasing with Draco's anxiety. There was something that Draco didn't want to tell him. Something Draco was desperately trying to keep from him.
"What is between you and Potter?" Voldemort growled. "The sooner you tell me the truth, the sooner you stop hurting." Voldemort reached for Draco's face, but he never got the chance to touch him.
"I stole his Invisibility Cloak!" Draco burst out, and Voldemort was silent, waiting for the boy to recover himself, but Draco continued talking, the words falling over themselves to get out of his mouth. "Potter wanted it back. I didn't want Snape to know. That would ruin everything and now Father won't let me keep it! I know he won't." he wailed. "He'll take it from me." He startled as Voldemort raised his hand. "Please don't touch me again," he begged. "It hurts."
"I know," Voldemort said, and laid his hand back against Draco's face anyway. His thoughts were a mess now, a rolling mass of misery. Snape's original Crucio, which clouded everything with his fear of Snape, combined with the Veritaserum and his Legilimency, Draco thoughts flowed in an incoherent stream of babble. The only thought that was visible was the stealing of the Invisibility Cloak, but that didn't seem like the thought that made him frightened. "There is something else," Voldemort hissed, tightening his grip on Draco. "You can't lie to me!"
"I would never try to lie to you," Draco choked out.
"What else is there between you and Potter?"
"Hate!" Draco yelled. "I hate him."
Voldemort dropped him, and turned to Lucius. "You will let the boy keep the Cloak. He has earned it. Take him to the infirmary room." Voldemort told one of his Death Eaters.
"Yes, Master."
He stalked to Severus Snape who was still lying on the floor, and stared down at him. He was supremely disappointed in Severus' actions. Although he understood Severus' ire, the Crucio was ill timed for his interrogation of the Malfoy boy. Was it just Severus' quick temper, or something else? He wondered, toying idly with his wand. If only Severus didn't have those damned Occlumency wards.
"Master," Valeriana interrupted his thoughts. "Let me care for him for you." He hesitated and she continued. "I will tell him that I begged you to spare him. I will tell him I had to levitate his unconscious body to my chambers until your anger cooled."
"Get him out of my sight," said Voldemort.
++
Harry Potter reached for Beatrice to hold her and realized with a sudden sick feeling, that he didn't know which bunny was which. "Beatrice?" he asked, peering into the soft brown eyes of one of the rabbits.
Stupid! Stupid! Harry berated himself. Draco was going to laugh himself sick over this. Harry could just hear Draco's comments, "I hand you the bunny and you can't even rescue the right girl, Potter! What did you need, an Adhere charm to keep track of her?"
"Crucio!" The shouted spell penetrated Harry's thoughts. He recognized the voice! That was Snape! Disgust and fear warred inside of him. This was the man Dumbledore wanted as his legal guardian, and he was torturing someone for the Dark Lord!
Harry's heart skipped a beat as he heard something slam against the wall, and the Circle's collective intake of breath. Voldemort's voice sounded just outside of his cupboard, "Now, Draco, where were we?" he said.
Harry clenched his arms around the two bunnies he was now holding. Voldemort found Draco! He knew it was because of him. Any moment now, Draco would betray him. Voldemort would pull open the cupboard door and he would die. "I'm sorry, Beatrice," he muttered, and as he spoke, a trickle of wet warmth in his lap distracted him for a moment, from the conversation outside of the door. "Leave it to Malfoy," Harry muttered sourly. He probably spelled the rabbit to piss on him. Aha! That meant he knew which bunny was which. Surely Beatrice wouldn't piss on him, would she?
The voices carried through the cupboard door.
"Stop it," snapped Samara. "You're hurting him."
And Harry looked up, a bit of hope blossoming. Samara was alright. She was awake, and Draco hadn't even told him that she was awake. The miserable prat!
"You don't even know the beginnings of pain, child. Nor does he," said Voldemort and Harry tensed. He didn't want anyone to be hurt. He frantically tried to think of a way that he could stop it. Surely he could stop it somehow. How? With thirty Death Eaters outside the door and a bunny in each arm, what could he do? There had to be something he could do. He was a Gryffindor.
"Why don't you just let him tell you?" Samara spat, her voice dripping acid. Surely she wasn't taking that tone with Voldemort, thought Harry. Was she talking to Voldemort? She had to be. Oh Samara, he thought. How could he have doubted that she was a Gryffindor?
Let who tell Voldemort what? Thought Harry. Draco? Let Draco tell him about me hiding in the cupboard? Tell him that Harry Potter was playing hero? Yes, that's the way Draco would see it. He would tell Voldemort that Harry found a way to the Snow Castle and was trying to save the girls. Of course, Draco would make himself out to be the hero. He would pull open the cupboard door and say, "There's the stupid Gryff that trusted me! I've delivered him to you, Master."
It was all over, thought Harry miserably. He waited to hear Draco's voice, betraying him, but it was eerily silent.
"Veritaserum," said Voldemort.
Had Draco not told his hiding place? What was this? Hadn't Draco said he would tell Voldemort everything? So why hadn't he told? Not that it mattered. The Veritaserum would finish him. No one could lie under Veritaserum, thought Harry with a sick feeling in his stomach.
"If my son has done anything to displease you, Master," said Lucius, "I want you to know I was not a party to it."
For just a moment, Harry felt a flash of anger for Draco. How dare Draco's own father feed him to that snake! Moments with the Durley's flashed before his eyes and the memories from his patronus training, memories of his own father, James Potter protecting him. Still the thought of James giving in to Voldemort in any way was so abhorrent to Harry that he knew it couldn't be true. He didn't want it to be true. Maybe it wasn't true.
The memories flashed by quickly in a wild meld of thoughts and he wondered if this was what it was like to see your life pass before your eyes before you died. He wouldn't die cowering in the cupboard. He gathered his courage about him, and looked down at the bunnies in his arms. How could he fight? What would he do with Beatrice? Which one was Beatrice again?
"{Hisssuss!}" said Shesha. "{This one, hisssuss. This one is tsezz.}"
"{This one?}" said Harry, amazed that Shesha recognized the difference. "{A bitemate? Are you sure, Shesha? How did you do that?}"
"{This one has no magic,}" Shesha told him, and Harry put the real rabbit into the corner and warded it in.
"{I still can't fight with Beatrice in my hands,}" he hissed to Shesha. He thought of how frustrated his mother must have felt with him in her arms. She couldn't fight Voldemort either. Harry thought of offering his own life for Beatrice, but Voldemort didn't take that deal from his mother. He didn't think it would work now either. Volemort would just kill them both.
The voices carried through the door, causing Harry to recriminate himself once again about why he was cowering in the cupboard. He was a Gryffindor, after all, The-Boy-Who-Lived!
"Are you afraid?" Voldemort asked.
"Yes," Draco's voice.
"I can feel your fear," said Voldemort.
"I'm not afraid," thought Harry as he clenched his fist around his wand as Voldemort continued to talk to Draco. "Answer truthfully, and this is as bad as it gets. Try to lie and the combination of my Legilimency and the Veritaserum will make you wish I had chosen Crucio. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I would never lie to you," said Draco.
"Did you know Harry Potter was going to try to Apparate here?"
"No," said Draco.
It was only a matter of time, thought Harry. As soon as Voldemort asked the right question, it was over. "I'm sorry," he apologized to Beatrice again, burying his face in the soft fur of her neck. He wrinkled his nose at the smell. Even though Shesha had said she was the right bunny, she smelled like, well, like a rabbit. Since he was still alive, he thought he might as well do a cleaning charm on her. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you," he said, cuddling her close.
Outside of the cupboard, Voldemort continued to question Draco.
"You said, this is as bad as it gets," Draco's voice rose into a whine, and Harry realized that Draco was fighting the Veritaserum. Why? Thought Harry. Draco said he wouldn't fight it. He said he would tell Voldemort everything. Was it possible Draco had lied?
Harry's estimation of Draco just went up a notch, not that it would do any good, because they were both going to die here anyway. Yes, Draco would love that, Harry thought. He got to die along side of the great Harry Potter. Draco would probably haunt him. No, he would be dead already. For a moment, Harry almost laughed. He must be getting hysterical, he told himself. Calm down.
He felt like he was fighting for breath in the close confines of the cupboard. He needed air. He took several deep breaths, focusing, but it didn't change the situation. Everyone knew that Veritaserum was fool proof. Yes, they would both die, Draco for fighting the Veritaserum and he, well, he would die—well. just because he was Harry Potter.
"I lied," said Voldemort. "Did you know that Dumbledore knows the location of the Snow Castle?"
"Yes."
"Did you find this out from spying on Severus?"
"No."
"Were you spying on Severus?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"You said that the one who found the traitor could name their reward."
Harry sucked in his breath. They were talking about Snape. Maybe he would be safe. Maybe Draco would turn over Snape to the Dark Lord. Immediately, Harry felt a pang of conscience. If Snape really was for the side of the Light then what right did Harry have to trade Snape's life for his own? He felt guilty even thinking the thought. Of course if Snape was evil—even then, Harry could not trade another's life for his.
"How could someone choose to let another die so that they could live?" Harry muttered against Beatrice's ear. "How could they live with themselves afterwards?"
Although Harry listened for further conversation between Draco and Voldemort, none was forthcoming. They were talking too softly. The silence was unnerving. He was at a constant state of tension, sure that any minute someone would throw the door open and he would be caught, but there was only silence and eventually, he loosed his grip on his wand a little and settled behind some of the brooms with Beatrice.
"I'm going to put you down," he said. "If I get caught, I want you to stay here, hidden. Eventually, someone will come to feed the other bunny or to use the brooms. That is when you should run away. Do you understand anything I'm telling you?" Harry wondered aloud, as he sat petting the bunny..
"If you go to Ginny, she will help you. I'm not sure about Samara. She might side with Voldermort, but I don't think she would hurt you either. She loved the owls. Well, I probably shouldn't talk to you about the owls, right?" asked Harry. "You didn't like the owls did you? Maybe Draco would be a safe choice, if he survives. And Dumbledore trusts Snape. I don't, but Dumbledore trusts him, so maybe you could go to Snape. Do you understand, Beatrice?" He looked into her solemn brown eyes and felt a tremendous sadness. "You're so sweet. I wish I would have known you better," said Harry.
"What kind of bravery would send you here?" He remembered Hermione choosing Beatrice as her first year, little sister when the Sorting Hat failed and he also remembered Beatrice championing Rita Skeeter when Hermione had her in a terrarium. "She's a person," Beatrice had said. "You can't keep her in a cage."
"If I get out of here," Harry promised. "I won't let anyone put you in a cage, Beatrice. I promise."
Snippets of conversation came to Harry's ears. It was Draco's voice. "Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Samara's brothers, Simon and Garrett."
There was a gasp and a struggle, and the sound of Samara's voice. Things were happening quickly; movement on top of voices and confusion, but Harry realized that Samara had done something.
Apparently, Voldemort had stopped her instantly. "Get her out of here! Somnus!" The whispered mutterings were incomprehensible. After a few moments, Voldemort continued in a harsh growl, "What is between you and Potter? The sooner you tell me the truth, the sooner you stop hurting."
A gasp of pain and then Draco's voice, shouting, "I stole his Invisibility Cloak. Potter wanted it back. I didn't want Snape to know. That would ruin everything and now Father won't let me keep it! I know he won't. He'll take it from me." And then Draco's voice rose to a wail. "Please don't touch me again," he screamed. "It hurts."
Harry bit his lip. This had to stop. He couldn't let Draco do this for him. Didn't Dumbledore tell him that at one point either he or the Dark Lord would die? The moment had come. Clutching his wand, he reached for the door. Without warning, Shesha reared up and struck, sinking her fangs deep into his left wrist. He felt the paralysis coursing through his body like ice.
"{Shesha? Why?}" wondered Harry as his legs ceased to be able to hold him.
"{Bitemate says,}" replied Shesha.
"{Bitemate?}" asked Harry, thinking of Voldemort's basilisks. "{What bitemate?}"
"{Visha.}"
++
Ginny hurried to the infirmary to see if that was where the Death Eaters had taken Samara. She rearranged Visha on her neck several times as the agitated basilisk tried look behind her.
"{I don't care where your lost bitemate is,}" Ginny hissed to Visha. "{We can't look for her now. We'll look for the tsezz later.}"
Visha suddenly exuded sadness. "{Bitemate gone,}" said Visha. "{Tsezz gone. Hisssuss gone. Mistress sad her hisssuss is gone?}"
"{What hisssuss?}" said Ginny, her heart leaping with excitement. Beatrice! She thought.
"{Hisssuss that Sissshausss–A–sissshausss took from you is gone,}" explained Visha.
"{Hisssuss is gone!}" hissed Ginny excitedly. Harry did it. He saved Beatrice!
"I don't think I'd go broadcasting that thought," said Tom, "or Salazar might want to know your part in it."
"{Wait,}" Ginny addressed Visha again. "{Who was this other bitemate?}"
"{Shesha.}"
"So you were right, Tom. Harry did imprint the other basilisk in the chamber."
"Of course, I was right. How could you possibly doubt me, Ginny Love."
"You know, you are really disgusting when you get that arrogant attitude, Tom."
"{Bitemates!}" said Visha excitedly as they entered the infirmary to visit Samara..
She was sleeping on the opposite bed, but what Ginny saw appalled her. A group of six Durmstrang boys were gathered around Draco's bed, taking advantage of the remaining Veritaserum in Draco's blood.
"I was a virgin," said Draco.
"But if Samara was your first," said one of the boys with a snigger, "You have no basis for comparison."
"How about the red-head," asked another. "Is she as hot as she looks?"
"She—" began Draco, but Ginny's voice interrupted.
"You're damned right she is!" she snapped, and then Ginny hissed in parseltongue, "{I may need your help, Visha. Don't kill anyone.}"
"{Yes, mistress.}"
"{Bitemates help?}" asked several basilisks slithering forward from Samara's bed.
"{Yess,}" hissed Ginny. "{Tsezz help.}"
Two of the boys broke and ran. Ginny hit them both in quick succession with the Adhere spell that Samara was so fond of. The others were immobilized by basilisk venom within seconds.
"Draco, are you ok?" said Ginny.
"Stupid question," said Tom. "He's just been Crucioed, drank Veritaserum and was dragged through Salazar's Legilimency. Sometimes you amaze me."
"What are you going to do with us?" called one of the Adhered boys from the corridor.
"You can't leave us here," called the other.
Ginny ignored them. "Oh Draco, I never thought you'd act so—Gryffindor. I'll bet you never did anything like that before, did you?"
"I—" began Draco, sweat breaking out on his brow again.
"VirginiaWeasley!" hissed Tom. "He's been through enough. You will not interrogate him too."
"I'm not," began Ginny. "Oh—Oh no. Stop, Draco. I didn't mean to ask you anything. If you want to tell me anything, you will when the Veritaserum wears off." She hesitated, looking from the sleeping Samara and back to Draco and thinking.
"I didn't do anything wrong, Tom, it was just a mistake and he didn't say anything anyway," thought Ginny. "Although, he did look like he was struggling with something, didn't he? I wonder--"
"You keep reminding me that you are a light witch!" said Tom. "And then you pull a stunt like that—"
"I know you don't consider me your friend, Draco," Ginny said. "And I still have to get back at you for that miserable Stupefy spell, but I won't hit a man when he's down—"
"That will cost you, Weasel," said Draco, holding his head.
"What?"
"Not hitting a man when he's down."
"He should be sleeping," said Tom. "It would help him to recover."
"You're right," thought Ginny. "I'm going to put you in a sleeping ward," Ginny told Draco.
"Not here," Draco snapped.
"What do you want me to do, Malfoy? Deliver you to Malfoy Manor? Somnus!"
"{See that no one else bothers them,}" Ginny told Samara's basilisks, as she stalked out into the hall where the two other boys were still yelling.
"We know who you are," said one nastily. "We'll get even."
"We'll tell," said the other.
"Really?" said Ginny. "Can't let you do that." She Obliviated them both in quick succession.
"Let us go," they moaned in unison.
"Who put you here?" asked Ginny.
"I—ah—I don't know. Do you know?" one asked the other.
He shook his head.
"Well, I can't let you go, then," said Ginny sweetly. "As far as I know it could have been the Dark Lord."
"It wasn't."
"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.
"No."
"Well pretty sure—"
"The Dark Lord wouldn't stick us to the floor, he would Crucio us if we did something wrong—" argued the first boy. "He wouldn't waste time—"
"Unless he had something important to do," interrupted the other, "and he's coming back later to finish—"
Both of them broke out in a sweat.
"I don't even remember what I did—" whined the first one.
"Wait!" they called as Ginny waved and she headed down the corridor to her room.
"Ginny, that was positively evil."
"It's your influence, Tom."
"I didn't say I didn't like it," Tom smirked. "I just meant it was—very Slytherin of you."
+++
Lots of fun stuff to come. Will Beatrice get to be a girl again? Will Cho Chang remain in Harry's life? What will happen to Samara and Ginny? Is Draco going to be punished for his part in Beatrice's escape? What part do all those basilisks play?
REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW. This means you. Hey, you didn't have to pay for the read, the least you can do is offer a few comments. Go on, it won't kill you.
15 reviews to the next chapter. By the way, I am currently working on the last several chapters. Yes, this fic will soon be finished so you can quit worrying that I might desert you. I won't. The question is, will you do the same for me?
Come to yahoo groups to discuss. The_Seers'_Truth
The link is on my author page. It won't come up here.
Happy Easter! I thought it was appropriate to save the bunny on Easter even if you lazy louts haven't given me my 15 reviews.
Lady Lestrange
+++
NOTES TO REVIEWERS:
If everyone would invite one friend, you would get to 15 reviews so much faster—OH you don't have any friends? I understand, Slytherin and Ravenclaw readers. Oh what I wouldn't do to a couple of Hufflepuff readers. I meant what I wouldn't do FOR a couple of Hufflepuff readers! Just a slip of the keyboard, Gryffindors, don't get your knickers in a bunch. LOVE YOU GUYS. THANKS FOR REVIEWING.
Christina: Ah yes, a lovely long review and a true seer to add to the list of seers in The Seers' Truth.
Emma-Trelawney: So you want to kill off Ginny? That's a first. Anyway, promise more Ginny/Tom to come. I didn't want to bore you with too much Ginny/Tom. I wanted you to be anxious for more when the "blast" of G/T comes. I guess you are anxious. Good.
Tiamat Warcraft: So tell me, did you like this chapter, or did I guess wrong.
Harpy: Sorry you are confused. The POV alternates between the trio and the Snow Castle, usually Harry with the trio and Ginny or Volde at the Snow Castle although I've had a few moments of Samara.
Silverfox1: I know, I wanna play too, but I can't. Christmas curse you know—
Claret234: I love your long reviews. They really lift my spirit. Also, it's great to know which quotes touched you. Thanks for great reviews.
The Elemental Sorceress: Missed you. Glad you are back.
Dragonheart2: I'm not bad, I'm a Slyth. First of all I gave you a new chapter with only eleven reviews on April 2 and I gave you a whole new story in Secret Seduction! Wasn't it worth a little April Fools'? Anyway, about Harry and the "bad boy" act. Sorry can't make him too much of a bad boy makes him OOC. JK made him tentative and unsure of himself, not me. I'm really trying to work with it though. I'd like to show as he grows, especially after he talks to Rowenna Ravenclaw, he starts to see the power in belief of himself. Waiting for your review of Draco Malfoy and the Goblet of Fire. Cassandra Claire plagerizing? I don't believe it! If she was, I want to see the story she supposedly plagerized off of. It must be the best on fanfic, because in my opinion, she was close. I just thought she pulled her own work for some reason. Any idea where she is archived? Fiction Alley?
Jager: Samara does that sometimes. She is an irritating character at times. I know ennui is ready to string her up from the nearest tree at any given moment—and Draco with her.
Trillium: Poor Ginny/Tom. They will get to have some fun, I promise. A little taster in the chapter, but the best Ginny/Tom is yet to come. In fact the best G/T I have ever written.
Kemenran: More reviews please. Invite your friends.
ShadowLord5: Answers about Harry's love life will be forthcoming. Let's see, in chapter 18, I think. Not too long to wait is it?
Claret345: I believe Hermione will use her animagus form before the end of the fic, unless I decide to change it. And what Snape wasn't telling Ginny? Author snorts in an unladylike manner. You've got to be kidding? What WAS Snape telling Ginny?
Fuz: short and sweet
Claret345: I so love it when you quote the things that I forgot I wrote and I see them and say, gosh that's fun! Thanks for good reviews.