Lost: Young Man, Answers to Harry

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With a crack, Nymphadora Tonks apparated into the main street of Hogsmeade. She stumbled as she appeared, disorientated by the journey, then caught herself and took her bearing. Nobody had looked up from their shopping to notice a young witch materialise out of thin air, not in Britain's only all-wizard village. Tonks pointed herself in the right direction and began to run.

She kept running all the way down the road that connected Hogsmeade to the school of Hogwarts. Tonks knew the way very well from her own years at the school, and besides, it was the only real road there was. She ran with all the strength she had, and did not slow down even to rest.

She was dizzy and out of breath when at last she reached the towering gates of Hogwarts. They were locked and barred, as they always were in these times of war. And there was more than iron poles between her and the Hogwarts grounds. Tonks could almost see the thick magical barriers that completely entombed the school, warding off all intruders.

She approached the iron gate. Set into the centre of the right-hand gate was what looked like a plain oval mirror, just large enough for a person to look at their face if they bent down a bit. Tonks looked into the mirror and said, very clearly, "permission to enter Hogwarts castle."

After a moment, her reflection became smoky, and silvery words floated across the grey glass, "identity and purpose?"

"Nymphadora Tonks, auror-in-training, urgent business with Headmaster Dumbledore," said Tonks, tugging at the badge on her shoulder so that it was visible in the mirror. It was a badge that aurors wore for formality's sake when they did not need to keep their profession a secret. Tonks' badge was a plain gold, signifying that she had only partially completed her training as an auror. Once she had finished the training, she would be given a silver and blue badge that showed her to be an official dark-wizard catcher.

For a few moments, Tonks waited, then the recorded words replied, "permission to enter withheld. Please contact Headmaster via owl post or other method."

"No!" Tonks resisted the urge to bring her fist down and smash the mirror, "this is an emergency! I need to get in! I'm…I'm…" and suddenly she thought of Lupin, and what he had introduced her to only a few weeks before – the mysterious Order of the Phoenix. Tonks had attended only one gathering of the members, and not one that had discussed any of the Order's secrets, but they had shown her how they contacted each other when in trouble.

Well, surely an Order member would be allowed in? It was worth a try. Tonks pulled out her wand and pointed it at the mirror, and muttered, "expecto patronum," under her breath. A moment later, a white shining something emerged from her wand tip and enveloped the troublesome mirror. It seemed to sink into the reflective surface and vanish.

Tonks waited, holding her breath, and then heard a click. There was a screech as bars were drawn back, the air cleared a little as the wards opened, and then the gates swung forwards to admit her. Tonks did not wait for them to finish opening. She bolted through the gap and began running once more.

When she reached the castle, she pushed open the heavy wooden doors and slid through into the entrance hall. Coming back to Hogwarts was like coming home, but she did not spare a moment to appreciate the familiarity of the castle. She sprinted through the halls, passing students who glanced at her with curious looks on their faces. Some made out the auror badge on her shoulder and stepped back hurriedly.

Tonks forced herself to slow her mad race. She had to find Harry, yes, but she wasn't going to do it by running around like a headless chicken. He could be anywhere in the school. She would probably have to find a professor – Lupin would know where Harry was, for sure – before she could give anyone her warning.

But Moody will be here soon! She thought wildly, I have to find him! And as she cast her eyes around, she saw Ginny Weasley standing at the bottom of a staircase nearby.

"Ginny!" Tonks dashed over. Ginny recognised her and her eyes widened. She knew Tonks well, of course, but the young girl had always been shy around Charlie's vivacious multi-coloured friend. Tonks felt that she had always intimidated Ginny a little, "I need to find Professor Lupin. I'm looking for a boy called Harry Potter. I think he's been living at the school. Do you know where either of them could be?" this came out in such a rush Tonks wondered if poor Ginny had understood a word.

Ginny, still looking dumbstruck, shook her head, but said softly, "there might be some Professors in the Great Hall. I'm just coming there from lunch."

"The Great Hall!" Tonks nearly slapped herself, "of course. Thank you, Ginny! Thank you!" and she took off again, weaving around some Ravenclaw third-years and nearly colliding with a young Gryffindor who had been looking through a camera.

She reached the Great Hall and ran through, but to her disappointment, the long table where the staff usually sat for meals was empty. Tonks was about to turn and leave when she caught a glimpse of red hair and saw one of Charlie's brothers – Ron, by the look of it – sitting at the far end of one of the middle tables. She didn't have time to say hello, and she would have left then, but her auror training in observation noticed curiously that while everyone else in the hall had plates of food in front of them, Ron and his two friends were simply sitting and talking.

And then the black-haired boy turned his head a little as Ron leaned forward to listen to him, and Tonks felt her heart leap in his chest. It was Harry. Though Tonks had not seen him in the flesh for over a year now, she recognised those distinctive round glasses and the pale, staunch face.

She sprinted down the hall. Ron and his friends were deep in conversation. They did not notice Tonks until she gave a half-leap and slid to a halt sitting wrong-way round on the bench next to Harry.

All three children looked up. Ron said, "Tonks!" in a very shocked voice. The bushy-haired girl next to him blinked in bemusement. Harry's face remained emotionless. He looked as if he had just received a death sentence, and nothing could make his day any worse.

Tonks would have to give him some more bad news, "wotcher, Harry," she said, panting a little, "I hope you're ready to leave. You have get out of here right now. Minister Moody is coming to the school with some dementors. They're going to kill you," she, of course, knew that dementors would not kill Harry, but she felt that her news would have rather more weight if she mentioned death.

Harry, however, did not even blink, "I know," he said dully.

Tonks was taken aback. She quickly recovered and grabbed his shoulder, "Harry, you've got to come with me! You're not safe here. Hasn't Sirius told you? Dumbledore tried to kill you when you were four years old. Who knows what he's planning now?"

"So you know too," said Harry, "Sirius told everyone except for me, it seems."

Tonks had never heard anyone so lethargic. She wanted shake Harry, to snap him out of this trance that seemed to have overcome him. She had come all this way to save his life and he didn't even seem to care!

"Harry!" Tonks said furiously, "what's wrong with you?"

His face hardened in an instant, "what's wrong with me?" he hissed, his hand resting on the table balled into a fist, "Dumbledore has told me everything. I'm only worth something as I am. I'm a vessel. A weapon. It would be better for everyone if I was dead. How do you think that feels, knowing that?"

Tonks stared at him. Sirius had told her what Harry was, when they had met in France a year ago, though he had been very reluctant. But she had never understood why Sirius refused to tell his godson the truth. Now, looking at the bitterness in Harry's face, she saw why. Sirius could not have faced that bitterness, not in the boy he loved.

"Sirius," said Tonks, her hand slipping from Harry's shoulder, "does not judge your worth by what you carry. Not at all. You should know that."

Harry glowered at her. He looked as if he wanted to hit her. Then his mask broke and he looked like a small boy once more, tired and upset. He swayed, and Tonks (feeling very surprised at herself) caught him before he slid off the seat and wrapped her arms around him. She'd never hugged a child before. She had never thought of herself as the maternal type. She was an auror, and aurors did not have families or babies. It was too dangerous.

"I don't know what to do," said Harry, his voice muffled a little. He choked back a sob, "it isn't right for me to live. I could save so many people by dying. But I don't want to."

"Then don't," said Tonks.

"Oh, you are unbelievable!" said Ron loudly, but he was not talking to Harry. He was looking over Tonks' shoulder. Percy Weasley was coming down the aisle between the tables, his eyes locked on the small group at the end. Harry and Tonks pulled apart, "will you stop interrupting private moments?" Ron yelled at his brother.

Percy paused when he saw Tonks, but then barrelled forward, "I'm looking for someone called Harry."

"That's me," said Harry quietly, trying to wipe his eyes before anyone saw his tears.

"What do you want?" said Ron. He and Hermione clambered under the table and popped up on the other side, to stand next to Harry.

Percy's gaze swung onto Ron, "Professor Sinestra had just been found dead in her office," he said, and his voice shook a little, "and someone broke into Gryffindor tower. They attacked some of the students – but no serious injuries, thank God. Professor Dumbledore sent me here. He says I have to bring Harry to safety at once."

"That's what I tried to tell him," said Tonks, "Minister Moody's coming to get him."

Percy shook his head, "no. There are others already in the castle. Dumbledore and the rest of the Professors were preparing for battle."

"F-for battle?" Hermione squeaked.

"Against who?" Tonks shot to her feet and her wand was in her hand.

Then there was an almighty bang as the doors of the great hall were thrown open. From all around, screams rose as the children nearest the door scrambled away from it. Jets of red light shot across the room, and one struck Tonks squarely in the back as she tried to spin around. Stunned, she fell forward and Ron and Harry caught her before she split her head on the wooden table.

"Run," Percy grabbed Harry's shoulder, "run, now, all of you!"

A woman's voice, magically amplified, echoed around the hall, a rich, cold voice like iced red wine, "NOBODY MOVE AN INCH!" it commanded, as dark-robed figures skated down the hall, wands raised. More black-clad adults were barring the door. Some of the students raised their wands, but most cowered against the benches. Only a few among them were older than second year.

"They're Death Eaters," said Percy, with total disbelief in his voice. He sounded more surprised than he did frightened, as if he could not accept that Death Eaters could ever get into Hogwarts.

"Harry, go!" Hermione and Ron were standing next to Percy, blocking Harry from view. Tonks lay prone on the bench, knocked out cold. A jet of green light whizzed past them and struck the wall across the other side of the hall. Something else skimmed past Percy's arm, singeing his robes.

"There's nowhere to go," said Harry, drawing his wand.

The doors which the Death Eaters had barred were suddenly blasted open once more, and peering past Percy, Harry caught a glimpse of blue and silver badges. Aurors, at least a dozen of them, were pursuing the Death Eaters into the great hall, wands ablaze. The Death Eaters were running desperately now, knowing they were cornered. Two had sped right to the end of the hall and were trying to open the door behind the teacher's table, but it was locked and shut tight, and even their magic could not seem to budge it.

Three Death Eaters swooped towards Percy, who shot an ineffectual, "expelliarmus," at them before he was pushed roughly aside. Hermione and Ron stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Harry, but neither of them had drawn their wands. The lead Death Eater tore back her hood, and Harry saw that it was a woman, heavy-lidded and with a mass of dark hair spilling from beneath her cloak.

The woman grabbed Hermione's arm and leapt up onto the table, dragging the girl up with her. Hermione began to scream, but she stopped when the woman jabbed her wand into the underside of her chin.

Then the woman spoke, and it was the cold-wine voice again, "TO ME, COMRADES!" she bellowed.

Harry, crouched down next to Tonks, looked around and saw to his horror that the other Death Eaters were converging on the spot where he cowered. They were herding the terrified students in front of them, wands pointed not at the aurors, but at the children. He realised they were taking hostages. Percy was getting to his feet, clutching his head, but another Death Eater slammed his fist into the prefect's jaw and he dropped again.

From the other end of the hall came a new command. "Forward, aurors!" cried the cracked voice of a man who stood at the forefront of the blue-clad ministry officials. Harry recognised the man from the newspaper, though with his scars he was not hard to pick: it was Minister Moody.

Then another voice, as deep and full as a roaring river, rose above all the noise, "STOP, ALL OF YOU!" and Harry saw professor Dumbledore, taller than any of the aurors, standing beside Moody with his arms raised. Moody turned to say something to Dumbledore, but Dumbledore cut him off, "I will not have my students' blood spilled in this hall!"

The aurors turned to looked at the woman standing on the table, still holding the wand to Hermione's throat. She was yelling, "DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER, YOU MINISTRY PIGS, OR WE WILL BEGIN KILLING THE CHILDREN!" Hermione gave a frightened sob.

Harry felt fury boil up in him. "Let her go!" Ron yelled at the woman, climbing over Tonks to reach Hermione.

Harry stood up to follow him, raising his wand, trying to think of a curse that would stun the woman without hurting Hermione, but a hand grabbed his wrist in a grip that was like iron. Harry was spun around and slammed onto the table, his head clunking on the wood so hard he heard the sound ring in his ears. A hand locked over his throat, half-choking him. He looked into the wide eyes of a grinning Death Eater, who was crowing, "I got him! Bellatrix, I got the boy! He's here!"

Harry bared his teeth and flailed like a fish out of water, but the Death Eater was as strong as a bull elephant. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ron fall backwards onto the cold stone floor of the hall. The woman had kicked him off the table. The Death Eaters were arranged in a semi-circle now, standing between the children and the aurors, who were still arrayed in the distant doorway, wands raised.

Quiet fell. The only sounds were the exhausted breathing of Death Eaters and aurors alike, and the soft weeping of some of the captive children. Ron was sitting up with his hands over his face, blood pouring from his nose. The Death-Eater called Bellatrix had kicked him in the face when he had tried to reach Hermione.

Harry wriggled again, but he was helpless in the iron grip of the man holding him. He tried to point his wand towards the Death Eater, but the man squeezed Harry's wrist tighter and bent his arm into Harry thought he was going to break his bones. With a cry of pain, he released his wand, and it rolled across the table.

Hermione, however, was not yet beaten. She was slowly reaching her free hand into her pocket, where her wand was. "Oh, no you don't," Bellatrix hissed, and a few sparks burst out of her wand tip, burning the nape of Hermione's neck. Hermione did not make a sound, but from then on she kept her hands where Bellatrix could see them.

Now the dark-haired woman straightened, digging the wand deeper into Hermione's throat, "For every step you take towards us, we will kill a child!" she yelled at the aurors. Harry could see the wizards at the end of the hall seething, and Minister Moody raised his wand again, but Dumbledore put his hand out to stop him. The Headmaster's face was placid.

"Do not be so hasty, Bellatrix," said Dumbledore, and Bellatrix looked surprised to hear her name from his lips, "there is no way out of this hall. You are trapped."

"Not for long!" Bellatrix yelled, and she glanced down at the Death Eater who had pinned Harry on his back on the table. A triumphant grin spread across her face. She turned back to Dumbledore, "we have the Potter boy, Dumbledore! We have your students! If you want them to live, you'll negotiate with us!"

Dumbledore close his eyes for a moment. He looked as if he was taking a very deep breath.

"Very well," he said, and his voice carried across the hall, "we will negotiate."

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TBC

Somebody. Kill. Bellatrix. Lestrange.

Actually, I think I'm starting to like her. She's so mad and cruel, I just know I will enjoy writing her.