A/N: Thank you all who've reviewed!

Disclaimer: I don't own the boys, but I sure wish I did.

Chapter 35: Myths and Legends

Several Weeks Later

            "Sasha?" Neville poked his head around the corner, looking in on the abnormally quiet Slytherin.  "You haven't killed Hermione, have you?"

            A loud snort and several quiet snickers answered him.  Neville rolled his eyes and sighed, pushing out of his seat and slipping into the area where Sasha, Seamus, Draco and Hermione were supposed to be researching.  The sight that greeted him, however, was one where the irate Gryffindor was tied to the seat and gagged with her House scarf, much to the amusement of Draco and Sasha.  Hermione looked like she was ready to spit nails, while Seamus merely looked on with amusement. 

            Neville had to turn away for a moment, a large smile threatening to steal across his face.  "Sasha!" He bit his lip and tried to keep from laughing.  "That wasn't very nice."

            "But it felt good.  The bint wouldn't shut up!" The sixth year sneered at Hermione, who glared right back at her.  The relationship between the two girls had not improved at all during the time they had gotten to know one another.  If anything it had only gotten worse.

            Neville got a hold of his expression and turned back around, flicking his wand at the Gryffindor girl, the ropes disappearing in a puff of smoke and the scarf loosening from around her head.  Hermione's hands tore the offending piece of clothing off, reaching for her wand. "You utter…"

            "Are they fighting again?" Harry's tired voice made them all freeze.  Hermione let her hand drop and sat back down in her chair without a word more.  The dark haired boy stepped from the shadows of the stacks and into the light of the nook.  He looked like hell.

            The last few weeks had brought about many changes to the school.  Aurors now patrolled the hallways during school hours and there were guards at all the major entrances now.  Slytherins were harassed constantly, harried from classroom to classroom by students and occasionally adults as well.  The Headmaster had tried to do what he could about the situation, but his protests had fallen on deaf ears.  Ever since the prank that the Slytherins had pulled on the Ravenclaws, the security around the school had increased exponentially.

            The increased protection wasn't just caused by the Slytherin's prank, however.  The wizarding world was under full attack now; the Dark Lord was wiping out small villages on both the islands and the continent.  Horrific creatures had been spotted in the muggle world, while one by one, strategic strong holds in the wizarding world were being targeted by Voldemort and taken down.

            The Order had kicked up its activities, no longer trying to hide many of the teacher's involvement in it.  Sirius and Remus had had to go off on a mission and had not yet reported back to Harry or Ginny.  The pair waited anxiously every day for the owl post, but a letter from the pair had yet to arrive.

            The Slytherins had attacked the information Harry had given them about the Otherworld with a vengeance.  They had scoured the Library from top to bottom, taking it by sections and looking for any and all references to the Otherworld and the Morrigan.  Madam Pince had finally given them free reign of the Restricted Section as well, which had made Sasha and Hermione nearly squeal with delight – it seemed to be the only thing the girls agreed upon.

            Harry, however, had not had the best time over the last few weeks.  When Severus had returned with the sedatives, Harry had had a fleeting hope that the professor's plan might just work.

            He was wrong.

            The sedatives had held a variety of surprises for Harry – none of them very pleasant.  The first one he tried made him sleep for nearly two days straight, an act that scared everyone nearly senseless.  Once the dosage was adjusted they had tried it again – Harry had managed to make it a week on the potion before finally breaking down one night, flat out refusing to take it again.

            "No, no no no no no." The dark haired boy had shaken his head vigorously, backing away from the Potions Master, his hands held out to ward the larger man off. "I'm not going to take it anymore."

            "Potter, it's for your own good –," Severus sighed and shook his head angrily. "Don't be so stubborn.  Take the potion, Potter."

            "Please, no." Harry looked up at Severus, who finally saw the unshed tears glittering in the boy's eyes. "It – I can't feel anything after I take it.  It lasts all day.  It's only right before bed that I can feel…feel happy, sad, bored, anything.  Then I have to take it again and I'm some mindless puppet for another twenty hours.  Please, don't make me take it again."

            The grumpy, snarky, evil Potions Master had thrown out the potion that night.

            The following trials had not worked either.  While they limited Harry's conscious thought during the night, he would still wake up in the morning with strange scrapes and bruises on his body, accompanied occasionally with a fine layer of dirt under his fingernails.

            It was the last potion that had really done a number on Harry.  It was Severus' last hope, and the last vial Aaron had given him.  It had almost torn Harry apart from the inside out.

            The first night Harry had taken the potion everything seemed fine.  Then during classes the next day cramps had hit the teenager, causing him to run for the bathroom.  He nearly passed out in the toilets when he found blood in his pants. 

            According to Madam Pomfrey and the sheet that Healer Fabing had given Severus, the most violent reaction to the blue potion was anal bleeding and severe abdominal cramping – both of which hit Harry like a train wreck.  The green-eyed boy had stayed in the Hospital wing for a few days until the potion ran through his system.  Severus was at his wits end.

            That was a few days ago, and Harry still looked a fright from the rigors that the potion put him through.  Dark bags hung underneath his eyes, and his pallor was pale and sickly.  It was a sobering sight for all of them every time they saw Harry.

            "Please tell me I don't look that bad." The dark haired boy smiled at them wanly, shifting his bag on his shoulder absently. 

            "No, you look fine, Harry." Hermione's quiet voice made the smaller boy's eyes hood slightly.  He spared a strained smile for the Gryffindor before turning to his fellow Slytherins.

            "Anything new?" He pulled out a seat next to Draco, who was frowning at him.

            "Did you walk here by yourself?" The blond poked at him, making Harry roll his eyes.

            "I didn't have a choice.  I had a bodyguard of two Aurors, who chased Pansy and Millicent away.  It was lovely." Harry muttered grumpily, grabbing a few books off the top of one of the stacks on the table. "Oh…Ar an Taobh Thall an fear Fial…what the hell is this?"

            The potions had also made Harry rather…irritable as well.

            Seamus snagged the book from Harry's hands, eyeing the spine with a frown. "Ar an taobh thall…that's beyond.  Hmm…an fear means the…fial is…is…" he sighed and blew his bangs out of his eyes.  "Veil I think.  Beyond the Veil."

            Harry took the book back from him, a contemplative look on his face.  "Beyond the Veil? Huh." He caressed the cover, flipping open the first page and then sighing.  "But of course it's written in Gaelic.  Completely in Gaelic." He flipped the book closed and buried his face in his hands.

            "Don't get your knickers in a twist just yet." Ginny, Pansy and Millicent walked out of the shadows, all of them holding books in their arms. 

            "And why not?" Harry mumbled from behind his hands.

            "Because I got a spell from Professor Flitwick that will allow us to translate the bloody thing.  Harry, go take a nap." Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and dumped her books on the table.

            The dark haired boy peered at her from between his fingers. "No."

            "Yes."

            "No."

            "Yes.  Draco – go make him take a nap before I hex him into next week." The petite witch prodded Harry with a finger. "You need sleep – and you only seem to sleep well with Draco, so get."

            Harry felt his face flush red while the rest of them, minus Hermione, chuckled at him.  "Shush you."

            "Harry, I'm serious." The auburn haired witch crouched down next to Harry, her eyes soft. "You look like hell and you obviously don't feel well, so try and get some sleep, okay?  You need it."

            Harry let his hands drop from his face as he turned to face Ginny. "I know, Gin.  Really.  It's just –," he shrugged, a painful smile flying across his face. "I don't know."

            Ginny stood slowly, using her cane to haul herself up.  She jerked her head at Draco, who rolled his eyes but nodded.  The blond rose and grabbed his and Harry's book bag, catching the smaller boy under the elbow and pulling him to his feet. "C'mon.  Let's go scandalize Severus, alright?" The blond began to lead Harry out of the Library, one hand planted firmly at the small of his back.

            "Yuck." Hermione's quiet voice caught everyone's attention.  Ginny rounded on the older girl as Harry and Draco froze in the shadows.  The dark haired boy's shoulder's tensed and he turned back to the group, looking at Hermione darkly.

            "You shut the hell up, hag." Ginny and Hermione's relationship had also not improved at all during the time the two had spent together.

            "I will not, and how dare you call me a hag.  It's not natural for two boys to…" Hermione leaned forward, placing her hands on the table.

            A firm slap to the back of her head shut her up.  The girl squawked and grabbed at her head, whipping around to glare at her attacker. 

            Blaise merely raised one eyebrow at her. "You muggleborns…" he sighed and shook his head.  "No wonder you go running back to the world that spawned you once your schooling is done." He flicked his fingers at her and turned back to his book, sniffing disdainfully.

            "You're telling me that – that – this type of relationship is common in the wizarding world?" Hermione rubbed at her head, glaring at the Slytherin boy.

            "Well duh, hello Hermione." Pansy sniffed and slipped into one of the seats Harry and Draco had left at the table.  "Everyone knows that." The bushy haired girl whipped around to face the blond.

            "But – but what about all the pureblood families…and the – the Weasley's…" Hermione winced slightly at the mention of Ginny's former family.  "I mean, I thought…" She shrugged slightly, a blush staining her cheeks red.

            "I keep telling you all, Gryffindor's never think." Sasha slammed a book down on the table, glaring at Hermione, causing everyone to jump.  "The wizarding world is open to many different ideals and lifestyles.  At least it was until uptight, rigid muggleborn wizards and witches like you took over.  Family is and always was a very important thing to maintain and nurture in this world.  But if you take a look at many of the old pureblood families, they consist of two mothers and two fathers.  Look at Blaise's family for example."

            All eyes turned to the sable haired boy.  He looked up after a moment. "What? You didn't know that?" He smirked and winked at a gaping Hermione. "My mothers met my fathers in school.  My technical mother and father were engaged at birth, and married after they took their NEWTs."

            "But – but…how…?" Hermione trailed off, her face now becoming beet red.

            "Does someone need a talk about the birds and the bees?" Blaise tsked softly and shook his head, setting his book to one side as he leaned forward. "Now, Hermione, when two people really love each other…"

            "I know that already!" The Gryffindor snapped, the tips of her ears turning red.  The Slytherins and Seamus all chuckled at her.

            "Hermione, my fathers like my mothers.  My mothers like my fathers.  It only took a simple spell and bam!  Here I am and the Zambini family has an heir." Blaise shrugged philosophically.  "I think I'm lucky to have two of each.  Well…except when I do something wrong.  That's when I'm screwed." They all laughed.

            "But…" Hermione protested weakly.  "It – it doesn't seem right."

            "A lot that the muggle world perceives as right makes no sense here." Neville pointed out gently to her.  "It's just the way things are."

            Hermione looked around at the faces turned towards her.  "But…but…"

            "She'll never get it." Harry shook his head sadly and tugged on Draco's robes. "C'mon.  Let's go." They began to walk away towards the exit.

            "I –," Hermione bit her lip, waiting until the two boys paused, half in the shadows, half out. "I'm sorry?"

            "You always are." Harry held her gaze for a long moment before turning around again and walking towards the exit.  Hermione felt the blood rush from her face and she dropped her gaze to the table in front of her.

            "Now see what you did."

            "Gin, don't you start now." Neville laid his head down on his arms, sighing.

qpqpqpqp

            The Slytherins were sitting at breakfast the next morning when the owl post arrived.  Harry and Ginny both looked up expectantly, scanning the birds that flew in eagerly.  They were in luck.  A large barn owl came to a graceful stop in front of Harry, holding out its leg for him.  Ginny fed it tidbits as Harry eagerly opened the letter.

Dear Harry and Ginny,

            Remus and I are fine, and should be returning to Hogwarts soon.  We've picked up some presents for you as well!  (as well as some lovely ideas for a certain not-to-be-named House we all hate).  See you soon,

            Love,

            Sirius

            Harry read over the note eagerly and then passed it on to Ginny, a large grin breaking out over his face.

            "Good news?" Draco leaned into Harry, nudging him with his shoulder. 

            The dark haired boy nodded swiftly.  "Sirius and Remus are coming back.  Soon." Harry was nearly vibrating in his seat.  Ginny hummed happily as she read the note, a delighted smile making her eyes shine brightly.

            "Hey, Harry," Daphne Greengrass leaned passed Millicent, ignoring the larger girl's muffled exclamation. "You think when your werewolf gets back he'd be interested in doing some DADA tutoring on the side?"

            Harry frowned at the mousy haired girl. "He's not my werewolf, Daphne." He and Draco exchanged a glance and the blond merely shrugged unknowingly.  Even he didn't understand his Housemates at times.

            The brown haired girl held up her hands, "Hey, I'm not trying to be disrespectful.  It's just…you know.  Ms. Montevay is rather…hard to come up to, you know?  And besides, her family is neutral.  They're not going to want to get into all the House politics.  But Lupin," she shrugged philosophically, "He's already seen us at our worst."

            Harry took a breath and then let it out in a gush, eyeing the girl warily.  "I…don't know.  The best thing would be is to ask him yourself." He smiled apologetically at her.

            The girl nodded and leaned back, never noticing the evil glare Millicent directed her way. "Thanks," she mumbled before returning to her food. 

            Harry and Draco exchanged another confused glance.  Of all the weird things…Harry shook his head and returned his attention back to his meal. 

qpqp

            As it turned out Remus was more than happy to take up tutoring for the Slytherin students were Bill had left off.  The werewolf was ecstatic, and quickly made arrangements with Severus to use an old classroom near the dungeons so that his Slytherins wouldn't have to traverse the halls at night.

            Harry was also looking forward to Remus' class; Ms. Montevay was an excellent teacher, but rather…dry in her presentation.  They all valued the DADA teacher's thorough approach, but…could she get any more boring in her lectures?  Harry yawned as they walked out of class, rubbing his neck tiredly.  Strong, Earl Gray tea had become a favorite of Slytherin House – mostly because it kept all of them awake during class instead of passed out like most of the Gryffindors.  At least we're going to pass the class this semester, Harry smiled smugly to himself as he eyed the Gryffindors rushing past him.  Not like most of them.

            The animagus and the werewolf arrived two days after Daphne and Harry had talked.  They arrived in the middle of the night and it wasn't until Harry woke up the next morning with a tired Remus half sprawled on his bed that he knew they had returned.

            "Remus!" Harry yelped once he'd gotten his glasses on.  The bleary eyed werewolf struggled to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes slowly.

            "Hello Harry.  How're you?"

            "When did you get in?  It's so good to see you. Where's Sirius?" Harry launched himself at the werewolf, who was thoroughly shocked at the armful of boy he had acquired.  Slowly, however, a smile began to spread across his face.

            "We got in late last night…some time around three I think.  We're both just fine – nothing a little sleep won't cure.  Sirius was here…" Remus frowned as he looked around the room, "But I think he went to go check up on Ginny right before I went to sleep.  He either fell asleep there – the poor, poor man if he did – or else he's out on the couches in the Common Room."

            Harry nodded happily into the werewolf's worn robes, his arms tightening around the other man. "It's good to have the two of you back."

            Remus' smile became a touch sad. "It's good to be back."  He pulled away from the teenager carefully and looked him over, a small line appearing between his eyebrows. "You, however, don't look so great.  What's been going on?"

            So Harry had filled him in, hastily slipping out of bed and throwing on clothes, eager to check the Common Room to see if his godfather was there.

            The two slipped out quietly to the still dark room, peeking over the backs of the couches carefully.  Sirius was in none of them.  Harry stood in the middle of the room with his hands planted on his hips, frowning, as worry began to worm through him.  A shriek made him and Remus whip around to face the entrance to the girls' dorm.

            When they got to Ginny's room they found the animagus bound and gagged on the floor near Ginny's bed, the auburn haired witch standing over him with her wand pointed at him warily.  The petite girl had merely blinked at the two new intruders and pointed at Sirius. "Dog. Bed. Sleep now." She had then ambled back to her bed and crawled back under the covers, falling fast asleep in seconds. 

            Remus nearly wet himself he was laughing so hard.  Harry merely took it all in with large, round eyes.  Sirius, however, had not been so happy.

            That was the night they all learned never to wake Ginny Black from a sound sleep, ever again.

qpqp

            "Sirius?"

            The animagus looked up from the book he was reading, a smile breaking out over his face when he caught sight of Ginny hovering in the doorway.  "Ginny!" He held his arms out to her.  The girl smiled brightly and ran over to the man, throwing herself into his embrace. "How's my girl?"

            "I'm good.  I'm sorry about…the other night." Ginny snuggled into the animagus' arms, inhaling the spicy, warm scent of his clothes.

            "No, no, Gin.  No need to apologize, I understand." Sirius hugged the girl tightly for a moment, chuckling. "That's a good response to have, if you're going to be an Auror – constant vigilance." He glanced down at her, winking.  She giggled faintly. "So how have things been since I've been gone?  Any troublemakers I need to beat up for you?"

            "No," Ginny giggled again, rubbing her cheek on the scratchy material of Sirius' robes. "It's been quiet.  Scary, sometimes, with all the Aurors and stuff hanging around the castle, but no one's been really mean to us.  Much."

            "Good, good." Sirius rested his cheek on the dark hair, enjoying the feel of the small body in his arms.  He perked up suddenly when a thought hit him. "Ah! I have something for you!" He slid out of Ginny's arms and bounced across the room, picking up a large album from under a stack of papers.

            He hurried back over the couch, flopping back down on the piece of furniture, raising one arm up for Ginny to scoot closer to him.  "Now, this," he held up the large, wooden cover of the album, "Is the Black Family photo album." He stuck his nose up into the air, sniffing haughtily.

            Ginny looked up at him, her eyes wide.  She reached out gently and touched the cover, then snatched her hand back. "I – I thought you didn't…like most of your family." She curled her hands into her robes, eyeing the thick album warily.

            Sirius sighed and shrugged slightly, the mirth draining slowly from his face. "Well," he hesitated, tilting his head to one side, "They're family.  And no, I don't…didn't like most of them.  But they were family.  I thought I'd get you acquainted to all of them before you met their portraits in the family Manor." Ginny turned even wider eyes up at Sirius, who chuckled, a hint of his former humor returning. "Forgot about that, did you?" She nodded. "Well…let's just call this a crash course in who you need to be aware of…and what the best thing to say to piss them all off!" They both let out matching cackles and opened the book.

            "And this ugly, fat fellow is Uncle Pewbert." Ginny made a face at the scowling picture. "Best thing to do is avoid him, unfortunately.  He's got a nasty temper, and a vocabulary that I'd rather you not learn until you're in your twenties." Sirius stuck his tongue out at the red-faced image of his uncle and turned the page.

            "…Sirius?" Ginny's suddenly shy voice made Sirius pause before launching into his next relative.

            "Yes, Gin?"

            "Could I…never mind." The girl fidgeted with the book cover, not looking up at the older wizard.

            "Gin," Sirius prodded her shoulder with a gentle finger.  "What's up?  You can tell me anything, you know that." He hugged her slightly, kissing the top of her head lightly.

            A blush turned the tips of Ginny's ears bright red. "It's nothing.  Never mind." She still wouldn't look up at him.

            "Ah, ah, ah.  I don't think so.  Come on, Gin.  Spill." Sirius poked her gently in the side, making her giggle faintly and squirm. 

            She lapsed into silence for a few minutes, opening and closing her mouth a few times before she found her voice. "I – I mean, could I…" The blush deepened as she fixed her gaze on her robes. "Could I call you Dad?"

            Sirius had to strain to catch the whispered question.  When he finally processed it, he was floored.  She…wants to call me Dad?  Me? "I – I –,"

            "Never mind," Ginny's voice was a touch watery and she began to pull away from the animagus, wrapping her arms around her middle defensively. 

            Sirius pitched the photo album to the floor and wrapped Ginny up in a hug, not letting her pull away. "I would be the proudest person on the face of the planet if you would call me Dad." Sirius buried his face in Ginny's hair, his heart soaring.  I – Dad.  She sees me as a father…oh Gin, I won't let you down.  I'll be perfect from day one, I promise.

            Ginny's arms tentatively wrapped around Sirius' chest.  "You – you don't mind?" Her question was muffled, but Sirius' heart ached for her.

            "You're my daughter, Gin, and I would love to have you call me Dad.  I'll be here for you, no matter what.  We're family by spell, blood and choice.  Nothing will ever change that, you hear me?" Sirius pulled the unresisting girl up onto his lap, rocking her gently.  "In fact you'll probably need to get Remus to help you pull me off of any potential boyfriends you bring over to the Manor, I'm going to be that much of a Dad." Ginny sniffled softly and giggled, burrowing even deeper into the animagus' arms.

            "Dad." She tried the word out hesitantly, her breath catching slightly. "I love you, Dad."

            Sirius' eyes glittered with tears. "I love you too, Ginny Black.  I love you too." He closed his eyes and laid his cheek on top of her hair, rocking them both gently.  Neither of them heard the door close softly.

qpqp

            Harry bit his lip as he slipped back into his room, his eyesight blurry with unshed tears.  The sight of Sirius and Ginny in the animagus' apartment was burned into his mind.

            He had finished his homework early and had nearly bounced the entire way to his godfather's suite.  He'd heard Ginny's and Sirius' voices through the wood, and Ginny's mournful question – I couldn't interrupt, really.  Even though I really, really, really wanted to.  I mean, he frowned and sat heavily in his chair, I've had Sirius as my godfather for a couple of years now.  Ginny's only had him as a – a father for a few months.  She – they need time together.  It's only natural. 

            He took a deep breath and shook his head slightly, pushing away the stirrings of jealousy he could feel forming.  I'm not going to be jealous of Ginny and her closeness with Sirius.  That's absurd and cruel.  Ginny needs a father figure right now and she definitely doesn't need me acting like a spoiled two year old to ruin it for her.  He frowned harshly and stood from his seat, pacing over to the fireplace in his room, staring down at the flickering flames blindly.

            It still hurts, though.  He ignored the tiny voice in the back of his mind, stomping it down viciously.  He turned abruptly from the fireplace and crossed the room to his trunk, pulling out his worn album with gentle hands.

            He sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the fireplace, caressing the cover of the album gently before opening it.  The happy faces of his parents stared up at him, smiling and waving at him, so young, so alive.  He rested his fingers on the edge of the picture, his eyes focused on his mother's proud, beaming face. "Hullo Mum.  How're you?" He had to swallow a few times to clear the lump from his throat.

            His gaze traveled over to his father. "Hey Dad." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.  "How've you been?  Did you know that the Cannon's are finally on a winning streak?  Not that I follow them…Ron did, but you knew that." He closed his eyes tightly and curled up around the book, his breath hitching in his chest. "I – I'm doing well in school.  I'm actually pass-pass-passing P-Potions for once," tears escaped from his eyes and ran down his cheeks, splashing onto his trousers.

            He never noticed the room fading around him, or that the rug he was sitting on disappeared and became a fine, black sand.

            "Shh," gentle hands made Harry jerk in surprise.  He looked around wildly, his heart giving a painful lurch as he noted the Dark around him.  I – how – I'm awake…aren't I?  He froze as strange hands caressed his hair gently; he looked up cautiously, his gut twisting.  Draco?  Sirius?  Anyone? Are you there?

            A woman looked down at him and gently ran her hand through his hair once more. "Don't be so sad, little one." The golden haired beauty crouched down next to Harry, her face serene.  "Shh, now." She caressed the side of his face, tilting his chin up to get a better look at him.

            "Who are you?" Harry swallowed thickly, his eyes wide and unblinking as he stared up at the woman.

            She smiled. "I am Rhiannon.  Who are you, child?"

            Harry opened his mouth and then paused.  The Morrigan's warning echoed through his head. "I – I –," his mind blanked on a suitable name for himself.

            The woman's smile turned amused. "A wise soul I see to hesitate giving out his name to strange women in the Dark." She winked at him and Harry felt his face heat up.  He blinked and she let go of his chin, letting him duck his head back down and hide his eyes with his bangs. 

            "I –,"

            "Shh," she rested a hand on his shoulder and shook her head slightly. "No names then, child."

            Harry bit his lip and nodded faintly, looking back down at the album in his lap.  Rhiannon reached forward and laid a finger on the image of his mother.

            "You have her eyes." Harry nodded silently. "Is it them you mourn?" He nodded again. "Ah…" The goddess ran a hand over his hair again, her touch light and gentle.  "I am sorry, child."

            "They – they died when I was a baby.  I don't even really remember them.  All I have are pictures." Harry frowned slightly, wiping away the tears on his face jerkily. "I mean, I shouldn't get so worked up if I only knew them for a year and can't remember them, right?  I mean it's not like I actually knew them…"

            "But it is their love and presence you miss." The woman tucked a strand of Harry's hair behind his ear, a small smile on her face. "You love them and miss them, it is not a thing to be ashamed of."

            "I'm not ashamed of it!" Harry looked up at her. "I'm not.  It's – it's just that it seems a little silly sometimes to miss them so much when I've gone all this time without them."

            "They are your parents.  It is only natural." The woman settled herself down next to Harry, nodding at the album. "Tell me about them."

            Harry looked up at her through his bangs, hesitating.  She merely looked back at him serenely, her eyes warm and comforting.  He nodded finally and turned back to the album, turning the page and tilting it for her to see.  As he flipped through the pages he recalled the stories Sirius had told him when the two of them had flipped through the same album; all of the pranks and hijinks the group of Marauders had gotten into, how Lily had helped to bail them out – and occasionally get them detention when they'd pissed her off enough.

            Rhiannon listened quietly as Harry talked, resting one hand on his arm as he flipped through the pictures, her eyes sorrowful as she glanced from the page to him and back again. 

            "This time," Harry's eyes lit on a picture of his dad and Sirius standing nose to nose, glaring at each other, "my Dad thought Sirius was hitting on my Mum so he got mad and…ah!" He frowned and grabbed at his head, a stab of pain shooting through his skull. 

            "Child?" The woman's voice was oddly distant.  Harry could feel a strange wind pick up around them, stirring his clothes and his hair.  He looked over to Rhiannon, only to see that her form was getting misty and faint. "Child – come back!  The Dark…" The woman held out a hand towards him, her expression concerned.

            "He's calling me.  I have to go.  I – it hurts.  Here." He thrust the album out at the woman, fighting against the pull as hard as he could. "Please," he looked up at her, his eyes wide and pleading. "Please get that back to my world.  Somehow.  It's all I have of them."

            "Child –," Rhiannon hugged the book to her chest, her eyes worried. "Your world and ours…" She trailed off, shaking her head slightly.

            "Please! Ask the Morrigan! She knows me.  Please!" Harry's body jerked abruptly, and he clawed at the ground underneath him, desperate for anything to hold onto.  He never noticed his fingernails splitting, bending back as he tried to claw himself back towards the golden goddess.

            The woman stood slowly, a strange look settling over her face as she stared down at him. "I give you my word.  I will return this to you – to your world safe and sound." She reached out to touch Harry, but something seemed to block her. "Oh child…what Darkness surrounds you..."

            Harry opened his mouth to say something more to her, but the breath was knocked out of him as he was violently jerked into the Dark.

            Rhiannon's gaze rested on the spot where the child had disappeared.  She looked down at the album in her hands, a puzzled frown on her face.  She raised her head and closed her eyes, stretching out her mind into the Dark.  Morrigan.  She opened her eyes and waited. 

            The Dark parted as a winged figure swept in, coming to a delicate landing in front of the Goddess of Sorrow and Loss.  The figure blurred, feathers falling as a dark, wild-eyed woman took shape in front of her.

            "Rhiannon." The golden eyes regarded her carefully. "I would not have expected you to call for me."

            "A boy-child was here just now, crying in the Dark." Rhiannon watched as the Morrigan's eyes widened fractionally.  "He – was taken away by some evil I cannot name.  He left this here with me," she held out the album. "He said…that you would know how to get it back to his realm."

            The Morrigan took the album from her gently, cradling it in her hands.  She cocked her head at Rhiannon, the golden eyes wary.  "He was here." She looked back down at the book, a line forming between her brows. "Strange times are afoot, Rhiannon.  Strange times indeed."

            The golden haired goddess nodded and looked away. "The Dark is stirring, Morrigan.  Even I can feel that."

            "But will you do something about it, girl?" The war goddess' eyes were challenging.  Rhiannon opened her mouth to retort, but paused.  She let her gaze settle on the book the other woman was holding.

            "What can I do?" She looked back up into the Morrigan's eyes, taking a deep breath.

            A pleased smile creased the dark woman's face. "It's time we woke up.  You know where your father and his court are sleeping.  It is time to find them and bring them to arms."

            Rhiannon frowned slightly. "My family has mostly faded, Morrigan.  If any of them sleep here, I do not know of it."

            "They're here." A new voice made both women turn.  A light began to form out of the Dark, illuminating them, banishing the shadows.  Rosmerta raised an eyebrow at the Morrigan, coming to a stop a few feet away from both women, folding her arms over her chest defensively.  "We're all here, I think.  Even those who faded years ago."

            "Rosmerta." The Morrigan inclined her head slightly. "You changed your mind, I see."

            The copper haired woman narrowed her eyes at the war goddess. "After you left I found a seedling.  New life, Morrigan.  New life.  I heard my name whispered in the Dark, and it sounded like children." Rosmerta shook her head slightly, her eyes shining. "I can feel them again, I can feel all of it."

            A glint entered the Morrigan's eyes. "Then it's beginning." She looked down at the book in her hands, her eyes clouding slightly. "It's beginning."

qpqpqpqp

            "Harry?" Draco poked his head around the door to the dark haired boy's room.  "You in here?"

            "The child is not here." Draco froze immediately.  He opened the door wider, pushing it until it revealed a wild eyed woman sitting in front of the fireplace holding Harry's photo album in her lap.

            "Who're you?" Draco whipped out his wand, his heart racing, pointing it at her carefully.

            The woman chuckled and rose, gently setting down the album on the chair before stalking towards the blond.  Draco couldn't seem to move, his feet were frozen to the ground and his limbs became unresponsive. "I am the violence that rests in all men's souls.  I am the madness that overtakes you in the battlefield." She stopped inches away from Draco, her golden eyes glowing in the semi-darkness, ignoring the tip of the wand digging into her breastbone. "I am the name the dying call out to when all light is lost." She tilted her head to the side, studying the blond carefully. "I am the Morrigan."

            "You – you…where's Harry?  What have you done to him?" Draco took a deep breath and tightened his hold on his wand, fury beginning to wash away his fear.

            "I've not done a thing to my dream child." Draco blinked at the woman, his eyes widening. "He was taken from us, into the Dark."

            "He…what?  He's…in the Otherworld?" Draco shook his head faintly. "That's not possible."

            The Morrigan threw back her head and laughed. "If it is impossible, then how is it I am standing here in front of now?" Draco flushed hotly, his eyes narrowing at the woman. "Don't be vexed, child.  You'll see him again." She turned and walked back to the fireplace, her form unraveling swiftly.

            "How can I trust you?" Draco darted after her, trying to catch her shoulder.  His hand closed on a feather instead and he was left staring down into the flames of the fire, alone.  His hand curled around the feather, his heart beginning to race as he looked around the room.  Harry.  He shook his head slightly and took off from the room, tearing towards Severus' office. 

qpqpqpqp

            "Dammit all to HELL!" Harry spat out a mouthful of blood and blearily stared up at his surroundings.  Well, at least it isn't Voldemort's mind, he grimaced as he sat up, his muscles protesting loudly.  A light flared in the darkness, causing Harry to wince.

            "Mind your language, boy, or you'll find that tongue cut right out of your head." Harry's eyes widened as a very large man stepped out of the shadows. 

            "I – oh Merlin," Harry gulped and snapped his mouth shut quickly. 

            The man was easily over seven feet tall, towering over Harry's prone body.  His hair was a coarse, thick brown color, while his bushy beard was black.  His eyes were set deep into his face, making it impossible to see what color his eyes were.  Harry shivered as the man lumbered forward, scuttling away as fast as his sore muscles would allow him to.

            "That's right, little brat.  Scurry off to your precious holding, leaving me and mine here in the dark." The man stomped his way towards Harry, whose blood ran cold at the sight of a large club in his hands.

            "I – I don't have a holding." Harry looked around wildly, noting that for once he managed to land on a Path.  "I don't know what you're talking about, really." He pushed himself to his feet, swaying unsteadily.  He held his hands out, showing he was unarmed. "Look, I'm sure this is all a mistake…"

            "Be gone you Sidhe princeling!" The man swung the club out at Harry, who barely threw himself backwards in time.

            "I'm not a Sidhe! I'm just Ha – a mortal!  I swear!" Harry scrambled away from the giant, adrenaline flooding his system, banishing the pain.  He dove for safety once more, rolling in time to avoid the club that would have splattered his brains all over the ground.

            "Liar!  The mortals have vanished!  We live in darkness, because of you!" The giant roared, taking a two handed grip on the club and bringing it down with all his might.

            "Help!  Someone please help me!" Harry scrambled away frantically, dodging the club once again.  Thank Merlin he's slow, Harry panted as he wormed away on his belly, abandoning a section of his robe in his haste.  "Help!  Please!"

            The giant roared as he pulled at his club, which was embedded in the earth.  With a mighty wrench he pulled it free, turning towards Harry who had finally made it to his feet once again and was trying to run away.

            Harry didn't look back as he fled down the Path.  It was strangely brighter for some reason the further he ran, so he forged on even when his lungs burned white hot with the need for air.  He didn't dare look back – he could hear the roars of the irritated giant behind him; it didn't sound like he was going to give up any time soon.

            Harry skidded to a stop at a crossroads, his eyes growing large.  There was a signpost.  He limped up to it, eyeing the carefully carved words.  Gaelic again, Harry resisted the urge to slam his head into the pole.  I swear when I get out of this…nightmare…I'm learning that damn language no matter what.  He looked around quickly, conscious of his swiftly approaching attacker.  Which way do I go?  His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to decide.  Which way do I go? 

            Finally he picked the brightest lit path and took off down it, pushing himself to run as fast as he could.  Please lead me somewhere where people can help me…or to a place where I can slip back into my own world.  Please, please, please.  He was tiring quickly and didn't know how much more energy he had left for running.

            Harry was so intent on putting one foot in front of the other that he never noticed that he had finally broken out of the Dark and was now in a strange forest.  It finally did come to his attention, however, when he tripped on a root and ended up sprawling face first into the leaves.

            He rolled over quickly, spitting out dirt and fresh blood from a split lip.  He pushed up his glasses, ignoring the smear of mud and blood on the lens as he froze, listening intently.  Faintly he could make out the sounds of the giant in the distance, his roars more agitated than ever.

            Think, Harry, think.  He closed his eyes briefly and tried to calm his spinning thoughts.  You obviously can't out run him…so how about going on the offensive?  He chewed on his lip, thinking quickly.

            He hauled himself to his feet, limping off into the forest, looking for a hiding spot.  There was nothing.  He growled in frustration, looking up at the trees.  He eyed one oak, judging the distance from the ground to the first limb.  I can jump that.  He squared his shoulders and took a small running start before planting a foot against the trunk and reaching for the branch above his head.  He caught onto it – barely.  Yes!

            Harry quickly swung up into the tree, scurrying to hide himself in the thick upper branches.  Once he thought he was high enough he froze, huddling against the trunk of the tree, praying that the giant hadn't seen his desperate scramble up the branches.

            He didn't hear anything, which for a moment made him smile.  Then the expression dimmed as confusion set in…why can't I hear him?  He was right behind me, roaring for all he was worth…Harry leaned forward slightly, peering through the branches.  He blanched and grabbed for the trunk, slapping one hand over his mouth to stifle his heavy breathing.

            The giant was right below him, standing stock still, its massive head cocked to one side.  "I know you're here little boy…I can smell you." Harry closed his eyes, kicking himself.  "Come out come out wherever you are."

            The giant took a few steps away from the tree, turning in a small circle.  "I'm going to rip the flesh from your bones and feed it to my pigs I am." Harry's stomach turned over at the vivid mental image that arose.  "Where are you?" The giant roared, swinging his club in a circle to impact the tree that Harry was hiding in.  The braches swayed wildly, unbalancing Harry, who slipped from his perch and fell.

            He landed in a daze at the foot of the tree, his leg twisted to one side painfully.  He stared up at the giant, who immediately turned and grinned at him, displaying a mouthful of rotted, black teeth. "There you are." The giant leaned forward, one meaty hand grasping Harry by his hair and pulling him forward.

            "Bres!" Harry was dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes as the giant whirled around to face the owner of the new voice.

            "Fionn mac Cumhail." The giant gripped his club with both hands, raising it in front of him challengingly. "Go back to your bitches, little boy.  This meat here is mine by right of hunt."

            The fair-haired youth stepped out of the shadow of a tree, a smile on his face. "But you have no rights to hunt in the woods of my mothers, Bres.  Be gone, or else I shall be forced to fight you…again.  And I'll win…again.  But I do not think you'll be saved this time by claiming the sorrow of your wife as a motivation for us not to kill you." The youth tilted his head to one side. "After all, she's gone and you're here alone."

            The giant growled, spitting at the youth in front of him.  "The mortal is mine!" With a roar the giant lifted up his club and charged the man.

            Harry squinted at the pair, barely making out the young man dodging the slow moving club while withdrawing a hopelessly small short sword in preparation to fight the giant.  He fumbled for his wand, his mind cloudy and jumbled.  His clumsy fingers finally found it, and he pointed a trembling hand at the massive bulk of the giant.

            "Stupify." The spell hit the giant's back like a ton of bricks.  The creature grunted, freezing in midair, its club slipping from its hands and colliding with his head, knocking the giant to the ground. 

            The youth slowly rose from his defensive crouch, blinking owlishly at Harry. He prodded the giant with the tip of his sword, shrugging slightly when the massive body only twitched slightly and went still.

            "Good kill, young lad.  Well done." Harry looked over at the youth, trying once to focus on him before letting his body slump to the ground.  Blackness over took him.

            Fionn mac Cumhail paced over to where the body of the boy had been laying.  Only an imprint in the grass remained of his presence.  How odd, the leader of the legendary Fianna tilted his head to one side as he studied the ground.  I wake from sleep for the first time in centuries to the cries of a boy – a mortal boy.  A mortal wizard boy, how very strange indeed. 

            The fair haired youth crouched down next to the bent grass, his eyes narrowing as his mind raced.  Strange things are afoot.  But what?  And why?  He rose from his crouch and shook his head, sleep beginning to tug at his mind yet again.  No!  He shook his head blearily as his thoughts began to slow.   I do not wish to return to my sleep.  He clenched his teeth and tried to fight the enchantment off, pushing at it with every meager scrap of magic he possessed.

            His body slowly sank to the ground, his head becoming pillowed on his cloak as a fine mist wove its way through the forest.  He struggled to keep his eyes open for a long moment before finally succumbing to the magic sending him back to sleep.  But not for long.  He frowned as his thoughts grew dim and distant.  Not for long.

qpqp

            "Harry!"

            "Potter where are you!  Answer me this minute!"

            "HARRY!"

            The Forbidden Forest was eerily silent as Severus and Sirius walked through it.  Draco's mad dash to the Potions Master's office had alerted the House that something was most definitely not right with The-Boy-Who-Lived.  It had taken the House little time to figure out Harry was missing.  By the time Severus had made his way to the Harry's room to investigate Draco's claim the House had already paired off into groups and had a map of the school laid out on one of the large tables, with Pansy assigning areas for people to search.  Severus had been proud of his children, but far too worried about what the dratted boy had done to himself this time to comment on it.

            A search of the castle turned up empty handed and that was when Severus had begun to worry.  Sirius had turned into Padfoot to better help the searchers, frantically running from corridor to corridor, following the scent of Harry from classroom to classroom, but never to where he was.  Sirius had been a wreck when they had been unable to find the boy in the castle.

            Now the Potions Master, Sirus, Remus, Hagrid and McGonagall were out in the Forest searching.  They had tried to keep the fact that Harry was missing as quiet as possible from the students, but there were already rumors flying about the castle halls.

            "Where is he, Severus?" The Potions Master tried, he really did, but the animagus' constant stream of chatter was driving him mad.

            "Shut up you blathering idiot.  If you had been paying attention to your bloody godson, perhaps this wouldn't have happened." Severus could feel himself developing ulcers.

            "I do too pay attention to Harry!" Sirius stalked up to Severus, getting into his face.  "Just because you're too incompetent to keep an eye on your students…"

            "Shh…s'pigs.  An' no…giant.  Big…grrrr…" The men froze at the sound of Harry's voice.  They turned as one, crashing through the brush towards the source of the slurred words.  Sirius let out a cry at the sight of his godson, falling to his knees by his side, reaching for him.

            "Don't you dare move him, Black!" Severus pushed the distraught animagus away, focusing on conjuring a stretcher for the boy and levitating the body onto it.  He refused to let himself acknowledge the boy's bloody face, or the way his right leg twisted out at an unnatural angle. 

            "Harry," Sirius reached for his godson again, only to get his hands slapped away.

            "Black!" Severus barked at the man, irritated beyond belief. "Get back you fool.  The boy needs to see Madam Pomfrey immediately!"

            The animagus nodded quickly, tears still trickling down his face, causing Severus to sneer at him.  The Potions Master turned back to the boy and levitated the stretcher up, guiding it quickly out of the Forest and back towards the castle.  What have you gotten yourself into this time, Potter?

qpqp

            Madam Pomfrey let out a cry when she caught sight of Harry, quickly ushering them into a privet room in the back of the Ward.  "Oh the poor lamb," she tutted, quickly stripping Harry of his clothes and casting several charms over his body.  She frowned as she scanned him for injuries, sighing as she covered him with a sheet.  "Oh Mister Potter, what are we to do with you?"

            "Poppy?  Is he okay?  What's wrong?  What happened?  Where was he?" Sirius was hopping from foot to foot, his eyes wild as he looked from the Head Nurse to his godson and back again.

            "Out.  Right now, Sirius Black.  Out." The Head Nurse's tone booked no argument, but Sirius tried his best.

            "He's my godson, Poppy!  I have to stay!  He needs me, Poppy, please…" The Head Nurse's glare remained firm against his pleading gaze.  Sirius tried a different approach.  "I am not leaving!  I refuse!"

            It wasn't until Sirius ended up outside the Ward, shaking off the ropes that Poppy had bound him with that Sirius admitted that trying to push past the Head Nurse was probably not one of his better ideas.

            "Sirius?" Remus and Draco appeared at his side, out of breath.  "Is he alright?  What happened?"

            "How the hell should I know?  The Dragon Lady won't let me see him." The animagus sulked, rubbing his wrists as he got to his feet, casting a glare that could peel paint towards the doors of the Ward.

            "Gentlemen," the Headmaster's voice made them turn.  Albus was in his nightclothes, sans cap, standing behind them in the Hallway.  "Come with me please." They all exchanged glances and shrugged, obediently following the older wizard as he led them to his office.

            Once inside, Albus offered them tea – which Draco accepted but Remus and Sirius refused.  The Headmaster settled himself down behind his desk, a worried frown on his face. "Mr. Malfoy, Severus has told me that you met someone this evening.  The Morrigan, am I correct?"

            Draco nodded hesitantly, toying with the handle of his teacup. "Yes.  She was in Harry's room, holding a photo album on her lap.  She…was rather intimidating." The blond reluctantly admitted, chewing on the inside of his lip as he looked over at the Headmaster.

            Albus' eyes sharpened. "I would expect she would be, considering who she is." The Headmaster sighed and shook his head. "The reason I've brought you here is because tonight the Wards that surround the school were…shifted, you could say.  Moved aside, parted, but by what, I do not know."

            "Which Wards, Albus?" Remus leaned forward in his seat, placing his elbows on his knees.

            "The foundation Wards, the ones set up and put into place by the people who built the school." Albus shook his head slightly. "There has never been an incident like this in all of Hogwart's history – and I am worried as to what it may mean."

            "The Founder's Wards were broken?" Sirius' tone was awed and his eyes were bright with momentary admiration. "I thought that was impossible."

            A faint hint of amusement passed across the Headmaster's face. "It is.  But it wasn't the Founder's Wards that were tampered with." Albus spread his hands out in front of him, studying them intently. "While the four founders did quite a bit in helping to construct Hogwarts, they alone did not build the school.  They employed many people, from all different magical backgrounds, to come and construct different parts of the castle.  These builders wove their own magics into the very stones of the building…which is how we get our moving staircases, our disappearing rooms and other small oddities that pop up here and there." Albus winked at the two adults, who both looked back at him innocently.

            "So…this means what, exactly?" Draco politely placed his tea to the side, gracefully hiding a shudder at the taste.  "Maybe the magic just needs an extra boost of power or perhaps it needs to be cast again?"

            The old wizard nodded sagely. "Perhaps, Mr. Malfoy, that is the case.  But we have lost the skills that the builders had, and I doubt we can find people to duplicate them." Albus sighed. "This tampering worries me, however, not because I think that the magic is fading, but rather that the magic is getting stronger."

            "What?"
            Albus smiled at the chorus of voices. "We didn't experience a loss of magic in the dungeons this evening, gentlemen.  Rather, there were two surges of power – very large ones at that – which occurred.  What worries me more, however," the twinkle went out of Albus' eyes, "is not that it has happened just tonight, but that it has been happening all week."
            "And why didn't you see this earlier?" Draco ignored the stares he got from Remus and Sirius, leaning forward in his seat to glare at the old wizard.

            The Headmaster smiled wryly at the blond. "Because I was not looking for it, Mr. Malfoy.  The records of the castle's magical balance is not something I go over every night, unfortunately." Albus rubbed his forehead tiredly. "It is something that I shall endeavor to do more often."

            "So the magic is getting stronger…how does this affect Harry?" Draco's gaze was sharp as he studied the Headmaster, noting the tired lines but not caring.  His priority was lying in the Hospital Wing at the moment – and he was going to be damned if the old man kept him from anything important regarding Harry.

            "As far as I can determine, the people who crafted the Slytherin dorms and dungeon were hand picked by Salazar Slytherin himself; people he knew or knew by reputation from Ireland." Albus handed over several sheets of paper containing lists of names. "These are the oldest records I have of students from Slytherin House.  They are all purebloods and they are all from Ireland."

            Draco frowned as he read over the lists. "I don't recognize any of these names." The blond tilted his head to one side, running a finger down the list. "And I don't see my family name on there anywhere.  We should be here." He looked up to meet the Headmaster's gaze.

            The old wizard nodded, a small smile on his face. "Correct, Mr. Malfoy, your family doesn't appear on the Slytherin lists until the sixteen hundreds.  As for the rest of the families on these lists," the smiled dimmed, "I'm afraid most of these families were wiped out during the dark years of the witch hunts."

            "But…" Draco shook his head slightly, "that doesn't make any sense.  We were taught in History of Magic that most witches and wizards were able to avoid the fires…"

            "Yes, but these families weren't burnt at the stake.  Unfortunately, most of those who were burned at the stake were innocent Christian muggles who would not break under torture to confess their sins." Albus' eyes were shadowed. "No, the families on these lists were mostly killed by their neighbors who had converted to Christianity and did not approve of those who refused to give up their pagan traditions."

            "That's horrible!"

            "There are only a few families left of those who used to attend Hogwarts.  The McVir family was one of them.  The O'Connals, the Sambrings and the Morningstars.  The McVir family was the last to stay in Ireland, the rest have fled to America." Albus leaned back in his chair, his expression grave. "I am going to write to these families and ask for their help, or at least for any information they may have.  Meanwhile, what I need from you gentlemen is to try and strengthen the barriers on your own."

            Albus leaned forward now, resting his arms on his desk. "Remus, I need you to use every trick you know to Ward the dungeons – all of them, do you understand?"

            The werewolf shifted uncomfortably but nodded, wiping his clammy palms on his robes.

            The Headmaster's gaze went to Sirius. "Sirius, you know several…individuals that have some rather special gifts.  I need you to contact them and ask them to come and join the Order.  If we cannot rely on the Wards to keep our students in the castle then perhaps we can rely on physical watchers instead."

            "That will be difficult, Albus.  Most of the people I know…" Sirius shrugged helplessly. "They don't like authority figures nor do they want anything to do with this war.  And for that matter most of them are exiles from the wizarding world!  None of them would come willingly to a place where they might be trapped and sent to prison." The animagus' face clouded slightly as he looked at the older wizard; just talking about Azkaban still made the ex-convict want to shudder.

            "Tell them their exile will end if they come and help." Albus' tone was firm. "We need all the help we can get." Sirius leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep breath.  It'll never work…but I'll try.  He glanced down at his hands, his mind turning over several names.  They'll never come here – but maybe I can get them to help in a different way.

            "Now Mr. Malfoy," the Headmaster turned to the blond, who raised an elegant eyebrow at him. "What I need from your House is a careful examination of all sections of the dorms.  You and your Housemates will assist Remus in Warding the dungeons as well."

            Draco nodded swiftly, his mind already turning over the layout of the dungeon, making lists.  He paused and glanced up at the Headmaster, a small smile twisting across his face. "It will take many hours for us all to accomplish this task." Draco's chin jutted out slightly as he eyed the older wizard. "You'll of course take care of any…problems that occur with our grades during this, won't you?"

            Sirius and Remus gaped at the young wizard, but Albus merely looked at him evenly. "I will consider it, Mr. Malfoy."

            "It would be…beneficial for all parties." Draco blinked lazily at Albus, a small smile on his face.  The Headmaster finally nodded fractionally at the blond, causing his smile to widen. "We will get right on it then, Headmaster Dumbledore."

            "Good." Albus eyed the blond silently for a moment before turning back to the other men.  "Thank you gentlemen. Now if you'll excuse me, I have letters to write." Dumbledore rose and escorted them to the door, seeing them out before they could protest.

            Draco snorted and ran a hand through his hair, the adrenaline finally washing out of his system.  He pulled out his wand and checked the time – it was barely ten in the evening.  Somehow it feels ages later.  Draco closed his eyes and rotated his neck, feeling the tense muscles stretch and complain.  Harry. 

            The blond opened his eyes and looked over at the two adults.  Sirius and Remus were whispering fiercely to one another, neither paying attention to where they were. "Gentlemen," Draco paused, watching the two men continuing to argue. "Hey!" The blond finally got their attention. "This is no place to be discussing such…matters.  C'mon, let's go see if Pomfrey will let us in yet." The adults exchanged a glance, but followed Draco from the hall.

qpqp

            Hermione shifted from one foot to the other as she eyed the closed doors of the Hospital Wing.  Should I go in? She jiggled impatiently, her thoughts flying.

            "Granger." She froze at the sound of Malfoy's voice. 

            Hermione turned slowly, pressing her lips together firmly in an effort to keep her temper in check. "Malfoy." The pair regarded each other silently for a long moment.  Hermione let her gaze flick past the blond and settle on Remus and Sirius, both of whom were staring at her with carefully neutral expressions.

            "Is he alright?" Hermione fidgeted with her hands, not quite sure what to do with them.    She finally settled with burying them in her robes.

            "Is who alright?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her, crossing his arms across his chest nonchalantly.  His ruse would have worked if he weren't staring past her at the door every other second.

            "Harry who the hell do you think I'm asking about?" Hermione spat at the blond.  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Look – I'm sorry…"
            "How did you know Harry was gone?" Sirius stepped forward, staring at her intently.

            "I –," Hermione's eyes flew open and she shrugged. "When hasn't it been that when the teachers get sent out Harry's had something to do with it?"

            "Granger…" Draco pushed forward, anger crossing his face.

            "Gentlemen!" Poppy appeared in the doorway to the Ward, a scowl on her face.  "Ms. Granger. You will stop this at once or I will not allow you to come in." The Head Nurse glowered at the group standing before her, watching them shift and settle until they were quiet. "Much better.  You may see him now." She stood aside for them to pass.            Draco, Sirius and Remus pushed past Hermione without a thought, leaving the fifth year gaping at the men.  She frowned and set her shoulders, slipping past Poppy before she could stop the young witch.  I'm going to see for myself how Harry is.  Hermione trotted along behind the men, her presence as yet unnoticed by them.

            They made their way to the back of the Ward to a hallway Hermione had never seen before.  It veered off sharply from the wall, the entrance almost invisible from the main doors of the Ward.  The hallway was quiet and still, the wall painted a flat white with lighting scones beside every other door.  They stopped at the fourth door down, pushing it open carefully and slipping inside.

            Oh Harry, Hermione's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes growing big as she looked down at the small body on the bed.  What in the world happened to you?

            "Harry?" Draco sat on the edge of the bed, carefully picking up one of the slim hands. "Harry?"
            The dark haired boy was a mess.  Faint bruises still stained his skin and dark smudges were prominent under his eyelids.  He was pale – dreadfully pale, and his breathing was rapid and shallow.

            "Mr. Potter has had quite a night." Poppy's voice made them all jump.  The Head Nurse crossed the room to Harry's side, soothing away a strand of hair on his forehead. "He had several broken bones – from what I'm not sure.  He was scraped and bruised in a variety of places – mostly on his hands and face.  The wounds he had acquired on his palms leads me to believe that he was dragged along the ground at one point.  And here," the mediwitch leaned down and picked up Harry's free hand, turning it over so they could see his nails. "I had to re-grow two nails on his left hand.  They were ripped off, as though he had been drug somewhere and he was trying to claw himself away."

            Hermione blanched and turned her back on the battered body.  Her stomach was roiling, bile stinging the back of her throat. How can he…what happened…how…why?

            "Can't stomach the truth Granger?" Draco's tone was mocking. "Can't stand to see what he's been going through when you and your precious Gryffindor cronies have sat safe and secure in the lofty noble tower?  How's it make you feel, eh?  Do you feel proud?  Do you feel –,"

            "Mr. Malfoy, another word and I'll have you thrown out." Poppy's hand was warm on Hermione's shoulder. "Your bickering and shouting does nothing for Harry's condition – if you want to argue, then go outside.  I'll not have you upsetting the poor lamb anymore than he already is."

            Draco snapped his mouth shut and glared at Hermione, the muscle in his jaw working rapidly.  He finally turned his gaze away from her and back to Harry, the anger slowly leaking out of him.

            Hermione drew in a shaky breath, dashing away the few tears that she hadn't been able to stop from falling.  She gulped and slowly turned back around, her lips pressed tightly together, forcing herself to really look at Harry.

            He's so thin, she took a tiny step forward, but froze when Sirius audibly snarled at her.  It made her jump, but she stopped, eyeing the animagus warily once before returning her gaze to Harry.  The pale features highlighted the bruises on his face, while the puffy pink skin under two of his left fingernails made her shudder.  How do you do it?  She shook her head slightly, tears threatening once again.  You fight so hard and yet what have we done to help you? Oh Harry…A sob escaped her and she couldn't help the tears that splashed hotly down her face.  Oh Harry.  She fled – but the image of Harry and his wounds could not be erased from her mind.

            Draco sneered at the Gryffindor as she fled, typical.  He snorted and turned back to Harry, happy that the smaller boy hadn't woken up to see the girl in his room.  Alright Harry, she's gone now.  Wake up.  He frowned as he rubbed the chilled hand cradled in his own, I'm tired and I want to go to bed, so you better wake up soon, you prat.

            A few minutes after Madam Pomfrey left the room, Harry's nose wrinkled and he stirred slightly.  Sirius and Remus bounced over to the bedside, nearly pushing Draco out of the way in their haste.  The blond kicked Remus in the shins and glowered at him – causing the werewolf to smile slightly and back off.  Draco narrowed his eyes at the older man but turned back to Harry, sniffing disdainfully.  He missed Remus' sudden smile and muffled snort of laughter.

            "Nurrrg." Harry frowned and turned his head to the side, shifting restlessly. "Murphl."

            "That's right, Harry, wake up for us." Sirius had latched onto Harry's other hand, holding it tightly in his own shaking grip.  "Come on, Harry lad.  Come back to me." The animagus' blue eyes were riveted on the dark haired boy's face, never wavering for a second.

            "Nuuhh…s'bright." Harry pulled futilely at his hands but neither Sirius nor Draco would let go of him.  "Numph…" Harry's eyes opened blurrily.  "Nox." He frowned as the lights merely dimmed but did not go out.  He pulled at his hand again, blinking slowly. "Turn…off.  Too bright."

            "Shh, shh Harry.  I'll turn down the lights, alright?" Remus leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee.  "Just stay still, alright?" The dark head nodded slowly, screwing his eyes shut.  Remus quickly dimmed the lights further, creating a pleasant twilight in the room. "That better, Harry?"

            The dark haired boy opened his eyes cautiously, relaxing slightly at the cool darkness around them. "Much better." He smiled wanly up at the werewolf. "Thank you, Remus."

            "Harry." Draco drew the boy's gaze.  The blond was nearly vibrating with energy, all former fatigue forgotten.  "Hey scar head," Draco reached out and touched Harry's cheek gently. "We really have to stop meeting like this."

            Harry snorted gently and rolled his eyes at Draco, only making the blond smile a bit wider. "S'not my fault!" Harry retorted, narrowing his eyes at the blond playfully.

            "Of course it's not, Harry." Sirius glared briefly at Draco, petting the hand he was holding gently.  Harry looked over at the animagus, a strangely hesitant smile on his face. "None of this is your fault." Sirius blinked suspiciously wet eyes and cleared his throat slightly. 

            "Sirius…" Harry drew in a quick breath, his eyes becoming shadowed. "I – I'm –,"

            "Harry Potter if you're about to apologize I'll hex you myself." The dark haired boy blinked rapidly at his godfather, who was now fixing him with a stern look.  "None of this is your fault, how many times do I have to repeat it?" His missed the slight flinch that ran through Harry's frame. Sirius let go of Harry's hand and leaned forward, grasping his shoulders. "Harry, let go of the guilt for just five minutes, okay?  You're fine, you're back and that's all that we care about, alright?"

            Harry nodded quickly, pushing down the rush of emotions that were threatening to overtake him.  He swallowed repeatedly, wishing desperately for a cup of water.  A cup with a straw appeared in front of his face and he sent Draco a grateful glance.  The water hurt going down, forcing its way around the lump that had decided to lodge itself in his throat.  I'm not gonna cry.  I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna…

            "Harry," Remus stepped forward, breaking the sudden tension in the room.  He sent the werewolf a grateful look, which caused the older wizard to smile slightly at him. "I'm sure you're tired, but I'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened tonight." Remus conjured up a chair for himself and dragged it closer to the bed.

            Sirius whirled around to face the werewolf, furious. "Remus Lupin!  He's exhausted and bruised and for that matter he just woke up! Leave him alone!"

            "Siri, please…Sirius!" Harry managed to reach out and grab a hold of the animagus' sleeve, causing him to turn back around.  Harry looked up at him, his eyes large and pleading. "It's alright.  It's better I try and get everything out now before I forget it." The animagus seemed to war with himself, eyeing both Harry and Remus warily before finally nodding.

            "Alright – but just for a bit.  You need your sleep, Harry, don't try and deny it.  And Remus…" He frowned at the werewolf, who waved him off.

            "Yes, yes, Siri I know." Remus looked at Harry, his amber eyes almost glowing in the twilight. "Harry, I want you to try and tell us exactly what happened tonight, alright?  Leave nothing out."

            The dark haired boy nodded and opened his mouth – only to shut it immediately.  He shifted on the bed, dropping his eyes to the covers, not meeting anyone's gaze.

            "Harry," Sirius noticed the boy's sudden discomfort. "We're not going to be mad at you.  It's not your fault they drug you into the Otherworld, okay?"

            Harry nodded silently but still refused to look up into the older man's face.  "I…" He traced a pattern on the sheets, a line appearing between his eyebrows. "I…" He took a deep breath and Remus noticed a change in his expression.  The green eyes hardened and the shadows turned deeper as the lines around his mouth became more pronounced. "I…was looking through the photo album that Hagrid gave me.  I was sitting on the floor in my room, in front of the fire.  I – it was weird.  I never even noticed her arriving.  I mean, usually there's a wind or something, but she just appeared…"

            "Who, Harry." Remus patted Harry's leg gently, making sure it was his left.  "Who did you see?  Was it the Morrigan?"

            "No." Harry licked his lips and took another sip of water. "She said her name was Rhiannon." Remus and Sirius exchanged a look while Draco frowned and rubbed at his chin thoughtfully.

            "What'd she look like?" The blond leaned forward, resting his arms on the bed.

            "Uh…" Harry frowned, blinking slowly. "She…was dressed in gold, and she smelled like roses.  Her hair was long, really long, and the color of wheat.  Her eyes were blue…I think." Draco nodded absently, taking in the information silently. "She asked me who I was.  I – didn't answer."

            "Why?" Sirius shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly.

            Harry glanced at him briefly. "The Morrigan told me not to give my true name to anyone I met." He looked back down at his blankets and cleared his throat. "Anyway, she saw the photo album and asked me who the pictures were of.  I – she was nice.  She sat with me for a while."

            "Then what happened?" Remus squeezed Harry's leg reassuringly, encouraging him to continue.

            "My – scar started to burn.  Really bad.  It was like something was physically pulling me away from her.  I…didn't want to lose my album so I gave it to her, and asked her to give it to the Morrigan in case she couldn't get it back to me." Harry looked up at Draco, his eyes sharp.  "Did she get it back?  Is it alright?"

            "It's fine, Harry.  The Morrigan returned it to your room." The blond rubbed Harry's hand gently, smiling slightly.

            Harry let out a breath and closed his eyes briefly. "Thank Merlin." He opened his eyes and looked at Remus. "After…that…the pain pulled me away into the Dark.  I don't know how long, I passed out." A faint blush spread across his cheeks. "When I came to I wasn't in Voldemort's mind…but on a Path.  There was a – a giant there and he wasn't too thrilled to see me." Harry shuddered.  "He was really angry and called me a Sidhe princeling.  He said…" he trailed off and cocked his head to the side. "It was weird – he thought that we – mortals – we gone and that they – the Sidhe I guess – had left him and his in the Dark." Harry shrugged and took another sip of water, licking his lips absently.

            "Did he have a name?"

            Harry looked up at Remus. "I'm getting there," he smiled at take the sting out of his words. "The giant – who I later found out was called Bres – he tried to brain me with this huge club of his…that hurts, Draco."

            The blond looked down sheepishly as he loosened his hold on Harry's hand.  The green-eyed boy smiled gently at him and squeezed the fingers twined with his before forging on.

            "I got away from the giant and ran along the Path until I came to a crossroads." Here Harry scowled darkly. "And I swear, I'm going to learn Gaelic, I am.  Anyway all the signs were in Gaelic, so I had no idea where I was.  So I picked the brightest Path and ran down that one with Bres hot on my trail."

            "You outran a giant?" Sirius' smile was proud. "That's my boy."

            Harry smiled wanly at the animagus. "He…was kinda slow and stupid, you know?  Anyhow, I ran, but it was really beginning to hurt.  So I stopped, but instead of being on a Path in the middle of the Dark, I was in this forest." Harry shook his head faintly. "I couldn't really go much further, so I picked a tree and climbed up it, hoping that the giant wouldn't find me."

            Harry took another sip of water and sighed, his aches and pains beginning to catch up with him.  "I hid, but the giant wasn't fooled.  He…he was freaking scary, you know?" Harry snorted and frowned. "He said he was going to feed me to his pigs, I mean, how gross can you get?"

            "Harry," there was a smile in Remus' tone.

            The dark haired boy waved the werewolf off. "Yeah, I know." He sighed. "I was up this tree and the giant knocked me out of it.  I landed really bad," Harry frowned and moved his right leg slightly. "I think I broke my leg, but I dunno."

            "You did." Sirius' hand hovered over the limb before coming to rest beside it. "We were worried."

            Harry grimaced. "Thought so.  Well, after I fell out of the tree the giant saw me and picked me up by the hair.  I thought I was in for it when this guy appeared."

            "A guy appeared?"

            Harry shrugged. "He was young, in his twenties it looked like.  He had dark hair and a tan, with dark eyes.  He knew the giant…called him Bres.  This Bres turned and dropped me, saying that I was his 'right of hunt'." Harry scowled and fidgeted slightly.

            "What was the young man's name?" Remus smiled at Harry's disgruntled expression.

            "Fionn mac Cumhail." Harry answered promptly.  "It was a weird name so it stuck in my head." He glanced at Draco and rolled his eyes. "And don't pout." The blond sputtered slightly and glared at Harry.

            "I'm not pouting."

            "You were about to."
            "I was not!"

            "Were to."
            "Was not."

            "Were too."
            "Boys!" Remus had a grin on his face as Sirius merely watched the byplay silently. "Enough.  Harry, lets get through the rest of this before you to start arguing."

            Harry wrinkled his nose slightly and nodded, blowing his bangs out of his eyes with a pent up sigh. "Um…let's see…yeah.  So, this guy challenges Bres the giant, telling him that he can't hunt in his mothers' woods.  Bres gets angry and charges the guy." Harry shook his head slightly, his eyes distant. "I – he didn't even look scared, you know?  He just pulled out this tiny sword and got ready to fight, as if fighting a giant was something he did everyday."

            "Harry, I hate to point this out to you, but who has fought nasty monsters every year without batting an eyelash?" Draco nudged the other boy, a small smile on his face.

            "Whatever," Harry snorted and rolled his eyes. "It's not the same thing.  Anyhow," he glared at Draco, cutting him off, "As I was saying, the giant attacked and I didn't want the guy to die, so I pulled out my wand and cast Stupify on the giant.  It worked." Harry shrugged slightly and leaned back further into his pillows.

            "Then what happened, Harry?" Remus' tone was gentle.

            "I – passed out I think.  Is my wand here?" Harry jerked forward only to be pushed back gently by Draco.

            "It's on the bedside table.  It's fine." The blond picked up Harry's wand and held it out for him to see.

            Harry relaxed slightly. "Good.  I was afraid I dropped it after I passed out." He suddenly let out a huge yawn, belatedly raising a hand to cover his mouth. "Sorry," he murmured, blushing.

            "I think that's our cue to leave, gentlemen." Remus stood slowly, pulling Sirius up by his elbow. "Harry, I'm glad to see you awake.  We'll talk more tomorrow, alright?" The dark haired boy nodded.  "Good." The werewolf smiled at him kindly and then turned a stern eye on Draco. "Come along, Draco.  You can see him tomorrow."

            Draco glared up challengingly at Remus, narrowing his eyes at the other man. "I think I'm going to stay right here, thank you very much."

            "Draco," Harry's fingers were cold from his glass of water.  The other boy finally drug himself away from his staring contest with the werewolf, meeting Harry's gaze. "I'll be fine," the smaller boy brushed his fingers down Draco's face.  "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?  Go get some sleep."
            "Are you saying I look tired?" The blond raised an eyebrow at Harry.

            The other boy smirked. "I'm saying you look like shite.  Go get some sleep."

            "I do not!"
            "Do too, now go to bed." Harry smiled at the blond, his eyes warm. Draco quailed under the look, finally standing up grumpily and glaring at Harry.

            "Fine, but I'll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast, alright?" Harry nodded happily, letting his hand slip away from the other boy to lay limply on top of the covers.

            Sirius stepped forward, sitting on the edge of the bed.  Harry looked up at him solemnly. "I'll be back tomorrow, alright kiddo?" The dark haired boy blinked a few times before nodding. "I promise, okay?" Sirius searched his godson's face, noticing the lines around his eyes and mouth. "Look, you don't feel well, so get some sleep, alright?" Harry nodded again, still silent.  "I love you, kiddo."

            "I love you too, Sirius." Harry let his eyes drop back to the coverlet as his godfather rose and left the room behind Remus.

            The door shutting behind the three wizards was loud in the quiet room.  Harry sniffed slightly, the lump in his throat back and bigger than ever.  Tears blurred his vision as he tried to set his cup on the side table.  He barely made it. 

            Quit your whining, he hiccupped and tried to wipe the tears away, but more took their place.  He began to shake, scooting down under the covers as best he could.  I'm so tired, he pulled the blankets up around his ears, hoping to hide his red eyes and nose.  I'm so bloody tired. 

            He curled up on his side, one arm wrapped around his middle as the other shielded his head.  He let his tears soak his pillow, stifling his sobs with the covers whenever they got too loud.  I'm just so, so tired. 

            He finally managed to cry himself to sleep.

qpqpqpqp

            "I found it!" Hermione burst into the nook where the Slytherins were gathered, only to find herself on the receiving end of a number of wands. "Hey!" She scowled at them.

            "Hermione Granger, what have we told you about bursting in to places?" Sasha stomped her foot and glared at the girl. "Don't do it.  Period.  Can you get that through your bloody thick skull?"

            "Whatever," Hermione ignored the older girl as she pushed forward, plopping down her book on the table.

            Draco looked down at the book and then back up at Hermione, a sneer on his face. "This is a fairy tale book, Granger."

            "Yes, yes I know that. But all myths have a little bit of truth in them, you know?" Hermione pushed her hair out of her face and flipped through the pages, coming to rest on a scene of a huge giant armed with a club. 

            Draco scowled at her but looked down at the page, his scowl fading as he turned the book to read the page. "This is…"

            "Bres, son of Elatha, and a Fomorian, a prince of the people who used to live in Ireland before the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann.  He's actually a half blood, part Fomorian and part Tuatha De Danann – his mother was Eriu.  He was once the king of the Tuatha De Danann but was a really horrible ruler, so they took the crown away from him.  They were going to kill him after he rallied what was left of the Fomorians into a war with the Tuatha De Danann, but he said that if he died his wife Brigit would mourn herself to death, so they let him live."

            "What did you do, memorize the bloody passage before you brought the book over to us?" Sasha snapped at the Gryffindor, tucking her hair behind her ears.

            "No, I didn't, thank you very much.  I'm just good at remembering what I've read, unlike some people –," Hermione clenched her hands into fists at her side.

            "Both of you shut up." Neville drug Hermione around the table to stand between him and Blaise. "Hermione, behave.  Sasha, shush.  No more sniping, you're giving me a headache." Everyone stared at the sandy haired boy for a moment. "What?"

            Draco chuckled slightly, shaking his head and returning to the book. "Okay, so we've found the giant.  How about Rhiannon and this Fionn mac Cumhail?"

            "Well, this book says Fionn mac Cumhail is the Scottish name for Finn mac Cumhail." Ginny flipped through a few pages in her book, a line forming between her eyebrows. "It says here that he was the leader of the Fianna, a legendary band of warriors."

            "Alright, that makes sense." Draco ran his hands through his hair, rubbing at his face tiredly.  He propped his head up with his hands, resting his elbows on the table.  "Now, Rhiannon?" There was a long moment of silence; Draco groaned. "Alright, back to the books then." He laid his head down on his arms for a moment, closing his eyes briefly.

            "Draco?" Ginny placed a hand on the blonde's arm, causing him to jerk his head up. "How's Harry?"

            Draco grimaced and shook his head. "He's been better.  Madam Pomfrey should be letting him out of the Ward tonight.  I know he'll be happier once he's back in the dorms." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

            The auburn haired witch nodded slowly and fidgeted in her seat. "Could I go with you to pick him up?"

            "Sure!" Draco smiled slightly at the girl. "I'm sure he'd like that."

            A relieved smile spread across Ginny's face as she turned back to the books in front of her.  She had been worried sick about the older boy and had desperately wanted to see him, but Sirius had not wanted her to go – he was afraid it would be too hard on her, and while Ginny thought Sirius was being a bit loony, she had agreed to his request to make him feel better. 

qpqp

            "Harry!" Ginny bounced over to the dark haired boy's side, a wide grin splitting her face.  She threw her arms around the boy, hugging him tight. "I missed you so much!"

            "Gin." Harry's arms closed around the witch carefully, cradling her close.  He blinked back sudden tears and swallowed thickly. "I missed you too.  How are you?"

            The girl pulled back and beamed up at him. "I'm much better now, thank you." She wormed her arm through Harry's and began to pull him towards the door. "Come on, let's get out of here before Madam Pomfrey catches us!"

            Harry laughed but let the younger girl pull him from the room, his eyes lightening when he saw Draco waiting for them outside of the doors. "Hey Draco."

            The blond smirked at him and strolled over to his side. "I see you made it out without the Dragon Lady catching either of you." He leaned down and kissed Harry quickly, causing the dark haired boy to blush and Ginny to snort good-naturedly.

            "The Dragon Lady?" Harry fought down his blush and cleared his throat, pacing alongside the two other Slytherins as they made their way to the dorms. 

            Draco's smile turn wry, "A new nickname for Madam Pomfrey, courtesy of your godfather.  She was quite…forceful with him the other night when he wanted to stay with you."

            "He did?" Harry perked up considerably. "Huh.  Well, she is a bit tenacious when she wants to be." He shrugged slightly, but couldn't help a delighted grin spreading across his face.  See you idiotic prat, Sirius cares.  You should never, ever doubt him again.  He squeezed Ginny's arm slightly, turning bright eyes to her. "How has Sirius been these past few days?"

            Ginny grinned up at the boy. "Oh just lovely.  When he's not plotting he's threatening.  When he's not threatening he's reading, Merlin help us.  And when he's not reading…I'd rather not think about it because it has something to do with Remus that I'm quite sure I'm not supposed to know anything about yet."

            Harry barked out a laugh, his free hand pressed against his side. "Oh dear," he chuckled, "poor Remus."

            "Poor Remus?  Poor me! You're not the one who walked in on something that I'm sure is supposed to be scarring to my young impressionable mind." Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes.

            Harry stopped in the middle of the corridor, turning to face her with wide eyes. "You didn't."
            She smirked. "Oh I did.  They never even knew I was there…thankfully." She blinked a few times before shaking her head.  A wicked smile suddenly crossed her face. "Of course, should we ever get into trouble…" she winked at Harry and started to walk again, pulling the older boy along.

            Draco frowned at the two of them before something finally clicked. "Black and Lupin? You saw them…together?" The blond paled and a look of horror crossed his face. "Great Merlin, how did you manage to escape without being blinded?"

            "Hey!" Harry was giggling now, much to his disgust.  "Quit it, both of you.  No more talk about them…either of them.  They're like parents…or teachers.  They don't have sex.  They're not allowed to have sex, at least in my world, alright?  It simply isn't done."

            Ginny snorted. "Your world sounds bloody boring then."

            "Ginny!"

qpqpqpqp

            "Are you sure this is going to work?"

            "Of course I am you twit."

            "Don't call Ernie a twit!"

            "Shut up, all of you!" Michael Corner planted his hands on his hips and glared at the small group of children in front of him. "Merlin only knows how I'm supposed to do all that the Lord has asked us to do with such incompetent help, so listen up.  I make the rules and you follow them, understood?  The Lord has entrusted me to take up the mantle of leadership after Lavender failed in her devotion to the Lord and I'm not about to fail him, got it?"

            There were quick nods from all the people in room, all of them looking down contritely.  Michael snorted and folded his arms across his chest.  "Good.  Now, the Lord has instructed me that Potter is to be placed in a certain clearing in the Forbidden Forest on the night of the new moon before the first of May." He paced in front of the gathered students, his robes swirling around him as he turned.

            "Now, the new moon lands on April twenty ninth, which is just over a month away.  We need to come up with plans – many plans as how to get Potter out of his dorms and away from his friends so we might be able to get our hands on him.  Any suggestions?"

            Michael scowled in the deep silence that answered him. "Come on, now." He stopped in front of a sixth year Hufflepuff student.  "What's your idea?"

            "I –," the girl looked up at him dazedly, her hazel eyes wide.  "Maybe…uh…we could sent him a note and make him think it was from a teacher?"

            She cringed away as Michael sneered at her. "Oh yes, a note from a teacher, how simple.  Aren't we forgetting something, though?" He tapped his foot impatiently as the girl mutely shrugged and shrank back in her seat. "Hello, all the teacher's notes are on specific paper and are charmed against forgery!  Think people, think!" The frustrated boy ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up every which way.

            "Look…I need ideas, and I expect you all to come up with at least one plausible way to get the bloody Boy-Who-Lived out of the castle by next week.  The clock is ticking…and if you think what happened to Lavender was bad, just wait until you are called up before the Lord with a list of your failures presented to him, courtesy of me." Michael glared one last time at the people in front of him before pointing at the door. "Now get out of my sight."

            There was a definite scramble for the doors, with only two people hanging back.  Cho Chang looked up at Michael, her eyes wide and frightened.  Next to her sat Roger Davies with a smug smile on his face.

            "Cho," Michael turned to the sixth year, shaking his head sadly. "I'm disappointed in you."

            "You – you – Death Eater." Cho shook slightly in her seat, her dark eyes snapping furiously.  "How could you?"

            "How could I not?  The Dark Lord is bound to win…it is the only logical answer.  How can a sickly fifteen year old boy defeat him and his armies?  It's impossible." Michael shrugged slightly, tilting his head to one side. "Don't you see?"

            "No, I don't." A tear slipped down the girls face as she stared up at Michael. "You were just using me, weren't you?"

            Michael's smile turned smug. "Of course."

            Cho blanched and turned her head away, fresh tears spilling down her face. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Her question was soft, but audible.

            Michael sighed and made a face at Roger, who stuffed a hand in his mouth to hide his snicker. "No, we're not actually." Cho tensed, whipping her head around to stare at the fifth year, who smiled at her. "You may have wanted us to kill you before this is over, but you're not going to die just yet."

            Tears glittered on the girl's eyelashes. "What do you mean?" She shifted uneasily, eyeing the boys suspiciously.

            Roger grinned maliciously and leaned into Cho, making her shrink back. "You're going to be our next present to Potter, Cho.  Enjoy."

            The girl stared at the boy's face for a moment, fear making her mind go blank.  Then she burst into motion, fear and adrenaline giving her a boost of speed and power. 

            She decked Roger, clipping him neatly on the jaw and sending him sprawling.  In the back of her mind she could hear her father whispering at her, showing her at age eight how to punch someone correctly.  It was her and her father's little secret – one the reserved man had been proud to teach his only daughter.  Papa, Cho kicked out at Michael, making the fifth year stumble back, grabbing his thigh as his face contorted with pain.  Papa. 

            She pushed herself up off the bench she was sitting on and ran for the door – hitting the ground with a thud as Roger grabbed her ankle.  She began kicking him with both feet, scrambling for her wand. "Petrificus!" Roger's grip turned rigid and Cho cursed. "Finite Incantatum!" The prone boy snarled at her and punched her in the calf, making her gasp.

            "Conligo!" Ropes snaked around Cho's body, pinning her arms to her sides.  She twisted frantically, but they had no give.  She took a deep breath and tried to scream. "Silencio!" Michael stalked up to her and slapped her across the face.  Blood flew from the corner of her mouth as her bottom lip ripped open on her teeth. "You horrid little bitch." The boy slapped her again as tears leaked down her face.  She could only stare up at him silently, her hate almost palpable.

            "Get up." Michael stood and looked at Roger, who was sitting on the ground, nursing his jaw.

            "The bitch hit me! I'm not touching her."
            "Get up or I'll have them take both of you instead of just her." Michael was almost trembling with rage.  He could see his carefully laid plans falling apart in front of him and it was driving him mad.

            Roger scrambled to his feet, eyeing the other boy warily. "Calm down, Corner.  We're on the same side, remember."

            The fifth year's shoulders hunched as he glared at the other boy. "Yes," he hissed, "I know that.  But we only have a small window of time to get her out of here.  Now hurry up."

            Together the boys picked up the girl and stood her on her feet.  Michael took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pushing away the tiny voice inside his head screaming at him that this was the wrong thing to do.  He pointed his wand at Cho and cleared his throat. "Imperio." Her eyes widened briefly before dulling.  Her arms went slack and her head lolled to one side. 

            Sensations roared through Michael.  He'd never cast Imperio on a human before…the feelings that were transferred over were much more intense, confusing.  He could feel Cho's fear and pain, her terror and despair.  He had to put a hand on the wall to steady himself – the rush was incredible.  His wand wavered slightly as he pointed it again at the girl. "Abrogo conligo."

            The ropes surrounding Cho disappeared and the girl swayed dangerously.  Roger steadied her with a bruising grip on her upper arm, sneering at her nastily.  Michael blinked slowly, the power rushing through him making his thoughts slightly muddled and slow. "C'mon.  We…gotta get her to the door.  She'll walk the rest of the way on her own."

            Roger nodded curtly and began to steer the girl out of the door, waiting impatiently for Michael to catch up to them. "Why don't we use this on Potter again?" Roger spat softly at Michael, keeping an eye out for any passing teachers.

            "Because the boy is too good at combating it.  Besides, his Slytherin cronies would be able to spot the spell immediately and free him." Michael frowned and shook his head slightly, trying to focus. "It would have made things easier though."

            "A lot," Roger snorted and began to pull the girl towards one of the lesser used exits. 

            They emerged into the fading sunlight.  Roger and Michael exchanged worried glances…curfew would begin soon and they both needed to be back inside the castle before they were noticed.  They hustled the girl over to the Quidditch Pitch and into the boy's locker rooms.  Roger kept a lookout for Aurors as Michael leaned down next to Cho's ear.

            "You are going to walk straight into the forest from the back of the locker room.  You will not stop.  You will walk – quickly – until you reach a clearing in the woods.  There will be people waiting for you.  You will not fight them, you will let them take you.  Do you understand?"

            A single tear rolled down her face as she tried to scream a negative response.  Her head moved jerkily up and down against her will.  She could feel the commands pulling at her, pushing at her will.  I won't do it, I won't.  She closed her eyes and tried to ball her hands into fists at her side.  She stood up instead. No!

            Her feet lead her to the door and around the side of the locker rooms.  She kept to the gathering shadows as the two boys slipped out behind her, hot tailing it back to the castle.  Her shoes grew damp as she slipped through the thick grass and into the Forest, the hem of her robes brushing at her ankles.

            The Forest was dark and cold, but Cho didn't have time to take much of it in.  She stumbled along at a near run, trying in vain to catch a hold of a tree branch to make herself stop – it didn't work.  The skin on the palms of her hands stung as tears slipped down her face.  I'm sorry, Papa.  Forgive me, Mama. 

            A clearing appeared in front of her, filled with three men.  They had long black robes on and terrifying masks that hid their faces.  Cho screamed inside her head, her feet carrying her obediently up to them.  She held her hands out for them to bind, and waited patiently for them to strip her naked.  She didn't even flinch as one of the men sliced her arm open, rubbing the discarded clothes into the wound, catching the liquid before it could hit the ground.

            "There.  That should be enough.  Get her to the castle, I'll take care of the rest." The tallest of the three grabbed the bundle from the other man and stared down at Cho.  She squinted and tried to make out the color of the man's eyes.  I'm not going to break, I won't let you break me and when I get out of this I'm going to hunt you down and kill you all.  There was a muffled snort from the man as he casually backhanded her.  "Take her away."

            Rough hands grabbed her and jerked her back against slightly flabby bodies.  She shuddered as their hands moved over her, allowing them to wrap her hands around what she assumed to be a portkey.  I swear I'll hunt you down…and if I don't my father will.  She closed her eyes as the familiar jerk at her navel whisked her away, an image of her father rising to the front of her mind.  Papa, I'm sorry.

qpqpqpqp

            Alarms blared through the castle.  Draco and Harry's heads jerked up from their homework, both of them exchanging glances. 

            In a flash the boys were out of their seats and standing in the middle of the Common Room.  People began to pour out of the dorms, lining up in the space available.  Draco planted his hands on his hips, watching his House scramble into order with pride.

            "Girls dorm – report."

            "All first years present!" A short, slightly plump girl chirruped from the front of her line.  Draco smiled at her, causing her to blush.

            "Second years?"

            "All present!"
            "Third years all accounted for!"
            "Two missing from Fourth year.  Laura and Sara – but they said they were going to the Library to study charms." Ginny twisted her hands together nervously.  Harry crossed the room and put an arm around her as the rest of the House called out its status.

            The Slytherins were all accounted for.  The missing students booked it back to their Houses immediately, causing a great sigh of relief to chorus through everyone.  Draco frowned and shook his head slightly, catching Harry's eye.  The dark haired boy shrugged helplessly.  They all settled in for a wait.

qpqp

            The Headmaster's eyes were tired and his face was lined with sadness. "Are you sure?"

            Sirius nodded jerkily. "I followed her scent out to the boy's locker room.  There were too many scents to pick out which was the freshest…only Cho's stood out.  She left the locker rooms and walked straight towards the Forest, to a clearing where there were several other scents.  That's where the trail ended." The animagus sighed and rubbed at his face tiredly, his blue eyes dull. "It looks like she went there voluntarily."
            Albus bowed his head, clasping his hands together tightly. "No scent of blood?"

            "There was a faint trail of blood at the clearing, Cho's, but not enough to suggest she was seriously wounded." Sirius looked down, studying the tops of his shoes intently. "There was nothing I could pick up on the way to the locker rooms, or on the way to the clearing.  I'm sorry, Albus."

            The Headmaster looked up after a moment, giving the other man a pained smile. "Nothing to apologize for, my boy." Light gleamed off of his spectacles, hiding his eyes. "I will…inform…her parents that Ms. Chang has left the school premises and that her whereabouts are unknown.  If you'll excuse me, Sirius."

            The animagus nodded and stood, giving the older wizard his privacy.  Who would have thought?  Sirius sighed and shook his head wearily, starting the long trek towards the Slytherin dorms.  Harry's going to take this hard.

            The Common Room was full of students, some studying, others playing chess.  Harry and Draco were curled up on the couch, the dark haired boy's pale face evidence of how much his first day out of the Hospital Ward had taxed him.  Ah, Harry, why do things like this happen always at the worst of times for you? 

            His godson looked up as Sirius approached, his eyes wary. "Who was it?" The boy pushed himself up out of Draco's embrace, looking up at his godfather.

            Sirius looked down at Harry and for one moment seriously considered lying to him.  Just once, can't Someone give him a break?  He kneeled down in front of the boy, taking Harry's hands into his own. "Harry…the student missing is Cho Chang." The boy paled but stayed silent.  "Now, this is going to be hard to accept, Harry…but it looks like she left on her own accord.  Do you understand?"

            Harry stared at Sirius for a long moment, silent.  "How can you tell?" The green eyes were strangely bright in the dim room.

            Sirius sighed, turning his head to one side. "She walked into the Forbidden Forest voluntarily.  There was no one with her.  She met at least three people – adults – in the forest and disappeared with them.  There was no sign of a struggle, nothing to suggest that she went there against her will."

            "What if someone cast Imperio on her and made her go there?" Harry's hands tightened on Sirius'. "What if they threatened her?  Were holding someone hostage, making her go there?" His eyes searched his godfathers'.  "Couldn't that have happened as well?"

            Sirius looked down, unable to meet his godson's eyes. "Yes, that could have happened.  But there was no trace of an Imperio spell cast in the locker rooms and none in the clearing.  I'm sorry, Harry."

            "But…but –," Harry shook his head slightly. "Cho might hate me, but she isn't dark."

            "Harry," Draco moved closer to his boyfriend, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

            "No." The dark haired boy turned to look at Draco, his eyes wide. "She wouldn't.  Not with what happened to…to Cedric." Harry frowned and shook his head again. "It just isn't possible."

            "Harry…" Draco searched the other boy's face.  "We don't know that for sure."

            Harry's eyes turned dark. "We don't know anything, do we." He stood abruptly, pulling his hands free of Sirius' grip. "We keep running around in circles, looking for an answer while people are getting killed." Harry now had most of the room's attention. "It doesn't make any bloody sense.  If there's Death Eater supporters in the school why can't we find them?"

            Draco stood, placing his hands on the smaller boy's shoulders. "We'll find them, Harry.  We will, I swear it."

            Harry stared up at Draco, his eyes nearly black in the dim light. "We're running out of time, Draco." His voice was so soft the blond had to strain to hear it. "Each disappearance paints us more and more as the evil in this school.  It needs to end, don't you see?  It just needs to end." He pulled out of Draco's hold and walked quickly out of the room, heading for the hallway that lead to the boy's dorms.  The blond watched him go silently, his own eyes dark and pained.

            He turned and looked down at Sirius, his mouth set in a firm line. "He's right, you know.  The guess work needs to end." He looked up and caught Pansy's eye. "No more planning.  No more research.  It's time we put everything into motion."

            The petite girl stood and nodded, pulling Millicent up behind her.  "Now or tomorrow after classes?"

            Draco's gaze went back to where Harry had disappeared. "Tomorrow.  Rest up, we're going to need it." Pansy nodded and glanced at Millicent, who shrugged.  They turned as one and gathered up Ginny and Sasha, pulling them to a corner of the room.  Draco watched them for a moment before turning abruptly and heading for Harry's room, not looking back.

            Sirius watched the students scuttle into their various corners, saddened by the adult expressions on the too young faces.  Merlin, he watched Ginny and Pansy open a book and study it for a moment before leaning close and whispering something to one another. They're all so young.  Did we look like this, all those years ago?

             The animagus rose from his crouch slowly, his knees protesting audibly.  He spared a glance towards the boy's dormitories before turning his back on them and heading for the door.  Harry needs someone his own age to talk to right now.  I'll talk to him tomorrow, when he's calmed down a bit.  He ignored the tiny voice in the back of his head calling him a coward, pushing it away roughly as he headed towards his and Remus' rooms.  Besides, if Harry really needed me, he'd come find us.  He's fine, you old fool, he'll be fine.

            He paused once, his hand on the handle of his door, staring at the dull brass blankly.  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pushing open the door after a long moment, meeting Remus' amber eyes as he walked through the door.  I'll talk to him tomorrow.  I will.

End Chapter 35

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