To Walk Through Fire
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Harry Potter and the characters associated with him. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I am not making money off of this story. So please don't sue.
Chapter V: Fear and Revelations
He sighed softly, collapsing onto the small wooden chair. It had been a long day at work, he had been up before sunrise and home long after sunset. He cradled the cup of tea in his hands, savoring its warmth. He wouldn't be able to stay up long, he had to wake up early tomorrow too, but he enjoyed his time alone, away from the hustle and bustle of the cities.
The light haired man reluctantly let go of the warm cup to reach for the newspaper, which still remained a rolled cylinder. It was his ritual everyday, to read the newspaper late at night and drink tea. He found it very relaxing. Besides he did not have time in the morning to read it before work. But as of recently he had found the stories in the news more and more disturbing. Just the other day they had accused Sirius Black of becoming another Dark Lord. He had never known the man, but he suspected that Sirius Black could not become a Dark Lord; the man had actually sat in Azkaban for 12 years. If he truly was powerful enough to be a Dark Lord then would he not escape out of Azkaban after only a few years? No. And, to add to that, the man had read articles about the heroism of Black, saving many innocent people from the Death Eaters. It did not add up. He knew that Sirius was not the new Dark Lord, the man probably was not even a Death Eater. If the news had been that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came back from the dead, then he would have believed it . . .Well more than he would believe the trash that the reporters had written. Or he would even have believed the reporters if they had said that Lucious Malfoy had become the 'new Dark Lord'.
He wondered what story that the reporters had come up with next. Tentatively he unrolled the newspaper. He wondered if he should even bother reading it, especially with the 'news' recently concocted by the journalists. Maybe, if the news was no better today he would listen to his friend, cancel his subscription and read textbooks about 'more important things'.
What lay on the front page shocked him. And like so many others he froze and read the headline once more. Then again. And again. Wondering if he was hallucinating. His mouth hung agape as he read through the article.
No! It just was not possible. How on earth could Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, be a murderer?
And like so many others, the man just sat and stared at the article in amazement. He, like many others believed that it was impossible, that the boy had been accused falsely, that someone had mistaken the facts. But others, ever since the morning, when the first paper had been delivered had shaken their heads and told their neighbours that they known that Harry Potter would become evil, that he was a no-good-spoiled-brat. And others still, those who had known Lily and James, and those who had not, when they read the article had cried softly feeling the betrayal of the boy who had left the 'Light side', the good and joined those who had murdered their parents. And others who had been good friends with Lily and James cursed Sirius Black for killing the two Gryffindors, for taking away any guidance from Harry.
And so, through that one article in the Daily Prophet, the news of Harry Potter's imprisonment spread like wild fire. Once again Harry Potter had sent the wizarding world into pandemonium. But this time, he was not their savior, he was their foe . . .
***************
Agony.
That's what he was in.
No. That was not the right word. He was in anguish.
"No! Please! Not Harry-"
He hurt everywhere. More than he had ever hurt before. Even more than at the Dursleys.
"You are not worth anything to anyone, you freak . . ."
He shuddered as images of Vernon Dursley flashed through his head. He could feel every blow, he could feel every punishment. He did not think that was normal. He had never felt anything in third year when he had come close to the Dementors. But maybe . . .
He couldn't think. It was so hard to think with images bombarding his mind.
He could feel coldness creeping into his skin. It was not the numbing kind of coldness, a coldness that would take the pain away. It was the kind of coldness that came with death, a death suffered in Hades.
"Take my body back for me . . ."
"Sorry! I'm sorry Cedric!" he tried to call out, but nothing came but a hoarse whisper.
It was his fault Cedric was dead. His and no one else's. He should have been the one who was killed, not Cedric. The Hufflepuff had people who loved him, he wasn't a burden on anyone.
"You've burdened us long enough. From now on you will help around the house!"
He winced as he saw Uncle Vernon come towards him, the big beefy fist held high.
"Sorry!" he tried to call out, but this time nothing came out. He tried to push himself into oblivion. He knew that he did not deserve it, that he deserved to suffer like this, but one could only stand so much. And he had hit his breaking point.
He heard a voice scream in agony and a flash of green light.
NO! Not his mother. She should have given him up. She should have let him die. He deserved it. He was just a burden on everyone. He did not deserve to live. She was a good person, one who should have lived instead of him. If it wasn't for him then she would have been able to spend the rest of her life with his father.
"Nooooo!!!!! Riana!!!!!"
Another flash of green light filled his vision. He watched as the young couple died again. Died because he was powerless to stop Voldemort. Powerless to help anyone. The only thing he was good for was burdening others.
"Leave her alone! She's a child! NO!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
He gave a dry sob as he watched the young woman die, her daughter already dead on the floor. He hadn't been able to save them either. She had been just a child . . .
He tried to curl tighter into a ball, tried to protect himself from the images. He hardly felt the agony as new images bombarded his mind. Ones that had been haunting him ever since summer began.
He was reliving the worst moments of his life. Memories no fifteen year old should have to life with.
"Crucio."
He cringed as he relived yet another one of his dreams.
"Nooo!" He howled hoarsely, "Please don't hurt them!"
It was useless. He knew it was useless. But he was losing himself. He could no longer establish the difference between the past and the present. It was all one and the same to him.
He knew that he was losing his mind. He could hardly remember who he was anymore.
Harry Potter.
That was his name. The small boy held onto that knowledge with all his might. He knew that if he lost it in the whirlwind of memories he would lose himself. His mind. His identity.
How had Sirius survived so long?
Who was Sirius?
"No! Please! Not Harry–"
Another dry sob racked his body.
It was agony.
He knew that he would not last much longer.
How long had he been in here? A day? Two? Weeks? Years? He could not tell.
But he knew that no one was coming to save him. He was a burden, they did not want him around.
The only question was which would give out first? Would his mind break first, or his body?
He hoped it was his mind that went. Then he would no longer be able to feel the anguish tearing at his body . . .
***************
"Master." Lucious bowed deeply towards his master.
"Lucious, what news have you today?" The man hissed quietly staring down at Malfoy, motioning for the man to stand.
"Many of the citizens of England, especially those who are very influential, believe that Harry Potter is guilty of murdering his relatives. Fudge has, very foolishly, accused Harry Potter of Cedric Diggory's Death as well. There are, several wizards and witches who refuse to believe that a fifteen-year-old boy could do such a thing. The minister is trying to stop these rebels before they can free Potter." Lucious lowered his head, pleased with his report.
"Excellent." The Dark Lord hissed softly. "Those fools in the Ministry are falling right where we need them. What of our other plans? Is everything ready?"
"Yes my Lord. The traitor has agreed to lower the wards for us tomorrow evening. Azkaban will be ours. He has even planned for some trainees to stand guard instead of the regular trained guards." Lucious beamed as the cracked lips of his master curled into a cruel smile. His master was pleased with him.
"Good. My plan will work out wonderfully. Not only will we have Harry Potter, but those traitors as well."
"Yes Master, it is an excellent plan. The traitors will not suspect a thing until it is too late." Lucious grinned. It was perfect. They would attack Azkaban tomorrow, just as the moon was rising. They would be able to fight through the guards without any problems and take over the fortress, freeing bloodthirsty criminals. Then the traitors amongst the Death Eaters would pay. Anyone who was not loyal would be revealed with a certain charm Lucious had found in an ancient book. It was so obscure, he was sure that not even Albus Dumbledore had known about it. The best part though, was that Potter would become theirs, all because of the Minister of Magic.
And the beauty of it was that no one suspected a thing.
"Have you told them there is no mercy tomorrow, that they are to kill everyone?" Lord Voldemort stared at Lucious, his red eyes blazing into the top of the blond man's scalp.
"Yes master. The Death Eaters were all given those exact orders. Even Crabbe and Goyle should understand them." Lucious nodded not daring to look into the eyes of the Dark Lord. He may be the highest in the ranks of Death Eaters, and he was very proud, but he knew the cost of looking straight at Lord Voldemort. Wormtail had shown them what would happen time and time again.
A knock from the door broke Lucious' thoughts.
He glanced up at his master who was staring intently at the door, as if debating whether or not to let whomever was outside in.
"Come in Wormtail." He hissed dangerously moments later.
The small balding man tentatively stepped into the room, as if it was a volcano about to explode. Well he should be considering how he had once more interrupted Lord Voldemort when he had been told to specifically stay away until he was called.
"S-s-sorry for interrupting m-master. B-but I th-thought you would like to r-read the n-newsp-p-paper today." Malfoy watched emotionlessly as a chubby hand gave the newspaper to the Dark Lord.
"Wormtail." Lord Voldemort hissed viciously, "You know the rules, you are not to interrupt me unless I specifically ask for you to be here. Now drop the newspaper on the ground."
The rat-faced man did so quickly. Malfoy grinned. He liked what was about to happen next.
Before Wormtail could plead for forgiveness from his master, the rat fell to the floor screaming in agony.
***************
Severus stood frozen on the spot, he knew that he should move before Voldemort found out he was standing at the door eavesdropping, but he could not move. He did not even wince as Wormtail's screams increased in volume.
They were going to hurt Harry.
The last hope for the wizarding world. The Boy-Who-Lived. The lost boy that Snape had promised to protect. He knew that attacking Azkaban with Harry in it had been their master plan, but he had never thought that they were going to move so fast. He had thought that Voldemort would wait a few days. He needed to get Harry out of Azkaban and quickly. He could not go to Albus, no the headmaster was out on 'business', probably urging Fudge to free Harry. No he had to get the boy out before Voldemort and the other Death Eaters could capture him. But how?
He was not to join in on the raid. Voldemort had wanted him to work on the potion instead. Little did the Dark Lord know that Severus had already finished the potion with an antidote to the pain in would cause. He would not tell his master that now. Instead he would use the little time it bought to rescue Harry.
He heard the scrambling of feet on the other side of the door and knew that he had to disappear before anyone noticed he was standing there paralyzed. Quickly he ran down the crooked, rotting stairs and out the door. He slipped into the shadows beside the house and apparated away before any of the Death Eaters noticed him.
***************
Severus stalked down to his chambers, which lay hidden deep with in the dungeons. How could he help Harry? How could he help the boy escape Azkaban?
It was hopeless to try and convince anyone to free him. No, he knew that would not work. It would take far to long to convince the Ministry that the boy was innocent, even if Black found the object which had been cursed. They would never be able to convince the Ministry on such short notice.
He pushed open the door to his chambers softly so as to make little noise as possible, and closed it gently as he walked into the dark room.
He could always break into Azkaban and take the boy out. That would not work either, he doubted that even Black could enter the prison and leave it alive without being captured. There were too many spells, charms and curses around Azkaban for anyone to break in. Tomorrow evening however the spells would go down, just before the Death Eaters attacked. If he waited long enough at the prison he could run in before any of the Death Eaters came in. That would not work either. He needed a better plan. The other Death Eaters would recognize him in an instant. He needed someone to go in there and take the boy out before the Death Eaters could capture him.
Who could he trust to do something like that?
Black?
No! Black was far too impulsive, the man would have them caught within an instant. Before he was in the prison the man would be caught and put into the jail right beside his godson . . .
That raised another question in his mind. One that he had wanted to know the answer to for almost fifteen years. One that he had never been able to find out on his own. Who was truly Harry's father? The boy did look like James, almost a carbon copy of the man. He had the same hair, the same cheekbones and glasses. But something did not seem right about it. He had never met a child that looked so much like one parent and hardly like the other parent at all. Something about that did not seem right. Once he could have sworn that the boy looked like Sirius Black, rather than James, but he could not prove it. And Sirius had gone over to the Potter's house almost everyday when Harry was born. That was not his only clue. He had first started wondering about the truth fourteen years ago . . .
***************
They had just had another meeting. It had been crowded in the tiny room and Severus had been dying to leave. It bothered him to watch the poor muggles suffer, as much as he did not like them, he did not think they deserved to be treated harshly. The meeting had lasted for almost two hours. Two hours of watching Voldemort torturing some poor muggles and wizards who had been captured in the raid yesterday.
He left the room, and the building as quickly as he could without raising suspicion. True he could have claimed that some urgent Hogwarts business was calling him away, but his instincts had told him to stay, that something important was going to be revealed. And it was the first time his instincts had failed him. He should have left the meeting earlier. He walked towards the trees, to the end of the anti-apparation spells. The meeting had been pointless anyway. He learned nothing to help Albus.
The forest that surrounded the old house was ancient, with trees that towered over the building. Some of the trees were so wide that it would be difficult for four full-grown men to encircle their arms around the trunk. At one time, long ago, the forest would have been beautiful, but now Severus thought it resembled the creature who lived in the mansion beside it. The spells created to protect the house ran part way into the ancient forest.
He had finally reached the hidden marker that distinguished where the wards were located. He was preparing to apparate when he felt someone tug at his arm.
"Severus?" A hushed voice whispered.
Severus Snape turned around to face another Death Eater dressed in black. It frightened him that this man knew his name, very few Death Eaters knew who their comrades were, for safety reasons. And now this anonymous man had recognized him. That was not good.
"Severus? Can I talk to you?" The man sounded desperate.
Severus nodded. Please do not let this man know that he was a traitor. He could not afford to lose his position now, not at the height of Voldemort's power, not when Albus needed him the most.
He followed the small shadowy figure further into the forest, probably where none of the others would suspect them to be.
Severus Snape hoped that what he could offer the man was enough to keep him quiet. Maybe the man would only plead for his life, even though Severus did not know his identity.
The dark figure stopped at turned around towards Severus. "I know that y-you don't w-want to be here right now, b-but I needed to talk to you about something."
"What?" Severus asked irritated, if the man was going to accuse him of being a traitor, then he better do so quickly, this was a waste of his precious time. And part of him feared that the man would go straight to Voldemort with information better left alone.
"W-well, I have this p-p-problem and I did not know who to talk t-to. Then I-I thought of y-you." The man stuttered out softly, his face still hidden in the hood. That voice sounded very familiar, but he could not tell whose it was. "I-I have been watching Lily and J-James. I have a f-f-feeling t-that H-Harry is not truly James' son."
Severus stared at the man as if he was a lunatic. Why would he care if Harry Potter was James Potter's son. He hated the man, had hated him for years, ever since he had began Hogwarts. He waited for the man to continue, he knew that Voldemort had his eyes on James and Lily for some reason, the couple had gone into hiding a few weeks earlier, but what did it matter if Harry was James' son or not.
"T-T-the reason I think this is b-b-because I heard t-them cast a glamorie spell on H-Harry. And I was eavesdropping on t-them one evening b-b-before they d-disappeared. S-Sirius B-Black was there too. Sirius called Harry h-his son."
Severus was beginning to become very annoyed. He could honestly care less if Harry was James' son or Sirius' son. The two men could have been twins.
"And your point is?" He drawled out slowly before the man could continue.
"I-I w-was w-wondering if I should t-tell t-the D-D-Dark Lord. Do y-you think he would like it if I t-told him t-this?" The man asked uncertainly, as if he finally figured out that it was an unwise choice to talk to Severus about this.
"I honestly do not think it matters if James or Sirius or even some strange dark haired man is Harry's father. I do not think that the Dark Lord cares." He told the man emotionlessly. "I would think that you would be wiser to leave your betters alone, unless they ask for that specific information. We have been told that Harry Potter is going to be a powerful wizard, and I do not think that it matters who his parents are."
"Y-yes, y-you are right, Severus. It does not matter who they a-are." The man nodded in thanks and disapparated in front of Severus.
He shook his head, angry that he had been asked about something to do with James. He could not even use that information to bother James if Voldemort fell, it would hurt Lily too much to be teased about Harry. He had seen how much she loved that boy.
He apparated to Hogwarts, his bad mood growing worse. Since he was late, he would have to start those potions for the school nurse all over again . . .
***************
He had not discovered the identity of the figure until too late, long after Sirius Black had been sent to prison for murder. Actually he had not thought of that meeting until Harry had started school, not until from the corner of his eye, he could have sworn the boy looked like Sirius Black. And now it bothered him more than anything else. His instincts were telling him that it was important to know who Harry's father was.
If Harry was James' son, then he was Gryffindor's heir, that would make sense, since he had been able to pull Godric's sword from the hat. But the Sorting Hat had spent several long minutes deciding where to put the boy. If Harry was truly Gryffindor's heir, and James' son, then he would have gone straight into Gryffindor.
If Sirius was Harry's father, he would not be so important. But then . . .Voldemort had once told them that he had a son . . . Could Sirius Black be that son?
Severus quickly ran to his desk and pulled out a box of pictures he had kept of his previous life, to remind him of it, even though he needed no reminding. He rummaged through it until he came up with a picture of Tom Riddle, as a student, a boy he had worshipped in his youth. He pushed other photos and papers aside trying to find the graduation photo that had been taken. Right near the bottom he found it. Putting the two pictures side by side, he gasped. Sirius Black (in the third row besides James and Remus) looked very similar to Tom Riddle. This could not be a coincidence, Riddle's relatives were all dead. The only explanation could be that Black was Riddle's son. How could he have missed that before? He had no idea, maybe because the idea was too ludicrous to even think off. Black was an annoying boy who wanted everyone's attention focused on him, while Riddle was an evil man who had no morals at all . . .
Was that the reason why Voldemort wanted Harry? Because he was his grandson? No. That could not be the reason. He would bet that Voldemort believed that Harry was James' son, that Wormtail had never told the Dark Lord his discovery, just as Severus had advised him . . .
So how was he to save Harry now? Even if the boy was related to Voldemort or Black he would rescue the child. But if there was any truth to his discovery he needed to remove Harry away from Azkaban before Voldemort could find him. If Voldemort found out what he suspected was true, then chaos would ensue. Then Voldemort would have his heir!
He pulled his thoughts together and seriously started to think of a plan to free Harry, his revenge on Fudge and Voldemort could wait till later, Harry needed to be rescued quickly. His plan thus far was to send someone in there just before the attack to remove the boy from the clutches of evil. Not a great plan, but it was better than anything else he could think of. But who could he trust to send in there. Remus? No, the werewolf was Black's best friend, he would drag Black in there too. It was best to leave them out of this. He rested his head on his hand, looking down that the desk. His eyes flashed to the pictures and he caught sight of a brown haired man standing politely at the end of the line. Alexander Brown.
The man was an Auror now, wasn't he? Severus knew that once he believed the truth, Alexander would go to great lengths to save the boy. All he needed was to convince the Auror that Harry was innocent. How could he do that?
Severus groaned and started to glance through the rows of students. Many of those in the picture were dead, missing, or had not been heard from in many years. Not that he cared really, it was just disappointing he could not find anyone else who would be easier to convince. But a trained Auror would know how to fight Death Eaters, and if worse came to worse, that quality would be needed.
Yes Alexander Brown would do very nicely. Now how could he convince the man that Harry was innocent? He looked down at his arm, the one with the Dark Mark marring his skin. Its blackness like a poison that killed the soul. Severus glanced away, he hated seeing that mark . . .
A small smile came upon his face. He had an idea and it just might work to convince the Auror to rescue Harry. It would not work until tomorrow of course, but he could wait, he was a patient man.
Severus pulled out a book from the bottom drawer. Now was the time to perfect his idea, as crazy as it was, he knew that it would work.
***************
Alexander watched his wife and son from the hallway. The small brown-haired child was talking animatedly to his mother about Quidditch. He was moving his arms around in imitation of the players' movements. He smiled; he hoped that his son would be able to make the Quidditch team this year, especially since they would be short several players . . . He stopped his thoughts there before they could go back to the small boy huddled in Azkaban because he did not have the strength to contradict Minister Fudge's orders. He should have sent the boy straight to Albus Dumbledore and let the headmaster protect him, that man had protected Harry ever since that fateful accident almost 14 years ago.
His wife, Emily, laughed as her son whispered something, her golden locks gleaming in the sunlight. He watched as her eyes sparkled and danced in happiness. His son's back was to him, but he knew that his brown haired child had a large smile decorating his face. Alexander loved watching his family. Harry did not have a family, no one to talk to or to laugh with, no one to be a parent and scare the monsters away at night . . . Alexander pushed that thought away, trying to forget the lost, green-eyed boy.
He entered the room before any more thoughts of Harry and the mysteries surrounding the boy could attack him.
"Good morning." He said cheerfully to the two seated at the table, who jumped suddenly at the sound of his voice.
"Dad, you're home." Robby jumped from his seat and wrapped his arms tightly around Alexander, who pulled the boy tight against him. "Did you hear the news?" Robby jumped up anxiously. "Harry Potter was sent to Azkaban for murdering his relatives." The boy looked up into his father's eyes.
Alexander just nodded. If he did nothing to help the Boy-Who-Lived, he knew he would be tormented for the rest of his life. "Yes, I have." He said solemnly, this was not the conversation he wanted right now. He hoped that Robby had enough sense to know that the news was wrong.
"Good morning Alexander, sweetie." Emily stood up and gave him a hug. "When did you get in?"
"Late last night, I had something to check up on in the attic and I fell asleep there." He confessed quickly. He knew neither one of his family members would ask what he was doing up there, especially if they thought it was work related.
"Would you like some breakfast, Robby and I were just about to have some." She sat in her chair again beside Robby, who had already sat down and was watching his father curiously.
"I would love some." He said graciously taking his seat beside Robby. "So how are the Chuddley (sp?) Cannons doing?" He said to change the subject.
"Great dad, they're doing better than they have ever done before, especially with the new players that have been added to the team. Could we go to their next game? Please dad, it's just before school starts. Please?" The boy's face was all alight with happiness, that was one of his favorite subjects, Quidditch.
"We shall see." He muttered. Actually that was what he and his wife had planned to do to celebrate his son's birthday, of course the boy did not know that, but he had no need to know. He wondered if – no, it was his vacation, he should be able to spend it with his family not thinking about work.
"Please dad. Pretty please with a cherry on top?" The boy pleaded, almost falling out of his chair.
"Robby, as I told you, we shall see."
"Please dad, I'll do the laundry everyday for a week, and I'll take out the garbage without having to be asked, and . . ."
Alexander looked at his son firmly in the eye. "If you do not stop begging than I will not even consider it." He told the child, and silently laughed as the boy immediately quieted. He caught Emily's eyes, which were laughing too. One of these days he would take the boy up on his offer and have him doing the laundry for a week, it would do the boy some good to do a little hard work. Harry probably had to do all of the Dursleys' laundry . . . Stop! He refused to think of that boy anymore.
"So Robby, do you have all your school books?" He asked as he sipped his coffee.
"Yes dad, mom took me yesterday. We have the strangest Defense Against the Dark Arts book, it is all about curses and hexes, nothing else. There is nothing in the book about dark creatures. Most of the curses in the book seem very far advance from what we normally practice." Robby told him with almost the same enthusiasm as he had talked about Quidditch. Alexander smiled at the boy; his son had always admired his job and wanted to be an Auror, even though Alexander had advised him not to be. Since when did children listen to their parents' advice? "I hope that we actually get to learn them this year, and not just study the theory of them."
"I heard from one of your professors that a retired Auror is coming in to teach this Defense Against Dark Arts this year." He told his son. "One of my old colleagues many years ago." The boy perked up at this, he had heard stories of many of the Aurors before, including Sirius Black . . . Was he really related to You-Know-Who?
"Who is it dad? Who? Is it Gavin Walters? Or Joyce O'Grady?"
Alexander thought for a moment of leaving the boy with the knowledge that he would be taught by a retired Auror. It would be highly entertaining to see what his son would come up with. He wondered if Robby would start naming old Aurors who had lived thousands of years ago.
"No." He shook his head. "It is . . ." The boy slid closer to the table curiously wanting to know who his next Defense professor would be. "Arabella Figg."
"Really?" Robby asked in amazement, his hazel eyes opened wide. "The Arabella Figg who held off ten Death Eaters while waiting for reinforcements to come to the building?" The boy's voice was full of awe.
"Yes, that exact one." Alexander nodded, picking up his plate and washing it off in the sink. His family followed suite, cleaning off their dishes as well.
"Are you coming to Glasgow with us dad?" Robby asked as he put away the last dish.
Alexander opened his mouth to say yes, to say that he was definitely going with his family, but something stopped him from answering immediately, the memory of a black haired, green-eyed boy looking totally and utterly defeated. No he could not go and enjoy himself in Glasgow with his family, not while the innocent boy remained in Azkaban.
He would do anything for his son; he would walk through fire, or face He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named alone. But his son was not in immediate danger. Harry Potter was. And he had no one to rescue him. The boy had no one to care for him. No father to take him to Quidditch games, or to teach him new spells. No one to help him with his summer essays when he could no longer continue because he had no ideas left. Even if Sirius Black was his father the man could not properly care for the child. The man was in Azkaban for twelve years, no one could remain the same after that. And Harry had grown up with people who could care less what had happened to him. No. He could not abandon a child who had been abandoned all his life. The boy needed him. He was the only one who truly knew what the boy was going through, what had really happened to him.
It would hurt, telling his son no, but he had to do it. if he did not he would be forever haunted by those green eyes.
"No, I can't." He whispered hoarsely. He did not look at either his wife or his child; he did not want to see disappointment in their eyes. "I have some very important work I need to finish before I can go to Glasgow." He studied the floor. There had never been so many scratches in it before.
"But dad I thought today was suppose to be your day off." Robby asked tentatively. Alexander sighed; Robby was growing too used to having him leave during his holidays on urgent business. That must be the price he paid for being an Auror. And if it was, he did not think he could pay it much longer.
"It was." He looked at Robby in the eye, it hurt, but he needed to make sure his family was all right before he left them. "But something has come up that cannot be left till later. I'll come as soon as I can. Maybe I'll even be there tomorrow." He forced a smile on his face.
"Yeah, sure. Tomorrow." Robby muttered half-heartedly before disappearing up the stairs.
"Alex . . ." Emily touched his shoulder softly. "Are you sure you cannot leave this to one of the others?"
He shook his head. It hurt. He was being rejected by his son. But the life of another boy, not much older than his own son, hung on the line. And if it was his son, he hoped that another man would do the same thing for Robby. "No." He did not like the confused look on his wife's face, but he could not explain it now, she would not understand until she saw the boy. "I cannot explain, not here, not right now." He apologized softly.
She smiled softly at him. She understood, from the very beginning she had known that she had married someone who would not be around all the time. He was thankful that she at least understood. "I'll talk to him now and when you come to Glasgow you can talk to him then."
He wrapped his arms around her, thankful that she was his. He did not deserve such a wonderful woman. "Thank you."
"I love you Alexander, be careful." She murmured in his ear.
"I love you Emily, and don't worry about me. Have fun."
He took his leave, only stopping to take his cloak and hat with him. He needed to visit Harry before he decided the drastic measures that needed to be taken to release the boy from prison.
***************
Albus stared at the man in front of him. The portly man sat pin straight, not even fidgeting under Albus' gaze.
"So Minister, what do you plan to do about this situation?" He asked the man politely. It had been tiring trying to convince the man the advantages to liberating Harry from Azkaban, in the end, he feared it had done nothing but more harm.
"I plan to do nothing about this situation, headmaster. It is really of no concern to you. You should deal with your school, not important political issues that have nothing to do with you." Fudge said primly. Sometimes Albus just wanted to . . .knock some sense into that man.
"You have a pupil of mine locked away in one of the most high security prison that has ever existed. This situation does concern me." Albus said shortly. Neither man dared bring up the topic of how Albus had helped the Minister in more situations than anyone had before. The Minister knew it would cause more trouble and he would not listen to Albus if the man dared bring that topic up.
"The boy is no longer a concern of yours Albus, seeing as he is no longer your pupil. You may return to Hogwarts and deal with the affairs there." Fudge dismissed him.
Albus did not go. He would make Fudge listen to him if he had to tie the man down and force potions down the man's throat.
To reach this man he needed to make a different approach. How? He needed a second to think . . . That was it!
"Minister do you really think young Harry Potter is guilty of those crimes he has been convicted for?"
"To be truthful with you Albus, and if you are recording this down I will deny I every word with my last breath. I believe that the boy did no such thing. He does not have the heart of a murderer; I doubt that he would hurt a fly unless it was killing someone he loved. No he is innocent, just like his godfather." Fudge told him superiorly.
Albus gaped at the Minister. He had known known that Sirius Black was innocent and he had not kept him from prison. He knew that Harry was innocent and he was sending the boy into Azkaban. "Why?" Was all he managed to croak. Out of all the ridiculous things he had ever thought Fudge would say, he never could have predicted that Fudge would say that. Never.
"Because, my dear sir, I needed a scapegoat. The public will believe anything as long as it is closely related with a few facts to support it. Harry was the only wizard at the Dursleys' house that morning and so it would be logical for anyone to figure that Harry had somehow figured out a way to explode the house, killing the Dursleys. As for Sirius Black, it was easy enough to convince the public. The man could just have convicted himself. He was laughing like a maniac in the streets when we arrived on scene. But when his wand was looked at, there was no spells recently done that would have caused such havoc. So immediately I knew that Sirius could not have done such a thing, he would have to have been telling the truth. But he was the perfect scapegoat. So he was sent to prison. Ironic isn't it, how both the godfather and the godson are sent to the same prison, to the same cell. I always thought it was." Fudge picked up a pile of papers and straightened them. "Now if you will please excuse me, I have work that needs to be done."
For the first time in his life, Albus was speechless. Never in all his days had he ever heard anything like that. The man had sent at least two – Albus Dumbledore would never eat another candy in his life if there were not more – innocent people had been sent to Azkaban and he had known that they were innocent. Known! And now those people had to pay the price for Fudge to keep his reputation.
He stood up and left the office without another word.
If it was the last thing he did, he would destroy that man, tearing down the Minister's world little by little, until his reputation was tarnished beyond repair.
He hoped that Harry could fend for himself for a few more days, there was some dire circumstances that could not wait to be attended. He only hoped that someone else had created a plan to save the boy. He was running out of ideas quickly. If he had not thought of anything better, then by the time he was done with the circumstances, he would give Sirius leave to break into Azkaban to free his godson.
***************
The fortress looked the same as it did when he had arrived there just two days ago. Was it really two days ago? It did not feel like it. Actually it felt like an eternity ago. A part of him wished to turn around and leave before he set one foot in the penitentiary. He could join his wife and son in Glasgow and forget about Harry Potter, just like everyone else. He could join the crowd and forget about the boy, thinking he would be just fine where he was, that he would pull through just like he did every other time. No! Alexander could not leave Harry to such a fate. He refused to abandon Harry like everyone else had.
He was glad that the ferryman had not wanted to talk to him. He did not think he could have stood listening to the man babble on about this new prisoner, or that officer. The boat ride had been horrid, he had been sure that he was going to lose his breakfast before they were even halfway to the large, gray fortress.
Even as he under the large archway, he could feel the coldness seeping into his bones, into his head, his heart. Into his soul. It was like a leech, sucking out every good memory he had ever had, every good thought, leaving only those he had forever buried to be dug up and replayed in his mind. Like he had learned from his training, he blocked out his memories, stopping himself from reliving the past. How could one live in a place like this?
Alexander had already explained to the officer on duty that he was here to check on the prisoners, especially one Harry James Potter. He regretted that he had not accepted their offer of a guide. It would only hinder his mission though, so he had refused the woman's offer and headed down the hall he remembered from the other day. He knew the way to Harry's cell, but he did not like being alone with the lunatics, the madmen, the screams, the pain, and the coldness.
He quickened his pace. The quicker he removed Harry from Azkaban, the quicker it would be till he left this desolate place for good. After this was done, he would find another career, spend more time with his family, spending so much time away from his family was a price he was no longer willing to pay. Harry had taught him that. Those eyes, full of lost hope had broken his heart. His mind had instantly put Robby there instead, the brown haired boy and the black haired boy had morphed before his eyes into one person. He had known then that this was his last adventure before he retired to spend more time with his family. But first he had to rescue the boy who had no one.
He descended down the stairs to the small holding area that now housed Harry. There was no sound coming from down there. Please let him be alive, please let him be alive. The small mantra repeated in the back of his head as his footsteps echoed eerily around him. Please let him be alive and sane. The boy had to be alive, he just had to be. Harry Potter had held on all those years, despite the hand he had been thrown, he just had to hold on a little longer. What point did the boy have for hanging on? He had watched as Harry had lost all hope, all the fight, the inner strength he had seen in those green eyes had just disappeared as soon as he had been sent to Azkaban. But he had heard of the close friendship Harry had with Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Would that be enough to keep him alive? Would he live for his friends? For those who cared for him? He hoped. Pleaded with whoever would listen that it would be enough. That the boy would live for those who he would give his life for.
Alexander gasped. Maybe it would be kinder for the boy to die . . .
Several food bowls lay on the stone floor untouched, two full of water and two of food. It was not that that concerned Alexander though it was Harry. Harry lay there in the exact position Alexander had left him two days ago. The boy's lips were chapped and almost tingled blue, whether from the cold or from his closeness to death, Alexander did not know. He could see blood seeping through the boy's shirt, as if the cuts had somehow been torn open by a sudden jerk. And there on the floor beneath the bench and Harry, he could see a small dark puddle growing. Alexander stared at it hard. And knew what it was. Blood. Harry must have had more wounds that Alexander had thought. That could be the only reason for that puddle of blood.
Was the boy truly alive? Alexander crept closer to the cell, pushing the key into the lock he whispered a soft spell. He jerked the door open and did not bother to close it behind him. He doubted that Harry could have run anywhere had the boy wanted to. He moved slowly towards the boy, not bother to look anywhere else. He now recognized the signs of malnutrition in the child. He was far too skinny for someone of his age. He was too small.
Harry's chest rose a few millimeters. Alexander exhaled, letting go of the breath he had been holding. The boy was alive. He was still alive, despite the hard hand he had been thrown. Barely, but he was alive.
"Harry?" He whispered, not expecting an answer. He pulled a bottle of general healing potion from his robes. It would help Harry, but it was not the kind of medical attention that he needed.
Alexander skillfully avoided the blood as he knelt down beside the black-haired boy. He pushed open the stopper that held the vial closed and gently pressed it to the boy's mouth.
"Come on Harry, it's alright, just take a little sip, it will help." He gently lifted the boy up so that he would not choke on the liquid. Alexander poured a few drops of liquid on the boy's lips, it was a trick he had learned years ago during his training as an Auror. He was able to coax the boy to open his mouth so he could dribble the potion down his throat. If nothing else, it would stop the cuts from bleeding.
Alexander stood up. There was nothing he could do here, he was no doctor and did not know what exactly was wrong with the boy. Even what he noticed, he could do nothing for. Harry needed medical attention soon, or he would perish whether they helped him or not.
The boy needed to leave the prison. It was the only way he would receive medical attention, it was the only way that he could be shown that he was cared for. Here he was abandoned, left alone in his worst nightmare.
The only way to take a prisoner out of Azkaban was to have a note with the Ministry's seal on it saying that Harry was to be moved from the prison. He could write the letter easily, he had seen enough letters asking for prisoners to be moved. It was the Ministry's seal that was the problem. The Ministry's seal could not be duplicated, the only way he could put it on the letter would be to use the actual stamp. And the stamp was only in the Ministry in the major offices.
He looked down at Harry. He would not leave the boy in here any longer than he had to. He could not. Alexander sighed. He would have to slip unnoticed into the Ministry's main building and borrow the seal from one of the offices. If he was caught, he could lose his job, maybe even become an inmate of Azkaban himself.
Alexander looked down at the boy who remained unconscious.
It was worth the risk, he decided.
***************
End chapter five
A/N: Sorry this chapter is out so late, I was sick for part of last week, so I couldn't write anything. As an apology, this chapter is longer, by about five pages. It is not written very well. Alexander seemed out of sorts for this whole chapter. Not to mention the fact that the chapter jumps all over the place. Urrrggghhh. I won't rewrite it again, that would take a while.
A/N: I challenge everyone to write a review for this story to try and get the number of reviews up to 100. It doesn't matter what kind of review you give. Any feedback I get is good. And suggestions are very helpful. So please review. (Don't worry, I won't keep the next chapter back if the number of reviews doesn't go up to 100, I'm not that mean.)
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. You guys are great (82 reviews! I can't believe it) When I first started this story I only thought I would receive maybe 15 if I was lucky. Thank you soooooo much.
SiriusBPadfoot: Thank you thank you thank you. Don't worry, I plan to finish this story. It's the longest story I have written so far and with people reviewing, I'm encouraged to finish it, unlike all my other stories. Sorry there's no Sirius in this chapter, he'll be in the next one I promise. You did get to see a little of Harry though, it's not very well written I'm afraid, but it is there. I went to your website and I thought that it was wonderful. I especially loved the picture of Padfoot at the beginning and how the mouse was turned into a star, that is so neat. You have done a great job.
Mrs. Moony: You liked that chapter? I'm glad, at least some people liked it, even if I didn't find it that great.
Butterfly Queen: My sister says hi. Thank you for the review and no my isn't that much better than yours.
Raven: Thank you!!!! J
vmr: Thank you so much! J
Fairytale: Thank you so much for your review. I enjoyed your stories very much, they were good. Snape will play more of a role in the story, as you can see from this chapter. However I do not know how much more, depends on the reviewers, whether everyone wants him in the story or not. I had originally planned the story without him, but I like Snape so could not help but add him in. He will probably stay in the story, but not as a main character. Sirius' secret shall be revealed soon . . .I'm not telling when. Hope you liked this chapter.
Reaper: Tom Riddle's eyes were green like Harry's? Ok, I'll have to remember that for later and when the story is finished I'll fix it, I just don't have the time to fix it right now. But thank you for that information, that is very helpful for later in the story. And Tom could look like Sirius, and James if I remember correctly. They all have black hair and they were all good students in school – except James and Sirius kept getting in trouble, or at least I think they did. Anyways, I'm rambling. Thank you so much for the review. I hope you like this chapter.
njgal: I'm glad that you think my stories getting better. I can't wait to write the next chapter and post it, to see what you guys think of that. (Something exciting is going to happen) It isn't written yet, but hopefully I can write it soon.
Falco: Yes, I agree with you, poor Harry. Hopefully someone will get him out soon, especially with all these plans being created . . .Wormtail? Maybe I'll add him somewhere, I'm sure I can, I had not originally planned to have him in the story, but I think he'll keep reappearing. Thank you so much for your review.
snowwy54: No Alexander will not be going to Dumbledore, he thinks he has it all planned out. Alex does no longer trust Dumbledore, especially since he had, up until recently, believed every word Fudge said. He believes that Dumbledore is a little crazy and would not help. At one time he trusted Dumbledore, but he doesn't anymore. Sorry, I'm rambling again. Anyways, the point of this is is that Alexander will not be going to Dumbledore. He will follow through with his plan.
Lady Python: I'm sorry, you'll have to wait for Harry to be rescued. Thank you so much for the review, I hope that you liked this chapter with Harry in it, even though his part was horribly written.
Death Eater: That has to be the longest review I have ever received. Thank you!!!! J I agree that it would be interesting to hear from Hermione's parent's point of view, however I don't know if I could add that in, even though that is a good suggestion. Well I gave you a view of what Harry's going through – it's awful, but it's there. I managed to get my hands on the third book with the dementors only after I had written it, and it doesn't match up . . . Urrrgghh. I tried. Any suggestions to improve that? If I think of anything else, I'll fix it as soon as I figure it out. And you got more of Alexander too! Aren't I nice? Actually I had that planned out already, that he would appear here again. He will be in the next chapter too. Yes there are a great number of paths I could go from here aren't there. However I already had an idea of where I wanted to take this fic before I even started, so it is not such a big decision, even though after that part I'm lost for ideas. Even though it would be interesting looking down one of those paths . . . Percy's view will be coming soon in the next chapter. Now revenge. That is going to be interesting. Probably won't happen till later, I don't know exactly what will happen to those parties involved in plotting, however it will be . . .interesting. And I read of that torture that you described in a fantasy book I once read, Temple of the Winds by Terry Goodkind, it was a really good book. You might like it, it's the fourth in a series and I would recommend them to all those who like fantasy novels that are longer. Your favorite fic?! I'm so happy *Author jumps around her room gleefully, receiving strange stares from her cat* Thank you, you don't know how much that means to me. I hope you liked this chapter.
phoenix353: The reason why I don't think my story is that good is because it really is not that well written, I was reading through it and there has to be at least twenty mistakes in the prologue alone. And have you read some of the other fanfics out there? Some of them are soooo much better than mine. Take neutral's Of Western Stars for example, which I suggest you read if you haven't. It's amazing. Or Fairytale's stories, I'd suggest you read those ones too. My story does not compare to those. Anyways . . .I hope the part with Harry was not too disappointing, I had to write it without any of the books and use whatever quotes others used on their stories. And no if there is a connection between Voldie and Harry, Voldie does not know of it. Thank you so much for your review. I hope that this chapter was alright.
Avalon Princess: Thank you soo much for your review. I read your fic, Black Summer, it's good. I hope that you update soon, I can't wait to see what happens to poor Harry, does he get away somehow? Does someone rescue him from them?
Rozebunny: You added me to your favorites list? Thank you! Thank you! I'm glad that you like my story. I hope that this chapter wasn't too much of a disappointment.
Charma1219: Thank you so much!!! J
Stonehenge: Yes Sirius is Harry's father, however it has not been verified whether Voldie is Sirius' father. And no I don't think anyone has ever done that variation before. Triskelion is writing a fic where Voldie is James' father – I would recommend her fic if you like stories about Harry and James. More action is coming. It will all begin in the next chapter . . .Thank you so much for your review.
Aydindril D. Iyake: Harry will get out of there, I couldn't bare leaving him in Azkaban, the poor boy has suffered enough, don't you think. As long the story stays as planned Harry should be out before the next few chapters are over. And I agree with you about Fudge. I haven't figured out exactly how revenge is going to be taken, but Fudge will receive his just nemesis.
harrystwin: Thank you! J I hope that you keep writing your fic, I would like to read more.
Sara Minks: Yes I can see what you mean about chapter four being the transitional chapter. I know what you mean by Dumbledore keeps getting older and older. I read another fic where he had aches in his back and looked ancient. I'm not sure which fic it was though. I'm the fastest on your favorites list? Well that's good. I'm glad that I'm not too slow at updating, I don't like leaving the readers hanging too long. Thank you so much for your review. I hope that this chapter was alright.
Lady Foxfire: Thank you so much for your review. Why am I an evil person? Because I am torturing Harry? I only do that so then it makes more impact. Well if Voldie is Harry's grandfather, the man will probably find out soon because of the events that are going to happen next. And Sirius' mother was just a nice lady from an old wizarding family who was the heir to a small fortune. I read your stories too, I hope that you continue them soon, I'm just dying to find out what happens to Harry in both of them.
A/N: Thank you all soooooo much for your reviews J I hope that this chapter isn't that bad.