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"Did you gentlemen properly welcome our guest?" Harry recognized the mocking voice of Lucius Malfoy. Lucius' cool skin lifted Harry's chin up. It's very difficult to look and feel brave with one eye completely swollen and dried blood caking your face, but Harry gave Lucius the best one-eyed glare he could muster. Should I say 'Arghh', too? Humor had become Harry's survival tool. If he didn't make light of most everything, he was afraid he would crack and end up in St. Mungo's for life. Suicide had definitely passed through his thoughts on more than one occasion, but he had survived too much to give up now. Besides, that would guarantee Voldemort's victory, and he held too much contempt for that monster to even consider the thought. Not to mention, too many people had died trying to keep Harry alive for him to roll over and die. So he would suffer on.
"Did I not make myself clear!?! I specifically said he was to be presentable!" Lucius' voice echoed in the cold room, making it seem colder. "Clean off his face! And where are his glasses?! The master wants Harry to be able to see him. Goyle, go back to the house and retrieve his glasses. Crabbe, fetch some water to clean up his face."
Lucius leaned close enough for Harry to be able to clearly see his face. "You've had a nice rest, boy. Cherish it, because the next rest you have will be in the grave."
Quick as lightening, Lucius whipped out his wand, yelling "Crucio!" In the blink of an eye, Harry's world was enveloped in unbearable pain with a mixture of laughter and thousands of screams echoing throughout the room.
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Professor McGonagall was pacing the floor so hard,
Severus would swear he could see a rut forming in the stone. They had
apparated in the new Order of the Phoenix headquarters, which was a
comfortable cottage that belonged to Minerva. The Order hadn't felt
right disturbing Sirius Black's house after he had died. The cottage
wasn't quite as large, but it was much more clean.
Minus the foreign members, the Order was complete when Remus Lupin finally arrived. Thus began the meeting.
They were all in the dining room of the cottage; some were sitting, most of them were standing and fidgeting, too worried to sit still.
"...All we know for sure is that Harry disappeared two nights ago. We know he did not go of his own accord because he never goes anywhere without his glasses or his wand." At that, many of the members suddenly noticed the items sitting on the table. A small sob escaped from Molly Weasley, prompting Arthur and Bill to put their arms around her shoulders.
"We are left with few options." continued Dumbledore. " I will do a Locator Spell with his wand, but if he's too far away, it won't be able to find him. Those of you working in the Ministry, keep your eyes and ears open around Lucius Malfoy and the other known Death Eaters in case they slip up and leak information. If any of them do anything out of the ordinary, alert me immediately. Mundungus,"... that name sparked something in McGonagall's memory. She finally remembered the last time she had seen Dumbledore so enraged. It was almost exactly a year ago when Mundungus had left his post on Privet Drive, allowing Dementors to nearly suck the souls out of Harry and his piggish cousin.
"... return to Privet Drive in case those responsible return for any reason. Severus, I need you to return and find out anything you can. You're our only inside link."
Severus didn't seem to react to this request. In fact, if you weren't staring at him with practiced eyes, you would miss the look of horror that briefly flickered in his eyes. He knew the Order was watching him; some failing miserably at hiding their looks of pity. At least the disgust was gone from their faces. Most of them had come to accept the fact that Dumbledore trusted him. Some of them were even beginning to trust him themselves. A small some, though. Most of the Order didn't particularly care for him, but they knew how valuable the information that he had access to was.
" The rest of you go about your lives as though nothing is wrong, but be alert. I will inform you as soon as we know anything."
The wizards began milling around in the dining room, though the worry hung thick in the air. Suddenly, Fawkes swooped in and dropped a letter on the table in front of Dumbledore. Albus picked it up and unrolled the parchment. The scribble read:
" Headmaster Dumbledore,
I have herd sum bad things about Harry Potter. I
culd not fynd yu, so I sendt Fawks. It is veri urgint!
- Dobby"
Professor Dumbledore handed the note to Minerva as he stood.
"If everyone who is able could please wait here, I will return soon, hopefully with information on Harry's whereabouts." With that, Albus Dumbledore Disapparated.
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Harry felt Lucius end the Cruciatus Curse, but the echo of pain continued to tear through his body. His screams had faded, but he couldn't stop the tears from running down his face.
All he desired was sleep. That sweet blackness that swallowed. Now all he had was the black. The pain was very much there. Before Lucius exited, he had given Harry a little present. A Sleepless Curse, to make real his threat. Now the Boy-Who-Lived was the also the Boy-Who-Is-Awake. Harry chuckled to himself at that thought. Wow, the more my delirium grows, the worse my puns get.
Harry sat in the absolute dark on the cold, hard chair, letting his mind wander as the protests of his battered body swallowed him. The only thought that would come to his restless mind was of eternal peace: Death.
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Hoped you liked the second chapter. Please review. Let me know what you think of Dobby's writing skills. I figured no one would take much time to teach a House Elf how to write very well.