A/N – All right, now….things are going to get – Er – interesting, I hope. Please enjoy!

Harry Potter and the Price of Love

Part 5

The little boy stood on the street corner, no one was about and the child was sure that no one would come by; he wondered once more why he had been awaken so early and taken to this abandoned place. The dog beside him breathed heavily but was very protective over the boy. The dog took a look around before transforming.

"Harry?" Riddle asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, but…why couldn't I have said good-by to Padfoot and Moony?" Harry asked.

"Because, they can't know where you have gone; if anything happens to them and fall into enemy hands, you would still be safe," Riddle replied.

"I still wish I had said good-by to them," Harry whispered. Riddle bent down and took Harry's chin gently in his hand and made the boy look up at him. He was surprised to see how those large green eyes were so like the child's mothers.

"I will tell them for you, remember, we all love you and will never let anything happen," Riddle replied. Harry sniffed once, and then he hugged the man fiercely. Riddle had no prior experience with children, yet he let his instincts lead him and hugged the boy back.

"We have to go now," Riddle said as he picked Harry up. With a loud SNAP! They were gone. Nothing was left behind and no one had witnessed such a private moment between man and boy.

Rebecca, however, was the exception; she had watched the two, she had heard every word they had said and she understood it all. She also understood everything she was risking about her life was worth it. It was worth the life of the small child that everyone called Harry Potter….

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When Sirius woke; for a few moments, he thought that he was back in Azkaban. But with the loss of fear and dread in the pit of his stomach, he knew that he wasn't in that hell hole. But, the question still needed to be answered. A light was lit at the moment. Sirius looked about, Remus was still asleep and no one was in the room with them.

Sirius yawned and stretched; it was then that he noticed that he didn't have his wand; he snorted as he rolled his eyes; if the oil lamp had lit by itself than that would only mean one thing…wandless magic. Sirius remembered a time in his childhood when he had thrown his father across the room; he hadn't really been scared (like his family had thought he was at the time) he had been angry more than anything.

But that was accidental magic, was wandless the same thing? Sirius didn't think so. Just then, he heard Remus sitting up in bed; Sirius turned and smiled at his friend.

"That was some battle, wasn't it?" Sirius asked.

"What I can't figure out is how they found us so fast, it doesn't make sense," Remus replied.

"Not everything has to make sense, let's chalk it up to 'a lucky guess' and leave it at that," Sirius joked.

"Too bad we didn't smell it coming," Remus sighed.

"Bloody gits, one would think that they would know that if someone goes into hiding that they don't want to be found!" Sirius threw his arms up to the heavens.

"At least we didn't have a Secret Keeper," Remus pointed out. Sirius groaned.

"I should have done it, at least I wouldn't have…" Sirius trailed off.

"No, you wouldn't," Remus whispered.

"I still can't believe it, we're Death Eater's, if we don't win….we'll get the Dementor's Kiss," Sirius said.

"Indeed, that's why we should make sure that we do win," Remus smirked.

"You have a plan?" Sirius asked.

"Don't I always?"

"What is it?" Sirius asked.

"Don't even think about it! If Lord Voldemort finds out that you two are or have gone through with a stupid plan, he'll have my head!" someone growled. It was Snape, Lucius was glaring at the two, he was standing behind the one time Potions Master.

"Since when have any of my plans been stupid or have gone wrong? Honestly!" Remus crossed his arms.

"Oh, don't be so put-off Remie! You came up with the best plans in school!" Sirius said, leaning over and patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Padfoot,"

"Not a problem! So, what do you two sour-puss' want?" Sirius asked. Snape still glared at them.

"Lord Voldemort has put us in charge, of HQ and you two," Snape informed them.

"Well, I hadn't expected that," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"We should have, though," Remus gave his friend the look.

"So true!" Sirius grinned.

Snape and Lucius entered the room; they locked the door after themselves. It was then that Snape pulled out two vials of red liquid. Sirius gagged on the spot, he hated taking potions, Remus was better about it though, he glared at Sirius.

"Honestly! Sirius, it isn't that bad!" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Oh really? You didn't live with my mother!" Sirius growled.

"Yes, you're right, I didn't, but you did take it when Mrs. Potter gave it too you. Or don't you recall?" Remus asked.

"Oi! The one time in the history of mankind I get sick! And you guy's had to be there! I will never live it down!" Sirius crossed his arms.

"As long as I breathe…nope, you aren't living it down," Remus smiled.

"Just take it, it will make you feel better," Lucius said. Snape handed the vials to Remus and Sirius.

"Don't worry, they practically taste all the same," Remus shrugged.

"On the count of three, we chug," Sirius muttered.

"Will you just do it all ready?" Snape sneered.

"Well, look who got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Sirius stuck his tongue out at the older wizard.

"Sirius Leigh Back, do as you're told and stop grumbling," Lucius said. Remus and Sirius took the potion at the exact time. Sirius coughed a bit but otherwise didn't make a ruckus. Remus, who had taken some sort of potion sometime during his long life, just looked on in amusement.

"So, what is going on?" Remus asked.

"Nothing much, Lord Voldemort found a place to hide Harry for a while," Lucius said.

"Are we too know?" Sirius asked.

"No, no one but Lord Voldemort does," Snape said.

"All right, I just hope Harry isn't scared witless," Sirius sighed.

"I don't think Harry scares that easily, it just depends on what had happened before hand that he got scared," Remus pointed out.

"Don't worry, all we know is that the witches name is Grizzelda, she's a powerful witch, she can keep Harry safe," Lucius said.

"What do we do now?" Remus asked.

"You two heal; and once you're better you'll probably be given a mission of some sort," Severus shrugged.

"All right! Disillusion charms here we come!"

"Sirius, will you calm down! Oh honestly, what did you give him?" Remus looked to Snape.

"A simple healing drought,"

"Really? Which one? He gets a sugar rush when taking the….oh no!" Remus groaned as Sirius turned the room pink, without the use of his wand.

"I wish I had known that," Severus sighed as he pulled out another potion.

"Tell me, does he get high when taking a sleeping potion?" Severus asked. Lucius' robes turned purple.

"DO something now before someone thinks I'm Dumbledore, for Merlin's sake!"

"You look good in that color!" Sirius giggled.

"Not to mention that he sort of reverts back to childish…things," Remus remarked dryly.

Severus jumped Sirius, who was about to get out of bed, and force fed him the potion. In moments, he was asleep, the room was transfigured back to normal as were any robes that had gotten and unfortunate make-over.

"I wish I had known that would happen," Severus muttered; he and Lucius got Sirius settled back in bed with the covers up to his shoulders.

"Sorry, I should have thought of it," Remus yawned.

"Go back to sleep," Lucius said. Remus watched the two leave the room as he too went to sleep. It was the second time in one day; but at least they didn't cause too much of a stir.

"Dumbledore? You honestly think that purple robes make you look like that git?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Lucius asked, put-out by Severus.

"You looked like an overgrown Umbridge," Severus smirked.

"Hn," Lucius glared before stalking away. Honestly, he look like Delores Umbridge? Impossible!

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Harry was glad to hold Riddle's hand as they walked through the dark forest; there were strange things in this forest that would eat little boys if they got lost. At this thought Harry tightened his grip on the old Wizards hand.

Tom looked down at Harry and smiled gently, he was in his normal appearance, but he knew that Dumbledore would never get wind of this. Practically everything in this forest knew him and was loyal to him. He squeezed Harry's hand in reassurance.

"Don't worry Harry, we are almost there," Tom said.

"Where is there? I don't know this place," Harry said.

"This is the Forbidden Forest, many hunted beings take refuge here,"

"Am I hunted?" Harry asked.

"Yes, look Harry, this won't be easy, and Grizzelda knows how powerful you are, she's going to teach you everything you need to know, and after that, you can learn from me,"

"Learn what?" Harry asked.

"To use you're magic," Tom replied. Harry didn't remember having a conversation with Moony and Padfoot about magic, but he assumed that they had had one ages ago. He knew that he was supposed to be a Wizard, but he didn't understand anything about magic.

"I don't know anything," Harry said.

"That's why Grizzelda will make you her apprentice; she'll teach you everything you need to know, or haven't I all ready said that?"

"You all ready said that," Harry smiled.

They stopped at the edges of glen just then; the rose garden looked to have been recently fed because of the blood that lay on the ground, and the path to the front door was clear. Tom hoped the Grizzelda was ready for them.

He gave Harry a push and the two walked up the garden path (the roses didn't give a care about them) and once at the front door Tom knocked. Harry, meanwhile took the little shack into account. The roof had been patched may times, the stairs creaked and the porch on the front look to be about to fall apart and take the shanty with it.

"Is that Harry Potter?" an excited but old voice asked; Harry almost jumped, for he hadn't been expecting the voice but instead, he had been expecting the creak of a door as it opened.

"Yes," Tom replied.

"Come in," the woman said, she opened her door further and both Tom and Harry stepped inside.

"Sit and have some tea," Grizzelda offered them two very old chairs that looked to have been a deep blue at some point in time. The inside of the shack was dark, torches of green light set an eerie atmosphere as a fire was lit in the grate on the far side of the one room house. The two chairs were set by the only window of the house and a bit of sun light filtered through, but not much. A table sided up to the two and settled between the chairs. Harry offered it a 'thank you' as he and Tom took the tea cups.

"Did you bring the boy's things?" Grizzelda asked.

"Yes, it's in the bag," Tom said, giving a look to the bag at Harry's feet.

"Good, and…" at this she turned to Harry, "Do you understand why you're here?"

"So that you can teach me about magic," Harry replied.

"You are a clever lad! I had the pleasure of meeting you're father when he was a young lad as well; he never did take to me," Grizzelda sighed as a small smile came to her ugly face.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"I tried to teach him, but he decided that he would rather learn from the old coot who owns Hogwarts," Grizzelda sighed.

"I want to go to school, I was supposed to in France but then we had to leave," Harry said.

"You still will learn at school, maybe even in France," Grizzelda nodded her head.

"You think that best?" Tom asked.

"If this boy is as clever as I think he is, then it will take only five years to teach him everything," Grizzelda replied with a shrug.

"Very well, it will probably take even that long to gain ground against Dumbledore," Tom stood.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go," he said.

"Will I ever get to see you, and Moony and Padfoot again?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you will," Tom replied, he ruffled Harry's hair and then he was gone.

Harry watched him go and then turned to Grizzelda who was giving him an awfully weird look.

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A/N – Five years! What a long time! And the plot thickens! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ta,

Poppy