Dear Readers,
I read some interesting theories out there about the mysterious "R.A.B." and I decided to add some of it to the story, for the sake of experimenting, you know.
Well, here's another chapter. Let me know what you think!
Pint of Stella
P.S. Special thanks all my reviewers (I LOVE you guys!) for inspiring me to get off my butt and update. I hope you enjoy this one.
– CHAPTER FOUR –
The Drawing Room
"There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy, until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut; a heavy gold locket that none of them could open; a number of ancient seals; and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class, that had been awarded to Sirius grandfather for 'services to the Ministry'…"
- Chapter 6, Order of the Phoenix
Harry's fingers trailed along the rows of books, occasionally pausing to rub the dust off their spines.
Dangerous Beasts And Where to Find Them: First Edition…The Goblin Revolution…Rules for Dangerous Alchemy…One Hundred Poisonous Concoctions and Antidotes…Fight and Flight: The Crucial Guide to Vampires…Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy…The Procedures of Potion-making…Antiquity and the Dark Arts…The Corruption and the Decline of the Giants…
Hand pausing, he reached and pulled down a mahogany bound book, reading its title thoughtfully.
Hogwarts: The Founding of the Great Wizarding Academy.
He flipped it open. There was a simple illustration of a grand hall; empty, save for two wizards and two witches, gazing across the floor.
He flipped casually to a chapter further in the book. There was a drawing of the school grounds with a short paragraph concerning the Forbidden forest and its dangerous creatures. Most of them, it stated, were attracted to the powerful magic from the castle.
Sighing, Harry shut the book and returned it to the shelf. He glanced at the next title in line.
The Principles of Defence and Powerful Enchantments.
Harry raised an eyebrow, and brought the book with him to an armchair near the window. He sat, and opened it cautiously lest the pages scream or burn his eyes out. When neither occurred, he turned eagerly to the first chapter.
There was a picture of a witch dressed in elaborate garb, sweeping her hands about in quick gestures.
Wandless magic, he thought.
Intrigued, Harry squinted at the fading text.
He sat there for quite some time, flipping through the pages and staring in bewilderment at the foreign incantations.
He was so concentrated, that by the time he realized he was no longer alone, voices were audible just outside the door.
They've found me.
He set the book down slowly, and reached for his wand.
His trunk, broomstick and invisibility cloak were lying near the door; their disillusionment charm lifted. Cursing mentally, he muttered the spell, disguising them once again. The cloak he quickly summoned and tossed over his head. He moved quickly from the chair and dove behind one of the taller bookshelves. Mind racing, he forced himself to remain still and tried not to breath too loudly.
But it won't be any use, he thought in exasperation. The Order had caught him. And because of Moody's magical eye, they must know exactly where he was hiding.
Harry caught himself staring at the door in desperation.
He could still run. If he could get out the window before they arrived he might still have a chance to escape…
"Amycus hurry up! You're slowing everyone down."
He dashed back behind the bookshelves he raised his wand at the window.
"Shut up and show us where that damned room is!"
"Where is it?"
Harry faltered. What?
"It's right here."
Harry couldn't tell who it was, but that definitely did not sound like Moody…
"Dolohov get your wand out."
"Amycus hurry!"
Harry's blood ran cold.
Oh bloody Merlin.
So it wasn't the Order coming to look for him, after all.
At the moment, he honestly wasn't sure whether to be horrified or relieved.
There was a sound of rustling, and Harry caught the sound of someone hurrying to catch up. They stopped abruptly, and the door of the drawing room burst open.
Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward and surveyed the room. A malicious grin appeared across her face while her while her dark eyes rested on the Black family tapestry.
From behind her stepped Rudolphus Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov and the short wizard who Harry placed as Amycus. All four of them scrutinized the room while Harry shrunk as far as he could into the ground. Invisibility cloak or not, he prayed they wouldn't detect him or his disillusioned possessions on the floor.
Bellatrix moved forward and traced her long fingers across the shelves. The rows of glinting, dark arts objects seemed to be reflected in her eyes as she smiled. While she studied a tarnished silver box, Dolohov moved to inspect the writing desk; the same one which Harry remembered used to contain a boggart. Following their example, Amycus approached the mantelpiece to inspect a display of gold daggers.
Rudolphus Lestrange stood by the door and watched them silently.
Why are they HERE? Harry thought frantically. His hand grew sweaty as he gripped his wand, mentally rehearsing all the hexes he could think of. He could try to apparate, but he didn't know how effective it would be - and he wasn't keen on getting himself splinched by accident.
Bellatrix picked up the silver snuffbox, which immediately sprang to life and nearly bit her finger. In surprise, Harry watched as she burst into laughter and tossed it out of the way.
"Anything yet?"
The other two wizards scouring the room shook their heads.
Lestrange sniffed impatiently at the door.
So they're looking for something, Harry thought.
But why here?
There was an abrupt sizzle and then a zap, and Amycus cried out in pain.
"DON'T STEP IN FRONT OF THE CLOCK!" Bellatrix ordered.
Cursing, the squat wizard stepped away from the cursed grandfather clock and made his way to where Dolohov was now rummaging through the glass-fronted cabinets. The three Death Eaters continued like this for quite some time, occasionally lifting up objects to scrutinize in the light.
Slowly, Harry stood up. He really only knew one nonverbal spell. He could either use it now, or wait quietly until everyone had left.
Or, he thought cynically, until they realized he was here.
He raised his wand.
"I've found it!"
Harry hesitated and watched in surprise as Bellatrix snatched an object up from the mantelpiece. She shrieked with laughter and clutched it to her chest.
The three other Death Eaters immediately rushed to her side.
Curious, Harry looked on with his wand still poised in the air.
What? What did she find?
"Isn't it gorgeous?" Bellatrix cooed. "So very pretty."
"Are you sure that's it?" Rudolphus asked in a gruff voice.
"Of course I'm sure." Bellatrix snapped. "How can I not be? Look." She thrust it into the air, and the light from the windows shone brightly against its surface.
When Harry realized what it was, he felt his heart leap to his throat. His wand hand faltered.
No, he thought inwardly.
NO.
NO!
It CAN'T be.
A heavy golden locket dangled from Bellatrix's fingers, glinting beautifully. "See?" She sneered. "Poor Regulus must have forgotten it here. I remember he always had a habit of losing his things back in Hogwarts." She laughed and unclipped the latch, fastening it around her neck.
"Then let's go." Dolohov barked. "Snape will be expecting us."
Snape.
It was as if someone had muttered a reviving charm. The blood instantly rushed through Harry's limbs. The name of Dumbledore's murderer ignited a strange feeling inside him. Before he could think twice, he stepped out from behind the bookcase.
"LEVICORPUS!" He cried inwardly.
"AH!" Bellatrix shrieked as she was flung upside down. Her partners reacted immediately, sending explosions of light to all corners of the room.
Harry leaped out of the way and darted towards the place where his trunk and Firebolt lay. He crouched down as he felt around for the handle of his broom, avoiding the torrent of curses rebounding off the walls.
Eventually, he grasped the handle and sprinted towards the door. He swung the broom a bit too far however, and knocked over a black vase to the floor. It shattered in an instant, its glass pieces scattering everywhere.
The curses from the three wizards ceased, and Harry stopped in his tracks. He had made it just before the door, but didn't dare go any further. The four Death Eaters turned to the doorway, wands raised. Bellatrix had already gotten herself properly upright, and her eyes were sparkling spitefully.
They may not know who he was - but his opponents now knew exactly where he was standing.
He had no choice but to apparate.
Trembling, he raised his wand. Destination. Determination. Deliberation.
"INCARCEROUS!"
"Protego!"
Harry blocked off the spell as he leaped out of the way. No time to apparate then. He stumbled out of the room, and ran down the length of the corridor without pausing to think. Spells shot past him, destroying the gas lamps and portraits mounted along the wall.
As he reached the staircase, he heard a flurry of footsteps sprinting after him. Having no time to waste, he clutched the handle of his Firebolt and kicked off the top stair. The broom shot in the air as he struggled to maintain his balance. Bellatrix shrieked an incantation as she spied his shoes, no longer hidden by the invisibility cloak. She set a jet of green light hurtling in his direction.
Panicking, he forced the broom out of the way.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"
"STUPEFY!"
"CRUCIO!"
Harry hurtled downwards, out of range. The three curses missed, and he sent the broom speeding towards the Entrance Hall.
"DIFFINDO!"
Dolohov's spell clipped the end of the Firebolt and sent him careening to the right. Harry cried out in surprise as he was flung off his broom.
"Get him!" Bellatrix shrieked.
Harry got up unsteadily, and felt a pain shoot through his knee. Tangled in his cloak, he whirled around and glimpsed the four Death Eaters running quickly down the staircase.
"Accio Firebolt!" He called. The broomstick spun towards him and he caught it in his hand before continuing towards the doorway.
"DIFFINDO!"
Harry ducked as Dolohov's spell blasted over his head.
"Reducto! Alohomora!" Grasping the handle, he pried the door open. Sunlight spilled into the entrance hall, and Harry staggered out onto the street. As soon as he reached the pavement, he pulled his cloak tightly around himself and mounted his broom. He kicked off the ground once more and the Firebolt launched into the air. The cool wind felt relieving as it rushed past.
Perhaps Hermione wasn't right about research after all, thought Harry cynically.
He urged the broom higher and higher away from Grimmauld Place.
Unfortunately, he didn't get as far as he expected.
"POTTER!"
Startled, Harry glanced back to the front steps of Grimmauld Place and felt his heart catch in his throat for the second time that day.
Standing on the sidewalk were none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphandora Tonks, and Alastor Moody - who was eyeing him reproachfully.
Oh no. NO. Not THEM…
"GET DOWN HERE POTTER!" Moody barked hoarsely.
Reluctantly, as if tearing his heart from his chest, Harry slowed the Firebolt to a halt. A terrible, sinking feeling spread at the pit of his stomach.
So his plan hadn't succeeded after all.
"Hurry up, Potter!"
Tightly gripping the handle, he guided his Firebolt around in a loop and hovered back towards the sidewalk.
Of course the Order would've guessed I might have come here. His plan had been so predictable. So terribly transparent.
Then at that instant, he caught a glimpse of movement below.
"LOOK OUT!"
Moody's eye whirled around as the door of Grimmauld Place burst open. There was an explosion of sparks and within seconds, the aurors found themselves in a furious battle against four of Voldemort's Death Eaters.
"Reducto!"
Tonks sprang away from the Lestrange's curse and threw a quick stunner in response.
They're out numbered, thought Harry frantically. They're out numbered by one. I have to stay and help!
He took out his wand.
"Incarcerous!" yelled Moody.
He hesitated.
Dolohov leaped out the way and sent a powerful hex towards Shacklebolt.
Once more, Harry fought with his conscience.
He HAD to stay. But at the same time, he could not.
Not this time, anyway, he thought bitterly. He might never get another chance…
He put away his wand.
One of Bellatrix's curses missed and exploded on the pavement.
Shutting his eyes, Harry gripped his Firebolt and turned away from the fight. He heard Moody shouting after him.
Harry hated himself for doing it, but he didn't turn back. Instead, he urged the broom to go faster.
I need to go somewhere. A place where the Order can't find me, he thought frantically.
Anywhere.
Little did Harry know, that at that moment, Shacklebolt threw a powerful shielding charm and Tonks disapparated to the front steps of the Burrow.
Ron and Hermione were waiting impatiently for her at the door.
Phew. That took a while to write. (stretches) So…Good? Bad? Atrocious? Remember to review!