"What's 12 Grimmald Place?" Daniel asked curiously, looking at Sam and Teal'c for the answer instead of the wizards in the room. Sam looked at Sirius for the answer, though, so Daniel did as well.

"It's the house where I grew up," Sirius said, his eyes slightly bleak, although there was a tinge of anger there as well. "A place I swore I'd never return to when I left – when I thought I'd left for good."

"You don't have to-" Lupin started, but Sirius interrupted him.

"No. It's not like I haven't been back since – and I'll most likely end up there the rest of my life…"

Now his voice was bitter, and Daniel couldn't even imagine what had happened to him at this Grimmald place to have had such an affect on him.

"Where is this place?" Daniel asked, more to change the subject. "Within walking distance?"

"No," Lupin said. "We'll have to travel a bit to get there."

"But where is-"

"Are we going by floo powder?" Sam asked, changing the subject since it was obvious that Lupin was avoiding the question and none of the others seemed interested in answering it.

Lupin looked at the others.

"That's a good question…" he said. "We can't go by floo powder – not with the London network being watched so closely – and not if Sirius is coming."

"And I am."

"Broomsticks?" An old wizard in one of the portraits on the wall asked, startling Daniel, who moved towards the middle of the room away from the walls.

Minerva shook her head.

"That wouldn't work. Not with three of them."

"A carpet, maybe?" Sirius suggested.

Minerva gave him a sharp look.

"Carpets are illegal, Sirius."

"Which doesn't mean there aren't any around."

"Yes," Lupin said. "A carpet would work well, you have to admit. They could all fit on it, and there wouldn't be any concern of them getting lost or falling off a broomstick – provided any of them could master a broomstick in an hour or so. A carpet doesn't take any skill, and no-"

"Excuse me," Daniel interrupted, uncertain that he was hearing what he thought he was hearing. "Did you say a carpet?"

"Yes," Lupin affirmed.

"I presume you are referring to a magical carpet?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes."

"Magic carpets?" Daniel repeated. "Like in Aladdin?"

"Well, obviously we can't use his carpet," Minerva said. "But yes, Daniel, that's what they're talking about using. It's relatively safe, but illegal."

"And running around with an escaped murderer isn't?" Daniel said, looking at Sirius.

"I'm innocent of that, Daniel," Sirius said. "And the Ministry knows it, now."

"I didn't mean it like that, Sirius," Daniel said. "I'm just saying if it's not so illegal to-"

"Remus is right," Minerva said, interrupting Daniel's apology. "A carpet is the best mode of transportation. We don't have a lot of time to waste, since daylight will be on us before too long and we want to be there before the sun comes up."

"So where are we going to get a carpet?" Sirius asked.

"There are several in the castle's basement," Minerva said, almost sheepishly. "Come with me."

Sirius changed forms once more – just in case there were stragglers in the castle (because you never knew with a place this large) or one of the people in the portraits recognized him and spouted something off that they shouldn't have – and the six of them headed out Dumbledore's office and into one of the hallways.

"We have to go down," Minerva said to Sam, Jack and Teal'c as they reached the first of what was at least a hundred staircases. "Stay close to me and only step on the steps I do, please."

Wondering what danger there was in taking a wrong step, Daniel frowned, but discretion won out over curiosity and when he started down the stairs with the others, he made certain to walk only where Minerva stepped.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Harry looked at Dumbledore, his bright green eyes mystified.

"How can I help, sir?"

Dumbledore sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and gestured for him to join him.

"You remember when we spoke of the link that is formed between you and Lord Voldemort?"

"Yes."

"You and he are linked, Harry. He can feel what you feel, and you have – at times – felt what he was feeling…"

"But I don't know how-"

"How to make that link give you more information than simple emotions?"

"Yes."

"I'm not certain, Harry," the old man told him calmly. "But I need you to try."

Harry hesitated, and Dumbledore could see a number of emotions passing his features; fear being the most prevalent. Understandable, considering that Voldemort had once possessed Harry for a few moments – something that couldn't have been pleasant.

"Don't worry," Dumbledore said, gently, understanding that fear and doing what he could to react to it. "First, just concentrate on Voldemort and see if you can feel what he's feeling… if you can, we'll just build on that. If you can't – and there's always a chance that he's figured out a way to block the connection between the two of you – then we'll have to try to come up with another way to do this."

"Yes, sir."

Relieved that Dumbledore wasn't going to force him past what he could handle – and he did trust the old man more than he trusted anyone in the world – Harry closed his eyes and let his mind wander a little. And immediately felt that connection that was always there – even when he hadn't known what it was. He frowned.

"What is it, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, noticing the expression immediately.

"He's not very happy…"

"Angry?"

That could be bad, because it might mean that Jack was doomed. If he hadn't gotten whatever it was that he wanted from O'Neill, then it might mean Voldemort would have to hurt him – or worse – to get it.

"No…" Harry said, concentrating more on his inner thoughts than Dumbledore. "He's annoyed."

Harry opened his eyes, breaking his concentration and looked at Dumbledore.

"Really annoyed, sir. Frustrated, even. What do you think is going on?"