It had taken a long time for Harry to get back into shape. Longer than even he had expected. He'd obviously lost a few talents during his fourteen years of Muggle-life, but they were slowly coming back. He wasn't as sharp as he once was, and Hermione found his spells weren't as forceful as they used to be, but then again, nobody could possibly be blamed. If the ministry had to pick the two worst people for this assignment, it would've been Hermione and Harry. The problem was, if they were to pick the two best people, it would still be Hermione and Harry. It was a lose-lose situation for the two of them, no matter what way around they saw it.
As Harry emerged from Hermione's bathroom and into her office, he threw his bag onto the floor beside her desk, staring down at his old Auror robes. He sighed defeated.
"I half-hoped they wouldn't fit." He admitted.
"We would've suited you again." Hermione whispered. He looked up at her and could see the guilt on her face. Giving him this assignment was eating her up inside, but they both knew it was him, or her, and he wouldn't allow her to get killed. He cared about his best friend too much. Tears began to fall down her cheeks and she shook her head, the guilt washing over her.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She sobbed as she cried into her hands. Harry was in front of her with three strides, and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her.
"I don't blame you, Hermione, I know it's not your fault. I know you'd do this if you could." Harry sighed, closing his eyes as he hugged her tighter. "I'm already a murderer, you don't need to become one, too. I know you only came to me because you can't kill." He whispered soothingly. "I know you can't kill, you've never been able to kill. You must be the only Auror on the planet capable of being the best without ever having killed anyone. You should be proud, Hermione, not ashamed." He insisted. They stood hugging for a long while before Hermione regained her composure. She pulled away from Harry, brushing strands of her hair that had gotten lose from her ponytail away from her face.
"I'm sorry, I'm not making this any easier for you." She said, the guilt returning. Harry shook his head.
"Hermione, please, don't worry about it." He placed both hands on her shoulders. "It will be okay." She nodded, forcing herself to get back into control. She took a deep breath as she looked into Harry's eyes.
"Are you ready for this?" She asked him.
"I don't think anyone can honestly be ready for this." Hermione nodded.
"I know what you mean." Harry smiled, hugging her again.
"You're the only one who possibly can." She hugged him back, not wanting to lose her best friend. After losing Ron, Harry was too important to her. But, she had no choice.
"Be careful." She whispered to him as they continued hugging. Harry sighed, trying not to cry.
"Can you please just tell Ginny I'm sorry?" He whispered back.
"I'm sure she already knows you are, Harry." He nodded and pulled away. She handed him a piece of parchment and he gave her one last look before he turned, walking out the door.
He hurried out of the ministry, not wanting to be dissuaded. Everyone knew he'd given up this life, but it was something he had to do, no matter what happened. He climbed onto his new broomstick, an Ultimate Core. He would've given anything to be riding his old Firebolt, but he'd given it to Talak. With a heavy sigh, Harry rose silently into the sky, reading the directions from the piece of parchment Hermione had given him. The King of Darkness' stronghold wasn't far, probably only an hour on his broom. Of course, it may have taken less time; Harry was just flying very slowly.
As the huge building loomed beneath him, he descended silently, dodging behind everything that was available to avoid being seen. Harry got off his broom and lay it down near some bushes, pulling out his wand. He began forward but dodged back behind the shrub as he felt an icy chill envelop him. Dementors. He knew that the King of Darkness was the only known person to ever be able to control the Dementors. That thought scared Harry more than he felt it should. If there was anything in this world Harry was afraid of, it was Dementors. Everything they made him feel—all the memories they forced him to relive… Harry shook his head violently, forcing the thoughts from his mind. Stay focussed! He ordered himself silently. You have a job to do, so just do it, and go home.
He crept out from behind the shrub, scanning the area for the Dementors he could feel. There were none in sight, and Harry suspected they may be inside. Creeping forward slowly, he scanned the area carefully. Nothing. He ran towards a tree, flattening himself against it as he waited for a sign on whether or not he'd been spotted. Twenty-five seconds passed. Nothing. He hurried across the yard and ducked beneath another set of shrubs. Again, he waited twenty-five seconds. Still nothing. He looked up at the door, wishing he'd been able to bring more people. One man against this wizard was really ridiculous. Harry just hoped he was strong enough to complete the mission.
He ran to the door and flattened himself against the it, trying to make sure no one would see him if they looked out one of the windows. The windows were all dark, but for all he knew, a Death Eater could be looking out one of the dark windows and using him as target practice. Harry tried the door. It was locked. He wasn't surprised, it wasn't like he was invited. The terror that seized him as he muttered an unlocking charm was suffocating, and he couldn't wait to get it done and go home.
The door inched open slowly and Harry looked in cautiously. No one was in sight. Doesn't mean they're not there, Harry reminded himself. He walked cautiously into the run-down building, the floorboard squeaking far too loudly beneath his feet. Harry could see a layer of dust accumulated on everything in the room he walked into, including the floor. The only sign that the King of Darkness was there were a single set of footprints leading further into the building. Harry followed them cautiously, gripping his wand tightly in his hand. He moved without a sound, the floorboard in this part of the building having suddenly turned into tile. Harry wasn't sure what to make of that, but it wasn't important. What was important was finding the King of Darkness.
Harry followed the footsteps higher up into the building, following them as they climbed the stairs. He reached the third landing and followed them out of the stairwell and into a dark corridor. Harry could hardly see but he didn't dare light the tip of his wand. It would be far too dangerous.
He crept further down the corridor, the footsteps entering a room, the door half-closed. Taking a deep breath, Harry gripped the doorknob in his hand. This is it, he thought, clenching the doorknob tightly. He threw open the door and aimed his wand—at nothing. He frowned and walked further into the room, his eyes on the footprints. They stopped in the middle of the room, but there was no sign of the King of Darkness, or of him having walked anywhere else. Harry cautiously kicked the area around the last set of footprints, ensuring the King of Darkness wasn't just invisible. He wasn't. The Dark Lord wasn't there at all. Harry was confused now, not understanding. He replaced his wand as he circled around the room, knocking lightly on walls and looking up at the ceiling. There was no escape except—Harry cursed.
The King of Darkness must've disapparated, and now they would never find him.
"You should never put your wand away in hostile territory." Harry whipped around as he heard the voice, but before he could react, a blue flash shot from the wand aimed at him and slammed into his chest.
-----
Vilandra moved her pawn, visibly bored as she checkmated Rhett, not a single one of her pieces gone. He sighed, shaking his head, wanting to say she was as good as her father—which he knew because his own always complained about it—but he didn't, knowing it would upset her to be reminded of him.
Rhett reset the pieces, as they were playing regular Muggle chess instead of Wizard chess. They all found Wizard chess too messy and somewhat violent. Not that the violence bothered the boys, but Vilandra didn't particularly like it, so they always played with the inanimate Muggle pieces.
Vilandra sighed as she rested her head in her hands, watching Rhett reset the pieces. Leroux was on the couch beside them, reading his Defence Against the Dark Arts book. The Chimera attack had worried him, and he'd decided it was time to start reading now. As Rhett repositioned himself in front of the coffee table, he clapped his hands.
"All right, bring it on." Vilandra moved one of her pieces, and then turned to look at Talak, needing entertainment while Rhett pondered his first move for twenty minutes, as he always did. Talak was trying to come up with as many horrible deaths for himself as possible so that when the time came for predictions, he would always have some available. Every once in a while, he would mutter and curse, and shove the end of his quill in his mouth before spitting it out, completely forgetting it wasn't a pen.
Nobody reacted when the portrait hole opened, everyone in the common room continuing on with their conversations, or their homework. When a hush fell over the entire room, that was when the four turned to the portrait hole. And the hush was well deserved, for never in their whole time at Hogwarts could the four remember the headmaster himself stepping into their dormitory.
"Rhett, Talak." He motioned them over sombrely and they frowned. The two stood from their positions on the floor and couch, walking towards the headmaster. Leroux and Vilandra shared a look, but said nothing. Dumbledore motioned the twins out of the tower and they obeyed, Dumbledore following behind them. As the portrait swung closed once they'd exited, Dumbledore headed for his office, not saying a word. The two boys just followed, not asking questions, but both shooting nervous glances at each other.
If this had been about a prank—or the Death Eater—all four of them would've been present, and not just the twins. That they knew for sure, so they assumed this was something much, much bigger. Something involving family. They stopped as Dumbledore did, turning to the stone gargoyle that guarded his office.
"Gobstopper." The gargoyle sprang to life and moved aside, revealing a set of stairs which spiralled upwards, moving on their own. The Potter twins had been in his office before, obviously, but they'd never been so terrified to step onto the stairs in their lives. They followed the headmaster onto the spiralling stairs, and stepped off at the top. He held open the door for them, and they walked in awkwardly, wondering why McGonnagall hadn't brought them up. She was probably busy patrolling, but to be called up by the headmaster himself was unnerving the twins, and the fear each felt couldn't be separated from the fear of the other, since they could each feel each other's fear. Dumbledore stepped behind his desk and motioned the two chairs before him.
"Please, sit." They obeyed as he, too, sat down. Sighing heavily, he stared at the two boys who sat in front of him. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm afraid we're waiting for another visitor." The second the words left his mouth, there came a knock at the door. "Yes, come in." McGonnagall appeared at the door, and then moved aside to let someone else in.
"Mum?" Talak asked confused as both he and Rhett stood up. She ran to her sons, almost in tears.
"Oh, thank heavens!" She hugged each tightly at the same time, one arm around each son. "When McGonnagall came for me, I thought one of you had gotten injured." She pulled away and looked at each son in turn. "You're both all right?" They nodded, unsure of what to think since their mother was there. Maybe they were going to be expelled after all. The realization made Talak's stomach churn.
"Mrs. Potter, please, have a seat." Dumbledore waved his wand and another chair appeared beside Rhett's. She sat down, her two sons doing the same.
"I'll take my leave, professor Dumbledore."
"Yes, thank you, Minerva." McGonnagall inclined her head and closed the door.
"What's happened, professor Dumbledore?" Ginny asked the second the door closed. "Are they being expelled?" She asked, a knot forming in her throat. Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head.
"I wish the news were as good as that." Talak and Rhett exchanged worried glances. If them being expelled would've been good news, they were almost worried to find out what, exactly, the bad news was! Ginny frowned, also confused. Dumbledore sighed again, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "There is really no delicate way to put this, so I am afraid I must simply say it." He replaced his glasses, folded his hands together, and stared at Ginny. "We received an owl not long ago from the King of Darkness." The stab of fear that hit the three in front of him was enough to make him cringe. The twins didn't know about Harry's mission to find the Dark Lord. Ginny only knew he'd been sent on an assignment. He hated that he was the one who would end up telling them what had happened. With another heavy sigh, he continued. "Mrs. Potter, the assignment your husband was sent on was a dangerous one involving the King of Darkness." Ginny's hand flew to her mouth as tears sprung to her eyes. To see her already like this made it hard for Dumbledore to continue, but he had no choice. "He was sent on assignment, and went to the King of Darkness' stronghold. We hadn't heard from him in over an hour, and then, we received word that he was caught, and the King of Darkness is now holding him." The two boys stared at their headmaster horrified as Ginny paled, tears already streaming down her cheeks.
"You—you don't think…" She trailed off and Dumbledore shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Ginny. I don't know." Dumbledore whispered. He reached out and put one of his hands on her own, which were clutched tightly on her lap. Talak stared at the ground confused.
"But…" He trailed off, but it didn't matter. Rhett picked up right where he left off.
"He was Harry Potter. He defeated Voldemort—" Rhett began
"—Lord Malfoy—" Talak continued, finding his voice.
"—Umbridge—"
"—and so much more if you count his years in school. And now—"
"—you're telling us—"
"—that some sodding man—"
"—with a bloody stupid name—"
"—defeated one of the greatest wizards of all time?" Talak finished, anger boiling inside of him. Dumbledore sighed.
"It's not that simple. This wizard is different."
"How can he possibly be different?" Rhett exploded, standing up so quickly his chair toppled over backwards.
"Please, Rhett, calm down." Dumbledore insisted in a soothing voice.
"Calm down?" He turned to look at Talak as he spoke. "Our father is currently in the hands of the most feared wizard since Lord Voldemort, and you're telling us to calm down!"
"The Order is doing everything they can to get him back." Dumbledore reassured.
"That's not good enough!" Rhett insisted.
"Sit down!" Both boys were stunned at the shrill voice, and Rhett fell immediately back onto his chair. Ginny took a deep, shaky breath. "I know this is a disaster—" A sob escaped from between her lips and she covered her mouth, still crying. But she needed to get the situation under control. Her sons had every right to be mad, but not with Dumbledore. He was the only person who could help them now. Taking a deep breath, she started again. "I know this is a disaster, but you are still students in this school, and you are still in the presence of your headmaster." She whispered. She ran the back of her hands across her cheeks, trying to rid herself of some of the tears that had fallen. "The Order of the Phoenix is a strong organization, it was responsible for helping take down Lord Voldemort. They are among the best witches and wizards, so out of everyone available, they're the only ones who can find your father and bring him—" She cut herself off as her voice cracked. "Bring him home." She finished hurriedly. Dumbledore placed his hand on hers again.
"We'll have you stay at headquarters, Ginny." She looked up at him as he said that. "I'm sorry, but we cannot allow you to return to your Muggle home, it is too dangerous. You don't have enough protection, and we do not have enough people to have someone watch you." She nodded.
"I understand. I'll pack some things and head off to the Order headquarters at once." He nodded.
"Minerva will escort you to your home, and then to headquarters. I'll ensure the boys' safety here." She nodded gratefully and stood, the boys standing as well while facing their mother. They were both at least a foot taller than her.
"Mum, let us go with you." Rhett insisted.
"We don't want you to get hurt." Talak added. She shook her head.
"No, it's too dangerous. Brave of you, but no." She patted Rhett's chest lightly and then straightened the collar of his shirt. "No, you'll-you'll stay here." She nodded to herself. "You're safe here." Rhett hugged her tightly and she began crying heavily, hugging him just as tightly. He didn't want to let go, but finally had to when Talak wrenched him away and hugged Ginny.
"We love you, mum." Talak whispered to her.
"And I love the two of you. I love you so very, very much." She pulled away from Talak.
"Dad will be okay." Rhett reassured, stepping up beside his brother. "He's always okay."
"Like in the Chamber of Secrets—"
"—when he had the Basilisk's venom flowing through his blood." Ginny nodded.
"Yes. Your father—he'll be all right." Ginny turned and hurried for the door, knowing she wouldn't be able to leave if she didn't right then. She opened it and then turned back to her sons. They stared right back at her, and she finally forced herself out the door, and closed it behind her. The two turned back to their headmaster.
"Sir, I'm sorry about—" Rhett cut himself off as Dumbledore held up his hand.
"I wouldn't have expected anything different, Mr. Potter." He stood up from his seat. "I shall escort you back to your dormitory, I suggest you both get some sleep." He patted Talak's shoulder sadly as he passed him, and then headed for the door.
"Can we tell Lonnie and Leroux?" Rhett asked as they followed the headmaster out.
"If you wish, it is not my decision." The headmaster replied.
-----
Vilandra bit her nails nervously as she sat beside Leroux on the couch. He was staring into the fire, his book forgotten in his hand. They heard the portrait swing open and turned to see who it was. Rhett and Talak entered, looking terrible, and slowly headed towards their cousins. Vilandra and Leroux stood up immediately, hurrying towards the twins. They all stopped in the centre of the common room.
"Are you all right?" Leroux asked, surveying their features. "What happened?"
"You've not been expelled, have you?" Vilandra asked, guilt rising in her chest. The swamp in the Great Hall had been her idea, and if they were expelled because of it, she would complain and insist the only one to be expelled was her. However, the two boys shook their heads at her question.
"No, it's worse." Talak whispered.
"Much worse." Rhett corrected. Leroux and Vilandra shared a look.
"Much worse than expulsion?" Leroux asked stunned. "What could possibly be worse?" That was when Rhett couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst into tears, making hardly any noise as the tears flowed down his face. Vilandra hurriedly hugged him and he fell to his knees, forcing her onto her own. Vilandra hugged him tightly, running her right hand soothingly through his hair. Talak leaned against the table beside him, also beginning to cry. Leroux was baffled; he didn't know what to do. Going over to Talak, he placed his hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay, mate. It's all right, just tell us what happened." Sobbing the entire time, Talak managed to choke out what the headmaster had informed them, Rhett crying too heavily into Vilandra's shoulder to ever input. The two cousins were stunned at what they heard, not believing that Harry Potter—the Harry Potter—had been defeated so easily. Neither of them understood, he was one of the most powerful wizards ever to have lived. More powerful than Voldemort, even more powerful than Dumbledore! The only person more powerful than Harry Potter was probably Godric Gryffindor himself. They couldn't believe their uncle may very well be dead, it was just—unthinkable.
Vilandra looked up at Leroux, still holding Rhett and running her hand through his hair. She motioned the boys' room with the nod of her head and he nodded, wrapping one arm around Talak's shoulders. Vilandra pulled away from Rhett ever so slightly.
"Come on, sweetie. Come on, let's get you to bed." She whispered. She helped him stand, struggling slightly under his weight, but he managed to finally hold himself up, only leaning on her slightly. She placed one hand on each of his shoulders from behind and walked with him towards the stairs, straining her left arm painfully as she forced herself to keep her hip right beside his. She walked him slowly up the stairs as he continued crying, leading him into the room.
"Bloody hell, the two of them!" Ziad asked stunned. Vilandra merely shook her head, silently telling him to just back off. Ziad and Rivel understood her silent words, and retreated to their beds, drawing the hangings. Leroux was helping Talak into bed as Vilandra stopped Rhett before his own. She let him go for three seconds to pull down his blankets, and then sat him down on his bed. She bent down and undid his shoes, pulling them off his feet. She then took off his socks and stood up. She pulled Rhett's sweater up over his head, throwing it onto the lid of his trunk and began to unbutton his shirt. He had stopped crying now, and just stared blankly ahead of him, his eyes not focussed on anything in particular. She slipped the button-down shirt off his shoulders and pushed gently on his shoulder, motioning for him to lie down. He did, turning his body and lying down on his bed, still wearing his pants. She pulled the blankets up over him and kissed his forehead. She then drew the hangings around his bed, forcing away the fact that she had done the exact same things to Chaim the night they'd found out Ronald Weasley had left them forever.
She headed back to the door, Leroux following behind her. He closed the door quietly and the two made their way back into the common room in silence. Leroux ran his hand over his mouth, unsure of what to say. Vilandra hugged herself as she stared at the floor. Both were in just as much shock as the twins, but they couldn't show their feelings in front of them. The twins needed support, and that was what Leroux and Vilandra would give them.
"I'm going to go tell Chaim." Leroux finally said after they'd stood there for over ten minutes in silence. "I think you should talk to Kei." Vilandra nodded, biting at the inside of her cheek.
"Yeah. I'll tell her after I—I'm going to call Sterling." Vilandra rubbed her neck with her right hand, nodding to herself. "You know, mum—mum probably hasn't been home, I should make sure he's doing all right with Gran and Gramps." Leroux nodded back, putting his hand on her shoulder. Tears began to fall down her cheeks and he sighed, shushing her as he pulled her to him.
"It's okay, Lonnie. It's okay." She continued to cry silently into Leroux's chest as he rocked her gently back and forth. She pulled away after a few minutes, wiping her tears.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so inconsiderate to the twins." Leroux shook his head, lifting her chin slightly with his fingers.
"It's okay to cry, Lonnie. He's important to all of us." She nodded, still wiping away her tears with the sleeves of her sweater.
"I'm going to go call Sterling." Leroux nodded.
"I'll go see Chaim." Vilandra nodded back and they both headed off in different directions—Leroux towards the First year's room, and Vilandra towards the fireplace.
-----
Harry stirred slightly, pain shooting down his spine. He wasn't sure what kind of curse hit him, but it hurt like hell. He groaned as he straightened his head, his neck burning painfully. He wondered how long he'd been unconscious in that same position, his head tilted back. It felt like days, but it was probably only a few hours. Harry's right lens was broken and he cursed not having listened to Ginny when she'd suggested contact lenses. He realized he was tightly bound to a chair, and assessing how tight the ropes were, he realized that struggling would only tighten them around his wrists. If the blood-flow stopped going to his hands completely, he was sure the King of Darkness would take no pity on him.
I have to find a way out of here, he thought urgently, scanning the dark room. Except, that was all it was. A dark, empty room. No windows, no tables, no lights, nothing. The only things present seemed to be the chair he sat in, and a door before him with an opening near the top, blocked off by bars. The little light he received streamed in through the small opening, and he knew that when a shadow loomed before it, the King of Darkness would be coming to pay him a visit. He needed to get free before that happened.
Breathing hard, Harry gingerly pulled with his right hand. The ropes on his left wrist immediately tightened, forcing Harry to stop immediately before they got too tight. Pulling with his left hand, the same effect happened on his right wrist, neither side loosening when the other was pulled.
"Brilliant." Harry breathed defeated, letting his head fall backwards. He was going to die because he'd given in to Hermione. He didn't blame her, of course, he knew why she'd asked him to help.
The realization that he'd never see Ginny or his kids again brought tears to his eyes. He'd never sit in his office chair and jump bolt upright straight after due to something they'd put on it. He'd never yell at them as his face changed colours due to something they'd put in his food. He'd never be able to play Quidditch with them ever again. He wouldn't see them grow up, he wouldn't see them graduate—he wouldn't see them turn into the stars he knew they were. And Ginny—even the name wrenched his heart. She'd stuck with him through thick and thin, she'd put up with all his fame even though it killed her inside to see so many beautiful women throwing themselves at him. She'd gone through so much, and finally helped him escape from it all by agreeing to live in a Muggle neighbourhood, in a Muggle house, with a Muggle job and everything.
He closed his eyes, trying to remember every shape, every curve of her body. How she always smelled of cinnamon when he woke up in the morning. How her flaming red hair was always perfect, every hair in its proper place. How her blue eyes always sparkled like diamonds when she smiled at him. Even as he died, that was the one image he wanted to keep in his mind. That image of his wife, and his two kids on their brooms playing Quidditch. He desperately wanted to see them again, at least just once more, but he knew it was hopeless. He would die soon, in the godforsaken room he sat in, bound to a chair.
His eyes snapped open as the light flickered and he straightened his head, looking up. A shadow loomed before his door, and he knew exactly who it would be. The King of Darkness. His door was unlocked and the doorknob turned, squeaking the whole time. The door inched open slowly, and there he stood, in all his glory. He smirked at Harry, walking into the room as the blinding light outside assaulted Harry's eyes. He winced, trying to appreciate the light, since he would never see it again soon.
Without a word—or even a wand—the King of Darkness waved his hand and a chair flew from outside the room, stopping in front of Harry. Letting out a long breath, the Dark Lord sat down in front of him, smiling.
"So this is it." He said simply. "The famous Harry Potter." He laughed, the cruel sound echoing through the room. "I'm very disappointed. Caught off-guard?" The King of Darkness tsk-tsked while shaking his head. Harry said nothing, avoiding eye contact. "I would've expected better from you. Honestly, one little spell, and you crumpled like a twig being snapped by a two year old. It was pathetic." Still, Harry said nothing. He would give the Dark Lord no reason to kill him—not that he wouldn't, anyway. With a heavy sigh, the Dark Lord leaned back in his chair, inspecting Harry. A smile spread on his face. "The years were kind to you, Harry." At this, Harry had to speak. He looked straight into the vibrant blue eyes before him, and spoke what he honestly believed would be his last words.
"You, too."
He paused.
"Ron."