Chapter 30

Caro screeched as Harry and Draco ran past her and threw themselves in the bright blue water of the ocean. Shaking her head annoyingly, she stepped slowly forwards and finally she managed it also to dive into the waves. The water was cold but as soon as she had got used to it, it was wonderful. She laid on her back and let herself float.

In the sky not even one single little cloud could be seen, she noticed. Without a warning she was pulled under water and angrily and gasping for air she dived up and rushed at Draco who grinning tried to run away but was stopped by Harry. Laughing they still stayed in the water for a while and then set off to swim back to the beach.

"Which is first at the blankets!" Draco shouted and begun to run across the warm sand.

Caro reached their shadowy place under the gaudy sunshade first. Snatching her towel, she smiled happily. How beautiful it was here. Terley really seemed to be a world of its own, she thought. A world without problems and worries, it crossed Caro's mind; at least nearly. Since Peter had disappeared last October, they couldn't sent him anymore to go shopping as they had done it most of the time before but had to leave the castle occasionally themselves; excursions which Caro never longed for.

The danger was too great to be discovered. So far they had had luck; Caro knew however that if they should meet again followers of the Dark Lord, they hardly could hope that Harry would be able to convince them again he acted by orders of his father as he had done it as they had saved Charlie Weasley. Thinking of Charlie she felt how a certain sadness rose in her. In the last months she had often thought of him, something she couldn't explain. He wanted to become an Auror after all, she thought contemptuously or perhaps he was it already. Hearing Harry's laugher, she nodded satisfied and set up.

She was so happy that Harry had finally overcome the ill-fated events, just as Peter's disappearance. Magic he also performed again, even if he did it without his wand which, as he had said, had lost. As Harry had realized that he could do more difficult and more advanced spells he had been overjoyed. Obviously the long time where he had refrained from doing any magic at all had done him good. At least Harry assumed that the break was the reason for his sudden progress. Caro wasn't so sure about this but if it made Harry happy she would certainly not think about the exact reason. In the previous months they all had very much got ahead in the different branches of Magic. Though she had given it up to become ever an Animagus – she just hadn't a talent for this – she had been the first who had managed it to Apparate while Harry had still some minor problems with it.

Caro yawned sleepily and pushing Diamond who had curled herself up a bit aside, she stretched out. But now everything was all right again, she thought happily and just wanted to try taking a nap as a strange scream caused her to look up in the sky. Blinking she saw Rainbow, Harry's in the sun bright shining phoenix, who shoot towards them.

Harry stood up and felt a silent worry rising in him. Rainbow landed and as he took the letter off her, he recognized Ginny's handwriting. He read the written lines and then gazed up at the ocean which lay in front of him like a shimmering mirror, but he didn't see it.

Harry's hands, which felt like numb, were clutching the letter. For a little house-elf he had returned to Arreton Castle, despite his fear for the consequences of his escape and the reaction of his adoptive father, he hadn't been deterred from saving Nell. In that moment he had read Ginny's lines he had realized that he hadn't another choice as to return and to try everything in his power to help Jamie and Lizzie. The letter fell to the ground. The reality had caught up with him.

It was not possible anymore to run away from a decision. He knew that he had to choose one side and filled with conflicting feelings he finally forced himself to do so. It wasn't a matter of the Light Side or the Dark Side anymore; it wasn't a matter of Dumbledore's side or of his adoptive father. Two little children were at stake, Jamie who had been so amazed at his ability to speak with snakes and Lizzie who had brought Draco to tell her a story with her bright blue eyes. Harry shook his head. Why his adoptive father had kidnapped the children? But he wouldn't kill them, would he? So cruel his adoptive father couldn't be. At the next moment doubts overcame him. Harry sighed. There was no point in thinking about what he would do.

Caro watched how the parchment fluttered gracefully on the sand and set up.

"Harry?" she said timidly.

Slowly Harry turned around and Caro froze as she saw his face. With odd sounding voice he said,

„Jamie and Lizzie were kidnapped."

"What?" Draco exclaimed who had sat up abruptly.

„They were abducted by Death Eaters. Ginny wrote and she, Charlotte and Alison ask us to help."

"But why? What does he have in mind with them?" Caro murmured despairingly, shocked that they had been so happy only one moment ago. She knew that Harry would return and in the same moment she realized that she also would do everything in her power to help the little ones, a realization which rather surprised her. Then she abruptly paused.

"You want to tell them where the secret passage way is, don't you? Do you know what this will mean? You would show the Light Side the way to victory!"

Draco's eyes widened.

„You can't do that, Harry!"

Harry stared despairingly at them.

"And what do you suggest shall we do? Shall we write Charlotte and Alison that we won't help them? And Jamie and Lizzie, don't you care what will happen to them?"

"But my parents…." Draco whispered. At the next moment he stood up.

"You're right, Harry, we have to help them. Lizzie, I would never forgive myself if she would be tortured or worse as back then in the dungeons…" Draco said and broke up.

"Even if it means…"

„Damned, why had they have to do such a thing!" he suddenly screamed.

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

Draco turned towards Harry, stepped to him and said after short hesitance,

"My mother would surely help us, Harry."

"Your mother?" Harry asked confused.

„She would immediately tell my adoptive father that we are in the castle," he added and was astonished to see how Draco was shaking vehemently his head.

"No, she wouldn't do that. I've written to her the last months after all, she knows where we are."

Caro jumped up. She couldn't believe what Draco just had said.

"You've written to her where we are? Are you out of your mind?"

"She didn't tell anyone! If my mother had told it the Dark Lord he would have stood in front of our door long ago. Besides, it doesn't play a role anymore, does it?"

„No, it doesn't play a role anymore, not at all," Caro snapped and stormed up the cliffs.

Harry gazed after her.

„It's difficult for her. It's like betrayal on her father."

"And for you?" Harry asked silently.

Draco returned his look sadly.

"For me as well. In the beginning Lizzie got rather on my nerves but over time I grew fond of her like a little sister. I love my parents, Harry and nevertheless it's not right what they are doing. Lizzie and Jamie never did anything to anyone."

While Draco was speaking, Harry suddenly realized that it also seemed like a betrayal to him. But why should it, Harry wondered angrily. Before he could however think further about this, Draco sighed,

"My mother could really help us. She surely knows where the children are."

Although Harry was still not entirely convinced, he nodded,

"Come, we can't lose any time," he said and while they ran back to the castle, Rainbow flew back and Nell followed them with Diamond, wind caught the parchment, lifted it up into the air and as it was blown against a rock, it felt to the ground where it remained lying. A rat darted out of one of the rock's clefts on the sand and studied the white sheet of parchment.

They met in Hogsmeade, near the Shrieking Shack. As Sirius saw Harry, the look of him hit him with indescribable force. He had changed since they had seen each other the last time. Harry had gotten tall. There wasn't left any much and Harry would be tall just like him. Sirius stepped towards his godson. He had to know it finally, had to know it before they all would expose themselves to danger and would risk their life's.

"Was it you? Did you murder Farle and Bill Weasley?"

Before Harry could answer, Caro began to speak.

"This Farle attacked us. We had to defend us. We didn't want to kill him. It was an accident and Bill Weasley was murdered by Peter."

Sirius' eyebrows shot up.

„Peter?" he repeated with a drawl.

"Yes, Peter Pettigrew. He stayed behind as we fled. He killed Bill Weasley and conjured up the Dark Mark."

Sirius watched how Remus' eyes clouded over. Confused Sirius shook his head. The story seemed to be so much more complicated as he had thought still yesterday. Before he could however continue to think about this, Harry said,

„ Shouldn't we set off finally?" and suddenly he wanted to forbid Harry to come along, just as he had forbidden it Hermione but he knew that they would not been able to get into the Dark Lord's castle without Harry and his friends. Sending a silent apology to James and Lily, he nodded grimly. To save Jamie's life had uttermost priority. Everything else was of secondary importance.

Meggie Lupin peered carefully from behind the table and gazed over to Hermione and Ginny who sat silently in their armchairs. Meggie knew that Hermione and Ginny wouldn't allow her to go out but Meggie wanted to her mother. She padded to the door, stretched a bit and opened the door. Quickly Meggie jumped along the corridor and then ran upstairs.

Neither Hermione nor Ginny noticed Meggie's disappearance. Hermione shook her head and rose abruptly out of her armchair. Tensely she paced around the room. She was worried to no end for Jamie, Sirius and Charlotte and Lizzie, she added in her thoughts. Her little brother was in greatest danger and she was condemned to this useless waiting. She had to help them; even if Sirius and Charlotte had forbidden it. Should the followers of Voldemort discover them then…And who knows whether they could really trust Harry. Hermione stopped in her tracks and looked despairingly to Ginny,

„I can't sit here inactively and do nothing! I've to help Jamie. And Sirius and Charlotte."

"But that is much too dangerous. Apart from this, how do you want to find them?" Neville's voice rang out from the door where he had appeared with Ron.

Hermione glared at him.

„So what? Where Voldemort's castle is located isn't a surprise after all. We can fly with our brooms. Everything else will work out somehow," Hermione said and prepared to go to any lengths, she marched past Neville and Ron who looked at her stunned and went out of the room. Ginny, who clutched onto her snowy bracelet, followed.

"That is such madness…" Ron murmured and ran behind his sister and Hermione. As everyone had fetched his broom, they hurried along the corridors.

"Hermione! How on earth shall we get through the wards?" Ginny asked and promptly crashed together with her friend who had stopped abruptly.

"Meggie and Ian! I've completely forgotten them!" she explained, spun around and ran back.

While two year old Ian was holding peacefully his afternoon nap, Meggie could be nowhere seen. Hermione took Ian out from his little bed and frowned.

"Ginny, we need this map, Fred and George's map!"

Before Ginny realized what Hermione meant, she stormed again away. Ron, who was holding Hermione's broom and Neville followed. Though they found Fred and George, they discovered to their disappointment that they hadn't the map any more.

"Yes, it was rather strange. One day Sirius came to us and said that the Order would need it. That was shortly after Harry Black and his friends appeared here," Fred said hatefully.

Hermione cursed and shortly afterwards they ran across the grounds of Hogwarts. Ian had they left with the stunned twins. Reassuring herself that nothing would happen to Meggie in the castle, Hermione's thoughts spun around in her head to find a way how they could go through the wards.

In the meantime Meggie had also come to a halt in front of the softly shimmering wall which isolated Hogwarts from the outside world. Pushing her tiny hands against the barrier, she tried to get through. It was however impossible.

"Meggie, what are you doing here?" a voice said and Meggie turned around.

Albus Dumbledore who just was going for a walk to clear his thoughts, bent down and saw that tears were running down Meggie's little face.

"I want to Mummy."

The old wizard wiped Meggie's tears away and took her hand.

"Your Mummy is the castle. Come, let's go to her."

But Meggie didn't want to come along.

"No, she isn't. They've gone to fight but it is taking them so long already."

Albus frowned. That couldn't be. As he remembered however the strange behaviour of the Blacks, the Lupins and of Alison at the Order meeting which had taken place recently, he understood why he had had the impression that they had wanted to leave his office as soon as possible and hadn't discussed further with him, nor had they tried to persuade him to attack the headquarter of Voldemort. Most worried he picked Meggie up and hurried with the little girl back to the castle as soon as possible.

"Draco! Finally I see you again. What have you only been up to then?"

Harry watched how Draco hugged his mother. Still not knowing whether it had been good to inform Narcissa about their arrival or not, his eyes lingered on Narcissa. It might quite be that Narcissa's love to her son was greater than her loyalty to her master, in the contrary to Lucius Malfoy and Bella who would never act against the interests of the Dark Lord, Harry was sure of it. Since the dungeons were too huge that it would have been possible to search them for the children, Narcissa would do them an inestimable service if she would reveal the whereabouts of the children to them.

This Harry had immediately realized so that he had relented to Draco despite his doubts. The question was only if she would really do it? Harry's gaze flickered to the door while trying to get his fear and nervousness under control. Draco still was whispering forcefully to his mother. Finally Narcissa turned away from Draco and shortly looked in their direction and then she went to the door. Draco smiled,

"Come," he said.

With each more step Harry felt how his fear increased. ‚ Please', he prayed urgently, ‚ let Jamie and Lizzie be still alive.' ‚And let us not running into someone.' Harry clutched the stone of his necklace which he had always worn since the day they had escaped from Hogwarts and tried to encourage himself.

The dungeons became more and more gloomy and finally Narcissa stopped in front of one of the cell's door.

She waved her wand and the heavy door opened.

"The children are away," Narcissa said frowning, while Charlotte let out a suffocating noise.

"Perhaps…"

Agonizing screams echoed through the dungeons. Charlotte and Alison began to run. Sirius and Remus followed.

"No, come back!" Harry shouted before he also began to run. His heart was thumping painfully. In that moment he heard Charlotte screaming Jamie's name; he knew that his worst worries would come true. Slipping he reached one of the bigger under-ground halls. Charlotte, Sirius, Remus, Emily and Alison fought with Lucius, Bella, the Averetts and two other Death Eaters he didn't know. But the sound of approaching steps announced more Death Eaters.

Harry's gaze flickered to Lizzie and Jamie who were lying lifelessly on the ground. Without becoming aware of the danger Harry stormed forwards, right through the fighters. Falling to his knees he picked Lizzie up. Wonderful relief filled him as he realized that she was alive and that Jamie was breathing as well. His head jerked up and he froze. Charlotte who had managed to defeat her opponent, wanted to run to Jamie but the Dark Lord blocked her path. Harry who hadn't noticed the presence of his adoptive father at all so far, jumped up. Blinding green light shot towards Charlotte and Harry screamed,

"No!"

The black-haired woman fell to the ground and the eyes of the Dark Lord remained clung to Harry. Golden light surrounded him. Immediately Voldemort froze. Years disappeared. Suppressed memories rose in him. With two steps he had reached Harry, grasped him by the shoulders. Why he did this, he couldn't have said. Harry flinched back and Voldemort's eyes flew to the necklace which hung around Harry's neck. Shocked to the heart he stared at Harry. A voice full of hatred caused him to let go and spun around.

"You bastard!"

The blinding green light he blocked with ease and sent his Killing Curse behind. For one moment Harry stood there like paralyzed as he now saw the green light shooting towards Sirius. Though his godfather managed to avoid the deadly curse, he stumbled and fell literally in the arms of a black masked Death Eater. Harry wanted to help Sirius but he hadn't come far as pain seemed to explode in him. Never known pain assailed him and crashed down on him.

Minerva felt how fear seized her as the tremendous, threatening and gloomy looking castle appeared in front of them and the forest cleared. They hadn't wasted any time after Albus had found out that Sirius. Charlotte, Remus, Emily and Alison had gone to the headquarters of the Dark Lord. While controlling his anger with difficulty, Albus had immediately informed the whole Order of the situation and had straightway set off with all volunteers, at least after the majority had decided to help their colleagues. Otherwise Albus would probably still have not decided to attack the fortress of the Dark Lord, Minerva thought shaking her head. In her opinion they should have immediately made the decision and not to wait until the desperate parents tried it single-handedly.

While Albus examined the wards, Miinerva's heart filled with boundless worry. The peaceful morning seemed to her already so far away. In front of her eyes she saw Severus running across the lawn with Jamie and Lizzie, saw Sirius jumping up and Alison walking away, strangely, in the opposite direction. It had taken one moment until they had realized what had happened. Of course Albus had blamed himself greatly but what should they have done as they had found Severus unconsciousness in front of the gates of Hogwarts a few days ago.

"It's hopeless," Albus said and dropped his hands.

Minerva stared at him while it crossed her mind that there had to be a way, after all Sirius, Charlotte, the Lupins and Alison had got into the castle somehow.

„I'll show you the way."

The members of the Order whirled around and Minerva believed to see a ghost in front of her. Though it had been nearly thirteen years ago since she had seen him the last time, she recognized Peter Pettigrew immediately.

Suddenly the pain decreased and Harry rolled aside while gasping for air. His eyes were watering and his head and body hurt.

"Harry," a voice said and he felt himself picked up. Harry blinked and as he finally could see clearer again, he recognized that he was in the embrace of his adoptive father. A cold hand laid on his forehead and magic surrounded him and slowly the after-effects of the Cruciatus-Curse disappeared. How strange, Harry thought dazed, this is the first time he hugs me. As he however remembered all of a sudden what had happened and why they had come here, he flinched back. In this moment voices rang out. His adoptive father released him and Harry clambered to his feet.

Remus, Sirius, Emily and Alison were hold prisoner. Harry's attention was directed quickly to something else however. Scarlet cloaks pushed their way into the stony hall. Harry's eyes roamed and fell onto Caro and Draco who crunched next to Lizzie and Jamie. Harry slipped through the fighters and hardly had he safely reached the other side, Caro crying flung her arms around his neck.

"Oh, Harry, are you all right? We were so afraid for you."

"Yes. Caro, Draco, listen. We have to get Lizzie and Jamie out of here. Quick," he said hurriedly and freed himself of Caro's embrace. While Draco picked up Lizzie, Harry took Jamie in his arms and pointed with his head towards the opposite side.

"There, the way leads up to the great hall."

They held themselves closely to the wall and Harry saw to it that no curse hit him a second time in the fighting.

As they had reached the stairs, Harry still cast a gaze back and he froze abruptly. Red hair shortly flared up, but he was sure.

"Get Jamie out of danger," he whispered and handed the little one to Caro.

Without waiting for her reaction, he ran back. How on earth did Ginny come here? But he didn't come very far. A wizard with a scarlet cloak blocked his path and Harry had no choice but to fight. Very quickly he forget all consideration, he only wanted to Ginny and get her into safety. Dark Magic can be really useful after all, as his opponent dropped to the ground. It was narrow in the underground vault and the danger was great that you were hit by curses which weren't actually meant for you.

Fighting Harry forced his way through the crowd. His senses were tensed to the extreme. He heard a buzzing noise and instinctively he whirled around, blocked the curse and sent the next best curse which occurred to him. Only then he saw whom he faced. While his brilliant silver light shoot towards his adoptive father, who lowered his wand, his gaze met with his adoptive father's for a fraction of a second. Then he was hurled backwards. Silvery fire seemed to consume him. As the light faded away, the Dark Lord lay motionless on the ground. Harry felt how the fighters froze, felt how someone hurried past him with long strides.

Minerva dropped her wand while she held her breath as Albus bent over Voldemort.

"Is he dead?" a gruff voice asked and she saw how Alastor Moody limped towards Albus.

"No. Only unconsciousness," Albus replied, sighing tiredly.

At this moment those Death Eaters who still were able to fight seemed to wake up from their paralysis. Minerva however stepped to Harry who stood rigidly in the middle and laid one arm around his shoulders. Minerva hugged him, something what Harry let happened meekly. How could they have been so blind? Minerva asked herself.

She still was shocked about everything Peter had told them earlier. Full of mistrust they had not wanted to believe Peter that he wanted to lead them inside the castle but since the time was running away more and more and they didn't find a possibility to get into the headquarters they had finally agreed, despite the fact that they all hadn't forgotten that it had been him who had betrayed Lily and James. On their way Pettigrew had told them what had happened then in the archives of the Order and Minerva had been shocked.

"Harry. Come, let's go," she said and wanted to pull him along with her. It was still dangerous, not all followers of the Dark Lord had been defeated yet.

Harry however shook off her arm and took a leap forwards. Quick as lightning he was next to Alastar and knocked his hand aside. The blinding green light was flung against the wand.

„No," he said softly.

„I won't allow that you kill him."