Chapter Four:

Hermione sat down on her balcony and stared up at the crescent moon. She looked down at the yard she saw someone moving along, skulking in the shadows. Hermione snatched up her cloak and went out into the corridor. She looked carefully around before making her way towards Gryffindor Tower. She knocked on the portrait frame until someone came. The portrait swung open and Ron was gazing back at her.

"Get Harry, your swords, and follow me." Hermione panted

Ron looked at her for moment before disappearing. He returned a minute later with Harry and both had their swords. Harry was wiping sleep away from his eyes and followed her in a daze.

"Where are we going, Hermione?" Harry said yawning

"I saw someone going across the western lawn. I don't know who it was, but they looked like they were hiding something."Hermione said softly

The made it out onto the lawn. The moon cast a feeble shadow over the castle giving off a pale light. Then they saw it. A man creep from the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. Harry had his sword drawn a second faster than Ron.

"Stop! Don't hurt me." The figure said throwing his hands up in surrender

It was a man's voice, deep and rumbling. Harry and Ron watched the man warily as the man stepped out into the pale light. The man was bent over with his hands over his head. Harry and Ron recognized the man as Tom, the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry lowered his sword and Ron did so as well.

"What's up, Tom?" Harry said, his curiosity getting the better of him

"I went to pick something up from the Three Broomsticks. The pub... when I got there... it was... and Lily ... I couldn't find her anywhere..." Tom managed

"Come with us." Ron said

The knights and the wicca lead Tom into the castle. Harry instructed Hermione to wait in the entrance hall while he and Ron went to wake up the king. Harry and Ron charge full-pelt towards James's bedroom. Harry banged on the door.

"James get up! Get up. This is important! JAMES GET UP!" Harry shouted

The swung open and James was glaring down at his cousin.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Just because you're my cousin doesn't mean you can call by my first name." James said groggily

"James this is-"

"NO!" James said and slammed the door in his face

"Fine then! We'll save Lily ourselves." Harry said storming off, Ron right at Harry's heels

It took a second for this to sink in, but by the time he realized what was happening Harry was gone.

"Well..." Hermione said anxiously

"We have to find her ourselves." Ron said bitterly

"What about the king?"

"Let's just says he's not up to the challenge and leave it at that."

"Harry, wait!" A voice said

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Tom turned to see James running towards them.

"Leave this to the adults Harry."

"ADULTS? James, you're barely three years older than me!" Harry roared

Remus came limping up from his library. He looked at the scene before him and sighed.

"What's happened now?" He said groggily

"Someone's taken Lily!" Harry shouted frustrated

"Well why are we still here, then?" Remus asked like they were idiots

Harry and Ron looked at each other and made a break for the door. Hermione gathered up her skirts (A/N See was wearing on of those old kinda skirts. Remember this is in a medieval time period) and tore after them. Before any one could stop them they had disappeared into the night. Remus, who had been limping after them, was forced to sit down. He swore to himself and wished he had never fooled around with that curse. He forced James and Sirius to go ahead without him and he made his way to the stables.

"Oi! Charlie!" Remus shouted when the stables came into view

Charlie met him at the door looking slightly confused.

"I need something fast, fierce. . . and flying." Remus said panting softly

"Follow me." Charlie said with a grin. "I know I shouldn't have. . .I'd be in a lot of trouble if word got out. . .But I couldn't help myself. . ."

"What a you breeding?" Remus said in a bemused tone

"You are not the only wizard in the kingdom. . . I had to have magic to pull it off. . . It was amazingly tough. . . You'd love it though. . . I could supply you with a lot of dragon's blood. . ." Charlie said smoothly

"YOU'RE BREEDING DRAGONS!" Remus bellowed

"Shut up! You're going to wake the whole castle!" Charlie said hurriedly. (A/N Charlie is older than Remus, James, and Sirius. Funny isn't? Charlie taking orders for someone who's five years younger than him, but I digress. James and co. are all seventeen Charlie's twenty-two) "You're worse than Bill."

"Sorry, but dragons! What do you mean, 'You're not the only wizard in the kingdom'? Of course I am!" Remus snapped

"I mean I was born with magical powers." Charlie said as the reached the back of the stable

Charlie pulled out a wand and tapped on the bare wall. It flew open and revealed a whole other stable. There were reenforced doors that were emitting loud roaring sounds.

"Be careful where you stick you're fingers." Charlie said with a harsh laugh. "You might not get it back."

Remus's face fell.

"Okay. . . You want something fast fierce and flying. I suggest Hades here." Charlie said unlocking one of the several locks on a cage near the door

Remus felt the blood drain from his face when saw exactly what Hades was. Hades was a black dragon whose shoulders were level with Charlie's. It had gleaming red eyes and spikes running down his back. Two columns of smoke were billowing from each of Hades's nostrils.

"Don't let his appearance fool you. He's like a teddy bear, but people normally run away before they figure this out." Charlie said laughing softly

Remus nodded and helped Remus onto the dragons back, who crouched down to make it easier. Charlie lead them back out side into the night air.

"Do you still think they're following us?" Hermione said after what seemed like and eternity

"I don't. . . think so." Harry said stopping to catch his breath

Ron, who was about ten feet ahead of them, stopped and looked over his shoulder at the castle gates. He watched warily, listening for James or Sirius. He knew Remus wouldn't make it halfway across the lawn, let alone keep up with Sirius.

"We can't rest for long. Sirius will be here in no time." Ron said softly

"There they are!" Sirius's voice bellowed

"Come on." Harry hissed

He grabbed Hermione's hand and drug her along behind him. They heard footsteps charging after them. Harry didn't dare look over his shoulder.

"Hurry up!" Ron shout from the top of the hill

How does he do that, Harry thought. They reached the top of the hill and looked back Sirius and James weren't behind them, which only made Harry worry more. He would rather see them than not know where they were.