Chapter 9 Benzodiazepine

Shadow was out hiking. Officially he was looking for Iontrag berries for potions but in reality he was just enjoying the day. The crisp cold air blowing through the fall leaves made everything look cheerful and although it was autumn things seemed more alive and welcoming to him. He shifted his staff to his other hand as he spotted a cluster of berries. Good, if he came back with a good haul then he would be able to convince Father to let him go out again next weekend. After he picked the ones he had seen he looked around for any others in the same area moving some brush out of the way to look in the thicket where he had found the first berries. He wasn't trying to be quiet as he searched but he was by no means noisy. At least he was quiet enough to hear someone behind him.

Shadow stood up straight and shifted his staff into a battle stance as he spun around to see what was behind him. Two girls and from the looks of them they were the same ones his brothers and sisters had seen when they were gathering insect casings a few weeks ago. Both women had on backpacks and one of them had a long slender piece of wood that she was using for a walking staff.

The blond one held up her empty right hand in greeting and said "Hi, are you hiking too?"

Shadow nodded then said "This isn't the park. Are you lost or just following another animal trail again today?"

"Again today? Do we know you or something?" the other asked him.

Shadow allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he shook head no. "You met two of my brothers and sisters a few weeks ago. They described the two of you when the told the family about your hike."

"I remember, the brunette boy and the boy with the white hair. There were two girls with them too. That's your family?"

"Some of my family. So you never answered me, are you lost or following another animal trail today." Shadow asked.

The blond haired girl got a wide grin on her face as she took off her backpack and moved it around to her front. As she started to open it she said, "Neither. Actually today we came to get you." Before Shadow could really take in what she had said he saw the gun in her hand pointing at himself. He started to raise his staff to make a shield but before he could complete the movement he heard the crack of the gun being fired and almost instantly he felt a sharp pain in his throat followed by a wave of dizziness.

Not knowing how he got there he found himself on his hands and knees in the leaf mold a pair of hiking boots in front of his face. Shadow shook his head trying to clear it. Bad mistake. He was fairly sure he had stopped shaking his head but it didn't feel like it. What was that noise, it almost sounded like someone was talking. He would see who it was in a minute. In just, just a second…every thing faded to black and he knew no more.

(Later the same day at the compound)

"Did Shadow say anything to any of you about staying out past lunch" Father asked the group. Everyone answered in the negative. "I'm sure he said he would be back before lunch. Martin, Jonaus I'm going to go look for him. Will you two please help? Ladies, please stay here with the children. I'm sure he just got sidetracked and forgot about the time but I still feel uneasy about his absence." The three men got into their jackets and left the compound.

They split up after agreeing to shoot green sparks in the air if they found him and red sparks if they had any trouble. After about two hours of searching Jonaus found Shadows staff but no trace of Shadow. The area was slightly scuffed but not enough to indicate that Shadow had been attacked and yet Jonaus couldn't figure out any other reason that Shadow would abandon his staff. He took out his wand and shot red sparks in the air to bring the other two men to the site. As he waited for Chandos and Martin he continued to look around and found something curious. It was some sort of a spike attached to a thicker plastic barrow. The end of the spike had an opening in it. What on earth could this thing be?

As he was looking at the spike thing Chandos came running up. "Where is he? Is he ok?" Jonaus shook his head no. "I don't think so. I found his staff and this thing but not him."

He handed the spike thing to Chandos whose face paled. "It's a tranquilizer dart. They are shot out of a specialized gun. You found this here?"

Jonaus nodded. "That and his staff."

"Fuck, he could have been hit with that thing and crawled off into the brush. Martin should be here soon. Help me search for him. Don't stick yourself with thing and keep it safe. Martin needs to look at it. He'll be able to tell what it was loaded with after he analyzes the residue from it." Chandos said as he handed the dart back to Jonaus.

Jonaus put the dart in his pocket after he cast a bubble around it to keep it safe then helped Chandos look in the brush for the missing boy. The two of them searched for about 15 minuites before Martin showed up. "What you got?" Martin asked.

Jonaus showed Martin the dart as Chandos crawled out of the bushes. "Take it back to the complex and find out what it was loaded with. I think Shadow was hit by that thing. Don't tell the children yet but tell the women. They need to know, especially LeAnn. Ask her if she feels anything from Shadow too. I think he's to well trained for her to pick up on him but I don't know for sure. These are unusual circumstances we're dealing with."

Martin hugged Chandos. "We'll find him. I won't tell you to not worry but we will find him. I promise."

That said Martin apparated back to the complex.

The two men continued to search the surrounding brush for another hour before they too apparated back home without Shadow.

When they got home they went straight to Martins lab. "Anything yet Martin?" Chandos asked.

"Yes, its some type of benzodiazepine but I'm not sure which one yet. Whichever one it is the dilution is strong enough to keep someone of Shadows weight out for about 24 hours. Possibly even longer if he is sensitive to it." Martin said.

Jonaus looked confused, "English please."

"Benzodiazepine is a tranquilizer administered to muggles to treat certain medical conditions. If a strong enough dose is given it renders the muggle unconscious.

"Can you think of any reason someone would need something like that in the forest?" Chandos asked.

All Martin said was one word but that word had the power to send three men into a panic of fear for Shadow. "No."

"Then he's been kidnapped. I need to go see my wife first before I explain what's going on to the rest of the family. Jonaus, don't let any of the children out of the complex and have everyone meet me in the family room in 30 minutes." With that Chandos left the lab to find his wife. He was not looking forward to this conversation. Hell, he wasn't looking forward to the next one either.

(Hogwarts later the same day)

The old man sat in the chair studying the old photograph in his hand. It could be, they certainly looked enough alike to be brothers. About the only difference that he could see was the boy in the picture had brown hair and it was much shorter and very sloppy. He got up and set the photo down on the table beside the chair and walked over to the bed. Looking down at the boy he brushed the hair that had come loose out of his face and off his forehead. No scar but the resemblance was uncanny. So close that even if he wasn't the boy Dumbledore could use him. With that thought Dumbledore nodded his head. "Well Harry, welcome to Hogwarts." Taking his wand from his pocket the old man cast a spell on the boy that literally carved a jagged lightning bolt shaped cut on his forehead above his left eye. After wiping the blood away he cast a petrificus totalus on the sleeping boy and left the room.

Going to the infirmary he asked Poppy for a healing cream. "Something for a cut please."

Handing Albus a small jar of cream Poppy asked, "Did you hurt yourself Albus?"

"No, not at all. I just like to keep some of this around my office. You know that sometimes Severus comes back and needs it right away. I also have students come in sometimes that are bleeding from minor injuries." He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled, twinkling eyes full of mirth. "Thank you my dear." He took the jar of cream and left the room.

Returning to the small guest bedroom in his quarters he conjured a damp piece of flannel and wiped the blood off the boy's forehead again and applied a liberal amount of the cream to the cut. He watched as it healed leaving a scar that looked like it had been there for years. Casting a few more spells he had the blood cleaned up from the boy and the bed then he levitated the boy off the bed, cast a charm that removed the boys clothes leaving him in his briefs, lowered him back to the bed and covered him up with the thick comforter. With a Finite Incantatem he removed the petrificus totalus from the boy then warded the door so no one except himself could enter or leave the room. With one last wave of his wand the candles in the room were extinguished then he shut the door behind him.

According to his contacts in America the boy should stay asleep for about 20 to 30 hours from the drug he had been given. Well, let him sleep then. Albus began to make plans.