AN: Some readers will recognise the first half of this. I took down the chapter I had up before and rewrote it, again. I've also revised the earlier chapters, grouping the smaller ones together. It was a bit mad that I had one chapter that was 900 words then one that was 10K, so fewer chapters but still the same story.
Sorry for being the most indecisive writer ever. Thanks for the follows and favourites - not sure it's deserved but continuing on!
14th September 11:35
The warmth of Remus's palm lingered on Harry's face as he drew back, unshed tears feeling hot in the corners of his eyes. His chest was tight. He was teetering on the edge of his control, emotional, struggling to breathe. The constant burn in his scar reminded him that this reprieve was brief and he forced himself to focus - return to the matter at hand. He straightened, his back twinging in pain again, his shoulders now aching, barking at the movement when he went to roll them. He glanced over Remus and gave him a nod, hoping that it conveyed enough, not wanting to speak and risk giving into his emotions again.
"You said my dad and Bill are still here?" Ron stepped up to Remus once Harry had drawn back. At this, they all set off, purpose returning after their reunion.
"Yes, they have patronuses clearing the way for us," Remus went to explain. Harry followed them, glancing around for Hermione who drew to his side. Harry glanced back over his shoulder to the Row, seeing the dementors shifting in the background, subdued for now in the aftermath of his patronus. He could faintly feel their chill in the absence of his stag and pushed himself into a faster pace, not wanting to be caught off guard when they recovered.
"Are there reinforcements to worry about?" Hermione asked, joining Ron's side, looking insistently at Remus.
"Yes, which is why we have to hurry," Remus said, giving her a meaningful look. Harry jogged a few steps to catch up. His scar suddenly gave a very painful lurch. A wave of dizziness like he'd experienced earlier caught him midstep and he stumbled. Without a wall to catch on to, he staggered sideways. Hermione gasped his name, rushing for him at once, and the anger rose up, taking over.
Pained groans filled the room. The source of them writhed on the ground, his black and silver robes splashed out around him, hands clawing at the dark-wood floor.
"My… Lord… please."
"Not only did these allies of Potter's make it past your security measures, they actually came within sight of the boy…within reach…"
"He is behind the wards… no one can get him out without the Mark…"
"My Lord, Yaxley speaks true, the boy is behind the wards. I saw to it myself that the passageway was sealed behind them." Rookwood's smooth, composure voice resonated from somewhere in the study. At the interruption, Lord Voldemort lifted the cruciatus curse from Yaxley, his fury mounting.
"Was not the Ministry itself so impenetrable and yet, at present, insurgents and undesirables are proving this wrong?"
"They could break down the walls to get to him, but they would never be able to reach him." The thought of him so hopelessly trapped gave him some pleasure. Some.
"Who numbers among these insurgents? Members of the Order of the Phoenix?"
"I identified the werewolf, Lupin, and Shacklebolt. Others appeared young - perhaps peers of Potter?"
"Severus's lost students are apparently commiting treason as well as truancy then."
He turned from Yaxley's moaning form on the ground to regard the others in the room. They knelt in a line, wearing their Death Eater robes, masks set out on the ground before them, in preparation.
"You will apprehend the traitors before they have a chance to retreat."
Harry found himself blinking awake. He realised with alarm that he was now on the floor, his hip aching from where he'd apparently fallen. Hermione, Ron and Remus were all gathered around him.
"It was him, wasn't it?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," he moved to stand. Ron shot his hand out at once and Harry took it. As he stood, his legs wobbled threateningly. A line appeared in Ron's brow as he felt Harry weaken and he pulled him up.
"He was torturing Yaxley," Harry said, taking a tentative step. Did I black out just then? "He…" The pain was building again. "He's sending Death Eaters back. That… that's what he's doing at the moment," he spoke rapidly, saying as much as he could before blacking out again, "he's giving them orders and… they think I'm stuck in the Row so they're not after me, they're after… you… ah..."
"Stay with us, Harry," Hermione urged him. He screwed his eyes against the pain, but he felt himself slipping away, Hermione's voice retreating.
"By now… I expect they have learned that they cannot free the boy. Intercept them and block off their retreat. Rookwood, you will lead. Mulciber, Yaxley-," he snapped his head over to the man inching himself back to his knees, the man flashing a look of surprise at his name, "yes, you Yaxley, you will live a little longer and correct this security issue of yours."
"My lord… I do not deserve this chance…" he croaked, hoarse from where he had been screaming in agony.
"You do not," He hissed at him, making the man flinch, "so use this chance to serve me and perhaps you may even redeem yourself."
"Travers and Rosier, you will also join them. Head directly to the Northway." Two of the Death Eaters nodded, mumbling "Yes, my Lord."
Harry shuddered awake, opening his eyes and finding Hermione over him, her hands gripping him by his robes.
"Harry, please stay with us!" She insisted, her voice pitching high with panic. "You have to block your mind. Please. If he senses you… he'll know you're free… he'll try to possess you." He blinked, finding himself supported between Ron and Remus, being slowly inched forwards as they helped him to walk. Judging by how little progressed they'd made, he wasn't making it easy for them.
Hermione's words sent a chill down his spine. He knew she was right. If Voldemort did sense him…
Rookwood's warning crept into his mind. If the Dark Lord ever discovers you, he will make you suffer for it.
I have to try to block my mind. It's the only way!
He pushed himself upright, staggering out, ignoring the alarmed cries for him. He pressed his hand against his scar, feeling it hot and agitated under his clammy palm, then he lowered his hand, focusing on the pain. He held onto the pain, eyes streaming from the intensity of it, and pulled everything inwards. Anger washed through him, he heard a voice husky and low…
"What about the boy?"
He paced, fingers reaching for the holly wand, safely stowed in his robes, ready for when he found the boy in his cell.
"I will tend to him myself…"
Harry held onto the pain, focusing only on the pain. The voice retreated, the sounds of the study, the smells, the anger… all retreated, everything but the pain. Harry knew pain. He'd become accustomed to it. He could survive it.
Then he drew in a breath.
One, two, three, four, five…
"Harry-."
"Shh… he's trying to block him out," Hermione's hushed voice at his back, "just give him a moment."
He heard them, but he kept hold of his focus, thinking only of his breathing as he then exhaled.
One, two, three, four, five…
He took a step forwards, then another, all the while still focusing on his breathing, then he went faster, moving into a jog. He glanced back over his shoulder to where Ron, Hermione and Remus watched him.
"I… think I've blocked it. Come on." They immediately raced after him. He continued, counting his steps instead. One, two, three, four, five. The pain was starting to recede. As Hermione approached his side, matching his paces, he looked over to her.
"I don't know how long it'll last," he said to her, "I don't even know if it's worked, but I'm moving."
They rounded the corner. Harry's attention was immediately drawn to the destruction in the hallway. His jaw dropped and he halted mid-step in shock. It looked like a bomb had gone off which, he realised, was exactly what had happened. The larger chunks of rubble had been cleared back from where there was a wide hole in the middle of the floor. Debris littered the hallway from where the blast had sundered stone, dust covering the black tiles.
Two patronuses gambolled towards him, a wolf and a weasel, rushing towards him from the pair of red-headed wizards. His gaze leapt up to the senior Weasley, clapping eyes on the man that had given him comfort at his lowest moment, when he thought the rest of his life would be chains, silence and pain. His chest burned, emotion rising up, threatening to choke him.
"Sweet Merlin, you… you did it! You found them!" Arthur cried out, his voice breaking. He and Bill burst towards them at once. "Ron!"
"Dad!" The relief in Ron's voice was not lost on Harry. Guilt stabbed through him. His emotions were beginning to get the better of him again and, to his horror, he felt a twinge in his scar.
Breathe. One, two, three, four…
"Death Eaters are on the way, Arthur. We've not got a second to lose!" Remus shouted back. Bill jerked to a halt, pulling his dad back.
"The others have left," Bill shot back quickly, "it's just us. Come on… we have to be fast." Remus put a hand on Harry's back, urging him to run faster. Harry stumbled into a sprint, staggering a little, his muscles not wanting to behave as they should. Hermione and Ron were on his right.
"Straight into the breach, you three," Remus said as they reached the rubble, pace slowing as they had to awkwardly navigate through the debris to get to the slope. Harry hesitated briefly, seeing jagged fragments of tile mixed in and glanced down at his bare feet. They were already battered from his desperate flight to escape. Ron clambered up over the large chunk of stone, Hermione following. Remus came up to Harry's elbow and gave him a helping push. His feet dug into the debris and he gritted his teeth. He peered over the edge of the hole, seeing a slope of broken stone and earth leading down to a very dark tunnel.
"Where does this lead?" He asked.
"Some sort of maintenance room off the Circle and District line," Hermione replied, "it's the closest point of the London Underground. The anti-apparation charms end there."
He kept going, ignoring the jabs and jolts to his feet. It was awkward work but he made it to the slope. Something sliced his foot as he slipped on the shifting earth, giving a gasp. He looked up, seeing Arthur embracing Ron in a hard hug. He released him and Bill copied his dad, pulling his younger brother into his arms, then Arthur moved over to Harry.
The Wealsey senior surprised Harry, reaching for him, bringing a hand up to his face and cupping his cheek. He gently tilted his face up so they were looking at each other. Harry looked up into those blue eyes and saw them widen, sorrow entering his gaze.
"Come on, son. Let's get you out of here." He drew back. "Ron - you and Hermione go with Harry." He then climbed back up the slope, tapping his older son on the shoulder as he passed. "Bill… you should go too."
"I'll go when Ron's gone." He said firmly, giving his father a defiant look.
"Wait… what are you doing?" Harry looked to the two older wizards, "it's not safe - they'll-."
Crack.
His words choked in his throat as he heard the unmistakable loud snap of apparation. Only one group of people could apparate in and out of the Ministry at present.
"Get under the cloak!" Remus shouted, his voice peaking through the din of multiple cracks, sounding from the front of the Hallway to the back where they'd run from. They were surrounded.
Ron thawed first, shaking the Invisibility cloak out from where he tucked it around his arm securely for safekeeping. Harry took an instinctive step in front of them, gripping his wand. Bill twisted around, seeing them.
"The cloak!"
Hermione's hand seized his sleeve and yanked him down from the slope. The loose rubble under foot slipped and he stumbled back, losing his footing. Ron caught him and then threw the cloak over him. The shimmering shroud settled over his head and shoulders. His friends moved under the cloak, joining him, pulling him down as they shuffled back into the cover of the tunnel, peering out.
"What are you doing!" Harry demanded. "We can't leave them out there… they'll be spotted-."
"There they are… look at them, fleeing like mice down their little hole." Jeers echoed down the hallway.
"Having to abandon your Chosen One?"
Fear choked him, but not fear for himself. Numbly he stumbled back, his feet finding a more stable surface as he listened to the Death Eaters.
"Poor little Potter, all alone in his cell… waiting for you to come for him, but you never will." Harry knew that voice. He'd been mocked enough times by that man during the last four days. Yaxley.
He gripped at the folds of the Invisibility cloak, fighting the impulse to throw it off and curse that man into oblivion. His injured hand flared as he gripped his wand tightly, anger blooming in his chest.
"Harry, we have to go," Hermione whispered to him, her voice terrified.
"You're too late. We're all that's left," Remus called out to them. "Bit of a disappointing haul, I'm afraid. A mangy werewolf and purebloods too valuable to kill?"
"Talkative are we? You won't be when you share a cell next to Potter's," a vicious voice sneered.
They just need a distraction! Some sort of cover… like…
He tugged at his pouch at his neck and removed the Darkness Powder. Ron gasped as he saw it, face lighting up. Harry handed it over to him.
"You've got the better aim," he said to him.
"If this works..." Ron said quietly, taking the crystal.
"Hmm… a bit of a muted reaction." At that voice, Harry's stomach flipped and he found himself tumbling down into memories of red light and agony. He gripped his wand again, the physical pain of his injury keeping him in the here-and-now.
Harry saw Ron concentrating, waiting for his opportunity. Hermione saw the Darkness Powder in Ron's hand and gave them both alarmed looks, her mouth opening and closing, eyes wide.
"Stoic and composed," Rookwood continued. "So focused… I can see you weighing up the room - William, isn't it? The eldest son. Recently married, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Were you expecting an invite?" Bill asked. One of the Death Eaters tittered.
"I like it when they make jokes," drawled one of the Death Eaters Harry didn't recognise, "crying gets so dreary."
"They'll be tears later," Yaxley's voice came close and Harry's gaze dropped to the slope, knowing that he was right there. "Who will crack first though? Them or Potter?
Ron parted the cloak, bringing out his hand. Harry held his breath, eyes fixed on the exposed arm, bringing up his wand ready in case their cover was exposed. He threw the crystal upwards. The small object went to drop back on the slope.
"Repulso," Hermione whispered, sticking her wand out from the folds. The crystal suddenly shot upwards. The three of them watched, eyes wide, joint breath held.
"There's someone in the hole!"
"Wh… what is this?"
"No! Finite!"
"Run now?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they saw the edges of the dark cloud bloom down the slope. They mutedly nodded and they set off at an awkward pace, keeping under the cloak as they stole back glances to what was happening in their wake.
A red curse cracked into the tunnel above them. Hermione gave a high-pitched gasp of alarm and they ducked. Then they saw what they were waiting for. Bill and Arthur crashed down, sliding down into the tunnel. Arthur was behind, hand gripping the back of Bill's robes as he had dragged his son out of danger.
Harry waited. Just one second. One more second. Come on, Professor.
Remus Lupin followed them, rolling rather inelegantly and bouncing up on his feet where he cast a huge pearly white shield charm that was immediately battered with curses. He met with Arthur and Bill, scrambling into the tunnel.
"Reducto!" Arthur shouted, pointing right up to the ceiling of the tunnel above him. There was a deep boom, then a splitting, cracking sound. "Wherever you three are, run!"
"Reducto!" Bill joined in. Just as the hems of Death Eater robes appeared at the slope, the lip of the breach tumbled down with an almighty crash.
They were plunged into darkness.
"Lumos," Remus lit his wand, showing the wall of stone and earth that now blocked the way back into the Ministry.
"It won't hold them back for long," Arthur gasped, catching his breath.
There was a rumble. Harry approached the group, eyeing the wall.
"So about getting out of here…"
"Right," Ron said awkwardly, wiping at his face. Bill ignited his wand.
"Whose idea was that, by the way?" Remus said, wiping at his brow.
"Don't be mad…" Harry started to say and saw Remus's face split into a grin. The smile took the years off his face.
"I'm furious."
There was another rumble and this time, dust was falling from above them. Harry looked around at the tunnel properly for the first time. It was a perfect cylinder, looking like a long pipe. It reminded him horribly of being in the Chamber of Secrets. Hopefully it was without the basilisk. It was claustrophobic and dark, but he could see a vague shape in the distance.
The way out.
It was so close. His breath was catching, his smile spreading. He could picture his cell, vividly in his mind, now seeming so far.
An empty cell. Chains hanging from the back wall, where a small window gave a small amount of light, just enough to illuminate the room. The shackles hanging from the chains were open, empty. Under the chains was a dull, grey metal pot. Level with the shackles were white scratches, where they had rubbed against the wall.
Harry blinked, rubbing his head. He'd not seen those marks before.
He'd not seen the wall before. Not from that perspective. He'd been unconscious each time he'd returned. His back had always been against it.
He stopped in his tracks, breathing heavily. There was another tremor, louder. His scar was burning. Hermione was jerked to a stop with him and she looked over to him. He couldn't look at her. He was concentrating.
In - One, two, three, four, five…
"Harry, what is it?"
Out - one, two, three, four, five…
"He knows I'm not in my cell, Hermione," he said quickly, more urgently, desperately trying to concentrate on his breathing. "He's here."
"Can you… block him"? She asked, her brown eyes wide. Harry swallowed, his terror mounting as his scar seared. He focused on the pain, bile rising in his throat and he doubled over, as if to be sick. He closed his eyes, the darkness behind his eyelids a brief retreat until flickers of his cell burned behind them. His nausea peaked and he gagged, putting a hand over his mouth.
The door, laced with charms, stood no chance as magic designed purely for utter destruction obliterated it. Wood and metal blasted outwards, the door now reduced to splinters and twisted metal. In the hallway beyond, the unmistakable signs of a battle lingered, black, enchanted dust hung thick in the air. And with it… a trace of magic that he had not sensed himself for some time, mingled in with the other signatures his keen senses detected.
Harry Potter was here.
"AH no!" Harry yelled, eyes wrenching open, his voice blaring into his mouth instead of vomit as he went to be sick. He sucked in a breath. "He… he can sense me. Oh god…"
"Run. Now." Remus delivered the order, short and curt. There was no room for argument.
"Bill, get them out," Arthur's voice was similarly curt. Harry glanced over his shoulder, seeing the older Weasley brother moving over to them, searching. Realising that he was still under the cloak, Harry ripped it off and staggered into an unsteady run.
"Cloak's pointless now if he knows I'm loose," Harry said to them, his voice shaking. He staggered, his vision swirling.
Breathe!
Ron grabbed the cloak off him, tucking it under his arm. Bill took his arm and hoisted him upright, helping him to stand and run as the four of them rushed down the tunnel into the darkness.
"It's not far, Harry."
One, two, three, four, five.
His efforts to block his mind were shattered as the next rumble at the collapse at his back crescendoed into an almighty blast. The ground shuddered under him, causing him to lose his footing all together. Everything was drowned out by the deafening explosion, air gusting over him, grit and dirt raining down on him. His hand scraped along the ground as he went to catch himself, knees grazing. He felt the thin cloth of his robes tear as he fell. The force of the blast caught the others too and they thudded next to him. Bill recovered first, pulling Harry upright and they both turned to see light streaming back into the tunnel, the collapse cleared.
They both saw the shadowy figures step over the rubble left in their wake, hooded and masked. Red light blazed as Remus went to engage. Harry threw up a grazed hand, shielding his face from the intense light as the magical battle began. The battle for his own freedom.
"RUN!"
Arthur's shout this time, echoing down the tunnel and peaking through the ringing in Harry's ears. He shared a look with Bill, exchanging their mutual understanding of what was happening. Arthur was holding back the Death Eaters for them and it was likely that he would be captured in the process. In that second, they both agreed, both hating what they were doing as they set off at a run.
"Ron!" Bill shouted at his brother. Ron froze, staring at his father, eyes wide with shock at what was happening. He scrambled up from where he too had stumbled, pulling Hermione up with him.
A blazing stunning charm slammed into the wall on Harry's left. Ron surged up to his side, his wand pointing behind them, casting a shield. Harry flinched as stunning charms impacted. More voices were now bleeding through the ringing in his ears as his hearing recovered.
"Stupefy!"
"Incarcerous!"
Harry twisted around fully now. He was distinctly aware that, in the urgency of the situation, his mind focused entirely on the here-and-now, just as it had done when he faced off against Voldemort in the graveyard. It truly was life and death now. He was watching it unfold before his very eyes as Remus and Arthur delivered themselves to buy him the time to escape. And he had no choice but to accept their sacrifice, even as the grief tore him apart, he had no time to feel the pain. There was only time to act.
No time to think. Only to act.
"Mind the ropes!" Harry shouted as the incarcerous charms made it past Remus and Arthur.
"I'll shield - keep moving!" Hermione shifted around to face the approaching Death Eaters, her shield charm bloomed out.
"Diffindo!" Ron moved behind Harry, stepping next to Hermione as she shielded. Her shield caught the stunning charm that blazed down for her. The ropes split in half as Ron's spell lashed through them.
Harry twisted out of Bill's hold, his eyes fixed on his friends as they moved to protect his back. Fear nearly made him lose focus, his scar stabbing a hot dagger of agony through his thoughts.
The only movement down the corridor came from the dementors, their shifting darkened forms subdued. An aura of power tainted the air, the remnants of the charm keeping them back. His hand lifted as he swept his hand through the air, feeling the wake of the patronus… the magical signature was now distinctive.
He forced himself back, the sickening dizziness threatening to take him completely. His mind was on the edge of total collapse. All that was holding him back was his focus.
He is hunting me down right now. He is minutes away…
As he continued backing up with Bill, Ron and Hermione shielding and keeping back the spells that were hunting them, a stark and clear realisation cut through.
I'm not making it out of here. He's too close. He's like a hound on a hunt and he has my scent. I can't outrun this.
Hermione suddenly shrieked as her shield faltered under an intense barrage of curses. Ron swept around her, his shield cast a second too slow. Ropes wrapped around them both and they dropped to the ground.
With them downed, Harry was suddenly exposed to view. They saw him immediately.
"That's Potter!"
"He's loose! Secure him!"
Bill's hand grabbed him, jerking him back into a run, to save himself.
"Yaxley - on me!" Two of the Death Eaters ahead disapparated in twists of black smoke. They then reappeared behind Remus and Arthur, their attention now focused on Harry, with Ron and Hermione laying prone on the ground between them.
Harry was moving in an instant. His flight, his escape, forgotten. His magic pushed Bill back as he slipped under him, his adrenaline strengthening him as he focused completely on his friends.
It's too late for me, but it's not too late for them. One of Harry's greatest strengths was his speed. He trained young to be quick, thanks to Dudley's favourite game of 'Harry hunting'. His quick reflexes saved his life in the graveyard, perhaps they saved him more times than he could count. They also got him into a lot of trouble, when he would act first and think later. He was getting himself into trouble right now, but he had to do it. He ignored the shout at his back as Bill urged him to run. He ignored the Death Eaters that suddenly realised that he was there. His focus was fixed on one task.
Protect at all costs.
His body screamed in protest as he forced himself to sprint, his paces lengthening, the soles of his feet in a mess of pain as he gripped the rough, broken ground. He was springing up to the wall beside where they had fallen, leaping over them, not caring when he heard his name being shouted.
He dropped in front of his friends, flicking his arm behind him to sever the ropes binding Ron.
"Harry!" Ron shouted, his face pale with terror. "Wh… what are you doing?"
"Get up and help me!" Harry responded, moving instinctively to shield as a furious barrage of stunning charms came his way. He staggered back at the force of the onslaught.
Bill caught up, his wand severing Hermione's binds.
"Harry-."
"Don't argue with me right now!" Harry snapped back at Ron. "I'm the best at dueling and you know it. This is the only way. The mission comes first."
"No! Harry!" Remus roared. Harry could see him turn in mid-duel. "Run!"
The Death Eaters' masks melted away from their faces, dissolving into silver and shadow.
"You… you'll pay for this, Potter," Yaxley's voice was tight. Harry's attention went immediately to the other Death Eater, to the intense black eyes boring down into his own. He felt a crack in his determination as he met the anger boiling in the depth of darkness. His glare made Harry want to drop to his knees and surrender, his legs quivering. It was akin to a certain pair of red eyes that he knew were hunting him right at that moment.
"I'll draw their fire," Harry said to his friends, "move back with me and keep your shields up."
"You're not leaving this place, Potter… and your friends are not leaving either."
Rookwood's voice slithered into him and ignited his rage, pushing him into action. His wand slashed faster than he'd ever cast before. His spells rushed through his mind in a sequence. He saw shields blooming around him, and he kept stepping back as Rookwood and Yaxley took the bait, advancing with him as he pulled back, moving closer and closer to the exit.
"Come on," he hissed through clenched teeth, "not so easy when I'm not chained to a wall, is it?" Harry's hatred surged and he gritted his teeth, pushing himself to the limit as he glared at the men who caused him so much pain and misery. His arm was screaming in protest as he kept up the intensity, his spells booming out of him as he leaned into his rage.
Light and magic filled the space between, the force of their deflecting spells slamming into the earthen walls, sending dirt raining on them as Harry's magic ripped out of him.
"Impressive, Potter, but you are-." Rookwood stopped, going completely still, his face slackening with shock.
A frigid breeze rattled down the tunnel, whistling as it gusted down. It tugged at their robes and hair, an unnatural breeze that had no place so deep underground, so far from the surface above. Harry's skin erupted in goosebumps, his hairs all standing to attention, his scar prickling. He lifted his gaze, looking all the way past his assailants, past where Arthur and Remus were duelling three Death Eaters at the front.
Standing against the jagged opening of the breach was a silhouette, a cut-out of darkness. Harry was caught in the sights of the man who was hunting him. The pain in his scar ramped up.
The escape route was a long shaft of earth, stone and compacted clay, carved out the ground. A transfigured tunnel, carved with vanishing charms. The trace of the magic was still strong… a newly made tunnel.
Down in the darkness, the duels now interrupted, a single figure stood out in the stillness. A figure in grey, glasses glints of light as he peered back up.
"He is mine. Deal with the others."
The voice was amplified, rushing down the shaft of earth and stone along with the breeze. Harry shuddered at the voice, his terror rocketing through him, returning him fully back into his own mind as he heard his own death sentence. He took a step back as both Yaxley and Rookwood turned from him, both completely shocked to see their master. Their shock would have given him some satisfaction as they found themselves caught in their failure to keep Harry contained. Instead, he brought himself to face the truth - he was the one caught.
Harry backed up, reaching for Bill, his heart racing as he pulled his mind back into focus. Every second counted now. He gave a quick glance to assess the situation at his back. The exit was a few yards away. So close. If they had a minute longer…
He glanced at Ron and Hermione, seeing their fear as they realised who was standing up at the breach and who he was referring to. Their gazes settled down onto Harry.
"Run! You have to run now." He saw them go to protest. He couldn't bear to hear it. "Bill… please." He dragged his gaze from his two best friends. The people he cared for the most in the world. He looked up to Bill, trying to communicate his sacrifice without words. Bill gave him a nod.
Harry turned from his friends, raising his wand, looking up as he saw the silhouette collapse into a twirling rush of darkness, form changing. Harry's fear was bitter in his mouth, recognising the form from when Voldemort chased him across two counties. Back then, Harry had his own wand to protect him. The one he currently held felt as useful as an inert twig.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed for him. Rookwood and Yaxley thawed, twisting back around, faces hardening. Harry's heart jumped at the looks they wore. His anger returned, a righteous blaze kicking his fear back into the recesses of his mind where distractions like the pain in his scar, the exhaustion in his trembling muscles, and the increasing burn in his chest had been shoved.
"Get back!" He snapped at the Death Eaters, but they split, moving to pass him. He grabbed Yaxley's arm, pulling him back, but the Death Eater completely ignored him. Harry staggered back, rushing for his friends, throwing up a shield to protect them.
"Run!" He shouted at them, turning to give them desperate looks. "What are you doing? If you're taken with me… everything ends. Everything."
Rookwood moved to attack Ron, his stunning charm too fast for him. It slipped under Ron's shield and he was blasted back. Bill rushed for him. Hermione twisted for Harry, her hand grabbing him. Harry flinched, throwing his arm from her and cast a shield back. The force of his charm pushed her back from him. Her eyes were wide, hurt.
Ahead, he could hear the rushing of Voldemort's twisting form of darkness as he came for him.
"Get out of here!" He yelled at her. "Please…"
"NO! HARRY RUN!" Remus roared down the tunnel. "He's coming!"
Bill had Ron over his shoulder and had leapt into the room at the end of the tunnel. Harry threw up continuous shields, keeping Yaxley and Rookwood back, but he was tiring. Hermione was still behind him.
"I'm not leaving you."
"Yes… yes you are," Harry snapped at her. He turned his head, seeing her, looking into those brown eyes. His heart was breaking. He strangled back a sob, doing the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life. He cast another shield charm and this time, he threw everything into it. It completely surrounded him, a globe of energy, pushing back the Death Eaters, but also pushing back Hermione. She staggered back, falling into the room beyond.
Harry's eyes never left her face as Bill grabbed her, pulling her back with him and Ron. She was screaming at him, but all he could hear was the rushing as Lord Voldemort came for him. Black smoke surged across his vision, obscuring his view, his wand was limp in his fingers.
"I can't add you to my list," he called to them, "I'm sorry."
As the smoke drew away, clearing his vision to where it took form at his back, he watched as Bill turned on the spot and those terrified brown eyes of Hermione Granger vanished with a crack. He stared at the empty spot, his heart shattering, the unsaid word on his lips.
Goodbye.
Sweat coated the back of his neck as Remus kept up his attacks, the exertion causing his breath to seize in his lungs. A stitch stabbed into his ribs as he edged back down the tunnel, the gathering debris under foot shifting. The intensity of the battle in such close quarters was shaking the make-shift tunnel, the loose particles of dirt now a continuous sprinkling as he continued to push the Death Eaters back.
Whoever these Death Eaters were, he knew they weren't among the more notorious of Voldemort's lieutenants. The absence of the more sinister Death Eaters was notable. While he sunk into the pattern of the duel, the rhythm a familiar one from battles past, he found himself wondering where they were. Dolohov, Macnair, the Lestranges… he knew for a fact that neither were present. He knew Bellatrix and the Malfoys had a sharp fall from grace, but they were formidable… it struck him as odd.
"This the best your master could rustle up on such short notice?" He ground out as he parried yet another attempt to stun him. "Malfoy still on probation?"
"Shut it, dog!"
Arthur paced next to him, his shield pulsing out as more stunning charms cracked towards them.
"Incarcerous!" The Death Eater in the centre of the trio sent ropes twirling and twisting in Remus's direction. A gust of fire erupted from Arthur's wand, incinerating them before they got close.
Remus moved in on the opening, his wand a blur as he flicked the full-body bind at the middle Death Eater, seeing the break in his shielding. At once, the man went as rigid as a board and crashed down on the ground.
He used the opportunity to shift behind Arthur and look back to the duel that was raging behind them. Since they spotted Harry, the more dangerous Death Eaters had gone at once for the priority. His eyes widened in alarm as he saw that it was Harry himself leading the duel.
"No… Harry run!" He shouted, horrified. What was Harry doing? His pigheadedness was going to get him killed. And yet, Harry was keeping Yaxley and Rookwood back as they retreated. His attacks were brilliant blazes of energy, slamming into the shields that parried them with audible cracks.
"Merlin... they're pinned down." Arthur cursed, looking behind him. "Head down to them. I'll keep these two back."
Remus glanced at Arthur, a brief hesitation only, as he went to shield the pair of them. Arthur was no duelist, though his defence skills were very impressive. Remus knew that if he left his side, he would be taken, but Arthur was willing to make that sacrifice.
An intense sensation of dread suddenly seized him, wiping the strength out from him. He gasped, nearly falling to a knee as it swept through his thoughts, breaking through his focus. He looked away from Arthur, his shield guttering out, as he looked up to the opening of the breach, through the route the Death Eaters made when they blasted through the collapse.
Wind surged down the tunnel as a figure lowered himself down from the Ministry hallway above, his robes swirling around him as he levitated downwards. The breeze slammed into them, tinged with malice and threat. A chill entered Remus, not unlike the hopelessness brought on by the presence of a dementor. It gripped at his bones as a thrill of warning triggered through him. A warning of danger, fatal danger.
"He is mine. Deal with the others."
It had been many years since Remus last looked upon the face of Lord Voldemort. As he gazed into those vivid, terrible red eyes, it felt as if Voldemort had never met his downfall at Godric's Hollow. The constant paranoia of life during the first war, of fearing capture, death… all of it came tumbling back. And back then, they had Dumbledore, the only wizard that Voldemort had ever feared. Now he was gone. No one rivaled Voldemort, no one could stand in his path and survive… no one.
There was only one exception… and he was right behind Remus, within Lord Voldemort's range.
Voldemort's robes suddenly shifted, twisting around at his feet where his form disintegrated, billowing into a swirling mass of darkness. His form became smoke-like, formless, as Rookwood had when he disapparated.
He's going for Harry.
Arthur met his look and nodded, not speaking. His face was devoid of colour. There was a tremendous rushing down as Voldemort's miasmic form surged towards them. Remus threw himself down as it passed. Smoke surged over him, blotting out his vision. It was over him in seconds. He scrambled up, desperately lurching into a spirit. He saw Harry, turning to face the miasma that was heading his way, pushing his friends back with shields. He was protecting them, making them leave.
"NO! HARRY! RUN!" Remus's voice ripped out his throat as he projected his cries down to the boy he started to care for like his own child. He was on his feet, no longer caring that he was heading right for a pair of Death Eaters that could turn and curse him on the spot. He had only eyes for Harry. He saw Ron get stunned, saw the panic as Bill gathered him up. Hermione was insisting to stay with Harry, but he then projected a huge shield, forcing her back several feet.
The miasma reached Harry then. Remus had never felt more terrified as Harry just stood there, accepting his fate, as his friends disapparated to safety. His job was done. Harry had protected his friends and kept the mission alive - like a good soldier.
Remus felt his pained cry ripping out of him as he kept running, watching in horror as the smoke pulled away from Harry, taking form behind him. Robes settling down on a tall, thin man who stood only a foot from Harry.
"You cannot escape me, Harry Potter."
Harry didn't even move.
"Harry!" Remus urged him to flee, to do something, anything.
Lord Voldemort paced around him and Harry's head moved a little, raising his head to meet the stare of the one that had been hunting him down for all his life.
Then Yaxley and Rookwood turned, blocking Remus. He skidded to a halt, his wand coming up too slow as ropes slammed into him, knocking him down onto his back as they wrapped around his arms. He'd been so focused on reaching Harry, he'd neglected to protect himself. A mistake that cost him his own life, but he was beyond caring, not when Harry was alone. He strained against the binds, the weight of his failure trapping him more than the restraints. It was then made worse when he heard that word.
"Crucio."
He lurched, snarling, thrashing, spitting. He couldn't bear it. He heard Harry thump to the ground where he writhed on the ground, his pained cries tearing into him as he was tortured right there and then.
Rookwood walked over him, jerking up his wand to lift him up to his feet where he freed the binds trapping his legs. His gaze latched onto Harry, seeing him on the ground at Voldemort's feet, curling in on himself as he endured the worst pain a person could endure. His face was bright red as he strained, his glasses knocked from his face as he twisted, convulsing.
Then it was over. Harry sagged, his head rolling to one side as he passed out.
Voldemort slowly stooped down, his robes brushing Harry's still body as he took the wand out of Harry's limp hand. He held it above Harry and snapped it, throwing the pieces at the ground. A definitive gesture. Rookwood's hand seized his arm, pulling him back towards the wall. Remus twisted around, glaring at the man, his heart thundering in his chest as he looked at the man who he heard torturing Harry on that recording. His heart was sick, being in the company of such twisted individuals who could inflict such suffering on a defenceless boy. Hadn't Harry suffered enough at their hands?
"He's a kid," he panted through his rage and hatred, "he's just… a kid."
"No. He is a question," Lord Voldemort's cold, piercing voice cut through the thick atmosphere. "Is that-" He gestured down at Harry's motionless form with his wand, held lazily between his fingers, "the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord?"
He paced around Harry, stepping over his legs, still staring down at him. Remus's heart was thudding in his chest as he stared at the wand held lazily in those long, white fingers. His fear for Harry's life nearly choked him.
Voldemort lifted his gaze, "I remember you, Remus Lupin, the werewolf companion to the Potters. I wonder, was it guilt for how you failed to protect your friends from me, from betrayal, that drove you to risk it all for Harry Potter? Save the son and redeem yourself?"
Remus slumped against the wall, staring down at Harry, his despair eating his rage.
"Or do you truly believe that Harry here is more than a kid? Do you believe, as many still do, that he is the one who can defeat me?" Voldemort strode away from Harry. As he did, he flicked his head up.
"Bring the other one here."
"At once, my lord."
Remus was completely still as Lord Voldemort approached him. He reached into his robes with his left hand and drew out a golden brown wand. A spare?
No, not a spare.
Remus recognised it. His thoughts froze with shock as he realised what he was looking at. It was Harry's wand. Lord Voldemort possessed Harry's wand - the one that shared the same phoenix feather as his own. A fact about the two wands that few knew, that he only knew because Dumbledore told him in confidence. Of course, Harry wouldn't have his wand. He'd been arrested and detained. Remus and the others had just assumed that his wand had been snapped when they announced his death sentence. But no, there it was, complete, functional, and in the hands of Harry's mortal enemy.
"Regardless of your motivations, I intend to answer the question, once and for all." He then exchanged his wand, moving Harry's into his right hand and stowing the long, pale wand of his own into his robes. "Rookwood - keep them subdued until I ready to deal with them appropriately. Yaxley - with me."
"Y… yes, my lord." Yaxley sunk into a respectful bow, head flicking up with uncertainty, his nerves evident. He shot a glance down to Harry, then to Rookwood. Voldemort turned from Remus, moving that horrific stare away. As he moved, whatever strange hold he possessed over Remus lifted and he breathed again. He had felt paralysed under that stare, as if his body had forgotten how to function. Blood surged through him. Rookwood pulled him from the wall and forced him down to where Harry lay. Yaxley slunk off after his master.
Remus shot a glance up to Rookwood, seeing the man holding his own wand. He stared at it with a jolt of surprise. He hadn't noticed being disarmed during the confusion of his capture. He shifted around on his knees, trying to balance himself. He yanked his arms against the ropes binding him, but they dug mercilessly into his body, enchanted to tighten with each struggle.
Shuffling footsteps sounded at his back. He twisted around to see Arthur being forced down at his side. His glasses were askew, a trickle of blood snaking down his face from where he'd been struck. They met stares and he joined him. Arthur's wrists were bound behind his back.
"Bill took the others," Remus said to him under his breath as he joined him. Arthur gave him a small nod, a flicker of gratitude lit up his features for a moment, but his fear and resignation remained. The Death Eaters that deposited Arthur withdrew, leaving them with Rookwood. Ahead of them, only a few yards away, so horribly tantalising, was the maintenance room. The escape point.
"How did you get him out of the Row?" Rookwood suddenly broke their pained silence. Remus lifted his head, glaring at the man, his hatred and fury at his situation burning away any good sense he had left.
"Why? Worried your perfect record is in jeopardy?" Remus growled. Rookwood stooped down next to Harry, grabbing his arm and rolling him over to his front.
"Leave him alone!" Arthur shouted, livid. "Haven't you done enough?"
Rookwood said nothing as he brought Harry's arms behind his back. He conjured a length of cloth, black and soft, and bound Harry's wrists. Remus's outrage was ready on his lips, but he frowned in confusion as the Death Eater carefully wrapped the cloth around Harry's bleeding, bruised wrists. He was meticulous, keeping Harry's arms restrained while making sure he wasn't causing more damage. He was trying to not hurt him. It was so out of character, considering this was the same man that had been torturing Harry for days. He then found Harry's glasses and put them back on his face. He pulled back one of Harry's eyelids, bringing his wand up to Harry's face, shining a light to check his pupil responses.
"Wha… what are you doing?" Remus was so stunned by his behaviour, he couldn't help ask. Rookwood didn't answer. Satisfied that Harry was suitably healthy and restrained, he retreated from him, moving to stand guard.
Arthur shuffled towards Harry on his knees, moving to his side. Remus joined him, struggling to move, his restraints making it difficult. He glanced over, catching sight of Voldemort and Yaxley, the latter on his knees as Voldemort paced, clearly very angry. His eyes went to the wand that Voldemort held, a thrill of revulsion vibing through him, strong despite the fear he felt.
"The others… they might come back." Arthur said, very quietly, turning his face from Rookwood. Remus glanced at him, then over to the escape point.
"If they don't…" he inched around, trying to get to Harry's side so he was closer to him, "Then we're either dead or going with Harry to wherever he is taking him. And… no one will reach us there. We'll be on our own."
AN: Next chapter will be up soon. Written half so fingers crossed I can get it published in the next couple of days. Sorry again for rewriting. I got a slap on the wrist in the reviews so decided to shift the narrative a bit. Still angsty I know - I mean, Voldemort's not going to be gentle is he? Anyway, next chapter will be very soon. It's going to be pretty actiony again so sorry that the pace is rapid and stressful.
About the tunnel... I know it's a reach to have a long tunnel between the Ministry and the London Underground. But if the Room of Requirement can just create a passage between the Hog's Head and Hogwarts out of nowhere, then carving a tunnel with vanishing charms isn't too much of a reach... maybe.
Also, I originally had this fic put down as H/HR but removed it when I had a review saying that they read it because of the pairing. I felt bad for click-baiting them by accident. Now that I think the clues are in place, I've put it back up. It's going to be a bit of a slow burn, but that's where I'm heading in the future. Sorry Hinny fans.