Binaries

By BEWD Sorcerer

Disclaimer: Owned, people! Laugh! Am I a good story teller? I better be cause this is just it, a story. I own the plotbunny that is currently perched on my head, sucking on my forehead.

thoughts

"Out loud speech, English"

'Parseltongue'

:Link Speech: Note: not L337 speak

5. Nightmarish Memories

"Tom! What's going on? What's that noise?" Kieran shakes his brother awake. "Are they coming to bomb us again? Tom!" He finally gets up, looking around at his panicking brother and peacefully sleeping roommates.

"Why are they still sleeping soundly?" Kieran shrugs, burying his face in his hands. The older brother tries to ponder out what could cause air raid sirens in Hogwarts and why no one else seemed to hear them. Shouldn't they be up and panicking like Kieran? It reminded him of the Battle of Britain when they had woken up with no one else but the matron there. All the others had been taken away to shelter that hadn't held up very well anyway, but the fact that they had been left to die. It irked him.
Kieran sobbed, bringing him back to reality.

"We should go find a teacher and ask. Maybe Professor Slughorn knows something? Surely a teacher would hear all this racket, though why we can and they not..." Kieran nodded as they made their way out of their dorms, up the stairs and into a deserted Common Room. From there they took a small, hidden passageway next to the fireplace that led to the Potions Professor's private quarters, his living room to be exact. Tom knocked.

"Professor Slughorn! Sir, there seems to be a problem! Professor!" He knocked again, harder, yelling louder. Darn the man and his lazy tendencies. He was about to knock again when the door creaked open.

No one was there. The fire in the fireplace was dim and it seemed like someone had rushed out in a hurry, judging by the upturned chair, sloppy mess left on the coffee table, and bumpy rugs leading to the door to the hallway.

"Professor!" Still no answer. The whole room exuded a lived in, left quickly air, even the portrait leading to the hallway was left open. Kieran shuddered, staring out the open portrait.

"It smells funny out there." Tom sighed as they headed toward the hallway.

Maybe Headmaster Dippet would know? Or at least they'd run into one of the patrolling teachers, prefects, or Head Children so they could ask.

The siren sounded louder in the hallway, but they just had to bare it. No Muggles could be attacking, but why would... how could the Dark Lord have found where Hogwarts was located? There were so many enchantments hiding it that no one could find it unless invited.

They kept moving, slinking along in the shadows upwards. Where could everyone be?

They reached the ground floor before they saw anyone. Well, what used to be someone, nothing but a charred mess now. Both realized that they should probably be getting back to the safety of their dorms very quickly, but just as they turned around, a dark chuckle reverberated in the dark corridor to their left.

Turning to face the threat, they both stood gaping when the perpetrator stepped into the moonlight.

The Dark Lord had infiltrated Hogwarts.

Two heavy-lidded red-orange eyes stared at the twins creepily, sharp teeth flashed when he grinned. It was like seeing a starving wolf in the winter, all wild eyes, razor-sharp fangs, lanky hair, and lolling tongue. They were prey, weak prey with no back-up, Little Red Riding Hoods in grandmother's house, but there was likely to not be a rescuing huntsman.

"Perfect. How strong you are! Full of vitality and magic." His grin widened, making him look all the more insane; the twins shuddered, huddling together.

What big eyes you have!

Kieran remembered the old fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood and he knew that this was their version of it. Tom tried to glare, but he knew that they'd have no chance against the Dark Lord. It's why they hadn't tried running or attacking. They wouldn't get very far, especially with their muscles tensed in fear.

Instincts told them that the best course was to stay still. The Monster wouldn't attack until after he'd savored the moment long enough. Any attempt to fight back or escape would hurry him along and bring his wrath along with his hunger down upon them. If they had to, they could stall, but the likelihood of being saved in time was ridiculously low. Hogwarts would protect them if there was an air raid, but the she could do little to protect her children from other wizards, even if they were heirs to one of the Founders.

What big ears you have!

The Dark Lord was, sadly, quite aware of what could happen if he lingered too long and could hear someone approaching.

What big hands you have!

Then he struck.

They put up quite a fight, but he wasn't a Dark Lord for nothing and he was soon on his way out of the castle with two very precious burdens.

What a horribly big mouth you have!

Sitting up quickly, he gasped. Who had that been? He tried to focus; it was important. If he could figure out who that was, then it might be the puzzle piece that would make everything fit together, but it evaded him.

Something about a wolf-like creature, evil monster that would gobble up wizards in an instant, but they had survived, saved by someone who they disliked greatly. It was just a ploy to earn their trust, they thought, but none-the-less their 'savior' had defeated the beast and they hadn't been devoured.

His right shoulder and part of his neck ached fiercely.

What could it all mean? What had happened? He couldn't remember... maybe Tom did? But why did it feel so very pressing? It was important; they had to remember.

:Tom: No answer.

:Tom! Voldemort! OI: Still no answer, only chilling blankness. It gave him a bad feeling. Suddenly there was a thunderous noise, sounding like a herd of elephants was tromping up the stairs, and then a banging on his door.

Was it the Order of the Phoenix, come to get him for conversing with the enemy? No, how could they know he was talking to Vold - Tom? Could it be his uncle, coming to yell at him for being a freak?

Finally they must have gotten tired of waiting because they wrenched open his door.

AN: Cliffhanger because I need to ponder how I'm going to do this next part. I also need to work on my other stories.

In the mean time, the Zerg are attempting to eat my brain.