Remember to turn on the Light

If there was one place in Britain that seemed to be untouched by Christmas magic, it was Knockturn Alley. By the time it reached the ground, the white snow had already turned into a frozen slush piling up on the surrounding dirt. A frown on his face, Severus Snape stepped out Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary shop and quickly mingled with the filthy crowd. If it had been up to him, he would have Apparated away, but it would have been counterproductive. If anything strange was happening in the Wizarding World of Britain he would definitely hear echoes of it in the Alley. It wasn't unusual for him to wander in this rat hole during holidays as he needed to restock his potion ingredients for the following semester. Moreover, it wouldn't be unusual for one of You-Know-Who's follower to be seen there. His cover was safe.

He headed towards his room at the Leaky Cauldron to rest a bit. Later tonight he would need to discreetly set up some wards around Gringotts. One day or another, Potter would need to retrieve some money and Snape would be there to catch the boy. He just needed to be patient. Once in his room, he put his purchases in his suitcase and prepared his equipment for the night.

What a mess… Ever since he had stepped foot in Hogwarts, Potter had been the cause of many trouble. But he had never run away. This was as new as it was alarming. He thought about his last encounter with the boy. As usual, he had been insolent and arrogant, but he had also been careless. And whether Snape liked it or not, Harry Potter cared. He closed his suitcase and sat on his bed.

Yes, Harry Potter cared, it was time for him to see the boy for what he truly was. He might have crossed the line, on many occasions, but he was always trying. He was no A student… at least in Potions… but the boy tried. And lately he had stopped caring about almost everything. His grades had dramatically dropped, and he was talking back. Severus Snape wasn't the most beloved professor of Hogwarts, but he was a teacher nonetheless with the training to recognize advanced signs of depression. And he cursed himself for being so blinded by his hatred for Harry that he failed to recognize them. The truth is that Harry had stopped caring about his future. Gazing into the void, he found himself hoping that wherever the boy was, he'd be safe.

Even though his sleep was filled with dreams of endless dark corridors and closed doors, Harry woke up rested. His first reflex was to make sure the small box was still in his pocket, and he was relieved to feel the wood under his fingers. He stretched and got up to take a shower. He had no idea what he would do next. With the ring, he had now two Horcruxes in his possession.

'Well actually you've got three…' Said the little voice in his head, but Harry chased it away.

He still needed to find the Locket and the Cup. Harry had no clue about the first, but Tom had told him they would discuss the Cup as soon as he would retrieve the ring. Which meant he must have some insights about the artefact whereabouts. He went back in his room and took the heirloom of the House of Gaunt out of his pocket. The ring was set with a black stone on which was engraved a symbol Harry didn't recognize. The golden metal reflected dark shadows which was the proof of the jewel true nature. Harry heard a knock on the door and quickly put the ring back in his pocket.

'Come in,' he said while grabbing his wand.

'I am sorry to bother you, young man, but it's already eleven o'clock and the room must be vacated in thirty minutes.' It was the innkeeper who had come up to check on the strange student. He looked at the stick the boy was holding and added: 'Is your family still coming for you?'

'Yes,' quickly replied Harry. 'They must be late, that's it. I will be on my way in a minute.'

The man glanced at him one last time before nodding and leaving the room. There definitely was something odd with that boy. He knew everybody in Little Hangleton and couldn't recall anyone looking a bit like him. He watched the student leave and noticed that he had only a schoolbag. As soon as the door closed, he picked up his phone.

The Inn in which Harry had slept was located on a corner of Little Hangleton's main place. It wasn't as sunny as it had been the day before and a light snow was falling from the sky. Harry didn't know where to go. He wandered in the street, to avoid drawing attention to himself. Small stores decorated for Christmas were lining up on both side of the main street. Though it was still the morning, the shops were already filled with a joyous crowd eager to finish their Christmas shopping.

Since his first year at Hogwarts Harry had fallen in love with this celebration of which he had been deprived during his childhood. But today, he felt like a stranger to the happiness surrounding him. It was probably his last Christmas and he had no one to celebrate it with. He chased his dark thoughts away and focused. He needed to go back to Hogwarts and retrieve the diadem. His plan was to use the Muggle network, again, and walk the rest of the distance. He headed towards the bus station thinking that it might a good idea to also retrieve his Firebolt. The school would be empty and surely stealing it back from Umbridge's office wouldn't be that difficult.

There was no one at the station, and Harry sat on a wooden bench waiting for the coach that would bring him back to London. There he would take a train to bring north and would figure out the rest of his journey on the way.

'Good morning,' said a voice on his right.

Harry turned his head and almost froze when he saw two policemen standing a few meters away from him. Because of the snow, and probably his lack of attention, he hadn't seen them coming.

'It's all right,' said one of the men while raising a reassuring hand, 'We just want to make sure that everything is fine.'

'I am OK,' replied Harry with a casual tone. 'I am just going to London to be with my family. I… I was supposed to meet them here, but I guess there was some misunderstanding.'

'Misunderstanding?' Repeated the second man. He looked younger than his colleague and a lot more nervous.

The older police officer glanced at his colleague and went on.

'I see, then do you happen to have any ID on you?'

Now Harry was starting to really panic. He knew what a lonely underage boy miles away from home with no ID on him looked like. He cursed himself for not being better prepared.

'Not even a student card?' Asked the older man with an encouraging tone. 'Could you come with us to the station? Then we could call your family from there and get you home.'

'No, it is fine really,' insisted Harry. 'I just want to take my bus.'

The bus station stood on the town outskirts and consisted of a single platform with a board indicating the times at which the buses were passing. There also was a small bungalow which was closed today. The side from which the police had come was facing the city while the other side was facing the forest.

'I know you do,' said the policeman with a soft voice, 'but it won't pass for another two hours. It would be better for you to wait in the warmth, don't you think?'

'What's your name?' Asked the younger suddenly.

'Ha… hem Neville Longbottom,' lied Harry. He knew he hadn't fooled anyone.

The two policemen glanced at each other, and Harry took advantage of their loss of attention to run away.

'Hey stop!' He heard from behind.

But he didn't turn to check which policeman had shouted. It is only when he reached the edge of the forest that he risked a glance towards the station. He saw with horror that the younger man was chasing him down. And he was fast. Without wasting another second, Harry bolted into the forest and ran as fast as he could. He felt like his lungs were about to explode and the icy air was burning his throat with every breath he was taking.

Time was flying and his forces were deteriorating by the minute. When he collapsed on the ground, he felt his body shut down and resigned himself to being arrested. One minute passed, two minutes and then Harry realised everything around him was silent. He stood back on his shaky legs and peered for a long moment through the darkening woods. They would soon be back with reinforcement but for now, he was safe. As safe as being cold and alone in an unknown forest could be.

He couldn't use magic as it would give his position away to the Ministry and anyone looking for him. He swore aloud and started to walk, but after an hour he was back on his knees again. He dragged himself under a tree where the snow was thinner and closed his eyes a few seconds.

In the end he was just a fool. What a stupid idea it had been for him to go after the Horcruxes alone. To say that he had wanted to become a member of the Order… He wasn't even able to take care of himself. He felt himself drifting in a lethargy that he tried to fight. He had to stand up and move. But his eyelids were so heavy and his legs so weak. He was about to give up when a flash of light forced his eyes opened. He couldn't be sure if it had been a dream but for a moment, he was certain he had seen…

'Fawkes?' He asked hesitantly.

He made a few steps forwards and his eyes fell on a red and golden leaf on the ground. The moment he grabbed it he felt a soft and comforting wave of warmth wrapping him up. It wasn't a leaf, it was a feather.

'Fawkes,' he repeated with relief.

With a new resolve, he resumed his walk with a steady foot. He knew exactly where he would go tonight.