Again, everyone, thank you so much for your support and all of the wonderful reviews and favorites (kudos). I appreciate it so much.
Warnings: This story is shonen-ai, yaoi, slash, gay, whatever term you're familiar with.
Notes: (X) Is pov change and or time jump
Note 2: Forgive me. I finished the chapter and then realized if I went with it, it would turn this story into an adventure story rather than what it was. I apologize for the delay since I had to rewrite the entire thing.
Chapter 6
"You weren't joking, were you kid?" Brian threw the Daily Prophet down in front of Harry. It hit the ground hard, dust particles shimmering in the sunbeams. He let out a cough. It was followed by five more, each one worse than the last. His mouth was dry and the kitchen was full of dust and what he was sure was mold in some places. He was going to get sick if he stayed here long.
Harry had been in the decaying castle going on three days now. He'd come to a single conclusion. The only thing his captors were good at was hiding.
"I told you, they think I've run off with a friend they don't want me to hang out with so they don't even know I'm missing." He'd tried numerous times to explain the situation to these fools, but he had a better chance at the crumbling walls around him to grasp the situation. "If you'd just tell them you've kidnapped me, you could cause the panic you want and we can get this entire ordeal over with!" He glared at them wishing they'd just announce it. No one would know he was actually missing until they did.
"Brian...the kid might have a point. His parents don't seem worried that he's not with them in Switzerland."
"Shut up!"
They went to Switzerland without me!? He sighed leaning his head against the weak wall. Of course, they did. They think I'm off rebelling and snogging my boyfriend. A boyfriend he didn't even have anymore, but Tom probably hadn't told anyone about their fight. Or, no one that would alert his parents that he was in fact not with Tom, but two complete morons who deserved to be sent right back to Azkaban. While they were at it, they could start Harry in year one at Hogwarts so he could learn not to be stupid and be caught by people like this. It'll be fine, he told himself. Somehow, things would work out. His family would pay the ransom, his kidnappers would go to jail, and he would be going straight to Sirius's house and never leaving it again.
"Look I haven't even gotten a single owl! No one knows I'm missing!" He knew saying it again was pointless, but he kept hoping all the same. His plight seemed to be sinking in for Mather, so maybe in a few more days, Brian would too. He hoped.
"Right about that too. No one has tried contacting him," Mather said matter of factly and looked at Harry. "You're not a real popular guy, are you?"
"No I am not," Harry said through gritted teeth. He'd had no idea just how unpopular he actually was among his supposed family and friends, but now that he knew, he couldn't wait to go find new ones. It was not his fault that Tom had ruined the dinner. He couldn't help his mother's side of the family were arseholes. And, most of all, he just wanted to be out of this stupid, moldy, dust infested, castle! "I'm glad my summer holiday has proven how unloved I am and I'm so glad I got to share that experience with you both, really. But, I want out of this place so just tell them already! Double the ransom to make up for their lack of panic so I can move on with my life!"
It wasn't easy accepting this hard truth and it was even more humiliating that it took these fools to kidnap him for him to find out. He'd always been under the assumption that his family would love him no matter what. They could have at least tried to send an owl. If they cared even a bit, they'd have sent him a letter explaining how disappointed they were in his decision. Something, but no. Nothing. From anyone. A complete misunderstanding and he'd been excommunicated from his entire family over it!
"Doubling the ransom sounds good," Mather said. "Could buy a lot of stuff."
"Let me think about it," Brian snapped. He turned his back on the two and stormed out of the room.
"Ugh!" Harry dropped his head onto his knees.
"Now, now. It ain't all been bad, right? We've been treating you well. I bring you three meals a day," Mather said proudly.
"Yes, you do," Harry said tiredly. "And they're very good meals, thank you, Mather. I'm just frustrated."
"Aw, no worries. My family didn't care much for me either," Mather laughed. "No big deal. I'll go make some eggs," he said cheerfully.
Harry watched him go, horrified that Mather was comparing him to himself. Harry was not the brightest person in the world, obviously or he wouldn't be stuck in this mess, but his intelligence was hundreds of times better than Mather's.
He looked down at The Daily Prophet and lifted it. After the first evening, they'd repositioned his arms so they were in front of him instead of behind his back. Did they really think even if anyone knew he was kidnapped that it'd be reported in The Daily Prophet? Harry wasn't important enough to end up in the paper. He wasn't popular period with anyone. That much was obvious and depressing. He sighed. It didn't really even matter that he'd been kidnapped.
The real question was, what should he do once he got away? He wanted to go to Sirius's house and stay there until the end of his vacation, but even Sirius hadn't tried writing him to ask what was going on or to yell at him for vanishing. His friends hadn't written and his parents definitely hadn't.
"What a joke," he muttered looking around the room. All those years of his parents claiming they loved him. Well, this definitely proved otherwise. At least Tom had a good reason. He was pissed at Harry for judging him. They didn't know each other anyway; he couldn't hold a grudge against him, but his friends? His supposed family? It was just too much.
He dropped his head against the wall. Where was he even supposed to go? Maybe he should just stay with Mather and Brian. They were constantly making sure Harry was exactly where he was supposed to be. Sure, it was for the ransom, but maybe once it was all over they could be friends.
Scowling he stretched out on the floor, his arms beneath his head, his eyes gazing at the ceiling. He could get a job. As long as he had money, he could get a room in Diagon Alley. The only problem was, what kind of job did he qualify for? He didn't even know what O.W.L.S. he'd achieved. Maybe he could write to Dumbledore and ask him to tell any potential employer if he was a good candidate or not?
If he'll even read anything I send. Depending on what Tom had told the headmaster, he might go out of his way to try to find some way to get Harry expelled.
Harry paled, the blood draining from his body. If he didn't finish his schooling he wouldn't be able to become an Auror. He wouldn't be able to do much of anything. His possible summer job might end up as his future "career".
It hadn't even occurred to him that he shouldn't anger Tom, because of the possible repercussions from Dumbledore. On the other hand, they'd only known each other for a few days. There was a chance Tom wouldn't consider Harry worth the effort to retaliate. Hell, he'd no doubt forgotten Harry even existed by now. Harry didn't care what Tom claimed. There was no way Tom didn't judge others. He might not date people as a cruel joke, but he wasn't innocent.
He sat up and growled. It wasn't like he'd wanted to be kidnapped! He didn't want the illusion that others cared about him to fade. He wanted to believe that the people he cared about cared for him in return. That a stupid misunderstanding wasn't enough to destroy what few relationships he had.
"You're making a lot of noise," Mather said coming into the room. He was holding a small plate with eggs and toast on it.
"Just mad," Harry said quietly.
Mather handed Harry the plate.
"You shouldn't be mad. Brian's a pro at kidnapping."
"Yeah…"
"Eat up, you'll feel better. In the meantime, I'll go talk to Brian about telling your parents you were nabbed."
"Okay."
"Good!"
Mather whacked Harry hard on the back, the Gryffindor falling forward. He stopped short of hitting his food or the floor. He gave Harry a huge grin, one that showed he was missing plenty of his teeth.
"You're a good kid." He walked out of the room humming, Harry watching.
I don't want to hear that from you! Those were words his parents were supposed to say, that Sirius was supposed to say, not some idiot who'd kidnapped him. No, his life wasn't supposed to be this way. One chance encounter with a single person shouldn't hurtle your life into a complete disaster. No… Things had been going wrong before Tom had shown up.
He lifted the plate into his lap and grabbed the fork. Mather wasn't the best cook in the world, but he wasn't bad either. Harry would be lying if he said he didn't miss his mother's cooking though. He ate his breakfast in silence. It would probably be a while before either of his captors returned. They often left him unattended for hours on end each day and he didn't see why today would be any different. He set the plate down when he finished and stared at the window. He couldn't see out of it, but it at least gave him an idea of whether it was day or night.
I want my family back…and Tom…
How had he lost them all in a single go? He wasn't a bad person, not really. He knew worse people. So why did his family have to assume the worse about him? If they'd just let him write a letter to his parents or any of his friends so they could at least know what happened to him, maybe they'd take pity on him.
But, did he want it?
He wanted to feel loved again and to be around those who were supposed to care about him, but now that he knew the truth…
"What am I even supposed to do," he demanded and let out a growl of frustration. He slammed his fists down onto the floor as hard as he could.
SMASH
Harry jumped, his eyes bulging. Lying beside him was the metal piece that'd been shoved into the wall to hold him in place. He stared at it for half a minute before getting to his feet.
So, they reinforced the metal…but, not the wall holding it, he thought shaking his head. No wonder the two wizards had ended up in Azkaban. The entire castle was crumbling around them and they hadn't even had the sense to fix the wall or attach the chains to a sturdy location. On the other hand, this worked perfectly for him.
He picked up the metal circle looking around the room. He'd never make it to the window let alone out of it. He probably had a better chance of kicking the wall in. He climbed to his feet and walked towards the doorway. He poked his head out and listened. There were no sounds beyond the settling of the house, possible pieces of it falling, and faintly, some birds chirping. He crept into the hall, stopping again to listen. The floorboards hadn't creaked. He wasn't sure if he should make a run for the entrance or try and find a back door. There was no guessing where his captors slept or if they even, stayed in the castle. The chances of there being a hole in some wall he could just climb out of was good too. If only he had his wand.
The front door was probably the smartest choice. He knew it where it was and it was close. Probably the quickest way out too. Looking for another way out might lead him directly to his kidnappers. Stupid as they seemed, they'd had enough sense to ambush him right outside of the restaurant.
If only Tom had chased after me, he thought. He couldn't blame Tom for not going after him. He'd angered him quite a bit, but these idiots wouldn't have gotten away with jumping him if Tom had come after him, even if it was to yell at him. Well, it doesn't matter now. I just need to get out of here. He tested each step, making sure nothing broke under his weight, stepping on the grass when he could.
It felt like an hour had passed by the time he reached the front door, but he managed to get there without making any sounds. He gave one more quick look around, transferred the metal circle into one hand and pulled on the door. He cringed at the sound the door made as it shook in place.
They actually locked it!? He cursed hearing some noises from above and turned back to the door. The house was falling apart, why was the door sturdy? He frantically began looking over the door handle, his eyes falling onto the small metal leaver under the lock. There's no way… He pushed the leaver down with his thumb and index finger and was rewarded with the sound of a deadbolt sliding out of its home.
He pulled the door open, stepped out, and closed it quietly behind him. With any luck, they would check the kitchen first and then the door. He placed the chains over his shoulder and the metal loop into his pocket before he took off running into the dense trees around him. Harry had never heard of a locating spell on humans until Tom had mentioned it, so hopefully the idiot wizards he'd left behind didn't know about it either.
Once again, Harry was faced with the problem of where he should go. One quick look around showed the only thing around him was dense forest.
Worry about it later. He took off into the trees. The brilliant sunlight that'd been shining seconds ago vanished. The inside of the forest was dim with only small breaks of light making it to the ground below. There wasn't any sort of path either. Vegetation grew everywhere, trees, bushes, moss, and grass. Harry ran through it all. When he was farther into the woods, he slowed down just enough to start going around the smaller bushes and make his trail harder to follow.
I wonder if I'm around anything…. He jogged on checking his surroundings as he went. Maybe he'd finally have some good luck and his captors would think he was still in the castle. Crumbling or not, if they checked the entire building first, he'd have a good hour or two start.
And then…?
Then he didn't know. He'd gotten away, but his situation wasn't exactly better. In fact, if he really thought about it, it was worse. His wand was still trapped in the castle and even if he did have it, who could he contact? His parents would come and get him if he managed to send a letter and they read it. He knew that they'd feel bad for perceiving the situation so wrong. But, that didn't justify how they'd reacted either. Unless maybe they were just trying to give him some space?
They would give me space the one time I don't need it, he thought with a groan. Still, the thought made him smile slightly. Maybe his family hadn't disowned him, they were just trying to give him some private time with his "new boyfriend", the one he didn't actually have. He at least felt like he could write them though. On the other hand, he had no possible way to write them.
He stopped giving the trees a good look over. Should he go any further? Maybe turning back would be the smart choice. His captors were keeping him fed and dry, and Brian might have finally decided to send a ransom note to his family or at least give them a heads up that Harry had been kidnapped with further information to be presented later. The idea of remaining at those two idiots mercy though….
"Better not," he said quietly moving on. No, this wasn't the best choice, but staying just didn't sit well with him. There had to be a building or a person somewhere. Right?
(X)
Should probably just stay here, Harry thought slumping onto the ground. His body had, had it. It was sore and demanded rest. The shackles had cut into his wrist ever so slightly and both shoulders now had bruises on them. He was pretty sure his feet were swollen too. The sun was beginning to set and not for the first time, he wished he'd just stayed at the decrypted castle. The only good thing that had happened so far was this place. The small clearing contained a small pond and some wild strawberry bushes growing around it, so he wouldn't starve. Still, the whole ordeal was getting frustrating. Why hadn't Sirius written him back yet? Or, Ron or Hermione? Couldn't Draco have gotten a sudden urge to write Harry about utter nonsense? Some random student from school? A stranger?
He let out a long sigh and grabbed a handful of strawberries from the nearby bush. He put one into his mouth and bit down, wincing at the bitterness of it. Given the denseness of the forest, it wasn't any surprise that the strawberries still hadn't managed to ripen all the way. It was, however, still something to eat.
I wonder what everyone else is doing…probably having a good time. He glared at the strawberries then and started to chew another one. His friends were probably having a great start to their holiday vacation. Sirius might have gotten stuck at work, so that could be why he wasn't writing Harry, but his parents? They were in Switzerland without him! They couldn't have even sent word that they were going? If they were going to write that left him with two people. Draco and Tom. Draco's father didn't quite approve of the two of them writing to each other and Tom…
He laughed at the thought. The one person who could put a quick end to this entire mess had probably found a new boyfriend before he'd left the restaurant.
"How do I get into these situations," he asked half-laughing, half-groaning. Nothing like this ever happened at Hogwarts. Sure, he got beat up during Quidditch matches, and he'd gotten into a fight once or twice with Draco's goons, but that had been the extent of it. He tried to follow most of the rules and did his best not to be caught when he didn't. "Oh well…"
He lied his head down on the ground.
"I miss my family," he said even if he was angry with them for all this. "And Tom," he said knowing how stupid that was. No matter how anyone looked at it, he didn't know Tom. That didn't stop his heart from racing the second he thought about him, but it was what it was. How could he expect someone he had a crush on for a few days and a single snogging session with to be held responsible for his wellbeing? That was not only unfair but also completely crazy. No, he needed to figure a way out of this by himself. He was on his own, he would survive, and the second he got home, he was going to ask Draco out because, for some reason, that seemed like the most reasonable thing for him to do right now.
"And I'll give him all my attention Tom," he spat before smirking. He was being completely childish and he knew it. Still, he'd make sure Dumbledore knew Draco and him were together so he could "accidentally" pass it on to Tom. Would it make the other teen jealous? Probably not, but Harry could pretend and hopefully, Draco and him could have a decent relationship, a real one. At least they knew each other.
Who are you kidding? Draco doesn't even like guys, he scolded himself. Even if he did, Draco would never go against his father's wishes. Not while he was still alive. And, if he really thought about it, starting a relationship with someone in order to make someone else jealous was wrong. No, he'd have to find someone else. Someone he actually liked.
An owl hooted from a nearby tree and Harry sat up fast. Had he been saved? He waited for it to come down to him, but it made no effort to do so. Instead, it remained in the tree and soon enough was answered by other hoots in different trees.
Scowling Harry lied back down and rolled onto his side.
(X)
"Stop it…" Harry muttered. Someone or something was jabbing his arm. He didn't want to open his eyes. If he kept them closed, he could pretend he was still at home in his bed or at the Cat's Tail. Anywhere, but lost in some unknown forest. He knew he was of course. He could feel the dew from the grass wetting his clothes and the cold mud on his arms, but remaining in denial was his choice and one he planned to take advantage of.
"OW!" He jerked up because the jabbing had turned into a full-blown bite. He pulled his arm up examining the red mark. The skin hadn't been broken, but it would bruise badly. "What is wrong with you," he demanded of the owl standing next to him. It was looking at him curiously, almost innocent, and before the fact that there was an owl standing next to him set in, it lunged forward and bit his leg. "HEY!" He grabbed the owl, or tried. Instead, a hiss escaped his mouth and both arms fell to his side. The chains were too heavy, his wrists throbbing. There was no way he'd be able to catch the stupid bird. "I'm not dead, go eat someone else." He turned his back to the bird trying to rub his wrists and think of some way to deal with them when he felt something ram into his back. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" He'd never met this particular owl and never heard of one that flat out attacked people.
He turned just in time to see a note attached to the bird's leg, his eyes widening. Someone had finally written to him! He was spared. Soon he'd been out of the shackles and more importantly the forest. He'd climb into a hot shower and spend the next three hours under its wonderful healing powers and then in a bed where no one better bother him for the next month besides Sirius and Remus because he was done with the rest of the world.
"If you're trying to give me the letter, let me have it," he said holding his hand out. The owl once again looked at him, studied him, and tried to attack his fingers. Harry managed to save his hand by moving his whole body back. "Are you rabid or something?!" The owl screamed at him as if it understood the insult. "I'm in a horrible mood," he screamed back. "I got kidnapped and now I'm lost in some woods! If you're not here to help then go away!" The owl turned, spread its wings out, and started to take off.
Somehow, Harry managed to jump and land on the bird. The owl let out a horrible screech, but Harry got the letter off its leg. It wrestled itself out of Harry's arms and flew up into the trees, but Harry had gotten the letter, he'd won. Satisfied he sat down and opened up the envelope.
'I have never, never had anyone treat or judge me the way you have and apologize only to leave and then have the nerve to charm yourself from accepting letters! For every hour you ignore me, this owl has been instructed to pay you back for the damage you've caused once it catches up with you! This isn't over!'
Harry paled slightly running his fingers over the words. They'd not been simply written on the parchment, they'd been engraved. When he turned the parchment over, he could see that Tom had managed to dig the quill in just short of ripping it through.
"Okay, I need a way to reply," he said looking around. Mud would be his best option. If he did it right, he could use his finger to write, let it dry, and then throw the bird out of the woods. He only had one piece of parchment to work with so he needed to be careful. He took a small handful of water and splashed it onto some of the dirt. It couldn't be too wet and he couldn't write it with actual mud, because it'd crumble once it dried then. It took Harry well over an hour to construct his simple message, but he managed.
He reread it one final time to make sure it would work.
'I didn't leave or ignore you; these two wizards kidnapped me when I went outside for air. Just use your tracking spell and find me so I can get out of this forest!'
Perhaps not the most elegant letter he'd ever written, but he was desperate. He stood up trying to find the owl that'd been attacking him.
"Get down here," he yelled at the treetops. "This is really important! Your owner is mad at me and I didn't do anything wrong! You have to give him this letter!"
The owl swooped down glaring at Harry now.
Sighing Harry set the letter down on the ground and backed away from it. Yes, the owl had deserved every bit it got and more, but he needed to be mature. The letter needed to get to Tom, even if he was terrified at what the teen might do once he found Harry. If the gouged out writing in the parchment was of any indication, it wouldn't be pleasant.
The owl gave a loud screech when he was far enough away, snatched the letter and flew off.
"I hope that stupid bird delivers that." As angry as he was at the owl, he realized it was only following Tom's orders. Of which, hadn't Tom mentioned a no mail charm? His kidnappers must have placed one around the castle, but then why had it taken so long for Tom's owl to reach him? A day had passed since he'd gotten away from the castle and the owl arrived. Just how far away from Little Whinging was he? And, why hadn't Brian or Mather told him there was an anti-mail charm in place?
Those two are such idiots…
Wherever he was, it seemed to be a great distance from Tom, because the owl didn't return until the sun had begun to set again. The owl landed on one of the highest branches and dropped the letter out of its beak. The letter slowly drifted towards the ground taking its time. Harry was about to scream when it finally reached his hands. He pulled the letter open, a little disappointed that Tom had not shown up behind the owl, but at least he'd gotten a response. A part of him had feared he wouldn't.
He read the letter. Read it again. A third time, any happy thoughts he'd been holding onto crumbling along with his soul.
'Yeah, sure you were. Writing with mud was a nice touch.'
"He…he didn't believe me?!" He threw the parchment onto the ground locking eyes with the owl. "Didn't you tell him I was stuck in the middle of nowhere!?" So, that was it. Tom didn't believe him. Well, forget it then. Using the same technique he'd used earlier that morning he crafted a second letter.
'You told me not to judge you, but you are an arse. Forget it. I'll find my own way home. Don't expect me to ever forgive you for this. All you had to do was use that spell to locate me to see I'm not lying.'
He threw the letter onto the ground and walked away from it. If Tom wasn't coming to save him and it sure looked like no one else would be writing him any time soon, he needed to keep moving. He'd lost an entire day of walking, sitting in the same spot expecting Tom to show up and rescue him. He filled his pockets with the wild strawberries he'd been eating throughout the day, took a drink from the pond and started walking. Maybe it was stupid, it was getting darker and soon enough he wouldn't be able to see anything around, but he needed to get out.
(X)
The next morning Harry took began walking again. Hours in he had to stop to make sure, he wasn't seeing things. The woods had thinned out. He ran towards the exit ignoring all the pain in his body and had to scramble to stop himself at the last minute. He let out a breath and sat down. He'd finally made it out. He was free of the woods. Before him was a gigantic sprawling meadow with tons of hills and what he prayed was a village or some kind of house in the middle of it. It had to be, but first, he needed to find a way down. He looked over the edge he'd nearly toppled over and frowned. There was no way he could climb down that drop. Not with the condition, his wrists were in.
He examined his surroundings to the left and then to the right. While the ground did slop down, it wasn't enough to get him off the hill or whatever he was on. He looked back at the forest frowning. He didn't want to go back in. Even if he stayed just inside the tree line, he'd had enough of the trees. At least out here, it was warm and the sun could hit his face.
Sighing he looked over the edge again. Maybe if he was really careful he could make it to the bottom without killing himself.
"…because my luck has been so good this holiday," he growled. Muttering a curse, he walked back into the forest keeping the meadow in his sight. He was under no illusion that some force was trying to kill him or at the very least, make his life miserable. He wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve this kind of a holiday, but he was getting it and wasn't going to push what little luck he did have.
It took a great deal of maneuvering before he finally got to level ground with the meadow. Now that he was there, he couldn't even see the village. Hopefully, he hadn't been seeing things.
"You can do this," he told himself. "They'll have real food and a bath." He started walking, cursing all of his bad luck thus far. Why hadn't Sirius written at all? He remembered the no mail charm and groaned. Anyone who'd tried to send him a letter while with his kidnappers would have had their letters returned and they'd figure there was no point in trying again. The only reason Tom had kept the owl going after him had been sheer stubbornness.
And, so he walked. He walked despite all the pain in his legs and his anger at Tom and the rest of his family for getting him in this situation. Maybe Dumbledore would let him stay at Hogwarts over the summer next year. That or he'd hide at Sirius' house, because he could not take any more of this.
He'd been walking a good while when the deranged owl showed back up. It flew right in front of Harry's face and spat the letter at him. He brought his hands up in an attempt to block the letter, but he was moving too slow. It hit him in the face. The owl took off and settled down on a nearby hill.
"What does your idiot owner want," Harry demanded. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the parchment.
'So…I sent a letter to your father asking him if you were with him because the location spell showed you were on the border of Aisne and France and not in Switzerland with your family.'
"I'm in France," Harry repeated. He'd been walking for hours and there was no telling how long ago Tom had used the spell. So, he was either there or in Belgium. He wasn't quite happy about being in either.
'Your parents thought you were with me. I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. Just don't get caught again.'
The letter ended there. What was he supposed to do with this information? You're in France, good luck?
"Well at least my parents know I'm missing and will hopefully come find me," he sighed. There was no mud to reply to Tom's letter, but the house or village he'd seen from the cliff might have a pen. The owl glared at him as he started slowly making his way. It screeched at him when it realized he wasn't going to stop and dive-bombed at his head only to fly clear of Harry's hands. "I don't have anything to write with!" The bird didn't seem to care. It dived at him again, this time landing on one of the shackles. It managed to grip on. "Let go! I can't do anything until I get a pen!"
The owl glared at him and bit down on his hand.
Screaming Harry grabbed the owl and threw it off. It managed to remain upright, beating its wings, and yelled again. Harry inspected his hand. It was bleeding now and he realized the stupid arse bird had bitten him on purpose.
"You want a reply," he demanded. He used his finger to write a one-sentence letter back to Tom from his cut. "I HATE your bird!" He dropped the letter hoping the owl would dive bomb and break its beak on the ground and held his hand close to his chest. The only thing that had been bleeding before the bird had gotten involved had been his wrists and they were more chapped at the constant rubbing from the shackles than actually wounded. All the other bruises and scratches he'd acquired hadn't bled, but the bird…that bird…. He gave it the darkest glare he could manage when he saw it fly off.
It was well into the night when Harry stumbled into the village, if that's what you could call it. He could only see four candles lit in what he guessed were windows. If not for those and the sudden well-worn path under his feet, he might have kept walking.
I did it, he thought grinning. I got to the village. The problem was the sun had set some time ago and he doubted anyone was awake or would be pleased if he woke them up. He noted a larger structure to the side of the house with candles, but he doubted it was an inn. The chances of this place having any real commodities seemed unlikely.
He sagged to the ground against the large building and closed his eyes. He was in a town at least. There were others here. He would be safe and soon his parents would show up and save him. Maybe, maybe he'd forgive Tom since he'd used the locating spell like Harry had asked and had shortened his time dwelling in whatever country he was actually in.
(X)
"Un criminel." A criminal. Harry felt one of his legs get kicked. "Voir les chaînes?" See the shackles?
"Oui! Oui!" Yes! Yes!
A chorus of voices surrounded Harry, each of them raising in pitch as they spoke. He opened his eyes to a group of maybe twelve or so people, both men and women, looking down at him. When he tried to get up one of the men kicked him again.
"HEY!"
"Toi! Criminel! Ne bouge pas!" You! Criminal! Don't move! He kicked Harry yet again, the teen glaring at him. He had no idea what was going on, but he hated that he hadn't taken the time to learn French. He understood the word oui, and it sounded like they were calling him a criminal, but that was it.
How do I explain I'm not a criminal, he wondered his thoughts racing. He was a victim, he'd been kidnapped! The criminals were still in that crumbling castle!
"No! I'm not a criminal," he protested. "Someone kidnapped me! I escaped!"
The group of people looked at each other, each one of them whispering urgently. The one who'd kicked him stepped forward and grabbed the chains jerking Harry up. Harry bit the inside of his mouth refusing to scream. When the pain subsided, he tried again.
"I'm not a criminal!" What had they been saying? "No criminel!" The man jerked him again, Harry staggering forward. The pain was beginning to make him dizzy. The man dragged him along and opened a door to a building, then shoved him inside. Harry fell onto the ground with a thud, his vision swimming. All he could make out was that there was hay beneath him. He closed his eyes.
(X)
"Hey." Harry woke up to a rough shake of his shoulder. "Kid."
Harry blinked awake and frowned. His back was killing him now. Somehow, the hard floor had been worse than the dirt outside. He managed to sit up and glared at the guy in front of him. He was pretty sure he hadn't been among the group who'd accused him of being a criminal and thrown him in here, but Harry had been dragged away so fast he couldn't be sure.
"I know you speak English. We need to talk before the police arrive."
"Police," Harry mouthed his eyes widening. "How long will that take?"
"About a day," the man said giving Harry a small smile. "So it is best if you tell your story now. What are you doing out here?"
"These two guys grabbed me from a restaurant," Harry said making sure to alter the story just enough. If it was going to take a day for the police to arrive, they weren't part of the magical community. "They had me in this castle, it was falling apart, but I managed to escape. I've been walking through the forests for the last few days! I'm not a criminal!"
"You do look like you have been through a lot," the man chuckled. He grabbed one of Harry's wrists and held it up. "That is going to get infected if we do not get these off."
"If you can, please," Harry said too tired to fight. Physically he wasn't too bad, but his mind had just had it. It no longer wanted to be a part of this world anymore. It wanted to run and hide in the dreamscape. "I'm only fifteen; I'll be sixteen in about a month. I'm not a criminal."
"Why did they take you," the man asked.
"To get ransom money from my father," Harry said. He couldn't add the part about revenge or his dad being an Auror.
The man raised an eyebrow at that.
"You have enough money to get kidnapped, but not enough to get a tutor to learn French?"
"It never came up," Harry said almost sobbing now. "If you get me back to my parents safely I'll learn French!" He meant it too. He wanted to know what Tom had said at the restaurant and he might have avoided getting thrown in the local prison if he could have explained himself. Maybe. There was always the chance they wouldn't have believed him anyway since he must look like an escaped criminal.
"I cannot let you out," the man said. "But we will get the shackles off and we will clean your wrists."
"How are you going to get them off," Harry asked. He doubted there was a one key fits all for shackles.
"Hammer," the man said smoothly.
Harry stared at the man. He was going to bash the shackles off with a hammer?
"You know my wrists are under the shackles, right," he asked weakly.
"Only way to do it, we do not have a key."
The man managed to release Harry from the shackles quite easily. A few strokes with a hammer and a chisel placed in the right spot had them falling off without pain. Harry tried to grab at his wrists, but the man yelled at him to stop. He poured some water over Harry's wrists and then some peroxide. Both made Harry want to cry, but he kept himself together. When he was done, he wrapped both of Harry's wrists in bandages.
"Thanks," Harry said examining the bandages. It looked like a doctor had wrapped them.
"I am going to get you some food. I am guessing those wild strawberries have not been filling you up."
The man stepped out of the door and Harry heard the sound of a bolt lock turning. Well, he was saved. It didn't matter if his parents showed up first or the police, they'd take him back to a city, get him back to his parents, and he'd bid them farewell and use Floo Powder to go to Sirius's. He might even place that no mail charm on afterwards.
He rested against the wall in the pile of hay. Things were starting to look up. This would all be over with soon. He wasn't sure if he should forgive Tom completely now that he was saved. Yes, for some stupid reason he still had a crush on him, but after he'd accused Harry of lying about being kidnapped? Who lied about that sort of thing?
The door opened, the man coming back in. He was holding a plate with a sandwich on it and some fruits and vegetables. Harry's mouth began watering at the sight of it.
"It is not much," the man said. He handed Harry the plate and set down a flask of water beside him. "Eat slow; we will serve you dinner later in the day."
"I can't promise that," Harry said biting into the sandwich. He devoured the entire thing in three bites. The man stared at him and shook his head.
"Do not throw up." He left the building locking the door again.
He ate the fruits and vegetables he'd been given and drank all the water. He didn't really taste the food, but what he did was amazing. When he was finished, he let out a happy sigh and stretched out in the hay. He'd gotten food and now that he was actually in the pile of hay, he had a decent bed. His wrists had been wrapped, the stupid chains were gone. He could actually sleep somewhat comfortably now.
When he woke up yet again, the sun was low in the sky. He got to his feet and stretched. His body was yelling at him, but he wanted to work through some of his soreness. He moved around the room slowly, stretching his arms, legs, back, and neck. When he walked passed the window he looked out of it. There wasn't much of a view, just some grazing sheep. He continued to walk.
The door opened and the man from earlier came in, a bowl of stew in hand, more vegetables, and some bread. He also had another flask.
"Feeling any better?" He set the bowl and flask down.
"Loads," Harry said grinning. "I get to go home soon." He sat down grabbing the bread first. "Thank you."
"You do not act like a rich boy," the man said.
"I guess not," Harry said with a shrug. "I never saw the point."
"You were strong to make it through that forest alone. There are wild creatures in there. Some of them are very dangerous."
"Maybe the chains scared them off?" Harry took a spoonful of the stew and placed it into his mouth. He'd never had such wonderful tasting stew.
"That is possible," the man said.
"When will the police arrive," he asked between bites. "In the morning?"
"Mm probably tomorrow evening," he said. "The message had to get there and then they will have to come."
"Oh, well I guess that's okay," Harry said. It wasn't like he could do anything about that. Whoever got here first to take him away from this nightmare would.
"I will see you in the morning," the man said.
"Goodnight," Harry said quickly. The man left.
(TBC)
