Albus woke up with a groan. He opened his eyes but it didn't change anything. It was still pitch black around him with occasional flashes of different colours. He was lying on something hard, most presumably the floor. He must have fallen from the chair after Mortimer-
Albus sat up abruptly. The movement caused a hot flare of pain to run up his spine. He sat still, taking deep breaths, until the pain subsided and became a bearable dull ache. It wasn't the sharp agony he had felt right after he had been tortured with the Cruciatus Curse. It was a steady, slowly-increasing pain which always appeared when he'd gone too long without taking another dose of the analgesic potion. Albus didn't know exactly how long it had been since he last drank the potion, but he was long overdue the next dose. The pain had become pretty bad while he was unconscious. It was still manageable but if he didn't drink the potion soon, the pain would make him incapable of doing anything.
There was one good thing about the pain though. It meant that Mortimer hadn't cast a Cruciatus Curse on him. Strong, sharp flares of agony weren't cursing through his nervous system like they had the previous time. But why hadn't Mortimer cursed him? He'd made him choose, he'd demanded a choice as if his life depended on it and after everything he'd just knocked Albus unconscious? What was his purpose? Where was he?
Albus listened carefully. The thought that Mortimer might be standing just a few meters from him, watching him, made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. And where was Scorpius? What had happened to him? Albus heard a slow breathing nearby but he couldn't tell if it belonged to Scorpius or Mortimer.
"Scorpius," he whispered. "Scorpius. Are you okay?" He tried a little louder but heard no answer, no movement.
He felt around himself and found an overturned chair. At least he was still in the same room. Slowly he stood up, hissing when the pain shot up his left leg. Trying to ignore the ache, he took a few steps with his hands outstretched in front of him. Mortimer hadn't only taken the analgesic potion, but his white cane as well. After just a few steps, he bumped into something. Feeling around, he concluded it was the bed on which he and Scorpius had sat before. Albus moved to the right and his hand touched something soft and smooth. He immediately recognised it as Scorpius's hair. His boyfriend was most definitely alive, though Albus couldn't tell if he was asleep or unconscious.
"Scorpius." Albus knelt down beside the bed. He threaded his fingers through Scorpius's hair. "Scorpius, wake up."
When calling Scorpius didn't work, Albus started to shake his shoulder, at first gently but soon with more and more strength and nervousness. He couldn't be left here alone, blind, with unconscious Scorpius. Scorpius needed to wake up. Just as he felt panic rising up, Scorpius stirred and gave out a loud gasp.
"Albus?" Scorpius said, and before Albus could react in any way, Scorpius enveloped him in a tight hug. Albus returned the embrace, resting his forehead on Scorpius's shoulder, for a short moment feeling safe. Too soon Scorpius broke the hug and helped Albus sit on the bed. Albus could feel Scorpius's intense gaze.
"How are you feeling?" Scorpius asked. Albus opened his mouth to answer, but Scorpius was quicker: "I remember that Mortimer cast some spell on you. But it wasn't the Cruciatus Curse. You fell from the chair and I thought that he- that he had killed you. I shouted at him that you had chosen life but he just smiled and asked me what I would choose. That's the last thing I remember. He must have cast a Stupefy on both of us."
"I think so. I just woke up a few minutes ago. I'm sure he didn't cast the Cruciatus on me. I don't feel the pain from the curse."
"But you're in pain. I can tell."
Albus nodded. "I should have taken the analgesic potion a long time ago. It's not bad yet but it's getting worse very quickly," he said, as another flare of pain shot up from his fingers to the right shoulder.
"Where is Mortimer?"
"He's not here then?" Albus asked, feeling relieved.
"No, unless he has an Invisibility Cloak or is hiding under the bed."
"Did he leave us any food or water?"
"No. Nothing. The room looks exactly the same as before. We're alone. We can only wait until he returns."
Albus shivered. "Why did he make me choose? What was the point in that if he didn't cast the Cruciatus? He wanted me to make a choice as if it was the most important thing in the world and then he just knocked me out? It doesn't make sense."
Scorpius took his hand. "I don't know. Maybe he wants to keep you in anxiety and stress to see if you change your mind."
"I won't," Albus said and it was the utmost truth.
"That's incredibly brave. I don't know if I would make the same choice. Mortimer- just before he knocked me out, he asked me what I would choose, and- I'm not sure. I want to believe that I'd make the same choice as you. True, I felt the pain of the Cruciatus, but it lasted only a few seconds and I've never lost my sight because of it. Maybe if I were in your place, knowing the pain of the prolonged curse, fearing that I might lose another sense or my mind, I'd choose death. It seems easier."
"Maybe it's easier but not better," Albus said. "And I believe that you would make the right choice, Scorpius. I know you."
"Thank you." Scorpius squeezed his hand.
A new wave of pain washed over Albus and didn't want to leave him. He clutched Scorpius's hand in a tight grip, trying to withstand the pain without crying out. Slowly the pain subsided but didn't disappear completely.
"Albus?" Scorpius asked with a great concern in his voice. He sounded as if he were on the verge of tears.
"It's okay. For a moment." Albus didn't want to tell Scorpius how bad it really was. He didn't want to worry him.
"I'm done. You need the potion and I'll get it for you."
"What are you going to do?" Albus asked surprised.
Scorpius didn't answer but released Albus's hand and got up from the bed. Albus heard footsteps and a moment later Scorpius was banging on the door.
"Mortimer! Are you there?! Albus needs his potion! Come here!" More banging. "Do you hear me?! Come here, you coward!"
Albus couldn't help but smile. He heard more banging and shouting and then suddenly Scorpius went silent.
"Scorpius?" Albus asked, turning his head towards the door.
"The door is open."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"The door is open. I just grabbed the handle to make more noise and the door opened. We are free."
x x x
"Mum, dad is going to find Albus, isn't he?" Lily asked and looked at Ginny. Her brown eyes were brimming with tears.
"He'll do everything he can to find him. He won't stop. You know that, sweetheart, your dad never gives up. He'll find Albus." Ginny stroked Lily's long red hair.
"But why did Mortimer kidnap him? What does he want from Albus?" Lily moved to get closer to Ginny and laid her head on Ginny's shoulder.
"I wish I knew." Ginny embraced her daughter. "I ask myself these questions over and over again."
"Albus never did anything to him. And neither did dad, or you. The Order saved his family!"
"Evil people don't always need a reason to hurt others. They do it just for fun. They get a sick pleasure from hurting others."
"That's awful." Lily said.
"I should have gone with him," said James from his seat at the kitchen table.
While Harry was still working on disentangling the Apparition spot Mortimer had left in Hogsmeade, Ginny went to the Gryffindor common room and informed Albus's siblings and cousins about what had happened. She decided to take Lily and James home and wait with them for any new information from Harry. The three of them were now sitting in the kitchen, drinking hot tea.
"James, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Albus had the best protection and even that wasn't enough. You wouldn't have been able to do anything even if you'd been with him."
James nodded, not entirely convinced, and sipped his tea.
"We shouldn't have let him go. He should have stayed in the castle until Mortimer was caught," Ginny finally said out loud the words that had been flowing through her brain since Albus had been kidnapped. She was afraid and embarrassed to admit her error but she couldn't escape truth and responsibility.
"Mum," Lily took her hand. "Albus knew the risk and still wanted to go. He doesn't want to be a prisoner in the school and house. And no one expected that Mortimer would dare to attack him in a village full of people."
Ginny smiled at her daughter. Her eyes misted with tears.
A familiar sound of the Floo call came from the main room. Ginny stood up and went to see who it was. In the fireplace she saw Hermione's head surrounded by brown bushy hair and emerald green flames.
"Ginny!" Hermione said. "Harry said that you were home. May I come?"
"Of course," Ginny said. Hermione's head disappeared and a moment later she was standing on the red rug in front of the fireplace, crushing Ginny in a tight hug.
"Auntie!" Lily ran to Hermione and embraced her.
"Hello, Lily." Hermione kissed her niece on the cheek. "Hi, James." She hugged him and smiled softly.
"I met with Harry and Draco," Hermione said, sitting down on the sofa. "They're still working in Hogsmeade but Harry said they were almost done."
"It's been two hours since they started," Ginny said, looking at the clock.
"Harry sent every Auror he could to search for Albus. I put announcements in the newspapers, TV, radio. I asked for help from the Muggle Prime Minister and I'm in contact with Ministers from other countries. We're doing everything we can. We'll find them, Ginny."
"Thank you." Ginny smiled though it was a sad smile that didn't reach her eyes. Still, she was overflowing with gratitude and love for her friend.
She noticed that James looked at her and Hermione with a nervous expression, as if he was gathering courage. When he finally opened his mouth to say something, a big silvery stag burst through the window and stood gracefully in front of Ginny.
"Ginny, we finished the spell," the stag said in Harry's voice. "It led us to a hill, I have no idea where, but we found another Apparition trace. We've started working on it. Please, join me if you can. An Auror is waiting for you in Hogsmeade to take you to the hill."
Ginny and Hermione stood at once, ready to go. This time James didn't hesitate.
"Mum, I want to go with you," he said, strong and determined.
"What?!" Ginny turned to her son. "Absolutely not. You're staying here with Lily. You mustn't leave the house." Ginny paused, torn between two desires. "I'll stay with you. I can't leave you two alone. Harry will be fine without me."
"But Mum!" James protested. "We're not babies anymore. We can stay alone. I'll watch over Lily."
Lily glared at her brother, making it clear that she didn't need anyone to watch over her.
Ginny sighed, frustrated. "You both don't understand. Albus and Scorpius have just been kidnapped. We don't know if Mortimer is working alone or if he has accomplices waiting to harm you. You're both brilliant wizards but you're no match for adults who won't hesitate to use Unforgivables. You can't be left on your own."
James and Lily hung their heads.
"Ginny," Hermione interrupted. "Ron can look after Lily and James. I have to go back to the Ministry but Ron's at home. He'll be here in a minute."
Ginny wasn't happy about leaving her children but she yearned to help Harry and find Albus. She trusted her brother and knew that he would do anything to protect Lily and James.
"Alright," Ginny nodded. "Uncle Ron will watch over you. Listen to him, behave and don't blow up the house."
Hermione bid everyone a quick goodbye and disappeared into the green flames. After a short while Ron stumbled from the fireplace, holding a big box in his arms.
"Thanks, Ron," Ginny said, putting on the travelling cloak. "If anything happens, send a Patronus to me or Harry. And please, behave. All three of you."
"Don't worry," said Ron, putting the box on the table. "I brought new gadgets and toys. Lily, James, I hope you'll help me choose the best ones for my shop."
"Of course, Uncle!" said Lily and immediately started to rummage in the box.
Ginny smiled. She hoped Ron would help Lily and James forget about bad things at least for a little while. She hugged her children, turned on the spot and Disapparated to join Harry in the search for their son.
x x x
"Free?" Albus stood up and moved towards Scorpius. "What's behind that door? Scorpius, be careful. Mortimer could be hiding somewhere, waiting for us."
"There's a corridor," Scorpius said. "It looks like a normal house. A Muggle house. Pictures on the wall don't move. There's a staircase on the left. And no Mortimer in sight."
"Maybe he's downstairs? Why would he leave the door open?" Albus halted, with his hand on the bed's headboard.
"Maybe he- maybe he forgot to lock the door?"
"I doubt that. He's not stupid."
"Perhaps he thought we'd be unconscious longer and didn't bother to lock the door."
"In that case he'd rush here the moment you started banging on the door. I fear it's a trap, a game. He's playing with us. He wants to give us hope and then crush it."
"Maybe he needed to run," Scorpius tried to stay optimistic. "Maybe he feared that Aurors would soon find him and just flee, leaving us behind."
"Maybe... Do you see anything suspicious?"
"No," Scorpius said. "So, what now? Are we trying to escape?"
"Of course! Let's just get out of this room and see what happens. Maybe he's downstairs, maybe not. We won't find out if we stay here."
"You're right." Scorpius grabbed Albus's hand. Albus squeezed his hand very tightly. He couldn't lose Scorpius during the escape. "I wish we had wands."
Albus sighed. "Once again we must cope without them."
Scorpius tightened his grip on Albus's hand. "Alright. Let's go. Stay close," Scorpius said. He walked out of the room, Albus closely behind him. Albus's heart was hammering inside his chest so fast and hard he feared he would faint. He expected Mortimer to catch them out anytime.
"Careful. Stairs," Scorpius warned him. "The banister is on the right."
Slowly, with one hand on the banister and the other clutching Scorpius's, Albus walked down the short staircase. At the bottom Scorpius stopped.
"Do you see him?" Albus whispered.
"No, there's no one here," Scorpius murmured. "But I see the front door. Come on."
Albus followed him. He held his breath when they stopped and he heard Scorpius pressing the handle. Then he heard the most glorious sound: the noise of the hinges when the door opened. The soft breeze hit his face.
"Scorpius, run. We need to get as far away from this place as we can."
They ran. Albus put all his trust in Scorpius. He could only hold onto his hand and pray that he would not hit anything or trip and fall. He had no idea what was before him or who might be behind him.
They ran for a while and soon Albus was out of breath. He heard Scorpius panting heavily in front of him. Scorpius took many turns, through what felt like narrow streets, across a field of grass and then an old, uneven street. Suddenly Scorpius stopped.
"What it is?" Albus asked and bent, clutching his side.
"I know where we are," Scorpius panted. "We're in Leicester. It's the Leicester Cathedral. I was here with dad last summer."
"Great! We need to contact our parents and tell them where we are. I assume that Mortimer isn't following us?"
"No, we weren't followed. I don't see him now either." Albus sighed with relief, though his fear didn't diminish entirely. "Okay, how do we contact our parents? We don't have wands, and even if we had, we can't cast a Patronus."
"The Knight Bus?" Albus suggested.
"We need a wand to summon it," Scorpius said. "No owls, no brooms, no Floos. There's nothing."
"Do you know anyone in Leicester?"
"No, dad and I stayed in a fancy Muggle hotel. I loved it, they had so many strange and fascinating things. Have you ever seen-"
"Muggles. Of course," Albus said, not listening to Scorpius's ramblings. "Scorpius, is there anyone nearby?"
"Lots of people. It's an early evening. It seems we were in Mortimer's house just a few hours. It felt so much longer. But, yeah, there's a lot of people around. Why?"
"I have an idea how to contact our parents," Albus said. "We just need a phone."
"A phone? You mean this- this device that lets Muggles talk to each other at a distance?"
"Exactly. Did you use one before?"
"No, but I saw one in that hotel," Scorpius said. "Do your parents have a phone?"
"Yes, we have one in our house. Dad wanted us to have the best of both worlds. He uses it sometimes to call his cousin Dudley and we have some Muggle friends from the primary school so we all know how to use it. Let's just hope that someone is at home."
Albus gritted his teeth as a new wave of pain shot up his spine. He hadn't felt any pain during the escape but now, as the adrenaline faded, his pain returned with double strength.
"Albus? Maybe- maybe sit down." Scorpius put a hand on his shoulder. He sounded lost. "There's a bench nearby. Or we could sit in the church."
"Later." Albus took a few deep breaths, fighting against nausea. "We need to call my parents. Then we can rest."
"Alright. But how do we get the phone? Can we buy it? Though I don't have any pounds. Or should we go to someone's house and ask them if we can use their phone?"
"That won't be necessary. These days almost everyone has a smartphone."
"A smart phone?" Scorpius asked, excitement and distrust mingled in his voice. "It- thinks?"
"Not exactly," Albus smiled. "Though it does many things. I'll show you one later. Lily, James and I each have one but they obviously don't work at Hogwarts. What's important, they are small so everyone has one in their pocket or bag. We just need to ask someone if we can use their phone to make a short call."
"And they'll agree?"
"I hope so. We'll tell them that our phone's battery ran out and we need to call our parents to tell them where we are. I'll do the talking, but you have to approach someone. Preferably someone who's not busy or in a hurry."
Scorpius was silent for a moment, then said: "There's a girl sitting on a bench with something small in her hands. She seems to be tapping it with her fingers. Strange. Maybe we should ask someone else."
Albus laughed. "That small thing is exactly a smartphone. Let's ask her."
Albus grabbed Scorpius's arm and they approached the girl. Scorpius coughed nervously to get her attention.
"Excuse us," he said. "Could you help us?"
"In what way?" She had a pleasant voice. "Are you lost?"
"No, we just need- we need to use-" Scorpius stumbled and Albus rushed to his aid.
"Our phone is dead and we need to call our parents and tell them where we're waiting for them. Would you mind if we use your phone to make a short call?"
"Ah, not at all. Sure, you can use it. Here."
Scorpius moved to take the phone and then whispered to Albus.
"Okay, now what? How does it work?"
"What do you see on the screen?" Albus whispered back though he was sure the girl could hear them nonetheless.
"There's a keyboard with numbers and a green earphone beneath it."
"You need to touch the numbers which I'm going to tell you and then the green button."
"Touch them?" Scorpius asked incredulously.
"You don't know how to use the phone?" the girl interrupted.
"Well, you see, his dad is very old-fashioned and doesn't let him have a smartphone." Albus could only hope that the girl would believe in his lie. Which wasn't far from truth after all.
"Really? I've never met a young person who doesn't know how to use a phone. Old people, sure, but a teenager? Never. How do you function? I can't imagine a life without a phone. You miss so much."
"Yeah, I need to teach him how to use it. I can make a call but I need a voiceover to be turned on. And I'm not very fluent with it yet."
"Let me do it," the girl said. "Just tell me the number."
"Thanks," Albus said, relieved that she hadn't freaked out by the fact that Scorpius didn't know how to use an everyday life object. "The number is 01962 481516."
"Here, it's already calling," the girl said and put the phone in Albus's hand.
Albus put the phone to his ear and waited nervously for someone to answer the call. After several long seconds at last someone picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Lily? It' me, Albus."
"Albus?! Where are you? Why- James, Uncle Ron, it's Albus!" she shouted then spoke again into the earphone. "Are you hurt? Is Scorpius with you?"
"Yes, we're together and we're fine. We are in front of the Leicester Cathedral. Tell Dad that we'll be waiting inside the church."
"Leicester? Albus, what happened?"
"Lily, I can't talk now, it's not my phone. Just tell Dad to come for us."
"Of course-, yes-, Uncle Ron will send Dad a Patronus. He'll be there soon. Wait for him."
"Thanks, Lily. See you soon, bye." Albus handed the girl her phone back. "Thank you so much. They were very worried and looking for us."
"No problem, I'm glad I could help," she said. "Do you need anything else?"
"No, we're fine. We'll wait for them in the cathedral."
"Thank you," said Scorpius and took Albus's hand. "Goodbye."
Scorpius led Albus to the cathedral. When they entered the church, Albus heard footsteps and soft whispers echoing in the vast space. The cathedral smelled of candles, incense and old wood. They sat in the pew.
"Your plan was brilliant," Scorpius whispered, to not disturb church's tranquility. "Once again you saved us."
"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."
"I'm sorry I wasn't much of a help. But I didn't want to say anything odd and raise her suspicions."
"It's okay. The fact that you can't use the phone was odd enough. Fortunately, she didn't run away from such freaks. A blind boy and a boy who can't even make a call. What a pair."
Scorpius nudged Albus's side. "At least she'll have something to talk about."
Albus smiled. "Definitely. I was surprised Lily answered the phone. I thought she and James were at Hogwarts and hoped that mum was at home. Apparently Lily and James are at home with Uncle Ron so our parents must be at the Ministry or somewhere searching for us."
"They'll be here very soon." Scorpius was silent for a while then said: "This cathedral is beautiful. I would gladly describe it to you and tell you what I know of its history but I don't think now is the right time."
While Scorpius was talking, another wave of pain hit Albus and this time didn't diminish after a while. Albus brought his feet up on the pew and curled into a ball, pressing his head to his knees. It took all his strength and willpower not to shout. He felt Scorpius putting his hand on his back.
"Hold on. Just a little while. Your dad will be here soon."
Just as Scorpius finished talking, Albus heard quick footsteps and a choked voice saying: "Albus?"
"Mr. Potter, here," replied Scorpius.
Moments later Albus was crushed in a tight hug. He didn't even have time to return it when Harry released him and grabbed his hand instead.
"Scorpius, take my hand," said Harry. "I'm going to Apparate with you to a safe place. You'll tell me everything there."
Albus tightened his grip on his dad's hand and for the second time that day felt an uncomfortable pressure around his body as he travelled through space.
x x x
Scorpius felt a solid ground under his feet and could breathe again. Instantly he was enveloped by two strong arms. When he opened his eyes, he saw his father's black coat and blonde hair. He buried his face in Draco's shoulder. Smelling the familiar rich cologne and feeling his dad's fingers in his hair, Scorpius finally felt safe.
He didn't want to leave his father's arms but Harry's and Ginny's panicked voices made him raise his head and look over Draco's shoulder. They were in Potter's sitting room. Harry and Ginny were kneeling over Albus who lay on the floor, curled into a tight ball, crying and whimpering softly. Lily and James stood nearby with horrified looks on their faces. Lily had tears in her eyes.
"Albus!" Ginny said, her voice breaking, hands hovering over her son, as if she was afraid to touch him.
"Scorpius, what happened?" Harry turned to Scorpius. "Did Mortimer torture him again?"
"No, he didn't torture either of us." Scorpius left his dad's arms and kneeled beside Harry. "But he took Albus's potion and Albus should have taken the next dose some time ago. He's already felt pain for a while and apparently the Apparition made it worse."
Before Scorpius finished talking Ginny took the phial of the potion from her pocket and gave it to Albus. Clumsily he drank the potion until the pain faded away completely. He sat up and wiped his face. Ginny and Harry embraced him, soon to be joined by James and Lily, and Albus disappeared under the arms of his loved ones.
Scorpius stood up and returned to his father's side. Only now he noticed Ron standing next to the fireplace. Ron raised his hand in greetings and smiled broadly.
"Scorpius, are you hurt?" Draco led Scorpius to the sofa and sat down beside him.
"No, I'm fine. Just tired and hungry. But we're not hurt. He didn't harm us."
Ron summoned food from the kitchen. Scorpius gratefully took a sandwich. He hadn't realised until now how hungry he was. Meanwhile Harry helped Albus sit down on the sofa.
"Are you better?" He asked his son. "Do you need to go to St. Mungo's?"
"I'm alright now. I only needed the potion," Albus said.
"He didn't torture you?"
"No, he only knocked us out with a spell. Probably a Stunning Spell."
"It was Mortimer, wasn't it?" Harry asked. Albus and Scorpius nodded at the same time. "Tell me everything that happened since you were taken from Hogsmeade."
Albus described the whole event, with Scorpius adding a few things. A self-writing quill noted down every word they said.
Scorpius watched his dad's and Albus's parents' reactions as they learned about Mortimer's sick experiment. They all went pale when they heard about countless innocent victims of the curse. Ginny started crying when she heard why Mortimer had attacked Albus, and Scorpius saw fury and infinite sadness in Harry's eyes when Harry learned that initially he was supposed to be Mortimer's victim.
At one point during their tale, Hermione stumbled from the fireplace. She hugged both Albus and Scorpius fiercely, then listened. Once the boys finished, she and Harry asked them a few questions to clarify some things.
"Scorpius, if you're feeling up to it, could you lead us to the house where you were kept?" Harry asked, taking his cloak from the chair's back. "Draco will go with us and once you show us the house, you can both go home and rest."
Scorpius looked at his dad. Draco wore a deep frown, visibly upset that Harry still wanted something from his son after all that he had gone through.
"Dad, it's alright," Scorpius reassured him. "I'll just lead Mr. Potter to the house and then we'll go home. I'll be completely safe with you, Mr. Potter and his Aurors."
Draco sighed and nodded, knowing that he had no choice. Harry sent Patronuses to his Aurors to meet him in front of the Leicester Cathedral.
"Albus, we'll do everything we can to catch him. Go to sleep now, you need a lot of rest. I'll see you tomorrow." He hugged Albus and kissed him on the forehead.
"Be careful, Dad," Albus said.
Scorpius gave his boyfriend a quick kiss and promised to see him tomorrow. Then he stood up and grabbed Harry's hand. Draco put his hand on Harry's shoulder as only Harry and Ginny were able to Apparate to and from their house. Everyone else, even close family and friends, had to use the Floo network or the traditional way through the door.
Scorpius closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He'd really had enough Apparitions for one day.
x x x
Two Aurors were already waiting for them in front of the cathedral. The old stones were bathed in warm red and gold rays of the setting sun.
"Have you found anything?" Harry asked his workers.
"No, not even the tiniest trace of him," said Marcel, one of the most experienced Aurors. "We asked some local wizards if they'd seen anything and-" he shrugged. "Nothing."
"Scorpius, are you able to find the way back to the house?" Harry asked.
Scorpius looked around, finding the park through which he and Albus had run before reaching the church. He pointed in that direction.
"There. Through the park, then some narrow streets- I'm sure once I see the exact spot, I'll know which way to go."
Harry nodded. More Aurors joined them, none of them having any useful information. Not wanting to waste any more time, the group set out. Harry and Draco followed Scorpius, other Aurors dispersed around them, still in close proximity to protect them, but far enough to not draw any unwanted attention.
Scorpius quickly led them through the park. He hesitated for a moment before entering a narrow alley. They took a few turns, and Harry was amazed how well Scorpius remembered the escape route. At last they reached a long wide street, lined with standard Muggle houses. It reminded Harry of Privet Drive.
"That's the street," Scorpius said. "The house is a few minutes' walk to the left."
As Scorpius said, after a short walk, they stopped in front of one of the houses. It has a small well-kept garden; rose bushes still had a few red flowers.
"You're sure it's that house?" Harry asked, putting his hand on Scorpius's shoulder. He didn't want to scare an innocent Muggle family by invading their house.
"I'm sure. I remember the roses and the cobbled path. And the front door. Look, it's still open."
Harry took out his wand. He nodded to the Aurors. Three stayed with him, the rest scattered around the house.
"Thank you, Scorpius. I hope we'll be able to catch him now."
"He wasn't in the house when we escaped," Scorpius reminded him.
"I know, but maybe he left something that will help us find him. Maybe he returned to the house after your escape. Leave it to us. You've done enough. Go home now and rest."
"Be careful," Draco said. He took Scorpius's hand and they both Disapparated in a swirl of space.
Harry grabbed his wand tightly, feeling the familiar warmth emanating from the holly wood. He walked briskly to the front door and opened it wider. Wand ready in a duel position, with three Aurors right behind him, he crossed the threshold.
"Homenum revelio," said Harry.
The spell didn't detect anyone. Though it was possible to conceal oneself against revealing spells, it was a highly professional and difficult spell and Harry doubted Mortimer knew it. He was pretty sure the kidnapper wasn't in the house anymore. He still hoped that they would find something here that would lead them to Mortimer.
Harry looked around. He saw a short corridor leading to the sitting room and a narrow staircase. The house looked almost exactly the same as the one on Privet Drive. He almost expected Aunt Petunia to walk out of the kitchen. He went upstairs. There were three doors, one of them was wide open.
The room looked exactly as Scorpius had described. The chair lay on the floor, the covers on the bed were crumpled, the desk- There was something on the desk.
Harry reached the desk in three long strides and saw a sheet of paper torn from a notebook. He read it, noticing dots over the written words.
Albus, I've learned everything I wanted. You and Scorpius are free to go. I will never bother you again, you are safe. Tell your father that he should stop searching for me as he will never find me.
Edward Mortimer