Price of the Rider

Chapter Two: The Grimmauld Place Purge

"Madam Umbridge."

A squat woman, wearing a pink cardigan, looked up from her desk. "News already?"

"Definitely news," the man mumbled, his face tightening.

Umbridge's eyes flashed. "Don't tell me they failed. All they had to do was scare the little brat into producing a Patronus." Her eyes widened, a fluttery tone entering her voice. "They didn't ... kiss him?"

"No. Definitely not. Matter of fact, we're not for sure what happened."

"Merlin's sake, Rookwood!" Umbridge exclaimed, slapping her desk. "Tell me what you're going on about!"

Rookwood scratched the back of his head. "Well, the wizard we had tracking Potter says that he and his Muggle cousin entered an alley together, followed by two Dementors. A few minutes later, he heard screaming, watched one Dementor fly away, then ..."

"Then what?"

"Then ... he says that a monster, covered in flames and riding a Muggle motor bike, came flying out of the alley. He says that it appeared to be chasing the Dementor."

Umbridge folded her arms, her eyes cold. "What of Potter and his filthy cousin?"

"He says that the Muggle stumbled out of the alley, but Potter had vanished."

"Really, Rookwood!" Umbridge jumped to her feet. "Choosing a wizard with a drinking problem!"

Rookwood closed his eyes. "I've already checked him over. No alcohol, curses, or hexes of any kind."

"What of the trace? If Potter performed any magic in that alley—"

"I've checked. No reports of underage magic, or magic of any kind in Potter's presence."

Umbridge marched around her desk. "Then what would you have me believe? That a monster came to the aide ... Dumbledore."

"You think that Dumbledore sent a monster—"

"No, you fool! Dumbledore would never send anything dark to ..." Umbridge trailed off, rubbing her face. "Did you say that the monster was riding a Muggle motor bike?"

Rookwood nodded.

Umbridge hurried back to her desk, pulling a file from one of her desk drawers, and flipping through it. "Ah ha! That's what I thought!" She slammed the file down on her desk. "Sirius Black once owned an illegal flying motor bike!"

Rookwood stared at her. "Sirius Black?"

"Of course! Don't you get it?" Her toad-like face tightened into a smile, her eyes wide. "Minister Fudge believes that Dumbledore arranged Black's escape from Hogwarts to make him look bad. If that's true, then Black would owe him. May even be working for him now. He'll want to hear about this."

"He's a little preoccupied right now."

"What else has happened?"

"All the Dementors have deserted their posts at Azkaban."

"Impossible! The Ministry controls—"

"Not anymore. Some of the Azkaban wizard guards attempted to stop them." Rookwood shuddered. "They swarmed, then flew away."

"I must see the Minister at once!" Umbridge gripped the file in her hand, then brushed past Rookwood, leaving him alone in her office to follow after her.

~~~Rider~~~

Harry tore through the dark skies, his Firebolt leaving a trail of flames over London. He half expected to see Aurors zooming after him on brooms, but the heavens remained empty as he approached his target. The motorcycle nosed down as he drew closer, finally landing in a park at the corner of Grimmauld Place and Berryfield.

Running a hand across the handlebars he muttered, "Sleep." At once, the bike fell silent. Breathing deeply, he explored his senses. He could smell the magic nearby. The scent coming from the area was intoxicating. He dismounted his ride, following the pulsing rhythm in his ears. When he looked up, he stood outside an iron fence in front of a line of homes. He could the numbers eleven and thirteen on the side of the buildings.

Harry extended a hand and could feel the magic ripple at his touch. He closed his eyes, stepped forward, then reached out to find a gate. Opening his eyes, he could see that the world had expanded, revealing an iron gate. Beyond that sat a large home with the number twelve upon it.

Harry smiled. "Sirius."

Harry opened the gate, walked up the path to the door, raised his hand to knock, then paused. How do I explain this? Before an answer could be formed in his head, he collapsed.

~~~Rider~~~

Hermione edged her way into the kitchen, looking for any signs of life. It had only been an hour since the whole of the house had left in an uproar of commotion.

"I'm still here."

Hermione jumped. "Sirius! You scared me!"

"Sorry," the old Marauder quipped, though the smirk behind his coffee cup said otherwise. "Looking for a cup of tea, butter beer, or something to eat?"

"Just wondering what's going on," she sighed, taking a seat at the table. "Have you heard anything?"

"No. Haven't heard a word." Sirius took another sip from his cup. "The reports came in so fast that and from so many angles that it was hard to get a read on it all. The best I could come up with was that there had been trouble at Azkaban and in Little Whinging."

Hermione threw her head into her hands. "Merlin, I wish that I hadn't listened to Dumbledore! What if something has happened to Harry! I just wanted to warn him to be careful!"

"I'm sure that Harry is safe."

Hermione looked up. "You're a horrible liar."

"True, but—"

Sirius's words of wisdom were interrupted by the sound of a whistle.

"Bloody hell!" he shouted, jumping to his feet, and withdrawing his wand. "Hermione! Get upstairs!"

Hermione toppled her chair as she staggered to her feet, withdrawing her wand from her pants pocket. "What is it?"

"Someone has broken through the barrier!"

"That's impossible! Dumbledore said—"

"Dumbledore's been wrong before," Sirius growled. "Now, do as I say!"

"Nothing for it! We'll face them down."

Sirius gave her a weak smile then bolted past her, headed towards the front door. Hermione followed, racing to catch up. She made it to the corridor just in time to see him wrench open the front door. As he did, a body collapsed over the threshold.

"Lumos."

"Harry!"

~~~Rider~~~

"What's our position?"

"A hundred miles off the coast, Captain!"

The Captain peered out the window at the vast ocean. "Excellent. We should reach harbor by morning."

"Sir!" the Navigator shouted. "We have something approaching fast off the starboard stern!"

"How long before we have an intercept?"

"Less than a minute, sir!"

"Impossible!" the Captain stammered, turning to look out the starboard window, thrusting his binoculars to his face. In the distance, he could see what looked to be a ball of fire shooting across the waters. "Sound the alarm!"

The crew of the ship flooded onto the deck of the destroyer. Before the Captain could give any orders, the ball of fire reached the ship, blowing past it in a furry of wind and steam. As it passed, the Captain made out what looked to be a burning man, riding a motorcycle across the surface of the water.

"Sir?" the nearest crew member mouthed.

"Call it in. An unidentified vessel has passed our position, headed for shore at an undefined speed. Unable to engage."

"Sir, that looked like the Gho—"

"You have your orders!" the Captain growled, finding his voice. "We don't report seeing myths!"

~~~Rider~~~

Harry awoke to the feeling of hands dragging him across a hard floor. He opened his eyes to see that his glasses were missing. Unable to make out his surroundings, he immediately rolled out of their grasp, reaching for his wand.

"Harry."

Harry paused, trying to focus on the blurred figure before him. "Hermione?"

A pair of hands placed his glasses back on his face. He saw Hermione kneeling in front of him, Sirius standing behind her and smiling.

"How in the world did you get here?" A look of awe covered her face.

Before Harry could answer, Sirius cut across them. "Not here. Let's get him to the kitchen."

Sirius reached down and helped Harry to his feet. As he turned, his foot caught the side of an umbrella stand, kicking it over. Suddenly, a wailing filled the air, forcing him to cover his ears.

"Filth! Mudblood scum! Dirty Half-bloods! Blood traitors! Scourge of the earth! Invading my ancestral home!"

Harry struggled to contain the rage that filled him. He tried to breathe, but his breath became a sigh. Then, his sigh turned to laughter. A deep, growling laugh. The next moment, his mind and body had transformed once again. He saw the looks of shock and horror on the faces of Hermione and Sirius. He would deal with that in a moment. Right now, he had to cease the screaming.

He approached a large painting of a witch that hung on the wall, the source of the commotion. The witch in the painting fell silent as her eyes beheld what stood before her. Her looks of anger and outrage had been replaced with fear.

"Time for you to be silent," Harry growled.

Her eyes narrowed. "How dare you order me to be silent in my ancestral home, creature!"

"Be silent, witch, or you shall scream only once more!"

"How dare you speak to me in such a way! I shall not be silenced! Many have tried to remove—"

The witch's words were interrupted by her own screams as Harry placed a hand against the corner of the painting.

"Stop! Please!"

Harry removed his hand from the painting, revealing a large burn in the form of his hand. "Be silent, or I shall reduce you to ash."

The witch in the painting stared at him, wide-eyed and trembling. Harry turned from the painting to behold Hermione and Sirius, still rooted to the spot where he had left them. He expected to see them pointing their wands at him, but they simply stared. The mixture of fear and worry on their faces shot through him. Immediately, he began to change back, falling to his knees.

"Harry!" Hermione ran forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh Harry! What's happened to you!"

"Quickly. Let's get him to the kitchen." Harry looked up at Sirius. "We won't have much time before the Order arrives."

He and Hermione grabbed Harry by the arms, pulling him to his feet. Sirius waved his wand, and a large curtain slid over the painting of the witch.

Moving as quickly as possible, they ushered Harry into a large kitchen and sat him at a long table.

"Okay, pup … talk to us."

Sirius sat down across from him, while Hermione took the chair next to him. A small pang of relief overwhelmed him at her willingness to be near him after what she had just witnessed.

"I really don't know how to explain …"

Hermione placed a hand on his shoulder. "When did this all begin?"

Harry dipped his head, breathing hard. Not exactly sure how to explain everything that had happened that night, he started with his meeting with the stranger in the park and moved forward. Hermione and Sirius listened in silence, allowing him to finish.

Harry looked across the table, staring into the eyes of his godfather. "What do I do?"

"Right now," Sirius moaned, rising to his feet "we need to prepare for the arrival of Dumbledore and the Order and get your Firebolt in out of sight."

"The who?"

"The Order of the Phoenix," Sirius retorted. "No time now, but I'll explain later. Dumbledore has been using my family home as a headquarters for the Order, which means that he could be back any moment." Sirius paced back and forth before stopping and leaning on the table. "Listen, do you two trust me?"

"Yes," Harry answered at once.

"What about you, Hermione?"

Hermione glanced at Harry before nodding. "We trust you."

"Then we cannot tell Dumbledore, or anyone else for that matter, what has happened."

Harry frowned. "Why?"

"I promise that I'll explain my reasons later." Sirius stared into Harry's eyes, as though searching for something. "When he gets here, follow my lead."

Harry and Hermione nodded. Harry trusted his godfather and knew that whatever reasons he had for keeping this a secret, they were in Harry's best interest.

"Quickly then. We haven't much time." Sirius led the three of them back to the front door. "Listen up. I'm going to transform into my furrier self and scout ahead. If the coast is clear, I'll come back to get you."

"Harry," Hermione interjected "do you have your cloak?"

Harry closed his eyes, extended his hand which instantly burst into flames. He snapped his fingers and his trunk materialized behind them in a ball of fire. Reaching down, he flipped open the trunk and withdrew his father's cloak.

"We'll discuss how that was even possible later," Harry added, seeing the look on Hermione's face.

Sirius shook his head. "Agreed. That with everything else you've told and showed us. Can you two fit under the cloak together?"

"I think so."

"Then change of plan. I'll transform and you two follow me under the cloak."

Without waiting for discussion, Sirius transformed into the great black shaggy dog. Harry shrugged to Hermione, then tossed it over both of them. The cloak barely covered their trainers, forcing them to huddle close together as they followed Sirius out into the London night.

It only took them a few minutes to locate the eerie black motorcycle.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "how do we sneak a ruddy great motor bike into Grimmauld place?"

"Been hanging around Ron too much," Harry countered, earning him a nudge in the ribs. "Let's see if this works."

Harry extended a hand from under the cloak, waving it over the handlebars. Immediately, the motorcycle groaned, creaked, and then with a snap it transformed back into his broom. The Firebolt leaped into his outstretched hand. Harry tucked it under the cloak, and they silently followed Sirius back to his ancestral home.

Once inside, Harry removed the cloak as Sirius transformed back into his human form. Hermione watched him as he tucked the broom and the cloak into his trunk.

Harry looked up, searching his best friend's eyes. "You okay, Hermione?"

"I'm worried, Harry."

"We're both worried about you, pup," Sirius chimed in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But right now, we need to be ready for Dumbledore's arrival." He waved his wand, and Harry's trunk disappeared with a pop. "I've placed it in Hermione's room."

"Why my room?"

A small smirk ghosted the old dog's face. "They'll never look for it there. Even if someone went in there, you could just tell them it was a trunk full of books." Hermione's face constricted, making Sirius's smirk bloom. "Now, let's get back to the kitchen. I expect Dumbledore to be here soon. We need to look our best as though we just got here."

"We?"

"Trust me, pup." Sirius gave him a wink. "As soon as we're rid of Albus and the Order, we'll focus on what's happened to you and how to fix it."

Harry nodded, and the three of them sprinted down the corridor towards the kitchen. He had no clue what his godfather was up to, but he trusted him. As soon as they sat back down at the table, the grate in the kitchen fireplace glowed green and out stepped Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry!" Dumbledore exclaimed in relief, spying him at the table. "How in the world did you come to be here?"

"I know that you told me to stay put, Albus, but I couldn't just remain still," Sirius interjected, commanding Dumbledore's attention. "Knowing that Dementors had been reported in Little Whinging, I had to go looking for him."

Albus frowned, his eyes twinkling. "Where did you find him, Sirius?"

"Just south of Little Whinging."

Albus turned his attention to Harry, causing a burning sensation to fill his head. "Harry, do you remember what happened?"

"Two Dementors came after me and my cousin, Dudley. Dudley made a run for it. Before I could react, everything went black."

"So, you don't know who saved you from the Dementors?"

The burning sensation continued to prickle around his eyes. "No, Professor. I remember waking up here to see my godfather and Hermione."

"Hmmm. Most disturbing."

"What's disturbing?" Sirius questioned.

"Well, by all the accounts coming in, it seems that an unidentified person or creature saved Harry from the Dementors then disappeared. And now, all the Dementors have vacated their posts at Azkaban."

"What?" Sirius scoffed in disbelief. "How is that possible?"

"That I'm not sure." Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. "It's something that we'll have to discuss when the rest of the Order returns. Hopefully, they will have unearthed new information to this puzzle. Quite the busy night." He clapped his hands together. "The good news is that Harry is safe."

Sirius growled, "Yes … about his safety. Dumbledore, I don't believe that Harry should return to his aunt and uncle's home. I think that, until he returns to school, he should stay here."

"I agree," Dumbledore nodded. "He will be much safer here with you and the Order."

Sirius rubbed his chin, walking over to the fireplace. "That's my second concern. Albus, I'm not sure that I want this to be the Order's headquarters any longer."

"Why not?" Dumbledore retorted, his voice sharper.

"You know that I don't agree with every member's appointment."

Dumbledore sighed. "Sirius, we've been over this. There's no reason—"

"There's every reason," Sirius growled, rounding on Dumbledore. "Tonight, is just one more to add to the list. Until we know what's going on, I don't want anyone I'm not comfortable with in my home or around Harry. I'm sorry Dumbledore, but you're just going to have to find another headquarters. Ms. Granger can stay on until she heads off to Hogwarts, but the Order is out."

Dumbledore sighed. "This is your house, Sirius. I cannot force you to allow us entry. Would you consent to at least allowing your cousin, Nymphadora, to stay here until Harry and Ms. Granger return to school?"

Well, she is a fully qualified Auror … and a Black." Sirius rubbed his chin. "Alright, Dumbledore. I'll allow Tonks to stay."

"Excellent," Dumbledore sighed. "Well, would it be out of the way to request a cup of tea with a drop of fire whiskey?"

"Not at all, Albus," Sirius inclined his head. "I'll have Kreacher draw us up some drinks while you inform the Order of the changes."

Dumbledore nodded, his smile faltering. Harry's eyes prickled and burned every time Professor Dumbledore looked his direction.

"Kreacher!"

A loud pop announced the arrival of an old, mean tempered house-elf. "Master called?"

Harry immediately noted the difference in tone from the Hogwarts house-elves or Dobby. They were always cheerful and happy to be of service. Even Winky did her best to be friendly. This house-elf's tone, however, could only be described as contemptuous.

"Yes, Kreacher. Fetch us four cups of tea and a bottle of fire whiskey."

"As you wish." The house-elf bowed low, its ears flapping. Harry could distinctly hear the old elf mutter, "One for the half breed, one for the Mudblood, one for the blood traitor, and one for the blood enemy."

"None of your murmuring, Kreacher," Sirius growled. "Fetch the drinks."

Harry eyed Hermione, who looked to be a mixture of emotion. As soon as Kreacher had served the table, he disappeared with a crack. Dumbledore produced a quill and parchment, scratched something down, then held it in the air. Moments later, the parchment disappeared in a swirl of fire.

"Sugar and cream for you two," Sirius shoved the bowls towards Harry and Hermione. "This is for us." He held the bottle high before adding a little of its contents to his and Dumbledore's cup.

Dumbledore visited with them for a quarter of an hour. Time in which he made sure to ask Harry at least three more times what happened before he blacked out. The moment the fireplace glowed green, he rose to his feet to greet a young woman with pink hair as she stepped out of the grate.

"Nymph—Tonks. Thank you for coming."

"No worries, Headmaster." She leaned around Dumbledore. "Watcha, cousin! Looks like I'll be staying with you three."

"Yes, well I best be on my way," Dumbledore yawned. "Must set up the new Order headquarters and have a quick meeting before I retire. I'll send you two the location once I have everything arranged."

Without waiting for a response, Dumbledore stepped into the grate and disappeared. The witch known as Tonks waved at Harry and Hermione but was cut off by Sirius.

"Tonks, before we go any further, I must ask you to swear to me our family blood oath."

Tonks's eyes widened. "Did you request the headquarters be removed from your home?"

"Clever as ever, cous. Now, will you take the oath, or must I ask you to leave?"

Tonks bit her lip. "We're family, Sirius. I'll take the oath. A formality, really."

Sirius extended his hand, palm up. Tonks placed her hand on top of Sirius's, palm down. Sirius waved his wand and a golden glow filled the room, expanding from where their hands were touching. When the glow faded, Sirius smiled.

"Now, I can answer any question you have. Be mindful though. Harry is my godson, and all questions regarding him are covered by the oath, along with anything in this house."

Tonks nodded. "What's going—"

"Does that include me?"

Quicker than Harry could blink, Sirius and Tonks had twisted around, firing spells towards the doorway to the kitchen. The spells collided with a figure, lighting up the room like the morning sun. When Harry could see again, his mouth dropped open. A man stood in the doorway, his arm raised, and his palm smoking where the spells had connected.

"Who the bloody hell are you and how did you enter my home?" Sirius barked, a snarl covering his face.

Hermione toppled back out of her chair, pulling Harry up as she made her way away from the figure. Harry had instinctively drawn his wand, though it pointed towards the ground.

"The name's Johnny Blaze. The reason why I'm here is because of him." The man pointed a finger at Harry. "I got into your home and past your defensive magical spells because I'm a Rider," the man's eyes found Harry's, "just like you, Harry James Potter."

A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Beta'd by my Dad, AADixon. All mistakes are his! ;) Please review and let me know what you think!

Johnny has arrived. The stage is set. The curtain rises. The first act is about to begin! I promise no long detailed (boring) explanations of anything in this fic. I expect most to have a background knowledge of Harry Potter and the Ghost Rider. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me. I'll do my best to explain.

I will be showing some reactions to changes that Harry makes to canon for color, but I'm going to mostly focus on the plot. There's a lot of fun to be had and I don't want to muddy it up. There's so much that a Rider in the Wizarding World could do, that I don't want to get drawn in too deep about what he should or shouldn't do. A Rider focuses on instinct and purpose.

Next, Harry will learn to ride! How will Sirius, Tonks, and Hermione handle all this? Soon, Hell is coming to Hogwarts...

JB