A/N: Hey, everybody! Thank you all for your reviews. I'm so glad that so many of you are so involved in this story. You've really helped me make this story a good one. And thanks to my betas EmySabath and Staryday. They make sure the chapters run smoothly without too many grammatical mistakes. I just figured I haven't said thanks in a while, so here it is. THANK YOU!
Now, as for my question on whether this was getting to long and if I should split it into a different story… Most of you said that the many chapters were no problem and keeping it together will make it easier for everyone to keep reading. So that is what I'm going to do. The chapters will continue and there won't be a separate story link for Year Four. Those of you who said that a new story link would be good, also wanted me to tie things off before doing so, and I can't really do that. There's just too much to resolve and it's not possible to do so before Harry starts his Forth Year.
Anyway, enjoy the new chapter and keep coming with all the glorious reviews. They really help me and I can't tell you how excited I get when I see them. (grins)
Quidditch, Chaos, and Punishments
Harry had a death grip on Severus' hand. The tension and excitement in the stadium was almost tangible. He already had a nosebleed and would have fainted if it weren't for the skin to skin contact with his teacher. Physical touch allowed a temporary connection to form between them and Harry was as safe as he could be in this situation, now hiding behind two Occlumency shields.
"He's got it – Krum's got the Snitch – it's all over!" Harry screamed in delight, jumping to his feet and pointing at the rising Bulgarian Seeker.
Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand. The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170. The crowd didn't seem to have realized what happened, but slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the screams of the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder.
"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman bellowed.
Chaos ensued. The leprechauns were flying everywhere, and people were screaming and throwing things in the air. The twins leapt over their seats and landed in front of Ludo with identical Cheshire grins. The Bulgarian Minister said with mild disappointment that at least Krum ended it on his own terms, explaining to an ecstatic Sirius that the Ireland chasers were too good for them to ever catch up.
Fudge was sputtering in shock that the foreign minister could speak and understand English. Ron, Neville, and Hermione came up to Harry and all shouted happily and excitedly about three different things. Harry felt dizzy and happy, his head was pounding, but he cheered with his friends. It really was an incredible game to watch. He'd never forget it. And Krum was an awesome Seeker!
Suddenly, the Top Box became crowded as the two teams appeared, as well as two unrecognizable wizards carrying the World Cup Trophy to hand over to the Ireland. Krum looked a real mess; two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face. But he was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. But when Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.
Harry, now holding on to both Severus and Sirius to prevent them getting separated, was swept up in the celebrating crowd. The Weasleys disappeared and he hoped they were going to have a good time. He was kind of glad he was being hustled back to their tent. He needed space and a break from the pressing emotions, and he wouldn't mind watching the game again in more detail with his Omnioculars.
Raucous singing was borne toward them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path, and leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. It took a good hour to reach the tent and, enveloped in sudden silence, Harry and Severus realized that the song Sirius had been bellowing was the Ireland anthem.
"Can you believe that?" He asked, spinning Harry around and making the boy laugh. Severus sneered and went to the kitchen. "That hardly ever happens! Catching the Snitch and losing the game! Merlin, that team can fly, can't they?"
"It was great!" Harry agreed. "Did you see Krum do the Wronski Feint?"
"And Aidan Lynch went splat on the ground twice! He had to be carried to the Cup and rode double with the Captain during the victory lap!" Sirius reenacted the whole thing with wide arm gestures and an excited voice.
"That was horrible!" Harry agreed, but his enthusiasm was cut short as he felt a soft internal pop before the pressure pressing at him faded completely.
He gasped in relief, his legs almost going weak as he realized just how much pain he had been in until that moment. He reflexively opened his senses to his empathy and could only sense Sirius and Severus. Sirius was still bubbling with enthusiasm and a fading adrenaline rush, ignorant to the change in his godson or the magic surrounding the tent. Severus was exuding deep satisfaction and fatigue.
"What was that?" He asked, looking toward his mentor as he re-entered the living room.
"I put up an isolation ward. It will go unnoticed among all that chaos." He explained with a contemptuous flick toward the outside of the tent.
"Thank you." He ran up and hugged him. "I feel MUCH better."
"Do you think he'll be okay at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, feeling much subdued as he really looked at his godson.
"He'll be fine. Emotions won't run nearly as strong, and if he gets overtired, Silas can always come Out. It is only Harry who is empathic." Severus sat heavily on the couch.
"I'll make tea!" Harry smiled and happily ran to the kitchen.
xXxXxXx
Silas silently ducked through the tent flap and softly, slowly shut it behind him. Severus had been sleeping on the couch and it had taken all his skill to sneak past the man without alerting him. He smirked and admitted to himself that it was fun.
And you think I'm too reckless. Gabriel snorted. I think that was more dangerous than anything I've ever attempted. Why are we even leaving?
I told you. This is a great opportunity for us to get a feel for what's been going on while we've been secluded at the house. Silas answered as he padded across the field.
Though most people had returned to their beds, there were still parties going on. He could hear drunken cheers and off-key singing. One tent he passed was shaking with the telltale sounds of an orgy. He sneered in disgust and continued on. He was looking for something specific; a place where he could blend into the crowd and conversation, where the people were too drunk to question an eleven-year-old's arrival, but sober enough that their information could be trusted.
He found what he was looking for a bare fifteen minutes away from his camp site. Five young men, all under the age of thirty, and two women, all under the age of twenty-five, stood around a purple fire that hovered about four feet in the air and was burning nothing. Music could be heard when he got within ten feet of the fire and one couple was dancing. The others were laughing and drinking. He hovered and just listened.
"Krum is so awesome!" One of the men cheered.
"And hot!" The woman grinned.
"He's the first in like a hundred years to be so good that they were recruited while still in school!" The man continued. "He still attends Durmstrang and he'll be starting his last year there. Can you imagine? Being paid to play professional Quidditch when you're still a Sixth Year? The team had to practice on the school grounds and he got excused when he had to go play games. I bet he's the most popular boy in school."
"That's a tough-ass school too. They don't play nice. I hear they literally beat the kids for minor infractions. It's not like Hogwarts, that's for sure."
"Why would their parents let them attend such a place?" The woman frowned.
"You know purebloods." The man spat. "They think they are miniature gods and in their infinite wisdom believe their children need to be toughened up. No mistakes are ever allowed or they will shame their holy pureblood names."
"Sink or swim, huh?" The girl shook her head and then grinned. "Well, I'd love to teach Krum about gentleness and love."
"I'm sure you would!" The man pushed her playfully.
"Still, even if the parents are willing to let their kids be abused, who would run such a place?" The women grew serious again.
"Didn't you know? The ex-Death Eater Igor Karkaroff is the Headmaster. Who better but a monster to run such a place?"
"To be fair," the man who had been dancing weaved over to them and joined the conversation. "The school produces very competent and knowledgeable witches and wizards. They don't ever crumble under pressure and they are very successful and powerful."
"And Dark." Another man grumbled. "Durmstrang shouldn't be able to teach Dark Magic."
"How better to learn how to defend against it? Ignorance isn't always bliss, Miles." The first man scolded.
"Okay. This is supposed to be a party." The dancing girl pouted. "Cut it out and have some fun, why don't you?"
The others agreed and Silas slipped away, certain he wouldn't get anymore useful information from them.
Sounds like a real hospitable place. Gabriel said grimly.
Durmstrang sounds tough, but it produced a seventeen year old who can play professional Quidditch successfully.
Don't tell me you're all for tough love. Gabriel frowned.
I'm not. Silas agreed. But we don't know how much of what we heard was exaggeration, so don't be so quick to condemn. Hogwarts has its flaws as well. It is a little lax for my tastes and the teaching program is slow.
Only you would think so. Gabriel grinned.
You think so too. You removed the History teacher for incompetence, did you not? And you always complain that the Defense Program is lacking. Silas pointed out.
True. Gabriel laughed. But I can make do without beatings for minor infractions. Think they whip you if you're tardy?
As long as the punishments are only dolled out for things that you are warned against ahead of time, you could safely maneuver within them. Silas said thoughtfully.
He walked around some more, but he didn't find another group as coherent. Everyone else was way too drunk to make sense out of or was talking of things that didn't interest Silas in the least. With a sigh, he turned to the woods and planned to make his way through them until he returned to the camp section his tent was pitched in. He was halfway there when he heard an argument off deeper in the woods. Silas crept closer and found himself staring at Ludo Bagman. The man looked desperate and not at all like his jolly self from that afternoon.
"Please! I must get an early portkey!" He pleaded with the tired Ministry Official.
"I'm sorry. You know the rules. We can't have people taking their revelries elsewhere and possibly hurting others in the community or running amok among Muggles." The man sighed. "Not even for you can I possibly activate a portkey early. It will be traced back to me and I will not have that."
"You don't understand! It's an emergency!" Bagman practically begged.
"What did you do, Ludo?" The man snapped angrily. "Is this to do with your gambling problem?"
"The odds of Ireland winning and Krum catching the Snitch were impossible!" Bagman pleaded. "How was I to know that it would actually happen?"
"Who do you owe?" The man was unimpressed.
"Not so many, but that just means I have to give them that much more each." He sighed and slumped. "I handed out fool's gold to get them off my back. They'll find out soon, please! I have to get away!"
"You should have thought of that before." The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ludo, but I can't help you. Why don't you start walking? In a few hours, you should break free of the anti-apparation ward."
"Please, Barty…"
"No." The man turned and walked away toward the camp.
Silas' gaze had been indifferent, but upon hearing the man's name they sharpened. Stealthily, he stalked after the man and followed him back into camp. Once he was almost seen, but managed to duck behind a dancing couple just in time. They made a meandering path back toward the area where Sirius had pitched their tent. Crouch stopped a few times to sharply reprimand others for being to loud or displaying magic too blatantly. Personally, Silas thought it was way too late for that.
The dark-haired and mustached man was just entering a large square tent when there was the sound of something like a gun going off was heard in the distance. Over the singing and loud conversations nearby, Silas could barely hear the sounds of screams. Crouch froze and dove into the tent. Silas cursed as he was pushed aside and returned to the soul chamber as Gabriel took his place.
"Sorry, Sy. But I have to warn the Weasleys and make sure Neville is alright."
I could have done that.
"Yeah, right." Gabriel smiled briefly before his whole face became a mask of concentration as he tried to remember which way the Weasley tent was. "You would have gone straight to Severus to get us out of here."
Silas didn't answer that accusation, but did give Gabriel directions. The Gryffindor was surprised and said so.
If you're going to do this, we might as well get it done quickly. Silas grumbled. In all honesty, the Slytherin had realized something important. That by opening himself up to his annoying Gryffindor counterpart, he had promised to support Gabriel as well as accepting support from him. It was a bitch, but it was too late now to stop.
Gabriel raced through the camp and yelled warnings as he went that everyone should get to the woods for cover. The sounds of gunfire was now accompanied by sharp flashes of color, and he could just make out a black-robed group making their way through the camp with something floating and twisting above them. Gabriel had a grim feeling that the shapes were people and they were being tortured. He reached the Weasley tents just when Neville, Ron, and Hermione came running out.
"Harry!" Hermione cried, the first to spot him. "You look like you!"
Gabriel didn't hesitate, though he was surprised. The Polyjuice must have worn off. Neville turned to look at him and relief spread across his face. Ron glanced at him briefly, but quickly returned his gaze back toward the ominous figures. They were closer now and their toys were clearly people. The pain-filled shrieks and sobs from the muggle family could just be heard over the panic of the camp. The black-robed figures were laughing and taunting as they destroyed the tents in their path, blasting them away and setting them on fire. Gabriel winced, hoping no one was still inside of them. The fires began to spread and the screams of those fleeing were growing louder.
Gabriel opened his mouth to shout orders to get his friends to safety when Ginny and the twins came rushing over with Mr. Weasley on their heels. Bill, Charley, and Percy emerged as well. They were fully dressed, as was their father, but the younger Weasleys and Harry's classmates were still in their nightgowns or pajamas. Not that it really mattered what they were wearing, Gabriel shook his head at the older men. The older men shouldn't have stopped to dress at all.
"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted, only briefly hesitating over seeing Harry Potter with his children. "You lot – get into the woods and stick together. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"
The older boys were already sprinting away toward the group of attackers and Mr. Weasley tore after them. Neville was breathing hard and his eyes were bright, but he seemed focused enough, Gabriel evaluated. Hermione was sobbing and was pale with fear. Ron looked to be in shock. He kept muttering over and over "That's sick" as he watched one of the children captured being spun like a top until she was vomiting and choking on it.
"Move it!" Gabriel shouted at them, pushing Hermione and Ron backward.
The twins jumped at his shout and grabbed Ginny's hand before helping Gabriel get the others into the woods to hide. There were immediately engulfed by a panicking crowd and separated. Gabriel growled in annoyance and pushed his way to the front of his three friends and grabbed Hermione's hand.
"Hold on to Ron!" He ordered her. "Ron, grab Neville!"
They did as he told them without question, and Gabriel veered away from the mob. They broke away, but Gabriel continued until the sound died down a bit and he could talk without shouting to be heard. He was about to stop when Hermione yanked hard on his hand and there was the sound of someone falling hard. Gabriel's wand, already in his hand since they entered the woods, lit up to show Ron sprawled on the ground.
"What happened?" Hermione demanded.
"Tripped over a tree root." Ron answered angrily, getting to his feet again.
"Well, with feet that size, hard not to." A voice drifted to them from behind.
Gabriel spun and his body instantly fell into a defensive stance that would make use of both his body and his wand. The change in his position allowed the light from his wand to spill over onto Draco Malfoy. He was standing alone, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed in a way that reminded Gabriel of Silas. He seemed to have been watching the scene at the camp through a gap in the trees.
"Filthy catamite!" Ron sputtered furiously.
I'm surprised he even knows such a difficult word. Silas sneered. Gabriel shook his head slightly. He didn't need Silas distracting him. The Slytherin obediently fell silent once again.
"Language, Weasley." Malfoy crossed his arms lazily, his pale eyes glittering with an unknown emotion. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?" He nodded toward Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the camp and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.
Gabriel tensed and wordlessly cast a barrier on that side of the wood large enough to cover all of them, even Malfoy.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Hermione glared defiantly.
"Granger, they're after Muggles." Draco drawled. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around… they're moving this way and it would give us all a laugh."
"Hermione's a witch!" Ron snarled, his hands fisting at his sides.
"Have it your own way, Weasley." Draco grinned maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."
Malfoy's trying to warn you. Silas offered. Trust me. He won't shoot at your back. You can go.
"You watch your mouth!" Ron screamed.
"Never mind, Ron." Gabriel lowered his wand, but didn't stop shielding in the direction of the camp. "Let's go further in and away from the attackers."
He turned his back on Draco and grabbed Ron's arm, preventing him from stepping forward and attacking the blonde. There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard at that point. Several new screams were added to the whole and Hermione began to cry.
"Scare easily, don't they?" Draco laughed softly, but even to Gabriel's ears it sounded hollow. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide, Weasley? What's he up to – trying to rescue the Muggles?"
"Where's your parents?" Ron demanded, tugging at Gabriel's hand as he tried to lunge at Malfoy. "Out there wearing masks, are they?"
"Well… if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I?" He smiled and waved them on.
"Oh come on. Let's go find the others." Hermione said with disgust, her tears under control again as anger took over. She came and helped pull Ron deeper into the woods. Neville followed nervously.
"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger." Malfoy called after them.
"Come on." Gabriel hissed in Ron's ear and the honest anger there made the redhead stop fighting and come along willingly.
"I'll bet you anything his dad is one of that masked lot!" Ron said hotly.
"Well, with any luck, the Ministry will catch him!" Hermione said fervently. "Oh I can't believe this. Where have the others got to?"
Gabriel found a small clearing and had his friends stop. He made sure they were all okay and told them to sit tight. Hermione pitched a fit when he explained he was returning to help as much as he could. Ron wanted to come with him and Hermione began yelling at him instead of Gabriel. With her distracted, he turned and whispered to Neville to be prepared to shield if trouble should approach and the brunette nodded. He was pale, but his hands were steady.
Gabriel nodded in return and began making his way back when he heard a rustling to the right. He froze and aimed his wand. His friends fell silent. The house-elf that had been saving Crouch's seat at the arena came fighting her way out of a clump of bushes nearby. She was moving in a most peculiar fashion, apparently with great difficulty; it was a though someone invisible were trying to hold her back.
"There is bad wizards about!" She squeaked distractedly as she leaned forward and labored to keep running. "People high – high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!"
Follow her! Silas said urgently.
Gabriel watched the elf disappear in the woods and hesitated. He wanted to go back to camp, but Silas… With a curse, he dove after the elf and, as silently as he could, stalked her through the forest. It wasn't hard. She continued to talk to herself and whatever she was struggling against made her noisy. He ignored Hermione screaming after him and Ron's cursing.
He was beginning to contemplate leaving this stupid chase when Winky's struggles increased and all of a sudden a deep voice called out "MORSMORDRE!" Gabriel dropped to the ground in crouch as green light exploded from where Winky had been standing. He heard a scream not too far away and recognized it as Hermione. He jumped to his feet and cast a stunner. It arched out in a wide crescent and downed the elf. He heard a second body fall; the source of that last spell. Satisfied, he threw up a shield over his back just in case and ran toward where he had heard Hermione scream.
"Harry!" She gasped when he appeared; she was crying again. Neville was staring in horror at the sky and Ron looked shaken, but confused. "Oh, Harry! We have to go!"
Gabriel looked to the sky and knew what had caused her hysteria and Neville's fear. The Dark Mark floated in the sky. It was shaped like a skull with a long sensuous snake winding out of the mouth. It was large enough to light up the whole wood with faint green light. He spun around to face the way he had come, now knowing whoever he had stunned was a bigger threat than he had previously thought.
"Harry, come on! It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling at him as hard as he could. Gabriel glared at her and tried to pry off her hand, but she didn't notice. "You-Know-Who's sign!"
"Let go." He growled and just as he got free a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them. Apparation wards were down, then. He sighed in frustration, knowing that whoever he had felled would get away if he didn't hurry. But it didn't look like he'd have a chance to break away. All twenty wands were pointed at him and his friends.
"DUCK!" He yelled and seized Ron and Hermione's arms, pulling them to the ground as he dropped. Neville obeyed without the prompt and fell to the ground instantly.
"STUPEFY!" Twenty voices roared.
Gabriel cast a quick reflecting shield to dome over them as a blinding series of flashes erupted above them. He felt the hair on his head ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing and he knew that had they been standing and been hit with so many powerful stunners, their relatively small bodies would have gone into cardiac arrest and they could well have died.
"Stop!" Mr. Weasley's voice cut through the clearing as he ran up. "STOP! That's my son!"
The intangible wind stopped and Gabriel raised his head, his eyes flashing with anger. The wizard in front of him lowered his wand and Gabriel stood to see Mr. Weasley striding toward them, looking terrified. The others were still slowly getting to their feet.
"Ron – Harry – Hermione – Neville, are you alright?" His voice sounded shaky.
"No thanks to them." Gabriel glared around. "You could have killed us! Do you often go running about shooting in-mass at unknown suspects? And have you actually taken down the apparation wards? The culprit is going to get away!"
Mr. Crouch's face went taut with rage, "No one is getting away. Which of you did it?" His sharp eyes darted between the four teens. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"
"We didn't!" Gabriel snarled. "The one who shouted the spell was over there!" He pointed sharply. "Hurry!"
"Do not lie, sir!" Mr. Crouch shouted. His wand was still pointed directly at Ron, and his eyes were popping – he looked slightly mad. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"
Gabriel would have done something drastic at this point, but he noticed that none of the other Ministry wizards apart from Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Neville had conjured the skull; on the contrary, at Gabriel's words, they had all raised their wands again and were pointing in the direction he had indicated, squinting through the dark trees.
"We're too late." A stern looking witch said. She was wearing a woolen dressing gown and was shaking her head. "They'll have Disapparated."
"I don't think so." A wizard with a scrubby brown beard said. From his appearance, Gabriel guessed he was Amos Diggory, the man Ron and the others had come to the World Cup with. "Our Stunners went right through those trees… There's a good chance we got them…"
"Amos, be careful!" A few wizards said warningly as Amos Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, and marched across the clearing. Hermione watched him vanish with her hands over her mouth.
"For god's sake…" Gabriel said in disgust. "Are none of you going with him? It isn't smart to have him go alone. The culprit may not be unconscious."
Two wizards flushed at being reprimanded by a teen and quickly chased after Diggory. A few seconds later, they heard Diggory shout. "Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's – but – blimey…"
"You've got someone?" Crouch shouted, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?"
Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. Gabriel tensed, "There was no one else?" He asked sharply. He was surprised when his question made a suddenly pale Crouch look at him with fevered eyes.
"No one." Diggory shook his head and dropped the elf at Crouch's feet. Gabriel sighed. The man must have Disapparated after all.
"You don't seriously think it was the elf?" Mr. Weasley asked quietly. "The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."
"Yeah and she had a wand."
"What?"
Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr. Weasley. "Had it in her hand. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for a start. No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand."
"T-t-tha-a-t-t's m-m-m-mine." Neville stuttered.
Gabriel stepped back toward his friend and gripped his shoulder bracingly as everyone in the clearing looked at the shy Gryffindor. He was pleased to feel his friend's trembling ease at his touch.
"Excuse me?" Diggory asked incredulously.
"I m-m-must have d-d-dropped it."
"You dropped it? Is that a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"
"Amos, think who you're talking to!" Mr. Weasley said very angrily. "Is Neville Longbottom likely to conjure the Dark Mark? Think of what they did to his parents!"
"Er – of course not. Sorry… carried away…" Gabriel snorted in contempt, but Diggory recovered quickly and stared hard at the little elf. "Let's find out why she picked it up. Enervate."
Winky opened dazed, big brown eyes. Watched by the now silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position. She caught sight of Diggory's feet and slowly, tremulously raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. Gasping, she looked around the ring of wizards in horror and then burst into terrified sobs.
"Elf!" Diggory said sternly. "Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures! As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago and you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"
"I – I – I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped, rocking back and forth pathetically. "I is not knowing how, sir!"
"You had Mr. Longbottom's wand. Why did you have such a thing when you know it is illegal?" He demanded hotly.
"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" Winky squealed, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose. "I is… I is… I is just picking it up! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!"
"It wasn't her!" Hermione shouted. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards, yet determined all the same. "Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked around at her friends for support. "It didn't sound like Winky, did it?"
"No," Gabriel shook his head. "It definitely didn't sound like an elf. A man, I'd say."
"Yeah, it was a human voice." Ron added and wrapped an arm around Hermione when it looked like she might fall.
"Well, we'll soon see." Diggory raised his own wand and placed it tip to tip with Neville's. "Prior Incantato!"
Gabriel heard Neville gasp, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them; it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell.
"Deletrius!" Diggory shouted in disgust and turned with savage triumph on Winky. "So…"
"I is not doing it!" She screamed, her eyes rolling with terror.
"Amos," Mr. Weasley said loudly. "Think about it…precious few wizards know how to do that spell… Where would she have learned it?"
"Perhaps Amos is suggesting that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?" Crouch said with cold anger in every syllable. Gabriel noticed that he had pulled himself together and now seemed impenetrable. "You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure that Mark! Who next, Harry Potter? And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given over a long career that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those practicing them?"
"Mr. Crouch, I – I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos Diggory muttered, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.
"Where exactly did you find Neville's wand?" Mr. Weasley asked the elf kindly and successfully diverted the two men about to come to blows.
"I – I is finding it… finding it there, sir…" She whispered. "There… in the trees, sir…"
"You see?" Mr. Weasley smiled. "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, as soon as we took down the anti-apparation wards in this area so we could respond to the Mark in force. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand and pick it up and be immediately Stunned."
"But then, she'd have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!" Diggory said impatiently. "Elf? Did you see anyone?"
Winky began to tremble worse than ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Diggory to Mr. Weasley to Crouch. Then she gulped and said, "I is seeing no one, sir… no one…"
What followed was a tedious process of watching Crouch punish and sack his elf. Eventually, Mr. Weasley got them away. Hermione was ranting to anyone who would listen about the injustice and horrible slavery of the elves and how she wanted to change it. Neville had his wand back and looked like he didn't want to touch it. Gabriel assured him quietly that it was not tainted and Diggory's spell actually took out the Dark Mark spell completely. Neville nodded shakily and put it away.
Now Gabriel could focus on his problems. One: He looked like Harry Potter again. Two: He had to get away and somehow return to his tent. Mr. Weasley was leading them through the crowd of witches and wizards. It looked like the black-robed attackers had gone and everyone was returning to their tents, or what was left of them. When they got to the Weasley's tents, Charlie poked his head out of one of them.
"Dad, what's going on?" He called. "Fred, George, and Ginny got back okay, but the others – "
"I've got them here." Mr. Weasly said, bending down and entering the tent. "And I have Harry."
"Harry!" The older boys all jumped to their feet, even though Bill and Percy were obviously wounded. Bill had a heavily bleeding gash on his arm and Percy had a bloody nose. The twins looked at him solemnly and Gabriel knew he had allies in them. Maybe they could help him escape.
He stayed silent as Mr. Weasley explained that the attackers were indeed Death Eaters, but before they could be arrested the Dark Mark appeared and they all ran. Ron didn't know what Death Eaters were and continued to be confused on why a symbol in the sky would invoke such terror. Gabriel shook his head at his naiveté. Neville was silent as well; he understood the horror. Hermione got to rant some more about house-elf rights, and then Mr. Weasley sent them all to bed.
Gabriel was glad he had been discovered by this particular family. They had not once tried to question him about where he had been. Not yet anyway. They wanted to let him get some rest first, but he didn't plan on being around when everyone woke up. He waited until he was certain everyone was asleep and snuck out. It was a lot easier than he anticipated.
xXxXxXx
It took Gabriel an hour to return to his tent, and it was nearly four in the morning. Fatigue was weighing on him, but he knew he wouldn't get rest anytime soon. He had to face Severus and Sirius first. He braced himself and then stepped into the tent. Sirius was sitting on the couch, his head hanging in his hands, looking miserable. He was in his natural form as well.
"Hey." He called softly.
The man's head snapped up and he launched himself across the room, scooping Gabriel up in a tight embrace. "Harry! Oh, Merlin! Don't you dare scare me like that again! What were you thinking? Were you caught? Are you hurt?"
Gabriel wiggled free of his godfather and smiled, "It'll take more than this to beat me. You should know that."
"Snape was so furious." Sirius shook his head and grinned. "Gabe, maybe you should let Silas handle it. I don't think you would walk away alive."
"Oh, and Sy would?" Gabriel huffed, affronted.
Let's just say, I'm better at maneuvering. You just crash through problems, and that won't work with Severus. Silas smirked.
Gabriel shook his head with a smile. "Where is he, anyway?"
"Looking for you, of course." Sirius shrugged. "He checks in every hour and a half. He's actually due back any minute." He jumped forward and hugged him again, cracking the teen's back. "I was so worried, kid. I thought I lost you."
"I'm fine." Gabriel assured him. "Could use a cup of tea, though."
Sirius immediately hurried to the kitchen and Gabriel sighed with relief, settling onto the couch. He hadn't been sitting for a second when the tent flap opened and Severus strode in. He sighed again, tiredly, and got to his feet to face their Professor. No one said anything for a very long minute.
"Explain." Severus whispered coldly.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes in response to the unspoken threat, but before he could say anything, he was pulled away and Silas took his place. The Gryffindor pouted with annoyance, but Silas ignored him. He wanted to sooth this problem, not make it worse. Harry needed Severus, and he had grudgingly begun to respect the man again. Even Gabriel had stopped calling him Snape and now referred to him as Severus, so it was in their best interest to appease their mentor. Not antagonize him further, and that was a job for Silas.
"Sir. I'm sorry for leaving the tent without informing you or Sirius. There is no excuse for my behavior." He offered a half-bow.
Severus was not impressed, "You left the tent?"
"I did. I couldn't sleep and thought I'd walk around a bit before retiring to bed. I was still in my Polyjuiced form and the potion wasn't due to wear off for an hour more. I planned to be back long before then. It was arrogance that led me to believe I'd be safe. I apologize. It won't happen again."
"Why didn't you return when the Death Eaters attacked?" He asked, but he thought he knew the answer.
"Gabriel felt he had to warn as many people as he could, as well as ensure Neville, Granger, and Weasley made it to safety. He escorted them to the woods and then turned to head back to camp when he heard a voice incanting the Dark Mark…." He explained everything that followed and waited for Severus' next move.
"You put yourself in danger by leaving this tent. And it was foolish to leave without either I or Black with you. That stupidity will be addressed as soon as we return home. I have acquired an early portkey that will return us and a few others back to London. It activates at dawn. I'll be back for you and Black then. Take Polyjuice and help the mutt pack up." He turned and stalked from the tent.
Silas sighed and considered letting Harry deal with the manual labor, but he decided against it. Harry wouldn't be able to deal with the lingering fear in the camp and he didn't want him to suffer needlessly, so instead he fell back and pulled Gabriel into place. The Gryffindor cried out indignantly, but merely grumbled as Sirius handed him a strong cup of tea and went to gather their things as well as the backpack they had to get the tent stuffed into.
xXxXxXx
Gabriel followed Sirius up into the woods. A huge crowd was already there despite the early hour and every one was there for the same reason. They all wanted a portkey away from the damaged and smoldering campsite. Mothers were carrying their crying children and were yelling their pleas that they be allowed to go first. There were four Ministry officials trying to subdue the crowd and establish order. It wasn't hard to find Severus. He was up toward the front and talking in the ear of one of the officials.
They made their way carefully through the crowd, but Gabriel's patience was quickly dwindling. Back in his Polyjuiced form, he was often being shoved at and stepped on. One man tried to grab a hold of his hair, yelling angrily that there was "no cutting in line". Gabriel bared his teeth in warning, but the man made a second grab. Sirius was busy calming a tearful mother and was of no help. So he snapped his mouth forward and bit the bastard.
The man's roar of pain caught everyone's attention and Gabriel opened his mouth, releasing the man. Most everyone turned a baleful look on the man for assaulting such an eleven-year-old and they were shuffled to the front without further trouble. Severus gestured them to follow him and they did so, going further into the woods with an old boot.
xXxXxXx
Severus stepped into his house and snapped, "Follow me."
Sirius smiled in a pitying way. Gabriel offered to remain and deal with Severus, but Silas knew that would only make things worse and accepted his fate. He was surprised when their mentor did not lead him into the parlor, but instead upstairs to the game room. Severus took a seat at the four-player chess board. Silas raised an eyebrow.
"My punishment is playing chess with you?" He questioned as he sat across from his teacher.
"You made a reckless choice yesterday. One that could have cost you life, or could have had you brought before Dumbledore. I assume you now appreciate the danger. The question becomes, can I help you keep from making such potentially disastrous choices in the future."
"And you think chess is the answer?" Silas asked neutrally, his eyes heavy with doubt.
"Humor me." Severus drawled and moved a pawn forward. "Chess is more than observation and being patient. It is more than making sure you are not moving any of your pieces into danger or ensuring that you don't leave your valuable pieces open. Chess is about strategy if played right. You must plan ahead. You must know your opponent's moves before they make them in order to truly win."
Silas didn't sneer. He had watched Harry play this game and he knew the rules and the value of the pieces, but he had never played against anyone. He could already tell that Severus was playing differently than when he played with Harry and Neville. The game had become subtler. He could almost hear Severus speaking to him with every move, trying to teach him something.
During the game, he had to not only think of winning, he had to try and understand the message behind every single move. It taxed his abilities to the utmost, but he felt like he could almost see what Severus was talking about, understanding always just beyond his reach. By the end of two hours, Severus had won and Silas felt his respect for the man increase.
"We will play again. Everyday. Until you win." Severus said solemnly and stood. "I must return to the school. I won't be back for dinner. Have Black spend at least four hours with Boy as Padfoot."
Silas nodded, unable to thank him and not even sure if he wanted to. One thing was for sure, he definitely felt chastised. He shook his head with a smile and headed for their bedroom. He sat at the desk and opened the journal, writing to Harry to let him know all that had transpired since he went to sleep the night before.
I don't get it. Your punishment was to be bored to death? Gabriel asked as he wrote.
No. Silas answered tiredly. My punishment is realizing my strategies are inferior to his. And to realize that I should learn from him.
So he wants to give you self-doubt? Gabriel frowned. He didn't like that at all. Silas was cool and methological, but he did have emotions. He did what he did to take care of them all and Severus had no right to make him feel bad.
Not self-doubt. Silas shook his head and closed the journal. Self-awareness. He is teaching me a more thorough way to think and to fully weigh the consequences of my actions and the actions of others.
Gabriel settled for silence, completely baffled.
Silas felt the Gryffindor's confusion and laughed. I need to sleep. Let Harry Out for a while. He is Host and if we suppress him for too long he will become disorientated and depressed. But later, why don't you duel with Sirius? It will make you feel better.
Gabriel laughed. Dueling was definitely something he understood better and would make him forget all about unfathomable Slytherins. He would definitely take Silas' advice.
Chapter end