Disclaimer: Harry Potter, his friends, enemies, and world, are not mine, and I make no claim to them. Thanks to Evan Mayerle for beta-ing this chapter.
Chapter 16 Traps and Tribulations
They arrived to a crowded house. The first person Harry saw as he picked himself up from the floor was Oliver Wood.
"Harry! I'm glad you could make it. I'm sorry the first time we see each other again is like this. We're all going to miss him. Ron! I'm so sorry. Hello Hermione."
Before anyone could even say hello back, Charlie appeared besides them and explained what was going on. "Fred died a short time ago. We've organized the funeral as quick as we could -- like Dad's, this would be a prime target for You-Know-Who. Get ready quick, we're waiting for just a few more people."
The Trio hurried upstairs. For the second time in two days Harry was putting on his good robes. Ron seemed a bit out of it. Harry could understand why.
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Snape arrived at the current headquarters of the Dark Lord amid a flurry of activity.
People were Apparating in and being sent to various groups. Those who showed up without their robes on were hastily getting them on. He saw Bella in charge of one of the groups and went over to her.
"What's happening?"
"A spy in the ministry just reported that one of the Weasley boys is being buried, and the lord wants us to give him a good send off. It's another of those instantaneous gatherings -- hoping we won't hear. Well, this time we heard, and he wants us to do something about it. They'll probably have four Aurors. We're going with two teams of twelve. I've got one, and Hayden has the other."
"Hayden? Where's Mulciber?"
"Didn't return from a mission earlier today."
"What mission? What happened?"
"Took eight recruits to attack Potter while he was taking his Apparition Test. Seems the Minister and some Auror bodyguards were also there, and they were all either killed or captured."
"Damn, why's the Minister taking an interest in Potter?"
"Probably similar to why Fudge did -- politics. The fools! Don't they know that while they're playing politics, we're taking over! They will, soon enough."
Snape kept his mind shields up and his opinions to himself. He still had an unbreakable vow to Dumbledore to help defeat the Dark Lord, but the wording was loose enough so he didn't have to put himself in danger when he did it. But if Potter was the one with the power to defeat the Dark Lord he wanted to keep the brat alive, at least until he did his job. Blast it all! He was Slytherin! He shouldn't be in this position! He should have thought before taking irreversible steps, like the Dark Mark, or Dumbledore's vow, or the vow with Narcissa. How did he keep getting into these things?
And Dumbledore's final instruction -- if he had to, go ahead and kill him! What a brilliant plan! Sure it would get him into the Dark Lord's good graces, but what good would that be if no one would listen to him? Everyone on the Light side thought he was Dark. If he had no contact to pass any information to, how would being in the inner circle help?
Snape had always considered himself intelligent. Yet considering his situation and the choices and actions that led to it, he was starting to doubt himself.
"Where were you?" Bellatrix asked.
"The docks. Wormtail says that the boat hasn't left in days. If they captured anyone from this morning, then there should be someone in a day or two. We just have to be patient."
He thought for a moment, and asked, "What about Potter? If our lord sent someone against him this morning, does that mean he's no longer saving Potter for himself? Is it open season on the child?"
Bellatrix Lestrange smiled, and the insanity that lurked behind her eyes ever since her release from Azkaban showed through clearly. "Oh, yes. Our master has informed us that there will be a reward for whoever kills Potter."
Snape smiled. "I think I'll come along. It would be nice to get a chance to finally kill the brat!"
Snape had one good memory. It involved a certain girl he went out with while in Hogwarts. One night they had kissed! It promised the world to the young potions student. But things hadn't worked out. The Marauders had ruined the night, and his date had been hurt in the ensuing spell fight. She had never gone out with him again.
But the memory of that kiss, kept in the darkest corner of his mind, was the door to the rest of the memories that he didn't want the Dark Lord to know. He knew the Dark Lord hated the emotions associated with that memory, and while it looked like that was an almost repressed memory, it was actually a guard. Organizing his mind, he prepared to meet the master he hated. He shoved the hate behind the memory of the kiss.
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Harry stopped on the stairs, causing Ron to run into him.
"What's the matter?"
"Voldemort. He's happy about something. I can't tell what." Harry rubbed his scar. "This is strange. Usually when he's happy I still feel excruciating pain. This isn't so bad. I'm not sure if this is the same kind of happiness that he's had in the past. I'm getting more real emotion, not just pain. I don't know how to describe it."
Hermione, who had come up behind them, said, "Maybe it's that opening of the connection you were talking about. You might not have gotten anything from this in the past, but now you do. Is there anything more you can tell us?"
Harry thought a moment, and shook his head. They went down to the ground floor.
The place was packed with people. It seemed that every Gryffindor for the last five years was there, as well as a number of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. A good portion of the younger members of the Order were there, as was Kingsly Shacklebolt. Hermione went over to talk to him. Harry found himself with Luna Lovegood beside him on one side and Ginny Weasley on the other. There were a lot of adults around that he didn't know. A long rope was being stretched through the crowd. It was a portkey, Harry was told, and would bring the whole group to the cemetery. Harry, being one of the last to get to the ground floor was near one end of the rope. There were a couple of Aurors at the end.
One of them yelled, "Everybody have a hold of the rope? Hang on tight! Activate!" The Auror touched the rope with his wand.
Harry felt the pull behind his navel and the spinning sensation that he hated so much. He almost had a panic attack as his mind flashed back to the events of the Triwizard Tournament. They arrived, and if there weren't so many people around, he might have fallen. He glanced up and saw death.
They had landed next to the Ottery-St. Catchpole church, on a lawn between the church and the cemetery. Across the cemetery were a group of black robed figures with white masks. Some were still turning towards them, but one had already cast a spell that was speeding redly towards them. That one was running at them.
Harry grabbed the wand still in the hand of the Auror, touched the rope, and yelled "Activate!" Once again they were spinning through where ever they go when they use a portkey. They landed in the living room of the Burrow, with people falling over the furniture, yelling and shouting. One voice rose over the rest.
"We got one! We got one!" Harry looked over where the shouting was, and saw Bill and Charlie holding up a figure in a black robe. The Aurors started wading through the crowd to get the captured Death Eater, who Charlie was punching in the stomach every time he tried to get away. Other guests were moving back. Harry moved closer. Someone removed his mask, and lowered the hood, and Harry was looking at Gregory Goyle. The Aurors, grabbed him and put him in handcuffs with anti-Appartation and anti-Portkey spells on them.
Hermione yelled, "Ron didn't come back with us."
Harry felt his blood run cold. He yelled, "Aurors, Order members, and DA members! Grab the rope! Everyone else let go. Wands out! Everyone ready?" George had called out to wait a moment, as he took something out of his pocket. He wrapped his arm around the rope, his hand busy holding whatever he pulled from his pocket. His other hand held his wand, and he nodded. Percy looked unsure for a moment, but saw the rest of his family holding on to the rope, so he grabbed on, and brought out his wand.
Harry called out, "Don't let go of the rope! As soon as Ron is holding on, we come back. The activation word is 'Activate!'" He touched the rope at the same time, and they all felt a pull behind their navel.
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Earlier, Ron was standing between Hermione and Lee Jordan when the Auror called "Activate." As the portkey ended, he was knocked into someone, and they both went down. He automatically let go of the rope, and noticed that the person he was lying on had a black hood. He yelled, just as the other 35 to 40 mourners disappeared. He cursed under his breath and looked around. He was next to the church, amid a pile of Death Eaters. A few were still standing. Someone yelled, "Look out!" and one of them was hit with a stun spell and fell down, to the laughter of his colleagues. If he weren't in so much trouble, he'd have laughed, too. One of the standing Death Eaters aimed his wand and incanted, "Expelliarmus." Ron was knocked back, but because he wasn't holding his wand, nothing else happened.
"Well," the one who just cursed him said, "It will be a few minutes before the Aurors arrive. Let's have some fun. Crucio!"
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Bellatrix saw the large group of mourners appear across the cemetery. They had thought that they would appear around the grave site. The presider was already killed and his body removed so as to not alarm the rest of the victims. With her group here, and Hayden's group by the church, they would have caught the supporters of the Light in the crossfire.
But they had arrived right on top of the other group. She couldn't use a killing curse -- their own people were there. She sent off a stunner and started running. She had hardly taken five steps before the group disappeared again. She swore, and stopped running. There was still something going on amidst the other group, though. She saw a spell go off, and then there were screams. She wasn't sure if Hayden was punishing the new recruits or if they had a victim after all. Well, whatever the case, they might as well go back to headquarters together. She waited for the group to catch up with her and started walking. Then the unexpected happened.
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The somewhat smaller group appeared where they had a moment ago, but this time they were ready. As soon as they saw a Death Eater, they were stunned. Harry and Ginny hit several before all of the ones next to the church were down. Across the cemetery there was a shout, and spells started heading their way from the other group.
George opened his hand. He held a half dozen gobstone sized spheres. They bore a bas-relief of a woman who seemed to be stamping her foot in rage. He held out his arm, still encircled by the rope, and banished them towards the group in the cemetery.
"Stupefying Sues?" Tonks asked.
"No," George answered, following the banishment with several spells that seemed to be aimed towards the outside of the group -- he was trying to keep them bunched up. "Exploding Eileens."
About that time, several things happened at once.
Shacklebolt yelled, "Aurors! Stay behind. Lupin! Contact the Ministry and send help!"
Hermione yelled, "I've got Ron! Let's go!"
The "Exploding Eileens" arrived at the Death Eaters. Six, powerful reductor curses went off. Two of the exploding spells hit Death Eaters. Neither survived the encounter. Two more hit gravestones. The granite shrapnel took down three more Death Eaters. The other two hit the ground, sending dirt in all directions at a high velocity. The still mobile death eaters scattered.
A green curse came flying across the cemetery at the rescuers. Luna saw it, aimed her wand at a twig on the ground, and cast a spell, transforming it into a wooden rocking chair big enough for a full blooded giant to sit in it. The spell hit the chair, causing it to explode and showered the people with bits of wood.
Harry yelled "Everyone grab on! Three! Two! One! Activate!"
Once again they arrived in the living room of the Burrow. Remus ran to the fireplace, tossed in some floo powder, and called out, "Auror headquarters."
Harry saw that Hermione was getting Ron to sit down. He was still twitching with the after effects of the pain curse. His sigh of relief was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley yelling, "Oh, my Lord! Where are my children! Charlie! Bill! George! Give me that rope!"
Harry jumped up, "Wait! Mrs Weasley! Wait!" Percy also grabbed her in a hug.
"My babies!"
Remus came in. "Molly, there should be some Aurors here momentarily. We need to have that portkey for them."
Harry gave Remus one end of the rope. "Here," he said, "take this to the fireplace, so they can grab it quickly."
Remus spoke to Molly, "Are you sure you want to jump into the middle of a firefight? You might just end up distracting your children, when they need to be concentrating." Molly looked uncertain.
Ron called her, "Mum! Don't go. They'll be alright. Ginny and I need you here."
"I need you too," added Percy.
She made her way over to Ron. About that time the rope disappeared. The Aurors had arrived and used it. Remus, Hestia Jones, and a few other Order members that he had quietly signaled also disappeared with them.
Time seemed to drag while everyone waited. Harry checked with Ron. He was alright physically, but kept shivering while memories of the pain echoed in his head. Harry thanked Ginny for her stun spells and Luna for creating something to block the killing curse.
"Why a rocking chair?" he asked.
"It was the first thing that popped into my head: the mortal enemy of kneazles. I also thought about creating a wall, but wasn't sure if I could do it big enough."
"Why such a big chair?"
"I wanted to make sure it was in the way of the curse. That was a killing curse, wasn't it?"
Harry nodded, "The Avada Kedavra, yes. And thank you."
The wait went on forever. However, it couldn't have been more than ten minutes before the rope re-appeared, with the Order members, Tonks, Remus, Kingsley and all three missing Weasleys hanging on.
Molly tried to get up from where she was sitting next to Ron. She had been holding his hand, but now his hand took a tight grip on hers.
"Mum, don't yell at them! Just give them a hug and welcome them home. OK?" he asked, sternly.
Molly looked at him with a shocked expression on her face. "OK?" he asked again. She nodded. Only after that did he let her go. She got up, walked over to her children, and hugged each one without saying a word.
Bill, Charlie, and George were each surrounded by a group of people as they told of the firefight. Remus and Tonks sat down near Ron, and Molly joined them on the couch.
"Not too much to tell. There were only eight still standing when we got there. They were casting killing curses, so Kingsly gave us permission to do the same."
"Oh! Remus!" Molly looked shocked.
"We had eleven Aurors, plus the three members of the Order, plus your three boys. . . . or rather men, against their eight. Four of the Aurors were assigned shield duty to protect the rest from the killing curse. . . . "
"You can't block the killing curse," Hermione interrupted.
"Yes you can. If there's something physically between you and the curse, it can be blocked. The four "shielders" were tasked with transforming or conjuring something to put in the way of the curse. They did pretty good, but we still lost two Aurors. We killed two of them; then they portkeyed away. All together, we killed seven, captured twelve, and six got away."
They let the information sink in for a few moments; then Ron asked, "What about Fred?"
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The rest of the afternoon was a blur in Harry's mind. Remus and Tonks had returned to the cemetery, where the Aurors were still working, and gotten permission to continue with the burial. The mourners used the rope portkey again and held the funeral without an official presider. They had taken turns relating stories about Fred and George, because, as Lee, one of the first people to speak, said, there just weren't any stories of the one that didn't involve the other. People were laughing and crying throughout. At one point, shortly into it, Harry felt Voldemort punishing his supporters for what happened. After a few speakers, Remus got up and lowered Fred's coffin just in case the Dark Lord sent anyone else "to crash the party." Harry knew that Voldemort wasn't going to do that, but refrained from saying anything.
Eventually the Aurors sent them back to the Burrow, and while the stories continued, it wasn't in a single group, and some people went home. Harry was surprised at how many people, DA members and others, offered him help in fighting the Dark Lord.
Evening came and most of the guests were gone except for Fleur (who floo-ed in during the afternoon after attending a funeral in France), Remus, Tonks, Luna and Neville (and Harry and Hermione, who were staying there). Once it was dark, George led the way outside and set off some fireworks. It wasn't an organized display like they had set up for the wedding, but it had some good explosions.
After the fireworks, the group had a quick discussion and decided to take the next morning off. They let Remus know. Harry also said that anyone who wanted was welcome to go to Azkaban with him the next day. Molly tried to protest, but it was more out of habit; she didn't seem to have her heart in it. Everyone except Bill and Fleur and Tonks seemed interested in seeing the famous prison.
Before they went into the house, Luna came up to Harry and kissed him on the cheek, and wished him a happy birthday.
"I'm sorry I don't have your present. The day hadn't quite gone as expected, you know."
"That's quite alright, Luna. I'm glad you were here. And I want to thank you again for saving us from the killing curse."
They went inside, and Luna floo-ed home.
Harry practiced his Occlumency, as he did every night, and had an uninterrupted sleep.
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He wasn't sure how many nights it had been, but Wormtail once again slept just a little above the bilge water in the Azkaban boat. For the umteenth time he wondered if he could run away and live as a rat, and felt once again the pain that the Dark Lord gave him for having those thoughts.
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In Little Whinging, a new recruit to the Dark Lord's army was performing one of the more obscure jobs that the new man had to do. He Apparated to the park he had been shown by the previous new Death Eater, cast a ward detection spell, and was prepared to return to headquarters and get on with other business.
This night the detection spell didn't detect anything.
He went back to headquarters, and reported his finding to the Death Eater in charge, Amycus Carrows. The lumpy looking Death Eater went to the Throne Room and was soon back. He quickly organized a group of ten of Voldemort's followers and they Apparated away. They appeared in the Park a few blocks from Privet Drive and made their way there. They found Number Four and attacked.
The Muggle papers the next day would report the terrorist attack against and empty house, the family who lived there being away for an extended vacation in Australia.
The Dursley's had heeded Harry's warning.
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The next day everyone had gathered at the Burrow by midmorning. Harry had fire-called Moody, and invited him to the Burrow to fill him in on the latest developments.
All the Weasleys except Percy (who was working) were there. Harry showed them the notes that Dumbledore had left, as well as filling them in on the earlier attack the previous day. They decided to look for the orphanage either that evening or tomorrow, depending on how the trip to Azkaban went.
After lunch the six students, Remus, and Charlie (who was taking any opportunity to get out and do something for the cause) floo-ed to Azkaban.
Actually they didn't arrive at Azkaban, but where they expected -- the dock. They filled out some forms, and waited. The boat wasn't there -- a prisoner had been sent to the prison island earlier, and they had to wait for the boat.
While they waited, Ginny got close to Harry and quietly said, "Harry, I've been thinking about something. Yesterday, you told Scrimgeour that we were looking for items important to You-Know-Who."
Harry nodded, wondering where this was going; after all, she knew about the Horcruxes.
"Well, in my first year at Hogwarts, at least twice when I woke up after being possessed I was in the trophy room, looking at Tom Riddle's awards. I just thought you'd like to know."
Harry nodded, and smiled. "That's very good to know, Ginny. We'll check it out as soon as we can. I cannot believe how much we have to do."
The guards were interested in who they were going to visit, and generally made small talk. Azkaban guard wasn't a glamorous post, and there were very few interruptions in the work. The visitors were magically searched, and Remus and Charlie had to leave some enchanted amulets at the dock -- emergency portkeys from the Order. They also had to leave their wands. Harry felt naked without his, and noticed most of the rest of the group felt the same way.
Eventually the boat arrived. Two guards got off, and two more got on, and the eight visitors followed. Harry and company had to sit outside. There was a small cabin where the guards could get out of the breeze, and theoretically the controls were in there. The boat had no visible means of propulsion. It just backed out of the slip, and turned away from land. As it was doing so, there was a small splash from the bow of the boat. A number of them looked, but no one saw the rat swimming under the dock.
The boat trip might have been more interesting if they hadn't gone into a fog bank about fifteen minutes out. One of the guards appeared and explained that it was part of the anti-Muggle protections around the island. The next twenty minutes were cold, damp, and generally unpleasant. Then they reached shore.
The fog was still around them. They could not see much of the island, except barren rocks as they made their way along a path. Suddenly a stone wall appeared out of the fog. They couldn't see much of it, but it left the impression of big, ancient, and unbreachable.
Inside a large, thick, wooden door was a series of rooms set up for the prison administration. They were magically and physically searched. This time they had to empty their pockets; nothing that could be given to a prisoner was allowed. Ginny even had to remove her hair ribbons. A guard was assigned to take them to where they would meet Dung. Any idea that the prison was hospitable dissipated as they left the administrative area. The almost-cheery, brightly lit, wood paneled rooms were left behind and they were in a maze of poorly lit, stone corridors. The room they were led to was bare stone, similar to other rooms they had been in. There were two doors, and what appeared to be a meter high wall running the width of the room. The other door was on the other side. As they got close to the wall, they could see that beyond it was a gap in the floor about two and a half meters wide. The other door was on the other side of the pit. It opened, and Mundungus Fletcher was brought in by another guard.
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Snape paced in the house that previously held Voldemort's throne. The Dark had relocated but as there hadn't been any indication that this house had been detected as a hideout some of the Death Eaters were still using it.
Bellatrix seemed to be practicing wand movements. Another group sat at a table playing cards. Narcissa came over to Snape and started talking in a low voice.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be, is it?"
Snape cast a privacy charm and answered, "I'm sure our Lord would rather not have lost half of his people in the last couple of weeks."
"There's something wrong with him, isn't there? You keep giving him potions."
"He's under a lot of stress. They're headache potions."
"But he's the most powerful wizard in the world, now. He knows more about the Dark Arts than even Grindelwald. With Dumbledore gone there isn't anyone who can stand up to him. Why are we losing?"
"A chain is only as strong as the weakest link."
"Five weakest links? Three sets of Dementor wranglers -- captured. Mulciber's group defeated by Scrimgeour's personal bodyguards. The debacle at the cemetery. And the Aurors are using killing curses, too. If we stay we're going to die."
"We can't escape."
"We might, if he were defeated."
"And how will that happen? As you said, he's the most powerful wizard in the world. He's a potion's master -- there's no way I could slip him anything unhealthy. He's also a master Legilimens. It's almost impossible to lie to him, or harbor any traitorous thoughts in his presence."
"We do. We get away with it."
"We lock them away very, very tightly ; so tightly that we can't even act on them in his presence. For all I know, he knows, and laughs at us."
Narcissa looked frightened. "He can't!"
"No, I don't really believe that. If he knew, we'd be dead."
"Oh, Severus! I want to take my son and go."
"What about Lucius?"
"He'd never go. Even if he were defeated, he'd try to fight on. He'd try to beg, bribe, or steal his way back into power. It won't work this time. The Ministry is fighting us successfully. He'll never change, not even if it destroys his family."
Snape looked at the woman who stared at him, as if he had the power to save her. He sighed, inside, but gave no external indication of any feeling. He noticed someone coming over to them. He dropped the privacy charm.
"Wormtail is here, Professor."
"I'm not your professor any more, Mr. Flint. Get everyone who's going ready." He walked over to the wet, shivering, little wizard.
"It took you long enough."
"I did it as soon as I could. I had to wait until the boat took me over there."
Snape just snorted, and went to where a half dozen Death Eaters were assembled. He raised his hood and placed his mask. The group waited for him, crouched around a large rock on the floor. It was covered with runes, and a piece seemed to be missing from one side. A second piece was broken on the opposite side, but was abutted against the stone, fitting perfectly. Reaching over someone crouching near the stone, he put a finger on it and nodded to another Death Eater. She touched the stone with her wand.
When they picked themselves up after they landed, they were in a stone corridor, the stone they had been touching now matched up with the piece that broken off. The other piece had not come along for the journey -- the other end of the double anchored portkey. They stood, and Bellatrix said, "Follow me. It may take a few turns before we figure out where we are." She headed off, the other Death Eaters following.
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"Mr. William Weasley, Delacour residence."
Bill looked up from the table in the house in Champagne where he was having lunch with his wife's family. He recognized the face in the fireplace.
"Minerva! To what do I owe this call?
"Rumor has it that you're finished with your honeymoon, Bill. Is that true?"
"We're finished with the travelling part. I hope the honeymoon lasts for a long time."
"Be that as it may, I have a little job for you, if you could see a way to take some time. Damnit! I'm starting to sound like Albus! Actually I have a big job and I would appreciate your help, as you seem to be the only one who can do it."
"I'll do what I can. What's the job?"
"It involves Hogwarts and your anti-Dark Mark wards. Whether we win or lose this war, Hogwarts will never again be attacked by Death Eaters!"
"Big order; I go back to work on Monday, but that gives us today and the weekend to at least get started."
"Excellent. I'll see you when you get here."
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"'Arry! Remus! Everybody! It's so good ta see you. Thank ya so much for coming to visit."
"It's not a social call, Dung," Remus said. "We need the stuff from Sirius' house. There's something Dumbledore needed in the stuff you took."
Fletcher looked around like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You ain't still goin' on about that, are ya? It's not as if anyone were usin' it."
Harry was about to answer when Remus put his hand on Harry's chest in a stopping motion. "There was a locket, Dung. The crazy house elf stole it, and you took it from his place. Please tell us where it is, or who you sold it to."
"Well! I never! You came all the way here to grab my stuff. I don't see as we have anything more to discuss, 'entlemen and ladies! I'm going back to my room."
Harry and others were going to answer him but again, a sign from Remus kept them in check.
"Dung, it's for what you and Dumbledore were working on. It's too important for you to play games with. We need it, Dung."
"'Ow much? Wha's it worth to ya?"
"It's worth enough to ask the Minister to get the information out of it. What's wrong with you, Dung? Are you trying to help You-Know-Who?"
"Hey! I never...! Anyway, I got it from that thievin' 'ouse elf, and it weren't even 'is. I ain't sold it or nothin'. It's hidden in my room ov'r da Owl Emporium unda a loose board unda the bed. But ya gotta tap the board with a pattern to get it to open. Three quick then two slow." While he was talking he had been moving closer to his visiters, who also had moved up to the wall. Mungdungus had reached the edge of the pit that stretched across the room, keeping visitors from prisoners. There was no wall on the prisoner side. The bottom of the pit wasn't visible in the torchlight.
Listening to Fletcher, Harry thought Remus must have found something that the thief cared about. Mungdungus continued, "An' let no one ever say that I ever did anythin' to 'elp You-Know-..."
At that point a siren blared. Everyone jumped. Unfortunately, one person in the room was standing next to a hole in the floor, and when he shifted his weight there was nothing to support it. Mungdungus Fletcher gave one yell as he fell, which was terminated in a disgusting thud along with various snapping noises. A guard lit his wand and held it over the pit. Fletcher's twisted body was twelve feet below floor level, his head, arms, and legs in very unnatural positions. Remus pulled his students away from the wall.
The guard who had led them to the visiting room said, "Come on, we need to get back to the entranceway and find out what's going on."
He led them out of the room, and they jogged down a corridor. There was something going on at a cross corridor ahead of them. Harry was sure that he saw someone pushing someone else in a chair. Others were following.
The guard yelled, "Halt!" and the response was a green spell heading down the corridor at them.
Harry, near the guard, pulled him to one side, and yelled at his friends, "Killing curse, to the left wall." He looked at their situation. The hall wasn't that wide -- they were sitting ducks should someone send a few spells down the corridor; there just wasn't enough room to dodge the spells.
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Snape was too busy following Bella and pushing Draco's wheelchair to look around. They had found and released a half dozen Death Eaters that were locked up. The prison was huge, but not that many people were actually in it. Part of that was the fact that most people couldn't stand living with the Dementors, and died of depression after a couple of years. The ones that didn't, usually went insane. After most of the Dementors left, the prisoners were spread out more; they were expecting an attack on the prison, and wanted to make it as hard as they could to get prisoners out. So the raid had netted Voldemort very few of his followers.
Snape ignored someone yelling "Halt" and then heard someone he recognized call out something else. He couldn't be bothered with the words, and he kept running.
Lucius and Narcissa were in the rear of the group. Lucius also recognized the voice that yelled out after Flint sent a killing curse down the cross corridor. He reached the intersection and said, "You go on, I'll take care of Potter."
Flint didn't need any encouragement. They had run into some Dementors, but a couple of the rescue party had the anti-dementor amulets. But he had no desire to encounter one without the amulet. He raced after the others.
Lucius laughed to himself, "Say goodbye, Potter!" he murmured as he readied his wand. He jumped out and started to say, "Avarda..." when he was interrupted by his wife.
"Avarda Kedavra" she said, quickly, casting down the corridor from a position that put her husband between her and Harry's group. Her spell hit, and she was running after the rest of her group when Lucius Malfoy's body hit the floor.
"Hurry!" Bella hissed at her, as she ran past the discarded wheelchair.
"They got Lucius! Just go!" she hissed back, touching the stone. They portkeyed away.
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Harry and company had been hustled back to the entrance area, and put on the boat as quickly as possible. On the way there, their guide asked if they had discovered something that could defeat You-Know-Who.
"Honestly," Harry answered, "we don't know. There's a chance -- a small one, but still a chance -- that it will help. We really can't say anything more than that."
"Well, I won't say anything, and Charlie, he was the one with the prisoner, won't say anything either. I'll make sure of that." They thanked him, and boarded the boat.
The sun was shining when they reached shore, and the guards who gave them back their wands filled them in on who escaped: Rastaban Lestrange, Macnair, Avery, Nott, and Draco. Lucius was killed by a stray spell.
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Back at the Burrow they held a quick meeting. Harry was resolved to go after the locket right away. Everyone volunteered to go with him. Harry thought for a moment.
"Hermione, you know the Horcrux detecting spell. Why don't you, Ginny, and Luna go to Hogwarts and check out the trophy room. We'll go to Fletcher's place and get the locket. I don't think we want eight people there. It's going to look suspicious enough as it is."
"In other words," Ginny said, with some anger in her voice, "you want us out of the way."
"I want us to get things done as fast as possible. We'll come around as soon as we're done there, and then we'll search the Chamber of Secrets. I want everyone for that."
Remus interrupted the impending battle. "Before we do any of that, I want a couple of other people here." He went to the kitchen and they heard him fire-talking with some people. He came back a few minutes later.
"Tonks and Moody will meet us in the Leaky Cauldron in a few minutes. Let's give them a chance to get there."
"That makes us seven. That's rather conspicuous on Diagon Alley these days."
Remus thought for a moment, "We'll go in two groups. The first group will go to Eeylops, and be watchers. The second group will go to the apartment. Charlie, Ron, Moody and I will be in the first group. Tonks, Harry, and Neville will be the second group. Moody will join you when you go upstairs."
During this, Luna walked over to Neville. "Is your great-uncle still at your house, Neville?" she asked.
"No. After my birthday, he and Aunt Rosie went home. We'll still meet at least once a week to discuss the manor, but it's not an everyday thing any more."
"Does he still work for the Department of Mysteries?"
"Yes. Why do you need to know?"
"I'll tell you later. I think we need to get going now." The group was moving towards the fireplace.
Hermione went first, after looking at Ron and Harry and threatening, "You better be careful! Headmistress's office, Hogwarts!" The rest started floo-ing away to either the Leaky Cauldron or Hogwarts.
As Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace she found herself in an empty office. She moved away from the fireplace, brushing herself off, as Ginny came through. A half minute later Luna followed.
"Students! What is that woman thinking allowing students to enter our office when she's not around!"
Hermione looked up and saw an unpleasant man peering down from a painting.
"Really, Phineas. Must you be rude to everyone?"
Hermione spun at the voice, and looked around. She soon found the source of it in a portrait of Albus Dumbledore on the wall. He waved with his left hand and said, "Miss Granger, how good to see you. I do believe that the Headmistress is out by the front gate with your oldest brother, Miss Weasley. Miss Lovegood," he nodded to the last witch.
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore. It's good to talk to you. I'm sorry about your death." As she said it, Hermione thought how strange that phrase was.
"Think no more of it. The curse that did this to me," he held up his withered, blackened right hand, "was going to kill me anyway; would have killed me within minutes without the help of Severus. I had almost 12 more months of life, thanks to him."
"You do know that he killed you," Ginny said.
"Oh, yes, but he had to, you see. It was necessary to save Draco. Once Draco killed me, he would have been lost to the Dark Lord. I didn't want that. No one wants that."
Hermione answered, respectfully, "He was captured leading Dementors against the Burrow to kiss the guests at Bill and Fleur's wedding."
"Yes, well, I could only give him the opportunity; alas he didn't make use of it."
Ginny was about to answer, when Hermione put her hand on her shoulder.
"Well, it was nice to speak with you professor," Hermione said, "but we have things to do."
"Come back any time!"
As Hermione tried to get Ginny out of the room, Luna asked, "Is there anything else that might do that, Professor? That thing to your arm? Would a miscast spell?"
He looked at his hand a moment, and shook his head. "I can't imagine a miscast spell doing this, unless it was some sort of anti-growth, or destructive spell."
Luna hurried after the other two young women as they left the office. They made their way to the trophy room and were stopped by the security spells over the cases. They couldn't get in, nor could they cast the spell through the wards.
"Looks like we have to find Professor McGonagall."
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As Harry removed the soot from his clothes magically, he heard a voice he never thought he would ever hear again.
"Harry, my dear boy! How nice to see you."
Harry followed the sound and found himself staring at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore.
"Professor?"
"Yes, Harry. A little magic of Hogwarts. How are you, my boy?"
"I'm fine, sir. Did you have any other ideas on where the rest of the Horcruxes are?"
Dumbledore looked shocked and looked at the rest of the group that had followed through the floo behind him. "Harry! I thought we agreed that you wouldn't tell anyone else about this!"
"We did. But then you died, terminating the agreement. I need help and training to do this, and there isn't any more time to waste. We need to end it soon, while Voldemort has had some setbacks, or he regains strength and we all lose." To the rest of the group he said, "Go ahead. Find the others. I'll see you in the trophy room, and if anyone is up for it, we'll search the Chamber of Secrets."
"You're sure you'll be alright, mate?" Ron asked, glancing between Harry and Dumbledore.
"Yes, I'll be right along."
"I sense that you are angry with me, Harry."
"Yes, I am. You told me at the end of fifth year that there would be no more secrets, yet I find just as many. Why was I forced to live with the Dursleys?"
"For the blood protection. You know that."
"Yet you could have put the Burrow under the Fidelius and I would have been as safe there and happy."
"Your safety is much more important than your happiness."
"You never told me about my house."
"It was necessary to keep you safe."
"And you said you'd train me."
"And I did. . . ."
"You showed me memories. You could have just shown me the notes, it would have taken one session, and I'd know as much as I do now."
"It wouldn't have given you any insight into Tom. . . ."
"And that's going to help me, how? Where's the training to get past the traps and curses he's going to set up around the Horcruxes? Where's the training to defeat him when I've destroyed them all?"
"The power you have. . . ."
"As a wise person told me, you can't use love, because then it isn't love. So, even that doesn't help. Goodbye, Professor. I have a psycho to try and out think, although everyone says he was brilliant, and kill, even though he's got fifty years on me in that area."
Harry left the office, ignoring the shouts of Dumbledore's portrait. After the door closed behind him, another voice spoke.
"Feeling better, now that you got that off your chest?"
Harry answered the portrait of Phineas, "Yes I am."
"It's not all about you, you know."
"No, but in this instance it was about pointing out that his goals weren't met by his actions. He made all the decisions, because he kept all the information to himself, so when he screwed up there is no one else to blame. Committees may be slow and annoying, but if you have to convince other people that you're right, you're less likely to overlook something. Now excuse me, I still have a psycho to somehow kill because Dumbledore didn't want to do it."
"The prophecy. . . ."
"Weren't you in the office when he told me that the prophecy doesn't mean anything to him or me because we don't have to believe it? If he didn't really believe it, why didn't he kill Riddle in the Ministry of Magic when they fought? Did he even try? It looked like he was just trying to hold him and taunt him. Well, prophecy or not, Riddle's coming after my friends and we have to do something about it. Notice: "we." This isn't about me."
With that he went to find the rest of his group. It wasn't hard; they were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. McGonagall was with them.
"Hello, Professor," he said.
"Mr. Potter. I hope you didn't give the former headmaster too hard a time. The portrait doesn't seem to do him justice. It seems off, somehow."
Harry shrugged. Dumbledore seemed the same to him.
"Did you check out the award?"
Hermione answered, "Yes. And it's not one."
Harry felt his stomach drop. The ring, the book, the locket, the cup, something of Ravenclaws (or some unknown item of Gryffindor's) and an unknown object; he had been hoping that this would be it.
Hermione went on, "I heard that you were successful at Mundungus' place."
"Yes. We have quite a cache of items from there. But we did get what we were looking for.
"Well, who's up to searching the Chamber?"
Tonks wanted to go home and get some jobs done before she had to work that night. Everyone else said they would, but he noticed Ginny wasn't looking comfortable.
"Charlie and Ginny, did you want to go check up on your mum and George and make sure they're alright?"
Charlie looked disappointed, but Ginny brightened at the suggestion. She did say, with reluctance in her voice, "Are you sure you won't need us?"
"The more eyes the better, but this isn't something that will disappear if we don't completely search it today. If you feel you need to go, then go."
Charlie really reluctantly, and Ginny faking reluctance left. The rest of the group went to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and watched in amazement as the Chamber opened.
"Harry? How are we going to get back up?" Ron asked, looking at the dark hole.
"You're right. Fawkes isn't around to fly us out. Brooms?"
At that point Myrtle showed up.
"What are all you doing in my bathroom? Hello Harry."
"Hi Myrtle. We're going to the Chamber of Secrets. Have you ever been in there?"
"I went down the pipe once after you opened it; but there's no lights, and it was boring floating around in the dark."
"You're welcome to join us."
"I've never been invited to go anyplace before!"
Ron whispered, "Are you sure about this?"
Harry nodded. Ron looked dubious.
Soon they each had a broomstick from the school's supply. Harry conjured a rug to slide down on, warning the rest of the group about the slime on the pipes.
Soon everyone, including Moody who complained loudly about the whole thing, and McGonagall were in the corridor leading towards the Chamber. They carefully magicked the fallen stones out of the way, and reached the snake decorated doors.
Once again, Harry opened them with a Parseltongue command. The Chamber was dark, so Harry tried "lights" in Parseltongue, which also worked.
The skeleton of the snake was there. Rats or other scavengers had stripped it to the bone. Even the smell of decay was gone.
Neville eyed the snake's remains. "Blimey! You killed that? Wow."
"I didn't have much choice. It was either kill it or be killed. Kind of like Voldemort."
They spread out and quickly searched the room. There were many pipes off the room, but (with the help of Myrtle who would follow them for a distance) none of them seemed to lead to other rooms or ways out.
Harry helped some with the search, but spent time looking around the room from a spot near the base of the statue of Slytherin.
He looked around and saw Mad-Eye near one wall. He walked over to him.
"Moody, I can tell this place is protected against Appartation. Can you tell if it's protected against portkeys?"
Moody waved his wand around while muttering something, and said, "Aye. Except through these pipes, and the tunnel we came in by, there's no way in."
"Thanks," Harry said, and went back to looking at the statue.
Hermione came over to him.
"What are you thinking, Harry?"
"Riddle's memory opened the statue. I'm trying to remember the words. Something about "Greatest of the founders" and "Slytherin" and "Come out" but I haven't gotten it right."
Luna, who had wandered over, said something that sounded incredibly complex in a language that neither Harry nor Hermione recognized. She finished with pointing her wand at Harry.
"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four," Harry said, in Parseltongue. The mouth of the statue opened.
"What was that?" Harry asked Luna.
"Something my mum invented. It's sort of the reverse of the fairy spell to make people forget what they're saying. If it's on the tip of your tongue it will help you remember it."
"The fairies have a spell that makes you forget what you're saying?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. They think it's great fun, especially when two lovers are having an intimate conversation. Nothing breaks the mood quicker than one of them forgetting the word they were about to say."
"Why didn't you use it when I was trying to remember Vauxhall Road?"
"Because it wasn't on the tip of your tongue. It turned out to be a lot less useful than she hoped when she created it. Also the incantation is a beast to remember. And it's in Fairy."
"Thank you Luna, and thanks to your mother. I'm going to get a broom and explore that tunnel. Meanwhile, Ron, can you go get George and bring him back here?"
"George?"
"Yes, I have an idea, and I want to talk to him about it."
Shortly thereafter, with Myrle floating ahead of them, Harry, Remus, and Moody were flying through the dark tunnel, their wands giving the only light as it wound on and on. Eventually, after seeming to angle up, it came to a small chamber with a stairway up.
"Myrtle, would you be so kind as to go up and see what's on the top of the stairs?" Harry asked.
"For you, Harry, of course I would." The ghost drifted up the stairs and through the opening. She was down in a moment.
"It's a cliff face. I think it's somewhere in the forbidden forest," Myrtle answered.
"Moody, can you find the way to open it?"
Moody looked around and said, "The door's magical, but I can't see any way to open it. Why don't you try hissing at it again."
"Open."
"That was English, Harry," Remus told him.
"Drat. You know, I can't speak Parseltongue unless I think I'm speaking it to a snake."
"There's a picture of one on the door. Try to talk to it." Moody answered.
Harry went up the steps, and let the light from his wand shine upon the door. Concentrating on the picture, he was able to order the door to open, which it did. They stepped outside.
They were on a wooded hillside. It did indeed look like it was somewhere in the forbidden forest. They mounted their brooms and flew above the trees and found that they were well beyond the lake, which lay between them and the castle. They flew around, checking for landmarks so they would be able to find it again. Landing, they debated going back by the tunnel, or just flying to the castle. Harry insisted on going back through the tunnel, and Moody insisted on flying over the lake, so they parted company, Remus and Myrtle staying with Harry. He stopped several times along the way, looking at the walls and ceiling.
"What are you looking for, Harry?" Remus asked.
"I was wondering what it would take to collapse this tunnel."
"Probably some muggle or magical explosives; it shouldn't be too hard. There's probably a bit of magic that stopped it from collapsing so far, but that can usually be overcome with a little effort. An explosive would constitute a little effort. Why?"
"I was thinking what a wonderful trap the Chamber of secrets would be."
"How will you get someone into the trap?"
"I'm working on it."
They continued through the tunnel, finally reaching the "mouth." As they came up to it, they noticed something shining above the opening. Harry floated up to it and read:
For special services to the school, awarded to T. M. Riddle June 20, 1945.
"The award? I thought they checked it upstairs. What's it doing here?"
Remus waved his wand around it. "Doesn't seem to be booby trapped; let's take it out of here, and compare it with the one upstairs."
It was just sitting on stone shelf and they were able to lift it off without incident. They flew to the Chamber floor, and presented their find. Hermione cast the detection spell, and the shield in their hands was indeed a Horcrux. Ron and George appeared about that time.
"I came as soon as I could," George began.
"You're timing's perfect, George. Wait a moment." He addressed the rest of the group there.
"I want Remus, and Professor McGonagall to wait here with George. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna, I want you to take these," he handed over the two Horcruxes, "and get Bill and Mad-Eye's opinion on how to destroy them. Keep them hidden from everyone else's eyes, however."
"Harry? What are you planning to do?" Hermione asked, suspiciously.
"I'm going to talk with the two greatest living pranksters and the person in charge of the school about the best way to give a certain Dark Lord a very bad day."
"And you don't want our input?"
"I already know what you'll say. Hermione, you'll say it's too dangerous, and Ron will say there's no way he'll let me do what I'm planning. That's what these blokes are for, to make it not too dangerous, and to make sure I'm not completely out of my head. However, I have a role for you and your Protean charm, Hermione."
"Harry," George volunteered, "just because we help you with a plan doesn't mean that you're not completely crazy."
"I won't argue the point. Let's get our individual jobs done, and meet in the great Hall for dinner, if the house elves will serve us and it's alright the Headmistress."
"What about me, Harry," asked Myrtle.
Harry smiled. "You stay with me, too. I have an idea of how you might be able to help, if you're willing."
She smiled back at him and seemed to bat her eyelids. Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and just watched his friends leave.
"Now, this is what I was thinking, and I want to know what you think. Professor, you're here because this might endanger the school and I want your permission, and I want to fill you in on the prophecy and what we need to do to defeat Voldemort. Some of this George will be hearing for the first time, too. . . ."
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They were eating at the professors' table, when Ron spoke up.
"I've been thinking about the search for the orphanage. Basically, we have to search Vauxhall Road and the area with Dobby, without him being seen. So all we have to do is disillusion him or let him use the invisibility cloak. We should go when there isn't much traffic, but it can't be when it's in the middle of the night, either. We have to see the buildings."
"That makes sense. Hermione, can you set up a schedule and search areas?"
Hermione's eyes almost lit up. "I can do that."
"We better make it no less than two people and Dobby," Remus added.
"And they have to be able to Apparate, in case of emergency," Ron suggested.
Harry put in, "And we shouldn't do too much any one night. This will probably be boring and tedious for Dobby; and we don't want to wear him out."
Hermione nodded. "Good thinking, Harry. We don't want to take advantage of him."
"Do you think you can have something for tomorrow evening? I want to get searching as soon as possible."
Hermione agreed.
Harry felt pulled two directions. He was pleased with the day, finding two Horcruxes. Bill and Mad-Eye said they had a plan for destroying them. George and McGonagall were going to get to work on what he needed for the end game. But he still had two more Horcruxes to find, and one could be anywhere.
But the other -- well, that was just a matter of days away.