The Beginning of the End
Harry looked around and found that he had Apparated in the back room of The Three Broomsticks. He peered out the doorway and saw that Madam Rosmerta was behind the bar not currently serving anyone.
"Madam Rosmerta." Harry whispered. "Madam Rosmerta, back here."
Madam Rosmerta turned her head and saw Harry, she smiled and came to him in the back room.
"Hello, Harry. What are you doing here?" Rosmerta asked him.
"I am on my way, somewhere. Ron and Hermione need to stay here while I'm gone, is that ok?" Harry asked.
"Where are you going? Why here?" Rosmerta seemed to be worried.
"I am sure Professor Dumbledore will be in contact with you soon, I can't stay for long. Can they stay here?" Harry asked again.
"Yes, Harry. They are welcome to stay here." She finally answered.
"Thanks. Ok, I'm going to leave my broom and cloak here guys I don't think I will need them." Harry told Ron and Hermione.
"Harry, I think you should let me go with you." Ron said.
"You can't, Ron. You heard Tom." Harry snapped.
"I know I can't go with you." Ron said then checked to see if Rosmerta were our of hearing range. "But Callidus, Talon and Midnight can go anywhere."
"You're right. And I can use a pair of eyes in the sky. Hermione you would provide a lot of strength." Harry began putting a plan together.
"I know I can, Harry, but I think I should stay here. We can use it as a base of our operations, and I can pass on information to Dumbledore from here." Hermione replied.
Harry nodded his head. They spent the next few minutes coming up with a plan in case Tom had any spies watching Hogsmeade. Harry left the building and began walking through town while Ron and Hermione went up the stairs to a guest room. After ten minutes Ron opened the window in the room and pulled the invisibility cloak over him. He then turned into Talon and climbed onto the window sill. He wasn't sure how well he would be able to fly with the cloak on but he spread his wings and jumped out the window. Talon slowly glided down to the ground where he turned back into Ron and carefully walked through the snow. Ron walked to the Shrieking Shack and went inside, he then made the long journey through the tunnel to the Whomping Willow and transformed for the last time. Talon climbed out of the tunnel while still under the invisibility cloak and pushed the knot in the tree to make it stop moving. Confident that he was now safe from eyes of spies Talon put the invisibility cloak in the tunnel and took flight in the direction of Godric's Hollow.
Harry had been walking for nearly an hour when he heard a Falcon screech high above him. Harry looked up and watched as the Falcon dove down at him then began to circle over head before landing in a tree fifty yards in front of Harry.
"Agito Occulto." Harry mumbled under his breath. Suddenly he vanished and moved twenty feet off of the path and before becoming visible again transformed into Callidus. Callidus then began trotting up the path in the direction Harry had been going.
"Nice to see you, Talon." Callidus barked.
"Likewise, Callidus. I didn't see anyone from above but I will go fly about a hundred yards ahead of you. If I see anything I will let you know." Talon screeched.
"Ok, Talon. Thanks for coming along, I'm glad I don't have to do this alone." Callidus chittered.
"Anytime, Callidus. We are brothers, I wouldn't want to be any other place right now." Talon screeched as he flew ahead.
Callidus ran through the woods for the next hour until he reached a clearing. He heard Talon report that this was the clearing they were looking for, this was Godric's Hollow. Callidus cautiously transformed back into Harry, he hoped that Talon remembered one screech meant enemy on the left and two meant enemy on the right. Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing.
As he walked along the path he began seeing what looked like it used to be a fence that ran all the way around a large portion of the clearing. Harry walked through where the gate had once stood and continued up the path. After three steps Harry froze, he saw the foundation of what had once been a large house, suddenly almost as if it were a growing plant burned walls began to appear. Harry realized that some of the protection wards originally placed on Godric's Hollow must still be working as now that he was only twenty feet away he could see the burned out skeleton.
Before continuing Harry listened for any indication from Talon but didn't hear anything. Harry walked through the opening where the front door used to be and could see that weeds had taken over much of the inside of the house. Old, ruined furniture was still in the house and Harry could make out much of how the house had been decorated from what was left. Harry continued to walk through the house and found the stairs that lead to the second floor. The stairs looked much to weak to hold Harry's wait but he somehow felt he needed to climb them.
Gingerly, Harry put one foot on the stairs and then the other. He slowly made his way up the stairs until he was on the second floor. Harry carefully picked out which boards to step on as he walked through the second floor. He came to a doorway where half of the door remained on its hinges. Harry pulled his wand out of his robes and pushed the door out of his way. Harry stepped into the room and saw a crib on the far side of the room.
This must be where it happened. Harry thought to himself as he forced himself to stop from crying. Then Harry saw something more shocking than the crib. Suddenly someone sitting in a chair with their wrists tied behind the back of it and their feet tied to the legs. The persons mouth was moving but no sound came out.
"Professor Snape?" Harry asked shocked as he cast the counter-jinx.
"Potter, run! Get out of here now!" Snape shouted to Harry.
Then just as suddenly as Snape appeared Peter Pettigrew pulled an invisibility cloak off of him and smiled.
"Hello, Harry. Welcome home." Peter laughed as he spoke. "Is it what you expected?"
"What do you want, Pettigrew?" Harry hissed.
"Potter don't be foolish, it is a trap!" Snape yelled.
"Avada Kadavra!" Peter shouted and before Harry could react a flash of green light hit Snape and his head drooped forward. "Now listen to me, Harry we don't have much time."
"Where is Ginny?" Harry demanded.
"She is with the Dark Lord. She is safe for now." Peter laughed. "If she remains that way depends on you, Harry."
"How did you get to her?" Harry asked.
"Simple, I used a Polyjuice Potion to pretend I was Hermione and convinced her that I needed help getting a gift for Ron. When she took hold of it, the Portkey activated." Peter was on the verge of laughing uncontrollably.
"How did you get into my house?" Harry could feel his anger growing.
"I got in as the late Professor Snape. Dumbledore told me to meet him there for an Order meeting. Once he told me where it was I could get there whenever I wanted. It is a shame though that I couldn't pass the information on to Lord Voldemort." Peter continued laughing.
"How long have you been pretending to be Snape?" Harry asked.
"Since Dumbledore sent him to Claustrum to see if myself and Malfoy had really been released." Peter now laughed as he rose his wand at Harry. A slight breeze began to blow through out the clearing. "Now, Harry no more questions. We really don't have the time, give me your wand and we will go see Lord Voldemort."
"Where is he, Pettigrew?" Harry tried to stall for more time.
Peter began to raise his wand even higher in the air and looked as if he were about to cast a spell. Harry heard three long screeches overhead as Talon swooped down at high speed grabbing Peter's wand. At the same time Harry rushed forward at Peter, as Harry put his shoulder into Peter's chest he put his right leg behind Peter's legs. In what Harry was sure was a text book muggle leg sweep, Pettigrew stumbled backwards as he lost his footing and fell into the frame of the wall. Peter tried to grab hold of the frame but fell through. Harry made no attempt to grab Peter as he fell off of the second floor and to the ground below. Peter's upper body hit the rock foundation of Godric's Hollow and lie motionless. Harry heard Talon continually screeching and decided to transform back into Callidus.
"Eaters are coming. Death Eaters are coming." Talon was screeching to Callidus.
"Where?" Callidus barked as he ran down the stairs. He went to Peter's body and could sense that he was dead.
"From the path you came in on." Talon informed him.
"How many?" Callidus inquired.
"Ten. There could be more hiding." Talon screeched as he flew overhead.
"Talon, find somewhere to hide. We are going to hide out for now." Callidus barked. Talon flew back into the forest and perched himself in a tree. Callidus then did what Talon had not expected. He transformed back into Harry and found a place to hide inside the house.
"Come on Pettigrew, bring Potter out!" Malfoy yelled. "Lord Voldemort is waiting for him."
"Pettigrew is dead, Malfoy!" Harry yelled out of the house.
"You killed another person, Potter?" Malfoy called back. "My that is becoming a bad habit of yours. Lord Voldemort won't like that at all."
"Where is Ginny?" Harry asked knowing he wouldn't get an answer.
"Come with us and you will find out!" Malfoy shouted.
"Malfoy, if I surrender I am dead! I am not a fool!" Harry asked, Talon was continually screeching what Harry was sure was a firm telling off.
Then Harry saw that the Death Eaters had slowly been working their way around the house to surround it. Harry suddenly remembered the invisibility cloaks that had been left upstairs.
"Agito." Harry cast the spell and turned invisible. He quickly ran up the stairs and into his bedroom. He frantically began searching the floor for one of the cloaks and found one laying at Snape's feet. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you Professor, thank you for trying to warn me."
Harry quickly covered himself with the cloak and went back down stairs. The Death Eaters were beginning to get closer to the house, Harry knew he had to do something fast.
"Stupefy." Harry stunned the Death Eater closest to him.
"He's over here!" One of the Death Eaters shouted as he watched the other fell to the ground. Before more Death Eaters could arrive at this side of the house Harry stunned the second Death Eater. As more and more Death Eaters came around the corner Harry continued to stun them. Finally after Harry had stunned seven of the Death Eaters, Malfoy began to talk again.
"Potter, that was very foolish. The Dark Lord will hear about this!" Malfoy yelled just out of Harry's view.
"Where is Ginny!" Harry shouted as a wind began blowing again.
"You are going to have to discover that for yourself now! I just hope you can find her in time." Malfoy said before he and the other two remaining Death Eaters Disapparated. Harry removed the invisibility cloak and began conjuring ropes to tie the Death Eaters up with. Talon flew back down to where Harry was standing and transformed into Ron.
"Are you thick?" Ron yelled at Harry. "I thought we were going to hide!"
"I'm sorry, Ron." I had to say something to make sure they didn't see you as Talon. "Come on, help me tie them up before the come to."
They quickly tied the stunned Death Eaters together and lined them up on the wall.
"Ron, go to Hermione and tell her what has happened." Harry told his friend. "I'll keep an eye on these guys. Maybe I can get one of them to talk."
"Ok, I'll be back as soon as I can." Ron replied before he too Disapparated.
Harry revived one of the Death Eaters who immediately began to struggle against the ropes.
"Calm down." Harry said coldly. "You can't escape. Malfoy abandoned you. All I want to know is where Tom Riddle is keeping Ginny."
"Eat dragon dung!" The Death Eater spat at Harry.
"Well that isn't very nice." Harry said coolly. "You ought show me a bit more respect, you see I am a man that is focused on only one thing. Saving my fiancée, I don't care who I hurt, or who I kill on my way to that goal. Honestly, I don't care if I even live as long as I save her. Now tell me where Riddle is hiding!"
The Death Eater remained silent and spit in Harry's face. Without hesitation Harry punched the Death Eater on the left side of his face.
"Where is she?" Harry demanded. He was again answered with silence. Harry punched him on the other side of the face. "Where is my wife!"
The Death Eater remained quiet and looked away from Harry.
"Ok, muggle attempts aren't working to get the information I need, how about this." Harry hissed as he stood up and pulled his wand out of his robes.
"CRUCIO!" Harry cast the spell at the Death Eater as a tear fell from Harry's eye. He finished the spell. "Where is she!"
The Death Eater took deep breaths but remained defiant.
"I don't care if you die! I have seen too many of my friends be killed by your lot to care. I have six more of you I can get the information from." Harry shouted. The Death Eater's breathing began to return to normal yet he still did not speak.
"CRUICO!" Harry cast the spell again and held it even longer this time, tears began to fall from Harry's eyes again. "Now tell me where Riddle has taken my wife!"
"I don't know!" The Death Eater finally cried out. "He hasn't told us, only those in his inner circle. Please don't kill me. The last place I saw the Dark Lord was at the Riddle house."
Harry sighed as he heard the Death Eater speak. Harry knew he had to continue looking for Tom, he couldn't give up. Harry hoped that Ron would return soon. He conjured up large chains and chained the Death Eaters up as well. He gathered all of the wands the Death Eaters had and broke them in half, then he lit them on fire. He then conjured a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote a quick note on the parchment.
Talon,
I have not been captured, I have continued my journey.
Callidus.
With that Harry made his way into the forest and transformed into Callidus, he then ran through the forest back to Hogsmeade. Harry couldn't face anyone after what he just did but he needed to find out where the Riddle house was located.