Author's Note:1. SPAR is a convenience store group in UK, although I don't know if you can actually buy lunch there. Here in Japan you can buy lunch trays, sadwiches, etc. in a convenience store so my concept of a convenience store might be a bit off when compared to other countries. 2. The paperboy part was also done based on my homeland as I don't know how it is in the UK. If you want to clear things up in a polite manner I will be very grateful as I am not from the UK and have never been there. Thanks. 3. The name of the Young Offenders Centre... Well... I made it up. lol
A small note: 'Kokoro no yunion' is simply 'union of the heart'.
Song: 'Kirei na Yozora' by angela (from Stellvia)
Ch. 15: In Muggle Grounds Again
Three days had passed since Harry, his best friends, and Snape had been in Hogwarts. They had to give the owl time to give the letter to Petunia and in the meantime they had stayed at the Shrieking Shack. The owl had come back and they had sent it to Hogwarts, where it belonged. While in Hogwarts McGonagall had told them about Ginny having been there for some time. Harry had gotten alarmed at the sudden knowledge and cursed himself for not being able to coincide with her. It seemed Ginny had just left the same day they had arrived and that was frustrating. Harry couldn't do anything about it and he had no idea where Ginny had gone to so he decided to continue with his mission normally, still hoping that he and Ginny were to cross paths sooner or later.
After the owl's return they had dressed as Muggles and gotten into the Knightbus in Hogsmeade, asking to be taken to Surrey, to an area not far, but not extremely close either to Privet Drive. They had to walk quite a while to Little Whinging.
Harry was wearing shades, an olive green baseball cap, an olive green jumper, and light blue jeans. He had transfigured a quill into a bicycle for the appearance of a paperboy. Leaving the others in the park in Little Whinging Harry went on the bicycle to Privet Drive, stopped in front of number 4 and knocked at the door yelling: "Paperboy charging for the paper, ma'am!" Petunia opened the door and let the boy enter, quickly closing the door and trapping him in an almost bone crushing hug.
"Whoa! I'm glad you didn't do that with the door open or the neighbours might start thinking that the Dursley widow is having an affair with the paperboy!"
Petunia started to laugh at Harry's joke and quickly gave him the Firebolt. He reduced it in size, wandless, to avoid magic being detected in the Dursleys' home, and then he placed it in his pocket. Harry had been secretly trying to channel his magic without a wand although it was something he had started trying recently and none of his companions knew anything about it. He had started to train himself a little due to his situation of always being traced. He considered that wandless magic was more difficult to trace than magic performed with a wand. If it hadn't been like that the accidental magic by children would have been causing chaos at the Ministry. Petunia was amazed: "How did you do that?"
"Practicing, but it is better to use a wand. Wandless magic can exhaust you quicker, I think. Have they come back here?" The woman shook her head. "Good. I have to go now. I'm on dangerous grounds because Aurors might be keeping an eye on this area."
"Aurors?" Petunia smiled not really wanting to know and kissed her nephew on his left cheek. "Take care, alright?" He nodded before leaving, summoning a notebook and then writing with a common ballpoint pen in front of the house, as if his customer had just made a payment.
Harry got into the bicycle and rode to Little Whinging. There were his friends and ex-teacher looking like regular Muggles in a park with Hermione sitting on the swing. Ron quickly approached him: "What are we going to do now?"
"First, I am going to buy us some lunch in the nearest SPAR. Afterwards we'll take the Knightbus to Gales." With a flick of his wand, Harry turned the bicycle back into a quill and they jogged toward the convenience store. "Wait here!" Harry told them at a corner and he walked all the way to SPAR alone.
After buying several things and their lunches, Harry got out of the store, but was shoved by a running man. "Hey!" Harry reacted and as he fell on his behind, he noticed that the man dropped something as he kept running. Harry, leaving the bags aside, picked up the object calling after the man, but was horrified as he discovered that the heavy object in his right hand was a gun and dropped it, his heart beating really fast. Just then, several police cars cornered the scene and several officers pointed their guns at Harry. He was so shocked that his voice was gone and he didn't do anything as they put his arms behind his back, handcuffing him and putting him in the back seat of one of the police cars.
Ron, Hermione, and Severus were watching in horror as Harry was being taken. As an officer collected the gun with a gloved hand, Snape pointed his wand at the gun doing something that no one noticed. The officer then left, gun in a transparent re-sealable bag.
Hermione looked at the others shaking her head nervously: "This is bad. This is really bad."
XxXxX
Harry was transferred to a Young Offenders Centre right there in Surrey the next day. Its name was St. John Manor. During the whole process, Harry had been completely out of it. The officers had barely managed to get his name and age, and by the time he realized he had told them his real name, it was too late. Locked in a room in St. John Manor Harry was pacing wondering who would get him first: Voldemort or Rufus Scrimgeour. He had to have the worst luck in the world. How could he get into such a mess that easily? Why didn't he check what the object was before picking it up? Now that was quite wise!
A man came and told Harry it was lunchtime. The day before Harry had spent it in a police headquarters' cell until he was transferred to the Manor. When asked about having guardians Harry hadn't said a word. They had also looked for IDs and Harry had none with him. Ron had been carrying Harry's backpack, which had the Muggle driver's license and also the tiny broom, which the black haired teen had already moved to the backpack. He was lucky they didn't find the wand. In his nervousness, he had somehow magically made it undetectable, probably through a bit of accidental magic.
Harry was in a lunchroom full of boys queuing to take a lunch tray so he did the same. As he sat in front of a table he heard a familiar voice call him, but there wasn't any arrogance in that voice or malice as Harry always remembered. Still... "Hey Harry! What in the world did you do to be in here? I thought you had to be in that mad school of yours!"
"D-D-D-Dudley?" Harry stuttered.
"Of course it's me! Never expected to see you here!" Dudley spoke something to his friends before changing seats and joining his cousin, bringing his lunch tray with him. "So what's your story, Harry?"
"I am here because of a misunderstanding, Dudley."
Dudley laughed. "Pointed at someone with that stick of yours and poked his eye?"
"Very funny. Ha Ha Ha." Harry's tone was full of sarcasm, but then he said: "No. Some bloke apparently did a held up at a grocery store at gunpoint and he shoved me as I came out of a SPAR. The guy dropped his gun and I picked it up and called after him. I hadn't even noticed it was a gun and by the time I had dropped it I was surrounded by police officers."
"You're screwed if you touched that gun. Your fingerprints must be on it. Not that I want to be the bearer of bad news. I'm just being honest, little cousin," Dudley stated in a very civilized way that was starting to scare Harry a little.
Harry looked miserable, but Dudley smiled at him. "It's not so bad here. Mum visits frequently. Does she already know you are here?"
"I don't want her to know so I didn't even mention her. Dud... You sound different than your usual self. Are you sick? We are actually having a civilized conversation and it's scary."
Dudley laughed. "Really? Do I sound strange? Well... I am a convert now, Harry. I accepted Christ in my heart. We have services every Sunday, you know? It helped a lot when... Dad... you know..." Dudley had lowered his eyes. Harry thought that whatever it was that had changed his cousin had to be good somehow and he was glad for Dudley.
"It's alright, Dudley, but I won't stay here for long. I can assure you that."
"Well, at least you didn't kill anyone so I hope you are right. Me? I'll be here for a long time, I think. By the way, Mum was right, you look good without glasses."
"Thanks, Dud. What do you guys do here anyway?"
"Well, we receive schooling, but there are also criminal psychologists that examine us..."
Harry rolled his eyes and muttered: "Great."
XxXxX
Ginny spent hours locked in the secret passageway with Renard, Cassius, and Theseus. In those hours she had asked Renard about the creature he had turned into and she had learned that only purebreds could take that form. She had also learned that Renard's form was actually medium sized because he was a second class vampire. She decided that she never wanted to meet a first class one, especially since Renard had told her that first class vampires were extremely powerful and dangerous. When she had asked him if he knew a first class vampire he told her that he had met only one because they were too few. Ginny actually considered the fact of first class vampires being too few a relief.
Many hours had passed when Renard placed his hands on the wall to feel any signs of life in the mansion. There was none and so, they finally came out of hiding. Renard ran throughout the disaster the Death Eaters had done, but he didn't care about the destruction. He was firm in checking what was truly important. He finally arrived in a room that was always locked, but it had been unlocked with spells just as he had feared. He entered and saw blood everywhere. The Death Eaters had destroyed the bottles full of what Renard considered famous blood.
Hoping that the bottle containing Harry's blood had also been broken Renard checked the wreckage, but a bottle was missing and it was exactly the bottle he feared would disappear. The Death Eaters had stolen the bottle that contained Harry Potter's blood instead of breaking it. Renard fell on his knees trying to think that it was all a nightmare, but knowing that he was fully awake and affronting reality. He had doomed Harry Potter to some crude curse or even death at the hands of Voldemort.
Ginny came running with Cassius and Theseus. Renard had ran too fast for them to keep up and had even disappeared from their sight in his haste. Fortunately Cassius had been able to somehow track Renard to where he had gone. They entered silently and saw Renard kneeling and looking at the blood filled floor. "What's wrong?" Ginny rapidly walked towards the vampire and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"I've killed young Potter, Miss Weasley. I had a bottle with some of Harry Potter's blood. It's gone."
Ginny gasped as she quickly realized the problem. She shook her head in denial and glared at Renard. "You had a bottle with Harry's blood and you didn't tell me? You... Oh, by Merlin!" Ginny's heart was thumping really fast and her breathing became difficult at the same time her eyes watered. "I won't let Harry die! I won't!"
"What do you plan to do? Get the blood back? That's insane! You won't be a match for the Death Eaters plus by now that blood might be in Voldemort's hands already!" Renard's sky blue eyes had reddened and were almost bulging due to his nervous state as he stared at Ginny Weasley.
"I'm not mental," she said softly. "I will simply look for a way to counter whatever curse Vo-Voldemort will try against Harry. There must be a way to interfere!" Her voice strengthened.
"There is a way..." Renard thought aloud and then his eyes locked with Ginny's bright brown ones. "But we'll need more people for the chant. We can create a protective charm by bonding your heart with Harry's. It's not dangerous. It will simply intertwine your love for Harry and your desire to protect him with his own heart."
"I'll do it," Ginny said with determination.
"We'll leave this place then, but be warned, Miss Weasley. The chant will be performed by vampires. I will be there, but do not trust anyone. Even if they will be vampires I consider my friends they will do anything to drink a witch's blood.
Ginny nodded in understanding and Cassius intervened: "I'll also be there, Ginny." Theseus got beside Cassius and smiled at Ginny as if wanting to state the same.
Renard completely revised his mansion before leaving it. It seemed that all his servants had either escaped or gotten captured and he was worried, but didn't say anything to Ginny about it. He had also noticed that the dead Death Eaters had been taken away, probably as a means to avoid leaving evidence of their attack even if the destruction of the mansion was quite evident.
Ginny, Cassius, Theseus, and Renard left the mansion through a portkey prepared by Renard. They were transported to another mansion that was in a very rural area. They entered and Ginny wondered if it was alright to enter a mansion like that, but decided to simply follow Renard. Soon they found themselves in front of a young woman with strawberry blonde hair that stared curiously at Renard. "Got into problems?" she asked.
"Sorry about this Rochelle, but my mansion was attacked. I couldn't stay there."
"It's alright, little brother. You can stay all you want," she rolled her eyes, but then she looked at Ginny. "A new wannabe prey?"
"No, Rochelle. This is Ginny Weasley..." Renard wanted to introduce the two boys, but didn't know their names.
"Cassius," said the boy with mint green hair. "And this is Theseus," stated Cassius pointing at the other boy.
"You two are not human," Rochelle said in a very boring voice, but didn't ask anything about their origins. Rochelle then glanced at her little brother. "Do they have to stay too?"
"Please?" Renard replied. "She will need a chanting ritual. We need at least ten, including both of us."
"Very well," answered Rochelle without asking any questions.
XxXxX
That same night Ginny found herself surrounded by vampires. Cassius and Theseus were also there, but she didn't feel any safer, especially since the vampires kept staring at her with gleaming eyes.
Ginny repeated the words Renard had told her. With her hands placed upon her heart she kept saying: "Harry Potter, I hereby lock my heart with yours to protect you."
The vampires were chanting the words: "Kokoro no yunion" in a constant fashion.
Ginny felt a strange energy surrounding her and could vaguely feel Harry, but wondered if he could feel her. Still, even if he couldn't feel her she would make sure the spell would work somehow. It had to work.
By the time they finished two hours had passed and Ginny was exhausted. Renard told her that he didn't know if the spell would really work, but he hoped it would.
Almost one week after the chant had been performed Renard received an owl. He was alarmed at what he read and immediately told Ginny about it. He had a contact in the Ministry and he had asked that contact to inform him if there was anything regarding Harry Potter. There was. The note said that Harry Potter had been located in a Muggle place called St. John Manor and that the Ministry of Magic was looking for a way to get him out. Ginny looked upset at the news and immediately wanted to go to Harry, but Renard stopped her. "You'll need to bail him out. They won't simply let Harry go. Don't worry, I have my contacts in the Muggle law."
That same day Renard started to move his important Muggle contacts and learned that there was no evidence against Harry because the gun Harry had been found with didn't have his fingerprints. With that important knowledge Renard paid to get Harry out in two days. Ginny would be able to pick up Harry three days later, but she was going to need help. Renard contacted Severus and between other things told his old friend about where Harry was and when to pick him up. Renard also informed Severus that exactly on that same day Ministry officers were coming for Harry too. Ginny had to get to Harry earlier than the Ministry officers and make sure Harry was reunited with his friends. Renard hoped the plan would work.
XxXxX
After a week in St. John Manor, Harry had been through Muggle schooling in which they concluded he was either retarded or so much a criminal that he had become a school dropout at eleven years of age. He had been placed apart and was receiving intensive teaching to supposedly catch up with boys his age. A doctor was always evaluating Harry and had kept on insisting in Harry telling the truth about his life, but the boy remained with zipped lips, all the time wondering when Voldemort or the Ministry would get there.
After almost two weeks it was a cold October Thursday and Harry, who was seated on a bench, kept staring at an odd janitor that kept cleaning on the same place watching him, when three people arrived. Harry jumped when he saw them and identified the female: "Ginny?" Ginny gave him an unexpected quick kiss on the lips before speaking.
"They're coming for you, Harry, but you're out!" Ginny's eyes were sparkling as she hugged him. "The thing they called a gun doesn't have your fingerprints after deep analysis and... a fee has been paid to clear you completely."
"Who paid a fee?" Harry was alarmed by this. Certainly the Weasleys couldn't pay anything for him as they didn't have much money.
"It was Renard. It's all thanks to that vampire friend of yours," Ginny said rapidly. Harry was shocked beyond words, but knew there was no time to be surprised. "We have to leave!"
"Who are they?" he asked Ginny all of a sudden.
"These are Cassius and Theseus, but Harry, we have no time! The Aurors sent to get you out will be here soon. We just got ahead of them in bailing you out," Harry nodded at Ginny's statement and the guard there made a gesture for them to go, but suddenly fell to the floor unconscious.
The janitor smirked at them with the wand that had stunned the guard in hand, but Harry was quick.
"Stupefy!" Ginny had no idea when Harry's wand had appeared in his hands, but it was a relief that he had been so fast. "I think it's not just the Ministry who's coming..." Harry stated and Ginny looked worried.
They ran to a frontdesk, hiding that there were two unconscious men at the area where Harry had just been. Harry soon received his things from the day he was caught, except for the food which was of course discarded, and they were out of there.
Making sure they were far enough from St. John Manor a threesome caught up with them. "Severus! Ron! Hermione! You are all here!" Then Harry saw a car and a woman signaled for them to get inside. Hermione, Ron, and Severus were about to get in the car when spells started to fly at them. Harry easily identified Death Eaters, but at the same time Aurors arrived and a fight immediately erupted between both sides. Harry abruptly grabbed Ginny's hand and placed her behind him while voicing stunning spells against the Death Eaters along with Hermione, Ron, and Severus. Ginny, from behind Harry, hit a few Death Eaters with Bat-Bogey Hexes while Cassius pierced two Death Eaters with arrows.
Harry was surprised when he felt strong arms capturing him and forcefully getting him into the car. "We have to leave! Forget about them! Whichever band wins their final goal will be to get us!" Harry was able to identified Snape's authoritative voice. The others were already in the car, including Ginny, Cassius, and Theseus with confused faces as they had been abruptly placed inside the car too.
"We are too many!" Harry said, but was suddenly surprised to see that the car looked spacious. He grinned when he remembered Arthur Weasley had used a similar spell with the Ford Anglia some years before right before Harry starting 2nd year in Hogwarts.
Harry stared at his aunt as she put the car in motion and sped from the scene. He looked numb. "How..."
Severus was the one to explain, quickly filling Harry with details. Harry was horrified to learn that during all those days he had been in a Young Offenders Centre his friends and ex-teacher had stayed with his aunt. Severus reassured Harry by telling him he had scanned the area for Aurors and there were none. Harry was then grateful that his aunt had given them sanctuary for a while. Snape, Hermione, and Ron had received an owl from Renard telling them where Harry was and the plan to get him out. That's how Severus, Ron, and Hermione were able to be there at the same time Ginny and her companions were getting Harry out.
Petunia soon left them in a solitary street, kissing Harry good bye and telling him to have good luck. They were still in Surrey and they really had to get to Gales. Harry couldn't believe the events that had somehow delayed them, but he guessed everything had a purpose. He was also glad that Dudley was alright and that Petunia had the self control not to come barging into the place after learning he was there with her own son.
Harry transfigured his hair and eyebrows to brown and the colour of his eyes to a somewhat blueish colour. Hermione became a blonde and Ron became black haired. Severus wasn't sure of transfiguring his hair too, but also changed his hair to brown and made his eyes grayish. After their changes, Harry still wore a baseball cap and Snape wore a ponytail, baseball cap too, and shades. Severus didn't feel comfortable showing much of his face even with the transformations.
Ginny, Cassius, and Theseus looked completely disoriented seeing the others disguising themselves and Harry himself didn't know what to do about them. Snape scowled as he felt the same dilemma. "You should go back to your parents, Miss Weasley!" Severus said in an almost menacing voice that made Harry glare at him.
"Ginny, why did you run away? I've been worried sick ever since I heard you had fled from the Burrow!" Harry asked.
"Because... Harry! Your blood! It was stolen!" Ginny had changed the subject hastily.
"What?" Harry looked at Snape and he could see in Snape's eyes that he had also known. "How?"
"Renard's mansion was attacked. In the same message he told us about your situation he also mentioned that the Death Eaters had stolen the bottle that contained your blood." Snape then looked curiously at Ginny. "Were you there?"
"Yes."
"Were you seen by the Death Eaters?"
She glanced at Cassius and he answered for her. "Yes, we were all seen."
"Who are you? You are not a Hogwarts student, nor you," Severus said to Cassius and then to Theseus. "Are you vampires?"
Theseus shook his head and Cassius' gaze hardened. "Do not insult me like that. I am a centaur! My name is Cassius."
Hermione and Ron stared at Cassius with incredulous gazes, then at Ginny. Harry had gone mute and Severus swore several times before asking Ginny with clenched teeth. "What is the other one?"
"A unicorn..." said Ginny feeling intimidated.
"What in Merlin's name were you thinking, stupid girl?"
Ron interfered: "Hey! Don't treat my sister like that!"
Severus rolled his eyes and stated: "We are too many. We look like a pack and that can draw too much attention. We have to separate."
"It's alright!" Ginny exclaimed, surprising them. "There's a place I need to go to." Indeed, Renard had told Ginny that after helping rescue Harry she couldn't remain with Harry and the others. Ginny still needed answers to the meaning of her dreams and Renard told her to go to a woman named Sappho. Sappho was a wise vampire witch with knowledge on spells that are reinforced with blood. Renard had even provided Ginny with a portkey that would leave her, Cassius, and Theseus close to where the mysterious woman lived.
Harry wasn't sure of letting Ginny go. "What if something happens to her?" he asked.
"I'll be alright Harry. I'm more worried about you..." Ginny told him with a serious expression. "Be safe, alright?"
Harry nodded, not wanting to see her leave. Now that she was with him he felt she was safer where he could see her. "Where do you have to go to?"
"I'm not sure. I have a portkey though."
"Take care." Harry had said they couldn't be together, but he didn't care. He placed a deep kiss on her lips and when it ended he lowered his gaze. Ginny then removed the portkey and soon disappeared with Theseus and Cassius. Harry stayed still for a moment, but then motioned to the others. They had already disguised themselves and thus, Harry summoned the Knightbus by lifting his wand. At last, they were going to Gales.
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