Summary: Here some facts I should have told you already in the last chapter: Voldemort has never managed to murder the potters, hence he never disappeared, and war is raging for many years. Daniel is as old as Harry Potter, both are ten at the moment. Peter hasn't been the Potters secret Keeper, it is Dumbledore. I think these are all necessary informations, if there are still some questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Chapter 2

James Potter sighted. Once again he had to break bad news to friends of him.

Fabian Prewett looked up as James Potter, head of the aurors, entered the room.

"Fabian, I don't know how to tell you," said James and sat down, next to the auror.

"My family?"

James nodded. "They came about half an hour ago. The aurors were alerted by a muggle who heard screaming inside. We went there and found Mary, barley alive. She told us that they were torturing her, and it seems that your son couldn't leave, they had anti-apparation wards up. So he came down and fought the deatheaters, you taught him well, he was able to stun two of them. Crabbe Senior and Nott. But then the others overcame him and took him away. I'm pretty much sure that he is still alive, but in Voldemorts hands. The deatheaters must have thought that he killed Crabbe, because they left the unconscious behind. We have taken him into custody, Alice is interrogating him right now."

Fabian fought back his tears, his voice was unstable when he asked: "And Mary?"

"She's in St. Mungos," answered James. "She's an tough old lady. Her injuries weren't grave and she'll be out anytime next week."

"Marleen?"

"She wasn't at home when the deatheaters arrived. I guess she was on duty."

The other auror swallowed hard. "The other families, are they protected?"

James nodded again. "They are. I've sent Frank to gather them and bring them to different save-houses. They are all protected by rather ancient magic. You want me to tell Gideon and Marleen?"

Fabian shook his head slowly. "No, I'll do that."

James was astonished at how well Fabian was taking the news. If it had been his child… he wouldn't think about it. Harry was now ten, and he was one of the most precious things in James life. "If I can do something for you, just ask, okay?"

Fabian nodded. Then he looked up and met James eyes. "It has to stop. We have to win this war, there are ways to much innocent people dying every day. And our best are falling in Voldemorts hands."

James knew what he meant. Just about two months before, Sirius Black had been kidnapped during a raid, which had been betrayed. He had sacrificed himself to get his newly appointed trainee, Nymphadora Tonks, out. "We will rescue them. Sirius, your son, and everyone else."

"If they can be rescued after all," answered Fabian and got up. "I'll go and see Gideon and Marleen now."

"Do so. And take the day of, okay?"

Fabian smiled weakly. "I will." Then he left.

--

Daniel stirred and tried to open his eyes. Immediately after his first try to move, a wave of pain shot through his body and made him cry.

"Easy young one," said the man whom the boy had heard the day before. Had it been a day, or just mere hours? Daniel had no idea.

"Where am I?" Daniel coughed and even that hurt. Damned.

The man chuckled softly. "Are you going to ask the same question every time you're waking up?"

Daniel managed a weak smile. "Sorry. I think my brain was sure that it didn't want to remember the place."

Again the soft chuckle was heard. "You haven't lost your humour… yet. Try to keep it, that can save your life."

"How?"

"You'll see. Now try to open your eyes, you have to get used to the light, again."

Daniel obeyed and opened his eyes. The light was a bit too bright, but bearable. Daniel looked around, he was lying on the floor in an odd cell. The floor was made of stone, as were the walls. There was basically no furniture, except many shelves, running along the walls, all heavily loaded with books, old and new ones.Then he saw the man who had been talking to him. "Sirius?"

A smile crossed the mans face. "You remember me. Nice to meet you again Daniel, I would like to be a good host, but I fear I can't offer you something to drink."

Daniel grinned. "My throat feels too sore to drink anyways. Why's that?"

Sirius shrugged. "You can't remember much about your first encounter with Voldemort, hm?" Daniel shook his head. "I guess you screamed a lot. That leaves your throat like that, but don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Nice prospects," murmured Daniel. "Why the books?"

Sirius sighted. "You must have impressed Voldemort, because he stores his toys in this cell."

Daniel interrupted Sirius. "His toys?"

"Don't interrupt, I'll explain everything. If he catches a talented witch or wizard, he is keeping them in here. And when he's bored those wizards have to go through certain tasks, not unalike the auror training, but ways more deadly. Voldemort is watching us, succeeding or failing, that's his idea of entertainment. You'll notice that you are still having your wand, and the books here are for you to learn spells, so you can stay alive longer and entertain him more. Where would be the fun when we would die at our first task?"

"What tasks? And why not breaking out when we can still do magic?"

Sirius smiled sadly. "Unfortunately we can just do magic inside this cell and inside the fighting area where we have to go through the tasks. These tasks are all different, sometimes you have to fight another deatheater, mostly one who has fallen in disgrace, or you have to fight your way through a mace full of dangerous creatures. Voldemort and his followers are quit imaginative when it comes to designing new challenges for us."

"And if we fail…" Daniel didn't finish the sentence, but Sirius new what he wanted to say.

"No we are not going to die, at least not obligatory."

"But it can happen?"

Sirius studied the younger boys face. There was fear in his eyes. The auror sighted, then nodded calmly. "Yes, I fear it can."

Daniel cringed inwardly. "How long are you doing this?"

"Since two month I guess," Sirius answered. "Come here."

Daniel walked over to Sirius, feeling once again the pain in his body. He sat next to Sirius and leant against the older man. "I'm afraid."

Sirius nodded. "I know. I was afraid myself, and I still am. But Voldemort has seems to think that you are a good fighter, and I am sure that Fabians son is a worthy candidate for this cruel game. Don't worry, I'll teach you as much as I can, and we are both staying alive as long as it takes James and the others to rescue us!"

"'kay," answered Daniel and closed his eyes. "I want to go home."

"I know," whispered Sirius, softly stroking the boys head. "I know. And you are going to return home, just don't loose hope."

"I want to be as strong as you are," said Daniel. Mere moments later, he was asleep.

Sirius looked at the young boy who was doomed to go through many cruel tasks, a boy, only ten years old, who should play and not being imprisoned in Voldemorts personal residence. "I am not strong," Sirius whispered to no one in particular. "I was going to give up, but then you came and now I've got something worth fighting for. I'll keep you alive."

--

"Alice?"

The deputy head of the aurors looked up and looked at James angrily. "Why can't you ever do the paper work? It's always me who has to do it!"

James smiled slightly. "You know Alice, I'm just good in the field, but place me behind this work and I'm going crazy after some seconds."

Alice nodded, that was something she had experienced before. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to leave for about two hours. There are no missions planned, but if something important is happening, you know how to contact me?"

"I sure do," answered Alice. "Just go James, I can handle the aurors for some hours."

"I know Alice. Thank you," said James and left his deputies office. Outside he collected Bill Weasley, a promising auror who had been James trainee, and together they left the ministry of magic.

"Not that I mind leaving work, but where are we going?" asked Bill curious.

"To Hogwarts," answered James while approaching a public fireplace.

"Why that?" Bill threw a handful of floo powder inside and the flames turned green.

"We have to speak with Dumbledore about a mission, and I want as few people involved as possible. There is still a traitor in our midst, the one who has betrayed the raid where we lost Sirius, and I don't want to risk failing this mission. So we're going to do this only with people I personally know and trust." James stepped into the fire. "Dumbledores office!"

Bill waited some seconds after James leaving and stepped into the flames himself. "Dumbledores office!"

"Ah, James, Bill, welcome to Hogwarts!"

Bill had to reorientate himself, he still didn't like travelling by floo. There were several people present. Professor Severus Snape, potion teacher at Hogwarts, professor Remus Lupin, currently teaching defence against dark magic and professor Benjy Fenwick who started teaching transfiguration after Minerva McGonagall's dead last summer holidays. Then there was Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black had been her mentor, and James was teaching her since Sirius had been captured. Lily Potter was chatting vividly with Snape, those two had been friends since their Hogwarts days. Molly Weasley was there too, silently talking to Fabian and Gideon Prewett, all three looking rather grimly.

"I told you to take the day off," said James after spotting the Prewett brothers.

"And you honestly think we would allow you to rescue my son without me?" asked Fabian in return.

"No, I don't," answered James friendly.

"Please, sit down everybody," said Dumbledore, and the assembled crow did as he told them. Surprisingly enough, Dumbledores office was capable of providing enough space for them all, even though Bill was sure that it had been smaller when he was summoned to the head while studying at Hogwarts.

"As you might have noticed, only members of the order of phoenix are present," said Dumbledore. He was the unofficial leader of the order. "We know that there is a traitor amongst us, a well placed spy."

Bill couldn't resist the urge to look at Severus Snape. Now he knew that Snape was a spy for Dumbledore and the order, but still… He had such a dark aura, and before joining the order, bill had been deadly sure that Snape was a deatheater.

Snape noticed the younger mans glance and smirked. He was quite used to this views after years of playing the dangerous game of a spy.

"Operation Unicorn has failed because of this spy, and on of our own, Sirius Black had been captured," continued Dumbledore.

Sitting next to James, Tonks winced, and the older auror put a hand on her shoulder. James knew that Tonks was still blaming herself for Sirius capture.

"Thanks to recent information, we now know that Sirius and Daniel Prewett are held in Voldemorts personal residence, the old Slytherin country house. There are aurors watching this place since two weeks, and they think that they found a way inside. Would you like to explain James?"

James nodded. "The ancient wards, protecting the Slytherin country house are unbreakable for us." That meant quite something, because James was one of the best curse-breaker in the ministry. "But we have found a loophole. The wards are made to keep humans outside, they don't work for animals. So I will switch into my animagus form and enter the area. From inside I should be capable of breaking the wards and allow you to go in. Group A will arrange some distraction for the present deatheaters, while group B is going to rescue the prisoners."

"Whom have you thought to attend?" asked Remus carefully.

James eyed the others in the room. "Well, I thought Group A would consist of you two, Fabian and Gideon, plus Albus, you being there should be enough distraction, because they undoubtedly try to capture you, and Lily and Molly. I am in Group B, as well as Remus, Benjy and you Tonks. I can't allow you to participate Severus, I'm sure you'll agree with me that this would look a bit suspicious."

"I want to be in Group B!" Molly, Fabian and Gideon had spoken simultaneous.

A small smile appeared in James face. "I know," he admitted. "But I fear that Daniel won't be in a good condition, and it could happen that you'll react… impulsively."

"But still…" Fabian didn't argument further, he saw the look in James Potters eyes and knew that he had lost already.

"I'll tell you the details when I finalized the plan."

A/N: Thanks for reading, please leave some reviews. Special thanks to Polly-P and Ms willow gosermer.