Chapter 2 The Rescue Party
He made his way slowly down the stairs towards the lounge. The house was different, cleaner and new things had been added and some had been removed. Harry noticed the portrait of Sirius' mother was gone. In its' place was a clean square of wallpaper with only a black smudge demarcating the edges where the portrait had hung. He heard their voices before he stepped into the room. Remus, Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, someone unknown and Snape! It wasn't like him to eavesdrop but he found himself standing just out of view and holding his breath to catch the words.
"Yes, the picture gives us some information. We don't know if she'll still be there when we get there," Snape was saying. "But it is our only recourse."
"Yes, I know where it is," the stranger said. It was a man's voice and the speech had a heavy accent Harry couldn't identify.
"Severus, are you sure of this?" Remus asked, with hesitation. He sounded concerned.
"We have to try it," Ron broke in.
"I agree," Mr. Weasley said.
"Yes," Mrs. Weasley concurred, "but we all know he's going to want to go, too and he's very fragile right now."
Harry stepped into the room and they all turned to look at him.
"Harry, should you be up?" Mrs. Weasley hustled over and took his arm. He gently pried her hand off and walked into the room without assistance.
Remus glanced down at an empty chair and Harry dropped down into it. He'd taken time to put on several layers of clothes so no one would notice his condition and bring it up. He ignored Snape and instead looked at the stranger in their midst.
The man was in his thirties, slight of build, short and dressed very curiously. He wore a hat and from beneath it shone piercing brown eyes, with smile wrinkles at the corners. He wore a loose shirt tucked into leather pants and boots reaching almost to the knee. A colorful scarf was tied around his neck and his skin was brown as if he'd been in the sun for long periods of time. The man smiled at Harry and his hand went up to touch the brim of his hat in a small salute. The fingers were covered with gold rings and Harry noticed gold at the open neckline.
They all remained silent until Harry struggled to his feet and reached out to introduce himself. He stuck his hand out and said, "I am Harry Potter."
The man shook his hand and grinned showing a gold tooth sparkling in the place his front tooth should have been. "I am called Milosh," he said softly. "Most people call me Moses." The eyes that looked into Harry's were laughing eyes and Harry immediately felt at ease.
"Moses," Harry repeated.
The man dipped his head and Harry lost sight of the face for a second. He looked up into the cold dark eyes of Snape who stood behind the man. Harry felt his jaw tighten and he stepped back to re-seat himself.
Ron jumped in. "We have good news, Harry. Professor Snape brought Moses to us. They have a picture…here... look!" Ron took the picture being passed around and handed it to Harry. Although the news was good, Ron looked frightened.
Harry dropped his head and looked at the face of his friend, Hermione Granger. She was not smiling in the picture, but looked calm. There were people standing around her, men and women. Harry looked up with a question on his face.
Moses answered the unasked question, "She is at Azkaban, the wizard's prison. She is with my people."
"Your people?" Harry repeated, parroting the man's words.
"Yes," Moses answered. "The Rom. People call us Gypsies. These are people who have been imprisoned; they are gypsies."
"Gypsies? Azkaban?" Harry mumbled looking from face to face.
Mr. Weasley spoke quickly, "They are some of the most revered wizards in our world Harry, but there are very few of us who know anything about them or have met them. They like to keep to themselves. Professor Snape happens to know Moses' people and their skills. He says they were imprisoned in Azkaban because they are threats to…to"
Skills?" Harry repeated again and inwardly shook his head at himself.
"Yes," Mrs. Weasley took up the story. "They are… the Rom live by traveling the country in wagons with their families. They move from place to place and they live very close to nature. They have a magic unlike our own and many skills, like tracking. Some are…" she stopped, blushing as if it she found it difficult to continue.
"Bounty hunters," Snape finished. "They track down criminals and bring them to justice."
Harry's head snapped around to Snape's voice.
Moses soft voice interrupted, "It is a crude term we do not use ourselves, but it will do. Actually, my people have many skills. They work metal, raise horses for sell; they do many things. It is but a few of us who actually…do this bounty hunting." Everyone in the room listened as he spoke. "Some of my friends were caught and taken there. They have done noting wrong, committed no crime, but they are dangerous to those who do. Understand?"
Harry turned slightly to look at Lupin. "Why is Hermione in Azkaban?" he asked. He thought the others in the room were not saying what was really on their minds and he trusted Lupin.
Lupin came around the edge of the chair and stared down at Harry. "Malfoy took over the prison and we think he was the one who captured Hermione. He's taken her there and sent us this picture to send a message. It is all we have right now, Harry. Moses seems to think his people will protect Hermione until we can rescue her. I trust… I trust that Severus knows what he is doing in making this decision." He stopped and turned to look at Snape who stood rigidly at the fireplace, his eyes narrowing. "No one has ever broken into Azkaban," he said as if he thought the idea was ludicrous. "No one has ever wanted to."
Harry nodded slowly and looked back at the man and asked, "She is with your people?"
Moses shook his head. "When I say my people, some of my friends. If she is with them, I think they will try and protect her. I have sent out word to let them know we have searched for her. They will know she is needed to be protected. I should hear something soon. We have ways to get messages in and out of Azkaban."
"Good." Harry sighed. "Then we'll leave as soon as you get word." His words caused a beehive of discussion. The Rom man stayed silent and watched Harry, who stared back while the others, with the exception of Sanpe who remained silent, argued about the idea.
Finally, they quieted down. Lupin was looking glum but composed and sitting with his face turned away. Arthur and Molly Weasley were looking at Harry as if he'd grown a second head and Ron was staring anxiously at Lupin as if he expected the man to take back his words. Snape hadn't moved from the mantel and was now frowning. Moses sat in a soft cushy chair, pulled out a long-stem pipe and started drawing on it. Smoke curled up under the brim of his hat and he tilted his head and squinted to avoid getting it in his eyes. He stared at the empty fireplace and crossed his legs, looking very much contented and at ease.
Harry listened to a clock on the mantel tick off seconds and minutes while everyone sat silently. He waited and then stood confronting them. "What is it you're keeping from me?"
Moses stood, tapped his pipe out at the hearth, glanced up at Snape and turned to Harry. "Your people are afraid to talk to you about this, so I will tell you. I come from a group called the Moodar. When this Kalo Beng," he stopped and smiled, staring at the pipe in his hands, "this black devil you call Voldemort was free upon the earth sixteen years ago he was like a ferocious wolf. He preyed upon the people with great disregard and cruelty. He killed many of my people as if they were animals. We have a name for the time. It is called the Great Devouring." Moses strolled slowly around the room, touching an object here and there with the tips of his fingers.
Harry watched, fascinated by the smooth stride, the body language and the way the man moved. He walked with a languid grace, like an animal prowling through the jungle. He could tell the man was taking in information, digesting it in a very practiced way. He wouldn't have been surprised if Moses knew much more about them then they knew about him.
"There are few among us who have not been touched in one way or another; as you have been," Moses said and stopped in front of a curio cabinet, now empty. He sniffed it, his nostrils flaring to catch the odors he sought. He spoke so softly, his eyes closed, that Harry could hardly hear him. "This pashal," he turned to Snape, "our friend, has come to us and told us of your task, that you are destined to kill the Kalo Beng."
Harry inhaled sharply and stood. He answered through clenched teeth, "Yes. That is true. How does this concern Hermione?"
Moses turned from the curio and looked at Harry, "I am here to train you. I come from a group who has spent the last sixteen years preparing to kill this devil. Since you are the only one who can do this deed, then I and my companions will make sure it is done. We will use every means to bring about his end. I will take you with me to Azkaban and free my friends and yours and in turn you will allow us to help you kill Voldemort."
"Are you saying you won't help me if I don't help you?" Harry snapped.
Moses crossed the room as if he were on an afternoon stroll. He stood before Harry less than a foot away, at ease, but his face now grim. "Your friend is safe and will not be harmed by the Rom whether you agree or not. They will not let your friend be harmed. What do you lose if you join us in this quest? Nothing. It is an offer. One hand washing the other, that is all."
He said it in a way which was soothing and Harry stepped back and turned to the others. Ron was refusing to look at him and Harry could read worry in the Weasley's faces. Lupin continued to stare at the fireplace, his hand over his lower face. It was hard to discern what was there. Harry nodded. "Alright. I'll tell you my decision in a minute. Remus, could I have a word with you in private?"
"Harry?" Ron was on his feet.
"It'll just be a minute, Ron." Harry steered Remus out of the room, down the hall and into the kitchen.
He glanced around and noticed that the room had not changed since he had been there last. It was all too familiar and his memories threatened to break his concentration.
"Remus," he began, pulling a chair out to sit in front of the man at the long kitchen table. "This is the moment of truth. What is it everyone is keeping from me?. What aren't you telling me?"
Lupin stared back and replied, "Nothing, Harry." He noticed the disgust in Harry's face. "Really, there is nothing. I'll be the first to admit I have prejudices against Severus that I should have resolved years ago. I think I'm concerned because this man is a friend of his and it's making everyone a little nervous. The Rom people are very eccentric, at least what we know of them. They are mysterious as Mrs. Weasley said, and they frighten people. Some even believe they have been on Voldemort's side, although I doubt it very much. Moses said as much. I think he wants revenge for his people as much as any of us."
Lupin spread his hands on the table and shrugged in frustration as if he couldn't find the words to communicate what he was trying to say. "What this man isn't telling you is that he is a trained assassin and he means to make you one as well!"
Harry sat back. An assassin, he thought. Trained to kill one person, one evil person. He thought about it a moment longer and looked squarely into Lupin's face. "You say it as if you're talking about some perverted, ugly, disgusting person. But, that's what I am to become, Remus. I am to be an assassin."
The gentle gray eyes stared back and they stood in silence looking at one another.
A thousand thoughts went through Harry's mind. Will people think of me in that way? he wondered. Will you? Suddenly the weight which had been bearing down on him felt like it would crush him. He slumped into a chair, his head slowly dropped to the kitchen table and he felt the tears come unbidden. He sobbed uncontrollably until a hand dropped on his shoulder and he looked up at Lupin whose eyes were shining with tears of his own.
"Harry, you can put this off," Lupin said. "You're only sixteen. We'll find a way to keep you safe at Hogwarts this year. Moses said Hermione would be safe and I believe him. When he finds her, he'll bring her back to us. You don't have to go with them. You shouldn't go with them!"
"I won't go back to my Aunt's house," Harry said, firmly. He felt the anger rising again. "I won't go back there Remus, I can't. And I can't leave it to a stranger to bring Hermione home."
Lupin was nodding. "Perhaps, when this is over, we can find a way to have you stay here so you don't have to return to your Aunt's house. After all, it now belongs to both of us." He said it quietly and smiled at the look on Harry's face. "Sirius left the Black Mansion to you and me. Ironic isn't it? He left the home he hated to the two people who didn't have a home."
Harry stared wordlessly at Lupin.
"Oh yes, Harry," Lupin murmured. He moved around the edge of the table and sat across from him. His eyes wandered over the kitchen. "The house and more. Money, and other things, things Sirius could have cared less about. However, he knew that I have always struggled to make a living for myself and would not take money from anyone. Too proud you see." Lupin smiled and glanced at Harry. "He also made provisions for you as well. I think he also knew you would need it at some point."
"Remus…" Harry stopped. He found the words dammed up in his chest and he held onto the table. "Do you hate me for getting Sirius killed?"
The man across from him paled, and gasped, "You haven't been listening have you, Harry? Your father may have made Sirius your godfather but I would have been next in line. It would have been something I would have gladly agreed to, except for the fact that I… that I have this situation, this condition." He leaned over the table and spoke with a hoarseness to his voice, "And no, absolutely not! I don't hate you, Harry. Actually, I hope eventually we can consider each other as family."
Harry looked back and saw the sincerity in the face.
Lupin went on, "That's why I'm begging you not to go with Severus and Moses. What they are proposing is impossible," he said it weakly, his hand going to his forehead as if he had a headache. "Sirius was the only one who ever escaped from Azkaban. I have never known anyone who tried to break in!"
"We have to get Hermione back," Harry said earnestly. He sat back and watched the man in front of him but not really considering him. His mind was on the wizarding prison and the stories he'd heard about it.
Lupin nodded but didn't look across the table. He was staring at he wall. "I know, but I don't know how."
"Remus," Harry's head stared at him. "Sirius wasn't the only one who ever escaped from Azkaban. There was someone else."