Metamorphosis
Chapter 7: The Escape
Another book was thrown aside as Harry searched frantically for something useful. Even Aberforth, while he was in the mind illusion, said something about metamorphosizing. Mrs. Figg however didn't seem to have any book on it. Harry threw the last book down angrily and one of the cats hissed and scampered away. The bed creaked as he slumped down onto it seemingly defeated.
The Death Eaters had him trapped; they had set up traps and hexes all around meaning to catch and kill him (and probably other clueless muggles that ran into them) and there were Dementors lurking around for his soul. Sure, if a muggle caught sight of them they'd be killed, but the Dementors had orders to search for him so they wouldn't care so much for any other soul except his. No doubt the Dementors would be back any day to Mrs. Figg's to see if he was still hiding there.
"What am I going to do? How will I alert Dumbledore now? Voldemort's probably already planning the attack on Hogwarts…it's only a matter of days. Maybe one or two even. I'll never make it in time. Even if I do find a way out eventually, if I survive that long, I'll go back to the wizard world and find all my friends dead and Hogwarts destroyed. I couldn't bear that, but I know that's what will happen if I can't warn them."
Choking on a distressed sigh, he wiped as his eyes so as not to let any tears fall. He then covered his face with his hands and sat like that for a few minutes. Finally, he decided to at least put the books back on the shelves. After he placed them all back sloppily, he stared around the room. The frustration inside of him was building so high; he felt completely helpless. What was he going to do to bide his time? He couldn't use magic to save his self and he couldn't reach his friends. He was like a mouse trapped in a cage about to be fed to a hungry snake.
Biting his lip, he realized that perhaps this time the famous Harry Potter couldn't come to the rescue—that Voldemort would soon win and take over. And then once Voldemort took over the wizard world, if Harry was still alive and hiding in the muggle world, Voldemort would come searching for him while destroying all muggles. Wanting desperately to distract his self, Harry got up and started pacing. That didn't help and in fact increased his anger. The more he felt restless the more frustrated he became. Lashing out, Harry punched the wall in front of him angrily. It helped just a little, but he still felt like he would be the cause of his friends' deaths if he didn't get there in time and that made him punch the wall again a bit higher.
To his surprise, the wall suddenly flung open and knocked him over. Harry fell to the floor and his glasses slipped down his nose. Pushing them back up, he scrambled to his feet and stared at the small entry way of the secret door. His hopes rose and he wasted no time. He slipped inside and saw that there was a combination in front of him. He'd have to use magic, which eventually the Dementors would sniff out, but hopefully it would be worth the risk. He had nothing else to lose.
Using an advanced charm, he managed to break the lock. Upon opening it, he saw that Mrs. Figg kept most of the items from the wizard world in the secret room. It was understandable since she lived in the muggle world and if anyone saw random potions and books about magic they'd certainly report her. The other books in her room were mostly muggle books and a few squib books, but she could just tell them it was fictional. The books and potions in front of him, however, were definitely too suspicious to keep in plain sight of muggles. He searched through the potions, finding a temporary vision-healing one. He slipped it into his pocket, in case he had to get rid of his glasses.
He sifted through the books and couldn't find one on being a metamorphmagus. He was slightly disappointed again, thinking that he'd now get caught by the Dementors without anything, until he came across a peculiar book: The Everything-You-Want-To-Know Magical Guide. Harry pursed his lips and opened it. All the pages were blank, reminding him of Tom Riddle's diary. He tried picking up a pen and using it but it didn't write on any of the pages. Tapping his fingers impatiently, he decided to try something else.
He closed his eyes and gripped the book tightly. "I want to know how to be a metamorphmagus."
His eyes opened and the book suddenly began changing. The title switched to: Secrets of metamorphosizing and the pages suddenly filled with texts. Harry's heart swelled with pride and hope. Quickly, he skimmed through the pages taking in as much information as he could without having to read every detail. The gist of it was that those born as metamorphmagi didn't necessarily inherit the traits from their parents. Sometimes they could inherit it from grandparents or even ancestors. It didn't say that just anyone could do it, however and Harry knew so little about his family. Perhaps someone in his family could do it, but the only way he'd know is if he tried.
From what the book instructed, it was all about having a strong mind. Most metamorphmagi imagined what they wanted to turn into in detail first. Unfortunately, it was something that took time and practice, which Harry didn't have. Closing his eyes, he pictured Tonks' face in his mind. After a minute he summoned a mirror and looked only to see his face staring back at him. It definitely wasn't as easy as it sounded. A sudden hissing nearly made him drop the book. Several cats joined in nearby and Harry stepped out into the room to see what was going on. The book almost slipped out of his hands when he saw a Dementor floating by the bed where he had been moments earlier. The Dementor swirled around and caught sight of him. Harry jumped back into the secret room as it came pelting toward him and slammed the wall shut.
"Lumos!" Harry whispered anxiously.
The Dementor let out a loud, inhuman hiss of fury. The wall began to shudder and Harry realized the Dementor could probably use its inhuman sensitivity for magic to open the door. Thinking quickly, the book transfigured into Creating Secret Doors. He hurriedly flipped through the pages. He needed something chalky to draw with. He transfigured the pen in his pocket to a piece of chalk and hurriedly began drawing a door. The wall jiggled more and Harry saw a bony hand reaching through the wall. It was using its ability to try and slip through the magical barrier.
Harry hissed the spell and quickly grabbed several other potions before he leapt through the secret door and closed it frantically. He ran down the passage, which began to unfold before his eyes until he reached the end of the house. He jumped outside and ran for his life, diving into a bush in one of the neighbor's yards, thankfully not too close to Mrs. Figg's house. The Dementor hopefully would think he was still running away and would leave the area, but it would most likely be back with reinforcements. Changing the book back to the one about metamorphmagi, he read it hurriedly even in the dim light of the moon. Another tip was to imagine his body changing and to concentrate enough to let the magic consume him. It was vague, but he had to try.
Keeping in the shadowed bush, he imagined in detail his hands turning into Hermione's. He often saw her hands because she was constantly throwing books in his face to get him to study. He concentrated and sat in the dark for at least five minutes. He relaxed all his muscles and waited. A very subtle tingly sensation traveled through his arm and he peered at it to see that it was changing ever-so-slightly.
"I can do it…at least a little," he whispered. "But… can I do a whole body transformation?"
He would have to just wing it; there wasn't any time for practice. Now he just had to wait around and search for a Death Eater. Surely at least one would come sometime soon to check and see if his body had been found. He peered out of the bush and was relieved to find no Dementors lurking about. Carefully, he crawled out and began walking elsewhere though he kept to the shadows. Thankfully he had that sandwich with him and the magical book (not to mention a few random potions he had snatched; he'd have to look at them later).
Harry found a place nearby the pawn shop where he had fallen victim to the mind-trap. Surely the Death Eater who had placed it there would be alerted that it had been activated. At some point he was going to come back to check and make sure Harry was dead (and that it was Harry who had activated it). He sat on the side of the pawn shop hidden by a bush and waited, keeping an eye on the alley way just feet away. Time passed really slowly as he just sat there waiting. A couple times he practiced changing his appearance, but he didn't want to alert any Dementors. It was already the middle of the night and he was tired, but he knew if he fell asleep he'd miss his chance or he'd be overtaken by a Dementor. After a little over an hour, Harry was becoming impatient. He decided to quick stop at the coffee shop a few blocks down to buy some caffeine to keep him awake. Thankfully it was open until 3 a.m. so he was lucky.
On his way back to his hiding place however, Harry almost choked when he saw a black-cloaked figure peering out of the alley way. Harry quickly dove behind a building and cautiously peered out. He had to lure the Death Eater to him before he disappeared. Taking in a deep breath, Harry realized this was it. He walked into the middle of the street and began running. The Death Eater had gone back into the alley way so Harry hurried. Just as he approached the alley way he made a move to turn down it and saw the back of the Death Eater looking around the area where he had been lying in the garbage upon awakening. Harry made a loud, purposeful gasp and dropped his coffee. The Death Eater wheeled around and caught sight of him.
"Potter! You escaped my curse!" the man hissed.
Harry had never met this Death Eater before, he was sure of that but no doubt the man recognized him. Just when the Death Eater pulled out his wand, Harry took off in the opposite direction. The Death Eater began chasing him just like he had planned only…what was he to do next?
Think Harry! There has to be some way for you to trick him!
Harry tore down another street, knowing the Death Eater was following him. He let out another gasp and stopped rather sharply when he caught sight of a Dementor lurking about nearby. Suddenly, as if he had meant to do it all along, an idea formed in his mind. An idea so risky, but yet if it worked it would be worthwhile. Harry let out a shriek both to get the Dementor's attention and the Death Eater who was following him (so that the Death Eater would know where he ran off to). The Dementor swiveled around mid-air and Harry immediately ran in the opposite direction again. He was ready for it and nearly bumped into the Death Eater who looked startled.
"You can't escape me Potter!" he shouted, running after him.
Curses and hexes were thrown at him, but Harry managed to keep a distance in front of the man. He knew the Dementor was following in the shadows and the Death Eater seemed oblivious to why Harry had screamed.
This has to work! It has to! Wait…even if I do manage to transform into this death eater, how will I make it look like I died? I know I want to trick the Dementor into thinking the Death Eater is me or something…Hold on! The potions—maybe there's one that can help! I've got to find a place to hide for a second.
Harry dove around a building and ran into a park, ducking down behind one of the pine trees. Hurriedly, he took out the potions and went through each one. There was an Energy Potion, an Anti-Wrinkle potion and then a Sleeping Draught. None of them seemed to be of any use to him. What was he going to do now? He heard footsteps and peered out behind the branches to see the Death Eater searching around. The Dementor wasn't in sight, but Harry was certain it was very close by.
Oh no, maybe this wasn't a good idea! I thought I had a great plan, but there's still a piece missing! And I…
His thoughts suddenly stopped and he glanced down at the potions again. He stared at the Energy Potion and thought hard. There was something about it—something they had learned in class! Hitting his forehead he thought back to potions class. It was on the day that Snape wasn't there—they had a substitute, an elderly woman and they had been working on several potions that day. They hadn't made the Energy Potion, but the teacher had discussed it and then Hermione had said something to him about it. Of course he wasn't really paying attention to anything, since Hermione said a lot of random tidbits and now he really wished he had been listening intently.
What was it she said! Damn it! Come on, Harry, think! THINK!
He pictured Hermione staring at him on that day and tried to remember what she said. The Death Eater's footsteps were now growing closer; he had apparently decided to check the park and was shining his wand in every corner.
"Come on Potter, I know you're here! Ever since you activated my mind curse I have been biding my time to come and check to make sure it was you. I'm impressed that you managed to escape somehow, but I still have you on magical radar now thanks to that curse. Come on out!"
Harry shut his eyes and pictured that day clearly. He could see Hermione's lips moving; she was telling him something. What had she said? The professor had just stated that Energy Potions were normally used when power was low or when a person became older and Hermione had said…
His eyes snapped open as her words came back to him. She had said that Energy Potions could be used as cloning potions as well! The potions are so similar because creating a double helps in situations where more than one person is needed. And she had stated to him: "Really, Energy Potions are rarely used. People just use the potion and add a little bit of dried bugleweed and a drop of their blood in order to clone their selves. It's much more efficient and more common since the Energy Potion hardly lasts long. Really, why do they teach such pointless things without going into detail?"
He had just nodded in response to her, much like he did all the other times when she would say random facts about things. All he needed was some dried bugleweed and a drop of his blood. Yes, that was the missing piece! But where would he get bugleweed? He knew it was an herb, but…
Hold on! I remember seeing a picture of it in a book when we were working on a potion! We used it for a Healing Potion, but it looks just like what I saw at a neighbor's house in the backyard. I think it was the house where the muggle man was killed by that Dementor…I've got to try!
Suddenly, Harry dove from behind the tree and the Death Eater, who had been checking behind a different bush, jumped and threw a curse toward him.
"I'll kill you Potter! And then I'll take your dead corpse to my master and be handsomely rewarded!"
He ran and ran and didn't stop running. He went past the pawnshop again, toward Mrs. Figg's house, but took a detour through a couple yards. He came to the same backyard to see that caution tape had been placed around the area, by the police, where the man's body had been found. He searched frantically in the garden hoping to find the same herbs. His eyes caught sight a small dark patch of withering leaves and Harry snatched a handful. The hairs on the back of his neck rose just as he did that and without thinking he rolled out of the way. The killing curse missed him by centimeters.
"No more hiding in bushes, Potter!" the Death Eater sneered darkly with his wand raised. "You're mine now!"
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, not really meaning to disarm him but just to distract him.
It worked for the Death Eater jumped out of the way and Harry took off again, luring him toward the streets. He ran toward an alley way and slipped inside of it. He stopped suddenly and took out the Energy Potion. He crumbled the leaves up and forced it into the vial. He shook it a couple times then summoned a small pocket knife and sliced a small cut in his arm. He let a drop of blood fall into the vial and shook it several times.
"Now I've got you cornered," a cold voice startled him.
Harry backed away until he hit the wall, realizing it was a dead end. The Death Eater was stalking closer with his wand raised and a victorious smirk on his face.
"Everyone else is panicking because the famous Harry Potter's body hasn't been found and master will surely find out you're not dead soon. However…once I bring your body and claim I killed you myself he'll reward me beyond belief and then torture the others. I'll be his top Death Eater! And you'll be deceased, just like you should've been."
Harry put on a fearful expression and suddenly without thinking shot up red sparks into the air. The Death Eater laughed loudly in amusment.
"You think someone's going to come save you, Potter?"
"No!" Harry shot back forcefully and the Death Eater stared at him. "You really think I'm that stupid? You're the one who's stupid!" Harry suddenly launched the potion at him and it struck him in the chest, spilling all over him.
The Death Eater looked stunned and then shot his head back up. "What is this? A last trick, Potter? It's not even working!"
He was beginning to panic and thought perhaps the Death Eater was right. That was until the man began to shrink a bit.
"Oh really?" Harry countered, pointing at his body.
"What the hell! Potter, what is this!" the man shrieked.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted. The Death Eater was so stunned by the potion that he couldn't block the attack.
The man's wand shot out of his hand and Harry caught it. Picturing the Death Eater in his mind, he closed his eyes tightly. Seconds later he felt hands coil around his throat; they weren't bulky at all but Harry kept his concentration going. He concentrated on the man's face, the way he stood in front of him, his hands…everything. And slowly he felt the tingling sensation in his arms. Just like the time when Harry first dueled Voldemort in the graveyard and their wands clashed, he concentrated on the tingling sensation just like he had on the bead of light. Soon it began to spread throughout him, even as his wind pipe was squeezed shut.
"Potter what are you doing! What the…! How did you…"
Harry's eyes snapped open and he realized he was now taller than before. That wasn't what startled him the most. He was standing right in front of himself looking shocked. It took him a second to realize the potion had worked—the man had been changed into him. Taking advantage of his shock, he pulled the smaller hands off his throat.
"Now don't you see?" Harry said, his voice sounding gruff and cold.
"You think you can try to pose as me, Potter! You don't know how to escape from here!" the image of him hissed. "This was a foolish idea, Potter! And not one that can save you!"
The hairs on the back of his neck rose and Harry glanced down the alley way. "Oh yeah? I think you should turn around."
Keeping a harsh grip on Harry's arm, the man wheeled around to see a Dementor floating slowly toward them.
"It's Harry Potter! You must kill him!" Harry shouted and pointed at the man.
The man wheeled around in shock, his eyes widening in the realization that Harry had tricked him.
"No! I'm not Harry Potter, he is!" the man shouted and pointed at Harry.
The Dementor loomed closer and suddenly the man began to shake and tremble. His body shimmered for a second as he tried to apparate away but the Dementor was already sucking the happiness from him and making him weak. Harry watched stunned into silence as the Dementor gripped the man's throat.
"Help…master, no! NO! POTTER!" he screeched.
It was surreal to see his own body being held up by a Dementor while the hole for the mouth came toward his. As he watched the Dementor perform the kiss, he summoned a mirror and was shocked to see that he looked identical to the man. It had worked…but for how long? He was certain a true metamorphmagus could keep the image for however long they wanted, but Harry was new to it. He had to keep concentrating on the man's face and keep the image.
Harry watched as his body was dropped onto the floor lifelessly. The Dementor suddenly gazed at him and Harry made sure to block his mind (even though he was certain Dementors couldn't read minds).
"Good job! Master will be pleased. I must take the boy's body to him for proof. Can you take me there?"
Harry took a step forward and raised the body with his wand, bringing it toward him. The Dementor remained in its place for a few seconds and then it started drawing nearer. He was suddenly filled with fear; what if the Dementor was going to kill him anyway? He backed away even as he felt his energy being drained away. Memories were trying hard to flash into his mind as the Dementor approached within a foot. Harry saw the sullen sockets and the hole for a mouth—the hole that sucked souls from living bodies. He stared hypnotized, holding the body of the Death Eater who looked like him.
Suddenly, the Dementor raised its bony arms and its billowing black, withered robe swayed and surrounded him. Harry shut his eyes, waiting for the end. His stomach lurched and he was feeling light-headed from being so close. His mother's screams sounded loudly in his ear and he tried to push them away. He clamped his mouth shut for good measure, waiting for the Dementor to force its hole over his mouth, but it never came. Harry opened his eyes nervously and saw that he was no longer standing in the alleyway, but rather in front of the old Riddle mansion. The screaming in his head began to vanish and he turned to see the Dementor fading slowly—it was apparently going away now that its mission seemed to be complete.
His legs were still trembling, but he didn't feel so weak any more. He nearly dropped the body that was still in his arms and he glanced down to see that the potion hadn't worn off, thankfully. Once the Dementor was completely gone, Harry felt safe. He couldn't believe it had worked…he was now standing outside Voldemort's hideout and he was certain there were magical barriers to prevent its location from being found (just like when the Order had used Sirius' old house and placed up barriers). So the Dementor had understood his request after all. The challenge now was to make sure Voldemort didn't find out that this body wasn't Harry Potter's. Quickly, he took out the magical book and thought of cloning potions. Immediately the title changed to: Brewing Cloning Potions: A Potion Master's Guide.
Skimming through it, Harry searched for the time limit on the potion. He came to page 45 on the chapter titled: Uses. The paragraph read: 'Although most cloning potions are used to be in two places at once, they also help if you want to switch places with a person for a day. However, these have been banned after the first Dark Age since murders were using these to send innocent people to Azkaban and take on a new identity of their own. Thanks to the truth potion, however, the truth came out and the potion was banned.
'For those elderly folks out there who need a clone to do some shopping while you're waiting for a prescription of sorts, or just a clone to do things for you (though House Elves are the best idea) remember that cloning inanimate objects to look like you only allows it to last a couple hours. If you want a long-lasting potion, you'll need a live person or animal (however animals can have complications). Using a dead body (like a late husband or something) allows the potion to remain permanent because the life cells cannot fight back and change to its original appearance. But be warned—there can be side effects! Oh, and it's illegal to use dead bodies.'
Harry's mouth was open by the time he finished it. Since the man's soul had been sucked out he was technically dead, but most times the bodies wandered around aimlessly—soulless bodies they were called. Glancing down at the fake Harry Potter, he saw that the eyes were open but the pupils were gone. The green eyes staring blankly held nothing—no emotion, no recognition, no nothing.
Voldemort would be pleased to know that Harry didn't just die, but that his soul is trapped in eternal darkness inside a Dementor and his body then would remain a lifeless zombie. No doubt Voldemort would want his body to show the world. However, because the body could walk around, was there a chance that Voldemort still had access to inside the mind? What if he saw that it wasn't Harry? No…he couldn't take that risk, which meant…he'd have to kill the body. Swallowing thickly, Harry set the body down and stared into the lifeless eyes. Never before had he used the killing curse and he didn't want to, but what choice did he have?
Harry remembered in his fifth year when Sirius died how he tried using one of the Unforgivables on Bella and it didn't work. Perhaps if he used the Death Eater's persona he could figure out how to use Unforgiveables without really becoming evil. After all…was it really murder to kill someone who was already dead? And anyway, wasn't he justified in doing this? It was self-defense after all…
Stop thinking and just do it! You have to get inside and find out what Voldemort's up to!
His breathing was shallow and shaky, but he pointed his wand down at the body.
"Avada Kedavra!" he said.
A green light erupted but did nothing more than cause the nose to bleed a little. Harry shut his eyes and concentrated on the Death Eater's persona. Although he didn't know how the man thought, he could get a feel of being him just from transforming (for that's what the book had said). A foreign feeling filled his stomach—an excitement, but not one that made him giddy like riding a broom; it was something different. Shivers crawled up his spine as he concentrated on the feeling. His eyes snapped open and he hissed: "Avada Kedavra!"
The green light that came out was much more intense. It hit the body and instantly the body stilled completely. Harry bent down a hand toward the chest and felt that there was no heart beat now. The eyes were completely lifeless now; he would no longer be a wandering body, however his soul would be forever trapped within the Dementor.
The sensation in the pit of his stomach subsided and Harry backed away slightly. He did not like the feeling at all; it was plain sick pleasure that allowed people to use Unforgiveables, but not only that but the true desire to end someone's life. That was what Harry concentrated on most and it wasn't a good feeling. At the same time, the fear of Voldemort finding out the truth had consumed him. He had, for the first time, used the killing curse on someone. He felt disgusted but he reminded himself that it had to be done; he had to save his friends and everyone else in the wizard world from Voldemort's wrath. Taking in a deep breath, Harry lifted up the body and approached the mansion. Not really knowing what to do, he knocked on the door.
Minutes later a voice answered through it.
"Who's there?" it hissed.
"It's me. And I've got the dead body of Harry Potter."
The door suddenly swung open and he recognized the Death Eater Avery, who stared at him in shock.
"Oh my…I can't believe it! You actually did it Mulciber! Here, let me—"
"I don't think so! I killed the boy so I deserve the credit! Move aside!" Harry snarled.
Avery did so reluctantly and Harry marched right past him and down the hall. He wasn't sure where he was going, but Avery kept up with him.
"Our lord is in the main room preparing for battle. He'll be so pleased! Let me escort you there!"
Avery suddenly dashed in front of him and Harry felt a wave of panic. He couldn't face Voldemort, could he? He had learned Occlumency but what if he slipped up?
I've come this far! Hopefully just by glancing at the fake dead me, Voldemort won't even bother questioning Mulciber so he won't find out it's really me in disguise!
"Wait here," Avery said in excitement.
He opened the door and Harry remained outside of it, holding the body close. He leaned forward curiously and listened.
"My Lord!" Avery's voice carried. "Forgive me for interrupting."
"You dare disrupt a meeting?" a cold voice responded.
Harry shivered but forced his self to relax. He couldn't let Voldemort into his mind.
"I have news for you, my Lord! Great news!" Avery exclaimed in excitement. "Mulciber has brought you Potter's body!"
There were gasps and murmurs, though Harry couldn't really make out what they were saying.
"Send him in," Voldemort's cold voice answered.
The door suddenly opened and Harry's throat constricted. He concentrated on nothing but staring down at the body as he entered. Avery closed the door behind him and Harry walked forward. At least a hundred Death Eaters were bowed all around in a circle and Voldemort was standing in the very center. As Mulciber passed by familiar faces, such as Bella, Malfoy, Dolohov and others, he saw their shocked but relieved gazes. Harry did not look Voldemort on the eye and concentrated solely on keeping his mind blocked. Once he was about ten feet away, he bowed low and kept his eyes on the ground.
"Here my Lord," Harry said gruffly, placing Harry's still body on the floor.
He kept his face and eyes downcast and more whispers sounded nearby. Soft footsteps came closer and the familiar pain in his forehead came searing back. Thankfully he kept his face hidden as he stayed in the bowing position. Voldemort stopped in front of the body. Harry's eyes moved just enough to see his long robe right next to the body. He pushed all thoughts away and left his mind blank, just staring at the floor.
"Finally," Voldemort hissed, "after all these years Harry Potter is out of my way. And now I have proof to show dear old Dumbledore."
The Death Eaters around cheered and Harry let a smile show through. The truth was that he was smiling because so far his plan was working. He wasn't about to get too cocky though for that would lead to failure.
"How did he die, Mulciber?" Voldemort's voice hissed above him. "Look at me."
Harry tried to keep himself calm. His forehead was burning and he wished that Voldemort wasn't so close. He remembered that he was supposed to have been killed at the Dursley's so telling Voldemort anything different would get him and the others killed. He raised his gaze slightly toward the familiar crimson eyes and snake-like face. He kept the smile on his face as he answered honestly.
"A Dementor had sucked out his soul and I cast the killing curse on his already lifeless body, my Lord," Harry added.
"How fitting! It's a shame I couldn't do it myself," Voldemort's lips curled into a sneer. To his relief, Voldemort turned around and backed away a bit. Then he placed a bare foot upon the lifeless chest.
The other Death Eaters laughed and Harry bowed his head again. He didn't want to risk Voldemort getting an opportunity to read his mind. Finally Voldemort distanced himself and walked away. Perhaps if Voldemort wasn't so excited about seeing his dead body, he would've delved into his mind more. This time it was just luck that saved him.
"You will be rewarded for finding Potter's body," Voldemort hissed toward him.
"Thank you, my Lord," Harry murmured quietly, bowing his head deeply.
Voldemort paused with a satisfactory smirk and summoned something in his hand. With his wand he let it drift down toward him and Harry murmured his thanks again. Voldemort then swiveled around, his cloak billowing behind him.
"We leave tomorrow night to begin the raid! Do not forget your assignments! If you fail I will leave no room for mercy!" Voldemort hissed venomously.
Some Death Eaters shivered and Harry remained staring at the ground.
"You are dismissed! And take the boy's corpse to the dungeons but make sure it's preserved. I want Dumbledore to see clearly that his pupil has fallen!"
"Yes my Lord," Harry answered instantly.
Harry kept his head bowed for a minute before he lifted the body carelessly with his wand and left the room like everyone else. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to apparate out of the room with the body, so he just walked back through the door. Once he was outside he let out the breath he had been holding. He fingered the reward Voldemort had given him and wondered what it was. Although he was curious, he didn't have time to look at it. His first priority was to figure out where the dungeons were located. And he prayed that he would get the opportunity to leave secretly and head to Dumbledore to warn him. How he was going to do that, he didn't know yet. For the time being, he was just thankful he was still alive and out of the muggle world.
XXXXX
"Ron, stop pacing!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I can't! When are we going to be let inside, huh? I want to know if there's any news about Harry!"
A sad look crossed her features and she nodded. "We all do."
The door finally opened and Hermione jumped out of her seat. Professor McGonagall appeared and gestured for them to come inside. Many members of the Order were there, including Dumbledore and the two sat beside Remus.
"Is there any news on Harry?" Ron blurted out suddenly.
Hermione shot him a surprised look but Dumbledore just sighed heavily. "No, there hasn't been any word or sign. However, we are certain now that Harry's not dead."
"You can't be serious!" Mad-Eye Moody exclaimed.
"It is. A spy on our side has alerted me that the Death Eaters had seemed rather anxious. And he has told me that he overheard several Death Eaters talking about finding Harry's body in the muggle world and that they were concerned he wasn't dead. It seems that he didn't die when the Dursley's house was attacked, as I assumed so, however there is no doubt Voldemort's servants are trying everything to make sure he does die."
"And there's no way to get to the muggle world?" Molly asked teary-eyed.
"No, it's completely sealed off to us at this time," Dumbledore said warily. "I have faith that Harry will pull through, even though this looks hopeless. For now, though we must continue biding our time and keeping low. Voldemort will attack the empty Beauxbaton's school thinking it's Hogwarts and the real Hogwarts here will remain in disguise. However, that will only buy us a little time. Once Voldemort realizes he's attacked the wrong school he will attack everywhere until he has found us."
Hermione paled and spoke up softly. "And what about the rest of the wizard world?"
"I convinced Fudge to send out warnings to each household. I even made sure it had been done. Thankfully people are finding their ways to underground sanctuaries. That is all we can hope for, for now. The Order will continue to meet here and keep low until the spy has reported that things look clear," Dumbledore explained gravely.
Hermione and Ron exchanged concerned looks but remained quiet. Dumbledore then stood up in front of them all.
"These days are only going to get darker, but right now our first priority is to stop Voldemort's attack. Then we can work on breaking the barricade between the muggle and wizard worlds. Until then, we bide our time. The Minister should be coming here shortly—he has met with the other school's principals so we will know if more students will be coming here. There has been the mention of creating an underground sanctuary in the Heart of the wizard world; we are working on that. For right now, waiting is all we can do."
The faces around the room were all grim. Remus didn't say a word, but he put an arm on Ron's shoulder in comfort. As the members filed out of the room, Ron and Hermione stayed behind with Remus.
"What's the Heart mean?" Ron asked him.
Remus stared at him grimly. "It's the place where there's the most magical energy. It'll help if a sanctuary is there because it will help strength the barriers we place on it."
"Yes, but I'm afraid there's no telling if Voldemort will give us that chance," Dumbledore spoke warily.
"Poor Harry," Hermione whispered, wiping at her eyes. "He's probably starving by now on the streets or…or d-dead."
Remus pulled her into an embrace to soothe her. Dumbledore glanced at them sadly.
"I cannot say for sure if Harry's alive, but he has been trained well. We mustn't give up on him. Oh, that sounds like Fudge has arrived," Dumbledore said suddenly. "You two should probably get some rest. And Remus, you haven't eaten all day. There's food in the kitchens."
"Thank you Albus," Remus said quietly. "Are you ever going to reveal who the spy is?"
For a second, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled like they used to. "Don't worry, he is very reliable. For his protection, however, I'm afraid I can't reveal that."
Remus nodded silently and began leading Ron and Hermione out of the room. Once Dumbledore was left alone, Fawkes flew to his arm.
"I know, you miss him too," Dumbledore said quietly. "Hopefully, Harry is alright."
Fawkes let out a low, sad tune and Dumbledore turned as the door opened and Fudge stepped inside.
"I'm afraid there's some bad news," Fudge said, rather shakily. "Rita Skeeter is missing, but not only that, Albus…it seems that the Death Eaters have staged raids on several different towns, trying to kill the Ministry members and their families. One family as already been slaughtered—Dawlish and his family. I believe they're not only targeting Aurors but anyone in the Ministry. It's chaos outside!"
"It's just as I feared," Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Voldemort is trying to intimidate everyone so that they feel they have no chance of fighting. He's taking away all their hope and that is what will make his domination much easier if he's not stopped."
"I understand, but…We haven't got many allies. Some giants, yes, and many volunteers of people and families, but that's it. Everyone else wants to run and hide and so many are dying! I wish…," he trailed off momentarily. "I wish that Harry Potter was here."
Fudge looked absolutely defeated and Dumbledore approached him slowly. "I have faith that Harry is still alive, Cornelius. I have seen great potential in him over the years. He is not so easily subdued. The moment we give up all hope is when Voldemort wins. We mustn't let him drive fear into all our hearts. Continue to send out spies to look for more allies; for now, everyone else will be safe in Hogwarts and the scattered underground sanctuaries."
"Won't the Dark Lord look in the sanctuaries first?"
"Most likely, which is why we need that sanctuary underground in the Heart of the wizard world. I'm sure Voldemort will figure we'll try and use it however I believe he's not certain where the Heart is."
"And you are?"
Nodding, Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "I am, but it will be difficult to get there and create a sanctuary. No doubt if some of us leave and Voldemort attacks the fake Hogwarts it'll leave us vulnerable and there's more a chance he'll figure out where the real Hogwarts is hiding. We must stick together for now, but I will try personally to get the sanctuary set up. Until then, keep me posted."
Looking slightly off-color, Fudge nodded and made his way out. Dumbledore watched him leave and then stared back up at Fawkes.
"I too pray that Harry has survived. We could really use his assistance. Now I must wait until there's a safe chance to see if I can create that sanctuary, Fawkes. It's our only hope of saving many lives right now. Aberforth," Dumbledore whispered aloud, "I pray you have found out some helpful information while you're there. We desperately need it."
XXXXX
The dungeon wasn't too hard to find, thankfully. It was the lowest level of the mansion. There was the smell of dried blood and decay and Harry had to hold his breath as he went down there. Looking in the first cell he saw, he noticed it was empty (minus a few rats and probably some other nasty creatures). Setting the body down inside, he shut it and sealed it with a charm just in case. He didn't want any random Death Eaters messing with the body and somehow revealing that the body wasn't him.
There was time before Voldemort planned to attack Hogwarts, but already it was approaching dawn. There was only half the day left before the attack would probably begin. And there was no telling what other plans the Death Eaters had been assigned.
What about Mulciber? I wonder if he had another mission. Without knowing what it is, I can't very well do it. And what if Voldemort punishes me because of that? What's my excuse? And what if he figures out it's me in disguise!
Harry forced the anxiety out of his mind; so far he had faced Voldemort and there seemed to be no suspicion. That didn't mean it would last long, however. Harry winced as a pain erupted in his arm. He glanced down to see that his arm was beginning to shrink.
"No," he whispered fiercely.
He forced his arm back to its bulkiness, praying that he could keep up the disguise a little longer.
"What are you doing?"
Harry wheeled around and almost gasped as he saw Severus Snape staring back at him. A part of him wanted to reveal his identity and ask him for help, but another part of him wasn't sure if he was a spy for Voldemort, or Dumbledore. It wasn't worth the risk, he decided finally. He had worked too hard to slip away from the muggle world into Voldemort's mansion. Besides, he had never liked Snape to begin with so now was not the time to try trusting him.
"I was just sealing this up so that no one tries to mess with the body," he stated honestly (remembering that Snape was excellent at Legilimency).
Snape stared at him uncertainly. "Where did you find the boy?" he asked, staring at the lifeless body.
"I found him in an alleyway in the muggle world. He was quite a distance away from the house we originally attacked, but thankfully he didn't escape," Harry responded, forcing a grin on his face.
Nodding, Snape seemed satisfied with the answer. "And you say a Dementor sucked out his soul first?"
"Yes. He was a mindless zombie and he would've just walked around aimlessly, but that would've looked too much like he was still alive anyway. So I decided to kill his soulless body for good measure."
Harry didn't realize how naturally the malice came. Perhaps he had been disguised as a Death Eater for too long already, but it was becoming easier to play the part. Snape stared at the supposed body of the Boy-Who-Lived and Harry thought he saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but he couldn't place it.
"Are you going to leave on your mission?" Harry asked, feigning innocence. He just wanted to know what was going on.
Snape eyed him then snorted. "Of course I am! Planning to tell our liege I've been slacking off? You may have found Potter's body but that doesn't mean you're superior to everyone else."
Glaring at him, Snape began to walk away. As Harry watched him leave he kept wondering how he was going to escape and reach Dumbledore. If Hogwarts was disguised then he wouldn't know which place it was in. However, one of the Death Eater's might. Suddenly, Harry remembered something from earlier—the vision of Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother.
"Severus!" Harry blurted out suddenly, rushing to catch up with him.
Snape stopped, glaring at him harshly. "What do you want Mulciber?" he spat out.
Harry realized the Death Eaters probably called one another by their last names. He mentally smacked himself and glared right back and hid his thoughts.
"Do you know where Dolohov's son is?"
"Why don't you find him yourself?" Snape sneered.
Crossing his arms angrily, Harry forced a snort of amusement. "I need to talk to him about his mission; I have some information that could help him. And unless you want him to fail, which would anger our liege greatly and you'd be the cause of it, you'll tell me where he is!"
Harry held his breath as Snape stared at him silently. Finally, Snape wheeled around with his cloak billowing behind him.
"He's already on his mission," he snapped.
Harry's heart sank, but Snape suddenly stopped without turning to face him. "If you really want to find him, you should go to Godric's Hollow."
With that, he left and Harry stared at his retreating back in shock. Godric's Hollow…the place where his parents lived and where they were murdered? Was that a lie to try and get him to react? Did Snape suspect the body in the dungeon wasn't really him? Or perhaps Doholov's son really had a reason to go there for his mission, but why? The only way he was going to find out is if he went there. Taking in a deep breath and then nearly gagging from the horrid smell of the dungeons, Harry made his way upstairs toward the main entrance where he had walked in. Thankfully, no body stopped him or questioned him. There seemed to be no one around so he slipped outside unnoticed and summoned a broom. Then he took off to the sky.
The sensation of being on a broom again almost allowed him to forget about his worries; he felt so free and weightless. He hadn't realized just how much he missed being in the wizard world and playing Quidditch. Now, if he ever wanted to be able to see Hogwarts again and graduate from it, or play Quidditch ever again, Voldemort would have to be stopped. If he took over, there would be no enjoyment in the world—it would be dark, oppressed and filled with bloodshed.
He hoped with all his might that Doholov's son was who he thought he was—that the vision he had wasn't an illusion. If he was Aberforth in disguise, he would be able to tell Harry where to find Dumbledore. However, if it wasn't Aberforth, he'd be putting himself in a lot of danger and there was the possibility the Death Eater would run straight back to Voldemort if he revealed his identity. He had to be careful, but it was now his one hope of getting to Dumbledore.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Sorry for the delay in this story! Life is busy and of course I have many stories to update. However, I'm slowly finishing them off one by one. Thankfully, this was a nice, long chapter. I will not make you wait as long for the next chapter, promise!
To Reviewers:
FrodoBeutlin: Hey, yeah I realized that I made chapter six seem TOO realistic. As you can tell by chapter 7 it was all an illusion so Harry didn't get back so easily, but I fixed it so that there are hints so now it's quite obvious something was amiss. Anywhoo, sorry about the long wait!
Iniysa (Lauren): Hello! Yes, I'm SO sorry about that! You'll probably have to go back AGAIN and re-read everything cuz I took forever once more! I really won't take as long this time around. I hope to finish most stories by the end of September (so I can start some new ones) so hopefully this will be done by then. And I will update sooner! Thanks!