Does not belong to me, shame.
Chapter 20
Abduction.
Over the last few years Harry had had extensive experience in coming round after being hit by a stunner. It had just become a part of living in the Wizarding World for him. Despite his befuddled mind he realised that he had been hit with more than one stunner this time and that he was still alive. He instinctively tried to adjust his glasses that weren't sitting quite straight on his face, but found that he couldn't move his arms. Nor he found could he move his legs, they were bound tight as well. His brain struggled to remember exactly what had happened and then the appalling truth hit him one of the last things he had heard had been the killing curse.
"Ginny," he tried to shout but it came out as no more than a croaked whisper.
"I'm right here Harry," he heard in his right ear. He struggled to open his eyes but his body didn't want to obey him. When he finally managed to overrule his body he saw the familiar face he loved above all others in front of him, and allowed himself an inward sigh of relief that she was alive.
"Are you ok?"
"Well apart from being trussed up like a chicken I'm fine. I was just stunned. What about you?"
"The same, how are we doing?"
"Oh about the usual."
"That bad," Ginny just nodded in reply. "Who died?" he asked that sound of multiple shouts of the killing curse being cast still ringing in his ears.
"They all did. They never had a chance." Ginny's face was an unreadable mask, but Harry could feel her grief and guilt, it was matching his own, more people had died.
"Mr Widdick as well?" He knew the answer already but a desperate hope wanted him to be wrong.
"Yes," she said simply a single tear rolling down her cheek. Harry knew what was upsetting her because a cold hand had clasped his heart for the same reason. Hilary and Irene had lost their father because of his association with them. They're going to hate us Harry thought closing his eyes again, and that thought bothered him more than the predicament they were both in. How were they going to face them if they got out of this mess? What were they going to say to them?
For what seemed like a long time they lay there feeling each others pain and they found themselves feeding off each others emotion. After a while fed up with the negative thoughts Harry eventually decided to move. This proved far more difficult than he'd imaged as his hands and legs were locked together with plasticuffs. With a bit of effort and a lot of grunting he managed to get himself kneeling on the cold metal floor they had been lying on.
Looking around he saw that they were in what looked like a large disused cold store with the door having been replaced by a set of metal bars. A large thick padlock showed them that they were prisoners of someone but who. The cold store was in a t-shape which meant that he couldn't see the whole room. The only thing he could see in with them were two thin mattresses. Beyond the metal bars was an area with a couple of dozen wooden pallets in it. Two large double doors prevented him from seeing any further.
There was no sign that four people had been killed in here assuming that it was here that it had happened.
"I guess they don't intend to kill us straight away," he said after a quick look round. "Do you know who these people are?"
"I haven't seen anyone since I came round." Ginny was still lying on the floor not having bothered to make the same effort as Harry.
"Did you see anybody before they stunned you," Harry whispered.
"No all I had time to see was that the others had been killed, and then they stunned me. When you knocked me down I thought you were dead as well." Harry didn't know how to reply to that.
"Did I hurt you Gin?" Ginny just shook her head.
"You did it again didn't you?"
"Did what?"
"Took a curse for me."
"I didn't intend to, but of course I would. If I can I always will," Harry said wondering why Ginny was bringing this up now.
"Thank you, I guess you really do love me. Sometimes I don't understand why you do."
"When you start talking like this nor do I." Harry said with a half smile. "Come on we need to find a way out of here." Harry found standing up, while tied up tricky to say the least and he lost his balance on his first attempt. He crashed to the floor jarring his shoulder.
"You alright Harry?" Ginny asked.
"Yea I'm fine." With his next attempt Harry was a little more cautious and succeeded in standing up on his two feet.
"Now what genius?" Ginny said still lying on the floor. Harry only then realised that he was standing up but unable to move his legs. Feeling slightly foolish, but determined not to back down, he shuffled and jumped his way to the steel bars ignoring the sniggering coming from the floor, at his antics. He was disappointed to see that the bars were circular and as smooth as glass. They weren't going to be any help in cutting their bonds. The more Harry looked around their small space the smoother it seemed. He didn't know whether it was deliberate or not but there wasn't a shape edge anywhere.
"I don't suppose you have a knife or anything sharp on you?" he asked eventually.
"Why would I carry a knife, usually I have my wand on me?" Harry grimaced at the thought of how easily he had handed over his wand to the Aurors. That said it would have been taken off his unconscious body in any case. "I don't believe it I'm an idiot."
"Idiot or not you're still my favourite person," Ginny said.
"I've been carrying it about for so long I'd forgotten all about it."
"What are you talking about?" Harry was about to explain when it occurred to him that someone might be watching or listening. Hopping over towards Ginny he lowered himself down beside her and rolled right next to her so their faces were inches apart.
"I've got Tom's…" Harry then mouthed the words 'wand'. Ginny's eyes lit up when she understood what Harry meant.
"Can you reach it," she whispered. She'd immediately understood that someone might be listening in. Harry thanked Fred and George for instilling this sort of automatic paranoia.
"No it's in my robes inside lower pocket round the back. If you turn away from me you should be able to reach it with your hands." Ginny rolled over and Harry shuffled over so that her hands were near the pocket where Riddle's wand was. It seemed simple enough but proved to be remarkable difficult to extract the wand without it getting caught up in the robes folds. It didn't help that despite the dangerous situation they were in Harry was still ticklish and couldn't stop jumping every time Ginny's hands poked him around his kidneys.
"Will you keep still Harry it's hard enough as it is," Ginny said exasperated.
"I'm sorry but you know how sensitive I am there."
"Honestly you're hopeless sometimes. Now grit your teeth and let me have another go." Ginny though never got a chance as the door to the room opened with a bang. Harry turned over to see who had entered. A man with tight black curly hair and a dark Mediterranean tan stood in the doorway. From the way he stood and his expression Harry knew that he was trying to intimidate them. Harry had a long list of people that had tried to intimidate him in his short life, Uncle Vernon, Dudley, both Malfoys, Snape and of course Voldemort. This man though was an amateur in comparison to most of those names.
"So the great Potters are finally awake," he said. "For someone of your supposed reputation it was remarkable easy to trap you."
"Who says we're the ones trapped," Ginny snapped back.
"Oh please you had no idea what's been going on. We've been keeping a close eye on you for months." The man had stepped further into the room and was followed by four other men. Harry thought he recognised one of them but couldn't remember from where. He suspected that he was related to the one talking as their facial features were similar although he had straight black hair in a ponytail, and his tan wasn't quite so dark.
"And who is this we?" Harry asked.
"You don't recognise me then?" the man with the ponytail said with a sneer.
"Should I?" Harry said watching the three other men spread out, their eyes never leaving Harry. They all looked as though they had been in many fights and won most of them.
"I asked you a few questions at that ridiculous press conference," Harry recognised him then. He'd seen him later at the Ball with Cuffe, Umbridge, Cresswell and Wriggleswort.
"No sorry I don't remember you," he answered. His answer seemed to annoy Mr Ponytail and his hand started to reach for an inside pocket until he thought better of it.
"My name is Vittorio Santangelo and this is my brother Alberto. Do you remember me now?" he said with a snarl. Finally Harry understood what this year had been all about, revenge. Revenge for the death of Roberto Santangelo the man he had killed on Capri to get Hufflepuff's cup.
"I believe I met your father and he tried to kill me. He nearly succeeded too. This is all about revenge then is it?" Harry said wriggling on the ground to shield Ginny from them.
"Oh that's just the icing on the cake. If it was only about revenge you would have died months ago," Alberto said.
"Release Ginny she had nothing to do with the death of your father," Harry demanded. He received a kick to the shins for that from Ginny.
"The only release you two will be getting is death when we kill you, but there are certain things that have to happen first."
"Oh do tell," Ginny said sarcastically.
"Oh I fully intend to," Alberto continued. "We have a scheme that will net us millions of galleons, and you two are going to be the fall guys. You will be discredited in the eyes of the Wizarding World, and in the eyes of your friends and family."
"Well enough lies have been written about me in the past I don't suppose a few more will make much different," Harry said.
"Even as we speak you are on trial. Your murder of three Aurors and your lawyer and your subsequent flight from justice will only confirm your guilt."
"Oh please how stupid do you think people are," Ginny said.
"To be honest Gin the public can be really dumb sometimes, but in this case I agree with you," Harry said twisting his head away from the Santangelo brothers to look directly at Ginny.
"They'll believe what we'll show and tell them, and what they'll see are your dead bodies surrounded by thousands of galleons after you fell out with your fellow conspirators," said Vittorio.
"Really and where are these galleons coming from?" Harry asked ignoring his second death threat of the day.
"We're going to take it from your vault, the Ministry's and Gringotts. We're going steal your wealth as well as your reputation." Harry supposed that he should care about both of those things, but it came as a surprise to him that he didn't. He had nothing to prove to anybody, and he had lived without money before and no doubt he could do it again. Besides a lot of his wealth was tied up in property they couldn't steal that.
"You're going to rob Gringotts!" Harry said. "You're both insane."
"Oh we have a fool proof plan, and you two are the key to it. That and that alone are the only reason you are both still alive. Once we have succeeded we'll be back to kill you."
"No-one has ever successfully robbed Gringotts and got away with it. I was awake long enough in History of Magic long enough to learn that," Harry said. "Actually that's not quite true Lord Voldemort got away with it. Mind you what he was after had already been removed, so perhaps that doesn't count after all." Harry was interested in the brothers reaction to his using of Riddle's other name. Both of them twitched, but didn't jump or shout in shock as others were inclined to do. Only two of the three heavies reacted to the name making Harry wonder if the other one was a muggle, or deaf.
"We will be the first. All we need from each of you is some hair and a vial or two of blood. The rest we can manage with help from some Goblin friends. Now do we have to collect these items the easy or hard way?" Alberto asked with a nasty grin.
"Think you're a big scary wizard don't you?" Harry said. "Well you're not, so stop trying to be one. I've met big scary wizards and neither of you are in your fathers league, and he wasn't that scary anyway." Harry knew it was a bad idea to wind up these two wizards, especially considering that he was trussed up like a chicken. The fact was he was fed up with people trying to intimidate him, and even though it was going to cost him he didn't care. He was probably channelling his inner Ginny he thought idly.
"Good I like doing it the hard way, and for your information my father was the greatest wizard of his age." With a flick of his wand a section of the metal bars vanished and both brothers marched into their cell while the three toughs stayed outside.
Harry watched as they approached him, both of them pulled out a silver six inch stiletto knife. He rolled from his side onto his back his tied feet facing the bothers. He felt rather than saw Ginny do the same. Without warning Vittorio stepped to one side and launched a vicious kick into Harry's thigh. The sudden pain made Harry gasp as his leg went dead.
"Brave man aren't you, kicking a man when he's down," he said through gritted teeth.
"Bravery is for fools," Vittorio said dropping onto Harry's chest with his left knee winding him. His eyes watering he blinked to clear them and found the point of the stiletto an inch away. "I could carve a nice looking scar on your forehead to replace the other one if you want?"
Harry didn't reply as he was having trouble breathing. The blade abruptly flashed out of his sight and he felt a slight tweak to his scalp. Harry heard Ginny cry out and he turned his head to see her grimacing in pain as Alberto kicked her as well. He too bent over and slashed with his knife removing a large chunk of her vibrant red hair, and then with his other hand gentle caressed her cheek.
"Get your filthy hands off her you coward," Harry yelled at him. Alberto just laughed.
"Maybe you and I could have some fun together before we kill you. You're a pretty little thing," he said to Ginny, his face mere inches away. Ginny's eyes burned with disgust and anger, and unable to do anything else spat at him hitting him between the eyes forcing him to lean back in shock.
Wiping the spit from his face which twisted in hatred he smacked Ginny so hard across the face that it made Harry wince. Ginny though wasn't finished and she bent her knees right back to her chest and then flung them out with all her strength. It wasn't the best aimed kick in the world, with her legs tied up it was never going to be. Her feet connected with Alberto's hip. It was enough to send him spinning backwards off balance so that he fell backwards onto the cell floor.
"You bitch," he screamed.
"Untie me you bastard and I'll show you some real pain," Ginny yelled back her face red from rage. Startled by what had happened to his brother Vittorio started to stand up which turned out to be a mistake. Taking his cue from Ginny Harry bent his legs back as well and lashed out at him hitting him a glancing blow on the knee causing him to stagger back and crash into the bars of the cells. He collapsed to the ground dropping the stiletto his face showing his pain and anger.
Harry knew they were going to pay for humiliating both Santangelo brothers in front of their heavies, who he noticed hadn't moved a muscle. Learning from their mistake of getting too close to their prisoners the brothers stood back and began kicking them both repeatedly. This forced Harry and Ginny to curl up into the foetal position as much as they could to protect themselves. For Harry the beating ended when a boot connected with his head causing his world to flash bright white in pain before it turned into black.
XXXXX
For the second time that day Harry found himself regaining consciousness, and this time it was a much more unpleasant affair. Numerous parts of his body were competing for his attention. The most pressing was the sharp stabbing pain on his forearm. Harry didn't need to see it, not that he could as he was still tied up. He had felt that sort of pain before when Wormtail had extracted blood at Voldemort's resurrection. He assumed that the Santangelo brothers had done the same thing for some reason. There was nothing he could do about it at the moment so he chose to try and ignore it.
The rest of his body felt like it was one big bruise. There didn't seem to be any bones broken, but that was the only good news that he could find from his situation. Realising that he was still intact to all intents and purpose Harry began to move slowly testing his body. Rolling over he found Ginny lying unconscious beside him her chest rising slowly up and down with dried blood covered her face and it looked as though one of the kicks had broken her nose. A sudden burst of anger overtook him when he saw it and he promised himself that no matter what it took he was going to pay those bastards back two fold.
He began to wriggle his way over to Ginny hoping that she was all right cursing himself for riling up his capturers so that they had hurt her so badly. He was an idiot he should have just gone along with them and waited for the right moment instead of baiting them. They were now in a worse position than before. His self chastisement though suddenly stopped when he felt something press hard into his thigh. When he saw what it was all thoughts of his stupidity vanished.
In the ruckus one of the brothers had dropped his knife and left it behind. Harry's first impression, that they weren't as smart as they thought they were, had been proven correct. In moments he had the knife firmly clasped in his hands. His efforts to cut his bonds though were less successful as he couldn't angle the blade properly. He was going to need Ginny's help but she showed no signs of coming round and he didn't know how much longer they were going to be without company.
"Ginny, Ginny can you hear me," Harry said as loud as he dared. He didn't want anybody who might be just outside the room to hear him and then come in and investigate.
"Come on love I need you to wake up." At first Harry could see no sign of life the blow to her head seemed to have knocked her cold. He was about to speak again when he saw her eyelids flutter, and he released the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. Her face then contorted as she changed from painless oblivion to wide awake agony.
"Merlin's beard I hurt," she muttered opening her eyes.
"I'm sorry Gin I shouldn't have baited them, do you think anything's broken?" he asked locking eyes with her. Ginny slowly moved her body wincing once or twice.
"No, but I'm going to have plenty of bruises. It's my own fault though I shouldn't have kicked the bastard, but I promised myself that I was never going to take anything lying down without a fight first." Harry couldn't help but smile at this. This was the Ginny he had fallen in love with.
"It wasn't in vain one of the prats dropped his knife. Now if one of us holds it steady the other should be able to cut their hands free." It sounded so simple when Harry had said it, but the reality was something else. It took them forever to get the knife in such a position that Ginny could start to rub the plasti-cuffs on the blade without her slashing her wrists open. It may have been coincidence or perhaps it was the surprise of the whole building seeming to shake at just that moment, but Ginny's bonds broke at the same time as the first explosion. She made to grab the knife from Harry's hands, but the sudden rush of extra blood to her hands meant she fumbled it and it fell to the floor.
"Damn that hurts," she cried shaking both arms to encourage the blood back. There was another series of explosions from below them and the shouts of people in panic. The double doors to the other room in rattled but didn't open. This was followed by more loud shouting and Harry thought he heard the word key mentioned.
"Hurry Gin they're trying to get in. I expect they have orders to kill us if a rescue attempt is attempted," Harry said.
Alarmed by Harry's words Ginny picked the knife up again and hacked away at the plasti-cuffs that were round her ankles. The stiletto wasn't as sharp as a normal knife but eventually they parted. With the blood rushing into her feet making her wince in pain she didn't try to stand up but rolled over and began to saw away at the bonds around Harry's legs.
The door to the room crashed open and two of the three thugs they had seen earlier barged into the room. One had a wand in hand the other carried a silver looking pistol. He had to be a muggle Harry thought and dismissed him the real threat would be coming from the Wizard. His legs sprang apart as Ginny successfully cut through the restraints.
The Wizard threw back his arm his wand emitting green sparks. Not waiting for Ginny to cut his arms free Harry staggered to his feet ignoring the excruciating pain coming from them.
"Avada Kedavra," the Wizard said with an ice cold expression on his face. Ginny slammed into Harry's side sending them both sprawling to the floor as a green jet of light soared over their bodies crashing into the back wall leaving a black scorch mark.
Ginny was the first up hoisting Harry to his feet again, a few steps later they were both leaning against the back wall out of sight of the Wizard. That wouldn't last long all he had to do was open the cell and step in and their hiding place would become a trap. Harry held his hands up and Ginny once again attacked the bonds with the knife.
Harry's hands became free at the same time as the cell door swung open. The Wizard stepped in indicating that the Muggle should stay outside. Harry's eyes never left the Wizards wand which was once again being raised. At the same time he was desperately fumbling for Voldemort's wand in his robes. His still numb fingers grasped the unfamiliar wand and began pulling it out.
A green curse though was already forming on the tip of the Wizards wand and Harry knew that he was out of time. From the look on the Wizards face he knew that he was the target all he could hope for was a chance to dive out of the way. It wasn't needed though because a mattress suddenly flew in front of the curse and even though it was flimsy it deflected it just enough that it passed Harry's right shoulder as he dove to the left.
There was no time for subtlety or any fancy wand work. Harry just blasted out a Reducto curse in the general direction of their assailant. Fortune though for the very first time that day smiled down on him and his curse slammed into the Wizards knee. The crack of bone in the confined room was clearly audible, and even though it wasn't his knee, Harry grimaced in sympathy.
He leaped forwards stumbling over the fallen mattress that he realised Ginny must have flung. The Wizard was collapsed on the ground his face pale from shock while his hands clutched his shattered knee.
"Look out Harry," Ginny screamed. Harry twisted round at where she was pointing just in time to see a burst of flame flash from the end of a gun. Harry would later swear that he felt the first bullet brush past his temple.
"Protego," he shouted and he felt the following bullets slam into his shield. The Muggle though wasn't stupid and realising that he was now at a distinct disadvantage he flew at Harry determined to finish this at close quarters. Taken completely by surprise the first thing Harry saw was the blur of a large fist that smacked into the side of his head.
His vision blurred and then darkened. He felt rather than saw the floor as he hit it. The impact drove the wind from him and he felt his wand fly from his grasp. Gasping for air, his head ringing from the blow to his head, Harry tried standing up. All that happened though was a large weight bore him down again and a vice like grip attached itself to his throat.
All thoughts of trying to reach his wand vanished as he tried to wrench the hands away from his neck. There were flashes of black at the edge of his vision and Harry knew he was moments from blackening out. In desperation he lashed out at the body above him but it was like hitting concrete.
"Get off him you bastard," Ginny shouted as she swung a kick at the Muggle. The man removed his hands from Harry's throat allowing him to take in a much needed gulp of air. Ginny's second kick though was blocked by the muggle's forearm and with his other hand punched her in the stomach knocking her to the ground.
He then ignored her turning his attention back to Harry. His vision had returned to normal, or at least as normal as it was without his glasses which had been knocked off his face in the fight. Both of the mans hands were coming at him again and he grabbed them both by the wrists and pushed back with as much force as he could.
It was a struggle he was losing, inch by inch the hands slowly pushed their way towards his throat, and no matter what he tried he hadn't the strength to resist. The little air he had left in his lungs was expelled when his assailant's knee slammed into his stomach again and the vice like grip around his throat returned. Harry's resistance began to fade as his strength failed he was going to die he knew it. Then suddenly the pressure on his throat relaxed and the weight of the mans body fell away.
Harry was unable to move or say anything all that mattered was breathing. Something that he normally never even thought about, but the simple act of breathing in and out was taking all his concentration. He had no energy to think or move while he waited for the much needed oxygen flooded back to his body.
Lying next to him was the body of the man who had only moments ago been trying to kill him. His eyes were lifeless an expression of utter surprise on his face. The reason for that was clear. Sticking out from under his armpit was the handle of a knife surrounded by a large bloodstain that was still spreading.
Pushing himself up onto one elbow he saw Ginny kneeling, blooded hands clenched to her stomach. She was breathing heavily her face looking at the floor. Harry's chest constricted at the thought that she had been stabbed as well. This couldn't be happening.
"Ginny…" She looked up at Harry pain etched on her face and then held up a hand.
"Give me… a minute," she panted. "I can't… breath."
"The blood…"
"Not… mine." Harry lay back in relief, and began to take in deep measured breaths. He realised that the punch to her stomach must have winded her as badly as he was.
He suddenly remembered the Wizard he had hit with a curse, but a quick glance at him was enough to convince him that he was no threat. He had passed out with his hands still clutched to his damaged knee. Blood was still seeping through his fingers adding to the large pool on the floor.
With his limited medical knowledge Harry reckoned the man was in danger of bleeding to death. That was his problem though he thought coldly, not his. His attention though was interrupted by another explosion, and a rapid burst of machine gunfire. Deciding he was able to breath properly now he stood up picking up Voldemort's wand that had rolled to the base of the bars. His glasses were a few feet further on. He put them on to find one of the lenses had cracked. A quick Reparo charm fixed that.
The other Wizards wand had dropped out of his hands and was lying in the pool of blood below his knee. Grimacing Harry picked it up and began wiping it clean on the sleeve of his robe. He was going to have to throw these robes away if they managed to get out of this mess he thought idly. They were beyond cleaning.
He reached Ginny and held out an arm which she silently grasped and he pulled her up and enveloped her in his arms.
"You're my own guardian angel," Harry said after a pause. "You saved my life three times in as many minutes."
"That probably makes us even," Ginny replied.
"I think you might be ahead," he said pointing his wand at her nose. "Episkey." Ginny's nose fixed itself, although Harry wasn't sure it was quite the same as before.
"Who's counting?" There was another burst of machine fire and more shouting and yelling.
"We need to make a move if this is a rescue it doesn't sound like it's going too well. Here give this wand a try." He handed her the now clean wand and she gave it a little wave. A great gush of water spluttered out of the end soaking the floor.
"It's a little temperamental but it'll do," Ginny said washing her hands clean of blood from the still spurting wand.
"Should we take the knife as well?" Harry asked.
"I don't want it," Ginny said shuddering. Left with the fact that he would have to pull the blade out of the dead man Harry decided that he didn't want it either. He looked at the gun that the dead man had dropped and with a flick of his wand banished it from existence.
"Are you ok love? We can stay here and wait for them if you don't feel up to it." For a moment Harry thought that she would agree with his suggestion, but her expression suddenly hardened. "We'll take it steady ok. No charging around. I'll go first this wand suits me better than that one does you." Despite her reassurances he didn't trust her not to go out wand blazing and bring down all sorts of trouble on them both.