The Kidnapping
The Easter holiday seemed to fly for Harry, so busy that he and his friends were with the reviews to the NEWT's. From the first meeting of the Order, the only news they had of Voldemort came from short notes sent by some members who said they were seeking, but didn't finding anything.
Hermione and Lily were so nervous about the exams that Harry thought he would faint when a dark brown owl arrived for breakfast, bringing the Daily Prophet.
"Who told these owls could be here? Lily said irritated, pushing her book away from the animal. Hermione, trembling because of the scare, paid to the animal and pulled the newspaper to read.
"James ..." she called some time later, her voice weak. James looked up the notes he was reading and watched.
"What?"
"Look at this. Lene, you too."
Ex - Aurors missing
the retired aurors Allan and Martha Potter, 63, disappeared during the past weekend with a couple of friends, Lorraine and Mark McKinnon. There are suspicions that the former enemies have taken them, and the Aurors are investigating.
Their children, Marlene Mckinnon and James Potter are intact at Hogwarts."We will not rest until we do not find all four."Stated Alastor "Mad – Eye" Moody.
Marlene seemed to have been assaulted by a Basilisk, and James could not hold the book.
"My parents ..." He stammered, tears coming to her eyes. Sirius, who was his side, buried his face in his hands, and Harry feared he fell into tears, something he never did in front of anyone.
"Voldemort will kill them." Marlene cried, being comforted by Remus. "They never did anything!"
"Easy. It'll be okay, Jim. Aurors will not want their colleagues to suffer something." Lily said hugging James, who had thrown his glasses on the table.
Entertained consoling the friends, the boys did not notice that a group of Slytherins had approached. Malicious, Avery sat, facing James.
"Got it why you shouldn't mess with the Dark Lord, Potter?"
"Go away, Avery." Sirius growled, still with his head down. The boy leaned his head to the side, giving a wry weird smile:
"Oh, poor Black. Are you sad about the Potters and Mckinnons' death too?"
"They are not dead." Harry said angrily. Barty, behind Avery, laughed.
"The Potters are so old they can barely hold the wand, Parker. If the Dark Lord gazes at them they both die. And the Mckinnons… I think this time intelligence won't help them at all."
"I think you should leave." An angry voice barked behind them. Barty and Avery gazed after the voice, and Regulus passed through them, sitting at the Gryffindor's table.
"Oh, I forgot that Regulus is now one of them." Avery joked, leaving the table. "Too bad, Black. You shall die like your stupid friends."
"I received a letter from Dad." Regulus said once the two Slytherins came out, laughing.
"So?" Sirius raised his head, his eyes red. Regulus pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and read:
RegandSirius
Hope youare well.LastnightMarksent measign,saying heandLolaareall right,and Martha andAllanwere withthem.Thefourwerehaving dinnerwhenagroup ofDeath Eaters arrived.Yourcousinis amongthem, incidentally.I'mworried aboutyou.Sendmenews.
IfI knowthemindsof myboys,youmust havemessed withsomethinggreat,andI do not knowifI canholdhere,sotakecare.Walburga gave them the Potters address, thenreturnto themansionis not safe.
Remindthe Mckinnon girl that if she needs anything I'll handleit.Markentrusted me withthistask andI'llhelpyou.
Mybestwishesandpleasedo not diein thisfight.
Oreon.
"Oh, God." Marlene sighed, and Sirius put his arm around her.
"It's revenge." James snarled, tears still flowing.
"My mother ..." Regulus lowered his head.
"Your mother." Sirius stood up, furious. "I'll talk to Dumbledore. He needs to let us out of here. You have heard that Avery said. Voldemort will not take long to kill our parents."
"It's true."
Harry lowered his head, trying to remember the dream he had had a few days. A shock was what he said. A shook.
"Come on, now it is potions." Remus said dejectedly, and everyone grabbed their backpacks. The corridors were never so dark and cold for the boys than that remembered how Mrs. Potter had been kind to them, and how she knew he had something special. If she did not live to see Harry again...
Slughorn seemed a little daunting too, having lost weight and was very anxious, always looking backwards. After class, he came close to Lily and said:
"L - Lily, could stay here at the end of the class?"
"Yes, professor." Lily said, confused. Slughorn seemed relieved, and quickly left.
"What does he want?" Hermione whispered to Harry, who shrugged.
At the end of class, the Slytherins were also back, and whilst they grabbed their stuff slowly, Barty Crouch sat on the teacher's desk.
"You know, Professor." He began, trying to sound sympathetic "The Dark Lord has always loved you."
"S - Seriously?"
"Ah, yes." Amycus Carrow said, appearing behind Slughorn. "He always said that without you, he would be nothing."
"Oh, he's being modest."
"Oh yeah, and keeps saying how he thinks that can count on your ... Services."
"I. .. I could afford to think?" Slughorn stammered, moving away from teenagers. Barty grinned, taking the wand of his robes.
"But of course you can, Professor. Just wanted to remind you that most people are not refusing favors to our master. Have a nice day" Avery completed, and the three left Slughorn alone, trembling.
"Professor!" Lily stepped out from behind the table with the bag in her arms, and sat the man in the chair. "Aguamenti! Here you go, a glass of water, Professor."
"Oh, Lily, always kind, always sweet, isn't you?" whispered Slughorn. "I'm sorry for your parents, James."
"They will be fine." James tried to sound reassuring, but his eyes were empty and without glare.
"You can't give in, Professor!" Ron said, exasperated.
"We shall see, Mr. Weasley. We'll see. I think it has more classes today, no?"
Hurrying, the boys went to Herbology. While caring for some poisonous roots, Harry saw that Sirius and James would not stop whispering, and wondered if the two would not thinking about rescuing Potter and Mckinnon alone.
After Herbology, they followed up monotonously Transfiguration, which, for Harry, took forever. When finally they were free of all classes of the day, their only consolation was that they could try to rest in the common room.
Everywhere they went, people stopped to wish strength to James and Marlene, and when they reached the common room was no different.
"I can't stand people thinking that my parents are dead." James chafed certain time, going to the dorm. Harry, whose eyes were closed for exhaustion of walking through the castle, decided to follow James.
"Prongs?" He asked when he entered the bedroom, but the curtains of the bed of his friend were closed, and the boy suspected that he was pretending to be asleep. Resigned, Harry put on his pajamas and got into bed, wondering where Voldemort had put the Potters and Mckinnon.
Harry took long to sleeping, and when he finally fell asleep, was seen leaving a black fireplace, right in the lobby of the ministry. In the middle of the place, tied, and the Potters were Mckinnon. None of them showed signs of torture.
"Now, I'll ask again." Voldemort began his voice cold and cruel. "What have the lot of them come to do?"
"We do not know ... Anything." Lorraine gasped.
"Of course you do!" said an irritated Bellatrix, holding the woman's chin with black fingernails like claws. "They spent the holidays with you!"
"The boys did nothing ..." Allan began, but Rodolphus pointed his wand at him, and man writhed with pain.
"We know they come from the future, but for what? Behind that door." Voldemort pointed a slim pale finger to the elevator door. "Has the Auror department, where I know where the documents are. And you also know."
"No, please ..." Martha Potter begged.
"Shut up!" Voldemort hissed, and the woman stopped instantly.
"Your kids are into it" a man with a goatee and a strong accent said. Harry recognized Karkaroff.
"My son would not do that!" Allan said seriously, but Voldemort laughed.
"Let's see what your children do now. Crucio"