Harry waved his hand in front of his face trying to clear away the smoke that remained. When it was gone, he was left staring into the eyes of something he had only heard stories of as a child. Its eyes bore into Harry's and he felt as if the creature were looking into his soul. The red and gold phoenix effortlessly flapped its wings, floating just a small distance away.
"Fawkes?" Harry heard Sirius' voice from behind. "That's Dumbledore's phoenix—we need to get out of here before he gets the old man!"
"No," Harry said calmly, still not looking away from the magnificent bird. "I don't think he's Dumbledore's anymore."
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked confusedly.
Harry took a step closer and held his arm out. Nothing happened for a moment, but then Fawkes came down and perched itself on the extended limb. "I mean that phoenixes are creatures that are attracted to the good and the light. They can't stand evil so I doubt that Fawkes can even stand to be in Dumbledore's presence anymore. The real question is why you are still here now?" Harry said directing the last part towards the bird.
Harry watched Fawkes swivel its head in several different directions before it once again took flight. He was afraid for a second that the phoenix was going to leave, but then it landed on an empty wooden bookcase across the room. It then turned around to where a portrait of as sleeping former headmaster hung. Fawkes simply pecked the edge of the portrait with its beak and then turned back around and resumed its staring at Harry.
Realizing that Fawkes expected him to follow, he walked over and stood in front of the bookcase. He reached up past the phoenix and grasped the frame of the portrait where Fawkes had touched. Surprisingly, when he pulled the right of the frame it moved away from the wall while the left side remained connected as if on an invisible hinge—but that wasn't the best part. There, behind the portrait, was a hollow nook and in it laid a single book. Harry released his hold on the portrait and immediately took hold of the book. He almost shouted in jubilation when he looked down and read Hogwarts Book of Students on the cover. The book was hundreds of years old, yet the maroon cover was barely worn. He was sorely tempted to look inside, but Sirius interrupted his private moment.
"Is that it?" he inquired.
Harry nodded before facing him. "Yeah, this is it. Now we can get out of here." He prepared to turn around to thank Fawkes for his assistance, but when he did there was another burst of flame and the phoenix was gone. Harry was disappointed, but his eagerness to get out of the castle overrode it. He quickly put the portrait back into its original spot, then walked back over to the window they entered through.
"You have no idea how tempting it is to prank the old man," Sirius commented as he exited the window. "We spent so much time in this office getting detentions for it, it only seems fitting."
Harry just shook his head. "Yes, but then when he discovered the book was missing, he probably wouldn't have too much trouble figuring out who took it," Harry countered.
"True," Sirius responded. "I guess sneaking into his office and stealing his possessions is prank enough." They climbed there way back into the empty classroom after Harry repaired the window in Dumbledore's office. They gathered at the door and Sirius pulled out the map, checking the hallways. "We're going to have to be even more careful this time. There are a lot more people moving now. Keep your wand tight in your grip."
Sirius opened the door and slipped back into the hallway. Harry remembered to repair the other window then followed him out. They were about a quarter way back to the passage out of the castle, when Harry thought he felt something pass behind him. He turned around, but nothing was there. Thinking nothing of it, he continued walking several more minutes until Sirius halted him and looked down at the map. Harry jumped backwards when Sirius spun around alarmingly fast.
"We have to go now! I think we've been found out—there coming our way in several different directions fast. Run! Now!" They began sprinting through the halls, this time not bothering with Sirius' shortcuts. As Harry ran down the hall, he looked to the side and see the portraits following him with their eyes. He instantly knew what was wrong. Harry could here shouting coming from nearby and he was seriously starting to question whether or not they were going to make it out of the castle. Harry looked down at the book in his arms, realizing that people were counting on it, he suddenly stopped moving.
"Harry what are you doing?" Sirius asked urgently when he heard Harry's footsteps stop.
"Here, take this," Harry ordered throwing the book at Sirius. Sirius barely caught the book then looked at his godson as if he were crazy. "Take the book and get to the passage.—I'll hold them off."
Sirius ran over and grabbed Harry by the arm. "Are you out of your fucking mind? There is no way I'm leaving you alone here—let's go!"
Harry moved forcefully and shrugged off Sirius' hand. "There going to catch us if one of us doesn't do something. You know your way around better than I do—you can get out of here faster. Plus, it's my fault that their chasing us."
"How is it your fault?"
"I forgot to put the charm back on us after we finished in the office—remember I told you I didn't know how long it would last. Something passed behind me before and I didn't say anything, but I'm dead sure now that it was a ghost and it when and gave us up. Now go, I promise I'll find a way out. I still have my portkey." Sirius looked ready to keep arguing, but Harry raised his wand a pointed it straight at his godfather's chest. "Take the book back to Warwick Sirius or I swear I'll transfigure into an insect and toss you as hard as I can down the hall! You know I can beat you so go!"
Sirius looked like he was fighting a battle within his own head and started backpedalling. "Harry I swear to God if you don't come back, I'm going to find you wherever you are and beat your bloody head in—and when your mother tries to murder me I'm telling her you threatened me!" That was his last word before he took off running down the hall.
Harry made sure Sirius was completely out of sight before he turned to consider the situation. He was standing at the intersection of three different hallways. One of them was the way they had come from Dumbledore's office; another was the way that Sirius had just run towards the lower levels; and the others he had no idea where it led. He could hear the people getting closer so he readied himself. He shed his chameleon cloak he was wearing, letting it drop to the floor. He tightened the pieces of his body armor, and then crouched down into a fighting position.
The first group of people came down the hallway they had traveled from Dumbledore's office. Six of them stood there, all older than the ones they ran into before. One of them, a bulky man with a shaved head, stepped up and drew his sword. "Drop your wand and place your hands at your sides. You are under arrest for breaking you exile and trespassing on Hogwarts grounds. You will be held in the dungeons until Lord Dumbledore returns to decide your punishment."
Harry made no move to drop his wand. "I thought it was the Wizengamot's responsibility to determine punishment for criminals," Harry stated.
"Lord Dumbledore declared years ago that it was the job of the Wizengamot only to create law. Lord Dumbledore determines what offenders deserve. Your punishment will be considerably harsher if you do not comply and drop you wand."
Harry was keeping the conversation going while he took in his surroundings and formulated a plan. He was well aware now that more soldiers had arrived and were currently blocking all of his exits. He looked along the wall and an idea came to mind. Discreetly, he waved his wand, just enough to achieve his desired spell. "What are you going to do if I continue to refuse?"
The soldier gestured behind and to the side of Harry. "If you have not noticed you are surrounded and you are alone. It would be extremely foolish to continue your stubbornness."
Harry laughed, "Oh, that's where you're wrong. I'm definitely not alone." Harry waved his wand once more and the sound of metal hitting the stone floor rung through the castle. The soldier who had been speaking looked confused and that was the last expression that would ever adorn his face as the enchanted suit of armor that normally stood unmoving swung its battle axe into the man's chest, spraying crimson against the opposite wall. Five more suits of armor sprung to life, yielding their weapons against Dumbledore's soldiers.
All of the soldiers turned their attention from Harry to the enchanted figures that were wreaking havoc without mercy. Harry turned around and sent a reducto curse at the ground underneath the soldiers blocking his path. The castle rumbled and floor crumbled beneath the soldiers, sending them falling to the lower levels of the castle to their deaths. The only problem now was that there was a large gap in the path that he needed to travel down.
A spell flew over his shoulder, barely missing his neck and he turned to where it had originated. A few of the soldiers had broken away from the suits of armor and were beginning to throw curses at him. Harry did his best to dodge what was coming, but it was difficult to in such a confined area. His father had been right about the people in the castle—they weren't averse to causing extreme harm. One of the curses that Harry ducked under hit the opposite wall and began dissolving the stone. Harry countered one of the attackers and sent a stunner hitting the person in the face, knocking him out of the fight.
The two remaining soldiers began to gang up on Harry, forcing him to erect shields to fend off the attacks. Unfortunately he was too slow with one of his shields and a slashing curse caught him across the right eye. Blood began to pour into his vision, forcing him to keep the eyelid closed. The soldiers tried to take advantage of his injury by moving to his right, but Harry summoned two portraits off of the wall and impaled them over the men's heads. They struggled to break free, but the thick canvas constricted their arms, rendering them helpless.
Harry looked over with his one good eye to see the status of the other battle and was pleased to see that four suits of armor were still intact while only one soldier was still living. However, that didn't last long as one suit of armor sliced the soldier's wand arm off and another disemboweled him. Harry had to look away as the man slithered to the floor into a puddle of his own fluids. He canceled the charm on the armor and left them standing in the middle of the hall.
He tasted the coppery blood running down from his eye to his lips. The pain from the cut finally started to hit and he had to repeatedly tell himself not touch the wound. The fear that he would lose his sight if he didn't move fast motivated him to move on. The path that was currently in need of a bridge he knew for sure led down to the first floor of the castle so he took a step back and ran full speed at the gap. He jumped as soon as he hit the edge and was ecstatic when he landed clear on the other side. Harry ran, not really sure of where he was going, only concentrating on going down. He passed several students on the way down, but they merely looked at him curiously. Harry guessed that there wasn't as big of a guard at the castle when Dumbledore was away because he didn't run into anymore of the adult soldiers.
He had given up on trying to find the passage that they had entered the castle through—there was simply too man parts of the castle that looked alike. As he made it to the second floor, he began to hear more footsteps running toward him again. He slowed down when he found a final staircase that looked down onto the entrance hall and the main doors to the castle that were wide open. He grabbed a small coin that was his portkey and readied himself to scurry down the steps and out of the door, but stopped again when he saw a dozen soldiers come through—apparently someone had called for reinforcements.
The soldiers saw him standing on the top of the staircase and hastily began casting at him. Harry rolled away, avoiding the onslaught and tried to think of some way to get out of the mess he was in. He could hear them running up the staircase, still throwing spells aimlessly in his direction. He saw a way out, an incredibly stupid way out, but he was desperate now. His pursuers came nearer so he jumped to his feet, blew out the closest window and dived out.
He soared through the frigid air for a second before his shoulder hit the ground, and he howled in pain as he felt it separate. His portkey had been in his injured arm and was now lost in the piled snow. He cursed and pushed himself up on his good arm. There was no way he could move all of the snow away so he followed Sirius' example and began melting the snow. Luckily the coin hadn't sunk down too low so he was able to locate it quickly. He touched the tip of his wand to the portkey and disappeared, just missing a hail of spellfire out of the castle.