Chapter 17: A Field Trip to Azkaban
The MSHG did not set out on their field trip to Azkaban with light hearts; but were certainly in good heart, knowing that their visit covered something that would help Harry. Most had no idea what that might be; but it was a day off normal lessons anyway, which was never a bad thing!
The mode of transport that they used involved the utilisation of ley lines. Sirius had explained in Geomancy lessons that ley lines speeded travel, but that over water it was a bad idea to stop, even on brooms, as it was possible to fall into the water beneath. He explained that a bold and competent practitioner of ley line magic could run effectively across the waves providing his speed was high enough. Severus decided to take his charges on brooms; and it was exciting for them to watch the miles be eaten up by tapping into the energy of the ley lines beneath. As David Fraser could sense the energy changes it was an easy matter; though, as Severus pointed out, virtually impossible for those who could not feel the power surge, for they could not then tap it unless guided.
-/-
Krait knew that this was going to be one of her harder challenges, mostly in terms of bullying Wormtail, whom she pitied. The gloomy atmosphere of Azkaban made her shudder as they approached; the residue of the dementors' fear lingered.
"there are still some there" said Harry, intensely.
"It's their natural hunting ground, I suppose…." Said Krait
The guard on the gate regarded them morosely.
"If you didn't have a ministry order…." He growled "Ridiculous, to bring children here…."
Severus looked down his nose.
"But a salutary lesson, surely, for any foolish enough to even contemplate throwing in their lot with the Dark One?"
The auror guard sniffed.
"I can see that it would suit your sadistic urges, Snape… I have my orders to let you in. I don't have to like it."
"Nobody asked you to" said Severus silkily. "If you rabble can keep yourselves in some semblance of order…."
-/-
Krait picked her moment to slip away. Such dementors as had remained obviously had their orders to hold aloof, for none troubled the group, though the years of horror clung to the very stones in a palpable background count of terror and loathing. It was not hard to follow the despairing feelings of the wretched Wormtail and find his cell. He looked up as she discarded the cloak and his face became suffused with joy.
"My lady….did the Master send you to free me?"
Krait's heart was wrung with pity; and she deliberately hardened it.
"My father did not send me, Peter Pettigrew" she said.
"You – you are here to take me away though?" he insisted. "He – he will be pleased if you give him back his most loyal servant."
Krait regarded him sorrowfully.
"Peter, he said that if you were stupid enough to get caught you deserved to rot. Do not assign feelings of loyalty or compassion to him; he has none. He is not James Potter with a decent heart beneath his bluff cruelty." She said. Wormtail aged before her eyes, and sagged defeated onto the floor, sobbing helplessly.
"I can help release you from this slavery" she said.
"How?" he looked up, his face ravaged with despair and grief.
"Tell me all I need to know and I can be sure that he dies….and dies for good, bereft of his horcruces."
Wormtail stared at her in horror.
"You plan to betray the Master – and expect me to help?" he squeaked, more in fear than indignation.
"Yes" she said simply. "His whimsies are unstable and will ultimately destroy us all. He is a thrice time failure. He has his own rules for failure; it is time they were applied to him."
Wormtail sobbed again. Krait reflected that it was as well that he was known to be likely so to do, else it had brought too much notice on them. She had to tread carefully, not to give any inkling that she was doing anything but a bit of freelance betrayal, lest Wormtail find a way of communicating with Voldemort.
"What do you need to know?" he asked sulkily, unwillingly.
"What was it that he had you steal from the Potter home in Godric's Hollow and then return there?" she asked. He stared.
"Are you so deep in his confidence? Did he tell you that?"
"Let's just say I can add facts as well as any juvenile and made assumptions" she said. "You confirm my theory, anyway."
Pettigrew gave her a look of dislike.
"It was Lily Evans' watch" he muttered. "He laughed long that it was the kind of thing sentimentalists would want to keep….."
Krait nodded.
"Thank you, Peter" she said crisply. "The time will come when your willing co-operation will be remembered."
"Mistress…." He begged. "Release me…."
"Not yet!" she said. "You might run to him straightway…..and if you believe you could keep this conversation secret you are a bigger fool than I think you."
Wormtail huddled up in a corner moaning and sobbing to himself; and with a look of disgust mingled with pity she left him.
"It were almost kinder to kill the poor creature outright" she muttered to herself "If it didn't so go against the grain to shoot fish in a bucket….."
-/-
The others in the group were easy to find; Bil had demanded to see the cell of Sirius Black and there was quite a noisy altercation centring on Severus who was protesting that a gaoler had found it amusing to push her inside and lock the door if she wanted so much to understand Black. Krait arrived as Bil lost her cool and called on her Blood to blow the door right off its hinges. Krait gave the little girl a hug and pushed her behind her out of sight as the brutal-looking gaoler protested such cavalier treatment of his doors. Severus raised an eyebrow.
"No wonder you people are so good at losing your charges" he murmured "If a little girl can get out like that….."
the gaoler turned colour and blustered ineffectually; but by then Bil was back, tugging on Severus' arm.
"Cousin Sev, there's a house elf…..he's got horrid magics on him to stop him disapparating…"
Severus cocked an eyebrow interrogatively at the gaoler.
"Why is a house elf in here?" he asked. Krait heard the subtle use of magical imperatives in his tone.
The gaoler shrugged.
"He tricked his master into freein' him then killed un" he said. "Naarsty little beast, he's here until someone be prepared to take un on as a slave, which ain't never likely, untrustworthy as he be"
"I'd take him" said Bil.
"Such resource and initiative on the part of an elf can scarcely go unrewarded" murmured Severus. "What is your name, elf, and why did you wish to kill your master?"
"I is Tolly, sir, and he were main cruel!" squeaked the elf. "When my sister hurt her leg cos he has pushed her, he picked her up by the legs and dashed her brains out cos her was slow!"
Bil scowled.
"Pity you killed him" she said "I'd have liked to do it for you…."
"The girl has offered to take the elf" said Severus. "You can open the door and remove that spell sapping collar." Again his voice was controlled, suggesting.
Muttering the gaoler complied.
"Don't whine to me if you get killed" he grumbled.
"I shan't" said Bil. "Tolly, for your own safety I can't free you for a while yet…..get up, please, and never do that again!" as
the elf kissed her feet. "You can help the other elves at Hogwarts while I'm there I guess."
"Tolly is grateful" said the elf. "Tolly will never betray the little mistress." He gazed at her earnestly.
"Of course not" said Bil. "I will take care of you and I won't let anyone hurt you, so there" and she glared at the gaoler. "It's associating with dementors that makes some of these people so like the horrid creatures themselves" she added as an aside to no-one in particular.
"I think we might as well go now" said Severus. Krait had touched his mind briefly to apprise him that she had all she wanted.
The denizens of Azkaban were likely as glad to see the visitors go as they were to leave; though they were trailed by a couple of the remaining dementors. Krait caught the eye of her friends meaningfully; and as soon as the ley line took them onto dry land, that they could safely stop, they turned and cried 'Ri-de!" at the creatures. It was now a familiar sight to watch them laugh themselves to death; and the task was quickly accomplished under several wands. Krait nodded in satisfaction.
"Job well jobbed" she said.
"Did he? And what was it?" asked Harry.
"Yes; your mother's watch." She answered succinctly. Harry's eyes filled with tears and he blinked them away.
"To have to destroy a vital link to my mother…." He said bitterly.
"HE did not think you would ever have the strength to do so, even if you ever found out….I know differently" said Krait. "Seeing my family ring destroyed, knowing I must destroy my little grandmamma's locket, these things do not please me, for they take away my children's heritage too….but they are only things. The true value is the scar, Harry, the greatest gift your mother ever gave you; and the knowledge of your parents' love. As I know my family – and our Kindred – love me. Things are only ever things, you know. It's why he'll fail. He puts value on empty vessels like power and material stuff."
Harry nodded.
"You're right…..but I don't have to like it."
"Nobody asked you to" she mimicked Severus' earlier words to the gate guard.
-/-
Dumbledore was taken aback, and said so to the inner core Blood Group.
"I confess, I was not sure you would find out about anything specific" he said "Because, though I had preferred not to dwell on it, I always wondered if Harry were not an accidental Horcrux."
"If he is, he might yet be – if you think it likely sir" said Krait, hollowly. "Fishface would make up the requisite arithmantically correct number for himself. He killed two people at Godric's Hollow; Lily and James. Would you expand?"
Dumbledore nodded, and smiled at Harry.
"It's why I was so happy that Harry gave his blood willingly to restore Riddle" he said "Because that puts his blood – and Lily's blood sacrifice INSIDE the form of Tom Riddle. I believe that Harry must allow Riddle to cast a killing curse at him – which will kill ONLY the part of Riddle he has inside him."
"That's a hell of a risk to take!" said Harry "But I guess….."
"Meh, you have cast iron ones" said Krait "You'll never flinch….besides I swear if the boss is wrong, we'll dissipate the power between us from OUR blood. He put it there; he has to be the one to destroy it. I kind of get that."
Harry nodded.
"It does make sense" he said "And it gives us an advantage too…..he can gloat, because I should think he'll believe his curse will work and then he'll be off guard for all our team to kill him and his admiring supporters."
"What, we get him to turn up to enact punishment by me admitting to being Lord Convolvumort and claiming you wrote the script because we're gay lovers?" grinned Draco.
Harry chuckled.
"Something like that" he said.
"Can't you take anything seriously?" scolded Hermione.
"I try not to" said Draco "The alternative has me wanting to puke with sheer terror."
"It also works another way to our advantage" said Krait "Eight is a significantly UNlucky number arithmantically, like thirteen. The so-called dead man's hand in cards isn't aces over eights for nothing."
Hermione nodded.
"So Fishface has actually accidentally made something to work against him."
"He did that by coming up against Lily" said Severus softly "Yes, I still love her; of course I do" he smiled half apologetically at Krait "Even though I have also moved on. My love for her gave me the strength to defy Riddle; he believed only in lust, told me I could find another. My passion for his daughter proves that to him in his own mind, because he does not understand the peculiar arithmancy of love."
"The more you divide it the more it multiplies" said Krait softly "Exactly. You found your admiration for his ideals dissolve like morning mist over his failure to show compassion even for one of his lieutenants. Lily's impact is manifold; her impact, my love, on you; and her protection of her son. And her nature in Harry that makes him self sacrificing, ready to take Avada Kedavra without being totally sure what's going to happen."
"You better not let him die" threatened Ginny. "Harry, if you die, I'll kill you!"
Harry grinned.
"Do my best" he said "But I'd rather die and see all the kids grow up free – if it gives the rest of you the chance to kill Fishface totally. I do not believe it is the end of existence; even if the ghosts are only ghosts because they are afraid to face it."
"It is not" said Dumbledore. He hesitated "I – I will tell you more another time….. we all have our moments of hubris. But it is not relevant. What is relevant is to get our hands on the cup of Helga Hufflepuff and the real locket."
"I'll talk to Kreacher about that locket" said Sirius, grimly.
"GENTLY, Padfoot, gently!" admonished Krait "You hardly inspire loyalty in him the way you behave; if you're going to get him to obey willingly and be prepared to obey the spirit not just the letter of your orders until you can lead him to desire freedom you're going to have to be kinder to him."
"He revolts me" said Sirius.
"I used to revolt you" said Severus. "If you can't manage it yourself, why not introduce Bil to him as your betrothed? Maybe she can get him to talk."
"Or I could just order him to bring it to me if I can't find it at Grimmauld Place" said Sirius.
"You could; but Sirri says he talks a lot about wonderful Master Regulus" said Krait "And if Regulus was the RAB who wrote the message he proved himself an ally of good at the end, who also broke away, as Severus broke away and that means we might win Kreacher over to alliance. Bella's a child; and we can win Narcissa through Draco. Give the poor deluded, confused little sod a chance, huh?"
Hermione nodded approval.
Sirius shrugged.
"All right…. If I can't find it I'll get Bil to talk to him. She owns her own house elf now, after all; he should approve of that. And the Prince family are Purebloods; we just don't tell him she isn't!"
"Quite" said Krait "After all, you did get your mother's portrait to approve the match!"
Yes, I have my own ideas about the horcruces and have not stuck entirely to canon; I'm going by what seems more logical. And this does partly stem from my usurping of the story of the Bloody Baron and the Grey Lady so I'm going with as much internal self consistency as I can.