Disclaimer: No, nope, and noey. I own zilch of anything J.K's. Everything else that is not J.K's in any way shape or form? I own. –Smiles-
Chapter Summary: Decisions are made by different people, in different areas...
A/N: Hey guys! –Smiles- I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was pretty good. Now, I know I didn't post as fast as you all would've liked, but we had a big storm hit here and my computer got fried. –Groans- I lost a lot (but not all, because I save my info on disks, unlike a friend of mine…, but I'm back and ready with this chapter. Hope you all enjoy and review to tell me what you think. –Smiles- Again, thanks to all those of you who have reviewed! I have over 800 now! –Is Happy- I really appreciate the support you've all given me. Anywho, as my 'signed-in' reviewers might have noticed, I sent replies to each and every one of their wondrous reviews. (Which I will do for them from now on.) I love that new feature! It's so much fun. –Grins- For those of you who review anonymously, please sign-up and get a screen name so that I can reply to your reviews personally as well! If you'd prefer not to, though, that's okies. To each his own, as I always say, and I'll still reply to those anonymous reviews in my profile. (Like before.)
A/N-2: This chapter is dedicated to my faithful reviewer Cooroo! –Smiles- (Thanks to Cooroo, you all got this chapter today instead of tomorrow.) Cooroo went back and re-read & re-reviewed chapters 1-16! Luv ya, Cooroo, you truly made my week! –Grins-
Anyway, with that now done, on with the chapter, no?
Chapter 27: Decisions That We Make
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Harry had tried multiple ways to get out of his cell, he had even resorted to using many different attempts with fire and wind, but neither had worked. It had hit him, after he realized that his wind would only circle around and around his cell, and not exit it, that whoever had put him in here had made it to where he could not get from the inside, to the outside. To prove this theory to himself, - and to settle his curiosity - he decided to try and 'touch' his cell bars. His hand had not reached five inches away from them before electricity rippled and crackled threateningly around the bars in question. This was warning enough for the young Potter and he quickly drew back his hand, sighing defeatedly. What was he going to do?
Currently, the untidy haired child sat in his cell, knees pulled up to his chin with his arms wrapped around them, hands clasped. He was more than troubled and worried by the fact that he was unable sense Moony anywhere. He had been with his Guardians long enough to have memorized their emotional signatures, he knew them by heart and could pick Padfoot or Moony out from a mile away. But no. Moony was either in an unsensable place, the Potter heir deduced, - or his cell also blocked that particular power of his from penetrating the bars as well… - or…he didn't really want to think about what the other would mean.
Are you still there…? thought Harry, uncertainly; it had been a few minutes since Draco had thought to him and he hoped their odd mind connection was still there because now that he had found a form of company, he did not want to lose it, especially now. He waited a beat, then another, but got nothing. …Draco? he tried again.
People are coming… came Draco's abrupt reply to Harry, it was nothing above a whisper in Harry's mind, but he heard it well enough. And was glad for it. Draco was still there - he had not left.
You can hear 'their' thoughts, too?
Yeah.
…Are they close?
About…erm…'maybe' three minutes with the way they decided to come…
How do you 'know' that?
I just do! But from what I'm hearing, though, they aren't coming for anything goo- Draco stopped mid sentence, as though listening, before saying, suddenly,
You're not safe here.
…W-what do you mean?
It doesn't matter what I mean! 'You Are Not Safe', and I'm…I'm… Draco's voice, in Harry's mind, seemed to hesitate, as though unsure about finishing his sentence. A second's hesitance that made Harry wish he could hear 'Draco's' thoughts instead of the other way around. But it did not last more than that, a second, before Draco plowed on, albeit recklessly, a hint of defiance in his tone.
I'm going to help get you out.
To say the least, Harry was taken aback by this pronouncement. Sure, he and Draco were talking civilly - which in and of itself was beyond Harry's ability to comprehend, for Padfoot had specifically told him that the Malfoy's were a family of renowned dark wizards who more often than not became Death Eaters - , but it was not like they were 'friends'…were they? No, Draco had his father's view of things; Harry was almost sure, but…then…then…
…Why?
Draco's end was silent for a few seconds before responding, crossly, with,
Do you really want to ask someone who is going to help you out of a tight spot "why they are going to help you?"
Well, I suppose…erm,-
Just shut up, okay? You're thinking too loud, anyway, and I've got to reach these keys.
How do I control how loud I 'think' thought Harry, affronted. It had been a thought directed more to himself, though he was not the only one to hear it.
Outside the chamber door Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head just as he was finally able to grab the keys, standing on the very tips of his toes.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Remus groaned painfully as he finally found enough strength to move himself into a sitting position. His muscles ached horribly from the residue of the Cruciatus Curses; The Unforgivables that had been placed on him before he had been hit with the curse that had clouded his mind over with darkness. The darkness had been clearing up for the past few minutes, ever since he had aroused, truth be told, and, with it, had the residue of the Cruciatus been awaken. But none of this mattered a drop to Remus. No, he could live with the pain. He was a werewolf, after all, and had gone through his share of pain in life. No, that was not what mattered to him. What mattered to him was Harry. Where was he now? Was he okay? What had the Death Eaters done to him? Worse, what had Voldemort done to him? These thoughts ran circles in his mind as he recalled what had happened before he had been hit with that odd mind-clouding-darkness curse…
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
-Flashback-
"Moony…do you think my Mummy and Daddy are happy with me…?" Harry asked, interrupting their tranquil silence, the bag with his new book, in hand.
"What do you mean? Of course they're happy with you," replied Remus, stopping and turning to Harry, thrown off by such a question. "Why wouldn't they be?"
"You don't think…you don't think they think it was…my fault?"
Understanding dawned in Remus's eyes as he crouched to Harry's level.
Has this been tormenting him for a while now?
"No, Harry, no they don't think that. They could never think that. What happened that night was in no way your fault. Do you understand that? Nothing you did caused what happened, and they would never blame you for it. …They loved you dearly."
Harry smiled slightly, eyes shinning, and looked as though an invisible weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Remus smiled softly back and ruffled Harry's raven-black hair affectionately.
"You all right?"
"Yeah…Thanks, Moony."
Remus opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. Harry's eyebrows creased and his eyes glazed over as though in a far away look. But the Lupin did not have time to muse on it for the young boy's emerald eyes abruptly lost their glaze, becoming as expressive as always. Though this time…it was fear they were expressing, something Remus had not seen in Harry's lively green orbs for quite some time. …And it scared him.
Movement in the trees beyond caught Remus' eye, and right when things fell into place, when the lycanthrope understood what must be going on, there was a bluish colored flash…and Harry fell.
"No!"
Remus whipped out his wand, knowing if he did not do what he was about to do, now, he might not get a second chance to do it. A silvery creature darted out of his wand and streaked through the trees opposite those the flash had come from, in the direction of their house - Remus hoping beyond hope that Sirius was now there - , like some ghostly wolf.
"Expelliarmus, Crucio!"
The twenty-six year old's wand flew from his hand as his screams filled the night air, the Lupin falling, writhing and twitching on the ground. The curse was left on a good two minutes before it was finally lifted, leaving a panting and sweating Remus on the ground. His world spun for a few seconds as he heard the footsteps, and chuckles, of approaching Death Eaters.
"That was a stupid move, Lupin," sneered a voice, from his right, that Remus recognized from years before.
Xantos… Remus thought, not able to understand how the man he had considered a friend for such a long time could be committing the acts he was committing now. Working for who he was working for.
"You could've gone Crucio-free tonight had you played your cards right."
"Is that so? I had thought it a rather smart move, actually," panted Remus matter-of-factly from where he lay. He could practically 'see' the scowl that formed behind Xantos's Death Eater mask, as he, himself, tried to get back up.
"Crucio!"
Remus was struck, for a second time, by the torture curse, his screams once again filling the night air. The curse was lifted sooner, this time, though it did not feel that way to Remus.
"Pick them up," Xantos ordered coldly to the surrounding Death Eaters. "We've lingered longer than was needed, and the Dark Lord isn't likely to be pleased as things stand if we're not back soon. His patience is wearing thin…"
Death Eaters, grabbing his arms forcefully, lifted the Lupin roughly from the ground, making him face Xantos. He looked around quickly as other Death Eaters began dissapparating; One of them with an unconscious, limp, Harry in his arms. Worry clouded Remus amber eyes as he watched this.
How did I let this happen? How did I let them find us? It was then that the memory of Harry doing Elemental magic outside the wards of their house came to him, to make the Lupin move faster. Of course…how could I be so thick? Harry…I'm so sorry…I'll get you out of this…I swear it.
These were Remus' last thoughts before the wordless curse that had been used on Harry was used on him, and, with a flash, his world, too, went dark…
-End Flash Back-
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
The door to Remus' chamber burst open, the torch light from the hallway beyond flooding in, a silhouette of a person standing in the doorway.
"Lupin! Just the man I wanted to see, convenient how you're so close by, now, eh?" said Xantos, grinning easily, as he approached. Remus rose to his feet, suppressing a groan of pain as he did so, and walked to the front of his cell.
"Where is he?" he demanded, ignoring Xantos's previous statement.
"Who?" Xantos inquired, an innocent smile on his face. "Lucius? Oh, yeah, he was supposed to come with me, but I told him I could come and get you on my own," he shrugged. "How was my Darkness spell, by the way? I worked forever on perfecting that one. It's one of my favorites."
"Where is Harry, Xantos? Don't play daft; I know you didn't come here to just waste time. What have you done with him?"
"Ah, him…" sighed Xantos, in a drawn out way. "He's…around. And it's not really what we've done to him, or even what we're going to do to him, if you want the precise truth. It's what he's going to do for us."
"He won't do anything for you," Remus said in a low tone, restraining himself from bursting with the anger that was slowly rising to the surface. "And you know he won't."
"Alas, on this, I sadly agree with you. But that's what you're still here for. Or did you think we'd let you live for the heck of it? No, my friend, you are the insurance card. The one who is going to end up making sure that Harry does do what we want," Xantos grinned again.
"You know what I'd love to see, Xantos?" inquired Remus, anger finally bubbling over - How far had Xantos fallen? How wrong had James been? - , getting the better of him. "What James would think of you now, were he alive."
Xantos appeared as if he had been slapped, his grin fading from his face instantly, looking at Remus as though he had never seen anything like him before. Remus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, trying his best to gain better control over himself, released it, and re-opened his eyes.
"You cared for James as much as Sirius and I did, I know you did! Harry is his son, Xantos, the only thing any of us have left of him. Look at what you're doing!"
Something flickered across the Potter's eyes, before he scoffed and shook his head once, down-casting his gaze for a few beats.
"…Don't talk about things that you don't understand, Lupin," Xantos whispered softly, dangerously, before shifting his gaze back to his former school friend. Icy hazel meeting searching amber.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Luck had been with Remus when he had sent his Patronus, the Order of the Phoenix's way of telling other members that they were needed, for Sirius had been home. He had been concerned, already, about his Godson and best friend, thanks to the hour. But when he saw Remus' wolf Patronus, it had changed any concern he had over his friend turning his young and yet moldable Charge into a bookworm, into actual worry. He wanted to believe that nothing was wrong, that Remus was pulling his leg or something, but knew better than to think so. Remus had a sense of humor, yes. Sirius, more than anyone else knew that, but he did not have a cruel sense of humor, and would never send his Patronus if there was not a true reason, a true problem, a true…
Harry… Was the first anxious thing to pop into Sirius' head. Something happened to Harry, he wouldn't send it any other way...
And with that mind numbing thought, Sirius did the first thing that came to his mind, he apparated to the bookstore. To his benefit, there was no muggles around to see his arrival; to his alarm, the bookstore was now closed, and Remus and Harry were no where in sight. The dread in him grew with every growing second. He would never forgive himself if something happened to them. He apparated again and again, everywhere he could think of, before finding the bags of Remus and Harry's new books, and finally realizing…he was too late.
I've got to get Dumbledore… This was the first person he knew he needed to talk with. Dumbledore would call the Order together straight away. And then he knew he needed to talk with…
He did not want to do it, this person was the last person he wanted to converse with, but this was his…family…and he knew this person would know details and locations if it was, indeed, Voldemort, who was the behind all this, one of the very few profits the Order had with him - in Sirius's opinion, anyway. And with that, the twenty-six year old Black apparated to Hogsmeade. Daylight would not come with his Godson and best friend not by his side again, he swore this to himself…and to them.
I'm so sorry I wasn't there…
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
The trepidation Harry had been feeling ever since he had initially awoken let up some as he heard the clash of metal on metal, as the key was inserted into the keyhole and was turned. He stood up as the door opened, and the light from a torch on the wall outside the door flooded the chamber. It was not a 'bright' light, per se, but it was enough to make Harry, who had been in the darkness long enough to remember his old cupboard more than he would have wanted to, squint to be able to see. A brief shadow cast into the room as Draco came to the doorway, spotting Harry's cell right away and preceding into the chamber.
"Draco!" Harry whispered, feeling a burst of gratitude, - for a moment, before he had seen Draco, he had not been sure if the Malfoy heir had been truly planning on helping him or if he had not meant it - , using his voice for the first time in what felt like forever, before coughing a few times. Draco stopped in front of Harry, the cell between them; the keys he had used to get in, dangling in his left hand...he looked uneasy, though he hid it moderately well.
"Shh, we've gotta get out of here quick, they're really close," Draco whispered back, reaching for the lock that was on Harry's cell door.
"Wait, don't!"
"What, why?"
"I tried to touch it earlier, it'll shock you."
Draco smirked and shook his head before grabbing hold of the lock with his right hand, and picking a key with his left. Harry gaped at Draco. Not believing his eyes.
"W-why didn't it…?"
"Not really sure. The cells shock anyone who doesn't know the counter-spell for them, but I've been able to touch them with no problem ever since I was old enough to sneak down here."
The Malfoy heir, who was taller than the Potter by about a good inch, and who had the same platinum blonde hair that Harry remembered, turned the key in the lock. There was a soft click, and Harry's cell door swung open…
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
A/N: Well there's the next chapter, hope you all enjoyed the read. –Smiles- Another cliffie-ish ending (not 'really' though!), I know. I don't know why I keep ending the chapters in cliffie-ish endings…but I seem to be making a habit…I better try to break myself of it for the next chapter. Well…we'll see… Anywho, how many of you saw GoF, hmm? I went to the midnight premier and it was a wicked awesome movie. Definitely the best Harry Potter movie so far. Yes, it didn't have 'everything' from Book 4, but no movie ever has everything that is in its book, so we've all got to learn to deal. But besides all that, the movie was done extremely well, and I hope Mike Newell comes back for OotP. Voldemort was wondrously evil, they picked a great actor for him, and the Moaning Myrtle scene was one of my favorites. Haha. Anyway, enough about The Goblet of Fire, and on to other things, right? Like my 'Curiosity Fulfiller' question of the last chapter! PoA seems to have won favorite book. Many of you liked it best, as do I, and many of you for the same reasons. –Grins- GoF came in second, with OotP & HBP tying for third, SS for fourth, and CoS for fifth (it's last, but it's certainly not least, mind you).
This chapter's 'Curiosity Fulfiller' (as I have so officially dubbed it) question is…
"Who's your favorite Death Eater?"
Now, if Fenrir Greyback was a Death Eater, he'd most certainly be my favorite. Sadly, though, the book never specifies on whether he's a Death Eater, or just a werewolf ally of Voldemort who leads the other werewolf allies of Voldemort. Sooo, since I can't legitimately pick him –pouts-, my choice of Favorite "Death Eater" (not just 'ally') is Antonin Dolohov. Why? He won my appreciation of him when he did the wordless (purple) spell in OotP that hit Hermione and broke some of her ribs. It's not that I was happy he hit Hermione (because I wasn't, Hermione is one of my favorite characters!) it was just because it was a pretty cool spell in my opinion. So, he has won place with me as my favorite Death Eater. The reason he has yet to enter my story, one may ask, is because, well, he's currently in Azkaban...-Sighs-…
Anyway, this is it for now; I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as I can. My Christmas break is in two weeks, and I'll be able to write more during that time, but I'll do my best to get a chapter out before then as well. Till next time, my readers…
-Chloe
A.K.A – Japanime1