A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Well, this chapter is pretty much one of the most important ones, so pay attention. I hope you enjoy it!
Ch 34.
These Dreams
Minister Fudge Gets Impeached by Wizengamot!
In an emergency meeting last night, the Wizengamot put up a vote for the impeachment of Minister Cornelius Fudge, based on lack of proper action during crises in the Wizarding world. The votes were counted as forty-six yeas, four nays. The newly appointment Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, made a statement last night after the adjourning of the meeting.
"I have never aspired to be the Minister for Magic, but if I can do a better job than Fudge and fix the problems within the Ministry, then I will do it willingly. No longer will people be ignored; I will listen to all concerns and comments with equal consideration."
Many changes to inner-Ministry workings have been proposed and are already being put in place. Former Minister Fudge refused to comment, again. The Daily Prophet will keep the readers updated as we receive the news.
"That was awfully fast," Harry said as Hermione finished reading the article aloud at breakfast.
"It wasn't fast enough, in my opinion. How that man ever came to be in power is beyond me," Hermione huffed as she refolded the Prophet and placed it beside her plate, glaring at it like it had offended her.
"Hey Harry, what did your dad say about teaching for the Duelling Club?" Ron asked as he mixed his eggs, bacon, and potatoes together it a gooey mess that made Hermione grimace.
"Must you mix everything on your plate like that, Ron? If it were meant to all be together, the house elves would have just made a scramble," Hermione said, making sure nothing on her plate touched. If Ron was going to extremes, Hermione was definitely on opposite sides of the scale.
Harry just rolled his eyes as his friends continued to bicker about food and the separation of certain dishes. "My dad asked me to teach the Advanced group so that he and Moony can focus on the people who need more help."
Hermione and Ron stopped fighting instantly to stare at Harry. Hermione recovered first, smiling widely at her dark-haired friend. "Oh Harry, that's wonderful!"
"He asked you to teach? So, you didn't suggest it yourself?" Ron asked with an incredulous expression.
Harry shrugged as he took a bite of bacon and washed it down with some pumpkin juice. "I mentioned the D.A. and the idea of me teaching, and he said he had actually been meaning to ask me if I would be willing to teach the Advanced group. It was his idea first, apparently."
"That's awfully...well, shocking, coming from Snape. He trusts you that much?" Ron asked, Hermione glaring at him from beside Harry.
"He said he trusts my abilities and has every faith in me. I was quite surprised by it as well but...I agreed to do it." Harry chuckled as Ron pumped his fist into the air in celebration, causing Hermione to roll her eyes.
"See, now I can't wait for the next meeting!" Ron said excitedly, nearly knocking over the pitcher of pumpkin juice in his enthusiasm.
"Thanks, Ron," Harry said exasperatedly, shaking his head in amusement as Hermione stared at the redhead with a complete look of bemusement.
The bell rang for first class, and Harry held back to wait for Draco as Hermione and Ron went ahead to Potions, bickering quietly together the whole way. Harry was surprised to see his father making his way towards him as well.
"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about your nightmare last night," the Potions Master said in a quiet voice as students passed him by.
Harry scowled darkly. "Remus has a big mouth."
Severus gave his son a reproving look as he motioned for Harry and Draco to walk with him to his classroom. "He was only worried about you, and besides; I asked him what had happened anyways. Now, you're absolutely sure it was only a nightmare and not a vision?"
"Yes. My scar always hurts after seeing something through Voldemort's mind. Plus, this nightmare didn't really concern Him at all."
Severus looked sceptical, but nodded his understanding anyways. "I want to know if you continue having nightmares, especially the same nightmare, alright? Taking some Dreamless Sleep might be a good idea if they start plaguing you like they're wont to do."
Harry sighed as they made it to the Potions classroom. "Yeah, alright. Thanks, Dad."
As they set up their cauldrons and set out their ingredients, Draco leaned over to whisper to Harry.
"What was that about nightmares and visions, Harry?"
Harry sighed, not wanting to explain that to his boyfriend. He was terrified that Draco would think he was insane and leave him when he found out the truth. "I just had a nightmare last night. Last year...it's really complicated, Draco."
"I'm pretty intelligent, I'm sure I can figure it out," the blonde said with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you remember what I told you this summer before you started teaching me Occlumency? About the connection between Voldemort and I, and his ability to implant false memories? My dad's afraid that's happening again, but it feels different. I learned the hard way to tell the difference between dreams and reality, and I've been blocking my mind religiously," Harry said firmly, absolutely positive that the dream had been nothing but just that; a dream.
"Well, Severus is just worried about you, is all. He's right though, Harry. If you keep having that dream, you need to tell him right away," Draco encouraged his boyfriend, turning his attention over to his potions book.
"I know. I will, I promise."
S~S~S~S
Hot breath, sharp claws, the stench of stale sweat and the tang of blood filled Harry's nostrils until he felt faint and ill. He turned this way and that to try to figure out where it was all coming from, but he still couldn't see.
As he looked around, even without his glasses, he could see shadows moving closer. He couldn't tell what they were, but they were making chittering noises that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He heard a rustling from behind him and scrambled to his feet, reaching for his wand again and clenching his fists in frustration when he didn't find it. He squinted as hard as he could, but between the darkness, the rain, and his lack of glasses, he couldn't see anything.
He felt his heart jump into his throat as the leaves of the bush he was staring at suddenly parted, and a pair of gleaming eyes moved forward. Harry quickly backed away, only to trip over a root that was sticking up. He scrambled back in an odd crab-walk on his hands and bum. Blind or not, Harry could not mistake that smell and that rough, gravely laugh. Fenrir Greyback was there, naught ten feet away from him. He threw his arms over his face in a weak attempt to protect himself, unable to keep a whimper from escaping him.
"We meet again, Potter..."
"Harry...Harry! Get up or you're going to be late for Charms."
His breath coming in sharp gasps, Harry grabbed blindly for his glasses, shoving them onto his nose when he found them. He looked around and saw his father standing in the doorway giving him a very calculating look.
"You had the dream again."
Harry knew it wasn't a question, but he nodded anyways. "Yeah..."
After he was dressed and had his books stuffed haphazardly in his book bag, Harry was waylaid at the door by the Potions Professor once more. He was holding up a bottle of light blue potion, his face as expressionless as ever.
"You will take a dose of Dreamless Sleep tonight. If you have the dream again, it will be painfully obvious that it is not, in fact, a dream at all, and then we will have much bigger problems to deal with. Do you understand?"
Harry sighed and nodded, taking the small vial of potion and slipping it into the pocket of his robes. He didn't particularly like the dreams, but he could feel that familiar curiosity that had lured him in just like the plain black door. That feeling alone terrified him, and he willing agreed to take the Dreamless Sleep if it would make the bothersome dreams go away.
That night, Harry took a dose of Dreamless Sleep before bed like instructed. The potion was not tampered with, and it could be trusted one hundred percent, as Severus had made it with his own two hands. That night, Harry had the dream again.
"Should we perhaps tell the Headmaster about these dreams, Severus?" Remus asked as he climbed back into bed after making sure Harry was asleep once more in his bed.
The Potions Master looked lost in thought as he leaned against the headboard, stroking his chin as he stared at something off in the distance. "The Headmaster is busy, I'm sure. The last time Harry was having these issues, Dumbledore didn't do anything about it."
"He tried. You were supposed to teach him Occlumency, Severus."
"Yes, thank you, I had actually forgotten about that," Severus snapped sarcastically as he glared at the Defence Professor. "These dreams must be something different, Remus. He's Occluding. I tested him three times today; his shields are strong. Dreamless Sleep was not enough to keep it away. It's something different, something Harry hasn't encountered before."
Remus sighed as he snuffed out the candle on his bedside table and turned on his side to face his bond mate. "Why don't you just sleep on it and we'll figure this out in the morning, yes?"
"I cannot sleep while my son is being tortured in his sleep by something clearly Dark in nature. I need to see the dream, I need to know what he's seeing, what makes it different," The Potions Professor went on, as if he was checking things off of a list in his head.
"Severus, really – "
Remus watched as the dark haired man stood up and pulled on his dressing gown, closing the door a little too firmly on his way out. He was positive the man would be entering their son's bedroom to look over the Gryffindor, and his heart ached with the knowledge of it.
S~S~S~S
"Harry, I need to see the dream."
Harry pulled the cup of tea that he was about to sip from away from his lips, groaning audibly. He had just finished an essay for Charms and was hoping to be able to relax for a bit before heading to bed. Apparently it was not his night for relaxing. "Do you mean viewing it in a pensieve or just Legilimizing me?"
"It will be much easier to view in a pensieve, if you are open to that?" the Potions Master said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Do I have choice?" Harry asked hopefully. He got his answer in the intense glare his father shot at him. "Alright, alright. Fine, you can see it."
"We'll wait until tomorrow since it is so late already. I daresay you'll be having the dream again."
"Goodnight, Dad," Harry said with a wide yawn as he stood up from his spot on the sofa and made to go to his room.
Severus sighed heavily and stood up, patting his son gently on the shoulder. "Try to get some sleep. Come to me if you need me, no matter what time it is, alright? Goodnight."
Harry woke up at around three in the morning after having the dream, this time a little more vividly. It took him much longer to get his breathing under control and to get the sense of fear to leave him, and wasn't surprised when his father came in, sat on the edge of his bed and handed him a calming draught.
"Perhaps you shouldn't attend classes tomorrow. It's clear you're not getting any sleep, and there's apparently nothing I can do to remedy that right now. Do you think you can sleep the rest of the night?"
Harry had been unable to go back to sleep the last time he had the dream, and after experiencing such a vivid version of it, he was almost sure he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. "I can try..."
"A night of Wizard's chess it is," Severus said with a warm smile as he summoned the chess set and began to set it up on the bed between them. He only got so far before the board was squashed by Harry leaning over it to nearly strangle him in a hug.
"Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome, Harry. Now prepare to be put to shame," Severus said with a devilish smirk.
S~S~S~S
Harry had indeed spent all day at home, Draco coming in to check on him during every passing period, free period, lunch and dinner. Harry had played enough Wizard's chess the night before that he never wanted to touch the game again. He was so tired, but he knew if he slept, he'd have the dream again. He waited patiently for his dad to come home and watch the dream in his pensieve, hoping he would have an answer for him.
Severus entered Harry's room with a medium sized black box tucked underneath his arm. Draco followed along and flopped down on Harry's bed beside him, snuggling up to his side like a cat. Remus wasn't far behind, bringing hot chocolate and biscuits with him.
"You should be bed ridden more often, Harry. Remus never lets me eat his chocolate biscuits," Severus joked, earning a glare from the werewolf and chuckles from the boys.
"Careful now, or I won't let you eat any biscuits, chocolate or otherwise..." Remus drawled, smirking as Harry and Draco 'ooh'ed and Severus blushed.
"Quiet, you," the Potions Professor grumbled as he sat the box down on the bed, carefully lifting the lid to reveal a small glass orb that looked all too much like the crystal balls they used in Divination.
"This is called a Dream Orb. It will be connected to your subconscious while you sleep and record your dreams. It will glow blue when there is a dream recorded, red when there is an absence of dreams. I will give you the courtesy of viewing the dreams first, just as a precaution, but know that the dreams can only be viewed three times before they start to diminish and vanish completely."
Harry blushed at the implications of viewing his dreams first, but nodded as he took the small orb from his father and examined the glass sphere. It felt surprisingly warm in his hand, and almost seemed like it was pulsing.
"How will it be connected to me?"
Severus pulled out his wand, taking a piece of parchment from inside the box in which the Dream Orb had been contained. There was a little wooden stand for the orb to sit on, which the Potions Master placed on Harry's bedside table. "There's a spell that has to be performed. Once it is connected to you, the Dream Orb will belong to you forever, and will only ever record your dreams."
Draco took the orb gently out of Harry's hands, rolling it around in his palms as he stared at his upside-down reflection in the shining glass. "Where'd you find this, Sev?"
"I had a conversation with a colleague regarding dreams and the best way to view someone else's. He explained that viewing somebody else's dream in a pensieve is not the best way because perceptions can actually change details and warp the original dream. The Dream Orb will record the dream as it is originally seen. That's why it can only be viewed three times before it will fade, because outside perceptions can change dreams."
"I really didn't pay enough attention in Divination," Harry said with a frown, accepting the sphere back from Draco and placing it carefully on the stand.
"Divination is a shoddy subject at best, but there are a very few who actually possess the gift of Second Sight. It is an inborn skill, not a learned one," Severus assured his son. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial of purple potion, handing it to Harry.
"It is not Dreamless Sleep, but a simple sleeping draught that will help you fall asleep. It is habit forming if used excessively, so do not get used to it, alright? We will find another solution if these dreams do not quit on their own."
Harry nodded as he popped open the vial and knocked back the violet liquid, burrowing down into his pillows and blankets. He smiled as Draco kissed him gently on the forehead before heading to bed himself. Just as his vision was starting to fade and sleep began to take over, Harry saw his parents share a worried look, but he thought of it no more as the darkness took him.
S~S~S~S
When Harry woke up the next morning, he realized that he had not been woken by the dream the previous night, but the Dream Orb was indeed glowing blue. His father had been right about that sleeping draught. He pulled the parchment that described how to view the dreams encased in the Orb close to him and read it once more, lifting his wand to tap the sphere and muttering the charm that would project the dream onto the wall. He was glad it wasn't like a pensieve and sucked you inside of it.
It was the dream about the forest again, and there were even more details than before. He felt the fear grip him just as it did in the dream, and he nearly jumped out of his skin as his bedroom door opened. The dream ended just as his father looked upon the projected image.
"Was that it, was that the dream?" Severus asked as he moved to sit beside the Gryffindor. He waited for his son's nod of confirmation before tapping the sphere with his wand, projecting the dream once more.
Harry gasped just before the dream ended, reaching for the orb again to play the dream once more, but Severus caught his wrist before he could touch it.
"What is it, Harry? What did you see?"
"At the end, when Greyback was talking. He'd only ever said the part about meeting again, but just as it cut out it looked like he said something else. Play it again," Harry insisted, his stomach in knots as he tried not to envision what he saw on the werewolf's lips just as the image faded.
"I'm not so sure the image will be as clear the last time we play it. Let me get Remus, he'll want to see."
Harry began to protest, but clamped his mouth shut as he father gave him a stern look and left the room to fetch the Defence Professor. He hoped that the dream had not faded too much, and that he'd not imagined what he saw.
When Severus and Remus returned, they played the dream for the third and final time. At the end, just where Harry had gasped before, Severus used some spell to pause it as if it were a Muggle VHS.
"What does he say every time, Harry? Just so we know what's different," Severus asked, his wand still trained on the orb as he gazed at his son with a calculating look.
"The first time he didn't say anything. The second time he said 'We meet again, Potter'. This time, though, I swear he said something else. Play it," Harry urged again.
Severus took a deep breath and gave his wand a flick, un-pausing the dream.
"We meet again, Potter. Where's dear old dad now?"
The dream ended, and the Orb glowed red for a second as the dream faded away completely. There was complete silence in the room until Remus broke it with a snort. "It's bound to have been in the papers by now that you've been adopted, Harry."
"But what would Greyback want with Dad?" Harry insisted, watching as the last swirling mists of the dream faded off into nothingness, leaving the glass orb clear once more.
Severus shook his head slowly as he sat down on the bed beside his son. "I don't think it's me he wants," he said, giving Remus a significant look. "We need to find a way to keep these dreams at bay, and figure out how they started in the first place."
"Do you think it's Voldemort?" Harry asked in a small voice, feeling completely lost. It didn't feel like a vision, his scar never hurt afterwards, and Occluding didn't do anything to prevent the dreams from coming. Even Dreamless Sleep was ineffective, proving that it wasn't actually a dream after all.
"I don't know, Harry, but I will find out."
S~S~S~S
A week later and they were no closer to finding the answers to what these 'dreams' of Harry's were, or how and why they started. Severus had done plenty of research, but yet it was fruitless. All things led to the same conclusion; the dream was not technically a dream. If that were the case, then it had to be a vision, but that didn't make sense either. If Harry was seeing another false memory, that had to mean that Voldemort had somehow broken through his Occlumency shields. But that didn't seem likely either, as Harry's scar never twinged one bit.
The sleeping draughts were brewed at a lower concentration so that Harry could take them for longer periods of time without growing dependent. After three days, Severus started to wean him off of them completely, but the dreams continued, and Harry slept even less.
"Please, Dad. I have a test in Transfiguration tomorrow and I need to sleep," Harry begged, rubbing at his bloodshot eyes as if to get his point across.
"I told you, Harry, that the minute you started to depend on these potions for sleep that they would stop. These become very dangerous, almost to the point where you'll be dependent for life. You do not want that, Son. I'm sorry, but you'll have to try to sleep the best you can without it. I'm working on a formula for a draught that isn't habit forming, but it will take time," Severus explained, checking all of the drawers in Harry's desk and nightstand to make sure they did not contain any more of the purple sleeping draughts.
"I'm not hiding anything. Why would I ask you for one if I had one already?" Harry snapped, slamming the drawer of his nightstand closed almost on the Potions Master's hand.
Severus glared at the Gryffindor as he snatched his hand away from the drawer, pointing towards Harry's bed with a sharp jab.
"Bed, now. I know you're frustrated and tired, but that does not give you the right to talk to me that way, young man. We're trying to figure things out, but taking that potion is not an option anymore. Do you understand me?"
"But – "
"Do you understand?"
"Perfectly!" Harry snapped again, stomping over to his bed and flopping onto it, curling himself up in his blankets and ignoring his father as he snuffed out his candle with a heavy sigh.
"Goodnight, Harry." Severus didn't wait long for a response, as he knew he wouldn't be getting one. He closed the door carefully behind him and returned to the sitting room to finish marking papers before he turned in for the night.
S~S~S~S
"Harry, are you still awake?" Severus asked incredulously through his son's closed bedroom door. He could see a faint light underneath the door as if there was a candle lit. However, he knew he had snuffed the candle before he left his son alone mere hours before. Perhaps Harry had just lit one to read by due to his lack of ability to sleep properly.
After nearly a minute with no response, Severus figured that Harry had fallen asleep with a candle still lit. Not wanting to wake up to a burnt down castle, he opened the door to snuff out the candle as quickly and quietly as he could.
Two things became immediately apparent as Severus entered his son's room; the glow he had seen was not coming from a candle, but from the dream orb he had given Harry, and his son was not in his bed at all. Severus knocked on the bathroom door – nothing. He checked the lab, his and Remus' bedroom and bathroom, the sitting room (even though he had been sitting in it himself), and even went and woke Draco up, who had no idea where the Gryffindor was. Harry was missing.
"Severus?" Remus asked as he wrapped his dressing gown over his bare chest. He was blurry-eyed from just waking up.
"I can't find Harry. He was in his room all night, and now he's not there," Severus said, trying not to panic as he thought of all the places his son could be. What worried him the most was the fact that he had not witnessed his son leaving his room or their quarters. Had he been that engrossed in grading, or was it something else entirely?
"You're absolutely sure he was in his room, Severus?"
"I'm positive, Remus. I talked to him about the sleeping draughts, and he went to bed around half-nine. I've been sitting out there marking papers since then; I would have seen him leave. Something isn't right, Remus. I can feel it," Severus said in a pleading tone, trying extremely hard now not to go into a panic.
Remus' expression steadily took on a more worried form. He took a second to think before grasping Severus' hand in his own. "I think we need to inform the Headmaster that he's missing."
The Potions Master and the Defence Professor flooed straight into the Headmaster's office, and were surprised to find the elderly wizard still awake.
"Severus, Remus; to what do I owe this late and rare pleasure?" the wizened old man asked, his blue eyes twinkling as ever.
"Harry is missing, Albus. I watched him enter his room to retire for the night, and then proceeded to mark essays in the sitting room until the time I realized he was gone. There's no way he could have gotten passed me without my noticing."
"Oh but there is, my dear boy. Harry possesses an invisibility cloak, does he not? He is quite infamous for using it to get himself into various levels of mischief, amongst other things," the Headmaster said with a light shrug.
Severus took a deep, cleansing breath to calm himself before speaking once more, lest he snap at Dumbledore out of irritation. "I had a clear view of both Harry's bedroom door and the door leading out of our quarters. Unless my son has acquired the ability to walk through walls as well, he did not utilize the cloak this time."
"You're absolutely sure that there was no possibility of you not noticing if either of the doors slipped open, even for a moment, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, the twinkle in his eyes dimming just so as his voice turned stern.
"I am never oblivious to my surroundings, Albus. I am simply too paranoid not to notice if doors started opening and closing seemingly on their own," Severus snapped, his patience quickly wearing thin. The longer they stood and discussed things, the further away his son could be.
"That makes it also true, then, that you would have noticed somebody else entering your quarters, so abduction seems unlikely," the Headmaster mused, stroking his long beard slowly in thought.
"I would not rule out abduction, Professor. We must not forget our enemy has been very resourceful in the past. There was no disturbance in the castle's wards? If he is outside of the castle, the wards would have set off an alarm to notify staff that a student was out on the grounds," said Remus, gently grasping Severus' arm to help keep his bond mate calm in the face of panic.
"There is one weak spot in the wards that I discovered just today by catching a student there. The Astronomy Tower is set as part of the internal castle wards, but it does technically lead outside. If one were to carry a broomstick with them, it would be fairly easy to leave the castle's protection."
"Albus, my concern at the moment is not how Harry could have left or been taken. My concern is finding my son as soon as possible. Raise the alarm, or I will go to every staff member and do it myself," Severus warned, crossing his arms over his chest, masking how bad his hands had begun to shake.
The Headmaster nodded slowly, looking behind Severus and Remus. He lifted a hand, the one that wasn't black and decayed, and snapped his fingers. Fawkes rose from his perch and flew over in two quick flaps of his large gold and scarlet wings. "I would like you to raise the alarm please, Fawkes. Two flashes for a missing student."
The large Phoenix crooned a high pitched sound, a bright flash flaring twice as he vanished.
"The search will begin within the castle, then progress to the grounds. If the search within the castle is fruitless, I will call the Aurors in," Dumbledore said quietly in explanation.
"I want the forest searched right away. Harry's recurring dream took place in the forest. I have a bad feeling that, once again, Harry's nightmares are coming true," Severus said, taking as much comfort as he could in Remus' hand trailing up and down his back.
"I'll go with you – "
"No," Severus snapped, giving his husband an apologetic look as the man raised an eyebrow at him. "In his dream, I'm almost sure you were the one being targeted, not me. Help with the search within the castle."
"Severus, I – "
"No, Remus! I do not want you out there. Please, just stay in the castle. I'm sure Draco will be panicking when he realizes the alarm has been raised. Take him to search the castle with you."
Remus looked torn between worry and anger at being told that he couldn't search for Harry in the most likely place the boy could be. "He is my son too, Severus."
"Yes, Remus, he is, but you are my husband and I want you safe inside the castle. You will recall another man who did not listen to the same advice from you, and it cost him his life?" Severus thought that perhaps reminding Remus of his dead ex-lover was a low blow, but if it made the werewolf stay safely in the castle, then it was worth it.
Remus had began to protest, but his jaw snapped shut with an audible clack as he remembered the utter panic he felt when Sirius insisted he go to the Ministry. If that was how Severus felt, he knew he couldn't join the search in the forest. Nobody deserved to feel so helpless.
"Alright, I'll take Draco to search the castle," said Remus. He was surprised by the amount of relief shining in his bond mate's eyes. He pulled the Potions Master close, kissing him firmly on the lips. "Be careful, Severus. I'll not lose you, too."
Severus gently brushed Remus' hair out of his eyes, placing another chaste kiss on the man's lips. "You won't. Keep Draco in the castle, even if you have to tie him down."
Remus nodded, hugging Severus close to him for a few seconds. "I love you."
"I love you too." Severus watched as Remus left the Headmaster's office, hopefully heading down to the dungeons to collect Draco, where he was supposed to be.
"Will you not call the Aurors and put them on stand-by so that they may be ready if we need them?"
"Already done, Severus. Fawkes raised the alarm with the Order as well. Kingsley and Tonks will know by now," the Headmaster said with a short nod.
"Thank you, Albus. Will you be joining the search within the castle, or out on the grounds?" The Potions Professor asked, eager to get on with his search already.
"Forgive me, Severus, but my reflexes are not what they used to be. I fear I would be more harmful than helpful with the search out on the grounds," Albus said quietly, flicking his sleeve back so that his black and decaying hand was more visible. The black now stretched halfway up his pallid arm.
"Albus, it is spreading," Severus said in shock, moving forward as if to grasp the Headmaster's arm.
"Yes, but that is not your problem to be concerned about at the moment. Go find your son, Severus."
The Potions Master was shocked to discover that his worry for the Headmaster had momentarily eclipsed that for his son. Manipulative and secretive as Albus was, Severus still felt for him like a son would feel for their father. He gave a curt nod before leaving the Head's office, heading down to the Entrance Hall to meet the other staff members.
S~S~S~S
"Professor Lupin? What in Merlin's name is going on? Severus woke me up half an hour ago and asked me if I'd seen Harry. It's past three in the morning, why would I have seen anyone, let alone Harry?" Draco asked with an incredulous expression as Remus led him into the Potions Master's main quarters.
Remus paused and turned towards the young Slytherin, taking a deep breath as he prepared for panic to reign. "Draco, Harry has seemingly gone missing at some point. The alarm has been raised and a castle and grounds-wide search has begun. I need you to stay calm, and stay with me, alright? I may have a way of finding out exactly where Harry is."
Draco's face drained completely of colour as he swayed where he stood. He was glad for the Defence Professor's quick reflexes as he was saved from falling to the floor by the man's strong arms.
"Come now, Draco. Stay with me. You cannot help if you are unconscious."
Draco shook his head to clear the fog of worry that had taken over his brain, still clutching tightly to the werewolf's arms as he righted himself and got his emotions under control. Harry was missing. Harry was gone. Harry had been taken. Harry could be dead for all he knew. He swayed again.
"Dear Merlin, do Slytherin's always faint in the face of panic? Sit down, take some deep breaths and try to get a hold of yourself. I'll be right back. Do not move," Remus instructed the blonde as he led him over to the sofa and deposited him onto the cushions. As soon as he was sure Draco would not go into anaphylactic shock, Remus made straight for Harry's room and his school trunk. He opened it and began rummaging around, looking for a very specific, aged packet of parchment. He made a noise of discovery as he uncovered the map.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Remus muttered as he touched his wand to the yellowing parchment. He watched impatiently as the ink spread and flowed, creating a detailed map of Hogwarts castle and it's grounds.
His eyes began skimming everywhere, checking in even the most unlikely of places. Even as he searched he could see half of the dots labelled with professor's names exiting the castle to search the grounds, and the other half spreading out to search the castle. He skimmed the entire grounds twice, four times, ten times, and still he could not find a dot labelled Harry Potter. Another skim of the castle came up fruitless as well. A deep sense of panic stole over Remus as the possibility of Harry being somewhere else entirely seized him, making him feel quite faint as well. He needed to get the map to Dumbledore or Severus, lest they waste their time searching Hogwarts when it was apparent that Harry was not there at all, inside or outside of the castle.
"Draco, we need to – "
The words died on Remus' lips as he looked up from the map upon entering the sitting room, only to find it abandoned, Draco nowhere to be found. "Shite!" He unfolded the map once more, skimming the dungeons to locate the Slytherin. He couldn't have gotten that far, right? Upon discovering that Draco was not in the dungeons at all, Remus decided he had a duty to his own son at the moment, and his concern needed to be getting the map to Severus or the Headmaster as soon as possible.
S~S~S~S
Harry was freezing. He was sure he had covered up pretty well before he fell asleep, but there even seemed to be a frigid breeze. All at once, Harry realized that something was terribly wrong. He slept in the dungeons, there were no breezes down there, and his room had never smelt like damp earth before. His eyes flashed open as his stomach plummeted; he was in the Forbidden Forest, and this time, it wasn't a dream.
"He's awake!"
Harry jumped at the sudden shout and looked around in panic. It was too dark to see who had shouted, and he was near blind without his glasses. He shuddered as he felt a cold hand grasp his wrist, too tight, and yanked him to his feet. The crazy mess of hair and tinkling laugh that sent chills up his spine told him exactly who had a hold of him.
"Little baby Potter is growing up, aint he. So handsome..." Bellatrix leaned closer to her prey, taking a deep sniff, her nose trailing from Harry's collar bone, up his jaw and cheek and into his hair.
"Get away from me!" Harry snapped, trying to pull his wrist out of her firm grasp and searching his pockets with his other hand for his wand. It wasn't there. He had expected that, but it didn't make the shock and renewed panic any easier to handle.
Bellatrix's leer began to turn into a sneer, and she tightened her grip on Harry's wrist, surely leaving bruises. "Now, now, Harry; there's no need to be so disrespectful. Your father would be so disappointed to hear how much of a brat you're being to poor little Bella," she pouted overdramatically.
Harry felt the bile rise in his throat, hoping that the insane Death Eater was referring to his dead birth father, not his adoptive father or Remus. If they knew, they would go after Severus and Remus. They had figured it would get out soon enough, what with the junior Death Eaters in Slytherin reporting back to their parents about everything at the school. They never thought the Death Eaters would be able to enter the castle, however. Harry paused at that thought. How on earth did he get from his bed to the forest floor without waking up at all?
His musing was interrupted by a horrible smell coming from behind him, and he cringed as he felt a rough hand with sharp claws digging into his shoulder. "Frankly, I'm surprised that your new daddy isn't here yet. Surely he smelt us coming. He's probably sniffing you out now," Fenrir hissed, his hot and putrid breath wafting over his cheeks and making him gag.
"Fuck you," Harry spat, really confused now. He wasn't going to let them see his confusion, however. He needed to stall, to distract them. He had no idea what he was going to do, but the more time he stalled, the more time he had to figure out a plan.
Harry gasped as Bellatrix's palm made stark contact with his cheek. The bitingly cold air made the slap sting that much more, but Harry just grit his teeth and turned his face away from the werewolf, who had circled around to face him.
"Patience, Bellatrix! You heard our orders; kill the wolf and bring the boy," Greyback growled, literally. Harry's eyes had adjusted to the dark somewhat, and he could make out the scraggly, hunched over shape of the werewolf, and the petite, slender form of the evilest of the Black sisters.
Bellatrix pouted and drug a long, sharp nail across Harry's cheek, drawing blood as she dug her nail in. "Our Lord never said anything about not harming him, though. What's a little blood, eh? His blood is no longer a safe-haven for him. The only person who shares his blood now is our Master himself," Bellatrix cackled, slashing Harry's other cheek with her nail as well.
The half-man, half-wolf surged forward and ripped Bella's hand away from Harry, though her other hand still held firmly and painfully to his wrist. "We do not know how the wards will react to him being harmed! You can take out your masochistic pleasure after our Lord kills him, I'm sure. I might even let you play with the wolf a little, if you stop antagonizing the boy!"
"Hypocrite," Bellatrix snapped, though a very unpleasant smile stretched across her face, transforming what was once beautiful into something deformed and hideous.
"What are you waiting for? Why haven't you just taken me to old Snake Face already?" Harry asked with a sneer, hoping to anger Bellatrix with his slur on Voldemort. If she hurt him again, they would argue amongst themselves once more, giving him more time. Hopefully he would be able to get some answers as well.
He knew they must be talking about Remus, but he didn't understand why they were talking about the wards. Only Severus was connected to the wards; killing Remus wouldn't affect them at all.
And then he finally understood, though he was still confused on some details. They thought that Remus had adopted him, and that he was bonded to Remus for the wards. Wouldn't they know better, though? Greyback was a werewolf himself, he had to know the Umbridge Laws prevented Remus from adopting him. Things weren't adding up, but Harry was more concerned about getting away from the Death Eaters and making sure Remus stayed far away from them as well.
Harry's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as every cell in his body exploded in sharp, hot pain. He screamed as his knees gave out and he fell to the ground, curling in on himself in an attempt to stop the pain.
"How dare you talk that way about my Master? He is more of a man than you'll ever be, bitty baby Potter!" Bellatrix shrieked as she pushed more and more force into her Cruciatus curse. Her eyes were blazing, and her hair practically crackled with the amount of magic she was pouring into her wand.
A lot happened all at once, and Harry couldn't have been sure what had happened first, as he had been curled up on the forest floor with his eyes clenched shut and his ears pounding with the sound of his own blood. He felt the curse lift and lay there limp for a few seconds to try to recover. In that time, he realized it was much too quiet. Harry blinked open his eyes and sat up slowly, gasping when he saw the form of someone with long blonde hair kneeling beside him, holding out what he originally thought was a wand, but was actually...his glasses?
Harry snatched his glasses up and shoved them onto his nose, glad to finally be able to see his attackers. He recognized Lucius Malfoy immediately, and tried to stand up so he could run. He had no idea what the man was playing at by giving him his glasses, but he certainly wasn't going to stick around to have a little chat and find out. As he looked around him, the benefit of sight a Godsend now, Harry saw Bellatrix and Greyback stunned and tied up in so many ropes and chains, he was sure they weren't breathing.
"They won't be getting away, Mr. Potter," a rich voice said from behind Harry, making the teen whirl around to defend himself, though he didn't think fist fighting was going to be the best method of getting away from one of the most infamous Death Eaters there was.
Lucius Malfoy hardly looked like an escaped convict, except perhaps for some weight loss. His robes were still crisp and graceful, and his blonde hair – so like Draco's that Harry shuddered – was shining and luscious as ever. His piercing gray eyes narrowed as Harry took a step back, but he didn't make any moves towards him.
"Why did you stun them? So you can get all the glory from your Master when you take me to him?" Harry egged on, having lost any ideas for escape that he might have had before.
He was wandless in the middle of a forest with three Death Eaters, given that two of them were indisposed, but that wasn't the biggest problem. This man was his boyfriend's father, someone he knew that Draco loved, despite all of the things the man had done. If something were to happen to the older Malfoy, Harry wouldn't lose any sleep over it, but Draco would be devastated. As little as he wanted to admit it, Harry knew he had to make sure that, whatever happened, Lucius Malfoy would make it out alive.
Soft laughter escaped the tall, lean man, disconcerting Harry even further. Lucius spread his arms out, displaying that he wasn't aiming his wand at the Gryffindor. In fact, he didn't have his wand out at all. "You're very far off the mark, Potter; though I don't blame you for your attitude, given all of our prior encounters."
Harry felt his blood boil as he remembered the last time he saw Lucius Malfoy in the flesh. It was the last time he had seen his godfather alive as well. "Forgive me for assuming that our next destination would be a visit with old Voldemort. You see, usually when I'm surrounded by Death Eaters, Tom comes along eventually."
"You're much feistier, I must say. Less dumb bravery and more spice. It must be my son's influence on you," said Lucius, a cross between a smile and sneer gracing his aristocratic face. He reached into his robes slowly, lifting the edge to show Harry that he wasn't reaching for a wand, but something that looked like a packet of parchment. It unfurled as he held it out, and Harry blushed as he recognized the issue of the Daily Prophet starring him and Draco during a quite private moment.
"Right, so you're just here to kill me yourself, then. I get it," Harry said as he ran a hand nervously through his already dishevelled hair. Why hadn't he been stunned and tied up like the other two? And for that matter, why had Malfoy attacked his fellow Death Eaters?
"No, I do not plan on killing anyone tonight, or contributing to anyone's murder, either. What I want is to see my son, and I know that you, of all people, would be able to take me to him."
Harry snorted, knowing he was tempting fate but pretty much out of options at that point. "What makes you think I'm going to believe anything you say? And why would I lead you to Draco, when I don't trust you as far as I could throw you?"
There was a slight blush on the older man's cheeks as he glared at Harry, an obvious attempt at controlling his anger. "I stunned and bound two Death Eaters who were trying to kill your step-father and kidnap you. What else would you like as proof?"
"It could be a trap. I...wait – did you just say step-father?" Harry asked, his heart beat pounding so loudly in his ears that he was sure the elder Malfoy could hear it where he stood nearly ten feet away.
"Yes, I did. And this is not a trap. My wife was murdered because of me and my foolish decisions. I will not see my son suffer the same fate. Name your terms; what do you want in order for you to take me to see my son?"
"How do you know about Remus being my step-father? These two kept calling him my father," Harry pointed out, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as he started to become even more suspicious, if that was possible.
"That was my doing as well, Potter. I overheard the mission that the Dark Lord was sending them on; they were to kill Snape and bring you back to Him. I had seen this paper already, and knew that you were close to my son. I confunded them and modified their memories," Lucius explained as he folded the Prophet back up and placed it back into his inside pocket.
Harry began to get the feeling that he had missed a crucial step in a long puzzle, disorienting him as he tried to determine whether or not he should believe the older man. Something still didn't add up, however. "How did I get here from the castle?"
"Time-release portkey. You will recall about two weeks ago when a young man named Blaise Zabini happened to accidently run into you and knock your glasses off? When he picked them up to hand them back to you, he put a charm on them that would turn them into a portkey that would activate at a specific time. However, Mr. Zabini managed to bollix up the Latin, and instead caused you to have, I'm assuming, very vivid dreams about just this situation?"
Harry smacked his forehead, his cheeks burning in embarrassment and shame. He should have known better, especially after the Slytherin had threatened Draco. "Yeah, it gave me vivid dreams alright," Harry muttered.
He studied the older man's face carefully, trying to detect any dishonesty. He was frightened to feel pity for the man, seeing his son in him much more now than before. "My terms are this: I want your wand and a Wizard's Oath that if I lead you to Draco and the castle, where my family and friends are, you will not do anything to bring any harm to any of them. Do you agree?"
There was a long pause as they simply stared at each other. After what felt like years, the blonde haired man bent down and pulled his wand out of what looked like an ankle holster, holding it out to Harry, handle first. "I Vow to bring no harm to anyone residing in Hogwarts castle; staff, student, or otherwise."
Harry didn't have his wand to seal the Oath, but as soon as his hand touched the handle of the other man's wand, a bright light encased his hand and soaked into his skin, sealing the Oath with his magic instead. He gripped the wand tightly, stunned that Lucius Malfoy had willingly given up his wand to him, Harry Potter.
"What are you waiting for, Potter? We had an agreement," Lucius said after a nearly three full minutes of Harry just standing there, holding the elder Malfoy's wand so still that he could have been petrified.
"The Apocalypse. Surely it's coming soon," Harry answered in a monotone voice, shocked out of his reverie when Lucius began to laugh. It sounded almost carefree; relaxed. This could not be the same man that chased him around the Ministry, contributed to his godfather's death, and tried to kill him and his friends.
"You might want to hover them along with us, Potter. I'm sure you'd love to take the credit for putting them in Azkaban," Malfoy said, nodding his head at the two stunned and bound Death Eaters lying on the forest floor.
"You can have all the credit, Malfoy, I don't mind. I'm sure they'll be trying to make you join them. Just because I bring you with me, doesn't mean you're safe from prison yourself," Harry pointed out as he pointed Malfoy's wand at Bellatrix and Greyback and charmed them to hover behind them as they walked.
Lucius' steps paused as he turned back to look at Harry. "I know that, Potter. I said I wanted to see my son, not gain clemency."
Harry gave the blonde man a strange look, not sure if he was hearing things correctly. "You'd go back to Azkaban willingly?"
"It's what I deserve, and I know no amount of running from it will save me in the end. I've lost everything that I care about, Potter, except for my son. I wish to see him one last time. Is that too much to ask?"
Harry shook his head as they began walking towards the edge of the forest. "No...no, it's not."
A/N: Oh, I know I'm evil with my cliff hangers! Alas, you will have to wait until I finish another chapter or two for another update! Don't worry, it shouldn't take too long. Please review!