CH13: Spiralling

September 5th

4:23pm

Black Chateau, Isle of Man

Harry

With Remus behind him, Harry exited the chateau through the backdoor and came upon the two overgrown greenhouses. The blue tinted glass did nothing to hide the solemn faces of the men and women working tirelessly in an effort to produce food. Slumped in a chair in the eastern greenhouse was Neville. His round face, lean, blonde hair, dirty and unkempt. A combination of grief and determination etched into his features at all times.

"Laws of magic," Harry bitterly stated, "We can turn a matchstick into a living animal but not grow corn?"

"Well they're not real animals," Remus corrected. He was met with a distinct 'not now' look from Harry and so he shifted his approach. "They're making progress, slowly, but still."

"Tell me," Harry said simply. If he was honest with himself, he was feeling a bit useless in this time of crisis and he was itching to find a way to help. 'Perhaps a better understanding of our situation will give me a role to play.'

"What remains of our magical ingredients have been prioritised to making things like fertiliser and growth enhancers," Remus explained helpfully.

"Growth enhancers?"

"Yes, they're to ensure none of our yields are unripened, or smaller than they could be."

As if on cue, a small gasp of surprise escaped one of the herbologists as a pumpkin burst to a comically large size. The herbologist noticed Harry and Remus staring and put one of their thumbs up in triumph. Harry smiled and returned the gesture.

As Harry and Remus strolled along the winding path from the greenhouse around the west side of the house, their steps accompanied by the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional bird's chirp from the forest beside them, Harry couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to the odd encounter he had with Daphne that very morning.

Turning to Remus, he broached the subject that had been gnawing at his conscience. "Remus," he began, his voice tinged with concern, "Daphne thinks we should add guards to the Greenhouses." In fact, it was the first thing she had said to him that morning, having sought his advice whilst a toothbrush hung from his lips.

Remus made a pinched kind of face, his features indecisive. "It is something I had considered as well."

"I see the logic, but I'm worried about sending the wrong message to everyone here." If food was going to be in short supply, so too would be trust.

"Worrying too much about appearances has been the downfall of a great many men, Minister Fudge, Minister Scrimgeour, Voldemort," Remus tallied off on his fingers the names on his fingers, along with the final one, "I would caution against that perspective."

Harry frowned at being likened to Voldemort for the second time in the past twenty four hours but didn't fail to grasp the point. "Better to be safe than seem it."

"Keeping up appearances will be important, however, better to do so with real action than empty platitudes."

Remus stepped out of the way of one of the herbologists walking opposite to them, on their way to the greenhouse carrying a wooden crate of onions. "Besides," he continued once they were out of ear shot, "the muggles would agree with Miss Greengrass."

"The muggles?" Harry asked curiously.

As they continued their walk, Remus explained the troubling situation that extended beyond their magical community. "You know it's not just us who are suffering from this food shortage," he said. "Muggles are facing the same challenges, without magical solutions and a much higher population."

Harry's brow furrowed as Remus continued. "Auror scouts have discovered several outposts on the Isle of Man. Food is delivered from secret farms and plantations across the island. Once it arrives, the military steps in to ration it out to the local populace."

Harry sighed, realising the enormity of the crisis. "So, all crops and crop seeds are kept in the compound, under heavy guard, to be divided up between top secret farms."

Remus nodded in agreement. "Exactly. The muggles are facing more riots every day as people begin to starve." He needn't say it, but Remus didn't stop there, "If our own food situation isn't sorted out soon, we will face the same issues they do."

The weight of the situation sat heavily on Harry's shoulders. This was a battle he simply had no hand in controlling. He had to trust that the herbologists knew what they were doing and that the people would hold out long enough to see it done.

Passing a small junction where the dirt roads conjoined, a man stepped out from one of his tents and caught Harry's eye. A simple nod usually sufficed in these moments and so Harry gave him one but it seemed he had other plans. The man stepped out onto the path, blocking Harry and Remus' way and spoke.

"We're with you, Harry Potter, we know you'll pull us through."

"Thank you," Harry replied graciously. He stepped past the man and patted him on the shoulder on the way through. They were nearing the outskirts of the camp, the number of tents was thinning and the grass was much greener with less human activity in the area.

"Come on! You're in your prime! What's one more lap?"

'Speaking of pulling through,' he thought as they passed the medical tent. Running around the same pond he had visited with Daphne upon his return was Sirius Black, complete with shorts and a shirt that looked much too small for him.

"I spent twelve bloody years in Azkaban!" The shaggy haired adult was sweating profusely, only able to get his shouts in inbetween heavy, laboured breaths.

"Yes, yes," Halim replied, exaggerating his exasperation, "and two more on the run." Sirius' displeasure was voiced in a dissatisfied grunt before he focused on breathing again. "You're lucky I wasn't assigned your case, you'd have stood no chance if this is how fast you can run."

"Interesting," Remus muttered beside Harry.

Harry knew the benefits of physical exercise on his state of mind from personal experience but he had figured Sirius was in too deep for it to work. "Will it help?

"We all like to be useful, Harry, some more than others." Remus quietly sighed. "Sirius has always been particularly vulnerable to matters of self esteem."

"And yet…" Harry had already noticed the beginnings of a smile on the ex-professors face.

"And yet," Remus repeated, the smile coming into full view now before he shouted, "get those knees up you mutt!"

Sirius and Halim turned their heads in shock but Halim recovered faster. "The professor is right Sirius, you're slacking, perhaps another ten laps will improve your performance!" Shafiq gleefully commanded.

Sirius' groan couldn't be heard over the laughter of the three men standing idle. Remus and Harry joined Halim as Sirius, to his credit, began his ten extra laps.

"Thank you," Remus stated sincerely, "I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

"Our friend here is a good man," Halim answered with an unusual amount of fondness, "better than he has any right to be."

'I wonder if others say the same about me,' Harry pondered. Sirius truly had suffered a lot, probably more than he let on to Harry. 'Is there any way to say who has suffered more? Is there a point in doing so?'

"He is incredibly good natured," Remus replied. His eyes lit up though, then lowered sadly, "much like your mother, Harry."

Harry stayed quiet because he did not know what to say. To Harry, his parents were almost just a thing. A thing to be admired, respected, remembered. But he didn't remember them, not who they were, not them as people, just as idols and characters in the stories of those who did. As much as he loved them, he could never connect with the remaining marauders in the same way when it came to Lily and James Potter.

"We all need a little bit of hope to keep on," Halim remarked, breaking the silence that filled the space of Harry's brooding. "Sirius needed it too, but discipline, also."

"Sirius? Disciplined?" Remus needn't have asked to have his disbelief understood, it was already written all over his face.

You'll see," Halim retorted in a 'just you wait' tone, "by the time I'm done with him, he'll get Voldemort believing in the power of hope."

September 5th

9:07pm

Black Chateau, Isle of Man

Hermione

As Hermione Granger paced back and forth in one of the greenhouses, her mind raced with thoughts of how to accelerate crop growth. The argument with Harry two nights ago had left her feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. She loved Harry, she truly did, but that's what made the betrayal even worse.

'He faced an impossible choice,' she would say in her mind, only to pivot and think, 'but to create a horcrux…' She wondered if there was anyone in Tom Riddle's life that was in her position now, was she witnessing the fall of another great wizard? Were her feelings of camaraderie clouding her judgement?

'It's not that he created a horcrux,' she told herself for the millionth time, 'it's that he did so with my help, without telling me.'

Even that didn't scratch the surface of her feelings either. Fifth year, she begins a relationship with Ron at Grimmauld place. They were fifteen, scared shitless about Voldemort's return and only had each other to confide in. It was sweet and innocent and everything she thought her first relationship would be like.

'Ron would know what to say to him, they had a way of understanding each other beyond words.' Hermione finally stopped pacing and sat on one of the stools at the benches. 'Why did you have to leave Ronald, nothing has been right since you left, we're all broken.'

She felt slightly guilty thinking about her ex boyfriend when she was actively seeing Blaise but couldn't help but think it. 'No,' she angrily thought to herself, 'Harry had already had Umbridge killed. Whether it was for us or not that shouldn't should've been my first clue.'

Although as she looked at all the facts that she knew now, one glaring question came to mind. 'Was that Voldemort's influence, or Daphne's' It was Daphne's family that had set Harry down the path of leadership and since then everyone around him has suffered. 'The responsibility of everyone's lives on his shoulders, the guilt when one of us dies even when it had nothing to do with him… no wonder he's changed.'

'And Pettigrew is partially responsible for every death that has happened since Harry's parents, every death that Harry has felt so deeply.' Hermione shook her head as it all started falling in place for her. 'I had no issue when he killed Umbridge for me and Ron, why should I have an issue when he killed Pettigrew so that he could live?'

With a determined frown, Hermione began to mentally brainstorm how she was going to apologise for the insults and jumping the gun. 'Oh Merlin, I really shouldn't have said that,' she thought, remembering the insult that had caused him to storm off. She had seen him in a good mood with Remus earlier on so she hoped to catch him before it passed.

Hermione grabbed her books, she knew she wouldn't be able to get good work done until the matter was resolved. She did a quick three sixty degree check of the greenhouse for any of her belongings she might have absentmindedly placed down during her pacing but found only infant plants and box gardens of vegetables and fruit.

'We've got time,' Hermione thought, 'I can come back tomorrow with a fresh mind and a full stomach.'

Hermione left the greenhouse in high spirits, locking the glass door with a swish of her wand, she started towards the back door of the house when she heard a commotion behind her. The nose was faint, she knew it was somewhere behind the greenhouses but that still troubled her.

'No one should be hanging around the greenhouses at night unless authorised.'

Curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't resist the urge to see what was happening. Hermione went around the greenhouse and saw three men go into the dark woods.

Whether it was her insatiable curiosity or nostalgia for her Hogwarts investigative days, something urged her forward. 'What are you lot up to?' She followed their voices deeper into the forest, so far that she was sure they'd be nearing the ward line soon.

As the voices grew louder, she knew they had come to a stop. Dim ethereal blue light shone past the trees just fifteen metres in front of her and what she could see sent shivers down her spine. Cloaked figures were gathered in a clandestine meeting, their voices hushed but filled with venomous anger. The urgency of their words made Hermione's unease grow. She saddled up to a tree, pointed her wand at her ear and muttered "audicare" the amplifying charm, to listen in.

"She's not being proactive enough, pretty words don't fill my children's bellies," one man said bitterly with a cockney accent.

"Fear not my friend," a familiar voice consoled the distraught figure, "just by turning up tonight you've added another brave soul to our ranks."

A third man, hulkingly huge, stepped out from the shadows and spoke gruffly. "We should strike now, take hostages and force the girl to renounce her leadership."

"In time, that is exactly what we will do." That familiar voice spoke again. "For now we are but three, there will be more, we need only wait."

'Traitors in the camp… this is bad. Harry has to be warned!'

In her haste to retreat and warn Harry, she clumsily stepped on a branch and broke it in two. One of the cloaked figures turned, hearing the noise and locked eyes with her own frightened ones. In an instant, they drew their wands, and the forest was alight with spells.

Hermione's instincts kicked in, and she managed to evade the first attack, her frazzled mind honing in on her extensive magical knowledge. She twisted away from the second and returned with an "incarcerous" of her own. The newcomer fell to the forest floor, his wand hanging uselessly at his side with tight ropes around his chest.

The larger man was now bearing down on her, his wand raised defensively and his face set in a grimace. Hermione didn't allow him to control the tempo and began a barrage of stunners.

'Third one ran off, if I can get this one down, I'll be okay.'

The man relied heavily on his shields, letting the rapid succession of stunners crash and dissipate on the shimmering barrier.

'I've got it,' she thought happily. With three calculated twirls of her wand she unleashed banishers at the trees closest to her opponent. His shield remained and the spells crashed against the trunks leaving large cracks in the bark. However that superficial damage was not her goal and, as the canopy fell, her adversary discovered her true intentions. Leaves and loose branches collapsed on the man and Hermione could see his panicked eyes through the mess. In his unfocused state, his shield faltered, and Hermione capitalised.

With a surge of pride, Hermione's blasting hex struck true, careening her opponent to the ground several tens of metres away. Her heart raced as she stood victorious, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Well fought Miss Granger."

Her triumph was short-lived. Before she could fully process the familiar voice behind her, a sharp blow to the back of her head sent her tumbling into the forest floor. As she fought a losing battle against unconsciousness, her final thoughts were that of realisation as the face behind the familiar voice appeared before her. "But I can not allow you to interfere"