Chapter Sixteen: The Fool Moon Part II

A/N: bit of a long chapter but I didn't want to break it into three parts. Enjoy!

Sirius had flooed home with them when they left the hospital so Harry didn't get a chance to talk to Mrs Figg about what happened with Healer Juniper and she left the house to run her errand shortly after that.

He showed Sirius around the house, highlighting any changes he'd made since Sirius probably knew the house better than he did. He offered Sirius the master bedroom but he declined and said he'd just stay with Remus in the guest wing.

Harry didn't feel like arguing so he let it go.

They ate lunch and Sirius treated him to stories of his dad when he was growing up.

After that, Sirius left to check on his family home and to grab a few things that he hadn't been able to bring with him when he'd run away. Harry offered to go with but he'd been waved off with excuses of safety.

Harry didn't put up much of a fight. He needed to go to Gringotts and deposit the Guild Leader's key and probably withdraw some gold to pay for a portkey. He should probably stop by Remus' room and try to find out more about Remus' contact in Italy.

He wanted to be back in case Silvie and Tabatha were released so he'd have to hurry if he didn't want to be stopped.

Harry hadn't spent much time in the guest wing period, and even less since Remus had moved in because he was usually so busy. He walked down the hall and into Remus' room, which was pretty spacious even after being filled with all of the werewolf's stuff. Harry concentrated on his breathing and sent out his magical probes to scout out any objects that may have the magical signature of the man.

He ignored the pings that resembled anyone he already knew. After some time, he thought he picked up on something near the desk. He wandered over and inspected a pile of letters and envelopes. Eventually, he came across one letter from someone named Maurilio. Harry thought the name sounded Italian to him so he opened the envelope and found a magical photo and letter from the man. The magical photo was of Remus, Silvie, and Tabatha that all waved kindly at him. In the background was a large mountain covered in trees. On the back of the photo were the words Corvara 1989.

He scanned the letter and found that it described Remus' visit to the village with an invitation that the group visit again in the future. Harry assumed this is what he needed. He had the name of the village and the name of his friend, Maurilio Salvoni. He hoped the two pieces of information would be helpful enough.

Harry walked down the Alley and into Gringotts Bank with a respectful nod to the goblins, who simply ignored him.

He was about to approach the counter that he and Mrs Figg had used to request access to his vault the first time, but there was a buzzing in his right ear that wouldn't quit. He looked to his right and saw a door that he didn't remember before. On the door was the same symbol that he'd had burned into his hand at his initiation into the Guild of Shadows.

Intrigued, he walked towards the door and tried the handle. He didn't know why, but he was surprised that it was unlocked. He walked through and found himself in a small barren room. The door snapped shut behind him suddenly and he found himself in the dark. He tried the door but it wouldn't open. Was this some sort of trap for Guild Members? Did the Goblins have some sort of relationship with the Guild? He felt himself begin to panic and he tried to calm himself with his breathing exercises.

He wasn't sure that he could handle the ambient magic of the place but he decided to concentrate and expand his consciousness. It was, of course, a mistake, as he was suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of magic in the bank. He quickly shut it off, but continued to concentrate on his breathing in order to calm himself.

After what felt like ages, a red light appeared in the room seemingly from a distance much further than Harry had originally thought fit the size of the room. He decided to walk towards the light since it was the only way he was likely to get out of here. He thought about putting on his invisibility cloak but didn't want to give away that he had it, just in case it turned out he wasn't in danger.

He walked for a while and found that his eyes were adjusting to the red light and he was able to make out much more of the room than before. He also thought he could hear running water and it was starting to stink a bit. He walked through a small archway and found himself in a cavernous room that was filled with red, blue, and purple lanterns. He saw a large pool that was fed by a small waterfall. The spectacle was mesmerizing at first and he missed the fact that he was no longer alone. There were a few witches and wizards down here wearing robes that were fitted with cowls to hide their faces. He suddenly felt very exposed and lifted his hood which unfortunately didn't have a cowl. Besides the people, there were also some goblins and he thought he saw a few house elves.

He wondered why Mrs Figg had never mentioned the place. He considered briefly that she might not know about it, but quickly dismissed it. Mrs Figg knew pretty much everything, he reckoned. "What is this place?" he whispered to himself in utter disbelief as he took the sight in.

"This is the Guild Market," a raspy voice said just behind him. "I assume you're a member of the Guild at least… else you wouldn't have gotten in."

Harry spun and found himself nearly eye to eye with a goblin that was baring his sharp teeth in what he hoped was a friendly smile.

Harry nodded and said, "I am."

"And you just found this place on your own?" the goblin checked.

Harry nodded again, but didn't say anything.

The goblin laughed at that and said, "You're either very lucky or very resourceful."

Harry ignored the comment. He'd gotten lucky.

Thinking of all he still needed to do today, he asked, "How do I get out of here?"

"I only answer one question for free, wizard, "The goblin said. "The rest will cost you."

Harry fished out a few sickles from his coin pouch and handed them to the goblin.

"Oh there are a couple ways depending on where you want to go?" the goblin answered with an evil grin.

Harry thought for a moment before saying, "I just wanted to visit my vault and withdraw a few galleons."

"Then you'll want to use that door there," the goblin said while pointing his long green finger at a door not too far away.

"Out of curiosity," Harry said. "What is this place used for?"

The goblin raised an eyebrow at the question but didn't answer.

Harry huffed and withdrew a few more sickles and handed them over.

"Members buy and trade services and goods here. It's a market, like I said," the goblin answered with a chuckle.

"I know that, but what kinds of things can I buy here and do I have to have those Guild coins or will galleons do?" Harry asked in frustration.

The goblin held out his hand waiting.

Harry grumbled. "I shouldn't have to pay you more since you didn't really answer my question."

The goblin remained silent until Harry gave in and handed a few more sickles over. He'd have to remember to be more specific with his questions going forward.

"Guild members usually prefer to use Guild coins but you might be able to pay in galleons, it will depend on the witch or wizard," the goblin said. "You can buy almost anything here really, but the Guild merchants mostly sell rare or illegal items down here. Otherwise you might as well be up in Diagon."

Harry nodded and hummed. "So if I needed a portkey or access to an international floo?" he asked.

The goblin nodded and pointed at someone across the pool of water. "You'll want to talk to Henry there."

Harry raised his eyes in shock that the goblin had used the man's name but Harry considered he might be a Specialist.

Harry nodded his thanks and excused himself from the goblin.

He walked around the market, trying to discern what each vendor sold. He saw some potions ingredients as well as some animal parts that he knew were expensive. He assumed a lot of them were simply illegal or at least restricted, but he didn't know for sure. He did stop and look at a display of potions but the merchant refused gold and only wanted to deal in Guild coins, which he didn't have.

After the potions merchant, he overheard someone talking about dealing in magical creatures. He was intrigued at this and wondered how he could get away with raising illegal creatures at home.

Just before he got to where the goblin had pointed earlier, he became distracted by a booth that was displaying some robes and other gear.

He asked the merchant about the gear and was pleased to hear that they'd accept galleons. The cowled robes, he'd learned, were enchanted to absorb kinetic energy and distribute them more evenly. Basically, if he were punched, the blow would be distributed to a large area instead of the point of impact. It would reduce the chances of severe injury.

They sounded really cool, but they were extremely expensive. He decided to purchase a black set anyway once he learned they'd adjust to his growing body. They should last a very long time as long as he didn't damage them too extensively.

He also bought a wand holster for good measure. It wasn't enchanted in any significant way and he could probably have found it in a shop in Diagon, but it at least matched his new robes.

Lastly, the merchant offered a pair of very fine boots that were enchanted to dampen the sound of his footsteps. Harry reckoned they would come in handy and they also adjusted as his body grew.

He found a small vacant alcove and put on his new equipment immediately. Fully equipped, he felt ready to conquer the world. Or at least, ready to rescue Luna. The world would have to wait.

As he exited the alcove he found his target and headed towards him. The man was sitting at a bar at what Harry assumed was some kind of makeshift tavern. Much of the market, he'd noticed, seemed pieced together, like it had evolved over time instead of being built with this specific purpose in mind.

He tapped the man on the shoulder and was about to announce himself, but the man turned in the blink of an eye and then gripped Harry's arm and heaved Harry off his feet before flipping him over and throwing him to the ground.

Harry was rather glad he'd stopped and put his new robes on. He felt the impact, but rather than it being directed at his back, it moved all through his body as promised. He was positive he'd have had the wind knocked right out of him otherwise.

He got up with a groan and found that no one was even glancing in their direction. They'd all gone back to whatever it was they were doing before as if nothing had happened. It made him think that Henry probably reacted this way frequently.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," Henry said.

Harry brushed off the remaining dust and said, "Sorry, it's a habit." He made sure his cowl was still covering his face.

Henry laughed at that and said, "Seems to be a pretty common habit in the Guild."

"Do you end up throwing people like that a lot then?" Harry checked with some exasperation.

"Yes," was Henry's reply.

"Could you teach me how to do that?" He decided to ask.

Henry shrugged, "I could try but I don't know if you could learn it. It'll cost a Guild coin either way."

Harry shook his head. He wanted to get this exchange over with.

"I'm told you can get me transportation out of the country," he said.

The man nodded. "Aye, I can but it'll cost you a lot of Guild coins."

Harry sighed. He was afraid of that.

"Please, I'm a new member and I don't have any Guild coin," he said. "But perhaps we can work something out?"

Harry really hoped the man could be reasoned with.

"No," the man said.

Harry didn't want to give up but he didn't know what else to do. He hadn't originally planned on the Guild's help anyways.

Harry turned and started to walk away. He'd have to find another way.

"Wait," the man said so quietly that Harry almost thought he'd imagined it.

He turned back around and faced the man.

"I've heard about you. You're new so that means you'll be attending Hogwarts next year?" The man asked.

Harry nodded, curious where this was going.

"Then there is something you can do for me," Henry said.

Harry shook his head. "I won't be going to Hogwarts for several more months. I need your help now. I can't wait," he said.

"That's ok, I'm willing to risk it," Henry said desperately. "I just need you to pass on a message to my son when you see him."

Harry was confused. "Why don't you just tell him yourself?" He asked.

"It's not that simple," the man said. "I'm not welcome… I'm a wanted criminal and I spend most of my time down here these days. I suspect my owls are being intercepted because I never get a reply."

"Oh," Harry said eloquently.

Henry ignored him and continued desperately. "I need you to find Kent McDougal and tell him I didn't do what everyone says I did. He needs to know I've been framed."

Harry nodded and agreed to his request.

"Thank you," Henry said. "I'm going to hold you to your agreement."

"I promise to pass on your message as soon as I can," he replied.

"Now tell me where you need to go," Henry said.

So Harry told him about the village in Italy and the man he thought might be able to help him.

Henry nodded. "Alright, this is going to take time. My contact in the ministry is going to have to look all this up discreetly and it's going to take some coin.

"How long?" Harry asked. He couldn't afford to wait long but he didn't know what else to do. "I can pay," he added, handing over his coin pouch.

Henry accepted the coin pouch from Harry. "Normally, this kind of thing takes a couple weeks, but I should be able to expedite it with some added bribes." He counted out the coin quietly. "Find me here in two days," he said finally.

Harry nodded and shook the man's hand before walking away.

Harry flooed into his entry way at his house. He paused and listened to see if he could discern if anyone was home. He didn't hesitate too long because if anyone flooed home now they'd wonder why he was standing in the entry way.

Instead, he rushed off to his room.

He headed back to the kitchen to start on dinner. He didn't know when or even if anyone would be joining him tonight but he wanted to be a good host in case they did. Plus, he needed the distraction. His nerves were on edge. He had to wait two whole days to act on his plan. That also meant he had to hide his intentions for two whole days. He hoped Luna would be okay for that long. From what he'd heard about Greyback, she likely was at least being fed. The werewolf would want to make sure that Luna had been successfully infected and that she'd survive her first transformation. That meant Harry had at least a month to rescue her, but he absolutely did not want to wait that long.

If Luna was going to transform into a werewolf, she would be surrounded by people that cared about her when it happened. At least the ones that could safely do so.

Harry heard the floo and he stuck his head out the kitchen doorway to see who had arrived. He was pleased to see Mrs Figg. He waved her over. He wanted to ask what Healer Juniper had wanted. He also wanted to know why she hadn't told him about the Guild Market, but he would have to wait until after rescuing Luna to bring it up.

Mrs Figg entered the kitchen and started to help with dinner without a word. The two worked in silence for a moment before Harry asked, "What did Healer Juniper want then?"

Mrs Figg sighed and answered, "Guild business." She stopped chopping and looked at him before adding, "It's nothing to do with Luna, if you're wondering."

Harry nodded. He was wondering, but he assumed that would be the case. The Guild had a lot of things in the works at any given moment so Luna probably wasn't a priority, even if they did know about it.

"Silvie and Tabatha said they could be released from the hospital any time now," he said. "Are you sure you don't mind them being here?"

Mrs Figg hesitated for a moment. It was just a moment, but it was enough to tell Harry that she probably wasn't completely comfortable answering. "I am nervous about having werewolves in the house," she admitted. "But, I would never presume to make decisions about who lives here. It is your house after all."

"We'll take the proper precautions, Mrs Figg," he said with an understanding smile. "Besides, I didn't tell you why I told Remus to invite them here."

Mrs Figg arched her eyebrow and said, "You mean that you asked Remus and Silvie to take care of the magical creatures and greenhouses while you're away at school?"

Harry threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Honesty, is there anything that goes on in this house that you don't know about?"

Mrs Figg chuckled, but looked at him seriously. "I don't know, is there?" she asked.

Harry couldn't stop the gulp he took at both her question and the look on her face. He was entirely sure that she did know he'd left for most of the day. Either that or she was using this as a tool to get something out of him.

"Remus told me. He actually checked in with me to make sure I was comfortable with it," she said. "Unlike somebody," she added with a smirk.

"Sorry," he said. "I should have thought to check with you."

Mrs Figg placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him seriously. "It's no matter. This is your house after all and I'm glad that you're filling it with people that obviously care about you."

Harry smiled. Mrs Figg wasn't very affectionate most of the time, but moments like this let him know she did care about him.

For a moment he considered telling her about the Guild Leader's key but something stopped him. He didn't know why, but he decided to keep it to himself for now.

"I miss Luna," he said. "What's being done to get her home?"

Mrs Figg raised her eyebrow at him with a questioning look. He pushed away the thought that she knew what he was planning. There was no way she knew that, despite her seemingly knowing everything.

"We'll have to leave it to the aurors, I think," she said. "You were particularly hard on them in your rant, but they are doing everything they can to find her… they just have to deal with international laws… The Italian ministry was rather upset that they hadn't been notified before the British aurors crossed into their territories."

"Why didn't Madam Bones inform them first?" Harry asked.

"Because time was of the essence and she thought it would be better to ask forgiveness rather than permission," Mrs Figg said. "She was more concerned about Luna than she was anything else."

Harry felt worse knowing all the nasty thoughts he'd had and said out loud in front of Susan that day.

"I should probably apologize to both of them," he said.

Mrs Figg smiled and nodded her agreement.

"It'll be fine. Use this as an opportunity to learn from past mistakes," she said. "You're still quite young and are going to make many more mistakes that will probably have a bigger impact. Best you start learning humility now."

Their conversation was interrupted when someone arrived through the floo. Harry walked out of the kitchen to see who it was and found Silvie and Tabatha standing in the entryway with wide eyes. Tabatha's mouth was opened in surprise.

When they noticed Harry, they collected themselves but still looked on in wonder.

"Remus had said you lived in a large house, but this is amazing!" Silvie said.

Harry chuckled. He remembered feeling similarly when he first moved in. It was a very far cry from the cupboard under the stairs. "I'm still getting used to it too. I have started thinking of each part of the house as separate places entirely," he said. "It helps."

Tabatha interjected then. "Remus said you used to live with your aunt and uncle?" she checked.

"Yes, and my bedroom was about the same size as the fireplace there," he said.

Silvie laughed until she realized he hadn't been joking.

"But then I was rescued by Mrs Figg and I learned I was a wizard. This is my family home," he said. "Come on, I'll show you around."

Harry was somewhat surprised the next morning when Mrs Figg arrived to wake him for lessons. He groaned and thought some unkind thoughts about Mrs Figg being inconsiderate, considering the situation with Luna.

But he got up and did his exercises as he was supposed to. The lessons today would be a nice distraction since he would have to wait until tomorrow to visit the Guild Market again. He prayed that an opportunity would present itself so that he could leave unnoticed.

After his exercises, he went to the kitchen for breakfast. He was somewhat surprised to see Sirius there with Mrs Figg talking.

"Sirius, when did you get here?" he asked the older man.

Sirius looked up from his tea, his eyes red and irritated.

"You look like death warmed over, Sirius, what happened?" Harry checked.

Mrs Figg chuckled at that and then busied herself at the stove.

Sirius looked irritated and then thoughtful.

"You sounded just like Lily just then, you know," Sirius said with a sad smile. "I got to my parent's home and reacquainted myself with some bad memories. One thing led to another and before I knew it I blacked out."

Harry frowned but wasn't surprised based on the things he knew about Sirius already. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Sirius," he said.

Sirius looked surprised and then confused. "It's not your job to take care of me, Harry," he said. "It's the other way around."

Mrs Figg brought over two plates of food and placed them in front of each of them. "Eat up," she said. "Merlin knows you need it, Sirius."

The group ate together and Harry watched in amusement as Mrs Figg forced Sirius to drink a bunch of water. She obviously knew what she was doing because Sirius looked a lot better after breakfast.

She then ordered him to go take a shower and get cleaned up so he and Harry could practice some spellwork.

Mrs Figg moved on to lessons with Harry while Sirius got cleaned up and ready for the day. They covered a myriad of subjects and Harry was grateful for the distraction as he digested the information. The day went by quickly and Harry didn't see Silvie and Tabatha until lunch time.

"Hey Silvie," he said. "Hey Tabatha. Sorry I missed you earlier. Did you two settle in okay?"

Tabatha nodded and said, "Sorry, we're just not morning people in general but the beds were so comfortable after the hospital beds that we decided to have a lie in."

Harry chuckled, "No worries. Don't feel obligated to match my schedule," he said. "Mrs Figg has me on a strict regimen."

"I'll remind you that you asked for it, laddie," Mrs Figg interjected. "And look at how much you've improved since I met you on Privet Drive." She looked towards Tabatha and whispered, "He was a sad scrawny thing back then, if you can believe it."

"Hey!" Harry yelled to the room's amusement.

"He's still skinny," Sirius said from the doorway with a smirk.

"I could take you, you mangy mutt," he replied with a glare.

The room laughed again to his annoyance.

"Everyone's out to get me," he said under his breath before biting into a sandwich.

Truth be told, he was happy to be teased on occasion. It was still a vast improvement from his life with the Dursley's and it made everyone else happy for some reason.

Harry and Sirius excused themselves and the pair worked together on Harry's spellmanship. Sirius, it turned out, was a more than adequate dueler back in the day. He put Harry through his paces, focusing on accuracy rather than power.

"It doesn't matter how much power you put into a spell if it doesn't hit its target," Sirius said. "Wizards and witches waste a lot of energy throwing spells around that don't manage to do anything useful."

He then made Harry cast the stinging hex at a moving target until he could hit it 10 times in a row without missing. It took Harry several hours, but he felt like he'd learned a valuable lesson and his aim had improved drastically.

Harry was pretty exhausted for the rest of the day. He excused himself to his room after a quick dinner, but told Tabatha she was welcome to come by later if she wanted.

Harry woke up the next morning before Mrs Figg's knock the next morning. He got up and got dressed and sat at his desk while he waited for her inevitable knock.

He was stressed. Despite staying up later because he'd been hanging out with Tabatha, he hadn't slept well. Images of a caged Luna filled his dreams and he felt guilty for the laughs and jokes he'd shared with everyone.

Today, he'd hopefully be able to act on his plan, which in reality was not really a plan, but an outline of one. He'd at least gathered supplies that he thought would be useful. They rested beneath a floorboard in his bedroom, packed and ready to go.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself he would be gone.

Mrs Figg knocked on the door, and he got started on his daily work out, but to conserve energy, he kept things light.

When he walked into the kitchen, he tried to act natural. He breathed hard, as if he were out of breath.

The first thing he noticed was that Mrs Figg wasn't there, but Sirius was.

"What's up?" He asked, gesturing to the empty kitchen. "Where's Mrs Figg?"

Sirius took a sip of his drink, which Harry recognized as coffee, and said "She had to go meet someone from the hospital… that healer that she knows."

Harry really wished he knew what was going in there.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

Sirius shrugged, "As far as I know, yes."

Harry nodded. Sirius looked tired and he thought he might be able to persuade him to go back to bed if he tried. That would certainly provide the window he needed to leave.

"Alright then," Harry said. "You look like death, Sirius, another rough night?"

"You could say that," Sirius said. "Sorry pup, I'm trying."

Harry patted him on the back to try and console him. "It's fine," he said. "Actually, do you mind if I do some potion work this morning? I was too tired yesterday."

Sirius hummed at that. "Sure, pup," he said. "But if Mrs Figg asks, we went over several transfiguration theories this morning."

Harry nodded his agreement and then left to shower. He couldn't believe his luck. He thanked whatever God was behind it, and got ready.

Harry desperately wanted to leave right away but he still needed more information if he was going to be successful. He needed to go to Mrs Figg's quarters and look for any Intel she'd gotten from the Guild of Greyback's location.

He put on his invisibility cloak and crept through the house and into Mrs Figg's quarters. He knew Hermes was likely here, so he'd have to be quiet.

Mess Figg's rooms were kept very neat and tidy. There were no signs at all of anything out of place and that made things difficult. He focused and sent his probes out to see if he could pick up on anything.

He sensed a few items that he was familiar with from her house, including the obelisk statue that buzzed. He felt his magic bounce off her bedroom door just as before.

He thought it made sense for Mrs Figg to leave sensitive materials there where it was safest, so he headed there next.

He tried the doorknob but found it locked. He tried to sense for a stream of energy running anywhere nearby that he might be able to trigger, but he found nothing.

He cursed quietly in frustration.

"You shouldn't be here," Hermes said to him mentally.

Harry jumped, surprised. He hadn't sensed Hermes anywhere and wasn't expecting the cat to sneak up on him.

Harry turned and looked at Hermes and noticed the collar around his neck. His probes sensed nothing around the cat, it felt just like the initiation robes had.

"You can take off the cloak," Hermes said. "I already know you're here."

Harry sighed and lowered his hood.

"Please don't tell Mrs Figg," he said.

Hermes' tail twitched in amusement. "I should tell her, you know," Hermes said. "She was rather cross with me for giving you the locket so you could find her last time."

Harry flinched. "I'm sorry, I didn't think…" he said. "I shouldn't have told on you."

"No, you really shouldn't have," Hermes said.

Harry didn't know what to say to convince Hermes not to tell Mrs Figg that he'd been sneaking around or even about the cloak. He really should have known better than to have worn it here.

"What are you doing here?" Hermes asked.

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "Just curious."

Hermes' eyes flashed.

"So you're not here looking for ways to rescue Luna and Loki?" Hermes checked.

Harry glared at him. "No, I'm not," he lied. "Sorry about Loki," he added quickly.

"I doubt that Loki is dead," Hermes said haughtily. "He most likely got away. He is my son after all."

Harry didn't agree with him but he didn't see the point in arguing.

"It's too bad that you're not here for that," Hermes said. "Because I was hoping you could stop and pick me up some catnip while you're there."

Harry laughed. "You're willing to send me to my death for a small chance that I'd pick you up some catnip?" He asked incredulously.

"It happens to be a particularly potent variety of catnip," Hermes said dryly. "Besides, I don't think you'll die."

"You don't?" Harry asked.

"No," Hermes said seriously. "Now please focus. Do you promise to bring me some catnip if I tell you where to go?"

Harry laughed and agreed.

He walked through the dimly lit passageway into the Guild Market and then walked towards the tavern area he'd met Henry last time.

He found Henry sitting at the bar just like last time. However, instead of tapping on his shoulder, he walked over and sat down next to him.

"I'm glad you've learned your lesson," Henry said while he placed a package in front of Harry.

"What's this?" Harry asked.

Henry explained, "It's your portkey back. It'll deliver you to the Diagon portkey location… you know you should lose it after you've used it. Destroy it if you can, otherwise it can be traced."

Harry nodded. He was relieved that Henry had been able to procure one so quickly.

"And how am I traveling to Italy?" He asked.

Henry chuckled. "That's trickier. We couldn't create a two way portkey because those are heavily monitored and we didn't want to create two portkeys because that would more easily be noticed."

Harry was a bit worried that this was about to become more complicated.

Henry continued. "So we created a temporary international floo link from a random fireplace nearby in Diagon. International floo is also heavily monitored so we thought it best to use a random fireplace in case it gets flagged."

Harry nodded. It made sense.

"Where do I have to go?" He asked.

Henry handed him a torn piece of parchment with an address on one side and a floo address on the other.

"Go to that address and use the floo on the second floor. Don't worry, we took care of the tenant."

Harry raised his eyebrow at that. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"It means don't worry about it," Henry replied gruffly. "You should go before the connection gets noticed."

Harry glared a bit at the non answer but nodded and left.

"Don't forget your end of the deal!" Henry called.

He rushed out of the market and the bank.

Outside, Harry approached the building with his invisibility cloak on. He was also wearing his new Guild robes and boots.

He had a bad feeling, despite Henry's statement that he had nothing to worry about. If anything, it had made it worse.

He tried the front door and found it unlocked. He entered the building as quietly as possible and looked around quickly.

The drapes were shut, blocking out any light from outside. The room felt muggy and cold. The building was silent but he kept his cloak on just in case.

Directly in front of him were the stairs and he climbed them straight away. Each step creaked despite his best efforts.

On the second floor, he walked down a long hallway, checking room after room for a fireplace. He didn't find anything until he got to the very last room.

The drapes were shut in here as well and Harry got chills that he didn't think came from the cold. It felt like something bad had happened here and Harry wondered just how Henry and his mysterious partner had chosen to take care of things. He certainly hoped that whoever owned this house hadn't been killed.

Harry removed his invisibility cloak and threw some floo powder inside the fireplace. He gave the address and stepped through.

The world spun around him as he traveled and he began to feel nauseous. This trip felt longer than any floo travel he'd done before.

Just when he felt like he might be sick, it finally ended and he fell out the fireplace at the other end, sending dust everywhere.

He coughed on the ground and got up to investigate his surroundings. From the state of things, it appeared that he'd arrived in an abandoned building.

It was cold and dark and he noticed several pieces of broken furniture. It reminded him a bit of the shrieking shack, honestly. Besides broken furniture, there were some dismantled pieces of farm equipment as well.

He decided to wear his cloak again. He might not take it off for the duration of his trip just to be safe. He didn't want to be noticed if he could avoid it.

The tricky part would be figuring out where Greyback's hideout was without asking questions. He decided to try and find it on his own, but if it came down to it, he'd find Mauricio and ask for his help.

He walked out of the house and looked around. There was nothing but weeds and overgrown fields for miles. It looked like he had arrived in the middle of nowhere. Overwhelmed, he suddenly wished he'd not left his home today at all.

Harry took a deep breath. Hermes told him that Greyback's cave system was not terribly far from Corvara, which was the town that Silvie had mentioned.

He found a worn stone path not far from the farm house and started walking, hoping that it led to civilization.

It felt like ages later that he'd finally arrived in a small village. His bones ached from the trek. He remained under his cloak and tried to find more information.

He focused and scoped out the area for signs of magic. He was pleasantly surprised to pick up on something familiar not too far away. He barely dared to hope for what he thought he was sensing.

The path took him down a small dirt road that led close to the mountain. It was rather cold here and he was somewhat grateful that he had to walk so much because it was keeping him warm.

He saw a small house on top of a hill in the distance and approached it. Harry expanded his consciousness and brushed against a familiar presence and waited.

"Harry?" A familiar voice echoed in his head.

"Hey Loki," he replied nonchalantly. "How's it going?"

Loki's mental voice became rushed and frantic. "How's it going? You're really asking how's it going?"

Harry chuckled.

"Where are you?" Loki asked. "How did you get here?"

Harry told him.

"Amazing!" Loki said. "Mrs Figg and everyone else are going to be furious, you know?"

"I know," he replied. "I just don't care. Is it safe for me to approach the house?"

It was silent for a while.

"No, I don't think so," Loki said. "I'm pretty sure he'd tie you up until Remus was well enough to come get you."

Harry sighed. He'd been hoping for a chance to get warm by the fire and it was getting dark.

"I can take you to the werewolf camp," Loki said. "They won't mind you being there and I know at least one person that Remus seemed to trust besides Silvie."

"No, I already know where to go," he replied. "I don't want anyone to know I'm here.

"Alright," Loki said.

"Let's go," Harry replied. "It's ruddy cold out here and my warming charms aren't doing much good anymore."

A moment later, he saw light shine out from an open door in the distance and then he saw Loki run outside.

Loki jumped into his arms when he got close enough and Harry held on tight. "It's so good to see you," he said. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Loki purred loudly the whole while.

Harry started walking down an old hunting trail that the locals hadn't used in decades. He explained to Loki that they had a long hike ahead of them.

Harry shared with Loki that Hermes had told him where to go. On their hike, Loki shared that Luna had had a vision of sorts and that she felt compelled to accompany Remus. She'd told the cat that she knew that many people's futures were relying on it.

Harry was curious who's future other than maybe Tabatha's that Luna could be talking about. He still felt hesitant to believe in divination but there seemed to be some truth to it, he reckoned.

Luna had told Loki to head to Mauricio's house so that he could assist Harry in his journey. How she knew that he'd arrive and find Loki, he didn't know.

Harry didn't know how he felt about all of it. Why did Luna believe in him? Was it only because of her vision or was it more than that? Did all of this mean that he couldn't fail? What if he did something wrong and messed it all up?

He supposed that for now, he'd just do his best to rescue Luna. He would sneak in and portkey her out as soon as he found her.

Harry walked along the path for over an hour before he reached a fork in the path. The sun had set long ago, but the snow on the ground made it easier to see. In front of him, a few yards ahead, he saw a giant small hut, just like Hermes described.

According to Hermes, he was to walk behind the hut and towards the mountain wall and then turn left. He was to place his right hand on the wall until he found the entrance hidden behind an illusion.

Before walking around the hut, he checked inside. There were many herbs hanging from the ceiling and shelves with bottles full of herbs on the wall. He took a jar of catnip as promised and put it in his bag.

Back outside, Loki lied on his left shoulder beneath the invisibility cloak so Harry could do as Hermes had said. If anyone saw him, all they'd see was a floating hand caressing the wall. His boots did dampen the sound of his footsteps, but the snow still crunched beneath his feet. He would be heard for sure, so he swallowed some levitation potion for good measure.

It took a very long time, but it was worth it if it helped him remain undiscovered. He eventually felt his hand slip through the wall. He paused outside and inspected the illusion. He wasn't sure if it was only because it was already dark outside, but it seemed flawless. There was no seam and the natural wall fed right into the fake one. It was an impressive bit of magic.

Harry withdrew the potion that enhanced his senses and swallowed some. It tasted bitter and vile and he shivered as it went down his throat.

"You're lucky you're a cat and can see in the dark," he said. "That potion is awful."

Harry waited for the potion to take affect. It was subtle, but he was pleased when he noticed his vision adjust quickly to the darkness. He tried to ignore the muggy smell he hadn't quite noticed before. It smelled like wet dog.

He could hear what he thought might be a stream of water running somewhere close by, followed by several drips of water falling and crashing to the ground.

Once he fully adjusted, he moved forward.

The path was wide in some areas and narrow in others. He hoped that he didn't run into anyone whenever the path narrowed… he'd have nowhere to hide.

As he got deeper, the smell of wet dog worsened and began to mingle with other horrid smells. Loki has been quiet for the most part but he began to be irritated by whatever he was smelling.

Finally, the levitation potion began to wear off and he lowered to the ground slowly. He'd be more noisy now but he could at least run if he needed to.

As he got deeper, he began to hear ruckus laughter. They were close. His senses were still enhanced so he was wary of using his focus and becoming overwhelmed. But he was also curious if the potion would effect that as well.

He reached out with his consciousness for any sign of Luna. His magical probes wandered far in wide in every direction. He sensed several magical signatures all around further down the path and he thought he picked up on some high above and further below him. None of it felt very familiar and he began to worry.

As he got closer to where he thought the werewolves' living quarters were, he started to wish for the potion to wear off. It was loud and stinky down here and every move he made was beginning to irritate him.

He thought he saw light flicker ahead and he came to a stop and listened. He could hear a large group talking and laughing nearby. He crept closer to the light and peaked around the corner.

He noticed some wooden steps down to his right and a stone path to his left that overlooked the room.

From where he stood he could see a large cavernous room below him that was filled with people wearing worn out clothes and sitting on old broken and poorly repaired furniture.

Some of the group were speaking what he guessed was Italian or another language. Definitely not English. He thought he picked up on some English but it was hard to make out exactly what was being said.

It didn't look like there were any paths below so he continued to creep along the ledge. His foot hit a loose stone and it fell down into the large room. He paused and watched as a few people stopped talking and looked up at where he stood.

After a moment, they looked away from the empty space and continued their conversations. Harry very slowly and carefully continued down the path.

He found himself back in another narrow passage that sloped upwards. It remained narrow for quite a long while and that made him nervous.

He heard voices up ahead and tried not to panic. Instead he scaled the wall and shimmied up so that his legs were spread on opposite walls. It was extremely difficult to do with the cloak, and he had to bend over awkwardly in the cramped space, but he managed. He held the excess fabric of his invisibility cloak up with his mouth and held Loki in his arms.

He saw the two approaching. The one in front held out a lit wand in front of him. He hoped they didn't look up, because they'd definitely see him despite his cloak since he wasn't covered from below.

He watched them walk beneath him and he froze, holding his breath until they were out of sight.

He dropped to the ground as quietly as possible and then continued on his path as quickly as he could. He didn't want to have to do that again if he could help it.

His potion began to wear off but luckily his eyes had adjusted to the dark. He welcomed his remaining senses returning to normal.

At the end of his path was a wooden doorway. Freezing air slipped through tiny spaces between the wood slats.

He reached out with his magic to sense beyond the door. He picked up on a few people spread out but they were nowhere near the door. The door opened with a loud creak and he hurried through, letting the door shut behind him.

A clear night sky revealed itself to him. A large waning moon shone brightly, its rays reflecting off the snow covered ground. He must have missed something, a hidden path or room that had somehow escaped his attention. He was considering going back inside, but he heard footsteps approaching him.

"That you, Thomas?" A gruff voice called from the distance. "You're a bit early, you know, but I don't mind you relieving me a bit early?"

He mentally cursed and glanced around for a hiding spot. Snow covered the ground except for some footprints heading in a few directions. He saw a large tree off in the distance. He could climb it and scope out the area better from higher up, but he didn't know how he'd climb it without being noticed. Whatever he did, he had to act fast.

He darted forward, trying to step into the existing footprints so he didn't give himself away. He found himself nearby some large bushes and dove inside for cover. A moment later, a figure walked towards the cave entrance he'd just walked through with a torch in his hands.

"I could have sworn I heard the door," the voice said. "Should've known better. Thomas is always late."

Harry watched the man walk back to where he came from.

Harry poked his head out of the bush and looked around. He saw several watchtowers scattered around what looked like a large natural courtyard. High walls were raised around in a large square shape. At least now the man's statement about being relieved, made sense. These men were on watch, protecting the werewolf fortress.

He reached out with his magic again, to try and figure out just how many people there were out here. He counted six, all spread out, alone. That was something at least. He could try to take them all out one by one or he could simply avoid them.

He remembered he'd been told that the cave system was extensive. That must mean there were more caves nearby and the people in these towers were keeping watch for all of them. He sighed. This was hard and he wished he had more information to go on. He began to seriously doubt that he'd be able to find Luna.

He tried to remember everything that he'd learned about Greyback and his hideout. And then he remembered Luna's poem. It had said something about finding Luna beneath a fountain. He needed a better view of the place if he was going to find it quickly.

He looked up at the watchtower. Was it worth the risk of alerting everyone else? If he had to, could he take on at least one of the watchmen, if not all of them? He'd prefer to get in and out completely unnoticed.

"What are you thinking, Harry?" Loki asked mentally.

Harry told him.

"What if I climb one of the towers and then tell you what I see?" Loki offered.

Harry hesitated. He didn't like risking Loki's life like that.

"What about your black fur, won't it stick out?" he asked.

"Couldn't you change it white for me?" Loki replied.

Harry shook his head and said, "I haven't learned how to do that yet. Besides, I think it's best we stick together in case one of us is noticed."

Loki jumped out of Harry's arms before he could stop him and ran off towards one of the towers.

Harry sighed in frustration and waited.

"I think I see a well not far from you," Loki said mentally. "It's not exactly a fountain, but…"

"Hurry back," Harry replied.

Harry caught himself holding his breath as he waited in anticipation for the cat to return. 'I'm going to age a year in one night due to stress,' he thought to himself.

A moment later, Loki jumped into the bush and climbed under the cloak.

"I think they might have seen me," Loki said. "We might want to stay put for a few minutes."

Sure enough, Harry watched as one of the watchmen climbed down from his post and then started walking towards their hiding spot.

Harry tried not to move or make and he held his breath as the guard stalked closer. He got so close that Harry could see the amber flecks in his eyes.

Harry struggled to hold his breath. His lungs urged him to suck in a breath. He wasn't sure how much longer he could withstand.

Luckily, the guard became distracted as someone slammed the door shut as they exited the same cave Harry had just left.

"About time," a voice said in the distance. "I'm starving. Please tell me ya lot left me some mutton."

The guard that has been practically staring him down turned and walked towards the voice.

Now was his chance. The guards would be distracted during turnover. He climbed out of the bushes and Loki told him where to go.

The well hadn't been far from his hiding place. A was right. It wasn't exactly a fountain but he didn't think he was going to find a fountain on top of a mountain anyways.

Harry peered inside, but it was too dark to see just how far down it went. He grabbed a pebble from off the ground and dropped it over the edge.

He counted for a few seconds before he heard a 'plop' as it struck water. He didn't really know how to gauge just how deep the well was, but it seemed deep. He wondered for a moment just how literal Luna's hint had been.

He heard snow crunch beneath someone's feet as they walked and it sounded like they were heading in his direction. Panicked, he made his decision and jumped into the well.

Harry winced as Loki dug his claws into his shoulder. Harry extended his arms and legs to try and slow his fall. The walls were slick, but he managed to stop after some time. He turned his head to look up and saw the faint outline of the night's sky. He'd fallen further than he thought.

He shimmied down the well until he could no longer see any sign of the opening above. The well was very deep.

He figured it was probably safe enough to light his wand so he cast a quick lumos. He could see the water's surface just a few feet below him and noticed it was pretty shallow. It was clearly no longer a functional well.

He straightened himself and then tucked in his arms and legs and fell the rest of the way. His legs were a bit jarred from the impact but he recovered quickly from that. Freezing water splashed around him and he shivered.

"A warning would have been nice!" Loki chided.

Harry just chuckled at the now drenched cat and then he cast a drying charm he'd learned.

He saw a small tunnel opening and dropped to his hands and knees so he could climb through. It was very tight in some places and he wrestled his fears that he'd get stuck. There was no way he'd be able to climb back out. The only way out was through.

The tunnel eventually sloped back upwards and then he saw flickering light up ahead. Excited, he climbed more quickly and then slid through the opening.

His body toppled over as he fell several feet before landing on his back. His cloak fell off of him. Luckily, his robes distributed the blow evenly. It hurt like hell but it wasn't as bad as it would have been otherwise.

He got up with a groan and looked around. There were cages upon cages of kids staring at him with large scared eyes. He noticed that nearly all of them were much younger than Luna or even Tabatha.

"Holy hell," he said out loud before he could stop himself. He counted quickly, 'one, two, three…' and then he spotted Luna and instantly lost count.

"I knew you'd make it, Harry," she said weakly with a small grin.

Harry took her in. He noticed a bloody bandage wrapped around her exposed thigh. 'That must be where Greyback got her,' he thought. Her robes were torn so badly that he'd originally thought she was in just her underwear. Dirt and dried blood covered just about every inch of her.

"Luna," he whispered softly as he approached her cage. He wrapped his fingers around the bars. "I'm so sorry," he said.

Luna laughed quietly. "It's not your fault, Harry."

Harry looked around and saw all of the children watching their exchange with interest.

"We need to free them all," she said firmly.

Harry hesitated. His portkey would take them all to diagon alley. 'What a sight that would be,' he thought.

"I have a portkey but it'll take us to Diagon," he told her. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Luna nodded. "It's late, right?" She checked.

Harry nodded, "How did you know?"

"Greyback," she said. "He likes to wish us good dreams every night."

Harry scowled, and Luna continued her thought.

"We might not be noticed," she said. "Tom won't say anything. We can floo home and then get this lot the help they need."

Harry hesitated. He'd only come for Luna. All these kids just complicated matters.

"I don't believe this," Luna said angrily. "What happened to the caring boy that helped me cure Auggie?"

"I…" Harry started, but stopped. Why was he hesitating? He didn't actually know. He'd been so angry at everyone for their lack of action but here he was doing the same thing. He refused to be like them, weak and selfish.

"You're right of course," he said. "Let's free them quickly."

He waved his wand and said, "Alohamora!"

Loki ran into Luna's arms as soon as she was free. Harry smiled.

He started unlocking the remaining cages. He counted 12 cages, including Luna's, in total as he went.

Most of the children rushed out of their cages and hugged their rescuer, but a few were more reserved. They looked at him with distrust, unable to believe he was actually helping them.

The majority of them spoke to him in languages he didn't understand. Only one or two thanked him in English.

He gestured for them to gather around him and he removed the portkey, an old boot, from his expandable bag. He gripped it and then instructed them to do the same.

Once everyone was holding on, he gave the keyword and then they vanished in an instant.

The entire group landed roughly with a thud at the portkey point. Loki sprawled out of Luna's hands and then shook himself with a hiss. Portkey travel clearly didn't agree with him.

The children groaned and sniffed as they brushed off the painful landing.

Harry looked around at the empty alley. It was very late and no one was out.

"Hurry," Harry said. "We don't want to be found here."

The group followed his lead as he walked towards The Leaky Cauldron.

Once inside, he ran to the floo, threw some powder in, and gave the address. The werewolves traveled through one by one, then Luna and Loki, and then finally Harry.

Harry spun out of the fireplace with a thud.

He got up, brushing himself off, and then turned.

An angry Mrs Figg, Silvie, and Sirius stood there looking down at him.

He gulped. He suddenly wished he was back on the mountain. Somehow that seemed less daunting than facing his family right now

A/N: Please tell me what you think!