Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell is JK Rowling's

Chapter 58: What lies behind the empty grey

Ky's POV

I watched as Harry ascended the grand staircase ahead of me…someone was being very secretive. I could tell he had something planned tonight because he was adamant about getting back to the castle before it got dark, and now he had 'some stuff to do.' I didn't mind though; it had been ages since we had any Pornton time and it was well overdue.

"Ky!"

I snapped my head around, stopping halfway up the grand staircase, but the Entrance Hall was empty. Most of everyone was back in the castle. I spotted a few stragglers coming up from the gates through the opened doors.

I must be hearing things; I turned to start walking up the stairs.

"Ky?"

The voice was definitely coming from outside. I walked back down the stairs, looking to my left and right for faces but seeing none.

"And where do you think you're going Missy?"

I turned to Filch, who emerged from a nearby broom cupboard.

"Ky!"

I looked back outside at the shout…hmm could this somehow be Harry's surprise? I decided a lie would be best to assuage Filch "I think I dropped something on the walkway, I'm just going to look for it."

I didn't wait for his answer and walked out the doors.

There was nobody for feet. I could make out a few heads as they walked in from the village, but mist was setting in, the weather was changing quickly and I shivered…I must have heard wrong.

"Ky!"

I squinted but the few heads that I could make out in the mist were not looking ahead, they were facing each other, talking, and laughing, much like Harry and I had been doing mere minutes ago.

Then I saw it…

It was so beautiful.

I had the urge to run up and touch it, to run my hands through its fur. It probably felt sensational…a snow leopard.

It couldn't be a normal leopard, not with its bluish white colouring. I saw one just like it on Nat Geo years ago. His eyes shone gold in the mist, dripping with wisdom…those eyes held the answer to everything…answers I wasn't even aware that I had the questions to. Its tail, as if a mutually exclusive body part, swaggered this way and that and its walk was so soft that I didn't realise that it was now an arm's length away.

I reached my hand forward, the urge to feel and then be a part of something so majestic overriding my sense of fear.

I watched as it bared its pointy teeth but didn't bite, leaning its head lazily to the side as I reached for the spot behind its ear.

"Ky!"

I snapped around and took a step back at my surroundings.

My heart was in my throat, and I quickly turned around, the snow leopard was gone…the mist was gone…and I…I wasn't on the front steps of Hogwarts.

I was standing in a clearing, much like the one Harry and I had spent much of the afternoon in. I couldn't tell if it was the same one considering night had more than settled in.

"Ky."

I turned at the crunch of a leaf and rushed forward, all questions of how I managed to get here and where here was flew out my head at the sight of the bleeding man.

I automatically reached toward his wounded chest, wanting to tend to it, but he stepped back. His honey hair shading his amber eyes which glowed in the dark night, "There isn't time. You need to go back to the castle, tell your grandfather…Len's hurt. Mountains." There was blood dripping from his mouth as he crossed the clearing in a few strides.

"What? What happened to Len? What?" My skin crawled as my voice fought to remain steady.

"Go to him!"

And with that he turned and there was a deafening click as he disapparated.

Go to him? Go to Len? Or go to Nonno?

He said mountains. I hurried through the path he emerged from and saw the edge of the mountains that were usually blocked by the dense trees. I was at the edge of Hogsmeade…the edge…at least ten, or fifteen, minutes running distance from Hogwarts…a lot can happen in ten to fifteen minutes…Len.

I took the step onto the mountain path making my decision, gripping my wand tightly in my hand, I would fight. This was a head held high moment, it had to be. Nonno would agree. Running away won't help things, help was too far away. Right now, help was me.

I stayed low as I walked up the path not knowing what danger Len was in. I doubt he came here for a hike…what Order business would bring him to these mountain ranges. I then remembered that Sirius had hid in these caves last year …there were a good few people in hiding of late…wanted people…escaped death eaters. I gripped my wand painfully tight, and a shot of excitement zinged up my spine…

I pressed my back to the rock and edged towards the first cave I could make out, my wand lit to ensure I was ready to attack, be it animal or death eater. I turned into the cave, it was quite a spacious one and it went in further than my wand light could illuminate. I took a few steps forward and then swung my hand up halfway through the movements of a spell, but stopped when I made out the sandy hair-brown eyes pairing.

"Liam?"

"Expelliarmus."

My wand flew out of my hand before I could even let out a shocked breath at his spell.

"Petrificus totalus."

Nothing felt different. I could sense my body parts just as normal, but my impulse to move seemed to die out as soon as a signal was sent. Memories of what happened the last time I was frozen assaulted my head and I pushed it aside. Concentrating solely on breaking the spell. I felt warm hands at my waist, stopping the sensation of falling.

I tried talking but couldn't make a sound; Liam came back into my eye line when I felt a cold hard surface to my back. He averted his brown eyes from my own and I watched him step back out of the corner of my eye, the moonlight streaming through the entrance of the cave.

He turned around, his back to me as I heard the sound of footsteps approaching from our right.

I tried moving again but it was useless, the spell was still at the height of its power, I needed to break it…Len was in danger!

"Son! Look at you! You're practically a man."

I could only make out Liam's back in this position and the newcomer danced a shadow in Liam's wand light; I think he had placed me behind a rock, hidden from sight.

Liam's back was firm, shoulders wide, he was very much alert and in the defensive. He, and what I can only assume is his father by his words, obviously do not get on well.

I continued in my attempt to break the spell, but their conversation kept cutting in.

"Don't call me that. I have what you wanted. Let my mother and sister go." His voice quivered over the words, but he strengthened it with volume.

I heard the crunch of footsteps and rustling, the tinkling sound of galleons running over each other, "This is quite a bit of gold boy, where did you get it from?"

"You said you wanted gold; I got you gold. Now let-"

There was the sound of flesh on flesh and Liam's head turned around to the extent that I saw his brown eyes for a moment…they were round with fear. He was trying very hard to come across as strong…but he was terrified.

"YOU do not give ME orders you little bastard. Your mother is my whore! I will do-"

Liam was pushed out of my eye line and I heard the sound of flesh hitting rock. I felt a few stones crumble from above…he must be near me. I gritted my teeth and tried to break the spell, it seemed Liam tried attacking his father and the outcome wasn't in his favour.

"You dare raise a hand against me!Crucio." The cave echoed with Liam's screams, and I concentrated with all my might to break the spell and block out the painful sound that poked at my heart. I wanted to scream but my mouth stayed resolutely shut.

The screams stopped and the silence that followed was more painful to listen to…was he okay?

"You should be lucky I even accept you as my blood! You should be lucky that you have a chance to be of assistance to me! You should be kissing my feet!"

"Kiss your feet…kiss my arse!" The voice was Liam's, but I never heard the polite boy speak in such a manner. If I could smile I would, whatever words his father was shouting though was drowned out by a powerful screech. It was as if two hard surfaces were rubbing against each other against their will.

Suddenly, there was a searing pain across my skull, warmth flooding around the area. I didn't have to think long to know what was happening, I felt rocks hit my arms and my legs and I could see a shower of grey.

This cave was literally caving in.

I tried harder to break the spell, but it just wasn't happening. I could hear sounds of voices through the thunder of the rocks that were falling, shouts and screams.

Suddenly my leg burst with pain as I felt an insurmountable weight on it.

"Finite incantatem!"

It was Liam's voice, but I still couldn't see his face. I hadn't realised he broke the spell until I could hear my own grunts and my hands push against the huge rock on my left leg. If I only had my wand! I felt another rock hit my arm!

Fuck! I need my wand!

"Thornton?"

I looked up at the vaguely familiar voice. His face followed suit soon as he ducked out of the way of the falling rocks. I could make out his blonde hair even in the dark cave, his black eyes blending in. Suddenly the pressure lifted off my leg and I was hoisted off the ground.

"Liam!" I grabbed at Silvain's shirt, his attention stolen by trying to manoeuvre us both through the collapsing cave, "Liam! He's still in there! Put me down! Liam! LIAM!"

"Stop struggling! You'll be the death of us both!"

I ignored both him and the pain, searching for the Sandy hair through the grey rain. Suddenly the pelting that was so consistent that I became numb to it, stopped, and a gust of wind tossed my hair up and around me as the dark of the cave was swapped for the black of the night.

"LIAM!"

"Stop it Thornton! You'll fall!"

We had to get him; he was still in the cave!

"-go of me! Let me go! I have to go! My mother! I have to go! Stupefy! Stupefy!" I watched as the Selina Sabre deflected Liam's spells effortlessly as she pulled him out of the cave and pushed him against the wall of rock.

"Shut it! I just saved your arse! Is that how you thank someone for their help!"

Help…help… "Len!" I pushed Silvain's chest, struggling to get down.

"Thornton, you have to stop struggling so much! We are on a very narrow ledge!"

"Put me down!" His grip was like steel, didn't he know that I had to run to Len! That Len was in danger, or hurt, or something. I wriggled so viciously that the buttons on his shirt popped off and I could hear Liam fighting with his rescuer on the other side. "Put ME down!"

"Stupefy. Stupefy."

The last thing I felt was soft skin and a beating heart below its flesh…and glowing green eyes…then the black claimed me…

Harry's POV

It was as if I had downed a pint of numbing potion, my body froze completely. For a moment there were no thoughts, no actions, no sounds…life itself had frozen, not just time. All I could see were those beautiful grey eyes…empty…

"Relax, she's just stunned." The word floated through me like fire…stunned…melting everything it touched…thoughts, actions and sounds surged back and there was life again.

I pulled my eyes away from the grey and looked at the woman that carried her.

It was Kat.

She was laying Ky down on the starch white sheets…the hospital wing…when had we got here? I suddenly saw the scarlet drops spray across the sheets.

"What happened to her leg?"

Kat turned away from the conversation she was having with Snape and looked at me, "She hurt it rock climbing." Her green eyes bore into my own, it was a lie…Ky wasn't rock climbing, but Kat was wordlessly telling me to stay quiet.

"Rock climbing?" My hands fisted, the vulture was here. I turned to the toad-like woman and worked on breathing so as to not say anything to her. She had her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Yes. I was teaching it to her and Liam Rheines. We didn't expect it to get dark so soon." Kat shook her head in regret, and I looked to the bed on the left of Ky…Liam? The boy that was tied up and nearly eaten by acromantula.

Madam Pomfrey rushed in shooing us all away, bustling around Ky's leg. I wouldn't leave though. I wouldn't make a move. A hand gripped my arm and pulled me away,

"Just walk Potter. Move."

I wanted to gouge his eyes out for moving me but there was a crazy gleam in those black eyes that had me following him out the door. His hand remained closed around my arm and my skin was on end from the repellent aura that surrounded me. Snape ignored me completely; save for the hand on my arm, his black eyes tracing Umbridge's movements as she walked away. When she disappeared from sight, he let go of me as if it burned him too, and barged back into the room, I was not a hair's breadth behind him.

The room was fuller than when we had left.

The Sabre twins were there as well as Linus and Len, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and an elderly lady that I wasn't familiar with, but I had a suspicion was Gabrielle Sabre from Ky's description.

"Get her up!" All traces of concern had fled from Kat's voice making me think it was just an act for Umbridge. Her green eyes glowered down at Ky, her face raging with anger. "Get her up so I can make her pay for ruining my plans! Months of work…DESTROYED!"

"Headmaster, I have made a concession because you asked for a favour but if this woman continues to berate my patient-"

"I understand Poppy. Miss Karetnikov apologises, and she won't do so again." I had never seen Dumbledore's eyes glower at anybody like they did at Kat. For a fleeting moment I worried that the killer intent that flashed through me the last time I saw him will come back but it didn't.

I walked forward, "Madam Pomfrey, is her leg hurt badly."

Madam Pomfrey's stern glare melted as she looked at me, "Nothing that can't be fixed Mr Potter. It is quite serious, so I've given her a dose of skelegrow and blood replenishing potion."

"And Liam?" Hermione seemed to be the only one that remembered the boy.

Pomfrey turned to her, "He's alright save for a few cuts and bruises…he had traces of the cruciatus curse placed on him so I've given him some Vitamix Tonic for strength…the only thing we can do whilst the body recovers."

Cruciatus curse!

"What happened?" I turned to Kat, but her face was still red with anger.

"That's what I'd like to know myself!" She spat at me, "The only way we can find out is if she…" Her voice was rising, and she took a deep calming breath…why is she so worked up? "If we wake her up."

"I don't think we should just yet." We all looked at Silvain Sabre, "She was hysterical, and that's why Kat stunned her." Kat stunned her! "She kept screaming about Len and she was trying to get out of my hands."

"And the boy was even worse." Selina cut in, "He was out of control, didn't even thank me for saving his life…should have just left him in there."

Hermione glared at Selina, but the latter looked unconcerned. Dumbledore stepped forward taking in Ky intently.

"Enervate."

The calm grey was wiped out by a dark storm as the emptiness fled to be replaced by thunder. Ky was on her feet in a moment, the anger in her eyes blinding her to her surroundings.

"Len! Len!"

I quickly went forward as her leg gave away, holding her steady against my shoulder. I was afraid to move her, not knowing the degree of her injury. Linus helped me lower her slowly onto the bed. He then had to hold her down onto the bed as she wriggled against his control relentlessly.

"I'm here. I'm here!" Len walked forward, pushing the hair out of her face. With each blink the light came back to her eyes as they roamed over Len, her legs stopped thrashing and her hands relaxed.

Linus finally let go of her.

"What were you doing in that cave?" Kat stood at the foot of her bed. Ky didn't seem to hear what she said though, panic seeping through her eyes again but it didn't spread to her body like before. She snapped her head this way and that seeing nobody, "Liam, where's Liam?"

I stepped in front of her, and her eyes finally remained in one place, resting on my own, pleading for answers, "He is OK. He's right next to you but unconscious at the moment but he'll be fine."

She turned and looked to the bed next to her, but instead of putting her mind at ease, suddenly her breathing accelerated, she turned to her left, clutching Linus' hand, her eyes boring into his own.

"I need you to do something for me. Please." The sincerity on her face was so compelling I could tell that Linus would give her the world if she had asked it of him now.

"Anything."

She took a deep breath, "There is no time for questions, too much time has passed already…I need you to trust me. Both of you." Her eyes shifted from Len's to Linus', they nodded in unison, the look on her face absorbing their attention and everyone else's in the room. Kat even forgot about her interrogation, but I think that had a lot to do with the look Dumbledore bestowed on her.

"Liam's mother and sister are in danger. I need you to help them. Mi will get the details for you."

She turned to Hermione and so did the rest of the room. Hermione's face was distorted with shock. Ky stared at her for a moment and suddenly comprehension dawned on Hermione, understanding the request in the non-verbal language these two seemed to share. Hermione nodded, "Follow me."

Hermione turned on her heel and shot out of the room, Linus and Lenzo following suit.

"You're sending your brothers to aid death eaters…but why am I so surprised, you met with one today."

I turned to Kat, my anxiety at Ky's injury put at ease by her consciousness and I was able to feel the fury reign in my veins at the accusation in her voice, "Ky wasn't meeting any death eaters. You best start talking to her with some respect or leave."

Kat cocked one dark eyebrow at me, I wasn't threatened though. I wasn't about to stand here in silence and let someone accuse Ky of such a thing.

"I agree with Potter." Silvain Sabre stepped forward, "I was stationed outside the cave and heard most of the conversation that went on between Yardley and the kid, I didn't hear her voice. It was as if she wasn't even there."

"Well, she was there! And because of that fact, YOU had to go play hero and didn't chase down Yardley like you were supposed to. And he got away." Kat glared at Sabre.

"What, did you expect me to just leave her there?"

"I expect you to do your job!"

"Stop." Dumbledore's voice was normal in every way, tone, volume…yet the two stopped as if he had shouted a swear. "Kyrianna, I understand what happened in the cave." He did? Because I was still painfully clueless, "What I do not understand is how you came to be there."

Ky turned away from the window she was staring out of, uninterested in the fight between Sabre and Kat. She looked at Dumbledore…her eyes brimming with thoughts as if he had asked her the meaning of life itself. I sat down on the bed and her hands quickly found mine…OK…something was definitely wrong…

"Kyrianna?"

"Where's…where is he? The blonde guy from the Order?"

Everybody turned and looked at Silvain at her question, who in turn looked at his sister in confusion.

"No. Not him. The other guy. He was the one that told me that Len was in danger." Her voice rose and it seemed her quiet moments brought back her memory with a vengeance.

"Mum!" Our heads snapped to the left. Liam had sat up fast, his eyes popping open overflowing with crazy; the spell must have naturally worn off. He looked to his left and his right, brown eyes zooming around the room growing wilder by the moment.

"What blonde guy?"

Ky ignored Kat, her attention on Liam, "Liam, it's OK. I sent help-"

He wasn't paying attention to her, his feet on the floor and his hand searching frantically through his body probably looking for his wand.

"Rheines. Get back on that bed. Now." Snape was so quiet I had forgotten he was even here. Liam shook his head.

"No. No. My mother." He didn't seem bothered by what anyone had to say, "My sister." He continued whispering to himself looking for his wand.

"Help was sent, you're to remain in that bed." Snape used that tone that shouldn't be tested.

Liam walked towards the exit, and I pushed Ky back on her own bed as she sprung forward to stop him. It wasn't necessary as he stopped on his own, his eyes wide and stuck on the entrance. I let go of Ky and turned around…that was quick.

Linus and Len stood in the doorway, not a hair out of place, Hermione hovered behind them, but it wasn't her face that had Liam rooted to the spot, it was the tiny brunette that was soldered to Hermione's shoulder.

The little girl turned around and upon seeing Liam, parted from Hermione immediately and ran to him, her sobs echoing in the room. He dropped to his knees and held her to him as if he was clutching at the last straws of his life, his voice calling out for his mother grating at my heart.

I closed my eyes and turned away, the sight too painful…Linus and Len's expression answered the only question that needed to be asked.

Ky's hand held my own firmly but I felt no pain, just relief at her touch. Her eyes were out the window again.

"We found the place…too late."

"No Lenzo. Not too late, Miss Rheines is testament to that." Dumbledore's words were fruitless to the Thornton brothers; it wasn't a result if they didn't save everybody.

It was a thought I firmly believed in as well.

"And Yardley?" I had a feeling it wasn't concern that had Kat asking that question. Linus spared her a depreciative look.

"Dead."

"You two couldn't keep him alive!" Kat shouted, kicking the side of the bed in frustration.

"Do you have any remorse? Those children are orphans because of you!" I glanced at Liam and his sister, but Madam Pomfrey had taken them out of the room, clearly thinking this conversation inappropriate for the little girl.

"I didn't ask their father to be a death eater!"

"But you went in a completely low and revolting way of catching him." Len took a step forward, bearing down on Kat, "You involved a fourteen-year-old boy in a cave-in! And my sister!"

"Your sister wasn't supposed to be there, and I had a retrieval plan for the Kid! This is why you guys wanted me in the Order. I get results! When was the last time you two brought any sort of information in! Yardley is a rat, a rat who was going to lead us to a pit full of snakes and I wasn't about to just pass up the opportunity when I received information that he was meeting his son in the Hogsmeade Caves. And if your sister wasn't there, Silvain would have got Yardley, Selina would have saved the boy, and the mother wouldn't be dead. So, if you want to blame anybody for them being orphans, blame your sister for not being able to keep her nose out of business that is of no concern to her!"

I was on my feet, but I had to wait in line to get to her for the outrageous statement she just made. Linus had to disarm Len before he could attack Kat whilst Hermione had more trouble with physically taming me.

"Harry, no." I stopped at the voice…the tone was exactly what I wanted to prevent. It was that horrid soft, insecure voice that stopped me from…I don't even know what I was going to do. I turned away from Kat, concentrating on Ky to calm me down. She was listening…she believed what Kat said…

"Don't listen to her." My voice rang across the room, anger adding volume.

Ky turned away from me, looking at Dumbledore, a defeated look on her face. "I didn't mean to go to the caves. I thought Len was in danger and knew that Hogwarts was too far away to get help."

"Why did you think I was hurt though?"

She opened her mouth to speak but then her eyebrows cinched together, "That guy from the Order told me. The blonde one, the new one."

I stared in confusion and was sure I wasn't the only one; the only new male, blonde Order member was Silvain Sabre.

"I didn't tell you anything. I didn't even know you were in that cave."

"Not you." Ky gave him a dark look, "The other guy. Shit…I never got his name." She took in each of our faces in confusion.

"There is no other new guy Ky." Hermione stood next to the bed.

Ky left my hand and straightened up, her nostrils flaring and eyes wide, "The guy! With the blonde hair! He was at the engagement party! And at the wedding reception." I thought back to both occasions, "I even saw him once in Hogwarts!"

"You've been meeting with a guy whose name you don't even have?" Linus stepped forward, a mixture of concern and confusion on his face.

Ky shook her head, "I didn't realise I didn't know his name until now! It didn't matter because he's part of the Order." She turned to Dumbledore, "He was in Grimauld Place. He's part of the Order because he wanted to tell on me for using Polyjuice potion because he could smell the bicorn horn."

"That has-"

"No scent, I know." She turned to Snape, "I told him that when he came for the wedding reception, but he just left. I had no idea how he had found out I was in disguise because nobody else did and nothing was wrong with the potion. I brewed it to perfection." She muttered the last part to herself, her eyes unfocused.

"Someone managed to…break into Grimauld Place…and Hogwarts? Unnoticed? Impossible." McGonagall stared at Dumbledore in shock, conveying all our thoughts.

"He was bleeding. Badly injured. I thought he was doing Order business with Len when I found him in that clearing in Hogsmeade." She was breathless, her eyes boring into all of ours, confused as to why we didn't understand, her fingers trembling and her eyes saucers of determination, willing us to comprehend..

"Why were you in Hogsmeade in the first place?"

"Someone was calling me. Shouting for me and then I saw this… snow leopard on the outside steps and the next thing I was in…" She stopped, licking her lips, and leaning forward, "I know it sounds absurd."

"Snow Leopards? In Scotland?"

"I think it was a Patronus. He must have sent for help, and it found me and brought me there so I could help Len."

"But Len wasn't hurt, and Patronus' do not work like that." She shook her head at Kat, nostrils wide. I reached for her hand, but she evaded my touch, gesturing with hers for emphasis.

"I know what I saw OK!"

"Please describe this man, Kyrianna?"

Not even a moment later she started describing him rapidly, not a beat missed…no hesitation whatsoever. "Blonde hair. Honey to be specific, amber eyes. Linus' age, very tall, thin, broad shoulders, handsome face. Well dressed, a bit snarky. Kind of pretentious."

"Amber eyes?"

We all turned to the foreign voice; the old lady hadn't said a word all this time. "Yes, I'm positive. They were so light…like gold, you don't see that often. You must remember him!" She looked at all of us, angry that we were not seeing the picture that was so vividly painted in her mind. I reached for her hand this time and she let me hold it, she looked into my eyes, "You must remember him, he was standing right there in the Drawing Room. Right there!"

"Is this him?"

The old lady had walked to Ky, holding a picture out to her. Ky let go of my hand, turning to the picture. Not even a second of studying the picture and her face broke into a beatific smile of relief, "YES! Yes! That is him!"

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore's blue eyes were dull.

"Positive. A hundred percent." She breathed a sigh of relief, "You guys got me thinking I imagined the whole thing." She laughed, her face dissolving into its usual carefree expression, "What is his name? For the record. I should really start asking those simple questions."

"Silvestre. Silvestre Sabre…mon petite abeille." Ky's laughter vanished, the flush from her previous chuckle draining away leaving her in pale faced shock at what the old lady had said. "My dead son."

A/N: Anybody care to hazard a guess?

I hope you enjoyed that chapter,

…please review!

Kalina