AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 7: Lurking in the Dark

Harry watched Sirius Disapparate near the edge of the forest. He stroked Hedwig's feathers and stared at the spot he vanished from. They'd dueled pretty hard. Whatever he and Remus discussed must have been important enough for Sirius to forgo resting. All he'd said was, "need to go out. Remus'll need food. Back in a bit."

Harry's dreams steadily deteriorated in the last week or so. He didn't dream of the graveyard, but instead, his nightmare was of being chased through the streets and forests around where they hid. There was no need for him to guess who was chasing him. Remus and Sirius were right, as much as it galled him to admit it. Hogwarts was safer for him to continue to learn magic. Beauxbatons wouldn't take him; that much was clear. Ilvermorny, while an option, carried other problems. Such as the near tyrannical way in which their government suppresses the use of magic, any kind of magic.

That left Hogwarts or self-study with Sirius and Lupin. While Harry hadn't made as much progress as he would have liked over the summer, there were a lot of factors in that. One was his arm. Another was the fact that they kept having to move around. While it wasn't a lot of time, it sometimes took half a day or more to safely navigate the city or walk to the new place in the forest.

That being said, Harry knew he was learning more than just magic. The information Sirius and Lupin were teaching him was invaluable. Using magic and his Invisibility Cloak, he'd learned how to silence his footsteps entirely, and it was much better than the Hover Charm he'd used before. There were other things he was learning, too. How to engage in duels.

Sirius talked about how he and his father picked their battles. It wasn't just running in and start to casting spells, but they chose when to engage with the Death Eaters. When and where. It was really advice from Lilly, but they'd seen the logic behind it and adapted her input to suit their needs. Sirius showed Harry what he meant in their most recent duel. In reality, striking first and hard generally won. Sirius said to save the romanticized duel between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald for the story books. Come in, trying to overwhelm your opponent.

Harry considered his godfather's advice. It felt like a lifetime ago, but he'd gone to Providence Preparatory School for Military Bound Boys. They'd done what they could to drill obedience, routine, brutality of war, and rudimentary tactics into his young mind. He didn't like thinking about the school for several reasons, but mostly because he thought of Bray whenever he did. However, he would need to think about it again. Voldemort brought with him war. A war that he was already winning.

Harry went back inside and saw Remus had gone to bed already. He gently set Hedwig down on the table and pulled out a pan to get dinner started. Since he could use magic where they were, he flicked his wand and started the fire on one of their appropriate wood stoves. He didn't ask where Sirius kept getting them from and didn't want to know. While a simple stew bubbled away, Harry wrote a book list for Hedwig to take to Flourish and Blotts. After he let her go, with a biscuit as a reward and thanks, he sat down to try and remember what his instructors at Providence had wanted to teach him.

-X-X-X-X-

Sirius returned late, looking exhausted. "Harry, I'm sorry, but first thing, we're moving north. It's worse than I expected," he said by way of greeting.

Harry grunted and nodded, closing the book he was reading with Remus. "Death Eaters?" he asked softly. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to make sure.

"Yes, and possibly their master," Sirius spat. "The French Ministry is crawling all over the city. Something must have happened because they tried to attack me when I was spotted. Either they're attacking any foreign witch or wizard, or they're on edge. That probably means someone was killed."

Remus sat up and rubbed a hand through his hair. "They could be coming down on the Vampires too," he muttered. "By letting them gather in one city, they could sweep in simultaneously and wrap them all up in one go. Or… at least attempt to."

"I hadn't thought of that angle," Sirius grumbled. "Either way, it's become too hot for us to remain. I need a few hours rest, then we can prepare to move to the east."

"Not the north?" Harry asked with a frown.

"No. North or West is what I would expect from someone I was pursuing. Going toward Italy or Switzerland might be safer in the short term. Then we move north toward Luxembourg and Belgium."

"So we won't go back on the same ferry?"

"Try to never use the same path you've already been discovered using. We might have to, but I'd be surprised if they didn't have someone watching the ferries. Our plan is to get to Dunkirk."

"That's still a lot of ground to cover," Lupin sighed as he sat back in his chair. "Especially if we're going the long way around."

"There will be a lot of roughing it, but it'll give Harry the experience he needs in preparing and looking for campsites," Sirius argued. "Also, we'll be staying in cities too."

"Between us, we could have Harry back in Britain in… what? Five hours or less if we Side-Along Apparated."

"Maybe less, but here's the thing. If there are Death Eaters in France, then there are fewer in Britain. How long will it take them to realize Harry's returned if we Apparated back? Also, you know what Madam Pomfrey said about Apparition."

"I know… however, I'd feel safer if we got back quicker."

"Yes… but you're forgetting another thing. All of our safe houses have been discovered. Dumbledore might have something ready for us… but how long do you think they've known about it? Someone is talking," Sirius said firmly.

"Dung wouldn't sell us out," Lupin argued. Harry frowned. Mundungus would sell them out, but his mentors seemed to have forgotten he was in the room, so he stayed quiet.

"Dung would. He might be part of the Order, but that doesn't mean he won't do things that will profit him. It wasn't just Dung we dealt with, either. You can buy anything in Knockturn Alley, even allegiance. I've been thinking. You're my friend, but you've never been exactly rich. You and Alastor made a lot of purchases in a short amount of time. I'm sure someone put two and two together and realized we were purchasing places out of the country."

Harry blinked. Moody had helped set all this up? They'd kept quiet about that bit.

"And doing it legally is biting us in the end," Remus sighed. "I dislike theft."

"It would have been more like temporarily borrowing," Sirius grinned. "We're going to have to do it anyway. There can be no trace of us moving through these cities. Magic is going to have to be kept to a minimum, too. That means Muggle transportation, walking, or stealing a vehicle."

Remus did not look happy, but he nodded. "What do you think about all this, Harry? What Sirius is proposing is dangerous. If we return to Britain now, or in a few hours, you can continue studying in the relative safety of comfort. If we do what Sirius wants, then it'll be roughing it for at least two weeks," he asked. It was clear what Remus wanted.

Harry looked at Sirius. "He makes a good point."

"You aren't going to get a better chance to learn, first hand, what to do. I can tell you how to do what I did, but you won't learn it until you see it yourself. We're ahead of our enemies. They don't seem to know that we're here… yet. Yes, you could be sitting by the fire this time tomorrow, reading about Elemental Magic, but that will come at a cost when you've graduated. A lot can happen in three years, Harry. I might not be here. War is war."

Harry blinked and looked at Remus. Harry understood war… thought he understood war. The threat was close and very real. Those veterans of the Muggle Second World War spoke of death. How it came for them in the night, in the day, in the shower, in the sand, from a bush, from a tree, or the sky. They spoke of death like it was a part of them that they'd accepted at some point. Sirius' statement reminded him of those brave men. It scared him.

"Sirius is right," Remus sighed. "We know what we're doing. This isn't the first time we have been on the run. I don't like the fact that you need to learn what we know, but… well… sometimes what I don't like doesn't mean it doesn't need to be done. I can't believe you're talking me into this, Sirius."

"Come on, old friend, you know I'm right."

"If it goes wrong…"

"It won't. We won't let it. Every precaution. The simple fact is, he needs to understand and learn."

Remus sat there for a long time, his eyes closed. Harry saw the struggle on his face. Sirius looked upset as well. He wasn't sure what to make of his godfather's expression. There were things they knew and weren't telling him about their situation, about the goings on in France and Britain. He was content not to know until they told him. It bothered him a little that they didn't trust him with the information, but not overly so.

"One of us will stay with Harry at all times. The other, scouts and prepares a place ahead of time," Remus finally said.

"Just like we've been doing," Sirius smiled, but it seemed forced to Harry.

"The longer we stay in France, the more dangerous things become. The moment things become too much, we get out of here."

Sirius nodded. "I highly doubt things will come to that. Two weeks, and we'll sneak back across the border," he said with a nod.

-X-X-X-X-

Harry hadn't been idle since they reached France. He'd used his stockpile of ingredients to make various potions for himself and the others. In his stockpile were a few Wideye, Wiggenweld, Burn-Healing Paste, Pepperup, Dreamless Sleep, and a General Antidote Potions. Sirius helped him through carefully vanishing his trunk so the enchantments inside the trunk didn't break.

"Go slow, and focus on only vanishing the outside of the trunk, not the entire thing. That is important," his godfather said as he vanished his trunk.

Harry nodded and went slow. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin his trunk and possibly lose his books, potions, ingredients, and countless other important things. His hand shook. He hadn't realized how important his trunk was to him.

"Easy, slowly," Sirius said over his shoulder.

Harry nodded and slowed down. He focused on what Sirius had told him.

"Well done, I knew you could do it. Next time we're on the run, a satchel or bag with an Extension Charm. It'll make moving around easier. You know, you might be ready to learn that one," Sirius mused.

Harry's eyebrows rose. "I've tried it before. It's complex," he admitted.

His godfather barked out a laugh. "I'm not surprised you would have. Arthur said it was one of the first Charms he showed you in that car of his that you took notice of. However, breaking the charm down makes it easier to understand. We'll work on it a little as we move north."

"Brilliant," Harry grinned.

Sirius and Remus didn't waste any time. After a quick breakfast with some of the last of their supplies, they vanished a few more essential items, like the stove, bed, and tables, and then collapsed the bunker. Sirius said it would help hide the traces of their magic. Harry wouldn't argue, but he saw a clear indention in the forest where something had been. Even the two trees that had fallen over hadn't helped hide it much.

"Right, I'm going to head east first. Remus, is the car ready?" Sirius asked as they made their way back toward the road.

"I've got it hidden," Remus sighed. Harry felt a little bad for stealing someone's vehicle. Some of him said it would be better to just Apparate back to Britain. However, a selfish part of him wanted to learn what Sirius and Remus had to offer.

"Good. I'll meet you outside of Lyon," his godfather said before Disapparating.

Harry and Lupin looked at each other. "Well," the older wizard sighed. "Let's get to it."

It surprised Harry to learn that Remus knew how to drive. Arthur could but wasn't all that good at it. Lupin was open about some of his jobs when he asked about it.

"Being who I am meant that I couldn't just work for Wizarding Communities. That meant learning to be a Muggle and everything involved with being a Muggle. Unfortunately, making Muggle money, meant that I didn't make Galleons to pay for things in the Wizarding World… and Gringotts charges a premium to exchange different currencies. That meant any time I had to reenter the Community, I was poor. Sure, I could Apparate and even grow my own food. I did that a lot but during the change…"

Harry watched as Remus expertly moved around a tractor. The man and his son waved at them as they passed. Harry waved back.

"The full moon takes a lot out of me. I require three times the food I would normally need once changing back. Well… it feels like three times. More like twice, but it lasts for three or four days. I couldn't go into the transformation weak either, so… I went on half or less of what I normally ate for about a week to two weeks at a time… for years."

Harry wasn't sure how all this related to him knowing how to drive, but he was interested in the story. Remus seldom talked about himself.

"When I needed to change jobs, that required moving cities or countries. Faking documents isn't exactly complex for us… so, I did what I had to. I could have gone full hermit and tried it for a while… but I can't. I need social interaction, even if it's in small doses. I found a job hauling wine barrels for a winery here in France. A lovely couple just took me in. Alf and I drove the barrels around the country, distributing them to the winery's customers.

I held that job the longest. Alf covered the days I couldn't work, and I covered the days he couldn't get out of bed. In the end, they had to let me go. I don't think they knew what I was, but they certainly couldn't miss that I disappeared around the full moon for a day or two and came back looking… well, strung out."

"Sorry to hear that," Harry said, not knowing what else to say. He just needed to fill the uncomfortable silence.

"It simply is. The full moon is coming up," Remus said suddenly.

"Yeah, I know."

"That means you and Sirius will need to keep moving. Has he gone over our plan?"

"Not as such… just that our eventual destination is Dunkirk. I think he wants us to skirt the border."

"Close enough to it," Remus grumbled. "We should make a straight shot for Britain. You'll get plenty of experience and get back faster."

Harry shrugged. He knew Sirius had some sort of other plan. That, or his godfather just didn't want to go back either. Harry knew he'd rather stay where he was… if the threat of the Death Eaters wasn't so significant.

"I meant to ask, what's with the belt?" Lupin asked with a glance at the wrapped belt in Harry's lap.

Looking down, Harry bit back a smile. He'd found a wide leather craftsman's tool belt at one of the houses they'd been at. Using magic and a little ingenuity, he fashioned it into a bandolier of sorts to carry fifteen vials. He carefully selected which potions he wanted on hand. "Just an idea," he smiled. He could hide it against his chest, under a shirt or robes. It had the bonus of giving him a place to loop his Invisibility Cloak over. His shirt might look a little baggy, but if he placed things right, it would look like he was just a little heavier than the average fifteen-year-old.

"Alright, keep your secrets," Remus snorted.

The drive took about two hours. Harry tried to occupy his time by looking at the French countryside. While much of the drive was in or around cities, he could see the rolling countryside and clearly separated farmlands.

"I forgot to ask, how has your Occulmency come along?" Remus asked into the silence.

"So, so," he sighed as they passed over a bridge. The clear blue water reflected in the sunlight, briefly blinding him.

"How much have you actually worked on it?"

Harry mulled over the question. "Not too much. I mean, I walk my Mind Palace every night before bed. Supposedly, that strengthens it."

"You aren't actively trying to shield your thoughts during the day?"

"No… I'm generally pretty busy," Harry grinned. "Why? What's brought the subject up?"

Remus was quiet for a time. "Dumbledore said it would be important for you to become at least adept at separating and protecting your mind at will. Not only will it help you duel, but it'll also help with handing more complex spells," he finally answered.

Harry thought there might be more to the story, but he wasn't sure. Lupin only talked about the things he knew and rarely speculated. "Is that the only reason?"

"I don't know. Dumbledore… well, he didn't come right out and say it, he never does that… but seemed to think it a vital skill for both you and Sirius."

Harry remembered Sirius mentioning learning Legilimancy to help with Harry's Occlumency, but they'd never gotten around to focusing on it. So much of Harry's time had been spent learning new concepts or dueling. "What do you think?" he asked slowly.

"If Dumbledore has spoken about it a few different times… then he knows something that we don't. I would take this seriously."

Harry turned back to look at the countryside. He trusted Sirius and Remus' opinions. A part of him knew he should trust Dumbledore, but another part saw the way Sirius looked at the Headmaster. There was respect in his godfather's gaze… but there was also a feeling of distrust, if not outright dislike. He wanted to understand why that was before he thoroughly listened to Dumbledore. Everyone had their own goals, and so far, Sirius and Remus have done nothing but focus on Harry's wellbeing and further his magical knowledge.

-X-X-X-X-

Harry ghosted through the streets of a town he didn't know the name of. It was outside a major city near the border of Switzerland and right on the route Sirius planned out. Sirius was ahead of him, holding a bag of groceries and things they could eat as they traveled. The journey was certainly less glamorous than Harry had anticipated, but his godfather came through with what he'd promised. He was getting a chance to practice hiding and moving in an urban environment.

Sirius stopped and looked both ways before crossing a cobbled lane. Harry waited before moving after him. He froze half, about to take the first step onto the street, when he spotted something lurking in the shadows to their right. The simple, modern homes on the lane weren't unusual, nor was the low wall that accompanied most of the homes. Something had moved between two hedges to Harry's left. He finished the step and readied his wand.

Sirius was already passing onto the next lane when Harry caught up. He looked over his shoulder and spotted a dark figure crouched by the low wall where he and Sirius had entered. Getting closer, he whispered, "at least one behind us."

"Two in front," Sirius growled. "We're going to go around the back of the next house."

Harry nodded, then realized Sirius couldn't see him. He moved ahead and prepared an ambush.

Sirius rounded the corner just as two figures appeared out of the darkness across the yard from Harry. "All alone, Wizard," a deep, melodious voice called.

Harry stepped past Sirius and aimed his wand back the way his godfather had come.

"Getting bold, Vampire," Sirius called.

"You chased us off a meal," the more petite dark figure complained.

Harry felt more than saw the third Vampire move into a position where it could charge Sirius from behind. He shifted his aim toward the bush.

"It was a little girl," Sirius challenged.

"A Muggle to your kind," the apparent leader chuckled. "She was our catch. We'd been tracking her for nights."

"I'll be gone by tomorrow. Do what you want then. I couldn't watch an innocent be taken in front of me."

"What of your companions? The ones in dark cloaks and masks. We've word of your kind scouring Vampires. You are here alone…"

Sirius seemed to consider the Vampire's words. "They've been attacking your kind?"

The figure in the bushes separated itself from the darkness. Harry could see the bone white of the woman's face. She looked and felt unnatural. There was no way this Vampire could have walked freely amongst Muggles. He readied himself to throw off the Cloak and attack.

"British witches and wizards," the other voice called. "Coming after us for sport."

"Wouldn't I have killed you for sport too?" Sirius asked. "Not simply chased you away from your meal."

Harry felt something above him. There was another Vampire. He tapped Sirius on his back and slid his finger upward to create an arrow. His godfather nodded.

A jerk behind Harry's naval pulled him backward through a tight rubber tube as Sirius Side-Along Apparated them away. Harry knew he wouldn't have been able to escape if he wanted to. They reappeared seconds later.

"Move north, you know the spell. We'll meet back at the house," Sirius warned as he waved his wand. Part of the hedges near them grew.

Harry knew to follow the instructions. It wasn't the first close call with creatures of the night since they'd left the relative safety of Le Puy. He heard the tell-tale cracks of wizards Apparating around him. Another crack echoed a heartbeat after.

"He was right there," a nasal voice hissed.

"Il ne portait pas de masque," a feminine voice retorted. It took Harry a moment to realize she'd said that Sirius hadn't worn a mask. His French was better than it was before the start of Summer, but he still wasn't as fluent as Remus.

Two more cracks echoed around the lane. Harry slid into the darkness, his Cloak protecting him from the French Aurors or Ministry Officials' searching eyes.

Twenty minutes later, Harry slid past the gate into the yard Sirius had found for them. He struggled to keep his breathing steady as he'd run most of the way. There were Vampires and French witches and wizards roaming the little town.

Sirius was waiting by the back door, wand in hand, as Harry approached on silent feet. "I see your footprints. We'll need to work on that, Harry," he whispered.

Looking back, there were footprints in the soft grass. Harry frowned. He'd forgotten to walk lightly. The magic around his trainers only went so far. "There are Ministry people all over. That… and I saw another group of Vampires," he reported.

"What is going on," Sirius grumbled. "This was supposed to be a quiet town. Are you good to head out tonight? We can't wait for Remus, and I can't risk another Apparition with you. We're going to have to walk."

Harry winced. He was tired and hungry. "Whatever we need to do," he said.

"This has gotten too dangerous. We need to get much further north before I can safely Apparate us both to Britain. With Remus down because of the moon… well… it'll just be the two of us, I fear."

Harry made to draw off the Cloak, but Sirius stopped him when he saw Harry's legs. "No, you'll need to leave it on for a while. Sorry. I should have listened to Remus."

"I'm learning a lot," Harry said into the silence.

"You are, and I'm proud of you, but something else is happening here. The Death Eaters are actively going against the French Aurors. Something must have happened. I'm not sure what's going on with the Vampires, but they seem much more aggressive than normal, too," Sirius sighed. "I'll leave Remus a hint about where we're headed. Hopefully, he can catch up, and we can hop you back to safety."

Harry grumbled that he wasn't in danger, but Sirius did not hear him.

They ate as Sirius led them on foot. Well, sort of on foot. Sirius initially planned to get far enough away to pull out Harry's broom and fly north. He didn't want to attract attention from anyone watching the air on their own brooms. To speed up their progress and keep themselves relatively rested, he enchanted a wooden sled he found in a barn to carry them across the fields.

That worked until someone shot a spell from the sky. The ground near them erupted in a spray of earth. Sirius grabbed Harry's arm, and they Apparated away. When Harry got his bearings, Sirius whispered for him to lie down and not move. He Disapparated away again.

Heart hammering, Harry saw two figures appear several feet away. They seemed to consider something before vanishing with a pair of cracks. He wasn't sure, but he thought they spoke in Cockney English. Death Eaters.

Harry moved to the left, crouched low. He waited ten minutes when a figure appeared in the darkness, moving slowly toward where he'd first appeared. Not trusting that it was Sirius, Harry kept his wand trained on them. It wasn't until he saw a large dog sniffing around the spot that he softly called out.

"Good, that was close. The Death Eaters are engaged with the French Aurors at the moment. We're going north on foot from here," Sirius said quietly.

Harry knew it was going to be a long night.