Chapter 3

 

 

 

There was an awkward silence in the living room. Mrs Weasley had served them all tea and biscuits and Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black had all arrived a half hour before.

 

“So you have no idea where the fortress is?”

 

Snape shook his head. “When Voldemort summoned us we apparated there on the spot. There was no way to know. I wish I did know.”

 

Charlie looked at him angrily. “We have to know. We have to find Malfoy. He tried to hurt Ginny!”

 

Snape looked down. “I heard about that but I wondered if it was true. Did she tell you what they tried to do?”

 

They shook their heads. Snape’s hands were shaking.

 

“The bastards,” he murmured.

 

“What did they try to do?”

 

Snape looked at Percy. “That is for Miss Wesley to tell you.”

 

He continued, “I would not recommend you to try to take on Lucius. He believed that he would be Voldemort’s second-in-command. Even the other Death Eaters were not as cruel as him. You know what he tried to do to Draco.”

 

“Someone must have tried to stop him. Out of all those people.”

 

“Only one came close. From what I heard he broke Malfoy’s hand without even trying. He is probably dead now. I believe Malfoy has been exaggerating the injuries- claiming that it was some kind of man-beast. Idiot.”

 

They all were silent again. Snape sighed, “I can give you hints as to where the place may be but I cannot be sure.”

 

Arthur nodded. “Thank you Severus.”

 

“How is Miss Weasley?”

 

“She is dreadfully pale and weak. She is obviously very traumatised by the experience and has asked to be alone,” Dumbledore put in.

 

Snape nodded. “I must be getting back. Give her my regards.”

 

They nodded and he apparated on the spot.

 

From above them a loud scream was heard. Arthur and Molly ran up the stairs, followed by everyone else.

 

They pulled open the door.

 

Ginny was tossing and turning in her bed and muttering to herself. She screamed again.

 

“Where is he? What have you done to him?” she screamed, terrified.

 

“Where’s who?”

 

Ginny opened her eyes and looked around. She began to cry. He mother tried to hug her but Ginny pushed her back.

 

“Please let me be alone,” she whispered. Molly nodded, heartbroken and the room was left silent again.

 

Ginny lay back in her bed. She was shaking violently. She cried for hours, alone in her bedroom. She almost wished she was back there. She wanted Oz to be there. She missed him desperately. Why did he have to try and help me? Why couldn’t he have let me go? He was my closest friend! He would still be alive if it wasn’t for me!

 

Her heart broke and she felt the same despair that she had felt when she was in the cell.

 

********************

 

Arthur ran his hands through his sparse hair. They had been searching for the Dark Lord’s lair for over a month and they believed they had finally cracked it.

 

They rushed to the mansion and were expecting the Death Eaters. They opened the door slowly and looked around the deserted hall, wands at the ready. They took a few steps forward and decided to explore the mansion.

 

After a good two hours searching they found an entrance. They managed to magically unlock it and a stone in the wall moved. It opened up as a door and slid across. A large passageway opened up and a stone spiral stairs was revealed.

 

The stairway was lit by torches in the shape of snakes. The place was eerily silent and there wasn’t a sound.

 

 Arthur took the first step in, wand held at arm-length. He walked down the stairs, his shoes slapping on the stone floor. The others followed him. They reached the end of the steps and looked around them.

 

In front of them was a large Hall. Hundreds of cells led off the Hall. Arthur looked around and let out a deep breath. The place was massive, possibly spanning over hundreds of acres of land. It would take them a long time to search it. The only relief was that the place was silent, probably empty for a while. There didn’t seem to be any prisoners. But, then again, prisoners weren’t all they were looking for. They needed clues to help them with the location of the small amount of remaining Death Eaters. 

 

Arthur wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to the Ministry Wizards.

 

“All right, listen to me. Banks, Tierney and Fletcher, check this floor. Smith, Thomas and Buggs, check the top floors. George, you and I will check to see if there’s a dungeon. Everyone else spread out and search for secret passageways. If you find out anything, let us know by setting off an explosion from your wand. Everyone meet back here in an hour.”

 

They spread out. Arthur and George found the stairs leading downstairs pretty quickly. The dungeon seemed to be Voldemort’s Headquarters. It held a large throne made out of twisted stones in the shape of snakes. The eyes of the snakes glittered ruby red in the semi-darkness. Arthur shuddered in disgust.

 

He and George split up, Arthur going right and George going right. Arthur sneaked through the corridor. He found what looked like sleeping chambers for Death Eaters but unfortunately they were empty. They were lavishly decorated, with dark green for Slytherin and Red for blood as the primary colours. He wondered how many Death Eaters had lived here. He stepped inside to check for clues but stopped in his tracks when he heard a shout.

 

He ran back to through the corridor to where the throne was situated. He headed in the direction of George’s shout and burst around the corner, wand held out. He sighed in relief when he saw nobody there except George but backtracked when he saw the look on George’s face.

 

George was standing at the door of a single room, and his face was paling.

 

“Oh, God Arthur. Look at this.”

 

 Arthur walked over to him and looked in the metal door. His face paled and he felt physically sick.

 

“Oh God,” he whispered.

 

There was a man in the cell. His hands were chained to the wall. He was white as a sheet and shaking violently. His tattered clothes covered his skeletal frame. His hair was splattered with dried blood and he seemed to be unconscious. Dried blood was splattered over the dark room.

 

“Do you think he’s dead?” George asked

 

Arthur shrugged slightly, eyes still transfixed on the figure.

 

Arthur took a shaky step towards the man. Then he took another and another until he was within arms reach. He looked the man for a minute. He was maybe twenty, twenty-one and Arthur realised with relief that he was breathing.

 

He raised a trembling hand and put it to the man’s chin. He moved it slightly and the man flinched ever so slightly. Arthur moved the man’s head to face him and his eyes widened in shock. His face had been masked in a cloak of darkness and Arthur hadn’t noticed that his eyes were open. He wasn’t blinking but Arthur didn’t realise that.

 

The boy’s eyes were bright yellow, glowing in the darkness.

 

Arthur took an instinctive step back. George joined him and let out a gasp of shock. Arthur shook his head slightly and raised his wand.

 

An explosion rocked the room. The boy didn’t even notice.

  

He pointed his wand to the chains and they immediately fell off. He and George hoisted the boy up and carried him back to the main entrance.

 

They met the others there. James Tierney came to meet them.

 

“We got your signal Arthur. Have you foun- Oh Merlin!”

 

He had just seen the man they were carrying.

 

The others crowded around but all stepped back when they saw the injured boy. His sight even caused one Ministry wizard to empty his stomach contents all over a statue of a snake. Arthur looked at them all angrily.

 

“This man needs urgent medical assistance. We will meet again tomorrow to do a complete search but for now, Thomas and Buggs, you stay behind and do a final last search.”

 

He started up the stairs with the boy and they immediately apparated to Hogsmeade. They met Hagrid on the way and the horrified half-giant had led them to one of the many spare rooms in Hogwarts.

 

“Best not to frighten the kids by puttin’ ‘im in the ‘ospital wing,” he had told them shakily.

 

He had then gone to find Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore. They entered at the same time, followed by Snape and McGonagall. Madame Pomfrey had promptly fainted at the sight of the boy and had had to be resuscitated with a vase of cold water splashed to the face.

 

  She had then gone to work on his wounds, carefully avoiding his eyes. Dumbledore spoke to Arthur in the corner. George had been excused and had gone home. Arthur wished he could too.

 

Ginny had made some improvements in the last month but was so afraid of magic that she refused point-blank to return to Hogwarts until she was ready. She spent her time huddled on the window ledge, humming slightly and occasionally crying. Arthur fully understood this now. She had been in that place. That boy could have been her. He shuddered at the thought.

 

“Remus and Sirius will be arriving shortly. They are going to see if they can find out anything about him. Try to locate his family. Remus might be able to figure out about his eyes. He is an expert in Dark Creatures.”

 

He sighed and looked at the boy and Madame Pomfrey.

 

She was almost as pale as he was and her lips were pressed together- almost as if she was afraid to open her mouth. She tore off his shirt and a web of scars and dried blood was revealed. She gasped and grabbed her wand and held it at him, ready to heal the wounds, but he flinched without even looking at her.

 

Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly, “Poppy. Maybe you should heal him the muggle way. He has been through an obviously horrific time concerning magic and probably fears it.” She nodded mutely and began to bandage him up.

 

Dumbledore looked at Arthur again and sighed softly. “Arthur, I think you should bring Ginny in a few days.” He held his hand up as Arthur began to protest. “I think it will help her. At least ask her.”

 

Arthur sighed. “I guess you’re right.”

 

There was a ‘pop’ and Sirius Black climbed out the fireplace. A few seconds later, Remus Lupin climbed out behind him. They stood up, dusted themselves down and shook hands with Dumbledore and Arthur. Black had been dropped of all charges when Pettigrew had been discovered.

 

 Remus looked distinctly on edge.

 

“Dumbledore, how are you?”

 

“Quite well, Sirius.”

 

“Where’s the boy?”

 

Dumbledore motioned towards the bed. Sirius let out a low whistle.

 

He studied him for a minute. “I think he’s been exposed to the Dementors,” he said softly. “What do you think Remus?”

 

Remus didn’t answer. His eyes were wide with shock and he was sniffing the air frantically. He looked at the boy in shock.

 

Dumbledore looked at him quizzically.

 

“Do you know what he is, Remus. It’s his eyes that are worrying us.”

 

Remus stayed looking at him in awe. “Oh, I know what he is,” he murmured.

 

“He’s a werewolf.”