The Journey of the Phoenix

-Chapter 1: Losing a friend-

The silence dominating the dark dungeon was penetrated by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Severus Snape called, examining an almost empty bottle of moonstone dust.

Draco Malfoy's blond head appeared through the crack. "Sir, Professor Umbridge needs you in her office," the boy said smugly.

Snape let an ironic sneer escape his lips, as he rose and headed with Malfoy to Umbridge's office.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" he said, entering the office and looking around, wearing his best expression of indifference, although he was slightly alarmed. A number of Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad members had captured Harry Potter and his friends. The boy himself was standing by Umbridge's desk, apparently boiling with rage. Obviously, the gang had broken into her office, and she had caught them. Snape couldn't help but wonder what Potter had been up to.

"Ah, Professor Snape," Umbridge said, smiling widely and standing up. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he reminded her. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

She flushed, and Snape knew she had. What an idiotic woman! No wonder she got along so well with Cornelius Fudge; they were of the same brainpower. Good thing he had only given her sugar-free mead. She could have provoked serious damage to Potter, and they needed Potter.

"You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish, which Snape interpreted as a sign of her increasing fury. But little did he mind about her state of mind.

"Certainly," he replied and his lip curled. "It takes a full moon-cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A month?" she squawked. "A month? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" So that was what Potter had been up to. He knew her fireplace wasn't being watched. He had probably been trying to contact Sirius Black. Typical Potter, impatient, imprudent. You'd think he'd have learned better than that, having messed up all these times and got into serious trouble, facing powerful wizards and the Dark Lord himself. "Well, it doesn't surprise me," he continued. "Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules." He shot him a stern look, and noticed that the boy did not even flinch. Always the arrogant. Just like his father.

"I wish to interrogate him!" Umbridge said angrily, and Snape looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," he said smoothly, although he was feeling a wild pleasure in making a fool of her, "that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter - and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did - I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling."

Snape looked back at Harry. The boy looked oddly anxious. Perhaps he feared he was going to be poisoned.

"You are on probation!" Umbridge shrieked, and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!"

Snape gave her an ironic bow and turned to leave, when he heard something that made him stop with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.

"He's got Padfoot!" Potter was screaming. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

"Padfoot?" Umbridge was now crying. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

Snape looked round at Harry, thinking quickly.

"I have no idea," he told Umbridge coldly. "Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little. If Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job."

He snapped the door closed. His heart was pounding.

The interpretation of Potter's cryptic message could be only one: The Dark Lord was in the Department of Mysteries, and he had Padfoot - Snape was sure this was Sirius Black's nickname. Potter had probably had another vision, courtesy of the Dark Lord - seeing how, after all these months, he had not learned one single thing about Occlumency.

But... the Dark Lord, in the Department of Mysteries, risking exposure? And Black had once again disobeyed Dumbledore's orders and left the Headquarters?

Snape looked around to make sure he was alone. Then, he pulled out his wand and conjured his Patronus, a grey phoenix.

"Go check upon Sirius Black," he ordered it.

The bird spread its wings and flew down the corridor, gradually fading until it disappeared.

-----

"You're ready, pal," Sirius Black said to Buckbeak, the hippogriff. The beautiful animal was still lying on the carpeted floor, but all pain was gone from its face and it was making sounds of contentment.

Sirius looked again at the wound on the hippogriff's leg, which he had covered with a yellowish ointment. It had been Kreacher's doing, no doubt. He was growing tired of the annoying house elf. Oh, if only he could get rid of him...

Suddenly, a silver-grey light shone inside the room. Sirius turned around and saw a very familiar phoenix.

"Great," he muttered. "Snape. What do you want?"

The eyes of the bird flashed, as if they were taking a picture of the room. Then, the phoenix slowly vanished. Sirius gaped, his face red with anger.

"Great! Now he's checking upon me too!" he yelled. "Who do you think you are?"

His wand automatically reached for his wand, with the intent of sending Snape a piece of his mind, but he eventually thought better of it. He let out a loud, rather dog-like growl and settled for stomping out the room and down the stairs.

-----

"Watch it, Tonks!"

Remus Lupin hastily dragged the young woman near him, before she tripped over a coffee table.

"I'm sorry, Remus!" she squeaked. "I always forget that one!"

"It's OK," he said, ushering her towards the other direction. "Quiet now, we don't want to wake Mrs Black up."

Behind them, Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt also entered the house and walked to the kitchen. Sirius was there, scrubbing frantically a silver goblet.

"How'd it go?" he asked between gritted teeth, obviously not caring about the response.

"Nothing to worry about," Remus said. "Are you OK?" he added, glancing worriedly at his friend.

"Yes," Sirius replied bitterly, without taking his eyes off the goblet.

The newly-arrived members of the Order sat around a map that had now been spread upon the table, discussing Dumbledore's latest order. Several minutes had passed, when a grey phoenix materialised inside the room.

"You again?" Sirius said, annoyed.

"What, he contacted you earlier?" Kingsley asked him.

"Speak," Sirius ordered the phoenix, ignoring the question.

The bird opened its beak and Snape's voice came out.

"Harry Potter had a vision involving Sirius Black and the Dark Lord in the Department of Mysteries. A while ago he and his friends went to the Forbidden Forest, and have yet to return. It is possible that they have left for the Ministry, which will put them in grave danger if that vision proves to be a trap of the Dark Lord's. All members receiving that message should hurry there, while I will be searching for them in the Forest. Black is to stay in and alert Professor Dumbledore, who is due there any minute."

An eerie silence fell in the room as the bird faded away. Sirius was the first to break it.

"You have no right to tell me what to do!" he yelled, his clenched fist punching the air.

"Calm down, Sirius," Remus said and turned to the others. "Come on, people, let's get going."

"Wait a second!" Sirius called. "Kreacher!"

"What is it?" Kingsley asked as he folded the map.

"Wait for me. I'll just have Kreacher inform Dumbledore and come with you."

"No, Sirius, you're not coming with us," Moody growled.

"I'm coming -"

"It's too dangerous!" Tonks interjected.

At that moment, Kreacher Apparated in the room. "Does Master wish to talk to Kreacher? Does the filthy, unworthy traitor wish to order Kreacher around?" he added, in a lower voice.

"Yes, actually," Sirius snapped. "You are to stay here and inform Professor Dumbledore that we are going to the Department of Mysteries, to search and save Harry Potter and his friends from the Death Eaters."

"Kreacher will do as ordered," the house-elf said, bowing, "because Kreacher has no other choice but to serve the last Black, even if the last Black is a nasty, pathetic..."

"Enough," Sirius said, urging everyone to hurry. "Let's get out of here."

"You're not going anywhere," Moody told him sternly.

Sirius quickly pulled out his wand, a determined expression on his face. "I am coming. It's my godson we're talking about!"

Moody sighed and retreated. The five people left together, leaving Kreacher alone in the house.

-----

A while later, Albus Dumbledore quietly entered the building and headed to the kitchen. He expected several members of the Order to be waiting there for him, but instead, he was greeted by emptiness.

Emptiness? No, not exactly. A cackle could be heard from the other side of the room. Dumbledore walked around the big table and saw Kreacher, curled in a corner, laughing.

"Kreacher?" he asked, gently. "Where is everyone?"

"Kreacher's Master and the rest of filthy scum went to the Department of Mysteries to save Harry Potter and his friends from the Death Eaters."

And with that, Kreacher broke into a manic laughter, complete with banging his head against the wall.

"And why is Harry Potter at the Department of Mysteries?" Dumbledore asked again.

"Kreacher does not know," the house-elf said happily and continued in a mutter, "Kreacher will not reveal anything to this man who is besmirching the noble and most ancient House of Black by merely stepping foot in it..."

Dumbledore examined his options for a moment, then made up his mind. He stared intensely into the house-elf's eyes and performed Legilimency. Kreacher's memories started bustling inside his mind, but since his magic was much stronger than Kreacher's, he had no trouble finding his way through them. A memory of Kreacher and Narcissa Malfoy that looked recent came up and Dumbledore forced it to stay surfaced, so that he could watch it.

"...When I send you notice, you will make sure to keep Sirius Black away from everyone's reach and especially Harry Potter's. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mistress."

Dumbledore broke contact and Kreacher, dizzy from having his mind invaded, stumbled down and fell on the floor. Dumbledore picked him up and placed him on the table to rest. Kreacher was now delusional and, judging by his ramblings, he thought he was in company of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Mistress," he was saying, "let Mistress Narcissa know that Kreacher fulfilled the orders he was given. Kreacher is very proud to be of help to the Black family."

"Kreacher, why did Narcissa Malfoy want Sirius Black away from everyone's reach?" Dumbledore asked.

"It was her Master's wish," Kreacher growled.

It was not difficult for Dumbledore to put two and two together. He needed to get to the Ministry as soon as possible - but not without doing something for Kreacher's condition first.

He hurried to the sink and opened the cupboard overhead. It was full of small bottles and boxes. He picked out a bottle that was filled with a ruby-red liquid. The label on it read in small, crumpled handwriting 'Enconscio - one spoonful per dose'.

Dumbledore retrieved a spoon and poured the appropriate dosage of potion in it, then fed it to Kreacher. Kreacher blinked and sat up immediately.

"Excellent," Dumbledore said and put the bottle back. Then, he thanked Kreacher and hurried out the house.

-----

Tonks's eyes fluttered.

"She's waking up!" somebody exclaimed. Tonks focused with difficulty, but she did not know the blond man leaning over her. Beside him, though, she could see Remus's worried face.

"She..."

Her voice faltered. She gasped and closed her eyes.

"What happened?" she breathed.

"You're in St Mungo's," the unknown man said. "They brought you here from the Ministry of Magic."

"Oh..." She let out a sigh and opened her eyes again. "Is everyone all right?"

Remus's face darkened even more. The healer stared at him and Remus nodded towards the door. Nodding back, the healer left the room.

"What's going on?" Tonks asked, terrified.

"It's... bad news," Remus said with difficulty, drawing his chair closer.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

He gulped. "It's Sirius."

She waited for him to continue, although her eyes had widened with impatience.

"Bellatrix... She threw him through the arch."

Tonks gaped for a moment. "She..."

"Yes."

She closed her eyes, shocked. "That can't be."

Remus reached for her hand, unable to speak anymore.

Tonks opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling. "Bellatrix... I was fighting with her... I let her jinx me..."

"It's not your fault -"

"It is!" She looked at Remus. "I'm an Auror! I'm supposed to protect the others!"

"There's only so much you can do."

She drew short breaths, still in a state of shock. "I can't believe it."

Remus grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and wiped the tears that were now streaming down her face. "I know how you're feeling."

"Yeah, I guess you do..." She sniffed and let a faint smile, which caught Remus by surprise.

"What?"

She bit her lip. "Oh, I just... Thanks. For staying with me."

He smiled back. "You're welcome."

-End of chapter 1-