Forestchild

Chapter One: The Rise of the Shadow

Sirius crept down the stone walkway cautiously, his padded dog-feet making little to no sound each time they hit the cold ground. His shaggy black coat blended in perfectly with the darkness of night that surrounded him. There was no moon tonight. There were not even any stars to light the way, as a result of the night sky being cloudy and blocking all view of them. Ahead of Sirius, about twenty meters or so, there was an old, run-down house. It was missing shingles, a few shutters, and was tilted to one side. Sirius could not see it, of course, but he knew it was there. He has been here a few times before this. He knew this area well. Very well. This was the house of Remus Lupin, an old friend of his from Hogwarts.

Sirius strided, completely silent, up the steps and onto the small porch, before looking around him to make sure that no one was watching. Once he had ascertained that this was true, he scratched quietly at the door, fervently hoping that his friend was home. No one came to the door. Sirius scratched a little louder, as loud as he dared, then waited some more. For a while, there was no sound. Sirius was about to turn around and leave when he heard shuffling inside. Soon, a tired face appeared at the door, as Lupin peered out. It took him a while to realize he needed to look down, but when he did, and he spotted the faint outline of Sirius’s dog form, his weathered face broke into a slight smile. He opened the door wider, in order to let Sirius in. He was as quiet as he could be about it, but if Sirius could, he would have winced when the door squeaked a bit. When they got inside, and were in the old living room, Sirius returned to human form.

“Sirius, it’s really good to see you again. I haven’t gotten an owl from you in ages, although Dumbledore sent me an owl saying you were coming. He couldn’t give me the details, though. Said it was too risky. Would you like some tea?” Lupin said all this in a hurried and rushed voice, as he set about to find a tea pot.

“No tea, please, but some coffee would be great, if you have any,” Sirius replied. He sat down heavily on the ancient sofa. It was so worn, Sirius could feel the springs pressing into his skin, but it was nice to sit down on something remotely comfortable for a change. It was nice, not to have to sit on the cold stone floor of a cave. There were several torn spots in the sofa, and there was a burn stain on one of the arms. Sirius preferred not to think about how it might have got there.

As Remus was bustling around the kitchen, trying to figure out where the coffee beans had gotten to, Sirius took the opportunity to examine the room. It had changed a lot since he had last been there, before he was put in Azkaban for a crime he didn’t commit. Besides the sofa, there was a small, oval-shaped wooden coffee table in the center, an old, dirty rug (he had no idea what the pattern was, as it was worn away), a wooden rocking chair that looked as though it might collapse at any moment, a framed picture of Remus, James, and himself (he remembered Peter had taken it), and a cozy looking brick fireplace with a mantle piece. On the mantle there were several pictures, and a lamp. The lamp was lit, and it cast a soft and comforting glow about the room. The pictures were of various witches and wizards. Sirius noticed that one was of Harry, and he wondered how Remus had gotten a hold of it. There was a small fire in the fireplace, and it cast warmth into the room. Despite the ragged shape it was in, it had a very cozy feel to it, just as he had remembered, and it just seemed like home to him.

Remus had finally succeeded in finding the beans, and making the coffee. He walked in with two steaming mugs, one tea and the other coffee.

“I find it tastes better if I don’t use magic, so I used some of the money Dumbledore gave me to get some beans and a coffee maker,” he grinned sheepishly, “Don’t tell him, will you? I’m supposed to be spending it on practical things, and for the most part, I do. I figured it couldn’t hurt just this one time...” Sirius actually laughed. It surprised him, that he still could laugh. He had been so worried the past year, what with Harry and the Triwizard Tournament and all, and then the ordeal with Voldemort (which wasn't exactly close to over yet. In fact, it was just beginning).

“I won’t tell. Marauder’s honor,” he was still smiling.

“So, what is it you need to talk to me about?” Remus asked, before taking a small sip of his tea, and burning his tongue. Somehow, Sirius couldn’t bring himself to wipe the smile off Remus’ face by telling him the awful news just then. He decided it could wait until morning.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow morning. Right now, I’m beat. It isn’t easy traveling for three days, avoiding dementors and living off rats, you know. Speaking of which, where are you planning to have me sleep tonight? This old shack can’t have more then one bedroom.”

“Ah, I’ve thought of that. You could sleep on the couch, if you like, or I could sleep on the couch and you could use my bed. I could go change the sheets right now.” Sirius didn’t want to impose on Remus any more than he had to, and he really was feeling awfully lethargic. He didn’t think he could wait for Remus to change sheets. He related this to Remus, who gave in after some coaxing, and Remus didn’t think it fair that the guest should have to sleep on the rather lumpy couch. Sirius lay down, while Remus went to get some blankets and a pillow, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep.

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The first thing that registered with Sirius when he woke up late the next morning was that he was not in a cave or a forest. This puzzled him greatly. Where was he? Then he remembered, he was at Remus’. The next thing he noticed was that he was covered in a soft, somewhat ratty blanket. This was odd. He had not remembered ever actually getting one. It took him a while to figure out that, of course, Remus must have come back, found him asleep, and placed it over him. The pillow was on the floor. Sirius supposed that either Remus had not been able to move his head, either from fear of waking him or from just not being able to, or he had knocked it off in his sleep. The latter seemed more likely. The last thing he noticed before his head cleared completely was that his coffee was gone. He felt somewhat disappointed. Cold or no, coffee is a good thing in the morning when you are groggy and still half asleep. He also felt a bit ashamed, because he had hardly drunk a sip of it, and felt he had wasted perfectly good coffee that was hard to get around here. It was, after all, a Muggle drink, although he was quite fond of it.

The only reason why he didn’t go back to sleep was because Remus had just come in, and, seeing that Sirius was still more than half asleep, had fetched a glass of water, and poured it over his head. Sirius sputtered and glared vehemently at Remus, while Remus laughed long and hard.

“What was that for?!” Sirius shouted.

“Think of it -- this -- way, now -- you won’t --- have -- to take -- a -- shower!” Remus choked out through his laughter. Slowly, the corners of Sirius’ mouth turned up, and soon he was laughing heartily with Remus. This is the way it should be, he thought, only James and Lily should be here. And even Peter, although not evil like he is, just the same, stupid kid we knew him as at school. That thought sobered him up pretty quickly. Eventually, Remus stopped laughing as well.

“Actually, you could use a shower. You look as though you haven’t taken one in days.”

“I haven’t,” Sirius muttered, “I was living in caves.”

“Whatever. Anyway, you know where the shower is. I’ve already taken mine. I’ll be cooking breakfast in the kitchen if you need me. We’re having eggs. It’s all I’ve got. I really need to do some shopping.” Remus grinned again, the grin looking very out of place on his tired face, and then went into the kitchen. Sirius took Remus’ advice and took a long, warm shower. When he was done, he got dressed in some of Remus’ old clothes left out for him (they were a bit small) and went back downstairs.

“So, Sirius, what is it you needed to talk about? Dumbledore seemed to think it was urgent.” Sirius almost slapped himself upside the head, but that would look stupid. He settled for mentally kicking himself. He had completely forgotten about that.

“Oh... right. Well, I suppose you heard about the Triwizard Tournament last year? And how Harry was in it?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Remus nodded. “Well....” Sirius went on to explain everything that had happened in great detail. It took the better part of the day. He didn’t eat much breakfast, even though he was famished, because he was so busy talking. Remus stopped him in some places, but he had no real insights, just questions. He looked more and more worried and tired as Sirius went on. However, when Sirius got to the part about Dumbledore telling him to change back in the hospital room, with everyone (especially Severus Snape) watching, he gasped and jumped up.

“Is Dumbledore mad?! You didn’t do it, did you?” he asked. Sirius thought he was over reacting.

“Of course Dumbledore’s mad, although not in the way you mean, he’s insane, but in a good way. And of course I did it. As far as we know, Dumbledore trusts all of them, and so they can’t be all that bad, right?” Remus sat back down, looking somewhat calmer, but somewhat flustered.

“Right, right, but I still can’t help but worry about Severus...”

“I hate to say it, but he’s really okay. Turns out he had been spying for Dumbledore.”

“You’re serious?” Remus, apparently, though this was the most shocking news so far.

“Very. Dumbledore told me a while ago. He made it very clear that he trusts Snape completely,” Sirius said. “Anyway, I was told to come back here and find you, and contact everyone. Then we’re supposed to lie low here until Dumbledore contacts us. So, we’ve got to send owls to everyone. But we must be very discreet. No information should be put in the letters. We will explain it all later.” Remus looked aghast.

“How many people is that? A lot, obviously. What’s Dumbledore thinking? They won’t all fit here! Where will they all sleep?!”

“They’re not coming here, we just have to tell them to be ready for Dumbledore’s signal. When he sends his owl, they come to the castle right away, no questions asked.” Remus now looked very relieved.

“Well, good. I suppose we had better get started, then, if he will be contacting us any day. Where do you keep your parchment and quills?” Remus looked at him like he was an idiot.

“You know, of course. It’s not like you haven’t been here before.”

“It’s been years, Moony. Come on. You could have moved it, and even if you haven’t, how am I supposed to remember where it is?” Now Remus looked exasperated.

“If there’s one thing I know about you, Padfoot, it’s that you never forget anything. You have the best and still most useless memory I have ever seen. And you know perfectly well that I never move anything. If you must make me tell you, though, everything is that drawer.” He pointed to a drawer on the left.

“Thanks Moony.”

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It was indeed not long until Dumbledore contacted them. Only about a week and a half. They were told to come back to Hogwarts immediately, and that he had something very important to tell them. Apparently, Arabella Figg was already there, and he was awaiting the arrival of everyone else as well as them. Sirius, not having brought anything with him, waited in the living room, pacing, while Remus gathered what few belongings he felt he needed to take with him. When he was ready, which didn’t take very long, Sirius transformed into a dog, and they left. It wasn’t to far of a walk, since they had been informed that someone would be waiting nearby to pick them up in a Ministry car.

They were both surprised when, as they rounded the corner, it was Bill Weasley sitting in the front seat. They had expected a Ministry official, because none but one of them were supposed to be allowed to drive these cars.

“How did you get this car?” Remus hissed anxiously to Bill when they got close enough. Bill shrugged and leaned back, and it was then that they noticed Charlie grinning at them from the seat next to him.

“Never mind that, just get in. We have to hurry. There’s no time to lose when fighting You-Know-Who.” Bill replied. He looked somewhat grim. His fang earring glinted in the sunlight. Remus looked to see that no one was looking, then opened the back door to the car and shoved Sirius in, before getting in himself. Charlie had stopped grinning. He looked rather serious now as well.

“Step on it, let’s hurry.” Remus heard him whisper to Bill before leaning back in his seat. Bill pressed him foot on the pedal and they were off. The ride was uneventful. They talked little. It seemed that Bill and Charlie had no idea as to what was going on either. The only surprise came about halfway there, when Charlie spoke to Remus and Sirius for the first time.

“He can get out of that dog form if he wants, you know, and I hate the smell of dogs. No one can see in those windows. Their coated with something or other so that you can’t look in.” Remus started, and he felt Sirius do the same next to him.

“You - you know?” Remus stuttered.

“Dumbledore told us a few days ago.” Bill responded, waving it off with his hand . He glanced back through the rearview mirror briefly. Sirius waited a second, and then changed back into a man. He had to rearrange himself so that he was in a sitting position, but then all was silent for the rest of the trip. No one seemed to want to talk about what had happened and the obvious danger approaching. Soon, the tall turrets of the Hogwarts castle came into view, slowly followed by the rest of the castle. The Ministry car was parked neatly in the grass just outside and the group of four walked up to the front doors. Before they even got there, the doors opened and Professors Dumbledore and Flitwick stepped out, both looking very weary and talking rapidly. When Dumbledore saw them, he looked relieved.

“I am glad you are here, we were not certain you would make it. There is something stalking you, although you probably haven’t seen or heard it. It is a creature of shadows, that I have never seen or heard of before. It seems to be made of the shadows and can take any form it chooses. I have set up a shield so that it cannot enter the Hogwarts grounds, but I would still be careful if I were you. I am not certain how long it will hold against the evil forces at work here. Come inside. Bill, Charlie, your father and mother are already here and would undoubtedly want to see you and make sure you still reside in the world of the living. Remus, Sirius, I have grave news that I wish you to hear.”

Dumbledore led them all into the castle, and through a series of passages that none of them had ever been through before, even Sirius and Remus. Finally, after 10 minutes of walking, they entered a large room. It looked like a dungeon, with many comfortable-looking chairs and sofas, and yet it had a very gloomy look about it. A fire in the far corner of the room cast an orangish glow, and besides torches lining the wall, was the only source of light in the room. In the room were, already, Arabella Figg, and the rest of the group, then Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Vector, Trelawney, and Sinistra. Also there was Madam Pomfrey, and Viktor Krum. Snape was off doing some spy work, and Hagrid and Madam Maxime were off doing something top secret. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were also there, and several people that Remus didn’t recognize.

“Sit down, sit down now, we haven’t much time,” Dumbledore said, waving some empty seats impatiently, “As you all should have heard by now, on the news, Voldemort-” there was a shudder, and a few stiffled gasps, throughout the room, “-has broken all of his followers out of Azkaban, and turned the Dementors to his side,” Remus had not heard this, and judging by the dismayed look on his face, Sirius hadn’t either. “We have no word from the giants. This is not the news I have gathered everyone to tell you though. It seems as though Voldemort has been creating his own, highly sophisticated and dangerous creatures to use against us. I do not know much about these. One was following our latest arrivals, here-” he gestured towards Sirius and Remus, “-and they apparently didn’t notice it. Now, they had a dog in the car for most of the way, I am told, before he became Sirius again, and a dog’s since of smell is very good. I am guessing from this that they have little to no scent. In all, they are almost impossible to see or smell. They are silent as well, as they are made from the Shadow World.”

There was a collective gasp at that last word. It was forbidden to even speak of the Shadow World. It was a place, not entirely unlike to the Muggle’s ‘Hell’, which was undoubtedly where they had gotten the concept from. It was a bleak place that was only assessable by people with the darkest thoughts, and a place where the souls of those whom had committed suicide for particularly awful reasons went, weeping, crying, cursing themselves and everyone they had ever known. It was a place where only the skilled and corrupt could get to, and no one with half a heart would want to be there. It had been sort of a stronghold for Voldemort in the old days, although more than half his followers were afraid to enter for fear of meeting their doom. In short, it was the place where the nightmares came from, lived, and thrived.

Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down, before speaking again. “I have several assignments to give to people in this room, if they are willing to take them, but be forewarned that failing at any one of them could and most possibly will be fatal to all of us.” Silence followed this as Dumbledore surveyed the room. When he spoke up again, Remus wasn’t listening, and instead taking in all that Dumbledore had said earlier. Neither his, nor Sirius’ names cropped up for a long time. Finally, Remus shook himself out of his daydreaming just in time to hear Dumbledore say something interesting.

“And now, one of us whom has remained hidden must reveal herself. Bella Dea, if you please.” Remus glanced around the room. He saw that everyone else was doing the same, but... when he looked at Sirius, he saw that he was glaring into a dark corner. Remus looked over as well, and saw a small woman step out of the shadows cast by the dim light. She was short, maybe only 5’0. Her hair was long, but tied back in a loose ponytail. Her outfit was made of some sort of leather, and tight-fitting. Her robes were black. Black as the night sky when there are no stars nor moon, and they flowed over her, hiding most of her slim figure from view. However, when she moved, the robes drifted aside for a moment, and Remus caught a glance of what lay beneath. Weapons. So many, and of every type, daggers, knives, swords, and on her back was a bow and arrows. She held herself gracefully, yet it was as though she was weighed down, from years of killing. He knew what she was. She was an assassin. One of those trained from the earliest age, trained in everything, but above all, trained to kill. They moved in the Shadow World, where they would be invisible, but never got pulled in to their greed. They had none. They were trained to have no emotions. The assignment to kill someone was an evil enough thought to gain entrance into the world below, but they only used to for crossing. They were the only weapon that the side against Voldemort had, that Voldemort was afraid of even the slightest bit. They were like Aurors, only more dangerous, and they weren’t afraid of being killed. They had no family, no friends, no connections. There were never many of them, for their training was brutal and thought to be immoral, like the destroying of a soul. All training was done in secret, away from the Ministy’s prying eyes. Remus had no idea that any were still around.

This one, Bella Dea, glided forward, as if on wings, and stood in front of Dumbledore, her face not changing expression. Her face was small and pale, and her grey eyes seemed too large and too cold for it. Her mouth was just a small crease in her face, and her nose looked like it had been broken many times. Scars marred her face and skin, disfiguring it. She was not beautiful, and she had an air of great danger about her. Remus recoiled away, but Sirius remained rigid, staring at her with a small frown on his face. Remus elbowed him.

“What’s wrong?” Sirius frowned some more, and then spoke in a whispered voice.

“She’s the one who once came after me. She was there when they dragged me away to Azkaban. No lame Ministry wizard could just catch me, but she overpowered me like it was nothing, without even using magic. I only managed to hit her once, and the magic rebounded and hit me. I had a feeling she let me hit her. She caused me pain beyond belief. The fact that an assassin was used in my capture is not one that the Ministry, those corrupt bastards, chooses to admit. They don’t like to seem incapable.” Remus nodded, and they both fell silent again. Dumbledore was speaking again.

“Bella Dea is an assassin,” This only confirmed what they already knew. “She works as a spy and as well, for she is not human.” Another gasp sounded in the room. Only Sirius did not look surprised. He probably knew, thought Remus. Dumbledore continued. “She is a shapeshifter, one of the ancients. They are very rare, and most all of them had worked for Voldemort in the time of his reign. Shapeshifters are as their name suggests, they change shape at will. Not quite like an Animagus, for she can change into any shape, so long as it is not to complicated, and the change is not perfect; there are subtle differences. Shapeshifters live a long time, up to 5,000 years, for they are not human, not mortal, yet not immortal. This one is young, only around 350, one of the last of her kind, as none have been born since her. But she is skilled. A Shapeshifter does and can not use magic beyond what it takes to change, and they are born with that. They also have the special talent of repelling magic, and forcing it back upon the caster. An assassin Shapeshifter is very dangerous. Do not any of you give me a reason to have her kill you.” Dumbledore looked around the silent room. His face was grave, and his voice had been more so. “The people in this room are the only ones I feel I can trust, outside of those already working for me in other places. Now, all those whom I have given tasks may leave. The rest, stay here.”

Most left. Remaining behind were only Remus, Sirius, all of the Weasleys that had been present, a few people Remus didn’t know, and Bella Dea the assassin. Dumbledore mumbled something to the assassin, and she nodded and left. As soon as she did so, Sirius relaxed. Then Dumbledore walked around the room, whispering orders to people. One by one, they left. Before leaving with Charlie, Bill glanced back at Remus and Sirius. Neither gave him a second thought. Finally, the room was empty except for them and Dumbledore. Dumbledore spoke to them with a very solemn look on his face.

“The job I have for you is not easy. It involves risking your life many times. You two would not be alone. If you were to agree with it, Bill and Charlie Weasley would go with you. This is not a job I can force upon you, due to the level of danger. I do not yet know if it is even possible, but you must try, if you are willing to take this task on. If you do, please try to keep in mind that there are many people who love you and would be very sad to see you die. Don’t take any unnecessary chances.”

“Can you tell us what it is, Albus?” asked Sirius. Remus remained silent. Dumbledore shook him head sadly.

“I am sorry, I cannot, unless you accept. I realize what this means, and it will be harder to make a decision, but it must be of the utmost secrecy. Only those going and myself may know. It is very important. I am truly sorry.”

“Must you have our decision now?” Sirius asked, looking at Dumbledore with a piercing gaze. Dumbledore seemed unaffected.

“Yes. I am sorry for this, also. It must be a team of two close friends, or brothers, which is why you are ideal for the job. I cannot think of a pair of people who trust each other more. However, if you say no, there are other alternatives, so do not fear that.”

All remained silent for a very long while. Remus started at the floor, which Sirius swiveled his head, staring at everything in no particular order. Finally, Remus spoke.

“I will go, for my part. I am not afraid of death. I have not much to live for, anyway.” Dumbledore nodded gravely and turned to Sirius.

“Well, damn. Everything always rests on me, hmm? All right. If Remus is going, I won’t be the coward who backs down. Count me in.” Sirius stated. Dumbledore cracked the tiniest of sad smiles.

“So be it,” he said, “Your task is this. You must actually capture one of these Shadow creatures and bring it back alive. If you cannot do this, at least find out some information for me. If you fail, so could all of our cause, for this is our one chance to catch them unawares. They would be watching for it afterwards. You have five weeks maximum.” Sirius leaped up.

“Five weeks?? How are we going to do that in five weeks? It’s impossible!” Dumbledore glared.

“Find a way, Mr. Sirius Black. I cannot help you, I have many things to do myself. See that you do not fail.” With that, he turned and strolled out of the room. Sirius stood gaping after him. Remus sighed and turned to leave as well. When Sirius didn’t follow, Remus turned and beckoned to him. Sirius finally hauled himself out the door, dragging his feet and muttering, “Five weeks...”. When they exited the small room, Bill and Charlie were standing there waiting for them.

“I suppose you agreed?” Charlie asked, cutting straight to the point. Remus numbly nodded.

“Well, let’s be off then. We have a lot of work to do on a short period of time.” Bill said briskly, then hurried off with the others in tow.

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Harry knew that the Dursleys' house, where he was currently staying, was covered in wards so numerous and powerful and not even Voldemort could get through them. He really wished, however, that there was a ward over him protecting him from the Dursleys. They had been regaining their courage, little by little, and though it was still a major improvement over before he had been accepted into Hogwarts. Dudley was still terrified of him, but it seemed that he wouldn’t let that stop him from taunting Harry, as long as Harry’s wand was no where in sight.

One day, only about a week after Harry had returned to the Dursleys from his school, Dudley had one of his friends over, who obviously did not know of Harry’s magical powers, and his friend (named Mark) had managed to convince Dudley that the most fun course of action would be chasing Harry around with pots and pans. Harry had managed to escape, and he was currently hiding in one of his Aunt Petunia’s rose bushes. He was not having fun. The thorns dug into his skin and clothes, leaving small scratches all over his face and arms, and tearing small holes in his oversized pants and shirt. He Gamgee when he thought of how mad Vernon and Petunia would be at his torn clothes.

Harry froze when he heard some one heavy (presumably Dudley) person running by the bush, sniggering. Harry noticed that his fat hand held a large, dripping water balloon. Not feeling particularly up to being soaked at the moment, Harry decided to make for the front door, knowing that once he was inside, he was safe. Dudley wouldn’t risk his mother’s wrath. After listening for a while, he decided that the coast was clear, and silently crept out of the rose bush. Thorns scraped as he struggled to get loose. One dug into his hand, making him yelp before he could stop himself. His eyes went wide. He knew he had just given himself away, and his only chance, he decided, was to run for the door. Jerkily pulling himself free of the bush, he half ran, half stumbled towards the door. Just then, Dudley and Mark came crashing around the corner of the house, smirking, each holding a water balloon. Mark threw his, and missed, splashing it at Harry’s feet and soaking his socks and shoes. Dudley, who was fat and out of shape, huffed and puffed, but could not keep up with Harry. His balloon landed a good two yards away from Harry, not getting him any more wet than he already was. Running up the front steps, Harry burst into the door.

Right into Aunt Petunia.

Who was not at all happy about the state of his clothes and muddy shoes.

Petunia started on a rant that might have killed Harry, had he not been used to them by now. Dudley and Mark had gone in the back door and were smirking at him from the other room. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry spotted movement. At first, he dismissed it, but then it happened again. Right in front of his eyes, the head of Dudley’s shadow turned, and the hand came up to stick up its middle finger at him. Dudley hadn’t moved.

Harry screamed.

~TBC~