Shadows Of Light

Then I get afraid of what that could bring...

The group waited until the house-elves reported that the warehouse was empty - an Order meeting had called Mad-Eye away, and while Ron and Remus were both also expected, they'd voted that going to get Harry was more important.

Neville hurried home to get his healing potions and plants with Luna's help. The two intended to drop by Luna's house before coming back, so they could pick up anything from her stores that Neville didn't have.

Once Neville and Luna were gone, Ron and Remus stood on either side of Kreacher while Seamus and Dean stood on either side of Dobby. The two house-elves took the humans' hands and popped them from the flat - Kreacher looking like he'd just tasted something sour while Dobby looked determined - and into the warehouse.

Ron and Remus - one training as an auror and the other a werewolf - took up positions of alertness in the middle of the floor, wands out and trained on empty shadows. Kreacher stayed with the two guards, ears perked and alert for any sound of danger; his duty wasn't done until they were all safely back in Ron and Harry's flat.

Seamus, Dean, and Dobby, meanwhile, were moving quickly over to where Harry lay, shuddering - naked - in the helpless throes of unknown nightmares. The two humans had a blanket, which they draped carefully over their friend before taking up stances on either side of him, wands raised and pointing dangerously at more shadows.

Dobby took his chance and popped Harry back to the flat, where Neville and Luna were waiting with concerned looks. The two humans fell into their pre-determined job of taking care of Harry while Dobby popped back to collect Dean and Seamus.

Remus and Ron waited a full minute after Dobby had departed a final time before allowing Kreacher to pop them back into the insanity that the flat had become.

It wouldn't been until another fifteen minutes had passed that Mad-Eye Moody would return to his empty stronghold, then hurry off to report to Dumbledore, putting both Ron and Remus in jeopardy.

-~/\~-

The group of friends - minus Kreacher, who had left muttering, and Harry, who was still thrashing on the couch where he'd been lain - were back at the table again, looking worn. Nothing they had tried had gotten through the block of nightmares that Harry was suffering through. Spells - both human and house-elf - had no effect and he just spat any potions back up, even the ones that may have helped the whip marks on his back. Neville and Luna had applied some salve to his visible wounds and spelled it to stay on, but they could do nothing about any internal wounds.

Ron was just about to suggest getting everyone some tea when the fireplace flared with green fire and a tall, blond wizard stepped through elegantly. "Where have you be-" he started, but a muffled cry from the nightmare-ridden Harry silenced him and drew wide pale-blue eyes towards the tossing figure.

Ron stood tiredly and stepped around the couch to Draco, then proceeded to hug the other wizard tightly, heedless of his watching friends. "Thank Merlin," he whispered into silken robes.

Draco glanced briefly at the table of wizards and a witch before turning his eyes back to Ron, concerned. "What's wrong? Why's Potter..." Draco paused and squinted at the sleeping wizard, "...dressed in a blanket?"

Ron let out a hollow laugh, which caused Draco's eyes to widen in fear and growing concern. "Why, because we had to give him something to wear! Can't have a nightmare-filled nap on the couch starkers, now can he?" Ron laughed madly.

Draco gave up on all pretences and drew Ron into a tight hug, making gentle, soothing noises. Ron, in response, broke down into tears and clutched at Draco's robes. With care, Draco led the sobbing red-head back over to the table and sat in the open chair, then drew Ron onto his lap. "What happened?" he asked of the others around the table.

"Dumbledore kidnapped Harry, then handed him over to Mad-Eye," Seamus spat, looking both ill and furious at the same time. "And that fucking one-eyed monster raped him, then left him to suffer through nightmares in the cold."

Draco's eyes had widened sharply and he used the following silence to hiss, "And the coot allowed this?"

"Probably helped Mad-Eye where he could," Dean muttered, face tight with anger.

"Not even Voldemort can be this bad," Neville whispered. "He'd only kill Harry, maybe torture him a little, but nothing like this."

Dobby jerked his head up suddenly and looked like he was listening to something that only he could hear. After a moment, his eyes had widened more than usual and he'd taken on a sickly pallor. "Moony-Wolf and Wheezy aren't safe, Crazy-Eye tells Dumbles about Mr Harry Potter being missing."

"And you two weren't at the meeting," Draco realized, then forced Ron to meet his eyes. "Ron, we need to move. I can only think of one place that the coot wouldn't try to find Potter."

Ron narrowed his eyes, exhaustion gone in the face of the danger to his best friend. "What, and let him be killed? No way!"

"It's the coot or the Dark Lord," Draco pointed out coldly. Everyone else at the table let out horrified sounds.

Ron searched Draco's cool gaze for any sign of a threat to Harry, then nodded sharply. "Neville, Luna, you said you don't know why he won't wake?"

"Y-yes," Neville stuttered while Luna just nodded, eyes wide and focused, for once.

Ron sighed. "Draco's right, and Neville's said it too: Harry's better off with the Dark Lord."

"And what sort of guarantee do we have that Voldemort won't kill us on sight?" Seamus spat, eyes flashing dangerously.

"The Dark Lord offers open arms to any who need safety from the coot," Draco responded promptly. "He doesn't really care who you are, but he won't trust you right away either. He has no quarrel with you all, only with Potter, the coot, and those who would see him dead."

"Funny, if Harry ends up dead, I'll have no peace with him," Remus growled.

"Be that as it may, you'll hardly find peace with the coot right now," Draco pointed out. He waited until Ron had stood before standing himself, then gave them all cool looks. "If what Dobby says is true, we've already wasted too much precious time."

Ron nodded firmly. "Remus, if you and Seamus could handle Harry?"

"No problem," Remus assured the red-head.

Seamus nodded and, next to him, Dean said, "I can help."

"Great. Luna, can we count on you to return home safely and keep us informed of anything we may need to know?"

"The door does say that would be wise," Luna agreed, pulling herself to her feet and walking over to her broom.

"Neville..." Ron started while Luna pulled the window open.

"I'm coming with," Neville stated firmly.

"Fine," Draco cut in before Ron could argue. "Ron, you go with Lupin, Finnigan, and Thomas. I'll go with Longbottom."

"Hmm... Looks like they're downstairs," Luna commented pleasantly.

"Now," Draco hissed at Ron, who looked a little lost. Ron hurried over to where his friends stood with Harry and they Apparated out.

Draco grabbed Neville and, after he was sure the accident-prone young man knew what was going on, he Apparated them away.

Luna smiled as Dobby popped out and flicked her wand at the light switch, which flipped off. Then, still smiling, she commented, "And you won't be telling them anything, right, Mr Room?"

The walls of the dark room seemed to shudder.

"Thank you," Luna replied before jumping out the window and catching herself on her broom expertly. Without a sound, she zipped away, leaving the wizards guarding below none the wiser.

Behind her, the window fell shut just moments before the front door burst open, letting in a mass of wizards with raised wands.

-~/\~-

Somehow, Remus and Seamus managed to keep Harry's struggling form from falling or hurting anyone while Draco led the group quickly through cold hallways that were filled with very little light. A Silencing Charm on Harry kept them from being heard by a random Death Eater passing nearby. However, nothing they did could save them from the two Death Eater who found them.

"Well, well."

"What have we here?"

"Looks like our sweet little brother-

"-and his sweet little friends!"

Ron groaned as Fred and George stepped into the dancing light from a nearby wall torch, smirking at the group of gathered Gryffindors and Draco.

"We're going to the Dark Lord," Draco said dangerously, stepping forward so he was between Ron and his elder brothers. "Either get out of our way or come along, but don't stand there looking like ugly gargoyles."

Twin sneers swept across freckled faces. "Oh, is the little ferret trying to act big and tough now?"

"Getting too big for your britches, Draccy?"

"Piss. Off," Draco growled.

"Oiy! Look, it's the scarhead!"

"It is! Did you bring him for target practise, Ronnie?"

"If either of you lay a single hand on him I'll... I'll...!"

"What? Prank us in our sleep?"

"Good luck with that, Ronnie."

"Now why don't you be a good lot-"

"-and hand old scarhead there over to us?"

"That won't be necessary, gentlemen," a cool voice said from the shadows before Lord Voldemort came into sight, ruby eyes dancing with the flames. Immediately, Ron, Draco, Fred and George bowed deeply to the man, leaving those who'd come in with Ron and Draco to stare up at the burning red eyes until they all ducked their heads in something like fear.

A silent moan, heard only by Remus and Seamus, was the only warning before dull jade eyes blinked open to stare blankly at the Dark Lord. "Harry," the two holding him up whispered, turning to stare at him. Everyone else turned to look and Ron totally forgot where he was in favour of bouncing over to his best friend happily. "Harry!"

But Harry didn't respond to anything, just stared at the ruby eyes across from him. Voldemort, somehow trapped in the broken gaze, could only stare back, feeling a deep stab of horror for whatever his foe had been through; whatever it was that had turned his once bright gaze into...into this.

Ron waved his hand in front of Harry's eyes, breaking the trance, and Voldemort forcefully turned his head to one side. Quietly, Harry's eyes fell closed, earning a single pained sound from all his surrounding friends.

Voldemort shot the smirking twins a cold warning look, then cleared his throat once they had stopped smirking gleefully. Ron and his friends turned to face the Dark Lord and the look of sharp pain in Ron's eyes made his Lord take pity. "Ronald, you will show your friends to the Sanctuary Wing so they may all pick rooms as you all appear to need rest. Draco, you will go to the Infirmary and collect Livingstone, then take him to whichever room Ronald places Potter in."

"Yes, my Lord," the two younger Inner Circle members murmured, bowing. Then, together with Ron's friends, they started away.

Voldemort smirked. "I'm not done, gentlemen." Draco, Ron, and his friends all froze. "Draco, you will report to me once Livingstone is done with Potter. Ronald, you will be allowed to remain with Potter until he's awoken but then you will be reporting to me. And you will sleep before that happens, am I understood, Ronald?" Voldemort's tone was firm.

"You are, my Lord," Ron replied, throat dry. He knew, as did every other member of the Dark Order, that Voldemort wanted them to take care of themselves, but their Lord rarely ever proved that want, unless he was worried. I guess I look bad, Ron thought as he led his friends down through the halls of the old castle that Voldemort had made his base.

"He's not so bad," Neville said quietly.

Ron just gave his friend a knowing smile.

-~/\~-

"You two will not hurt Potter, am I understood?" Voldemort demanded of the twins.

Fred and George didn't look pleased. "But, my Lord-"

"You will not hurt Potter, am I understood?" Voldemort repeated, voice firm while his eyes glittered dangerously.

"Yes, my Lord," they chorused, sounding resigned.

Voldemort's warning gaze foretold some serious punishments if they disobeyed him. "Pass the word on, then."

Fred and George turned and left, whispering their complaints to one another.

Voldemort smiled to himself as he turned back towards his office, which was where he'd been heading before he heard the arguing of his Inner Circle, which wasn't allowed. They could get away with a lot, but they had to behave themselves where the other Death Eaters could see. Especially not about something as important as Harry Potter.

And, speaking of Harry Potter, he hoped that Ron would have some information regarding what had happened to the young man. The broken shard Voldemort had seen in his foe's gaze had, quite honestly, terrified him. What unnatural thing had broken the unbreakable Harry Potter? What unspeakable beast had killed the Boy Who Lived?

With questions that he had no answers to swimming through his mind, Voldemort stepped into his office and made a beeline for his boring paperwork. For once, he found himself looking forward to it.

-~/\~-

-~\/~-