Shadow's Truth

Harry Potter and the Shadow's Truth

By Leanne

Chapter Three

Hallucinations were not entirely uncommon with the use of Endurance Potions. With the mind and body weakened from lack of sleep, one could often find themselves seeing things that do no exist. Watching someone who had had a hallucination was rather discouraging and disturbing. They often showed signs of insanity, and anger, which has on a few rare cases, resulted in death.

Severus watched as his daughter fought against Jonathan as he tried to keep her from running outside. The result, had Lenna placed under the stunning spell, and keeping her sedated that way until they could figure out what was going on.

"Has something like this happened before?" Severus questioned, lightly touching Lenna's forehead.

"On occasion," Jonathan stated heavily, "Most of the time there is nothing to worry about. I've never seen it happen with someone who was completely healthy though. I mean, Lenna hasn't been harmed by the toxins, so there is no reason for her to be trying to get out of here."

Silence fell upon those standing in the room. The air hung heavily around them, as Severus paced the room. It was hard to watch his daughter suffering at the hands of something they had no control over.

"Normally this happens when..."

The room turned to look at Terence who was standing at the door.

"The shadow makes an appearance in our sector." Jonathan finished and looked down at Lenna.

The two men turned to look at each other, the sudden realization of what could possibly happen that night dawning on their faces. Terence walked from his position at the doorway and stood next to his long time friend. In the beginning, they had not wanted to be near one another, in the beginning it was simply being polite for the sake of a friend; and as time past, simply being polite turned into friendship that could not be broken. Friendship that was as strong as the friendship they harboured today. All it took was one accident, one fault belonging to a group of four friends to set in stone a friendship nigh unbreakable.

Worry crept onto their faces, and was swept away with years of concealed emotions. Neither wanted to worry the survivors of St. Mungo's, neither wanted to hear the children cry and beg for their mothers who would not come. They were men of their word, men of honour, but they had stepped the boundaries of good and evil on a fair few occasions. Together, a small band of friends, consisting of only those they trusted most, in secret learned a great many things that would have the press wondering whose side they were really on. Delving into the Dark Arts during a time of utter despair and heartache had not only bound friends together, but lead them one grand adventures to prove their worth and integrity.

"If Lenna's correct..." Terence whispered trying to keep his back turned to those in the room.

"We'll need to find a secure building for the night." Jonathan finished, "and we don't have very long. Dusk is falling and the portkeys have not been set up."

They thought for a moment and turned to look at Severus. Since the fall of the Dark Lord, and the death of Albus Dumbledore, it was common knowledge that Minerva McGonagall had become Headmistress and with much debate, Severus had become Deputy Headmaster. He could, if convinced by two young men, allow the fifteen survivors and three ill patients come to Hogwarts for a short period of time while they came up with a plan of action against the Shadow.

"Deputy Headmaster, in a grave time of need we ask you to aid us." Terence asked with a note of sincerity in his voice. "We need your help, and though, in times of dire need we have refused help from those at Hogwarts, there comes a time when we will admit fault and graciously take what help we can."

"For Lenna's sake." Jonathan added.

"Your pride has been the cause of many deaths Mr. McCoy, suddenly you have a change of heart, why?" Severus growled, removing the night vision spell from himself and his daughter.

"I have lost my son, my wife is ill and I'm not about to watch my best friend die because my pride will not allow help. For once, just help us and stop wasting time, or you'll see what the Shadow is truly capable of!"

Severus said nothing but nodded in response. He turned to look at Lenna's stunned body and debated what to do about her. He could easily put a portkey in her hand and watch her body disappear to Hogwarts, but knew there would be hell to pay when she woke. He had watched her grow from a scared little child to a nervous teen, into a woman filled with hope and honour. He knew her to be a fighter, a woman who would not give into some trivial darkness, not as long as there was still a chance that life could prevail over it. Lenna might have been a child not wanted, but Severus would not have it any other way.

He released her from the spell and looked into her dark blue eyes, there was no worry, no concern, only understanding. For once, he understood what his daughter had done and why. There would be time for the two to discuss Lenna's dire actions and her lack of concern for her own body, but until they had all the survivors at Hogwarts secured behind the wards, there was no chance for the two to talk.

Lenna looked up at her father, blinking to clear away the confusion. She knew they were in trouble, and that they had to make haste or they would lose more people to the Shadow, but for once she had an idea.

Looking to her two friends, she whispered, "The Shadow is drawn to fire, light the streets ablaze, and allow us time to escape. I know we have friends and family out there, but the toxins will only claim their lives if they survive, or the Shadow will claim them. The fire will draw it away from us long enough for us to get to Hogwarts."

She had heard their plea for help from Snape, and she was grateful that they had put pride aside and allowed for help, and even more so that her father had agreed to help.

"How long do you need to get everyone to Hogwarts?" Terence questioned Severus, a look of horror on his lightly tanned face. He had spent a lot of time in the streets of London searching, and the sun had painted his face bronze.

"One hour."

"So be it." Jonathan said, "take care of Sarah, Jenna and Isaac. Get them to Hogwarts first, and then we'll deal with the rest of the survivors. Professor, I would think it wise if you were there to great those who arrived, or at least perhaps Professor McGonagall. They will need a welcoming face when they get there."

Lenna nodded and watched her two friends walk out the door into the death littered streets. She stood nearest the door and watched as fire sprang from the two men's wands, setting nearby buildings and bodies on fire. She watched as the sun sank behind the clouds and turned to face those inside.

"We must hurry. Take only the essentials, everything else will be provided for us. Quickly now!" she ordered and turned to her father who had begun arranging portkeys large enough to take five people at a time to Hogwarts. "Henderson!" she called and watched as her house-elf appeared. "Pack my room and have it all sent to my old quarters at Hogwarts please."

"Mistress Lenna, Winky and Dobby have prepared the sick ones. They are ready to be sent to Hogwarts. Henderson heard Master and Mistress talking and thought it help to you."

"Thank you, Henderson. You have helped more than you know. Please have Winky and Dobby help you and we'll get back to Hogwarts soon."

When Henderson disappeared, Lenna walked over to Severus and began helping him with the portkeys while the others shuffled around the room packing their few belongings. They would leave behind what little food they had, and other small things, only the things one could not leave behind would be taken with them. Her heart sank at the thoughts that they would be leaving, but she knew that they might have a better chance of survival at Hogwarts.

Lenna picked up the most recently made portkey and took it downstairs. She could hear the sniffling of someone crying, and knew something wasn't right. Perhaps they didn't want to leave the security of St. Mungo's, but they were no longer safe there. Quickly and quietly, Lenna made her way through the well know passage to where her patients were.

"Lenna?" came the soft weak voice of Jenna. "Are we really leaving?"

"Yes, we must hurry. The Shadow is coming, and we're doing everything we can to keep everyone safe. Hogwarts has offered us safety, and we'll have the best Medi-witch there to help. I promise you, I will not leave you. I promise you will be safe, and maybe we will even find a cure." Lenna explained touching Jenna's cold hand. "Come, take this portkey, share it with Sarah and Isaac."

"Isaac's not going to make the trip." Sarah informed her friend.

"No, I am sure he will not, but we must try." Lenna picked up the ill boy and set him in Sarah's arms, "take care of him as you would Jacob. I know I can count on you Sarah, get them to Madam Pomfrey and she will help you."

Though Lenna couldn't see in the darkness of the room, she knew Sarah had nodded, and she knew when they had disappeared heading for Hogwarts. With a heavy heart, she moved to her room to make sure that Henderson had not missed anything. She knew he wouldn't have, but she needed to 'see' her room one last time before she returned home. Sighing she pushed open the door and stepped inside. She felt the cool rush of air against her skin, and said her silent good byes before returning upstairs.

When she came through the door, she found her father gone, along with the survivors. All that remained was an empty hall, and two lone figures standing near the doorway outside. She knew that they were waiting for her; she knew they would not leave with out her. In their hands they held a single portkey.

"I am not leaving until I have seen the Shadow for myself. I want the Shadow to know we will defy it. I want it to know we will find a way to defeat it." Lenna whispered as if saying her thoughts aloud would bring the Shadow to her.

"We must not linger. We must leave." Jonathan stated, grasping her hand in his when she came close enough.

"Have we forgotten who we once were? Have we forgotten everything we sacrificed to keep Voldemort from our homes and families? Have we forgotten what we learned in secrecy for years past? I am not going to allow this shadow to defeat us. I sacrificed my soul delving to deep into the Dark Arts, I had it returned because Harry went to hell and back to not lose me. I will not let his memory die in vein!"

"Len..."

"Don't! I don't want to hear it. He died to stop the Dark Lord, he died to keep us safe and I will not watch us cower in some school when we have the power against the dead. When we know what we are and we fear it more than fear itself! We are Necromancers, Jonathan! We control death! This Shadow should bend to us, not the other way!"

"Well Lenna, you might just get your wish. Though, I'd rather not test your theory tonight. I'd like to see Hogwarts again before I die!" Terence said backing away from the door as the flames outside shuddered and soon sizzled out.

Lenna took his wrist in her hand and looked at him, "we have faced Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, and Hell itself, and you fear this more than anything?"

"This is not just fear, Lenna. This is the face of evil. This is evil!" Terence muttered, as far as Lenna knew Terence was the only one who had seen the Shadow and survived.

They watched, as the Shadow grew closer to St. Mungo's, none of them moving within the building. They felt the warmth of the flames lick against their skin, and took notice to the smoke now filling the room. While they were watching the Shadow, the building caught fire, and was slowly burning around them. If the Shadow did not kill them, the smoke or flames would. Though she really didn't want to leave, she wanted to see who or what this shadow was, she knew they had very little time to leave.

"Let's go!" she cried, and felt the pull at her navel.