Harry Potter and the Wizard's Debt

Chapter 2

Remus was wondering the same thing as Moody. Dumbledore did not seem upset that Harry was not with the muggles. "Do you know?" Remus asked Dumbledore.

"Harry is fine," Dumbledore stated.

"Where is he Albus?" Moody asked. "It is not like Harry to lie. I would never have expected Harry to do this."

Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry needs some time to himself. When he's ready to come, he'll send word. Don't worry so much, Alastor, the boy is perfectly safe. He has protection that even I can't get past without the proper tool."

"You can't get past it," Moody narrowed his eyes. "What is it if you can't get past it?"

"There is ancient magic around the place Harry is. Don't ask me more, I don't know all of this ancient magic, but Harry is more than safe. I know that he's fine. He has house-elves looking after him. If anything happens I'll be contacted immediately."

Dumbledore looked down at Frost, who had been lying by his feet. She had not moved her head off her paws, Moody had noticed that any time Dumbledore was in the room, the wolf was right beside him. He noticed also that she stayed away from Remus as much as possible.

"Who is she Albus," Moody pointed at Frost, "she's not a true wolf."

Dumbledore looked over at Moody, "All in due time, my dear Friend, and now is not that time. You will find out later."

Severus Snape walked into the kitchen, bringing Frost instantly on her feet, her hair standing up and her throaty growl reverberating throughout the room. Severus pulled up short, glancing at the wolf and then at Dumbledore.

"I have some news from the meeting," Severus said.

"Sit," Dumbledore commanded. Severus sat down and Dumbledore grinned, "I wasn't talking to you Severus. Frost, sit."

Frost sat, but did not cease her growling.

"I do believe she doesn't trust you ole' boy," Remus said with a bemused smirk.

Severus gave him a loathing glare that he only gave to the worst of his enemies. This brought Frost's growl back up to full throttle in the room. Even Moody was a little hesitant to join, but decided to anyway.

"I believe Frost didn't like that look you just gave Remus. Remus is right, she doesn't like you, Severus."

Severus glanced over to Frost, Dumbledore had not said another word as he glared at the wolf.

"Anyway, Voldemort had sent people out to watch Harry's house. They saw his relatives leave, and saw that Harry wasn't with them." He looked back up to Dumbledore, not knowing what he thought about the wolf. "He had the house searched, trying to find any trace of where Harry is."

"Did he find anything?" Dumbledore asked him while looking at Frost. Frost had gone slack and the growling stopped. Everybody noticed and turned towards her.

"No, not yet. He wants to conduct a more thorough search," Snape said without taking his eyes off Frost.

Snape saw her ears lie back flat, and her glare sent a chill down his spine. He kept eye contact, not trusting this new addition to the Order. Even if it was an animal, this one had magical properties. He had never before seen a wolf with a coloring such a pure silver.

"Remus, take Frost, go to Harry's house. She'll know what to do," Dumbledore said.

Remus glanced at Frost, what did he expect her to do? Dumbledore said no one could get where Harry was. Why this then? I'm going to get answers this time. Frost isn't going to hide from me anymore. "Let's go."

Remus stood, as did Frost, but she kept eye contact with Severus. They walked out of the kitchen, Frost not losing eye contact until they were out of the house.

Severus looked back to Dumbledore after Remus and the wolf had left. "Who is she? She isn't just a wolf."

Dumbledore sat back, "Whatever gave you that impression, Severus?"

"She understood everything we said, and I've never seen a wolf such a pure silver. Who..." He broke off. Silver...he glanced back to the door leading into the kitchen. Silver. I only know one person who had silver hair, but she was not an animagus. She's supposed to be dead. Severus looked back at Dumbledore. "That is...it is her, isn't it?"

Dumbledore id not need to say anything; the twinkling in his eye said it all.

Severus stood up so quickly, his chair fell back to the floor. "No, no, no....she's dead."

"She isn't dead, just misplaced," Dumbledore said with even an even voice. He was not about to get riled up, as he knew Severus was about to lose control of himself.

"Then she needs to be misplaced again. My life is already on the line as it is, have you lost your mind Dumbledore?"

"Severus! You know very well Dumbledore hasn't lost his mind," interjected Moody.

Severus began pacing the kitchen. "You just signed my death warrant. I've been walking on egg shells with Voldemort as it is." He looked at Dumbledore. "Now I'll be dead for sure. You won't know what is going to happen in the meetings."

"Calm down, Severus. She is very well hidden. Even Moody doesn't remember her."

Moody was glancing from Severus to Dumbledore. Dumbledore has pulled some strings out of his hat before, and everything had worked out well. I've never seen Snape this upset before. And I've never met an animagus that color. She's not registered, that I know for sure.

"When is she leaving?" Severus asked.

"She isn't. She's here to stay."

My life is hell, a complete living hell, Severus thought to himself. This won't work. If she is discovered alive, I'll be dead for sure. Miss Thomyris was supposed to be dead. A debt I'd never thought would be claimed...she's dead. I've heard rumors.

"And just where is she staying?"

"At Hogwarts, with Remus. He'll teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, she'll control him when he's changing takes place. She's very capable."

"You know it would be easier if you appointed me to that position. You can find a potions teacher a lot easier than you could for that subject."

"If I appointed you to that position Severus, I would be really signing your death warrant. As it is, she stays, and Remus teaches this year. The school will have more protection around it now that the Ministry knows that Voldemort is alive."

"The position isn't jinxed, Dumbledore, you and I both know that. We've had some incompetent people in there to hold the position down." Severus started on his argument.

"We've been through this before, Severus. No. That is my finial answer. It's not open to discussion. You are the Potions Master, the best one in all of Britain. You're staying in that position. Have a little faith in me." Dumbledore stated.

Severus walked out, fuming under the collar. Moody looked at Dumbledore.

"Who is she?"

"Frost is Fuscienne Thomyris. Don't look at me that way Alastor."

Moody was looking at Dumbledore like he had lost his mind. Fuscienne was dead. "But how?...When?"

"She's very much alive; and the best protection Harry has right now."

Remus grabbed an invisibility cloak, then he and Frost made their way down Privet Drive. They slipped into number four from the back. He did not like this, it did not feel right. Slipping off the cloak, Frost stood in front of him, still in wolf form, and then she changed into her normal form and turned to look at him.

"What I'm about to show you, goes nowhere. Is that understood?" She gazed at him with piercing, grey blue eyes that he could not refuse.

"Understood." He did not like her holding the cards, but he had no choice.

They went up the stairs and entered Harry's bedroom. Frost went straight to the closet and opened it. It seemed completely empty, containing only a few pieces of clothing straddled here and there. Then he noticed the doorknob. What was going on?

Frost motioned him inside the closet. It was a tight squeeze for both of them. She put her ear to the door, then spoke in a whisper. "No noise, Harry must not know."

"But why?"

"I'll explain later."

He could feel her piercing eyes even in the darkness. He knew she could see -- if she had the ability to change into a wolf, she could see in the dark just as well as he could. There were some benefits of being a werewolf. Frost opened the door, and the light on the other side almost blinded Remus. He found himself standing behind Frost inside a bedroom. Frost was looking every which way around the room, until she finally turned towards the bed.

"Where's Harry?" she asked as she got to the portrait.

"Fuscienne, such a naughty little thing you are. Harry went looking for another diary," Godric told her.

Frost straitened up. Diary! I forgot I left them here, she thought to herself. Oh well, it will make things easier in the long run if Harry reads them all. "I'm sealing the gateway. If Harry needs anyone, you come get Dumbledore. Oh the diaries are in the atrium, tell him to look for a box below the statue of the Centaur. "

"Very well, my dear," Godric replied.

Taking out the talisman around her neck, she walked back to the door in which they had come. Remus was not talking. He could not wait to hear this; it had to be good. He took stock in all that was around him. Going back through to the closet, he watched Frost place the talisman on the wall.

"Coe, naur, nen, agwilith, gúl berioa tirith, fennas hollen, berioen sereg cuil nev curunir," Frost turned to him.

Remus watched as everything about the closet changed. It was as though it had once been breathing, and it was now dead. The door was gone. Inside was nothing; it was just like a normal closet.

"Can Harry get out of there?"

Frost smiled at him. "Yes. If he discovers everything, Harry will have no problem getting out of there. We need to leave Remus."

"Who exactly are you Frost? That was not a noral incantation."

"So observant, aren't you." She grinned at him. "Give me your hand."

"Which one?" Remus gestured.

"Which ever one you are willing to lose if the need arises."

The smile on Remus' face disappeared; the woman was not playing games. "Will I lose it now?"

"No. Give me your hand."

He extended his left hand to her. She took it and put it inside her cloak, then underneath her shirt so he could feel her skin. It was soft, and some parts felt like feathers, others felt like mink, and yet others felt like scales. All the time he was watching her eyes. He saw them change colors, grey blue to silver, white to black, red to purple. He jerked his hand back out. It was pure white like ash, as if it had just been stuck in a fire. She had not been hot. On the contrary, she was cool to the touch.

She touched his hand and it became normal. He looked at her, her eyes were back to grey blue, "I'm an outcast among the wizarding kind, much more so than a mere werewolf. What am I Remus? You know the signs."

"You're a shapeshifter, but you're a witch. A witch has never been a shapeshifter before."

"I assure you I'm both. Let's go, they are coming."

Remus did not know how she knew, but he knew enough to trust her. From what he just witnessed, he knew that she would not betray Harry. Back outside, he could make out shapes that were lurking closer and closer to the house. Night had descended upon them while they had been inside. He could no longer feel Frost by his side. He stayed under the invisibility cloak, his heart pounding. Where did she go?

He reached the edge of the wards Dumbledore had surrounding the house. Looking back, he saw them trying to enter the house. There were five of them, and one snake. He watched as it slithered across the grass, rising in the air, its head arched out in striking position.

"Come on Frost," he said to the air.

He caught a glimpse of something very large shimmering in the night. At one point he almost caught full sight of the thing. Remus had seen dragons before, but this one was different. Its wings picked up and a gush of wind rolled into the street bringing a cold sharp rain. He watched almost in disbelief as it controlled the storm. I don't understand. That couldn't be her.

The men in the cloaks all apparated out of the yard -- all except for one. He could not hear anything over the howling of the wind, but it looked as if the sole man was talking to the large serpent on the ground.

The only remaining thing in front of number four, Privet Drive was the snake. It turned away from the dragon and slithered its way to the door of the house. Changing swiftly, the dragon turned into a silver mongoose and got in between the door and the serpent. The mongoose hopped from side to side as the serpent rose yet again preparing to strike.

Remus could not believe what he was watching. "What is she thinking? That thing isn't big enough to do any damage, she would have been better off as the dragon." He spoke quietly to the night air. "Where did the last person go? He just wouldn't leave." That had to be Voldemort, Remus thought to himself.

The whole time, Remus watched as the bright red eyes of the silver mongoose refused to lose sight of the snake. It was almost like the she was daring the thing to strike at her. She would hop closer and the snake would only coil, becoming more poised to strike. Finally he saw the snake lurch out, and the mongoose jumped on the back of the serpent. He saw tiny, razor sharp teeth drive down into the head of the snake.

From side to side the snake flung its body, trying to get rid of the mass attached to its head. Remus watched the snake; he thought it was going to kill her, the snake kept flinging itself against the wall next to the house. Then the snake started slowly loosing the fight; at last the mongoose started jumping up and down on its head. The mongoose was rabid and spitting, then it darted around to the back of the house. Remus gave chase.

Remus rounded the corner and saw that the back door to the house was already opened. He proceeded inside, and catching the faint silver form up on the stairs, Remus made his way to the second floor. She has to be going back to Harry's room, he thought. Remus made his way inside; the room had been wrecked into shambles. He saw the portal he could see closing up, but no other signs of anyone.

Frost was watching the last figure slide his way into Harry's room; he had left the snake for a diversion. She was angry with herself for falling for such a trap; with the speed of a mongoose she had run up the stairs and slid into Harry's room. The figure had been moving the small closet that was not attached to the wall. She dove at the figure and bit down on its leg. The closet came tumbling down on them and she heard the crack. He was gone. Now she was hidden under the closet.

Hearing a second set of footsteps pause in the room, she did not move. Could he have sent for reinforcements, she asked herself. The closet came slowly up and Frost went after the leg of the person,. They could not make it inside the portal. It should be almost closed now, she thought. She heard the yelp of pain that almost sounded familiar to her.

"Let go you idiot. I'm not the enemy," Remus hissed at her.

She let go. Her nerves were on edge. Why didn't he stay outside? She changed back into her normal form.

"You look like you're half dead, are you okay?" Remus asked.

"No, but lets get this mess cleaned up and leave. The portal is closed now." Remus looked back to the wall.

"Why didn't you tell me it would take a little bit of time before it closed? I could have helped to keep them away."

"I didn't think about it," Frost said while she took hold of one corner of the closet, and Remus took the other.

"Well, you need to start thinking about things like that. You're not on your own you know. You can let other people in on things and let them help."

Frost scowled at him; he of all people should know what it's like being alone, not dependent on anyone but yourself. Not being allowed inside the group because you are different. Remus and Frost had the battered room back in order and promptly left the house. Remus pulled Frost to him after they got outside.

"You have a lot of explaining to do." She tried pulling out of his grasp but he held her, and he saw the pain in her eyes. "The snake hurt you, didn't it?" She looked beyond the yard, refusing to face him.

"I'm just sore. It wasn't so much the snake as the shapeshifting." She turned and looked back at him. "It hurts when I change Remus. If I change into something large as the Divine Dragon, it's agonizing to me. Then shifting everything into the size of a mongoose is no picnic either, the only forms that don't hurt are the ones about your own size."

"Let's go. Let's go back to the order and you can tell me what to do." Remus turned her around and they went off.

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

Ron looked disgusted as he was sitting in the bedroom back at the Order. Hermione just came in the room with Crookshanks.

"Well, I guess we're in trouble huh?" Hermione asked.

"You could say that. Mum and me and a big row. I'm lucky I came back with my head." Hermione gave him a consoling look.

"Well, it's really not our fault. Harry was lying to us; he has never lied to us about where he is. This isn't good Ron, he's keeping something from us. I just know he is." Hermione sat on the bed that Harry had slept in the last time they were there.

"You know why we're here now, don't you? Fred and George couldn't keep their traps shut. They should have come to us first. Now we aren't going to be trusted at all here. We'll have everyone watching us to see what we're going to do next. This is so unfair." Ron punched the bed he was sitting on.

"Fred and George did the right thing. Everyone in the Order needed to know that Harry wasn't with his relatives. Anyway we're stuck here so we might as well make the best of it." Hermione stood up. "I'm going exploring, maybe we can find some stuff in this house that we can use on that Potions Essay Snape gave us to write. I don't like it any more than you, but I'll tell you, it's a lot harder to find ingredients in the Muggle world that can be used in healing potions." Hermione stomped out of the bedroom, and Ron stuck his head through the door.

"How on earth can you think about school at a time like this? You're nuts Hermione, absolute nuts." Ron slammed the door before he could hear a reply.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
Remus carried Frost through the front door. She was in her regular form, and he put the invisibility cloak over her. He did not have time to explain to anyone what was going on; he started bounding up the stairs when he noticed Hermione coming out of Ron's room. Guess we have more company. He smiled at her and tried to open the door next to it.

"Do you need help, Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked while trying to figure out why he could not open the door. Her eyes lit up. "What are you carrying?"

"Never you mind, just open the door for me." Remus gave her another reassuring smile.

She opened the door and Remus went in and laid Frost down, leaving on the invisibility cloak. Hermione stood in the doorway, just watching. Remus looked up. "Get!" He did not say it harshly, but very firmly.

Hermione shut the door, but Crookshanks had slithered his body inside. Hermione figured that if Crookshanks knew what was going on, she could get the cat to help her figure it out. He was a smart cat, and she had taught Crookshanks to shake his head to yes or no questions. She decided she had to find out what professor Lupin was hiding.

Remus removed the invisibility cloak. Frost had passed out on the way back, and he had apparated them here. Crookshanks jumped on the bed and started sniffing at Frost's feet.

"Get away," Remus told the cat. Remus tried to push the cat down, and he had slapped at Remus and dug into the covers. "Suit yourself. But if she wakes up and turns angry with you, don't go blaming me."

Remus left the room and locked the door, then went to go find Moody. He found Molly in the kitchen.

"Where's Moody?"

"He left, had something to do for Dumbledore." Molly looked at him and could see the concern on his face. "What is it?" Hermione was sitting at the table watching them. Remus looked at her, then back to Molly.

"I need a healing draught, do you have any?" Molly reached inside her apron.

"Who's hurt? Ron, didn't do something to himself again did he?"

"No Molly, I'll explain later." Remus looked over at Hermione again. Molly noticed, but pretended not to as she handed him the potion.

"I'll hold you to that," she said to him as he walked out of the kitchen.

"You didn't see anything, did you Hermione?" Molly asked her.

"Professor Lupin was carrying something, but he wouldn't say what it was, he had it underneath an invisibility cloak," Hermione told her. Molly looked searchingly at Hermione.

"Carrying it?"

"Yes, whatever it was, it was rather large. He couldn't get the door open without help."

"I see. Where was he carrying it to?"

"The room next to Ron's."

"I'll be right back." Molly left the kitchen with Hermione hot on her heels. Molly went straight up to the room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Remus asked through the closed door.

"It's Molly, is everything okay in there?" Remus came to the door and opened it a crack;

"Everything is fine Molly, thanks."

"Is Frost okay? That's who that was for wasn't it?"

"Yes, she's fine now, thanks." Remus shut the door.

"Who's Frost?" Hermione asked. Ron opened his bedroom door.

"What was all the groaning about?"

"What groaning?" Molly asked, looking at her son. Ron pointed to the door where Remus had been.

"The groaning and moaning in there."

"Who's Frost?" Hermione asked again. Molly looked from one to the other.

"Remus is handling it just fine. Frost is his wolf, that's all you two need to know." Molly left the two with bewildered looks.

"Wolves don't moan and groan," said Ron. Hermione grinned at him.

"No, they sure don't."

The door to the bedroom opened again, and Remus came out and locked the door behind him.

"What are you two up to?"

"Nothing," Hermione said innocently.

"Nothing at all," Ron chimed in.

"Uh huh, just stay away from this room." Remus left them and walked back down stairs.

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

Harry came back into the bedroom; his search in the library for another diary had been fruitless. But he did find a book on wandless magic, Wandless Magic: Defending Oneself by Ahura Mazda. He flopped down on the bed and was about to open the book when his eyes looked to where the door that led to his closet at Privet Drive. It was gone. There was nothing there at all.

"Um...Godric?"

"Yes."

"Where's the door?" Harry put the book down, went over to the wall and started pushing.

"It's gone."

Harry looked back at Godric; he had grin on his face.

"This is not funny. How am I supposed to get back? I can't go through that invisible, whatever that thing is around the house. How am I supposed to get back to Hogwarts?"

"You'll be able to figure a way out. I have faith in you. Have you tried looking in the atrium for the diaries? I've been thinking maybe she hid them, like beneath a statue." Godric told him in a solemn voice, stating this like it was fact.

Harry had been in the atrium earlier with Hedwig, who seemed to really like it there. It could also have been because there was another (very old looking) owl in there. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry went out to the atrium. The statues in the atrium were unique. He saw the one of the Centaur, and so far this one was his favorite.

The Centaur almost looked alive. He had never seen such lifelike statues before. Despite the fact that it was a statue, its color was not that of stone. He looked just like the other Centaurs he had seen in the forbidden forest at Hogwarts, but with a slight difference. For one, he was rearing up, and if Harry stood at a certain point in the atrium it looked like he was aiming the bow and arrow directly at him. His eyes were of a dark, forest green; he had a ring of vines around his head; his sharp, pointed horse ears coming through the ringlets of his hair as it fell to the middle of his back. He stood on a marble pedestal with a plaque beneath him saying: Helfin of the Glen of Erin, Courageous in battle, a true friend of Hedonic Godspell.

Harry looked at all of the statues; all with the same epitaph at the end, a true friend of Hedonic Godspell. There were statues of a Centaur, and three different dragons...but the last one was interesting. It was of an elf, of that he was sure -- its ears gave it away. This elf, however, was very stunning. Its hair was like gold, and its skin was dark bronze. It stood very tall, and was slender and supple, its clothes all made from a fine-looking leather.

Harry decided to first begin looking beneath this statue. He had gotten a spade out of one of the workrooms in the house, and getting down on his knees, he began digging up the ground in front of the Elf of Glen Rose. After about an hour, he had made a pretty big hole when he hit something metal. Digging some more, he was able to uncover a metal box with a sort of writing he had never seen before. Harry pulled out the box and dusted off the dirt from it.

Picking up the box, he went back into the house, to the one room other than his bedroom he really liked. This was the workroom. It had all sorts of tools he had never seen before. Even his Uncle Vernon would be impressed with some of the tools in this room. Harry sat the box on the workbench and started tracing the different characters on top of it. The words made no sense to him; he was not even sure what language it was in.

"Pannoen Edhelen plodren gúl," Harry said as he read the words out loud.

His hands were on the lid of the box, and he heard a hiss from the box as it was taking in air. The seal of the lid had been broken, and Harry knew it had been a while since it had been open. But wy had it been airtight? Opening the lid, a faint light began radiating out of the box; the light splashed around the room in every color imaginable.

When he had the lid completely open, Harry could see the source of the different colored lights. Little orbs were radiating light. He picked up the one with the silver light coming from it, and a warm sensation started flowing through his body. Then the whole place went pitch black, like the dead of night, with no light on a dark cloudy night.

Harry gave a gasp and held his breath. Everything around him was black, no matter which way he turned. I wish I had some light, Harry thought to himself. It was like a beacon had rifted into the darkness. He looked around for the source of the light and discovered it was coming from himself.

"Wow," Harry said. As his breath and words expelled from his mouth, Harry watched as his breath went spilling in the colored lights.

"Oh cool!" he exclaimed as he saw brighter lights of shading of silvers, golds and bronzes flood out from him.

They collided with the other lights, and sparks flew about while little dots far away from him hung suspended in midair. His breath billowed out like clouds of stars with every breath he took, and as he twirled around looking in every direction, he saw them spiral away from him. Taking his hand and waving it in an arch in front of him, he watched as his arm split the darkness and left behind a path of stardust.

"What is this place?" Harry asked out loud.