A Mortal Enemy

Chapter 20: Kidnapped

The tour of the castle with Fudge hadn't taken long, only a few hours to Kara's relief. He searched Gryffindor Tower three times himself and had the other dormitories searched by trusted Aurors. Somehow he wasn't surprised when he didn't find Draco, but Hermione's disappearance seemed to disturb him. It took all of Kara's acting abilities to appear shocked and upset about it as well. Fudge had left three Aurors that Kara and Snape had quickly shepherded out of the castle once Fudge had left. Their excuse had been concern over raising alarm with the students. After assurances that they could roam the castle during the day, they had agreed to take post outside along with the rest of the Auror team. Sirius was less than pleased with their arrival, claiming to have never met them; he seemed suspicious and this was enough to raise Kara's alarm.

As for the scene in the Chamber, had it been any other students, there would have been a quick discussion about proper behavior and responsibility but everyone was too shocked to say anything about it. Kara and Snape had been standing there long enough to hear Malfoy's whimpering apology, and then they had witnessed the kiss. Time stood still for several moments and then Snape had shifted his weight forward to rush into the room, but Kara held him back. She was half torn between letting the two adolescents enjoy something so inspired, and overwhelming anxiety about how to react.

She and Hermione had walked briskly to the portrait of the Fat Lady in uncomfortable silence, and after Kara ensured the young girl that no one else would be coming tonight to take her, she made her way back down to the dungeons. Snape was situated by the fire when Kara entered. He was pensively staring into it, he seemed calm and it was a good sign. She took a seat in front of the fire as well, but neither of them spoke for quite some time. They were no doubt simultaneously pondering whether the Granger and Malfoy issue needed discussing.

"I suppose there was no sign of Rita Skeeter tonight?" she asked after coming to the conclusion that the last thing she wanted to think about were two teenagers snogging, let alone those two teenagers.

"I checked with the Aurors before returning. They report having no sign of her and I'm not entirely surprised. If she knew Fudge was coming she'd have stayed far away. I had the Aurors seal the castle to ensure the Ministry does not return this evening."

"Severus," she replied in her most pragmatic voice. "They do work for the Ministry; they're not exactly going to refuse Fudge entrance." Snape just smiled nastily in return and they left it at that.

- - -

The next day found Snape up earlier than usual, even before the morning owls had arrived at their front door to leave letters sent out the night before. Kara suspected he hadn't slept at all, although he had been in their bed, undressing her in the night. She woke to find his side of the bed empty, but there were two head impressions upon her pillow, indicating he had at least lain close to her while she slept. The thoughts were endearing and it brought a smile to her face instantly.

When Kara went down for breakfast he was at the head table, sipping coffee and mindlessly pushing scrambled eggs around his plate. He was staring at the Gryffindor table, presumably at Hermione, and wondering how he was going to prevent the Aurors from taking her this morning. The morning edition of the Daily Prophet lay folded to his side, the advertisements inside had been taken out. When Kara sat beside him and grabbed a plate of toast, Snape pushed one of the tiny advertisements towards her. Only instead of headlines announcing Madame Posh's new anti-gnome garden spray, Kara found there were several lines of cryptic text written.

11pm at the Corpeum.
New pupils.

What did it mean? She looked at Snape cautiously and heard in his mind Order of the Phoenix, tonight, at Hogwarts. She nodded silently and returned to her toast, attempting to focus on the day ahead of her.

She had fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin that afternoon and Harry looked properly distracted. He no doubt had already read his morning invitation care of the Daily Prophet and was pondering over the night ahead. He was even snapping at his friends, telling Hermione more than once, in a loud voice, that he was fine and just wanted to work in peace. Avoiding his friends was easy, but avoiding the Slytherins was not. Pansy Parkinson, no doubt still furious over Draco being expelled, kept taunting him. Kara wondered how Pansy would feel if she found out what had happened with Hermione. It was an amusing thought that brought a smile to her face and was the only comfort she could find for her own mind when Pansy called Hermione a Mudblood loud enough for everyone to hear. Kara didn't punish her. Hermione had raised her head and smiled wickedly in Pansy's direction; presumably having thought the kiss was revenge enough. She even shot that knowing smile in Kara's direction.

After dinner that evening, Kara joined Snape in his office where they went over plans for the evening.

"We need to provide adequate protection for the meeting. There are indications that the Dark Lord is aware it is happening tonight," he began.

"What did you have in mind?"

"We will hold it in the Chamber and blindfold each member once they enter the castle. They will be led by the few of us who know how to enter. Once there, you and I will need to patrol the dungeons to ensure no one attempts to interfere, unseen or otherwise."

Kara gave him a calculating look while he rummaged around his desk for something. "Won't you be at the meeting?"

"No," he said plainly. "My position has been replaced by Draco. I'm no longer needed."

"That's why you wanted to bring Draco here?"

He raised his head. "Yes. It's my responsibility to replace my position once I can no longer fulfill the duties asked of me."

"You would put him through that? The oath, the risk and responsibility?"

"He is more than adequately prepared, more so than Potter certainly."

- - -

Hours later she helped lead an old blindfolded man down the dungeons stairs and through the gloomy dark corridor behind the portrait that she opened with her mind. Just before entering through the oak doors, she took the black silk handkerchief off of her companion's eyes and disappeared back down the corridor, leaving him to the meeting. She began patrolling, finding nothing unusual coming anywhere near the dungeons; not even Peeves and his usual barrel of trouble. Once or twice, she passed Snape, himself keeping watch on the entrance to the castle. But it was as quiet as a normal night. Something in Kara's stomach turned. If Voldemort knew this was going on, why hadn't he made an attempt to interfere?

-- -

"I have never seen Professor Binns so distraught! He's a mellow sort of man, I can't imagine what happened to turn him so emotional," Professor Vector was saying as Kara entered the staff room. Three other Professors were standing around chatting as well.

"He muttered something about Potter and the new boy and then floated off through the wall without another word. Why if he hadn't been dead already, I think he might have died of shock."

It was early afternoon, just before Kara's last class of the day and she was grateful for it. The previous night had run so late and after what seemed to be countless hours of planning with Snape, she'd stumbled into bed only to gain a few hours of precious sleep. The last thing she needed was to sort through some skirmish between Malfoy and Potter.

Kara poured herself a cup of steaming tea from the silver tea service on the table and moved in closer to eavesdrop on the gossip.

"Potter has been acting oddly which is never a good sign you know," little Professor Flitwick said. He was standing on a tall stool which put him at eye level with the other teachers. "Experience tells me that something is going on. We should expect to face You-Know-Who pretty soon, I say." All the Professors gave each other ominous looks.

"Yes, but why fight with Sean Hardener? He seems like a fairly rational and nice young man."

"The rumor going around is that he's been paying some attention to one Ms. Granger. Perhaps that's what this is all about?"

The other professors turned to look at Kara knowingly as if she had some great revelation for them. In response she sipped her tea quietly for a few moments, returned the used cup to the table and swept out of the staff room, furious with both Draco and Harry.

But all of that fury was forgotten when something unusual happened halfway into her lecture on Shrinking Potions. Harry (sporting a black eye) and Sean Hardener (who was covered in bruises) slipped into the back of the potions classroom. They both looked afraid and the thoughts coming from Draco's mind indicated that what they needed was urgent.

"Everyone turn to page three hundred forty three and make notes on the use of leach juice in this potion. I want no talking until I return." Kara made her way to the back of the classroom and ushered the two students outside. She closed the door and put a silencing charm on it.

"Dare I ask what happened to the two of you?" she began.

"It's Hermione," Harry responded.

"She hit the both of you? And that warrants interrupting my class?"

"She's missing," Draco said, sounding very concerned.

"We've looked everywhere. She wasn't at breakfast this morning or in History of Magic," Harry followed.

"She's not in the Gryffindor dormitory, the library or at Hagrid's. No one has seen her all day."

Kara looked into Draco's eyes and learned in vivid detail how Harry had accused him of harming Hermione. That's how they had come to be so battered. Perhaps this is what had disturbed Binns this morning. It was curious though that Kara hadn't heard about this from Snape yet.

"Very well," Kara responded quickly. "Find Professor Snape and tell..."

"We tried already. He's not in his office." Harry was panicking.

"Go to Sirius's classroom. I believe he has fourth years right now. I will meet you outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom in ten minutes." Kara turned abruptly to go into her classroom, gave them instructions and then rushed off to the second floor.

When she arrived, Sirius, Draco and Harry were already standing outside talking quietly to one another and looking at something in Sirius's hand.

"She's nowhere on the map," Sirius announced when she arrived.

"Would she have gone to Hogsmeade?" Kara asked no one in particular. Both Harry and Draco responded no and then gave each other a dirty look.

"All right," Kara said in a calm voice. "Sirius, go to the Aurors and have them send some people into Hogsmeade to look for her. Have the rest search the grounds. I'll try to find Severus and we'll conduct a search of the castle. The two of you need to get back to class. We will find her."

"Not likely," came the all too familiar voice of Severus Snape from behind her. He was approaching quickly. There was a small piece of parchment in his left hand which he handed to her.

I have the queen. Check.

Was all it said. Kara closed her eyes in horror and felt her heart sink into her stomach. Sirius reached for the parchment, read it and whispered oh no. Harry and Draco looked at each other. Harry took the note from Sirius and read it quickly, Draco looking over his shoulder.

Kara thought Harry might die of shock; he had stopped breathing and just stood there staring at the note with a look of awe on his face. Draco had turned around and hit his fist against the balcony that overlooked the main floor.

"This is my fault. Dammit!" he shouted. Harry turned to look at him curiously.

"What do you mean your fault? How is this possibly your fault?" he said. "You told me not two hours ago that you were in love with her. Now you're saying you got her kidnapped? Is that how you show people you love them?" Harry was now shouting. Kara put up a silencing charm on the corridor. Sirius's mouth had dropped open in shock and he looked more deranged now than he had on his wanted posters.

"He knows her I feel about her," was all Draco said in response. Harry apparently had nothing to say to that although he looked ready to explode. He put his hands on top of his head and began to pace up and down the hallway. Kara recognized the action for what it was. The energy was building up inside of him and his magic was becoming difficult to control; he was attempting to walk off the temptation to direct it at Draco.

"How do we even begin to find her?" Sirius asked. "She could be anywhere."

"The answer to that question begins with how he managed to take her in the first place. When was the last time you saw her?" Snape said.

"Last night. Parvati said she never slept in her bed last night. She was at dinner though and I saw her before the meeting."

"So he got her while we were all together?" Draco asked rhetorically.

"But how? Fudge sent extra Aurors. The castle was impenetrable last night. Even if someone got in, how would they get out, with her?" Harry asked him.

"Fudge," Draco said in horror. "There must be a mole in the Ministry. It was one of the Aurors."

"Then maybe she's at the Ministry," Harry said. They seemed to be completing each others thoughts.

"Maybe," came Draco's reply.

Harry turned and started pacing again. Kara noticed Snape was standing unusually still beside her, his arms were folded and he was contemplating what to do next when Harry shouted from the other end of the corridor.

"Oh no!" he said as he approached. "She has my Ring," he whispered to the four of them. Kara and Snape looked at each other subtly and had a simultaneous thought. Had Harry told Draco he was an Oracle?

"You gave it to Hermione?" Draco asked in awe. "Why not Ginny?" The questions seemed to confirm Kara's worst fears.

"Too obvious. I never dreamed he'd go after Hermione. What if he figures out what it is? Would he know how to use it?" Harry asked the adults, as if suddenly realizing they had arrived. Kara however was still too stunned to answer. Her eyes had grown wide and Harry must have read the expression on her face because he visibly flinched.

Snape looked at her briefly before responding. "If he did, he's unlikely to assume it's yours right away."

"Maybe he won't even notice it," Sirius offered.

"She wears it on the chain. It's rather conspicuous," Harry said. He was now visibly avoiding Kara's death stare. He had folded his arms around himself and settled on Snape's icy glare instead. Kara executed a not-so-gentle wind spell and let it blow Harry's untidy locks of hair around his face. He closed his eyes guiltily against the wind and Kara knew he was aware of how she felt about this situation.

"Why would he even assume that's what it is?" Sirius asked. "Why wouldn't he just take it for an ordinary ring?"

Draco was the first to speak, even before Snape had a chance.

"He wouldn't, but he will inquire about it. He'll be looking for anything he can to get into her mind. Where did you get it? Is it special? Did a boyfriend give it to you?"

"We must assume he will find out who it belongs to," Snape said soberly.

"Can't she summon you with it?" Draco asked.

"If she puts it on. I don't know if Hermione would think to, though. She knows it won't work." Harry replied.

"Why not?"

"It's tied to the strength of my powers. I haven't been training long enough for it to work."

"Bullshit!" Draco said loudly. Everyone looked at him, somewhat surprised at his language. "Judging by the Imperius curse you hit me with this morning I'd say you're way past that point." Sirius gasped.

Kara's anger was only growing at this point and it was lucky for everyone there that the class bell rang and students began pouring out of the door beside them.

In the Headmaster's office, minutes later, the five of them had regrouped and waited as Snape hurriedly wrote several notes out on fresh parchment, replicated them with a spell and tied them to owls he had summoned.

Harry had sat down in a chair and buried his head in his hands. Sirius had a comforting hand perched on his shoulder.

"I don't believe I let this happen," he muttered to himself. "I should have given the Ring to someone else. Of course he'd go after Hermione."

"Yeah, planning never seemed to be one of your strong points," Draco chided. He had dropped the disguising charms as soon as they were safely locked in Snape's office. He gave Harry one of his patented Malfoy sneers. Harry stood up and almost lunged at him.

"Quiet, the both of you," Snape said calmly. He tied the last letter to an owl's leg and rose to let it out of the window, latching it closed when he was done.

"If she puts on the Ring and summons you then the plan is fairly obvious," Snape began. "Kara, Potter and Black, you will begin to track where she is based on the strength of the summons and report back. I will stay in case it's a ploy to leave the school without protection.

"If by the end of dinner this evening, she has not summoned you, then we will seek her out. Draco, make sure the list of safe houses you gave me is accurate."

"Why would he use one of those if he knows we have them?" Harry asked.

"He wants us to come. More importantly, he wants me to come. He will go somewhere predictable," Snape replied.

Snape was expanding on the second plan when Harry stumbled over his own feet and ran into a bookcase. He stood there momentarily, braced against it. His eyes were closed and he looked as though he might be sick. Sirius walked to him. "You okay?"

"No," Harry shook his head. "I feel dizzy and my head is ringing." Harry collapsed to the floor grasping his forehead. Sirius reached down and lifted him off the floor, settling him into a chair, where Harry leaned over to put his head against his knees in pain.

"Singing," he whispered moments later. "I hear singing."

"How loud?" Kara asked.

"Very faint."

"What does that mean?" Sirius asked.

"At full strength we would assume whoever put the Ring on is far away. Normally when it's first used, though, it could mean she's in the same room. There's just no way to tell if Harry's powers are strong enough to behave normally. Either way, we can be sure she's still in Britain. Even I have trouble hearing the summons when I'm further away," Kara said recalling the time Harry had been summoning her and she was at Durmstrang.

Harry stood. "Let's go then."

"You realize it's a trap," Draco said urgently to him. Harry ignored him.

Snape walked over to Kara and whispered in her ear.

"Harry?" she said just after. "I need my Ring, please."

Harry gave her a curious look, but reached inside his robes and pulled off Kara's shiny Ring from around his neck. Snape set it on the desk and performed a replication charm on it. He then handed the replica to Harry and put the real one on himself without explaining his actions.

"Start with London," Snape instructed. "If she's not there, come back and we'll begin again with the list of safe houses."

"What about the Apparition detection wards around London? If Voldemort has control of Fudge and the Ministry, then he'll know we've arrived," Sirius said.

"We can Apparate outside of the wards and travel inward," Kara offered. "Do you know of a suitable place nearby?" Everyone stood in silence for a moment.

"We would have to travel into the city without magic. Chances are they would detect that."

"What about.. Surrey?" Harry offered, tripping over his words, no doubt because of the singing in his head. "It's not that far."

"Surrey would work, but how would we get into London? They would be expecting us to use the underground. Also, I don't know any safe places there to Apparate in broad daylight," Kara replied.

"There is always my Aunt and... Uncles," Harry said. "Dumbledore had the wards removed after I stopped... going home for the summers." Sirius looked at him in a strange way.

"You don't think they'd be just slightly alarmed?" Sirius asked.

"Probably, but at this point.... I don't really care. We could also make my Uncle drive us into the city." Harry gave a big sigh. Kara knew that it wasn't easy for him to concentrate on things other than the singing in his head and the pull of his consciousness towards the summons.

"Fine," Snape said in finality. He then turned to Kara again and spoke to her privately.

"You are to find her only. Once you've done that, come back immediately. Do not set out to rescue her on your own, especially if she's at the Ministry. There's no telling what he's planning to do and if he knows that is Potter's Ring there is a pretty good chance that he'll attempt to do more invasive things."

She nodded in response, only half meaning it. If Hermione was in London and they found her, Kara had no intention of leaving her there, even if it meant exposing Muggles to the event.

Snape looked deep into her eyes and Kara felt the rest of the room watching them. She heard him say in his mind Be careful, I love you and she responded with a soft smile and whispered "I know." She leaned in, put a loving hand on his cheek and gave him a small kiss. When she turned to leave, she found Draco and Harry looking at them, mildly repulsed.