Harry Potter and the Crystalline Darkness

Katling

Story Summary:
Continues on from Guild of the Night. Harry's sixth year is over, the Battle has been won and he's off for a summer with Sirius and Remus and then the Weasleys before starting his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Life seems to be pretty good right now - or is it? What has happened to his old enemies? And what is happening with the looming, crystalline darkness?

Chapter 35 - 35

Chapter Summary:
Harry, his friends and his family find out the bad news and Voldemort/Draco's plans start moving ahead...
Posted:
03/09/2006
Hits:
3,289


Chapter 35

Harry and his friends were walking across the Entrance Hall towards the Great Hall for dinner when the doors to the school swung open. They looked over curiously and were surprised to see Kingsley Shacklebolt looking tired, frustrated and just a touch guilty. The Auror looked around and nodded grimly when he saw Harry and his friends.

"Harry," he said sombrely. "I was hoping to find you. I need to speak to you and the Headmaster. And we'd better have Black, Lupin and Snape as well as the Headmaster, the Deputy Headmistress and Master Nhean."

"This isn't good news, is it?" Harry said flatly.

"No, it's not," Kingsley replied heavily.

Harry eyed him for a moment then he sent his friends after the people needed. When they had all gathered in the Entrance Hall, Kingsley spoke again.

"I have some bad news but I'd rather tell you all privately," he said.

"Perhaps the Guild training room would be best for such a large group," Nhean suggested.

Dumbledore nodded and led them all to the classroom. When they got there, he shut the door behind them and sealed the room with wards.

"Now, Kingsley, what has happened?" he said calmly.

Kingsley took a deep breath. "Pettigrew escaped again," he said bluntly.

There was a moment of startled silence then Sirius screamed, "WHAT?"

"How could you let that happen?" Remus demanded at almost the same time.

"I should have dealt with him myself and damn the consequences," Sirius ground out in a snarling growl.

"Calm down, everyone," Dumbledore said in a voice that froze them all to the spot. He then turned back to Kingsley and continued in a calm voice, "Kingsley, perhaps you would be so good as to tell us how this happened?"

"Fudge reappeared," Kingsley said with pent-up frustration. "He just appeared in the atrium this afternoon, told everyone he was the Minister of Magic and demanded to know what was going on. Most of the Aurors were out on various calls and whatnot and those who were still there all left to deal with Fudge and the crowd that had gathered. Fudge was obviously just a decoy because when they got back to the Auror's Department, Pettigrew's cell had been blasted open and he was gone. We're still investigating to work out the whys and wherefores but I thought it was important to let you all know what had happened immediately."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Dumbledore said, overriding the fuming Sirius. "Minerva, can I ask you to do a search of the more...rat-friendly areas of the school? We must assume Mr Pettigrew is coming here."

"I'm coming with you," Ginny said firmly, blushing a little under the sudden welter of gazes that were turned on her.

"Thank you, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said with a secretive little smile. "I believe that will make the task much easier."

She gathered Ginny and they left the room, shifting into their cat form almost before they got out of the door.

"Nhean, I think you need to inform the Guild that we will need their aid urgently," Dumbledore continued.

Master Nhean nodded and disappeared from the room without a word.

"Kingsley, we will let you go since I'm sure you have a great deal to do in the aftermath of today's events," the Headmaster continued.

"Thank you, Albus," Kingsley replied. "I'll get a full report on the day's activities to you as soon as possible."

With that, the tall black man hurried out of the room and no one was entirely sure whether it was to get back to his work or to get away from Sirius and Remus...or both.

Now Dumbledore turned his attention to Sirius and Remus and he became the man Harry had seen in the Ministry, the one where he had no doubts why Voldemort feared him more than any one else.

"Enough!" he said, his voice cutting sharply through the room.

Both Sirius and Remus jumped and looked mulish and frustrated.

"They let him get away...again!" Sirius almost pleaded.

"I know," Dumbledore said firmly. "But there is no point getting angry. We have other things we need to do. I need you and Remus to go with Severus and fortify the wards. If Tom is indeed making his move then we need to be prepared."

He paused to stare archly at Sirius and Remus.

"What about Harry?" the animagus demanded.

"I will personally escort Harry and his friend back to their dormitories," Dumbledore informed him crisply. "Will that satisfy you?"

Sirius backed down at Dumbledore's warning look and he nodded sullenly. Dumbledore eyed him for a moment longer then looked at Harry.

"I know you dislike being confined, Harry, but I must ask that you stay in your dormitory tonight," Dumbledore said. "With any luck we'll find Pettigrew tonight, if not we'll re-evaluate things tomorrow morning."

Harry shot a look at his godfather and guardian and any protests he'd been about to make died on his lips. The two men were looking so worried and concerned that he obediently nodded.

"Come on, Black, Lupin," Snape said briskly but not unkindly. "We have work to do."

Sirius glared at the Potions Master but finally Remus nudged him and they left reluctantly. The Headmaster walked over and joined Harry and his friends.

"Shall we go?" he said calmly.

The Headmaster was true to his word. He walked all the way up to the portrait of the Fat Lady and waited while Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville crawled through; he then walked Luna to the entrance of the Ravenclaw dormitory.

Inside the Gryffindor common room, Ron looked at the others. "So what do we do now?"

Harry shrugged. "Wait, I guess. I'm not leaving though. After Siri's reaction tonight, it'd kill him if anything happened to me because I was stupid."

"Do you think Ginny or Professor McGonagall will find Wormtail?" Neville asked as they moved over to a quiet corner.

"I don't know," Harry said. "Pettigrew knows the castle pretty well but on the other hand, he's definitely insane so that might give them an advantage."

"I hate this," Ron said to no one in particular.

No one disagreed with him and they lapsed into a nervous silence.

Ginny returned just before midnight and reported that they found plenty of scent trails but no actual sign of Wormtail. She was a bit disgruntled that Professor McGonagall had sent her back to the dorm but had to subside when she nearly fell asleep on the couch when she was telling them what had happened.

They took that as their cue to go to bed and the three boys trailed up the stairs to their dorm. Seamus and Dean were already asleep so they were quiet as they got ready. Harry lay awake in his bed, listening to first Ron then Neville fall asleep and start snoring. He barely noticed when he too fell asleep.

It was nearly an hour later when there was movement in the doorway of the dorm. A rat with one silver paw scuttled into the room and hesitated at the foot of Harry's bed. A moment later, the rat was gone and a shabby, rat-like man stood in its place. The man rocked from foot to foot as he stared at the sleeping boy and he looked torn and slightly disorientated. Finally his body gave a large jerk and he skittered around to the side of the bed. He pulled a ratty-looking handkerchief and a small vial out of his robes. He pulled the lid of the vial off with his teeth and poured the contents onto the handkerchief. He tossed the vial on the floor then leaned forward and gently placed the handkerchief over Harry's mouth and nose.

Harry breathed in as he slept then he jerked awake as the sweet but slightly acrid odour of the potion hit home. Pettigrew clamped the handkerchief down tighter and gripped Harry's shoulder with his free hand. That was all it took, in his surprise Harry had taken a deep breath and the potion quickly knocked him out. Once Pettigrew was sure that the boy was unconscious, he tossed the handkerchief to the floor then pulled the blankets and sheets back.

After a moment of thought, he picked up the cane leaning against the bedside table and shrank it, tucking it into his pocket as he muttered, "Life debt."

He then turned back to the bed and lifted Harry up with an audible grunt. He staggered out of the dormitory, pausing regularly as he went down the stairs to check for any sound. Once he got out of the dormitory he headed for the secret passage that led to Honeydukes, apparating them both out of there as soon as he got past the Hogwarts wards.

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

Ron shifted and turned over as the morning light came through the window and hit his face. He'd always liked his bed because of that. As long as he left the curtains around his bed just slightly open, he got an automatic wake-up call that woke him slowly. He was tempted to burrow under the blankets and get some more sleep but now that he was awake and knew it was morning, he knew that Neville's snores would keep him awake. He stretched and scrubbed his face with on hand before pushing the blankets back and crawling out of bed.

He stretched again and glanced over at Harry's bed. The curtains were open and the bed was empty. Ron wasn't overly surprised; Harry didn't sleep well at the best of times. With the news that Voldemort was about to get serious, it was no surprise Harry was up early.

Ron ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up even more, and he staggered into the bathroom. Once he had washed, he came back into the dorm and got dressed for the day. He then yawned again and clattered downstairs to find Harry. He frowned when he got to the common room. Harry wasn't there and after what he'd said the previous night, Ron was sure that Harry wouldn't have left without them. He thought for a moment then crawled out through the entry hole and stood in front of the Fat Lady.

"Morning," he said to the portrait. "Has Harry come out this morning?"

"Not this morning, dear," the Fat Lady replied blearily. "I think he was taken down to the Hospital Wing again. He was being carried last time I saw him."

Ron froze as what the Fat Lady had just said sunk in. "When was this, ma'am?" he said as politely as he could manage.

"Ooh, very early in the morning, maybe one or two o'clock," the Fat Lady said with a yawn. "He was being carried by a short, rather scruffy-looking man."

"Thank you," Ron said stiffly then he turned and shifted into his red setter form, Rohan. He sprinted through the quiet, empty corridors of the school until he got to the Headmaster's office where he shifted back. He hesitated in front of the gargoyle as he tried to remember to password.

"Uh, lemon drops? Cockroach clusters? Blood pops? Ice mice? Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans? Chocolate frogs?"

The gargoyle leapt aside at that last one and Ron heaving a sigh of relief as he bounded up the revolving staircase three at a time. He pounded on the door to the Headmaster's office impatiently and was surprised when it opened almost immediately to reveal Minerva McGonagall. Behind her he could the Headmaster, Snape, Flitwick, Sirius and Remus all gathered around a model of the school.

"Mr Weasley!" Professor McGonagall said severely. "What is this all about?"

"Harry's gone!" Ron blurted out. "Pettigrew got into the dorm last night and took him!"

McGonagall's jaw dropped and she grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into the room. The others had heard his outburst and were striding across the room towards him. Dumbledore was the first to reach him.

"What did you say, Mr Weasley?" he demanded. "Start from the beginning and do not leave anything out."

Ron swallowed hard; this was a Dumbledore that people rarely saw. This was the Dumbledore that you could really believe had defeated Grindelwald and was the man Voldemort was afraid of.

"When I got up this morning, Harry's bed was empty," he said as calmly as he could. "I didn't think anything of it because Harry's often the first one up. He doesn't sleep well a lot of the time and I didn't think it was any surprise that he hadn't slept well last night. I got up, had shower and got dressed then I went down to the common room expecting to find him there. But the place was empty. I know he didn't go anywhere after what he said last night." He looked over at Sirius. "He was worried about you, Sirius, so he said he going to obey. Anyway, I went out and spoke to the Fat Lady and she said that Harry was carried out of there at about one or two o'clock this morning by a short, shabby man."

"How could Pettigrew get into the dorm?" Professor McGonagall said, looking furious. "Has Mr Longbottom been writing down the passwords again?"

Ron shook his head fervently. "No, Professor. Harry and Hermione set the passwords and they make sure that they use passwords that he's going to remember."

"He could have got in at any time," Snape said grimly. "How many people would notice a rat crawling in at their feet? Mr Weasley, did you notice anything else? I refuse to believe that Mr Potter would sleep that deeply."

Ron frowned. "Yeah, you're right. He wouldn't, he doesn't." He thought hard then shook his head. "I don't know, Professor, I wasn't really awake when I was in the dorm so I didn't notice anything."

Ron looked over at Sirius and Remus at this point and blanched. Sirius was leaning heavily on the table that held the model of the school and his features were grey and drawn. He looked like one more blow would shatter him. Remus didn't look much better and he had one arm around Sirius' shoulders and was murmuring quietly into his friend's ear. Dumbledore followed his gaze and his face gentled into a look of kindness.

"Severus, take Mr Weasley back to the dorm and see what you can find," he said quietly. "Mr Weasley, gather the rest of the Battle Guard and head down to the Guild classroom. I shall inform Master Nhean of what has happened."

Severus and Ron nodded and left the office. Ron looked back just before he left and saw the Headmaster talking softly but firmly to Sirius and Remus. Snape's quiet call of "Mr Weasley" reclaimed his attention back to what he needed to do and he headed down the stairs.

"Where do you think Pettigrew will have taken him?" Ron asked Snape as they jogged down the corridor.

"Unknown, though I do have some speculations," Snape replied shortly. "From the length of time Voldemort has been casting Toventsky's spell, he would need a substantial vessel to hold that much energy. He would therefore need a lot of space. Presuming he did not set things up outside that means a large room in a large house. My immediate speculation is Malfoy Manor or Parkinson Manor but Riddle Manor is also a possibility."

"Three places to search," Ron muttered. "Not good."

Snape made an indistinct, disgruntled sound in reply then they both fell silent as they approached the Fat Lady.

"Good morning, Professor," she said with a little curtesy. "Did you wish to enter?"

"Yes, please," Snape said shortly, not even breaking stride and the Fat Lady hurriedly opened for them.

They crawled into the common room where some early risers looked at them with surprise and some apprehension. Snape and Ron ignored them both and ran up the stairs to the Seventh Year boys' dorm. When they walked in Seamus and Dean were just climbing out of bed while Neville was just finishing getting dressed. The three boys looked up when they walked in and yelped when they saw who it was. Seamus and Dean grabbed their clothes and scrambled towards the bathroom at Snape's glare while Neville finished pulling on his jumper with a sharp yank.

"What's happened to Harry?" he said with frown.

Ron gave him a quick rundown of what had happened that morning as Snape searched around Harry's bed. The two boys looked around when they heard Snape make a noise of discovery and they saw the Potions Master straightening with a small vial in one hand and a ragged handkerchief in the other. They watched as Snape sniffed delicately at the vial and grimaced.

"Dormira potion," he said with frustration. "He would have been unconscious in seconds."

"He'll be alright though, won't he?" Ron asked.

Snape nodded as he tucked the vial and handkerchief into his robes. "Dormira is harmless unless swallowed. Mr Potter will be fine. At the apparent concentration, he will sleep for approximately eight to ten hours. If he was taken somewhere between one and two this morning then he will wake somewhere between nine am and midday."

"It's seven-thirty now," Ron said absently. "Which means we've got a minimum of an hour and half to find Harry before Voldemort starts whatever he's got planned."

"I believe you had a task to carry out, Mr Weasley," Snape observed as he swept out of the room.

"You do?" Neville said to him.

Ron nodded. "Go and get Luna and meet us down in the Guild classroom. The Headmaster wants the Battle Guard together."

Neville nodded and ran out of the room, Ron right behind him. When they got downstairs, Ron stopped there while Neville continued out of the common room. Ron looked around and grabbed the first girl he saw.

"Go up to the Sixth and Seventh Year girls' dorms and get Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger for me, please," he ordered.

The girl nodded and darted up the stairs to the girls' dorms. She was back in a couple of minutes.

"They're coming," she said breathlessly and Ron thanked her absently.

When Hermione and Ginny burst out into the common room, Ron grabbed them and dragged them out of the common room. He led them downstairs at a run, explaining what had happened as they went.

"Neville's gone to get Luna and we're to meet him in the Guild classroom," he concluded as they ran down the stairs.

"Does anyone have any idea where Harry is?" Ginny demanded, looking pale but determined.

"Snape had a few suggestions," Ron replied. "Malfoy Manor, Parkinson Manor or Riddle Manor were the only places big enough to have a room the size that Voldemort would need."

Hermione grimaced. "That's not a good list."

She stopped speaking suddenly and stumbled for a moment. Ron and Ginny caught her and they kept going. They got to the Guild classroom and entered to find Luna and Neville waiting for them.

"There was a note from Dumbledore," Neville said, holding up a piece of parchment. "We're to wait here. Everyone else will be joining us here shortly."

"Good because I've got an idea," Hermione said briskly.

"What?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I'll tell you when everyone else gets here." She paused and changed the subject. "How did Sirius and Remus take the news?"

"Badly," Ron said shortly. "Sirius looked like he was about to collapse and Remus wasn't much better. If we don't get Harry back, I don't know what they'll do."

Hermione looked apprehensive then the door opened and they all spun around. The Headmaster walked in, deep in conversation with Master Nhean and a tall, Japanese man who carried a cane similar to Harry's. Behind them were Sirius, Remus and Snape as well as Fred and George, Tonks, Jun'ko, Tien and a small group of people who were also carrying canes. When the Battle Guard gave them a good look they could see that these people all looked around the room in the same manner that Harry did when he was somewhere he didn't know well.

Dumbledore gave them a short nod. "Good. Mr Weasley, would you please tell everyone once more what happened when you woke this morning?"

Ron nodded once then launched into his tale once again. Once he'd finished, Snape took up the thread of the conversation and explained what he'd found near Harry's bed and what that meant, including Ron's assessment of the time they had left and his own speculation as to where Harry was being held. While Snape was talking, Ron was staring at the newly arrived Guild members as something prodded at his mind. Snape had just finished when he realised what was bothering him.

"His cane is gone," he blurted out then he blushed when everyone stared at him.

The tall Japanese man stepped forward. "My name is Ichiro Takao, the Head of the Guild Council," he said sternly. "Explain what you mean."

"Harry's cane wasn't there," Ron repeated. "Whoever took him must have taken that as well...which doesn't make much sense." He frowned. "I mean, wouldn't Voldemort want Harry to be unarmed and...well, helpless?"

"Except it was Peter Pettigrew who came in and took him," Hermione said thoughtfully. "The man who owes Harry a life debt for saving him in the Shrieking Shack. Maybe that pushed him into taking the cane with him."

"Let us hope so," Dumbledore replied. "Now we need to work out how we are going to search the three manor houses in question. It won't be easy..."

"Excuse me, sir," Hermione interrupted, looking nervous and apologetic. "I think I have an idea for Malfoy Manor at least."

"And what is that?" Dumbledore asked.

"Dobby," Hermione replied. "He used to be the Malfoy's house elf. I'm sure he knows the manor well enough to search it far more quickly than we could and he'd do anything for Harry."

Dumbledore smiled for the first time since he'd walked into the room. "Well done, Miss Granger. That was a very good thought."

Hermione blushed and looked pleased as the Headmaster called out for Dobby. The little house elf popped in and looked surprised to see so many people in the room. Dumbledore called him over and quickly explained what had happened. Everyone in the room was startled when Dobby suddenly blazed with anger, something they'd never seen before from a house elf.

"Where is Harry Potter being taken?" he demanded angrily.

"We don't know but we suspect it is one of three places," Dumbledore replied. "Malfoy Manor, Parkinson Manor or Riddle Manor."

"Dobby knows all three of these places," Dobby said firmly. "Dobby has been to all three with Master Lucius. Dobby will find Harry Potter."

With that the house elf disappeared with a loud, infuriated crack.

"I didn't know house elves could be like that," Jun'ko said quietly into the silence that followed Dobby's departure.

"Dobby was freed by Harry," Hermione replied equally quietly. "He adores Harry and has protected him before."

"Do you think he really can get Harry out of wherever he is?" Sirius asked hoarsely, his voice sounding desperate.

"If it can be done, Dobby will do it," Hermione said encouragingly. Seeing Sirius looking like that was bringing her close to tears.

They waited nervously and some people began to pace. Many of the Night Warriors began to tap or fiddle with their canes while Fred and George began to pull shrunken boxes out of their pockets and take a quick inventory. In amongst all of this Dumbledore stood calmly in the middle of the room with Snape at his side while Sirius and Remus huddled in one corner and seemed to be propping each other up.

They all jumped when a loud crack sounded throughout the room and Dobby reappeared. The little house elf looked battered and bruised and a large gash ran up one side of his head and along one ear. Hermione and Ginny immediately ran to him and caught him when he fell over.

"Dobby!" Hermione gasped. "What happened?"

"Dobby is sorry, Miss Hermy," the house elf said in a pain-filled voice. "Dobby went to the Malfoy house but Harry Potter was not there. He was not at the Parkinson house either. Dobby found him at Riddle Manor but Dobby couldn't get near him. There were many bad wizards there and Dobby had to leave. Dobby is so sorry. Dobby did not want to fail Harry Potter and Headmaster."

Dobby burst into tears and started pounding his head against the floor. Hermione hurriedly stopped him.

"Dobby! Stop that!" she ordered as she heard the Headmaster summon some more house elves. "Nobody expected you to get Harry out of there. We just hoped you could find him. And you know Harry wouldn't want you punishing yourself."

Dobby stared up at her, his big eyes filled with tears. "Yes, Miss Hermy."

The house elves that the Headmaster had summoned swarmed around them and gently took Dobby from Hermione before disappearing again.

"We know where he is," Dumbledore said in reply to Hermione's unspoken question. "The house elves will take care of Dobby. We have to make some plans."

Hermione nodded absently then she got to her feet, brushing off her clothes. "I know."