Evanesco

Evanesco

Chapter 3

In Which the Discovery is Made

Ron Weasley was lying with his back against the headboard of his bed at 12, Grimmauld Place, staring at the magazine in his hands with unseeing eyes. He was torn between anger and worry. Harry usually replied to his and Hermione's letters with hours of them being sent, but, only two hours or so ago, Hedwig had arrived alone, without a note, but without any sign of abuse or a struggle. Lupin and Arthur had been the only people in the house at the time, and when Ron and Hermione rushed downstairs to tell them the news, they had refused to leave until there was someone there to look after the two teenagers. Dumbledore's orders had been that all Order Members travel in at least pairs, and the house never left unattended.

Hermione had tried to calm him down. "Are you MAD?" Ron had yelled at his father. "What if something's HAPPENED?"

"There's probably a perfectly reasonable explanation, Ron," Arthur had said calmly, but they could all see the fear in his eyes. "Perhaps Hedwig just dropped Harry's reply.

"Hedwig's never failed Harry before! And Harry told her to come to us if ever something happened to him!"

"Ron," Lupin had said. "Owls are magical to a certain degree. But they have quite short term memories. There's almost no way she could have remembered an instruction Harry gave her weeks ago."

"What would you know about it?" Ron spat. "I've known Harry and Hedwig for much longer than you have, and I know something like this wouldn't happen unless something was wrong!"

"Ron," Hermione had whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your Dad's right. Harry can take care of himself - we'll wait until Charlie or your mum gets home."

Luckily, that hadn't been long in coming. As soon as Mrs Weasley had opened the front door, Mr. Weasley and Lupin had shot out of it. Ron had left Hermione to give the hurried explanation, while he stomped up the stairs, Hedwig fluttering along behind him.

Now, Hermione put her head around the door. "Is it safe?" she asked.

"Do what you want," Ron muttered.

Hermione came fully into the room, slamming the door behind her. Ron jumped and put down the magazine. "Ron Weasley! I can't believe you'd be so selfish to take this out on, above all people, me!"

"What?" said Ron, "I wasn't -"

"I'm just as worried about Harry as you are, Ron. And you know your dad and Lupin are as well."

"They weren't acting very worried -"

"But that's not their fault! Dumbledore specifically said -"

"Damn Dumbledore!" Ron pushed himself roughly off the bed and stood to face Hermione. She was easily three inches shorter than him, but the glare in her eyes still made him want to sit back down again. He didn't, though. "Remember what use Dumbledore's orders were last year? All they did was nearly get Harry expelled!"

Hermione screamed at him for a few minutes, which oddly made him feel better - until there was a startled exclamation from downstairs. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, forgot their argument in a second and raced out of the door and onto the landing.

Tonks was standing in the hallway, supported on either side by Arthur and Lupin. She was barely recognisable under a heavy coating of blood and dirt. It was Molly who had screamed, and she who was helping her husband to get Tonks into the living room.

"Oh no!" Hermione gasped, and took the stairs three at a time. Ron followed her.

"Get back," Lupin ordered them when they stumbled into the living room. "I'm going to call Albus, Arthur."

"Right," said Mr. Weasley, who had his wand out and was applying basic cleansing charms to Tonks' body. Not her body, Ron thought desperately. It's just Tonks.

"Is she-" Hermione stammered.

"She's alive," said Arthur. "Now do as Remus says."

Hermione obediently pulled Ron back. The next second, Remus had reappeared in the doorway, Albus Dumbledore hot on his heels. Dumbledore said nothing, instead he knelt beside Arthur, held out his hand with the fingers spread and the palm down, and passed it over the still form of Tonks.

"She will live," said Dumbledore. "As long as we get her to a hospital quickly."

Ron felt terrible for asking, but he had to know. "What about Harry?"

"What about Harry?" Dumbledore asked quickly.

"We went to Privet Drive because Hedwig arrived here without a note," Lupin told the Headmaster. "The house looked undisturbed but there were police cars all around an area further up the street. The building looked like some kind of a school. We asked around and it appears there was a break in last night."

"Nothing was taken," Arthur continued. "But there were broken windows and things knocked over. Also some blood on the floor of one of the classrooms."

"And Tonks?" Dumbledore asked.

"We made a perimeter search around number four first, just to be safe," Lupin said. "We were just about to go in and look for Harry when - well, I nearly tripped over her!"

"She was hidden in a bush behind the house," said Arthur. "It looked like someone had pushed her in there and put leaves over the top. I ran into the house - Harry's relatives seemed... very confused, as though they'd been drugged."

"And Harry?" Ron asked again.

Lupin met his eyes sadly. "He wasn't there, Ron. I'm sorry."

Ron could almost feel the colour drain from his face.

Lupin looked at Dumbledore. "Albus?"

Dumbledore was pale too. He stood up, and cleared his throat. "I'm afraid," he said, "that this is all my fault."

"You think You-Know-Who might have found a way to bridge the protection on the house, sir?" Arthur asked.

"No," said Dumbledore. "You all are aware - if only vaguely, that I spoke with Harry at the end of last year after the ... incident at the Department of Mysteries. During that meeting I gave Harry some very unwelcome news, the details of which I cannot divulge to you."

"So?" said Ron. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"It is my unfortunate belief," Dumbledore continued with sorrow in his voice. "That Harry was not yet ready to face up to the terrible reality of the news that I gave him. Death Eaters would have killed Tonks, or put her under the Imperius Curse for use as a spy in our midst. They also would have killed Harry's relatives instead of merely drugging them."

Everyone stared at him, unable to even consider the point Dumbledore was trying to put across.

The old man sighed. "It appears that Harry Potter has finally left us. For good."

--

Harry could not sleep, even though it had to be at least six in the morning. Nearly all the Death Eaters had removed their outer robes and were sleeping on pallets. Harry recognised some of them, but not all - some of them were quite young. Neville had drawn in his breath through his teeth in a startled hiss when one of them had removed his hood. "Harry - that's Oliver Farwell!" he whispered frantically. "He was in seventh year when we were in second!"

"I know," Harry had muttered. "Looks like Voldemort is gathering more than just his old followers. He wants fresh blood." Then the Death Eater watching them had glared pointedly at him, and he hadn't spoken again. Neville's terrifying assumption as to why he was here with Harry had still not left his mind.

It seemed like months since his only worries had been getting his OWL results and trying to get through the rest of the year without thinking too much about Sirius. Now it appeared he was going to struggle to keep both himself and Neville alive through the next week.

Most of them were asleep now, he noticed, looking around. He couldn't think how - the road was bumpy and the van really didn't seem all that stable to him. One side of his mouth rose slightly as he thought; Well, Toto. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore. Harry had guessed France, Neville had thought they might be a bit further along due to the length of the boat journey. Thinking about the boat made him retch slightly and he stared hard at the ceiling until it went away. Feelings of nausea had no place in a vehicle that was bouncing halfway off its wheels at every turn.

"Harry?"

Harry shifted slightly so that he could see Neville. His face was visibly pale, even in the dim light, and his eyes, that earlier had been merely determined, were darting sideways in fear.

"Yeah?"

"Where are we?"

Harry sighed. "I don't know, Neville. I just don't know."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Harry wished he could reach Neville properly, if not to comfort him then to cover his mouth and prevent him from doing any such thing.

"Please don't. They'll have to stop soon."

"Why?"

Harry wasn't sure why he'd said that. He somehow managed to think his half-formulated theory through before explaining. "Do you see any food or water anywhere? They might not be planning to feed us, but these Death Eaters have to eat. Could you imagine the state Malfoy would be in after days without food? They'll have to stop to pick up something."

"What if they just stop for a few minutes and then they start up again?"

"Well, then you'll have a few minutes of non-bumpy sitting in the dark."

Neville groaned. Their guard - one of the younger Death Eaters Harry didn't recognise, stirred but didn't say anything.

"Shhh," Harry whispered. "I think they're all asleep now."

"Good," said Neville, managing to be sarcastic even in his weakened state. Something had definitely changed about Neville. "This is our chance to escape. Let's climb over all these people with our hands and ankles tied - and jump out of the back of the moving van into the road."

"Good plan," said Harry. "With just a few tiny flaws."

"No kidding."

Just then the van went over another huge bump and Harry lost his balance, toppling on top of the guard, who woke with a curse. Others had been woken too, and soon muffled complaints were coming from every direction.

"What are they doing?" Travis muttered.

"This is ridiculous," Mulciber growled, dodging a kick from Travis as he tried to stand up, but was thrown over backwards again by the force of the next bump.

"Why do I get the feeling we're not on the road anymore?" Harry whispered.

"Quiet, all of you!" Pettigrew hissed. He hadn't spoken loudly, but silence fell in seconds. It was clear that it wasn't just Harry and Neville who had seen Travis being nearly strangled by Wormtail earlier.

The van was slowing down. When it had stopped completely, Wormtail pushed open the doors and ran round to the drivers' seats. The others stared out of the open doors. They were in the middle of nowhere in the early hours of the morning. Trees and overgrown vegetation surrounded them, and the trail of broken stalks behind them seemed to indicate that they'd simply crashed through it without a road or even a path.

Pettigrew reappeared at the doors with Nott. "Out all of you," Nott rasped. His voice sounded as though someone had recently been messing with his vocal chords.

"What's going on?" Travis sneered as he slid out of the van.

"We're stopping here for the day," said Nott. "We move by night only."

"Great," Harry heard the guard mutter. "Another one of Malfoy's scatterbrained ideas."

"Did I hear something from back there?" Pettigrew snapped.

"No sir," the guard called back. "Just one of the kids mutterin'."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "We did not!" he protested.

"Shut up," said Pettigrew, waving his hand in a 'get out now' gesture. Reluctantly the Death Eaters piled out of the van, which by now Harry was pretty sure he could call a truck. It took him back to his second year, when Mr. Weasley had shown him how the blue Ford Anglia was bigger on the inside. The vehicle they were now riding in looked like an ordinary worker's van from the outside, but somehow managed to fit at about twelve people in the back plus the driver and two passengers. Harry's mouth curled into a half smile as he wondered what the Muggles would think if they were stopped by the police for a routine check.

"What are you grinning at?" Oliver Farwell sneered as he grabbed Harry's collar and dragged him forwards. It was a two foot drop from the edge of the truck and Harry landed hard on his knees before over balancing onto his side. The Death Eaters laughed cruelly as Neville received the same treatment.

When Harry rolled over - his legs twisted uncomfortably under him, he could see Malfoy leaning against a tree nearby. But he wasn't smirking - or even sneering. He was frowning thoughtfully. The expression almost looked wrong on his face.

"Clear a small area," Lucius Malfoy barked. "Small, mind. Put up your tents further into the woods. Anyone sees a Muggle - avoid it if possible - no screaming and no killing. We can't lose time trying to hide a body or food trying to feed one. Draco, set up a tent over there."

"Why can't we sleep in the truck?" Malfoy complained, but apparently without much conviction. Lucius Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Draco - what did I just say to you?" Malfoy could only meet his father's eyes for a few seconds before looking away. "Yes father."

"That's better. Farwell, put them over there." Malfoy waved vaguely in the same direction he'd ordered his son to set up a tent in.

Harry, even as they were once again dragged along the ground and arranged side by side against a large rock, got the feeling that he and Neville were not Lucius Malfoy's number one priority. The number one candidate for Voldemort's right hand man seemed to have other things on his mind.

TBC