Harry Potter and the Forest of Shadows

Harry Potter and

the Forest of Shadows

Chapter 12: Attack

"Ah," Remus sighed, sitting down in one of the coziest armchairs of the Potter Manor in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate. Finally, in the peace of the twilight, he would be able to finish the novel he had been meaning to finish.

Eliza ran into the room, only to find she was too late. Will was

"REMUS!"

He jumped, sloshing the scalding drink in his lap. He had forgotten about the small package that came with living with Sirius Black.

"Remus! Moony!" Harry said breathlessly, rushing in. "He's coming! Help me!"

"It can't be all that bad. Of course unless you actually looked at his face."

A popping noise came from the end of the hall as Sirius cackled. Harry shrieked, running behind Remus' chair like a scared puppy.

"Sirius, what in god's name are you do-?"

His eyes widened as Sirius wheeled in on some contraption, which highly resembled a bicycle; the only difference being that the pedals were slippers and both ends of the handlebar were spurting bubbles.

"Just when I thought we were done with the idiotic inventions," Remus muttered to himself.

Sirius gave another cackle as he rolled slowly into one of the many sitting rooms of the manor, due to the flat tires.

"Anne Potter would kill you on the spot if she saw what you were doing to her favorite handmade oriental carpet," Remus admonished.

"Who?" Harry asked, peeking his head from behind the chair.

"Your grandmother."

"Oh."

"AH HA!"

Sirius lunged himself at Harry and mercilessly began to tickle him. "Please," Harry gasped between laughter, "stop! I'm sorry! I'll ne-"

He was drowned out by his own shrieks of laughter as Sirius continued to grind his fingers into Harry's ribs. "So predictable. Same spot as your mother."

"Really? How would you know that?" Harry teased when Sirius momentarily paused."

"You're really asking for it, aren't you?"

Just as Sirius was about to proceed with his cruel and unusual punishment, Remus took out his wand and muttered, "Congelo."

Both Sirius and Harry froze in their current positions.

"Now," Remus said rationally, desperately wanting to get back to his book, "Sirius, why are you practically attacking your poor godson?"

"He put holes in my favorite Mr. Bubble socks," Sirius managed to say with the limited range of motion the spell was allowing his jaw.

"Harry, is this true?"

"Only after he poked me."

Remus rolled his eyes, but assumed the stern parent tone again. "Sirius, for your punishment, I want you to clean up all the bubble puddles."

Harry laughed childishly.

"And Harry, I want you to go upstairs and finish packing after fixing the holes in Sirius' Mr. Bubble socks, okay?"

Harry nodded and frowned, giving Sirius his chance to laugh.

"Very good. Now go!" he shouted.

Both walked quickly out, ashamed expressions painted on their faces, but the laughter clearly dancing in their eyes. As Harry walked up the stairs to finish packing, he realized how much he was really going to miss Sirius and Remus this year.

As he was allowed to get back to his book, Remus' mind drifted back to the hole-in-the-socks thing, and it hit him. "Hey! Those were my socks!"

**

Harry was asleep in bed that night, when a nightmare came crashing down on his mind.

"My Lord, he wishes to serve you and to find all he can about Potter. He is much closer to the boy than I."

"Is he trustworthy though," came the hiss of a reply.

"Yes my Lord. And also very eager to learn."

"We shall be recruiting new Death Eaters the evening before Hallows Eve. Bring him then. He shall be tested in exactly how willing he is."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Tell me," Voldemort said, turning to another Death Eater. "How is the breakthrough on Azkaban coming?"

"Very well, my Lord. We shall have many back very soon."

"Good. Bellatrix, my dearest, how is our new...army...coming along?"

"We have almost one thousand. There is no way for the opponent to fight them," came the silky smooth voice of Bellatrix.

"Even without any of the Holders, we shall win this war," said a voice Harry recognized as Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Did you ever doubt we would?" Voldemort asked, twirling his wand through his fingers.

Harry braced himself. He knew it was coming.

"N-no my Lord. Please, I am sorry."

"CRUCIO!"

Pain coursed throughout his body which he could feel contracting.

"I am sorry my Lord," Lestrange muttered, as the curse ended.

Ignoring him, Voldemort once more turned his head and motioned to the only servant there that wasn't masked. "Wormtail, are the dementors agreeing with our demands?"

"Y-yes my Lord. See f-for yours-self."

The doors opened and three dementors glided in. Harry receded to the farthest wall. "Help me. Let me out," he muttered as memories washed over him and he banged on the wall, as if to get himself out of the hellhole sleep put him in.

He chanced a glance up at the dementors which now stood in front of the dark lord whom remained unaffected. One of the dementors threw back his hood and that face was revealed again.

"No!" Harry moaned, clawing at his eyes. He didn't want to see anymore. "No."

Voldemort began speaking, but was drowned out by a louder voice calling his name.

"Harry. Harry! Harry, wake up! Wake up, it's just a nightmare.

"Just a nightmare."

Harry found himself lying on the bed, his stomach squirming and his head aching with the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. His whole body was hot to the touch, but he was freezing, as he pulled the covers over himself.

Finally opening his eyes, he met the tired faces of Sirius and Remus. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Sirius shushed him and continued to wipe the sweat from his face.

"Do you want us to leave?" Remus asked as he watched Harry shiver under the blankets, his face blank of any emotion.

"No," he whispered. "But you don't have to stay."

Sirius squeezed his godson's hand and muttered, "We won't leave. We'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" he asked hoarsely, voicing his desperation.

"Promise."

When he finally settled back into sleep with the help of a potion, Sirius glanced up at Remus. "We need a potion that he can take continuously. Not one that's addictive."

Remus raised an eyebrow, making Sirius sigh. "Fine! I'll talk to Andy."

"'Night Padfoot," Remus said, snuffing the candle and settling in the wooden chair, with absolutely no comfort. Anything for Harry, he thought, staring at the vulnerable face.

Still not getting a response from Sirius, he glanced over and saw that Sirius was asleep, a protective arm draped over Harry.

**

"Uncle Remus, I-"

Melany stopped short, stepping on a lighter foot. Remus was lounged in a chair, while the Boy-Who-Lived consistently and restlessly tossed in bed, a dog she recognized as Padfoot lying on his feet.

Carefully she walked over to the edge of the bed and lightly let her fingers drift onto Harry's forehead. She whispered a few soft choice words and got up from her kneeling position.

"I guess I'll see you later tonight," she murmured and drew herself from the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Harry's eyes slipped open, a dimming headache pulsing through his head. Vaguely he thought he saw the door close, but he shook it away as a dream.

Slipping his glasses on, Harry saw Remus sit up and smile at him. "Feeling any better, kid?" he asked, stretching his arms behind his back.

"Yea, I guess," Harry answered, attempting to gently push the dog off his calves so as not to wake him.

"You don't have to be so polite about moving him. The only thing that will wake him up this early in the morning is a bucket of water and ice over the head," Remus told him, shoving Padfoot to the other side of the bed.

Harry slid off, wavering on his feet. Remus took no notion except to catch him before he fell and supporting him as they walked down the quiet halls, just coming slightly alive as dawn lethargically broke through the crisp night air.

"So," Remus said as Harry took a seat at the finely polished kitchen table. "What would you like for your last breakfast? Let's see we have, Choco Balls, Cap'n Crunch, and Cocoa Puffs. I knew there had to be a reason Sirius had wanted to do the shopping. How about some eggs, toast, and bacon?"

"Yea, sure," he murmured. "Do you want me to help?"

"Oh, no. That's fine."

While the bacon sizzled, Harry turned to Remus and asked, "I'll be able to come and visit you and Sirius over the holidays, right?"

Remus looked a little stumped at how to answer this question. "Yea, you'll be able to talk to us whenever you want."

Harry smiled satisfied and quickly ate up the delicious breakfast that had been set before him.

Halfway through his second helping of eggs, thundering footsteps sounded from the stairwell that led into the kitchen. Remus glanced over and noticed Harry stiffen, yet visibly relax as Sirius stumbled into the room.

He had a crazy glint in his eye which Remus recognized as the look Sirius got when he was sleep walking, even at nine O'clock in the morning.

"The aliens," he hissed.

Remus shook his head while Harry snorted into his glass of pumpkin juice.

"What about them, Sirius?" Remus calmly asked, resting his chin on his folded hands.

"They're coming," he sniffed, his voice sounding teary.

"When?"

"Right now. Houston, you have to help me."

"Oh, boy," Remus muttered, putting his hands on Sirius' shoulders. "Let's get you some more sleep."

He led Sirius into on of the dens and laid him down, while Sirius muttered about the little green men that currently seemed to be taking over Earth.

"My God," Remus said, walking back into the kitchen where Harry was staring bemusedly into space. "There has got to be sane asylums for people like him."

Around ten O'clock Sirius walked in just as Remus and Harry lugged down the very last of Harry's luggage.

"Hey, Sir," Remus called as Sirius stuck his head into the pantry, grabbing the box of Choco Balls.

"Yea?" he asked, getting out a bowl that looked like it was meant as a juice bowl and pouring all of the cereal in it.

"How are your little green friends?"

Sirius glanced up from where he was pouring at least half a gallon of milk on his breakfast, then looked back down. "Moony did you get enough sleep last night?"

"Yes, I did thank you very much."

"I swear," Sirius said to Harry dipping a salad-serving spoon in the cereal bowl and heading off to the den again, "sometime I wonder if the have sane asylums for nutters like him."

Harry forced himself to suppress his laughter and walked back into the kitchen, his laughs muffled as he buried his head in his arms.

"Something funny?"

Ginny was standing in the kitchen her arms crossed over her chest as she took in Harry at the table. He put on a smile and said, "Nope, nothing at all."

"Well, that's a lie if I've ever heard one," Hermione spoke up, walking in with Ron, their arms linked and Rosy bringing them up.

"Nope, no lie."

"Sirius, Remus, you're having a bad influence on my godson!" Rosy shouted into the den.

"Nuh uh!" Sirius shouted as his footsteps drew closer. He entered the kitchen, milk dribbling on his shirt and two or three pieces of cereal in his hair.

Rosy raised an eyebrow at him, before turning her attention back to the teens. "I take it your ready, Harry?" A nod. "Good. And I take it you two goons aren't?" she stared at Remus who just came in.

They looked at each other, grinned, and looked back at Rosy. "Nope," was the unanimous answer.

"Right then, I'll make a portkey, you two go get dressed so you don't have to play pajama day."

"But I like pajama days," Sirius muttered as he and Remus descended the staircase.

"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute," Rosy asked. He took a glance back at where Ron and Hermione were conversing, while Ginny looked at the pictures that decorated the walls.

Harry had briefly taken them in during breakfast: his father at a fairly young age, and whom Harry presumed was his grandmother playing the piano together; a girl and his father standing outside the Hogwarts Express at the age of somewhere around eleven; a certain one that Harry especially liked was one of his mother and father lying on the green lawns outside of the Potter Manor, his father's arms wrapped around his mother's waste, both of them smiling. Staring at these, he desperately wanted to find out what it had been like.

"Sure," he answered, snapping out of the reverie.

Rosy led him down the hall into an elaborately furnished study where a fire was crackling. Closely, Harry studied the incarnate engravings on a certain wooden plank. The only thing he could figure it to be was the Potter crest.

For two or three minutes Rosy smiled as she watched him investigate the aspects of the room, soaking in his family's entire history. Anne and Joshua waved down from a picture hanging above the mantle. She had been there when that photograph had been taken, eighteen or so years ago. Sirius had been giving her a piggy-back ride while Lily smiled to the camera. It had been a bright, clear Sunday morning just on the beach.

"What did you want to do in here?" he asked, his voice smooth, but his eyes betraying him; it was clearly obvious that all the memories pained him.

"I just wanted to put this in your possession," she replied holding out the white amulet dangling from a chain.

His expression changed noticeably as he caught sight of it. The morning's light was hitting it just right, and Harry could feel, almost see, the power and energy surrounding it.

"Remember what I said," she cautioned, holding it closer to him. "Only put it on when the occasion desperately calls for it or if you're going out into public."

Harry enveloped the jewel in his fist and immediately felt the power surge through his body. Rosy laughed and ruffled his hair as she passed him on her way to the door. "You'll get used to it, kid. Come on. We better go or you'll miss the train."

He overturned the jewel once or twice in his hands, overwhelmed by the power, before following Rosy into the kitchen.

"Right then," Sirius said as Harry entered. "We'll all take a portkey...here it is...make sure you hold on to your stuff... Hermione, Crookshanks is about to get out... don't want it to get lost. Okay, here it is."

He produced a plastic container that looked like something very foul was stuck in it. Resting a foot on his trunk and his hand on Hedwig's cage, Harry grasped a portion of the portkey and felt a sharp tug at his navel.

Just before they spun off he saw Sirius look up at him with a reassuring smile. Obviously he had guessed correctly in figuring that Harry was very wary in traveling with a portkey ever since the third task.

His legs buckled and he watched as the ground rushed up. Remus caught his arm quickly before he had a chance to tumble to the ground.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking a few deep breaths and looking around to see where they had landed.

The group was already on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters with about five minutes to get situated. Taking their usual spot at the end of the train, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny shoved all the trunks in with help from the adults.

Two minutes left and all they had were their goodbyes left. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione made theirs very brief ("Thank you for having us over so much") and left Harry alone with his guardians.

"I'll come back during the breaks," he muttered, running a hand nervously through his hair. "If that's all right with you."

"Of course it is," Rosy smiled softly, embracing him. Harry returned it hesitantly, not knowing what to do in return for such a simple affectionate gesture. She stepped back, the twinkle in her eyes.

"And we expect to hear from you all the time. Don't get into as much trouble as we did," Remus said, giving the boy a one-armed hug. Harry returned and they could all hear a muffled, "I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too, but we'll see you a little more than you might expect," she said, and turned away with that mischievous twinkle still there. Remus followed her, now leaving Harry and his godfather.

"Hey, kid-o cheer up," Sirius said grinning at Harry. Harry smiled a little. "Be careful this year," he muttered, brushing his godson's cheek briefly with the back of his hand.

"I'll try," Harry said, giving a full-blown smile now.

"You'll see me soon. It'll seem like no time. I promise. And I'll always be right here if you need to talk to me."

"'Bye Sirius," Harry said, gripping his godfather in a tight embrace. Sirius returned it with just as much affection.

"See ya kid."

Harry walked off to the train, glancing back one more time just to see Sirius, Rosy, and Remus all waving at the train, mixed in with the other parents seeing there children off.

The train whistled sounded. "Hurry up!" Ron shouted. Harry was surprised to hear the curt tone his friend's voice had just adopted. He shrugged it off and hopped into the cart.

Ron and Hermione were on one side, Ron's arm wrapped around Hermione's shoulders while she rested her head on his shoulder.

Harry went by them to sit next to Ginny. As the train chugged off, he felt a hand slip into his own and lace their fingers together. He smiled and gave Ginny's hand a small squeeze.

As the hour of noon passed, Hermione and Ron left to go up to the prefect car, leaving Harry and Ginny alone. Laughter filled the whole compartment as the hurried the time along, talking about quidditch, playing Exploding Snap, and saying hello to passing friends, who smiled knowingly at the couple.

"...So what if I can't do a Wronski Feint?" Ginny questioned, laughing gaily. "At least I can beat 'Boy Wonder' at Exploding Snap."

Harry poked her ribs, making her giggle and move away. "Think it's funny? 'Boy Wonder'? What's that?" he asked, tackling and tickling her.

"No...stop..." she gasped through laughter.

"You really think it's funny," he laughed.

And suddenly, as if by accident but some fateful occurrence, Harry slipped and locked his lips onto hers. She smiled, putting a hand on the back of his head and deepening it. Harry felt slightly light-headed, between the amazing moment and lack of oxygen. But anything that would threaten to take this moment away from him was just going to have to wait until he was finished.

"That was nice," she murmured, running the back of her hand on his cheek, her eyes locked onto his emerald ones.

"Mmmhmm," he agreed, giving another quick peck and sitting back up on the seat.

She joined him, laying her head in his lap and stretching out on the rest of the seat.

After about an hour of the calm peace, a light rain began pattering at the windows, continuously growing to a violent storm, sending both teens into a soft slumber.

BAM!

Instantaneously, Harry jumped to his feet, drawing his pocketed wand (which happened to be in the front pocket ever since Moody's warning).

"Ouch," Ginny muttered, rubbing her head where it had come into painful contact with the seat. "Harry," she said, "what is it?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, absently pressing his fist to his scar in a vain attempt to lessen the aching.

Suddenly, the door burst open, a pack of scared-looking third years entering. "Dennis," Harry said impatiently, "what's going on?"

The small thirteen-year old seemed too scared to answer so his friend spoke up for him. "Death Eaters," Natalie McDonald squeaked.

All color left in Ginny and Harry's faces drained. "Harry," she whispered, as in question of what to do.

"Do you know where they are?" he asked, forcing himself to stay calm.

The shaking Dennis answered this time. "Somewhere in the prefect compartments."

Harry let out a frustrated growl. "Stay here," he muttered to Ginny.

She nodded, staring straight ahead as if in some kind of daze.

Quickly, he made his way down the train, where people huddled up in corners of their compartments. About the time he reached the middle of the train all lights were out and screams echoed in his ears. Quite suddenly, someone grabbed his arm; he winced and tried to pull away.

"There you are," said a deep male's voice, his tired face illuminated by a glowing orb that was settled in his hands. "We were looking for you. Sirius!"

The compartment door flew open and Sirius tracked in. Relief filling him, he ran to his godfather.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked in deep concern.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. What's going on?"

"Listen, I need you to go to the back of the train and wait there. Kyle, do you mind taking him?"

"No," the man said gruffly.

"Good. Harry, I'll come and get you as soon as I can. Stay back."

"I can fight!" he insisted, making way to move forward.

"No!" Sirius said sternly, holding him back. "You don't have the proper training. Go to the back and wait th-"

"Oh, little cousin!" rang as sing-song voice.

Sirius paled. "Harry, go!"

"NO!"

"GO!"

The door slammed open and the man called Kyle moved forward. The orb that had been continuously been glowing in his hands now had mode contact with Bellatrix Lestrange's chest. An odd expression came over her face before she crumpled to the ground.

"Well that was awfully easy," Kyle muttered, kicking her body into a corner and shooting ropes that bound her hands and feet together.

"Harry," Sirius began again as an explosion came from the front of the train. "Please go to the back. Some of the best Death Eater's are here tonight. Now go!"

Admitting defeat Harry let himself be led to the other compartment door, Kyle following closely behind him.

"Stay there until I get you."

Just as he slid the door open, a scream rang throughout the whole train. It was one that Harry recognized only too well.

"Hermione," he whispered and ran off. He knew very well that Sirius and Kyle were chasing him as he raced down the train.

Just as he reached for the handle to slide back the prefect door, a hand grabbed him for the second time that night.

"Get off," he muttered, trying to shake whomever it was away.

"NO! There are too many off them," said a familiar voice from the dark.

"I don't care. My friend's in trouble."

"Oh, yes, noble Harry Potter," hissed the voice, throwing him onto the floor.

He shook at the cold voice and the fact he was being confronted with someone that obviously wanted to hurt him.

Resounding pops floated in to the compartment from the prefects'.

"Good," said the voice, "they're gone."

The lights flickered on and Harry's face was turned into a grimace as he realized who it was that was in the cart with him. Draco Malfoy stood before him, clutching his ribcage area.

"Malfoy," Harry spat. "What the hell did you think you were doing!?"

"Saving your life you bastard," he said.

Harry threw open the door just as Sirius rushed in. "Harry, what did you think you were-"

But he cut himself off, taking in the sight before him; Draco Malfoy, blood now pouring between his fingers; Harry standing there looking like he was about to be sick; Hermione, slumped on the floor, her hair shielding her face and soft sobs coming from her.

However, the main thing that stuck out was that an empty space was in the compartment and missing from it was the red hair and freckles of Ron Weasley.