Harry Potter and the Dark Mark

Chapter Twenty Six

Now Harry had a better view of the man he started to feel particularly uneasy. The man was not wearing robes but trousers and a coat that closely resembled Muggle clothes. In fact, the heavy boots looked so much like Doc Martens that if he had not been holding a wand, Harry would have been certain he was a Muggle. From his closely cropped hair to his mild mannered face he exuded a kind of invisibility. Harry was exceedingly glad Sirius was padding along beside him as their captor took them out into the unknown countryside.

"Where are you taking me?" Harry asked boldly. For some reason he did not feel afraid of the man or his destination. The night was whipped with a warm salty wind and Harry could hear the sounds of waves crashing against rocks. He imagined they must be somewhere near the coast.

"Away," was the Scottish man's cryptic response.

"Any particular reason?"

"That building is unsafe."

"Structurally, or for some other reason?"

"It's within site of the mainland," the man sighed patiently, as if he had explained this a thousand times. Harry grappled with the information and calculated that they were on an island. His chances of escape had narrowed significantly.

"Why is that bad?"

"The Muggles might see you."

"If you didn't have a wand, I'd have thought you were a Muggle. Are you in disguise?"

The man shot Harry a look full of dark amusement. "Yes, and no. The clothes suit our lifestyle and help disguise us." There was a strange emphasis on the word lifestyle.

Harry deemed it might not be a good idea to explain he had no idea where he was, who the man was or how he had ended up on the island. He was thankful too that it was night time so his scar was not plainly visible and easily recognisable.

"How did you get here?"

Harry's heart sank. To say that he threw himself through what was likely to be an illegal Floo connection to prevent his escaped convict Godfather from seeing a photograph of himself sleeping sounded both ludicrous and likely to cause some interest.

"I... I'm here with my Godfather," Harry said after some thought.

"Why are you here?"

"We like going for walks," Harry floundered. He hoped that Sirius would make a diversion so that they could escape. If he didn't get back to Hogwarts Ron and Hermione would either come after him or tell a teacher, and neither plan of action suited Harry.

"Do you have any idea where you are?" the man asked. He stopped and turned to face Harry, face gleaming under the pale slit of the moon. Harry shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny and looked for moral support from Sirius. Sirius was conspicuous in his absence.

"Do you have any idea where my G-dog is?" Harry asked despairingly. The situation was deteriorating rapidly.

The man swore. "Leave the dog. We have to get in before the storm breaks. And just so you know, you're on Pladda Isle, to the south of the Isle of Arran," he explained. Harry tried to think if he had ever heard of the place he was supposed to be.

"That doesn't really help," he admitted.

"Off the coast of Scotland?"

"Oh. Ok." Harry scanned the dark for Sirius.

"Leave your dog. Come away inside," the man instructed. Harry nodded dejectedly. He could only hope the man was trustworthy and that Sirius was doing something constructive. As he let himself be led further into the night he became aware of a light flashing on and off. Through the crash of the sea and the rush of the wind he eventually discerned that they were approaching a lighthouse. Harry's guide was intent upon a path towards it.

The lighthouse was painted white and stood tall like a stark standing stone. It glimmered with pallid moonlight as the clouds streaked over the moon. Harry shivered involuntarily. They entered it through a small red door that was obviously well oiled. All Harry could hear was the world around him. The isolation of the island became clear to him. Before the lighthouse became computerised the ruined cottage must have housed the lighthouse keeper.

"Down, not up," he was told. Harry veered away from the spiralling iron staircase and headed towards the stone steps that vanished into the bowels of the foundations. He hesitated at the top of them as his captor bolted, barred and warded the door with his wand.

Walking down with only wandlight to help him find his feet was an unnerving experience, but it was over much sooner than Harry expected. He found himself in a round cellar that contained many piles of tea chests and boxes. A particularly interesting box appeared to contain a new bulb for the lighthouse, should it ever go out.

"My name is Craw Mullach."

Harry nodded into the shadows. Craw moved over to the one wall in the crowded cellar that did not have provisions stacked against it. He held out his wand and circled thin air nine times in quick succession while saying a strange word Harry had never heard before. It sounded vaguely like 'I-uh-cherry' but Harry was sure that was not the real word.

The intent behind the charm became clear as a small image of a lighthouse began to glow in the air. The miniature lighthouse shone a concentrated beam of orange light onto the wall. Harry watched in fascination as the beam sharpened to bring into focus an image. Flame orange and flickering, there was a bird projected on the rough stones. It wasn't just any bird, however. Harry's breath caught in his throat.

"Do you recognise the bird, young man?" Craw asked. His face was illuminated with the light from the spell.

"Yes," Harry replied. His voice was croaky. "Yes I do. It's a phoenix!" No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a beautiful ethereal sound flooded the cool cellar. Harry recognised it instantly. The phoenix song reverberated through him and seemed to be shaking the very stones of the lighthouse. A small crack appeared on the bare wall at the base of the image of the phoenix.

Craw stepped back reverently. The picture phoenix shuddered suddenly as the song reached a crescendo and then erupted into flames just like Fawkes had in Dumbledore's office. Then as it was reduced to ashes, the crack in the wall grew and swallowed the dying beam of light. The song died away, leaving a wild ringing in Harry's ears.

He wanted to ask what had just happened and why it had left his body crackling with voltage. He wanted to know where he was being taken and why his destination was beneath the foundations of a modern lighthouse. Most of all, he wanted to know where Sirius had gone.

"This way, Mr Potter," Craw said into the pitch black.

"How do you know my name?" Harry asked in shock.

"I saw your scar lit by the flame light," Craw explained. "Are you willing to tell me how you got here yet?"

Harry thought fast. "If you tell me where here is," he said with all the cunning he could muster.

"I've told you already," Craw cried in exasperation. He strode so fast down the dark passage that Harry was forced to jog to keep up. In mid jog his toe connected with something hard and he fell flat on his face. Hands stinging from grazes, he scrabbled to his feet once more.

"Ouch. Is there a reason we can't have light down here?" Harry pleaded.

"There are some steps here," Craw said, obviously reminded by Harry's fall. Harry sighed and prayed that they would reach wherever they were going soon.

Ten more minutes in the passage found them at a small arched doorway. The door was studded and locked. As Craw approached it, two torches on the wall flickered into life. Harry noted with interest that the sconces had small bronze phoenixes engraved on them. Craw began fumbling in the pockets of his coat and trousers.

"Here, let me," Harry offered. He pulled out his wand, pointed it at the lock on the door, and said, "Alohomora!" The lock glowed orange. Harry reached out to touch the handle but the searing heat emitted from it warned him to do otherwise. He stared at the door in puzzlement.

Craw laughed. "Good incantation and wand use, and excellent extra curricular knowledge, but such trifling spells are no use to us here."

Harry scowled and held out his wand again. If Mullach wanted extra curricular knowledge, he could have it. "Effringo Cessi!" he cried. The most unusual feeling swept through him. First there was a warm rush of blood and an increase in pulse rate, but that was closely followed by a venomous tide of power that pulled at his heart and tugged at his soul. As he watched the lock glow green he blanched.

A memory was racing through his mind. He could see Tom Riddle's cruel sneer as he stood before Ginny on the damp floor in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was gripped with anger and a fierce burning hatred for Riddle and all that he had become. That monster had killed his parents.

Craw watched Harry breathe deeply before speaking. His cold fury was evident. "You fool! What on earth possessed you to use a piece of dark magic?"

Harry shrugged in sullen defeat as the memory ebbed away. He knew the door would still be locked. The surge of power had left him slightly shaky and afraid. No one had ever explained that dark magic had that effect on the user. "What happened?" he asked meekly.

"You used a dark spell for, I'm guessing, the first time. Dark magic isn't like the magic you learn at Hogwarts. It needs paying. In recompense, it takes parts of you. It leaves you a bitter and empty husk of what you once were with only the darkest of feelings left. Only the strongest willed wizards can master it. That's why Dark Wizards are so powerful. They have to control themselves so the magic does not consume them."

Harry was silent, overwhelmed with thoughts. Did this mean that Voldemort, then, was visited with memories of the father he hated every time he cast a spell or muttered a curse? What had Hermione felt when she had tried out the Skinning Curse? No wonder she had seemed so breathless and uneasy afterwards.

"Incidentally, that was a well aimed and ambitious spell. You're not in Slytherin, are you?"

"No. No way. I'm a Gryffindor," Harry answered after a slight pause. "And proud," he added under his breath.

"Sorry?" Mullach asked.

Harry shook his head. "Doesn't matter."

"Ah, here we are!" Craw pushed a nondescript key into the lock and turned it twice. There was an orange glow before the door swung open. It made no noise.

"What is this place?" Harry asked in awe after he had stepped through the doorway. Craw took a moment to reply.

"Welcome, Mr Potter, to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."