The Portkey Solution

CHAPTER 13 - Attack

The homework was piling up. All the teachers had begun talking to the fifth-years about the O.W.L. exams coming up, until it was a constant chant in the back of Harry's head: the O.W.L.s are coming, the O.W.L.s are coming. He was feeling more tired than usual and tried skipping a meal each day in favour of studying so he could go to sleep earlier each night. It had little effect, as he dropped a pot of newly-planted fragile yellow hemlock in Herbology, much to Professor Sprout's dismay. Wednesday, in Charms, he accidentally hexed Pavarti into turning cartwheels around the room, instead of performing a successful Lingual Charm to enable her to speak Russian. Friday, after the second Charms class of the week, Hermione suggested he go see Madam Pomfrey.

"Just because I'm studying too hard? Don't be daft." Harry rubbed his eyes under his glasses and scrubbed one side of his face furiously.

"Harry, Ginny said you nearly fell off your broom in Quidditch practice last night, you were that exhausted. It's not normal."

"I'll be all right. I'll have a lie-in tomorrow and Sunday and catch up on my rest." He gathered his wand and books into his bag and left the classroom, glad that this was a Friday without Potions. He'd have enough time to eat dinner with everyone. Hermione looked after him with worry.

*****

Harry was dimly aware when his year-mates got up and went to breakfast, but had no trouble rolling over and going back to sleep. The next thing he knew, Ron and Neville were shaking him awake, asking him if he wanted to go to Hogsmeade. Harry muttered something, of which only "no" was intelligible. Ron shrugged and he and Neville left.

Harry woke sometime around two, feeling more rested than he had in a week. He bathed and dressed in yesterday's robes, rather than dig through his trunk for fresh ones. He took his books and a stash of Cauldron Cakes down to the common room and started on his Arithmancy. He got to the end of the page and blinked in surprise. He had scrawled a note at the bottom: Sirius cave 4 Saturday.

Harry jumped to his feet. He'd forgotten all about meeting Sirius! He swept his things into his bag and shoved it under the table. He'd have to hurry--Filch didn't let anyone leave for Hogsmeade after three-thirty.

*****

Harry saw students coming in as he rushed out, and thought he saw a few Gryffindors coming up from the High Street. He veered north, taking a path that would skirt Hogsmeade and let him avoid the village altogether. He was cutting it close as it was and didn't want to be stopped for a bit of natter.

Though the day was delightfully crisp, Harry was soon working up a sweat as he started climbing the hills where Sirius' cave was. In the back of his mind, he wondered why Sirius has chosen to meet there instead of Hogsmeade, but he'd find out soon enough.

Suddenly he halted and looked around. He had the sensation of being watched, but he saw no one. He started walking again, scanning the fields and crags for signs of someone else. The sensation returned and Harry spun around with wand raised, feeling the back of his neck tingle

"Harry?"

Harry saw who it was and lowered his wand in exasperation. "What are you doing here?"

"What I've been ordered to do, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the other's wand pointing at him and tried to bring up a Shield Charm, but he wasn't quick enough.

"Stupefy!"

He fell into darkness.

*****

Staci had dropped in to Patterson's Hogsmeade office to find the three workers on shift swamped. Halloween was coming, a major holiday for the wizards and witches, being one of the few days of the year they could mingle with the rest of the world without worry. She pitched in and after several hours of non-stop work, all the packages had been sent or sorted with only two escapees, and all the messages passed on to the next link. She was mildly surprised Harry hadn't been in already, it being a Hogsmeade weekend for the students. She decided to try the Three Broomsticks before going up to the castle.

At the Broomsticks, she found Hermione arguing elf-rights with Hagrid and the Weasley twins getting one last round of butterbeers. She politely declined their offer to include her--she couldn't understand how anyone could drink that stuff--and headed for Madam Rosmerta.

Suddenly she staggered, feeling as if she'd been hit in the chest with an invisible ram. Stunning Spell? But no one cast it! Then she crumpled to the floor, hearing yells of surprise and concern before everything went black.

*****

Ron had returned from Hogsmeade by himself, leaving Neville in the little herb shop next to Zonko's. He went straight up to the dormitory and was mildly surprised to find it empty. Harry had been a zombie all week; Ron figured he would still be dead to the world. He shrugged and flopped on his bed with his Defence Against Dark Arts assignment, an essay on the uses of the Sticky Jinx in combat.

After a while, Dobby appeared with a loud pop. He had Harry's bag and laid it on his bed. Ron looked up curiously. "D'you know where Harry is, Dobby?"

"Dobby is not knowing, Mister-Wheezy-sir. Dobby finds Harry Potter's bag downstairs while cleaning and brings it up like a good house-elf."

Ron sat up, puzzled. "It was downstairs?"

"Under a table, sir. Dobby is late in cleaning because there is a fuss in the hospital wing and many of us are gossiping instead of doing our work!" Dobby drew himself up with dignity. "Dobby has been covering for three different elves, sick and well, sir."

"A fuss in the hospital wing?"

"A great fuss, sir. Professor Dumbledore has not left since the young lady was brought in."

"Young lady? Not a student?"

"She is not wearing robes, Mister-Wheezy-sir. She is not dressed at all like a witch."

Ron jumped off the bed and pounded down the stairs and through the portrait hole, causing the Fat Lady to screech after him, "Slow down!"

He stuck his head in the library, but didn't see Hermione or Harry. He tried a few classrooms on the way, but they were all empty. Ron took the last flights of stairs down two at a time and rushed through the double doors, gasping for air.

Several people surrounded a bed well away from the entrance, including Hermione and the twins. Dumbledore was deep in conversation with Madam Pomfrey, who looked unconvinced by whatever he was arguing. Ron looked over George's shoulder and groaned softly. It was Staci on the bed, just as he'd feared.

She was unconscious, pale and limp, looking exactly as if she'd taken a Stunner full in the face. Hermione glanced over at Ron and drew him aside. "She collapsed in the Broomsticks suddenly. No one had a wand out, so Madam Pomfrey doesn't think it's magic. She wants to send Staci to St. Mungo's."

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked urgently.

Hermione frowned. "I haven't seen him all day. He said he was going to stay in bed late."

"He did. We tried to get him up to go to Hogsmeade, but he hardly woke. But he's not there now, and Dobby found his bag in the common room."

Hermione wrinkled her brow further. "Where's Harry's bag now?"

"Left it in our dormitory."

She pulled out her wand and whispered, "Accio bag!" After a few moments, Harry's bag floated through the doors and dropped on the bed in front of them. Hermione opened it and began looking through it. She passed a couple of the books to Ron. "Here, see if there's anything unusual."

Ron did so, feeling a bit like an outsider for going through someone else's things. He was shaking a notebook that wouldn't open when Hermione gasped and cried, "Professor!"

Dumbledore was there instantly, and Hermione held out a piece of parchment. Ron could see a note across the bottom of a list of Arithmancy questions: Sirius cave 4 Saturday.

"It's well past that now, Professor," Hermione went on. "And surely Sirius wouldn't have asked Harry to meet him at the cave when he could just come here!"

Dumbledore turned back to Madam Pomfrey. "Poppy, I insist that you try and wake Anastacia, or I will. It doesn't matter that no one saw who Stunned her, but we have to get her back immediately."

Madam Pomfrey glared at him, but pulled out her wand. "If this does more damage, on your head be it." She waved her wand and said slowly and clearly, "Ennervate."

Staci shot upright and screamed, "Harry!"

*****

It took forty-five minutes to trace Sirius to Sturgis Podmore's house and to get him to Hogwarts via the Floo network. Staci spent most of the time pacing furiously around the hospital beds as Madam Pomfrey tried to get her to rest. Professor McGonagall had been summoned and sat on one bed with a forced serenity. Ron and Hermione were huddled together on another bed, clutching each other's hands for comfort.

Staci stopped at one point and pulled out her cell phone. She looked at it in frustration and jammed it back in the pocket of her jacket. "Stupid, useless... this is taking too goddamn long! Why doesn't Dumbledore have a plan to allow quick transportation and communication in emergencies?"

"But he does," Dumbledore responded as he entered the room. Sirius was behind him, white as a sheet. Fawkes rode on Dumbledore's arm.

Sirius went to Staci and took her hands. "Are you sure you're all right?" She nodded impatiently. "Are you sure it was a Stunning Spell that did this to you?"

"Yes. I. Am." She bit each word off and jerked away from him, sick of answering the same questions over and over. "It's the blood-bond on the protections. It has to be. I don't know how I know, but I woke up knowing Harry is in danger. I know a Stun when I feel it. I got training in magical combat when I joined RIMA. Harry was blasted with a powerful Stunning Spell going on two hours ago and we haven't done a damn thing to find him!" Her voice rose to a shout at the end as she whirled on Dumbledore.

"I beg your pardon, Anastacia, but I have the other professors and the house-elves conducting a search of the castle and grounds, just in case this is a bit of inter-house rivalry. You and Sirius are going to the cave."

"Fine! Let's go!" She started for the door.

Dumbledore laid his free hand on her wrist. He pulled her arm out from her side and helped Fawkes step onto it. She grunted with the sudden weight and looked puzzled.

"Sirius, please take her free hand." Sirius did so, looking just as lost. "Now, be warned, it's quite a jolt. Fawkes, the cave."

They disappeared in a burst of flames.

*****

At the mouth of the cave, they reappeared with a whoosh that echoed off the mountain. They stared at each other for a second, then Sirius looked inside quickly. "No Harry, no sign anyone's been here. Do you think he walked back to Hogsmeade?"

"No, I don't." Staci felt as if her blood had turned to ice, despite Fawkes' warm presence on her arm. "Sniff around as Padfoot. See if you can find a trail."

Sirius obliged, his form melting and darkening as he transformed. The black dog nosed around a moment, then loped off back down the hillside in the late afternoon haze. Staci launched Fawkes into the air and followed at a run.

She looked around as Padfoot stopped short and began sniffing in a careful circle. He didn't need to...she saw the outline where a body had sprawled in the tall grass. Padfoot stopped and nudged something to her with his nose. With a trembling hand, she picked up Harry's wand.

Sirius changed back, growling almost as deeply as his canine alter ego. "The scent comes from the village and stops here. I can smell another person. The scent is kind of familiar but I can't place it."

"A Death Eater. He Stunned Harry," she pointed at the crushed grass. "And that's what happened to me. I felt it through the blood-bond. We've got to get back to Albus. Fawkes!"

*****

Fawkes brought them back to Dumbledore's office. He was seated at his desk, listening to Hagrid report that the search so far was unsuccessful. When Sirius and Staci reappeared, Hagrid's eyes widened but he said no more as he left.

"He's been kidnapped," Sirius said without preamble. "We found where he was attacked, found his wand. I couldn't find any trail to follow, so whoever it was either had a Portkey or Apparated with Harry. He could be anywhere by now."

Dumbledore slid a silver ring onto his finger and held up his hand. Staci recognized the ring as the twin to Harry's. Dumbledore should have been able to track Harry with it easily. But after a moment the headmaster lowered his hand and sighed. "Nothing. No magical shield should be able to prevent me from sensing Harry, yet I still feel nothing."

He looked at them. "Sirius, go to Remus. The two of you need to spread the word to the rest that we must find out all we can about what Voldemort's forces are doing. Note any meetings between them, anything at all that would give us a clue to their activities. Anastacia, you start with Arthur Weasley. He can alert the Ministry that we need their help."

"But I should contact my parents. We can turn every employee in Patterson's to the search. Why don't you go to the Ministry directly?"

"Because Fawkes and I are going to be visiting a number of places in Britain in the next few hours to see if I can trace Harry through the rings." Dumbledore spoke slowly and deliberately.

Staci took a deep breath and nodded, then grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and followed Sirius into the flames.

*****

Harry awoke to find himself in a depressingly familiar room. The mostly empty shelves yawned at him. The wardrobe had Dean's pen-and-ink sketch of a snowy owl tacked to the door. He groaned and looked at the small clock on the nightstand. Eight in the morning.

He threw the covers off the bed and glanced in surprise at the green pyjamas he wore. He looked in the wardrobe, found a bit of Muggle clothing, and shrugged. Of course the Dursleys would have stashed his robes, schoolbooks, and such in the cupboard for the holidays. He got dressed and checked his hiding place under the floor.

It wasn't empty. Harry began pulling things out one by one in astonishment.

A half-pack of fags. A few copies of Playboy, along with several torn-out Page Three girls. And a set of inline skates with a helmet and kneepads that looked rather battered.

He threw everything back into the space and looked around the room in growing unease. The books on one shelf appeared to be typical comprehensive school texts, one for grammar, one for maths, one for sciences and one of the history of Britain. There were a few notepads beside them.

Several cartons were piled in a corner, labelled "Harry's clothes" or "Harry's books". He tore one open to find it as advertised. He hesitated before trying the door, but it opened easily.

He rushed down the stairs and heard something rattling on the stove in the kitchen. He plunged into the room. "Aunt Petunia? Uncle Vernon?"

A woman with long red hair pulled into a plait turned from the stove and smiled. "They left yesterday, Harry dear. Don't you remember? As soon as the last of our things were moved in."

Lily Potter smiled at her son.