Alone

Chapter 11

Jake's mouth dropped open in shock. He had been so sure it would've been snapped long ago.

It was his wand.

Pocketing it and ignoring the amused look in Dumbledore's eyes, Jake turned stiffly and walked out of the door after Derek and Draco.

Derek and Jake followed Draco through the corridors towards the West Tower. Derek was too busy staring at the paintings and ghosts that passed them to notice that Jake was absorbed in his thoughts.

Why didn't they snap my wand? Did Dumbledore know that I wasn't guilty? Did he do this on purpose? Jake thought than shook his head.

Whatever Dumbledore had done to him, Jake still had a lot of respect for the old guy.

Even if he didn't believe me, Jake thought. I'm sure Dumbledore wouldn't do this. He wouldn't be as mean as to send me to Azkaban or something, would he? No he wouldn't.

Jake shook his head and didn't notice that Draco and Derek had stopped walking in front him.

"Umfff," Jake huffed as he crashed head first into someone's back. Falling back on to his butt, Jake rubbed his head and looked up.

Draco looked back down in amusement.

"Well, well Stevens," he drawled as Jake jumped to his feet and glared at the blond.

"What?" he snapped as Draco's smirk widened.

"Your rooms," Draco answered pointing to the portrait as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

~~*~~

"He's back," Sirius said in a shocked voice. The Order back in the Dumbledore's office was in a similar state as Sirius was in.

"And here I thought Malfoy said he wasn't going to come. When I get my hands on that prat he's going to wish he was never born," Ron scowled darkly as Hermione dried her tears and sighed.

"Don't you see, it wasn't Malfoy's fault. He didn't know that Harry was going to come. He was just as surprised as we were. And besides, Harry only came back because he wanted to know where his friend is. That girl, what's her name? Lucy Campbell. If he didn't want to know that, I doubt he'd be here," Hermione said in her I-know-I'm-right-so-shut-up-and-listen-to-me voice.

"I agree with Mrs. Granger-Weasley," Dumbledore said as all eyes turned towards him.

"Mr. Malfoy did not seem to know that Harry was coming back and you all did read the letter that Harry sent him, right?" Dumbledore asked. The members nodded and Dumbledore smiled.

"If it wasn't for Miss Campbell being at the University that was attacked, I doubt Mr. Potter would be here right now," Dumbledore concluded as the office door opened again to emit Draco into the room.

"So, Draco how is Harry?" Dumbledore asked as Draco sat down.

"Pissed," was the answer. Dumbledore smiled as Sirius got up and started pacing.

"I have to see him, Professor," Sirius said desperately. Dumbledore shook his head sternly.

"No, no one will disturb him tonight. He'll be at breakfast tomorrow morning. Speak to him then," he said in a that-is-final tone. Sirius scowled, but sat down.

~~*~~

Voldemort smiled. He was, to say least, happy. Of course, ecstatic, thrilled, over-the-moon happy would describe his mood better. The attack on the Muggle University had gone just a planned and he had finally gotten his hands on her. After so many years, twenty-two to be exact, he had gotten what he wanted.

Of course, Voldemort usually got what he wanted.

If it wasn't for that meddling Potter I would've succeeded long ago, he thought bitterly.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," he permitted. The heavy black door creaked open and Blaise entered the room. He lowered himself into a deep bow before speaking.

"My Lord, she is awake," he told his master.

"Crucio," Voldemort hissed as Blaise fell to his knees, waves of pain washing over him.

Voldemort watched in silent enjoyment before removing the curse.

"Pray tell, Blaise, what is the pendent around your neck is for?" Voldemort asked sarcastically as Blaise got shakily to his feet.

"To contact you, My Lord, if she awakes," Blaise answered, realizing his mistake.

"Excellent," Voldemort congratulated. "Crucio."

As Blaise withered in pain once again, Voldemort smiled cruelly. The boy was bright, but he was sometimes too forgetful. Voldemort decided to change that as soon as possible. The youngest Zabini was valuable to him; he was ruthless, but warm and loving when needed - a perfect actor or spy.

Removing the curse again, Voldemort stood up, towering over the trembling youth.

"Remember your lesson well, Blaise, because next time, I won't be this forgiving," Voldemort hissed, opening the door.

"There won't be a next time," Blaise muttered under his breath, following his master out the door and apparating to his manor.

~~*~~

"What do you mean she's not there!?" Jake shouted the next morning. Presently he was in Dumbledore's office with the rest of the Order. Dumbledore had called him and Derek up to tell them of some 'disturbing' news about Lucy Campbell.

Upon hearing this, Jake had hoped and hoped that Lucy wasn't dead, that she was fine and in the office at the very moment.

But, entering the room, Jake had felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him.

Each member of the Order was looking grim and nervous, all uncertain about something.

"What I mean is that I sent a letter last night to the University and the reply was that there was no Lucy Campbell registered for the memory charm and nobody seems able to find out where she is. She hasn't been to any of her classes and no one's seen her in days. Even her roommates haven't seen her," Dumbledore explained gently as Jake exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair.

Derek looked just as bad.

"Shit," he whispered, closing his eyes and sighing.

"Does anyone have any idea where she is?" Jake asked in a controlled voice as Dumbledore shook his head.

"No one seems to know anything about her."

"Bloody perfect," Jake muttered, collapsing down on of the many sofas in the room. A second later Derek dropped down next to him, heads in his hands.

"What are we going to do?" he asked Jake. Jake didn't answer. He didn't know what to do.

"I have to go there," he said abruptly, standing up. Derek looked up at him.

"Go where?" he asked.

"Cambridge," he asked shortly before running out of the office. Derek swore under his breath and followed his friend.

Each member of the Order was too shocked to do anything and when they finally recovered, Jake and Derek were already gone.

~~*~~

Voldemort and Blaise glided into the room. She was sitting on the bed, looking as terrified as her mind would let her.

Calm down, calm down. Don't let them scare you. They're just trying to intimidate you. Take deep breaths and don't let them know you're sacred. It's what they want, she told herself as she looked the first man boldly in the eye.

Straight after, she wished she hadn't. They were a hideous red colour, like blood, and they were too cold to belong to a normal human being, but eerily familiar at the same time. There was absolutely no real emotion in them, only greed and evilness.

She transferred her gaze to the black haired man behind him. He was the first person she saw when she woke up.

"W-what do you want?" she asked confidently, mentally kicking herself for stuttering.

The man with the red eyes smiled.

"Straight to the point aren't you?" he asked as she drew herself away from him. When her back reached the headboard, she knew she was trapped.

Saying nothing, she waited for the man to say something.

"Alright. I'll explain everything to you if you tell me a few things first," he hissed, former amusement replaced by ruthless hardness. She swallowed visibly and wondered possibly what he could ask her.

"I need to know why you were at the University," he said as relief flowed through her.

"Exchange program," she replied.

He smiled.

"Excellent. Was anyone you know killed?"

"Um, no I don't think so," she answered, remembering the men and women in the white masks and black dress things. They had pointed long sticks of wood at the grassy area and the next second, everything blew up.

"What is your name?"

~~*~~

Jake apparated into an empty toilet cubical, and, praying profusely that it wasn't the ladies bathroom, Jake slipped outside and followed the signs to the front desk.

"Hi," he said, a charming smile coming on to his face as he caught the attention of the receptionist. The receptionist smiled back, a bit nervous.

"I was wondering if you could tell me the room number of Lucy Campbell. You see, I'm her cousin and I need to tell her something about her mother. She's a bit sick and I need to take her to the hospital," Jake informed her, his face a mask of sadness.

The receptionist made soothing sounds as she looked up the number.

"It's 754B in the Alpha block. That should be the next building over and seven floors up," the woman said. Jake nodded and walked quickly out.

It was only after he left that the receptionist remembered she was suppose to have asked him to sign in.

I'm going to be in big trouble, she thought nervously as she wringed her hands, wondering what to do.

~~*~~

Jake took the escalator and went up to the seventh floor. Going to Lucy's dorm room, he pressed his ear to the door and hoped that no one was in the room.

Unlocking it with his hands, (remember, wandless magic?) Jake slid into the room. From Lucy's last letter, the room besides the toilet should be hers.

Entering it, Jake looked around for anything that might point to where she went. Eventually, his eyes were caught by a normal, plain looking book. Since nearly everything of Lucy's was decorated in some way, this book just screamed 'read me, read me!'. Walking over to it, he grinned when he realised it was a diary. Maybe that would tell him where she went.

Flicking to the last few entries, Jake skimmed all of them. One seemed helpful. It was dated 17^th of September 2004.

This entry was particularly short and this intrigued Jake. Jake read it. It only contained one sentence.

17^th September 2004.

I got a letter today.

What letter? What's so important about a letter? Jake thought as he picked the diary up. A piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

It was the letter.

He picked it up and felt his eyes widen when he finished reading the contents.

All colour drained off his face and if he hadn't read the letter himself, he would've never believed what it said.

"Bloody hell. This world just gets smaller and smaller," he whispered as the door to the dorm opened and a girl walked.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"Thief!" she began to scream at the top of her voice, pointing at Jake.