A Moment in Time

A Moment in Time

Chapter Two - The Attack on Azkaban

Everything was nearly ready. It had taken quite a lot of planning and persuading, but finally all of the pieces were in place. He wasn't a Slytherin and part of the Dark Lord's inner circle for nothing. A blond man who had recently celebrated his twentieth birthday looked around him in anticipation.

Draco didn't even gasp as the mark on his left forearm began to burn fiercely. With a small sneer and a soft whisper he disapparated. The wind was the only thing around that heard his softly spoken words. "Soon, my love, soon you'll be free of that hell hole."

* * *

It had been at least eighteen months. Eighteen long, lonely and tortured months since everyone he had ever known turned their backs on him, and locked him away in the dankest pit on earth. Harry had taken to writing on the walls of his cell to help pass the time, anything to try to keep his sanity. After the problem of ink had been solved, many hours were spent drawing images that reminded him of happier times, and a calendar of sorts was one of his first pieces of art work. It was one way to remind him of the thoughts that the dementors constantly tore away.

Harry glanced wearily around his small dark cell, he was being held in the part of Azkaban where the highest security prisoners where kept. Two dementors were his almost constant companions; rarely did he get a break from them. Potter was almost always the favored meal of the day. Sometimes at night the creatures would move on to other prey, but then the nightmares would undoubtedly return, creating even more horror. Harry couldn't even remember a time when he had slept for more than a couple of hours in a row. It was amazing how you could do nothing all day, day after day, but remain continuously weak and exhausted.

He was thankful that at least he had a small cot, so he did not have to sleep on the cold and dirty stone floor, but they did not supply them with any sheets or blankets. Harry had long ago correctly assumed that the guards were afraid that if the inmates had coverings that they could figure some way to hang themselves. Not that anyone would mourn them, but the dementors didn't want to deprive themselves of their meal tickets.

Harry himself was painfully thin. Meals, which were irregular at best, were typically comprised of stale bread and some sort of gruel that while edible, tasted foul and always left one feeling hungry. The small amounts of stale water that routinely appeared in his cell with his food, was used only for drinking, as such Harry had not been able to bathe properly since his incarceration. The water and food simply appeared in his cell, while his other wastes simply disappeared. Harry had figured that these extra security measures were established after Sirius had escaped so that the cell doors would not have to be routinely opened. Harry couldn't recall a time since he had been thrown in here that he had ever seen his cell door opened.

He had seriously contemplated thoughts of escape during the first year of his detainment. However such thoughts had long since been driven away by the dementors, and he was left only with despair and a resolve to survive in this place as long as possible.

Harry, like Sirius before, being innocent had some thoughts that while not happy enough to feed the dementors were not so horrible that they drove him completely mad. Also, thanks to his godfather, Harry was a trained Animagus.

During the summer before his sixth year, Harry had spent most of the break with Remus and Sirius at Remus' cottage in the middle of no where. The Dursleys had long since thrown him out, not that Harry once regretted not going back to Privet Drive. During his stays with the werewolf and the ex-convict, Harry learned more about advanced DADA then ever before. The only other person that had taught him more was Severus, who started his private lessons during Harry's sixth year. Those lessons with Snape continued up until the time when Harry had been arrested.

Also since Sirius was an illegal Animagus, he had helped train Harry to become one as well, knowing that it may one day be used as a way to hide or escape. At the time, Harry thought that he would only need to hide from Voldemort and his followers, never in his wildest dreams did he expect to be in the situation that he found himself in currently.

Fortunately for Harry, Sirius had insisted that Harry keep his Animagus training and form a secret so that only Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore knew that Harry's form was a dog, a black and white border collie to be exact. Harry had eventually told Severus and Draco about his Animagus training when they had suggested that type of training to him later on. Harry had been happy to learn that Draco and Severus were also unregistered Animagus, Severus being a raven and Draco a dark gray wolf.

Harry had found out over time that the dementors didn't seem to affect him as much while he was in his Animagus form as they did when he was human. He suspected that it was because animal emotions were more primitive and harder to read then human ones. When you think about it, what kind of happy thoughts do dogs have? As such, Harry had spent a large part of his time in prison as a canine.

The one thing that Harry had never told anyone, not even the old man that had been his mentor since first coming to Hogwarts was that Harry had more than one Animagus form. According to McGonagall it was impossible for a wizard to have more than one form, but Harry had three. And that wasn't the only secret kept deep within the troubled mind of Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco apparated to the designated location and made his way over to his spot in the circle surrounding Lord Voldemort. The smell of salt in the night air was thick as the distant sound of waves crashing into rocks provided the background music for tonight's festivities.

As soon as the last remaining gaps were filled, the Dark Lord raised his head and looked over his gathered followers. Behind the inner circle there were at least a hundred more Death Eaters assembled. "My Favored Ones, welcome to a very special occasion. After many months of careful planning tonight we once more reclaim what is rightfully ours. Tonight, our remaining brothers and sisters will rejoin us and together with the support of our colleagues, the dementors, we will be invincible."

Draco caught Severus' eye and saw the slight inclination of his head. It appears that the Professor had been able to warn the Order of the Phoenix about this maneuver in time. The Order being involved would only lend credibility to Draco's own personal plans.

The Order of the Phoenix was a group of dedicated witches and wizards that joined together in dark times to fight against dark wizards such as Voldemort. Albus Dumbledore was currently the leader of the Order, or the Phoenix as he was referred to. Draco had been initiated along with Harry at the beginning of their seventh year. After Harry had been sent to Azkaban, Draco thought long and hard about leaving the Order; but his self-interests took over and he knew that if he did that there would be absolutely no way he would be able to survive this war.

Voldemort turned away from his followers and lifting a hand towards the sky commanded the darkness to provide them cover. It was eerie to watch the clouds respond to his command, but soon the light of the half moon was completed hidden behind a thick cloud covering.

Under the disguise of darkness, the Death Eaters made their way to waiting boats and started their trip out into the sea with a single fortress on a small stone island as their destination. As Draco rowed his boat, his own thoughts were not on either the plans just reviewed by his Master, or on the strategies being developed by the Phoenix. No his thoughts were completely occupied by one specific goal, a far more personal objective, one specific person. No matter what else happened tonight, Draco knew that with out fail he would see Harry free.

* * *

Harry rolled fitfully on his small cot trying to block the moans and sobs coming from the cells surrounding his. With a sigh he gave up and rolled onto his back. Something seemed off tonight; something was different. The two dementors that had taken up residence outside his door were gone, and while this in and of itself was not unusual enough to raise an alarm, the fact that they had been gone most of the evening, as well, was. Having the benefit of being dementor free for several straight hours allowed Harry the rare opportunity to attempt to focus his typically random thoughts.

Harry knew that the war was not progressing well for the Light wizards. He didn't know this from any direct source as he had never received a visitor, or letter or even a newspaper, for that matter. No, his information came from his continuing link with Voldemort. Harry had been hopeful that the wards surrounding the prison would shield him from his frequent visions, but unfortunately they did not.

His visions continued to increase in frequency and the deeds he witnessed horrified him. Harry tried to remember that the people being murdered and tortured were the same ones that had betrayed him and sent him to hell, but as the screams rose those thoughts quickly faded. Based on his last few visions, he knew that the Dark Lord was planning something big. It was too bad the one of the biggest advantages that the Light wizards had was rotting away in a cell, most times not even able to recognize the meaning of the terrible images that routinely plagued him.

Shouts soon filled the silence, curious but reluctant to move, Harry remained lying where he was his gaze fixated on the barren ceiling. The loud sounds eventually formed words, "Is there anyone still sane in here?"

The shouts became intermingled with the sounds of doors being thrown open and footsteps, some that seemed to be moving away from where Harry was currently residing. A loud bang brought Harry's attention to where his own door, the one that had stood between him and the world for so very long, was now being opened.

* * *

Draco was starting to get desperate. He knew that his time was running out, yet he hadn't been able locate where the Ministry had been holding Potter. It had been easy to convince the Dark Lord to allow him and a few others to be part of the search party that went to gather their known supporters and any other relatively sane individual who was willing to serve Lord Voldemort. The blond man was amazed at how once Voldemort had succeeded in framing Potter and having him safely tucked away out of sight, he just seemed to dismiss him completely. Not once in all the planning for the retaking of Azkaban was Harry Potter's name mentioned. It was like he had ceased to exist.

Finally, Draco had come to what was thought of as the top level of security, where the foulest of criminals were kept. Surely, even the incompetent Ministry wouldn't put the Boy Who Lived here.

Disgust at the condition of the prisoners he had seen so far kept him pressing forward, knowing that he couldn't leave without fulfilling his personal agenda. Opening doors and peering in the cells Draco tried to keep up a good pace and quickly left the other Death Eaters behind.

Finally, he came to a quiet cell on the end of the row. Draco saw a small figure that wasn't moving lying on a cot. Draco was about to turn around and leave when the prisoner rolled over and Draco found himself staring into a pair of familiar green eyes.

"Harry, is that you?...please Merlin let it be you."

Harry heard someone enter his cell. Not comfortable with keeping his back to some unknown threat, Harry summoned what little energy he had and turned to face whatever or whomever had breached his sanctuary.

The man standing in front of him looked familiar, but with Harry's muddled thoughts, he couldn't place him. However, the sound of his name being spoken in a voice that he only on rare occasions could still recall, as it was associated with some of his happier memories, jerked him from his stupor. "Dray?"

"Oh Merlin Harry, what have they done to you?" Draco looked in shock at the skeletal frame and the hollow haunted eyes that shone with a tint of madness from underneath a mess of long, black, greasy, matted hair. Composing himself almost immediately, the blonde rushed forward, and knelt beside Harry's bed.

"Look Harry, I need you to listen carefully to me. We do not have a lot of time if you want to get out of here alive. In less than a minute I am going to activate a portkey that will take you to a safe place that I set up for you. I need you to stay there. I have provided you with food, water and clean clothing. I need to take care of a few things here and then I will join you." Draco looked into the cloudy eyes silently praying that Harry was comprehending at least some of what was happening.

"Harry, do you understand? I need you to stay there and wait for me. Please don't leave the safe house until I come for you, okay?"

Harry tried to follow the instructions that Draco was giving him. But all that he really got from the words was that Draco was going to take him away from here, and to be anywhere but here was a good thing. Draco was looking at him strangely and asking him something else. Harry wasn't sure what Draco had just said and didn't trust himself to respond, as he hadn't spoken a conscious word himself in a year and a half. However Harry knew that some sort of response was expected, so he forced himself to nod.

The quick smile on Draco's face reassured Harry that he had answered Draco's inquiry correctly. Soon a small flat stone was forced into his hand and Draco backed away giving Harry one last look before shouting "Justice".

The uncomfortable feeling of being pulled by a hook around his middle soon overwhelmed the dark haired young man, and with a swirl, the Prison of Azkaban disappeared.

Draco let out the breath he had been holding as he watched the portkey activate. Knowing that it was time to put into action the next phase of his plan, Draco took from his pocket a small white mouse. Sitting the mouse on the cot that was still warm from where Harry had lain, Draco stepped back and raising his wand transfigured the mouse into a beautiful green-eyed, black and white sheep dog. Placing the dog under the Imperious Curse, Draco commanded the animal to run for the nearest exit by avoiding all spells that the humans were going to try to place on it. Once outside the fortress, the dog was to jump into the ocean and to swim for the shore.

Taking a deep breath, Draco dropped his wand on the ground at his feet and then closed his eyes and with a strong sense of will, threw his own head back forcefully into the stone wall. Draco didn't have any time for a last thought as the darkness welcomed him.

To Be Continued.