Omnividence

Chapter Eleven - Fight and Flight

The black carriage stopped in front of a large, nasty-looking, wrought-iron gate. There was a shimmer in the air in front of it, as though the ground before it were radiating an intense heat.

Much too miserable to care, Aliset noticed Lucius Malfoy put his hand out the window. The shimmer seemed to concentrate above it. Dully surprised, and a little pleased, she saw a spot of blood well up from Lucius's palm. Then the air cleared and the gate swung open.

They were still a long way from the house. The Malfoy's owned over a hundred square miles of land around the mansion. As the horses drew the carriage up a lane entirely shrouded from the sky by dead trees, Aliset felt panic rising up in her again.

"Don't be nervous," Lucius said, his voice actually rather gentle. "My master is aware of how you suffered at the hands of Karkaroff. The Dark Lord is prepared to reward you well in return for your service." He smiled, but his cold eyes bore into her. "Willing service, of course. If he is required to coerce you, then your reward will not be pleasant."

Aliset still said nothing, something that finally seemed to infuriate Lucius. His eyes narrowed, becoming slits in his pale face.

"You are a silly girl. This stubbornness will not help you. I'm advising you to make the best of your situation, as any sensible person ought," he said testily. "Intransigence will only prolong the inevitable." He smiled again, faintly, and looked at her through his half-lidded grey eyes. "It is inevitable. You will stay here until you are given permission to leave, or you die." He settled back against the seat and was mercifully silent for the brief remainder of the journey.

The mansion loomed suddenly above them and the horses halted. Lucius opened the door of the carriage and stepped out into the snow. Absently, he held out a hand to Aliset to help her down, only noticing that he had done so when she ignored it and jumped out unaided. She had considered staying in the coach, but that really would be prolonging the inevitable and she had no intention of being coerced by Lucius Malfoy.

She looked around her, her lip curling derisively at her surroundings. She couldn't help it. The mansion looked like something straight out of a gothic novel: it was an actual castle, the kind Victorian authors loved to populate with mad, spider-eating Englishman and caped men in evening dress. Surreptitiously making sure that there were no humanoid forms scuttling head first down the walls, she hardly noticed when Lucius took hold of her sleeve.

"Inside," he hissed, propelling her forward. "I'm in no mind to stand outside in the cold all night because you are afraid of a house." The entrance was roughly two stories above ground; two staircases, rising in a curve, flanked the door. Taking the stairs on the right, Lucius all but pulled Aliset along on the ice.

The door had the same sort of shimmer as the gate had. In fact, Aliset noticed as she squinted, so did the entire wall.

Lucius knew what she was looking at. "The house is protected by an extremely powerful Dominus Charm. If anyone not of Malfoy blood tries to enter uninvited... They are repelled most forcefully. Lethally, I might say."

She shot him a look of apprehension and he laughed. "As long as you enter accompanied by a Malfoy - a Malfoy who is aware and invites your presence, I might add - you will not be harmed." He stepped back to allow the portal, door seemed almost too ordinary a word, to swing open. "If you attempt to leave without permission, however, you will be killed instantly, so don't." Then, grabbing her abruptly by the shoulder, Lucius shoved her through the door.

***

Crushing his father's letter into a ball, his knuckles white, Draco seemed to be waging a silent and very violent war with himself.

Harry somehow knew that Draco was both terrified and enraged. He also knew that if it were himself in that position he'd be reducing the furniture to kindling, not standing white and rigid.

It was Ginny who broke the silence, to everyone's surprise.

"Y'know, Draco," she said, wearily. "I'm starting to really hate these letters from your father." She pried the crumpled letter from his hands and tossed it onto the library fire. "So. Now what?"

"Well..." said Ron slowly. "That's a hell of a risk, Malfoy. What if You-Know-Who reads your mind or something when he marks you?"

"I don't think he should let himself get marked at all," said Ginny, hands on her hips. "He could get killed."

"Wait a minute," said Draco. "Either I get killed tonight or in the next ten years. I'm starting to think it doesn't make a whole lot of difference. I'm freaking doomed." He looked pissed.

Hermione appeared to be battling herself as well. She had her palms pressed to her temples and was making a sound like a sticky door in pain.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Ron said nervously, as he and Harry exchanged a look of bewilderment.

"Aah!" Hermione cried, clenching her hands tight against the sides of her head. She screamed again.

Harry ran to her and threw his arms around her. "What is it?" he said. "What's wrong? Is someone, something...?"

"THIS IS INSANE!" she shrieked. "We're completely mad! What are we thinking? We can't just waltz into the Malfoy's house, grab Aliset and wave hello to You-Know-Who as we pass!" She finally let go of her head, leaving her hair standing out in all directions.

"She certainly looks insane," murmured Draco, temporarily diverted from his own anger.

"Shh," said Ginny, without looking at him.

Hermione poked Harry in the chest. "What do you think you're going to do? March up to the Dark Lord and challenge him? He's been waiting to kill you for fifteen years! And you!" she cried, now pointing at Draco. "You can't go home! Your dad will have you enslaved to V-V Voldemort in seconds! We can't do this!"

Ron winced at the name, although he looked impressed despite himself. "Look, Hermione," he began quellingly, but she interrupted.

"We should tell Dumbledore!" she said. "I can't believe we never tell him what's going on. We should get the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on this, not go haring off on a suicide mission ourselves." She sat with a thump on the edge of the desk and started pressing on her temples again.

Harry sighed. "Hermione, we're not telling Dumbledore. For one thing, there isn't time. For another, I overheard him telling Professor McGonagall that he's visiting his brother Aberforth in Wales and won't be back until the feast tomorrow night."

"And we can't go to the ministry," said Draco, who seemed to think he ought to contribute. "They don't believe You-Know - Voldemort," he didn't look very happy about saying the name either, "is back. Besides, I'm not setting the Ministry on my father. That's out of the question." He folded his arms and glared defiantly at Hermione.

Ron gave Draco a very sour look. "Typical, Malfoy. Really typical. You're saying we ought to let your dad go after kidnapping a student? Not going to happen."

Draco returned Ron's look with punitive interest. "I don't care what you think. And I'll handle my father, thank you. What was it Hermione said? 'You can always trust a Malfoy's self-interest'? My father has no intention of being on the losing side, so I'll just have to show him which one it is."

***

Lucius walked so quickly, herding her through the labyrinthine corridors, that Aliset was forced to double her normal pace. She had only brief glimpses of the dim interiour. Ghastly portraits glared and rolled their eyes from the walls and violent tapestries, depicting Malfoy family history, moved in disturbing ways. Every time her step faltered, another push on her shoulder made her keep moving.

I have to see... I have to know... Aliset's thoughts were spinning incoherently, but her efforts were bent on one thing: breaking through the combined forces of the ravens and the necklace. She could almost get through, but it was like pushing taffy, pushing water, it stuck to her and flowed around her. But, like a sailor a hundred miles inland smelling salt and seaweed, Aliset could feel the knowledge she was missing just beyond her reach... if only she could push hard enough, she would have it.

She was deeply afraid. Her insides were cramped tight with a pure, animal fear. The only thing that could make the terror go away was to know, to have no more surprises. It never crossed her mind that, since her sight was what the enemy wanted, she was playing right into his hands.

Lucius drove her to the top of a flight of stairs that wound down into the darkness. The occasional flicker of orange light told her that there were at least a few torches lighting the stairwell. She bit her lip and paused.

"Go on," he said when she hesitated. "Your future," he chuckled, "awaits."

***

The four Gryffindors were poised to reply to the lone Slytherin's outrageous effrontery, when a gust of wind blew through the library. Heading it were two black shapes that finally slowed down enough to resolve into the familiar figures of Aliset's ravens.

Hugin landed on the bust of Rowena Ravenclaw above the opposite door and looked as though he dared anyone to comment. Munin landed on one of the tables, scrabbled frantically for purchase on the polished oak and barely kept himself from dropping off the edge.

If anyone found their arrival comical, no one had the temerity to laugh. After a brief, stunned silence, all five students tried to speak at once. Munin let out a piercing corvine scream, shutting them up at once.

He looked unbelievably big indoors, the size of a large cat. Pacing along the table, he appeared lost in thought. Finally, he turned to them and said, "We know what's happened and why. We were not entirely... unprepared."

Ron scowled and Harry looked like he was about to angrily demand something along the lines of well-why-didn't-you-stop-it, but Hugin clacked his beak at them irritably to forestall any questions.

Munin went on, ignoring the momentary interruption. "The summary is thus: Draco gave Aliset a necklace that negates her sight. A clever ploy of his father, which will hopefully keep them from realizing that Hugin and I are blocking her much more effectively. What we need is time to act, time which we won't have if you five are shrieking at each other." He gave Ron a preemptive glare. "Don't even think about trying to strangle Draco in earnest. He's needed." He looked at them all in turn. "You are all needed."

There was a slight pause as of everyone avoiding the eyes of everybody else. Ron and Draco fortunately never found out that they were in complete agreement over Ginny's participation because, under the unnerving gaze of the two ravens, neither of them quite dared. Ginny merely looked smug; Hermione, resigned.

Harry glanced around at his companions, noting their resolve and the ravens' nearly tangible satisfaction. He cocked one black eyebrow at Munin, almost conspiratorially. "I know you know a hell of a lot more than you're telling. But," he smiled; it had to be a smile because he was showing a lot of teeth, "so do I."

The ravens exchanged looks, visibly rattled. Harry's smile grew broader.

Munin cleared his throat, a little apprehensively. "We can't tell you what's going on, so don't ask. Mostly because when people know the future, they try to avoid all the bad stuff, which is impossible. I can almost guarantee that none of you will die."

"Almost?" said Hermione, her voice cracking through a mouth gone dry. "What kind of guarantee is that?"

"More than most people get," said Harry, taking the words right out of the raven's mouth. He looked around at everyone. "Grab everything you need for a journey. Cloaks, brooms, whatever. Meet in the entrance hall in fifteen minutes. Like the ravens said, we have no time."

***

Her first step onto the stairs nearly sent her pitching down into the dark, her legs were shaking so badly. Thankfully, her escort forbore to push her again.

Aliset was getting dizzy. Fear, futility and the endlessly spiralling staircase were destroying her ability to concentrate. Only a little...bit...further... She couldn't pay adequate attention to the steps, because she was bending every ounce of mental energy against the barrier between herself and her sight. But the barrier kept sliding and sticking, she could tell she was just exhausting herself further.

Quite suddenly, the stairs ended. They opened out into a very large, very austere chamber. Aliset knew they must be quite a distance underground, her mind was still going in circles from the long descent, but she thought she saw snow... she shook her head to dispel the dizziness. The snow remained.

Someone laughed. Someone found her sickly confusion amusing. She turned reluctantly to face the sound, knowing that she was still doggedly focusing on snow... There was a grating above, a simple stone arch high in the wall and covered in an iron grid. There was a cold wind blowing. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace. She was freezing and burning together, and that was all she was thinking so that she wouldn't have to raise her eyes. But then the voice spoke and her gaze was dragged inexorably to the speaker.

"Welcome, Karkaroff's student. His pupil and prisoner. I'm so glad to meet you at last," said Voldemort from his throne. He had an evil smile on his face in which his hellish laughter remained. "I know you have had a difficult few hours," he said, just as though she really were a guest and not his prisoner. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to the wooden stool before his own grand chair.

Almost without her knowing it, Aliset took one step forward. As she did so, a gust of wind sang through the iron bars above, shedding a few flakes of snow over her. The small points of coldness woke her up a little from her confusion and despair. Something softer, something that refused to melt, brushed through her hair.

She reached up with one hand and felt for it, whatever it was. It turned out to be a feather, black and downy as one of Hugin or Munin's under-feathers. If only the ravens were here. If only they'd stop chasing her vision in circles. If only she could fly.

Aliset went still, trying to hold the thought. Voldemort called her again, impatiently. Lucius tried to prod her forward and she didn't move. Fly, she thought desperately. Fly...away? Fly...OVER. The answer dropped into her mind as easily as a gift from a friend's hand. All the mental pushing changed direction to launch her sight skyward.

The barrier wavered and vanished. For the first time in weeks, months she saw clearly again. Maybe for the first time in her life. It was too much. Her knees buckled and she passed out.

***

There was a brief, vicious argument over the flying arrangement. Hermione, who didn't have a broomstick of her own, was naturally going to ride with Harry. However, Ron and Draco were each insisting that, for her own safety, Ginny ride with them.

"You wouldn't keep your filthy hands to yourself," Ron shouted. "I don't want Ginny having to fight you off in midair."

Draco smirked. "Who says she'd fight me off? Besides, it would be nice to have someplace warm to put my hands during a cold flight."

Ginny made a sound of deep disgust and walked over to Ron. "Shut up, Draco. You're just being nasty because you can and that's a habit you might want to stop. Ron, stop giving him ammo, for Merlin's sake. I'll choose who I'm riding with."

Harry took an exaggerated look at his watch. "Ten seconds, then, or Hermione and I will leave the three of you here."

"I have the better broomstick," said Draco, reasonably. "I'm also the better flier. Your brother's broom is stuck together mostly with spello-tape and I highly doubt it will make the journey anyway." His face grew serious, and he added, "I have no designs on your body."

Ginny gave him a long, inscrutable look. Draco returned it impassively.

Ron just snorted derisively, but apparently he could see Ginny's mind was made up. Grinding his teeth, he kicked off from the ground and soared around in a circle waiting for the rest of them. Ginny, somewhat nervously, got behind Draco and put her arms around his waist.

Harry and Hermione rose next to them on Harry's Firebolt. "Which way?" called Harry.

Ginny felt Draco's muscles shift as he wordlessly oriented his broomstick towards his home, some hundreds of miles away. As the wind rushed past her ears and stung her eyes, even in the meagre shelter of Draco's back, she thought about why she had chosen him over her brother.

It had nothing to do with better flying. No matter how cruel he had been earlier that day, no matter how crude he had been moments before, Draco was wavering in the balance. After all, he was still coming, despite the risks and in the face of everyone's mistrust. But, Ginny felt, he could still go either way. So, here she was, she hoped, sitting firmly on the right side of the scale.

***

Harry could feel Hermione huddling against him. The wind was bitterly cold. It poured in through all the gaps in his cloak and froze him to his broomstick. He barely felt it. His body and the Firebolt followed after Draco as though the Slytherin were merely an out-sized and unusually despicable Snitch. But Harry's mind was elsewhere.

While everyone else had been arguing and carrying on, Harry had been tracking his own way toward Voldemort. He was wary of getting too close, too quickly, but he was circling mentally ever nearer to Tom's present.

There was a half-baked, completely mad plan building desperately in the back of Harry's brain. If what he saw was enough, if the link were strong enough, if his guesses were correct... there were so many of those 'ifs'! Thinking about it, the only place Harry felt the cold was his stomach. He had to push... no, not push. Fly, dammit. There was so little time. If only the ravens had taught him more...

His vision probed closer and closer, looking for a way in. There had to be a back door... He saw Voldemort laughing... he saw the snow drifting down and something brush through his hair... a feather...And then the walls tilted away and he was falling...

A gasp behind him made him pull sharply upward on the Firebolt. Hermione clutched so tight at him he couldn't breathe. For a second, they had been falling because he wasn't paying any attention at all. He heard Munin scream. He saw Hugin plummet soundlessly out of the sky in front of him.

Harry caught Hugin easily. The raven shivered and perched on the broomstick behind his hands. Draco had similarly snatched at Munin, who was now huddling against Ginny's neck.

Suddenly, Harry felt like an idiot. There was a perfectly logical explanation. Harry had found the back door into Voldemort's plans: Aliset. Aliset, who had now broken the bonds the two ravens had laid on her and shaken the birds rather badly.

Aliset, who had fainted from the strain.

Harry gritted his teeth and moved up to just behind Draco's shoulder. "Faster!" he shouted.

Draco turned his head slightly and nodded, a sliver of white profile showing briefly against the night. They went faster.