Thicker Than Water: Year Six

Chapter 22 - The Botched Offensive

As Voldemort's numbers swelled, the long anticipated assault on Azkaban finally occurred. Hermione met Harry as he returned from a long run around the lake before breakfast. She had brought him some food and beckoned for Harry to follow. They entered an empty classroom and - looking around to make sure no one was near - Hermione closed the door and pulled a folded newspaper out of her robes.

"Harry, look at this!" she said breathlessly, showing him the headline.

Breaking News: Breakout from Azkaban leads to Pandemonium

You-Know-Who supporters staged an attempted breakout from Azkaban prison late last night. In the evening hours, several Death Eaters and a battalion of Dementors infiltrated Azkaban's security perimeter and were able to gain access to the high-security ward where a handful of Death Eaters, jailed after being apprehended at the Ministry of Magic last June, were being held. The breakout occurred in spite of added security measures implemented when the Dementors revolted last June. Collusion with Dementors - who had guarded the prison for years and were well aware of Azkaban's potential weak points - is to blame for the relative ease with which prison security was breached.

Thanks to an intelligence tip, Ministry Aurors and other troops fighting against Lord That-Evil-One arrived at the scene before all the prisoners were released. Heavy fighting broke out and, in the melee, Dementors began to attack assailants on both sides of the battle. Three Death Eaters - two involved in the breakout, and one prisoner - were killed, as well as one Ministry Auror. At least one unidentified dark wizard succumbed to a Dementor's kiss.

An unnamed Ministry source has assured the Daily Prophet that order was restored at Azkaban after Minister of Magic Amos Diggory gave the Dementors the rights to kiss any future Death Eaters that are captured. Following the pronouncement, Dementors once again pledged their allegiance to the Ministry and stationed themselves at posts forbidding further movement of You-Know-Who's supporters.

Death Eaters that escaped after last night's attack include Antonin Dolohov, Rabastan Lestrange, Algernon Rookwood and Walden Macnair.

Harry put down the newspaper, his hands shaking slightly as he looked up at Hermione. "They don't mention Lucius Malfoy here - do you suppose he was one of the wizards who was killed?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. We could check and see if any of the Slytherins are missing - Malfoy or Crabbe or Theodore Nott. Their dads were all captured at the Ministry..."

Nodding slightly, Harry told Hermione he would meet her in the Great Hall after a quick shower and change. Hermione returned there, and Harry followed ten minutes later. Walking casually to the Gryffindor table, he looked over towards the Slytherins. Talk was subdued as students there poured over newspapers, but all of the sixth year boys were present, and none looked as if they had received sudden bad news. He sat down next to Neville and poured himself a tall glass of milk.

Almost on his heels came Professor McGonagall. She strode anxiously up to the older Gryffindor students and said, "Mr. Evangy, I have been looking for you! Apparently, your mother has taken ill in the night and requests your presence at her bedside. The Headmaster sent me to find you."

Hermione gave him an alarmed look as Harry's heart suddenly sank to his stomach. His mother... had Tonks been the Auror killed at Azkaban? He pictured her perky, heart-shaped face as he nodded a shocked acknowledgement at McGonagall and hurried after her to Dumbledore's office.

McGonagall delivered him to the Headmaster's office and sympathetically murmured her hopes for his mother's quick recovery. When she had left, Harry turned to a pale, tired-looking Dumbledore and asked in an alarmed voice, "Tonks?! Is she..."

Wearing a grave expression, Dumbledore shook his head and began to answer, but was interrupted by a dry cough that shook his frame for half a minute. Harry moved towards him, but the old man waved him away and conjured a glass of water; when his coughing had subsided, he said, "Tonks is fine, Harry, but... she's waiting to see you. You'll be going to Grimmauld Place. I'm afraid it's Remus."

Harry's face went ashen, and his heart began to pound as a strange humming filled his ears. Dumbledore continued quickly, "I'm afraid he's been injured. He's badly hurt, but we're sure he'll recover."

Eyes glazed and breath short, Harry stared mutely. The old Headmaster got up and shambled around his desk to Harry. Putting a hand on the boy's arm, he said reassuringly, "Remus will come around, Harry. I'm sure he'd want you with him right now, and he also hasn't given us instructions on how to contact his family if something happens. Tonks will need your help with that; we'll let Sean know once his wife has been notified. Are you prepared to go see him?"

Harry pulled himself together and looked up at Dumbledore. His face was still grey with shock, but he wore a determined expression and said curtly, "Send me."

Dumbledore kept his hand on Harry's arm for another moment, then began to reach for a quill on his desk with which to make a portkey. A sudden rush of air and flapping of wings ensued as Fawkes left his perch and glided gracefully onto Harry's shoulder. He opened his beak and let out a ringing note, warm and deep; Harry felt it slide into his heart, and give him hope. Dumbledore gave the phoenix a surprised look and said, "I won't make a portkey today. It looks as though Fawkes wants to take you there."

Fawkes lifted off Harry's shoulder and hovered in front of him. Receiving a nod from Dumbledore, Harry reached hesitantly for the Phoenix's tail feathers. With a sudden, strong jerk and a crack like apparating, Harry felt himself lifted out of the office; to the sound of wind and beating wings, he was borne almost instantaneously into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place.

Letting go of Fawkes' feathers, Harry looked around the dingy, old-fashioned kitchen. The last time he had been there was after the snake attack, in the company of Sirius, a recovering Mr. Weasley, and an exuberant, relieved Weasley family. The dreary air of the Black house where nobody actually lived descended on Harry, and memories of Sirius - and the man's unhappiness at being a prisoner back in his family's home - flooded him. He didn't know how he could face seeing Remus, badly injured. In a sudden flap, Fawkes was hovering before him again; singing a deep note like a drop of warm syrup, the phoenix disappeared with a bright flash.

The Phoenix cry brought Harry the strength to stand up a bit straighter, and brought Tonks stumbling into the kitchen. She had evidently been waiting for him.

"Tonks!" Harry grabbed her robe, clinging like a drowning man to a life-belt. "Tell me, how is he?"

"Remus is fine, he's going to be fine, Harry," she replied, as though trying to convince herself. He noticed that her robes were torn and singed in places, and she had the worn, pale look of somebody who had not slept the night before. "Come. He's sleeping now. He told us that you know how to contact Sinéal; we're going to take him there as soon as he's well enough to move."

Harry nodded, though he hardly comprehended what the young Auror was saying. He followed Tonks up the narrow stairs to a third floor bedroom. Number twelve Grimmauld Place hadn't changed much in the year since Harry's last visit, two Christmases ago. The décor still consisted of peeling paint on the walls, and dark paraphernalia ornamenting doors and candle-brackets; the lighting was still dim and the odour musty. The noble and most ancient house of Black had the odd signs of temporary inhabitancy: a labelled box of parchment rolls; a pair of shoes and cloak on the first hall landing; a black and gold umbrella propped against a wall. But the house lacked the warmth of a permanent residence, and Harry shuddered at the thought that Sirius had spent the last months of his life imprisoned within these dismal walls.

Tonks opened Remus' bedroom door and stood aside while Harry pushed past her and strode rapidly to the bedside. A lump rose in his throat as he looked down at his friend. Remus' face was abnormally pale, but he had the peaceful look of a man in a restful, potion-induced sleep.

"He said we'd meet again soon, but I didn't think it would be so soon..." Harry remembered the aftermath of the explosion at the Dursleys, when Remus had sat staunchly by his side. He took the man's hand and, swallowing intense emotions, whispered, "You're going to get better, Remus, Tonks said so. After you've slept a little longer, we'll take you to Sinéal's. She'll be glad to see you, I'm sure she's worried sick..."

"Nobody's told her yet," said Tonks in a quiet voice, leaning against the bedroom door.

Turning to meet her eyes, Harry gave Tonks a sharp look. She returned a sad but direct gaze. It suddenly dawned on Harry that that was one of the reasons he had been summoned to Grimmauld Place: he would have to be the one to tell Sinéal that Remus had been hurt in battle. Averting his eyes from the Auror back to the bed, Harry gave a small nod and answered the silent request. He mumbled, "I'll tell her."

"Thanks, Harry," Tonks said softly. "You know what a private man Remus is. He's only recently opened up a bit about his wife, and nobody else has met her."

Harry massaged his friend's hand as he sat beside him on the edge of the bed. Remus felt the touch and turned slightly, grimacing in pain, but he didn't wake up. For a long time, Harry sat staring down at Remus, loosely holding his limp hand; Tonks remained at the entrance of the room, watching the heartbroken boy and the injured man.

She suddenly stiffened up and cocked her head towards the hall landing. Tonks let out an urgent whisper, "Quick, Harry! There's somebody coming! Hide - here - in the wardrobe."

Harry found himself shoved in amongst a couple changes of Remus' clothes and the wardrobe door hastily - and incompletely - closed behind him. Tonks slid into a bedside chair. A moment later, voices could be heard ascending the stairs and approaching Remus' bedroom.

Harry could just see a wedge of the room through the crack between the wardrobe doors. In came Kingsley Shacklebolt and Severus Snape. At the sight of his teacher, Harry went rigid with anger. How can he come here? How dare he show his face in Sirius' house, and in Remus' bedroom! Like he ever cared about Remus: it was Snape that made him quit teaching at Hogwarts, telling everybody he was a werewolf, knowing full well what the outcome would be!

Snape was saying in his oily voice, "...that Hestia and Poppy insist there's nothing more they can do for him. They've fixed his broken ribs, and the internal injuries will need some time to heal. You'll have to tell him he needs the Blood-Replenisher twice a day for the first three days, and this other potion every six to eight hours until it's no longer painful to the touch."

The potions master placed two large flasks and a measured cup on the bureau. He turned a cautious gaze on Tonks, whose pink hair was in limp disarray following the battle. She raised her eyebrows challengingly, and Snape looked momentarily uncomfortable. Turning his back on her, Snape continued to speak to Kingsley. "Tell Lupin that the painkillers will interfere with his Wolfsbane potion. He should stop taking them at least a couple of days before the next full moon."

"I'll let him know when he wakes up," said Kingsley in his rich, low voice. The tall, black Auror had cleaned himself up, but it was evident to Harry that he, too, had been involved in the battle at Azkaban. His broad shoulders sagged with weariness, and a raw, red gash glistened on his cheek. Tonks looked over with affectionate concern but Kingsley, who had been addressing Snape, did not notice the look.

Having delivered his potions and instructions, Snape swept out of the room without a second glance at Remus. Kingsley turned to Tonks and said, "Why don't you go clean up and get some sleep. I'll keep an eye on Remus."

Glancing obliquely at the wardrobe where Harry was hidden, Tonks gave a nervous start and quickly replied, "That's okay, Shack, I wanted to be here when Remus wakes up, to see how he's doing. I'm also waiting on instructions on how to contact his wife. Have you been back to the office? I'd rather not deal with justifications right now. I'll be fine here for a couple more hours."

"In other words, you don't want to fill in any of the paperwork about last night's offensive," commented Kingsley. "Fine, Tonks, I'll deal with administration today, and you'll owe me one. Yet again!"

"Thanks, Shack, you're a sport," replied the younger Auror with a small smile.

"Let Remus know I came by," Kingsley said. Before he left, he turned to her with a few last words, spoken quietly. "By the way, Williamson's funeral is tomorrow at one o'clock."

Harry shuddered as he remembered a young man with long hair whom he had briefly seen at the Ministry of Magic in the previous year. Tonks' eyes followed her tall colleague as he left, and she gave an unconscious sigh. She stood at the door listening to him descend. When a faint click of the front door confirmed his departure, she turned back into the room and called out softly, "Okay, Harry. You can come out now.

Harry emerged from the wardrobe and right away asked Tonks, "What do they mean, there's nothing else they can do for him?"

"Just that: Remus needs time to heal. We'd like to move him to his wife's home because we know that's where he'll be most comfortable, and she can take care of him. The rest of us still have... Order work to do."

"What about St. Mungo's? Shouldn't he be there?" Harry demanded.

"He's not going to die, Harry. He made it through the night, and if we send him to the hospital, he'll just lie around recovering alone. It will take a few weeks but - as Severus said - the major magical fixes have all been administered, and there really is nothing we can do for Remus. All he needs now is time," Tonks reassured the boy.

Harry maintained his vigil at Remus' side. Tonks took the opportunity to leave the room for a quick shower and change. She came back half an hour later carrying a cup of tea and a muffin. Seating herself in the side chair, she suggested, "Why don't you go downstairs and grab a bit? There's some leftover pastries - they're a couple days old, but they aren't growing any mycological specimens yet." She held up her muffin as an example, and took a big bite.

Instead of going down to the kitchen, Harry turned towards the attic stairs and ascended to the top of the house. The uppermost chamber had been Buckbeak's abode for the thirteen months the Hippogrif lived at Grimmauld Place; it had also been Sirius' refuge when he was feeling low.

Harry tiptoed around the dried bones that littered the floor, remnants of Buckbeak's old meals, and sat down on an overturned crate. In spite of Tonks' reassurances, he still had Remus' moan of pain ringing in his ears. Without thinking about it, he pulled out the mirror Sirius had given him, his father's old mirror.

"Don't let him die! Don't let Remus die too!"

Harry bent over the small mirror, face contorted with the effort to mitigate the anguished howl that wanted to burst from his chest. He choked on a sob, caught his breath, and tried again to stem the tide of his tears. Growing up, Harry had only known resentment and rejection with the Dursleys. He had finally found a Godfather who took the place of his father, only to have him unnecessarily ripped away the previous spring. And now, Remus injured... the last of his parents' close friends, the ones to whom they had entrusted their lives, and Harry's...

He finally got control of his breathing and let the tears out in small, easy waves like the ones that had lapped the North England shore during his recent vacation with Remus and Sean. Dabbing his eyes with his robe, Harry regained his composure slowly. He sat staring blankly at the bedstead that once belonged to Sirius' mother, years ago.

A long time had elapsed when Harry heard the familiar clunk of Mad-Eye's wooden leg on the stairs. It stopped at the third floor landing, and Harry left the refuge to find out how Remus was doing. He came close to the door to Remus' bedroom and heard, "...He was up on the fourth floor, but he's here now."

Disconcerted as usual by Mad-Eye's magical eye, Harry entered the room. Tonks looked at him, then politely looked away. She continued talking to Moody. "I think we should wake him, and see how he's feeling. It would be good to get him to his wife's house as soon as he's up to it. I'm dead on my feet, and I know I still have a stack of work at Headquarters. Merlin knows when the next offensive will be! And there's Williamson's funeral tomorrow."

"I never met him," said Mad-Eye.

"He was just married last year. I think his wife was expecting their first child," said Tonks sadly. Mad-Eye shook his grizzled head, and Harry felt for the unborn child, and the devastation his father's death would cause in his life. Though Mad-Eye was facing Tonks in their conversation, Harry got the feeling the man's penetrating magical eye was directed his way.

They paused for a moment, and all three looked over at Remus. Tonks stepped up to the bed, and put one hand onto his shoulder. She started to speak quietly, "Remus! Remus, wake up now. Remus..."

"Here, let me have a crack at him," Mad-Eye pushed his way past Tonks and levelled a wand at Remus' forehead. "Enervate!"

"None too subtle, are we, Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked. Subtlety or not, Remus' eyes flickered and opened. He looked up at the weathered, aged Auror and said weakly, "Mad-Eye! I must be dreaming!"

"Let's hope not," was Moody's wry response.

"More like a nightmare," commented Remus, and he tried to laugh. The movement caused a spasm of pain to cross his face, and he put one hand to his ribs. Harry leaned in as Remus moaned, and Tonks got a flask off the bureau. She measured out a dose, and they helped Remus sit up to swallow the painkiller. His face distorted with disgust, and he croaked, "Let me guess, Snape made this one special for me!"

"Quit complaining, they all taste like that," Tonks said, settling Remus back onto his pillows. Harry let out a deep breath, as though he had been holding it; he was quite relieved to find Remus able to talk, and felt like a weight had been lifted.

"You had two broken ribs and quite a bit of internal bleeding," said Moody in his usual abrupt manner. "Hestia had a go at the repair job until we got Poppy Pomfrey in from Hogwarts. Can you tell me what you were hit with?"

"It was Dolohov... Somebody had just thrown him a wand, and he went right for me while I was holding off the Dementors. Knew exactly who I was: first he sent a stream of molten silver, which I ricocheted that back at him. We were duelling... more Dementors... then he raked me with a Striated-Whip before he ran off." Moody's eyes had gone wide at that as Remus, hands clutching his chest, continued, "It knocked me off my feet, hit my head when I fell..."

"Dirty duelling," muttered Moody.

"Remus, are you up to the transport back to your house? Merlin only knows what quality care you'll get at St. Mungo's when they realise what you are, and Poppy's assured us it's just rest you need at this point," Tonks said. Remus gave a half nod and Tonks went on. "Harry's going to show us the way, and let your wife know what happened."

Remus managed to turn his head a few degrees, and gave Harry a penetrating look, full of concern. He then screwed up his face at the pain, and beckoned slightly at Moody. "Mad-Eye: tell Albus that I saw a flash of fire before I blacked out. Oh, and Peter was there..."

Moody contemplated the information, and Tonks suggested getting Remus dressed to travel. Harry interrupted. "Wait, Remus, what time does Sinéal get back from the school?"

"Not before three o'clock," Remus said groggily, feeling the effects of the potion.

"Oh! We'll have to wait another couple of hours then!" said Tonks.

Moody left after a few minutes and Harry sat at Remus' side talking as his friend slowly drifted towards sleep. When his eyes finally closed, Harry reached timidly out for his hand; Remus' fingers curled around his for a moment. His hand then went limp as his breathing evened out, and he slept.

*

Tonks left to clean up and catch a quick nap in one of the other bedrooms. After sitting at the bedside for along time, Harry also dozed off in his chair. Tonks woke him later, as Mad-Eye Moody clomped back into the room, and said it was time to wake and dress Remus. Remus resisted being woken, and was not very lucid when they did manage to get eye contact from him.

"We'll be transporting you there through the floo-network. Maybe Harry could go get the fire ready, and we'll bring Remus down," suggested Moody, turning his real eye towards the boy.

Harry walked down to the kitchen, and stepped inside. To his surprise, another person was already in the room. Snape turned around and gave Harry a surprised look. "How...? What are you doing here, Mr. Evangy?"

Paralysed by the unexpected sight of his teacher, Harry just froze and stared stupidly at the man. Snape stared back at him and, when Harry didn't answer, repeated the question. "I said, how did you get here? This house is a restricted area - who brought you here?" His oily voice was firm, but he showed the same kind regard to Leo Evangy that he always did during Potions classes.

At the demand that he justify his presence in the house - in Sirius' house - something in Harry just snapped. His historic hatred of Snape flared, fuelled on by the emotional roller coaster Harry had just come off of, his immense concern for Remus' well-being. Raising his wand, Harry pointed it at Snape and said with all the vitriol he could muster, "No! The question is, what the hell are you still doing here?"

Snape's jaw fell open and he looked as though he had just been slapped. His face twisted into familiar fury at the outrage, but still the potions master maintained his composure. "I work here; perhaps it's incumbent upon you to explain this unwarranted rudeness towards me!"

Harry continued to glare, and Snape said in a cool voice, "I suggest you lower your wand, Mr. Evangy."

But Harry needed a scapegoat for his distress, and Snape - the one adult he knew who had consistently abused his authority where Harry was concerned - stood in his way. Harry's guardian lay upstairs with grave internal injuries from fighting Snape's buddies; his Godfather was lost because of this man's immature refusal to let go of boyhood grudges. Harry burst out emotionally, "You! You killed him! And you'd just as soon see Remus dead too, wouldn't you?"

"What on earth are you thinking of? Mr. Evangy, just who did...?"

"You want to know what I'm thinking? Legilimens!" Harry shouted, casting as quick as lightening. Not expecting an attack from a student, Snape shielded a moment too late and the spell hit its mark. It should have taken but a moment for Snape to throw off the mental intrusion, but Harry took advantage of the chink and pressed his advantage.

All the humiliation he had faced at the receiving end of Snape's wand during Occlumency lessons fuelled the spell. Though unwittingly, Harry discovered he could use the same technique as Voldemort, planting his own images into his teacher's head; instead of trying to detect the potion master's thoughts, he emoted his own, vehemently forcing them on the unsuspecting professor. Over and over again, he showed him the image of Sirius, mouth open, eyes wide with surprise, as he fell in an arc through the veil. After a moment of shock, Snape repelled him; Harry held the spell firmly, though, as firmly as he had held his wand against Voldemort when the two were locked in the golden web of their duel. Snape was unwillingly trapped in the horror of Sirius' last moments.

A sudden jolt like an electrical current ran through Harry, and he had to drop the Legilimency. He could feel a bead of perspiration running down his neck, and Snape's face was also covered with a bright sheen.

"Potter!" spat the potions master, his voice quivering with hatred.

"Snivellus!" Harry snarled back impetuously.

Snape's wand was raised now and he wore the look of a man furious enough to use it. Harry was angered beyond endurance by Snape's unreasonable hatred and treatment of him; a school-year's worth of simmering resentment had grown as he had earned the teacher's respect in class in his disguise as Leo. At this point, he little wanted that respect: gone were the days when he would cower before the professor or bite back his own caustic remarks.

"Just give me a reason, Snivellus! You want prophetic fulfilment, I'll show you just how much like my father I am!" Harry said, knowing with all his training that he actually stood a chance - though a small one - in a duel with the potions master.

Snape's face drained of its colour as they both thought back to the scene Harry had discovered in the penseive. His eyes narrowed and his wand arm began to thrust forward when --

Bang! Harry's and Snape's wands both flew out of their hands and into Mad-Eye Moody's. The retired Auror wore an angry expression focused directly at Snape, but he addressed them both with a growl. "Not playing very nice amongst friends, are we?"

Tonks stumbled in behind Moody, her face red with the exertion of supporting Remus. "Mad-Eye, what's the big idea, abandoning us like that on the stairs...?" she started to ask, then caught sight of Harry's and Snape's furious scowls, their wands confiscated by the grizzled old man.

Just as Tonks dropped Remus into a nearby chair and began tsk, tsking at them, Snape rounded on her. "You knew! You knew all along who he was and you never said a word?! As a member of the Order, I should have been told!"

"Almost nobody else knows, Snape, and we weren't about to tell you," Moody snarled.

Tonks said challengingly, "After all, Severus, you've made no efforts to win the Harry's confidence and tend to do more harm than good where he's concerned."

From his chair, clutching his ribcage, Remus joined in the fray. "If you harm one hair on Harry's head, Severus..." he began, trying to appear imposing while grimacing in pain.

"Remus, leave it! You're going to haemorrhage like that," Tonks said sternly, raising her wand at her friend. A beam of white light shot from it and Remus slumped over, unconscious. "That was for your own good, mate!"

Harry started while Snape snorted mirthlessly; Moody let out a rumble of displeasure as he looked at the potions master. Tonks turned and said politely but firmly, "I think it's time for you to leave now, Severus."

Moody reluctantly held out the confiscated wand, which Snape snatched as he turned with a swish of robes and swept out of the room. Tonks said to Harry, "I don't know what that was all about but - quite frankly - it was stupid of you to pick a fight or rise to Severus' bait."

"Me?! Are you taking the side of the evil low-life? What, is he another one of your suitors?" Harry fumed irrationally.

The young Auror's hair became an even more vivid shade of pink as her lips twisted into a sour smile. "If you really want to know, I saw Severus at a night-club keeping company that his, er, Death Eater friends wouldn't exactly approve of..."

"If you're done with the gossip," said Made-Eye, pointing at the unconscious Remus, "perhaps you'd like to get Lupin to his home."

Harry and Tonks both looked abashed. Tonks nodded and indicated the fireplace. Retrieving his wand from Moody, Harry started a fire in the grate and helped himself to a pinch of floo powder. He looked over at the others and said, "I'll wait for you at the other end before I go for Sinéal, okay?"

He whirled dizzyingly through the warm green flames to the Carpenter's Den. Tripping out of the fireplace into the empty den, Harry stepped aside to make room. It wasn't long before Tonks and Moody arrived, simultaneously, clutching Remus between them; it was safer to keep him physically propped up during floo-travel than to use magic. Though still not conscious, Remus moaned weakly as they stumbled into the room. Tonks tripped over the edge of the hearth rug and brought down a side-table lamp with a loud crash.

"Oops! Reparo!" Tonks said, but the damage had been done. The hall door swung open and the large, bald head belonging to Gerry, the resident carpenter and shop-keeper, popped into the room to trace the source of the noise. When he caught sight of the ashen, limp form of Remus being supported by the sinister-looking Moody, Gerry gave a small shout and barrelled menacingly into the den.

"Who are you? What have you done to him?" Gerry asked in angry indignation.

Tonks raised her wand quickly and muttered, "Obliviate!" The carpenter's eyes slid out of focus and, at Tonks' bidding, he turned and left the room.

Harry looked anxiously after him, but Moody prompted him to get Sinéal as fast as he could. He apparated directly to the front garden of her neat cottage and rapped at the door. Liam opened it cautiously, and then hollered in surprise to his mother, "Mom! Leo's here!"

"Leo! What a pleasant surprise this is!" Sinéal came quickly to the door, a warm greeting on her tongue as Liam hopped excitedly around them. Noticing Harry's reserved manner and furtive glances at the younger boy, Sinéal banished her son to the kitchen on the pretext of getting Harry a drink. He took the opportunity to tell her that Remus had been hurt and they would need to pick him up at the village.

At his message, Sinéal seemed to shrink into herself. Her face fell into a dull look and her eyes were strangely veiled. She struggled silently for a moment, the snapped back out of it and urgently called Liam to the door. Thrusting a jacket at him, she looked around wildly for her purse. "We have to go out for a bit, Lee. I'm going to drop you off at Gran and Gramps'; you might have to stay for the night."

Liam looked suspiciously at Harry. They were soon in the pick-up, pulling up at Sinéal's parents' house. Sinéal didn't get out of the car but waited to see that Liam was safely inside. She then reversed hastily, sending clouds of gravel into the air behind them as she sped into town. It had been a while since Harry had used muggle transportation, and he wondered whether Remus would survive the wild car ride back over the uneven, rutted country roads. Sinéal drove silently, not asking any questions except for directions to where Remus was waiting.

They pulled up at her cousin's hardware store, and Sinéal hurried to the side door that led to the living quarters. She jerked it open, and Harry scrambled into the corridor after her. He indicated the door to the den and said, "In here."

They entered to find Tonks standing near Remus, who was still unconscious, slumped in a chair near the fireplace; Mad-Eye was peeking suspiciously through the curtains to make sure there were no Death Eaters outside the window. Sinéal let out her breath, startled by Remus' pale face, and ran over to him. Crouching at his feet, she said, "Reem? Remus, will you wake up?"

"I've stunned him, for the trip over," explained Tonks, putting a hand on the older woman's shoulder. "Is there room for us all in your car?"

Sinéal nodded distractedly, and reached out to help Tonks get Remus to his feet. Mad-Eye turned towards them and said, "The coast is clear, we can get him out of here now. There's no need to carry him, Mrs. Lupin."

At the sight of Moody with his wildly rolling magic eye, Sinéal jumped back in alarm. The grizzled old Auror raised his wand and lifted Remus gently into a near-standing position, floating him gently towards the door. Sinéal moved to her husband's side, while Tonks held the door for them.

Moody accompanied them outside but when Tonks asked if he would join them at Remus' house, he eyed the truck apprehensively, and said, "I should get back to Headquarters, let Poppy know where to do the follow up. Oh, and I'll have to notify Dumbledore that Lupin's heading home; he'll want to send his son..."

"Not scared of the car, are you?" Tonks muttered, but Moody didn't hear her. The drive back was much smoother than before. Sinéal took care to drive slowly and avoided the ruts, while Tonks and Harry kept Remus unconscious and vertical.

When they had made it back to Sinéal's, they carried Remus in to the master bedroom, and Tonks pointed her wand at him. "Enervate!" Again, Remus' eyes fluttered open, and Sinéal took his hands in hers, tears of relief welling up in her eyes.

Harry left the room, while Tonks stayed to tell Sinéal what had happened in the previous night's battle. As soon as he wandered into the living room, Harry's stomach let out a big rumble of hunger. He looked around, and decided that Sinéal probably wouldn't mind if he helped himself to some food.

Once in the kitchen, Harry got carried away and boiled a large pot of pasta he had found in the cupboard. He heated a can of sauce, grating in a carrot and rummaging in the fridge for whatever other vegetables he could find. One good thing about growing up at the Dursleys was his independence in a kitchen; he had been brought up to cook - at least simple dishes - to serve and to clean up. He found the work eased some of the tension of the long hours sitting around waiting for Remus to awaken.

Tonks wandered into the kitchen as Harry was mixing the sauce into the noodles. He found a few bowls and ladled food into two of them. Tonks accepted gratefully, and they sat down to eat.

"Wow, Harry, you're good! You could give Dobby some competition!" she said, eagerly polishing off the bowl.

Sinéal came from the bedroom, and said, "Leo... I mean Harry, or... well, Remus would like to see you."

Harry followed her back to the master bedroom and found Remus propped up on several pillows. Sinéal brought him a glass of water, then left, glancing back at the two of them.

"Harry, I want to thank you for coming down to be with me, and for helping Tonks get me back here," Remus said somewhat hoarsely.

"I'm glad I could help. I thought you should go to St. Mungo's but Moody and Tonks didn't agree. She said nobody else had met Sinéal, and they didn't know their way here," Harry added.

Remus smiled weakly. "I like to keep my treasures to myself, like a hoarding dragon. After everything that's happened, I guess I still believed I was invincible, and didn't leave instructions for how to contact Sinéal if something happened. Still, I'm grateful they didn't have to tell Sean first; Merlin knows how he would react."

"Are you going to bring him home?" asked Harry.

"Sinéal suggested we wait a day or so, until I'm a bit stronger," Remus said. His lids fluttered heavily, and he apologised. "The painkiller really knocks me out. I'm going to rest for a bit. Why don't you head back to school? I'll write to you in the journal in a couple of days, and let you know how I'm feeling."

Harry reluctantly said goodbye, and retreated back down the corridor. Sinéal and Tonks were talking quietly near the kitchen, Tonks holding up the flask with the Blood-Replenisher and explaining the dosage. They both turned to look at Harry.

"I think it's time we get you back to school, Harry," said Tonks. She turned to Sinéal and added, "The healer I was telling you about will stop by tomorrow morning to have a look at Remus; we'll give her the instructions on how to get here. And I'll personally bring Sean by in a day or so, when Remus is up to it."

Sinéal smiled shyly, and said in her reserved manner, "Thanks for doing that, Nymphadora," Tonks winced at the name, "and thank you so much for taking care of Remus. He said he's really glad to be here and not in that - hospital. I'll take some time off work while he recovers. And Harry - both Remus and I really appreciate your being here, and bringing him. He talks about you a lot, and I know how much it means to him that you were around today."

Stepping up to him, Sinéal reached up to wrap her arms around Harry's neck and gave him a quick hug. Harry appreciated the gesture; Sinéal wasn't a very demonstrative person, but she appeared quite moved with the knowledge that Remus was surrounded by his friends when he was in need.

Tonks and Harry apparated back to Gerry's hardware store, and sneaked into the den quietly so as not to alert Gerry to their return. They returned to Grimmauld Place through the fireplace.

Tonks - shaking slightly with exhaustion - asked Harry to stay long enough for a cup of tea. When she broke the first cup she fished out of the cupboard, Harry offered to make it instead. In a state of nervous fatigue, Tonks couldn't sit still and Harry suggested she go home and get some rest.

"Good idea. I can't believe I have to attend Williamson's funeral tomorrow. I'm in a right state...! Better get your portkey," sighed Tonks, brandishing her wand at the unused teacup. It rattled and glowed momentarily. Without ceremony, Harry reached for the handle and was whisked back to Dumbledore's office.

The office was empty, except for Fawkes who was snoozing on his perch. At the sound of Harry's return, Fawkes lifted his head from within his bright plumes and greeted him with a warm caw, ruffling his feathers with a quick shake. He reached out to pat the bird and said, "Hullo, Fawkes. I guess Professor Dumbledore's not in - I'll just see myself out, okay?"

Fawkes preened Harry's neat curls with his beak, before the boy headed out the door. Harry walked back from the Headmaster's office emotionally exhausted, his feet carrying him automatically up the staircases towards Gryffindor Tower. He was still en route when Ginny and Ron found him.

"You look beat, mate. What happened today? Is everything all right?" Ron asked with concern.

"Er, Remus got caught in the spell-fire during last night's battle at Azkaban. He's in pretty rough shape," Harry mumbled, hoping they wouldn't ask him for any details. After the long day waiting at bedsides, he was too tired to retell the tale.

Ginny stepped over to him and gave him a big hug. Harry allowed himself to sag against her for a moment but then pulled back, not yet willing to let down before his friends. He said, "I think I'm just going to head up to the common room. It's been a long day."

"I'll walk you up," offered Ginny, "Unless you'd like to go find Luna..."

"No," Harry replied. All he wanted to do was sink down in his favourite chair near the fireplace and try to forget Remus wincing in pain, or the inevitable images of Sirius, falling through the veil. The thought reminded him of his fight with Snape, and Harry wanted to forget about that too.

"Um, I'm just going to look for Hermione. She's been gone all afternoon," said Ron apologetically. Harry nodded mechanically, and he and Ginny walked up towards the common room. He was grateful that Ginny didn't ask any questions, but she looked like she had her own worries gnawing on her mind.

They arrived to find the room full of the regular after-dinner joviality and students immersed in various assignments. Ginny got her bag and sat down near Harry spreading out her Charms text in front of her. But homework was not in Ginny's thoughts, and Harry was too wiped to wonder what was eating at her. They both sat dully, looking into the fire until the common room began to empty as students headed up to their dorms.

"I'm going to bed," Ginny finally said and, giving Harry another small hug, she ascended the girls' staircase.

The room continued to empty when Ron and Hermione entered through the portrait hole. They came over to Harry and asked how he was doing. Harry's reply was indistinct as he continued to stare mesmerised at the flames. Hermione shared an oblique look with Ron, who shrugged back helplessly. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and excused himself, citing exhaustion from excessive practices for an upcoming Quidditch game.

Hermione perched herself next to Harry and said quietly, "Har--Leo, we saw Professor McGonagall and told her we had heard about Remus. She said he was going to be just fine. I'm sure he's getting the best possible care through the Order. He's an adult; you can't always blame yourself when somebody gets hurt. None of us want these battles, but Voldemort keeps them coming anyway."

"But I can keep blaming myself, Hermione," Harry muttered, half under his breath. The prophecy put the responsibility square on his shoulders, and yet, here he was sitting in disguise in front of a nice, warm fire...

As though she somehow sensed his thoughts, Hermione struggled with her own for a moment before saying, "I finished your potion."

Harry looked up with sudden interest as Hermione fumbled in her robes and extracted two small, corked vials containing the Revellius potion. She held them out hesitantly, then said, "I know what these do, Harry. Promise me you won't use these, not anytime soon at least. They're stable for a good six months, but..."

Reaching for the bottles, Harry paused, his dark eyes looking into Hermione's brown ones. "I will use it, Hermione, that's why I asked you to make it for me. But I promise, it won't be anytime soon, and not unless it's necessary."

They both stood up as Harry pocketed the vials. Having them in his possession reminded Harry that today it was Remus, but sometime soon it would have to be him. The cause and the outcome of that battle was still unknown, but it was one he was fated to fight. The resolve made Harry stand up straighter, grim determination lining his youthful face.

Hermione noticed the look, but couldn't elucidate Harry's thoughts, or understand his urgency. He thanked her for making the Revellius potion, then they parted and went up to their respective beds.