“Crucio!�

Harry writhed and screamed on the floor of the Atrium in the Ministry of Magic. As the pain from Voldemort’s curse ripped through his body, Harry found himself wishing that his enemy would simply finish him off. At least it would end the pain from the curse, the guilt from the death of Sirius, and the knowledge that he had gotten his friends hurt and almost killed.

As time stretched, Harry felt as if he was becoming detached. He wasn’t in his own body anymore, but watching from afar. The pain was gone and he couldn’t bring himself to be too concerned about his body, lying a few feet away. Then, as suddenly as the detached feeling came, it was gone, and the pain was fresh and renewed. He was sure that it would not be much longer before he died or went mad from the pain.

The curse had been on Harry for longer than he could count and he was beginning to feel numb as his hoarse yells died. The last thing he saw before a black mist covered his mind was an old wizard running out of one of the lifts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dumbledore!� Remus Lupin shouted, hurrying over to the old wizard. “Harry’s gone after Bellatrix. They were heading for the Atrium.�

“Stay here and keep everything under control,� Albus Dumbledore ordered, already halfway up the ampitheatre-styled steps.

“No,� Lupin argued. “I’m coming with you.�

“We don’t have time to argue this Remus,� Dumbledore replied sternly. “You are the only one who is uninjured; I need you to stay. I will find Harry.�

Lupin looked doubtful. He knew for a fact that if Dumbledore had kept Harry well informed that year, they would not even be there. The old man’s mistake had caused the injuries of almost all of the Order members involved, the students, and the death of his last best friend. But, he knew that arguing with the headmaster would only lead to more wasted time. So, however ruefully, he slowly nodded. “Find him. Quickly.�

Dumbledore nodded his understanding. “I will. Do not worry.� And, with amazing agility and speed for a man his age, he bolted the rest of the way up the stairs, along the passage, and through the circular entrance to the Department of Mysteries. He came to the lifts and entered, jabbing the button for the Atrium. He waited.

The lift would not move.

The usually calm professor swore, pulling out his wand. He had wasted five minutes already; he couldn’t afford to lose any more time! He pointed the wand at the ceiling of the lift and muttered a spell that most wizards older than himself wouldn’t even know. The lift suddenly jolted into motion, pulling Dumbledore upward toward the Atrium and Harry. He waited impatiently, the lift seeming to move a lot slower than usual. Why, he wondered, does everything seem to move slower when one is in a hurry?

When the lift suddenly stopped and the golden grilles opened, the first thing Dumbledore saw was Harry, eyes closed, lying on the floor. As he rushed out he vaguely noticed Bellatrix Lestrange standing across the room, a sickly satisfied expression on her face, while he hastened toward Voldemort. The Dark Lord was standing over Harry, his wand pointing at the young man’s heart.

“Tom.� Dumbledore’s voice was commanding, but even Voldemort could hear the note of panic and alarm in the old man’s voice. He slowly turned, grinning broadly at Dumbledore.

“Ah, if it isn’t the Mudblood-lover,� he hissed menacingly.

“What have you done?� the headmaster asked as Bellatrix cackled.

“I’ve merely shown the boy what happens to those who defy me.�

“What do you mean?� His panic was starting to peak.

“You’ll find out soon enough,� Voldemort replied, his eyes gleaming maliciously. “I’m afraid I have more pressing appointments than a reunion with my dear former Transfiguration professor, however. So I shall return to you your… hero.�

Voldemort reached into the pocket of his robes, beckoning Bellatrix with a nod of his head. He produced a smooth, black stone and activated the Portkey. Both of them vanished instantly, leaving an unconscious Harry and a worried Dumbledore behind.

The headmaster hastened to Harry’s side, kneeling beside him. The boy’s chest was rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths; he was alive. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dumbledore reached into his own pocket, his thoughts swirling in his head. This boy, lying so broken on the ground, was the fate of the Wizarding World. He was destined for greatness and had no idea. Now, the last tie to his family that he had had been stolen from him once again. If the curse hadn’t damaged Harry enough, the emotional pain the boy would soon suffer would.

Then again, Dumbledore thought, Harry had gone through much worse and come out on top. The year before, he had been devastated after the events in the graveyard. But his friends and his surrogate family had brought him through the pain. They had healed him. They could and would do the same for him now. That was when Dumbledore realized that, other than the injuries that were obviously caused by the Cruciatus curse, Harry would be alright. It might have to take a while, but the young man could be healed; and he would be in time.

Dumbledore finally found what he was looking for: a strip of blank parchment. He pointed his wand at the strip and muttered portus! The parchment glowed blue for a moment before returning to it’s original state. Placing part of the parchment in Harry’s hand, the Portkey activated and whisked both of them off to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. The only thought in the old wizard’s head was what the side effects of the curse would be and if Harry would be the same after he awoke.

Dumbledore arrived in the Hospital Wing to find it empty. He stuffed the Portkey into the pocket of his robes, removed his wand, and levitated the still-unconscious Harry gently into a bed. The headmaster then rushed to find Madame Pomfrey. When the pair arrived back at Harry’s bedside, the matron immediately went to work examining the boy as Dumbledore looked on.

“How long was he held under the curse?� Madame Pomfrey asked without looking up.

“I’m not sure. Most likely between five and ten minutes,� the professor answered quietly.

“Five!� she breathed. “He’s lucky to be alive after that…� she murmured before taking various potions from a nearby cabinet and tipping each one down Harry’s throat. At that moment, Remus Lupin entered the Hospital Wing with Ron and Hermione floating on stretchers, Neville and Luna supporting a limping Ginny, and Mad-Eye Moody helping Kingsley Shacklebolt.

“Goodness, what happened to you all?� Madame Pomfrey practically screeched.

“Just a little of your time, Poppy,� Lupin said shortly. Harry was hidden from view, keeping the party unaware of his presence. “Dumbledore,� he continued after helping to shift Ron into a bed, “what happened to Harry? Did you find him?�

“He is, I am afraid, already here,� Dumbledore replied, stepping aside to give the others a better look.

Lupin suppressed a gasp with great difficulty. The figure lying in the bed was hardly the boy he had seen less than an hour earlier. Harry lay perfectly still, pale as a ghost, and his breathing uneven and shallow. His eyes looked sunken in and his face gaunt, as if he had lost a lot of weight in the last few hours.

“What happened?� Lupin whispered, unable to take his eyes off of his best friend’s son.

“He had been placed under the Cruciatus curse by the time I found him. For how long, I do not know,� the headmaster said as calmly as possible.

“No!� Neville gasped, Madame Pomfrey having fixed his nose. “Professor,� he stammered, “he… he won’t be like… like my…�

“I’m afraid,� the old wizard interrupted gently, “we are not entirely sure. I do not believe Mr. Potter was under the curse long enough to sustain the kind of damage that your parents suffered.� Neville let out a breath that he did not even know he had been holding. “However, I’m sure there will be a few after-effects of the curse after he awakes.� He turned to look at Lupin, who had not spoken since seeing Harry. “Remus?�

Distantly, Remus heard his name being called. However, he paid it no mind; his full attention was on Harry.

He started to remember things that he hadn’t thought about in what seemed like ages. He remembered seeing Harry for the first time since the boy had been a baby. His first thought had been just how much Harry resembled James and how he had Lily’s eyes. While the thirteen-year-old wizard had been burdened already, he had handled it amazingly well. Harry had still been able to talk, laugh, and enjoy being with his friends after all that he had gone through.

Then, Remus had had to leave him again. He would never forget the look on Harry’s face when he had told the boy that he was resigning. Harry had been so hurt, so upset. But Remus had assured him that they would meet again; a promise that he had been only too eager to keep.

He remembered getting the Daily Prophet one morning and seeing that Harry had been chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. He had been scared for his friend’s son and kept a close watch on any articles about the tasks. And then Sirius had shown up on his front step, saying that Harry had been kidnapped, Cedric Diggory murdered, and Voldemort returned to his body. Sirius had related the whole story to Remus, and the werewolf knew that Harry would never be the same after the experience.

He had been right. When the Advance Guard had stood in the hall of number four, Privet Drive as Harry descended the stairs, he could see it in Harry’s eyes. They were somehow dimmer; haunted. He felt truly sorry for the boy.

But he realized for the first time, that night when Harry had almost gone through the veil after Sirius, just how much he really cared for Harry. He had come to know the boy better and felt as if he was his, Remus’s, own son in some ways. As much as he saw James, Lily, and Sirius in the fifteen-year-old, he also saw some of himself.

Now, to see him in this state, he couldn’t help but be afraid. What if Harry never woke up? What if he had a side effect similar to that of Frank and Alice Longbottom? Only tonight, Remus had lost his other best friend. He knew with unwavering certainty that if he lost Harry too, he would not be able to go on.

“Remus?� Dumbledore’s gentle voice shook the werewolf out of his reverie.

“Yes, Professor?� he replied, barely trusting his voice.

“Are you alright?�

“Yes, Professor.�

“I’m sure that he will be fine.�

“I hope you’re right.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, Ron and Hermione had woken up and Dumbledore had related to them what had happened to their friend. At hearing the news that they would not know Harry’s fate until he woke, Hermione burst into tears and Ron became, if it were possible, even paler. Ginny and Neville refused to speak, but became lost in their own thoughts. Luna was even quiet, not humming her usual tune of “Weasley is Our King.� Kingsley and Mad-Eye had departed to check in on Tonks, who had been sent to St. Mungo’s, after being healed themselves.

Remus stayed by Harry’s bedside, watching the young wizard sleep. Dumbledore had gone to his office, leaving strict instructions for Madame Pomfrey to inform him if Harry awoke. He had suggested that Remus get some rest, but it was in vain. Like all of Harry’s friends, it was as if the werewolf weren’t even in the room.

So, with the exception of a stray cough or sneeze, the Hospital Wing was quiet. That is, until Harry stirred slightly around nightfall. This gave Remus, Madame Pomfrey, and Neville confidence that Harry would not be in a coma because of the blasted curse.

“Maybe he’ll wake up soon,� Hermione observed softly.

“He’ll be fine,� Ron said fiercely. “He has to be…�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Ginny’s ankle stronger and Ron and Hermione on the way to recovery, the five teenagers joined Remus in chairs next to Harry’s bed. They sat in silence for a while and Luna, Ginny, and Neville had dozed off. Ron and Hermione were speaking softly as they, like Remus, continued to watch their best friend. And then, quite suddenly, Harry’s eyes fluttered.

“I think he’s going to wake up,� Hermione whispered anxiously.

The three straightened in their seats and watched as Harry’s eyes slowly opened and he let out a small groan of pain. He sat up slowly as his eyes adjusted to the dim lights of the Hospital Wing.

“Harry, mate?� Ron said quietly. “You alright?�

Harry jumped, looking at the people gathered around him. And then,

“Who are you?�

“Who are you?� Harry asked, putting on the glasses that Remus had handed to him. Ron and Hermione exchanged a concerned look and Remus leaned forward.

“Harry, what is the last thing you remember?� he asked gently, taking the first question as a mistake. After all, Harry hadn’t had his glasses on, Remus thought to himself. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make himself believe this idea.

“Harry?� Harry inquired, a confused look on his face.

“It’s your name, mate,� Ron answered worriedly.

“It is?�

“Yes.� Remus was the one to answer him this time. “Now, what can you remember?�

Harry’s brow furrowed in concentration. He remembered waking up to find these people sitting around him, but who were they? Why was he here? And where exactly was here? Everything before he opened his eyes was a massive black blur. “I-I don’t know,� he finally replied, albeit uncertainly. His shakiness soon gave way to fear. “Who are all of you, anyway?�

“It’s us, Harry,� Hermione answered with a shaky voice and unshed tears in her eyes. “We’re your best friends.�

“Friends?�

“Yeah, mate,� Ron said. “We’ve been mates since first year.�

“The first year of what?�

“Hogwarts,� Hermione supplied quietly.

“Hog- wait. What?� Harry dimly registered the name being vaguely familiar, but it was not familiar enough to form a memory.

“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,� Remus said slowly. “It’s where you’ve been taught for five years.�

“School of… wizardry?� Harry murmured confusedly. “I don’t understand.�

“Harry,� Hermione began. “You’re a wizard. Can’t you remember?� She looked as if it was all she could do to keep her tears from falling.

Harry found the phrase familiar as well. Where had he heard it before? Someone very large had said it. Wait, large? No, it couldn’t be ‘large.’ Maybe his mind was remembering someone important, but not large.

“Here.� Remus picked up Harry’s wand from the bedside table and handed it to Harry, who took it cautiously. “Point it away from you and say the first thing that comes into your mind.�

Although he was quite sure that the people around him had obviously gone mad, Harry did as he was told; he closed his eyes and pointed the wand away from himself. Then, as if someone else had taken control of his mind, he muttered wingardium leviosa! He opened his eyes to find the lamp on the bedside table floating in midair.

“Woah!� he gasped, dropping the wand. The lamp fell the few inches and landed on the table again. “What happened?�

“Well,� Remus said, picking up and placing Harry’s wand on the table, “we told you that you’re a wizard.�

“I can do magic?�

“Yes.�

Harry hesitated. “Okay,� he began slowly. “So, my name is ‘Harry’?�

“Yes,� Remus replied, felling rather strange to even be having this conversation in the first place.

“Harry what?�

“Harry Potter.�

“Okay. My name is Harry Potter and I go to… Hogwarts?�

“Yes.�

“I’m a… fifth year?� Harry calculated.

“Correct.�

“And I’m a… wizard?�

“Absolutely.�

“Then, does that mean you’re my dad?�

Remus felt as if he had been winded. He glanced at Ron and Hermione and saw the pain in both of their eyes. Hermione, who had been trying so hard to control her emotions, had finally let her tears fall.

“No. I-I’m not, Harry,� he supplied quietly.

Harry blinked. “Oh. Then where is he? And my mum?�

Remus swallowed hard; this was getting worse. “Harry… your parents were… They were killed when you were a year old. I’m sorry.�

Now it was Harry’s turn to feel winded. He had no parents? He was an orphan? He had no family? Swallowing, he said, “They’re dead?�

“Yes, unfortunately.�

“For how long?�

“Fourteen years.�

“So, I’m… fifteen?�

“Right.�

“Then, who are all of you?�

“I’m Remus. I am… I was your father and godfather’s best friend.� This just kept getting more and more uncomfortable for Remus to have to explain.

“So, I live with my godfather, then?� Harry was sure that he must have some family.

“No, actually. He’s dead, too,� Ron said without thinking. Hermione smacked him in the back of the head. Hard.

“What Ronald means is that he was killed too,� she supplied with a bit more compassion.

“Ronald? Killed?� Harry was now feeling incredibly confused.

“Yes. He’s Ron Weasley and I’m Hermione Granger. We’re you’re best friends.� She looked down at her shoes, examining the laces. “Your godfather, Sirius Black, was killed in a battle two days ago,� she continued hesitantly.

“A…battle?�

“Yes, Harry,� Remus replied. “Your parents were killed in a war that ended fourteen years ago. The man, or wizard rather, that was responsible was retuned to power last year. One of his number killed Sirius the night before last.�

“You’re finally awake!� Madame Pomfrey entered the Hospital Wing at that moment, waking the others and temporarily ending their conversation. “How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?�

Harry assumed that she must have been speaking to him. “Sore,� he answered, unable to explain his pain.

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t,� she continued, looking him over. “Do you know how long you were held under the curse?�

“Curse?� Harry was now quite thoroughly confused. What curse? He should be sore? All he knew was what he had been told and he still didn’t know anything about who he was. Sure, he now knew that he had a name, but what was his life like? What kind of person was he? Who did he live with? Who was he?

“Poppy,� Remus said, bringing Harry out of his thoughts, “I think the curse caused… amnesia, I suppose. He can’t remember anything from before he woke up.� Luna’s eyes widened past their normal protuberance as Ginny and Neville gasped. “He didn’t even know his own name. We had to tell him what it was,� the werewolf finished, unable to keep the pain out of his voice.

“Well…� Madame Pomfrey stated slowly, looking a bit taken aback but not entirely surprised. “It may be temporary…�

“May be?� Ron exclaimed.

“I think we should inform Professor Dumbledore,� the matron continued , ignoring Ron’s outburst.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you sure that you don’t remember anything from before you woke up?� Dumbledore had arrived soon after Harry awoke.

“Positive,� Harry replied, beginning to feel irritated at being asked the same question so many times.

“What are we going to do Dumbledore?� Remus asked from his seat next to Harry’s bed.

Dumbledore hesitated. “I’m afraid,� he began, “I do not know.�

“What do you mean ‘you don’t know,’ Headmaster!� Ginny finally spoke, anger flashing in her eyes. She stood, gazing at the headmaster unflinchingly. “You have fixed everything since… since… well, since my mum and dad were in school! Probably before that! How can you not have the answers now; when we need them the most?� She had shouted herself hoarse and was shaking slightly.

The others in the room were gaping at the redhead. They had never seen her lose control like this. Ginny, calm, cool, and collected at even the worst of times, was breaking down right in front of them. As they watched, Ginny visibly collected herself and sat down, turning her eyes on the professor again. Her next statement came out as a furious whisper.

“What are we going to do, Professor?�

---

And now things are REALLY getting interesting, eh? This chapter was pretty hard for me to write, but it had to be done. Harry is indeed OOC, but how can he not be? I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review, as always, if you get a second. Thank you! ~Moony

The day after Harry awoke, Ron and Hermione had been released from Madame Pomfrey’s care. So, they, Neville, and Luna had gone to the kitchens to collect food to bring back to the Hospital Wing for lunch. Unsurprisingly, Remus and Ginny refused to be parted from Harry’s side. For most of the night, they and the others had sat and tried to trigger a memory. This is how the three could be found that day as well.

“How about when you blew up your aunt in your third year?� Ginny was asking.

“I WHAT?� Harry yelped.

“Oh, don’t worry,� Remus hastened to reassure him, “it wasn’t the explosion blowing up. More like… inflation blowing up.�

“Which means you don’t remember… What about when you saved me from the Chamber of Secrets in your second year?� Ginny continued, the pain evident in her voice.

“What’s a ‘Chamber of Secrets’?�

“That would be a ‘no’,� Remus directed at Ginny.

Ginny sighed. “I know.�

“I have something that might work,� Hermione said as she, Ron, Neville, and Luna arrived with lunch. “I stopped at the dormitories on the way back.� She held up a photo album. “It’s the one Hagrid gave Harry at the end of our first year.�

“I doubt if it will work, but let’s give it a try,� Remus said, taking a sandwich from the platter that Ron was carrying.

Hermione opened the album and flipped through some of the pages until she found the picture that she was looking for. “Do they look familiar, Harry?� she asked, handing him the book.

In the picture were James and Lily Potter. Harry looked at the photograph and concentrated on its moving inhabitants. In the deep recesses of his mind, recognition just barely stirred. “Not really… who are they?� he asked, looking up from the book.

“Your parents,� Ginny responded softly, averting her eyes.

“Oh.� There was an awkward silence.

“Let’s try another,� Remus said after a few moments. He took the book from Harry and started looking through the pages. After a moment, he found what he was looking for: the picture from James and Lily’s wedding. “What about him?� he asked, handing the book back to Harry and pointing at Sirius.

The faint recognition was a bit stronger, this time accompanied with an unexplainable feeling of sadness and guilt. Harry remembered the girl named Hermione saying that his godfather had been killed recently and concluded that the man in the photograph must be him. “Is that… Sirius?� he inquired, remembering that that was his godfather’s name.

Hermione positively beamed at him and Remus choked on his sandwich. “You remember Sirius?� he managed to gasp after a minute.

“Well…� Harry began, unsure of how to put his feelings into words. “When I look at this, I don’t know why but… I just feel… sort of…�

“Sort of what?� Hermione prodded him gently.

Harry took a deep breath. “Guilty.�

“Guilty?� Remus inquired, not expecting this answer.

“Yeah. And… I guess you could say… sad. And I remembered you,� he gestured to Hermione, “saying that he had been killed, so I kind of just… guessed,� he finished lamely, shrugging. There was silence for a moment.

“But you felt something when you looked at him so you must be remembering something!� Ginny exclaimed hopefully. She looked at Remus. “Right?� She saw the flicker of hope in his eyes as he answered.

“It’s a start.�

Harry kept flipping through the book, seeing more pictures of his parents. As he did, he couldn’t help the wave of fear that suddenly hit him. All of these people knew him, but he didn’t know them from the lamp on the bedside table. What if he never remembered? What if he was like this forever? I won’t be, he told himself. I’ll remember… eventually…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening, Ron decided to teach Harry how to play Wizard’s Chess… again. As they played, Remus, Hermione, and Ginny spoke to each other quietly. Luna and Neville, after some persuasion from the others, had gone down to dinner and were going to spend that night in their respective dormitories.

“Bloody hell, mate,� Ron was rather cheerfully stating, “you’re even worse at this than you were before!�

“Ronald!� Hermione and Ginny screeched together.

“What? It’s true,� he muttered as Harry snickered softly. “Aha! Checkmate!�

“You’re kidding!� Harry exclaimed in indignation. “We’ve only been playing for five minutes!�

“Told you! You lasted at least ten with your memory,� Ron joked. He and Harry began to reset the board as Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing.

“Remus,� the older wizard said softly. “May I speak with you for a moment?�

“Of course, Professor,� Remus replied, following the headmaster into the corridor. He was a bit put out with the request as it removed him from Harry’s side, but knew better than to express irritation to Dumbledore.

“Has he remembered anything?� Dumbledore asked, turning to face the werewolf.

“Well…� Remus was unsure of how exactly to tell the headmaster about Harry’s observations. “He said he felt odd when he saw a photograph of Sirius.�

“Odd? How do you mean?� the headmaster inquired calmly.

“I believe he used the words ‘sad’ and ‘guilty.’ But he said that he didn’t know why.�

Dumbledore sighed. “Very well. Tell me if anything else becomes familiar to him or if any memories present themselves.�

“I will.� And with that, the two parted. As Remus reentered the Hospital Wing, he looked closely at the Boy-Who-Lived. Only, he wasn’t Harry anymore. He wasn’t the rather thin teenager who had escaped Voldemort five times. He wasn’t the same young man who had saved his friends, not to mention the entire Wizarding World, six times. As he inconspicuously looked into the boy’s eyes, he no longer saw Harry James Potter. This was someone else; a complete and absolute stranger that just so happened to be occupying Harry’s body.

He’ll remember everything soon, Remus reassured himself silently. He has to…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime around midnight, Harry awoke to find Remus and Ginny dozing in their chairs by his bed and Ron and Hermione lying in the beds on either side of his. He sighed, sitting up straighter and stretching.

Suddenly, he saw a slight movement along the floor out of the corner of his eye. What looked like a small ball of fur was quickly making its way toward his bed. Harry reached over and grabbed his glasses and wand from the bedside table. Why did I pick this up? he asked himself as he slipped on his glasses and looked at his wand curiously. A faint voice (if it could be described as a voice) spoke in the back of his mind, however, telling him that he shouldn’t put his wand down. So, he looked back at where the fur-ball was and saw a large rat sitting next to his bed.

Well, that’s disgusting, Harry thought in revulsion. But then, right in front of his eyes, the rat started to grow and began to take on the form of a small man. For a moment, Harry thought he must have been dreaming it. But then the man spoke.

“Hello, Harry,� Peter Pettigrew greeted him softly, a mischievous grin on his face.

Harry opened his mouth to yell for help, but Wormtail covered the boy’s mouth with his hand. With his free hand, he pulled a smooth stone out of one of his pockets and roughly shoved it into Harry’s hand. In a moment, the Portkey activated and both of them disappeared from the Hospital Wing as Harry’s friends slept.

---

Oh no! Evil cliffie! *insert evil cackle here* Kudos to anyone who knew it was Wormtail from the moment they saw the word “rat.� So, that was chapter four and I hope you liked it. If you have a minute, please review. Thank you for reading!
~Moony

At about nine o’clock in the morning, Ginny Weasley woke with a start, breathing heavily. Her nightmare had seemed so real; Harry had lost his memory, as he had in reality, but he never regained it. Then, in the dream-Hospital-Wing, Voldemort had appeared and killed Harry as she was forced to look on. Of course, she had tried to save Harry, but had been unable to move for some reason.

But it was just a dream, she told herself firmly. No use worrying about it. With that thought in her head, Ginny stood up and stretched, glancing at the empty hospital bed before her.

Wait! Empty? she thought frantically. She looked at the bedside table and saw that Harry’s glasses and wand were gone. Then, looking back at the bed, she noticed that the sheets were not thrown back the way they would have been if the bed’s occupant had gotten out of the bed willingly. In shock, Ginny screamed. Just as her panic reached its peak, she fainted in a very uncharacteristic show of weakness and fear, only vaguely aware of waking the entire room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What happened?�

“Where’s Harry?�

“What’s wrong with Ginny?�

“I couldn’t find him anywhere!�

“Quiet, she’s waking up!�

Ginny blearily opened her eyes. She was lying in a bed in the Hospital Wing with Ron, Hermione, Remus, and Professor Dumbledore standing over her.

“Ginny,� Remus addressed her gently. “Are you alright?�

“Yeah,� she answered, rubbing the bridge of her nose and wondering how she had gotten such a horrible headache. “What happened? How long was I out of it?�

“You fainted about ten minutes ago,� the werewolf responded, studying the girl intently.

“And actually, Miss Weasley,� Dumbledore chimed in, “we were hoping that you could tell us what happened.�

Suddenly, all of the memories of that morning came flooding back into Ginny’s head; waking up, finding Harry’s bed empty, seeing his wand and glasses missing, and noting the odd formation of the sheets. “Harry!� she cried out suddenly, sitting up straight and causing her head to positively throb. “Is he okay? Did you find him?�

“Well,� Remus began, “we looked all over and no, we did not find him. Did you see anything?�

“Only that he was gone,� Ginny replied quietly. “Where could he be, though? He was still too weak to walk very far and his sheets would have been folded over if he left willingly…� She trailed off, not able to explain exactly what she meant. After a few moments of quiet pondering, Professor Dumbledore seemed to understand what she had said, although no one else did, and broke the silence.

“I need to see to something, if you will all excuse me,� he said urgently, turning on his heel and leaving the Hospital Wing. The others watched him go, hoping against hope that he would be able to find out what had happened to Harry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten minutes later found Remus, Ron, and Hermione pacing the floor of the Hospital Wing, nervously awaiting the return of the headmaster. Ginny, on the other hand, was sitting on the same bed that she had woken up in, lost in thought as she tried to sort out her chaotic swirl of thoughts.

Why is this affecting me so badly?

Because he’s your friend, she answered herself as if the answer were more obvious than the nose on her face. Ginny frowned.

So are Ron and Hermione, but look at them! They didn’t faint but I did…

Then maybe there’s more to your feelings for Harry than you thought.

What? That’s ridiculous. I got over him ages ago!

Did you? Did you really? How was it that her subconscious mind seemed to think more logically about confusing matters than her conscious self did?

Yes! Maybe… sort of… not really… Ginny couldn’t help but be honest with herself. She hadn’t gotten over Harry, even though she had tried so hard to do so. After all, she had to admit that seeing Harry and Cho together was one of the hardest things that she had ever had to deal with.

Well then, there’s your answer! Her subconscious was speaking as if this was the most simple thing in the world. Ginny, however, was feeling rather confused.

There’s my answer to what?

Her subconscious sighed. Someone’s feeling a bit thick today… So, let me spell it out for you: You still like Harry, therefore you are even more worried than Ron and Hermione are about him. Do you get it now?

But- Before she could respond to herself, however, Professor Dumbledore arrived in the Hospital Wing, an unbearably grave expression darkening his features. The others stopped their pacing and, in Ginny’s case, internal confrontations and turned to look at the headmaster.

“What is it, Dumbledore?� Remus asked, worried by the headmaster’s rather solemn entrance.

Dumbledore sighed wearily. “I have closely examined the school’s wards. Any intrusions, however unlikely, would have been recorded, so to speak, by the wards. While they cannot say who or what may have entered the school, they can give a short analysis of the person or thing.� He paused here, knowing the reaction that he would definitely receive from Remus at his next pieces of news.

“What is it, Headmaster?� Hermione asked quietly, unable to stop herself.

Looking directly at Remus, Dumbledore continued. “Around midnight last night, a Portkey was activated inside the school. I was able to trace it from this room to an area outside of the school’s wards.� Remus paled.

“Where was the Portkey supposed to go, sir?� Hermione spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper; she now knew why Ginny had said that Harry’s bed had seemed so neat when he had clearly left it.

“Unfortunately I do not know, Miss Granger,� the headmaster replied, now looking at Hermione. “The destination of the Portkey would only be traceable if it transported the user, or users in this case, to an area within the boundaries of the wards.� There was a short pause.

“What aren’t you telling us, Professor?� Ginny asked, unable to ignore Dumbledore’s look of concealed information; she knew it well, as it was the same look that her mother wore whenever she refused to let them listen to the Order meetings. Dumbledore sighed, knowing that he would not be able to hide this last part from the three students.

Looking back at Remus, he continued to reveal the final piece of information. “After the incident with Sirius and Peter two years ago, I reconfigured the wards to be sensitive to any animagus other than Professor McGonagall being inside the school.� He paused, steeling himself for the worst. “There was one in this room at midnight last night.�

Remus paled further and his eyes grew wide. “Pettigrew.� His whisper was not a question, for he knew already that it was his old friend. He sank into a chair, lost in his thoughts. How could that rat have betrayed them all? He was responsible for the deaths of Lily and James, the imprisonment of Sirius, and the emotional pain that not only himself, but Harry as well, had had to endure. How could their unbreakable friendship have gone so far astray? Peter, now such a poor excuse for a friend, had ruined many lives in the course of a single evening and felt not even the slightest bit of remorse for it as far as Remus knew.

And now, as if that wasn’t enough, he had kidnapped Harry and could have taken him anywhere. Remus’ fear suddenly gave way to anger as he thought of the man who had ultimately ruined so many lives. Only one question remained in the werewolf’s mind: How could he? He was brought out of his dark musings by Professor McGonagall entering the Hospital Wing.

“You wanted to see me, Albus?� she asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Dumbledore looked at her, the twinkle in his eyes extinguished.

“Minerva, alert the Order.�

---

And there you have chapter five, everyone! I know it is a bit different and I still left you hanging, but the next chapter will show Harry’s fate. By the way, the interior monologue with Ginny was an idea I got from a one-shot I wrote. Everyone talks to themselves and even answer back when they are stressed or upset (as weird as that may sound), so I thought it would be a good touch. Well, I hope you enjoyed chapter five (another tough one for me to write). Yes, if you didn’t notice, this story will include some mild H/G shipping, but it will not be a huge point. There will be a few parts where this is included but that’s all. Thanks for reading and please review!
~Moony

Harry’s feet hit the floor and he fell to his knees. Trying to control the wave of dizziness and nausea that threatened to overtake him, he took the opportunity to observe his surroundings. He was in a cold, dark room with stone walls. The damp and dank chamber gave Harry the impression that he was in some sort of underground hideout. There was an echoing drip of water in the distance but, other than that, there was no sound in the small room.

Wormtail, after tucking the Portkey into the inner pocket of his robes, dragged Harry up roughly by the arm and quickly transfigured the boy’s pajamas into plain, black robes. “Let’s go,� he said shortly, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder and guiding him to a wooden door on the far end of the room.

The two exited the chamber, walked down a long corridor, two flights of steps, and then another corridor before they finally stopped. Harry no longer felt any pain or weakness as his body had become numb from the cold. Ahead of him, he saw a heavy wooden door with a guard on either side. Both were dressed in black robes, their eyes glinting menacingly through the slits in their hoods.

“I’m here to deliver the boy to the Dark Lord, so you can step aside,� Wormtail said coldly.

Dark Lord? Harry thought, panicking slightly. What the bloody hell is a ‘Dark Lord’? And what does he want with me?

“Well, well,� one of the guards snickered, drawing Harry from his thoughts. “You finally found something useful to do for the Dark Lord, eh?� The other guard laughed as well.

“At least I had a more honorable duty to perform than merely standing guard,� Wormtail replied scathingly. Both guards stopped laughing and for a moment Harry thought that they might attack the rat-faced little man, but a high, cold voice from behind the door stopped them.

“Bring him in, Wormtail,� the voice hissed. The two guards grudgingly stood aside, not wishing to enrage their master, as Wormtail pushed open the door and pulled Harry inside with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean ‘missing’?� Molly Weasley had been angry before, but it had been nothing compared to how she was feeling now. Now, she was furious. By ten o’clock that same morning, the Order of the Phoenix was gathered together in the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. First, Dumbledore had informed them that Harry had suffered severe memory loss because of the Cruciatus curse, and now he was missing! How Mrs. Weasley asked herself, could Dumbledore have allowed this to happen?

“What exactly happened, Albus?� Professor McGonagall asked, her usually stern expression still unusually soft.

“From the information I was able to gather, Peter Pettigrew found a way into the school late last night. He took Harry by Portkey,� Dumbledore answered tiredly; it had been a long day and it wasn’t even noon yet. Tonks, who had been released from St. Mungo’s an hour earlier, spoke next.

“Where did he take him?� she inquired, her usually cheerful demeanor having evaporated. Now, she looked every bit the Auror that she was.

“Most likely to Voldemort.�

“And do we have any idea where that might be?� Her voice seemed to become lower and more dangerous by the second, startling those around her.

“At the moment, we do not.�

“Well, isn’t that just lovely,� she spat sarcastically, sitting back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. No one in the room had ever seen her look so angry.

“But,� Mrs. Weasley reentered the conversation, “how did he get into the school in the first place?�

“That… I do not know. He may have found a hole in the wards or a number of other alternatives. I haven’t been able to find where this weakness is yet, but I shall continue to try.�

This, however, did nothing to soften her expression. “I thought that Hogwarts was the safest place to be! And now you tell us that there may be ‘a hole in the wards’!� Mrs. Weasley’s temper was rising again. She still had two children and two who were as good as her own in the school. She had thought that Hogwarts was safe; this only proved that nowhere was a completely safe haven anymore. That thought, more than any other, was what scared her the most.

“What do you think You-Know-Who will do to him?� Arthur Weasley asked Dumbledore quietly. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, who had been given permission to attend the meeting, flinched. At the moment, none of them wanted to think about the many possible ways that the Dark Lord could possibly be torturing Harry. But, at Dumbledore’s answer, a million new ideas forcibly entered their minds.

“With Harry’s memory in its current state, there are many more options beside torture or death, I’m afraid,� the headmaster replied as calmly as possible, but no one missed the look of grim defeat in his eyes. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the wizard who could fix almost anything, was at a loss for the first time that any of them could remember.

Remus slammed his fist down on the table and Mrs. Weasley began to cry into her husband’s shoulder, her anger giving way to worry and fear. “Then, what do we do?� the werewolf demanded through clenched teeth. Much to his chagrin, no one was able to supply an answer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Wormtail closed the door behind himself and Harry, Harry surveyed his surroundings for a moment. They were in yet another cold, dark room with stone walls. This one, however, had a worn carpet covering the floor. At the far end of the chamber was a crackling fire, but it gave only a small amount of light and hardly any warmth at all. There was a throne-like chair in front of the fireplace, but its back was to the two new arrivals.

Wormtail seized Harry’s elbow and half-dragged him toward the throne. As they made their way around the chair, Harry just barely stifled his gasp. In the chair sat a man-or what Harry assumed to be a man. He had hands resembling large, pale spiders and red eyes. The pupils were actually more like cat-like slits, gleaming in the light of the fire. As Harry half-gaped at the figure, he began to speak softly.

“Hello, Harry Potter,� Lord Voldemort said in his high, cold voice.

---

Oh no! Another deviously evil cliffie! Sorry it’s so short, by the way. The problem is that the next part just had no break-off point. Trust me, I checked at least three times.

Oh, yeah! Ten points and an e-cookie to whoever figured out that every part of the description for Voldemort was taken (practically word for word, actually) from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 33: The Death Eaters, page 644, paragraph one. Okay, you don’t have to know ALL of that! And yes, that is my official description disclaimer. Thank you for reading, please review, and stay tuned for the next chapter! Thank you!
~Moony

“Hello, Harry Potter,� Lord Voldemort said in his high, cold voice. When Harry said nothing, Voldemort conjured an armchair and motioned for him to sit. “Leave us,� he hissed at Wormtail, who bowed. He backed slowly out of the room, eyeing the Dark Lord cautiously. As the door finally closed behind him, Voldemort returned his attention to Harry, who had remained standing, arms folded across his chest.

“Who are you?� Harry asked, sounding much more confident than he felt. As if he sensed this, Voldemort laughed; a cold, bone-chilling sound. Harry nearly cringed from the sound.

“All in good time, my dear boy,� he nearly hissed. “Sit.� Harry realized immediately that it was not an offer; it was a command. Finding the idea of keeping peace with this stranger for the moment quite appealing, Harry obliged. He sat in the armchair that had been conjured for him uncertainly, keeping his eyes locked on the floor. “Come now, Harry, don’t you remember?� Voldemort said almost kindly, but not without a slightly malicious gleam in his red eyes. It was time for his plan to begin in earnest.

“What do you mean? Remember what?� Harry inquired warily, looking up.

“I’d heard that you had lost your memory, but I hadn’t expected this,� the Dark Lord replied, putting his head in his hands to hide his triumphant smirk. That incompetent fool, Wormtail, had finally brought him information that was not only accurate, but useful for his malicious intentions.

“Are you going to tell me what you mean or not?� Harry asked irritably. He had been taken from a warm, comfortable bed in the middle of the night, was weak and confused, and had kept an exceptionally calm attitude through it all. Now, however, he allowed his temper to get the better of him as his mind demanded answers. Why was he here? Where was here? Who was this man? What was going on?

Voldemort sighed, lifting his head once more. “Well, you were fighting along with the rest of us when someone put the Cruciatus curse on you.� Before he could continue, Harry interrupted.

“The what?�

“The Cruciatus curse. It causes unbearable pain to its victims,� he explained, trying to keep the enthusiasm he held for the curse out of his voice. “You were kept under the curse for so long that we had thought you’d died.� Voldemort lowered his eyes to gaze dramatically into the fire; the perfect touch. “But they would have left you if you were dead. No, they took you with them instead. No doubt to fill your empty memory full of lies.� This part was spoken more to himself than Harry. He paused slightly before continuing, now speaking directly to the boy again. “What exactly did they tell you?�

Harry hesitated for a moment, uncertain of whether or not he should answer. “Not very much,� he admitted, shrugging. “They were mostly just asking me things that they thought would trigger memories.� He wasn’t sure where the Dark Lord was going with his questions, but decided that answering him was better than angering him. However, he remained wary of the other occupant of the room.

“I see…� Voldemort held his silence for a moment or two, making sure he had the perfect words for his plan. One wrong word could completely destroy everything. After all, he had to admit that, while naïve and young, Harry was hardly stupid. “Well,� he began, “I suppose I should explain everything. From the beginning.�

“The beginning?� Harry clarified. He was getting answers, but something in the deep recesses of his mind was saying that something wasn’t right. If this man was his friend, why did his… servant, for lack of better words, kidnap him? Before Harry could pursue this train of thought, though, Voldemort answered him.

“Yes. The very beginning,� the Dark Lord said solemnly, his eyes alive with suppressed glee. Now was the time. “Not long ago, Harry, you became a Death Eater.�

“A what?� Harry didn’t think that that sounded like a good thing, although the Dark Lord had seemed to mean it as a compliment. What good could possibly come from being something called a… Death Eater?

“A Death Eater; one of my followers.�

“Followers?� Harry really didn’t like the sound of that.

“To many, I am known as the ‘Dark Lord.’ My followers and I have been trying to make the Wizarding World a better place for a very long time, Harry,� Voldemort explained, choosing his words with great care. “We want to purify this world and make it fit for everyone to live in harmony with one another.� This statement nearly made Voldemort grimace. Live in harmony? Only fools like Dumbledore believed in these thoughts. “Those people that Wormtail took you away from are our enemy. They have been against my organization since the beginning.�

“But,� Harry interrupted, “they seemed just fine to me.�

“Of course they did,� Voldemort said sympathetically, laying a long-fingered hand on Harry’s shoulder. “They have wanted you on their side for a long time.�

“Why?�

“You are my most valuable servant, Harry. Without you, I would suffer quite a blow. They saw your loss of memory to be the perfect opportunity to convince you of your loyalty to their side and turn you against me. Their kindness was merely a front, dear boy.�

Harry mulled over Voldemort’s word for a while. Then, quite forcefully, he broke the silence. “So, let me get this straight,� he began, his voice a bit harsher than he had meant it to sound.

“Yes?� Voldemort almost hissed.

“I’m one of your followers?�

“Yes.�

“A… Death Eater?�

“Yes.�

“I have been for a while?�

“Yes.�

“And those people are the enemy?�

“Naturally.� The boy is falling for it perfectly, the Dark Lord thought with great satisfaction.

Harry had lapsed into silence once again. For some reason, in the back of his mind, he didn’t think he should trust this wizard or anyone in relation to him. Yet, in the predominant portion of his psyche, he couldn’t help but think that the Dark Lord’s words had made sense. The people he had been with had told him small, trivial details, but never the general picture. What were they hiding? Why hadn’t they ever told him anything deeper about who he was? They’d given him the necessities, like names and recent events, but nothing more… solid than that. Maybe it was because what Voldemort had told him was true… Maybe they were the enemy…He was brought out of his dark musings by Voldemort’s voice.

“I understand that this must be a bit overwhelming for you,� he began. “Perhaps after a good night’s sleep, things will be a bit clearer.� Harry nodded distractedly, still trying to determine the truth. Voldemort called loudly, “Severus?�

The door opened and Severus Snape entered the room, his eyes widening only momentarily as he laid eyes on the thoroughly-confused Boy-Who-Lived. “Yes, my lord?� he said smoothly as he bowed to the Dark Lord.

“Severus, I would like you to escort Harry to his quarters,� Voldemort replied evenly. Snape’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

“His quarters, my lord?�

“His quarters, Severus,� the Dark Lord hissed dangerously.

“Yes, my lord.� With that, Snape swept from the room, neither of its other occupants seeing the worried expression that crossed his features, darkening them momentarily.

“Well, Harry, I suppose I will say goodnight,� Voldemort said kindly. “We shall speak more on this matter later in the day.�

“Yes, sir.� Harry stood, making his way to the door. As he reached for the knob, he turned to look at the now-standing figure near the fire. “Thank you,� he said, leaving the room. The door closed behind him and Voldemort heard Harry and Snape walking away from his chamber. He sat back down in his seat and vanished the armchair that Harry had just vacated. As he stared into the dancing flames, a satisfied smirk spread slowly across his snake-like features. An outsider would have found that to be a more painful sight to see than the feeling of one hundred Cruciatus curses.

“No, Harry. Thank you.�

---

As I am a firm believer in the Snape-is-a-good-guy-but-still-a-git Theory, I had to include him in some way! There’s more to come between Harry and Voldemort, though, so do not worry… too much… I’ve always noticed that when someone with wicked intentions starts to twist the truth, the hero starts to doubt what he has been told or taught. That seemed to fit this chapter pretty well, so I hope you like it and, as always, please review!
~Moony

Harry awoke as suddenly as if he had been slapped. Taking in his surroundings, he felt slightly disoriented. After a moment, the memories of earlier that morning came back to him.

I’m… home, then? he asked himself, desperately hoping for his surroundings to trigger a memory. None came. Harry sighed, getting out of bed and stepping onto the cold, stone floor. Putting on his glasses, he took a look at his room now that he was fully awake. Like the rest of the chambers that he had been in, this one gave the distinct impression of an underground bunker. It was just as cold, damp, and dark, causing his spirits to sink. There were no windows and no furniture other than the bed and bedside table. The only source of light was a small, gas lamp that illuminated the entire room, as it was, at most, only about six feet by six feet.

Well, this certainly is a step up from the other place, Harry mused sarcastically. At that moment, however, he was pulled from his thoughts by the door opening. The man named Severus Snape entered, his face devoid of all emotion.

“Potter, the Dark Lord wishes to speak to you,� he said softly. “Follow me.�

Harry, who had fallen asleep in his plain, black robes that morning, obliged immediately. He followed Snape out of the room, closing the door behind him, and they started down the corridor together.

“Sir?� Harry began, unsure of how exactly he should address his companion. “What time is it?�

Funny, Snape mused silently for a moment, it takes him losing his memory to remember to address me as ‘sir.’ He smirked slightly as he answered, “It is noon.�

Harry nodded and the two walked on in silence. After about five minutes, they arrived in front of the same door that Wormtail had brought Harry to that morning. Snape turned to Harry and began to speak.

“You will have to wait inside. The Dark Lord has other—“ The scream of a man in the distance caused Snape to pause as Harry jumped, both looking in the direction of the sound. “…business to attend to,� Snape finished slowly after a moment, turning back to Harry. “He will be here shortly.�

Harry nodded again and walked into the room when Snape held the door ajar. After the boy was inside and the door closed, Snape stole a glance around himself to ensure that he was not being followed and set off toward the hideout’s exit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grimmauld Place was quiet, all of its inhabitants somberly awaiting news. Remus, Tonks, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat in the library with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. As all of the exams were over anyway, the three were allowed to leave Hogwarts early for the summer. They were also allowed to sit in on the Order meetings, given the circumstances, and had promised Neville and Luna updates as soon as possible on Harry’s whereabouts.

Jerking everyone out of their silence, the doorbell rang. Remus sighed as Mrs. Blacks shrieks began. “They couldn’t have just knocked?� He and Tonks left the room to see to the new arrival and the newly-awakened portraits.

When Remus opened the front door, he was surprised and more than a little nervous to see Severus Snape on the doorstep. The Potions Master was paler than usual and looked utterly exhausted as he stepped over the threshold. Remus closed and locked the door, turning to study the professor intently. The spy’s eyes met the gentle werewolf’s.

“I have news.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By half-past noon, the Order, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were once again seated around the table in the kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Snape stood as the others waited with baited breath for the new information. After a few moments, he began to speak.

“Potter is in the Dark Lord’s stronghold. Wormtail arrived with him early this morning,� he said, his impassive face never wavering.

“Is he okay? Is he hurt?� Mrs. Weasley asked quietly and anxiously. They all knew that Harry must have been taken to Voldemort, but none were sure of what He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would do to the boy.

“He is, as of yet, uninjured,� Snape answered. “The Dark Lord spoke to him in private between approximately midnight and one o’clock this morning.�

“What were they speaking about?� Dumbledore asked sharply, his eyes still devoid of their familiar twinkle. Snape sighed tiredly.

“I do not know.�

“What do you mean?� Remus practically snarled. “You’re the spy; it’s your job to know!� The thought of what Voldemort may have done to the boy weighed heavily on his mind, bringing his temper to rise to just below the surface.

“I am not privy to everything the Dark Lord says, Lupin,� sneered Snape in response. “All I know is that, after their conversation, Potter looked confused and rather overwhelmed, to say the least.�

“What happened afterward, Severus?� Dumbledore asked wearily.

“I was told to take Potter to his quarters. The Dark Lord gave the order casually; as if he often did. He also asked me to bring Potter to him just before I left. It is my duty to be his escort and guard.�

A long, tense silence followed Snape’s speech, everyone wondering what had happened and what was happening as they spoke. Finally, Tonks broke the silence.

“What do you think he’s up to, Dumbledore?� she asked softly. The old man sighed, looking closely at those gathered around him for the first time. The teenagers looked horrified and worried at the thought of what may have befallen their friend, Remus lost, Mrs. Weasley devastated, and the rest worried. He knew, in that moment, that it was not only their physical safety that was tied to the survival of the fifteen-year-old boy; if he died, so would their hope. He sighed, leaning forward slightly.

“He could be planning anything, I’m afraid. My greatest concern is that what he is telling Harry may cause him to doubt his loyalties,� he finally answered.

“What do you mean, Professor?� Ron interjected softly.

Dumbledore sighed again; he did not want to worry the children further with his suspicions, but knew better than to conceal them. “What I mean, Mr. Weasley, is that Voldemort may be trying to convince Harry that he is on his side.�

“But, surely,� Mrs. Weasley began, “he must know better than to trust him. You lot told him about You-Know-Who, right?� This question was directed at Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Remus buried his head in his hands and Hermione began to cry into Ron’s shoulder as he dropped his gaze to examine the floor. Ginny, however, was the one to put their thoughts into words.

“No,� she whispered fearfully. “We told him that a wizard started the war and killed his parents, but we never said who!�

“Oh, dear…� Mrs. Weasley cried, fear in her eyes. She did not want to believe the headmaster’s train of thought, but now knew that she had no choice; Harry knew nothing of the company that he was currently keeping.

“Funny,� Snape suddenly spoke from his seat. “With the boy’s position in the eyes of the Dark Lord, I would have thought that that would have been one of the first pieces of information that you gave him,� he sneered softly. This caused Hermione to only sob louder as Ron grew red and Ginny and Remus snarled at the professor.

“Funny,� Remus said sarcastically, “with Harry’s position in the eyes of the Dark Lord, I would have thought that you would have done something to get him out of there!�

“Oh, yes, and then have to explain the boy’s disappearance? Think, Lupin! How could I have done so without compromising my position as spy?� Snape responded, his voice full of venom.

“You could have—“ Remus began to retort before being interrupted by the headmaster.

“Please,� he said wearily, “this is neither the time nor the place for this argument. We need to work together, not fight amongst ourselves.� Harry had been gone for barely twelve hours and already the Order was disintegrating right before his eyes. “Remus, Severus could not risk his position. There was no way for him to remove Harry without doing so. Severus, this is a very trying time for many of us. Insults and sarcasm are not welcome.� Neither man said anything, but firmly avoided each other’s gazes.

“Headmaster?� Ginny asked quietly. “What happens now?� The old wizard looked at the young girl closely. He had known about her fancying Harry in her first years of Hogwarts. She had started seeing other people, however, when Harry hadn’t noticed her. He had thought that she was over him, but from the look in her eyes, he knew that he had been wrong again. He saw only worry and fear stronger than that of a friend in her eyes. One thing was very apparent at that moment: even if she didn’t know it herself, Ginny Weasley would never be over Harry Potter.

“What we need,� he began hesitantly, “is more information.� There was an instant uproar at the table.

“We can’t possibly wait any longer!�

“What’s the difference?�

“He needs to be out of there no matter the amount of information!�

“Silence!� Mad-Eye Moody, who had remained silent thus far, roared. “He’s right. If Potter’s head is full of lies, we can’t take him.�

“Why not?� Ron inquired heatedly.

“If he thinks we’re the enemy, things could get even more complicated, Ron.� Surprisingly, it was Hermione who answered him. “He’d only resent us if we took him by force. We need to know more before we rush into anything.� It was painful to have to say, but she knew that she was right. Harry would be confused enough without who he thought was the enemy kidnapping him.

“Well said, Miss Granger,� Dumbledore said, smiling gently. “For now, all we can do is wait. Severus, find out as much as you can.� Snape nodded.

“I will.�

Remus looked at the others around him, taking in the teenagers’ tear-streaked faces before burying his head once again in his hands. The fate of Harry Potter, son of the “arrogant� James Potter and “Mudblood� Lily Potter, was in the hands of the man who hated the boy the most.

Great, Remus thought grimly. This is going to be interesting. And, for the first time since James and Lily had died, Remus felt a tear slide down his cheek as the teenagers’ tears had, dripping helplessly onto the floor.

---

Well, there you have chapter eight. It hadn’t planned for it to be that long, but when I started writing it, it kind of took on a mind of its own! Oh, well! I hope you like it! For those who were reading this before it was deleted, you should know that the next chapter is the first one that you haven't read yet. Thank you for riding and you may exit through the review section and gift shop. Thank you!
~Moony ;D

Harry paced in front of the fire, lost in thought. It had been almost an hour since Snape had retrieved him from his room; where was the Dark Lord? What was taking him so long? Still unsure of what he had been told, Harry weighed his options carefully.

The others, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny mostly, had seemed to know him well. The memories that they had tried to trigger had seemed so real to them. But what if they had only been lying? What if they had only been trying to use him; to manipulate him? After all, they had been very selective about what they had told him. They had told him a few names and a few events, but that was all. They were in the middle of a war, yet none of them had informed him of what position he held in it; what side he was on. They all seemed to have one; what was his?

Maybe it didn’t occur to them at the time, he tried to reason with himself. In all fairness, they were probably more concerned with his memory loss than telling him what side of the war he resided on… He mentally snorted. How could they possibly forget something so important?

Then again, he had felt so… comfortable with them. It had felt right to be in their presence, as if they really were who they said they were. They felt like friends even if he couldn’t remember any of them… But of course they did! When he woke up, the first people he saw were them. They were the ones that gave him his first pieces of information. So he had trusted them from the beginning, making them seem like friends to him.

These people that he was with now, though, were different. They seemed… darker, somehow. Then there was that tiny sense of distrust when it came to all of them, as well. Even without knowing Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny at first, he hadn’t felt this way toward them. He felt that it was right to trust them… this was different. This was instinctive, but he couldn’t quite find a way to rationalize this feeling. They had been kind enough to him so far; told him of his involvement in the war, which was more than he could say for the others. Other than that nagging feeling that he couldn’t quite shake, nothing seemed to be too out of place. Then, an even more disturbing thought came to him.

What if these people were the ones trying to fool him? What if they were the wrong side in the war? After all, ‘Death Eater’ didn’t sound like a very inviting title…

Before he could continue to examine both sides of his present situation, the door opened and Voldemort entered with Wormtail at his heels. The latter was carrying a tray laden with food. It was not until that moment that Harry realized that he was hungry, having not eaten since early in the previous evening. Voldemort conjured a table and two chairs, motioning for Wormtail to set the food down. The rat-faced little man did so and then bowed low to the Dark Lord, silently leaving the room. Voldemort sat, gesturing for Harry to do the same.

“Well, Harry, I take it that you slept well?� the Dark Lord asked conversationally, his voice deceptively friendly; he still had to keep up pretenses.

“Yes, sir.� Harry was still wary of the man sitting across from him and chose to take a bite of a sandwich rather than speak, trying to buy himself some time before the Dark Lord asked the inevitable. Voldemort ate an apple silently, pondering his next approach; apparently the boy was still uncertain of which side was telling him the truth. After a moment, he spoke again.

“Have you thought about our previous conversation at all?�

Harry hesitated a moment. “Yes, sir.�

“And?� Voldemort hissed, growing slightly impatient. This emotion caused Harry to feel an uncomfortable prickling in his scar. Attributing it to his confusion causing a headache, he shrugged it off and began to carefully consider his options one again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus Snape strode through the dark, dank corridors of the Dark Lord’s stronghold. His thoughts were a swirling mess as he considered the possible methods of finding the information that he needed. Then, another thought entered his mind, causing him to mentally snort.

Why am I concerned? In my opinion, the world would be much better off without yet another arrogant Potter. He pondered this a moment and then sighed to himself, admitting that the boy did seem to be at least a small percentage less conceited than his father before him.

Besides, he wasn’t doing this for the one student that he hated above all of the others; he was doing this for Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. As Lupin had so kindly reminded him, it was his job to save Harry from whatever he was suffering or was going to suffer. Yet again.

So, pulling his mind away from the reasoning behind his actions, he again turned to pondering his next move. That was when he was Peter Pettigrew came around a corner up ahead and begin striding toward him.

Just what I need, Snape muttered to himself. Then it hit him; the stupid rat would certainly tell him that he wanted to know. A weak minded fool like him would boast about his capture of the boy and no doubt tell Snape everything that he wanted to know. Now, how to ask his questions without appearing suspicious… Before he could gather his plan completely, however, Wormtail was right on top of him.

“Wormtail,� Snape sneered in acknowledgement. Perhaps baiting would work… “Still haven’t found a useful task to perform for the Dark Lord, I see.� The smaller man’s face went red.

“Actually, I have managed to find something. In fact, it is something that you have not been able to achieve with five years of opportunity!� He seemed rather self-satisfied with his answer and seemed to think that Snape should be insulted, angry, anything! Snape, however, merely smirked.

“Oh, really? And what might that be?� Wormtail frowned.

“I brought him Harry Potter.�

“Oh, you did that?� Snape asked carelessly, picking a piece of dirt out from under his thumbnail. This worked perfectly, aggravating Wormtail even further.

“I performed the task that was crucial for the Dark Lord’s new plan!� he exclaimed indignantly. They were getting warmer now.

“A new plan, eh? Now, what, I wonder, could that be? Torturing the boy first or skipping the formalities and killing him immediately?� Snape, knowing of Wormtail’s ignorance of Snape himself being Harry’s escort and guard, could see the pathetic rat falling into his trap spectacularly.

“More brilliant than that,� he replied impatiently, waving off Snape’s suggestions. He lowered his voice conspiratorially although there was no one else around the pair, causing Snape to raise an eyebrow in mock interest. “He plans to use the boy against the Order of the Phoenix. The Dark Lord is convincing him of his loyalty to our side as we speak. When the boy begins fighting alongside us, he will be the ultimate weapon. Those fools in the Order of the Phoenix will be too busy trying not to hurt him that they will be unable to stop us!� he finished, looking quite pleased with the plan that he had just revealed. Snape sneered in response.

“Well, let us hope that this plan is as flawless as it seems to be.� With that, the Potions Master turned on his heel and walked away, now having the vital information that the Order needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry had finally come to a decision. This man sitting in front of him had given him his identity, unlike the other people. He’d done more than just tried to trigger memories that may not have even existed and gave him more than just names. So, ruthlessly squashing down his doubts and owing them to his previous uncertainties, he looked up at the Dark Lord.

“What you said makes sense,� he began slowly. “You told me a lot more about myself than just my past.� He paused, not sure what exactly to say next. This, however, seemed to be enough for Voldemort, who looked utterly and rather morbidly pleased with Harry’s decision.

“Excellent, my boy,� he nearly hissed. “Excellent. Tonight, we shall induct you once again into my ranks.� He stood. “Until then, you may return to your room. Severus?� Snape entered, taking in Voldemort’s apparent pleasure with some trepidation. Looking for a moment at Harry, his face hardened slightly for no apparent reason. He bowed low to the Dark Lord, making sure to keep his face impassive and his mind closed.

“Yes, my lord?�

“I would like you to take Harry back to his quarters,� Voldemort ordered as Snape stood, Harry following suit.

“As you wish, my lord.� Snape and Harry left the room, closing the door behind them. Neither of them heard the hiss from inside that was obviously meant to be a triumphant cackle.

---

And there you have chapter nine! It really isn’t much of a cliffie, but I’m sure that the suspense must still be there. By the way, the banner for the story is up on my profile and I hope that you will stop by to see it! And this chapter is dedicated to nuw255, the maker of the banner, since this is the chapter that he ultimately (and without knowing it at the time) made it to debut with. Thanks a ton, Nuw! Thanks for reading and I hope you aren’t too angry with me for putting Harry through all of this! Please review and I will see you at the next chapter!
~Moony

It was mid-afternoon before Severus Snape was able to leave Voldemort’s stronghold and Apparate to number twelve, Grimmauld Place. He walked up the worn steps and knocked on the front door, for once following Lupin’s directions not to ring the doorbell. The door opened, revealing Molly Weasley on the threshold. She paled upon seeing Snape and he could tell right away that she was trying to prepare herself for the worst.

“Severus,� she greeted him. “P-please come inside.� He obliged, watching silently as Mrs. Weasley closed and bolted the door.

When she turned back to face him, he asked, “Is Dumbledore here?�

“In the kitchen,� was her only response before she hurried him into the basement kitchen. At the table sat Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Mr. Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. All of them looked rather pale and tense. They looked up as the pair entered the kitchen, all but Dumbledore, Moody, and Kingsley eyeing Snape apprehensively. Mrs. Weasley ushered the Potions Master into a chair and then occupied the seat next to her husband. After a moment, Dumbledore broke the silence.

“What do you have to report, Severus?�

“I was able to obtain the details of the Dark Lord’s plan from Wormtail.� Remus unconsciously stiffened at the sound of his former friend’s name. “Apparently, the Dark Lord has managed to convince Potter that he is on their side.�

“What!� Hermione gasped, staring at Snape as though the man had lobsters crawling out of his ears.*

Snape continued as if there had been no interruption. “He is to be the ‘ultimate weapon,’ as Wormtail put it, against the Order. The Dark Lord believes that no one in the Order would dare fight back if there was even the slightest risk of hurting Potter.� There was a short pause.

“Wait a moment,� Remus spoke for the first time, startling the whole table with the harsh tone in his voice. “How do you know if he has convinced Harry yet? What if he hasn’t?�

“He has,� Snape replied solemnly.

“What makes you so sure?� Remus was not willing to believe what Snape had said, trying in any way that he could possibly think of to find a reason that the spy had been wrong.

“When I was called upon to escort him back to his quarters, I could see it in his mind. If you must know, I used a very weak form of Legilimency on him. He wasn’t expecting it nor was it strong enough to be detected, so he is, as of yet, unaware of my doing so. In their meeting, the Dark Lord was able to convince Potter of his loyalty to their side. His initiation is scheduled for this evening.�

Silence met Snape’s speech. Not even Dumbledore, Remus, or Hermione could find anything to form a reasonable doubt. “At what time?� Dumbledore asked finally.

“Eight o’clock. I am to be there along with all of the other Death Eaters.�

“Trust You-Know-Who to not hesitate now that he’s sunken his claws into Harry,� Tonks murmured darkly.

“What does an initiation entail, Professor?� Hermione inquired softly.

“It depends on the inductee,� Snape replied, remembering his own initiation all those years ago. “As it is Potter, I do not expect it to be easy, but it cannot be terribly difficult, either.�

“Why not?� Ron asked.

“Because the Dark Lord will want to ensure that Potter will be able to pass whatever test he is given. If it is too difficult, the entire plan will fail.� Another silence fell upon the room as its occupants all began pondering what would soon befall Harry.

“What can we do, Professor?� Ginny asked after what seemed like an eternity. The old wizard sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose wearily.

“There is nothing, I’m afraid.� All of their hearts sank further at these words. “All I can ask is that you watch over him, Severus, and report any new information.�

Snape sighed, the ever-lasting burden of looking after the famous Harry Potter becoming even heavier. “I will.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry flattened his robes, nervously awaiting the arrival of Snape, who would escort him to the initiation ceremony. After his meeting with Voldemort, Snape had given Harry a set of more formal black robes and left him with the instructions to be dressed in them by the time he returned. He had also conjured a small mirror, that was now hanging on the wall, for Harry to make sure that he was indeed presentable.

Looking at his reflection critically, Harry couldn’t find any great flaws. His robes were clean and had no wrinkles, his hair as flat as he could manage it, and his glasses as clean as he could polish them.

This is it, he thought, stepping away from the mirror. This is where I belong. We’re just making it official… again. He sat down on his bed and waited in silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Snape reentered the Dark Lord’s stronghold, noting the time. They were a half an hour away from Harry’s initiation. As the Potions Master strode in the direction of the boy’s chamber, he was stopped by the sound of voices approaching him. He ducked into a small closet to his left, leaving the door open a crack to eavesdrop on the unsuspecting Death Eaters. Suddenly, Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy rounded the corner.

“But what will the Dark Lord do with the boy, Bella?� Narcissa asked her sister. The latter cackled evilly before answering.

“Use him against the Order of the Phoenix, of course.�

“Well, of course he will! I already knew that. I meant, what will he do afterward?� Narcissa rephrased her question impatiently.

“Oh, after the Order and that Mudblood-loving Dumbledore are out of the way, you mean? The Dark Lord told me that he will claim his rightful title as the Lord of the Wizarding World and then, when all of those that would stand in his way are slaughtered, he will simply dispose of the boy.� Both women laughed as they continued down the corridor. Snape exited the closet with a grim expression on his face, having heard every word of the conversation, and hastily continued toward Harry’s room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry started when the door opened and Snape stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

“Are you ready, Potter?� the spy asked. Harry swallowed and nodded. “Then follow me.�

The two exited the room and began down the corridor. As they walked, Snape spoke softly to Harry. “We are going to the Audience Chamber, Potter. All of the Dark Lord’s followers who are not in Azkaban prison will be there as well. You will enter with me and we will go straight up the center aisle to the Dark Lord. I will then go to stand at the front of the group, but you will stay where you are. In order to be approved, you must perform a specific task for the Dark Lord. Refusing to do so will result in a… rather uncomfortable punishment. Do you understand?� Harry merely nodded mutely. “Very well. After the ceremony, you will wait for me; I will escort you back to your quarters.�

They walked on in silence after Snape had given Harry the instructions and were soon standing outside the Audience Chamber. For the final time, Snape turned to Harry. “Keep your eyes straight ahead; do not look at anyone other than the Dark Lord. Do not look him in the eyes, though, and bow when you reach him. Do you understand?� Once again, Harry nodded his head. Snape inclined his head and opened the door.

In front of the pair was a long, black carpet leading to a small stone dais on the far side of the room. On either side of the aisle stood many black-robed figures, their eyes glinting through slits in their hoods.

Making sure to keep his eyes straight ahead of him, Harry began to walk with Snape toward the dais. He was uncomfortably aware of every eye in the room following his progress. It seemed to take Harry and Snape an eternity to reach the stone dais. When they were almost there, Harry kept moving forward as he tried not to watch as Snape branched off from their path and joined the ranks of the other Death Eaters. Upon finally reaching the dais, Harry bowed on one knee, head down, in front of Voldemort.

“Welcome, Harry Potter,� Voldemort hissed softly, grinning broadly. “Please stand.� Harry did as he was told, keeping his eyes focused on a point straight ahead of him and the Dark Lord stepped down from the dais and circled him slowly. He didn’t speak again until he had once again taken his position atop the platform.

“Tonight, you shall be inducted into the Death Eaters… once again.� None of the Death Eaters present were confused by the last comment as every one of them had been briefed on the plan before the ceremony had started. “But first, you must prove that you are as worthy as you were before.� Voldemort had thought hard about the challenge that he would assign the young man. It couldn’t be too easy, but it couldn’t be too difficult for him to achieve. “Your task shall be to completely throw off the Imperius curse. As you do not remember what that is, I will tell you. It is a curse that allows me to control you. Your task is to overcome it, understood?� Harry nodded. “Excellent. Now, imperio!� He drew his wand in a flash, casting the spell before Harry could prepare himself.

Harry’s mind suddenly went blank, as if it had been wiped of all thought. It was a blissful, floating sensation… Then, the Dark Lord’s voice sounded somewhere in his head.

Take out your wand and break it in half, Voldelmort commanded.

Harry almost obliged, but stopped himself. “Why would I do that?� he asked silently.

Never mind that. Just do it. The voice was more insistent this time.

“No, I don’t think I will…�

Do it now !

“No, I won’t!� Harry became aware that he had actually yelled this out loud. Voldemort staggered slightly and Harry felt his mind being returned to him.

Of course, Snape was thinking. Make it hardly difficult at all so that the boy would succeed with ease. He stifled a smirk. Clever. Very clever.

“Well done, Harry. You were able to completely overcome the curse. You have passed your test. Kneel.� Harry once again bowed to the Dark Lord on one knee. “Hold out your left arm.� Harry obliged, watching as Voldemort pulled the sleeve up to Harry’s elbow and touched his wand to the boy’s forearm. The skin burned suddenly and Harry had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out.

Then, the burning sensation passed to be replaced by a raw, sore feeling. Harry almost gasped, however, when he looked back down at his forearm. On the skin was something like a vivid red tattoo in the shape of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth; the Dark Mark.

“When this feels warm or burns,� Voldemort continued, “you must report to me. Do you understand?�

Harry nodded, remembering Snape’s words to the Dark Lord after being given an order. “Yes, my lord.�

Voldemort grinned. “Welcome back to the Death Eaters, Harry Potter.� The other Death Eaters applauded softly before Voldemort spoke again. “You are all dismissed. Go back to your posts.� The crowd dispersed and eventually left the room as the Dark Lord disappeared through a door behind the dais. Snape, however, approached Harry, who was now cradling his left forearm. Snape found himself reliving in his mind the night of his initiation. Pushing these memories from his head, he knelt down next to Harry.

“Are you alright, Potter?�

“Yes, sir.� Snape knew that the boy was lying, but decided to let the matter lie. He reached over and helped Harry up, feeling slightly sorry for the boy for the first time that he could remember.

“Come. You should get some rest. I am quite sure that you will be given an assignment in the morning.� Harry nodded and allowed the Potions Master to steer him out of the Audience Chamber. One thought kept repeating itself in Snape’s mind:

Well, that’s over. No turning back now.

---

Well, there you have Harry’s initiation. I know that it isn’t spectacular, but if it was more difficult for Harry, he would have failed and the story would have ended here, wouldn’t it? If you made it through this chapter, then congratulations! It is the longest one so far!

*By the way, an e-cookie to anyone who realized that the quote “as though he had lobsters crawling out of his ears� was from the movie A Christmas Story. If it made you snicker a little bit in the face of all this darkness, then it has done its job!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Please review if you get a mo’.
~Moony

Harry awoke the next morning to find Snape shaking his shoulder slightly.

“Potter, the Dark Lord wishes to speak to you immediately.� Harry nodded, putting on his glasses and following the spy from the chamber. The pair walked in silence, not passing any of the other Death Eaters on their way to Voldemort’s chamber. When they arrived at the now familiar wooden door, Harry noticed that the usual guards were gone. Wondering slightly where they were, he watched as Snape knocked softly.

“Enter,� came Voldemort’s hiss of a voice. Snape opened the door and stepped aside to allow Harry to enter. The door swung shut behind the boy just as Snape turned on his heel and strode down the corridor. It was time for him to report to the Order.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ah, Harry,� the Dark Lord said in greeting as Harry bowed before him. Once again remembering the way that Snape had addressed his master, Harry responded carefully.

“You wanted to see me, my lord?� he asked, albeit awkwardly. It felt a bit uncomfortable to be saying those words to someone, but Harry knew that he would just have to get used to it. Apparently, his words were enough to please Voldemort. The older man grinned a rather disturbing mockery of a grin.

“Yes, Harry, I did. If you would rather, please take a seat.� Voldemort, still trying to keep up appearances, conjured an armchair for Harry and they both sat down. Harry, however, was still doing his best to avoid eye-contact with the Dark Lord as Snape had advised him. After a moment of silence, Voldemort spoke once more. “I called you here so early this morning to discuss your training.�

“Training, sir?� Harry asked, unsure of what training the man next to him could have in mind.

“Yes. With you having lost your memory, hopefully only temporarily,� he added with fake sympathy, “you cannot possibly hope to perform any magic. I mean, how could you cast a spell without remembering how to do so?� Harry thought about this for a moment before admitting to himself that he hadn’t even thought about that.

“I suppose I can’t, sir.� Voldemort nodded slowly.

“Of course, you can’t,� he hissed. “That is where your training shall come into play. We shall meet here every day at this time and practice. Hopefully your magic shall be… up to standards, so to speak, within the next couple of weeks. Snape will also be joining us and will teach you some of the finer points of the Dark Arts. He is quite the master.�

“Wait… the D-Dark Arts? Sir?� Harry added, forgetting himself for a moment. It did not matter that he had no memory of being in this man’s service; the term ‘Dark Arts’ sounded about as inviting as the title of ‘Death Eater’ did. Voldemort narrowed his eyes, his temper momentarily getting the better of him.

“Of course,� he replied. “You will have to relearn all of it. It may take a while, but I hope to have you on Snape’s level soon enough, as you were before.�

“Oh. So, I used the… er… Dark Arts before, sir?� Despite himself, that tiny seed of distrust had planted itself in Harry’s mind as he struggled to remember any time that he had used anything that seemed remotely like a… Dark Art.

Then, in a mere split-second, a bright white light flashed before Harry’s eyes, causing him to be unable to see anything. He was gone from the room, but could only hear voices. One he recognized as his own, but the other was entirely foreign to his ears.

Aaaaaah… did you love him, little baby Potter?

Crucio!

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the white flash evaporated into Voldemort’s chamber once again. In Harry’s ears, however, echoed a distant scream. He blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what had just happened to him. He hadn’t seen anything other than the white flash and the voices were distant and unclear, as if they were being held back by some invisible barrier placed in his mind. Before he could ponder what had happened any further, though, Voldemort’s voice shook him out of his reverie.

“You did, Harry, and you were more talented at them than those who are older than you.� The older man was unaware of anything unusual happening inside Harry’s confused mind, as the flash had been less than a second long.

Harry merely nodded, thinking. The Dark Lord had told him only moments before that he had used Dark Magic and then… that had happened. Maybe it was a memory! he thought to himself excitedly. I mean, anything that makes someone scream like that must be some sort of Dark Magic. Then, that was his proof. He had used Dark Magic before, so he had forgotten it along with everything else.

“Alright. When do we start, sir?� Harry addressed Voldemort, whose grin had widened even further, if it were possible.

“Right now.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Number twelve, Grimmauld Place was silent as the night when Snape entered. He went to the Drawing Room first, having seen the light on, and found Dumbledore, Remus, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking quietly. They all looked up, however, when he entered. As it was still early in the morning, the teenagers were still asleep.

“Severus,� Dumbledore greeted the Potions Master with a tired smile, motioning for him to sit in one of the chairs by the fire. “How was Harry’s initiation?� The occupants of the room straightened as Snape sat, sighed wearily, and proceeded to relate to them the details of the previous evening’s ceremony. When he reached the part about Harry receiving the Dark Mark, Mrs. Weasley began to sob in earnest and Remus paled, dropping his head into his hands.

Harry James Potter, son of his best friends James and Lily Potter, godson of the only decent Black in a long line of arrogant Purebloods, Sirius Black, had had his life ruined last night. He was now a part of the same group that he had vowed to fight. And that wasn’t even the worst part; the worst part was that he had no idea of what he had gotten himself into. He had been branded with the most dangerous, hated, and feared mark known to the Wizarding World to date, joined his sworn enemy, and couldn’t even remember anything about the brief fifteen years of his life. Even if it was in two different ways, Remus and Harry had found yet another trait in common. Both of them had had their lives ripped out of their control in the course of one single evening. For Remus, it was the night that he had been made a werewolf. For Harry, it was October 31, 1981 and the night before. Remus found himself desperately thinking, Why does it always have to be him?

To Mrs. Weasley, Harry was her own son. She had taken care of him since after his first year and now he wasn’t even their Harry anymore; he was a Death Eater. He had been marked and now he would be fighting against his friends and family. She had to admit, though, that Voldemort had not only been right, but extremely clever as well. Harry was the ultimate weapon against the Order. Personally, Molly Weasley knew that she would not, could not, risk hurting Harry if the opportunity presented itself in the future. That was it. It was over. The hope of the Wizarding World had been stolen from them and converted to doom. There was only one question left: What would happen to them all now?

Snape hesitated for moment before finishing his report. “The Dark Lord is training Potter to use his magic and has enlisted me in the task of teaching him the details of the Dark Arts.� There was a tense pause.

Dumbledore finally sighed, leaning back in his chair. After another moment, he spoke. “I can’t find a way to stop his training without risking your position, Severus. However, when his lessons are completed, am I right in assuming that he will be sent on a raid?� Snape nodded gravely. “Very well. We will have to wait until his first raid and then capture him as inconspicuously as possible.�

“So that’s it?� Mr. Weasley asked, suddenly sounding more agitated than any of them had ever heard him sound. “We do absolutely nothing until his training is over and he is taken on a mission?�

“There is nothing else that we can do, Arthur.� Surprisingly, it was Remus who answered him. As much as he did not like the idea of Harry learning any Dark Magic, he knew that there was absolutely no way to stop it. So, sighing heavily, he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, hoping that Harry’s first raid would not be too far off.

---

There you have chapter eleven! I’m sorry that it was a bit short, but I couldn’t put in anything else without making a chapter that you would spend an hour reading. Don’t worry, the next one will be longer! And now, as always, I will ask you to please review and thank you for reading! *throws confetti*
~Moony : )

The next week seemed to take an eternity for the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Snape had informed them that Harry had progressed past Shield Charms, Cutting Curses, Disarming Charms, and many of the more powerful spells that most students either learned in their sixth or seventh year or did not learn at all. Unfortunately, this meant that Snape would be assisting Voldemort with teaching Harry the Dark Arts before the start of July. Therefore, the last day of June found Harry, Voldemort, and Snape standing together in the Dark Lord’s chamber.

“Now, there are many forms of the Dark Arts, Harry,� Voldemort was saying. “We shall be working on three. These curses are classified by the Ministry of Magic as the ‘Unforgivable Curses.’ They are the Imperius Curse, the Cruciatus Curse, and the Killing Curse.�

Harry inwardly flinched; he didn’t like the idea of learning any of these curses. After all, the Cruciatus Curse was the reason that he couldn’t remember anything from before he woke up in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, the Imperius Curse had uncomfortably taken his mind almost completely out of his control, and who would want to use something known as the ‘Killing Curse?’ However, Harry ruthlessly pushed all of these thoughts out of his head as he told himself that if this was the type of person that he had been before, then so be it.

“We shall start with the Imperius Curse. Wormtail!� Voldemort called loudly. The door opened and a rather nervous-looking Peter Pettigrew entered. “It will be easier for you to learn the curse by trying it on someone with a relatively… weaker mind.� Wormtail looked momentarily indignant, but hid this swiftly as Voldemort went to stand behind Harry. “Now,� he hissed softly, “concentrate all of your energy on controlling him. Focus on a want or need to make him do whatever you desire.�

Harry nodded mutely, telling himself silently that he wanted to control Wormtail.

Why, though? This question echoed in the back of his mind. What would controlling him do? What would it prove? That I can take advantage of people against their will? Harry took a deep breath and once again pushed these thoughts away without hesitation. He had to do this. As long as it stood a chance of helping him to remember his past, he couldn’t care less if performing the curse properly held a purpose. He took another deep breath, pointed his wand at Wormtail, and muttered, “Imperio!�

Snape, looking on from the other side of the room, was astonished to see Wormtail’s eyes become glassy as Harry finished saying the incantation; the boy had succeeded in performing the Imperius Curse. Lovely, he thought grimly to himself, sure to keep his face impassive. I am sure that Dumbledore will find this quite interesting. The Golden Boy can do a perfect Imperius Curse.

While Snape was thinking this, Harry was surprised and more than a little uncomfortable to find himself not only seeing through his own eyes, but Wormtail’s as well. He decided to test the waters and gave him a simple order.

B-bow down…

Wormtail showed no signs of resistance toward Harry as he got down on one knee and bowed his head. Harry flicked his wand upward, breaking the spell, as Voldemort clapped him on the shoulder in a satisfied way and Wormtail struggled to stand up.

“Excellent, Harry. Well done,� the Dark Lord hissed. In all honesty, he had not expected the boy to master the spell as quickly as he had and found it not only to be convenient, but useful. “Now, we shall begin work on the Cruciatus Curse. Bella!� he called loudly once more before the door opened and Bellatrix Lestrange strode in, a smirk playing on the sides of her mouth, as Wormtail began to inch his way toward the door. “Stay, Wormtail,� Voldemort hissed as he realized this. “Harry will need a test subject, won’t he?�

Wormtail shivered involuntarily, his nervousness fading to be replaced by fear. He nodded shakily and Voldemort continued. “Bellatrix will teach you the Cruciatus Curse, Harry.� As Voldemort stepped aside, Bellatrix came forward and looked down at Harry critically.

“The only way to work this curse, Potter, is to want to really cause pain. You have to mean it; to enjoy it. Performing this curse for the sake of doing so or even because of… righteous anger will not make it work. For example, I once tortured two people into insanity with this curse.� Bellatrix stopped, looking morbidly pleased with her ‘accomplishment.’ The sight made Harry visibly flinch, trying to figure out how anyone could possibly enjoy causing such terrible pain to others.

“So,� she continued briskly, coming closer to him and looking him dead in the eye, “you need to concentrate on the joy of causing pain. Think of revenge. Think of wanting to cause someone the same pain that you have felt at one time or another. Think of the pain of loss, hurt, and betrayal.� She circled him as she spoke, coming to a halt right behind him, looking at Wormtail coldly. “The incantation is ‘Crucio!’ Now, you try.�

Harry thought of the pain of waking up to find that he had no idea where he was or who he was. That should be good enough, he thought to himself. He pointed his wand at Wormtail and muttered, “Crucio!�

Nothing happened. Bellatrix hissed in frustration. “You weren’t concentrating hard enough, Potter! Now try it again!�

Harry closed his eyes, determined to do it this time, and took yet another deep breath. He though of Voldemort telling him that Remus, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Professor Dumbledore had been the reason that he couldn’t remember his past. He thought of the pain that he had felt when he had woken up for the first time in the Hospital Wing. And last, he thought of the anger, hurt, and pain that he had felt when he found out that those… that they had only been acting like his friends for manipulate and use him. He easily let his feelings of anger, hurt, pain, betrayal, and frustration rise to just beneath the surface. Even Snape was surprised to see Harry open his eyes to reveal them burning with an emerald fire. Harry raised his wand, pointed it at Wormtail once more, and bellowed, “Crucio!�

Wormtail screamed and fell to the floor, writhing in agonizing pain. Snape looked at Harry, whose eyes revealed his inner horror at what he was doing, and Bellatrix, who ruffled the boy’s hair proudly, forgetting for a moment who he was. Last, he hazarded a glance at the Dark Lord. The snake-like man was positively beaming at the young man, a disturbing sight. While his eyes held a malicious glint, Snape sensed another emotion as well… Was it pride? Triumph? Or something else?

Wormtail stopped screaming as Harry once again flicked his wand up. The rat-faced little man lay on the floor, panting.

“Perfect,� Bellatrix almost purred, putting a hand on Harry’s slightly shaking shoulder. “Absolutely perfect.�

“It was at that, Bella,� Voldemort agreed, wondering again how the boy had been able to produce such a strong curse at such a young age. “Now, let us move on to the final stage. Severus, if you will.� Snape stepped forward, not missing the flash of apprehension in Harry’s eyes.

“While the Cruciatus Curse needs to be supported by pain, Potter, the Killing Curse does not. You need to put all of the hatred that you possess into this curse, instead.�

While Snape was speaking, Wormtail managed to begin to crawl toward the door. Voldemort, however, had different plans for the former Marauder.

“I told you to stay, Wormtail,� he hissed softly and dangerously. Wormtail visibly paled.

“B-b-but, my l-lor-d…�

“Silence!� The rat-faced man fell silent at Voldemort’s cold glare. “Continue, Severus.�

“The incantation for the curse is, ‘Avada Kedavra!’ Now, Potter,� Snape continued as if there had been no interruption, “close your eyes.� Harry did as he was told, his terror at what he was being asked to do evident all over his face. Snape strode forward, now speaking only loud enough for Harry alone to hear him. “Empty your mind of all thoughts. Then, focus all of your mind on all that you hate.�

Harry’s thoughts went immediately to Dumbledore, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Anger and hatred filled him as he thought once again of how they had lied to him; tried to manipulate him. They had convinced him that they were his friends… Oh, how he hated them! They had stolen his memory, tried to convince him that he was on their side… Then, as he focused on harnessing his hatred, Harry was surprised to see Voldemort’s picture flash through his mind. When this happened, a hate greater than any he had felt toward the others filled him. Taking this as himself hating what Voldemort had told him on that morning almost a month ago, he harnessed it instead. He opened his eyes and Snape stepped aside to reveal a pale and trembling Wormtail. Harry raised his wand as his hatred finally reached its peak.

�Avada Kedavra!�

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Left you hanging again? Whoops! So sorry. Or not! ; P This chapter is dedicated to nuw255 and LovelyxLena as they expressed the most… interesting thoughts on how to handle Mr. Pettigrew before this was deleted. I hope you enjoyed (I guess that can be the effect…) his fate so far and thanks for the laugh, guys, and that you get time to read it, Lena!

That is chapter twelve which means that the next chapter is chapter thirteen! Yay! Thank you for reading and I hope you will leave a review on your way out! ; )
~Moony

Avada Kedavra!

A jet of green light flashed out of Harry’s wand, flying straight at a helpless Wormtail and hitting him in the chest. The little man was blasted through the air and landed on his back a few feet away, unmoving. Snape kept his expression unfathomable as he glanced over to see that Harry looked numbly horrified, Bellatrix had an expression of mingled pride and astonishment, and Voldemort simply looked as though Christmas had come early this year. All of this was dashed, though, as they heard a soft groan coming from the “corpse�.

Wormtail slowly sat up, his hands covering the lower part of his face for some reason. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, although he couldn’t quite understand why he hadn’t been able to do it, hoping that the Dark Lord wouldn’t punish him for failing. He cringed as Voldemort moved, but the snake-like man simply stalked past him to where Wormtail sat on the floor. The others in the room watched as Voldemort grabbed Wormtail’s arm and wrenched his hand away from his face, revealing…

A nosebleed. He had been trying to cover up the blood that was currently pouring from his nostrils. The Dark Lord released his hand, waving his wand and stemming the blood flow. As Pettigrew bowed in thanks, unable to say it, Voldemort walked over to where Harry still stood watching. “That was an excellent try, Harry. Many would have gotten no effect whatsoever from that spell on their first try. Quite remarkable,� he hissed, a strange gleam in his eyes.

“T-thank you, my lord,� Harry said uncertainly, wondering what was going to happen now.

“We never really gave you a demonstration, of course, which may have been why you weren’t as successful as we had hoped,� Voldemort continued, watching Harry carefully.

“Y-yes, my lord,� he replied, wondering where this was going. Before he had a chance to consider what was happening, he watched Voldemort point his wand at the rat-faced little man on the floor, hissing the Killing Curse. Wormtail didn’t have time to even think of escaping the curse and the room watched as it hit him in the chest, sending him careening into the wall and falling into a heap on the ground, clearly dead this time. Harry stared, gulping at the sight, as Voldemort put his wand away calmly and turned to face him again.

“That, Harry, is a perfectly executed curse. With a bit more experience, you will be able to do the same, as all of us can,� he addressed him before turning to Bellatrix and Snape. “It looks like it may be time for another assignment. We failed to retrieve the Prophecy, but no matter. There are other things that are of equal value elsewhere.� Both of the Death Eaters nodded, waiting for the rest. Voldemort walked over to his seat, waiting for the other three to come before him on one knee before speaking again.

Harry wasn’t quite sure what was meant by “prophecy�, but it was apparently important. Something in the back of his mind told him that it was something big, but he couldn’t place why.

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The doorbell rang at number twelve Grimmauld Place and the house was immediately filled with the shrieks and bellows of Mrs. Black. Remus and Tonks were able to subdue her while Molly Weasley opened the door, anxiously eyeing Snape as she invited him over the threshold.

“He isn’t here right now,� Remus said to the other man when they all went into the parlour. “Dumbledore said that he had to finish up some work at the school and that he would be back soon.� Just as he finished his statement, though, the one that they had been talking about suddenly appeared in the fireplace, stepping out into the room and brushing the soot off of his robes.

Looking solemnly at Snape, Dumbledore asked, “What’s going on now, Severus?� while gesturing for all of them to sit. Snape waited for a moment, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

“Potter was able to perform both the Imperius and Cruciatus curses almost perfectly. He had more trouble with the Killing Curse, as I had expected he would in the first place,� he continued, not giving Mrs. Weasley a chance to interrupt him. “The worst damage the boy was able to invoke was a nosebleed, though that is admittedly more than most would be able to do on their first try,� he added, speaking directly to the headmaster now.

Dumbledore merely nodded thoughtfully. “Very well. Is there anything else, Severus?� Snape nodded.

“Yes, sir. Peter Pettigrew is dead.� Remus perked up at this, waiting to hear more. “He was the one that the boy was to practise on. When he couldn’t kill him, the Dark Lord decided that it was time for a bit of a demonstration to give him the idea of what the curse could do. The rat has now been disposed of, so I won’t be able to get as much information as I was before.� The older professor sighed.

“That is unfortunate, but I suppose we should have expected it from the beginning; he was of little use in the first place. What else?� There was a slight pause before…

“The first raid is in two weeks.� The other three immediately had something to say, all of them asking questions about when, where, how, what was going to happen. Dumbledore silenced them with a wave of his hand.

“Where?�

“Gringotts,� Snape replied, his face still kept expressionless as the headmaster sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily.

“That was not too far in coming. Do you ha—“

“He was adamant in not giving out any details until we are nearer to the raid. I know nothing for the moment.� By the look on both Molly’s and Remus’ faces, they could have quite happily strangled the potions master right at that very moment but were holding themselves back as best they could. “I can report in the day before to give you all of the information, but that is the best I can do for the moment,� he added, speaking mostly to Dumbledore, who nodded to him.

“Thank you, Severus. If that will be all, I suggest we take the rest of the evening to relax. We can try to form a plan from what we have tomorrow. After that… all we can do is wait, I suppose.� The room nodded nearly in unison.

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Right outside the parlour door, Ron and Ginny exchanged a look before moving quietly to the stairs to tell Hermione what they had heard.

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I am so sorry that this took so long! With school, finals, the RP, and a few things at home, I haven’t really had the time to do much in the way of working on this story. But I have good news: I am back and ready for action! I deserve to be slapped with a few wet noodles for the wait, so I really am very sorry… It is a short chapter, but I hope to have a better one as the raid comes up and you see just what happens to Harry. Of course, I found it rather funny that most of you figured I would have Harry kill Wormtail! Come on; he’s Harry. He couldn’t do that even if he thought he wanted to! Oh and the nosebleed thing is from GoF, where Moody says that the students in the class could all say the incantation for the Killing Curse and not even give him a nosebleed.

Anyway, thanks for reading, sorry once again, and please drop a review! Over one hundred already! Thank you so much everyone!

~Miss Moony

The days were going by faster now, creating almost a palpable anxiety in number twelve Grimmauld Place. The Order of the Phoenix had started making plans, but they were all simply blind guesses and stabs in the dark at what the Dark Lord had planned in his upcoming attack on Gringotts Bank. None of the Death Eaters, even those in Voldemort’s innermost circle, had been given any specific details on what was to be happening that day. This made the Order uneasy, knowing that they only had one chance and that without vital information, it would more than likely end in massacre rather than victory. That didn’t stop them, though, and they kept preparing themselves until the day before the attack had been planned. Although they didn’t know it, there were a few unexpected additions to those who wanted to fight.

“Mum, why not?!�

Ginny Weasley stood in the kitchen of number twelve, nearly toe-to-toe with her mother as the two hotheaded Weasleys argued. Ron and Hermione stood in the doorway, Ron’s ears turning red in what looked like embarrassment as Hermione suddenly seemed to find her shoes immensely interesting.

“You shouldn’t have even heard what we were saying much less expect us to let the lot of you join in, Ginevra Weasley!� she shouted angrily, her face turning the usual Weasley red.

“First of all, you were the one that didn’t put the Imperturbable Charm on the door, so anyone could have happened by and heard what you were saying,� Ginny said in an eerily calm voice. “Second, what is so wrong with us going? We’re almost of age and it isn’t like we didn’t fight in the Ministry last month!�

Molly’s face, if it was possible, became redder than it had been. “You were never supposed to be there anyway, so you can’t possibly bring that into this. It has nothing to do wi—“

“How can it have nothing to do with this?! It shows that we can fight and take care of ourselves! If anything, that should be the most important thing to look at in this situation!� replied Ginny, starting to raise her voice as well now.

That had Mrs. Weasley stumped for a moment before: “You are too young to be involved in this, and that is final.� Her assertion came out low and deadly, clearly trying to close the subject before things got worse. Ginny simply folded her arms across her chest and gave her mother a skeptic look.

“How can we be too young? Look at Ron and Hermione: they are going to be of age this year. We all fought at the Ministry against dozens of Death Eaters and came through it just fine. Why can’t you just trust that we aren’t kids anymore and have to be involved in some of this?� Her voice wasn’t angry anymore, her gaze searching as she waited for an answer that Mrs. Weasley couldn’t seem to come up with a sensible answer to. There was a thick silence between the two, only broken by their still heavy breathing. After a few moments, someone else entered the kitchen.

“I beg your pardon, Molly, but I do believe that young Miss Weasley has a fair point in her argument,� Dumbledore said, slipping past Ron and Hermione into the kitchen, sitting down at the table and fixing all of them with a sharp gaze. Mrs. Weasley looked like she was ready to argue with him, but he raised a hand for silence. “Unfortunately, we might need all of the help that we can possibly hope to get.�

He finished his statement in a mild and slightly apologetic tone, sitting back in his chair and rubbing the bridge of his nose as he continued. “I do not have control over what you do with your own children, but if Miss Granger wishes to fight alongside the Order, I cannot stop her. She will be of age in a month, and that means that she can make the decision.�

Hermione finally looked up from the floor at the headmaster, nodding her head. “Of course I’ll help.�

“Very well then,� Dumbledore replied with a nod, looking back at Mrs. Weasley. “It is ultimately your decision, Molly. But my suggestion would differ from what you have been doing thus far.�

There was silence again, all of the teenagers watching Mrs. Weasley anxiously. She didn’t look like she knew what to so, shaking her head and putting a hand to her chin pensively. They were her children and much too young to have to be concerned in a war, but things had become personal the moment Wormtail had taken Harry from the Hospital Wing. And now even Dumbledore was saying that she should allow them to fight…

“Alright,� she finally caved, shaking her head as she moved to sit at the opposite end of the kitchen table from Dumbledore. “But only Ron. Ginny, you will stay her—“

“What?!

“Your brother will be of age this year; you will not. You are going to stay here, Ginevra Weasley!� Molly said in a deadly voice. Ginny glared at her before turning on her heel and stomping out of the kitchen. Everyone was silent for a moment before Dumbledore finally spoke again.

“This is expected to be an invasion of extreme proportions, I warn you, so there will be a great possibility of them being needed in the front with the rest.� Mrs. Weasley’s face paled for a moment before she finally nodded, realising that it couldn’t be helped.

“Fine. If that is the way it has to be,� she whispered as she tried to keep her eyes from tearing up. Dumbledore nodded and stood, brushing off his robes as he spoke once more.

“Thank you, Molly. And now, I do believe that the rest of the Order is waiting for us in the Library. You both,� he gestured in Ron and Hermione’s direction, “should attend as well.�

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It was dark and dank as the Death Eaters made their way to the Audience Chamber for the meeting. Tomorrow was the day of the attack, and they were all anxious to see what would happen to them. All of the ranks of the Dark Lord would be in the raid this time and they were bound and determined not to lose. Voldemort was nowhere to be seen as they made their way into the room, all congregating around the small stone dais, this time in the center of the room rather than the front. Harry entered with Snape, dressed as the rest were in black robes, inconspicuously rubbing his left forearm. The two went to the edge of the dais and waited with the rest for the Dark Lord to arrive. The volume of conversation was unusually quiet, all of them wondering what would be happening the following day.

Only a few moments later, the doors opened once more to admit the one they had been waiting for: their master. Those who were in front of the door parted to make an aisle way for him, all Death Eaters bowing down on one knee until Voldemort stepped up onto the platform. All remained silent as the group stood as one and awaited the Dark Lord’s commands. Voldemort, however, said nothing for a moment, smirking as he eyed his ranks. There were those of all ages here: some were known to have just gotten out of Hogwarts, others being followers from back in his earlier days. There were some who were missing, but they didn’t matter; if they weren’t here, they had been weak enough to be caught or had deserted. And no one deserts Lord Voldemort, he sneered to himself, clearing his throat before he began his speech in a menacing hiss.

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The Order was eerily quiet as they awaited…

“He’s here,� Remus said as he entered the Library with Snape in his wake, looking about as pale as ever. He stood in the centre of the room, waiting for complete silence (which didn’t take long) before speaking.

“At approximately nine o’clock tomorrow evening, just after sunset, the Death Eaters are going to be ready to leave headquarters. They will Apparate to the alleyway behind the bank and take it at different angles, some going in from the back, others from the front of the building. Once inside, those who entered from the front will be going to the main desk to retrieve all records of anyone who has money in the bank so that they may know who will be of use. Those who are going in through the back of the bank will be going directly to the vaults and using a new spell that the Dark Lord developed to break into the vaults and transport all of the gold that is contained within them to the headquarters.�

The silence hung thick before Dumbledore spoke from his seat. “Do you have any idea what they will be putting the gold toward?� Snape shook his head.

“Not at this time, no.� There were collective groans before the headmaster silenced them for Snape to speak again. “Potter will be in the group going in the front side. He will be stationed with myself and Bellatrix Lestrange to go to the main operating desk for the records. The Dark Lord felt that the vaults might be a bit much for him to handle on his first raid,� he finished. Most eyes turned back to Dumbledore as if watching a tennis match, waiting for his verdict.

“Once again he has made a mistake. Harry will be much easier to retrieve if he is in the front of the bank. Thank you for your information, Severus. And now,� he stood up and walked to a table in the centre of the room where Bill Weasley stood with the blueprints of the bank laid out in front of him. “I suggest we get to work.�

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It was mere minutes until nine o’clock and the Death Eaters were once again congregated in the Audience Chamber around the dais, split into two groups. The first stood to the back of the room, being the group that would be Apparating to the back of the bank. Nearer to the doors of the room stood another group of Death Eaters, this one containing Bellatrix, Snape, and Harry. Voldemort had only just entered, making his way to stand up on the stone dais and eyeing his followers with a sharp, snakelike gaze.

“My trusted followers, the time has come. Remember that there is no excuse for failure. You will be in and out of the bank before those idiots at the Ministry of Magic even know what is happening, and expect it to stay that way. Masks.� The large group collectively pulled up their hoods and donned their masks, waiting for his signal to leave. Harry took a deep breath, glad that the mask was hiding his nervous expression. Snape had warned him that any sign of fear would have the Dark Lord doubting his fidelity to the cause, that it would be better to keep his face as impossible to read as possible. The mask made it easier, but he was sure that his master could hear his heart beating; it was the only sound that he himself could hear at the moment.

Voldemort took one last look around before a smirk grew on his features. “Go now. And do not fail me.� All of the Death Eaters turned on the spot, disappearing from their safe house.

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Everything was prepared as the Order stood in the Library, waiting for the headmaster to arrive. There was no Order member absent, all of them having been included in this raid. In one corner of the room stood the Weasley family, all present except for Charlie and Percy of course. Mrs. Weasley looked about ready to cry at the fact that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stood alongside them, but she was holding herself back; this was no time to be weak. Remus and Tonks stood nearby with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Dedalus Diggle, speaking in hushed tones as they went over what they were to do once more.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Dumbledore finally arrived, half of the Hogwarts staff with him. The room fell silent as they waited for instructions.

“There has been no news from Severus, which means that the plan we constructed last night will be how we will be operating indeed.� There was a collective sigh of something related to relief at the idea that they wouldn’t have to make a new plan just minutes before they would have to be at the bank. “You all have your stations and your plans, so there is nothing left to do but go. Good luck.� Everyone nodded, looking at each other once before Disapparating out of number twelve to meet their enemies.

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Diagon Alley was quiet tonight, the streets empty. Most of the Wizarding World’s most popular areas had been given curfews by the Ministry for the citizen’s safety, unknowingly helping the Death Eaters in their mission. Only a few streetlights on this side of the alley were lit as they arrived, half at the front and half at the back of the bank. At both ends, a member went to the door of their respectable end, knocking twice before waiting a moment and then knocking thrice more. Each door opened almost simultaneously, two of the bank’s workers letting each group inside. Their blank stares made it almost impossible to miss the fact that they were not working by their own free will, held under the Imperius Curse.

Harry stayed with Bellatrix and Snape as they moved with the rest to the door, entering into the lobby of the bank and going quickly to the main desk. There were thousands of drawers behind it in the wall, each carrying hundreds (if not thousands) of records of the patrons to the bank. Snape nodded to Bellatrix and they took Harry to the very end of the row of drawers, the A-section, and beginning to magically scan each for the most important of these. Their masks were beginning to bother them, making it difficult to see the records through them. All of the others in their group had abandoned their masks and hoods, trying to get done as quickly as possible, so the three did the same. The movement beneath their feet could be heard as they knew their fellows were making their way down to the underground vaults. So far, the Dark Lord’s plan was going perfectly.

They had begun to find the wealthier names now, taking their records and magically transporting them back to the headquarters, continuing to search for more names and files that would be of value. In about ten minutes, the group had finished where they started on both ends (A- and Z-section), and they moved onto the B- and Y-sections. As the threesome began their scan of the B-section, Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and frowned. A moment later, the sound of a spell fired from Bellatrix’s wand at the front doors had him shoved down on the ground behind the desk by Snape. This had to look convincing.

“Potter, you need to get to the other side.�

Confused, Harry shook his head. “Wait, what?�

“Just do as I say, Potter,� Snape spat quietly, the sound of exploding spells as they missed their targets hiding his words from the others. “Get to the other side and go with the Order.�

“But wh—“

“Are you two going to be down there all day or are you going to join in the fun?� Bellatrix’s excited yell came from above them.

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The Order appeared in the alley, half in the front and half in the back. They would be taking the same route as the Death Eaters had, each making their way to the desk or the vaults respectively. On each end, the doors stood open just a crack, those who had permitted the Death Eater’s entrance lying unconscious on the ground just inside. After the signal from Kingsley, the first group moved into the front of the bank. They were silent as they listened to the enemy pillaging, moving to somewhere where they would be hidden from their eyes until absolutely necessary. They had taken cover behind desks on either side, split into two groups. Kingsley, Remus, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Ron, and Fred were on one side with other members of the Order while Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Bill, George, Dedalus, Mad-Eye Moody, and the rest were on the other, all crouched low to avoid being spotted.

The coming from the drawers stopped momentarily as they moved from one section to another and Remus looked across the lobby and nodded to Kingsley, poking his head up slowly from where they remained hidden, only enough to see where everyone was. On each of the far sides of the records drawers were two groups of Death Eaters. In the group to Remus’ far left, Harry was clearly visible with Snape and Bellatrix. The latter stopped what she was doing suddenly and Remus frowned confusedly, his eyes widening in surprise as she whipped around and shot a jet of green light right at his head, which he ducked back behind the desk once more. Her shot hit the wall, yet it alerted the others to their presence and soon the spells were flying, ricocheting off of the walls and pillars that were holding up the bank.

Abandoning their hiding spots, some of the Order members ran out from behind the desks to other places where they could get an easier shot with less chance of being hit. Remus’ job had been to try to spot Harry, but so far he was nowhere to be seen. Cursing silently, he ducked as a Stunner was sent careening his way and hit the wall instead, blowing chunks of concrete onto him as the battle went on around him. The Death Eaters weren’t giving up this fight easily, that much was certain.

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Harry eyed Snape cautiously as he listened to his instructions, not sure why he would want him to abandon the Dark Lord to go to the Order’s side after everything that he had been told. “Why would I—“

“You will understand after this is all over, but you are to get over there,� Snape tried to say as he shot a disarming spell over the desk in the general direction of the Order.

“No.� Snape looked back at Harry with an unfathomable expression on his face.

“Always like your father with your memory or otherwise, eh Potter?� he spat as he shot a Stunner this time.

“You haven’t given me one reason why I should go,� Harry came back with as he too shot a Stunner at the other group.

“It should be obvious, Potter!� Snape wasn’t able to say more, however, as Bellatrix came down behind the desk with them at that moment, her eyes alight with a sick and bloodthirsty pleasure.

“What do you say we have some fun, Harry?� she asked, having to say it loudly over the spells for him to hear. “Let’s play with their heads a bit.�

Harry looked from her to Snape and back, frowning as the potions master’s face remained completely nonchalant as he fired spell after spell at the Order. What is going on here…? He nodded at Bellatrix, making his decision quickly as he shoved his misgivings down and followed her in a crouch to the end of the main desk.

“We are going to run out and fire. Just for a moment and then back here, understood?� she said in a strict voice, not leaving any room for argument as Harry nodded and waited for her signal. After a few moments, she yelled, “Now!� an the two ran out into the thick of things, firing whatever spells they could as a few of the Order members also ran out into the open now, just as Bellatrix had planned.

Harry fired a Cruciatus at Kingsley, nearly hitting him as they crossed each other. However, it was he who was forced to duck as a Stunner was sent his way by who he recognised to be Hermione. She kept firing at him, but only spells to either incapacitate or disarm him, backing him up until he was cornered by a wall. He could see behind her that the rest of his group had abandoned their place behind the main desk, now fighting individual duels and duels in small groups. The floor was littered with the incapacitated, the injured, and the dead, but no one noticed that he had been trapped and needed help to get out of this one.

In supposed defeat as a new idea entered his head, Harry raised his hands above his head to where Hermione could see them, waiting until her wand dropped a fraction of an inch before striking. He yelled, Impedimenta! and aimed his wand in her direction, catching her off guard as she fired a Blasting Hex by accident, her spell going astray as she was knocked back and hitting the ceiling instead. Harry looked up as he saw the stone floor from above falling and covered his head with his arms, too late to stop the debris before the world went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione shot a Blasting Hex out from her wand, watching as the spell hit and dispersed a group of Death Eaters. She was about to land a Stunner on one that was fighting Mrs. Weasley when something else caught her eye: Kingsley had nearly been hit by a Cruciatus Curse. Looking for the source, she was surprised to see that it had been Harry casting the spell. She ran out from her hiding spot, Ron shouting for her not to, and engaged Harry as quickly as she could. Please don’t make me hurt you…

She had him backed up against the wall of the bank within moments and it looked as if he was about to surrender when he aimed his wand once more, catching her off guard as she tried to defend herself with a Blasting Hex. Knocked back by his Impediment Jinx, she watched her wand turn and the spell go awry, hitting the ceiling just above Harry. Her eyes widened in horror as part of the floor above fell away and landed in a heap.

“HARRY!�

---

Please don’t hate me or hold me responsible for what just happened. Even if it is really my fault… Well, yeah I guess you can hold me responsible, but please don’t hate me; this is where I was planning to go from the beginning and it hasn’t changed since. I would say I am sorry, but let’s face it folks: I am SO not sorry. Hope you enjoyed it and were on the edge of your seat as I had planned, and preferably don’t currently want to hunt me down for that last bit. All will be revealed in the next chapter, as well as the end being only another chapter or so away!

Thanks so much for bearing with my absence as well. As it turns out, the RPing that I have done has really helped with my amount of detail, which is one reason why this chapter is so much longer than the others. That and I had planned that too! Anyway, thanks so much again and I hope you will leave a review! (Hmm should I hide now or later…?)
~Miss Moony

It was dark. Everything hurt and he couldn’t seem to get his eyes to cooperate enough to open.

�SHE KILLED SIRIUS! SHE KILLED HIM—I’LL KILL HER!�

His head was swimming, making him squeeze his eyes even tighter to stop the headache that was forming in the back of his skull.

�DON’D GIB ID DO DEM!�

“There you are… Ha ha ha… You look funny, Harry… You’re all messed up…�

He tried to shake his head to clear it, but his neck protested and he found it too stiff to even move it a centimeter.

�About both of you, Potter, about both of you… Haven’t you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?�

“The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo.�

“HAGGER!�

“He’s got Padfoot! He’s got Padfoot at the place where it’s hidden!�

The echoes in his head were doing nothing for his headache, making it worse more than anything. His mind felt as if it was on overload and he couldn’t make sense of most of it.

�Voldemort’s got Sirius.�

“The thing about growing up with Fred and George is that you sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.� That was Ginny…

“Oh, I hope she tries Vanishing them next… They multiply by ten every time you try…�

“MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN�

“Clear your mind, Potter. Let go of all emotion.� Snape?

�It’s Ron’s dad. He’s been attacked by a snake and it’s serious, I saw it happen.�

“Ignore them, just ignore them.� Hermione. His head was throbbing fit to burst now…

�You were expelled?� Hagrid!

�Well, that clears that up. It would’ve been really annoying if you hadn’t explained yourself properly.� That was definitely Ron.

�Snuffles…�

“Teach us…“

“Hermione and me have stopped arguing…�

“To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects…�

“Molly doesn’t approve of Mundungus…�

“Back?�

“Dementors.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione was absolutely mortified, sitting in a corner of the Hospital Wing with Ron and trying not to think about what had happened. It was, needless to say, not working no matter how hard she tried to put it out of her mind. “I could have killed him!� she screeched when Ron reiterated for the tenth time that it wasn’t her fault.

“And he probably would have killed you if you hadn’t done what you did,� he attempted to reason with her. This, too, was not working.

“I didn’t even do it on purpose, though; I slipped.�

“Well, it is sort of his fault you did. He hit you with that Impediment curse, remember?� She nodded shakily, biting hard on her lip…

The section of the ceiling her spell had hit fell in a heap, sending an ear-splitting crash echoing all through the bank. The Order members and Death Eaters paid it no mind, though, all of them too concentrated on their own private fights to worry about hers. Hermione was speechless for a moment, her jaw dropping as she yelled, “HARRY!� and ran toward the rubble. Not a moment later, Ron was at her side, having seen everything from afar. She was nearly hysterical, but after he calmed her enough they began to attempt to move the wreckage magically and find Harry beneath it. They didn’t know whether he was even alive or not, but they still had to find him. Hermione was having trouble at first, as she was too distressed to be able to control the spell properly, and this was slowing their progress greatly.

Soon after they started, they were joined by Mrs. Weasley and Remus, both asking what had happened and what they were doing. They explained as they continued to try shifting the heavy stone, pausing only for a moment to see that the Order had rounded up about a dozen Death Eaters and the rest had disappeared, the bank eerily quiet. The two adults nodded, trying not to panic for the teenagers’ sake, and pulled their wands out as well, helping to shift some of the rock.

There was actually more of it than it had seemed when the ceiling caved in, so it took their combined efforts to move the wreckage. It seemed to take much longer than it actually did, Ron, Hermione, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks finally lifting all of the rock enough to find Harry underneath. He was hardly breathing when they did find him, and they knew enough to get him out of there as soon as possible, especially with the Ministry Aurors beginning to arrive at the scene. Tonks made a Portkey out of one of the small chunks of rock, holding it out for Remus, Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ron to take with Harry, and they disappeared, arriving a moment later in the Hogwarts Hospital wing. Dumbledore had told all of the Order members that there was to be no information given to the Ministry other than the fact that they had received intelligence about a raid that would be occurring at the bank, and nothing about Harry’s condition, before they had left for the bank.

Upon inspection, Madam Pomfrey had informed them that Harry would make a full recovery, though she would not know about his mental state until he was conscious. Ginny, after her mother had grudgingly allowed her to come to the school, had taken up residence with Remus next to Harry’s bed and was conversing with him quietly. Mrs. Weasley, despite being torn, had returned to Gringotts to make sure that the rest of her family had come through the fight safely, and Ron and Hermione had retreated to their corner of the Hospital Wing.

Hermione shook her head. “He wasn’t in his right mind, though. The Harry we know would never have done that.� Ron shrugged.

“Sure he wouldn’t have; he’s our best mate. But that wasn’t the Harry we know, so it’s totally different, Hermione.�

After a moment of pondering that answer, she sighed, “I guess you’re right.�

�Me?� he asked her, looking around himself with a mock-innocent expression on his face. “Are you sure it’s me you’re talking to? Maybe it’s you who should be in a bed.�

Grinning, Hermione laughed softly and shook her head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was in a maze, trying desperately to find something so that he could get out of this place…

A lake, trying to find something… or was it someone?

He was flying through the air, a dragon following just yards-or was it mere feet?-behind him…

Someone was shouting a welcome to the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch world cup…

He and Hermione were watching a hippogriff flying away into the distance…

For what seemed like the millionth time, he was being helped off the floor of a classroom after a Patronus lesson with Lupin…

Ginny was on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets, unconscious and deathly pale…

He, Ron, and Hermione were at Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party in the dungeons…

He was alone with Quirrel in front of a mirror…

Hermione was trying to remember what Professor Sprout had said about Devil’s Snare…

He was asking the Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin…

Hagrid had come to the hut and was telling him that he was a wizard, newly accepted to Hogwarts…

Dudley was thundering down the stairs right over where he was sleeping in the cupboard…

The sound of a motorbike…

A flash of green light…

A woman-his mother-was pleading for someone to spare his life…

A man-his father-was yelling for her to take him and run…

His head was killing him.

“Crucio!�

Harry writhed and screamed on the floor of the Atrium in the Ministry of Magic. As the pain from Voldemort’s curse ripped through his body, Harry found himself wishing that his enemy would simply finish him off. At least it would end the pain from the curse, the guilt from the death of Sirius, and the knowledge that he had gotten his friends hurt and almost killed.

As time stretched, Harry felt as if he was becoming detached. He wasn’t in his own body anymore, but watching from afar. The pain was gone and he couldn’t bring himself to be too concerned about his body, lying a few feet away. Then, as suddenly as the detached feeling came, it was gone, and the pain was fresh and renewed. He was sure that it would not be much longer before he died or went mad from the pain.

The curse had been on Harry for longer than he could count and he was beginning to feel numb as his hoarse yells died. The last thing he saw before a black mist covered his mind was an old wizard running out of one of the lifts.

After that, his memory went blank.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, what else happened?� Ginny was asking Remus, who was shaking his head with a slightly amused expression on his face.

“I’ve told you all that happened, Ginny.� She didn’t look convinced.

“Are you sure it isn’t that Mum told you not to tell me anything?�

Chuckling softly, he shook his head. “Of course not,� he began. “You are old enough to know what is going on, even if you aren’t old enough to be a part of it.�

This seemed to satisfy her and she nodded, sighing. “I can’t wait until I am old enough—“ He cut her off before she could finish her statement.

“Don’t be trying to grow up too fast. It isn’t all it is cracked up to be, Ginny, and you will be wishing soon enough that you can go back to the way you are now. Trust me,� he added when he saw her skeptic expression. Ginny, however, didn’t reply, shrugging her shoulders and sighing. “You’ll understand in a few years.�

“Yeah that’s what Mum keeps saying,� responded Ginny in a mumble, resting her elbow on her knee and laying her chin on her fist. Remus grinned.

“She’s a smart woman, and she is just trying to keep you safe.�

“Doesn’t stop it from being annoying, though.�

He nodded and honestly replied, “That’s true. Although, think of it like this: when you have kids someday, aren’t you going to be the same way?� She cringed and shook her head.

“No way!�

“You say that now,� he chuckled. “I’ll ask you again when that day comes.�

She rolled her eyes and grinned. “You do that, but the answer will still be the same, Remus.� It had been difficult to get used to calling him by his first name, but it wasn’t as if he were her professor anymore.

He simply shrugged and replied, “We’ll see.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The headmaster’s study was full this evening, the night after what had happened at Gringotts. Cornelius Fudge stood near Dumbledore’s desk, tapping his foot impatiently. Percy Weasley was a few feet away with a scroll of parchment, quill, and ink all tucked under his arm, just waiting for something worthy to take note of. Dolores Umbridge, having been rescued from the centaurs by Dumbledore himself, sat in one of the seats by his desk, a bit shaky but otherwise alright.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Dumbledore!� Fudge was exclaiming, eyeing the headmaster suspiciously. “How did you get the information about Gringotts before the Ministry? And why didn’t you alert us before you did anything about the matter?� Dumbledore shook his head calmly, a rather amused look on his face.

“Minister, if you will excuse me, the Order of the Phoenix has nothing to do with the Ministry, as I have already told you. It has been that way ever since its conception and it has so far remained so. As for how we received word in time to do something about the situation, that would be my own personal business rather than a Ministry matter.�

Percy looked scandalised, looking to the minister to say something. It wasn’t to be, though, as even Fudge was stumped, looking like a fish out of water with his mouth opening and closing a few times wordlessly. After a few minutes of silence, he gestured to the other two and walked to the door, having Percy help a still-shaky Umbridge out of it. “This isn’t over, Dumbledore,� he asserted before the door shut behind him.

The headmaster smiled knowingly and stood, walking over to Fawkes, nearly fully grown since what had happened at the Ministry a month or so ago and stroking his feathers.

---

There you are: a nice long one for you. Also, if you simply read through and took no notice: all of the quotes from the separate memories are taken straight from the books themselves, mostly from Order of the Phoenix. The italicised parts are the memories, for any of you that didn’t pick up on that. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and will leave a review! After a year of work on this story, the final chapter is on its way.
~Miss Moony

“Yeah, we even saw you use the Cruciatus. Nearly hit Kingsley, you did, but he got out of the way. It was bloody brilliant, mate,� Ron said enthusiastically before seeing the glare Hermione was sending his way. “Er… in a scary sort of way, that is.�

“Ronald, you really don’t have any sensitivity, do you?� Hermione sighed in an irritated manner, rolling her eyes at him when he looked confused.

“Well, it wa—OW!�

“You were wrong Hermione,� Ginny groaned, glaring as her brother rubbed the back of his head from her slap. “It isn’t even a teaspoon’s worth.�

Harry stifled a snicker as he watched the three of them: Ron’s eyes were shifting between Hermione and Ginny rapidly, a shocked expression on his face. “How did you know about that?� Hermione once again rolled her eyes and he looked at her for the answer.

“You don’t think that you and Harry are the only people I talk to, do you?� Ginny giggled at the answer and grinned at Harry, who rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the two.

Ron looked immediately contrite, realising that he had just made the same mistake again, as always. “Of course not, but my sister?�

The grin on Ginny’s face faded and she slipped into glaring at him again, one eyebrow raised. “And what is so wrong with me, big brother?� she asked in a dangerously calm voice.

“Alright, I don’t think that fighting in the Hospital Wing is going to make Madam Pomfrey’s job any easier,� another voice said. The four teenagers turned to see Remus striding into the room, looking worn and gray as ever.

“Where have you been?� Ron asked, making a face when Hermione looked at him skeptically. “What?� She just shook her head in disbelief, not bothering to answer as Remus did it for her.

“I had work to do for the Order, Ron.� The latter’s face cleared and he nodded, not seeing Ginny shoot Harry a look behind his back, to which he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at. It had been almost two days since what had happened at Gringotts and most of the time since they found out that Harry was back in his right mind had been spent filling him in on what had happened in the last month. When they had first started relating everything to him, Harry had had trouble believing that it could be true. But where else could he have disappeared to for a month? That and the fact that he had the Mark to prove what had happened. Madam Pomfrey had wrapped up his left arm and told him that Dumbledore was looking for any way to remove it, but so far nothing had been found. He just hoped that he wouldn’t have to bear this mark for the rest of his life, as he had to with his scar. Until they were able to remove it, he would be wearing the bandage around his arm and, as the matron had suggested, long sleeves.

His scar hadn’t bothered him in the two days since the attack, although the teenagers had expected it to. Dumbledore had not been to the Hospital Wing but once, so Remus had told them that Voldemort was most likely performing Occlumency of his own to keep Harry’s mind separate from his.

“Everything has been quiet since the raid at Gingotts, so it seems that Voldemort is laying low for a while to lull the Ministry into a false sense of security,� Remus was saying, shaking his head as he sat down heavily on a chair that he had just conjured for himself, the teenagers rapt in attention. “So far, Fudge is falling for it. He doesn’t want to cause an uproar—“

“How can it not? Once everyone finds out about the other ni—“

“The point, Harry, is that they won’t,� Remus cut him off, shaking his head again. “He is leaning heavily against the Prophet and any other form of accurate news.�

Ron sniggered. “I’m guessing he isn’t fussed over The Quibbler then, huh?� Hermione sent him a glare that could freeze fire while Ginny looked away, disgusted. Remus just smiled.

“He’s right, girls. But enough on that subject,� he said quickly as Molly Weasley entered the Hospital Wing, all of the teenagers stifling chuckles at his blatant disregard for Mrs. Weasley’s “no information� policy. Harry grinned, watching Ron roll his eyes as his mother proceed to fuss over the Boy-Who-Lived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry scuffed the toe of his trainer on the ground as he stood in front of the stairs to the headmaster’s study, not sure if he wanted to go up or not. After he had woken up in the Hospital Wing, everything had come back with painful realisation, remembering well who had deserted him, and who’s fault it was that Sirius was gone. All over some stupid prophecy that he couldn’t just get himself, he mused bitterly, taking a deep breath and going up the steps.

At the top, he knocked twice and waited to be told to enter before he did so, looking around as he closed the door. The room hadn’t changed much since the last time he had been in here earlier in the term: Fawkes’ perch where it always was, the bird being slightly smaller than before from its rebirth, the Sorting Hat in its proper place, and all of the strange instruments that Dumbledore seemed to collect whirring and buzzing. The headmaster was sitting behind his desk, looking up and smiling as Harry entered. “Good afternoon, Harry.�

The latter nodded, coming to stand in front of the desk and greeting the older man stiffly, “Afternoon, Professor.� Dumbledore gestured for him to sit and he did so, although he sat on the edge of the wooden seat as if ready to run at any given moment.

“I suppose you will be wondering why I asked you here.� Harry nodded, though he couldn’t say that he particularly cared.

“Yes, sir.�

Dumbledore sat back in his chair, his fingers steepled as he sat staring at the desk; it was very apparent that he had not wanted to have to wait to have this talk with Harry, but the memory loss factor had forced it. “First of all, Harry, I am sorry about Sirius. It was terrible that you were allowed so little time to get to know him.� There was silence for a moment, as Harry had merely nodded his acceptance, not for what had happened, but for the apology. “I must say, though, that you should have sought help from a member of the Order before you left the school.�

Harry’s eyes flashed as he took them off of the ground where they had been aimed up until now, looking at the headmaster skeptically. “Who was there to find?�

“Well, Professor Sna—“

“I told Snape what had happened and he just walked away; he didn’t even give any signs that he understood a word I said,� he said sullenly, finding his mind drifting back to how Dumbledore could possibly trust the Potions Master.

Smiling benignly, the old wizard replied, “How could he have responded with Dolores Umbridge in the room?� This, unfortunately, had Harry stumped, not sure how to answer, or if there was even one at all.

“I’m sure he could have found a way if he wanted to,� Harry grumbled, staring at the corner of the desk. Dumbledore didn’t answer that, letting the pause draw on for a few more moments before speaking.

“Harry, do you know what Voldemort was looking for at the Ministry?�

Harry shrugged before nodding. “Some prophecy is what Lucius Malfoy said,� he murmured, not really worried about what it was. Dumbledore, on the other hand, seemed to find it a subject of great discussion.

“Yes, it is. Did he tell you what it said?�

“…Why Voldemort attacked me as a baby and why I have this,� he answered, gesturing to his scar as the headmaster nodded.

“Very well. Harry, there are a few things that you need to know, but I will need you to keep an open mind. Can you do that?�

Harry looked up at him with a slight crease in his forehead, nodded. Why wouldn’t he be able to?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was early evening before Harry trudged wearily down the stairs from Dumbledore’s study and began to walk in the direction of the Hospital Wing slowly, where he knew the Weasley’s would be waiting for him. He would be taking a Portkey to the Burrow with the rest of them, but he would only be staying the night, as the Advance Guard would be taking him to Privet Drive the next day. Dumbledore had been adamant that he go back at least until his birthday, which was only a week away; it would ensure his safety, as well as the Dursleys’, for the next year before he went back the following summer. It was definitely not his first choice for what to do with the rest of the summer, but he was glad that at least he had no summer assignments to complete on top of it. After the O.W.L.’s, and half of the professors being driven out of the school, the former fifth years were not expected to complete any homework. That would be a good thing for Harry, as he now had enough on his mind to worry about besides school.

Neither can live while the other survives. It wasn’t bad enough that he would never be able to live a normal life, free of emotional complications, fame, and trouble, but the thought that he might only have a limited life already… It was hard to think about voluntarily, much less forcibly. It kept repeating itself in his head as he walked, haunting and taunting him with thoughts that he might never get a normal life, or any life at all. After all, Voldemort was a thousand times more powerful than he, Harry, who hadn’t even passed through school yet. It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord found him, and when that time came, it would be over; the Order and Dumbledore wouldn’t be able to protect him forever. He had resorted himself to this, as much as he didn’t want to. He wasn’t going to let anyone else die for him.

Dumbledore hadn’t even been able to explain in depth what the Veil was, nor the locked room that contained a power that he apparently carried in such abundance that Voldemort stood no chance against it. That, however, was impossible in Harry’s mind: how could he beat one of the most powerful wizards on Earth with nothing but love? Sure, his mother had been able to save him that way, but how many times could that actually happen? It wasn’t a chance that he was willing to take, and the thought occurred to him that giving up now might be the best chance; at least then no one would get hurt again because of him.

Even this train of thought didn’t end well: if he gave up and allowed Voldemort to kill him, who would be standing between him and taking over the world? Neville was the other boy the Prophecy mentioned, but the Dark Lord had chosen Harry, and Harry it would be who lived or died. The Boy-Who-Lived-And-Then-Died… It has a nice ring to it, he sighed sardonically to himself, kicking a pebble that lay on the floor, most likely having come off of a shoe when term was still in session.

This line of thought was doing nothing but making him feel worse, more guilty. By this point, he didn’t want to go to the Burrow anymore: they were safer there without him around, and he didn’t want anything to happen to the Weasleys, especially after all they had done for him. He didn’t think he would be able to bear it if Ron or Ginny died, if Mr. and Mrs. Weasley turned on him as he knew they most likely would, blaming him for the loss of their biological children. How much longer could he be considered their surrogate son if one of their real children was killed and it was all his fault? Nervously, he rubbed his left forearm unconsciously as he kept walking, stewing in his own juices for a bit.

Shaking his head as if that would knock all of the thoughts out of it, he sighed to himself and kept walking, realising that he was getting close to the Hospital Wing and knowing that if he were to change his mind about accompanying the Weasleys to their home, now was his final chance. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, though, and strode into the Wing with his hands in his jean pockets, watching Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny talking casually for a moment before approaching them.

“That took a while, mate, everything alright?� Ron asked, nodding to him; he had left hours ago to meet with Dumbledore. Harry simply nodded.

“Yeah, everything’s fine.� Ron didn’t look like he believed that and opened his mouth to say something else, but Harry saw Ginny’s foot appear out of nowhere and stomp on his inconspicuously, forcing Ron to slam his mouth shut to not cry out. Surprisingly, Harry found himself trying not to smirk at the sight as Mrs. Weasley turned to Hermione.

“Alright, dear, your Portkey will be leaving in just a moment. We’ll see you the last week of summer,� she said, holding out a dull quill for Hermione to take. The latter did so before turning and saying goodbye to everyone, hugging Harry tighter than the rest with a whispered “I’m sorry again,� in his ear before she stepped away and she disappeared. The three Weasleys gathered together as their mother instructed them on what they were to do when they arrived at the Burrow, both of the younger ones seeming rather put out. Harry didn’t have time to hear what was being said, though, as he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Remus standing next to him.

“Are you alright, Harry?� he asked curiously, having noticed that the latter had seemed a bit preoccupied when he had come in.

Harry nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.� He took in Lupin’s skeptical expression with exasperation, wishing that everyone would leave him alone before remembering that they were only trying to help. Admittedly, this didn’t help much.

“I’ll be taking you to your aunt and uncle’s tomorrow, along with Moody and Tonks; we wanted to have a bit of a talk to them before we left you there.� Harry raised an eyebrow.

“About what?�

“Oh, nothing in particular,� Remus responded, waving off the question as Harry saw a bit of Marauder mischief sparkle in his eyes for a moment. Grinning, a foreign feeling by now, Harry decided that maybe he didn’t want to know and turned back to the Weasleys, who were just getting ready to grab hold of the purple stuffed bear that would be the Portkey. Harry and Remus took hold as well, and it was a moment before the five of them were whisked away to the Burrow.

It was exactly as Harry remembered as he looked around the cluttered kitchen. He hadn’t been here in nearly two years now, as he reflected, and supposed that nothing about the Weasleys would ever really change. This, once again, grated on his conscience a bit as Mrs. Weasley’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“Alright, you three: bed. We’ll have to be up early tomorrow.� The teenagers nodded and went to the stairs, going up and saying goodnight to Ginny as she broke off to go to her own room. Harry and Ron continued up to Ron’s room, which was exactly as it had been two years previous, albeit a bit dustier, suggesting to Harry that they had been staying at Grimmauld Place for the last month or so that he had been gone: another thing for him to feel responsible for. He didn’t dwell on it, though, as he and Ron settled inside and changed, retiring for the evening. Even with all of the sleep Harry had gotten over the last couple of days, he found that he was exhausted and drifted off to sleep as soon as his head touched the pillow of his camp bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning came much faster than anyone had really cared for, and before he knew it, Harry was standing in front of the fireplace in the kitchen of the Burrow with Remus, who had also stayed the night in the house. Mrs. Weasley allowed her children to say goodbye to Harry first, as they were his friends, before wrapping him in her trademark rib-crushing hug. After a few moments of holding his breath, Harry said goodbye to her as well and gave Ron a final wave as Ginny did something that he didn’t expect at all, kissing his cheek and blushing.

“See you in a week, Harry,� she said as she nearly sprinted to the stairs and disappeared. Harry watched her with his eyes wide, snapping out of his stupor when Remus cleared his throat, gesturing to the fireplace. Harry nodded, taking some Floo powder and Flooing to Mrs. Figg’s house.

He stumbled out of the fireplace a moment later, immediately smelling the familiar smell of Mrs. Figg’s house, not very appetising. Stepping out of the way for Remus to come through, he waited a moment as the other man brushed himself off. The elderly woman was apparently not home, so the two went to the door and opened it a crack, Remus looking out with his hand in his pocket before letting Harry out when the coast was clear.

They strode down the street at a quicker pace than was quite normal, passing a young blonde woman on the corner as they were coming into Privet Drive.

“Wotcher, Harry,� Tonks whispered with a wink as she sat down on a bench that Harry was sure hadn’t been there the last time he had been here.

Remus and Harry continued down the street until number four came into view, a mangled man standing outside on the walk. A group of children, most likely only in primary school, walked by on the other side of the street, staring at Mad-Eye Moody’s magical eye before taking off at a run, seemingly afraid that he would suddenly lash out at them for no reason. The man didn’t pay them any mind, turning to Harry and Remus as they approached.

“Did you have to stand in the open, Mad-Eye?� Remus asked, shaking his head.

“Only just got here, Lupin,� Moody growled, “so don’t worry about it.� He nodded to Harry before adding, “We all ready?� Remus nodded, so Moody grunted and the three made their way up the walk to number four. Remus reached out and rang the bell, waiting for the Dursleys to answer. It was no surprise to Harry that his aunt was the one to come first, as his uncle was no doubt at work and Dudley would be out with his gang.

Aunt Petunia answered the door, looking like a fish out of water as she gaped at the motley crew, her eyes bulging as Moody nodded inside and started moving forward. Of course, she moved out of the way to avoid getting anywhere near Moody and waited for the three of them to come inside, watching Remus close the door behind them. “Mrs. Dursley,� he greeted her, a cold edge to his voice that Harry had not yet heard. His aunt was still speechless, though, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. “We dropped Harry’s things off a month ago and told you that we would be delivering him, didn’t we?�

Finally, Aunt Petunia seemed to find her voice and nodded, replying, “Yes, you did,� tersely. “They should be up in his room.� Moody nodded.

“Good. Then we have just one more matter to take care of and we will take our leave,� Remus said pleasantly, the coldness still in his eyes. Aunt Petunia looked relatively frightened as Moody spoke next in his usual growl.

“We don’t like how you treat him around here,� he said, both his normal and magical eye focused on her.

Sputtering for a moment, Aunt Petunia was able to get out, “W-well, that is none of your business.� Remus took a step closer to her and she took two back, eyeing him in a cautious manner as he spoke next.

“It actually is our business, and we are just giving you a warning. We aren’t the ones who thought of this, just enforcing it,� he said in the same false-pleasant tone as Moody nodded, turning to Harry.

“We’ll be wanting a letter if anything’s not right, Potter.� Harry nodded, sure that he would just stay in his room for the next week anyway, not caring what the Dursleys did or did not do.

Seeing his nod, Remus backed away from Aunt Petunia and looked at the boy, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’ll be going then, Harry. Take care of yourself and be careful; there will be Order members around if you need them.� Harry nodded and thanked both wizards, watching as they left, slamming the door behind them. Aunt Petunia didn’t stay in the hall a moment longer, disappearing into the kitchen and shutting the door behind her, leaving Harry to his own devices now. It was the way he liked it in this house, but for some reason, it was different this time: it was a chance to think about what was to come, and that was the last thing he wanted right now.

Harry went up to his room, opening the door to see that it was just as he had left it the year before when the Advance Guard had surprised him by coming to get him in the evening, the Dursleys gone to receive and award that never existed. Chuckling to himself at Tonks’ idea, he went into the room and looked around. His trunk was at the foot of his bed, which was still covered in the threadbare cover he had had before. All in all, the only thing that would be different about being here this year was that, for the first time in two summers, Sirius would not be sending him any messages of consoling sympathy, entertaining stories, or the like. For the first time since he had first been away from his friends after starting Hogwarts, he was lonely at Privet Drive. It was for the best, though, as the people he loved were safer when he wasn’t around anyway. Hopefully.

Sighing, he looked over at the owl cage on the desk by the window, walking over to it and bending down to look at his snowy white owl, who was currently sleeping behind the metal bars. Harry stroked Hedwig’s head gently, listening to her sound of delight at seeing him again when she woke up at his touch, looking out of the window over the street.

“Yeah, Hedwig: I’m back.�

~*~End Part 1~*~

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And so there you have the end of Cruciatus Cursed, everyone. I hope you guys enjoyed this installment over the last year and, even more, I hope you will like the sequels.

As for dedications, it is the last chapter so of course there are the traditional few:
For nuw255: thank you so much for the banner for the story, as well as reviewing even when you are so busy. I appreciate it, as well as all of the plot advice and pushing for a certain rat to get exterminated.
To Tagidi Riva: thank you so much for the help with getting motivated to write (especially after a very long hiatus), amazing ideas, and definitely all of the support that you have shown; you help more than you will ever know.
For abbs866: if it weren’t for the fact that I usually know I am going to get a good (and very opinionated) review from you for each chapter, it would be a bit less fun to keep writing; thanks for that.
To Mysterious Fayth: thanks for reading and all of the compliments that you have given me, though I am not sure that they were deserved. Also, thanks for the pushing (and a bit of shoving) to get a move on with the next chapters every time; you’re another one that doesn’t know how much you help.
And finally, to weasleybabe24: without whom I have said before I wouldn’t be here. Seriously. Thanks for the motivation, and I would like to see you call me a bitter person for writing a story like this like you did in the first chapter!
To all of these people, thanks for all of the help, support, and motivation to keep going with this story, as well as to all of my readers, as it would not be nearly as satisfying if it weren’t for you.

I hope you will all be back for the sequel, soon to be in queue.
~Miss Moony =)