Remus shivered violently on the stone floor naked, as the day he was born. He was used to waking up like this during this time of the month. Pulling himself up into a sitting position was a laborious task due to the grueling ache that ravaged his body. He waited for the worst of the pain to subside and then dragged himself across the freezing floor in search of clothing.
It was difficult to see in the confined space for there was little light in the cell, and what little there was came from a tiny window up high in the wall. The early morning light shone on a pile of rags near his cell door and Remus pulled himself towards it.
As Remus got closer, he noticed that the pile had a shape, a human shape. Fear and dread twisted in his stomach as he stopped. No not again. Please no. A groan escaped from him as he bowed his head in shame. Tears would have come except they had dried up a long time ago. He had nothing else left to give. This saddened the tortured man even more.
Remus heard a noise and looked up. It had come from the prone figure. He got to his hands and knees and quickly rushed forward. The figure was lying on its side. Remus fumbled with the clothing around the neck looking for a pulse. His heart leaped when he found it light but steady. He wasn’t a killer, at least not today. Curious as to whom his new roommate was, he turned the body towards him. Remus was shocked when he recognized the person as Draco Malfoy.
A chilly November breeze brutally assaulted the Merseyside landscape sending stray snowflakes dancing through the air. It had snowed all night and now it covered every surface as far as the eye could see. Rolling hills of white were tucked away between rising peaks in the distance, while trees carried the heavy burden of snow and ice with quiet dignity. One enormous oak hid a huddled form behind its wide berth. The lone figure was oblivious to the wind tousling his black hair and a wayward branch scratching the flesh of his bare cheek.
Harry stood knee deep in snow watching the two figures on the hilltop above. Time passed as they exchanged words. Harry wished he could hear what was being said, but dared not go closer. He had spotted at least three different Death Eaters hidden in places around the clearing on the hill. Harry’s insides twisted into a knot. Draco should have stayed away. As Harry continued to observe Malfoy and his father, he absentmindedly played with a small black object in his pocket, which was still warm from being activated. He had used it to follow Draco here.
Harry smiled at the ingenuity of Fred and George. Once again they had come through for him. The Shadow Scout was a new invention of the twins that they had sent him over the summer. It consisted of two parts; a beacon which was a small dark circular button sticky on one side so that it could be attached to just about any surface and not fall off, and a locator stone that would allow the possessor of it to follow wherever the beacon went. Three taps on the stone would whisk the person to land within twenty feet of the pursued. The stone would then grow hotter or colder depending on how close to the beacon you came. He had kept a set on him hoping to find an opportunity to use it, good thing he had. Harry had slipped it into Draco’s traveling cloak pocket while it was draped across the armchair Harry had sat in during their conversation earlier that morning.
Harry’s attention was drawn back to the two figures on the hilltop as one of them pulled out a wand. He then caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The drawn wand must have been a signal, because Death Eaters were coming out of hiding and advancing up the hill. Harry watched as the elder Malfoy shot a spell at his son making him fall to the ground. Well, at least it wasn’t green light coming out of the end of the wand, Harry thought to himself in relief. Lucius Malfoy then levitated the body off the ground and disappeared down the opposite side of the hill from Harry. The Death Eaters formed a loose circle around the two and followed. Harry got up from his place behind the tree and carefully crept up the now vacant hill.
Minutes later Harry crested the top and looked into the small valley below. The gleaming snowcapped hills that lay before him reflected the rising suns yellow and red light creating an explosion of color that danced in the air. The sparkling light was so bright that Harry had to shield his eyes momentarily. He squinted and noticed a frozen creek cutting its way through the valley, next to the creek sat a modest sized cottage with several smaller buildings. The sight would have normally been breathtaking had Harry not been so intent on the group nearing the foot of the hill. He didn’t move as he watched the group travel to the cottage’s backdoor and disappear inside.
Harry was careful to notice any movement in or around the house. He suspected the place would be heavily guarded, and it was. He observed at least four different sentries around the area, and that was just what he could see from his position. There was probably twice that many, and numerous traps all around. Harry continued to scan the surroundings debating on what to do next. Should he risk rescuing Draco by himself, or should he lose precious time in getting help? And what if Voldemort was in there? Wait, why was he even considering rescuing Malfoy at all? He made his bed, now he should lie in it. And what if all of this was some elaborate trap to catch Harry? That was an even better reason to get help. These thoughts all fought for dominance in Harry’s mind.
He made up his decision. Despite the odds, Harry threw the invisibility cloak over his head and plunged down the hill, mindful of traps. It wouldn’t hurt to at least see what he was up against. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought. Harry made sure to cover his tracks in the snow with a vanishing spell every so often as he slowly picked his way closer to the house.
Once he was within a hundred yards of the backdoor it opened, Harry ducked behind a fallen log hoping he hadn’t been spotted. He could hear footsteps crunch in the snow as the person advanced on Harry’s location. He grasped the hilt of his wand tightly waiting for the person to get closer. The footsteps stopped and he could hear someone talking quietly.
Harry carefully peeked over the edge of the log and saw a man whispering to something hidden in the shadow of an outbuilding, a few feet from where Harry was hiding. A couple of minutes passed as the two talked. He strained to hear what was being said, but was only able to catch parts of the conversation.
“Did… hear …caught… Malfoy kid.”
“…time… thing…ridiculous.”
“….tell me…it…bet… Master… fun…”
Both men broke out into laughter as Harry leaned forward to hear better, but careful not to give his position away.
“Too bad… not…Potter…”
“…time… coming… defy… Master.”
“…get back… werewolf… chained… downstairs...”
“Lupin… get…”
“…moon… tonight...”
Suddenly one of them stepped forward and began walking back towards the house while the other took the former guard’s position in the shadows.
The back door had been closed for only seconds when Harry heard a terrifying scream coming from inside the cottage. The noise sent chills down Harry’s spine as a flock of birds on the cottage rooftop took flight into the clear blue sky.
Draco slowly began to regain consciousness and opened his eyes. He noticed that he was in a dimly lit room, and tried to focus his vision. Draco was immediately sorry for this once he realized where he was. An all too familiar figure came into sight above him. His blood froze in his veins as fear gripped him. Draco’s stomach fell making him feel ill, knowing that his fate was sealed.
“Here is my son, My Lord. Just as you asked,” Draco heard his father’s voice somewhere off to one side. Hearing his father only added to his apprehension and despair.
“Good work, Malfoy. You might just live another day after all.”
“Yes-s-s, Sir,” the confidence that had been present in his father’s voice faltered some as he answered his Master. Draco would have laughed if he wasn’t so terrified of the man standing above him.
The Dark Lord’s red eyes glared down at Draco as he spoke, “You let me down Draco. I gave you a chance to prove yourself, to save your family and you throw it away. What should I do to someone who shows such disobedience and cowardly behavior?”
Draco watched as the man raised his wand. He expected to feel fear knowing that he was about to die, but to his surprise anger overpowered his fear and he yelled at the man, “MURDERER! YOU KILLED MY MOTHER! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A MURDERER!”
The Dark Lord threw back his head and let out a shriek of laughter that sent chills down Draco’s spine. He must have been crazy to say such a thing. The Dark Lord would kill him now for sure. He could see it in the maniacal man’s red eyes as he looked down upon him with a wicked sneer.
“CRUCIO!”
Draco was hit with such a blast of pain it took him a few moments to realize what was happening. The torment was so terrible that nothing else existed in his world. He could feel every bone, every living cell in his body screaming out in agony. Time passed slowly, making Draco think that days had gone by, and then as suddenly as it had started it stopped. He laid on the floor breathing shallowly, his ears ringing and body completely numb. He couldn’t move if he wanted to. Was he dead?
A voice spoke somewhere above him, “Take him. Let the werewolf finish him off.”
Draco tried to protest but nothing escaped from his mouth. He was unable to stop his body from being lifted off the floor. Draco soon slipped into darkness and smiled at death.
Remus sat in his usual spot against the stonewall examining the still unconscious form. Several hours had passed since he had woken to find Draco sharing his cell. He had gone on to find his clothes and then took up his current position where he waited. He was waiting for the lad to wake up. It wouldn’t be long now he thought to himself, when he saw one hand twitch slightly.
Harry crept back over the hill and soon found his way to the old oak tree where he had witnessed the father and son conversation from earlier. He had decided to play it smart and get help. There was just no way that he would be able to take on all those Death Eaters by himself, but it had to be fast. Harry cringed as he remembered the conversation between the two sentry Death Eaters.
Werewolf. Lupin. Werewolf. It had to be him. Remus was in that house; Harry knew it without a doubt. He had to get in there and find him, but he needed to get help first. Harry shook his head not believing his luck. No one had heard from Lupin in months and now he knew why. The Order needed to know what was going on. But Harry couldn’t shake the thought that if he left, he may very well lose the one and only opportunity he had to save his friend. And it occurred to Harry that tonight was the last night of the full moon, so if he going to rescue Lupin it would have to be well before nightfall. What would Dumbledore do if he was here? Without warning sadness and a fierce longing to see the Headmaster again, stabbed at Harry’s insides as a tear found it’s way down his cold cheek.
Suddenly he heard a sound he never thought he’d ever hear again. It was a soft sad tone that crept into his very soul. He last remembered hearing it when Dumbledore had died. Harry looked up in disbelief as he saw a blur of red and gold fly down from the sky and rest on his shoulders. Another tear joined Harry’s own.
An icy breeze playfully nipped at blond hair making the owner shudder. Draco groaned as he reluctantly gained consciousness. Slowly he hauled himself up on one elbow, his whole body screaming in agony whilst doing so. He squinted to get a bearing on his locations, but didn’t recognize the dark room before him. His last memories came crashing back as he realized why he was in these strange surroundings. Draco doubled over sick to his stomach and not able to accept his father’s betrayal or his current situation.
He laid face down on the frigid stone floor for a long while wishing for death. It would be easier than living with the terrible pain inside him. Anything would be better than this. He lifted his head and brushed a hand across his face wiping away the tears there and was startled to see that he wasn’t alone.
Despite the pain he was in, Draco managed to move quickly to a crouched position. He peered through the dark and saw a thin man sitting on the floor against the far wall. He looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t place from where.
“Who…” his voice cracked and faltered, Draco wet his lips and tried again. “Who are you?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” a man’s voice rasped.
“W-w-why?” Draco’s voice quivered as he spoke.
The man slowly lifted his head up to the small slit of a window above. The fading light made the man’s dark shadowy eyes darker, “Because it’s a full moon tonight.”
Harry had quietly explored the perimeter of the cottage and grounds to find the best way inside the seemingly impenetrable fortress. As suspected the security was daunting and he soon realized that his best bet was in through the backdoor. So he backtracked and found a safe place to watch unseen, waiting for someone to exit. When this finally happened he’d managed to slip in concealed under his invisibility cloak without anyone any the wiser.
Since then he’d searched the house looking for any signs of his old friend and Draco. It had been several hours since Harry had sent Fawkes for reinforcements. He’d not heard any fighting going on, so he guessed that Mad-Eye hadn’t arrived yet. How long did it take anyway? It didn’t matter; he had a job to do. He had to find Remus and Draco before it was too late. It was already nearing two o’clock in the afternoon.
Harry silently crept down the abandoned hall careful not to make any noise. His heart pounded in his chest as he turned a corner. The invisibility cloak over him hid Harry from sight, but this did little to comfort him as he walked from one room to the other looking for Remus or Draco. This was madness. He was sure to get caught, but he kept going forward. He had to save them. Well, he wasn’t sure it was Remus in here, but by the way the Death Eaters had talked who else could it have been?
Harry heard footsteps and quickly ducked into an open doorway. Harry pressed himself up against the wall behind the door and waited. The heavy footsteps stopped short of the door he was hiding behind before Harry heard another door open and close. He sighed with relief and moved into the room.
Harry stopped in his tracks as he realized that this room must have been some sort of torture chamber. The first thing he had noticed were the shackles lining the walls and large dark red, almost brown spots staining parts of the wood floor. Harry suspected it to be blood. He also noticed another door across the room and wondered where it led to. Potion bottles littered the floor as we walked toward it trying to avoid them. He skirted glass shards from a broken bottle and stepped into a pool of liquid. A nasty stench assaulted his senses and smoke started rising from the bottom of his trainer. Harry jumped back, his cloak falling to the floor in the process and shot a spell at his left foot. The goop on the bottom of his shoe disappeared, but not without leaving a gaping hole in the rubber. Harry could see the white of his sock. Have to be more careful. Harry reprimanded himself.
Harry turned to pick his cloak up from the floor when he saw a large shield that stretched from floor to ceiling. On the sparkling silver surface rested a black bird that had its wings spread wide and beak open as if calling to something. The bird almost seemed alive. Merlin, it’s huge. Harry was mesmerized by its grandeur and beauty as he stood in front of it admiring the small details of the etched work. He felt it call as he stretched out a hand. The door down the hall opened once again and he pulled back his hand. Forgetting his enrapture with the massive shield, he ran to the other door across the room.
Harry opened it and noticed he was back in the hallway he had started in upon entering the house. Great, back to square one! He quickly shut the door, passed the backdoor leading outside, and two other doors. Already being here once, he knew that one room was a washroom and the other a study of some kind. Soon he found himself back in the hallway that led him to the torture room, so instead of turning right this time he turned left.
A lone door stood at the end of this hall. Harry opened it and saw a set of stairs going down into the dark. … werewolf… chained… downstairs… This must be it. He stepped onto the landing and shut the door behind him, without the light from the hallway it was pitch black. Harry chanced lighting his wand and carefully started down trying his best not to make any noise on the old wooden stairs. Surprisingly he was able to get to the bottom without too much noise.
Once he descended into the basement, Harry was able to make out a small room on his left with a wooden table and cot, and before him a long corridor of doors stretched into the darkness. Harry went to the first door on his right and tried the handle. The door opened to reveal a small storage area. The next door was unlocked as well. This one turned out to be a small room with no furniture and a tiny window near the ceiling. Harry spotted shackles on one of the walls. Getting close. Undaunted, Harry continued down the hall trying each door as he went and each in turn were empty. He finally reached the last two and opened the right one, except it would not open. Harry stepped back and waved his wand, “Alohomora.”
The door remained closed, which didn’t particularly surprise him. He waved his wand again, “Bombarda!” Harry cringed at the loud explosion that followed. He’d have to hurry, someone was sure to have heard that. Harry waved away the smoke rising from the now gaping hole where the door once was. He stepped through the opening and looked around.
He saw a man propped up against the opposite wall. His clothing was in tattered shreds and his skin was a sickly white. Harry thought he might have gotten the wrong cell until the man lifted his head. Remus. Harry felt a surge of relief as he ran to his old professor’s side and knelt down beside him, “It’s good to see you.”
The haggard man looked up, his face almost unrecognizable. Probably from the lack of sun and food, “Har-r-r-y, …at you?”
“Yes. We have to go. I’m sure they heard the explosion.” Harry put a hand under the man’s arm to lift him to his feet.
“Figures,” a voice snarled behind him.
Harry whirled around to see Draco behind him.
“Malfoy!”
They stood looking at each other for a moment. Then to Harry’s utter surprise without saying a word Draco went to Remus’ other side and bent to help the man up. Harry could only stare at his old nemesis.
“Well, are we going or not? You said it yourself, we don’t have long.”
The three started for the cell door. Harry was still in disbelief over Draco’s actions, “Why are you helping? You don’t even like Remus, or me.”
“I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but we are in the middle of enemy territory and I figure you have a plan to get us out, so it may be better to stick together, for now. You do have a plan?” Draco spat.
Harry felt liked he’d been slapped across the face by Draco’s accusation, “Of course, I have a plan. How stupid do you think I am?”
Draco snorted, “Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Enough! Need to focus on getting out of here,” Remus rasped from between the two of them.
“Remus is right. Come on, this way,” Harry gestured to the stairs leading up to the floor above, only to stop as it opened to reveal Lucius Malfoy and two other Death Eaters.