Chapter XXVI
The night air was crisp and cold; the sky was a golden red that bled out to a star speckled indigo. Harry was resting his weight on the battlement through his hands. He breathed lightly, causing a small wisp of condensed breath to curl through the air and vanish. A week had passed and it was official; Hogwarts was under siege. From up here, he was safely protected. And he could see nothing out of the ordinary. But he knew exactly what lay on the other side of those trees. Death Eaters were out there, prowling, waiting, and searching for a way to worm in past the formidable defences around Hogwarts.
He pried his stiffened fingers off the stone, flexing them slowly. He was honestly wishing he hadn’t forgotten his dragonhide gloves behind in The Leaky Cauldron that day in the summer. A flash of motion from the trees below made his head snap up. It looked to be about one or two people, running more than likely. Harry closed his eyes, quelling the urge to shift into a wolf and go inspect it; it seemed that the wolf inside him was growing rather restless, begging for another chance to come out. Harry shrugged it off with a snort, rubbing his neck and leaving his hands there to warm them up. This was not the time or place to be changing into a wolf; a great big bloody dire wolf nonetheless.
Hearing the door open, he didn’t have to glance back to know it wasn’t Snape. He always knew when it was Snape coming into a room. “And you are?” he asked, still looking out at the forest.
“P-Parson!” the person squeaked in surprise. It sounded like they jumped as well. “Lapidus Parson.”
“Haven’t heard that name before,” Harry mused.
“My mother had an affinity for…different names.” Lapidus said, coming up to the battlement to look out as well. “I’m in Gryffindor; fifth year. I thought you would have seen me around before some more of the students came back.”
Harry didn’t say anything to that, choosing to look out at the snow covered field. There was more movement in the trees, an anticipation of something. Something curled in Harry’s gut, almost like a punch being drawn back. He didn’t move or say anything though.”
“Chilly night, huh?” Lapidus said in a light voice, attempting to break the mood.
“A bit,” Harry said simply, still looking out. There certainly was more movement from the trees. He narrowed his eyes, looking harder. It was as if they were planning to rush the castle or something. “Are you cold?”
“No. I rather like it,” Lapidus said. “Helps clear my head after a long day. Can you believe we still have to go to those silly seminars?”
“What you learn in those ‘silly’ seminars may be what saves your life when you’re facing a Cruciatus curse.” Harry said simply.
The atmosphere dampened after that. Harry didn’t say anything, glancing at Lapidus once. Then he turned. “I’ll leave the door open for you.” He said simply before he walked back inside.
He hurried down the stairs, feeling the strange sense of unease seep away from him. He would be more than glad to get back to his chambers and go read something. Sitting inside the castle with nothing to do but attend seminars that were becoming very boring wasn’t his idea of breaking a siege. He continued down, making his way to the Slytherin common room entrance before he thought the better of it. There was something else he wanted to.
Silently, he made his way back up the stairs, coming to a halt in front of the Great Hall. This is where the centaurs were. Supposedly, Harry wasn’t even sure if he should do this. They were already prickly enough around humans, let alone an Animagi who had semi-terrorized them. Not that they knew it, but they might recognize his scent and that certainly wouldn’t go over well.
But he had to give it a try, if not to satiate his growing curiosity. But he wasn’t about to go barging in there. So he simply knocked. He stood there feeling a bit foolish as the sound died in a rather empty hallway. He glanced down at his feet, scuffing them from boredom. Then a sound of hand on the handle was followed the creak of the door opening.
“We’ve been expecting you.”
Harry found himself looking at Ronan’s dappled legs before he looked up to see the centaur’s rather grave expression. Ronan moved aside, gesturing for him to enter. He walked in a bit hesitantly, seeing the centaurs that were milling around turn their attention to him. He slowly made his way up to the front where Magorian was. The centaur’s brilliant blue eyes were fixed on him as he came to a halt. What disconcerted Harry a bit was not the intensity of the gaze but rather the carefully schooled neutrality on Magorian’s expression. Harry didn’t say anything, keeping his own gaze steady under the centaur’s.
Then Magorian looked away, starting towards the large windows at the back of the hall, tilting his head to gaze outside. “The heavens leave us all to our own devices now. What happens comes from our own actions.” His voice was soft, just loud enough for all to hear.
Harry started forward again once Magorian glanced at him, tilting his head slightly in a gesture to join him. Once he stopped at the centaur’s side, he looked out the window as well, craning his own head back. In the muted light of the Hall, Harry could the dark, cloudy night sky. Odd, it had been crystal clear when he had just been outside.
“When we last looked, Saturn drew closer to Mars, and thus the Bird grew fainter.”
Harry nodded his head. Thank Merlin he knew basic Divination and had studied under Firenze. Saturn drawing closer to Mars simply meant a troublesome time; namely this war that brought itself to Hogwarts. But he was completely dumbfounded on the bird thing.
“Our fires spake the same thing; a Bird that grew fainter and fainter which each passing moment, then, erupted into a blaze of flames and returned from whence it came.”
“To?” Harry asked, speaking finally.
“To its origin.” Magorian replied.
Nothing was said for a moment. “Ashes, dust…” Harry trailed off, pausing as he thought. “It disappeared completely?”
Magorian didn’t say anything before he looked at Harry gravely. “That what has been lost can be brought back.”
“But-” Harry cut himself off, thinking over his words carefully. “Aren’t those…dangerous?”
“Anything can be dangerous, any,” Magorian’s gaze slid to him for a second. “Spell. Not due to the thing itself, but due to the wielder of the knowledge.” Magorian lapsed into silence, contemplating something. “The Lion and Snake…”
Harry simply a questioning sound.
“Circling around one another leaves the flanks open. Yet, they must circle or fall with the rest. They must do what they mustn’t do in order to survive this…cataclysm.”
Harry found himself nodding his head in agreement. Better he tackle the one thing he vague idea of. “But why would the bird need to be brought back?”
“Astute observation…for a human,” Magorian said in a rather appreciative murmur. “Perhaps there is hope for your species yet.”
Harry simply made a noise of acceptance in the back of his throat before he spoke once more. “Did you see Pluto?”
Magorian looked back up at the clouded sky. “Pluto was fast approaching. By now, it is on the very cusp.”
“And this was confirmed by the fire as well?” Harry found his fingernails immediately interesting.
“It was.” Magorian sounded a touch saddened. “By the fire and the heavens…things have been coming in twos. Be sure that more will come…” Magorian looked towards the door before looking back at Harry. “You should take your leave now.”
Harry simply nodded his head and made his way back to the doors easily. He slipped out and shut them securely behind him. When he turned around, he found himself looking at Professor Beecham and Lupin.
“Er, is there something I can help you with?” he asked, straightening his robes slightly.
“You were talking with the centaurs?” Beecham asked in a slightly awed voice. “They actually wanted to talk to you? Did you understand anything they said? Could you-”
“Oleander,” Lupin rested a hand on her arm. “I’m sure they wanted to talk to Harry for their own reason. And I’m sure Harry has his own reasons as well. Just curious, I suppose.”
“Sorry,” Beecham cleared her throat. “I talked to a centaur once…not that I understood a ruddy word that came from her mouth.”
“So where exactly are you two off to?” Harry asked.
“The Order members here have been trying to find you,” Lupin said. “As well as Draco and Sora.”
“Me? Why?” Harry looked between the two of them. “Professor Beecham…”
“Yes Harry, I am in the Order too,” she winked at him with a grin. “Bet you never thought I’d be in it, huh? Or that somehow I’d end up being like Crouch Jr.? A teacher that was too good to be true?”
“Quite frankly, yes, Harry said with a shrug. “But I shouldn’t complain. Besides Remus, this is the longest we’ve ever had a decent teacher that didn’t turn out to be crazy, a stranger or just plain vile.”
Beecham chuckled. “Ah, refreshingly blunt honesty. You used to be like that at one point, Remus.”
Harry smiled as Remus flushed a bit. “That’s not why we here, Oleander,” Lupin chided.
“Right,” Beecham cleared her throat. “We’re needed in the infirmary. Madame Pomfrey has finally declared Ken and Dai fit to leave.”
“Finally?!” Harry exclaimed. “That’s great!”
Lupin held a hand up. “She couldn’t make their tongues grow back. And from all indications, they have something very important to-”
“Divulge?” Beecham interrupted. “Divulge lest something else come to attempt their lives once more?”
Both Harry and Lupin looked at Beecham incredulously. Beecham looked between the two of them before she closed her eyes.
“Morbidly dramatic?” she asked.
“Took the words right from my mouth,” Lupin said dryly, in faint amusement. “We should get going now. Before Madame Pomfrey and Sora end up at one another’s throats again.”
“You heard about that?” Harry asked, looking at Lupin in surprise. But it was Beecham who replied, with a snort.
“Every single person in the staff lounge heard about it. You do not want to hear Poppy when she’s that riled up.”
“What do you mean their tongues haven’t grown back?”
Harry sighed as he looked up, seeing the black look on Sora’s face. Everyone else looked mildly amused at the similar look of response expression on Madame Pomfrey’s face.
“There was nothing I could do about it. I tried every thing there was to make a tongue grow and the stumps just didn’t respond.” Madame Pomfrey sighed in exasperation. “Must you harangue me on this? For what must be the fifth time?! I’m sure these people have other places to be and other things to do.”
Sora simply crossed her arms with a frosty look but didn’t reply. Madame Pomfrey mumbled something about never taking another de Vyns into the infirmary and how they seemed to be nothing but trouble and aggravation before she left with the slam of a door behind her. Harry looked around the room as Sora went to sit between her two brothers. There had to be at least twenty people here. He didn’t think that many Order members would be concentrated in the school. Dumbledore was standing by the bedside as well, watching Ken and Dai thoughtfully.
They were simply sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around Sora was mumbling something to them, with a rather steely expression on her face. Harry felt his lips curl into a slight smile. Sora was obviously glad to have them back in one relatively whole piece. When something bumped into his back, he looked back to find Draco standing beside him with a slight smirk. Harry gave a slight huff, but didn’t say anything, continuing to watch them. Dumbledore wouldn’t be…hovering like that if there wasn’t something planned.
“I think you all should know why you’ve been-” Dumbledore began.
“Summoned?” Beecham interrupted “Summoned to-”
“Oleander.” Lupin said in a low warning voice.
“Sorry,” Beecham apologized.
“Quite alright,” Dumbledore said cheerily; a bit too cheerily for Harry’s taste. “Kenshin and Daichi have finally been released from Madame Pomfrey’s care.”
Sora gave a disparaging snort at those words. Dumbledore looked at her once before continuing on.
“And they have indicated to me that there is something all of us should know. However, with their tongues unfortunately missing-” Sora started muttering viciously at that, but rapidly subsided. “We have been pressed to find a method in which they can communicate quickly without the cumbersome method of a chalkboard and chalk.”
Harry was pretty sure he heard Sora mumble something like, ‘And they say he’s the greatest wizard of our time? And I’m sure Trelawney’s made an accurate prediction.’ He cleared his throat quietly to cover up the chuckle, rubbing at his Adam’s apple, as he continued to listen to Dumbledore.
“So, they have taken those thoughts and placed them in a pensieve. But rather than have you all enter, the events will be displayed in front of you, much like a Muggle film.” Dumbledore flicked his wand, and one pensieve appeared on top of a pedestal. “Are you all ready?”
“Quite,” Snape said coolly. “Let’s see this and implement the bloody measures that are needed. In case you haven’t forgotten, there is an entire camp of Death Eaters outside who just might be capitalizing on this while we dither around here.”
“Quite right, Severus.” Dumbledore said as he made some short swishy motions with his wand.
The air above the pensieve flickered a bit, before a square image appeared above it, rather abrupt and sudden. It also didn’t help that one of the first things to greet their eyes and ears was the sight and sound of an entire wall being blasted away with a ‘Reducto’ spell. Everything was fast and frenetic after that. Different coloured jets of light were flung in every direction, hitting some people, mainly the Death Eaters, and blasting away entire sections of the walls. But more and more Death Eaters came, flinging more and more spells towards Ken and Dai.
When they were suddenly pitched to the ground, the ominous sounds of foot steps came, followed by the world lurching to greet a white mask and black robed figure.
“Don’t fight, I’ve hit you both with an Imobilus spell, and a brief Chilling charm,” Lucius' voice was barely heard and strangely wavering. “Act dead and you’ll live through this.”
“Where are those brats?” Leiko's voice sounded triumphant as her rather quiet foot falls approached. “Hm, killed them already Lucius? You always spoil my fun.” She looked down at Ken and Dai’s bodies in disdain.
“I didn’t know you had such a…thirst for your sons’ blood.” Lucius' voice halted for a moment. “Have we taken the house?”
“Yes, not that there’s anything of worth here anymore; trying to catch these three, along with the other idiots in our presence, and the place is in shambles now.” Leiko bent down, peering intently.
“What is it now?” Lucius asked in slight irritation
“We should leave the house as it is; make a statement to those idiots at the Ministry,” Leiko mused. “But these two just might come back as ghosts and squeal. We can’t have them ruining our Lord’s plan of taking Hogwarts, now can we, since Sutcliffe squealed about the Roving Hallway and Missing Bathroom to them,” Leiko snorted. “I never liked the Sutcliffe. If only our Lord had allowed me to do him in as he let me do Pettigrew…” her voice sounded wistful.
“What do you plan on doing?” Lucius asked in an indifferent tone. “Butchering the bodies?”
“Heavens, no. Let Alexandre see this. Let it burn in his belly that two of his beloved children met their end while he turned tail and ran,” Leiko chuckled. “But just to be on the safe side, I think I’d better make sure they don’t talk if they do come back as ghosts.”
Leiko bent forward, opening Ken and Dai’s mouths. Then she stepped back and opened her palm. The words were nothing more than a bare murmur, the words garbled, but it was only a few seconds and then two bloody tongues appeared in Leiko's hand. Ken and Dai gave a twitch and nothing more.
“That’s it?” Lucius' voice sounded carefully guarded.
“That’s it,” Leiko sounded smug. “Two brats down and one more to go. We should leave before Aurors come snooping around here,” Leiko paused before she spoke once more with a rather appraising tone. “I believe she’s rather…attached to your son is she not?”
Lucius simply gave a dismissive sneer. “Why don’t you ask my son? But I doubt you’ll get an answer from him seeing that he can’t stand the very sight of you.”
And with that Lucius and Leiko vanished with a loud crack.
The square went black, and then dissipated into nothing with a short jabbing motion from Dumbledore’s wand. No one said anything, looking between Ken and Dai and the pensieve in horror and giving Lucius curiously dirty looks. Finally Lucius spoke after clearing his throat.
“Before anyone arrives at any conclusions, I’m surmising that Leiko decided to perform a small Obliterate on me without me knowing, since this is rather…revealing to me as well. Had I known, Kenshin and Daichi would not be finding themselves in this situation.”
That seemed to break the tense air, as Dumbledore nodded. Draco cleared his throat before speaking.
“Does anyone else find it rather ironic that she cut out Ken and Dai’s tongues, as well as Oblivated my father in order to keep this information suppressed, but she herself told us through Ken and Dai’s memory?”
Beecham gave a slight chuckle, and opened her mouth before thinking the better of it.
“Well,” Lupin said after taking a deep breath. “I suppose that leaves us to uncover this Roving Hallway and Missing Bathroom.”