Things Change: cruor est lucus quam unda
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Category:
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
4
Views:
1,443
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter Four: Determination
Chapter Four:
Determination
A new day arose and there was still no sign of the twins at the Burrow. Mr Weasley, his three other sons and Harry had returned five minutes previously from yet another unfruitful search for the missing family members and were now gloomily standing around the kitchen.
Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Hermione and Fleur all set the aromatic breakfast on the table, and sat, though none of them had retained any appetite. The silence was obtrusive and played on many of their minds. The two empty chairs ever present. All occupants of the kitchen wondering if the twins were even alive... Molly glanced up at the family clock for about the hundredth time that day, both the twins hands were back with the rest of the families hands- at mortal peril. It told her nothing, they could be dead, in real trouble or just like the rest of the family- in mortal peril due to the dark lord’s return.
“Where’s Lupin and Tonks?” Ron whispered over to Hermione, much louder than he had anticipated. Molly Weasley was the one to answer him,
“They’re in the living room, dear, there’s something wrong with Tonks but we can’t figure out what it is.” Her voice was filled with worry for her friend.
The day wore on much the same, until Mr Weasley finally gave in.
“I... can’t think of what else to do, this isn’t working. I’m going to the ministry to see if anyone has heard anything, maybe get some more help.” His voice was horse and filled with pain.
“But dad, we don’t know who we can trust at the ministry anymore. We already know for definite that there’s been some infiltration by him.” The concern came from Bill, but was swiftly quelled.
“I know but, there’s nothing else for it. We should have done this hours ago, I hoped they would just appear and it would have all been a joke but I should know better by now. If he has them, then it will be no surprise to some, and little worry to them if that isn’t the case.”
“Well, you’re not going alone, me and Bill will come with, the rest should probably stay here, just in case they come back.” Charlie spoke deliberately, trying to help the others hold on to their unfounded hopes that the twins would still come back unharmed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
George sat away from the others, in the damp cave lit only by wand light. Now he had never really liked his captor but really what did it matter now? Someone was hurt and they needed help, why was it bothering him so much? Maybe it really was because deep down he knew that they didn’t know enough to save this life.
“Did you hear something?” Fred’s voice sounded worried. George moved his gaze towards the cave entrance, he had been to enveloped in his thoughts to hear anything.
“No...wait-“
Now it was apparent, a slight crunching sound could be heard over the whistle of the wind, like footsteps. They were getting louder, the footsteps coming nearer.
“This is not good, what if they’ve found her and are coming back to finish the job?!” Fred’s voice squeaked slightly in his panic. Their captor shuddered at this comment and their possible doom.
“We... we have to all leave now, even if they are you’re friends they won’t help me...” Their captor was right, but... isn’t it too dangerous for wounds that bad to go through apparation?
“But what about her? She can’t go through apparition!” Fred’s voice echoed his twins thoughts.
“There’s no other way...”
Evenyone paused for a moment contemplating their chances, the footfalls grew even louder, almost at the mouth of the cave.
“...ok, I guess, but still...” George couldn’t believe they were going to attempt this, surely it would only make the bleeding worse?
“To the Burrow then, they’ll be able to help her much better than we can”
“No, they won’t even try...it has to be somewhere else.”
“I hate to admit it George but he’s right we can’t go to the Burrow, just some other hiding place I suppose unless...didn’t Moody once mention that Ms Longbottom, Neville’s grandmother was an excellent healer from the last dark times? We should go see her!” Fred’s voice suddenly filled with hope. There was no time for them to think beyond this, the stranger had almost found them.
“Quick then, the footsteps are almost here!” George grabbed hold of their captor, who in turn held onto the mutated body, and disappeared with a POP, swiftly followed by the other twin.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Once the party had departed to the ministry, the trio looked at each other and made their excuses (Something about needing to visit Luna). They walked out the yard and away from the view of the house. Stopping at the crossroads, Hermione turned to face the others.
“Are you sure? I mean I know we talked about it and all but... you know... and I’ve barely prepared at all...” Ron sniffed, annoyed that she thought two months weren’t enough time to prepare, they had been talking of this ever since Dumbledore’s death.
“Yes Hermione,” Harry replied tonelessly, “the only way to help the twins now is to defeat Volde-“
“Oh Harry don’t! Not now, don’t say his name” her voice had turned shrill.
“Fine. We’ve got to find the horcruxes and the only place to go from here is obvious, it’s the only place I can think of that Dumbledore would have left clues to help...” He stopped himself before he gave in completely to whining.
“I agree with Harry. Let’s go.” Ron was full of grim determination; blotches of red covered his face through lack of sleep and concern for his brothers. They all gathered around Hermione, as of yet she was the only one who had passed her apparition examination. She quickly rummaged through her usual magically inside-enlarged handbag which she had begun to keep with her all the time-in case of emergencies. All the books she could think to bring were inside, she pushed past them just to check she had everything- clothes, tent, tinned food, foe-glass, sneakoscope, the invisibility cloak- she pulled it out and covered them all, just in case. Holding onto Harry and Ron’s arms they apparated. The tight tube-like feeling compressed them all. Breathlessly they opened their eyes.
So this is Godric’s Hollow... thought Harry.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Quick! We need to get her out of the chill air!”
As soon as they had arrived, chill had hit them-probably due to being high up on a mountain-side, snow already covered the frost bitten ground. The small bloody bundle in their captor’s arms started to shake uncontrollably. We have to get help now!
“Which one?!” panic had set in. Fred and George glanced over at each other, then back at the other man.
“43” they echoed in unison.
They scurried through the abandoned streets as quickly as they dared, searching for the allusive house, their eyes focusing only on house numbers. Rounding a corner Fred suddenly let out an animalistic screech and ran the rest of the way to a building on the opposite side of the street. The street looked identical to all the others they had seen; neat rows of houses, well kept gardens and whitewashed brickwork. It took a few moments for the others to catch onto why Fred’s mood had changed so suddenly. Peering closer, though, a small bronze number 43 sat on top of the tiny white gate. They caught up to Fred, who was now standing on the doorstep, having knocked briefly on the red door. Their captor hung back, reluctant to meet the grandmother he had heard so much about, knowing what her grandson thought about him, let alone the person in his arms no doubt, but the fragile life he held was slipping away, this was the last chance to save her. The door opened with a slight creak, spilling light onto the snow covered doorstep.
“Hello?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harry pulled the cloak off at once, shivering with the cold that hit his body like a thousand knives.
“Harry!” Hermione’s voice was a desperate whisper, but he was far to absorbed in the vision that beheld the place where he had lived as a baby- with his family.
“Shit...” Ron felt the cold hit him too. He had visited Godric’s Hollow a few times as a child, as it was one of the largest Wizarding towns left in existence in England- but something was wrong...the air tasted wrong...
Determination
A new day arose and there was still no sign of the twins at the Burrow. Mr Weasley, his three other sons and Harry had returned five minutes previously from yet another unfruitful search for the missing family members and were now gloomily standing around the kitchen.
Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Hermione and Fleur all set the aromatic breakfast on the table, and sat, though none of them had retained any appetite. The silence was obtrusive and played on many of their minds. The two empty chairs ever present. All occupants of the kitchen wondering if the twins were even alive... Molly glanced up at the family clock for about the hundredth time that day, both the twins hands were back with the rest of the families hands- at mortal peril. It told her nothing, they could be dead, in real trouble or just like the rest of the family- in mortal peril due to the dark lord’s return.
“Where’s Lupin and Tonks?” Ron whispered over to Hermione, much louder than he had anticipated. Molly Weasley was the one to answer him,
“They’re in the living room, dear, there’s something wrong with Tonks but we can’t figure out what it is.” Her voice was filled with worry for her friend.
The day wore on much the same, until Mr Weasley finally gave in.
“I... can’t think of what else to do, this isn’t working. I’m going to the ministry to see if anyone has heard anything, maybe get some more help.” His voice was horse and filled with pain.
“But dad, we don’t know who we can trust at the ministry anymore. We already know for definite that there’s been some infiltration by him.” The concern came from Bill, but was swiftly quelled.
“I know but, there’s nothing else for it. We should have done this hours ago, I hoped they would just appear and it would have all been a joke but I should know better by now. If he has them, then it will be no surprise to some, and little worry to them if that isn’t the case.”
“Well, you’re not going alone, me and Bill will come with, the rest should probably stay here, just in case they come back.” Charlie spoke deliberately, trying to help the others hold on to their unfounded hopes that the twins would still come back unharmed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
George sat away from the others, in the damp cave lit only by wand light. Now he had never really liked his captor but really what did it matter now? Someone was hurt and they needed help, why was it bothering him so much? Maybe it really was because deep down he knew that they didn’t know enough to save this life.
“Did you hear something?” Fred’s voice sounded worried. George moved his gaze towards the cave entrance, he had been to enveloped in his thoughts to hear anything.
“No...wait-“
Now it was apparent, a slight crunching sound could be heard over the whistle of the wind, like footsteps. They were getting louder, the footsteps coming nearer.
“This is not good, what if they’ve found her and are coming back to finish the job?!” Fred’s voice squeaked slightly in his panic. Their captor shuddered at this comment and their possible doom.
“We... we have to all leave now, even if they are you’re friends they won’t help me...” Their captor was right, but... isn’t it too dangerous for wounds that bad to go through apparation?
“But what about her? She can’t go through apparition!” Fred’s voice echoed his twins thoughts.
“There’s no other way...”
Evenyone paused for a moment contemplating their chances, the footfalls grew even louder, almost at the mouth of the cave.
“...ok, I guess, but still...” George couldn’t believe they were going to attempt this, surely it would only make the bleeding worse?
“To the Burrow then, they’ll be able to help her much better than we can”
“No, they won’t even try...it has to be somewhere else.”
“I hate to admit it George but he’s right we can’t go to the Burrow, just some other hiding place I suppose unless...didn’t Moody once mention that Ms Longbottom, Neville’s grandmother was an excellent healer from the last dark times? We should go see her!” Fred’s voice suddenly filled with hope. There was no time for them to think beyond this, the stranger had almost found them.
“Quick then, the footsteps are almost here!” George grabbed hold of their captor, who in turn held onto the mutated body, and disappeared with a POP, swiftly followed by the other twin.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Once the party had departed to the ministry, the trio looked at each other and made their excuses (Something about needing to visit Luna). They walked out the yard and away from the view of the house. Stopping at the crossroads, Hermione turned to face the others.
“Are you sure? I mean I know we talked about it and all but... you know... and I’ve barely prepared at all...” Ron sniffed, annoyed that she thought two months weren’t enough time to prepare, they had been talking of this ever since Dumbledore’s death.
“Yes Hermione,” Harry replied tonelessly, “the only way to help the twins now is to defeat Volde-“
“Oh Harry don’t! Not now, don’t say his name” her voice had turned shrill.
“Fine. We’ve got to find the horcruxes and the only place to go from here is obvious, it’s the only place I can think of that Dumbledore would have left clues to help...” He stopped himself before he gave in completely to whining.
“I agree with Harry. Let’s go.” Ron was full of grim determination; blotches of red covered his face through lack of sleep and concern for his brothers. They all gathered around Hermione, as of yet she was the only one who had passed her apparition examination. She quickly rummaged through her usual magically inside-enlarged handbag which she had begun to keep with her all the time-in case of emergencies. All the books she could think to bring were inside, she pushed past them just to check she had everything- clothes, tent, tinned food, foe-glass, sneakoscope, the invisibility cloak- she pulled it out and covered them all, just in case. Holding onto Harry and Ron’s arms they apparated. The tight tube-like feeling compressed them all. Breathlessly they opened their eyes.
So this is Godric’s Hollow... thought Harry.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Quick! We need to get her out of the chill air!”
As soon as they had arrived, chill had hit them-probably due to being high up on a mountain-side, snow already covered the frost bitten ground. The small bloody bundle in their captor’s arms started to shake uncontrollably. We have to get help now!
“Which one?!” panic had set in. Fred and George glanced over at each other, then back at the other man.
“43” they echoed in unison.
They scurried through the abandoned streets as quickly as they dared, searching for the allusive house, their eyes focusing only on house numbers. Rounding a corner Fred suddenly let out an animalistic screech and ran the rest of the way to a building on the opposite side of the street. The street looked identical to all the others they had seen; neat rows of houses, well kept gardens and whitewashed brickwork. It took a few moments for the others to catch onto why Fred’s mood had changed so suddenly. Peering closer, though, a small bronze number 43 sat on top of the tiny white gate. They caught up to Fred, who was now standing on the doorstep, having knocked briefly on the red door. Their captor hung back, reluctant to meet the grandmother he had heard so much about, knowing what her grandson thought about him, let alone the person in his arms no doubt, but the fragile life he held was slipping away, this was the last chance to save her. The door opened with a slight creak, spilling light onto the snow covered doorstep.
“Hello?”
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harry pulled the cloak off at once, shivering with the cold that hit his body like a thousand knives.
“Harry!” Hermione’s voice was a desperate whisper, but he was far to absorbed in the vision that beheld the place where he had lived as a baby- with his family.
“Shit...” Ron felt the cold hit him too. He had visited Godric’s Hollow a few times as a child, as it was one of the largest Wizarding towns left in existence in England- but something was wrong...the air tasted wrong...