Inside the Blackest Heart (Edit, Not Update)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 50 ~ Heading for Voldemort’s Lair

Harry approached the main gates. He was a bit early, but he would rather be early than late. It just so happened that Lucius, excited about the prospect of bring the Boy Who Lived to his Master also arrived early, and was waiting in a copse of trees. He saw Harry approaching and his heart tightened as the young wizard unwarded the gates and stepped through, warding them back. He looked around.

“Mr. Potter,” Lucius drawled, stepping from between the trees.

Harry’s heart clutched in his chest as the handsome blonde wizard approached him. He took a deep breath, willing himself to be calm.

“Malfoy,” he said, purposely leaving off the ‘Lord’. Lucius scowled at him.

“I understand you wish to be taken to the Dark Lord of your own free will. Why would you do such a thing, boy? You know he will kill you,” Lucius said, frowning at Harry.

“My friend is there. I want to see her,” Harry said.

“Ah, the mudblood witch. Yes, my Lord is very taken with her. She is going to help him defeat the Order,” Lucius drawled.

Harry frowned.

“She would never help him,” Harry said vehemently.

Lucius smiled at him.

“Mr. Potter, you have no idea how seductive evil can be. It can turn the most angelic person to a demon intent on their own pleasure and gain,” the deatheater said.

“Hermione’s no angel, but evil wouldn’t seduce her,” Harry said stubbornly. “She’s on the side of good.”

“Really. I doubt that since the side of ‘Good’ tried to kill her parents,” Lucius replied, “if not for the Dark Lord’s protection, the witch would be an orphan today.”

“You’re lying!” Harry said, but he had a sick feeling in his stomach.

“It was your own Headmaster, the very leader of the Order who tried to take them out, Mr. Potter. I have no reason to lie about this. Your ‘friend’ enlisted the Dark Lord’s aid to save her family. She is in his debt.”

Harry fell silent. This explained why Hermione felt she would be safe with the Dark Lord. Dumbledore tried to kill her parents to keep her under his influence. And Voldemort saved them. He shuddered. Still, that didn’t mean she’d help him. Voldemort may have done well by Hermione, but he was still a murdering bastard who killed Harry’s parents and tried to kill him as a baby.

“In his debt or not, I still want to see her,” Harry said.

“Very well,” Lucius said, “It’s your funeral. Your wand, please.”

Lucius held out his hand expectantly. Harry was about to hand it to him when a searing pain shot through his scar.

“Arrrgh!” Harry screamed, clutching his forehead and gasping from the pain that shot through his head. He had experienced pain before from the scar, but nothing as agonizing as this. Lucius cast a silencing spell over them as Harry continued to scream, falling to the ground, both hands over his scar. The blonde wizard looked down at him dispassionately. Whatever pain the boy was going through was nothing compared to the pain the Dark Lord would give him.

Harry writhed for a few minutes, his vision dimming. He saw a flash of Hermione standing in a room, her eyes wide with horror. Then it was gone. The pain in his head stopped suddenly. Gasping, he tried to roll to his feet.

Suddenly Lucius Malfoy let out a horrible scream, clutching his forearm. It was Harry’s turn to watch as the wizard howled in pain, staggering about in agony. Finally, gasping, he pulled up the sleeve of his robes and looked at his arm.

“It’s changed color,” Lucius said, staring at the gray mark in wonder. He looked at Harry.

“Your wand,” he said again, holding out his hand. He was trembling slightly.

Harry handed Lucius his wand. The wizard stuck it in his pocket, and pulled out a piece of fabric.

“What’s that?” Harry asked as the wizard shook it out.

“A hood,” Lucius said. At first Harry jerked his head back as the wizard attempted to pull it over his head.

“Do you want me to take you or not, Mr. Potter? I require you to wear this hood. It will make for a more dramatic presentation when I deliver you to the Dark Lord,” he said evenly.

Harry acquiesced. Lucius put the hood on him, and grasped him firmly by the arm.

“Say good-bye to Hogwarts, Mr. Potter. I doubt if you will ever see it again,” the wizard said. They apparated.

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Ron was running full speed toward Dumbledore’s office, a piece of parchment clutched tightly in his hand. He was completely green as he navigated the hallways, bumping into students, who grumbled after him as he continued without apology.

He had returned to the common room loaded down with treats from the kitchen, and found Harry gone. Thinking he might have walked up to their room, Ron went upstairs. Harry wasn’t there. He saw the bit of folded parchment on his pillow, and his stomach immediately dropped. He dropped the food on his bed and grabbed the note, unfolding it quickly. He read it.

Ron

Have gone after Hermione.

H.

Ron had sat down on his bed in shock. Harry had gone after Hermione, which meant he had gone to Voldemort…and didn’t take him. Ron felt hurt and betrayed for a moment, but quickly shook it off. He had to save Harry. Dumbledore was the only answer he could think of.

He slid to a stop in front of the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore’s office. He tried a number of passwords but the statue didn’t move.

“Open up, dammit!” Ron yelled, beating on the statue. Suddenly it leapt aside, revealing the spiral staircase. Some Order members emerged. Ron pushed past them, taking the stairs two at a time and bursting into Dumbledore’s office.

The Headmaster was bent over a map. He looked up at Ron and saw the crazed look on his face.

“What is it, my boy?” he asked Ron, straightening.

“Harry….Hermione….the Dark Lord…bad…real bad…” Ron panted, holding out the note.

Dumbledore took the parchment and read it. He went pale. He rushed to his file cabinet and took out the Marauder’s Map.

“I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” he intoned. Both he and Ron scoured the castle. Harry was nowhere to be found.

“He’s left Hogwarts,” Dumbledore said, falling into his chair, “We have no idea where Voldemort’s stronghold is.”

Ron looked at him.

“If only we could track him…get a message to him…something,” Ron said in despair. Suddenly, the red-haired wizard looked up.

“Headmaster! I think I know how we can find Harry!” he said excitedly.

Dumbledore looked up at the boy doubtfully. He had the best minds in the wizarding world working on finding Voldemort’s lair with no results. Not one deatheater he tortured would reveal it. It seemed Voldemort had put a spell of silence on them that even veritaserum or pain could not break.

“How?” Dumbledore asked, not enthusiastically.

“Hedwig, Harry’s owl. Hedwig can find anybody anywhere! Even if the place they are is unplotted. She’s done it before. We can put a tracking spell on her, and give her a message to take to Harry. She’ll find him sir. She’s a right smart bird,” Ron said excitedly.

Hedwig was Harry’s snowy owl. Her phenomenal powers of location were true. She had found Dumbledore when he was on vacation in a secret location. She had also found Sirius Black when he was in hiding. And she delivered messages to Order Headquarters, which was unplottable. If anyone could find Harry, she could.

“Ronald Weasley, you are brilliant!” the Headmaster said, rising from his desk quickly. “Come, we have much to do and little time with which to do it.”

He and Ron exited the office and headed for the owlery.

It was time for the Final Battle.

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A/N: That was something that always stuck in my mind. Why owls weren’t used to track down witches and wizards? They have the ability. Well, it’s on now. Let’s see what’s happening in the throne room next. Please review.