Home is Where the Heart Is
folder
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
9
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2,269
Reviews:
8
Recommended:
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Currently Reading:
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Category:
Harry Potter › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
9
Views:
2,269
Reviews:
8
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.
The Great Escape
~ Disclaimer: I own nothing but what springs from my imagination. Remus Lupin, Hogwarts, and the rest of the Potterverse are the property and the children of JK Rowling. ~
Home is Where the Heart Is
Chapter 7: The Great Escape
Remus and Tonks worked throughout the day, slowly and silently removing Dark wards and replacing them with wards of the Light. It was mentally tiring work and the dark circles that Tonks had noticed under Remus’ eyes grew deeper by the hour. What would have normally been one or two hours worth of work took the better part of 5 hours due to the intricacies of the wards the dark wizards had placed. They finally worked their way to the front door of the manor house and Remus stopped and scratched his head.
“There are no wards on this door,” he whispered, a puzzled look in his eyes.
“I wonder why,” mused Tonks.
“Because,” said Remus, realization entering his face, “this isn’t the door we’re meant to enter by. This is a decoy and a trap for unsuspecting Aurors and the like.”
Remus marked the front door with a warning for anyone of the Light that should come upon it. He motioned for Tonks to follow him to the side of the house. Again, a door there contained no wards, and again Remus marked it with a warning. It was like that with all visible doors to the manor. They were all unprotected, and all marked by Remus and Tonks. Suddenly, Remus grabbed Tonks and pulled her into a large stand of bushes, casting a concealment charm as he did.
“What are you doing?” she asked, glaring at him.
“Tonks, shut up and LOOK,” he motioned to a dark figure crossing the once great lawn and disappearing into a stand of trees, “that’s where we need to go.”
Silently, and praying to the gods that Tonks remained upright and on her feet, they followed the figure through the stand and noted that it entered a trap door in a small hidden clearing. Remus smiled. That was their way in. He motioned for Tonks to stay where she was while he increased his concealment charm, took down a ward, and slipped into the trap door. The tunnel was dark and dusty. Remus hated to think what creatures were living there. But the way was clear; the figure had gotten far enough ahead for Remus and Tonks to proceed. He popped his head out of the trap door and motioned for Tonks.
“Should we alert the others and have them apparate in, just for backup?” asked Tonks quietly.
Remus thought for a moment before replying. Tonks was right, they had no idea how many Death Eaters and Dementors were at the end of that tunnel and the figure that had gone before them certainly pointed to the prison still being active. He nodded slowly as Tonks disapparated the order out, asking for the Aurors to apparate one by one at various locations just outside the compound and to await further instructions.
Remus and Tonks slipped back through the trap door, making their way carefully through the dark passageway. Neither was about to risk using the lumos charm, so they hugged the walls and hoped for the best. Remus sensed no wards along the way; in fact, it was pretty safe to say that they wouldn’t be dealing with any more wards until they reached the prison proper. Tonks stumbled once or twice, but managed to right herself without a sound and finally they came to the end of the tunnel. It opened into a large antechamber where one Death Eater was on guard. Remus smiled, leveled his wand, and whispered, “Stupefy”. The guard keeled over and Remus and Tonks pulled him into the tunnel.
“One Auror to take his place,” whispered Remus. Tonks used the signaling device she held to relay that message and within a moment, the Auror appeared, dressed in Death Eater garb.
“Hey there Remus,” said the Auror, lifting his mask to reveal the smiling face of Kingsley Shacklebolt, “took the trash out after I took his clothing, he’s in custody.”
“Thanks Kingsley. Hey, someone named Garth Puddlewood said to say hi,” said Remus with a grin.
“Little guy, always knows what’s going on, American?”
“Yup.”
Kingsley smiled, “I’ll tell you about him sometime. He’s an interesting wizard.” He sat at the guard table and motioned for Remus and Tonks to continue inside.
Down another corridor was a row of cells. At the end of the corridor stood a Dementor. Remus swallowed hard and stepped into the open. The Dementor sensed his arrival and slowly turned, approaching them. Remus felt the air chill and the screams of children fill his ears. With a deep breath, he pointed his wand at the Dementor and spoke.
“Expecto Patronum,” he said, quietly yet forcefully. The Dementor fled as Remus’ patronus met it face to face, “well, one down, who knows how many left…”
Tonks checked all the cells opening the last one and releasing a young Muggle. Tonks gasped at her condition. Remus looked over at Tonks and saw her face. He followed her gaze to the Muggle female. She was half dressed in tattered clothing, her hair was filthy, and she looked as though she had been beaten and raped. Without a word, Tonks summoned more Aurors and guided the whimpering Muggle girl to the antechamber where Kingsley could watch her.
“I have a feeling this place is a prison for Muggles,” said Remus, as Tonks came back with more Aurors, “OK. I say we get the whole backup crew in here and storm the place.”
“I agree,” said a familiar voice. As the voice’s owner stepped into view, Remus smiled.
“Harry Potter! I thought you were playing Quidditch!” he said.
“Well, there’s that, too. Actually, I volunteered for this mission, I have to get back to the team when it’s over. When I heard I could be working with you, I jumped at the chance. I’ve missed you, Remus,” said Harry with a grin.
“Enough of this chat, we’ve got a job to do,” said Tonks with a serious look on her face, “especially since I hear running steps towards this door. Wands out!”
The door burst open and several Death Eaters entered the corridor. With a mighty blast of wands, the Aurors and the Death Eaters fought each other, while Harry, Tonks, and Remus slipped into the next corridor of cells, popping open the doors and releasing the Muggles inside. Tonks stayed with the released prisoners while Harry and Remus continued through the labyrinth of corridors, stunning the remaining few Death Eaters still inside the body of the prison and releasing prisoners. Finally, they came to a dead end. Peeking into the room at the end, Harry drew a sharp breath.
“What is it?” whispered Remus.
“Dementors, a room full of them.”
“Great,” sighed Remus, “How’s your patronus these days, Harry?”
“Doing well, Remus, and yours?”
“Still got some life in it.”
“OK, the Dementors are all guarding one cell, actually, they’re hovering over it,” said Harry.
“Is anyone missing? Anyone of serious substance?” asked Remus.
“Moody,” stated Harry.
“Mad Eye Moody?”
“Yes. He disappeared during a raid last spring.”
“Well, whoever’s in that cell, they’ve got the attention of five Dementors,” said Remus, “On three?”
”Absolutely.”
“One, two…”
“Fuck three, NOW!” whooped Harry, bursting through the door, “!” they called out in unison, driving back the Dementors and charming open the cell.
“Oh no,” said Harry, looking at the prisoner, “it’s Moody, and it looks like the Dementors have already gotten to him.”
Remus looked in the cell to see Mad Eye Moody lying on the floor, staring up at nothing. He didn’t appear to see anything and he wore the look of one who has suffered numerous curses and the Dementor’s Kiss.
“Damn it,” said Remus, “We’ve got to get him to the other Aurors. He’s one of them.”
Harry nodded in agreement. Using the Mobilicorpus spell, Harry and Remus retraced their steps, finding Tonks calming a large group of Muggle prisoners, most who had been beaten and worse.
“I’ll go check on the others and then send for you, OK? Harry, you stay here with Mad Eye and help out Tonks,” said Remus. Harry nodded as Remus went back through the corridors to the anteroom.
“What took you so long,” smiled Kingsley, glancing around at the stunned and bound Death Eaters piled in the center of the room, “we took some minor hits, but we’re all OK. How are the prisoners?”
“They were mostly Muggle, and in bad shape” said Remus, “and Kingsley, they had Mad Eye.”
“He’s OK, though, right?”
Remus shook his head, “I’m afraid the Dementors were unleashed on him, probably as we made headway through the prison.”
“Oh no, they didn’t…”
“I’m afraid he was kissed,” said Remus, sadly.
“Where is he?”
“With Harry and Tonks. Can you get all these prisoners and Moody to safety while Tonks and I stay behind to clean up?”
“Sure thing Remus. You know, you could have been an Auror…”
“Not with my condition and not with Fudge as my boss,” said Remus sadly.
“Our loss, you would have been one of the greats,” said Kingsley, gathering up his crew and leaving with the rescued Muggle prisoners.
Harry and Remus said their goodbyes, with Harry promising to visit Hogwarts for the Holidays. Remus and Tonks stayed behind, walking froe ene end of the complex to the other, blasting the cells with their wands. When they reached the trap door, Remus spoke a few words and a fireball shot out of his wand, collapsing the caverns. He and Tonks ran for safety as the m hou house shuddered, then fell. The skies opened up and the rain began, Tonks threw her arms around Remus for comfort and sought his lips with hers.
Home is Where the Heart Is
Chapter 7: The Great Escape
Remus and Tonks worked throughout the day, slowly and silently removing Dark wards and replacing them with wards of the Light. It was mentally tiring work and the dark circles that Tonks had noticed under Remus’ eyes grew deeper by the hour. What would have normally been one or two hours worth of work took the better part of 5 hours due to the intricacies of the wards the dark wizards had placed. They finally worked their way to the front door of the manor house and Remus stopped and scratched his head.
“There are no wards on this door,” he whispered, a puzzled look in his eyes.
“I wonder why,” mused Tonks.
“Because,” said Remus, realization entering his face, “this isn’t the door we’re meant to enter by. This is a decoy and a trap for unsuspecting Aurors and the like.”
Remus marked the front door with a warning for anyone of the Light that should come upon it. He motioned for Tonks to follow him to the side of the house. Again, a door there contained no wards, and again Remus marked it with a warning. It was like that with all visible doors to the manor. They were all unprotected, and all marked by Remus and Tonks. Suddenly, Remus grabbed Tonks and pulled her into a large stand of bushes, casting a concealment charm as he did.
“What are you doing?” she asked, glaring at him.
“Tonks, shut up and LOOK,” he motioned to a dark figure crossing the once great lawn and disappearing into a stand of trees, “that’s where we need to go.”
Silently, and praying to the gods that Tonks remained upright and on her feet, they followed the figure through the stand and noted that it entered a trap door in a small hidden clearing. Remus smiled. That was their way in. He motioned for Tonks to stay where she was while he increased his concealment charm, took down a ward, and slipped into the trap door. The tunnel was dark and dusty. Remus hated to think what creatures were living there. But the way was clear; the figure had gotten far enough ahead for Remus and Tonks to proceed. He popped his head out of the trap door and motioned for Tonks.
“Should we alert the others and have them apparate in, just for backup?” asked Tonks quietly.
Remus thought for a moment before replying. Tonks was right, they had no idea how many Death Eaters and Dementors were at the end of that tunnel and the figure that had gone before them certainly pointed to the prison still being active. He nodded slowly as Tonks disapparated the order out, asking for the Aurors to apparate one by one at various locations just outside the compound and to await further instructions.
Remus and Tonks slipped back through the trap door, making their way carefully through the dark passageway. Neither was about to risk using the lumos charm, so they hugged the walls and hoped for the best. Remus sensed no wards along the way; in fact, it was pretty safe to say that they wouldn’t be dealing with any more wards until they reached the prison proper. Tonks stumbled once or twice, but managed to right herself without a sound and finally they came to the end of the tunnel. It opened into a large antechamber where one Death Eater was on guard. Remus smiled, leveled his wand, and whispered, “Stupefy”. The guard keeled over and Remus and Tonks pulled him into the tunnel.
“One Auror to take his place,” whispered Remus. Tonks used the signaling device she held to relay that message and within a moment, the Auror appeared, dressed in Death Eater garb.
“Hey there Remus,” said the Auror, lifting his mask to reveal the smiling face of Kingsley Shacklebolt, “took the trash out after I took his clothing, he’s in custody.”
“Thanks Kingsley. Hey, someone named Garth Puddlewood said to say hi,” said Remus with a grin.
“Little guy, always knows what’s going on, American?”
“Yup.”
Kingsley smiled, “I’ll tell you about him sometime. He’s an interesting wizard.” He sat at the guard table and motioned for Remus and Tonks to continue inside.
Down another corridor was a row of cells. At the end of the corridor stood a Dementor. Remus swallowed hard and stepped into the open. The Dementor sensed his arrival and slowly turned, approaching them. Remus felt the air chill and the screams of children fill his ears. With a deep breath, he pointed his wand at the Dementor and spoke.
“Expecto Patronum,” he said, quietly yet forcefully. The Dementor fled as Remus’ patronus met it face to face, “well, one down, who knows how many left…”
Tonks checked all the cells opening the last one and releasing a young Muggle. Tonks gasped at her condition. Remus looked over at Tonks and saw her face. He followed her gaze to the Muggle female. She was half dressed in tattered clothing, her hair was filthy, and she looked as though she had been beaten and raped. Without a word, Tonks summoned more Aurors and guided the whimpering Muggle girl to the antechamber where Kingsley could watch her.
“I have a feeling this place is a prison for Muggles,” said Remus, as Tonks came back with more Aurors, “OK. I say we get the whole backup crew in here and storm the place.”
“I agree,” said a familiar voice. As the voice’s owner stepped into view, Remus smiled.
“Harry Potter! I thought you were playing Quidditch!” he said.
“Well, there’s that, too. Actually, I volunteered for this mission, I have to get back to the team when it’s over. When I heard I could be working with you, I jumped at the chance. I’ve missed you, Remus,” said Harry with a grin.
“Enough of this chat, we’ve got a job to do,” said Tonks with a serious look on her face, “especially since I hear running steps towards this door. Wands out!”
The door burst open and several Death Eaters entered the corridor. With a mighty blast of wands, the Aurors and the Death Eaters fought each other, while Harry, Tonks, and Remus slipped into the next corridor of cells, popping open the doors and releasing the Muggles inside. Tonks stayed with the released prisoners while Harry and Remus continued through the labyrinth of corridors, stunning the remaining few Death Eaters still inside the body of the prison and releasing prisoners. Finally, they came to a dead end. Peeking into the room at the end, Harry drew a sharp breath.
“What is it?” whispered Remus.
“Dementors, a room full of them.”
“Great,” sighed Remus, “How’s your patronus these days, Harry?”
“Doing well, Remus, and yours?”
“Still got some life in it.”
“OK, the Dementors are all guarding one cell, actually, they’re hovering over it,” said Harry.
“Is anyone missing? Anyone of serious substance?” asked Remus.
“Moody,” stated Harry.
“Mad Eye Moody?”
“Yes. He disappeared during a raid last spring.”
“Well, whoever’s in that cell, they’ve got the attention of five Dementors,” said Remus, “On three?”
”Absolutely.”
“One, two…”
“Fuck three, NOW!” whooped Harry, bursting through the door, “
“Oh no,” said Harry, looking at the prisoner, “it’s Moody, and it looks like the Dementors have already gotten to him.”
Remus looked in the cell to see Mad Eye Moody lying on the floor, staring up at nothing. He didn’t appear to see anything and he wore the look of one who has suffered numerous curses and the Dementor’s Kiss.
“Damn it,” said Remus, “We’ve got to get him to the other Aurors. He’s one of them.”
Harry nodded in agreement. Using the Mobilicorpus spell, Harry and Remus retraced their steps, finding Tonks calming a large group of Muggle prisoners, most who had been beaten and worse.
“I’ll go check on the others and then send for you, OK? Harry, you stay here with Mad Eye and help out Tonks,” said Remus. Harry nodded as Remus went back through the corridors to the anteroom.
“What took you so long,” smiled Kingsley, glancing around at the stunned and bound Death Eaters piled in the center of the room, “we took some minor hits, but we’re all OK. How are the prisoners?”
“They were mostly Muggle, and in bad shape” said Remus, “and Kingsley, they had Mad Eye.”
“He’s OK, though, right?”
Remus shook his head, “I’m afraid the Dementors were unleashed on him, probably as we made headway through the prison.”
“Oh no, they didn’t…”
“I’m afraid he was kissed,” said Remus, sadly.
“Where is he?”
“With Harry and Tonks. Can you get all these prisoners and Moody to safety while Tonks and I stay behind to clean up?”
“Sure thing Remus. You know, you could have been an Auror…”
“Not with my condition and not with Fudge as my boss,” said Remus sadly.
“Our loss, you would have been one of the greats,” said Kingsley, gathering up his crew and leaving with the rescued Muggle prisoners.
Harry and Remus said their goodbyes, with Harry promising to visit Hogwarts for the Holidays. Remus and Tonks stayed behind, walking froe ene end of the complex to the other, blasting the cells with their wands. When they reached the trap door, Remus spoke a few words and a fireball shot out of his wand, collapsing the caverns. He and Tonks ran for safety as the m hou house shuddered, then fell. The skies opened up and the rain began, Tonks threw her arms around Remus for comfort and sought his lips with hers.