Chapter 8

"-done with your games. I've had enough!"

The door to the dining room slammed shut. The group of teenagers trying to eavesdrop from above jumped with surprise and looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Was that-" said Hermione, a bit shocked.

"Sirius," The twins said in an admiring voice.

Long black hair almost floated around Sirius's head as he stormed upstairs, where he was going none of the kids could guess. They didn't want to anyway, Sirius looked furious. A second later, Professor Lupin stumbled out of the room looking around. He then proceeded to follow after Sirius without sparing them a single glance.

"Bloody hell," Ron finally breathed out, "What do you think happened?"

A thousand theories ran through Hermione's mind. Before she could voice any of them Fred stood up quickly, "Okaaaaay. Time to go. Meet you in the room"

"Hey-' Ginny began.

Fred and George disappeared with a crack.

"What do you think you're up to?" A voice came from behind them, Ron jumped up in surprise, Ginny adopted an innocent look on her face and Hermione, well, Hermione looked guilty but determined.

"Nothing much, mum." Ginny leaned back against the banister.

Molly put her hands on her hips, "Really young lady because it looked to me like you were trying to eavesdrop on the meeting." Hermione absently noted that looked ruffled and tired. Her cheeks were red and a frown on her face.

"So what if we were," Hermione blurted out. Her cheeks turning red when turned to her instead but refused to back down. "Our best friend is missing. I think we of all the people have the right to know what is going on."

Molly sighed tiredly, " We know all of you are worried, everyone is. We said we'd let you know the moment we find something new that stands true. But that doesn't mean you get to listen in on the meeting.", She held up a hand to silence Ron who was about to talk, "You're too young and you're not in the Order so I better not see any of you attempting this again. Is that understood?"

There was a moment of silence then all of them nodded.

"Then off to bed you go.", she made a shoo motion with her hand.

Hermione was about to say something but Ron clasped her hand and shook his head. They headed to the room that should've been shared by Ron and Harry. Hermione sat on the bed whose sheets Molly still changed regularly and which was constantly there to remind them that someone was missing, not that they needed a reminder. Hermione ran an absent hand over the sheet.

"So," Ron began," It's a dead-end, again. Nothing new, except that Sirius is pissed.'' He flopped on the other, unmade, bed.

Hermione sighed, wrapping her arms around herself as she looked at Ron "Not really." She continued at his confused look," at least we know that they're still looking for him. Nothing is confirmed. It means there is still a chance that he's not...gone."

Ron opened his mouth before closing it again, he shook his head taking off his shoes, " Of course he's not gone-gone, Hermione." He looked offended like he couldn't believe Hermione would suggest such a thing.

Hermione looked at Ginny who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Ginny looked away when their eyes met, clearly, she wasn't going to chime in.

So it was up to her then. Hermione gathered her thoughts a bit, carefully choosing her words, " You have to understand, Ron. The odds are against him. We can't be sure of anything," Ron almost intervened but Hermione continued, "Not without proof."

"Just because there is no proof doesn't mean we should give up! Harry will find a way out like he always does." Ron looked flustered.

Hermione could feel a fight brewing, she looked away from him. She didn't want to fight not really, she wished she could have faith like Ron did, maybe then horrible scenarios wouldn't constantly occupy her mind.

"He's right, Hermie dear," George said from behind her almost making her jump."Harrykins too sneaky-"

"-for muggles to hold for too long. " Fred continued leaning against the wall.

Hermione's head snapped up.

"And now that the dog is out of the bag, pun fully intended, the efforts to find him will double."

"Wait, wait. What do you mean by that?"

"What?" George looked confused.

Hermione turned towards them, focussing on them completely, "Harry is not captured by muggles, who said that?"

George went to stand by his twin.

"We did." They shrugged, Fred (George?) explained, "We heard Dumbledore discussing it before Mum found out about that hole in the ceiling we used to eavesdrop. Apparently-"

"-The Aurors used the tracking spell where Harry's wand was found and the people that took him were using, em the firing things. " They both made shooting signs with their hands.

"Guns?"Hermione asked breathlessly.

"Uh-Huh"

"That's not possible." Hermione stood up from the bed, she could feel all the eyes on her, " His letter for expulsion and the ministry notice didn't reach him," Hermione paced around the room now, almost talking to herself at this point, "Even the trace isn't working, how is that possible if the muggles have -" She came to a sudden stop, "Unless he is surrounded by some sort of radiation or shield of some kind that is stronger than magic but what can be stronger than magic? It doesn't make sense-"

Ron stopped her, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Hermione slow down! Breathe."

Hermione stared at him for a second before taking a deep breath. Panicking wasn't going to solve anything, and at least now there was a higher chance of Harry being safe, She expressed this statement occupying the space Ron had taken on the bed earlier.

There was silence for a while.

Hermione picked at a thread poking through her sweater, "Our letters were so vague. He must have felt so alone. Right after what happened to Cedric too." She couldn't hide the guilt from her voice.

"There was nothing we could do." Ginny finally spoke up, Hermione wondered who she was trying to convince, them or herself. She scooted near Hermione, resting against the bedside.

"It seemed like that at the time but maybe we could have figured something out. We-I just blindly trusted what we were told." She stared at her hands in her lap, her voice breaking a little " We shouldn't have listened to Professor Dumbledore. Maybe Harry wouldn't be in this position if we'd just-"

"Hey,'" Ginny placed her hands on top of hers, "he's going to be alright you'll see. right now we need to find a way to help"

"You're right." Hermione cleared her throat, pretending her eyes weren't tearing up "Hogwarts starts in two weeks, let's use that time wisely.

"'We should help Sirius, he seems to be the only one actually worried about Harry, not about Voldemort or ministry or politics or some other bullshit." Ron voiced what they had all been thinking.

Hermione blinked away the wetness in her eyes, they were right. They were going to find Harry, they had to. She just hoped he was okay.

Sirius slammed the door behind him as he walked into his old room, the room that he had prepared as a surprise for Harry. He sent a careless locking charm at the door as he was pretty sure Moony had walked out right behind him.

He pushed the strands of hair away from his face, grimacing at their feel. Even his hair showed the effect of Azkaban, the once silky texture now coarse and rough. He knew exactly what he looked like, the unnatural gauntness of his cheeks, the greyness of his skin, it made it impossible to escape the image of a fugitive, it reminded people again and again where he had been ( even made them disregard the fact that he was innocent.)

And he also knew that it was one of the reasons why they weren't taking him seriously. Deranged, irrational, irresponsible. Right, because their rationality had done so much to find his godson. He stopped pacing and sat on the bed, only now registering the knocking on the door.

He sighed and with his wand unlocked the door. Moony entered the room just as he was reaching for the album again. Remus didn't say anything, just sat next to Sirius on the bed. It was almost a routine for them at this point.

Sirius black held in his hands the only album with photographs of his godson's life. He gingerly opened the album, silently looking at the picture within. It was one he remembered clearly cause he was the one that took it. James looked at the camera, looking incredibly smug, almost smirking at something and beside him, Lily was sitting with Harry on her lap looking not at the camera, but at him. The amusement and love in her eyes clear.

Sirius felt the tight leash that he had maintained on his emotions for so long starting to slip.

He traced the photo of his brother, his partner in crime before looking at the happy baby sucking at his fist. He stared at him for a while then opened a page he was too familiar with at this point.

"We were going to be a family," Sirius's hand slowly rose as he touched fourteen-year-old Harry's cheek over the glossy photograph, "They don't get to take him, Moony. They've taken so much already. So much. I can't let them take him too."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and locked eyes with his longtime friend.

"We'll find him, Sirius. I promise. When have restrictions ever stopped us before? " Remus broke the eye contact taking in Harry's smile in the picture, " Harry, he's...brave. So brave. He won't give up either. We'll find each other, one way or another."

They had done something to him. He didn't know what but something was wrong, something was missing.

He shuffled in discomfort as he began to faintly whisper his own name.

Harry, Harry, Harry...

He saw a scene from the corner of his eyes, like through a hazy mirror.

I'm not as good as you

Me! Brown bushy hair, arms around his neck.

Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and — oh Harry — be careful!

A train. A handshake.

A face slowly moved into his vision. Grey eyes staring deep into his soul, bark-like laughter echoed in his ears. He felt safe, loved.

It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily, and you so little. But know this; the ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them in here.

Harry, Harry, Harry...

You're more like them then you know, Harry. In time you'll come to see just how much.

A wolf.A dog.A Stag.

An unknown force began to pull against his mind. Dragged down, further and further into the abandoned ocean of his mind, he fought against with all his might attempting to hold on to the small piece of freedom he had felt.

Slowly all of it dissolved into a dark scarlet. His tongue was caught, his throat parched, as he began to flail with desperation, he was dragged deeper and deeper into the depths below.

He couldn't breathe, all the peace he had felt, was sucked out of him. Weak and tired by his hopeless attempts, he allowed his limp body to be taken down into the torment that awaited him.

His name...

A tear leaked from the corner of his eye, the darkness crept around him, latching itself onto his mind.

What was his name?

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So that just happened.

-Marey