Albus Potter and the Prophesied Year

Ch 2 Searching for the Kidnapped

"I have something I have to do right now," Harry told the group, "but I will be back within the hour."

Harry left for Grimmauld Place. The children were eating breakfast in the dining room, so Scorpius and Cleo were not in the lower level where they might be spotted. "Do you have the clothes you were wearing when you were abducted?" Harry wondered.

Scorpius and Cleo nodded.

"Please come back with those clothes on," Harry told the pair. A short time later they were back.

Scorpius was wearing a long sleeve dress shirt, light green in a shade that could have been reflective of Slytherin colors, with a tie that was obviously a Slytherin tie, silver and green, with small snake figures. He wore dark trousers and black dress loafers over Slytherin themed socks.

Cleo was wearing a white long sleeved dress, rather form fitting, with a full skirt. She wore what looked like ballet slippers over white socks.

Harry looked at the two. "Can you Apparate, Cleo?" He asked.

"Sure, where do you want me to go?" Cleo asked.

"Can you take Scorpius, side along?" Harry persisted.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Cleo confirmed. Harry sighed in relief. Cleo's Apparition was different from normal Apparition and was impossible to track, so no one could trace them back to where they had been hiding out for the past few days.

"I need you to escape tomorrow morning," Harry let the two know. "Thank you for changing your clothes. I wanted to know what you were wearing so I could see if we could do something to make people think that it was hard for you to escape. I want to have the sleeve on your clothes indicate that escaping from the handcuffs was difficult, at least."

"I think I can inflict burn marks on their arms and sleeves," Albus volunteered. "It will hurt, I am afraid, but it should be very realistic. I want to make it look like we had to burn through the handcuffs instead of unlocking them."

"You need to do something like that, Al," Scorpius replied.

"You ought to be filthy, looking real rough," Rose suggested.

"I know a place on the banks of The River Otter where we could roll in the mud, walk through brambles, and really tear up our clothes and skin," Cleo thought. "We are probably going to ruin these clothes, though."

"Figure it out," Harry told the four. "Where would you go if you could escape?"

"Grimmauld Place," Cleo replied. "In the garden area where there would be people out to see us?"

"Figure it out," Harry nodded, knowing they would spend the rest of the day planning.

Harry went back to the Ministry.

*

Ginny Potter appeared at the New Burrow with Minerva, having come through the magical Closet.

"Hello, Ginny, Minerva," Molly greeted the two with her usual hug.

"I need to go to The Daily Prophet, Mum," Ginny announced. "The Prophet is deluged with people with leads on the whereabouts of Scorpius and Cleo, or with questions. The editor has called for Cindy and I to both help."

"I will take care of Minerva," Molly replied.

"Bye mum," Minerva waved. "Grandmum and I will play and learn. I will play with the babies too. I'm a good helper."

Victoire was just walking into the kitchen, and she confirmed, "Minerva really is a good helper. She is helping to teach Maria."

*