Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)

Chapter 33 - Father and Son (pt2)

In front of the headmaster's desk was a host of people comprising of Snape, McGonagall, Ron, Hermione, Madam Pomfrey, Fred, George, Remus Lupin and Tonks. Harry was momentarily glad at the surprise of seeing his ex-defence against the dark arts professor and the now green haired Auror, but the emotion barely made it to, let alone past the fury that was keeping him going.

"Harry, My Boy," Dumbledore greeted with his usual smile, "we did not expect you to be awake so soon."

"Or ever?" Harry shot back and regretted it the moment it was out of his mouth, but quite unable to hold back his temper.

"Quite," the headmaster returned as if one of his pupils had not just bitten his head off, "please, join us."

"Harry, you're looking ..." Remus began as Harry walked towards the group, but seemed unable to come up with what he wanted to say.

"Very, very, angry?" he offered helpfully.

"Well I might have gone with avenging angel," Tonks commented conversationally, "but your description will do."

"Are you sure such raw emotion is good for you, Mr Potter?" Madam Pomfrey sounded genuinely concerned, but her tone did not improve Harry's mood.

The glare he turned on her made her eyes widen in shock and he tried to reign in his temper.

"Well you can have blithering wreck or blind anger, your choice," Harry said shortly. "Myself, I'm finding murderous rage far more productive at the moment."

The logical part of Harry's mind informed him that there would be some heartfelt apologies owing once this was over, but the rest of him didn't care.

"Well, Harry," Dumbledore interrupted smoothly, "we have been trying to ascertain what occurred this morning. Now that you are here would you care to tell us what you know?"

Having a purpose on which to focus was just what Harry needed and he took the lifeline for what it was. When their minds had combined the whole event had been at the forefront of Draco's mind, hence Harry knew everything his soulmate had seen.

"Lucius Apparated onto school grounds," Harry said evenly using the memory to channel his anger, "someone must have opened the wards for him. He wants to break Draco and then use him against me: it didn't seem to have occurred to him that if Draco breaks so do I. Lucius cast Imperius on Draco, but it didn't work so he used Cruciatus on him instead and Apparated away."

"Can you tell where Draco is now?" Hermione had become the resident expert on Hecatemae since Harry's emergence and her question was a reasonable one; Harry should have been able to locate Draco over any distance.

"That way," he said and pointed, "somewhere, but I can't tell where."

"Does Draco know where he is?" Remus asked evenly.

"I don't know," Harry admitted and the fear for his partner almost made it through the anger, "there's something between us, a spell, I can't get through it. I know he's there, but I can't reach him."

"Dissaepio Iugum," Dumbledore said with a nod, "the curse carries the same penalty as the Killing Curse. It's only use is to try and separate Hecatemae soulmates and if it succeeds it has the same effect, but its results are reliant on the subjects on which it is inflicted. In this case I am sure we are all grateful it has had only a partial effect."

There was a murmur of consent from the rest of the room.

Harry felt the familiar pain behind his eyes and threw up an extra mental barrier using his anger as a source of strength. It had not occurred to him that his godfather would be attracted to his pain, but as the man materialised to one side of the study he realised he should not have be surprised.