❈🌠➵9¾♌ ⚯ 🗲━━━━━★. *･｡ﾟ✧⁺
Y/N's heart dropped into her stomach. There was an odd buzzing, like TV static, filling her mind. She stared blankly at Kingsley, then at Dumbledore, and back again.
'M-missing?' she said, her voice oddly devoid of emotion. 'They... they go on business trips,' she added almost automatically. 'They're not missing.'
This time, Tonks shook her head. Y/N turned to her for any sort of comfort, but there was none.
'They're not...'
'Y/N,' said Tonks gently, 'the Order has been keeping close contact with your parents. They know of the dangers they might be in, now that You-Know-Who is back in the open with his Death Eaters. They did not have any trips scheduled at this time of year.'
Y/N didn't say anything. Her mouth had gone dry.
'We entered their house, we checked everywhere,' Kingsley said. 'But there was no trace of them.'
Y/N, who was still in denial, simply shook her head.
'M-maybe they just left... to- to the cinema or...'
'Magic leaves traces, Y/N,' Kingsley continued. 'Especially Dark magic. There was barely any sign of a struggle, other than an upturned chair and a broken mug. I alerted Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic immediately, but...'
His voice trailed off. Dumbledore heaved a sigh and looked at Y/N somberly.
'The Ministry is currently too busy with matters of keeping the magical population safe,' he said slowly. 'They do not deem the safety of the Muggle population as a priority at the moment.'
'What are you saying?'
'The Magical Law Enforcement Squad has been alerted to Emilia's and Jonathan's missing status,' Dumbledore explained. 'But they informed us that their and the Auror office's first priority is to keep the wizarding population safe. They told us, regrettably, that they have a lot to do already, and they're understaffed, so it might take a while for them to get to your parents' case.'
'No one's looking for them?' asked Y/N, looking around the room again.
Dumbledore shook his head.
'What about the Order?' she asked earnestly. 'You- you are looking for them?'
'We are trying to,' said Kingsley in his deep voice. 'Unfortunately, the Death Eaters who took them left no clue as to where they had gone.'
Y/N's hands shook upon the arms of the chair they were resting on.
Whatever was left of Y/N's will to live had crumbled away in five short minutes. Her heart seemed to clench on itself, her stomach twisting into a tight knot and a lump obstructed her airways.
'The other members of the Order are all busy with other missions,' said Dumbledore. 'Remus Lupin is away and there's no means of contacting him at the moment, it's too dangerous to do so with the environment he's dealing with. Tonks is stationed in Hogsmeade as part of her Auror duties, and Kingsley is obligated to continue his patrolling of the rest of the Muggle families.'
Y/N was staring blankly at the tiled floor of Dumbledore's office.
'If it's any comfort,' Professor McGonagall spoke for the first time, 'the Muggle law enforcement has been alerted and they are actively looking for them-'
'They're as good as dead,' Y/N croaked.
She couldn't say that she hadn't expected something like this to happen. She was marked, the Death Eaters were bound to target her family. She just did not expect it to happen so soon...
'You don't know where they took my parents?'
Dumbledore shook his head.
'We'll be doing our best, Y/N,' said Tonks shakily. 'I promise. It's just- just difficult with no clues to go from...'
Y/N was glad she was sitting down, because her legs had gone lethargic. Her mind was spinning and she felt sick.
She forced herself not to think of what could possibly be happening to her Mum and Dad at that moment. For all she knew, they could be dead, dead without anyone knowing where they were.
Quite suddenly, a sob escaped Y/N's mouth. She brought her shaking hands up and her head sank into them.
A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Y/N, and she recognised Tonks's embrace. She did not resist it, but her body shook from head to toe with restrained tears.
'I'm sorry, Y/N,' whispered Tonks, her own voice breaking. 'I'm so sorry...'
Y/N's head was throbbing painfully. She wanted to be left alone, she wanted to sleep and wake up to find that it was all a nightmare. Or perhaps not wake up at all...
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The next day, Y/N did not bother showing up to any of her classes. If she was miserable before, there was no defining what she was going through mentally now.
She felt nauseated at the very thought of what her parents were possibly going through now. Or of what the Death Eaters might be inflicting on them...
Y/N had not returned to the common room the previous evening. Instead, she spent the whole night stalking around the castle in her Animagus form. She felt that her emotions and thoughts were less human that way, which made everything much less painful. In any case, she wouldn't have been able to sleep.
'Where's she?' Ron mumbled to Harry in Charms class.
It was the second class of the day, after Transfiguration, and Y/N had not shown face at all that day.
'Who?' said Harry, even though he was fully aware of who Ron was referring to.
'Y/N, of course,' said Ron. 'She wasn't at breakfast or Transfiguration-'
'Mr Potter, why don't you show us the Aguamenti Charm?' squeaked Professor Flitwick from the front of the class.
'Oh- er- Aguamenti!' said Harry.
Only a few water droplets leaked out of Harry's wand. Professor Flitwick tutted.
'Mr Weasley, how about you?'
'Right- Aguamenti!' said Ron, flourishing his wand excessively.
A water jet issued from the tip of his wand. It reached all the way to the front and knocked Flitwick off the tower of books he was standing on.
The whole class erupted into laughter, and a few students stood up to help Flitwick back to his feet. Lavender giggled loudly a few seats away. For some reason, Hermione gave Ron a look of deepest disgust.
'One-foot essay on the correct use of the Aguamenti charm and how to prevent a water-hose incident, Mr Weasley!' said Flitwick in his squeaky voice, draining his hat of water.
'Yes, sir!' said Ron, then he turned back to Harry as though he hadn't just hosed down his Charms professor. 'Anyway... she doesn't usually miss class, Y/N. What do you think happened?'
Harry didn't say anything, staring blankly at the water droplets on his desk. He, too, had wondered where Y/N had disappeared to. He had found himself scanning the Gryffindor table and Great Hall that morning for any sign of her, and even had Professor McGonagall call out his name twice during her lesson because his mind had wandered to Y/N.
Much to his disquietude, Harry found himself worrying about her, even though he acted as though he did not care.
'Are you OK, mate?' said Ron, snapping Harry out of his thoughts.
'Fine,' mumbled Harry, wiping the water off his desk.
'You miss her, don't you?'
Harry ignored Ron.
'Look, if you just talked to her-'
'Go back to practising the Aguamenti Charm, Ron,' Harry cut across him.
At the end of the day, Y/N returned to Gryffindor Tower from the grounds where she had been lurking, and shifted back into a human. She muttered the password to the portrait and entered the common room.
Almost immediately, a mane of bushy hair and a red blur obscured her vision, and she was engulfed in a four-armed hug.
'Y/N!' said Hermione breathlessly.
'Where have you been?' Ginny demanded, pulling back from Y/N.
'I- I was just...'
Y/N's voice died away as a lump obstructed her throat. Hermione and Ginny ushered her to a couch by the fire, shooing Harry and Ron away in the process. Y/N flumped gloomily onto the sofa; Hermione and Ginny sat on either side of her.
'Y/N, where were you?' Ron asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa next to Ginny.
'Oh, Y/N...' said Ginny, for she had just noticed the way Y/N's eyes watered. 'What's wrong? What happened?'
'Was it something Professor Dumbledore said-?'
At this, Y/N abandoned the attempt to resist her tears. Immediately Hermione wrapped an arm around her friend, and Ginny stroked her hair comfortingly.
'My parents,' said Y/N tremulously. 'My p-parents are missing.'
'What?' gasped Ron.
Y/N was aware of Harry watching her nearby. Ginny's eyes widened and Hermione put a hand over her mouth in shock.
'Death Eaters took them,' Y/N continued, her voice still shaking. 'Yesterday - Kingsley f-found my house empty and-'
She found that she could not continue talking. Hermione wrapped her arms around Y/N in a warm embrace. Y/N caught a blurry glance of Harry over Hermione's shoulder and she closed her eyes, not wanting him to see her in that weak state.
'I'm sorry, Y/N,' said Hermione, her voice quivering slightly.
'The Aurors will find them, Y/N,' said Ginny bracingly, putting a hand on Y/N's shoulder.
Y/N shook her head and pulled away from Hermione. She wiped her eyes forcefully and looked up at Ginny.
'They can't,' she said hollowly. 'Th-they're too busy. So is the Order. They s-said they'd try but most of them are on their own missions and the Death Eaters hadn't left any clues...'
'What about... what about the police?'
Y/N laughed weakly and turned to Hermione. 'What're they going to do, even if they find them? Muggles can't do anything against Death Eaters, Hermione.'
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Ron looked stark white.
'Y/N...' said a hesitant voice behind Y/N.
It was Harry, looking remorseful. Without even looking him in the eye, Y/N stood up.
'I'm tired, I'm going to bed,' she said shortly. 'Goodnight, Ginny, Hermione, Ron...'
And she departed for the girls' dormitories, disappearing up the spiralling staircase. Harry watched her go sadly, thinking over how utterly idiotic he was, how he had shut Y/N away and how, now that she needed support and comfort, he couldn't be there for her, despite having promised her that he would be.
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'A child... Y/N's just a child...' said a woman pleadingly.
They were in a very dark room with a high ceiling. There were no windows and not a particle of natural light could seep in. The only sources of light were a dozen torches hanging around the cavernous room. It looked to be some sort of dungeon.
A tall, cloaked, pale man with two slits for a nose and glinting red eyes gave a high, cold laugh. The woman cowered away next to a shabby-looking man on the ground, who wrapped his arms protectively around her.
'Kill us,' snarled the man. 'Kill us, but don't touch our Y/N!'
'Oh, yes, I will kill you,' said Voldemort, drawing out his wand. 'But I need to keep you alive for now... Do not worry, your stay will be quite as enjoyable as the five-star hotels you go to on your trips.'
Several masked people around Voldemort laughed and jeered, and the woman gave a dry sob.
'Oh, quiet, you!' cackled another woman.
She had long, curly hair that framed a hollow, pale face. She looked like she was enjoying an amusing theatrical play.
Voldemort raised his wand, pointing it at the cowering woman on the ground-
'Crucio!'
The screams were unbearable, they were reverberating all through Harry's mind, and soon he found himself screaming too, the pain the woman felt had transferred itself into Harry's scar...
He fell out of bed, thrashing around in his blankets that were wrapped around him like a straightjacket.
'Stop moving! Stop-'
'Harry!'
'Stop-'
Harry's watering eyes shot open. He was still flailing around while Ron tried to keep him still. His scar was still burning, burning against his forehead, which was aching fit to burst.
'Harry, what happened?' shouted Ron. 'Will you stop thrashing around-'
Harry's arms fell limply on either side of his body. The room around him was spinning and he felt nauseous, sick to his stomach.
'Y/N,' he gasped. 'I-I need to talk to my- t-to Y/N-'
'What's the matter?' Neville asked, terrified.
'Y/N,' Harry repeated dazedly, trying to sit up weakly. 'Her... parents...'
He stood up, swayed slightly on the spot and dashed to the door of the dormitory before anyone could stop him.
'Wait- Harry!' Ron called, but Harry had already disappeared down the stairs.
Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean went after him. The common room was still dark, but the sun was rising steadily, basking the room in a soft, orange glow.
They saw Harry attempt to dash up the stairs to the girls' dormitories, where Y/N had chosen to sleep the past two months to be as far from Harry as possible.
But the staircase transformed into a smooth slide, and Harry went toppling back down to the bottom of the slide, landing in a heap on the carpet. He swore loudly and jumped back to his feet.
'I need to see-'
But at that moment, two people came sliding down. It was Hermione, and behind her was Y/N, looking confused and annoyed.
'What's with all the shouting?' Hermione asked. Then she spotted Harry and said, 'Harry, are you all right-?'
Harry pushed past her and grasped a bewildered Y/N by the shoulders.
'What-?'
'Your parents,' gasped Harry. 'V-Voldemort has them... your parents-'
'Harry-'
'It's n-not just Death Eaters,' Harry trudged on, his breath coming in searing gasps. 'He has them... H-he was torturing them!'
Y/N's eyes widened, staring at Harry. He was sweating, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and his scar appeared bright against his pale face.
'They're alive?' Y/N breathed.
'Yes- but he says he'll kill them- We need to tell Dumbledore!'
'But, Harry,' said Hermione reasonably. 'Dumbledore already knows- he was the one who told Y/N-'
'I know, but Voldemort says he'll kill-'
'Harry,' Y/N interjected. 'Did you see where they were?'
Harry paused, staring at Y/N vacantly. He slowly shook his head.
'They were in a dark room,' said Harry. 'It looked like... like some sort of dungeon but I don't know where-'
Y/N let out an exhausted sigh, walked to the nearest armchair and slumped down on it, her head in her hands. Harry looked around at the others helplessly.
'What do we do?' he said.
'What do you mean, what do we do?' asked Ron, sounding terrified.
'We can't just leave them to die-!'
'There's nothing you can do,' Y/N spoke up from the armchair.
'But-'
'If we don't know where they are, there's nothing we can do.'
There was a silence in the room. Jasper came around the side of the armchair and rubbed his head against Y/N's leg. She stood up abruptly.
'I'm going back to bed,' she muttered and climbed back up the stairs, which had returned to their usual form.
Harry watched the rest of the group go back to their dormitories. Ron stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back to Harry.
'Coming?'
'You go ahead,' Harry told him.
Ron nodded and walked up to the door leading to the dormitories, but he paused. Harry swore under his breath and sat on the same armchair Y/N was sitting on, cursing his own uselessness.
Ron looked at Harry warily, before he wheeled around and went to sit on the chair next to him. Harry stared at the carpet.
'Mate, what's wrong?' he asked quietly.
'You should go to sleep, Ron,' said Harry curtly, rubbing his forehead, where his scar still prickled faintly.
'Look, Harry, I'm your best friend,' said Ron fiercely. 'You can talk to me...'
Harry sighed and leaned back against the armchair, his hands over his face.
'I've made the worst mistake of my life is what's wrong,' he muttered.
'Is this about Y/N?' asked Ron.
'Who else would it be about?'
Ron stayed quiet for a while, not knowing what to say. It was quite a delicate subject.
Although a part of Harry was still angry about Y/N's taunt regarding Sirius, another part of him could barely sleep at night, kept awake with thoughts about Y/N, his mind, body and soul yearning for her every moment of the day...
'I miss her,' Harry said finally. He let his hands fall to his side and his eyes burned. 'And I can't stop thinking about her, it's driving me mad.'
'Talk to her,' said Ron earnestly. 'Talk to her and apologise, she'll come round.'
'I don't think she'll forgive me, Ron,' said Harry, feeling his heart physically ache. 'And I can't blame her with the way I've been acting.'
At that moment, there was a creak from behind them and both Harry and Ron whipped around.
There was a large cat by the door of the girls' dormitories, staring at Harry. It was the same one they had seen over a month ago.
'Bloody terrifying,' muttered Ron, turning back to Harry but still keeping the Maine Coon in his peripheral vision.
Harry stared at the cat for a while, and it stared right back, its eyes gleaming in the darkness and tail swishing this way and that. He turned back to Ron.
'Anyway,' said Ron. 'You won't know if she won't forgive you if you don't at least try. Hermione and I apologised and she's talking to us again-'
'It's different,' said Harry.
'How?'
'It just is,' said Harry hotly. 'It's been too long, it's too late now...'
'No, it isn't,' said Ron, frowning. 'She'll hear you out, mate. You still love her and she still loves you-'
'She doesn't,' said Harry, blinking away the tears that were threatening to spill. 'She wouldn't, not after everything. I've wasted whatever I had with her... all of it.'
'You're being unreasonable,' said Ron.
Harry glared at Ron but didn't say anything. They sat in silence for a long while, until Ron stood up.
'I'll leave you to your thoughts, then,' he muttered.
And he left. Harry watched him go and noticed that the big cat was still sitting by the door leading up to the girls' dormitories.
Then, quite as suddenly as it had appeared, it turned tail and left the common room through the portrait hole.
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Over the next two days, Y/N did not show up to any of his classes except for Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions. The reason for this was obscure to anyone but Y/N.
In Potions, he spent most of his time pocketing ingredients from the cupboards that had nothing to do with the potion they were brewing that day.
'Y/N, we don't need powdered griffin claw,' Hermione whispered when Y/N had returned to their table holding a jar full of grey powder.
He shrugged, and when Hermione wasn't looking, he slipped the tiny jar into his pocket.
He worked tirelessly in learning new defensive spells in DADA, not acknowledging anyone else, and barely taking into account Snape's sneering remarks.
The bell rang for lunch and Y/N snatched up his bag. He was about to leave the class when Snape called him back.
'L/N, I need to speak to you,' he said curtly.
Hermione paused on her way out of the class and looked at Y/N, who was staring at Snape with utmost loathing.
'I'll wait for you,' said Hermione, but Y/N shook his head.
'No, you go on.'
Harry paused on his way to the door and looked between Y/N and Snape. Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room with her. The rest of the class filed out, glancing back at Y/N and muttering amongst each other. Y/N ignored them and approached Snape's desk.
'What?' he said.
'What, sir,' Snape corrected.
'There's no need to call me-'
'Silence!' spat Snape, his eyes flashing dangerously.
Y/N tried hard not to roll his eyes. Snape stood up and strode around his desk to face Y/N.
'You haven't been attending your classes regularly, L/N,' Snape said matter-of-factly.
'No, really?' said Y/N, faking a look of surprise.
'What are you getting up to?' said Snape, ignoring Y/N's sarcasm.
'Why do you care?' snapped Y/N. 'You're not my Head of House-'
'I'm a Professor at this school and it is my... unfortunate duty to see to it that students fulfil their responsibilities and attend their classes,' said Snape greasily.
Y/N stared at him.
'So, I ask you again, what have you been getting up to?'
Y/N did not respond, still staring at Snape, whose sneer was becoming more evident every further second of silence.
'You and Potter are two of a kind, always thinking you're above authority and that the qualms of mere mortals do not concern you-'
'I know you love spouting abuse against Potter, Professor,' Y/N cut in, 'but I am not interested in hearing it. But if you would allow me to suggest a better audience for your speech - I believe Malfoy would be the perfect candidate.'
Snape's nostrils flared and for a moment it looked as though he would have quite liked slapping Y/N, but he managed to retain an impassive tone when he spoke next.
'I know what you are thinking, L/N,' he said in a low voice. 'But if you believe you're capable of taking down the Dark Lord on your own, you are gravely mistaken.'
Y/N blinked.
'Who said I was going to-?'
'It may have escaped your mind,' said Snape, 'but as a master of Legilimency, I can tell you exactly what you are thinking.'
Y/N stayed quiet. He had indeed momentarily forgotten that Snape was capable of reading minds.
'I see your Occlumency lessons have had no lasting effects,' Snape continued. 'Now, should you even attempt to wander out of this castle, you'll meet a fate worse than death.'
'Right,' said Y/N, nodding gravely. 'I'm gonna go, now-'
Snape suddenly snatched Y/N by the collar of his robes as Y/N turned to leave.
'Hey-'
'This isn't a game, L/N!' spat Snape. 'If you don't put your idiotic sense of heroics aside for once, you're going to put not only yourself in danger, but the rest of this school as well!'
'I'm not letting my parents get killed-!'
'You're not listening,' Snape hissed angrily, yanking Y/N closer. 'Your dear parents won't be the only ones getting killed if you go there, you understand?'
Y/N glared up at Snape, who still looked furious. Snape let go of him and straightened up.
'No one's saving them,' muttered Y/N, clenching his fists.
'The Order is doing their best-'
'IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!' Y/N suddenly bellowed.
'Keep your voice down!' snapped Snape.
'No! I'm not losing anyone else because you're all too incompetent to do anything about it!'
'This is not incompetency, it's war!' said Snape. 'It's not as simple as you think-'
'Well, if no one's going to act, then I will!' said Y/N, his voice shaking with restrained fury.
'You won't,' said Snape. 'Dumbledore and the Order did not go to these lengths to keep you and Potter safe just for you to desecrate the measures they put in place-'
'Oh yeah?' said Y/N. 'Where is Dumbledore, anyway? I don't ever see him around here-'
'The Headmaster has other important matters to attend to,' said Snape in a voice of forced calm.
'More important than human lives?'
Snape stayed quiet for a moment. Then he said, 'If you haven't noticed, L/N, the world does not revolve around you and your problems. There have been countless deaths in the past months, your parents are not a one-off case.'
'There, you said it,' said Y/N, with a tone of finality. 'It's my problem, so I'll deal with it how I wish.'
And with that, he hitched up his bag, crossed the room and slammed the door behind him as he left.
He skipped lunch and his other lessons to go to the empty, abandoned classroom he had been using to practice his Ignismagicae. He locked the door and walked to a desk in the corner of the room.
Two cauldrons Y/N had borrowed (stolen) were set up there, one empty, and the other full of a grey-coloured potion, simmering at low heat. Y/N added the powdered griffin claw, the missing ingredient he needed, and gave the cauldron a stir.
The solution turned gradually turquoise, and Y/N grinned in satisfaction.
He left it to simmer, pulled out Advanced Potion-Making from his bag and turned it to page twenty-nine.
Wiggenweld Potion
Healing potion with the power to sterilise and heal minor injuries. May be used as an antidote to the Sleeping Draught (p. 6) and the Draught of Living Death (p. 10).
Ingredients:
Horklump juice
Dittany leaves
Wiggentree bark
Salamander blood
Following the instructions, Y/N added the ingredients he had borrowed (or rather, stolen) from the cupboards in Slughorn's class. The dittany leaves he had picked around Hogwarts grounds, near the Forbidden Forest, while in his cat form. The Wiggentree bark he was offered by Adrien, when Y/N had pretended he needed it for Potions homework.
He felt slightly guilty for lying to Adrien, but Y/N had to do what he had to do...
When he was done brewing the potion, Y/N pulled out four phials from his inside pocket and filled them with the light green concoction until there was none left in the cauldron. He sealed them and pocketed them again.
He moved back to the other side of the class, deposited his bag on a desk and resumed his relentless flow of practising and fine-tuning his fire magic.
It was using up a ton of his energy, and he was soon breathing heavily after summoning a particularly enormous bird, which extinguished itself as soon as Y/N dropped his arms to his side.
However, it was worth it to see how much he had improved in two and a half months.
And if anyone was going to rescue Y/N's parents, it was going to be him. He would not rely on anyone else after being disappointed and betrayed so many times.
He would not lose anyone else he held dear to him, not anymore.
But how he would rescue them, Y/N did not know. There was no clue to their whereabouts.
It wasn't until Y/N returned to the common room late in the night that an idea struck him. The solution had been right in front of him, and he had not realised it...
'Wake up,' Y/N hissed. 'Wake up, you idiot-'
Harry jolted up in bed so suddenly he almost knocked his head against Y/N's, who dodged him as though he was a Bludger.
'Wha- Y/N-?'
'Harry, I need you to do something for me,' said Y/N, barely waiting for Harry to wake up fully.
Harry blinked in the darkness and searched for his glasses blindly on the bedside table. Y/N groaned, snatched Harry's glasses and shoved them onto his face roughly.
'Ouch!'
His eyes focused on Y/N's face, which was only inches from his own. Harry retreated instinctually, his cheeks going pink. Y/N did not pay him any attention. In fact, he didn't seem to be attentive to anything, he looked grave and raving at the same time.
'What?' Harry asked quietly.
'Can you look into his mind?' Y/N asked urgently. 'Into Voldemort's mind?'
'I- what-?'
'Are you dense?' snarled Y/N. 'Can you or can you not look into Voldemort's mind?'
Harry blinked at him.
'I- I don't know-'
'Try,' Y/N ordered. 'Try and look. I need to know where they are.'
Harry did not ask who 'they' was referring to. He looked into Y/N's E/C eyes for a moment, before closing his own and concentrating hard. He did not really know what he had to do, but he focused on accessing Voldemort's mind...
For a couple of minutes, he sat there, watched by Y/N, who was growing impatient and fidgety. Y/N started pacing back and forth in front of Harry's bed, the floor creaking slightly under his feet.
Harry suddenly gasped and opened his eyes. Y/N whipped his head around and grabbed hold of Harry's shoulders.
'Did you see-? What did you see?' he asked feverishly.
'It looked like- like some mountainside cave...' said Harry, recounting what had flashed behind his eyelids. He was sweating slightly and his head was pulsating. 'Near that broken down castle, the one we pass by on the train when we're about one hour from Hogwarts-'
'Argyllshire?' Y/N inquired.
'I- yes, I think so...'
Y/N nodded and let go of Harry's shoulders. He started pacing again, deep in thought. Harry watched him.
'Are you going to tell Dumbledore?' he asked tentatively.
'Yes,' muttered Y/N absently, then he stopped and looked at Harry. 'No.'
'What?'
'Dumbledore's gone,' said Y/N. 'Snape told me he was away.'
'I- then what?' said Harry. 'Are you going to write to Kingsley or... or Tonks?'
'No,' said Y/N. 'It's too risky. Could be intercepted...'
Harry didn't say anything. He and Y/N stared at each other for a moment, and Harry wondered what was going through Y/N's mind.
Then, without another word, Y/N turned his back on him and exited the dormitory.
Harry was left pondering Y/N's odd behaviour, before he flopped back down on his bed, his hands over his eyes and prickling scar.
'Y/N...'
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'Come on, come get the nice fresh meat,' Y/N called, waving a large slab of bloody steak in the air.
It was the middle of the night, shortly after Harry had revealed the location where Y/N's parents were imprisoned.
Y/N was standing in the Forbidden Forest, a slab of red meat he had taken from the kitchens in hand, and awaiting the appearance of the Thestrals. He had several phials in his cloak's inner pockets, containing Wiggenweld potion and Strengthening Solution.
A pair of white eyes appeared among the clump of trees ahead. It approached Y/N slowly, sniffing the air with its skeletal muzzle. It ran forwards as soon as it recognised the scent and snatched the meat from Y/N's hand.
'Good, good-'
A few other Thestrals emerged from the shadows, looking hopeful. Y/N sighed and shook his head.
'I only need one,' he told them, patting them on the head.
He mounted the first Thestral that had come and hooked his legs behind the wing joints.
'OK, listen,' said Y/N, as the Thestral continued chewing the meat. 'I need you to take me to Argyllshire, where that old broken-down castle is near Loch Awe.'
The Thestral gave a cry, crouched down low and kicked off from the ground. Y/N had to grip the skeletal horse around the neck for he had almost slipped off when its wings rose abruptly on either side.
Gradually, they gained more altitude, until Hogwarts looked like it could be a small cottage house in the countryside.
On and on they flew, and Y/N's hands grew colder and number by the minute, despite being covered in thick gloves.
Half an hour of freezing wind later, Y/N was starting to regret taking off in the middle of the night. It was a very rash, and, now that Y/N came to think of it, quite a stupid idea to go on his own.
But with Dumbledore gone... Y/N could not afford to waste any more time.
On and on they flew, until the Thestral suddenly dipped and they were hurtling back down to the ground. Y/N held onto the creature tightly and braced for impact, but the Thestral landed as lightly as a feather.
Y/N slid off its back, his legs numb and prickling uncomfortably. He gave his Thestral a grateful pat on the head and looked around him.
It was pitch black, the only source of light was the stars of the Milky Way above and the luminous full moon. Y/N thought vaguely of Remus as he stared at it, then turned around on the spot to examine his surroundings.
The area was completely quiet, there was no sound but the soft breathing of the Thestral beside Y/N. They had landed right next to the castle, and beyond it, Y/N could see the mountainside of the Scottish Highlands.
There, on the side of the nearest mountain, was a large hole, leading into what Y/N was sure was a cave. There was a tiny light near the entrance, which he guessed was a lit torch.
'Lumos,' he muttered, and his wand-tip ignited.
Slowly, cautiously, he began making his way up the mountain to the cave.
The hill was covered in snow, and Y/N almost slipped several times, cursing softly. He then remembered the snow-melting charm Hermione had used the previous year and he cast it, clearing the path ahead.
Once he reached the entrance to the cave, he paused to catch his breath and to think up a quick plan. However, oftentimes, their plans usually turned into unpredictable chaos, and Y/N decided to simply wing it.
He entered the cave and found that there were rows of torches lit against the walls on either side of him. Their light was a ghostly blue, much like the ones in the corridor that led to Sir Nicholas's Death Day party back in Y/N's second year.
'Nox,' he murmured, and the light from his wand went out.
He lurked in the entrance of the cave for a while, listening for any activity deeper within. But there was barely any noise.
Sure this was an ominous sign, Y/N continued down the path nonetheless, his wand held high and his ears alert for any sound.
Within two minutes, he emerged into a dimly lit, cavernous room. The ceiling was covered in stalactites, water dripping from them, and stalagmites were formed on the ground along the walls.
On the opposite side of the room, there were three doors lined at perfect distances from each other. Y/N groaned under his breath. He advanced on the door on the far left-hand side and opened it, his wand at the ready.
One, two, three, four, five gigantic spiders emerged from within. Y/N let out a surprised shout and backed up hastily. The young Acromantula rushed towards him, snapping their pincers, their many legs shuffling on the floor-
One of them reared and pushed Y/N onto the floor. He fell with a grunt, and the Acromantula clicked its pincers as it advanced over Y/N-
'Arania Exumai!' shouted Y/N.
The spider went flying backwards, hit the wall and landed with a thud on the ground, unmoving. But that one spell wouldn't be enough to repel all the other spiders-
Y/N raised his hand, aiming for the rest of the spiders, and a massive jet of flames erupted from his palm, incinerating the eight-legged creatures.
Y/N leaned against the wall, his heart hammering inhumanely fast. He had to admit that Ron's fear of spiders was not unfounded.
'Bloody critters are a menace,' he breathed.
When he had calmed down, Y/N approached the door in the middle apprehensively. He closed his eyes in silent prayer, opened them again and turned the doorknob.
There was no creature there. Only a long hallway, lit with the same torches there were in the entrance of the cave.
Gulping, and growing even more regretful that he had come here instead of turning to a responsible adult for help, Y/N walked forward into the hallway.
As soon as he had crossed the threshold, the door behind him slammed shut, causing Y/N to jump out of his wits. He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down and focus on his objective.
At the end of the hallway was another door. The handle looked like a twisted silver serpent, its eyes replaced with tiny, gleaming rubies.
Y/N placed his hand upon it, froze for a moment, then pushed the door open.
This room was lit as the rest of the cave was.
It looked to be as big as the Great Hall at Hogwarts, only the walls were rough, carved rocks, and water dripped echoingly from the ceiling. There were several pillars and a few boulders.
As Y/N scanned the room, he took a sharp intake of breath, and his heart dropped sickly into his stomach.
Two people were at the far end of the room, sat on the dusty floor, their backs leaning limply against the wall. Their clothes were torn and ripped here and there, covered in something dark that looked horribly like blood.
Y/N's mother had congealed blood trailing down the side of her face from her head. Her hair was thin and flimsy; she looked like she'd been tortured for weeks.
His father was in the same state, and he had great gashes along his chest from what Y/N could see beneath his ripped shirt. Some looked fresh and others were already forming scabs.
The two of them looked dead, or almost.
'M-mum- Dad-'
Y/N began running towards them. But, right in front of him, three dark and cloaked people appeared out of thin air. Y/N stopped dead and retreated several paces, his wand held high in front of him.
'Very good,' said the Death Eater in the middle, his voice rough. 'Now, we'll make this quite simple for you-'
'Expelliarmus!'
The Death Eater summoned a shield in front of him and Y/N's spell ricocheted off of it.
The Death Eater to his left sent an orange streak of light towards Y/N, who dodged it and sent another jet of red light towards them.
This went on for several minutes, jets of light shooting from either side. Y/N was in a three-against-one duel, and he was quickly losing ground, his spells and hexes becoming flimsier.
A hex grazed Y/N's shoulder. He hissed in pain and looked down briefly; his sleeve was singed and his shoulder was sporting a boiling second-degree burn.
A jet of purple light flew towards him, and Y/N dashed behind the nearest pillar, gripping his wand tightly in his hand.
'Tut, tut... This won't help you, L/N-'
'Let my parents go-!'
There was a cackle from the right-hand side of the room that sent chills down Y/N's spine and caused anger to surge through his veins.
'Wittle L/N thinks he can order us around!' shrieked Bellatrix Lestrange. 'Dear Uncle Sirius influenced you, I see-'
'Stupefy!' shouted Y/N, sending a red jet of light at Bellatrix.
She blocked it with her wand easily and laughed again. Her boots were clicking on the floor as she walked towards where Y/N was hiding behind the pillar.
'This won't do, dearie,' she said coldly. 'Why don't you just join us?'
Y/N's mind was working feverishly for a way to get out of the current situation. He was outnumbered four to one with no means of escaping. But he would not escape, he would not leave without his parents.
Rummaging deep within him, Y/N summoned the strength to use his Ignismagus powers again.
He jumped out from behind the pillar suddenly, his arm extended. Before any of the Death Eaters could react, a large sphere of fire hurtled towards Bellatrix Lestrange, who only managed to Disapparate and re-Apparate at the other side of the room right when the flames grazed her robes.
The other three masked Death Eaters ducked low, thinking that the ball of fire would hit the wall behind them.
Y/N, however, pulled his arm down in one swift motion; the sphere of flames hurtled towards the Death Eaters and enveloped them. Their screaming only lasted a few seconds, for the sphere exploded with a roaring sound and left nothing behind.
Y/N felt dizzy; he gripped the pillar to keep himself steady and blinked hard. He pulled out a phial full of turquoise liquid from his inner pocket and downed it in one go.
He shuddered at the effect of the Strengthening solution running through every particle of his body. Y/N felt rejuvenated, like the dying flame of a candle being relit.
There was an angry shout from the other end of the room, and the top of the pillar behind which Y/N was still concealed exploded. He rushed away from it, avoiding the flying bits of stone.
'I'm giving you one more chance, L/N!' shrieked Bellatrix, brushing her wild hair out of her face. 'Do as I say, or-'
'Diffindo!' shouted Y/N.
Bellatrix blocked the spell, her nostrils flared in rage. She sent several spells towards Y/N, who kept dodging them, rolling behind boulders or pillars.
Another Death Eater suddenly Apparated next to Bellatrix, and Y/N swore under his breath. He jumped out from behind the pillar and shot a jinx at the newcomer, who deflected it.
They duelled, and Y/N found himself yet again being outnumbered.
A purple spell from the Death Eater grazed Y/N's cheek, who summoned a Shield in front of him only at the last second.
The room was lit with dozens of spells flying from each side, and Y/N was growing more frustrated by the second. If he didn't get rid of the Death Eater and Bellatrix fast, his parents would probably meet their fate soon-
And with this thought in mind, Y/N shot another Stunning spell at the Death Eater.
His arms and legs snapped shut and he toppled over. Bellatrix did a double-take as the Death Eater fell, and paid for this momentary lack of attention when Y/N raised his wand again-
'Bombarda!'
The explosion caused Bellatrix to slam against the wall behind her. She shrieked and fell into a heap on the floor. She raised her wand, but Y/N was ready-
'STUPEFY!'
This time, the spell hit its target. Bellatrix's wand fell from her hand and rolled away. She lay on the floor, unconscious.
Y/N was breathing hard and fast, but he could not pause to catch his breath. He dashed towards where his parents were and fell to his knees in front of them.
'Mum- Dad-'
He cupped his mother's face. It was stone cold. Y/N's hand shook, but before he could think of doing anything else, there was a loud CRACK behind him.
Y/N whipped around.
Lord Voldemort stood in the centre of the room, wearing an expression of horrifying delight. But it wasn't Voldemort's appearance that shook Y/N the most, but the person he had brought with him.
They were young, way younger than any of Voldemort's Death Eaters. They wore a long crimson cloak that swept the floor they were standing on. Their hair, the exact same colour as Y/N's, was streaked liberally with bright silver highlights.
Y/N could feel his heart beating in his throat as his eyes roamed the stranger's face. But no stranger ever looked so familiar. Every feature of their face bore a striking resemblance to Y/N's. From their E/C eyes to their nose - everything was almost an exact copy of Y/N. A long, thin scar was cut across their left eyebrow, reaching the top of their eyelid.
'Long time, no see, Y/N,' said the stranger, a maniacal grin on their face.
❈🌠➵9¾♌ ⚯ 🗲━━━━━★. *･｡ﾟ✧⁺
A/N - Hogwarts Legacy style 🤩
Me struggling to write action-filled scenes...
- HJPsQuill