Once traffic was clear, Harry crossed the street and, with a deep breath, entered the Leaky Cauldron. The tiny, grubby looking pub was surprisingly crowded. The place wasn’t as full as it normally was but there were still plenty of people sitting at the tables and standing at the bar. Standing behind the bar was Tom; the old bartender who was rather bald and resembled a toothless walnut. Harry didn’t know a lot about the man, only that he was an extremely friendly, especially to Hagrid. All in all, the place hadn’t changed at all since he had been here with the Weasleys nearly four years ago.

Before Sirius and Remus entered my life. He hadn’t been to Diagon Alley after that. He had been shielded at Hogwarts after his ‘kidnapping’ for the summer before his third year for ‘protection’. For the summer before his fourth year, Harry had picked up everything at Hogsmeade. Last summer, Harry hadn’t been allowed to even leave Black Manor. It had felt so weird to actually have a parental figure at first but Harry had quickly grown to welcome the protectiveness Sirius and Remus had for him. In his eyes, Sirius and Remus could do no wrong.

“I’ll give you Remus,” Mrs. Potter said slowly. “But Sirius? Really?”

“Mrs. P, I’m hurt. When have I ever done anything wrong?” Sirius asked theatrically.

“We don’t have the time needed for the long list that would come, Paddy,” Remus patted Sirius’ head. “Let Prongs read.”

Sirius and Remus had been the family he had always wanted.

Harry quickly pushed the thoughts out of his head and walked through the pub. Distant waves of nervousness and fear brushed against him. Evidently the article in the ‘Daily Prophet’ had left quite a mark on the wizarding community. Unless something else has happened that I don’t know about. Harry continued walking, showing no sign that he was aware in the slightest of what others in the room were feeling. Most would feel it was an invasion of privacy. Harry agreed but, considering what was happening, he needed to be cautious.

“Exactly Harry. Use all the advantages you have,” James agreed.

“See, how he changes his tune fast,” Remus muttered.

“Hey! I already admitted! How long will you remind me that I didn’t want to believe he was an empath?” James cried.

“As long as we can rile you up,” Lily answered flatly and was met with a glare.

He walked out of the pub and into a small, walled courtyard. The door closed behind him, blocking the gentle waves of emotions. Harry let out a relieved sigh. There were times when he forgot what it had been like before his empathy had manifested. It had become second nature for him to reach out for confirmation or denial to what his other senses told him. Harry hadn’t met a person yet who could hide their emotions completely. Some people were extremely talented in keeping their emotions from surfacing but Harry could still sense what they were hiding. He would need that talent in order to determine friend from foe, especially in the wizarding world.

“Yes, Harry. You need that desperately!” James cried.

Flicking his right wrist, Harry grabbed his wand and tapped the wall in a similar fashion that Hagrid had shown him almost five years ago. The brick he had touched trembled then wiggled before a small hole began to appear, growing wider and wider until a large archway stood in place of the wall revealing a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. He could almost hear Hagrid’s voice, welcoming him to Diagon Alley. It felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed since then. He had changed so much since then.

Re-holstering his wand, Harry stepped through the archway aware that it instantly turned back into a solid wall, blocking him from the Leaky Cauldron. He started towards Gringotts at a casual pace, waiting for someone to shout out his name but the funny thing was: no one did. No one seemed to even notice him. In fact, Harry finally realized that no one noticed him in the Leaky Cauldron either. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time because everyone had been engaged in their own conversation but Tom usually greeted everyone that entered. Well, he at least acknowledged when someone entered.

Slowing his pace, Harry cautiously reached out again and could feel soft waves of emotions similar to what he had felt in the pub in addition to impatience. He discretely stepped out of the crowd and took a good look at the scene in front of him. People were hurrying from store to store clearly desperate to finish their shopping as soon as possible. Harry had to wonder if there was something going on that he didn’t know about. Why were people so worried when Voldemort was attacking Muggle neighborhoods? If anything, Diagon Alley should be considered a safe area.

And I’m about to turn it into a battlefield. How thick could I be?

“Everyone has their shortcomings now and then,” Sirius said sympathetically. “Now that you realized yours all you have to do is go back to the safety of Grimmauld Place and we’ll be all happy.” After that Sirius stared at the others for a while and then said faintly putting a hand to his heart, “I did not just say the safety of Grimmauld Place and happy in the same sentence?”

“I’m afraid you did Paddy,” Remus said patting Sirius’ back reassuringly.

Harry suddenly didn’t know what to do anymore. He couldn’t announce his presence in Muggle London and risk the lives of people who had no idea of Voldemort’s existence but he couldn’t risk the lives of witches and wizards either. No one deserved to be caught in the crossfire. Whatever was going to happen, Harry had to make sure that it was some place secluded, if there was such a place in London. What I really need is someone to talk to but no one would understand what I’m trying to do…what I have to do.

“I am not even going to address that issue,” Mrs. Potter said tiredly.

Closing his eyes, Harry turned around and started walking back to the Leaky Cauldron. He didn’t know what to think, especially considering the fact that he was walking down Diagon Alley in broad daylight and no one had noticed. It was almost like he was walking around wearing his father’s invisibility cloak that he had left in his trunk except for the fact that people walked around him. Everyone realized that someone was there, they just weren’t aware of who that person actually was.

Suddenly, Harry remembered what he had been told the night he left Hogwarts. “He is using his own magic to protect you, my child. He is shielding you from being found unless you want to be found.” Fawkes’ protection was still there, shielding him from recognition. Harry couldn’t believe he had forgotten about that in his need to forget everything that happened that night and the night before. At the time it had been what he needed to do in order to survive. However, Harry didn’t have the luxury anymore. I want to be found. I need to be found.

“Noooooooooooo,” James moaned.

A cool, soft breeze caused Harry to shiver slightly as he waited for the archway to reappear. His body was moving on autopilot as he walked through the archway and into the Leaky Cauldron. Remembering that night brought back so many images that Harry had fought to forget for the last month. He didn’t want to remember Remus that way. The kind, gentle and protective man didn’t deserve to be remembered as a victim of silver poisoning. Those purple lines all over Remus’ face and arms…the visual proof of what affect Pettigrew’s silver hand had towards werewolves made Harry sick to his stomach.

“Not just you,” Lily said looking sad.

No. Harry refused to remember Remus like that. Remus had always been the voice of reason, always managing to find a solution in the chaos. Remus had always been the one to keep Sirius in check…

Remus puffed his chest proudly. Sirius glared at him.

well, except when the situation demanded for Sirius’ overprotective nature to take hold. The Remus Lupin Harry wanted to remember was the man who taught him the Patronus Charm, the man always offered an ear to listen to whatever had Harry stressed out and the man who always explained whatever strange behavior Sirius displayed.

“I’m afraid Harry, not even Moony and his wisdom can explain that,” James said flatly. Sirius nodded for a second until James’ words seemed to sink in and he proceeded to glare at James and the others who were snickering.

James’ head suddenly turned and he narrowed his eyes at the door.

“James?” his mother asked.

“I thought I heard something?”

“What?” Remus asked.

“Laughing.”

“That was us James,” Lily snorted.

“Yes, and not very polite I might add,” Sirius said crossing his arms. James looked at him and shrugged.

Unfortunately Harry couldn’t block that final look at his guardian out of his mind. It was permanently imprinted, coming forth whenever Harry thought about Remus and bringing all of the emotions that he felt that night with it.

Walking through the Leaky Cauldron towards the front door, Harry was so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice how the conversations around him slowly came to a halt or the gasps that seemed oddly loud in the silence. Several people moved closer for a better look at the young man who kept his gaze lowered and his shoulders hunched forward slightly. No word was spoken until the young man who looked remarkably like the-boy-who-lived walked out of the Leaky Cauldron but afterwards…

Harry just kept walking, trying to decide what he should do. He walked down Charing Cross Road and reflexively kept his body relaxed but aware. Once again he pushed the thought of his family to the back of his mind. He was in Muggle London now and knew he couldn’t afford to be caught off guard. He had seen the affects of being caught by surprise while working in the emergency ward at the Hospital.

The sound of two cracks behind him forced Harry to quickly turn around a reflexively flick his wrist so his wand was in his hand, ready to defend himself if necessary. He knew the sounds most witches and wizards made from Apparating all too well. At the moment, Harry would welcome an enemy but unfortunately what he was facing was something a lot worse. He was facing members of the Order.

A strangled “Yes!” was heard.

James stood up in a flash and opened the door. He peered outside but saw nothing. All the others followed.

“You heard that didn’t you?” James asked.

“Yes,” Mrs. Potter said narrowing her eyes, “But there is nothing there. Let’s go back to our places. No James, leave the door open.”

They all went back to their places and for some strange reason Mrs. Potter took her wand out and started tapping her hand with it.

And Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt were probably two of the worst Order members that he could be facing at the moment (other than Sirius, of course). Both were Aurors which would make any sort of escape extremely difficult but that wasn’t the worst of it.

“Mhm,” was herd very faintly. James made to stand up again put a look from his mother had him continue reading.

Tonks was a member of the Black family and had proclaimed herself Harry’s ‘Honorary Aunt’, always adding humor to Black Manor. She was also horribly stubborn, just like Sirius and Remus. Harry knew he would have to face them eventually but he had hoped it would be after Voldemort found out that Harry was no longer in Muggle London. Everything depended on it.

Timid waves of nervousness and relief washed over Harry, clearly coming from Tonks. Kingsley was a little harder to read. The man seemed to be guarding his emotions rather well but Harry could still feel a hint of urgency and relief. These were not the emotions he needed to be feeling at the moment. “What are you two doing here?” Harry asked cautiously.

“You know,” Mrs. Potter said conversationally. “I remember Harold talking about a trainee called Kingsley Shacklebolt. Your father was praising him and saying Kingsley would be as good as him one day, but honestly, I hope he is better or else poor Harry is doomed.”

“MUM! Dad is a great Auror!”

“Yes, Mr. P is the best!” Sirius cried.

Mrs. Potter frowned and said with a strange glint in her eyes watching the empty space behind James, “Not so sure. He is lacking in stealth.”

“Dad is very stealthy!” James defended his father. Lily and Remus on the other hand followed Mrs. Potter’s gaze.

Tonks took a step forward but stopped when Harry took a step backwards. “Harry, we need to take you home,” she said gently. “You’re not safe out here. You-Know-Who is looking for you. He has been for weeks. The sooner we return you to Headquarters the better. Sirius—”

“—is safer this way,” Harry interrupted.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Sirius growled and moaned and pulled his hair.

He was not going to let Tonks play the sympathy card. He already had more than enough guilt on his plate without Tonks adding to it. “I know Voldemort is looking for me. Why do you think I’m here? Shopping? Wasting the day away? Death Eaters are searching through Muggle neighborhoods, killing families…innocent families.” Tonks moved to take another step forward but was held back by Shacklebolt. “I don’t expect you to understand but accept that this is the way it has to be.”

This time Shacklebolt took a small step forward ever so slightly. “Harry, do you really think you can take them all on yourself?” he asked calmly. “Such a move is nothing short of suicide. We can’t let you do that. You’re still a kid, Harry. It’s not your job to protect everyone. It is ours to protect you.”

“No comment?” Mrs. Potter asked the air behind James.

“Mum,” James said worriedly. “Are you feeling well?”

“Perfectly fine.”

Harry looked directly at Shacklebolt, his eyes narrowing in anger. “At what cost?” he asked through his teeth. “I’m not a kid. I haven’t been one for quite some time.” At Tonks and Shacklebolt’s sympathetic gazes, Harry bit back the urge to shout at them. Why couldn’t they understand that he didn’t have the luxury of being ‘just a kid’ anymore? The cost of people protecting him was just too great. Protecting him had cost Remus his life.

The sound of multiple cracks once again from behind forced Harry to quickly turn around but this time there were nearly a dozen cloaked and masked Death Eaters with their wands at the ready. Harry instantly found himself being pulled backwards as Shacklebolt placed himself in front of Harry while Tonks kept a grip on his arm. The two Aurors had fallen into ‘protect Harry at all costs’ mode, something that was bound to get them killed. 

“Tonks, take Harry and go,” Shacklebolt said quietly as he pulled out his wand. “Take him to Headquarters. You know our orders.”

Tonks nodded and pulled Harry close but nothing happened. “I can’t Apparate!” she said anxiously. “We’re trapped. We have to run for it.”

Shacklebolt let out a frustrated groan. “Just go!” he ordered.

“Yes, go! Stop staling! Get my baby out of there!” Lily cried desperately.

Before Harry could even protest he was being pulled by his arm towards the Leaky Cauldron, leaving Shacklebolt to face the Death Eaters alone. It wasn’t long before Harry and Tonks ran face first into an invisible barrier. So much for running for it. Shaking the shock out of his head, Harry didn’t have time to think before arms wrapped around him and pulled him to the ground. A curse sailed over their heads. The battle had begun.

“This is not good,” Tonks said as she pulled out her wand and stood up with her free hand still holding onto Harry’s arm. “Sirius is going to kill me.”

“Yes I am. Couldn’t you just have grabbed him and Apparated him home? No, you just had to chat!” Sirius cried angrily.

“They were trying to persuade-“

“Persuade in a safe place!” Sirius cut Remus out.

Shacklebolt was already trying to hold off the Death Eaters as curses and jinxes fired back and forth. Harry had to admit that the man was good. Even though it was twelve to one, Shacklebolt fought with a sense of instinct that Harry had never seen before. Shacklebolt moved in a way that allowed him to avoid being hit and being in a position to hit his opponent more effectively. Tonks started to attack the invisible barrier, still trying to find a way out although Harry had a feeling that she wasn’t going to succeed.

Not knowing what else to do, Harry pointed his wand at the Death Eaters. He needed to do something! He couldn’t just stand aside and watch! “STUPEFY!” he shouted. “PROTEGO MAXIMUS!”

Caught by surprise, the Stunning Spell hit one of the Death Eaters who fell to the ground with a thud. The rest of the group appeared to be slightly bewildered by the semi-transparent blue tinted shield that appeared at the end of Harry’s wand, separating them from their prey. Harry instantly focused on pushing all of his strength through his wand and into the shield as he approached Shacklebolt. He knew that the shield wouldn’t hold up for long, especially with eleven conscious Death Eaters firing spells and curses. Shacklebolt stared at Harry in amazement for a brief moment before he returned his attention to the obstacle in front of him.

The Death Eaters were also surprised at the intense shield but quickly snapped out of their stupor and resumed firing curses. Each curse sent a quick flash of pain through Harry’s body, something that Shacklebolt quickly noticed. The Auror repeated the protection spell, adding his own strength to the shield and sharing the impact of the spells that were quickly increasing in quantity. Even with the additional support, Harry could feel the shield slowly breaking down. If the attack continued, Harry knew the backlash from the shield breaking would most likely render all of them unconscious.

Closing his eyes, Harry bowed his head and concentrated on the magic he was pouring through his wand. He needed to alter the collapsing shield. He needed to delay the inevitable for just a moment longer. No one else would die because of him. His life was no more important than Tonks or Shacklebolt’s. They were a part of his family along with the rest of the Order…just like Sirius…and Remus.

Harry let out a gasp as a sudden rush of power coursed through him similar to his ‘healing episodes’.  It wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as his outbursts but it would have to do. His eyes quickly opened for him to see the shield thin itself out and wrap around Kingsley, who was staring at the shifting shield in disbelief. A chorus of ‘Crucio’ filled Harry’s ears as Kingsely went flying backwards, leaving Harry to receive the majority of the blast when the shield collapsed. Intense pain flooded his body as the area around him exploded. Harry couldn’t bring himself to move, let alone scream as he landed on the ground with heavy pieces of the street that he had been standing on a moment ago landed on him, burying him. He could vaguely hear someone shouting his name but it sounded a world away.

“Okay, that’s it!” a voice said angrily from behind James and James jumped as his father materialized out of nowhere and then flung a familiar Cloak on James’ lap as he grabbed the book from James. “SHACKLEBOLT! HOW THE HELL DO YOU LET A TEENAGER TAKE THE BRUNT LIKE THAT? YOU ARE THE AUROR HERE! AND HARRY, LET THE AURORS DO THEIR JOB! You don’t weaken yourself with a shield to protect those who are supposed to be protecting you!” with that Mr. Potter took his wand and conjured an armchair next to Mrs. Potter and sat huffing.

The three boys gaped at him, James kept turning and pointing and opening and closing  his mouth like a fish. Mrs. Potter looked at her husband with pursed lips and asked, “Since when have you been spying on us?”

Mrs. Potter had the grace to flush, “Well, you were being loud.”

“Since when?”

“Well, I woke up when Sirius said something about sleep. And then I came here and heard all of you talking and what I heard was very fishy. So I grabbed the cloak that I had confiscated at the start of summer and-“

“Spied on us?” Lily asked crossing her arms sternly.

“Well, er, well,” Mr. Potter babbled but then he turned defensive, “Hey! From the little I  could sum up you five are reading about the future and that is highly illegal, and dangerous and-“

“Oh, shush Harold. So you want us to stop, so we can be legal? Fine, give me the book and I will burn it,” Mrs. Potter said extending her hand.

Mr. Potter eyes widened and he grabbed the book protectively, “Er, no, I mean, we can’t not know what happens! He is the middle of a battle here! Er, we can figure the legalities after we read.”

“Though so,” Mrs. Potter snorted.

“Er- could you explain to me why Harry is running away like this. I didn’t really have a good listening spot,” Mr. Potter said.

“Yeah,” Remus chuckled. “We heard.”

“HEY! I am very stealthy!”

“We know honey. I was just trying to get your pride hurt so you would show yourself. Now, your grandson-“ the five quickly summed up the happenings of the last three years of Harry’s life and a very shocked Mr. Potter started reading.

Distant voices called out spells to alert Harry that the fight was still going on above the ruble. He tried to move but the weight on top of him made it impossible. Harry’s thoughts instantly shifted to his wand only for him to realize that it wasn’t in his right hand any longer. He could feel a slight warmth against his chest, exactly where the pendants Sirius and Remus gave him for Christmas rested. If Sirius was wearing his, he would now know that Harry was in trouble.

Dizziness crept in as Harry fought to maintain consciousness. He could feel the stones on top of him being moved slowly, decreasing the weight that had been placed on his aching body. Voices started to increase in volume but they were too distorted to make out. Hands roughly grabbed his arms and pulled him out of the debris causing Harry to cry out as pain screamed through his entire body.  He was released and fell to the ground with a thud. The remnants of his backpack was roughly pulled off and tossed aside. That was all it took for Harry to know that he was in the hands of the enemy.

“GET POTTER OUT OF HERE! WE HAVE OUR ORDERS!”

“Shacklebolt! Where are you? You are so getting the grilling of your life next training session you have with me!” Mr. Potter growled.

Harry finally forced his eyes to open partially only to realize that he had lost his glasses but did notice an overabundance of black to confirm his suspicions. His panic had set in as a Death Eater grabbed him by the shirt and lifted his upper body off the ground. Harry instantly tried to break free and was instantly knocked into a dazed and the Death Eater back fisted him. The next thing Harry felt was a familiar tug behind his navel followed by an overabundance of nausea before he was slammed, back first on the hard floor.

At that moment Harry was too consumed by pain to acknowledge any more. Exhaustion and pain fought to push him into unconsciousness but Harry fought back to stay awake. He had to fight back. He had to find some way to escape even though it would be extremely difficult at this point. Harry could barely move let alone fight. He had no idea where his wand was so dueling was certainly out of the question.

The sound of someone approaching startled Harry out of his thoughts. “What happened!?!” an angry deep voice snarled. “You were supposed to bring him back unharmed! The Dark Lord will be furious to find him in this condition!”

“I hope he shows his fury on the Death Eaters and not Harry,” Remus fretted.

Harry’s captor stood up and roughly grabbed the injured teenager by his shirt and started to drag him. “We didn’t have a choice!” the Death Eater snapped back. “Dumbledore’s Order got there first. We had to fight for him. Besides, having the brat half-dead is better than not having him at all!” The Death Eater slowed his pace before entering a dark and musty room. “Bloody Gryffindors. Snape wasn’t lying when he said Potter was the worst of them.”

“Stop you’re complaining,” the deeper voiced Death Eater said in annoyance. “The Dark Lord is coming tonight so I suggest you do something to make him a little more presentable. Call Snape if you have to. I need to adjust the wards so the old fool can’t find us.”

“Yes, call Snape. So he can take Harry to safety,” Lily said hopefully.

“Or, we can find out what his true loyalties are,” Sirius said grimly.

“Isn’t Snape the boy that is mentioned in most of the notices we get from Hogwarts?” Mr. Potter asked.

“Yes, and he extracts his revenge on our son in quite a childish manner,” Mrs. Potter said pursing her lips. “He is the Order’s spy. Or so Dumbledore says. I am reserving judgment right now.”

Harry tried to squint in order to make out where he was but the darkness in addition to his muddled mind made it impossible. There was a brief screeching sound before Harry was lifted and tossed like a rag doll, sending screaming pain through his body as he collided with the floor. He heard another screeching noise then a click. Squinting once again, Harry could only groan when he finally made out that he was in some sort of cell. This was bad…extremely bad. He was trapped without a wand and currently unable to move. At the moment he couldn’t think of how this could get any worse.

At least everyone else is still safe.

“James,” Mr. Potter said seriously. “WHAT THE HELL DOES YOUR SON THINK HE IS DOING? HE IS THE KID HERE?”

“We have been asking ourselves the same thing for a long time now dad!” James sighed.

“Harold,” Mrs. Potter said dangerously.

“Yes,” Mr. Potter said properly cowed.

“LANGUAGE in front of the children. You are not in your training camp!”

“Okay,” Mr. Potter squeaked.

Lily smirked approvingly and James glanced worriedly at her.

It wasn’t much of a consolation but at the moment it was all Harry had. He had no idea if Tonks and Shacklebolt were okay or if anyone else had been injured. He had no idea if Sirius had arrived only to see Harry disappear with a Death Eater.

“And died from a heart attack!” Sirius cried.

“You better die from a heart attack only after you rescued Harry!” James ordered.

This was certainly one of your worst ideas ever, Harry mentally scolded himself. Once again he had rushed off without thinking everything through. He never considered what he had to do after he had been spotted.

“Well Harry, I know we’ve just met…and I hate to agree…but probably, yes, that was a crappy idea,” Mr. Potter nodded.

Some things never change.

---

Harry didn’t know how long he was trapped in a partial doze before the sound of angry voices echoing brought him back to consciousness. His entire body was throbbing in pain which made any sort of movement impossible. Breathing had even become somewhat difficult without pain. He could only assume that development was a result of his treatment after the explosion. Harry didn’t even want to think about what a few minutes with Voldemort would do to him now.

Echoing footsteps quickly alerted Harry that at least two people were coming. He could do nothing but listen as they came closer and closer. His eyes remained closed as the two individuals entered the room. Silence filled the air for what felt like an eternity. Concentrating, Harry could vaguely feel hints of irritation, fear and…concern? That was a surprise. Unless they called Professor Snape. Even so, I must look horrible for Professor Snape to actually feel concern.

“Yes, but is he concerned because you are hurt or because Voldemort won’t like that you are already hurt?” Sirius asked.

“We’ll find out soon,” Remus answered.

The cell door creaked open. “I see you didn’t bother handling your cargo with care,” a familiar voice drawled. “Are you certain he’s even alive?”

“Did he just call my baby “cargo”? Lily asked outraged.

“He does have a part to play,” Mr. Potter shrugged.

“Leave the Auror outside Harold!” Mrs. Potter ordered. “If Lily wants to be outraged, she may!”

“He’s breathing,” answered the impatient voice of his captor. “Just do what you can! The Dark Lord will be here in a few hours. We need to have Potter at least conscious by then.”

“What a humanitarian,” Remus snorted.

A hand rested on Harry’s shoulder causing him to stiffen slightly and let out a soft moan as pain sparked from the movement. Harry could hear his kidnapper leaving but remained completely still until the footsteps were too distant to make out clearly. The hand moved from his shoulder and gently rested on his forehead nearly shocking Harry and how cold the hand was. Hands carefully maneuvered Harry so that he was lying flat on his back. Harry bit his lower lip to hold back the cries of pain that screamed through his body. Why couldn’t Snape just leave him alone?

“You’ve really done it now, Potter,” Professor Snape sneered softly as he burrowed an arm underneath Harry’s shoulders and carefully propped the teenager into a somewhat upright position, Harry’s head naturally tilting backwards slightly as he let out another moan of pain. “Sometimes I wonder if you even have a brain in that thick head of yours.” There was a rustle of clothing followed by popping sound. “This is a powerful healing potion, Potter. Try not to waste it by spitting it out.”

“He is either being very convincing in his role or he is a jerk!” Mr. Potter said.

“That’s just Snape being Snape dad,” James shrugged.

The potion was poured down Harry’s throat with ease. Almost immediately Harry could feel the pain throughout his body slowly decreasing. Everything suddenly felt extremely hazy. A distant voice was talking to him but he couldn’t make out the words. Another potion was poured down his throat before Harry felt himself being lifted off the floor and placed on something firm and warm but was still held somewhat upright. Suddenly his shirt vanished, allowing Harry to feel the chilling air. He opened his eyes partially but couldn’t make out anything.

“Scourgify,” Professor Snape said, breaking through the haze. “Ferula.”

Harry let out a gasp as bandages wrapped around his ribcage and his wrists. He was then gently lowered completely onto the firm surface and, in the blink of an eye, had a comfortable shirt on. The haze intensified, forcing Harry to close his eyes again and drift off. He barely realized that his legs had been checked over and bandaged before the remnants of his pants were transfigured into a pair of pajama bottoms. His shoes were removed and he was covered with a blanket. All Harry knew was that the pain had finally gone away.

The pain seemed to return only a moment later only this time it was coming from his scar. It didn’t take long for Harry to realize what was going on. Voldemort was coming. As difficult as it was, Harry forced himself not to panic…well, at least not let his panic show. There really was no way to refrain from panicking considering the current situation. Harry knew he wouldn’t last long in any sort of fight at the moment. Although the pain wasn’t anywhere near what bad as it was before, Harry still had difficulty actually moving his limbs. They felt extremely heavy for some reason.

Pain seared from his scar as footsteps filled his ears. Harry focused on his breathing, pushing any sort of thought out of his mind. His chest ached but at least it didn’t actually hurt to breathe anymore. The pain from his scar slowly decreased to more of an annoyance than anything. As the footsteps became more distinct, Harry could feel subtle waves of anger, annoyance and eagerness. He hated that feeling, especially when it came from Voldemort.

Harry fought to remain completely still and relaxed as he heard three individuals enter the room. The cell door creaked open. A set of footsteps slowly approached Harry but the fifteen-year-old remained still, lying on his back with his head turned away. His scar prickled in pain, altering Harry that it was Voldemort who was approaching. He quickly focused on nothing but his breathing, trying desperately to ignore the waves of negative emotions that were pouring from Voldemort. There was so much hate and anger brushing against him. Harry wanted nothing more than to push it away but he didn’t know how.

The silence was broken by Voldemort’s high pitched voice. “I assume Potter refused to come quietly,” he hissed as he turned and looked at the two Death Eaters standing outside the cell. “I trust this is your handiwork, Severus.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Professor Snape said obediently. “You made it clear that you wanted Potter physically unharmed when he was captured. Was I wrong to tend to his wounds?”

There was a brief silence. “No Severus,” Voldemort said firmly. “I do want him physically capable of defending himself. I want everyone seeing me defeat a healthy Harry Potter. However, I will need you to prepare a magic suppressing potion as soon as possible. The boy has a rather annoying habit of escaping my clutches. I trust the old fool is calling in every favor at the moment. Does he suspect anything, Severus?”

“So, he wants everyone to think he defeated a healthy Harry Potter,” Remus growled angry. “Not taking any chances are you snake face?”

“No, Master,” Professor Snape answered. “The old fool still believes that you are trying to recruit Potter.”

“And I really want to know if that is true,” James said with a grimace.

Voldemort let out a hiss. “If Potter wasn’t so stubborn I would be,” he spat. “The boy is too devoted to his precious guardians. Is the blood traitor still confined?”

“Confined where?” James asked worried. “They don’t have Sirius too do they?”

“No,” Mr. Potter answered and kept reading.

“Yes, my Lord,” Snape sneered. “Dumbledore seems to believe keeping the mutt under lock and key is the only way to ensure Potter’s return.”

“Excuse me? WHAT?” Sirius shrieked. “I want to look for Harry and find him!”

“But,” Remus carefully said wincing. “He does have a point. I mean, Harry’s whole reason for running away is to keep you safe, so, if he thinks you’re safe, at least he wouldn’t do stupid things.”

“Except he did,” Lily pointed out.

“Er, yes, well,” Remus said lost for words.

A hand tightly gripped Harry’s shoulder in a matter that he hadn’t felt in years. Harry quickly sat up, ignoring the pain that shot through his body as he looked straight ahead at nothing in particular. His mind worked quickly to cover for the reflexive action. He had only one chance. He just hoped that Voldemort would believe it. “I’m up, Uncle,” Harry said groggily. He shakily pulled back the blanket and moved to slide off of the cot. “I’m sorry for oversleeping. I’ll make breakfast and start my chores. I promise.”

“Oh, he is smart,” Mr. Potter said please. “Let them think you’re out of your mind and underestimate you Harry!”

A hand grabbed his chin and slowly tilted Harry’s head upwards. Harry quickly forced himself to think of his life at the Dursleys and nothing else. Green eyes met red for a moment before Harry’s eyes rolled backwards and he collapsed back on the cot. “Interesting,” Voldemort hissed as he stepped back. “Severus, I want to know the full extent of his injuries as soon as possible, especially any head injuries. Memory problems could work in our favor. Also, I want him guarded. No one, other than you, Severus, is to enter this cell without my permission. Truden, you will take the first watch. If any harm comes to Potter, you will be punished…severely. Do you understand?”

“Y—yes Master,” came a fearful reply.

Voldemort walked out of the cell then out of the room without another word. Tension filled the air as Professor Snape slowly entered the cell and moved directly for the cot in the corner. Hands gently checked Harry’s wounds before he was given two more foul tasting potions. Waves of hate and anger were replaced with waves of concern and fear. Harry turned his head towards where his Potions teacher was kneeling. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know if it was wise to say anything.

“What was all that about?” Truden asked in annoyance. “Since when are prisoners treated like royalty?”

“I highly doubt Potter will be treated like royalty, Truden,” Professor Snape sneered as he rose to his feet and walked out of the cell. “It would be wise to remember your place. Those who question the Dark Lord find that they don’t live for very long. If the Dark Lord wants Potter to remain untouched then we have no choice but to obey.”

“And you better obey Truden, or you’ll have to deal with me and Voldemort!” Sirius hissed.

Lily leaned forward and whispered to the book, “And honestly Truden, I don’t know which one is worst.”

The cell door closed as Truden let out a huff. “I can’t believe this,” he spat. “I’m stuck playing babysitter to a pampered Gryffindor.”

At the sound of Professor Snape leaving the room, Harry listened to Truden grumble for nearly another hour before drifting off. He didn’t know if Voldemort actually believed the act but that was only one of his many problems. He didn’t like the thought of a magic suppressing potion. He had read about them while studying for his OWLs and knew that they could be dangerous if the dosage wasn’t exact. Whatever Voldemort had in mind Harry knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant. In a way he wished Voldemort was still adamant to convince him to turn. At least then Harry knew what to do. He knew what to expect.

It was clear that Voldemort had not been as inactive as what the ‘Daily Prophet’ had implied. He had just been extremely discrete on what he had been up to. Harry had a feeling that he would come face to face to exactly what that was extremely soon.

“I hope not,” Lily said worried.