Dinner *had* been going nicely; until *He* appeared. Everyone knew who it was without actually knowing how, and maybe that was what scared people the most. Voldemort. A hated and feared name; it jumped to the lips of every person present, even though they dare not utter the hated syllables. And what made the situation even more ghastly was the way he had dropped a teacher-a Hogwarts teacher-carelessly into an unconscious slouch and just stood there, Severus Snape floating unconscious in front him while he laughed. None of the teachers dared to fire off any spells, not with one of their own so close, and not even Hermione could dredge up the wit to pull her wand.
"You are all so pitiful." Voldemort laughed, the shoulders of his newly acquired body bouncing in his sinister amusement. "But, I'll be taking my little pet and leaving now. I look foreword to our eminent showdown, Mr. Potter." With one more bone-jarring laugh, he disappeared; nothing fancy; no plumes of smoke or sparks or loud 'poof!'Ing noises, he just disappeared, Hogwarts' potion's master in tow. The hall was silent for many long moments; no one could find their voices to say anything until finally Dumbledore rose from his seat, replacing his wand in the folds of his robe.
"House Prefects, please take all students back to their dorms in a quiet and orderly manner. Take role, then close all portholes and make sure no one leaves the dorms. House heads please accompany their Prefects and aid them with the students. Madame Hooch, if you could please fill in for Slytherin." With these words, soft as they were, the hall erupted into a rattling din as the Prefects and House heads attempted to lead the students back to the dorms.
"Minerva? Could you please send Harry to me in my office? Discreetly as possible." Professor McGonagall nodded unpredictably and walked off to help with the general chaos of the Great Hall.
"Harry? Dumbledore wishes to see you in his in his office, please be as quiet about it as possible." the Transfigurations professor told him quietly out of the corner of her mouth. Harry tossed a glance at her for further explanation, but she gave none.
"But I have to be in the dorm for role." He countered softly.
"I'll take care of that; you go." With a feeling of dread boiling up in his stomach, he quietly slipped out of line and down a darkened corridor, waiting until the hall was clear before silently moving toward Dumbledore's office.
The door slid open before he had even knocked and Harry tentatively stepped into the waiting office.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes. Take a seat, Harry." Cautiously Harry eased into the armchair across from the Headmaster. "I think you know why I wanted to see you, don't you?" Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Harry nodded slowly. "Harry...I'm-I'm afraid that I can't really help you with this...Voldemort won't be able to get through my defenses again; not now that I know what he looks and feels like-but if I leave...the school and everyone in it, will be utterly helpless. Do you understand what I'm asking you to do?" Dumbledore spoke quietly, his eyes filled with wet tears.
"Yes, Headmaster." Albus Dumbledore tried to smile at Harry's too brave statement, but it came out as more of a grimace.
"Harry...I wish there was someone I could send with you to help...but..."
"It's not fair to ask anyone to come along with me. I know. Do you know where he is at least?" Harry pulled all his courage into his expression and smiled sadly.
"I do not know where he is...but I can help you find him. Go to my desk; you will find a bag that I have prepared for you; I hope you will find the contents useful. You must leave tonight. Take the invisibility cloak from my desk, you may have it back of course-go to your room, pack lightly, you'll get further instructions from Minerva. Then go look for Hagrid; he's prepared a mount for you, it's already mostly packed." Harry nodded and slowly made his way to Dumbledore's desk, fingering his father's invisibility cloak like an old friend. Snape had caught him with it two months ago and had turned it over to the Headmaster, demanding that it not get back into Harry's possession until the end of his school career. Now he bundled it over his arm and picked up the canvas backpack sitting beside the desk. Dumbledore had also gotten out of his seat and was now holding a crystal out to Harry.
"This is a Seeker-somewhat fitting don't you think...?" his bad attempt at a joke failed to bring a smile out of either of them, so he just continued his explanation. "Every student that has ever attended Hogwarts has been programmed into this crystal. It will display the whereabouts of any student as long as you know their full first and last name, and the house they were in. Voldemort attended Hogwarts as Thomas Riddle and he was in Slytherin house. To activate the crystal you say the Headmaster's passcode - "Riverghost" - the name of the student and their house. It will start to glow while it locates them, then will create a small map only the caster can see indicating, not where they are, but rather how to get to them. Do you understand? It's somewhat like a compass I guess, though I've never really had to use it. The mount Hagrid had prepared for you is a unisus-a rare crossbreed of a unicorn and Pegasus, strong and fast, but you must take good care of him. Unisus have an innate cloaking ability, but it's taxing to use, so only use it when there are Muggles around. They don't need to eat, and rarely sleep making them good travel companions, but make sure he is rested well before you do any major flying. The only time you should fly is over masses of water that you can't get around, or over Muggle towns; if you don't have to fly, don't. I'm sure you know all of this, but do you understand, Harry?" Dumbledore had locked him with a penetrating gaze and he swallowed hard to keep himself from turning away from it.
"Yes, Headmaster." Was all he could manage, carefully taking the crystal and tucking it into the bag. Dumbledore slowly placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and fought back tears as he looked into the brave young boy's face.
"Merlin, I wish there was something else I could do. Fawkes will be coming along with you...be careful Harry, I know it's not fair that we ask you to do this...but...be strong, and come back safe." Harry nodded silently.
"Goodbye, professor Dumbledore."
"Harry...call me Albus...I think you've earned it." Once again Harry tried to smile, but he couldn't, so he began arranging the cloak over his shoulders. Holding the bag in one arm, he held out the other and Dumbledore’s prized phoenix lifted off his perch and settled silently on Harry's arm.
"And Harry...this part will be hard, I know...but don't tell anyone anything. Don't talk to anyone...not even Ron or Hermione. The less they know, the less danger they're in." Harry didn't respond, but Dumbledore knew the boy had heard him so he said nothing more and watched as the door opened seemingly on its own, then closed with the same apparent mystery before Albus Dumbledore lowered himself to his chair, removed his half-moon glasses, and wept.
Harry bravely held back tears as he cradled Fawkes to his chest and moved along the darkened corridors to the Gryffindor tower. Surprisingly he found Professor McGonagall outside the porthole waiting for him. Harry moved the hood off of his head and opened his mouth to say something, but McGonagall waved off whatever explanation he may have been willing to give.
"Ssh; don't say anything. I'll get you in and out of the porthole, and I've cleared your dorm room for the time being...but other than that you're on your own. Be quick...and leave the bird out here. When you've gotten whatever it is you need to get, come to my study in the girl's dorm. You know where that is right? Good. Quickly now...no one will see the bird, just leave it out here." Harry nodded and moved Fawkes to the arm of suit of armor.
"Be quiet okay?" The bird tipped its head and looked at Harry from the corner of his eye, seemingly understanding Harry's order. Assured that Fawkes wouldn't wake up the entire dorm, Harry pulled the cloak back up to hide his face and followed the Gryffindor House head through the porthole. Moving silently Harry rushed up to his dorm room and carefully slid in, shutting the door silently behind him and locking it. Sparing a quick glance around the room to make sure it was empty, Harry threw off the cloak and flung his chest open. Passing over his books, he shoved parchment, ink and quill, changes of clothing, the warm sweaters Mrs. Weasley sent him every Christmas, an assortment of candles and small lamps, and warm blankets into the bag; which surprisingly didn't get any heavier or bigger, before dashing to the closet and retrieving his broom and care kit. Tossing another glance around his room, he put the bag over his shoulders, clutched the broom to his chest and pulled his cloak on again. Moving cautiously so as not to disturb his housemates that were gathered in the commons area, he crept to the girls’ dorm and silently moved up the stairs. The hall was empty except for one occupant who jerked her head up when Harry emerged at the top of the stairs. For one startling moment, he thought something was showing, but a thorough look over a breathless moment told him nothing was.
"Harry?...Harry I know you're there, and no, nothing is showing." Hermione whispered coming close to him, and careful pushing him into an empty room. "You don't have to take off the cloak, and I know you're not going to tell me anything, so I won't ask you to. I just wanted to give you this." She held out her hand, a small bag of what he knew where glowballs, curled in her palm. "And I want you to be careful, okay?" Sighing, Harry pushed back the cloak and looked her over for a moment.
"Hermione..."
"No. Don't say anything. I understand that I can't know anything. Just take it." She pressed it toward him and Harry carefully closed his hand around it, then swiveled and tucked it into the bag. He looked her over carefully, memorizing the way she looked. She had grown a lot in their six years at Hogwarts-she was becoming a beautiful woman, and Harry had never noticed before now. Her long rusty red hair fell in curls down her back-nearly to her waist, held away from her face by virtue of a pink ribbon, and she was currently dressed in nothing more than her nightgown; a pink silky thing that hugged her curves and fell just below her knees revealing long slender legs, her undressed shoulders thrown back bravely and her naked arms hanging at her side. She really was very pretty, and it made him wonder why he couldn't bring himself to be attracted to her. Leaning foreword, he gently kissed her forehead. But, Hermione mused silently, it was not unlike a kiss a big brother would bestow upon his beloved little sister before running away from home. Staying true to his unofficial promise, Harry said nothing, only retrieved his cloak and stepped out of the room and into the empty hall beyond.
McGonagall's study was about half the size of the dorm rooms, a daybed took up one wall just below a window that looked over the forest, a desk decorated the other and the last was covered with a bookcase containing just as many little trinkets as books.
"There you are.... shut the door quickly and come here." McGonagall was in her night robe, cap and slippers-he had seen her dressed like this only once before, and now like then, it was the severity of the situation that kept him from laughing. "Take those. Quickly!" Harry rushed over to the day bed and found a multitude of items; he looked skeptically at his small bag, but began putting the things in it anyway. "Alright, that's warm clothing, suitable riding boots, a rations bag-it's been magicked not to run out of food, but I can guarantee you it won't be a feast...mostly just dried foodstuffs. Matches, kindling, wards, tent, sleeping role, a few miscellaneous magical items that may come in handy, but you'll have to explore them when you have time, riding gloves, cloaks, a dagger, candles, lamps...I'm sure you have some of your own...but you'll need them, a purse with some gold-for emergency supplies, and a hatchet.... I think that's everything...oh, and a canteen also magicked for fresh water. Now come along, I'll lead you back through the portal. Hagrid will be waiting for you out by his hut." Harry finished shoving the various items into his bag and followed her out the door. She walked briskly through the hall and back into the commons area.
"Ladies and gentlemen...in bed now!" The commons room startled into flight and only five boys remained behind. "What are you waiting for?"
"Our dorm is locked Professor..."
"Surely you know how to open locked doors, Mr. Weasley...heaven knows you've done it enough times!" Ron winced but slowly nodded.
"Um...Professor...we can't find Harry..."
"Mr. Potter is running an errand for me. Go up to your rooms now." Ron seemed dissatisfied by this answer, but sensing the tension in her voice, he started up the stairs and the rest of the members of the dorm followed him dejectedly. Once they were up the stairs, McGonagall lead Harry out of the portal; but because of the invisibility cloak, missed the tear that slid silently down his face.
"Harry, you must go quickly. 'Mr. Potter is running an errand for me' won't hold up much longer.... and Mr. Potter?" Harry turned to look at her even though he knew she couldn't see him, "Be careful. Don't go getting yourself killed." Where it not for how soft her voice was, he might have thought those words inexplicably cold, but as it were she sounded much like a mother sending her son off to war. Without saying a word, for fear his voice would crack, he shifted his broom to a more comfortable position and drew Fawkes into the protection of his cloak before making his way down the stairs. He heard the professor tell the fat lady in the painting that no one was allowed out of the dorm unless they had her specified permission. The fat lady said something in return, but Harry had already gone far enough down the stairwell to miss it. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs Harry turned back up, his cheeks wet with tears..
"Goodbye, everyone." And he realized that he really meant it, because he really didn't expect that he would be coming back. That thought was surprisingly not as depressing as it should have been-certainly he didn't want to die, and would try his hardest not to- but he was willing to die, if it meant saving his friends, even Draco Malfoy, whom he counted among his enemies. With a last sigh, he turned and hurried out towards Hargid's hut...perhaps for the last time; and that was another thought that wasn't half as depressing as it should've been.
"Harry! Gosh yeh scared me there...alright...he's all ready ter be headn' on out." Hagrid told uncomfortably him when he appeared at the door. "Come on.... I’ll take yeh out ter see 'em." The unisus was waiting calmly on the sheltered side of Hagrid's hut, grazing contently at the grass by the wall.
"I thought they didn't need to eat." Harry commented, looking over the sleek animal; he was actually not white as Harry expected, but black like midnight.
"Well...they don't need ter, but they like ter...eat and all..." Unexpectedly, Hagrid turned suddenly and pulled Harry into a bone-crushing embrace, only putting him down and apologizing when Fawkes screeched in protest. Harry tried to say something comforting, but he couldn't think of anything so just stroked Fawkes' head to calm him and followed Hagrid over the waiting unisus.
"Alright...ah...'is name is Twilight...He's all packed and ready ter go...e'verything yeh need...yer broom goes right 'ere..." he carefully took Harry's broom and tied it into a long tube running just above Twilight's left wing. "And the bag goes 'ere..." he tied it carefully behind the saddle, then turned back to Harry. "Fawkes goes 'ere..." much to the phoenix’s protest, Hagrid lifted him and set him on Harry's shoulder, then handed Harry and long leather glove with straps running down the forearms that he recognized as a bird glove. "And...ah...yeh go 'ere..." He lifted Harry gently and placed him in the saddle, carefully adjusting the stirrups-even though they were already the right length. Harry held the reigns lightly in his hands-indulging Hagrid in this silent moment, remembering his recently completed course on the unisus, and now fully glad he now was that he had payed attention in that class. Hagrid took the lead reign and slowly led him toward the forest, stopping at a small trail. "Okay, Harry...I haves ter be leavin' now. Dumbledore told me to tell yeh not ter stop until yeh get through the forest. Lots bad things common' out tonight.... look there...see the centaurs? They'll escort yeh through...Yeh be careful, yeh hear?" He released the reigns and stared at the centaurs that were slowly distinguishing themselves between the dark forest on their side and waiting patiently for Harry to come to them.
"Hagrid? Take good care of Hedwig for me...okay?" It was all he could think of to say. Hagrid nodded, his eyes lighting a little.
"I will! I'll take real good care of 'er...yeh just come back in one piece." At any other time, Harry would've said 'I promise' but since he didn't like breaking promises, he just nodded and eased his mount into the looming forest. Hagrid watched him go for a long time, then slowly turned back and lead Fang into the castle with all of his other critters...tonight was not a night to be out alone, especially not if you knew which way the young Harry Potter had left to.
"Come master Potter, we must go quickly. We will lead you through the forest...then you are on your own." He seemed to be on his own a lot these days but after that the centaurs spoke little, just paced him, six on either side running along side the dark, winged unicorn.
The ride had been mostly uneventful, having only having to fend off a wolf the size of a horse, but they came through it without injury and plowed on; the sun was climbing over the mountains when they abruptly broke the forest line and found themselves in a small dell, and they slowed to a halt.
"This is where we leave you, master Potter. We go now to defend the forest. They are many..." the centaur, a large male with red hair and brownish body looked over his shoulder at the other eleven centaurs. "But so are we...we go to join our brethren. We are counting on you, master Potter. Good luck and God's speed." He nodded then turned and spurred back into the cover of the forest, kicking up clods of dirt and raising a cloud of dust. Harry watched them for a moment, and though he was tired, he was too close to the forest for his piece of mind, so he dug into his bag to find the Seeker Crystal.
"Riverghost-Thomas Riddle-Slytherin." He whispered quietly. The crystal grew warm in his hand, glowing before it shot out a brilliant twist of lines, forming a map of the surrounding region. A bright red dot indicated his position, then there was a yellow arrow with the arcane letter "S" pointing away from the forest and a bright purple line detailed a trail that lead off of the arrow and then off the map. He surveyed the surrounding land comparing landforms then carefully turned Twilight so the rising sun was on their right and the Forbidden Forest on their left. He gave the map one more appraisal, then it abruptly disappeared, so he tucked it into his front pocket and nudged his mount forward into a steady gallop. If he wasn't mistaken, the map had a hundred and fifty mile border on either side; they would keep the sun to the right until it was directly overhead, or until the forest had turned into the mountain pass that made up it's southern border-there they would rest.
The land was climbing and the forest was beginning to thin and become much less menacing; so far he had run into no one, though he kept a vigilant eye on the sloping countryside. He was beginning to tire drastically, nearly asleep in the saddle when the small mountain pass that had been marked on the map appeared in front of them. He sighed in relief, and tossed a glance over to the dramatically thinner Forbidden Forest before leading Twilight off the dirt rode and into a stand of Elms opposite the Forbidden Forest.
"Finally." He breathed, pulling the unisus to a halt.
"Agreed. You should sleep. I'll watch." Harry dredged up an exhausted smile.
"I was wonder if you were planning on talking to me." He commented, unburdening the beautiful animal and clearing a space in which to lay out his bed roll-he didn't feel like getting the tent out.
"I don't speak much. When do you want me to wake you up? We should leave the Forbidden Forest behind before nightfall-we have no escort this night." Twilight offered, sauntering over to an opening in the trees to gaze upon the aforementioned forest.
"You're right. Wake me up in...four hours." Harry requested, opening his sleeping bag so Fawkes could hop in. The bird took the invitation gratefully and nestled against Harry's chest.
"Alright. You just sleep now." Harry didn't even it hear it - despite the unevenness of the ground and the discomfort of sleeping in jeans, he was asleep immediately after requesting his wake up call.
Four hours later, Harry was awakened from a pleasant dream that he couldn't quiet remember by an odd nudging.
"Go away, Ron!" He hissed, curling deeper into the blankets.
"Master Potter?" It was only then that he remembered where he was; rubbing his eyes, he sat up and carefully removed himself from the warmth of the bedroll. "We should perhaps go now?" Twilight suggested, nuzzling him toward the saddle stuff Harry had heaped against a tree before crashing.
"I'm coming!" He hissed, yawning largely while rolling his blankets up and nearly forgetting about Fawkes, who was still nestled in the roll. "Come on Fawkes...you can sleep on my shoulder." Harry said apologetically when the phoenix began to squawk angrily, hoping across the blanket to peck at his fingers in retribution, but he eventually calmed and settled on Twilight's back to watch Harry pack up their non-existent camp. "I wonder if Dumbledore packed you any food?" Harry asked curiously while Fawkes settled on his shoulder, tucking his head under a wing.
"I'm sure he did. Can we go now?"
"A bit anxious, Twilight?" Harry asked, cocking an eyebrow, but easing the unisus out of the corps of trees.
"The forest comes alive early these days...it unnerves me; as it should you." Harry only sighed, not having enough energy to even take offense at the implied insult. Without needing the urging, Twilight broke into a gallop and headed straight for the pass.
/The forest is coming alive early...much too early.../Harry thought upon glimpsing the beady red eyes of a Forest Wolf. /They're too far south.... /To Twilight he said,
"How soon can we break the pass? I think we may have a few stalkers that are much, much too far south...I wouldn't put it past them to break the forest line..." He was getting nervous, especially when the path curved close the forest.
"We won't break the mountains...but we should be well into them by midnight."
/Midnight? God...That makes it at least a two night stay in the mountains...and who knows what we'll find there..../"Let's just hope the centaurs are doing their job..."
"I think it would be more prudent to hope we have someone doing their job along the pass." Twilight commented, suddenly coming to an abrupt skidding halt.
"Oh...shit...." Harry muttered, drawing his wand and tossing a glance over his shoulder.