Disclaimer: Not mine :(

Warning: Fluff, gore, death, war… the usual (not graphic)

-Chapter 6-

Grimmauld Place was a bit brighter than the last time Harry remembered.

Besides the entryway, (and the curtain still hanging over the picture of Sirius' mum) the rest of the house was pleasantly… homier.

"Welcome all!" Sirius called, stretching his hands out as he walked into the kitchen to greet the family.

Harry watched curiously as he and Snape ignored each other after a quick hello.

Perhaps they really were getting better with each other.

After being mobbed by both Evan and Vivian, Sirius led the children up the stairs to their respective rooms.

"Dany, Viv, you will be in this room with Ginny, once she gets here." He opened the door to a room with three beds. It was a large room with plenty of space to spare.

The girls walked in, putting their bags on a bed and began unpacking a few items.

"Harry, Evan, you'll be in here." Sirius said, pointing to the second room.

"Where is Ron going to be?" Evan asked.

Harry dumped his bag onto his bed and walked back out the door. He didn't really care to hear the answer, and Evan was obviously upset with him still.

He walked back to the kitchen, where the Weasley's now stood.

"Harry, dear." Molly said, smiling softly. Her smile was a bit tight. "Nice to see you."

"You too." Harry nodded.

Ron seemed to have found a spot on the floor extremely entertaining.

"Harry." Fred and George said in unison.

"Do you know where your room is?" Harry asked, wanting to get out of the awkwardness of the kitchen.

"Nope." The twin on the left said.

The twin on the right walked up to Harry. "Lead the way."

Harry gave a short wave to Molly and Arthur before he walked down the hall and up the stairs.

"Well, if that wasn't weird." Fred said.

Harry snorted. "You can say that again. I didn't realize you were here. I would have stayed in my room otherwise."

"Ah, they're here." Sirius interrupted Harry's musing.

"Good morning professor." George said.

Sirius waved his hand back and forth. "I'm not really your professor here." He replied.

"So no lessons?"

"Or rules?"

Harry shook his head. "Do you honestly think that he would stop you in school?"

"Harry." Sirius said looking back at the boy, pretending to be scandalized.

"It's true." Harry replied.

Fred and George laughed.

"Just don't make it a known fact." Sirius replied, pushing the door to the twins' room open. "I assume the rest are still back in the kitchen?"

"Yeah." Fred nodded.

"Then I better go get them." With that, Sirius left the trio standing in the hallway.

"So, a big Christmas at Sirius'?" George asked. He sat his bag on a bed and began pulling a few things out.

"You can say that again."

"I heard Neville was going to be here too." Fred stated.

"Well, apparently our parents have 'important order business' to attend to." Harry scoffed.

"I figure you're right. I just didn't expect to spend holidays at Grimmauld, though now that I think about it, this is gonna be awesome."

"How do you figure?" Harry leaned heavily against the door. As far as he was concerned, the only two he was excited to spend the break with were Fred and George.

"Well, we can get a few things underway without the watchful eye of our mum." George whispered to Harry. "You know, a few more experiments before we take our next batch of products out to the public."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were told no more jokes…"

The pair laughed, walking over to the Slytherin, and each put a hand on one of his shoulders.

"Awe, Harry. You're so naïve."

Harry bristled. "I am not." He said, and his voice sounded petulant even to himself.

"We've been told since our first year that we need to quit our jokes and pranks. Hasn't affected us yet."

Harry shook his head as the twins walked by him. They began the descent of the stairs, mumbling to each other the entire way down.

It was a huge meal, the table in Sirius' kitchen barely large enough to seat them all. Mostly, it was children and their parents, but a few Order members attended as well.

Maybe it was the fact that half of his friends weren't talking to him, distracting him, but Harry was sure that Tonks was flirting with Remus. It didn't seem subtle by any means, yet no one said anything.

Molly, Lily and Sirius had managed to outdo themselves cooking. Many meats covered in sauces, gravy or glazes lined the centre of the table. Different vegetables surrounded them, some mashed, some buttered, some baked and some raw. The dinner plates fit on the table, but only just.

It felt a family affair, Harry realized, as there was no animosity between the group. In fact, Evan joked with Harry a bit. Ron laughed at his joke, and even Percy seemed a bit calmer.

The funniest part was when Severus had complimented Sirius' cooking, which silenced the entire table.

After the feast, all the children were ushered upstairs to play while a meeting was held.

Harry sat at the top of the banister, legs between two rails, swinging his feet in the nothingness. Ginny, Hermione and Danny were discussing… whatever it was that females discussed. Harry had tuned out the majority of that conversation. Something about a new hair care potion.

The children who were of age, and who had opted to join the Order, were downstairs. Harry briefly wondered if, when he turned 17, he would want to join. A large part of him wanted to, to protect his family and friends.

It was the smaller, but much louder part that wanted to stay hidden, wait out the war, and then go about a normal life.

How pathetic…

"Harry, we need one more." Ron said from the doorway, jolting Harry from his thoughts. He turned to look back at the other boys.

"Doing what?" Harry asked cautiously. In truth, they had never really addressed the issue of… whatever had happened last summer. As the dark haired boy waited for an answer, the youngest Weasely boy shrugged and sighed.

"Look, Harry. I know I've been a right git. But can't we… you know, put this behind us?"

Harry wasn't Slytherin for nothing. He stared at him, watching the red-head's cheeks brighten and the boy become flustered. Just when Ron was going to snap, Harry cleared his throat.

"Of course we can. On one condition."

"What?"

"You promise to listen to me the next time something like this happens."

"I didn't-"

"Boys…" Hermione interrupted. She peeked her bushy head out of the girls' room. "Has anyone done their homework?"

Sufficiently distracted, both boys groaned.

Hogwarts was a welcome sight. Harry wondered if every child felt the awe and comfort upon seeing its walls every time. Warmth and excitement seeped into him.

Something about the castle walls and promise of boring classes was more than enough reason.

Riding the train back had been less eventful, and while the dementors didn't board, the students still felt a little worse for wear. Thankfully, though, hot chocolate was the first drink served that night, and the mood was much warmer.

Somehow, an unofficial Quidditch game had become the talk of the entire student body, and by the time dinner was over, even the Professors were discussing it. Before Dumbledore dismissed them, he had made an announcement that Hogsmeade trips had been canceled until further notice due to sightings of recent Azkaban escapees. As though to assure the students, a few Aurors stepped forward, making their presence known.

Still, despite the threats and chilly weather, classes fell into normalcy, as though the students had nothing more than OWLS or NEWTS to worry about.

Sirius' class consisted of attempting different shield charms, and even a few students worked on some higher level defense spells.

"Why don't we all try a mental exercise." Sirius addressed the class. He pulled them all aside and sat them down. "I want you to think of the happiest memory you have." He started.

A few of the class sniggered, Crabbe and Nott among them.

"On your train ride during holiday, you experienced some of the coldest and worst feelings that any dark creature can cause. Dementors are notorious for taking away our happiest memories and warmer feelings."

The classroom was silent. Sirius walked to the other side of the room, and all eyes followed him.

"The best defense we have against these creatures is a higher level spell. While it is technically not in the curriculum, I think that it would be good for you to learn it. It not only helps against Dementors, though. War always brings out the darkest in us. Remembering our happiest moments can help.

"It's odd." Blaise whispered to Harry.

"What is?" The shorter boy whispered, eyeing Professor Binns. The ghost took no notice of the whispers, though.

"With kids getting kidnapped and Bella out on the run, you think the teachers would at least think about closing the school for a bit."

Harry shrugged. "That doesn't seem like a good idea to me." He admitted. "Don't you think that just shutting the school down could cause problems?"

"Like what?"

"Well, if parents are at work, what do the kids do all day? Stay at home alone? Or, for the younger ones, they would be put together in a nursery school. That's a prime target. Dumbledore is the only wizard he has ever feared…"

Blaise remained silent a moment. "What do you think he wants those kids for?"

"Summon demons?" Harry joked, though partly he thought it was the truth. The darker spells called for blood, and often demon summoning or some such required children. At least, that's what he assumed.

Blaise's shiver was mirrored by Harry's own.

A ball of paper jolted Blaise from his thoughts, and he picked it up, opening it slowly. A small blush crept across his cheeks and he pocketed the parchment quickly.

A smirk grew on Harry's face. "What was that?" Harry asked.

"Nothing…"

"Is it a love letter?" Harry pressed. Any hope of learning whatever it was Binns was teaching had floated away. Much like the Professor was doing now.

"Who's it from?"

Blaise sighed, glancing to a Slytherin girl seated four rows back, just to his right. She was pretty in the aristocratic kind of way, perfectly straight hair, perfect skin, perfect posture.

"She wants to meet tonight…" Blaise supplied.

Harry nearly didn't stop the laugh. "Don't you remember the last time you left the commons to meet up with a girl?"

A sharp glare caused Harry to snicker.

"Well, this time we won't be anywhere near Professor Snape's office…"

"Good luck to you." Harry shook his head, leaning back more comfortably into his seat.

Harry woke early the next morning, some type of anticipation already pressing down on him.

The Quidditch match was later that morning. The Professors had decided to chaperone, making the unplanned event a game day. While the younger years weren't allowed to play, they had allotted times to ride brooms and goof around.

Harry sat up, mulling over the days events in his head. Ron would probably be playing one of the timed games, while Blaise would most likely be in one of the races.

He debated not getting out of bed, but something compelled him to. After all, why waste a good day?

Blaise, who hadn't showed back up the night before, was now sound asleep in his bed, curtain half drawn, arm falling off the bed.

"Hey…" Draco called. Goyle stood behind him, arms crossed. He was a brutish sort of boy, none too bright. You didn't need to be bright when you could land a punch, though.

Harry slowly tucked his scarf beneath his robes. "What do you need…" He said. His wand was tightly tucked into his sleeve, though still only a small comfort.

"I think it's probably best we not be in closed spaces near each other. What, with how you ended up last time." Harry said pointedly to Goyle. The boy's face flushed, and his eyes narrowed.

"Listen, perhaps you should stay inside today." Draco said softly.

Harry shoved past the pair, bumping shoulders with the blond, and walked down the hall. It seemed dead, with very few students roaming about.

Outside, however, the Quidditch pitch was packed. Every student from every house lined the seats or stood in position.

The teachers sat in one stand, and as Harry approached, he could see them holding signs.

"Over here!" Hermione called. She stood from a seat and waved s him, nearly losing her scarf in the process.

Harry hurried over. "I'm surprised it's so full." Harry marveled at the concentration of students and teachers.

Even many of the Aurors looked good natured and excited for the event. The Headmaster waved his wand, and fireworks exploded above the centre of the pitch.

"Good morning students, staff and visitors. Today we have a special treat. All four houses are participating in a game of sorts. As previously stated, only students second year and above may participate today in the afternoon events. First years may participate in this morning's events. Points will be tallied…"

"Have you seen Evan?" Hermione asked, looking back towards the castle.

Students were still making their way out, but only a few.

"I haven't seen him." Harry shrugged. "He's in your house."

Hermione shot him a look. "He said he was headed down to see Professor Snape before the game."

Harry frowned. "He's over there." He pointed towards the stand. Snape was sitting beside Hagrid, shaking his head and pointing at the corner of the stand as he spoke to Sinistra.

"He probably had to use the loo." Ron replied. The girl looked over, scrunching her face up, and shaking her head. "Charming."

"What?" Ron shrugged.

A whistle blew and the first years on brooms, rallied in the middle of the pitch, launched up. They lacked the finesse and speed of their upperclassmen, but they were doing well.

"What time is it?" A deep voice said.

"I-it's half nine." A short, squat man replied.

"Perfect. Let us begin."

Wormtail followed warily behind the large monster of a man.

The first explosion blew apart a large amount of the stands. Bodies flew, and for a few brief moments, there was silence and confusion. Everyone was shocked.

Then, as if hell had broken loose, panic spread and the screaming began.

Harry jumped up. The older students on brooms were flying towards the area of the explosion.

Aurors and professors alike ran towards the mangled and half-dead students who had been sitting near the blast.

"We have to get inside!" Hermione tried yelling above the screams of the other students.

Move.

"What did you say?" Harry asked.

Hermione pointed towards the castle. "We need to get to safety!"

"No, I swear I heard…"

Move. Before it's too late.

"Everyone off the stands!" Harry said. He didn't remember casting the sonarus charm, but his voice boomed, and the students seemed to obey.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, helping a smaller student up.

As if to answer the boy, the stands, where they had just been, exploded.

The deafening sound tore Harry's hearing away, throwing all the closest students into the pitch.

There was ringing in his ears, yet…

Be brave, Harry. It's going to be hard, but you must be strong. Your faith, your hope, will be the only things to keep you sane.

You must save them.

Brooms from above, and black robed people wearing silver masks, descended. Harry watched in a strange detachment, laying on the cold ground, as Death Eaters approached.

Harry likened them to hounds of hell.

"Get up!" Ron yanked his arm. The side of his head was matted with blood.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked, pointing to the wound.

"Harry, we have to help!"

Time finally sped up, and realization hit.

They were under attack.

Harry's eyes wandered to the professors. Spells flew, shields were conjured, and the battle was messy.

Dumbledore was flanked, fighting multiple wizards, yet holding his own.

Hermione deflected a spell, whipping her arm across and sending the spell into one of the mounted Death Eaters, who plummeted and crunched into the ground.

"Get her!" A female voice commanded, and at once three death eaters approached, wands raised.

Harry, Hermione and Ron glanced at each other.

"Find an opening, then run." The witch said softly, raising her own wand.

Spells blasted them immediately. While they were strong and quick, they were unable to hold their own for long. Ron fell first, petrified by a spell, while Hermione was grabbed suddenly by another student. They disapperated in a moment.

Harry stunned the nearest Death Eater, only to take a hit from a bone-breaking curse.

He collapsed, his leg on fire.

"Ah, there we go." A figure stood menacingly over him. With a sharp kick to his head, Harry was out.

Severus should have known that the first explosion was the initial distraction, and a trap.

As soon as they approached the injured and dead students, Harry's voice rang out.

Not moments later, the second explosion shook the stands.

Dumbledore's immediate reaction to the Death Eaters just barely saved them.

"If it isn't the traitorous snake." A familiar voice cackled, and Severus turned. Regulus Black stood, arms crossed, wand barely held between two fingers. His lopsided grin was annoyingly cold.

"I do hope you are prepared to suffer. The Master has special plans for you…"

Without warning, Regulus flicked his wand and ropes flew at the Professor's feet.

Despite lacking dueling experience in recent years, Severus' reaction was still natural and fluid.

He flung an obscurus at the man, but Regulus was fast.

It was a back and forth battle for many minutes.

"GET THE STUDENTS!" One of the Death Eaters called.

No.

Severus frantically looked around, and the sounds of dissapperating was loud.

One by one students were taken.

In that moment, ever person learned why Dumbledore was fearsome.

Many Death Eaters fell before they could grab a child, some froze in place; it was as if Dumbledore was throwing multiple spells at once.

The rest of the Professors joined in, and while the Death Eaters began leaving empty-handed, there were still that managed to leave with a few children.

Finally silence reigned over the battlefield, and there was a sickening twist in Severus' stomach when he realized that was exactly what this was.

Immediately the adults began tending to the wounded.

"Everyone back to the castle." Dumbledore ordered.

It was freezing cold.

The pain in Harry's skull was nothing compared to the pain in his leg, though. It was broken, he realized, just above the knee.

It was enough to make him want to vomit, but he didn't.

He was in a cell, that much he had gathered in the last hour.

Had it been only an hour? The clock somewhere near the end of the hall had chimed only once.

There was groaning in the cell next to his, and Harry heard rustling.

A guard had come and gone three times, each time checking the cells no more than a moment before moving down to the next.

Once, they dragged someone in.

Once, someone had been dragged out.

Harry didn't want to know whether or not that one had been alive, but deep down he was sure.

"H-hello?" Came a whisper, and Harry quieted her.

"Don't let them hear you." He said, panicked. "They'll stun you."

"Who are you?" She asked immediately.

What an odd question in the middle of… whatever this was.

"Harry Potter." He replied, worn. His leg gave a throb as he tried scooting closer to the wall between them.

"We need to escape." She said. "They… they're going to experiment on us. Mum said that what he does…"

"And go where?" Harry replied. "Do you know where we are?"

Silence met him, and for a long moment he was afraid he had made her mad. "Look…"

"I still have my spare wand."

"Your what?" Harry asked surprised. It was common for the pure-blooded children to obtain two wands, and to keep the second on their person for situations such as this.

While an outdated tradition, it seemed to still be useful.

"What year are you?" Harry whispered, hope permeating his words. He couldn't help it.

"Second…" The girl said softly.

"Do you know any unlocking spells?" He asked, heart sinking.

"I've already tried one, but it didn't work." She replied.

"Do you think you could slide it through the bars?" Harry asked, glancing to the front of his cell. If hers was the same, she should be able to just slide it left and he could grab it.

"I think I hear someone coming." She said, her voice quivering.

"Pretend to be asleep." Harry ordered. He lay down.

Merlin, this was stupid. He should be fighting, not laying about and pretending…

The footsteps stopped in front of the girl's cell, then in front of his.

Silence, punctuated by his pounding heart.

Then the footsteps moved down the hall, then back up.

"I think he's gone…" She whispered.

There was shuffling, and the sound of a chain moving, and then the wand was slid in front of his cell.

Harry drug himself forward, biting his lip hard as sharp pain shot up his leg.

The chain was attached to his bad ankle, and the pulling was agony. The wand was literally just within his reach.

He rolled it to himself, and relaxed, his breathing ragged. He focused on the cold stone against his cheek, trying desperately to avoid throwing up.

"Are you ok?" The girl asked.

"Fine," Harry replied, then sat up.

He aimed the wand at the chain on his ankle, and it unlocked without issue.

"What are we going to do?" The girl's worried voice asked.

Harry tired multiple spells, but finally the cell door unlocked and slid open. Pulling himself up against the wall, he hobbled down towards the hall and peeked out.

He hurried over to the girl's cell, unlocking hers as well.

She was a small girl, rather thin, and shivering. "Your leg…" She said, standing up, arms wrapped around herself.

"We need to hurry and escape."

"But your leg…"

"You need to go get help, to warn someone where we are and what's going on…"

She nodded slowly.

"Follow me." He said, and made his way painfully slowly down the hall.

As they neared the door, Harry motioned her behind him, and cracked it open slightly.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes?"

Harry opened the door slowly, pausing when it creaked, before attempting to slip through. The small girl followed rather closely.

The dimly lit room was small, a door opposite the one they had just come through, with one table in the centre.

On the table, wands and other sorts of trinkets lay.

Harry hobbled forward, unthinking, only to feel himself freeze moments later.

He was petrified.

"Well done." A hauntingly familiar voice said.

Bellatrix stepped in front of him, tapping her wand on his shoulder, releasing him from the spell.

He glanced back, then realization hit.

"It was a trap…" He said slowly.

"Astute and tough, though I will say a bit too eager to actually take note of his surroundings first." She giggled.

Harry collapsed to the ground, his leg unable to hold him any more.

"You're the first to pass the test." She said, crouching in front of him. The door behind her opened, and Lucius stepped into the room, followed by a short, fat man.

"Test?" Harry said, his bravado bleeding away.

"Yes." She straightened, setting the wand on the table. "Now, for the second test."

AN: I do apologize, my dear readers. The delay was much too long! I'm happy to say that I have the next ten or so chapters planned out, its just a matter of finding time to write. On that note, because I haven't written in so long, this chapter feels rushed and out of place… I wasn't sure how to fix it, so for now it can just be awkwardly here .

As always, thank you for reading, and please rate/review. I have no Beta, so any mistakes are sadly my own.

Date Posted: 12 November 2015