Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognise from his universe.
A/N: I can't even begin to thank all of the great readers so I will just give a huge thank you out to all those reviewers and readers who are enjoying this story.
This chapter it dedicated to HermioneGreen for knowing what the meaning of the Dark Lords home. Here is the definition of it.
After reading this I am sure that you will get the picture and will agree that it fits well. Tartarus is the lowest region of the world, as far below earth as earth is from heaven. According to the Greek poet Hesiod, a bronze anvil falling from heaven would take nine days and nights to reach earth, and an object would take the same amount of time to fall from earth into Tartarus. Tartarus is described as a dank, gloomy pit, surrounded by a wall of bronze, and beyond that a three-fold layer of night. Along with Chaos, Earth, and Eros, it is one of the first entities to exist in the universe. While Hades is the main realm of the dead in Greek mythology, Tartarus also contains a number of characters. In early stories, it is primarily the prison for defeated gods; the Titans were condemned to Tartarus after losing their battle against the Olympian gods, and the hecatoncheires stood over them as guards at the bronze gates. When Zeus overcomes the monster Typhus, born from Tartarus and Gaia, he hurls it too into the same abyss. However, in later myths Tartarus becomes a place of punishment for sinners. It resembles Hell and is the opposite of Elysium, the afterlife for the blessed. When the hero Aeneas visits the underworld, he looks into Tartarus and sees the torments inflicted on characters such as the Titans, Tityos, Otus and Ephialtes, and the Lapiths. Rhadymanthus (and, in some versions, his brother Minos) judges the dead and assigns punishment.
Chapter 24: Into the Mind of a Mad Man
Sirius walked quickly down the corridor shivering at the dampness that seemed to cling to his skin and clothes. He hated dungeons, it reminded him too much of Azkaban and the last two years being held captive by Dumbledore. Sirius just wanted to portkey the little bastard out of there and into the holding cells at the safe house. He didn't know if he was going to be able to control his desire to throttle the life out of the arrogant prick long enough to activate the portkey. Sirius knew that he was going to have to do just that, after all Remus and Harry were more entitled to that right than he was.
As he came up to the cell door that held the Weasley boy Sirius stopped and slowly drew his wand, he didn't want to be taken by surprise after all. He started to slowly open the cell door.
Ron Weasley sat chained to a wall in a very small dark and damp cell. He had no idea where he was or even how he had gotten in this precarious position. The last thing that he remembered was walking toward the garden at the Burrow after having another screaming match with his bitch of a sister. He had tried to show her the wrongness in her ways but she just didn't want to be helped. He had made sure that his parents knew that she was sympathizing with Potter and that they needed to keep a closer eye on her.
He knew that who ever had taken him hadn't used their wand to subdue him for two reasons. The first being that he hadn't heard any spell being cast at him and secondly was the wards that the Headmaster had put up at the beginning of the summer that would trace the wands magic back to its owner. He figured that if they had used their wands he would have been rescued already. Ron had no idea how long he had been here but he figured it couldn't have been more than two days. Then the worried thought of who his captures where was another thing that was making him leery.
He had a good idea that Potter was behind it, probably trying to get revenge for the fact that the woman that he was so desperately in love with was tainted now. Ron smiled sadistically as he remembered how much she had struggled when he had her pinned down. He knew that every thing had gone according to plan that night and he could just imagine the look of horror that would be on Potter's face when they realized that Hermione was pregnant with his child. A child that would bring an end to all the darkness according to a prophecy that had been told to Professor Dumbledore.
Toward the end of the summer Professor Dumbledore had came to the Burrow to talk with his family about some facts that he had learned of at the end of the school year. He had told them that they had all been fooled by Harry Potter and that Potter was in league with You-Know-Who and had been since at least the end of their fourth year when he had helped You-Know-Who come back. His mother had demanded that the Headmaster explain what he was talking about because she could not believe that was true. Professor Dumbledore then told them with a heavy heart that Lily Potter had not been faithful to her husband and had been having several illicit affairs behind his back. Harry James Potter was the direct result of one of the affairs. James Potter had not known that he was not the boy's real father.
The Headmaster had discovered the truth after he had received an anonymous letter stating that he needed to do a paternity test on Potter. It turned out that Potter's real father was none other than the greasy git Potions Professor. When Professor Dumbledore went to Snape with this revelation Snape confessed that he had known that Potter was his and that he had already informed Potter of the truth during their fifth year when Snape was supposed to be giving Potter the Occulemncy lessons. When the Headmaster asked why he hadn't been informed of that revelation Snape had told him rather rudely that it wasn't any of his business. It was after that conversation that Professor Dumbledore had begun to doubt Snape's loyalty to the Order.
It was after what had happened in the Department of Mysteries that Professor Dumbledore had started to really question exactly who's side Snape was really on and if he was turning Potter Dark. Professor Dumbledore had told Ron and his family that he had come to a very hard decision about what to do with Snape. That was when he had decided to have Snape give Potter the lessons in Occulemncy again in their sixth year. He figured that it would be safer if You-Know-Who discovered that Snape was working for the Order when he tried to access Potters mind. He knew that if You-Know-Who found this out then the next time Snape was summoned he would probably be killed for being a traitor. But somehow that had never happened and his plan had failed.
Ron's mother and father both had denied that Potter would ever go Dark. It was then that the Headmaster had dropped the most crucial evidence against Potter. Potter was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named grandson and only heir. His parents had still been skeptical until Potter had forced the Headmaster to let him be resorted and he had been put in Slytherin. They still had held out hope that their Golden Boy would see the light but all that was dashed when Ron had told him that Potter was now best friends with Malfoy and was beginning to act just like the little prick. Ron knew that the Wizarding worlds precious Savior had played them all as fools and that the Boy-Who- Lived was destined to be the next Dark Lord.
It was then that Ron had been instructed to keep Hermione away from Potter. He was to do anything that he deemed necessary to keep her inline and following his orders. Ron had realized at the very beginning that the only way to keep control over her was to make sure that she would never turn against him, the only way that he could do that was to beat it into her.
At first Ron had been very uncomfortable about hitting Hermione but over time he realized that he was doing it to save her from destroying herself and the wizarding world by getting involved with Potter. He could see how much she had been in love with Potter and any blind man could see that the bastard felt the same way for her. That made it so much easier to carry out his mission, knowing that when he hurt Hermione he was hurting Potter. Ron knew that over time Hermione would realize what a huge mistake she had made ever having feelings for the traitor, and then she would see how much Ron loved her and that he had done those things to keep her safe. She would see that he was the savoir of the Wizarding world and she would be on her knees begging to make him happy. She would soon see the error of her ways, and when she did he would be there waiting.
Ron was suddenly startled out his thoughts when he heard someone approaching his small cell. He drew in a deep breath and hoped to god that it was someone here to rescue him. His heart was beating like mad and he wondered briefly if it was possible for someone as young as he was to suffer a heart attack. Ron sucked in a deeper breath and hope that whoever was on the other side of the cell door wasn't someone who wanted to kill him.
The man that opened the door however was the last person he would have ever thought of, even in his wildest dreams.
Sirius opened the cell door and grinned viciously when he seen the Weasley boy awake and in obvious shock at seeing him alive and breathing.
Ron's mouth was hanging open as Sirius grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and hauled him to his feet. Ron stuttered out, "Am I... Dead?" Sirius's eyes narrowed and then he smiled and laughed. A laugh that chilled Ron to the bones, and he knew that he was in deep shit.
Sirius watched with glee as the terror crept slowly into the Weasley boy's eyes and his face paled dramatically. "No," he said simply and then continued obviously amused, "But soon you will wish you were!" Without any warning Sirius surged toward Ron and before the boy could react he snapped a pair of black manacles, that was the portkey, over the pale wrists, as soon as the locks audibly snapped Sirius quickly said the activation words for the Portkey. Seconds later Sirius was standing alone in the small cell. He turned and walked back out the way he had come down. It was time to get the hell out of here before the cavalry showed up and tried to arrest them.
Sirius walked into the living room to meet up with the others just as Harry was asking what was taking him so long. "I'm here, no need to get your knickers in a twist." He said jokingly toward his godson. He watched as Hermione hid her giggles behind her hand and it amazed him how strong this young woman was. She truly took after Remus in that aspect. Sirius imagined the longer he was around Hermione the more of her parents he would see in her. He was just happy that Remus had found his family again, even if it was more along the lines of them falling into his lap.
Sirius reached out to touch the portkey that would take them to the safe house. After the familiar sensation of the portkey passed and he picked himself rather ungracefully off the ground and glanced at the huge castle that loomed ominously in front of him.
It was Harry that brought him out of his staring stupor when the boy decided to blurt out his obvious deduction. "Holy shit, its huge!"
Sirius smacked him upside the head, "You really need to curb the language, especially around the woman folk." he said teasingly as Narcissa and Athena glared at the both of them good naturedly.
Harry was just about to retort when he heard someone shouting at them. When he saw who it was he was ecstatic and relieved beyond all belief. "Ginny." Be breathed out in a relieved sigh that was echoed by Hermione who was gripping his hand tightly. Seconds later Harry and Hermione's arms were full of a sobbing Ginny Weasley.
"I thought that I would never get to see you two again!" Ginny sobbed into Hermione's shoulder gripping the girl who was had been her only female friend.
Hermione could feel the tears gathering in her eyes, "Are you ok, oh Merlin Ginny I never thought that he would turn on you. I am so sorry. Its all my fault." She whimpered softly as she hugged Ginny tighter.
Ginny shook her head vehemently. "It isn't your fault!" she said forcefully hoping to drive the point. "You are not to blame yourself, no one knew that he would do that. What matters now is that we are both away from him and are safe. That is all that counts." Ginny said as she stared directly into Hermione's eyes.
Hermione nodded her head affirming that sentiment as she hastily brushed away her tears. "Oh Ginny, we have so much to talk about. So much has happened since that last time that I seen you." She said as Ginny leaned in and gave her another hug.
Ginny smiled as she pulled back out of the embrace, "Yes we do, now lets get in there and get something good to eat, I'm starving and haven't had a good meal in days." She said as they started toward the doors.
Harry watched with a smile as Ginny led Hermione away. It would be good for them to find the support they need in each other he thought to himself. He turned and looked at Sirius who was grinning happily at Athena and Remus talking. He hadn't noticed the rest of the group walk up when Ginny and Hermione were talking. Lucius was leading Narcissa toward the doors and Remus and Athena were following closely behind.
Harry looked beside him and seen that his father had walked up to stand beside him, "Everything go off with out a hitch then?" he asked as they started walking toward the doors themselves.
Severus chuckled, "Yeah it did, but I am sure that Draco will mention something about nearly being knocked out by flying backpacks launch at him by Ginny."
Harry laughed knowing that he would get the whole story from Draco later that night, "Where any of the other Weasley's there?"
Severus shook his head, "No, according to Ginny she had been locked in her room and left there while her lovely parents went to Dumbledore after Remus had nabbed the little bastard."
With wide eyes Harry looked over at his father, "They locked her in her room and left? That is incredible; I can't believe how much the Weasley's have changed. When I first met them they seemed to be like that type of family that would stick together through everything. I guess that I should have realized that wasn't the truth when Percy was practically disowned in my fifth year." Harry said still bewildered by the revelation.
Severus shook his head morosely. "Some families loose all sense of reason when they become fanatical about something. They are willing to wipe their hands clean of anything that goes against their beliefs and if that happens to be a part of their family, as it is with Ginny, they would have no problems doing so."
Harry was still confused, "But what could have happened that would warrant this treatment of their only daughter, what the hell did she do to deserve what they are doing to her?"
"Ron told them that she was sympathizing with you and that she would do anything to make sure that you were the one that came out on top in the end. Evidently Dumbledore felt that it was prudent that he tell the Weasley's that you are the Dark Lord's grandson and that you have been Dark the entire time that you had been in school. He told them that you basically had been stringing them and the wizarding world at large along and that you had been using everyone for your own personal gain." Severus sighed and then continued, "They saw Ginny as a liability and they let their perfect son take care of the family traitor."
Harry shook his head sadly; when he realized that this war would be tearing families apart he never thought that it would be to this extent. He thought back to everything that had happened the last couple of days he remembered the strange dream that Hermione had had. He knew that he needed as much help as he could get on trying to find the spell, and so he began to fill his father in on the dream and what he thought about it. Hopefully they could find what they needed it in time.