an: sorry it took so long folks, haven't had much time with looking after my daughter and sorting out collage stuff. hope you enjoy this chapter it might be a bit confusing.

read away,

arty :D

Chapter two

choices

Kreacher dabbed Harry's head gently with a wet cloth made from one of Dobby's many hats, he frowned worriedly at the boys pale skin. They had done all they could for the boy for now; they had found some old herbs that had helped lower the temperature he had developed just after they had arrived. Luckily they had quickly found shelter in a cave a short walk away from where they had appeared. He had thought they could handle it but the boy's injuries were just too much for their binded healing magic.

As much as he hated to admit it master harry needed wizards healing magic and potions.

Dipping the cloth into a bowl of water that Winky had made from some kind of fruit that resembled a coconut and water from a stream Dobby had discovered, he gently lay the cloth across the boys forehead before getting up and moving to where the other elves were trying to make dinner for the three of them and Harry when he hopefully awoke. Dobby and Winky looked up at him hopefully, but their ears drooped when they saw his worried expression. Winky silently handed him a bowl of soup, he lifted the bowl to his lips and took a cautious sip, and let out a grunt of appreciation in the two elves direction. Dobby and Winky grinned at each other before drinking the rest of their soups.

"What will happen to master harry potter?" Winky asked softly when they were done, Kreacher frowned thoughtfully "master needs help we's—as elves—cannot give him" he said glancing at the boy "before sunrise we's must decide what to do, but for now we's need to recover our energy, and for that we's need sleep" he finished softly. The younger elves started to protest but fell silent when Kreacher glared at them. He watched them curl up next to each other and it didn't take long for the two to fall asleep. Kreacher watched them for a few minutes before getting up and walking to his master and curling up beside him.

Ron Weasley woke with a jerk; he stared at the ceiling wondering what had woken him. He peered out of the corner of his eye into his owl pig's cage and saw the owl sleeping silently. He rolled over acting like he was still asleep and slid his hand underneath his pillow, his fingers grasping his wand. He knew that he was being paranoid, but years of living with the twins had made him that way and being best friends with a boy who had a way of attracting ever dark wizard or thing in the area to attack them, he had his reasons to be paranoid. So spinning suddenly his wand raised and a stun spell on his lips, he was strangely surprised when he didn't see red hair or a masked face...or anyone for that matter.

Lowering his wand and scratching his head sleepily, Ron wonder once again what had awoken him, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and spun his wand raised once again. Only to meet a pair of golden eyes, Hedwig flared her wings and let out a screech "Hedwig!" Ron scrambled over his bed to the window and threw it open. The owl flew in and landed on the end of his bed, continueing to flare her wings and screech, causing Ron to cover his ears "what the—? What's the matter girl? You got a letter from Harry?" he asked looking at her talons, he frowned however when he didn't see one slowly he trailed his eyes up the owls body and froze as they reached her face.

"DAD! MUM! COME QUICK!"

The scream was enough to wake the whole house, and soon enough footsteps were pounding through the house. The door flew open revealing not only Arthur and Molly Weasley, but his sister Ginny and Brothers Fred, George, Bill and Charlie. All with wands raised, they lowered however when they noticed Ron was not being killed or tortured but looked rather panicked and pointing at the snowy owl that sat on the bed glaring at them furiously.

"Is that Hedwig?" Bill asked quietly, holstering his wand, the rest of the red heads doing the same "what's wrong Ron, did Harry send you a letter?" Fred asked or was it George.

Ron just shook his head violently and pointed at the owl and more importantly the bloody smear across her feathered face.

"Its blood Dad...she came to warn us, something's happened to Harry!"

Arthur spun and ran from the room "I'll floo Albus"

Zo'Nyukae 5:30AM

Kreacher was the first to awake the next morning before sunrise after checking on his master, he served up their breakfast—which consisted of the soup from the previous night—and shook Dobby and Winky awake. They ate in silence all glancing at the still sleeping form of their master, until Kreacher spoke "Winky and Kreacher are going back to Hogwarts, we find potions and a wand to bring back to master" Kreacher started but was interrupted by Winky and Dobby gasping "It is against the rules Kreacher! Winky not want to get in trouble with wizards again!" Winky whimpered. Kreacher glared at her "we's get wand or master dies!" he snapped at her angrily, causing both elves to flinch back.

Clearing his throat he continued "Dobby will stay and guard master, we's shouldn't be long" he watched amused as Dobby sat up straighter at the honour of guarding their master. Kreacher stood along with Winky and grabbed her hand, nodding to Dobby the two elves vanished with a sharp crack. Dobby's ears drooped suddenly feeling terribly alone without the other two, he crawled over to Harry and sat beside him like Kreacher had before him.

And waited.

Earth 5:45am

They arrived once again in a dark room; Winky clicked her fingers, causing the torches on the wall to alight, revealing the walls to be covered with shelves and shelves of potions of every colour, shape and size. Winky paled and lowered her ears "oh no, Kreacher Winky cannot be here, Winky get in trouble, Winky will be given clothes!" she quietly wailed, Kreacher rolled his eyes a habit he had picked up from his master "Winky will not get in trouble if Winky keeps quiet and find potions for master"

Winky nodded reluctantly and together both elves began to search for the potions they required.

Zo'Nyukae 5:58AM

Meanwhile, Dobby frowned at the empty bag of herbs they had collected, he studied Harry before standing, they needed more herbs to keep the fever down, his master would be safe for a few minutes. He wrote a hurried note in the dirt in case Kreacher and Winky returned before him. Leaning back he re-read the note before nodding happily and scurrying out of the cave and into the forest. Not hearing the footsteps crunching towards the site of the cave.

Earth 6:20am

Kreacher and Winky had found most of the potions they required, except one. Kreacher let out a growl of frustration as he pushed aside more potions, it startled the already jumpy Winky, who was bent over the bottom shelf shifting through the potions at the back, she jerked in surprise, banging her head on the shelf above her. Both froze as they heard a bottle smash. Winky stood carefully rubbing her head smiling sheepishly at Kreacher "Winky is sorry Kreacher!" she whimpered as Kreacher glared at her, he grunted and moved his eyes to the spreading stain of liquid on the floor. He was about to speak when the door flew open with a bang.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Severus Snape snarled from the door, causing Winky to burst into tears "Winky is sorry Professor Snape! Winky is a bad elf, Winky knows! But Winky had to help master!" she sobbed. Both Snape and Kreacher stared at her, Snape rubbed his temples, first Dumbledore fire calls him after receiving a call from Arthur Weasley saying that once again The-Boy-Who-Lived was in trouble, he had been the one ordered to check on him and discovered his Uncle unconscious, his Aunt screaming down the phone for an ambulance and the ground covered in blood. He didn't hang around after Petunia accused him of trying to kill her husband and taking Potter. Dumbledore called an order meeting and sent everyone searching for the brat on the streets and known death eater hideouts.

He had finally been allowed to go to his quarters to sleep, only to be awoken by a crash from his potions cupboard. Swearing under his breath he had grabbed his wand while getting out of bed and threw open the door. He was surprised to find Blacks old elf—what was his name Creeper? Screecher? Kreacher! That was it—and Barty Crouch's female elf Winky. Now as he stared at Winky, as she wailed he said the first thing that came to his head "you're not allowed within ten feet of my quarter's elf!"

He was horrified however when the female elf was suddenly hugging his leg and starting to soak his trouser leg with tears. After a few seconds of some sort of strange dance trying to dislodge the creature he gave up "why are you in my quarters elf?" he sighed, Winky pulled away slightly to peer up at him "we's just so worried!" she cried "master Harry so hurt, we's his elves so we's must save him but we couldn't find the last potion! And now you's stopped us and will send him back to awful man!" Snape confused, finally managed to dislodge the elf from his leg "what on earth are you talking about?"

Kreacher finally spoke with his croaky voice "we's hearing master crying for help, Kreacher, Winky and Dobby went and saved him. He not safe there or here anymore, so we's took him to place the evil man couldn't reach him" he frowned "but master was hurt, we need to get potions to him" his eyes glinted and he raised his hand fingers ready to snap at Snape "we's not let you stop us" he finished darkly. Winky backed up beside him slightly apologetic and yet equally determined as she raised her hand as well.

Snape raised his hands in a gesture of peace.

"Wait. What are you talking about?" he asked calmly, Kreacher narrowed his eyes "the man hurt master! We's tired of seeing him hurt!" he snapped, Snape was even more confused "what man? The Dark Lord?" Kreacher sneered "even The Dark Lord would be disgusted by the acts of a filthy Muggle on a noble wizard!" suddenly it all slotted together in Snape's mind "the Dursley's" he hissed, Kreacher nodded.

"Yes. We will protect our master!"

Snape studied the elves and raised an eyebrow "I'll not stop you from protecting the boy, your showing more interest in his safety that most" he motioned to the small pile of potions "are these all the potions you'll need?" he asked, the elves scrutinized him before answering "we can't find the blood replenisher" Winky whispered. Snape flicked his wand, and a small potion vial floated from the shelf and too his hand. He held the vial out to the elves as a gesture of peace, Winky quickly snapped it out of his hand with a wide grin and hugged it gently to her chest "oh thank you professor Snape, sir!" she gushed happily. But Kreacher narrowed his eyes "we need a w—!" Kreacher's eyes widened as Winky let out a scream dropping the potion—which was only saved by Snape's quick reflexes—she grabbed her ears and continued to scream, Kreacher was whimpering besides her, he looked at Snape with pleading eyes.

"Master needs a healing wizard!" he gasped, holding out his hand. Snape made up his mind in a split second and grabbed the elf's hand "take me too him"

All three vanished with a sharp snap.

Zo'Nyukae 6:20AM

Harry Potter stirred, his eyes fluttering as he heard footsteps and low voices, he tried to sit up but just hissed in pain "Dobby? Kreacher? Winky?" he called weakly, looking around trying to get his bearings' he was in a cave about the size of the Dursley's living room, the entrance of which was covered by loose vines. He heard the flutter as they were pushed aside and turned with a weak smile, that dropped when he saw who was standing there...it wasn't the elves. Two tall men stepped through the entrance, with tanned skin and strange bronze armour. Both carried long steel coloured staffs, both of which were pointing at him as soon as they spotted him. He recognized the look in their eyes; it was just like how the death eaters looked at him. He started crawling backwards, holding his ribs, every movement making him gasp, and the two men seem to enjoy watching him as they walked towards him. They spoke in a strange gruff language, and whatever they were saying he knew he wouldn't like it.

"s-stay away!" he snapped, the men just snapped something at him their staffs opening with a strange mechanical sound and began to crackle with energy, doing the only thing he could think of Harry threw out his arm and yelled,

"Protego!"

He was surprised that the wandless spell worked as a silvery shield flew up in front of him. It deflected the balls of energy that had been fired out of the staffs at the same time. They struck the shield violently and the shield bounced them back at the two men, causing them to duck as the blast flew over them narrowly missing their heads. At the same time while deflecting the blasts the shield bounced back and sent harry crashing into the wall, jarring his injuries and causing his head to collide painfully with the rock causing him to see spots as he dropped to the ground in pain. He lay crumpled against the wall and he realized he was slowly began to pass out he watched at the blurry men approached him.

'Dobby...Winky...Kreacher...? Anyone...help...' he silently begged as he felt the men grabbing him roughly and lifting him up and out of the cave.

Snape, Kreacher and Winky arrived at the cave, only to discover that harry wasn't there. As the elves searched the small cave desperately Snape studied the cave with narrowed eyes; on the wall near the entrance were two burn marks and opposite that and a few feet from a roughly made bed, he could see blood on the wall he walked over and studied it, touching it carefully he found it was tacky, whatever had happened had only happened a few minutes ago. Winky let out a fearful whine "where is master? Dobby supposed to watch master!" she shrieked hysterically.

Snape glared at the sniffling elf "pull yourself together elf! Whatever happened to the boy happened just a few minutes ago, if we go now we might be able to catch up with whoever took him." He said walking swiftly out of the cave, he heard the two elves scrambling out of the cave after him and quickly catching up. Snape smirked as he spotted a trail on the ground; broken branches, snapped twigs and deep footprints, whoever had the boy didn't think they would be followed and had made no effort to hide their tracks. With a sigh he entered the forest following the path muttering under his breath "bloody Boy-Who-Lived is a pain in the ass..."

Harry woke up with a groan, someone was holding him upright while another held his face and was turning it side to side as if studying it. he opened his eyes slowly and flinched as they met dark eyes, something in them made him shiver, he was glad when the man looked away to snap something harshly at whoever was holding him up and Harry felt himself being carefully lifted he finally saw who was holding him, it was a man; his dark skinned face was expressionless and he had a strange pendant somehow fused tothe center of his forehead. He met the man's dark eyes and saw a small hint of regret before he looked away.

As the man carried him through corridors lit by torches Harry found himself unintentionally drifting back into unconscious.

Snape had been trudging through the forest for over half an hour and still he had seen no indication that they had even remotely caught up with the boy and his captors.

Whoever it was who had taken the boy they were fast.

He froze suddenly as he saw movement just in front of him, flicking his han he felt his wand slide out of his holster and sleeve into his hand "Dobby!" snape almost stumbled at the surprised and furious yell and watched as Winky shot past him diving at the crouched figure, who Snape now realized was much to small for a human, as he moved closer he saw that it was indeed the third house elf that was currently being hit repeatedly over the head by the furious female.

"You's said you watch him! You's said Dobby keep master safe! Master not safe master missing! Dobby you's bad house elf, bad!" Snape—even though he was slightly enjoying the amusing fight—flicked his wand, causing Winky to be pushed away from the now slightly dazed Dobby.

"enough." He said simply, strangely at the same time as Kreacher.

Dobby sniffled pathetically.

"Dobby knows Dobby is a bad elf! Dobby tried to save master! Dobby came to save master when he heard him call Dobby, but Dobby was too late they were already inside the gates when Dobby caught up to them" he sobbed brokenly, causing Snape to raise an eyebrow "Gates?" he asked, curious. Dobby nodded and pointed through the trees, Snape moved closer to the elf and peered through the trees and blinked as he realized they were at the end of the forest and in the large clearing stood a towering fortress. He could see guards patrolling the top of the walls as well as the outside.

Severus Snape found himself sighing once again "Can't that bloody boy ever keep himself out of trouble?" he asked himself under his breath.

It was going to be one hell of a long day.

Chapter end.

AN: so there it is, hope you enjoyed it :D remember to review!

thanks for reading,

Arty.