A/N Well here is the Sixth chapter. Sorry for the wait but you have to admit it's better than sixth months more or less!

This chapter's dedicated to Elless for the awesome feedback and being my 23rd reviewer but mainly being awesome.

He was running fast, the wind whistling in his ears, grabbing at his clothes. He could feel the blades of grass tickling his bare feet, cutting at his ankles as he ran, branches and leaves slapping at his face.. He was running out of breath, but on he ran, ducking to avoid a particularly low branch, ever determined. Laughter floated in the air behind him.

"I'm going to get you!" He chanced a glance back and indeed he was being gained upon. He put on a spur of speed, twisting wildly left and right coming to a clearing, only to find someone was already there, waiting for him.

"Got you!" They jumped on him, pinning him down. "Got you! Got you!" they chanted. He looked up at them then up at the sky that was suddenly obscured by a flash of red.

"Hello love" she whispered. He gazed into her blazing eyes and smiled.

"Mummy, Mummy!" A girl's voice squealed from on top of him, sitting on his chest. "We got Daddy!"

"Let's tickle him!" A boy's voice declared.

"No!" he cried desperately, but they paid no heed. They tickled him mercilessly; his laughter rang through the forest, tears streaming down his face. The fingers poked at him, stabbing at him, the laughter turned to a scream, long and anguished. Their fingers were like hot knifes, penetrating him, scratching at him, peeling away the skin. The girl squealed with joy, menacing laughter rang through his ears. The girl had a name, he realized. He knew her, knew them, loved them … and now they were killing him.

He jerked awake, breathing fast, icy sweat pouring down his face. It had been years since he had had that dream, only it usually ended in bliss with him turning over to see his wife sleeping next to him. She was not here now though, in this damp, dark room.

He steadied his breathing. Wondering how long he had been out for, he could not tell. He tried to sit up, but gave up as his head began to swim. His whole body ached, his ribs tighter than he remembered. He rolled on to his side, hissing as the pain stabbed at him, trying to remember how he got into this situation. The kind face of Melinda Jones flashed in his mind and he wondered whether she knew her life was hanging on him at the moment. Probably, he conceded, she had accepted him as secret keeper after all, refusing to have another after assuring that he was 'the very best'.

Did he wish he'd never accepted? Partly, but then he wouldn't be doing his duty, now would he? Though what did it matter if he did his duty if he could not see his family again? He pushed the thought aside knowing it was far too complicated to ponder now. He had to concentrate on getting out of there or he wouldn't have a later to agonize over whether he was doing the right thing or not.

He tried to sit up again, this time ignoring the ache that cascaded down his body as though granules of pain were sliding down a tilted hourglass. He succeeded. Encouraged by the small victory, he griped the pick-pocketed wand and muttered, "Diffindo"The ropes fell off his wrist, and he sighed with relief, rubbing his sore wrist trying not to irritate the angry marks the ropes had gouged into his skin.

Placing his palms on the frozen stone, he gently lifted himself up until he was standing. He staggered to his left, and lent on to the nearest bit of wall for support. Taking small breaths as not to hurt his ribs, he stepped away from the wall and flicked the wand up and down his body, muttering pain-numbing spells. He knew it would hurt like the devil later, but he did not need the hindrance now.

His head snapped up as the sound of footsteps approached, accompanied by the distant sound of scraping and yelling. The footsteps, estranged from the yelling - somehow separate, as though the yelling was part of another world - were closer. He swiftly ducked into a shadowed corner to the left of the door - and just in time, for the door clunked and clicked, its enchantments falling, and swung open. A man stepped in, somewhat slimmer than his brutish companions.

The man took a step back, startled by the apparent emptiness of the room. He stepped further into the room, looking deep into the corners, his wand drawn. He jumped, startled, as the door snapped closed behind him. Whipping round, he raised his wand; no one was there. Hairs prickled on the back of his neck. He felt a presence behind him; he tensed. A hand covered his mouth, stifling his gasp of horror. He felt breath on his neck, and a chilling voice came from out the darkness,

"Time to sleep" And so, he did.

McDonald had jumped up first, suddenly alert.

"What is it?" Thompson whispered, risking his Captain's displeasure for speaking.

"Footsteps" He whispered back; Ron could now hear them too. More than one person, by the sounds of it. He jumped up, Thompson following suit. He knew it was futile to think about fighting back without even a wand but he'd be dammed if he didn't put up some kind of resistance, for he was sure they were coming for them - and he was right. The door flung open with a crash and four men flooded in, obviously trying to rush them, learning from the other encounter, one man in particular's groin was still throbbing and went straight for Ron, remembering how viscously the Auror had attacked him back by the clearing.

"Get off me!" He roared as the goon pinned him against the wall and he brought back his head, ramming it into the goon's forehead. The brute staged back dazed, blood pouring from his nose. Ron turned to help Thompson, who was already on the floor and tied up. He tried to pry the criminal off him, but was struck from behind, his hands soon bound magically. He found himself being hauled up and pushed out the room. A body-bind curse hit him in the back and he felt hard on the floor outside, rigid as a statue. He guessed the one that had had him had gone back to help the others and needed to temporary disable him.

A calm and almost cheery voice floated above him, "Need a hand?"

"Don't just stand there! Help me with him!" A reply was shouted back. Ron heard the shuffling of feet and McDonald cursing passionately. Someone hauled him up, and he felt the body-bind lift - but found that he couldn't struggle, as suddenly he was marching, two goons in front of him, and the rest behind. The three of them were boxed in, being taken Merlin knows where.

"Get a move on" The man growled, and Ron found his pace picking up, unwillingly mirroring the thick-set man in front. The corridor widened, and the man fell. Ron however, kept going, consequently tripping over legs, falling on to the massive man.

Ron was taken aback. What the hell was going on? His bounds were gone, and ever the opportunist, he twisted and pulled the man, who had fallen on him like the next domino in line, off him and leaped up. A wand floated up in front of him and he instinctively grabbed it, turning it on the nearest man to him.

"Stupify!" he bellowed and the man flew into the air in a graceful arc, falling back into the stone wall and slid down it unconscious. Ron swiftly stunned another, before stepping over the body and helping McDonald up. His binds, too, were gone. The Auror grunted in appreciation before turning on the goon behind him, grabbing a wand from the one Ron had stunned, leaving Ron to help Thompson with the others that had finally untangled themselves from the fall.

It was all too easy. The criminals disarmed and stunned, too shocked by the sudden turn of events to react. Ron didn't have time to think how the turn had been made, only one thought screaming at him. He ran. Thompson yelled after him, not understanding where he was going.

"Harry!" Ron yelled back by way of explanation and grabbed McDonald. The Auror understanding what they must do ran with him, Thompson hot on their heels.

"Harry!" Ron yelled again, hoping to get a response, wanting his friend to know they were coming. A more logical part of his mind told him that he should keep quiet, but his brother-in-laws screams still plagued his mind, so he ran clumsily down the corridor back to where the cells were. They rushed passed theirs, and soon found the other.

Ron cried out: "Alohamora!" To his surprise, the cell sprung open and in his panic he didn't think to why that would be. He hurried over to the unconscious man sprawled on the floor and tried to beat down the panic, fearing what condition his friend would be in. He knelt down beside him, McDonald and Thomson keeping a watch outside the cell, and quickly untied him. He rolled him over.

"Come on, mate, be okay, please be okay" He put his head to his chest and sighed in relief at the steady rise and fall that was breathing. He reached up to slap his cheeks into consciousness and froze. The man's scared face was not his friend's scared face. He reached up and brushed his fringe aside. There was no lightning shaped scar there and Ron cursed, for it was not Harry.

He had already escaped.

"Company!" McDonald called from the door way. There was only one man, but enough to remind them of the danger they were still in. Thompson stunned him hastily. Icy dread filled Ron in that instant as the goon fell against the wall and another face who had fallen so similarly flashed in his mind.

"Come on, we need to get Potter" McDonald growled at him, making to go into the cell but Ron stopped him, gripping his shoulder.

"He's not in there."

"What the hell do you mean he's not in there?" Thompson snapped. His blue eyes were wide and wild, fear flickering in them.

"It's not him. I think he's already escaped"

"Good. Let's get out of here then" Relief seeped through his words, chest heaving heavily as exhaustion caught up with him.

"He didn't just leave us you idiot, he's back there-" Ron flung an arm out in the direction they had just ran from "-I bloody stunned him didn't I?" The others gaped at him as the reality of the situation hit them. McDonald recovered first.

"Surely they'll have him now, though?"

"We have to go back" Ron declared turning on his heal, griping his wand tightly.

"No!" McDonald blurted out stopping him in his tracks. Ron wheeled around expecting to see an enemy of some kind but saw none.

"What?" he barked. Didn't the idiot understand? Didn't he realize what was at stake here? They had to move, fast. Time was of the essence.

"If we go back now, we may never get out!" He protested furiously and Ron gaped at McDonald, a surge of anger coursing through him. He gripped his wand and subconsciously red sparks flew out. McDonald staggered backwards, nervously eying the wand. Ron opened his mouth to yell at him, 'how can you think of leaving him?', but shook his head. He didn't have time.

"Fine! You go! I'm not leaving him!" Ron turned once more and ran. Hearing footsteps behind him he glanced back to see Thompson a look of determination upon his young face and Ron finally understood why Harry liked him.

"Fine, but if we die in here, I'll kill him!" McDonald growled, jaw set, and ran after them, the three of them racing back the way they'd come to find a colleague, a leader and a friend.

His head was pounding, blood pumping loudly in his ears. Opening his eyes, a blurred picture greeted him. His hands met cold stone, reminding him of where he was. A flash of light seared through his mind and the determined face of his friend came to him. He groaned aloud as the evens came rushing back to him, watching Ron raise his wand to him, uttering the spell that had sent him flying. He tried to get up, but his muscles refused to move. He heard moaning and grumbling around him and he instantly tensed.

"Are you alright?" Harry glanced up and saw a thick-set man standing above him, swaying slightly himself.

"Those damned Aurors!" Another man out of his sight fumed. "We should have kept them in the cell!"

"They'll never get out" The man above Harry turned round to face his college reassuringly.

"They've gone to get Potter. Merlin damn them! I just hope the commander got whatever he wanted out of them or he's going to be furious!" He continued to rant as other men began to pick themselves of the floor, looking unsure, waiting for orders. Several who had heard the rant shivered and glanced at each other fearfully. Harry wished he could just disappear - what would happen when they figured out who he was? That the one their commander, that they were so scared of, wanted so badly was inches away from them at their feet, unable to move?

One thug inevitably stepped closer to him, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Harry looked down, his fringe flopping over his eyes, covering his traitorous scar. His heart was going like an out-of-control train, bound to be derailed at any second as he willed himself to move, even an inch.

"You know, I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a new recruit?" Harry tried to nod, but found he couldn't. The goon took a step closer and his eyes widened in shock. Harry grasped his wand, ready to force it up, the henchman went rigid, Harry tensed, the goon toppled silently to the side.

Before he could react, there was an eruption of sound around him, banging, shouting, cursing. A beam of scorching bright orange light zoomed pasted him, a scream sounded to the left of him as it found its mark. There was a scuffling, more cursing...BANG!

"Are you going to just bloody sit there or what?" The familiar voice rang through the storm of noise. Someone yanked at his arm, pulling him up. Pain shot through his arm but he ignored it as his eyes found fell upon a haggard-looking, freckled face, grinning at him. "Come on; let's get you out of here!" Ron shouted over the din, hauling one of Harry's arms over his shoulders, but Harry yanked himself away and hastily stunned the goon aiming at Ron's back. Feeling was finally rushing back to him.

"Come on! Let's go!" Harry recognized the voice to be Thompson's - and that, in all fairness, was probably the best plan. Ron stubbornly pulled Harry's arm back over his shoulder as they ran for what seemed to be the one hundredth time down the corridor and to their freedom.

Yea, finally. Let me know what you think. Please be nice, it's been a rough week. Annon reviews responded to on my profile. The Poll on my profile is still up but I recon I've got the gist of the results. Huge thanks to everyone for being so patent with me. Love you guys. CWT should be the next updated.