|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Author: Velvethope Story: From Answers to Questions Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 6 Words: 201,438
They were keeping Dex in a Restraining Room at the Ministry of Magic. The rooms were specifically designed so that anyone with any hidden tricks up their magical sleeve (that is, if they were clever enough to get them past the Eradication Squad that checked over every suspected witch or wizard brought in), the room would squash such ‘attempts’ at escape through the use of wards and spells put in place by very competent wizards. Harry was certain Dumbledore himself had done a turn in fortifying the rooms because strangely enough the password one needed to get into any of the 15 rooms was named for a Muggle sweet. The one he was waiting to get into now was protected by the seemingly innocuous title of ‘Flying Saucers.’ Harry had no idea what sort of candy a Flying Saucer was, having been out of the Muggle loop and in America for the last five years, but knowing Dumbledore it probably had something to do with sherbet. All Harry really cared about at the moment was talking to Dex. Preferably, with no one else watching and preferably with the man tied to a chair. Of course, he knew this last thought wasn’t too noble of him, but at the moment he didn’t give a hippogriff’s arse. If Dexter was behind Ginny’s disappearance, then Merlin himself wouldn’t be able to save the man from Harry’s anger. Harry, because he was an Auror, was allowed to find out where they were keeping Dex and he was also allowed interrogate him. After coming back to the Ministry, he had left Hermione and Ron in the Auror office, busy contacting everyone who had been out searching. He also told them to wait for Mr. Weasley to show up. Neville had gone on to St. Mungo’s to watch after Susan. Harry wanted to be in the middle of throttling...no, wait, interrogating...Dexter before Arthur or Remus could stop him. With a nod from the witch who was standing guard at the door to Restraining Room number twelve, Harry took the two cups of tea she offered him. She told him to make certain the prisoner drank the one on the right. He frowned at her, but said the password and entered the small room. A small whoosh of noise came from behind as the door shut and disappeared behind him. Harry walked through a narrow hallway and then came upon a small room that contained a table and two chairs. He looked at the man that he had never really liked and narrowed his eyes. Dexter didn’t stir when Harry came in, his head face down on the table in front of him. Harry knew that Fred and George had been the ones to find him, and he also knew that the twins had been rough on him. Harry cleared his throat and saw the side of Dexter’s face flinch, but otherwise the man remained with his head down. Harry knew from the onset that he wouldn’t get anywhere if he lost his temper, so he forced himself to take a deep breath and sat down in the chair across from Dex. Harry placed the cup from his right hand in front of Dexter’s head, saving the other for himself. He stared at Dexter a moment longer and then spoke. “You’d better drink that while it’s hot, I can’t say when you’ll get something else, at this point.” Dexter moved at the sound of Harry’s voice, as though surprised. He looked up finally and glanced at the cup Harry had placed in front of him. Harry winced despite himself when he saw Dexter’s face. The deep bruises and scratches from the spells the twins had inflicted on him had indeed been harsh. Dexter had lost his glasses too, and he squinted at Harry a moment before trying to grab onto the tea cup. Harry realized Dexter’s hands were magically bound together, and, kicking himself only slightly for being such an honourable git, picked up the cup and held it up for the other man. Dexter gave him a brief glance of thanks and drank the hot tea readily. He pulled back and then winced at what Harry could only assume was the hot liquid burning down his throat. He nodded at Harry, who placed the cup back down. They stared at each other a moment and then Harry began. “Where is she, Dex,” he asked simply. “St. Mungo’s, I assume,” the other man said quietly. Any sympathy Harry may have just been feeling, evaporated. “I’m not talking about Susan,” he said, hearing the anger in his voice. Dex gave him a clueless look and then looked down at the table. “I swear I didn’t do anything to her, not that anyone believes me. Not this time. Not again.” Harry frowned. He wasn’t sure if Dex was talking about Ginny or Susan or...what, exactly. He tried a different approach. “We know you’re behind everything Eoghan. Susan’s as much as confirmed that. She came to, not too long ago, and Winifred seems happy to place you as the one that grabbed her, so....out with it. Fess up and you might just get a life sentence in Azkaban. Where’s Ginny?” Dexter glanced sharply at him at the mention of Ginny’s name, but his eyes clouded in confusion. “Ginny? I don’t know where Ginny is. Why would I know that? And I know Susan hasn’t woken up yet, Harry. Don‘t lie to me to get me to tell you something.” Harry had to give the other man credit for seeing his bluff. He offered the man what he hoped was a patient grin. “Fine, you’re right. I was bluffing. Susan is still out cold, but it’s a moot point, isn’t it? Fred and George found you with Susan in your arms, in the same alley we found Winifred in. So I am going to ask this one more time - where is she?” Dex blinked back at him and didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I don’t know, Harry. I would never hurt Ginny, despite what you may think you know about me. I love Ginny.” Harry felt the last of his patience fade away. A calm detachment seemed to fill him. He fixed Dex with an icy stare. He’d been told once (was it Ron? He couldn’t recall), that when he stared at someone like that - detached and cool with slow, unfurling rage that he struck a very intimidating figure. Harry hoped Dexter understood the meaning behind his look. It appeared the other man did, because Harry saw him turn pale. Dex shifted uncomfortably in his chair, but the look he gave Harry was serious, and if Harry didn’t know any better, he’d swear it was honest too. “I don’t know where she is Harry, I honestly don’t. I think...I...I don’t know. I know everyone thinks I did something to those girls. I know I even think it. But I...I...look, there’s something wrong, and that's the honest truth, but go ahead and hit me or kill me or whatever it is you want to do to me. I’ve obviously been doing things I’m not supposed to, so who knows, maybe I do know where Ginny is. Right now I can’t remember a thing except this overwhelming feeling that something isn’t true, but no one is ever going to believe me so it doesn’t matter. Do what you will.” Harry, of course, had expected such a speech. What he had not expected though was the totally convincing quality it would have. Dexter did seem honestly upset and confused. Harry didn’t want to trust him, in fact, he knew that he couldn’t. The man had fooled even his best friends into thinking he was an all right bloke and so he was obviously a good actor. He decided to try to anger the man, to see if he could get him to admit something then. “You honestly expect me to believe this little sob story? You’ve hated me since the moment you met me, or at least, since you realised Ginny loved me instead of you. How did that make you feel, Dex? Even when I was in America, far away and out of the picture, Ginny never did turn to you, did she? I remember you talking to me in the pub, about how you had never hurt her, and had never done all the things I had done to her. You were so smug then but I should have realised how scared you were. Ginny has never seen you as more than a friend, has she? Didn’t it just drive you mad to know that even after everything I’d done to her she still loved me and not you? She wanted my bed, Dex, isn’t that what you said? Ginny was with Neville out of loyalty and friendship, but you knew she didn’t love him. And yet she preferred that to being with you, doesn’t that tell you something? Doesn’t that tell you that she will never love you like you love her? Although I doubt at this point if you even know what love is, you sick twisted bastard.” Harry finished, his voice sounding loud and cross in the small room. He felt his anger deeply inside him now, burning white-hot. He hadn’t meant to say so much to the other man; he hadn’t meant to rub his face in the fact that it had been he that Ginny preferred, but he couldn’t help it. The idea that Dex was playing with him, that he knew exactly where Ginny was, wouldn’t let go of him it seemed. Harry could see it all in his mind - how jealous Dex had been of the growing relationship between himself and Ginny, how he had coveted her in secret, watching her, wanting to be with her.... Dexter gave him a strange look and then closed his eyes. Harry felt the desire to strike the other man rise up inside him. He may have actually done it too, if Remus hadn’t come through the doorway at that precise moment. “Harry,” his old friend said sharply, a warning in his voice. Harry glanced at Lupin and then realised he had been leaning across the table, his hand raised. He didn’t even realize that he had raised it. He lowered it, unashamed and sat back down in his chair. He took a deep breath and felt his anger cool, but only slightly. Remus nodded at him and then looked at Dex, his own face a mixture of anger and struggling control. He looked at Harry and indicated the door. Harry took one more look at Dexter, knowing his disgust was apparent, and got up out of his chair. He paused at the doorway and looked back at the other man. “If you have hurt one hair on her head, I will kill you, you do realise that, don’t you? It won’t be magical, and it probably won’t even be sanctioned, but it will happen. I want you to know that Dex.” Dex opened his eyes and looked sadly back at him. “If I have hurt her Harry, then you have my blessing to kill me. In fact, I would very much welcome it.” Unnerved by the man’s reply, Harry followed Lupin out of the room, his mind churning with doubt and unanswered questions. *** Ginny sat quietly in the corner of the room. She had managed to tip over the bookcase and used the books the best way possible. As soon as the man had come back in to check on her, she had thrown them at him, hitting him once on the head and twice in the chest. She hadn’t grown up throwing garden gnomes about without learning how to aim and she reminded herself to thank her mum later if she ever got out of this. Using the fallen bookcase as shelter, she had avoided most of the spells he had cast at her. She tried to keep throwing anything she could find at him and he became sloppy in his anger. He had finally snarled at her and left her alone. That had been two hours ago, and she hadn’t heard from him since. He obviously thought she’d lose her nerve. He was wrong. Ginny tried to concentrate. She’d been half-meditating, using the stone around her neck and half-keeping an ear out for his return. He may have put a Silencing Charm on the room for all she knew because after that first warning set of chimes, she’d heard nothing. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t out there, biding his time. She wasn’t out of the room yet, this was true. But she wasn’t being systematically raped by a crazy person either, so all in all Ginny thought her day was looking up, considering. She tried to focus her energy on the ring around her finger, to try to understand why it was giving her such strength. She concentrated hard on the image of Harry in her mind, and she would feel the slightest twinge of something along her skin. She wished she had listened to her father more about the soul mate business, and she wondered if she and Harry were still connected somehow because of the ring. Maybe he was out there, not understanding that he was feeling her anxiety and her determination. She searched her own mind for any indication of what Harry was feeling and came up empty. But still the thought of him comforted her. Ginny evened her breathing and tried to slip into deeper meditation. She would need to reserve her strength, and since falling asleep wasn’t an option, meditation was the next best thing. She knew she had a long night ahead of her. *** Dexter sat in the sterile Ministry room and felt the coldness of it seep into his bones. His mind, for the first time in a long time, was blank. It was as though the fog that he had been under was lifting. There were no startling images, no strange words passing through his head now. He hadn’t been completely truthful with Harry Potter because he did, in fact, remember things, but they were so out of place in his head that he didn’t trust them. It was just like what had happened before...why was he surprised at himself for being such a degenerate? Hadn’t Louis warned him it would happen again? At the thought of Louis Fagan, Dexter paused, his mind suddenly confused. Ginny was missing, but Dexter didn’t really understand what he had to do with that. The plan had been for people not to know she had gone missing, but then again, the plan hadn’t taken into account the existence of Harry Potter. But if Louis had taken her without him, wouldn’t he have told him? Dexter had no reason not to trust his old friend (they had been through so much together, after all), and yet...Louis’s actions had been increasingly odd, and the memories Dex now had in his head didn’t agree with what he had thought before. Almost by instinct, Dexter’s mind travelled back to that place in time when he had been bad; the hiding, the stalking... the girls he had hurt. Unwillingly, the memory sprung fresh in his mind as though it had just happened...but instead of feeling secure in those memories, Dex felt that same familiar feeling of confusion. Laying his head back down on the table, he welcomed the coolness of it on his forehead. Maybe if he let himself think of the past it would give him some sort of insight into what he was accused of doing now. He had thought that he had succeeded in keeping his wolves at bay. He had promised himself that he would never hurt anyone else again...not like before. Three Years Prior: “Oh, come on. Look at that one, you can’t tell me she doesn’t make your blood heat up just a bit.” Louis laughed in his ear as the two of them cruised through the Muggle nightclub. They were at the latest ‘hot-spot’ for London nightlife, The Wandering Enchanter - a sort of a play on words for the Muggles because the nightclub had been designed with a magical motif. It was funny for two wizards, Dex supposed, to see how far off the mark the Muggles had actually got it. The only thing that looked slightly right was the wizened figure of Merlin someone had painted over the door to the gent’s loo. Not that Merlin would have probably ever been caught dead in a tacky turquoise robe and hat; the old wizard’s love of purple was legendary, right down to his purple shoes. Or at least, that is what Dex’s mother had always taught him.... Dex stared at the woman Louis was ogling and had to admit she was attractive. She had long, reddish-brown hair and she moved to the music in seductive, capable ways. He knew why Louis fancied her, she was just his type. His friend seemed especially agitated tonight for some reason. His need to meet and bed as many women as possible lately was starting to wear on Dex’s nerves, actually. Out of the corner of his eye he watched his friend slowly lick his lips as he watched her and felt the slightest bit of apprehension. They weren’t going to have another incident were they? Just last week Dex had broken up a fight involving Louis and a woman who wasn’t appreciative of his advances. Dex thought he still had the marks on his arm from where the woman had hit him. Taking a sip of his scotch, Dex tried to find something else that would distract his friend, but he couldn’t. They were in a nightclub and nightclubs were notorious for being about one thing and one thing only: meeting someone you could hook up with. He didn’t think Louis would fall for the old 'wow, wonder how they got those stars to hang so well' routine. He knew better than anyone that once Louis trained in on someone, he had a one track mind. “Oh look, she’s going to the lavatory, here‘s my chance. I’m going to go chat her up, wish me luck,” Louis said with his usual cockiness. He winked at Dex and then started following the woman through the crowd of people. Dex sighed and turned his attention back to his drink. If he didn’t see Louis again in five minutes he’d know his friend had found success. Dex stayed and listened to the end of the song they were playing, something about standing alone in a nightclub and then going home to cry. He cast one last look towards the women’s loo. He didn’t see either the girl or Louis, and reckoned they must have hit it off. He took one last swig of his drink and then placed it on the bar. It was time to call it a night. Maybe he’d owl his new partner and see if she were up to anything. Dex knew he liked his new work partner a great deal - so much in fact, that he’d hesitated telling Louis about her, knowing full well that the other man would want to meet her. Once out in the London night air, his head felt clearer. Maybe he’d just Apparate home and curl into bed with a good book. Sighing a little bit at his rather sad old-maid tendencies, Dex made for the alleyway behind the club so that he could disappear without being seen. He didn’t hear the noises until he was almost upon them.... Louis stared up at him, a startled look on his face. His wand was in his hand. “Dex,” he breathed, his voice soft. Dex looked down at the fallen figure of the girl and stared back at his friend. “What happened?” he asked immediately. Louis looked around, his eyes wild. He hastily started smoothing his clothes and tucking his shirt back in. The girl beneath him started to moan, as though in pain. Dex felt a cold feeling in his chest. “Louis, what have you done?” He dropped down to the girl and tried to see if she were okay. It looked as though Louis had used a spell to stun her. Her clothes were in disarray and Dex had to wonder if she had been conscious during whatever Louis had just done to her. He looked up to question his friend and saw the end of Louis’s wand pointing at him. He blinked back at him and saw the slightly crazed look that still haunted Louis’s eyes. “She fell. I tried to help her up. Nothing happened,” Louis said firmly. Dex slowly nodded his head. Louis seemed to accept his silence as agreement, because he lowered his wand. “Come on,” he said roughly, “help me get her back to the flat.” Dex stood up, not quite sure he had heard him right. “The flat? But...come on, let’s just make certain someone finds her and we’ll be long gone from here.” Louis gave him a strange look. “I don’t want to let anyone find her. She might remember me. Are you going to help me or not, brother?” His voice softened on the last word, and Dex felt a slight chill cover him. Louis always reminded him of the oath they'd taken when they were twelve when he wanted Dex to do something he didn’t want to do. He didn’t know why he always let it get to him. Not saying anything, Dex helped Louis pick up the girl and then nodded to indicate he was ready. They both concentrated really hard on where they were going and then Apparated to the flat they shared in Diagon Alley. The girl moaned again and Louis carried her into the bedroom, taking her from Dex’s hand. Dex watched as Louis opened the trunk that sat at the foot of his bed and pulled out a long thick rope from a blood-red velvet bag. The rope twisted and moved over Louis’s hand and he lowered it toward the girl. After what seemed like a lifetime to Dex, the rope moved slowly off of Louis and onto the girl, moving over her skin as though it were kissing her. It wrapped itself around her arms and then tied the girl to the bed. Louis smiled satisfactorily at it and then lowered his head over the girl. Dex didn’t hear what he whispered but the girl twisted once and then was still. Louis looked up and smiled at him then, his face a strange mask of satisfaction and...something else that Dex couldn’t place. He turned and left the room, his emotions churning inside him. What had he just done? What had he just allowed Louis to do? He heard Louis behind him and turned around. “What do you think you’re doing? Tying her up like that? How long do you plan on keeping her like that? We can’t keep girls tied up to our beds you know...someone’s bound to come looking for her....” Louis interrupted him with a short, bark-like laugh. “They’re going to come looking for some Muggle girl in Diagon Alley? The Muggles don’t even know this place exists. I think we’re saved from Scotland Yard breaking down the door, dear friend. You can rest your head on that point.” “And besides,” Louis continued as he flopped on the couch and looked up at him, a self-assured smile on his face, “that little rope caressing her right now will allow us to do whatever we want with her. It knocks people out. Makes them forget things. It’s a brilliant discovery my father made on one of his many trips. It‘s funny actually...instead of letting me stay at home like I wanted, he sent me away, as you remember, so he’s always felt compelled to buy me strange and unusual things to make up for it. Lucky me. Instead of a mother’s love, I received gifts that can tie people up. Brilliant parenting, really.” Dex shook his head. He’d heard Louis’s bitter talk of his father too many times to care. “You didn’t answer my question, Louis. What are you going to do with her?” Louis cast him a wide smile. “Relax Dex...I’ll let you play too.” “Play? You want me to play? She’s a person, Louis, not a bloody toy for you to amuse yourself with. I’m untying her right now and getting her out of here...where’s her handbag? I can take her home and do a quick memory spell....” Dex started moving to where they had put the girl’s things. He’d just reached the table when he felt something hit him from behind. He felt himself fall to the floor, his mind spinning. He stared up at his friend in disbelief. Louis shook his head at him as he stood over him. “Afraid I can’t have that, Dex. She’s mine. I was willing to share her, but you had to get all bleeding-heart on me, didn’t you? She’s not a person, Dex, not like us. She’s a Muggle. No one will notice she’s gone, I already asked her. She just moved here from the Isle of Man. Aye, I thought it was appropriate too,” Louis said as he bent down towards him. “So you see she has no one to miss her and no one to notice she’s gone. We can keep her as long as we like.” Dex struggled against the Body-Bind he’d placed him under. Louis smiled down at him and Dex noticed for the first time how excited his friend was. As though all of this struggle was just something to liven up his night. He was conscious of Louis hitting him again with another spell and whispering something to him. Dex felt his mind begin to slip. His last image before sliding into the darkness was of Louis getting up and walking towards the bedroom, whistling... Dex lifted his head off the table and couldn’t believe it. He shook his head to clear it and was suddenly bombarded with what felt like a lifetime of memories. Memories that Louis had tried to hide from him. Dex saw it all; the way that Louis and Louis alone had been the one behind the attacks on the Muggle women, how he had made Dex feel as though he were responsible. All this time...Dex had lived with the shame. All this time he had felt indebted to Louis for taking the fall for him and keeping him safe so that his family would never know what a miscreant he was.... Dexter had always had distaste for Louis’s apparent joy at hurting people. He had believed that he himself was like that as well, had in fact, hated himself deeply. He saw now how Louis had let him believe that it was Dex who had started hurting the girls, and that Louis was just the one who went along with him. Dex saw that now for the lie that it was. He had only wanted Louis to help him get Ginny, he had never meant for other people to get hurt. He had allowed Louis to manipulate him into to thinking that he was just like him - sick and deranged. Dex felt the mental haze he’d been under start to unravel again. He didn’t know what was happening to his mind but he knew he needed to get out of the Restraining Room. He needed to make sure that Louis hadn’t done something more to his memories and taken Ginny for himself.... *** Harry waited until they were out of the earshot of the room for Remus to speak. The other man turned and looked at him. “He drank the tea, right?” Lupin asked him and Harry nodded. “Yeah, but what - ” “It was a Memory Potion, Harry. One of the Eradication Wizards picked up the remnants of some sort of spell being used on Dex, so they suggested he be given a little something to help clear things up for him. However, judging by your anger in there I don’t think it worked.” Harry shook his head. “No, it didn’t really, he seemed even more confused. I almost believed him for a while...but...that’s what he wants us to believe. I think he knows exactly where Ginny is and I think he’s playing us all for fools.” Remus sighed. “You may be right; he had a lot of people fooled, obviously. Amelia wants to see us before we continue, but I think we should probably get to Dex’s flat and do a search. See if anything turns up. Ron and Hermione have gone on to St. Mungo’s to be with Neville, and the rest of the Weasleys are going back out to search for Ginny again.” “Well, tell Amelia that’s where I am too." “Harry, we have to go see her, plus you look horrible. When’s the last time you slept?” “The last time any of the Weasleys did, probably. If they can keep it up, I can. I’m not going to rest until I find her, and you know that Remus,” Harry said, suddenly stubborn, even though he knew his friend was right. Remus sighed. “Look, Harry...I know I’m always the one telling you things you don’t want to hear, but please do this one for me. Let’s speak with Amelia and then visit Dex’s flat. You never know, we might actually find something of value.” Harry sighed. He knew his friend was right. He just felt powerless again and he hated that. The discussion with Dex had left him unsettled. Harry felt all of his anger towards the other man still within him, going nowhere. Frustration didn’t even begin to describe it. “Fine,” Harry said, firmly. “But I’m not sleeping or going home to rest afterwards, so don’t even try to talk me into that. If we don’t find anything at his flat then I’m going back out to help search or I’m coming back here to ask the git more questions.” Remus gave him a small smile. “Of course, Harry. I know I shouldn’t push my luck with you too much.” Harry shook his head and gave the man a return smile. He followed Lupin out into the hallway as they made their way to Amelia Bones’s office. Harry thought that with Dexter in custody he could at least be certain that no one was hurting Ginny right now, that was one good thing. Harry paused as the feeling that he’d forgotten something nibbled at him. Oh yeah, Louis Fagan, Harry thought to himself. He’d forgotten that he and Ron had been about to try to find the man to question him. Oh well, just add it to the list of one more thing to take care of today. Harry didn’t think he’d ever get to sleep again. Of course, without knowing about Ginny, he didn’t think he’d ever want to. He wouldn’t rest until she was home - until she was safe. *** Hermione and Ron sat with Neville outside of Susan’s room at St. Mungo’s. They waited as the hospital’s team of Healers looked her over. Susan appeared to have sustained no other injuries except for whatever had knocked her out. Ron was thankful for that because he didn’t think Neville would be able to keep it together if there had been anything more. He watched the other man out of the corner of his eye and knew his friend was very close to crying. Ron didn’t blame him; he remembered his own reaction to Hermione being sick and understood what Neville was going through. It was then that Ron knew that Neville’s feelings for Susan were more than just friendship. “She’s going to be okay, Neville. The Healer in there is the one that helped with Hermione. She’s bloody brilliant. They’ll soon have her awake,” Ron said in what he hoped was a cheerful voice. “Yes, Neville,” Hermione said from Neville’s other side. “Esme is wonderful. And remember, Winifred woke up only after a few days, and they expect Mandy to wake soon as well.” Neville nodded his head as though he really hadn’t heard them. Ron shared a glance with Hermione over his head. There didn’t seem to be any way to console him. “I’m not just worried about Susan, you know,” Neville said softly, and Ron glanced sharply at him. “I want to find Ginny safe too, I do...I just...I just want to make sure nothing is wrong with Susan. Does this make me a bad person?” Neville asked him, his eyes wide. Ron shook his head and was thankful when Hermione hugged the other man. “No, Neville, of course not,” Hermione said consolingly. “Ginny would want you to be here for Susan, don’t worry. She’d understand. She knows how much you care about her.” Neville started crying at Hermione’s words, and Ron looked away. He understood Neville’s feelings, but still...it didn’t mean he knew what to say to comfort him. Getting up from the chair, Ron walked over to Susan’s room and tried to look in the window but didn’t see anything except a group of witches and wizards standing around a bed. He sighed. He knew Neville needed their support right now but he wanted to be out looking for Ginny again. Although now since they knew it was Dex that had been behind the girl’s disappearing...Ron let his mind wander. He couldn’t really believe it. He’d been so sure that Louis Fagan had been behind everything and here all the time it had been Dex! Dex, who had worked every day with his sister, Dex who’d been to the Burrow to eat dinner! The absurdity of it all made Ron’s head spin. Ron knew from talking with Fred and George briefly at the Ministry, that they had given Dex a very thorough shake down. They had probably been a bit exuberant with their handling of the situation, but Ron didn’t blame them one bit. He felt shocked and dismayed to know that someone he’d thought of as a possible interest for his sister could be so deranged and sick. And what of Ginny now? Was she tied up somewhere? Awake, starving, wondering if Dex was ever going to come back and hurt her? Was she knocked out like the other women? Would they ever find her? Ron had to put his faith in Harry. If anyone could find his sister, it would be Harry. The determination and power that he had witnessed in his friend during the war with Voldemort was nothing compared to what he saw in Harry now. On the surface, Harry was holding up very well, Ron could see that. It was only from years of knowing him like the back of his own hand that he knew Harry was about at his breaking point with frustration. But Ron also knew that Harry would do everything within his ability to find Ginny. Harry would die to save his sister; he knew that as well as he knew he’d die himself to save Hermione. He glanced over at her and suddenly felt his heart swell with love for her; for them together. Throwing off his feeling of awkwardness, he walked back over to where Neville and Hermione were sitting and sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her back as she continued to comfort Neville. She turned her head and he met her eyes, they seemed to be full of something - gratefulness, thankfulness? He didn’t know. He mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to her and she smiled gently. She removed one of her arms from Neville and joined her hand with his. Ron gave her hand a squeeze and the three of them sat, connected by shared history and love. The sound of Neville’s small sobs filled the empty hallway, and Ron found himself wishing for the sound of Ginny’s voice, laughing, scolding him, and telling him off - anything. Just to tease her one more time or to hear her and Hermione talking about him when they didn’t think he was listening.... Wherever his sister was, Ron hoped she knew how much they all loved her. *** To say Louis was upset was putting it mildly. Ginny had proven rather hard to take advantage of and too many weak girls had dulled his reactions a bit. He wasn’t used to the women he had taken fighting back. He should have remembered how strong she was. The delay of his gratification with her was a small set back, but one that hurt. Louis knew she was probably up there, right now, trying to come up with ways to get out of that room. He smiled despite his foul mood. She would just have to wait it out. He’d leave her up there for days, if that was what she wanted. By the third day, she’d be so hungry and physically weak that she’d probably do anything for some relief. He’d weakened her before, after all. He could do it again. Louis felt better at having made that decision and decided to visit his father. See if he could find out anything about what was going on with ‘the investigation’ Potter was running. Whistling as he went to go take a shower, Louis put the thought of the woman locked upstairs out of his mind. *** Harry and Remus met with Amelia Bones and Mr. Weasley. Arthur wanted the two of them to handle the searching of Dexter’s flat, but only on the condition that they would inform the Ministry of anything they found before acting on it. Harry had nodded his head yes, but his heart had said something else. He wasn’t surprised when Arthur made him promise twice. They passed Donald Fagan on the way out and Harry was tempted to ask him about where they could find his son, but pushed the thought away. All that mattered right now was finding a clue about where Dex had kept the women he had taken. All that mattered was finding Ginny, safe and sound. When they reached Dex’s flat, Harry was surprised by its location because he had always thought the man lived closer to Diagon Alley. It was also smaller than he would have thought and didn’t look very homey, despite the fact that the other man had called it home for the last two years. “Well, this shouldn’t take us that long, at least,” Remus said as they entered the living room. Luckily for them, Dex had not put up any special warding spells or protections to stave off unwelcome visitors. That would have made getting in to search a bit trickier. Harry nodded and poked his head into the kitchen. They could probably rule this room out. The living room had a small bookcase and a table that looked like it acted as a desk. The life of the lonely bachelor, indeed, Harry thought cynically. Remus came back out of the hallway and looked at him. “There’s a bedroom and a lavatory and that’s it. He’s got a big closet though and it looks full of personal stuff. You want this front part here or the back?” The older man asked him. “I’ll take the back, it doesn’t seem as though this part will take you long. We’ll tackle the closet together, how’s that?” Remus nodded his agreement and made his way to the bookcase. Harry made his way down the hall and stopped to look at a painting Dex had hung on the wall. It was a pastel rendering of a little girl with red hair, standing on a hill, overlooking something out of scene. It filled Harry’s stomach with sickness for some reason. Maybe because the little girl reminded him a little bit too much of Ginny when he’d first seen her, all those many years ago at King’s Cross. With new resolve, Harry entered Dex’s bedroom and got to work. The quicker they did this, the quicker he could go back out and start looking for her. *** Dex pretended to be sick; but ironically, it wasn’t far from the truth. His head felt as though it had been thrown against a brick wall one too many times. Strange images kept popping into his head, and he wasn’t sure if they were real or something planted in his brain by Louis. As the Aurors prepared to remove him from the Restraining Room, Dex tried to figure out a way to get loose once they took him to St. Mungo’s. The Auror that was to accompany him to the hospital, Terry Boot, glared at him as they waited for the okay to leave. Dex was certain they were taking every precaution necessary; he knew Arthur Weasley wouldn’t want any mistakes to be made. Dex coughed and made a face, to enhance the dire need of the situation, to prove he really was feeling ill. He’d muttered something about the tea Potter had given him earlier and immediately activity was set in motion, confirming his belief that the tea had contained some sort of potion designed to make him remember. Dex didn’t blame them, but he now understood why his head hurt so badly. If the Ministry thought he was having an adverse reaction to one of the potion’s ingredients they would be more likely to have him looked at by a Healer. He was using that to the best of his advantage. All he needed was a small moment in time to slip away...or perhaps he could pretend to pass out at the hospital.... Another man came in and said something to Boot and they both turned and looked at him. Boot cleared his throat. “You ready?” he asked him roughly, and Dex merely nodded. The other man walked over to him and pulled him up from the chair. The motion made Dex’s head spin faster and he fell forward a bit, playing it for all it was worth. Boot grabbed his other side and gave him a dirty look, leaving no doubt in Dex’s mind that Boot thought he was faking it. He wondered briefly if he could manage to somehow get sick on the other man just to anger him, but decided even he wasn’t that good an actor. He shuffled between the two men as they led him out of the room. Another group of Aurors waited outside for them, and Dex was surprised by the number. Getting free might be a bit harder than he thought. He saw Louis’s father standing among them and felt a strange emotion. Donald Fagan had always been completely blind to his son’s problems and Dex had to wonder if he even had a clue what Louis was up to now. Donald knew he and Dex were close friends; they had grown up together, after all. As Dex stared at the other man, Donald Fagan looked away, not meeting his eyes. Dex wondered if his family knew already...if someone, maybe even Donald Fagan himself had owled his father and mother in America.... It appeared they were going to St. Mungo’s by Portkey. Dex cursed to himself, he’d definitely need to fake something when he was at the hospital. As they waited for it to activate, Dex felt a strange sensation at the back of his neck and looked around the room. A few of the Aurors met his gaze, but Dex knew the feeling wasn’t coming from them. He wondered suddenly if.... Dex was pulled away from his thoughts by Boot roughly jerking his still bound hands forward to touch the cup they were using as a Portkey. Before Dex could think, he felt himself being pulled forward by his navel, travelling towards St. Mungo’s with five Aurors in tow behind him.... *** Louis returned to his house in a state of anger and fear. He threw off the invisibility cloak he’d been wearing with a panicked motion and looked around the room, not knowing what he was looking for. They had captured Dex and they had given him, from what he had learned from his father, a very potent Memory Potion. So far his father had said Dex claimed to remember nothing except to say that he wasn’t the one responsible for taking the girls. Louis knew then that he probably should not have messed with Dex’s memory again; there was no telling what effect the potion would have on him once his head cleared. If Dex remembered bringing Ginny to him and if he mentioned the house.... Louis slammed his hand into the wall, not feeling the pain. He should have erased all memory of the house out of the other man’s mind. He should have covered his tracks more carefully. Louis wondered briefly then if he should just abandon everything and leave Ginny locked upstairs. No! a voice screamed in his head. He had waited too long and planned everything to the last detail to let her slip out of his hands again. He would not tolerate being made to leave her. But what to do? Louis stared at one of the few paintings he’d allowed Dex to hang in the kitchen and suddenly an idea came to him that was so natural, so absolutely brilliant that it made his own heart stop. Of course. It’s the ideal place. No one around for miles. No special warding spells required, except the one to make it so she can’t Apparate. No one will know where to find us.... Louis laughed and his voice echoed off the empty walls. No one would know where he’d taken her - not even Harry Potter. With a determined air, Louis walked over to the painting and snatched it from the wall. Ah Dex, if you only knew how your sentimentality just saved me...of course, even if you do point people here, you’ll never think of this place; you never understood the significance.... Louis grabbed his wand and made the painting disappear. He started up the stairs, his fear and anger abating. He had a girl to get ready. He had a trip to pack for. He was taking Ginny to his home. His real home. He would make her his again and then he would kill her and bury her out amongst his old haunts. It was too perfect for words. *** Ginny heard him moving outside of her door and braced herself. She held one of the heavy bookends from the desk in her hands. She was going to clobber the bastard as soon as he poked his head in. Or if he Apparated in again, she’d chuck it at him first thing. She was ready. But Ginny wasn’t expecting something to slide underneath the door and didn’t notice anything was amiss until she felt a strange sensation in her legs. With a start, she looked down and realized the ropes had been wrapping themselves around her legs, coiling tighter and tighter against her. She felt faint and light-headed, not noticing the bookend falling out her hands. She slumped against the door, trying with all her might to wake up from the stupor the ropes were putting her in. They coiled tighter against her and she knew he had done something to them to make them overpower her. The ring on her hand flared briefly, as though it was fighting the poison, but it was too much, and Ginny felt her world turn upside down. Darkness overcame her and she heard a scream inside her head.... Her last thought before she lost consciousness was that she didn’t understand who was screaming so loudly; she didn’t understand that she was hearing her own voice. *** Harry had to admit that when it came to saving useless things, Dexter Eoghan had apparently been a pro. It was late at night, and Remus and Harry were knee-deep in the middle of what used to be Dexter’s poorly planned closet. The items in the closet had been tossed in there in an almost haphazard fashion, and Harry could find no rhyme or reason to the way Dex had kept things. Compared to the relatively stark and organized look of the other rooms in the flat, it was as though the closet had been kept by an entirely different person. Judging from the accusations now levelled at the man, perhaps that was closer to the mark. Remus was slowly going through old notebooks that they’d found and Harry was looking through a box of old maps. Why Dex had collected maps was anyone’s guess, but there they were. In what was becoming a familiar mood, Harry felt the bitter kiss of frustration work its way across him. “Bugger all! This is pointless!” he said as he tossed the last batch of maps into the 'already read' file. Remus looked up and gave him a weary look. “I know it seems like that, Harry, but you never know, we might find something out of the ordinary to help find Ginny....” “Well, he’s obviously covered his tracks well. There’s nothing in here that even points to Dex being slightly mischievous, let alone a man who kidnaps women. If I didn’t think so before, I have proof now; Dexter Eoghan is the most boring man alive.” Harry stepped out of the closet, letting the frustration get the best of him. He ran his hand through his hair and stared at the bedroom in front of him. Had Ginny been here? Had Susan? Harry knew Dex had insisted that he’d awoken and found the woman tied up in his bedroom, but were they supposed to believe him? What if he was just pulling another trick over their eyes to throw them off? Remus followed him out of the closet and sighed. “Maybe we should take a break. Maybe if you popped home for a quick shower or - ” “No, that’ll just make getting through the rest of that mess take even longer. I want to be back out and looking for her before morning,” Harry said stubbornly. “Fine, but you do need to rest eventually. If you’re not going to sleep, at least take a Reviving Potion or do something to relax you. All of this frustration is going to get to you and wear you out faster than anything.” Harry didn’t look at his friend because he didn’t want to go home and rest. And he certainly didn’t want to go back into that closet and look for a clue that wasn’t there. He just wanted to know where Ginny was. He wanted to hold her and make sure certain was okay. Harry felt as though his heart was breaking and he hated it; it was worse then when he had left for America five years ago. Because he knew what he was missing now - he knew how much he needed her. Harry stepped out into the hallway and looked around again, his eyes not really seeing anything. He wondered if he should just demand to give Dex some Veritaserum and be done with it. Surely the Ministry would allow its use in such a case? For a moment Harry was tempted to owl Hogwarts and demand Snape make some for him to use on the sly. Not that the old professor would do it, but still...maybe Harry could work off some steam by taking it out on his old Potions Master. Harry turned and looked at the painting from before, the one of the little girl that reminded him of Ginny. The same sick feeling coursed through him and he felt the first tear behind his eyes. Damn it! If I get another chance, I am going to wrap my hands around Eoghan’s scrawny neck and squeeze until he tells me what I want to know, laws be damned! Harry made his hand into a fist and hit the wall, the sound echoing through the small flat. Remus looked out from his position in the closet and frowned. Harry cursed as his hand went through the cheap plasterboard, causing the picture above to fall off its hook. Removing his hand from the wall, Harry thanked his stars that he’d managed to hit it with his other hand this time and bent down to pick up the painting. He noticed that the back of the painting had come off and was only half-covering it now. A piece of yellowed parchment came sliding out. He stared down at it in shock. Harry had just found what they had been looking for. *** Dex let the Healers poke and prod him, all the while exhibiting a slight tendency to drop off every now and then, just to keep them on their toes. He heard them whispering to the Auror in charge and knew they were probably saying he was having a reaction to something or other. Good, thought Dex, let them try to figure out what’s going on and then I can try to get out of here when they think I’m out cold. Except as simple as that was, Dex didn’t think he could pull it off. He didn’t have a wand. His head really was feeling dizzy and although they had released his hands from the magical bond that had been keeping them together, that still wouldn’t help him get the slip on the six or seven Aurors that were probably standing outside his door. Most men would just give up in these instances, but the idea that Louis had been checking up on him would not leave him, and he knew that meant something. Louis was obviously worried about Dex remembering, so of course it made Dex wonder to himself - what exactly did Louis think he knew? It had to do with Ginny, it just had to. So Dex was doubly motivated to get out and back to the house to make certain Louis wasn’t trying to pull one over on him again. Dex didn’t bother to question himself about his motivations. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to protect Ginny from Louis, or make sure the man didn’t hurt her before he got a chance to be with her. Dex felt his stomach turn with that thought and tried to push it away; no, he cared for Ginny. He wouldn’t hurt her. Would he? Now wasn’t the time for soul-searching questions, so Dex didn’t bother to answer that inner voice. He concentrated on the movement of the medi-witch that was tending to him. She was young, and he might be able to get something past her, if he smiled charmingly enough.... “What’s your name?” he asked quietly, as she smoothed his blankets gently. She startled at his voice and glanced behind her to where two Healers were going over potions to try. Dex flashed what he hoped was an attractive grin. She blushed. “Frederica.” “That’s pretty. Were you named after someone in your family?” The girl blushed again, and shook her head. She continued tending to his bed and turned as though to leave, when Dex took a chance and reached out, touching her arm. She made a small noise, but didn’t pull away from him. She stared at his face, her expression curious. “Was there something else you wanted?” she asked him. “I just wanted to talk to you, Frederica. While I’m conscious..I think I’d quite like to talk to such a pretty girl for awhile. You don’t mind do you?” Frederica blushed again but didn’t say anything. She moved closer to the bed and looked down at him. Dex reckoned he might have a chance if she didn’t know what he’d been brought in for.... “Did you really hurt those girls?” the medi-witch blurted out, and Dex cursed inwardly. He hoped he gave an innocent look. “No, I don’t think I did. But they’re saying they caught me doing something. Honestly Frederica, I’m so confused and light-headed right now, I don’t know what to think.” “Oh! Let me get the Healer.” Frederica turned away from the bed, her arm slipping out of his hand. Dex grabbed her and stopped her. She gave him an odd look and he immediately relaxed his hold. “No, it’s not anything they need to know about just yet. I’m okay...I’d really like to just have you near me. If you don’t mind.” For some reason, Frederica didn’t mind, and slowly but surely a plan for getting out of the hospital blossomed in Dex’s mind.... *** Harry removed what remained of the back of the frame and held the piece of parchment in his hand, almost afraid to hope about what it meant. On the parchment were two words and a number in a thick black scrawl: Wapping High Street 72 and then underneath this was written the words Wall and Glamis. Further down on the paper in a different hand was simply the word ‘Cygnus’, the meaning of which Harry did not know. Lupin came over to him and looked at the parchment with interest. “That’s an address in East London; along the docks, actually. It’s near where you found Winifred.” Harry finally felt hope begin to swell in him; could this be the house Dex had kept the girls in? Remus continued. “That word on the bottom there...it’s Latin, I believe. I think it means swan.” He glanced at Harry, and already seemed to know what he was thinking. “I suppose you want to get to this address as soon as possible?” Harry nodded. “I’m going to Apparate to the statue Ginny took me to before. It’s late at night and probably Muggle-free right now. Do you know it?” “You mean the statue of Elfred, the amazing duck fancier?” Harry nodded again. “Yes, I know it. But you do realize of course that you promised Arthur that you would tell him if we found anything, right? Harry made a strangled noise at the back of his throat and took the parchment from Lupin. “I know, Remus...but look, we have Dex in custody - if this is an address to what I think it is I just want to go and get Ginny. I‘m tired of running around telling everyone things.” Remus studied him again, and then finally nodded. “All right, but we will send an owl to Arthur.” He put up his hands when Harry started to argue with him, “No arguments. We’ll go straight to your flat to get Hedwig, and then to the statue, okay?” Begrudgingly, Harry agreed. The promise of what he had just found coursed through him. He pushed aside the anxiety that always seemed to be floating near his surface now. Hang on, Ginny. Just hang on. *** When Harry arrived home, he was surprised to find a rather large Phoenix waiting on his balcony for him. He stared at it in disbelief for a moment and then almost forgot to move out of the way for Remus, who had been Apparating after him. They both watched as the bright, burnt-orange bird eyed them and then ruffled its great wings at Harry, as if to ask him what had taken him so long. Harry noticed for the first time that the Phoenix was wearing what looked like a small leather pouch, which was emblazoned by the sign of a golden floating pyramid with wings. He glanced at Remus, who shook his head to indicate that he didn’t know what was going on either. Harry thought that perhaps the bird was lost, or more likely, that someone had sent him a letter from Egypt; but since he knew no one in Egypt, he couldn’t understand what the Phoenix wanted. Before Harry could ascertain whether or not the bird was carrying something for him, the bird made a loud cooing noise, which caused the support it had been sitting on to grow and stretch. Harry watched as the support turned into a brown, elongated package. He could just make out his name on it. The Phoenix ruffled its wings again, hopping to the floor of the balcony. It then stuck out its leg, which Harry now saw held a small rolled piece of parchment. He reached out and retrieved it from the great bird, breaking the seal with his finger. Remus read over his shoulder. PhoedEx: “Moving At the Speed of Magic” For all your trans-continental needs. Please bear in mind our birds travel at the fastest speeds possible; we ask that you please refurbish our birds with a bit of water and food (herbs only, of course) but must stress that you do not try to keep our birds for yourself as they are specially trained to return to their place of origin. Ps. Mind the ashes, if one should happen to ‘burst’. -Balthazar Chugarian Keeper and Trainer of Fine Phoenixes Since 1906 PhoedEx Post#34, Cairo Remus looked at Harry. “Have a new friend in Egypt, Harry?” “No,” Harry paused and looked at the package more closely. “But this return address is from Cairo. It’s from someone named....Miracroix. Why does that name sound familiar?” Remus shook his head. Harry frowned, and stared at the name again, his mind racing. Miracroix had such an air of familiarity about it, where had he heard it before? The Phoenix ruffled its feathers again, and Harry blinked at it. “Well, I’d better get some water for you at least.” Harry stopped and considered what he would do for food and turned to his friend. “I don’t have any herbs though. Do you know what kind they eat?” Remus stared at the Phoenix a moment longer, and then nodded his head. “Do you have any caraway seeds or...some extra pomegranate seeds? It might eat those.” Harry shrugged. “I have a case with old potion ingredients in it and such, just stuff I used in America. You can check it and see. It should be in the hall closet, right in front.” Remus nodded and then went to investigate. Harry didn’t know if he had anything in the case that the bird would eat; but suddenly remembering why they had shown up at his flat to begin with, didn’t care. He didn’t have time to worry about mysterious packages or the birds that had delivered them. He picked up the package the bird had delivered and was surprised by how heavy it was. He carried it over to the table by his bed and frowned at it again as Remus came back with a small cup of water and vial of seeds. “You did have a few things I think it might eat. Reckon we’ll find out, soon enough.” Harry watched as Remus sat the cup in front of the bird and then sprinkled a handful of seeds in front of it. The Phoenix eyed them both again, but then lowered his head to drink. After he had drunk the entire cupful, he then ate the seeds, one by one. The bird must have appreciated the gesture because he disappeared immediately, leaving a falling red feather in its wake. Remus picked it up and then smiled as he handed it to Harry. Wrapped around the feather was a small square of parchment that bore the same symbol Harry had seen on the bird’s pouch - a golden pyramid with wings. Underneath the symbol it told the user to ‘simply light the feather at one end and a representative of PhoedEx would soon be sending a messenger their way to take care of any posting needs they may have, as long as it was in the greater Cairo area’. Great, thought Harry, I'll just keep this in my pocket in case I ever get to Africa. “I think Dumbledore would have appreciated their method of post, don’t you?” Remus asked. Harry nodded his head, placing the feather and paper on top of the package. He’d have to worry about this stuff later; right now all he wanted to do was track down the address he’d found. “You’re not going to open it, I take it,” Remus said as Harry walked over to Hedwig’s cage. “No, I don’t want to take the time. Let’s just send Arthur a message and get out to look for this address. I don’t know why Remus, but I have sense of urgency about all of this.” Harry let Hedwig out and stroked her feathers absentmindedly as he scratched out a note to Arthur. He included the address they’d found and told Arthur that he and Remus were heading out immediately to find it. Remus nodded at him as Harry tied the note to Hedwig’s leg. She hooted as she soared out into the night. Harry watched her go, hoping Arthur wouldn’t be too cross at him for not waiting for ‘back-up’. If they found the worst...if they found Ginny and she wasn’t.... No, don’t even think it! a voice screamed out in his head...well, Harry wanted to be the one to find her like that. If something had been done to her, he didn’t want her family to witness that. He didn’t know if he could go through it himself, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he let her family see her hurt. He turned to his old friend, who had been watching him, and shook his head. “Ready?” “If you are. Harry look, if we...that is to say, if Ginny’s not - " “I’m not thinking about that yet, Remus. I just want to find the house first. Then I’ll start to worry about what’s inside it,” he said in a firm voice. “Okay, then. After you,” Remus said as he nodded towards the balcony. Harry took a deep breath and Apparated, not certain if he could take another night of searching and coming up empty. *** Dex frowned at the slumped body of Frederica. He had somehow convinced the poor girl by the grace of the good looks his parents had given him into letting him go for a walk. An Auror had been behind them, but also thanks to Frederica, he was now off chasing down a Healer. Dex had pretended to faint and the medi-witch had opted to stay with him, rather than go after the Healer herself. A mistake that Dex had been waiting for. He’d grabbed her wand and stunned her. Now he just needed to get out of there before the Auror came back. With one last guilty look at the trusting girl, Dex stuck his head around the corner and then made for the first door he saw. If Louis did have Ginny, and if Dex was able to save her, perhaps one day, everyone would be able to forgive him. *** After Remus told the statue of Duke Elfred a rather bawdy duck joke that Harry didn’t want to think about where the other man had learned, the two started their way down the same alleyway he, Ginny and Sarah Brocklehurst had made their way through before. It felt as though that night had happened a thousand years ago. Harry remembered with precise clarity what had happened between Ginny and him later that same night, and felt his heart choke in his chest. With determination, he walked faster through the narrow passageway, causing Remus to hurry after him. When they reached the small clearing that housed the wizard-muggle shops, Harry started for the street sign; according to Remus, Wapping High Street was in Muggle London, but very close to where they were now. “I think the section we want is past the intersection at Garnet,” Remus told him and Harry nodded. They headed northeast down the walkway, their footsteps loud in the empty hour of the night. They walked on in silence, Harry lost in his own thoughts. The air was thick with the smell of the river; but he didn’t notice. He was remembering the look of anger on Ginny’s face when he had told her that she wasn’t going out with him and her family after Draco. He remembered the feel of her lips when she had kissed him goodbye - promising more when he returned. He felt a strange sinking sensation in his stomach; Harry couldn’t say why, but he felt as though time were speeding past him, laughing at him as he made his way through the London streets. They came across a small collection of what looked to be a very old block of flats. The streets had turned to cobblestone, and Harry felt as though they had crossed through a time barrier. There was very little light, except for what was offered by the ancient looking gaslights, which were posted at each corner. Remus looked at the directory that stood at the opening gate and nodded his head. “It looks like we follow High Street around the Wall and right before we get to Glamis Road there should be an older section of warehouses and older homes. If there was a wizard house around here, that’s where it would be.” They only had a little way to go around the great Wall before coming across a set of shabbier looking buildings. Harry walked up ahead to the next street and saw that they were where they needed to be; the next section turned into Glamis Road and the piece of paper they had found had read: Wall and Glamis. So if Ginny was being kept some place, it would be right in the small group of buildings he was looking at. He jogged back over to Remus and nodded toward the first batch of buildings. “Should we separate to look for where number 72 should be? Something tells me it won’t be visible to the naked eye.” “Let’s meet in the middle then, I don’t want us to get lost,” Remus said as he agreed. Harry nodded and headed towards the right, trying to figure out which way the numbers worked. There were no other sounds except the noise of Remus walking in the other direction. Harry felt a shiver pass through him and pushed it out of his mind. They were going to find her, and soon. They just had to. ***
|