Living without Danger
Chapter 17: Letting Go (Year 1)
By Anne B. Walsh
Chapter 17: Letting Go
This coming night, be wakeful all
And ready for the silent call;
The moon speaks truly, warrior maid,
So to her word heed must be paid.
The pearl in this game plays no part,
But praise deserves for willing heart,
And honor is returners’ due
As much as they who see it through.
So thread the maze with stealth and guile,
The matriarch to reconcile,
And once again play out the game
With skill of song and wand and flame.
Aletha handed the parchment to Sirius and heaved a sigh. "Here we go again."
"Honestly, we were probably overdue," said Remus. "You haven’t had one of these for well over a year, have you?"
Danger shook her head. "I did have one the day the cubs left for Hogwarts, but it was just a little twiddle, predicting Neville making friends with them, and telling me something personal I had to do. So I haven’t had a serious one since last Christmas — and like that one, this one happened during a nap, which means it’s coming soon and they want us to pay really close attention to it."
"This is the first time you’ve had a certain time predicted, isn’t it?" asked Sirius, coming around the table to stand beside Danger. "Here, ‘this coming night.’ I don’t think you’ve ever had quite that concrete a time stated before. Whatever’s going to happen, it’s going to happen tonight."
"And we’re not supposed to go to sleep," said Aletha. "We might all do well to catch naps in what’s left of the afternoon, if we’re going to be up late tonight."
Remus read over Danger’s other shoulder. "‘Warrior maid’ has meant you before," he said to her. "Though you’re not technically a ‘maid’ any more."
"And whose fault is that?"
"Now that’s a trick question if I ever heard one," said Sirius.
"‘The moon speaks truly... so to her word heed must be paid,’" Remus read aloud. "Hmm. When does the moon speak?"
"Maybe the man in the moon," said Aletha. "He’ll lean way down and yell something, and you’ll have to listen carefully, because he’s not going to repeat himself."
"No, it’s a she," said Danger, smiling at her friend’s silliness. "It’s ‘to her word.’ Possibly the moon itself, personified — or the goddess of the moon, like Diana or Selene..."
"Or Luna?"
Everyone looked at Sirius. He shrugged. "Just a thought."
"Makes sense, though, which is more than can be said for many of your thoughts." Aletha ducked her husband’s playful swat. "So Luna’s going to say something that you have to listen to, Danger. And then there’s a couple of lines about a pearl... no prizes for guessing that one."
"If I’m reading this right, which I hope I am, she has to stay behind tonight," said Sirius. "If we’re going to have to do something dangerous, she’d just be in the way — but you know she’s not going to want to hear that."
"Thus, ‘praise deserves for willing heart,’" said Remus. "Your daughter for certain, Padfoot — she’d be perfectly willing to go charging into anything, even things she has no chance of winning—"
"What are you insinuating?"
"But we’re going to have to make sure she stays out of this one," continued Remus as if he hadn’t heard Sirius. "And make sure she knows we’re proud that she wants to help."
"Not a problem," said Aletha with a smile. "What about the rest of it? Honor due to returners, threading a maze, reconciling a matriarch, the whole bit?"
"Not a clue," said Danger. "Which usually means we’ll figure it out afterwards and say, ‘Oh, that should have been so obvious!’"
"Hindsight is perfect," said Remus with a sigh. "All right, let’s get planning under way, here. If we’re all supposed to go on this quest or mission or whatever you want to call it tonight, Meghan has to stay with someone — and since Molly’s still not speaking to us, it’ll have to be Gerald and Luna — Letha, would you handle that? And Sirius, would you start getting Meghan used to the idea?"
"Of what, us running off and leaving her behind again?"
"Something like that."
"I’ll try, but you know she’s still upset about the last time, and I can’t blame her. Having a sleepover interrupted by the news that your brothers are in peril of their lives — not pleasant."
"There has to be some way we can shut off her pendants," said Danger. "Just temporarily, and just the incoming messages, because honestly, there’s nothing she can do."
"Why don’t you go take another nap and ask about that," said Remus.
"Sounds like an idea." Danger got up from the kitchen chair and headed for the living room, where the most comfortable couch was to be found. Aletha was in the music room already, firecalling the Lovegoods’ house, and Sirius nodded to Remus before starting upstairs to find Meghan.
And then there was one.
Remus got up and stretched his back.
I think I’ll pack a small survival kit. We can shrink it down so it doesn’t impede us — and better safe than sorry.
He started rummaging through the pantry for portable, nonperishable food.
xXxXx
"Going down after him?" repeated Hermione in a disbelieving tone.
"I’ll go with you," said Ron.
"You’re crazy," said Draco.
"Yes, thank you, and I know."
"Harry — you can’t!" Hermione looked around, making sure there was no one close enough to hear her. "This is Voldemort we’re talking about here — oh, get over it, Ron — you can’t go fight him on your own!"
"I’m not going on my own. Ron’s going with me."
"Oh, fat lot of help he’s going to be," sneered Draco. "Can’t even hear the name without flinching — what kind of backup’s he going to be in a fight?"
"At least I said I’d go!" Ron snapped back. "I don’t hear you volunteering!"
"Are you calling me a coward?"
"I don’t know — are you going or not?"
"Not — and I’m going to try and keep you two from going too."
"Then yes, I am calling you a coward."
"I’ll make you eat that, you red-headed idiot!" Draco was on his feet, so was Ron — Harry and Hermione jumped up as well — Harry tackled Ron, Hermione tripped Draco, and everything was confusion for a moment until everyone got sorted out, breathing a little harder and looking at each other balefully.
"Get this straight," said Harry harshly when he got his glasses straightened out. "I’m going through that trapdoor tonight because if we don’t do something, no one will — and Voldemort will get the Stone." He ignored Ron. "And then he’ll be back — he’ll be able to live forever — and how long do you think any of us will be able to fight him? We can send some owls now — to Dumbledore, to the Pack-parents, telling them what we know and what we’re going to do — but they won’t get there probably until early tomorrow morning, and I’m going down there tonight. Alone if I have to."
"You’re not going alone," said Ron resolutely.
"Thanks," said Harry. "Neenie?"
Hermione looked at him pleadingly. "You’re sure you won’t change your mind?"
"Dead sure," said Harry with a firm nod.
"We’d better hope that doesn’t come true," said Draco with a sigh. "All right, I’m in. I still say you’re mad, though."
They all looked at Hermione.
She got to her feet. "I’ll go start looking up magical safeguards," she said. "I might run across one of the spells they’ve used."
"I’ll go with you," said Draco.
"I’ll start sending owls," said Harry. "Ron, can you make us a plan for tonight? How we can get to the third floor without too much danger of getting caught?"
"I can try. I could use the Marauder’s Map, it’s got all the secret passages on it... anyone seen Fred and George?"
They scattered, unaware that someone had been listening to them.
xXxXx
Aletha played a series of scales on the piano, up and down and up and down, change keys a half-step and do it again — up and down and up and down, change keys a half-step and do it again — up and down and —
"Please."
"Please what?"
"Please stop it."
"Would you rather have me tearing my hair out?"
Danger looked tempted, but shook her head.
"Well, it’s that, or this." Aletha tapped the piano.
"Go on, then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you..."
Both women froze. From the other room came a pair of quiet curses and a little girl’s half-stifled moan.
Danger had her pendants out first, and muttered a curse when she saw what was glowing. "All three of them. I’d say that’s a ‘silent call.’"
Meghan came running into the room, overnight bag over one shoulder, and held her arms out to Aletha, who pulled her into a fierce hug. "Don’t get killed," she said, voice shivering slightly. "Please don’t get killed."
"Nobody’s going to get killed," said Sirius as calmingly as he could, joining the hug.
"Promise?"
"I wish I could, Pearl. But we promised we wouldn’t lie to you."
"We’ll do our best," said Aletha calmly. "And our best is very good. You know that."
Meghan nodded, one tear tracking down her face. The Blacks stood for a moment together, then released Meghan, who went to hug Remus goodbye as well. Then she and Danger approached the fire.
"Lovegood residence," said Meghan, stepping into the green flames, and Danger followed her a moment later.
xXxXx
"I’ll be back in a moment," said Remus.
"Where are you going?" asked Sirius.
Remus didn’t bother to answer. "The Burrow!" he announced to the Floo, and let the flames take him away.
He caught himself on the Weasleys’ hearth and saw Molly’s face turn to the fire, welcoming and open, then suddenly close down as she saw who it was.
"I know you’re not happy with us, Molly," he said quietly, stepping out onto the hearthstone. "But we thought you ought to know this. Our cubs are in some kind of danger, and since Ron goes everywhere they go, it’s likely he’s involved as well. We’re on our way there now, and I promise you, if Ron’s in any kind of trouble, we’ll do as much for him as we would for our own. We’ll let you know as soon as we know anything."
He Disapparated, returning to the Den.
"Any luck?" asked Aletha.
"I don’t know." Remus looked out the window toward where he knew the Burrow was. "I really don’t know."
xXxXx
Danger’s Floo trip took only a few instants to make, since the Lovegoods lived so close by. Gerald and Luna were waiting. "It’s the children," she said in response to Gerald’s questioning look.
"Good luck, then," said Gerald, holding out his hand for Danger to shake. "Send us word as soon as you can."
"We will. Goodbye, Meghan. We’ll be back soon, and everything will be all right." She embraced the child — my little Pearl, as dear as any daughter of my own could ever be — then took the girl’s cold pendants in her hand. "Cesso Nuntius Insignis," she said, and felt them first warm, then cool to the normal temperature of metal. Meghan accepted them back, clutching them in her hand.
"Good luck, Mrs. Granger-Lupin," said Luna, holding out her own hand. Her dreamy eyes were fixed rather disconcertingly on Danger. "You can have too much of anything. Even control."
"I’ll remember that, Luna. Thank you." With one last smile for Meghan, Danger Apparated back to the Den.
Anything?
I’m not sure. "You can have too much of anything, even control." Suppose we’ll figure it out when we get there.
I suppose. Remus threw Floo powder into the fireplace. "Let’s go, then," he said as the green flames roared. He stepped into the fire. "Hogwarts kitchens!"
The flames went out. Remus was left standing in an empty fireplace, looking severely confused. "What the—"
"Something’s wrong with the Network," said Sirius. "Let’s not waste time trying to figure it out — what’s the next quickest way to Hogwarts?"
"Apparate to Hogsmeade and walk," said Aletha. "Or run."
Remus exited the fireplace. "Run, I think we can manage. And at least one of us can fly."
Aletha nodded. "I knew those wings were going to come in handy for something."
"Come on," said Danger. "Last one to Hogsmeade is lion chow."
xXxXx
Aletha was lucky enough to run into Nearly Headless Nick just as she got through the main doors. "Aletha! What brings you here tonight?"
"Hello, Sir Nicholas — I need to talk to Dumbledore right away, do you know if he’s available?"
"I’m afraid he’s not here, he went to London this afternoon, but Minerva’s in her office, she’s not in bed yet."
"Thank you, that’s a great help — Sirius and Remus and Danger are coming, do you think you could tell them where I am when they get here?"
"Certainly."
"Thank you!" Aletha hurried in the general direction of Minerva McGonagall’s office, only getting lost once, which was better than usual for Hogwarts. When she found it, she didn’t even bother to knock, storming in instead. "What’s the current password for the Tower?" she demanded.
Minerva, in a tartan bathrobe and slippers and reading a novel, looked astonished and more than a little angry. "Really, Aletha, this is a bit out of line—"
"I don’t care. My cubs are in danger of dying, and I want to find them — are you going to help me or not?"
"Dying?"
"Yes, dying. Where are they?"
"At this hour, they ought to be in bed—"
The two women raced towards Gryffindor Tower. A huge black dog and a shaggy tan wolf caught them up halfway there. "Remus is coming," panted Danger, turning human again. "He had to change back when he got into the castle — didn’t want to frighten anyone — but I can pass for a dog."
"Janus," said Minerva to the Fat Lady, who swung her portrait obediently open. She climbed through the hole and stopped dead for an instant, causing Aletha to almost run into her. "Merciful heavens — Longbottom!"
Aletha catapulted herself through the hole to see Neville Longbottom lying on the floor, stiff as a board, looking at them pleadingly. "The full Body-Bind," said Minerva, pulling out her wand and quickly reciting the counter-curse. "But who—"
"I’m sorry, Professor," were the first words out of Neville’s mouth. "Mrs. Freeman-Black — Mrs. Granger-Lupin — Mr. Black — I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop them—"
"Who?" asked Aletha, but she already knew the answer.
Neville got awkwardly to his feet, obviously very stiff. "Harry and the others — they said they were going through the trapdoor tonight, the one that big dog is guarding — they said they thought You-Know-Who was going to try to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone—"
Minerva threw up her hands in exasperation. "Does everyone know about that blasted thing?"
"Just us," said Neville timidly. "Hermione figured it out at Christmas. Harry said it was secret — we haven’t told anyone, really we haven’t—"
"Hermione figured it out?" repeated Remus, who had come through the portrait hole in time to hear this. "How did she do that?"
"I don’t know — I tried to stop them, I really did, but Hermione used a spell on me — they said they were sorry, but they had to do it, and they put on the Invisibility Cloak and left, it was just a few minutes ago, I think—"
"They have an Invisibility Cloak?" asked Minerva, her voice acquiring a snap.
"It’s Harry’s, it used to be James’, Dumbledore gave it to him last Christmas," said Sirius absently. "But how would they even have been able to get started? How would they get past that dog of Hagrid’s? Minerva, do you know?"
Minerva shook her head. "Only Albus and Hagrid know how—"
"Pardon me," said Danger ever so politely, changed forms, and leapt out the portrait hole.
"Where is she going?" asked Aletha.
"To get an answer," said Remus. "Come on, we’d better get to the third floor, so we can use it right away, whatever it is — the faster we can get to them, the better chance they have of living through this."
xXxXx
Danger galloped through the halls of Hogwarts, utterly furious and allowing that fury to fuel her run.
Only Dumbledore and Hagrid know how to get past that dog. And of the two, only Hagrid would have been so careless as to tell the cubs.
She shot through the entrance hall, out the front doors, across the lawn, and turned human again on Hagrid’s front steps, pausing only long enough to open his door with her wand before she was inside. "Wake up!" she shouted at the top of her lungs at the huge, sleeping figure in the bed.
Hagrid came awake with a yell, thrashing around for a moment before he settled down. Danger brought his fire up with a wave of her hand and lit the lamp with a look, lighting the room brightly enough for him to recognize her.
"Don’t even start," she said brusquely, cutting off whatever Hagrid was about to say. "I know you told my cubs how to get past that three-headed monstrosity of yours. I know because whatever you told them, they’ve used, and they are now down that trapdoor, risking their lives. So you are going to tell me how to get past it, and you are going to tell me right now, because if you do not they are going to die." The last word was snarled through bared teeth.
Hagrid looked horrified. "Music," he blurted quickly. "Music, yeh just play him some music, or sing ter him — they really went down there?"
Got it, said Remus in her head. We’re going in, track with what we’re doing and catch up with us —
I will. "Thank you," said Danger aloud, loading her tone with sarcasm. "We’ll be sure to let you know if we get them out of there alive." Without a backward glance, she turned wolf and charged back towards the castle.
xXxXx
Sirius hauled the trapdoor open, Aletha’s wordless singing keeping Fluffy asleep. Remus generated a ball of fire and sent it down into the darkness.
"Mr. Padfoot would like to state that he’s scared out of his mind," muttered Sirius, watching the fire descend.
"Mr. Moony would like to reciprocate that statement."
The fire illuminated something tangled and green, which seemed to be thrashing around. Remus squinted at it. "That wasn’t there last time we were here... it looks like a plant of some kind..."
"Devil’s Snare," said Sirius with certainty. "Send the fire closer to it — there, see? It backed away. Only Devil’s Snare acts like that. So it’ll cushion our landing, then try to kill us."
"How do you know?"
"My mother kept a few potted ones."
Despite their circumstances, despite the situation, despite everything, Remus had to laugh a little. "I’ll go first," he said. "Then you two come — I’ll keep it off you. Leave the trapdoor open, so Danger can handle it herself when she gets here."
"All right," said Sirius. "Ready when you are."
Remus sat down on the edge of the opening, reached across to grasp the opposite edge, and let himself hang by his hands for a moment before he let go.
It was a long fall, but not unbearable, and the Devil’s Snare did indeed cushion his landing admirably. Instead of bothering to burn individual creepers of it away, he simply surrounded his entire body with flames and walked unmolested out of the plant’s purview. "Come ahead!" he shouted upwards, and summoned flame, giving it silent instructions — burn only the plant, not the humans, or their clothes, or their belongings. Fire, like cubs, was always looking for loopholes.
Sirius and Aletha were soon safely beside him. "Should we wait?" asked Aletha, recovering her breath.
"No, Danger’s almost there — she’ll be here soon enough. Let’s go." They set off down a stone passageway with water trickling down the walls. Remus conjured another ball of fire to light their way.
"Shh!" said Aletha suddenly, stopping.
"What?"
"Can you hear something?"
The men listened. "I think I hear music," said Sirius doubtfully.
"I know I hear music," said Remus, breaking into a run. "Draco?"
"I’m here!" The shout echoed back along the passage as Remus burst into a dome-like chamber, brightly lit, with things fluttering around above him — but that didn’t interest him. Draco was sitting against the wall across the room, one hand pressed to his side, his recorder lying beside him, his face paler than usual and filled with relief.
"Are you all right?" Remus was across the room in an instant, kneeling beside the boy.
"It’s not bad — probably just a cracked rib — the Devil’s Snare squeezed me pretty hard — but I still helped Harry get the key, and then I beat the boggart—"
"You beat the boggart?" Remus smiled proudly at Draco. "Good for you. How’d you do it?"
"We’ll get the key," said Sirius, coming into the room behind him. "Come on, Letha, let’s Beat it down."
Aletha rolled her eyes. "That’s so horrible."
"Ron was the first one into the room," said Draco as Sirius and Aletha took off on the provided broomsticks. "So it turned into a big spider and he screamed and ran away from it. Then Harry tried a spell on it, and it turned into — it looked like Padfoot, but he was all mad and bigger than he should have been, and then I knew what it had to be, so I took it on. It turned into Lucius, and I put him in a clown suit and gave him a slapstick instead of his wand." His smile flashed brightly for a moment, then faded. "But we were wrong."
"What were you wrong about?"
"We thought it was Professor Lockhart who was after the Stone. But it can’t be."
"Why not?"
"Someone went on from that room, but it wasn’t him. He’s still there."
"Still there?"
Draco nodded, looking a bit ill. "He’s..."
Understanding rushed over Remus. "I see."
"I touched him," said Draco, staring at the opposite wall. "I touched him and he was cold. He looked scared. Can people get scared to death?"
"It can happen." Remus sat next to Draco and put an arm around his shoulders, and Draco leaned into him. He looked up and smiled in spite of himself. Sirius and Aletha had cornered the key they were after, but instead of grabbing it, they were smacking it back and forth between them with open hands, for all the world as if it were a Bludger.
Danger came tearing into the room and threw herself down beside Draco, pulling him quickly into a gentle embrace so as not to hurt him further. Remus got up to go help Sirius and Aletha, who were gradually descending, hitting the key back and forth the whole way down. He whistled to get their attention, then changed forms and crouched, ready for his lunge —
Sirius hauled off and slapped the key downwards hard, and Remus leapt, catching it in his mouth, feeling it struggling against his teeth and tongue. He loped quickly to the door, changed forms again, and took it out of his mouth, unlocking the door and opening it for everyone.
"Why didn’t you just take it instead of hitting it like that?" asked Danger, standing up.
"We would have lost it if we’d tried grabbing it," answered Sirius, landing and dismounting. "So we went with what we’re good at."
"Don’t leave me alone?" begged Draco, sounding much younger than almost twelve.
"Of course not," said Aletha, coming to the boy’s side. "I’ll stay with you. Come back for me if I’m needed."
"We will," said Remus, letting the door swing shut behind him.
"Sirius, I think this one is yours," said Danger as they hurried along the next passage. "You up to some greatest fear combat?"
"Bring it on." Sirius drew his wand without breaking stride.
They came out into a narrow stone chamber with a wardrobe at the farther end of it. Gilderoy Lockhart lay at one side of it, his face twisted in lines of fear. His hat and wig lay a few feet away. Remus conjured a cloth and draped it over the body, then turned to the wardrobe, which Sirius was approaching.
The doorknob rattled, then turned, and out of the wardrobe glided a dementor. The room seemed to chill, the lights to dim —
"Expecto Patronum!" shouted Sirius, his wand ready.
Silver mist erupted from the end of his wand, more of it every second — it began to coalesce into a shape — a shape with four long, graceful legs, and wings —
Sirius stared. "All right," he said bemusedly. "Whatever. Go on, get it."
The winged horse Patronus charged at the false dementor, which stumbled backwards and fell, collapsing into a pile of fabric. "Riddikulus!" Sirius shouted quickly, and the fabric turned bright yellow with purple polka dots covering it, making all three Marauders laugh.
Boggart and Patronus faded from sight. Sirius turned in perplexity to the other two. "That’s not my Patronus," he said. "Mine’s a dog. Letha’s is the winged horse. What’s going on here?"
"Don’t know," said Remus. "Come on, let’s keep moving."
The Pack had set it up so that the exit to this room was in the wardrobe itself, so that one had to completely defeat the boggart before moving on. The three of them climbed through the wardrobe and ran along the next passage — Remus pulled out his pendants and had a look. The carving of the fox had stopped glowing, but the other two were still shining brightly.
"What’s next?" asked Danger.
"McGonagall’s chessboard," said Sirius. "Who’s going to play?"
"I don’t think we have the time," said Remus. "We may have to try to break through some other way."
They ran into the darkened room, which lighted as they entered, and looked around.
Danger cried out, pointing. Against one wall lay an unconscious Ron Weasley.
Remus ran towards the boy but was stopped by the black chess pieces, which sprang to life and blocked his way.
"Move," said Remus grimly.
A black knight shook its head.
"Fine, you asked for it." He turned back to Sirius and Danger. "Shield your eyes," he warned them. "This will be bright."
Come, he called to the fire. It answered as always, coming joyfully to his hands.
Destroy these things of living stone, he told it. Hurt not the boy or his belongings, or the man or his belongings, or anything else here. But these thirty-two, destroy.
The fire went gleefully to work.
A few moments later, Remus stepped over a puddle of molten black stone and felt for Ron’s pulse. He’s alive, he told Danger. And I don’t think badly hurt — he was probably taken in the course of the game.
And this clears our way to go on, said Danger admiringly. Then her tone turned worried. But we can’t take him on with us — someone’s going to have to go back with him —
Remus lifted Ron carefully in a rescue-carry and stepped back over the molten stone, which was already cooling. "We’ll draw for it," he said. "Short straw takes Ron back, other two go on."
"No," said Sirius. "I go back. You two go on."
"You don’t have to do that, Sirius—"
"And honor is returners’ due/ As much as they who see it through," Sirius interrupted. "That’s for me. Telling me not to let my stupid pride get in the way of saving Harry. He’s in trouble, and you two have the best chance of getting him out of it — so go. Don’t waste time arguing with me."
Remus grinned. "Mr. Moony would like to congratulate Mr. Padfoot on finally growing up."
"Mr. Padfoot would like to tell Mr. Moony to stop wasting time."
"Fine, I’m going." Remus swung Ron down off his shoulder and lowered him onto the stretcher Sirius hastily conjured. "See you when we get back."
The opposite door of the chamber slammed open, and Hermione bolted in — Remus would have run to her, except that at the same moment, Danger gasped and wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to stop something bursting out of her — her magic, Remus felt as he opened his mind to her.
Harry’s in — he’s face to face with him — that’s what this means —
Damn it, we have to get to him — get this under control, Danger, and do it now!
I’m trying — help me —
I’m here. But we can’t afford to lose you tonight, so we’re going to have to try a new approach — don’t try to control it all at once, just limit where it can go...
Remus helped Danger bring the power under her control, bit by bit, trying not to swear at the lost time. Finally, the power seethed just under her skin, making her hair crackle with a life of its own, but was no longer threatening to break free. I’ve never been able to do this before — it’s always been either all out of control or knocked me out —
You’re getting stronger then. Come on, Kitten’s waiting for us.
Hermione sprang up from her place beside Sirius and dashed over to them when they beckoned her. They held her close for one instant, then listened to the story she had already told Sirius, of the chess match Ron had won for them at the cost of his own sacrifice, the unconscious troll, the room with the seven bottles where she and Harry had parted ways —
"We’d better go on, then," said Remus, getting up. "We’ll see you when we get back, Kitten — be good, we love you—"
"I know." Hermione hugged them again, hard, once each, then hurried through the door leading back.
"Good luck," said Sirius quietly, steering the stretcher with the unconscious Ron on it through the door in front of him. "Bring him home."
"We will," promised Danger.
The door closed behind him.
The Lupins looked at each other.
xXxXx
Ready?
No.
Let’s do it anyway.
I knew you were going to say that.
They hurried across the chessboard, dotted with what had been chessmen and were now solidified puddles of black and white stone, and walked quickly through the room containing the unconscious troll, breathing shallowly through their mouths. Once in the room containing Snape’s challenge, they changed forms, and lion and wolf approached the black flame.
Remus tested it with a paw and gave a nod of approval — it might be black, but it was still fire, and hadn’t harmed him at all. Cautiously, they both stuck their heads into it and listened.
There was silence. Then a voice spoke. High-pitched, chilling, little more than a whisper...
"Harry Potter..."
Voldemort, growled Remus mentally, and Danger saw his mane bristling. That’s Voldemort — he is here!
"See what I now am? Less than a ghost, vapor and shadow... I must share the body of another if I wish to have a physical form..."
You were right, it was possession... but who?
"But there are always those who will listen to me and let me into their minds and their hearts... my loyal Quirrell, for one... and the foolish Lockhart, for another..."
Remus and Danger stared at each other, astonished.
Quirrell?
Lockhart?
"It has been my only amusement this year, watching them battle for my favor... Lockhart bullying you in class, then trying to kill you in his bumbling way, sending the Bludger after you at your first Quidditch match... I punished him severely for that, he was ill for several days..."
Danger felt Remus throttling back a growl. If he wasn’t already dead...
"Quirrell would have been far more successful... he planned to curse your broomstick itself, throwing you to your death... but something stopped him, a sort of wild magic which struck him down..."
That must have been me — that one shot did go partway through!
"To Lockhart’s credit, he was able to save me time and trouble by obtaining the secret of how to get past the three-headed dog... but I value bravery, and any man who cannot face his own fears cannot serve me... I killed him when he ran from the boggart... so it is Quirrell who has won this contest..."
Danger repressed a snarl of her own, feeling the magic swirling in her, demanding to be used. Why are we just standing here?
Because from the sound of his voice, Voldemort’s facing us — if we just came running through, he’d see us and take us out — we need to wait until he’s distracted.
"I gain strength from unicorn blood... my faithful Quirrell creeps out to the Forest to drink it for me... you saw him, did you not? But to be restored to my body would take far stronger magic... such as the Elixir of Life ... So why don’t you hand over the Sorcerer’s Stone you have in your pocket?"
A sound of footsteps, of someone stumbling over a stone floor.
"Don’t be foolish," snarled Voldemort’s voice. "Join me and save your own life... or you’ll end up like your parents... on their knees, begging for mercy, that was how they died..."
"LIAR!" shouted Harry.
Danger closed her eyes, using every ounce of her will to keep her magic, and herself, where they were — it’s not time yet — not yet — I’ll only get myself killed if I do anything now, it’s not time yet...
More footsteps echoed in the room beyond the flames. "Touching," hissed Voldemort, with a hint of laughter in his tone. "Such courage... like your parents... yes, they were brave enough... your father put up a courageous fight... I killed him first... but I might have let your mother live, if she hadn’t tried to protect you... Now, unless you want her death to have been in vain, hand over the Stone."
"NEVER!" There was the sound of someone running toward the door —
"SEIZE HIM!" screamed Voldemort, and Harry yelled, as did Quirrell —
"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again — there was the sound of a scuffle, and then Quirrell began to scream in pain.
"Master, I cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!"
"Then kill him, fool, and be done with it!" screeched Voldemort.
NOW!
Remus charged through the flames, into the room, roaring. Danger followed, just in time to see Remus knock Quirrell off Harry — lion and man rolled over on the ground, grappling, and Quirrell’s robes fell away from his leg so that Danger could see the marks there — the not quite healed wounds inflicted by the lion’s claws in the Forest —
Quirrell gestured, and Remus was thrown backwards across the room to crash into the wall.
His mind’s touch vanished.
Danger howled with the shock but maintained control by a hair as Quirrell whirled to face her — no, it was Voldemort who was facing her, the back of Quirrell’s head was marred by a horrible paper-white face with slits for nostrils and red eyes — Quirrell’s own face was red and burned, as were his hands —
One of those hands made a throwing motion towards her, and Danger leapt out of the way, snarling. Her return bolt, of pure fire, was deflected back towards her, and she turned human in time to roll out of the way —
Quirrell screamed again as Harry leapt on him, wrapping both hands around his arm and hanging on determinedly, even though his own screams joined Quirrell’s — touching the man seemed to cause him agony —
Luna’s voice echoed in Danger’s mind.
"You can have too much of anything. Even control."
Her own voice joined it.
"If it had gotten out of control... it would have saved Harry from Voldemort — I don’t know what else it would have done, but it would have done that."
Time to find out.
"GO TO HELL!" Danger screamed at Quirrell, at Voldemort, and let go of her magic.
It flooded out of her — and seemed to take her with it. Her control was gone, but at the same time, she was more in control than she had ever been. The magic answered to her hand — but that hand was ready to do what it had never done before. She was wolf, she was human, she was lion — she was fire and wind and destruction — she was a million things, but one above all.
She was Death.
Quirrell had time for one scream before the flames enveloped him.
When they were gone, not even ashes were left.
Harry collapsed to the floor like a puppet with cut strings.
Danger gasped for breath as the reality of what she’d just done struck her like a physical blow.
I killed. I killed a man. I killed another human being...
She screamed herself, falling to the floor and howling in horror and confusion and grief, not sure what form she was in or even if she was in any form at all, only knowing that she had killed another person, and nothing would ever be the same.
xXxXx
Remus came awake to a horrible wailing noise, made worse by the fact that he was receiving it in two ways — through his ears and his mind both.
Something’s wrong.
He opened his eyes and tried to get up, but was handicapped by the fact that his right knee didn’t want to hold his weight. Danger lay on the floor — the wailing was coming from her —
Obviously, since I can hear it mentally as well as physically. But she isn’t physically hurt...
Harry lay crumpled on the floor as well, so very still that there was one terrible moment when Remus feared for his Pack-son’s life. Then, with a rush of relief, he saw Harry’s chest rise and fall.
There was no sign of Quirrell.
Gently, Remus touched Danger’s mind. It was a maelstrom of emotion, threatening to tear his control apart as it had torn hers, to draw him into it rather than him drawing her out —
I need to know what happened. Show me.
The last few moments played themselves out for him, and he began to understand what was hurting her so.
She’s never killed anyone — never even thought of it as a possibility —
From the day he’d been bitten, Remus’ parents had drilled into him that if he wasn’t careful, he might kill people. He had grown up knowing it was possible for one human to kill another, and specifically, for him to be the killer. Danger, it seemed, had been sheltered from this.
Most people are.
But now she’s killed — killed in defense of an innocent and of her own life, but she’s still killed.
We’re going to have to deal with this.
He rolled over to sit on one hip, then pushed himself along the stone floor until he was beside Harry. He rearranged the boy into a more comfortable position, felt the lump in his pocket and decided to leave it where it was, conjured a pillow under his head, and gently stroked his hair. "This is probably the stupidest thing you’ve ever done," he told Harry. "But I can’t really be too angry with you — not with what you stopped from happening."
He heard the sobbing behind him begin to fade.
"You know, Harry," he went on conversationally, "it’s a big decision, to end a human life. To kill another person. But sometimes the biggest decisions in life are the ones we have to make the fastest. And they’re almost always the ones where we wish there was another way."
The noise of Danger’s crying was almost completely gone now.
"I’ve never killed anyone myself. But if it was a choice between someone I loved and someone who was trying to hurt that person, I know what I would do. And I might regret it later — but I would regret not doing it much, much more."
He could hear paws on the floor behind him.
"And of course, there are some big decisions where I don’t wish there had been another way. Like deciding to love someone. I can’t think of one person in my life I regret loving." Remus stopped. "Well, maybe Peter. But... no, not even him. Not even with everything he did. I don’t regret loving him like a friend."
A cold nose was thrust under his left hand. He did not flinch. And don’t think for one instant that I’m about to stop loving you, he said instead.
Danger lay down, her head resting on his good leg, and looked up at him with misery plain in her eyes. Remus lowered his hand and began to stroke her head.
Don’t we usually do this the other way around? said a small, shaky voice in his mind.
Do us good to shake things up a bit. Remus smiled down at her.
Danger’s wolf features blurred, and she was human again, tears sliding from her eyes. I killed a man, Remus. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?
In this case, it means that Harry and you and I are alive, and that an evil tyrant has been stopped from returning to power.
But —
Remus opened his mind to her and let her see what he was feeling — how proud he was of her strength and her ability, that he wasn’t in the least angry with her — that he was a bit angry with himself for rushing in and getting himself knocked out, so that he hadn’t been able to help her — that, in his opinion, she had done the only thing she could have — and slowly, little by little, he felt her relaxing against him.
Thank you, she sent after a little while.
You’re welcome.
They were together. They were alive. It was enough.