61 Chapter 65: 4-13: Missing

Disclaimer: Being neither British nor Japanese, it should therefore come as no surprise that I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto, nor anything from their respective franchises.

The memory ended then, ejecting the four wizards back into the Headmaster's office where they promptly sat heavily in their chairs. A wave of Albus's wand brought out a bottle of brandy and poured out four generous glasses, which a second wave distributed. "I think it best," his voice was strained, "that we take this opportunity to recover from that experience before forging ahead. While we do so, perhaps we might share our observations?"

Sirius took a greedy sip with shaking hands. "I've been a right bloody bastard to Kreacher. When I get back to Grimmauld I'm apologizing to him, and then probably having a good cry and getting utterly pissed." Albus and Iruka both shot meaningful looks at Remus, who nodded resolutely. He'd make sure his friend was looked after.

"Those looked like Inferi," the werewolf spoke next, elaborating at Iruka's look of confusion, "dead bodies reanimated by Dark magic to act as servants or soldiers. They're not alive, just mindless puppets, but they're strong, fast, fearless, and either resistant or immune to most forms of magical attack. Alone you might be able to dismember one, but in large numbers the only real defense is fire and lots of it; for whatever reason magic seems unable to protect dead flesh from burning, so that's the one universal weakness Inferi have. Part of the commands included in most Inferi is to avoid or even flee from fire."

"Magic might not be able to save them, but the water they're covered in might provide some protection," Iruka observed, "and the lake itself would give them a safe place to retreat to where fire can't reach them. And of course, being dead they presumably don't need to breathe, so they can wait as long as they need to. Credit where credit's due, that's a smart combination."

"What concerns me," Albus chimed in, "is Tom's mention of 'gathering raw materials'. Given the lack of decay on those Inferi we saw, it seems likely that they were not made using bodies pilfered from graveyards as is the more common method historically. That lake may well be the resting place of many of those people who went missing during his rise."

"Is there any way of safely retrieving them," Iruka asked, "remove or cancel the spells that animate them so they could be identified and returned to their families for a proper burial? It would probably bring at least some closure to a lot of people."

"It might be possible," Dumbledore allowed, "though it would undoubtedly be quite difficult, especially considering their likely numbers. Such an endeavor would also best be postponed until after we are certain that Lord Voldemort is permanently gone, as there would be no way of hiding the return of so many people's remains. Tom would undoubtedly realize the implications of such a thing, placing our current effort in grave jeopardy."

"What I want to know," Sirius said, his voice and hands noticeably steadier even if his glass was already near-empty, "is why the bastard was so chatty? I'm not complaining, mind - it's probably how Reg was able to figure out what he was dealing with, but it's still a bit odd."

"Is it, though?" Albus's voice took on an instructor's tone. "Tom is prideful, immensely so, perhaps second only to his fearfulness. He desires not only power but worship and adulation. From Severus's reports during the last war Lord Voldemort would often boast of his power, his accomplishments, et cetera. Why then would he not like to boast of his self-determined brilliance in the defenses around his Horcrux? To do so would negate the purpose of hiding it in the first place and greatly weaken its defense, but ah, a solution presents itself in Kreacher. I have no doubt whatsoever that Tom never had any intention or expectation that Kreacher would leave that cave alive, or leave it at all for that matter. With wards in place to block Apparition and Portkeys, he would think it all but impossible for anyone to enter or escape except through the path he had defended."

"And so," the Headmaster continued, "we see his efforts undone twice over by his own hubris and bigotry. He dismissed house-elves as nothing more than useful vermin, never understanding that they have their own magics which we wizards little understand, and through this oversight Kreacher's escape became possible. As I said, his need to boast of his achievements handed Kreacher vital information which he carried back to young Regulus."

"What about that first protection," Iruka asked, "the door that needed blood to open? It seemed... clumsy, I guess? The amount of blood it seemed to take just wasn't enough to slow most people down - I've lost more than that from some nosebleeds." Stupid sexy Naruto. "That doesn't even account for the existence of Blood-Replenishing Potions. Riddle seems do be drastically overestimating that defense."

Albus nodded. "It is rather crude, yes, and once again, Lord Voldemort fails to grasp that there are much more terrible things than physical injury."

There was a lull, then, each man falling back into his own thoughts for a minute.

"So..." Remus finally broke the silence, "anything else?"

"Aside from some irrelevant questions about various possible ways to get around the defenses on that basin?" Iruka shook his head. "Nothing else comes to mind at the moment." His negative gesture was mirrored by Sirius and Albus.

"Having spoken to Kreacher at some greater length than Sirius and Remus were able to initially," the Headmaster said, "I found that from the end of that memory Regulus Black nursed Kreacher back to health, learning from him about the events we just witnessed. Apparently that potion has two major effects upon the drinker: It causes nightmarish visions, while also causing one's insides to burn with pain and unbearable thirst. Both symptoms worsen as more of the potion is consumed."

"During Kreacher's recovery," he continued, "his account of Voldemort's words led Regulus to research in the Black family library. Sirius was kind enough to loan me those volumes which Kreacher recalled his master finding most helpful," the Headmaster said with a nod to the pale wizard. "Regulus was able to deduce the nature of the locket, and his disgust at such a foul magic combined with his outrage on Kreacher's behalf and the growing doubts he'd already been having about the righteousness of Voldemort's cause, all driving him to act. He composed a short note, which he placed inside a locket which was an heirloom of the Black family. It is shortly after this that our second trial of the day begins."

Standing and putting aside his half-finished brandy, Albus withdrew the first memory from his Pensieve and poured in a second. The other three likewise stood, stepping reluctantly towards the Headmaster's desk and, steeling themselves for what was to come, dove in to watch the death of a hero.

Once again the quartet found themselves in a memory of Grimmauld Place, looking at Kreacher and Regulus Black. This time, the wizard looked far less composed, his hair and clothing somewhat rumpled, his skin slightly paler, and dark circles under eyes that nonetheless burned with resolve and purpose. In one hand he held an ornate old locket similar in size and design to Slytherin's, though without the "S" marked out in emeralds on the face. In the other was a simple wooden ladle.

"Kreacher," he said, "we have an important task today. The locket the Dark Lord used you to help hide is a piece of the foulest of magic, and must be destroyed. He has committed an utterly unforgiveable act, sullied Magic itself with his vileness. We are going to steal away his treasure so that it may be destroyed, leaving this in its place so that only the deepest of investigation will reveal that we have stripped away his perverse form of immortality. You will take me to where he hid his locket, and I will drink the potion that protects it. If I falter, you must make sure that I continue to drink, and that we both avoid the water. Once the potion is all gone, the lockets must be switched, and the one he defiled must be taken away and destroyed at any cost. Do you understand?"

The house-elf nodded. "Kreacher understands. Kreacher lives to serve great Master Regulus and the House of Black."

"Good," Regulus smiled wanly, "then let's not wait." He reached out the hand holding the locket, grasping Kreacher's hand, and suddenly all was darkness except for a familiar green glow.

Wizard and elf stood on the small island, right next to the basin whose contents were the only source of light present. Regulus looked around curiously while Kreacher swayed on his feet somewhat, clearly drained from carrying his master. "Cheery," the Black scion commented sarcastically, prompting a slightly watery chuckle from his brother, before noting his servant's fatigued state and frowning grimly. Iruka recognized his expression at that moment, having seen it before on fellow shinobi both friend and foe: It was the look of someone choosing to make the ultimate sacrifice to complete their mission and protect their comrades.

Regulus turned to the basin and used the ladle to scoop out some of the potion. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to drink.

The four wizards viewing the memory watched in silence as the young man drank again and again. They watched as the shrinking pool of potion diminished the light until a snap of Kreacher's fingers created a glowing white spark a meter above the basin. They watched as Kreacher tearfully urged him, "Master Regulus must keep drinking!" and "No, Master Regulus must stay away from the water!" They watched as the teenager sobbed and begged and pleaded for mercy, only to drink more of that evil green liquid.

After more than ten torturous minutes, the basin was empty of potion. Regulus collapsed to the stone, the ladle falling from his limp fingers. "Lockets," he moaned.

Kreacher took the locket from his master's hand, and clambered up the pedestal. He reached into the basin, switching the Black locket for Slytherin's, then hastily let go and dropped back to the floor as more potion began to seep from the stone. "Kreacher has the Dark Lord's nasty locket," he croaked, holding it out triumphantly while panting from the exertion.

"It must-" the wizard rasped, "it must be destroyed! Take it back home and destroy it!" His eyes were wild with terror and pain. "Tell no one in the family, don't let them warn him!" He stopped then, as his writhing had turned him enough that the lake's water was in his full view, and began crawling towards the island's edge. Kreacher tried to stop him, but Regulus's fevered strength was too much for the exhausted elf to overcome. Even when the Inferi responded to his intrusion on their domain, he managed to struggle against them long enough to cry out, "Take it and go!" before being dragged in.

With a crack, Kreacher returned to the Black family's kitchen, where he collapsed to the floor with a mournful wail.

Emerging back in the Headmaster's office, the four men once again collapsed into their chairs. Sirius slumped forward, elbows on knees and face in hands, his shoulders shaking as he wept for his brother.

Albus quickly came back to himself, pulling out several small flasks. He rose and extended one to Sirius first. "Drink this, Sirius, please." At the man's confused expression, he explained. "A Calming Draught; it should give you some time to process what we've just witnessed. Take it." Sirius nodded numbly, taking the flask and fumbling with the stopper for a moment before quaffing the contents. Almost instantly, some of the tension left his frame, though this only left him looking as badly affected as the other three in the room instead of utterly distraught.

Both Remus and Iruka refused the Draughts they were offered, leaving the Headmaster to put them away and instead refill everyone's brandies before taking his seat again. "Having witnessed that," he said thickly, "I intend to see to it that once Voldemort is defeated once and for all, Regulus Black is nominated for and receives the Order of Merlin, First Class. If our nation had a higher honor, I would suggest that instead. The courage and strength of character his actions required demands no less and deserves far more." Iruka, Remus, and Sirius all nodded in agreement.

"I didn't see anything in that memory that seemed like it could help us find more Horcruxes," Iruka commented, "but at the same time I think somebody needed to watch that memory, to understand the level of Regulus Black's sacrifice. Since we're the only ones that can be told about it right now..." No more needed to be said, and the four men silently nursed their brandies for a moment before a joyful trill announced the return of Fawkes swooping in through an open window. The phoenix took one brief glance around the room before beginning to softly croon. Even without words his song spoke to all of them of courage, of heroism, of sacrifice, of loss, and of love. All of them felt the soothing effects, and a warmth within far beyond what could be attributed to the brandy. Eventually, the fiery bird fell silent, bowing his head in mournful solidarity, and until their meeting broke up the only things heard in the Headmaster's office were the snores of the portraits, the ticking and whirring of Albus's assortment of gadgets, and the sound of four men sipping their badly-needed brandy.

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The rest of May almost flew by, along with much of June. With the two-way mirrors available, communication with Konoha was much faster and easier: Not only did Iruka get the opportunity to catch up more directly with his friends back home, he was able to loan his mirror to some of his students and colleagues in Hogwarts to allow Naruto and others to speak with them directly. Granted, most of these talks had to make use of the Room of Requirement's translation abilities, but it was still a whole new level of interaction.

Sirius, when Iruka saw him, remained much more somber and less animated than he'd been previously, though he seemed to be gradually recovering from the horrors they'd witnessed.

Gamato was no longer being sent every month because even those small trips took a huge expenditure of Naruto's chakra, something those at both ends felt was better saved for when it was needed now that they had a clear line of communications. The Toad courier could still be sent if goods or materiel needed to be transferred between worlds, but by the current plan his next visit would be in early August with enough chakra to bring Iruka back with him. As much as he missed Konoha, the chuunin knew he'd be missing his British friends and students for the year or two it would most likely take to fully prep a transport circle paired with the one he was even now only around three-quarters done with in a remote long-abandoned storeroom in Hogwarts.

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On the twenty-fourth of June, Hogwarts was a zoo. The Third Task would commence that evening, which meant that both press and Ministry personnel were swarming over the grounds, while the three Champions' families had been brought in early to support their children/siblings. Of course, Iruka thought a touch morbidly, given the prior mortality rate of the Triwizard Tournament it was probably also a chance for each Champion and their family to see each other one last time, just in case...

The assembled spectators were beginning to crowd their way into the twilit Quidditch stands when Hermione, Luna, and Ginny hurried over to Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, have you seen Harry and Neville? They were supposed to meet us by the Room half an hour ago but they never showed.

Iruka shook his head. "I'm afraid I haven't seen either of them all afternoon." It could be nothing, it should be nothing, but something in his intuition as a shinobi was screaming at him that his students were in danger. "Let's ask the Headmaster, come on." The quartet quickly made their way over to where Dumbledore was speaking with Madame Maxime and Ludo Bagman.

"Headmaster," the chuunin said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've got a couple of students unaccounted-for and was hoping you could help me find them."

Albus's eyes flicked to the three girls, before widening minutely as his body language flipped to 'tense and worried but covering it up'. "Please excuse me, Olympe, Ludo, but my other responsibilities beckon." He gave both a polite (if subtly strained) smile before chivvying Iruka and the girls to a quiet spot behind the stands. Extracting a sheet of parchment from a pocket, he tapped it with his wand while saying "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus." Within seconds, the lines running across the page from his wandtip had drawn a map of the castle beneath the title "STAFF MAP, HEADMASTER" with a handful of dots in the corridors and a muddled swarm surrounding the Quidditch Pitch. "Invenio Harry Potter," he intoned with his wand still touching the page.

Nothing happened.

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Albus scowled. This was not good, potentially very not good. Steeling himself, he gave the emergency secondary password for his copy of the Staff Map. "Für das Größere Wohl." He had chosen this password very carefully, as a check on himself and his tendency to try and control everything. It was a harsh reminder of where that tendency could lead, of the harm it could cause, and of the harm it had caused. While most things that recalled Ariana to him were bittersweet, this reminder of what led to her death was purely bitter, an added disincentive to abuse the knowledge the Staff Map's emergency mode offered.

While a handful of new dots appeared in the private areas of the castle, a quick scan showed that none read "Harry Potter". Very not good indeed.

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Iruka saw, or rather didn't see, the same thing as the Headmaster. "Try searching for Neville," he suggested.

Dumbledore nodded. "Invenio Neville Longbottom." A dot in a broom closet near Gryffindor Tower turned red. "Duty Done," he stated firmly, blanking the map and turning to hustle towards the castle. Iruka and the girls followed, the latter having to jog at times to keep up with their Headmaster's long strides.

Upon reaching the closet, they opened it to find Neville crumpled unconscious. Albus cast a quick diagnostic over the teen, before sighing in relief. "Merely stunned, thank Merlin. Rennervate."

Neville jolted awake, looking around in confusion for a moment before working out where he was and who was present. "Headmaster? What happened?" He looked at the group worriedly. "Where's Harry?"

"That's what we were hoping you could tell us, Mister Longbottom," Albus said kindly. "What is the last thing you recall before we awoke you here?"

"Harry and I were heading over to meet with the girls to go watch the Third Task, when suddenly there was a rustle of cloth and a Stunning Hex caught Harry in the back before he could dodge. I was just turning around when whoever did it must have Stunned me too."

Albus's face turned grave. "I see. Please make your way to the Hospital Wing; Madam Pomfrey should join you there shortly. I'm afraid I have need of your friends and teacher. In case you aren't certain where you are at present, the grand stair case is that way." He pointed back the way they'd come, and Neville nodded and headed off, glancing worriedly back at the others as he went. "Iruka, I believe a rescue mission is in order. Please garb yourself appropriately."

While Iruka was shucking his robes and unsealing his vest and other gear, the Headmaster turned to the girls. "Miss Lovegood, go to Madam Pomfrey and tell her to get to the Hospital Wing as soon as possible, and to prepare for a possibly critical casualty. Miss Weasley, find your brother Percival and tell him that Madam Pomfrey and I are dealing with an emergency and ask that he hold the Third Task at least until they have a qualified medi-witch or -wizard to see to injured Champions. Miss Granger, inform Professor McGonagall of the same and ask that she gather Professor Moody and contact Madam Bones regarding the kidnapping of a minor."

The girls rushed off, and Albus called out "Fawkes!" The phoenix in question appeared in a burst of flame, hovering before the two wizards. "Can you find Harry?" After a moment's pause, Fawkes gave a sad trill and shook his head. Albus scowled. "That is not good. At best, whoever has taken Harry has him under some sort of ward, presumably Dark in origin, capable of blocking phoenixes. At worst... Regardless, we must find him, and quickly. There is no telling how long he's been gone already, and whoever is responsible is unlikely to have his best interests in mind."

Iruka took his turn to call in help. "Dobby!" The house-elf appeared with a crack, all in worn and faded clothing. From his tall, dark leather boots to his brown leather overcoat, earth tones dominated save for an old and shabby red- patterned scarf around his neck. The only other oddity of his outfit was an empty leather bandolier slung underneath his overcoat but over his glossy chocolate-colored waistcoat. "Harry has been kidnapped. Can you find him?"

Dobby's eyes widened to a degree that would have been comical in happier circumstances. "Dobby can always find Great Harry Potter Sir. He is not being at Hoggywarts, but Dobby be finding him."

"Just be careful," Iruka warned, "make sure nobody knows you were there."

This drew a confident smile. "Being not seen nor heard is something house-elves is good at." With a snap of his fingers, he disappeared with another crack. About fifteen seconds later, a very worried Dobby returned. "Dobby is finding Great Harry Potter Sir in a graveyard, Professor Ninja Sir. There is being many bad wizards there including Bad Old Master and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Good work, Dobby," the Headmaster said. "Would you be able to bring us to somewhere nearby but just out of sight?" At the elf's resolute nod, he turned to Iruka while pulling his wand. "Your task will be to retrieve Harry." He waved his wand and Iruka saw a blue glow coming from his vest. "That Portkey should carry you and anyone else in contact with your vest directly to the Hospital Wing when you speak your people's word for 'leaf'. I shall do my best to occupy the attention of Voldemort and his followers until you've made your escape."

"What are my rules of engagement?" the chuunin asked.

"Harry's wellbeing is obviously our priority. Do as you feel is necessary to that end. Are we ready?"

"I am if you are."

"Very well, then let us go. Dobby?"

A moment later, the corridor was empty.

A/N: Dun-dun-dunnnnn! And things were going so well for our heroes...

"Invenio" is Latin, with Google Translate giving meanings of "find, meet with, find out, discover, invent, locate". Google Translate and no actual knowledge of Latin feel pretty appropriate to coming up with Potterverse incantations, all things considered.

Fic Recommendation:"The Mouse of Konoha" by obsidian dreamer - a very young Naruto finds a way to get some early ninja training, and in true Naruto fashion proceeds to cause lots of people lots of headaches.

Posted 25 August 2019

Current WIP Chapter: 81/82