36

Chapter 36: Aftermath

"You boys used to do this for fun?" Molly panted out as she she stumbled over yet another obtrusive rock on the already uneven path. "You must have lost your minds!"

"I'm starting to believe that myself Molly," Remus huffed from where he stood hunched over in the corridor to prevent his head from hitting against the low ceiling.

Molly would admit to being happy that she wasn't very tall in this moment. Yes there was a point where Molly had to crawl through a particularly narrow portion of the corridor, however she was not the one that spent the whole trek doubled over as Sirius and Remus had.

"I remember this passage being taller," Sirius grunted out as he stubbed his toe on the same rock that Molly had just tripped over.

"Please tell me that we are almost there!" Molly groaned as she rubbed at a spot on her head that had just collided with a portion of the ceiling.

"It should be just around this curve," Remus said with a pleased groan as he was finally able to stand at his full height as the passageway grew to a decent height once again.

"Thank Merlin," Molly breathed as she stepped around the curve and looked at the stairs before her with a critical eye. "So these steps will take us into Hogwarts?"

"Yes, since the steps are already here we should only need to cast the spell at the top to get out."

"What do you mean since the stairs are out? Are they not always here?" Molly asked incredulously.

"Nope," Sirius chuckled as he clapped Molly on the shoulder, "When you go through the passage towards Honeydukes you cast 'disscendium' and it becomes a slide, coming back you have to cast 'ascendunt' and the slide becomes stairs like these."

"And how exactly did you boys find this out?" Molly asked as she raised an amused eye towards Sirius.

"We didn't actually," Sirius said with a bittersweet smile as he lovingly caressed the corridors side. "James did. No idea what possessed him to try, but he did and it became one of the corridors that we used the most."

Molly allowed the two a moment for fond memory before the crushing reality of the situation once again set in.

"Alright," Remus said gruffly, "Wands out, we don't know what were walking into."

Molly grabbed her wand and held it tightly in her fist as she climbed the steps and tried not to imagine what her sweet little Harry was going through.

Once the three of them were at the top of the short staircase Remus cast the spell in a mere whisper and they all cringed at the loud grating sound that echoed through the empty corridor before them.

The ominous feeling of dread settled over them as they strained their ears to listen for sound only to find silence, even the ever present grating of the changing staircase was missing leaving only a crushing silence in its wake.

Trading a nervous look the three worried souls stepped out and into the corridor beyond. The grating sound of the passageway closing drew Molly's eye as she turned to watch the hump of Grunhilda of Gorsemoorin close once again.

Wands held tightly the trio began to creep along the corridor towards the still silent stairwell, hoping beyond hope that the stairwells had at least stopped in a way that they could still climb up towards the infirmary. If nothing else they would be able to use Poppy's floo to access the headmasters office, that would be much better that trying to sneak through the castle that was under Dumbledore's control.

Finally making it to the staircase the three looked around in confusion, all of the staircases were frozen in midair between platforms, none of them were accessible, not even the ones on the lower levels...

How were they going to get to the infirmary!?

Just as this thought entered their minds the sound of rushed footsteps sounded from behind a tapestry just a short ways down the hall.

Molly looked at her companions in confusion as they quickly pulled her into a small recess in the wall.

"It's one of the hidden staircases," Sirius whispered as he aimed his wand towards the tapestry.

"Don't cast until we know who it is," Remus reminded him tensely as his nostrils flared, trying to pick up a scent.

Molly's frantic heartbeat was nearly enough to drown out the echoing flurry of footsteps as she aimed her wand towards the tapestry, a spell on her lips ready to be cast.

As the crescendo of footsteps reached its peak Molly's hands grew clammy forcing her to adjust her grip upon the smooth Ash wood.

The tapestry was suddenly flung aside as a familiar tartan clad witch rushed out of the hidden passageway.

"Minerva!" Molly gasped in relief as she staggered from the niche she had just hidden in.

"Molly," Minerva gasped with a start as her hand flew to her chest and she leaned against the rough wall beside her.

"Minerva where is Harry? What's happened to him?" Molly rushed through the question clinging to the elder witch desperately.

"Quirrell," Minerva breathed out looking older than Molly could remember her ever being before. "He wasn't who we thought he was. Harry's in the infirmary and Dumbledore has fled. Go through this tapestry and the passage will take you straight to the infirmary. I am heading to the Ministry now. Charlie will be able to tell you more I'm sure."

"Charlie's here!?" Molly asked wide eyed, honestly she should not be so surprised, those boy were soul mates after all.

Harry was trapped in a dream. He had to be.

There was no way that he could truly be back at the Dursley's residence. They were gone and out of his life for good, never to be seen again.

And yet here he was...

Huddled under the immaculately trimmed oak tree in the back yard of Number 4 Private Drive, clutching desperately to the small pup he had found abandoned in the park and attempted to smuggle into the backyard. A giant shadow looming behind him causing him to tremble in fear as his uncles voice boomed around him.

"Boy! What do you think you're doing bringing that filth into my house!?"

Harry flinched at the words directed towards him as he pulled the trembling pup closer to his chest.

A heavy boot kicked into his back flinging him forward, Harry rolled in an attempt to shelter the pup as his eyes searched frantically for an escape.

Thick fingers grasped at his hair, painfully tugging it away from his scalp as his head was painfully jerked backwards.

Vernon's malicious grin swam before his eyes as the small pup was tugged from his arms, a pained whimper escaping from its muzzle.

"This," Vernon hissed as he viciously shook the pup, "This is what I should have done the second you showed up on my doorstep."

With that Vernon Dursley threw the pup to the grass below and brought his foot down in a crushing blow, only the sound of the wind and the pups final yelp sounding through Harry's ears as the world faded to black.