A Race Against Time
-December 4, 1991-
“Enervate.”
Sirius shooks up, a loud gasp tearing its way out of his throat. He was stunned to see Severus standing over him, his face twisted in a deep, grim scowl. His eyes glance around the room to see everyone in the Order unconscious on the floor. He slowly stands, his hand coming up to rub his head as he tries to remember what happened.
“What the hell happened here?!” Severus demands, turning around to wake the other members. Sirius furrows his brows for a second before he remembers, his eyes shooting wide as he recalls the way Dumbledore knocked everyone out after he kidnapped Little One.
“Dumbledore went crazy!” Sirius cried. “He started going nuts, talking about the ‘Greater Good’ before he hit everyone with a wide-ranged Stupefy and left!”
“He what?” Severus asked, his eyes wide with shock as he spun around to face Sirius. He was so close, Sirius could feel his breath against his cheek, and though it was a very inappropriate time, Sirius was suddenly reminded of the way he’d confessed a few days ago. Sirius fought to maintain an indifferent mask. “Why would he do that? He just alienated everyone in the Order!”
“WHERE IS THAT MAN?!” a sudden screech interrupted the pair. In their distraction, Molly Weasley had been awoken, and she was not happy.
“Molly---” Arthur, now awake, was attempting to calm his wife, with no success.
“What did you mean when you said he was talking about the ‘Greater Good’?” Severus said, drawing Sirius’ attention away from the shrieking Molly. “What does that mean?”
“He kidnapped Little One,” Remus said, stepping towards them. His eyes were flashing amber with rage, causing Severus to stiffen. Severus’ eyes widened when he processed Remus’ words. “Said he took him so he could defeat the Dark Lord.”
“He did what?!” Severus hissed, his eyes flashing towards the Order members who were waking up. Severus tugged Sirius and Remus into a corner, away from the grumpy Order members so that he could speak freely. “What else did he say?!”
“Nothing that could help us find him,” Sirius said bitterly, his eyes flashing with rage as he recalled the way Dumbledore had vaguely told them about his plan while assuring them that Little One wouldn’t be harmed. “Seriously, what happened to him? He’s changed!”
“He’s the same as he’s always been,” Severus said with a scoff. “You just never saw it.”
“Does he know yet?” Remus asked, interrupting Sirius before he had the chance to comment. “What’s going on at the castle?”
“I don’t know,” Severus replied, his face drawn into a grimace. “I came as soon as I could. I was in the middle of a potion. If the Dark Lord knows, he hasn’t called us to him.”
“Shit…” Sirius said softly, bracing his forehead against his palm. “He is going to be pissed.”
“Boys!” the sharp voice of Molly drew the trio out of their stilted conversation. “Come over here! We need to discuss what we’re going to do!”
“I am an adult, Mrs. Weasley,” Severus replied tersely. “I’d appreciate it if you treated me like one.”
Molly merely gave Severus an unimpressed look before waving them over. Sirius followed Remus with a pensive face, struggling to recall any hints that Dumbledore may have dropped about what happened. If what he said was true, if he really did kidnap Little One, there was going to be hell to pay.
“We should split up and look for him,” Remus said. “Severus, Sirius and I could check his home while you check Hogwarts?”
“You really think he’d keep the Inferius at Hogwarts?” Moody asked with a loud scoff. Sirius narrowed his eyes. “Just leave him. I’m sure the man had a good reason.”
“A good reason to knock everyone unconscious?” Sirius snapped. “What happened to Constant Vigilance, eh?”
“Do you tell everyone your secrets when you’re trying to stop a war?” Moody replied gruffly, causing Sirius to grit his teeth.
“We’re not at war anymore!” Sirius cried, startling everyone. “Look around, Moody! People are at peace! There is no fighting in the streets! No subjugation of Muggles or Muggleborn! Pull your heads out of your arses and think for a bloody second!”
“But the Dark Lord---” Molly started, but Sirius wasn’t finished.
“The Dark Lord hasn’t done any of the things Dumbledore said he would! Not a single one!” Sirius seethed. “Right now, all I see is a group of people following an old man fighting a war that isn’t happening! Are you seriously okay with someone knocking you unconscious and kidnapping a toddler from their father?”
It was silent for a long time as everyone processed his words. Finally, Molly looked at him, her hands trembling as she wrung them in front of her chest. “He’s not the Dark Lord’s son,” she said quietly, causing Sirius to draw in a sharp breath. “He’s Lily and James’ boy. He’s your godson. Are you really okay with the Dark Lord raising him?”
Sirius’ breath caught in the back of his throat at the question, his eyes widening. Was he really okay with it? What a loaded question. Sirius hated it at first; seeing his godson with the man responsible for so much death and destruction. But as he watched the man and served him, he could see just how much the Dark Lord cared about Little One.
The Dark Lord loved Little One. He loved him the way Little One should’ve been loved by his relatives. He loved him the way Little One deserved. The way Lily and James would have wanted.
Sirius drew in a short breath, his eyes closing for a brief second as he wrangled with the grief inside of him. When he’d composed himself, Sirius opened his eyes and leveled Molly with a dangerous glare that had the woman stiffening. “I just want what’s best for him,” he said in a dangerously level tone. “The Dark Lord has been raising Harry like his own. Loving him the way his parents would’ve wanted.”
“Sirius---”
“Dumbledore left him to rot with abusive relatives.” Sirius snapped, causing everyone to freeze. “If not for him, Harry would be alive.”
The silence was tense, brisk from Sirius’ rage. Molly’s eyes were wide, small tears glistening at the bottom of her lashes as she stared at him. Sirius was practically trembling with rage, the underhanded attempt at emotional manipulation made Sirius want to scream. He had more important things to deal with than the Order’s politics.
“We’re going to look for Dumbledore,” Remus said, breaking the awkward silence. He patted Sirius’ shoulder and pulled him back from the confrontational stance that Sirius had unconsciously adopted. “Just… Please, keep an eye out for him. Okay?”
“We’ll do that,” Arthur said, wrapping an arm around Molly’s shoulder as he nodded. “Go. Look for him. We’ll do what we can here.”
“Thank you.” Remus said before he turned around, his hand sliding down from Sirius’ shoulder to his hand, squeezing it gently as he tugged Sirius out the door, Severus following behind silently.
Sirius stopped when they were standing outside the door, his breath coming out in controlled moments. Remus squeezed his hand again, looking at him with concern. “I’m good.” he said, breathing in deeply before he stood up straight. “Let’s go to the castle and see what we can do to help.”
Severus nodded and the trio apparated to the Dark Lord’s castle only to freeze as they took in the destruction in front of them. The Dark Lord’s castle was destroyed; half of the castle was collapsed into rubble, the other half covered in the scorch marks of a put-out fire.
“Oh, Merlin…” Remus said in a drawn out-breath.
There was an enraged scream that pierced through the horrified silence before Severus fell to the ground screaming. Sirius and Remus froze before they dropped into a bow as the Dark Lord stomped over to them. His magic was oppressive, filling the air and suffocating them with it’s murderous energy.
Sirius had never seen the Dark Lord this enraged. It was terrifying.
Severus’ agonized screams filled the air for a long time. Sirius was trembling as he listened to the dour potions master screech and writhe about on the ground in agony. When the Dark Lord finally lifted the curse, Sirius let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“Speak.” the Dark Lord demanded, his voice cut Sirius’ soul, sending fearful trembles down his spine. The voice was full of murderous, homicidal rage---it was the voice of a powerful Dark Lord whose son was taken from him. This voice would haunt Sirius for the rest of his life.
“Dumbledore has him,” Severus said, and Sirius was impressed at how steady his voice was. “He informed the Order that he took him without telling us where. He then knocked everyone out and disappeared.”
The Dark Lord let out another enraged cry before his magic lashed out, causing Sirius to flinch as he heard the ground crack under him. “WHAT USE ARE YOU TO ME?!” he snarled, whipping his hand out to grip Severus’ throat tightly, lifting him up and holding him above the ground. Severus let out choked noises as he struggled to breathe.
Sirius met Severus’ wide eyes, his own eyes filled with fear as he remained helpless. There was nothing he could do for Severus. To intervene now would mean death to everyone here. “M-My Lo-ord---”
The Dark Lord let out a wordless exclamation of seething rage before he threw Severus to the ground. “Find him! He needs to be found! NOW!” the Dark Lord screamed. “There isn’t much time left!”
“M-My Lord?” Severus asked, his hand coming up to gently rest on his throat, finger-shaped bruises already starting to appear.
“Tell me, Severus, what do you know about Inferi?” the Dark Lord demanded, his words bordering onto a hiss. Severus opened his mouth, but it seemed the Dark Lord wasn’t looking for a response as he continued. “They need a constant input of magic. Without it, they will eventually devolve and become nothing more than mindless husks. Once they’ve reached this state, there is no return.”
The Dark Lord leveled them with a glare so full of rage, it stuck Sirius to the very ground. His eyes were impossibly wide as he processed what the Dark Lord was telling them. Was Little One in danger of devolving? Didn’t that happen over a long period of time?
“The anniversary of Little One’s death is approaching,” the Dark Lord continued. “That is when the revitalization of magic in his body is most effective. He will soon begin the process of devolution, and if he is not around my magical signature when it starts, he will devolve faster. It is imperative that we find him soon. Do you understand?”
“Yes, My Lord,” Severus said, stumbling his way into a bow. “We will not rest until he is found.”
“See to it that you don’t,” the Dark Lord commanded. “I suspect we have less than a week before Little One devolves without my magic to slow it. Find him.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Well? Why are you still here?” the Dark Lord snarled. “GO! FIND MY SON!”
Sirius apparated away at the dismissal, arriving in front of Grimmauld Place, Severus and Remus appearing seconds later. Severus was holding his neck gingerly, darkened bruises lining his throat. “Where would Dumbledore take him?” Sirius asked. “And what is he talking about? Devolving?”
“Honestly, Black,” Severus scoffed. “Inferi are creatures of magic. Without magic to sustain them, they lose their cognition and function. They become little more than muggle zombies, no soul left in them.”
Sirius froze. “We have a week to find Little One or he becomes a zombie?”
“Leave it to you to oversimplify an incredibly complex magical process,” Severus rolled his eyes. “We have a week to find Little One and return him to the Dark Lord so that his magic can stabilize him, or we risk losing Little One for good.”
Sirius' eyes widened at the blunt answer. “Well… shit.”
Gellert watched as his ex-lover appeared in his cell carrying a bundle of blankets. Or, what appeared to be a bundle of blankets. It wasn’t until Albus set the blankets on the ground and began casting nonverbal protection spells all over them did Gellert realize that the bundle of blankets was holding a child.
Gellert let out a horrified noise at the sight of a silently crying child sitting in a pile of blankets on the floor. “Albus what---” he cut himself off, his eyes leaving the child to see Albus’ triumphant face. “Why is there a little boy in this cell?”
“This is how I save the world,” Albus said, his blue eyes twinkling with delight. “With him out of the way, the Dark Lord will be unsteady, making it easy to take him down.”
Gellert froze. “The Dark Lord…? Albus is that Voldemort’s son?!”
“This is Harry Potter,” Albus said, casting another protection spell on the shivering child. “I’ve rescued him from Voldemort, and he’s just going to stay here for a little while until it’s safe. Once I’ve dealt with Voldemort, I’ll return him to his godfather.”
“Albus this is… this is madness!” Gellert cried. “Look at yourself! You just kidnapped a child to use against his father! Even I never did that---”
“I’m doing what needs to be done!” Albus argued. “This is the only way to save our world!”
Gellert just glanced at the child Albus had taken, his eyes taking in the way the child huddled in on himself and shivered, his eyes wide with fear as they darted between Albus and himself, tears trailing down his cheeks, red from the cold. He shook his head silently, looking at Albus with pity.
“You’ve changed,” he said softly. “You are not the man I fell in love with.”
Albus sucked in a deep breath before he responded. “I’m the same man I’ve always been,” he said. “You’re the one who changed. I’m still willing to do what’s necessary for the Greater Good.”
With that, Albus turned to cast one final protection charm on the child before he left, a loud crack echoing across the cell signaling his retreat. Gellert was left in silence, his eyes taking in the huddled form of a scared child.
“Hey there…” he said softly, frowning at the child’s flinch. “Harry, right? It’s okay. I’m so sorry this happened, but everything is going to be okay.”
The child slowly lifted his head, emerald green eyes looking at him with fear. Gellert smiled, doing his best to look friendly, but he only succeeded in freaking him out more, as the child whimpered and scooted back until he was up against the wall, wrapping his arms around his knees.
“My name is Gellert,” Gellert continued, hoping to put the child at ease. “It’s nice to meet you, Harry, even under these circumstances.”
The boy looked at him suspiciously before he leaned his head back against the wall, allowing Gellert to see the stitches lining his neck. Gellert bit back a gasp at the sight before he looked closer at the child, taking in the odd mannerisms of him before his eyes widened with realization.
The boy in front of him was an Inferius!
Gellert frowned, though, when he saw the way Harry’s skin was losing it’s color, a trembling hand coming up to scratch at his stitches nervously. Harry was a well-made Inferius, made properly so that one wouldn’t know he was an Inferius unless they looked closer.
But Gellert was familiar with Inferi, and he could see that the child in front of him was getting ready to devolve. Albus must have taken him away right around the anniversary of his death, which means he’d need more magic soon.
Contrary to common belief, to revitalize an Inferius, one doesn’t necessarily have to use the same magic that brought the Inferius back to life. Any magic could do, however, it was more common for the wizard who performed the ritual in the first place to continue supplying it with magic.
From the looks of it, though, Harry might not last long enough to wait for his father’s magic. Gellert bit back a curse. If only he wasn’t wearing the magic-canceling chains, he could perform the ritual himself and save the Inferius.
Gellert sighed and rested his head against the knee. Hopefully whoever was looking for the child would find them soon. Gellert wasn’t sure how much time Harry had left.