New Harry Potter Adventures: Chapter 4 – Dark Discoveries

This story does not reflect the attitudes or characters in the Harry Potter series, or have any affiliation with the author.

Chapter 4
‘Were you successful in your mission my Lord?’ asked Draco concernedly.
‘Of sorts Draco,’ replied Voldemort calmly, sat as usual in his high throne like chair in the impressive living room of Malfoy Manor, ‘Gregorovitch did once possess the Elder Wand, but it was stolen from him many years ago. From what I extracted from his tortured mind before I killed him; it was stolen by a young, blonde haired wizard.’

‘Not a lot to go on my Lord,’ commented Ron, who was sat near the fire next to Voldemort.
‘No dear Ronald, it is not, however, Lord Voldemort has his hunches……I have another task for the two of you if you are up for it,’ said Voldemort.
‘Anything my Lord,’ replied Ron and Draco instantly, both of them instinctively edging closer towards Voldemort.
‘It is not as exciting as some of your previous tasks, but it is still important nonetheless……I need you both to go to Godric’s Hollow and stay low there for a while.’
‘Why my Lord?’ asked Ron eagerly.
‘I have reason to believe Potter will go back to his birth-place. Both of his parents are buried there and his old family home still remains…..I am sure that Potter being so sentimental will want to go and visit these places. You know what to do if you find him,’ finished Voldemort darkly. Both Draco and Ron nodded curtly at Voldemort as he stood up from his chair and went to stand by the window.

‘He is out there somewhere boys,’ said Voldemort as he looked out the window and saw the first flecks of snow begin to descend, ‘him and his mudblood companion…..find them boys, find them and bring them to me.’ Ron and Draco gave Voldemort a hurried bow before swiftly exiting the room. Voldemort watched through the window as two dark silhouettes hastily walked down the path to the gates before disappearing into the darkness. Voldemort sighed before he stretched his long, skeletal fingers towards his wand. Much murder was still to be done that night.
*
‘Are you sure you’re ok Hermione,’ asked Harry.
‘Yes I’m fine Harry, now please stop buzzing me!’ Hermione snapped back, as she stared back at him from over the top of the book she was reading. Harry noticed the locket around her neck and knew that Hermione didn’t mean her rudeness. Ever since he and Hermione had successfully stolen the locket from the Ministry, they had been on the run from the Death Eaters. For over a month now, they had been travelling from place to place in their magically enlarged tent, never staying in one place for more than a day. Both of them however, had begun to lose morale at their plight. They had gone with little food, no outside contact and no news for a month and combined with the dark power of the locket, they were both becoming more terse and distant with each other.

‘I’m sorry Hermione,’ said Harry gently, ‘I’ll go keep first watch.’ Hermione dropped her book and her expression softened as Harry got up to leave the tent.
‘O I’m sorry Harry,’ as she rushed over to him and hugged him for the first time in weeks, ‘it’s just this awful locket,’ she said as her fingers went to the chain around her neck, ‘It feels terrible Harry, it’s like I can feel……him, in it.’
‘I know, I know Hermione,’ said Harry as he rubbed her back, ‘but we can’t risk losing it, look, I’ll wear it for a while,’ Harry said as he took the locket from Hermione’s neck and placed it around his own. Harry immediately felt the cold, heavy metal press against his chest as dark thoughts began to swirl in his mind.
‘Hermione,’ said Harry lightly as he gave her back a final rub, ‘have the last of the food and then go and get some sleep, I’ll keep watch all night.’ Hermione gave him a watery smile and an affectionate pat on the head before Harry turned and went out into the cold, Wintery night.

Hours later, Harry, sat shivering under the numerous blankets he had wrapped around himself, began to feel waves of sleep overpower him. Harry’s head lolled and suddenly jerked forward, waking him up again momentarily from his slumber. Harry shook his head roughly, causing flecks of snow to dislodge from his hair and fall to the ground.
‘Lumos,’ Harry murmured as a narrow beam of light erupted from his wand. Harry looked out into the dark, foggy night from the entrance to the tent. Tonight, he and Hermione had chosen to stay at the bank of a small lake in a quiet forest, dense with large oak trees. A rustling in the bushes caused Harry’s sleepiness to evaporate instantly as he pointed his lit wand at the source of the noise. A small squirrel stared back at him, an acorn grasped tightly in its little paws before it darted off into the night. Harry sighed and chuckled lightly as he extinguished his wand and dropped it to his side. Harry knew Hermione had put up the magical barriers to protect them but as of yet, they had not been tested. Harry looked back longingly at the warm flames that Hermione magically produced and kept in a jar in the living room, and thought he could warm himself up before turning in for the night.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice broke the silence, causing Harry to tumble off his seat as he went to grab his wand.
‘Dean, please can we stop, I’m tired and it’s cold,’ said the voice desperately.
‘In a second,’ replied a hoarser, more tensed sounding voice, ‘we need to put as much distance between us and the snatchers as we can.’
‘Dean Thomas? Angelina Johnson?’ thought Harry as he heard the two bodies bumble through the bushes. Harry quickly began to remove some of the charms that protected him and Hermione as Dean and Angelina approached.
‘Dean! Angelina! Over here!’ cried Harry as the two stopped in their tracks at the sound of their names.
‘Harry?’ replied Angelina’s breathless voice, ‘O Harry!’ cried Angelina as her and Dean ran towards Harry and embraced him in the tightest hug he had ever received. Harry didn’t care though, this was the first friendly contact he had received in a month and he embraced the two of them like they were the most beautiful people he had ever met.

‘They went over here!’ a gruff, distant voice called as the three of them broke their hug.
‘Harry, the snatchers,’ whispered Dean urgently. Quick as a flash, Harry grabbed his wand and started to fire off protective spells all around them. Harry had to stifle a yelp as suddenly, Greyback emerged from the darkness. Greyback ambled slowly towards them, sniffing the air as his eyes moved around like a hawk in their sockets. He stopped about a foot from Harry, who didn’t dare move and prayed the protective spells worked. Another Death Eater appeared as Harry and Greyback stood face to face, eyeball to eyeball.
‘I swear they went this way….,’ said Greyback disbelievingly.
‘Come on,’ replied the other Death Eater impatiently, ‘the little brats must have disapparated.’ Greyback wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his filthy robe as reluctantly, he and the other Death Eater turned on the spot and disappeared. After a few moments, Harry turned to Dean and Angelina and let out a huge sigh of relief.
‘Come on,’ said Harry as he felt his heart return to its normal slow beating pace, ‘let’s get into the tent and you can tell us everything that’s happened.’

Minutes later, Harry, Hermione, Dean and Angelina were all huddled around the fire as they sat on the soft carpet in the living room.
‘So,’ said Harry once they had all warmed up, ‘what’s been happening? Why were those Death Eaters chasing you?’
‘Where do we begin Harry?’ replied Dean with a dry laugh to Angelina, ‘bad business Harry. You Know Who has taken over the Ministry and they’ve began to round up all muggle born’s and traitors. They chased me because I didn’t go back to Hogwarts like you and Hermione and everybody knows that Angelina’s parents are muggles,’ said Dean sadly as Angelina nodded in agreement.

‘But surely somebody is fighting back,’ asked Hermione a little desperately, ‘the Order? Ministry members?’
‘We are fighting back Hermione,’ replied Angelina quietly, ‘but it’s difficult. Everybody’s scared Hermione, for themselves and their families. Resistance is there, but it’s small and scattered. Since Dumbledore died we’ve lost our leader.