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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance	By : RikuRocks Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 5752 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Chapter 20: Where It All Began.
Within fifteen minutes, they had reached a street labeled Rowan Avenue. It was further from the edge of the village than Tête-à-tête Lane, and the cottages here were each of the generously proportioned family style. They also had larger lawns, clearly intended for children to play in.
Remus and Draco walked on either side of Harry; they had all fallen into another companionable silence along the way.
The werewolf began to slow as the three neared the end of the road. The two teenagers followed suite, and then Harry saw it.
Two houses down, was a cottage with a hole in the roof, where it had seemingly collapsed in at some point in time. A few decorations that seemed out of place for summertime could be seen around the windows and on the front steps. They would have blended in perfectly with the rest of the street during the autumn.
As the wizards approached the small garden gate, all three stopped walking. Harry would have passed off the slight disruption of the air surrounding the cottage as a heat haze, had he not been aware of the charms protecting the building.
"Harry�look," whispered Draco beside him, and Harry followed the grey-eyed boy's gaze to a large poplar tree in the yard, in front of which, a sign seemed to have appeared out of thin air as they approached the gate.

At this site, on the evening of October 31, 1981, the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort fell by unknown means, ending more than a decade of fear and intolerance. On that same evening, long-term Godric's Hollow resident James Potter and his wife, Lily, lost their lives. Their son, Harry, became the first and only wizard known to survive the killing curse. This site has been preserved as a monument to these memorable events.

Harry noticed that the white garden fence also contained many messages, either carved into the wood or written in magical ink. He noticed many initials, and many repeated messages with a few personal alterations, such as �Søren Aubrey was here�, �HP lives!�, �Long live Harry Potter�, and �We'll never forget you, Lily and James�.
"I thought there were preservation charms�," questioned Draco, as he too read the many markings on the fence.
"There are on the house," said Remus. "I suppose they wanted to leave part of it alone for the public to be able to interact with."
"I like it," commented Harry. Remus smiled at him, and Draco continued reading the graffiti, looking every bit the curious and awed student that he was supposed to be, although Harry got the feeling that he was not simply acting the part. It occurred to him that the Malfoys were unlikely to have brought their son here to enjoy this particular bit of history.
"Can we go in now?" Harry murmured to Remus.
"Of course," answered the werewolf. Then, after taking a subtle glance down the road, he rested his hand on the gate. The air around it seemed to ripple and there was a distinct unlocking sound.
As they passed the gate, Harry noticed that the temperature became cooler and the air stilled, as though they were stepping into a museum. All the sounds of the village suddenly muted as well. The only thing Harry could hear were his and Draco's footsteps (Remus was somehow walking with complete silence), and the creaking of an infant swing that hung from the large poplar tree in the yard.
Harry paused to watch the swing for a moment, and then he heard Remus' hoarse voice beside him. "Lily used to say that she and I had two great advantages over James and Sirius; one being that we each had both magical and Muggle educations. She wanted to make sure that you were familiar with both societies.
"To start, she and James, as well as me and Sirius, used to get you both wizard and Muggle toys and books�I'm sure you can guess who picked which. Once you were big enough, I brought you that swing and James fixed it to that branch. He and Sirius could not believe how much you enjoyed just swinging back and forth in it."
Harry smiled as he imagined his mother gently pushing him in the plastic swing, while his father and godfather watched in fascination. He noticed Draco wearing a sort of wistful smile as he too stared at the swing.
"Of course, Lily's turn came soon after," continued Remus. He met Harry's eyes when the bespectacled boy turned to face him. "Not long afterwards, Sirius decided that if you enjoyed and could handle the swing, then it was time for your first toy broom. Lily never understood how James and Sirius could enjoy flying so much, and sure enough, you turned out to be exactly like them when it comes to flying."
Harry gave a short laugh, and then, after another glance at the swing, continued walking up the garden path.
Draco asked from beside him, "What was the second?"
"Yeah," Harry said as he looked over to Remus, who appeared slightly confused by the question. "The advantage that my mum said you and her had over my dad and Sirius, we mean."
"Oh�it was common sense," said Remus with a small smile and without stopping.
Harry and Draco exchanged a grin, before stopping behind the lycanthrope, who had paused at the door. He stood with hand resting on the doorknob; the smile had left his face. After a brief moment, Harry saw the same ripple of air over the door as he had seen on the gate.
Before the bespectacled boy could question the phenomenon, the door unlocked and Remus slowly opened it and stepped over the threshold.
As Harry and Draco followed, they noticed another change in the atmosphere; it was as if a storm was brewing inside the house. Remus murmured something under his breath and the air cleared immediately.
"If I survive this coupe with my freedom and my sanity," commented Draco in a conversational tone as he turned to Harry. "Then remind me to have Lupin check my home security wherever I end up. If he can't get in, then no one can."
Harry grinned, "I think I'll do the same."
"Very funny�" commented Remus dryly, before quietly adding, "You two are so much like James and Sirius�"
"I'll take that as a compliment," retorted Draco without skipping a beat.
Harry was about to agree with the blonde, when he suddenly felt a little dizzy and notice that everything seemed to blur. The fuzzy image before him suddenly began to transform and Harry understood what was happening as Remus handed him his glasses. Once he put them on, he turned to Draco to see wavy brown hair settle into sleek blonde, aqua eyes fade into silver, and skin pale as scars appeared.
The other boy�s body thinned and stretched until the fair Slytherin looked the same as always. Grey eyes looked over Harry before Draco smiled slightly. �Well, there�s an improvement.�
The green-eyed boy chuckled and eyed the blonde, �I completely agree.� Then, he turned and stopped in his tracks.
When Harry heard the cottage had been preserved, he still had not expected it to look so much like a home. Had he not seen the hole in the roof from the outside -or known its history- he would have expected the owners to either come in from another room or walk down the stairs at any moment to greet the new arrivals.
Harry saw that they were standing in a sizeable entryway; to the right was a large sitting room with a doorway visible in the back that led to the kitchen. Straight ahead, Harry could see another smaller entryway that led to a den, with another door to its right that also led to the kitchen. To the left, before reaching the den, there was a small bathroom. To the right, just before entering the den, was a stairwell that turned to the left near the top, and when Harry stepped to his right and looked up; he could see a four-foot high wall, leaving the rest of the hallway above open.
Harry found his eyes lingering at the foot of the stairs�to the last place his father stood. His eyes trailed up to the hallway above as he moved toward the stairs, wondering which room had been his.
Suddenly he felt Remus at his side, and the werewolf began to answer his unspoken questions. "The first door at the top of the stairs is the master bedroom; it was James and Lily's. When you exit that room, there are two doors on the right and another at the end of the hall.
�The first door is a bathroom, the second was a guest room, and the door at the end is the nursery. They decided that was the best choice, so when you cried in the middle of the night and James ran like a spooked deer, he would have a straight shot to you�Lily was concerned that he might hurt himself if he had to turn."
"Why would he run like that?" asked Harry as he pictured his father running to his nursery like the stag he could become.
"He was a new father, and it was a very dangerous time," responded Remus. "Neither your father, Sirius, or I had any experience with, or prior knowledge of, babies. Lily had babysat during the summer holidays as a teenager and Peter had young relatives that he saw often, so they were already familiar with the concepts involved.
�I think I caught on quickly enough, but James and Sirius would panic every time you started screaming for no apparent reason. They would barge into whichever room you were in, wands drawn, even if Lily, Peter, or I were already with you."
Harry chuckled lightly at this. He could easily imagine everything said regarding his parents and godparents -which was how he thought of Sirius and Remus now- but he had a hard time when it came to Pettigrew. It was difficult to imagine the rat-like and cowardly man who had betrayed his best friends -Harry's family- as a friendly or familiar figure in his life.
"Were all of you together often?" Harry asked as he, Draco, and Remus entered the sitting room.
There were many photographs in the room; each was the wizard style. Harry saw his parents with Sirius and the matron of honor at their wedding. There were also photos of either or both of them with Harry, as well as one of James with the other marauders, and Lily and Petunia together as girls.
Harry saw photos of James and Sirius playing with Harry on the floor, Peter holding Harry as he talked with someone out of frame, and Sirius wearing a t-shirt that read �World�s best godfather� as he tried without success to get Harry to sleep. Beside the last, was a shot of Remus holding a sleeping Harry as Sirius held him from behind and smiled down at the baby from over Remus� shoulder.
"As often as we could be," replied Remus as he also looked over the photographs. "Sadly, that wasn�t very often. James, Sirius, Peter, and I did a lot of work for the Order, Peter and I each had jobs. Lily did some work for the Order as well, until she learned that she was carrying you. Each of us stopped by as often as we could, especially after you were born."
"I want to see the nursery," said Harry. "We should check it anyway�it is where Voldemort died."
All three turned without a word; Remus walked up the stairs first, with Harry and Draco a few steps behind him. The stairs were covered in a light brown carpet, the same as the rest of the house, and all of the walls appeared to be the color of eggshells. However, the furniture, curtails, and decorations in the house were of bright or bold colors, which prevented it from having the same pale and uncomfortable effect as the Dursley's home.
Harry did not stop to look into his parent's room. It felt too invasive, and he knew it would only serve to sidetrack him. The bespectacled boy also found that -somewhere between his recent conversations and connection with Remus, his newfound attraction to and altered relationship with Draco, and the decision to see his parents' graves- he had grown comfortable with his life and did not feel a longing for what might have been, as he had before.
Part of the roof had collapsed into the nursery, and there was a fine white powder over the furniture and debris. Despite this, the room still had a bright and cheerful feel to it. The hole in the ceiling was centered a few feet in from the door. A white crib, a dresser-changing table combination, a rocking chair, and a toy chest, all lined the walls of the room.
Harry walked further into the room. Most of the debris had been pushed aside, allowing a clear path to the crib. He assumed that Hagrid had done that when he retrieved him from the wreckage.
After giving the bespectacled boy a moment, Draco began to look around the room and Remus cast what Harry presumed were revealing charms on several items, as well as the walls. These actions reminded Harry of the main reason he had come here.
He turned to Remus when the scarred man completed his spells, "Anything?"
The werewolf shook his head, "Nothing that should not be here, in any case. The preservation and protection charms are still up."
Harry held up his wand, "Accio Horcrux!" He lowered his arm and looked around when nothing happened. "Well it was worth a try."
Draco shrugged and Remus offered a polite nod, and then all three began searching the room. After a moment, Draco looked up from a drawer of infant clothes he had been examining.
"Lupin, you seem to know this house fairly well," the blonde commented as he turned to Remus, who looked up upon hearing his name. "If you were going to hide something important here, where would you keep it?"
Remus seemed to think for a moment, and Harry guessed this was not something he had ever needed to consider before, as the only things he needed to keep secret were hidden within him. Finally, the lycanthrope answered, "The cellar".
"There's a cellar?" asked Harry. "That's definitely where I would hide it. Where is it?"
"There's a door under the stairs," responded Remus. "Behind it are the stairs to the cellar."
After that, the werewolf led the two teens downstairs and to the door located underneath them. Remus continued to hold his wand ready -a gesture that the boys duplicated- as he slowly opened the door.
The stairwell was so narrow that they had to descend it single file, with Harry in the middle. When Remus paused at the end of the stairs, the green-eyed boy looked over the scarred man�s shoulder to see a solid wall.
"What's wrong?" whispered Draco from behind the bespectacled boy.
"This wall wasn�t here when James used this room," answered Remus.
"What about after?" asked Harry. "Didn't you say you've been here since then?"
"Yes, but I didn't come down here." The werewolf took a step back and pointed his wand at the door. It glowed in alternations of red, green, and amber, with purple and white sparks.
"Someone certainly doesn't want that room disturbed," remarked Draco quietly.
"In the cave that the locket was hidden in, there was a wall that you had to put blood on to get past," offered Harry. "Maybe this works like that."
Remus sighed quietly. "That would make sense, given the curses placed upon it. Stand back."
Both of the boys obeyed immediately. Remus raised his left hand and moved his wand across it, leaving a deep cut in its wake. Taking a glance over his shoulder to ensure that neither Harry nor Draco were too close, he then smeared the blood across the wall before him.
The wall dissolved at the same time that Remus released a sharp hiss and instantly turned his wand back to his hand. He murmured spells under his breath as Harry ran down the stairs to stand by him, with Draco close behind.
"What's wrong?" demanded the raven-haired boy as soon as he reached his former professor. "Are you alright?" Visions of Dumbledore's withered arm swam across the forefront of his thoughts.
"I'm alright, Harry, don't worry." Remus flexed his left hand tentatively and then held it up for a brief inspection. Aside from a fresh scar across his palm, there appeared to be nothing different.
Remus turned toward the newly opened room, wand raised, but paused to look at Harry before entering. "I truly am alright, Harry. One of the curses on the entrance was designed to weaken whoever opened it. I doubt Lord Voldemort expected anyone like me to open it, however, so it was not as effective."
"When you say someone like you," questioned Draco as he discreetly took Harry's hand below eyelevel. "Do you mean a werewolf, or someone so knowledgeable in archaic and defensive magics?"
"Both, actually," replied the lycanthrope. "Stay behind me and be very careful," he added as he entered the dark cellar.
Harry and Draco likewise raised their wands as they followed the scarred man into the darkness.
"Do you think it's safe to cast Lumos?" whispered Harry.
"I think so," replied Remus. However, instead of casting the spell, he raised his left hand to stomach level and his upturned palm abruptly filled with flames.
They could see several feet around them. The room had the same warm and bright feeling as the rest of the house, except that the darkness seemed thicker than normal and the stone floor was covered in dust.
"How did he do that?" Draco murmured to Harry, who shrugged and shook his head.
"I don't know�he's done it before though." Harry remembered a certain book he and Draco found in Malfoy Manor. He hoped that he would remember to mention it when they were finished here�assuming that all went well. He decided not to think about the alternative.
Remus pointed his wand at a spot above eye level and whispered, "Incendio." Suddenly, flames erupted in several sconces along the walls. The flames in his hand vanished as all three took in their surroundings.
The cellar was slightly smaller than the hidden chamber in Malfoy Manor. Aside from the wall sconces, there appeared to be nothing in the room. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of large stone slabs.
"Do you think someone already beat us to it?" asked Harry in disappointment as he took in the barren room.
"Perhaps not," answered Remus as he flicked his eyes from the wall ahead of them, to the walls on either side. "This room should be larger. These walls are set slightly ahead of the rooms true walls."
Remus aimed his wand at the back wall, and suddenly it shimmered like an odd quilt or puzzle. Each slab of stone seemed to have been placed under different curses and protective spells. The werewolf repeated the gesture on the walls on either side of them, and they showed the same effect. The wall behind them seemed to have disappeared entirely when it received its blood payment.
"The Horcrux must be behind one of the stone slabs," murmured Draco as he looked around the room pensively. "V- He must have figured that whoever came here would not be able to get past all of the defenses and would die from one -or several- of them before reaching the Horcrux."
"Can't we just remove all of them?" Harry questioned as he looked at the nauseating walls, which shifted through various colors, textures, and effects as he stared. "It�ll take a long time, I�m sure, but there isn't any reason why Voldemort should come here anytime soon�is there?"
"He might if he notices any of the others are gone," replied Draco.
"Even if he doesn't, these are powerful and complicated curses and spells," explained Remus, who was considering the back wall carefully. "The mixtures are complicated as well. You cannot remove some of the protective spells without getting past another first, and the addition of some curses makes it dangerous to counter others in the usual fashion."
"Not to mention the fact that we�d have to identify each curse and be capable of performing the magic or making any necessary offerings required to remove them,� added Draco.
"I doubt I need to say this, but just to be certain, don't touch the walls," said Remus as he dropped his rucksack to the floor and approached the wall he had been considering.
"Understood," answered Harry at the same time that Draco said, "Naturally."
Harry looked around the room again while Draco stared at the wall Lupin had approached. After several long moments, Remus raised his wand before one of the slabs and began to move it in various intricate patterns so quickly that it was impossible for Harry to follow the motions with his eyes. At the same time, the scarred man began murmuring incantations so quickly and quietly that it sounded like an odd prayer or song.
Remus' eyes never strayed or blinked as the evidence of the curses on the stone vanished one by one. As several minutes passed, Harry wondered at the werewolf's concentration. Finally, when only one protection charm remained, the lycanthrope cut his hand again and flicked a few drops of blood onto the slab.
The stone dissolved to expose a cubby-like hole behind it. In it was a vial, filled with an acid green potion. Remus took out the vile as though he had expected it to be there.
"What is that?" Harry asked Draco.
The grey-eyed boy regarded the potion, and then seemed to drift for a few seconds before darting his eyes to one of the other stone slabs. He pointed to the slab. "It's an antidote to the potion used to create one of the protections against that stone."
Draco looked back to the blank space where the stone Remus had dissolved used to be. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Of course�" he murmured; �That one would have to have been cursed first�"
The blonde turned to Remus, "You figured out the order in which the slabs were cursed in that short a period? �I'm glad you're on our side."
Remus gave the boy an approving glance, �The same to you.�
Harry smiled at the exchange. Then he watched as Remus approach the slab Draco had pointed out before following to stand next to his former-professor.
"Would you mind baking up a few steps, Harry?" asked the werewolf in a no-nonsense tone. "I'm expecting this one to be a little livelier."
The bespectacled boy backed up a couple steps and aimed his wand at the slab ahead of Remus.
The werewolf repeated the painstaking process of breaking through the slab�s protection; only this time he used the potion instead of his own blood to complete the task. As soon as the large stone dissolved, a large serpent lunged out of the hidden compartment�aimed straight for Remus.
The werewolf reacted instantly. Instead of moving backwards and allowing it to pass, he adjusted his weight so that he did not stumble as the creature collided with him, and even managed to catch its neck and part of its body a few feet lower in his hands. Remus struggled with the creature, which seemed stronger than it looked as it tried desperately to bite the scarred man.
Harry and Draco had their wands out, but were afraid that any spells they cast at the creature would hit Remus instead. Harry took one feeble step toward them before Remus called, "Don't," between his struggles.
The tail of the snake caught around Remus leg and overbalanced him, causing him to fall and collide with the hard floor, still holding onto the animal. However, the brief shift in the werewolf�s posture gave the serpent the chance it needed to sink it's fangs into his left arm.
"Sstop!" Harry said quickly, although the word came out as a hiss.
The snake paused for a moment -which Remus used to tighten his grip- before it returned to its former task of attacking the man. It was only then that Harry remembered he could speak to snakes.
"Sstop�we aren't going to harm you�" Harry said to the snake, hoping it would listen.

This time the snake released Remus' arm and turned to look at the Parselmouth. Remus still did not release it.
Harry continued speaking to the serpent. "Pleasse�don't hurt him�He'ss my friend�"
The snake continued to regard Harry in an almost questioning manner. Then, Remus' hoarse voice spoke quietly and shakily. "Harry, tell it I'm going to take it outside, where it can have more room."
"Okay," answered Harry, and then he quickly addressed the snake again. "He'ss going to take you outsside�He'ss going to sset you free�"

"Free�Outsside�I have not been free for sso long�" answered the serpent.
"There are woodss nearby�you can hunt and drink there�" responded Harry.
"Yess�I would like to be free again�," said the snake.
The green-eyed boy glanced at the lycanthrope, who he noticed was growing pale. "I think it's safe to try it now.�
"Stand back," Remus rasped out before moving to his feet, still holding the serpent tightly despite the fact that it was now blissfully still. �Stay here�touch nothing.�
"Pleasse don�t hurt him�He's good�he won't harm you�" Harry said one more time as the werewolf left the room with the snake.
Remus returned a moment later, holding his arm, which was bleeding freely. It appeared to his only wound however, and Harry was thankful for that much as both boys rushed to their former professor.
Remus' face was pale and clammy as Harry reached him. "What can we do?" asked the bespectacled boy in a shaky voice. The words �not Remus�Please, not him�� kept repeating in his mind.
"I brought a potion that should help," answered Remus shakily.
"I've got it, Harry, don't worry�" Draco was rummaging in his own borrowed rucksack before he even stopped moving toward the injured lycanthrope.
"It's not that bad," said Remus, whose voice was even hoarser than normal. "Voldemort would have to open these much the same way we are�he couldn't use something too risky."
"But he can talk to snakes too," said Harry.
"I doubt that would do him much good after the poor thing had been locked in there for so many years," commented Remus.
"He would have to pick one whose venom kills slowly," Draco commented, still rummaging in Hermione�s bag of holding. "�If at all. He would need time to react if bitten."
"He would have brought an antidote with him then," said Harry worriedly.
"What do you think I'm looking for?" replied Draco as he pulled a few vials out of his pack. "I figured we would have to deal with snake venom sooner or later."
The Slytherin handed one vial to Remus; "Drink that." As the lycanthrope complied, the grey-eyed boy pushed the werewolf's sleeve away from the bite and poured one of the other potions into the large puncture wounds.
Within seconds, the bleeding slowed and some color returned to Remus' skin.
"Thank you," said the werewolf. Draco nodded once and Remus turned to Harry; "I'll be alright. Now, I think we are going have a slight problem with the next compartment."
"Why?" asked Harry.
"You�ve expected what you�ve found behind both slabs so far-" Draco stopped and appeared to think quickly. "Is the snake needed for the next one?"
"Yes. In order to get past the last curse on the next slab, someone -or something living at least- will have to touch it," Remus explained. "As Voldemort was not likely to do so himself, I presume he intended to force the snake to do it."
"So something has to die to continue?" asked Harry in disgust.
"Not necessarily," responded the werewolf. "But if a normal wizard came here alone, he would probably be too weak by that point to survive it�between the original wall and the serpent alone."
"Which is the next one?" asked Draco.
Remus pointed to a slab on the opposite wall, "That one."
All three turned to the wall. Draco took a step closer to it and examined the slab. "I can get past most of these."
"Alright," responded Remus. "But, I'll take the particularly dangerous ones."
Harry felt like a fool as he watched the other two wizards work on the slab�that he had ever thought he could do this alone. He knew he could not have prepared himself enough to do this by himself, even if he spent years holed up with his friends, doing nothing but research and practice spells.
After more than twenty minutes had passed, Remus and Draco lowered their wands. Only one spell remained on the stone and Harry recalled what Remus had said about it.
"Why don't I touch it?" he said before either of the others could move. "I'm the healthiest of us."
"Which is exactly why you shouldn't," commented Draco immediately and levelly. "We'll need someone completely healthy if this goes bad. Lupin, how many more do you think we'll have to go through?"
"One�possibly two," answered Remus.
"Well, you're going to have to lower the defenses on them." Harry turned to Remus, who still looked rather pallid. �And after the door, the first slab, and the snake, I don�t think we should risk you doing it.�
"Draco is right, Harry. We'll need you to get out of here once we get the Horcrux." Remus met the boy's eyes, and Harry could tell that the man's resolve was set. "In any case, I would not allow you to do this."
"Then let me," said Draco.
After a brief pause while both Harry and Remus seemed to have trouble understanding what the other boy had said, both answered the same, although in very different tones.
"No," Remus said calmly.
"No!" Harry all but shouted.
Draco looked straight into the werewolf's eyes. "I'm not that weak, and I haven't been cursed and poisoned like you have. You should still be strong enough to get out of here without aid, and Harry can get me out."
"Draco, no," repeated Harry.
"Why not?" answered the grey-eyed boy. "Your life is more important, Harry�and Lupin has taken enough damage as it is. Between the potions we brought and the healing spells he obviously knows, we can be sure that it won't kill me."
"No we can't," interjected Remus, "And you�re the best potions brewer. We'll need that skill for whoever touches this."
"I'm only the best potions brewer here," countered Draco firmly. "Severus is better than I am and he already let us know where to find him. If I take the curse, I can assure you, he will not let me die once you have brought me to him. Also, loathe as he may be to admit it, he cannot afford to allow you to die at this point."
Remus shook his head, "He said you may allow Harry to join you-"
"That was when he thought we would be dropping in," the blonde cut in sternly. "Under the circumstances, he'll understand why you had to accompany us."
"We don't know where he said to find him though," Harry chimed in, not liking the fact that Draco was making such reasonable arguments. "He left it in code. We can't work it out without you."
"His home on Spinner's End; it's the last house on the street," said Draco immediately. "That's where I learned the difference between masking my fears and facing them. That's where he is."
Before Harry or Remus could respond, Draco's arm darted away from his body and his hand touched the stone. Immediately the slab turned white in a blinding flash of light. Then, the emaciated Slytherin collapsed.
Harry caught the fair boy before he hit the ground and kneeled down carefully as he adjusted the blonde in his lap.
Remus kneeled beside them and quickly cast a few spells over the unconscious boy. Then, he recovered his own rucksack and took out a rose-pink potion. "We need to make him drink this."
Harry tilted Draco's head back so that his lips parted slightly, then Remus poured the potion into his mouth. The werewolf cast another couple of spells and then places his fingers against Draco's throat. "His pulse is steadying. He'll make it."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Remus stood and quickly crossed to the opposite wall. He raised his wand and began to lower the defenses on one of the slabs there.
Harry watched the lycanthrope for a brief moment before looking down at the boy in his arms. He brushed the white-blonde hair away from Draco's closed eyes and whispered, "Hold on, Draco."
"Harry," said Remus, startling the boy after he had sat in silence for several minutes. "Try asking it to release in Parseltongue."
"Alright," Harry answered as he gently laid Draco down and moved beside the werewolf. He looked at the stone slab, which only had one spell left on it. "Releasse�"
The slab dissolved as soon as the word passed his lips. Behind it was another small compartment, in which sat a small golden cup with two handles and a badger engraving in its center.
Harry was not excited as he thought he would be. He cast specialis revelio, and saw a few signs of magical protection.
"We can take it," said Remus as he took the cup from the compartment and stuffed it in his rucksack, "And deal with those after."
"Alright," said Harry with a nod as he returned to Draco.
"We cannot Disapparate from this house," said Remus as he grabbed the other two rucksacks. "And we shouldn't Apparate straight to Spinner's End. There are too many Muggles in that area."
"What's the plan then?" Harry asked as he lifted Draco as gently as possible.
"To the river near it; there are a few secluded areas. I can manage a Side-Along Apparation, if you'd like."
"Thanks," said Harry. He adjusted his hold on the slighter boy. "Are you sure you can handle it?"
"Yes." Remus slung his rucksack over his shoulder and headed out the way they had come. Harry carried Draco out, following after the werewolf.
Remus kept his wand drawn as they left the cottage. He paused only to replace the enchantments he had removed. Once they reached the road, he and Harry each glanced up and down the street. Dusk was approaching and it seemed that all of the village's inhabitants had gone indoors and pulled their curtains closed.
Harry looked down at Draco's face, which seemed paler in the fading light.
"Don't worry Harry, he'll be alright." Remus placed a hand on Harry's arm. "Are you ready?"
The bespectacled boy nodded, Remus' gentle hand tightened its grip on his arm as the werewolf turned, and then darkness took them.
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Harry Potter and the Unusual Alliance