Duplicitous | T.N.

XLVII • Owed Favours

The boy who lived clutched his burning scar with a desperation that had everyone surrounding him shocked. Deep voices whispered clues of his fate in Harry's ears. All his friends could do was watch as Harry succumbed to the floor, rolling in his own sweat.

Aurora desperately clawed at his shirt, pulling the boy up from the sea of jumping and excited feet. A cold sweat broke out on his face, his complexion paling as words continued to ring through his mind. The spilt secrets leaving the poor boy of only fifteen petrified.

"Harry!" Aurora called, her desperate attitude evident in her tone. "Harry what is it?" The waver in her voice illustrated her lack of certainty. Whatever the problem, it wasn't good. To be frank, she didn't want to know. Living a daydream of lies appealed to her, more than the stress of the real world.

The boy struggled to find his words, his friends surrounding him watched as he visibly searched his mind for a response, for the will to speak. "Sirius!" He finally gasped. "He's got Sirius."

They didn't need context to understand what he meant. Realisation was a cruel fact of life, designed to torture those who wished to remain ignorant, ignorant yet happy...peaceful. The daydream she had wished for was soon washed out by a river of distress.

Sirius Black was in grave danger and she knew that meant they had to help him, no matter the loss, however great that may be. She fell into a massive pit of exhaustion and she knew then, there may never be any chance of climbing from it.

Harry clutched to her robes as they pushed through the crowd. Students hardly noticed his half limp body as it clung onto Aurora and Ron and as they parted their way through them. Their chaos was left barely detected. That was the thing about crowds, about people, they often only cared for themselves. Their own lives mattered most, other than occasion curiosity, no one truely bothered to question anyone else, eloped in their own fears and troubles, each and every one believing that they have it worse.

Rory never thought that. She could often find herself preoccupied buy the subject of her own issues, but never once did she actually believe she had it worse. Not as she helped carry the boy beside her, one of her best friends, her practical brother. She knew, whatever she went through, he had felt it tenfold. So she cared when she watched him fall, she cared when he quivered in fear for his god father, she cared as he formulated a plan in his mind.

A plan she knew he would attempt to keep her from. But no matter what protest he would give, she had already pledged an unspoken promise amongst the students surrounding Harry, a vow to help him. Participants formed of the friends who cared.

A team of Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, Ginny and herself each worked in parting students like the Red Sea and manoeuvring their way through them. Strangers continued to animatedly chatter and it became difficult to make out Harry's rapid mumbling. Rory could only make out a few words or phrase here and there. 'Her office, The ministry' Prophecy, Pain' His murmurs had her frightened.

Finally they departed from the crowd and into an empty hallway. Auroras hands gripped both sides of her friends face, he grimaced in pain, his scare still bothering him. "Harry, you need to speak clearly for us."

"I need to get to -" He heaved, Ron stepped back in anticipation, it looked like he may vomit, she just had to pray that he wouldn't. "To - To Umbridges office..." Gulping, Harry collected whatever dignity and strength he could muster into his next sentence. "Through the Floo Network. I need to get to the Ministry of Magic."

She nodded along with his words. "Okay. Let's go." He willed himself to stand and walk without assistance. All of them raced up through the corridors.

Hermione led Harry into the empty office as Rory and the rest assigned themselves as the lookout. It was a shame how quickly their plan collapsed. Students of the Inquisitorial squad snatching the lot of them one by one like how a child collects cards. Rory was nipped by a well dressed pair of arms. She squirmed in Draco Malfoy's grip.