Enter the great trio.
~present~
Harry was well into his seventh and final year at Hogwarts school of wizardry. As autumn came something changed. There was no clear tell tale signs of it, Harry would probably not have noticed himself if it wasn't for his born ability to smell trouble. And somehow the smell of the old halls of Hogwarts now reeked of it. Albus was a seldom sight at meals any more, and every teacher was acting tense and weird. Sure, there was one sign of upcoming trouble that worried Harry more than anything. Severus Snape was gone. He had disappeared without a trace about a month ago, Harry remembered the day clearly. He'd bumped into Snape in the hallway and gotten the usual reprimand for being in the potions master's way. Harry remembered the weird look on Snape's face, he looked farley agitated, but also eager somehow- an _expression never before seen on the scary old bat, of that he was certain. The next day he was gone. Albus told during breakfast that Severus Snape had taken a leave of absence, when he would return was not yet certain. Harry smelled cover-up a long way. The headmaster wasn't much of a liar. And the fact that Sirius showed up by the end of the day, telling he had got an urgent owl to come and take care of his old fiend's potions lessons for a while told Harry that wherever old Snape had snook away he had decided shortly before departing. He hadn't told Ron and Hermione about his worries yet. Ron was far to glad to be rid of the black clad man and Hermione was so busy cramming for her finals she spent most of her time in the library. This day all three of them had been summoned to come to the headmaster's office after classes, and Harry was certain it had something to do with all the weirdness that'd been going on around here lately. There were rumors flying about some old demon on the loose, maybe that was the cause of all this? Maybe Snape had gone to kill it and didn't succeed?
Dumbledore looked older than his claimed 150 years. The sparkle in the cheery eyes seemed gone and even his office looked miserable. Harry wasn't the only one to start suspecting something now, Ron and Hermione looked just as worried as him when they sat down in front of the headmaster's desk.
"I'm sure you're quite curious why I've called on you today?" the headmaster said as he passed a bowl of his favorite sweets, the smile on his face never reaching his eyes.
"It has something to do with Snape's disappearance, doesn't it!" Harry spat out before thinking. He might not like the git, but Hogwarts wasn't the same without him lurking in the hallways. Sneaking out in the dead of night was far too easy now. Dumbledore looked surprised for a second, but recovered well:
"I should have known nothing would escape your sharp mind young Potter! Indeed Severus has something to do in this, but his task is for him to do and him only. I need your help on another field. I guess you've heard about the findings in the old Nottingham Castle?" Now Hermione started twitching in her seat, the sign that clearly stated she knew everything about it.
"You mean the findings of the old bedchamber? Oh, it's so exciting! The archaeologists found objects not belonging to that decade, and still they were there and over eight hundred years old!" Ron sighed by her side and rolled his eyes to Harry's great amusement. Some things never changed.
"Indeed I do," the headmaster replied: "But the hid away quarters wasn't the first rooms to be discovered. Seven weeks earlier another room was found.." Here Hermione cut him off:
"Ah, the room with the family portrait in it! somebody even believes the portrait is portraying The Sheriff of Nottingham, Maiden Marion and their child! I of course wouldn't believe such nonsense no matter.."
"It IS the Sheriff of Nottingham and one of the women on his side IS Maiden Marion," Albus said, gravely. Harry and Ron couldn't help but giggle while Hermione's ears turned bright red.
"Have any of you seen a picture of the actual painting?"
"Yes, actually..." Ron said: "I remember Bill showing it to me when he stopped by on his way to Romania a couple of weeks ago. I remember it because the Sheriff-guy looked just like Snape. Heehee, I was planning to save the muggle newspaper for you guys to see, but old Ms. Norris made use of the paper before I could do anything about it. Looks like we're not the only ones who doesn't like old Snape.. is..it." Ron suddenly remembered the man in front of him and the look on his face told anybody caring to notice that he did not approve of Ron's little joke.
"I'm sorry." Ron said. Now it was his turn to get that special red glow on his cheeks.
"Severus may not be what you call an ordinary teacher, young Weasly, but he's dedicated his whole life to students as yourself. He deserves a little more gratitude than that, don't you think?" The headmaster's voice was soft, no traces of anger- just sadness. Ron gave and ashamed nod.
"So the legends about Robin Hood is true then?" Hermione exclaimed: "I always believed that was just a fairytale!"
"It is indeed true Robin of Loxley, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Marion lived in that area for eight hundred years ago, but we don't know how much of the legends that are true. Don't forget how easily a feather evolves into five hen and how details can be left out of various reasons.
"What are you trying to tell us?" Harry interrupted. Dumbledore sighed and his fingers wandered through his beard:
"I want you, all of you to go to Nottingham where you will pretend to be archaeology students. I would have gone my self, but muggle archaeologists are very suspicious towards archaeologists they don't know either by name or reputation. Three eager, well behaving students on the other way, is cheep labor and no threat to the fame and honor they expect from this find. It's crucially important that you get access to everything they find and tell me exactly WHAT you find. Everything is important, don't miss a single little detail, how small and insignificant it may be!"
"What exactly are we looking for?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Anything, everything! Any trace that would tell me...." Albus' voice trailed off and a sad _expression on his face told the three not to push for any more information on that point.
"We'll do this, Headmaster, don't you worry!" Harry assured. The thought of getting away from Hogwarts actually seemed quite tempting for the moment. Dumbledore looked at the trio of brave souls for a moment, as he thought of the one he may have lost.
"Don't agree to do this yet, young Potter- I haven't told you everything yet. To go to Nottingham may put you in arms way of a terrible beast hiding within the forest. Especially you need to be careful, Harry- if he gets the scent of you he will come to claim your life. If there were anyone more suited for this mission I would have chosen them, but you three are the most outstanding trio I've ever seen when you are working together."
"Why is it more dangerous for me?" Harry asked. By all means he was no longer no stranger to danger and knew how to take care of himself, but he still needed to know what threat he was up against.
"It's an old and foul creature," Dumbledore answered: "His name have been feared from the brink of mankind. Generations after generations have whispered his name throughout the centuries and he is the forefather of the very beast you killed two years ago, Harry." All three of the youngsters gasped in unison.
"Voldemort." Harry was shook, but reasonably calm.
"When the first room was cracked open an old demon escaped his cage of which he'd been imprisoned for eight hundred years. Voltimore is his name and he is every bit as dangerous as his more recent heir. He's now hiding in the Sherwood Forest, biding his time, growing, collecting, feeding..." Here Albus got a particular strained _expression on his face: "Some weeks ago I got an instant message from one of my spies in the area. I barely made it there in time to rescue the children, their parents were already killed, forced by Voltimore to kill each other in front of the very eyes of their children."
"That's... that's horrible!" Hermione gasped, eyes watering.
"Yes it is," the headmaster simply said.
"How.. old were they?" Ron asked, lip shivering a bit. He'd always loved children and the very thought of anyone trying to harm a child was repulsive. Anyone harming a child deserved the worst treatment his wand could provide.
"The little girl, five, and the boy, seven." was the answer.
"Oh, the poor little dears!" Hermione shuddered: "What happened to them?"
"I brought them to their grandmother in Kingsville. At least they are safe now, but any child surviving such torment..." Albus looked at the three and wondered if he was wrong to send them into such a dangerous area. They were only children themselves, and although they had survived and prevailed so many dangerous moments they WOULD die this time if they did anything stupid.
"Listen, children I need to be absolute sure you won't leave the castle at any times during the evening and night while you stay there. This is important, your survival depends on it!" Ron and Hermione gulped, Harry looked too calm.
"The area is practically deserted now. The muggle villagers who haven't yet been killed has fled the town. Only the group of muggle archeologists are still remaining as they aren't as easily frightened."
"You have that right!" Ron interrupted: "Just see what they dug out in Egypt, every bloody one of them ended up dead after opening that tomb, but did that stop them? Nooo!" The headmaster gave him a snide side look before he continued:
"Voltimore is most active at night, therefore it is crucially important that you arrive there at day and stay as much as you can inside the castle at daytime too. After sundown never EVER leave the castle! All right?" All three heads opposite him nodded.
"We'll be careful, Headmaster!" Hermione assured: "And if any of these two clowns tries anything they will have hell to pay, I promise you!" Finally a true smile bribed its way onto Albus' face.
"Good! I knew I could count on you three! You will leave tomorrow, I found an old deserted tavern that's connected to the Floo-line. From there you have a five minutes walk to the castle, a nice stroll after a floo-trip. I have already arranged with cover stories for you, here," he handed them a parchment each: "and the muggles are expecting you." He rose from his desk and led them towards the door:
"Oh, and one last thing before you go pack!" he added as a final note: "You'll get your hands on some very sensitive information, this information is for your and my eyes only, do you follow me?" Another simultaneous nod and the trio exited the office.
*-*
Next morning Harry, Ron and Hermione rose with the sun. They would be traveling from the fireplace in Dumbledore's office, and it was of utter most importance to avoid any curious eyes and nosy noses. Harry and his gang were masters in not dragging any attention towards themselves and nobody would suspect a thing if they'd seen the three walking casually down the halls as if they were on their way towards the library, except from the muggle backpacks that was..
Albus was waiting for them and more or less dragged them in through the opening that led to his office and private quarters.
"Quickly now, Old McGregor on the painting across the wall is one of the biggest gossip spreaders in Hogwarts! Hermione looked over her shoulder and noticed and old munch, snoring silently where he sat on his chair.
"Why don't you move him then?" She whispered as the door shut behind her.
"I tried, but he started complaining about the draft up in the east wing making his corns ache," the Headmaster whispered back: "I didn't have the heart nor the sanity to keep him hanging there, and that was the only available space, none of the other paintings wanted to trade spots with him. So.. I guess I'm stuck with him," he sighed, but smiled never the less: "He may have a loose tongue, but he's lousy at playing wizards scrabble. I beat him every single time!" The headmaster chuckled and showed his three students the way to his fireplace.
"I'll take down the wards protecting Hogwarts from any "flooing" when you step into the fireplace. And I want you to know this, children: I will not be there with you in person, or at least not the first couple of weeks, but I'll be with you in spirit. I'll contact you through an old fireplace down in the dungeon every night, just make sure you're alone before you give the "go-sign". And if something dangerous occur, contact me. And this I can't stress enough, no bravery from any of you will be tolerated! Voltimore has many shapes, he lured the Richard-kids out to the forest by transforming himself as a unicorn. If he finds out you are there he will definitely try something to lure you out. So don't go ANYWHERE after dark! You're safe in the castle, Voltimore won't go near it simply because it has been his prison for the last eight hundred years. I've also put up some wards to help the security for both yours and the muggles' sake.
Albus Dumbledore gave them each a hug before they entered the fireplace, one at the time, and disappeared.
But this was the only way for him to find out if Severus had left any clues for him in the past, and it could be the key to his survival. Albus saw no other way, but knew Sirius wouldn't be pleased with this, not to say Molly Weasly and a couple of muggle dentists...
*-*
Albus didn't sit quietly and wait while his student's fled off to do his dirty work for him. There was a lot of area to search besides the closest village and the forest it self. Harry and Co. would be working with finding clues together with the unknowing muggle archaeologists in the closest town by Sherwood forest , and Arabella and Sirius were dealing with the forest, trying to find the secret hideaway where Voltimore slumbered by day. That left all the small villages and towns on the other side of Sherwood for the old Wizard to search. A thorough search was needed here, any clue any hint of what had happened to Severus in the past was useful information. And with Minerva handling the running of Hogwarts for him while he was away, Albus apparated in to one of the villages closest to Sherwood's other side of where Harry and his friend were to play muggle students- and started a new life. He signed in as Albus Underhill on the first old, weather beaten muggle motel he could find, this being his new headquarter from where he would run the secret operation that hopefully would end in the downfall of the demon named Voltimore.
Albus could feel the undercurrents of menace and fear drawing round the area. Each day seemed a little less real than the day before. The villagers were afraid, but they hadn't left their homes. But in the last month scary things had started happening at night. People didn't leave their homes after nightfall, well aware of the abandoned town on the other side of the forest. Would the evil that had haunted and run those families away from their homes come and do the same to them? A gloom was settling over this land and it was beginning to leach away at the people .. like some hideous slow moving disease. But what the muggles around here didn't seem to notice was the invisible barrier settling itself around the area, slowly increasing its radius each day as the beast in the forest grew stronger. Keeping those inside it, unknowingly trapped, the muggles were unaware they were being herded and penned in like cattle. Soon they wouldn't be able to leave even if they wanted to..
Wizards however are a different race, and from the first moment Albus set foot here he felt it, and fought against the suffocating atmosphere.. It would be easy to be lulled into a false sense of security at first sight of the simple, friendly landscape and the gentle folk that greeted him with open arms like a long lost brother, but it was dangerous here, very dangerous for wizards and muggle alike.
He passed himself off as a retired schoolmaster and amateur treasure hunter. Good for a free drink and interested in all the gossip there was to be had, both real and imaginary. Surprisingly enough people couldn't resist him, he was charming and disarming and time seemed to fly by when you were around him. The villagers wanted to tell him things, things they didn't even know that they remembered, big things, small things, rumors, down-right lies, tales told them by their grandparents, memories they thought they had lost forever.
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