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Chapter 12: Under Siege

For the first few moments of the attack on his mind, Harry tried to concentrate through the blinding pain in his forehead, tried to close the doors to the fortress he had mentally constructed, tried to keep Voldemort out. But this time, the pressure was unlike anything Harry had ever felt before, like a battering ram aimed directly at his soul.

"/Happy birthday, Potter...did you miss me/?"

This time, Voldemort only spoke that one line before Harry felt the pressure increase tenfold, and he knew that the Dark Lord was delving deep into his thoughts, looking for something. He pushed back with all his strength, but his defenses dropped completely when he heard another voice, a cold, drawling voice that he hated almost as much as the high, evil one.

"/Yes, yes. Happy birthday. It wouldn't do to dispense with the niceties, would it, Potter? Your godfather was never very polite; I do hope you have been taught better/."

The pain was staggering, and Harry could only vaguely hear the shouts of the people in the kitchen of Number 12, Grimmauld Place as he fought to hold on. Lucius Malfoy's voice drawled on as Voldemort broke through the doors of Harry's mind and delved into his most private thoughts.

"/Not so easy to fight when there are two of us, is it? And to think that your fool of a professor actually thought that you were a match for the Dark Lord/."

Somewhere else in his mind, a scene played from a long time ago. Dudley and Harry, only five years old, had gotten into a fight over the remote control to the telly. Uncle Vernon had beaten Harry after giving the remote to his cousin, and locked him into his cupboard...young Harry was crying at the injustice of it, hurting from the beating, begging to be let out.

"/Oh, poor baby Potter. Locked in the closet for being a bad little boy/," Lucius Malfoy continued to drawl.

Ginny Weasley, looking pale and almost dead, lying on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets...Tom Riddle using Harry's wand to spell out "I am Lord Voldemort" in the air above her.

"/That almost worked, Potter...but you managed to save the little girl. She will not be so fortunate next time/," Voldemort's voice broke in smoothly.

"/We will have her, Potter. And the other weasels too. And the Mudblood/," Malfoy added.

A tall, hooded figure with death-rattle breath closed in on him. He felt cold, and heard his mother's screams as all happiness was pulled out of him.

"/Afraid of the Dementors, Potter? I will have to remember that. They have joined me now, you know...they will go where I tell them. Would you like a visit, Potter? Perhaps it can be arranged/."

And finally, the memory that Harry most feared, the one that they had fought so hard to keep from the Death Eaters..." The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies....and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives...The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

Harry heard Voldemort's triumphant hiss. He had gotten what he came for. The memories faded, all went black, and Harry knew no more.

*

Albus Dumbledore pushed past the group surrounding Harry just as Charlie had lowered the shaking teenager gently to the floor. Everyone in the room was horrified at what was happening to Harry - besides Molly, Lupin, and Ginny, no one had ever seen this before, even if they had heard about it. Hermione and Ginny stood, holding each other's hands tightly, tears streaming down their faces as they silently sobbed. The five Weasley brothers and their father stood tightly together, staring at Harry, the freckles standing out of their pale faces. McGonagall stood stock still, her hand clapped over her mouth in horror, her eyes wide. Tonks, Kingsley, and Mad-Eye stood on the other side of the table, unable to tear their gazes from Harry, although Moody's magical eye was searching the room wildly.

Molly and Remus had pulled Harry's stiff body into a sitting position, and Lupin was shouting at him, telling him to fight it. Molly said nothing, but held the boy to her, alarmed at his trembling and the sweat running down his neck. Dumbledore was the single person in the room that seemed calm. He knelt down next to Harry, put a gentle hand on his shoulder, and said softly, "Harry, remember. No one can get in if you don't want them there. You can fight this-" His voice abruptly stopped as Harry's body seized, and Lupin and Molly were nearly knocked over with the force of it.

"No!" Harry yelled loudly, but after that, his body suddenly fell slack into Molly's arms. He began to moan in a small voice almost unrecognizable as his own, "No, Uncle Vernon, don't hurt me! I'm sorry...let me out, please, let me out!"

Molly's eyes filled with tears. She knew that Harry was being forced to relive some of his childhood memories as Voldemort probed his mind. At that moment, she hated Vernon Dursley more completely than she had ever hated anyone in her life.

Dumbledore's voice became more insistent, an almost fearful quality radiating out of him as he spoke, "Harry, you must fight him. Push back, Harry! Push him out of your mind! He must not stay! Harry!"

Harry did not respond in any way. His eyes fluttered as he spoke again. "Ginny, oh Ginny, please don't be dead..."

Remus glanced at Molly, whose face had gone white with these words. The Weasley men turned as one to look at Ginny, now being supported by Hermione, who did not look much better than she did. Arthur quickly went to them and took Ginny in his arms, shaking as he held her close, kissing the top of her head.

"Harry! You're giving him exactly what he wants!" Remus shouted. "Fight it, Harry! You can do this!"

"You must push him out of your mind, Harry," Dumbledore's voice was quiet again, but had an edge of panic. Besides Remus, no one else in the room knew that Harry held the words of the prophecy in his memory, and only Dumbledore guessed that it was that which Voldemort was after. Remus was too concerned about Harry to think of it.

"Muummm..." Harry moaned. "Mum, no..."

Remus gripped Harry's shoulders hard enough that it would have been painful had Harry been able to feel it over the pain in his forehead. "Harry, please..." he whispered brokenly, terrified at what was happening to him. "You have to fight this. You just have to!"

"Harry James Potter!" Dumbledore thundered, and everyone in the room jumped at the change in his tone. An aura of power surrounded the old man, who was determined to break this attack any way he had to. "You listen to me! You will fight this! You can push him out of your mind! Fight him, Harry. /Fight/!"

But Harry, once again, made no response. His energy seemed completely spent as he mumbled, "the one with the power..." He gave a great gasp, as if struggling for air, and fell, once again completely lifeless, into Molly's arms.

"It's over," Dumbledore said quietly, bending to examine Harry closely. He tenderly brushed Harry's fringe off his forehead, tracing the lightning-bolt scar with his long fingers, knowing that it was likely that Voldemort now knew the full contents of the prophecy. Why hadn't Harry been able to fight him this time? He had done it once before, and when this attack had happened, Harry had been strong, had been happy - he should have been able to push Voldemort out quickly, like he had last time. What was the difference?

"He needs to be in his bed," Molly said softly, her arms shaking with the effort of holding his dead weight. "Bill, Charlie, get him upstairs and stay with him. He won't wake up for awhile. Ron, Ginny, Hermione, you go up with him too. I want him to see your faces when he does wake up. Fred, George, go to Hogwarts and find Madam Pomfrey. I'm afraid Harry's going to need her again."

Bill and Charlie supported Harry's weight between them, and left the kitchen, followed by Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Ron and Hermione were holding hands now, and Ginny had her arms wrapped around herself as tears continued to stream down her face. Mrs. Weasley knew that Ginny needed comfort, but she also knew that Bill and Ginny were very close, and Bill would be able to calm her down while the other adults talked. Fred and George, their identical faces more solemn than anyone had ever seen, threw floo powder into the fireplace, said "Hogwarts" and stepped into the flames.

Remus Lupin stood up and made to follow the group out of the kitchen, but Dumbledore said quietly, "Remus, you need to stay here for the moment. Harry will be asleep for some time. I promise that you will be there when he wakes. Everyone, please sit."

Professor McGonagall, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, Arthur, and Molly all found chairs at the kitchen table, which was still strewn with the remainder of the night's party. The presents and the cake looked out of place now, and the mood in the room was extremely heavy as they all looked to Albus Dumbledore.

"I do not know," he began, "how Voldemort has been getting past the wards. I can only guess that the connection between himself and Harry has grown strong enough that he no longer needs to be near the boy, or even to know his location, in order to break into his mind."

"But the Occlumency lessons," Professor McGonagall broke in. "Albus, you said the boy was doing well."

"And he has been. Just the other day, he was able to stop an attack by Voldemort within seconds of the onset, and he is able to force me out of his mind almost every lesson now."

"Then why..." Remus asked, his voice once again sounding tired and defeated.

"I do not know, Remus," Dumbledore answered. "I do not know what was different about this attack. That is something only Harry will be able to tell us."

"Will he remember?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, Tonks," Molly answered shakily. "He is always able to remember, though it would be best if he could forget."

"No," Moody growled. "It is best that he remembers, or he will never learn to push the intrusions from his mind."

Molly turned to Mad-Eye angrily, about to retort, but Arthur put a calming hand on her arm, and she did not comment. She hated that Harry had to go through all of this, and it made her blood boil that they were discussing him as if he were nothing more than a pawn in this war, a weapon.

Remus suddenly thought of the prophecy. He looked at Dumbledore. "Do you think..." His voice trailed off at Dumbledore's warning look, but his heart was gripped in fear when the old man gave him an almost imperceptible nod. So Dumbledore thought that Voldemort knew the prophecy, and Remus knew that meant that the Dark Lord would stop at nothing to find Harry, to destroy him. Keeping his charge safe was going to become next to impossible.

"Kingsley, Tonks," Dumbledore began. "Until Harry is back at Hogwarts, we are going to need an increased guard around this house, and around Harry if he leaves it. Can you organize some appropriate people to help us with this?"

Tonks and Kingsley both nodded, and got up to floo back to auror headquarters.

Professor McGonagall asked, "But school, Albus, what about when Harry is at school?"

Dumbledore answered heavily, "I have increased the wards around the school as much as I can, and it would take a lot to get past them. In the meantime, we are all going to have to keep close watch on the situation, for Harry's sake."

"Is there anything else, Albus?" Remus asked politely. "I really should be getting upstairs."

"No, for now, this is all we can do. Everyone, be on your guard. Harry's situation has never been more dangerous."

Although no one in the room but Remus knew exactly what the prophecy said, Harry's danger was evident. They all nodded, and after securing promises from Molly that she would tell them how Harry was when he woke up, Professor McGonagall and Mad-Eye Moody left the kitchen to go home.

Molly turned to Dumbledore, who had also been preparing to leave. "Albus," she asked quietly. "What are you not telling us?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Molly, I'm afraid I can say nothing more at present. When Harry is ready to talk about it, he will...and I know he will be ready soon. For now, though, I leave Harry in your excellent care. I must get back to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore turned softly to leave the room, and Remus followed him, intending to go up to Harry's bedroom immediately.

Molly began cleaning up feverishly, until Arthur put a hand on her shoulder and drew her into a tight hug. The Weasley parents were very shaken by what was happening to the boy they loved like a son, and they needed each other's comfort right now.

"Oh, Arthur," Molly said softly, the slightest catch in her voice. "How much more is he going to have to take?"

Arthur couldn't answer. He could only pray that Harry would survive what he was being put through.

*

Ginny silently followed her brothers up the stairs to Harry's room, numb with shock. This attack had been infinitely worse than the one she had witnessed the week before, and the pleading she had heard in Harry's voice when he had spoken of his memory of the Chamber had rocked her to her very core. How dare anyone threaten Harry the way that Voldemort had! Even through her shock, Ginny started to feel an anger unlike any she had ever felt, a cold, simmering anger at Vernon Dursley, and Voldemort, and anyone else who had ever tried to hurt her friend. He was just a teenaged boy, like her brother Ron...why did he have to go through all of this?

Bill and Charlie lay Harry gently on his bed, and even in his stupor, Harry immediately turned on his side and curled into a fetal ball, trying to protect himself even in sleep. Charlie sat heavily in the armchair next to the bed, staring at Harry in shocked disbelief at what he had seen the kid go through. Bill, however, immediately turned to Ginny and pulled her into a tight hug.

The affection from her brother was all Ginny needed to find release. She immediately broke into great, wracking sobs against her brother's chest. Bill whispered to her, "shhh...little sis, it's gonna be alright...Harry's OK now, he's only sleeping."

Ron watched the scene as though he were miles away. He did not know how to help Ginny, or Harry, or anyone. He was grateful as he felt Hermione's cool hand slip gently into his own, and he looked into her frightened eyes, knowing that his mirrored what she was feeling. They had been through so much with Harry, but they had never seen him as broken as he had been downstairs. It brought a whole new dimension to Harry's existence, and any jealousy Ron had ever felt about Harry's fame melted into pity for his friend.

"We have to help him, Ron," Hermione whispered. "I don't know what to do, but we have to help him somehow." Ron nodded dumbly, knowing that even Hermione's millions of books were unlikely to help Harry now.

Ginny's sobs gradually died into a soft weeping as Bill continued to hug her, trying desperately to comfort the young sister he had grown up trying to protect. It was hard for him to do, though, because even his sharp mind was having trouble wrapping around what had happened tonight, and Bill sensed that Ginny's feelings for Harry had moved beyond friendship, beyond a crush, into a deeper love and a fierce determination to protect him. He knew it, even if she didn't. This had to be hell for her, even more than for the rest of them.

*

Two weeks passed before Harry was able to get out of bed again. This time, Madam Pomfrey had said that it was not his body that was exhausted, but his mind, his heart. He spent most of his time in his room, always with someone, but still always alone, thinking about what had happened, about what he had to do.

Voldemort, having gotten what he wanted for the time being, had not attacked Harry again. Harry supposed, as did Remus and Dumbledore, that he was busy planning and plotting on how best to ensure that the prophecy would be fulfilled in his favor. Harry didn't feel scared, however. Now, he just wanted this to end, one way or another, so that he could try his hand at living a normal life. It was with this thought in mind that Harry finally got out of bed and started spending time with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny once again. Hermione had appealed to her parents to let her stay for the last few weeks of the summer, and they had reluctantly agreed, knowing she would be desperately unhappy if she were forced to stay at home.

Two nights after his confinement had ended and Harry had begun wandering the house, starting to return once again to his normal self, Remus marveled at how, although Harry always needed time to recover from his ordeals, he was always able to bounce back.

Dumbledore had questioned Harry almost mercilessly when he had awoken the day after his birthday. They had found out that Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy had staged a tandem attack on Harry's mind, although how that had been done was still a mystery. Lucius Malfoy was still in Azkaban when Dumbledore had checked with the Ministry of Magic. There was no way that anyone knew of that he could have been with Voldemort that night.

Dumbledore suspected that the Dementors had indeed revolted, just as Voldemort had claimed during the attack on Harry. Cornelius Fudge, however, continued to insist that the dementors remained Azkaban in the Ministry's employ. He was still trying to politically recover from the disaster that had been You-Know-Who's public return in June, and would not admit that it was possible that anything else had gone wrong. Dumbledore knew that most likely meant that the dementors were serving Voldemort in secret, and that was how Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy had managed to break into Harry's mind together.

This was a completely unheard-of use of Legilimency, and Albus had dedicated much of the past two weeks in research of different ways to achieve it. The fact that both Malfoy and Voldemort had broken into Harry's mind at the same time was not wholly unheard of, though it was unusual. It was the fact that, from what Harry had recalled, the two had been able to work together, to see the same thoughts - in effect, they had been able to work as one. For Harry, the effect had been disastrous. Two powerful wizards breaking into the mind at once would have been hard for even the most skilled Occlumens to fight, and Harry had only been effectively studying Occlumency for a few weeks. The worst part was that Dumbledore had yet to find out how they had done it, which meant that he did not yet know how to counter the attack.

The Headmaster continued to visit headquarters daily, and to work with Harry on his Occlumency each morning. Like Lupin, he had been worried when the boy had stayed in his room for so long, and then heartened when Harry had begun enjoying his time with his friends again. Dumbledore liked to remind himself how resilient the young mind could be, but in his darker moments, he worried about the long-term effects this was going to have on Harry.

So the last part of the summer wore on, and between the love of his friends, the help from his headmaster and his guardians, and the healing of time (not to mention a good dreamless sleep potion every few days), Harry was becoming well once again.