"So what do we do?", Remus asked, clearly concerned for the teen. "We have to help him", Dumbledore replied firmly. "We have to prepare him for the fight he will undoubtedly seek out", he explained.
"He wouldn't", Molly exclaimed.
"He is already preparing himself, though I do not know how, the best thing we can do is train him and help him, or he will do it alone and will only push us away if we do not" Dumbledore replied with a shake of his head.
"You said that it wouldn't come to this", Remus growled angrily pointing at the man with a shaky finger.
"I'm afraid it has been taken out of my hands", Dumbledore returned disappointedly. "I am going to fetch him tomorrow and he will spend the rest of the summer here at Hogwarts where I will train him along with any of you that can help", he finished with a tone of finality in his voice. "Aye, I'll help", Moody declared. "If we can teach him then maybe we can stop him taking certain actions", he concluded.
"Me too", Remus agreed reluctantly.
"What will you teach him?", Minerva asked. "To kill the bastard and his followers", Moody growled excitedly.
Clearly the ex-Auror had had enough of the passive way the Order was fighting. Dumbledore nodded reluctantly at the crass summary that Moody gave.
"I don't believe I'm hearing this", Molly interjected disbelievingly. "He is just a child and you are going to teach him how to kill", she stated, shaking her head.
"Aye and I bet the lad will be good at it, he has potential", Moody quipped gleefully.
"More than you know", Remus sighed. The conversation did not go any further however as Tonks burst into the room, breathing heavily.
"Harry's been kidnapped", She announced, clutching her side gingerly.
"What happened?", Dumbledore asked frantically, standing immediately.
"I was outside on guard duty when I saw a red spell through the window, by the time I got there Harry and all of his things were gone", Tonks explained hurriedly.
"The boy has clearly run away", Snape drawled, not at all concerned.
"I know what I saw Snape", Tonks answered heatedly.
Dumbledore ignored the quarreling pair and called for Fawkes to take him to Harry's home instantly. It was less than 30 minutes later that Dumbledore returned looking very grave indeed. Harry had been kidnapped, there was no denying that fact but he could not quite understand how.
The wards were all still in tact and any that meant harm to the boy would not be able to enter the home but perhaps Tom had found a way, it was clear to the headmaster that Harry had not run away. He could sense the foreign magic though it was not particularly dark in nature.
He sat back at the table and looked towards the Order members who were staring at him expectantly.
He sighed before he spoke.
"Harry has indeed been kidnapped", he informed them. "Though it cannot have been done by any that mean him harm, of that I am sure", he finished confidently. "What do we do?", Tonks asked, feeling a little guilty that it had happened on her watch.
"Severus, I will need you to confirm that Harry has not been taken by Tom", he instructed the greasy-haired man who sneered but nodded his obedience. "The rest of you will make any and all inquiries you can, it is paramount that we find him", he explained urgently.
With that the assembled members exited the hall to carry out their tasks.
"Please be safe my boy", Dumbledore whispered pleadingly.
(BREAK)
Harry awoke and found himself bound to a chair. It took him a moment or two to be able to think coherently and he sighed when the memory of what happened surfaced.
"Good evening Mr. Potter", a voice greeted him. Harry shook his head irritably at being captured so easily, he knew he should have been more vigilant, though he had been assured he was safe.
"Why don't you just take me to Tom and let's get it over with", he suggested, being in no mood to prolong the inevitable.
"Who the bloody hell is Tom?", another voice questioned angrily causing Harry to smirk slightly.
He knew that he should probably be afraid, but he wasn't for reasons unknown to him. He knew that it was going to come to an end between himself and Riddle but he had not expected it to be so soon.
Harry chuckled darkly before answering.
"Your master", he said simply. "Don't tell me that you didn't know he is a half-blood", he sighed amusedly. "His name is Tom Riddle, his father was a muggle" he added. "Are you sure they only stunned him?", the first voice asked, completely ignoring what Harry had said.
"They did", the second voice confirmed.
"Mr. Potter I do not know who Tom Riddle is, we did not bring you here to discuss that, I apologise that it had to be done this way but we had to be quick", the first voice explained.
"Then who the bloody hell are you?", Harry asked irritably.
The first man chuckled as Harry finally looked towards them.
"My name is Clarence Croaker, I am the head of the Department of Mysteries", he explained.
"Oh, shit", Harry muttered, knowing that this was going to be bad.
"Shit indeed", Croaker agreed with a nod. "You have given us a rather large headache over the past month" he informed the teen casually. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened, I'll even pay for the damage we did", Harry tried, just wanting this to be over.
"No, No, Mr. Potter, that is not what this is about", Croaker responded ruefully.
"Then what do you want with me?", Harry asked worriedly.