Cupboards and Cryogenics

Chapter 7

Albus Dumbledore sees that the house that was once Number Four, Privet Drive is truly blown up, much like the Potter's house had been in Godric's Hollow less than three years before, on that Halloween night when Voldemort killed Lily and James Potter.

All that is left of Number Four is charred rubble. The Blood Wards are essentially useless now that Harry's family is dead, and Dumbledore is trying to change them into some sort of protection for Harry, to keep him safe until they get him back.

The sky is cloudy and there's a storm on the horizon, which fits the mood rather well.

Albus knows they must get the boy back. It's been at least fifteen hours since he got the frantic fire call from Arabella Figg about the Dursley residence exploding. It's been about as long since Severus dueled the man who still most likely has Harry.

Harry is missing, and most likely in grave danger. Not only from potential Death Eaters, but from the assassin with the metal arm who presumably still has Harry in his clutches.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't sent him here." Beside Dumbledore, Minerva is fuming, with the rather fitting ferocity of a mother lion protecting her cubs, about how she knew that Harry should have never been left with the Dursley family, and how they were the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. "Merlin knows what that man is doing to him. If he so much as lays a hand on Harry, I'll-"

Albus tunes her out and focuses on the wards.

Changing the wards is not particularly tricky for Dumbledore, but there's no guarantee that the new protection wards will be able to help Harry wherever he is. The problem lies in the fact that they would be much more effective if Harry were here and Dumbledore could cast them on him directly.

He should have thought to cast something like this when he left Harry on the Dursleys' doorstep, but it's not as if he was in danger with his relatives.

Hopefully the new wards will protect Harry until they find him again. Albus really hopes the assassin isn't planning on killing Harry. The boy is necessary for defeating Voldemort. Despite what most of the wizarding world chooses to believe, Voldemort will most likely return.

Severus is stalking towards them, holding some sort of muggle device. He had been sent out to the site of the car where he had fought the assassin- thankfully, the car evidently hasn't been moved by the muggle authorities yet.

"What is it?" Minerva asks, looking at the device. It is a gray box with a glass screen that lights up, showing a map.

"A... GPS." Albus answers, still unfamiliar with the term. Some of the things muggles invent are truly amazing.

In their second questioning of the kidnappers, they had managed to gain a bit of useful information. The two muggles- who are once again petrified- revealed that this 'GPS' device will tell them the location of the soldier who took Harry, by tracking something in the soldier's metal arm. It is one of those... electric devices, though, and muggle technology often doesn't work well with magic.

Severus looks at it as the screen flickers slightly, and the Potions Master reads out an address that almost certainly isn't connected to the Floo Network. Furthermore, they can't apparate there without knowing what the place looks like.

Dumbledore decides to try to pull some strings and get someone at the ministry to connect the building -which is apparently some sort of ski lodge, whatever that is- to the Floo Network briefly.

The Soldier stands quietly, awaiting orders from its handlers. The head is quiet, and the agents have turned off the screen, so the only noise is the rain that has started to fall on the roof, and the boy's quiet sobs.