for your reading pleasure, a brand NEW 2'000 word chapter (:

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Chapter Twenty Eight

Moments later, Indie was in Scott’s room. He’d been lucky enough to get a room of his own while they were at Grimmauld Place, which was a good thing, for both him and Indie. Surrounding herself with all things Scott, his clothes, his belongings; it made it easier to gain a connection, no matter how far away he may be.
Positioning herself comfortably on his bed, clutching a few of his small treasures, she closed her eyes, and wandered. She took turns holding each of the objects for no more than a few minutes each. The feather necklace he’d been given by a native tribe in North America felt soft and light in her hands, the cool beads of the chain draping over her wrists. She moved next to an extremely battered copy of a Muggle novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. She rarely ever saw her brother leave home without it tucked into his bag, and it showed; the corners were well-thumbed. Beside the book on the bed was a photo frame, given to him by their Great-Great Grandmother. She’d bewitched it show a pictures of the warm thoughts in his mind, whether it be people, things or places. At the moment, it was flashing between a dull black-gray color, and the vast green of their home. It didn’t prove to be very useful, since Indie was a hundred percent sure he wasn’t at home. She wouldn’t set it totally aside though; it may come in useful later.
By now, she’d gotten through most of the places she’d usually find Scott, but today, he wasn’t in any of them. She moved her fingers over each of the objects again; first the frame, the book, the necklace…she brushed over them all a dozen times. Still nothing.
“Aaaarrrgggghhhh!”
To Kill a Mockingbird flew across the room, hitting the bedroom door with a clunk, before it fell to the floor with its pages all bent up. By the time Tonks and company arrived, Indie’s head was in her hands, with her fighting the urge not to throw something else.
“Indie, what’s going on?” Tonks cried, walking over to the young girl, crouching in front of her and resting her hands on Indie’s shoulders.
“I can’t find him,” she almost whispered, “I can’t find my brother. I have no idea where he could possibly be…” Her voice was growing louder with each word, raising from a whisper to an almost yell.
“He’s absolutely nowhere you’d think of, and his stupid frame isn’t telling us anything, why the jumping jellybeans would he just cavort off across the country on errands set by a mad old bloke who can’t even get his mind on the right way?!”
The only thing keeping the room from being silent was Indie’s quiet sobs. Remus bent down to pick up the tousled novel from the ground, straightening out its pages before placing it on the bookcase.
A noise downstairs made all the heads jerk up. Sirius held a finger to his lips, as Indie slipped away for a moment. Nothing ruined a surprise visit from an undesirable like a little foresight.
Indie’s loud gasp startled everyone. Eyes that were focused on the fast approaching footsteps were now on Indie, who was sprinting out the door and down the stairs.
“INDIE!”
But not even Tonks’ fearful cry could stop her from running headlong into the group hug of her siblings in the foyer. The remaining Stewarts somehow all turned up Grimmauld place, with equally worried and frightened looks on their faces. The faces of the Order looked a little more relieved to discover that the unexpected visit was not an unwanted one.
“Indie, what’s going on here?” Melanie asked, looking down almost a whole head to be level with her sister.
“Yeah, we got called out of class by Dumbledore,” Anton added, “had Paul and Mel get us here right away.”
“We heard Scott might have –“
“Bell, don’t say it –“
“Shut up, Paul.”
“Guys, honestly, is now really the time?”
Indie was thankful for her oldest sister’s level headedness in a time like this. A small laugh managed to escape her before she was met with quizzical looks.
“Come on, I’ve got a plan.”
Leading her family upstairs to Scott’s room, taking To Kill a Mockingbird from the shelf on the way, she sat on his bed, the way she was before.
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t kick our butts for being in his room,” Bella said, laughing a little, sitting next Indie on the back of Scott’s bed.
Melanie simply shook her head.
“You’d think saving his life would be enough to get him to reconsider,” Anton added, “I mean come on, he’s not that possessive is he?”
The looks from the twins, Melanie and Paul, were enough to answer his question.
“Guess we’ll just have to take the praise while it lasts, then run screaming for the hills,” Bella laughed.
“Don’t think of praise just yet, kids,” Melanie put in, “we still have to find him.”
“Which is why all of you should stick a sock in your gob, and listen,” Indie began, “I tried to use his personal effects to get a better connection to him, but the thing is, he must be real far away, because I’m coming up empty.”
Concerned faces filled a moment’s silence, before Anton spoke.
“Where’s You-Know-Who when you get him?” he asked, “And how clear is it?”
Indie’s eyes lowered. She bit her lip, giving her a chance to think of the best way to phrase her next words.
“You-Know-Who is far away, when you consider it in a matter of flying,” she said, “but I can still read him, crystal clear. I’ve gotten to him enough times, there’s a ready-made path each time, a connection.”
“There should be one with Scott though, right?” Bella asked.
“Yeah, I mean, you get in all our heads annoyingly, why should he be an exception?” was Melanie’s confronting, but not rude reply.
“That’s what I’m trying to say!” Indie exclaimed, “There’s a connection there, a big one, but I can’t get it. It’s out of my grasp. I need…I need more power.”
“More power?!” Anton cried, “Ind, you’re more powerful than all of us put together, how in goblin’s name –“
“No, Anton, I’m not,” Indie said bluntly.
“And how do you figure that one out, bubble head?”
“Bella, just because I’m a Legillimens, doesn’t mean that I’m powerful,” she said, “why do you think I barely pass Charms? You guys are all much more powerful than me, luck of the last, I guess.”
“What are you trying to say?” Melanie asked, her anticipation riding her pitch.
Handing the necklace to Melanie, the frame to Bella and To Kill a Mockingbird to the boys, Indie spoke again.
“I’m saying, we need to find him,” she said, “as a collective. You know a…a five heads are better than one sort of deal.”
The siblings shared a moment of laughter, looking between themselves for a few moments, before the noise died down gradually.
“Well, place all the objects in the center –“
“Not objects, Mel, their treasures,” Bella interrupted.
“Whatever –“
“No, Mel, Bella’s right,” Anton said, “To find someone, you have to form an attachment. That doesn’t happen when you dismiss their most prized possessions as ‘whatever’.”
“Anton’s right,” Indie said, before snapping up, “wow, I can’t believe I just said that.”
“Get a life,” Anton spat, not looking from the circle of treasures in the middle of their circle. Indie giggled, before taking her wand from her pocket, and placing it on top of the objects.
“Put the tips in the middle, and make sure each treasure is touching a wand,” Indie said, Bella quickly following suit, before taking Indie’s hand.
“Right, Legillimens 101 –“
“In 30 seconds?” Paul challenged.
“It would have been if you hadn’t interrupted, now we’re limited to 25!” Indie snapped.
“Right, close your eyes,” she instructed, her siblings now taking the hands of the person beside them, forming a circle.
“Feel the connection between yourself and your wand, each other, the treasures in the middle. Form yourself the greatest possible connection in your mind with Scott. A memory, experience, a sense…anything.”
She could feel the minds in the room strengthening, breaking out from their normal barriers.
“Good, now let your mind wander,” she added, “feel yourself moving through the room, in and out of the wands, the book, the necklace…feel your mind leaving your body. Focus on the essence of Scott in the objects. Know the emotions, the sights, the sounds…everything that you can associate with Scott, get it into your senses.”
The power was building, Indie could feel it. The room was pulsing with energy, memories of their oldest brother flashing around their subconscious.
“We’re nearly there, guys,” she urged, “now, take that energy, that essence, and push it out of the room, send it running across all corners of the world. When you find a link, latch onto it. If it’s weak, take a closer look, if it’s strong, be wary and move on. The mind and the heart make their own connections, we just have to acknowledge them.”
The wind was whistling outside, as the five Stewarts sat in a circle on the bed, their minds reaching out into the abyss, searching for a spark that had gone out.
Then something changed. A great lurch threw all their minds hurtling in one direction. They were side by side, flying; Indie could feel the hope building in one of them.
And the fear.
Bella screamed, clinging tighter to Indie’s hand as her fearful shrieks broke out.
“Hold on, Bella!” Indie cried, pushing her mind to the very limit.
She could hear her sister whimpering beside her, but she didn’t back down.
Anton was clenching on her left, his small impulses of noise telling her something was wrong.
Mel was still pushing, full speed ahead, and Paul was right on her heels.
“Guys, slow it down, something’s wrong!” Indie cried, as Bella let another scream, followed by a cry from Melanie and a yell from Anton. Paul was tense, but pushing through.
The world was green, and dark. Cackling filled the air, of a pitch and tone Indie knew of all too well.
The gleeful shrieking of Bellatrix Lestrange illuminated the space, the piercing eyes of Lord Voldemort watching on the event they were all now bearing witness too.
They were staring straight at the Dark Lord, the laugh of his evil minion coming from behind them.
It was now, Indie realised, they had found Scott. In fact, they were Scott, at this moment in time.
He was surrounded by bleak, gray walls, rusty but fortified bars, that reminded Indie of a prison cell.
“Prison!”
A zap of red shook the world, as all five let out shrieks of pain, Bellatrix performing her favored Cruciatus Curse on their oldest brother.

“Talk you filthy half-blood, TALK!”
“Now now, Bella, we want him speak, not go mad like the Longbottoms.”
“Yes, My Lord!”

Again, the cackle exploded, followed by another shock of red.
They had seen enough. Indie pulled firmly out of Scott’s mind, taking her siblings reluctantly with her. There were shrieks, yells and screams from all of them, as the returning to their own bodies shocked them alive. Sitting in a panting, fearful circle on the bed, with banging at the door, Indie couldn’t bear to look up at her family. The banging at the door stopped, as Remus, Tonks, Sirius and Mrs Weasley all filed into the room, incoherently asking “Are you okay?” and “Oh my goodness, what happened?”
Indie recovered, and looked straight up at Sirius.
“Did you get him?” he asked quietly, staring straight into Indie’s blue eyes. She could see the pain and suffering in them, from his own experiences that were similar to Scott’s. Indie simply nodded, all eyes and ears waiting anxiously for an answer.

“He’s in Azkaban.”