p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanGreyback tossed Harry and Ron into the dark, musty cellar, slamming the heavy door shut behind them with one final style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRon immediately started thrashing and lunging towards the door, yelling Hermione's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBetween his throbbing scar and Ron jerking them around in their bonds, Harry was having trouble coming up with any sort of plan./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ron! Stop yelling!" Harry tried pulling on the ropes to keep Ron still./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Harry? Ron?" Ron finally froze and Harry caught a glimpse of a figure rising from the darkness./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Luna?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, I hoped you wouldn't get caught," Luna's dreamy voice was unmistakable./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Luna, do you think you can get us out?" Harry asked./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I think we can get you out of those style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMr. Ollivander, can you—" Luna was cut off as Hermione started screaming again from style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMore shouts followed and Ron started squirming again. "The nail please, Mr. Ollivander," Luna asked, forced to speak up over Ron's resumed style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHer shadow vanished, then reappeared, looming over Ron and Harry./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Can you hold still?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI can't exactly see what I'm doing," she asked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHarry pulled on their bonds again in another attempt at calming Ron./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There's a Deluminator in my pocket, it should give us some light," panted Ron, sagging defeated against the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a click, three orbs floated out and filled the room with light./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, that's nice," said Luna with a faint style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanShe went to work, hacking through the strands of rope gradually./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWhen they were free, Ron rushed to the door, trying a variety of ways to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLuna moved on to Dean and the barely conscious Griphook, making quick work of their bindings as style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHarry surveyed the cellar, but Luna interrupted his planning./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"There's no way style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI tried at first and Merlin knows Mr. Ollivander has been here long enough to try everything," Luna said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFrom above there was shouting about the sword and a Gringott's vault before Hermione shrieked style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHarry searched his pockets for something that could be style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanLint, button, galleon, snitch, mirror style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe stared at the mirror shard as if it would offer up some style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanFor a brief moment, a brilliant blue eye replaced Harry's green and he shouted, "We're trapped in the Malfoy Manor style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHelp us!"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThen, Dumbledore's eye was gone and Harry shoved the shard back in his pocket, already cursing his useless delusions./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We didn't take anything!span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIt's a fake!" Hermione style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRon was now testing the door with various kicks and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was a sharp rap from the other side of the door./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Step back from the door and don't bother style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'm armed," Draco Malfoy's voice rang out style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThe door swung open with a clang before anyone had a chance to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA loud crack followed and Dobby appeared, perfectly illuminated by the Deluminator's stolen style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanEveryone froze, watching Malfoy as he took everything in - the sawed through ropes, the orbs of light, Harry's quickly healing face, and the startled house style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanTo everyone's surprise, his wand lowered./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I don't have long, I'm just supposed to be getting the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanIf all of you leave now, I can get Hermione out safely myself," Malfoy said quietly and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThere was more stunned silence, broken by Ron who snarled, "What are you playing at, ferret?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'm saving your arse, weasel," Malfoy snapped back, "You're through as soon as they see your face, style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanI'll help you and all of your little friends escape as long as you let me escape from this hell hole with you."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHarry studied the other boy carefully; his pale drawn face and dark shadows under his eyes making him look clearly desperate./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dobby will not let you trick Harry Potter," the little house elf threatened, stepping between them with his hands raised threateningly./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He'll kill me and Hermione if you escape on our watch," pleaded Malfoy, face somehow going even paler than before./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dracooooo, what's taking so long?" Bellatrix called from above, making Malfoy cringe./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Dobby, can you get Mr. Ollivander, Luna, and Dean out of here?span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRon and I are going with Malfoy," Harry said style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRon looked horrified at the prospect of teaming up with Malfoy, but he muttered to Dobby, "Take them to Bill and Fleur's, Shell Cottage."/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"If you must play the hero, Potter," Malfoy said, rolling his eyes and practically dragging Griphook out by the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanThey both shuffled after Malfoy, slamming the door at just the right moment to hide the crack of Dobby disapparating./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Is this a good idea?" Ron style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHarry shrugged and mumbled, "It's the only plan we've got."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMalfoy stopped them just outside the doorway, handing them the wands he had confiscated off of them earlier./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I'll get over to Hermione and then give you a style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanYou guys create a distraction and then we'll be out of here."span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMalfoy strode into the room with Griphook without giving Ron and Harry a moment to style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a nervous squeal, Bellatrix shoved the sword of Gryffindor under Griphook's nose, demanding that he tell her if it was style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanAfter a quick scan to make sure the other hovering Death Eaters weren't an immediate threat, Harry kept his eyes trained on style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRelieved of the goblin, Malfoy stepped carefully closer to Hermione who lay curled up and trembling on the style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanMalfoy hoisted Hermione up like a prisoner, though Harry did notice him taking great care of her left style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA drop of blood fell from her fingertips./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's a fake, definitely a fake," announced style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBellatrix relaxed immediately and began to turn to Malfoy when he gave Harry the smallest of nods./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"STUPEFY!" Harry shouted, knocking Greyback clean off his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanRon leapt out behind him, quickly disarming Bellatrix and catching her wand./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Potter," snarled Lucius, stepping forward to take him style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanWith a pop, Lucius collapsed./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Draco, no!" Narcissa half sobbed, seeing her son's raised wand turned against his style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHarry and Ron seized the moment of shock to run to Draco, hoping he could apparate them out of Malfoy style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanSeveral steps away, however, Harry staggered and fell, pain splitting his forehead./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanHe was being called away from something style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBut those spineless idiots knew better than to call him for anything less than style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanPerhaps tonight would be less of a disappointment than he thought./em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"A glimpse of reality confirmed Harry's style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanBellatrix, dark mark blazing, had called em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"him/em./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Harry Potter," a squeaky voice and wide green eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;""Dobby!" Ron yelled, saving Harry the trouble. Ron had stopped with Harry and picked up Griphook in the process. Dobby's eyes went wide and he grabbed Harry and Ron quickly before disapparating. Harry's vision went out from the pain and pressure, but not before he saw a knife spinning towards them, thrown by a very desperate Bellatrix./p