Disclaimer: All the HP characters belong to J.K.Rowling.
A/N: Just a few things. I know Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott (the adult one) are not exactly Voldie's most loyal servants but Barty Crouch Jr is "worse than dead" so he can't exactly help. Oh, and Draco is not going to be the only one to disappear as you'll see in this part. Many more people are going to disappear and not just Slytherins.
Now, on with the story.
*~*
"What does he mean bad new?" Ron said to Harry. "That's great"
"He must have something more to tell us" said Hermione.
She was right. "Also," continued Dumbledore, "Madame Pince found this in the library this morning." He held up the book and showed them the spine. "With the Dark Mark on it"
Everyone gasped. Then they started all talking at once.
"D'you reckon You Know Who's back?" Ron asked nervously to Harry.
"I don't think so." Harry replied, "I mean, I didn't feel my scar tingling or anything."
"But why would the Dark Lord want Malfoy?" Hermione pondered. She stood up. "I'm going to the library." she announced.
"That's your solution for everything isn't it?" Ron called after her. "Go look it up in books."
Hermione didn't say anything, she just turned her head and waved.
Ron started eating again. "Want some eggs Harry?" he asked.
"No thanks" Harry answered. "I've lost my appetite." He glanced at his watch. "We're going to be late for Charms" he cried. He grabbed Ron's arm and started to pull him out of the Great Hall.
"But Harry" Ron protested, "I'm still hungry"
*~*~*
When they got there, they saw that Professor Flitwick and lined everyone up by the door.
"I've been called up to the library to help investigate." he explained to them in his squeaky little voice. "Professor Sprout has offered to take you for the period."
"Who's she teaching right now?" Harry asked.
"I think the Slytherins and Ravenclaws" answered the Professor.
"Great. Just great" Ron mumbled to Harry as they started off to the greenhouse. "We have to deal with the Slytherins. And we have Double Potions later too. Ugh"
They ran into Hermione in the next corridor. "Where are you going?" she asked them. "Don't we have Charms?"
"Weren't you going to the library?" Ron asked.
Hermione fell into line with them. "The library was closed because the teachers wanted to do some tracking charms and things. To see if they can find out where You Know Who is."
"You mean Voldemort might be in the castle somewhere?" Harry inquired.
Ron winced. "Don't say the name." he hissed.
They stepped into the greenhouse with the rest of the Gryffindors. Everyone else was already there.
"The Slytherins look terrible." said Hermione.
"They always look terrible." Ron joked.
"No, I mean more so than usual." Hermione told him.
Harry looked at the bunch. "You're right" he said.
All the Slytherins seemed very upset. Pansy's eyes were red from crying, Millicent Bulstrode looked like she was about to faint, and even Crabbe and Goyle didn't look the same.
Professor Sprout looked up. "Because of the terrible tragedy," she started.
"What does she mean terrible tragedy?" Ron muttered to Harry and Hermione. "Malfoy's gone. We should throw a party."
"And since I have three classes in here instead of two," she continued, "I'm going to just let you have a free period."
Everyone cheered. "This is great." said Ron. "First Malfoy disappears, then we get a free period. No work!"
"It would be better if we got to skip Potions." said Harry.
"Yeah." Ron agreed. "Maybe we will. If we wish really hard or something."
The threesome spent the rest of the period playing chess, Exploding Snap and basically, not doing anything at all.
The bell rang. "Potions" Ron groaned.
"Well, let's go" Hermione nagged. "Snape probably in a bad mood because of the disappearance of his favourite student. He's going to find an excuse to take a hundred points off Gryffindor if we're late."
"I reckon he's going to do that anyways" Ron grumbled but he and Harry follow Hermione off to the dungeons without complaint.
*~*~*
Crabbe and Goyle trudged out of the greenhouse together.
"What d'you think happened to Draco?" Crabbe grunted to Goyle.
"Dunno" Goyle grunted back.
They walked on in silence. After a while, Goyle stopped suddenly.
"D'you hear anything?" Goyle grunted.
"No" answered Crabbe. "Why? D'you?"
"Yeah" said Goyle. "It sounds like a voice." He listened some more. "And it's calling my name"
"You're going crazy" Crabbe grumbled but he followed Goyle towards where the sound had come from.
The sound led them to right outside the Potions dungeon. "See? I told you there's no one here." Crabbe grunted.
They didn't notice the shadow that was creeping up behind them.
"Stupefy" shouted a voice. Goyle fell to the floor, his body limp.
Crabbe whirled around in terror. The shadow looked into his face, its evil red eyes piercing into Crabbe's bewildered brown ones.
"Help!" he shouted. "Somebody help me! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
"Stupefy" the shadow shouted for the second time.
Crabbe's body fell to the ground beside Goyle's and just like him, went limp.
"Only one more to go" whispered the evil voice. He whisked up the two bodies and disappeared.
*~*~*
Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the Potions dungeon.
"Somebody help me" they heard someone shout. Then a loud "Stupefy".
Snape strode briskly to the door and flung it open. "What's going on?" he called angrily. Then he looked down and gasped.
"What is it Professor Snape?" someone called out.
Engraved upon the stone floor in the of the Potions dungeon, lay the Dark Mark. And this time there was a message. "Beware Harry Potter," it said, "for this time you will not get away"
A/N 2: Spookiness. Please review. All ya hafta do is type a few words and click submit. =)
