A/N - Time for an adventure.
A mixture of staff and students gathered around in a half circle. Most of the students were there on detention like I was, with the exception of Granger who seemed to feel that she need to help bring the school back to its old glory. She carried a pile of books under one arm and looked intently at the sight before us. Why anyone would be up so early on a Sunday morning by choice was beyond me. Lazing in bed until ten and laying out on the deck outside our cabin for the rest of the day sounded like a perfect Sunday to me. It certainly would have brightened up my week. My fellow students in my classes were somewhat less friendly than the second years I had taught on Tuesday. I was given wide berth even by the Slytherins. The resounding whispers of 'He's a Death Eater, don't look at him' and 'He's a Death Eater, Don't sit near him', were beginning to get a little old. I had begun to feel very alone. I had thought that Zion would keep me company with sharing a room but he was so busy with teaching and marking and writing that we had barely spoken since the night we moved in.
We stood before a staircase with crater like cracks down the middle. The cracks oozed black liquid in a steady flow. It looked like ink.
"Some of the dark magic used in the battle here at Hogwarts has left its mark. Each Sunday from now until all of this magic is purged from the castle will be devoted to finding ways to fix the problem areas. This particular crack is pouring black liquid and causing continuous clean ups that are wasting time which could be better spent reconstructing other areas of the castle. Can anyone with an idea about how to fix this particular area please step forward and present their idea."McGonagall stood tapping her foot impatiently as people began talking amongst themselves.
"We could try filling the crack Professor. I know a spell for instant cement." A fifth year girl from Ravenclaw announced.
"I'm not so sure about that Miss Firth. I think we need to stop the liquid before filling the cracks." McGonagall retorted.
I really studied the cracks for the first time. The shape of the crack was almost like a snake, alarm bells rang inside my head.
"Professor." McGonagall turned to look at me. "I may have an idea. Though it may be a little grotesque." I thought.
"Go on Malfoy." She urged. I looked around to make sure there wasn't any students from the first few years, a lot of the things I'd learnt in the past couple of years definitely weren't suitable for a younger audience.
"Well, contrary to popular belief, a dark mark isn't a tattoo as such. It's actually a ritualistic series of cuts. A mixture of ink and blood is poured into the cuts and then they are healed. The mark which appears is relevant to the person who's blood is used." I shared.
"How is that relevant Malfoy?" She puzzled.
"These cracks are reminiscent of the cuts and are easily large enough that a person may have fallen in. I think we can assume the cracks were formed by someone wielding dark magic. Have you tried healing the crack Headmistress?" I asked. McGonagall looked apprehensive. I moved to withdraw my wand.
"I'll do it Mr Malfoy." She turned to the crack and thrust forward her wand. "VULNERA SANANTUR." The liquid gradually stopped oozing and the cracks began to close. The liquid crusted the cracks like blood would a healing wound before the stone staircase formed back together. Both staff and students around me looked mesmerised.
"Why isn't there a dark mark on the stairs?" A sixth year boy piped up.
"There was no ink. Only blood." I answered quietly. Ink was mixed with the blood to make a dark mark, my own dark mark itched. I was intrigued that my suggestion had worked.
"Thank you Malfoy, with this staircase clear students now have no excuse for being late to History of magic classes." McGonagall smiled. A fifth year girl groaned. "Maybe the next piece of dark magic will stump you as much as it has experts." We moved on.
When I arrived with the rest of the group in the darkened corridor my stomach twisted in knots. A circle of runes were drawn on the floor at the far end of the corridor.
"McGonagall, you need to get everyone out of here right now!" I yelled. She frowned at me until she realised I was serious.
"You heard the boy. Everyone leave. Detention is cancelled for today." Everyone went quickly, a few of the students even jeered at being let out early. Some teachers looked completely perplexed as McGonagall ushered them past me and back to the staircase. "Malfoy, explain yourself." She stood opposite me, a serious frown causing crease lines across her forehead. I gathered my jumbled thoughts and cleared my throat for good measure.
"It's a long story Professor and we don't have much time." She looked impatient, I continued. "It's a trap, very dangerous magic. When I became a Death Eater the summer after my fifth year, I had my picture taken while stood by a door. It seemed crazy, become a Death Eater and get a photo shoot. I was given the picture and told to keep it on my person at all times. In fact, it was so strongly ingrained into me that I still carry the picture." I took the photo from my trouser pocket and showed it to McGonagall. I was stood nervously staring into the camera lens. "I was taught how to create the trap using a circle of runes. Anyone who enters the circle is stuck in there unless they know how to cast the correct runes from the inside to destroy the circle and set anyone trapped inside free. Until released, the people inside are both there and not there at the same time. I was told that if I was mortally wounded I should cast the circle and lay in wait for someone to enter. Time inside the circle goes by much slower, so that anyone else trapped inside would still be alive when the Death Eater was rescued. Within seconds someone would enter the circle and I would have to perform a ritual. Its unimaginable and I don't wish to explain in detail but it is an experimental form of making a Horcrux. Except in this instance the whole soul is transferred into the picture of yourself. The soulless body quickly dies from the mortal injury sustained and the trap quickly fills with unsuspecting victims. Once in the picture you go through the door. I was never told where the door leads, but that it would be to help. Another death eater would then come along to the circle, pass through and cast the runes to destroy it. Laying the trap is a Death Eaters final gesture of loyalty, his death brings a troop of victims to fall under the Dark Lords regime. The Death Eater could live within the photograph indefinitely or ask for it to be set alight and release his soul." McGonagall looked horrified. "Professor, I suspect that with the circle still here and the Dark Lord defeated, there could be people trapped inside. Do you know if anyone has entered into the circle?" Seeing the circle in real life, not just drawn in the book I was taught from brought panic to me. Would I ever have been able to cast the runes myself while mortally wounded?
"The Runes expert, I told him where to look for the circle and he never returned. We searched the castle for him." She said sadly.
"I will save him." I surprised myself. I did know the runes to destroy the circle from inside. "It might take a day or two, what with time passing slower inside the circle." I puzzled.
"No Malfoy. I can write to the Ministry to send an Auror. You will teach the Auror how to destroy the circle." She said adamantly.
"By then the runes expert will most definitely be dead." I retorted.
"Malfoy. I can't allow it. That's final." As she spoke I calculated that I was closer to the circle than she was and could run much faster. I had a choice. I was the only person available with a chance at saving this man's life. The only other person I knew who could was Father and he never much cared for the lives of those he didn't know. The irony struck me. How was it that I could willingly risk my life to save a stranger when I had already watched so many die. I left like I was playing with death. I really could die in there, one wrongly cast rune and I'd be trapped forever. There were no second chances with dark magic.
I ran and leaped into the circle.
Pain tore through my body like a whirlwind. I could feel blood pouring down my wrist and leg. I wanted nothing more than to keel over and throw up but suddenly the scene before me came into focus. The veil thinned and the circle was much bigger on the inside, twelve feet or more across. Through the veil I could see the corridor I'd been stood in moments earlier. My focus moved to the three bodies which laid on the ground in a bloodied heap. Two of the bodies were mangled beyond recognition but I did recognise Nott, a powerful Death Eater who had always been a good friend of Fathers. I moved closer and scowered the ground around him for his photograph. If only I could find it and destroy it. Moving the whole soul wouldn't protect it in the same way a regular horcrux would. I needed only to burn the photograph to release the soul. I moved closer to the pile of corpses, terrified that someone's eyes would fly open. It still wouldn't have been the worst thing to happen to me. The pain of the magic in the circle was worse than any horror story. There was no photograph in Nott's trouser pockets. No photograph in his shirt pocket. I tried to roll him onto his side to see if he had landed on it.
"Can you get us out?" I leaped up, startled in surprise at hearing the voice. Two boys the same age as myself and a girl a little younger than them huddled to one side. The Ravenclaw girl was crying while the two boys from Hufflepuff tried to comfort her. They didn't seem to be in pain at all. I recognised the boys, they had been in the same year as me. One of them was Zacharius Smith, he looked at me with disdain. I knew for a fact that he had been declared missing but assumed dead when the battle at Hogwarts was over, meaning they had been in the trap since the battle.
"Sure. I need you to move to the middle." I drew in a ragged breath and took out my wand. A fresh wave of pain washed over me.
"By the bodies? But.." I cut them short.
"Quickly. Its September already." I ushered them. The boys stood in disbelief.
"Why are you bleeding? Wait. What? We've only been here for ten minutes." The other boy asked while helping up the Ravenclaw girl.
"Time is flying in here. It's a trap set by the Death Eater over there." I pointed. "Hurry." They begrudgingly moved to stand next to the three mangled bodies.
"Aren't you a Death Eater too?" I ignored the comment from Smith. Did he want to get out of here before the next century? I began to chant in a whisper while drawing the runes on the ground in a circle around us. I delved through the pain which was contorting my thoughts to bring up images of the runes I had been taught. I worked hard to keep my right arm steady and drawing as I held my bleeding left arm in the crook my neck to keep the wound above my heart. I guessed that a circle filled with dark magic was not a good place for a Death Eater who had good intentions. I felt like the magic was trying to purge out my own dark magic to make itself stronger. Dying in the stupid circle was not an option, technically I was still in detention. Three people were dead already but I still had three left to save. Even if they were idiots. I focused on drawing the intricate runes as the minutes ticked by. Image after image flooded through my head as the pain became overwhelming, I urged myself to draw quicker. I pleaded with myself not the let my arm falter. On the last rune my vision began to blur completely out of focus, I had drawn the last curve just as the world turned black.
I groaned in pain.
My eyes refused to open and my whole body ached. I put my leg back and pushed myself onto my side. That hurt more. The sudden clomping of shoes startled me, I jolted forward and landed hard on the stone floor with a thud. I opened my eyes to see the blood pouring from my nose.
"Mr Malfoy, what on earth are you doing down there?" Questioned Madame Pomfrey. Her strong arms reached down to help me up.
"I'm not really sure, everything hurts." I sat on the edge of the bed and put a hand to my broken nose.
"Move your hand boy." I did. "Episkey." My nose jarred back into place. I groaned in pain again. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain and blood loss." I took the decanter of thick gloopy potion and drank down the vile liquid without complaint. Anything to feel better would be worth it. I moved around to lay back on the bed and studied my heavily bandaged left arm. I'd just realised that my left leg was heavily bandaged too. Panic stung my stomach. I looked around the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey had gone back to her office by the entrance of the wing and I was otherwise alone. A barrage of questions overcame me and I longed to bring the matron back to answer them but I wasn't sure my body would cooperate with walking or even just standing. I gave in and tried to rest instead.
Soon after, Professor McGonagall and Professor Zion rushed down the hospital wing towards me. I gently moved myself back into a sitting position.
"Mr Malfoy, I'm glad to see that you're finally awake." McGonagall conjured chairs for the two of them by my bed.
"How long was I out?" I puzzled that time must have flown by. I didn't really think that through before leaping into the circle.
"You destroyed the circle on Halloween night and have been unconscious for the six days which have passed since then." She paused to let it sink in. It made sense, a week had passed for every minute I was inside the circle.
"The students." I stated in a panic.
"Are each fine and well at home with their parents, trying to get their lives back on track." She put her hand to my arm. "There's no need to panic Malfoy." It didn't help much.
"You know about the dark mark on my leg?" I asked her.
"Due to the incessant bleeding of both dark marks, I was forced to contact the Ministry." She looked serious. I sighed in embarrassment. "They explained that it was the Lord Voldemort's personal mark. They furthered to say it was well established that you were under the influence of the imperious curse at any time the mark was used to call you and therefore you committed no crimes." She stated.
"I would have rathered no one knew about the Dark Lords sick endeavours in which I was included." I wondered how many people now knew. Probably the whole school knowing Hogwarts. "They did tell you that the imperious curse had been manipulated? I knew what was going on, what I was doing, even though I couldn't do anything about it. I even knew what was being done to me and I didn't stop it. I should really be locked up." McGonagall remained serious and stoic. Zion looked unperturbed and a little sympathetic. Maybe they did know already.
"Be that as it may Malfoy. We will be leaving that in the past. Only myself, Madame Pomfrey, Professor Zion and your fellow eighth years know that you even have a second dark mark. No one knows why your dark marks bled out but they seem to have stopped. There was similar bleeding on the body of Nott, he has been sent to the Ministry for autopsy in an effort to establish the reason behind this." I interrupted.
"Did you find his picture? I looked for it." I really did.
"It is thought that there was no picture. Lost or burnt no one knows. It seems that Nott attempted to use the first body, a man fighting for his side, to make a Horcrux within the second body of our Runes expert. How the students escaped his notice is not yet certain but what is certain is that Nott's attempt failed, killing both victims. His wounds then ended his life before he could make further attempts." I blanched at no one finding his picture. Every Death Eater carried their picture.
"Does my Father know I'm awake? I should owl him." I asked.
"Already done. I expect your parents will be here as soon as they receive my owl." She reassured. "Professor Zion has been teaching your classes about magical creatures and your homework has been collecting itself on your desk. If you wish to continue at Hogwarts, you may pick up where you left off as soon as you are well enough. You'll be exempt from detention, I feel your due is paid." Surprised I would be allowed to stay after defying the Headmistress and disappearing for nearly two months, I turned to Professor Zion.
"It won't be weird will it? You know I aren't gay, don't you?" I asked awkwardly.
"Malfoy, I couldn't care less even if you were gay. It's not like you'd be interested in a married man with twin daughters not much younger than yourself." He joked. It definitely wouldn't be awkward. I was actually a little excited to get back to learning and teaching. Maybe those snotty second years could master the disarming spell before I did.
I turned at a commotion coming from the entrance to the hospital wing. Father was arguing with Madame Pomfrey. Mother looked over to me before rushing up.
"Draco." She stood on the opposite side of the bed and put a hand to my head.
"Mother there's no need for a fuss." She left her hand near my head never the less as Father and the matron approached.
"We'll be leaving now Matron. Come, Professor Zion. Get well Mr Malfoy." McGonagall and Zion walked with Madame Pomfrey out of the wing.
When there was just the three of us left in the wing Father spoke to me finally.
"I wanted to tell you Draco. I'm proud of you. I wouldn't have had the courage to risk my life for people I didn't know. During the first war I was sent by the Dark Lord to destroy a circle and it still remains the most terrifying experience of my life." He stood by Mother, one arm around her and the other hand on the bed beside mine. "It made taking lives feel like a paper cut in comparison. It has always been my hope that you would never experience the agony of the magic." I moved my hand on top of his.
"It's okay Dad. I'm okay." I looked at the worried faces of my parents and realised what anguish they must have gone through in the last eight weeks. Time really was a precious commodity. It took a moment before I realised tears were on my face. I quickly swiped them away with the back of my hand.
"Darling, maybe you should come home. You could rest and work in the office a little until your job starts at the Ministry." Mother's gentle but hardened eyes looked at mine. I contemplated hard. Resting, healing and being at home sounded good, but to me it felt like I'd only been at Hogwarts for a week. Despite feeling alone here, I'd done some good. More good than I'd ever done before.
"This is where I'm supposed to be. I'll be back at home driving you crazy before you know it Mum." She hugged me gently. I wished I could stay safe in her arms forever.
I never found out that day if they knew about my second dark mark. The bandage was visible beneath the bed sheets but it wasn't mentioned. Father brought me up to date on the Ministry's clean up of both the wizarding and muggle worlds while Mother fussed over me. It seemed that most of the physical damages were now repaired, even within Hogwarts. Father was expected to become deputy to the Minister for Magic in the new year. Even though Father was not a man of many emotions, he couldn't suppress a hint of a smile from his face.
A/N - I promise Draco/Hermione in the next chapter and also to explain Ron further (soon) as requested in reviews. Thanks for sticking with the story this far!