Chapter 7: Aftermath
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. 'Nuff said.
15 minutes later - Gryffindor Common Room
"There is no way you met Dumbledore."
"It's true though."
I raised my brow in a questioning glance. My face scrunched up, trying to recall the books I'd ever read on dead communicating with the living.
"You are out of your depth on this one Mione." Ron told me smiling. Soon afterwards he slightly frowned.
"I've never come across a single book where the dead communicate in that manner."
"When will you learn that books don't hold all the answers," George jokingly reasoned.
"If they did no one would discover knew things," Fred added.
"Hm, I don't suppose that you ever came across a book that said to not combine certain ingredients but you did so either way."
Everyone chuckled remembering when they sprouted small greenish hearts all over while trying to make a beautifying skin potion only a month ago.
"That was one time," Fred indignantly stated.
"One of many dear brother," Ginny smiled at him .
The potrait hole swung open urgently. Neville rushed into the room his face filled with sadness, stress, and slight energy. "Kingsley is back with aurors that didn't deflect to Voldemort. People are being apprehended."
There was a pregnant pause. My brain finally caught up with the new situation. "Do you mean they are taking people into custody at this moment?" My pulse was jumping a mile an hour, not to mention that I turned paler than Malfoy on a bad day. Malfoy.
Harry was up on his feet. "I am going down there."
"I need to be there." I unconsciously gripped my wand tighter.
"Everybody else can come if they remember who they'd battled with," Neville said nervously.
"Are they reviving the stupified?" Harry asked seriously.
"Uh, I believe so."
Worry was gnawing my insides, what if I was too late and they took them already?
It took us a couple moments before we booked it like there was no tomorrow.
I was in time to see a mess people pointing their wands at the Malfoy family. Naricissa was holding on to both Malfoy men, her face ashen. Lucius standing protectively in front of both his wife and son. Malfoy commenced to speak, "You may take my father and I into custody but leave my mother out of it."
I rushed in front of Malfoy, my wand arm slightly raised. To my surprise Harry stood in front of Naricissa. Kingsley raised a brow. "Would you care to explain yourselves?"
Harry and I exchanged glanced, I bowed my head to let him speak first. "What exactly are you planning to do with them?"
"Place them under custody for housing and aiding Voldemort."
"Who is them precisely?" I asked.
"Lucius, Naricissa, and Draco Malfoy."
My breath caught my throat. As I was stepping forward when Harry spoke. "You may take Lucius but don't take Naricissa or Draco. They aren't completely innocent but they had no other option."
Ron completely lost it. "Are you kidding me?"
"No, I am not."
Ron turned redder than his hair. "How can you defend them?! They did nothing when Bellatrix tortured Mione!"
"For goodness sake Ron! They aren't Gryffindors, courage does not come easily to them as it does to us."
"She saved my life and Malfoy saved Hermione's." Harry interjected.
Kingsley looked a little worried in how to deal with the matter. "Harry you wish for only Lucius Malfoy to be taken into custody?"
"Yes."
Kingsley looked from me to Harry all while looking slightly confused, then again, our hatred of the Malfoys was no secret. "Lucius Malfoy do you accept the conditions Harry Potter has stated?"
Lucius Malfoy caressed Naricissa's face, gazing into her eyes to seek an answer. Finding a confirmation, he looked towards Malfoy who nodded, his face becoming grim. Lucius raised his chin gracefully. "I accept the terms."
The instant he finished aurors were on him. Naricissa stifled a cry in Malfoy's shoulder. "Are these all of them?" There was a group of 20 men in various conditions. All dressed in black robes, Deatheaters. In a moment they apparated.
I finally put my wand down.
Ron glared at me with such hate that all I could do was flinch. "Bloody hell!"
Harry sighed, "Ron you can't hold on to grudges."
"A grudge?" He scoffed. "They did nothing while she was being tortured." He pointed a finger right at me.
Ginny took Ron by the arm and softly said, "Who knows how different we could've been if it weren't for dad's muggle fascination."
Ron wisely stepped back. His face scrunched up in concentration, "Fine." He looked directly at Malfoy as his face cleared. " Harry, how did the Malfoys saved you two?"
Malfoy spoke his voice filled with an undercurrent of emotion. "Before you say anything Potter, thank you. My mother wouldn't survive without both my father and I. For all that it's worth I am sorry for hurting and damaging your families."
"No problem," Harry looked surprised. "If anyone had it worse than us, it was those who were under his thumb."
There was an awkward silence. I couldn't think of a thing to say. Naricissa gave everyone a watery smile. Almost, everyone returned it.
I noticed we were attracting a lot of undue attention. "Let's take this somewhere more private. Then we could all trade stories."
"As always your the voice of reason Mione." Molly smiled.
There was a pause as everyone figured out where we should all go to. Harry smiled for a moment. "Should we all-"
"Somebody please help him!" There was this woman levitating a man who was bleeding from a wound near the head.
We all saw people dressed in white robes surrounding the body that was getting paler by the second. "Merlin's pants! Is that a snake bite?!"
Harry, Ron, and I looked at each other in shock. Didn't Snape die at the shack or were we idiots who didn't make sure he had a chance of surviving? "If he dies it's my fault," Harry softly whispers.
Ron looked sick. "It would make us the biggest idiots for not trying to save him."
"And the cruelest," I spoke softly.
"Stand back!" Luna stepped forward by presenting a small vial in her hand.
"Is that what I think it is?" The head healer approached taking the vial in her hand turning it. She raised her wand muttered a spell under her breath. The vial glowed a bright green and the name of the potion appeared over it in bright green as well.
"Head Healer come quick!" One of the healers placed a charm where his vitals were plain to see. The Head approached. "Give me a needle." All the purebloods in the room looked confused. "It may be muggle but it's the most efficient way to get the potion into the blood stream," she said as an explanation.
The vitals started to show healthier symptoms. "Where did you get that vial?"
"I remember in the beginning of the school term Professor Twelany said I would need a snake venom antidote infused with phoenix tears," she shrugged carelessly, "I've carried one ever since."
"I believe you just saved that man's life."
I couldn't believe I was such an idiot to not check of he was still alive. I shared helpless looks with Harry and Ron.
"It's not your fault you three," Luna fixed her usually glassy gaze at us - it was any thing but, "Nobody would ever hold you accountable, you had no way of knowing if he could have survived the attack."
Harry looked at her as of she held all the answers to his questions. Ron and I exchanged glances with one another. If Ginny wasn't careful Luna could claim Harry's heart.
The Healer simply stated. "We will transport this man to St. Mungo. If anyone can identify him, now is the time to speak."
Harry still gazing at Luna answered. "Severus Snape. That man is Severus Snape and you better attend him with the best help you can give him."
Ron still looked green. "Will he survive?"
"Thanks to this young lady." The healer placed a hand on Luna's shoulder.
"Do everything you can to save him," he looked straight at the healer's eyes, "If you don't I will find out." Harry's gaze remind not only me, how managed to kill Voldemort.
"You have my word on that."
Malfoy moved forward. "Inform us of his room number by owl."
The healer nodded. In a moment it was quite after all healers disappeared. Naricissa Malfoy approached Harry, to my surprise, she gave Harry a hug, "Thanks you. For us, Severus was not only a close friend but family."
"Uh, it's completely okay. I owe him my life. He deserves a second chance," Harry turned bright red.
Molly approached Naricissa. "Don't worry Cissy things will be all right after this."
"We can be friends again," Naricissa softly said.
"Friends?" Fred or maybe George said.
"Back when we went to school we were really close but once she married Lucius and I, Author, let's just say that a family feud of generations tends to get in the way. We managed to keep in touch and send letters to one another. Merlin knows how we managed to keep it a secret for so long."
At the mention that they kept contact, I noticed how both Malfoy and Mr. Weasly looked a tad bit surprised. I wonder if they knew about the relationship between Molly and Naricissa beforehand. How close are Naricissa and Malfoy, anyway?
"Oh, children," she scolded slightly at seeing as how are faces ranged from outrage to disbelief. "Why do you think I always told your father not to mess with the Malfoys?"
The rest of the Weasly family looked flabbergasted. Percy who had remained rather quite throughout the whole ordeal spoke. "And here I thought it was because the Malfoys had connections with people who could've put dad without a job. That and because you hated their guts."
Molly laughed. "No, it was for the sake of our friendship."
People started to get near us again. "We really should go somewhere more private." I said.
"Are we able apparate?" Ginny asked.
"Well yes. Normally the wards on Hogwarts prevent anyone from apparating on school grounds. But seeing as how the healers and aurors managed to do so I assume the wards are down."
"Of course, you would have a logical explanation of whether we could or not." I blushed at the comment. "I am only kidding, Hermione." Ginny rolled her eyes.
"I think we should go to Grimmauld." Harry said.
"It's better than nothing." Mr. Weasely
"Uh, Harry don't you remember, I let Yaxely into the house, making him a secret keeper as well. Who knows what they have done to the house."
"Can't you just ask Kreacher?" Ron asked.
"That's right!" Harry exclaimed. "Kreacher."
Kreacher appeared with a loud crack. "Yes, master," he bowed until his nose touched the ground.
"Will we be able to go to the house?"
"Oh master! Those rotten deatheaters ramsaked the entire place! But don't worry as soon as those vile things left, Kreacher faithfully fixed the entire place up! Master can go home if he wishes to!"
"Well, that settles it," Molly said cheerfully. "We are going to Harry's home!"
