Away and Back
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Hermione
Hermione remained with Buckbeak for a while, before she slowly returned to the Quidditch pitch, where Harry and the twins were playing Quidditch against Draco, Remus and Sirius. She felt relieved on the one hand, surprised on the other, when Draco caught the Snitch.
"Well played, Draco," Sirius commended the boy, once they reached the ground.
"Thanks," Draco replied, pouting. "I wonder why it is that I never manage to beat Harry in the Slytherin versus Gryffindor matches."
"Well, you won't have to play against me at school anymore," Harry spoke up, grinning. "I don't mind having you win occasionally when playing with family and friends at home."
"Where's Amelia?" Sirius asked, turning to Hermione, just when Amelia popped up in front of the kitchen door.
"Stupid Lucius Malfoy," she blurted out. "He went to Cornelius stating that he had been attacked at Fairy Alley and that his son had been kidnapped. Neither of them was pleased when I told them that Harry saved Draco from being attacked by his father and that Draco sought refuge at Harry's place," she added in apparent amusement.
"And?" Draco prodded. "Knowing my father, there will still be some consequences for Potter, err, I mean Harry and me."
"No," Amelia assured him, smirking. "When I told them that they were free to ask Buckbean if it was true that you decided to come to Harry's home willingly, without any pressure from him or anyone else, your father became silent. He certainly knows that it was his own fault that you left. He was angry though, and I believe that you must be careful once you're back at Hogwarts."
'His father really is the most horrible person I've ever met,' Hermione thought, unconsciously letting out a sigh. 'Well, maybe apart from Harry's uncle,' she then recalled, looking up in surprise, when Gina appeared with eight glasses of champagne, stating that the New Year was going to commence in three minutes.
Harry
By the time Harry woke up on New Year's Day, everyone else was already gathered in the dining room for lunch. 'I can't believe that they're going back to Hogwarts today,' he thought in desperation. As nice it was to have two caring father figures, he was going to miss Hermione, the twins and even Draco.
To his surprise, it seemed that Amelia was just questioning Draco about his father's activities, especially concerning Voldemort.
Draco shrugged. "I only know that my father and some others are raising a strange creature in the dungeons, and that thing must somehow be related to the Dark Lord. When he told me that he expected me to help the Dark Lord in the near future, I refused. I'm sorry, but I don't know anything else," he said in a firm voice. "I don't mind if you wish to question me under Veritaserum."
"I don't think that will be necessary," Amelia replied in a soft voice. "I believe you."
"So do I," Sirius agreed. "You must be extremely careful at Hogwarts though. While your father can't reach you here, he can come and try to make you see reason at Hogwarts."
"I know," Draco replied, dully. "But what can I do?"
"There isn't anything that you can do," Remus spoke up, pensively. "I think Amelia and Sirius could warn the Aurors, who are stationed at Hogwarts during the Triwizard tournament, to keep an eye on your father in case he makes an appearance at the school."
"We'll do that," Amelia confirmed in a no-nonsense voice. "I'll also ask Minister Fudge to agree to a raid of Malfoy Manor."
Draco let out a small snort. "Sorry," he quickly apologized, "but will the minister really act against my father? He's much too dependent on the Malfoy money."
"That's the problem," Amelia conceded. "Well, we'll try anyway."
HP
During the afternoon, they once more talked about the travel imps and how to find the Imp Cauldron.
"You probably won't be able to speak to the fairies or leprechauns at Fairy Alley," Draco spoke up, pensively. "So it might be difficult to find out more about the travel imps for the time being."
"Are you able to communicate with fairies or leprechauns?" Hermione asked the boy, who gave her a firm nod in return.
"Since I'm part Veela and part fairy, I'm able to communicate with all of them," he admitted, quietly.
"So we can only wait for you to come back here at the beginning of the summer holidays," Harry concluded, feeling clear exasperation at the thought of having to wait for months before they would be able to proceed with their plan of rescuing his parents.
"If you can't find anyone else who might be able to help, I'm afraid so," Draco replied, sighing. "Only my father would be able to pull me out of school for a weekend, and I'm pretty certain that he won't do me the favour in the near future."
"It's all right," Sirius spoke up. "For now, you concentrate on your studies. Harry, if you want to take your OWLs this summer, you'll have much work to do. We can worry about the travel imps and why we need them during the summer holidays."
With that, they adjourned the discussion in favour of a last round of Quidditch, before Hermione, the twins and Draco stepped into the fireplace to travel to Hogwarts.
Albus Dumbledore
While Minerva had forewarned him that Hermione and the twins would arrive in his office thirty minutes before the beginning of the welcoming feast, Albus had not been alerted to the fact that Draco Malfoy was going to travel together with the three Gryffindors.
"Mr. Malfoy," he said in surprise, eyeing the four students with curiosity.
"Professor," Ms. Granger spoke up, apparently noticing his surprised look, "Draco and his father had a huge fight, when Draco refused to become a Death Eater. Therefore, he stayed with us for a few days, so that his father could not reach him."
"Is that true, Mr. Malfoy?" Albus enquired. He knew that Ms. Granger could be fully trusted, however, the situation was too strange to simply accept it.
"Yes sir," Draco Malfoy replied, sincerely. "I hope that my father won't be able to do something to me here; however, Sirius and Madam Bones have already alerted the Aurors to keep an eye out for him."
"Very well," Albus nodded in understanding. "Mr. Malfoy, you can come to me if you need help at any time."
"Thank you sir," the boy responded, and the four students left his office.
Albus looked at Fawkes. "The boy seemed honest, didn't he?" he asked his companion, who gave him an enthusiastic trill in return.
#The nestling seems to have taken a different egg turn from his evil feeder# Fawkes voiced his opinion, lowering his head towards Albus to have his crown feathers stroked.
Hermione
If the four students had anticipated that Lucius Malfoy would take one or the other kind of action against his son, they could be pleasantly surprised by the fact that Malfoy Senior remained where he was and did not do as much as contact Draco during the next couple of months. Only Narcissa Malfoy wrote to Draco and sent him packages like she had done since he became a first-year student at Hogwarts.
'I'd rather be at Potter Manor with the others,' Hermione thought in the morning of the third task, while she absently consumed a bowl of fruit salad, only looking up at the sound of the post owls swooping into the Great Hall.
A large eagle caught her attention, and she looked towards the Slytherin table, instinctively knowing that it came for Draco Malfoy. She had seen it multiple times before, even if she had not paid the bird any specific attention so far.
Absentmindedly observing how Draco took a small package from the owl, she let out a surprised shout, when her classmate was whisked away instantly. Her eyes widening in horror, she ran towards the head table.
"Professor Dumbledore, Draco has just been abducted," she whispered, terrified.
The headmaster let his eyes wander to the Slytherin table, and his expression sobered upon realising that the boy was indeed missing from his house table.
"Professor, can you please contact Amelia Bones and ask her to take some Aurors to Malfoy Manor to rescue him?" she demanded, trying her best to not panic at the idea what might be happening to the boy who had become her friend during the last couple of months.
"Come with me," Dumbledore invited her, and together they left the Great Hall, hurrying towards the headmaster's office.
While the headmaster leaned into the fireplace and spoke with the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a sudden idea crossed Hermione's mind.
"Dobby," she called the elf, who, to her relief, appeared immediately. "Dobby, Mr. Malfoy has abducted Draco. Can you go and try to fetch him here?" she asked without even waiting for the kind elf to greet her.
The elf's eyes widened in apparent horror.
"Dobby wills goes and tries," he promised, popping away with a loud crack.
"Madam Bones is going to lead a group of Aurors to Malfoy Manor," Dumbledore informed her in a grave voice. "Asking Dobby to help was a good idea though."
It was just an instant later that Dobby returned. "Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter's Mione. Dobby can't reachs Draco Malfoy."
"That means that he must be somewhere behind the Fidelius charm," Dumbledore addressed the elf. "Would you still be able to find him at Malfoy Manor, Dobby?"
The elf hesitated for a moment, before he replied, "Dobby cans goes to the manor, but Dobby thinks that maybe Draco Malfoy is unconscious. Since Dobby is not bond to the Malfoys anymore, Dobby cans not helps Draco Malfoy. Perhaps Fawkes cans rescue Draco Malfoy?"
Hermione followed the headmaster's gaze towards the phoenix's perch, where Baby Fawkes was comfortably nestled between several fluffy pillows.
"I'm sorry, he only had his burning day a few days ago," the headmaster explained, gravely. "He's still naked and can't fly yet."
Sirius
Sirius had just taken Buckbeak out for a long ride, and the hippogriff made a soft landing right in front of the stables, when Gina appeared in front of them.
"Master Sirius, Mistress Amelia is floo calling you in the entrance hall," the elf informed him. "Master Sirius cans go, Gina will takes Buckbeak back into the stable."
"Thank you Gina," Sirius uttered and hurried inside, curious as to what his fiancée wanted.
"Hi Meli," he addressed Amelia, grinning, "did you miss me so much that you…"
"Sirius," she interrupted him, causing him to notice her grim expression. "This is not a social call," she explained. "Draco has been taken from Hogwarts by Portkey."
"Oh Merlin," Sirius replied in shock. "Do you think it was Lucius Malfoy?"
"Apparently so," Amelia informed him. "Hermione recognised his eagle. Therefore, I'm going to lead a group of Aurors to Malfoy Manor. Will you join us?"
"Of course, let me just tell Remus and Harry. I'll be over in five minutes," Sirius promised, quickly ending the call.
'I just hope he won't use Draco for some strange ritual to bring Voldemort back to life or such,' he thought with some kind of foreboding, as he strode towards the library, where Remus was teaching Harry.
"I'll go with you," Harry uttered, jumping from his seat, as soon as Sirius had explained the matter.
"No, you will not," Sirius replied in a no-nonsense voice. "You're going to remain here in safety."
"No one will be able to see me anyway. It'll be absolutely safe for me," Harry protested.
"No, and that's my final word," Sirius replied shortly. "I'll see you." With that, he quickly left the library and hurried to the closest fireplace to make his way to the ministry.
Draco
Draco inwardly groaned in annoyance, as he felt the distinctive pull behind his navel, knowing that he had been set up and taken somewhere by Portkey. 'Probably to Malfoy Manor,' he thought, only to realise that his fear had been true the instant he arrived in his father's office.
"Father," he acknowledged the other wizard's presence.
"Draco," his father replied, smirking. "How nice of you to join me at our family home."
"Not willingly," Draco growled, giving his father a furious look.
"Things are as they may, in any case, you're going to do your job today," Lucius informed him.
"No, I won't do any job. I wish to return to Hogwarts at once," Draco replied in a firm voice, even if aware that his father would not respect his wishes.
"You will do as you're told," Lucius snarled, "and until then, you're going to remain here in my office."
The instant he pointed his wand at his son, Draco's mind went blank.
Amelia
Amelia stood next to Sirius, when the group of nine of her most trusted Aurors grabbed the Portkey that Auror Shacklebolt had provided. It would take them right to a side entrance of Malfoy Manor, one which they could probably open with a small bomb, which the Weasley twins had recently developed for her.
Five minutes later, the group that was hidden behind multiple layers of notice-me-not and invisibility charms carefully entered Malfoy Manor. They spread out in groups of three to search for the entrance to the dungeons, agreeing to meet again at the side entrance thirty minutes later.
However, to their surprise, not only the dungeons were completely void of living beings, but also the manor itself seemed to be empty apart from about two dozen house-elves.
However, when the Aurors met again after one hour of searching the manor, Auror Tonks appeared with Narcissa Malfoy in tow.
Amelia quickly made herself visible, and the Aurors followed her example.
"Mrs. Malfoy, I apologize for intruding," Amelia addressed the woman, "however, we're looking for Draco."
"Draco is at Hogwarts," the woman replied, sounding surprised.
"No, he's not," Amelia informed her. "He was taken from Hogwarts by Portkey earlier this morning."
"Ah, that's Lucius' doing then," Narcissa groaned, letting out a long sigh.
"Do you know where your husband took Draco?" Amelia enquired.
"No," the woman replied, before she suddenly began to explain that her husband had probably taken Draco to Fairy Alley for some reason, which Amelia was not really able to follow.
She gave Tonks a questioning look, causing the Auror to shrug in apparent disbelief.
"Shacklebolt, Wilkinson, please take Mrs. Malfoy to the ministry for questioning under Veritaserum," she uttered.
The two Aurors nodded and stepped over to Narcissa, made her touch a small bucket, which Shacklebolt held out for the witch and his fellow Auror, and the three of them left instantly.
"Tonks," Amelia turned to her colleague to have her activate the Portkey for everyone else as well, when she suddenly found herself at wand point.
tbc...
Thank you so much for your kind comments on the previous chapter, and sorry for ending this one with a cliffy. Please tell me what you think, and I'll see you next weekend. Have a good week :-)