Awakening

- by BiSciFiGuy -

Pairing: Harry P/Draco M

Genre: Drama

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or character histories or places or anything except my own plot. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not responsible for any underage readers who come across this story.

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A/N: Thanks toTaraJo and Funnyducky for being there. Also, a HUGE welcome back to Funnyducky, who has rejoined us after a long absence. Glad to have you back my dear!. To everyone else who has read my story: I absolutely adore you, thanks a bunch. Please check out my poll on my Profile, I'd really like your opinion. ;-)

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Chapter 11: Malfoy Manor

Harry walked around Draco's room, staring in wonder at the many things that the blonde had, some of the object Draco displayed in his room were completely unknown to Harry though he couldn't quite bring himself to ask the blonde questions for fear of appearing stupid. In the bedroom, the walls covered with posters, Harry had also found stacks upon stacks of magical books and articles, heavily worn children's books that showed characters and tales that Harry had never heard of even in the years since being told about his heritage. To his great surprise he had also found a computer in one corner of the study, right next to the door that lead to the bathroom. But it seemed the computer was used for nothing more than an ornament, to which Harry inquired.

"It's a muggle device, it serves no purpose". Draco had replied while stifling a yawn. They had been in the room for four hours now, every once in a while they crept silently to the door and peeked out. During the last four visits to the door they had noticed the numbers of the collected Death Eaters dwindle slightly though not enough to allow them passage into the corridor and into the next room, this passage from one room to the other was pivotal to the plan.

Their plan clearly put on hold for the time being they had retreated into Draco's room. The blonde sitting on the bed with a thick book in his hands, his grey eyes following the text ceaselessly. Too worked up to sit down Harry had started exploring the room, looking at the object on shelves and in book cases, examining the books that were all around the study. Sadly none of these books had any information on Merlin but were more focussed on fictions, some of which –like a series of popular vampire novels –Harry had always assumed were by muggle authors. He picked up the first book in the series and scanned the first page and shockingly found that the page wasn't really much different from the same page in the muggle version –well, apart from the fact that the Wizarding version noted that the author herself were a vampire and listed the date she was turned as 1890. Feeling as though is very foundations had been shaken Harry put the book back on the shelf and carefully made his way back to the door. It opened soundlessly as it had done so many time before and this time the Death Eater numbers in the hallway were much reduced. Only about twenty or twenty five masked figures milled about in the hallway, speaking in hushed tones. Harry strained his ears to try and listen to the words of the nearest pair.

"…it's bad they don't think he will make it through the night". A woman's voice was saying worriedly.

"He must. It is unfathomable that something like this happened". The man next to her replied.

"It is nothing more than a temporary setback". The woman again.

"Yes, but if it hadn't been for that idiot boy's spell then this would not have occurred. The Dark Lord should have killed his oafish parents long ago instead of keeping them locked in that building". The man almost shouted. Harry saw another Death Eater turn at the words, his mask reflecting the light. With a short wave to the person he had been speaking to he turned on his heel and marched towards the couple Harry was eves dropping on. His tall frame thrust itself forward as though attempting to glide but failing rather miserably at it, his robes fluttered around him in a fashion that could only be explained by the man clutching the fabric and swinging it with his arm. The way the man walked was so unique that it left no doubt in Harry's mind as to the man's identity.

"You dare to question the Dark Lord's motives". Snape's voice carried through the hallway and everyone went silent.

"No, I was… I was only…". The man struggled to find the right words and failing to do so he shrugged his shoulders. He lifted his masked face to look at Snape.

"Just as I thought, now…" Snape's words caught in his throat, Harry could imagine the man's eyes bulging in their sockets. Harry scanned the hallway but couldn't find the source of Snape's agitation. The tall man stood in front of the couple, staring them down through his mask.

"Sir..." The male Death Eater whispered, Snape lifted a hand which the man clearly interpreted as a hostile movement and he cringed, but Snape merely held up his hand for silence.

Harry felt the warmth of another human behind him and he turned towards this person, though before he could see who was behind him a strong arm curled around his chest, pinning his arms in place while a bony hand clamped itself over his mouth. He struggled in the grip and tried to push away.

"Relax Potter". Draco whispered in his ear but instead of soothing him, as the blonde had intended, Harry felt panic rise up in his chest. 'Oh Merlin, Hermione was right, this is a trap'. His mind shouted out to him as he felt a burning sensation form in his brain.

'Calm down Potter'. Snape's distinct voice reverberated in his head and he instinctively tried to bring up his occumency shield.

'Give it up Potter, your occlumency has never been any good against me and it is even less now that you have lost your magic'. Snape's condescending voice forced itself louder into Harry's head and he had to fight against crying out.

'What the hell are you doing here Potter?' Snape asked. Harry tried to talk back but the words would not form, he felt Snape probe his mind.

'Are you insane, Never mind, you can't answer anyway. This plan is stupid Potter, even if Draco thought it up'. The anger in Snape's voice was evident and Harry cringed in Draco's grasp. His eyes shot down for a moment and he saw the thin arms of the blonde, covered in a tight black shirt and he wondered how the thin boy could have so much strength in those almost withered extremities.

"He isn't going to see you. You have your assignments, no get out". Snape shouted to the collected Death Eaters in the hallway.

'Stay here for half an hour then move on with you plan'. Snape's voice said in Harry's head again and Harry watched the tall man make his way down the hall and out of sight of his limited field of vision. Harry squirmed against the blonde who held him so tightly but the boy refused to let go, bringing panic back into Harry's mind.

'Draco can be trusted Potter, just think for yourself and don't let your peers choose for you'. And with those parting words Snape was gone and Draco released his hold on Harry. For a moment Harry sat unmoving, feeling his body cool down in the places where Draco had been pressed up against him and he felt something that resembled regret and a feeling of loss at the absence of Draco's body against his.

"How the hell did you do that?" Harry whispered as he followed Draco back to his bedroom.

"Do what?"

"Hold me down like that it was like you were…"

"Superhuman?"

"Yes".

"It's called a physical enhancement spell. It makes you stronger it even changes your body but the effects don't last long. Draco said and Harry noticed that the blonde did seem to have gained some body mass since the last time Harry had seen him only minutes before.

"It wears off after a while, depending on how strong your body was to begin with". Harry could do nothing but nod as the blonde returned to his bed and his book. Harry sighed and went back to exploring.

With half an hour of time to kill Harry stepped into the only room he hadn't entered before, the bathroom. It was like being back at school, Harry thought, though the bathroom was much more sophisticated and fancy than what the school had to offer. One section of the room was sectioned off by some kind of magical mist Harry had never seen before, its powdery blue colour made it most inviting and he stepped into it. He had expected to feel something but the mist was dry and he couldn't contain it in his hands even though he tried. The mist revealed a toilet so suddenly that Harry almost ended up stumbling over it. It seemed to be the only thing in that part of the room and Harry made his way back out of the fog. As he stepped out he saw the bath in full profile from his point of view and the similarity with the bathrooms at school were again evident, at least if one considered the prefect's bathroom. A large bathtub sat in the middle of the room, sunken down into the ground with what seemed like a hundred different elegant faucets running around its edges. Harry stepped closer to the bath and felt it's edge and also felt his heart flutter and his eyes burn with tears, he clamped them shut, hoping to fight the tears away. It looks almost the same, it feels the same he thought and ran his hands along the taps, following the curve of the bath.

If the bath was the same as the one at Hogwarts then he would find what he was looking for at the twenty eight tap. Stopping at the tenth and eleventh tap to turn on the clear warm and cold water Harry continued on his journey around the bath. There it was; the golden tap number twenty eight. He took a deep breath, waiting for the warm water to fill the bath somewhat. Somewhere he heard a strange sound, something that he had never heard in this particular memory before but he ignored it as he turned on the tap. Without opening his eyes he knew that a thick red fluid was pouring into the warm water, making fluffy, dark pink foam on the surface and filling the air with his favourite smells. He took a deep breath and felt the smells settle in his nose; Freshly mown grass, the smell of the first drops of rain that fell on the dusty ground, Cinnamon, fresh bread and a particular muggle perfume that had once flooded his nostrils as a small boy in a mall in London and again in that very room he was imagining now, many years later. The smells filled the room around him and he sighed. The fluid he had pumped into the bath was known as Amortentus and was a modified form of the Amortentia love potion. Though not a love potion itself, it carried the particular property of Amortentia that allowed the person using it to smell the things that they found attractive. When he had first smelt Amortentus he had smelled the same things he did now, though two years later in Slughorn's class he had smelt treacle tart, a broomstick handle and something flowery. The soap was often used in baths as a form of relaxation since it was thought that the same smells that attracted us to other people also made us feel most comfortable, though Harry knew that this was not the only application for it. He knelt beside the bath, with eyes still closed and reached into the warm water, feeling its heat seep into his fingers and into his heart, his eyes could no longer hide the tears behind his eyelids and he felt the little drops slip down his cheek.

Minutes later, having pulled the plug and composed himself Harry stepped out into Draco's bedroom again to find the blonde agitatedly pacing around the room. He looked up when Harry entered and after a flash of anger the thin face settled into a determined stare.

"We should have left four minutes ago". Draco said.

"Sorry, I was just…"

"I don't want to know, but I think I should go… in there too". The blonde suddenly seemed flushed, his cheeks turning that pleasant pink Harry had seen before and he was gone. Harry waited patiently and soon the blonde appeared again, his face still flushed and a strange smile on his face. Harry also noticed that one of Draco's pockets were hanging slightly lower than the other but now was not the time to think of such things.

"Let's go". Harry said and Draco nodded his assent.

Together Draco and Harry slipped out the door of Draco's bedroom and across the hall into the room opposite. Harry had expected quite a few things in the house but a heated pool was hardly on the list. It was Olympic size and Harry felt the heat radiate from the water as they made their way around the edge.

"Watch the door". Draco said and Harry turned back, looking across the expanse of crystalline water to the dark oak door while Draco fiddled with something on the wall. Harry heard a click and something heavy moved behind him.

"Come on". Draco whispered and gestured Harry into yet another tight, dark cave. This one made of metal instead of rock. He gulped and slipped inside. Draco followed and closed whatever he had removed before. Harry felt lost in the darkness again, even if this tunnel wasn't as small as the one they had come up from the beach with. Losing one of his senses so suddenly was like losing his magic all over again and the feeling frightened him. He felt his heart beat faster again and he took a deep breath, trying to remember how he had felt while Draco had been telling him the story. In the back of his mind the old fear made itself known again, like a long lost friend returning for a visit. Draco's warm hand suddenly sent the unwanted friend back to where it had been long ago lost. Harry almost gasped as he felt Draco's warm fingers slip into his.

"Are you still okay?"

"Yeah" Harry replied, still heavily aware of waves of warmth radiating around his body from his fingers.

"Good, move quick, but quietly". Draco said and they were off, moving swiftly along the dark tunnel. Draco's confidence in their path didn't transfer to Harry, who occasionally stumbled and had to grab the blonde's arm for support several times. The journey wasn't as long at the last one either and they came to a abrupt stop. Draco let go of Harry's hand and shuffled in the darkness.

"What…"

"Shh". Came the reply and several minutes passed without another sound making itself known in the darkness.

Another door opened in front of them, letting in the light from whatever room they were entering. Harry stumbled out of the exit and looked around. Like all the others in the house, the room was cavernous, but apart from the black grand piano and a posh black leather couch, the white walled room was empty. Their shoes squeaked on the floor as their made their way across the room.

"What?"

"It is a music room". Draco said simply as though it explained absolutely everything.

"I didn't know you played".

"I don't play much anymore, but my mother does".

"Oh, I was hoping we could have stopped for a second so I could hear you play".

"Even if we had time, we aren't coming back this way". Harry stopped, only when Draco was nearly toppled backwards did Harry realise that their hands were locked together again. Draco didn't seem to notice even now. He turned around to face Harry.

"What now?"

"What do you mean we aren't coming back this way, it's our only way out".

"We can't, that tunnel only comes one way".

"It's a tunnel for crying out loud, if we come in through it then we should be able to go back out". Draco sighed heavily.

"I keep forgetting you are from the muggle world. That tunnel, it goes from my room to the music room, but if you go into it from the music room then it leads to the kitchens". Harry nodded dumbly, even after all the time he had been in the Wizarding world he was still ignorant of so many things perhaps that would act in his favour now that he would most likely have to go back to that world. With a nod of his head Draco turned back around and dragged Harry along the floor. The door at the end of the room was opened a fraction and after a brief glimpse outside Draco turned back to him.

"This is the most dangerous part, Severus told me we need to go this route; it goes right past the dining room, which is where the Dark Lord usually spends most of his time".

"What, why the hell would Snape want us to go there?" Harry asked, planting his feet on the mirror like floor.

"He told me while he was in our heads".

"What, Draco this is insane. It has to be a trap".

"It isn't".

"How can you be sure, I know you trust him and all but this sounds like a suicide mission to go right past Voldemort". Draco's grip tightened on Harry's hand.

"Look Potter. Severus has never steered me wrong okay. He isn't just my god father, he has always been more of a father to me that my actual father. If he tells me to go past the dining room then there is a good reason for it okay". Harry stepped back as though struck. The anger flashing in Draco's eyes was like nothing Harry had ever seen directed at him, even from this blonde. He was so fiercely dedicated to Snape. They stared at each other, to Harry it felt like some kind of contest until Draco's eyes softened and he sighed.

"Just trust me okay". He squeezed Harry's hand again and this time Harry was sure that Draco was completely aware of the connection and was choosing not to break it. The though made Harry's head swim. He shook it slightly, hoping the blonde wouldn't take it as some kind of negative retort and tried to clear the thoughts from his head. There was no way that this connection could mean anything, Draco had used that disgusting word, he was obviously straight.

"I trust you". Harry whispered and the blonde nodded.

From the music room they entered the main entrance hall of the Manor. It was even more vast than most of the other rooms but had lost most of the beauty that must once have existed there, Draco stood in front of Harry, his eyes surveying the scene in front of him. The man sized crystal vases dotted around the entry way had once contained some kind of flower, the petals had once been dark blue, but now the room was covered in dead petals, the stems nothing more than withered brown skeletons. In several places there was cracks in the marble, the gold chandelier hung crookedly from its fixture. Torches had once lined the walls but most of them were torn from the wall and had been piled near the ornate front door. Once beautiful carpets were now muddy and torn and Harry was sure he saw a blood stain on the wall behind then. He again felt Draco's fingers move within his grasp. He looked at the blonde and saw that his thin body was shivering as his eyes moved from one side of the room to the other. His lips were parted slightly. When Harry stepped around him he saw the grey eyes glistening slightly.

"I'm so sorry Draco". Harry said, again not sure how to approach the blonde, he had never seen Draco display much of any emotion. As if the words he spoke brought Draco back from some confusing place, the tears dried and he blinked once.

"It doesn't matter, it's just stuff". He said and with his face set determinedly he pulled gently pulled Harry along again.

A thin white finger came up to pink lips as they neared one of the doorways to the left of the entry hall. They inched their way towards the door and could soon hear voices. Harry recognises Snape's and Lucius and Voldemort's as well as another voice but he couldn't quite remember where he had heard it. When they reached the doorway the words spoken inside could finally be heard.

"I am displeased by what we have learned". Snape said, his voice its familiar dour sound.

"No matter, they will crack eventually. There are still many others apart from the traitorous bitch to get information from". Lucius' voice carried a thick bitterness that seemed to penetrate Draco's body like a dagger. The blond cringed and let out a tiny gasp. Harry tensed, sure that the Death Eaters inside the room would come storming out at any second. His thoughts were made moot when Voldemort spoke.

"They… must know… use… we must… find the boy". The words weren't what shocked Harry, it was the tiredness of the snake man's voice, as though he was struggling to breath or had just run a marathon. Draco pulled at Harry's hand and they began making their way past the oversized doorway. Harry tried to keep his eyes down but his curiosity forced his eyes into the room.

He felt his legs gain a hundred pounds each as he saw the scene in the room. Lucius was standing with his back to the doorway his long blonde hair scorched away on one side; Harry hadn't noticed this in the vision. It must have been the results of Neville's spell as the fled the Great Hall. Another man was sitting in a chair next to Lucius; this man was known to Harry in some way. Snape was standing opposite the lanky blonde man and the man with the familiar voice. However, it was the man between them that made Harry's body become weak. Voldemort was lying on a bed set up in the dining room, his Death Eaters standing around him. His body was thinner than Harry had ever seen it before and when he raised one of his arms to gesture to Snape Harry saw that it was burned and oddly shaped, as though it had been crushed by something. The snake man's face was almost completely covered in white bandages, leaving only his eyes and mouth open. Harry stared, could Neville's spell actually have done that much damage, he wondered.

"Come on Potter". Draco whispered in his ear and Harry turned away, his mouth open in awe of what was happening in the dining room. He silently followed the blonde as if he were in a fugue. He would never be able to recall how exactly they had reached the library and had missed that they had entered it. He felt as though he was regaining consciousness a few minutes later and for a moment he thought he had had another vision. Something also felt strange and when he looked around he noticed the blonde was marching around the room, the shelves stretched high up to the ceiling. Draco was making his way up and down the ladder, moving it several shelves to the left every few trips.

"Why don't you just summon the books?" Harry asked.

"The magic detection spell on the house, remember?" Harry nodded and the blonde scurried up the ladder again. Harry then realised why he had felt so strange, he lifted his hand and looked at the palm, as though the extended contact or the absence of that contact had somehow changes his skin or perhaps his hand itself. But nothing was different, not physically at least.

"I got them all". Draco said as he came down the ladder again, the flowered pouch in his left hand. He stood in front of the book shelves and looked around the room. Harry's eyes followed Draco's. The room was simply decorated, a desk stood in the middle of the room as well as two chairs and a table near the only window. The floor was covered in a soft, dark green carpet that seemed to be somehow alive, it felt like the strands carefully supported Harry the way a mother would carry a child. Draco's eyes brightened suddenly. He rushed forward and grabbed something off the desk. He turned and held it up to Harry. It was another book, about the size of any of the other books Harry had seen in the library. This one didn't have a title or anything else on the cover. The cover itself was very strange as well, it seemed to be made from a strange kind of leather, as Draco twirled it in his hands Harry also noticed that the spine of the book was oddly shaped, it had several protrusions that pushed at the pale leather from beneath.

"What is that?" Harry asked and Draco handed it to him.

"It's my father's diary".

"Your father keeps a diary?" Harry asked. Draco nodded as Harry felt the leather, running his hand along the spine, feeling the bumps and ridges beneath the leather. He also noticed that the edge of the book; where the leather was bound, was made of a silky white thread. He flipped open the cover and saw thin script, spelling out Lucius' name and birth date.

"It feels so strange". Harry told the blonde as he ran his hand over the book.

"Yeah, human skin tends to feel like that".

"What?" Harry asked, stopping his hand on the spine of the book.

"It was made from the skin of my great grandfather's cousin. He married a muggle woman in secret and when the family found out the killed her and skinned him alive. The spine of the book is made from his actual spine". Harry dropped the book on the soft carpet.

"What the hell are you doing, that book is more than a hundred years old". Draco cried out and picked the book up off the floor.

"I'm sorry, I have just never heard of a book made from human skin before".

"It was a common punishment for a pure blooded wizard who got involved with a muggle".

"That is cruel". Harry said and Draco shrugged, dropping the book into the pouch.

"Let's move". Draco said and closed his hand around Harry's again. They stepped slowly out of the library and began making their way down the hall.

"We have to reach the ballroom there is another tunnel there that can lead us back to the beach". Harry nodded.

The hallway seemed to go on for miles and soon Harry was panting although he wasn't sure whether it was from running so much or from the physical contact with the blond. As they ran Harry noticed Draco's sleeve was pulling up as he ran, revealing the thick white bandage on his left arm again. Harry frowned curiously at it. Harry saw the ball room a second later, like everything in the house the doors were much bigger than anything Harry had ever seen outside the school. Two large gargoyle statues guarded the doors, set into the wall on either side of the door. Large wings nearly filled the open space behind them.

Reaching the doors Draco stopped suddenly and Harry nearly crashed into him.

"What?"

"Shut up". Draco whispered loudly and grabbed Harry by the shoulders, pushing him behind one of the statues. He stood out in the hall for several seconds, looking around the hall. He took a step towards the other gargoyle. Voices from down the hall made him turn back. He seemed to consider what to do for a second before pushing into the confined space with Harry, pressing their bodies tightly together between the gargoyle and the wall. Harry felt his heart beat frantically as Draco's face was pressed close to his, their chests rubbing together as they breathed. Harry turned his head slightly and their lips almost touched. He sighed heavily and Draco's frightened eyes focused on Harry. He knew that the blonde had felt the exhalation of breath and silently prayed that he wouldn't take it the wrong way. As he stared at Draco's terrified grey eyes Harry saw them soften, the fear retreated somewhat and was replaced with something else. Draco's hands slipped off Harry's shoulders and came to rest of his elbows. Draco's hands were shivering as he moved his right hand from Harry's elbows to his hip. He sighed heavily, brushing his chest hard against Harry's. Harry slowly parted his lips waiting for the inevitable kiss that he was expecting, was secretly hoping for. Draco smiled at his and Harry felt his lips respond, mirroring the smile. Footsteps echoed behind them and passed. Draco turned his face away and looked out through the tiny opening they had squeezed through.

"We have to move". He whispered and grasped Harry's hand. They moved out from behind the gargoyle and pushed against the door. It opened silently and they nearly tumbled into the high ceilinged room.

The entire room was empty except for a few chairs on the other side of the room. Candle's floated in the room high above his head and Harry was again reminded of the school. Large windows lined the walls, small curtains covered the top few inches of the opening. After the moment of awe Draco began running. Harry followed, slipping occasionally on the smooth floor. They reached the chairs and Draco pulled them to a stop. He let go of Harry's hand and began pulling away the chairs, Harry took the chairs closest to him and helped the blonde push the stack away from the wall to reveal a small discoloured patch in the paint. Draco frowned and stepped forward, trying to pull at the edges of the faded patch. He looked up at Harry.

"We have another problem".

"What?"

"The door has been sealed".

"You can't be serious".

"Sadly I am". Draco whispered. He settled back on the floor.

"Is there any other way out?"

"No, the only other way takes us through the dining room and if we go past in inside the walls we will be discovered, there are some heavy spells on the room, that is why we went past it and not through it when we came in".

"Come on Draco, there has to be something". The blonde shook his head.

"If only we could use magic then I could blast the damn wall away". Draco said, slamming his fist against the wall.

"Could we break through it without magic?"

"What?"

"Could we kick a hole through the wall?"

"Are you insane, you could break something?"

"We have to try". Harry stood and kicked his toe against the wall, feeling the shock of the impact slamming up his leg.

"Oh fuck!" He cried out.

"I told you". Draco whispered.

"I am not staying here to be caught Draco". Harry said and turned around, kicking his heel against the wall. At the third impact he heard a cracking sound and turned around, there was indeed a crack in the wall. He smiled at the blonde as he took up position again and with another hard kick the wood splintered. His foot caught in the hole and he stumbled forward. Draco cried out and caught him.

"Wow, you are strong". Draco said as he helped Harry pull his foot from the wall.

"Thanks, now we need to get out of here. We are running a lot behind". The plan had called for them to be out before three in the morning but it was almost dawn and they still had the lengthy trip to make to reach the beach. The new tunnel they entered wasn't nearly as small as the first one but it was just as dark. Harry's hand instinctively reached out to take the blonde's hand. Draco's thin warm hand closed around Harry's fingers and they immediately began moving together. The trip seemed much shorter than it was when they came up.

Juju was still on the beach, walking up and down in the surf. She groaned loudly when she saw them and came lumbering forward. Pulling themselves up on her long fur they settled in the saddle and Draco took the reins. They flew high above the Manor just as the sun raised its head above the horizon. The white walls of the Manor glittered in the early morning rays, making it appear as though the entire building was covered in paint inlaid with tiny diamonds. Harry looked down on the endless gardens, again marvelling at their beauty.

They flew high above the clouds, feeling water condense on their faces.

"We did it". Harry said.

"Yeah, we got the books". Draco replied, smiling at Harry. The wind whipped around them, pulling at their hair and clothes. The school soon came into view in the distance, bright and almost alive again. Harry hated how the school looked. Black scars and crumbling walls dotted the building, leaving the building a mere shadow of what it had once been. Harry looked down from Juju and saw the great hall recalling the escape and how they had lost Hagrid, had left Narcissa behind. He bit down on his lower lip to stop it trembling at the memory. They soon reached the collection point for their friends and found Hermione and Neville sitting on the grass. Their pouch held tightly in Hermione's hand.

As they flew back over the ocean they shared their experiences in the libraries. Hermione and Neville had encountered no problems apart from having to break into the restricted section of the school library.

Within the hour they had again reached the island where Greg lived. They passed over the woods and Harry held his breath waiting for the tugging feeling of the shield but it never came. He frowned at his friends. Juju landed softly on the grass behind the house. The inside of the house was the same, even if the shield seemed to be down. They called to Greg but he didn't seem to be in the house.

"Where is he?" Hermione whispered. They heard a scraping sound in one of the rooms on the second floor.

"What was that?" Neville said, his wand already drawn. Draco and Hermione followed suit. Harry followed the group as they moved toward the stairs. Another scraping sound was heard above. They slowly made their way up the stairs towards the sounds. They reached the top of the staircase to find Greg's door standing open, the young man could be seen rushing around in the room.

"Greg". Harry stepped forward and around the door. Greg cried out and turned towards him.

"Harry, you're back". He said, still running around the room collecting things and tossing them into a navy blue concealment pouch.

"What are you doing, why is the shield down?" Greg looked up, his face draining of colour. He reached forward and picked up the picture frame Harry had seen before and dropped it into the pouch.

"I..." He frowned and sighed heavily.

"You have to go". He said and rushed at Harry. The group behind him all drew their wands and Greg stopped short.

"Listen, you have to get away, now!" He screamed. They bundled together and pushed themselves down the stairway.

"What is going on?" Hermione cried out.

"Just shut up and move for Merlin's sake". Greg cried out as they reached the bottom of the stairs. He pushed them to the door and after a glance out of the glass he turned them away.

"Go out the back, move". Greg almost screamed and tried to force the group down the hall. Harry stumbled out of the group and turned back to the door. He pulled the curtain away and saw them. Two men, dressed in black robes and masks were making their way toward the house.

"Death Eaters!" Harry said through clenched teeth, watching Greg push his friends towards the back of the house.

"We're coming for you boy". One of the men yelled, Harry recognised the voice immediately as the voice of the man he had seen in Malfoy Manor. He still couldn't recall where he knew the man from. He ran back down the hall and met up with the rest of the group near the back entrance.

"Take this". Greg said and shoved something into Harry's hand. He looked down and saw the little pouch Greg had packed in the upper room.

"Greg, what is going on?"

"You have to leave, the death eaters have come for you". Greg pushed them along the grass. They reached Juju just as the front door exploded. Harry turned to Greg after his friends had mounted the animal.

"How did they know where we are?" Harry asked, Greg looked into Harry's eyes, his face a solemn mask. Harry's breath caught in his throat as he realised what happened.

"It was you Greg!" Harry cried out.

"What?"

"It was you, in the forest, you were one of the people I heard that night weren't you?" Now Harry knew where he had heard the death eater's voice before, just before his vision.

"Yes, I'm sorry Harry. I..."

"Get away from me Greg". Harry screamed, pushing the Auristic away.

"Harry please, I had no choice".

"You always have a choice Greg, you chose the darkness". Harry said and pulled himself up on Juju.

"Go". He screamed at Draco and the blonde pulled the animal up into the air. She lifted high off the ground and Harry turned back to look at the house that had been their home for the last month, it exploded in a ball of blue flames as Juju reached the clouds and soon they couldn't see the island anymore. Harry swallowed thickly and turned away from the view still not able to believe that Greg had betrayed them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: I am really sorry about my updates coming at such random times these days, I have recently returned to my studies and it really takes up an insane amount of my time. So from now on updates won't be scheduled anymore but I promise, the story will not go the way of the dinosaur, there will be updates no matter what.