Ginny had barely any trouble locating the graveyard with which she sort. She was very confused about how Hermione even knew to search here but she trusted her with her life so went ahead to complete her task. She quickly bounded through the snow up the hill. On top of the hill was a small family graveyard surrounded by a little dilapidated picket fence. Ginny's tail swished behind her startling her every now and then as she forgot she was a cat. As she neared the graveyard an eerie feeling overtook her.
"Just get in and get out… Just grab it and go…" She repeated to herself.
Ginny leapt up atop of a grave after reading the inscription. "Karkaroff? This is the Karkaroff estate?" She thought. Eventually she spotted an open tomb and skitted in. The tomb was dark and cold apart from a small stained-glass window at the end. She padded softly around looking intently for what she sort. And then she saw it, set upon a high, dank shelf cluttered with possessions of the deceased Karkaroff Ginny noticed a shimmering tiara.
"Bingo" She thought…
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Neville watched Draco enter the castle through the large heavy wooden door. He waited a moment before scampering through a crack underneath the door and heading straight into the dark corner. Perfect for people… or rats to lurk in. Draco was nowhere in sight but he could hear voices from a room off to the right.
"I know father…"
"Good Draco, now the ceremony is to take pl…"
The voice trailed off as Neville made his way further along the entrance corridor. Memories came flooding back of the last time he was in this castle. The torture he endured, the great escape… The only good thing that came out of that was the fact that he now knew the location of the dungeons as he himself had been trapped within them for a week.
He took a left and headed along another long corridor staying close to the wall.
"Be brave Neville, Be brave." He repeated to himself. After many twists and turns, squeezing beneath many heavy locked doors he arrived at a gloomy set of stairs and descended them quickly. They spiralled down into cramped passageway which smelt dreadfully. Neville went past many doors peeking beneath each one in search of his friends. Some were empty, where as others had another prisoner whom Neville did not recognise. In one chamber he saw a woman who looked oddly like Draco. Her white-blonde hair was matted and dirty but her physical condition seemed better than most of the other prisoners. Towards the end of the chamber here heard the distinct voice of Ronald Weasley.
"C'mon sing it with me now!
Look into my eyes and it's easy to see
One and One makes two
Two and One makes Three
This is destiny!"
"Shut-up before I Avarda your arse!" Screamed a voice from a chamber further back.
"None of us have wands you cock! We're all gonna die lets do it in high spirits!
Just about a hundred thousand years ago
Where the sun don't shine and the moon don't glow
And the grass don't gr0w-0wwww!!!"
Neville squeezed beneath the door into the chamber and spotted the Red-headed propped up against a wall singing deliriously.
"This is not
The greatest song in the wor-orld.
This is just a Tribute!"
On the opposite wall, hunched over with his head in his hands was Harry.
"Please Ron I can't think!" HeHH He groaned.
Neville made his way to Harry's feet and tried to attract his attention. Harry looked up from his hands at the dancing rat in front of him.
"At least someone appreciates my singing!" Ron said as he watched the rat.
Neville stopped jumping around and made its way towards the door, stopping just before it and turning back at the perplexed boys.
"What in Merlin…" Ron said.
"I think it's trying to tell us something." Harry said as he stood and walked towards him. Neville began reaching his front legs up into the air as if being asked to be picked up. Harry lent down and held out his hand. Neville scampered onto it and Harry lifted him up.
"Who are you?" Harry said eyeing the rat suspiciously.
Ron walked over and peered down at the rat.
"You know what… That looks like Angus Brungstrom's rat. You know the Ravenclaw? Angus?" Ron said.
"Well what's his rat doi...?" Suddenly Harry realised what was going on.
"Polyjuice potion Ron! Someone used his rat's hair in a Polyjuice potion!"
"It must be 'Mione! 'Mione is that you?"
Neville shook his little furry head.
"…Are you Malfoy?" Harry asked with a hint of disdain in his voice.
Once again Neville shook his head.
"Well who? Ginny? Luna? Neville?" Ron said.
Neville began to jump around and nodded.
"Neville? Neville! What are you doing here? Did 'Mione make that Polyjuice potion?" Asked Harry.
Neville nodded.
"Well… What do we need to do?"
…………………………………………………………………………………
Draco left the living room of the first floor and began to head towards his quarters. He hated this place. Nightmares plagued his sleep of the blood-curdling screams which would escape the prisoners of a night. When no-one was in site he lipped into a dim passageway where he hoped he would locate Potter and Weasley's possessions.
There was a room in which they kept the captive's wands and any other personal assets they found they didn't want them to have. It was known as the "Filth" room.
The door creaked open and Draco slipped inside. There was a large chest for each prisoners chamber and above each was a glowing orb. The orbs showed who was in each chamber. Some were empty where as others swirled with the image of the chamber and its inhabitant. He instantly came across Harry and Ron's as the figures within the orb crowded near the door. In Harry's hand was the distinct image of a large rat. Draco opened the chest beneath this orb and retrieved its contents. Two wands, an object Draco recognised as a deluminator, a small moke hair bag and a cloak.
Just as Draco was about to leave he noticed a lone figure in a swirling orb next to the one of Harry and Ron's. His mouth dropped open as he realised the figure was his mother, curled up in a ball, whimpering and dirty. "Merlin…" He muttered. His eyes grew dark and he felt his vicious Malfoy streak break through. "Lucius didn't even mention it to me." He seethed. How could he do this to his own wife?
Draco reached into the chest below Narcissa's orb and retrieved her wand and a silver necklace with a charm inscribed with her initials. He then quietly left the room and headed out of the dark passageway towards the west wing in which his quarters were located.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
Hermione began to circle around the castle as she awaited Draco's appearance in the west wing.
"Where the bloody hell is he!" She thought to herself.
Finally she saw his white blonde hair step into the main bedroom of the west wing. Draco quickly made his way across the bedroom to the window and opened it and Hermione flew in and settled on the banister of the plush bed.
Draco threw the items he had retrieved onto the bed and sat down running his hands threw his hair. Hermione flew down and landed on his knee, her claws digging in to his pants slightly.
Draco picked up the cloak which lay next to him.
"Hermione I need to ask you a favour." He said softly.
"They've…. They've locked my mother up down in the chamber next to Harry and Ron's… I… I can't leave her there." He said.
Hermione stared back at him with her large owl eyes before doing her best attempt at nodding.
"Neville will no how to open the chamber, just let him no. By the time you get down there you will have nearly turned back to the Hermione I know and lo…" Draco stopped himself aware of what he was about to say.
She waddled over and stroked her head against his shirt.
Draco chuckled.
"This is so odd… you being an owl." He grinned.
Hermione hooted.
Draco went to a trunk at the end of his bed and withdrew a small blanket. He
Wrapped the items from the filth room inside it and tied it together before giving it to the awaiting owl who gripped it in her claws.
"One you leave the west wing and enter the main corridor head forwards and take the last left eventually you'll come across a large black door. Neville will appear there without any troubles but can't go any further without the chance of being discovered. Good luck Hermione." He said
As Hermione wavered in front of Draco he placed the invisibility cloak over her. And opened the door to his room.
She flew out into the cavernous hall and began to make her way towards the dungeons…
A/N: Sorry if any thing in this chapter is a little confusing, but it shall all make sense eventually. Please review if you have the time. It means alot to me ot know whether or not people are enjoying my story.
