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Voldemort's promise of unlimited wealth and power to his followers convinced Lucius to join the Death Eaters years ago. For a time, Lucius got what he wanted but the price he had to pay was more than he bargained for. He didn't anticipate enslavement to a twisted, malevolent half-blood. Lucius' desire for superiority over others cost him his freedom. The irony of that fact rattled his mind endlessly.
Lucius wasn't sadistic like most Death Eaters. He could be ruthless whenever it was required but there was a fine line between sane and psychotic and he never crossed it. He didn't enjoy inflicting pain; it was merely necessary sometimes.
Lucius was placed under Dolohov's command and was then assigned torture detail, as his humoured colleague put it. That was why he stood in the cellars of his own home, inflicting terrible pain on a boy chained up against the wall. He was one of the rebellious DA members, captured from the school and brought to Lucius' home. The cellars fulfilled their purpose as they had for generations and each cry pulled from the boy's throat disturbed Lucius. It didn't matter how much he hated it. He had to be obedient and active in Death Eater activities for the well-being of the family, such as it was.
The doors swung open and Dolohov swaggered in, followed by Thorfinn Rowle. They strode over to stand before Lucius and the prisoner. "What kept you at dinner, Malfoy?" Dolohov asked and Rowle laughed. Lucius scowled and didn't reply, feeling like a House-elf in his own house. "Don't look so glum. Your efforts serve a higher purpose than you realize."
"Really?" Lucius grumbled. "If you wanted information from this whelp, the Manor's stores of Veritaserum would've made my labouring pointless."
"You may be right in that regard but we're not here to extract information from him," Dolohov explained as he walked up to the boy against the wall. He tugged on the prisoner's hair to raise his head and examine him. "He needs to be broken for our plan to initiate."
"I… I'll never break," he croaked.
"We'll see about that," Dolohov uttered before turning back to the other Death Eaters. "He's spirited, isn't he?" The two other Death Eaters nodded and he stepped away from the boy.
Eventually, Lucius asked, "What plans are to be implemented exactly?"
"Our inability to capture Harry Potter angers the Dark Lord," said Dolohov. "He's encouraged us to use different methods of finding him, at whatever the cost. Fortunately, it won't cost much… apart from your time."
Rowle drew his wand and cast a Silencing Charm over the three of them so the prisoner couldn't hear their conversation. "There's a possibility of casting a trace on him. If we succeed and send him back to the DA and the Order, we'll be able to round up innumerable prisoners. I was told he's friends with Harry Potter so there's a chance we'll apprehend him as well."
"Nonsense," Lucius grumbled. "There's only one trace that's ever worked: the trace on underage witches and wizards and it expires once the subject turns seventeen. This boy is a seventh year."
Dolohov raised a brow at his misgivings before stating, "What if I told you we found a way to bind an item to an individual's magical aura, the same way a Portkey is bound to a location?"
"Impossible."
"I imagine it'll prove challenging, but I'm sure we'll succeed. The only obstacle is getting our prisoner to willingly infiltrate the Order for us. I'm just about to inform him that his repulsive, blood-traitor mother is being held by the Ministry. Should he refuse to cooperate, she'll be sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss."
Dolohov turned and was just about to remove the silence barrier when Lucius stopped him. "Blackmailing him won't work. This one is very tenacious. It spawns from his squalid house."
"Do you have an alternate strategy?" Rowle asked impatiently.
"The use of a Memory Charm will yield greater results. Erase from his mind all that transpires here and send him back to the school. Every time we use him to capture the enemy, wipe his memory. It'll prolong his usefulness."
Willy!" Dolohov called out and a house-elf appeared at his side. "Inform everyone that the binding ritual will commence immediately."
"Yes, sir," the elf squeaked before disappearing with a pop.
"You're absolutely right, Lucius," said Dolohov. Rowle nodded in agreement. "A stroke of genius when required. Now we don't have to hold his mother ransom. I suppose it's another wretched soul lined up for Umbridge to condemn; she really can't get enough of those Dementors. It makes you wonder how deranged she really is..."
The cellar doors opened once more and all the Death Eaters residing in the mansion, Avery, MacNair, Yaxley, Nott, Jugson, and Rodolphus Lestrange's brother, Rabastan, filed into the room. Snape entered after them carrying a silver, box-shaped object roughly the size of his palm and ornate with indented, black swirls. Lucius assumed the item originated from Borgin and Burkes. He acknowledged Snape with a nod and the man returned it. Out of everyone in the room, Snape was the only one Lucius respected and trusted. He wasn't mad like the others and Lucius felt as if they were the only ones.
The prisoner recognized his former Potions professor as he approached him. The other Death Eaters drew their wands, pointed them at him, and started chanting, "Annecto Homo Ad Portum," in unison. Snape stood before them, holding the magical item against the student's chest and the gathering magic in the room linked it to his body as if it was a part of him. Light shined from the swirling designs on the box and it glowed a bright blue, the signature colour of a Portkey. The ordeal drained what was left of his energy, his vision began to fade, and the last thing he forgot was Lucius walking up to him and swirling his wand.
"Obliviate."
It was June of 1998 and a month had passed since Hermione, Draco, and Rupert moved into the London flat. Hermione was correct in assuming that living with Draco would be difficult. They'd argue over the simplest things such as who would cook and clean, and it was fuelled by their smugness and inflexibility. However, Rupert pointed out that the pressure they enforced on each other to keep things clean and organized meant that the apartment was virtually spotless.
Hermione longed to see Harry and Ron again. She missed and worried about them. The last time Kingsley came to visit, she asked about them and he gave her vague response. He then told her that, after a prolonged battle at Hogwarts, many DA members had left the school and were now fighting for the Order. She was excited at this very moment because they were coming to visit her early in the morning.
Just as Hermione finished dressing in the shared bedroom, she overheard yelling and a loud ruckus outside. With her wand in her grasp, she ran into the living room to find Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Katie Bell, and her friend, Leanne, standing around Draco who had been sleeping on the sofa. Neville held an agitated Draco up by his hair, Justin by his shirt, while Ginny prodded her wand into his neck.
"What's going on here?" Hermione yelled in distress and everyone turned to her.
"Hello, Hermione," Luna uttered in her soft, musical tone and everyone gathered around Draco turned their attention back to him.
"Just playing a little catch-up with Malfoy here," said Ginny as she poked her wand deep into his skin.
"What's he doing here?" Neville asked angrily as Draco squirmed in his grasp. "If you haven't already inflicted tremendous pain on him, we're more than willing to make up for it!" It was then that Hermione realized that her friends hadn't been made aware of Draco's desertion.
"Get your sausage hands off me, Longbottom!" he yelled but Neville held him firmly.
"Let him go!" Hermione ordered.
"Why?" Justin asked.
"Because I said so!" she responded sternly and it reminded everyone how authoritative her presence could be.
Neville and Justin let Draco go but Ginny kept her wand pointed at him. "We should be cursing him into the next century, especially after what he did last year," said Ginny.
"Katie almost died from the cursed necklace Malfoy made her deliver!" Leanne exclaimed as she hugged her best friend's arm. Katie stared at Draco with a combination of hatred and fear.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" said Draco.
Ginny jabbed her wand under his chin. "Lie again. I dare you!" she rasped threateningly. "I'm not afraid to use the Cruciatus, Malfoy. I've done it before."
"I didn't think you had the stomach, She-Weasel!"
"Your lackeys would've disagreed with you if they were still alive," Neville stated.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him.
"Crabbe and Goyle are dead," Neville declared coldly.
"Is this because of the fighting at Hogwarts? What happened?"
"Muggle-borns have been on the run for most of the year," Justin began. "But Kingsley managed to gather some of us at the Hogsmeade camp for an attack on the school to avenge the horrible things Snape and the Carrows had done. There were lots of us: Dean, Penelope, and the Creeveys. Neville and Ginny had already been leading the DA on several attacks inside the school for months. We all fought together and I ended up killing Crabbe. Neville killed Goyle."
"And I took Pug-faced Parkinson's," Ginny added with a smug look. "It's a shame you weren't around to die with all your loyal minions, Malfoy. I suppose Hermione's just waiting for Kingsley to look away. She'll kill you soon enough."
"No one's killing anyone!" Hermione yelled shrilly and everyone turned to her in surprise.
Ginny voiced angrily, "Hermione, it doesn't matter if Malfoy lowered his wand on Dumbledore. He poisoned my brother and cursed Katie trying to kill him."
Hermione spoke, "You-Know-Who forced him to do it! Had he refused, his family would've been murdered."
"Am I on trial?" Draco asked. "This is pathetic! I never asked you to defend me, Granger; I can handle these idiots on my own."
"Have it your way, Malfoy," Hermione stated and crossed her arms.
Neville stepped up to Draco and they met eye-to-eye. "All your bullying and exploitation at school is just a huge rock hovering over your head. It's called Karma and I've always wanted to watch it fall and crush you. I'd be more than willing to make it drop!"
"Empty threats, Longbottom; you can't do anything to me. The Order's already accepted me as a member for the things I've done."
"What could you've possibly done to convince the Order to spare your life in the first place?" Justin asked.
"I killed Bellatrix and helped your precious Golden Trio escape certain death."
"Is this true, Hermione," Luna asked her and she nodded. "Wow… Hurray for Draco."
"Thanks, Loony- I mean… Luna," said Draco.
"You killed Bellatrix? Why?" Neville asked in confusion.
"Retribution for the terrible things she was doing... and making me do, to people in my home. I had to end it."
"Blimey," Justin uttered. "Didn't she kill Harry's Godfather? I'll bet he was really grateful."
"He might've been a little upset because he couldn't kill her himself." As Draco said this, he eyed Neville and noticed his unhappiness. "Why the long face, Longbottom? I thought you'd be glad she's dead."
"I am. I just… didn't think you'd be the one to kill her."
"You were planning on killing her, weren't you? After all, she did end up torturing your parents until they went loopy."
"Show some respect, Malfoy; they're his parents," Ginny goaded.
"Show some respect, Weasley; the people you killed at Hogwarts just so happened to be my friends!"
Neville snorted. "Friends? You don't know what that word means, Malfoy. You always used Crabbe and Goyle as muscle and Parkinson to inflate your ego."
Draco glared daggers at Neville and his face twisted into a sneer. "Right. We always gave you a rough time, didn't we? You must be all giddy now that you got your revenge and led Potter's pathetic excuse of an army throughout the school year. You're all grown up, taking leadership roles, finally building confidence, and taking shite from no one, am I right? It's about bloody time! You always were a weak little thing, but that's never going to change, so you can shove whatever hopes of becoming a real man up your fat arse!"
"Malfoy!" Hermione yelled.
He turned his head to her. "What?" he shouted back and failed to notice Neville's fist drawing back. Knuckles slammed against Draco's nose and a loud crack was heard before he fell to the floor. His hands flew to his face and he groaned as blood rushed through his nostrils.
"Nice shot, Neville!" cheered Justin.
"That felt pretty good!" Neville laughed as he rubbed his sore fist.
Ginny loomed over Draco. "It's about time you got what's coming to you, slimy git." She raised her wand in preparation to cast a jinx but Hermione stormed over and yanked her arm down.
"No, that's enough! It was Harry's decision to take Malfoy with us and I know he wouldn't have wanted this." At the mentioning of Harry, Ginny's eyes lowered indignantly. Draco took the opportunity to bolt up and race to the loo as blood seeped through his fingers. Hermione scowled at her friends. "He sacrificed a lot just to be here and it's wrong that we're punishing him for what he's done now that he's finally alone."
"Well… He sort of deserved it," Katie uttered and everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Okay, maybe he did," Hermione spoke humorously and they all chuckled. "But no more acts of vengeance, is that clear?"
Everyone nodded and murmured okay or fine unenthusiastically before Hermione turned around and headed to the loo.
"Wait 'til my father hears about this!" said Ginny with a spot-on voice impersonation of Draco. Her friends laughed.
As Hermione made her way down the hall, she noticed Rupert leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom. "Just saw Malfoy high-tail it to the loo, his nose leaking like a faucet. Care to tell me what's going on?"
"Just some friends retaliating for all the nasty things he did to them in school. Everything is settled for now."
"Oh. Um… okay. Well, I'm headed off to the camp. Kingsley should be coming around soon and he'll take you lot over there. I think he's planning something big. My brother might even be there."
"Okay, we'll see you later then."
They smiled at each other before he headed down the hallway. By the time he left, however, Hermione was frowning and it took a moment for her conflicting emotions to die down. Keeping the secret about his brother's death proved difficult for her. Draco kept insisting that if she told Rupert the truth, his reaction would be volatile and she'd end up regretting her decision. However, she was getting to point of not caring anymore. She was going to tell him; all she had to do was summon up the courage.
"Malfoy?" Hermione called out as she knocked on the bathroom door.
"Pidd off!" Draco yelled from inside. Hermione waved her wand to unlock the door. When she entered the room, she found him leaning over the sink, nursing his bleeding nose with a towel.
"Don't use my towel! That's gross!"
"Maybe you should ha t'ought a dat," Draco paused to wipe off the blood soaking his lip. "before letting your repulsive friends assault me!"
"Maybe you shouldn't have insulted Neville. I know you're angry over your friends' deaths but we can't have these little vengeance wars. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind… Look, blood's swelling under your eyes right now."
"You're an annoying little swot, you know that?"
Hermione strode up to him, yanked the towel from his grasp, and replaced it with a roll of toilet paper. Draco proceeded to wipe the blood away with that and she eventually spoke, "I didn't know you cared for your army of minions so much."
"I didn't. They were always a nuisance. Just wanted to knock Longbottom off his pedestal."
"What? You mean you didn't like them at all?"
"Crabbe and Goyle were like a pair monkeys hanging off my arms, always pestering me to help them with their homework. Eventually, I grew tired of dealing with the stupidity and laziness of two boys. I think you know what that's like."
"I… suppose I do," said Hermione when she realized that it was somewhat similar to how Harry and Ron acted at school. "You know, Harry and Ron are a lot smarter than you think," she commented.
Draco huffed in disagreement. "Pansy…" he eventually continued. "When she wasn't fawning over me, would go off about how prestigious her family was. She was always trying to convince me to marry her as soon as possible. It was all rubbish."
"Do you shut everyone out of your life?"
"It's how I've survived this long."
"I just can't believe how cold-hearted you are sometimes. Here, let me see your nose," said Hermione. Draco turned to face her and she grinned when she noted the crookedness of his nose bridge.
"Is it that bad?" Draco asked and she giggled. "Why do all you Gryffindors immediately go for the face? Am I really so dashing that it intimidates you lot?"
"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered before examining his injury further. "I really wish Harry could see this; he'd be so happy. I suppose fair is fair and you got a broken nose after all."
"What ever happened to the eye-for-an-eye speech?"
"Harry didn't break your nose. I suppose it is Karma. There's no way to save it, Malfoy. We'll have to amputate it."
"What? Why would you do that? Magic can easily fix this."
"It's what muggles once did to prevent infections. Not with noses though… Arms and legs mostly."
"Muggles are stupid. Heal this for me," Draco ordered and Hermione drew her wand.
She remembered the spell Tonks used to heal Harry's broken nose and spun her wand in a forceful–borderline careless–manner. "Episkey!"
Draco's nose snapped back into place and he groaned harshly from the recurring pain. His hands flew to his injury again before he slid off the sink and fell to the floor. He eventually moaned in agony, "This has to be the worst birthday ever!"
"Today's your birthday? Happy birthday, Malfoy!" Hermione said with half amusement, half mocking celebration.
"I hate. Everything."
Everyone else was relaxing on the sofas by the time Kingsley arrived. Hermione told him it was no longer possible to Apparate into the flat due to its recently cast wards so he entered through the door. He greeted everyone in the room warmly, though he wasn't pleased to see the damage done to Draco's face when he and Hermione returned from the loo. By that time, the skin under his eyes was black and tissues were stuffed up his nostrils to absorb the blood. "What happened?" Kingsley asked.
Draco gestured to the others and exclaimed, "They were on me like a pack of lions as soon as they arrived!"
"It's actually a pride, Malfoy. A pride of lions," Hermione quipped.
"I think I might just smother you in your sleep, Granger."
"You keep saying you will but I'm getting rather impatient, waiting for it to happen. With death comes the exciting prospect of not having to put up with you anymore."
"Enough! Honestly, you two are the worst," Kingsley said before turning to the others. "And as for you lot, you need to accept the fact that Draco is an Order member. Whatever happened in the past should be forgotten because the battle lines were never drawn on what houses you were sorted in at Hogwarts. There's only one and that's between the Order and Death Eaters: that's it."
"But Malfoy was a Death Eater when he plotted to kill Dumbledore and he still is," said Katie. "No one stops being a Death Eater."
"We thought Snape was on our side but he never was," Neville added. "He even tricked Dumbledore into trusting him. Death Eaters will always be conspiring, double-crossing, killing machines and slaves to You-Know-Who. All Malfoy needs to do is jab his wand into his arm and it'll be over for all of us!"
"This sort of prejudice is precisely why we're not making progress in the war and I don't want to hear anymore of it," Kingsley declared. "We're going back to the Hogsmeade camp. We'll need a good number of wands for the next battle."
Ginny stepped forward, "Sir, we read about the Battle of Diagon Alley in last month's Daily Prophet. They say it was a crushing victory for the Ministry and that the Order was nearly destroyed as a result. Is that true?"
"We did leave the field accomplishing less than we had hoped and with some casualties, but the Order remains strong and organized."
"That's just rubbish, isn't it?" Draco inquired rudely. "Lupin was sacked because of his incompetence leading the whole thing. I knew it right from the start that he'd be as bad a leader as he was a professor…" Everyone in the room seemed to glare at him after he voiced his opinion and Hermione pinched him in the arm. "Ouch! What was that for?"
Kingsley shook his head. "No, Remus spent weeks organizing the Order members for the fight. The conditions of a battle can change so very quickly, you can easily be caught off guard. For instance, during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Harry was on the verge of handing the prophecy over to the Death Eaters. It would have ended in a defeat and many of you would have died had the Order not arrived in time. The Battle of Diagon Alley was lost due to the unexpected efficiency and skill of the enemy. We were organized… they were organized better. It was simply bad luck for Remus."
Kingsley then pulled out an assortment of Portkeys from his robe and placed them on the tea table before saying, "Now then, I have a limited amount of Portkeys so you'll have to travel in groups. Draco and Hermione, because you are travelling to the camp for the first time, it'll be best if you come with me." While everyone else took their own Portkey and left, Kingsley held one out. Draco and Hermione grabbed it and were instantly transported to the dense forests of the Scottish Highlands. Hermione noticed the others arriving in various spots throughout the area and everyone started walking in the same direction.
"Sir, I know Malfoy and I mentioned this last time we talked," Hermione voiced to Kingsley, "but I was wondering if the situation at the safe house on Nelson Avenue has been dealt with."
He sighed before saying, "It's very thoughtful of you to care for the proper burial of the deceased, Hermione. What those Snatchers did was horrible and their victims deserve a better grave to rest. However, it's difficult to say when we can recover the bodies because the place isn't secure and the process could take a while, given the delicacy of the task. You should know that I'm working on finding a way to retrieve their bodies and setting things right."
"Thank you," she said.
Weeks had passed since the events at the safe house. And yet Draco and Hermione still felt disturbed by the memory of seeing a pile of corpses. The dead deserved better. Hermione assumed Rupert didn't know his friends' bodies were piled carelessly on top of one another. She knew he would want to give them a proper funeral and say his goodbyes.
When they reached a clearing on top of the ridge, Hermione caught a glimpse of the numerous, thatched cottages that made up Hogsmeade. Her mouth curved into a grin when she realized where they were and immediately ran to the west until she saw it. By that time, the sun was rising and bright, beautiful colours illuminated the sky, forest, and lake. When the walls and towers of Hogwarts came into view, delightful warmth spread from her heart to the tips of her fingers and toes. She wanted to go back to school.
Draco eventually walked up to her side and she asked him, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
He glanced at her. "You still love Hogwarts, don't you?"
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"
Draco gestured to their former classmates as they ventured through the woods towards the camp. "Well, to the rest of us, Hogwarts isn't a school anymore; it's a battlefield we once fought on. It's a permanent reminder that we all lost an important part of us in some way. Notice how you were the only one scrambling up to see it? You were like a meerkat or something. You have no bad memories of Hogwarts."
"I remember Cedric's death and Dumbledore's funeral, but I don't think I could ever forget the happy memories I experienced there."
"Yeah, I'm sure the countless hours spent in the library were worth every second," Draco said tonelessly. "All that is blinding you from the fact that it's the worst school in the world, what with trolls in dungeons, professors who transfigure students into domestic animals, and the surrounding forest–a place filled with all kinds of danger–being off limits except for the occasional detention or meaningless magical creatures class where students are assaulted by giant chickens."
Hermione laughed at Draco as he recounted his bad experiences at Hogwarts. They then followed Kingsley deeper into the woods until they arrived at the Hogsmeade camp. Hermione estimated around thirty small tents were gathered together and she immediately assumed they were magical. A few Order members were already up in the early hours of the day. When the visitors entered the encampment, a pink-haired woman spotted Draco and ran up to him.
"Oh, Draco, it's so lovely to see you!" Nymphadora Tonks exclaimed as she snared him in a tight embrace. Draco, who was caught completely by surprise, stood frozen on the spot.
"Uh… Nymphadora! It's... nice to see you too," Draco responded ambivalently before she let him go.
"Call me Dora or Tonks, cousin, please. Everyone knows I don't like my first name. Merlin's pants, what happened to your face?"
"I received an unpleasant surprise in the shape of Longbottom's fist earlier today."
"That's horrible. I hope everything is sorted out between you two. Kingsley is pushing for the Order to be more disciplined. Other than that, how have you been? Oh, cousin, we have a lot of catching up to do. It's going to be fun!" Draco paled at this.
Hermione watched Tonks interact with Draco. Their mothers were sisters but because Tonk's mother, Andromeda, was disowned from the Black family, her and Draco had never interacted before. He would have spat at her and insulted her if they had met under previous circumstances but he was forced to be friendly towards her, since he was now an Order member. Hermione smiled when she realized Tonks was pulling Draco's leg on purpose.
Kingsley gestured for everyone to follow him into a tent in the centre of the camp. Tonks declared, "Welcome to the Order, Draco." She took his arm and practically dragged him along. "I think you'll be surprised when you find out who else is here."
"Oh really?" Draco stated unexcitedly as they entered the tent.
Hermione noted several rows of chairs facing the opposite end of the tent and a projector hanged from the ceiling. There were many familiar faces from their school year, including Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Lavender Brown, and the Patil Twins. They filled some of the chairs while Aurors, including Rupert, and former students from senior years, filled the rest. Hermione smiled and acknowledged her friends as they all sat down.
When she peered over to Draco, she blinked in surprise when she discovered that he was conversing with Blaise Zabini. She leaned over to Dean and whispered, "I didn't know Zabini was here. Is he an Order member?"
"Yeah! Kingsley arrived here with him one day and told us to just accept it."
"Zabini ain't so bad," Terry uttered. "I mean, sure he's Slytherin but he was never part of the whole Death Eater thing."
"I think he's kinda cute," said Lavender as she stared at Blaise dreamily.
Seamus grinned at her. "His Mam's got a thing for marryin' blokes who spontaneously die after a few years. She's what folks call a black widow. He might do the same to you jus' to getcha money. Better watch yourself, Lav'." Everyone giggled at this.
"I'm surprised they let Malfoy join the Order though. He's all kinds of evil," said Susan and everyone except Hermione nodded their heads in agreement.
"Malfoy knows a lot about the way Death Eaters operate," Hermione reasoned. "I'm sure he'll be very helpful to the Order."
"As a practice dummy for the Cruciatus. Just like his friend, Pike, last week," said Anthony and many of them smiled. Hermione wasn't amused.
Kingsley strode up to the front of the tent and ordered them all to quiet down before he began, "For those of you who haven't been here before, welcome to the Hogsmeade camp. This place serves as a refuge and base of operations in Northern Britain. You're all gathered here because the Order's next mission will be in Hogsmeade. Mrs. Lupin, if you please…"
Tonks waved her wand and the projector flickered to life. The first images that shined before them were shots of the Daily Prophet in recent months showing the sacking of the Ministry of Magic, the Parliament Fire, nationwide Muggle panic, and annulments of half-breeds rights. There were also countless pages declaring the number of detained or dead subversives and muggleborns. By the time they reached a dozen slides, Tonks' hair colour changed from a happy, bubble-gum pink to a mousy brown.
"I'm sure you are all aware of the chaos Britain is slipping into," said Kingsley. "The Order of the Phoenix was established during the First Wizarding War to defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As long as he and his followers are at large in Britain, this organization will continue to fight. You are all members of the Order now and you need to put aside any animosity you have against each other. The only way to win this war is if we work together, use our combined strength, and make up for each other's weaknesses." At this, Hermione and Draco glanced at each other.
The projector displayed a picture of the new 'Magic Is Might' statue at the Ministry. "Now then, the Order's current objective is to get the Wizarding World to stand up. We want to encourage them to resist the new regime and overthrow You-Know-Who's puppet government. We believe the best way to do this is by removing key figureheads in the administration." The next slide displayed a man Hermione recognized as the government official Harry impersonated when the trio infiltrated the Ministry. "This is Albert Runcorn, a high-level employee working in the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. He is an invaluable assistant to Dolores Umbridge and responsible for the detention and execution of numerous Muggleborns in the past several months. His work in the Ministry has to stop, therefore the Order's next step will be to kill him."
The next slide showed a Daily Prophet heading, FAILED ASSASSINATION OF MINISTRY OFFICIAL, and a picture of several dead Order members lying around the pub at the Leaky Cauldron. Kingsley continued, "Several weeks ago, we made an attempt on his life. Sadly, it failed and he's been escorted by a group of bodyguards ever since. His routine is to got to a bar and have a few drinks after work at the Ministry. Lately he's been going to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade so that is where we will strike."
The next slide displayed instructions for wand movements. "Many of Runcorn's bodyguards carry Portkeys so they'll simply teleport him out if they're attacked. We've found a charm that can discreetly disable Portkeys and some of you will be instructed on how to use it. It will take time and practice for you to master this charm. In the meantime, we'll plan out a way to take Runcorn down."
A couple days later, Draco and Hermione both stood in the woods near the camp. They were practicing the Anti-Portkey Charm. The goal was to deactivate the Portkey inside the other person's jacket without them knowing it.
"So, Granger…" Draco began with a raised brow. "Why haven't you spent any time with your companions? I mean they're all here, safe and sound. You should be frolicking with them in the summer sun."
"Maybe, I don't want to."
"That just brings us back to my original question: why?" Hermione shifted from one foot to the other. "Come on, Granger, we're roommates and practically the best of friends. You can tell me anything," Draco stated with a delighted tone of sarcasm and her eyes narrowed at him.
A little while later, she answered, "I guess I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
"They've changed so much since I last saw them and it's all because of the fighting that happened at school. I'm afraid because they're different now than they were back then. They were happier and less... murdery."
Draco smirked at that. After a short moment of contemplation, he began, "Hogwarts isn't a safe haven anymore, Granger. They were taught the Dark Arts rather than the Defence Against it. They fought in the school's corridors and courtyards while you were fighting in Britain's cities and forest. This war will end up changing each and every one of us. You've already changed considerably."
"Have I?"
"Whatever happened in Diagon Alley made you go all soft, like a cracked vase... or a pygmy puff. It's probably because you came back totally crazy."
Her brow furrowed as she answered, "That's not true! I'm not a Pygmy Puff and I was never crazy!"
"Sure you were and you have to learn to accept that before you start taking steps to not be those things anymore. Just as you have to accept the fact that your friends aren't children anymore, that none of us are, and learn to live with it." Hermione pondered indecisevely before Draco added, "To be honest, Granger, it's worrying that you spend so much time at our flat."
She met his gaze and smiled cheekly, "Are you worrying about me, Malfoy? Such a considerate flatmate. If only your father could see you now. He'd be so proud!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't want you out for that reason. It's mostly because I find your constant presence there annoying."
"Right... mostly," she teased.
Draco groaned with frustration, "Are you going to mingle with your friends a little or will you stay home and aggravate me to death? I highly recommend the former."
"I think I'll mingle with them."
"A wise decision."
They continued practicing the Charm before Hermione eventually spoke, "You should spend some time with Tonks."
"I don't think so."
"Malfoy, she's your cousin and she's really fun to be around."
"I spent some time with a distant relative once. My aunt…. It wasn't fun."
"So you're assuming all your distant relatives have similar personalities? How rational of you."
"I choose not to talk to Nymphadora; I'd rather talk to Blaise. There's nothing wrong with that."
"You have to. She's family!"
"So was Aunt Bella!"
"Fine!" Hermione exclaimed. She pulled the Portkey out of her pocket and threw it to the ground. She then turned on her heel and started to walk away.
"You'd really neglect practicing the charm just so I socialise with Nymphadora more?" Draco called out to her.
"You said so yourself that I perform the charm just fine!"
Draco picked up her Portkey and started jogging after her. "I was lying."
Hermione scoffed, "Sure you were. And stop calling her Nymphadora!"
"Okay, I'll talk to… Tonks, but don't expect me to bring her over for tea every single day." He finally caught up and held out her Portkey.
"Twice a day," Hermione said. She took her Portkey back and grinned when she saw the terror in Draco's eyes.