Note: I have 99 reviews on FF .net. WOW! I wonder who is gonna be number 100??? I haven't counted the number of comments on livejournal, but there are a lot! Thank you all so much!

Important reminder!!!: The young twins do mention on the train that both Pansy and Draco had the Mark. Since we don't get much backstory on how they got together you can imagine Draco becoming spy after getting the Mark. Just thought you should remember that ;-)

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Chapter 11: Flesh of the Servant

Harry, Ron and Hermione were all standing around Draco, trying to read over the man's shoulder as he read through the spell. It was in a very old book, so heavy Draco couldn't hold it and had to levitate it up on the desk in the library. They were all nervous and a little afraid. Every second that passed meant more time for Pansy to complete the potion.

"Right," Draco said decisively. "We'll need a map…. I think there's an atlas somewhere…" He pushed his way passed Hermione and went for one of the many bookcases. He quickly found what he was looking for, the book nearly as large as the first one, though not as thick. He brought it over and slammed it down on the desk, rifling through it until he came to a map of Europe. They gathered around Draco, Harry on the other side of the desk, thinking it wise to keep his distance until further notice. Ron was beside him and Hermione stood beside Draco.

"Ok," Draco said, eyes never leaving the map. "Be quiet. Let me concentrate." He drew his wand and waved it in a complicated pattern, the Latin incantation long and song-like, ending on a sharp note that somehow promised retribution. The moment he finished a beam of red light shot from his wand and landed on the map, the beam gathering into a red pinprick. All four of them frowned in confusion at the location.

"That's Wiltshire. She's still here?" Hermione asked. Draco looked pensive for a moment, and then abruptly blushed crimson.

"Nono, eh, she's not here. I did it wrong. Let me try again," Draco said quickly.

"What do you mean? What did it find if it didn't find your wife?" Hermione pressed, obviously not able to drop the subject. Draco was still blushing.

"Draco?" Harry asked, now a little worried. The blond sighed and kept his eyes on the map.

"This spell isn't made for this kind of situation… I didn't concentrate properly, so it found the person I most desired to be my… bride, eh- well, groom." It took half a second for Harry to get it and then a lumos went off inside his head. The person Draco most desired as a husband was in Wiltshire, right where they were. Harry should know this already, but it stilled filled him with warmth. Draco was already performing the spell again, however, and now was not the time to dwell on such things. Again the red light shot out and this time landed quite far away.

"Its in the middle of nowhere in Albania… we need a more detailed map," Draco said.

"We'll go to Albania first," Harry suggested. "They'll have a detailed map. We need a portkey, it's fastest." Draco nodded and summoned what looked like a bust of Artemis from the mantel. "What are you doing?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Making a portkey. What do you think I've been doing since Christmas?" Draco inquired with a raised eyebrow at Harry. "Rebuilding my reputation. Being a Malfoy and the Defeater of Voldemort has its perks. I'm one of the few who has a standing permission to create a portkey any time I want." Harry was impressed, but no one had time to comment before Draco had murmured the spell. "Right, it should take us to the Albanian Ministry. It'll go off in ten seconds so I suggest you all hold on." They all scrambled to touch the bust in the centre of the table. Harry's fingers brushed Draco's and their gazes locked before they were all whisked away across Europe.

"This is going to take forever!" Draco cried as they flew over the trees. After coming to the Albanian Ministry, where they weren't too happy about unscheduled portkeys in their territory, had quickly calmed down once Ron, as an official Auror, had explained the situation. They had gained sympathy, but the local Ministry wasn't keen of actually helping. They had provided a map and a set of brooms; that was all.

Now the four of them had narrowed the location down to a certain forest area not far from a remote village, but it was still a needle in a haystack as far as Draco was concerned. Pansy had set up several protection charms so she was immune to a point me spell or summoning. Lucky for them she wasn't even aware of the bride finding spell. Draco kept repeating it, now only using it similar to the point-me spell because they didn't have a more detailed map. It pointed in her general direction.

"This way," he said. The group turned together, Hermione on the back of Ron's broom since she didn't fly well. They shirted the treetops, all eyes scanning the ground for any signs of magic. Harry's heart was beating frantically. 'Come on, Ces, where are you?' he pleaded inside his mind. He kept imagining the boy crying and scared, and it made his blood run cold and boil at the same time.

"Over there in the clearing!" Hermione hissed suddenly, pointing over Ron's shoulder to a clearing a way off. They could see a light from a cauldron fire.

"Let's land here and sneak up on foot," Harry said and they all descended. The moment they touched the ground they left their brooms and moved into the forest. They crept as silently as possible. Harry thought they would be discovered at any moment because Pansy could surely hear his heartbeat.

"Stop!" Hermione hissed suddenly. "Any closer and we'll trip the wards!" Even though Harry couldn't hear her he didn't move. He was frozen as he finally caught sight of the clearing. In the middle stood a large cauldron, beside which stood Pansy. She was holding a bloody dagger aloft, the blood dripping down into the potion. Her face was a grimace of smug madness. There was also an empty chest, with only remnants of earth in it, having obviously been used to carry something dirty. A few feet away stood a small cage and inside, just like out of a fairy tale with a witch and a captured young boy, sat Cesare. He was clutching his arm, which was bleeding heavily from where Pansy had cut, and sobbing. It tore at Harry's heart to hear. In the next second his ears were pieced by another sound: a war-cry from Draco.

"Stupefy!" the blond shouted as he ran through the trees. It was too soon and Pansy had time to duck behind the cauldron. The blast of red hit it, but it was too heavy with potion, and it only wobbled a bit. By that time the others were moving in after Draco.

"Avada Kedavra!" Pansy pointed her wand randomly from her hiding place. A green light barrelled towards Harry's left. He heard Hermione scream and Ron grunt as he barely managed to fling himself to the side.

"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled angrily in reply. Pansy apparated away just as Draco rounded the cauldron. Hermione's spell sloshed the potion about again. Harry came up to Draco's side. All four of them turned around and around, scanning between the trees for any signs of her. A crack was heard-

"There!" Cesare cried.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry only had time to turn and see green in front of him before he was blasted away by a spell from his side. His head hit the ground forcefully. The green flew over his body and dissipated in the trees.

"You'll pay for that! Stupefy!" Draco screamed, but Pansy popped away again before the red blast hit her. She reappeared again by the cauldron, but this time Draco whipped around faster than a snitch.

"Sectumsempra!" he slashed his wand savagely. Pansy let out a horrid cry of anguish when the curse hit her. She toppled over, a bloody mess. It took a moment for everyone to realise the threat was gone. Hermione went over to Pansy while Harry and Draco both ran to the cage and fell to their knees.

"I knew you'd come!" Cesare cried. The moment Harry got the cage open the boy had launched himself into Draco's arms. Father and son hugged tightly.

"Thank Merlin," Draco murmured, his eyes squeezed shut. Harry wanted to hug them both, but didn't want to intrude. "That's it! What did I tell you? I knew you should have been home-schooled!"

"But Father, Pansy could have kidnapped me from the Manor just as easily."

"Not if I kicked her out!" Draco growled. Cesare pulled away slightly so he could look his father in the eye.

"How do you know that you would have kicked her out then? You can't know what would have happened if you changed one fact. You're not a Seer, Father," he pointed out reasonably. Draco rolled his eyes.

"You're too smart for your own good," he said with mock-severity, but Harry could tell he wasn't relaxed. He was holding Cesare tightly and shaking from the adrenaline high.

"She needs a medi-witch," Hermione spoke up from Pansy's side in an emotionless tone. "I've patched her up as best I can."

"Can you see to his arm?" Draco said as let go of Cesare and held up the boy's cut arm carefully. Hermione quickly came over and spelled the cut clean and healed it fairly easily.

"It's wasn't deep," she said when Cesare praised her work.

"Hermione," Draco said as he stood up. "Could you take Cesare home and stay with him until we get back?" She looked at him, about to argue, but something in his eyes must have convinced her not to. She nodded and Draco summoned a branch from nearby. Just as he created a portkey Cesare finally took a good look at Harry.

"Alex!?" he exclaimed. "You're big!" Harry couldn't help a relieved laugh from escaping him. The tension from the short battle draining away.

"We'll explain later," Draco said sternly. "Go with Hermione." The witch held out her hand and Cesare reluctantly took it.

"My sneakoscope!" he remembered suddenly. "Pansy took it!"

"I'll get it," Draco promised just in time before they disappeared.

"We can't leave here without taking care of Voldemort," Harry said at once.

"Agreed," Draco said. "Hopefully Pansy won't die until she has been useful to us."

"I'll make sure her death isn't investigated too much when we get back," Ron said. "The word of an Auror along with a Malfoy should stop any unwanted questions." Draco nodded his thanks, then eyed the cauldron. His eyes briefly scanned the tree line before he walked over to Pansy. She lay bloody on the ground, twitching occasionally and moaning softly in pain. Draco pointed his wand at her heart.

"Where is he? And mark my words, your life depends on your answer." She struggled to speak, but there was no hesitation to betray her Lord for her life. She couldn't have heard them speaking about her imminent death and that they had no intention to try and save her.

"He's in the forest!" she gasped. "He's in a snake!" Draco poked her painfully with his wand and she cried out.

"Why? Why isn't he here with the potion?"

"I think-… he's weaker this time," Pansy moaned pitifully. "He can't fight the snake's instincts. He needed to hunt. I was to send up a flare when the potion was ready. Please! Help me!" Draco sneered at her and turned away. He didn't look back as he walked over to Ron and Harry, the latter wondering silently if Voldemort's state had anything to do with the fact that he didn't have anymore horcruxes.

"So we just send up a flare, he comes to us, and Harry kills him," Ron surmised. Draco stared at Harry; an eternity seemed to pass as those grey eyes were fixed on him. He couldn't read what was going on in Draco's mind, but only drown in those eyes that finally held recognition of who he was.

"No," Draco said, looking away to Ron. "I'm not taking any chances. Quirrell died and Voldemort survived it. He needs his own body. We must finish the potion. All it needs is the flesh of the servant." Even as he spoke Draco walked over to the cauldron and checked the contents.

"So we cut off her hand?" Ron asked. "That's what Wormtail did, isn't it?"

"It needs to be given willingly," Harry reminded him. "And I don't think Pansy will oblige us."

"I don't think she can, mate," Ron said, nodding towards the body of the witch. "I think she's dead." They all looked at Pansy. She was almost entirely covered in blood, the great gashes only partly closed by Hermione. Her eyes and mouth were open, the expression ghastly on the completely white and bloodless face, except for where a thick trickle of blood flowed out from the corner of her mouth. It's flood stopped as they watched. Harry hoped Cesare hadn't looked at her too closely. Seeing his own father kill his mother would surely scar him…

"Do you have the invisibility cloak?" Draco asked. Harry tore his eyes away from the mangled body. He nodded. "Then I will give the flesh of the servant."

"What?" Ron and Harry exclaimed at the same time. Draco rolled up his sleeve.

"I still have the Dark Mark. If I willingly give my flesh it should work fine. Ron, you'll take Pansy and go to the Ministry and start explaining. She had many friends in high places so her death will be well publicised. Harry, Voldemort will surely feel your presence so you'll hover a good distance away on your broom. I'll finish the potion, hide under the cloak and send up a second flare when he's in. You'll fly in and-"

"No," Harry protested. Ron remained silent. "You can't cut off your hand!"

"I thought a finger would suffice," Draco remarked dryly.

"No. That's-"

"The only way to be sure in case he knows he's untouchable as a spirit… parasite. This is my fight as well. We do this according to my plan this time-"

"Your plan?" Harry asked sarcastically, raising his eyebrows. "If you had just followed my plan the last time we wouldn't even be here!" The words tumbled out of him before he could stop them.

"You blame me for your death, then?" Draco's face was a complete blank.

"No, no of course not," Harry hastily denied, and it was true. He knew Draco could do it, but that didn't mean he needed to like the idea. "No one can predict the future… accurately. It is your fight as well. You have a right to do this… and you had the right to be there the last time… I'm sorry." Draco nodded once, summoned a rock, and created a portkey to the British Ministry. He sent it over to Pansy's body. Before Ron could touch it, however, Draco remembered something.

"Accio sneakoscope." The gift soared over to him and he pocketed it before nodding once to Ron, who took hold of the portkey and Pansy, and then disappeared.

The two left stepped up to the cauldron. Harry took out the cloak and laid it on the ground so Draco would have it ready. The blond conjured a sharp knife, not wanting to use the same dagger as Pansy that lay in the grass somewhere, and held his pale hands over the cauldron.

"Which one, do you think?" he asked, holding up his left hand, the knife poised at the ready in his right.

"I dunno," Harry muttered, feeling a little sick. He accio'd one of the broomsticks while Draco thought it over.

"Not my ring finger," he murmured so softly Harry almost didn't catch it. "The little one then," he said louder. He took a deep breath. "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master!" he proclaimed, in a much steadier voice than Wormtail had all those years ago, and cut. He didn't make a sound until the finger had splashed into the potion.

"Fuck!"

"Get under the cloak," Harry said. Draco murmured a charm to stop the bleeding and got the cloak even as Harry took to the skies. He saw the sparks fly up after him. Flying in the same direction they had come he was sure Voldemort wasn't anywhere near him since he hadn't felt the bastard's presence before. He waited anxiously, concentrating on his birthmark in case he detected the smallest tingling.

After about ten minutes, which felt like forever, red sparks that Harry could only describe as desperate were shot into the air. He zoomed away faster perhaps than he had ever flown. With seeker's reflexes he managed to avoid crashing and jumped off the broom a few feet from the cauldron just in time to see the creature that was known as Voldemort rise from its depths. It was his forth year all over again, only this time he was ready and they had all been there to save the innocent before Voldemort could kill that which was no longer of use to him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry yelled. The thing made a startled half gurgling, half screech. The sound pierced Harry's ears like a dagger. Then the creature fell back into the potion. It hadn't even had time to look at them. Draco appeared out of nowhere from the cloak and strode up to the cauldron. He preformed the spell to clean it. It was empty. Harry's hand had gone up unconsciously to his forehead. It was like a pressure he hadn't noticed before was suddenly gone and he felt lighter.

"He's gone," he whispered, feeling slightly dazed. Draco looked at him and nodded.

"I had to levitate him into it. The snake was quite startled, but I was quick…. Let's go home." He summoned another branch and created a portkey to Malfoy Manor. He held out one end to Harry, who grabbed it. They stared at each other until Harry felt a pull at his navel…

The end!

(JUST KIDDING!!!!!!! I, unlike someone I won't mention, will actually deal with the aftermath... besides we still have Dumbledore to take care of! And Snape hasn't played his promised part yet! Please ignore my poor excuse for a prank)