Hermione and George were leaned together, their wands drawn and ready. They seemed to be watching Harry for some sort of signal.
Draco stared at the dark-haired man beside him. His face was flushed with concentration, and his hand was placed lightly on Astoria's arm. He was going to save her, Draco already knew. Potter was the hero, he would succeed because he always did, and for once, Draco was grateful.
He wouldn't let Astoria die.
...
A flash of green light. The child should be dead. Surely, the child should be dead. But...why was there so much pain? My entire being felt as though it were engulfed in flame. My chest was closing in, crushing me. The child was staring down at me, standing in his crib. Why was I on the ground?
The pain is all-consuming, I press upward, out of my skin. My body is nothing, my body is weak. I cannot bear to look back at it as the house begins to crumble. In my memories, I return to the forests, rich with dark magic. It was there I found the diadem, it was there I discovered true power. It was there I would be born anew. My soul would possess the creatures of the forest until the time was right.
I waited so long, so long. I was wolves, I was wild boars. Mostly, I was snakes. I was beginning to forget what it was to be a man. Who I was before. Still, some part of me hung on. It was that Potter boy. The boy who survived. He had destroyed me.
Finally, I found my vessel. Quirrell wanted only power. He told me of his dreams, of how he longed to destroy those who didn't understand his genius. I was kind. I listened. I told him of the glorious awakening that was to come, if he would only allow me to live within him.
That was all it took.
...
The train was growing louder, but Astoria blocked it out. She had seen all that she needed. Riddle had survived by possession, a type of possession that had been outlawed eons ago. The muggles called the Dark Wizards of the past who did this demons. It was only through magic that the darkness could be exorcised. He must have learned, some ancient, dark book must have fallen into his hands. Astoria returned her focus to breaking the connection with Riddle. She opened her eyes, seeing him looming over her, his face contorted with rage. He knew what she had seen.
"You've had your answers, but what good will that do you when you're dead, girl?" He hissed.
Then he felt it. There seemed to be a warmth spreading over him. A presence he knew too well.
"You didn't tell me that you knew Potter, my dear." He whispered. Astoria shook her head, twisting away from him, still that warm presence in her mind grew stronger.
"Well goodness. This does change things, doesn't it?" He continued. "Perhaps you don't need to die after all my dear." She shuddered, watching a smile spread over his cold features. "No. I think it would be much better if I let your little friends wake you up, what do you think?"
Astoria blinked. Why would Potter's presence make her worth saving?
"Do you know, I think I could possess you, even now." He whispered. And she felt a cold chill running through her to the tips of her toes. He was going to-.
...
"NO!" She screamed, lurching forward. She was sitting on the cold floor of the Department of Mysteries. Harry and Draco were there, knelt beside her. She whirled her head around.
"What happened?" Hermione cried, looking to George, who's face was screwed in confusion.
"I...I don't know...she woke up on her own." He said haltingly. Draco threw his arms about Astoria, pulling her close. Her back was tense, and she was shaking hard, fighting some chill from the world beyond.
"Are you alright?" He whispered. Astoria looked at him, her eyes glazed over. Her head jerked up and then down. She had broken out in a cold sweat.
"Another few minutes and you would have been gone." George said softly, laying a hand on Astoria's shoulder. She winced away from the contact, and the others stared at her. "What did you see? What happened with You-Know-Who?"
Astoria was shaking more violently now. "Kill me." She whispered.
"What?" Draco cried, pulling away to look her in the eye. Her face was pained. In a swift movement she threw her wand across the room, where it skidded to a stop by the wall.
"KILL ME!" She screamed. "PLEASE! QUICKLY BEFORE HE CAN TAKE HOLD!" With another shriek her body began to jerk violently, and Draco released her, watching her twitching on the floor, her eyes wide and milky.
"What's happening?" He cried, turning to George.
"He let her go..." Harry said softly.
At the sound of Harry's voice, Astoria stilled. Her head moved slowly until he was in her sights. Then she smiled.
"Potter." She said softly. The voice was not hers. It was a strange, rasping voice. Harry stiffened. "It's been much too long."
In a moment Astoria was on her feet, her lips were moving, but only a soft, terrible hissing sound came out of them. Harry scrambled back, grabbing Draco and Hermione and pulling away from her.
"It's him." He whispered.
Astoria threw her head back in a long, cold laugh. Hermione began to shake.
"Of course." She whispered. "He's possessed her."
"WELL WHAT DO WE DO?" George cried.
Hermione's hand snaked to her wand. "Petrificus totalus!" She cried. Astoria ducked the spell, moving swiftly to the far corner of the room.
"Hermione." The voice that came from the woman was Astoria's again, pleading. "Please. It won't work." She let out a strangled sob and Harry leapt to his feet.
"Impedimenta!" He shouted, then, without looking to see if his spell hit he pulled the others from the room, stopping only to grab Astoria's discarded wand.
The four stood, panting outside the door for a moment, though they could still hear a strangled hissing from within.
"Hermione." Harry panted. "How do you expel possession?"
Hermione furrowed her brow. "Unless the possessing force leaves of it's own free will there are only two ways." Her voice was shaking. "Death and exorcism."
"Exorcism?" Draco whispered. "They haven't done that for 200 years. The books were destroyed!"
"All but one." Hermione said softly. She looked at Draco sadly. "We need to do this quickly, within the next hour, and we need someone who has powerful magic." She looked about. "But I don't know where to look."
"Who told you about it then?" Harry whispered. The door had begun to shake. Clearly, Astoria was free from the binding curse. Harry shot another spell at the door.
Hermione was pale. She looked from Harry to Draco. "Professor Burns told us about it in History of Magic. Third year. Theoretically it's similar to Occlumency. It forcibly ejects invaders from the mind. That's what it said on the W.O.M.B.A.T. at least." She turned back to Harry. "Do you think you could do it?"
Harry shook his head. "I was never very good at Occlumency. It only worked on Snape once. And with Voldemort's powers, I don't think I could stand up to him." Everyone was silent for a long moment.
"Draco?" Harry said softly. The two looked at each other. "In sixth year, I heard Snape say you knew Occlumency. That even he couldn't enter your mind."
Draco's face hardened. "My aunt taught me." He said softly. "I haven't used it in so long..."
George pushed forward. "Damn it Malfoy! If you care about Astoria at all you have to at lease try!"
Draco stared at the three people watching him. He had never truly faced the Dark Lord, stood up to him. Then, behind the door, Astoria let out a strangled scream.
"I'll do it." Draco said softly. "But...if I fail..." He looked over at Harry. "Find a way to save her, Potter. Please." He pulled out his wand, squaring his shoulders. The door had begun to splinter in the center, and the edges were charred, as though set afire. Draco glanced quickly back to the others before squaring his shoulders and entering the room.
...
Hello everyone!
Sorry for the delay in updates. I've been traveling a lot recently, and the story has been a bit difficult to keep up with. The information on possession and Occlumency was gathered via the HP wiki. Thank goodness for Hermione knowing basically everything. Next update, Draco finally faces his nightmares to save the girl he loves. How exciting!