~ Draco and Hermione ~
"The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters.
We've all got both light and dark inside us.
What matters is the part we choose to act on.
That's who we really are."
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K Rowling.
Enjoy!
Chapter 14
It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down in the meeting room. They were all sitting down at a long table, and it seemed almost like Malfoy Manor. The only difference was everyone here were friends and family, apart from Draco, and the room was brightly lit and full of energy. There were fourteen people present: Hermione, Draco, Harry, Ron, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Kingsley, Fred and George, Bill and Fleur, Lupin and Tonks and Ollivander. Deep down everyone realised that the numbers were nowhere near as numerous as they should have been. There were many people missing. Harry's parents, Dumbledore, Sirius and Mad-Eye were just five examples. Hagrid couldn't be there as he was out in the mountains, trying to stop Voldemort from recruiting giants into his army. But the Order had to act fast, regardless of how many people were there to help. Now that they had the Elder Wand, the course of action was to attack Malfoy Manor, swiftly. It had been agreed that Mrs Weasley would guard The Burrow and await their arrival. They also needed a healer of sorts in case something went wrong, and Mrs Weasley was the best at healing spells out of everyone in the Order.
"What we discuss here today must not leave this room. We cannot risk the Death Eaters discovering the plan, otherwise everything will be ruined, understood?" said Mr Weasley, who was standing at the head of the table. Everyone nodded, and Hermione spoke next. It was evident that she had been helping with whatever plan they had thought of.
"So, we have the Elder Wand, which I'm sure everyone has now heard of. It was also Dumbledore's wand, and Ollivander is going to explain its significance and why it will help us," said Hermione, indicating for Ollivander to speak. He looked much healthier and more nourished after being at The Burrow for a few days, and he was holding the Elder Wand up for everyone to see.
"This wand is, as the legends say, very ancient and powerful. Yes, Dumbledore possessed it for many years. The power of the wand can move from person to person in many different ways, such as by disarming or killing the current owner. That is why the wand has left a trail of bloodshed throughout history. In our case, Dumbledore was the owner of the wand and Severus Snape killed him. But it was Malfoy who had disarmed Dumbledore, surprisingly, and thus it was Malfoy who theoretically gained the Elder Wands power, without realising it," said Ollivander, looking at Draco. No one looked pleased with Draco at all, in fact he received glares from everyone in the room except Hermione. He ignored all of this and looked at Ollivander, waiting for him to continue.
"However, Malfoy has already held and tested the wand without any success. Before we continue, I should clarify, were you disarmed by any Death Eaters before you were made a prisoner at the Manor, Malfoy?" Ollivander asked curiously. Malfoy hadn't been expecting any questions, and hesitated when all eyes were suddenly on him, as he tried to recall.
"Uh, no. I dropped my wand before they threw me in the cellar," Draco answered.
"Well, that's a relief. So Malfoy must recently have been disarmed, and it must have been by someone in the Order, just like he had disarmed Dumbledore. If you disarm or kill the owner of the wand, whichever comes first, you gain the power of the wand, regardless of the situation. So, I would like everyone to hold the wand..."
"It was me," said a startled voice from the other end of the table. Everyone's heads turned to look at Lupin.
"When Malfoy first arrived here I disarmed him and took his wand before he came in," explained Lupin.
"Well, lets see?" suggested Ollivander, smiling and holding the wand up. Everyone watched anxiously as Lupin cast a worried glance at Tonks and walked to the other end of the table. Draco knew all along that it would be Lupin, and was watching in apprehension as the werewolf finally reached Ollivander. Deep down he desperately wanted Lupin to be the owner, not him. Deep down he desperately wanted no part in the fighting, he only wanted what he'd joined the Order for. For the war to end, and his parents to be alive and reunited with him. Lupin extended his hand slowly, and everyone seemed to be holding their breath. As Lupin's fingers grasped the Elder Wand's hilt, an explosion of fiery crimson sparks lit up the entire room, blinding everyone momentarily. The sparks showered down to the ground, flashing now in a multitude of different, ever-changing colour patterns. Lupin looked shocked.
"Well, that mystery is solved. Remus my friend, the wand is yours," announced Ollivander cheerfully. Everyone began cheering and the mood brightened significantly. Hermione noticed that even Draco was smiling, although she couldn't figure out why. But to Draco, he was smiling because he knew that Lupin wouldn't kill anyone he didn't have to. He didn't like Lupin but he also knew that Lupin wasn't a bad person. He held no grudges against Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy and maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that things would turn out good after all.
"That's only the start, there's much more we need to cover!" Hermione called over the cheering, to get everyone's attention again. Lupin sat down next to Tonks, handing her the wand with a grim smile. He turned and made eye contact with Draco, and they both seemed to understand each other. Lupin had taken the biggest responsibility of the war right out of Draco's hands. Now Lupin was the one who would have to face Voldemort with Harry. Hermione then held up a small gold coin, and continued with the plan.
"We also have these coins I made in my fifth year. When one person rubs their coin, the other coins connected to it burn hot. They're used to pass messages. This part of the plan is crucial and it requires a sacrifice. Someone here must volunteer to be captured by the Death Eaters, and taken to Malfoy Manor. There, they will be thrown into the cellar like I was. As soon as You-Know-Who enters the house, the person is to rub their coin immediately, so that the Order is informed," Hermione explained, emptying a purse of identical gold coins onto the table. Everyone stared at the coins and waited for the next phase in the plan.
"Then everyone else apparates around the outside of the Manor, and casts anti-apparition and other enchantments, so that escape from the building is impossible," said Kingsley.
"The same spells they put on the cellar," Hermione confirmed, and Kingsley nodded.
"Then we enter the building from all directions in pairs. Our goal is to disarm and stun every Death Eater in the building, including You-Know-Who. Although, it is important that the only people to approach You-Know-Who are Remus and Harry," said Kingsley, looking from Lupin to Harry, who both nodded in determination.
"Hermione and Malfoy have told us that there are not many Death Eaters at the Manor, since most of them are at Hogsmeade, the Ministry and Hogwarts. Their forces are spread thin, and they aren't expecting an attack. With our enchantments on the building, no one will be able to apparate inside either, so re-enforcements won't be possible for You-Know-Who," said Mr Weasley to reassure everyone. It seemed like a very straightforward plan, but the risk of injury and death was still alarmingly high.
"Why are we doing this now? Why can't we wait?" asked Fleur in her french accent. She looked uncertain and seemed to ask the same question that everyone else was thinking.
"Because we've been fighting You-Know-Who and trying to build an army for over a year now. This is the only army we have left," said Kingsley bluntly.
"With the Elder Wand we have a weapon, with Malfoy we have information on every entrance into the Manor, information on every Death Eater and their whereabouts. Plus we have the element of surprise. This is our best chance, perhaps our only chance. The longer we wait, the stronger You-Know-Who gets," Kingsley continued. There was a long silence as everyone contemplated that they were, quite literally, preparing for an all-or-nothing battle that could determine the fate of the war.
"Well, someone needs to be captured and held prisoner for this plan to work. I'd like to volunteer," said Ollivander. Hermione and Draco turned to him in surprise, not believing what they'd just heard. After two years of being Voldemort's prisoner, he was prepared to return to that hell for all over again? Everyone thanked him and wished him luck. Ollivander knew that it made sense for him to be the volunteer prisoner, because Voldemort still needed the wand-maker. Ollivander knew that as soon as he was imprisoned again, Voldemort would be summoned to the Manor immediately. It was perfect for the plan.
"What are the pairs going to be when we do it?" asked Fred curiously, glaring at Draco with distaste. No one wanted to be with the former Death Eater, and it was obvious that no one fully trusted him yet. Kingsley already had the pairs written down.
"The pairs will be: Harry with Remus, Ron with Hermione, Fred with George, Bill with Mr Weasley, and Tonks with me," announced Kingsley. There were some puzzled expressions around the table. It made sense that Tonks would have to go with Kingsley, since Remus and Harry had to be a pair. But Fleur and Draco were completely left out.
"Excusez-moi! I am going with Bill, no matter what!" declared Fleur angrily, holding her husbands hand tightly.
"I'm going by myself, I don't give a damn about the pairs," Draco snapped from the doorway where he'd been standing the entire time. Kingsley sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"Everyone has to make sacrifices, this is just the way it needs to be," he continued, but it was useless. Everyone already knew why Kingsley had decided to leave them out. Draco was a former Death Eater and while he'd proven himself useful so far, he couldn't be trusted to attack his previous allies. His parents were at the Manor, so he wouldn't be fighting anyway, and he could turn on them at any moment to protect his parents. He would have to be kept at The Burrow with Mrs Weasley, which he openly refused to do. Fleur wasn't the best at duelling, and if she went with Bill then someone wouldn't have a partner. But Fleur was absolutely adamant that she would be with Bill, regardless of how dangerous it was. Arguments started and Bill agreed with Fleur, then Mr Weasley agreed with Bill and things got completely out of hand.
"I'll go by myself Kingsley. Let Fleur be with Bill," said Mr Weasley.
"It's too dangerous Arthur! The Manor is massive, we're in pairs for a reason. If you're alone you'll get outnumbered and killed without anyone hearing you," growled Kingsley, shaking his head, "It must be done the way I've said it. Everyone must be in pairs. This is how Aurors operate, it's the most effective way."
"If Remus is with Harry, make Tonks stay at The Burrow," suggested Fred casually.
"I'm an Auror, I'm trained to do this job! Kingsley and I should be the ones making the decisions!" shouted Tonks angrily.
"As long as I'm with you Fred, we'll be sweet," grinned George, the twins sitting back and relaxing as the entire room erupted in shouting. The shouting and arguing seemed to go on loudly for a few seconds, as there was no real leader in the room. Without Dumbledore, the leadership was shared between Mr Weasley, Lupin and Kingsley.
"SHUT UP!" roared Draco at the top of his lungs, causing everyone to stop in mid-sentence.
"The Dark Lord took my fathers wand and my mother is innocent. My parents are stuck there and I'm going to get them back," he began firmly. "I can duel just as good as the lot of you, I'm coming."
"As long as the Dark Mark is branded on your arm, you're branded as a Death Eater. Regardless of how much you've helped us, or how good a duellist you are Malfoy, you still cannot be trusted with this!" Kingsley growled, trying to keep everyone in order.
"Fine then, I'll go without my wand, make me the prisoner and let Ollivander stay here!" Draco said, coming up with any ideas he could. Hermione was the next person to join in, although everyone listened to her and she didn't have to shout.
"No Malfoy. You-Know-Who actually needs Ollivander, he's the perfect prisoner because he'll lure You-Know-Who there. You said it yourself, if you ever went back they'd just kill you," she said, though she felt bad. She knew how important it was to him to rescue his parents, and how much their safety mattered to him.
"If what you say is true, your parents will surrender freely, in which case they won't be harmed," said Kingsley reasonably.
"They'll be cursed on sight just for being Death Eaters and you know it!" accused Draco, glaring at Kingsley.
"Good, they should be sent to Azkaban afterwards as well. It's what they deserve, like every other Death Eater," said Harry coldly.
"You'll pay for that, Potter," Draco snapped, looking beside himself with rage. Before Hermione, Lupin, Kingsley or anyone else in the room could react, the two wizards drew their wands.
"Crucio!" Draco roared.
"Sectumsempra!" gasped Harry at the same time, or perhaps a millisecond slower. It was impossible to tell who cast their curse first, because it happened at the same time and no one saw it coming. Harry was launched out of his chair and across the room by the force of the Cruciatus curse, smashing into a wall and writhing on the ground in pain. All eyes moved to Draco, however. After he'd cast his curse his arm fell limp to his side and his shirt seemed to immediately begin soaking with crimson blood. Both wizards had successfully hit their mark, with unexpected speed.
"No! Mrs Weasley, hurry!" Hermione yelled urgently as she jumped out of her chair towards Draco, but he'd already slid to the ground with his back against the wall. It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, causing everyone to be momentarily frozen in surprise. Lupin was closer than Mrs Weasley, and he acted quickly by helping Hermione lift Draco and carry him into the living room. Ron and Tonks tried to help Harry up, but he was still in excruciating pain from the curse.
"Hermione I need you to keep pressure on the cut," Lupin was saying rapidly as they placed Draco on the living room couch.
"It's not a cut Remus, it's a fourteen inch long sword slash," Hermione said with a sob, as she began to panic.
"Just calm down and keep pressure on it, as much as you can," Lupin continued as sweat appeared on his forehead. Mrs Weasley appeared moments later, immediately taking action. She pushed the other two out of the way and tore the shirt open to reveal the grotesque wound that Harry had inflicted. Everyone watched in horror as she began casting all sorts of advanced healing and medical spells. Thankfully she was prepared. When George had lost his ear from the curse, Mrs Weasley had researched many spells that could help heal it. The deep gash seemed to stop bleeding, but it wasn't completely healed. No matter how much Mrs Weasley tried, she couldn't fix it. It remained open and gaping, no matter what she tried to do.
"Molly, you've done all you can. It isn't just a wound, it's a curse. Only Severus knows how to truly heal it," Lupin said grimly, laying his hand on Mrs Weasley's shoulder.
"What kind of man would even invent such a spell?" said Mrs Weasley darkly as she began bandaging the wound. There was silence as Harry entered the living room with Tonks and Ron.
"What kind of man would even use such a spell!" Hermione hissed at Harry.
"He tried to attack me," said Harry defensively.
"Last year you promised me you'd never use that spell! 'Not even on Malfoy,' were your exact words!" Hermione nearly screamed. Even though it was obvious that she'd been crying, she sounded furious.
"And what if he'd used it on me?"
"He didn't use it, he used Crucio! I can't believe you used that spell again!"
"And Crucio is better? I wasn't thinking straight, it was self defence," Harry argued.
"You knew exactly what you were doing Harry, don't lie!"
"Quiet..." came a long, drawn out voice from the lounge. Everyone looked down at Draco. His chest was still being bandaged up and the bleeding had almost stopped, thanks to Mrs Weasley. He was lying flat on his back and he didn't dare try to move. They'd all thought that he was unconscious, because his eyes were still closed even as he spoke.
"Granger, get the Essence of Dittany... Lupin, get Severus as soon as possible..." murmured Draco.
Lupin and Kingsley were standing out in the garden twenty minutes later, trying to decide what to do. It was late afternoon and they could smell dinner from inside The Burrow being cooked. The plan to take Voldemort down was originally meant to be the next day, or even sometime that week. But due to Draco being severely injured and the only person able to save him being Snape, this meant that the Order had to act faster if they had any chance of saving him.
"Kingsley, we have to go tonight. It can't wait," urged Lupin.
"The plan was tomorrow. We may not be ready tonight..."
"Malfoy won't last until tomorrow afternoon, not even with the Dittany," Lupin interrupted grimly. Kingsley looked at him wearily.
"You're sure?"
"I'm certain. Dittany is meant for great physical wounds, but it won't heal a curse like that. Sectumsempra is designed to only have one counter-curse. Trust me, Severus is the only person who knows how to heal it," answered Lupin. They both knew that they couldn't just stand around doing nothing. They both knew that the young man inside the house didn't deserve to die, and they didn't want his death on Harry's conscience. Now they had no other choice, they had to act.
"Okay. We do it tonight. Do the Death Eaters still have the Caterwauling charm on Hogsmeade?" asked Kingsley thoughtfully.
"Yes, only after seven," Lupin replied.
"This can work to our advantage... have Ollivander apparate into Hogsmeade tonight. It'll set off the alarm, he'll get caught straight away. They'll take him to Malfoy Manor. Then, once You-Know-Who arrives and Ollivander signals us with the gold coin, it begins," murmured Kingsley. He spoke tactically and without fear, as though he were planning a game of chess. Being an Auror, he was trained and experienced in life-threatening situations and duels. He felt as though this was exactly what he'd trained for, and exactly what Dumbledore one day hoped to achieve.
"Seventeen years we've waited. And it's all going to come down to this night," said Lupin with an sigh as he looked out at the distant hills.
"Are you ready for this, Remus?" asked Kingsley.
"Don't worry about me. Worry about Harry, worry about Tonks. I'm willing to sacrifice everything to end this tonight, you know that," said Lupin firmly.
"I know. You're a great man, Remus. You always have been," said Kingsley with a sad smile.
"The same to you, Kingsley," replied Lupin, with a hint of emotion in his voice. They shook hands, knowing that it could be the last time they ever do.
"Blimey George, lucky you only lost your ear eh?" said Fred casually.
"You got that right," grinned George, as they stood on the other side of the living room and watched Draco lying on the lounge. The bandages were soaked with blood. Mrs Weasley's spells were already beginning to wear off. Hermione was sitting beside the lounge anxiously, and they guessed that she was trying to avoid Harry. Everyone heard the argument over him using the curse, and even though George hated Malfoy, he was kind of on Hermione's side. Like Fred said, he lost his ear because of Sectumsempra earlier that year. Seeing Harry use that curse made him feel bad, because Harry just wasn't that type of person.
"Dad says it's happening tonight," continued Fred. George glanced at him.
"Oh. Already?"
"Yeah, already."
"Ah well, lets get it over with then. We'll be back to 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' in no time," said George with a wink, but his usual smile faltered somewhat. Fred couldn't even manage to smile. He looked unconvinced, even worried. They were both thinking the same thing, and they knew each other well enough to realise that either of them could die in the next few hours. It's said that to lose a twin is like losing part of yourself, and this was the first time in years that the Weasley twins weren't joking.
"Yeah, I guess. But just in case, you... you be careful tonight. We're gonna stick together, yeah?" said Fred, turning to his identical twin brother.
"Yeah, we're sticking together, no matter what," said George, nodding slightly as he looked away to hide his face.
"And Ron will... will be with dad, so he'll be safe," Fred choked slightly, taking a deep breath.
"Ginny's at Hogwarts, safe too," George went on.
"Bill's with Fleur..."
"Percy, the git, is at the Ministry."
"Mum'll be safe here."
"And we're..."
"Side by side, mate," finished George, wiping his eyes as he gripped his brothers shoulder, "Side by side, till the end."
They stood there, quietly thinking about their family, which was spread so thin and in so much danger. Any one of them could die in the next few hours: Mr Weasley, Ron, Bill or the two of them, or anyone else. Ginny could be being treated horribly at Hogwarts by Snape and the Carrow's. Mrs Weasley could be captured or killed at The Burrow after the rest of the Order leave to attack the Manor. Even despite considering Percy a git, the twins still wondered how he was being treated at the Ministry, since the Ministry was under the control of Voldemort and Percy was ultimately still a Weasley. He was still related to blood traitors and muggle sympathisers. Fred and George couldn't imagine, didn't even want to imagine, what could go wrong in the next few hours. Thankfully no one was watching them, because they were both awkwardly holding back tears.
"We need to brighten up Fred," said George at last, shaking his head.
"Just what I was thinking. Hey where's those fireworks we used on Umbridge?" Fred asked to change the gloomy subject.
"You read my mind, they're upstairs!"
"Thought so, brilliant."
"Brilliant, lets light something up."
"Brilliant."
"Definitely."
Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)
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