CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
HPOV
I stumbled along behind him, but Harry kept a tight grip on my hand, refusing to let go or to even slow down a little, though I begged him to breathlessly. Finally he paused and l looked up to see that we were standing outside Hagrid's house. And then the giant himself appeared at the door, his hair and beard wild and his eyes sparkling with warmth. But then he took in the desperation in Harry's face, the tears streaming down mine and he grabbed us both and pulled us into the house, pausing to look out at the landscape beyond before he closed the door firmly behind him.
"Harry, Hermione, what are you doing here?" he asked. I threw myself at him and Hagrid held me close, patting my back reassuringly.
"There there, Hermione. Don't take on so. What has happened?"
"Death Eaters, Dark Marks, Draco, Bella... oh Bella," I sobbed. Hagrid looked across at Harry curiously and my friend bowed his head, solemnly.
"Neville and I have had our suspicions for some time that something was going on at the University. Have you heard of the Measure of Purity, Hagrid?"
Hagrid gave Harry a shifty look and then went to the stove.
"Tea?" he asked. "I've made some lovely bath buns..."
"Hagrid," said Harry, quietly. "We are not children anymore. The Death Eaters have taken Bella and Edward. Draco Malfoy is back..."
"Malfoy? He's come back to Hogwarts?"
"He is a good man, Hagrid," I said, softly. Harry averted my gaze and sighed.
"Whatever anyone might think of Malfoy, it is significant that he is back and that the blood experiments have been going on. Also that since the Volturi professors arrived, everything has been about unity. Neville and I knew Caius was up to something with his experimental magic, but we weren't sure what until I found out he had taken Hermione and Draco was involved too. Then Hermione mentioned that book The Measure of Purity. Next news the Dark Mark is burning up the sky and Death Eaters like Lucius Malfoy are being released from Azkaban. Hagrid we need for you to tell us everything you know. Please."
Hagrid sighed and then flopped into his armchair, sending a cloud of dust up into the air as Fang whined faintly and then settled down again.
"Professor McGonagall said this might happen. They've been getting ready for it for the last few months. She didn't want me to say anything while you two weren't speaking..."
"You knew we weren't speaking?" I said, incredulously.
"Shouldn't have said that," said Hagrid, blushing slightly. "Anyhow point is we knew something was going on but until things reached a point where we could do something we had to do nothing."
"That doesn't make any sense," said Harry.
"I suppose it sort of does," I conceded, reluctantly. "There was no sense in panicking people until you were sure something was actually going on and I don't suppose any of the professors from Hogwarts School would have been made welcome at the university."
"That's why when Draco Malfoy offered to go in, Professor McGonagall sent him on his way."
"You knew that Draco was at the university and you didn't tell me?" cried Harry. Hagrid sighed again and then shrugged.
"You never liked the Malfoy boy, Harry, especially after the Memorial service. It seemed wiser all round to keep that particular piece of information from you. Strange things have been happening at the school as well as at the university, with kids who never played any part in the War having dreams and talking about people they never knew. Mainly about people who were involved in the war..."
"Martyr Dreams," I murmured, thoughtfully. "Hagrid, how are the bloodletting and the Martyr Dreams connected?"
"You've read The Measure of Purity right?" said Hagrid. I nodded while Harry rolled his eyes in a "stupid question" sort of a way. "Well then, Hermione, you tell me. What have Martyr Dreams, bloodletting and the purity of blood got in common?"
I thought for a long time, my mind automatically going back to the text, to the significant paragraphs and sentences I had highlighted while I read it. My lips moved as I muttered under my breath the many things that had stood out and then my mouth formed a perfect o.
"Oh my," I said.
"What?" asked Harry.
"Harry, surely you must see it!" I cried, struggling to keep the anxiety and the excitement from my voice. "Blood is a life source... a life source that must be pure to work in a transfusion situation. It's nothing to do with purebloods as in the magical term! It's to do with healthy blood! The use of Muggles and Purebloods was designed as a cover and a very clever one; it made us believe that this was some trick to bring back the Dark Lord..."
"It wasn't?" asked Harry, confused. I felt my excitement grow as pieces started to fall into place.
"The Martyrs; they were all killed by the Unspeakable Curse, weren't they?"
"Ron wasn't..."
"Well actually, he was," I replied. "The Dementors use a silent version of the curse, but we are moving away from the subject at hand."
"Go on," said Harry.
"The killing curse only works if the person who speaks it really believes it, doesn't it?" I asked. Harry was thoughtful.
"So Bellatrix said," he agreed, eventually.
"When you said it to Voldemort, did you really mean it?"
"Of course," he replied, without hesitation.
"And when Snape said it to Dumbledore, did he really mean it?" I asked. Harry was thoughtful.
"I don't know. Dumbledore had to beg him to say it... But how is this relevant? Dumbledore died. I know; I saw him the other side of the Veil."
"You died as well then, Harry or you couldn't have been there; yet here you are," I said, softly. His eyes widened slightly.
"You think that they are bringing back Dumbledore?" he asked.
"No need for that, Harry. I am already back." We both turned slowly to the door which had opened behind us. His robes billowing around him, piercing eyes regarding us steadily, Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway of Hagrid's hut undeniably alive and well.
"I... I don't understand," stammered Harry. "I saw him kill you! I saw you die! I saw you the other side of the Veil..."
Dumbledore held up a hand and smiled at us warmly.
"Indeed. There are many types of magic, Harry and most spells can be twisted to the wizard that casts them's will. Severus was an exceptionally talented wizard and he was able to utter that curse in such a way that it was a temporary state only. I only needed enough blood, from exceptional wizards and witches to enable me to wake properly from the death like slumber I was in."
"Then the Volturi are the good guys?" asked Harry. Dumbledore's expression darkened and he shook his head.
"Unfortunately not. They were seeking a way to stop my people from reviving me when they discovered what was happening. We were lucky really that Caius Malfoy was one of the professors. It meant that Draco and Edward were able to keep a close eye on what was happening at the university and report back to Minerva. But then the Dark Mark began to burn on their flesh. Even now we are seeking a way to remove it, because when it is burning it has the same effect as the Imperius curse; they have little to no control and are exceptionally dangerous at such times."
"How so?" I asked, my mouth going dry as I remembered Bella and Neville vanishing from the room.
Dumbledore gave me a calculating look.
"Might I ask the status of your relationship with Draco Malfoy, Miss Granger?" he said.
I cleared my throat, glancing at Harry, who gave me a curt nod.
"He is my boyfriend I suppose, Professor," I replied.
"Does he love you though? Do you love him?"
"Yes, sir," I said feeling my face redden. Dumbledore sighed deeply.
"He will do everything he can to fight the curse when his Dark Mark burns, but it would be advisable for you to be away from him when it does. He might not be strong enough to remain in control..." Dumbledore broke off as the door behind him opened again. Harry whipped out his wand, pointing it at the tall figure that entered the room.
"Hermione? Thank God you're alright!" Draco ignored the rest of them completely and crossed the room, embracing me tightly and dropping a light kiss on my lips, seemingly unconcerned by the presence of the others. "Put the damned wand away, Potter, we are on the same side!"
"Draco, Harry had to be certain you were not under influence of the mark on your arm," said Dumbledore, softly. Draco sighed and nodded, rolling back his sleeve to reveal the mark. It was blurred for now, almost grey; clearly not interfering with his actions.
"My father was there, Professor," he said, quietly. "And Edward took Bella."
"Oh no! Was he... was he in control?" I asked, panicked. Draco shook his head.
"He was fighting it with every ounce of his strength..."
"Cedric will protect her." Neville was leaning against the doorjamb, holding his arm.
"Neville, are you ok?" I asked, hurrying over to him.
"Fine, just banged my elbow when we got out of there," he replied. "Malfoy had to do it quickly so it looked as though he came after me. Bit of a difficult one to set up to be honest." He gave Draco a look of begrudging respect. "He kept saying to his uncle that if he wasn't careful I would be able to apparate out of there; he had seen me do it before. While they were watching me, he grabbed my arm as if to shake me and put the port key in my hand that brought me here."
"As soon as Neville vanished I told them I would retrieve him. The mark had started to fade by then anyway..."
"Admirable, both of you, but we must have the information that we need. How is their experiment going? Do they suspect you?"
"Only my damned father. It was appalling timing him coming out of Azkaban now, when I am so close," replied Draco. "Caius thinks I'm a totally cold bastard who is leading Hermione on to aid him in getting at her blood. The only one who knows the truth is Carlisle. He's in a right state about Edward though; warned me not to be too trusting of him." He squeezed my hand reassuringly, as he spoke about what Caius thought and I smiled at him.
"Yes, Carlisle has never trusted the boy since he took the Dark Mark out of a wish to gain unfounded revenge on Harry. He quickly came to our side when you explained things to him though, Draco," said Dumbledore, thoughtfully.
"Bella is with Edward and I think it would be wise to find them," said Harry. "Neville and I know where the beach hut is. We could start looking there."
"Good thinking, Harry."
"Hermione?" he said. Draco's grip on my hand tightened.
"She stays with me," he almost growled, possessively. Harry went to speak, but Dumbledore placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Perhaps it would be wise for Miss Granger to stay here. I might need to ask some questions that she would have the answers to."
"Fine," Harry managed to grind out. He gave me a small smile and then he and Neville vanished with a bang.
"Draco, you're hurting my hand," I whispered. He gave me a startled look and then released my hand quickly.
"Sorry. Now, Professor, what is it you want to ask her?"
"When Caius took your blood, did he always use magic, Miss Granger?"
"No, sir," I said, quietly. "He used a knife once."
"Nearly bloody killed her!" snarled Draco.
"What a total..." Hagrid broke off with a wary look at me. "Sorry, I won't swear in front of a lady."
Dumbledore's eyes widened though and he leaned forwards in the chair slightly.
"Describe it to me, Hermione. Describe the dagger."
"It was silver, about nine inches long. The hilt was ivory I think; it was very old."
"Was it carved?" he asked, softly.
"It looked like a snake," I replied. Dumbledore's face went white.
"Salazar's Blade," he muttered.
"What?" asked Draco.
"It is a dagger infused with magic which will extract only the purest blood from someone's bloodstream. Collect enough of that and you could raise even those who are truly dead! How much blood did he take from you, child?"
"Enough," growled Draco.
"I don't know, sir. I fainted. And he took some from Bella too..."
"Draco, I need you to infiltrate their circle completely. Make yourself indispensable to them; we need to know exactly how much blood they have and just how far they have got in bringing him back."
"With the fact that the Dark Mark is already quite potent I would say he is already risen," replied Draco. Dumbledore was silent and thoughtful for a moment but then he sighed.
"The Dark Mark has not been raised by Voldemort, Draco, or you would not have any strength to fight it, unless he is exceptionally weak..."
"The Martyrs," I said, suddenly, causing all of them to look at me closely.
"What if it is not just our Martyrs who are talking? What if theirs are too? Cedric is able to manifest himself; he even bruised Bella inadvertently. What if Voldemort is like a Martyr? Controlling a Necromancer..."
"Marcus!" cried Draco. "Shit!"
"Quite," said Dumbledore. "Good thinking, Miss Granger, as always. Draco, you will return to the University at first light, report that Neville had already apparated to another undetermined location when you reached him. Ingratiate yourself with the Volturi, particularly Marcus. It is entirely plausible he is being used like the unfortunate Quirrel was so many years ago. In the meantime, I suggest perhaps the two of you spend a little time alone; you may not have the chance for quite some time. Love is possibly the most potent magic we have on our side."
Draco looked down at me, his eyes burning like a silver storm and I took the hand he extended to me, as we apparated from Hagrid's house to the apartment in the tower. He pulled me against him in a harsh embrace, filled with longing and desperate love, as we both contemplated the difficult future that lay ahead of us.