Chapter Twenty Four.
Following Hermione's departure from the manor, Draco threw himself into helping destroy the Order. After the initial article in the paper with Bill Weasley, Voldemort made sure The Daily Prophet ran regular stories about Dumbledore, reminding people what he was capable of. The result was a mass protest from parents of students at Hogwarts and currently there was an official investigation going on at the Ministry. According to Lucius sources, Dumbledore was going to need a miracle if he was going to avoid losing his job as headmaster.
As for the rest of the Order, they were rumoured to still be fighting among themselves, and the Death Eaters were taking every opportunity to increase the pressure on them. Every fight seemed to whittle their numbers and Draco's only complaint was that every time he was in a battle he didn't see either Potter or Weasley. The pair had gone to ground once the dark had snatched Hermione back before Christmas, and since the revelations about what they'd done to her they'd been seen even less. Although Draco knew from Severus that Weasley was even keeping a low profile around the Order as he was quite rightly still thought of as a rapist by most people.
Draco knew they needed a plan to lure the pair out of hiding, so he'd gone to see Voldemort to discuss the matter. He knew The Dark Lord had his Horcrux problem with Harry, so he wasn't sure how keen he would be to try and get hold of him, but Draco needed to get hold of Ron. The desire to hurt the redhead had been burning ever since they discovered what he'd done to Hermione, but now Hermione had left the manor, all Draco could think about was gaining a very painful revenge on Ron.
"Ah Draco, just the man," Voldemort greeted when Draco entered his study. "I've got good news."
"About Hermione?" Draco asked expectantly. "Do we have a cure?"
"Sadly not," Voldemort replied, wincing slightly as the hope faded from Draco's grey eyes. "It will happen, Draco. We will get Hermione back."
"I know, I just wish we didn't have to wait so long," Draco said with a sigh. "So what is your good news?"
"I think I may have the answer to my Potter problem," Voldemort announced as he and Draco sat down to talk. "My research has led me to a wizard in China named Shang. Rumour has it he himself has Horcruxes and he's lived for centuries. If anyone can solve our problem, he can."
"That's great," Draco replied. "When are you going to see him?"
"I can't leave right now," Voldemort said regretfully. "I need to keep the pressure up on the Order. They're close to breaking, and I need to be here to take advantage if they do break. I was hoping you could go and visit Shang for me."
"Even with magic, a trip to China will take weeks," Draco said. "I don't want to miss Hermione giving birth."
"You'll be back in plenty of time," Voldemort reassured the young wizard. "Please Draco, with this information we can finally focus on getting rid of Potter once and for all."
"And the Weasel," Draco growled. "No matter what happens, he's mine. I want to make him suffer before he dies."
"I've already spread the word that Weasley is to be captured and not killed," Voldemort said. He himself wouldn't mind a piece of the wizard who had violated his daughter, but he knew Draco's anger was just as potent and he knew that left in Draco's hands the redhead would suffer a fate worse than death. "Don't worry Draco, you won't miss the fun. You go off to China and I'll work on capturing you a Weasel."
Draco smirked at the idea of returning home to find Ron had been caught and was being held captive at the manor, just waiting for retribution. Mentally working out how long he had before Hermione had the baby, he agreed to the trip. As long as he left as soon as possible he should be able to do as Voldemort wanted and still be home before Hermione gave birth to their son.
"Here's all the information I have on him," Voldemort offered, sliding a beige file across the desk. "Good luck, Draco."
Taking the file, Draco returned home where he spent an hour going over the information Voldemort had provided him with. He then made arrangements for a trip to China, but before he could go he had to go and see Hermione. He hadn't visited Hermione since she'd moved out the previous week, but he knew exactly where she was and because she was living at a Malfoy property he was able to apparate directly into the back garden of the cottage in Scotland.
As luck would have it, Hermione was in the garden and although she gave Draco an annoyed glare, she didn't tell him to get lost. Even though he'd only seen her a week ago, Draco took a few minutes to study Hermione. Her pregnancy was coming along nicely and she seemed even bigger than when he'd last seen her. However, it was the relaxed and happy glow that radiated from her that struck Draco. For the first time since she'd come back to the dark, she was happy, and it broke Draco's heart to know it was because she was away from him and the manor.
"Sorry to just drop by unannounced, but I have to go away for a few weeks and I wanted to let you know," Draco said.
"Why would I need to know that?" Hermione asked with a shrug, trying her best not to stare at Draco. She was hoping that distance would help cure her of her growing feelings towards him, but instead she was annoyed to find she missed him and even though she'd acted unhappy by his unexpected visit, she was secretly thrilled to see him again.
"I just didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about you," Draco replied quietly. "However, if you need me, just ask and I'll come back as soon as I can. Your father knows how to get hold of me."
"I doubt I'll be needing you," Hermione said. "The baby isn't due for another couple of months."
"I know, but you never know what's going to happen," Draco said. "I just didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, unable to help herself from asking the question.
"China," Draco answered. "Your father wants some information, and he's too busy to go himself."
"Too busy doing what? Driving Dumbledore out of a job?" Hermione asked with a snort. "Honestly, what does he hope that will achieve? Dumbledore won't just give in because you've managed to take his job off him."
"Surely you don't think he should be allowed to carry on as headmaster," Draco said. "Not after what he did to you. He can't be trusted, Hermione."
"I doubt he's going to pull the same trick again, unless I have siblings I don't know about," Hermione retorted.
"You don't have any siblings," Draco replied with a small smile. "And it's not about stopping Dumbledore doing the same thing to someone else, it's about destroying him and his reputation. It's about showing the wizarding world that he's not the great hero he likes to think he is."
"And it's about shaking the Order," Hermione said. "You're hoping to destabilise them enough so you can take them out."
"That is our final goal," Draco confirmed. "But you shouldn't be worrying about such things. You should be relaxing. I take it you're settling in nicely, and Daphne is taking good care of you."
"Daphne and I are getting along just fine, and the house is perfect," Hermione replied. "I'm sure the baby and I are going to be extremely happy here."
"I'm sure you will," Draco whispered sadly. Shaking his head to ward off the melancholy, he quickly said his goodbyes and left Hermione to enjoy the rest of her day while he got ready for a trip to the Far East.
The information Voldemort had provided Draco with proved helpful once in China and it only took him a few days to track down the wizard Voldemort wanted him to talk to. However, getting him to agree to a meeting wasn't easy and Draco spent a week persuading Shang to talk to him. Finally his persistence paid off though, and Draco met the wizard in a tea pagoda in the grounds of his lovely house.
Upon meeting Shang, Draco could well believe the wizard had lived for centuries. He had a long white beard and long white hair and walked stopped over with a cane. However, when he took Draco's hand in his to shake it, he had a firm grip and when he looked up at Draco with his clear blue eyes, they sparkled with knowledge and alertness. His body made have looked old, but his mind certainly wasn't and Draco knew he was dealing with a smart wizard.
"Please sit," Shang said, gesturing to one of the cushions seated around a low table.
Draco watched as Shang effortlessly settled himself crossed legged on the cushion opposite. Draco mirrored the Chinese wizard's pose and waited until Shang had poured them both a cup of tea from the ornate pot in the centre of the table, before mentioning the reason for his visit.
"I know you don't come for yourself," Shang said, scrutinising Draco. "I can see your soul is still whole, and I don't think you intend to make Horcruxes for yourself."
"No, I don't," Draco replied. He could understand why Voldemort had done so, and if he hadn't he would have been killed long ago, but it wasn't a path he was going to take for himself. "I've come on behalf of a wizard you may have heard of – Lord Voldemort."
"I've heard of him," Shang replied with a nod. "Most of our kind have heard of him. He's got quite the reputation."
"He does," Draco agreed. "Does that bother you?"
"It would be hypocritical of me to judge him for killing when I myself have done the same," Shang said with an elegant shrug. "Although I can't claim to have taken as many lives as your master. So tell me young dragon, what do you want from me?"
"We have a problem," Draco said. "One of The Dark Lord's Horcruxes was made accidentally, and it's currently residing in another wizard. The Dark Lord wants to remove the Horcrux so he can kill this wizard without harming himself."
"Ah, the dangers of making living entities Horcruxes," Shang said with a low chuckle. "There's a reason it's not advised to use living vessels as Horcruxes."
"Why?"
"Horcruxes are notoriously heard to destroy. Only certain things can do the job, and it takes someone of great courage to be able to do it," Shang explained. "However a living vessel has all the frailties of everything that lives. If the vessel dies, the Horcruxes dies with it."
"But is there a way to remove the Horcrux without destroying it?" Draco asked.
"No," Shang answered bluntly. "It's impossible. Your Lord Voldemort had a choice to make. He either destroys his Horcrux to destroy his enemy, or to preserve his own life he lets his enemy live. There is no other option."
"Are you sure?" Draco pressed, not really wanting to go back to Voldemort with such news.
"I'm sure," Shang answered with a nod. "What your master seeks cannot be done. He will have to make the choice. But be warned, it still might not be that simple."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked as he leaned forward, eager to hear everything the Chinese wizard had to say.
"There's not much known about living vessels being used as Horcruxes, but there is precedent for great disaster," Shang said. "In my youth, before I made my own Horcrux, I heard stories of a wizard who'd used his twin as his Horcrux. All was well until the twins fell out and in a fit of anger the wizard killed his sibling, therefore destroying the Horcrux. However, his twin rose from the dead and killed his brother."
"How is that possible?" Draco questioned with a frown.
"The wizard merely killed the Horcrux living inside his twin," Shang explained. "The twin recounted the story many years later and according to him after his brother had killed him, he found himself in a state of limbo. He was given a choice, he could either move on, or return to his life. He chose to return and he sought vengeance on his killer."
"So if The Dark Lord kills Potter and destroys the Horcrux, there's a chance Potter could rise again?" Draco checked.
"Yes, if he's strong willed enough, he could rise again," Shang answered. "However, he will just be mortal at that point. The wizard in my story was killed by his brother as he was taken by surprise by his return. If he'd been prepared for his return, who knows what might have happened."
"Thank you, you've been very helpful," Draco said thoughtfully.
The news he was going to take back to Voldemort was hardly great, but it could be worse. At least if Voldemort chose to sacrifice the Horcrux in Harry, they would be prepared for his resurrection. It might not have been the answer Voldemort was looking for, but at least now he would know how to deal with his Horcrux problem. He would either have to capture Harry and keep him prisoner for the rest of his life, or sacrifice a part of his soul to rid himself of his greatest enemy and finally win the war.