Awakening
- By BiSciFiGuy -
Pairing: Harry P/Draco M
Genre: Drama
Rating: M (Violence)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or character histories or places or anything except my own plot. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not responsible for any underage readers who come across this story.
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A/N: Thank you to all who read, without readers there can be no tales. Thanks also to TaraJo, Shishiri, Funnyducky, Enigmus and Mi55-b3cca.
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Chapter 25: The traitor revealed
Harry was smiling before he even woke up. When he opened his eyes he already felt the smile on his lips. He had only known absolute happiness a few times in his life but laying there in Draco's arms he knew that there was nothing in the world that could be better than feeling those thin arms encircling his body. The blonde was still asleep, his head resting delicately on Harry's shoulder. Harry reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of the blonde's eyes. The little movement was enough to awaken the blonde and the grey eyes immediately sought out the emerald ones and held them.
"Good morning Harry". Draco whispered and lifted his head to press their lips together again.
"It is a very good morning indeed". Harry laughed. He pulled the blonde close and held the thin body tight.
"I think we should take a bath". Draco said.
"A bath, are you trying to seduce me?" Harry asked innocently, his eyes darting to the blonde's in a seductive stare.
"Of course I am, and you know you are going to give in to my charm".
Harry stepped from the room into the hall way, he could hear Bailey and Percy conversing softly in the main room. Apart from their voices there was nothing else to be heard. The bathroom was empty the copper bathtub stood to one side of the room. The bathtub was much smaller than the ones at the school at Malfoy Manor, but it was still almost double the size of a large muggle bath. Harry opener the taps and listened to the water splash into the copper tub. The bathroom door opened and closed behind him and he immediately recognised the blonde's footsteps as he made his way towards Harry. The brunette turned.
"What took you so long?" Draco held up a small vial, the pink fluid catching the light from the many candles that were used to illuminate the bathroom.
"There is still some left?" Harry asked, astonished.
"Yeah, it's the last bit. I thought that it would be appropriate to use it now". Harry nodded and Draco poured the last of the Amortentus brought from the Manor into the tub. The bubbles immediately began to form on the surface and soon the tub was filled with a layer of pink bubbles. The few items of clothing the boys were wearing were pulled off quickly and they submerged themselves into the warm water. Harry leaned back against the tub wall and closed his eyes. Draco took up his place between Harry's legs, his back pressed against the brunette's chest. Harry fleetingly remembered lying between Cedric's legs in exactly the same position but the thought passed by without much notice and slipped his arm around the blonde's body and caressed the thin chest.
"Do you smell anything yet Harry?" Draco whispered.
"Yeah, I smell the same muggle perfume from before and the fresh raindrops but there are all these other smells, all the smells of you. I smell roses and freshly baked bread and chocolate". Harry whispered into the blonde's ear.
"You really smell chocolate?"
"Yes, which means you are good enough to eat". Harry said and playfully bit the nape of the blonde's neck.
"What do you smell Draco?" Harry asked softly, nudging the blonde's hair with his nose.
"I smell you Harry, I smell mangoes, and the fresh ocean breeze and lavender and singed oak. And something I can't really identify but I know that it is you, it's the way you smell when we make love, manly and musky", Draco explained, staring at the ceiling. Harry frowned for a moment
"You don't smell blueberries?"
"What?"
"Blueberries, you said... you told me about blueberries before".
"Oh that, that was nothing". Draco whispered back but Harry could hardly forget the blueberries.
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At breakfast an hour later the tension that had been present for the previous few days had somewhat dissipated. Percy had prepared a breakfast of various fresh fruits; according to bailey it was both healthy for all of them and would help Harry prepared his body for regaining the last part of his magic. The fresh fruits filled his aching stomach with a happy sweet feeling and the happiness flooded over to his mind and he reached out to place his hand on Draco's knee. The blonde smiled slyly at Harry and slipped a piece of pineapple between his lips. Hermione's face flashed at the brunette as Draco chewed, still smiling at Harry.
"What are we doing?" Hermione asked.
"What?" Harry replied.
"What are we going to do with regard to your plan save Ron?"
"We are not just going to save Ron; we will be saving everyone Voldemort took". Draco said and again Hermione's eyes flashed. Harry still could not understand what Hermione's problem was but he was sure if he held out long enough she would tell him. It had become her way to keep things to herself until she exploded in a rush of words.
"Yes Draco, I know but for me Ron is the most important person in that hole".
"And you forget my mother is kept there as well. And who knows how many other people". Hermione bit down on her lip.
"We have to contact McGonagall again, get an update on how many people have arrived at the school". Seamus said. Harry was still unable to get used to the new almost unaccented voice that the Irishman spoke with.
"Yes and we have to have something concrete to give the order regarding our plan". Neville said.
"Okay, right after breakfast". Harry said in a slightly harsh tone that he hoped would stop the developing argument in its tracks.
Yet another hour later the group was sitting in Hermione's room again, waiting for the painted McGonagall to be replaced with the real one. They remained silent, it still seemed to Harry as though Hermione would not acknowledge his relationship with Draco and the brunette entwined his fingers with Draco's. The long fingers squeezed Harry's and both watched the portrait change to show the torches burning in the room of requirement.
Professor McGonagall's tired face smiled as she saw them.
"Children, I am so glad to hear from you again".
"As are we Professor. Have you any other news for us?" Neville asked.
"Yes Neville, I have some news. Your grandmother has arrived at Hogwarts. And Miss Lovegood is on her way". Neville sighed heavily and Harry couldn't help but smile.
"The rest of the order is arriving soon and we are going to start work on a plan as soon as the first members arrive but we do need something from you, Draco". McGonagall asked.
"Anything you need Professor".
"I know that in the last year during your induction into the Death Eaters you were taken to many of Voldemort's chambers and hiding places". Draco blushed and he looked at the rest of the group. Harry squeezed his hand and the blonde looked at him. Harry winked at him and nodded slowly to let the blonde know that he didn't judge the blonde. Draco looked up at the portrait again.
"Yes Professor. I did go to many places but I am sure there are several that I never saw".
"Yes, of course. But we are hoping that if Harry can describe the room to you, you might be able to tell him where it is. If we can find out where it is then we can know where they are keeping the kidnapped victims". McGonagall's voice almost pleaded as she spoke.
"Yes Professor. I would do anything I can to help".
"Thank you Draco. This is of paramount importance. Are you still with Miranda Bailey?"
"Yes we are Professor". Hermione answered.
"Good, I am sure that she has a very nice, crystal pensieve. If she still has it perhaps you can use it Harry". Both boys nodded at the old woman.
Harry and Draco went in search of Bailey, leaving the others alone in Hermione's room to finish their conversation with Professor McGonagall. As the old woman had explained it was of extreme importance for them to find the room from Harry's vision. They found the short woman in the main room, tinkering away with her vials. She held up a small vial of red fluid up to the light and examined it with one eye closed.
"Bailey" Draco asked and the woman started. A small drop of the fluid sloshed over the side and splashed into another large beaker filled with a light orange mixture. Her eyes went wide and she turned to stare the boys down.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Excuse me?" Draco asked.
"Do you know what you just did? You just ruined ten years of research and..." Bailey stopped speaking and frowned as she looked down at the beaker. The red fluid was reacting with the orange and was making distinct bubbling noises and was forming a light dark orange mist above the beaker. Bailey kept staring at it, something in her face changing.
"I'm sorry Bailey..." Draco said.
"Be quiet". Bailey said, holding up a hand.
"Honestly Bailey I really think..." Draco tried again.
"Did you not hear me, I said be quiet". Harry smiled at the incredulous look on Draco's face. Both boys stood looking at the woman. She looked around the room for a moment and reached out to pull something from one of the shelves behind her. It was a long grey object; it was segmented in three places. She held it up to the light as well and examined it much the same way she had examined the red fluid. She broke off one of the three segments. She waited until the fluid had stopped bubbling, it had turned milk white. She dipped the segment into the white fluid. As the boys watched she held up the segment. The lights glistened off the thick white coating. The light reflected off it for a second before the white was absorbed by the segment. As it was absorbed the segment turned black, light grey striped appearing around the segment every few centimetres. The boys watched Bailey's face light up with amazement.
"What did you want?" She asked.
"We spoke with Professor McGonagall; she said that you have a pensieve. We were wondering if you would maybe let us use it, it is really important to the cause". Harry said.
"Percy!" Bailey called and the tall young man appeared.
"These boys are looking for my pensieve. It is probably somewhere in the back room. Please could you look for it and give it to them". She turned to Draco.
"Percy will help you, but I have something important to do now". Bailey began to mix chemicals and other fluids again, completely oblivious to the boys.
"What is she doing in there?" Harry asked as the boys and Percy made their way to the back room of the house.
"The magical sages have been working for centuries to come up with a way to help the Medusius to gain immortality. Even though many people don't really believe that immortality is possible but since the Medusius is not human they just might be able to achieve it". Percy explained. The back room was a mess, Harry stared around the room, and it was packed floor to ceiling with boxes. Thick dust was layered on the boxes. Percy sighed heavily.
"With the research she has been doing for Joe she hasn't had time to unpack any of her belongings yet. She has been here for almost ten years and I don't think she has ever even looked at this stuff". Percy looked around the room again.
"This might take a while, can you wait?"
"Why don't you just accio it?" Draco asked.
"No offense but do you see how much stuff is here, if I accio it then the whole pile might come down and do you really want to be on Bailey's bad side?" Percy asked and Draco thought for a moment.
"No... Now that I think about it I don't want to be". Draco said and both boys walked back to their room.
Harry settled on the bed and watched as the blonde vanished into the bathroom.
"I don't want you to use the pensieve Draco". The blonde reappeared into the room.
"Why not Harry?" Draco asked.
"There was so much horror in that vision Draco, what I saw there would kill you".
"Is it because my mother was in it?" Harry licked his lips before he answered.
"Yes. When you had just arrived at Grimmauld place I saw you speak to your mother, Draco I know that you hate to show your emotion but what I saw that day made you human in my eyes for the first time". Harry said.
"You didn't think me human?"
"No, for such a long time I was sure I understood you, but all I really understood was the image the people around us created for you". Harry pulled the blonde close and kissed Draco's forehead.
"But now, now I know you. I know the wonderful man that you are".
"I'm not that wonderful you know". Draco said.
"Yes you are Draco. You are an incredible, amazing man. And I love you more than anything in the world and I know that if you should see what I saw that night it would break your heart and change you irreparably. I will still love you, no matter who you are but this Draco, the one who made me fall in love with him so easily, I would really hate to lose him". He again kissed the blonde's forehead and followed the line down around his eye and along the cheekbone ending in his lips, savouring the softness.
"Thank you Harry". Draco whispered against Harry's lips. The blonde sat back on the bed and looked at him.
"Tell me".
"No pensieve then?" Harry asked.
"No pensieve".
Harry proceeded to explain to the blonde what the room had looked like the night he saw it in his vision. The wet walls, splattered ever so often with streams of green water which pooled on the floor. The room had not been large and Harry recalled seeing his friends released from a cell close by to remove the body of Professor Trelawney. He explained about the St Andrews Cross. Draco held up a hand and stopped the brunette.
"The St Andrews Cross, do you remember if there was a blank wall or a door behind it?" The blonde asked. Harry thought again, he had been in what he thought was the centre of the room, looking down on the victims. He had not looked at the wall but he was sure he would have noticed if there had been a door in the wall.
"A blank wall, why?" Harry asked.
"I think I know where they are, but I will have to make sure. I need to find my father's diary". Draco jumped from the bed and made his way to the closet.
"I will tell Percy that we don't need the pensieve anymore".
"Wait, Harry". The brunette stopped and turned to Draco.
"What?"
"My mother, she was alive in your vision right?"
"Yes, she was".
"You were also the last person to see her before she was taken, during the fight at Hogwarts?"
"Yes. We were in the safe room together".
"Did she say anything to you?" Draco made to turn his face away but thought better of it, letting Harry see the tears that were in his eyes.
"Yes. She told me to always listen to you". Harry thought it wise not to share anything else the woman had said. Draco sighed and smiled at the brunette.
"My mother is a smart woman... was a smart woman".
"She still is Draco".
"She was on the cross when you had your vision Harry; you told me what my father had done to Professor Trelawney. There is a very good chance he did the same to my mother". Draco's voice cracked on the last word and Harry stepped forward and placed his hand on the blonde's chest.
"Look into your heart Draco, you feel your mother here. You will have felt it if she were gone". Harry leaned forward and kissed the blonde again before leaving the room.
Harry found Percy in the back room, his hair mussed up and frequently sneezing as he moved boxes with his wand.
"Percy?"
"Yes. I haven't found it yet".
"That's okay; we don't need the pensieve anymore".
"Seriously?" Percy's voice sounded dejected.
"Seriously".
When he got back to the room Draco had found his father's diary and held it up for Harry to see as though he had found some lost treasure.
"You know what; my father must be going insane knowing that we stole his diary. He used to carry this thing with him whenever he left the Manor". Harry was about to reply when Bailey's voice called to them.
"It seems we are being summoned". Draco said and the boys made their way back to the main room. Bailey was standing at her table and gestured for them to come closer. Once they were in range the little woman reached out and pulled Draco into a tight embrace. The blonde gasped and stared wide eyed at Harry. The brunette could do nothing but shrug. He had not expected the woman to do such a thing.
"Uhm... Bailey?" Draco whispered awkwardly and she stepped back from the embrace.
"I'm sorry Malfoy. I just had to do something to say thank you".
"Thank me? Why are you thanking me?"
"Well, even though it does not forgive the fact that you rudely interrupted me earlier and made me spill a chemical, it does count in your favour that through your carelessness you completed my research for me".
"What?" Draco said, still dumbfounded.
"I have been working for ten years to figure out how to make the Medusius immortal and the drop you made me spill was the exact amount I have been trying to discover for all this time. That thing I held up for you earlier, it's an old Medusius leg and now you saw it come back to live, the colour change, that was the sign. Finally Joe can become himself again and I can get my old life back". Bailey almost danced at the thought.
"Now, I just have to write down the exact measurement of that drop and then I will be done".
"You will still help me open my wind centre right?" Harry asked and Bailey's face fell.
"I promised you I would help you didn't I, so of course I am going to do that you stupid boy". Had any other person called him stupid he would most likely have been offended but even such a mean word sounded somewhat endearing or sweet when Bailey said it.
Neville stepped into the room through the outer door and seemed surprised to find the boys standing in the main room.
"Hey guys, something is wrong with Juju". His voice seemed to quiver as he spoke. The three people in the main room stepped out as Neville went to get the others of the group. When they came out of the tomb they found Juju pacing along the fence, she was pulling at the chain and howling loudly. Percy and the rest of the group arrived; Hermione had one of her many books open in her hands.
"What do you think is wrong with her?" Neville asked, clearly the most distressed of them all. Bailey reached out and gently prodded the animal's belly. Hermione ran her finger down one of the pages of the book, her lips moving silently as she searched for something.
"I can't find anything in this book, but it doesn't give anything more than a brief description and the history of their origin". Hermione said as she also reached out to touch the animal.
"Well, it is pretty obvious you know?" The group turned at the sound of the voice which was accompanied by clicking noises as hard feet made contact with the cobble stone on the cemetery pathway. Joe the Medusius was striding up to them.
"If you knew anything about magical creatures then you would know that even though they are gigantic creatures, the Meergong only have a thirty day pregnancy". He explained.
"What, but she hasn't been pregnant for thirty days". Hermione said.
"No, I would guess that it is somewhere between fifteen and twenty days and that is why she is so agitated".
"What does that time period have to do with her mood?" Seamus asked.
"After the first fifteen days of a Meergong pregnancy the female goes high up into the mountains to build a nest in which she will stay until she gives birth. The puppies also stay in the nest for three weeks before they begin to learn how to fly". Joe explained.
"So what do we do?" Harry asked.
"Merlin, how humans have survived to be the so called dominant species on earth amazes me. You let her go you idiot".
"But we can't do that, she is our only transport". Hermione countered.
"It's either let her go or force her to have her puppies here and then you can watch them die". Joe said angrily and began stalking off. Bailey left the group and rushed after him. She was most likely going to give him the information regarding the immortality potion she had discovered for the species.
"What do we do now?" Neville asked.
"It's obvious, we do what Joe said, and we let her go". Draco said.
"Yes, we can find some other form of transport". Hermione agreed.
"Fine, do you guys agree then?" Harry asked Neville and Seamus who both nodded.
"Good then. Draco, let her go". The blonde stepped forward and pulled at the reins, they slipped loose from the fence and the blonde removed them from around her neck with his wand. The large animal sniffed the air and looked at the blonde for a moment.
"No, don't you dare do that". Draco said to the Meergong but she simply ignored him and slammed her huge tongue against him again. Leaving him covered in her thick spit. With a happy groan she lifted into the air was gone within minutes.
When Harry turned back to his friends he noticed that everyone had left except for Draco. He sighed heavily and wished inwardly that time would pass quicker just so he could find out what was wrong with Hermione.
"Do you really think we could rescue them?" Harry asks as they begin to make their way back to the tomb. In the distance they could see Bailey and Percy talking with Joe, and to the left, down another path Hermione was talking with Seamus and Neville. As they watched Seamus began flailing his arms at Hermione, who in turn gestured back at him. Neville tried to stop the argument but the others both turned and yelled at him and the taller boy closed his mouth and turned away. Harry kept watching as Seamus threw up his arms one more time and stalked off between the tomb stones.
"I wonder what all that was about?" Harry whispered as he turned to Draco.
"I don't know but I think we have more important things to worry about". The blonde held up the creepy human skin diary they had stolen from Lucius during their mission into Malfoy Manor what seemed like years ago.
"I think I know where the others are kept". The blonde flipped open the book and began paging through it. The pages made crackling sounds he turned them.
"Did you find it?" Harry asked as the wind picked up around them and began tossing leaves and pieces of old parchment around the cemetery. Harry looked up and saw the sky growing dark; the storm was coming on startlingly fast.
"Yes, they are being kept at one of my father's safe houses in London".
"London, why on earth would he hide in London?"
"My father has always believed in hiding in plain sight, I'll bet you he knows that the order would never think to look for him in such a large city. They would naturally suspect Voldemort of hiding in the smaller, shady towns that may have more sympathy towards him". Draco said and looked up at the sky as well.
"I have to admit, even though Voldemort is a despicable human being he does k now how to choose his company. Your father is very smart". Harry said and looked at the blonde, the thin young man was still looking up at the sky, his eyes just as clouded as the sky above them but the clouds in his eyes were made by fear. The blonde turned to look at Harry again.
"What is it Draco?" Harry asked.
"You have to hide".
"What?"
"You have to hide Harry". Draco said as he ripped out a page from his father's diary before closing it and tossed it away from them. With a flick of his wand he set the book alight. As Harry watched the puff of smoke fly upwards from the burning book he saw several billowing smoke funnels descending from the sky, they were all too familiar to all of his generation and fear stung deep in Harry's chest. The blonde reached out and pulled Harry down next to one of the larger tombstones.
"I'm sorry Harry". Draco whispered.
"What?"
"It's me; I'm the one who has been betraying our position".
"What, no Draco".
"Yes Harry". The brunette began to pull away from the blonde.
"I didn't mean to do it Harry. It was the book. I can't believe I forgot".
"What did you forget?"
"It was made from the skin of a Malfoy, there are several books made from the same skin and all those books are inter-connected. My father used one of the others to track us".
"But how could he have done that?"
"The books are connected because the skin comes from the same body, every time I opened the book my father was able to trace where it was. Merlin, I was so stupid". Harry wanted to say more but the Death Eaters had materialised on the cemetery grounds and were already engaged in a fight with Bailey and the others.
"Stay down". Draco said as he pulled his wand and began to make his way towards the fight. Harry reached out and pulled him back.
"What are you doing?"
"I am protecting the man I love". Draco whispered and planted a quick kiss on Harry's lips the blonde was gone, keeping low among the stones to make sure he wasn't seen.
From his hiding place behind the large tomb stone Harry listened to the fight unfold. How many times since he lost his magic had he sat hidden while his friends fought his battle for him? He asked himself and fingered his wand. Deep inside his chest he felt the magic bubble and protest at his inaction, but Bailey's warning to not use his magic rang much louder than any call of nature. As he listened he heard Hermione scream and he could not keep his natural instinct from taking over. He raised himself on his haunches and looked over the tomb stone. As he did he saw Draco raise his head only a couple of stones in front. One of the Death Eaters was looking directly at them.
"There's the boy. He's behind that headstone!" The masked man screamed and several Death Eaters rushed towards them. Within what felt like a second Draco was at Harry's side.
"You have to move!" The blonde screamed and pushed Harry from his hiding place. They ran together towards the edge of the cemetery, no doubt Draco was hoping they could lose the pursuing Death Eaters in the darkness of the forest. The canopy of the forest turned the air around them cold as they ran through the trees. Harry could hear himself gasp, felt his chest heave and beg for him to stop but Draco pulled him along in a desperate dash of pure fear. The blonde's fingers were intertwined with Harry's as they ran and Harry felt oddly comforted by the fact that if he were to die then at least he would have been close to Draco before he died.
"Oh shit!" The blonde groaned and stopped. Harry nearly crashed into him.
"Why are we...?" Harry looked up at the sheer cliff that was rising up in front of them. Trees blocked any easy escape that may have been present to either side and they were left standing there with no place to go.
Several Death Eaters appeared behind them and both boys turned to face the men that would most likely be their executioners. Draco squeezed Harry's hand.
"No matter what happens, I love you". The blonde whispered and Harry felt a piece of folded parchment between their fingers.
"I love you too". Harry whispered back a little louder and the leading Death Eater caught his words.
"Did you hear my fellows?" He spoke loudly, his voice echoing against the trees.
"The boy who lived has fallen in love, and he claims to love our own traitorous little bastard" The Death Eaters proclaimed again, gaining a few laughs from the masked figures gathered behind him.
"Do you really love this piece of shit standing beside you, well do you Potter?" The masked figure said and stepped forward, pointing his wand at Harry.
"Draco is much more of a man than you or your so called Dark Lord will ever be, so don't you dare call him anything but by his name. And yes, I do love him". The Death eater laughed again, the sound was strange in the eerie setting. A loud popping sound echoed through the sound of laughter and Bailey appeared between the boys and the Death Eaters.
"Oh look, the cavalry has arrived and it is a small woman". One of the Death Eaters called out, getting more laughter from his associates.
"Don't you dare mock me you worthless scum". Bailey said. There was blood running down her back, staining her white lab coat.
"Is that a threat Miranda?" The use of her name seemed to weaken her composure although Harry wasn't sure whether it might have been the blood loss from the wound. She considered her words for a moment before she spoke.
"I should have known you would join the dark side, after what you did to that poor girl".
"Poor girl, she was never a poor girl Miranda, she was a cold hearted machine who was incapable of love". The Death Eater's voice had turned from general anger to a more focussed anger.
"That girl loved you, she was willing to give up everything she was to give you what you wanted". Bailey replied and stared the masked figure down. The man huffed inwardly before he reached up and ripped the mask from his face. He was in his early forties, his chocolate face drown in anger towards Bailey.
"I am Preston Burke; it should not have been that hard for her to bend to my will".
"And yet you left her at the altar, broken and alone. She has never been the same and I blame you".
"You have no right to blame me; it was none of your business to start with. Now step aside and let me finish my mission". The man called Preston said.
"No, you have destroyed enough lives..." Bailey's words were cut off when Burke launched a curse from his wand that caught her unprepared and she went flying back, her body slamming into the rock face. She crumpled on the ground a few metres from Harry.
"Get the boy". Burke instructed the other minions as he replaced his mask.
"You can't have him; I will die before I let you take him". Draco said and stepped forward. Several of the Death Eaters laughed and Burke turned around to face the boys again. Draco raised his wand and cursed the man. Burke deflected the curse and in one swift movement was on top of Draco. The taller man's hand flashed through the air and made a sickening sound as it connected with Draco's face. The thin young man was tossed aside with a yelp, his wand flying through the air. The blonde lay motionless in the dead leaves on the forest floor. Harry watched as Burke stepped toward the unconscious boy. Again Harry's instincts took over and he rushed forward, stepping between the Death Eater and the blonde.
"Leave him, you can have me if you let him live". Harry said and watched amusement flicker in the eyes behind the mask. Burke's lightning reflexes surfaced again and he grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt and lifted him off his feet. Harry was slammed into the cliff so hard that he felt the world sway around him, stars darting in front of his eyes. He looked at Burke, trying to focus on the golden mask.
"I am not interested in you, you stupid boy". Burke said and slammed Harry against the rocks again. Harry's vision swam as he was dropped to the mulch below and he stared helplessly as Burke leaned down and lifted Draco over his shoulder.
"Now the little bastard can finally become what he was born to do". One f the Death Eaters whispered and they vanished in their black smoke pillars again and the world around Harry went dark.
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"Are you okay?" Harry's head was ringing and Hermione's voice seemed to run around inside his skull like an angry toddler having a tantrum.
"What... what happened? Harry asked as his friend helped him into a sitting position. The movement made his sway and he gasped. He looked around and saw Neville and Percy kneeling next to Bailey, both looked grim.
"Is she okay?" Harry asked and Percy came over.
"She took a bad hit but she is alive, we have to get her somewhere where we can get god medical treatment. Let me look at you". Percy said and reached out to touch Harry's head. The contact made Harry cringe and he had to fight the urge to punch Percy. The young apprentice used his wand to work on what was a fairly large wound behind Harry's head.
"Where is your friend?" Percy asked and Harry turned his head in both directions, looking for the blonde.
"They, they took him". Harry explained and Hermione appeared in his field of vision.
"What? Did you see them take him?"
"Yes, Burke hit him when Draco tried to defend me, then Burke told me he wasn't interested in me, and something about Draco finally doing what he was born to do". Harry said, his head was still fuzzy from the blows but at least the pain had died away.
"Where is Seamus?" He asked and watched Hermione's composure crack.
"I don't know, I think they must have taken him too".
"No". Harry groaned and his friends helped to lift him of the ground.
"We have to get to the school". Harry said.
"We can't Harry, we have to go after them".
"I know, but Bailey needs help and Draco told me where Voldemort was keeping the prisoners, it's in London but we can't go without reinforcements". Harry looked around the cliff face and found the piece of parchment Draco had placed in his hand before the final fight had begun. It was the page the blonde had ripped from the diary, it had an address on it and Harry guessed that it was the place where the kidnapped order members were kept.
"Isn't this Draco's?" Neville asked and held up a wand.
"Yes. That's his". Harry said and took the proffered wand from his friend.
"He dropped it when Burke hit him".
"I think I should contact Professor McGonagall". Hermione said, all the animosity between them had passed during the short battle. Harry mused that losing people you love was a great motivator to forget past problems with others.
"Yes, we need to regroup and start the rescue as soon as possible". Harry said and they began to make their way back to the tomb, Bailey's unconscious body suspended and levitated following behind.
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A/N: I have just become aware of a MAJOR error in my story. The poor Doctor I am using as Bailey's apprentice was in fact called Pierce and not Percy, I apologise profusely for that very unprofessional mistake. I cannot believe that something like that would have slipped past me but I really did think his name was Percy. Anyway, he will have to be Percy for the rest of the story then. Please forgive me my dear readers?