Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. This is the third time I've tried to write this chapter! Let's hope third time's the charm.
There's a time skip of about a week, so that we get an exciting(ish) chapter instead of a boring filler.
You've waited long enough for this chapter so I won't ramble on.
Without further ado, Chapter 25.
Enjoy!
Draco was discharged from the Hospital Wing yesterday. His face was still dark with the shadow of the bruises Edward had left from his fists, but that was only superficial damage. They had managed to fix all his vital organs, as it became evident that a few were damaged from the attack. But he was fine and quickly settled back in to his old self.
Edward had disappeared; he was taking a 'Mental Health Week'. I knew better than most that he certainly needed it. He went back to Forks, accompanied by Esme who was keeping an eye on him. They found a new Muggle Studies teacher to fill in for her in her absence.
I was in the library with Draco, Harry and Hermione, writing up yet another potions essay. Ron was absent. We didn't know where he was, but we knew who he was with.
It was silent except for the sounds of our quills scratching the parchment, leaving jet black ink in its wake. It was a Saturday afternoon. Snow had stopped falling outside but in the night it had piled up a few inches deep. Most of Hogwarts inhabitants were outside, bundled in layers of clothing and enjoying the snow. We, however, were far enough behind all ready in schoolwork that we couldn't afford to waste an afternoon in the snow. Hermione and Harry had been busy this week organising a DA meeting, the first after the Christmas break. I had spent almost all of my waking moments sitting beside Draco's sickbed.
Harry's grumble of frustration cut through the silence. "I need a break!" he exclaimed, pushing himself up from his chair and stretching his limbs which were cramped and sore from writing and being confined in a chair for a whole afternoon. He withdrew from the library, leaving his Potions essay, quill and ink sitting on the table.
Silence returned to the library, as the sound of Harry's footsteps faded. We were alone, save Madame Pince, the librarian, who was busy arranging books on a shelf a little ways away from us.
After a while, Hermione sat her quill on the table and looked up from her parchment, finished. She glanced out the window and a look of alarm settled over her features. "Bella, it's late. We've got to move!"
I looked out the window. The darkness which had crept over the grounds had escaped our notice. Hermione was right: we had to go or we'd be late for the DA meeting. "Where's Harry?"
"He's probably in the common room, waiting for us," Hermione said.
I nodded but I knew something was off. I could feel it but I couldn't exactly pinpoint the cause. I scooped up Harry's unfinished Potions essay and his writing materials and followed Hermione out of the library. When I glanced back, Draco was following us out.
I slowed my pace until I was walking beside him. "What do you have planned for this evening?"
"The Inquisitorial Squad. It's my first night on the job, seeing as I've been in the Hospital Wing, since she started it," he said, looking proud. "You see, my father is tight with Dolores and she offered me a special position as soon as I was discharged." (A/N: I know that in OotP, the Inquisitorial Squad are only formed after Umbridge becomes Headmistress, but I'm changing it, okay?)
I stopped in my tracks. I had heard about the Inquisitorial Squad, a group of students formed by Umbridge to ensure order among the students. The squad comprised mainly of Slytherins. "You did what? How could you? Did you see what that monster did to Harry's arm?"
"Bella, I couldn't say no! Do you know how disappointed my parents would be if I turned her down? Besides, it's an important job and—"
"No Draco, it's your sick need for power!" I yelled. I took a deep breath. "Look, I don't have time for this now. We'll talk tomorrow." I ran to catch up with Hermione who was ahead of me, her eyes downcast and pretending not to listen to our conversation, leaving Draco standing in the corridor.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked gently when I caught up to her.
"He joined the Inquisitorial Squad," I said, spitting out the words and glaring at the floor in front of me.
Hermione was silent as we walked to the Room of Requirement, the place where we had decided to hold the meetings.
We paced back and forth in front of the wall from which the door to the room would appear. We stepped inside the door to find it full of people. Everyone had turned up.
Except Harry.
I pulled Ron off from Lavender. "Ron where's Harry?" I asked, hoping with all my heart that he knew where Harry was.
"How the bloody hell should I know? I thought he was with you!"
"Shit, shit, shit, shit," I murmured under my breath. I stood on a raised platform in the middle of the room and called for quiet. The room settled in a hush. "Has anybody seen Harry?"
The room erupted in murmurs. Everyone looked at least slightly alarmed.
Neville tentatively raised his hand.
"Yes, Neville," I sighed.
"I saw him enter the Forbidden Forest today at around sunset. But I didn't stick around long enough to see if he came out."
My stomach dropped to my feet. The Forbidden Forest was not good. He might be hurt, or dying, or already dead… I felt tears brimming in my eyes. I blinked them back. "Thank you Neville," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "Does anyone else have any information?"
"I know what happened to him," a voice said from the crowd. The crowd stepped back, revealing Alice. "He went for a walk. He heard a noise inside the Forbidden Forest and went to investigate. It was a unicorn, lying on its back, blood pouring from a wound. He touched the wound, trying to discern what it was. But it was a portkey. It took him to a dark room, like a jail cell. A steel door bares his escape. Voldemort stands behind the door." She sounded far away, as if she wasn't with us anymore and I knew she was reliving a vision. She began to tremble violently. Jasper came and put a comforting arm around her and the tremors subsided.
All is silent as we take in the information.
Hermione is the first to break the silence. "But if it was a portkey, someone would have to plant it here. But people can't just apparate in and out of Hogwarts! There are protective spells! There's no way a death eater could get in."
"Unless the death eater was already inside Hogwarts, a normal student or teacher," Ginny said quietly.
"There's a death eater at Hogwarts," I said and nervous glances were shared between all. There was silence for a moment and then the room erupted into panic. "Quiet! Do not panic just yet! We're getting out of here. The meeting is cancelled. Get into groups of two or three. First years will leave first." I organised the departure of the students, dispersing the departures slowly so as to not arouse suspicion from Umbridge or the Inquisitorial Squad.
The Inquisitorial Squad. My mind flicked to Draco and conflicting emotions swelled up inside me. The first was anger, of course, at his joining the squad. The second was love, which almost eradicated the anger. Almost.
Hermione, Alice and I were the last to leave. I asked Alice to come with us to recount her vision to Dumbledore.
We left together and walked to Dumbledore's office. "Dumbledore," I said, panic evident in my voice. "Harry's gone! Voldemort took him! And there's a death eater in the school!"
"Hold on a moment. Slow down, now. What's wrong?" Dumbledore said, staring at us from under his spectacles.
Alice recounted her vision and his expression turns to one of horror in moments.
"I'll get Minerva to escort you back to Gryffindor Tower. And girls, once you're in there, do not come out, unless instructed to by me. Do you understand?" Dumbledore said.
We nodded. We sunk into the chairs in front of his desk as he summoned Professor McGonagall.
Snape burst into the office.
"Serverus, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Draco Malfoy is missing."
A/N: That's chapter 25. I hope you enjoyed it! I have big plans for the next chapter, assuming I don't forget them!
Thank you all for the reviews/favourites/alerts! I feel so loved! This story now has more than 25,000 hits! So thank you, again!
Please review and tell me if you loved it, hated it, whatever.
Hopefully (fingers-crossed) I'll update next weekend, but we'll see.
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~B~