The room was silent. Voldemort had just told them all that Potter escaped from his grip by just a few seconds. Clearly he was growing impatient. As Draco glanced around the room full of Death Eaters, he was unsure what to think. He was a little distressed that Hermione had risked her and Potter's lives by agreeing to Godric's Hollow, but he was extremely relieved that they'd gotten away. In addition, he wasn't sure how much blame the Dark Lord would place on Draco for failing to catch Potter. And on top of that, Draco hadn't yet figured out how to locate Grindelwald so as far as he was concerned, he was pretty high on Voldemort's list of people to take his anger out on.
Snape's voice snapped Draco back to reality. The professor said, "At least we have learned that Potter is vulnerable to visiting places of importance to him. Perhaps we simply need another location he may soon visit."
"Who do we know to be his allies?" Voldemort prompted.
"The Weasleys?" Rabastan suggested. "We could go after the Burrow again." He and some of his friends cackled idiotically.
"Potter wouldn't dare go there," Draco couldn't help blurt out. He had hoped to remain silent throughout the discussion so as not to draw any attention to him and his failed plan. But for some reason, Draco couldn't let the Weasleys bear another attack, especially after somewhat reconciling with Ron Wealsey weeks ago.
"Malfoy Junior's got something to say!" Rabastan mocked. "I'm sorry, but wasn't it your plan that failed?"
"That will be enough, Rabastan," Snape ordered. "As a matter of fact, Draco's plan was to anticipate Potter's visit to Godric's Hollow and he was correct in that assumption. What we didn't anticipate was the involvement of Hermione Granger. We believed she'd gone into hiding with her parents."
Please don't bring Hermione into this, Draco thought.
"At any rate," Draco began, drawing attention away from Hermione, "I don't see any of you coming up with ways to locate Potter. Not to mention even he can't locate his own allies. Everyone has fled or gone into hiding. He doesn't have much left."
Just then, a brown owl flew in with the Daily Prophet. Draco placed the correct change into a pouch tied to its leg before it flew away.
"Yet there are still those that persevere," Voldemort commented. "The Prophet may be ours, but the Quibbler is another story."
Where was he going with this?
"Because of Wormtail's incompetence, Xenophilius Lovegood never learned which side it would be wiser to support. This time, Luna Lovegood does not escape. You all must leave for his home right now. I have business to attend to."
"But my Lord," Macnair called, "it's Christmas!"
"Oh, it will be," Voldemort creepily assured him as he vaporized away to whatever business he had.
Everyone just looked around, not making any efforts to get up.
"Well?" Draco prompted, knowing he needed to take charge so he could ensure Luna's safety. "You heard the master. Get moving!"
Reluctantly, the Death Eaters departed Malfoy Manor and made for the Lovegoods' home. Landing in front of the door, Draco signaled to the others. "You all surround the house. You three search the house except for the first floor, where I'll go negotiate with the father. The rest of you branch out and search the vicinity."
Draco could only hope that he found her first. He knew she was an outdoors person, but she could be anywhere with her new apparating skills that Draco had missed out on during his 6th year. Would Xenophilius trust him? Would he trust that Draco could manage yet another miraculous escape?
He entered the house into a room with a kitchen on one side and a seating area on the other. Xenophilius Lovegood was putting on a kettle. The man turned and startled at the sight of Draco. He turned to look out the window, a fleeting mask of fear passing his face.
"I presume the Dark Lord is not too pleased with me," the man spoke.
Draco shook his head. "No, he is not. But you can change that. Hand over your daughter."
Xenophilius looked at him curiously. "And then what? You'll return her to me under the nose of your cruel leader? You do not think he will be more cautious this time?"
"Mr. Lovegood, please. I don't have much time. Just tell me where Luna is. I will find her and relocate her to safety, but I must do it before I am discovered. Do you understand me?"
"So you mean to say you will not be returning my daughter to me at all."
"As editor of the Quibbler, you are under severe scrutiny. Luna will never be safe if she remains here."
Xenophilius hesitated. "Just before you all arrived, she went out to fetch some more water from the pond. She'll be returning shortly."
"Did she apparate there or walk?"
"She apparated. It's a two mile journey."
Draco nodded his thanks. Good thing Luna hadn't walked because Draco would have no way of knowing how close she was to the clutches of the Death Eaters.
As if on cue, Luna materialized into the room. "Draco!" she immediately noticed. "How splendid to see you."
"Shh," Draco hushed. "They're looking for you upstairs. I'm going to take you to live with the Tonks family until your father has been cleared of speculation."
"Do they know about you?"
Draco shook his head. "I'll drop you off outside. Thanks to Theo and Pansy, who are currently living there, I know how to get there."
Luna nodded and turned to her father, setting down the jug of water in her hands. "Goodbye, Father. I'm sure we'll be reunited soon."
The older man simply nodded grimly.
Draco motioned for Luna to grab his arm before vaporizing them both to the Tonks' home.
"I must be getting back now to make sure your father is unharmed," Draco told her. "And I'm sure you've realized this, but you can't go back to Hogwarts in the new year."
"Thank you, Draco. And there's something I think you should know."
"What's that?"
Luna paused before saying, "The curse you had last year. From Marvolo Gaunt's ring. The reason it stopped bothering you is because Snape transferred the curse from your body to Dumbledore's."
Draco nearly dropped his wand. "Dumbledore took my curse?"
Luna nodded. "You would have died eventually so he took it upon himself."
Draco pondered for a moment. "Maybe that's why Snape killed him. He was dying anyway and Snape could prove his loyalty, make sure I didn't have to kill my own headmaster, and put Dumbledore out of his misery."
"I don't know if you've read Dumbledore's biography, but whatever's being said about him, I'm very sure that he cared about all of us."
"That he did," Draco spoke in a low voice. "Alright, well, I'll hopefully see you soon."
With that, he vaporized back to the Lovegood home before anyone noticed he was missing. He was relieved to find Xenophilius still moping about the first level.
"Mr. Lovegood, I'm afraid I've got to ask you to do something for the Dark Lord."
Xenophilius looked up with a dismal expression. "Have I not done enough?"
"Well in order to convince the Death Eaters that I've convinced you that we have your daughter, and in order for your life to be removed from all this scrutiny, you must help us. We believe Potter and his friends may come visit you, as you are one of his remaining allies. When they do, you are to report it immediately to the Dark Lord. Just owl me when they get here. Once you have fulfilled this duty, it will be safe for Luna to come back home. If the Dark Lord finds out you have kept Potter hidden, I reckon it won't end well."
"Give me your word, Draco Malfoy, that this will all end soon."
Draco sighed. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that." He turned and exited the home, whistling for everyone to come back.
"What's happened?" Macnair demanded. "Did we get 'em?"
"Where's the girl?" Someone in the back yelled.
"Nice little girl for the taking!" was shouted, followed by a mass of cackles.
"Enough!" Draco ordered. "It seems to me that since Luna Lovegood is nowhere on the premises. I have no idea as to where she could be, but it seems her father doesn't know either. I told him we have her and we will harm her if he does not report any visits from the Golden Trio and the like, then we will find that Luna can be easily harmed."
Among the loud shrieks of villainous laughter and the whooshing of people leaving, Draco could only hope that the end would indeed be soon.