Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the story line . All rights belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Twenty Six: House of Draco

They ran out of the chamber, and up the corridor. Tremors were shaking the place, making footing treacherous. They got to the chamber of the webs, to find that the webs had disappeared. They raced up the stairs and out into the early morning. The sun was just starting to rise. They made their way out of Stonehenge, and across to the ruins, and their brooms.

The mounted, and sped off into the sky, shooting up higher and higher until they could just make out details on the ground. Harry motioned for Ginny to follow, and he leaned down into a more aerodynamically sound position, pouring on the speed.

The miles evaporated behind them, until at last they were approaching London. Finding Grimmauld Place, they hovered above it, behind a cloud.

"What do we do, Harry? We can't land like this, people will see, and we'll expose headquarters."

"I know, Gin. Let me think for a minute." He furrowed his brow in concentration. "Take my hand."

When she had done so, he smiled at her. "Ready?" She nodded. They blinked out with a faint pop. The next thing she knew, they were standing in the kitchen at Number 12.

"So why did we come back here, Harry? I thought we were going to go straight to the Malfoy's," Ginny said, ignoring the startled remark that had come out of Neville's mouth as he choked on a piece of toast.

"We are going there, Gin, but if we're going to tackle that place, we sure as Merlin aren't going to do it alone. I figure we're going to need help. I thought we could enlist it here. Oh, hi Neville," Harry said with a little wave as he and Ginny dismounted their brooms.

"Hi… Harry…" Neville managed in between coughs. "What do you mean about going to the Malfoy's?"

"It's a long story Neville. If you don't mind I'd like to only have to recount it once. Who else is here right now?"

"Er, let's see. Uh, I think there's me and Luna, Hestia Jones, Elphias Doge, Dung, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill Weasley, but he's in a bad way."

"Hmm, we really could use an auror." He strode over to the fire and grabbed a pinch of floo powder. Throwing it in the fireplace he said "Potter Estate." He stuck his head in and looked around. There was his study, but there was no-one in there. "Lupin! Tonks! Anyone there?" He waited a few moments, straining his ears trying to hear something. Just as he was about to give up, he caught the sound of rapid footsteps approaching. The door opened and Remus Lupin came skidding in.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he panted. He was dressed only in an old pair of pajama bottoms, his hair disheveled.

Harry stifled a chuckle. "Remus, you're looking well. Look, is Tonks around? I have need of an auror. It's rather important, and I'd rather not have to explain this more than once."

"She's here, Harry. I think she's out practicing her forms. Do you want to wait, or should we floo to where you are?"

"Why don't you come here. I'm at headquarters. Like I said, I'd rather only go over this once. There isn't a lot of time." Seeing Lupin's face he continued quickly. "No, no, it isn't that. I'll tell you guys everything when you get here. I'm going to contact Dumbledore. I'll see you shortly."

He pulled back out of the fire and grabbed another pinch of floo powder. Throwing it in he said "Headmaster's office, Hogwarts." Sticking his head in, he looked around. There, seated at his desk, was Professor Dumbledore.

"Excuse me, Professor," Harry said.

"Hello Harry," Dumbledore replied, not turning around. "What can I do for you?"

"Er, I have a situation here at headquarters that I could use your advice on, if you don't mind."

"Of course, Harry. Just let me finish up what I have here, and I'll be right there."

"Thanks, Professor," said Harry, pulling back out. He looked around at Neville. "So where are Ron and Hermione?"

"They've gone to the Ministry of Magic to see Fudge," said Neville.

Harry acknowledged Neville's response with a nod, and then turned to face Ginny. "Let's go see to Bill." Seeing her raised eyebrow, he went on "We're going to need a curse breaker."

He grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room. They went upstairs to find Bill. In the fourth room they tried, they found him. As they walked in the smell of Old Ogden's Fire Whiskey assaulted their nostrils. Bill was sitting there, at a small desk. His head was down in his hands, and his hair was disheveled. His clothes looked like he had been sleeping in them for the last four days, and it appeared that he had torn his shirt a few times.

"Bill?" Ginny said.

"Go 'way." Bill responded.

"We will not go away. Bill, we need your help."

"Don' wanna help. Go away."

"Bill, we need to break through a bunch of curses on a house." Harry said.

"Can' break fru nuffin', 'm drunk."

"Oh, this is getting us nowhere," Ginny said in a huff. She strode over to him and pulled her wand. She waved it over him and said "Sobrietus!" Bill stiffened and let out a long shudder.

"Hey," he said, sounding perturbed. "I didn't want to be sober you know. It hurts too much to be sober. Leave me alone. Now where did I put that last bottle?" He started looking around for something to drink. Finding nothing but empty bottles, he took the last one and flung it across the room, shattering it against the far wall.

"Are you done?" Ginny asked sweetly, that mischievous grin back on her face. Harry winced inwardly for Bill.

"No, I'm not done, said Bill. "Not done at all. Why can't you leave me alone? Is that too much to ask?"

"Now you just listen here, mister," Ginny said, a cold edge to her voice as she leveled her wand about an inch from his nose. "You think you're the only one who's lost someone in this war? Take a look around, we've all lost people, some of us more than others. Do you think that you're honoring Fleur's memory by getting stinking drunk? We need your help, you useless prat, and you are damn well going to help us with it. Lives depend upon it. Now, are you going to get up off your fat, lazy arse, or am I going to make you understand the real meaning of suffering?"

"Bill looked at her for a moment with a blank expression on his face. Finally he shrugged his shoulders and said "Fine." He stood up, a little unsteadily, and looked around until he found his wand. "Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's go."

They went downstairs and into the den, Bill somewhat reluctantly, and then sat down, waiting for the others to arrive. Shortly, Hestia Jones and Elphias Doge came in, and after greeting Harry warmly, sat down. Neville and Luna wandered in, both settling into the largest chair in the room, oblivious to everyone else, content just to be in each other's company. A little while later Molly Weasley came in, followed closely by Lupin and Tonks.

"Mundungus sends his regards, Harry," Molly said, obviously displeased with the idea that he would skip this impromptu meeting.

"Don't worry, Mum, it's ok," Ginny said before Harry could say anything. He looked down at her as she snuggled in his arms, and she smiled back up at him. He shrugged. It really was okay, it was just that sometimes he still had to get used to the idea of someone being so in tune with his very thoughts that she would speak his mind before he could.

At that moment Professor Dumbledore strode in, looking supremely confident, his every movement in perfect harmony with the rest of him. "Harry," he said with a slight nod of his head.

"Well, thanks for coming," Harry said. "I guess that I should give you a little background, and then see what suggestions you have. As you may be able to guess, our trip to Stonehenge was successful. Upon getting there, we ran headlong into a dragon, of all things. We managed to defeat it…"

"You mean you defeated it," Ginny added.

"We defeated it," Harry repeated. "I never could have gotten the better of it if you hadn't distracted it. Anyway, after dealing with the dragon we found our way through a secret passage and finally found the Well of Souls. There we ran into Draco Malfoy. Both he and I were judged, and, well, let's just say that I won that fight. He was, I guess banished would be the best term to use."

"Yes," said Ginny, "definitely banished."

"So with Draco out of the way, I was allowed to talk to the representative for the Well of Souls. It was Sirius." This was met with a sharp intake of breath from both Lupin and Molly.

"He told me a few things which should prove very useful. He said that the power of the Shadow Lord was mine to call upon, and that I would know how when the time was right. He said that I would be able to wrest control of Voldemort's greatest allies away from him. He also told me that I was going to have to go to the Department of Mysteries again, and go through the locked door. There I would learn how to defeat Voldemort."

"Harry, excuse me," said Lupin.

"Yes, Remus?"

"Why was Sirius the one that spoke to you from the Well of Souls?"

"He said that everyone who went through the veil ended up in the Well. He said that he had fought for the right to speak to me, and had won it based upon his former relationship to me."

"That must have been hard for you, Harry dear," said Molly, her face a mask of concern.

"Yeah, it was, but your daughter made it much easier to deal with. You should be proud, she's really something special." He squeezed her tightly as he said this.

"So was there anything else, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yeah, he said that I no matter what, I need to listen to Ginny. She has the role of keeping me on task, and uncorrupted. Without her, I'll be lost."

There were gasps all around at this, but, surprisingly Neville and Luna just nodded and accepted this. "We all knew that Harry couldn't accomplish what he had to without her. Those of us in the Triumvirate know exactly how much she means to him," Neville said by way of explanation.

"There was one more thing. Sirius said that we needed to go to the Malfoy Estate and rescue a couple of people there that he left to die. He said that it would remind me of why Gryffindors do what we do. So we came back here to get some help, and to ask your advice. Any suggestions?"

"Well," said Luna, "I guess we had better get going, now shouldn't we. After all, pick a peck of pansies, and a loving mother too."

Harry just shook his head. "Somehow, Luna, you always know just what to say, even when we don't have a clue what it is that you said." He smiled broadly.

"The house is bound to be booby trapped," said Lupin.

"That's why I wanted a curse breaker and an auror. We really could use all the help we can get. I don't know what that house has in store for us, and I don't really want to tackle it with just the two of us."

"I'm in," Lupin said.

"Me too," said Tonks.

"How about you, Bill?" Harry asked.

Bill, who had been quiet up until this point, just looked up at Harry, his eyes unfocused and dead looking. "What?" he asked.

"We need you, Bill. I don't know the first thing about curse breaking. If we're to save those two women, we need your help."

"I don't know, I don't seem to be very good at saving women…" his voice choked off.

"Bill, you must go. Fleur would have gone, and you know it," Molly said quietly.

He looked at her, rage contorting his features momentarily, and then, with great effort he swallowed his anger. "You're right Mum, she would have gone." He set his shoulders and mustered his strength. "Alright, I'll go."

"Thank you," Ginny said softly.

"Luna and I will be there, Harry," said Neville resolutely.

"I shall go back to Hogwarts and alert Madame Pomfrey. Harry, you should take them directly to the infirmary. I don't feel that any place else would be safe for them right now. Hogwarts is protected, and we don't need a Death Eater attack on St. Mungo's."

"Right, well, if we're ready, then we should be going. Neville, can you apparate?"

"Sure, Harry. Just passed my test before we left Hogwarts."

"Good. Luna, you and Ginny are going to need to come with me. Everyone else, we'll meet you in front of the Malfoy house. Molly, would you kindly give the address to Neville, he hasn't been there before."

While the other's made their way to the front door, Harry grabbed Ginny and Luna's hands, and with a soft pop, they disappeared.

Molly looked over at Hestia and said "I don't know if I'll ever get used to that."

"He's got abilities even he doesn't understand yet, Molly," said Dumbledore, resting a hand on her shoulder. "He is truly the most powerful wizard to be born in over a hundred years. I almost feel sorry for Tom. He really doesn't realize what he unleashed upon himself when he struck the other day. Harry now has an even greater reason to destroy him. What was done was the final straw, the thing that set Harry irrevocably on his current collision course. With Ginny by his side, nothing will be able to stop him."

"Do you really think so, Albus?"

"Yes, Molly, I do. It was not for nothing that I did the things I did all those years ago. The power of love is the one thing that can defeat a monster like Voldemort. Harry and Ginny have that power in abundance. As long as she stays by his side, he is virtually unbeatable."

"I pray you're right, Albus. I pray you're right."

Harry, Ginny and Luna appeared in front of the Malfoy Estate. Shortly after, there was the characteristic cracks of wizards apparating. Lupin, Tonks, Neville and Bill appeared nearby.

Bill immediately went to work, passing his wand before him at the house. There was a crackling noise, and lights reminiscent of the aurora borealis rippled across the surface of the house.

"It's protected alright, Harry," said Bill.

"Can you crack it?"

"With the help of these three, yes, I think I can. It may take a while though," he said, indicating Lupin, Tonks and Neville.

"Get at it then. I don't need to remind you what's at stake. The sooner we can get in, the better our chances of rescuing the women." He started to pace back and forth.

"Easy Harry, let them do their job. They'll get it done," Ginny said.

"I know, but I hate the waiting. I want to be doing something, not standing here like a first year without a clue."

He continued pacing for what seemed to be forever. Eventually though, Bill came over and told them that the wards were down. They could enter, but they needed to be careful. Just because the outer wards were defeated, it didn't mean that the house was safe.

They carefully made their way up the steps, and opening the door, went in, Bill in the lead, followed closely by Harry and Ginny, Luna, Neville, and then Lupin and Tonks as rear guard.

They were in an entryway, darkened, and dead feeling. They cautiously crossed to an opening an a stairwell. "Reveal," whispered Bill, and an eerie blue light lit up the way upstairs. He motioned with his head for them to follow.

As they made to follow him there came a snarl from behind them. The whirled around to see a dark form flying through the air at Tonks. She dropped to the floor and extended her feet up underneath whatever it was, and kicked hard into its midsection. With a howl of pain it slammed into a wall, and rolled off. It looked like a man, but it's face was jackal like. It came up and slowly circled around, grinning ferally, licking its chops while looking at Tonks.

"Go!" said Lupin, pulling his wand. He moved to Tonks' side, watching the predator as it tracked his movements. "I said go! We'll take care of this! Get the women!"

"Come on, he's right," Harry said. "Let them handle it." He hustled the others up the stairs. A horrifying howl could be heard below, and they knew that the battle had been joined. The rushed down the corridor, following Bill's lead. When he reached an intersection he looked up and said "Both ways, one each."

"Bill, you take Luna and Neville, and go that way, Ginny and I will go this way." He went off with Ginny down the corridor towards the door at the end. "Reducto!" he bellowed as they ran. The door splintered, and they went in. There, hanging from the ceiling by her ankles, was Pansy Parkinson. She was naked, cut in numerous places, and had nails driven through her joints. Her blood was dripping down off her hands and into a small bucket. As Harry and Ginny looked on in abject horror, the bucket emptied magically and Pansy seemed to swell slightly. She let out a low moan and thrashed for a moment, causing more pain. The wire that held her suspended from the ceiling bit deeper into her ankles.

"Harry, grab her, I'll cut her down." Harry moved to comply, and Ginny said "Diffindo!" Pansy fell into Harry's waiting arms. He was shocked to see how little she weighed. He set her down gently. Ginny came over and ripped a sheet off the bed, wrapping her in it. "It's okay, Pansy, we're here. We're going to get you to safety. Don't you worry," she whispered.

"Who's that?" Pansy managed. She sounded very parched. She twisted her neck around to try and see who it was. Ginny let out a little gasp.

"Harry, her eyes." Harry looked and saw what she was talking about. Both Pansy's eyes had been slashed, ruining them. Harry felt the bile rise in his mouth. He choked it back and picked Pansy up, moving back out the door and down the corridor.

Luna and Neville made it to the door first. "Alohomora!" said Luna, the door clicking open. They looked to Bill and he nodded. When they went in, and there was a small pyramid in the middle of the floor. It was the only feature in the room. It was inlaid with numerous runes, and was made of solid platinum.

Bill waved his wand over it, and it suddenly shrank slightly. From inside it came a loud shriek. Bill jerked his wand back quickly. He looked over at the other two. Neville looked clueless. Luna was gazing intently at the runes. She pulled her wand and flicked it at herself, spinning upside down in midair. Still she read the runes, slowly revolving around the pyramid.

Bill looked to Neville, who shrugged. The both looked back at Luna. Her hair had cascaded down off her shoulders and was almost touching the floor. She closed her eyes and started to chant something. It was an eerie sound, not sounding quite human. The chanting had a harsh, guttural sound. On and on she went, around the pyramid, chanting. After her third pass she spun again and settled on the floor. "Try it again," she said, tottering slightly as she tried to regain her equilibrium.

Bill passed his wand over the pyramid again, and this time it opened at the top, the sides moving outward from the center. There, inside a space barely big enough for a dog, her skin pierced by the many spikes revealed when the walls separated, was Narcissa Malfoy. Freed from her constraints, she collapsed, bleeding profusely from the wounds, now that the spikes she had been impaled upon had been removed.

Neville rushed to her side, and pointing his wand at her said "Congeal!" The bleeding dried up. He looked up and said "Coagulation spell." Picking her up, he steadied himself and started moving out the door.

"What was that you were chanting?" asked Bill.

"Ancient Welsh Gaelic," Luna replied. "We learned it in Ancient Runes class."

They sped down the hall, almost running into Harry and Ginny. While they all organized their retreat, the corridor was rocked by an explosion from downstairs. They hurried to the stairs and looked down. There, at the bottom of the stairs was the charred remains of whatever it was that had fought with Tonks and Lupin.

Lupin was stretched out on the floor, a nasty slash across his abdomen. Tonks was cradling his head, speaking softly to him. There were rips across the back of her robes, the material soaked with blood. Harry looked down at her and saw that her left arm was hanging limply by her side, and her right ankle was shredded down to the bone. She was very pale.

Harry made a decision. "Bill, Neville, apparate to Hogsmeade. We'll see you at the infirmary in Hogwarts. Ginny, Luna, help me with the wounded. They moved quickly to Lupin and Tonks. Luna took Narcissa from Neville, and they shared a quick kiss.

"Sit down with them," Harry motioned towards Lupin and Tonks. Ginny and Luna complied, holding Narcissa close. Harry sat down on his haunches, and repositioned Pansy so she was draped over his shoulder. Laying a hand on both Tonks and Ginny he said "Make sure everyone is touching." Screwing up his face in concentration, he let the energy flow and surround them, and then traveled to Hogwarts.

They materialized just inside the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey just about jumped out of her skin, but when she saw the wounded she quickly composed herself. Harry stood up, none too steadily, and deposited Pansy on the nearest bed. As they helped Madam Pomfrey get the others to the beds, Harry found spots forming in front of his eyes.

"Too far…" he muttered, as the last of his strength left him. Ginny was by his side immediately, catching him before he could hit the floor. She laid him back onto a bed, and held his hand. As she stood there, they were suffused in a bright glow. Energy seemed to flow from her to him. His breathing steadied, and color came back into him. He opened his eyes briefly and looked at her. "My tether," he murmered, before he closed his eyes again, settling into a solid sleep. Ginny climbed up onto the bed and curled up with him, cradling him in her arms, and falling asleep almost immediately.

Luna came up and covered them with a blanket, smiling at them briefly, before she went back to make sure that Madam Pomfrey had as much help as she needed. Neville would be here soon, and then everything would be okay.

Author's Note: So Harry and Co. have rescued Narcissa and Pansy. What do you think will happen to them? What do you think that thing that Lupin and Tonks had to fight was? What will the repercussions of the adventure be?

The story recommendation for the chapter is "Chance to Get it Right" by Black Knight 03. Harry/Padma