Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I associated with JK Rowling or any of her publishers. I do not make a profit from this writing.
So, this is the one time I will break my major rule of thumb, and change something that JK wrote. Hopefully it won't upset too many people.
Chapter 26: Breaking the rules (the author at least does)
Seeing Ron and Hermione running towards them made Harry and Emma relieved. "Where have you been?" Harry wondered.
"Chamber of Secrets," Ron said as if they had just popped out for a spot of tea. "Why, what have we missed?"
"Oh, not much. The castle is under siege; Harry found out the Grey Lady is Ravenclaw's daughter, who stole the diadem and practically gave it to Voldemort; Gwarp dropped Hagrid off at the school—through a window, mind you—and we are now racing to where Harry realizes the last Horcruxe is," Emma ticked each one off her finger.
Ron and Hermione shared a look, all of it sinking in. "Well, we destroyed the cup," Hermione offered. "It was all Ron's idea, he was brilliant!"
Ron blushed under her praise as Hermione recounted their trip to get the basilisk venom and Emma wondered if they should have sent them down into an old, manky chamber sooner. At least someone figured it out without Emma having to remind them about the chamber.
And Harry figured out the diadem without her help, too. At this rate, he was soon going to figure out the last horcruxe…
She let that thought trail off. She wouldn't think about Harry's death now. "Did Draco actually leave?" Harry asked her.
"Does it matter?" Emma asked.
"It matters to me if he left you here or not," Harry frowned.
"I don't think he left, but I have only seen him for a moment in the Great Hall," Emma shrugged. "He isn't going to fight with Voldemort if that is what you are worried about."
As they rounded a corner to reach the Room of Requirement, Finn, Rory, Brian, and Michael caught up with Emma. "I think they are looking for you," Ron nodded in their direction. "Who are they?" Despite the fact they were all in the same grade, he only really knew Brian. (a/n: Brian is Gryffindor, Finn is Slytherin, Rory is Ravenclaw, and Michael is hufflepuff)
"Go on, I'll catch up," Emma nodded towards the room of requirement. Emma watched as they ran in and turned to her guards that had arrived.
"I don't think we have time for you to explain why the bloody hell you and Malfoy are working together," Rory frowned.
"Probably not," Emma smiled.
"What's the plan, then?" Finn asked.
"Keep Harry alive long enough for him to finish what he has to do. Find Maureen and Diarmuid. They are close by, so I am sure they will be in the first attack," Emma informed them, catching them up on what she learned about the two rogue society alumni.
"Then we find them," Brian said simply.
"Preferably before they find any more society members," Finn agreed.
"Emma?" Tonks' voice rang out. Emma turned to see Tonks and Ginny running out of the Room of Requirement. "Where's Remus?"
"He's leading a force on the ground," Emma pointed outside. "When did you get here? Who's watching Teddy?"
"Me mum. I'm under strict orders to come back before he needs to be fed," Tonks grinned sadly. "I asked your house elf to stay with them, too. I hope you don't mind."
"You are family, Tonks. Why on earth would I mind?" Emma slung her arm through Tonks' as they ran towards the Great Hall. "He's my godson, anyways. I'd do anything for him. So," Emma switched into fighting mode suddenly, "Remus, da, Kinsley, and Arthur are leading groups outside. We are too close to the full moon," Emma frowned. Tomorrow was the full moon, but even tonight it would have a powerful effect on all the weres.
"It will give Remus just as much of an edge as it gives Fenrir," Tonks said dangerously.
"Other professors are manning a defense in the towers," Emma added as she caught Tonks up on their strategy. "There are a bunch of Yankees, too, French twins, one German, and a Bulgarian. They are on our side," Emma laughed as they ran past the hall towards the front entrance and found themselves with Jane and the other Americans. Emma saw further down the steps running to join the different teams were Gunther, Ivan, Marie, and Francois.
"I was hoping to find you," Jane smiled. "Ah, you must be Tonks."
"It is the violet hair, isn't it?" Tonks smiled kindly, purple hair flashing.
"Da is having a fit you came. Your mum is going to kill him if you get so much as a scratch," Emma pointed out as they watched Tonks blast through the front doors onto the field.
"Actually, my mother knows I am here, she knew for some time that at least a few of us were coming. It didn't seem to surprise her that I would be joining them," Jane said sneaking a glance at Zachary.
"You're worried…and sad," Emma noticed. It wasn't the same worry that everyone else had, the fear that things wouldn't work out and they would lose to Voldemort. There was a deeper, more personal secret that was making Jane deeply sad. And judging by the number of glances she kept shooting Zachary, Emma had to guess it had something to do with him.
"Don't you have to be helping Harry?" Jane reminded her.
"I'll catch back up with you," Emma said, turning to head inside when they heard the first sounds of battle. Emma, Jane, and the Americans with them (Amy, Zachary, Enrique) turned to see what was happening. Deatheaters emerged from the forest and Riley with several students, ministry officials, and order members, were fighting them.
What had Emma and Jane taking a step backwards, though, was the malevolent presence of someone in that group. "That's not Voldemort," Emma whispered, trying to internalize her shock. She felt Jane's, and even Enrique's, on either side of her. It was then she remembered Enrique's ability and it confirmed Emma's gut reaction as to what it was she was sensing.
Her grip tightened on her wand as Jane turned to her companions. "You three stay here," Jane told them as she escaped into the castle with Emma.
Amy, Zachary, and Enrique shared a look as Jane ran to catch up with Emma who had taken off towards the Room of Requirement. Zachary took off after them. Amy looked out into the group of deatheaters now flooding the field. "Do I want to know what has frightened everyone?" Amy asked her boyfriend.
Enrique shook his head. "I haven't sensed someone like that before," he admitted. "And I'm not particularly eager to fight her, but I have the feeling one of them," he nodded after Jane and Emma, "will have to."
Amy and Enrique sighed, both wondering if Jane would even be able to if she was the one unlucky enough to run into the malevolent woman. "I'm not an empath, or even like you," Amy told Enrique as they, too, took off after Jane. "But even I can see what is right in front of my face. When will Jane and Zack get their act together and finally hook up?"
"You know it is complicated with Zachary," Enrique reminded her.
"And I thought working the same detail with my boyfriend was hard," Amy teased him. They quickly sobered up as they ran up the first staircase, knowing it was hardly the time to fool around. They had a job to do, in addition to their normal job of protecting Jane.
They had to keep Emma alive.
Draco snuck out of the queue of students waiting to evacuate, ducking into an alcove to watch and wait. He saw Emma leave with Tonks, contemplating whether to go with her or not. Deciding now was probably not the best time to introduce himself to his estranged cousin, he continued to wait and watched as the door to the Room of Requirement changed ever so slightly.
An unknown fact was he was always able to see the door to the Room of Requirement, even when Neville and his gang were hiding out from the Carrows. He took that as a sign that at least something in the school recognized he wasn't the evil, deatheater git everyone else assumed him to be.
Fury built up in him as he watched Crabbe and Goyle lumber into the Room of Requirement. Draco ran in after them knowing Emma wasn't close enough to Harry to help, and Crabbe and Goyle had gone after Potter to stop him in their attempt to please the Dark Lord. The idiots didn't even know what the bloody hell they were doing.
Following the sound of Potter's voice the Slytherin trio found Potter. "Hold it, Potter," Crabbe called out.
Harry turned to see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "You have something that belongs to me, Potter. I'll take my wand back."
"Winners, keepers. Why aren't the three of you with Voldemort?" Harry asked, clearly trying to discern Draco's loyalties.
Draco's grip on his mother's wand tightened. He is still wondering where my loyalties lie, after everything? Draco thought bitterly. He wasn't sure if he was more insulted because of the slight to his pride, or the insult that it was to Emma,
"We're gonna be rewarded," Crabbe grinned. "We 'ung back, gonna take you to the Dark Lord."
"Shut up, Crabbe," Malfoy spat out.
"Why should 'e?" Goyle asked.
"How did the lot of you even get in here?" Harry wondered.
"I practically lived in the room of hidden things, forgot, Potter?" Malfoy snarled. "You seemed to have forgotten several things."
"We diss-lussioned ourselves," Goyle said proudly. Malfoy wanted to snort, it was probably the most complex spell Goyle had ever performed, except for the unforgivable. "You showed up. What is this die-dum?"
"Shut it, Goyle."
"Descendo!" Crabbe cast the spell at the floor-to-ceiling stack of books behind Potter.
Draco knocked away Crabbe's arm as Harry casted a counter-spell. "You might loose this diadum," Malfoy chasticized Crabbe.
"What's it matter?" Goyle asked.
"Potter came to get it, idiot. It must be important," Draco pointed out, barely refraining from rolling his eyes.
"We don't take orders from you no more, Draco," Crabbe spat out. "Your family aint what it use to be, not to the Dark Lord."
"Harry?" Ron's voice called out.
Draco saw the stunning spell coming from Hermione and barely pushed Crabbe out of the way. "The mudblood?" Crabbe turned. "Avada Kedavra!"
Draco pushed him further out of the way. The last thing he needed was…
The full scale battle that had just erupted. Idiots! He chasticized his minions. Just how am I suppose to protect Potter, and the dim-wits? He wondered, dodging a rogue spell that flew over his head.
"Don't kill him, you idiot!" Draco yelled at Crabbe and Goyle. Emma's reaction to Crabbe killing Harry would be worse than Voldemort's.
Before anyone knew what was happening, flames erupted from Crabbe's wand, fire rolling along the floor, consuming the space. "What the hell did you do?" Draco demanded as shapes began to take form in the flames, charging and attacking everyone.
A purple light hit Crabbe, stunning him as Goyle and Draco jumped to avoid a chimera-shaped sentient flame. "Are they alive?" Goyle asked, looking at the flames.
"Run!" Draco told him, trying to reach Crabbe.
Smoke perforated the entire room, filling their lungs. Draco reached around blindly trying to find a wand, Crabbe, anything useful.
'Don't you dare die!' Emma's voice screamed in his head. 'Don't you dare die on me, Draco. Find the door!' No fear, no anger, just a surge of willpower, that was what he felt from Emma.
Door. Where the hell did it go? Suddenly he saw a hand reaching for him and Draco reached up, one hand clasping Harry's, the other reaching for Goyle who was dazed from a blow to the head. The heat, the sweat, and Goyle's weight all combined to make Draco's hand slip out of Harry's.
"Ron!" Harry yelled.
"If we die for them, Harry, I'll kill you," Ron yelled as he and Hermione, on the same broom, swooped down to pick up Goyle.
"He dies, Emma dies, remember?" Harry spat back.
"Talk to your cousin about her choice in boyfriends," Ron's voice trailed off as he turned the broom and sped towards the exit.
"There," Draco pointed to where he saw the stone bust. Moments later Harry had it clutched in his hand and was flying towards the door.
As soon as they were out, Draco rolled off the broom, landing next to Goyle. Draco slumped against the wall, coughing, trying to catch his breath. He couldn't even think about the fact that Crabbe died. Crabbe, the dimwitted, eager to please, minion. He had known Crabbe since they were tots. He was suppose to protect those under him, even if they were stupid and fowl. Why did Crabbe have to go and try to please Voldemort? Why couldn't the idiot do the smart thing for once in his life?
Goyle was still in shock over it all. Draco stood and moved to the cut out in the wall— what had once been a stain glass window was now empty, the glass blown out from numerous spells. He needed to focus on something else. At least one good thing came of all this, Potter was able to destroy the horcruxe. Ironically, Crabbe was able to help achieve that.
Draco looked out to the grounds outside, the battle that was taking place below him, and saw the spell coming towards the wall. Everything was like one of those muggle movies Emma took him to as time seemed to slow down. Draco saw the spell about to hit the outside of the wall the same time another spell on the inside would.
And wouldn't you know, it was exactly where Potter and a contingent of Weasleys were fighting.
If Harry dies now, it will break Emma's heart, not to mention ruin everything he thought as he began to run. "Look out!"
Fred was laughing, celebrating a victory when suddenly a body slammed into him from the side, rugby tackling him, and the two of them stumbled backwards, the momentum of whoever his attacker was sending them further back. Fred turned and saw the wall collapse right where he had been standing, the realization hitting him that that should have been him. "Blim—EY!" Fred yelled as the two of them tripped over debris and bodies.
Before either of them knew what was happening, Draco and Fred were at the edge of the hall and fell right over what remained of the wall. "Fred!" Percy yelled, chasing after them.
"Bloody hell, Malfoy! I would have taken my chances with the wall!"
Wind rushed by them as they hurled towards the ground, Draco tried to shake off the confusion since some of the wall had knocked him on the back of his head. He shook his head trying to clear it, instinct telling him he needed to focus right now. "This is going to hurt a bit," he yelled towards Fred.
"A BIT!" Fred screamed, then all air seemed to escape Fred's lungs as he watched what happened next.
Draco's grip tightened around Fred as he quickly began to change. His fingers dug into Fred's sides as they grew into talons and his body expanded, his skin turning from pale white to a dark green.
Before Fred knew what was happening, he found himself in the talons of a common Welsh Green Dragon. "Blimey," was all Fred could say as the dragon's wings expanded and they found themselves flying, pulling up when they were about three stories from the ground.
Amy and Enrique had turned to guard their rear from death eaters, Emma was running with Jane and Zachary when she suddenly stopped. "Em?" Jane wondered.
Emma was trying to catch her breath, her hand bracing against the wall. "Draco," she panted, choking on something. Before anyone could ask what was wrong—or how she knew something was wrong—Emma thrust her wand forward on the staircase. "Galaciun." A gale force wind shot through the staircase and corridor, knocking everything—deatheaters, debris—out of their way. Emma ran as if her life depended on it.
"What is it?" Jane asked as she ran after her friend, stunning a deatheater that started to get up.
"A fire, cursed fire. Screaming, smoke choking and suffocating," Emma panted.
"Where's the fire, Em?" Jane asked.
They reached the next floor and were racing down the hall to the staircase at the end when suddenly an explosion on the floor above them had everyone—Jane, Zachary, Emma, Amy, and Enrique, who had caught up—jumping backwards to avoid the debris.
"Something's wrong," Emma said worriedly as she ran to the window. Her heart stopped as she watched Draco and Fred falling. She felt Draco begin to transfigure into his animagous form and smiled. "You've seen the eleventh doctor, right?" Emma asked. "Geronimo." Before Jane knew what was happening, Emma shot her a grin and then climbed into the window.
And jumped out.
"Emma!" Jane screamed, running up to the window. Zachary beat her to it.
"She's okay," Zachary assured her.
"Okay? OKAY? How am I going to explain to her dad she went bat-shit crazy and jumped?" Jane demanded.
"Look," Zachary showed her.
Jane sucked in a breath as she saw a white winged horse begin to circle under the dragon and a redhead male. "Wait… am I going blind, finally, or is that something on Emma's forehead?"
Fred heard a neigh, and rotated his head to see something white flash before his eyes. Before he knew it, the dragon, er, Draco, was tossing him up and he landed on the back of a white winged horse.
Make that a winged Unicorn.
"Bloody hell, did I hit my head and die in that?" Fred pondered as he grabbed the mane. "First, Malfoy saves me," he shook his head. "Then I find myself first flying with a dragon, then a winged Unicorn. Oi, you aren't' even suppose to exist," he informed the winged unicorn.
The unicorn began to fly upwards, climbing to the nearest tower. The dragon flew behind it, shielding it from any attacks that might be shot up at them.
They landed and Draco quickly transfigured back. "I hope you didn't pull her hair," he drawled.
"Her? Don't tell me I owe my life to Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson," Fred drawled as he climbed down.
The unicorn snorted, nipping at Fred. "Sorry!" Fred held up his hands. "Obviously not Pansy, thank Merlin."
The wings folded back, melting into the body, and Fred watched as the creature began to transfigure back. "Why on earth would it be Parkinson?" Draco asked.
"Hey, it has been a weird night," Fred said in defense. "Merlin's pants!" his jaw gaping open as he saw that the other half of his rescue party was, in fact, Emma. "No more surprises! My heart just can't take it!"
"It was worth it, seeing your face," Emma said in greeting.
They were interrupted by loud roars and yells. "Giants? Voldemort has giants?" Fred asked.
"Ready?" Draco asked, offering his hand. Emma smiled as she took it. Draco turned to Fred before looking out towards the giants. "Tell Ron this makes us even, 'k?"
Before Fred could nod he watched as the two ran towards the edge of the roof, transfiguring as they went. He ran to see what they were doing and watched as the dragon and winged unicorn began to attack one of the giants now pulverizing the school. Roars drew Fred's attention as he saw a miniature giant fighting one twice its size, a voice like Hagrid's yelling something like 'gawrp.' Shaking his head, thinking if he wasn't dead, he should do some good, Fred ran down the stairs back into the castle. Clearly there was no sanity left in the world.
Emma flew back around and managed to get a kick in at the giant's nose. She maneuvered out of the way as the giants hand came up to swat at her like an annoying fly.
Draco swarmed in and his tail wrapped around the Giant's neck, pulling him away from the castle.
The two of them continued to tease and annoy the giant till he was clear of the school. Between Emma's speed and agility and Draco's invulnerability, they finally managed to knock the giant out.
They transfigured back on the grass outside the school. "Lupin, da, Arthur, and Kingsley have a group out here, somewhere," Emma panted, catching her breath.
"So what do we do now?" Draco asked. "I saw Jane with her group over there," he nodded to where the Americans had exited the castle, "but I think I saw Maureen."
Emma sighed. "Maureen," she decided. She trusted Jane with her entourage. She had to go after Maureen. Emma used the cover of the forest, transfiguring her clothes and skin using a camouflage spell. They stopped, hearing someone coming, and waited, wands at the ready.
Draco was only slightly surprised to see Emma's guards. "We can handle it from here, Malfoy," Brian informed him.
"Where Emma goes, I go," Draco said.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Oi, pissing contest later, 'k? Let's focus here boys." She didn't wait for a reply as she moved along the forest line trying to see where in the battle Maureen was.
The violet light of a spell caught their eyes. "There," Finn pointed.
As they moved in on Maureen, she turned and grinned maliciously. "I was wondering if I would have the honors," she smirked.
Draco turned in just enough time not to be blindsided when a six foot wolf leapt at them. He began to transfigure back into his dragon and the wolf's momentum sent them flying backwards. "I see you met my pet," Maureen sighed lovingly.
"A rabid werewolf? Well, to each their own, I 'spose," Emma shrugged.
"Werewolf? He isn't human at all. Although, the rabid part is quite accurate." Maureen shot off a spell that was deflected by Brian. "Don't you tire of the pesky foursome? Always underfoot, fighting your battles for you? How can you defeat me if you are behind their skirts?"
"I think she means to insult us into abandoning you," Michael drawled as they continued to shield Emma from Maureen's spells. The fact they were all the things they practiced and taught in the society, just perverted for her own evil uses, made Emma furious.
"How you can be a death eater escapes me since you clearly have no concept of loyalty," Emma frowned. "If you did, you would be standing with your guard fighting alongside you. Instead, you murdered them. Or most of them. Your miscalculation, since you know that some of our most dangerous spells require teamwork."
Brian and Finn shielded Maureen's attack as Emma, Rory, and Michael all cast a charm that locked Maureen inside her own body, a permanent body bind that could only be unlocked by two of the three wands that cast the spell. "We'll take her back with us, learn where they are keeping the POWs," Emma decided. "We'll lift the curse then."
"Yeah, I don't know if keeping her in the castle where the rest of the society can find her is the safest of ideas," Finn pointed out. "Eoin, the only guard member she didn't kill, is out for blood."
"Now we just need to find Diarmuid," Rory sighed. One down, one to go.
Everything happened too quickly; Emma was going to find Draco when suddenly Finn threw himself in front of her. Emma collapsed under his deadweight, trying to catch his body. "Finn?" Emma shook him as the other three shot off spells. Emma looked up, wondering who attacked.
Diarmuid was shielding against Brian's, Rory's, and Michael's attacks.
"What the hell did he do?" Brian demanded and shot off a nasty curse that Diarmuid deflected.
"He won't wake up," Emma called out as the remaining three defended her and Finn. Her heart pounded in her chest, she couldn't sense Finn, if she didn't feel him breathing she would have thought he was dead. Emma pried open his eye lids, wanting to sense something. Emma cast spell after spell to wake him, revive him, but he didn't react to any of them. "You are not suppose to get hurt," Emma slapped him but still nothing, she would have felt if he felt the sting of her hand.
Looking up, Emma watched for a moment as the other three spelled and defended against Diarmuid. Emma lifted her wand but kept it low to the ground, not wanting to draw Diarmuid's attention as she used a non-verbal spell.
Feet locked, Diarmuid swayed and fell forward, still shooting off spells. Using the moment of confusion, Rory shot off a spell to bodybind him.
"What the hell did you do to him?" Brian demanded as he stormed up to the deatheater.
Unable to talk while he was under the curse, he simply laid there like a log. Brian gave him a swift kick to the gut. "If it is permanent, you'll get worse than that," Brian promised maliciously, his wand already pointing at their second captive. He seemed to look over to see if Emma had found a cure yet, or was watching him too closely—Emma would not approve of the what he wanted to do next.
"You have to be here, Finn," Emma whispered. The only other time she had ever been unable to sense anyone was the fae. If a person was alive with their soul intact, she should be able to sense them.
Which is why Emma was scared to death.
Intuition told her that her senses picked up on something. Emma caught something out of the corner of her eye as she began to turn her head, and her intuition told her she didn't have time.
My beta took awhile to get this back to me, sorry for the delay! I really wanted a second opinion before posting though, since I saved Fred. Hopefully people aren't too upset with my decision :) Huge thanks to LikeWow, Mizz Alec Volturi, Hunnyabee, Badass Alec, Crossroads of life, and AnimeCrazy for the reviews!