Chapter 29 Awaking

Harry visited Kingsley's office. His secretary wasn't Olga. A middle-aged witch let him enter the room. Harry missed Olga's tea and cupcakes, but remembered Olga had been Dara. Then Kingsley came in, and said in his deep baritone voice, "You miss Olga? She vanished suddenly."

"She was a daughter of Cadwagan," said Harry.

"Was she?" Kingsley said surprised.

"Yeah, I witnessed her transformation to Olga the other day. She blocked Bill's and Hermione's magic underground Gringotts," he remembered his snogging her in his room of Grimmauld Place, and he felt guilty.

Kingsley pondered for a while. Harry waited for Kingsley's next words.

"Harry, I think you have to visit her magic land soon."

Harry nodded and said, "And I have to meet the representative of Gringotts. Please arrange the conference."

"What are the odds that we will win?"

"I think the odds are in our favor."

"I'm leaving it to you. I'll arrange the conference. Next Friday afternoon?"

"Yeah, fine. Thank you," said Harry and he sent his Patronus message to Ron to tell the date of the next conference. He took out Daily Prophet and said, "So you must tell them when you retire at the press conference tomorrow?"

Kingsley knitted his brows and said, "Yes. The press conference will become chaos. I'll put off as possible as I can."

"Auror Headquarters is on your side. Robards and me will guard you, Kingsley."

Harry left the Ministry and went back to Grimmauld Place at midnight and took a nap.


In Slytherin Common Room, Pansy was irritating.

"Why doesn't Draco show himself at all? Is he really ill?"

Millicent Bulstrode said, "Ask his girlfriend. She knows why," nodding towards the corner of the room.

"Yes, you're right," her look turned ill-tempered when she found Astoria Greengrass, who was reading a potions book quietly, in the corner of the room. If Draco hadn't met Astoria, Pansy would have been his girlfriend. She got closer to the spot and grilled her, "Do you know why Draco confines himself to his room?"

Astoria tried to smile but she couldn't hide her bewilderment and said in her trembling voice, "I don't know at all. Please ask Aurors who guard him."

"Yes, you know, Astoria. You're his girlfriend," she cast silencing charm around them and said, "If you don't want to tell me, I'll let you drink Veritaserum," and she took out a small bottle out of her pocket and showed it to Astoria.

Millicent Bulstrode smirked. Astoria's face turned to pale,

"You can't use it. If you use it, you'll be expelled. How did you get it? If professor Slughorn knows this, he'll….." but her words were interrupted.

It was Nott, who was standing behind her, put his wand against her back and he threatened her, "Draco is ingenious, you know. If I hex you with my wand, his concealment potion will wash away the evidence. Tell me what he is doing right now."


Draco kept brewing remedy. Ron was watching him, yawning in the bathroom. Then they heard a sound like an owl mail was thrown and they turned around.

"It was from there!" shouted Ron and he looked inside the Vanishing Cauldron.

"From Nott," groaned Draco, and he picked up a crumpled letter from the floor near the Vanishing Cauldron. He unfolded it and read.

"What did he say?" asked Ron and he snatched it and read out, "Astoria told us all story. If you don't stop brewing remedy, your father will let you quit Hogwarts," Ron went red, "I'll go and arrest him!"

"No, you don't," said Draco.

"Why?"

"He has…well, we should better act as he says but we'll continue this in secret."

"How?"

"I want to talk with Potter. Call him."

Harry apparated in front of the gate of Hogwarts, where Ron was waiting for him. Ron opened the gate for him.

"Is Astoria all right?" asked Harry.

"I think so. Malfoy is talking with them."

"Seamus is with him, isn't he?"

"Of course, he is. But they must be casting silencing charm around them."

They reached the door of Great Hall. Harry pulled over his Invisibility Cloak and they marched to the Slytherin long table where they were talking. Astoria Greengrass was also sitting next to Draco. Her face was pale.

"I quit brewing, but Weasley doubts me so I'll be investigated by Aurors," said Draco coolly.

Nott groaned and said, "Don't forget most of Pure-Bloods are on our side. Be careful about your behavior."

"You know, Lucius Malfoy is my father. I know how to act," said Draco dispassionately.

Nott noticed Ron was staring at him like he wanted to spring on him right now, and he smirked, finished his silencing charm and said, "Are you worrying about your Mud-Blood girlfriend?" and he left there with Pansy.

Glaring at Nott and Pansy, Ron flushed darker, but he hung on.

"Well done," Draco said to Ron.

Harry was very surprised, Draco of all the people praised Ron for his control over his temper. The color of Ron's face went back to normal color slowly and he said,

"Harry is here. Let's go back to your room."

Four of them ascended the staircase to the Head Boy's room. Draco said the password to a medieval knight of the portrait,

"Unicorn," that was Draco's Patronus Harry remembered, the door swung open and they entered the room.

Harry was looking back when they were first years: Draco and he had detention and they were sent to the Forbidden Forest where Harry witnessed a poor unicorn lying dead and a cloaked figure of Voldemort was drinking its silver blue blood…and he remembered Draco's scared face when he was forced to murder Dumbledore and his sobbing in the bathroom. Besides, Draco didn't admit it was Harry in disguise at Malfoy Manor when Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy grilled him. He thought he could understand Draco's angst these two years. He naturally thought he could trust Draco.

Then Draco's irritated voice let Harry come to his senses, "Potter, we don't have much time, take off your cloak!"

Harry pulled off his cloak and asked, "What's your plan?"

The blond-headed wizard stared at Harry seriously and said, "We need Vanishing Cabinets to bring this bronze cauldron to Auror Headquarters."

"Vanishing Cabinets? I've thought Fiendfyre burned all things in the Room of Requirement," said Harry.

"Potter, are you an Auror or not? Search the bloody Vanishing Cabinets all over England and bring the bronze cauldron to your office, if you want to save Granger!"

"You mean you'll keep brewing at Auror Headquarters?" asked Harry.

"How quick to understand," Malfoy said sarcastically.

Harry turned around to Ron and Seamus and said, "Search twin Vanishing Cabinets. I'll be here until other Aurors are placed," he sent his Patronus message to Robards to request reinforcement.

After Ron and Seamus left there, Harry sat down on a stool on the bathroom. Malfoy kept brewing as Snape taught him.

"How did you get it?" asked Malfoy.

"Get what?"

"This druidic bronze cauldron."

"Oh, yeah," Harry stood up and got closer to Malfoy and said, "My mother bought it."

"From goblins?"

"How do I know?"

Silence fell upon them. There was only bubbling sound of brewed potions.

It was Malfoy who talked first, "I heard from Weasley someone put Love Potion in juice your girlfriend drank."

Harry could tell from Malfoy's awkward manner that he knew something.

"What do you know?" Harry stared at Malfoy.

Malfoy turned his eyes away and restarted his work.

"Malfoy?" Harry waited.

Malfoy kept cutting herbs and shoved them aside on a cutting board and turned around.

"If I tell the truth, will you send me to Azkaban?"

"How deep do you get involved with Nott?"

"Very deep."

"Well, if you intend to be on our side, I will defend you from accusation."

Malfoy sighed with relief and said, "And one more thing. Guard Astoria. She'll be their nest target. She has already been threatened."

"Okay. I'll request a body guard for her," said Harry thinking Blaze was the best.

"Good, well do Legilimens," said Malfoy and he stared at Harry.

"Are you ready?" asked Harry.

"Yes, I'm ready," grey eyes met green eyes.

Harry penetrated Malfoy's mind. He saw Nott smirk holding a bottle of powder. He attacked Hermione and he sprinkled powder over his wand.

Harry stopped doing Legilimens and asked Malfoy,

"Did you make Concealment Potion?"

"Yes, I did."

"Do you have the rest of them now?"

"Yes," answered Malfoy, and he got out of the bathroom.

Harry followed him. Malfoy stood in front of the bookshelf, he took out one of potions books. He opened a page, and he took out a small bag of powder. He handed it to Harry.

"How many students did Nott threaten?"

"He threatened Granger, most of prefects except Ernie Macmillan whose father has a great influence in the Ministry and Astoria."

"I need your memory. I must keep it as hard evidence in the Pensieve of Auror Headquarters."

"Okay, finish it," said Malfoy.

"You must extract the memory," said Harry and he pulled out his holly wand from his pocket of Auror robes and showed Malfoy how to withdraw it.

Malfoy pulled his wand out of his pocket of Slytherin robes, touched the tip of his wand to his temple and withdrew it. A silver thread of memory came away clinging to the wand-tip. Harry took out a small empty bottle, and he handed it to Malfoy. Malfoy put his swirling silver gas into it carefully, and he handed it back to Harry.

"Well, I can arrest Nott with this. But we'll go undercover to catch him," said Harry and he pondered over it. How would he set a trap for Nott?

"So eh,"

"Don't worry. You'll be questioned, but I'll report that you did it because you were threatened by Nott."

Malfoy gave a sigh of relief, and he tried to say something more, but he didn't.

"What are you worrying about?" asked Harry.

"Well, eh.. well, who will guard Astoria?"

"I'll recommend Blaze Zabini for the job."

Though Harry still felt Malfoy worry about something, he went back to the Ministry after Blaze and Dawlish arrived. When he entered the conference room, the press conference was about to start. Robards shoved the Prophet into his hand. Harry unfolded it and read the great bold headline:

Suspected Of Casting Curse Against Muggle-Borns Underground Gringotts

Harry knitted his brows when he saw a huge photograph of his own face filled in the front page. He continued to read:

Not a few Muggle-borns are suffering from an unidentified curse. Rita Skeeter, an expert journalist, who has mellowed with age, scooped an undeniable fact:

'Eye witnesses inside Gringotts saw the mark of the curse on the door of Potter's Vault. What does it mean? Time has come for the wizarding community to decide who is involved in the matter deepest. The Boy Who Saved the Wizardng World has been believed that he devoted himself to help the Minister to rebuild the Ministry, but his status was put in shaky state under Kingsley Shackbolt who has a tendancy to press Pure-Bloods overly. '

Williamson whispered Harry, "Potter, she is there."

Harry squinted at the spot Williamson told him. Rita Skeeter was staring at him sucking her green Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Her next sensational publication is about your relationship with witches," said Williamson, and he handed a flyer.

Harry looked at the flyer. He saw a photograph of Dara, which might have been taken at Leakey Cauldron. Next to Dara, Ginny, and Hermione were smiling in each separated photograph. Harry wanted to hex Skeeter, but he barely suppressed his impulse to cast wandless magic. Then the journalists stirred when Kingsley came in. He made signs with the eyes at Harry, and Harry nodded, Kingsley sat down. Soon Rita Skeeter questioned,

"Minister, when will you resign?"

"I cannot tell you now. We must make sure to identify the curse underground Gringotts,"

There happened a roar from the journalists, and Skeeter opened her mouth again,

"We have been told the same answer each time we ask you. Most wizards and witches of our wizarding community think you should resign as soon as possible. Minister, take a load off your mind. Who will you recommend as a next Minister?"

"Miss Skeeter, I never give up. Our Aurors and curse-breakers are making a great contribution to our community. Please wait. Give us time," said Kingsley.

Skeeter ignored Kingsley's words and she continued,

"Cornelius Fudge has plenty of experiences as a Minister, so will you leave the task to him in the near future?"

"No, if I leave the task to the other, I will trust professor Scrimgeour at Hogwarts," said Kingsley.

Ron wavered between visiting Borgin and Burkes and searching the Room of Requirement of Hogwarts after he searched a Vanishing Cabinet in the furniture shops in Diagon Alley. He decided to search the Room of Requirement first, he hurried to the corridor on the seventh floor and he stared at the stretch of wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls to do ballet. The corridor was deserted. Ron closed his eyes and walked past third times repeating the words in his mind,

I need to find one of Twin Vanishing Cabinets Malfoy used. Please, I want to save Hermione.

To his joy, there appeared a door. Ron opened the highly polished door and he entered.

He remembered when Harry, Hermione and he slept over one night there surrounded by junks, entirely exhausted after the Battle of Hogwarts. There were plenty of mountains of junk. He still smelled sooty after a big fire. He passed them and walked into the room deeper and deeper. How many heaps of rubbish he passed? He wondered, and he stopped walking. He noticed them at the darker spot in the corner: Two big tall cabinets looked down at him. Two Vanishing Cabinets stood there unspoiled. He wanted to shout with joy but stopped grinning. Why two? Who brought another one? He pulled out a two-way mirror and tapped it with his wand. Before long Harry appeared on the mirror.

"How is the conference?" asked Ron.

Harry shook his head,

"They want to sack him. They forced Kingsley to recommend a next Minister.

Do you have good news?"

"Yeah, but I found two cabinets."

"Thanks, Merlin. But two?"

"Yeah. Who brought another one?"

"I don't know, but someone might bring it in after the person confiscated it at Borgin and Burkes."

"Maybe, well, Harry, what shall I do?"

"I'll tell Williamson to send teams to help you. Tell Malfoy when you're ready to transport the bronze cauldron."

When Draco entered the office of Auror Headquarters, a middle-aged Auror stared sharply at him and whispered something to his colleague.

"This way," Ron urged Draco to walk past them into the back room.

They entered the interrogation room, where Draco noticed a chemical closet which contained lots of vials. He reckoned most of them were Veritaserum, and he flinched when he imagined he was interrogated by Aurors. Ron pushed open the door and they entered the spacious room lit with flickering torches like the dungeons of Hogwarts. Aurors had already brought in the druidic bronze cauldron. They heard the bubbling sound of the liquid in the cauldron. He also noticed one of Twin Vanishing Cabinets stand at the corner of the room. Draco made sure the liquid was unspoiled as before.

"Well, will you start?" asked Ron.

"Yes," said Draco and he rolled up his sleeves, took a step closer to a table where all tools were waiting for him.


Harry sat down on a two seater sofa by the hearth of Gryffindor Common Room, and he waited for Ginny under his Invisibility Cloak in the evening. Some students were playing a prank each other with products of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. One of them swished a fake wand, which changed into a rubber chicken, it was thrown away to the spot Harry was sitting, and he barely dodged it.

"Harry, are you there?" whispered Ginny, who entered the room through the portrait of Fat Lady, she was standing by the two seater sofa.

"Yeah, I'm here," Harry whispered back and shoved over.

Ginny sat down next to him and whispered,

"Cover me up."

Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak and he covered her up. Ginny cast Silencing Charm around them. He felt her so close. She gave off her flowery scent, which mesmerized him. His lips brushed her neck to her lips tenderly, which made her moan. Her warm breath let him give her another. He was lost in that moment. Then a trick wand of WWW, transformed into a tin haddock, was thrown again and hit his head. One of boy students shouted in horror pointing at the spot where they were sitting,

"Someone is there!"

His Invisibility Cloak slipping off them, Harry took Ginny's hand and guided her to the exit, and they went out of the door of Fat Lady of the portrait. Ginny was giggling. Harry grinned at her and asked,

"Did you bring the cloth?"

"Yes, I did. Let's go down to the kitchen."

They descended the staircase and they reached the picture, a Trout of River Shiel. Ginny touched the trout of the picture, and it soon swung open. When they entered the kitchen, Winky, a house-elf of Hogwarts now, ran up to them,

"Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley, can Winky help you?"

"Yes, Winky. We want to have wine house-elves made. Can you bring it in?" asked Harry.

"Yes, Winky think so. Please wait. Winky will bring wine we made," Winky said, and she vanished for a while and she appeared again. She held a bottle of wine in her hands.


Draco poured the bright green liquid into the cup and smelled it. He was sure that he had done right as Snape told him. Then Harry entered the room with Bill.

"I thought you would be able to do druidic ancient runic magic by yourself," said Malfoy coolly.

Malfoy's sarcastic tone got on his nerves, but Harry hung on and said,

"Yes, I can do it, but I want to be ready just in case," and he pulled out his holly wand.

Malfoy began to stir counterclockwise. Harry took a step closer to the bronze cauldron and he started to write druidic ancient letters in the air carefully as he had learned by heart. Then he stared at the surface of the liquid and thought he failed and he turned around to ask Bill for his help.

"Harry, I think you did right. Wait and see if it will work out," said Bill.

But nothing happened. Ron lost his patience and said, "Malfoy, are you sure you did it right? You must have skipped something."

"No, I haven't. I did it just right as professor Snape told me," Malfoy talked back sharply.

"Stop quarreling. Look," said Bill.

They turned around to see the surface of the liquid. It was starting to boil then the liquid turned deep green, steamed, and settled down. They waited for a while and Malfoy finally opened his mouth.

"I think I could work it out. I'll fill each vial now."

They hurried to St. Mungo's, and handed three cases of vials. The same female healer who cared Hermione in a ward said to them,

"Three cases of vials will be much enough for the patients who suffer from the curse now. If we need more, you can make remedy again, Mr. Malfoy ?" she beamed at Draco.

"Of course, I can," his voice was cool but Harry could reckon Malfoy's pride came through clearly his tone.

"Can we be present when you awaken her?" asked Harry.

"Yes, please. I have no confidence to let her drink the potion at all. Will you give me advice, Mr. Malfoy? I reckon you know better than me how to let her drink it," said the healer.

"Yes, I do. Please bring a portable cauldron to warm the portion to let her inhale it," said Malfoy.

She directed other healers to bring the portable cauldron and she led the corridor of the ward to the room where Hermione was sleeping. Four of them followed her. Dean Thomas stood up from a stool by the bed where Hermione was sleeping. When he passed by Harry, he whispered,

"I've played the fool, Harry. I've heard from Seamus, Ginny was..."

"I did the same. We were clownish," said Harry, he tapped Dean on his shoulder lightly.

The healer set the portable cauldron by the bed, and she started warming the potion Malfoy made, soon the cauldron steamed. She poured down all liquid into an inhaler, and she hunched over the bed holding the inhaler towards Hermione's face. They gazed at her, holding their breath. A quarter of an hour inhalation brought her round. She gasped for breath and coughed hard and opened her eyes. Ron shouted,

"Hermione!" and he got closer to her and talked to her.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

"Oh, Ron, I was scared. I had nightmare," she sat up and her arms flung around Ron's upper body.

"It's alright, Hermione. You're safe now," said Ron.

"Is she able to leave here soon?" asked Bill.

"Yes, she is. But we have to check her before her leaving once more. Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Your potion will save other patients," the healer held out her hand.

Draco shook hands with her firmly with pride. Harry and Ron exchanged their glances and grinned.

Hermione went back to the room number eight in the Leaky Cauldron to work out their strategy with Bill to break the curse underground Gringotts after she had a check-up at St. Mungo's. After Ron went back to Hogwarts to escort Malfoy with Dean toward evening, Harry talked to Hermione, who was engrossed in her work with Bill,

"I'm very sorry you have to work soon like this after your recovery from the curse, but Kingsley is driven into a corner."

"I understand, Harry. Even if it takes long time to break the curse, I have remedy to cure now," said Hermione and she gasped,

"Oh, I've forgot to drink the potion after supper. The healer told me to drink this potion every evening," and she pulled a vial from her beaded bag and drank it.

"Well, let's finish the rest of them, tomorrow," said Bill.

"Will you stay here?" asked Hermione.

"No. Fleur misses me. She's very nervous, you know, we're going to have a baby. I'll be back here tomorrow morning," said Bill and he left there.

"Wow, a baby…It's fantastic, isn't it?" said Hermione.

"Yeah, brilliant," said Harry, and he felt Hermione stare at him and turned around and asked,

"Hermione?"

"Harry, where will you sleep?"

"Well, Kingsley reserved two rooms, one is this room for you, and the other is next number seven for Bill, Ron and me."

"Harry, I'm still scared. I have dreamed nightmare while I was sleeping at 's. Please stay with me till I sleep," she stared at Harry intently.

"Okay, Ron will be back soon, so I'll stay here till he comes back," said Harry.

Harry took off his Auror robes and sat down on a sofa which had comfortable armrests. He leant against the chair back, closed his eyes and sighed. What a busy week. He had three more things to be done: to find secret vault Lucius Malfoy and Pakinson used, in return for it, he had to give a golden flagon, in one condition, he had to let the goblins drink wine house-elves made from the golden flagon in which he had to put Ginny's cloth, to keep the sword of Griffindor forever. And he had to find the solution to break the magic Dara cast underground Gringotts before Hermione and Bill were ready for the third trial to break the curse. Then he felt his hair smoothed down, and he opened his eyes. Hermione was standing by him and she smoothed down his jet black hair. It was very comfy. He closed his eyes again and said,

"Thank you, Hermione. I really appreciate you and Bill work for us. I can't go on without your help. You're a brilliant witch, you know, you have helped Ron and me many times since we met in the Hogwarts Express for the first time."

Hermione kept silent, Harry thought, but he was stunned when he felt her lips touch on his.


Author's Note: I know what you are going to say about the last scene. Don't blame Hermione, please. ;) Please leave your feedback below.