A/N: And here is the promised new chapter. It took me a loong time to finish it mainly because this is the chapter that will herald the beginning of the end. Hahaha. Seriously, I had to decide if I really wanted to go this way. But, my muse was adamant. We must stick to the plan. And so, here we are. Hope you all enjoy reading this latest installment.
Many thanks to all those who are still following, especially to pgoodrichboggs (you've been here from the very start, my friend. All my love and virtual choco chip cookies to you), CiCiOhMy (for looking forward to more chapters, that means a lot), and to a Guest who was so excited for the update (please tell me your name so I can thank you properly). You all keep the fire alive.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe and its characters belong to the amazing JK Rowling. I'm just playing in her sandbox. And I still don't have a beta so all mistakes (grammar and plot holes) are all mine.
Chapter 34 - Horcruxes and Broken Mirrors
Draco could feel Hermione's eyes on him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He didn't like crushing her singular hope that his father had honorable intentions regarding Voldemort's horcruxes. If only he could make himself nurture that same hope - that Lucius had at least one virtuous bone in his body. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't. And it hurt more than he expected. It's never easy to admit that one came from a scheming, self-serving git of a father. Not even for someone who had already arrived at that same conclusion a long time ago. At least, he had his mother's noble genes to tide him over. Never mind that those genes were also shared with someone even worse than Lucius - his deranged Aunt Bellatrix. He'd long surmised that her despicable personality came not from the Blacks, but from the Rosier side. The Blacks, at least, were not all bad. They had a few who didn't give a flying fuck about blood purity or the Dark Arts (as he often heard Bellatrix bemoan). Even a couple (Regulus and Sirius) had the guts to defy Voldemort, the most dangerous wizard of all time. And as Bellatrix loved to taunt her younger sister, Narcissa had more of the Blacks than the Rosiers in her.
For which Draco was most thankful. Because, otherwise, he would have had no redemptive trait at all. He shuddered at the thought that Lucius was at one time given the choice between Narcissa and Bellatrix for his bride. Imagine the disaster it would've wrought had he chosen Bellatrix. Their child (meaning him) would've been more fucked up than he already was. Thank Salazar that Lucius preferred quiet, gentle women.
"What do you mean by Lucius taking Voldemort's place? Are you saying that he plans on conquering the world with him as the supreme leader?"
"Maybe not the whole world, not immediately anyway, but the wizarding world, at the very least. Our business ventures alone are already spread all over Europe. It would be child's play for him to...persuade...the Ministers of those countries where he presently has significant political clout to side with him. Especially when he starts throwing money around," Draco answered bitterly.
He'd often overheard his father instructing his minions to use money as leverage. At first, he was impressed. It felt good to know that they were as rich as King Midas himself (if not richer). Later on, as he learned more about how Malfoy money was being used to peddle corruption and propel infamous rising bigots like Voldemort to power, he was sickened. With this new insight into Lucius' boundless ambition, he could actually feel the bile rising to his throat. Why couldn't his father choose to do the right thing just for once?
Hermione was quiet for a while, digesting his words. Knowing her, he was sure that Lucius' plans in overthrowing Voldemort wasn't the only thing brewing inside that magnificent brain of hers.
"I need to see Harry," she said after a few beats.
Draco stiffened at the mention of the Chosen One's name. Had it been the Harry from their world, he wouldn't have any objections. But this world's Harry was a different matter.
"What, now? You want to go to the shack as in now?"
"Well, yes. Now would be the perfect time. Look, it's important to know how many horcruxes this timeline's Voldemort has. Regulus listed five. But maybe only because he didn't know about the others. Even Harry wasn't aware that he was a horcrux until just before the Battle of Hogwarts."
"So why do we need to talk to Potter?"
"I need to know if he's a horcrux in this timeline."
"How can you determine that?"
"Harry told us how his scar always hurt and how he could sometimes see through Voldemort's eyes. At first, we thought that it was just because of the curse, but later on he realized that it was because he was Voldemort's accidental horcrux," Hermione explained.
Draco now understood Hermione's point. If they could destroy all of Voldemort's horcruxes, then Voldemort would be mortal again. But before they could do that, they must find out just how many were really out there.
"What about Nagini? How did you find out that she was also a horcrux?"
"Harry once 'dreamt' that he was Nagini. It turned out that he was having a vision of Nagini attacking Arthur Weasley. He realized that he also had a connection with the snake. Then, when Voldemort learned that we were destroying his horcruxes, he kept Nagini in a protective bubble, always by his side. It became pretty obvious why."
They were both silent for a while, each one lost in their own thoughts.
"Do you think Lucius had already found some of them?" Hermione asked eventually. Draco shook his head.
"I can't tell. I might have to make another trip to Malfoy Manor to find out," Draco replied. He didn't fancy going back home and chance encountering his father, but if it would help them figure out where Voldemort's horcruxes were, then he didn't really have a choice. He'd already asked Toffler (despite his misgivings) to find the Time-Turner (without telling him what it really was) for him, he could ask him to help on this one, too. Hitting two stones with one bird, as Hermione use to say. Or was it 'two birds with one stone'? Damned Muggle expressions! So illogical and nonsensical.
"If Lucius had already known about the horcruxes when he altered our timeline, then he would've had enough chances to locate them without Voldemort knowing since he'd been in a coma for ten years," Hermione said, "I wonder if he knew how to destroy them."
"Why? Is it hard to destroy a horcrux?"
"Well, yes. To destroy a horcrux, it's container must be damaged beyond repair, meaning it can't be repaired even with magic. The diary and Hufflepuff's cup were destroyed using basilisk venom, the diadem by Fiendfyre, Salazar's locket, the Gaunt ring, and Nagini by Gryffindor's sword. The bit of Voldemort's soul inside Harry was destroyed when he used the Avada on him."
"So...only those three things destroy horcruxes?"
Hermione seemed to mull over that. "Actually, there could be other ways to destroy a horcrux that we never discovered. It was a bit of a trial and error on our part. I had researched about horcruxes. A lot had been said about how to make them and the dangers involved, but nothing much about how to destroy them."
"Do you think they're still in those places where you found them before - the horcruxes?" Draco asked. "What if my fa-...Lucius had already moved them?"
"We'd still have to search those places. At least we now have a few starting points. The diary was in your father's possession back then, before he purposely left it inside Ginny's cauldron. It possessed her and used her to open the Chamber of Secrets during our second year at Hogwarts."
"What? He gave Voldemort's horcrux to the Weaslette?" Draco was incredulous. He couldn't believe that his father could be that diabolical.
"He knew that it was imbued with dark magic, for sure. But I doubt if he would've left it in Ginny's care if he knew that it was also a horcrux. He wouldn't be that careless."
"But now he does know," Draco shook his head in frustration.
"I don't think Ginny got hold of the diary in this timeline. Voldemort was in a coma for ten years. Lucius wouldn't have been eager to bring back the Dark Lord in that way. If he already found the diary, it would still be with him."
Draco gunted, anger flooding his veins. "He changed so many things with that fucking time-turner. If not for that we wouldn't be in this fucking situation!" He was nearing the end of his rope with this cursed time shift. He'd already survived Voldemort once, albeit painfully...now he was being forced to go through that hell again. If not for Hermione, he probably would've just killed himself.
"We'll figure something out," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Together, we can do anything, right?"
His rising fury quickly subsided at her soothing words. He couldn't lose his shit now. He must use his brain and get them out of here. Think like a Slytherin, idiot. He chided himself. Leaning down, he kissed Hermione and hugged her tight.
"Yes, together. We can do this together," he sighed and pulled away to look down his girlfriend's warm, brown eyes. Faith. That's what he saw in them. Faith that everything would turn out right. Faith in them. Faith in him.
And it was frightening.
No one had ever believed in him that much. Hell, no one ever believed in him, period. Not even his own flesh and blood. His father loathed his lack of ambition. His mother, yes, she loved him, but she still saw him as a little boy, her eternal little boy that needed her protection.
Which gave him more reason not to fail. He couldn't afford to fail.
With renewed determination, Draco rose to his feet, pulling Hermione up with him. "Come on, let's go to the shack. Perhaps we could eliminate one bloody horcrux tonight," he mumbled the last beneath his breath, but Hermione still heard.
She playfully punched his arm and scowled at him. "We are not eliminating anything or anyone tonight, Malfoy. Horcrux or not."
"What I meant was, if he's not a horcrux, then we'd at least cross out one from the list. Whoever gave you the idea that I want to eliminate Potter?" he scoffed. Hermione gave him a baleful glare. He pulled her to him and nuzzled her nose. "I promise to play nice."
Hermione smirked, "You better."
"We better get going. I'd rather this be over and done with as soon as possible. I want to be back here before curfew so I can claim my reward for being such a good boy," he wiggled his eyebrows at Hermione, making her blush.
He was amused at how shy she still was when it came to their slowly deepening intimacy. Knowing that he'd just embarrass her further if he pointed that out, Draco stood back and quietly watched as Hermione transformed herself into Abigail Adams. Once that was done, he slung an arm around his prim and proper Gryffette and guided her out of the Room of Requirement. They didn't want to risk being overheard so they made their way to the Whomping Willow in silence. They hid behind a row of thick bushes when they saw Ron, Lavender, Seamus, and Dean climbing out of the opening between the still subdued tree's roots. In that group, only Ron knew about Draco's involvement in the Resistance, and he wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. As soon as they were out of sight, Draco and Hermione ran to the Whomping Willow to take advantage of its current immobile state. Within minutes the couple was striding down the kitchen where they found Harry sitting at the small table, surrounded by Neville, Luna, and Daphne. The Chosen One was looking intently at what appeared to be a small mirror. Neville was the first to notice their arrival.
"Oi, look who's here. Draco and Abby," Neville said. Daphne was yet to be told about 'Abigail's' true identity. The two girls waved at them. Hermione and Draco waved back. Harry just raised an arm in greeting, his full attention still focused on the small mirror propped up on the table.
"What's up?" asked Neville.
"Uh, we need to talk to Harry," Hermione said, walking over to the group. Draco followed tentatively behind her. He still didn't feel that comfortable around the Chosen One, in spite of the many times he'd been in his presence.
"Draco! Abigail!" a shrill, child's voice called out to them.
Draco nearly jumped at the sound and was astonished to find that it was coming from the tiny mirror sitting atop the table.
"Hey! Good thing you two are here. We've been talking to the kids. Here, sit down," Harry said, waving Draco forward. "Jason's been asking about you," Harry rose from his chair and stepped aside to let Draco take his place.
Daphne also gave up her seat to Hermione, smiling at her as she stood beside Harry. Draco couldn't help but notice the warm, but shy smiles the two exchanged. His attention was however diverted when Jason's voice squealed his name.
"Draco! Draco! Look! I have a new jumper," Jason was jumping up and down before the mirror. The only thing Draco could see was a golden snitch sewed onto blue wool.
"That's awesome, kid! But can you please sit down? I want to see you better," Draco said, not able to contain the chuckle that went with it.
They heard Elena urging Jason to sit down before they finally laid eyes on the hyperactive 5-year-old. "Did you see, huh? Did you see? It's a snitch! The ball with wings! Did you see? Emmet said it's used for Queewitch! Can a broom really fly? Huh, Draco? Can it? Have you seen a flying broom? Have you-" Jason rolled his eyes after Elena's voice came in the background, telling him to slow down.
Draco laughed. "Yes, Jason. I've actually seen a flying broom. Maybe someday I'll show you how it's done. And if you're really, really good, I'll even let you ride with me."
Jason's eyes were as big as saucers. "Will you? Will you? Promise? Promise, Draco?"
"Yes, I promise. Just be a good-"
"I'm good! I'm good! Ask Elena!" Jason insisted, jumping up and down again so only the snitch on his jumper was visible in the mirror.
"Okay! Okay," Draco chuckled. "Stay good so I can take you flying. And-" the rest of his words were cut off at the insistent pounding from outside. He looked up to find the others exchanging puzzled looks.
"I'll see who it is," Neville said, pulling out his wand from his pocket.
"I'll go with you," said Luna, mimicking her boyfriend's actions. Neville nodded to her and the two left for the foyer.
Draco's wand was in his hand before he even noticed that Harry and Daphne had also done the same. He didn't have to look at Hermione to know that she'd also drawn hers. Even though the Weasley twins had assured them that no one aside from those recognized by the wards would be able to get past the wire gate, they couldn't be too careful. The tense situation was easily diffused when Neville and Luna came back with the Weasley twins in tow.
"Forgot the new password. Sorry," Fred said, shaking his head.
It was only when Harry rushed toward the newcomers that Draco saw the three wizards standing behind them - Sirius Black, Arthur Weasley, and Alastor Moody. Draco shifted on his feet, dismayed at being reminded of his brief stint as a ferret. Hopefully, this Moody wouldn't display the same dastardly conduct.
"Sirius! What a nice surprise," Harry was saying as he encased the older wizard in a bear hug. Sirius had returned the hug, but there was a notable anxiety in his stance.
"Harry! I wish I had come at a better time. Unfortunately, we're just passing through," Sirius said, disengaging himself from his godson's embrace.
"Passing through? What do you mean?"
Sirius was about to explain the situation to Harry when his eyes had swiveled to Draco. And before Draco could react, he found himself being threatened by the older wizard's wand.
"What is he doing here?" Sirius snarled, "That's Lucius' spawn!"
"And your cousin, if I'm not mistaken," Arthur Weasley said, gently pushing Sirius' wand hand down to his side.
"Well, he's not mine," growled Moody, shoving past Arthur with his wand pointing menacingly at Draco's face.
"He's my friend, Moody. He's here because he's a member of the Resistance," Harry all but yelled. "Sirius, he and Abigail were the ones who helped the children at my orphanage escape the Death Eaters when they came for me."
"But he's the Minister's son," Sirius retorted.
"And he's on our side," Neville said, shuffling past the older wizards, with Luna following behind him. The two stood on either side of Draco and Hermione. Draco was grateful for the show of support because Moody's wand, he noted in relief, was now pointing at the floor.
"Do you trust him?" Sirius said, turning to Harry with piercing eyes.
"Yes, I trust them both," Harry said, glancing back at them.
"Who's the girl?" Arthur quietly asked George who was standing to his right.
"Abigail Adams, the hot transferee from Ilvermorny," George replied, winking at Hermione. Draco felt a violent urge to punch the smarmy look off of the redhead's face.
"Enough of this! We don't have time to waste on this nonsense. Show us the fireplace," Moody bellowed at the twins. Fred and George eagerly complied, beckoning Moody to follow them to the sitting room. The former Auror turned to Draco as he hobbled away. "I'm keeping an eye on you, boy, remember that, " he growled, his magical eye spinning furiously in its socket.
He would never admit it, but fear coursed through Draco. Moody was one crazy, unpredictable wizard. Who knew what other creatures Moody could turn him into? Hermione squeezed his hand, as if reading his thoughts.
"What's that?" Arthur asked, the animated mirror catching his eye.
"Oh, it's an enchanted mirror. Lanie gave it to me the first time we met. We use it to talk to each other," Harry explained.
Arthur was waving at a beaming Jason when Fred and George came back into the kitchen, wearing sheepish grins. Sirius and Moody were looking disgruntled.
"Uh, we forgot that we cannot go through unless the Floo on the other side is open. We need to owl Emmet. Ask him to summon Twinkle so she can open the Floo," said Fred.
"Or we can use this, Emmet also has one, doesn't he?" Neville said, pulling his crystal pendant from beneath his shirt.
"Hang on. Why do you need to open the Floo?" Harry blurted.
Draco was about to ask the same thing. After Emmet had found out that the Ministry was conducting random sweeps of all international Floo travel and communications, Dumbledore had instructed Gordon to close the Floo in his US townhouse. It would only be opened in case of an emergency.
"Uh...well...because…" Fred turned desperate eyes to his father.
Arthur had cleared his throat and was about to give an explanation when a man's voice was heard coming from the mirror, calling out Harry's name. Draco quickly left his seat to give way to Harry.
"Leo! Hey, what's wrong?" Harry said, leaning closer to the mirror. From his position behind Harry, Draco could see the terrified face of the American Auror.
"We're in trouble, Harry. I saw people scouting my sister's house early this morning. When I came back there this afternoon, they were still there," Leo explained.
"Tell him to open the Floo, dammit!" Moody bellowed.
Sirius threw an irritated glance at the former Auror before moving behind Harry. "Ask him to open the Floo, Harry. Now. Every minute counts," Sirius calmly said.
Harry nodded and said, "Leo, can you open the Floo?"
"On it, Harry," Leo said before disappearing from view.
Lanie's face appeared in the mirror, fear evident in the young girl's eyes. They had met her before they came back to England. Hermione liked the precocious 10-year-old. Draco had teased her by saying that it's probably because Lanie reminded her of herself. Hermione huffed, her own way of agreeing to something without admitting that she did.
"Harry, I'm scared. I can feel them...the bad people," she said, nibbling on her lip.
Whatever Harry's words were never had the chance to leave his lips. An ear-splitting scream followed by a series of loud explosions resounded from somewhere inside the Fawley townhouse, causing Lanie to drop the mirror. All they saw and heard next were several running feet and terrified screams. A blue toy car bounced on the floor and landed before the mirror.
"That's Jason's," he heard Hermione gasp beside him.
Draco's heart jumped to his throat, a grim thought freezing his blood.
They had been found!
James glanced at the battered piece of parchment in his hand. He held the wand closer to it to see if he was going the right way. Apparently, Draco, he had to grudgingly admit, was good at keeping his promises. Behind the portrait of a dancing Veela, James found what Draco had said he had left for him - a map of the Manor and an old wand. He wished he had his own, but this was better than nothing. The Minister only let them use their wands during training and their guards were very diligent in making sure that they were returned right after.
This was actually his third trip to the Minister's study. He'd taken the first one the day after Draco's visit. At first he was wary of the Slytherin Seeker. Had he not heard of the rumors going around Hogwarts about Draco's feud with his father, he wouldn't have even considered Draco's request. Still, he was a bit skeptical. It could be just another of Draco's attempts to infuriate his father, in which he didn't want to be involved. But when his Quidditch nemesis told him things about the Resistance, including the blood oath they all took, he decided to listen. There was something different about the Minister's son, too. He just couldn't put a finger on it
Yet, if he were to be honest, the one thing that made his mind up about the younger Malfoy, was due to selfish reasons. He'd seen how the Slytherin Prince doted on the blonde transferee from Ilvermorny, Abigail Adams, during dinner. That made him think his previous theories on Draco's interest in Hermione and his unusual treatment of her were unfounded. Draco couldn't have been in love with the Ravenclaw witch if he was easily distracted by a blonde beauty. Which was fine by him. One less rival in his pursuit of the most wonderful witch he'd ever met. It was a relief, if nothing else.
What really baffled him about his 'assignment', though, was the object he was looking for. Draco couldn't (or probably didn't want to, his cynical self said) tell him what it was exactly. He was given a mere description of it - a necklace, probably a chain, with an hourglass pendant. He couldn't even tell James if it was gold or silver, if it was big or small, heavy or light, only that it would be found hidden inside one of the hollow books in Lucius' study. He'd already examined dozens of books, but none of them had a hollow center. Sometimes he felt like he was getting played by the Malfoy heir. If not for his insatiable curiosity, he would've given up the search after his first unsuccessful outing. Still, a promise was a promise, and James had as yet to break one. Hopefully, he'd find something tonight.
James stopped in front of the secret entrance to the Minister's study, ready to push against the canvas backing of the painting when he heard voices from within. It was the Minister, and he was furious.
"I can't find the damn list, Flint," Lucius Malfoy bellowed. James could hear crashing and thumping, like things were being flung around in anger.
"I'm sure you've already memorized it word for word by now. You don't need it. Besides, we already destroyed four of them-"
"I know, but that's not the point. It's not where I hid it, meaning someone had gone through my desk. Who knows what else that thief had found!"
After a brief pause, Lucius' guest replied, "Are you saying that someone could be spying on you? This place is impenetrable. Don't you think you're just being paranoid?"
"I am not being paranoid, Flint. Someone was here. We could have a traitor in our midst and you're smirking there like an imbecile."
"I just think-"
"I'm not interested in what you think. I need to find the spy and you're going to make your son find him for me."
"What? We don't even know if there really is a-"
"Just do it. Find the spy and bring him to me!"
"Fine. It's not as if Marcus is doing anything more important than spying on your exalted guests."
Ice slithered down James' back. Draco was right, there's a spy in their midst.
"We can't risk being exposed, Flint. Too much is at stake now."
"I know. I just don't understand why you're not telling Draco about-"
"I don't want him to be involved. It will kill Narcissa-"
"Right. You don't want your son to be involved, but you're ordering my son to risk his neck-"
"He volunteered, didn't he? You should be proud of him."
"I am! It's just that-"
"I'll be forever indebted to your family, Flint. And when everything is in place, you two will be the first to reap the rewards."
"No need to sell steak to me, Lucius, when I already bought the whole cow," came the laughing reply.
And that broke the tension in the room because James heard Lucius chuckling as well.
"You're a good friend, Flint. We're almost there. Just have a little more patience."
"Shouldn't I be the one telling you to be a little more patient, my friend?"
James heard the two men laugh briefly.
"You're right. After we destroy his last horcrux he'd be just as vulnerable as you and me. If not a little more. He thinks he still has them, after all, the arrogant prick. And that's how we'll destroy him," Lucius said.
James wondered what a horcrux was and who was going to be vulnerable after the last one was destroyed. He just hoped Lucius wasn't referring to anyone from their side. Whatever or whoever that was wasn't his mission, however, so he dismissed it immediately. No need to clutter his brain with things that didn't concern him. He must focus on his 'assignment', though he doubted if he could do anything about that tonight. Lucius didn't seem in a hurry to leave the study, forcing James delay his planned exploration.
Sitting on the cold stone floor, James studied the map to keep himself occupied. He'd decided that he would wait for Lucius and his guest to leave. He couldn't afford to let this night go to waste; the quicker he found the object Draco wanted, the earlier he and Draco could finalize their means of escape. Angus would keep an eye on the others for him. Draco's warning about the impostor in their midst, which he had shared with his cousin, had made both of them even more protective of their fellow Muggle-borns. Tired from the day's training, James slumped against the wall and was slowly drifting off when he heard a name that was all too familiar, swiftly pulling him from his stupor.
"Are you sure that Snape will meet the deadline? Is he really willing to turn over the Granger girl on Friday?" It was Flint. "I need to know so I can arrange for additional people."
Granger...they found her...but...Snape...the Headmaster...is turning her over? To who?
"Arrange it. But only the most trusted ones. And make them use Muggle faces. Have them stationed as near as they can get to the Apparition point. You probably should lead them. We can't risk losing the girl. Volde-... You-Know-Who is dying to make her his bride. Or so I heard. We can't let that happen, can we?"
Voldemort wants Hermione to be his bride? What the effing hell?
"Agreed. He would be unstoppable once he's bound to her magic, Gaunt descendant that she is. He'll be twice as strong."
Hermione's a...Gaunt?
"I know. All our hard work will be wasted if he gets a new source of magic. We must not fail in this, Flint. We have too much to lose. Make it appear like she had been snatched from Severus. Spread some rumors if you have to."
"But won't that make the Dark Lord more vigilant?"
Lucius laughed, "He put me in charge of security, didn't he? Leave it to me. He won't know what hit him. Just make sure that you play your part as planned."
"Why don't we just kill the girl?"
James' heart stopped. Don't say yes Lucius!
"No, I have plans for her. We must keep her safe."
"I still can't believe that Severus would turn her over without a fight."
"He didn't have a choice, did he? The Dark Lord was clear. If he didn't surrender the girl, Hogwarts would be leveled. Severus would never let that happen."
"What if he double-crosses the Dark Lord?"
"What do you mean?"
"You yourself doubt his loyalty. What if he's really working with the Order? They wouldn't give up the girl that easily. They could be planning on snatching her themselves."
A moment of silence passed, making James wonder if Lucius would even answer. After a few beats, he heard a deep sigh followed by the Minister's tired voice.
"Then, there's going to be a bloodbath."
That's when James decided he'd heard enough. Stashing the map back in his pocket, he rose to his feet and ran down the corridor as quietly as possible. He must contact the Resistance and tell them about this. Now. But how? It would be extremely hard to convey everything he'd heard through their pendant. He must speak with someone. Someone who could come to him at Malfoy Manor without drawing suspicion on themselves. Better yet, someone who knew how to get in and out of Malfoy Manor without being detected.
Only one person came to mind. Draco.
But how would he get in touch with him? Draco had warned him that not everyone in the Resistance, or the Order, knew about his involvement. He must not jeopardize Draco's position. As he looked at his borrowed wand, an idea came to mind. There was a way to get to Draco safely, after all. Angus had been bending his ear about the peculiarities of one Malfoy house elf for the longest time. Good thing he had paid attention.
To get to Draco, he must first find Dobby.
Draco slammed a hand on the table, causing the empty mugs to jump a few inches. Neville winced, but said nothing. He understood. Waiting was the hardest thing to do when you're left behind and people you cared about were out there risking themselves.
"Can't you get that mirror to work again?" Draco snapped at Neville.
"The other half appeared to have been broken...crushed. We can't establish a connection without it," Neville said, calmly. Or as calmly as he could because he really wasn't.
The others who had not gone with the Order to the Fawley townhouse had already returned to Hogwarts. Only he, Draco, and Harry were left in the Shrieking Shack. Moody had been adamant in not letting Harry or Draco go with them. So adamant, in fact, that he had used his own modified version of 'Stupefy' on the two in spite of Arthur's protests, knocking both of them out immediately. Strangely, Sirius seemed to agree with the former Auror. Neville had been forced to stay behind in order to keep Draco and Harry from charging after them. Moody sealed the fireplace for good measure, as well. Neville had to admit that it made his job a bit easier. But not by that much. He still had to face the wrath of both men once the spell had run its course.
Draco had been livid, no, raving mad, when he found out that Abby (Hermione) had gone with the Order. He didn't know, of course, that she had jumped into the fireplace at the last minute, just when Moody was conveniently distracted by a sudden explosion in the kitchen, which she had probably set up herself. Neville didn't know how to tell Draco about that, so he just kept that information to himself. The Slytherin Prince would surely turn violent when told about his girlfriend's reckless (but brilliant, in Neville's opinion) move. Neville actually wish he'd thought of that, too. Then, he wouldn't have been tasked with babysitting these volatile and extremely dangerous wizards. They wouldn't hurt him, of course. But listening to their ranting was just as bad, his eardrums were now practically bleeding.
"How long has it been?" Draco asked, pacing up and down the length of the kitchen, his pale face hard as marble.
Neville glanced at the clock hanging above the stove. "Forty minutes, I think," he replied, grimacing when Draco turned to him with narrowed eyes.
"You think? You're not sure?"
"Well, I didn't really mark the time, did I?" Neville grunted, getting irritated himself. What did Draco think he was, anyway, his house elf?
Before Draco could retaliate, Harry came barrelling into the room, his face as stormy as the weather outside. The Chosen One dropped into a chair and threw his wand on the table.
"It's useless. I tried everything! Nothing worked," Harry said, slumping down his chair.
Draco snorted and took the opposite chair. "I told you, didn't I? That fucking Moody locked us out with an untraceable spell."
"He used to be an Auror, probably the best of his generation. He must have used another one of his own spells," Neville said, ignoring the glaring eyes of his companions. "Moody's known for capturing a lot of people using customized spells. I won't be surprised if that's what he did here."
"And you're suddenly a fan of that demented fuck?" Draco huffed.
Neville swallowed the anger rising from the pit of his stomach. Nothing good could come out of an argument with Draco. He must try to empathize with the Slytherin. Had it been Luna risking her life out there, he'd probably be in a worse state. Keep calm, Neville. Words, they're just words, he told himself.
"I'm not a fan of anyone, Malfoy. I just stated facts. Facts about Moody. He may be a demented fuck, but you can't deny that he's an exceptionally talented, demented fuck!"
Draco raised an eyebrow, speechless at Neville's outburst. The blonde Slytherin averted his eyes and stared at the table in silence, his fingers wrapping around an empty mug, strangling it.
"I should've been there. Amy...her parents...their family and friends...they're all in trouble because of me," Harry said, his voice cracking at the end.
"You'd be dead if you were there," Draco said without looking at Harry.
"Oh, yeah?" Harry said, jumping to his feet. "I defeated them the first time, when I didn't even know what I was. I killed them with my inert Magic!"
"Bellatrix wasn't there that night, Potter," Draco replied with a smirk and an exasperated shake of his head.
"So what? She's just a witch, just another one of Voldemort's dogs."
Draco's eyes snapped to Harry, his lips twisting into an unpleasant sneer.
"You don't know Bellatrix. You haven't been in the same room with her. You haven't felt evil rolling over you just by being near her. You haven't experienced her special curses, her highly developed Crucios. You haven't stared into her eyes. You haven't seen true Dark Magic until you've stood before her. Talk to me again about defeating 'just another witch', 'just another one of Voldemort's dogs' when you've done all that. But before then, keep your fucking superiority complex in check because you don't know even half of what Bellatrix can, and will, do to you."
Neville felt the air shift with Draco's anger. Harry must've felt it, too, because his face held none of his former bravado. He sat back in his chair and stared at Draco with wide eyes, filled with the same terror that Neville was currently feeling. He had never met Bellatrix, either (fortunately!). But he'd heard stories...terrible stories that kept him awake at night when he was younger. Still, they were nothing compared to what Draco's words had conveyed. There was a genuineness to them, a surety that could only come from first hand knowledge. Neville had a feeling that Draco had been, at one point or another, subjected to his deranged Aunt's wicked and violent ways. He shuddered at the thought.
He often bemoaned his lack of relatives, it's been just him and Gran since he was little. Now, he found his situation much better than having someone like Bellatrix for an Aunt. He looked at Draco with new eyes. Could the Slytherin Prince's swagger and irritating arrogance be just a front? He often hid his insecurities, his nervousness, behind a smiling face and careless laughter. Could Draco be hiding some insecurities, too?
"Potter, let me ask you something. Have you ever felt like you're in someone else's head?" Draco asked, breaking the silence and surprising both Neville and Harry.
Harry turned narrowed eyes at Draco. "I don't understand."
"Like you're seeing things through someone else's eyes. Do you get visions?" Draco said, leaning on the table.
"Visions? No… I don't think so," Harry replied, brows furrowed in thought.
"Do you hear voices in your head?"
Harry's eyes turned stormy when he retorted, "Do you?"
Draco stared at Harry, but said nothing. After a beat, he turned his slate gray eyes back to his much-abused mug.
Harry sighed. "What is this about, Draco. Are you implying that I'm going crazy or something?"
"No," Draco replied, eyes swiveling back to Harry. "Do you know what a horcrux is?"
"A hor…a what?" Harry said, bewildered.
Neville had heard of that word before. From Luna. His eccentric girlfriend once told him about it one afternoon from out of the blue. She was, as she often liked to do when they were in her father's library, reading one of her mother's old journals when she started lecturing Neville about the evils of creating a horcrux. Neville didn't quite understand what a horcrux was, but Luna had drummed into his head that it was not something a good wizard or witch would dabble in. Why Draco was asking Harry about it, he didn't dare guess. It couldn't be just to pass the time. Discussing horcruxes was not for light banter. Well, at least he's stopped ragging about being left behind, Neville said to himself.
"A horcrux is basically a vessel, usually an inanimate object, though sometimes it could also be an animal or on extremely rare occasions, a person. It's used to contain a piece of the creator of the horcrux' soul," Draco said.
"The creator's soul? Then, it's something that can be created to contain a person's soul-"
"Just a piece," Draco said, cutting into Harry's analysis. "You'd be dead if you put the entirety of your soul inside one horcrux."
"Right, of course. But why would one want to make a horcrux? And how is it made? I don't suppose it's that common since I didn't encounter it in any of the books that Prof. Dumbledore made me read."
A dry chuckle was Draco's response. "Dumbledore would never let you read any books about the Dark Arts. And yes, it's not so common. But only because you have to be really desperate to make it. You need to commit murder in order to create a horcrux."
"Murder? Why would anyone murder people just to have a horcrux?"
That's why it shouldn't be done, Neville said to himself. He obviously missed that part in Luna's lecture.
"To become immortal. A horcrux would enable its creator to return to life even after their body was destroyed."
Harry's brow furrowed as he digested that bit. "Why are you telling me this? What have I got to do with a horcrux?"
Draco smirked. "I was wondering if you are one."
"What?" Harry and Neville chorused.
"If this is a joke, it isn't funny," Harry said.
"Do I look like I have a sense of humor? And even if I did, a horcrux isn't something to joke about," Draco said, "I remember hearing about how the Dark Lord tried to kill you with an Avada and that it rebounded on him. I was just wondering if in his attempt to kill you the Dark Lord accidently turned you into a living horcrux."
"But… you said to create a horcrux one has to commit murder. I'm still very much alive, as you can see," Harry said.
"You are, however, your parents died that night, didn't they? That was double murder, more than enough to create a horcrux."
Harry's eyes blazed at the reminder. Neville's fingers inched towards his wand, ready to intervene should things turn ugly. But Harry closed his eyes and sighed, slumping against the back of his chair.
"How would I know if I'm a horcrux then?" the Chosen One said eventually, his voice heavy with the weight of the world. Neville felt sorry for him.
"I...I'm not really sure… but one of the signs would be what I asked you earlier… seeing through someone else's eyes."
Harry mulled this over, his forehead crunching in concentration. "I don't remember ever experiencing that. When I was younger, I had difficulty controlling my abilities when I'm angry. Bulbs and pipes would explode-"
"Voices, do you hear voices in your head?" Draco interrupted in a rush, his face animated in a way Neville had never seen before.
Why was Draco so intent on knowing if Harry was the Dark Lord's horcrux? Neville thought it strange. And creepy.
The loud crack of apparition diverted their attention from the intense conversation (interrogation, more like) and sent their wands pointing at the new arrival. It was a thin, smiling house elf dressed in a clean, gray toga with the Malfoy rest emblazoned at the center.
"Dobby?" Draco said, "Why are you here? How did you find me?" Draco raised a hand before the elf could reply. "Never mind. I know, elf magic. Just tell me why you're here."
The elf named Dobby looked warily at Harry and Neville before motioning Draco to lean down. When Draco complied, the elf rose on tiptoes and whispered into his master's ear. Draco frowned, evidently not liking what he had been told. He straightened and looked down at the elf with stern eyes that reminded Neville of the current Minister for Magic.
"I must go to the Manor," Draco said, sounding baffled and irritated. "It's Toffler. He wants to talk. Said he didn't want to risk sending a letter."
Draco cursed and paced the floor, torn between waiting for Hermione to return and leaving to find out why James had asked for a meeting. Neville wasn't really surprised that James didn't use his crystal pendant to communicate with them. The crystals could only transmit short messages during emergencies, not long discourses. What surprised Neville was that Draco didn't immediately dismiss James' request. As far as he knew, the two weren't even on speaking terms.
"Send a message to Toffler when they get back," Draco said to Neville before turning to the fidgeting house-elf. "Come on, Dobby. Take me to the Manor." Dobby took Draco's outstretched hand and they both disapparated with a loud crack.
Neville almost sighed in relief. At least he only had one dangerous wizard left to baby-sit. Later, Neville would be even more thankful that Draco had left when he did and had not been there when the team that went to America came back through the Floo.
Because had the Slytherin Prince been there, all hell would have broken loose.
Fred threw a shield charm on himself as soon as he landed on the Fawley fireplace, standard operating procedure for all Order members when entering unknown territory. What wasn't standard procedure was how he jumped out and rolled on the floor towards George right after. That was something he copied from the Muggle detective movies he used to watch with Lee Jordan.
"Always wanted to try that," he whispered to George with a wink. His twin rolled his eyes and snorted, but didn't say anything. Fred understood the unsaid message - put your game face on and be serious.
And George was right, no time for jokes now. This was not just unknown territory, this was dangerous territory. Deadly dangerous, in fact, considering that Bellatrix could already be in the vicinity. In Lorcan's list, Bellatrix's reinforcements were to arrive before midnight, which was also when they were supposed to attack the Fawley house. Clearly, the vicious witch didn't give a damn about schedules or reinforcements.
A soft whoosh behind him made Fred glance back to the fireplace. He'd expected to see Moody since Arthur and Sirius had come before them and were already stationed on each side of a dark, oaken door, wands drawn and ready for action. Fred blinked hard when he saw Abigail's slim form calmly stepping out of the fireplace.
"What are you doing here?" Fred said before he could stop himself.
The former Ilvermorny student shrugged, "I'm here to help."
Another whoosh and Moody was stepping out of the fireplace in swift angry strides, his wand pointed at Abigail's face.
"You are one tricky, little witch, aren't you?" Moody growled.
"You didn't let her come here?" Arthur said, frowning at Abigail.
"Of course not! The little trickster set up an explosion in the kitchen knowing that I would run to it and investigate. When I came back she was already engulfed in green flames. It was too late to pull her back without tearing her limb from limb."
"You tricked Moody? The legendary and feared Auror?" George said, his eyes glowing.
"Cunning," Sirius said, winking.
"A witch after my own heart," Fred said, falling to one knee. "Marry me, my lady."
"Oh, get up, you fool," Moody said, grabbing Fred by the scruff of his neck. He turned to Abigail and pulled her towards the fireplace. "You're going back, missy. I don't want to have you burdening us with your incompetence."
Abigail yanked her arm away and ran back to Fred's side. "Incompetence? You don't even know me. How can you judge me like that? Besides, I'm the only one in this group who's ever been here before. I know the layout of the place. We can do this faster with me leading," Abigail said, her eyes throwing daggers at Moody.
Fred's estimation of the blonde Slytherin princess just went up a notch higher. Beautiful and smart, with guts to match his own. He definitely wouldn't mind her slithering up to him.
Stop it, Fred! This is not the time!
"I hate to admit it, but she's right, Alastor," Arthur said. "She's the only one here who knows this place. We can move faster with her guiding us."
"I agree with Arthur. I also think she's very competent. She's one of the two people Snape trusted enough to fetch Harry, wasn't she? And much as I hate to credit that man with anything, I know he's not one to put his trust in incompetent people. I'm sure she can take care of herself, right, sweetheart?" Sirius said, winking at Abigail.
"Absolutely," Abigail said, winking back.
Oh, shit. She's so sassy! So...sexy...
Don't go there, Fred.
"Aright! Just don't slow me down, missy, or you're going to get it when we get home," Moody growled as he walked past Abigail and the twins.
"What's the plan then, Miss-" Sirius said.
"Abigail. Just call me Abigail," she said, looking nervous for the first time. "I...I don't really have a plan...besides getting to the children and leaving here in one piece."
"Guess we're on the same page then," Arthur said, smiling encouragingly at Abigail. Leave it to Dad to put everyone at ease even during the grimmest of times, Fred thought, his heart brimming with affection for his father.
"Let's start with how to get to them. Where are we right now?" Moody barked.
"This is Gordon's study. Just outside the door are the stairs that lead to the children's bedrooms. Let's hope they're all in one place."
"Okay. Let's disillusion ourselves. You lead the way, Abby," Sirius said.
Abigail smiled at Sirius and walked towards the door as they prepared to put disillusionment charms on themselves. Then, she turned to them and said, "Wait, how are you going to follow me if I can't be seen? I can't disillusion myself."
"I have an idea," George said, walking up to Abigail. He pulled out a thin, silver ribbon from his pocket and handed it over to Abigail. "Here, tie this around your finger after you cast the disillusionment charm so it won't be affected. I already put a special spell on it so it won't be noticed by anyone aside from the people who already know what to look for."
"Brilliant!" Abigail said, taking the ribbon from George. She placed it on a nearby table so it would not be affected by the disillusionment charm.
"What? You already finished that spell? And you didn't tell me?" Fred said, playfully punching his twin's shoulder.
"I just finished it last night! I forgot to tell you because of everything that's happened, okay? It wasn't intentional," George said in a rush, his cheeks blushing.
"Boys! Boys! Enough of that. We're running out of time," Arthur said. "But great job, both of you. I'm sure your mum will be proud that you've finally made something that doesn't cause physical pain on anybody."
"Enough of this chit-chat. Let's get going," Moody growled.
"Right! Remember, look for a floating silver ribbon and follow it," George said before casting a disillusioning himself.
Fred shivered as the spell washed over him. He never really liked that spell. It made him nauseous. When he looked up, the door was slowly opening, a tiny silver ribbon bobbing out into the hallway. He knew George was in front of him because he was the closest to Abigail when they were in the room. They were halfway through the hall when the silver ribbon abruptly stopped at the foot of the stairs, causing Fred to bump into George, who muttered a curse beneath his breath.
"Sorry," he whispered to George.
"Look to the right, but don't say anything," George whispered back.
Fred's heart clenched at the sight that greeted him. There were about a dozen masked Death Eaters scattered around the room, three of them standing behind a bloodied man suspended a few feet from the ground. His arms were stretched out on either side of him, as if tied to invisible ropes. It took Fred a couple of seconds before he realized that it was Leo, the American Auror they once met during an Order meeting. His face was beaten to a pulp and his arms, chest, and legs were cut in so many places blood was literally pooling on the pristine marble floors.
One of the Death Eaters hit Leo with a Crucio, sending his body into a grotesque mid-air dance. "Where is Harry Potter?" the Death Eater said. "It's better if you tell me now before Madame Lestrange returns. She's not as patient as I am. I promise to kill you quickly."
"Then you better do it now because I'm not telling you shit," Leo rasped.
The other Death Eaters laughed while the one torturing growled and sent Leo another Cruciatus, sending him writhing like a broken marionette in the air.
"Bellatrix is not here," George whispered.
"Is that good or bad?" asked Fred.
"Terribly bad if she's with the children," replied Abigail.
"We're going to get Leo. Find the kids," a voice he recognized to be Sirius whispered behind him. Fred grunted in response. His throat had closed up on him after hearing Leo screaming in pain again.
"Abby says we should move," George whispered to him, grabbing his arm.
"Okay," Fred croaked, his heart beating like drums inside his chest.
Shit! This is not going to end well.
They had barely reached the top of the stairs when they heard the tell-tale sound of hexes being exchanged. Apparently, not all of the Death Eaters were caught by surprise. Before long, a full battle was raging downstairs.
"We need to hurry," said Abigail. "Go to the boys' room at the end of the hall, I'll check in the girls' room. If you find them there, show yourselves and tell them you're with Abigail."
"What if they're not there?" Fred asked.
"Wait for me there. It's better if I do the searching," Abigail said after a beat.
"Okay. Be careful," Fred said before moving off with George, who should be just in front of Abigail. As if to confirm this, Fred felt a strong hand clamping around his arm.
"Be careful?" George chuckled softly. "You're losing your touch, brother."
"What's wrong with that? It shows that I'm a caring person."
"I wonder what hex Malfoy would throw at you when he finds out how caring a person you are to his girl," George snorted.
"Oh, shut it. We're here," Fred said, turning the doorknob as soon as they reached the boys' room. The room was dark and cold, but there were still smoldering embers in the small fireplace lending them a bit of light. It appeared to have been put out hastily, based on the smattering of embers on the carpeted floor, scorching it in several places. Pushing the door forward, Fred slipped inside and quickly stepped away to let George through. He could make out two bunk beds set against opposite walls, a desk near the door, and to his right, another door which probably led to a bathroom or walk-in closet.
"I'll look under the beds, you go check out what's behind that door," George said.
"Okay, get me when you find them," Fred said as he moved towards the small door.
It was a combination bathroom and walk-in closet. The shower stall was empty and Fred doubted if the kids would've been able to disillusion themselves even if they were not Squibs. The best hiding place would be the closets. But then, that would also be too obvious. And boys, Magical or not, don't always go for the obvious. He was pretty sure George wouldn't find them under the beds, either. He started to back out of the room when he noticed the large clothes hamper under the marble counter. It was big enough to hide a young boy. He touched his wand to the top of the hamper and silently chanted a special spell he and George developed to detect magic. He smiled when his wand vibrated. The hamper was locked from the inside and had an extension charm. Perhaps to hide more than one boy?
Fred removed the disillusionment charm on himself and knelt before the hamper, his cheek pressed against it. "If anyone's in there, my name is Fred and I'm here to help you. Abigail sent me. She's looking for the girls."
Even if the boys were talking amongst themselves, he knew he wouldn't hear them. Anyone wise enough to cast an extension charm on a hamper to hide the boys would surely put a silencing charm on it as well.
"Are they in there?" George said when he found Fred's face pressed into the hamper. He had also removed the disillusionment charm.
"Yes, but they're scared and won't come out. I think you better get Abby," Fred said, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Leo must've told them to never come out for anybody but him."
"That's going to be a problem. I'll get Abigail," George said, running out of the room. He came back within seconds. "Abigail's here with the girls."
Fred jumped to his feet to give Abigail room. "They're scared."
Abigail nodded and took Fred's place before the hamper. "Aaron? It's Abby. Are Brian and Jason with you in there?"
The words had barely left Abigail's lips when the cover was thrown open and a young boy with platinum blonde hair was jumping into Abigail's arms.
Godric's red socks! That kid could be mistaken for a Malfoy, Fred said to himself, wondering why the thought made him uncomfortable.
"Abby! Where's Draco? Is he here with you?" Jason whispered in a rush.
"No, but I'm taking you to him-"
"Jason! You shouldn't have leapt out like that. Good thing it's really Abby," a boy with wavy brown hair said as he stepped out of the hamper. He reached a hand inside and pulled up another boy with dark hair and glasses. "Leo told us to wait for him."
"Uhm, Leo's a bit preoccupied so he sent us instead. Now, girls hold hands," Abigail said, turning to the five girls behind her, one of them Fred recognized to be the girl in the mirror. "Fred and George will be your leaders. They will take you all to Gordon's study, remember that room? Good. You have to move as fast but as quietly as you can, okay? Straight to the study, no looking behind you or anywhere else. And don't let go of each other's hands, no matter what happens," Abigail said.
"Can't we put on disillusionment charms?" George asked.
"It might disorient the children. We can't risk causing a panic," Abigail replied as she started to walk away from them.
"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" Fred said, his gut twisting inside him. He didn't like where this was going.
"I'm going to help the others get away with Leo. Don't worry, I have a plan," she said, pulling a small pouch out of her pocket. Fred recognized it immediately, Peruvian Instant Darkness. His heart swelled with pride.
She patronizes our products! I think I'm in love!
"I know you two developed a spell that allows one to see through the darkness created by the powder-"
How did she know about that? We haven't even told Lee...
"-will meet you in the study, but if you can establish a connection to the Shack before we get there, don't wait for us. The children's safety is our priority. Fred, are you listening?"
Fred snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. He'll deal with this mystery later. "Of course. I'm all ears."
"Before we leave, I need you to promise me something."
"As long as it's not my firstborn. I kinda promised mum and she would really be pissed," George chuckled. Fred snorted and was amused when Abigail did the same.
"Nothing so drastic, you dolt. I just want you to promise not to wait for me if ever we get separated. And don't look for me, either. Just get out of here as fast as you can."
"But how will you get out of here? Where will you go?" George asked.
"We're in New York. I know the city like the back of my hand. And I know what you're going to ask, Fred. I'll find a way to get back to England. Just promise me those two things, please? No matter what happens, you are not to wait or look for me. I can take care of myself."
There was a pregnant pause, broken only the quiet sobbing of the girls. Jason wrapped his arms around Abigail and said, "Take care, Abby. Come back to us."
"I will, I promise," Abby said, kissing the top of the boy's head. "Are we all ready?"
"I'm ready to go. Hold on to my jumper you two and don't let go," Fred said to the two boys standing beside him. "Things might get scary for a while, but I'll take care of you."
"We have to hurry. Fred, can you please carry Jason? We can move faster that way," Abigail said.
"Sure, no problem," Fred said as he hoisted Jason into his arms.
"I don't scare easily," the blonde boy in Fred's arms said, his head tilted proudly.
"I know you don't," Fred said, ruffling the boy's hair. He had to push away the thought that he was holding Draco Malfoy in his arms.
"We're all set here, too," George said, his wand held high, two of the girls holding on to his jacket while the rest were holding each other's hands.
"Okay, let's move."
Abigail opened the door a crack and peeked outside. She gave them a nod to let them know that it's safe and slipped out the door without a word. George gave Fred a thumbs up and quickly stepped out with the girls. They were near the stairs when everything went dark. There were soft gasps from the girls, but the boys remained quiet. Only the tightening of their hands around Fred's jumper gave away their emotions.
The spell he and George created enabled them to see a few steps ahead of them, which helped with the navigation of the stairs. The darkness beyond thankfully aided keep the horrors of the battle still raging downstairs from the children. They didn't need to see how Magic could be used to hurt people. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, they were able to move faster. George and the girls were just a few feet from the study when the darkness was suddenly dispersed by someone shouting a spell that Fred did not recognize. And just like that, they were exposed and defenseless.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Another bunch of redheads? Weasleys, I suppose?" a cold, throaty voice said, forcing Fred to turn to its source. A slender witch with curly, black locks and eyes just as dark was pointing her curved, knotted wand at them, a sinister grin twisting her lips.
Bellatrix Lestrange. In the flesh. Godric's socks, we're screwed, Fred thought. She looked as deranged as the stories made her out to be.
But what nearly stopped Fred's heart was not the sudden appearance of the infamous witch. It was seeing his father lying on the floor, stiff as a board.
"Oh, don't worry, young Weasleys. I just knocked him out. I have other plans for you lot. The Dark Lord would be so pleased," Bellatrix said, laughing maniacally.
That was when Fred noticed Sirius and Moody kneeling beside an unconscious and bloody Leo, their wandless hands raised above their heads. He also noticed that there were only five Death Eaters standing behind them. All the rest were also laying on the cold marble floor, most of them, if not all, probably dead. Moody was not one to hold back.
"Uncle Leo," one of the girls sobbed.
"Ah, yes! The children. I knew you were hiding somewhere. Those two elves fought so hard to keep you safe. Stupid creatures, aren't they? They should've known they're no match for real wizards."
Bellatrix laughed when the girls started crying. "The poor, little things. Did I scare you?" Bellatrix said as she walked towards them, twirling her twisted wand. She was eyeing the blonde boy in Fred's arm with curiosity.
Setting Jason down on his feet, Fred shoved the boy behind him and pointed his wand at Bellatrix. He scanned the room for Abigail as quickly as he could, but he couldn't find her. Fred hoped that she had time to cast a disillusionment charm on herself. There's a better chance of her helping them escape if she stayed hidden.
"Stay away, Bellatrix. They're just kids," Fred said.
From the corner of his eye, he could see that George had his wand trained on the deranged witch as well.
Bellatrix pouted and pointed her wand at Fred, her eyes gleaming with evil intent. Excruciating pain hit Fred instantly, like hundreds of white-hot knives were slicing through every inch of his body, setting his blood aflame and his head to near bursting. His eyes would not open and he feared that he would soon bite off his tongue. He would never scream for this bitch!
By the time the pain lifted, Fred found himself on the floor, panting heavily, his wand a couple of feet away from him. The children were all crying. Jason had his arms wrapped around Fred's waist, soaking his jumper with tears.
I really should've practiced wandless magic!
"What brave boys you are, not even a pip. I'm going to enjoy breaking the both of you. Maybe I can look into those brilliant minds, too. See what secrets you're keeping from Auntie Bella. Oh, but look, you're bleeding," Bellatrix said with a fake sigh. "Bit off your tongues? Don't do that again. You still have to scream for me later. Yaxley, take the children with you. The Dark Lord might find some use for them yet. He does like young girls," Bellatrix laughed. She pointed her wand at Fred and smirked. White ropes flew out of it and wrapped around Fred's legs, immobilizing him. "Later, my pets."
"Let them go, Bellatrix. They don't know anything," Sirius rasped.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and turned to Sirius. "Trying to be noble, dear cousin? Like your stupid baby brother? I watched the lights go out of his eyes, did you know? I was there when the Dark Lord killed him. He was quite brave, actually. Took him almost three days to die. I wonder how long you can hold out under the Dark Lord's special curses."
"You bitch! I'm going to kill you with my bare hands," Sirius screamed. It took two of the Death Eaters to restrain him from lunging at Bellatrix.
"If you still have hands when the Dark Lord finishes with you," Bellatrix's laughter turned into a scream when her wand flew out of her hands.
"I wonder what the Dark Lord will do to you when he finds me dead by your wand," a female voice said. "I heard he's eager to meet me. I can call for him now, if you want."
Fred strained against his bindings to look up at the voice. It sounded familiar. His heart leapt when he saw who it belonged to. A girl with dark brown curls was standing behind the Death Eater she had immobilized, Bellatrix's wand pointing at the Dark Mark on his left arm. Four other wands were pointed at her, but she didn't seem to mind.
Hermione Granger. Where did she come from? Is she here with reinforcements?
"Well, look who's here. If it isn't the little bride-to-be. Eager to be with the future husband, are we?" sniggered Bellatrix. "Couldn't wait for Snape to surrender you to us?"
Bride-to-be? What's she talking about?
Confusion flitted across Hermione's face, but it was quickly replaced by a dangerous gleam in her eyes. She smirked at Bellatrix and pointed the tip of the latter's wand at her temple.
"Me for them, Bellatrix. Let them all go and you can have me," Hermione said.
"What are you doing, Miss Granger?" said Sirius.
"Damn it, girl. Don't be stupid! They'll kill you," growled Moody. The Death Eater behind him silenced with a hard blow to the head. The former Auror crumpled to ground.
"And what makes you think you can make my wand do your bidding?" Bellatrix sneered.
"Oh, I've done it before. I can do it again," Hermione said, smirking.
Fred saw Bellatrix's fingers twitch and even though her back was turned to him, he could still feel the murderous rage enveloping her. She must be thinking the same thing he was, how and when did Granger ever gain control of Bellatrix's wand?
"Yaxley, you're going to pay for this," Bellatrix muttered under her breath. "Alright, Mudblood. I will let them go. Come here so I can take you to your groom. As you said, he's very eager to meet you."
Eager to meet…
Godric's nuts! Voldemort is her intended? Gross!
Hermione visibly paled, as if realizing the same. But she quickly regained composure and gave Bellatrix a knowing grin. "I'm not stupid, Bellatrix. The moment you get your hands on me, you're going to kill them all. They're going to leave first."
"Smart. Oh, well, you're more valuable than all of these fools combined anyway. I guess our session will have to wait, young Weasley. Go help your father and the rest of his useless gang. Oh, yes, I forgot, I bound you. Little boy," she said, pointing a slender finger at Jason, "Get his wand and give it to him." Jason grabbed the wand from the floor and gave it to Fred. Before Fred could cast a stunning spell on Bellatrix, the witch's fingers were already wrapped around Jason's neck, her evil grin giving him chills. "No tricks, young Weasley, or I'll wring this little one's neck. I do know how to kill without magic," she cackled. "Now, get moving! Get your companions before I change my mind."
Fred pointed his wand at himself, muttered Finite and hobbled towards the others. His left foot must've have twisted when he fell. He glanced up at Hermione, but her eyes were glued to Bellatrix. The look in them actually scared Fred. Taking his father's and Moody's hand in his, Fred apparated them into the study. After making sure that they were fine, he disapparated and went back for Sirius and Leo.
"He'll die if we apparate with him. Use levicorpus," Sirius said.
Fred nodded as he pointed his wand at the bloodied Auror and levitated him. Sirius paused when they reached Bellatrix, but the witch tightened her fingers around Jason's neck.
"Don't test me, cousin. We can kill each other some other time," Bellatrix chuckled when Sirius growled at her.
"Sirius, take George and the kids with you now," Hermione said. "Let go of Jason, Bellatrix or I'll kill myself with your wand. After I summon the Dark Lord here, of course."
Fred had to admire the guts of the Ravenclaw witch, her voice didn't betray even a hint of fear or doubt. It was, in fact, vibrating with a dangerous and barely controlled rage. Bellatrix apparently recognized that as well because she quickly shoved Jason away from her and raised her hands. Fred removed George's bindings and pulled his twin to his feet. George quickly grabbed the children toward him and ran for the study.
They had barely made it to the room when Fred heard Bellatrix drawl, "Crabbe, bind the Mudblood. Goyle, break her fall, you stupid oaf. We can't risk damaging the Dark Lord's prize."
Shit, Granger. What have you gotten yourself into?
As he was stepping through the door, Fred glanced back at Hermione. She was now bound from the neck down to her toes, but there was no fear in her eyes, just sadness. And she was staring intently straight at him. Fred felt a gentle nudge in his mind and he could've sworn that he heard her voice say, Tell Draco I'm sorry.
Before he could process that, however, Sirius was banging the door shut. He commandeered Fred's wand and sealed the oaken door with enchantments. He tossed the wand back to Fred when he was finished and sat in the nearest chair. The children were huddled in one corner, the older girls consoling the little ones, while the girl in the mirror sat beside Leo, sobbing softly.
"Hang on, Where's Abigail?" Sirius asked, his head swiveling around in search of the blonde witch.
Fred glanced at George, seeking support in telling Sirius about the promise they made to Abby, but his twin was already working at establishing connection in the fireplace. Jason had apparently found George's wand after he fell on the floor when Bellatrix shoved him away.
"She said to not wait nor look for her. That she'll get out on her own," Fred said.
"And you agreed to that?"
"She-"
"Wait. Abigail knew she'd disappear because she told you not to wait nor look for her. After which Ms. Granger suddenly materializes out of the blue. Alone. The Order wouldn't have let her come here to rescue us on her own. She wouldn't even have been allowed to set foot inside a fireplace," Sirius paused, rubbing his chin. "Let's see what we have then...Abigail vanishes, Granger appears. That's just too fucking perfect to be a coincidence, don't you think?"
Fred felt like he had been doused with cold water. Why hadn't he realized that earlier?
"Never mind. We'll talk about it later," Sirius jumped to his feet and went to George. "Are you done yet? I want to get home fast so I can break Snape's fucking nose again. That Snivellus has been hiding too many secrets from us."
"Finished. The other side's open. I had to undo about a dozen of Moody's locking charms. Good thing I've had some practice breaking into locked fireplaces," George said, winking at Fred. "What's wrong?" He asked, sensing his twin's troubled thoughts.
"I'll tell you later. For now, let's get us all home," Fred said.
"Are we going to see Draco?" Jason asked, his eyes wide with hope.
"Absolutely," Fred said, wondering how the Slytherin Prince would take the news about Abigail's disappearance. Did he know who she really was?
Of course, he did!
That's why Hermione asked him to tell Draco she's sorry.
And, by Godric, the Slytherin Prince wouldn't like that message one bit.
Not in a million years.
A/N: As you all must've noticed, most of the later chapters are composed of three to four segments, which take longer to write and edit. The next chapters might be shorter (one or two segments) so I can post them faster. :)
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