Hello again! Bet most of you doubted I'd update less than a month away, huh? Then again I think I promised Friday or Saturday but there were some ridiculous traffic jam issues that just *angry* completely messed up my schedule! Lol, it's expected I suppose. So…um, suriprise? Hoping to get a few more reviews this chapter…but thank you anyway for still reading my story! And reviewing of course. Please enjoy!

I do not own any of J. K. Rowling's idea, solely the plot to this story.


Walking through the doorway, neither of the teens was surprised when it disappeared behind them, sealing their fates within the abyss-like sight before them. Their location was dark, and cold, and vast. A cavalcade of nothingness spread out in all directions, a maze of tunnels leading down multiple unknowns. And despite the absence of any other living soul, there was an eerie sense of something, or someone, watching them. And it was unnerving.

Harry muttered a 'lumos', followed by Blaise. They both seemed to have come to a silent consent on being as quiet as possible. When Blaise veered in an opposite direction, however, Harry hissed loud enough to get his attention.

"This way."

"How do you know which—"

Harry shook his head in frustration. "I just feel something, alright? You're going to have to trust me."

Expecting the other to put up a fight, or at least make some crude remark, Harry was surprised when Blaise simply nod his head, and motioned for him to lead the way.

Not that it changed the way he felt about the git.

They crept along a winding path, taking heed of where they stepped so as to limit the amount of noise their shoes made against the rutted pavement. Their surroundings remained lifeless, and yet the same strange presence lingered, empty whispers of promise. Though what that promise held was indecipherable; there were no words, after all.

Harry could feel the back of his neck hairs standing on edge, as well as the unsteady rhythm of his heart. Behind him Blaise tread carefully, his breaths only barely audible. They continued this way for some time, stopping occasionally when Harry signaled. A vapid of air began to seemingly seep out of the walls, obscuring their already slight path, but still they trudged on into the darkness, inadvertently closing the distance between each other.

Deeper and deeper they went, as time passed by even slower, and the possibility of an opening began to dwindle with the light of their wands.

Harry stopped, causing Blaise to nearly bump into him. Instead of getting upset, however, the Slytherin tapped the other's shoulder and made a face that read: why are we stopping?

Harry frowned. To be honest, that feeling he'd had earlier, was suddenly gone. And with its absence, he didn't trust instinct to surge further into the blackness.

Shit, now we're lost … and this prat is never going to let me live it—

"Potter, look."

Harry's thoughts followed the direction of Blaise' finger. He didn't see anything.

"I don't—"

"Look closely."

Harry squinted his eyes … and… he saw it. Far off, beyond the fog that drifted in and out of gloom, there was—

"A light."

Blaise nodded. "Come on."

Without speaking, they moved faster towards the small beacon. Harry could see it more clearly now, but there was something else.

The fog. It wasn't exactly a fog but—

"Shit!"

Smoke.


"Expelliarmus!"

"Confundo!"

"Crucio!"

Bellatrix laughed as the Weasley siblings fired spell after spell towards her. It was to no avail, however; inside the cells, no magic could get out.

"Oh my, you two really are such aggressive little things, aren't you?"

Ron ran forward, wand aimed at the bars as he bellowed, "Reducto!"

Nothing happened. Ron glowered at the cackling witch on the other side, whilst Ginny yanked him back a step. "It's no use, our magic is restricted here."

"But we've got to try!"

"Ron, I know but—"

"How amusing!" Bellatrix howled, "You two are hilarious! I didn't even laugh as much when we tortured the mudblood!"

Ginny attempted to hold back her brother but could not. Ron raged with the mention of Hermione. "What did you do to her? Where is she? I swear, if anything happened to her I'll kill you!"

"Ron, get your head together!"

"Oh shut up already, silencio!"

They were instantly silenced with Bellatrix' magic. She feigned a pout and then burst into another fit of laughter. "The possibilities are endless! And I'm sure you will be much more fun than the Lavender brat—"

Ron and Ginny stared at each other wide-eyed. Lavender?

"Of course," Bellatrix continued, "as funny as this is, I can't wait to kill that little girlfriend of yours, who, by the way, has already betrayed you with my nephew, Draco."

Ron's face looked like it might burst.

"I know!" The evil witch nodded her head enthusiastically, shrugging her hands upward, "The blasphemy of it all! To think that my own blood is sleeping with that little slag!"

Ron rushed forward again, making to grab hold of the bars.

"Oh you should have seen them," Bellatrix added, enjoying Ron's silent rage, "I couldn't even pass his room without having to cover my ears. Revolting! The pair of them!

Ron broke free of Ginny's grip and bolted towards the prison bars.

Bellatrix took a dramatic step backwards. "Oh no, no, no. I don't think so. Wouldn't want the grubby fingers of a blood-traitor touching me, after all."

His mouth moved in what were, likely, an onslaught of profanity and death threats, but it was to no avail.

Ginny watched on with fear. Despite being the brave Gryffindor that she was, she could not, for the life of her, figure out a way out of this one. In fact, the last time she'd felt this helpless was during the entire Tom Riddle fiasco. And it was only thanks to Harry that she was still here.

Harry, where are you?

"A little quiet, don't you think?" Bellatrix asked in that annoyingly taunting voice of hers. "Let's begin then shall we? Sectumsempra!"

A large gash. And then blood. Lots of it. Ginny collapsed to the floor.

Ron looked stark white, petrified. He ran towards his unconscious sister but just as he was about to reach her—

"And for you," Bellatrix lazily pointed her wand. "Crucio!"


"Stop it, you monster! She's your wife, you'll kill her!"

"You coward! Mother has nothing to do with this!"

Their cries fell on deaf ears. Lucius bellowed with laughter. Narcissa screamed in agony, trying desperately to put out the fire that consumed her. A few bouts of water appeared, though they were sparse. She was much too weak to elicit sufficient wandless magic.

Tears of frustration stained Draco's cheeks. His mind whirled with emotions, too many. It was all just too much. And in his weakened state, he knew the outlook was bleak.

Come on, we can't just give up!

Ah! Shut up, now is really not the time. And what the hell can we do anyway?!

How am I supposed to know? I'm you, remember?

He glanced towards Hermione, not surprised to see her standing defiantly, despite her injuries and fear. She looked terrified, but strong at the same time.

She is a Gryffindor, you know…

And Slytherin or not, he could not just give up. For his mother. For her.

He turned around and spoke quickly. "Granger, I need you to—

"She was already one step ahead of him. "Wandless magic. I know. Give me your hand."

He did.

"Now … Concentrate."

Both teens clasped hands, and closed their eyes, willing their magic with all the strength they had left. It was their last straw, and they knew it. Lucius did as well, it seemed.

"What's this? A little magic ritual? How utterly ridiculous!" He jeered.

They ignored him, grasping each other harder, clenching their eyes tighter. And then, as if completely in tune with each other's thoughts—

"Aguamenti!"

A rush so loud, their eyes snapped open as a wave of water seemed to infiltrate the space surrounding Narcissa and Lucius.

Hermione gasped. "It worked! Draco, it worked!"

Draco just stared, his eyes unmoving from their bout of wandless magic. It seemed like too much though. How could they have summoned that much water?

We couldn't have. Even with the two of us …

He didn't let go of her hand, looking towards his now-drenched father instead.

Lucius, who had stumbled only momentarily, was up and out of the current's path in a second, hardly fazed. His eyes glowed with malice and a sneer spread across his face. He wasn't looking at them however.

Draco veered his focus onto his mother. He started. "What the—"

Hermione followed the direction of his focus and her heart nearly burst out of her chest.

"Well, well, well," drawled Lucius. "I thought you 'd never show up."

A dark-skinned teen hovered protectively over the limp form of Narcissa Malfoy. And stepping out from the gloom behind him, Harry smirked. "You're going to wish otherwise. Expelliarmus!"


"Professor! Look! I think subject eight is waking up!"

Gerard Kielm rushed over to test subject eight's cage. He crouched slightly, eyes blinking several times, before a grin began to spread across his face.

"Yes! You're right!" He immediately began jotting down notes onto his pad of paper, circling the cage completely.

Lady Serena beamed with excitement. "If we can confirm these results, we can begin on expediting the antidote right away, dear sir! And that dreaded man, Lucius Malfoy, will never know what hit him!"

Kielm nod his head in agreement, grabbing a beaker nearby to administer a few changes to the brew they were currently working on. "I could not have done it without you, Serena."

Suddenly a harsh wind seemed to blow into the room, causing both occupants to whirl in said direction.

"Isn't this cozy?" the perpetrator sneered. "And here I thought Lucius had you under control, old man."

Lady Serena narrowed her eyes. "And who are you, lurking in here unattended? I assure you, Lucius Malfoy will not approve of such—"

"Oh dear, you don't know, do you?" He interrupted in a soft but sinister voice. "He's busy playing host to our beloved wonder boy, Harry Potter. So he won't be bothering us."

Both Kielm and Serena exchanged startled looks. Before either of them could say anything, however, their uninvited guest continued speaking.

"But to answer your question, my exquisite creature," he drawled, his tone shifting into a something more malicious, "my name is Augustus Rookwood. And I'm here to take over."


The figures stood in a semicircle, watching as their younger companion pulled out the object in question from its location.

"Don't you dare think that Hermione Granger is the only who knows how to research," they said. "The Locus Proprietus charm acts like a location device. As long as the person looking has something of deep, sentimental value that was given, willingly, from the other person …well, we can locate them that way."

"But this does not belong to you, correct?"

"No. It does not. But…" they paused for a moment, "it will take us close enough."


In an old shack, a different semicircle of figures stood, hooded and waiting. An eerie glow began to emanate off their skin, from one particular spot on their arms.

One of them stepped forward. "It is time."


Review-replies: Only one anonymous reviewer this time. Those of you who signed in, I believe I need to reply to four of you still (which I will get to today ;)

Alex-So I think I may put your idea in somewhere…still shady on the details though lol. But anyway, as always, thanks for your fantastic review! Still waiting on that official username lol. Good choice on the Lucius spoilerbutnotaspoiler. I think I've read some reviews first before the story a few times…but usually I just look at the popularity of a story lol and go by that. And oh! You would flame me? *sobbing* bad stalker! Although, I am fond of pickle and nacho cheese…you should try it, the ones at the movie theatres mmmm…By the way, might want to work on your stalker skills, because that tree you're sitting, well, it's actually a cactus so hehe, either you have buns of steel (literally) or can fly (if it's the latter, you must show me how!). Are you German? Still have to look up what you wrote ( I don't speak German…), and that last line on my Draco being perfection…um, twilight reference? No idea…*facepalm* Much love dearest!

Review please :)