What had he done? Harry felt panic course through him. Was she... He could not bring himself to complete the sentence...Not again... He had never forgiven himself for what happened to Sirius..now Estella...Was he a monster?

"Please save her .."Harry's voice was hoarse.

Dumbledore sat down on the chair besides Harry's bed while Lupin stood near Ron and Hermione.

"What I am about to say must not go beyond this room" said Dumbledore looking at all of them. Ron and Hermione nodded. Harry felt his insides turn glacial.

"By now as you might know that Miss Malfoy is an obscurial whose magic is out of control"

"But..."

Dumbledore held his hand motioning Harry to be quiet.

"I am not here to discuss the circumstances that triggered her obscurial magic . But let me make this clear. It should not happen again . NEVER AGAIN...She will not survive it" Dumbledore said looking directly at Harry with his x-ray eyes, his voice laced with a tinge of supressed fury. It was almost as if Dumbledore knew ... Harry felt himself burn in the stare.

"Yes sir..." mumbled Harry. He had to stay away from Estella...He would stay away once he was sure she was ok...But yet he could feel a reluctant pain in his chest..He wanted to see her...one last time...those beautiful eyes that haunted him every night...Her laugh that made him smile without reason...her touch that triggered a hunger in him...But he had to stay away...He couldn't put her in any more danger...

Dumbledore looked at Harry carefully and sighed. It wouldn't be easy to split them up. But yet it was necessary...it was a dangerous relationship ...Harry harbouring feelings for a Malfoy could have devastating consequences for the entire wizarding world. Harry was too important to be in danger at least for now. ...At least till he destroys all the other horcruxes, Harry should be safe.

"Now to calm Miss Malfoy down, we need to administer the squibsical potion to her. I was hoping to get Narcissa Malfoy to the castle to feed the potion but we are unable to contact her...We have only till midnight before her magic starts to drain her energy and get out of control..." continued Dumbledore.

"Can't you save her ?"asked Harry desperately. He was sure Dumbledore will find a way. He always does.

"Obscurial magic see me as threat when I approach the Obscurial sphere engulfing her... it can sense the power of each individual. The more I try to get close, the more it will attack me . When the obscurial magic becomes too powerful, the host is unable to withstand its power... which is why we need someone who is not viewed as a threat preferably someone she loves...But since Narcissa is not here , we have to find an alternative...The magic of an underage wizard is less threatening as compared to fully grown wizards..."

Dumbledore paused letting each one in the room derive their own conclusion from his words.

"Perhaps Draco can go.." whispered Hermione who was listening to the conversation. Lupin and Ron approved her suggestion.

"of course...I believe Draco turned 17 last week... it definitely increases the risk for him but worth a try... He is her brother... we need to inform him about his sister being obscurial but a very good suggestion indeed Miss Granger.." said Dumbledore

" I will go and give her the potion" said Harry loudly

"No need Harry I think we can ask Draco.."said Lupin looking skeptical.

"But it is my fault ...I attacked her! If anyone is responsible for this mess,its me " argued Harry heatedly

"but.."

"Draco is a death eater... I am sure of it ...if he doesn't know about Stella being an obscurial, then keep it that way ... . we know that Voldermort does legitimacy on all his death eaters... Don't look at me like that..HE IS A DEATH EATER. .. Draco won't be able to block Voldemort entering his mind" Harry ranted not giving anyone a chance to intercept. He had told his friends and Dumbledore about 'Draco is a death eater 'theory but none of them agreed with him. But Harry was sure he had something to do with the horrible Katie Bell incident. Harry knew Draco wouldn't hurt Estella...But this year something had changed...He was a death eater.. What if he knew that she had been with Harry? ...his archenemy...Voldemort's number one enemy...He was a death eater after all...It was risk Harry was not willing to take.

Dumbledore watched the emotions play across Harry's face. He knew that Harry would volunteer himself ...He always did...Draco was never an option ...the dark Mark might react to the obscurial magic alerting Voldemort...but he couldn't let anyone know that Draco had the dark mark... he just wanted to see how far Harry was willing to go to save Estella. Harry didn't disappoint.

" I can do it ...I carried her from the school to the hospital..still alive.."Harry pointed out.

"You were bloody lucky" said Ron who was resisting his urge to smack some sense into Harry.

"So you want a death eater give her the potion? " Harry challenged

"Draco is not a death eater" Interjected Dumbledore sternly.

"But nevertheless I think its better if we limit the number of people who know about this secret ...but are you sure you want to do this ? Her magic might kill you ...We have had many obscurial mishaps this century...This is essentially a suicide mission" warned Dumbledore.

"Then you got the right man for the job.. I am a pro at suicide missions" replied Harry not backing down. Ron snorted

"Very well ..then I don't think the other order members will be pleased to know that you are entering the Obscurial sphere... your choice of girlfriend will be quite controversial "said Dumbledore, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly. Harry went red.

"Not my girlfriend" he muttered weakly ignoring the disbelieving looks he received from them.

" So its better to keep them in the dark for the time being. By midnight I will instruct the rest of the order members to use the containment spell on one side of the sphere while we enter from the other side avoiding them. I assume Miss Granger and Mr Weasley are on this plan?"

Ron and Hermione nodded.

" If I may say so , my magical ability exceeds all of yours... so I will stand at the outermost ring of the sphere since me getting any closer will trigger more attack towards us... Lupin will get to the outer ring while Ron and Hermione can go a bit more further inside giving Shield to Harry."

" But the one entering the innermost ring should use less magic as possible since the inner ring will have the most powerful magical energy ...and trying to fight it will be inviting your death... we hope that Estella recognises you to prevent her magic attacking you... but this is all guess work... we cannot be sure Harry on what you are going to face...if you want to back out..."

"I am going in now "said Harry in what he hoped to be a brave and confident voice.

" It is decided then...Remus, kindly get the squibsical portion from Severus " Directed the headmaster, before turning his attention to Ron and Hermione "Why don't you two get Harry's invisibility clock from gryffindor Tower ... We will meet all of you at the great hall at midnight"

Both his friends and Lupin scrambled out of the room after throwing Harry curious looks . It was clear that Dumbledore wanted to speak to Harry alone. The door closed behind them and Dumbledore swished his wand to lock it. He turned his attention to Harry who was suddenly nervous... Was Dumbledore going to confront him on what happened at the bathroom? Harry himself had little idea on what prompted his actions at that time. His rage had consumed him ..turned him into someone he barely recognised... Dumbledore waited for Harry to speak. An uncomfortable silence descended in the room. Harry felt the headmaster's questioning gaze on him.

" I don't know what made me do it ...it was like being processed " said Harry quietly unable to stay silent anymore

" I expected more from you Harry ...more control over your temper ...more control over your mind... More love...Just more..." Dumbledore sadly

"I had stopped. ..I didn't do anything..."Harry said in a low voice..it was half true.. He hadn't done anything..He had stopped when he came back to his senses...He had conquered the monster... not that it made a difference in the outcome but it mattered to him... that he had stopped ...he was not a monster ...not yet anyway ...Dumbledore looked at Harry feeling relieved.. Harry had stopped.. all hope was not lost then.

" Did you know that Estella was an obscurial? "

Harry nodded which mildly shocked Dumbledore making Harry realise that it was well guarded secret. Not even her brother knew but he knew...maybe he wasn't a summer fling afterall...they were more than that...And he was too stupid to realise it. Harry mentally slapped himself.

"Do you know how she became one?"

Harry was thrown off by that question. How did she became an obscurial? He had never asked her since it was a touchy subject. He preferred her cheerful and sassy compared to the cold indifferent version she reserved when they broached upon the subject. But honestly, Harry never thought about it much. It didn't make a difference to him until today. He had assumed that she was obscurial by birth . None of the books he had read had information on how obscurials were created. They were more focused on the destruction caused by them.

"I take it that as a 'no' then. Now, its not my story to tell. However the potion you will give to Malfoy will make her relieve past memories Harry... horrific memories"

"Lucius Malfoy was under Investigation from the Auror department a long time ago... The auror team tortured Estella to make Malfoy speak...Which setoff the obscurial magic" said Dumbledore keeping his voice low, trying to control the anger he felt at the incident.

"The potion is like a dementer... forcing you to relive your most painfull memories..sapping out all your energy and will to live...Now it is important that you convince her that she is hallucinating that... she has to live and she cannot give up ...it is crucial Harry. She will want to die Harry but you should give her the strength to live."

But Harry was only half listening ...his mind reeling under this...He remembered her boggart...it was an auror...she was so terrified that she had clung to him like a baby ...Now she had to relive that memory...because of him...his stupid jealousy...his anger...what did the aurors do? Use the cruciatus curse perhaps? On a six year old? Did they curse her? Physically hurt her? He felt his stomach turn. He didn't want to know.

"Who did it?" asked Harry unable to keep the loathing off his voice. He felt the monster return with full force , this time finding a new target.

Dumbledore blanched. Harry's eyes had turned scarlet for the fraction of a second, almost a trick of light. But the headmaster knew... It was getting more and more powerful.

"Those aurors got killed in another mission..probably by Malfoy." lied Dumbledore smoothly. He didn't want Harry to know right now. This was not the right time.

"She will be alright?" Harry asked feeling the monster retreat.

"If she loses her will to live, she will die...make her remember this world is worth living for...make her remember she is loved" said Dumbledore,his eyes twinkling.

" See you at midnight"