Bittersweet and Strange

Chapter 13: Sun Rising in the East

Hermione's jaw was set so tightly she felt it might crack. As she dashed up the stairs to the tower, she was surprised that she didn't feel sad or even angry about what she knew was coming. A firm resolve had taken her sorrow's place, and she took comfort in knowing that help would soon be on its way. If she could get the Order with her, if she could just see Neville and Luna and Cho and George, Hermione knew her courage and resourcefulness would start working overtime again.

There's a way, she thought as she reached the little room in the tower. I researched Horcruxes for months with Harry and Ron. I know there's a way to keep Draco from dying with Voldemort.

She had exhausted every source available to her in Draco's library the night before, scouring every possible book until her eyes were glazed. It occurred to Hermione that Draco had undoubtedly done the same thing many times during his years in the house, and how could she possibly expect to find a simple, tied-in-a-bow answer sitting right before her nose?

She wasn't going to give up though. Hope was in front of her now, and she had almost been afraid that such a thing was lost to her forever. Draco may have given up on saving himself, but Hermione wasn't about to do the same. She loved him – that she knew for sure – and she was going to make sure Draco got his second chance.

She'd die before she let anything tell her otherwise.

Blaise Apparated straight to the Ministry after his talk with Draco, hoping to get some information from his treasury records before he left for the last time. He couldn't keep a smile from crossing his face. For the first time in his life, Blaise felt that he was doing something to contribute to a cause he could be proud of. Maybe the Order would kill him when he took the message tonight. Maybe the Ministry would kill him when they found him out. Who cared? At least he could die knowing he had done one thing right, even at the end.

Blaise had just started thumbing through the previous week's records when something caught his eye in the corner of his office. A bright blue Patronus, glowing and bounding in the shape of a fox, had appeared in the corner of the room.

Blaise shielded his eyes from the unexpected burst of light, trying to think of who could have sent the Patronus. Draco had no wand to send it with, and Theodore didn't even know how as far as Blaise knew.

His question was answered when the fox began speaking in Narcissa Malfoy's voice. "Help me!" the voice called, a note of desperation tinging the words. "Help me please!"

Blaise stared at the Patronus in shock as it repeated the words once more and vanished in a swirl of blue sparks. Collapsing into his chair, Blaise thought as hard as he could. Where was Narcissa? How could he help her if he couldn't find her?

He briefly considered Apparating to Malfoy Manor, but he knew it could easily be a trap he wouldn't escape from. He certainly would have been made aware if Narcissa had been captured by the Ministry. Who could possibly have hurt her, and where could he find her?

Blaise wished Theodore were there to help him think and come up with an insane solution. Theodore's schemes were never well planned but almost always worked. What would he do? What would Draco do? What would Granger do?

Granger. Blaise's eyes lit up as he remembered the message carefully hidden inside his robe. Hermione had drawn him a map of how to get to the Fortress and even provided a message so the Order would know she had sent him. He hadn't planned to use it until that night when no one would suspect him, but he suddenly found that he couldn't wait another moment to get to them.

Blaise leaped to his feet, knocking over his chair in his hurry to leave. Who cared if he had just come into work? He wouldn't be coming back anyway.

Cho Chang was in her attic room, shuffling through the stack of papers she had collected from the previous night's excitement. She finally selected the page she was looking for – Hermione's bill of sale to Narcissa Malfoy – and read it carefully, just as she had a hundred times before.

For reasons she couldn't define, Cho believed Narcissa when she said she didn't know where Hermione was. There hadn't been a single sign of Hermione in all of Malfoy Manor, and while Cho couldn't understand why Narcissa wouldn't reveal more information about Hermione's whereabouts, she had a feeling it was for the same reason the Order was so secretive: Narcissa was protecting someone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud pounding on the door downstairs. She furrowed her brow, wondering who would knock at the door instead of Apparating inside, the way the rest of the Order members did. She dropped the papers and jogged down the stairs to see what the commotion was.

Michael Corner and Padma Patil came into the Fortress' entry hall just as Cho did. The knocking was only getting louder and more insistent. "What's going on?" Padma whispered. "Who's at the door?"

No one answered her, but Michael signaled for the girls to wait in the hall while he went for the others. Cho pulled Padma with her behind a large column to wait, hoping the wards Fleur had placed around the great oak door would be strong enough.

"What if they found out about Malfoy?" Padma whispered again. "Do you think the Ministry knows we have her?"

Cho shrugged. "We'll find out in a minute."

Both girls stopped short when the sounds of a scuffle began outside the door. Padma grabbed Cho's hand in terror, and they both listened as someone began shouting, their voice muffled. Michael joined the girls in the entry hall, Angelina Johnson and Oliver Wood right behind him.

"Listen!" Cho warned Michael, stopping him from rushing to the door. The five young people stayed still and listened. The struggling seemed to be over, but there was certainly more than one person still outside the door.

Suddenly, someone on the other side of the door began kicking at the door furiously. Cho drew her wand, but it was George Weasley's voice that rang out through the door. "It's me, George! Let me in, I've caught a prowler!"

Michael and Cho exchanged a glance, and they sprang forward at the same time to cautiously open the door. When Cho got her first look outside the door, she was relieved to see George, feisty as ever, and someone else being held down in a chokehold by George.

"Blaise Zabini!" Padma exclaimed, holding the door open so George could pull a struggling Zabini inside. Oliver pinned Blaise's arms behind his back, and Angelina swiftly took his wand from his pocket. "Where'd you find him, George?"

George shifted his hold on Blaise, pulling out his wand to cast a quick binding and silencing spell on the Slytherin before collapsing against the closed door to catch his breath. "At the door," he explained. "I came back from the Manor and found him skulking around, looking for the entrance. Guess he found it," George grinned, looking meaningfully at Blaise on the floor.

"How could he have known where we are?" Angelina demanded. "No one knows about this place!"

George shrugged. "One way to find out." George removed the silencing spell on Blaise and pointed his wand directly at him. "Well, Zabini? Care to answer the lady's question?"

Blaise struggled against the ropes. "I'm not here to hurt anybody, and I'm not a spy! I'm a friend of Hermione Granger, and she's sent me –"

George didn't hear anything after that, and Oliver had to hold him back from leaping onto Zabini in fury. "I should have known! What have you done with her? Where is she?!"

"I don't have her!" Blaise exclaimed, matching George's deafening tone. "But I've seen her, and I know where she is! Cut me loose and I'll tell you everything I know!"

"Don't do it, George," Michael cautioned. "He might have just followed us from Malfoy Manor."

Blaise perked up at that. "Did you say Malfoy Manor?"

"What if I did?"

Blaise tried to keep his voice steady. "You've got Narcissa Malfoy here, don't you? I received a Patronus from her just a little while ago, asking me for help. Do you have her here?"

"Don't tell him anything!" Michael said again.

George eyed Blaise suspiciously. "Give me one reason I should trust someone like you," he said, contemptuously adding, "filthy traitor."

Blaise glared back. "Because I'm helping Hermione Granger, because I know where she is, and because I'm willing to take you to her." At a sudden burst of thought, he added, "In exchange for Mrs. Malfoy."

Michael scoffed. "You're not in any position to be bargaining, Zabini," he said. "For all we know, you've got Hermione."

Blaise suddenly remembered what was practically burning a hole in his pocket. "Wait! I can prove it!"

"How?"

"Look in my left pocket!"

George and Cho exchanged a glance, and Cho knelt down next to Blaise, since he was still tightly bound and wandless. Rifling through his pocket, Cho took hold of a piece of paper and pulled it out, quickly scanning its contents. "Look!" she exclaimed, holding it up for the others to see. "It's a map to the Fortress. And it looks like Hermione's handwriting!"

Angelina took a closer look. "Here in the corner, look! It's her code name!"

"Time Turner," Cho whispered. "It is Hermione."

George's eyes were wide, and he looked rueful as he turned his wand on Zabini and removed the ropes holding him down. Blaise hoisted himself up and gave the others a meaningful look. "Quite a welcome. Anything else I should beware of before I start talking?"

"Hermione," Cho said firmly. "Just tell us about Hermione."

"I've found something," Hermione said bluntly.

Draco turned from his desk. The basement was even colder than usual, probably due to the snow that was covering the world outside his house. Draco had been in the basement fiddling with his latest potion for the last several hours, so Hermione's voice coming from the tower's secret entrance startled him.

He didn't respond, so Hermione addressed him again. "I said I've found something." When Draco continued sprinkling crushed leaves into a cauldron, Hermione stepped forward and plunked her newest find onto the table next to Draco. "This is important, Malfoy. I've found something about Horcruxes."

Draco pursed his lips and kept stirring the potion. "I think we've already had this discussion, Granger. There's no more to be said."

"I beg to differ," she countered, flipping the book open to a page near the end. She was going to talk whether he wanted to listen or not. "This book had fallen behind one of the tower bookcases. It's A Friend of Magic by Thomas L.B. Tillwinkler. It was written in 1698, and it details a lot of the old myths that were disproved in the 17th century. Tillwinkler specialized in studying Unforgivable Curses, and he had a special fascination with Horcruxes." Hermione tried to keep from talking too quickly in her excitement.

"So what?" Draco asked, still focused on his potion.

Hermione picked up the book and shoved it into Draco's hands, pointing at a section she had underlined. Draco sighed and finally turned to look at the writing. The page was ancient and delicate, but the words were still legible.

He began reading aloud. "'A horcrux is an object in which a dark wizard or witch hides a fragment of his or her soul to become immortal. Considered the darkest art and the most terrible of all dark magic, Horcruxes can only be created after committing murder, the supreme act of evil, and the process for the creation of a Horcrux must be performed soon after the murder has been committed. There are usually protective measures made to prevent a Horcrux from being stolen or destroyed –'" Draco abruptly stopped reading and shoved the book back into Hermione's hands. "Do you think I don't know all of this already, Hermione? Why rehash ancient history?"

"Keep reading," she said patiently, pointing to a section below the one he had been reading.

Draco gave her a glance but did as she asked. "'Destroying a Horcrux requires that the object containing the soul fragment be damaged to a point beyond any and all physical or magical repair. All known methods of Horcrux destruction require the receptable to be damaged beyond repair; which, in the case of living receptacles, means that they must be killed.'" Draco raised his eyebrows at her. "This seems pretty clear to me, Hermione."

Hermione sighed and took the book from him. "'Basilisk venom and Fiendfyre are two methods which have been proven sufficient in destroying a living Horcrux. A magical artifact, such as a weapon made from magical substances, could also be used to destroy a Horcrux. Lastly, an act of sacrificial love is strong enough to counter many curses and spells previously thought to be irreversible. In my experiences researching the nature of Horcruxes, I have no reason to believe that an act of selflessness would not have the same destructive or restorative effect on a Horcrux.'" Hermione set the book down on the table again.

"There you have it," she stated, looking Draco in the eye. "It's not just violence and magic that create and destroy Horcruxes. An act of sacrificial love could destroy the Horcrux in you, but spare your life at the same time."

Draco scoffed, turning back to his potion. "That book is hundreds of years old. Ancient prophecies and myths are hardly anything to stake your hope on."

"Draco, Thomas Tillwinkle was a respected author and researcher of his day. Just because it's old doesn't mean it's true." She knew she was pushing her limit, but she went ahead with what she was thinking. "You know what? I'm beginning to think you don't want to be saved. You've convinced yourself that the world doesn't need you and that you'll be better off dead. No matter what I find, no matter what I offer to do for you, it will never make any difference to you. In your mind, you're already dead."

The words stung, but Draco knew she was partially right. "I've told you, I'm not worth saving. My death will be the last chapter in Voldemort's evil empire. That's not by my choice or yours, but it's what we have to accept. I already have, and I suggest you do the same."

His tone was completely flat, completely resigned, so Hermione didn't bother to argue with him. Turning away, she pulled up a chair to Draco's potion table and continued reading in the book, undoubtedly still looking for answers. Draco noticed and tried to concentrate on his potion.

"So you're telling me that Hermione was taken prisoner, sold to Narcissa, given to Draco Malfoy, and has been trapped in his house with him for the last four months?"

Blaise nodded sharply. Angelina Johnson had been grilling him with questions ever since he recounted his entire story to the Order. He was incredulous that he was even in their midst, having still been a Pureblood traitor only an hour prior. Blaise hadn't even known that most of these people were still alive, and it seemed almost eerie to sit in front of George Weasley, having witnessed the deaths of everyone in the other man's family.

He pushed his ponderings aside to focus on his explanation. "No one else knows. Draco, Narcissa, Theodore, and I are the only ones who know she's there. Narcissa doesn't even know it's –"

"Did you say Theodore Nott?" Cho burst out.

"Yeah, we've been working together to help Draco and Granger the past couple of weeks. I'm not sure where he is at the moment, but he's –"

"I told you!" Cho said victoriously, directing her comment at Dean Thomas. "Dean didn't believe I saw Nott at Grimmauld Place, but I knew it was him."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "And I didn't believe him when he said he saw you there."

Angelina was ready to get back to the questions. "Why haven't you come to us before now, Zabini? Why the sudden change of heart? Why has Hermione only just decided to make you a messenger boy?"

Blaise tried to hide the shame he felt. "I haven't come because… I've only decided to help the past few weeks. I've been on the fence before now, but I recently decided – and so did Theodore – to help Malfoy."

"I still can't believe it," Millicent Bulstrode said, shaking her head. "Draco Malfoy, the spy for the underground. Dennis Creevey's contact. I just don't believe it."

"We've sure had him figured wrong," Seamus agreed. "I swore I'd kill him if I ever saw him again. I guess there's hope for him yet."

George pushed through the conversations that were already buzzing through his fellow Order members. "This is a wonderful redemption story and all, but I think what we need to do now is go get Hermione. We know where she is; why can't we just get her?"

"She's bound to Draco and the house itself," Blaise explained. "There's a lot more to it than just breaking her out."

"We need to wait for Neville, too, George," Angelina said calmly. "We can't go rushing off without him knowing what's going on."

"We went to Malfoy Manor to find Hermione!"

"We'll wait for Neville," Angelina said firmly. "He shouldn't be far behind us."

Angelina was right; they didn't wait long. Blaise was asking to see Narcissa when cracks sounded in every part of the conference room. Eight new faces Apparated into the room, talking furiously and arranging themselves throughout the room. Blaise recognized old classmates – Neville, Luna, Fleur Delacour, Nigel Wolpert – and a few new faces, apparently slaves, including a fair-haired fellow who looked very familiar.

"Neville!" Cho cried amid the confusion. "Blaise Zabini is here, and he's helping us! He can take us to Hermione!"

Neville looked stunned to see Blaise sitting at the table, looking at George and Michael as though they were idiots. "It's a trick, guys! Don't you get it? They must have sent him here after Narcissa! I found another one at Goyle's house!"

Padma's protest of, "No, he's got proof!" was drowned out by Blaise's shocked exclamation of, "Theodore?!"

"Blaise!" Theodore shouted back, entirely fastened with ropes but looking as cheerful as ever. "I found the Order!"

"So did I, numbskull," Blaise shot back. "Granger sent me with a map and some proof. Why were you at Goyle's house?"

"Looking for Dennis Creevey," Theodore said proudly. "I found him, too!"

"Dennis!" Fleur squealed, jumping up to throw her arms around the dusty young man. "You are alive! I am so happy to see you!"

Several other Order members crowded around Dennis, hugging and welcoming him into their friendly camp. Blaise watched them with a hint of sadness. He wished suddenly that he had come to the Order long ago.

"What's this about proof?" Neville shouted to Angelina over the din. "How did Zabini get here?"

Angelina and George quickly filled Neville in on what Blaise had told them, showing him the map and note Hermione had written to them. Neville was as awestruck as the rest of them at the rapid-fire revelations – Hermione was with Draco Malfoy, who was Dennis' old contact, and Blaise and Theodore were their new allies – but he approached the situation with more calm than the others had.

"Dennis, is all this true?" Neville asked the other man. "Malfoy was your contact?"

"He was," Dennis replied, eyes glowing with excitement. "Malfoy saved my skin on many occasions, and he gave up everything to keep me and the underground safe. I owe him my life."

Cho broke in. "And Zabini and Nott?"

Dennis shrugged. "They're not dangerous. Malfoy thought they'd help him sooner or later. They're certainly no friends of the Ministry."

Luna took a seat next to Neville, apparently having been listening to the entire conversation. "It makes sense that Narcissa wouldn't tell us any of this. She was trying to protect her son all along."

The others nodded, realizing that Luna was right. Neville gave Blaise an unreadable look. "I guess we've got a lot to thank you for, Zabini. And you, too, Nott," he added, gesturing toward Theodore, who had been released from his binding spell and was sitting next to Millicent.

Blaise looked down at the table. "We're no heroes. We've wanted to do something a long time before now, but we've been too afraid. Maybe you all would have won the war by now if we had come forward before now."

"It doesn't matter now," Luna said softly. "Dwelling on 'if's won't get us anywhere. The important thing is that you've made the right decision now, and that you can help us find Hermione."

"I've got a plan for a little more than just finding Hermione," Neville declared, giving George and Cho a mischievous look. "I've got a feeling that this may be the chance we've been waiting for."

Dennis smirked back at Neville. "And I've got a feeling you're right, mate. Seven years is a long time for a kettle to boil, and I think we're due for an explosion."

Draco proudly dropped the last bit of crushed lacewings into the cauldron. After double-checking his potions recipe, he turned to Hermione, who was still pointedly flipping through the Horcrux book.

"Care to give me a hand?" he asked, gesturing at the cauldron.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"My newest potion. I need you to pour in some essence of hemlock while I stir."

She got to her feet, eyeing the potion suspiciously. "What's this going to do?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "No need to worry. It's the one I've been telling you about. The one I used the dragon's heart for."

Hermione's face suddenly lit up as his words registered. "The one that can make a person fly?"

"Well, I won't know until it's done, but… yeah, that's the plan."

"Sure, I'll help," Hermione agreed, standing next to him and looking inquisitively into the cauldron. The substance inside was a foaming gray-pink and looked almost like medicine.

Draco handed her a round bottle and pulled the top off. "Just pour this in a steady stream in one place until I tell you to stop."

Hermione nodded eagerly, staring into the potion intently as she began pouring gently. Draco hadn't asked for her help with his potions before, and it was good to do something with magic again, even if she didn't have her wand. Draco stirred the contents of the cauldron carefully, checking his recipe every few seconds as if he were afraid he would do something incorrectly.

"Just a little more," he said finally, eyebrows knit together in concentration.

Hermione nodded. The potion had changed consistency and now glimmered red, green, and gold. "It looks like a dragon's scales," she remarked softly, pouring the last of the bottle's substance into the pot.

"Good," Draco replied. He stirred the potion several more times, then set down his rod and pulled Hermione away from the table. "Come on, let's give it some space. According to the recipe, it should spark several times and maybe erupt a little when it's finished."

"Really?" Hermione asked incredulously, joining Draco in a crouch behind his desk. "I've never heard of a potion that reacted that way. Who invented it?"

Draco shrugged. "I did."

"What?!"

"I mean, I don't know if it works yet," he said defensively, as if he thought she were accusing him. "This is my first time brewing it. I basically combined as many relevant potions as I could find, then took some old manuscripts from wizards who believed they had invented a flying potion. I applied the modern laws of potion-making to those ideas, and that's how I came up with this one. Look, it's starting to fizz!"

Hermione wasn't looking at the cauldron. "You're telling me you not only have made hundreds of registered potions down here, but you've also invented your own? Invented potions that have been thought impossible?"

"We'll soon see," Draco replied. "Keep your head down."

No sooner had the words left his mouth when the first spark leaped from the cauldron and flew like a rocket around the basement ceiling. It circled the room twice before slowing and fizzling out in midair, leaving a few glittery flickers behind. A second spark erupted from the cauldron, quickly followed by a third and a fourth. Hermione couldn't resist taking a peek from behind the desk, and she laughed when she saw the shooting sparks.

"They look like the fireflies I used to catch in the park behind my parents' house," she said gleefully, watching two sparks shoot out of the cauldron and twist in harmony together like butterflies.

Draco let a smile cross his face as well as he watched her excitement. The brightly glowing sparks reflected off her face and made her look like a starstruck child, and he almost became too distracted to notice what was happening in the cauldron.

"Get down!" he shouted as the potion erupted in a blinding pillar of fire. Draco reached out to pull Hermione behind the desk and into his arms. She buried her face in his neck, and he tried to ignore the intense heat that flooded the room as the potion crackled with fire. He held her as tightly as he could, trying to forget that he had sworn not to hold her like that ever again. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Draco finally gave in and laid his forehead on her shoulder, deciding to take the opportunity while she was still with him.

Why did it always have to feel so natural to have her in his arms? Why couldn't he just go back to hating her or not knowing she existed? Life had been so much easier before he had to constantly fight a doomed love affair.

After a few moments, the flames died down and swirled back into the potion, where they bubbled and fizzed once more before settling into the shimmering liquid. Draco slowly raised his head from Hermione's shoulder, feeling her hair brush his cheek as he peered around the desk.

"It's over," he said, his voice thicker than he expected. His hands trembled as he pulled his arms away from her, and Hermione seemed somewhat affected as well.

They both pushed their feelings aside and got to their feet without the other's assistance. "Was it supposed to be that bright?" Hermione asked, clearly trying to change the subject from anything besides the moment they had just shared. She shoved her hands in her pockets to keep them from shaking.

Draco swallowed and made his way toward the cauldron again. "Uh… I don't know. I expected it to erupt somehow, but I wasn't anticipating an active volcano."

Hermione smiled a little. "Looks like you've burned your roof."

Draco looked at where she was pointing and saw that she was right. The flames had gone straight up and burned a large hole directly through the basement ceiling. He could see right into the empty room upstairs.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said, smiling a little in return. "I'll fix it later."

"How will you test the potion?"

"Try it myself, just like I always do," Draco replied, pulling out a tiny vial and filling it with the liquid he had just created.

"That seems dangerous," Hermione countered, peering into the cauldron, "especially considering what just happened."

Draco shrugged and managed a half laugh. "If the other hundred potions haven't killed me yet, I doubt this one will."

Hermione hid a smile and nodded acquiescently. Draco was right; he didn't explode or fall over dead as he threw back the vial, and he gave her a triumphant grin as she watched. He had just opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly lifted off the ground. His feet rose nearly five feet off the floor, and he had to duck his head to keep from hitting the ceiling.

Hermione clapped her hand over her mouth as they both started laughing. "Look at this, Hermione!" Draco shouted in delight. "I'm actually flying!"

She shook her head in amazement. "Can you propel yourself at all?"

Draco tried, waving his arms and kicking like he was swimming in midair, but he didn't go any further. "I guess all I can do is float," he admitted. "But look at this!" He suddenly pulled himself into a ball and turned head over heels in the air.

Hermione laughed again, doubling over and collapsing onto the chair she had previously occupied. "I can't believe I'm seeing this," she chuckled, wiping her eyes. "Draco Malfoy, turning somersaults in the air." Draco grinned proudly back at her, resting his hands behind his head and crossing his legs in a mimicry of sitting in a chair.

That only made her laugh harder. "You look like Uncle Albert from Mary Poppins!" she managed, burying her face in her hands.

"Who?" Draco asked, turning himself upside-down so that his hair struck straight up.

"It's a Muggle film," she explained. "Uncle Albert loves to laugh, and when he does, it makes him float. He can't come down until he stops laughing."

At this, Draco suddenly took on a gravely serious face, crossing his arms and turning right-side up. When nothing happened and he continued to be suspended in midair, Draco broke out into another grin and laughed at her victoriously. "Ha! My flying potion must be better than his!"

Hermione chuckled again but decided not to bother explaining that Uncle Albert never had a flying potion. "How long will it last?" she asked.

Draco threw his arms up in a shrug, turning a somersault backwards and laughing as though the past eight years had had no effect on him. "I have no idea. I took a very small dose, so I'd say only a few minutes."

"What if you're stuck floating for hours?" Hermione asked.

He shrugged again. "Then I float for hours." He glanced at the newly-created hole in the ceiling. "Watch this."

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingertips, hiding a smile as Draco maneuvered his way to the hole, pulled himself through, and floated into the upstairs room. Once his shoes left her line of sight, she rose from her chair and went to stand under the hole, gazing up in search of him.

"Where are you?" she called, peering as far up as she could.

She jumped back in surprise when he poked his head out of the hole, floating upside-down and grinning from ear to ear. She was about to give him a teasing scolding when he said, "I dare you to try it, Granger."

Hermione put her hands on her hips and tried to look disapproving. "Draco, floating about is not something I've ever dreamed of doing. And I hate flying!"

"You said yourself it's not flying," he argued, his voice drifting down from somewhere above. "Just floating." He stuck his head back through the hole and smirked at her. "Come on. I dare you."

Hermione almost turned him down, said it was too dangerous, said this wasn't the time for playing around. But she was struck by the notion that this could be the last time they would laugh together, the last time he would dare her to do something with that mischievous grin she had come to love.

Without a word, Hermione grinned back, took a sip from the potion vial, and couldn't keep herself from laughing again as her feet lifted off the ground.

The floating potion at long last wore off, and Hermione and Draco drifted down to the ground again, where they kept their distance from each other while lauding the potion as the greatest invention they had ever seen.

"I didn't know floating could be so much fun," Hermione said, shaking her head and they rounded the corner into the basement again. Draco began pouring the new potion into separate vials, which he had already labeled and organized in advance.

"It should be very useful," Draco agreed. "I promised Dennis I would make him a flying potion sooner or later. Too bad it was later rather than sooner."

Hermione ignored his comment and persisted with her idea. "A potion like that would work wonders in the Order. You have no idea what this would do for our escape plans. Why, with just one vial, we could –"

"The Order will have the potion, Hermione," Draco said plainly, giving her a determined look. "Who do you think I made it for?"

Hermione wasn't sure what to say. "You… you made this… for the Order?"

"Not specifically," he clarified, switching the next vial into his cupboard. Hermione reached out to help him balance the cauldron as he kept talking. "The underground has most of the potions I've made. It's been murder getting it to them, but we've managed. This book," he indicated the heavy tome lying in front of him, "has the recipes for every potion I've created. When you get out of here, I want you to take it to Dennis. He'll know what to do with it."

"And the Order?" she asked.

"The Order and the underground will be coming together," he explained. "Once the Order gets you out of here, you'll be able to find Dennis and let him know what's going on. The time is right for an uprising. With the combined forces of the underground and the Order, Voldemort won't stand a chance."

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the potion book Draco had slid in front of her. She knew what he was saying between the lines. "Maybe you'll be there to give the book to Dennis yourself."

Draco laughed mirthlessly. "Sure."

"Where did you say you got the idea for this potion?" she reminded him, setting the cauldron down so he would look at her. "From ancient potion-makers who believed they were onto something?" She reached over and grabbed the Horcrux book she had been reading from earlier. "Why shouldn't the same thing be true about Horcruxes? Just because it's an old idea doesn't mean it's a bad one! If an act of sacrificial love is powerful enough to destroy a Horcrux, think about what it could do as far as restoration! I could –"

"That's enough," Draco interrupted, not unkindly. "Let's just get this potion stored."

"When will Dennis be here?" Angelina asked impatiently, flexing her fingers nervously as she shuffled further down behind a bush. Lee Jordan was pressed against her right side and Luna Lovegood against her left. She could barely make out the top of George's red hair across the lawn.

"He just said as soon as he could," Luna replied. "Soon could be anytime."

Angelina sighed in frustration. The entire Order – save Fleur and Millicent, who had stayed behind to watch the Fortress – had taken their biggest risk in many years. Fourteen eager Order members (plus Blaise, Theodore, and Narcissa) were now scattered in small groups throughout the neighborhood surrounding Draco Malfoy's house. Angelina was shocked at how dilapidated the house was compared to what she had expected. The grandeur and opulence of Malfoy Manor made Draco's home look like a medieval dungeon. Dark clouds that didn't match the rest of the weather hung over the mansion like vultures. Every plant or tree on the property was wilted and blackened. Even the snow that coated the lawn and the rooftops seemed dismal. Blaise hadn't exaggerated when he said Voldemort turned the place into a graveyard.

"What's that noise?" Lee asked her, moving in closer than Angelina would have liked. "Is that them?"

"I don't know," Angelina replied. "Sounds like fireworks."

Luna looked over her shoulder, her unconcerned voice contrasting her words. "I hope he gets here soon. We could be spotted any minute."

"I told Neville we should have used disguises or invisibility or something," Angelina grumbled. "We might as well march up the middle of Diagon Alley."

"There wasn't time," Luna reminded her. "Dennis will be here any minute; I just know it."

Angelina was preparing a semi-snarky reply when a deafening explosion made her cover her ears and duck her head. A glance at the sky above her told her that her guess had been correct – Dennis was setting off fireworks.

George stuck his head up from behind his bush and signaled to Angelina with his wand. Angelina, Luna, and Lee rose from their crouched position and started toward the rest of the Order, keeping a careful watch for anyone who might notice them. The way seemed clear, so Angelina pressed on toward George.

The Order members could do little more than stare as a scene unfolded before them like they had never seen before. In every corner of the street and lawn around them, wizards and witches of every age, size, color, and blood status Apparated into view, a new face crackling into motion every instant. Dennis Creevey, eyes blazing with excitement, appeared in the midst of the gathering crowd, shouting orders and directing the swarm of people into their ranks.

"So this is the underground," George said in amazement as they watched the people organize themselves into groups. Angelina could only nod in agreement. There were so many. So many…

"The Wizarding World is reborn today," Luna said softly, her voice sounding like an ancient prophet. "This will be the awakening of a new age of freedom."

Angelina still couldn't find her voice, so she just kept watching the flood of people grow larger and larger. The people of the Wizarding World had finally had enough of Voldemort's regime, and now here they were – hundreds upon hundreds of citizens rising up and joining together to fight the evil that had kept them huddled in fear. Angelina spared a glance over at Blaise and Theodore, who looked as shocked as if they had been hit with sledgehammers.

Angelina's amazement was interrupted by Neville's voice from behind her. "Dennis!" he called to the underground leader as he approached. "This is incredible!"

"Isn't it?" Dennis grinned. "Wait till they all get here!"

Neville shook his head in wonder, pushing past the others to get close enough to talk to Dennis. "When can we start? When will everyone else be here?"

"Doesn't matter," Dennis declared, pulling his wand out of his pocket. "We came ready to go. The others will come in waves so we don't get overwhelmed. In the meantime, it's time for a show." Dennis grinned again, and a chill ran up Angelina's spine as the young patriot raised his wand into the air and let a brilliant green firework loose. It exploded high over the rooftops of Draco's home, leading to a cheer from the multitude of people gathered.

George's wand was the next to point skyward. A crackling orange firework escaped his wand, soon followed by members of the Order and the underground loosing dozens of fireworks into the midmorning air.

Dennis' battle cry rang out louder than any of the explosions. "Let the rebellion begin!"

"Did you hear that?" Hermione asked as she and Draco closed the heavy door of his potions cabinet. Far down in the basement as they were, the unmistakable sound of an explosion had reached their ears.

"Yeah," Draco said softly. "Come on, we'll take a look."

They stole up together, taking the secret entrance to the tower. When they reached the little room, Draco shut the entrance door and went straight to the window.

"Blast these thorns," he muttered, trying to get a peek through the tiny gaps in the vines. Weak winter sunlight filtered through, but he couldn't see much beyond that.

"It sounded like fireworks to me," Hermione declared, squeezing in next to Draco and squinting her eyes to see beyond the brambles.

"Fireworks?" Draco echoed, pulling away from the window. "Fireworks. Yeah!"

"What?" Hermione asked, turning to watch him pace the tiny room.

Draco gave her an excited smile. "Fireworks! Dennis always told me that when he staged his big final rebellion, he would use fireworks."

"Then you think it's him?" Hermione asked, seeming skeptical.

"Come on," he said simply, taking her hand and pulling her to the stairs. They ran down the steps and into the entry hall on the first floor, stopping at the huge, thorn-covered window next to the door. Draco and Hermione pressed their faces against the glass, straining to see through the tiny cracks.

"Do you see that?" Draco breathed.

She did. Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. Hundreds upon hundreds of people milled around on the street and grass beyond the border of Draco's property. Small groups stood in every direction she could see, raising their wands to the sky and shouting in exuberance. Innumerable fireworks, exploding in every color of the rainbow, cracked in the cloudy sky.

"He brought it here," Hermione said at last, barely daring to breathe. "Zabini brought the rebellion here."

"You really think he did all this?" Draco asked, putting a hand on her shoulder and trying to see over her head.

Hermione nodded. "Who else would have brought the Order and the underground to the same place?"

Draco nodded back in understanding. "Dennis must be setting off the fireworks to bring people here. I'd say Voldemort and all his supporters will be here in a matter of minutes."

Hermione bit her lip, trying to make out anyone she knew in the blurred crowd standing far away. "I think I see George! I'd know that red hair anywhere. And that looks like Cho! Oh, if only I had my wand with me!"

"I think I see Theodore!" Draco exclaimed. "Dennis has to be in there somewhere, too."

"They came for me," Hermione said, her voice clouding with emotion. "I can't believe it. After all this time, the Order is finally here."

Draco let his eyes fall to the ground, pulling back away from the window. This was it – the moment he had been waiting for seven years to see. The beginning of his end.

"I guess you'll be a free bird again, Granger," he said, trying to sound cheerful. "This is the beginning of a whole new world for you. You'll be leading the way into the next era, no doubt."

Hermione finally pulled away from the window as well and turned to face him, giving him a fiery look. "It's the beginning of your new world, too, Draco. When the Order gets me out, you're coming with me."

"It's impossible, Hermione –"

"I'm not leaving without you," she said firmly. He didn't reply, just set his mouth in a firm line. She wished she could make him feel what she felt – a certainty that this wasn't the end for him, that she was going to fight until her last breath to give him the freedom he had suffered for. She wanted to reach out and hold him, to cradle his face in her hands and tell him that they would make it to the end together.

"This is your time, Hermione," he said, reaching out and taking one of her hands in both of his. "This is what you've been waiting for."

"It's your time, too," she said, and she hoped she sounded as confident as she felt. "This is your second chance."

Disclaimer: Most of the information about Horcruxes in this chapter is taken directly from the Harry Potter wiki page. Thanks to all those writers who upkeep and help me with writing article formats!

Dear friends! Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope it's everything you wanted it to be :) If all goes according to plan, there will be one more full-length chapter, followed by an epilogue. I can't believe this journey is almost over! You have been a wonderful audience and it's a pleasure to write for you. Please leave a comment to tell me what you think of it! As always, I love you all very much and send virtual Dramione hugs to every one of you. Thank you again for taking the time to read!