Author's Note: Special shout out to my beta TigerAndDaisy!
This is it guys! The end of Year 5. Please note TRIGGER WARNINGS for this chapter. Minor Character Death and Cannon violence. Be mindful of your triggers as you approach this chapter. If it is too much, the please read the summary down below. Thanks!
"Come on, Luna! Keep up!" Ginny called out to the blonde Ravenclaw. They had been friends for many years and often played long summers around the Burrow. Yet, it always surprised Ginny when Luna had trouble keeping pace with their more rambunctious activities like creek stomping or gnome throwing.
"I'm… trying…." Luna gasped out. Since entering the door with the heart doorknob, they had found themselves in various nooks and crannies of the room with all kinds of experiments set up. Some testing love potions, while others were more anatomical. It was nauseating for Ginny when they passed the different human hearts placed under a stasis charm. These were the clues that the girls used to surmise that this area of the Department of Mysteries was dedicated to the study of love.
"We need to find somewhere to hide or find the door to get out of here at least," Ginny said, frantically searching around the different aisles when Luna accidentally tripped.
"Whoops," she said as she knocked into Ginny before crashing into a bookshelf full of glass bottles. Some of the jars rattled while others rolled off the self and crashed onto the floor. One such container was filled with a lilac liquid that poured off the shelf and onto the girls.
"Yuck!" Ginny yelled as she furiously tried to scrub at the substance in her hair.
"Sorry," Luna apologized, doing the same. As soon as their skin made contact with the liquid, the inside of their wrists began to burn, causing them to clutch their hands in pain.
"What's happening?" Ginny asked, searching for something to stop the agony attacking her skin.
"I don't know, but I see something forming on the inside of my wrist," Luna stated, holding up her right hand for Ginny to look. Within seconds, the purple liquid seeped into her pores and completely disappeared. In place of the lilac substance, three letters formed on the inside of Luna's wrist.
H. J. P.
"Well, it's not a word," Ginny commented before her eyes widened in recognition. "Do you suppose they could be initials?"
Luna smiled. "They certainly look like initials. And…" she trailed, her cheeks blushing as pink as Amortentia. "I think I know who they belong to."
Ginny gave her friend a knowing smile before she looked down at her own wrist. The redhead gasped. "Look at mine!"
B. N. Z.
"How peculiar," Luna chimed. "I wonder who they belong to."
This time it was Ginny's turn to duck her head, trying to hide the embarrassment from her wise and analytical friend when she noticed the exit door not too far from their location. "Look! There's our way out!"
Luna hummed, not prying her friend on the topic. Together, they made their way to the imposing black door and took a step through.
"Damn it! How many are there?" Dean whispered from his hiding spot behind the desk. He and Neville sought safety through the room with the brain-shaped doorknob, not realizing it was devoted to studying the human mind. Upon their arrival, Neville became fascinated by the different notes and testing stations dedicated to memory restoration, wondering aloud if one of the experiments could be used to help those severely affected by the Cruciatus Cruse.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because 14 years ago, a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange led a group to my childhood home. They tortured my parents to insanity, and now they reside in Saint Mungo's."
"That's awful," Dean replied sympathetically.
Neville nodded. "I'm quite proud to be their son." He paused for a moment, giving Dean a severe look. "Someday, I'm going to be an Auror, just like them. You'll see."
The revelation caused Dean to pause as he looked at his awkward friend in a new light. He had always wondered why Neville tried so hard to fit in with his Gryffindor brethren, to be bold and brave even though he was clumsy and came across as not the brightest student. It was almost cruel for someone to be given a legacy to uphold, especially when it was so blatantly apparent that it was not the path for the prodigy to follow.
Dean, on the other hand, had no legacy. Having been raised by a single muggle mother and being the first of his family to develop magic had been a burden all its own. He felt the pressures and identity struggles that many in his situation were cursed to deal with. Not magical enough to be accepted by Wizarding Society, yet too weird for the Muggle World. Dean felt like he was constantly walking the line between two lives. Still, he would never give up the gifts and knowledge he had been privileged to learn, even if it led to his current situation of having to hide from two Death Eaters trying to kill him and Neville.
"One's coming this way," Neville mouthed, pointing his wand in the direction of the heavy footsteps that kept getting closer.
Though Dean could not see the intruder, he still held his wand up, ready to strike at any moment. Holding up his free hand, Dean started to count down with a finger, indicating they were to attack the Death Eater with a stunner at the same time.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
"Stupefy!"
The Death Eater didn't have a chance to block and instantly flew backward, landing hard enough into the wall to knock him out. The two Gryffindors didn't bother looking over their shoulder as they sprinted further into the room, searching for their ticket out of there.
"Bloody Hell! We just can't catch a break," Ron yelled before firing off another spell.
"Stupefy," Harry shouted, hitting one of the three Death Eaters currently chasing them through what they determined to be the time room. On top of dodging the spells thrown at them, the boys also had to avoid being hit with sand and glass. They passed rows of broken TimeTurners and hourglasses as they searched for a way out of the room and away from the Death Eaters.
"There has got to be a way out of here," Ron shouted. "Protego!"
"Thanks, Mate," Harry exclaimed as he fired off two stunners, one of them hitting the second Death Eater. "The deeper we go, the more likely we will find the exit."
And so, the two Gryffindors ran further inside the time room, looking left and right for somewhere to escape when Ron pointed out a large black door off to the left.
Waiting for Draco to wake up felt like waiting for rain in a desert. She knew Mr. Malfoy couldn't lie while inside the truth room, but part of her was skeptical whether or not the healing spell he cast would work. Was the Malfoy Patriarch that familiar with Dolohov's sadistic work that he knew the bit of magic to reverse it? Just thinking about how close she had come to almost losing Draco caused a shiver to go up Hermione's spine when her boyfriend started groaning.
"Draco?" she asked in a small voice. Hope blossomed inside her chest as she saw his fingers move and his eyelids flutter before opening to the world. She let out a sigh of relief. "You're awake."
"I'm… okay?" he said, pushing himself off the floor. "What happened?"
"Dolohov hit you with a curse, and then…." Hermione went to finish but was struggling against the spell upon the room. A part of her didn't want to talk about what had just happened openly, but she also knew Draco would like an explanation.
"And then?" Draco prompted.
"Your father showed up," Hermione answered.
Draco reared his head back. "What?!"
"He was the one that cast the healing spell on you. I had no idea how to stop the curse, so… if it hadn't been for your father…." Hermione turned away, unable to finish the sentence as tears pooled in her eyes. "I thought I almost lost you."
"Hey," Draco said, bringing his left hand up to cup the side of her face. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
A strangled sob left her mouth as the tears started to flow freely. Hermione pushed up on her knees while placing her hands on the side of his face. "You better not," she said before leaning in to capture his lips in a passionate kiss.
Draco met her lips ferociously, pushing her gently to the ground and coming to hover above her. Their hands started to wander around each other's bodies, exploring and feeling the skin under their fingertips. They wanted to touch, to know that the person they loved was alive and well.
When Draco broke apart for air, he remained close to Hermione's face, leaving soft kisses along her forehead, nose, and cheeks that made her chuckle. "I love you," he said in between each peck.
Hermione smiled and went to return the sentiment, but they froze when one of the Death Eaters started to moan and curse. Without saying another word, Draco stood up, holding out his hand for Hermione to pull her off the floor. They ran further into the room without letting go, searching for an exit.
"How did my father get out?" Draco asked.
"A door appeared not too far from where we were, but it disappeared once he stepped through," Hermione explained.
"Great," Draco grumbled. "How come he can get out, but we're running around like rabbits?"
"We'll find a way," Hermione affirmed.
"There just has to be… Look! There!" Draco pointed.
Without hesitation, Draco yanked the golden handle of the black door open and pulled Hermione through the threshold. However, he instantly regretted his decision as the two started to free-fall into a black abyss. There was barely any light, and the rushing wind prevented them from hearing anything. The force of the fall was keeping either of them from casting an Arresto Momentum, but the spell proved to be unnecessary when they froze in midair seconds later. Draco's eyes widened as his vision cleared, and he came face to face with the rocky ground not too far from his nose. He and Hermione remained suspended like that for a few seconds until they heard the screams from the rest of the students in their party. Once everyone was hanging in thin air for a moment, the spell released, sending all the teenagers to the ground.
When Draco stood up, he took stock of the dark, circular room, noticing that the only object of consequence was an ancient arch in the center.
"Harry? Luna? What are you doing?" Hermione asked.
Draco silently opened his mouth, noticing how the two were drawn to the arch like a moth to a flame.
"The voices. Can you tell what they are saying?" Harry asked to no one in particular.
"There aren't any voices, Harry," Draco rebuked gently.
"No, I can hear them too," Luna countered, stumbling on the slight incline as the continued to move closer towards the object.
"Come on, mates. Let's get out of here," Ron pleaded. Though they had lost the Death Eaters, for the time being, Ron kept looking around like they could show up any minute.
"And the mist," Harry said to Luna. "Can you see the mist?"
Luna nodded. "It's quite pretty."
Draco, Ron, and Hermione shared a look, unsure what they were talking about. It was Hermione who stepped forward. "Harry," she said in a patient tone. "It's just an empty archway."
"I can't see anything, can you?" Dean whispered.
"Nothing," Ginny confirmed while Neville nodded his head.
Before the group could react, the Death Eaters started to converge on the room, injured but not completely incapacitated by the students' attacks. Their bodies apparated in a cloud of black smoke, circling the group like hyenas on the hunt. Draco felt someone grab his ankle and pull him away. He tried desperately to hold onto the rocky ground, but the grip of his captor was too firm. The next thing Draco knew, he was being held at wand point by his Uncle Rabastan. He winced when the tip jammed a little to hard into the side of his neck.
"Fucking failure. Just like your father," the Death Eater whispered menacingly in Draco's ear.
Looking around the room, Draco saw the other Death Eaters had various members of their party restrained. Bellatrix was toying with Neville, poking him in his jugular with the curved walnut wood while Dean was held captive by Nott Senior. Draco tried not to wince when he saw Dolohov gripping Hermione by her hair, sneering at her every time she struggled against his menacing hold.
The room was eerily quiet, for the only sound was of Lucius' cane as it tapped in time with his steps. The Malfoy Patriarch advanced towards Harry, who had been left alone near the mysterious arch with his wand raised. Keeping his stance as tall and imposing as possible, Lucius scoffed. "Did you actually believe… or were you truly naïve enough to think that children stood a chance against us?"
Bellatrix cackled at the comment, causing a few other Death Eaters to snigger along with her while Lucius held out his hand. "I'll make this quite simple, Potter. Give me the Prophecy. Now."
Draco made eye contact with Hermione, silently hoping that she could see what he was trying to convey to her silently. He prayed to Circe that she understood how sorry he was and could feel how much he loved her when Harry raised his wand towards Draco's father. "Or what?"
"Or, watch your friends die. One by one…."
Rabastan tightened his hold on Draco, the pain making him wince as his uncle's sharp fingernails dug deep into his skin. The Death Eater's foul breath filled Draco's nose, causing him to turn his head away as his captor whispered, "Blood Traitors don't get saved by Daddy."
There was a sudden flash of white light out of the corner of Draco's eyes, emerging not far from where Ron was being kept in a headlock by Macnair. The Gryffindor let out a small gasp as the form of Sirius Black appeared in the room, coming face to face with the Malfoy Patriarch. "Get the hell away from my godson," Draco's cousin threatened as he decked Lucius in the face.
Time felt like it was moving in slow motion as apparitions of white light filled the room, driving out and attacking the dark shadows of the Death Eaters. Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-Eye, Mr. Weasley, and other prominent members of the Order started to appear in the chamber, coming to the children's aid. Draco felt immense relief when Lupin loosened Rabastan's grip on the blond Gryffindor. The first thing he did, besides doge various curses and hexes being volleyed back and forth, was crawl towards Hermione. She had been freed by Kingsley, who was currently attempting to block attacks to allow her and Neville to move out of harm's way. He reached his hand out, pulling her into his chest and covering her head just as a blasting spell caused the ground next to them to explode. When the debris cleared, Draco looked up to see that Lucius was mere meters away dueling with Harry while Bellatrix had started attacking Sirius. Other members were preoccupied with their own duels, meaning no one could come to their aid.
"We need to help, Harry," Neville yelled before ducking again to avoid a stray stunner.
Harry seamlessly met Lucius' attacks in perfect defensive and offensive magic combinations. If the sight hadn't been so terrifying, it would have been beautiful to watch. Harry looked like an artist flicking a paintbrush towards an invisible canvas until one more swish caused his father's wand to fly out of his hand. With bated breath, Draco watched as Harry got close enough to Lucius that the tip of his wand was almost impaling the man's chest.
"On the count of three, I'm going to blast you backward, and then you are going to run," Harry informed his opponent.
With his hands raised in surrender, Lucius scoffed. "And why would I listen to you, Potter?"
"Because you're Draco's father, and I don't want one of my best friends to have to watch his dad be taken to Azkaban."
Draco's mouth fell open as his eyes ping-ponged back and forth between his father and Harry. He had so many questions running through his mind, mainly why was Harry doing this and would his father accept the Gryffindor's generosity. Draco couldn't tell what Lucius was thinking through the stoic mask that was the man's default facial expression. The only indication that Lucius had accepted the offer was by the slight inclination of his head.
Gritting his teeth, Harry raised his wand and yelled, "Stupefy!"
Lucius's body flew across the room. Draco couldn't help but let out a small noise of shock as he watched his father tumble across the ground, grabbing his wand and cane before slinking out the door that was difficult to see. The blond was immediately on his feet and coming to stand next to Harry.
"Why did you let him go?" Draco asked.
Harry didn't speak at first and simply gave Draco a quizzical look before saying, "Because I meant what I told him. He's your family. And, besides, if Lucius is locked up, then no one is there to protect your mother."
"I… don't know what to say," Draco responded. He truly was in shock over Harry's foresight and benevolence.
"You don't have to say anything, Mate. I know how important she is to you," Harry said with a small smile.
Draco wanted to say more, to thank Harry for his actions, but the moment between the two was interrupted by Hermione yelling at them.
Turning around, Harry and Draco saw that Sirius and Bellatrix were dueling in front of the mysterious arch. The madwoman was relentless in her assault on Sirius, spell after spell flying off the crooked tip of her wand before she raised it high above her head in a flourish. Draco's eyes widened as he recognized the consonants forming on her lips and the slight spark of green that was beginning to grow from the power of the magical core.
His brain stopped working as his body moved into action. He didn't fully register that he had flicked his Hawthorne towards his aunt until the spell was halfway out of his mouth. "Expellarimus!"
Bellatrix gasped as the wand flew out of her hand. She spun on her heels to confront the person who dared to disarm her. The woman's eyes grew vast and wild as she smiled menacingly at her nephew. There was an evil glint to her features as she slowly raised a finger and waggled it at the Gryffindors. A sudden puff of smoke came out of nowhere, materializing the form of Rodolphus Lestrange. The Death Eater had apparated in front of the arch, raising his wand towards Sirius, ready for the kill.
"NO!" Harry shouted. "Stupefy!"
Rodolphus groaned in pain as Harry's spell nicked the side of the man's arm. The force was enough to push him back and into the archway. Before Draco's eyes, he suddenly saw white whisps of smoke enveloped Rodolphous' body, pulling his uncle further through the veil-like curtain that appeared. The Death Eater's skin instantly drained of color, and his eyes became void of life as he disappeared through the archway.
Draco let out a sharp intake of breath as he became conscious of various voices coming from the mysterious stone structure. Witnessing Rodolphous' death had given himself and his magic a new clarity, one that Harry and Luna were already intimately aware of. He didn't know how long he stood there, listening to the veil call to him from the beyond when Bellatrix let out a final taunting cackle before running through the exit. The haunting noise snapped Harry and Draco's attention back into focus as they became aware of Sirius and Remus talking to them.
"Are you alright?" Remus asked.
"Are you hurt?" Sirius followed, checking Harry over for marks and lingering curses.
"She's heading for the Atrium," Draco commented, his voice as quiet as a ghost.
Harry didn't say anything as he allowed his guardians to hug him. "Come, let's get you all out of here."
From his previous hiding spot, Draco saw Tonks trying to help Neville and Hermione out of the Death room, guiding them towards the door that would take them towards the Atrium and out of the Ministry. With any luck, Bellatrix would be petrified by an Order member and already on her way back to Azkaban.
As the fountain came into view, Draco felt a slight sense of relief seeing Ginny, Luna, Ron, and Dean already sitting there with Hestia Jones. They looked just as dirty and beaten up as the other half of the party felt.
"Thanks, Hestia," Remus said. "I'll go ahead and take everyone back to Grimmauld and then…."
But before Remus could finish the command, Harry started screaming in pain. He clutched his forehead, digging the heel of his palm into the flesh as he fell to the ground.
"Harry!" Sirius cried out, clutching onto the young Gryffindor like a lifeline.
"What's happening to him?" Ron shouted unhelpfully as the group continued to watch in horror as Harry thrashed on the ground in pain.
A sudden rush of cold air caused Draco's body to shudder when a low, cool voice echoed through the room.
"So Weak…" it drawled, hissing at the end like a snake.
Harry was panting and sweating from the pain as he struggled to stand with Sirius and Remus' help. His eyes fixed towards the rows of fireplaces.
"Show yourself!" Harry shouted into the air. "Come out and face me!"
No one dared to move as the darkness seemed to swirl and morph before their eyes. Thick black clouds drifted into sight, transforming into a shape of a man. But from what stepped out of the darkness and into the dim light of the Ministry was not a man… it was Lord Voldemort himself.
Draco stopped breathing. He became paralyzed and frozen with fear as the figure that had been haunting his dreams appeared in the flesh before him. Voldemort's pale and almost slimy skin made him look like a nightmare come true, especially when paired with sunken eyes and a missing nose. It was an unnatural image, almost comical really, to think that this was the Dark Lord who had charmed and commanded so many before. He had come back more animal than man. His robes, black as the grim reaper himself, billowed out around him like a cape of death as he walked with his bald head high and white wand regally held close to his side. There was an air of terror and grace in his movements as Voldemort fixed his sight on Harry.
"Now, Harry. None of this would be necessary if you just hand over the Prophecy."
"Not… Happening…" Harry grunted, trembling as he raised his Holly wood towards the megalomanic. "It's… gone."
Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously when green flames emerged from one of the fireplaces down the hallway. Dumbledore stepped out, his piercing blue eyes surveying the room until he landed on Voldemort. The two enemies locked in a deadly staring contest, circling one another like lions preparing for an attack. A yellow cord of magic flowed from the adversaries' wands, forming a circle around them and creating a magical shield.
"It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom," Dumbledore warned. "The Aurors are on their way."
"By which time I shall be gone, and you…." Voldemort flourished his wand, smirking manically at his former Professor. "…shall be dead."
Thick, violent bolts of red and green emerged from their wands, colliding in the center of the room. The impact shook the floor, causing Harry, Sirius, and Remus to lose their balance and fall to their knees. It was like an earthquake was rumbling through the Atrium, forcing everyone to huddle closer and watch the epic duel.
The shield that formed prior to the battle quickly crumbled under the weight of the combined spells and disintegrated before the group's eyes. This allowed sparks of wild magic to shoot out from all angles, destroying whatever tile, stone, and glass it came into contact with. Suddenly, the bolts of red and green broke apart, freeing Voldemort to try a different attack. He started to chant something in Bulgarian, conjuring an enormous ball of fire that took the form of a viper. It was eerily similar to what Draco and the others witnessed last year when the Bulgarian delegation for the Triwizard Tournament introduced themselves to the rest of the student body. Expect Draco didn't believe this fiery form would be giving them a delightful performance.
A rush of heat filled the Atrium as Dumbledore volleyed the snake back towards Voldemort. The Dark Lord dismissed the spell in a fit of rage, waving his arms wildly so the fire fanned around him before the flames disappeared.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at the fountain, summoning water from within to move about and encase Voldemort inside a ball of liquid. With exceptional magical strength, the Professor started to move his opponent across the Atrium, trying to guide him away from the group of spectators when Voldemort broke through the enchantment.
It was quickly becoming a battle of the elements as Voldemort summoned forth a tornado-like force, causing all the glass and windows of the inner-department offices to shatter. Draco crouched in a fetal position next to Hermione, covering his head from the worst of the impact. He braced himself, ready to feel the nicks and tell-tale signs of cuts along his bare hands and forearms, but instead felt a powder-like substance bush against his skin. When the sensation stopped, Draco perked up, looking around the floor to find that the glass had been reduced to a granular, salt-like material. He slowly rose from the ground, helping Hermione before finding that Voldemort had disappeared.
"Where did he go?" Ron croaked out, shuffling his feet along the tile to stand next to Draco.
As the group tried to catch their bearings, Harry suddenly brought his hands up to his neck, falling to the ground again.
"Harry?" Sirius called out. "You can do it, Harry. Fight him, pup. Fight him!"
The Gryffindor was grunting and groaning in pain, rolling his neck around like he had that night in Dumbledore's office. Harry's eyes went white as the salt under his body, and the tone of his voice changed to the exact demonic hertz that Draco would never forget when he had screamed at Dumbledore.
"You lost, old man."
"Your Occlumency, Harry!" Remus shouted, trying to help Harry breakthrough Voldemort's hold over the boy's mind.
Hermione started gripping a little tighter to Draco's forearm. She had tears pooling at the corner of her eyes, feeling just as helpless as Draco and the rest of the group. The only thing the teenagers could do was watch Harry internally battle with Voldemort.
"So… weak," the possessed voice taunted. "So… vulnerable."
"Harry," Dumbledore said gently, coming to kneel next to the boy-who-lived. "It isn't how you are alike. It's how you are not."
Draco's mouth opened in a silent gasp as he watched Harry rise off the floor, his movements mimicking that of a snake. Harry's eyes kept flickering back and forth from the ghostly orbs to his normal emerald iris' as he continued to struggle and war with the monster inside his head. When Harry fell back to the ground, panting and sweating from the exertion of fighting off Voldemort's intrusion, Draco saw Harry tilt his head slightly to look up at his friends. The dark-haired wizard groaned in agony again, his body shaking before melting a little further into the floor.
"You're… you're the… weak one," Harry stuttered before clearing his throat. "And you'll never know… love. Or friendship. And I feel sorry for you."
Harry cried out once more, causing him to roll onto his back as what looked like black ash flew out of his body. The force of the wind caused Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore to fall back, putting some distance between them and Harry as a column of salt surrounded Harry. The ash-like pieces merged together, forming the corporal figure of Voldemort, who looked down at his marked nemesis condescendingly.
"You're a fool, Harry Potter. And you will lose everything."
Voldemort's cold, silky voice sent chills down Draco's spine as the megalomanic smirked in triumph. Suddenly, the fireplaces all began to light up as Aurors and Ministry Officials stepped into the wreckage and carnage left behind by the duel. Surprisingly, Fudge was in the lead, instantly stopping when he made eye contact with the Dark Lord. In a blink of an eye, Voldemort vanished, leaving behind a shocked audience in his wake.
"He's back," Fudge stammered, his bottom lip quivering slightly before the Head Auror moved his team into action. Remus picked up Harry, who was passed out, and carried him like a small child as he and Sirius walked towards the fireplaces.
"Excuse me. Just where are you lot going?" Draco recognized the Auror as Dawlish from when he tried to arrest Hagrid.
"Home!" Sirius yelled back, waving for the group of teenagers to follow them as Remus lit the fireplace and stepped through. One by one, the group followed behind through the open floo connection, quickly trying to get out of the Ministry and avoid the unwanted press. People were shouting questions at the group about Voldemort's return and snapping pictures of their hasty exit left and right. Draco had never been so glad to see the walls of Grimmauld place than in that very moment. Sirius directed everyone into the living room, having them all take a seat until the Headmaster could join them. Exhausted and beaten up, everyone did as they were told and waited on the various sofas and armchairs.
"Where's Harry?" Luna asked softly.
"I saw Lupin taking him upstairs. He's probably letting Harry sleep in his room," Ron answered.
Draco didn't know how long they waited until he heard the floo sound off again. Hermione, who had been drifting off on his shoulder, bolted straight up as Sirius and Remus walked into the room with Dumbledore on their heels. The men stared at the teenagers before Dumbledore gruffly spoke.
"Whose idea was it to break into the Department of Mysteries?"
No one said anything and instead lowered their heads to avoid eye contact.
"I will not repeat myself. Whose idea?!"
"Albus," Remus admonished quietly.
The Headmaster rounded on Lupin, giving the man a piercing stare. "You don't understand the gravity of the situation. These students may have just cost me… cost us everything I have been trying to prevent this year."
"Are you talking about Harry's Prophecy?" Draco asked.
All heads snapped towards Draco. Dumbledore had a dangerous look in his eyes as he pointed a finger at him. "Who told you about that?"
Draco paused. Unsure how to answer the Headmaster. He didn't want to throw Mr. Weasley under the knight bus, nor did he want to implicate anyone else who was helping guard the information from Voldemort's grasp.
"Answer me, Draco," Dumbledore raised his voice, quickly losing his patience.
"We… figured it out," Ron blurted, causing the Headmaster to turn his direction.
"How?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Harry's dream journal," Ron stated swiftly. "Before he started practicing Occlumency, Harry would dream about the Department of Mysteries. He… wanted to know what it meant, so…."
"We went to the library and researched it," Hermione added quickly, contributing the tale.
Dumbledore had a skeptical look on his face as he crossed his arms. "Is that right?" The three Gryffindors nodded their head in unison.
"It makes sense," Remus said.
"We suspected Harry and Voldemort had a connection when he saw Arthur being attacked," Sirius supplied, trying to take the pressure of the interrogation off the students.
Dumbledore still didn't look convinced as his mouth drew into a thin line. "Suffice it to say, there aren't very many reference books regarding the Department of Mysteries, and even those materials wouldn't have the specific information required for your…. Operation."
Hermione gulped, her throat dry as she felt the lie catching up with her. She opened her mouth, hoping that something would come out when Draco cut in. "But Professor, haven't you always told us that help will be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it?"
The room went deadly silent as Dumbledore glared at the blond Gryffindor. Draco could see Sirius trying to suppress a laugh from over the man's shoulder while Remus had a glint of approval in his eye.
"Regardless of how the children found out about the Prophecy, which was information you did not share with the rest of the Order might I add; the important thing to note here is that everyone is alive," Lupin stated, coming up to place a hand on Dumbledore's shoulder. "I think they have all had a long night and should be heading back to school so they could rest, no?"
The Headmaster gritted his teeth, taking a moment to collect his outrage before he bit out, "And Harry? What became of the Prophecy?"
"Harry destroyed it," Ron informed them. "It's gone."
"Did he listen to it?" Dumbledore asked. The collective silence was the confirmation that he needed to know that Harry had become aware of what fate likely had in store for him.
"We all listened to it, Professor. And Draco's," Ginny said in a soft voice.
"Ah, yes. I heard about the performance you gave the other day in your Divination OWL. How curious it would be if the two were related?" Dumbledore remarked, raising an eyebrow at the Gryffindor so that Draco knew he was expected to answer.
"I… Yes, Professor. I think so," Draco said. "Though you don't need to worry about it. That one was destroyed as well."
The news seemed to have a calming effect on the Headmaster. Though he was still stiff with ire, his facial expressions had relaxed a bit, and his tone was no longer as harsh as when he started his interrogation. "Then I suppose there is nothing further to do tonight except escort you back." He fished in his pocket, holding up a small marble he was about to toss towards Ron. The Professor hesitated only for a moment before looking over his shoulder to Sirius and Remus. "You will send Harry back when he wakes?"
"Yes, Albus," Remus confirmed, elbowing Sirius for his comment about how it was pointless to have Harry return for a week when he wouldn't really be doing anything in classes.
Dumbledore tossed the marble towards Ron with a flick of his wrist, who caught it with his Keeper-like reflexes. The students didn't need to be told to gather around and touch the marble. Simultaneously, they all teleported away under the magic of the Portkey before landing heavily in the Headmaster's office.
A portrait that had been snoring woke suddenly. "Who's that? Oh, students."
"How did you get in here?" a different painting asked.
"You ninny! Albus must have sent them! Only the true Headmaster of Hogwarts has access to the office," another picture chimed in.
"Bloody hell! It is too early for this," Ron complained as he led the way out the exit and back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Harry returned to school the following day and gathered with his friends at the Gryffindor table to tell them what had happened. Draco shuddered as Harry described what it was like to have Voldemort tear through his mind, using his old memories against him as he searched for the information he was after. Thankfully, Harry had managed to keep the Prophecy hidden away from Voldemort's grasp, and with the help of Professor Snape, he had successfully sealed the connection between him and Voldemort.
"How long do you think it will hold?" Draco asked.
Harry shrugged. "Probably until he or I try to break it down."
Harry's arrival also brought with him the reinstatement of Dumbledore as Headmaster. Once word got back to the Ministry and Board of Governors about Umbridge's use of illegal Blood Quills to punish students, she was swiftly sacked and relocated to a lower-level position within the Ministry.
"She should have been unemployed," Ron grumbled.
"At least she got demoted," Draco said, trying to stay optimistic.
Before long, the week was gone, and the four Gryffindors were boarding the Hogwarts Express. There was a sense of peace and serenity that had fallen over the cart as they allowed the sway of the train to invite thoughts of summer. For just a moment, they didn't have to think about deeper meanings of Prophecies or threats from Death Eaters as they settled into a false sense of normalcy. Ron and Harry were playing a game of Exploding Snap on one bench while Hermione was resting her back against the window, her legs propped over Draco's lap as she read the Daily Prophet and Draco read a novel. It was nice to pretend that the Department of Mysteries hadn't changed all of them, that this past year had been one long nightmare finally coming to an end. Even if it was only for a moment.
"Look at this," Hermione gasped, putting the paper down in front of the boys. "They released the names of all the Death Eaters that were captured that night."
"Did…" Harry went white, looking at the semi-short list like it was a dog about to bite him.
"Yes, Harry. They mentioned Rodolphous being the only casualty," she answered.
"You're telling me of the eight that were there; only five got captures?" Ron hissed.
Draco's eyes raked over the names, his breath coming quickly as he recognized all of them.
Rabastan Lestrange
Rodolphus Lestrange- Deceased
Walden Macnair
Adler Parkinson
Corban Yaxley
"Parkinson? Is that…" Hermione trailed off when she saw the confirmation to her question in Draco's eyes.
"Pansy's father," he answered in a soft voice.
As if saying her name summoned the witch in question, the four Gryffindors turned to find Pansy walking by their compartment. The Slytherin, usually so well put together, looked ragged and distraught. She stopped for a moment, sneering at the four before Zacharias placed his hand on her back and urged her to keep moving. Theo was right behind them, pausing only for a second to pound his hand on the glass before disappearing down the hallway.
There was a silence amongst the group before Harry said, "You know, I've been thinking a lot about something."
Hermione gave the dark-hair wizard a quizzical look. "And what's that?"
"That even though we've got a fight ahead of us, we've got one thing that Voldemort doesn't have," Harry replied cryptically.
"We do?" Ron said, raising an eyebrow at his friend.
Harry smiled. "Something worth fighting for."
"Careful there, Mate. You're starting to sound like Luna," Ron teased.
The group laughed, relishing in the brief moment of unclouded happiness when Draco caught Hermione's eye. He winked at her before turning back to Ron and Harry.
"I'll be back. Got to use the loo."
When Draco left the compartment, he kept his pace measured, listening for the door to slide open again, so he knew Hermione was following him. He turned to the right, squeezing himself inside the small lavatory before Hermione slid in behind him. She quickly locked and silenced the door before pouncing.
Draco caught her with ease, attacking her mouth while he slammed her against the door. Hermione didn't even register the pain as she raked her hands through his blond white hair, reciprocating the need Draco was feeling with a vigorous appetite. When they broke apart, Draco and Hermione were gasping for air but still touching and marking any skin their lips or fingers came into contact with. The couple needed no words right away as they just stood there, holding one another in the aftermath of everything that had happened. In the back of her mind, Hermione was still thinking that they probably should talk more about the events leading up to the Department of Mysteries. Plus, they obviously needed to work on decoding both the Prophecies, but neither one could bring themselves to care for the time being. All that mattered at that moment was that they were alive, and they were together.
"Where will you go this summer?" Hermione asked in a small voice.
"I'll be staying with Harry, Sirius, and Remus. As much as I want to come home with you…."
"I understand," Hermione said. She pushed up on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. Draco easily snaked his hands around her waist, keeping her close. "I'll see if I can't convince my parents to let me come stay during the last half of the break."
Draco hummed. "I hope so. I'll miss you too much."
Hermione let out a breathless laugh as Draco started to nuzzle in the side of her neck, leaving a trail of soft nips and kisses before reclaiming her mouth.
End of Year Five
TRIGGER WARNING SUMMARY: Harry accidentally kills Rodolphus Lestrange during the Department of Mysteries battle. Draco, Hermione, and Neville witness it along with Bellatrix, Sirius, and Remus.