CHAPTER 30: Right a Wrong

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay. I'm back at University so it took a little time to adjust back in to it. Anyways, I won't keep you waiting any longer so without further ado...

McGonagall Estate

"Merry Christmas! Oh my god, it's been so long" McGonagall gushed, as a man stepped through the door. He was quite tall and had a wiry frame. He seemed anywhere in between mid to late fifties and had white, blond hair that was receding on either sides and was dressed in black robes.

"Merry Christmas mum, how are ya" He bent down to embrace her in a hug and gave her back an affectionate rub before pulling back.

"Much better now that you're here. It's been so long" Her voice cracked at the end as she laid her hand on his cheek.

"Now, don't get soft on me now, mum. You never did when I was young and I would hate myself if I knew that the trick was to stay away from you" He chuckled.

"Oh, hush you!" She smacked him lightly on the shoulder before looking him up and down. "You've gotten even thinner." She frowned, which quickly turned into a scowl when she caught him rolling his eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, mister. You need to take care of yourself."

"Mother, I know that"

"You need to rest more." She ignored him and continued. "You're in charge, surely you can lessen your workload-"

"Mother!" She stopped her rambling and blinked up at him. "I can't afford to rest. If anything, ever since becoming the head of the DMLE, my workload has increased tenfold" He finished with a soft smile to ease her worry.

"That may be so but it doesn't automatically give you the permission to bully your way into every mission." came a voice from behind him before a woman walked past him and hugged McGonagall. "Merry Christmas Minerva"

"Merry Christmas honey" She pulled back and raised a questioning eyebrow. "What were you saying about a mission?"

She asked the woman, who was similar in age to the man with an average height and long golden-brown hair that reached her waist.

"Nothing!" The head of the DMLE shot his wife an alarming look, silently conveying with his eyes not to open her mouth.

"You keep quiet" McGonagall shot him a glare before turning back to her. "You go ahead, honey"

"Joslyn!"

Joslyn rolled her eyes at him before facing Minerva. "You son was going bored sitting behind a desk signing papers so he childishly made use of his power as the head of the department and forced himself into half a dozen missions to" She looked over her shoulder at him. "What did you say it was?" He glared back at her she snapped her fingers quite dramatically. "Oh, that's right, it was 'to get a whiff of the action'" She turned back to face Minerva. "Don't you worry though; I gave him a right bollocking when I found out about it"

Minerva's face reddened immediately as she glared at her son, who was avoiding her gaze. She was about to open her mouth when something over his shoulder caught her attention. A huge beaming smile came over face before she practically glided across the floor.

"Roselyn!" A young woman in her early 30s with matching brown hair as her mother met her halfway and leapt into her waiting arms.

"Granny!" Her voice was muffled by her grandmother's sweater. "Oh, I missed you so much" They swayed a little before Minerva pulled back and mock glared at her.

"You have a funny way of showing that. I don't hear from you in 6 months. Not even a floo call." She shook her head disapprovingly.

"Oh Granny, I'm so sorry for that. It's just with the new job and moving to a new country and-"

McGonagall put her finger on her lips to stop her babbling. "I understand honey" She smiled.

"Oh granny, I missed you terribly" Roselyn engulfed her in another hug.

Minerva chuckled as she squeezed her tightly before loosening her grip. "I missed you to, darling. Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas"

"Yes, we're all very happy to see each other. If you're greetings are finished, can we please eat now" came a sarcastic reply.

They both pulled back and rolled their eyes simultaneously before Minerva turned around and pulled Roselyn into the living room.

"You're not off the hook. Don't even for a second think I forgot about it" McGonagall glared at her son as she walked past him.

"Wouldn't even dream of it" he muttered under his breath before following them. They all took their seats at the dining table.

"Oh, and Minerva, Damon told me about the situation at Hogwarts. I can't even fathom how horrible it all must have been. Now more so than ever since Dumbledore's not even around anymore."

The smile that had remained on McGonagall's face since she opened the door vanished right away. "Well, we are trying are very best to help students get through these trying times. The board still believes that the school shall remain open which I think is horseshit" She hissed the last word. "I mean the students should always come first."

"What is their counter argument?" asked Joslyn.

"What do you think." scoffed McGonagall. "They want to keep this under the wraps as much as possible. They don't want any outlets to get a hold of this mess."

"But they know that wouldn't work. Especially now since the kids are back home. Surely all of them are going to tell their parents about it and that's going to escalate things to a whole new level. I know a couple of mothers who work at the daily prophet and one of them is the chief editor. What do you think she's going to publish"

"Don't worry, they have covered that too" McGonagall replied scornfully.

"How?" Joslyn asked, flummoxed.

"By sending a personal owl to every pureblood and half-blood student's house that informs the parents that there will be no more attacks and that as compensation there will be no exams for years 1 to 4. Not only that but the students taking their OWLs and NEWTs are allowed to bring 1 reference text book to each of their exams."

"That's not so fair!" exclaimed Roslyn. She turned to her father and at seeing the smile on his face burst into laughter.

"You wish there was an attack when you were around aren't you" It wasn't a question.

"Guilty as charged" she giggled.

Joslyn rolled her eyes at the father daughter exchange as McGonagall shook her head disapprovingly.

"Oh, c'mon granny. We're only kidding" she said after seeing the frown on her grandmother's face.

"This isn't something to kid about to Rose. I can't even consider this happening while you attended" she shuddered.

Roslyn sobered up immediately as she reached over and squeezed McGonagall's hand. "Your right. I'm sorry. It was tasteless"

Minerva gave her a small smile as she patted her hand.

"That's all well and good. But how can they be sure that there won't be any more attacks" asked Joslyn.

Minerva turned towards her. "They can't."

"Then how-"

"Because they believe that no more students are going to end up in the hospital wing. They are putting all their faith in this new potion Severus created. All the students have been dosed by it without any of them knowing about it. I must confess I don't fully understand it and neither does anyone else no matter what they say, and I include both Albus and Severus in it, but from what I understand it acts as a sort of a shield over the eyes."

"But how do they explain the girl who has been missing?" Joslyn frowned.

"Simple. They don't. She's a muggleborn" Minerva replied.

A stricken look came over Joslyn's face as she leaned back in her seat before lowering her gaze.

"That's messed up" Everyone looked at Roslyn who was grazing her hand across the surface of the table.

"It is," said Minerva. Roslyn stopped her movement before looking up at her. "But that's another can of worms."

"One which will take the remainder of our lives to zig zag through before we reach the bottom" Roslyn finished with a smirk, eliciting a laugh from everyone.

"I'll drink to that," said Minerva before she clapped her hands twice. An instantaneous gasp left the lips of other three recipients as every inch of the table was covered with a splendid feast. "Anyway, enough of all this morbid talk. Let's enjoy ourselves now, shall we" she beamed.

Damon's mouth hung open as his eyes roamed over every dish. From perfectly cooked prime ribs to mashed potatoes, beef tenderloin, sprout salad, and roast chicken. For dessert there was cinnamon rolled apple pie and Bûche de Noël. And lastly a big platter of Turkey was sitting in the middle accompanied by a bottle of red wine.

Minerva savoured the shocked and ravenous expressions on each of their faces. Her eyes turned to her son, who it seemed was about to drool any second. "Close your mouth son"

All three snapped out of their daze and turned towards her.

"Well, let's tuck in!"

"Mum! This is incredible." Damon exclaimed, licking his lips as Minerva equally distributed little bit of everything onto everyone's plates.

"Thank you. But I'm afraid I had nothing to do with it"

"I was just going to say that. I don't want to be rude, Minerva, but cooking has never been your strong suit" Joslyn whispered in awe.

Minerva waived her hand dismissively in her direction. "Oh, please honey, believe me I know."

"Then how..." She trailed off as he her gaze once again swept over the incredible feast.

At that moment there was a knock on the door.

"I think that would answer your questions" Minerva pushed her chair back and got up. "Excuse me, for a moment" She walked out of the room leaving all three to stare at each other in bewilderment.

"Did you know anyone else was coming?" Damon asked his wife, who shook her head.

A few seconds later she returned and stood at the archway that led to the kitchen. She cleared her throat. They turned their heads towards her.

Damon's eyes narrowed slightly seeing her rub her hands. It was her nervous tic. "Everything alright, mum"

"Oh yes" she nodded her head rapidly before an awkward silence filled the room. "Well...I would like you all to meet someone" she said, before walking into the room, revealing a woman nervously standing a few feet behind where she just stood.

Loud gasps echoed around the room as all three occupants sitting around the table stared in absolute shock in the new arrival's direction.

"Oh my..."

"Aunt Samantha!" whispered Damon, before he jumped out of his seat and in three steps engulfed her in a massive hug, almost lifting her of the ground.

"Oh Damon!" Samantha choked, tears streaming down her cheeks.

They remained in the embrace for a couple of minutes before Samantha lifted her head and looked over his shoulder.

"Joslyn, Roselyn" She tearfully smiled in their direction before pulling away from Damon. The two women ran over to her and hugged her.

Minerva tore her gaze and looked away as tears steadily streamed down her cheeks.

…...

Meanwhile

Hogwarts Castle

Ron looked over his shoulder and stopped walking. He turned around and huffed in annoyance. "Harry! Come on, it's going to get dark soon"

He rolled his eyes as Harry continued towards him at a leisurely pace. Ron shifted his gaze up at his face and felt a sense of pity for his friend. His entire being radiated a gloomy aura.

His head was turned down and he had his hands in his pockets as he slowly trudged his way towards him.

"Harry, come on, mate. We've been to every corner in the castle the past couple of days, we need some air. Now c'mon, before it gets dark"

He walked over to him and grabbed him by the elbow.

They crossed the courtyard under the clock tower and headed towards the wooden bridge with Ron mostly dragging Harry.

They were halfway across the bridge when Harry suddenly yanked his arm away. "What-" Ron turned around to find him leaning over the railing. He sighed and walked over to him before mimicking his position and leaning on his forearms.

They remained quiet for a while, each lost in his own thought. Ron sneaked a peek at him from the corner of his eye and found him still staring at the valley below. He turned his own gaze down at it and wondered where the water was coming from since the lake was on the opposite side and more importantly it was a closed space with every part of the lake surrounded by either ground or a mountain.

Plus, the water in the lake came from the waterfall, he thought before he looked up to see if it was the same case here. But as far as he could see he didn't catch a sign of any waterfall or even a mountain.

He was so lost in his thought, however pedestrian it might've been, that he almost jumped out of his skin when words filled the air.

"She always believed in me"

Ron turned his body sideways to face him. He adjusted his weight on his left arm as a look of confusion came over his face. "What?"

He had to wait a few seconds before Harry turned his head towards him.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that" he said when Harry kept staring at him without blinking.

Harry turned his head and rested it on top of his hands. "She always believed in me...at least she used to"

"Harry, she still does" insisted Ron.

Harry shook his head. "No, you weren't there. The night she disappeared...I broke her trust." He breathed deeply before continuing. "I was so bad to her but she never said anything. Treated her like no friend should treat another."

Ron didn't respond to that because he believed what he said was right. Harry did treat her badly and she didn't do anything to deserve it, in fact Hermione's the best friend one could ever ask for. He himself often felt that he was using her, because aside from when they were not figuring the mystery behind the attacks and the chamber, he spent most of his time with his dormmates playing chess or exploding snap while Hermione either went to the library or remained on the common room sofa by herself with a book in her lap. Most of the time he spent with her was either copying her homework or asking for her help in studies.

He vowed to change that when she came back.

But then he realized that she didn't look at it that way because to her helping others brought a smile to her face.

He remembered one night when they had their potions test the following morning and he hadn't studied at all, spent most of the time goofing around with Harry and his other dormmates, and feeling quite scared when he approached Hermione if she could help him with the test.

He feared she was going to blow up and scream at him that she told him so but she did none of that. In fact, she smiled at him and for the next three hours helped him prepare for the test. They remained in the common room well after midnight, long after everyone else went back to their dormitories.

A small smile graced his lips as he once again felt how lucky he was, and Harry for that matter.

"Ahem!"

They both jumped in the air and turned around at the voice of a throat clearing. Their eyes turned even wider as they landed on a tiny elf, dressed in a red hoodie that almost reached the elf's feet.

Ron was too shellshocked to even voice his jumbling thoughts let alone move. Thankfully, Harry did both.

"You!" Harry pounced at him and in two strides and had the elf by the collar, his feet almost leaving the ground as Harry yanked hard on his hoodie. "It was you, wasn't it, WASN'T IT!"

Harry's shout got Ron out of his shock and he shifted his gaze from the back of Harry's head to the elf's face. Fear rippled through his veins as he watched the elf struggle to breath. His eyes were red and seemed that they would bulge out the socket any moment if Harry didn't stop.

"Harry! Stop, you're gonna kill him!" He rushed over to them and started pulling back on Harry's arm. "Harry, let go of him" He kept trying but it did nothing. Harry's grip was too strong. He whipped his head towards the elf when he started gagging, his little, bony arms flailing in every direction as he desperately tried to get free of the hold.

Ron looked back at Harry and a gasp left his lips when he saw a flash of red spark in his eyes. It was gone in less than a second. He half doubted himself that he hadn't dreamt it.

"Tell me!" screamed Harry.

Ron focused his attention back on the scene and once again tried to pry away Harry's hand.

"AAAH!" He kept tugging on his arm more roughly and finally, after struggling for a few more seconds freed the elf from the choke hold.

The force of the pull landed them both on their backs.

"What the hell, Ron!" Harry yelled at him as he jumped to his feet.

Ron got up and pointed at the elf who was coughing badly. "Look at 'em, Harry!" he pointed in the elf's direction. "You almost killed him!"

"Well, he should be dead after all the shit he's put me through" Harry glared at Dobby, as he took deep heaving breaths. He turned back to Ron. "He's the one who blocked all the letters you and Hermione wrote to me."

Ron's eyes turned wide and he looked at Dobby who had stopped coughing.

"And I'm hundred percent sure that he blocked us from getting through the barrier and also jinxed the quaffle" continued Harry as he glared daggers at Dobby.

There was a brief pause of silence during which nothing but sounds of ragged breathing were heard.

"Master is right" they both turned their heads in the elf's direction. His big, tennis ball sized eyes were filled with tears. "He has every right to be angry..." He wiped at his eyes, his lower lip quivering. "Do-Dobby has been a bad elf...but Dobby was only looking after Master Harry-"

"Oh, cut the crap would you, you lying, skiving bas-"

"Harry!"

Harry turned to Ron who was staring back at him in shock. He turned back to the elf and ignored the shock and hurt written all over his face.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked away.

Silence engulfed them for a few seconds before Harry turned back towards Dobby and glared at him.

"It was you wasn't it" he growled. "Don't...lie" He hissed.

His suspicion was confirmed when he saw Dobby turn his gaze down remorsefully. His eyes narrowed as he stomped towards him and was just about reach him when he felt a pair of arms engulf him from behind.

"Harry, wait!" Ron exclaimed from behind, his arms still trapping him in place.

"Let go of me, Ron. I wasn't going to hit him" He scowled at him over his shoulder.

"You might want to tell that to him, mate" Ron inclined his head towards Dobby.

Harry turned his head around and saw a scared Dobby with his arms shielding his face. A semblance of pity for the elf mixed in with horror of his own actions struggled to break through his angry haze but only managed to scrape the top layer before he pushed it back into the pit.

Ron loosened his grip somewhat but still didn't remove his arms.

"Give him a chance, mate"

A few seconds passed by during which Dobby still didn't remove his arms before Harry reluctantly nodded his head.

"Fine"

Ron breathed a sigh of relief as he removed his arms from around him.

Harry backed away a couple of steps, his eyes never once leaving Dobby who finally brought his arms down though he was still shaking badly.

"Hey, what's your name" Ron hoped diverging his attention might help him calm down. He watched the elf turn his big doe eyes towards him.

"D-dobby, sir" he croaked.

"My name is Ron" Ron extended his hand with an encouraging smile. "I've always liked elves. My cousin has an elf that I loved playing with when I was young"

Dobby looked at his hand for a moment before he lifted his own and clasped it. Ron shook it twice before he uncurled his hand from around his bony fingers.

"Don't mind Harry. He's just in a bad spot, right now. You see our friend has gone missing and no one's been able to find her"

"Dobby understands, sir. That's why-"

"Yeah right" scoffed Harry.

Ron ignored him as he addressed Dobby. "You were saying, Dobby."

Dobby cleared his throat nervously as he snuck a glance in Harry's direction. "I tried to warn, Master Harry. That it wasn't safe to go back to Hogwarts this year. Bad things were going to happen"

Both Harry and Ron's eyes turned wide simultaneously.

Ron was about to open his mouth but Harry beat him to it. "Wait, are you saying you knew all of this was going to happen"

"Not exactly, sir. I just knew that bad things-" his body shook as a shudder rippled through him. "Dark things were going to happen"

Harry turned to Ron who was supporting the same befuddled expression as him. "What do you mean?" He asked, facing the elf again.

Dobby looked around before turning towards them. "Not here" he whispered.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and seemed to had a silent conversation between them before turning towards him.

"Fine" They said in unison.

…...

McGonagall Estate

"Well, that was absolutely sumptuous, Aunt Samantha" gushed Damon.

A light blush spread over Samantha's cheeks which she tried to hide by inclining her head. "Thank you, Damon. I'm glad you liked it"

"Damon's right. That was exquisite," agreed Joslyn.

"You are too kind, dear"

"Mum's right. I'm certain I've added a few stones" chuckled Roslyn.

"Which won't be a bad thing." remarked Minerva.

Roslyn rolled her eyes, good naturedly.

A hush fell around the room. Everyone stared at the empty plates in front of them as the air grew thicker.

The silence kept stretching until Damon lifted his head and looked at Samantha.

"Why did you leave?" he asked in a soft voice.

Samantha looked at him as the other three kept their heads inclined.

Samantha exhaled a slow breath before shaking her head. "I was in a bad place"

"Did it had something to do with-"

"Damon"

Damon looked at his mother who gave a shake of her head. After a few seconds he nodded his head.

He scratched a spot under his chin. "I suppose then I shouldn't bother asking where did you go or what did you do, right?"

"Right"

"Fine" He nodded again. "How long have you been back"

"6 months"

Joslyn's head shot up as she stared incredulously at her. "6 months!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us"

Samantha turned her gaze towards her before speaking. "I was scared"

"But you told, Minerva" she argued.

She hesitated a little before replying "Not exactly"

"What do you mean" asked Damon.

"Well...she found me"

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "Wait, I don't understand"

Samantha turned her head towards Minerva who gave her a nod after a few seconds.

"Well...you must promise me first that you will not interrupt me and will hear to everything I have to say." After his nod she continued. "And also, that you will not break this table"

"Why would I break the table" he chuckled.

"Because I know you" she replied.

The smile vanished from his face. "Alright"

She sucked in a huge breath "Alright then. Here goes nothing"

…...

Hagrid's Hut

"Wait, I don't understand" Ron waived his arm. "You admitted that it was you who blocked us from getting through the barrier and who jinxed the bludger but you've not told us why. You just keep saying that you knew something bad was going to happen. That doesn't make any sense" He huffed, kicking a rock away. He was frustrated beyond point.

They were standing near the back wall of Hagrid's hut. It was a safe spot for hiding since they were facing the forbidden forest and were protected from the face of the castle.

"Now you know how I feel" Harry said to him before he glared at Dobby. "Talking to him is like smashing your head against a pole. You are not going to get anywhere. C'mon, let's go. I've had enough of his bullshit"

He turned away and started walking. Ron looked at him before he turned to Dobby. "I'm sorry, Dobby, but Harry's right" He shrugged his shoulders before following his friend.

They were about to turn the corner when Dobby's voice stopped them.

"Dobby knows you have the diary."

They stopped in their tracks before whirling around to face him. Shock was written on both their faces as their mouths hung open.

"Dobby saw it on your table" He said to Harry. "Dobby thought he would find you in your dormitory but you weren't there." He was nervously rubbing his hands together as Ron and Harry kept staring at him in shock.

"What do you know about the diary" asked Harry, before he all but ran towards him.

Dobby backed a couple of steps in fear but after seeing nothing but questions in Harry's eyes he relaxed.

"Tell me!" urged Harry, his voice breathless.

"Harry Potter must understand that it wasn't Dobby's choice, he was just following orders."

Harry nodded frantically. "Yeah, yeah, go on now!"

Dobby took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Dobby put the diary in Ginny Weasley's room."

A shocked gasp left Ron's lips making Dobby flinch.

"Dobby knew that the diary contained dark magic that's why Dobby tried to warn Harry Potter"

"What do you mean, what dark magic?" asked Harry, as Ron still remained shell shocked.

"Dobby can't explain it" The elf shook his head. "It's just a feeling. Dobby felt it when he touched the diary"

Harry turned to Ron with a raised eyebrow. "Did you feel anything cause I certainly didn't" Ron shook his head.

"Wizards wouldn't be able to feel it...unless you're really powerful. Elf magic is different than other creatures, including wizards. That's why Dobby could apparate in and out of Hogwarts while no wizard could"

Harry contemplated his words for several long seconds before he slowly nodded his head.

"Okay...tell me more about the diary. Where did you get it. Who gave it to you. Did the diary have something to do with all these attacks and what happened to Hermione?" He asked all this very fast.

Dobby wrung his heads nervously. "Dobby can't say who gave it to him. Dobby is loyal to his master. Dobby can't betray them. But yes, Dobby is certain the diary is the reason behind all the attacks."

"Then why did you come!" yelled Harry. "If you weren't going to help us, why are you even here!"

Dobby let out a whimper before he answered in a trembling voice. "Dobby came because Harry potter didn't return to his home. Dobby was waiting for him at King's cross. Dobby also went to the house to check."

"Why?" asked Harry in confusion.

"So, Dobby could warn him not to go back" he answered simply.

Harry stared at him with furrowed brows, not sure what to make of his answer. "Why are you doing all this. I mean, you're trying to help me without helping me and also why are you just warning me. Why didn't you warn, oh I don't know, Dumbledore! That way he could've stopped all this" He finished incredulously.

He was a bit startled to see all the fear and desperation and guilt evaporate from the elf's face, determination in its place.

"Because Dobby is bound to his house who has been nothing but kind to him. Dobby is loyal to them and would never betray their trust no matter what they ask of him. But Dobby also acknowledges that without Harry Potter there would be no Dobby and many other elves like him. You, Harry Potter, is considered a saviour of the wizarding world, but to us, you are much more than that. You are our protector, the one who saved us from slavery, from being treated like filth.

Your mother, Lily Potter, fought for us. She tried to make a change so elves could be considered as equals but she passed away before..." He sniffled. "But that's not all...when the dark lord ruled, he recognized the uses of elf magic and started building an army of them. Anyone who refused was killed on the spot.

The nig-night before he was killed, Dobby was locked up in Azkaban waiting for his turn. At the time all of Azkaban was filled with elves. Every night the dark lord would visit and open a cell. It was quite simple you see. If you nodded, he would take you with him, if you didn't, he would torture you so your screams were heard in every corner of the prison before he killed you. Dobby's parents were killed the nights before and it was Dobby's turn." he wiped at his eyes before looking up at a shocked Harry.

A small smile came over the elf's face as he said. "But he never came. No other elf was killed by his wand and it's all because of Harry Potter. He not only saved our race but he saved Dobby too. When Dobby learnt what happened he made a promise that he would never let any harm come to Harry Potter and would fight anyone for him." He finished as another set of tears rolled down his cheeks.

Harry remained speechless, his eyes never leaving the elf's sobbing form. After a few minutes he turned to the left and started walking but lost his balance after a couple of steps as a sudden nauseating feeling hit him full-fledged. He dropped to one knee and started rubbing his forehead as his vision got blurred.

"Harry, you alright" Ron crouched next to him and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah-I'm fine-just...give me a minute" he replied in a raspy voice.

"Take your time, mate. I'm right here" Ron squeezed his shoulder in assurance. Harry nodded his thanks.

A couple of minutes passed by before he lifted his head and looked up at the cloudy sky and blinked till the haze left his eyes.

"I'm okay" He patted Ron's knee before standing up and turning around. His face was devoid of any emotion, something he was having very tough time keeping it that way. "You can leave if you can't help us finding our friend or tell us everything that you know."

Dobby looked up at him teary eyes. His face twisted in agony as if he was fighting with himself. Tears once again started rolling down his cheeks as they kept staring in each other's eyes until Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared with a pop.

…...

McGonagall Estate

A stunned silence hung around the room, slowly sucking the life out and creating an illuminating dark shadow over all the occupants.

A sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a squeak left Joslyn's mouth, making everyone turn their heads in her direction. Her hands were covering her mouth and it seemed that her eyes were about to pop out any second as large tears steadily rolled down her cheeks.

Her husband and daughter wore a not to dissimilar similar expression of shock.

"M-My s-son-you're saying my son is battling for his life a-and I'm not there with h-him" she broke down by the end of her stuttered sentenced, heavy sobs wracking her shoulders.

Roslyn broke out her stupor and jumped out of her seat before she ran around the table and embraced her mother. It wasn't long before she joined her mother in letting out her agony through her tears.

Minerva sniffled as she wiped at her cheeks. She turned to Samantha who had her head turned down, silent tears rolling down her cheeks, before turning towards her son who now had replaced his shocked expression with a blank stare but that's not what worried her, what made fear course through every vein in her body.

It was the way his jaw had slackened to the right, the way a line appeared next to his mouth, the way every few seconds his eye would twitch of its own accord, and most importantly the way he was trying to control his breathing by inhaling and exhaling through his nose.

She gripped the edge of the table tightly until her knuckles turned white for she knew what was about to happen. She had seen it plenty of times before, even before he was born on someone else's who used to sit at the exact spot where he sat now.

Mentally preparing herself as she knew there was no way to escort everyone out of the room in time, she waited. She only had to wait five more seconds before...

"AAAAH!"

It all happened all at once as Damon hurled up, sending his chair flying backwards as every object in the room was sent flying across the room. Miraculously, no one was hit as everything except the chairs and the table crashed into the walls before landing in a broken heap on the floor.

Despite the chaos and disturbance, the last couple of seconds created, the reaction from everyone was nothing more than a cursory glance in his direction.

Samantha wiped at her cheeks as a small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. She arched an eyebrow when Damon's eyes landed on her.

"I didn't break the table"

Despite herself, she couldn't stop the chuckle from breaking through her lips as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Now, take me to him"

"Damon-" Minerva stopped when he lifted his finger.

"Not this time, mother" He waggled his finger. "You don't get to order me around this time. Not after hiding this from me!" He made his point by landing a full-blown punch at the edge of the table.

She glared at him before averting her gaze to the side.

"Let's go" he said to Samantha before storming out of the room. Samantha stood up and walked over to Minerva. She placed her hand on her shoulder before giving it a light squeeze.

Minerva looked up and gave her a nod which she reciprocated before walking out of the room followed by Joslyn and Roslyn, leaving Minerva to finally release the full storm of her tears.

…...

Malfoy Manor, East Wing

Draco was sitting on the marble railing that over looked the mountains. The window to his room behind him was half opened and the curtains were gently swaying as the gentle breeze floated through the gap.

His feet were dangling in the air as he polished his broom. A shiver ran through him as the air had gotten cooler in the past few seconds. The light was slowly fazing as the moon was becoming more prominent by every passing minute.

He turned around and jumped off the railing before landing on the floor. He walked over to the open window and pushed his broom through first before lifting his right leg through the gap. He was about to pull his other leg inside when a loud pop stopped halted his movement.

He frowned before sticking his head out the window. His frown deepened when he saw the unmistakable form of Dobby on the far side of the balcony.

His loud crying easily made its way over to his ears despite the distance.

Concerned, he stepped back onto the balcony before hurrying over to him. The elf whipped his head around as he got closer.

"Master Draco!" squeaked Dobby, as he hastily dried his face off. "What can Dobby do for you"

Draco stopped a couple of feet before him. "Dobby, what's wrong" his voice soft.

"Nothing, master" responded Dobby as he mustered up a smile, which Draco could clearly tell was fake.

"Dobby, remember our deal. We never lie to each other" he smiled, making the corners of Dobby's mouth twitch up.

"Dobby remembers, sir"

"Good then, tell me what's wrong"

The smile left Dobby's lips as he lowered his head. "Dobby is afraid master would be not happy with what Dobby has to say"

"Dobby, I promise I won't be angry" he closed the small distance between them and crouched down on his level, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Dobby slowly lifted his head and met his eyes as Draco encouraged him by nodding his head.

…...

"...then Dobby apparated right here and..." Dobby trailed off. His eyes were filled with hesitation as they followed Draco walking back and forth.

Draco stopped and haphazardly ran a hand through his white blond locks before facing him.

"Dobby, I need you to do something for me. No one can know about it except us two." He paused and waited until Dobby gave him an anxious nod before continuing. "You have to promise me, Dobby. If we get caught, I will take all the blame. I won't let anything happen to you"

He walked over to him and bent down. He could see the fear and nervousness all over the elf's face. "Dobby-"

"Dobby only cares about the master's safety" he whispered emotionally.

A smile came over Draco's lips as he grasped his arm. "I will be safe. I've got you"

Dobby smiled for the first time in what had been a miserable day for him. He set his jaw in firm determination before nodding his head. "Dobby is at your service, master"

…...

The great lake, Hogwarts

"C'mon mate, it's getting dark" Ron got up from where he was resting against the tree before walking over to Harry who was sitting at the edge of the lake with his back to him.

"You go, I'm going to stay here" mumbled Harry.

Ron let out a childish whine as he tilted his head towards the sky. "C'mon Harry, don't be a grouch. I'm hungry and don't tell me you're not cause you haven't eaten anything since breakfast and that too was a measly toast. You are not going to figure out new ideas with an empty stomach. Believe me, mum always said that an empty stomach is an empty mind"

"You just made that up"

"That's not the point. Now get up!"

When Harry didn't move, he rolled his eyes before forcefully pulling him up by his shoulders. "Hey!"

"Shut up! If Hermione were here she would've told you the same thing"

Harry's initial shock and anger wiped away only as a more somber look came over his face.

Ron worried he might've gone over the board when a hint of a smile came over his friend's face as he lifted his eyes towards him.

"She probably would've been a lot more aggressive than you"

Ron's face broke into toothy grin as he flung his arm over his shoulder and together, they started making their way towards the castle. "You're right. Probably would've cursed you by now" he said, as they both chuckled.

"You too"

"Me? Why me? I've been nothing but a good boy"

"Because if I'm going down, you're coming with me"

Ron barked a laugh as they started climbing the stone steps.

They continued their banter as they got closer to the entrance until Harry suddenly stopped, making Ron drop his arm from his shoulder. He turned around and furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Harry lifted his gaze from staring at the ground and looked him straight in the eye as he said "You think she's alright? That she's not hurt, that she's not...dead. Be honest" he added when he saw him open his mouth.

Ron closed his mouth and stared at him for a few seconds. "I think she is fine." He smiled and stepped closer to him before putting his hand on his shoulder. "She is Hermione. She has to be"

A slow smile stretched over Harry's face as he nodded his head. "She has to be" he whispered, more to himself than him. "Ron, Ginny's the only thing connected to all this that we know. We have to ask her, even if she doesn't want to be around us. I'm just letting you know."

"I understand mate. We just have to wait till she gets back"

"There the bloody hell you are, we've been searching all over the castle for you"

They both whipped their heads in the direction of the voice that came from the entrance and saw, to their shock, the face of their nemesis staring back at them. Alongside the elf they had spoken to an hour ago.

They both wore stupefied expressions as they stared at the huffing and puffing form of one Draco Malfoy as he took big deep breaths to steady his breathing.

They looked at each other in confusion before walking over to him.

"What are you doing here?" There was no love lost in Harry's tone as he glared at him. Even his momentary confusion and bewilderment couldn't overcome his genuine hate for the Slytherin. Not to mention seeing Dobby with him only made him angrier.

"So, he's your master, huh. You work for him" Harry snarled at Dobby who cowered behind Draco. "I always knew it was you behind it all" he said to Malfoy. "You gave him that book to give it to Ginny. You told him to stop all my letters, to stop us from going through the barrier, to curse the bludger."

"What-"

"You're behind all these attacks. You let the monster out, didn't you. Admit it, you're the heir of Slytherin. YOU ARE THE REASON HERMIONE IS MISSING!" he bellowed before charging at him. He tackled him to the ground and started throwing punch after punch at his face.

Draco tried his best to cover his face with his hands but when one of Harry's punches landed on his nose all his defences broke. Blood was oozing out of his nose as Harry continued his hammering before he was thrown back 10 feet.

The wind was knocked out of him as he landed on his back.

"Master!"

"Harry!"

Both Dobby and Ron dashed in opposite direction.

Harry pulled himself up with Ron's help and as soon as he got to his feet, he charged back towards Draco who was now sitting with Dobby's support and spluttering blood from his mouth.

"Harry no!" Ron pulled him back and wound his arms around his waist.

"Let me go, Ron! That bastard hurt Hermione" he kept struggling but Ron held on to him.

"Harry, no. Look at him. You've done enough"

Harry stopped struggling and closely looked at Malfoy. A bruise was already starting to form under his right eye and even from 10 feet away he could tell his nose was broken with the way it was slightly bent at an angle. Blood still continued to pour out of his nose.

He felt a sick satisfaction at seeing him like this. "That's what you get. You think just because you are rich and have what you call pureblood running through your veins that you are better than us, that you are allowed to act as you wish. Well, not anymore!"

He then turned his attention to Dobby who continued to wipe the blood of his face. "And you, I told you this before and I'm not going to say it again. Stay. Away. From. Me"

He shrugged off Ron's arms before stomping towards the entrance. He was about to reach it when he heard a scoff. He whirled around and saw Malfoy getting up with the help of the elf before leaning on him for support.

To Harry's confusion and irritation, he was chuckling and shaking his head. "You really are a dunderhead, aren't you"

A scowl came over Harry's face as he took a step towards him. "What did you say?"

"Seems like after all that you haven't learned your lesson. Didn't listen to what she said. You still see the worst in people"

Harry's eyes turned wide at his words and his heart started beating faster.

"Yeah, I was there" Draco nodded his head as he wiped the back of his hand under his nose. "But it's not for the reasons you think and I'm not going to tell you why because it's none your business"

Everything was silent for a few seconds except the humming of the wind "I'm here to right a wrong. So that I can finally sleep without walking up every night hearing her screams"

Ron walked over to Harry before facing him, confusion written all over his face. "What do you mean, hearing her screams?"

"The night she disappeared, I followed her."

"So, you know where she is!" Ron exclaimed, hope glazing his words.

"I wasn't sure before but I'm now"

"How?" Harry asked, who was staring at him in doubt.

Draco shifted his gaze towards him. "Dobby" Everyone looked at the elf who flushed under the scrutiny. "He told me everything. About my father giving him the diary. About all that he did to stop you from getting to Hogwarts. About how it's all related to the diary, that it contains dark magic.

Look, I don't know what's in the diary. I've never seen it. Nor do I know why my father did what he did. But that doesn't matter because it confirms that your sister is behind this if she had the diary."

"What-" Ron's eyes turned wide as a saucer as all the colour left his face. "What do you mean"

"I saw her the night Granger disappeared. I followed her screams to the girl's bathroom where all three of you had been spending a lot of time. Yeah, I knew" He added, after seeing a stricken look came over Harry's face. "But your sister walked out of the bathroom when I got there and she seemed a little worse for the wear. She ran away but I didn't follow her. I stayed, waited for Granger to come out. But she never came. I didn't see any reason to go in and check" He shrugged his shoulder.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Harry asked.

"Say what. The next day I heard from Pansy that the staff looked in the bathroom but like everywhere else, found nothing. They probably didn't even look twice in their since they didn't hear her screams. To them it was probably just a regulatory check-up. Nothing special"

"I still don't believe you." Harry shook his head. "Because Hermione said that she saw you walk out of the great hall the night Filch's cat was attacked"

Draco stared at him confusion before realization dawned on his face. "What, that!" He laughed before calming down when he saw Harry glare at him. "She was trying to stop me from going back to the common room. Earlier that day Blaise had mistreated her and I found out about it from Theo. So, I told her that I was going to mess him up a little. He had detention that night so I knew he had gone back to the dormitory but she kept saying no and I got angry and stormed off."

Harry stared at him for a long while before saying. "You seem to have an answer for everything. It's like you came prepared"

"Maybe, or that I'm telling the truth"

"Then tell me this. You're saying Ginny came out around the same time you heard Hermione's screams but that still doesn't mean anything because she isn't in there. We've been to that bathroom, plenty of times!" Harry finished in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Because you're missing the big puzzle. I was too until I remembered something my father told me. Do you know about the attack that happened 50 years ago"

"Yeah, that a student was found dead when the chamber was last opened" Ron said.

Draco shook his head. "You don't know the full detail. It happened in the girl's bathroom. A girl was killed. The same place I heard Granger's scream coming from. The same place your sister walked out of the same night"

Shock came over Ron and Harry's faces as Draco continued. "What if that girl never left the bathroom, what if she is still there, scaring students off so they don't disturb her. What if wherever this monster is coming from is connected to the lavatory"

Ron and Harry turned to each other and after a moment of staring at each other in disbelief, whispered simultaneously. "Moaning Myrtle"

A smirk came over Draco's blood caked mouth as he nodded his head.

"So, now that you two loons have finally figured it out, you can either join me or you can still continue to be dunderheads. It's your choice. But I've somewhere to be" and with that he stormed between them and through the entrance with Dobby right behind him.

A second later Harry and Ron ran after them.

A/N: As always guys post your comments and let me know your thoughts. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and just to let you know the next chapter will conclude Harry's second year. Take care and I'll catch you on the flip side.