Hermione didn't know how far the dragon flew until they eventually felt themselves losing altitude. They had left London behind quite a while ago and had transitioned to the rural English countryside without any further run-ins from Death Eaters.
"There's a lake!" Bill pointed out. "As soon as possible, jump off the dragon and swim to shore. We should be able to Apparate to the park next to Grimmauld from there."
Reluctantly, Hermione held her breath and let go of the safety of the dragon's hide. She silently wished the creature good luck as it flew to its new home when her body hit the freezing waters below. She felt herself plunge under its surface before she managed to stroke her arms and push herself up to break through. Hermione gasped for air, attempting to tread water despite the heaviness of the clothes weighing her down. She managed to right herself and tried a breaststroke until she could touch the lake's floor. The cold air immediately hit her as soon as Hermione was no longer submerged, causing her body to shiver violently.
"Let's… let's get… moving… before… we… freeze," she said through chattering teeth.
"Everyone… hang on," Bill ordered, pulling the party close together as he Apparated the group away. As gracefully as four sets of legs could, they landed in the muggle park… safe and sound.
As soon as they walked through the front door, Sirius and Remus enveloped Harry in a hug. The dark-haired wizard guided his parental figures over to the kitchen table, where he had Hermione place the cup next to the Locket.
"You did it," Sirius exclaimed, amazement and pride lacing his tone. "Most spectacularly, I might add."
"The Daily Prophet has already reported on the break-in this afternoon. You've certainly caused quite a stir," Remus pointed out as he slapped the paper on the counter.
"That's not all," Harry beamed, motioning for Hermione to produce the unexpected find.
Remus' and Sirius' eyes widened. "The Sword of Gryffindor?"
Harry nodded. "I saw it as we were escaping the Vault."
Sirius slowly unlatched the case and pulled out the gleaming weapon. He admired the goblin silver with admiration as he twirled it around in his hands. "Do you think… it could destroy the Horcruxes?"
"Only one way to find out," Harry said.
The members gathered around the table, being sure to give Sirius a wide breadth as he swung the weapon around his head. He brought the metal down with a loud bang, colliding with the Locket before it completely shattered in his hands. The hard silver turned to flaky black ash, disseminating around the cursed objects while the force of the blow pushed Sirius back into the side of the sink.
No one said a word as they stared down at the Locket, which seemed to be taunting the group by hissing indeterminately at them.
Harry broke the silence first by shouting out, "It didn't work!"
"And now the sword is gone," Dean added unhelpfully.
"Do you think it was the real Sword of Gryffindor?" Hestia asked.
Sirius, Remus, and Bill simultaneously gave her a curious look, silently asking her to elaborate.
"I just mean… and Bill, you and Fleur should know this considering you work with Goblins-"
"Worked," Fleur interjected bitterly.
"-But I've never known anything that could destroy Goblin Silver. That's why it's so valuable," Hestia finished.
Remus raised an eyebrow at her. "Then what are you saying?"
"That it was a fake!" Hestia waved her hand over the ash, wandlessly causing the remains to gather into a pile on the table. "That wherever or whoever tricked Bellatrix and gave her a fake."
"Wouldn't that also mean the real Sword of Gryffindor is still out there?" Tonks voiced.
Sirius nodded. "If that's the case, then we need to keep searching for it, even if we don't know why Dumbledore insisted on it falling into Order hands."
"Hermione," Remus said softly, "Have you found anything in your research to figure out why Dumbledore wanted Draco to have the Sword of Gryffindor?"
She shook her head. "Not that I can tell. The only lead I got is what's said in Hogwarts: A History."
"Well, I suppose, carry on then," Remus conceded. "Of course, you don't have to right now. I suppose a shower and some rest is in order for you four."
Bill nodded. "It would be much appreciated. Fleur and I can't go home. I imagine the Aurors are swarming our apartment right about now."
"We can set you up with a safe house," Sirius affirmed. "Did you have a preferred property in mind, or would you like to use a Black Family property?"
The eldest Weasley sibling looked at his wife as if they were silently communicating a private conversation before he looked back at Sirius. "We can use a property that belongs to my aunt, that is, if Remus doesn't mind coming with us and being a Secret Keeper?"
"Of course," Remus bowed his head.
Hermione didn't hear the rest of the logistics as she returned to her room. She showered and changed but found she had caught a second wind after the long and tiring day. Instead of laying restlessly on her mattress, Hermione made her way to the Black Family Library and picked up her research again. She had just settled into making notes about Dark Artifacts when the door creaked open, and Sirius walked in.
"Hey," he greeted quietly.
Hermione sat up straighter, blinking at Harry's godfather. "Sirius! Can I help you with something?"
The Marauder shook his head. "No, no. I just came to check-in and see how you're holding up."
"I'm fine," she replied dejectedly, sinking back into her chair.
Sirius shook his head before taking a seat next to her. "It's alright if you aren't. A lot has happened that… honestly, Hermione? I'm surprised you have managed to keep it together this long."
She didn't say anything and lowered her eyes to look at the text on the table. The truth was, she was far from okay. Hermione had never recovered from losing Draco, nor had she been alright with the Order just sticking her in the library while most of them went out saving muggleborns from the commission while she struggled to get out of her head. Then throw on her failure from her first mission? No, she was spiraling spectacularly yet somehow managed to keep her breakdown within the confines of her own bedroom.
The sound of a book sliding across the table drew her attention. She looked up to see Sirius' tattooed hand dragging a small tomb she thought she had put away weeks ago.
"If Occlumency is what has been helping you to compartmentalize, then I'm not complaining, but… maybe for right now, you can go ahead and lower those shields?" Hermione blinked, not entirely comprehending what Sirius was asking until he inclined his head. "It's alright, Hermione. You're safe here."
"I… don't know…" her voice trailed off as a sharp pain formed behind her right eye and traveled across the front of her forehead. It was like someone was pounding away at her skull from the inside, forcing the bone to crack and open. An image of a box suddenly appeared, causing Hermione to stop and focus on it curiously despite the physical and emotional agony she was in. It was dark and perfectly square with a black ribbon tied around it, making it look like a grim Christmas present.
"Ah, I see you found it."
Sirius' voice only made the pounding in her head intensify.
"Found what?" she ground out.
"The image you used to lock away your emotions," he answered calmly. "It's okay, Hermione. Open it back up."
There was something inside her wanting to fight the command. Open the box back up? No! She didn't know what it meant or what it symbolized, or even what was being kept inside, but everything in her gut was telling her not to touch it.
"I can see you're fighting it, Hermione," Sirius said. "Don't."
Hermione clutched her head, feeling the pain increase as the ribbon began to pull itself apart slowly. "It's… It's too much!"
"Let it happen… just… let. Go."
She screamed. Hermione's head felt like it would explode when the box burst open. She felt waves upon waves of emotions flood her system, overtaking any sense of logical or reasonable thinking.
Grief.
Anger.
Despair.
Anguish.
Desperation.
Guilt.
It all swirled inside her, bubbling over like Neville's cauldron in potion's class, even though the pain in her head had started to recede. She fell against the back of her chair, her eyes snapping open at the release of pressure. Hermione could feel the hot tears stinging her cheeks when she finally looked over at Sirius.
"There you are," he said cryptically before holding up the pamphlet. "I thought you might be resorting to Occlumency. Don't you know it's incredibly dangerous to perform if you don't have the proper guidance?"
Hermione blinked. "What?"
"You've spent the past two months trying to hide all these emotions inside your mind that you practically locked the compartment away," Sirius explained. "Dear… that can be so damaging on your mind."
She looked between the book and Sirius while taking slow, steady breaths. Her brain felt fuzzy and was slow to catch up to the conversation happening. "I… did that?" she squeaked out before shaking her head. "No, I… that's not what happened. Mad-Eye. He gave me the book and said I needed to learn to control myself."
Sirius nodded.
"I just wanted the pain to stop," Hermione said, subconsciously reaching up to rub at the sharp ache that had returned to her chest. "I wanted… to be able to breathe… without thinking about… him. So, I started practicing some of the exercises…."
Her voice was broken, trying to articulate the memories that accounted for the time, which was fuzzy to recall in her mind.
"I know." Sirius moved forward and enveloped Hermione in a comforting embrace.
"He said… he said that I needed to let go of Draco, that it was keeping me from thinking clearly and helping the Order," Hermione stammered.
"Shh," Sirius hushed. "You don't need to do that anymore."
"I miss Draco so much," Hermione sniffled.
"I miss him, too."
Hermione's violent sobs caused her entire body to shake as she cried into Sirius' chest. The man's strong embrace and touch were doing little to keep her hysterics in check, so she gave in and allowed the episode to rush out of her. Hermione didn't know how long they sat there, but when her mind began to clear, she could feel the effects of her swollen eyes and puffy cheeks.
Sirius pulled back, offering her a tissue to clean her face. "Ah, much better," Sirius said with a small smile. "I prefer talking to you when you aren't trying to occlude."
"You mean when I'm not trying to divide the Order and stage a solo rescue mission?" she recalled in a hoarse tone.
"I know you meant well, and hell, I would have followed right behind you, but I see now why Moody stopped you," Sirius revealed. "Did you know Dementors are guarding the school's borders?"
Hermione shook her head.
"Sneaking into Hogwarts would have put our members there in danger, including Draco," Sirius said.
"I know," Hermione replied quietly. She pulled her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around her shins. "I just feel… so useless sometimes."
Sirius patted her knee. "Can I tell you a secret? We all do."
Hermione pushed the hair away from her face and looked at Sirius through her red-rimed eyes. "I just… feel so helpless. How are we going to end this war? We've got two Horcruxes and no way to destroy them. These books-"she waved her hand across the table where all her research was spread out- "say nothing about getting rid of one. Only how to create it."
"We'll figure it out," Sirius promised as he squeezed her knee. "And not by locking away parts of ourselves."
She flashed him a small smile and nodded in thanks when the pop of Apparition suddenly went off. Hermione and Sirius jumped at the sight of Dobby standing with his back to them on the table.
"Oh! Dobby has come looking for Miss Hermione!"
The elf nervously clutched something in his hands, covered by dirty cloth.
"Dobby?" Hermione asked slowly as she leaned forward. "Is everything okay?"
"Master Draco sent Dobby and said to give you this! Though Dobby must be going. No, all the elves will help the Order. Being gone too long will raise suspicion."
Hermione reached out and took the proffered wrapping when the elf snapped his fingers and disapparated away. She shakily set it down on the table and unwrapped the mysterious contents. Her brow quirked as she saw a bundle of what looked like giant pointed teeth with a piece of rolled parchment tucked between them.
"What are these?" Sirius asked. He picked one up and examined it curiously while Hermione unrolled the note. Her breath caught as she recognized Draco's handwriting.
Basilisk venom
October 1, 1997- Hogwarts
Draco held his backpack tightly to his chest as he quickened his pace along the corridor. He knew he had a slew of patients waiting for him in the Room of Requirement, but the Carrows had been merciless in their patrolling of the Castle, incredibly close to curfew. They were trying to catch students communicating with the Order, or maybe directly with Harry Potter himself.
Amycus and Alecto had recruited most of the upper-class Slytherins to assist and practically ignored any other house that claimed to be a Prefect. Within the first week of school starting, the roles that used to define the school almost became non-existent. There were no more Prefect rounds, no more Quidditch matches, and Professors were ordered to stop meeting with all other clubs. When it was announced two weeks into the school year that the Dementors would be patrolling the castle border, well, it quashed any hope of them having Hogsmeade weekends or other internships outside Hogwarts.
Though he was still working with Madam Pomfrey, her fear that students wouldn't seek medical treatment because of the Carrows' threat was soon quickly realized. Anyone who was not a Slytherin that stepped into the ward was given a week's worth of detention, which Draco found out was two hours of being tortured.
Alecto took her time, ensuring that he, Neville, and Ginny got equal turns with the Cruciatus curse. They'd all come out of that experience bruised and cut while vowing they would do what they could to save other students from suffering the same fate.
Neville had taken his responsibility for recruitment seriously, slashing magical messages along the walls to encourage the student body to fight back and join the DA. It infuriated Snape to no end, causing the Headmaster to announce every morning that those responsible would be caught and punished. It only encouraged them to keep going.
Ginny and Luna had taken over training and intel, a significant responsibility they handled swimmingly. When members came by for lessons, Ginny often worked on drills and spells so that the students knew how to defend and protect themselves. Luna had managed to set up a private radio station which she broadcasted with Lee Jordan remotely to provide updates about the status of the war and the causalities. It was called "Potter Watch" and required a secret password for viewers to access. When Draco wasn't being inspirational, he was doing all he could to heal and help those injured.
Thus, why he was sneaking around with a bag full of stolen healing potions, he'd picked up from McGonagall.
"Again! Why are you out here!" Amycus' voice screeched down the hallway. Draco pressed his back against a wall and then ducked into an alcove in the corridor.
"I told you! I was doing extra work for Charms!"
Draco sucked in a breath, recognizing who it was coming from.
"That's no excuse for being out after curfew," Amycus argued.
"I'm not…."
"Crucio!"
Draco squeezed his eyes shut as he listened to Padma Patil scream on the floor. He tried to keep his breathing under control while fighting the urge to charge. He wanted to help his classmate, but he couldn't risk getting caught with the bag of supplies he was transporting.
"Excuse me!"
His eyes snapped open as he heard another girl enter the corridor.
"Yes, Miss Runcorn? What are you doing out near curfew?" Amycus asked.
Runcorn? Aurora?
"I was doing some extra credit when I heard the commotion. I thought I would come and see if you needed… help."
Draco's jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed.
That two-faced bitch.
Amycus laughed. "Well, well. Look at you finally living up to your father's expectations. I'd say it's about damn time."
"Of course," Aurora replied stoically. "What rule did she break?"
"Out after curfew and just generally being suspicious," Amycus replied. Draco could just imagine the hateful sneer on his face as he looked down at Padma.
"Of course. I'm not sure if you knew, but my father gave me private lessons during the summer. Perhaps I could finish up here while you continue your patrol? It should take long for me to teach this Ravenclaw her lesson," Aurora offered.
Amycus hummed with approval. "Alright, Runcorn. I'll leave you to it."
"And you'll be sure to write my father, tell him what a good job I'm doing?"
"Of course."
Draco held his breath as he heard the Professor's boots clang against the floor, the sound getting quieter the further away he became. Draco clutched the bag tighter to his side before drawing his wand. He was prepared to fire off a stunner at Aurora when he heard her hiss, "I need you to scream."
"What…" Padma stuttered.
"I'm not going to hurt you, but I need you to pretend to be in pain. On the count of three," Aurora implored. Draco peered out from his hiding spot, finding the Slytherin girl pointing her wand towards Padma's body. The Ravenclaw pretended to cry out in pain, but no magic came out of the tip.
"I think he's gone now," Padma whispered.
Aurora leaned down and held out her hand, helping up the Ravenclaw. "What are you doing out? You know he patrols the seventh-floor corridor. You should be getting back to your tower!"
"I need to meet with the DA," Padma snapped back quietly before softening her features. "You should come with us."
Aurora shook her head. "I can't."
Draco looked down the corridor and stepped out from his hiding spot. "Why not?" he asked. "We could use you."
"I…" the blonde Slytherin looked up at the ceiling desperately. "I can't get caught in a Revolution. I've got siblings to look after."
"Most of us have loved ones who need us," Padma retorted.
"Look," the Slytherin snipped. "I'm not brave like you. Stop wasting your time arguing with me and get moving before Amycus returns."
"Come on," Draco stopped Padma before she could launch into a signature Ravenclaw defense. "She's right."
Padma looked frantically between Draco and Aurora before handing the Slytherin a coin. "I have an educated guess you got rid of your coin after fifth year."
"I did," Aurora confirmed.
"But if you ever feel like you need a place to hide, you are always welcomed with the DA. Merlin, you could even bring your little siblings. We'll take care of them," Padma promised.
Aurora looked like she didn't know what to say until she eventually pocketed the coin in her robes and nodded. "Now go! Before anyone else sees you two."
Draco and Padma scampered off, running back and forth down the corridor three times before the door to the Room of Requirement appeared. They quickly slipped inside to find the place in a semblance of organized chaos. Ginny instructed her group while Luna was in the middle of her Potter Watch program for the evening. Draco spotted Neville waving him over in the far corner of the room where they had set up their makeshift infirmary.
"It's about bloody time. What took you so long?" Neville asked as Draco handed him a pain potion to help administer.
"Amycus," Draco reveled. He was busy casting diagnostic spells, ascertaining the damage, when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around to find a first year Hufflepuff nervously fidgeting with their tie.
"Are you the healer?" he asked tentatively.
"I am," Draco answered slowly. "And who are you?"
"Bilby Bexley! I was sorted this year!"
"I can see that," Draco said patiently. "Was there something you needed?"
Bilby shook his head. "No, but my sister needs you. She's in Hufflepuff too!"
"And what does she need, Bilby?"
The young boy's face dropped, casting his gaze towards the ground. "Professor Alecto hurt her real bad yesterday. She said her arm really hurts and that she can't move it without feeling pain."
Draco paled. "And where is your sister now?"
"She's in the Common Room," Bilby revealed. "The pain is so bad she couldn't get out of bed, so she skipped class today. Seamus told me to come with him tonight and that you would help her!"
"Shit," Draco cursed, rummaging in his bag, looking for what he needed. If what Bilby was describing was what he thought, then his sister had her arm broken and had spent 24 hours without it being adequately tended to.
"That's a bad word," the young Hufflepuff pointed out.
Draco froze, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath while willing away the urge to strangle this kid's neck. He ignored Neville, who was poorly hiding his laugh with a cough when he picked up the Skele-grow, a pain potion, and a sling.
"Nev, hold the fort down until I get back," he instructed.
"Aye, Aye, Captain," Neville cheekily saluted.
In times like these, Draco wished he had Harry's invisibility cloak or even the Marauder's Map. Either tool would have significantly reduced his risk when making house calls. The Carrows, or even Slytherins working for them, could have been anywhere, which, if caught, lowered their chances of success to practically zero. He had to keep silently urging Bilby to keep up with Draco's light steps when he heard voices coming around the corner. He pushed the young Hufflepuff into a closet before pressing his ear against the door. From what Draco could tell, Amycus was muttering to himself or possibly complaining to Alecto about Snape as they passed the cupboard. He didn't dare open the door until he was sure they were long out of sight.
"What was that?" Bilby asked as they resumed their course to the Hogwarts dungeon.
"Amycus and Alecto were in the hallway. We wouldn't have made it to the Common Room had they intercepted us."
He could hear Bilby gulp as they slunk through the Entrance Hall and down the steps towards the Kitchens.
"I'm assuming you know the password?" Draco asked.
Bilby nodded. "Oh, it's quite fun. Here!"
The first year bobbed on his feet and approached a row of barrels Draco had never noticed before when he came down here for Potions. Bilby started counting the rows, looking for a particular barrel, when he began tapping the rim in a specific rhythm. Suddenly, the lid swung open and revealed a hidden passageway.
"After you, Mr. Healer," Bilby bowed, letting Draco climb through first.
The blond Gryffindor tried not to roll his eyes as he shimmied inside. He found the round room surprisingly warm and earthy, with a fire burning brightly in the hearth and plants hanging from the ceiling. Some older students eyed him curiously from the overstuffed yellow couches, but they didn't say a word as Bilby led Draco further inside and down a hallway.
"She's in here!" Bilby approached a round door and rapped his knuckles swiftly on the wood. "Beatrice! Beatrice! I found the healer!"
A beautiful girl with short dark hair and deep-set dark eyes opened the door and scowled. "We told you to find Madam Pomfrey! Not… whoever this is!"
"But Seamus said it wasn't safe to go to the Matron and to find Draco Malfoy! He heals all the other students!" Bilby argued.
The girl, who looked to be in sixth year, rolled her eyes. "Seamus is an idiot who likes to blow things up."
"Sam? Who's there?" a weak voice called from inside the dorm.
Draco glared at the girl blocking his path. "Look, I'm the only hope she's got right now unless you want to risk carrying her to the Hospital Wing."
Sam crossed her arms and shifted her weight so that her whole body was in the door frame. "What are you going to do?"
Draco let out a tired sigh. "I have a sling, some Skele-grow, and a pain potion, but I won't know what type of treatment she needs unless you let me diagnosis her."
The Hufflepuff remained as unmoving as a rock, eyeing Draco suspiciously for several moments before she eventually inclined her head and stepped aside. "One wrong move, and you will regret it, Malfoy."
He ignored the daggers she was throwing at the back of his head while he quickly got to work assessing Beatrice's wounds. The third year had indeed broken her arm, and the fracture would require a small amount of Skele-grow to repair the damage at the humerus and elbow joint. Draco quietly explained what he saw with the spell and advised the three what his course of action would be in addressing the injury.
"Just to clarify, you're going give her an ounce of Skele-grow and then leave a pain potion for her as needed?" Sam voiced.
Draco nodded. "Once I administer the Skele-grow, Beatrice needs to have her arm wrapped to ensure it grows back correctly. Otherwise, it will need to be rebroken and regrown, which is quite a long, painful process that I don't have the resources for."
Sam gave him a grave look before leaning down next to the girl. "Bea, it's up to you if you want to do this. Otherwise, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey right now. Carrows be damned."
The young Hufflepuff shook her head. "No, no, Carrows."
"Okay," Sam breathed out. She gave Draco a pointed look. "Do what you have to do."
The whole process took him less than five minutes, which was surprising given that Draco had no experience with mending broken bones. Once Beatrice was properly wrapped and settled into the night, he bid Sam and Bilby goodbye.
"Malfoy," Sam called out before he crossed the threshold. "How do we find you if something else happens?"
Draco smiled, recalling Padma's actions with Aurora earlier that evening. He reached into his pocket and tossed the fake Galleon towards the Hufflepuff. "It's laced with a Protean Charm. Tap your message into the coin, and I'll come as soon as I can."
Sam blinked, momentarily looking between Draco and the Coin before she clutched it tightly in her fist.
"You know, Dumbledore's Army is always recruiting," Draco said. "Just a thought."
"Hufflepuffs don't fight," Sam retorted before she smirked. "But… there are always exceptions."
October 31, 1997- Hogwarts
"There you are!" Ginny cornered Draco as soon as he entered the Room of Requirement. "Luna just wrapped up Potter Watch, and no students need medical attention tonight."
"That's a relief," Draco commented.
Ginny nodded. "Which means we can focus tonight on planning our next steps. One month and we don't really have a lot to show for it."
"To be fair, McGonagall did warn us not to draw attention to ourselves," Neville pointed out as Draco and Ginny took a seat in the circle of friends.
"She said not to draw attention to ourselves, not that we couldn't be involved," Ginny corrected.
Neville rolled his eyes. "That is essentially the same thing."
Ginny flung her hair over her shoulder and glared at Neville. "Look, we can't just sit here while we recruit for the DA and piss off the Carrows. We must do something tangible, like finding the Sword of Gryffindor!"
"We know where it's at," Draco said sardonically.
"At least you think you know!" Ginny had a conspiratorial glint in her eye as she looked around the group. Draco was not really appreciating her need to build anticipation and gave her a gesture to continue with her theory.
"Alright, alright," the redhead huffed. "I don't think Snape gave Bellatrix the real Sword, and the Hat was trying to warn you."
Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "How so?"
"That's why it kept repeating the same phrase," she explained.
"The Sword of Godric Gryffindor cannot be gifted, taken nor stolen," Luna recited.
Ginny snapped her fingers. "Exactly! I checked out a copy of Hogwarts: A History-"
"You mean you actually read that book?" Draco teased her.
"You hush," Ginny snapped, opening the large tomb to the chapter that talked about the founders. "It says here that Godric Gryffindor put a spell on the sword so that it would only appear to any worthy Gryffindor in need."
"So…" Neville drawled, looking confused.
"In need!" Ginny poked aggressively at the text. "Don't you get it?"
The boys shared a concerned look before looking back at the exasperated redhead.
"I think what Ginny is trying to point out is that the Sword is somewhat sentient, and thus it decides which person is worthy to wield it at a time it determines them to be in need," Luna explained diplomatically.
"Thank you, Luna! Someone has a brain," Ginny sighed, her tone dripping in sarcasm.
"Even if this is true, how does the sword decide?" Draco asked.
"When did it last show up for you?" Ginny volleyed back.
"In the Chamber of Secrets, right as a giant snake was about to kill my best friends and me," Draco deadpanned.
Well, there we go! We just need to put ourselves in danger until the sword appears to us to use!" Ginny said. "Then we just need to concentrate on getting it to Harry."
"I appreciate the idea, but I think you're missing something." Luna gave Ginny a kind look before continuing. "Wouldn't the sword sense you were attempting to summon it and then… not come?"
Neville gasped. "What if we replicated exactly what Draco did the first time he pulled it?" He turned to Draco with wide, excited eyes. "Walk us through everything. How you felt? What you were doing?"
Draco sighed. "I was inside the Chamber of Secrets with Ron and Harry. You-Know-Who gave his grand ole monologue while Ginny lay dying on the floor before he ordered the Basilisk to attack us. As we split up, I jumped in front of the snake, and the Fawkes blinded it. Ron and I ran back to try and drag Ginny out of the Chamber when Harry and the Basilisk came back. Harry started distracting the snake. Ron dueled Riddle's ghost with Lockhart's wand, and then I saw the sword appear inside the Sorting Hat."
"So, the hat makes it appear?" Ginny speculated. "Then we need to sneak into the Headmaster's office and take the Sorting Hat."
"Hang on, how long did the sword stay with you?" Luna asked.
Draco looked up to the ceiling as he recalled the battle. "Until I gave it back to Dumbledore," he revealed.
"So, you had it the entire time you fought the snake?" Neville clarified.
"Yeah," Draco said. "I stabbed it a few times and then managed to pass it off to Harry, who thrust it through…."
Something in his mind began to click as Draco moved through the memory.
"Yes?" Ginny prompted impatiently.
It was almost like he could perfectly recall when Harry stabbed the monster before sliding off the monument of Salazar's head. There was a fang from the snake in his arm, which coursed venom into his body, almost killing Harry. He had used that same tooth to destroy the diary, lifting the curse from Ginny and preventing You-Know-Who from rising.
"Draco?" Luna asked with concern.
"Harry killed the snake with the sword, but he killed the Horcrux with the fang from the Basilisk," he revealed, slightly dazed.
"A Hor, what?" Ginny blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"It's how You-Know-Who came back. Horcruxes are dark objects embedded with someone's soul. We, meaning Harry, Ron, Hermione, and myself, believe that seven of them were made."
"And the diary was one of them?" Ginny shuddered.
Draco rose to his feet, double-checking his wand was in his pocket. "I have to go."
"Go?!" Ginny cried out, trailing close behind him with Luna and Neville not far behind.
"To the second-floor lavatory," Draco said in a stilted but determined voice. "That's where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is."
"And just how are you going to get inside?" Ginny questioned. "You can't speak Parseltongue."
Draco shrugged. "Harry talks in his sleep. I'm sure I can mimic something."
"We're coming with you, Mate!" Neville insisted.
"What?" Draco spun on his heels and shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous. Besides, we'll draw suspicion if we travel in a pack."
"Then we'll leave in staggered pairs," Ginny suggested. "You and Luna with Neville and I following. We meet down in the bathroom, and then you can try and break in by speaking snake language."
"Only, why are we going inside the creepy dark Chamber?" Neville asked.
"Because I know why Dumbledore left me the sword. It was because when Harry killed the Basilisk, the sword took in its venom," Draco explained.
"Still not following," Neville said.
"Don't you see! It wasn't the sword but the venom that destroyed the Horcrux. That's what the Order needs!"
"Basilisk Venom!" Luna gasped. "It's almost impossible to get."
"Unless Dumbledore left the skeleton in the Chamber," Draco smirked.
Ginny returned his smug expression. "Now, this is the kind of action I was talking about. Right, tally ho!"
The four of them silently snuck out of the room and through the castle halls until they reached their destination. Draco hadn't been in the bathroom since their encounter with the Heir of Slytherin, but that didn't stop the familiar feelings and memories from resurfacing. He looked nostalgically at the spot where Hermione brewed Polyjuice potion before turning on his heels to see the chalkboard they left with their research scrawled along the surface. Moaning Myrtle was floating towards the ceiling, whining about her death, when she noticed the visitors.
"Oh, and to what do I owe the displeasure," she queried as she floated down to examine the three Gryffindors plus one Ravenclaw. "Not here to almost kill another student, I hope."
"No, Myrtle. We'll be out of your hair soon enough," Draco replied curtly. He resumed moving along the sink basins, looking for the clue that Harry discovered all those years ago. Draco smiled when he found the silver snake emblem along the rusty, broken faucet.
He attempted to hiss out some syllables, hoping that whatever he was saying would trick the Chamber into opening. The four students jumped as there was a pop, and the top of the basin flew up. Just like last time, the sinks simultaneously skirted out, revealing a large, dirty tunnel that would take them below the school.
"Whoa," Neville whistled.
"Bloody hell," Ginny exclaimed in a tone that was eerily similar to her brother.
Luna, brave as any Gryffindor, skipped up to the edge before she jumped down.
Ginny shook her head. "I love that witch, but Merlin, is she too crazy for my taste sometimes."
"Might as well follow after her before she hurts herself," Neville drawled in a tired tone.
Draco felt like he must have suppressed most of his memories of this place because he swore he did not remember it being this tight to navigate. Even with feeling claustrophobic, the path towards the central area and the snake skeleton was worn and familiar. He found the iron door he opened again by speaking the ancient language to the best of his ability. Draco and Ginny walked purposefully towards the remains while Luna and Neville gawked and gaped at the slights surrounding them.
"You mean to tell me that Salazar Slytherin hid all this under Hogwarts?" Neville whispered.
"Fascinating," Luna commented.
As he knelt before the slain creature, Draco couldn't help but shiver at how fast the skin had decomposed. He tried not to think that it must have been picked away at by rats and other various animals of the night, leaving behind a clean skeleton. One by one, he went along the jaw line and pulled each of the fangs out of their place.
"What are you going to do with them?" Ginny asked. She observed him place them inside a white cloth carefully. When there was nothing left for him to take, he pulled out a quill and a small slip of parchment.
"Dobby!" he called out, praying that even though the elf had long been free from the Malfoy household, his friend would still hear his call and come to him. Draco was not disappointed when the elf popped right before the group.
"Master Draco!" he gasped. "What is yous doing down here!"
"Dobby, I need to ask you to do something that is potentially dangerous."
The elf bowed. "Anything for Dobby's friend."
Draco placed the wrapped cloth with the Basilisk's teeth into the elf's hands. "Can you find Hermione and give this to her?"
Dobby squeaked. "Miss Minnie told us not to contact the Order. That the Carrows have tried to buy the allegiance of the elves to spy on the students."
"I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't urgent," Draco informed him. "The Order needs what is inside that bundle."
The elf looked at him with nervous, wide eyes until he nodded. "Winky?"
Another house-elf popped into existence. She cried out in fright as Winky took in the sight around her. "Students out of bed! Dobby! Yous be doing it this time! I's tell Minnie what you be doing, I will."
"Winky will take you back to your Common Rooms. Dobby wills handle important assignment for Master Draco."
"I's bes what?" Winky exclaimed in disbelief. "No. No, you will not bes pulling Winky into this meshiver!"
"Yous love Dobby, no?" the elf appeared to be waggling his eyebrows at Winky, causing the female elf to blush.
"Yes, Winky loves Dobby, but…."
"Then Winky helps Dobby's friends?" the elf cajoled.
"Oh…" the female elf moaned, giving Dobby an irate look. "Alright, fine! Winky bes bringing students backs to their beds." She waggled her finger. "But, don't be thinking that Dobby is off the hook."
Dobby bowed his head. "Of course, Miss Winky." And with a final pop, Dobby apparated away.
October 31, 1997- Grimmauld Place
Hermione gasped and dropped the note. "They're fangs. Basilisk fangs."
Sirius' eyes widened. "What?! How? And… Where?"
"The Chamber of Secrets," Hermione's mind started to click the missing pieces together, all the information falling into place because of Draco. "Second year, Harry destroyed the diary Horcrux with a Basilisk fang. That's the key to destroying them! It's Basilisk venom!" She frantically picked up the note and shoved it into Sirius' hands. "This is Draco's handwriting. He must have snuck into the Chamber of Secrets and pulled all the fangs left behind by the skeleton."
Sirius' look of surprise quickly morphed into one of pride and elation. "He gave us the weapons to destroy the locket and cup."
Hermione nodded. "It's also why Dumbledore willed the sword to Draco because Harry stabbed the Basilisk with it. According to legend, the Sword of Godric Gryffindor takes in what makes it stronger."
"Which means it being laced with Basilisk venom makes it able to take out the Horcruxes," Sirius finished. "Though, now that we have the fangs, I'm not as inclined to divert resources to searching for the sword."
The two stood up and urgently marched down the stairs, where they found Ron and Harry chilling in the living room. "Come into the kitchen now!"
The two boys immediately stood up and followed Sirius into the kitchen, where they found Remus, Tonks, and Hestia analyzing the dark objects in question.
"Draco got in contact with us through Dobby," Sirius revealed while holding up the fang. "He gave us means of destroying the Horcruxes."
Remus raised an eyebrow. "I thought McGonagall said she needed to limit using the house elves for communication because some were loyal to the Carrows."
"She might not have known Draco used Dobby," Sirius pointed out.
Tonks shrugged. "So, how does this work? And, what exactly is this?"
"I think it works like this!" Sirius rolled his shoulder, swinging his arm around to bring the jagged tooth down onto the cup. There was violent screeching noise that erupted before dark smoke was released into the air. It took the image of a skull floating in midair for only a moment and then disappearing. The cup lay split in two on the counter with the coloring tarnishing before their eyes. The group was stunned into silence. They looked between Sirius, the Horcrux, and the fang.
The head of the Order was breathing heavily, having been thrown back slightly after attacking the Horcrux. A smirk was slowly forming on his face when he looked down at the weapon in his hand. "Hermione said it's a Basilisk fang and that its venom inside is what can kill the Horcrux. Draco snuck into the Chamber of Secrets and then used Dobby to get us the fangs."
Ron marched over to Hermione, taking one of the fangs out of her hand and stalking over to the Locket. He eyed the object menacingly before gritting his teeth and bringing the fang down onto the piece of cursed jewelry. Just like with the cup, it too screamed in agony before releasing the puff of deadly-looking smoke into the air and disappearing.
The redhead huffed. "I've wanted to murder that Merlin damned Locket since we discovered it."
"You and me both," Remus commented.
"This is brilliant! How many more of these do we have?" Harry asked.
"Just these," she answered, offering the pile to Harry.
"Now that the Cup, the Diary, and the Locket are destroyed, we can focus on finding all the others," Ron pointed out. "We don't really need the sword as long as we have these!"
Hermione slumped against the counter, watching as the group discussed more logistics of where to look and what to search for. She looked up at the ceiling, breathing deeply as she closed her eyes.
Thank you, Draco.
I love you.
Hang on, because I'm coming for you. I swear.