Disclaimer: All places and characters belong to JK Rowling and WB and various publishers. No money is being made off of this piece of fiction.
Chapter 6: The Pensieve
They had all watched Draco's pensieve memories at least twice, Severus and Granger four times. They had transcribed every word and made copies.
Surprisingly, it had been Weasley and Albus that had lost it. Weasley had stormed out of the office after the Unspeakables cryptic message, 'They never found Harry Potter's body, did they?', they could all hear him striking the wall in the hallway. Albus sat back in his chair, eyes closed, silent tears streaming down his face.
Severus immediately re-entered the pensieve, followed closely by Granger. Not wanting to be left alone with a crying Dumbledore, Draco re-entered the nightmare.
Severus and Granger dissected the memory on the second viewing, noting and observing everything. If Draco didn't know better, he'd have said Severus was unmoved, but the tell-tale red to his irises and sharpness of his lengthened nails gave him away. Granger's face was an immovable mask.
When they entered the ante chamber with the creature for the second time, Severus and Granger walked straight over to the thing on the floor. 'Look for any recognizable scars, birthmarks, anything.' Severus said briefly.
'He's got a scar on the inside of each elbow, about 2 inches, circular on right elbow, 1 inch, straight on the left.' Her voice was sharp as she recited these details, still in her memory even after 3 years absence.
The clanking sound began and like he did in person Draco turned away from the pitiful sounds of the creature. He had watched it with everyone the first viewing, secretly ashamed he'd been unable to in person, but now he wished he hadn't.
As Severus and Granger continued their study of the creature, he walked swiftly towards the Unspeakable the noise was coming from. It looked like the clackers used to keep captured dragons in place. The Unspeakable's face was emotionless as he rhythmically moved the device up-and-down, up-and-down. The man beside him was holding up some sort of Stòr weapon, similar to the staff the Unspeakable Gillingham had used on the caged Daemon during the demonstration. He shot a stream of light at the creature and it seemed to connect to a collar placed around the creature's neck. Connected to the creature by the beam of shimmering light, he yanked and pulled, forcing the creature to twist its neck. There was a strange light and pleasure in this wizard's eyes, he was enjoying this little power display. Draco carefully committed his face to memory.
The creature's moans stopped, and Draco knew the thing must be drugged now.
'Dungel powder?' Granger inquired.
Severus stared at the remaining glittery powder on the floor. 'No, I don't think so.'
His red tinged gaze lifted to the Unspeakables in the room, 'They'd all be susceptible if it were.'
Draco watched in silence as Severus and Granger observed the "harvesting" again, getting up close to try and decipher any features of the being strapped to the table.
Draco absently rubbed at the tattoo on right wrist. He needed another drink.
The third run through the pensieve memories Albus and Weasley re-joined the group. Albus helped Severus and Granger in their investigation, leaving Draco standing beside a heavily breathing Weasley.
Weasley paced the small rooms in the memory, curses falling from his mouth. Once the door to the ante-chamber was opened he ran through, falling to his knees beside the creature and placing his face on level with it. He slammed his fist into the ground, 'Damnit!'.
Could he recognize the hidden features of its face? Its ears? The curve of its spine? Unlikely.
Draco strode over to where he knew the other Unspeakables would soon appear. 'Weasley!' He called out. The clanking sounds began as the Unspeakables emerged.
Weasley stood beside Draco, panting. He was quite pale but determined. 'Can you identify any of these devices?'
'Clankers.' Weasley stated pointing to the noisy device.
Draco nodded, 'I thought so…'
He looked back at the creature quivering away from the sound, 'I thought they only worked on dragons.'
Weasley stood an inch from the Unspeakables face. 'I'm going to kill these fuckers.'
'Weasley, the clanker….it should only work on dragons, no?'
Weasley was clenching and unclenching his jaw, unhearing.
'We don't know it's Potter.' How had he, Draco Malfoy ended up comforting Weasley?
'Doesn't matter.' He gestured angrily to the scene behind them, Draco noticed he was careful not to look. 'This is sick, this whole place is sick.'
They were pulling the creature into the "harvesting" room.
Weasley let out a growl-gasp, 'Yes, the clankers only work on Dragons.' He shouldered past Draco and followed Severus, Albus, and Granger into the room.
Draco walked slowly towards the memory of himself, staring through the glass at the horror within. Mirroring his memory self, he turned and stood watching through the glass shoulder to shoulder with his memory self.
Severus and Granger were again continuing to examine the creature up close, hovering near its limbs and face, still shrouded by hair. Albus was looking through the collections and potions that lined the room. Weasley paced back and forth in front of the glass.
They started cutting into one of the tail appendages, pulling a strip of muscle out and setting it aside.
'MERLIN!' Ron bellowed, fists slamming the glass, being a memory, it merely swirled and re-formed.
'RONALAD.' Granger's voice cut sharply through the room, a threat.
'Fuck!' Weasley charged out of the room.
Draco joined each subsequent miserable trip through memory lane, Weasley and Albus did not thankfully. Draco left Severus and Granger to identify potions, instruments and focused on the various Unspeakables he passed. Names, ID's, likeness. He would find these people.
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Weasley was still pacing, 'What do we do?!'
'We accept the Ministries aid.' Severus' voice was deep, firm.
'We take their weapons,' scorn dripped from his fangs.
'We win this bloody war,' the red tinge had yet to leave his eyes.
'We bring the source here.' A long, elegant finger prodded the table.
'Then we destroy the Ministry.' Draco finished.
Weasley nodded as he paced.
END CHAPTER
