The first day of their vacation opened with a huge snowstorm. Rather
unsurprising actually. It seemed to snow about every day between school's
end and Christmas every year. Harry rolled out of bed, taking care not to
awaken Colin, and swore quietly as he wrapped himself in not only his robe,
but Colin's as well.
"You would think," Harry muttered to himself, " that with all the magic around here, they would find some way to not make it get so bloody cold at night." he pulled tighter and stuck his frozen feet in the slippers. He returned and tried to sneak back into bed.
"Harry, your feet are like ice! Don't touch me!" Colin had awoken and was trying to bat his feet away. Harry was grinning his evil little grin and reached a rather cold hand to the underside of Colin's chin.
"I'm warning you, Harry, touch me again while you're an icicle and you'll draw back a stump."
"But Colin, you're so warm and cuddly, I was hoping that you could help me thaw out," Harry said in his absolute saddest voice.
"Oh, Harry, fine. I'll help you out. Just next time remember not to drink so much before you go to bed then you won't have to get up before it gets tolerably warm."
"Good point, now come here," Harry said, pulling Colin closer. They had just snuggled up for a short winter's nap when they were awoken to an unmistakable Irish yell.
"It snowed!! Gerrup' Neville! It's time for a snowball fight!"
"Seamus, it is too early for a snowball fight. Besides, we could probably find some icicles in here and have a battle with them instead."
"No, a snowball fight it is. I'll get everybody else up while you get dressed."
"I'm not that slow, you know, Seamus."
"Sure. And the Pope's not catholic. Get ready." Neville just shook his head and pulled the sheets back up. Seamus on the other hand, was getting crazier by the second. He was rubbing his hands together, planning his next moves. He eeny-meeny-miney-moed Harry and Ron's bed and settled on Harry's first. He pulled the curtain back and jumped in.
"Wake up guys, it's time for a snowball fight." he landed squarely on Colin who groaned and rolled to the right, leaving Seamus directly in the middle. "Wow. I could definitely get used to this," he said, looking from Colin's face to Harry's.
"Sorry Seamus, but I won't share this toy with you. He's mine."
Seamus turned back to Colin and looked at him for a second, then pinched his cheek lightly. "I see why Harry. He is as cute as a button." Colin playfully slapped his hand away. "He's feisty too. I like that."
"What's this you said about a snowball fight, Seamus" Harry asked, a bit intrigued.
"It's tradition. First day of break and if it snows, you have a snowball fight."
"And how long has this been a tradition, Seamus?" Harry asked him, with an eyebrow raised.
"Well, if you want to get technical, I guess since I woke up about five minutes ago." Seamus looked over to his bed for a second and shouted, "I don't hear any movement over there, Mr. Longbottom."
"I'm getting up, just very slowly. The old battery needs a jumpstart on cold mornings." Neville replied.
"Here comes your jumpstart, Nev," Seamus said as he extricated himself from Harry's bed and launched himself back to his own in one swift movement. Colin and Harry watched as the sheets tussled and flew around.
"Snowball fight, Colin?"
"Sure Harry. You want to wake up Ron? Seamus and Neville might be busy for a little while."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Harry hopped out of his bed and went over to Ron's. "Hey Ron, you awake yet?" he asked.
"I don't see how I can't be, with Seamus yelling and flopping around and all. Are we having a pillow fight?"
"A snowball fight, actually. Interested?"
"Oh yeah. I can handle that." 'While I still feel good,' he thought the second part to himself. "I'll get up I a minute."
"I hope so. If you don't, Seamus might do one of his famous somersaults onto your sacred areas, and that surely isn't how I'd like to get up. I'll go get Draco. You just get up, quickly," Harry said as he looked at Seamus poke his head out of the blankets and smile an evil grin.
"Okay. I'll get up. You go fetch Draco." Harry got up and again wrapped himself in robes.
"I'll be back with Draco in a little while, everybody."
"Hurry back, Harry," Neville said, from under the blankets.
"Oh, and while I'm gone, someone get Hermione. If she's left out, she'll be mad all day."
"I'll get her, Harry, while I get my brother. Don't worry about it," Colin said as he started to climb out of the pile of blankets. Harry left the dorm room and proceeded down the hall.
It wasn't until he was almost there that he realized that he might have a problem. If the Slytherin password had been changed, Harry wouldn't be collecting Draco after all. "Well, I guess we just have to find out," he told the hallways. He reached the Slytherin door at a slow jog, trying to warm himself a bit in the chilly dungeons.
"Here we go, 'Gryffindors suck'," he told the picture.
"Aye, you know the password, but why are you dressed in the colors of the enemy?" the picture challenged.
"Undercover work," he answered and the door swung over. As he stepped in, memories of the only other time he'd been here flooded back in. He saw Colin and Draco together, remembered the horrible feeling of rejection and how he'd started to leave before Colin came to him. He brushed those thoughts away and continued on.
"Let's see, the bedrooms are?" Harry asked himself as he finally found the way. First year, second year, he walked down steps until he came to fifth year dorms. He pushed the door open and walked in. Harry looked for the most immaculately kept area and knew that it would be Draco's. Aha. He heard noise coming from the bed and was even more positive he was right.
"No! No father! You can't!" Draco yelled in his sleep. Harry hurried to his side and was just about to shake him awake when Draco sat up with one loud and bone-chilling scream. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Harry grabbed him by the shoulders and was trying to get him to come around. Draco's eyes snapped into focus and looked directly at Harry like a deer into headlights.
"Harry!" Draco squeaked out and fell into him, his body losing its stiffness.
"Draco, it's alright, whatever it was, it was a dream. You're awake now. It can't hurt you." Draco regained his composure and sat back up.
"Oh Harry, you don't know how wrong you are. It was my father in my dream, and he very well can hurt me. I have a feeling that he is going to do so in the very near future."
"Nonsense, Draco, he'd have to get through Dumbledore first-"
"He isn't here, Harry, remember?"
"Well, McGonagall then."
"I mean her no disrespect, but I doubt my father would have a problem with her. He is so evil, Harry, you can't begin to understand."
"I don't know what to tell you about that Draco, but remember I told you that I'd help you do whatever you decided to do."
"I remember Harry, and I thank you again. Now, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here in my room at this time of morning? Don't you Gryffindors ever sleep?"
"I came to offer you a chance to be in our traditional snowball fight we're having in a little while."
"Traditional?"
"Seamus came up with it this morning."
"Ah. I guess I have nothing better to do, since I don't particularly want to go back to sleep anytime soon, and pelting Seamus with snow seems like a good way to wake up."
"Come on then, get up and we'll go." Harry got off the bed and stood by the wardrobe, crossing his arms.
"You know, Harry, it's a good thing that I don't sleep in the nude or anything. With you storming in like that, who knows what you'd have seen," Draco said as he pulled a pair of jeans over his silver boxers. Harry laughed it off, thinking back to how he'd almost lost Colin to this boy who was now changing clothes in front of him. Damn. Not too shabby. Anyway. Draco finished dressing and they made their way back, Harry thinking how lucky he was after all. They returned to the Gryffindor common room to see Hermione sitting in a chair by the fire, reading a book.
"You do know, Hermione, that we are on vacation and you can put the books away for about three weeks, right?" Harry joked.
"Hey guys, good morning to you to, Harry. Since you asked, I'm trying to find something that is at a corner of my mind, but won't come out. It's been driving me crackers lately."
"You're going to join us right, Hermione?" Draco asked.
"Oh yeah, as soon as the rest of the monkeys get done with their pillow fight slash wrestling match upstairs." Harry and Draco grinned and started up that way, not sure if they'd break it up or join in. They walked through the door and saw a huge pile of bodies swinging pillows and sheets and robes every which way imaginable.
"Ready to go, everybody," Harry asked the pile. Various heads poked out from everywhere and answered him affirmatively.
"You know, Draco, there is an empty spot over there, since Dean left and all. You could stay here. I doubt that Dumbledore or McGonagall would have a problem with that."
"I just might. Why did Dean leave anyway?"
A voice boomed from the ceiling, scaring everyone into silence. "Dean left because I don't like him. He is a very boring person, and besides, Seamus looks better with Neville anyway."
"He's right, you know," Seamus said. "I do look better with him."
"Yes you do," energy's voice said, and then the voice disappeared as quickly as he appeared, wondering why the author decided to make another cameo. [[just for you, enoimreH, just for you]]
Everyone started getting ready, boots were strapped on, robes and cloaks put on, gloves located, and then everyone was out the door.
After nearly an hour, the group was almost completely worn out, not to mention frozen. Seamus made a handful of snowballs and then in his best Samuel L. Jackson impersonation said, " This party is over," and proceeded to hit every member of the opposing team [[gratuitous SW Episode 2 reference, sorry]]. The battle was over and it was decided that breakfast was in order.
After breakfast was finished everyone retired to the Gryffindor common room to shower and change, save Draco, who joined them a bit later. The group took up places in the common room, everyone spread out. Draco was sitting by the fire, looking at everyone. Harry and Colin walked over, Harry meaning to find out why he'd been so silent at breakfast.
"Draco, what's up? You've not said a word hardly since we were outside."
"I've been thinking about what I have to do, Harry."
"What have you decided then?" Colin asked.
"What I've decided might be very dangerous Harry, so if you want to back out, I'll understand."
"I made a promise, Draco, and I intend to keep it. So go on."
"Alright. Here we go. I want to sneak into the manor and find something to prove that my father is a Death Eater. I know that he is, and I just have to do it before he gets to me first."
"What do you mean gets to you first?" Colin asked the Slytherin.
"Colin, if I don't do this, I know that my father will kill me. He is that evil. He knows already about what I've done these last few weeks and he's very unhappy about that."
"Why don't you just have the Ministry look into it then?"
"They've been there before Colin, and found nothing. And besides, I don't want to stretch their resources any further than they already are."
"Then how are you two going to find anything?"
"They didn't find anything because they didn't know where to look."
"And I'm assuming you do, right Draco?" Harry said.
"Not exactly, but I have a good idea. Places I've never been allowed to go into before. Places like that."
"I guess that you're parents are out now, right?"
"Correct. They are in Bavaria at the moment, or at least my mother is. Visiting relatives for the holidays. My father is either with her, or out with the Death Eaters."
"When are we leaving, Draco?"
"Now? As soon as possible, I hope. The sooner we get this trip over with, the better. However this turns out, I doubt I'm going home again."
"Hermione, will you come over here for a minute please?" Harry called to her. She walked over and took the seat offered her by Draco.
"So what is going on?" Harry and Draco explained everything to her.
"When are you two leaving?"
"As soon as we gather our supplies, I suppose," Harry told her.
"Do be careful boys,"
"We'll be fine Hermione, just stick to our plan and everything will be fine on this end as well."
"Of course I will, Harry. Don't worry about this half, you two just get back as soon as you can. I guess you're flying, right?"
"We have to," Draco said, "My father has locked our fireplace out of the network somehow and there isn't really any other viable alternative."
"We should be getting ready now, Draco, if we plan to leave anytime soon."
"You're right."
"Harry, I want to come with you, please?" Colin was nearly crying.
"Colin, no, I need you to stay here. If you came with us I'd be too busy worrying about you to help Draco. And if something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Besides, someone's got to keep an eye on Hermione, right? Keep her out of trouble?"
"Okay, Harry, I'll stay. Just be careful. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you. I'll miss you." Colin broke into tears and buried his face in Harry's robes.
"Here, take this," he said, untying the stone necklace from around his neck.
"No Harry, I can't take that, it's yours."
"Exactly. I'll be back to get it in a few days at the most." Harry felt the stone's heat leave him as he took it off. He tied it around Colin's neck and tucked the stone beneath his shirt. The stone lit up like it hadn't in a while, causing all four of them to shield their eyes for a second until it settled down.
"I love you, Harry. So much."
"I know. And I love you too." Harry leaned down and kissed Colin on the forehead and gave him a lop-sided smile. "Alright, Draco, go get your stuff together, think warm things, and I'll go see Dobbie and get a few munchies for the trip. We'll meet back here in a little while." Draco nodded and headed out. Harry turned to Colin. "Will you do me a favor and pack me a few things?"
"Of course Harry. A few very warm things on the way. Go get your food," he said, wiping a rogue tear from his eye.
About fifteen minutes passes and the two returned at nearly the same time. Draco had somehow forgotten his broom when he was halfway there, and so had to retreat and get it. "Red Wings," Draco uttered and the door to the Gryffindor common room opened. Harry walked in about twenty seconds later. [[GO REDWINGS!! STOMP THE AVS!!]]
"Here you go Harry," Colin said as he handed Harry a pack of clothes and a few other things. Harry took the pack and stuffed another bag of food inside it.
"Thanks Colin." he hugged him again.
"Harry, I just thought of something, how are we going to get off the grounds? I'm sure we won't just be able to walk out the front door or anything." Draco said.
"I've got that covered," Harry said, leaving Draco to guess. Most of the remaining students were in the common room and were a little curious as to what was going on.
"Hey, Harry, what's the deal?" Seamus called out from the other side of the room.
"Hermione will explain everything a little later on, don't worry. Let's go Draco, we need to get as far as we can by nightfall." The two of them put their warm coats and cloaks on and gave Hermione a quick hug and a few reassurances and then Draco started for the door.
"Colin," Harry said, "We'll be back before you know it. Don't cry, please. It won't make this any easier."
"I'll be okay Harry, I really will. I've got to keep an eye on Hermione, remember." he grinned a small grin and Harry knew right then that he could never be without Colin ever again. Harry picked his broom up and headed to meet Draco. As the door closed behind him, Harry felt a sudden sense of foreboding.
"I felt it too, Harry. We need to go, now," Draco told him, reading his mind. "You said you knew a way out of here?"
"Yeah, a passage that Ron's brother's showed me a few years ago." They made their way to the passage and descended the steps into the darkness.
"Lumos" Harry called and light pierced the darkness.
"I've walked past that statue how many times now?" Draco asked.
"Tell me about it. There are so many passages that I doubt even Fred and George found them all." Eventually they came out in Hogsmeade and made their way to the outskirts of town, trying to stay out of sight and doing a good job of it. Once they'd reached the fields, they got on their brooms and flew off, putting Hogwarts behind them and flying into danger.
Meanwhile, back in the Gryffindor common room, the crowd had gathered around Hermione wanting to know exactly what was going on.
"Okay, I figure that they're off by now, so here goes," she said, looking at Seamus who'd been bugging the fire out of her since the two had left. "Harry and Draco are going to Malfoy Manor to try to find evidence about Draco's father being a Death Eater."
"We all know he's a Death Eater, Hermione," Neville told her.
"Yes, but they need proof to do anything about it. Rumors and chat are no good.
"So they are flying off to Malfoy manor and into who knows what?" Seamus asked, dumbfounded.
"Technically, yes."
"Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable," was all Seamus could say.
"I have a very bad feeling about this, everyone," Ron said, startling them all since he'd not spoken since breakfast. "Something wicked this way comes." [[where is that from??? I can't remember, but it did fit here so very well…]] Hermione settled in for the questions that were to follow and she wasn't disappointed.
Meanwhile, in the Astronomy Tower, another being felt the departure of the two.
"I do hope that you make it back in time for the festivities, Harry Potter. I'd hate for you to miss 'this'." Surtain's haunting laugh echoed the tower and he resumed his slumber until nightfall.
Wow. That was long. It would have been even longer, but MSWord decided to lock up again and delete about three pages, forcing me to retype them. Malfoy manor coming up, along with quite a few other things. Are you ready for the end?? Hope so.
energy
"This party is over" -- Mace Windu, Jedi Master
"You would think," Harry muttered to himself, " that with all the magic around here, they would find some way to not make it get so bloody cold at night." he pulled tighter and stuck his frozen feet in the slippers. He returned and tried to sneak back into bed.
"Harry, your feet are like ice! Don't touch me!" Colin had awoken and was trying to bat his feet away. Harry was grinning his evil little grin and reached a rather cold hand to the underside of Colin's chin.
"I'm warning you, Harry, touch me again while you're an icicle and you'll draw back a stump."
"But Colin, you're so warm and cuddly, I was hoping that you could help me thaw out," Harry said in his absolute saddest voice.
"Oh, Harry, fine. I'll help you out. Just next time remember not to drink so much before you go to bed then you won't have to get up before it gets tolerably warm."
"Good point, now come here," Harry said, pulling Colin closer. They had just snuggled up for a short winter's nap when they were awoken to an unmistakable Irish yell.
"It snowed!! Gerrup' Neville! It's time for a snowball fight!"
"Seamus, it is too early for a snowball fight. Besides, we could probably find some icicles in here and have a battle with them instead."
"No, a snowball fight it is. I'll get everybody else up while you get dressed."
"I'm not that slow, you know, Seamus."
"Sure. And the Pope's not catholic. Get ready." Neville just shook his head and pulled the sheets back up. Seamus on the other hand, was getting crazier by the second. He was rubbing his hands together, planning his next moves. He eeny-meeny-miney-moed Harry and Ron's bed and settled on Harry's first. He pulled the curtain back and jumped in.
"Wake up guys, it's time for a snowball fight." he landed squarely on Colin who groaned and rolled to the right, leaving Seamus directly in the middle. "Wow. I could definitely get used to this," he said, looking from Colin's face to Harry's.
"Sorry Seamus, but I won't share this toy with you. He's mine."
Seamus turned back to Colin and looked at him for a second, then pinched his cheek lightly. "I see why Harry. He is as cute as a button." Colin playfully slapped his hand away. "He's feisty too. I like that."
"What's this you said about a snowball fight, Seamus" Harry asked, a bit intrigued.
"It's tradition. First day of break and if it snows, you have a snowball fight."
"And how long has this been a tradition, Seamus?" Harry asked him, with an eyebrow raised.
"Well, if you want to get technical, I guess since I woke up about five minutes ago." Seamus looked over to his bed for a second and shouted, "I don't hear any movement over there, Mr. Longbottom."
"I'm getting up, just very slowly. The old battery needs a jumpstart on cold mornings." Neville replied.
"Here comes your jumpstart, Nev," Seamus said as he extricated himself from Harry's bed and launched himself back to his own in one swift movement. Colin and Harry watched as the sheets tussled and flew around.
"Snowball fight, Colin?"
"Sure Harry. You want to wake up Ron? Seamus and Neville might be busy for a little while."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Harry hopped out of his bed and went over to Ron's. "Hey Ron, you awake yet?" he asked.
"I don't see how I can't be, with Seamus yelling and flopping around and all. Are we having a pillow fight?"
"A snowball fight, actually. Interested?"
"Oh yeah. I can handle that." 'While I still feel good,' he thought the second part to himself. "I'll get up I a minute."
"I hope so. If you don't, Seamus might do one of his famous somersaults onto your sacred areas, and that surely isn't how I'd like to get up. I'll go get Draco. You just get up, quickly," Harry said as he looked at Seamus poke his head out of the blankets and smile an evil grin.
"Okay. I'll get up. You go fetch Draco." Harry got up and again wrapped himself in robes.
"I'll be back with Draco in a little while, everybody."
"Hurry back, Harry," Neville said, from under the blankets.
"Oh, and while I'm gone, someone get Hermione. If she's left out, she'll be mad all day."
"I'll get her, Harry, while I get my brother. Don't worry about it," Colin said as he started to climb out of the pile of blankets. Harry left the dorm room and proceeded down the hall.
It wasn't until he was almost there that he realized that he might have a problem. If the Slytherin password had been changed, Harry wouldn't be collecting Draco after all. "Well, I guess we just have to find out," he told the hallways. He reached the Slytherin door at a slow jog, trying to warm himself a bit in the chilly dungeons.
"Here we go, 'Gryffindors suck'," he told the picture.
"Aye, you know the password, but why are you dressed in the colors of the enemy?" the picture challenged.
"Undercover work," he answered and the door swung over. As he stepped in, memories of the only other time he'd been here flooded back in. He saw Colin and Draco together, remembered the horrible feeling of rejection and how he'd started to leave before Colin came to him. He brushed those thoughts away and continued on.
"Let's see, the bedrooms are?" Harry asked himself as he finally found the way. First year, second year, he walked down steps until he came to fifth year dorms. He pushed the door open and walked in. Harry looked for the most immaculately kept area and knew that it would be Draco's. Aha. He heard noise coming from the bed and was even more positive he was right.
"No! No father! You can't!" Draco yelled in his sleep. Harry hurried to his side and was just about to shake him awake when Draco sat up with one loud and bone-chilling scream. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Harry grabbed him by the shoulders and was trying to get him to come around. Draco's eyes snapped into focus and looked directly at Harry like a deer into headlights.
"Harry!" Draco squeaked out and fell into him, his body losing its stiffness.
"Draco, it's alright, whatever it was, it was a dream. You're awake now. It can't hurt you." Draco regained his composure and sat back up.
"Oh Harry, you don't know how wrong you are. It was my father in my dream, and he very well can hurt me. I have a feeling that he is going to do so in the very near future."
"Nonsense, Draco, he'd have to get through Dumbledore first-"
"He isn't here, Harry, remember?"
"Well, McGonagall then."
"I mean her no disrespect, but I doubt my father would have a problem with her. He is so evil, Harry, you can't begin to understand."
"I don't know what to tell you about that Draco, but remember I told you that I'd help you do whatever you decided to do."
"I remember Harry, and I thank you again. Now, if you don't mind me asking, why are you here in my room at this time of morning? Don't you Gryffindors ever sleep?"
"I came to offer you a chance to be in our traditional snowball fight we're having in a little while."
"Traditional?"
"Seamus came up with it this morning."
"Ah. I guess I have nothing better to do, since I don't particularly want to go back to sleep anytime soon, and pelting Seamus with snow seems like a good way to wake up."
"Come on then, get up and we'll go." Harry got off the bed and stood by the wardrobe, crossing his arms.
"You know, Harry, it's a good thing that I don't sleep in the nude or anything. With you storming in like that, who knows what you'd have seen," Draco said as he pulled a pair of jeans over his silver boxers. Harry laughed it off, thinking back to how he'd almost lost Colin to this boy who was now changing clothes in front of him. Damn. Not too shabby. Anyway. Draco finished dressing and they made their way back, Harry thinking how lucky he was after all. They returned to the Gryffindor common room to see Hermione sitting in a chair by the fire, reading a book.
"You do know, Hermione, that we are on vacation and you can put the books away for about three weeks, right?" Harry joked.
"Hey guys, good morning to you to, Harry. Since you asked, I'm trying to find something that is at a corner of my mind, but won't come out. It's been driving me crackers lately."
"You're going to join us right, Hermione?" Draco asked.
"Oh yeah, as soon as the rest of the monkeys get done with their pillow fight slash wrestling match upstairs." Harry and Draco grinned and started up that way, not sure if they'd break it up or join in. They walked through the door and saw a huge pile of bodies swinging pillows and sheets and robes every which way imaginable.
"Ready to go, everybody," Harry asked the pile. Various heads poked out from everywhere and answered him affirmatively.
"You know, Draco, there is an empty spot over there, since Dean left and all. You could stay here. I doubt that Dumbledore or McGonagall would have a problem with that."
"I just might. Why did Dean leave anyway?"
A voice boomed from the ceiling, scaring everyone into silence. "Dean left because I don't like him. He is a very boring person, and besides, Seamus looks better with Neville anyway."
"He's right, you know," Seamus said. "I do look better with him."
"Yes you do," energy's voice said, and then the voice disappeared as quickly as he appeared, wondering why the author decided to make another cameo. [[just for you, enoimreH, just for you]]
Everyone started getting ready, boots were strapped on, robes and cloaks put on, gloves located, and then everyone was out the door.
After nearly an hour, the group was almost completely worn out, not to mention frozen. Seamus made a handful of snowballs and then in his best Samuel L. Jackson impersonation said, " This party is over," and proceeded to hit every member of the opposing team [[gratuitous SW Episode 2 reference, sorry]]. The battle was over and it was decided that breakfast was in order.
After breakfast was finished everyone retired to the Gryffindor common room to shower and change, save Draco, who joined them a bit later. The group took up places in the common room, everyone spread out. Draco was sitting by the fire, looking at everyone. Harry and Colin walked over, Harry meaning to find out why he'd been so silent at breakfast.
"Draco, what's up? You've not said a word hardly since we were outside."
"I've been thinking about what I have to do, Harry."
"What have you decided then?" Colin asked.
"What I've decided might be very dangerous Harry, so if you want to back out, I'll understand."
"I made a promise, Draco, and I intend to keep it. So go on."
"Alright. Here we go. I want to sneak into the manor and find something to prove that my father is a Death Eater. I know that he is, and I just have to do it before he gets to me first."
"What do you mean gets to you first?" Colin asked the Slytherin.
"Colin, if I don't do this, I know that my father will kill me. He is that evil. He knows already about what I've done these last few weeks and he's very unhappy about that."
"Why don't you just have the Ministry look into it then?"
"They've been there before Colin, and found nothing. And besides, I don't want to stretch their resources any further than they already are."
"Then how are you two going to find anything?"
"They didn't find anything because they didn't know where to look."
"And I'm assuming you do, right Draco?" Harry said.
"Not exactly, but I have a good idea. Places I've never been allowed to go into before. Places like that."
"I guess that you're parents are out now, right?"
"Correct. They are in Bavaria at the moment, or at least my mother is. Visiting relatives for the holidays. My father is either with her, or out with the Death Eaters."
"When are we leaving, Draco?"
"Now? As soon as possible, I hope. The sooner we get this trip over with, the better. However this turns out, I doubt I'm going home again."
"Hermione, will you come over here for a minute please?" Harry called to her. She walked over and took the seat offered her by Draco.
"So what is going on?" Harry and Draco explained everything to her.
"When are you two leaving?"
"As soon as we gather our supplies, I suppose," Harry told her.
"Do be careful boys,"
"We'll be fine Hermione, just stick to our plan and everything will be fine on this end as well."
"Of course I will, Harry. Don't worry about this half, you two just get back as soon as you can. I guess you're flying, right?"
"We have to," Draco said, "My father has locked our fireplace out of the network somehow and there isn't really any other viable alternative."
"We should be getting ready now, Draco, if we plan to leave anytime soon."
"You're right."
"Harry, I want to come with you, please?" Colin was nearly crying.
"Colin, no, I need you to stay here. If you came with us I'd be too busy worrying about you to help Draco. And if something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Besides, someone's got to keep an eye on Hermione, right? Keep her out of trouble?"
"Okay, Harry, I'll stay. Just be careful. I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to you. I'll miss you." Colin broke into tears and buried his face in Harry's robes.
"Here, take this," he said, untying the stone necklace from around his neck.
"No Harry, I can't take that, it's yours."
"Exactly. I'll be back to get it in a few days at the most." Harry felt the stone's heat leave him as he took it off. He tied it around Colin's neck and tucked the stone beneath his shirt. The stone lit up like it hadn't in a while, causing all four of them to shield their eyes for a second until it settled down.
"I love you, Harry. So much."
"I know. And I love you too." Harry leaned down and kissed Colin on the forehead and gave him a lop-sided smile. "Alright, Draco, go get your stuff together, think warm things, and I'll go see Dobbie and get a few munchies for the trip. We'll meet back here in a little while." Draco nodded and headed out. Harry turned to Colin. "Will you do me a favor and pack me a few things?"
"Of course Harry. A few very warm things on the way. Go get your food," he said, wiping a rogue tear from his eye.
About fifteen minutes passes and the two returned at nearly the same time. Draco had somehow forgotten his broom when he was halfway there, and so had to retreat and get it. "Red Wings," Draco uttered and the door to the Gryffindor common room opened. Harry walked in about twenty seconds later. [[GO REDWINGS!! STOMP THE AVS!!]]
"Here you go Harry," Colin said as he handed Harry a pack of clothes and a few other things. Harry took the pack and stuffed another bag of food inside it.
"Thanks Colin." he hugged him again.
"Harry, I just thought of something, how are we going to get off the grounds? I'm sure we won't just be able to walk out the front door or anything." Draco said.
"I've got that covered," Harry said, leaving Draco to guess. Most of the remaining students were in the common room and were a little curious as to what was going on.
"Hey, Harry, what's the deal?" Seamus called out from the other side of the room.
"Hermione will explain everything a little later on, don't worry. Let's go Draco, we need to get as far as we can by nightfall." The two of them put their warm coats and cloaks on and gave Hermione a quick hug and a few reassurances and then Draco started for the door.
"Colin," Harry said, "We'll be back before you know it. Don't cry, please. It won't make this any easier."
"I'll be okay Harry, I really will. I've got to keep an eye on Hermione, remember." he grinned a small grin and Harry knew right then that he could never be without Colin ever again. Harry picked his broom up and headed to meet Draco. As the door closed behind him, Harry felt a sudden sense of foreboding.
"I felt it too, Harry. We need to go, now," Draco told him, reading his mind. "You said you knew a way out of here?"
"Yeah, a passage that Ron's brother's showed me a few years ago." They made their way to the passage and descended the steps into the darkness.
"Lumos" Harry called and light pierced the darkness.
"I've walked past that statue how many times now?" Draco asked.
"Tell me about it. There are so many passages that I doubt even Fred and George found them all." Eventually they came out in Hogsmeade and made their way to the outskirts of town, trying to stay out of sight and doing a good job of it. Once they'd reached the fields, they got on their brooms and flew off, putting Hogwarts behind them and flying into danger.
Meanwhile, back in the Gryffindor common room, the crowd had gathered around Hermione wanting to know exactly what was going on.
"Okay, I figure that they're off by now, so here goes," she said, looking at Seamus who'd been bugging the fire out of her since the two had left. "Harry and Draco are going to Malfoy Manor to try to find evidence about Draco's father being a Death Eater."
"We all know he's a Death Eater, Hermione," Neville told her.
"Yes, but they need proof to do anything about it. Rumors and chat are no good.
"So they are flying off to Malfoy manor and into who knows what?" Seamus asked, dumbfounded.
"Technically, yes."
"Unbelievable. Completely unbelievable," was all Seamus could say.
"I have a very bad feeling about this, everyone," Ron said, startling them all since he'd not spoken since breakfast. "Something wicked this way comes." [[where is that from??? I can't remember, but it did fit here so very well…]] Hermione settled in for the questions that were to follow and she wasn't disappointed.
Meanwhile, in the Astronomy Tower, another being felt the departure of the two.
"I do hope that you make it back in time for the festivities, Harry Potter. I'd hate for you to miss 'this'." Surtain's haunting laugh echoed the tower and he resumed his slumber until nightfall.
Wow. That was long. It would have been even longer, but MSWord decided to lock up again and delete about three pages, forcing me to retype them. Malfoy manor coming up, along with quite a few other things. Are you ready for the end?? Hope so.
energy
"This party is over" -- Mace Windu, Jedi Master