---
They say that Time assuages.
Time never did assuage.
An actual suffering strengthens,
As sinews do, with age.
Time is a test of trouble
But not a remedy.
If such it prove, it prove too
There was no malady.
|They say- Emily Dickinson|
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Part 8- Rescue and Betrayal
Hagrid's Hut, one and a half months ago...
"This is freaky, guys..." Ron said, shivering. He hadn't experienced the queer feeling of temporal dislocation before.
"Come on, I'll bet Hagrid will be back soon." Hermione said, practically. "Does anyone remember the things they did that day- today?" Nobody nodded.
"We'd better sneak out and hope nobody spots us." Harry said, uncomfortably. He still remembered the near go he'd had before with the Time-Turners.
"I'll show you all a way, we'll never get caught." Draco drawled, easily. He opened the door, glanced around and confidently strutted to the edge of the property.
"We'll just have to trust him on this one." Harry said.
"Uh huh." Ron looked skeptical, but followed Draco anyway.
Draco crouched down as he passed a stretch in the view of the castle, straightened and then ran to a copse of nearby trees. He motioned for the others to follow.
Harry reached there first. "What's the plan?"
"I know you have an Invisibility Cloak, P-Harry. Use it. The rest of us will manage with some Invisibility Charms. We can use our brooms. Does Padma have a broom?"
"A SilverStar 890. And I can ride decently enough." Padma cut in. "They're in our backpacks, Dumbledore shrunk them."
"Right, Padma, you take Ron, I'll take Mia and Harry, you're in front." Draco said quickly.
"Which messiah declared you God?" Ron burst out. Draco cast him a glance.
"He's right, though. Whoever has a plan says it. And we'll never be any good if we keep bickering." Harry interjected.
"Fine, a truce then, till this is over." Draco said, his eyes glinting oddly.
Ron stretched out his hand and accepted the deal suspiciously. Hermione gave a loud exasperated sigh.
"That's it! Visionilian, Visionilian, Visionilian, Visionilian!" She cried, tapping Draco, Ron, Padma and herself with her wand.
Immediately, their outlines began to fade and they became hazy. In one flowing movement, their bodies became completely invisible. Harry slipped his mercurial cloak over his head.
"Let's ride!" He yelled and jumped onto his Firebolt Extra.
"Quidditch mad." Hermione muttered.
The Dementors March, a clearing...
Narcissa awoke with a start. She was disoriented for a second but reality reasserted itself with a jolt. She was lying on the dirt floor of a clearing. Her dreams hadn't been pleasant, but then not much had. Scenes kept flashing before her eyes.
Voldemort coming for her, saying goodbye to Sirius, marrying Lucius Malfoy...there was too much grief in her life to be counteracted by joy. She wished she was dead. Better quick than slowly, like they were doing to her.
Sirius was captive with her. She didn't know what he was doing there. She did, however, have a strong suspicion Voldemort was involved. Sirius was in bad shape, he was pale and feverish. He kept moaning about how he was innocent, muttering about James and Lily, swearing about Pettigrew. He believed he was back in Azkaban.
Sirius didn't even know she was there. The Dementors didn't try to administer the Kiss, thought. Voldemort had probably ordered them not to. Narcissa brushed off her Chanel suit. She had been wearing everyday Muggle clothes when the Dementors had just walked into the living room and taken her.
Lucius had obviously given them the Disarmament Charms, the keys to the locks and ordered the servants not to help. There was a small army of serfs at the manor, yet none of them had aided her. They had heard her screams but not heeded them. All except Darius. He had come to her as the were taking her out. He had murmured an apology and handed her a bar of chocolate.
Hah.
Narcissa LaSeule, sleeping on a dirt floor. The people at Hogwarts would have laughed at that. Sirius told her that James Potter had called her "the Princess of Snobbania". She had been called many other things, "Madame Princess", "Frost Queen" ...they were endless. In fact, Lucius Malfoy was the only person who ever called her Narcissa.
Stupid, self-absorbed name anyway.
Narcissa could remember glancing at Malfoy Manor as she was taken away. She felt a chill down her spine that signalled the onset of a Vision. A single tear had run down her face.
That was when Narcissa knew that she would never see Malfoy Manor again.
~*~*~
The Dementors March, by the fire...
The Dementors huddled around the prone figure of Sirius Black. He was tossing and moaning softly on the floor.
"No- no, Lupin, I didn't- Dumbledore..." He coughed and turned over.
The Dementor closest to him lowered his hood carefully. The great, gaping gash of a mouth was now in it's face and not on it's head. It opened the mouth and drew in a raspy, rattling breath.
"We should take his soul now." It said, in a gravelly, machine-like voice.
"You were always too impatient, Reil." Another said. He seemed to be taller and spoke with more superiority. "Slytherin's heir bids us wait."
"We owe nothing to him. Our allegiance is to the Sorceror." Reil replied.
"We have other matters to attend, leave the prisoner." The Dementors silently faded away.
Sirius Black moaned and opened his eyes. The desperate thoughts of a minute before had become more bearable now the Dementors were further away.
He lifted himself onto his knees and looked around. From the looks of it they were still in Scotland. Sirius glanced around quickly but suddenly stopped. A pale figure sat huddled up beneath a nearby tree.
"Who-who's that?" Sirius called uncertainly. His weak cry travelled clearly across the crisp Scottish air. The figure shifted and crawled closer to the fire.
"You don't recognise me, Sirius?" Sirius Black moved back in disbelief.
"No- it can't be-" He whispered. "Narce?"
"Hello Sirius." She said, sadness weighing down her tones.
"My God, it's really you, Narce...you've- you've changed." He offered.
"How?"
"Well, you're hair- you had dirty blonde hair. It's platinum now- and you're much paler. Much thinner, too." Narcissa ran a hand down her concave stomach.
She could feel her ribs even through her day suit. It was true, she had lost too much weight. "I was rather chubby before, wasn't I?"
"I prefer voluptuous." Sirius pronounced, a ghost of a twinkle in his eye. He suddenly went rigid. "How is your husband, Narcissa?"
"Lucius is fine." She said, in clipped tones.
"Oh."
"I missed you, Padfoot." She said, suddenly. "A lot."
"I- missed you too." Sirius looked down. "Narcissa, I want to know- why-"
Sirius suddenly stopped and held his head, groaning pitifully. The Dementors had returned. Soundlessly, they forced them to their feet. Sirius had to be supported. Narcissa was not quite as bad.
They marched on.
---
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The group's course, Midsouthern Scotland...
"We're not far now-..." Harry was interrupted by Padma's yell.
"Do you see that? Someone's signalling us!" She pointed to red sparks lifting above the dense woods. "Should we stop?"
Harry looked to Draco, their eyes met in a moment of mutual understanding. They both spoke the language of leadership. "I'll go down, Mia, you okay with that?"
Hermione opened her tightly closed eyes. "Any-anything to get down." She said, looking rather green. "I'm feeling a bit off colour."
Draco sighed. "Muggle vestiges!" He muttered mutinously. "I'll send out green sparks if it's okay and yellow if I'm in trouble." Without waiting for a reply he banked sharply.
The air whistled around Hermione's ears as they speeded to the ground. Draco pulled up a few inches before they hit the floor. They stopped with a rattling jar.
"Damn!" Draco hissed. "I don't see why I couldn't bring Alyewn."
"Oh yes, we'd sneak up on them with a great, glittery dragon now wouldn't we? The newest thing in stealth!" Hermione snapped. "Besides-"
"Shut up! Someone's around here." Hermione gave a little gasp and covered her mouth.
"Sorry." She muttered.
"Lumos!" Draco whispered, and cast light with his staff. He had found out the staff could replace his wand perfectly. "Apperatio Persona."
His staff suddenly jerked to the right and illuminated a figure in the shadow. He smiled and stepped forward.
"Hello Hermione, Mr. Malfoy." Remus Lupin said.
"Remus!" Hermione exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Dumbledore sent me. He said that the Dementors- that they got Sirius." Lupin's face clouded.
"And my mother." Lupin jerked.
"Eh? Narce and Sirius together?" He seemed agitated. "But why? It can't be-.." His voice died away and he continued muttering to himself. How do they know my mother? Draco wondered.
"Um, Remus?" Hermione asked cautiously. "Are you coming with us?"
"I should like to. I have my own broom. It's not a FireBolt extra." Lupin grasped a compact family broom in his right hand.
"The Nexus 1500 is a good family broom. We forgot about that. We'll need it to take Mum and Sirius back." Draco's words were confident but was belayed by his tone.
"We'll get them back, don't worry." Lupin smiled comfortingly but stopped as Draco looked disgusted at the gesture. "Ahem, oh- is it all right if I bring along my step-niece?"
Lupin gestured behind him and Fleur Delacour stepped out.
"'Ermiohnay! 'Ow are you?" She asked, in her queer French accent with tinges of American.
"I'm fine, Fleur, thanks." Hermione and Fleur had never gotten along well. Fleur was just too popular, athletic, beautiful and charming.
She was at the opposite end of the social scale. Exactly like Draco. Exactly unlike her
"Bonjour, Fleu." He said, shortening her name and speaking with ease.
"Draco, mon ami, ça va?"
"Bien. Tu connais Remus Lupin?"
"Mais oui! Je n'ai pas toi-vu à la promenade-" She stopped as Draco discreetly indicated Hermione and Lupin. "Oh, am sorry! It is just so nice to speak my language. I didn't see you at ze dance before?"
"I was dancing with Hermione, Fleu. How come you and your parents never come to Malfoy Manor any more?" Hermione's lip twitched.
"Zey are busy, but maybe I come after zis War, eh? First, we must rescue your mother."
"Yes, we must rescue her."
"And Sirius." Hermione added.
"And Sirius." Draco affirmed.
---
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Above the woods, Harry, Ron and Padma...
"Why are they taking so long?" Harry seemed agitated.
"Chill out, will you?" Ron said, equally upset. Harry glanced at him a second.
"Where did you pick up American sla- look!" Large green sparks were shooting into the air. They flickered for a second and then burst into tinier green flecks. Draco was obviously trying to impress them.
"Wow." Padma said. "Well, we'd better go down. Who could it be?"
Harry looked thoughtful. He led the three of them down into the woods. As they got closer, the faces of the figures waving to them became more visible.
"Remus and- by Gryffindor, it's Fleur!" Harry exclaimed. He touched down softly.
"Hello Harry!"
"Remus!" Harry beamed as Lupin thumped his back. "What are you-"
"We got through that already, P-Harry. Come on, we have to keep moving." Draco jumped onto his broom.
"Fleur, so nice to see you!" Ron said enthusiastically. Padma smiled, but the warmth never reached her eyes.
"You too, Ron." A few seconds passed. "Allo, 'Arry." Fleur said, a trifle surprised.
"Oh, um, hey Fleur." He said, distractedly.
"Listen up, Fleur you're with Harry on the FireBolt, Professor Lupin-"
"Remus."
"Remus, then, just follow us. Let's move." Draco patted the back of his broom indicating Hermione to climb on. She suppressed a shudder and adjusted her robes.
Fleur poised herself delicately on the broom and shook out her cornflower blue robes. She threw her hair back nonchalantly and her earrings jangled. She placed a delicate arm around Harry's chest.
They took off. Harry led the odd formation with Draco and Padma following. Lupin trailed slightly behind. Fleur tightened her clutch on Harry's robes as Hermione swallowed nervously. Fleur cleared her throat but spoke softly.
"'Arry?"
"Yes, Fleur?" He replied, turning slightly.
"'Arry- you-..." She seemed slightly agitated. "You do not find me attractive?"
Harry almost fell off his broom. "Eh? Fleur, I'm not off my knockers, of course I find you, um, attractive."
Fleur smiled and sighed, then her face fell. "But you do not act in zis way! Always you are bored when I come. Nobody 'as done zis to me."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise..." Harry blushed severely.
"Zat is okay. I like you, 'Arry, you are always honest wiz me." She planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
Harry's ears turned red. He glanced around but no-one seemed to have noticed except Remus, who was grinning madly. Without warning, Fleur burst into wrenching sobs.
"Fleur? Fleur, what's wrong?" Harry was unnerved, his back was getting wet with the salty tears.
"Oh, 'Arry, I broke up wiz Damien! I still cannot believe zis!" She started to cry even more pitifully.
"But- why?"
"He is like ze rest of zem, zey only care for my looks. It ees a curse. He nevair listens to me. All ze boys I 'ave gone out wiz are ze same. All like him, all like zat idiot Quidditch Captain at Hogwarts zat took me to ze dance. What was 'is name?"
"Roger Davies." Harry said quietly.
"Yes! All like him. Zey do not care about anything else...zey are too struck wiz ze way I look." Her accent had gotten steadily worse. "All, 'Arry Pottair, all except you."
~*~*~
The Dementors March...
The Dementors walked in silence. They had grasped Sirius with their cold hands and were dragging him across the woody floor. The Dementor named Reil glanced at Narcissa. She still held her head up and her back stiff. Her face was dirt streaked and there was dust in her hair, but she still looked regal.
"We are sorry we must do this to those with Veela blood." He said. Narcissa started. "We have been brethren for long."
"You are related to the Veela?"
"The Veela, the Dementors, Banshees and Vampires are of the same breed. We are creatures of old."
Narcissa tried not to look disgusted. She recoiled into herself and her eyes became glassy. She suddenly snapped back to life.
"Sorry to do what?" Reil covered his head with his hood and then slowly lowered the cloth.
The rotting, scab-ridden head was once again visible. The crimson gash had grown blackish-green sharp teeth. The lips opened, revealing a void. Narcissa let out a soft gasp of shock.
"No..." She whispered, moving back and hitting another Dementor. Before she could move, they had pinned her arms and formed a tight circle.
"Reil, what are you doing? The Dark Lord will not be pleased. He told us to wait till he had spoken with her and then kill her!"
"We must have fresh souls to harvest. The Dark Lord promised us..." Reil replied, drawing closer. His putrid mouth had almost brushed hers...
"Stop!" Commanded the elder Dementor. "I sense minds close by..."
"Damn right you do!" Harry Potter said, coming out of the bushes. They formed a 'V' behind him.
Harry lifted his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" He cried. Prongs rose to life. The buck galloped right into the middle of the Dementors huddle.
They cowed back in terror, but held fast in the centre. Reil had almost started to suck out Narcissa's soul. Prongs whinnied and tried to butt it's way in, but in a puff of frustrated smoke, melted away.
"You have to do it with me. Concentrate on a happy thought, we have to stop them!" Harry yelled.
"Ex- expecto patronum!" Hermione cried uncertainly. A misty form appeared, human-like in form. She was draped in a toga, carried a book in one hand and a sword in the other. "Oh my God, that's Athena, the Goddess of learning!"
Athena strode forward slashing her dissipating sword as Harry's buck, which reappeared, fought beside her.
Behind them, Narcissa's body jerked.
"Expecto Patronum." Padma said, with a hint of impatience. A clear, beautiful Raven appeared and started to drive the Dementors back.
All of a sudden, the Dementors rose as one. With a mighty effort, they tightened the circle. As they completed this maneuvre, Harry saw at least three Dementors crumble to dust under the wings, hooves and sword of their Patroni. The force was too strong, and with a last effort, all three vanished into air.
Draco heard his mother give a sudden gasp from behind the living wall. ..the gift those traitorous Dementors stole from me... He heard a voice say in his head. Without thinking, he strode up to the menacing huddle.
Harry was now on his knees, mumbling about his parents and the others looked scared. Draco couldn't understand why he was unaffected. He certainly was affected before, when Sirius Black had escaped and the Dementors fleeted like shadows around the school. But then many things were different then, too many things.
"Release her." He said. His voice was clear and unwavering. The Dementor lowered it's hood. For a second it seemed in indecision.
Draco glared at the sightless head with all his power. The Dementor shrunk back and bowed down. There was no sign of knees, but the rim of the Dementor's robe merely crinkled up.
"We pay allegiance to the Sorceror's heir, for he was chosen by our Lord." Draco swallowed. Behind the bowing Dementor the others, too, followed suit.
Reil, who was holding Narcissa, remained upright till Draco came. He released her body and bowed his head.
"Forgive me, my Lord." Draco did not reply. He held Narcissa's limp body in his arms.
"Mum?" He whispered. "Mum, please...no- please, mum..." He lifted her into his arms and carried her to where the others stood. He placed her gently on the ground. Her eyes remained closed.
"Draco-..." She said, suddenly, her eyes sealed shut. "My Draco- Padfoot, help- Padfoot." She clutched his robes and then released them, her lucidity gone.
"Padfoot." Draco said to himself. He had heard the story from Hermione, of course, his father had told him Black was innocent. He just never knew his mother knew him. Draco turned to the Dementors. "Release Sirius Black."
The Dementors thrust a dishevelled Sirius to the front. He collapsed and kept moaning incoherently.
"Voldemort sent you." Reil stepped forward and nodded in assent. "But I am your master's heir, I command you now."
"Yes, my Lord." Reil said.
"Good, I will need you." Draco stopped and swallowed. "I need you for my army. But for now you will cease to plague us. Wait in the woods, I do not require you here." The Dementors turned and silently glided away.
"Draco- how-..?" Harry began to ask.
"Not now. Mum, are you-...?" Draco took her hand into his as Harry, Ron and Padma helped Sirius. Hermione placed a hand on Draco's shoulder.
"Her soul is- partly gone...she will have moments of lucidity, but otherwise..." She squeezed his shoulder.
"Why doesn't she open her eyes?"
"It's one of the first things Dementors do. They take away the sight. The eyes are the windows of the soul."
"Mum, please?" Draco tugged at his hair as his mother's head lolled to the front.
"Draco..." She said, suddenly smiling.
"Mum, I want you to meet Hermione Granger." He said, formally. "I love her."
Narcissa groped for Hermione and touched her cheek. "I trust you, Draco." She stopped. "I- I'm sorry- I told Lucius...I meant-...for your own good. I am sorry." She gasped and clutched Draco's hand again. "Tell Celeste- her father...Celeste-" Narcissa's face contorted again and her grip loosened.
"She's not dead. I don't care. As long as she's not dead." Draco said. Hermione put her arms around Draco's shoulders.
"As long as you love her." She said softly. "She'll always be alive."
"She's my mother, bloody hell! Voldemort is going to pay dearly for this." He said, savagely. Hermione went cold, but hugged him tighter.
"I'll love you no matter what you do, Draco Malfoy. I love you." She said.
Draco glanced at her, gratitude and hope in his eyes. "Thank you Hermione. You don't know what that means to me."
And he kissed her.
---
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The Dementors circle nearby...
"I did not know the Sorceror chose an heir." The elder Dementor said.
"Could you not feel it? T'was the same with Slytherin. Better to follow Sorceror Valwracen than Voldemort." Reil replied.
"He is but a boy."
"The Sorceror chose him. How else could we know his name? It was whispered to us aeons ago."
The air in front of the Dementors started to shimmer slightly. A figure appeared, draped in ebony raiments.
"Where are the prisoners?" Lord Voldemort asked softly.
"They have been released on command of Sorceror Valwracen." Reil replied boldly.
Voldemort's hood fell back. His eyebrow twitched. "Sorceror Valwracen? I am not aware of such a being."
"Sorceror Draco Argentus Valwracen Malfoy, heir of the Sorceror." Reil said.
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "Draco Malfoy..." He hissed.
"That's my name, don't wear it out." Draco said, calmly. He had faced the Sorceror, Voldemort was a mere drop in the miry puddle.
"The Malfoy Dragon is not such a weakling after all. Who are you to contest my right?"
"I am the Sorcerors heir." He felt a jolt of electricity as he said the words. "You are but his heir's heir."
"Then I challenge you to a wizard's duel." Draco laughed.
"There is no need, Tom. We will draw in battle. Besides, I think my friend here would like the honour of shedding your vile blood." Harry stepped out from behind Draco.
This time Voldemort laughed. "The Sorceror's heir and Gryffindor's fight together. Truly a battle to experience."
"You will, Tom. Very vividly." Draco hissed as Voldemort disappeared in a swirl of dust.
---
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A quiet London alleyway...
Draco tapped the thirteenth brick from the left with his staff. Noiselessly, it slid out, displaying a spell-lock pad. Draco disarmed it in a few seconds. For almost a minute, nothing happened, then the wall of the alley moved apart like well oiled machinery. Inside was a glistening silver wall.
An ornate Dragon was set in large emerald stones, breathing onyx-studded fire. Above the Dragon, burnished silver cursive writing proclaimed 'Malfoy Manor'.
"Draco Argentus Valwracen Malfoy bids you let us in." Draco said. The Jewels glittered and Draco placed a hand on the wall, indicating the others to do so as well. They felt the familiar tug at the navel as they were pulled in by the lavishly expensive Portkey.
Hermione gasped. There was huge wrought silver arch and tall fence running the length of the property. The huge, turreted manor rose like a shadow over the cliff. The sea could be heard pounding relentlessly against the jagged rock face. An hissing silver snake spouted dark green water which sparkled.
Behind the house, a great netted structure could be seen, and the hissing of snakes heard. To the right a large pit of fire burned- green fire- like everything else. Draco started to disarm the eighteen curses on his frontal arch.
Harry glanced again at Sirius. His face once again had the gaunt, hunted look of Azkaban. He was cradling Narcissa in his sinewy arms. The gates creaked and swung harshly open.
"Quick, we only have ten seconds!" He dashed through as the others followed. Harry took Fleur's hand as they ran across. A hole opened in the right arch and a sharp blade whistled through the air, barely missing Ron.
"Your family doesn't kid about it's privacy policy, does it?" Harry gasped.
"It is taken very seriously." Draco replied, with such a straight face that Harry almost missed the twinkle in his eye.
Draco strode up to the door and rung the bell. In a second, his servant answered. "Master Malfoy, is Lady Narcissa with you?" He seemed agitated.
"Yes, Darius, let us in quickly."
"I am sorry for letting the Dementors take her, Master Malfoy."
"Good- now quickly Darius, let us in." Sirius glanced at the house.
"So this is where Narce lived after that-" He stopped mid-murmur. Lupin's glance was comforting, but had an odd quality to it. The glance of a conspirator. Darius opened the other entrance and they all walked in.
The green lamps lit automatically as they entered. Draco turned and faced the troupe, his back erect and his face thrown back- every inch an aristocrat.
"Welcome to Malfoy Manor."
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