Chapter Nine ~ Remus's Reaction
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Everyone I love is in there…….please, god, don't let anything happen to them…..
Everyone smiled at Harry's fervent thought and some, like Hermione, had a few tears in their eyes.
It's so quiet…eerily quiet….I'd better make myself invisible…..thank you Dumbledore for that handy little skill….
Dumbledore smiled as everyone looked over at him in surprise.
"I wish I could make myself invisible," Ron said enviously.
When this is all over, I'm going to teach you how to do that Ron…Fred and George won't know what hit them….
"Thanks Harry," Ron grinned, even though he knew Harry couldn't hear him. Hermione smiled at Ron and took his hand in hers.
Here I go……
"He must be entering the Great Hall," Sirius said with great concern for his godson. Remus walked over to stand next to Sirius and quietly took Sirius' hand in his own. Sirius looked around in surprise as Remus smiled at him supportively. No one else had noticed the exchange, as they were too busy listening to Harry's thoughts.
No one's here….unless they are invisible too……
Draco started pacing around the room. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time to be able to hear Harry's thoughts. Wonderful because he knew Harry was still alive but terrible because Draco knew Harry was walking straight into danger and he was alone. Now he knew what the phrase 'exquisite torture' meant.
Oh fuck he's here…..sorry…..he's glaring around the room….I think we've spoilt his grand entrance because there's no one here to see it…
Everyone gasped as they heard that Voldemort had arrived, obviously expecting the traditional Halloween feast to be taking place at that very moment. And it was, just not in the Great Hall. Hermione smiled as she heard Harry's apology for swearing, even as tense as he was, he had automatically apologised for swearing when he knew she could hear.
Don't count on it bastard…..
"What?" Draco demanded at the ceiling, where it sounded like Harry's thoughts came from. "What is going on?" Damn it, this is harder than I thought, Draco thought. I hate the thought of him facing Voldemort on his own.
He has something I want….what could it be?….and he says I have something he wants…..my life?……he wants to make a deal……this is strange….
The room grew silent as everyone pondered what Voldemort might have that Harry would want. Don't give him your life, Harry, I can't live without you, Draco thought desperately. Fight, do what you do best – duel, he tried to project his thoughts to Harry.
He wants me to show myself then he will tell me what he wants…..
They all waited with nervous anticipation to hear what on earth this deal could be.
He wants Draco, Narcissa and Lucius……never……I would rather die than give you Draco…..Draco looked startled, then incredibly angry.
"You are not going to die on me, Harry. I-" He was interrupted as Harry's thoughts kept flooding in at them all.
Something I've wanted all my life but never had………a family? But that's not possible, they're dead, so what could it be?……..
Draco shot a confused glance at Dumbledore and was surprised to see him look just as puzzled. It had become obvious to everyone over the last few weeks that Harry had everything he had ever wanted – except his parents. But there was no way……was there?
Wormtail, that bastard…Sirius and Remus tensed as they heard their former best friends name spat out by Harry. If they could find some way to catch him while he was here, then they could clear Sirius' name and he wouldn't have to be a fugitive any more. They both looked pleadingly at Dumbledore, who held up a hand, signalling them to wait a bit longer.
Mum and Dad….Oh my god….how…? how did they…?…..this isn't happening….it can't be….they're dead…..no no no no no no no…….I can't…..my parents for Draco and his parents……this is a nightmare….
"That bastard!" Draco cried angrily and punched the stone wall with his fist. He barely felt the pain as he cursed Voldemort for forcing Harry to make such a decision. Sirius and Remus looked shocked – Lily and James, back from the dead?
It can't be real…..can it?…..but what if I call his bluff and they are real? They'll be dead because of me……..but I saw them come out of Voldemort's wand at the Graveyard……..unless he has a way of bringing back the dead……but that's not possible is it?……three lives for three lives he said. …me and my parents or Draco and his parents…….I'd rather die than let anything happen to Draco….
"No, Harry, you can't let him kill you and your parents!" Draco screamed, his emotions raw and stretched almost to breaking point by the situation.
How does he know I hurt Draco with dark magic? How does he know Draco's my boyfriend?
"He must have had a spy in here the whole time," Hermione said furiously.
"But that doesn't explain why he didn't know the Halloween feast was going to be in the common rooms," argued Lucius. Hermione sat very still, deep in thought.
"No one knew of the change of plans until it was too late to inform anyone else," Dumbledore put in.
"I knew it!" Hermione exclaimed, "I've been thinking about that passage Draco found in that book in the library, and the page Harry found and I realised that Devoltorm is an anagram of Voldemort. The whole thing has been set up from the start."
"Oh my god!" said Ron, alarmed, "Harry's walking into a trap."
"Well, it's too late now, he's already in the trap," sneered Draco the way he always used to, "You'd be a great one to have around after a crisis!"
Dammit……he's got the barrier up……how the fuck am I supposed to get past that?…….think…think……he has to take down the barrier to try to curse me, so if I can send one to him at the exact same time then I should be able to get it through before the barrier comes back up……
Ron and Hermione clung to one another. Neither wanting to listen but neither able to walk away. Sirius and Remus were sitting on the floor against the wall. Sirius was leaning forward and had his head in his hands while Remus was staring at the ceiling with a comforting hand on Sirius' back. Narcissa was crying softly on Lucius shoulder. Dumbledore stood by the door to the corridor, deep in thought. Draco was still pacing around the room, the only one restlessly moving to try to keep from running down the corridor to Harry. He knew that his presence down there now would be more of a distraction to Harry than of assistance so he stayed there and listened to his lovers erratic thoughts.
Killing curse headed for me…….duck, run, something……help!"Noooooo!" Draco's howl of intense emotional pain echoed around the walls of the room. The entire room stood still waiting for another thought from Harry to echo around the room.
Silence.
Nothing.
"It is too fucking quiet. I'm going to find him," Draco said urgently as he ran out the door.
Sirius and Remus scrambled to their feet and ran after Draco. They were very worried about Harry but they were also concerned with catching Wormtail before he could scurry away. Dumbledore followed as fast as he could with the others not far behind him.
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Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket as he ran up to the door to the Great Hall. He was about to enter when Sirius and Remus pulled him away.
"Let us go first," Sirius whispered forcefully. Remus and Sirius pulled out their wands and quietly entered the Great Hall. Within seconds they had Wormtail pinned to the floor. He had been standing like a statue, apparently too shocked by his master's demise to move. They made sure he was securely tied, confiscated his wand and looked around the room.
Voldemort was lying on his back, not moving, supposedly dead. Remus and Sirius kept their wands trained on him just in case and looked around for Harry.
Harry was lying opposite Voldemort and Draco was crouched over him, tears falling onto his lover's cold cheeks.
"Is he-" Sirius couldn't get the word out of his mouth. Draco looked up, his eyes full of pain.
"I don't know. He's so cold, his skin is like ice," Draco said miserably.
"Ron, go and fetch Madam Pomfrey, will you? She's in the Gryffindor common room," Dumbledore's voice echoed throughout the Great Hall as he entered the room, followed by Hermione, Narcissa and Lucius. Dumbledore quickly assessed the situation. Wormtail was bound and gagged, as was Voldemort (thanks to Remus' quick thinking). Harry was still lying on the ground in the same position.
Dumbledore quickly moved to his side and felt for Harry's pulse. Draco's eyes were wide and desperate as he waited for Dumbledore's prognosis.
"He's alive," Everyone let out the breaths they had been holding. "But just barely," Dumbledore finished speaking. "We need to get him to the hospital wing as soon as possible. Move back." Everyone moved away from Harry and Dumbledore conjured a stretcher underneath Harry. It rose up to hover about waist hight and followed Dumbledore as he set out for the hospital wing. Draco followed Dumbledore, standing beside Harry and holding his hand.
He looks so peaceful, Draco thought, like an angel…STOP IT, he isn't going to die, he's going to be fine.
Hermione, Narcissa and Lucius followed behind Harry while Remus and Sirius stayed behind to guard the two prisoners. They still weren't sure if Voldemort was actually dead, but all were in silent agreement that Harry's welfare came before Voldemort. Sirius wandered over and sat on the end of the Slytherin table, his wand still pointed towards the traitor and the coward. Remus was sitting opposite Sirius, on the end of the Ravenclaw table.
"So, Moony, old friend, what was with that hand holding earlier?" Sirius asked, with an enigmatic expression in his eyes. Remus shifted uncomfortably where he sat.
"I was just trying to be supportive," he said unconvincingly, looking anywhere but in Sirius' direction.
Sirius jumped up off the table and sauntered over to where Remus was sitting. Remus was blushing as Sirius stood right up close to him, his hips against Remus' knees as he nudged them apart. Sirius stood between Remus's legs and stared into his best friend's eyes. He raised his non-wand hand and cupped Remus' cheek softly. Sirius leaned towards Remus and his lips gently pressed against Remus'.
They both jumped apart as they heard a loud thump behind Sirius. It was Voldemort, his eyes were open and flashing wildly. He had obviously tried to get out of his bonds and rolled over in the attempt.
Sirius muttered at spell and a cage appeared around Voldemort.
"Just in case," he said to Remus.
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Meanwhile, over at the hospital wing, Harry was being treated by Madam Pomfrey. Draco refused to leave his side and was still clutching Harry's hand tightly. Ron and Hermione were sitting together on one of the empty beds, watching everything with sharply concerned eyes. Lucius had taken Narcissa back to their 'apartment' because she was tired after all the excitement. Everyone agreed that it was safe to do anything, now that Voldemort was dead. None of the others noticed that Dumbledore had yet to comment on this 'fact'. He was standing by the door watching Harry with weary, worried eyes.
"Please move, Mr. Malfoy, I can't do my job properly with you there," Madam Pomfrey snapped. Draco moved silently out of the way, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Harry's. Madam Pomfrey's expression softened as she noticed the puppy dog eyes Draco was giving her.
"Alright, you can sit back down – after I've given Harry his injection," she said soothingly.
"Is he going to be okay?" Ron asked in a small voice. Madam Pomfrey looked apprehensive.
"I don't want to lie to you," she said.
Definitely not a good sign, Hermione thought anxiously.
"He seems to have gone into anaphylactic shock," she said. When she noticed the three students blank looks, she added, "It's a severe, rapid and sometimes fatal hypersensitivity reaction to a substance to which the person has become sensitised by previous exposure." Hermione's academic brain clicked into overdrive.
"So Harry's previous exposure to Avada Kedavra caused him to become sensitive to it and now he's allergic to it, is that right?" she asked Madam Pomfrey, who nodded. "Then why didn't it kill him, like it would anyone else."
"Harry is no ordinary wizard, Miss Granger, surely you know that," Dumbledore said, finally joining the conversation.
"Voldemort is no ordinary wizard either, Professor Dumbledore. Does this mean he's not dead either?" Ron asked nervously.
"I'm going to go and look into that right now. Do you have everything under control here, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked Madam Pomfrey.
"We'll be just fine, Albus. Go and take care of that bastard!"
Draco, Hermione and Ron raised their eyebrows at Madam Pomfrey, who blushed and bustled around the room taking care of Harry. Draco returned to his place by Harry's side.
"Can I stay here with him tonight?" he asked hopefully.
"As long as you get some rest too. You can sleep in that bed next to Harry," she said kindly, indicating towards the bed Draco had been sitting on before. Draco nodded gratefully.
"You two," Madam Pomfrey said to Ron and Hermione, "You can stay here a bit longer, but then you need to go back to your dorm. You can't do anything for Harry here and you need to keep your strength up too. I'll go and organise some food for all of you, I imagine you missed the feast." The three nodded and watched as she left the room.
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Dumbledore entered the Great Hall to find Remus and Sirius still guarding Voldemort and Wormtail. Wormtail looked terrified and Voldemort looked furious.
"I was afraid of this," Dumbledore said wearily.
"Afraid of what, Albus?" Remus asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer.
"Afraid that Voldemort would still be alive. I was hoping he was dead, but it appears to have been in vain."
"How is Harry?" Sirius asked, his voice laced with concern.
"He has had an allergic reaction to the killing curse and is in shock at the moment. He should be fine though," Dumbledore said reassuringly.
Sirius and Remus both relaxed at that news, well, relaxed as much as they could when they were guarding two dangerous criminals.
"I stopped off at the owlery on my way here and sent an owl to the Ministry. Hopefully someone should be here soon to take them away," Dumbledore said. "The students will be staying in their house dorms until morning, then I'd really like them to resume their classes as normal. Hmmm, I wonder?" Dumbledore walked purposefully out of the Great Hall, leaving Sirius and Remus to wonder what he was planning.
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Ron and Hermione had gone back to the Gryffindor common room, leaving Draco alone with a still comatose Harry. Madam Pomfrey had told him it was best for Harry if he slept it off, but Draco desperately wanted to see Harry's eyes and know he was okay. Draco was supposed to be sleeping in the bed next to Harry's but as soon as Madam Pomfrey left the room, he had crawled beside Harry. There wasn't much room for the two of them, but Draco managed by lying on his side, his arm around Harry's waist.
"Sleep as long as you need to so you can be strong again, Harry. But make sure you come back to me, okay?" Draco said teasingly. He liked to talk to Harry although he wasn't sure if Harry could hear him. It made him feel closer to Harry and less panicky.
"Remember our plans for after graduation? I'm holding you to your promise," Draco was silent for a moment, remembering that night of promises and candlelight and romance and forever.
"I love you," Draco whispered in his ear. He gently kissed Harry's still lips.
With his head resting on Harry's shoulder, Draco at last fell asleep.
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Sirius and Remus were taking it in turns to stare at each other and then pretend they weren't looking, when Dumbledore walked back into the Great Hall followed by Filtch. Remus and Sirius made faces at each other behind Filch's back, they had served many a detention with Filch when they were students at Hogwart's.
Dumbledore removed the cage surrounding Voldemort and conjured up two stretchers, much like the one he conjured under Harry, except these ones tied the prisoners to the stretcher. Dumbledore turned and walked out of the Great Hall with the stretchers, Filch, Sirius and Remus following him.
Sirius and Remus exchanged confused looks as they wondered what Dumbledore was planning. The group reached Filch's office and stopped. Filch unlocked the door and stood back to allow Dumbledore to enter. The stretchers followed. Filch went in after them. Sirius and Remus stood in the doorway and watched in wonder as Filch lowered the manacles that hung from the roof in his office and attached them to Voldemort's ankles. He then raised them back up until Voldemort was hanging above their heads, his arms still bound behind his back. Filch then did the same to Wormtail.
"That should hold them until the representative from the Ministry gets here," said Dumbledore. Sirius grinned approvingly. Sirius backed out of the room and grabbed Remus' hand. The two of them ran, hand in hand, towards the hospital wing.
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Sirius and Remus slipped silently into the room Harry was in. Draco was asleep, half lying on Harry. Sirius stood at the end of the bed and stared down at his godson and the young man who loved him so much. Remus joined him and slipped his arm around Sirius' waist. Sirius grinned at him and wrapped his arm around Remus' shoulder. He kissed Remus' hair and returned to his contemplation of Harry and Draco.
"They are such a cute couple, aren't they," Remus whispered.
"So are we," Sirius replied.
"We're a couple, are we?" Remus asked, half teasing, half wanting to hear Sirius' response.
"Of course we are," Sirius replied firmly, "After all we've been through together, how could we not be?" Sirius' free hand caught Remus' chin and tilted his face so he was looking up at him. Sirius kissed Remus deeply.
"Oh my god!" Draco had woken up at the sound of voices in the room and was stunned to see Sirius and Remus kissing at the end of the bed. The new couple jumped apart and looked around guiltily. Draco smiled knowingly up at them.
"I was wondering how long it would take you," he said still smiling at them both.
"You…you knew-" Remus managed to stammer. Sirius just looked bemused.
"That you two were into each other? Yeah, I knew. It was so obvious, all those little looks you gave each other when you were sure the other wasn't looking. I don't know if anyone else knows though, they were all so wrapped up in what was going on," Draco explained.
"So were you, wrapped up in what was going on, I mean. So how did you notice?" Sirius asked.
"Just observant, I guess," Draco shrugged, as if it were no big deal that he noticed intricate details in the lives of those around him. "Can I go back to sleep now?" he asked as he yawned.
"Uh, sure, we'll go now, we just wanted to check on Harry," Sirius replied, pulling Remus out of the room with him. Draco stifled a laugh as he lay back down with Harry. Draco brushed Harry's hair off his face, kissed him and went back to sleep.
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~to be continued~