A/N: Hey, not nearly so late this time! I know I left you with a cliffie, so without further adieu...


Chapter 40

Harry raced through the fog, dodged shattering prophecies, desperately racing back the way they came. Despite the chaos, a worn and gaunt Jack herded the children together as they ran. Harry knew Jack's ice wouldn't last forever against the Death Eaters' magic. They just needed enough time—

"Colloportus!" Hermione yelled, sealing the door shut behind them.

Jack. Ron. Hermione. Neville. Luna. Ginny.

No one else.

"Where are the others?" Jack asked anxiously.

"They must have gone the wrong way!" Hermione realized with growing horror.

If it had just been Malfoy who was left behind, perhaps Harry would have felt differently. It was hard to say. But Nordric was a friend of Hermione's, and Emrys, despite all his bravado and play at being old enough to run with those far older than him, was only eleven.

And Harry knew that Jack couldn't leave them to defend themselves.

"I'll go find them," Jack said, rising. "The rest of you, keep running. Find the door Hermione marked as the way we came in and go."

"We're not leaving you to fight off a hoard of Death Eaters by yourself, Jack!" Ron said stubbornly, standing up straight as well.

"I'm more capable than I look," he said with a strained smile. "They won't hurt me. But I won't be able to do everything I can unless you're safe."

Understanding dawned in Ron's eyes, and he exchanged a look with Hermione, who carried a similar expression. They both nodded, looking at Harry as if expecting him to do the same.

But amid the watery light of the glittering room, all he could think of was another time, long ago, when Jack had ensured a child was safe, and he met his end as a result.

Harry had lost too many people for him to even risk losing another.

"No!" He stood. "If you're going back out there, I'm coming too!"

Jack swallowed. "Harry, trust me. The most powerful elemental magic is one that can't be reigned in. I can't risk you. I have to go alone."

Harry knew Jack was a spirit. It would take far more than Death Eaters to kill him, if he could actually be killed at all. Logically, he knew this was the best idea.

But he also knew Jack was his uncle. The only father figure he'd known to truly connect with him, to really know him as his own person. He was the one who calmed him in his panic, who stood by his side through every trial he'd faced this year.

He was the one who would become his new guardian. But only if Harry didn't lose him too.

Harry swallowed thickly. "Don't be a martyr," he said. "Let us help."

Jack furrowed his brow, his keen eyes scanning Harry. He knew he wasn't hiding what he knew very well, and Jack could clearly see that there was more to his distress, even if he didn't know what exactly it was.

But maybe he could guess, as his gaze softened, and he drew closer to grip Harry's shoulder tightly. "I swear to you on my family's name, you will help me by staying out of it. You've yet to see what I can really do."

His family's name. Harry met those familiar eyes that, despite their hue, were shaped just like his own and his mother's. So much of his face looked just like the one Harry always saw in pictures of his mother. Jack's family was Harry. Jack's family was Lily.

And as they locked eyes, an understanding passed between them.

Harry heard whose name Jack really swore on.

And maybe Jack knew he heard it too.

Harry nodded, and his uncle pulled away, undoing the charm on the doorway before disappearing through it.

Silence sank heavily amongst them for a moment before Hermione shakily raised her wand. "Colloportus," she whispered once again, sealing Jack's path back to them.

Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from the door.

Ron drew near, taking Harry's arm. "C'mon, mate. He'll find us."

Harry swallowed, feeling the air grow cold, hearing the echo of ice shattering against glass. "But what if he doesn't?"

Ron glanced about the room, taking in their small group before turning back to him. "He's a spirit, Harry. It'll take a hell of a lot more than a couple of Death Eaters to kill him."

"But what if we were wrong?"

Ron had nothing to say to that, only squeezing Harry's arm and gently guiding him back towards the rotating chamber from which they came.

Something steeled itself within Harry. "There's more to it, Ron. More I didn't tell you."

Hermione drew near, eyeing the doorway warily as sounds of fighting grew louder from behind it. "What is it?"

Harry's mouth went dry. "I… I can't say. But you have to believe me, he… he has a saving people thing."

A slight smile tugged at Ron's lips. "Like you?"

Harry huffed a laugh. "Runs in th— yeah. You're right; he's more capable than he lets on. But… we can't leave him to do this alone."

Ron exchanged a look with Hermione. "We'll wait here and listen to see if he needs help. But we can't get in the way."

Harry nodded, and the others fanned out, taking positions in hiding around the room, ready to attack or run should the door open.

The tension was unbearable. Thoughts of everything that could be going wrong raced through his mind, never lingering long enough to do more than grow his fears. Meanwhile, the chilling memory of Jack's youthful face going empty and slack, the fight and attempts to find the surface dimming, met the visual of Cedric Diggory falling to the earth after being hit by a green bolt of light.

Jack was the most capable to save Malfoy, Nordric, and Emrys, yes. If the book they had found was right, Jack was immune to enough spells intended for mortals that it was plausible that the Death Eaters' arsenal of dark curses couldn't even affect him.

But what if you're wrong? repeated the ever tempestuous whisper, pounding into his mind with his own heartbeat.

The door shook, and Harry's attention snapped back to it immediately. The shaking paused, and he heard a muffled, "Alohomora."

Harry stood and raised his wand as the door burst open, but only found it pointing to—

"Malfoy? Nordric?" Ron asked, rising from his hiding spot as well.

The Slytherin and Ravenclaw were pale and struggling to catch their breath, but at their appearance, they too had briefly raised their wands.

"Where's Jack?" Hermione asked.

"And Myrddin?" Luna added.

Malfoy swallowed. "They're still out there."

"And you left them?" Harry asked incredulously. Malfoy wouldn't meet his eyes.

With an all too familiar shock of betrayal, it all made sense. Lucius Malfoy was the one who showed up, leading the Death Eaters to them. Draco Malfoy and his friends had been running behind the others the whole time, and the Death Eaters had found the rest of them shortly after Malfoy had caught up to them. When they fled, Malfoy had stayed behind, and now found them while totally unscathed. Meanwhile, he'd left Jack alone, presumably on a wild goose chase to search for an eleven-year old who was almost certainly dead.

Just like his parents, Jack had trusted the wrong person.

And he'd been betrayed.

Harry dug his wand into Malfoy's jugular, and immediately, Nordric's wand was pointed at Harry. But he didn't care. "You left him. You even left your supposed friend. Suppose you thought they'd both be treated nicely by your father?"

Harry didn't miss the guilt that flashed through Malfoy's eyes, but he snarled nonetheless. "You think I wanted to?! Jack sent us to follow you!"

Harry wanted to believe him.

Harry wished he could believe him.

But it was Malfoy.

"I really thought you'd changed," Harry spat. "But you were just keeping your head down so you could kill one of the only protectors Hogwarts has left. And if you had to kill the poor first-year who took a liking to you to do it, that's just what Death Eaters do, isn't it?"

"Don't you dare!" Malfoy roared with fury, expertly getting out of Harry's hold and raising his own wand.

"Harry, I don't think—" Hermione tentatively began, but Harry cut her off.

"It makes sense, Hermione. Give it up, Malfoy. Your charade is over."

The boys circled each other. All the other students had their wands partly raised, few quite sure of where to point them.

"I would never betray Myrddin. And I wouldn't betray Jack," Malfoy said, looking down the end of his wand expertly. "I didn't want to leave them behind, but at least I trusted Jack enough to run when he told me to!"

"Of course I trust Jack," Harry snapped, hackles raised at Malfoy's pointed words. "And I think he and Emrys were fools to trust you."

Hurt morphed into molten anger, and Malfoy's mouth opened to cast a spell before Nordric stepped in front of him, pale eyes hard and cold as steel as she pointed her wand at Harry.

He looked back and forth between her and Malfoy before redoubling his grip on his wand. "So you're with the Death Eaters then?"

Nordric bared her teeth. "I'm no Death Eater. And you're no fool, Harry Potter."

"Don't you get it? He led the Death Eaters, his father, right to us!"

"You were the one who led us here because of a dream, something which can be manipulated unless you are a skilled Occlumens. I strongly recommend that you stop using my friend as an excuse for being the one at fault, as you are the reason that Jack even has to put his life on the line to protect Myrddin."

The seventh-year's words struck against his heart, memories of old warnings about the nature of the Horcrux inside him rising like layers of dust after being disturbed. He scoffed weakly. "'Recommend'?"

The tip of her wand lifted his chin. "Strongly," she repeated darkly.

"Mala, please," Hermione said shakily, stepping forward. "We're all worried about Jack. Let's all just put our wands down and… and let's talk this out."

"We've no time to talk it out when he's leading the Death Eaters to us!" Harry insisted, but quieted when Nordric dug her wand into the flesh below his jaw.

"Mala," Malfoy said, following Hermione's lead. He took her by the shoulder. "She's right. We don't have time for this."

The Ravenclaw narrowed her eyes at Harry one more time, but she lowered her wand reluctantly.

Malfoy met Harry's gaze fiercely. "Nothing I do will convince you of my innocence when you've made up your mind long ago. But I recommend you learn to trust Jack like we have." He looked at Nordric, then continued to Harry, "We're leaving, like Jack told us to. We have to trust that Myrddin will be alright."

Harry scowled at him, and Malfoy returned the look, only for it to drop from his face as a voice came from behind them.

"Draco. What are you doing here?"

The students whirled around as Bellatrix Lestrange and four other Death Eaters pushed open the door from which they came. The door that they had been studiously locking, but had forgotten in their surprise at the two students' appearance.

"Here to bring us the prophecy?" Bellatrix continued, eyes sparking as she looked at the orb in Harry's hand.

Harry backed away from Malfoy as Bellatrix's words confirmed his suspicions. However, Malfoy paled much as he had all that time ago in Dumbledore's office, when Fudge had mentioned sending his father a report of his behavior.

Nordric sidled in front of her friend, glaring down Bellatrix much as she had Harry previously.

Bellatrix grinned at her like a cat setting its eyes upon a mouse. "Is this one of your little pet half-bloods?" she tsked. "Your father won't be pleased to hear about that."

Harry's eyes flashed between Bellatrix and Malfoy, waiting for that awful smirk, a sudden spell, something that at last revealed Malfoy's true loyalties.

But the fifteen-year old was frozen, fingers shaking around his wand.

Evidently, it was exactly what Bellatrix wanted. "Now, dear Draco, I won't tell your father, or even my dear sister, as long as you help me get what the Dark Lord wants. You do know what that is, don't you?"

"No," he whispered.

"Speak up, Draco dear."

"No, Aunt Bella." The Slytherin swallowed harshly and raised his wand. At her. "You're not getting the prophecy." He was still pale and shaking, but his stance was firm and he did not move. "No matter what you do to me."

Nordric grinned, then cast a curse in the direction of the Death Eaters before grabbing Malfoy and Hermione by the shoulders and running. "I've only bought us time! Go!"

Harry obeyed, and before long, spells shot after them, usually only missing them by mere inches as they dodged. He looked around, ensuring all of the students were still together as they fled.

As his eyes fell on Malfoy, guilt churned in his stomach. He was right. Nordric was right too. Harry hadn't wanted to face the fact that it was his own mistake that had gotten them into this mess, and it was his own mistake that was putting Jack at risk. And because he made the mistake of accusing Malfoy, the Death Eaters had tracked them down.

This was his fault. They didn't deserve to take responsibility for this.

He did.

Harry held the prophecy up high and ran in the opposite direction, praying that the Death Eaters would choose him over the others who had nothing they wanted besides an apparent traitor.

"Harry, no!" Ron called, but he ignored him.

Sure enough, his plan worked, and the five Death Eaters changed course to follow Harry, bearing down on him. He pushed his legs to move faster and faster, ignoring the burn and just hoping Hermione would have enough sense to get everyone else out and survive—

The floor vanished from under him, and he went hurtling through the air.

He collided with a steep stone ledge, only to tumble onto another and another until the breath was knocked out of him and he hardly knew which way was up. The stone archway stood on a dais behind him, and the room itself rang with the laughter of the Death Eaters he'd led here. Somehow, the prophecy was still unbroken, so he shakily pulled himself to his feet and tried to back away.

His back hit the dais, so he shakily climbed on top of it, desperately hoping that the high ground would give him some semblance of an advantage.

"Potter, your race is run," Lucius Malfoy said as he stepped into the meager light. "Now hand me the prophecy like a good boy."

Harry glanced around. He didn't know how many Death Eaters there originally were, and he didn't know where the others had ended up. But he couldn't take the risk of simply assuming that they had made it to safety. "Let… Let the others go, and I'll give it to you!"

The Death Eaters laughed.

"You are not in a position to bargain, Potter," the Malfoy patriarch said. "You see, there are ten of us and only one of you. Or hasn't Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?"

"He's not alone!" shouted a voice from the entrance above. "He's still got me!"

Harry looked up, and his heart sank. Neville was scrambling down the stone benches, his wand held tightly despite his trembling hand.

"Neville, no! Go back to Ron and—"

"Stupefy!" Neville shouted, wand pointed at the Death Eaters.

But the one he would have hit merely dodged, and another grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms and his wand to his sides. Neville continued to struggle, but the Death Eaters only laughed again.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it?" Lucius Malfoy asked with a curled lip. "Well, your grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause. Your death will not come as a great shock."

"Longbottom?" Bellatrix repeated, and a sickening smile spread across her face. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy—"

"I know you have!" Neville screamed with an anger Harry had never known the boy contained. He struggled with a ferocity that raised another call among the Death Eaters for someone to knock him out.

"No, no, no," Bellatrix said with excitement as she looked between the two boys. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents… Unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy—"

"Don't give it to them!" Neville cried in desperation. "Don't give it to them, Harry!"

Bellatrix raised her wand with that old, sickening grin. "Crucio!"

Neville screamed, and he curled into himself. Harry took a useless step forward, and the Death Eater restraining his friend dropped him with an awful thud. Neville writhed with agony.

"That was just a taster!" Bellatrix said as she danced towards him, watching the boy sob at her feet. She turned to Harry with pleasure. "Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy, or watch your little friend die the hard way!"

Harry didn't even need to think; there was no choice. He held out the prophecy, and Malfoy leaned forward to take it.

Then above them, the doors slammed open again, and six more people ran into the room.

Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Kingsley.

And Jack.


A/N: Hoo hoo hoo, we're getting close to the suffering— *COUGH* I MEAN CLIMAX.

*ahem.* Anyway, reviews.

Snowy Monday: Yeah, it gave me feels to write that part. Just... why do I do this to myself? And then I go and post it for others to suffer with too. I'm glad it's all making you love this story though!

Guest: At least this cliffie is slightly more tolerable. I'm glad people appreciate Draco's background redemption arc, because I couldn't really make it the foreground in this. I'm glad you like the name not-so-golden-trio lol. I've been referring to them as such in my head for a while but I think that chapter might have been the first time I actually used it in the story. I'm not sure. And yeah, they're really sitting there like "wtf is going on are we NPCs or smth." LOL I love that you pictured Jack's frost figure like Elsa's snow monsters. I imagine it like. 2D versions of the ones he makes in the movie. And thanks for the well wishes. October is slightly more relaxed, but also people like to make everything have the exact same deadline so : ). I'm suffering just a lil'.

RemyFrostPotter: 1. You're good! I know it's a common comment, thus why I reminded you as gently as possible. 2. Oooh it's a good sign to me when people get so absorbed they forget to review. Then I don't know specific thoughts, but it's still super awesome to know people get that absorbed. Also, I don't mind review spam. It usually just condenses any reviews in a short period of time into one email, so it's not too spammy on my end. 3. Haha love the music effects.

Next update: Saturday, October 29th. As the battle grows, Jack does his best to keep everyone safe.

Until next time! Koala789 out! *flies away on a flying-boat-fortress-thingy*