Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all in the Harry Potter universe.

Courage to Find the Strength

Chapter 23

An hour later with Draco calm, Hermione wearily entered Hagrid's hut where Ron and Harry where struggling to keep down some of the tea cakes Hagrid had insisted they try.

"How is he?" Hagrid asked as she sipped her cup of tea.

"Better. The screaming's stopped. He was still awake when I left, but he asked me to leave. Needed some time to think. Hey, guys? Wanna come with me to the library? There are some old books on radiation and nuclear weapons that I want to pour through, and I'm going to need some help. We don't have a lot of time from what Draco says."

Harry and Ron got to their feet. "Sure, but why does the Hogwarts library have books on nuclear weapons?"

"Advanced Muggle Studies, I suppose," she shrugged.

"You kids better keep the Headmaster and Professor Snape in the loop," Hagrid warned, but didn't try to discourage them. He understood what this team was capable of if left to themselves.

"Yes, Hagrid," Harry agreed, trying not to roll his eyes and hoping he didn't hear Ron's snickering.

After they left, Ron said, "I don't know how much help I'll be since I don't know anything about the stuff other than what you told me."

"You'll learn," Hermione grimly replied.

Late into the night, the trio shut the last book on the subject. Madam Pince had left them alone on Dumbledore's orders. All the teachers, even McGonagall, were giving them a wide berth. "But, we still don't know HOW he's done it!" Hermione cried, exasperated. "It clearly states that magical creatures are immune to radiation. A few sources even suggest a close relationship between magical and nuclear energy. If anything, nuclear energy might Enhance a magical being, not harm it!"

"What else did Malfoy say?" Ron asked, hoping for a clue. The horrors about what he'd just been reading still echoing through his mind.

"Something about trials. And blood, and creatures dying, dead..it was horrible." Hermione closed her eyes for a moment to regain her strength. "If only we had a sample of whatever they'd injected to that poor house elf."

"Wait a minute!" Ron cried. Harry jumped a little. "Harry! Remember what Dobby said happened! The she-elf gave Draco back a picture!"

"Yeah, so?"

"What picture?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, but the picture had her blood all over it, he said."

Harry became excited. "Yeah, and with her blood."

"We should be able to find out what's in it! Brilliant, Ron!" Hermione finished for Harry, clapping her hands.

***

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Hermione asked Draco early the next morning, brushing a lock of hair off his face.

"Better," he smiled up at her.

"Sleep well?"

"Eventually."

"Draco, I need to ask you something. Dobby said the she-elf, you know which one I mean, gave you a picture of some sort."

Draco looked very uncomfortable. "Yes, what of it?"

"I need it."

"What for?"

Hermione started to get annoyed. "I need it to run some tests. On her blood. Whatever they injected her with might still be on that picture."

Draco considered it for a moment, then resigned himself. "Over there." He gestured to a small cabinet that held his wand and other things he'd had on his person when they brought him to the hospital wing.

Hermione walked over to the cabinet and started going through his contents. Suddenly, she stood up, and then was very still. She turned around, and there were tears in her eyes. "This picture, then."

"Hermione, I can explain."

"Yeah, it looks like there's an explanation. Considering it's broken, torn, and covered in a dead house elf's blood. I wonder, Draco, how did she come to be in possession of THIS particular picture?" Her voice was starting to have a hard edge to it.

"I must have.lost it," he lied.

"That or maybe you threw it away." Draco didn't answer.

"Yeah well, I need to run some tests on it." She turned to leave.

"Hermione, wait!"

She turned back with a sad look on her face. When he didn't continue, she briskly walked out of the room.

***

"So how are we going to test this?" Harry asked.

"Geiger counter to start with," Hermoine replied.

"What's that?" Ron asked, puzzled.

"It detects radiation and measures it. God, Ron, don't you remember anything from the reading last night?"

Ron's face turned red. "Hey, I TOLD you I didn't understand any of that stuff. Maybe my dad can get us one."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Hermione nodded. "I've even taken the time to write out an exact description of one. I've included an explanation that I need it for a Muggle Studies course so it won't arouse any suspicion. And, before you say it, either of you, I KNOW I'm not in a Muggle Studies course, but Mr. Weasley doesn't."

"Ok then, it's settled," Ron stood up. "I'll go get Pig."

***

The Geiger counter came during the evening meal much to the surprise of the trio. They'd expected it to take at least a day, maybe longer. Ron's dad had included a note explaining how one of his coworkers collected that very thing because of the strange noises it always gave out. Despite the risk of getting in trouble with the Ministry, Mr. Weasley's coworker had spelled it so that it would run on magic instead of batteries. It seemed he used it to help him sleep and was more than happy to lend one out if it could help with another wizard's insomnia. Ron's dad had tried to explain about the Muggle Studies course, but ended up including a few Sleeping Charms at the other wizard's insistence. In Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, they huddled over the bloody picture. Sure enough, as soon as the Geiger counter was turned on, it gave off a tremendous racket.

"Well? What did you find out?" A voice called from the doorway.

"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing over to him. "You shouldn't be out of bed!"

"You sound like Madam Pomfrey," he drawled, but looked amused.

"It's because she's right!"

"Anyway," he took her hand and moved over to Ron and Harry, ignoring their dubious and glaring looks.

"It's radiation, all right. A lot of it." Harry said, crossing his arms in a defensive gesture as soon as Draco got near.

"Enough to kill a whole lot of Muggles," Ron stated, comparing the reading on the Geiger counter with some information in the book open in front of him. He, too, gave Draco a dark look as he approached.

"And we know it's affecting magical beings now, too. But, the question is, why aren't you affected, Draco? I mean, pretty soon, I'm sure Harry, Ron, and I will start to feel the effects. That's why I've been keeping it in this." Hermione produced a small box that she had transformed into lead. "Stop staring at me like that. Haven't you been paying attention in Alchemy?"

"Yeah, I guess I missed that chapter," Ron and Harry looked away.

"Well, I, for one, didn't take the bloody class. They won't teach you how to turn things to gold, so I figured what was the bother?" Draco looked undaunted by Hermione's frown.

"So, we still have to figure out why Draco, and I'm assuming the other Death, I mean Voldemort's other supporters, are immune. I guess it's time to go back to Dumbledore." Hermione stated, the others nodding in agreement.

***

As the four of them finished explaining, Dumbledore sat back in his chair looking alternatively troubled and impressed. "Well, I think I must ask Professor Snape to look into this."

Three of them frowned. One brightened.

When Professor Snape entered the room, he frowned at the three of them and glared at the fourth who suddenly looked confused. After Dumbledore explained what was going on and what was needed of him, Snape nodded understanding and quickly left the room. A few moments later after again being cautioned, the others left as well.

"What was that all about? I thought he LIKED you?" Ron wondered out loud to Draco.

"I don't know." Draco shook his head, and not really wanting to be in the company of Potter and Weasley any more than he had to, he headed off for the dungeons.

"Well, that was rude. He didn't even say good-bye." Hermione pouted.

"Must be the shock that his favorite teacher doesn't seem to like him any more," Ron grinned.

"Join the crowd," Harry laughed.

When Draco entered the dungeons, he headed for Snape's office although he was really starting to feel tired and needed to lie down.

"Um, Professor? A word?"

"Oh, it's you," Snape sounded uncharacteristically annoyed with him.

"Is something wrong, sir?"

Snape regarded him a moment, then unstemmed the tide. "You STUPID boy! What the devil were you thinking joining up with Voldemort's lot?! Have all your brains been addled?"

Draco was so shocked by Snape's tone, he took an involuntary step backward. "I know it was a stupid thing to do, sir. I realize that now. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me," he sneered, crossing his arms.

"It had to do with something that happened between me.and Hermione Granger."

"So it is true. You let your wits be scrambled by a woman. And a Gryffindor, no less. Have you lost all that Malfoy pride? Could you have picked a more insufferable, goody-goody, know-it-all?"

"Watch it. Sir." Draco's eyes demonstrated he had lost none of the imposing Malfoy nature. Snape was secretly pleased to see a small vestige of the boy he admired so. Even when he'd been threatened by Lucius to avoid and ridicule him last semester, he'd silently been supporting him all along. At least until it was evident he'd fallen for that girl.

"It's going to be rough on you, boy." Snape said after a long pause.

"I know, sir."

"It's going to take a lot of strength and a lot of courage."

"I know, sir."

"After what we've been through. Not only in the Headmaster's office, but," and he held his hand over his own mark. "Don't let me down." Snape even managed a sort of fond smile for Draco.

Draco smiled back, glad to be in Snape's good graces again. "I'll try not, sir."

As Draco headed back out of Snape's office, he turned around once more.

"What is it, Malfoy?"

Draco smiled. "I just wanted to say that you're by far the best teacher here, and I admire you the most." Snape smiled, albeit a little uncomfortably. "But if you ever talk about Hermione like that again, I will show you just how much of a Malfoy I can be."