THE MANOR

Disclaimer: Everything recognisable belongs to JKR, or Warner Bros., and all those people making lots of money. I'm not, and this is just my little version of what happens in the Harry Potter universe.

Chapter 21 – Saving the Day

Hermione and Harry stared at the dark wooden doors that led to the antechamber. Abstractedly, Hermione noticed the silvery snake on the doorhandle.

'Are you sure this will work?' Harry asked, holding the blood-soaked cloth tightly.

Hermione nodded. 'It's not like there's anything else we can do,' she pointed out.

Harry nodded, and determinedly, he reached out, and pulled open the door with one hand, while the other still held the cloth. Hermione also clutched the blood soaked cloth and together, they passed through the Death-Eater blood protected doors into the antechamber. No magical flames incinerated them, and they breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

After their initial relief, they noticed that the antechamber was surprisingly empty.

'Where are the Death-Eaters?' Harry asked, glancing around curiously.

'They must be inside.'

Harry nodded, and the two headed over to the door on the other side of the antechamber.

'Ready?' he asked.

Hermione sighed. 'There's no point wasting time, I suppose.'

They pushed open the door, and skidded into the chamber, wands raised. Hermione shuddered only briefly as she remembered the mental torture she had previously been subjected to in that same chamber. However, any thoughts on herself vanished swiftly at the sight before her that made her eyes widen in horror.

'Draco?' she whispered incredulously.

He was suspended in the air, back arched, stomach facing the ceiling, as if held by some giant invisible string tied around his waist that had jerked him upwards. His grey eyes were closed, and his already pale skin held an unhealthy pallor and sheen of sweat. His silvery-blond hair streaked down from his unmoving head, his limp body twitching ever so slightly now and again, as if the string had cruelly yanked him ever so slightly.

Draco was surrounded, by masses of black cloaked and hooded Death-Eaters kneeling on the ground, who, as yet, had been unaware of the entrance of the two teenagers, so involved were they in the pale figure that hung in the air, and their master. Hermione watched closely, and noticed that Voldemort stood before Draco, his pale, snake-like face devoid of sweat despite the obvious effort on his face. His eyes, that were focused on Draco, were slit-pupilled and glowing red, and Hermione could suddenly feel the presence of a mind, lying wide-open, and another mind, struggling to force its way through.

Cut the link!

Something in her shouted out, and without even stopping to think, she raised her wand, pointing it at Draco, and shouted words – words she did not even know.

Draco fell, abruptly, as if the string had been broken suddenly, and Hermione hastily used the cushioning charm to prevent Draco's obviously weak body from hitting the floor.

Voldemort's eyes went wide with anger, and he turned, now distracted from Draco, to see Hermione and Harry, both pushing their way over to Draco's position in the centre of the ring of Death-Eaters.

The red eyes gleamed, with anticipation, on seeing the two visitors.

'Ah, Mr Potter,' he said. 'So nice of you to join us. Come to save your friend, have you?'

Harry stood firmly, green eyes direct and unwavering.

'Did you enjoy the dreams I sent you?' Voldemort asked, smiling maliciously. 'They worked rather effectively,' he said. 'Premonitions, that I knew would happen, sent along to you. It made you come.'

Harry stared at the Dark Lord. Voldemort had sent the dreams! Hermione had been right, but they had turned out true, only he had exaggerated the implications. Voldemort had wanted the dreams to lure him here, and he had succeeded … but the dreams no longer terrified Harry. He felt stronger. Both Hermione and Ron were safe, and he straightened his back, returning Voldemort's gaze levelly.

Voldemort laughed softly to see his defiance, and turned to Hermione. 'And Hermione! I am glad you came too,' he said, smiling unpleasantly. 'I believe our conversation was cut short earlier by him,' he cast a scathing look at Draco, who lay crumpled on the floor, unconscious.

Hermione did not bother answering, but knelt down beside Draco, cradling his head in her arms.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed, and he snapped. 'Surround them,' he ordered his Death-Eaters. They scrambled to obey, standing up and moving oppressively around the three youths.

Hermione glanced up at Harry, who looked back at her, concern and worry written in those green eyes. Their plan had been to grab Draco and run. Now, evidently, such a plan was futile. Heart pumping fearfully, Hermione checked an unmoving Draco for a pulse, and breathed a short sigh of relief. He was alive, at least.

Harry, though, had turned back to face Voldemort, wand still at the ready.

Voldemort, though, gave a casual wave of his hand, and Harry and Hermione's wands flew into his waiting hand, much to their dismay.

'Enough of this foolish business,' he said calmly, throwing the two wands to one of his Inner Circle Death-Eaters to keep safely. 'You've lost, Potter. Accept that. You should have been killed last year, fourteen years ago,' he spat, 'but luck saved you then. There is no luck left to save you now. You don't even have your wand,' he said, smiling despite the glowing red pupils of his eyes. 'I cannot allow you to wander about this world, disturbing my plans,' he said.

'So you're just going to kill us then,' Harry said defiantly.

'Oh no,' Voldemort said, still smiling. 'I have need of Draco and Hermione.'

Hermione let out an involuntary whimper of fear at the idea of being forced to remain with Voldemort, and Harry's face set with determination.

'I can't let that happen,' Harry said calmly, although his hands were clenched so tightly that the knuckles turned white.

'Who's going to stop me?' Voldemort asked softly. Breaking from the eye contact, he turned to another Death-Eater. 'Mulciber, go and find the Death-Eaters who were supposed to have stopped these two from escaping and bring them back to me,' he instructed coldly.

A Death-Eater, presumably Mulciber, bowed. 'Yes, my lord,' he muttered, and left the room, passing through the Death-Eater blood protected doors.

Voldemort turned a courteous smile on Harry and Hermione. 'I must, of course, punish the imbeciles who let you go. And then, after that little warm up, I'm afraid, Mr Potter, that I must remove you from this world.'

Harry did not even shake in fear, but stood doggedly before Voldemort, although Hermione's face was white in worry.

'Harry,' she whispered urgently.

'Don't worry, Hermione,' Harry said from the corner of his mouth. 'I'll be fine.' But Hermione noticed that his hand shook.

Mulciber returned with the eleven Death-Eaters who had attacked Harry and Hermione. Distracted briefly from Voldemort, Hermione scrutinised the followers, and frowned just slightly. They were in better shape than they should be, she thought. Standing upright, without any visible injuries, although she smiled smugly with satisfaction to see that the biggest one still had a rip to his cloak.

Voldemort smiled nastily. 'Let us now begin the punishments,' he said silkily, his eyes straying from the Death-Eaters who had just entered to Harry.

One of the Death-Eaters coughed loudly.

'What is it, Avery?' Voldemort snapped, not happy at being interrupted.

'My apologies for interrupting, my Lord,' Avery said, 'but would it not be better to ensure that Potter, Granger and Malfoy do not escape while you take care of the other Death-Eaters?' Avery bowed, obviously nervous at disturbing the Dark Lord. Hermione didn't like his suggestion at all, and cursed Avery for being far too clever and watchful. She remembered that Avery had been the Death-Eater Voldemort had been unhappy with last year, and knew that he must be feeling very anxious about raising such a suggestion which could bring him favour, or disfavour.

There was a moment of tense silence, and then the Dark Lord nodded. 'Your words are wise,' he said. Avery breathed a noticeable sigh of relief, and Voldemort turned to Harry. 'Cru–'

The words were begun, but not ended, as Harry was suddenly lifted bodily off his feet and hurled to safety.

'What the?' said Harry, confused, as he steadied himself back on the feet.

'Look!' Hermione cried out, pointing.

The Death-Eaters Mulciber had brought in had thrown of their hoods and robes, and had begun fighting against the other Death-Eaters.

Startled, the Death-Eaters scattered.

'Stay and fight!' Voldemort roared.

'Professor Lupin!' Hermione gasped. 'Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick!' She was clearly flabbergasted, as she watched the people who had suddenly emerged from under the black robes.

'It's the Order of the Phoenix,' Harry said, grinning at Hermione. 'Guard Malfoy!' he yelled, as he ran to join the Order.

Amidst all the confusion, an Inner Circle Death-Eaters threw Harry's wand to Harry, and Hermione's to Hermione, and Hermione, thankfully holding her stolen wand again, gave the Death-Eater, to whom Voldemort had given the wands earlier, a suspicious look. A slight nod from the Death-Eater confirmed it, and she smiled. Professor Snape.

The Order of the Phoenix began fighting, and Hermione watched, pleased, although she didn't recognised some of them.

'Fred, George, Ginny!' she exclaimed, seeing the three Weasleys.

Ginny rushed over to Hermione. 'You're safe!' she said, relieved.

'What are you doing here?' Hermione asked, even as she began fighting the Death-Eaters, throwing Jinxes in every direction, doing as Harry had told her, keeping guard on Draco.

'Me, Fred and George,' Ginny neatly deflected a curse thrown at her, 'found you lot,' she ducked, 'were missing,' she skipped aside from another bolt of light, 'so we found Dumbledore, and he called a meeting of the Order,' she threw a Hex at an approaching Death-Eater. 'The Order decided to come and rescue you.'

'So are these the Order of the Phoenix?' Hermione asked, recalling the name Harry had told her earlier in the year.

Ginny nodded vigorously, as she again ducked a bolt of lime green light. 'That's Mundungus Fletcher,' she pointed at the short man, who was chortling as he used his wand to pick up Death-Eaters by the throat and throw them across the room. 'And that's Artemis Pearce,' she gestured to the tall archer, who had set herself up atop a bookshelf, firing arrows at Death-Eaters, many of which hit, or at least, caused them to flee in panic. Jem Codex came running past her, took a leap into the air, and kicked a Death-Eater who had been approaching Ginny from the side. 'Thanks, Jem,' Ginny said, grinning. 'That's Jem Codex,' she said. 'He's a Metamorphmagus.'

'Really?' Hermione said, fascinated, as she enacted a quick Shield charm to prevent a curse from hitting her.

'Yeah,' Ginny said smirking. 'He was Mulciber. That's how we got in. And you know Mad-Eye Moody, the real thing this time, and Professor Figg, and Lupin.'

She frowned, ducking as another curse flew towards her. 'Oh, and that's Nicolas Flamel,' she said, gesturing to the said famous wizard, who was busy working on the Death-Eater blood protected doorways, doing something complicated, which then caused it to explode with a loud bang and puff of green and red smoke, which helped to add to the chaos.

'Nicolas Flamel?' Hermione asked, eyes wide with awe. 'Oh my goodness!'

'Calm down,' Ginny advised. 'You can chat to him later.'

Hermione and Ginny had stationed themselves above Draco's limp body, defending him, and themselves, while the other members of the Order duelled and fought with the Death-Eaters, who out-numbered them easily in numbers, although not in strength.

Fred and George had devised a most ingenious way of fighting. Hermione watched as Fred threw a small object with remarkable aim into the mouth of one Death-Eater, who she recognised as Nielsen, who swallowed with a loud gulp. Wondering what on earth Fred had attempted to accomplished, she watched amazed as Nielsen suddenly looked rather green in the face, and, bent double, retched on the floor. With his back to them, George easily knocked him out with a simple Jinx.

'What was that?' Hermione shouted at the Weasley twins as she ducked another bolt of purple light.

Fred winked. 'Puking Pastilles.'

He threw another object into another Death-Eater's mouth.

'And that?'

'Nosebleed Nougat,' George said cheerfully as he Hexed the Death-Eater. 'Want to order some? They're on our newest order forms. As you can see, they're useful in both serious and joking situations.'

'Can't you be serious?'

'Nope.'

Watching the ex-Aurors fighting was amazing, both Hermione and Ginny decided. Although both Mad-Eye Moody and Arabella Figg were old, they still remembered much of their training and expertise in their fields, and their duels were fast and usually resulted in their successes.

Professor McGonagall and Flitwick were equally interesting to watch. McGonagall would duel with a Death-Eater, usually with quite a disdainful expression on her face, as the Death-Eater would inevitably quail under her gaze and wand. Flitwick, on the other hand, was like an excitable ball of energy – he had been a Duelling Champion when younger, and it still showed. His short height proved no disadvantage, as he somersaulted and jumped into the air avoiding dangerous curses, hexes and jinxes, all the while, providing his own.

About ten minutes into the fighting, Sirius burst into the chamber through the now ruined doorway. He rubbed his hands readily. 'Have I missed anything?' he shouted at Lupin, who shook his head as he casually deflected a curse sent at him by a short, thin Death-Eater.

'Plenty left,' Lupin said, flicking his wand idly. 'Unfortunately.'

Sirius grinned, pushed his long dark hair out of his face and jumped right into the fray, duelling with any Death-Eater in his path.

'What kept you?' Harry called to his godfather.

Sirius successfully disarmed, then stunned a minor Death-Eater, who collapsed on the floor, a surprised look on his face as his hood slid off. Without turning to Harry, he shouted back in reply.

'I was having a chat with my cousin,' he said as he broke out of a simple jinx. 'Narcissa's now told the House-Elves and the servants to stay put and not try to rescue Lucius Malfoy, or the furniture,' he added, as the throne-like chair on which Voldemort had previously sat crashed and fell in broken pieces to the floor.

'Malfoy's mum is your cousin?' Harry asked incredulously as he shot the Impediment Jinx at an approaching Death-Eater.

'Yes, her father was my father's brother,' Sirius said absently as he ducked a bolt of red light. Turning to look at Harry, his eyes widened. 'Watch out, Harry!' he shouted, just too late, as a shearing bolt of light caused a gash to appear in Harry's side, ripping a slight hole in his robes, dripping with blood. Sirius ran over to his godson, deflecting a curse on the way. 'Are you alright?' he asked urgently, brushing his long dark hair from his eyes to inspect the wound.

'I'm fine,' Harry said, biting his lip in pain. 'It's only a little bit, but it'll make fighting uncomfortable.'

'You're not fighting like that!' Sirius insisted.

'I am!' Harry retorted.

Sirius looked unconvinced. 'Nicolas!'

Nicolas Flamel strolled over unconcernedly from where he had been watching the battle, throwing in the occasional curse.

'You're better at healing than I am,' Sirius said, pointing at Harry's slight wound. Nicolas shrugged and ran one light finger and wand over the wound. It sealed up.

'Thanks!' Harry said, and leapt to his feet again.

'Be careful,' Nicolas warned. 'When you get back to Hogwarts, you had better get it re-healed. That was only temporary.'

'Why aren't you fighting anyway?' Sirius asked him.

Nicolas grinned. 'Too old, Sirius. I mean, six-hundred and seventy, really. Besides, I don't believe I'm needed,' he said, eyeing the fray. 'Let us just say I am watching your backs.'

Sirius shrugged. 'Suit yourself,' he said, bounding back to the battle.

'Ah, to be young again,' Nicolas said, chuckling reminiscently, as he stationed himself near the doors again.

One Death-Eater had his wand pointed at Mundungus, and unaware of that, Mundungus continued hoisting Death-Eaters into the air, and throwing them. Soon, that Death-Eater had fallen forwards onto the ground, blood bubbling from his mouth, an arrow protruding from his back, the result of a deadly shot.

'M'thanks, Arti,' Mundungus shouted up, finally, noticing the dead, pierced Death-Eater on the ground, which he lifted into the air anyway, and threw into a crowd of Death-Eaters for effect.

Artemis gave a brief smile, and continued to fire her arrows.

Lucius Malfoy snuck up to Arabella Figg from behind. 'Avada –' he began but did not finish, as Arabella Figg turned to him with surprising agility for a woman her age and jumping up, kicked him full on in the face, so that he fell backwards, confused, his nose broken and bleeding. Cursing, he Disapparated.

Crabbe and Goyle snr.s hurtled along to Flitwick from opposite directions, who was standing, after having finished duelling with a Death-Eater. Flitwick, pretending not to notice them, waited until the last possible moment, when he levitated himself upwards, causing Crabbe and Goyle to crash into one another with a sickening thud. Landing down, Flitwick hexed the two of them quickly, and they would have fallen, had it not been for Avery, who gave the two lumps of Death-Eaters a disgusted look, and threw them safely out of the way with his own wand.

The fighting continued, fast and furious. One Death-Eater who had noticed Nicolas Flamel standing near the ruined doorway, surrounded Flamel in flames, which the alchemist indifferently brushed away with his wand, and back towards the fleeing Death-eater. Another had his hands around Sirius' throat, choking him, when Sirius suddenly disappeared, and in his place, was a bear-like black dog, his Animagus form, that snapped and snarled at the startled, and frightened Death-Eater, who hurriedly backed away. A Death-Eater, trying to creep up on Moody, was suddenly hexed by surprise, as Moody's magical eye swivelled overtime in his head.

Ginny, who had run to help Fred and George, leaving Hermione alone with Draco, suddenly shrieked, struggling in the grasp of Travers, whose hood had fallen from Ginny's kicking and squirming to reveal his identity.

'Let me go!' Ginny shouted, and tried to knee Travers in the groin, but the Death-Eater held on grimly, avoiding her aim.

Jem saw her, and hurried over, firing hexes and jinxes at Travers, but they slid easily off a shield the Death-Eater had enacted, which was annoyingly strong. Unperturbed, Jem grinned, frowned just slightly in concentration, and then Travers gaped, to find himself staring at … himself. The shield faded, and Jem promptly hexed him in the face.

Hidden underneath his robes, Peter Pettigrew lunged towards Lupin, his silver hand reached out, his watery eyes undecipherable. The hand touched Lupin's neck briefly, and Lupin cried out, when Mundungus Fletcher hooked Pettigrew around the neck and threw him backwards. Wormtail swore, and hurried up, but Sirius was already bounding towards him, a black dog, and he spat and Disapparated.

Lupin held his neck as if in pain. 'Thanks, Dung,' he called to Mundungus, who gave a tight grin.

'S'no problem,' he said amiably.

Hermione worked furiously. Fred and George were covering her as well, now that Ginny had left, and she threw jinxes here and there.

'Fred! George!' Sirius called urgently, when he and Lupin were surrounded by about twelve Death-Eaters, summoned by the angry Wormtail.

Fred and George raced off, armed with plenty of Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougats, leaving Hermione alone.

Hermione was tiring, and her vision became almost blurry, as she stood above Draco. 'Stupefy!' she shouted, downing an approaching Death-Eater, but unseen, another three Death-Eaters had crept up behind her as she had been stunning the other.

'Stupefy!'

Hermione was thrown against the wall as three strong bolts of red light directed themselves at her chest, and she slid to the floor, eyes closed, one arm at an odd angle, a trickle of blood running down her face.

'HERMIONE!' Harry yelled in horror, seeing her fall next to Draco. Without even thinking, he Hexed the three Death-Eaters who had Stunned Hermione simultaneously, and made to run back to her, when Jem thrust him back into the remaining fray.

'She's alive,' the Metamorphmagus said shortly, 'and you need to keep her so by fighting.' Fred and George returned, dismayed, back into their defensive position, now guarding both Draco and Hermione.

The fighting grew less all of a sudden, as Death-Eaters began Disapparating from the room. Evidently, Voldemort had given them a silent order to leave. Some of their number, about twenty in all, remained though, lying prone on the floor.

'It's over!' Ginny shouted exuberantly, and gave her brothers a hug.

'Ron will be mad to have missed all this,' Fred predicted with an evil grin.

'Did you meet him,' Harry asked, interested.

George nodded. 'He was asleep when we saw him, and he's still asleep unless I miss my guess.'

'I'll have to pick up our broomsticks,' said Harry, remembering. 'I left my Firebolt, and Malfoy's Nimbus outside the Gates.'

'Right,' George nodded. 'We'll go and get them now.' He and Fred left.

'They just didn't want to clean up,' said Ginny, disgusted.

Harry looked around, breathing hard, still, but filled with relief. Again, he had escaped another situation, yet he still felt an odd sense of disquiet. Would the Death-Eaters really just leave Malfoy Manor like that?

His eyes moved across the room to where Draco and Hermione were lying. 'Should we take them outside?' he asked Sirius.

Sirius shook his head absently, involved with tying up a Death-Eater with magical rope. 'We'll get them when we're all done, and Portkey them to Hogwarts. Give me a hand, won't you, Harry?' he asked, and Harry nodded, trying to tie the most complicated knots he could think of.

'We're all safe and alive,' Professor McGonagall said, with a relieved smile.

'Where's Severus?' Lupin inquired.

'He had to leave when told to, or it would look a bit suspicious,' Professor Flitwick squeaked.

All the members of the Order were alive, and each of them were smiling with satisfaction, as they magically bound their prisoners, and lifted the dead Death-Eaters onto stretchers to be taken outside. Mad-Eye Moody stumped around to the presumed dead Death-Eater, checking warily that they were really dead, and not just faking death, and inspected each magical knot tying the prisoners, to make sure they were secure. Then, he double-checked, and triple-checked the whole lot again.

They were removing the last Death-Eater from the room, with most of the Order outside, already contacting the Ministry of Magic to help clear up and take the prisoners to Azkaban, when Harry glanced back into the almost empty room, and noticed a darkly-clad figure walking towards the unconscious forms of Draco and Hermione, whom the Order had decided to leave until they were ready depart back to Hogwarts.

Lord Voldemort was walking steadily towards the two, wand pointed at them.

'NO!' Harry shouted, and ran back. None of the Order heard him, gone as they were, and he raced, alone, to Hermione and Draco.

'Get out of my way, Potter,' Voldemort snarled, his eyes red with anger.

'No,' Harry said firmly, his pulse going at triple speed.

'I will not leave without them!' Voldemort hissed. 'After all this trouble, losing my Death-Eaters, losing my base … I will at least accomplish what I wanted to accomplish.'

'No!' Harry said, planting himself resolutely before Hermione and Draco's bodies. 'You will not!'

Behind him, Draco Malfoy lay, face pale and just a bit dusty from the fighting. His mind was swimming in darkness, a great weariness of pain and hollowness refusing to let him up from the black plain in which he inhabited, when little pinpricks of warm, golden light appeared in his vision, despite the fact that his eyes were closed. He felt something tugging at him.

Wake up, a little voice inside him said.

I don't want to, he thought back. It hurts, my mind hurts, I can't wake up …

Wake up, the voice in the back of his mind insisted.

I can't … he said, sighing. I don't want to ever wake up …

If you don't wake up, the voice continued, your friends will die. Harry Potter will die, and Hermione will die, and all will come to nought.

I can't …

You must!

The golden pinpricks of light intensified, and he gasped, as his eyes were suddenly forced open. Blinking rapidly, he floundered, when his hand caught at some hair, Hermione's head. Instinctively, his hand reached for her neck, even as he heard the sounds of voices arguing dimly in the background. Fumbling weakly, Draco drew out the chain with the ring on the end he had given Hermione, and clutched it tightly. A moment later, his eyes widened, focusing, as energy infused his body, and he sat up, trembling, and stood up. Hermione looked wan and pale next to him, and he felt his heart lurch, but stood.

'You will not take either of them,' Harry was saying loudly to Voldemort.

'And I will not listen to your heartening sentiments,' Voldemort sneered. He raised his wand. 'Crucio!'

Harry stumbled to the ground, writhing, with reddening, agonising pain … which stopped suddenly.

'Stop,' Draco said, voice as firm as he could make it, but still faint and drained.

Voldemort lowered his wand. 'So, young Draco, you have decided to join us again in the waking world.' The red in his eyes began to recede, and a look of focused concentration filled them.

'Only for as long as necessary,' Draco said, voice unwavering.

'I will kill him,' Voldemort said, wand pointed at Harry, who was his knees, struggling to stand again.

'You will not,' Draco said. He hesitated only fleetingly. 'I will come with you –'

'And the girl?' Voldemort said quickly.

'No,' Draco said firmly, one hand starting to shake with effort. 'I will come with you, if you swear not to kill Harry or Hermione. Let them go free, and I will come with you and do your bidding.'

'You said this once,' the Dark Lord recalled, softly laughing, derisively. 'You think I will believe you.'

'I will promise to do as you wish,' Draco said, eyes half-shut as exhaustion threatened him.

'No!' Harry said, alarmed. With effort, he stood up, the effects of the Cruciatus Curse dying.

'Don't try to stop me, Potter,' Draco said calmly. 'It is my choice.'

'You can't do this!'

'I can, and I will,' Draco's face was white but he continued steadily.

Voldemort smiled mockingly. 'What touching sentiment,' he commented dryly.

'Will you swear to it?' Draco demanded.

Wizarding swears were not to be taken lightly, but after only a moment's pause, the Dark Lord nodded. 'I will not kill Potter and Hermione if you come with me now.'

Draco nodded, satisfied, closing his eyes briefly.

Voldemort picked up a piece of rubble from the floor, some wood from his chair. 'Portus,' he said, pointing his wand at the wood, which glowed blue, shaking loudly before becoming still again. He held the Portkey out to Draco, who held it with pale, slender hands. 'One … two –'

'Wingardium leviosa!'

The Portkey suddenly found itself floating in the air.

'Incendio!'

The Portkey burst into flame, and fell, charred ashes on the floor.

'Dumbledore!' Harry exclaimed, seeing the wizard.

Dumbledore was striding through the ruined doorway, his long silvery beard somehow managing not to get caught up in his legs or robes, his normally twinkling blue eyes snapping electric with fury, his face white, and his wand aloft.

'Dumbledore,' Voldemort breathed, his eyes widening, the irises glowing red again. He raised his own wand.

'Are you ready to fight me, Tom?' Dumbledore asked, voice composed, staring tranquilly at Voldemort. 'Do you wish to fight me before the terms are met?'

The two stared at each other, blue eyes boring into red eyes.

Voldemort began spitting swear-words.

'I did not think so, Tom. You know what would happen if we fought before the terms have been agreed,' Dumbledore said, his powerfully heavy voice ringing through the chamber, yet not rising above a shout.

'You interfere, you old fool,' Voldemort hissed, angrily, his face whiter than before in its anger. He pointed his wand at Dumbledore, and a wave of white-hot flames surrounded the wizard. A fountain of water sprinkled above Dumbledore's head, extinguishing his flames.

'As do you,' Dumbledore said serenely.

Again, Voldemort tried to fight him, this time encasing him in black darkness, but light shone and the inkiness dissipated. He cast his wand at the floor before Dumbledore, and a crack appeared, but Dumbledore stood steadily.

Dumbledore raised his wand. 'Will you leave now, or will you duel?'

Voldemort glared at him. 'This is not over, Dumbledore,' he said, his red, slit-pupilled eyes staring at Dumbledore intensely.

'No, it is not, Tom,' Dumbledore said calmly. 'Unfortunately so.'

With a loud crack, the Dark Lord Disapparated. The room was empty of Death-Eaters now, and Draco and Harry both turned to stare at Dumbledore.

'Rest, Mr Malfoy,' Dumbledore said, gesturing his hand to Draco. 'You did well today,' he said, voice sounding kind and also impressed.

Draco nodded.

Well done, another voice said in his mind, as his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor yet again, merciful blackness releasing his mind to recover.

Author's notes: Well, that was a fun chappie to write! All the fighting, that is. Thinking up creative ways for the Order to fight was enjoyable, and now I feel quite energetic, actually. Um, Flitwick was influenced by Yoda, Jem's shape-shifting fight from X-Men, and that's all I can think of now. I have to admit that I took a lot of influence from JKR's Order of the Phoenix for Dumbledore's arrival, and also for some of the fighting. Before, I had no idea how to do the fighting, but her big finish-up in the Department of Mysteries helped greatly. Actually, I thought Order of the Phoenix would make me feel like never writing this fanfic again, but I've actually found it encouraging and it has given me so much material to work with! So, I hope you enjoyed the third-last chappie, next one's the second-last one.

I've started thinking about part 2 of my fic, and I've found that I need some help from somebody British, or who used to live in Britain! I need help in the form of information about Britain, way of life etc., since I'm not actually British. If anybody wouldn't mind me sending e-mails every so often asking about British customs, could you please tell me? Thanks!

Reviews! 9 … okay, I suppose there's still hope for 100, but … please? Anyway, thank you to those who did review.

mina-ise – yay! Yippee! You got it finally!

No Comment – I'm glad you found it interesting. Draco will make it out of this bit fine, as you could probably tell.

Porphyrophobic Grape – isn't it interesting how the guy who plays Oliver Wood isn't going to be in the third film, yet quidditch is so important to the third book? I have no idea what they're going to do about quidditch in film 3.

~Fawn the Panther~ – I'm still mourning Sirius, don't worry.

Lady Prongs – for once, your prediction's not quite right! I think this is the only Manor they'll be encountering. The Manor is the name for part 1. I think part 2 will be called The Beckoning Past but I'm not too sure yet.

wolfy 65 – thank you!

Cinnamon Angel - yeah, I was thinking of reading it slowly to savour it, but then I gave up, and read it as fast as possible in the end!

Alexis-Lee - you're back! Thanks, and I'm glad you like Voldemort. He's reverted a bit in this chapter, but it'll all make sense.