The Aftermath
By S. Christian
DISCLAIMER: This fic is based on charactars and situations created by J.K. Rowling and not myself. I have no money, therefore please, try your best not to sue me.
How did ya'll like that little bittie of a flashback last chapter? Now is the time to get some things straight. Peter Pettigrew was executed the day Lucius Malfoy should have been. But how was this mistake made? R&R, because I'd hate to send super-hero extroadinaire Shortman and his trusty side-kick One-Armed Guy after you. With that in mind, read on in prosperity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco listened to Harry's account of the execution. He was silent as a stone. He couldn't believe that his father, Lucius Malfoy, the most horrible man he had ever known, was still alive. Let alone the fact he was still alive, he was on the attack. He obviously tried to kill Harry, unintentionally hitting Ron. Knowing his father, Draco knew that this couldn't have dissapointed him too much. At least he got to Harry in his head.
Harry now finished with the account. Draco cleared his throat. "How do you think that Pettigrew pulled any of this off?"
Everyone thought of this for a little bit. Then, it hit Harry. "Was your father an Animagus?"
Draco nodded. "He taught the art of it to me in my seventh year. I still don't see how that explains this Peter Pettigrew. How could he have gotten in and taken the form of my father for so long?"
Hermione was now speaking up (she had to let everyone know she knew practically everything). "Pettigrew was an Animagus. He could turn into a rat. What form could your father take?"
"He could become a spider."
Draco was dumbstruck as he spoke these words. How could he have missed that. His father escaped through spider form and Pettigrew replaced him while in rat form.
Hermione was grinning now that she had figured it out. "Pettigrew came in with some kind of strong Polyjuice Potion and turned into your father. I hear that adding Wormswart can give the Potion a nearly perfect and permenent form. We see the defects in the fact his hand didn't change color."
"And now he supposes he's replaced Voldemort," Harry said, staring into space.
"That doesn't surprise me," Draco said. "Father was always high in the regards of Voldemort, despite the times where he betrayed him."
Harry shook his head. "High regards or not, could he have possibly become powerful enough to really replace a wizard of Voldemort's caliblur?"
Draco shrugged. "Either way," he said, "can we take the risk?"
Hermione now said, "No. We can't. If he has become more powerful, we have to find and kill him. It won't be easy, but I'm sure I can use some sources from the Ministry's records to try and corner him in a certain spot."
Just then, an owl swooped into the room through the open window. It had a letter tied to it's leg. Draco picked it up and read it.
He dropped it. "According to this, we won't have to."
Harry's face lit up. "You mean we know where he is? This is great." He paused after saying this. "Wait. He's made this too easy. What's the catch."
Draco fell to the floor. "We have four days to rescue Ginny."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry stormed into the Auror's Mission Office at the Ministry. Behind the front desk, there was a skinny witch with large glasses. She looked up and said, "Anything I can do for ya, Potter?"
He had a stone cold expression on his face. "Assemble me the best Auror's we've got and any remaining member of the Order. We've got a kidnap case."
The witch gave him a confused look. "We don't handle kidnap in this office, Harry, you know that."
Harry turned viciously and stared at her sharply. "We do when it's involved with the rise of the Death Eaters."
"The Death Eaters?" she said, shocked and dropping the quill she had previously been playing with. "How can they be back? We killed You-Know-Who and Lucius, along with the other top Death Eaters. Who else can there be?"
Harry shook off any urge he had to make a smart comment on her using Voldemort's nickname. He was in a desperate situation. "We never killed Lucius. We killed Peter Pettigrew under Polyjuice Potion effects."
After a few seconds of shock, the witch snapped back to it. "Any specifications on who I should call?" she asked.
Harry responded, "I want Longbottom, Thomas, Finnigan, and anyone the Minister thinks is neccesary. By the way, I want Minister Dumbledore notified of the situation immediately."
The witch just nodded and started writing letters.
"Oh," Harry said, turning back around. "I want any Auror Trainees above E Class on this case, too. I have a feeling Malfoy is not going to make this as easy for us then I thought."
"Do you know where he is?"
Harry turned to see Albus Dumbledore.
"Yes, Minister, we know where he is. He's taken a cabin somewhere about 20 miles off of Hogsmeade."
Dumbledore just nodded.
"Minister," Harry said, "with someone like Lucius running the Death Eaters operations, do you think we'll be able to get in easily? By that, I mean what kind of defenses do you think he'll have?"
The old Minister stared at Harry. "I wish I knew, Harry. I wish I knew."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry returned to his flat that night, wondering if it would be his last time. Tomorrow morning, they were assaulting the Death Eaters. This time would be different though. It would be all or nothing. It wouldn't stop until every supporter of Voldemort was gone. Killing Lucius wouldn't be enough. They all had to die.
It was already 11:00. He figured, as he unlocked the door, that Hermione would already be asleep. He found that he was wrong. She was sitting on the couch, covered in a blanket, reading. She looked up as he entered and tried to grin. As soon as she found she couldn't, she started to cry.
Harry stepped across the room and pulled her into a hug. "What's wrong?" he asked, placing a kiss on her forehead.
She was speaking in soft sobs. "Do you have to ask?"
He had no response to this.
She continued to sob as she said, "I almost lost Ron, and I don't want to lose you, too."
They sat in silence for a moment. She was still in his embrace. He turned her face softly toward his and looked in her eyes. "I promise I won't die. I'll come back. It won't be the last time you see my face. I promise you that."
With those words, he pulled her into a soft kiss. For both of them, it couldn't have lasted too long.
Not too long after the kiss ended, Hermione had fallen sleep. He picked her up and carried her to her bed. After he set her down, he took time to take in the sight of her beautiful face. He touched her cheek softly.
"I love you."
With that in mind, he left the room. He left the flat. He had someone to see at the hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The nurse allowed him to go in and see Ron, despite the fact that it was already midnight. He walked in to see Ron wasn't asleep, not too much to Harry's surprise.
Ron looked up and faked a grin. He hadn't been in his warmest mood ever with Harry. Harry hadn't blamed him either. For all he knew, he deserved whatever it was he was getting.
"Hey," Harry said.
"Hey," Ron resonded, with the same low enthusiasm Harry had.
Harry sighed. "I'm going to fight Lucius tomorrow. I'm not sure what will happen. Figured I'd come by and see you. You know, in case anything happens."
Ron just stared into space. "You've taken the love of my life. It's very possible it's your fault I have no career any more."
Harry started to speak, but Ron held up a hand as if to stop him.
"Don't take my best friend from me, too," he said.
Harry looked down. "I promised to come back. To Hermione. I don't know if I can keep that promise. Ron, if I don't make it out of there tomorrow, promise me you'll look after her. Make sure no harm comes to her. Take care of her for me."
Ron looked up at Harry. "Don't talk that way. You'll make it back. I know it."
"But if I don't," Harry said, "then make me this promise."
Ron hesitated, as if promising would insure Harry's death. "I promise."
Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Thanks. I'll make sure your sister comes home. I'll die before anything happens to her."
With that, Harry got up and left the room. Ron watched as he left. He couldn't help but feel guilty. If he could move his legs, he'd be there to help Harry. He sat back, frustrated and hoping for the best.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now is the part where you review and I say "YAY! SOMEONE REVIEWED!". I'd like to thank anybody that's reviewed my chapters as of late. All I can tell you is that the end is near for this story, but fear not, because I might have another story (possibly a sequal) coming at you before my school year starts (one week from now). Until I update again, I must say adios.
By S. Christian
DISCLAIMER: This fic is based on charactars and situations created by J.K. Rowling and not myself. I have no money, therefore please, try your best not to sue me.
How did ya'll like that little bittie of a flashback last chapter? Now is the time to get some things straight. Peter Pettigrew was executed the day Lucius Malfoy should have been. But how was this mistake made? R&R, because I'd hate to send super-hero extroadinaire Shortman and his trusty side-kick One-Armed Guy after you. With that in mind, read on in prosperity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco listened to Harry's account of the execution. He was silent as a stone. He couldn't believe that his father, Lucius Malfoy, the most horrible man he had ever known, was still alive. Let alone the fact he was still alive, he was on the attack. He obviously tried to kill Harry, unintentionally hitting Ron. Knowing his father, Draco knew that this couldn't have dissapointed him too much. At least he got to Harry in his head.
Harry now finished with the account. Draco cleared his throat. "How do you think that Pettigrew pulled any of this off?"
Everyone thought of this for a little bit. Then, it hit Harry. "Was your father an Animagus?"
Draco nodded. "He taught the art of it to me in my seventh year. I still don't see how that explains this Peter Pettigrew. How could he have gotten in and taken the form of my father for so long?"
Hermione was now speaking up (she had to let everyone know she knew practically everything). "Pettigrew was an Animagus. He could turn into a rat. What form could your father take?"
"He could become a spider."
Draco was dumbstruck as he spoke these words. How could he have missed that. His father escaped through spider form and Pettigrew replaced him while in rat form.
Hermione was grinning now that she had figured it out. "Pettigrew came in with some kind of strong Polyjuice Potion and turned into your father. I hear that adding Wormswart can give the Potion a nearly perfect and permenent form. We see the defects in the fact his hand didn't change color."
"And now he supposes he's replaced Voldemort," Harry said, staring into space.
"That doesn't surprise me," Draco said. "Father was always high in the regards of Voldemort, despite the times where he betrayed him."
Harry shook his head. "High regards or not, could he have possibly become powerful enough to really replace a wizard of Voldemort's caliblur?"
Draco shrugged. "Either way," he said, "can we take the risk?"
Hermione now said, "No. We can't. If he has become more powerful, we have to find and kill him. It won't be easy, but I'm sure I can use some sources from the Ministry's records to try and corner him in a certain spot."
Just then, an owl swooped into the room through the open window. It had a letter tied to it's leg. Draco picked it up and read it.
He dropped it. "According to this, we won't have to."
Harry's face lit up. "You mean we know where he is? This is great." He paused after saying this. "Wait. He's made this too easy. What's the catch."
Draco fell to the floor. "We have four days to rescue Ginny."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry stormed into the Auror's Mission Office at the Ministry. Behind the front desk, there was a skinny witch with large glasses. She looked up and said, "Anything I can do for ya, Potter?"
He had a stone cold expression on his face. "Assemble me the best Auror's we've got and any remaining member of the Order. We've got a kidnap case."
The witch gave him a confused look. "We don't handle kidnap in this office, Harry, you know that."
Harry turned viciously and stared at her sharply. "We do when it's involved with the rise of the Death Eaters."
"The Death Eaters?" she said, shocked and dropping the quill she had previously been playing with. "How can they be back? We killed You-Know-Who and Lucius, along with the other top Death Eaters. Who else can there be?"
Harry shook off any urge he had to make a smart comment on her using Voldemort's nickname. He was in a desperate situation. "We never killed Lucius. We killed Peter Pettigrew under Polyjuice Potion effects."
After a few seconds of shock, the witch snapped back to it. "Any specifications on who I should call?" she asked.
Harry responded, "I want Longbottom, Thomas, Finnigan, and anyone the Minister thinks is neccesary. By the way, I want Minister Dumbledore notified of the situation immediately."
The witch just nodded and started writing letters.
"Oh," Harry said, turning back around. "I want any Auror Trainees above E Class on this case, too. I have a feeling Malfoy is not going to make this as easy for us then I thought."
"Do you know where he is?"
Harry turned to see Albus Dumbledore.
"Yes, Minister, we know where he is. He's taken a cabin somewhere about 20 miles off of Hogsmeade."
Dumbledore just nodded.
"Minister," Harry said, "with someone like Lucius running the Death Eaters operations, do you think we'll be able to get in easily? By that, I mean what kind of defenses do you think he'll have?"
The old Minister stared at Harry. "I wish I knew, Harry. I wish I knew."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry returned to his flat that night, wondering if it would be his last time. Tomorrow morning, they were assaulting the Death Eaters. This time would be different though. It would be all or nothing. It wouldn't stop until every supporter of Voldemort was gone. Killing Lucius wouldn't be enough. They all had to die.
It was already 11:00. He figured, as he unlocked the door, that Hermione would already be asleep. He found that he was wrong. She was sitting on the couch, covered in a blanket, reading. She looked up as he entered and tried to grin. As soon as she found she couldn't, she started to cry.
Harry stepped across the room and pulled her into a hug. "What's wrong?" he asked, placing a kiss on her forehead.
She was speaking in soft sobs. "Do you have to ask?"
He had no response to this.
She continued to sob as she said, "I almost lost Ron, and I don't want to lose you, too."
They sat in silence for a moment. She was still in his embrace. He turned her face softly toward his and looked in her eyes. "I promise I won't die. I'll come back. It won't be the last time you see my face. I promise you that."
With those words, he pulled her into a soft kiss. For both of them, it couldn't have lasted too long.
Not too long after the kiss ended, Hermione had fallen sleep. He picked her up and carried her to her bed. After he set her down, he took time to take in the sight of her beautiful face. He touched her cheek softly.
"I love you."
With that in mind, he left the room. He left the flat. He had someone to see at the hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The nurse allowed him to go in and see Ron, despite the fact that it was already midnight. He walked in to see Ron wasn't asleep, not too much to Harry's surprise.
Ron looked up and faked a grin. He hadn't been in his warmest mood ever with Harry. Harry hadn't blamed him either. For all he knew, he deserved whatever it was he was getting.
"Hey," Harry said.
"Hey," Ron resonded, with the same low enthusiasm Harry had.
Harry sighed. "I'm going to fight Lucius tomorrow. I'm not sure what will happen. Figured I'd come by and see you. You know, in case anything happens."
Ron just stared into space. "You've taken the love of my life. It's very possible it's your fault I have no career any more."
Harry started to speak, but Ron held up a hand as if to stop him.
"Don't take my best friend from me, too," he said.
Harry looked down. "I promised to come back. To Hermione. I don't know if I can keep that promise. Ron, if I don't make it out of there tomorrow, promise me you'll look after her. Make sure no harm comes to her. Take care of her for me."
Ron looked up at Harry. "Don't talk that way. You'll make it back. I know it."
"But if I don't," Harry said, "then make me this promise."
Ron hesitated, as if promising would insure Harry's death. "I promise."
Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Thanks. I'll make sure your sister comes home. I'll die before anything happens to her."
With that, Harry got up and left the room. Ron watched as he left. He couldn't help but feel guilty. If he could move his legs, he'd be there to help Harry. He sat back, frustrated and hoping for the best.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now is the part where you review and I say "YAY! SOMEONE REVIEWED!". I'd like to thank anybody that's reviewed my chapters as of late. All I can tell you is that the end is near for this story, but fear not, because I might have another story (possibly a sequal) coming at you before my school year starts (one week from now). Until I update again, I must say adios.