"Potter?"
Draco's face was ashen and when Harry looked more closely he could see fear in the other boy's eyes.
"How come you're here? Why aren't you at Hogwarts?"
Asked the Malfoy heir.
Harry snorted,
"I could ask you the same thing Malfoy."
Draco glanced both ways down the hall before he stepped into the room.
"What are your allegiances Potter? Tell me the truth."
Harry found the question almost comical, but the seriousness in Draco's face helped him to hold back a laugh.
"Well, if the fact that the evil maniac Dark Lord has me imprisoned here isn't enough proof for you… Or the fact that I have frequently displayed openly my devotion to Hogwarts and its headmaster… Then I'll tell you. I am against Voldemort… And more recently the evil spirit that is possessing him."
Draco frowned.
"Possessing You-Know-Who?"
"Yes Draco. Possessing Voldemort. It's the spirit of the founder of your house no less."
Harry decided that it would probably be pushing Draco's limits to tell him that said spirit had actually resided in Harry's head the past 14 odd years.
"It makes sense."
Draco muttered with a glint in his eye.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that this spirit has the ability to take many different personas… I believe he's currently masquerading as our potions master."
Said Harry, resuming his attention to his thumbnail now that he knew he had Draco's interest.
Draco was regarding him with a piercing look but he ignored the Slytherin's intimidating glare and brushed down his rather crumpled robes.
"So… Not that I'm keen to lose the company, but what are you planning to do Malfoy?"
"Do you want to go back?"
Asked Draco suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
Asked Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"I think… that we should go back to Hogwarts."
Harry's eyes bulged.
"Surely you're not going to help me escape!"
"Actually Potter, I do believe I will."
***
Snape felt like yelling in triumph when the binds finally came loose.
In the end he remembered that he was completely alone and gave in to the impulse.
"There then Lucius! See? I got one over on you this time! What ever your plans with me were, I'm not going to be here."
Feeling a calmness fall upon him all of a sudden, he rolled his head from side to side working the knots out of his neck and after a couple of satisfying crunches he gathered himself and swept from the workroom into the shadowy filtered light of the forest.
Hearing shouting from behind him he stopped in his tracks.
Two centaurs quickly surrounded him, but they were paying little attention to him.
He recognised one of them as Muane, the healer from Albus' description.
"We must intercede!" Cried the other, a handsome young palomino male.
"No Firenze. We must not. It is not our place and who knows what it would incur."
Replied Muane calmly her attention suddenly shifting to Snape.
"Go back to the castle potions master. Events there will unfold that require your presence."
She intoned commandingly.
She shot a glance of warning at 'Firenze' that Snape could not fail to miss and the palomino closed his mouth before galloping off back into the forest.
Snape blinked a couple of times at her tired face before he turned to leave.
He heard her reedy voice faintly carried to him across the stagnant air of the forest as he started to walk away.
"Good luck potions master."
***
After Harry had stared for almost a full minute, Draco chuckled.
"I know how we can get out. I certainly don't want to hang around here if my father and the psycho possessed Dark Lord are anywhere about!"
Harry nodded, struck dumb and Draco held out his hand.
His mind instantly shot back to the robes shop all those years ago, before he'd even stepped foot in Hogwarts and he smiled.
Taking the hand of his fiercest house rival he laughed.
"Lead on then Draco. I'll follow."
A strange half smile formed on the blonde's pale face before he made to move, and before Harry knew it they were running together through the haughty passageways of the Malfoy family manor.
"The main entrance is heavily warded, there's only one other way that anyone not of Malfoy blood can possibly use. It's in the kitchens. That's where I'm taking you."
Harry nodded and they continued to run.
It didn't take long. The kitchens appeared to be almost directly beneath the East tower where he'd been trapped,
"Just slide in between the dresser and the wall and close your eyes. I'll go first and meet you outside."
Said Draco as they entered a dusty abandoned looking parlour, next to the kitchen.
Draco disappeared through the gap and Harry took a deep breath before he followed using Draco's advice and screwing his eyes firmly shut.
He felt a falling sensation, but very quickly he felt his feet hit the solid ground and by the feeling of wind on his face he opened his eyes and confirmed that he was indeed outside the mansion.
Draco laughed.
"You know Harry. I thought it'd be the last thing I'd use… But I've actually got a portkey to Hogwarts right here."
Harry stared at him in surprise and when Draco took out the eagle feather quill he eyed it suspiciously.
"Ready to go back Harry?"
"As I'll ever be."
With a deep breath he reached forwards and took a hold of the other end of the feather.
Draco muttered the activation code, which sounded suspiciously like 'gumdrops', and they were spun away.
***
As Snape climbed the steps up to Hogwarts he was greeted by a furious looking Minerva McGonagall.
"Stop right there Severus." She shouted drawing her wand.
"What's this about Minerva?"
He asked gruffly continuing to climb the steps.
"Stop! Now!"
Yelled the head of Gryffindor.
Snape was about to growl out a snarky comment when he was hit by her stunning spell, as he slumped to the floor his last thought was, 'I hope I don't hit my wrist or head again they're already pretty sore.'
Minerva McGonagall sighed in relief as the Potion master fell into her arms. She caught him and quickly muttered a levitation spell.
As she marched through the halls she thought to cast an invisibility charm on the professor floating behind her. After all, there were enough rumours banding about as it was.
She'd almost reached the headmaster's office when Arabella Figg literally bumped into her.
"Oh, sorry Minerva! Harry's back! And the Malfoy boy is with him. There's an uproar. I'm looking for Sirius. I hope he hasn't destroyed any of Severus' things yet. It seems that Snape may be innocent after all!"
Before McGonagall could say anything Figg had bustled off down the corridor, with a shrug she continued on to the office, her heart already feeling lighter with the thought of more than one wrong being righted by Harry's return.
***
Lucius Malfoy watched nervously as Slytherin prowled about in front of him.
"It doesn't make much difference. We can use his escape to our advantage. We have to think strategically about this. And you say that Severus has also vacated his holdings? Well, I suppose it makes little difference in the end. They still wont be ready. We shall proceed as planned, although of course without Potter as a bargaining chip we shall have to improvise something."
"And what off Figg and Weasley?"
He asked tentatively.
"They do not concern me. Dumbledore is the one who I need to neutralise. The boy will be vulnerable enough. My plan will not fail."
Snapped the Dark Lord shortly.
Lucius felt foreboding well inside of him.
"Of course my Lord."
He replied sibilantly.
"We leave for Hogwarts at 7 o clock. Dinner time in the Great Hall of my precious school. An appropriate sssetting don't you think Luciusss? I will finish what I began when Godric dared to quessstion me. And I ssshall be victoriousss!"
***
Harry and Draco instantly appearing in the Headmaster's office had caused quite a stir. The only one who knew that Draco had possessed that particular portkey was Dumbledore himself and he regarded the Slytherin with a warm smile.
"Welcome back Mr Malfoy, Mr Potter. It's good to see you both."
The story came out of both of their mouths and after a short while many things started to finally make sense to everybody.
In the end Draco agreed to help Remus Lupin and Arabella Figg in looking for Sirius as he had gotten to know the man quite well from their tutoring.
Harry had vacated for the Hospital Wing. Apparently it was important that he be checked over after having been taken captive. He felt absolutely fine but hadn't had the will to fight with Remus' insistence.
He was saved from this fate when he was ambushed by a host of his Gryffindor housemates.
"Um, hello."
He muttered nervously under their frustrated glares.
"I was… er, just on my way to the hospital wing."
"What about us?! We didn't even know you'd gone missing! You could have come and got us!"
Ron shouted despite the fact that he had an obviously relieved smile on his face.
"Honestly." Grumbled Hermione, sticking her hands on her hips. "If Ginny hadn't come and told us what was going on we wouldn't have known anything! You're lucky that she knew you were safe because of the whole Guardian thing!"
Harry ducked his head, a fierce blush spread across his cheeks.
"I'm sorry… I've been a bit, um, distracted. There was Sirius' trial, the explosion, being captured by the spirit of Slytherin…"
He was interrupted by Ron who punched his arm lightly.
"It's okay mate. We'll talk about your misfortune and crazy life later… For now I think you'd better listen to the geniuses. Something needs to be done about that Slytherin git!"
Harry turned his attention back to Hermione and Neville.
"What's going on?"
Hermione Took a deep breath…
"Well, when we first heard about the whole spirit of Slytherin thing my first instinct was to look it up…"
"No it wasn't!" Said Ron, "Her first instinct was to hex everything 'Slytherin' in sight as retaliation for what his spirit did to you Harry!"
Hermione blushed. "Well, my second instinct then…"
Ron leant over to whisper to Harry, "She was mad… It was brilliant mate!"
"Ron, can we just get on with explaining?" Hermione huffed in exasperation.
Although Harry could detect a subtly pleased look in her eyes that suggested that Hermione truly did feel as rebellious as the rest of them given half the chance.
"Of course milady."
Replied Ron, stepping back with a theatrical bow.
Hermione rolled her eyes but continued regardless.
"Once we were in the library I struggled to find anything relevant… That's where Neville comes in."
Here, Neville stepped forward looking uncomfortable, his face was bright red and his eyes fixed on the floor.
Harry felt concern flood through him and moved to go to the other boy but Ron held him back and Neville waved him away, and with a deep breath of preparation he spoke.
"When I first came to Hogwarts I used to visit the library a lot. I wasn't studying for my classes. In fact, it's a surprise I passed first year at all…
I was looking for something… something else."
Harry had a sudden jolt of realisation and immediately felt sick to his stomach. He remained silent as he heard Neville gasp.
"I was looking for anything I could find on, restoration of spirits and spiritual manifestations."
Neville's eyes were rimmed with red but when they locked with Harry's he saw the steely strength that had held Neville together for as long as it had.
"I wanted to find some way to bring my parents back… To return their souls to their bodies. Because that's what the doctors used to say… Their souls aren't here any more, it's only their reticent minds that are left… Hermione I think you should tell the rest."
Neville closed his eyes and sank into a chair. Ginny automatically took his hand and Harry could see that Neville's knuckles were white as he gripped it like a lifeline.
Ginny didn't seem to mind his grip and nodded to Hermione to continue.
"Neville showed me some of the theories he'd unearthed. The books had very little about recalling and restoring spirits. It's never been done. But there were theories about banishing spirits… In the restricted section. It's dark magic Harry. The magic could be used for such terrible things, banishing someone from their body…"
Hermione shuddered and Harry could feel his own skin prickling with apprehension as well.
"Show me."
He whispered, his voice sounding unfamiliar and gruff.
Hermione gave him a long look and she nodded.
Harry looked at the book and felt a powerful mixture of fear and relief.
He was relieved when he saw the detailed explanation of the powerful wandless magic that was required.
It had worried him that a book with such information as this was in a school library. He knew now that only he, and probably Dumbledore would have been capable of casting the spell.
He couldn't ignore the fear that tingled through his veins though.
He looked up at his friends' faces.
"I… I've never done anything this powerful before… And… Well, I've never used dark magic. I don't know if I can."
Ginny's other hand had somehow found it's way into his and he squeezed it gently letting some of his apprehension drain away.
Standing up, he was flanked by Ron and Hermione.
"Okay… Forget the Hospital Wing, I'm fine. Let's go and get Dumbledore. We need a plan of action."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/NThorgood – I will finish. The butt-kicking is in 64
franny – Yup, Draco's an idiot, but he's seeing the light!
Kit Cloudkicker – Well, you were practically right!
Lourdes – Thanks so much for your encouragement. I can see how awfully wrong my fic is in comparison to the real book 5 and I needed persuasion to bother posting this chapter and the last 2 that follow it! Thanks!
Elucreh – I WILL finish it!
Shrimpo/Jewels – I'm sorry that you had trouble reading it. I hope this one is easier!
Thanks peeps!
I'll be back soon with the last 2 chapters!
Luv
Jona
xxx