Penname: Page of Cups
Email: AndromedanPrincess@hotmail.com
AOL Screen Name: AndromedanQueen
Title: The Prophecy of Absconditus
Rating: R
Pairing: Ron Weasley/Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini
Yes, I own Harry Potter. In fact, he's tied to my bed right now, arching his back, and . . . er—never mind.
Chapter Twenty: Wherein Things Need to be Explained
Boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frog wrappers lay sprawled around Harry and Ron. From outside the window, countryside rolled by. Sitting in Ron's lap, Scabbers slept with his tail draping off Ron's thigh.
Dark, eerie light played menacing shadows off the walls. Large, life-size chess pieces loomed around them, and Ron's knees shook beneath him as the white queen approached. If he continued to breathe, the oxygen didn't reach his brain. Ron couldn't string together any coherent thoughts other than it was hard to breathe and he was going to die.
Bile rose in Ron's throat as he tried to keep the food in his stomach and the urine in his bladder. Spiders clicked and crawled. He huddled closer to Harry, whispering his name, trying to scream but unable to make the sounds. Every limb was cold and numb, frozen to his heart.
Excruciating pain shot through his body. White spots blinked before his eyes and blinded him, the pain too great to endure. He held on to Harry, staring through those bursts of light at Sirius Black. Hermione did most of the work in holding Harry back; Ron couldn't stand on his own.
Ron sat between Hermione and Cho Chang in McGonagall's office. She said something about the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, about being the thing Harry would miss the most. Hermione's voice droned into his ears but Ron was incapable of understanding, too busy trying to comprehend meaning that much to Harry.
Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch teams faced off, Malfoy and Harry snarling in each other's faces. Ron abandoned them, walking from the pitch. "Weasley is Our King" repeated in his head, and Ron felt his face turn red to the tips of his ears. Not even the Cleansweep Eleven could help his abysmal Quidditch skills.
The fire died in the hearth, crackling on low embers. Only the dim light from the dying fire and dusk filtrated into the Gryffindor common room. Harry sat on a squishy armchair, staring at Ron and Hermione. He told them he was gay. Ron fell off his chair.
Ron sat slumped in the back of a classroom as Professor Valmont stared at Blaise, listening to him explain the Prophecy of the Four Mages. Harry doodled on his parchment while Hermione transcribed Blaise's words. Across the room, Malfoy twirled a quill in his fingers, his chin resting on a fist.
Wind whipped around Ron as he lay on the cold, hard ground, his arms wrapped around Draco's body. Skin meshed with skin and made it impossible to tell which limbs belonged to whom. Ron raked his fingers through Draco's hair and pressed their foreheads together.
Curses and jets of light flew around the Great Hall; people falling all around him. Narcissa orchestrated the Death Eaters; the second blonde girl faced off with Professor Leiss. Hex after hex hit Draco, and his body absorbed them without any distinguishable effect.
Sitting next to Draco on the Hogwarts Express, Ron wrapped his arms around Draco. Across, a girl with long, messy hair doodled on the cover of the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7. Hermione knitted, probably working on a hat for a house elf. Blaise opened the compartment door, walked in, and collapsed between the girls.
*
"I think he's coming out of it."
Ron blinked, opened his eyes, and looked for the voice. His body ached; the cold ground pressed upon it without mercy. Draco walked into view, sitting by his head, and soft, velvety droplets trickled down his face.
"Had a vision?" said Draco.
"I wouldn't call it a vision. I mean . . . it was scenes. They flashed through my mind."
"What were the scenes about?"
"They were stuff that's already happened . . . except the end. That stuff hasn't happened."
"That's interesting."
"Where's Harry?"
"I'm right here." Harry crouched before Ron. "Don't worry about me. You know you aren't supposed to fight visions. You could pass out when you do that."
"I had to. I couldn't let myself fall into one when the Death Eaters attacked us."
"True."
"What happened?"
"Now's not the time," said Draco. "We have to get out of here. Potter and I have some strength back, and you're better at recovering from visions. That'll be enough to get out, but we need to stop somewhere and rest for the night. I vote Weasley Manor. I don't think mine is safe."
"I agree," said Harry. "We'll explain as soon as we're settled. We don't have time to waste."
"We've wasted more than we can afford."
"All right. Let's get out of here."
Ron sat up, wincing, and held his head. It throbbed from the fighting, his eyes pulsating in rhythm with his head. Draco hoisted him to his feet. They stood in the marketplace, and the water that dampened his hairline came from the fountain. Religious and sacrilegious, Ron didn't know what to make of it.
Drudging back, Draco led them down the main road to the palace. Instead of turning back to Alecto's Tower, they continued past the oracle path and through the palace gates. Now it was three instead of four, and Ron wanted to reach out for Harry to reassure him. Instead, he drew into himself, and followed into the dungeons.
It took some searching, but they came upon a sloping, uphill climb. Ron's calves, thighs, and arse already felt taut and aching, but he forced them to work as they traveled out of the darkness. Perspiration beaded on his skin and Ron felt dizzy. He groped the wall beside him, balancing with Draco in front and Harry behind. Once or twice, Ron felt the ground shift beneath his feet, and he imagined the horrible fall to his death. It was the kind of paranoia he'd share with Draco and Harry if one of their number hadn't just been taken by the enemy.
They emerged in the Weasley Manor dungeons. Ron saw it enough times playing hide and seek as a child with the twins to know. He used to like it down here until Fred told him spiders as big as quaffles lived there. After Aragog, spiders the size of quaffles, while not pleasant, were at least tolerable.
House elves milled around, and Ron found one as soon as they came out on the ground level. He demanded to see his grandparents and the little elf squeaked, leading the three through winding corridors. They stood outside Maddock Weasley's study again, and the elf knocked. Doris opened the door, took one look at the boys (her eyes lingered on Ron's and Draco's hair), and ushered them inside. She ordered the elf to return to his duties.
"Where's the other one?"
"The Death Eaters took him," said Ron.
"Death Eaters? What happened? We received a visit from Rebekah Leiss looking for you. Told her you had been here but we didn't know where you went."
"We got into Absconditus," said Draco.
"And started the fountain," said Harry.
"Then Death Eaters jumped out of it and tried to kill us," said Ron.
"We need somewhere to sleep tonight," said Draco. "To rest up. We're heading back to Hideout B in the morning."
"I'll take you," said Maddock. He sat behind his desk, his fingers pressed together. "We'll fly. Got a few brooms you boys can borrow. You've had enough walking and its a long way from here."
"Rebekah told us how to get there if you came back," said Doris.
"Thank you," said Ron. "That'll help. I can't go into everything that happened. I don't even really know yet."
"That's fine, dear. Sleep wherever you like. I'll send a house elf with you to prepare you beds."
"That isn't necessary, but thank you. We can do it ourselves."
"Whatever you wish. If you need anything, just ask. I'll get you up in the morning so you can have breakfast and get an early start on your return."
"Thank you," said Ron.
"Thanks," said Harry.
"Me, too," said Draco.
"Don't mention it. Now get going."
Ron, Harry, and Draco stood from their chairs and filed out the door. Doris closed it behind them, and they wound through the passages. After going up the staircase, Ron found the room he and Draco shared last time and walked in.
"Harry, you can take one, and Draco and I will share the other."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. We promise not to do anything sexual or dirty with you in the room."
"Thank you."
Harry dropped on one of the beds, throwing his bag on the floor. Dust settled in his hair while dirt and grime climbed across his skin. The bag didn't look much better, lying in tatters and tears on the ground. Books and parchment poked out of holes in the material.
"Can someone please explain what happened?" said Ron.
"The fountains were connected and when we started the Absconditus fountain, the Death Eaters were able to travel through the Death Eater fountain," said Draco.
"I knew that. I meant between you two. Harry accused you of being a traitor. You admitted it. Then you used the killing curse on each other. I thought you were dead, Harry. You both got hit. I saw you get hit."
"Draco can't kill me," said Harry. "I'm the only one who can kill Voldemort. He's the only one who can kill me."
"And you relied on that? What if you were wrong?"
"Then I was as good as dead anyway. Hurt like hell, though."
"But how did you know that?" he said, pointing to Draco.
"The telepathy. When Potter attacked me, he explained his theory and his plan."
"Which was . . ."
"To make it look like I was traitor. Throw the Death Eaters off and have time to escape. Pretend Harry was dead to keep him from getting seriously injured."
"What about you?"
Draco frowned, looking around the room. He seized a trinket from the bureau, smashed it, and dug the porcelain into his forearm. It gashed through his skin, making a deep red line. Blood oozed for a few seconds and Ron's heart dropped to his stomach. He left out a soft shriek, but Harry laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Just wait," said Harry.
"Are you crazy?" said Ron.
"Watch."
The blood beaded on his arm, and then stopped running. Draco ripped off a piece of his tattered shirt and wiped away the blood. The skin was pale and unmarked.
"I'm immortal," said Draco. "It only hurts for a second."
"But . . . but you weren't. Last night you were sick and we had to carry you --"
"And I'm not sick now. From the minute that fountain started running . . . didn't you feel it? It was like being smacked over the head. My headache went away. My stomach didn't hurt. I could breathe through my nose."
"But you didn't know. I mean --"
"When my mother was strangling me, I had difficulty breathing, but the oxygen I already had in me lasted a lot longer than it should've. I only felt a little dizzy when she let me go."
"But you were shaking!"
"I was afraid. I didn't know for sure until then. The killing curse can't kill me if I can't die. She knows now, too. I made sure she saw I got hit with the curse and that it didn't kill me. It threw her off balance more than anything."
"We merged into our gifts," said Harry. "That's why you got hit with a vision right away."
"What about Blaise? Couldn't he stop it? Can't he affect time?"
Harry crossed his arms and rocked into himself.
"He should've. Now they've got him and I don't know what to do."
"We'll figure it out," said Draco. "We're going back to Hideout B tomorrow. They'll be able to help us. Let's just go to bed for now. We all need it. It's been a trying day."
*
It seemed too soon when Doris opened the curtains and light fell upon the sleeping boys. Maddock was quiet through most of breakfast. After showering and dressing in clean clothes, they mounted the brooms that awaited them.
Harry commented that flying with Maddock was something like flying with Moody. Between avoiding the watchful eyes of Muggles and checking around to determine no one was following them, they found a place in the mountains to set down. Harry looked around as he dismounted.
"Hideout B is around here?"
"Hideout B is a hold in the ground," said Draco. "It's the most inhabitable place you can imagine. I loved it there."
"Me, too," said Ron.
"Where's the entrance?" said Maddock.
"Are you staying?" said Ron.
"I'm here to do what I can. May as well offer to help."
"Well, the entrance is this way."
They followed a narrow passage on one of the upper cliffs, rounding a bend, and Ron disappeared through a crevice. Leading into the ground, Harry, Draco, and Maddock slipped through the hole.
Oil lamps hung around the large room and candles flickered. A large, long table filled a great deal of the room's space, and parchment, quills, and inkwells littered the table surface. Sofas and chairs were scattered at random in a sort of chaotic order. People crowded the room, all of whom looked to the entering party.
"Ron!" cried a familiar voice, and a frantic head of red hair threw herself into Ron. "What happened to your hair?"
"Ginny, you're suffocating me."
"Someone get Professor Snape," said Hermione, as she threw herself on Harry.
"I'll go," said Kerry Daubert, but it was unnecessary. All the commotion must have drawn their attention because Snape, Phoenix, Professor Leiss, and Ron's parents all came out from the corridor leading to the Potions laboratory.
"You're back," said Mrs. Weasley. She rushed at Ron first, then Harry, wrapping both boys in hugs. She looked at Draco, covered her mouth with her hand, and then hugged him, too.
"I've been worried sick," said Phoenix, taking over where Mrs. Weasley left off. Draco frowned, trying to push his brother away.
"Do you have any idea how foolish you've been?" said Snape.
"Let off for a second, will you?" said Leiss. "They're here and they're healthy."
"Where is Mr. Zabini?"
"The Death Eaters took him," said Harry. His face twisted and Leiss's hand flew to her chest.
"Oh, Harry . . ."
"How did the Death Eaters get him?" said Snape. "What were you doing around Death Eaters?"
"Give them time to settle in," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maddock, thank you for bringing them back."
"They planned on coming back anyway. All I did was help."
"Let's all take a seat and breathe for a moment, shall we?" said Leiss. "Gather our thoughts. Then we can hear what they boys have to say."
"They should rest first," said Mrs. Weasley.
"There isn't time for that," said Harry. "The less time they have Blaise the better."
"He's right," said Phoenix. "Let's all sit down like Rebekah suggested."
Everyone took a seat around the long table keeping at one end. Snape folded his hands, resting them on the table before him.
"When you're ready."
"We went to our manors," said Draco.
"We gathered that much from the Weasleys and Zabinis. Why?" said Snape.
"To find Absconditus. We wanted to research and talk to Grandfather since he knows more about the legend than anyone. That's what everyone kept saying. We have to find Absconditus and stop Yo -- Voldemort," said Ron. His face twisted. Most at the table winced, but Harry and Draco grinned.
"After we found Cane's journal and the first piece of the map, we got the map pieces from the Zabini and Potter manors," said Draco. "We broke into the town hall for my piece and Terence's journal. Once we had the exact prophecy and all our pieces . . . well, we opened up the vault door and entered."
"You went into Absconditus?" said Phoenix. "You found it? Was it beneath Hogwarts?"
"Malfoy City," said Harry.
"Perdere," said Maddock.
"Right. Sorry."
"We came out in the oracle's tower," said Draco.
"My place," said Leiss. He stared at her.
"We told her when you disappeared," said Phoenix. "She needed to know."
"Wait," said Harry. "You're Alecto?"
"Yeah, I was. Are you surprised? I didn't remember. How could I? I've been reborn over and over again since ancient Rome. It's hard to keep track of all your lives."
"Which circle are you from?" said Hermione.
"Coronae Romana. My creation name was Livia."
"Are you really? I've read all about you. Your circle was involved in the Keeper Civil War of 1174."
"That's us."
"Can we please keep to the subject?" said Snape.
"Sorry, Sev."
Snape looked at Leiss, deep frown lines creasing at the corners of his eyes and between his forehead. She looked to the side, and a hesitant smile broke out on her face. He shook his head and looked back to Draco.
"So you came out into the tower. Then?"
"We explored," said Draco, shrugging. "Went to the palace. Slept. Then in the morning we went down to the fountain. Added our blood like we were supposed to. The fountain started. We merged with our gifts. Ron and I merged with ourselves, too. Can you tell?"
"Is that what happened to your hair?" said Ginny. "Is that what you looked like when you were Ryan?"
"I think so," said Ron. "I mean, Draco looks like Bade."
"Did this happen to Blaise?" said Hermione.
"Is it going to happen to Harry?" said Ginny, trying not to laugh.
"Blaise looked the same," said Ron. "I don't know about Harry."
"The subject, Weasley," said Snape.
"Sorry."
"Anyway," said Draco, "we merged. I'm immortal. Only Voldemort can kill Harry. We have a telepathic connection to each other."
"Fun, isn't it?" said Leiss. "It's like having multiple personalities that you're aware of. I love it. I'm never lonely. There's always someone I can talk to."
"Ours wasn't like that, though. It got fuzzy if we weren't looking at each other."
"That's because it's not a natural connection. I put it on you. When you merged with your powers, you must have merged with that, too."
"Where did these Death Eaters come in?" said Phoenix.
"When we opened the fountain, we opened the connection to the Fountain of Innocent Blood."
"They traveled through the fountains?" said Snape.
"Yeah. Harry and I created a diversion. He accused me of being traitor and then we set the killing curse on each other. I can't kill him because I'm not Voldemort and he can't kill me because I'm immortal. Harry pretended to be dead and then Ron kept him from the Death Eaters while I fought them back into the fountain. They got Blaise before we could get rid of them."
"You shouldn't have gone off without telling us," said Snape. "It was reckless and foolhardy."
"We have our powers, though," said Harry. "They can't get those."
"They can if they kill you."
"They can't kill me," said Draco. "You said Absconditus was the next step so we took it. Anyway, it worked for now."
"You're a Mage short! Of all the irresponsible . . ."
"Sev, relax," said Leiss. "We have a bit of a problem. That's okay. We can work this."
"Always the optimist," said Phoenix.
"I've gotten out of bigger binds."
"Name one," said Snape.
She frowned, shaking her head. "I can do this. This is workable. We had bad planning. That's all. This can be fixed."
"So goes the mantra of a Keeper," said Phoenix. "She's always like this. Any problem that arises, Rebekah insists it can be fixed. Anything is workable with the Keepers on it."
"And don't you forget it."
"I honestly don't see how you're going to fix this," said Snape.
"We have to look at the facts and work with them. From what we know, the Death Eaters don't know what to think. On one hand, Harry's accused Draco of being a traitor, but Draco fought them off. Voldemort will know that Harry isn't dead with their connection. If we can find a way to make Voldemort think that Draco's on their side . . ."
Leiss trailed off, chewed her lower lip, and her eyes lit up. It was like watching a complicated arithmetic problem being figured behind her eyes. She was there and not there, and she murmured under her breath as if talking to someone.
"I hate that look," said Phoenix. "She gets that look when she's got an idea, and her ideas are never good."
"Well, Harry's gift is strength, right?" said Leiss.
"We don't know what kind of strength," said Ron.
"No, not you. Do you think that'll work? I mean, we aren't sure that's what it means?" Leiss paused. "I know, but there hasn't been any real, corporeal proof. For all we know, we could be completely wrong. I'm stabbing in the dark."
"Telepathy," said Snape. "It's a Keeper thing. It's annoying."
"I think it's fascinating," said Phoenix. "She's having a conversation with someone while they aren't even near her? Who is it? Holden?"
"I don't have a connection to Holden, and stop interrupting."
"Fine. Be that way." Phoenix pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. Leiss glanced to him, and stuck out her tongue.
"What are you talking about?" said Harry. "If it's about me, I think I have a right to know."
"We've got an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it."
"What?"
"Your mother sacrificed herself for you, right?"
"Yes."
"And that's why you've been immune to Voldemort's power. That's why it backfired?"
"Yes."
"And your gift is strength, only we don't know what kind of strength it is. Obviously it isn't physical strength, I mean, look at you."
"Thanks."
"Where are you going with this?" said Ron.
"Honestly, Becky, would you get on with it already?" said Snape. "You can run around in circles longer than Lucius."
"Or Voldemort, for that manner," said Phoenix. Everyone stared. "What? He's very long-winded."
"Well," said Leiss, "we think it's a strength of heart. Wills and determination. Who is willing to give more for a victory. Harry, according to your prophecy, you're to have a power that the Dark Lord knows not. He knows nothing about caring for something so much that you'd be willing to sacrifice anything."
"What does that mean?" said Harry.
"Bloody hell," said Draco. "You want Potter to sacrifice himself? That's what you're saying, isn't it? Potter has to die for the cause."
"What?" said Harry. "I don't want to die."
"Well," said Leiss, "I mean, it isn't for sure . . ."
"Becky, the short version," said Snape.
"If Harry's strength is the power of sacrifice, then by Harry sacrificing himself and dying, it should reverse. It'd be a sort of resurrection, I suppose. Voldemort should die by Harry's sacrifice, and in turn, that should bring Harry back."
"But you aren't sure," said Harry. "I could die, and Voldemort would still be alive, and that would be it."
"It shouldn't go that way. I mean, we've been discussing possible ways for you to kill him since before you ran off, and this is the only thing we kept coming back to."
"Come up with something else." Harry shoved his chair back and it toppled to the floor with a loud thud. "I don't want to die for the wizarding world. I've done enough for it and they keep asking for more. Come up with another way. I'll do whatever I can but I won't die. It isn't fair. They've got Blaise and I'm not going to give myself up, too."
Harry charged from the room and into the classroom corridor. Ron knew he wouldn't get far. Harry hadn't been to Hideout B before. If he had, he'd know that there wasn't as much room to hide that way as the other corridor.
Leiss leaned back into her chair, laced her fingers, and let her hands fall to the top of the table.
"That went well. Better than I expected."
"Does she ever shut up?" said Draco.
"No," said Phoenix and Snape.
Leiss grinned, shrugged. No one made to move and Ron stood.
"I'm going to talk to Harry."
"Let him cool off. I expected more than that. He needs it to sink in that it's the only way. If Harry wants to have any chance, he's going to have to die."
