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Six Feet and Falling

by Saerry Snape

Chapter 34 :: June 20, 1996 :: Hogwarts – Time Unknown

"Severus!" exclaimed Dumbledore as the Potion's Master walked into the entrance hall leading a bedraggled group of teenagers.

"Albus," replied the dark wizard, nodding slightly. "I believe we have a problem."

Dumbledore frowned and looked at the faces of the teenager's. Blue eyes then met black in realization.

"Harry went over, didn't he?"

Severus nodded, his throat tight.

"He did it to save us," mumbled Sheyne, looking up from her father's side. "He…" She began to sob and Draco stepped forward, a worried look on his face. Severus looked at him for a moment then gently pushed Sheyne towards him.

"Take her," he finally said. "Mister Davids, take everyone to Gryffindor Tower. It is closest. The password should not have been changed from what it was last. A Gryffindor can tell you it."

"Yes, sir," said Mika with a nod. He pulled Amanda close then ordered the others to follow him. As he did this, Severus and Dumbledore began to walk off.

As Mika began to lead them to Gryffindor Tower, Draco hugged Sheyne close and walked her along, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"It'll be okay," he murmured. "We'll get him back. I swear we will."

Sheyne sniffled and looked up at the blonde with red rimmed eyes.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," she whispered.

"Who says I can't?" asked Draco.

"You just can't. Don't you understand, Draco? He's gone." She buried her face in his neck and sobbed, "And he's never coming back!"

Draco blinked as she called him by his given name and not his surname. He then wrapped his arms tightly around her and leaned his head against hers.

"Don't say that," he whispered. "We'll get him back. I swear we will."

"You promise?" whispered Sheyne in a petulant voice. "You really promise?"

"Yeah," said Draco. "I promise. I'll get him back for you, Sheyne. I swear I will."

A half-hour later, the older members of the free Death Eater's Children gathered in the Gryffindor common room. The younger students (fourth year and below) had been put to bed and Draco had forced Sheyne into a bed as well. She needed time to recover from the days ordeal.

"So," said Mika as he looked at the others, "what's next?"

Draco sighed and replied, "I don't know. But…I promised Shey we'd get Harry back."

Terrence Malloy, a seventh year Ravenclaw, frowned at him.

"Since when have you been calling them by their first names, Malfoy?"

"Since now," snapped Draco. He ran a hand back through his hair, causing it to spike out wildly. "Now, look, we can't be fighting amongst ourselves. We've got to work together."

"What chance do we have without Harry?" asked Marissa Gibbs, a Hufflepuff fifth year. "He was the strongest of us."

Mika frowned and looked at Draco.

"She's right," he said.

Neville piped, "But we still have Sheyne. She's a Shifter!"

"But she won't be able to fight him," said a new voice. Every head in the common room turned to see Hermione standing in the portrait hole. Ron was hovering behind her.

"Granger," said Draco. "I'd have thought you'd have been sent home."

"We refused," said Hermione, stepping into the room. Her eyes were slightly red as though she'd been crying. "I almost went back but then…" She ducked her head.

"What?" asked Mika and Draco at the same time.

Ron looked at Hermione then said, "Mione charmed this…bauble…to track Harry. It…"

"It would tell me if he went across," whispered Hermione. She pulled a sphere the size of a baseball out of her cloak and cupped it in her palms. Inside it, darkness swirled. "It was green until…" She took a breath and finished, "Until he took off the ring."

"How do you know he took off the ring?" asked Terrence.

Hermione turned a slightly dark frown on the older boy.

"If the charms had failed, you'd all be mindless drones right now!"

"Good point," mumbled Terrence, turning away from her.

Marissa looked up at Hermione and said softly, "I'm sorry, Hermione."

"Its alright," whispered Hermione, tucking the bauble back into her cloak. "I guessed that he'd given himself up." She shook her head and added, "Noble idiot."

Draco said, "A noble idiot, indeed. And one I intend to get back."

"How?" asked Ron. "Is there even a coming back after going across?"

"There's always a way back," said Mika. "My uncle taught me that. Professor Snape found one."

"Professor Snape was forced into the Death Eater's," corrected Draco. "And we've got to believe there's a way back." He cast a worried glance at the staircase that wound up to the girl's dormitories. "I've got to believe it."

"I'll help," said a quiet voice from a dark corner suddenly. Stephen stepped out of the corner, his head tilted downward.

Mika turned a frown on Draco and growled, "I thought all the younger years were asleep."

"He's not in the other years," said Ron. "He's Sheyne's adopted brother. Though I was certain he had blonde hair…"

"I did," said Stephen. He held up a slightly crumpled sheet of paper and continued, "It seems I'm not who I thought I was."

"There seems to be a lot of that going around," quipped Draco.

Hermione scowled in his direction then said, "What do you mean, Stephen?"

"Look."

He handed the paper to you and she looked at it before dropping with a surprised squeak. Her brown eyes went to Stephen's face before she took a step forward and lifted his chin up. Maroon eyes met brown and Hermione whispered, "Oh, Stephen…"

"What is it?" demanded Terrence.

Stephen pulled away from Hermione and replied, "I'm Voldemort's son."

Draco and Mika let out hisses of surprise at that statement. Everyone else just stared blankly.

"Then shouldn't you have a Mark too?" asked Marissa in a squeaky voice.

"Voldemort wouldn't have his son following him," said Hermione. "He'd have him at his side. I'm surprised he let you leave."

"He can't make me do anything," spat Stephen vehemently.

"If he cast Imperious on you, he could," said Mika.

Stephen turned an icy glare on the older boy and hissed, "That can be fought. Harry told me so."

"You're not skilled enough…"

"'Where there's a will, there's a way,'" quoted Stephen. "I've got the will. I'll find the way."

"He's got a point," said Draco.

Jonas frowned and said, "How do we know we can trust him?"

Hermione seemed to snap and she screamed, "Just because he's Voldemort's son doesn't mean he's inherently evil, you dunderhead!"

"Mione…" said Ron lightly.

"Do you have something against Harry too? Tell me now so I can hex the Hell out of you!"

"Mione!" yelled Ron.

"WHAT?!" snapped the girl, whirling to face him. A hand met her cheek on the turn and she stumbled backward into Stephen.

Ron gave her an apologetic look as he said, "This isn't the time to fight each other."

Hermione stared at him for a moment before she nodded feebly.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"I know," said Ron softly.

"I miss him."

Ron nodded while Stephen reached out to pat Hermione's shoulder. She smiled at both of them then looked at the others.

"So…what do we do?"

"We've got to get a ring back on him," replied Draco.

"If that will work," piped Marissa.

George Crow, one of the Slytherin's, spoke up.

"Someone could always try it. Take off the ring and put it back on to see if it would work."

The room seemed to still at these words. Draco looked at the sixth year and hissed, "That's madness, Crow. We could lose someone that way."

"Not if they can't move," said Hermione. "That just might work."

"But who's crazy enough to do something like that?" asked Samuel Wallace, a soft-spoken Gryffindor.

There was silence for a moment before Neville murmured, "I'll do it."

Draco blinked.

"Longbottom…"

"I'll do it," said Neville in a stronger voice. It was the sort of voice that offered no way to convince him otherwise.

Mika nodded and said, "Alright. Hermione, you cast the spell. Myself, Draco, Frobisher, Bradley, Findley, Wallace, Smalls, Crow, and the Weasley twins will stand guard to make sure Longbottom doesn't escape. Everyone else…get some rest."

There were several mumblings of consent and Stephen hissed, "You're going to do it now?"

"We need to know if this'll work before we plan anything. Longbottom?"

Neville, looking rather pale, nodded sharply and got to his feet. Mika gave him a short glance before he snapped, "Let's go!"

Stephen and Ron stood stiffly, watching as those who had been called left. Ginny suddenly wandered downstairs and started when she saw her brother there.

"Ron? What's going on?"

"Nothing," replied Ron, sighing lightly. "Go back to sleep, Gin. Come on, Stephen."

Stephen nodded numbly and followed Ron upstairs, leaving Ginny to stare after them in confusion.

"Okay, Hermione. Cast away."

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Neville's muscles locked up and he promptly fell over. Draco and Fred jumped forward and caught him before he hit the ground.

"Everyone draw your wands," ordered Mika. He then walked over to Neville and pulled off the silver ring. There was a whimper from Neville before his eyes faded slightly and became dull.

"Did it work?" asked Vicky Frobisher.

"I'd say let him up but that'd be a little crazy," voice George, echoed by his twin.

Mika didn't say anything. He just slipped the ring back onto Neville's hand and said, "Let's get back inside the wards. Weasley's, give me a hand, would you?"

Fred and George stepped forward and, with a little help from George Crow, the four boys were able to carry Neville back onto the grounds. Everyone then made a loose circle around the fifth year, their wands drawn and held at ready.

"Release him," hissed Mika to Hermione.

The bushy-haired girl nodded and snapped, "Finite Incantatem!"

All of a sudden Neville let out a shriek and sat up, his hands flying to his head. He began to sob a moment later.

Hermione rushed forward and knelt down beside her year mate. Vicky, the only other girl, moved forward and slowly rubbed the distraught boy's back.

"Neville?" queried Hermione, laying a hand on his arm. He jerked slightly then stared at her with wide eyes. "Nev?" inquired Hermione again.

"I heard him," whispered Neville in a hushed tone. "In my head."

"Voldemort," growled Mika.

Neville shook his head slowly and looked sadly at Hermione as he whispered, "No. Harry."

The twins paled and Draco hissed, "Shit." Hermione, meanwhile, just closed her eyes and ducked her head.

"Hermione…" began Mika but was interrupted as the bushy-haired girl abruptly stood up. She turned to face him and stared at him before turning slowly to look at Draco.

"Bring him back," she hissed in short, harsh tones before turning and heading towards the castle.

"That went well," said Philip Findley in a sarcastic tone.

Mika frowned and said, "This is bad. Neville, what exactly did Harry say?"

Neville quivered and replied, "He-he was handing out orders."

"That's not good, is it?" asked Fred, looking at Mika. The white-haired boy shook his head.

"No," he replied, "its not. Its not good at all."

A list of the DE children:
W/ Harry

Adrian Adock – Ravenclaw 4th

Amanda Paine – Hufflepuff 2nd

Blaise Zabini – Slytherin 5th

Briana Wallace – Gryffindor 1st (youngest)

David Bradley – Ravenclaw 6th

Draco Malfoy – Slytherin 5th

Eleanor Branstone – Hufflepuff 3rd

Emma Dobbs – Gryffindor 3rd

Evan Smalls – Hufflepuff 7th

George Crow – Slytherin 6th

Harry Potter – Gryffindor 5th

James Stocks – Hufflepuff 2nd

Kevin Whitby – Hufflepuff 3rd

Marissa Gibbs – Hufflepuff 5th

Melissa Fawkes – Slytherin 4th

Mika Davids – Slytherin 6th

Neville Longbottom – Gryffindor 5th

Philip Findley – Slytherin 7th

Sam Sorbin – Gryffindor 2nd

Samuel Wallace – Gryffindor 6th

Sheyne Snape – Gryffindor 5th

Terrence Malloy – Ravenclaw 7th

Vicky Frobisher – Gryffindor 7th

W/ Voldemort

Adrian Pucey - Slytherin 6th

Charles Montague – Slytherin 7th

Gregory Goyle – Slytherin 5th

Michael Summers – Hufflepuff 7th

Millicent Bulstrode - Slytherin 5th

Pansy Parkinson - Slytherin 5th

Stephen Cornfoot – Ravenclaw 5th

Vincent Crabbe – Slytherin 5th

Willam Mace - Slytherin 3rd

W/ Harry – Not DE's

Alicia Spinnet – Gryffindor 7th

Angelina Johnson – Gryffindor 7th

Dean Thomas – Gryffindor 5th

Fred Weasley – Gryffindor 7th

George Weasley – Gryffindor 7th

Ginny Weasley – Gryffindor 4th

Hermione Granger – Gryffindor 5th

Jonas Filbrey – Ravenclaw 6th

Katie Bell – Gryffindor 7th

Lavender Brown – Gryffindor 5th

Megan Jones – Hufflepuff 5th

Michael Corner – Ravenclaw 5th

Morag McDougal – Ravenclaw 5th

Parvati Patil – Gryffindor 5th

Seamus Finnegan – Gryffindor 5th

Susan Bones – Hufflepuff 5th

Terry Boot – Ravenclaw 5th

Wayne Hopkins – Hufflepuff 5th