Yes, I apologize for the awful, awful cliffhanger. :) What's worse, we wont hear from Ron until next installment. Um......so don't shoot the messenger!

Disclaminer: I do NOT own Harry Potter, or the idea, or.....um.....that huge mansion J.K. Rowling lives in. I just write stuff about the stuff. Oh, and this story is ongoing slash. If you no likee, go read something more....tame?

Part 19

Harry noticed a dark shape move past his cabin. He blinked a couple of times. He suddenly felt ill.

He grabbed his wand instinctually. Then he noticed the darkness outside, and upon further observation noticed that that train had stopped. His heart sank.

He moved to the door and put his ear close to the window. 'This is useless,' he thought. He put his hand to the door, which suddenly began to move open. Unprepared for this, Harry frantically pushed it shut again and held it. There was a gasp from outside, and Harry heard Hermione's voice.

"Harry, quickly!"

Harry opened the door. Hermione stood there, breathing heavily, with her wand out.

"Deatheaters."

Harry gasped in spite of himself.

"They diverted the train somehow, I don't know how, but we've stopped in some kind of hole or something. I can't find anyone, and I can't apparate out."

Harry remembered that Hermione had learned how to apparate last year.

"We need to get this train back on track." Harry moved out of his room and toward the back of the train. Hermione followed him.

"What are we going to do, Harry?"

"Any ideas?" Harry smiled slightly. Then he stopped. "Where's Ron?"

Hermione shook her head. Upon a dropped jaw from Harry, Hermione clarified. "I haven't seen him since he went to check on you."

Harry thought for a moment. "How many deatheaters are here?"

"A lot, Harry. And I think....I think that Voldemort is here too."

"Why cant he wait till I finish my NEWTS before trying to kill me?" Harry said with a frown. He moved quickly toward the front of the train.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled behind him.

Harry turned.

"You cant plow right through them you know!"

"What would you have me do?"

"Harry, I think they're after you."

"What about all the other people on board?" Then Harry realized that everything was pretty quiet. That would normally be unusual on a train boarded by Deatheaters.

"Harry!"

Hermione's scream was lost as a red bolt hit her. She fell to the ground, and Harry whipped out his wand as he moved to her. He caught sight of a cloaked figure down the train.

"Stupefy!" he yelled as he pointed at the figure.

The Deatheater spat out a counterspell, which dissolved Harry's. He then muttered something, and a green light came rushing toward Harry. He fell flat backwards, hitting his head in the process. He waited for a moment for his vision to regain. He heard nothing save for his pounding heart. Was that the killing curse he had narrowly dodged?

Then he heard the Deatheater walking toward him. Harry waited. One moment.....two moments.....

Harry rose up quickly and shouted the stunning spell. The figure was illuminated briefly.

Then the figure dropped to the ground. Harry pointed his wand at Hermione. "Ennervate." Nothing happened. Frantically Harry picked Hermione up and dragged her to the nearest cabin. He sealed her in with a spell and ran toward the back of the train.

He looked into several cabins quickly as he went, and they were void of people. This was not how it was supposed to be. Was he......dreaming?

For the first time it really hit Harry that his life was in danger. It had seemed more about Ron and Hermione than anyone else. He knew he had to get the train back on track. And he knew he had to find Ron before...

Harry had a huge tinge of guilt. He shoved it down as he came upon an overturned snacks cart. He thought this curious, as he hadn't seen anyone running or screaming. As he moved over the cart, he caught sight of a limp body a few paces up.

It was Malfoy. A Deatheater was standing over him.

Harry was about to recite when the Deatheater turned toward him and a red light shot at him. Harry's wand went flying toward the Deatheater. Half torn between wanting to run after it and wanting to run away, Harry dropped behind the snacks cart. Another spell went over his head.

Harry's mind raced furiously. It didn't help that he had three cupcakes in front of his face.

He could hear footsteps. He looked behind him, and another Deatheater was approaching. Harry's heart sank. As the Deatheater spotted Harry, Harry made to bolt. He grabbed a cupcake and threw it at the Deatheater.

Harry wasn't prepared for the large flash of light as the cupcake hit the Deatheater, nor the disappearance of the Deatheater. Harry's jaw dropped. Heart racing, he grabbed another cupcake, hoped that it had the same properties as the first, and raised himself. He threw it as a spell hit him square in the chest. He fell to the ground in some amount of agony and clutched his chest.

When he heard no one approaching him, he looked up. The snack cart was in his line of vision. He stood, painfully. There was Draco Malfoy, and something tiny scurrying about.

Harry picked up his wand. Then he reluctantly moved to Malfoy's body and pointed his wand at him.

"Ennervate." He whispered. At first he thought it hadn't worked, but a beat after the spell was cast Draco sat up screaming.

"STUPE-" Draco stopped, looked up at Harry, and gaped. Harry still had his wand pointed directly at him.

"Ten words or less, Malfoy, and I won't hurt you too badly. What is going on?"

Malfoy snorted. "Stupid Potter, seeing Deatheaters and assuming I know what they're doing here." He moved to get up, but Harry made an aggressive jerk, and Draco lay back down.

"Listen, Malfoy, and listen good: I have seen only two people since I came out of my room, and that's you and Hermione, not including the Deatheaters I've stunned. There is no one else, and now I've found you, who threatened me earlier."

Malfoy sighed. "For once, Potter, you are right. I threatened you. See that cart?" Harry didn't dare glance back; he merely nodded. "That has three 'special treats' on it. One of them has your name on it."

Harry stood, not sure what to think. It wasn't Malfoy's style to jinx some cupcakes.

Draco looked at the mouse on the ground. "I guess you've had occasion to use them."

Harry lowered his wand slightly. "I used two of them. I didn't think they'd turn anyone into mice."

Draco smiled. "Well now I still have some hope that you'll consume the last one before long. But for now, can we concentrate on..." Draco rolled his hand.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Harry still stood in a defensive posture.

"Are you sure you're not dreaming again, Potter?" Draco drawled this out rather easily.

Harry started. "What do you know about my....."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Come, come, I DO listen to my father talk, Deatheater though he may be."

Harry stood, thoroughly surprised now. Had Malfoy been fighting the Deatheater? He saw Malfoy's wand sitting about two meters away from him.

"Accio wand!" Malfoy's wand went flying into Harry's waiting hand. "Now that I have this, I still trust you as far as I can throw you. Anything funny, Malfoy, and I will be using it on you."

Malfoy looked serious. "Yes, Potter." He made to stand, and seeing no moves from Harry, did so.

"Now what, oh illustrious leader?" Malfoy crossed his arms. "If I were you, I'd be trying to find that Mudblood friend of yours. That and Weasel- boy."

Harry grew very angry. His face must have showed it plainly, because Malfoy shut up.

"For once, you sniveling coward, you are right. Hermione is back in a cabin. Ron.....I don't know where Ron is."

"That Deatheater.....I should use his name, now shouldn't I? Mulligan said he was looking for both of-" At another angry look from Harry, Malfoy acquiesced. "Your friends."

"Not me?" Harry knew that came out as an exclamation.

"No, Potter, not everything is about you. Directly, anyway. I think they will eventually be after you. For now, why not pick off the last vestiges of your life?"

At that concealed reference to Sirius, Harry lost it and hit Malfoy square in the jaw. His wand hurt his hand from the force. Malfoy tumbled to the ground, holding his jaw.

"That will prove your undoing, Potter."

"Not now it wont, you bastard. We are going to the front of the train, and you will lead me." Harry motioned with Malfoy's wand for him to get up. With the sourest of looks, Malfoy complied.

"You do realize that they are against me too, right?"

"Any extra shield will help me," Harry said bitterly.

Malfoy got up, and with one last withering look at Harry, began walking toward the front of the train. Harry realized that anyone paying attention to his movements would think him crazy. Maybe they would think he had no plan. They would be right.

Harry followed Malfoy closely. Malfoy sniggered at the unconscious Deatheaters as they passed them.

"Couldn't stand up to the great Harry Potter."

Harry walked in silence, lips pursed.

As they neared the front, a faint green light could be seen down the hall. They continued walking, albeit slower. Then the light got much brighter, and something could be seen flying toward them.

Malfoy dropped first, hands over his head. Harry's eyes widened as he saw. A giant green skull was coming quickly at his head. He threw himself to the ground just before the skull reached him and went cackling over him.

Harry looked frantically behind him, then in front of him. Malfoy was standing over him.

"My wand, Potter. Now." Harry lay there, frozen, trying to figure out if he could whip his wand in front of him fast enough.

"If you pull your wand, I will kick your head in. My wand, now. To your side, if you please. Don't want that thing pointed at me."

Harry moved his left hand to his side, and placed Malfoy's wand about a foot from his body.

"Thank you, Potter." Malfoy put his left foot on Harry's right arm, which hurt a good deal to Harry, and reached for his wand.

Harry didn't see any way to get a good advantage at that moment. Malfoy grabbed his wand and raised himself. He wasn't pointing his wand at Harry. He removed his foot from Harry's arm.

Harry, quite surprised, stood up cautiously.

"Like I said, Potter, I'm not liked much by them either. Just so you know, though, I hate you. So if it comes down to you or me, I will always choose me."

"Why are we the only ones here? You'd think someone else was here." Harry said this through gritted teeth.

Malfoy's eyebrows actually raised. "And I would have an idea because..."

"...you live with a Deatheater, and apparently, you listen." Harry didn't look at Malfoy. Harry did, however, grip his wand very tightly.

"Let's see......so far we know you, me and Mudblood are here. I heard them mention Weasel," and Harry flinched, "so I'm guessing he's here too. So, Golden Boy, I'd guess they're after the power players."

Harry laughed bitterly. Malfoy knew what about.

"You may not think so, Potter, but I am just as important as you in this. Remember, we are both the next generation."

"I mean, how'd they get everyone else off the train?" Harry looked stoic.

Malfoy thought a moment. Harry couldn't think of any way they could have gotten rid of that many students without someone knowing.

"Maybe......maybe they got rid of us." Malfoy said this quietly.

After this revelation, the space they were in got suddenly colder. They both were compelled to look forward.

A hissing voice wafted toward them.

"Very good, Draco Malfoy. Very goooooooooood." The voice was low and raspy, and Harry shuddered. It didn't take long before he noticed his throbbing forehead.

A dark shape took form in front of them. Malfoy backed away noticeably, but stood his ground next to Harry. If Harry wasn't speechless, he might have thanked Malfoy for not running away.

Wands at the ready, both young men watched in some amount of horror as a wipsy, thin visage appeared ahead of them. Long arms, then a wand could be made out. Last was the definition of the head: flat faced, slits for nostrils, and the piercing glow of two red eyes.

As per the suggestion of the almighty and quite fabulous Wendy (who has already had.....um......a sex scene dedicated to her) I have actually mapped this thing out. Yes, there is an end in sight. Assuming I don't suck serious wand at the end, I'll continue with other stuff. Thanks muchly to Wendy, Aurel (your kind words made me blush. I DO NOT BLUSH!), m477tf (nice ID, and.....um......thanks!), and KarenleFay (I muchly appreciate your comments!). Peace out, and be back soon.....vacation coming up! grins (o:`,