" 'Protect the chain because I'm busy working your boyfriend,' " Kris whined in a high voice. "It's a coin on a chain. What's so special about it?"

"Finally I found you." Neville was panting as he reached the tree Kris was sitting in. "You weren't answering the scrap of paper."

"Oh, sorry."

"I thought you were dead."

"I thought I told you to stay and watch for Death Eaters."

"I did. They came back, but they didn't take anything, damn near tore the place to shreds."

"Did you figure out what they were looking for?" Neville shook his head. "Brilliant."

"Hey! That's mine." Neville grabbed the chain from Kris. "I've been wondering where it's been for a hell of a long time."

"Nanoa had it. Asked me to hold onto it."

"So she's safe?"

"For the time being. Said something about needing me to not be around while she and Ron go and save the day."

"I see. And you're just going to sit here and let them get killed?"

"I don't know. I don't want to, but they really don't want me around. You would tell me if there was something going on between them... right?"

"Well, actually... I no. I mean you'd take your anger out on me and you'd never believe me. So, I doubt that I would."

"Okay, but tell me this time. Is there something going on between them?"

"Well— ah— I— I can't say."

"Oh god! I'm going to kill her if she makes it out of there alive."

"Why wait? You ought to save her arse so that you can make sure that she gets out of there alive so you can kill her. I mean if you don't then she's just going to die."

"You're right. You coming with me?"

"I'm going to pass. I usually try to stop people when it comes to matters such as these. So I'll just leave you with a good luck?"

"Okay, I don't usually say this, but can you treat me like a girl instead?" Nanoa beseeched.

"Yeah, come on. Leave her alone," Draco agreed, his own lackeys had turned against him as his father held him back, Jugson, another Death Eater (he's in OotF), was holding Ron back.

But Goyle wasn't listening. His fist flew into Nanoa's stomach and her knees buckled. She gasped in silence from the pain and then tried to move away from the large body masses, but they grabbed both her ankles and flung her against the wall. Nanoa stumbled to her feet only to have Crabbe body check back against the wall. He watched her fall before taking a few steps backwards to laugh dumbly with Goyle. Then Goyle's fist snatched the front of her robes and tossed her over to Crabbe.

He hands pinched against Nanoa's upper arms as he got a hold of her. She struggled to free herself but she had no luck. Then suddenly, her attention was drawn back to Goyle as there was a loud crack of him breaking off one of the old desk legs. Nanoa's eyes widened and she began fighting harder to free herself, but Goyle had already lifted the piece of wood. He whacked her across the head and Crabbe let her fall to the ground.

"If I get up, are you just go it clobber me more?" Nanoa was still rising to her feet no matter the answer. Again Goyle's fist crashed into her gut and Nanoa clenched her arms over it. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Nanoa's knees weakened beneath her as she fell to them. Crabbe pulled her back to her feet by her hair and drew his fist back. She shut her eyes, waiting for her face to be pummeled. However, Voldemort spoke instead,

"Ah, leave the mudblood for now."

Crabbe let go of Nanoa and Lucius must have let go of his son because she found herself in Draco's arms. He hugged her tightly before helping her to her feet, needing to keep a hold of her from how weak her legs had become. Voldemort had begun to pace, a smirk forming in his lips,

"This can be stopped, you know. Very easily. I need to hear Harry Potter's location. It's not that hard."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have a heart," Nanoa shot and Voldemort snapped his fingers, signaling Crabbe to punch Nanoa's stomach once more. "You know, I think I'm numb there now."

"Yeah, and bleeding again," Crabbe stated, showing her his bloody hand.

"Look, you're not getting what you want," Draco stated. "Weasel-bee isn't going to give Potter up to you."

"You know, I'd prefer it if you didn't call me Weasel-bee. I mean, no one's called me that since Hogwarts."

"I haven't seen you since Hogwarts."

"Good point. Anyway, he's right. I'm not saying where Harry is and Draco isn't going to become a Death Eater."

"I don't need him to work for me."

"What?" Lucius had joined the conversation.

"He is a pawn before he becomes knight."

"That doesn't make any sense," Nanoa objected. "Chess pieces cannot change."

"Anything can change as long as you have a bit of magic." Then someone else entered the room — Neville. "You're late."

"I know, but it took me longer to convince the witch to come back," Neville explained.

"Well then where is she?"

"She's coming. I had to tell her that she had been betrayed. Although she doesn't think its me, she thinks Nanoa betrayed her."

"Now that will be interesting."

"Longbottom was the traitor?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. He had the perfect cover," Nanoa notified. "He knew when you were leaving to go after Quirrel in first year and he even pretended to care about the attack on the ministry. Like I said, perfect cover."

"But that still doesn't explain how you knew," Ron realized.

"The coin I gave Kris had the Dark Mark on it. He dropped it when he found me in the Head common room. So we made a deal. And—"

"That's enough. I'm bored. Like I said—" he dropped himself into onto the couch "—your true bargaining chip will be here any moment. If she hasn't gotten herself eaten by your spider."

"Don't worry. I sent Moro to his nest," Lucius assured.

"Oh good. Now, have you changed your mind about becoming a Death Eater?" He was looking at Nanoa.

"No and I'm still offering to ring your neck."

"You know, I don't think you're worth all this. I've already got an insider at the ministry. Besides, what would Fudge say if you get out of here alive?"

"What? Now you want to kill me?" Nanoa asked.

"Yeah. Avada Ke—" Voldemort's voice stopped suddenly and he fell over as did the few other Death Eaters.

"God loves me," Nanoa sobbed.

"No, I do." Kris stepped out of the shadows.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to get caught by any one of the Death Eaters that are waiting. It was all prepared," Neville complained.

"Actually it was all prepared the other way. You're busted. Azkaban's waiting for you," Kris stated.

"You swore you wouldn't tell anyone."

"I didn't tell anyone, but I did write it down and three other people happened to find the piece of paper."

"But you said they weren't in on it," Draco, Kris and Ron said all at once.

Nanoa chuckled nervously.

"Should I be running now?" Neville asked.

"There's no point to it," Nanoa notified.