Chapter 17 - Danger at Slytherin House
"I hope you're not seriously contemplating on putting 'that' plan into action." said Harry nonchalantly as he watched his bestfriend stealthily approaching the still asleep Potions Master with wand poised in mid-air, ready to wake him up from his deep slumber through a well-placed cruciatus curse.
Ron groaned and quickly lowered his wand. "And why not? He used to do it to us during our training." He mumbled though without much conviction.
"Well, might I remind you that Snape had a plausible excuse for doing so and you, considering that he's still lying unconscious and at the mercy of a stern mediwizard, are not in the position to do so." replied Harry lazily as if he was explaining a thoroughly simple lesson to a naughty child. "Besides, performing an unforgivable is a sure way to get into Azkaban."
Ron paled instantly and hastily hid his wand. He sighed. "You're no fun."
Harry laughed softly. "We can do fun things later after we finish Voldemort off."
"Don't be so damn confident." said a weak and muffled voice.
The two immediately turned to where the sound came from and were not so surprised to see the Potions Master struggling to get up from the hospital bed despite Madam Pomfrey's strict instruction that he was not supposed to do so.
Harry's eyes darkened slightly."Please, don't be so damn pessimistic."
Severus Snape stared hard at the two boys before glaring at Harry. "I'm just being realistic."
"You don't believe we could do it?" challenged Harry with a startling coldness in his voice.
The professor seemed to sense it too for he replied in a more cautiously manner. "I do. I just don't want you to make a deadly mistake of underestimating the enemy."
Harry visibly relaxed and unclenched his fist. "Fine. I won't"
The professor nodded in understanding and closed his eyes as if he just woke up to give his opinion on that particular topic and now that he was finished, he wished for nothing but to return to his peaceful respite.
Harry and Ron reluctantly continued keeping watch on the hospitalized Order members while struggling to finish all homeworks that they have missed while they were away. Ron kept grumbling about the unfairness of the situation but wisely stayed away from delicate topics like death and destruction. It was bad enough that it was the flavor of the month of the school's gossip network without discussing it during their relaxation time. In fact, he would rather avoid it if possible.
Madam Pomfrey eyed the two boys impatiently as they went on with their endless chatter of Quidditch, stern professors and unjust work load but she struggled to maintain a calm facade as she went on with her work. Normally, she would never let them stay but the heightened alert level forced her to endure their presence in the hospital wing. She had to admit that she needed help to secure the safety of her patients if ever the need arises.
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Devon and Callah coolly made their way to the Slytherin dungeon hoping that nobody was around when they arrive. They just got back from their training and they were currently not in the mood to be pestered by nosy housemates. Unfortunately for them, the most meddlesome ones were still at the common room and immediately looked at their direction as they entered the place. They eyed the newcomers suspiciously and their stance clearly implied that they needed a very convincing explanation.
"Where were you?" demanded Blaise, his wand held at the side, ready to strike if their answer proved unsatisfactory.
"Didn't Snape tell you? He made us do some horrible project to make up for our incompetence in his class." replied Devon coolly, immediately reaching for his wand. He did not like Blaise's arrogant tone and he knew the git was just itching to establish power over them.
"With the Gryffindors?" asked Blaise in a malevolent tone.
"Definitely not. What a crazy idea! Snape would never subject to such utter degradation." stated Devon evenly.
"That's what he told us. We knew better." smirked Pansy as she too eyed Devon and Callah disdainfully. "Who are you?" She asked with such finality that the two became worried at once but tried hard not to show it.
"Are you insinuating something, Parkinson?" queried Callah with the same derisive tone to hide her nervousness.
"Our connections checked all Wizarding Schools all over the world and not one confirmed your registry in their school. So I'm asking you one last time -- Who the hell are you?" Blaise's wand was now pointed at them. The others quickly followed. It seemed that they were not in the mood to play games tonight.
'Damn! Where's Harry when you need him?' thought Draco while staring at the grim expressions of his housemates. Four against two was not a bad odd for them but this was quite untimely. They could not afford to blow their cover so near to the final showdown. It would ruin their plan!
"Maybe they made a mistake, big deal. It happens, you know." replied Callah in a weak attempt to salvage the situation.
"Yeah." Devon readily agreed. "And if you don't have any other relevant things to ask us, we're going to sleep now."
"Oh, no, you don't. Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Blaise. Devon and Callah quickly rolled out of the way and formed a Shield to protect themselves.
Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle quickly hauled their own hexes at them but none came in contact with their target.
"Is this how you treat your housemates?" drawled Devon as if he found their efforts too novice for his taste.
"No, only for traitors." said Blaise and sent another powerful curse at them but the two were just too fast.
"Maximus Illusionus Reverso" uttered a familiar voice from behind Devon and Callah.
The two immediately froze. They knew that voice. It used to haunt their nightmares and now it seemed that the nightmares had come true. The figure slowly stepped away from the shadow and surveyed the disbelieving faces of the so-called 'traitors' of the Slytherin House. His long, silvery blond hair swaying lazily only added to their horror. His wand was pointed at them and the cane with a serpent carved on the handle was held loosely by his other hand.
It was Lucius Malfoy...as menacing as ever... and he was looking at them with so much loathing that the two knew they were in a very delicate situation.
Lucius turned to look at his young comrades and gave them a look of utter disgust. "How pathetic! I've wasted so much time in training you and you couldn't even defeat two ----- " His wand almost fell as he noticed the light emanating from the 'traitors' as they gradually reverted to their original appearances.
"Malfoy!"
"Weasley!"
The four young antagonists gasped in surprise while Draco and Callah cringed inwardly at the impending danger. The game was up and all they could do now was to grin, bear it and try to escape unscathed.
"Well, well. What do we have here? It seems that the Dark Lord is correct once again." stated Lucius coldly while shooting daggers at his own son.
"H-he knew?" asked Ginny wearily.
"Of course. When Draco and Peter failed to return to the Manor that night, he knew. He just did not realize that you'd be foolish enough to go back to Hogwarts. Surely, you don't believe that this school could offer you protection from the Dark Lord's wrath." sneered Lucius. "Fortunately, Blaise here was able to provide us with a rather interesting information about three inquisitive transferees at Slytherin House. It did not take much long to figure out that you, Draco and Peter were those three." He appeared very pleased with himself for his clever deduction.
Draco glanced at Ginny, grateful that her face did not betray any reaction on the mistake on Lucius' interpretation of event. With an almost imperceptible nod of his head, the two started to run out of the common room but immediately froze on their tracks when they heard the evil laughter or Voldemort's right hand.
"How silly can you get! Certainly, we sealed the common room after you came in. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you're too important to be taken alive." said another familiar voice.
It was Macnair - another Death-eater! The man was followed by another dark-robed figure. Draco and Ginny paled instantly. They did not recognize the third man but he must be another death-eater to be in the company of Lucius and Macnair. 'Probably a new recruit.' they thought in dismay.
"The Headmistress would notice the interference in the wards if you attack us now." declared Ginny bravely.
Lucius stared malevolently at the young couple while his two companions only laughed at her declaration. The other four were just enjoying the show, clearly confident that Draco and Callah had no means to escape especially with three adult wizards in their side.
"We have no intention of explaining our intricate methodologies to your feeble minds but rest assured that we could kill you in peace without anyone outside this room being the wiser."
"I'm your son." stated Draco simply, vainly hoping that the fact would make the older man lenient on them.
"You? An ungrateful and traitorous bastard who apparently had no spine on his body to uphold the family tradition! No, thank you. I'm quite proud to say that I have no son." retorted Lucius viciously that Draco flinched at his cruel words.
"Family tradition? What's that - to be a slave to a raving lunatic half-blood who acts like he owned the world but cannot even defeat a one-year-old baby?" shouted Draco angrily. He felt Ginny's hand reached for his in an attempt to calm him down but he refused to budge. "Groveling at the Dark Lord's muddy feet, merlin! Have you no dignity at all?"
"CRUCIO!" Lucius exclaimed but he was astonished when the spell that used to make his son beg for mercy did not have a lasting effect anymore.
"Surprised?" Draco gloated at the look of surprise on his father's face.
"Stupefy!" yelled Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle at once but Draco and Ginny deftly dodged the curses and sent their own, careful to aim some of their curses on the common room door to force it open.
Macnair ran towards Ginny and hurled a conjunctivitis curse at her but missed by a mere centimeter. The other death-eater conjured a very powerful spell that blasted a nearby wall
Lucius carefully assessed the situation and sensed that the two were more equipped for a minor encounter like this one. Swiftly, he unearthed a magical rope from the secret pocket of his cloak and expertly whipped the two traitors. The two were fast but it was very difficult to avoid all the hexes and the rope at once.
"Ahh!" yelled Ginny as the tip of the rope violently came in contact with her wand arm. Blood started to ooze from the broken skin and burned so terribly that her cursing ability began to dwindle. Draco saw this too and tried to cover her but a curse sent him flying to a nearby wall making him vulnerable for another attack.
"Destructo!" screamed Pansy and aimed it at Draco but before the curse could hit him, Ginny had screamed "Accio Draco" almost desperately.
"Take this!" shouted Lucius as he struck the two with the whip.
It hit Draco squarely on the back as he covered his tearful girlfriend and the wand fell from his hand from the excruciating pain that followed. The impact made him cough up for breathe and was horrified when he saw blood coming out of his mouth. He stared at Ginny and saw that she too was having some difficulty in breathing.
He tiredly reached for his wand and braced himself for another attack. He forced himself to face their attackers and projected a brave front.
"What now?" he smirked and tried to act as annoying as ever. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him beg for mercy. Even another whipping that crossed his chest and made him cough up more blood did not wipe the smirk from his face. 'Let it be known that Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley died fighting evil courageously.' he thought, resigned to the hopelessness of the situation.
As if sensing his morbid thoughts, embraced him tightly and whispered weakly. "D-don't give up. There's still hope..." She then gripped the galleon tightly and hoped that help would arrive soon.
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The Head Boy and Head Girl have just finished making the final round for that night and were ready to return to their respective dormitories when they felt the familiar burning sensation from their pockets. They paled immediately when they saw who was in trouble.
"Quick! If Draco and Ginny needs help, then the situation must be very grave!" exclaimed Hermione as she dragged Ernie to the Slytherin common room only to be blasted away by an invisible wall that hindered them from coming in.
"It...is...very....grave!" agreed Ernie as he struggled to get up from his ungraceful fall.
Hermione nodded and was vaguely aware of other DA members being hurled to the ground by an invisible force.
"Whoever was in there put up a powerful ward to inhibit us from entering the room." commented Padma Patil who was one of the recent victims of the invisible force.
"Yes and I know Harry's not in there so we really need to exert extreme effort to break the barrier. Maybe the Fireball technique could work if we simultaneously barrage the door with it." said Hermione.
"How do you know Harry's not in there?" asked Seamus. Hermione rolled her eyes at the seemingly idiotic question but chose to keep her tongue in check.
"Because trust me, if Harry's in there, Ginny and Draco won't be having this problem. Besides, I know that he and Ron are at the hospital wing to watch over the patients." she replied as politely as she can. "Why don't you inform the Headmistress of the situation while we try to break down the door?" suggested Hermione to which Seamus quickly agreed.
Hermione, Ernie, Neville, Padma, Parvati, and Colin quickly formed Fireballs and hurled it at the door at the same time. At first, they thought it did not work but after a few more minutes, a small hole formed on the door.
"At the rate we're going, it would be lucky if we could open it before sunrise." whined Parvati as her fireball started to diffuse. The others were inclined to agree but could not do much but hold on and wonder what the hell was taking the others so long to respond to the call.
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Harry and Ron were busy playing Wizard's Chess when they felt the burning sensation in their pockets. Both immediately took out the fake galleon but with different reactions. Ron quickly got up and started to run but Harry held him off.
"Why? That's my sister!" exclaimed Ron and tried to break free from the iron hold of his bestfriend.
"I know but they've been trained well. They should learn how to cope. Our duty is to guard the patients. What if someone attacks them while we're out? They're quite defenseless and the Order could lose the most powerful and knowledgeable members if we act rashly." stated Harry calmly but he knew his explanation was falling into deaf ears.
Ron glared at him. "That's my sister! I need to help her. If you don't want to help then fine! Deal with it!"
"It's not just a whim and you know that." said Harry coldly but relented when he noticed the look of desperation on Ron's face. "Look, I'm sure the others will aid them quickly enough. But for now, we need to guard them. If there's an attack, then this is where we are most needed."
Ron still did not seem convinced. Harry sighed heavily. "All right, if I sense that they could not handle it, we'll go together. Okay?"
Ron reluctantly agreed and they continued with the game although Ron was still too pre-occupied to keep his focus. He was continually fidgeting nervously and his eyes were darting from side to side as if waiting for something.
"Ron!"
"What?"
"Don't be paranoid!"
"I am not paranoid!"
"Yes, you are!"
"No!"
"If you don't mind keeping your voice down...The patients need rest, you know." stated Madam Pomfrey irritatedly.
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As the intensity of the fireballs diminished, so was the spirit of the brave defenders. They were fully aware that every minute counts and it only takes a few seconds for the killing curse to be cast. Whatever was happening inside, they just hoped that Ginny and Draco could stall long enough to break down the barriers.
"We're coming...we're coming....hold on!" chanted Hermione furiously as if the mere mention of her thought could make it come true. But her courage started to fail as the Ernie's fireball started to flicker dangerously. Only Neville's and hers were still glimmering proudly but they knew their strength was beginning to fade too.
Hermione snuck a glance at the door and was dismayed to find that the dent was still too small. She glanced at the tired figures of Ernie, Parvati and Padma trying to regain their strength and gripping their galleons tightly. She gestured for Neville to let go for a while and they, too, called for help. After catching a few breathes, the five conjured fireballs again for a lack of more effective things to do.
Luna, still in her nightgown and looking as if she just rolled out of her bed, ran to Hermione's side and taking her cue from the older girl, she conjured her own but instead of an ordinary one, hers took the shape of a dragon that swallowed all the other fireballs before forming into a very powerful flaming sword. She fearlessly held the sword and traced the door until it fell on the ground, effectively startling all those inside into inaction.
All the DA members ran inside, with wands ready for battle and seemed slightly disappointed to find only three death-eaters and just four young stupid followers inside the dark and eerie common room. They noticed the two unconscious figures lying on the ground and all of them only had one thing in mind as they glared with utter detestation at their perennial enemies --- 'It's payback time!'
"What the --- " exclaimed Blaise but was quickly shut off by a furious paralyzing spell from Ernie while Neville, Hermione, and Luna took advantage of the element of surprise and quickly stunned the three adult wizards.
Padma and Parvati evidently enjoyed hexing Pansy for being an obnoxious bitch who took pride in spreading malicious rumours about anyone outside her house while Crabbe and Goyle ran cowardly out of the room to merlin-knows-where.
Professor McGonagall appeared with Seamus a few minutes later, a little disoriented at the sudden turn of events but was quite relieved to find Ginny and Draco had some injuries but were still alive.
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"Harry! The others are also calling us! Aren't we going to do anything?" Ron was almost hysterical now as he stared at the continous blinking of the official DA galleons with different names for each blink but with similar location.
Harry frowned and started to worry too but this was something that he must learn to do according to Dumbledore. He must learn to trust that others were also capable of defending themselves and it should not always be his job to save the day. But Ron was free to do as he wishes...
"You may go and help them Ron." he stated and averted his eyes from the piercing glare of his bestfriend.
"You really don't plan to help, do you?" yelled Ron angrily.
"I'm trying to make them strong."
"How's letting them die make them strong?"
"THEY ARE NOT GOING TO --- " Harry's words were stuck on his throat as he noticed several people hastily approaching the hospital wing led by the Headmistress who was carefully levitating the battered and bloodied bodies of two individuals onto the vacant beds. Madam Pomfrey became immediately worried and went to retrieve some healing potion and pain-relievers from her medicine rack. She quickly administered cure as soon as the bodies were settled.
Ron, after the shock at seeing the injuries, took one look at his sister's condition (never mind the other) and his expression darkened immediately. He glared ferociously at Harry and before anyone could do anything else, his bottled anger and frustration came out in the form of one very strong punch on the guilt-stricken face of the-boy-who-lived.
"BASTARD!" he spat angrily and walked off.
"I hope you're not seriously contemplating on putting 'that' plan into action." said Harry nonchalantly as he watched his bestfriend stealthily approaching the still asleep Potions Master with wand poised in mid-air, ready to wake him up from his deep slumber through a well-placed cruciatus curse.
Ron groaned and quickly lowered his wand. "And why not? He used to do it to us during our training." He mumbled though without much conviction.
"Well, might I remind you that Snape had a plausible excuse for doing so and you, considering that he's still lying unconscious and at the mercy of a stern mediwizard, are not in the position to do so." replied Harry lazily as if he was explaining a thoroughly simple lesson to a naughty child. "Besides, performing an unforgivable is a sure way to get into Azkaban."
Ron paled instantly and hastily hid his wand. He sighed. "You're no fun."
Harry laughed softly. "We can do fun things later after we finish Voldemort off."
"Don't be so damn confident." said a weak and muffled voice.
The two immediately turned to where the sound came from and were not so surprised to see the Potions Master struggling to get up from the hospital bed despite Madam Pomfrey's strict instruction that he was not supposed to do so.
Harry's eyes darkened slightly."Please, don't be so damn pessimistic."
Severus Snape stared hard at the two boys before glaring at Harry. "I'm just being realistic."
"You don't believe we could do it?" challenged Harry with a startling coldness in his voice.
The professor seemed to sense it too for he replied in a more cautiously manner. "I do. I just don't want you to make a deadly mistake of underestimating the enemy."
Harry visibly relaxed and unclenched his fist. "Fine. I won't"
The professor nodded in understanding and closed his eyes as if he just woke up to give his opinion on that particular topic and now that he was finished, he wished for nothing but to return to his peaceful respite.
Harry and Ron reluctantly continued keeping watch on the hospitalized Order members while struggling to finish all homeworks that they have missed while they were away. Ron kept grumbling about the unfairness of the situation but wisely stayed away from delicate topics like death and destruction. It was bad enough that it was the flavor of the month of the school's gossip network without discussing it during their relaxation time. In fact, he would rather avoid it if possible.
Madam Pomfrey eyed the two boys impatiently as they went on with their endless chatter of Quidditch, stern professors and unjust work load but she struggled to maintain a calm facade as she went on with her work. Normally, she would never let them stay but the heightened alert level forced her to endure their presence in the hospital wing. She had to admit that she needed help to secure the safety of her patients if ever the need arises.
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Devon and Callah coolly made their way to the Slytherin dungeon hoping that nobody was around when they arrive. They just got back from their training and they were currently not in the mood to be pestered by nosy housemates. Unfortunately for them, the most meddlesome ones were still at the common room and immediately looked at their direction as they entered the place. They eyed the newcomers suspiciously and their stance clearly implied that they needed a very convincing explanation.
"Where were you?" demanded Blaise, his wand held at the side, ready to strike if their answer proved unsatisfactory.
"Didn't Snape tell you? He made us do some horrible project to make up for our incompetence in his class." replied Devon coolly, immediately reaching for his wand. He did not like Blaise's arrogant tone and he knew the git was just itching to establish power over them.
"With the Gryffindors?" asked Blaise in a malevolent tone.
"Definitely not. What a crazy idea! Snape would never subject to such utter degradation." stated Devon evenly.
"That's what he told us. We knew better." smirked Pansy as she too eyed Devon and Callah disdainfully. "Who are you?" She asked with such finality that the two became worried at once but tried hard not to show it.
"Are you insinuating something, Parkinson?" queried Callah with the same derisive tone to hide her nervousness.
"Our connections checked all Wizarding Schools all over the world and not one confirmed your registry in their school. So I'm asking you one last time -- Who the hell are you?" Blaise's wand was now pointed at them. The others quickly followed. It seemed that they were not in the mood to play games tonight.
'Damn! Where's Harry when you need him?' thought Draco while staring at the grim expressions of his housemates. Four against two was not a bad odd for them but this was quite untimely. They could not afford to blow their cover so near to the final showdown. It would ruin their plan!
"Maybe they made a mistake, big deal. It happens, you know." replied Callah in a weak attempt to salvage the situation.
"Yeah." Devon readily agreed. "And if you don't have any other relevant things to ask us, we're going to sleep now."
"Oh, no, you don't. Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Blaise. Devon and Callah quickly rolled out of the way and formed a Shield to protect themselves.
Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle quickly hauled their own hexes at them but none came in contact with their target.
"Is this how you treat your housemates?" drawled Devon as if he found their efforts too novice for his taste.
"No, only for traitors." said Blaise and sent another powerful curse at them but the two were just too fast.
"Maximus Illusionus Reverso" uttered a familiar voice from behind Devon and Callah.
The two immediately froze. They knew that voice. It used to haunt their nightmares and now it seemed that the nightmares had come true. The figure slowly stepped away from the shadow and surveyed the disbelieving faces of the so-called 'traitors' of the Slytherin House. His long, silvery blond hair swaying lazily only added to their horror. His wand was pointed at them and the cane with a serpent carved on the handle was held loosely by his other hand.
It was Lucius Malfoy...as menacing as ever... and he was looking at them with so much loathing that the two knew they were in a very delicate situation.
Lucius turned to look at his young comrades and gave them a look of utter disgust. "How pathetic! I've wasted so much time in training you and you couldn't even defeat two ----- " His wand almost fell as he noticed the light emanating from the 'traitors' as they gradually reverted to their original appearances.
"Malfoy!"
"Weasley!"
The four young antagonists gasped in surprise while Draco and Callah cringed inwardly at the impending danger. The game was up and all they could do now was to grin, bear it and try to escape unscathed.
"Well, well. What do we have here? It seems that the Dark Lord is correct once again." stated Lucius coldly while shooting daggers at his own son.
"H-he knew?" asked Ginny wearily.
"Of course. When Draco and Peter failed to return to the Manor that night, he knew. He just did not realize that you'd be foolish enough to go back to Hogwarts. Surely, you don't believe that this school could offer you protection from the Dark Lord's wrath." sneered Lucius. "Fortunately, Blaise here was able to provide us with a rather interesting information about three inquisitive transferees at Slytherin House. It did not take much long to figure out that you, Draco and Peter were those three." He appeared very pleased with himself for his clever deduction.
Draco glanced at Ginny, grateful that her face did not betray any reaction on the mistake on Lucius' interpretation of event. With an almost imperceptible nod of his head, the two started to run out of the common room but immediately froze on their tracks when they heard the evil laughter or Voldemort's right hand.
"How silly can you get! Certainly, we sealed the common room after you came in. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you're too important to be taken alive." said another familiar voice.
It was Macnair - another Death-eater! The man was followed by another dark-robed figure. Draco and Ginny paled instantly. They did not recognize the third man but he must be another death-eater to be in the company of Lucius and Macnair. 'Probably a new recruit.' they thought in dismay.
"The Headmistress would notice the interference in the wards if you attack us now." declared Ginny bravely.
Lucius stared malevolently at the young couple while his two companions only laughed at her declaration. The other four were just enjoying the show, clearly confident that Draco and Callah had no means to escape especially with three adult wizards in their side.
"We have no intention of explaining our intricate methodologies to your feeble minds but rest assured that we could kill you in peace without anyone outside this room being the wiser."
"I'm your son." stated Draco simply, vainly hoping that the fact would make the older man lenient on them.
"You? An ungrateful and traitorous bastard who apparently had no spine on his body to uphold the family tradition! No, thank you. I'm quite proud to say that I have no son." retorted Lucius viciously that Draco flinched at his cruel words.
"Family tradition? What's that - to be a slave to a raving lunatic half-blood who acts like he owned the world but cannot even defeat a one-year-old baby?" shouted Draco angrily. He felt Ginny's hand reached for his in an attempt to calm him down but he refused to budge. "Groveling at the Dark Lord's muddy feet, merlin! Have you no dignity at all?"
"CRUCIO!" Lucius exclaimed but he was astonished when the spell that used to make his son beg for mercy did not have a lasting effect anymore.
"Surprised?" Draco gloated at the look of surprise on his father's face.
"Stupefy!" yelled Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle at once but Draco and Ginny deftly dodged the curses and sent their own, careful to aim some of their curses on the common room door to force it open.
Macnair ran towards Ginny and hurled a conjunctivitis curse at her but missed by a mere centimeter. The other death-eater conjured a very powerful spell that blasted a nearby wall
Lucius carefully assessed the situation and sensed that the two were more equipped for a minor encounter like this one. Swiftly, he unearthed a magical rope from the secret pocket of his cloak and expertly whipped the two traitors. The two were fast but it was very difficult to avoid all the hexes and the rope at once.
"Ahh!" yelled Ginny as the tip of the rope violently came in contact with her wand arm. Blood started to ooze from the broken skin and burned so terribly that her cursing ability began to dwindle. Draco saw this too and tried to cover her but a curse sent him flying to a nearby wall making him vulnerable for another attack.
"Destructo!" screamed Pansy and aimed it at Draco but before the curse could hit him, Ginny had screamed "Accio Draco" almost desperately.
"Take this!" shouted Lucius as he struck the two with the whip.
It hit Draco squarely on the back as he covered his tearful girlfriend and the wand fell from his hand from the excruciating pain that followed. The impact made him cough up for breathe and was horrified when he saw blood coming out of his mouth. He stared at Ginny and saw that she too was having some difficulty in breathing.
He tiredly reached for his wand and braced himself for another attack. He forced himself to face their attackers and projected a brave front.
"What now?" he smirked and tried to act as annoying as ever. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him beg for mercy. Even another whipping that crossed his chest and made him cough up more blood did not wipe the smirk from his face. 'Let it be known that Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley died fighting evil courageously.' he thought, resigned to the hopelessness of the situation.
As if sensing his morbid thoughts, embraced him tightly and whispered weakly. "D-don't give up. There's still hope..." She then gripped the galleon tightly and hoped that help would arrive soon.
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The Head Boy and Head Girl have just finished making the final round for that night and were ready to return to their respective dormitories when they felt the familiar burning sensation from their pockets. They paled immediately when they saw who was in trouble.
"Quick! If Draco and Ginny needs help, then the situation must be very grave!" exclaimed Hermione as she dragged Ernie to the Slytherin common room only to be blasted away by an invisible wall that hindered them from coming in.
"It...is...very....grave!" agreed Ernie as he struggled to get up from his ungraceful fall.
Hermione nodded and was vaguely aware of other DA members being hurled to the ground by an invisible force.
"Whoever was in there put up a powerful ward to inhibit us from entering the room." commented Padma Patil who was one of the recent victims of the invisible force.
"Yes and I know Harry's not in there so we really need to exert extreme effort to break the barrier. Maybe the Fireball technique could work if we simultaneously barrage the door with it." said Hermione.
"How do you know Harry's not in there?" asked Seamus. Hermione rolled her eyes at the seemingly idiotic question but chose to keep her tongue in check.
"Because trust me, if Harry's in there, Ginny and Draco won't be having this problem. Besides, I know that he and Ron are at the hospital wing to watch over the patients." she replied as politely as she can. "Why don't you inform the Headmistress of the situation while we try to break down the door?" suggested Hermione to which Seamus quickly agreed.
Hermione, Ernie, Neville, Padma, Parvati, and Colin quickly formed Fireballs and hurled it at the door at the same time. At first, they thought it did not work but after a few more minutes, a small hole formed on the door.
"At the rate we're going, it would be lucky if we could open it before sunrise." whined Parvati as her fireball started to diffuse. The others were inclined to agree but could not do much but hold on and wonder what the hell was taking the others so long to respond to the call.
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Harry and Ron were busy playing Wizard's Chess when they felt the burning sensation in their pockets. Both immediately took out the fake galleon but with different reactions. Ron quickly got up and started to run but Harry held him off.
"Why? That's my sister!" exclaimed Ron and tried to break free from the iron hold of his bestfriend.
"I know but they've been trained well. They should learn how to cope. Our duty is to guard the patients. What if someone attacks them while we're out? They're quite defenseless and the Order could lose the most powerful and knowledgeable members if we act rashly." stated Harry calmly but he knew his explanation was falling into deaf ears.
Ron glared at him. "That's my sister! I need to help her. If you don't want to help then fine! Deal with it!"
"It's not just a whim and you know that." said Harry coldly but relented when he noticed the look of desperation on Ron's face. "Look, I'm sure the others will aid them quickly enough. But for now, we need to guard them. If there's an attack, then this is where we are most needed."
Ron still did not seem convinced. Harry sighed heavily. "All right, if I sense that they could not handle it, we'll go together. Okay?"
Ron reluctantly agreed and they continued with the game although Ron was still too pre-occupied to keep his focus. He was continually fidgeting nervously and his eyes were darting from side to side as if waiting for something.
"Ron!"
"What?"
"Don't be paranoid!"
"I am not paranoid!"
"Yes, you are!"
"No!"
"If you don't mind keeping your voice down...The patients need rest, you know." stated Madam Pomfrey irritatedly.
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As the intensity of the fireballs diminished, so was the spirit of the brave defenders. They were fully aware that every minute counts and it only takes a few seconds for the killing curse to be cast. Whatever was happening inside, they just hoped that Ginny and Draco could stall long enough to break down the barriers.
"We're coming...we're coming....hold on!" chanted Hermione furiously as if the mere mention of her thought could make it come true. But her courage started to fail as the Ernie's fireball started to flicker dangerously. Only Neville's and hers were still glimmering proudly but they knew their strength was beginning to fade too.
Hermione snuck a glance at the door and was dismayed to find that the dent was still too small. She glanced at the tired figures of Ernie, Parvati and Padma trying to regain their strength and gripping their galleons tightly. She gestured for Neville to let go for a while and they, too, called for help. After catching a few breathes, the five conjured fireballs again for a lack of more effective things to do.
Luna, still in her nightgown and looking as if she just rolled out of her bed, ran to Hermione's side and taking her cue from the older girl, she conjured her own but instead of an ordinary one, hers took the shape of a dragon that swallowed all the other fireballs before forming into a very powerful flaming sword. She fearlessly held the sword and traced the door until it fell on the ground, effectively startling all those inside into inaction.
All the DA members ran inside, with wands ready for battle and seemed slightly disappointed to find only three death-eaters and just four young stupid followers inside the dark and eerie common room. They noticed the two unconscious figures lying on the ground and all of them only had one thing in mind as they glared with utter detestation at their perennial enemies --- 'It's payback time!'
"What the --- " exclaimed Blaise but was quickly shut off by a furious paralyzing spell from Ernie while Neville, Hermione, and Luna took advantage of the element of surprise and quickly stunned the three adult wizards.
Padma and Parvati evidently enjoyed hexing Pansy for being an obnoxious bitch who took pride in spreading malicious rumours about anyone outside her house while Crabbe and Goyle ran cowardly out of the room to merlin-knows-where.
Professor McGonagall appeared with Seamus a few minutes later, a little disoriented at the sudden turn of events but was quite relieved to find Ginny and Draco had some injuries but were still alive.
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"Harry! The others are also calling us! Aren't we going to do anything?" Ron was almost hysterical now as he stared at the continous blinking of the official DA galleons with different names for each blink but with similar location.
Harry frowned and started to worry too but this was something that he must learn to do according to Dumbledore. He must learn to trust that others were also capable of defending themselves and it should not always be his job to save the day. But Ron was free to do as he wishes...
"You may go and help them Ron." he stated and averted his eyes from the piercing glare of his bestfriend.
"You really don't plan to help, do you?" yelled Ron angrily.
"I'm trying to make them strong."
"How's letting them die make them strong?"
"THEY ARE NOT GOING TO --- " Harry's words were stuck on his throat as he noticed several people hastily approaching the hospital wing led by the Headmistress who was carefully levitating the battered and bloodied bodies of two individuals onto the vacant beds. Madam Pomfrey became immediately worried and went to retrieve some healing potion and pain-relievers from her medicine rack. She quickly administered cure as soon as the bodies were settled.
Ron, after the shock at seeing the injuries, took one look at his sister's condition (never mind the other) and his expression darkened immediately. He glared ferociously at Harry and before anyone could do anything else, his bottled anger and frustration came out in the form of one very strong punch on the guilt-stricken face of the-boy-who-lived.
"BASTARD!" he spat angrily and walked off.