Chapter 6
Anxiety in the Truth
"The wicked are always surprised to find that the good can be clever."
–Marquis de Vauvenargues
"Hermione?" Ron yelled, knocking loudly on the door. A growl sounded on the other side, and both Harry and Ron's eyes widened.
"Sorry, my mistake." Ron looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. "That's odd; this is the number that the innkeeper gave us."
Harry looked at the paper over Ron's shoulder, and exhaled sharply; exasperated. He took the paper, turned it upside down, put it back in his friend's hand, and walked down the hall.
"Oh right; I see," Ron said, in a sort of surprised sort of tone. He put the paper back in his pocket and followed Harry.
They stopped in front of the correct door. "Hermione, are you in there?" Harry called, knocking lightly. The door opened almost immediately and hands grabbed them by the front of their shirts and pulled them inside the room.
Hermione shut the door behind them and began talking. "Thank goodness you two showed up; I was getting worried. I've been looking through some books I had lying around and I have some ideas. I'm not completely positive about them, mind you, but I am willing to give them a try."
Her room was disheveled, rather uncharacteristic for Hermione. A trunk lay open, unpacked, with the clothes hastily folded and tossed inside. Parchments and books were scattered all around the room.
Without letting them answer, she continued. "Most of the spells and charms I've found are for locating a lost person or item, and Kreacher isn't really lost, so they aren't all that useful. But know that there are three of us working, hopefully we can find exactly what we need. Ron, the parchments by the window are for you; Harry, yours are on the desk. Let's get a move on.
The next few hours were spent on research. Food came at noon for lunch, but after that it was right back to work.
"I've found something!" Ron exclaimed after about forty-five more minutes of grueling torture.
"What?" Harry asked, thankful for the break.
"It seems fairly simple. All we need is something of Malfoy's." "Oh that," Hermione said. She turned back to her books. "I found it ages ago. But we don't have anything of his, so it's more or less useless."
"No it isn't," Ron replied. "Do you remember last year; the 'incident' with Malfoy and Goyle?" he asked Harry.
"Oh, you mean when the two of you ambushed them from behind, fractured Malfoy's jaw, gave Goyle a concussion, and almost got yourselves expelled when you only had two weeks of school left?" Hermione asked innocently. "Is that the 'incident' you mean?"
"Of course."
"Well, then I'm guessing he does."
"Hold on a minute."
Ron Disapparated without much warning, and Harry and Hermione were left staring at nothing but air for a few minutes. He reappeared, holding a scrap of cloth.
"During our...meeting... with Malfoy, I tore his robes while I was tearing him off of you. When Snape showed up, I just put it in my pocket and forgot about it. I found it while I was unpacking."
"How come you never told us?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "It never came up."
She snatched the fabric from his hand. "It would have made things a lot simpler if you had. Honestly, that is probably the only time your male- influenced short temper will ever come in handy." She took his parchment and started to ready the spell.
-
Draco emerged from his room to get something to eat for lunch. He took his food into the den to where Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for him.
"Well, I managed to heal the minor cuts and bruises, and clot the blood on the more serious ones." He sat down in a high-backed, rigid chair. "But, I haven't the proper training to set bones yet. And I'm more than positive that there is severe internal bleeding." He bit into the sandwich he made. "I doubt he will make it past midnight."
Crabbe and Goyle's faces went ghostly pale. Crabbe swallowed nervously. "Well, can't Lucius do some–"
"Are you serious? We can't tell Lucius; he'd skin us alive. No, this is our problem."
"What can we do, then?"
"Brace ourselves."
-
"I believe that I've got it." Hermione said leaning over a large map of England. She put down her jar of powdered manticore spines, and pointed to a red area. "That is where it should be."
"Well then, Harry said, standing, "let's go."
-
Draco was putting his dish in the sink when he heard the low of the doorbell. Immediately he became suspicious. Forgetting that he was still wearing only his pajama bottom, Draco raced to the front door. He threw it open and blinked against the harsh light of the blazing sun. "Potter," he growled.
"Where is he, Malfoy?" Harry asked, spitting out the words."
"Who?"
"Stop being a bloody prick, Malfoy," Hermione said, her eyes iced in anger. "Give us back Kreacher."
"Mind you manners, mudblood."
Ron let out a growl and threw himself at Draco. Harry caught his arms and held him back, just as Draco pointed his wand between Ron's eyes; he'd pulled it from his pocket with amazing speed.
"I haven't the energy, Weasley, but I will if I have to. I just am NOT in the mood."
"Fine," Ron snarled, still held back by Harry. "Give us Kreacher back and we'll leave, and I won't tear you limb from limb."
Draco lowered his wand and let out a hollow laugh. "You're threatening me; that's rich."
"Listen, Malfoy, just give him back," Harry snapped. "Then we'll leave." "As much as I would love to help you, I can't. My father took Kreacher with him when he left this morning." He was unable to hide the smirk that crept to his lips. "I am very sorry, though," he added with mock sympathy. "Now, it would do you well to get the bloody hell off of my property, before you get hurt. Unfortunately, you haven't been here long enough for the curses to affect, but later on I'll track you down. Promise." He grinned.
Ron struggled against his holds. "I can't wait. I'll finally get the chance to wipe the damned smirk off your face."
"I'll be sure to stay on my toes, then."
Draco slammed the door in Ron's scowling face. "Damn it. How the hell did they manage to find us? Now they'll be coming here every other day." He growled and punched the door.
-
"What do we do now?" Ron asked, biting into his cauldron cake. They were back in Hermione's room, eating a small snack before they went back to the house.
"Well," Hermione replied, "we were lucky enough that Lucius wasn't there. I don't think he would have been as ... compassionate... as Draco was."
Harry snorted.
"Okay, so it wasn't compassion, per se," she corrected. "Actually, it was kind of odd. He had the perfect chance at us. No one else was around, and we weren't really that prepared. He seemed..."
"Distracted?" Harry supplied.
"Exactly."
"Yes, I noticed that, too." Ron swallowed his last bite of cake. "Wonder what it was all about."
"I don't know," Harry said. "Do you think that he was lying to us about Kreacher?"
"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Don't be thick, Harry," Ron said. "Why would Malfoy tell us the truth? It's not like he's our fourth musketeer."
"I know that," Harry replied. "But it is still out of his character." "Well," Hermione broke in, "we don't have time to dwell on it. I'm sure he told Lucius, so we might have to wait, just in case."
"Why?"
"In case he sets any more charms on the property. We'll have to research possible spells, so we can learn what to expect and how to defeat it."
""Well," Ron said, "as fun as that sounds, it's almost time to go home for diner." He stood up. "Are you coming with us Hermione?"
"No," she answered. She settled into the armchair in the corner of the room, book in hand. "I'd rather get a head start on reading."
"We're out of school, and you're still doing homework diligently." Harry grinned.
"Oddly comforting, that is," Ron added.
"Are you going to come visit us tomorrow?"
"Mmm. I'll be there for breakfast," Hermione replied. "That is, if it's all right with your mum, Ron."
He snorted. "Of course. Mum loves any reason to entertain people; she lives for it."
"Alright then. We'll have breakfast at you house than come back here for some research time."
"Sounds like a plan," Harry said, standing next to Ron. "Is eightish all right with you?"
"Mmm hmm." She was already immersed in her book. "Fine with me."
The two boys Disapparated, leaving Hermione to her reading.
-
Draco sat in a plain wooden chair pulled up close to the side of his bed. He rested hi chin purposefully on his hands, watching the labored breathing of Kreacher, who was drifting in and out of consciousness. He'd been unable to fix the broken bones and internal bleeding, and was now keeping vigil in surrender.
Suddenly, Kreacher began to stir, which Draco found to be normal. But without warning, the house elf began to convulse violently. Draco straitened abruptly, unsure about what exactly to do to help. As suddenly as he started, Kreacher stopped. He gave a final great shudder and was still.
Draco's stomach lurched in horror as realization set in. he stood slowly, staring at Kreacher's face; his mind reeling with anger and uncertainty. Filled with rage, he lifted his chair and hurled it against the wall, roaring with all his pent up emotions.
Eyes flashing, and still feeling the hatred eating at his soul, he whipped all the supplies off his desk and flipped it over. He was completely unaware of the cries coming from his mouth, and the tears silently sliding down his face.
His long overdue rant continued for a few more minutes. Breathing raggedly, he stepped over the debris that cluttered his floor and walked out the door. He found Crabbe and Goyle in the hallway, hovering around his door. The looks on their faces stated the obviously overheard the contained commotion.
"Kreacher's dead," Draco stated in a low monotone. "Take his body into the woods and burn it. Respectfully. And if I hear that there's been a house elf corpse found in the forest, it will be rather...unpleasant for you two, so do a good and thorough job."
He waited until Crabbe and Goyle took the body and left the house until he went back into his room. His mind was numb as he sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall. A dread gnawed at his stomach. He lay down on his side and curled pulled his knees into his chest, quivering.
He began to dwell inside his mind, thinking about how that night could very well be the last he spent alive. The Dark Lord had depended on Kreacher for information, and now Draco had let him down, and lost their only advantage against the Order.
He was still in bed when his parents came home. They walked past his bedroom, down the hall, and into their bedroom without acknowledging his presence.
Anxiety in the Truth
"The wicked are always surprised to find that the good can be clever."
–Marquis de Vauvenargues
"Hermione?" Ron yelled, knocking loudly on the door. A growl sounded on the other side, and both Harry and Ron's eyes widened.
"Sorry, my mistake." Ron looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. "That's odd; this is the number that the innkeeper gave us."
Harry looked at the paper over Ron's shoulder, and exhaled sharply; exasperated. He took the paper, turned it upside down, put it back in his friend's hand, and walked down the hall.
"Oh right; I see," Ron said, in a sort of surprised sort of tone. He put the paper back in his pocket and followed Harry.
They stopped in front of the correct door. "Hermione, are you in there?" Harry called, knocking lightly. The door opened almost immediately and hands grabbed them by the front of their shirts and pulled them inside the room.
Hermione shut the door behind them and began talking. "Thank goodness you two showed up; I was getting worried. I've been looking through some books I had lying around and I have some ideas. I'm not completely positive about them, mind you, but I am willing to give them a try."
Her room was disheveled, rather uncharacteristic for Hermione. A trunk lay open, unpacked, with the clothes hastily folded and tossed inside. Parchments and books were scattered all around the room.
Without letting them answer, she continued. "Most of the spells and charms I've found are for locating a lost person or item, and Kreacher isn't really lost, so they aren't all that useful. But know that there are three of us working, hopefully we can find exactly what we need. Ron, the parchments by the window are for you; Harry, yours are on the desk. Let's get a move on.
The next few hours were spent on research. Food came at noon for lunch, but after that it was right back to work.
"I've found something!" Ron exclaimed after about forty-five more minutes of grueling torture.
"What?" Harry asked, thankful for the break.
"It seems fairly simple. All we need is something of Malfoy's." "Oh that," Hermione said. She turned back to her books. "I found it ages ago. But we don't have anything of his, so it's more or less useless."
"No it isn't," Ron replied. "Do you remember last year; the 'incident' with Malfoy and Goyle?" he asked Harry.
"Oh, you mean when the two of you ambushed them from behind, fractured Malfoy's jaw, gave Goyle a concussion, and almost got yourselves expelled when you only had two weeks of school left?" Hermione asked innocently. "Is that the 'incident' you mean?"
"Of course."
"Well, then I'm guessing he does."
"Hold on a minute."
Ron Disapparated without much warning, and Harry and Hermione were left staring at nothing but air for a few minutes. He reappeared, holding a scrap of cloth.
"During our...meeting... with Malfoy, I tore his robes while I was tearing him off of you. When Snape showed up, I just put it in my pocket and forgot about it. I found it while I was unpacking."
"How come you never told us?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "It never came up."
She snatched the fabric from his hand. "It would have made things a lot simpler if you had. Honestly, that is probably the only time your male- influenced short temper will ever come in handy." She took his parchment and started to ready the spell.
-
Draco emerged from his room to get something to eat for lunch. He took his food into the den to where Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for him.
"Well, I managed to heal the minor cuts and bruises, and clot the blood on the more serious ones." He sat down in a high-backed, rigid chair. "But, I haven't the proper training to set bones yet. And I'm more than positive that there is severe internal bleeding." He bit into the sandwich he made. "I doubt he will make it past midnight."
Crabbe and Goyle's faces went ghostly pale. Crabbe swallowed nervously. "Well, can't Lucius do some–"
"Are you serious? We can't tell Lucius; he'd skin us alive. No, this is our problem."
"What can we do, then?"
"Brace ourselves."
-
"I believe that I've got it." Hermione said leaning over a large map of England. She put down her jar of powdered manticore spines, and pointed to a red area. "That is where it should be."
"Well then, Harry said, standing, "let's go."
-
Draco was putting his dish in the sink when he heard the low of the doorbell. Immediately he became suspicious. Forgetting that he was still wearing only his pajama bottom, Draco raced to the front door. He threw it open and blinked against the harsh light of the blazing sun. "Potter," he growled.
"Where is he, Malfoy?" Harry asked, spitting out the words."
"Who?"
"Stop being a bloody prick, Malfoy," Hermione said, her eyes iced in anger. "Give us back Kreacher."
"Mind you manners, mudblood."
Ron let out a growl and threw himself at Draco. Harry caught his arms and held him back, just as Draco pointed his wand between Ron's eyes; he'd pulled it from his pocket with amazing speed.
"I haven't the energy, Weasley, but I will if I have to. I just am NOT in the mood."
"Fine," Ron snarled, still held back by Harry. "Give us Kreacher back and we'll leave, and I won't tear you limb from limb."
Draco lowered his wand and let out a hollow laugh. "You're threatening me; that's rich."
"Listen, Malfoy, just give him back," Harry snapped. "Then we'll leave." "As much as I would love to help you, I can't. My father took Kreacher with him when he left this morning." He was unable to hide the smirk that crept to his lips. "I am very sorry, though," he added with mock sympathy. "Now, it would do you well to get the bloody hell off of my property, before you get hurt. Unfortunately, you haven't been here long enough for the curses to affect, but later on I'll track you down. Promise." He grinned.
Ron struggled against his holds. "I can't wait. I'll finally get the chance to wipe the damned smirk off your face."
"I'll be sure to stay on my toes, then."
Draco slammed the door in Ron's scowling face. "Damn it. How the hell did they manage to find us? Now they'll be coming here every other day." He growled and punched the door.
-
"What do we do now?" Ron asked, biting into his cauldron cake. They were back in Hermione's room, eating a small snack before they went back to the house.
"Well," Hermione replied, "we were lucky enough that Lucius wasn't there. I don't think he would have been as ... compassionate... as Draco was."
Harry snorted.
"Okay, so it wasn't compassion, per se," she corrected. "Actually, it was kind of odd. He had the perfect chance at us. No one else was around, and we weren't really that prepared. He seemed..."
"Distracted?" Harry supplied.
"Exactly."
"Yes, I noticed that, too." Ron swallowed his last bite of cake. "Wonder what it was all about."
"I don't know," Harry said. "Do you think that he was lying to us about Kreacher?"
"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Don't be thick, Harry," Ron said. "Why would Malfoy tell us the truth? It's not like he's our fourth musketeer."
"I know that," Harry replied. "But it is still out of his character." "Well," Hermione broke in, "we don't have time to dwell on it. I'm sure he told Lucius, so we might have to wait, just in case."
"Why?"
"In case he sets any more charms on the property. We'll have to research possible spells, so we can learn what to expect and how to defeat it."
""Well," Ron said, "as fun as that sounds, it's almost time to go home for diner." He stood up. "Are you coming with us Hermione?"
"No," she answered. She settled into the armchair in the corner of the room, book in hand. "I'd rather get a head start on reading."
"We're out of school, and you're still doing homework diligently." Harry grinned.
"Oddly comforting, that is," Ron added.
"Are you going to come visit us tomorrow?"
"Mmm. I'll be there for breakfast," Hermione replied. "That is, if it's all right with your mum, Ron."
He snorted. "Of course. Mum loves any reason to entertain people; she lives for it."
"Alright then. We'll have breakfast at you house than come back here for some research time."
"Sounds like a plan," Harry said, standing next to Ron. "Is eightish all right with you?"
"Mmm hmm." She was already immersed in her book. "Fine with me."
The two boys Disapparated, leaving Hermione to her reading.
-
Draco sat in a plain wooden chair pulled up close to the side of his bed. He rested hi chin purposefully on his hands, watching the labored breathing of Kreacher, who was drifting in and out of consciousness. He'd been unable to fix the broken bones and internal bleeding, and was now keeping vigil in surrender.
Suddenly, Kreacher began to stir, which Draco found to be normal. But without warning, the house elf began to convulse violently. Draco straitened abruptly, unsure about what exactly to do to help. As suddenly as he started, Kreacher stopped. He gave a final great shudder and was still.
Draco's stomach lurched in horror as realization set in. he stood slowly, staring at Kreacher's face; his mind reeling with anger and uncertainty. Filled with rage, he lifted his chair and hurled it against the wall, roaring with all his pent up emotions.
Eyes flashing, and still feeling the hatred eating at his soul, he whipped all the supplies off his desk and flipped it over. He was completely unaware of the cries coming from his mouth, and the tears silently sliding down his face.
His long overdue rant continued for a few more minutes. Breathing raggedly, he stepped over the debris that cluttered his floor and walked out the door. He found Crabbe and Goyle in the hallway, hovering around his door. The looks on their faces stated the obviously overheard the contained commotion.
"Kreacher's dead," Draco stated in a low monotone. "Take his body into the woods and burn it. Respectfully. And if I hear that there's been a house elf corpse found in the forest, it will be rather...unpleasant for you two, so do a good and thorough job."
He waited until Crabbe and Goyle took the body and left the house until he went back into his room. His mind was numb as he sat on his bed, staring blankly at the wall. A dread gnawed at his stomach. He lay down on his side and curled pulled his knees into his chest, quivering.
He began to dwell inside his mind, thinking about how that night could very well be the last he spent alive. The Dark Lord had depended on Kreacher for information, and now Draco had let him down, and lost their only advantage against the Order.
He was still in bed when his parents came home. They walked past his bedroom, down the hall, and into their bedroom without acknowledging his presence.