Jay Morris

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just the gremlins in my head.

"Chapter 9: Cold Revenge"

Draco, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were all pouring over all the reports that Devine had sent to them over anything in any way suspicious. A report of howling outside of Neville and Luna's house, a raiding of the local sweet shop and it reappearing again the same as it was, a local witch's garden being uprooted completely, and weirdest of all; a donation of sixty galleons to Ron and Tanya's house. No matter what anybody did, they just couldn't make any of it relevant to anything else.

"Maybe the Death Eaters are preparing to attack," Ron said.

"With mint plants, chocolate frogs, and a bag of money? Be serious Ron," Hermione said. "None of these items match up."

"Actually they do."

Everyone jumped and turned around to find Devine staring at them. His normally calm eyes were blood shot, and his mouth never wore a smile anymore. His vampire instincts were kicking in more often now, so he had to seclude himself more often than was helpful to keep from giving in and getting into real trouble.

"The relevance between the reports is that they are all irrelevant. They are meant to detract us from the simple points of the clues. That something is supposed to happen with the houses where specific events happened."

"Wow," Harry said. "And why didn't you become an Auror?"

"Article XV of the Ministry Code of Aurors. 'No magical enhanced, infected, or otherwise overly gifted witches or wizards may become Aurors.' That's why Lupin couldn't become one either, he's werewolf."

"Oh. You would have made a great one."

"I know that, and they know that now. When I was in school I too wanted to be an Auror, but after my powers surfaced I gave up that dream, and did the next best thing in trying to protect our people; defended it from muggles. Because we don't need another war like we had back in 1322 AD. An army of muggles attacked a pleasant village of our people, and got reduced to cinders. The village ended up having to 'disappear' because of a 'plague.' And that's where we are now."

"In that same village?" Hermione was intrigued. Of course anything that was historical meant it was important.

"Yes, of course slightly modernized. But nonetheless, this is that same village that had to disappear, and where I hid for years. So I know this village like the back of my mind."

"Well, if the houses are supposed to be attacked, how do we know when and where?" Ron asked. He wanted to be able to defend Tanya; she was carrying his real baby, despite what his parents thought.

"We don't know Ron. That's the tragic part. For all we know right now they could be attacking. And the kicker is, we can't give in to threats or fear. If we do, then they'll come in and wipe us out, methodically and viciously."

"Then what?" Draco asked.

"Then they would start their insurrection from this village, and another war would happen."

"What if we go and . . ." Harry started.

"Do what Harry? Attack shadows, and destroy what cover we have? We have to be defensive here. Once they're inside the town then we got them, but until then we have to wait, and that's where they think we'll fail. I must remind you that all information is confidential so we don't have a panic."

"Understood."

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Draco and Hermione walked home.

"This is really something isn't it hon?" Draco asked.

"It's incredible. Apparently I can't go through a year of school without having to beat a new evil."

"Well there's life for you."

Hermione gave him a kiss, and froze.

"What is it?"

"There's something moving very slowly toward Ron and Tanya's house. It looks sort of like a wolf but I can't tell."

Draco turned around, and froze as well.

"Hermione what phase of the moon are we in?"

"Full why? Oh my god! Ron! Tanya! Werewolf!"

The werewolf turned it's amber eyes on Hermione and Draco. Draco knew what was coming.

"Run!"

Draco and Hermione ran as fast as they could toward Devine's house.

Devine! Devine! There's a werewolf loose in the village! It's chasing us and gaining! Help! The next thing Hermione knew a dark shadow swooped down out of the sky and knocked the werewolf onto it's side. In seconds it was on it's feet, and then suddenly there were two wolves circling and daring the other to attack.

"It's Devine. I mentally yelled for him. He told me to always keep part of my mind open for him."

Devine and the other werewolf were still circling each other, neither advancing or backing down. Suddenly, one of them leaped onto the other, and tore out patch after patch of fur. The defending one rolled under the attacker and tore out it's throat, and the attacker lay on the ground, soaking up the red blood into it's otherwise gray coat of fur. The one still alive turned away from the dead one, and changed back into Devine.

"Thank you for alerting me Hermione. Had that werewolf had another thirty seconds of just you two, you'd both probably be dead by now. The only reason I won was because of vampire blood instinct, which is unfortunately very powerful."

Devine headed back to his house, half walking and half stumbling. Draco turned to Hermione.

"You allright?" His voice was rich with fear.

"Yes, I'm allright. I just was hoping and praying that Devine" Hermione dropped to the ground.

"Hermione! Devine! Something just happened to Hermione!" Draco reached around her body, feeling for a wound of some kind. He pulled a dart from her arm, and examined it until Devine snatched it from his hand. Rage burned behind his eyes, and his fangs were growing.

"Mahogany dart. Laced with, my god, Xeronium."

"What's Xeronium Professor?" Draco was scared. He didn't want Hermione to die.

"It's the second most powerful poison known to wizard-kind. It's an infusion of mint to poison ivy, and stewed for a month with other ingredients including mistletoe, pixie wings, scorpion claws, and the hair of a werewolf."

"None of those are very poisonous."

"My boy trust me, they're bad enough put together that most wizards fear brewing it for fear of poisoning themselves. The mint is the only ingredient that is not harmful to the body if ingested, but with it the potion is easily transferred through the body. Depending on the dosage we have roughly fifteen to forty-five minutes to get an antidote in her before it's too late."

"What do I need to get?" Draco was ready to go and hex a Death Eater if he needed to.

"I need Redberry Nightshade berries. Professor Sprout has some, but I don't know if they will be enough. Send an owl to her to send me some. Go! I'll get Hermione to the hospital."

Devine picked up Hermione as easily as though she wear a toy doll, and ran at full speed toward the hospital. Draco also took off at a full run but toward the Owlery.

"I need your fastest owl that can go to Hogwarts! It's an emergency!" Draco was almost out of breath.

Luna grabbed a stone tossed it to Draco.

"Think about your message now. That stone will record it and save us the trouble of writing it. Hurry!"

The message recorded, Luna opened a cabinet and there was a phoenix asleep.

"Wake. Hogwarts. Emergency. Stone message."

The phoenix grabbed the stone and was out of the window before Draco could blink twice.

"Don't worry Malfoy. Pete will have your message there, and returned with the response in no time at all."

"Thanks Luna. Would you please send another owl to Harry and Ron to meet me at the hospital?"

"Comin' up."

"Thanks." Draco turned and hurried out of the Owlery to the hospital.

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Harry and Ron burst into the hospital. They soon found Draco sitting in Hermione's room his head in his hands crying. Hermione had been put in the same room as Ginny, in hopes of preserving Hermione's spirit. They walked in as quietly as they could.

"Thanks for coming guys. I needed the support."

"You rescued Ginny from our house, I owed you something other than a thank-you."

Draco stood up and gave Harry a brotherly hug. When they broke away he gave Ron a firm handshake, leaving no doubt in your mind that all differences were put aside.

"What happened?"

"She was hit by a mahogany dart laced with Xeronium."

"Wow. Do you know who did it?"

"My only guess right now is my father, Lucius Malfoy."

"How serious is it?"

"Remember that Redberry Nightshade that we had to feed at school, and that it's berries are one of the most powerful remedies known to wizard-kind? Well, apparently that's the antidote we need to save Hermione. I sent an owl, well actually a phoenix, from the Owlery to get the berries from Sprout, and it's not back yet."

"Yes it is."

The three of them turned to find Devine. His face looked ancient behind the glasses.

"It just got back. There aren't enough to bring her back to a full state immediately, but there are enough to kill the venom and recuperate her here. She'll be in a coma for far longer than Ginny I'm afraid, and the child will have to be abortioned."

"NO!"

"What?"

"No! You cannot do an abortion on that child. Isn't there some way to let the child grow and be delivered magically?"

"Under normal circumstances I'd say yes. But it's not because she's in a coma, it's because I don't want the child infected with Xeronium Draco. I promise you, that were it possible, your daughter would be born completely free of problem and Xeronium. Of course there is a way, but it's tricky."

"What? What is it?"

"You have to find someone who'll be willing to take over as the actual bearer of the child. And given the circumstances around here, I don't think any of the girls would do it."

"I'll do it," said a weak voice.

"Ginny?" Harry turned around. "What did you say?"

"I'll do it. I owe it to Hermione. She did all she could to keep me and my child from dying, now I want to do the same for her."

"Won't we lose our baby?" Harry asked.

"No, I can speed up the process right now, and induce your labor here on the spot."

"Harry I really want to do this. Please." Ginny looked imploringly into his eyes.

"Allright. Let's do this."

N/A: I told you to not to expect to know who I was attacking next. I'm ending the chapter on a cliff, because I need to create the net to catch the jumpers in. Give me a break will you?