CHAPTER NINE: FINALLY THERE

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter is not mine; J.K. Rowling owns it. Only the plot is mine.

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAAAAAS!!!!! Well… I got 3 reviews! Not as good as last time but… what the people said were better—more informative and really help me improve! Anyway… really happy about that and here come the…

Dedications:

Foxrcrchik99: Lol… you're kinda funny… :D Anyway, thanks. I liked the "Draco's sister" thing, too! Glad someone agrees with me! (woohoo!)

Pixieballerina: Here's the update! Though I don't have much time… we're leaving for a dinner in an hour… and I haven't any ideas yet the horror ! Hope you like it!

Hannah-901: Can't wait for your next fan fiction! You're an inspiration! Lol… good thing I have no flames… yet (shakes in fear)

"Shit…" Harry muttered. "What do we do now?" He looked at Draco.

"Why are you asking me?" Draco asked.

"Because you live here." Ron pointed out. "And you call me the idiot?"

"Oh, yeah…" Draco said. His heart was beating rapidly but neither knew.

Draco had no idea what to do. Usually, his father came with him in and out of the Manor. Lucius Malfoy was the only one who could stop the scanters from attacking.

But they were wasting time. Hermione could be on her way to death by now. Draco could think of only one thing: if they separated, the scanters would come after only one target (they always attacked in a mob).

"Run." Draco told them.

The two gaped at him, confused.

"You two," He said. "Run toward the house as fast as you can. They only attack non-Malfoys, anyway. But if I stay here I can control them… leaving you free to, uh… run and get Hermione. And do not look back. Or else they'll… sense your gaze and come after you. They're really weird, these scanters…"

What Draco was saying was mostly bullshit and lies, but he wanted Hermione to be safe as soon as possible.

"You sure they only attack non-Malfoys?" Harry asked, as if he could read Draco's mind.

"Yes…!" Draco hissed. "Now go."

With one last look at Draco, Harry ran as quickly as he could to the mansion in the distance, Ron at his heels. They did, in fact, not look back as Draco had advised.

Now Draco was alone with the deadly creatures, with only his wand for protection. He didn't know many spells or hexes that could help him at this time. He stared fearfully at the scanters as they advanced toward him menacingly.

Draco raised his wand, thinking. The creatures were quickening their pace as they neared him.

"Stupefy!" Draco stunned one of the scanters but this only angered the rest of the herd.

They ran toward him, closing in fast. He tried to cast another Stunning Spell but they were rapidly running at him, which gave him no chance to say the incantation.

At once, they were upon him. Their claw-like fingers dug into his flesh, making his skin burn with pain; others hit him with all their strength. He was flung into the air as the crazed magical creatures attacked him.

There was only one spell that could repel all of them. But it was forbidden. He had no choice; he could barely see anymore. "Evictus Solem." He whispered, too tired and hurt to say them any louder.

Instantly, the scanters stopped and froze. The stopped their attack, leaving Draco to fall to the ground. He hit his head on a rock, slightly dazing him.

All around Draco, he could hear cries of pain as the scanters exploded around him in small flares of fire.

Then all was silent. The scanters were gone. Draco just lay on the ground in a bleeding heap as he stared at the starry sky, breathing heavily. He was in too much pain to stand up, or even move. But he knew that as soon as the pain subsided just a little, he would go and follow Harry and Ron.

As Harry and Ron rushed toward the mansion, Harry couldn't help but feel that leaving Draco to deal with the scanters alone was wrong. But when he expressed his worries to Ron, he just snorted and said, "You're worrying yourself for nothing, Harry. Malfoy's fine. He's probably whipping those scanters' asses by now."

Harry said nothing, but still felt a slight sense of foreboding that Malfoy was not okay.

As they reached the front door, Harry peered carefully into the window, checking to see if anyone was there. The coast was clear.

Harry pushed open the door, which, surprisingly, made no noise at all.

When both Harry and Ron had slipped inside and shut the door, they looked around. Everything was as extravagant as they had expected. But there was no time to dwell on that for, after a while they heard a man laugh sinisterly in the room to the right. This was followed by a thump and a muffled yelp of pain.

"That's got to be Hermione." Ron said, looking at Harry.

Harry put on a determined face and nodded. "Get ready to—"

Ron cut him off, looking behind them outside the window. "Shouldn't we wait for Dr—Malfoy?"

"He told us to go ahead," Harry said. "And they seem to be beating Hermione around by the sound of it."

Ron nodded. But inside, he really wasn't ready for confronting the kidnapper.

Harry tiptoed toward the door, Ron following closely behind. "Ready?" He whispered, looking at Ron, apprehension visible on his face. Ron had the same expression.

Harry swung open the door.

Draco could feel the chilly night air, bitingly cold on his translucent, pale skin. He was shivering uncontrollably.

Wishing he had been smart enough to bring a cloak, he stood up shakily. It was as if he couldn't even carry himself without much difficulty. His body ached all over. Although it was cold, Draco felt as if his whole body was burning. Did he have a fever? He didn't know, and he didn't want to waste any time to find out.

He needed to go after Harry and Ron, just to make sure Hermione was alright.

It took Draco all of his strength as he slowly staggered toward the mansion. It felt as if hours had gone by, but he knew that it was only about five minutes until he got to the front door.

Draco swung it open, his eyes slowly adjusting to the vivid light of the foyer. Shouts were coming from the library. That must be where Hermione's being kept. Draco thought.

He straightened his shoulders and shook his head, trying to clear his foggy thoughts.

Slowly, he walked toward the closed library door.

As soon as Harry and Ron walked through the door, they spotted Hermione on the floor. Ropes were tied around her wrists and ankles, and her mouth was covered with a white cloth.

"Ah… Harry Potter. I see you brought your sidekick with you."

Harry turned to see, not Lucius Malfoy pointing his wand at them, but Nott, a fellow Death Eater.

"Wh-where's…?" Harry looked dumbfounded.

"Lucius?" Nott said. "Well… he stepped out. Went to some party. He told me that once you showed up to rescue your pitiful Mudblood friend, I should capture you."

As soon as he said those last words, he pointed his wand at Harry and Ron. Ropes wound around their bodies, sending them to the floor.

"Yes…" Nott said, smiling. "Lucius will come later. He will be very pleased. But the Master will be even more pleased…"

Harry and Ron scowled at Nott, but could do nothing more.

All of a sudden, the door swung open with a crash. Draco stood in the doorframe, or rather, was leaning on the doorframe. Blood was dripping from all over his body, and he had a few more bruises scattered on his face and his arms.

"You!" Nott said. "Young Malfoy, glad to see you here—however bloodied up you might be. Of course, I would have expected the one who fucked the Mudblood would come to her rescue!"

Harry and Ron exchanged baffled looks. Malfoy fucked Hermione?

Draco's face had no expression. "Let them go, Nott."

"Ooh…" Nott said. "Not very respectful to your elders, are you?"

"Not to you," Draco replied coldly.

"I guess I'll have to take care of you, too." Nott said in a bored voice.

Draco took out his wand, readying himself.

Nott scoffed. "You think you're going to win against me?"

Draco shrugged. "Maybe… we'll have to see."

Nott chuckled, then quickly pointed his wand on Draco and said, "Effinite!" A jet of yellow light shot from Nott's wand, going directly for Draco.

Draco rolled to the side, just narrowly missing the beam.

Draco rolled onto his back, wincing in pain,and pointed his wand at Nott. "Vanitium!" Nott disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Don't worry." Draco muttered, struggling to get up. "I only made him go to some far away desert."

Draco waved his wand and all three of the ropes binding Harry, Ron and Hermione vanished. How he knew how to do that, neither of the three knew.

Ron jumped up and quickly asked Malfoy in rage, "You had sex with Hermione?"

"We—" Draco began, but a jet of black light hit him from behind, sending him flying hard into the rock wall. He fell to the ground, motionless.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned toward the door. Bellatrix Lestrange was there, a dry smile pasted on her face.

"Lucius will thank me for that…"

Bellatrix was about to point her wand at Harry but a jet of red hit her and she fell to the floor, unconscious. Narcissa Malfoy was pointed her wand at the not out cold Death Eater.

"I'm sorry for barging in." Narcissa said. "But no one hurts my son without answering to me."

Hermione looked back to where Draco was lying and hurried over to him. Narcissa followed close behind, while Harry and Ron slowly approached, holding back slightly.

Draco looked terrible. His face looked paler than ever, and by the looks of his injuries, it was as if he had been in a terrible accident. Hermione touched a shaking hand onto Draco's forehead.

"His head's really burning... I th-think he's sick or something." Hermione looked close to tears at the sight of him, but Narcissa was calm and didn't look worried at all.

"We can fix these easily." Narcissa said. "But I think it would be better if the school nurse fixed them--it's more of her specialty. You have to be getting back to school already. I take it you've missed a lot in your lessons?"

"Just about two or three days." Harry said from behind. "But I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will understand…"

"Yes, I suppose he will." Narcissa said. "You'd better get going before Lucius comes home. Use Floo powder—there's an extra pouch of it by the fireplace." She added, indicating the fireplace across the room.

"You aren't going to keep us here?" Ron asked.

"No," Narcissa said. "Even if I did marry my husband, I still do not approve of his dealings with Dark Magic. And neither does Draco…" she added as an afterthought. "But his father insists. When Draco rejected… it was horrible—"

Draco's mother cut herself off. "I'm sorry." She said again. "You have to be going now."

Harry nodded solemnly, surveying Draco's unconscious frame. As soon as he had heard Draco's tale of his sister's death, he had felt terribly sorry for Draco. And by Ron's sorry expression, he was also feeling pity for Draco.

They both knew that Lucius Malfoy was terrible for being a servant of Voldemort, but they had not known that it had taken over his entire family…

The three headed for the fireplace, which was big enough to fit three.

"I'll just send Draco in after you." Draco's mother said.

They nodded.

Harry took a pinch of Floo powder, dropped it into the grate and said, "Hogwarts!"

They spun around, fireplaces flashing before their eyes.

Before they knew it, they had landed in Albus Dumbledore's study. The old headmaster looked at them, as if he had been expecting them.

A/N: Well? How'd you like it? There will be one more last chapter… strangely, all of my fan fiction seem to have ten chapters! Lol. Anyway… the next chapter will be coming in a few days… I'm very excited! Hahaha. Anyway, review pleaaase!!!