A/N: Author peeks cautiously around corner YIPES! Ducks multiple heavy objects thrown in her direction …hmm well sorry about the wait everyone, I could tell you all the many reasons I haven't updated but that would be boring and you don't want to hear them I'm sure. So here you go. Kudos to those who caught the PoTC quote, "Oh so it is that you've found a girl!" last chapter.

Chapter 30 – And So It Begins

Hermione stepped out into the cool twilight air and breathed in deeply, sighing as she exhaled. A slight frost covered the grounds and made for a soft crunch with every step as she made her way down to the lake. Once at the waters edge she sighed again and smiled, watching as the first stars of twilight appeared. The sound of footsteps behind her made her jump slightly. She spun round, wand drawn.

"Who's there?" She called. She heard the sound again to her left and turned.

"Easy Granger, it's just me, lower your wand." A female voice said. Hermione squinted trying to make out the approaching figure.

"Parkinson?"

"You got it." The Slytherin replied finally coming into view. Hermione sighed exasperatedly.

"Look Pansy, I'm really not in the mood." She said pocketing her wand.

"I didn't ask if you were in the mood Granger, nor do I care." Pansy spat. Hermione eyed her carefully.

"What do you want?"

"There's something going on with you and Draco." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and it made Hermione's breath hitch. She recovered slightly and let out a hollow laugh.

"You must be mistaken Pansy." She replied.

"Don't play dumb with me Granger. I was there that day in Potions, I saw what went on and contrary to popular belief, I am not stupid."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but quickly shut it, not knowing what to say.

"Just admit it…there's something going on with you and Draco!" Pansy repeated.

"I…I…" Hermione stumbled, "I don't know what you're-"

"Damn it Granger! Just tell me!"

"Yes Ms. Granger, please indulge us." Both girls jumped at the arrival of a new voice coming from behind Hermione. She turned round again to face the new intruder but before she could make out a single feature beneath the dark hood everything went black.


"They've taken her…they've taken her!" Draco yelled, becoming increasingly agitated. He thrashed about trying to untangle himself from the sheets of the hospital bed. "Help! Someone help! They've taken Hermione!" Failing miserably at untangling himself he fell to the cold stone floor, groaning in pain. "Help!" He yelled again, his voice becoming hoarse. He tried to stand up but between the blasted sheets and his lack of strength from the sleep potion he simply ended up on his side breathing heavily trying to choke out a distress call. "Help…someone please…help." He called feebly, gasping for breath. A few moments passed by before the doors to the hospital wing suddenly burst open.

"Mr. Malfoy."

Draco looked up beneath heavily lidded eyes and sighed with relief.

"Dumbledore."

Dumbledore kneeled next to him and helped to untangle him and return him to his bed. Shortly after, Snape appeared through the doors, a sobbing Pansy Parkinson trailing behind him.

"Headmaster, they've taken her, they've taken Hermione." Draco said, still trying to catch his breath.

"We know Mr. Malfoy, we know." The wizened wizard replied. Draco furrowed his eyebrows.

"How could you know? I just saw it…in…my dream." He said. Dumbledore and Snape both looked disapprovingly at Pansy who let out an even louder sob.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, "he made me do it, he made me! He's so powerful; there was nothing I could do!" Realization suddenly dawned on Draco's face and he lunged out of the bed towards Pansy, an animalistic growl escaping his throat.

"You gave her to them!" He cried, nearly reaching her before Snape restrained him, forcing him back to his bed. Draco thrashed trying to escape. "I'll kill you Pansy, I'll kill you. First I'll save Hermione…then I'll come back…and I'll kill you." He said, his voice deathly calm…deathly terrifying.

"Draco." Snape snapped. "There's no time for this bickering." Draco met Snape's eyes. The Potion's Master stumbled back slightly at the look of absolute loathing that radiated from his nephew.

"Why didn't you know about this?" Draco asked.

"It appears the Dark Lord has finally realized who the spy has been all this time." Snape admitted.

Draco nodded and turned to Dumbledore, "What's the plan?" He asked.

"That, is precisely why we are here Draco, we're just waiting for-"

"Headmaster, Professor. What's going on?" The hospital doors clicked shut with the arrival of another person.

"Ah Mr. Potter, excellent. Let the shall we say, plan planning, begin." Dumbledore said, much too cheerfully for Draco's tastes

"What's he doing here?" The Slytherin spat.

"Draco you can't expect to take down the Dark Lord without the help of Mr. Potter." Dumbledore explained.

"Take down the Dark Lord?" Draco repeated. "No, this is about Hermione, we're rescuing Hermione." He said angrily.

"Hermione? What's happened to her?" Harry interjected worriedly.

"Ms. Granger has been taken by the Death Eater's Harry." Dumbledore said calmly. "And Draco, we will rescue Ms. Granger but I'm afraid the time has come."

"The time has come for what." The two boys echoed, glaring at each other, immediately regretting their decision to voice the same thing.

"For the final battle…this is it, The Dark Lord will fall tonight."

Draco snorted, "Yeah or Potter will finally kick the bucket and give me peace." Dumbledore sighed, pulling a scroll from his robes as he continued.

"I had hoped you and Ms. Granger would be further along in the training of your newly acquired powers before it came to this Mr. Malfoy but we will have to hope for the best." He opened the scroll and placed it on Draco's bed.

"Ipse translatum meus ingenium, meus navitas, meus spiritus." Draco read slowly. "I transfer…my power…my energy…my life?"

"That is correct Mr. Malfoy, very good." Dumbledore said, handing him the scroll. "We have to assume that the Avada Kedavra curse will not work on Voldemort. He has unfortunately grown too powerful, even for that. So here is what must happen. Mr. Malfoy, you and Ms. Granger did manage to combine your energy and perform a spell, did you not?"

"That's correct Sir." Draco said, reading over the spell.

"Well you must do that again, only this time you must use all the energy you possibly can and you must chant this spell over and over. However, it is crucial that you do not use too much energy. That energy is your life force, the over use of it could have…dire consequences." Dumbledore explained.

"Dire consequences Sir?" Harry questioned.

"One or both of them could die." The Headmaster said heavily. The room was silent for a few moments before Dumbledore continued. "Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger will be casting this spell on you, Harry-"

"I don't think that's such a-" "Well, we had bit of trouble with-" Harry and Draco started at the same time.

"Do not worry, this will not bring any harm to Mr. Potter, you will simply be transferring your energy to him, so that hopefully his Avada Kedavra spell will be strong enough to finally end Voldemort's reign of terror." The boys both nodded.

"But we've still got one problem." Draco said.

"And what's that Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked.

"They've got Hermione and we've no idea where she is."

"That's where I come in." Snape spoke up. He was wincing slightly, grasping his arm where the Dark Mark was glowing slightly. "There's a meeting, we can guess why, I've already had a tracking spell placed on me. I will arrive and hopefully find Ms. Granger before the ceremony starts. Once I do, I will inform Dumbledore and you will all portkey to that location." He finished and winced again. "Albus I must go."

"Yes, of course Severus." The Headmaster replied. Snape turned and hurried out of the hospital wing. Dumbledore turned to the two boys and Pansy.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter might I suggest a change of clothing…something black perhaps?" He suggested.

"Yes Sir." The two boys replied.

"And Ms. Parkinson if you would come with me. Your parents and the ministry officials will have arrived by now." Pansy sniffed but nodded. "Proceed to my office as soon as you have changed boys. The password is at spēs nōn frācta."

"No candy this time Headmaster?" Harry asked, grinning lopsidedly. Dumbledore chuckled slightly.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures Mr. Potter. I will see you two shortly." The boys nodded, Draco shot Pansy a dark look as she followed the Headmaster out of the hospital wing. The boys remained silent as Draco gently got out of bed, wincing slightly.

"You alright Malfoy?" Harry asked somewhat worriedly.

"No I'm not bloody alright Potter, you practically cast Cruciatus on me, I've been unconscious for…I don't even know how long and the one person in this world worth living for, in my not so humble opinion, is under the care of Lord Voldemort…no Potter, I'm not alright!" Draco said, turning and stalking out of the hospital wing. He heard footsteps behind him and Harry soon appeared at his side.

"Look Malfoy don't you begin to think for one minute that you are the only person who cares about Hermione!" He said angrily.

"I don't just care about her Potter, I love her!"

"And you don't think I do?"

They rounded a corner and nearly bowled over a group of second year Hufflepuffs.

"I think it's different!" Draco replied, shoving one boy out of the way. Harry growled and shoved him against the wall, green eyes meeting silver.

"Well it's not." He replied. "The only difference…the only difference is…she chose you." He finished softly. "Are you happy now Malfoy? She chose you." Harry let go of Draco's robes and continued down the hallway. Draco watched him walk off with a look of…something, perhaps…respect, or a least a little more respect than usual. He sighed and quickly caught up with the Gryffindor who spoke right away.

"Look Malfoy, we're in this together whether we like it or not." He said, looking straight ahead as they entered the entrance hall. "If one of us fails, we both fail. If one of us fails…Hermione could die. So let's just…let's just do this, agree to disagree you know?" "Truce?"

Harry turned suddenly, he certainly hadn't expected that but Draco stood before him, hand outstretched. Harry nodded firmly, grasping his hand and shaking it.

"Truce…for now."

"For now." Draco repeated before the boys parted ways.


Harry paced before the statue that led to Dumbledore's office.

"Waiting for me Potter?" Draco called as he approached. "I'm touched." Harry turned, his face somewhat red with embarrassment.

"I…I forgot the password." He said quickly. Draco smirked and turned to the statue.

"At spēs nōn frācta." He said smoothly. The rotating staircase slowly came into view.

"How did you remember that?" Harry asked as they climbed.

"I learned Latin before I learned English Potter." Draco said matter-of-factly.

"Really, well then what does it mean?" Harry continued, as they reached the door to Dumbledore's office. Draco turned to him and for the first time smiled, albeit with a far off look in his eyes.

"And hope is not lost." He said softly. They turned as the door opened for them.

"Come in, come in." The Headmaster greeted them. They entered and closed the door behind them. "Please have a seat." Harry complied and sat down, although his leg twitched nervously. Draco took to pacing. "I've not yet heard from Professor Snape but I should think it will be any minute now." The room was silent for a few moments except for Draco's soft footfalls as he continued to pace.

"Headmaster?" Harry spoke up. "How exactly is Professor Snape contacting you?" Dumbledore smiled and was about to answer when a burst of light lit the room as a great white hawk entered and landed before Dumbledore. Professor Snape's voice suddenly filled the room.

"Dumbledore I've found Ms. Granger, we're safe for the time being and I've learned the location…" There was a pause in which no one breathed for fear of missing what the location was. "It's Malfoy Manor. Get here quick." Both Harry and Dumbledore looked to Draco who had stopped pacing and was glaring out the window.

"Mr. Malfoy-"

"Let's go." He said, cutting the Headmaster off. The old wizard nodded and pulled a small snow globe out of his desk. A miniature Hogsmeade village was inside, covered in snow.

"Take hold." Dumbledore said. The boys did as they were told. "And boys…good luck." That was the last thing to be said before they felt the familiar tugging behind they're navels and were whisked away. They all shared the same thought however,

"And so it begins."

A/N: Ok that's it for now. I'll try not to wait another three months or whatever before I update again but I'm not making any promises. This story is finally wrapping up, yay! I mean it's been fun but it's been long and it'll be a relief when I finally finish it. I'm thinking 2-3 more chapters. Be sure to check my profile for my other stories. I've got a couple one shots up I think, or I will shortly. Thanks! R/R

Oh PS: I don't know how many of you use myspace, but if you'd like to know a little bit more about me you can go to my webpage, here's the link hopefully, http:profiles. Thanks!