CHAPTER 35
'I'm delighted to see you,' the cloaked figure at the doorway said, clasping his long-fingered hands together in front of his chest. 'I will not push my imagination to the limit of saying I've missed your company all this while- neither yours, Draco- but I must say, it will be a pleasure to kill you after so much time.'
Draco did not react. He merely jutted out his chin, and replied, 'Welcome, Adrian.'
Hermione and Lisa exchanged uncertain looks. Was this Adrian Chadwick?
'Oh, so you recognized me!' the voice sounded pleased. 'It would have been just like you to forget an old cousin.'
Hermione gasped, and took a step backwards.
'I must say,' Draco replied. 'you have been in our minds of late. A rather round about relation of your with the Dark Lord, if I remember rightly.'
Lisa glanced at Hermione. Both knew what was going on- a careful testing of claws, carefully sheathed teeth that lingered at each others throat before biting- a drama of civility before the grand finale.
The figure paused, and brought up a hand to sweep the hood off his face. It fell to his neck, and Hermione saw an unfamiliar face- thin, and gaunt, with pale green eyes, and spidery wisps of white hair falling from his head, dangling about his ears. His ears were frail, his nose long and bent, and his mouth so white and thin, that you could hardly see it. By contrast, his teeth when he smiled, were an unpleasant yellowing shade.
Draco looked unimpressed.
'A bit handy with disguises, aren't you?'
'Essential for survival. I wouldn't have even been able to elude the pompous fools of the ministry were it not for that, despite their rather wanting brains.'
'I see you do not hold them in esteem?'
'I despise them.'
They lapsed into silence. Then-
'Why, Adrian. Tell me from the beginning. I will not betray your secrets.'
'That much I believe,' Adrian said, calmly. 'You will take them to your grave- only a short walk away. Not, of course,' here he chuckled lightly, 'that I'm suggesting something.'
'Of course not. On the other hand, I would be quite pleased to know-.'
'Well, why not? I'll start from the beginning, shall I/'
'If you would be as obliging to do so.'
'I have been in the service of the Dark Lord for a long time, Draco. Perhaps since the beginning of his realm- forty years? Fifty? Quite a spell, if I do say so myself. I'm not as young as I look, you know.'
'I see.'
'Well, if I have the delicacy of saying so, I believe I was the brains behind most of his little jaunts. I analyzed them, picked them apart, and laid down the path for him to follow to an essential success. Though of course, I wouldn't mind telling you, I always dreamed of being higher- past him perhaps? I must confess, defeating and taking over him is an idea that- shall we say, had always been in the back of my mind.'
'Evidently.'
'Well, right from the beginning, we'd been recruiting new Death Eaters, as you should know Draco…you were one of the, lowing to your mother's ambition. Well, a little while back, the Dark Lord and I came up with a masterful plan. One that would make him unstoppable. And sooner or later, make me unstoppable.'
'Fascinating.'
'If I do say so myself…' Adrian said, smiling evilly. 'We had in our keeping one Death Repel, stolen from the ministry many years ago. I felt that, if we could reproduce it…come up with more of them…it would definitely be benefiting. But to do so, we had to understand how. And there was, of course, only way to do that.'
'The Lugubrious Pool,' Draco said, in a politely bored voice. 'I'm acquainted with the concept.'
'Of course you are. You came with me. But I must spare thought for the oblivious ladies standing beside you.'
'Very thoughtful of you.'
'Indeed. As I was saying, the Lugubrious Pool is a pool, of sorts, filled not with water, but thoughts, dreams, memories…it is neither in this world, not any other, but suspended in a hollow in the universe- a black hole, shall we say, of time and matter. It is teetering on the knife edge between life and death, and in the void between essence and flesh.'
'You mean imaginary?' Lisa said, with a hint of scorn and wonder in her voice.
'No,' Hermione said, breathlessly. 'Not imaginary. 'But made of imagination. A black pool of nothingness, suspended in nothingness, where there is no meaning of life and death. The only place a true repeller of death can be created.'
'Your choice of words must be applauded,' Adrian said, bowing his head to her, 'It is almost as good as mind.'
Hermione pressed her lips together, and did not reply.
Adrian continued talking.
'This pool seemed to be our only chance of being able to create a Death repel. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to access. There is only one medium to reach a void of everything, as such as the one in which the pool was…a Death Veil. Unfortunately, we knew of only one, which was hidden in the Department of Mysteries.'
Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. A sudden rush of memory.
'Oh, come on,' Sirius chuckled, as another of Bellatrix's curses rushed harmlessly past. 'You can do better than that.'
The look of utter malice on Bellatrix's face frightened Hermione. She wanted to warn Sirius. Warn him not to goad her with his tongue, to the point at which she would-
The Killing Curse hit him squarely on the chest. Someone screamed, and Hermione realized that it was her. She watched, mesmerized, as his body arched, and fell into the fluttering depths of the veil.
'The veil…' she whispered.
He turned and faced her. Hermione found herself staring into the pale eyes.
'Yes,' he said, 'The veil. We entered through the veil, and reached our destination- the Pool. We did what we had to and returned. But in the process, we ended up losing our Death Repel. The one that was stolen from the Ministry.'
'yes,' Hermione interrupted, 'It was found. That was the night Lisa and I were called. You were there, weren't you? The security guard…'
Adrian tilted his head to one side, so that his spidery hair flipped a little.
'You're a perceptive woman,' he observed.
'Go on,' Draco said, tersely.
'Well, we returned home more or less successful. We created another Death Repel, and judged that it wouldn't be much time till all the Death eaters wore one. The Death Repel that we made was hidden- hidden in the Cave, which only Death eaters knew about. Imagine my surprise, when-.' Here he paused, and licked his lips. 'I found that I had been betrayed.'
Draco looked unabashed. Instead, he said, 'do they know.'
'Not yet. They will soon. More worry for your poor mother.'
'If you say so.'
Adrian paused, and looked at them.
'You caused me a lot of inconvenience,' he said, 'A missing Death repel was tragedy on its own. It was foolish of you to come down here tonight. Because tonight, I will dispose of you and the ladies, and get me back my Repels.'
He raised his wand.
'Drop your wands,' he snapped. 'All three of you.'
They hesitated.
He sighed. 'Let me clarify your position. You can't open the door. It's locked. You can't apparate from here. I can kill you any time. Now, drop your wand.'
They dropped them.
'Very good,' he said, 'Now, Ms. Granger, if you'd please.'
'Leave her alone,' Draco growled. 'Don't touch her.'
'Shut up Draco. The time for formalities is passed. Im going to kill all three of you.'
He grabbed Hermione's arm, and yanked her towards him. Draco immediately moved forward, but he wasn't quick enough. Adrian whipped around, and raised his wand.
'Crucio!'
The next minute, Draco was writhing on the ground, filled with pain. Hermione gasped.
'Stop it!' she shrieked. 'Stop it, take it off him!'
'Tell him to stay still, andI will,' Adrian said, his eyes hardening. 'I don't want his hero instincts kicking in. If he thinks he can carry you off in his arms on a noble steed, he can just stay like that.'
'Draco please,' Hermione begged. 'Just lie still, and he'll take it off.'
He couldn't reply, but she saw the protest in his eyes.
'Please, Draco,' she said, softly. 'I don't want to lose you.'
She saw his gaze fill with weariness, and then acceptance, as reluctant as it was.
She turned to Adrian.
'He'll be still,' she whispered.
Adrian nodded, and lifted the curse. Draco lay very, very still on the ground.
Adrian turned back to Hermione…
'Stand in front of me,' he said.
Hermione shivered, and stood in front of him. she sneaked a glance at Lisa, who was looking horrified. Draco's eyes were filled with hurt, anger and terror, but he was too weak to move much. Adrian's face had a small smile on it.
'Goodbye Ms. Granger,' he said, 'Avada Kedav-.'
At that minute, a strong boom surrounded the shack. Adrian gasped, and almost dropped his wand.
A deep violet light seemed to seep from nowhere, and envelope the whole room. A deep clanging sounded in all directions, tinted with muffled thumps and booms. A strong wind kicked up. Draco moved feebly on the ground. A silver necklace fell out of his pocket, and Hermione saw that it was glowing brightly.
'Come…'
Hermione gasped. The voice didn't seem to come from anywhere. It was raspy and harsh, and echoed hauntingly in her ears.
Draco shivered.
'I am calling you…come to me…'
She suddenly saw that Draco's form was turning hazy. She gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth.
'Come to me…'
''No,' she shivered.
'Come…my will is pullingl you…'
'No it won't…'
There was a sudden outpour of energy, and Hermione felt crushed.
'A will is being exerted,' Adrian said, in a hypnotic voice, 'Draco will be ripped to shreds.'
'No!' Hermione cried.
'The will…it is inexorably pulling you…'
Draco gasped. He ground his teeth, and clenched his fist. Hermione saw a terrible pain on his face.
Adrian looked surprised. 'He's resisting,' he murmured. 'what will follow will be a battle of wills.'
'A what?' Hermione choked.
The wind was blowing even faster, whipping at her hair and face, as if trying to shred her eyes.
'A battle of wills, Ms. Granger,' his voice sounded simple, like a teacher giving a lecture….in the midst of terror. 'The person with the stronger will win. Unfortunately, both Draco and Narcissa have strong wills.'
'Narcissa?" Hermione choked.
'The only person who can summon Draco. In fact,' his finger ran lightly across his jaw. The energy that was vibrating in the shack intensified. Suddenly, he turned to Hermione.
'We do not have more than thirty seconds of life, Ms. Granger. The battle will kill all of us in this room. But before that….I might as well have the pleasure of killing you.'
He raised his wand. All of a sudden, Lisa appeared out of nowhere. Viciously, she pushed him, and he fell in a tangled heap on the floor.
'Lisa!' Hermione cried.
'Shut up, Mione! Give me your wand!.'
Hermione fumbled for it on the floor, and dazedly handed it to Lisa. Draco was still fighting on the floor. The deep void that was presenting itself in the room began to grow.
Lisa snapped the wand at Adrian.
'Goodbye,' she said, her eyes glinting dangerously.
But she never got to complete her action. For at that minute, there was a flash of bright light in the room, and the dark void swallowed them.
AN- Omg, did I love writing this chapter…sorry for the time it took to update…
Anyway, please review guys, and I promise to update faster. Thanks for all those who took the time off earlier to do so.
Lilly- I haven't got a review for the last two chapters or so…where are you?
