Disclaimer: Can't think of a witty disclaimer...leave a message at the sound of the beep. One OC made by me.

Short, boring chapter. Woo. But I'm trying to get these chappies up as soon as I can. My parents aren't fond of me spending more than five minutes on the internet (we have dial-up). So anyway, yadda yadda, please point out anything that's wrong, and thanks so much for the reviews! You guys make me so unbelievably happy. I did a little dance when I saw I hit 70. woohoo!

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Chapter Seven - I Want to Fight

Harry was instantly awake. He sat up quickly, staring disbelievingly at Ron. "What?" he asked.

"You heard me. Hermione's gone," Ron managed to repeat in a sort of horrified whisper. "Parvati and Lavender were in the common room shouting just a few minutes ago. Parvati says she woke up because her stomach hurt, and she saw this big black figure crouched over Hermione's bed. She screamed and Lavender woke up and the person grabbed Hermione and — " He looked absolutely shocked. " — they just disappeared."

"But they couldn't have Apparated!" Harry said, putting on his glasses and trying to think logically. "Do you think the person might have used a portkey?"

"I don't know. McGonagall's downstairs, trying to calm everyone down and get them to go to bed," Ron said. "Reckon we should go to Dumbledore?"

"I don't know about you, but I am," Harry nodded, slipping his robes on over the pair of pants and t-shirt he had quickly thrown on. "We are going to get Hermione back if it's the last thing I do."

The two boys left the dormitory and snuck downstairs, where a good number of the house was standing around and asking each other what happened. They had almost made it to the portrait when Professor McGonagall spotted them.

"Potter! I know where you're going. Dumbledore wants to see you," she told him. "Weasley, you stay put."

Ron look infuriated at this, but Harry put a hand on his shoulder and told him not to worry. He slipped out of the common room and hurried down the darkened hallways to the headmaster's office.

oooOOooo

Harry was surprised to find the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office already open, but nevertheless walked up them and knocked tentatively on the door. Why would Dumbledore need to see him? Perhaps it had something to do with Voldemort. Only he would have done something so awful and dodgy.

"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called out. Harry stepped in cautiously. Dumbledore was poring over a stack of papers at his desk with extreme intensity. He looked up when Harry shut the door behind him. "Ah, Harry..." He looked mournful, straightening the parchment into a neat pile. "I take it you already know that Miss Granger has gone missing?"

Harry nodded. "W-was she kidnaped by Voldemort?" he asked, voicing his thought.

"Yes, I'm afraid."

"What does he want her for?" Harry demanded quickly. He needed to get her back. She didn't need to get involved in this war, no matter how many people were already sucked into it.

Dumbledore sighed, pressing the tips of his fingers together. "Take a seat, Harry." He did so. "Voldemort plans to use a particularly lethal ancient spell, the Sanguis Mortum."

Harry's face remained clueless. "What's that?"

"It's a ritual that requires sacrifices. Pureblood, half-blood, and muggleborn."

"Sari — Hermione's going to be sacrificed!" Harry yelped.

Dumbledore's expression darkened. "Two others have been taken as well. A Ravenclaw 3rd year, a Miss Danielle Fudge, and — " He paused, clearing his throat. "A Slytherin 7th year." Harry's heart froze. "Draco Malfoy."

Harry almost forgot to breathe. Draco? No, no, it was impossible. He reached out automatically with his mind, calling Draco? Where are you? He got no response. He couldn't even tell if Draco had heard him. A thought came to him. That must have been the voice in his head. Draco had been calling him for help. And he couldn't do anything...

"Why would they sacrifice Malfoy? He's, he's one of them!" Harry fumbled, remembering that Dumbledore didn't actually know Draco was a Death Eater. "Isn't he? His dad was."

"The Malfoys seem to have fallen out of favor with Voldemort lately," the headmaster sighed heavily. "I do not wish for any of my students to be sacrificed in any such way."

Harry sat there, deep in thought. "Wait, you said Fudge — "

"His niece. Not many know her mother is a muggle. Obviously Voldemort wants to make a statement. Miss Fudge to deal a blow to the Ministry, Miss Granger to harm this school and you, since you are so close, Mr. Malfoy to show what happens with Death Eaters he disapproves of..." Dumbledore trailed off.

"Why didn't he use me for the half-blood? It would have been like killing two birds with one stone."

Dumbledore looked troubled. "I'm not quite sure. Perhaps he wishes to just make you suffer and then kill you. Madmen like him aren't easily understandable."

Harry's hands clenched into fists. He hated Voldemort. Why couldn't he just die! It would be so much better. "We need to stop them! What are we sitting around here for?"

"The Order's already moving in. We really don't want this ritual to go down as much as you, Harry."

"Then why aren't I going with them?" Harry exclaimed, looking outraged.

"We are not sending you straight into Voldemort's grasp, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"But it's okay to let everyone else get killed for my sake!" Harry shouted. "I don't deserve any special treatment. I just want to save my friends! I'm of age. Why can't I go?"

"It's probably too late, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "By the time you get there...Best to let the other members of the Order handle it."

"No! I demand that I get to go! Or something! I won't just sit around knowing that people are being killed because of me," Harry growled.

Dumbledore sighed again. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if you didn't have so much spirit Harry." He slowly conjured up what looked like a small silver ball out of thin air. "This is a new sort of portkey. It'll send you straight to Hermione and the others. If you pick it up again, wish yourself back and it will take you back here." He paused once again, hesitating to hand the object to Harry. "Be careful, Harry. Remember, there will always be someone to watch your back in a desperate situation, even if you don't know it."

And Harry took the sphere, plunging himself deeper into the disorder and fighting.

TBC...

I'm so proud of you guys who guessed Draco as the pureblood sacrifice! lol.I felt like being weird though, so I just threw in an OC to make it a bit and critizism much apprieciated.

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