Chapter Two – The Veil of Death
"We're almost there, ok?" Harry said, Hermione's area was in view.
Draco didn't answer, he had his eyes closed tight and he was thinking of a way to pull Potter down with him if he was going to fall.
Finally they arrived at the Granger's home and Harry desperately tried to figure out which window was hers.
He finally resorted to looking through each window until he found it.
Finally he caught sight of the sleeping Hermione and gently tapped on the window. She turned over in her sleep and Harry rapped a little louder.
"Geezus," Draco said pushing Harry to the side a little bit. Then he banged on the window with his fist. "Granger! Wake up!"
Hermione jumped and startled made he way to the window.
She struggled with opening it for a moment and when she did she looked relived when she saw Harry.
"Oh Harry it's you... what's--" Then she noticed Malfoy. "What is he doing here?"
Draco scoffed.
"Hermione, we need to talk to you, can we come in?" Harry said, ignoring Draco.
Hermione sent a doubtful look at Malfoy. Harry was having trouble keeping the broom steady; he was tired and a little cranky. "Hermione, please?"
Hermione sighed in defeat, "Oh alright, but be quiet!"
Once they were all inside, Harry explained what Draco had told him and handed the heavy book to her.
She flipped through it and found the page. Once she was doing reading all about it, she looked up at Harry.
"Harry can I talk to you alone for a second?" She said and pulled him out into the hall.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Harry, do you really believe what Malfoy says?" She asked. She looked a little worried.
Harry sighed and looked at the ceiling for a moment, thinking, and then he returned his attention back to his friend. "Hermione, I know Sirius is still alive, I can just feel it. I don't know the truth about that veil but I have to know... you understand don't you?"
Hermione was quiet for a moment and then nodded. "Well what he said about not 'necessarily dead' is true enough, I mean just because people disappear doesn't mean their deceased, right?"
"Right!"
"But I don't know, Harry. It's really shady... and this is Malfoy we're talking about. Even if he isn't a Death-Eater he could be planning something."
Harry nodded, "I know."
When Hermione and Harry came back into the bedroom, Draco was flipping through a Muggle textbook he'd found.
"So?" Draco said without looking up.
Harry crossed his arms. "We still don't know if we can trust you."
Draco took off his shirt. Harry looked horrified at him. "What are you doing?"
"There, see? No Dark Mark, no bloody Dark Lord signatures. You know the Dark Lord marks all who work for him to ensure no one double-crosses him."
Hermione looked closer at him. "Well how do we know it's not on another part of your body?"
Draco looked aghast. "I am not taking off my pants!"
Hermione smirked. "Ok, so you're not a Death Eater... yet, but I think I know what you're up to."
She picked up his book and handed it to him, it was open on the page. "You're after the 'ring of power' aren't you?" She asked.
Draco smirked. "Very good Granger."
Hermione crossed her arms. "And what are you going to do with it?"
"Deliver it to the dark lord of course." He said. And was angry to see that they believe him! "I'm not! I want it to –to do something… okay?"
They both still looked skeptical. "Look," Draco said. He never wanted them to know this. "My father's a bastard, it's only a matter of time before he comes back and the first person he's going to take out his anger on will be me! I don't give a fuck if you believe me or not but I'm your only way into the Ministry. You help me get what I want and I'll help you save your Godfather, ok?"
Hermione didn't seem to have an argument for this.
Harry somehow seemed to believe all this. "Ok then," He said and looked at Hermione. "Hermione?"
Hermione looked doubtful for a moment. "I still don't think this is wise, but fine. What's the plan?"
Draco seemed to lighten up considerably. "I know how to get in and out of the Ministry undetected. Well get in and go from there, that simple."
"But," Hermione spoke up. "Harry shouldn't we tell the Order or somebody? What if something happens?"
Harry's expression seemed to agree.
"No!" Draco said suddenly. "No one can know, if someone finds out they'll try to stop us!"
This seemed to make him even more suspicious, what if he really was trying to turn them in to Voldemort?
Draco seemed to realize this. "Ok then, what stopped you from going in after him in the first place?"
"...Lupin."
"Exactly, don't you think the same thing might happen?"
Harry nodded and Hermione looked desperate. "But I'm sure if we showed them and told them just what you told me they'd..."
Harry shook his head. "No, Hermione, Malfoy's right. They'd try and stop us. They'd most likely make us stay behind and they themselves would go if they decided so. I want to do this myself."
Hermione didn't argue, she was really tired and although worried, she really wanted to go to bed.
"Ok fine, we'll be reckless." She said huffily and Harry hugged her.
"Ok let's go."
"Wait, how are we all going to get there?" Draco asked. "We can't all fit on that broom."
They all thought about this and then Hermione piped up, "Well were are we going exactly?"
"Knockturn Alley." Draco said at once and Hermione looked surprised.
Draco rolled his eyes, "Well what did you think? The private passageway used by my father's people is behind a store called, Malevolence. Run by a nice lady actually..."
"Ok then, why don't we just use Floo to get there?"
Draco scowled, "They're still watching the fireplaces you know."
"Oh, of course." Hermione said.
"Why doesn't Harry just dropped me off there first? Then he can come back for you and we can get into the Ministry from there?" Draco said.
Harry seemed to want to go right away. "Ok, that's good, now let's go."
Harry dropped Draco off at the said store first and while he waited for the other two to return he decided he should probably get some stuff.
He entered the store Malevolence.
"Draco! How nice of you to stop by!" Said an old woman from behind the counter; she appeared to have been really, really pretty in her day.
"Hullo Jade, listen..."
Harry and Hermione arrived in Knockturn alley and were careful to avoid any of the bystanders.
"Come on." Harry said taking her hand and pulling her through the crowd.
"Harry I don't like this place, where's Malfoy?"
"I don't know... he said he'd wait for us there. Um... ok... I think he went this way..."
Ten minutes later they had found the place and they looked in one of the windows. The store apparently sold things like shrinking head potions and Harry thought he saw a broken TV set.
Draco noticed them and quickly shrunk the package Jade had given him.
"Thanks," He said and winked at her and hurried his way out of the store.
"Ok, are we ready?" He asked the two Gryffindors outside and then led the way into Malevolence's backyard.
"Through there." Draco said and pointed to a hole that was covered with a cloth.
"But, what about provisions and things?" Hermione asked. A little nervous.
"I've taken care of it," Draco said, pulling the cloth up to reveal the hole to be able to fit two grown men at the same time. "Ok hurry before someone sees." He said and Harry went first.
"Just keep going straight." Draco called to him and Harry did.
This tunnel much reminded Harry of the ones in the Chamber of Secrets. Except this time there was nothing chasing him.
He could hear Hermione right behind him and guessed that Draco would be behind her.
Well after what felt like hours, they finally emerged into a grassy field. "What—where are we?" Harry asked, helping Hermione out of the tunnel they'd crawled through.
"A room," Draco answered. "Across from the Department of Mysteries."
This made sense to Harry. In all the dreams he'd had during the school year, he'd always gone straight to get to the Department of Mysteries... so this was how the Death Eaters had done it.
Draco opened the door with a weird one-worded spell and they made their way into the Department of Mysteries.
"Do we know which one of the doors is the one we need?" Hermione asked quietly.
"This one." Draco said after the room had stopped spinning, "On the first spin it's always this one."
They opened the door and sure enough it was.
Harry felt a sudden twinge in his stomach as he made his way down into the pit to the archway that had swallowed Sirius. He never thought he'd be in here again, not after what happened. But things are different this time, he told himself, they were going to save Sirius.
"Well here we are." Draco said.
"Who goes in first?" Harry asked and looked at Draco.
"I will," Draco volunteer, knowing they'd suspect him if he'd made Harry go first.
Harry turned to Hermione. "Don't worry about us, ok?"
Hermione looked scared and teary eyed, "Oh Harry, please, please be careful."
Harry smiled. "I will." He handed her his broom. "Fly to the Burrow and tell Ron, ok?" You two are the only ones who will know, so if something happens you can tell someone, ok?"
Hermione nodded and hugged him. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Harry.
Harry looked down at it. It was a pendant with an arrow on it.
"It's like a walkie-talkie." Hermione said. "I enchanted it so we can talk to each other, if you're in trouble, call, ok?"
Harry smiled at her. "You're a genius, Herm."
She smiled back.
"Later, Granger." Draco said and disappeared through the curtain.
"Take care, bye." Harry said and waved at her before he too disappeared behind the veil.