The Death Eater Headquarters was dank, shabby building from the outside, not unlike 12 Grimmauld Place. It was unplottable, so that nobody could find it, but whenever Muggles passed close to it, an inexplicable chill ran down their spines. The building itself was in located in a rundown street in the East End.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Molly and Arthur apparated a couple of streets away. Hermione pulled out a small piece of parchment. She handed it to Harry.
"Read this, then you'll be able to see the building."
Harry frowned, "Don't these things burst into flames after you look at them? How did you get this?"
"Crabbe gave it to me, and he forgot to destroy it. He only remembered a week after, at which point I promised him I'd already got rid of it." Hermione smirked.
Harry quickly read it and handed back to her. "Okay, I - I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Wait for me here for half an hour, after that, just go. Most likely if I get caught, they'll search for anyone else, and I don't any of you to get hurt because of me."
"We won't." Hermione promised quietly.
Harry crouched outside of the door of the Headquarters, hidden by his invisibility cloak. He had to wait until someone opened the door, so he could sneak in undetected. After five minutes of waiting in the freezing cold, a man knocked on the door, and when it was opened, Harry quickly ducked in. He came straight into a magnificent hallway. The floors were bare boards, covered with thick red rugs. The ceilings were impossibly high, and chandeliers hung there, glittering like stars in the night sky.
'Must be the Malfoy fortune' Harry thought. After the end of the war, Lucious had been caught and thrown back into Azkaban, but since the Ministry couldn't prove Draco or Narcissa's involvement, the Malfoy's money was safe. And because of Draco's apparent brilliance in business, it had only grown.
'This is not the time to start thinking about' Harry silently berated himself.
He crept to the living room, which appeared to hold all the members of the household. There were standing in tight groups, talking intently. They were surreptitiously glancing at the fireplace. They were waiting for something. Or, more likely, someone. The roaring fire flared green, and everyone jumped back a couple of paces. Avery, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, stepped out. Behind them, others started pouring out, but Harry couldn't see who it was, because everyone around suddenly surged forward again. There was a screech of joy that could only be from Narcissa, and as she pushed through the crowd, Harry got to see a man step out of the flames. He had pale blond hair, tattered robes and held a cane. It was, without a doubt, Lucius Malfoy. He had escaped from the supposed most secure prison in the wizarding world, and so, it seemed, had all the other convicted Deatheaters. Narcissa was all over him, holding on to his robes, kissing him, and generally being pathetic. She turned and shrieked in the directions of the stairs;
"Selene! Come down here! Someone wants to meet you!"
Harry's heart was in his mouth. He ran as fast as he dared to the staircase, and got there just in time to see a pair of delicate feet descend the stairs. then he saw her torso, and then... He saw her. And it was her. She as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair hung down below her shoulders, and from beneath it, he could see her large brown eyes. They had a hollow look to them, something Harry was familiar with, but he knew if he could just get to her, he could bring life back to those beautiful eyes. She was on the landing now, tantalisingly close to him, and it was all he could do not to cry out. She was soon swallowed up by the growing sea of people. Harry could hear the rejoiced cries of the Deatheaters happy to have their leader back. It was over half an hour before Ginny emerged from the room alone. Harry crept up silently behind her, and withdrew his wand from his robes. He pointed it at her shakily.
"Stupefy!" he whispered.
It hit her squarely in the back, and she fell face first onto the floor. It wouldn't be long before someone came to retrieve her, and with that in mind, Harry darted forward and dragged her up right. He covered them both with his cloak as best he could, and started towards the door. He heard someone come out into the hallway.
"Selene!" Narcissa's singsong voice called.
Harry remained perfectly still, a few yards from the front door.
Unfortunately, Ginny decided to stir at that moment, and groaned softly.
"Cissy..."
Harry clamped his hand over her mouth, but Narcissa had already heard.
"Avery!" she yelled, "Someone has kidnapped Selene!"
Harry raced to the door, holding on to his cloak desperately, and yanked the door open.
He ran out of the front garden like a bat out of hell, and turned down the street. He ran and ran, 'til he got to where he'd left the Weasley's and Hermione. Ron's head popped up from behind a bush.
"Harry! Over here!"
Harry vaulted over the bush and landed between Ron. Hermione, Arthur and Molly.
"Apparate," he gasped, "Burrow."
A loud crack filled the air, and within a minute there were in the Weasley's sitting room.
"I thought - you said - you'd leave." Harry said, between breaths.
"We lied." Hermione said, grinning.
Ron looked speechless, as he stared down at a shocked Ginny.
"Mate..." he said softly.
Quite without warning, he pulled Harry into hug, "I'm so sorry, about everything I said."
Harry couldn't help but smile.