Disclaimer: My two biggest worries right now are guys and the SAT on Saturday. I think JKR has more important things to worry about.

AN: Same as last chapter w/ the cursing and such. Sorry if it bugs you!

AN2: I am utterly flattered by the hits this story has received the past few days. The lack of reviews makes me sad, however...:pouty face:Pwetty pwease review?


"Where are they?" Ginny rounded on the twins with angry fire in her eyes.

"We don't know, honestly, Gin!" Fred backed away from his infuriated sister.

"Harry didn't tell us anything! That was one of his terms!" George added, not wanting his twin brother to be murdered by his little sister.

"What did he tell you?" Ginny demanded, pointing her wand threateningly at the twins.

"Just that him and Ron were going somewhere and they needed us to cover for them. I swear!" Fred held his arms up to ward his sister off. "That's all we know."

Ginny looked back at the clock and fell to her mother's dinner chair. She laid her head on the table, her eyes never leaving the clock. "Oh, Harry..." she whispered to herself.

The twins shared a glance and quietly retreated up the stairs.


Shaylee grinned as Severus' planned back-up arrived. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur, all members of the Order of the Phoenix, had entered with Dumbledore.

Sirius was already dashing around, hexing random Death Eaters with a huge grin on his face. He looked as if there were nowhere else he'd rather be. The sight of him reminded Shaylee of his godson, who had been acting the very same way only minutes earlier.

Shaylee also noticed her Aunt Molly putting a Self-Spanking Hex on a Death Eater who had been trying to petrify Harry. She also realized with amusement that this was the same Death Eater who had stunned Ron. This reminded Shaylee of something.

"Aunt Molly!" she called while ducking so that a shot hit the wall instead of her.

"Ron's under Harry's invisibility cloak over there. You might want to uncover him so he doesn't get stepped on," she advised. She levitated a chunk of the wall that had fallen off so that it hit the Death Eater in the head, promptly knocking him unconscious.

Molly scurried to find and revive her son, thankful that she now at least knew where he was.

Shaylee was surveying the room to find a Death Eater not already engaged in a duel when she was pushed hard into the wall, damaging her injured arm even more.

She looked around for the culprit and spotted Scott leaning against the opposite wall with a grin. His stance against the wall reminded her of Severus and the first time he'd let his guard down around her, chatting her up in the hallway like a sixteen-year-old. And then it hit her that Severus' current condition was completely Scott's fault. And that really, really pissed Shaylee off.

"You traitorous bastard," she growled, advancing on him with her wand out.

"You traitorous, scheming, scum between my toes asshole!" Shaylee pointed her wand directly in Scott's face.

"I will kill you. I will absolutely kill you, you son of a bitch, for everything you've put him through."

Scott grinned wider, knowing exactly who she was talking about.

"I don't think so, darling Shaylee. I have something you don't."

And it was then that Lord Voldemort appeared.


(I seriously considered ending the chapter there, but didn't want to be attacked in the night)

"Why good evening, Tom," Dumbledore greeted, emerging from the halted duels. "I trust you had a Merry Christmas?"

Lord Voldemort glared at him. "I wasn't aware you were invited, old fool."

Dumbledore shrugged. "Yes, well, I've been known to crash a party or two in my day."

Draco couldn't help but snicker at this, earning a very hateful glare from his father. Draco knew exactly why Lucius was so infuriated. Firstly, there was the fact that the basement in his wing of the house was steadily being destroyed. Secondly, Lord Voldemort had declined to make an appearance until Scott needed assistance. His loyal followers had been dueling for almost an hour and the Dark Lord only showed up once a mere Death Eater "in-training" was threatened. Draco could almost see the jealousy radiating off of his father. ... It was quite hilarious.

Voldemort was now glaring at Shaylee, whose face was almost rid of all fury. "I would advise against that, young lady."

Shaylee felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Dumbledore nodding at her.

She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and stepped closer to Scott so that their noses were almost touching.

"You're absolutely wrong; I have everything you have and more." She paused and narrowed her eyes. "Including a tall-skinny-powerful-wizard-guy to protect me." She grinned back at Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling.

She quickly turned back to Scott, disgust now showing on her face. "I don't know how you ever got sorted into Gryffindor." She turned to walk away, but was stopped by Dumbledore.

"There's actually a very interesting story behind that, Professor Weasley." He was talking to Shaylee, but his eyes never left Scott's.

"The Sorting Hat doesn't even remember sorting Mr. Ellis here... Quite strange, really. The only explanation is that he bewitched it to better serve his master."

"But... Wouldn't it make more sense for him to be sorted into Slytherin, to be closer to Draco?" Shaylee somehow had the feeling that Dumbledore wanted her to ask.

Dumbledore smiled and his eyes met Draco's for a split-second. "Not if he was disobeying his father. Draco would never tell a Slytherin of that."

"Yes, yes... Very good," Scott sneered. "You've figured me out. But what is with this stalling? Are you waiting for more people to come and back you up?"

"Oh no, Scott... I'm quite confident in my ability to... 'take out' --is that the correct term? Yes, yes...-- the remaining Death Eaters, walruses and your leader." He paused with a small smile. "I must be honest and admit, however, that I am stalling."

Everyone did a double take as Dumbledore admitted this.

"You see," he elaborated, "with badly-aimed curses flying all about for the past hour, the room has sustained a great deal of damage. In a few moments, this entire section of the building will collapse, killing all inside."

Draco's mouth dropped open as he saw that the headmaster had astutely stated the truth. Gaping holes were present in the walls and cracks were spreading from them, giving the room a very eerie and dangerous feel.

Voldemort apparently found this hilarious.

"You are a buffoon!" He laughed. "Do you really expect us to believe you, when you're still standing here? We may know you're an old fool, but even you wouldn't stand here chatting if you expected an entire building to collapse at any moment."

"On the contrary, Tom," Dumbledore responded. "That is, in fact, what I am doing right now."

An ominous clatter echoed throughout the room and all eyes turned to see rocks of various sizes fall from a large hole located over the door to the passageway.

"Yes, yes... I do suggest you follow." With a pop! Dumbledore disappeared.

Utter chaos broke out. Lord Voldemort also disapparated, not to be seen for yet another year. Molly Weasley grabbed Harry and Ron before apparating to the lawn, where she assumed Dumbledore had gone as well. Her husband followed.

All those who were in the shape to disapparate did, and those who were petrified on the floor stayed there. A certain walrus was grabbed by a cocky Death Eater "in-training" and perhaps from the confusion or his own fright, both apparated to the lawn as well, instead of retreating to the seaside, as the walrus likely desired.

There was only a small group who did not attempt to apparate. Shaylee scurried up the trapdoor as Draco pushed his way towards the passageway door.

"Draco! Where are you going?" His father stepped in front of him. "You'll get killed going that way. I refuse to be the end of the Malfoy line."

"Shove it, father. You're going to disown me anyway."

Draco ran to the door, getting clobbered by falling stones as he went. He was grabbed from behind.

"What the hell is your problem?" he demanded. "Why do you care what happens to me? I've failed you, haven't I? I'm not the son you want! Leave me alone!" He tried to fight his way out of his father's grip, but Lucius held on.

"You may not be the son I want, but you're the only one I have. Now, let's leave."

Draco was silent for a moment in shock. Then he woke up. "No... No... Hermione. I have to get to--" He attempted again to get away.

Lucius still kept hold on him. "She's fine. If she's so smart, she's found her way out of the passage by now. You can't risk your own life--" He stopped as Draco again tried to get out of his father's grip.

"Draco! I am not losing my only son!"

All of the sudden, Draco stopped fighting back and was utterly silent. "You're... You're right. I'm sure she's out already."

With that, the two ran towards the trapdoor as well, evading falling chunks of the building as they went.

The two were almost out of the building when Draco spotted Shaylee struggling to make it up the shaking staircase to his father's office.

"Professor!" he yelled over the din of the collapsing building. "You have to get out now!"

He heard her yell something, but couldn't quite make out what.

He looked up at his father, then started up the stairs to Shaylee. Lucius groaned, but followed his son, meeting a determined Shaylee halfway up the stairs. He looked around and saw that the entire building was only moments from crumbling, took hold of both Draco and Shaylee, and apparated to the back lawn where the other survivors were.

He felt the ground under his feet and the cold breeze brushing his face and then... Lucius Malfoy passed out. Apparating with two extra people is not an easy feat, after all.

Draco knelt down to make sure his father still had a pulse and was breathing, then quickly ran off to the front lawn where Hermione should be waiting.

Ministy officials were there also, though however Dumbledore got them there thatquickly was a mystery. They were quickly rounding up the few remaining Death Eaters/walruses for their trip to Azkaban.

With all that was going on (whether it was Molly's rather large scolding to Harry and Ron, or Lucius being woken up and placed in magical handcuffs), Shaylee did nothing. She took no notice of any of the happenings in the Malfoys' back yard. All she could do was stare at Lucius Malfoy's wing of the Manor as it fell to the ground.

A tear appeared in her eye, followed by several others. A sobbing moan soon joined her tears. "No... Sevvy..."