When Harry came to, he was on the couch, with a platinum head bending over him. Draco's hair was damp and unusually curly, and his eyes expressed the highest state of agitation.

'God,' Draco exhaled with relief, 'you're alright.'

Harry propped himself on his elbows, and saw that Severus was sitting on the floor, back against the wall. His nose was bleeding severely, and the many red tissues meant that Harry had not been out for just a minute or so.

'What happened?' Harry asked. Draco pushed him back into a lying position.

'Scrying takes a lot out of you,' Severus answered, pressing yet another tissue to his nose, 'and the more intense the emotions the stronger it affects you. This was the strongest I've seen, by far.'

'You saw what happened in the clearing?'

'Every moment of it. Now,' he rose, though he was a little unstable on his feet, 'I must go.'

He began walking away but his knees gave way and he would have fallen if Draco had not shot off the sofa and grabbed him.

'You cant go anywhere like this,' the blond said, 'you're weak. Exhausted.'

'Mr. Malfoy, I assure you am I quite fine,' Severus said, rather hardly. He wasn't used to care and kindness. With that, he Disapparated.

Draco promptly turned to Harry.

'Better?'

'Yeah. I remember now.'

'What?'

'The curses Voldemort used on me. I – I remember them now. Spasatio. Bolx. Arissio.'

'I've never heard of them, Harry.'

'They are Ancient Curses,' Hermione was saying an hour later. A huge and heavy book was spread open on her laps. 'They haven't been used for centuries now.'

'How come?' Harry was pacing nervously.

'You see, they were used in the ancient wizarding wars. Before there was the Ministry and so on. This book, its the only place where they are recorded, and I brought it from the Department of Mysteries. Arthur managed to get them to give it me when I told him what happened to you.

Ok, lets see. These curses killed so many people in the wars that they were eventually wiped from the memories of people. Thats why no-one has ever heard of them until now.'

'Except Voldemort,' Harry remarked.

'Yes. Spasatio breaks bones. Bolx causes haemorrhage. Arissio is pretty much like a, well, a really big dagger.'

'If no-one else knows it and the only record of these curses have been kept in the most well-protected Department, how come Voldemort knows them?' Draco asked form his seat.

'I – I don't know,' Hermione bit her lip. 'But -'

'You can say it,' Harry said bitterly, 'there is a traitor. In the Ministry. In the Department of Mysteries. Its the only logical answer.'

'But that means -' Draco's eyes were wide.

'Constant vigilance,' Harry quoted Alastor Moody, 'we do not know who it is. It could be anyone. Doesn't even have to be an Unspeakable – it could be any person who has the authority to go into the Department. Or who went in without authority...'

'A thief? Harry, the Department is the most protected place in the Ministry. Aurors around it. Permanent protections spells. No-one could just go and steal a book from there!'

'I got in there in my fifth year, Draco. It's not impossible. Hermione,' he said, turning to the young woman. 'Contact Arthur, Tonks, McGonnagal and the Minister. Tell them to gather every person who has entered the Department of Mysteries in the last year. Can't be many. I'm going to Severus for Veritaserum. We need to know it was a thief. We need to be sure its not one of us.'

'Harry, it could have been an Unspeakable under the Imperius. It could have been -'

'What do you propose I do?' Harry snarled. Now he too realized it was near impossible to find the traitor – even if he or she existed.

What will it change, Harry? Even if we know who told Voldemort? I understand that you are angry. That you want revenge. But there are others ways, not blindly blundering into a trap.'

Harry bit his lip.

'All I am saying is that we have to try something else. After all its possible that Voldemort found out about the curses by himself.'

'Its a wonder he needs them at all, what with the Avada Kedavra...' Draco remarked darkly.

Hermione turned to the former Slytherin.

'I'm not surprised he does need them, Draco. Not everyone has the guts to use the killing curse, so the Deatheaters need means that are just as effective. As for Harry being subjected to them, well, I think Voldemrot just did not want to kill him straight away.' She turned back to Harry. 'As I was saying, we have to be smarter, subtler. I suggest bait.'

'Bait?' Harry furrowed his eyebrows.

'Voldemort wants something. Lets lure him – or whomever he sends to get it – where we want them. We'll have the element of surprise, and we'll have larger numbers.'

'And this bait will be -?' Harry said slowly.

'Draco, of course.'

Harry gaped at her. Then he turned to face Draco. Then he tuned back to Hermione.

'No,' he said, quietly yet hardly. 'Not Draco.'

'Harry, you don't -' Hermione began soothingly, but Harry cut across her.

'Listen to me, Hermione Granger. I will not let you risk Draco. I've lost enough people because of Voldemort. My parents. Sirius. Lupin. Dumbledore. Ron, almost. I will not let you use him, of all people. Not the one person I love.'

It was Hermione's turn to gape.

'So it's like that,' she said finally. 'Now I understand.'

'No, you do not understand anything. Would you risk Viktor, knowing that he will most probably be killed? No, you would not. Of course you would not.'

'I'll do it,' Draco rose form his seat.