Chapter 30

Alarms were ringing as staff members sprinted down the corridor to the sound of a pulsating monotone voice that echoed throughout.

"Code Skrewt. Evacuate immediately. Code Skrewt Evacuate immediately."

Draco stood behind a curtain. His hand was placed firmly on his wound, which radiated with unbearable pain, making it hard to breathe except in short spurts.

A healer yelled, running past the Curtain. "The explosion and the fire started on the fifth floor."

This was followed by another set of footsteps, "Great, like my shift wasn't long already."

Waiting to hear the absence of footsteps, Draco hobbled out from cover, looking both ways as he made his way down the corridor. Down the corridor, he looked at each room door until he read the one that said, ' 015: Curse and Poison Examiner Room.'

Grabbing the handle, it was locked. Draco took a step back and with the slight wave of his wand, watched as the door flew off violently into the room. Smoke filled the corridor and surrounding areas as Draco stepped inside the room. Draco could make out the silhouettes of the huge counter and shelf on the far wall. A vaulted door was placed on the back wall.

There was a moaning that echoed throughout the room. Draco looked down to see a short and chubby woman. Having caught the full force of the door, she was sitting against the wall, wiping blood that trickled heavily from her face.

"Are you…" Draco paused. With a glance over to the shelves and counters, he turned back to her, "Where is it?"

With the wave of his wand, he cleared the smoke. Standing over her, he could read her bloodied name tag that sat on her robe, Patsy, it read.

"Where is it?" Draco asked, pointing his wand directly at her.

Patsy stared back up at him, holding one arm up to block the path of the wand, she pleaded. "Whatever it is…we can-. "

"Where is the Diadem?"

Patsy winced. "I - I can't give you that information."

"It's not an option."

Patsy lowered her arm, attempting to set herself upright. "It'll kill you. I know the effects are intoxicating, but that diadem…it's sentient- parasitic. It will kill you, but we can help you. You're in the right place."

Draco moved away from her and toward the vaulted door. There he waved his wand, hoping to blast the door, instead the door simply rang like gong. Draco tried another spell, only for the door to ring again like a gong. He tried once more before dizziness washed over him causing him to fall against the vault.

"Will you look at yourself!"

Draco looked at Patsy.

"Look at what it's making you do by the very absence of its presence. Let me help you, please."

"Help me? You think you could help me, Pansy? Fuck you," Draco snapped, his eyes swelling with tears, "All of you! You think I'm some-No. No one is going to help me and I'm done helping. Now open the vault."

"I will not open the vault."

Draco came closer to Patsy, "I wasn't asking."

"Then you'll have to kill me."

Standing over Patsy, he could see the fear in her blood soaked face. He could see Lavender's face in Patsy's, her desperate eyes darting for help and answers, her hands shaking…at the handle of the knife.

"And if you kill me-if you do it, you won't be able to live with yourself."

Draco raised his wand.

"You'll be hunted. You'll be wanted. They'll find you!"

"Lucky for you. I'm not really in the killing business," Draco said, pointing his wand at Patsy. "Crucio."

The knock on Harry's door startled him from his unexpected nap. Glancing up at his watch, the late night had rolled in, he had been sleeping for a few hours. Looking down at his desk, a parchment of detailed notes and plans that he had fallen asleep on. He looked at the last bullet point where his pen had trailed off due to his drowsiness. It hadn't been a complicated task, he was simply transcribing the garbled and complicated versions their younger selves had put down to make it simpler for everyone. It was a simple task. Simple, yet, Harry couldn't force himself to focus.

Harry glanced at the door, "Come in…Blaise."

The door creaked open.

"Harry, I hate to disappoint," Daphne said, entering the room in her emerald pajamas. Closing the door behind her, she sheepishly looked at Harry. "I know I'm not as incredible as the great Zabini…"

Harry turned to face her completely, "I don't think I've ever been so disappointed."

Daphne's eyes darted around the room as her lips rose to a half-smile. For a few seconds longer, they both stayed in their positions, unmoving; frozen in place. Finally, Daphne made her way to Harry's bed to sit.

Daphne sighed. "I-I wanted to check on you, is all. It's been quite a day, hasn't it?"

Harry folded his arms, looking up at her incredulously. "That's an understatement."

"And you're still leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes." Harry said, gesturing to the chamber, "I'm leaving you with great company though."

Daphne rolled her eyes, "It's a bit unfair that all the guys get their own rooms."

"Yes, well, it's better if Ron and Blaise don't kill each other for a few more weeks. You'll keep them straight, won't you?"

"It's my job as a prefect."

"That feels like ages ago."

"I suppose so when you didn't do any work, " Daphne replied. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips to imitate Harry, and with a deeper voice she said, "Death Eater girl, how about you check all the broom closets since I'm too cowardly to admit how scared I am of closet couples."

"That's not how I look."

Still imitating Harry, Daphne leaned closer, clenching her face up even more, "That's not how I look."

Harry waved his hand, causing Daphne to fall to the floor.

"Hey!"

"Hey, death eater girl, You should be car-" Harry attempted before finding himself on the ground, his chair flying across the room. On the ground, he turned his head to Daphne's smug grin. "When did you start doing wandless magic?"

"I wish," Daphne said, raising the wand in her hand. Looking up at the stone ceiling, she continued, "While I don't think I'll ever get to that level..."

Harry found his throat tightening as he looked at Daphne.

"I'm going to be working really hard while you're gone." Daphne turned to look at Harry, "And if I can't be the greatest fighter ever… at least, I'll be the greatest-"

"Daphne, I like you a lot."

"damn healer… you'll-you…you what?"

Daphne sat up, her face becoming flushed.

"like…likeyou," Harry mumbled.

"Harry, I-I…what?"

Harry sat up slowly as his own face began heating up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Daphne stood up, slightly off-kilter, she stumbled against the bed trying to make her way out. "No. No. It's-uh-it's fine. It's good. This is good. I'm tired is all…Goodnight."

Daphne turned and made her way out the door.

Rubbing his face, he could only whisper, "Damn it," as he laid back down on the stone floor.

Post-Chapter Thoughts:

Thank you for being patient! Probably one of the shortest chapters ever, but I figured everyone would rather have something sooner and short than longer and gigantic.

With that said, I do apologize for the wait.

While you wait for c31, feel free to check out my new story, "The Sons of Voldemort."