Chapter 37-Traitors All

Hermione watched Theo intently while he considered the implications of what he had discovered.

"And Lucius knows?" Theo continued as the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Hermione nodded.

Theo sat down heavily on the edge of Draco's bed, Hermione, now alert, her wand in her hand and waited for the attack. It didn't come. Theo was silent for some time before he asked her;

"How can I help to bring that Bastard down?"

Hermione let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding and gave him a small smile.

Harry knew that Neville could be trusted but he paused for a moment before he responded to Neville's question.

"We're not entirely sure?" he told Longbottom.

"What do you mean?" Neville questioned.

"Well we know what we are looking for we are just not sure what it looks like." Draco sought to clarify. Neville looked all the more confused.

" We are looking for something called a horcrux…" Harry continued to explain to Neville what a horcrux was, how it was a piece of Voldemort's soul and while ever these pieces survived He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named remained immortal.

"So you can't kill him?" Neville asked.

"50 points to Gryffindor," Draco said sarcastically, he was already tense and he just couldn't find the energy to resist the jab at Longbottom. They all ignored him.

"Only if we destroy the horcruxes first," Harry confirmed.

"Can we just bloody get on with this?" Draco asked becoming increasingly snarky as his concern for Hermione mounted.

"Then how do we destroy them?" Neville asked the obvious question.

"That's where we need your help Neville." Harry told him.

Hermione steadied her nerves, she decided she could trust Theo so she told him what she needed him to do.

"I need you to get Arthur Weasley out."

"But if I do that he will know that there is a traitor in our midst," Theo responded,

"Yes, that means you will have to go with Arthur."

"But then you will be…" he trailed off,

"Alone," She finished for him.

Theo nodded,

"I knew what I was doing when I began this Theo and I began it alone." She told him.

"But I don't want you to get hurt. I…" he couldn't say 'I love you' but he knew he probable did. He also knew that his love would remain unrequited while ever Draco lived. "I care about you…" he told her instead. Theo would not wish his friend dead but he knew that if ever the opportunity presented itself to take her for his own he couldn't alienate her now.

"Thank you Theo," she gave him a small warm smile, "I care about you too but I need you to leave me."

Theo sighed with resignation, "How do we get him out then?"

"What do you need me to do?" Neville asked.

"We need Basilisk venom or the sword of Gryffindor," Harry told him without prevarication.

"No one has seen the sword since Dumbledore's death," Neville told him. Draco looked down at his feet at the unwelcome reminder of this event. "But I can get you the basilisk venom from the Chamber of Secrets." Neville finished.

"Thank you Neville," in the meantime we will look for the Horcruxes.

"Harry," Aberforth who had been silent for some time spoke up, "I can't stay, I need to reopen the Hog's Head to avoid suspicion."

"Thank you," Harry acknowledged the older man before Aberforth turned and retraced his steps back towards Hogsmead.

"Well Potter," Draco began as he surveyed the mountains of junk before them, "any ideas where to start?"

"None what so ever," Harry confessed honestly as he began to rifle through a box of what appeared to be discarded musical instruments.

Harry heard Draco mutter something under his breath possibly; 'fucking impossible,' although Harry couldn't be sure of his words it was a sentiment that Harry returned but it would not stop him from trying.

Hermione planned to ensure that on their next raid Theo was left behind. She suspected it would be soon. Voldemort could not maintain his reign of terror without constantly terrorising people. Before this though she had two things she desperately needed; the first being to find out if the Weasley's had survived and the second to see Draco. The question was how would she do this? She dare not risk an owl or fire message they might be intercepted. She couldn't use her patronus again it was too risky.

She was startled out of her reverie by a pop of apparition.

"My Lady, dinner is served." The little house elf told her in a shaking voice.

"Thank you," she said absent mindedly.

"The little house elf looked confused by her kind words but quickly prepared to leave in fear that her mood might change.

"Wait," Hermione said, the little elf began to tremble in fear, "you were Master Draco's house elf were you not?"

"Yes, My Lady, Mipsy is a good elf, please don't hurt Mipsy, Mipsy will do whatever mistress asks."

Hermione was appalled that the elf was clearly terrified of her, had she played her role so well?

"Could Mipsy take a message to Master Draco?" Hermione risked asking.

The poor elf feel to its knees, its eyes the size of dinner plates, tears began to flow down its face;

"Master Draco is dead My Lady. My Lady killed him but Mipsy will go to him if she must, Mipsy will give her life to serve Master Draco."

Hermione gasped as she realised that the poor elf believed Hermione intended to kill her to send a message beyond the veil.

"Oh No Mipsy, I do not intend…" she trailed off as she became aware of another presence in the room.

"What do you not intend?" he hissed.

"You may go Mipsy." She dismissed the elf giving herself breathing space.

"My Lord, She greeted, what an unexpected surprise." His lips thinned into what might have been considered a smile. He didn't comment observing her closely before deciding to dismiss what ever thought he might have had.

"I have a mission for you join me in the Drawing room."

With that, ever one for dramatics, Voldemort apparated away whilst Hermione chose to take the stairs.

As she entered the drawing room she subtly scanned the faces of the assembled mass looking for Theo. She locked eyes with him just as she reached her seat at the large table where the senior Death Eaters were gathered. Almost imperceptibly she nodded at him, it was the signal, 'now' it told him.

"My friends," Voldemort began with false bon homme, "the time has come for us to show our muggle neighbours who are the true masters of this world we share. We will rain slaughter and mayhem upon them and when they are cowering at our feet, begging for their lives, I will show them mercy. They will live so long as they live to serve us."

Hermione felt sick but she schooled her features to show no emotion, she had an ominous feeling about this.

"Wizard kind will show its superiority over these muggle vermin and if they do not bow down they will be extinguished."

There were multiple hoots of approval in support of his words. Hermione realised he was whipping up his audience, inspiring their blood lust.

"Our manifestations of magic will conquer. Muggles will no longer be masters of this planet. WE ARE THE MASTERS." He continued.

"Magic is Might, Magic is Right." He concluded as the chant was taken up around the room.

"Magic is might, Magic is right." They chanted, Hermione thought she might vomit.

Hermione was horrified and afraid but worse she knew her opportunity to seek solace in Draco's arms was lost. It was too late the window of opportunity had closed.

Author's note

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