"Mr. Potter, I need you to run us through exactly what happened one more time," Annabelle Winter said to him. He looked at Hermione who nodded and squeezed his hand in encouragement. Even though Draco was still missing, having Harry gave her a small piece of hope again.
Harry went through the details of his kidnapping and his encounter with Theo once again to the head auror. They had given him some nourishing potions and he now had his strength back. It didn't appear that he was tortured in any way. Mrs. Malfoy on the other hand, needed medical attention.
As Harry told his story, Blaise felt incredibly guilty. He was the one who had suspected that Theo and Pansy were up to something from the beginning and didn't investigate further. Pansy had been returned to her parents and was not to leave the house or the country until her trial. He couldn't help but blame himself for not doing anything sooner.
"Okay. We need you to stay in ministry custody for the night to plan out the upcoming trials for Ms. Parkinson and Mr. Nott once we find him." Harry nodded in agreement as the head auror left the three of them alone.
"So…What's Blaise Zabini doing here?" He asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"Oh," Hermione exclaimed, having temporarily forgotten that Harry and Blaise never really talked. "Blaise is my…uh…" she looked at him.
"I'm her friend. We're glad you're back safe, Potter. You should have seen her worry about you," he finished for her.
Harry looked suspiciously back and forth between them for a moment, clearly still confused. "Well…alright then. McGonagall said you used Ron's tracking device to find me."
"Yes, although I should have thought of that sooner. I haven't really been on the best of terms with Ron so it didn't occur to me. I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione said with her head hung low.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Hermione." Harry reassured her.
"Did Theodore say anything about where he was taking Draco?" She asked.
"No. Only that he almost ruined everything. Wait a minute since when do you call him Draco?"
Hermione looked at Blaise and then back to Harry guiltily. "Well you see…Draco and Blaise are all friends? I know it sounds weird but it's the truth!"
She had been ready for Harry's judgement, but she hadn't been ready for his actual reaction. After digesting that bit of information, he threw back his head and laughed. "Of all the friendships at Hogwarts I would have never expected that."
Draco struggled against Theo's grip. "You're lying. How would someone like you manage to kidnap Potter?"
"The muggle way actually. It was fairly easy. My father taught me all I need to know about breaking through wards," Theo boasted. He took out a small vile containing the potion that he had worked so hard on all semester.
"I won't drink it." Draco insisted as he started to take some steps backwards.
Theo scowled deeply. "Alright, the hard way it is then." He shot an immobilizing curse at Draco and poured the potion down his throat and undid his spell to force him to swallow.
The potion burned his throat like acid. It felt like his entire body was on fire, not unlike the cruciatus curse. Suddenly, he felt a strange tugging sensation in his chest, as if his own magic was being siphoned out and around him. Things began to blur together as he coughed and sputtered. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a group of people apparate in front of Azkaban dressed in dark robes, wands drawn. Aurors!
Using all the strength had despite the discomfort in his lungs, he lunged himself at Theo hoping it would buy him some time for the aurors to notice them.
While Harry was recounting his story again to the Kinglsey and McGonagall, Blaise and Hermione sat on one of the benches outside his office waiting for him. Pansy's trial was set to take place once they captured Theo and after Harry and Draco were deemed as healthy enough to testify against her.
Hermione sat comfortably leaning against him with her head on his shoulder. "I feel guilty about being happy that Harry is back when Draco is missing," she admitted. It was the truth. She was incredibly relieved that Harry was back safely. However, she was also incredibly worried about Draco and about his mother's condition.
Narcissa had been taken to the hospital for nerve and muscle damage. It was unclear how many times she had been affected by the cruciatus curse, but her body was weak and she hadn't been given any treatment immediately after she was cursed.
"There's nothing wrong with being glad your best friend is safe."
"Our other best friend is missing though…"
Blaise looked at her surprised. "Best friend? I didn't know you thought of Draco that way."
"Well honestly the three of us are best friends aren't we?"
Blaise tentatively took her hand. "Is that all we are? You and I, I mean." Her face turned bright red at his words.
"I-" Before she could continue, the door opened and Kingsley, McGonagall and Harry came out.
"Thank you for your patience, Harry." Kingsley said, shaking his hand. "We're all glad to have you back."
"Absolutely, Kingsley. What's going to happen to Malfoy?"
"We'll have to investigate whatever happened and determine it from there. Either way, we will keep you and your friends informed and you're welcome to stay at the ministry as long as you need."
McGonagall gave Harry a warm hug. "If you need anything at all, just let me know."
"Thank you, professor. I will," Harry replied, forgetting her switch to headmistress. She smiled in return and made her way over to Blaise and Hermione.
"I must report back to Hogwarts, but you two stay here and wait for Mr. Malfoy to be brought back. They have aurors searching around Azkaban right now, since it's the only logical place for Theo to have taken him. I have dismissed you from your class obligations until everyone is back safely."
"Thank you, headmistresses. That means a lot to us," Hermione said. McGonagall then turned and left towards the ministry floo corridor.
"Are you really okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, slightly still concerned about his health.
"Honestly I'm fine. They gave me some food in my interrogation so I feel much better."
"What are you going to do now?" Blaise asked.
"I have some business in the auror department since I've missed a lot of training," he replied with a small laugh.
Hermione frowned at his dismissive attitude towards his condition. "Should you really be going back to work so soon?"
"It's not work. Just some catching up and planning. I'm coming back here once Malfoy is found too."
"Well…okay then. Just take care of yourself, alright? I don't want something like this happening ever again."
"I promise." Harry gave her a big hug and reached over to shake Blaise's hand. "Thanks for looking out for Hermione when I couldn't."
"Of course." Blaise replied with a charming smile. He was genuinely happy that Hermione had her best friend back, even if it made him the slightest bit jealous. The change in her behavior was definitely noticeable already.
The other part of him was incredibly worried about Draco. Having Hermione with him calmed him a bit, but the idea of Theo kidnapping Draco made him want to vomit. As he had searched the castle for Draco shortly after he had left him in the library, he found Astoria knocked unconscious on the way to the Slytherin tower. Since it was a weekend, most students were at Hogsmede and no one was around to help her. When he woke her up she weakly mumbled something about Theo taking Draco and after checking that she was okay, he took off running to find McGonagall. McGonagall had already known and told him to get Hermione.
Hermione watched Harry go a bit sad that he had to leave so soon. She looked over at Blaise and sensed his worry. Grabbing his hand gently, she pulled him in for a hug too.
Two hours they had been waiting at the ministry for any news of Draco and Theo. Suddenly, the place was hustling and bustling with aurors running around. People dashed in and out of Kingsley's office.
Annabelle Winter approached them. "Come." They followed her qithout any hesitation. She led them down to one of the lower floors of the auror department where there was a holding cell.
In the cell, Theo lay on the ground knocked out and restrained. Draco was sitting on a chair in the corner receiving medical treatment. He had cuts running down his face and bruises beginning to form on his arms.
"Draco!" Blaise called out as he and Hermione rushed towards him.
Draco lifted his head and smiled as they approached. "Hey guys. Sorry to worry you-"
Before he could continue, both Blaise and Hermione gave him a big hug together.
The medi-witch frowned at their actions. "Please be careful of Mr. Malfoy's injuries," she scolded as they pulled back a bit.
"Are you alright?" Blaise asked.
Draco laughed. "Just a few bumps and bruises. Apparently I have a broken rib and some internal injuries, but they should be fine by the end of the week."
"What exactly happened to you?" Hermione asked, eyeing Theo's limp body in the cell.
"Nott kidnapped me. When he pulled me out of Hogwarts, it alerted McGonagall since I'm not allowed to go anywhere outside without permission. Didn't realize that the wards would hurt though…anyway he forced me to drink some of the potion. Nasty stuff. The aurors got there so I tried to fight Nott to buy me some time. The aurors came just in time to knock him out and disarm him."
"Well…We're both so glad you're okay. We were very worried…also we have some news," Hermione said with a big smile.
"News?"
"They found Harry and your mother," Blaise said, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Draco sat still for a moment absorbing this. "Where is she?" He said excitedly, suddenly standing up.
"Your mother is in the hospital. I'm sure they'll let you see her once they've finished bandaging you," Hermione said with a big smile.
Draco looked down impatiently at the medi-witch who was tightening a bandage around his ribs. "Are we finished here?"
"Almost," she replied. With one more yank and a quick incantation, the bandage tied itself at the ends and tightened immensely. He grunted in slight pain as he adjusted to the feeling. "Now we're done, Mr. Malfoy."
Annabelle Winter, who seemed to be everywhere they went, came over to Draco. "We'll need to get your statement and official recounting of events. But for now, I will take you to see your mother and update you on her condition. Afterwards, you'll need to come back with me to the ministry," she explained.
He nodded and took her hand to apparate to the hospital, leaving Blaise and Hermione alone.
"Well, I suppose we should go back to Hogwarts then?" Blaise asked, slightly unsure of what to do.
"It seems we're only in the way if we stay here…" Hermione said a bit sadly. Just a few years ago, she and her friends had worked together to save the wizarding world. It was strange to not play the hero anymore, but also oddly comforting.
Blaise took her hand, and together they went to floo back to Hogwarts, hoping that the worst of their troubles were finally behind them.
