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The Storm Cometh

His mind was racing. His body trembled with mixed excitement and terror. It was going to happen…tonight.

After wandering around the school alone, he took in the beauty and majesty of the place for the first time in six years. It was only when he realised that he would never return, that he started to miss it. He checked his route to the room of requirement one last time, to survey all possible complications…a blind corner there, a hiding place here…a dangerous suit of armour that students had a habit of knocking over…a rug that could be tripped on…he noticed every little blemish and memorised every escape route.

Draco lay silently under his covers, listening for his friends breathing to become shallow. He had climbed into bed fully clothed, before they came in. They could not know he was sneaking out. For they would insist on coming. That…could not happen.

He heard Crabbe start to snore loudly. This is it. He gulped and pulled his covers back slowly, climbing silently off the four-poster. He crept to the door, and exited stealthily without so much as a creak from the wood. Then waved his wand and sealed every door as he passed. It wasn't just to keep the students in. He had personally asked Fenrir Greyback not to attend, but his heart knew that the werewolf would not resist the urge for fresh meat, and would probably try to rip apart every child in Hogwarts if given the chance.

He checked to see if the hand of glory was still in his possession, he felt the gnarled stump in his pocket and was satisfied before continuing down the boys' dormitory hallway, which lead to the dungeon common room. A fire was lit, for those who may decide to stay up late. Draco peered around the corner to check that there was nobody around, he didn't expect there to be. When Draco Malfoy wanted peace and quiet, he usually got it. So when he went to bed early, it wasn't long before the common room emptied too.

Satisfied that the coast was clear he headed for the exit.

"Where are you going?"

Draco whirled around, to find Pansy Parkinson sat in a high backed chair, her arms folded, her face wearing a desperate glare. She looked annoyed but still very pretty, and he had forgotten this would be the last time he would ever see her again.

"Pansy?" His voice shook.

She stood up. "I don't know what you're doing? But you have to stop! People know you're up to something! They think you're one of them…it was cool at first, but after Slughorn's class the other day… after what you said…they think it's actually true!" She walked over to him, and held his shoulders. She refused to believe the rumours…she had told herself that his vile behaviour was due to grief, his father was in prison, his mother practically ignored him all year…he was just stressed.

"Pansy…" he took her arms, and placed them by her side. "…go back to bed!" he sneered, and made to leave.

"No…Don't you dare shut me out again!" She snarled and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to face her again. "I've had enough!"

"For god's sake keep it down!" he hissed. "You'll wake the whole school!" With every passing second he was edging closer and closer to failure.

"What the hell is going on with you?" she started to sob, "One minute you're laughing and joking with us, then you treat us like vermin! You never tell me anything! You lie to me all the time! You sneak out at night! Are you seeing someone else? Are you ashamed of being seen with her or something? I see how you look at Granger!" Pansy was hysterical and paranoid, and with every word her voice grew louder.

Draco started to panic, he had to shut her up! He growled with a rage and pulled out his wand. "Silencio!" he snapped, and Pansy's voice was cut off. She looked at him angrily.

"Listen!" he snarled. "This is probably the last time I'm ever going to see you, so listen close!"

Pansy's angry sneer faded into looks of confusion and fear.

Draco tore off his robe, and tossed it aside. Then he unbuttoned his cuffs and started to roll his sleeves up. Pansy went horribly pale as she saw the blackish tattoo of the Dark Mark etched into his skin. She looked up at him and trembled, then started to mouth cries of help.

"Satisfied?" He sneered.

She realised nobody could hear her, and tried to run. He tackled her by the waist and threw her into the armchair, pinning her down with his arms. "I trust you understand now, that this is no game…no joke…I am a servant of the Dark Lord, and I will do his bidding!" He stared into her dark eyes and saw her terror.

"I'm going to kill Dumbledore…tonight." He said coldly.

Pansy was sobbing silently, still calling for help, looking to the exit of the common room, hoping Professor Snape would come to her rescue.

"Look at me!" He snarled. Pansy did so. "WHY?" She mouthed.

"I had no choice…believe me!" He said softly. Pansy struggled against him and tried to wriggle free from his grip. Her mouth was screaming, but no sound erupted.

"I'm sorry…" He leant forward and kissed her cheek. He pressed his wand at her heart and she pulled away with a scream. "Stupefy." He whispered.

Pansy gasped and closed her eyes, going completely limp as a red light slammed into her chest. The chair shuddered from the force of the blow. She looked dead. Draco tearfully heaved her into his arms and carried her up to the girl's dorms. He couldn't risk leaving her in the common room. He was sure Fenrir Greyback would be on the prowl, and he would show no mercy, whether she was Draco's girlfriend or not.

He opened the door to her room silently, and carried her to her bed. He removed an envelope from his pocket and laid it on her pillow. Kissing her on the forehead he wiped his eyes and left for the room of requirement, sealing the doors as he departed.

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Draco wandered the corridors silently. He knew the way in the dark. He had memorised it. All the professors would have finished their patrols by now, and he knew the only thing that might have caused problems was Filch, the squib caretaker. Draco hoped for Filch's sake that he wasn't going to show up.

Unluckily for Filch that wasn't the case.

"What are you doin' outta bed!" He snarled as Draco turned a corner carelessly, without looking first.

Filch looked Malfoy up and down, proud that he had captured a student breaking rules. He wanted to drag the wretched teen all the way back to the dungeons and watch his face as Snape gave him three months of detention. His face froze, however on Draco's arm.

Malfoy had completely forgotten he had rolled his sleeves up. The Dark Mark permanently displayed for all to see. Not that it mattered now.

"My God!" Filch gasped and stared at Malfoy's eyes. He saw the boy's mouth twitch into a smug smile.

"Mr Filch!" Malfoy drawled. Raising his wand.

"No…Please?" Filch turned to run, and Malfoy shot a red blast from his wand, hitting the squib squarely in the back.

He strode up to the body. Filch's cat Mrs. Norris hissed and spat as he grabbed the man's arm and dragged him into a nearby broom cupboard. Then roughly grabbed the cat by the scruff and threw it in after. He despised Mrs Norris almost as much as Filch, but he didn't want any more than one death on his conscience tonight. He sealed the door of the broom cupboard and shook with anticipation as he approached the hallway, where the room of requirement was waiting to be opened.

He walked past the vacant wall three times, opening the door speedily as it magically appeared.

There was the cabinet. It stood at the back of the room, like a steel coffin. Surrounded by all manner of secret, hidden items. He pushed boxes and crates aside to get to it. He hadn't been there in a while. He nervously opened the door, closed his eyes…and walked through it, shutting the door behind him.

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He waited for a woosh, or flash of light, or some indication that the cabinet had worked…nothing.

"Oh GOD!" He gasped. "Oh please…"

Terror gripped him as he thoughts of his punishment filled his mind. The cabinet wasn't working. It was his only key to getting the deatheaters in the castle, and it failed. He started to panic. "Filch knows…Pansy knows…I can't go back now…I'm gonna have to do it alone!" He heaved the heavy door open and stepped back into the room. But it wasn't the room of requirement.

Draco found himself in a dusty old room, which he recognised as the back room of Borgin and Burke's. Mr Borgin had his back to him, dressed in his pyjamas. He seemed to be closing the shop down before he retired to his room. He turned around with bagfuls of gold, ready to put them in his safe. Instead he was startled to find the son of Lucius Malfoy, with a malicious grin etched onto his face.

"Mr. Malfoy!" he gasped and bowed low, trying not to drop his precious sacks. He also noticed the mark on his arm and tried to hide his fear.

"It works!" Malfoy laughed. "It actually works!"

Borgin laughed uneasily. A Deatheater 'laughing' made him feel very uncomfortable indeed.

Draco wasted no time. He untied a drawstring bag from his belt and threw it at Borgin. "For your troubles. Go."

Borgin picked it up and thanked him silently. Watching as Draco lifted his forearm up and touched the mark with his wand tip. Mentally summoning the others.

He spotted Borgin staring. "For God's sake man! HIDE!" he hissed.

Borgin bowed again and hastily retreated upstairs. "You are far nobler than your father sir! He would be proud."

Draco swallowed uneasily. Would he? I doubt it! "Thank you." He said softly, "Now go…they will kill you if they see you."

Borgin disappeared upstairs, and within seconds a swish of black smoke appeared, and Draco found himself face to face with Fenrir Greyback, hooded and masked. He hid is discontent. He hadn't wanted Fenrir to come, but knew it would be unavoidable. The man was sadistic.

"Malfoy!" He nodded, smiling with rows of spiked teeth. "Where's Borgin?" He licked his teeth thirstily.

"Sleeping like a baby!" Draco smiled sadistically. "He won't wake up for three days!"

Others apparated next to him. He counted six in total. They stood before Malfoy, waiting his orders.

"Is this all you could muster?" Draco glared at Fenrir.

Fenrir shrugged. His smile unfading. "Not many like you it seems! Most think this mission of yours is doomed to failure!"

Draco ignored him and turned to the others.

"It's time. Remember…if we are spotted…you are distractions…you keep them at bay…kill them if you have to…Dumbledore is not to be touched!" He sneered. "He's mine!"

The deatheaters nodded in unison. Draco opened the cabinet, and one by one they walked through.

---

Hermione and Ginny swigged the Felix Felicis 'luck' potion and left the common room. Harry had warned them that Malfoy was up to some scheme tonight. But he couldn't stay. He had left the school with Dumbledore that evening, and they didn't know when he was coming back. He had given them the potion to give them a little extra protection. In case his hunch was genuine.

Hermione had watched Draco closely all week. With each passing day, his appearance grew graver. In the past, he was always sporting his expensive shirts and trousers, immaculately neat and tucked in. These past few months, however, he had let himself go. His shiny black shoes were scuffed, his shirt undone at the top, no tie, his hair wasn't combed, just scraped back into a low ponytail. He always looked unwell, and McGonagall had kept him back after class regularly to talk about his slipping grades and haggard appearance. His malicious teasing had developed into full-blown explosions, and even his own friends were suffering.

"You scared?" Ginny asked as they climbed the grand staircase with their wands out.

"Yeah" Hermione whispered. "Hope Filch isn't on our floor!"

"If this luck potion works, he wont be!" Ginny giggled.

They stopped talking and listened. The corridors were deathly silent.

"Harry didn't really tell us what to expect did he?" She whispered to Ginny.

"Not exactly no…just kept repeating 'Malfoy's planning something!' over and over. It's not like Mafloy's going to try anything when Harry's not here…what would be the point." Ginny rolled her eyes. She thought Harry was just being Paranoid.

"Draco has been acting strange recently though!" Hermione explained. "Haven't you noticed? He looks terrible! I can feel the tension between the Slytherin's when he's with them…it's almost as if they hate him, or fear him."

"So it's 'Draco' now is it?" Ginny smirked. Hermione glared at her. Ginny looked away. "What do expect…he's a Malfoy."

A creaking floorboard made them gasp and duck down behind a pillar. The girls peered their heads around to see the door to the room of requirement being opened.

The tapestry was pulled roughly to one side as a cloaked figure emerged. Hermione recognised the pointed peaked hoods of the deatheaters' robes and dragged Ginny back out of view.

"Oh god! Oh god! They're in the school! They're in the school!" Ginny muttered under her breath. She trembled and froze, as if she were about to have an asthma attack.

"Stay calm!" Hermione gasped. "The door to the stairs is just behind us! Wake McGonagall and the professors, inform 'the order'! I'll distract them and try and keep them on this floor, away from the dorms!" Hermione panted.

Ginny shook her head. "It's too dangerous Hermione!"

"We're luckier now remember?" Hermione grabbed Ginny's face encouragingly and smiled. "Go…now!"

Ginny nodded and crawled back to the door, squeezing through the gap silently. Hermione took a deep breath and brushed her hair out of her face. She clutched her wand tight. "C'mon Hermione…one…two…"

Hermione stepped out from behind the pillar. She saw Malfoy's blonde head turn slowly in her direction. He looked like a demon. His face looked emotionless and unreadable, and when he recognised her his eyes almost turned red from fury.

"Granger!" he snarled. Hermione screamed, whether intentionally or unintentionally she didn't know, but she screamed at the top of her lungs anyway. Then took off in the opposite direction.

"Avada Kedavra!" Greyback yelled, hurling a bolt of green light squarely at her back. Luckily, the Felix Felicis potion was taking effect, and Hermione tripped over the same rug Draco had noticed earlier. The flash of green light singed her hair and crashed into the far wall with a shower of green sparks.

Hermione let out a terrified yelp, and shuttled around the corner, before Fenrir could aim again. "Get HER!" he roared at the other deatheaters, but Draco held them back, a sneer stretched across his face.

"NO! She wants us to follow her…Hermione Granger is no fool!"

"She'll tell them we're HERE!" Fenrir shouted at him, pointing at the direction she ran to.

"THEY ALREADY KNOW!" Draco hollered back. He may have been a teenager but he was as tall as Greyback, and could be just as intimidating as his father. They glared at each other for a few seconds, and the other deatheaters shifted uncomfortably.

"We stick to the plan!" Draco turned to them. "She is not the target! We find him…together…and you watch my back as I finish him off, then we leave! No hanging around! No torturing! …we just leave…"

The deatheaters nodded again. Draco turned back to Fenrir. "Understood?" He sneered.

Fenrir reluctantly nodded, but kept his smile permanently fixed. "BRING ON THE STORM!" He roared and let out a terrifying howl, alerting everyone, wherever they were, that Fenrir Greyback was here…and he was here for blood.

"FOLLOW ME!" Draco motioned to them, and together they charged for Dumbledore's office.

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