Disclaimer: I don't think JK Rowling gets her inspiration through watching as many tv dramas as I do! So yeah all the writing here is just me, me and me. :)

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A/N: First of all, big time sorry! to all who read the previous chapter...I have since corrected a mistake; the ingredient of the Aldor Poison is the Chroker's Eye, not the Feather as previously mentioned. Oops!

Next, I decided to do up this chapter early so that we can move on QUICKLY to some more Draco/Hermione stuff! At present, really sorry for the lack of it, but I need to do this so that the story can work effectively :) so yup bear with it, even with this chapter! There's only a small section regarding their interaction, but I PROMISE the next chapter will have more of it...this one requires lots of inferencing so happy guessing what is happening!

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queenofthelameos: I don't know! Read on to know more! Hahaha...
blueeyedchibi: No I didn't catch the interview, and Draco mustn't die! Honestly I think his character can be developed more fully than to be a mere puppet of Voldemort and being so scared and stuff. -- geez I didn't like the way Draco was portrayed in book six, so I hope for a better portrayal in book seven! But I like MY Draco hahahaha...thanks so much for always reviewing!
Gwinna: Does he have a reason? This chapter has plenty of revelations...try and infer! Thanks for your review!
pinkicing101: Yeah he sounds mean alright, doesn't he! But why don't you read on and see for yourself? Haha thanks so much for reviewing too!

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Glaston Nell made his way to the Headmaster's office very swiftly. The gargoyle swung, and the stairs to the office came to view. Professor Nell wasted no time in rushing up and banging on the door.

"Come in, Glaston…" and Professor Nell barged in. He strode up to the Headmaster's table and banged his fists down on the table. Professor Dumbledore couldn't help remembering a certain boy doing the same thing before.

"I don't know how the boy beat me to it," hissed Professor Nell, his eyes boring into those of Professor Dumbledore's, who were amazingly calm. "But one thing's for sure, he's going to find out now that things are not going as what was planned!"

"Calm down, Glaston," said Dumbledore, placidly. "I think I have a bit of explaining to do to you."

"You expect me to calm down?" Professor Nell smirked. "You know what he is capable of!"

---

"Has anyone seen Hermione?" asked Lavender, as she came rushing down from the common-room rather worriedly. All the sixth-year Gryffindors who were in the common-room immediately jerked up.

"What's happened?" asked Seamus, alarmed.

"She's not been there since I woke up, and Parvati went to the library just now and Hermione's not there either!"

"Where's Harry?" demanded Parvati, and at this moment, a tousled black-haired boy with unadjusted spectacles popped his head by the banister overlooking the common-room. "What?"

"Harry, have you seen Hermione?"

"I've just woken up," muttered Harry, massaging his forehead. "I conked out totally last night."

"Harry, Harry!" came Neville's urgent voice, and he appeared beside Harry with a drinking glass. "You've been drinking a spiked drink last night! There're traces of sleeping pills!"

"I – whatt?" spluttered Harry, as he grabbed the glass to examine it. True enough, the white residue of sleeping pills dotted the bottom of the glass. "Bloody – "

"I've a theory," remarked Dean, rather nervously. "That Hermione must have gone out in the night and somebody spiked Harry's drink so he wouldn't think that – ya know, that she's gone 'cos you people are good friends and you'd have known if she was out."

"That's the only plausible theory!" Lavender wailed, clearly distraught. "Now what?"

"We've got to tell the Headmaster!" cried Neville. With that, Harry immediately threw on his robes and kicked away his bedroom slippers as he put on his shoes. Just at that moment, Roger Andrews came speeding into the common-room again.

"What's it now, Andrews, haven't you any pace gear called "SLOW"?" yelped Parvati, whom the boy had nearly collided with given his bullet-pace dash.

"Har – Harry Potter! The people outside are whispering that the Slytherin people are looking for Draco Malfoy too! I thought may-maybe-he…"

"He must have abducted Hermione! To see the Dark Lord!" A look of horror formed on Neville's face. Wasting no time, Harry pushed past everybody as he ran out of the common-room and down the corridors towards the Headmaster's room.

Scum of the earth. First he toys with her feelings, then he betrays her!

Harry skidded in front of Dumbledore's office entrance, and was just about to call out to the gargoyle when he noticed that the stairs were moving of their own accord. Down the stairs….came Professor Nell.

"Professor Nell!" cried Harry, in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Is it wrong that a staff member should come and pay a visit to the Headmaster?" asked Professor Nell, expressionless.

"Professor Nell –"

"I don't suppose you're reporting that Miss Granger and Mr Malfoy are missing?"

Harry gaped. "How did you know if you were here all the time. We've only just had a commotion!"

Professor Nell pointed to his head. "This. It'll get you far, Potter."

He was about to turn away, when Harry called out to him. "You know where they are, don't you? You came to see Dumbledore because you wanted to divert his attention from where they truly are, don't you?"

"Do you doubt me that much, Harry?" Professor Nell turned back, a smile almost as serene as the one he had seen on Professor Dumbledore's face a few minutes ago.

"You help him, don't you?" Harry whispered, his fists clenching. "You've been trying to get to know me, so that you could help him? The reason why Draco could get so close to Hermione is because you've been taking me with you all this time so I couldn't keep an eye on her…the reason how you could tap so close to me is because you know how much I care for Ginny and Hermione. And now Hermione is missing…you did this to her…because of me, wasn't it?"

Professor Nell's eyes flashed, then he sort of smirked and pointed back to his head. "You're using quite a bit of this, Harry."

And he swung his cloak and left.

Harry stood there staring at him. Then he immediately shouted out the password to the gargoyle. The stairs swung back in view, and Harry darted up the steps.

"Yes, Mr Potter, what can I do for you today?" asked Professor Dumbledore, calmly as the enraged boy wizard stomped up to his desk and banged his hands on the table. The Headmaster just had someone else bang on his table, and this time he couldn't help but frown a little. "What has happened?"

"I don't believe you don't know Hermione and Draco Malfoy are missing," hissed Harry, gritting his teeth so hard he could hear them grinding against each other.

"I do know, Harry, in fact I know where they are."

"What…?"

Professor Dumbledore gave Harry a knowing look.

Then light dawned upon Harry.

"Don't listen to Professor Nell, he's a liar!" cried Harry, in despair. "He works for the Dark Lord!"

To his utmost surprise, Professor Dumbledore smiled. "I know that, Harry."

"You know that?" Harry asked, incredulously. "You know that?"

"Of course I do, Harry, I was the one who put him there."

This took a while to register. "You mean, he's a spy for the Order?"

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "If you may say so."

"Professor, I still don't trust him, he could be turning against you. Why, he could –"

"Well Mr Potter, you happen to be standing in front of a rather pristine white letter. If you notice, the white is rather marred in the centre by some words. I was wondering if you'd like to take a good look at it."

Harry snatched the note and sped-read the scrawled lines. At first, his eyes only had confusion. But then later they began to grow bigger. "This is – "

"I'm sure you're well aware of it, Harry."

"But – this means…oh my god!"

"This means, we don't have a lot of time. So why don't we take a little trip?" suggested Professor Dumbledore, as he got out of his seat, round the table and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "And we'll need companions too."

---

Hermione awoke, coughing and spluttering a bit.

Where am I?

She began to brush off the filth covering her arms and legs, but shivered at the same time. The floor was so cold, and she had been lying on it for ages. Drawing her legs close to her, she could feel her entire body shaking.

Then, she remembered what had happened.

Tears coming to her eyes, she bit her lip as she huddled in the corner. I'm scared.

"Why're you worrying so much?" a familiar voice came resonating through the darkness outside the cell. "Scared that no one will come and save you?"

Hermione refused to answer. She just sat there, rocking back and forth in her huddled state.

There was the sound of the key turning in the lock, and the gate swung open.

"Why don't you just get rid of me, it'll be so much easier," whispered Hermione.

"Don't be a fool, Granger. He wants them to come and save you and watch me kill you slowly in front of them."

"Precisely."

"Do you have so little faith in your meddlesome friends? I'd like to see how they would rescue you in such a short time."

"I…I don't know…"

He bent down to look at her, and his gray eyes locked with her chestnut brown ones.

I'm scared.

Suddenly, Hermione realised that even as she was the one who was huddled in a corner, cold and dirty, she was not the only one having that thought.

---

"The magic of Hogwarts is that, no matter how much Dark Magic tries to penetrate our walls, it can never fully infiltrate it, and our students – those who genuinely believe in fighting Dark Magic, will definitely stand up against it, and never let it penetrate their bloodstream."

Harry was barely listening to Professor Dumbledore, as he stood staring in complete bewilderment at the two people before him, one with a comforting arm around the other, standing rather nervously in the Hospital Wing. Neville stood beside him, looking rather confused too.

"This…this can't be…Professor Sprout said – "

"It wasn't Professor Sprout, was it?" asked Ginny, nervously. Her eyes were bloodshot and weary, while Ron's wasn't any different. "I mean…the last time her Mandrake Potion worked only on those who were Stunned indirectly, not directly…"

Professor Dumbledore shook his head. "He lifted the magic himself. Nothing to do with countering hexes."

"Is that why he didn't know that the magic had been casted…you know, like it wasn't truly casted by…I mean like what you said, Dark Magic couldn't penetrate the walls of Hogwarts well enough, so he wouldn't have known what really happened?" asked Ron, his arm tightening around a shaking Ginny.

"Yes, you could say so, Mr Weasley."

"Oh, that's a relief…"

Before anyone else could say anything, Professor Dumbledore turned to Neville. "Mr Longbottom, I am sure you are well-versed in how the Shultzen Potion works?"

Completely baffled and embarrassed at the same time, Neville managed to nod.

"Excellent."

"I don't get all of this!" cried Harry, completely stunned at the amazing turn of events. "Who's the "he" you are talking about?"

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," whispered Ginny, reaching forward to touch Harry's arm. "He didn't know we were – at least I was – a willing party of the magic."

"But…but how could you be a willing party of a poison?" gasped Harry, in total confusion. "I mean…"

"Before we answer that," said Ron, rather apologetically to Harry, but rather worriedly to the Headmaster. "He must have had some kind of plan – that's why he got us out of our Stunned states, didn't he?"

"He wants us to save Hermione!" said Ginny, rather angrily. "And he wants us to tell everyone it was Draco Malfoy who hexed us, who poisoned us, and therefore wants us to go and find Malfoy!"

"And Malfoy conveniently leaves behind a note saying that we should go watch Hermione die!" burst out Harry, furiously. "I'm sure that's what we're going to do; we're playing right into his hands!"

"That's what we're going to do," said Ginny, fiercely.

"What!"

"Harry doesn't know a thing," remarked Ron, who apparently had heard Ginny's version of the story when he awoke. "Time to tell him."

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Hagrid yawned and got out of bed for his usual rounds to feed the magical creatures scattered about his house and in the forest. He would have class in about three hours' time, and he didn't want hungry animals stomping about the place, or he'd have another complaint lodged against him!

Hagrid was rather upset that none of the three children whom he had loved so dearly, came to visit him for the last week or two. I hope they 'aven't got 'emselves caught up in some mess again!

Then he remembered he hadn't fed some of the birds for days, because some breeds were able to go without food for days – if you fed them too often, they would go a bit wild. Feeling happy that he had remembered, he took the feed out to the coop, ready to feed them.

Just as he entered the coop, he noticed that the birds shied away from him.

"Ar ye Peastwiggers comin' ter eat yer food or yer not hungry yet?" asked Hagrid, concerned as he held out the feed. None of them made their way towards him. Some of them scurried away on their sturdy four feet. Hagrid was beginning to be puzzled, for he knew very well that it really had been quite some time since he had fed them.

Then he saw something that made him gasp in horror.

"Blimey! No, this can't happen ter me, it can't, no…"

Behind the crowd of jittery birds lay a very sick-looking Peastwigger, and as it turned its head, a red blood clot filled where its eye once was.