Disclaimer: However long I have made my readers wait, I don't think I could bear to be like Miss Rowling and make them wait a year, so I do suppose this would be my very own work :)
A/N: Sorry for the long disappearance! Updates now will be a little quicker, so don't worry if things still seem vague. M'gosh this story has been going on for ages, I promise that things will come to light soon and more D/H stuff in the upcoming chapters. Meanwhile, I didn't know that there was a possible ruling against thanking my reviewers individually Oo so well, I shall just thank my faithful reviewers Gwinna, pinkicing101, blueeyedchibi, queenofthelameos and the ever-wonderful slytherin-kittycat who obliged me with a barrage of reviews :) and I hope you all enjoy this upcoming chapter! (and yay the horizontal rule is finally working)
"Ginny, I still can't believe it."
Harry tried to lower his voice into a whisper, so that Pansy Parkinson, who was leading the way, would not be able to hear it.
"What do you not believe, Harry?" sighed Ginny. "Do you still remember the other time I told you about Parkinson trying to kill me? Who stopped her?"
"I thought it was a ruse or something…"
"Harry, don't let your prejudices of Draco Malfoy cloud your senses. I'm sure at that point of time, you also know that Malfoy was very close to Hermione, won't you?"
"That bloody…"
"What?" chipped in Ron, though his voice was rather too loud, and Pansy flinched. Ginny tugged at his robe angrily, and Ron looked abashed.
"When you were knocked unconscious, Malfoy walked past our common room. He grabbed Hermione and he forcefully kissed her in front of me!"
"He WHAT!" Ron had trouble trying to keep calm, his eyes staring at Harry. "Ginny, are you absolutely sure the ferret has changed? He doesn't sound one bit good to me now."
Ginny cringed. "An act, I would suppose."
"Why's he doing all this acting? Why's he risking getting found out by Voldemort and put to death? Why'd he –"
Harry's voice fell silent as they entered the dungeon areas of Hogwarts. He knew only too well the echoes would reach Pansy's ears if he continued to talk about Draco Malfoy. Professor Dumbledore kept his eyes fixed ahead, but Harry knew very well he had heard everything that they had been talking about.
"What are those hissing sounds? This place is absolutely hideous!" muttered Ron.
"They're saying that there are intruders in here," whispered Harry, listening to the hissing voices around him. "They're not happy."
"Who's they?" asked Ginny, remembering that Harry understood Parseltongue.
"The spirits who used to be in Slytherin House when they were alive," cut in Pansy, her eyes flashing. "They guard our common room."
"Blimey, and all we have is Nearly Headless Nick and the Fat Lady?" grumbled Ron.
"I don't suppose you would really want other spirits hanging around with us," reminded Ginny, but Harry put a finger to his lip and looked at Pansy. She gave a rather repressive snarl, before turning to the monstrous-looking creature in the portrait before her, and was about to mutter the password, when Professor Dumbledore simply made a swish of his wand, and the door opened (not without the cursing of the creature in the portrait).
"Thanks," muttered Pansy, as she stepped into the common room.
The Slytherin common room was adorned with green and silver drapes, luxurious furniture (probably sponsored by the Malfoys), numerous unfriendly portraits, and a dark, mysterious air about. Ron shivered a little, as he stared pointedly at the clock on the wall, which seemed to make a rather ominous creak every time the second hand moved.
"I'd really like to come here for a break, it's absolutely fascinating," muttered Ginny, sarcastically. Pansy merely whipped her cloak out of the way as she made her way up the steps to the common-rooms. Professor Dumbledore followed suit without uttering a word, but Harry decided it was time to comment.
"Pansy, maybe you'd like to tell us what you're going to show us."
She continued walking.
"Because we haven't the faintest idea if you're going to turn us in to a whole pack of Death-Eaters," continued Ron, very angrily.
She stopped.
Then she turned back, her green eyes flashing. "Oh you really don't have the faintest idea. At all. And let's keep it that way till you've seen what I'm bringing you to see, Weasley."
With that, she flung back her cloak and continued ascending the stairway.
"If I should get rid of my prejudices towards Malfoy, maybe I can reserve some for Parkinson?"
Ginny sighed. "Let's just follow her."
---
"Granger, it's just about twenty more minutes. Twenty more minutes till your wish is fulfilled."
His voice sounded emotionless, but she knew his heart was not void of emotion.
"Twenty more minutes till fate decides whether we win this battle or not."
"It's not all about winning, Dra – Malfoy. Losing isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"You're so calm about losing your own life."
"Why shouldn't I be? I've lived a good life. Unlike some people."
His eyes flickered. "What makes you think those other people haven't lived a good life?"
"Being under the control of others? Being subjected to others' whims and fancies? I shouldn't think so? I've been free my whole life, and I'm thankful for that."
"You're not free now, Granger," and he spun around, eyes flashing. "And you're never going to be free."
"I'm mentally free!" spat Hermione, glaring at him. "I'm not like you mindless Death …"
"Shut up, Granger!" He hissed.
She fell silent once more, not willing to say anymore. She knew that if she did, she would not be able to sustain her will for long.
"Even before we became Death Eaters…" his voice had lowered to a whisper. "We couldn't live as ourselves. Never."
She sat there, wincing occasionally as the rope bit into her supple wrists, which were beginning to lose its strength with every minute.
"So you say they will come?" He was no longer standing in front of her; he was ready to walk out of the cell, his hand poised on the lock.
She looked at him defiantly. "They will. They definitely will."
---
"I am beginning to lose my patience."
The sinister voice reverberated around the cold walls, and the row of Death Eaters shuddered at the iciness of the atmosphere. It was as if his voice had cracked all the ice on the wall and shot them as icicles into their skin.
One of the Death Eaters was shaking very badly.
"Rebrus. Where is your daughter?"
Rebrus Parkinson nearly collapsed upon hearing the voice address him. "I…I don't know, my Lord, I…"
From within the sleeve, a wretched-looking finger tapped against the wand on the chair, and suddenly, a stream of luminous green shot out from the tip of the wand and hit Rebrus Parkinson squarely in the face, unleashing a horrific cry of pain from the victim and knocking him off his feet. Another two Death Eaters closed in to bring him away.
"Glaston Nell."
The wizard brushed his black tuft back a bit as he stood before the Dark Lord. He seemed unperturbed by what had happened seconds ago. "Yes, my Lord."
"The magic of Hogwarts is a very strange thing. It occurs as and when it pleases. Why is it that I could perform Legilimency on Harry Potter, but yet I cannot get through to Pansy Parkinson? The girl is very late for our ceremony, and yet I cannot find out where she is, which is grating my nerves very much," came the silky voice. "Maybe you would know much better?"
"I would have thought you would summon Severus Snape to answer your question, my Lord, he knows Albus Dumbledore much better than –"
"My dear Glaston Nell, I took you in because you promised you would be able to divulge more than the incompetent fool of a Callidus Auceps. Are you trying to –"
"I wouldn't dare to, my Lord. I will give you my best opinion."
"Out with it."
"I believe that the girl is currently in the company of Albus Dumbledore. As far as I know, this morning, she has been misbehaving in class with a group of Slytherin girls, and have been sent straight to the headmaster's office. It is possible that Albus Dumbledore is covering her with an Occlumens Shield and…"
"Glaston, why are you lying?"
A rather soft, but familiar voice drifted midway through Professor Nell's speech. Professor Nell turned, and a Death Eater lowered his hood to reveal a smirking Severus Snape. "Why are you lying when such a thing never happened?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about, Severus. I am merely reporting the facts."
"Facts? I know you are an accomplished Occlumens, Glaston, you are able to shut your thoughts out from people. But there are others who are unaware that their thoughts are being accessed. For example, Millicent Bulstrode, who would have been one of the girls Pansy Parkinson would have "misbehaved" with. As of now, Miss Bulstrode is comfortably in her dormitory wondering where in the world Miss Parkinson has disappeared to after a most delightful morning of having no lessons because Professor Sprout has had a bout of cold."
"I don't suppose you know that they misbehaved in my class and I was the teacher who sent them to Professor Dumbledore? It will probably not be under my control if Albus Dumbledore decides he should modify their memories in any way."
"And why would he do so?"
"Silence! This is disgraceful. Severus, will you not interrupt the next time!"
"I am sorry, my Lord, but I fail to trust Glaston Nell very much. Not ever since the time that I found my antidote to the Aldor Potion missing from my storeroom."
"Do you think I stole it then?"
"Oh no, how could I ever think that? I am very sure one of those wonderful Golden Trio must have done the deed, possibly either Potter or Granger considering Mr Weasley was well tucked into bed in the Hospital Wing."
"I consider it my duty to also remind you that you were the one who underestimated your protégé's ability to bring Miss Granger here, while I fully believe in his capabilities. After all, I was the one who aided him in getting the Chroker Eye."
"It requires great ability, both mental and physical strength, to be able to surmount all the obstacles that I put in place to guard the Chroker Eye, and your ability to retrieve it, Glaston, is unsurpassed," mused the Dark Lord, drumming his skeletal fingers against the armrests of the chair. "While I commend you for it, I will also remind you that I do not trust people easily, and I do not wish to be able to find out anything unpleasant should you do me wrong."
Glaston Nell bowed, while Severus Snape curled his lip as he stepped back in line, pulling the hood back up to cover his disgusted expression. As Professor Nell retreated to the side, the Dark Lord raised his hooded face to everyone, wherein only the gleaming green eyes within could be seen flashing.
"We will deal with the girl later. I do not tolerate her tardiness."
There was absolute silence.
"Twenty minutes' time…" and his eyes gleamed even more brightly. "…and we shall see who wins this battle."
---
She stood before the painting, touching the frame delicately, as if she was afraid to see a speck of dust on it. She was, but more importantly, she was afraid of the consequences should she continue. Yet, she knew that the only way to save Draco, was to trust those who were around her.
She spun around to face the party who had trooped behind her faithfully, feeling her breath catch in her throat. Then she saw Albus Dumbledore; the faintest smile was hanging at the edge of his lips.
"This is it," she heard herself whisper. "This is it."
"What's this?" asked Ron, disgustedly. "You brought us here to see an empty portrait?"
Ginny stared at it, but Harry knew. He knew the moment he saw the way Pansy touch the frame. "There must be a reason why the portrait is empty, right, Pansy?"
"You are a special wizard, Harry Potter, a very special one. It is no wonder why the whole wizarding world is after your blood," replied Pansy, thinly. Harry did not flinch, but Ginny gave Pansy the most deadly glare she could manage. Pansy turned back to face the portrait. Then she began to utter a series of hissing sounds. However, she did not go beyond a few seconds when Albus Dumbledore suddenly waved his wand, and the dark background of the portrait began to liquefy, and started to drip out from the frame to the floor. Pansy swung back in absolute horror. "What are you doing?"
Professor Dumbledore made no attempt to answer her. Instead, everyone watched as the dark liquid seeped out of the portrait, leaving behind a very small locket. Professor Dumbledore cleared the liquid from the floor, before he stepped forward to levitate the locket with his wand.
"It's not an ordinary portrait, Miss Parkinson," said Professor Dumbledore, gently. "It's not one of those portraits like Phileas Nigellus who can shuttle back and forth from the Black House to my office. It is a Portkey in a portrait, not a Portkey of a portrait."
Pansy was speechless.
"So that's how Voldemort made his way in and out of Hogwarts! But Professor, didn't you say before that Portkeys do not work in the grounds of Hogwarts?" asked Harry.
"It doesn't, it doesn't, but you must realise that the portrait was set in the lairs of one of the Dark Lord's meeting places. And this portrait was not originally in Hogwarts," said Professor Dumbledore, turning to look at Pansy, who was quivering.
"I didn't know…I thought it was alright to put it here…and then…and then I realised one night he was there…he was there telling me what to do and – and I was so afraid, I didn't know anything at all…but he came through the portrait the other night...he really did; I saw him in it..."
Then she took a deep breath. "This, is how he could come into Hogwarts and torture Draco."
"Torture?" gasped Ginny, in horror.
"You are such a simpleton, Ginny Weasley, you don't know what the Dark Lord can really do when you get him into a situation," snarled Pansy. "And this is why you don't know that the Dark Lord could kill Draco with a finger with what you all have just done!"
"You realise that Draco Malfoy asked me to play a part in his plans," retorted Ginny. "And this means that he knew fully well what he was getting himself into!"
"What? Getting himself into trouble just because of that Mudblood?"
"You jolly well know he –"
"We must act now," said Harry, urgently cutting Ginny off, for he knew what she was about to say regarding Draco and Hermione, and now was not the time to push Pansy to the brink of rage. "This means that the Dark Lord can come into Hogwarts any time and sabotage anything that goes on here. We must stop him! And we must save Hermione as well!"
"What about Draco!" Pansy's eyes flashed in anger.
"Yes, and him too," muttered Harry. "Now can we go?"
Ron eyed the locket. "You know…I don't have a really good feeling about what is going to happen next…"
Professor Dumbledore looked at them. "On the count of three."
"One…"
"Two…"
And there was a flash of blinding light.