Previously…
"What did they do?" Ron asked, still fuming.
"Nothing. They just think like… you."
"What?" Ron gasped, "…oh. I see." He looked very guilty, "Sorry, Dawn. I can't believe they freaked to this extent though. God…I'm sorry."
"It's ok." Dawn answered, forcing a smile, "They just… I get what they're saying, but I wish people would just give him a chance."
"We did, Dawn; Over four years ago. With most people, he threw it back in their faces." Dawn dropped her gaze,
"I know." She said quietly. "I know." At that moment, the sound of shattering glass filled the room, and at least twenty dark robed and masked figures flew through the windows.
Chapter 14
Most girls screamed as the masked Death Eaters spread about the room, stunning all the attending teachers and hovering on their brooms. The one who seemed to be leading swooped down low, surveying the crowds of students.
"You foolish children, screaming at your deliverance!" he hissed. Harry recognised the voice immediately, as did Ron, Hermione, and Draco.
"Shit." Ron gasped quietly. "Dawn, that's Lucius Malfoy!" Dawn swallowed, and produced her wand. "Where the hell was that?" Ron said frowning. She flashed him a small grin and hid it carefully out of sight.
"Tonight this place will be cleansed of all the filth that moron of a headmaster lets in. He, by the way, will not be turning up to save you. Now… where to start." Looking around, Malfoy caught a glimpse of flame red hair, and approached Ron. "Weasley…" he hissed, "Unfortunately, you are pureblood… By what about this fine little thing you're dancing with?" Ron could feel his heart trying to beat it's way out of his chest as Malfoy took a wand out of his sleeve, a maniacal grin on his masked face. Dawn was faintly aware of a commotion elsewhere on the floor, but all she could do was stare as the Death Eater advanced on her. As Lucius Malfoy uttered the first syllables of the curse,
"Cru…" Dawn heard a yell,
"NO!" and someone hit her hard, knocking her down and covering her with his own body.
"…cio." Malfoy finished before he realised what had happened. Draco's body shook like a leaf, as a scream was torn from him. The Death Eater broke the curse. "Draco?" he exclaimed to the breathless boy. Draco met Dawn's eyes in a silent, you ok? She nodded, and Draco swallowed, standing before his father.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Draco yelled. "Get out you idiots! You can't do this!" Even the mask looked shocked.
"Draco, stand aside. This is what we've waited for our whole lives!" Lucius growled.
"No." Draco said defiantly. Lucius seemed at a loss. He just floated there before his son, looking baffled.
"Move aside Malfoy." Boomed a voice that could freeze fire, as a new figure flew in. Lucius bowed his head and moved. "Young Draco." The man said as he took Lucius's place. "You are an idiot."
"I'm not afraid of you, Voldemort!" Draco spat. Half the hall gasped at the name.
"Then you really are a fool." A flick of his wand, and Draco collapsed to the floor, screaming in agony once more. "Now." Voldemort said, like a teacher starting a new topic. "Where is Harry Potter?" he looked around the room. "I know you're here boy. So just come forward, and maybe we can prevent a lot of pain here tonight… it won't prevent death, but pain maybe." He added as an after thought. A gasp of,
"Harry, no!" made Voldemort turn to see the dark haired boy approaching from across the room, head held high. But he had no wand.
"Excellent. You are a fool too, of course." He glanced briefly at the writhing figure on the floor beneath him. "Let's make this quick, then shall we?"
Harry shrugged,
"Whatever. I've beaten you…" he pretended to count on his fingers, "Damn I lose count on how many times." Voldemort sneered at the boy. He could tell he was utterly terrified, and part of the dark lord was actually impressed that the fifteen year old was standing up to him un-armed.
"Now, Harry Potter, you will finally die. Avada Kedavra!" he shrieked, raising his wand. Harry was thrown across the room in a jet of green energy. Hermione screamed and ran to his un-moving side. "There!" Voldemort shouted triumphantly. "What have I told you? He was only human! And he was no match for the power of the dark lord!" Behind him, someone yelled,
"Stupefy!" He felt no more than a faint jolt, and laughed, turning to see the brown haired half-blood with her wand raised, and her face stony. The bitter, chilling laughter ceased, and he looked closely at the girl.
"You have much power." He said disbelievingly. But he could feel her power… she was more than just a mud-blood. "Who are you child?"
She held her head high,
"I'm not a child." She growled, and resorted to her other training, kicking high. Her foot impacted the end of the broom and the dark lord was nearly thrown off as it flipped full turn. The wizard was now fuming. He grabbed her by the hair, and flew up higher,
"We're leaving." He called out to the Death Eaters.
"But my lord…" Malfoy protested.
"Now!" he yelled, and headed for the window, Dawn kicking and screaming all the way, and digging her nails into the mans hand. She really didn't care if he dropped her from this height; she just knew she did not want to go with him. However, nothing worked, and when Draco finally stopped shaking, and got enough breath to shout, his cries of,
"Dawn!" did not reach her. Ron helped him to his feet, and made his way stiffly towards Harry and the weeping Hermione. She was holding her friend, rocking back and forth.
"'Mione." Ron breathed. "Come away, 'Mione." He prised her away, and only needed to meet Draco's eyes to know he'd make sure she was ok. Ron dropped down beside his friend. His eyes wide, Ron couldn't believe it. He was certain Harry couldn't be dead. Ron frowned. Harry didn't look dead. Other than the lying on the floor, definitely unconscious, he wasn't pale, and his chest was rising and falling very slightly, and… Ron went back a step, he was breathing!! Ron fumbled to feel for a pulse, and it was there. It was very faint, but Harry was alive. "He's alive!!" Ron gasped, "He's bloody well survived!!" Hermione gulped, and starred at Ron with tear filled eyes as if he were mad.
"What?" Draco exclaimed.
"He's alive!" Ron shrugged, not knowing what else to say. Then he thought of something that actually seemed pretty obvious. "Get Madame Pomfrey! Someone get Madame Pomfrey!" The twins headed for the door immediately, even though several other people were also on their way. Ron grinned up at Draco. "He's bloody alive!!"
"And they got Dawn." Draco breathed. He sunk to the ground. Every part of his body hurt from the curse anyway, and now he just felt so useless, so pathetic. A tear escaped his eye.
"Malf… Draco." Ron began, "I… there was nothing you could do to stop it. There was nothing any of us coulda done." However much contempt he had for this boy, he could see the pain and utter emptiness in his eyes. This was no act.
"Wasn't there? I don't even know anymore…" The boy's eyes looked totally vacant, like he was looking, but saw nothing, "I don't know…"
"She must be crazy!" Hermione said, "Standing up to him like that…"
"She saved us all." Draco said quietly. "If she hadn't done that, he'd have killed everyone with a drop of muggle blood in the whole room, and anyone who tried to stop him." It took a moment for Ron to realise the statement meant Draco would have tried to stop it, and not even just for Dawn.
"You're right." Hermione sighed. "But I don't see how she had the courage to do that! She'd just seen him… kill Harry! Or as far as she knew, anyway." Draco smiled grimly,
"I guess it runs in the family…" He said, more to himself than anyone else, as he knew the others didn't know about Buffy. Hermione was about to ask what the heck that meant when Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room with Fred.
"Oh, my lord!" She cried, kneeling beside Harry. "What curse did this?" She asked,
"Avada Kedavra." Hermione replied.
"Don't be silly child. This boy is alive."
"We know. But Voldemort hit him with the killing curse." Ron told her. Hermione gasped as she heard Ron say the name. He'd always flinched when Harry said it. Every time. Madame Pomfrey raised her eyebrows.
"Hm." She said. She conjured a stretcher under Harry and told them not to follow; she needed to work on him alone. As she left, George returned with McGonogall, who looked as white as a sheet. She went to each of the teachers, reviving them with something in a corked bottle. Hermione looked to the two boys, and they hurried to her,
"Professor." Hermione managed,
"Not now Granger." She said, only looking round briefly. She paused, then turned right the way round, registering that she had in fact just seen Granger, Weasley and Malfoy standing very much together.
"They took someone." The murmur coming from the crowds of students reached the professors ears before the three even said anything. McGonogall, if possible, got paler,
"Who?" she gasped.
"Dawn." It was Draco who answered. "She stood up to him, he grabbed her and they left."
"She probably saved us all." Ron added. McGonogall covered her mouth with one hand.
"And Potter?" she asked.
"He's alive." Hermione replied. "Madame Pomfrey took him."
"What did… he … do?" McGonogall frowned finding it strange that Harry had been left alive.
"Killing curse." Ron said, tired of going through this.
"But that's not…"
"We know, ok? That's not possible. But it happened!" Draco cried, finally snapping. "Potter is alive, and in good hands, while Voldemort has Dawn! We have to do something!"
"Yes, you're right." She said, shaken. "You three, come with me. The head master will be back soon." They followed her from the great hall and up the stairs, the unconscious teachers forgotten. "I suppose we should call Dawn's sister." This was more like loud thinking. Hermione got the feeling there was too much in her head to handle.
"Of course!" Draco exclaimed, "She can help!" McGonogall nodded slowly as if only just realising it herself.
"Yes… Yes, Malfoy, she could…"
"What?" Ron asked, "What are you talking about? How could Dawn's sister do anything? She isn't even a witch!"
"She can help. Trust me." Draco said. McGonogall nodded,
"She can… probably." They continued walking, and Hermione ran memories in her mind.
Don't come and slay him…Dawn knowing so much about vampires… "I guess it runs in the family."
"No way!" Hermione exclaimed. Draco turned to her,
"What?"
"Buffy… Dawn's sister is a vampire slayer, isn't she?"