*Snape carries her in, and gently sets her on the armchair* Yes, you thought right. For Snape to be treating me this gently, I am very fragile- I worked myself sick, but at least I got myself As in the university and a schoolful of happy kids- so that's gotta be worth it. I am sorry I left you hanging for so long, but here I come now, and I promise it will be worth the wait.

So, Chapter 17, *hit play*

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Lestrange was barely flinching on the hard ground before Voldemort, whose hands were trembling in anger.

"You insignificant, worthless worms!" he hissed, spitting in his rage, his crimson eyes flashing in anger he could barely control. "Crucio!"

Lestrange yelled in agony again, but his voice was faint, dwindling. Voldemort let up the curse almost reluctantly.

"How is it possible!?" he asked, merging the words together in anger.

"My Lord, I can't tell …what happened, and …what …p…p-potion she took- but it made her …catatonic."

"Have you the vial?" Voldemort asked, barely containing his rage to get information. Lestrange's body was too weak to react, so Lucius pulled up his head by the hair so he could face the Dark Lord and answer.

"Y-yes, my Lord," Lestrange said and Lucius searched through the semi-conscious Death Eater's robes and retrieved a small vial that was half-full with a purple liquid.   He presented it to Voldemort, who nodded his head dismissively.

"Search for the signature on the thing- use the best potion maker we can get our hands on- even if you have to put them under Imperio to do it. Then get the maker of this potion and bring him to me," Voldemort ordered and Lucius apparated away.

***

            Draco sighed as he watched Sirius walking around the house, preparing it and himself. He fidgeted.

"Dumbledore trusts me with this?"

"I don't believe it either kid, but that he does. Are you sure you are not going to bungle it up?" Sirius muttered as he carefully led Buckbeak to the kitchen that had been cleared away from almost all furniture. Draco swallowed.

"I don't know. I kind of remember him. From the looks of it, he remembers me, too."

"Well, here's your chance to make amends," Sirius smirked, and backed off from Buckbeak who looked around his new enclosure with interest, before his eyes rested on the silver-haired Slytherin. Draco sighed and approached with much more respect than he had that day in the Care of Magical Creatures class. Buckbeak frowned and straightened his long neck. Draco cringed.

"I think he remembers me," he said with a slight tremble in his voice. Sirius leaned off the doorframe with a small smile, clearly enjoying this immensely.

"Well, when someone is the reason you are on the run, you tend to remember their looks," he said as he approached the hippogriff with confidence. Draco still wasn't daring to go any closer.

"I don't see how this can work at all, then," Draco said and scowled. "Unless this is the Light's way of turning me to shreds- 'the hippogriff did it; oh well, what a shame'," he quipped with irony that dripped. Sirius tilted his head much like his animagus form did.

"Well, Draco, if you truly have seen the error of your ways, and truly do want to make amends, Buckbeak will see that and he will accept you. Now is the time to find out- you won't have any afterwards," the ex-convict said and respectfully petted Buckbeak, who leaned in to his touch. He seemed to whisper to Buckbeak as he stroked the mythic animal's head and Buckbeak ruffled his feathers indignantly. Draco swallowed. Was this to be his end? At the business end of a hippogriff? He cringed even more at that thought- because there were two business ends to a hippogriff, and none were pleasant. When did I start thinking ridiculously in the face of danger? That's Potter's job...

"I think now is the moment to try, Draco. All he wants is respect- just a little bit," Sirius said with a small smile as if he was making a joke, which Draco didn't get.

            Draco sighed and swallowed, and walked up cautiously to the hippogriff. Buckbeak glared down his beak at him. Draco sighed and bowed deeply, hoping that the beast wouldn't bring its beak down on the back of his head, or that at least Sirius would spell him away from it in time. I am truly sorry for what I caused you Buckbeak. Please, please accept me this time so that the plan will succeed, Draco thought but didn't dare articulate. He saw the hippogriff's hooves shift and heard the shuffle of feathers. He clenched his eyes closed but no blow came, so Draco chanced to open one of his eyes; and there he was, eye to eye with the hippogriff, that was bowing back in return.

***

            The head of the Ministry's potion maker was a bachelor; had been born one and never in his 40 some years had Martin Brazenshire considered starting a family. He loved his work and he loved his lab- he had no time for a wife or children, and he would not condemn either with an absentee husband or father- like his own had been. He actually rarely went to his small apartment in London, a few streets from Diagon Alley. He preferred to sleep in the small cot that was in his lab's adjoining room, among the fragrances of brewing potions and warm, bubbling sounds of cauldrons simmering. That was what he was doing when the door swayed open under the unlocking spell.

            Martin cracked his eyes open as an unfamiliar shadow fell on his reclining form. He gasped and sat up in bed.

"I have a task for you, mr. Brazenshire," came the silky voice.

"Imperio."

***

            Harry Potter folded his blind man's cane and pocketed it. He stroked Sasha, coiled over his right wrist, felt the snake's forked tongue in his fingers. He heard Ron running towards him along with another set of familiar footsteps- Hermione. He smiled wanly.

"I have brought them, Harry," Ron said, excitement brimming in his voice, and Harry's own heart skipped in beats as he outstretched his arm, and the familiar thick, rounded wood was pressed into his hands. He smiled, running his fingers over the handle.

"You took good care of her, Ron," he murmured lovingly, as if he was meeting an old friend.

"Of course I did- she helped us take Slytherin," Ron chuckled and Harry smiled some more.

"The fact that Malfoy was absent had to help some, too."

"Ron spent almost an hour every day maintaining the broom, Harry," Hermione said with a proud voice. Harry chuckled, enjoying the familiar touch of the broom that once had been as much a part of him as his cane. He heard Ron fidget.

"I knew that she would return to the true owner one day. I wanted her to be just as she was when she came to me," he said in an embarrassed voice, as if Hermione had revealed something that made him feel gruff. Harry smiled and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ron, this is still your broom. I don't take my gifts back," he said in a gentle voice and pressed the broom handle back to his friend's hand. He heard Ron's breath shift, as if he was gaping.

"But-but-but it's a perfectly good racing broom and you will need it for this!"

"So will you; besides, I have a loaner- it's going to arrive soon enough. Where is everyone else, anyway?"

            As if on cue, Neville, Fred and George ran up to where the trio was- at the back of the Quidditch pitch. Ginny was carrying two brooms, one of them pure black. A small Burmese was trotting along beside her. Ginny smiled as everyone gathered around the teens.

"Just a second, while I put a concealing charm on us," Hermione said, seeing that Sombre wanted to shift. When the glittering bubble encased them all, Sombre shifted into Severus Snape, and took the black broom from Ginny.

"There you go, Potter; transportation, courtesy of mr. Draco Malfoy," the potions master said gruffly and Harry received the black broom. He heard Ron choke.

"Malfoy gave you his Nimbus 2001?!"

"Breathe, big brother- you look like your food went the wrong way down," Ginny giggled. Fred and George smirked.

"So, are we all set…"

"… to wreak havoc…"

"…in London,"

" Scotland,"

"…or Ireland?"

"That's enough from you. This is a serious plan of which you have no experience whatsoever!" Snape snapped, and the twins silenced, although Harry could discern from their breathing that they were far from chastised. Harry sighed and spoke in the low, gentle tones that didn't cover noise.

"Okay… I have to repeat, that if anyone is having second thoughts, it's okay, and now is the time to back down. From the moment we take off, there will be no turning back. We will be on our own. Completely," Harry said, stressing the last voice gently, yet still managing to send shivers down some of his fellow Study Group member's spines. Yet none backed down.

"Let us hope your heroics don't end when you cross Hogwart's borders. Potter- drink."

            Harry took out one of the vials given to him by Poppy and drank it all, feeling the liquid spread downwards like liquid fire. He felt Snape's hands handing him a new one, and the Professor's face inches from his hear. The warm breath puffed against his skin, making him shiver involuntarily.

"Remember Potter, that you are not healthy- and remember that if I give you an order, you are not to disobey it. Do you have enough long term memory for that?"

"Yes, Professor," Harry said with a small wry grin, hoping that it would not come to this.

            Snape backed off and gave the Study Group each a small flask of iridescent, transluscent potion. They looked at it puzzled- except Hermione.

"Would Miss Granger care to tell you what it is I have given you, as it is obvious that the only one paying even the minimal attention to class was she," Snape said scathingly, and Hermione promptly replied:

"This is the standard Auror Medi Potion. Aurors use it to heal their wounds enough so they can continue fighting."

"Indeed; have in mind that it will not heal you completely should you get hurt with more than a simple lesion. So don't think it as a second chance; it is not. What it will do, is give you enough energy to get out of ground zero- and only that," Snape said, making his voice hard and stern, slightly worried by the relieved looks that the Weasley boys had. Neville didn't look too relieved, and he kept side looking at Snape, making Snape tell him sardonically:

"Don't worry, Mr. Longbottom- the potion will work even in your abysmal case."

            Neville flinched, but Harry spoke up, taking the place of the leader now, with the tone of voice he used.

"Time has come. Mount your brooms," he ordered and everyone did, Snape shifting into Sombre. The concealment spell broke and the adrenaline started going up in levels. "Hermione, I will use you for my navigation- so stay close, okay?"

"Sure, Harry," she said instead of nodding; she didn't want anyone to remember their leader was blind, knowing that it didn't matter. Not really.

"Alright. Let's go," he said, and Hermione took off first. Harry took out his wand and muttered a homing spell, then took off after her, following her by the pull of his wand, and the rest of the Study Group followed.

            Sombre looked at the young people slowly growing into specks in the sky, his tail swishing. Then he about turned and ran. He too, had a job to do.

***

"Nobody made this potion," Martin said in his somniferous voice, as Lucius watched him analyze and re-analyze the potion. Lucius scowled, barely keeping himself from tightening his fingers around the potion maker's throat.

"Of course someone did! Find the signature, you worthless maggot!"

"There is no signature," Martin repeated, staying immobile, waiting for the next order.

"There has to be! This is no ordinary, standardised potion! Find what its purpose was!" Lucius snarled. Martin nodded and set to work again. Lucius paced up and down the whole while. He didn't dare think what would happen should he return to Voldemort empty-handed.

***

            Ludo Bagman swallowed, his palms ice cold, as he waited. Waiting was always the worst part of every endeavour, and although as a gambler he craved the adrenaline rush, he despised the odds of this particular game he had been forced to play. Most of the staff of the Ministry of Magic was gone for the night; those that had stayed were more than mere secretaries and clerks. The tension in the whole building was tangible, and Ludo felt stifled.

The door opened.

"The Death Eaters are breaching the security. Everything goes according to plan. Remember your part, Bagman," the Unspeakable that had come to warn him said, and Ludo nodded quickly. He heard the spell warding his door outside, and he felt immediately both safer and more vulnerable. If the battle should be lost, then there was no ward in the whole world that would be able to protect Ludo from the wrath of the Dark Lord and his minions. He took out his wand and casted another ward, just as the first sounds of battle started coming from the lower levels of the ministry of magic.

***

            Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Severus Snape and Arthur Weasley all gathered up in the main living room of the Black House. They looked between themselves, all the glances strong, all serious, of people fully aware of the stakes and what they were putting aside in order for the general good to prevail. Then, Draco Malfoy walked in, dressed in tight black sweater and jeans, just as Sirius had told him it would serve him better to. He felt slightly uncomfortable dressed in purely muggle clothes- as if this outside appearance for the first time tagged him for the side he had chosen. It was not an unpleasant uncomfortable feeling. Arthur looked at the young Slytherin that looked so much like his father, yet so unlike him, now.

"It's been a long time since that day in the book shop, hasn't it, young Draco?" Arthur Weasley said gently. Draco nodded, the pallor of his skin flushing just a little bit.

"Yes, sir, it has been," he said in a slightly altered voice. Sirius nodded to everyone.

"Everything's ready. Hopefully, the big fish will be left to our party in Stonehenge."

"Never bet on the best case scenario, Black. Voldemort might well come here, to witness the fall of the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters, especially if he feels brash enough to do so," Snape said cuttingly. Remus was thoughtful.

"Still, he became much more cautious after learning of the Inquisitor fiasco," he said.

"I am only here to warn, Lupin," Snape snapped. Arthur nodded.

"Well then. Let's get ready to wait- they might appear any minute and find us here chatting," he said and patted Draco's shoulder encouragingly. Draco shivered, and sat down, clutching his wand in his hands tightly, nervously. The lighting was weak and obscure, making the shadows longer and thicker. The wizards melded in them, and although Draco knew they were there, he still couldn't see them, or even make out their forms.

So it begins. I only hope I see you in time, Blaise.

***

            Harry felt again after so many months the exuberance of flying. He had almost forgot how it felt to soar through the ethers, feeling the wind in your hair, the pull of the gravity, the sheer speed of the flying. His blood boiled in his veins, his heart beat fast, and he felt like whooping in joy, the sheer joy of being alive, of being able to feel this. The chilly air didn't bother him- he craved it, even. He made the broom take sharp turns every time his wand tugged at him to change direction, following Hermione. He felt Sasha tightening around his wrist and he casted a light warming spell.

"Thank you Harry," the snake hissed thankfully.

"No- thank you, for being here with me. I know you don't like flying," Harry hissed back, opening his eyes wide for even his ocular muscles to feel the pressure of the speed, since they were unable to perceive anything else.

"Are you happy, Harry?" Sasha asked, just like she had at the eve of another battle.

"Right now, I am, Sasha. I am happy I have this moment, and it will help me with what I am up against."

"I am glad Harry," Sasha said, and then Harry heard the whoosh of another broom very close by.

"Mate, can you stop talking to Sasha while you're flying? Your hissing's giving me the creeps!" Ron said and Harry chuckled.

"Okay Ron. You sound cold- where are we exactly now?"

"We are almost there- just entered Hastings. Hermione sure took Snape's word literal and we are going the long way there, to make sure we are not seen."

"Good," Harry nodded. He heard Neville coming up to them quickly.

"We are about to land, so chatting's over," the boy said, and anything timorous had left his voice. Harry felt encouraged. If Neville could sound so strong, then anything could happen. He should trust Dumbledore. He wouldn't send them to do this if he wasn't certain that there were at least good odds. Yes. He should trust Dumbledore.

I should also try to trust myself, too.

***

            Blaise Zabini presented Voldemort with the portkey.

"Malfoy doesn't know of its existence, but I charmed this portkey to lead us to wherever Malfoy is during supper on the eve of his escape, my Lord. When we activate it, it will lead us to him, and the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. It is irrelevant if they are protected by the Fidelius or not, because technically we are not trying to home in to the Headquarters- but to a person."

The Death Eaters that had not gone to the ministry, Voldemort's best of his old guard and a select few of his new recruits, looked to him to see if he approved, if indeed the strategy of the young Slytherin girl was statisfactory. There was a small pause, then Voldemort nodded.

"You have served me well, Blaise Zabini. I hereby recognise you as one of my best, one of my inner circle."

The Death Eaters all raised their wands silently to acknowledge Blaise's new status. Right at that moment, an apparating parchment popped and hovered in front of the Dark Lord. Voldemort took it and opened it as Blaise respectfully retreated back to her place in the circle of the Death Eaters around her. Voldemort looked up and his crimson eyes flashed in triumph.

"My loyal Death Eaters- our triumph is approaching! As we speak our brothers have control of the Ministry of Magic, and all of its departments!" he announced and held up the parchment, with the shiny silver signature of Minister Bagman. The Death Eaters all hailed.

            It was then that Lucius arrived, grim faced yet hopeful. Voldemort nodded for him to speak, now confident not to take arbitrary news in private.

"The potion that put Bellatrix Lestrange into a coma was analyzed, my Lord. It was designed to kill her, to cause a stroke. Apparently Dumbledore felt threatened of our potion master, now that the traitor Snape is dead."

"The sssignature?" Voldemort persisted.

"There was no signature, my Lord. Apparently the potion was not made by a master."

"Dumbledore's list of allies grows thin," cacked Voldemort. "It is time for the taking. Zabini!"

Blaise walked forward again and bent her head, holding up the portkey. It was a simple blue quill.

"Activate the portkey- we shall bring the Order of the Phoenix to its ruins before the day is through!"

And so it was in the bright, cheerful Spring morning that Blaise Zabini activated the portkey that would transport every Death Eater right in the heart of resistance. Her heart beat so fast it could break.

She held out the active portkey, and everyone touched it. She felt the tug at the navel. Everything blurred kaleidoscopically.  Please, let it all work out for the best.

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*Snape administers various potions to her to restore her somewhat to sentience* Well, we are approaching the end- about one or two more chapters to go. I hope this chapter was satisfactory. I got all your votes as to what to do with Voldemort. I promise I will do my best to rise up to the challenge. ;) And I absolutely swear that next time I shall answer reviews. I NEED to know your thoughts on this. Till next time!