Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters sadly
Chapter 18 – Stalemate
Harry wiped his forehead off and reloaded the clip in his gun. He stepped over the three bloody bodies lying in the hallway and started jogging forward. He finally reached another door and used his wand to unlock it.
'Please don't be full of more fucking guards,' he thought angrily in his head. He slowly pushed the door open and pointed his gun forward.
"Cornelius Fudge!" Harry exclaimed rushing to the old mans side. He quickly pulled the tape from around his mouth and loosed his binds.
"Thank Merlin," the Minister of Magic said dryly. "Malfoy is-"I already know," Harry interrupted him.
"Can you fight?" he then asked the old wizard.
Fudge looked at him strange for a moment then nodded his head. "Of course if the need be." He finally replied.
"Find your wand quickly we have to move," Harry instructed then stepped back and closed the door to Malfoy's office.
It took Cornelius Fudge a few moments to gather himself together and ready for a battle he knew he could die in. Harry could see the slight bit of fear in the old wizards face but the sternness to continue onward and be a man.
"Let's continue," Fudge said waving his wand and tearing the door off the hinges. He walked forward taking the lead, Harry smiled to himself and followed.
Fire erupted from the fireplace and spread outwards spitting Dumbledore and Ron out into the room. Dumbledore brushed himself off motioned for Ron to lead and open the door. Ron gripped his wand in his hand; it was at the moment his only weapon.
He had become quite fond of guns over the years there were no spells to remember, just aim and shoot. Ron flicked his wand and opened the door stepping out into the well lit hallway. He looked left then right and seeing nothing stepped out further closely followed by Dumbledore.
"Which way do you think it is?" Ron asked Dumbledore.
"Let's proceed straight," Dumbledore replied.
They walked down the hall and looked out the large window at the end of it. They could see the courtyard edges lined with brightly burning torches. Ron pointed at the bodies stacked in the corner.
"I believe one of your old friend's bodies is among those," Dumbledore whispered mysteriously.
Ron looked at him then turned his vision back to the courtyard. He looked and his eyes finally fell on her, Hermione Granger. All the feelings of love he'd always had for her rushed back into him. He remembered everything they went through growing up in an instant and then this. He had given his best friend, the only sane one out of the trio to Draco Malfoy.
"C'mon," Ron grumbled and began moving down the next hallway.
Dumbledore followed behind Ron keeping stride with his younger counterpart. Ron stepped around the corner and bumped into a guard making him stumble forward. Dumbledore immediately came around the corner and fired a massive blue blasting charm into the fallen guard. The guard's body erupted in flames and he was quickly burned to a crisp.
Ron was amazed but came back to reality. "Avada Kadvera," he killed the other guard standing in the hallway then looked back at Dumbledore. "That was some amazing spell." He said.
"When you have as many years practice as I do you learn some things." Dumbledore replied pressing his finger on his forehead.
Ron grinned and bent over taking the dead guards gun from his side then checking it. "This has become more me," he said sticking his wand in his belt.
The duo pressed on following Dumbledore's surprisingly excellent judgment, Ron wondered if he knew where he was going or just taking random chances. Either way after walking what seemed like thousands of the exact same hallways and staircases they finally reached a door that opened out into the grassy area behind the courtyard.
They both quickly ducked and moved forward darting through the grass then pressing up against the concrete around the courtyards edge.
"Why isn't she awake yet?" the heard what sounded like Draco question.
"Because you drove your elbow into her forehead Draco," they heard a voice replied sarcastically. "That happens to some people when you do that."
"I don't need this from you right now father," Draco's voice spoke. "If I don't marry this wench in time the damn thing won't work and they still haven't brought the cauldron."
"Yes well at least we got to kill that Longbottom fellow and his friends," they assumed Lucious Malfoy said.
Ron stared at Dumbledore. "Is he talking about Neville Longbottom?" he asked.
"He is the only Longbottom I know of," Dumbledore replied.
"Damn them," Ron slammed his fist into the ground. "I wonder if Harry is dead to."
"I believe all is well with our friend Harry Potter," Dumbledore said. "In fact I feel he is approaching this area as we speak."
Draco waved his hand and water fell out of nowhere onto Hermione's face. She coughed and choked then sat up struggling to breathe.
"I told you that spell would wake the mud-blood up," Lucious said in a sadistic tone.
"How dare you strike me!" Hermione finally shouted after catching her breath. She stood up and began walking towards Draco but he held his hand up.
Hermione tried to take another step but her body wouldn't move. She felt pressure against every part of her body and had to struggle to expand her chest and take breaths.
"W-wh-what…p-ple-please…n-nnn-no," she couldn't even form a sentence. She wasn't dying but it was terrifying unable to move or do anything against this pressure pushing against her.
"My dear this is going to happen one way or the other," Draco finally said. "You can take it the easy way or the hard way it doesn't matter to me."
Hermione stood still, trapped in Draco's grip. "If I release you and you attack me I will paralyze your mind and make you my puppet." He said devilishly.
Draco stepped extremely close to Hermione's face and sniffed her fear. "Do we have an understanding?" he questioned then glared into her eyes for his answer.
The door behind them opened up and two figures carrying a huge black cauldron began walking up. Draco let Hermione fall to the ground and gasp for air behind him. As the figures carrying the cauldron walked the torches above them suddenly flicked and went out as if the wind was blowing them out.
'That's odd,' Draco thought to himself as he watched them move closer. "What are your names guards!" he shouted at the two.
The six guards remaining stood in a scattered formation weapons loaded and ready to fire. Lucious moved and picked his wand from his side stepping forward.
"What are your names!" he demanded.
Out of nowhere a gigantic blue blasting charm engulfed three of the guards burning them to a complete crisp. Gunshots began to ring out and two of the other guards collapsed to the ground from several bullet wounds.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Draco roared turning around. "Dumbledore and Weasly?" he questioned even his own vision. "That oaf Goyle didn't say anything about you still being alive."
"I'm very much alive," Ron replied. "Avada Kadvera!" he sent the killing curse bursting towards Draco.
"Expelliarmous!"
Ron's killing curse got deflected off from the side by Lucious Malfoy. Draco then moved to fire a spell at Ron but was caught from behind by a powerful spell and flew into the ground.
"What in the hell," Lucious grumbled quickly turning to see who was behind him. He was greeted by the end of Cornelius Fudge's wand.
"Don't move Lucious," Fudge said sternly.
Harry shot the last guard standing next to the fallen Malfoy and pointed his gun downwards. Draco quickly waved his hand and forced the gun from Harry's hand then rolling to his feet.
"Harry Potter," he said in his usual disgusted manner. "The boy who lived and grew up to kill the dark lord." Draco eyed Harry in a drunken jealous manner then turned his sights to Ron.
"Ronald Weasly and Hermione Granger," he grumbled. "The two who stood with Potter throughout every ordeal and journey." He shook his head then looked at Dumbledore.
"Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and said to be one of the most powerful wizards of all time," Draco commented finally turning his vision to Fudge.
"And Cornelius Fudge the Minister of Magic," he said in a sarcastic tone.
"Thank you for the marvelous introduction Malfoy but it won't save you from your fate." Harry said after Malfoy shut up.
Draco cocked his head to the side and grinned staring blankly at Harry. "All five of you will die at my feet."
Fire swirled around the ground and exploded upwards sending stone and concrete flying into the area.