RunAway

Moon: Sorry I haven't updated this in a while, but I got stuck and my other stories demanded attention. But I do plan on finishing this one. For this chapter I have one word - and the world is PANIC! I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 10: Quirrel/The diary

Draco shifted in bed, putting a hand over his heart. He couldn't explain it, but there was a twinge in his heart. A tiny voice telling him that someone with close ties to him was in danger. It didn't make sense; he knew that the other Runaways were all in their beds. He frowned and stared at the ceiling of the Slytherin dorm.

The feeling wouldn't leave him alone, however. Draco sighed, Claire? You awake?

Yes? Claire's response was drowsy. What's wrong Draco?

Are you feeling that? You're an empath. I can't shake this feeling that something is horribly wrong. Draco said.

Claire was silent for a long moment.

Draco was about to think that he was imagining things when Claire was suddenly alert. Oh, Merlin!

Claire? Claire, what is it? Ginny's voice joined them, giving the impression that Claire's mental cry had shaken her awake.

Draco's right. Something's wrong. Claire said frantically.

What's wrong? Luna asked, Our houses are nargle-proof. I checked them twice.

I knew Luna, not that kind of wrong. Claire sounded like she was in slight pain. There are two people out in the halls...but they both feel wrong. Like, like...

Imperious? Ginny asked harshly.

No, Claire's voice was strangled. It's something else, something powerful and malevolent and terrible. They don't want to – they're enslaved by something, whatever it is is going to use them to unleash something on the school.

Draco strained his senses. He wasn't nearly as adept in emotional magic as Claire, but the feeling of fear and panic in his chest was what had kept him awake, and he reached out to it. I don't understand. We're all here, but I can't shake this feeling that someone close to me is going to die.

Are our friends still in their dorms?

The Runaways did a quick headcount and found all their friends asleep in their beds.

...They wouldn't. It was Luna's voice that they heard first, sharp with a very uncharacteristic note of shock.

Who wouldn't? Ginny asked, startled. Luna?

Draco... Luna trailed off for a moment, before saying, Exactly how obsessed was your father with family legacy?

Very, but I don't see- Draco lost his train of thought when the implications of Luna's question struck him. There was a painful pause before he shot to his feet. "Merlin!"

Blaise let out a startled groan and sat up in bed, sleepy. "Uhhh...Draco? What's the matter?"

"Lucius damned Malfoy is the problem. Merlin...he wouldn't. He did. He did, damn him!"

This woke Neville to. He and Blaise got out of their beds and looked at Draco, who had grabbed his wand and robes. "Draco, what the hell is going on?" Blaise snapped, watching his friend worriedly.

"I have a younger sibling." Draco nearly choked on the word. "And he's inside the school. Hear to unleash a monster."

Neville looked confused, but the same realization Draco had just gotten himself occurred to Blaise, because his eyes widen in shock.

"Even he wouldn't do that," Blaise whispered.

"He just did," Draco spat. "Come on!"

Draco could tell through their mental link that the girls were waking their friends to help with the battle. Good, they'd be needing all the help they could get.

"Hang on, what's going on? I thought Draco was an only child," Neville said breathlessly as he ran to keep up with Draco and Blaise.

"I was," Draco said, "But they obviously had a child to replace me when I ran away. And then they aged up that child so he'd be suitable to pull off whatever they're about to do!" The pain in his chest was getting stronger.

Neville blanched. "He would do that? But that could tear him apart, physically and mentally! It's one of the most painful ways someone can die! That potion is illegal, gets you up to a lifetime in Azkaban!"

"Somehow I don't think he gives a damn," Draco cursed. "We have to find him and whoever's helping him before something worse happens!"

"Do the others know?" Blaise asked as they rounded a corner.

"Yeah, they're on their way." Draco said, when suddenly they were confronted with Peeves.

"Students out of bed!" The poltergist cackled.

"Peeves, there's a security breech in the castle, wake whoever you like but have them followed us!" Neville yelled almost spontaneously. He didn't even have time to be surprised that those words had just come out of his mouth. Blaise and Draco spared a single second to look at him in surprise.

Peeves blinked when Claire, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, Cho, Padma, Susan and Hannah all hurtled out from around the corner.

"Is it true?" Hermione asked, her face very white.

"Yes," Draco said angrily. The girls swallowed and glanced at each other worriedly. "Peeves just went off, probably to raise the alarm."

"Do we have any idea where they've gone?" Susan asked, in her 'future Auror' game face.

"Where could they bring in a monster here?" Cho asked, seeking destinations.

"The forbidden forest?" Hannah suggested.

"The Chamber of Secrets!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly, causing many of her friends to jump.

"The what? I thought that was a myth," Ginny said in bewilderment.

"Well, it's true that they say they've never found it, but a monster got loose in here fifty years ago and killed a student. Mrytle Megrew." Hermione said. "They said it was a giant spider in the woods but her body didn't have any bite marks-"

"Wait. Did you say Mrytle?" Cho asked.

"Yes. That was her name, she was a third year when she died," Hermione said, looking apprehensively at her friend.

Cho looked among her friends and said, "They're in the girl's bathroom. I bet you the next Quidditch match that Mrytle Megrew is Moaning Myrtle."

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There were footsteps on the floor late at night in the halls of Hogwarts. The doors to the girl's bathroom swung open, and a young boy walked inside.

Ron Weasley looked up from the diary. He was gaunt, had circles under his eyes, his cheeks bloodless; he looked more like a hollow shell than anything else, appearing twice his age although he was only eleven. A diary was clutched in one hand as though his life depended on it, the sickly glowing green appearance of it speaking to the contrary of this.

"You're bloody late, mate," His words were slurred and seemed to be dragged out of him, as though something was making him speak against his will. "I've been here for two bloody hours. What kept you?"

"It isn't easy, sneaking into the school," Came the strained but cultured response. The other boy seemed to be in constant pain, as though he were straining against his every action. "There was so much useless legislation that had to be abides by."

"Screw the useless sodding legislation. It means nothing to you anyway."

"We cannot afford to blow our Master's cover until he has sufficiently recovered." The second boy said. "He won't be prepared for an attack in the state he's in now."

"Who are you, anyway?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Alexander Malfoy." The boy responded.

Ron's darkened eyes widened and he scrambled backwards. "No...I don't...I can't...no way! Agh!" He doubled over, his grip on the diary shifting.

"You won't last much longer," Alexander muttered. "But the Master will need more than that." He raised his dulled, controlled eyes to the sink and made a hissing noise. The doors to the chamber swung open.

Alexander sighed and gave Ron a push when the boy refused to enter the chamber. They both tumbled through the dark, dripping tunnels until they reached the chamber itself.

Alexander, not in his own mind, spoke another command in the hissing voice, and the door swung open.

Waiting inside was Professor Quirrel. His trademark turban was missing, and an ugly, twisted face with no nose was resting on the back of his head.

Ron tried to scream, but it came out as a strangled squeak and he collapsed.

Quirrel/the face snorted. "True Gryffindor courage, that one," He snarled out.

Alexander shivered and said, "I'm here, milord. He's poured most of his life into the diary. You're have more power then before."

Quirrel gave the boy a cold smirk. "And you remember your part in this, boy?"

Alexander swallowed hard, and looked as though he longed to flee, but an unseen force opened his mouth and he said, "I am a peace offering."

"Get on the alter." Quirrelmort said. "We'll start the ceremony immediately. There's no time to loose... I will rise again, and I when I do I'm going to finish what I started with the Potter girl all those years ago!And this time I, Lord Voldemot, WILL be the triumphant one!"

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Sirius swore as he released Remus and Andromeda from the binding curse. "I'm sorry, I should have caught that one."

"It's alright. We're not hurt. Samantha?" Remus called.

"I have it." A rich Italian voice rang out from the next room. A second later, Samantha Zabini emerged from the next room, ring in hand. It was plain to see where Blaise had gotten his attractive features from. She held it out. "Here it is."

Andromeda put a table out and Samantha put the ring on it, with no small amount of disgust on her face. "For someone to have made one of these," She muttered.

"No kidding," Sirius said, and inwardly cheered when Samantha's lips twitched upwards into a smirk that she quickly smothered. The glare that she sent at him right afterwards did nothing to discourage him.

The four of them stood a good distance away from the table. "On the count of three," Remus said. They raised their wands. "one...two...three. Fiendfyre!"

Fire blazed out of the tips of their wands and consumed the ring, the table and the better part of the shack. With a grunt of effort, Sirius cut off the fire after this.

Remus and Andromeda went to inspect what might have been left behind while Sirius turned to Samantha. "...Sam. I wanted to say this to you – I'm sorry about the Yue Ball, back in school. I am. I regret messing things up-"

His three hour apology was cut off when Samantha put a finger on his lips. The woman looked at him for a moment before saying, "Did you just apologize?"

"Yes, of course..." Sirius mumbled when Samantha kissed him, hard, cutting him off further.

"Hey, you two. Focus please?" Andromeda said teasingly.

Remus suddenly said, "My god."

The three of them walked around him to see him holding a small, perfectly unharmed stone.

"...A Hallow."

End Chapter

In which everything happens at once. and more bad stuff is to come!

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