Chapter 28: The List
"So the ministry is taken and the attacks have started," Hermione clarifies. Luna nods as they continue their second planning meeting in the same sitting room. The only difference being Ron and Tracey sitting together with his arm around her.
"They started the attack on the neutral families earlier this time around," Draco says.
"They started with us," Tracey adds.
"Do you know what happened to the Greengrass'?" Draco asks.
"I sent word to Daphnie when I was safe. She said they were leaving the country." Draco nods at her reply.
"What's the next step?" Harry asks.
"What did Lovegood see?" Tracey replies.
"Did we win?" Ron whispers.
"No," Luna say looking completely detached from her surroundings. "We didn't win." The mood of the room plummets and everyone looks away. "But we can change that." Five pairs of eyes snap to the youngest member.
"How?" Hermione voices the question on everyone's mind.
Luna pulls out a piece of parchment and sets it on the table in the center of the circle. Five names were written neatly over the page.
Antonin Dolohov
Bellatrix Lestrange
Fenrir Greyback
Travers
Yaxley
"These are five people who will be detrimental to the odds in the final battle," Luna says. "We need to take them out of play before November."
"How do we do that?" Tracey asks.
"They will be part of a series of attacks starting in a week and a half. There will be ample opportunity to take care of the problems," Luna says. "And Tracey, Dolohov and Yaxley were two of the ones you are after." Tracey's knuckles turn white as she grips the arm of the chair and her jaw tightens. Vengeance dances in her eyes.
"How many Death Eaters can be expected?" Ron asks while pulling Tracey closer. "Where and when and what are they after?"
"Five Death Eaters at the first attack which is in ten days. They will be attacking a small muggle village and they are after murder and chaos. Nothing more." After a small silence, Luna continues, "Travers will be one of the five there."
"Five versus six, not the best odds," Ron says, mind whirling with calculations. "Surprise would give us a bit of an edge but the muggles present are going to be a problem. Too many easy targets, but not much to be done about that. Still they won't dare focus on them until they have finished with us, otherwise they leave themselves open for attack."
"Six?" Draco asks. Ron glances around the room.
"Six."
"It's too dangerous for Luna to go," Hermione jumps in. "We can't lose our prophet."
"Well can't she make sure we don't lose anyone?" Ron asks.
"I can't be sure if I'm there," Luna replies sadly. Ron glances to Hermione in obvious confusion.
"Luna's power is limited in that she cannot see herself or how it will affect the events around her. If she went, she could not tell us the odds," the Gryffindor witch replies.
"So five on five," Ron mutters.
"I was promised that I would not have to fight for this protection," Draco interjects. "I will help brew potions, help plan, help heal, but I cannot go out there."
"Excuse me?" Ron asks. "You're going to sit in here safe while we die?" Draco jaw tightens as he stares daggers at the red head. Tracey tries to pull Ron's gaze away from the stare down with no success.
"84.7% that someone, most likely Draco, will die if Draco accompanies you," Luna says. "12% if he does not go."
"How does that work?" Ron blurts out.
"They would be enraged seeing someone they think should be on their side fighting with you," Luna replies easily. Ron's eyes slide back to Draco who is smiling smugly. Hermione smacks Draco shoulder and he jumps.
"Stop it," she scolds.
"We've got ten days," Harry says, bring them back to the matter at hand. "Tracey, do you wish to fight?" She nods once. "Okay. Luna, see if there is anything specific we need to keep an eye out for. The rest of us will be training, yes that means you too Malfoy. We need to push ourselves further and be ready. Hermione, Ron and I have practiced together, but we need to work Tracey into the dynamic. Let's get to work."
"I know why you were so tired when training with Flitwick," Draco grumbles, laying beside Hermione on the floor. They had made it up to his room before collapsing. Still, the bed was too far.
"At least it was only a couple of hours with Flitwick. Harry's a tyrant," she moans.
"He's your friend." Silence descends as talking is too much effort to extend. If they weren't so sore, they might fall asleep. Harry has put the group through the wringer over the last six days since the meeting. He constantly juggles the groups to keep them on their toes, however if it wasn't for the protective charms they reinforce before starting, half the house would be destroyed. Though they often complain of being sore and tired, they feel more prepared now than ever before.
Luna pulls her wand away from her temple, a silvery substance holding to the tip. She places it in the pensive that Dumbledore had transferred to the house before his death. With a collective breath, the six witches and wizards dive into the memory.
"This is the town," Luna says. They glance around at the peaceful muggle village, a couple of family stores, a small pub, but mainly houses. The children playing in the street shift a few feet in different directions, like images overlaid.
"This is the main road," Luna says, walking forward. The rest of group trails behind, still staring at the people who skip between places in town, then return, all of them moving.
"Luna, why are they like this?" Hermione asks, looking at a man flickering in and out of existence. "Is this a spell?" Luna turns towards the man.
"No," she says simply. She smiles at the man easily enough. "There is a 28% chance that his wife tell him she's pregnant before he leave this morning. If she does, he will stay home, trying to pamper her, but driving her slightly mad. He won't be in town at this exact moment."
"So this is how you see things?" Hermione presses. She nods with a little shrug and innocent eyes.
"There are a couple of roads that split off of this one," Luna continues. "The stone buildings here," she points off to the side of at a couple stores, "will provide good cover." Luna walks to the end of the street and then turns to face them.
"They will appear between six and seven in the evening," Luna says. Immediately, the scene changes to night, five figures appearing behind her. They flicker into other positions, but don't move forward.
"They can appear in a couple different formations, but will all be gathered together here," Luna continues. "You will want to set up anti-apparition wards and anti-portkey wards after they arrive but before they know you are there."
A pulse goes over the area and the Death Eaters glance at each other. A separate Harry, Ron, Tracey, and Hermione step out into view, shifting slightly in different places. Luna freezes the scene and walks towards one of the Death Eaters. The mask of this one has sunken in cheeks and a chunk missing from the jawline near the chin. The slight bluish tint emphasises the gray swirls.
"This is Travers. He cannot leave this area alive. Incapacitated, broken wand, missing limbs, none of that is enough," Luna says grimly. "If he leaves this town alive, he will go back to his master, be tortured and healed and be more a threat than before. I know some of you have yet to kill a monster in human form, but you cannot hesitate. What they plan for this raid...what they would do if you were not here...they are no longer human. In a just world, they're soul would be sucked out by a dementor. We don't have that option at this time. What we have, all this world has, is you. Don't hesitate. Don't second guess. Don't give them a chance. Take them out and return home. Please."
Luna turns away from the group. With a sigh, the six find themselves once more in the Black house.
"Dinner," Kreature asks the moment they step out of the memory. Harry nods wearily and they follow him to the dining room. Mr Lovegood and Mrs. Malfoy are already sitting around the table. Dinner is once more a quiet as the younger members think of what waits for them tomorrow.
The three couples separate off after dinner. Draco and Hermione settle into his room, sitting on a couch and lost in their own thoughts. He looks to her.
"I'd ask you to stay if I thought that you would," he says.
"I can't," she replies.
"I know." She snuggles into his arms.
"There is a very low chance that anyone will die," she says, sounding overly optimistic to even her own ears.
"It wasn't lost on me that Luna didn't show us the battle," Draco says. "And there is a lot of things between safe and well and dead."
"I know," she whispers. Draco sighs and pulls her closer.
"It was the worse five years of my life," he says softly. "Everything changed when the Dark Lord came back, and not in a good way. The first two years, at least there was escaping to Hogwarts and trying to think it would all work out. But the war...the war...now it's starting again. It feels real again. And one of the only people I would die to protect is wandering out onto a battlefield and there is nothing I can do about it."
The words get stuck in her throat. They haven't taken to classifying what they are, nor have there been any declarations of love. His sudden openness regarding emotions shocks her for a moment. She puts her lips to his and tries to communicate everything she doesn't have words for. He returns it with just as much passion and an edge of desperation.
"I'll come back to you," she murmurs as they break apart, neither opening their eyes.
"You can't promise that," he whispers back, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I have to fight," she says.
"I know that. You wouldn't be you if you stood on the sidelines. I've always known that. Even in that damn cell you would sit there and be willing to die for your cause. The problem is...I'm not willing to lose you for anything. So where does that leave us?" Draco's eyes open and stare into her. She shrugs and burrows her head into his neck.
"I can't ask you stay, but...come back," he whispers into her hair and kisses the top of her head. A shuddered sigh rumbles through him. His arms lock her to his chest and she holds onto him just as tight.
The future is not set, not yet. 'We won't be home for dinner tomorrow,' Hermione thinks, 'but please let us all come home.'