OOO

Sirius settled in beside Narcissa, trying to get comfortable on the floor of the bedroom. He looked up at the woman whose red-rimmed gaze never shifted from her son and tentatively sat up on the bed, as if seeking her permission. She did not object, so he carefully padded onto the bed and lay next to Draco as he had when the boy was young and wanted the comfort of the dog's warmth. The petrified body was cold and Sirius licked Draco's hand, an attempt to give reassurance though he was not sure if the boy could sense it. Chill from his fingers nipped at Sirius' tongue, but he continued, not knowing what else he could do.

"Is that sanitary?" A voice came from the door and Sirius looked up to see Lucius standing there, not angry but staring doubtfully at the dog.

"He loves that dog," Narcissa whispered. "I will not deny my child what might comfort him."

Lucius nodded. "Have you looked outside?"

"No." She shook her head. "I have been here since we laid him down."

"There is a… perhaps you should see for yourself." He guided her to the window and she looked out. There on the lawn below Draco's window stood several thestrals and the Cerberus, standing in a semi-circle as if keeping vigil.

Narcissa made a strangled sound and put her hand up to her mouth. Then she looked up at Lucius.

"Is he dead? Will he die?"

"Not yet and not if I have anything to say about it. I need to leave now, darling, to track down mature mandrakes. There are a few suppliers on the continent as well as some further east – I can go to Asia if necessary, though that will take longer since the Floo network does not extend quite that far and I will have to fly."

"Do be careful," she murmured.

"Of course." He kissed her. "And watch over Draco attentively. We do not know that he was not attacked for a specific reason. After all, Draco was receiving the blame – if he was not the attacker than whoever is committing the attacks must have had a purpose in going after Draco and thereby destroying a perfectly good suspect and distraction."

"I will keep my wand with me at all times," she agreed. "And be as vigilant as I can. Dragon will not leave the room either and I'm sure he would do his best to defend Draco or rouse me if I nod."

"Good." Another kiss and he made for his study. "As I said – continent first, where I can still use the Floo and then after that… well, let's hope there will be no 'after that.'"

He vanished in a puff of green fire while Narcissa went back to Draco's bedroom and sat down again in her chair. After a few moments, she straightened up and looked at the doorway.

"Dobby!"

There was a pop and the house elf appeared in the frame.

"Yes, Mistress?" He nervously wrung his hands, looking at her with a watery stare. She made no remark but rather suspected he had been crying in between doing his duties.

"Dobby, come here." She motioned him to her side and he complied. "What is your attachment to my son?" Narcissa continued to gaze at Draco rather than Dobby, even as she addressed her elf.

"Dobby is loyal to all members…"

"Dobby!" She cut him off with a shrill cry and turned her full attention towards him. "That is not what I am asking. I know you are a house elf; you are magically bound to be loyal to the members of this household. That is not the information I need to know. What I am inquiring about is how far does your affection extend beyond that boundary?"

Dobby looked at her nervously, as if suspicious that it might be a trick.

"Answer me!" She demanded.

"Dobby… Dobby cares a great deal for young master." He looked down at the carpet as if bracing himself to be hit for an inappropriate admiration.

"And you would care even if you were not bound to him?"

"Yes," he whispered, sure he was about to be beaten for thinking about a time when he might not be bound.

However, Narcissa only nodded and reached into her pocket, withdrawing a pair of silk kid gloves. "Dobby, listen to me. Because you are bound to us, whatever we ask of you, you cannot disobey – even should you wish it, even should we secretly wish it. There may come a time when we are forced to give you orders and, as of this moment, you could make no decision about whether or not to follow through with them.

"It is important to maintain the illusion of obedience. But for Draco's sake – there may come a time when you would need to act upon your affection for him, not on the letter of the orders we give you. You would need to be free to disobey us, for the good of my son." She looked at him. "Would you willingly serve us for his sake, in order that you might better offer protection if he needs it when the time comes?"

Dobby regarded the socks and trembled slightly. "Is mistress… is mistress offering to free me?"

"Would you promise to aid me in guarding my son?" She realized that once she gave him the gloves, any such promises would hold no sway – not unless she made him take an Unbreakable Vow, an unwise decision she thought given the vague nature of her orders. After all, if Draco was to have protection she could not have it die unnecessarily. Furthermore, though the house elf was unusual in that he wanted freedom, he was also loyal and, as far as she tell, without guile and genuine in his emotion towards Draco.

He was trustworthy. Perhaps she could not use him as she used the other house elves – but at least as far as Draco was concerned, he would do as he was needed to do, with or without magic binding him.

"Yes, mistress." His head bobbed up and down. "Dobby will continue to pretend, Dobby will do what he must to protect the young master."

"I am trusting you," she whispered, loath to put her faith in a creature but seeing the pragmatic function of doing so, of relying on a different magic that extended beyond her own and could do what she could not.

"Dobby will do his best."

She held out the gloves and Dobby's long fingers reached to grasp them. The tips of his fingers touched the fabric and he let out a small gasp, clutching the gloves to his chest. His eyes watered and he fell down.

"T-thank you!" He sobbed.

"Don't make a scene," she muttered, though without any vehemence.

"Dobby will get mistress tea. Mistress must be tired, the night is long…"

He popped away and back again a second later, doting on her as the evening drew on. Minutes ticked by but neither Sirius nor Narcissa stirred much. Dobby brought them both food and drink at various intervals but beyond that, their attention was wholly consumed by the boy on the bed. Sirius nuzzled him, as if he could rouse Draco with a damp nose and a lick on the cheek, but he remained ever still.

Then, considering Narcissa and all she'd done that evening, he left Draco's bed and went to her lap. She did not push him off, though his hair was covering her dress, and did not flinch even as he sat up and licked away her tears. Rather, she stroked his fur and offered him food from her own plate.

"My son, my son…" She murmured. "Who could have done this to you?"

It was a question Sirius himself wanted the answer to, a question he ran over and over again in his mind during the long and silent hours, trying to think of the scent he'd caught before being stilled and to whom it might belong.

OOO

"You could leave you know," Madame Pomfrey looked over at Harry with a severe eye, as if implying that she needed the beds for more worthy occupants than him.

Given the rather alarming rate of people falling prey to whatever was in the Chamber, he wondered if that might not be true.

"We can clear out, right?" He said with a look at Theo.

"Sure." Theo nodded. "I should get to class anyway. Are you feeling up for it?"

"I suppose." Harry got out of bed. "My arm is still a bit stiff and I need fresh robes and all that so I might miss a bit of the first class. But I should try at least."

As the two boys left the infirmary with an armful of get-well gifts for Harry, they made their way through an unusually silent and huddled crowd of students. First years moved in packs and everybody kept glancing around, as if expecting an attack to come at any moment. Harry noticed a few of them wearing amulets or charms on their robes, as if to ward off any wandering monsters.

"Things really took a turn, didn't they?"

"After Draco got attacked? Yes." Theo nodded. "Everybody's a bit scared."

Makes sense. Most people had suspected him but now that he's gone it could be anybody really," Harry observed.

"Unless, of course, he fell prey to his own machinations," Theo suggested in a tone that was only partially sarcastic. Harry glared at him and he shrugged. "I'm only saying…"

"I know, I know. Draco likes to play with monsters and maybe he got in over his head or something." Harry sounded cross. "I don't believe that for one moment."

"Why's that?"

"Because Draco wouldn't deliberately attack people and he's too good to have an accident like that."

"Perhaps."

"Harry! Nott!" The two boys were suddenly gripped by Susan Bones, making her way down the steps with another group. "Are you alright? We were going up to see you but we ran into Ginny and Millicent and Luna – they got attacked, Harry!"

"Attacked?" He started. "By whom?"

"We can't remember," said Millicent as the rest of the group caught up. "Only that we were found at the foot of the steps."

"Dumbledore thinks we were Obliviated," Ginny said. "So we can't remember who did it or why."

"Or why they would have only Obliviated when everybody else is getting Petrified," Hannah added.

"That settles it – like I told Theo, we need to do something about this soon."

"But we are!" Susan grinned. "Tell him, Hannah."

The girl blushed and played with a pigtail before clearing her throat. "Well, the night of the first attack – the night Hermione was petrified, remember – Draco was distracted by a series of spiders running away from the castle. I can't say I'm particularly keen on them, but if they were behaving weirdly it might be connected with the attack."

"So what's the plan?" Harry asked.

"We're going to follow them, see where they're headed. It might give us a clue." Hannah blushed deeper and shrugged. "I mean, I know it isn't very good, not a lot to go on. But it's the only idea anybody's come up with. At least it's a place to start to try and find whatever's causing these attacks before somebody dies."

"When are you going?"

"Tonight," said Susan. "We'll meet outside of the Hufflepuff common room and start from there."

Harry nodded. "Well you can count me in. I would offer you my cloak, but…"

"Still lost?" Ginny asked and he nodded regretfully. "Are you coming too?" She asked Nott.

""Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile. "I think I'll pass."

"You can't have gotten another detention," Ginny said somewhat crossly.

"No, but I have been neglecting my homework to a dreadful degree."

"And that's more important than helping out Draco?!" She demanded. "Don't be Hermione!" She snapped.

At this he flushed and then stormed off, leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

"You know how serious he takes his studies, Ginny," Harry said somewhat reproachfully.

"Too seriously, if you ask me," she muttered. "Anyway. You'll be there?"

"I suppose. I'd better get dressed though – classes will be starting soon and I haven't even gotten washed."

"Alright. See you later." She waved as he went down the hall. "I can't believe Theo would brush us off like that!" She fumed.

"It's odd…" Luna's brow furrowed, as if she were on the edge of a memory.

"Maybe we're better without him," Millicent suggested. "I mean, you can't go sneaking around with too large a group. And this way we're at seven – most potent magical number, right?"

"I guess," Ginny said though her expression didn't change.

"Well, Theo or not, we're doing this tonight," said Hannah urgently. "We'll see you later."

The group split up, each to their own classes, lapsing into the same silence that had gripped the rest of the school, though musing on their escapade that evening rather than fear of impending attack.

OOO

The seven children tiptoed quietly through the dark November night. Tension grew with the silence until, though she had been the one warning everybody to keep quiet, Susan broke the stillness.

"Even Hagrid's hut looks empty, doesn't it?" She murmured.

"It is," Ernie whispered back.

"What?" Harry said, keeping his voice low. "Why?"

"Heard it this afternoon. Malfoy's father… all that ruckus he raised about Dumbledore's incompetence and it being 'the last time all over again.' Hagrid was blamed for the last attack and I guess the governors though it best that he take a 'leave of absence' until everything gets sorted out."

"That's terrible!" Hannah gasped. "He would never…"

"Well then, we have to prove it, don't we?" Harry said softly, but coldly. "That's what we're doing here."

"They're headed this way," Ginny pointed, keeping her eye on the largest spiders and where they were going.

"Into the forest," Ernie whispered dryly.

"Budge up." Millicent punched him in the shoulder. "Don't chicken out on us."

"I know!" He sucked in a breath, shivering a bit. "It's just… the forest. I mean, remember what happened to Draco in there the last time he went for detention? And that was with other people including Hagrid!"

"If it's any comfort, I doubt that Voldemort is in there," Harry said with a touch of condescension.

"Well excuse me if we aren't all Gryffindors!" Ernie snapped. "And don't say that name!"

"Quit bickering!" Susan cut in. "And wands out. We're going to have to risk lighting them so we don't trip over anything."

"Won't that let animals know where we are?" Ernie spoke up doubtfully.

"Most creatures dark enough to hurt us are more afraid of light than attracted by it," Luna pointed out. "And many animals do not distinguish light but rather movement."

"We'll be fine. Just keep going!" Hannah pressed forward next to Ginny and Susan.

"I don't know about this… What was that!" Ernie jumped up at the sound of a whine.

The group spun around to see Fang, Hagrid's hound, straining at a chain that kept him penned in the yard. He was pulling and pawing, as if trying to escape and head towards them.

"Fang can come too," Milli said decisively, walking over and freeing the dog. "Will you feel better about that?"

"Marginally," Ernie muttered as they stepped through the trees.

"More spiders are coming," Luna observed.

"That's good then," said Ginny. "We know we're on the right track."

The group fell into silence after that, wandering deeper and deeper and seeing larger and larger spiders as they went onward. The lot of them shuddered at the size of a few they saw though they went untouched until they were quite near the end. Set upon by large specimens the size of horses, they were dragged in front of an even larger spider whose milk-white eyes stared at them blindly.

"Aragog, there are men," the one spoke up, causing all but the Ravenclaws to stare in surprise. "What should we do with them?"

Slowly, deliberately, Aragog descended from his web. One lengthy leg reached out to touch Harry, who recoiled. The other touched Luna's face but she did not flinch.

"You are not the monster of the Chamber, are you?" She murmured.

"No!" He growled and pincers clicked all around. The students huddled together, looking nervous at the spiders that surrounded them. "We are enemy to that beast! We do not so much as name it!"

"So you can tell us what it is then?" Ernie warbled in a nervous voice.

"I did not even tell Hagrid – and he was the one who found me, raised me, gave me a mate and brought me to this place to live. If I did not tell him…"

"But Hagrid's in trouble!" Ginny spoke up. "We need to know what it is so we can clear him!"

"Hagrid in trouble?" The spider paused.

"Yes!" Ginny pressed on. "They're blaming him. And… and a friend of ours."

"Draco Malfoy," Luna added.

The spider froze and all was silent for several moments. Then, shifting to face Luna, he spoke again.

"We care not for the prophecies of men. What they foretell concerns only themselves. Men can keep the death of July; however we shall take the rising of June." Suddenly, there came a rustling and all of the spiders seemed to turn at once. "It is here!" Aragog shrieked.

"RUN!" Harry commanded, fear of the spiders forgotten as they were distracted, swarming around Aragog to protect him. Fang's loud barks punctuated the panic as they ran.

"I thought… thought it was in the castle…" Susan panted.

"Nothing to say it had to stay in there – keep moving!" Ginny yelled at Ernie who seemed to slacken.

"Split up!" Harry yelled. "Pair off and run different directions, whatever it is can't follow all of us at once!"

There were horrible crashing sounds behind them and they wondered if whatever it was had engaged with the spiders. Harry veered off to the left and saw Ernie and Millicent dashing with Fang in a different direction. Hannah and Susan were coming up behind him and he turned briefly, sticking his arms out to keep braches away from his face.

"Where are Ginny and Luna?" He demanded.

"I don't know!" Hannah's face was red and sweaty. "They went off somewhere and I saw them running then I think something happened to Luna, I thought I saw her stumble…"

"We're almost to the edge of the trees, come on, come on…" Susan encouraged.

"Don't look back!" A high voice carried over the air.

"Was that Luna?" Harry's head snapped to the left.

"I think so," Hannah managed to nod. "I think I'm going to pass out!"

"Go, go!" Susan closed her hand around Hannah's wrist. "I'll drag you if I have to!"

They hit grass moments later, heading for the castle as quickly as they could, Fang falling off and heading for his dog house. Millicent reached the entrance first and tugged the doors open, pulling them inside before letting it shut. They clambered down the hallway, into the Hufflepuff dorm where they all slumped into the deserted chairs. For the first time, Harry looked around – and his heart sank.

"Luna and Ginny aren't here!" He rounded on Millicent. "Did you close the door on them?" He demanded.

She shook her head. "Nobody else was coming, there was nothing but field all around!"

"I'm going back," he declared.

"You can't!" Millicent grabbed his arm. "Harry, you can't, you'll get killed!"

"They'll get killed!" He retorted, heated.

Millicent released him, saying nothing, while the Hufflepuffs looked at him uncomfortably, unspoken realization hovering.

"Harry…" Hannah whispered, pale and shaking. "Oh, this was a bad idea, I'm so sorry, we shouldn't have gone and done this…"

"We need to check," he whispered, dryly. "We need to check."

Gathering themselves, they went back out into the night. By then midnight had passed and the darkness was, ever so slightly, beginning to break. Vast swaths of grass had been flattened down by something and they followed the path as best they could. When they finally found Ginny and Luna it was by the Lake, prone upon the mud at the water's edge.

"Go," Millicent whispered. "Get back to your dorms."

"What?" Susan looked at her. "Milli, what do you think…"

"No sense in all of us getting into trouble, is there?" She stood. "Might as well be the Slytherin. You lot…" She swallowed. "You need to figure the rest of this out, alright? And you can't do that if you're in detention and you really can't do it if you're expelled.

"Are you sure…" Hannah began but stopped when Millicent pulled a wand on her.

"I'll hex you if you don't get moving right now," she said.

After a motionless moment, Harry nodded and led them all back inside. He returned to the tower, the Hufflepuffs went back to their own room and, slowly, Millicent began the long walk up to the Headmaster's office, preparing the story she would give them along the way.

OOO

A/N: Getting closer to the final confrontation now. Not quite, but closer, closer. Probably in the next couple chapters – but you'll have to keep reading to see what happens! Also, messing a bit with the time line: the Quidditch game should have been a Saturday and the day after a Sunday, but I treated the day after like a school day. So... we'll pretend the game was Sunday. Or something. Oops.