"I'm sorry for wasting your time, Headmistress." Hermione said as genuinely as she could. "I really did see Peeves here making a complete mess!"

McGonagall waved her hand in the air, dismissing Hermione's apology. "I don't doubt you, Miss Granger. Your apology is not needed."

Hermione smiled kindly.

"Well, shall we head down to the pitch for the match?" Hermione asked. The Headmistress nodded.

"Lead the way."

Hermione sighed with relief. That was exactly what she hoping to hear.

She walked quickly, but not too quick, as she didn't want the Headmistress to become suspicious. The Headmistress didn't seem to notice though; she didn't even notice that Hermione was taking the long way to the pitch. It seemed her mind was already on the upcoming Quidditch match.

"Great Quidditch conditions today." She said conversationally as she looked out the window. Hermione glanced outside at the perfect blue sky and then nodded in agreement.

Almost there…Draco, I'm almost there!

Meanwhile, Draco was unsure of what to do. Theo had asked him to turn his wand on Harry. When Draco looked at Harry, silently begging for ideas, he shrugged, just as unsure of what to do as Draco was.

"What are you waiting for, Draco?" Theo asked. "Get that thing out of my face!"

Draco glanced at Blaise, who tightened his grip on his wand. Blaise looked at Ron, who followed suit. Unfortunately, Theo noticed. A look of understanding made its way onto his face and Draco gave up the act. He stepped away from Theo and next to Ron without lowering his wand.

Theo laughed without humor. "So, you teamed up with Potter to try and stop me."

"Took you long enough to figure it out. But I always knew you were slow." Draco mocked.

"That doesn't matter, Draco." Theo motioned with his free hand and the four remaining members of the Slytherin Quidditch team joined Theo, their wands raised. Draco's heart fell. His own team?

All of them were younger then Draco, but he knew them well having played Quidditch with them.

Donald Wheat, a fifth year, was a beater. He was big and burly and barely ever spoke. The girl to his right, Joanne, was small but quick, with caramel colored hair and beady black eyes. Then there was Greg who was skinny, but also quick. He had large ears that stuck out from under his dark hair, but was considered one of the best looking Slytherins.

The last one was Jack Geller, a fifth year with a large nose that Draco had actually liked. Draco looked at him, disappointed.

"You look surprised, Drake. Did you really think I was working alone?"

Draco shook his head, resisting the urge to comment on Theo's use of his hated nickname. "No. I just didn't think it would be members of my own team."

Hurry, Hermione.

Theo smiled. "You and Blaise were the last ones I talked to; I thought having the rest of the team behind me would sway you toward the right direction. Obviously, I was wrong."

"Obviously." Draco said, and Harry was reminded of the way that Severus Snape would say that word with such hate and malice. Harry felt a small pang of grief in his heart because Draco almost did it perfectly.

"You have one last chance to change your mind, Draco. You and Blaise can join us now, and you won't get hurt. Neither will the mudblood. We can take Scarhead and the Ginger together."

Neither Draco nor Blaise moved. Theo shrugged.

"Fine, your funeral."

Harry only had a few seconds to appreciate the irony of Theo using a Muggle saying before he sent a spell in Harry's direction.

"Crucio!"

Harry blocked the spell, sending Theo tumbling backwards. Draco leapt out of the way as Theo sent another spell, but this time toward Ron, who managed to dive out of the way in time. Draco tried to disarm Theo, but he ducked behind a statue and the spell bounced off the cold marble, causing the statue to crumble to the ground.

Ron began to battle Greg, the skinny Slytherin, and Blaise the small girl who moved at lightning speed.

As the big beater Donald moved toward Draco, he noticed Jack run out of the hallway into the castle and away from the fighting.

What a coward. Draco thought. If anyone ran and hid while Voldemort was here, he'd have been killed.

Donald pointed his wand at Draco, and Draco snapped out of his thoughts, and beat Donald to the punch. "Stupify!"

Donald flew backwards into the wall, and then slumped down onto the floor, unconscious.

Hurry Hermione! Please, hurry!

Draco heard a noise and turned around to find Theo with his wand raised. Ron was still fighting with Greg, and Blaise was lying on the ground, his body still. Harry had taken his place battling the small girl, and looked like he was struggling.

Draco looked at Theo, and shrugged. "If you're gonna kill me, do it now."

Theo smiled menacingly as Draco placed his wand in his pocket.

Hermione sped up as she walked down the last flight of stairs. In the distance she could hear shouting and knew that she was running late. She sped up, and McGonagall did too.

"What is all that shouting?" The Headmistress muttered to herself. She pushed Hermione aside and ran slightly down the corridor.

She rounded the corner with Hermione on her heals, and saw Theo with his wand raised at Draco, who appeared to be unarmed. She pulled her own wand out and with a flick of her wrist Theo's wand spun out of his grip and flew into her other hand. He looked over, and his eyes widened.

"What is going on here?!" Everyone stopped when she spoke. Harry and Ron looked relieved, but the Slytherins had horror etched on their faces. With another flick of her wand, everyone's wands zoomed from their hands to hers. She pocketed them as she scanned the room to see Donald and Blaise both still on the ground. Her eyes widened in horror. "Granger, check on them."

Hermione stepped forward to check on Blaise. She placed her hand on his chest and felt it rise and fall. She did the same with Donald. He was breathing too, but much slower then a normal and healthy person.

"They're both alive, but they need to go to the hospital wing now."

McGonagall nodded. "You will take them to the hospital wing, and tell Madame Pomfrey they need her immediate attention."

Hermione nodded, and then glanced at Draco, who mouthed 'I love you'. She smiled, and then used her wand to lift the two unconscious Slytherins from the ground. They floated creepily in front of her as she left the hall, only to hear McGonagall begin to yell, demanding an explanation as to why two of her students were unconscious and why one of the schools oldest statues was now in shattered peices. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief; Theo wouldn't do anything with McGonagall there, right?

Theo wouldn't dare go up against the Headmistress. He's not brave enough for that…

Theo glared at the Headmistress as she questioned Harry, wanting to know what happened before she arrived. Sure, she had his wand, but he was stronger than the old lady in front of him. If he could just get one wand, he could end Potter, right here, right now. He didn't care what happened to him. That's not what it was about. It was about destroying the one who ended Voldemort.

Theodore Nott wouldn't stop until Potter was dead.