Hermione pushed open the door of her house, the soft swishing sound calming her nerves, reminding her of happier times when her family was together.

Casting a glance at the photo of her parents on the table, she sighed sadly. She had a few leads on how to restore their memories, but there were more pressing concerns at the moment, namely Harry and the house-elves.

"Hermione, you're back!" Ron rose from the couch and made his way to her in a few strides of his long legs. "Should've gone with you!"

She shot him a kind smile. "It was easier this way. No one thought much of it when I and Susan Bones visited the Ministry."

"So, did you get it?" Ron peered at her beneath his fringe, anxiety curling down the corners of his lips.

"I did," Hermione said sharply and then walked to the couch, sitting down with a tired sigh.

"Susan proved crucial." She heaved her briefcase and placed it upon the table. Then she opened it and took out a piece of yellowed, cracked vellum. "Lots of Ministry workers respected her aunt, so they were liable to look kindly upon her request."

"So that is…" Ron pointed at the parchment.

"The official pardon of Lucius Malfoy after the First War." Hermione smoothed the vellum with the flat of her hands. "'Hogwarts, a History' has a section with excerpts from official documents, and if my suspicions are correct…"

Hearing the swooshing sounds of the Floo, Ron glanced at the chimney. Sure enough, a slim figure condensed out of the green flames into sharply contrasting colors: white hair framing delicate features, and a slim body wrapped in dark robes.

Luna stumbled out of the fire but easily managed to get her equilibrium back. She greeted her friends with a severe nod, quite unlike her usual buoyancy.

"Sorry to interrupt you," Luna said. "I'm looking for Harry but I didn't find him in Grimmauld Place."

"Harry's trying to get to Draco," Ron said. "He thinks his magic will be powerful enough to bypass the wards the Ministry placed around Malfoy Manor to keep the family prisoner."

"I hope Harry succeeds," Luna said somberly. "I have bad news. Sources at the Quibbler tell me there's been a spate of attacks on former Death Eaters."

Hermione clenched the parchment, her knuckles white around the vellum. "By Merlin, those Wizengamot fools deprived Draco of his wand! What if they attack the Manor?"

Ron brushed his fingers through his red hair, leaving it even messier than usual. "That's why I'm not with Harry. Percy told me the wards they used are as strong as those of Gringotts, and since Bill is a master at breaking wards, I thought we could use him. I stayed here and contacted him; he'll be over as soon as he can."

"That's very good news." Luna's gaze wandered to the vellum Hermione clasped tightly between her hands. She cocked her chin at it. "What is that?"

"It's the document pardoning Lucius after the First War," Hermione said, gazing intently at the cursive lettering that crisscrossed the parchment. "I've a suspicion that they used those old-fashioned, flowery sentences I've encountered so many times in Hogwarts, a History, and if they did, we might have found the key to save Draco!"

Hermione read aloud from the parchment while Ron and Luna listened intently.

'Let it be known to all and sundry that the Ministry of Magic hereby grants this special pardon to the Malfoy blood.'

Ron puzzled his brow in thought. "Why didn't they just say they were pardoning Lucius?"

Hermione glared at the parchment. "Because Lucius' pockets were ample, and the wizards that wrote the pardon wanted to ingratiate themselves with Malfoy by using these old terms denoting blood supremacy!" She glanced up at them. "Do you see what it means?"

Luna nodded, a slight smile tugging up the corners of her lips. "Because the Ministry expressly pardoned the Malfoy blood, that document could be construed as applying to Draco too!"

Ron looked up at the sound of someone coming through the Floo. He expected to see his tall brother, but instead he recognized his best friend, who stumbled and fell on a heap to the floor.

Ron dashed towards his friend and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him up gently. He squinted at Harry, his blue eyes widening in alarm at the streaks of blood that marred Harry's forehead.

"Mate, what happened?" Ron said urgently.

"THOSE BLOODY WARDS!" Harry shouted in anger. "Have to get to Draco. Seems there are some evil gits going around, attacking former Death Eaters. And the bloody wards threw me out time and again! I felt this hook around my head, like they were repelling my magic."

Hermione walked up to them, holding in her hand a kerchief she had conjured, soaked in water. She used it to wipe the blood off Harry's face, saying in a smooth voice, "I found the solution in the old pardon of Lucius. The pompous fools at the Ministry used such broad terms that they can be interpreted as applying to Draco."

"Good," Harry shot her a grateful smile. "Knew I could count on you, Hermione. So the Wizengamot will be forced to reverse their decision?"

"That is true," Hermione said. "But given the news of the attacks, I'm worried about the time frame. We have to pressure Shacklebolt into calling a special session of the Wizengamot but that will take time. Two or three weeks."

"Blimey, they could get to Malfoy in that time!" Ron said, rubbing the knuckles of his hand.

"Hermione, isn't that pardon magical or something?" Harry said, peering at her over the rim of his glasses. "We could invoke it aloud and it might free Draco!"

Hermione shook her head sadly. "It is binding and magical, but in order to restore Draco's rights to use magic, it has to be strengthened by a vote in the Wizengamot."

"What will we do then?" Harry lowered his chin, his shoulders hunched down in defeat.

"Draco's right to use magic?" Luna said wonderingly. She approached her friends, a frown on her alabaster brow. "I don't seem to recall Mrs. Thistlewaite using those words."

"She said Draco couldn't use his wand." Harry shrugged. "So it's the same thing, really."

"I don't think so," Luna said dreamily. "What wand is Draco using, by the way?"

"Narcissa's. I haven't gotten around to giving back his wand." Harry's eyes widened. "Hey, that's the solution! If I give him back his wand, he can use it to defend himself!"

"Don't think it's that easy, mate," Ron said. "Remember you won that wand from Malfoy, it might not work for him anymore."

"I disagree. I'm not totally convinced by Ollivander's words about the allegiances of wands." Hermione said, her eyes fixed on the photo of her parents on the table.

She knew that wherever her father and mother were, a piece of her heart would abide with them forever, whether they were aware of her existence or not. It was her love for her parents that forced Hermione to wipe their memories to save their lives.

"But Ollivander was very convincing," Harry said.

"That he was." Ron nodded.

Hermione cocked her hips, her arms akimbo as she shot her friends a glare. "Come on, you two! Do you recall when I used Bellatrix' wand? I had so many difficulties wielding that wand; it felt odious, foreign. It never fit me well, the way Draco's wand fit you like a glove, Harry!"

Harry blushed, recalling the feelings of excitement and power he got using Draco's wand.

"I think Ollivander got it half-right," Hermione continued. "There's some truth about gaining possession of a wand through battling the wizard; but didn't Dumbledore imply that the greatest power is love?"

Harry shot Hermione a surprised look. "So… you think Draco loved me when I got the wand from him?" he said in a tentative voice.

Hermione huffed, exchanging an exasperated look with Ron and Luna. Ron rolled his eyes discreetly at the cluelessness of his best friend. It was obvious to him that there had always been strong feelings between Malfoy and Harry. That was the reason he wasn't surprised when he found out Harry and Malfoy corresponded during the Horcrux hunt, or the poem Harry owled him.

Luna shrugged nonchalantly. "Draco knew what would happen if Voldemort found out you had escaped, and yet he couldn't betray you at the Manor. I'm sure the wand will work perfectly for Draco, for it belongs to the two of you."

Harry sighed, his yearning desire to see Draco shooting spikes of need through his body. He had to save his snarky boyfriend, if only to wipe that smirk off his face with a kiss!

Harry made a fist and hit the palm of his left hand, saying in a firm voice, "Fine, but how do we get through the wards around the Manor to give it to him?"

tbc