Welcome to chapter 2 of The Hostage Situation (: More progress in the story in this one.

"Ready?" Pansy called out to the other Aurors. "Wands at the ready." They all raised their wands and watched as the main doors opened and a hooded man stepped out, Fred standing in front of him and a wand at his throat.

"Hands in the air, all of you and any funny business- the boy dies. Where's the vehicle?" The man called out. Nobody answered. They just watched. The man was about to open his mouth again when suddenly something gripped the wand pointed at Fred and pointed it upwards. The man cried out and said the first spell he thought of and it shot out of his wand and headed upwards, hitting nothing. And then everything happened all at once- Fred was lifted and levitated at the speed of light, landing straight in George's arms, the man was tackled to the floor by whatever had grabbed his wand and a green light shot through the air and hit him.

And then Harry appeared out of thin air, holding a cloak in his hand. The door behind him opened and he spun around a cried, "Sectumsempra!" The spell hit the man there and he fell backwards, getting caught between the two doors. Harry sprinted back to the van, his wand in one hand and his invisibility cloak in the other.

"The man we took down was the fourth unidentified fellow while the one I just shot a spell at- Im not sure who he was", Harry said, tossing his cloak to George.

They saw movement at the door and their wands were aimed towards the movement immediately. They were unable to do anything when in the next second Draco and Hermione stepped out and pulled the man Harry had hit through the door and back into the lobby. Hermione's eyes met Harry's and Draco's met Pansy's for a second before they disappeared back through the door.

"No! Gorton!" Bonavier exclaimed, kneeling down beside his cousin who was bleeding profoundly from his stomach. Draco tensed.

"You need to help him or he'll die", He found himself saying.

Bonavier spun towards him. "You know this spell?"

Draco didn't answering, realizing he should have kept silent. Bonavier pointed his wand at him and asked again.

"Y-yes I know it. It's Sectumsempra- it slashes your stomach and chest and makes you bleed out", Draco said.

"What's the counter curse?" Bonavier demanded.

"I dont know". Draco shook his head. The wand was shoved into his throat and he felt Hermione grip his arm. "I swear I dont know! Im not fond of seeing people die- I would've told you if I knew!" Bonavier growled and turned to the lady in black.

"I want help! I'm not letting him die!" He said, pushing away his cousin's hood and stroking his hair.

"Whose a healer here?" He yelled so loud that most of them flinched. "I said- whose a healer here?!" He stood up and pointed his wand at each of them in turn. A pale woman with greying hair raised her hand slowly.

"I was a healer till a few years ago", She said, her voice weak and soft. "I can try and help him."

"Listen here, lady", The man said, his wand hand shaking. "You save him no matter what, understand?" The lady nodded, her eyes holding nothing but fear. She moved forward as Gorton was dragged towards the desk, his body leaving a trail of blood behind him.

"They're related," Hermione whispered to Draco.

"I was just thinking that. Its either that they're related or he has some relationship with him", Draco nodded. "He seems hell-bent on saving the guy. Think Potter's figured it out?"

"I think so," Hermione said. "I wonder what they'll do now. Fred's been saved- one of their men are dead and another is badly injured."

Draco shook his head. "This guy's sure to die."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I've experienced the Sectumsempra, remember?" Draco said. "You need the counter curse or you're dead in half an hour max. I was just lucky that the creator of the curse was with me."

"So in half an hour we'll be left with Jasper, Bonavier and Lady in black here," Hermione said. "I also have a feeling this healer is not going to make it..."

"You're probably right."

And she was. Fifteen minutes later Gorton Bonavier took his last gasping breathe before he died. And so did the old woman who had been trying to save him.

Bonavier released a strangled scream before straightening out and looking at the group of hostages. Just then, the phone rang.

"Bad timing, Harry," Ginny mumbled under her breath.

Bonavier hit the speaker button.

"You liars!" He yelled. There was silence.

"You have nowhere to go, Bonavier. Give yourself up." Harry's voice rang through the lobby.

Bonavier snarled and pointed his wand at a lady beside Draco. He gestured for her to stand up.

"Tell the Auror what your name is, dear", He said.

"C-Camren Dolton", The young lady of about twenty stammered.

"Avada Kedavra!" Hermione stifled a gasp and clutched Draco's arm as the lady fell to the floor. The ex-Slytherins and Gryffindors looked petrified at that moment.

"It could have been us," Ginny breathed, holding tightly to Hermione's other hand.

"Congratulations, Potter," Bonavier spat. "You just killed Camren Dolton."

"Okay, Bonavier- what do you want?" Harry asked.

"What I wanted was an escape route out of here. All I want now is the guy who shot at-"

"-Your cousin. Gorton Bonavier." Harry completed.

"Well done. But I want the one who shot at him and killed him. And I want him to enter through those doors now."

"And if he doesn't?" Harry challenged.

Bonavier strode up to Ginny and lifted her by the hair. "Ask me again."

"Okay! Let her go, Matthew! Put her down!"

Bonavier let go of her and Blaise caught her before she fell roughly to the floor. He seated her beside him gently and left his arm around her waist protectively as she shuddered and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Now, Potter".

"No! Absolutely not!" Pansy exclaimed, shaking her head frantically.

"We don't have a choice!" Harry said, looking into the raven haired girl's eyes.

She continued shaking her head. "I refuse to let you go in there. They'll kill you! You know they will, Harry!"

He looked at her and said, "Im sorry, Pansy. I have to do this." He began moving to the door but she grabbed his arm.

"Don't take a step forward. They'll kill you! You're not going in there!" She cried.

"Yes I am", Harry said calmly. "You know I have to."

"No you don't!" She said. "There has to be another way! There's DEFINITELY another way! We'll just need to do more research! We just need to concentrate more! There'll be another way! I won't let you go in there!"

Harry stared at her for a long moment before nodding. "Fine. We'll see if there are any other ways."

She let go of his arm and nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Okay..." Harry moved back to the desk and began searching through records and the security tapes. "One thing still doesn't make sense. How did we get a tip off two minutes before the robbery?"

"It had to be one of the robbers themselves," Ron, who had been silent throughout the conversation between the other two along with E.J, said. "It's the only likely option."

"But the question is why?" Pansy joined in. "Why try and rob a bank and hold people hostage but at the same time call on all the possible Aurors in the Ministry and have them surround you outside. It makes no sense..."

The van door opened and the Minister Of Magic stepped inside. "Potter, there's a call waiting for you." Harry strode out and answered the call while Ron and Pansy remained inside the van, watching the lobby.

They watched as Bonavier pointed his wand at someone sitting a little away from Blaise and that person fell backwards. Another dead.

They watched as the lady in black headed towards the back of the lobby, in the general direction of one of the security cameras.

"What the hell..." Pansy breathed as the lady stopped right in front of the camera and winked straight at them, smirking.

"She knows about the cameras..." Ron said, his mouth open. "That's bloody impossible."

"E.J-" Pansy said, turning to the black and blue haired boy sitting at the table silently. He looked up. "Search witches under the Auror department, Security department and Bank staff. Check employee records- check wizards' wives, sisters, relatives, friends. Anybody who had privy about the cameras. She has to be there."

The lady lifted her hands until her palms were facing them. She showed them six fingers and then left one palm open, showing five fingers, and began counting down with the other hand- four, three, two, one, five, four, three, two, one, a fist. She then dropped one finger and showed four on her right hand while doing the same count with her left.

Harry burst through the doors at that moment. "They're killing a person every sixty seconds until I go in there."

"And the lady is giving us the countdown."

"She knows about the cameras," Hermione said, her eyebrows coming together and her eyes widening in shock. "That's impossible."

The four of them watched as she walked up to one of the cameras and began a countdown with her fingers.

"She's giving them the countdown until the next person dies." Draco said. "Oh Merlin, this is absolutely insane."

"Whoever killed Gorton will have no choice but to come now", Blaise said.

"It was Harry." Hermione said. Ginny and Blaise turned to her, shocked. While Draco and her had seen Harry, the other two hadn't.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked, feeling her throat go dry. Hermione nodded.

The red head shook her head and closed her eyes. "Oh no... They should send somebody else in his place! He can't go... they'll kill him."

"You can't go, they'll kill you!" Pansy cried, holding tightly to Harry's arm.

Harry ran his hand through his hair, messing it up more. "You know we don't have a choice, Pansy! They're going to kill someone else and then someone else and then another person and another unless I go in there!"

"Send somebody else! No one realized it was you who shot at Gorton, send someone-" She fell silent, seeing the expression on Harry's face. He looked disgusted and she suddenly realized what she had suggested.

"How can you even think that?" Harry spat. "Risk someone else's life so that I live? How insensitive do you think I am?"

"I know, Im sorry, I just-" Pansy said softly. "-You can't go, Harry. Please."

"Pansy, they'll kill everyone in there. This isn't up for debate." He shook his head. "Im going. There's no other way."

Harry pulled his arm free of her grasp and began walking towards the door.

"And what about after they've got you? What happens after that? They kill you. Then what?" She challenged him, standing where she was, her hands clenched into fists by her sides. He froze too. "Tell me, Harry. How will this solve anything?"

Ron stood up. "She's right, Harry." Harry spun around, looking at Pansy and then Ron. The two men shared a look and it suddenly reminded Harry of the time they had gone Horcrux hunting and the several times Hermione had refused to let either of the boys do anything dangerous. He knew what to do.

"How much time do we have?" Harry asked. "Before the next?" The next death, he meant.

They looked towards E.J, who had just squeezed his eyes shut. "One just went down four seconds ago."

The three's eyes widened. Ron spoke finally, "Was it-"

E.J shook his head, confirming that it wasn't Hermione, Ginny, Draco or Blaise. They released the breaths they were holding.

"I'm stepping out and having a word with the Minister," Harry said. He looked at Pansy once before nodding at Ron and leaving the van.

Pansy stood there, staring at the van door before running up and throwing it open. Ron immediately ran after her as soon as she stepped out.

"What's he doing?" She breathed. Ron stood right behind her, ready to move if she did.

"Pansy..."

"Is that why you both looked at each other like that?" Pansy asked but didn't wait for an answer. She moved to sprint but Ron grabbed her around the stomach and waist, holding her tightly. "NO, LET ME GO! HARRY! HARRY!" And she watched as Harry, without his Ministry cloak and wand, pushed open the building door and stepped inside.

Hermione's grip tightened on Ginny's hand and Draco's arm as the next person collapsed to the floor. The lady in black, still standing with her back to them and giving the cameras a countdown laughed loudly. Sadistically.

"There are only eleven of us left. It could be one of us next", Draco said. "Potter better be working quick."

And just then, the doors opened and Harry himself entered.

"Expelliarmus", Jasper said but no wand flew into Jasper's hand.

"I didn't bring my wand." Harry shook his head. "I knew Id lose it anyway."

"Wise decision." Bonavier nodded, stepping forward. And then- "Sectumsempra!" And Harry flew backwards, crashing against the door and collapsing to the floor, blood seeping out on to his white shirt. Hermione gasped audibly, her hand flying to her mouth and Ginny let out a cry and shifted closer to Blaise, who tightened his grip on her waist and hand.

Hermione felt like she couldn't breathe. Draco slid his arm upwards out of her grip and brought it back down to hold her hand tightly. "Harry..." She choked out, tears rising to her eyes.

"He's not dead, Granger", Draco said, but his voice lacked it's usual confidence.

"But he will be. Half an hour max. You said so yourself," She said, her throat constricting painfully.

Draco stared at Harry's limp, shaking and bleeding body. He had lied earlier to Bonavier. If they escaped from this mess in time, he would be able to save the man.

Pansy thrashed about in Ron's arms, kicking and elbowing him but his grip didn't falter for even a second. "You tricked me! Let me go! He'll die!" She cried. Ron raised her feet off the ground as she kicked the air. "Ron, please! Ron, let me go! We need to help him! They'll kill him, Ron! He's your best friend, how could you do this to him?!" Ron didn't budge. But she did.. She refused to stop fighting him. "I NEED TO HELP HIM!" She screamed. A flash of light was seen from the other side of the door and a body hit the door and slid down it. Pansy stopped thrashing.

"No..." She breathed, her feet on the floor again.

Ron lifted her at that moment and carried her into the van, slamming the door behind him. E.J turned to them and said one word- "Sectumsempra."

Pansy choked back a sob and tears rolled down her cheeks. Even Ron didn't move for a few seconds. He simply stared at the screen. Stared at Harry's fallen body.

"Ron." E.J's voice brought him back to reality. He grit his teeth and moved towards Pansy. He gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Look at me, Pansy", He said forcefully. She did through tear-filled eyes. "Stop crying. We are going to work this case the way Harry would have and we're going to get them out within half an hour and save them. Understand me?" When she didn't respond, he shook her roughly. "Do this for him. He's still alive and breathing in there. It wasn't the killing curse. We're going to solve this case and everyone in there is going to survive, you hear me? Do. You. Hear. Me?!" He yelled. She blinked and then taking a deep, shuddering breathe, she nodded.

"Good." He said, loosening his grip on her shoulders. "Now get to work. We're getting them out of there." Pansy wiped her eyes with the edge of her cloak and sat down beside Ron and E.J.

"Okay, what exactly did the tip-off say?" Ron asked.

"It was sent to the Head Auror- Harry's- system." E.J replied. "It said 'Take a look at Gringott's security cameras.' "

"It was the lady," Pansy said and when her voice broke a bit, she cleared it. "It was the lady. She seems to be the only one who knew about the cameras. It seems likely. Bonavier doesn't seem to be the type to do such a thing."

"It could've been Jasper, Gorton or the other guy", E.J suggested.

"No," Ron shook his head. "They wouldn't take the risk or exposing them. They're still young. They don't fit the profile of someone who'd tip off the Aurors."

"Why aren't we able to get records of the lady?" Pansy said, her eyes now dry and her voice strong. "There has to be something about her!"

"Unless..." E.J said, trailing off as he typed furiously on the keyboard.

Hermione could take it no longer. She began scrambling towards Harry's body.

"What do you think you're doing?" The lady in black turned around and demanded. She strode forward and raising her leg, shoved her boot into Hermione's shoulder, making her fall back to where she was. Draco straightened her up.

"Are you mad?" He hissed. "Don't move."

"Listen to your boyfriend, love." She said, smirking. "You don't want to die before it's your time to, do you now?" She turned back around and stood to the side.

"What now?" The lady asked Bonavier, who had his eyes fixed on Harry.

"Now for phase two."

The lady nodded and gestured to Jasper to move towards the cameras while Bonavier moved towards a door behind the desks.

"You okay?" Draco whispered to Hermione. She nodded.

"I just can't stand seeing Harry like that," She said quietly. And then after a moment, "Malfoy, Ginny, Blaise." They all turned to look at her. "She's a muggle or a squib." Draco's eyebrows furrowed together, as did the other's.

"What? Who?" Draco asked.

"The lady in black." Hermione elaborated. "I suspected it but my suspicions were only confirmed when she kicked me with her boot. She has a wand in her hand but not once has she actually cast a spell of any kind. It's always been one of the men. She seems to be a woman in power so she would've by now but she hasn't. When she kicked me, a noticed the outline of what muggles call a revolver stashed in her boot. Why would she be carrying a muggle weapon if she has a wand? It doesn't add up. Gorton Bonavier- I realized that I know exactly who he is. During my Auror training I read about him. He was a criminal in the Wizarding world for four years but then suddenly he suddenly shifted to Muggle crimes for two years after that. And now he's back in the Wizarding world. It's a huge coincidence that the robbery he returns for has this lady- if my suspicions about the lady are correct, which Im sure they are, then I think I know why Gorton left the Wizarding world and came back."

"He met the lady and formed an alliance with her", Draco said, putting the pieces together in his head.

"Exactly." Hermione nodded. "He formed an alliance with her for two years in the muggle world and now he came back and along with his cousin Matthew, came up with this plan to rob the Wizarding world's largest bank."

"If you were outside with the Aurors, they could have easily figured out who she is. I bet they're only searching Wizarding records." Blaise said.

Harry suddenly convulsed and Hermione and Ginny bit their tongues and had to hold back from moving towards him. Hermione decided that it was finally time.

"Blaise." She whispered. Though only one of them were called, all looked at her. "No, don't look at me." They turned away, puzzled. "There's something up my left sleeve but I can't give it to Malfoy without it looking suspicious. I'm going to put my arm behind Ginny and you need to use your right hand and take it out of my sleeve and into yours, understand?" Blaise nodded and moved his arm from around Ginny's waist to her back. Hermione put her arm behind her best friend's back and Blaise slipped his fingers through her jacket sleeve. His eyes widened as he slipped the object into his own sleeve. The four moved closer very slowly until Draco could reach Blaise from behind the two girls. He moved his arm slowly towards his best mate and Blaise slipped the object through Draco's sleeve.

The blonde's mouth fell open at the familiar shape and feel of a wand.

So what did you think? Interesting enough?
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Feltonlewis xx