Just as an additional disclaimer, I would like to repeat that I do not own anything from the Harry Potter series. Only the story line is mine. As a clarification to the disclaimer, I am posting this because I have taken many lines from the book over the next few chapters in order to keep the story as close to it's origin as possible.
Chapter 7
Draco stood on the other side of the door. Voices. Damn there are people out there. He cracked the door slowly. No... Damn it, no! Draco thought. Why is she here? I told her to stay in the tower!
He was about to pull the door open when he say the others. Longbottom and Weasley. Of course. Potter must have sent them to watch the Room. Draco closed the door quietly.
The Vanishing Cabinet moved. He could hear voices coming from within. Draco reached into his robe and found his Hand of Glory. He serached around in his pocket and found a few small items. His hand closed around them and pull them out.
Perfect. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. It's not much but it should hide Ginevra from them.
The door of the cabinet opened. Draco turned to see four Death Eaters walking out.
"Aunt Bellatrix. I knew you would come." Draco said, standing tall.
"Of course I have come Draco. And I've brought some friends. You remember Amycus and Alecto. And of course, this is-"
"Greyback." Draco finished. Why him? He'll go after the students.
"Yes, boy." Greyback said in a snarled voice.
Bellatrix clapped her hands together. "Well! Let's get this show on the road, hmm?"
"Wait." Draco announced as she started towards the door. "There are people watching the door. We'll never make it out if we just fling the dooropen."
"So? We'll kill them." Bellartix laughed.
"We can't." Draco said shakily. "If we attack them, they'll alert others. There are only five of us. We'll never survive against the whole Order."
"Then what do you propose we do, hmm boy?" Snarled Greyback.
Draco stood taller under Greyback demeaning gaze. "I've got it covered. You'll have to take hold of each others robes."
"What sort of game is this Draco?" Bellatrix asked.
"This is no game, Aunt Bellatrix. It will all make sense." Draco explained. The coin in his pokect sounded again and he pulled it from his pocket.
"He's returned." said the voice from the other coin.
"Good." He said, pocketing the coin.
"Who was that?"
Draco looked up. "Rosemerta. Dumbledore's returned. It's time."
Bellatrix clapped her hands together. "Brilliant. Let's go!"
"Right. Come on." Draco walked to the door, reaching into his pocket for the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. "Take told of each others cloaks. Aunt Bellatrix, take mine."
The black haired witch stepped forward and took his cloak. Draco pulled the powder out of his pocket and cracked the door. With this other hand he grasped the shrivelled Hand of Glory. He tossed the powder and everything went black.
Ginny, Ron, and Neville turned to see the door open. Draco! Ginny thought. Oh no! She only glimpsed him before he threw something causing the hall to go black.
"Lumos!" Ron shouted.
She pulled out her wand. "Incendio!"
Nothing. The area around her stayed pitch-black. She moved slowly, groping for the wall. The sound of footsteps fell upon them as people rushed past them.
"Gin, come this way." Ron shouted from somewhere to her left.
"I- I can't see anything. Where are you Ron?"
"Just follow my voice. And move slowly."
She did as he said, following the sound of her brother's voice. Soon they were all together again in a lit corridor.
"What happened?" Neville asked, looking around.
"Peruvian Darkness Powder." Ron stated. "He must have been able to see because of that shrivelled hand."
"What do we do now?"
"We've got to catch them." Ron said, taking off down the corridor.
Ginny and Neville raced after him. They rounded the corner and ran into Lupin and Tonks.
"What's going on here guys?"
"Death Eaters!" Ron nearly shouted. "Malfoy let them into the castle. We've got to catch them!"
They were joined by more Order members as they ran up the stairs after the Death Eaters. They paused at the top of the staircase, spotting the Death Eaters ahead. Ron grabbed her arm, pulling her behind him as the Death Eaters noticed them.
Fenrir Greyback locked eyes with Ron, charging at them. Panic rose in her as Greyback growled. Bill jumped in front of them. "Run!" He shouted, drawing his wand. Greyback leapt, landing on him. Bill yelled as Greyback's teeth connected with his flesh.
Lupin, aiming his wand at Greyback, screamed. "Crucio!" Greyback lurched up, withering in pain. Tonks rushed over to Bill, checking that he was okay.
"He's breathing." She said. "Remus, stop. Enough, Remus!" She said, coming up to grip his hand. His hand slackened and Greyback fell to the floor.
The others noticed Greyback's attack and scattered, causing the group of Order members to split up, chasing after them.
"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted, bursting through the door of Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore's wand flew out of his hand. He stood in the ramparts, perfectly calm. He looked at his attacker. "Good evening, Draco."
He spotted a second broom on the floor. "Who else is here?"
"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone tonight?"
"No," Draco said. "I've got backup. There are Death Eaters in the castle tonight."
"Brilliant Mr. Malfoy. You have found a way to sneak them in, did you?"
"I did." He confirmed. "Right under your nose and you didn't even know it."
"Genius!" said Dumbledore. "But forgive me... where are they now? It would appear that you are alone."
"They're down below. They've met some of your guards. They won't be long though... I came on ahead. I- I've got a job to do."
"Ah, yes. Well then, you must get on and do it." Dumbledore said softly.
There was silence. He stood, staring at Albus Dumbledore, who smiled.
"Draco, you are not a killer." He continued.
"How do you know that?" He said, coming back to life. Even to him, the words sounded childish. "You don't know what I'm capable of! You don't know the things I've done!"
"You do not give me enough credit, my boy. I am very well aware that it was you who nearly killed two of my students. It was you who gave the cursed necklace to Katie Bell and the poisoned mead to Professor Slughorn." said Dumbledore. "It seems you have been trying to kill me all year, and with growing desperation, I might add. But really Draco, your attempts were so feeble, one would almost question whether your heart was really in it."
"It has been in it!" Draco shouted. "I've been working on it all year and tonight-"
There was a muffled scream below. "Somebody's putting up a good fight." Dumbledore said. "As you were saying." He prompted. Draco said nothing. "Perhaps you should get on with your task."
Draco stared at him.
"What if your backup has been thwarted? There are members of the Order here, after all. And really Draco, you don't need help. I have no wand at the moment. I cannot defend myself. Or perhaps you are afraid to act until they have joined you?"
"I am not afraid!" Malfoy snarled. You are the one who should be afraid."
"Why? I don't think you will kill me, Draco. Killing is not nearly as easy as the innocent believe. So while we wait for your friends, tell me. Why don't you tell me how you smuggled them in? It seems to have been a lengthy process."
Draco gulped, his breathing was heavy. "I- I mended a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirements. The one Montague got lost in last year."
"Very clever." Dumbledore's sigh was audible, his eyes closing or a moment. "There is a pair, I take it?"
"Yes. In Borgin and Burkes." He confirmed. "There's a kind of passage between them. I realized that if I fixed it, there would be a way into Hogwarts."
"So the Death Eaters were able to pass through the cabinets from Borgin and Burke's to assist you. A very clever plan, indeed... and, as you say, right under my nose."
"Yeah, it was." Malfoy said, growing more confident under Dumbledore's praise.
"But there were times when you doubted yourself. When you thought that you wouldn't be able to fix the cabinet. That's when you tried to do me in with the cursed necklace and the poisoned mead, on the off chance that one might have reached me."
"I did. But you didn't even realize it was me behind those things, did you?" Draco sneered.
"I did, actually. I was very sure it was you."
"Then why didn't you stop me?" He demanded.
"I tried. Professor Snape has been keeping watch over you on my orders."
"He hasn't been doing it on your orders. He promised my mother-"
"Of course that is what he would tell you, Draco, but-"
"He's a double agent, you stupid old man. He isn't working for you, you just think he is!"
"If that is what you choose to believe. I happen to trust Professor Snape."
"You're losing it then, old man!" Sneered Draco. "He's been offering me help, wanting all the glory. He's just been dying for a bit of the action. But he won't get it this time. He won't be the Dark Lord's favorite anymore. He'll be nothing compared to me."
"And the necklace? How is it you managed to slip that to Ms. Bell?" He asked. Dumbledore's eyes closed for a moment and he nodded. "Of course... Rosemerta. How long has she been under the Imperius Curse?"
"Figured it out, have you?" Malfoy taunted
"Poor Rosemerta. Having no control over her actions." Dumbledore sighed. "Tell me, how have you been communicating with her with all methods of communications in and out of the school being monitored?"
"Enchanted coins."
He quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that the secret communication the group of students called Dumbledore's Army used last year?"
"Yes. That's where I got the idea." He said. "I even got the idea of poisoned mead from that Mudblood Granger. I overheard her saying that Filch doesn't recognize poisons."
"Please do not use that offensive language in front of me."
Malfoy laughed harshly. Is he serious? "I'm about to kill you and you care about me saying 'Mudblood'?"
"Yes, I do."
He laughed again.
"So I must assume that the Mark was only a trap to lure me here?" Dumbledore asked. "Am I correct in saying that nobody is dead?"
"Somebody's dead." He said. "One of your people. I stepped over the body."
There was another bang from below, louder than ever.