I hope everyone's December 24/25th was excellent. I was almost late to a family dinner because I was writing this chapter. Sssh.
Thank you, everyone who has read/favorited/followed/reviewed Over the Line. I so totally appreciate it!
J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter for reals, and I don't, so don't pay me any money -wags fist-!
Fear can do terrible things to a person. Fear has the power to turn normal, and mild mannered people into vicious predators.
Maybe no one realized what fear had done to them, but the children of the known death eaters (there weren't that many) were treated as if they were a contagious disease, or a rotting carcass. At first, after the prisoners of Azkaban escaped, the students were avoided but as the days passed...as the weeks rolled by, frustration started to surface in those that feared originally. The children of the Death Eaters, Theodore Nott, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe and lastly Draco Malfoy were constantly plagued by jinxes, hexes, curses, and muggle-like violence. Draco could no longer recall how many times someone had hit him with Levicorpus-the evil jinx that would hoist someone into the air by an ankle. At first, Draco didn't know the counter curse, but after he had once cast it and he landed on his feet, the two older students decided punching him was better anyway. He had now taken to letting himself hang in the air until the hallway emptied, or a teacher came to let him down. Students certainly did get assigned detention, and house points were deducted for this behavior (the other boys were also victims, Draco had seen them dangling some times), but it never stopped them from lashing out again.
Draco tried going everywhere with at least someone he could trust. His bunk mates Corner, Boot, and Goldstein knew what sort of crap Malfoy had been catching since Dumbledore's announcement and had acted as his bodyguards-when they could, but even still Draco wasn't safe. Older students kept slipping potions into his foods, jinxing his shoes to tie themselves together, and even without doing anything physically to him, the conversations he overheard, or the shoves were enough.
Hogwarts students made no secret of the hatred they held for him, all except a select few. Hermione was perhaps the only one that truly knew what the escape from Azkaban meant for Draco. It meant his evil and deranged father was on the loose and looking for his mother, and maybe it was only a matter of time before the man showed up for Draco. He had many nightmares about this. Hermione would protect him the best she could, but even she wasn't a match for fifth, six, and seventh years.
But even the bullying, Draco could take in stride. He knew it was fear that all this came from-he wasn't an idiot-but the worse, absolute worse thing that happened was the Owl he received from his mother the night that the students had been given the news.
Draco had just entered into his dormitory, his bed right in front of him, when there was a tapping at the window. He crossed to it and let the owl in. It wasn't an owl he recognized, but the owl didn't move from him. He took the letter and as soon as the owl was relieved, it flew back out into the night. It was a clear night, perfect and peaceful.
He would have preferred if the night reflected the gravity of the terrible event, and was storming.
He inspected the letter and closed his eyes tightly when he recognized his mother's writing. He sat hard onto his bed and just looked at the letter. He couldn't bring himself to open it because he feared what it would say. It was when his other bunk mates entered and asked him why he looked like he was staring death in the face, that he was determined to be strong and read the letter. He ripped it open. Three sentences.
I've gone into hiding. Don't come home for Christmas. I love you Draco.
It wasn't signed, but Draco knew his mother's writing. He cried then. He couldn't help it. Boot and Goldstein came over to him, and upon reading the letter for themselves, they sat next to him and offered their support. Draco hid his face in his robe sleeves, not wanting them to see, and didn't sit up straight until he had cried it out. "I've never met my father," he said, his voice hoarse, "and my mother is-she is in danger. Her sister, her husband...they were in Azkaban. My mother betrayed them, and they'll be after her." Draco rubbed his palms into his eyes.
"She'll get somewhere safe," Boot comforted him.
"The Aurors will catch the escaped Death Eaters real quick," Goldstein had promised. Draco didn't find solace in those words, however, because he remembered the stories his mother had told him about his aunt and father, and the things they had done. They were evil, and dangerous.
That had been weeks ago. Draco never got another letter from his mother, and his constant level of stress was starting to show itself. His appetite was gone, he couldn't sleep so there were constant bags under his eyes. Hermione threatened him daily to eat or sleep but it didn't work. Professor Snape had even taken him aside to try and speak to him, but even the hero of the First Wizarding War couldn't help his mood. His mother wasn't safe and she was all he had.
The Gryffindor common room usually emptied right after curfew these days. Sleeping was about the only way to escape the horrid reality they lived in. Hermione had almost been ready to lay down when she remembered she had left her book bag in the common room. It wasn't that she didn't trust it would be there in the morning, it was that she wasn't comfortable with her bag being so far away. She pulled her robes on over her pajamas (a tank top and shorts) and trotted down the steps to the common area.
A cloaked man stood by the fire, a hand was sentimentally placed on the mantle. Hermione drew her wand before she processed an entire thought and the movement she made drew the man's attention. There was something about his face that was familiar, but her brain only recognized him as a threat.
"What are you doing here? You aren't a professor!" She said. He held up his hands in defense, his eyes crinkled into a smile.
"I don't mean you a harm, lass. I'm here for-" They were interrupted by thunderous footsteps, and the appearance of Harry Potter.
"DAD!" The boy shouted and launched himself at the man, who caught him and kissed his cheek. Hermione realized how much Harry looked like his father and she put away her wand. James Potter was one of the best Aurors out there.
"I'm sorry," she said as she crossed the room to her book bag. James set his son down, but still had him in a hug as he watched her.
"Oh dear, never apologize for suspicion. It will keep you alive. You did exactly as you should." James smiled and held his hand out to shake. Hermione hesitantly took it, but a glance at Harry reassured her.
"I'm Hermione Granger." She said. The name registered in Mr. Potter and he smiled faintly.
"Yes, Harry has mentioned you in his letters." Was that a blush in Harry's cheeks, or a trick of the fireplace? Hermione didn't know, nor dwell on it.
"Have you found any of the Death Eaters?" She asked. Mr. Potter's smile faded.
"No, it seems they are hiding somewhere and gathering strength, but do not worry my dear. Hogwarts is safe and impregnable!"
"...Then how did you get in here?" She asked before she realized the implications of her question. Mr. Potter, to her astonishment laughed.
"Headmaster Dumbledore requested a meeting with me during dinner, and it ran long. I came by to visit with my son before I left."
"Yes, but how did you get in here?" Hermione pressed.
"Granger! He is my dad!"
"It's quite alright, Harry," Mr. Potter assured him, "The Pink Lady," he didn't use her more usual nickname, "remembers her Gryffindors, and Professor McGonagall was kind enough to share the password with me." Hermione nodded faintly and then bid the two of them a good night, she disappeared up the stairs. Harry and Mr. Potter sat by the fire for a little while, catching up with each other, when James stood to leave.
"Over Christmas, you and your sister will be with Sirius, at Grimmauld Place. Rose will be there as well. Neville and Ronald are also invited, if they would rather not stay at Hogwarts." James kissed Harry on the forehead. Harry both loved and hated Sirius' family house at Grimmauld Place. It was creepy and old, but it was Sirius'. After Regulus Black, his brother, had died the house passed to Sirius' possession, and the man had moved in with his wife after ownership had passed to him. Over the years, the new residences have managed to lighten the mood of most of the house, sans the portrait of Sirius' mother Walburga Black that could not be removed from the wall.
"Okay Dad. Will you and mum be there?" He asked as he hugged his father again. James paused before he answered.
"If we are able, we will stop by as much as we can," he promised. Harry nodded and wished his father a good night and then ran back up the stairs. James lingered for a moment, before he pulled his trusty Invisibility Cloak out from his traveling cloak and draped it over himself. It was a shame that he didn't have the Marauders Map any longer, but James still remembered the best ways out of Hogwarts. Truthfully, Dumbledore didn't know of James' presence in the castle. James had wanted to see his son, and also to investigate the students of the known and escaped Death Eaters. He didn't find anything incriminating their parent's locations, nor any real helpful information. He left Hogwarts via the secret passage in the statue Gunhilda of Gorsemoor, the one eyed witch on the third floor next to the stairs to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. James quickly uttered the password, Dissendium, as he touched the hump of the witch and he climbed into it.
When Christmas did come around, many students left to be anxiously reunited with their parents. Others, however, at the encouragement of their parents, remained safely at Hogwarts. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy were such students. Others that also stayed behind were mostly Muggleborns, for they had the magical trace on them and could potentially be hunted down by the pure-blood supremacists.
Hermione and Draco were eating lunch at the same table, in a very barren Great Hall, when they were joined by Michael Corner and Terry Boot. "Happy Christmas," they all echoed each other in a half-hearted greeting. They ate quietly.
"Look, it's the traitor," a few older children said, glaring at Malfoy as they walked by. Hermione jumped to her feet and glared at them. They glared back until fits of laughter took over them and they moved to sit away from them. Draco smiled wanly at her as she sank into her seat.
"It's absolutely deplorable. Despicable. Unacceptable." She complained into her goblet of pumpkin juice. Draco sighed faintly.
"It's fear," Draco corrected her. She looked sidelong at him and sighed.
"It doesn't make it any more copacetic. You're eleven! I'm sorry, but even Lord Voldemort wasn't threatening at that age." Draco winced at his name, and being compared to him. Hermione mouthed her apology towards.
"We need to find something to do," Terry Boot spoke up, looking around his friends plus Hermione-she was okay, but very bookish.
"Like what?" Michael Corner asked him. Terry took a bite of a sweet cake before he shrugged.
"Anything."
"How about we practice dueling?" Hermione asked, looking between all of them." They looked at her blankly, wishing for her to elaborate. "I mean, with the way the people are treating Draco...how long before any of them try to use magic more...directly? Not just jinxes, but things that...well that are dangerous. I don't about either of you, but I won't be a defenseless victim. I have been researching Dueling for a while now, and I wish to practice to become more adequate." She pushed her barely-picked-at food away from her and stood.
"How do-" Boot started to ask when Hermione interrupted him.
"I even got the permission and sponsorship of a little club by Professor Snape." She glanced at the professor table to see the dark haired, forever brooding man, watching them with something curious about his gaze. She looked back at the boys.
"What do you say?" She asked them. They smiled faintly and nodded, Draco had a complicated look of emotions playing about his face, but he nodded.
She glanced at Professor Snape again and he nodded faintly. She led the boys down to the Potions classroom in the dungeons. They didn't meet any students on the way, and for that Hermione was thankful. The eleven year olds entered the unlocked door, to find that Snape had beaten them there. He had somehow removed all of the tables, chairs, and cauldrons in preparation for their little 'club.'
"Welcome," Snape drawled. He jumped directly into it. "When a wizard seeks to duel with another, they issue the challenge and if the other accepts they decide when to meet and where. Before the duel begins, the wizards bow to each other. They also determine the way for a wizard to be victorious. The most common is by disarming the other, but during wars, the duels can be to the death. Another way it could end would be unconsciousness. Most duelists also have with them a Second, which is someone that can step in if they find themselves incapacitated." Snape gestured for the four of them to pair up, Corner with Boot and Granger with Malfoy.
"The two most common spells used in dueling are the Stunning Spell, and the Shield Charm. The incantations being Stupify and Protego respectively. Boot and Malfoy, you will attempt to stun, and Corner and Granger will shield." He folded his arms and nodded for them to begin. The four, not really expecting such a quick start, slowly withdrew their wands. Hermione muttered the incantations to herself for a moment before she nodded at Draco and the two bowed. Corner and Boot followed suit shortly after.
"Stupify!" Draco shouted as he pointed his wand at her. A scarlet light shot out of his wand and Hermione raised hers and countered with a shout of her own spell,
"Protego!" A field of translucent magic appeared in front of her and the scarlet spell hit the field wall and disintegrated. She smiled faintly at Draco and they briefly watched Corner unsuccessfully block the stunning spell by Boot and he flew back into the wall and crumbled. Snape pointed his wand at the fallen boy.
"Rennervate." Snape cast the spell restoration spell on the unconscious one. The boy stirred and pulled himself to his feet, he rubbed his sore head.
"Sorry Mate," Boot apologized.
"Again." Snape encouraged. Hermione and Draco then went through several rounds where Draco would cast the stun spell, and Hermione would block. As they became more comfortable and familiar with the spell, the time between Draco's attacks shortened until it seemed to be a continuous shouting duel between the two.
After a while, Boot and Corner stopped and watched them. "Move around now," Snape encouraged watching the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, he hid his pride from his expression. When the little Granger had first come to him with questions about protection, he surmised her reason for asking. She wanted to be able to protect herself and Malfoy from the unwanted attention of the students-she had originally said because of a DADA homework assignment, but Snape knew Alastor Moody better than to assign a sort of assignment like that. Alastor Moody believed in a practical approach and detested grading papers.
He offered to teach her a spell or two but McGonagall had suggested over tea later in the day that Snape make a full blown club out of it, open for those to join that would like too. He passed the news to Granger. He supposed he would have to watch over more students after the Christmas break was over, which he wasn't looking forward to, but now he could appreciate the girl's tenacity. The two first years were now circling each other, shouting their respective spells.
"Granger, use the stunning spell now. Malfoy, defend." Snape called out watching. "Corner and Boot, switch as well." They glanced at each other and went back to slow and practiced ministrations.
Granger took to the Stupify spell quickly, slightly quicker than the shield charm, and soon Granger was sending volley after volley at Draco, who was efficiently generating his shield.
Snape watched time pass as the four students practiced and when the time came that they began to pant with exertion, he called for a break. "I will speak to McGonagall about procuring a more efficient place for practice and in the mean time, I encourage you all to research different spells that may be used legally in dueling. We will meet again tomorrow here if there is not another place available. You are dismissed." The four exhausted, and excited students walked out of the dungeons in high spirits. There was still time between now and Dinner, and Hermione wanted to look through her fifth year charms book she still had...she hadn't been able to find out who it belonged to. She wanted check on a few potential charms she remembered reading about. She also knew of a few books in the Library to look at. She could not convince Corner or Boot to accompany her, as they didn't like visiting the Library without a academic obligation, but Draco agreed to go.
In the library, the two split up and met back at a study table. Hermione had with her a few books about defensive spells, and Draco found a copy of Curses and Counter-Curses. Hermione raised an eyebrow as Draco read some of the names of the curses in the book aloud, but eventually agreed they would help in a duel meant to disarm. The way that she had specified which duel those curses would be useful in, led Draco to believe that Hermione was preparing for dueling in a different, more fatal way. He didn't say anything because it was simply a suspicion.
"Jelly-legs?"
"I've read about that one," Hermione said, "It is similar to the Dancing Feet spell." She chewed her lip in thought and took out a spare piece of parchment and began writing out the spells and incantations they were choosing to practice and use, as well as the counter-curses.
They worked well into Dinner time. Hermione had a substantial list of spells (she didn't call Draco's attention to the ones that could cause damage like the Oppugno Jinx), and Draco was nearly ready to fall asleep at their table. They gathered their things and left the books for Madame Pince to put back-she disliked it when students returned the books to the shelves-and the two friends left for the Great Hall.
The hall was mostly empty at the time they sat down. Corner and Boot must have already returned to the dormitory, so the two sat in silence as they ate. Hermione at one point, pulled out her list of spells and went through each one and their incantation. Draco watched her for a while before he finally had to speak up.
"What exactly are you preparing for?" He asked. His sudden voice caused her to jump. She looked at him for a moment before she said,
"Professor Snape wanted us to get a list of spells to-"
"Not like Reductor or Oppungo. I'm not stupid, Granger, spit it out." She flushed a little and sighed.
"I...I just want to be prepared. For anything. Is that wrong?"
"We're eleven," he said,"we can practice the easy things, but there is a reason why they don't teach us these spells. Their complex and difficult..."
"It doesn't matter. Knowing is half the battle." She argued, using a muggle saying. He lifted an eyebrow but sighed.
"I think you are over thinking, Granger," Draco said, to which she rolled her eyes.
"I think what I am doing is exactly what I should be doing. And don't you try to stop me." She pointed an accusatory finger at him and then glanced around. "Will you be alright getting back to the dorm?" She asked. Draco often complained when she asked him questions like that, and usually suggested her walk him straight to his dorm, through the common room, and tuck him into his own bed. At first it had only been a joke, but Draco had seriously asked if she just wanted to enter the Ravenclaw Tower. Hermione had, of course, refused. She didn't want to break a school rule by going into another House's dormitory, but Draco assured her that the Ravenclaw Common room was not password protected, because the only way to make it inside was to answer a riddle. Hermione then insisted that it was implied that she was not allowed because she was put in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw. They had this conversation quite a bit. Instead of having it tonight, the two walked next to each other until the Marble Staircase.
Thankfully Draco made it back to his room without a fuss.
Hermione wasn't so lucky.
She was in the corridor, the Fat Lady portrait was at the other end of the hallway when those three older students from lunch materialized in front of her. They were not wearing their school uniforms, so Hermione had no idea which House they were in, but they all looked to be at least fourth year. Hermione didn't initially move as they stood between her and the portrait to her common room. She drew in a breath. "Evening," she said. A waver in her voice betrayed her apprehension.
"Hogwarts doesn't have room for traitors like you," the one in the middle said. Hermione's nostrils flared.
"I have done nothing to warrant that!" Hermione exclaimed as she withdrew her wand. The three boys mimicked the action and laughed.
"You're outnumbered and a girl." Hermione bristled at the assumption she was not as good as them. She raised her wand defiantly.
"Expelliarmus!" She shouted at him. His wand launched out of his hand backwards and clattered to the floor several feet away.
"Bitch!" The guy cursed as he trotted over to his fallen wand. The other two glanced between each other.
"Rictusempra!" One of them shouted at the same time the other shouted,
"Levicorpus!"
Hermione flicked her wand and shouted, "Protego!" Without even thinking about it. Both of their spells hit her shield and bounced off. The Tickling Charm reverberated backwards and hit the other boy, which caused him to double over with laughter. Hermione had no time to process as the first boy had his wand back and tried to disarm her. She threw up the shield charm again and before she waited to see where the spell bounced off of, she sent back, "Stupefy!" The bolt of red light hit the boy in the center of the chest and he flew back a few feet and didn't get back up.
The last boy glared at her and started to cast a spell, but Hermione quickly blurted, "Impedimenta!" The boy then moved as if in slow motion, and it gave Hermione another chance to stun him. When her stunning charm hit him in the chest, he shot backwards and remained on the ground.
Without even taking a moment to realize the gravity of what happened, she ran passed the two unconscious boys, and the other that was still roaring with laughter, and went into her common room.
It was empty and she went straight to her room and locked the door behind her with the Locking Spell. She threw herself on top of her bed, in the empty room (the other Gryffindor girls had all returned home) and stared at the ceiling, until she somehow managed to fall asleep.
Harry and Neville were having a great time at Sirius Black's family home. The wall papers had all been replaced from their original black, and the place was well lit. The only place they were scared of was the hallway that held Waluga Black's portrait. She had died shortly after her husband and son (Sirius' brother) and before she died, she went slightly insane and the portrait captured that. If anyone was too loud near her portrait, she would start shrieking, about blood traitors and tainted half blood. She would only get quiet if a strong silencing charm was cast. The house, usually empty to Sirius and Sybil-his wife, a muggle born Auror-but now that Harry, Rose, Neville, and the younger Weasley children; Ginny, Ronald, Fred, and George, were all staying in the house...it was a zoo of yelling, running, and Reparo.
Rose and Ginny were supposed to be finding hiding spots while Harry and Neville counted. Ron...well he wasn't allowed to play. After what had happened with Malfoy, McGonagall had passed on to Percy, to pass on to Molly what had happened. Molly had taken it upon herself to punish Ron by making him be no more than four feet from her-except to use the loo and to sleep-the entire break. Ron's face was generally the crimson shade of Gryffindor because of his anger and frustration. The two had constantly argued.
Ron believed he hadn't done anything wrong, because Malfoy was the son of two traitors, his father had killed Molly's two brothers Fabian and Gideon, but Molly would box his ears and shout back, "Don't try to use your deceased uncles to justify your hatred! My brothers died defending our lives for us to be able to move on!" Molly would then send him into the nearest corner for him to 'think about it.' Fred and George usually eavesdropped on these sorts of spats, to laugh at their little brother. When they got caught (not if), Molly would launched into a lecture about dignity and honor, and how her twin boys had neither.
"Ready or not!" Harry and Neville exclaimed at the same time. The two split up, Harry took the ground floor and basement, and Neville took the top two floors. Harry had just stepped back into the hallway when the front door flew open and Arthur Weasley, followed by Alice and Frank Longbottom rushed in. Between the three adults, they physically carried someone into the threshold. Harry was the first to see them, and he jumped out of their way as they went straight to the kitchen. As they passed, he caught a glimpse of the person between them. He didn't recognize her, she was young and had purple hair. She was too young to be an auror. Harry almost followed them into the kitchen, but decided to go get Neville and Fred and George-the girls would probably come too. Fred and George were just hiding something under Ron's bed when Harry walked into the bedroom. Harry quickly told them what had happened and they nodded, and were off. Harry found Neville on the staircase and grabbed his arm and the two boys ran to the kitchen.
Molly was examining a wound on the girls stomach when the kids burst in. Alice and Frank gave their son a hug before they pulled in Harry. They whispered, "it was the first attack from the Death Eaters. It was to a routine search party. We subdued two of them. She is a trainee, not even an Auror yet. She finished her seventh year at Hogwarts just in the spring." Alice Longbottom's eyes welled as she looked at the unconscious girl. As the death eaters started to break rank, one shot a volley of fiendfyre at the girl, who had been engaged in a duel with another death eater. It hit her in the stomach, seared instantly through her clothes and would have engulfed her entirely, if Frank and Arthur hadn't been right next to her to extinguish the flames.
They hadn't been able to assist her at first, until all of the dark wizards were gone, and then had taken her here immediately. Molly had already started rubbing a salve across her belly. The red and angry burns started heal and look less life threatening. The girl's breath returned to normal.
"What's her name?" Neville asked his parents.
"Nymphadora Tonks," Fred and George said together. "She was in Hufflepuff and got into trouble, all the time." Fred and George had recognized her hair before they did her face. She had been a head of them in years (clearly) but she was generally in the same detention as they were.
The Blacks and Potters walked in, followed by Lupin and surrounded the table. "We traced them back to their hide out." James Potter said excitedly. He hadn't noticed his children against the wall next to him, they watching him intently.
"They've all barricaded inside Malfoy Manor."