It wasn't working. No matter what he tried to fire at it the damned cabinet was refusing to break, and time was running out.
"Confringo" A burst of flames surrounded the cupboard but died down leaving not a mark. "Expulso" The stuff around it was set flying up, but the cabinet did not move so much as an inch. "Defodio, Impedimenta, Evanesco" Nothing.
Draco stepped back, chest heaving. He knew that time was ticking, Pomfrey will have alerted other staff that he'd run off by now and the deatheaters would be coming in a matter of minutes. There must be something he'd learnt in the last bloody six years of education that could break it.
"Deprimo" A gust of wind howled through. He was getting desperate now he knew. He tried to calm himself down and think logically.
The cabinet had been so broken before he must have poured so much magic into fixing it that it was now indestructible. He needed something that was all consuming, would leave nothing left. Naturally, that was a type of magic he had not been taught in school. His mind turned to those darker spells learnt in his own home.
Once the Dark lord had returned his father had commissioned Snape to teach him some darker spells. That was where he had learnt "Sectumsempra" albeit not the disastrous effects it could really cause. There must be something dark enough there.
"Draco? Are you in here?" Potters voice rang out, magically enhanced, over the pile of junk. For a moment he considered staying silent. It was his silence that had got him into this mess however, it was time to speak out.
"Harry! I'm down the fifth isle to the left of the door." Footsteps quickly headed his way. He felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sight of that messy black hair. "I can't destroy it. I'm trying Harry, but I don't know what-" Harry had kept going, colliding with Draco as his arms wrapped round him. Draco let out a hiss at the pain in his bruised shoulder.
"You fool, running off here without me! Why the fuck didn't you wait for me, I can help!"
"There isn't time, they were planning to come through tonight. Now. I thought I could come and undo some of my wrong but I can't. It won't break." Harry's green eyes looked at his for a moment, assessing the situation. Draco sighed when he saw Harry reach the conclusion he wouldn't rant right now.
"What have you tried?"
"Everything I can think of. I was trying to think of something stronger but haven't managed it yet."
"What about fiend fire? Do you know the spell for that?"
"I've heard it mentioned but I never thought it was something I ought to learn. Not many people who cast it live to tell the tale."
"Could you do it?"
"I, I could." Harry smiled at him then, it was an open honest smile.
"We can do this then Draco. I'll go find some-" He broke off, looking more pale that Draco. The Slytherin span to face the cupboard, but heard what he'd be facing before he got there.
"Crucio!" Harry's scream cut off the sound of Bellatrix's laugh. "What have we got here, little Draco? You bought us a welcome present?" By now Harry was just a writhing mass on the floor, his voice was already beginning to go hoarse.
"Stop it!" The words left Draco's mouth before he could think.
"Stop it? Stop it!" She was screeching at him and her anger seemed to only magnify the force of her curse. With an enraged look in her eye, Bellatrix pointed her wand at Draco instead. "Perhaps you need to be taught some manners Draco, don't you know that's not how you speak to your betters? Cruci-"
Before Bellatrix could finish the curse she had collided with the floor. A shaking, sweating Harry had managed to pull her off balance. Bella twisted, her wicked knife in hand.
"Impedimenta!" His aunt was sent flying. She crashed into an ugly bust of a warlock and crumpled, unconscious. "Are you alright? Did she cut you?" Draco rushed over to where Harry lay.
"I'm ok, you need to destroy that cabinet, before any more come through."
"No, you can't run from fiend fire like this, we need another plan."
"No running, brooms." Harry croaked. Draco will still doubtful that Harry would make it out on a broom either. He was about to say so but Harry's smirk made him pause. "We both know I'm the better flyer."
"Harry now is no time to joke! Can you sit up?" With more than a little help, Draco managed to get Harry upright, resting against an old trunk. Draco was still mere inches from Harry when both boys heard a snarl behind them.
Fenrir Greyback was lifting one foot out of the cupboard. A simple look of agreement passed between Harry and Draco.
"Accio Brooms!" Yelled Harry at the same time as Draco cast the fiend fire curse straight at the werewolf. It hit its mark and within a heartbeat the whole cabinet was aflame. From every corner of the room came brooms, a good dozen of them. Draco grabbed the best looking one and passed it to Harry before grabbing one for himself.
A flaming chimera lunged for him just as he took off. Looking around he saw Harry was off the ground too. The beasts below consumed everything they could reach. Bellatrix was barely visible though the chocking smoke.
A high piercing scream filled the room as a hideous black thing lurched out of the flames below. Draco tried to push the old broom harder, desperately heading for the door. The scream was still echoing around in his head, his eyes burnt from the heat, his throat was agony and his heart was beating faster than it had even done before.
He zoomed out of hell into the fresh air of the corridor. He banked sharply to avoid hitting the wall but the motion caused him to roll off his broom and hit the floor. The pain in his shoulder returned tenfold. The groan next to him alerted him that Harry had made it out too.
Footsteps were thundering down the corridor behind them. Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him, they'd done it. They were safe, for now at least.
The black thing soared out of the open door and morphed into Bellatrix. So much for being safe. This cold high voice that left her mouth did not sound like his aunt, but he was too tired, in too much pain to do anything. He heard the dreaded words and wondered who she'd kill first, him or Harry. He'd rather it was him.
A hook gripped the back of his neck and he zoomed backwards and around the corner. Dazed, he blinked around and saw Harry blinking back. The teachers could be heard duelling ferociously just around the corner. Harry looked into Draco's face, illuminated by the colourful flashes of spells. He was overwhelmed by what the Slytherin had done. He had turned his back on everything he'd ever known despite knowing the consequences. He had ensured that Harry had a broom before him, that his once enemy was alright.
Who initiated the hug was unknown, but by the teachers came back round the corner they found two sobbing boys clinging onto each other for dear life.
.
.
Professor McGonagall had managed to usher to boys into Dumbledore's office without much resistance. There Madame Pomfrey had begun the explanations, talking about how Draco had not wanted to remain in the hospital and how he'd vanished when she had been treating Miss Granger. When Minerva had arrived she had explained the situation to her and it was in fact Miss Granger who suggested they may be on the 7th floor at this 'room of requirement'. Slughorn had then arrived with an injured Rhomilda Vane. Madame Pomfrey had summoned some house elves to look after the girls and had left with Slughorn and McGonagall for the room.
At this point Professor McGonagall took over. She explained how they'd heard noises and turned the corner to find Misters Malfoy and Potter looking considerably worse for were on the floor with brooms lying next to them. Before she could say anything a black blur had zoomed out of the room and the door had vanished behind it. The darkness had become Bellatrix Lestrange who had promptly tried to fire a killing curse at Mr Malfoy. She had pulled them out of the way and around the corner with her wand leaving herself, Horace and Poppy to duel Bellatrix. Realising that she was likely to be overpowered she had transformed back into that black blur had gone through the window, disappearing into the night.
"And there was one more thing Albus. It didn't sound like her."
"What do you mean?" The headmaster said sharply.
"It sounded like him." Harry finished for her. Both boys and Slughorn had remained quiet throughout the telling. After Madame Pomfrey had finished speaking she had begun preforming healing spells on the pair of them but there was only so much she could do from here.
"Him?" Slughorn spluttered. "You mean He Who Must Not Be Named was here? Dumbledore you promised me I'd be safe here!" All of the colour was draining from his face.
"How was it that Deatheaters were able to penetrate my castle tonight Harry?" Without meaning to Harry glanced at Draco. Dumbledore turned his steady gaze on him instead.
"Poppy, please would you fetch your relevant medical supplies; we shall treat the boys up here. Horace, I assure you that this will never happen again. As a precautionary measure however, please round up the ghosts and ask them to sweep the castle before returning to your own house and making sure the students stay there. Minerva-"
"I would like to stay Albus."
"Minerva, one of your prefects is currently in the hospital wing. If anyone is likely to go investigating tonight's events it will be a Gryffindor. I ask that you go look after your charges. I will ensure you are brought up to date in a staff meeting tomorrow." She clearly looked unhappy at this but left to do as she was told.
"Mr Malfoy, I would like you now to tell me how a Deatheater was able to enter Hogwarts."
For a moment Draco staying silent. He was staring at the tear in his blackened Pyjamas. Harry slipped an arm round Draco's back and pulled him into his side.
"It's going to be ok Draco. We'll make sure of it, but Dumbledore needs to know this. I have sat in that very chair and been forced to talk about things I really didn't want to, but you feel better for it afterwards." Draco drew in a shuddering breath. He then began to talk.
His voice remained detracted throughout and whilst he explained how he'd done it he never mentioned why. He managed to get to the point of fixing the cabinet without too much difficulty and that was where he stopped.
"So you went to greet the Deatheaters this evening?" Draco didn't say anything. Knowing that Dumbledore would take this as a sign of guilt Harry decided to speak up.
"He went to destroy it, only it wasn't such an easy task. He had to use fiend fire and then we flew out."
"And what changed your mind? Why did you go to destroy what had taken you so long to fix?"
"I.. I realised that my life didn't mean anything. If Voldemort kills me so what? My mother would cry but that would be it. What about if the deatheaters filled the castle? How many kids would die, people who actually mean something? I just kept doing what I was doing because I thought it was the only thing I could do, my only choice. But choosing not to do something is a choice too. And Harry made me realise that if I continue people would probably celebrate my death. I don't want that, I want to have what he has, to be happy. But I still ruined it."
"That uh, wasn't the message I was trying to give you. I wanted you to know that people can change and that nothing is ever set in stone. You do matter Draco. Right this moment you matter more than anyone else, more than me. You did something incredibly brave, you made your own choice. You saved countless lives tonight, I couldn't have done that. I didn't know that spell."
"Those lives only needed saving because of me."
"Moot point, you saved them. Dumbledore, we can't let him leave the castle now. You know what Voldemort would do to him."
"He cannot stay here with the other students. I accept that he made the right decision in the end and that Voldemort wants him dead. I fear however that he would endanger the other students by staying and I am certain my staff would not feel comfortable with such a situation, which could reflect in actions towards him."
"What?" He was on his feet now, leaning over Dumbledore. Harry couldn't understand what the headmaster was saying.
"Poppy already knows that Mr Malfoy carries the dark mark from treating him. If I let him stay after this I am liable to receive a resignation letter by the end of the week. Horace would surely follow too, and possibly more."
"You can't kick him out! Snape is a deatheater yet you let him stay! I won't let you sentence him to death like that!"
"Harry. Please don't. I was ready to accept my fate the moment I cast that spell, this is nothing other than what I expected." Draco's voice was quite but carried as much weight as Harry's raised one.
"I don't care. You're not going. I have the cloak, this castle has countless rooms, he could stay here and no one need ever know."
"And who would bring him food, what would he do but waste away? Harry my boy, you don't understand. He can't-"
"I think it's you who doesn't understand old man. You kick him out and I will follow, how about that."
Silence filled the room. Harry's heart felt like it was beating almost as fast as it had been in the room and Draco simply stared at him, eyes wide with shock. He could not comprehend why Harry was saying these things, why he'd throw away everything for him and yet he here he was. Draco felt like Harry was offering him the world right now, it was such a huge thing to have someone stand up for him. No one, not even his mother, had ever stood up to protect him.
Dumbledore sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Here was a conundrum he could do without. He already had far too much on this plate without adding this to the mess. Fortunately Poppy had just returned, arms laden with stuff. She had brought Dobby the house elf with her, who promptly jumped on Harry and began fussing.
"Which of you is most injured?"
"Him." Both boys said. "Treat Draco first, his shoulder took a beating again." "Harry was hit with the Cruciatus Curse." Harry simply shook his head, he'd never seen Harry so stubborn. The little elf on Harry's lap had looked round at his name.
"Sir! I is thinking you should be treated first."
"Thank you Dobby, I am not badly hurt however." Harry gave the elf a small hug, realising that here stood a solution to one of his problems. The room remained quiet while Draco had bruise remover dabbed onto his shoulder and other aches. Pomfrey then repeated it for Harry. She gave both of them a calming draught and gave Harry a dreamless sleep potion for when he made it to bed.
Dumbledore dismissed her curtly once she was done, but Harry kept hold of Dobby's hand.
"Dobby could you do me a favour?"
"Of course Mr Potter!" Dobby squeaked back.
"Could you bring food to Draco so that he wouldn't have to leave a room?" At this the little elf looked nervous, his gaze flitting to where Draco sat.
"Mr Malfoy is a bad wizard sir! But, but, if you wanted it Dobby could do it, sir." Harry looked over to Dumbledore.
"I believe that solves one of our issues. Dobby would never tell anyone what he was doing, not even then other elves."
"If Mr Malfoy is to stay here then he must consent to being locked in. I will not have him wandering the castle. He will also lose access to his wand." Realising now that the final decision would lie with him and seeing no better options, Draco consented. "You will occupy a room in the dark tower. It is not a place really used these days. Harry, do you have your cloak with you now?"
Harry pulled the sleek material out of his robes and passed it to Draco. Dumbledore held out his hand for Draco's wand. With shaking hands he pulled it out and placed it on the desk instead. He then wrapped the cloak tightly around himself and followed the Headmaster and Harry out of the office.
A/N Well what an exciting chapter! This was one of the things I originally thought of when planning this fic, it's nice to actually have it done! Please tell me what you think, Fe x