Chapter 15: Anger
Harry and Hermione were discussing angering strategies with Jing. Their talk with the Queen had given them a lot of food for thought. They had recently received a letter from Lady Greengrass thanking them for their willingness to provide sanctuary to her family. She was willing to put 1 million galleons to the cause in weapons and defense. All she wanted was for her daughters to be left out of the fight. Hermione understood her reasons, but she was contemplating if this was a reasonable or even feasible compromise. It would be very difficult to guarantee such a thing in the current climate. Jing believed that they could commit to leaving their participation as a last resort type of thing. Anything else was reckless. Harry was writing their response when their conversation was cut short by screaming from downstairs.
"POTTER! HELP!" Draco screamed in a panic as Luna held him up. "POTTER! GRANGER! HELP!"
Hermione ran down the stairs, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Luna had a vision!" Draco began. He had his arm around Luna's shoulders. His wheelchair was still on the beach.
"Daphne is in danger," Luna added.
Harry reached them, narrowly avoiding crashing into Hermione. "We are going to need a bit more than that, Luna..."
Jing barely swerved and held on to the wall as not to push them forward and knock Luna and Draco out.
"You don't believe me," Luna looked crushed.
"What?! No! Of course, we do. But where is she? Who is threatening her? What did you see?" Hermione rapidly fired.
"Something happened at Hogwarts. I... They tried to apprehend Snape."
"WHAT?!" Harry exclaimed, completely horrified. However, as much he hated the man, Harry recognized that Snape wouldn't be Voldemort's right-hand man if he wasn't a kick-ass duelist.
"They who?!" Hermione exclaimed, her mind jumping to 50 different possibilities that made her blood run cold.
"For the reward?!" Draco felt faint.
"I don't know..." Luna sighed.
"Neville knew this was going to happen. It can't have been the P.A," Harry said scratching his head.
"I... It was a lot of information and too fast. I just saw spells all over the place, a damaged Great Hall, but he took her... I... Lucius Malfoy took her, I am sorry, Draco."
He turned to her with pain and horror all over his face, "What did he do to her?" Harry took Draco's arm off Luna and dragged him to his bed in the living room.
"He... I can't say for sure... I saw her bloodied and bruised. She's in the basement, but she's alive."
"FUCK! I WILL KILL HIM!" Draco grimaced as his leg started bleeding.
"WHOA! Stop! Draco, don't move. Your leg! You will injure it permanently! Duro cane!" Hermione pointed her wand at his leg and the spell immobilized it so that he couldn't bend his knee. Harry pushed him down on his bed. Hermione looked at Kreacher and the elf popped away and back in with Andromeda.
"Draco! What did you do?!" She unceremoniously vanished his pajama pants and started doing spells on his leg.
The rest of the Chang family ran downstairs but Andromeda ordered Tonks to stay in bed. She had been checking the baby and Narcissa would panic too much if she was alone.
"What is going on here?" Longwei asked.
"Are you guys ready to go on a mission?" Harry asked.
Longwei pulled out his sword. "Always! Name the place!"
"Malfoy Manor... again," Hermione frowned.
Jing rubbed his temples and looked at Draco, "Sorry kid, but we should just blow it up."
"Do it! I don't care for anything in it. We just have to get Daphne out first! ARGH! Motherfucker! That hurts!" Draco fought tears of pain.
"You brought this on yourself, Draco!" Andromeda scolded him.
"Draco, I am so sorry, but we can't go there," Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"GRANGER!" Draco yelled in outrage. "You said I was one of you! You said you had my back! I need you to keep your word now! Fuuuuuck it burns!"
Andromeda struggled with her nephew, dittany on deep wounds burned like a bitch, "Harry, Longwei, help me keep him still before I hurt him further!"
Harry lowered his body across Malfoy's legs while Longwei did the same to his torso.
"I want to keep my word, Draco, but we are wandless! Only Lord Chang, Longwei, and Lady Chang have wands and we can't force them to risk it all with no backup," Hermione paced in desperation.
"Hey! What am I?" Ted walked into the room.
"You are our lawyer, and we need you alive! We can't trust anyone else with our legal affairs!" Hermione replied. "We need Andromeda here to heal out injured and she needs her wand for that! Tonks is pregnant so she's out and her wands are too temperamental!"
"Mistress! Wandmaker says to try it!" Kreacher popped in and offered Hermione her wand.
The witch did a patronus and both her otter and Harry's stag came out.
"You have two patronus forms?" Ted asked with a gasp. But he was entirely ignored.
"What matters is that the wand works. Longwei, Lord Chang, Lady Chang we need to plan. Follow me!"
Hermione walked away pulling Luna with her. The Changs followed them while Harry yelled after her "HERMIONE! YOU ARE NOT GOING! HERMIONE! GET BACK HERE!"
Chyou took her brother's place across Draco's torso. "Harry, you can't stop her."
"LIKE HELL I CAN'T! She is not going if I can't be there to watch her back and I am wandless so that is out of the question!"
"Harry... Hermione can hold her own anywhere and against anyone," Chyou replied in a calming tone.
"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! Of course, she can kick ass! But she shouldn't have to! This is my war, not hers!"
"You really have a f-fucking big head, Potter," Draco grunted through the tears
Andromeda nodded, "He does."
Harry looked outraged, "What?!"
"This war is about way more than you, Harry. It has been for a long time. Since they killed Cedric," Chyou replied.
Harry bit back his response and took a deep breath. Sirius came inside the house with a sunburnt Xenophilius.
"Padfoot! Come hold him down!"
Sirius' eyebrows shot up, "What on Earth-?"
"Sirius! No questions, please! NOW!"
The man rushed to Draco and took over for Harry who ran upstairs through his lingering leg day pain.
A tired Dobby and Remus popped back into the island's library room to find it full of angry people.
"REMUS! Tell her!" Harry was the first to reach them.
"What? Tell who what? What is happening? Let me catch my breath," Remus held to the sofa's back and inhaled deeply.
"Tell Hermione she can't leave the island!" Harry exclaimed.
"Of course, she can't. What is going on here?" Remus drank a glass of water that Kreacher offered him in two gulps.
"Excuse you!? I can't!? I wasn't aware I was a prisoner here!" Hermione yelled at Harry.
"You are not a prisoner, Hermione! But you are far too valuable to lose!"
"Oh, really? And just who is expendable here, huh?!" She narrowed her eyes and Harry pulled his hair. He knew he was skating on thin ice.
"No one! I just don't want to risk you when I can't watch your back. We are in this together. You need me and I need you and that is that. Until both of us have wands, we are not leaving this island. After that, you can hex me into the next century if you want, okay?" Harry replied in a calming tone.
"What about Daphne? You know full well what will happen to her. We must do something!" Hermione replied pacing nervously again.
"Daphne? Who is Daphne? Someone, please update me!" Remus demanded.
"Daphne Greengrass-"
"The Slytherin student?" Moony scratched his head.
"Yes. Her father was murdered. We offered her family sanctuary, but we couldn't get her out of Hogwarts fast enough. Apparently, there was an uprising against Snape because of the reward we offered, and she was taken by Lucius!" Hermione filled him in.
"What do you mean an uprising? Who told you this?" Remus frowned.
Hermione's mirror vibrated in her pocket. "Everybody shut up!" She pulled it out. "Hello?"
"Hermione..." Professor McGonagall's voice sounded weak.
"Professor! What happened?" Hermione looked horrified so Harry peered over her shoulder. What he saw made him see red. The professor was bruised, her hair was partially down and caked with blood. There was a gash across her cheek.
"Who did that to you, professor?" Harry asked, his hands balling into fists. He felt a fury that made the windows vibrate.
"That doesn't matter, Harry. When the paper came, the Carrows... They saw the rewards. It seems like their love of money is greater than any loyalty they had for Riddle and any sense of self-preservation," she replied, breathing with difficulty. Hermione wanted to cry; she had never seen the professor like this.
"What matters is that we have less than 24 hours at most to get the kids out of here. Riddle is coming to take over. Lestrange came here and unceremoniously stabbed Snape in front of the students and dragged him away to see Riddle, I presume. When he came back there was a duel with the Carrows. If I hadn't intervened, more students could have died..."
"More?!" Luna gasped.
"Four students died in the crossfire before I got to the Great Hall," the professor had never looked so defeated.
Harry's heart squeezed painfully when he saw her haunted face. He didn't want to ask, but he had to know, "Who?"
"Mandy Brocklehurst, Blaise Zabini, Megan Jones, and Dean Thomas," McGonagall grimaced in pain.
"Oh my God," Hermione had to sit down. Her face was pale, "Oh my God!"
Harry sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her.
"Blaise is dead?" Draco whispered, his eyes filling with tears. Andromeda had levitated him to the library where all the planning was taking place.
Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Is Snape alive? The Carrows?"
"The Carrows are both dead, Thank Circe. I don't know if he killed them or if I did. I joined the duel and errant spells hit them... If I didn't know better, I could have sworn Snape threw my spells at them... But that's preposterous, of course," Minerva winced as she sat down behind the headmaster's desk.
"Where's Snape?"
"He flew away from the castle. I don't know where he went."
"Flew away?" Hermione's jaw was hanging. Surely not in a broom!
"His animagus form is a bat... He went to Malfoy Manor, for sure," Draco stammered.
"Is young Mr. Malfoy with you?" the professor looked genuinely shocked. She couldn't see the teen, but she recognized his particular voice.
"Yes, him and his mother. They did a fealty oath. Don't worry," Harry offered.
"Harry, all I do is worry, every single day."
"Professor, there's a room here with your name on it," Hermione reminded her. "Please remember that."
"I know, my dear, but I can't leave the school until we get everyone out," the professor sighed.
"You are closing Hogwarts?"
"Yes. It's the responsible thing to do. The P.A., the Head Boys, and Girls, as well as the Prefects, are rushing to evacuate," McGonagall replied.
"Is that wise, professor?"
"What if he attacks in the middle of an evacuation?"
"It's too late. He will attack in the middle of the evacuation but if we stay here, he will kill most of us. Many students ran away to Hogsmeade through tunnels that lead to the Hog's Head. Aberforth was letting them use his floo to go home."
"Aberforth? Who is that?" Luna asked with a slight frown.
"Aberforth Dumbledore is helping us?" Remus asked, downing a Grand Pepper Up potion. He needed to be ready to go back.
"Yes, Neville asked him, so he agreed. He has been helping the P.A. with resources out of his own pockets," Minerva replied. "However, the tunnel was closed because Death Eaters are going around businesses in Hogsmeade and doing 'random' searches. Aberforth doesn't want to risk it."
"Fuck. How much time can you buy us, professor?" Harry asked.
"Time?! Whatever for? You are NOT coming in here! Neither of you! I forbid it! It's too risky!" McGonagall exclaimed.
"Draco! Do you remember the runes in the Vanishing Cabinet?" Hemione sat on his bed as Andromeda took the healing supplies and left to update Narcissa and her daughter.
Draco paled, "The... How do you know about that?"
"She knows everything. Jesus! Try to catch up!" Harry snapped. "Did Bill get it, Remus?"
"Yes, Bill managed to get the cabinet and we had it placed in a room in the Three Broomsticks as you asked. We paid for two months of lodging up front and used a Confundus charm, so Tom didn't ask any questions," Remus replied. "Room 7, professor."
"Thank you, Remus. If Aberforth can get them from his place to the Three Broomsticks, we may be able to get most of them out. However, fixing those runes will take time that we just don't have," Minerva covered her face with her hands.
"With the runes it has, can you make it work anywhere in the United Kingdom, Draco?" Hermione asked.
"I think it could work, but it does need some alterations. If Hermione and Luna help me, we should be able to modify it in about one hour. Maybe 40 minutes," Draco grunted as he sat up.
Hermione wished to move the cabinet and suddenly Kreacher and Dobby popped it into the library. "Thank you."
"Anything for Mistress," Kreacher and Dobby bowed and vanished.
"Does anyone know if the Death Eaters have destroyed my parents' home, yet?" Hermione asked.
Remus frowned, "No, they did trash it, but Dora said the Aurors went in to fix things before the Ministry fell. It should just be empty."
"That could be a place for muggle-born kids to go to... I mean, if we place the cabinet there, they would blend in and manage to get home from there," Hermione offered. "Take cabs, have their parents pick them up or something."
"That is most kind of you, dear, but-"
"But we cannot make it safe. I would offer Grimmauld but that would be riskier for them," Sirius frowned as he paced by Draco's bed.
"Hermione, when I say fix the runes, I meant to somewhere closer to Hogwarts," Draco said. "Somewhere within magical communities."
"Got it. We will figure it out." Hermione's mirror shook. "Professor, I think Neville is calling."
"Pick up, I have some students to move," McGonagall nodded.
"Professor, wait! Please come stay with us, we need you," Harry begged. Worse than losing Hogwarts to Voldemort was losing McGonagall to Voldemort.
"Harry... I c-can't... Not until this castle is empty and all students and faculty are home," Minerva insisted. They could tell she really wanted to come to the island from the expression on her face.
"Promise that you will come once they are home!" Hermione exclaimed. "Please! I already lost my parents. I can't lose you too!"
Minerva looked grief-stricken. "If I make it out alive, I will join you."
"There will be no ifs. I just had a Grand Pepper Up and I feel great, Minerva. I am coming back. Dobby!" Remus said. "Are you well enough to go back, Dobby?"
"Dobby is being a bit tired..."
"Can I push some magic into you?" Hermione asked.
"Mistress would do it again?" Dobby's eyes widened.
"As many times as I need to," Hermione nodded.
"Can I do it too?" Harry asked. "That way you don't spend as much magic, Mione."
"No, Harry. Let me do it. If Dobby needs more, you can fill his tank back up. We don't know what he will have to do," Hermione placed her hands on Dobby's chest and pushed her magic. She felt the same as she did the first time. Everyone around her was in awe. Dobby started to levitate.
"That is enough, Mistress!"
Hermione opened her eyes and Dobby landed. "Ready?"
"For anything! Professor Kitty, we is coming!"
"Thank you, Dobby, Remus," McGonagall smiled.
"Sirius, how did you feel with my wand?" Hermione asked.
"Slightly incestuous and inappropriate but it worked," Sirius frowned.
"Good, take it with you," Hermione requested.
"What!?" Harry asked.
"He is clearly going with his boyfriend," Hermione shrugged. "Neville just went red. I gotta take his call professor! Please stay safe. We love you!"
"I love you all too."
Sirius took Hermione's wand and put on his strongest glamours. "Harry, do you trust Hagrid?"
"Absolutely!"
"Good, tell the kids to get to his hut!"
"That exposes them for at least a 5-minute run out in the open and exposed to attacks from the sides and above!" Remus snapped.
"No, it doesn't!" Longwei pointed his wand at his own body, and his leisure clothes turned to battle-wear. His father did the same. Both had shields and swords down their backs as well as shorter knives and other weapons. "You do what you have to do. We will try to safely and quickly get as many kids out as possible. If you need us to come to you, send an elf for us!"
"You got it. Thank you," Sirius nodded as he put on his dragon hide vest and handed one to Remus.
Lady Chang kissed her daughter's forehead., "My sweet girl, be strong! We will come back to you," Daiyu smiled.
Hermione frowned slightly. She had understood that Lady Chang would stay out of the actual fighting, but she felt better that another person with a wand would be helping.
Chyou looked like she wanted nothing less than for them to leave but she nodded, "Egredere et vince!"
"Egredere et vince!" the men of the family replied. [Go out and win!]
Longwei squeezed his sister hard. "I will come back to you, don't worry."
"We will cover for as many kids as we can while they get to Hagrid's. If we finish there, we will get to you, but is his floo connected?" Jing asked, kissing his daughter's head.
"It is, I double-checked," Tonks approached them and kissed Remus deeply. "Come back to me. Both of you," she nodded at Sirius who mouthed, "I will keep him safe," behind Remus's back. Dobby took the two men and vanished. Kreacher held out his hands and Jing and Longwei left with him. Mika vanished with Lady Chang.
The call disconnected and Neville's dusty bloodied face came into view.
"Hermione! We need help! We are taking a pounding. The room will not hold for much longer," Neville was panicking.
"Go to Aberforth! Then, go to the Three Broomsticks, room 7," Harry replied.
"How do you-? What-?"
"We can't access the tunnels from here. We tried but Abe pushed me back. Some Death Eaters are roaming Hogsmeade. Others are here," the room shook, and dust fell on Neville's head. "Bloody hell! They are coming!"
"Anthony!" Hermione exclaimed.
The teen appeared next to Neville as dusty and as bloody. "Yes?"
A thought struck Hermione, "Do you remember telling me about the huge waterslides in that park you visited in Mexico?"
"Yes, but what does that-"
"Have the room create that but make them closed like a tube and invisible from the outside. You can do this. I believe it you!"
"You are brilliant!" Anthony started pacing and thinking hard of the waterslides in Xcaret with the alterations Hermione told him. The windows behind him turned into slide openings. "IT WORKED!"
"Wicked! Two strong duelists first! Protect the others! I will go last to make sure you all leave," Neville demanded ready to start pushing kids down the slides.
"Tony! You have to get out safe! You owe me a date," Chyou stated.
"I wouldn't miss it!" Anthony was about to close the connection.
"Neville, Anthony, wait! Chyou's father and brother will be there to cover you from the castle to Hagrid's. Floo to the Three Broomsticks and stay in room 7. We will get you out from there somehow," Harry said quickly.
"Will do! Luna, if I don't see you again, I love you!" Neville yelled at the mirror over an explosion.
"I love you too, now RUN!" Luna yelled back.
The call was ended by Neville.
"We need Dudley," Hermione ran out.
"We need tools! Luna, Chyou, help me find tools to dig."
"To dig what? Like shovels?" Chyou asked with a frown.
"Follow me to the attic and I will explain."
Dudley had just finished his late meal. His stomach had been upset from throwing up after their workout. So, he made himself some tea and had just some digestive biscuits for breakfast. Now he grilled a fish and made some chips.
When Hermione ran inside his tent, he almost fell off his chair. Luckily, he had finished his meal already.
"We need you!"
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know. Less talking, more running," Hermione motioned for him to follow. "Put on warm clothes and see me in the living room!"
Dudley blinked but did as she asked as fast as he could. His legs protested but he moved anyway.
Remus and Sirius landed with Dobby in an alleyway in Hogsmeade. They motioned for Dobby to check for all wards. They could hear the marching of boots nearing them. Dobby popped them inside straight into Room 7.
"Dobby, we are safe here, go help Longwei and Jing. Try to keep as many students safe as you can but don't risk your life. We need you," Sirius knelt in front of the elf.
"Yes, master doggie," Dobby did a military salute with his hand and vanished.
"Sirius, I will go talk to Tom. He worships Harry and the Potters in general. That should help us. Stay here," Remus said as he left, closing the door behind him. He found Tom behind the bar and did a slight Confundus charm. "Tom!"
"Mr. Lupin, when did you get here?"
"What do you mean? I've been staying here for a couple of days," Remus smiled.
Tom frowned slightly but he then smiled, "Right, right, of course. Is everything to your liking?"
"Yes, as usual. Listen, I am uh... expecting a... visit and I was wondering if the floo is connected to my room," Remus blushed slightly. He sounded like a cheating bastard. But he knew that with Tom confounded and talking about illicit extracurriculars as a married man, the barman wouldn't ask any questions.
"A visit? Ah... A lady friend... I see. I will connect it. Can you remind me the room I gave you?" Tom asked with a wink.
"Room 7, and Tom, please... I am not here. You haven't seen me," Remus whispered.
"Yes, of course. Privacy is guaranteed. Please do privacy wards so she doesn't disturb the other patrons," Tom requested.
"Why would you think that is necessary?"
"You aren't the first married man to hire company and bring them here... They tend to be unnecessarily loud," Tom chuckled.
Remus blushed deeply. "I see. I appreciate it, Tom."
Tom gave him a toothy smile and turned around. As soon as he pushed the lever to turn on the floo to room 7, Remus discreetly obliviated him. As he went up the stairs, Dolohov kicked the bar's door open. Shit! They are much too early. He ran up as silently as he could and felt two pairs of hands grab him and silence him, pulling him into room 6. He had a curse on the tip of his tongue.
"Don't scream. It's us!" The hands let go and Remus found himself facing Fred and George Weasley. They immediately did an identity vow. He reciprocated.
"How did you-?"
"We have eyes everywhere. We looked at the runes in the cabinet. They won't work internationally. So, with a little guilt-tripping and a healthy dose of mother wrath, we got Percy to get you two highly illegal, but untraceable, international portkeys to San Juan, Puerto Rico," George smiled. "We thought it would be close enough to wherever you are staying. They can move up to 10 people at once. The activation word is paradise."
Remus nodded and pocketed the portkeys which were a salt and a pepper shaker. "That must have been the mother of all mother wraths. Thank you. "Why are you in this room, though?"
"It was legendary! And we are here because you are clearly underestimating the number of students that will make their way here," Fred replied.
Remus nodded, "I see." He started running calculations in his mind.
"If we can bring the second half of the cabinet to The Burrow, we may get most of these kids out as safe as they could be for the circumstances," George said.
"We appreciate that. So far, we have three escape routes. There's the cabinet, the portkeys, and the tunnels," Remus explained.
"What tunnels? The ones out of Hogwarts were collapsed."
"The ones under Hogsmeade," Remus smiled.
"SHUT UP! There are tunnels under Hogsmeade!?" The twins asked with wide eyes.
"Where do they go?" Fred asked with interest.
"Gringotts. In the past, that was how goblins moved the gold from the registers into the bank. Keep that tidbit to yourselves. Do you have any tools we can use to work on those tunnels?"
"Yes, but they are at our store. Freddie, what about a little sippie?" George winked.
"Cheers!" the twins exclaimed as they downed two vials.
"Listen, this door over here connects to room 7. Just move the dresser and it will appear," Fred explained.
Remus was impressed to see they turned into ancient versions of themselves without their tell-tale red hairs, "And just how do you know that little tidbit?"
"In a way that we wouldn't want our mother to know about!" George chuckled.
"You know what? I don't even need any details," Remus frowned. "Dolohov is downstairs. Be careful."
"We will. They do these little raids every day now. We are used to them. They will probably leave in a few minutes. We will make sure to get the floo to Room 6 open as well before we leave," the twins changed quickly and left the room.
Remus opened the door to Room 7 to find Sirius pointing Hermione's wand at his face.
"What the fuck are you doing there?!" Sirius asked. "Room 7!"
"The Weasley twins booked this room and let me know about this door. They also got us two illegal and untraceable international portkey's that can take up to 10 people each to Puerto Rico. Help me move this," Remus grunted as both of them moved the dresser out of the way.
"And how on Earth did they get those?"
"Extorting Percy, I think. The floo in number 7 is open. The twins are going to get us tools for the tunnels," Remus replied. "Dobby, come as soon as you can."
"Rubeus Hagrid, yes?" Jing asked as he came into the hut.
"Yes, Lord Chang," Hagrid shook his hand as he held Fang back.
"The kids are to run this way soon. Accio empty cauldron!" Longwei dumped the floo powder bag they had brought. "They need to go to Room 7 at the Three Broomsticks. You got it?"
"Yes! Are Harry and Hermione okay?" Hagrid's eyes were teary.
"Yes, they are safe and grateful to you for doing this."
"It's the least I can do!"
"Dad! Incoming! We have to go! Keep the door open, Hagrid!" Longwei exclaimed as he ran out of the door throwing spells.
"If your dog is trained, unleash him on the Death Eaters!" Jing added as he ran behind his son.
"Fang, go get us some Death Eaters!" Hagrid kissed Fang's head in case he never got to do so again.
The dog licked his cheek, barked, and left the hut with a growl.
"Defensive lines, now!" Neville grunted. His shoulder was killing him.
The strongest duelists had managed to keep the students they were helping safe as they got down and out of the slides. They had a few more minutes until they were seen.
"Now, we need you to run for your lives, while keeping up your shields in the formation we told you about. If someone falls, what do we do?" Neville asked.
"We absorb them back into the circle and cover them," Colin Creevey replied
"Exactly! We are doing this for Harry and for everyone else, come on!"
"Let's go!" Anthony yelled.
The youngest students were shaking with fear and from the cold, as many had been ready to go to sleep when they were dragged out of bed and rushed out, but they did their strongest protego anyway.
"Those of you who can conjure the patronus, take the edges when we near the dementors!"
"Tony!" Longwei ran towards him. "I have your back; Dad has your front. We have five minutes at best"
"Thank Merlin you are here!" Tony felt a wave of relief.
"Who are these people?" Padma asked, holding her injured side.
"Chyou's family! We can trust them!" Anthony replied.
"Let's go then!" Parvati motioned for them all to run.
Hagrid panted as he held the door to his hut open for the kids. One by one, at times in pairs that were helping injured friends, they ran inside, shaking like leaves, some were bleeding profusely. Outside, chaos reigned upon them. There were explosions, deadly curses, trolls, giants, the works. Voldemort had decided he would take over the castle and its land for good. Several students had been killed or hit with torturing curses. Their eyes were dark, but they ran into the hut relieved.
"Grab the floo powder and say Room 7, Three Broomsticks!" the half-giant said every few seconds.
Hagrid saw with pride how students who he had seen grow up defended one another. The Chang family had been a great help to all of them, but they were injured now. Ten Death Eaters and a werewolf were trying to kill as many students and faculty as they could. Hagrid had to bodily slam several people away from the student trail. He had cuts and bruises all over. Fang had been killed by one of the werewolves.
"Hagrid, come on... you need to leave with us!" Longwei tried to pull the man, but he refused.
"No. I have to take care of the bodies. Send them home, bury Fang," Hagrid pushed Longwei and his father into the fireplace. "Go. They will come to finish destroying my hut."
Hagrid barely managed to run out the back to his giant pumpkin plantation to hide behind some rocks and his home was blown up.
Dobby had never popped as fast as he did to get the other half of the cabinet. Hermione, Luna, and Chyou had barely been able finish drying the runes with a pale and weak Draco. Dobby almost had his head blown apart by a bombarda as he landed in The Burrow. Molly was terrified when she heard the pop and attacked as a reflex. They were all on high alert. After hurried profuse apologies from Mrs. Weasley, they placed the cabinet in the shed and Dobby left to go to the Three Broomsticks.
Remus was starting to lose his cool. There were too many students depending on them, and they still had to get to Daphne and the other prisoners at Malfoy Manor while Voldemort and his cronies were moving towards Hogwarts. If they lost that window of opportunity, the prisoners would be dead, and Voldemort would be joyous instead of seething as was the plan. Dobby got into Room 7, only to be squeezed by several humans. It was so full no one could move. Even when the students had spread to Room 6, through the connecting door.
"Master Doggie! Cabinet is being ready! No more than two per trip!" Dobby jumped as he tried to reach Lord Black.
"Dobby!" Neville pulled Dobby up and placed him on his injured shoulders. With all the ruckus from the other students, Sirius could not see him.
"Dobby! Tell me!"
The elf screamed into Sirius's ear and the man nodded several times.
"EVERYONE SHUT IT!" Parvati yelled.
The room grew quiet.
"Those of you who live by the Weasleys or whose family's floo could be open to the Weasleys, I need you to get in line behind Ginny Weasley. NOW!" About fifteen students struggled to get behind the redhead. "Dobby, the cabinet!"
Dobby enlarged the other half of the cabinet in a corner of the room and Remus pushed kids away to activate the runes. "No more than two at a time. Ginevra, your first with Ms. Patil. This will take you to The Burrow."
"What do we have to say?"
"Nothing, just hold each other and close the door. You will probably feel something similar to apparition"
Ginny got in and pulled Padma behind her, "Probably!? What the hell?! Who did these runes?! Can we trust them?! We could end up Merlin knows where!"
"Quick, Ginny, give me your scarf!" Remus did a spell and wrote "Test! Reply ok!" He opened the door and placed the scarf there. He closed the door. When he opened it back up, the scarf was gone. Moony closed it again and when it was reopened, the scarf had OK written in Mrs. Weasley's handwriting.
Remus helped the teens into the cabinet and closed the door. Once it opened, as expected, the cabinet was empty. "In pairs, come on! Quickly!"
"Those of you who want to help take some people out of Malfoy Manor stand by Neville," Sirius motioned with his head.
Neville nodded. "Other than Daphne, who are we getting out?"
"As many as we can!"
"Good!"
"Any heirs, heiresses, or children of the following Houses stand behind me. The Macmillan's, the Bone's, the Scamander's, the Abbott's, the Fawley's, the Shacklebolt's, the McKinnon's..."
"What do you want to know that for?" A strawberry blonde girl asked.
"We want to know where your alliances lie," Sirius replied trying not to react. She looked so much like Amelia.
"Susan, do you think your aunt would like to revive an old alliance?" Neville asked the witch.
"Heck yes!" Susan held on to her torn sweater, keeping it closed. Neville cast a mending spell twice to strengthen the zipper.
"Then get in line. Longbottom, does Augusta want in on this?"
"Absolutely, professor! But I want to help Daphne first."
"On your own risk. I would rather not have to face your grandmother's wrath."
"Yes, sir. I know."
About five more students managed to leave out of the floo on Room 7 and three more left through the one on Room 6 that Fred and George had paid for, and in a blink of an eye, the floo was closed.
Longwei and Jing were glad to see that about twenty-five students were already gone from the room when they got there.
"Alliance kids not willing to go to Malfoy Manor?" Sirius asked. Six teens approached. Sirius activated the Portkey, "You will land in San Juan Puerto Rico. Desillusion yourselves and expect Maki the elf to pick you up! You will stay with us for a couple of days and then your Heads of House will choose what happens next. Come on! Grab the Portkey and keep your knees soft."
The teens took the activated Portkey and vanished.
"Lupin, Black, how are we doing?" Jing asked.
"The Weasley twins are helping us with the tunnel. The floo was just closed," Sirius groaned.
"That was way too fast!" Longwei exclaimed.
"I know! Someone must have suspected something. Fuck!" Sirius replied.
"Everyone to the basement through the servant staircase. Behind that painting. Follow me!" Remus did a lumos and grabbed the clammy hand of Susan Bones. Dobby minimized the cabinet and vanished. He needed to gather information from Malfoy Manor. They all ran down the stairs as quietly as they could. They could hear Death Eaters fucking up rooms 1 and 2. Tom could be heard screaming as he was tortured for information he didn't have. They reached the crowded basement to see a bunch of dirt and a dusty, sweaty, but magnificent Lady Chang directing the twins and Dudley Dursley as the three of them powered through layers of dirt.
"What are you looking at?! Move!" Daiyu threw a shovel to Neville who immediately started going at it as fast as he could.
Together, they began making faster progress. As they were digging, Lady Chang reinforced the tunnel so it wouldn't cave in on them. Their tools and the very soil were silenced, so when they heard a metallic clang, coming from the other side of the wall, they panicked. Everyone stopped moving. Tom was still screaming upstairs. Sirius was pointing Hermione's wand at the basement door. A bombarda and an AK curse on the tip of his tongue.
Another clang caused the thin layer of dirt remaining to fall down with a small thud. On the other side of the wall, five goblins, armed to their teeth, motioned for them to follow and they did without a question. Remus motioned for Sirius to get into the tunnel just as someone tried to alohomora the door.
"GO!" He mouthed.
Sirius refused and did rapid-fire casting next to Remus to make sure the basement looked like nothing happened there. They did a spell to mask their magical signatures and just as they righted the wall that opened into the tunnel, someone lost their patience and blew the door to the basement off its hinges. They ran crouched to Gringotts as fast as they could. If the goblins hadn't worked hard to meet them, they would be dead. Whatever Harry and Hermione talked about to the Queen had worked. Otherwise, she would have never sent help.
Dobby made himself invisible as he went through his former master's home. No Death Eaters were there. He had to cover his mouth not to gasp when he saw something. The sword of Godric Gryffindor was in what Dobby thought was Lestrange's room. He tried to grab it, fearing he wouldn't be able to because he wasn't a Gryffindor, but suddenly it was in his hands. Dobby wrapped a cloak around it and positioned it on a hilt that Longwei asked him to carry so he would get used to it. He rushed through the house looking for traps. He knew Lucius well so he could get rid of most of them. He went to the torture chambers and immediately wished he hadn't. The horror was too much. Dobby located Daphne Greengrass quickly. She had been so savagely beaten that she couldn't move or speak. Her jaw had been broken and she was missing several teeth, both arms were dislocated. She had lashes down her back and the back of her legs. Bruises of different sizes decorated her body. Dobby noticed, with hatred, that there were four purple hand imprints on the girl's legs that he could only assume forced her legs open for some deviant piece of shit. Her clothes were barely together with all the torn and burned sections. Her body was folded in a fetal position. Her eyes were bloodshot, frozen, and terrified.
The elf covered Daphne with a blanket he had taken from upstairs and her whole-body spasm. Cruciatus, Dobby winced. He still remembered her as a girl with her beautiful long hair in the most beautiful hairdos. She had always been kind to him. His heart constricted. There was blood dripping from different gashes and from in between her pale legs. Dobby felt so angry at his former master that he could have blown up the house. However, he needed backup. There were at least a dozen injured people. He even thought a few more were already dead. The smell was horrible. For those still holding on, Dobby rushed and did some healing magic. He did those who were faring the worst first so they wouldn't die while his people got here. He felt his core depleting, so he stopped he still had things to do.
"Help is on the way, Missy Greengrass," he said softly and vanished.
Luna was against a corner of the living room after trying to calm Draco down. He was as Hermione called it, spiraling. His anger made him look scarily like Lucius and Luna had to distance herself physically from him. To her credit, Chyou tried too, but he just snapped at her and called her a horrible name. She was still trying to stop Draco when Hermione came back into the room. Draco was screaming about all the unspeakable things he wanted to do to his father. Luna was paler than usual and started backing away because Draco's magic was pushing small objects away.
"DRACO! Reign in your bloody temper!" Hermione stood in front of his bed, hands on her hips.
"She could be dead by now and none of you give a flying fuck!" Draco yelled.
Hermione's eyes grew dark with anger, and she slapped him so hard that he fell back to a lying-down position. The slap sounded loud due to the tall ceiling. Her hand imprinted on his cheek in furious red. Luna and Chyou gasped.
"YOU UNGRATEFUL GIT! How dare you say that?! Do you know how many lives are at stake to help Daphne?! Sirius owes you NOTHING! Had roles been reversed I highly doubt your ass would be in the line to help him! Remus owes you NOTHING! You bloody outed him as a werewolf and cost him his job, his livelihood, and he still went out there to save your girlfriend! Jing, Daiyu, and Longwei have only just met you and they are out there risking their lives and their futures for you, for Daphne, and all the other Hogwarts students in danger! Hagrid, someone you have called an idiot, an oaf, an ugly huge troll is risking his life and his home to help us!" Hermione turned to leave.
Draco blushed and looked down. "I would do it myself if I could, Granger! You should have gone with them instead of staying here babysitting Potter!"
Luna turned to Chyou, both shared a thought "He did not just say that!"
Hermione felt as if she had been electrocuted by each venomous word. "You don't get to say that, Malfoy. If I am babysitting anyone it is YOU! You who are still on bed rest because you refuse to obey a professional healer. You who are demanding and disrespectful and mean and throw tantrums like this one! Did you fucking forget that I can't leave this island because we took you, your mother, Luna, and Chyou out of your FATHER'S house? In case you bloody forgot, I am fucking UNDESIRABLE NUMBER ONE and there is a reward on my head which means I am stuck here with you when I could be at Hogwarts, helping my friends and my professors!" her eyes were full of tears.
"What the hell is going on here?" Harry had just finished helping Andromeda set up more beds for the injured but Hermione screaming had him rush downstairs.
"Professors can fend for themselves!" Draco snapped at Hermione, ignoring Harry.
"You absolutely selfish psycho! They hurt Professor McGonagall, Draco! She was hurt and bleeding and fucking haunted by the students that were killed before she could help them! Not that you know or care, but I have no parents anymore and she is as close to a mother as I have left. And I can't bloody go help her because we helped YOU!"
Harry placed his hand behind Hermione's neck supportively and scowled at Malfoy.
"She doesn't even want you there!" Malfoy replied.
"That's ENOUGH! McGonagall doesn't want any students there and is attempting the most dangerous and hurried evacuation of hundreds of students ever made."
"Potter-" Draco was cut off.
"NO! You will do well to remember that you and your mother are GUESTS in this house. MY house. You are living off House of Potter's coffers. Keep in mind that you will never see another galleon from Daddy Dearest. I need you to be very clear on this. If at any point Hermione says she doesn't want you here, I will kick you out with your busted leg and your injured mother and you will have to fend for yourselves," Harry said slowly in a threatening tone. "We have done right by both of you, but that is a privilege, NOT a right, and as privileges go it can be removed at the drop of a hat."
"You do NOT get to speak of anyone here as if we are doing the bare minimum or not helping as much as we could. You cannot go help Daphne because you insist on reopening a blasted wound that would have already healed if you listened to a Healer that you are not even paying for!"
Andromeda and Ted walked in slowly the general decibels concerned them, so they came down. Hermione's back was to them.
"From where I am standing you need to fucking start exercising your sense of gratitude, you arse! You are in a safe location now. You have a roof over your shoulders, delicious meals, free health care, companionship... You even have your mother here! I don't understand how you can be so..." Hermione sighed and didn't finish her sentence.
"I am grateful, Granger!"
"Then bloody act like it! You need to get a fucking grip and stop spewing bullshit that not even you can believe, Malfoy. You are incapable of besting your father in a duel because as much as you loathe him you are terrified of him!" Hermione raised her hand as Draco moved to reply "I get it. I don't blame you for it. Your father is a terrorist and an abusive piece of shit. He's a coward who never stood up for you or protected you."
Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione. "We are not your father. We are not Death Eaters. We don't leave people behind."
Hermione carried on, "And yet, even after all the pain and humiliation, you would never do the things you said you would do to him. You weren't even able to kill Dumbledore, and you hated the man! So, for once in your bloody life, get your head out of your ass, look around at all the people who are suffering much more than you. Bloody grow up or at the very least SHUT UP! You are freaking out Luna and Chyou and they have been through enough. If you call either of them a bad name again, I will make sure that slap feels like a feather skimmed you," Hermione narrowed her eyes.
The Ravenclaws shared a look. They were terrified of both Draco and Hermione right now, but at least Hermione was right, and her precise brain managed to keep her magic contained. Draco's fury had turned to fear and then to shame as Hermione advanced in her berating speech.
"Hermione?" Andromeda said softly.
Hermione turned quickly, "Any updates?"
"Not yet. Can I borrow you for a minute?"
"Of course."
"Harry, the contracts are ready. Follow me," Ted motioned towards the library. "As for you, your mother will be moved down here later. You can be guaranteed that she heard most of this and she is appalled at your behavior. Nothing justifies this." Ted turned and left.
Luna walked to Chyou and pulled her away toward the beach.
"You were lashing out and your core was not involved," Andromeda continued.
"I don't think I am following," Hermione was perplexed.
"Your core should have responded. You weren't in control of your emotions."
"Oh, my chipped core... Do you think it is chipping away further?" Hermione frowned a bit.
"I am not sure, but you can't keep giving Dobby magic until we figure this out, okay? I really hate telling you what to do. Circe knows enough of that is happening here. However, as a Healer, it is my duty to tell you, my patient, my professional opinion regarding your health."
"I understand. Thank you," Hermione smiled through her concern. Andromeda reminded her of her mother sometimes.
"Please let me know when your cycles restart," Andromeda reminded her.
"Yes, of course," Hermione blushed.
Queen Anord made the Gringotts close early. When Lady Chang called her to ask for assistance, she was very convincing. The Queen felt she had to pay attention to Daiyu Chang. She was really good at convincing and turning things around to make them sound like a positive for the parties she was trying to win over.
She waited by the main entrance of the intake tunnel. Her miners opened the runic vault door and Anord was shocked to see the state of the younglings. Death Eaters were disgusting.
"Your Majesty!" Daiyu bowed low. Those who were physically able followed her example.
"Lady Chang, Lord Chang, Lord Black, Mr. Lupin," Anord looked at them slowly, analyzing them. "Miners, close the entrance."
The goblins did what she requested immediately.
"What do you need?"
"Can you take care of the injured? Keep them here? Just until tomorrow," Sirius asked.
"No. I can give them an hour with our goblin healers to patch them up. Then we can move them to a business of your choice or send a few through our floo. However, they can't go to their families. It can't look like we are intervening. Only if they already have an account manager here can we send them directly," the queen replied.
"Okay, those of you whose families have an account manager to the right," Remus instructed.
"We need three strong duelists to come with us to Malfoy Manor," Sirius said almost dreading the response.
Neville stepped forward. "I just need some dittany and a pepper up."
Daiyu handed him both items. She looked proudly at Anthony who had also stepped up, "I got you... if someone can put my arm back into place, I should be just peachy to go. Lady Chang," the teen smiled. Daiyu kissed the top of his dusty head. "She's waiting for you."
"Thank you," Anthony smiled genuinely for the first time in hours.
"Anyone else?"
"Susan Bones, Lady Chang. My aunt may want to kill me for this, but I can't just not be a part of this," the witch stepped forward as Neville applied Dittany to her arm and to her waist where a gash had gone through the sweater and the other layers she wore.
"Your aunt was on the right side of history on her time. You are only following her example," Sirius smiled at her.
"You know my auntie?"
Sirius blushed slightly, "Yes, I do."
Susan looked like she wanted to get more information, but Daiyu began moving her wand intricately and Susan's clothes vanished in a cloud of white smoke, her body covered in dragonhide and armor. The same happened to all the others.
"I thought you didn't do war."
"I don't. I do financial strategy and armory and combat wear," Lady Chang winked. "Grand Pepper Ups everyone," she handed the others a vial and had one herself. "Let's go."
A/N: Thank you for reading and sorry for the cliffies! If I don't cut it like this, soon I will have 10k word chapters. My birthday was yesterday and as I have had a busier month than I expected, I wasn't able to update until now. Pardon any typos. I hope you are safe and healthy wherever you are! -Lux-