Chapter 5: The Ways Of The Malfoy's And The DA
Narcissa And Lucius Malfoy
It has been almost a week since Draco had left home in search for Harry Potter as the Dark Lord had commanded as a last chance to redeem himself and the rest of the Malfoy family and things had just not been the same ever since. She was worried sick for her son, always fearing something may happen to him. After the Dark Lord has order his torture, many Death Eater had lost respect to their name and would love to harm Draco just to get to Lucius, as many Death Eaters resented him for his failure at the Department Of Mysteries.
Each day that had gone without a sign of her son had been a torture and Bellatrix presence in her house haven't made her impatient wait any better. After she has watched Bella inflicting a great deal of pain on her son, she barely manages to tolerate her. Many times she thought of just inflicting on her the same pain she inflicted on her son, but somehow she had managed to hold herself for her son sake. Still, it was getting harder and harder when her mad sister seem to take too much pleasure on torturing children's.
Right at that moment, after hearing the screaming of the girl that was brought to their house, she was about to lose it. Her screams remain her of Draco's and she was just sick of them all. Why did she let it happen was something that had been tormenting her ever since she watched powerless as her only son screamed in agony and twisted in pain. Why? Why did she have to let something so awful to happen to him? Why she couldn't do anything to spare him for such fate? Why was her family falling apart? For the Dark Lord? Yes, he was powerful and they shared some ideals, but now what was the Dark Lord to them, to her?
"If the girl scream just one more time, I swear that Bella will taste pain too…" Narcissa said changing her destination mid-way and almost colliding with Lucius on a corner of the wide halls.
"Cissy, where are you going?" Lucius asked looking at the distressed woman and finding rage on her eyes, he took her by the arm and almost drags her to his nearby study, where he casts a Muffliato spell to make sure they will not be heard by any of the unwelcome guess on their manor.
"I can't take this anymore, Lucius! Why are we doing this? Why are we letting child's been hurt? Why we let Draco carry this burden for us? He must think we don't care for him after we let him been torture right in front of us. I swear, I have never felt more powerless and impotent in my entire life, like at the moment the Dark Lord order his punishment. He is all alone out there hunting Potter to save us all, risking his own life in the processes. We need to protect him, please Lucius… I can't let our own son to get killed!"
"I know is hard, but we didn't have any other choice. If we have intervened back then, the Dark Lord would have killed us all right there and it will be the same if we try anything against him now."
"Then what? What are we now Lucius? A bunch of cowards instead of the proud family we were before? What good been a pureblood had brought to us in the last year?! Draco was supposed to commit murder, MURDER Lucius, on one of the most powerful wizard in our world. We all knew he was going to fail, but we did nothing! And what about our home? Our sacred home in now the host for all kind of atrocities. How many times I had fear that Fenrir Greyback will end up biting Draco or any of us for that matter. For heaven's sake, you were in Askaban! Don't you see? Whatever the Dark Lord rises in power or fall, our family is doom!"
"Cissy don't said that! Once the Dark Lord comes back to power…"
"I know you fear him and to be honest so do I. I have seen his cruelty with my own eyes, but we can't keep this up. Not when it the lives of our son in danger…"
"We don't have much choice! He has us dancing on his fingers like puppets, using Draco every time he wants to get at me! I not pleased with our situation either, Narcissa. Just look at me and what I have become and you will see that this is as hard for me as it is for you. We are trap Cissy, just trap right in the middle with little chances to get out."
"Lucius Malfoy, in life there is always a way out! I will stand at my son side and do whatever it takes to save him from what we bring upon him. I think it's about time you make your own choices, whatever that will be to keep humiliating yourself under the Dark Lord rules or try to bring back this family to what it was before, I will leave it up to you." She said walking back toward the enchanted closed door, but just before she reached the handle, two arms hold her waist from her back and she felt the warm of her husband embrace for the first time in almost a year.
"I know I haven't been a good husband or a father lately, but I will stand by our family Cissy. I simply don't know how we will manage to escape from our current situation. Just promise me you won't be doing anything to put yourself in danger. I will see if I can find Draco with my resources and if that fails, I will go looking for him myself."
"Oh please do… promise me Lucius, promise me you will save our son."
"We both will, just have a little more patience. I will see if I can distract Bellatrix long enough for her to let the girl rest. That will at least stop the screaming."
"I will go with you. I owe her a lot of pain for what she did to Draco."
"No, we can't do anything to her, nor anyone else until we know Draco is safe and bring him back home, after that we make plans to free ourselves from this hell." Lucius whispers to his wife and she turned to give him a slight kiss on the lips.
"Thank you, Lucius. I wish nothing more than for us to be a family again."
"So do I Cissy, so do I. Go back to the bedroom, I will see what I can do for the girl." He said releasing her.
"I will be in Draco's bedroom for a little while…"
"Cissy…"
"I will be fine, I just miss him."
"Fine then… I will join you later, get some rest if you can, you need it for what will come. None of us has fully rested for a while now, but I hope that will end soon." Lucius said kissing the crown of her head and going out. Narcissa compose herself before leaving the study to spend some time on her son's room, wishing for his return. Behind her and completely unnoticed Nurnott, a house elf of the Malfoy manor, watched her walk away and nodded in approval. The plan seems to be falling in place little by little better than they expected, now he needed to give his young master a little more time, as he knew that Kragkor had gone out to find the master. A little distraction will do, then he will tell the young master about his parent's unexpected vow.
Draco Malfoy
The moment they Apparated inside his room back at home he knew that something was going to be wrong. Foolishly enough he had brought Harry Potter and Hermione Granger to the most dangerous place they could ever be. His house had been turned into Voldemort's base of operation after all and they were bound to find troublesome unwanted Death Eaters right and left.
It was dark inside his room, as no one was supposed to be there in the first place, but he felt that someone was watching him. He had that same feeling a while ago, but tonight it was an especially sharper feeling. He turned to look around with the small illumination coming from the moon outside the long glass windows, but with his limited sight in the darkness, he saw nothing out of place. The hand that had previously grab his was still there, small and warm, so he knew whatever presence was inside his room didn't belong to the ones he brings home. He gives Granger's hand a light squeeze before letting it go and rise his wand just in case the intruder was a hostile one.
"Lumus." Malfoy said and the room was illuminated by the pale light shining on the tip of his wand and to his horror, just a further away from him by the fireplace was no other than that Fenrir Greyback. Damn it! Why him of all people? Malfoy cursed internally and moved in front of where he thought Granger and Potter where. He couldn't be sure, as under the invisibility cloak he could not see them at all. "Greyback, why are you here in my bedroom? You are not supposed to come to this part of the manor." Malfoy said readying himself for a fight.
"Well, boy… you were not supposed to be here as well. Didn't Lord Voldemort tell you to go hunt Potter and his friends? Did you find him? I don't see him anywhere… although something smell good where you stand. Have you sidetracked and have fun with girls instead of go looking for your salvation?"
"I came to look for somethings I need for my search and what I do or not do is not of your business. You haven't answer my question, why are you here? Looking for things to steal? I assure you that Wormtail have tried exactly that way before you." He said, looking at the werewolf with hatred. Just looking at him and his smell of blood, makes him want to throw up.
"My interest lies elsewhere boy. Have you noticed? The fool moon is around the corner… and young blood taste the best. I was going to give the Lovegood a bite or two, but the mad witch is having her fun with her first. Then I thought, you are no longer in grace with Lord Voldemort. He had already ordered a punishment for you, so… I think he will not mind if I bite you… or perhaps kill you…" The words were cold and Hermione heart jumped inside her chest in a kind of fear she hasn't experience in a while for both Luna and Malfoy. She was certain now that Malfoy was telling them the truth and just by letting him going back home and insist in going with him, they have put his life in danger.
Harry was feeling the same behind her and he too ready himself for a fight. He never thought that the moment where he was willing to save Draco Malfoy will come, but things had change way too fast in just a few hours. Right now he has three things to do, keep Hermione and Luna safe while saving Malfoy if things turns for the worse. He focuses on the werewolf and wait for what will come between the two. He could tell that Malfoy was tense right in front of them and his body language speaks volumes of his desire to strike.
"You have been wanting to do that for a while now, right Greyback? I have this same feeling of been watched quite a lot before. To be honest, you scared me before, one bite and I will end up becoming a beast, just like you. Well Greyback, I'm afraid that was all in the past, I may disappoint you this time, werewolf. I'm sure you know I will not let your filthy hands or mouth touch me." To everyone's surprise, the werewolf laughed at that with all his might like he has gone mad out of the sudden.
"It seems you have grown up a little since last time, Draco. Snape had made a man out of you… too bad boy, too bad it will end now!" Fernir said and in an instant, the werewolf changed form and was coming his way, faster than Malfoy expected. The many years of transforming from human to wolf had made him change faster than anyone thought it could be possible and he was proud of it.
"Go away!" Malfoy shouted at the ones behind him while he directed a curse at the fast werewolf wordlessly. If there was something in which the beast was right, it was that he had been well trained by both Snape and Bellatrix before she decides it was more fun to curse him. Behind him both Potter and Granger acted too, casting they own spells on the zigzagging werewolf but he manages to avoid them with a little trouble.
No longer under the invisibility cloak, Hermione and Harry separate to help Malfoy and to skip the werewolf, but being back in the darkness it was proving to be harder to do each time. Curses strike right and left blasting all kinds of things as they try to hit Greyback in the semidarkness. Soon, seen himself outnumbered, the werewolf saw the glass window as his way out and seen the girl precisely on his route of escaping, he rushed faster than he had tried before and was about to jump on her with his snout open for a good bite on her throat, when Malfoy with his heart throbbing crazy with fear, used the Petrificus Totalus on the wolf who still make her fall backwards with a yell and the thing right over her.
"Hermione!" Harry yelled coming her way but Malfoy was faster than him and was at her side first.
"Granger! Are you alright?" Malfoy asked as he moved the heavy werewolf from over her, soon after Potter was at her side as well, as pale as Malfoy himself.
"Hermione… are you okay?" Harry whisper giving her a better look in the poor light of the moon and taking half of her body on his arms.
"I… I think that I'm fine…" She whispers back to the two worried guys.
"Did he bite you or scratch you somewhere?" Malfoy ask her taking the liberty to slightly touching her neck in search for injuries.
"No… he just fall on me… Malfoy, you sav…"
"What's going on here?" A new voice said and the lights were turned on. Out of impulse and adrenaline both Harry and Malfoy raised their wands to point at the newcomer and Malfoy's heart sink even farther when he saw it was none other than his mother.
"Draco? Is that them? You manage to…" She begins, but Malfoy make her stop when she moved closer, standing protectively in front of the pair with a warning on his gray eyes.
"Please don't move mother, I'm afraid we are no longer in the same side. I didn't come here to bring Potter and Granger to him. I… no, we came to take the Lovegood girl back with us." He said still pointing his wand at her. At that moment he has so many mixing feelings that for a second, his hand tremble with hesitation. Behind him Harry helped Hermione to stand up.
"Draco… have you gone mad? He will kill you for sure if he finds out you had betrayed him." Narcissa said going pale in an instant.
"I would have been killed by someone else anyways! I already have been tortured by his closed followers and just now Greyback tried to kill me, just because the Lord will no mind my death as a punishment! Do you think I will still be vowing after him waiting for the moment he thinks I'm no longer necessary?" At this Narcissa looked horrified at the petrified werewolf and gasped in understanding. She had already feared Greyback had his claws pointing at her family members and just laying there, was the proof she needed. Yes Draco was absolutely right, they no longer can keep that up and now it was the time for a change in alliance. Hers was already with her son and only him.
"Master, Bellatrix is coming this way." The house elf called Kragkor said, suddenly appearing right between mother and son.
"Go, the three of you. I will handle this myself." Harry looked at the woman open mouthed. Was she really letting them go? He had always imagined both of Malfoy's parents as unconditional to Voldemort. He would have never thought that at least one of them was willing to help their enemy escape, even if his son was the one helping them.
"Mother… I will come back when I complete my task, the task that both Dumbledore and Snape left for me…"
"Go Draco, do what you must, just promise me you will survive, promise me you will take care of yourself." She said coming closer to her son and hugging him in a warm embrace he has missed for years, her heart already aching for the coming separation for who knows how long this time.
"Go now Draco. I will erase this beast memory. You two, please keep him safe from the Dark Lord…" Narcissa pleaded to both Harry and Hermione and they unconsciously nodded in agreement, mostly because the two of them didn't expect the unlikely alliance.
"Come on Malfoy, we need to find Luna now before Bellatrix find us." Harry said moving to take his cloak back. Malfoy looked at his mother for a last time and just like Hermione, he to let Potter cover him with it. They open the door and go out under the cover of the cloak and the last thing Malfoy hear from his mother was the one thing he was going to do himself.
"Obliviate." She had said, soon after and avoiding the coming witch and the many others Death Eaters on the manor, they go down to the cell where Luna had been taken. They carefully check for others guarding the cell, but finding none. Malfoy open the lock and they rushed inside to find Luna resting in a corner and Olivander, the wand maker by her side. Luna looked paler than usual and Harry took off the cloak, revealing himself to the two surprised prisoners.
"Harry, Hermione? Draco? Wow. You all look awful…" Harry half smiled at that, as only Luna will come with something like that in such dire situation.
"So do you Luna. Are you okay?" Harry asked kneeling down at her side.
"I think so… it hurt before, quite a lot." She said sitting on the cold stone floor.
"We came as soon as we heard you were taken. It's over now Luna, you will be safe now." Hermione added smiling at the girl.
"Oh, but it's not over, right Mr. Olivander?" Luna asked to the man still by her side.
"Harry Potter… I would have never thought I will be seen you again in such a place so dangerous for you." Olivander said quite tired, he had his share of pain in that hellish place.
"Come on there is no time for chat now. We need to go now Potter, we are already in danger by staying after the attack." Malfoy interrupted with a little impatience. He wanted to leave the house as soon as possible, just in case Bellatrix decide she needed to call Voldemort.
"Why is Draco with you? Isn't him your enemy?" Luna asked and Draco fight the desire to roll his eyes. Didn't she knew the meaning of the word hurry or danger?
"Well Luna, that's kind of long story. Malfoy is right, we need to go now." Harry said wishing for her to just let herself be rescue.
"But I can't go, Harry. They have brought me here to keep my father from supporting you. If I go, he will be in danger. Our house is been watched by Death Eaters day and night." Luna said and Harry sighed, now a little tired for everything that had happened that day.
"Actually, it's better that way Lovegood. All Death Eaters knows that Potter had a hero complex. They will be expecting him to rescue your father as well, once they find out you are gone." Malfoy said and Harry give him a hard glare, while Hermione smiled and so did Luna.
"That's funny. I like you Draco." Luna said almost laughing. "So will you rescue my father too, Harry?" Luna calmly ask him a few seconds later and Harry resigned himself for another coming battle.
"Of course we will, Luna. We just need a little rest, but tomorrow morning we will see what can be done, okay?" Hermione intervened.
"Okay. By the way where is Ron?" She asked and they all tensed, but just before she could ask again Harry took her hand.
"Hermione take Olivander's, we need to go now." And after they all were ready, they vanish from the Malfoy's manor and back to their tent.
Ron
None of them knew for how long the three of them remain in silence completely lost in their own thoughts. What they have watched inside Dumbledore's memories was far beyond any of them expected. There was too much information to process in such a short among of time and far too many important things to take care of, but what had struck Ron the must was the possible death of his brother Fred. After that revelation he completely loses concentration, unable to take anything more than the intense fear he felt for what was coming in their future and judging by Ginny's expression, she was feeling the same. He knew his sister have more than Fred's death on her mind, she was worried sick about Harry too and although he would have done whatever it takes to save Harry as well, he needed to act at Hogwarts first.
"Neville, I need you to gather the DA members as soon as possible, we have a lot of things to do." Ron said snapping out of his daze.
"They are already gather Ron, come." Neville said while guiding him toward Ariana's portrait. Ron took Ginny's hand on his to reassure his sister that their family will be okay and once the portrait showed the way, they get inside the dark tunnel.
"I didn't knew this tunnel existed. It wasn't on the map, I'm sure of it." Ron commented while he looked the uneven path with the pale light of his wand.
"That's because it wasn't there before. All others paths to the outside had been sealed, but when there is a need there is a way and so here we are. Ab help us by bringing us food." Neville replies while walking by Ron's side.
"And where does it lead?" Ron asked with curiosity.
"You will see, Ron, you will see." Neville said while smiling, soon after a door open at the end of the tunnel and Ron looked down at the mass of students below. Almost all the faces where of course familiar to him and for the first time in hours, he smiled. Right below him were most of the members of the DA, which looked at him in surprise.
"Look! It's Ron Weasley!" Seamus yelled and just like a tide, the rest did too and before he knew Ron was engulfed in a sea of hugs from fellows Gryffindor's, Revenclaw's and Hufflepuff's. Obviously, there was none from Slithering.
"Now, now... come on guys, we all have tasks to perform to bring down the Dark Lord! We just got a Dumbledore's memory and some things needs to be changed here." Neville said as loud as he could to have the attention of the big group. "Now Ron, what we do first? Find the lost Hogwarts Horcrux or try to..."
"Before the Horcrux we need to find something else. The way of destroying it. We need to get inside the Chamber of Secrets." Ron said and the previously silent room bursts with exited shoots. Many had wanted to see the hidden room below the castle where the huge basilisk that petrified a few students lies dead.
"Come on guys, shut up. Harry was the one who open the chamber last time, where is Harry now? Why he isn't with you?" Seamus asked.
"Harry is hunting Horcruxed too outside the castle. We needed to look for them separately."
"Okay, then what are Horcruxed?" Someone else asked.
"Pieces of the Dark Lord soul. He dived his soul in seven parts, that's why he keeps coming back even when he should have died a long time ago. Once all Horcruxes are destroyed, he can be kill for good."
"So, one of them is here at Hogwarts?" Another asked.
"Yes, it's supposed to belong to a Hogwarts founder, the Revenclaw's founder. A tiara." Ron said looking at a group of Revenclaw's at his left.
"The tiara? Rowena Revenclaws's tiara? But Ron, that tiara had been lost for centuries! Many have search for it before, but none could find it." A Revenclaw's girl said.
"Well we know that he find it and turn it into a piece of his soul, we just need to find it again before it's too late." Ron said, determine to find the damn thing before Voldemort declare war to Hogwarts.
"Too late? Too late for what?" Seamus asked again.
"For war guys. Hogwarts will become a battlefield soon and not all of us will make it out alive. Dumbledore had shown us that black future where we all will be touched by death. Still, we have time to change it, we had been granted a second chance to prevent it from happening. Who's with me? Who will dare defying fate and save Hogwarts for a fall?" He asked looking at the members of the DA. "Who will try to do the unthinkable and bring down the Dark Lord before he can strike us back? Who I asked?!" Ron yelled to his silent audience and just like a river, the deafening sound that follows make him know that they will be ready to strike back to the previous uncertain future, that no longer will guide their destinies.
AN: Hope you like, this crazy one. Sorry for the grammatical mistakes. Thanks for reading, see you next time.
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