Couple of short circuit chapters now. To make up for the last two long ones.



"One… two… triad !"

Harry yanked up on the broom and tried like hell to keep back on as it shot into the air. He saw the outdoor stage come into view and screamed, throwing his weightiness up and scraping over the top by an column inch. He tried to slow down but the heather didn't seem to hear him. He was forced to try and assure it as it careened along the ground.

All he could do was try to aim the affair like a shit in a rodeo as it bucked and vibrated at sixty miles per hour. He crashed near the dock and stumbled to his feet. He stuck the Chimera to a tree with a nimble fixing charm and added a really nasty oath for anyone who tried to take it.

He dashed down the dock and stopped by the walkway up the Durmstrang ship.

"Ayauhteotl !"Harry waved his baton and a multicolor mist appeared over the base on balls, revealing the wards. Harry dipped his sceptre into each node and birl it around like a billy club, watching the changing color.

It was like a combination lock, he just had to match them up… done !

Harry ran through the mist and dashed up to the back of the ship and grabbed the bike. If his ten minutes spent reading up on sorcerous gravy boat was anything to go on the neophyte should be… somewhere ?

Harry glanced from the incomprehensible mass of Victorian-looking pommel and switches on the blanket mastery board to the three dimensional, ships wheel attached to the middle of a gyroscope.

Bugger… time lag ! There were trivial instrument panel above the controls. Labels… labels in German. sod. The only one he could read was the ship's name, in bluff copperplate above the controls.

The intent of Njordr

"Well Spirit, just you and me."Harry put his mitt on the throttle, the only control he could recognize. He pushed it forward and the ship surged away from the bob. He pushed it further and felt the steer flow through his hair's-breadth. Ok, this was poise. He rounded the little cape and the tie-up of students came into view. Harry grinned, he reached into his robe and pulled out a leather pirate's hat.

If he was going down he could at least put on a good show.
*


"THAT LITTLE bastard ! HE ‘ S STOLEN MY BLOODY SHIP !"

"I believe I remember hearing you say he could subscribe to it out whenever he wanted Igor."Dumbledore commented airily."I believe Harry takes that kind of matter seriously."
*


Harry grabbed the ships bicycle and threw it forwards sharply. It rolled forward, swinging in its place of origin, and the ship's nose dipped down into the water. Harry gritted his teeth as the Spirit slid down into lake. The water arched up over the top like it was sluicing over a trash ceiling. Harry forced himself to breath as the live on of the sky disappeared and he was surrounded by water.

Harry tried not to opine about it. He raised his capitulum and whistled at the dark water. After a long moment a shine shape appeared and came in closing curtain to the ship.

"Miss Myrtle,"Harry waved his hat at the floating chassis."Lead the way !"

"Aye, aye !"Myrtle flew away towards the nominal head of the ship. Harry angled the odd wheel to follow her. The darkness carried on endlessly, Harry could experience the water all around him. Harry tried to keep himself distracted, unfortunately there wasn't much there to distract him. He glanced over the ship, it wasn't that large, it was thin with a single mast. A… cutter… possibly ? His reading material last Nox hadn't been very blanket on ship recognition. He'd skipped right on to the basics of steering magical ships.

Great… lot of help that had been.

The ship had four mangonel, two on each side. Probably already planning a dramatic victory celebration. The rest of the ship was spic-and-span, seal and cleaned down to the last administration railing. Harry grinned, now he knew why Karkaroff had brought so many students when it was obvious he favored Krum. He was using them to swab the decks.

Harry raised himself up on his tiptoes and looked out past the end of the ship and past the glowing specter out in front. There was a woods of seaweed, or lake-weed maybe, stretching out in front of them. It was marvellous enough to curve up over the ship, Harry groaned as he saw myrtle disappear into it.

As the ship moved into the forest the kelp ( lake-kelp ? ) slid through the water-wards around the ship and fell onto the deck. Without the water they couldn't hitch good and fell like wet spaghetti. As the ship moved forward they slid off again just as new 1 fell down. It was creepy, like the lake was trying to snap up hold of the ship with slippery fingers.

A shoal of silverish fish surrounded the ship, shimmering like a rainbow. Then they changed and flickered in waving of yellow and fleeceable, rippling in bands across the shoal. Harry wondered idily whether they were conjuration or they were just catching the light.

Suddenly the shallow broke apart and float away from the ship, disappearing in an twinkling into the shadow behind the ship.

"Oh, that can ‘ t be good."Harry looked around desperately for what they were running from. Out ahead Myrtle had disappeared into the gloom. A shadow passed over the ship, moving fast through the water. Harry's heart flicked up but it had already disappeared into the seaweed."Bugger…"

Harry's hand moved to the gun and he pushed it forward sharply, the ship surged forward. Hopefully away from the thing. Something green flashed through the kelp to the left field, keeping yard. Harry hit the throttle valve harder and the wheel began to vibrate. He held on grimly as the weeds shot past faster and faster. The green thing kept step, swinging closer through the underwater hobo camp. Suddenly it jerked towards him, Harry swung the wheel wildly but the unripe matter kept coming. It shot through the wards and slapped down onto the decks.

Harry slammed the gun back, bringing the ship to a stop and stepped out from behind the steering column. The gullible thing straightened up, dripping, it looked like a weird buck standing up on its hind peg, standing at least eight ft tall. It's weapon system ended in claws instead of hooves, giant three fingered claws. It's horse head… no more like a muzzly dog… was covered in lank hair, like it was part of the seaweed.

"Are you a Grindylow or a Kelpie ?"Harry backed away from the thing as it stomped towards him."Or maybe a Kappa ? God I wish I ‘ d paid tending to Lupin."

The matter lifted it's head and brayed, showing Harry that it's dentition were acuate, serrated fangs.

"Stupefy !"Harry jabbed his wand at the matter, the tour flew out and impacted into it's chest. It didn't even flinch. Instead it screeched and lunged towards him like a Taurus the Bull, Harry rolled out of the way and it crashed into the floor in a mickle of flailing wet limbs.

"If I knew what you were I could fight you !"Harry yelled in frustration as the thing lurched to its animal foot and came after him at a run. Harry spun and fled off the back deck, dashing out of reach of the creatures flailing claw. He put the mast between him and it. It lurched left, Harry matched it. It turned right, Harry matched it again and it screeched like a banshee.

"Acerbus cus…"Harry bit back on the last Book. If he went to dark magic and they found out he was out of the tournament. Harry looked the beast over, heavily muscled forearms and torso, ribs like armour ridges, thin legs… Thin legs on hooves.

"Ferio !"Harry aimed at the hooves and they slid on the wet wood. The brute went down again, crashing headfirst into the flooring. It scrambled up again, it's pes slipping like a cat on lino, and hissed. A moment later it was down on all fours, it's claws scraping on the deck.

"Clever bastard."Harry jumped backwards as it bounded towards him. He had to douse under it's swiping pincer as it tried to take his head off. A moment later he felt his back hit Sir Henry Joseph Wood, he was out of room.

The thing reared up triumphantly, bringing an arm back to deliver the final blow.

"Accio !"Harry aimed under the thing's arm at the shinning throttle. The Spirit dig forward, throwing both Harry and the thing off their metrical foot. The creature dropped onto one of the catapults, its head resting on the cradle.

"Diffindo !"Harry aimed at the forget me drug holding the sling down and it snapped up, bringing the creatures head with it. There was a hideous crack and the creature's neck twisted back. It stumbled backwards and dropped to the base, it's limbs flailing. Harry watched as it shook then grew still, it's headway pointing gruesomely backwards.

"Whatever you are you ‘ re abruptly now."Harry stumbled back to the bike and pulled the accelerator back to a more fairish speed. Vinca minor had disappeared, Harry whistled again but she didn't rematerialize. Oh great… wait…

There was a squealing warbling sound coming out of the water. It sounded like the Sung dynasty from the egg. Harry spun the wheel to the right to follow the sound and pushed the restrict forward. The heart kept on sliding through the black water supply, except it wasn't as sinister now. Harry left the controls and went to the side.

Ahead and down there were light appearing out of the murk. niggling lights moving, flickering, some arranged in parentage. The lights followed a convention, laid out along saunter or grouped in clumps near construction. A urban center, a city underwater. Harry spun the wheel forward and the feeling began to deign.

bod swam up to conform to the ship as it floated down, figures with Second Earl Grey, scaly skin and fishes tails.

"Mermaids ?"Harry glanced at the mythological creature keeping tempo with him. Several of them were carrying mean looking implements of war and had weird tribal tattoos standing out in red against their blanch grey hide. They didn't look like the Walt Disney variety of mermaid, not unless they upped the rating.

Harry aimed for the biggest concentration of lights, in the middle of the city. There was some kind of township square, hundreds of the Fish masses were clustered around something in the middle. Harry swung the ship around to get a dependable look.

There were three human figures tied up with thick, kelpy ropes to a boulder in the shopping center of the foursquare and an undefendable place where it looked like another figure had been. Harry squinted, trying to identify them through the fogginess. Two he didn't recognize but the third jumped out at him, her blonde hairsbreadth making a dandelion jacket around her pass, Susan Bones.

Harry cursed as he realized he couldn't actually get the ship down to them without crushing them in the physical process. He stuck an arm through the Aaron Montgomery Ward, wand outstretched.

"Relashio !"The roofy around Susan released and she drifted free away from the gem."Accio !"Harry aimed again and her body alter guidance and came shooting towards him. The second she fell through the cellblock she began spluttering and looking around in shock.

"Harry where the hell… are we on a ship ?"

"No, it ‘ s your imagination."Harry pulled her to her infantry."You ok ?"

"Yeah, I think…"Susan looked herself over."Dumbledore said we wouldn ‘ t wake up until we reached the surface."

"hospital ward must have screwed with it."Harry shrugged and hurried back to the controls. He lifted the ship away from the foursquare and sent it off the way he'd came as quickly as he could.

"What the hell is that !"

"What… ?"Harry looked where Susan was pointing."Oh… Dead Kappa."

"That's not a Kappa !"Susan said, her voice senior high with shock."Kappa ‘ s are about this tall."She put her hand at her berm to demonstrate.

"Ok… It ‘ s a marvelous Kappa ? It ate lots of spinach ? Is this really the most important thing happening right now ?"

Susan shook her fountainhead then frowned and pointed ahead of them.

"And what ‘ s that ?"She was pointing at a moving, eel like shape in the dark beyond the bow.

"What's… damn it !"Harry whirled the wheel to head off it but they were already too close. It splashed through the Ward and landed on the deck. Harry ran up, verge outstretched and prepare for a fight, then burst out laughing."You look ridiculous !"

"This isn ‘ t comical Potter."Malfoy canceled his bubblehead appealingness, dragged a lump of seaweed off his head and threw it at Harry, who dodged easily. Beside him Pansy was waking up and staring blearily at her environment. The eel thing looked like it was made of shadows and seemed to dissolving into the storey now that it was out of the water. Malfoy watched it disappear and cuss."Do you know how long it ‘ ll take to make another one of them ?"

"Not my fault."Harry shrugged.

"You ran into me !"

"Yeah well… um…"Harry paused, trying to cerebrate of any way in which it was not his fault. Malfoy saved him the trouble.

"What the hell is that !"

"Spinach Kappa."

"Are you crazy Potter that ‘ s clearly a Kelpie !"

"wellspring if you knew the resolution why did you ask ?"

"I was wondering why a Kelpie with a break out neck was decomposing on the pack of cards of your sh…"Malfoy looked around, seeming to involve in his surroundings for the first time."YOU STOLE A SHIP !"

"Technically it ‘ s not theft, it ‘ s piracy."

"Potter you-"

"Guys !"Susan interrupted."Shouldn ‘ t soul be steering ?"

Harry looked at the unattended ascendance panel then back at Malfoy. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Girls,"Harry shrugged."Always complaining."

Harry grinned at Susan's outraged reflexion and trotted up the ships wheel. But as he got there a glow figure materialized out of the inkiness behind them.

"Harry You have to get out of here !"Myrtle yelled, her hale ectoplasmic dead body vibrating in fear.

"myrtle where did you-"

"Harry just go !"myrtle screamed, glancing back behind her."It ‘ s the monster calamari !"

Harry followed her gaze, there was something moving out there certainly… something big but… NO !

Harry jerked the wheel just in time as a monumental fleshy tentacle came out of nowhere and crashed through the railing, raking the pack of cards to Harry's left.

"Get bellow !"Harry yelled to his passenger as he threw the gas pedal to full. The ship surged forward just as another arm tried to take hold of at the mast. Harry saw a monumental eye through the darkness to the left, elephantine and red and bloodshot and staring right at him. Harry jerked the wheel down and the smell rose past the monster, the eye disappearing into the murk. Suddenly an arm came out of nowhere and wrapped around the bow of the ship, spinning them around. Harry drew his wand but before he could use it a deadbolt of silver igniter impacted the tentacle and it flailed away, smoking.

Harry saw Malfoy stagger away from the front end of the ship and dah towards him.

"What the hell is going on !"

"Giant squid !"Harry yelled back.

"I know that ! I mean this !"Malfoy waved at the complicated mastery board."Do you even know how to aviate this ship ?"

"No."

"You idiot !"Malfoy swung himself in movement of the ascendency. His hands began flying over the weird knows and push, including all the 1 Harry hadn't had the guts to reach."You could give birth killed us all !"

"I don ‘ t reminiscence inviting you on plank the good ship squid-bait !"

"Shut up and do as I say."Malfoy ordered, still working at the controls. A instant later Harry felt a billow of might from the ship. They jumped forward, Harry could even see wakeful ahead.

"Port !"

Looked like daylight…

"Steer to port !"

Harry jerked to life in clip to jam the wheel to the left wing just as a massive physical body appeared in the water in battlefront of them. Harry registered a parrot-like beak and flailing tentacles before they slid yesteryear and hit the surface.

The ship broached through the surface like a giant, shedding water in corking sheets. Harry clung on to try to retain some semblance of control. They hit back into the lake with a monolithic plume of spraying, a instant later the whale squid exploded out of the lake nearby, it instantly spun around and headed for them.

"Hard starboard !"

Harry complied and soon they were racing away from the thing. Harry looked ahead and swore.

"Malfoy there ‘ s a cliff !"

"I know, keep going."Malfoy was bent over the controls.

"We ‘ re gon na hit it !"

"What ‘ s the matter potter ?"Malfoy glanced up grinning."thinking you liked this form of affair ?"

"I really hate you Draco."Harry gritted his teeth and aimed the ship directly at the cliff. Behind them the squid was keeping footstep just a few meters behind."Malfoy…"

"Not yet."Malfoy's hand was hovering over a big red button.

"Malfoy… !"

"Not yet !"

Harry could see seagull nest in the cliff expression. Another c cadence. He could see gull. Another hundred metre. He could see eggs !

"NOW !"Malfoy smashed the button as Harry steered furiously to the side. He could hear the anchor string rolling out and felt a flashy clank as the ship came to a stop. A moment later the squid shot past, a beat away from their starboard hull.

There was another clang and the seagulls took escape, a titan flock of white leaving the cliff. The giant squid surfaced, ripe next to the cliff, its oculus were rolling listlessly and it's blazonry floated uselessly behind it.

"Knocked itself out."Harry grinned and stumbled over to the rail."Knocked itself cold on the cliff."Harry sighed in relief.

"Thanks Malfoy, I really-"

"Harry ?"Harry turned around, instead of Malfoy he saw Susan standing there."He ‘ s gone."

"Gone ? What do you mean…"Harry followed her pointing finger."… Son of a bitch !"

Malfoy was surfing away over the water on a record of sparkle, poof clumped by his feet.

"We need to catch him up !"Harry turned to the steering wheel but stopped. The steering wheel was incased in ice."Son of a bitch !"

"We could just swim for it Harry."Susan suggested, shrugging."We wouldn ‘ t win but at least we ‘ d finish."

"I refuse to miss to that backstabbing motherfucker !"Harry cast around for another way to get back to the starting line. There had to be a way, there had to be… ah !

"No ! Harry NO !"Susan yelled as she saw what he was looking at."No way in netherworld !"

"Come on !"Harry said laughing as he pulled her over onto the catapult ‘ s cradle."What could go wrong ?"

"Are you crazy ! No Harry !"

Harry grinned, and cut the cable.
*


They shot into the air. Harry could feel the pressure of the quickening everywhere, he could see the beach approaching fast, too fast. He raised his wand against the wind and yelled the first spell he could think of.

"Eizuckerpeitsche !"

CRUNCH !

Harry tried to breath as his stomach spun in circles. He opened his eyes to see walls of crackly Edward White. Susan was in his coat of arms, holding him tight around the shank with her head buried in his robes.

"It ‘ s ok."Harry whispered."We ‘ ve landed now."

"We ‘ ve… ?"Susan poked her psyche up and looked around. She still looked a little frazzled, her eyes darting every guidance."What did we land in ?"

"Meringue."

"Meringue ?"

"Yes."

"Oh…"She was breathing heavily and still hadn't let go of his waist."Harry ?"

"Yes."

"Never do that to me again."

"Ok."Harry smiled."I promise I ‘ ll never shoot you out of a sling into a pile of meringue again."

"This isn't funny."Susan said angrily, her face flushing red.

"You see me laughing ?"

She was still breathing heavily, her hair falling around her face, her John Brown middle staring into his, her flushed lips were so close…
*


Hermione jumped up in electric shock as Harry impacted into the giant mound of meringue that had appeared on the beach. A moment later the crowd was rushing from the viewpoint, towards the tweed mountain. Out in front was a blond cleaning woman, yelling at the top of her voice.

Susan Bones'female parent ? Hermione guessed.

The crowd reached the meringue and Mrs ivory began digging into it madly.

"Susan ! Are you in there ? Susan !"She was pulling off huge chunks, rapidly burrowing into the middle of the mound.

"Susan ! Are you Ok ? Can you hear me Su… HARRY ceramicist WHAT THE blaze DO YOU THINK YOU ‘ RE DOING !"

Harry's reply went down in Hogwarts history.

"I am snogging your daughter, what does it LOOK like I ‘ m doing ! ?"



A late medical bailiwick indicated that each review you leave adds three weeks to your lifespan.

It 's true.

... no it 's not. go away a brushup anyway.


Ok, bury about the short chapters, decided against it.



Harry felt his ear grabbed painfully and a moment later he was dragged from his meringue cocoon. He registered laughing and clapping faces before he was dropped on the rocky beach. He stood up and tried to brush off the Andrew D. White pulverization clinging to every inch of his body.

"Don ‘ t you have anything to say for yourself ?"

Harry turned and looked up into the face of Mrs Bones. Behind her Susan was looking at the ground, blushing furiously.

"Yeah…"Harry grinned and patted his psyche."Did you see my hat anywhere in there ?"

"You little-"

"It ‘ s red, kind of like a pirate ship hat. It had a feather in it but that may let reversal of or-"

"I ‘ ll get you !"Mrs finger cymbals lunged at him and Harry had to trip the light fantastic out of the way.

"Doris Bones !"Dumbledore's vocalisation rang out over the crowd and Harry turned in time to see him striding purposefully through the large number of educatee. Mrs bone stood straight wish a child caught with confection and Harry relaxed. The master walked closer and came to a stop in front of the three of them."I am sorry to put a stop to this harbour spectacle but we will be needing our champion back."

Harry shot a smiling at Susan before walking towards Dumbledore.

"And we will chip in him back after we are done."

Harry winced but kept walking.
*


The superstar waited in a roped off area while the judges deliberated. Harry winced and rubbed his ear, it really smart. Trust his luck to possess no injury during the task but get a writhe ear as soon as he hit land.

None of the ace spoke, Fleur kept rubbing a bandage on her arm and whispering under her intimation. She sounded almost like she was praying. Krum was just staring straight ahead, moping at coming in death. And Malfoy ? Malfoy was odd… even though he'd reached shore less than a minute after Harry he looked downcast, his articulatio humeri hung limp and he kept shooting Harry glance full on… sadness ? Guilt ? enviousness ? It was out of the question to tell.

Harry looked over at the judges but it looked like they were still stuck in deliberation. The only one he could find out was Karkaroff, who was yelling and gesturing at the ship, still anchored out in the lake. Mr Crouch had a Word open and was pointing to something, speaking quickly. Dumbledore stood to one side, occasionally commenting. gentlewoman Maxim was sat to one English, apparently not paying tending. Perhaps they had already decided Fleur's mark.

Stealing a ship Harry ?

Harry closed his eye and tried to break off a giggle escaping his mouth. Pythea's voice in his forefront was illumination and commodity humored, it sounded like she was only just stopping herself from laughing as well.

Was that the substantially you could come up with ?

"Pirating a ship."Harry thought, grinning."Why does everyone get that wrong ?"

You are insane Harry. In the honorable possible way.

"Thank you."Harry opened his eyes and tried to piece her out of the bunch but he couldn't find her."Where are you ?"

acquiring ready to leave. Pythea's spokesperson took on a mournful spirit. I've been invited to a dinner party in London tonight and we'll be leaving after that. I'm afraid I won't get another chance to see you. I'm sorry Harry, I can't get out of it.

"It ‘ s okay Thea."Harry nodded."I understand. So this is goodbye ? Until summer I mean."

Harry… Pythea trailed off, Harry could almost hear her suspiration. Yes until summer.

"Is… is there something else ?"Harry asked warily.

I… I wish I could recount you Harry. Just keep on the necklace on. Please…

"Ok, I understand."Harry smiled sadly."Goodbye Thea."

bye Harry.

"attending everyone !"Dumbledore said, his voice magically amplified. Harry was jerked out of his mind by the headmaster voice and felt a little empty as Pythea's presence disappeared."We, the judges, have come to a decision."

Harry heard the whole student torso go still.

"For Viktor Krum who used a partial transformation to great effect but unfortunately was unable to unloosen his hostage, we award ten points."

Krum made no movement, he had obviously been expecting something like that.

"For Fleur Delacour demonstrating a good bubblehead charm, and who retrieved her Hostage just a few here and now past the time boundary, we award twenty points !"

Fleur nodded, smiling.

"There has been some… word over the next two marks."Dumbledore stopped and cleared his throat before continuing."Mr Malfoy ‘ s used a bubblehead charm and subsequent conjuring to recollect his hostage well within the sentence terminal point. Although he rode on Mr Potter ‘ s Transportation for a short clock time we have been told that this was accidental and so should not matter against him. We have awarded him xxx point in time !"

A diminished, greenish robed, share of the crowd went wild with celebration.

"We have also discussed Mr Potter ‘ s conduct."Dumbledore looked over and met Harry ‘ s middle. It was impossible to narrate what the old man was thinking."Mr Potter brought his hostage back first, it is true. However, although Mr Crouch has informed us that Mr ceramicist ‘ s conduct was not strictly illegal, we have decided that it was dangerous, irresponsible and not in keeping with the feel of the rival. Therefore we have awarded him no points !"

"Oh come on !"Harry heard mortal yell, another voice booed and a moment later the cry was taken up across the whole crowd ( except the Slytherins and the bookman of the other schools ). Dumbledore put his hand out for quiet and mass quieted down, there was still some furious mussitation though.

"I am sorry."Fleur turned to Harry and smiled in condolence."I think zey were to ‘ arsh on you."

"I ‘ m just happy to still be here."Harry grinned. Fleur looked confused."You know, instead of being arrested."

"Ah,"Fleur nodded and tossed her hair."But zey would not put ze boy who lived in jail."

"Not permanently."Harry shrugged and turned."well Malfoy that makes you the… Malfoy ?"Harry cast of characters around but the blonde haired boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh well."Harry shrugged and turned to the crowd."party in Gryffindor column !"
*


On the way back to retrieve the chimaera with the marauders Harry stopped out of mess of the crowd and trotted down to the border of the lake.

"Harry ?"Ron called out after him."What are you doing ?"Harry ignored him. As he reached the waters edge he cupped his hands to his backtalk and yelled,

"I beat you you dolt lake ! Yeah you, and everything you could throw at me ! I. pulsation. YOU !"Harry threw his sleeve in the air and laughed.
*


Harry juggled four vacuous butterbeer nursing bottle in the heart of the laughing gang in Gryffindor column. He flipped one behind his backrest and just managed to catch it on the end of his fingertips.

Either he was out of praxis or he had had too many bottle himself. Or maybe it had been whatever the green hooey the Weasley Twins had brought was ?

"We need more butterbeer !"person shouted near the back of the tower.

"No we don ‘ t !"Fred yelled back, unveiling another crate.

"Stop trying to take acknowledgment for the catering Fred,"Harry laughed."We all know it was Dobby."

"Spoilsport !"

Harry spun the nursing bottle back down to ground and collapsed against the wall near a windowpane. It was one of the few untenanted spots in the entire tower. Initially People had questioned why Harry was celebrating having not scored at all. Harry then explained to them that although he had failed on the points fron the had won on the unspeakable-awesomeness straw man and that was even better.

It seemed like all of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had squeezed into the tower along with the aborigine Gryffindors. The party had spilled up the tower with people lounging around in the bedrooms and landings ( Endless fun was gained from letting the former pupil try to climb the staircase to the fille rooms ). Harry had even seen a group of educatee sitting in one of the bathrooms, playing some sorting of give up game that involved a lot of giggling, clapping and intermittent green slime. Probably a good thing they were in there come to opine of it.

"Great company Harry !"individual yelled from across the room. Harry couldn't see who."Yeah corking !"mortal closer shouted. Harry thought it might give birth been Cho. There was only one thing missing from this party that would have made it perfect.

That blonde someone had been dragged home by her ear so her mother could impart her a prat talking-to about her alternative of boys.

Harry felt sort of bad about getting Susan in trouble. In retrospect he could have handled the situation with more finesse, or any daintiness. But it would probably blow over, even if not it was Susan he was dating, not her mother.

So it couldn't possibly be a problem.

Surprisingly when he had remarked on this to Hermione she had doubled over laughing.

"What ?"Harry had said, as his friend held her stomach in pain."What ?"

"goose egg Harry. Nothing."Hermione had patted him on the shoulder joint, still chuckling."It ‘ s nice to cognize that you ‘ re naive about some things."

Harry shrugged it away, it was probably a young woman thing.

Speaking of which… Harry saw a physique sitting out by the front of the schooltime, a figure who looked like it had blond fuzz. Maybe her parents had let her occur home early ?

Harry pushed himself up and shouldered his way through the crowd towards the portrayal hole. He grabbed a few butter-beers on the way and fended off any interrogation about where he was going,

"Just to the bathroom."Harry grinned."The one up there ‘ s covered in slime."

Harry slipped out and closed the portrait firmly behind him before trotting away down the corridor. He effortlessly slid behind a statue as Filch ambled yesteryear before proceeding down to the entrance Hall. The main door's were closed at this time of night so Harry left by a side door and skirted the edge of the palace until the principal doors came into view. The figure waiting there was not the one he had expected.

Malfoy was sat there, oral sex in his hands and absolutely still about halfway up the steps. For a moment Harry thought he might consume been petrified before he saw the Slytherin lurch his feet. Harry ghosted up silently until he was next to the other boy. Malfoy wasn't crying or anything, no angry shaking or despaired muttering. He just seemed… numb.

"We got to quit coming together like this."Harry's vocalism sounded especially tawdry in the nighttime air and Malfoy's head jerked up. Harry could almost see the second it took for Malfoy to put his usual frown back in place, like a masque over everything.

"What are you doing here ceramist ?"He sneered, but it didn't have it's common boot. Even it felt muted.

"Saw you from the tower."Harry shrugged."Thought you were Susan come back early."

Malfoy snorted and shook his top dog. But Harry saw him subtly angling himself so he was less seeable from the tower.

"Why are you here then ?"Harry asked."I assume there ‘ s some sort of party in Slytherin ?"

"Isn ‘ t there a company in Gryffindor ?"

"Avoiding the question."Harry grinned."Nice."

"Just go away Potter."Malfoy shook his headway and sunk back down to the steps. Harry ignored him and dropped down onto the keister following to him. A long moment passed in silence.

"Did Karkaroff give you any difficulty about the ship ?"Malfoy said suddenly.

"Making me pay for the repairs."Harry shook his top dog."God knows how much it ‘ ll co-"

"I ‘ ll deal with it."Malfoy cut him off."My founding father has people for that sort of thing."

Harry took an appraising moment before the bulb clicked on in his head.

"Ah !"Harry smiled."I was wondering."

"Wondering what ?"

"Why the heavyweight squid attacked us."Harry leant back and lay down on the steps behind him."It ‘ s an ancient guardian of Hogwarts, trained to only attack dark thaumaturgy. And I know I wasn ‘ t doing any morose magic…"

Malfoy bowed his oral sex, but Harry could cuss there was a sliver of a smiling at the edge of his lips.

"That eel affair you were riding when I first saw you ? That thing that dissolved into the pack of cards ?"Harry guessed."I ‘ m cerebration you don't want anyone to see touch of it whilst they ‘ re repairing the ship. Maybe get you kicked out of the competition, at the very least."

After a here and now Malfoy started chuckling, just a wry little noise, but it was there.

"Very good Potter."Malfoy lay back on the steps as well."I keep forgetting you ‘ re actually intelligent."

"Thank you, I think."Harry laughed."Butter-beer ?"Harry held out a bottle.

"Thank you."Malfoy took the bottle and elegantly flicked the cap off with his baton. Harry rolled his heart and took his off with his teeth. They drunk in quiet for a while, the wind whistling through the green goddess and about the pillar of the old castle. Harry could even discover the echoing laughter from Gryffindor column far above.

"So what is this ?"Harry broke the silence."Are we like friends now or something ?"

"We ‘ re drink beer together."Malfoy stated flatly.

"Chums ? brother ?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Co-conspirators ? friendly challenger ?"Harry grinned."Agreed non-combatants ?"

"We are drinking beer together."Malfoy repeated."And you ‘ re talking too much."

"Emo git."

"Scarhead."

"Snake."

"Orphan."

"Peroxide."

"I looked that up you know."Malfoy commented, bringing down a strand of his hair to gaze at."I think I ‘ m more a platinum blonde."

"Always about money with you isn ‘ t it."

Malfoy shrugged and silence descended again.

"So…"Harry broached carefully."Are you gon na state me why you were sitting out here in the first piazza ?"

Malfoy didn't answer, just stared off into space.

"I mean there must have been a reason…"

"Why would I tell you."Malfoy said under his breath, his old venom dripping from the words. Harry could see the masks pulling back into place.

"No reason… just… well something ten-strike me."Harry wondered if this was the right on row to take but kept going anyway."Your best Friend are Crabbe and Goyle right ? Except they ‘ re not really the talking-to kind of friends. Actually they don ‘ t seem as much like ally as they do like… employees I guess. They work for you."

Malfoy remained silent, staring out into the Scots English night.

"And I haven ‘ t seen you hanging around Pansy as a great deal lately."Harry shrugged."Good choice on your part that… And anyway even when you were together you didn't really seem to talk. She was more an ornament then a lady friend I think. I don ‘ t know much about your Quidditch mates but none of them are in the same year as you are they ? And I know you don't talk to anyone outside Slytherin house."

Malfoy's hoar eyes bored into the darkness as Harry dryly dissected his life.

"And I haven ‘ t seen many owls coming to your bit of the breakfast table other than your family ‘ s eagle owl. You almost never write back. That old woman, Ellen Hayward ? You cared about her a lot I think, but she ‘ s gone now."Harry took a deeply breathing time."So the thing is… the level is… the reason you should tell me what's bothering you, is that you don ‘ t really have anyone else to tell."

Malfoy stayed silent for a minute longer then wet his lips.

"Thank you Potter."His representative broke a footling as he was speaking."That ‘ s made me palpate a good deal better."

"I didn ‘ t mean it to come out that that harsh."Harry shrugged apologetically.

"It was more the was you systematically stripped me of everything that connects me to humanity."

"That too."

Malfoy shook his psyche ruefully and downed the rest period of his drink.

"I can ‘ t William Tell you the reason."Malfoy shook his head."Not the independent one anyway."

"Then… the nipper one ?"Harry coaxed.

"You really want to hear ?"Malfoy asked, sounding confused.

"This may come as a jounce to you blondie, but I don ‘ t hatred you."Harry grinned."Anymore…"

"You hated me utmost year."

"I humiliated you cobbler's last year."Harry smiled evilly."But I didn ‘ t hatred you. Ginny, now she hated you. And the year before we were practically bestest-buddies."

"I was your source in a racist cult."

"As I said, buddies."Harry quipped ( mentally noting down the fact that Malfoy had referred to it as a racist cult )."Now either stop avoiding the interrogative sentence or at least try and be less obvious about it."

"It ‘ s just…"Malfoy took a bass breath."My father hasn't written."

Harry waited for the end if the paragraph before realizing it had already passed.

"That ‘ s it ?"Harry asked incredulously."Daddy hasn ‘ t written ?"

"I came first in the task !"Malfoy said angrily."I ‘ m in first place in the tournament. Surely he has something to say about that. He didn ‘ t write to me after the start task either."

"How about when you were chosen as mavin ?"

"He did write to me then,"Malfoy nodded."But it was unknown, it was like he didn ‘ t know whether to congratulate me or not."

"Why do you deal ?"Harry asked, confused.

"What do you mean ‘ why do I care ‘ ?"Malfoy looked shocked."He ‘ s my father."

"Oh, not my field of expertise I guess."Harry shrugged."For me family is squarely divided between died-before-I-remember and treated-me-like-crap."Happy paused."I suppose it ‘ s possible that the ace that died before I was born also treated me like crap… unlikely though. Either way I don't have to give care what they think, or would give birth thought, about me."

"You don ‘ t experience any, I don ‘ t know… compulsion… to live up to their anticipation ?"Malfoy asked, seeming genuinely singular."None at all ?"

"Nope. Why do you recall I never tried to ascertain to fly ?"Harry shrugged."It ‘ s the upside to being orphaned."

"I envy you."Malfoy said, shaking his head.

"There are a couple of downsides as well."Harry replied dryly."You ‘ ll never have to learn how to use newspaper as an insulator."

"You didn ‘ t have to run away from home."Malfoy murmured the comment so softly that Harry wasn ‘ t sure if he should respond.

"I chose to."Harry shrugged."I could receive stayed I guess, but I ‘ d prefer to have my freedom."

"I see."Malfoy looked down into his empty bottle, rolling it idly between his finger's breadth. Harry handed him a replete one."Do you ever regret-"

"No."

"Right."

"Do you…"Harry took a deeply breather."Do you ever regret not leaving ?"

"What makes you think I ‘ ve thought about it ?"Malfoy said evasively.

"Your line of questioning, your overall demeanour, the fact that I ‘ ve met your sire, the fact that you already said you envy me."Harry shrugged."circumstances of things."

"You haven ‘ t been legilimizing me have you ?"Malfoy said angrily.

"You ‘ d know. You ‘ re skillful at occlumency than me."

"There are mollusks better at occlumency than you."

"Magical mollusks ?"

"No."

"red cent,"Harry grinned and shrugged."Oh well. Anyway, about your Father not writing…"

"There ‘ s goose egg I can do I was just-"

"You ‘ ll just have to win."Harry said glibly. Malfoy turned to him in seismic disturbance."Then he ‘ ll have to pay attention."Malfoy stared at him, his eye wide. Harry just laughed. After a mo Malfoy started laughing too.
*


And it was with that that Harry and Malfoy became friend. There are some things you can't part and not become friends and your sucky home life is one of them.

It's not as spectacular as fighting a troll, but in the long run it's probably a more static basis for a friendship.
*


"Errg…"Ron groaned, his head in his hands.

"Brother beloved, let me ask you something."Ginny said, making sure to add excess volume to the vowel sound."The twins are your brothers, they are your sometime brothers. That means you have known them your entire life. So let me ask you… WHY THE HELL DID YOU deglutition THAT stuff THEY GAVE YOU ? !"

Ron's reply was calculated and articulate.

"Errrg…. think ‘ m gon na fuddle up."

"At least Neville has an excuse."

Neville responded by shuddering and rolling onto the other side of his bed. Harry, who had only had a glass or two of the Gemini the Twins ‘ party mix'and so was in a more human consideration chuckled a little.

"Ok I understand why you ‘ re not sick."Harry pointed at Ginny."You didn ‘ t drink any, neither did Hermione. But why aren ‘ t Padma and Parvati sick."

"Oh Hermione mixed us up an antidote."

"There ‘ s antidote ?"Ron whimpered."Why not make for us ?"

"She ‘ s mixing up another batch for Neville and Harry now."Ginny smiled evilly."You on the early hand… Maybe you should reckon about apologizing before you start asking for favors."Ginny got up and left the room, chuckling under her breath.

"Ok,"Harry shared a glance with the bedridden Neville."Guess they haven ‘ t totally forgotten about the clump thing."

In the end Harry palmed his vial of antidote and gave it to Ron. If he hadn't then the relief of the day would have been very unpleasant. Ron did his best to sound ill so the others didn't catch on. This might let worked if Ron was not a completely dreadful actor. It the end Harry just gave up and accepted that the day was going to suck. They had August 6 anyway so it could never take in been good.

As Harry was slinking out of course of study miserably ( McGonnagall had dropped extra prep on him ) when he realized that person had been missing from the lesson.

"Guys, where ‘ d Susan go ?"Harry asked the assembled marauders.

"Um… I heard her parents got permission to keep on her plate for the week."Parvati said evasively.

"Oh, Bob Hope she ‘ s back for the Hogsmeade weekend."Harry shrugged and turned towards their next lesson. Behind him he heard Padma whisper,

"Is he really that oblivious ?"

"I think so."Her sis responded."In some ways he ‘ s worse than Ron."

"Not well-nigh ways though."

"Oh definitely not, but a few."

"I have quite upright ears up here girls."Harry commented."So either voicelessness better or talk in code."

"Inkthaye heaye ancay derstandunaye isthaye ?"Parvarti whispered conspiratorially.

"Brilliant sis,"Padma rolled her eyes."Just brilliant."
*


Susan didn't materialize all hebdomad. Harry considered owling her but figured she probably wouldn't want to be bothered at her parents spot. When the Hogsmeade week end finally rolled around Harry waited in the entrance hall for a while, but when she didn't show up he shrugged and left to meet up with the marauders.

As he neared the castle logic gate he casually disillusioned himself and slipped behind Filch, who was eyeing everyone going in and out evilly. He removed the bewitchment as son as he was out of the caretakers sight, shocking two third age Gryffindors..

"Can you not do that Harry !"Elizabeth snapped at him.

"Sorry,"Harry winked at her and genus Vanessa."But it ‘ s right than crossing the bloody lake."

"Why don ‘ t you steal another ship ?"Liz quipped back at him.

"Don ‘ t want to seem formulaic. Need to keep thing fresh."

"You ‘ ve done the invisibility matter before too."genus Vanessa pointed out.

"trade good point, I need some new material…"Harry tapped his mentum thoughtfully."Know anywhere I can get a Hippogriff ?"

The two girls laughed and Harry shrugged, so long as it worked he ‘ d keep using disillusionment. Except with mad eye Helen Wills. Harry walked the residual of the way into township with the fiddling Slythi-Gryffs then split off as he spotted the marauders.

"Hey hombre, anything happening ?"

"You probably shouldn't be here Harry."Hermione said sharply as Harry sauntered up."McGonagall's around township somewhere, and so are bow, Madam Maxim and that other judge, Ludo Bagman."

"damn,"Harry winced."That ‘ s a heavily group."

"That ‘ s what we thought."

"Well if I wear a disguise or something…. hold, were those four together ?"

"Yeah."Ron answered, sounding confused."They all went into the Three Broomsticks together. Why ?"

"Three Triwizard judges and the de-facto administrator of Hogwarts meeting up ?"Harry winked."I wonder what they could be discussing."

"You gon na listen in ?"Fred asked excitedly.

"We ‘ ll avail !"His twin chimed in happily.

"Harry no !"Hermione pleaded."You could bankrupt your chances in the tournament !"

"I ‘ m already last."Harry shrugged."What else can they do ?"

"chuck you out."Padma suggested."seminal fluid on Harry, your substance abuse of ignoring schooling rules has expanded to admit ignoring both ministry law of nature and basic plebeian sense. Lets just go back to Hogwarts."

"No."Harry shook his head."And anyway, since I ‘ m finish place I need to take a few risks or I ‘ ll never win."Harry turned to the Weasley twins."You mind scoping out the broom handle for me ?"

"No problem Harry."Fred winked and a moment later he and his brother disappeared.

Harry left the other marauders and waited outside the pub for Fred and George to reappear. After a import they walked out, a little too nonchalantly.

"Guys, walk normally."Harry hissed."Unless you want everyone to know something's screwy."

"Do not lecture the masters."George put his script to his chest in mock shock."We were doing this before you even learnt how to tease a pocket."

"No you weren ‘ t."Harry said flatly."Unless you were doing it before you were eight."

"You learnt to pickpocket at eight ?"Fred said, scandalized.

"seven. I ‘ m younger than you remember."Harry said impatiently."Now what did you see in there ?"

"All four of them are at a board near the back."George said, pointing back towards the building and vaguely to the left. His twin just kept shaking his headspring and muttering ‘ seven ? ’."It's one of the secret booths."

"Ok, meter to be old diddlyshit Shaky again."Harry rummaged in his bag and brought out his old man mask and raged cloak. After donning his camouflage he shuffled across the street and entered the pub. As soon as he was in he picked out his marks near the back of the room. Not wanting to arouse misgiving he walked up to the counter and ordered a glass of wine. A beverage not childish enough to score him look like a child but not substantial enough to make him look like a child wearing a disguise to get alcohol.

With the goldilocks drink in hand he walked creakily over to the next compartment over from the judges and sat down.

"-don't see where it zey av all gone."Madam Maxim was saying."Ze last time I was over hear zey were everywhere."

"It ‘ s been a much wetter summer than usual."McGonnagall said."That may stimulate cut down their numbers. Flowers blooming later and so forth."

"Perhaps."

"It may also be the habitats."Mr Crouch said knowingly."usurpation by the muggles. Their habitat gets destroyed and they can't go anywhere. They don ‘ t like to pass over timberland you know."

"Really ? I would have thought they did it naturally ?"McGonnagall asked.

"Oh no they don ‘ t like to crossbreed lifelike barriers, they only like open outer space. Only a few metal money actually live in the woods."

Were they talking about butterfly or something ? Harry shook his headland, this was the most drill conversation he'd ever eavesdropped on.

"Not like acromantula then ?"Bagman joked.

"No nothing like them."Crouch replied humorlessly."Acromantula will live in any area with a sufficient nutrient root provided they can find a plaza out of the sun to sleep during the day."

"It… It was a joke Barty."

"Oh… I see."

The four fell silent and Harry mentally labeled Barty Crouch as ‘ the conversation cause of death ’. Harry took a sip of his boozing and grimaced, did hoi polloi booze this for pleasure ? Harry slumped down on his seat as the four adults in the next compartment began discussing some philosophy book.

"fountainhead, can ‘ t always overhear dear stuff."Harry thought realistically."Sometimes citizenry just mouth about garbage."

Harry figured it was safer to wait for them to leave first so he waited, wisely not drinking any more of the acidic boozing in front of him. After an time of day or so of boring adult discussion he heard them get up and get to actuate off.

"time lag a import Crouch."A new voice cut in."Want a word with you."

Helen Wills Moody ?

"What is it Alastor ?"McGonagall asked pointedly.

"Just a footling personal topic Minerva."Helen Wills Moody said easily."See you back up at the castle."Harry saw the two women and Bagman leaving.

"Did you look into it ?"Helen Wills Moody asked bluntly.

"I fail to see what ‘ s so matter to in-"

"You don ‘ t need to. Did you find anything ?"

"The section of magical transferral hasn ‘ t reported any unscheduled portkeys in Dorset."

"That ‘ s all you did ?"Moody said scathingly."Looked through a few old reports ?"

"smell Moody, this is your obsession."Barty Crouch said smoothly."We're interfering enough at the ministry with Fudge's transgressions and Dumbledore causing trouble. I looked into it as a favor but there ‘ s zilch there. Just a convention, tragical, act of an old cleaning woman who wanted to die before her mind went."

"Did anyone do an autopsy ?"

"Moody…"

"Did they ?"Moody pressed.

"The coroner examined her at the scene."Crouch said wearily."Standard cause-of-death detection spells revealed-"

"Nothing."Moody cut in."Because they can ‘ t tell a slaying from a suicide."

"Helen Wills nothing can tell that."Crouch said in exasperation."If you drink poison yourself it has the same upshot as if someone doses you with it. No one can detect the difference."

"Anyone correspond her potion fashioning equipment ?"

"Yes, it had vestige of the potion that killed her on it."Crouch stood suddenly."Sorry Alastor I looked into this as a party favour, but there ‘ s nothing suspicious. aught to enquire, this is just an old lady who made a mistake."

"Why are you so sure ?"Dwight Lyman Moody said, his voice going low."Was a metre when even a hint of skanky play would take had you at it like a bloodhound, but not now. You know something."

There was muteness for a minute, then Harry heard a professorship mark as Mr Crouch sat back down. When he began talking again it was at a whisper that Harry had to separate out to hear.

"They found a note."

"suicide promissory note ?"Helen Newington Wills asked keenly."Could have been forged."

"They tested it. It was written by her, with her own detached will."Harry frowned, he hadn't realized it was possible to test for that, but since Helen Newington Wills seemed to take it it must be true. Crouch continued,"Obviously they wanted to keep it under wraps."

"But everyone knows it ‘ s a suicide."Helen Wills Moody sounded suspicious."Everyone with an ounce of wit anyway."

"It wasn ‘ t the act itself,"Crouch whispered lower."It was the depicted object of the note. The reason she did it."

"Eh ?"

"She killed herself to be with… with…"Crouch took a late breath, as if just giving phonation to this was strenuous."… with somebody named Mark Lanka, he was her housekeeper until about a year ago. She died to be with the man she loved."

"Tragic,"Helen Wills said dryly."But it doesn ‘ t explain any-"

"It does if you take into score the fact that Mark Lanka was a show squib."Crouch explained in a quiet down whisper.

"Oh… Oh I see."There was the creaking of a chairwoman as Dwight Lyman Moody leant back."And in an old established pure stemma family…"

"That sort of demeanour would be deeply disgraceful. Especially considering how respected she was."Crouch sighed."It was decided that it was better hidden. She didn ‘ t deserve to have this grunge on her name."

"Right,"Moody growled."It was all for her benefit."

"In any case."Crouch stood again and pushed his chair in."The case is closed, please don ‘ t discuss this with anyone."Harry heard him leave the pub. A few moments later…

"Heard all that Potter ?"Helen Newington Wills said from the other cubicle. Harry grinned.

"Was it really that big a raft ?"Harry asked.

"To them that care it would be."Harry could almost see Moody shrugging on the former side of the sectionalisation."And the suicide makes it worse."

"I see. estimate that solves it then."Harry took another sip of the vitriolic vino."Assuming Mr Crouch is telling the truth."

"Oh I think he is."Helen Wills Moody said begrudgingly.

"You trust him ?"Harry asked, shocked.

"I trust him to be him."Moody growled."If there was so often as a hint that disconsolate magic was involved Barty Crouch wouldn't just walk away."

"Doesn ‘ t he work in some dead end office…"Harry scratched his head, trying to think back."International magical co-operation ? Odd spot for a dark adept hunter."

"Didn ‘ t used to be. Used to be an auror, like me. Then a senior auror, like me. Then a department head, which I ‘ m happy to say is unlike me."Moody sighed sadly."He was a problematical nut but he did what he had to do in those times."

"What went wrong ?"

"Ended up arresting his son."A gluging strait came from the other side of the sectionalization, like Moody had just drained his mug."Barty Crouch Jr, and don ‘ t think the papers didn ‘ t have a field day with that. ‘ hunker judgment of conviction Crouch ’, ‘ Set a Crouch to catch a scrunch up ’, slew of ammo for those hacks."

"Hilarious."Harry commented dryly.

"Anyway, he never quite recovered from the radioactive dust. But he keeps his ear to the undercoat and a lot of people in the ministry respect him. In any case, I think this cause is closed."

"shot so."Harry sighed."Sorry I wasted your time Professor."

"That's alright, you weren't to hump. And besides, prevent me young."

"Say,"Harry suddenly remembered something."He said Dumbledore was causing trouble at the ministry. You know what that ‘ s about ?"

"Dumbledore has it in his head that you-know-who is on the way back."Helen Wills's voice was so flat it was out of the question to observe what he thought about it.

"Haven ‘ t seen anything in the Prophet."

"Rita Skeeter ‘ s death neutered them. They haven ‘ t even been gouging Fudge that hard over all his screw ups."

"Big thing to discount though…"

"The ministry ‘ s hushing it up."Moody snorted."The portion of the ministry that are still functioning anyway. Don't know where Dumbledore got the thought though…"

Snape's dark mark…

"I ‘ m sure Dumbledore has his sources."

"Such as ?"

"Sources we mere mortals can not tap."

"And yet you clearly know."Moody chuckled."That ‘ s what I like about you Harry, you make things interesting. Ever need any more help, just ask."

Moody got up and left, his wooden leg clomping against the wooden floor.

Harry sighed and took another sip of his drink, grimacing in the process. He felt form of bloated from the excess of exposition. Harry shrugged and got up to leave when he saw a scrap of report on the floor, under the table.

Harry leant down, careful to act like he was rheumatoid and old, and picked it up. He began unfolding it and marveled at how it just kept unfolding, over and over until it was the sizing of a poster. On it was drawn some complicated maze pattern, passages intersecting and turning and ending in blind bowling alley. There was an open space in the center and several other make topographic point around as well. The map had footling anotations everywhere that Harry had to squint to read…

"Sphinx… quicksand… daemon snare… ?"Harry read a few Sir Thomas More of them then folded the thing back down and stuffed it in his bag. It obviously wasn't connected to the case.

After leaving the pub and shedding his disguise Harry went back to the rook ( disillusioning himself again to whine past Filch ). As he was crossing the entering student residence he spotted someone in one of the side corridors. He trotted up to the figure, who stopped and turned as he drew near.

"You missed Hogsmeade."

"Mum kept me home."Susan said, not meeting his eyes.

"Was she pissed at you ?"

"Yes Harry,"Susan turned in irritation."She was pissed. She yelled, she screamed, she was pissed. Now go away."

"Well don't take it out on me."Harry quirked an eyebrow."I didn ‘ t yell at you."

"Harry… just please go away."Susan shook her head."She says I can ‘ t see you anymore."

"And you ‘ re gon na listen to her ?"

"Harry please just go."Susan turned and walked down the corridor. Harry followed confused.

"I don ‘ t get it."Harry hurried to keep up with the scurrying Susan Bones."I like you, I got the impression you liked me."

"It ‘ s not that…"

"If it ‘ s not that then what else is there ?"Harry slid in front of her and brought her to a full stop with his bridge player on her shoulders."Come on finger cymbals, be a little bit lupus erythematosus Hufflepuff and a little more marauder."

"The marauder aren ‘ t a house."Susan murmured, still not meeting his gaze.

"Oh yes they are,"Harry winked."The hidden menage, the sign that never gets point because we have no rules. Come over to my incline Susan, it ‘ s more fun over here. Lets go for a walk, down by the lake."

"I ‘ ve got an essay due…"

"Did you not listen to a watchword I said ?"Harry put a hand under her chin and tilted her read/write head up to meet his middle."Come on… do you really require me to walk away ?"

Harry leant in and kissed her lightly and lingeringly. Or at to the lowest degree that was what he tried for, he wasn't exactly an expert.

"Harry please…"Or maybe he was…"Wait… have you been drinking wine-coloured ?"Harry shut her up by kissing her again, this clock time harder. About halfway through she started kissing back. Harry list back, they were against a wall. Had he pushed them against a wall ? He certainly didn't remember doing that.

"Oh Harry."Susan was blushing tomato red."My mammy gon na toss off me."

"That ‘ s if she ever finds out."Harry snaked an arm around Susan's shoulders."Lets take a walk."
*


"Harry where were you ?"Hermione asked.

"Hogsmeade, remember ?"

"Why do you have lipstick on your shirt collar ?"

"Um… ran into a caboodle of… magic… kissing… flowers ? They exist correctly ?"

"No."

"Oh."Harry shrugged and grinned evilly."surmisal I must have been snogging someone then."
*


Despite being in last office in the tournament the following hebdomad were some of the proficient in Harry's retention, and they didn't even involve pranking anyone ! He had the piranha, public security and friendship with Malfoy and a girlfriend. Susan was still occasionally struck with bouts of nervousness, thinking that her mother would somehow see out about their continued relationship ( despite the fact that Harry had already taken tutelage of this by ordering Digger to intercept any post sent from a Hogwarts professor to Doris Bones ). But other than that it was perfect.

The piranha often ended the day by lounging around outside on the grass outside talking or doing Homework. And because they were there scads of other Gryffindors came too, and usually Susan brought her Hufflepuff friends. Before long the after-class-outside-lounge became a mending for about of the school. Luckily the marauders took enough different socio-economic class that they could always bag a office before it got too crowded.

One afternoon when Harry was on the verge of falling asleep there on the grass, with Susan lying across him, her head pillowed on his arm, a shadow fell across them.

"Harry wake up."

Harry's eyes flickered open and he saw Malfoy standing over him.

"You ‘ re ruining my looker sleep."Harry complained.

"Then I ‘ m sorry because you really look like you need it."Malfoy quipped laconically.

"One of us has a girlfriend Malfoy, prompt me which one of us that is ?"

"One of us knows what a comb is, prompt me which one of us that is ?"

"Me, it's what honey comes in isn ‘ t it ?"Harry grinned."Anyway what is it ?"

"Judges want us."

"For what ?"

"I don ‘ t know, I don't take divination."Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Ron does,"Harry glanced over at his friend, who was doing some Divination homework at that here and now."flavour in the crystallization lump. Tell us what's happening."

"Don't be stupid Harry…"Ron said, eyeing Malfoy suspiciously."Wait…"He peered into the welkin and blinked, surprised."Actually, it does look like there ‘ s something in there."

"Really ? What ?"Harry sat up, dislodging his girlfriend. Ron had never before actually seen something in the ball.

"It ‘ s form of distorted…"Ron squinted and scratched his head."Looks variety of like a face…"

"Some form of animal ?"Neville guessed.

"troll ? titan ?"Harry asked, interested.

"Don ‘ t know, ugly though. Huge red berth all over its face."Ron peered closer. Hermione's optic suddenly widened and she began to giggle. A moment later Harry got it and slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself laughing.

"Weird red tomentum too…"Ron continued, unmindful."Think it ‘ s some kind of behemoth ? Some of them have red hair."

"Not one word."Harry said to Malfoy holding a finger up."Not one word."

"Too easily anyway."Malfoy shrugged and stepped back as Harry stood. They were about to lead when Padma said,

"Hold on, what the hell was that ?"

"What ?"Harry turned.

"That !"Padma pointed between Harry and Malfoy."You ‘ re not at each others throats ! You almost look ilk friends. Are you on some sort of drugs ?"

"No."Harry shook his head."That would unfit me from the tournament."

"It ‘ s not like they ‘ d check."Malfoy pointed out.

"You never know."Harry shrugged."I can just see that stoop guy running at me waving a plastic cup."

"I wonder if that ‘ s the third task."Malfoy half smiled.

"A piddle test ? variety of anticlimactic."

"Not if it's in front of the unit school."

"Oh.. True."Harry shrugged."But at least it ‘ d truly put rumors of Harriet ceramicist to rest."

"Also… Fleur."

"Cad."

"plosive !"Padma yelled in aggravation."You ‘ re doing it again !"All the marauders were now staring at Harry and Malfoy.

"It ‘ s ok."Harry shrugged."Long story brusque I decided that we should have a truce. Since we ‘ re both in the Lapplander boat over the tournament and all."

"But, he ‘ s Malfoy !"Ron said, disbelieving.

"It ‘ s Ok."Harry explained."You don ‘ t have to stop hating him just because I did."

"I ‘ m certainly not going to cease hating you."Malfoy chimed in.

"You ‘ re not helping."Harry said, exasperated.

"I ‘ m not trying to."Malfoy shrugged."The judge want us by the Quidditch pitch."Malfoy turned and walked, unconcerned, towards the pitch.

Harry turned back to the scandalize marauders.

"Sorry guy, I know this form of blindsided you."Harry spread his work force apologetically."But we kept getting stuck together, the dragons, the gravy boat, Bournemouth…"

"Malfoy was there ?"Ginny interrupted.

"Oh yeah, I didn ‘ t Tell you that."Harry cursed himself silently."Yeah he was there, the woman was an old friend of his."

"The blonde hair…"Hermione said, thoughtfully."It was his wasn ‘ t it."

"Yep."Harry nodded."Had to snatch it from the aurors."

"But Harry, he ‘ s Malfoy !"Ron started again, seemingly stuck in a loop."Malfoy, you know Draco Mal-"

"He ‘ s not all bad."Harry shrugged."After all, he ‘ s been my witnesser since second year."

"What !"The marauders yelled, almost in unison.

"Did you think I just somehow guessed where The Called would be meeting ?"Harry grinned."You guys are so naive."

Harry winked and turned away from the seven shocked faces. Still, grinning Harry wandered over to the Quidditch pitch. As soon as he got near it he realized something was wrong.

"Now I don ‘ t swordplay Quidditch…"Harry said as he got nearer."But I ‘ m fairly sure as shooting it ‘ s not meant to look like that."

"Very droll Mr Potter."Barty Crouch commented as Harry joined the other title-holder."But in all seriousness, these hedging are your tertiary task."

"The tertiary task is topiary ?"

"No Mr Potter."Crouch said, tolerantly."It is a maze."

Oh sodomite, Harry's stomach lurched.

"A maze with the triwizard cup in the center."

His bag, with the scrap of theme he had picked up at the three broomsticks still in it, suddenly felt very labored and hot.

"And with many challenges to overcome."

Harry listened with half an ear to the rest of the judge's account. He suddenly found himself with a choice to make, a moral choice.

"Bugger."Harry groaned inwardly."I hate those."



Every metre you fail to leave behind a recap god kills a kitten. A niggling fluffy kitten. Aw ... look at the kitten, so sweet, so bleary, and it 's DEAD because of YOU !


I do n't own Harry thrower. Have I said that recently ? No ? Well I do n't. Someone tried to sell me part of him once, but it was only a finger's breadth and it looked kind of hairy.



Harry sat and stared at the petty folder piece of paper on the table as if the answer would just issue forth floating out of it. He had clambered into an unused Attic over the library to think affair over, but unfortunately was coming up blank.

"It ‘ s not like you saw that much."Part of Harry's brain kept saying in a inveigle vocalisation."You couldn ‘ t go straight to the cup."

"But you remember plenty of the challenges on the way."Another part of his Einstein said, sounding a bit like Neville.

Prison-circle, sphinx, mist mirage, acromantula, devilsnare, tiger-trap, manic mushrooms-

Harry shook his head to unclutter the litany before it went too far. This was only making things tough, he was actually remembering Sir Thomas More matter the longer he thought about it.

"You could go to the judges."A Hermione shaped mind mobile phone said."Just tell them what happened honestly, it was just a mistake after all."

"Yeah, how would that go…"Harry rolled his eyes."You see I was eavesdropping on you and I found this bit of paper…"Harry shook his head.

He could share it with the early champions… aspect at the map in its entirety and cave in written matter to the Fleur, Viktor and Malfoy. But that ran into the job of virtually ensuring that he'd recede the task. Ten bit head start isn't that much when you're going into a tangle subterfuge, but when you know the way ? Harry shook his head, Malfoy or Fleur would have the cup in their hands before he even got through the front door.

That was the query wasn't it, Goldilocks style…

He wasn't against cheating a petty ( using the marauders for enquiry, overhearing about the tartar ), but having a train map to the last stock was just too much. That porridge was much too hot.

On the other mitt he wasn't so obsessed with beauteousness that he'd just mitt the cup to Beauxbattons. Fleur was nice, and he didn't heed some of the other female child, but there was no was he was letting that oversized bitch-queen maxim have the satisfaction of winning. That porridge was far too cold.

And the one that was just right was…

"It doesn ‘ t exist."Harry slumped dejectedly."Because the bear cub had been killed by sea poacher and its gall bladder sold as medicine."

"I could just glow it now…"Harry thought suddenly."Accept that I have a fragile vantage in knowing what challenges are coming and cauterise the rest. I ‘ m last anyway, I deserve a helping hand."

Was that porridge just right ? Depends what role of his Einstein he was trying to satisfy.

"Any More of this and my wit will be porridge."Harry dropped his brain to the table and banged it repeatedly against the hardwood surface."I ‘ m no good at these questions."

Accept it, sometimes question have no answer.

"Or no good one at least."Harry shook his head."Screw it, Incendio !"Harry burnt the scrap of parchment to ash."close enough to fair. And I do merit some assistant after Dumbledore stiffed me in the second task."

"You ‘ re still cheating !"Hermione-brain admonished him.

"Put a metaphysical sock in it."Harry grumbled at her and stood up from his mesa."Sometimes real life isn ‘ t fair."

Harry turned and pushed open the hidden room access he'd used to get into this piazza before slinking off down the corridor with his hood up. It was way after curfew but Harry seldom worried about such things, even Mrs Norris'ears couldn't pickax up Harry when he was trying not to be heard.

Speak of the devil…

Harry skillfully slid into an bay as the caretakers cat came into persuasion around a nook. She was stalking, fanny in the air and her head close down to the floor. Moving in the high-speed-slinking manner of a cat on a mission.

What was she hunting ? Not rats, the castle was uninfected of them. Harry disillusioned himself and began following the stalking feline. She seemed almost confused, she would slink for a few feet then stop and sniff the air, occasionally batting at it with a paw, before slinking forward again.

Harry followed her cautiously. Was she tracking a student ? Who else but the marauders were out of bed at this variety of hour ?

Suddenly Harry froze, a wickedness sliver had just appeared in mid air above the scraggly cat. A here and now later there was a flash bulb of red igniter and she slumped to the ground. Harry tried to remain perfectly still as the knocked out pot was pushed behind a cause of armor by the invisible bearing. Harry saw the bottom half of a the boot, seeable for a pour forth irregular, then cypher. Not for the foremost time Harry wished he had Moody's artificial eye.

The new marauder strained his ears and just caught the scratch of rush on pit and followed at a scrunch. Disillusionment was no substitute for a true invisibility cloak, if whoever it was looked back at the wrong minute they would spot him for sure. Harry tried to detain in the shadows as he furiously tried to come up with a plan. He wished he could drop back far enough to call Myrtle, but if he did that he'd fall back the intruder for sure.

Harry could almost see the shadower of the man he was following when he passed a torch in the wall. Not even an invisibility cloak was perfect after all so Harry could beak out the basic form. It did not augur well.

"Whoever this is they ‘ re a full grown adult."Harry cursed silently."Which means they ‘ re either a instructor, in which pillow slip why canary around, or they ‘ re no supposed to be here. And their preparedness to curse a defenseless cat doesn ‘ t exactly speak to their case either."

The sound of footsteps stopped and Harry too came to a halt, pressing himself up against the wall so as to be less visible. The man seemed to ingest stopped outside one of the teacher quarters. Harry saw the wand appear a instant time and a present moment later the door glowed a myriad of different colour, a rainbow in the sour corridor. The spell was quickly canceled and the wand withdrawn. The man sounded like he was sitting down to consider the problem.

Harry however grinned impishly. He'd just remembered whose room access this was. Only one teacher was paranoid enough to put that many locking go on their door. Harry slinked backwards quietly, it would take away whoever-it-was a in force long clock time to get through that lot and even if he did Moody could learn precaution of himself.

Harry took himself a few corridors away then tapped out a signal on the stone floor. After a present moment waiting Myrtle appeared through the floor.

"Something the affair Harry ?"She said, looking over his camouflaged self.

"Go to Dumbledore, quickly."Harry whispered."Tell him someone is breaking into Helen Newington Wills ‘ s room. Someone invisible."

Vinca minor's middle widened and she darted away quickly. Harry turned and slowly made his way back to Moody's rooms.

When he returned Harry's heart skipped a beat. The threshold was open !

Harry scrambled to his feet, heedless of the noise and dashed to the door. He slid to the entrance just in time to hear the words,

"Avada Keda-"

"NO !"Harry yelled and threw himself forward. He struck something in the air and saw a flashgun of park light. Time went slow as Harry saw the bolt crawl through the air, rippling its sick Green route towards the bed at the far end of the after part. The ignitor lit Helen Wills ‘ s human face and Harry could accept sworn he was the teacher eyes flicker overt before the dash struck home and the room was plunged into darkness again.

A moment later he hit the storey, the murderer dropping beside him with a clump. Harry kicked wildly and felt his metrical unit hit form. He jumped to his groundwork and pulled his verge out of his jacket. But his assaulter was faster.

"Avada Kedavra !"

Harry dropped to the level as the green bolt of lightning snap over his head. The umbrageous figure aimed again, and this time Harry had nowhere to go.

"Avada Kedavra !"

"Accio !"Harry yelled desperately, pointing at a side table. It flew towards him and caught the green spell in mid air, showering Harry in huge splinters."Depulso !"Harry waved at the wooden shards and they shot away from him like shrapnel.

Harry heard his enemy scream as one of the splinters stuck in mid air. Harry threw himself at the flooring beneath it and felt himself hit leg. The invisible enemy tumbled to the story again as Harry staggered to his feet.

"Lumos !"

Harry was caught off guard and the trance hit him like a flashbulb, blinding him and making him hit back in surprise. He heard running feet and took off in pursuit, fending himself off the suddenly blurry doorway and dashing off down the corridor after his quarry. Harry flicked his wand up to his throat as he ran.

"Sonorous !"Harry amplified his voice and yelled,"execution ! Murder in the castle !"

Harry had to dodge as a bolt of red light flashed down the passage ahead of him.

"Offucia !"Harry jabbed his wand forward and a stream of deep red blusher sprayed across the corridor. A smirch of it hit in mid air. Harry grinned and aimed again."Ferio !"The bludgeoning curse flew true and Harry saw the multi-colored public figure lifted off the trading floor and hurled into the bulwark. Harry threw two more into the prone figure as he approached. Harry spotted the mans wand on the base and kicked it away from him.

"Now let ‘ s see your ugly face you bastard."Harry panted, out of hint."come on off with it !"

The figure didn't move, perhaps he'd knocked him out ?

"Accio cloak !"Harry flicked his wand and the cloak shot up. It sprang into Harry ‘ s hands, knocking his baton to the side.

"Effodio !"

Harry was thrown to the trading floor as the spell hit him, sliding across the gemstone in a daze of painfulness. Through the red mist he heard a sinister chuckle. The cloak was pulled from his suddenly powerless digit. Harry tried to turn his head to see his aggressor but a fierce hand pushed him back down into the trading floor.

Harry tried vainly to push himself to his invertebrate foot at the murdered turned and hurried away but the trading floor seemed to be strangely sleek down. Harry brought a hand up and faintly registered red. The pigment that he had thrown or blood ? Harry tried to focus on the floor in front of him and saw something slimed lying on the flat coat next to him. Long, coiled and bulging like a Snake River that had just eaten a inner circle of rats. Harry traced it back and almost passed out when he saw where it was coming from.

It was flopping out from a gaping jam in his belly. The slimy thing was his own intestines.

The pain in the ass hit Harry again, harder then before. It was as if, now that he knew he was cut open, his mind was finally registering the combat injury. His hands moved involuntarily, pulling the fleshy coil towards him, his trunk vainly trying to fix what his brain knew was a killing wound.

"Mr Pot… Oh Harry !"

Behind a mist of red Harry saw professor McGonagall's case come into view. Her usually tail end face was contorted with care and shock.

"Effercio."McGonagall waved her wand over him and Harry felt his guts reel themselves back in like a hose. Harry looked down and couldn't stop himself from vomiting at the countenance of his entrails slipping in through his skin.

A import later it was over and the combat injury closed up, showing up only as a raw red railway line on his skin.

"Who used an entrail emission execration on you ceramist ?"McGonagall asked, her shock still evident in her voice."And what is all this about murder ?"

"Dumbledore."Harry panted, pained."Get me to Dumbledore."

"For once you are talking sense."Harry felt himself lifted up off the base then set back down on a stretcher that the professor must ingest conjured right there and then. The stretcher itself was lifted then and Harry saw the rampart around him begin to move. Harry tried to shift billet but as soon as did a spear of pain sensation hit him in the stomach.

"Do not try to move Harry. Please."He heard McGonagall's concerned representative from behind him."The counter-curse only puts you back together, it doesn ‘ t reverse all the legal injury that was done along the way."

Harry lay obediently still as they moved through the darkened corridors. Harry wasn't sure how much long it took but eventually they stopped and he felt a shadow fall over him. Harry pulled his head up enough to calculate around and found that they were outside the hospital wing, Dumbledore was standing over him solemnly in a purple dressing gown. Behind him the three remaining Heads of house were standing, looking his way. Off at the edge of the lamplight Harry could see the Triwizard judges. maxim towering up into the shadows of the ceiling, Karkaroff with the angles of his face stark in the candlelight and bow standing silently beside. Harry turned back to Dumbledore.

"I lost him."Harry said through a raw throat.

"Harry…"

"I followed him for age but I…"Harry coughed heavily into his hand. When he could verbalise again he continued."I screwed up, made a stupid fault. I let him get away."

"Harry you can not be held responsible."Dumbledore shook his oral sex."I should stimulate come to your aid instead of going to professor Moody first. I should birth known you would chamfer after the intruder."

"Moody…"Harry felt his heart drop into his boots."That's my mistake too. I thought it would be alright to leave for a few minute. To pay you a signal. It's my geological fault he ‘ s dead."

"Ah,"Dumbledore broke into a smile."I think I have some good news for you Harry. professor Moody is not dead."

"Wha…"Harry shook his head in disarray."But it was the killing torment !"

"As near as Madam Pomfrey can tell either the caster had no experience with Unforgivables or he was ineffectual to complete the spell."

"I hit him."Harry cast his mind back."Before he could finish."

"Well there it is then."Dumbledore patted him on the articulatio humeri."You almost certainly saved his life."

"Wait…"Harry's eyes widened."Map ! Your map ! If you look it-"

"My thought process exactly Harry. And my fault as well,"Dumbledore shook his head."I waited to make sure Professor Moody was alive before checking the map and by that time whoever it was must already bear left."

"No,"Harry shook his nous."A fall out him ages and I must throw hurt ‘ im. He couldn ‘ t have left that quickly."

"The fact that our opposition knows of the existence of the map may excuse that."Snape said, detaching himself from the shadows. Dumbledore shot his potions master a surprisingly angry look. Perhaps this was a fact that Dumbledore did not desire Harry to become aware of. Snape continued, unruffled."Maybe the iniquity lord has found a way to hem in it."

"We do not know that Voldemort is directly involved Severus."

"We do not eff that he is not."Snape crooked an eyebrow.

"Perhaps."Dumbledore conceded."But in any showcase he can not outwit the map. There are very few things I am confident in the infallibility of, but one of them is the mar-… the map."

What had that been ? Harry wondered. That little pause before ‘ the map ’.

"Then an illegal portkey perhaps ?"Snape was saying.

"Could ask Mr Crouch to look into it."Harry suggested."What with his ministry cont-"

"Thank you Harry,"Dumbledore cut him off."I will believe it."

"Had any luck with the ministry yourself ?"Harry asked pointedly, mainly to see the facial expression on Dumbledore's face. He was not disappointed.

"How did you… ?"

"Persuading them he ‘ s on the way back I mean."

"I… I do not know how you have heard of that Harry."Dumbledore said, he sounded like he was keeping some deep anger in chip."But it is none of your care. Right now you need to be seen by gentlewoman Pomfrey."

"But-"

"This is not a word Harry."Dumbledore flicked his wand and the stretcher began moving.

As he floated into the hospital wing the go affair he heard was Snape turning to Dumbledore and saying,

"Now do you call up we should warn the order ?"

Dumbledore's response was too tranquility to hear but his nod said enough.
*


"Potter."

Hm…

"Oy thrower !"

Sleepy…

"aftermath up !"

stupid hospital. Harry cracked his lid unfold and saw Dwight Lyman Moody staring at him from the next bed over.

"I ‘ m up."Harry rubbed the eternal sleep out of his optic."What is it ?"

"Sloppy potter, very sloppy."Moody shook his caput."You let him get away."

"Sorry,"Harry hung his head."I made a lot of mistakes last night."

"List ‘ em."

"What ?"

"You heard me thrower, list ‘ em."Moody lay back on his hospital bed.

"Well…"Harry thought back."I thought it would withdraw foresighted for whoever it was to bankrupt through your door."

"Underestimating your opponent."Dwight Lyman Moody shook his question."Stupid, first mistake."

"He tricked me with a Lumos spell, blinded me."Harry continued.

"Inattentive. Unprepared."

"And I made the stupid mistake of getting my hands tangled when I summoned his cloak to me."

"Clumsy."Helen Newington Wills tisked."Wouldn ‘ t have thought that of you Harry."

"You're decently, I was hurt but that's no excuse."Harry shook his question and frowned."I kicked his wand away but he must have had a spare."

"Always assume they have a spare."Dwight Lyman Moody said sternly."Accio wands or Expelliarmus. Use them whether you think he ‘ s got a wand or not."

"rightfulness, I shoulda known that."

"Constant vigilance."Moody said harshly."You can never be too careful."

"Constant vigilance."Harry repeated."I know, and I ‘ m sorry I got you involved in this."

"You assume this has something to do with you ?"Moody said, a little chuckle in his voice."I had foe before I met you."

"How many have invisibility cloaks."

"More than one."Moody said pointedly."And more that have the pecuniary resource to get one if they needed it."

"I thought they were rare."

"They are Potter."Moody grinned."I just tend to make expensive enemy. One of the risks of the job."

"Ok,"Harry closed his eyes."How many of them are about six feet tall, close and bony with darkness chocolate-brown hair who fights smarting and has experience with espionage and breaking through wards."

"brownness haircloth ?"

"Think I saw a flash of it when the cloak came off."

"Doesn ‘ t entail much. Could have colored it."

"Why disguise yourself then wear an invisibility cloak ?"

"True."Dwight Lyman Moody frowned thoughtfully."Still doesn ‘ t mean value he ‘ s connected."

"Still, bit of a coincidence."

"Oh don ‘ t think I ‘ m dismissing it."Moody shook his brain."Not for a moment."Moody tried to push himself up on his hands then winced in pain and settled back down.

"Still feeling a footling curst Professor ?"

"I ‘ ll be fine."Dwight Lyman Moody grunted."I ‘ ve had worse. Least the killing curse doesn ‘ t scar."

"Um…"

"Not for most of us."Moody laughed, then broke into a loud, wet cough."Maybe I will be out of commission for a while."

"That means we ‘ ll have Snape again."Harry sighed."And well… He ‘ s not so bad any more."

"He ‘ s tall, and has dark hair."Helen Newington Wills pointed out suspiciously.

"I ‘ d make love his voice."Harry dismissed the accusation with a wave of his script."Besides he ‘ s not evil."

"Constant vig-"

"Not evil. Used to be evil, not evil now."Harry held a finger up."Besides, he ‘ s had all year to try and kill you. Why now ? And why with spells in the middle of the nighttime when he ‘ s had access to your food all year."

"Good point. But I still don ‘ t cartel him."

"You don ‘ t have to,"Harry shrugged."Just accept that I do."

There was silence for a moment as Moody regarded Harry pointedly.

"What ?"

"Nothing Potter."Dwight Lyman Moody lay back, an amuse grin on his boldness."Just reminded me of mortal is all."

Harry shrugged and leant back too. He had enough puzzle without trying to make out what that meant.



Leave a review. If you do n't then revengeful Lord Xenu will strike you down !


Due to the fact that the queue has been so long recently I have concatenated two previously separate chapters into one whopper. Hope you like it.

Oh, and I do n't own Harry Potter. You ca n't own a person, that 's slavery.



Harry was let out of the hospital wing a few daytime later with rescript to shoot it easy and only eat liquid food for a workweek or two until his insides settled down. Harry was alright with this except that the occasional stabs of pain from his midriff rather got in the way of him training for the third task. Harry adopted the attic above the library as his own and sealed the room access with the parole cheating scumbag so he and the marauders could possess a common soldier place to train.

Harry gutted the room as efficiently as he himself had been gutted to leave a declamatory dueling space in the heart. While his gang searched the library for anything remotely useful Harry practiced anything they found against the Gemini the Twins or against the interrupt bookshelves they had found up there. Harry accepted that he would never be an awful dueler but at least he could aim for competent. It did eat into the prison term he could spend with Susan but unfortunately it was inevitable.

Given that Harry had totally ignored Madam Pomfrey's advice to take it easy it was perhaps also inevitable that he would end up back in the hospital annex after throwing up damn vomit.

"Mr Potter you idiotic…"Pomfrey spluttered incoherently as she dosed him with various potions."In all my years… never… so stupid ! Not even your beginner with all his pranks was in here so much. At least he seemed to understand that the human being body has sealed limit ! You can not just keep heaping abuse on it and have a bun in the oven it to continue working properly !"

"At to the lowest degree I'm giving you a challenge."Harry grinned.

"A challenge ? More like a chance event !"

Harry was once again discharged a few Day before the third gear labor, finally fully level-headed. Of course not everyone treated him as such.

"You sure you ‘ re alright Harry ?"Ron repeated for about the one-billionth time as they walked to lunch.

"No Ron,"Harry rolled his eyes."I ‘ ve miraculously had a backsliding during the last twenty seconds."

"Harry you throwing up blood."Padma pointed out."You don ‘ t just resile back from that."

"I ‘ m not bouncing."Harry shrugged."Or bounding, or any other b-words. I ‘ m just eating lunch."

"You ‘ re boring."Harry turned to see Malfoy standing behind him."That ‘ s a b-word."

"I ‘ m many affair Malfoy."Harry responded sardonically."But boring isn ‘ t one of them."

'' Is bastard ? ``

"Anything in particular bothering you Malfoy,"Harry asked."Or did you just come to insult me ?"

"Yes,"Malfoy grew grievous again a here and now later."Mind if I speak to you in private…"Malfoy jerked his head towards an empty classroom.

"This isn ‘ t going to be one of those secure discussions is it."Harry hung his head dejectedly.

"No I don ‘ t think so."

Harry sighed and followed the blond Slytherin into the empty classroom.

"meet you in Charms."Harry nodded to the disturbed looking marauders before closing the threshold and turning to his fellow champion.

"Anyone dead ?"Harry asked bluntly.

"Not yet."

"Ominous."

"You don ‘ t know the half of it."Malfoy shook his caput."I finally got that varsity letter from my father."

"I assume that ‘ s not the hold out of it."Harry sat down at a desk and braced for the worst.

"He told me to lose. regretful, he told me to make sure you win."

Harry leant back against the desk and covered his face with his hands. Sometimes all this was too much.

"What exactly did he say ?"Harry rubbed his synagogue."Or just yet give me the letter."

Malfoy handed over the missive. Harry flipped it unfold and read the curt substance within.

genus Draco

I know that you are to get in a maze in the 3rd task. You will seduce every effort to stanch the advancement of Viktor Krum and Fleur Delacour. Use the magic spell I taught you if necessary. Do not worry about the consequences, I will protect you. Make sure as shooting the thrower boy wins the tourney. You do not have to read to obey.

There was no signature. Harry handed it back, resting his head on his arm.

"The go I taught you ?"Harry asked tiredly.

"wickedness magic."Malfoy answered, sounding just as worn out."He means don ‘ t be afraid to hurt them. ‘ You do not accept to sympathize to obey.'”

"What does that think of ?"

"It was one of his best-loved thing to recount me when I was young."Malfoy shook his top dog."It tended to end discussions."

"Why ?"

"Because it told me that he wanted the word to end."Malfoy snapped.

"Look Malfoy I don ‘ t know what to do with this."Harry admitted."I ‘ ve already got enough on my plate."

"I know what that feels like."Malfoy sat down beside him and bowed his headland, making his floppy blond hairsbreadth drop down and hide his boldness."I don ‘ t know what to do."

"What do you-"Harry jerked back in shock."You ‘ re not thinking of listening to him are you ?"

"He ‘ s my father !"

"He ‘ s a git who makes you pitiful !"

"You don ‘ t understand."Malfoy snapped angrily."You just don ‘ t. Maybe if you had a male parent you ‘ d get it, but you don ‘ t so shut up !"

"If you ‘ re trying to get rid of me it won ‘ t work."Harry crossed his arms."Or at the very least you ‘ ll have to try harder."

"But you don ‘ t understand."Malfoy said more reasonably, but still with an bound of desperation in his vocalization."I ‘ m sorry Harry but you just don't. This isn ‘ t about getting a bloody pat on the point. This is about family. It ‘ s about family honor."

"No, menage honor would be getting your public figure on that cup. kinsfolk honor would be seeing the headline ‘ Malfoy wins triwizard cup ’."Harry shifted closer."But forget about that, how about your own honor. Can you live with knowing you could possess won the triwizard tournament, but gave it up ? Can you live with that ?"

"The home is what ‘ s important."Malfoy shook his head."Sometimes we have to do affair we don ‘ t like. You don't have to understand-"

"You ‘ re like a parrot."Harry interrupted, changing tacking to go for a riskier plan."Aren ‘ t you tired of repeating his shit ?"

"You don ‘ t understand !"Malfoy yelled, pushing him back violently.

"Oh slap-up,"Harry scoffed."The cry the Helen Newington Wills teenager. Nice to know you ‘ re like everybody else."

"Screw you Potter !"Malfoy stood angrily, his fist bunched at his slope. Harry could see the faint glistening lines of bust of his cheeks.

"You gon na cry about it."Harry slouched back, chuckling."Way to preserve the Malfoy honor."

"Shut up !"

"Is this what you did with that Ellen woman ? Cry into her proscenium ?"

"I told you to exclude up !"Malfoy drew his wand and held the shaking point to Harry's neck. Harry just laughed.

"Like you ‘ d actually do it."Harry rolled his eyes."You ‘ re too much of a Noel Coward to-"

"Praefoco !"

Harry was thrown backwards as the trance hit him and was left gulping for air as the curse closed his airway. From behind a haze of floating spots Harry saw Malfoy haunt off out the door. Harry managed to grab his wand and get out a strangled finite before collapsing on the floor and trying to fill again his lungs in great gasps.

"You deserved that."Harry looked around for the source of the noise. A moment later Myrtle floated slowly up through the floor."You definitely deserved that."

"I know."Harry croaked out, managing a one-half smile."What are you doing here ?"

"The others sent me down because they were worried about you ?"myrtle put her hands on her unsubstantial hips."You really were incredibly insensitive."

"All part of the plan."Harry winked.

"How so ? You don ‘ t even know what he ‘ s going to do."

"I know one thing he ‘ s not going to do."Harry grinned."There ‘ s no way he ‘ ll let me win now."
*


The day of the third labor finally arrived. Harry got out of bed and dressed in a sort of odd trance. People said and did things around him, patting him on the backbone and speaking to him but it was almost as if the creation had become backdrop noise, though background to what he couldn't say.

His creative thinker was… well not blank but certainly not thinking along normal line of work. It was almost as if he was floating in a mist that blurred out his thoughts into the air. Instead of the crisp, semi-schizophrenic, sharpness they usually had they were vague and cloudy. primitive, he decided, was the full word for them. A throwback to when world thought with touch and pictures instead of words.

Also he was being self-examining, he was never introspective.

"Are you sure you ‘ re fine Harry."mortal asked him. Harry had to concentrate quite hard to shape out it was Neville.

"I ‘ m fine Nev."Harry nodded slowly."Just in a bit of an odd place rectify now."

"You look sort of… fountainhead recollect utmost year when you kept skipping through prison term ?"

"I remember."Harry shook his head."That ‘ s not this. conceive me, I ‘ m fine."

As the other rival went to the great hall to adjoin their families Harry wandered back up to the attic over the library and flicked through the same books he had been going through for the past few hebdomad. It was sort of pointless really, Hermione always said that end minute revision didn't pin in your psyche like it should. Not that she didn't do it anyway. Harry sat down on the cracked floorboards with the books strewn around him and tried to pull his view together.

He failed utterly.

"Enough."Harry growled at himself."Get your question together."

"have you been moping up here all dawning ?"Harry's headland flicked up and he saw Susan Bones standing in the doorway.

"I have not been moping."Harry said, from his position on the floor."I have been studying."

"You never study."Susan smiled.

"I never study schoolwork."Harry grinned."My independent subject field however are fairly extensive."

Susan walked up to him with her hands behind her back coquettishly and sat down beside him. Harry flicked his al-Qur'an closed and shifted closer. He momentarily wished for a softer floor.

"You know studying at the last arcminute rarely helps."

"You have something you ‘ d rather I be doing ?"

"Yes."
*


As it was Harry almost missed the task. It was only the sound of drive from the floor below that prompted Harry to crowd his girlfriend off him and skin for his deoxyephedrine. Rushing downstairs he managed to negociate to blend into the crowd without looking too conspicuous.

"Nice hicky Harry !"

Damn.

Harry flicked his dog collar up and kept walk, throwing an malign glare at the snickering students. As he walked towards the bandstand he felt an chemical element of the old fuzziness slipping back into his mind. He shook it off, a good snoging academic session had been just what he needed to bring him back down to worldly concern. He noticed Malfoy making his way to the quidditch pitch alongside an aged blond fair sex. His mother ? So his begetter hadn't turned up. Interesting.

Harry pushed his way through the bunch to where the former champions were waiting.

"wellspring this looks fun."Harry grinned up at the towering hedges.

Fleur shared a smile with him. Krum just grunted and stayed silent. Fleur's eyes flickered to his collar and after a moment she laughed quietly. She drew her sceptre and beckoned him closer.

“'arry, tip down."Harry obliged and she tapped her baton on his neck where the empurpled contusion disappeared with a promptly pop

"Use that one a lot ?"Harry teased.

"Any man who bruises my skin does not touch it again."Fleur replied haughtily.

"I mean on former people."

"Oh,"Fleur winked cheekily."Then yes, quite often."Harry laughed.

Harry watched the offshoot of the tangle as the fat judge ( roadman ? ) explained the regulation. Harry listened with half an ear. The wind was picking up, making the hedging shift ominously. Harry closed his eyes and tried to marshal everything he'd learnt over the past tense few week. Scratch that, over his entire life.

Harry heard a whistle audio and felt the movement of the air as someone ran past him. It must have been Malfoy. Harry lowered himself to the ground, sitting hybridizing legged on the grass.

Another whistling sounded. Fleur.

Prison-circle, sphinx, Bogart, mist mirage, flagrante curse, acromantula, devilsnare, tiger-trap, manic mushroom. Harry went through the tilt in his head word along with the defenses against them.

third whistle, Krum.

Harry lay back on the grass and blocked out the sound of the crowd. He was going to win, then he was going to screen out out everything else. The crew was chanting, ‘"Seven ! ”,"Six ! ”,"Five !"…

Harry breathed deep.

"Four !"

This wasn't so hard.

"Three !"

Ok it was unvoiced, but it was doable.

"Two !"

On the early paw this skunk was pretty comfy.

"One !"

Oh well, here goes…

"Go !"

Harry crack to his feet and dashed directly into the darkness of the labyrinth. The noise of the crowd was gone almost instantly and he was totally alone. fountainhead, alone except for the sphinxs and acromantula and Humphrey Bogart, but they weren't there yet. Harry drew his wand and tapped his foot.

"Theseus."Harry said clearly. The sole of his shoe glowed. Harry dropped it back to the floor and saw it make a glowing red footprint."Point me."Harry held his wand monotonic and saw it spin to point vaguely forwards.

Harry sent supplication of thanks to genus Zeus and Hermione before setting off at a run down the sinister passage. He reached a junction, looked behind him to hold that he was still leaving a trail, then did the breaker point me spell again and ran off down another passage.

He was moving so fast he almost didn't see the leave-taking covering a component part of the footpath. Harry skidded to a stoppage just before it, his boots scraping at the border. Harry carefully lifted a small branch and looked down into the dark pit underneath, it seemed like the stern had been coated with something embarrassing and goopy. Honey ? Nah… they wouldn't have filled the pit with honey, plus he would be capable to reek it. Something like that though. Harry carefully replaced the offshoot incase another wizard happened by and skirted around the outside before continuing on his way.

Another turn landed him on a tenacious straight stretching that went generally in the right direction. Harry followed it to the end then realized that he might receive gone all the way past it. Harry cursed and holstered his sceptre before pushing his arms into the hedging and lifting himself off the floor. He climbed up until he could put his headland over and scout out the shopping center. Almost due north. Harry scrambled back down and set off at a run.

Another junction passed without issue, then another, then ano- Damn it !

Harry rolled under the monolithic hand as it swatted the air above him. Harry took one look at the hulking winged wolf that has swung at him, ( looking something like a Cross between a troll, an alligator and an eagle covered in ivy and slime ) and decided it wasn't worth fighting. Harry sprinted away to hit some distance then spun and yelled,

"Eizuckerpeitsche !"The chasing matter disappeared in the expanding ball of bungle egg production. Harry grinned and kept running.

Harry reached the side by side junction and slowed to a crawl. Two of the entrances had strange arch over them. Harry stopped, he didn't commemorate this from the map. He hadn't recognized the mutant animate being either, perhaps this was office of the map that he'd just failed to look at.

Harry cast the point me spell and groaned as it pointed almost directly at one of the archway. He cast a revelation appealingness over the arch and found several tripwire whammy. Harry picked up a nearby arm and brushed them away like spider vane, ignoring the papa and flashed of the charm as they triggered. Then he threw it aside and stepped through. zero happened. Harry grinned and stepped forward before stopping and looking back.

It shouldn't have been that easy.

Harry stepped back up to the arch and realized what was wrong. His red footsteps began at this archway like he'd appeared out of thin air. Looking back into the junction Harry saw his footprints trailing up to the early arch.

"Ah, tricky."Harry grinned and knocked the tripwires from this arch as well before stepping through it back into the courtyard and walking through the early arch.

The point me spell told him he had indeed guessed right and he walked on. He was beginning to get vex though. This was taking farsighted than he had thought it would. He turned a corner and was met with a shocking sight.

Draco was down on his knee with his spinal column to one of the hedging. He seemed to be trying to crawl back into it, his skid scrabbling ineffectually against the basis. Advancing on him was Lucius Malfoy in full back robes, a Ag scull mask hanging around his neck. The father and son were locked onto each eyes neither of them looking away. Harry wasn't sure either of them were even blinking.

"Ferio !"Harry shot his favorite hex at Lucius. But somehow it just flew through him like he was mist. Lucius turned on Harry and he saw the marvellous wizard rippling before he was incased in a column of water.

Some section of Harry's brain screamed that it was a boggart, that tried to drive him to address the spell to banish it. But the rest of him was panicking as hard as it ever did and wouldn ‘ t listen. He gulped in a farseeing mouthful and felt himself choking.

"Ridiculus !"

Harry fell to the ground as the weewee became company balloons. Harry looked up to see Malfoy, still crouched on the flooring, with his wand out.

"Thank you."Harry croaked out.

"How in Merlin's epithet did you survive the indorse task ?"Malfoy said breathlessly.

"Blind arrogance."Harry forced himself to his base and offered a mitt to help Malfoy do the same. Harry dusted himself off and set off towards the goal. Malfoy fell into step beside him.

"Did you get together the Bugbear."Malfoy said, glancing behind them to see whether the boggart was following.

"Nope."Harry shrugged."Met what I think was a Jabberwocky though."

"Really ?"Malfoy seemed impressed in his dry way."What did you do ?"

"Encased it in meringue."Harry grinned, then frowned."I ‘ ve noticed you ‘ re not cursing me. survive time we spoke you were cursing me."

"Oh that, did you really think I ‘ d fall for that for long ?"Malfoy shook his head teacher."I worked out what you were doing the moment I got back to my usual room."

"Guess I ‘ m not as smart as I thought."Harry shrugged."So does that mean you ‘ re going to… what was it… halt the progress… Of Fleur and Krum ?"

"Haven ‘ t met either of them."Malfoy replied, then added dryly."It ‘ s like a labyrinth in here."

"Oh ha bloody ha."Harry rolled his eyes."Well if you… stop walking."

Harry threw a hired hand out in movement of Malfoy, who stopped instantly, raised his baton and began scanning the corridor of leave of absence they were walking along.

"What ? Where ?"Malfoy asked tersely, glancing around.

"You hear that ?"

Scrit… scrit…

"That little… metal… phone ?"Malfoy stepped back, closelipped to Harry's back.

Scrit…

"Like person sharpening a knife ?"

Scrit…

"Yes."

Scrit… scrit…

"Oh great."Harry tried as hard as he could to nail the strait but it seemed to be coming from everywhere."I think there ‘ s more than than one."

"More than one what !"Malfoy's head was now jerking from side to side like a dog watching a lawn tennis match.

Scrit… scrit…

"Stay still and listen !"Harry gritted his teeth. The noise sounded… gamy ? Harry's eyes flicked up to the gamy branches. Not for the 1st time he wished he had Moody's eye.

Was that a flash of movement ? Harry concentrated, it was like trying to see through that cheep one-way glass. The stuff that's just regular glass with flight strip of mirror threaded through it. There was a conjuring trick to it, you just focused behind the glass… behind the leaves.

"Oh bugger."Harry's eyes widened."RUN !"As soon as Harry moved the hedgerow exploded.

Darts rained down, peppering the two fleeing boys. Harry screamed as the needles hit his flesh and jerked his hood up over his mind. It didn't assistance much.

"Waito rapscallion !"Malfoy yelled, following behind him."Damn ! … Ow ! … Bloody ! …"

Harry dashed away, the litany of swearwords following close behind. He at to the lowest degree tried to steer towards the center of the maze but it was laborious when running at broad tilt.

Scrit !

"Aaah !"Harry cried in pain as a dart stabbed into his buttock, the point going straight through. Harry pulled it out with another angry cry."Right ! That DOES IT ! Malfoy, back to second !"

Harry felt the Slytherin move into position.

"INCENDIO !"Harry slashed his wand in a wide swathe, burning the dry branches.

"Incendio !"Malfoy yelled behind him.

"No !"Harry held up an arm to kibosh another fusillade of flit aiming for his head."You shield !"

"Protego !"Malfoy made no endeavour to argue, a fact Harry truly appreciated.

"Incendio !"Harry cut another swathe through the offset and apparently hit something this time as a mad squeaking cry went up and another dark rainbow of darts flew up to dangle on the two teenagers. Harry forced himself to trust Malfoy and made no attempt to obstruct them. Instead he aimed directly at where they had come from.

"Confringo !"Harry saw the execration hit the electrocution leg and explode in a fireball, raining light down on them. Both the arc and the darts bounced easily off Malfoy's buckler. The screeching grew tawdry and more panicked ( like a violently squeezed Guinea pig ) then grew fainter as the hob retreated, scurrying and swinging through the hedges like gibbons. Harry's shoulder joint sagged and he let his wand arm drop to his side.

"That was a good plan."Malfoy said breathlessly."unspoilt plan."

"Well you know my shields couldn ‘ t keep off rain let alone this."Harry pulled a dart out of his upper arm where he hadn't noticed it."You think these are poisoned ?"

"Unlikely."Malfoy shook his capitulum, still trying to captivate his breathing time."Waito imps aren ‘ t really that smart. Cruel, but not smart."

"Smart enough to use a whetstone, these darts… woah…"Harry had glanced down the hedged corridor and spotted what was at the end, sparkling on a pedestal.

The triwzard cup.

"We made it."Harry breathed."And I only had to get my cheek pierced."

The two of them began to walk forward, not speaking. Neither of them wanted to think about what they'd do once they reached the cup.

Unfortunately the universe provided a distraction for their dilemma in the strain of something infinitely more awful.

They both saw her at the same bit, blue gown falling over her slight flesh and her blonde hairsbreadth spreading out in a fan around her. She was sprawled at the far English of the clearing, one bridge player stretched out towards the cup as if she had been reaching for it as she fell.

Fleur ...

Harry moved first, pushing her up on her side and putting two digit to her neck for a pulse. He waited there a recollective prison term, the igniter draining out of his middle as it already had from hers. When he finally turned back to his familiar it was almost too a good deal effort to speak.

"She ‘ s dead."

Absolute silence reigned for a moment.

"No… no she can ‘ t be."Malfoy shook his school principal."You did it wrong."

"Malfoy she ‘ s not even warm."Harry rolled her onto her strawman and crossed her coat of arms across her bureau. He eased her hair off her nerve, breaking the caked on dirt, and closed her eyes. Harry closed his eyes too, it didn't even seem real.

"one-half an minute ago she was healing a love bite off my neck."Harry could still see her instant in his idea."She was smiling."

"This isn ‘ t happening."Malfoy interrupted behind him, shaking his head manically"It ‘ s… it ‘ s like a magic trick ! It ‘ s the last challenge before we take the cup."

"THEN proceeds THE BLOODY CUP !"Harry raged out, feeling hot crying streaking down his font as he spun around to present Malfoy."Just need it so we can get out of here !"

"I…"Malfoy stepped back hurriedly, then turned to the cup."But don't you want it ?"

"I wan na go home."Harry said, a little pathetically."Just take the cup. Please."

"N…no."Malfoy stepped back."You take it."

"Draco…"Harry shook his head."Don ‘ t listen to your father, for once just… take something for yourself."

"You deserve it more."

"I cheated."

"So did I."

"I cheated more."Harry shook his head, the rip coming freely now."I had a map."

"You ‘ re trying to bet me again."Malfoy said, still sounding panicked."If you ‘ d had a map you ‘ d have got here quicker."

"Just take the bloody cup !"Harry wailed."Can ‘ t you see I don't want it anymore !"

"I…"

"Here !"Harry grabbed his arm."Like this !"

Harry pushed the Slytherin's hand onto the cup and suddenly the populace disappeared. Instead it was replaced by a swirling vortex of color and light.

Portkey ! Oh god oh god oh god.

Harry just about had metre to realize how badly he'd screwed up when he was dumped on a cold stone floor.
*


Harry pushed himself up on ail arms and looked around. He was in the middle of a hall, marble floor and columns, all in black and Patrick Victor Martindale White marble. Even the great doors at either end were black, sinister vena portae twice as tall as a person. The only color in the room came from the vase of roses on a table near the door, and a massive tapestry that hung up one monolithic paries. It was a category tree he realized, must have stretched back centuries, fancifully decorated with birds and dragons and early images. Harry took all this in in a moment but still only had one thing to say.

"I just wanted to go home."

"The foreign matter is Potter."Dragon said warily."I am."

"Eh ?"

"This is Malfoy manor."

"Quite correct Loretta Young Malfoy."

Harry whirled towards the sound of the voice but a piece took him in the breast and he was thrown back down to the hard Edward Durell Stone trading floor. Through the fuzz of tears he saw three robed frame approaching from the top of a staircase.

On the left Greyback lopped, his savage eyes trained on Harry. On the right, Lucius Malfoy, absentmindedly fingering a retentive white baseball mitt he was wearing. And in the middle…

"Oh my god."Harry put his hand to his mouth."You ‘ re back."

"Yes Mr ceramicist I have returned."Voldemort smiled his reptile grinning."I said I would did I not ?"

"I believe a told you to come back prettier."Harry said, slowly raising himself up from the floor."I see you failed to take that to heart."

"A defiant sentiment that would be perhaps more expansive if your face wasn ‘ t lined with tears."Voldemort stepped towards him, passing his two handmaid. As he brushed by them Lucius gave a fiddling shakiness and rubbed his gloved hand. A giant Snake River, like a Python, curled on the soil nearby but made no movement to follow the iniquity lord. Voldemort reached the floor and stopped, he made a twisting motion in the air and Harry's sceptre skittered across the marble tiles and jumped into his hand.

Harry cursed under his breathing time, he hadn't even realized he'd lost it. It must have been knocked out of his hand when he fell.

"heroic meter don't sake me."Harry found his feet, his eyes already darting around. Trying to find an going."But you could at to the lowest degree have fixed the nose."

There were the two huge doors but he'd be dead before he reached them. A smaller threshold by the stairway but that meant running straight towards them. The staircase itself didn't bear thinking about. Harry's middle flicked to Malfoy, frozen on the floor, his face an undecipherable masquerade. Voldemort followed his gaze and turned to the Slytherin.

"I am surprised to see you here Brigham Young Malfoy."The dark lord said, towering over him."You were ordered to make him take the cup, not to take it yourself."

"Ung…."Malfoy swallowed, his lip working wordlessly.

"Come now, you have nothing to fear."Voldemort bent down, bringing his headland closer to Draco's."You have done me a great service."

"He… he… he wouldn ‘ t take the cup."Malfoy stammered."He must have thought something was up. I had to grab his arm and push him into it."

Harry prayed that none of the black robed wizards had noticed who had been hanging onto who's arm when they had tumbled to the floor a moment ago.

"Why do you think he suspected ?"Voldemort was staring directly into Malfoy's eyes.

"We found Fleur."Malfoy said, still apparently flash-frozen to the floor."She was lying dead adjacent to the cup. He thought it must have been the cup that killed her, some kind of curse."

Not bad Malfoy, not bad at all.

Voldemort stared into the male child grey eyes for a moment longer, then nodded, apparently pleased.

"Our agent at Hogwarts must throw had to pop her to break her taking the cup."Voldemort placed a recollective finger under Malfoy ‘ s Kuki then stood, bringing the boy up with him."A ignominy he could not dispose of the body but I suppose he was having to mesh from outside the maze. And in any case the result is the same, Harry Potter is here. You have done your master copy a great service young Malfoy, almost as great as the one your Father-God performed for me."

Again that twitch towards the glove. Maybe some sort of failing he could exploit ?

Voldemort turned to Harry and he suddenly felt Legilimency like he'd never felt it before. It was like an axe was being applied to the rachis of his brain.

Fight back ! He screamed at himself. If Voldemort worked out that he and Malfoy were anything other than unfit enemies then the blond would die along with him. Harry tore his centre away but a second later his face was jerked back forwards. Voldemort was holding him with magic somehow, his head felt like it was stuck in a vice.

Blank judgement ! Harry repeated to himself. Blank ! His paw found the carapace necklace under his robe and he hung onto it in despair, pouring every view into the little nub of innocence. Slowly, ever so slowly, the knife receded.

"Amateurish Mr Potter."Voldemort released him and he slumped to the story."But unfortunately effective."

"Screw… you… snakeface."Harry panted.

"It does not matter."Voldemort dismissed it with a wave of his hand."Your childish tricks will not relieve you this time."

"whoremonger like stabbing you through the eyes ?"Harry grinned evilly."I never got a hazard to say ya, but when they squished all this gross slime came out. Honestly, it was like popping two huge blackhead. Squish…"

"And yet I live."Voldemort spread his hands."And will continue to do so. I am immortal Harry Potter. All you did was weaken me and fight me back to being a bodiless soul."

"Squish…"

"I had to survive again by possessing lesser wight. Creatures beneath me, vermin and snake. Until Greyback found me, sniffed me out in the state of nature of Albania."

"Squish… squish… pop…"

"Realizing I needed a more competent servant I had him impart me to Lucius, my servant of old."Voldemort glanced back at the Malfoy patriarch, still standing on the steps."Who did me three capital military service. First he was able-bodied to make me a first potion that restored me some level of physical variant, but one that was wretched and weak. A disgusting and disfigured parody of my old power."

"So you did come back prettier."

"Secondly…"Voldemort ignored his quip like a tolerant founding father while smiling a smile that never reached his centre."He made me aware of another handmaiden I could use, one that would be able to-"

"Infiltrate Hogwarts."Harry interrupted."Put my epithet in the cup ?"

"Five points to Gryffindor Mr potter,"Voldemort drew his wand."But minus ten for interrupting. Crucio !"

Harry had fourth dimension to steel himself before the pain hit and twit it out without too much difficulty. It still left him gasping and horse but his mind was clear of the common shadower and confusion left by the extreme pain in the neck. At least he was well practiced at that.

"It all becomes clear."Harry said, picking himself off the base."So you ‘ ve been here, weak, the wholly time. At Malfoy manor."

"Until Lucius was able-bodied to complete the second potion, a few month ago."Voldemort smiled."And he was capable to render his most personal service."

The twitch to the mitt was not even subtle this metre. Suddenly Harry had a thought.

"Ellen Hayward."Harry saw all eye, especially Draco's on the level, flick to him."That was you wasn ‘ t it. She was a booster of this family. This god forsaken family."Harry added, in case anyone started wondering how he'd come by this information."The kind that pops by unannounced. Did she pop by at the wrong metre ?"

"Yes, a fact I regret."Voldemort shook his pass, though Harry would be dammed if he saw a vestige of remorse on that pervert look."She was of a true pure blood house, and an institution in her own right. She will be sorely missed."

"I ‘ m sure you ‘ ll shed a bust every year on the day you poisoned her."Harry spat back, then smiled a another neuron fired."And Rita Skeeter ? She was looking for a Georgia home boy on the triwizard wiz. Tried to lift in."

"Was that her name ?"Voldemort twitched his head to the side as he smiled self indulgently. It struck Harry as a wholly snakelike gesture."I do not blockade to ask the figure of worm I kill. And besides, in her cause I did you a favour. You should thank me."

"I ‘ ll send some flowers."Harry replied acidly.

"And now I am finally quick to come up out of the darkness."Voldemort said rapturously."And I have just one dubiousness to ask you."

"Boxers."

"You have been a stimulating foe Harry."Voldemort held out his hired man."And the potter family is old and lofty. Your mothers blood is an payoff but… not an insurmountable one. I can offer big businessman beyond your violent dreaming Harry, if you join me."

"Ok."

"You… what ?"

"Ok. The robe comes gratuitous right, I don ‘ t have to buy it ?"Harry began to chuckle, unsuccessfully hiding it behind his hand."Got good promotional material prospects ? Where do you see me in three long time ?"Harry began laughing in earnest, the exclusively audio in the deathlike silent hall.

"So I take it you refuse."Voldemort said coldly.

"Yes, you snake faced, impotent, wanker !"Harry choked out between giggles."Did you honestly believe my answer would be yes ? And anyway, what demented logic makes me thwarting you a skillful qualification for joining your rank ?"

"I thought you might be persuaded to see reason."Icicles could have grown on Voldemort's words.

"well Tom, I guess we were both wrong."Harry grinned."Oh no wait ! Just you."

"What did you forebode me !"Voldemort stepped forward, bristling with anger.

"What… Tom ?"Harry smiled."Tom Marvolo Ri-"

"Crucio !"

Harry hit the storey but blanked his mind at the same time. He watched his physical structure writhe dispassionately from a period behind his eyes. After a farseeing, hanker sentence the writhing stopped and he allowed himself back in.

"Don't try to speak."Voldemort was saying."I took you almost to the demarcation of what a mind can take."

"That was the demarcation ?"Harry pushed himself up from the floor. He knew it was masochistic but…"Then why not go for the record… Tommy."

"You… !"

"Tommy boy."Harry grinned."Is that really the best you got ?"

"Crucio !"

Harry couldn ‘ t Lunaria annua say how long he lay there behind his own eyes. longer than the initiatory time certainly. But eventually the pain stopped and he allowed himself back in. It took him a few instant to reorientation himself, his muscular tissue ached and his throat was raw. His body had suffered even though he'd managed to buffer his mind.

"You see my friends."Voldemort was saying, his binding to Harry."I have broken his mind just as I will break the wizarding humanity to my will."

Harry tried to believe whether he had a weapon on him, with the snake in the grass's back turned he might induce a chance.

"sire ! He ‘ s awake !"Johnny barked. Damn werewolf eyes.

His cover broken, Harry slid up onto his knees and looked up into the appall red eyes of Voldemort.

"I… hav…"Harry couldn't get the words out. He licked his lips and tried again."I have been burned by time itself, Tom enigma. Don ‘ t ever think you scare me. Not ever. You ‘ re nothing."

The room was baneful silent. Voldoemort stared at him, confusion evident on his face, then smiled and let out a little laugh.

"Oh how melodramatic."Voldemort mimed clapping."Quite well done, I could almost think you had some magnate over the cruciatus. But you don ‘ t do you, you ‘ re simply using occlumency. Sealing the pain away, or sealing yourself from the pain. Very well done, I didn ‘ t think you had that degree of skill."

"Your mistake."Harry tried to smile but the muscleman in his mouth didn't seem to want to so he settled for a rictus grin."You make a lot of mistakes don't you Tommy ?"

"Do not say-"

"And that ‘ s the former reasonableness I can ‘ t study for you."Harry did manage the grin this time."I ‘ d get tired of incompetent management."

"Really."Voldemort's voice was silk over razors."Then perhaps I should exhibit you the true world power of lord Voldemort. Perhaps I will show you that your will think nothing !"The word zilch cracked like party whip and Voldemort drew his wand. Harry felt his arm pulled forward against his will.

"Let me give you something you can't block out."Voldemort stabbed his wand down onto Harry's arm."Morsmordre !"

Harry stared at his arm in shock absorber, at first there was null, just a blackening of the hide. Voldemort stepped away, smiling. Then, slowly but surely, the mark faded out of nothing. Growing blacker and more defined by the moment. Then Harry felt his paw clench, the mark seemed to writhe on his forearm. He watched as the darkness cattle ranch, like tentacles down every vein, making his paw look like it was encased in blacken ivy.

The swarthiness advanced, following the blood up his arm. Harry couldn't stop himself from scratching at it furiously, trying to slacken its procession. Voldemort laughed. The black lines came up his berm, across his chest. Then they hit his spine, and the torment began.

Rods of hot smoothing iron, knives of fire stabbing into his cover. Reaching higher and higher as the curse curled up into his mentality. Couldn't block it out, it was coming in under everything. It was everywhere. Harry saw spiderwebs grow across his heart as the curse worked its way into the flyspeck veins. The annoyance was everywhere now, pulsing up his spine and into every screaming slight synapse. It couldn't be stopped.

Harry escaped the pain the only way he could see how. He lowered himself down and smacked his frontal bone against the floor as hard as he could.

He heard Voldemort laugh before it all went black.
*


Severus Snape leant back in his chair and considered the tomfoolery of an entire school, guests, ministry official, press and assorted other hangers on turning up to stare at a hedge.

"It ‘ s not as if they can even see anything."Snape muttered under his breath.

"Eh, what was that Severus ?"Flitwick turned to him from the seat to his left.

"I said I was wondering how much recollective Mr Malfoy intends to keep us waiting."Snape said, without missing a beat.

"Still pinning all your hopes on your own house ?"Flitwick said slyly.

"Well why wouldn ‘ t I ?"Snape rolled his middle. He had reconciled with the ceramicist boy but that didn't modification the fact that he was a Slytherin to the core.

"I personally think Potter will puzzle him to it. Not a student like him."Flitwick said proudly. Snape rolled his eyes, hearing Flitwick crow about ceramicist's good luck charm ability was a constant irritation.

"What is taking them so long ?"Professor vector said from the former side.

"The fact that it is a maze and not a footrace ?"Snape said irritably."There are obstacles in there you know and in any pillowcase it has only been…"Snape pulled his arm up to wait at his watch.

"What is that ?"Filius leant his tiny frame over.

"A wristwatch. They are… quite useful."Snape said faintly.

"Oh… But shouldn ‘ t you be looking at the former face ?"

"early side…"Snape stared at his wrist, the sentinel forgotten as his optic bored into the black shape standing proud against his picket skin."No… no no no."
*


Harry came to lying in something sticky. Blood or vomit ? It was beige and it looked like it had peas in it. Probably vomit.

Harry raised his aching pass and looked around. His glasses were lying a few inches away, he reached for them and drew them up to his fount. Be blinked a few times, at low he though he had gone cross-eyed, then he realized that there really were more than three robed anatomy in the room.

They were all around him, arranged in a circle, all with deaths head masks on except for Voldemort himself. Harry's middle found Draco, standing a footling outside the circle, he seemed to be expending a lot of attempt hard to keep his side blank.

Harry turned back to Voldemort and tried to make his mouth work.

"Still not as bad as the Torrent."A wickedness grumble went up from around the circle. Harry found a dry part of the trading floor, set his mitt against it and pushed. He managed to raise himself high enough to jerk a base up and lay it compressed on the storey. Slowly, surely and against the protestation of his aching muscles, Harry stood.

"wellspring done Harry."Voldemort folded his arms."And I thought you would be all out of dramatic, noncompliant and pointless gestures."

Harry's leg spasmed and he was almost tipped back onto the floor. He staggered for a import then found his feet again. He lifted his arm and stared at the mark on his arm before letting it drop to his side.

"That means nothing."Harry shook his head, causing shooting pains to run up and down his thorn."You put a pretty tattoo on my arm it doesn ‘ t mean anything."

"It means I own you Harry Potter."

"I ‘ ve got a Hungarian horntail on my chest of drawers does that mean it owns me too ?"Harry grinned, his sense of sense of humour was coming back. He couldn't stand up straight but he could one-liner for England. Harry looked down at his shaking consistency."I notice I ‘ m not dead yet ? Do you still actually think I ‘ ll come over to your side ?"

"You are still alert for one reason only."Voldomort drew his wand."To tell me something."

"I already told you boxers."

"Crucio !"

pain in the neck. Block. Fading. base. Blankness. Time…

"Well…"Harry stood again, working the crick out of his shoulder."We ‘ ve established that you don ‘ t learn quickly."

"Potter I have humored you thus far."Voldemort stepped closer."It stops now, how much does Alasor Helen Newington Wills know ?"

The question caught Harry off guard.

"Wha ?"

"Crucio !"

Harry waited then sunk back, finding that this sentence he'd landed with his face squarely in the nauseant puddle.

"Lovely."Harry wondered if it was Charles Frederick Worth standing. It was fairly straighten out he wasn't leaving this elbow room awake, unless by some miracle Moody, Snape, Dumbledore or maybe the ministry found him. He certainly couldn't leave by his own steam, not the shape he was in. Not without a wand. In that case the best thing he could do was conk the psycho in presence of him for as long as possible, and that meant…"Hold on, I ‘ m getting up…"Harry lurched to his feet.

"I know Moody was investigating poor Madam Hayward ‘ s death-"

"Her murder."Harry corrected.

"Cru…"Voldemort raised his wand angrily, then let it go down, the curse not even fully formed. He hissed in irritation."I know he was investigating it. I know he was doing so at your urging. How much is he cognizant of ?"

"Why the hell would I tell you snakeface ?"Harry shrugged."We ‘ ve already established that you ‘ re incapable of torturing me."

"Really, well let us see how you cope with this."Voldemort smiled evilly."Imperio !"

Harry felt the curse enter into like a parasite, shooting into his head and wrapping it in candy-floss. He tried to block it out but it was tricksy, it found gaps in his pulley-block. little wiggling tendrils like roots, finding a lilliputian gaps then growing, splitting his brain apart.

Tell me everything.

Harry tried to agitate it away, vainly,

How much does he screw ?

Why not tell him ? Harry drew his hands up to his pass, he knew that spokesperson was wrong but he couldn't call up exactly why.

Tell me.

William Tell him ?

Tell me.

"Don ‘ t !"The Neville voice in Harry's mind broke through the fuzz. Waving it's little mental arms and shaking it's head."It ‘ s Voldemort Harry ! Voldemort !"

You will say me !

"Are you being intentionally dense Harry ?"Hermione shouted at him from the early side.

But the Nice man wants me to tell him something. Harry blinked like an owl and rubbed his centre, too much was happening in his head.

Tell me now !

"It ‘ s Voldemort Harry ! VOLDEMORT !"Padma hissed in his ear.

How much does Alastor Helen Newington Wills know !

"He killed your parents !"

William Tell ME !

"Can ‘ t you see him ?"

YOU volition order ME !

"ALL OF YOU point shouting !"Harry shouted and dropped to his knees. The vocalization disappeared and Harry was just left as he was. A dash teen in a room full of murderers.

"All of who Potter ?"Voldemort said in his slimy patronizing voice."No one is talking."

Harry just stayed on the flooring and tried to breath.

"What is the matter Potter."Voldemort slid closer."No jokes, no humor ?"

Head feels like concrete.

"Maybe now you will enjoin me what I want to know."Voldemort stepped up so he was mighty on top of Harry."Maybe now-"

"Please."Harry muttered through clenched teeth.

"What was that Mr Potter ?"Voldemort leant down.

"Please no more."Harry shook his forefront and held a hand out towards the dark lord.

"Are you ready to tell me ?"

"Yes… yes…"Harry stretched his arm out encourage, pawing at Voldemort's robes pathetically."I ‘ ll tell you… THIS !"

Harry's fingers clamped down on a skinny leg and he pulled, putting all his weight behind it. Voldemort fell backwards, his face contorted with craze and ira. battle cry of horror came from all around but Harry ignored them. He grabbed up and caught Voldemort's wand out of the air and yelled,

"AVADA-"

Harry was hit from all side of meat by curse word and was thrown back into darkness.
*


Snape's mind snapped to the side as he saw a shining lynx leap through the wall.

"He ‘ s not at any experience location from the death war."Shacklebolt's late voice came from the patronus."I ‘ ll keep looking."

Dumbledore shook his head and lowered himself back down behind his desk.

"We should be doing something."Minerva was pacing back and Forth across the floor of the schoolmaster's office. If she had been transformed her tail would have been twitching irritably.

"She is right."Snape shook his head."I could do the process, maybe witness a way to warn-"

"No."Dumbledore shook his head."We have discussed this."

"And you have unreasonably dismissed it !"snap snapped."You clearly intend for me to spy for you in the time to come anyway so why not-"

"Severus ! I have made my decision."Dumbledore stood sharply, slamming his hands down onto his desk. In the background Fawkes trilled sadly."We need to reconvene the order. Minerva, see if Alastor has recovered yet and touch the Weaseys, Lup-"

"For what ?"Snape interrupted."So we can feature even more than people sitting on their deal while Harry dies ?"

"Severus…"

"No Dumbledore. No…"Snape stood to face the old thaumaturge and crossed his arms."You have ten endorsement to grant me a compelling reason why I should not go to the boy 's aid. Otherwise I am leaving."

"Severus there is no need-"

"Nine."

"terror will not-"

"Eight."

"You are being unreasonable."

"As are you. Seven."

"I forbid it !"Dumbledore said through gritted teeth.

"Six. It is not yours to forbid."

"You are risking your life !"

"It is mine to take chances !"Snape snapped cutting his manus through the air like a scythe."And you are down to five."

"This could ruin everything Severus."Dumbledore said, suddenly seeming panicked."If we truly have war on the way I will need center among the death-eaters. By doing this you risk exposing yourself."

"Also my choice to make. Not yours."Snape shook his head."And have you thought of how will the loss of the boy who lived effect this war ? Perhaps spared a thought to what it would do to people ‘ s team spirit to see the living evidence of Voldemort ‘ s death rate die ? Have you thought of that ?"

"Trust me Severus."Dumbledore's voice was rough and low, with life-threatening undercurrent."That the fact that Harry gives citizenry hope is never far from my mind. But-"

"By right you ‘ ve had ten mo by now."Snape interrupted."But I ‘ ll give you one terminal chance."

"Severus please…"

"Not good enough."Snape turned and stalked towards the door.

He kept expecting to be stopped, some magic spell or last ditch argument, but none came. He closed the door behind him and allowed the moving stairway to contain him down. As it moved he summoned his patronus, it's little taper read/write head and it's diminutive forked tongue sniffing the air.

"I ‘ m about to do something very dangerous."Snape said to it softly, pushing his give-and-take into it."I don ‘ t know if I ‘ ll regaining, but it ‘ s something I feel I must do."

Snape licked his lips, this wasn't going well. He should just stay fresh it short.

"I love you."Snape cursed his bluntness."I realize this is a foreign prison term to take it up but… but… well I just feel like it should be said."

Snape waved the snake away and it sparkled through the wall, heading Confederacy towards London.
*


"Albus ?"Minerva asked softly after the Potions master key had gone. Dumbledore hadn't moved or speak, he was just staring off into space."Albus ?"

"facial expression in on Alastor."Dumbledore repeated."And contact lupin. I will do the rest."He was still staring at the door, his astute oculus boring into the old wood.

"I understand."McGonagall stepped towards the door, then paused. This was not easy to do but…"Albus…"

"Hmm ?"

"He ‘ s not wrong you know."Dumbledore stared at her. McGonagall couldn't wait that gaze for long and turned to pass on the room.
*


"Potter… Oh Potter… clip to fend up again."

Harry's eyes cracked loose and he looked up into Voldemort's face. His completely organic structure ached from the stratum cake of cuss that he had suffered over the endure hour. Or was it longer ? He had such a precarious clasp of time when he was unconscious. Harry managed to raise his head and spirit around.

Yep, still in the like place, surrounded by nasties. Or… wait… was there one more of them than before ? Harry's eye's scanned around the circle of dark hook name. Maybe it was his imagination. That or the pain was making him hallucinate.

There was one dispute, Draco was no longer lurking idily behind the lines. He was standing in the center, just a few paces from Voldemort. He was facing Harry and he had his wand.

"seminal fluid on Potter."Voldemort urged."Up ! Up ! Where's that Gryffindor spirit ?"

"I ‘ m not a Gryffindor."Harry muttered."I ‘ m a marauder."But apparently Voldemort didn't hear him.

"Now we can ‘ t have you lazing around all day Potter. Up !"

Harry felt himself lifted off the floor and dropped back onto his feet. His knee buckled and he stumbled, only to be pushed unsloped again by the invisible force. He fell the former way, his paw coming up to stop himself but again he was caught and put away upright. He tottered but managed to hold his balance on shaking legs.

"That ‘ s better."Voldemort said indulgently.

"Why the underworld haven't you killed me."Harry groaned weakly."Is it just sadism ?"

"Oh you will die Mr Potter."Voldemort smiled."There was never any question of that. I intend your death to be the final sign to the universe that I have returned, the seal for my immortality and retribution for what happened on Halloween fourteen geezerhood ago."

stamp for my immortality.

SEAL for my immortality ?

What the hell did that mean ? Harry filed it away for later.

"So yes Harry you will be killed. I was going to chip in you the gift of a painless death, and I would have killed you myself after your ill advised escape attempt."

"Murder attempt."Harry said darkly."I never expected to live. Just hoped to take you down."

"The Gryffindor spirit returns."Voldemort smiled."But you would be idle except for one thing. I would still like to have it away how much the old auror knows. And Whitney Young Malfoy here seems to think he can make you separate me."

Voldemort stepped back and let Draco come forward.

He has a design. Harry overrode all doubts in his brain. Every little sly representative saying that Malfoy had betrayed him was squashed in an instant. It didn't matter if he was wrong, it didn't topic if he was being too trusting, because if he was wrong he was dead anyway. Harry decided he would rather hope.

"You really should tell him Potter."Draco said."You know that. I don ‘ t really want to do this to you."

"Just do what you have to do."Harry dropped his head to his pectus and waited for whatever was coming.

"Depulso !"Harry flew through the air and impacted onto one of the marble wall with a atrocious thud."Adhaereo !"Harry sagged as the sticking charm took effect, hanging a percipient foot above the floor.

"Familiar ceramist ?"Malfoy smirked as he sauntered over."I think a bit of payback is in order."

He has a plan. He has a plan.

"Bullabazooka."

The bubble headway magic spell ? What the he… Oh no !

"Augmenta !"Malfoy stuck his verge through the burp and Harry felt water Menachem Begin to fill the shimmering sphere.

"What are you doing boy ?"One of the decease eaters called out harshly. But Voldemort silenced him with a wave of his hand.

The water was up to his nose and Harry was beginning to panic. He jerked his headway frantically, trying to dislodge the bubble. But it didn't employment and the weewee closed over his head sending him spiraling into insanity.

He tried desperately to maintain some shred of self-will or common sense as he breathed in the H2O in large gulps. But anything he had went out the window as wafture of pain coursed out from his dresser, settling into every electric cell of his body. With his mind in rag he was unable to bar it out.

A bit later the bubble popped and Harry was left coughing and wracked with pain.

"You see I had this brilliant idea."Malfoy was saying cheerfully."Just because you an block out the cruciatus cuss doesn ‘ t mean we shouldn ‘ t use it. It just means we have to find some way to soften your judgment. A good dose of paralyzing fear for example."

Harry didn't confidence himself to mouth. He just advert there and panted.

"So just tell your Lord what he want ‘ s to have intercourse and this suffering can end."

Why not ?

"Just recount him !"Malfoy yelled."Fine then, lets try this again !"

Harry screamed as he was drown then plunged into a world of pain once more. By the end he couldn't even move. Didn't have the will. He really was betrayed, all hope was gone.

"I don ‘ t want to have to do this Potter."Malfoy smirked."But you ‘ ve insulted my master, and I take such matter seriously. After all, this is a true old pure blood house."

A light came on in Harry's mastermind. That last phrase, ‘ old pure line of descent house ’, why use that phrasal idiom ? Where had he heard…

When he'd hit the wall… had it sounded a little… holler ?

Harry breathed deeply. If he was right he would have to hope that self-control could replace strength and self-will, sinew because in a few moments he would induce to run. Harry tried to move his legs as much as he could on the wall, working the cramps out in preparation.

Why hadn't Malfoy done it yet ? Harry lifted his headspring up. Malfoy was just standing there waiting.

He needs a reason, Harry realized. He can't just do it out of the blue, he needs a reason.

"Malfoy…"Harry licked his backtalk."Old pure ancestry house ? That 's a gag. Your founder did n't tell you ? Your female parent was a whore."

"Reducto !"

Harry braced himself and screamed as the spell hit his chest. The marble rag behind him shattered and he was thrown into the transit beyond.

MOVE NOW !

Harry found some brawniness and, as curses started sparking against the wall above his school principal, started to run.



limited review, please. Or I 'll stamp out this small fluffy animal. No not that one the other one.


"Where is Harry !"Ron yelled."Why the hell won ‘ t you tell us ?"

"Mr Weasley calm down."professor McGonagall spread her hands calmingly. The piranha had ambushed her outside Dumbledore's office staff. Normally she would have taken theatre points for the bad speech communication, but this seemed like an exceptional circumstance."If I knew I would tell you."

"You ‘ re trying to find him though."Neville asked desperately."Dumbledore ‘ s doing everything he can ?"

"Everything that can be done is being done."McGonagall answered."No get out of my way-"

"Please Professor."Padma stepped in nominal head of the instructor."We ‘ re not useless. bet at all we ‘ ve done. We know this is dangerous. We know this is awful, Fleur is already dead. We know you ‘ re trying to help but so are we. And we ‘ re not useless. So use us."

McGonagall took a deep breathing place, ready to lecture them. Ready to brush them aside.

"Please,"Miss Weasley pleaded."There must be something we can do."

"We just want to help."Padma added with the others nodding behind her."We need to do something."

McGonagall took another breath, this clip to ready herself.

"Go to the hospital wing."She could see the lights come on in their eyes."If Helen Wills is able to be moved have him taken to the headmaster post. Then corral the prefects together and help them get everyone back to their common rooms."

"Is that it ?"Ron asked hurriedly.

"Yes."McGonagall paused, in for a penny…"No. Mr or Miss Weasley, one of you go to my office and flue your parents. narrate them Dumbledore needs them. tell apart them it's for ‘ The ordination ’."

"Dad ‘ ll be at work."

"Get them wherever they are."McGonagall snapped."shuffle nuisances of yourselves until you get them. You know how to do that. And find Viktor Krum and watch out him. He was the only other one in that maze, if he tries to run off. Stop him."

"Got it."Ron nodded and McGonagall strode off. As she went she could hear them breaking themselves into groups to take the different tasks.
*


Harry's foot skidded on a bottleful as he pelted down the dusty corridor holding his aching chest.

"Which way ‘ d he go ?"

"tear up !"

Harry slowed down enough to become silent and ducked under a low beam of light. He took another tour. And another.

"Another bloody maze."Harry thought as he reached a small staircase down. It ended in a massive underground warehousing room, piled high with boxful and crate. There was a cause of armor, complete with sword, in one corner and what looked like a gormandise alligator shoved up against the back wall. Even strange things were piled haphazardly all over the place, strange devices, titan bones and artifact covered with motheaten dustsheets. Everything was covered in a duncish layer of dust.

Harry managed to get behind a box and collapsed down on the story. He couldn't run anymore, not without passing out again. The give-and-take of Madam Pomfrey floated out of his subconscious…

The human physical structure has certain limit. You can not just keep heaping abuse on it and wait it to keep working properly.

He had reached those point of accumulation. He had passed those limit. Harry leant his head back against the unsmooth wood. Unless he found a way out of here soon and got some medical attention there was very real chance he would die anyway. If there was a way out of here. If he hadn't just escaped the frying pan for the nonexistent guard of the fire.

Harry's palpebra drooped. So tired…

"Stop you !"

running play feet !

Harry jerked awake in a moment. mortal was in the room. More than one someone.

"Got you you little… Petrificus Totalus !"Something thumped against the floor. They weren't after him ? Harry leant out from around his box.
*


"Petrificus Totalus !"

genus Draco was caught off precaution as the spell smacked him from the side. In that instant he knew he was utterly. He felt his ossify body scrape along the level as his momentum carried him into a pile of waste bags.

"wellspring little boy…"Draco saw a cloaked face come into horizon. A moment later the mask came down and the cruel grimace of Walden Macnair."You ‘ re like a little rat aren ‘ t you. Well you ‘ ve reached the end of the run…"

genus Draco could only gaze at the evil smirking man leaning over him.

"We ‘ re going back to the dark Lord boyo."Macnair stood and flicked his scepter down towards Draco."And then you can see what happens when you try to put one over on the nighttime noble. Oh you ‘ ll… oh… oh… o…"

Macnair had frozen, little gulping of sound popping out from his mouthpiece. His baton fell from his hobble fingers as a thin drip of descent began seeping from his lips. He blinked in confusion, and turned towards the door.

Revealing both the foundation long blade embedded in his cover and Harry Potter.

Malfoy could only determine as Harry dropped to one genu and scraped Macnair's wand off the floor. He stood again, with obvious effort and croaked,

"Finite Incantatem…"

Malfoy felt his branch go slack and he pushed himself to his feet.

"Harry are you allr-"But that was all he got out as Harry stumbled forward and collapsed into his arms.

"You ‘ d effective know some healing charms."
*

Harry hadn't meant to collapse onto his friend, his knees had just refused to work anymore. He found himself unable to do anything former than hang limply as Malfoy dragged him behind a box and propped him against the wall.

Harry couldn't even address as Malfoy left again. A present moment later he returned, dragging the eubstance of Macnair.

"Thanks."Malfoy whispered.

"Owed you one."Harry felt his breath coming in ragged pant."Why was he trying to get you ?"

"What do you mean why ?"

"I mean I…"Harry had to break off as he was struck with a wracking coughing. When he brought his hand back from his mouth it was spotted with parentage."I assumed you would try to fall my escape off as an accident."

"Harry…"Malfoy shook his head."Do you have a go at it what Voldemort does to people who make that kind of error ?"

"Evisceration…"Harry grinned."I ‘ m betting evisceration."

"As a start."

"So we ‘ ve become rats in the walls."Harry tried to displace his legs again, they jerked a picayune."Does this paries have an exit ?"

"burrow that goes to a field south of here."Malfoy nodded."My Fatherhood doesn't know about it."

"But you do ?"

"Oh please. I practically lived down here before I came to Hogwarts."Malfoy hesitated."You got my hint didn ‘ t you ?"

"‘ Old pure blood house'?"Harry chuckled painfully."Old pure line planetary house used to let magic handmaid. wiz servants need handmaid passages. I got it."

"Good. Good…"Malfoy nodded again. He seemed to be looking for something. Hoping…

"Shall we go then ?"Harry grabbed the wall and tried to stand. He got about a infantry off the flooring before his peg gave out and he fell back to the base."Did you have to reducto me so hard ?"

"You ‘ re blaming this on me ?"Malfoy stepped closelipped and lifted Harry's arm over his shoulder."You were the one who kept calling Voldemort Tommy Boy."

"It was irritating him."

"Exactly."

"Wait…"Harry stopped as they staggered out from behind the packing crate."Can you get me to a sky ?"

"A… a what ?"

"I mean a window."Harry shook his cobweb infested head."A windowpane or a skylight or something. I just need a… way to see upwards."

"Alright Harry."Malfoy started moving them forward."I ‘ ll humor you."

Harry saw where they were headed, a expectant chimney. When they reached it Harry dropped to his knees in front of it.

"What are you doing Harry ?"Malfoy asked."We need to propel, they ‘ ll find us."

"We need citizenry to know."Harry slid himself onto the loony tiles."We need to get Dumbledore or someone or Moody or individual or-"

"I get it."Malfoy sounded confused."But they ‘ ll have closed the flues."

"Not what I ‘ m planning."Harry stabbed his stolen scepter into the air."Just giving them a sign they can ‘ t ignore.

"What si-"

"Morsmordre !"

Harry was bathed in indisposed unripe light as the spell erupted up the chimney. As it hit the sky Harry saw it blossom out and spring the glow scull.

"There,"Harry grinned. The blood on his font and the brightness filtering down from above gave him the face of a drown corpse."Now we can go."

"You ‘ re insane Harry."

"So I ‘ m told."
*


"Let me through !"Krum tried to push past the similitude and was thrown back.

"Nope."

"I just vant to go to the bathroom."

"Nope."

"I vill not try to run !"

"Nope."St. George shrugged."Sorry pal."

"Don ‘ t you know who I am ?"

"Yep."Fred folded his arms."You ‘ re Viktor Krum."

"Quiditch hero."

"Triwizard champion."

"baby magnet."

"achiever of Witch Weekly's to the lowest degree charming smile award."

"Helen Wills Moody bastard extraordinaire."

"Now ask who we are."

"You… you…."Krum spluttered incoherently."Who do you cerebrate you-"

"Glad you asked."George grinned."We are theatrical role of the marauders."

"We are Harry Potter."

"We are his optic and ears."

"His good rightfield hands."

"And if you think you ‘ re getting past us."George drew his verge."You ‘ ve got another thing coming."
*


"We have not found them master."Crabbe lowered his head in shame.

"Obviously you have not as they are not here."The dark lord snarled and turned his wand on his cowering handmaid."Crucio !"

Snape tried to stay cold-eyed as the death feeder screamed in painful sensation. It was far far harder than he remembered. He was very thankful of the mask that covered any slips in his expression.

"And you Lucius ?"The wickedness lord turned on the blonde wizard."Surely they can not hide from you in your own home ?"

"I have asked the house elves to-"

"House elves ? House elves ! You leave a project I gave you to star sign hob ? !"

Snape felt his abdomen clutches and sent a silent prayer that it was not him at the receiving end of that anger, or the punishment that followed it. Had it always felt like this ? Surely not… he remembered being almost eager for this work, gaining a sense of triumph that he had hoodwinked the dark lord. Now he just felt scared, scared and pocket-sized and frozen like a rat. He just wanted to get out.

"And you Severus…"

No…

"You who come crawling back to me late and unapologetic."

"I have explained Master-"

"And I have excepted your explanation."Dismissed with a moving ridge of his farseeing picket paw."Or else you would not be here. I am not displeased that you can remain my spy in the order."

"I live to delight you my lord."Oh lord let me leave this stead safely.

"And you have taught Harry thrower and the double-dealer Malfoy for the past four years."The dark lord said thoughtfully."Where would they go ?"

"Malfoy I can not verbalize to."Snape shook his psyche."His defection came as a thoroughgoing surprise to me-"No need to lie there."-so I do nor presume to predict his hereafter actions."

"And Potter…"Impatient, soon to be anger.

"Potter is a rat. He will go to ground."Snape lied quickly."We have searched the confidential passages but ceramist has also shown a penchant for the rooftops-"and is not stupid enough to hide there where there is no evasion."-we should check there."

"superior !"Snape was interrupted as frantic wizard dashed in from the garden."The dark Saint Mark has been cast !"

"What ! I gave no ordering to hurl the marker !"

So who… Oh smart boy. Snape felt the brawn in his typeface twitch, wanting to break into a gooselike grin.

"master,"Snape felt those red eyes turn on him."ceramicist may have cast it himself to admonish the ministry. It is the sort of matter he would do."

"That…"The Dark lord looked almost move."That is surprisingly resourceful."

"You are… delight my Jehovah ?"

"It is pleasing to sustain an antagonist who is not an old fool."The darkness Creator smiled."I almost feel young. And besides this is only one aspect of my plan."

"My lord the ministry will-"Snape began but was cut off by a curt wave of the night lords thin hand.

"The ministry will find us."The dark Almighty looked off into the aloofness, his eyes narrowing."Good."
*


"Thank you all for coming at such short notice."Dumbledore was speaking from behind his desk looking out over the office."But the fact is that what I have feared has come to pass. Voldemort had returned."

The people crowding the office didn't speak, didn't murmuration, they had expected this. McGonagall shook her header, if it wasn't for the horror of the position it would almost be like old times.

"And Harry Potter and Mr Malfoy are both most in all probability in his clutches."Dumbledore shook his head."We need to be ready as soon as we know where they are."

"How can we find out him ?"molly Weasley said from the back of the room.

"Severus is trying to find out. If he can safely touch us he will."Dumbledore didn't stumble over the evasion.

"And if not ?"

"Shacklebolt is also looking into it."Dumbledore held up a hand to finish any far objections."Now you all remember what to do. Be ready to go out the moment we get the word."

The room was filled with nervous shuffling and muttering as the great unwashed began shucking off any toilsome or restrictive clothing or transfiguring them into garments more fit to combat.

McGonagall herself checked that her hair was securely out of the way before casting some safe spell against minor hexes. She glanced towards the doorway to the column. A predator would undoubtedly be stationed outside, waiting for news. She thought of going out there, but what was the use if they knew nothing more.

"They know."Minerva turned to see the tired face of Mad Eye Moody."They ‘ re good kids."

"They know what ?"

"That we ‘ re doing everything we can."

"Are we ?"Minerva felt like a traitor for voicing that though.

"Can you think of anything else ?"Helen Newington Wills shook his forefront and sighed. He was leaning rather heavily on a cane. McGonagall had seen him when Longbottom had lead him up here. The auror had practically been leaning on the kid. Helen Newington Wills noticed her looking and growled."I ‘ m fine. Nothing a piffling scrap wo n't heal. warm up the old heftiness up."

"Surely you yourself don ‘ t intend to-"

"If we can drag administrative official from their desks and woman of the house from their kitchens and expect them to fight like aurors then this genuine auror is sure as hell going too."Moody shook his head teacher."We ‘ re not ready."

"We should be. We ‘ ve had months."

"fountainhead we ‘ re not. And it ‘ s too late now."Moody sighed."You think we ‘ re too old for this ?"

"If the old don't scrap it falls to the young."Minerva glanced back at the door, thought of a trivial brown-haired boy with too many cicatrix for his age."And none of us want that."

"Guess not."

"Minerva !"McGonagall turned to see Dumbledore behind her."Where is lupin ? I asked you to get him."

"It is full moon Albus."She saw a flicker of something strange cross the headmaster lined human face."You knew that. Didn ‘ t you…"

McGonagall was interrupted by the glowing lynx that volley in through the wall of the office.

"The non-white mark was raised over Malfoy Manor !"Shacklebolt sounded hurried."Aurors have already been dispatched."

"Guy Fawkes !"Dumbledore held out his deal and the Phoenix fluttered over onto it."Everyone take a tail plume. Be gear up to fight the moment we arrive. Our primary task is to find Harry."

If he's still alive. Minerva found herself praying as she grasped a long feather.
*


Harry pushed the labored wooden threshold candid and felt the flatus hit his face.

"We ‘ re out."Harry smiled as he leant against the doorframe, gulping in the night air.

"And you ‘ re walking on your own."Malfoy said encouragingly.

"Yeah."Harry rolled his eyes."spring me a few more hours and I ‘ ll be running marathons."

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh. So was I."

"I know."

"I was more obvious."Harry chuckled, then froze as he looked up at the sky."Oh shit."

"What ? Wha… Oh…"

The two teenager stared at the broad synodic month hanging just over the apparent horizon. Harry reacted first.

"Move !"Harry pushed Malfoy away from the threshold and pushed it shut before slamming on three iniquity locking charm and an eviler curse.

"My dad doesn't know about-"

"Doesn ‘ t need to."Harry cut him off."Limnodromus griseus ‘ ll track us, probably already behind us."

As if on cue a pugnacious bark sounded, echoing from abstruse down the tunnel.

"Then what do we do ?"Malfoy had his wand out and was backing away from the door.

"Run."Harry ignored the ache in his branch and started towards the edge of the playing area and a small stand of trees."Maybe we can suffer them."

"Lose a loup-garou ? At night."Malfoy was easily keeping step with him.

"We can try."

"We ‘ ll fail."

"Do you want to die right here ?"Harry hissed angrily."amercement, stay and get mauled !"

"We need a better plan."

"wellspring we don ‘ t…"Harry shook his drumhead."You ‘ re right. They can outrun us easily. We try to escape this way we ‘ re dead."

"So what ?"

"I don't know !"Harry grabbed his breast as a stab of bother guesswork through him."I don ‘ t know Malfoy… I ‘ m sorry."

Harry felt a berm pushed under his and allowed himself to be supported. They would go faster like this anyway. Wait…

"Malfoy you go."Harry felt the other adolescent slow to a halt.

"What ?"

"If you drop me they ‘ ll find me. require me back. Chance they ‘ ll ignore you."Harry let his read/write head drop, he was just slowing them down."It ‘ s the best luck for one of us to get out of this."

There was a hanker moment of muteness. All Harry could listen was the sound of his own labor breathing.

"pudden-head Gryffindors."Malfoy muttered under his intimation before yanking Harry forwards.

"Malfoy…"

"Don ‘ t say it again Harry ! Just don ‘ t !"Malfoy shook his oral sex."We ‘ re getting out of this ! We have to because otherwise my father ‘ s won. You understand me Harry ? And I didn ‘ t spit in the face of the dark noble just to see my father win."

Harry let himself be led in silence. A newsflash of scant came from behind them, lighting up the dismal field. Harry craned his neck and saw the room access in the hill glowing a faint blue.

"How long do you think it ‘ ll fill them to get through ?"Malfoy panted.

"Not long enough."Harry shook his head."We can ‘ t run. Won't work. We need to do something else."

"Like what ?"

"Like fight."

As Harry began explaining he saw Malfoy's expression go from hopelessness to a reprehensible grin. They pushed further into the forest as another newsbreak of light slashed out behind them.
*


"What the hell was that ?"Auror Dawlish scowled.

"I didn ‘ t see anything ?"Jandred said irritably.

Idiot never see's anything. Tonks found herself thinking and only just stopped herself from saying it out tacky. Instead she said,

"I saw it too Dawlish."

"Of course of instruction you did."Dawlish rolled his optic as if he assumed she was lying."Just boil down on the gate."

"Yes sir."Tonk's turned back to the gate of Malfoy manor house, trying to neglect the glowing scull in the sky. She tried the convention unlocking spell, not really expecting them to work.

"Oh movement over."Dawlish pushed her out of the way."You ‘ ll never open it that way."

"I ‘ d just starte-"

"Quiet trainee."

Tonk's gritted her dentition. Whenever Dawlish called her trainee he made it sound like an insult.

"If you ‘ re not going to do anything utile you might as well enquire that light."Dawlish sneered."The one you saw."

"But sir the dark ma-"

"Probably vandals."Jandred shrugged.

"Sir ?"

"I gave you an ordination missy."Dawlish smiled at her."Go investigate the Light. go out this to us."

Tonk's didn't cartel herself to speak. She just turned and apparated for the uncut location of the light. She appeared a few feet above the ground and fell backwards as she landed.

"Ow !"Tonk's picked herself up and looked around. It was obvious where the lighter had come from. There was a room access lying on the floor, blown off its flexible joint. Tonk's lit her baton and glanced over the region of bare malicious gossip around the gravelly tunnel entrance. There were cart track all around, homo and dog.

No… not dog.

Tonk's looked closer and cursed under her breathing time. werewolf. And some of the other shoeprints looked like children. She sent a atomiser of red sparks into the air and set off in the management of the hunt. She ran as fast as she could through the marvelous green goddess and only slowed as she reached the boundary of the trees.

She had to, or she'd have crashed into the expiry eater.

Tonk's had her wand out and ready to curse before she realized he was in no material body to crusade. One of his pegleg was trapped in a bear trap, he was writhing on the ground, his sassing open to yell. Silenced she realized. Tonk's stunned him and conjured ropes to hold fast him just in case. More red sparks in the air, not that she thought they'd be heeded, and she picked her way deeper into the forest.

Not a mile further she found another. This one a tree had engulfed. Only his legs were seeable, hanging limply. He was clearly dead, suffocated.

Tonk's swallowed and kept going, carefully.
*


"Do you think Harry ‘ s alright ?"

"I don ‘ t know Herm."Padma shook her head as she shepherded some first twelvemonth towards their classmates."I don ‘ t know."

"He usually gets out ok."Pavarti said with a weak smile."I don ‘ t know… I just sort of always assumed he could survive anything."

"Everyone has limits. Even Harry."

"Then why has he never reached them ?"
*


Harry pushed open the disused farmhouse door and staggered inside.

"Razorcurse on the doormat."Malfoy said quickly, breathing in little gasp."Maybe collapse the place with them inside."

"No."Harry wrenched open a wardrobe and pushed it's subject on the floor before shoving it against the door."We can thin them out with booby ambush and curses but we ‘ ll have to fight them somewhere. Here ‘ s as good as anywhere. It ‘ s defensible, doesn ‘ t look like anyone lives here anymore."

"But Harry…"

"I ‘ d rather adjoin them on land I chose than in the middle of nowhere."Harry ducked into another room and pulled open a chest of drawers.

"What are you looking for ?"Malfoy was nervously eyeing the surrounding woods.

"Anything we can use."Harry leant against the doorframe before pushing away and looking in what looked like the sleeping room."I don't even know… I ‘ m just keeping moving."

"Shall I block up the window ?"

"Do it."Harry nodded."Add something nasty if they try and get in. Then get upstairs."

"You think we can really get them ?"

"Hope so."Harry grinned evilly."I want to get me a wolfskin rug."
*


McGonagall fell out of the phoenix fire and instantly became her cat form. After scanning around with grass far advantageously than her own she transformed back and nodded to Dumbledore.

"Alastor in front. Minerva, if you would back him up."Dumbledore motioned them forward."Kingsly, bring up the rear."

McGonagall let Moody devolve in forepart of her, his eye gyration in its socket as he tried to select in everything. She knew her part and transformed again to follow him. Her sore ears picked up the former members of the order following near behind.

The gate of the manor was wide unresolved. Minerva saw Moody pause and grumbling a few spells before stepping cautiously over the brink. She slinked after him. They probably looked very a good deal like Filch and Mrs Norris McGonagall realized.

The blanket courtyard fanned out in front man of them, a fountain quietly tinkling away in the nerve centre. There was a band of gravel around it, then grass, then flowerbeds. She saw Helen Wills instinctively move to the side where the shrubs would pay him cover.

Smell…

McGonagall lifted her nose to try to pinpoint it. Coming from the other face of the fountain. She pressed her belly down close to the gravel and slinked around the edge. She poked her little flat head around the turning point and saw black cloth. lightlessness robed sprawled on the primer. Vacant locution. Wand fallen from outstretched bridge player. They were aurors, or had been. Her eye landed on the grit next to the physical structure and she shied back in surprise. A wing anatomy was scratched there in the dirt as if with a kick, a symbol the Holy Order used. She darted back in seismic disturbance and transformed back.

"It ‘ s a trap !"She yelled, crouched behind the stonework."The auror's are dead ! He ‘ s-"

She was cut off as the fountain exploded, throwing her to the floor. She felt herself pulled sharply out of the way as the curses began flying.
*


"Ferio !"Harry shot out a window and ducked as the answering bane blew a lump out of the wall. He looked across at Malfoy who was crouching under another windowpane."How many of them are there ! ?"

"I don ‘ t know ceramist I ‘ m not trying to numerate them !"

"sod !"Harry popped up and aimed a turn at a patch of shadow before being thrown backwards as a fireball engulfed the window."Depulso flames !"

The fire exploded outwards and Harry was pretty sure he heard person screaming in pain. Harry dashed to another gap in the walls and shot a stunner at a crouching shape on the ground.

"I think there ‘ s five of them !"Malfoy shouted at him."Plus knot !"

Harry was about to answer but had to throw himself forward as the whole back wall of the theatre was ripped away. He had to duck as a storm of spells flew at him from the now unprotected back. Harry looked back and grinned in sadistic joy as he aimed his wand at the floating wall.

"Finite !"The expanse of brickwork dropped and Harry heard individual cry out. A cry that ended in the crunch of Lucy Stone hitting globe, and flesh."Got one !"

"At the expense of a wall !"

"Still got one !"Harry ducked behind a vanity and tried to push aside the way the flooring was slanting. Harry looked out in clock time to see a number trying to climb the stairway."Stupefy !"

The death eater blocked his spell but Malfoy's caught him in the side of meat and pitched him off the building. Harry was about to yell something encouraging when he was driven to the level by a falling beam. He looked up in sentence to roll out from under another. He looked up promote to see the red eyes and hooked claws of the werewolf burrowing through the ceiling.

Harry raised his baton but was blown to the side as the assault from outside stepped up.

"Dragon fiddling help !"Harry looked over but the blonde boy was nowhere to be found."No no no…"

Harry clutched his wand and prayed as Greyback fell in front of him.
*


"Harry !"Draco tried to yell but was cut off as a warm arm wrapped around his headland. His scepter was pried from his finger's breadth as he was dragged backwards. He tried to contend but he was lifted off the land and carried. Dragon kicked as intemperately as he could but his capturer only grunted. He felt the oestrus of the burning forest spring up further away.

He was dumped, wand less, onto the floor. He rolled and looked up at his kidnapper. His father.

"Father I-"

"Listen you fool."His father reached down and grabbed him by his hair."You have made a lampoon of everything I taught you. You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name."

"No…"Dragon found himself trying to shake his head.

"Shut up !"The Slytherin felt his jaw clinch shut. His forefather continued."You are a walking corpse while you are within the colored lords range. And whatever else you have done you are still my son. My sole heir."

"beginner I-"

"You will go into hiding."Lucius continued hastily."You will go where he can not witness you."

"No !"Malfoy found himself saying. Not as strongly as he'd have liked but still…"I won ‘ t go."

"This is not a game Dragon !"His Fatherhood cuffed him with the vertebral column of his manus, sprawling him on the floor."You must continue the family melodic phrase. regain something out of the mess you have made of everything."

"I don ‘ t charge !"

"Listen to me !"Lucius grabbed him by his ear and pulled him painfully to his substructure."I risk the shadow overlord ‘ s displeasure just by doing this much. You will obey me !"

"No ! Let me go !"Malfoy punched out blindly and felt his fist hit figure. He was dropped to the floor and tried to scramble away. There was a fallen death feeder on the other slope of the farmyard. His wand near his hobble fingers. Malfoy dashed towards it.

"Crucio !"

Malfoy felt pain beyond imagining. Flames ran up and down every boldness. How had Harry survived this ? Occlumency ! Malfoy tried to blank his idea but the bedevilment was already over.

"Maybe now you will listen to me !"His father yelled, the flame from the farmhouse painting his pale visage a hellish red."Maybe now you will-"

"drop cloth the baton !"

Both Malfoy's turned to the new voice coming from the border of the forest.

"Drop it now !"
*


Tonk's advanced on the death eater. Trying to lurch his attention from the kid onto her.

"Drop the verge or I ‘ ll be forced to suffer you."She tried to remember the precise phrasing the auror vade mecum had taught her but her mind was a blank shell."And ill-use away from the child."

"This is my son young lady."The demise eater said with a smirk."I will discipline him how I see fit."

"Not with an unforgivable you won't."Without taking her eye's off him she dipped one hand into her pouch and pulled out her badge."You are under arrest for-"

"Avada Kedavra !"

Her training kicked in on instinct and she threw herself to the English. Her reaction was in the air before she even hit the primer and it hammered her opponent back towards the farmhouse despite his raised shield.

Tonk's pushed herself up and ran between the death eater and the kid, who was still sprawled on the floor.

"give up !"She yelled."more than aurors are coming !"

The decease eater responded with a barrage of cuss that she was forced to give footing to counter.

"Reducto !"Tonks blew up the ground near his feet and saw him flounder away, blinded."Stupefy !"

"Protego !"He cast blind but it worked, making her duck to fend off her own enchantment."Crucio !"This one went wide and she grinned, this was almost over.

"Imperio !"

It caught her by surprise. The spell taking her over, covering her. She tried to campaign it off but it was useless. She could already see his sceptre coming back up. It was an old nighttime maven trick, the following while would be-

"Avada K-"

"Expelliarmus !"The magic spell hit the last eater from the side and threw him into the English of the farmhouse. Already weakened beyond repair the paries caved in, burying the Death feeder in detritus. With a outrageous collapse the balance of the home teetered, then fell sideways, almost like it was folding. As it crashed to the ground a huge cloud of rubble was thrown up, covering everything.

Tonk's looked in the charge the turn had come from. The boy was standing there, the verge of the fallen last feeder in hand. His face contorted in horror.

"Father…"He ran to the side of the detritus pile and began levitating huge ball of brickwork off."Father I didn ‘ t mean…"He stopped and stumbled back, tripping over a rock candy and falling to the ground.

From where she was Tonks could just see what he could. The death eater she had fought, with a small-arm of woods exonerated through his breast. Dead.

The boy was shaking, his hired man clasped over his mouth. Tonk's was about to go to him when something shifted in the pile of debris. A beam was pushed aside and a disheveled figure crawled out from under it, his finger's breadth barely managing to find purchase as it clawed its way free.

"Harry !"The boy was up on his substructure and running towards the physical body. He managed to throw the eternal rest of the dust off the one called Harry and pulled him away from the wreckage. Tonk's watched as he leant him up against a rock."Harry are you ok ?"

"Fine."Harry croaked, his hide covered in black ash."Just fine. Need water."

The boy conjured some and doused Harry with it, making him look almost human. Tonk's jumped as the water system revealed a scrape on his forehead. Could it be that Harry ?

"This is blood."The other boy was saying."Did greyback get you did-"

"Nah,"Harry waved a scorch hand."I ‘ m an old bridge player at the loup-garou fighting thing."

"Is he numb ?"

"If he ‘ s not he ‘ s got the farsighted, most inconspicuous, neck opening in the world."Harry grinned, his teeth were stained with blood.

"Are you sure you ‘ re ok ? Harry look the aurors are here."The other boy said encouragingly."We ‘ re secure. We ‘ re alright we can go back-"

"No !"Harry grabbed the other boy's arm."What you need to do is make sham of us !"

"What ? I don't unders-"

'' I need you to make fake corpses so it looks like we 're dead ! ``

'' W ... Why ? ``

"Because I worked it out. Who it is."Harry was talking fast now, his eye desperate."Who killed Fleur. Who tried to kill Moody. Who put my name in the cup in the first place. It ‘ s so childlike it all comes down to the map. So simple I should have… Dumbledore should have… Anyone could hold worked it out ! Even worse if he ‘ s smartness, and I know he is, I know what he ‘ ll try to do next."

"But why do I have to pee fak-"

"Because right now he thinks he ‘ s safe."Harry grabbed the former male child shoulder."And a man's life is at bet along with the rest. He thinks he ‘ s safe but if we survive he won't so he ‘ ll motion him and we won't find him. That ‘ s why we have to die Draco. We have to die."

"I…"The boy Draco paused, the flame of the burning at the stake house still popping in the night."I can ‘ t do it."

"Malfoy you ha-"

"I know what you ‘ re asking I just can ‘ t."Draco shook his head."That variety of transfig if beyond me. I can ‘ t do it."

"I can."Tonks'voice caught in her pharynx. Why had she said that ? The two boys turned to her. Harry's eyes astray as if only now really noticing she was there.

"Who the hell are you ?"Harry tried to stand but collapsed back on the floor."And why are you violet ?"

"I ‘ m Tonks. Auror Trainee Tonks. Hi !"She made a sorting of wave. It was a strange introduction, amidst physical structure and a burning house.

"You know her ?"Harry turned to Malfoy, clearly confused.

"She tried to fight…"Malfoy swallowed and glanced towards the wrecking."She fought them."

"You trust her ?"

"Well I think."Malfoy glanced at her squinting."I think she ‘ s my cousin."

What ! Tonks'jaw dropped.

"fountainhead well well."Harry grinned his bloody smile again."I guess we need three bodies."



More reviews please, if I reach 100 I get a credit card toy !


I do n't own Harry Potter, but ( hopefully soon ) I will own a small credit card toy.



"We found them near the ruins of a theater nearby."Shacklebolt said tonelessly.

McGonagall felt something jailbreak inside her and she squeezed her oculus tight shut against the tears.

"There was one of my Trainees there too. Nymphadora Tonks."

"I remember her."Minerva murmured.

"It looked like she was caught by greyback."Kingsley shook his head."Perhaps a blessing she died."

"Never say that !"Moody snapped. Shacklebolt flinched, then nodded,

"We found ceramicist in the wreckage and Malfoy a few M away."Shacklebolt continued."It looks like he got out of the wreckage but individual cursed him and…"He shook his pass sadly.

Molly Weasley was sobbing, her husband trying to solace her. The rest of the gild was locked in silent grief, avoiding one another's gazes as eye grew red.

"They went down fighting though."Kingsleys deep representative, usually so calming, now sounded funereal."Did better than us really. Found Cramore stunned in the forest, Kirrimson was absolutely nearby. We pulled what was left of Greyback and Malf… Lucius Malfoy from the wreckage. Two were stunned behind the home Edward Gibbon and Goyle, one other numb and burned-out beyond identification. We ‘ re working on identifying him."

"Those Kid leave three stunned and four dead."Moody took a long pulling from his hip flaskful."And we walk straight into a hole and get sent home with our arse between our legs."

"We ‘ re still alive."McGonagall was shocked to find those run-in slipping from her lips.

"Wish it were the other way round."Helen Wills grimaced.

"What do we do now ?"Dadelus said looking to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore said aught. He was just sitting at his desk, staring into space.

"Dumbledore ?"

Fawkes hopped off his rod and flapped down to land on the desk. The phoenix nuzzled up against Dumbledore ‘ s boldness, trilling softly. The old Headmaster slowly raised his head.

"We go on."Dumbledore's words were hollow in the understood room."We go on."

"Specifically ?"An acrid vocalisation said from the door. Snape was standing there, looking Sir Thomas More than a little haggard.

"Severus why are you here ?"Dumbledore asked angrily.

"I am here because the dark God Almighty ordered me to be."Snape strode forward."Shall I remind you, lest the details have slipped your mind, that he believes I am his spy."

"I had not forgotten that."The schoolmaster said evenly.

"Good. Now specifically what are we going to do ? Other than ‘ go on ‘."

"A little respect Severus."Chester Alan Arthur Weasley said from the other side of the room."Harry thrower is dead and-"

"I am mindful of that."Snape cut in."The catastrophe of three Loretta Young spirit snuffed out is not lost on me. But what you all seem to have ignored is that they have given us a gift as they went. They struck the dark lords forces a threatening blow, their numbers and morale have suffered thanks to our friend and we should not let that sacrifice simply disappear. We need to use this prison term to marshal our forces. We can convey the ministry to heel, two respected aurors saw the end eaters and five mass are dead. Including the boy who lived. They can not discount that. We can either accept that Harry is gone and use his death as a catalyst to cement the ministry behind us or we can sit here and wallow in guilt."

Snape's mouthpiece snapped shut and he stared down the schoolmaster who returned the gaze evenly.

"We can not use Harry ‘ s death as a political bargaining chip."Albus said, a veiled scourge in his Good Book."It is sick to even hint it."

"Oh please,"Snape scoffed."It's is simply a way to an end. Harry himself would induce been for it."

Probably truthful, Minerva admitted to herself. How did she sense about this programme ? It chilled her to her very core to think about it. Making Harry a martyr was an vilification to him. But if it ensured that the ministry was working with them instead of at Cross determination like in the last war…

"I will not allow Harry's sacrifice to be used this way."

"It is not yours to allow."Snape shook his head."The oracle will get the tale sooner or later. Do you intend Fudge, beset as he is by scandals, will not try to use it to his advantage ? All we can do is do so first."

Dumbledore's sassing snapped shut. Minerva, and everyone else in the room, could see that he'd been backed into a corner.

"It is wrong."Dumbledore murmured softly."We will regret doing this."

"Not as much as if we don't do it."

"I know."Albus was once again staring into space, seemingly lost in his own judgment."We go to the ministry. molly, Arthur if you would demand on the task of informing Harry ‘ s booster ?"

"Of track Albus."Arthur nodded.

"Minerva, Kingsley, Alastor and Severus, we should quit for the ministry. The rest of you, go home. I am sure that we will meet again soon."As the order began to move the door burst open to bring out Bartemius Crouch.

"Is it true ?"The unusually emotional man asked."They are saying that ceramicist and the Malfoy boy are dead and that the dark lord has returned. Is it true ?"

"It is."Dumbledore said simply.

"Then… what you have been saying all year…"Crouch bowed his head."If only we had listened."

"It would have made short difference."

"But it would have made some."Crouch looked up."Are you going to the ministry ?"

"We are."

"Then so am I."
*


Harry felt like he was being passed through an intestine. The squeezing-pressing-rippling from every English hit every bruised and battered part of his dead body. Which right now was most of him. He dropped onto carpet and felt mortal airlift him up and lay him gingerly on a couch. Tonks'couch he assumed, mostly because it was pink.

"So that was apparation was it ?"Harry coughed painfully."It felt a bit like being born."

"Don ‘ t try to spill Harry."Tonks began running her wand up and down his limb. She grimaced as she saw terms under his skin."You ‘ re too badly injured Harry. You need St Mungos."

"Just get me walking. We don ‘ t have clock time for Thomas More anyway."Harry twitched with Major nervous energy, or minor brain damage."We have to get going."

"Harry a building fell on you, don ‘ t be a fill in idiot."Malfoy said, pushing a spyglass of water into Harry's charred hand."Besides, you already died once today."

"We ‘ ve got no time to waste."Harry shook his header."They ‘ re probably already moving. We should- OW !"

"Sorry !"Tonks shrugged and grinned impishly."Had to pop your shoulder back in. Get ready for the ribs…"

Harry bit down hard as his rib snapped back into physical body one by one. He felt his hand shaking and water splashing everywhere. He just lay back and tried not to scream as various parts of his consistency were patched up. He looked away, do-or-die for something to distract him. His oculus found genus Draco, hovering nearby. No doubt freaked out more than a bit by the squirming surface of Harry's skin.

"How are you holding out ?"Harry asked through gritted teeth.

"How am I-"

"I mean about your father."Harry closed his optic as the cutis on his right field leg began to ripple."How are you dealing ?"

"I ‘ m…"Malfoy sighed."I ‘ m trying not to imagine about it. I… I killed my own father."

"You had to."Harry winced."He woulda killed you."

"No. He wouldn ‘ t."Malfoy sounded grim. Harry opened his eyes. His ally was crouched on the floor with his human knee drawn up to his chin."He was trying to save me from the nighttime nobleman. He was going to hide me. Even though he would induce risked his place in the shadow Divine ‘ s circle, maybe even his biography, to do it. He was trying to look after me."

"That's bollocks, he used an unforgivable on you."Tonks said from near Harry's feet."Did you hear him ? ‘ Family line ‘ and all that. He wasn ‘ t trying to keep you. He was just looking after the family name."Tonks broke off then popped up, looking contrite."Sorry, didn't mean it like that."

"It ‘ s alright."genus Draco said quietly. He had drawn his stifle up closer to his chest.

"Draco come on."Harry reached out with his newly repaired arm and tipped Malfoy's principal back up."This is a completely screwed up state of affairs. You want to cover. Unfortunately I need to save the world again and I need your help. So you have thirty second base to be emo in then we ‘ re back to business."

"You ‘ re a mongrel Harry."Malfoy shook Harry's hand away.

"I ‘ m not. I ‘ m just in a rush. Alright that ‘ s enough."Harry pushed off the couch and stood. His body… form of worked."We ‘ re going now."

"You ‘ re still not better you idiot."Tonks snapped at him."You need to rest !"

"I ‘ ll rest when I ‘ m dead."

"You are dead."Malfoy pointed out acidly.

"Only temporarily"Harry drew out his steal baton and grinned."Now lets go ruin More costa. Preferably not mine."
*


The intelligence had apparently already spread to the wizarding public and the vestibule of the ministry was packed with people. As the club appeared in a hearth it set off a ripple of people that ended with a splash as someone tripped into the natural spring. The phone was barely audible over the screaming riotous noise coming from the crowd.

Riotous… that was the Christian Bible wasn't it. Snape thought as Dumbledore prestiged his way through the crowd. It was nearing a riot, when you pushed this many multitude together, gave them a reason to hate, to rage… this could become violent.

A glance at the other fiat members showed him that they realized it too. They had instinctively pulled together defensively. Moody's eye was virtually a blur, searching out threats.

Snape even saw that some of the crowd had conjured placards or simply burnt their complaints into the air. Cornelius Fudge's gens figured prominently, and not in a flattering light.

The order reached the elevators, a ring of aurors looking spooky around them. It took Snape a moment to agnise that they were actually having to prevail a shield in lieu to hold on the crowd back. Dumbledore stepped forward and gestured to be let through. The read/write head auror, shook his head.

"Can ‘ t let anyone through."The grey haired man shouted over the haphazardness of the bunch."decree of the Wizengamot."

"Of which I am head."Dumbledore seemed to have no difficultness making herself heard."I do not imagine it was in the spirit of their order of magnitude to keep myself, two decorated aurors, a department forefront and two Hogwarts instructor from entering."

"I can not allow anyone to enter."

"Oh… That ‘ s unfortunate."Dumbledore drew his sceptre and tapped the Ward lightly. It dissolved. The order pushed forward ahead of the puppy love of citizenry and got into the rise. Kingsley jammed the grating shut just before the push crashed against it. One of the aurors was thrust into the alloy streak. Snape saw him speak ‘ help me'as the raise slid up and away.

Snape tried to breath evenly. The itch to mash the button for level nine was surprisingly secure. Snape felt a little groan as the rise rose further away from the section of enigma and up towards the bureau of the minister.

"Do we actually have some form of plan ?"Snape said over the clanking machine.

"We will ingest to gauge the situation."Dumbledore said after an uncomfortable pause.

Oh how I wish I was on level nine.

"I think we can safely sham what that the situation is."Snape saw level four scratching past, spot workers stared into the passing game raise. The Hope in their eyes as they saw the headmaster was palatable."The Wizengamot will experience heard that crowd out there and be looking to economise their own skins. They will no doubt be politely throwing Fudge to the wolves. And why not ? He ‘ s had it coming all year."

"Instability is hardly what we need right now."Minerva commented.

"And you think Fudge is what we need ?"

"Fudge has let Rome burn."Crouch said with iniquity anger."We can not allow for him to continue in office."

"You are not in the order."Snape snapped at him.

"And you are not in the Wizengamot."He retorted.

"But I am."Dumbledore said quietly.

"So what do you purport we do ?"Snape eyed the brass needle of the heave as it clicked towards one.

"If Fudge is prepared to admit what has happened we should try to annul a the shock of a new minister."Dumbledore had his oculus closed, he looked old-hat."If not… we shall see…"

The lift clicked up in silence. Dumbledore's lips were moving soundlessly, twitchingly.

"Would you be minister ?"Shacklebolt voiced the unsounded question.

Click… click…

"… too many mistakes. All wrong…"Dumbledore muttered under his breath. He seemed to be swaying with the movement of the rhytidoplasty. His eyes were still pixilated shut."I should never…"Dumbledore trailed off, leaning against the metal of the wall.

The others in the elevation shared outrage glance. Crouch had his men to his case in shock and Dwight Lyman Moody, for once, had both centre fixed on one lieu. Their leader, apparently broken down. The aerodynamic lift jerked to a blockage and a minuscule gong dinged. No one moved.

Snape bent down in front of the headmaster, putting their faces level.

"We ‘ re here Albus."He said sharply. The old military personnel oculus flickered open.
*


"Harry ‘ s… dead ?"Hermione shook her school principal."No…"

"The aurors said it was quick."Mrs Weasley was sat across the table from them in an fresh schoolroom."He didn't suffer."

"Liar."Ginny hissed with surprising anger.

"Ginny ! I know you ‘ re an-"

"Any way Harry would go down wouldn ‘ t be quick."Neville agreed.

"What really happened ?"Padma pressed.

"He…"molly Weasley looked down, her hands silently running up and down the edge of her gown. When she began speaking again it was softly."He was buried under a farmhouse. He fought off seven of them and left them all in or stunned. He went down like a hero. His parents would have… would bear been so…"

"Angry."Padma broke in, grinding her teeth."tempestuous that Draco sold him out like that."

"Don't you dare say such things !"Mrs Weasley's head jerked up and she shouted. Hermione could see her center red with tears."The Malfoy boy died too. It looked like they escaped together. Who knows how many of those seven were him !"

Hmm…. Hermione felt a light come on in her question. But if they didn't know…

"He crawled out of the wreckage. Probably looking for help !"

Maybe…

"And someone cursed him for it !"

Who ? And why didn't they-

"I…"Padma stepped back."I… I didn ‘ t know."

"We ‘ ll you shouldn't have judged."mollie took out a handkerchief and patted her eyes."They took their torso to St Mungo ‘ s. You can visit if you want. I know how-"

"Wait… Um Mrs Weasley."Hermione raised her hand un inherent aptitude before realizing that it looked stunned."What do you think looked like ?"

"What ?"

"You said it looked like they escaped together."

"Well no one saw them obviously. The aurors only got there later."

"Who killed them ?"She pressed hurriedly.

"Miss Granger that macabre tal-"

"Please !"Hermione pleaded. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Padma sit dash upright. She'd got it too.

"We don ‘ t know."Molly Weasley was obviously very perturbed."They had obviously left by that time."

"Without taking their injured with them ?"

"Well…"Mrs Weasley went silent as she searched for the answer."Maybe they were scared off."

"Herm…"George said excitedly."You ‘ re not thinking that Harry-"

"well doesn't it vocalize just like him ?"Hermione said with a wide grin.

"What are you lot talking about ?"Ron asked, confused. Hermione ignored him

"Mrs Weasley, where is everything happening."On seeing the older char's confused expression she elaborated."Where is the… the focal item of all the stuff going on now."

"fountainhead the ministry but-"

"Then that ‘ s where we need to be."
*


Dumbledore nodded and stepped slowly out of the lift. Took a inscrutable breath and seemed to steady himself.

"Albus if you are not up to this-"

"I am fine Severus."

Snape let the old ace go ahead. He was pushed aside a mo later as Crouch pushed past tense, a smell of complete determination on his nerve. Snape and the other three remaining order appendage shared a disquieted glance.

"wellspring come on then."Minerva broke the silence and strode forward. Snape followed her out of the lift and into the retentive gallery, the yearn walk to the authority of the pastor of magic.

One side was open bay Windows ( not real single of line ) filling the rouge-carpeted hall with blazing sunshine. On the other slope was a procession of life sized portrayal, one for each by minister of legerdemain. A walk through history from the very first minister of magic Janakarah the thaumaturge to the latest in the crinkle figure of minister Bagnold. Corpulent and useless nearly of them, the few with any skill had used it for there own benefit. When Fudge stepped down or died the corridor would be extended and one more painting would be hung.

Snape had never been here before. But anyone who actually paid attention in history of magic knew about the noted hall.

There was a sinister edge to the air and Snape had trouble placing it until they passed the 1500s and the portrait of Fenchurch the sickly. There was the sound of put forward voices coming from the far end of the corridor, the end with the pastor's office.

"Hyenas."Snape muttered."Can hear them feasting."

"I thought they were wolves."Helen Wills muttered from behind him.

"Of course,"Snape sneered."My changing metaphor is the most of import thing happening here."

"Harry trusted you."Moody said quietly. Snape started and almost missed a step. That had come out of the blue.

"Your point ?"Snape asked, to buy time.

"Why ?"

"Why do you need to know ?"

"Answer the bloody question."

"His reasons were his own and it seems rather donnish at this point."Snape spat back.

"I should ‘ ave looked out for him better."Moody shook his head."He saved my life."

"The past times is meaningless."Snape held his head up and took a deep breath."regrets are raw, and only right given the consideration. Allowing them to paralyze us however is not. That is the worst thing we could do."

"Who are you talking about ?"Helen Wills asked shrewdly."You ? … Me ? … someone else here ? …"

"All of us."Snape replied acidly, then sighed."Wizards spend too a good deal meter keep in the past."

"That doesn't sound like something you ‘ d say."Helen Wills Moody grunted in surprise.

"It ‘ s not."Snape looked over at the stew auror."It was something Harry said. And it ‘ s the solution to your next question."

"Which is ?"

"Why did I trust him."Snape took another hint. He felt a chunk climbing his throat and squashed it down."We ‘ re here."

The order came to a stop before the heavily door. The small secretarial desk beside it was empty, the usual auror guard duty were gone too. With all the yelling it sounded like a quidditch match was being held on the early side of the doorway. One where both face were loosing.

"We shall see what they ‘ re saying."Dumbledore waved one helping hand and the studded threshold began to groan inwards. As the order came into view the yelling subsided into secrecy. Snape could see what looked like the entire c crowded around the mahogany desk in the center of the room. A beleaguered looking Fudge had frozen with his hands out in front line of him. Caught in mid self-justification. The Wizengamot made a path them as Dumbeldore walked slowly forrad towards the ministers desk. The Headmaster cleared his throat."Cornelius, you must know-"

"You are a disgrace !"All oculus turned to Crouch as he interrupted the old genius, his mustache trembling as he shook with rage."You are a shame Cornelius ! How daring you sit up here while Voldemort cost increase ?"

"But Barty I-"

"SILENCE !"patch of spit flew from scrunch up's mouth."The boy who lived is dead ! The heir of a prominent wizard class is dead ! One of our own aurors is stagnant ! The champion of Beauxbattons is dead ! Three innocent lives lost and you sit here desperately trying to preserve your own cutis. How dare you ! ?"

"There was nothing I could do !"

"If you had listened to Dumbledore we could hold stopped this."Crouch smashed his clenched fist down onto the desk."Instead you were embezzling !"

"I never-"

"Whoring !"

"Accusations-"

"And securing a cushy job for your cousin !"

"Rupert is qualified for-"

"SHUT UP !"Fudge flinched back from the attack of Barty Crouch."I call an immediate meeting of the Wizengamot !"

"Why ?"Fudge spluttered.

"I call a right to vote of no confidence."The room gasped at Crouch's words."I call for the prompt removal of Minister Cornelius Fudge !"
*


"How much longer Harry ?"Malfoy hissed down the dark Harlan Fisk Stone steps of the cellar.

"I don't know Dracs why don't you keep interrupting so ‘ s I don't look lonely."Harry's sarky voice filtered up from the darkness. Still with the distinct edge of weakness and pain. Draco looked over at Tonks who was guarding the door from the other position. She gave a harried shrug.

Malfoy tried to imagine what this was like for her, caught up in Harry's program like a leaf on the wind. Not unlike him really. Harry tended to embroil people along. But you couldn't say no really, not when you saw what he himself was going through. Draco could see him down there now, propped up against a rampart breaking down level after layer of Mary Augusta Arnold Ward on the door beyond. The threshold that was banded with atomic number 26, smelt like a cesspit and that had made Tonks curse like a sailor when Harry lit it up with a revealo.

"Am I really your cousin ?"Tonks whispered across the doorway.

"If your mother was andromeda Black."Malfoy hissed back, still watching his slope of the corridor.

"Yeah… wow."Tonks sounded distant."I mean I knew you existed my mum told me."

"My mother didn ‘ t. I found an old version of the family tree diagram that still had Andromeda on it."Malfoy was one of the few masses who knew why the principal family Tree tapis was so fancifully decorated. Every Draco, swan and oak tree diagram covered the name of someone who had proved undesirable to the family. Andromeda Tonks was a vase of tulips."I found out the rest from stories at school."

"zero good I hope."

"Oh please,"Malfoy rolled his eyes."From what I hear your mischief was pedestrian at best."

"What !"

"Me and Harry pranked each former regretful over breakfast."

"Those weren ‘ t pranks."Harry called out from below."That was irregular warfare."

"What's a gorilla got to do with it ?"Malfoy's brow furrowed and he heard both Harry and Tonks stifle chuckle."fountainhead I always thought you weren't human but…"

"Muggle thing."Tonks grinned."Sorry petty first cousin !"

"Little c- !"Malfoy snarled and turned back to watching his corridor. The s ticked on as Harry mumbled and cursed from down in the cellar.

Suddenly Malfoy's wand jerked in his hand. He glanced over at Tonks and saw her looking down at hers too.

"The doors…"She whispered reaching into her sack. She drew out a minuscule mirror and snapped it out-of-doors. Even Malfoy could see the night hooded flesh growing closer."Death eaters. They ‘ re coming."

"Harry !"Malfoy turned and hissed down."They ‘ re coming ! We need to hide out !"

"Can ‘ t stop."Harry's Equus caballus voice breathed back."Too many threads. If I let it loose I ‘ ll never get it back."

"There ‘ s four of them !"Tonks hissed down, glancing down at the mirror."We can't take-"

"You know where they ‘ re heading."Harry said quickly."They're coming here. Go back to that big corridor with the armor. Set a maw like in the woods."

"Harry…"

"They won ‘ t be expecting us to be here. Any you can ‘ t catch just hit them when they ‘ re panicked."

"There are five of-"

"I can't leave !"Harry sounded panicked."You're an auror and a virtuoso. You two need to do this."

"He ‘ s right."Tonks was nodding, her whisker turning a surreptitious black."Let ‘ s go cuz."

Malfoy glanced down the dark-skinned staircase as he followed the crouching female child. She was slipping professionally along the wall, her wand leading. Draco looked down at his own scepter, it's tip was shaking. He looked down further and saw that his hired man was drenched in sweat.

"Useless."He shook his forefront and gripped the wand tighter.
*


"Apposed to the removal of Cornelius Fudge, twenty."

Courtroom ten held its breath.

"In favor of the remotion of Cornelius Fudge. twenty nine."The dry motor hotel stenographer cleared his throat."One abstained."

Snape felt his fingernails unclench from the chair.

"It ‘ s done."

"Is this proficient for us ?"Kingsley asked softly."It should be, but it feels like it was not."

"It depends on what happens next."Minerva was sitting ramrod straight."Who steps in to take his place."

"I wonder if it does."Snape murmured."Something feels wrong."

"He ‘ s right."Moody growled under his breathing time."Someone ‘ s toying with us."

"Who ?"

"If I knew that I wouldn ‘ t be sitting here."Helen Wills Moody was twitching, his eye whirling in its socket.

"I nominate Garcia Grechkoff !"A grey haired witch in the purple robes of the Wizengamot shouted. A few wizards nodded thoughtfully, others booed.

"Who is he ?"Snape hissed.

"Department of Magical Yransportation."Moody rattled off."Bought off by Nimbus."

"If he's open to grease one's palms by companies he may be open to bribes by death eaters."Minerva shook her head.

"But we don't know."Snape cursed.

"His grannie is a muggleborn."Shacklebolt rumbled."Could maintain him on our side."

"But we don't know."

"I nominate Deloris Umbridge !"A portly man yelled to full general hissing.

"Close to Fudge. They won ‘ t chose her."Helen Newington Wills shook his head.

"And everyone knows that."Snape snapped, glaring at the man who had yelled."So why suggest her ?"He tried to catch the man's eyes but had no luck.

"I nominate Urstwise Innisting !"

"Champion of anti-werewolf legislation."Moody sneered.

"This is madness."Snape struck the arm of his chair.

"I nominate Barty Crouch !"

The room went tacit for a mo, then erupted in cheers.
*


"It ‘ s set."Tonks hissed."Get back."

Malfoy nodded and shot behind a pillar just as the leaden doors to the Charles Martin Hall slammed open.

"Can't believe we ‘ ave to do this."A throaty grumbling vocalisation said loudly."Takin ‘ out his trash."

"Let ‘ s just get on with it."Another voice grumbled as they came nearer.

Draco could see their wand luminance growing brighter. As soon as they crossed the line… Dragon gripped his baton tightly. The trap would get all of them, why wouldn't it ? He tried to breath evenly, the footsteps drawing closer and closer…

ginger snap ! A fit of light filled the corridor and Draco heard yell of pain.

"Stupefy !"Tonks articulation cried out.

A flash of red pierced the blinding white. Draco jerked to life, he was supposed to be helping ! He spun out from behind the pillar while going down on one knee. There was a vague dark form in front of him, stumbling blindly forward.

"Stupefy !"The shape dropped.

"Stupefy !"Tonks yelled again. A thump told Draco that she had hit home.

genus Draco aimed blindly into the smartness and fired off a few Sir Thomas More stunners. He kept firing even while the sunburst faded to a hissing and finally popped into mist. The trading floor and walls were cracked and pitted with the spell and the bulwark right near the blast were still cracked and sizzling. The death eater were sizzling too, the skin on their faces was cracked and blistered from the heating system and one looked like his robes had actually caught firing. Probably the one that had tripped the trap.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief, it had worked. Tonks had insisted on using something nonfatal, against his indirect request. He had even had to argue her up to this.

"Where ‘ s the fifth one ?"Tonks'voice cut into his head. She was still crouched by her pillar, remaining covered.

"What ?"Draco scanned the bodies again. One… two… three… four… Oh merlin !"Are you sure there were five ?"Draco asked desperately.

"Definitely."Tonks stood and moved cautiously forward."You sure there weren ‘ t any other route down to the cellar."

"I think… yes."Draco swallowed."Maybe the live on one ‘ s watching the entrance ?"

"Keep watch."Tonks ordered him as she snapped open her piffling mirror, then flicked it closed again."No."

Draco glanced around, there was nowhere to hide at this stage in the corridor early than the mainstay they had used. That was why they had chosen it.

"You go back to Harry."Tonks waved him back."I ‘ ll sniff him out. He ‘ s got to be between here and the principal entrance."

"I'm coming with you."Draco tried not to cringe at the trembling in his voice."I can help oneself you."

"There might be another way around."Tonks said hurriedly."You should go flavor after Harry."

"You ‘ re making excuses."Draco challenged."Harry can assume care of himself."

"You think I can ‘ t ?"

"You think I can't ?"Dragon challenged.

"mulct, we can both take care of ourselves."Tonks hissed angrily."Except Harry who should be on life support right now. Let me spell this out, kid, Go Protect Harry ! If he dies for veridical everything we ‘ ve done is worthless !"

"I…"Draco bit back a nasty counter. She was right."fine you win. Have fun."He turned and stalked back past the astounded wizard. He realized he was being stupid but he wouldn't devote her the satisfaction of admitting it.

He stopped near the end of the corridor. He was being poor fish, tough he was being chesty. He was being a Malfoy. He turned and called out.

"Ton…"Malfoy felt his pharynx freeze up."… ? … !"He tried to impress, his base felt like they were bolted to the floor. In fact… his whole trunk was paralyse ! Malfoy tried desperately to move… speak… dramatis personae a spell… anything that would appeal attention.

The air in nominal head of him rippled. A moment later a skein of nihility was pulled aside and Malfoy saw the smirking case of Locusta Sanies. He put one blistered finger to his sass, glanced down the corridor at Tonks and grinned before sliding the nothingness back and disappearing.

No no no no no !

He watched as Tonks slid further away and his minds eye filled in the space in between with a stalk figure growing ever closer. He felt the wand still clutched in his hand, still giving out a wan sparkle. Malfoy tried to squall a spell, if he could manage to do it wordlessly he could still admonish her.

"Stupefy !"He yelled through gritted teeth and numbed back talk. Nothing happened, he tried it again. Nothing.

Don't do it that way, Malfoy tried to steady down. You didn't do unsounded conjuring trick by forcing it through closed lips, you just thought it.

Stupefy.

Again.

Stupefy !

Malfoy was rocked on his fast invertebrate foot as a nebuliser of red glint spat weakly from the end of his wand.

"Kid ?"Tonks phonation carried from the former end of the entrance hall."You still there ?"

Stupefy !

Another spray of sparks.

"I told you to go aid Ha-"Malfoy saw her freeze as she took in his immobile state then whip her verge around and yell."Harenosus !"

A tornado sprang out of her outstretched wand spraying sand out. For a instant it outlined a figure. Malfoy saw Tonks'eyes spring wide open.

"Crucio !"

Tonks sprang to the side as the spell whistled past her and threw something wickedness and red back. It missed and hit the wall. The pink haired auror glanced around sharply, the physique had disappeared into wind again.

"Haren-"

"Avada Kedavra !"Draco felt his centre hit his throat but Tonks hit the trading floor and the spell sailed over her head.

"Augmenta !"She yelled and gripped her wand with both hands as a mighty jet of water shot out and struck genus Locusta, outlining him in shining droplets and toppling him over onto the floor.

"Stupefy !"Tonks yelled at the prone figure and the strength behind the piece was so great that it slid him across the story and out of his cloak.

She summoned his wand and walked over to him, checked that he really was stunned, before grabbing the cloak off the story and running over to Draco.

"Finite !"

Draco felt his body sag and staggered before his muscles caught up with him and brought him back upright.

"Thank you."

"Thanks for the warning."Tonks shrugged.

"Aw… you two have been bonding."A irony drifted from behind genus Draco and he spun to see Harry leaning tiredly against the doorframe.

"Did you afford it ?"Tonks asked breathlessly.

"We got want we came here for."Harry grinned and pushed himself just, wincing in pain in the ass."Now lets get to the ministry. I feel a denouement coming."
*


"nipper be reasonable."King Arthur Weasley was saying."We need to get you back to Hogwarts."

"He ‘ ll be here."Hermione said definitely, standing up on the edge of the fount to get a safe look around."He has to be."

"I know you feel like he has to be alive."The Weasley patriarch shook his head."But denying it isn ‘ t going to-"

"Harry ‘ s died before dad."Ginny pointed out stretching up on tiptoes."Twice."

"You were even there one of the times Mr Weasley."Neville said reasonably."You both were."

"They found his body."Mrs Weasley grabbed Ginny and lifted her, kicking and struggling, off the natural spring."We are leaving now. We should never experience come he-"

"The phone box !"Parvati yelled and pointed. several other people in the bunch turned as the glass box descended and slip open revelation three soma inside.

"It ‘ s Dumbledore."Hermione breathed, not wanting to give away that a little spark of Bob Hope had just been extinguished.

"Hey didn ‘ t he already come through ere ?"Someone in the crowd muttered as the old thaumaturge walked calmly towards the lift.
*


"Oh hell no !"The wound auror yelled on seeing Tonks disguised as Dumbledore."We only just got the ward back after the finis meter you broke through !"

"And I can do so again."Tonks lied easily."So you may as well let us through freely."

"No bloody way !"

"Please,"Tonks smiled in a very Dumbledoreish way."I do not like to abash you in front of all these people."

"Bit of late for that."The auror shook his forefront."If you so much as call down your verge I ‘ m arresting you !"

"And taking me into custody ?"

"Yes !"

"And before the Wizengamot ?"

"Yes !"

"fountainhead in that case-"

"Don't get smartness with me !"The auror shook his wand menacingly."You ‘ re not getting past that easily !"

"Bugger."Harry thought, scratching his fake beard."This guys not an idiot, and if it actually comes to it we don't have a luck of breaking through all of them."

Harry looked surreptitiously over his shoulder looking for another way through… hang on !
*


"Um do you feel that ?"Fred asked suddenly.

"Feel wha… oh !"Hermione dug her wand out of her pocket and felt it vibrating in her hand."The mico… Did one of you do that ?"

The predator shook their fountainhead, a mo later the wands went still. Hermione licked her lips and quietly whispered,

"Mico Harry."For a moment nothing happened, then the wands started buzzing again."He ‘ s here !"

"Where ?"Ginny scrambled back on the fountain and looked around frantically. Hermione jumped up with her and a moment later all the marauders were perched on the lip of the pee, scanning the crowd."I don ‘ t see him."

"He must be one of the single with Dumbledore."Padma hissed."Too much of a concurrence otherwise."

"Right."Ron agreed."Which one ?"

"The inadequate one."Fred said knowingly.

"Does it matter ?"Hermione said in exasperation."He needs help ! Look, the aurors aren ‘ t letting them through."

"What does he affair we can do ?"Neville scratched his mind and added disbelievingly."Does he want us to attack them ?"

"No…"Padma said thoughtfully."There ‘ s a good way…"

Hermione frowned, then suddenly it hit her.

"You mean-"

"Obviously."Padma turned to the former marauders."Disperse into the bunch and follow my lead."

Hemione herself dropped down off the lip of the fountain and hurried past the blow out of the water Weasley parents before pushing her way into the crowd saying ‘ excuse me !'to everyone she bumped out of her way. Once she thought she was far enough away she stopped and waited for the signal. It didn't take long.

"Let him through you idiots !"Padma's interpreter cut clear across the crowd."If Voldemort really is back then Dumbledore ‘ s our only chance !"

"She ‘ s right !"Hermione yelled."Let Dumbledore through !"

"Let him through !"soul else yelled from across the elbow room, sounded like one of the twins.

"Let him through !"Another marauder took up the chant.

"Let him through !"Had that been a marauder ?

"Le him through !"That definitely wasn't.

Hermoine yelled her lungs out as the whole crowd took up the chant. The aurors were pushed back, looking more than and more harassed. The chant grew in speciality as people began to clap, then stamp.

"Let him through !"Hermione heard an old wizened lady near her intonation. Knocking her gnarled walking stick on the tiled floor.

From where she was she could see the head auror hold up his manpower and vociferation something. A second later a sunshine went up as the shimmering curtain of the Mary Augusta Arnold Ward was pulled aside. Dumbledore and his two companions stepped through and entered the lift.

Hermione could have sworn one of them winked at her as the Browning automatic rifle slid closed.
*


"You have some very smart friends Harry."

"I know."Harry grinned as Tonks canceled the magic trick."And in a few moment we ‘ ll want to be just as smart. Or smarter."

"And are we ?"

"track we are."Harry grinned."We ‘ re marauders."

"We ‘ re what ?"Tonks asked.

"Marauders."Harry clapped her on the back."It means we ‘ re unstoppable."

"Invincible bastards."Malfoy commented dryly.

"Exactly !"Harry nodded as the grating slid outdoors."invincible cutthroat shit ! Now lets get to work."
*


"The votes are in."The dry court shop assistant said in a shaky voice."The deluge majority have voted for Bartemius Crouch. So it is my proud obligation to proclaim him the new minister for magi-"

The heavy courtroom threshold burst open air with an explosion of light.

"I object !"A voice called out from the eye of the halo of brilliance.

"Who do you opine you are !"Crouch sprung to his invertebrate foot."This is a coming together of the Wizengamot ! Only those invited by appendage may-"

"Shut up !"The interpreter called.

"Who are you ?"individual called out.

Beside Snape Alastor Moody was staring open mouthed at the doorway. A present moment later he threw his head back and laughed.

"Moody ?"Snaoe questioned."Who is that ?"

"Who do you think ?"The old auror croaked out."That kid ‘ s brilliant I ‘ ll give him that."

"That… kid ? …"Snape turned back to the door, looking directly into the igniter. Slowly it faded and the courtroom was left with the tableau behind it. Three robed figures stood, one far taller than the others with his cowl up, the others with theirs thrown back. The form to the left hand was a young woman with unusual tap hair, he remembered her a old pupil. Nymphadora Tonks. And the figure in the front, patent, men on pelvic arch, his hair thrown back to reveal the mark. His gown tattered and stained and his skin just this side of deathly, Harry potter stared down the Wizengamot with arrogance only he could conjure.

"Hi,"The boy grinned cheekily."Am I late ?"

"You !"An irate Fudge screamed from the corner."You ‘ re numb !"

"rumor, exaggerated, you know the drill."Harry stepped into the courtroom, cracking his neck opening as he went.

"Trainee Tonks !"Shacklebolt had stood and crossed his weaponry angrily.

"Sorry sir."Nymphadora shrugged."I was only following orders."

"Whose ?"

"Mine."Harry answered for her and spread his blazon extravagantly."I ‘ m the boy-who-lived. I outrank you."

"Harry…"Crouch said from the podium, seemingly recovered."This is clearly wonderful news program. Seeing you live brings weeping t-"

"Crocodile tears no doubt."Harry turned on the older man like lightning."Should get known you were a reptile. Do it Tonks."

"Bartemius Crouch."The pink haired girl stepped forward."I am arresting you for the slaying of Fleur Delacour."

"What !"The Wizengamot exploded. All except Crouch, who went very still.

"These accusations are boundless."The new government minister said flatly."Obviously this is not Harry but an imposter taking his pl-"

"Interesting that you should cite imposters."Harry interrupted."Let me tell you all a trivial mystical, everyone here. Dumbledore… yes that guy there, that Dumbledore… Has a magic map. Yes everyone, a special infallible map One that shows the names of everyone in Hogwarts, and where they are, all the time."

The court had gone mum, every eye was on Harry.

"The Headmaster assured me that it could not be tricked, and I believed him. But here's the nasty bit, you all know that Alastor Helen Newington Wills was attacked a few weeks ago ? Yes… sound. I knew the perpetrator couldn ‘ t have left the undercoat that fast, but Dumbledore assured me that no one was on the map. But he was, he was right there, in front of the hospital extension. There ‘ s no magic way to play tricks the map, but that doesn ‘ t mean there ‘ s not way to fox it. One person could impersonate another if they had the Lapplander name. Like Barty Crouch and… Barty Crouch… Jr."

The room gasped, but Snape's thinker was already moving. They had to make sure Crouch couldn't leave. They had to enamor him. He shifted in his chair but felt a fleshy arm grab his shoulder.

"Stay where you are."Dwight Lyman Moody growled."Potter ‘ s got it under control."

"He can just apparate out !"Snape hissed hurriedly.

"No he can ‘ t."Moody grinned."Damn that boy ‘ s good."

"These accusations are insane !"Crouch was yelling.

"They ‘ re brilliant."Harry shook his head."Got to give old snake face his props, it ‘ s pretty devious. I ‘ d bet anything that you ‘ re the author of all the rumors that have been attacking Fudge all year. De-stabling his side enough that you can pounce in and knock him off his perch. Of course you'd need something to prompt the changeover. Something spectacular, like the return of Voldemort. He was going to use his own spiritual rebirth as a accelerator to put his tool on the throne. That was why he waited to bring out himself. He was waiting for the opportune moment."

"You have no proof !"

"I do."Harry raised his fingers and clicked. The third base pattern raised his shaking hands and pushed his hood back. Anyone who hadn't already clicked on to what had happened gasped.

The gaunt and scarred aspect of Bartemius Crouch stared back, his bequeath eye twitching in anger.

"We couldn ‘ t give him a wand."Harry said in savorless rage."His nous ‘ s not all there anymore. Probably all the torture."

"This is another imposter."Crouch said haltingly."My son is in azcab-"

"devote it up."Harry barked a harsh laughter."You knew you were rumbled the present moment I got here. Even if you convince them I ‘ m a imposter you ‘ ll have to kill this bloke-"Harry jabbed his thumb at the haggard crouch."- then you ‘ ll have no polyjuice. Then you ‘ ll be screwed. But it ‘ ll never come to that, because there are at least four people in this room who already think me. And none of them are going to let you leave."Harry drew his wand, holding it lightly in his hand.

Snape drew his as well and saw Minerva reach for hers too. Dwight Lyman Moody stayed still, a small smiling on his face.

"Potter… Harry."The Crouch on the podium licked his lips."You are a very undimmed boy Harry. But you are dead."

"Faking."

"You will be dead."The voice of Barty Crouch went ice cold."You all will be. The dark lord has said he will ruin you, and so he will. I only pray he lets he watch."

"I see the mask has fallen."Harry seemed unperturbed by this growth."So lets try the succeeding trick."Harry raised his wandless hand.

"No more tricks !"Crouch flicked out his sceptre and spun…

Harry clicked his fingers…

"Stupefy !"

The burst of red light caught bend from behind and slammed him into the lectern. He slid to the floor and fell like a rag doll, splayed against the ground.

"Nice shot."Harry complemented the empty-bellied air.

"fountainhead,"Malfoy appeared out of nothing, throwing back an invisibleness cloak."I had a good distraction."
*


"Harry you promised !"Tonks grabbed his arm and tried to drag him out of the antechamber."I ‘ m taking you to St Mungos !"

"I said I ‘ d go when all my jobs were done."Harry shook her off and turned back towards Dumbledore."I ‘ m not finished."

"What ‘ s left then ? soul else to unmask ?"The trainee auror put her mitt on her hips."well do it quick, you ‘ re running out of time."

"I do my best work with internal bleeding."Harry shrugged looked around. Moody and Shacklebolt had left, trying to keep component of the ministry from totally collapsing after the release of two ministers in a row. McGonnagall and Snape were still there, standing behind the headmaster and Malfoy was standing by Harry ‘ s side of meat."I need one last answer."

"Harry Miss Tonks is right."Dumbledore smiled."You need medical help soon or-"

"Why did he total after me ?"Harry cut in, silencing the schoolmaster."Why me now. Why me fourteen years ago. Why me ?"

Dumbledore stayed silent, his fingers twitching and his eyes suddenly bereft of their usual sparkle.

"He said I was the ‘ sealing wax for his immortality ‘."Harry pressed."What does that mean ?"

"Harry you are gruesome right now."Dumbledore held up a hand."corporate trust me that I will tell you the accuracy in proficient time."

"No !"Harry barked a jest."Trust you to order me ? That ‘ s potential ! tell me now you old lying bastard."

"Mr Potter !"McGonagall stepped forward angrily but her arm was caught by Snape.

"Albus,"The potions passkey licked his sassing."Perhaps you should simply assure him."

"Severus !"The Headmaster snapped angrily.

"Do you have it off ?"Harry tuned to the Slytherin, ignoring the way his vision blurred when he moved."Will you tell me ?"

"Say nothing Severus !"

"He deserves to know."

"I am still the head of the order."

"Did the monastic order just spare you all from a death eater becoming minister of magic ?"Harry yelled angrily."No ! That was ME ! You just sat there like an half-wit !"

"You will not mouth to me this way."

"I ‘ ll speak any way I damn well like you igno-"

"There was a prophecy."Snape said softly. Strange how soft words can sometimes swim out yelling.

"A what ?"Harry felt his oral fissure go dry.

"Severus don ‘ t."The schoolmaster shook his head."You don ‘ t know what you ‘ re do-"

"It said something particular about you Harry."Snape continued, ignoring Dumbledore."The one-half I heard said, The one with the index to vanquish the night nobleman approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies."

The small room grew deathlike silent. Harry felt his brain trying to work over what he had just heard. It was failing.

"It doesn ‘ t have to be true."Harry heard Malfoy say through a fog of twisting sentiment."Not every prognostication comes true."

"It doesn ‘ t even have to be Harry."McGonagall said, shaking her head."Mr Longbottom also fits those criteria."

Harry shook his point, Neville ? Could it be…

"I… it is not Mr Longbottom."Dumbledore said haltingly."The other half of the prophecy confirms it."

Other half… Harry put his hand to his nous. Everything was so fuzzy.

"What other one-half ?"Dragon demanded.

"I do not think-"

"Do you really want to sustain this argument again ?"Draco shook his head angrily."Just tell us."

"It concluded with, And the Dark Lord will mark him as his peer, but he will have exponent the Dark Lord knows not. and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the former survives."Dumbledore was speaking quietly now, almost defeatedly."The first half of the prophecy unmistakably refers to Harry."

"And… and the early half ?"Tonks gulped."It means…"

Dumbledore just shook his pass and looked to the floor.

"It means it is inevitable."Snape whispered in traumatize SOB."Harry is the exclusively one that can defeat him. It is inevitable. They have to fight back, and one of them has to die."

No… Harry felt his hands shaking as the Bible fell like slabs of granite in the silent room.

"But… but he's only a child."McGonagall shook her point, a minuscule glister of a tear in the box of her eye."We can ‘ t let it happen."

Harry tried to utter but the intelligence caught in his throat.

"He doesn ‘ t have to do anything !"Dragon slashed the air with his hand."Not all prophecy come true !"

Harry raised his script to his mouth… why couldn't he speak.

"Not all of them begin."Dumbledore said, with painful hesitance."But once they do they almost always run their course."

"Almost always !"genus Draco yelled."You want him to face the wickedness lord on an almost !"

Should ask Pythea. The trivial prophesier floated into Harry's head but dissolved in the fog. His brain harm. His ear was wet. What was this…

"If there is a chance he can kill him."Snape said, his head down like he was ashamed."If it is our best chance…"

Blood…

"You as well !"Draco turned on his head of household, who looked away.

"You can ‘ t use him like that."Tonks stepped up beside her cousin.

Draco… Harry tried to croak, but the world was spinning. He reached out a shaky hand towards the son back. He fell short, there were too many hands and too many backs.

"Harry ?"Dumbledore noticed his arrival and stepped forward.

"I… I…"Harry swayed, his legs too rickety. He wet his lips and tried again."Thirsty…"

The faces before him disappeared downwards and he felt the floor hit him everywhere before he blacked out.
*


Harry was dimly aware of the hospital room. The healer standing around saying things he wouldn't have understood at the best of times. Snape was there for a while, then gone, then there, then gone, fading in and out. Draco was definitely there, a white patch on his arm, ignoring it, standing by Harry's bedside. Was Dumbledore there ? He could find out his voice, see his oculus from behind flatware igniter. The lightness was falling, hitting his eyes.

Where was he ?

He was… home.

Privet drive ?

Hogwarts ?

Godrics… Hollow…

He was standing outside the bungalow. He was right there, it was all there. But he had never been here, at least since he was too young to remember.

He had to get out. He wasn't supposed to be here. It felt wrongfulness. It was under his cutis. Falling off like snowflakes, showing the shadows underneath. Had to get away !

Harry ran away from it, as fast as he could. The phantasm were chasing him, wanting to get into him, in his head. He ran until he could obliterate behind a Tree. The orchard apple tree had grown now. 100. William Green. Right over his head.

He could hide out here.

It was much dependable here.

Everything but this was shadow.
*


"I was wondering when you ‘ d appearance up."Natalie Zhao pushed the door fully open and let him in. She pushed it shut behind him and stood there, subdivision folded, waiting for him to speak.

"I ‘ m not dead."Was the first thing that came to Snape.

"I gathered that."The ineffable didn't motility."Don ‘ t you have an account ?"

"An explanation ?"

"For your substance. Your patronus."Her even voice edged to anger."You somehow transport a message by patronus. Which I've never seen. You said you loved me. Which you ‘ ve never said. Then you said you could die. Which I know you would not exaggerate. You said you were about to do something dangerous. Then the ministry explodes, people are saying Voldemort has returned. Saying that Harry ceramist is abruptly. Fudge is removed. Crouch is elected. Crouch is removed, by Harry ceramist. Crouch is arrested. The ministry is in hullabaloo, they only got the crowd to go nursing home an hour ago. They only sent the unspeakables base because our department can't do anything at this point. No one knows what ‘ s going on. The whizz Wireless just keeps playing the Saame recordings of what happened in court ten. Everything is broken down. So pick something Severus. Anything. founder me an explanation for anything that ‘ s happened over the past day or I swear I ‘ ll hex you into oblivion."

Snape answered the only way he could. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Natalie, resting his header on her berm. He pulled her as blotto as he could, reminding himself for a moment that at least one part of the world wasn't broken. Breathing her in, being where he'd wanted to be since the showtime of this sorry mess. At least this battle was over.

"This isn ‘ t an explanation."Her phonation came from somewhere near his sternum, muffled by his robes. But her munition were around him, gripping him at least as hard as he was her.

"I know. Just a mo more."Snape pulled himself together and stepped back, releasing her and looking down into her perfect optic."Here, this should tell you what you need."

He let his psyche drift, letting every mental defending team downfall. The encroachment was voiced, visible radiation and western fence lizard. The memories she needed were right on the surface.

"Oh my god."She put her hand to her lip."It ‘ s all… true ?"

"All of it."Snape nodded.

"The prophecy… even that ?"

"Yes."

"That poor boy."She shook her top dog."How can he do this ? Does he even have a chance ?"

"He must deliver at to the lowest degree a chance."Snape sighed."The prophecy says he has the power to kill the shadow God Almighty. If there was no chance at all it could not say that. However small-scale it is, he has a chance."

"What can we do ?"She had gone from disbelief to iron conviction in a moment."How can we keep open him ?"

"I need to…"Snape licked his lip. This was harder than anything else."I can not see you anymore."

Natalie bit her lip and looked at him calculatingly.

"It ‘ s for some poor fish nobleman reason isn ‘ t it ?"

"I know what I have to do. How I can best help the order… and help Harry."Snape closed his eyes, it was easier if he didn't look at her."I have to be a spy again."

"In the end eaters."It wasn't a question.

"While I am there I can not disclose any indication that I am anything other than just like them."Snape explained."I can not ever slip. Even the fragile hint… I couldn't do it… I am not a expert enough thespian to hide you. hide the alteration you've made in me. I have to end it. I ‘ m so drear Natalie."

"You can ‘ t afford any distractions."

"Yes."

"And I ‘ m a distraction."

"Yes."

"beloved is a distraction."

"Yes."Snape breathed, his closed lids the solitary thing keeping back tears. He felt breath on his face, she was moving closer. A bit later he felt her wet-silk lips on his.

"No…"He murmured, but she had captured him. Her hands behind his head, her lips on his. Intoxicating, making everything he had said fly out of his mind.

He had to stop.

He couldn't.

He lost himself in the kiss, breathing in every present moment of it. He couldn ‘ t stop, his brain was full of her. If his eyes had been open even the weakest wizard would have been capable to take his every thought. He was open… euphoric… free…

As she pulled back he opened his eyes. He had thought the spell would be broken then, that the touch sensation would go away. But it wasn't going, it only felt stronger.

"Firstly…"Natalie held a finger up to his wet backtalk."plosive speech sound being noble, it doesn't causa you. Secondly… Who do I speak to about joining this order ?"
*


"Why can ‘ t we see him ?"Parvarti moaned.

"Because he ‘ s in a closed in ward."Mr Weasley said calmingly."You couldn ‘ t see him even if we went to St Mungos."

"We can be there for him."Neville said quietly.

"You wouldn ‘ t be capable to speak to him or even be in the same room."

"He ‘ d know we were there."

"No he wouldn ‘ t. He ‘ s unconscious."Mr Weasley shook his head."You kids need to go back to Hogwarts. You ‘ ve already been out of school for too long."

"School !"Fred threw his hands up."Who cares about school day ! Harry ‘ s in hospital and You-know-who is back !"

"All the more intellect for you to be back at Hogwarts."Mrs Weasley pushed the marauders towards one of the fireplace."It ‘ s the safest place."

Ginny shook her head, she knew when it was pointless to argue with her mother.

"Play the small sister card."She heard someone whisper in her ear. She looked back in clock time to see Padma wink at her."One of us should be there, and it ‘ ll be easier to result the burrow."

Ginny grinned, then put on her outflank scared-six-year-old face.

"mum, I ‘ m scared."Her female parent turned to her."Do I have to go back to Hogwarts ?"

"Your father told you. You can't see-"

"No, that ‘ s not what I meant."Ginny shook her forefront."Can I fare hone tonight ?"Her mother's face softened instantly.

"Of course of instruction dear. I ‘ ll clear it with the teachers."Ginny found herself enveloped in a hug."There ‘ s no need to be scared."

"I know."Ginny felt a short bad for manipulating her mother. And very secure for not getting caught.

"I ‘ m also scared-"Ron began, before Fred elbowed him in the kidneys.
*


It was skinny midnight before Ginny could sneak down to the strawman elbow room of the tunnel. She slid out of the front threshold and broke into a run as soon as she was out of the garden. It took her only a few minutes to jog to the Lovegoods'family. She stepped in ( the doorway was never locked ) and went straight to the fireplace. Mr Lovegood slept right at the top of their odd house and she could probably lie her way out of fuss even if she was caught.

"St Mungos."She said clearly as she tossed the powder and stepped into the fire. After a rocking and spinning few moments she fell out into the waiting room.

At this time of day it should deliver been discharge. It wasn't, ten or so reporters were dotted around the room dictating into quick citation calamus or jotting tone down the old fashioned way. Ginny went straight to the steps ( the desk stave would no doubt interrogative sentence a shaver alone in the midsection of the dark ) and ran up a few flying before stopping by a portraiture of a helpful looking old man.

"Excuse me,"The old man perked up at the strait of her voice."Do you know where the closed hospital ward are ?"

"Are you a reporter ?"The old man asked suspiciously.

"Do I look like a reporter ?"

"Hmm, you're right a little young maybe."The old man nodded."You want the fourth part trading floor. End of the hallway."

"Thank you."Ginny smiled and trotted up the conclusion few flights before pushing the door open air and walking confidently down the corridor.

self-confidence was the key. I have to look like I'm meant to be here…

Or I could steal that nanny robe off the rear of that chair.

Ginny scuttled over and quickly threw it over her articulatio humeri. She pulled her hair down to hide her face and picked up a nearby clipboard with a piece of parchment stuck to it.

‘ sureness and a clipboard is a universal disguise ’, Ginny chucked at the memory. good advice Harry.

She lowered her head and pretended to be checking her preeminence as a therapist walked by then quickly pushed open the door at the end of the antechamber and stepped in.

It was unlighted, the patient were meant to be sleeping, but there was a fiddling street lamp filtering in through the windows. Ginny moved from bed to bed quietly, they all seemed to be empty. They must have emptied the ward for Harry.

As she stepped closer to the minute to last bed in the row she was that it was occupied. Harry… He looked pale and wan, and he twitched in his sleep. He looked awful. It was the luminosity from the window, that was it. It was yellow and harsh, making him bet sicker than he was. That had to be it.

Ginny stepped closer, trying to see what specifically was hurting him.

"Don't move."

The voice came out of nowhere and Ginny jumped back in surprise. A moment later she saw the anatomy lying on the future bed over. She had been so focused on Harry she hadn't noticed. The configuration sat up and she saw ovalbumin blonde hair framing it's face.

"Malfoy."She was caught between anger and relief.

"W… Weasley ?"The Slytherin moved into the lighting and Ginny could see that he had a bandaged arm."What are you doing here ?"

"I could ask you the same question."Ginny tried to summon some authority. And clutched her clipboard.

"Well this is a hospital."Malfoy sneered."And I ‘ m injured. Why do you believe I ‘ m here ? Your turn."

"I ‘ m here to see Harry."She lifted her chin."I ‘ m his friend."

"So you are.."Malfoy slid his foundation to the story and stepped over to stand on the other side of Harry's bed."Get behind the curtain. They can see you from the corridor."

Ginny quickly stepped towards the rampart, away from prying heart. She wouldn't thank him though. Not Malfoy.

"Is he gon na be ok ?"

"He ‘ ll recover. They said there won't be any lasting physical effects."Malfoy snorted quietly."Whatever that means. He ‘ ll have a few more scars to add to his collection."

"So he ‘ ll be fine ?"Ginny wasn't sure why she was asking for reassurance, she just knew she needed it."The healers can-"

"Fix almost everything."Malfoy's middle drifted down to a small patch on Harry's wrist.

"What is it ?"

"See for yourself."

Ginny reached down and gingerly pulled the bandage down. Underneath was a gruesome tattoo, a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

"What is this ?"Ginny ran her finger's breadth over the mark. It wasn't even raised, it just felt similar skin. A hired man engulfed hers and lifted her fingers off.

"I wouldn ‘ t mite it if I were you."Malfoy released her and pulled the bandage back up."It ‘ s the dark stigma. The dark Lord mark. All his servants have it."

"But Harry's not his servant !"

"bread and butter your interpreter down."Malfoy hissed angrily."Do you desire to get caught ? Idiot."

"William Tell me what it means."Ginny whispered softly."Please."

"The dark lord marked him because Harry wouldn ‘ t give in."Malfoy shook his oral sex."Harry was tortured. For a long time, long than anyone should consume lasted. He just laughed. He was insane."

"That ‘ s Harry."Ginny let her hired hand fall into Harry's.

"He just kept fighting. He was… he didn't…"Malfoy bit his lip and looked away."Eventually the dark overlord just snapped, marked him. Maybe it was just the only way he could think of to actually cause Harry tangible pain."

"But you got out ?"Ginny asked."You both escaped ?"

"Barely. We got into the transit in the walls."Malfoy added, his phonation low and pain."Managed to get out through a tunnel. We had to fight back them in this… stupid muggle farmhouse. Harry fought them off. All of them, even Greyback. sign fell down… he crawled out of the rubble."

"Wow…"

"He kept going. Kept us going. Forced us, till he started bleeding from his ears."Malfoy shook his read/write head sadly."Is it always this hard ?"

"What ?"

"beingness his friend."

"Oh…"Ginny chuckled wryly."Sometimes…"

"mustiness be even harder being him. ``

They stood there in silence for a patch, Harry twitching uncomfortably. Ginny leant down, idly wondering whether he could hear them.

"You'd better hope he can't."Malfoy answered out of the blue sky."If he can hear he can feel, which means he ‘ s still in pain."

"How did you… ?"

"You ‘ re predictable."

Ginny didn't have the prison term to retort as the doors to the ward burst open. She quickly grabbed her clipboard and turned to hide her side. Footsteps approached the bed.

"Nurse,"The voiced voice of Dumbledore spoke from behind her."We need to get him to Hogwarts. Is he well enough to be moved ?"

"I… um…"

"The healer said he shouldn ‘ t motility until tomorrow."Malfoy came to her rescue."Said it could tear his wounds unfastened again."

"Really…"The Headmaster didn't seem convinced."Would you turn around delight Miss Weasley."

Erg… well marauder principle. If you're caught, no apologia. Attack back.

"Hello Professor."Ginny turned."Do you require to explain why I could just walk into the Aaron Montgomery Ward where Harry was kept ? I could'a been a death eater."

"You think I left him unguarded ?"Dumbledore chuckled and nodded towards a nearby bed. A moment later a cushion unfurled and arched it's back, yawning widely. The cat hopped off the bed and unfolded into prof McGonagall.

"Satisfied Miss Weasley ?"The animagus arched an eyebrow.

"Did you know she was there ?"Ginny muttered to Malfoy.

"Yes."

"Why didn ‘ t you tell me ?"

"This way was more funny."

"Too right it was."The vocalization was low and guttural, but unmistakably Harry. The two students and two teachers crowded round as Harry slowly opened his optic."Hi."

"Hi yourself."Ginny smiled."Welcome back."

"Didn ‘ t go anywhere."Harry muttered."I was unconscious."

"I am beaming you are awake Mr Potter."Dumbledore said with false jolliness."But we must move you to Hogwarts."

"Something ‘ s happened."Harry stated flatly.

"We will utter about it once you are safely in Hogwarts."

"No. We won't."Harry folded his arms."We ‘ ll public lecture about it now."

"Harry-"

"No more secrets."

"No more secrets…"Dumbledore repeated quietly. Maybe it was her resource, but Ginny thought she could pick up a catch in his vocalization."Very well then. Voldemort has made a move, we need to convey you somewhere safer in casing he tries to strike at you."

"Made his move ?"Harry frowned."What ‘ s he done ?"

"He had attacked Azkaban."Dumbledore glanced back at the door of the ward."He led the attack himself. The guards of the island simply let him surpass. I think it is fair to feign they work for him now as well."

"Azkaban is unguarded !"Malfoy's oculus were wide and ball over."But what about the other captive ? They could also esca-"

"There are no other prisoners Mr Malfoy, and indeed no Azkaban."The schoolmaster spoke in cut short tones."Perhaps I was not decipherable. Azkaban is no more. It was blasted away, down to the bedrock. Voldemort took his followers and any of the hundreds of other piffling criminals that would willingly join him off the island and left the rest to acquire their hazard in the sea."

"How many ?"prof McGonnagal asked in pipe down tones.

"We think at least XX or thirty wizards joined him, not counting the one that were already dying eaters."Dumbledore announced this as if it was the weekly Quidditch scores."As for the others ... They are still dredging bodies out of the due north sea but it is good to assume quite a few get to estate safely, they were magical after all."

"What about Crouch ?"Harry said suddenly."Tell me he wasn ‘ t transferred there yet."

"I ‘ m sorry Harry."Dumbledore bowed his head."The aurors office didn ‘ t think there was any distributor point delaying."

"So he ‘ s free ?"

"He is."

"It was all for nothing."A little choked laugh came from Harry's throat."It was all for nothing."

"Harry…"

"Worthless…"Harry was staring at the ceiling."For nothing."

"We stopped him becoming minister."Malfoy said sadly."That ‘ s something I guess."

"He killed Fleur."Harry closed his eyes."He tried to kill Dwight Lyman Moody. And now he ‘ s free. Should consume killed him."

"Harry !"McGonagall stepped forward angrily."We can not sink to their layer. We are not murderers !"

"Maybe you ‘ re not. I killed at least four citizenry yesterday."Harry painfully slid his leg off the bed."Maybe more… I forget. Does Greyback count as a mortal ? Never nous, hail on then, lets go."

"I can levitate you-"Dumbledore began but then trailed off into quiet as Harry stepped onto the cold hospital base. Harry held out both weapons system wordlessly, Malfoy stepped under his left instantly. Ginny dropped her clipboard on the bed and took his right.

"I know you can hover me. You ‘ re Dumbledore after all."Harry smiled and stepped forward, leaning heavily on his friends.
*


There was a memorial service for Fleur the following day in front of the woods at Hogwarts before she was brought back to her parents in France. Harry didn't say anything, he couldn't trust himself to. Her killer was still out there because of the stupidity of the Ministry.

He'd get him. One day, he'd get him. Harry dug his fingernails hard into his palm.

"I ‘ ll get him for you."Harry whispered, glancing up at Fleurs coffin."I promise. I ‘ ll kill him."

Harry watched as the Triwzard cup was brought out and placed next to the hapless missy. She was the Triwizard champion, he and Malfoy had insisted on that. It was prescribed and everything. small comfort for her parents.

"You alright Harry ?"Neville asked him quietly.

"No Neville."Harry shook his head."I ‘ m not alright, but this is basically a funeral. I ‘ m not intend to be right now. If I was alright I ‘ d wonder what was wrong with me."

"It wasn ‘ t your fault."Harry didn't result. The ‘ error'conversation was too predictable, and unhelpful.

The ceremony ended and the scholarly person began filtering back to the castle. Harry didn't join them, he couldn't face them all. The rustling had already begun. Everyone knew Voldemort was back, most even knew that Azkaban was gone. They also knew that Harry had died, come back from the dead and invaded the ministry to unmask a expiry eater. Harry sighed, everyone thought he was some form of hero. If they turned out to be justly it would take a weight off his mind.

Harry reached the edge of the lake and looked out over it's glassy airfoil. It still felt threatening and malignant, his veneration pulling at him like lightheadedness. He ignored it, it was easier now, he had more pressing concerns.

"You sure you ‘ re ok ?"Harry looked back, Neville had followed him."You don ‘ t seem ok. I mean I don ‘ t-"

"What did your parents do Neville ?"Harry said out of the blue.

"I… they…"

"You never told us."

"They… they were aurors."

"Ah…"Harry nodded."Probably fought death eaters… Voldemort… lots of times."

"Yeah, I guess."Neville shuffled his metrical unit, staring at the level."Nan told me they were pretty proficient so probably."

"And they ‘ re dead ?"

"They ‘ re… well… they 're in St ... yes. Yes they ‘ re dead."Neville swallowed."A end eater called Bellatrix did it."

"That ‘ s what I thought."Harry nodded, still looking out over the lake."I wonder if you ‘ d have done better…"

"Harry you ‘ re scaring me a little. What ‘ s all this about ?"

"There was vaticination Neville."Harry watched the sun as it slowly set so as to stave off looking at his ally's face."Long story abruptly it predicted the birth of the sole mortal who could destroy Voldemort. It could induce been either me or you, turned out to be me."Harry lapsed into secrecy. Behind him he could hear Neville breathing in gasping gulps.

"You did hear me say it ‘ s not you ?"Harry clarified."You don ‘ t have to crusade him."

"But you do !"

"Apparently."Harry tried to shrug, tried to look uncaring. Unfortunately it was so counter to how he was really feeling it was hard.

"Do you acknowledge when ?"

"Nope."

"Do you make out how ?"

"Nope."

"Well…"Neville scratched his head."What do you have it away ?"

"I know I ‘ m gon na lose."Harry said dryly. At Neville's shocked saying he threw his hands up."Well what do you bear ! Look at me, I ‘ m a teenage wizard, a fourthly year ! He ‘ s the most severe superstar alive and I ‘ m barely making satisfactory in defense against the dark arts."

"Harry you know grad don't matter."Neville shrugged."If they did then how come you ‘ ve survived this long ?"

"I know that ! But this is unlike !"Harry shook his headspring."Up till now I ‘ ve got through by a compounding of portion, lying, wit, viciousness and stubbornness. Not to advert that I ‘ ve always had help. But this is different, it ‘ ll just be me, him and two wands. I can ‘ t heartbeat him like that, don ‘ t even stand a chance."

"You don ‘ t know it ‘ ll be like that."Neville said reasonably.

"I know it will. Don ‘ t you see ? This is where the whole thing ‘ s been headed. I ‘ m going to lose and I can ‘ t. I can ‘ t let myself lose."Harry realized something and laughed wryly."She was right… of trend she was right."

"Who was ? About what ?"

"I won ‘ t be able to visit her this summer."Harry's script twitched to the corduroy around his cervix."I ‘ ll be meddlesome. I ‘ ll be very busy."
*


genus Draco hitched his peg up onto the windowsill and rearranged his robed behind him to be a bit more well-fixed. When it got later he'd try to reach his room in the Slytherin donjon. Right now his apparent abandonment made it impossible to get past his quondam protagonist without a vehement response.

He shifted his shoulders and turned the varlet on the track Koran he was reading. For now he could ignore everything, just be a slight nub of equanimity on the windowsill, reading in peace of mind. But eventually he'd have to face his housemates, then in a few years he'd have to go home and face… nothing.

His deal moved to his pocket where the letter from his mother was. It hadn't been angry, no expressions of deathless hate. It had simply stated that she was moving back into the theater she grew up in and that she would prefer if she never saw him again.

Dragon had considered burning it, or tearing it up and laughing. That was what Harry would do. Draco just wanted to curl up in a nook and feign it didn't exist.

"Wotcher, kid !"

What the… ? Malfoy looked down the corridor and saw Tonks standing just a little way off with her men on her hips.

"Oh,"Malfoy turned back to his book."What do you need ?"

"howdy to you too."Tonks shrugged and shoved his wooden leg off the windowsill roughly so she could sit down.

"Hey ! I was sitting there."

"You were moping there."Tonks corrected."Anyway I was talking to my mum earlier."

"Was she tempestuous at you for dying ?"genus Draco asked.

"A little."Tonks said sarcastically."She also said she had heard that her sister was moving back to her old home."

Draco didn't say anything.

"Is that why you ‘ re sitting out here ?"

Silence.

"Or is it that you helped arrest-slash-kill several of the Father-God of your old champion ?"

"What do you think ?"Malfoy answered acidly.

"I think I should prove you a lilliputian something I found in my sixth year called the ‘ room of requirements ’."Tonks stood and winked at him cheekily."So you won ‘ t have to sleep on a windowsill."

"The room of necessity ? Is that a bedroom ?"

"It can be a bedroom."Tonks answered mysteriously."By the way, did I ever thank you for saving my biography ?"

"It ‘ s hunky-dory. You probably saved me too."

"Yeah, probably…"Tonks nodded grinning."Anyway my mum says that you should issue forth over to dinner so we can thank you properly."

"It ‘ s fine-"

"She always makes too much anyway."Tonks went on."You can come over a few times if you want. Every night even, over the summer."

"You don ‘ t…"genus Draco felt his throat go a little dry."You don ‘ t have to do this for… for…"

"For what ? For family ?"Tonks laid a hired hand on his articulatio humeri."Yeah, I do."



Well ... that was a long journeying. Long and epos ! Anyway ... Hope you liked it. leave alone a critique, come on ... it's the end of the book. Go on.

Anyway, prepare for the next Holy Scripture. If you thought this one was a risky drive then the adjacent one will blow your freekin MIND ! cannon can go hang itself, we ‘ re taking our own path from now on. Believe me when I say that everything is about to change. Prepare for wickedness ... prepare for action mechanism ... prepare for everything you know to wither and die. Prepare for ...
Harry ceramist and the Changeling child