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Where the Heart Moves the Stone	By : Hanakai Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 1936 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Where the Heart Moves the Stone
- Verse Nine of the J. Alfred Prufrock Arc -
- Hanakai Mikakedaoshi
10.7.2003

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Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Harry Potter and all the elements therein are the intellectual property / registered trademarks of JK Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Brothers. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock was written by T.S. Elliot. I am not profiting from this.
Warnings: SS/HP slash, violence, & language.

Kudos and thanks must got to my beta reader LadyDeathFarie and her whiplash-inducing turnover time. All remaining errors are my own.

A note on this chapter: Yes, it happened. It was planned for months. I apologize; I had a good deal of difficulty writing this one. Thank you all for your patience.

Flames are not welcome, but anything else will be happily accepted and garner Chocolate Frogs. So please review.

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~ Chapter Six III ~
The Ransom of Agamemnon

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�For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.
There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.�
- Jeremiah 30: 12-15

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Harry paused as he and Draco crept along the edge of cas castle, gesturing impatiently for the other to be still. A lithe shadow, a short girl with long black hair, detached itself from the castle wall roughly twenty yards ahead of them and darted away at a run, holding up her robes so that she didn�t trip over them. Harry�s eyes narrowed as he watched her progress across the lawn. He knew her: a short, doe-eyed First Year. Pretty, but unremarkable. Like the other First Years, she stared at him a lot, so he in turn avoided her.

�Is that her?� he hissed to the boy behind him.

Draco put hand on Harry�s shoulder to keep his balance and leaned forward just in time to see the girl dash into another clutch of shadows. �Well, it�s not a Slytherin,� the blond snarked, still peering into the darkness. He blinked against the chill night air. �I can�t see a thing.�

Harry stepped away from the shadows, wand drawn, and Draco squeaked and stumbled as his support vanished.

�Hush, Malfoy!� the smaller Seeker hissed in irritation. He cast an uncertain look around back towards the castle. An unnerving sensation similar to a clutch of snakes writhing inside him sent shivers up and down his spine. Then, with a surprising amount of stealth, the smaller teen edged along the castle wall from shadow to shadow until he was almost out of sight.

Draco bit the inside of his cheek in frustration and seriously considered just leaving Potter out there to fend for himself . . . But that would be counter-productive. With a huff of resignation, the Malfoy heir followed the green-eyed brunet, wincing every time an owl hooted or a leaf crackled. He wished he could be as silent as Potter, but he couldn�t seem to watch his steps the way the other boy did. Perhaps sneaking around the castle at all hours of night paid off after all . . .

Harry paused at the edge of the south wall of the castle, scowling into the night. The waning moon was large and heavy in its ascension and cast bright silver light everywhere, flooding the field that stood between them and the border of the Wards. The field itself was the large swell of a hill, with a shallow incline on their side and a steep decline on the side of the Wards. Though they could not be seen over the rise of the hill to the people Draco knew to be down there, they could not cross the field undetected by anyone passing by.

The blond caught up to Harry with a huff that sent a barely visible puff of steam into the air. �Where did she go?�

Potter was crouched down near the wall, his dark hair and robes blending easily into the shadows. He did not look up as he surveyed the hill with a frown. �She ran across there.� He pointed at the hill. �Do you think we can cross?�

�Not without standing out like blood on snow,� Draco muttered unhappily. He reached into his robes and fumbled for his watch for a moment before locating the heirloom. It popped open with a soft click. �It�s 10:05. If we�re going to go, we need to hurry.�

Potter nodded, but didn�t move. �How did they break the Wards?�

�My mother said it was an Ostium sphere.�

Green eyes stared blankly at him and the blond sneered. �An Ostium sphere, Potter. It�s a magical artifact�small, about the size of a child�s fist, golden when inactive and then invisible when active. You stick it into a magical field�like Wards, for instance�and it absorbs and reflects back the energy of that field. The reflected energy works like two magnets with the same polarization. The field reflected pushes against the Wards and causes a hole. The Wards don�t pick up on a breach because the Ostium sphere uses their own energy, so the magic is never disrupted or discontinued. It�s brilliant, really, but they�re very rare. Only thirty or so were ever made and that was hundreds of years ago. No one knows quite how to duplicate them.�

Potter stood to his full height and frowned up at Draco. �So how did your friend get one?�

�The Dark Lord, I guess. How should I know? Look, an Ostium sphere can only be planted from the inside of the Wards, and only someone of �true, valiant purpose��whatever the hell that is�can even sense the Wards accurately enough to find them. We all feel an imprecise fuzzy feeling that lets us know when we�re in the vicinity of the Wards from the sheer amount of power they put out, but only someone with an unselfish purpose and a real need can find their exact perimeter. Some trick of the Founders�, I suspect.�

�So then you don�t really know that she betrayed us,� Potter said sharply. �She didn�t mean any harm.�

Draco stared. �That�s what your worried about? Your precious Gryffindor? The Dark Lord himself could very well be standing a hundred yards away with an army at his back, but all you can think of is your damn Gryffindor? Potter, think!. She cut a hole in the Wards of Hogwarts. Regardless of their intent, a person goes to Azkaban for that. She breached Hogwarts security and is letting in Death Eaters as we bloody speak, and you just want to keep her out of trouble.�

Harry frowned ais eis eyes hardened, but he remained silent.

Draco stared at him for a moment longer before his lips twisted in disgust. �Well, stay here then, if that will make you happy. I�m going to see what�s going on down there.�

He pulled away from castle wall and set across the field at a run, leaving Harry behind him. The other teen hissed in protest and tried to grab hold of him, but Draco easily slipped away from the grasp. When he reached the top of the hill, he threw himself flat on his belly and began to crawl across the grass, careful to stay low. His blond hair kept falling irritatingly into his eyes and he scowled. A second later, there was a grunt at his side as Potter landed heavily on the ground next to him.

Draco�s hand snaked out and gripped the other boy�s shoulder, halting him, and startlingly green eyes turned to towards him as Potter frowned at the familiarity. Draco squeezed the other boy�s shoulder hard, as though attempting to press the importance of his words into him. �Listen, Potter,� he hissed in a whisper. �We just go and look and then we get some teachers. Or even that oaf Hagrid. With two witnesses and some Veritaserum, there�ll be no mistaking what we saw, okay? But we only watch. I�ve no desire to be the latest of your victims of time and circumstance, Potter.�

Those green eyes narrowed and seemed to flare dangerously for a moment, but then the slight Potter heir nodded. �Fine. We just watch.�

Draco still didn�t let go. �And if it happens like I said it would, you owe me, Potter, and you�ll help me protect my family. You promise me here and now that you�ll help me.�

Potter�s lips pressed into a thin, unhappy line and for a moment he looked like he wanted to argue. Then he nodded with obvious reluctance. �I�ll owe you,� he agreed, still looking unhappy.

He stuck out his hand for an awkward handshake and Draco quickly accepted. Something seemed to uncoil in him, relaxing as he accepted that small hand in his own.

�Let�s go then,� he murmured, suddenly feeling less tense. At his side Potter nodded and the two boys crawled up the hill to see what was going on below them.

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Minerva McGonagall blew lightly on the surface of her tea, sending small tendrils of steam over the lip of the cup. Hagrid shifted uncomfortably in his enlarged chair for a moment before reaching down to lift up his own teacup. The wooden frame of the seat creaked alarmingly with the motion MineMinerva made a mental note to properly outfit the staffroom with Hagrid-sized things when she did the budget next term. She really couldn�t expect the half-giant to be comfortable otherwise. As it was, the tiny porcelain teacup looked ludicrous in his enormous grip, but he was surprisingly gentle with the cup as he brought it to his lips. The entire contents were gone in one swallow, of course, but the stern Transfiguration professor only smiled and offered her old friend another cup.

Hagrid beamed. �Thank ye!�

Minerva poured and settled back in her chair as the half giant added four sugar cubes to the brew. �I don�t know how you can drink it that sweet,� she chided gently, unable to fully keep the censure out of her voice.

Hagrid grinned again. �Well, tha�s the way it�s best,� he said, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. �Will Mr. Flitwick gonna be joinin� us tonight?�

Despite having done this for most of the term thus far, Hagrid still managed to look out of place in the staffroom when they met for tea once a week. It was, of course, part of Albus�s idea that the Professors all meet once a week in a social setting to help them work better together and get to know the more reclusive staff members like Hagrid, Trelawney, and Snape (to name just a few of Hogwarts� eccentrics) but Minerva could help but think that the man looked terribly unhappy at the start of every meeting. Forcing Rubeus Hagrid to sit still and drink tea was like putting a cat on a leash. It simply wasn�t done. Though, if last week had taught them anything, it was most definitely that no one was an island unto themselves�at least, not at Hogwarts.

Professor Sinistra entered in a whirlwind of finely cut robes and ungraded parchments before Minerva could reply, closely followed by Professor Kettleburn. The cold, severe beauty of the Astronomy professor sharply offset Kettleburn�s bedraggled appearance as the queenly young woman stalked over to the table. She sat down next to Hagrid and offered him a tight, narrow smile, making the C.M.C. professor look even more out of place. Hagrid, knowing that the smile was as welcoming as the dark-haired woman ever got, beamed in response and Sinistra�s smile widened just a bit. Kettleburn slumped into a chair next to Minerva and fanned himself with a pudgy hand.

�I don�t know how Severus deals with those mons day day in and day out,� the rotund professor whined in a strikingly high-pitched voice. �Three explosions before eleven o�clock today. Three!� he squeaked in protest. �How does he bear it? I only had two classes! And those horrid Sixth Years! Paper cranes in the Calming Potion! Calming Potion on the ceiling! Ceiling in the cauldrons!�

At the mention of the Potions Master, Minerva looked significantly less pleased than before as she handed out more tea. �Well, the man always did keep a firm hand on his classes.� The compliment was grudging at best.

Sinistra�s velvety eyes turned to Minerva and her lips tilted towards a smile that looked considerably less friendly than the one Hagrid had received. Though she had nothing against the deputy Headmistress per se, she had no patience for House rivalries, as they only interfered in the students� educations and added to the already complex politics of Hogwarts. �Professor Snape will not be joining us this evening. I hear that he�s away on family business.� Like her, the Astronomy teacher�s voice was sensual and dark.

The mention of Snape and family together seemed to perk everyone�s interest considerably, but Sinistra continued before anyone could comment. �Nor will Filius or Professor Sprout. Apparently, the Mandrakes are teething . . . and Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Creevey the younger turned Filius green and pink this evening before dinner. Vector and Poppy should be down shortly . . . provided Ms. Granger latest academic efforts don�t keep Vector in the Library all night researching theorems again.�

�Now, now then,� Hagrid rumbled, ever the peace maker. �She�s jus� got a bit o� spirit, tha�s all.�

Sinistra laughed quietly. �The girl is a menace. She should come with a warning label: not for daily use or essay assignments. Thank Circe Potter and Weasley keep her in line. She�ll be a formidable witch when she grows out of it, though�one of the best in her generation. If that one doesn�t make Head Girl, I�ll eat my telescope.�

Minerva could barely keep from preening at hearing the praise the tightlipped Sinistra heaped on her prefect.

Kettleburn sniffled sadly. �Gryffindors everywhere!� He was obviously still distracted by his day as substitute Potions Professor.

Sinistra shot him a contemptuous glance and sniffed.

The door to the staffroom burst open again and Professor Whistlemeel, the newest in a long line of DADA teachers, tumbled into the room. Literally. The tiny blond woman picked herself up as though nothing untowards had happened and made her way to the table to sit between Kettleburn and Minerva. That she managed to do this without tripping over her own two feet was an accomplishment in and of itself. The four foot, six inches tall professor looked like a light gust would send her flying and her disturbingly baby-doll-like face seemed fixed in an expression of perpetual surprise. Enormous blue eyes blinked at Hagrid, apparently startled to find him still employed.

Why the woman had come to teach here was anyone�s guess. She seemed to think that half the staff should be fired, Hagrid routinely ground up the children�s bones to make his bread, Harry Potter was out to kill her, Professors Snape and Sinistra were vampires who wanted to convert her, Sirius Black�s ghost haunted her office, Professor Trelawney was the modern Cassandra, and Professor Dumbledore was plotting for global domination. Her notorious clumsiness she attributed to a cruel hex sent at her in subterfuge by Mad Eye Moody in an attempt to thwart her Auror career. The fact that she had never had an Auror career and Mad Eye had never met her did not seem to deter her in the least.

At first, the staff had found this all rather amusing. After all, Hogwarts was an epicenter for certain political events and a bulwark against Voldemort. Their students literally went on to shape the fate of the world�especially with the Potter-Malfoy-Weasley class coming through: scions of three incredibly important Wizarding Families. It was not uncommon for outlandish rumors to circulate among the populace about such important places. That the professors were so vital in molding these young minds only served to make the rumors about them all the more ridiculous.

Everyone had assumed, perhaps a bit too optimistically, that once Whistlemeel had settled in, she would realize that there was nothing remotely true about those rumors. They�d been wrong. Even more bizarre though, was the fact that Whistlemeel would actually accuse the staff of these things to their respective faces and then seemingly forget that she�d done it. If Potter covered his scar with that eternally rebellious fringe of hair of his, she couldn�t even identify the boy, and just how she managed to consistently confuse Trelawney and Sinistra was practically a magic all its own.

The tiny little blond accepted her teacup from Minerva graciously and smiled, the expression making her look rather vapid. �>lov>love Black Currant!� Even her voice sounded doll-like.

The deputy Headmistress looked away before she was overcome with urge to hex the girl. Really, if the woman hadn�t beenleasleast halfway competent at Defense, she�d have pushed Albus to remove the chit at the end of September. Of course, the fact that she couldn�t tell one student from another if they all had their names stamped on their foreheads no doubt had a good deal to do with her even handedness in class. She didn�t pay enough attention to her students to know who they were. Really, the whole class could probably just walk out in the middle of a lesson, and she wouldn�t notice at all.

Sinistra, who admittedly took some rather perverse glee in encouraging her fellow Professor�s delusions, leaned forward with a predatory glint in her eye and brought her teacup up to her ruby red lips. Her eyes shone darkly. �Yes . . .� the woman purred seductively. Her tongue darted out and flicked a tiny drop of tea off the lips of her cup before vanishing back into her mouth. �I�ve always found it to have a . . . bold . . . sweet flavor.�

Whistlemeel blanched. Her teacup was returned to her saucer with a heavy click. Minerva took a sip of her own tea to hide her smile.

The wispy little blond smiled tremulously andod, od, almost tripping over her own robes in the process. �I . . . ah . . . I had better check on those two love birds I saw in the Library hall earlier.�

Kettleburn looked up sharply, suddenly forgetting his Potions woes. �I beg your pardon? You left two students alone in the hall to have a snog?�

Apparently completely forgetting the grave danger presented by Sinistra the Vampire, Whistlemeel turned to blink owlishly at the round little Professor. �Yes. Isn�t young love romantic? And they looked so dashing�that dark-haired, round eyed Gryffindor pulled so close to that pretty blond Slytherin.� She gave the sigh of someone who has just entered chocolate bliss. �Forbidden romance. Pity they were both boys. But even that can have its moments.�

The DADA professor settled back in her seat and picked up her tea again, the dreamy look still in her eyes. Sinistra eyed the woman with blatant distaste.

Kettleburn stared at her inbelibelief. �Well, you�re not just going to leave them there to have at it, are you?�

�Mmmmm?� Wide blue eyes turned back to him. �Why wouldn�t I? They were terribly pretty.�

By now, Hagrid was blushing bright red and Minerva�s tea was all but forgotten.

�Besides,� Whistlemeel continued, undeterred, �I want to finish my tea.�

Sinistra narrowed her eyes again before her lush mouth settled into a viper-like smirk. She leaned forward once more and snaked out a fine-boned alabaster handtouctouch Whistlemeel. �Actually, I think I�m ready for something with a bit more body to it . . .�

The small professor shot out of her seat as though she�d been bitten, big eyes impossibly larger. �I really should check on them, though!� she squeaked before fleeing towards the door, almost knocking down Professor Vector as she scrambled past her.

The tall Arithmacy professor stared after the retreating figure with vague curiosity before turning back to the group at the table. Minerva righted Whistlemeel�s chair with a flick of her wand and offered it to Vector as the gray, grave-looking woman came over to them. �Do I even want to know?� she asked as she sat down next to the Transfiguration Professor.

�Tha� was just uncalled for,� Hagrid said with a half hearted frown at his comparatively tiny companion. The censure did not, however, disguise the almost Dumbledore-like twinkle in his eyes.

Minerva nodded firmly to Sinistra and poured Vector a cup of tea. �Good show, my dear.�

Hagrid released a big booming laugh, Kettleburn snickered in a way that was most un-Hufflepuff (his House at school), and even Sinistra smiled, looking almost disturbingly sated. Smiling her own satisfied smile, Minerva pushed herself to her feet with a sigh and barely covered a wince as she felt her knee buckle beneath her. She picked up her cane with a heavy sigh and gingerly set her weight on the support, hating this reminde the the odious Umbridge woman and the prolonged debacle that was the previous school year.

�I had better go make sure the silly chit doesn�t break her neck headed down there.� She carefully straightened her witch hat on her head with her free hand before turning back to the table. �If Binns comes, do try to steer him away from Goblin rebellions tonight. If I have to listen to one more lecture on Urrgh the Decapitator or Soth the Spleen-Eater, I will find a way to bring that man back to life so I can kill him again.�

Kettleburn chortled and Vector smiled faintly. Hagrid eyed the prim Transfiguration professor for a moment, worried. �You want me ter come along, Professor?�

The half-giant always looked terribly miserable when he saw her with her cane. Though she knew that what she saw in his eyes was not pity, Minerva couldn�t help but feel stung whenever he looked at her like that. She forced a small smile. �I�ll be fine, Hagrid. Thank you, though.�

The huge man nodded a bit woefully and Sinistra offered him one of her tight, rare smiles again and gently touched his arm. �I heard you�ve been trying to get a hold of an infant Harpy.�

Vector choked on her tea.

Grateful for the distraction, Minerva turned and left the room to find the DADA Professor. Knowing her, the silly thing probably just ran off to her quarters and barricaded herself in�most likely with garlic and Holy Water, to boot.

The Deputy Headmistress�s heels clicked sharply on the castle stone, punctuated by the continual tap of her cane as she descended the hidden rcasrcase that led to the teacher�s lounge. The stair let out in the main stair hall and one of the moving staircase obligingly shifted over to pick her up and carry her to an adjacent case. Holding onto the banister for balance, Minerva hummed off tune under her breath and tapped the steel bottom of her cane against the ground impatiently as the stairs finally ground to a halt.

�Professor! Professor! Guess what I saw?�

Blue-grey eyes flickered over to Moaning Myrtle as the voyeuristic Hufflepuff ghost slid smoothly out of a wall at the foot of the stairs. Hard pressed to stifle her sigh, the Transfiguration professor set her mouth in a stern line. �Yes, Myrtle? What is it?�

The ghost did a little loop-de-loop in the air and giggled, her phantom eyes shining with barely repressed glee. Though Minerva had never really cared for Myrtle either in or out of school�she personally thought that death had driven the poor girl a bit batty�there was no denying that the spirit�s penchant for tattling saved the staff a good deal of trouble. Of course, that meant that one had to actually listen to the attention-starved ghost�an activity that Minerva despised.

�Well, spit it out, girl,� she snapped gruffly when it became obvious that Myrtle wasn�t going to speak of her own volition. She walked past Myrtle and the ghost pursued her, still giggling and blushing silver.

�Oooooh, they�re going to be in so much trouble!� she chortled in her sickeningly sweet voice. �But it serves them right�he promised he�d come visit my toilet and he hasn�t.� Ghostly eyes flashed. �He LIED to me!!�

A chill went through Minerva as the spirit�s vaguely concealed nasty side bled into her voice with a snarl. It was probably for the best thartlertle never reached adulthood. The girl had always had a vicious streak in her a mile wide. Minerva would have bet her catnip mouse that Myrtle would have gone Dark.

�Not that she had a catnip mouse. Certainly not.

�Who lied to you?� the Professor prodded impatiently. This undoubtedly had something to do with whomever the ghost was attempting to get in trouble; she just had to be patient.

Myrtle floated along side her, briefly disappearing through a suit of armor as Minerva turned to corner into the Library hallway.

�Harry Potter, of course,� Myrtle replied, sounding as though this should have been obvious.

Minerva sighed and resisted the urge to swipe at the ghost�s head with her cane. Albus had told Myrtle twice that Potter was not to be reported for roaming the Library hall after curfew and�

�That�s what he gets, though,� the ghost continued, sounding immensely pleased with her ability to get Potter into trouble, �for lying to me to play with that little blond snake. I told him��

Minerva stopped, hene tne tapping the ground with a solemn finality. Blond snake?

Palms sweating, the woman clutched at the head of her cane and leaned on the support a bit more than necessary. Her eyes looked distant. � . . . that dark-haired, round eyed Gryffindor pulled so close to that pretty blond Slytherin. Forbidden romance.�

Minerva ground her teeth as the DADA�s words came back to her. Only she would be brainless enough to leave Potter and Malfoy alone in a dark corridor after curfew. Was it really too much to hope that they could make it through just one school year without the now usual intrigue or more Potter-related drama then necessary? The boy was a magnet for trouble, even when he wasn�t trying to be. Especially when he wasn�t trying to be.

Unclenching her fist with a good deal of effort, the professor forced a deep breath out of her nose and turned back to Myrtle. The ghost was floatingew few feet away, looking very put out at having been ignored.

�Myrtle, where did you see them?�

�Oh, they left the castle,� the child said, obviously bored now that they were no longer discussing her. �They were headed towards the Forbidden on the South end of the castle.�

What had initially been irritation turned to ice in the older woman�s stomach. Her eyes narrowed. �The Forest? They were headed towards the Forest?�

Playing around in the castle was one thing�every youngster felt the need to experiment (though she rather preferred that it be with the opposite gender). That it was with Malfoy was only the latest escapade in a long history of risky behavior on Potter�s part. For Draco, it was all too easy to believe his elitism was at work. But going out into the Forest was another thing entirely. Especially with the son of a Death Eater involved. Minerva didn�t trust Draco Malfoy as far as she could throw him, and she certainly didn�t trust Harry tve tve thought any of this through. That boy was the very image of low impulse control.

�Yes,� Myrtle gushed, looking positively wicked. �I was coming to get you when I saw them leave the castle.� She giggled again and hid her smile behind her hands. �Are they in loads of trouble?�

�Oh, yes,� Minerva said in a frosty voice. �Loads of trouble.� She focused on the ghost again. �Will you please go tell the Headmaster what has happened?�

Myrtle vacillated, obviously preparing to protest. Minerva felt the last of her patience evaporate and brandished her cane menacingly at the dead girl. �Don�t dawdle, girl! Hop to it!�

Myrtle fled with a squeak and Minerva strode down the moonlit hall alone, the staccato thumps of her heels and cane a condemnation. This never would have happened if Severus had been here prowling the corridors as was his wont. �When the cat�s away . . .�

Her voice reflected off the old stone and cast weird echoes up and down the hall. The silvery light reflected off her eyes and her features seemed to blur for a moment. Suddenly her body seemed to melt and ooze like candle wax as she shrunk and a moment later a large tabby cat with dark circular patterns around her eyes stood in the professor�s place. The cat immediately bounded off, moving much faster than her human form, despite her noticeably limp.

She was going to absolutely throttle those boys when she got a hold of them. And then she was going to throttle that twit Whistlemeel. And then she was going to give Albus a very pointed and long overdue piece of her mind. The House Cup was going to be a memory by the time tonight was over, but she didn�t care. She had had enough of simply sitting around, or always being a second too late when disaster struck.

The stone was hard and cold beneath the pads of her feet as she rounded a corner. The castle seemed to sense her determination and doors flew silently open and closed as she ran.

No more playing around�not anymore. And no more allowing Slytherins to simply do as they please without consequences. Tonight the little snakes would remember why no one messed with her cubs.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Micah tapped his right heel in irritation and looked down at the wristwatch his mother had ordered from Paris for him last month. 10:08.

Just where the hell were they?

He had to get the Glass in past the Wards; that was the most important thing. As a student, the magic of Hogwarts gave him liberties that it would not allow any others except those on the grounds at the Headmaster�s sufferance. He had to be the one to bring the artifact onto the grounds, not his father, else the magic inherent to the land and castle would reject it. That would be disastrous to the Dark Lord�s plans. It would be best if he could actually get the Glass inside the castle somehow�less risky for the Glass�but maneuvering a magical item of the Glass�s size and power would be very difficult alone, and Hogwarts would most certainly not permit Death Eaters entry.

He frowned in irritation�almost a pout, really�and kicked a small, loose stone through the hole in the Wards. Thank Merlin he�d had the good sense to weight the House badges down with stones before he�d returned to the castle this weekend, else the wind would have blown them away and then he�d never have been able to find the hole.

�Micah?�

The voice behind him startled the young man and he turned fast, wand drawn.

A petite slip of a girl standing close behind him cringed and shrunk back with a small shriek. �It�s me!�

Jade eyes blinked, startled. �Mary?�

He crossed the small distance between them and grabbed her forearm roughly, jerking the First Year towards him. Her dark hair fell into her eyes as the boy shook her. �What are you doing? What the hell are you doing here?�

�I wanted to help!� she hissed back, offended. The youngest Creevey jerked out of his grasp. She rubbed her bruised forearms and glared at the older boy. �I wanted to talk to Harry, too! I�m a Gryffindor and I thought he might listen to me. He�s got to understand that Snape and Malfoy are no good for him�too much depends on him. When did you ask Harry to meet you here?�

�If you want to help, you silly bint, then go back to the castle!� The Slytherin glared at her with ill-concealed fury and clenched his fists at his sides. �You�re going to ruin everything. This isn�t a bloody picnic!�

Mary�s face twisted in hurt and stared up at the older boy, tears clinging delicately to her long lashes. �Micah��

�Go!� He shoved her towards the castle and she stumbled, almost losing her balance.

�But I want to help!�

�You can�t��

Mary glared at him and marched towards the boy, forcing him back. �I�m doing this because I love him! Because he needs h Yo You even said so yourself. Now why won�t you let me help him?�

�Because we don�t need your help any�� The boy cut off abruptly, his jaw snapping shut with an audible click. He pressed his lips into a hard line and took a long step backwards until he was almost standing in the hole in the Wards.

The Gryffindor frowned in confusion. �What do you mean you don�t . . .� she trailed off suddenly as understanding blossomed. �Micah . . .?�

The boy reached out and grabbed hold of her, jerking the girl towards him as he stepped out beyond the Wards. Frozen, the girl let out a muffled shriek as she was effortlessly removed from the protection of Hogwarts. Micah spun her around so that he stood between her and Wards and pulled out his wand, pointing it at the diminutive Creevey with one smooth motion. He sighed heavily. �You�re so stupid.�

Mary�s eyes widened and she squeaked in terror as she stared down the length of Micah�s wand.

The lithe Slytherin�s expression twisted in what might have been regret and he flicked his wrist. �Crucio.�

The First Year shrieked in agony and dropped to the ground in convulsions. Her neck snapped back as she writhed and her eyes rolled up into her head.

A sudden roar came from above and Micah, looked up, his concentration broken, just in time to see a dark-haired form hurtle at him, throwing him on the ground. His back hit grass and the force knocked the breath out of him. When he hit, a sharp stone punctured his shoulder and forcing his hand to convulsively jerk open. His wand rolled away into the dark grass.

The Slytherin blinked away the stars exploding behind his eyes just in time to see Harry Potter sitting atop him. And then there was nothing but a burst of darkness.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Severus appeared with a �pop� on the outmost edge of Hogsmead, cradling his left arm to his chest as though wounded. He dropped to his knees with a grunt of pain. The burning of his Mark had spread to his whole body. His eyes were watering and it felt as though a great hand was wrapped around his chest, crushing his heart and cutting off his breath. Even Apparition, a task that he normally took in stride, had left the reserved man nauseous and gasping.

This wasn�t a Summons. This . . . this was unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was like screws of flames being driven trough his body. Coupled with the curious sensation was an overwhelming desire�an absolute, primal need�to return to Hogwarts. To Potter.

And the urgency of it was killing him.

The professor took a single, staggering step before he dropped to his knees, exhausted. His return home had been hastened by the fact that he�d been forced to break into a dead run when he left the Manor grounds and halfway down the road he�d simply given up and shredded the external property Wards. His very mind ached and a strange sort of magic hummed through his veins, pushing him to his feet again and turning him towards Hogwarts.

He made it another six steps before the pain drove him to his knees again. Severus pitched forward with a strangled groan and folded in on himself, pressing his forehead again the gritty pebbled surface of the road. This was not supposed to be happening, but it was just so damned hard to think . . .

Harry�

Hasty, aborted breaths forced his chest to jerk as though spasming and tremors shook him. He heard a cat mew somewhere nearby.

This was not supposed to be happening.

A sudden shadow fell over the bowed man, cutting him off from the moonlight.

A gasp: �Severus?!�

Minerva.

A cool hand pressed against the nape of his neck, pushing the fire back just a bit.

�Severus?�

Another arm wrapping round his waist, pulling him up. Holding him steady.

�What happened? What did that brute of man do to you?�

She sounded so angry. Angry at him?

Yes. She was angry at him. For yelling at Potter.

Harry.

Who most certainly should have died.

�Severus, you have to breathe. You�re hyperventilating.�

Arms holding him up.

Ached.

�Severus, breathe!�

Dark eyes snapped open and the man took a sudden gasp of air as though he�d been drowning. He jerked away from Minerva and tottered uncertainly, looking both wild and ready to collapse at any second.

Minerva stumbled as her weak leg jerked beneath her, unable to support her full weight and she grimaced and shifted to the other side. She said nothing about Severus�s strange reaction; in her experience the man abhorred being touched, even if it was to save his life.

She watched the unsteady man warily for a moment, uncertain what was going on. While she was still angry with him, she most certainly did not wish to see him so distressed. �Severus . . .� She kept her tone low and soothing as though he were an injured animal.

The situation�her, angry and rushed, and Severus, pale and obviously hurting�made her feel curiously nostalgic for the young man�s school days. She�d always felt she�d failed him in some important way then, and it galled her to realize how much she�d failed at the promise she made to herself to look after him. She took another step closer as those eyes swung around to squint at her slightly.

The woman made a slow placating gesture with her hands. �Severus, did your father hurt you? I caught wind of yournt wnt when I was looking for Potter. You smelled like you were in pain and��

�Potter?�

The name was a rasped exclamation and Minerva felt herself tense at the way he said it.

�Severus, you smell like blood,� she snapped to redirect him. The Gryffindor head had absolutely no desire to get into another argument about the boy with him and his question had reminded her of the real reason she�d been dashing towards the Forest in her animagus form before her detour. �Now tell me: did you have a fight with your father?�

�Father?� He looked perplexed by the question and his eyes had a slightly glazed appearance, as though he weren�t all there. She noticed with sudden trepidation that he was frantically rubbing at the Dark Mark through his sleeve. He shook his head wildly like a small child, and dark, slightly greasy hair flew into his face. �Potter,� he hissed, clutching hard at his arm.

�Now see here, Severus��

�Potter!� he snarled again.

She glared at him and stiffened, the human incarnation of an angry cat.

�Potter!� the man repeated when she said nothing. He teetered again and seemed almost frenzied to her. �Pott�Harry!� he finally snapped in exasperation, obviously unable to say what he meant.

�Severus!� Minerva felt a hair�s breath away from hexing the man. �What has gotten into��

Something like an explosion sounded off to their left and the two professors froze, both instinctively turning towards the noise. They stared as a distant gout of flame leapt into the air over the rise of the earth and then there was a moment of loud silence. Not even the crickets chirped. Some rose over the horizon. The flash of green that followed illuminated the night with a horrible familiarity and sent chills down both their spines.

Blood cold, Minerva whirled around to face her colleague, fear plain on her face. �What about Harry?�

But Severus was already running pell-mell toward the vanished light.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

From the hilltop above, Harry stared down in absolute horror as the small girl fell to the ground screaming, looking almost unhinged by the Curse. The word whispered in his mind, wrapping around his memories like brackish water. Crucio.

He saw red.

The brunet pushed himself to his feet, prepared to run to her rescue, when thin fingers wrapped themselves around his wrist.

Draco jerked him back to the ground roughly, alarmed by the wild expression on Harry�s face. �Just what the hell do you think you�re doing?!� the blond hissed as he tried to hold the struggling boy down.

Without a word, Harry jerked his hand out of the other teen�s grip and was on his feet again before Draco could even blink. Then the dark-haired Seeker was down the short slope, and he launched himself at Jasperstone with an angry cry. Draco could only stare on in horror.

What the hell was I thinking?? Coming out here with a bloody Gryffindor?!

The blond scrambled to his feet, and ran down the slope towards the two brawling teens. �Potter, no!! You bloody sodding hero!� The idiot was of no use to anyone dead.

Potter ignored him in favor of punching the senior Slytherin in the mouth hard enough to send a small spray of blood into the air. Jasperstone grunted and his head lolled back loosely. Potter got in two more good blows before Micah recovered. The taller boy bucked for a moment in panic as he came to and cried out, barely dodging a fourth blow. Jasperstone kneed Potter in the small of his back, forcing the smaller boy to pitch forward, dislodging him from his perch on the Slytherin�s chest. As Harry fell on top of him with a yelp, Micah raised his arms up to knock the brunet aside and accidentally slammed his elbow into the Seeker�s exposed throat. Potter choked and fell like tree, stunned by the glancing blow.

Micah wiggled out from under him and looked around wildly for his lost wand. Blood blinded him and a debilitating pain raged through his head. He caught sight of it just as Draco arrived. The blond pitched forward, sliding to the ground to grasp Jasperstone�s wand just before the older Slytherin could summon it.

The two boys each scrambled to their feet, eyeing one another warily. Potter was slowly regaining his bearings behind Jasperstone and Mary was huddling a fetal ball several feet away, next to the entrance to the Wards. Micah took a slow, unsteady step towards Draco. His robes were torn and bloodstained from the nasty split lip Potter had given him and his right eye showed the beginnings of a reddened, puffy bruise. A small cut marred the skin of his left cheek as well and the boy appeared woozy and stunned.

Draco took a step back towards the Forest, almost backing into a tree. He looked much less the worse for wear then his Housemate, but the typical Malfoy smirk was absent. The blond looked almost frightened, actually. He held out the older boy�s wand with both his hands, one at either end of the yew length, and his eyes narrowed. �Take another step and I�ll break it.�

Micah froze. He took a shaky breath and glared hatefully at the younger Slytherin, unable to stop his bruised and aching eye from watering a bit and sending a tear tracking down his cheek. He seemed to be hurting everywhere and his head was ringing from Potter�s blitz attack. That boy fought like a ravenous demon.

He watched Draco carefully, searching for any weakness, any hint of hesitance . . . But the blond was a true Malfoy, cool and relaxed, even though he was grass stained and disheveled. Behind him, the Seventh Year could hear Potter stirring to his feet and felt something like panic well up in him. Pale green eyes flickered to the Forest just mere feet behind Draco. The scuffle had taken them several yards away from the hole in the Wards. He doubted the fools could even see how far they were from the castle. But just where the hell was his father?

Draco eyes stayed locked on him, still holding the wand out before him, ready to break it at a moment�s notice. �Alright, Potter?�

�Bloody brilliant,� a rough voice behind Micah snapped in irritation. A chill went down the Slytherin�s back as he felt the unmistakable tip of a wand press hard into the base of his skull. One of Potter�s hands landed on his shoulder and a soft puff of warm breath trailed across his cheek as, pulling him down so that he could hear the smaller boy whisper hoarsely in his ear. �Move, and it will be the last thing you do.�

Micah stiffened, but obeyed, bristling at being so thoroughly caught. Gritting his teeth, he ignored Potter to turn up his nose at the Malfoy. �You treacherous mudblood lover.�

The blond merely gave him an airy look of dismissal before his gaze flickered to Potter. A bit of his nonchalance gave way to irritation as he eyed the Gryffindor over Micah�s shoulder. �What the hell were you thinking?�

Potter�s wand pressed even harder against the base of his skull. �I wasn�t going to just stand aside and let her be tortured!�

A flicker of darkness at the edge of the trees made Micah�s heart leap with hope, but he didn�t dare look to see what it was. Neither Potter nor Draco seemed to be aware of it, and he had no desire to enlighten them. As it was, the Dark Lord would see to it that he paid dearly for allowing that silly Gryffindor girl to follow him tonight, regardless of the fact the Malfoy family�s treachery was finally plain for all to see.

Draco was sneering at Potter. �So instead, you just expose us when Death Eaters could just come waltzing up at any moment?! We need to get the Headmaster now, now that you�ve bungled everything,� Draco snipped back, his agitation now obvious. �Before the Death Eater�s arrive.�

The digging at the base of Micah�s skull became painful as Potter applied even more pressure to his wand and the grip on his shoulder sent shooting pains through the wound there. Micah closed his eyes and bit his lip hard to keep from grunting.

Potter sounded furious behind him. �For the love of God, Malfoy, don�t you have a conscience at all?�

�I have common sense and absolutely no desire to get myself killed trying to save everyone in the bloody world! Don�t you ever think?�

�I��

�You owe me, Potter!� Draco interrupted in a fierce hiss. �We agreed and you owe me. You promised. So stupefy so tso that we can get the hell out of here.�

�No, boys . . .� a smooth voice suddenly interjected. �I don�t think you�ll be doing that tonight.�

Micah�s eyes snapped open at the sound of his father�s voice and he nearly melted in relief. Daniel Jasperstone stood at the very edge of the Forest, looking magnificent in full Death Eater regalia. His left arm was wrapped around a semi-conscious Mary Creevey, propping her up against him. His right hand was directing his wand, 11 inches of Scandinavian oak with a core of werewolf hair and hippogriff feather, directly at the small girl�s throat. Despite the fact the man was wearing his mask, Micah knew that the smile on his father�s face was identical to his own.

The Death Eater jabbed Mary�s throat with the tip of his wand in emphasis. �Now why don�t you drop those wands and take a step back like good lads?�

Triumphant, Micah moved forward as Potter�s grip on his shoulder went slack. He shot Draco a dark smirk and was gratified to see that the Malfoy heir had dropped his wand and turned a sickly white color.

Micah made a show of doing a lazy �Accio,� the only spell he could do wandless. His length of yew and griffin hair made a very satisfying smacking sound when it hit his palm. He pointed the wand at Draco and smiled. �You picked the wrong side, Malfoy.�

Potter stepped up next to the blond Seeker, glaring thunderously at the two Jasperstones.

Daniel Jasperstone prodded at Mary�s throat with his wand again and frowned at the Boy Who Lived from behind his mask. His mind was working fast. The Dark Lord had said to kill anyone who stood in their way, but did that include Potter? The Mirror was meant for him, after all . . . What would happen if he killed the boy? Would he be rewarded? Or punished?

Potter was staring at him . . . No . . . Glaring at him. The man stiffened and glared through his mask at the boy with his good eye. �I said drop your wand, boy.�

The youth made a motion as though preparing to toss aside the wand, but then he suddenly raised it and flicked it directly at Daniel�s head. �Vocis confuto!�

Draco�s mouth dropped open as a surge of white light flew from the tip of Potter�s wand and slammed into the girl and Death Eater. �Are you utterly mad?!�

Micah cried out in fear as his father fell and the blond used the opportunity to tackle the boy to the ground again. They wrestled for his wand briefly before Draco managed to seize the length of yew from the boy. He rolled away from the older Slytherin quickly and felt a hex sizzle past him and hit Micah. Strange, claw-tipped tentacles immediately sprouted from the Seventh Year�s face. Draco gripped the now-screaming boy�s wand in both hand and bent it. The wood flashed painfully hot in his hands and then buckled before snapping in two. The crack was audible.

Micah made a strangled noise of pain as the core of his wand was irreparably shattered. Draco dropped the pieces and pushed himself to his feet, grappling for his wand as he went. Jasperstone senior longlong since given up on casting spells and had pounced on Potter in the interim. The boy�s glasses had fallen off some time during their struggle. Under the older man�s much heavier weight the Gryffindor Seeker was woefully outmatched and his face was rapidly turning red from the large hand wrapped �round his neck.

Harry�s head snapped back painfully as the Death Eater landed another blow with his free hand and he stopped flailing, stunned. Draco froze for an instant, unsure whether or not he should interfere. He could run right now�flee�and no one with half a brain would blame him for it. He could find Dumbledore, bring the old man out here, be a hero and thus secure his family�s safety because Dumbledore would not dare turn him away with the press singing his praises. Draco Malfoy Thwarts Death Eater Plot! The story on page two. He could get rid of all the damn middle man business once and for all and run. And leave Potter to be either strangled to death or beaten to a bloody pulp.

�Fuck!� the blond hissed, knotting his hands in indecision. �Run, Draco! Run,� he growled to himself, still unable to move.

Jasperstone punched Potter in the stomach and the boy�s body jerked.

Draco simply gave up and pointed his wand at the struggling pair. �Stupefy!�

The hex bounced off a low level shield, but the force of impact, combined with Potter�s renewed struggles, was enough to knock Jasperstone off the Gryffindor and throw the man to the ground. Harry�s groping hands came across a rock, and he immediately grabbed the object, rolled over, and belted Daniel Jasperstone over the head with it, knocking the man unconscious.

The boy dropped the rock and collapsed to the ground panting, his eyes squeezed tight shut. His throat was mottled red and white and already hand-shaped bruises were beginning to form. He licked his lips and swallowed painfully. �Accio Harry Potter�s glasses.� The thick spectacles, one round lens fractured, flew into his hand and he slid them onto his face and blinked up at the sky blearily.

Draco watched his classmate warily, trembling slightly as his own adrenaline rush began ind ind down.

�You should have run,� Potter wheezed as he pushed himself up unsteadily. His glasses slid forward on his nose and as he raised a shaky hand to push them back up.

Draco scowled viciously at the smaller boy. �And let you have all the glory? I think not.� He looked away, discomforted by the knowingly rakish smirk Potter was directing towards him, despite the other�s bloodied lip. �Anyway,� he continued, still looking at the ground, �there�s not a single other Seeker in this bloody school who can challenge me.�

Harry grinned lopsidedly at his Slytherin counterpart and Draco found himself grinning back, unable to resist that quirky smile. The brunet stuck out his hand. �Thanks, Malfoy.�

Draco accepted the proffered handshake with typical aplomb. �I do what I can.�

Harry released Draco�s hand after a moment and sighed heavily. The breath immediately made him wince, and a hand flew up to his right side. �Bastard hurt my ribs,� he hissed in explanation.

Uncertain what to do, Draco looked away and Potter gently prodded at his side with the fingertips of his right hand. After a moment, he abandoned his ribs and gingerly felt around his throat at the bruises forming there. A crumpled form on the grass caught Draco�s eye and the blond made his way over to it, surprised to find that an ache slid through his leg as he did so.

He rubbed at his thigh absently, feeling a bruise there, as he made his way towards the little Gryffindor. �What did you hit them with?� he asked.

Potter looked up and grimaced. �Silencing curse.� His voice stilundeunded a bit rough and breathless. �Freezes the vocal chords for three days. Can�t speak spells. It was all I could think of. Did I hurt her?�

Draco knelt down next to the girl and rolled her over as Potter hobbled towards them and knelt down on the grass. The brunet looked to be in considerable discomfort from his injuries. �Can we wake her? We need to head back.�

�I think she fainted or something.� He waved his wand over her. �Enervate.�

They both leaned over her, so it tht that neither boy seemed to be aware of the concern on the other�s face. Big brown eyes opened and she stared up at the two boys without comprehension for a moment. Then her eyes widened in panic and her mouth opened in a scream. When no sound came out, the tiny girl seemed to panic even more and immediately began to thrash around. Harry, who appeared to have expected this, acted much more quickly than Draco and threw his arms around the girl�s torso, pinning her arms to her side. She elbowed him in his damaged ribs as she struggled and he grunted, but did not let go.

�Mary, calm down!�

The First Year immediately stilled her thrashing at the sound of Harry�s roughened voice and went limp.

Draco�s brow furrowed as he looked over at Potter in confusion. �Crucius Shock?�

Harry�s lips thinned and he nodded. �She�s too little to be under that long.�

Draco did not question Potter�s apparent expertise in regards to Crucius. Ever since the end of last year there had been rumors about some sort of bond between Potter and the Dark Lord. Quite frankly, Draco was fairly certain that he didn�t want to know. And�even if he did�any prodding would no doubt have destroyed their tentative new camaraderie.

Suddenly, a violent tremor shook Mary and Harry almost dropped her, afraid for a moment that she was in the throes of a seizure. Then a trembling hand rose and pointed into the woods behind them. Draco stood and whirled around and Harry�s head snapped away from the girl just in time to see four more Death Eaters emerge from the Forest, carrying something levitated between them. The two groups stared at one another, each stunned by the other�s presence. Then Draco moved.

�Expelliarmus!!�

The Death Eater on the back right hand corner flew back into the woods, slamming into a tree with a sickening crack before crumpling to the ground in a twitching heap. maskmask cracked down the middle and fell off, revealing the pockmarked face of the headsman Avery, whom Harry had first seen at the end of his third year. Blood slid down a nasty gash on the man�s forehead and only the whites of his eyes were visible.

Whatever the Death Eaters were carrying between them was apparently immensely heavy because, as soon as Avery�s support was removed, the other three let out a groan and buckled before loosing hold of it and all falling to their knees. One of them raised a wand, and Harry retaliated with a Jelly Legs hex so strong it set all the man�s limbs to wobbling uncontrollably.

As the other Death Eater tumbled to the ground, limbs atremble, the two remaining abandoned their burden and arose with their wands drawn. Harry stood, the motions sending pain through his ribs, and jerked Mary to her feet. He stepped in front of the girl and gritted his teeth, wand raised.

�Stay behind me.� His voice scratched at his throat. �The minute the fight starts, run to the castle and get Dumbledore, understand?�

He felt the girl immediately latch onto his back, trembling violently. He felt her nod against the middle of his back and steeled himself for a fight.

Draco stepped back next to him, wand raised. �You know, I blame you for this, Potter,� the blond hissed.

Harry shot him an irritated look and tightened his grip on the hilt of his own wand. �Yes, I know. I blame me, too,� he muttered.

The Death Eaters both raised their wand and the moonlight made their masks glow luminously. The two boys swallowed hard, frightened in spite of themselves.

The cry from behind them took everyone by surprise. �Morsus!�

Harry whirled around at the cry, shoving Mary behind him again as Draco fell to the ground shrig ing in pain. Neither of them had been expecting another opponent to be behind them, yet there was Micah Jasperstone, purple tentacles writhing from various parts of his face as he pointed his father�s wand at Draco Malfoy.

Harry snarled and pointed his wand at Jasperstone. �Stupefy!�

The Slytherin threw himself to the side as the Curse zipped past him. There was a snap as he landed on his arm all wrong and he screamed.

The Curse disrupted, Draco�s cries ceased and he went limp. The smaller of the two Death Eaters extended an ash black wand and a muffled, distinctly feminine voice emerged from behind the mask. �Accio Draco Malfoy!�

The blond Slytherin went flying into the woman�s arms and she caught him with surprising tenderness, toppling over as 100 plus pounds of gangly teenage boy hit her. The woman immediately began to fuss over the boy, gently slapping at his face to bring him round, but Harry had no time to marvel at the unexpected sight because the larger Death Eater was suddenly bearing down on him, a short, unusually thick wand waving before him.

�Crucio!�

Harry threw Mary roughly to the side and felt heat brush past his chest as he barely managed to dodge in time. �Run!�

The girl stumbled off, obviously dazed and confused, but Harry had no time to worry about his Housemate because the Death Eater�s attention seemed to be focused on him and him alone. The Gryffindor Seeker staggered in pain as his battered body refused to break into a run, and fell to the ground just as another Curse�one he didn�t recognize�whizzed overhead. He blinked, one hand securing his glasses to his face as the other clutched his wand, trying to clear the stars dancing in his line of vision. The Curse hit a tree directly in front of him and the boy stared a moment as the large oak�s bark seemed to melt off before the tree began to shrivel.

�Eptum!�

Harry rolled to the left as the grass where he�d been exploded upward and, using the momentum of the roll, pushed himself to his feet. His body ached in protest but the discomfort had become a distant thing. Panic was now beginning to kick in: Draco was down, Mary was useless, and he was alone against three pissed off Death Eaters.

�You know, I blame you for this, Potter.�

Though said in jest, the words were scathing now, and Harry tried to use them as a focus point to ward against the sense of panic he could feel trying to blossom within him. He dodged behind a tree and tried to even out his breathing. He had to get to Draco. He had to get to Mary. He had to get them all back to the other side of the Wards. He had to get them all out of this together. The brunet wiped sweaty palms against his robes and took his wand in a tighter grip.

He had promised Draco he�d look out for him and his family.

He had promised.

The teen risked sticking his head out to see where his dodges had driven him in relation to Hogwarts and the others and was horrified to realize that they had actually been driven further into the Forest. The female Death Eater seemed to have brought Draco round and, though the blond did not seem to be in any immediate danger, Harry wasn�t about to leave the other boy in the arms of a Death Easter. They were about ten yards to his left and he could barely see them for the trees. Mary had had the good sense to hide behind a tree within his line of sight and the girl looked like she was two second from a nervous breakdown. The Death Eater Harry had cast Jelly Legs on was nowhere to be seen, but the other Death Eater was standing between Harry and the Wards, and there was no way he could get to any of his goals without the bear-like man seeing him.

�Damnit!�

His hissed curse, unfortunately, caught the Death Eater�s attention and Harry was forced to duck behind his tree again tree as another unknown Curse stripped his shelter of most of its bark. His head rang from the sound of the impact and there was a flash of pain as a bit of bark flicked past him, slicing into his skin as it went. His hand flew involuntarily to his cheek and he felt blood.

Another Curse hit the tree and Harry could feel the abused wood literally bend over him with the force of the spell.

�Drop that damned boy and help me,� the Death Eater bellowed to his female cohort, �else the Dark Lord will have you both!�

Harry used the Death Eater�s moment of distraction to dive from behind the tree and dart to a different cover, this one a towering Elm. The change of position unfortunately made him lose sight of everyone else and he pressed his back tightly against his new, as yet un-Cursed tree.

�Damndamndamndamn. . .� The muttered chant broke free of his lips of its own accord and he clenched his fists to keep them from trembling. What the hell had he gotten himself into? What was he supposed to do now?

The boy hissed out a breath from between clenched teeth and pushed his back hard against the tree. Where was a centaur when you really needed one?

A full minute passed, and then another, and still no more curses flew into the trees. Harry opened his eyes slowly and unclenched his fists. The temptation to peer out from behind the tree was overwhelming, but he didn�t dare stick his head out. Not after the last time. He wished vaguely that Ron and Hermione were there with him. He wished Severus was there.

�Potter!�

The voice rolled through the trees, thick-sounding and deep, as though the was was congested, and Harry flinched at the sound.

�Potter, if you want this little girl to see the next day, you show yourself! Are you just going to hide behind a tree like a damned coward?! Are you going to let her die in your place, too? How many more?�

The boy grit his teeth. How had the blasted girl managed to get caught again? Didn�t he tell her to get to Dumbledore?

A wet warmth suddenly flooded his hand and Harry jerked out of his thoughts as though startled. He blinked his eyes against the darkness and stared down into the palm of his left hand. There was blood slowly pooling in his palm from three shallow, crescent shaped punctures. He pressed his palm against his dirty robes and set his mouth into a hard line. In the spotty moonlight filtering through the bare treetops he could see phantom streaks of red on the back of his hand.

�You know, I blame you for this, Potter.�

Then another memory�older, more painful, and infinitely more important: �This is not some game! This is my job! My life!! Are you trying to kill me as well?�

And he could remember them all�even the one he�d rather forget. So no. There would be no more.

Harry stood up, his back and ribs screaming in protest, and stepped away from his shelter.

�Leave her alone!� His voice remained raspy from his bruised throat, but it carried through the trees with surprising clarity. Hshedshed himself away from the tree and began to walk forward, hoping he appeared less damaged and worn than he felt. Brittle branches and long dead leaves crackled with painful loudness under his beaten trainers as he walked forward, eyes trained on the Death Eater in front of him.

Even through his cracked lens, gritty eyes, and the pervasive pounding in his temples, Harry could easily tell that the man was unusually tall�a hulking mass more than a man, really. Mary�still rendered mute by Harry�s spell�was clutched by the throat in one meaty hand, while the other kept a pale peach-colored wand trained on the boy as he came forward. A large purple welt ran across the girl�s face and she had a dazed appearance.

The Gryffindor stopped about a yard in front of the man and his hostage. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Draco, now on his feet and looking unaccountably cozy with the woman who had pulled him out of the fray. Harry bit his lips and tried to ignore the niggling little sense of betrayal that curdled in his stomach, despite his instincts to the contrary. The blond took a step towards him, but the woman extended a hand, holding him back, and pointed her wand at Harry. The Gryffindor swallowed hard.

Green eyes flickered back to the man. �Let her go.�

He got the distinct impression that the Death Eater was smirking at him from behind his mask. The hand around Mary�s throat tightened beyond the realm of safety.

�Drop your wand.�

The green-eyed Seeker�s hand clenched tightly around the hilt of his wand for an instant and he almost turned to look at Draco. Almost. Then, his hand opened and the magically enhanced wood fell to the ground with a barely audible clatter. He closed his eyes and waited.

Draco, please.

He didn�t have to wait long.

The Death Eater kept his wand trained on Harry who seethed silently. �Get up here, Draco!�

The man sounded almost . . . paternalistic. Which was beyond bizarre, since the only man Harry could ever imagine being paternalistic towards Draco was Lucius, and there was no way that that man was Malfoy Senior. Draco stepped into Harry�s line of sight, his blue eyes locked on the ground. He looked uncharacteristically . . . humbled.

The Death Eater�s body language looked profoundly unhappy. �You were told to stay inside, boy. You were told to stay out of this!� He shook Mary as though using her to emphasize his words. Tears slid down the girl�s cheeks as she was jerked back and forth. �Oh, our Lord will have you on a platter for this, mark me! The least you can do is dispose of Potter.�

Harry bit his lip. Draco looked over at the boy next to him and for just the briefest moment their eyes locked. Draco looked away first.

The Malfoy heir turned back to the Death Eater and took a step backwards. He raised his wand and his eyes flickered up. �I�m sorry, Uncle Richard. Aeternus dormito.�

The Death Eater�s eyes widened just a fraction in stupid shock before he dove out of the way, tossing Mary aside. Harry dropped to the ground, desperately groping for his wand in the darkness. It was instinct alone that made him raise his head just in time to see the Death Eater, mask lost somewhere in the grass, roll to his feet and point his wand at him. It was Goyle�s father.

Mary landed hard on the ground with a voiceless whimper and Harry waved her off frantically. �We�ll distract them. It�s us they want. Go!! Go now!�

Thankfully, the girl didn�t need to be told twice and immediately rolled to her feet and fled back towards the castle. Harry�s sigh of relief was cut short when he found himself looking up the length of the wand.

�Draco!� It was the female Death Eater. When had she gotten up?

Goyle�s wand trembled. �Ava��

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, pressed his palms on the ground, and screamed the first spell that sprung to mind. �Ignis in terram!�

Power roared through the boy like lightening crawling under his skin. It ripped out of his hands, and felt like acid against his flesh. Harry threw back his head and screamed in pain. Motes of light danced in front of his eyes.

A giant gout of red flame leapt up to the sky, engulfing the man and setting several trees alight. The man released a short-lived shriek of agony and flailed for a moment, and Harry had to avert his eyes from the brightness of the flames. The overpowering scent of scorched flesh and burnt hair permeated the air like overcooked, rancid meat and the Gryffindor felt his stomach heave. He forced himself to look up again when the brilliant flame faded. Where the Death Eater had been was now only a curled up, shrunken cinder. The shape of the charred mass was the only indicator that it had ever been human.

Harry blinked away the spots in front of his eyes and slowly forced himself to his feet. As he stood, his hand brushed against his wand and he picked it up. He looked around the clearing, stunned by the force of the magic he�d unleashed. It was an old spell�borderline Druid Magic�and called on the power of the Earth itself instead of a Wizard�s own magic, merely using the human body as a conduit. He�d stumbled across it during his study of archaic magic. Most wizards would have died even attempting to draw in Elemental Magic. The fact that he had succeeded was exhilarating. And terrifying. He had never used the Earth Fire spell�it was not supposed to be used on people, but for smelting weapons. The results were . . . horrifying.

The green-eyed boy looked away from the seared, smoking cinder, nearly overwhelmed by nausea. The flesh on his hands was red and raw. They hurt. He dropped his arms when they began to tremble violently and looked away, only to find himself staring up into a pair of piercing silver eyes.

Draco was looking at him with an expression akin to horror. The blond took an unsteady step away from him and slowly shook his head. His lower lip moved as though he was about to say something, but he never got the chance.

A shadow hurtled out of the darkness behind them and Harry took two great bounds forward and shoved Draco back into the woman just as a gutturally shrieked �Crucio! flew past them. The Gryffindor turned slightly, nearly sick with the motion, and released a little moan when he saw Avery, bruised, bloodied, and looking absolutely deranged, lurching towards them, standing between him and Draco. Harry raised his wand on instinct alone. He couldn�t have cast a spell if he tried.

Avery raised a wand, bluish in hue, and pointed at him. �Mudblood freak!�

Harry swayed on his feet and for a moment thought he saw something like black eyes set in a pale, stern face flash in front of him. He tried to summon a shield, but knew he couldn�t stop what was coming next. He could see it in the mad shine in Avery�s eyes�a strangely comforting green. He took a step towards his would-be executioner and there was a sudden, painful swell of magic in the air. He didn�t understand how he could possibly recognize it�how he could feel it crawling like fire out of Avery and up the tip of that bluish black wand pointed at him. He braced himself and forced his eyes open wide, even as he cringed. Green light blossomed at the end of the wand.

Severus. . .

�Avada Kedavra!�

Avery collapsed with the effort of casting.

Someone screamed.

The Curse hit Harry with the force of a freight train, physically pushing him backwards nearly a foot, and all he could see was green. Grass churned up beneath his trainers as he was pushed backwards and he sunk into the earth nearly up his ankles. It felt as though a giant hand were wrapping around him, squeezing and pulling him apart at he same time.

Draco gaped openly in astonishment as the green light of Avada Kedavra bent in an emerald bow around Potter, pushed him back a bit, and then bounced�snapping out like a rubber band . . . right towards his mother.

It wasn�t even a question to him, simply a matter of necessity. The Malfoy heir stepped in front of Narcissa and closed his eyes. And then he crumpled to the ground as the light washed quietly over him.

Everything was still.

For a moment the Gryffindor stared at the other Seeker, disbelieving, his face twisted in confusion. Even the woman seemed shocked, staring down at the boy laying at her feet as though she couldn�t really see him. Draco looked like he was asleep. The awful shock on Cedric�s face was absent here, as was the slack blunted look on Sirius�s face as he fell backwards into the Arc. There was no twist of pain. No anger or anguish or agony to mar the slender blond�s features. No blame. The look on Draco�s face was almost peaceful. Relaxed.

More human than Harry had ever known him to be.

How had he died like that? So simply . . .?

And then the female Death Eater let out a wounded shriek that made the boy�s blood run cold. �Draco!!�

The woman dropped to her knees and tore at the mask that hid her features. The porcelain came away in a flurry of motion and dropped to the grass silently. Long blond hair came free of its clasp and the woman looked up at the moon brightened sky, blue eyes wild with grief. She gathered her son to her haphazardly, unable to fully gather in the long sprawl of his limbs into her lap. His arms lolled out to the sidrionrionette-like and his legs bent and folded in a way that, though natural, seemed unreal.

�No . . . nonononononononono��

Strangely enough, all Harry could think of was that the air smelled like carbon and ozone.

Narcissa cradled her son in her arms and wept dry tears, brushing his hair out of his face and murmuring his name over and over as though it would wake him. �Draco . . . please . . .�

The sudden bright ball of white light of light that appeared in the sky blinded them both and seemed to shake Narcissa out of her stupor. The creeping things in the Forest, the only things that had not fled during the fight, immediately took cover as the Forest was magically illuminated. Someone was coming.

Harry lurched forward, leaving one of his trainers behind in the dirt, tripped over Avery�s prone form, and collapsed on the ground next to Narcissa and Draco. The Malfoy matriarch�s grip on her son�s corpse tightened and she stared at him with an almost mad look in her reddened eyes. She wasn�t crying. Barely contained screaming hysterical perhaps, but not crying.

Harry imagined that he could hear footsteps coming closer. He reached out and grabbed Narcissa�s alabaster hand in his filthy one, leaving streaks of bloodied mud on her pale skin. He had promised Draco he�d protect them.

The woman made no move to recoil, but she didn�t release Draco, either.

Harry gripped her hand tighter. Her skin was cold and clammy.

�You have to go.� The effort of speaking was painful and Harry�s sounded voice sounded like broken glass being drug over sandpaper. �You have to go,� he repeated in an urgent hiss when she didn�t move. �People are coming. No matter who they are, you have to go.�

True to Malfoy form, the blonde took a deep, shuddered breath and seemed to center herself. Her grip on Draco tightened and she nodded, somehow queenly, tragic, and mud streaked all at once.

Harry grabbed her hand again and shook his head. His vision swam and blackness seemed to pull at the corner of his mind, but he grit his teeth and hung on. �You can�t take him with you. Questions,� this last came out in a gasp as shooting fire laced through his right side. �Can�t.�

�I will not leave my son here!� she snarled suddenly, all the veneer of elegance gone. �I will not leave my son in the mud and the cold and�� A painful choking sob cut her off and she quickly averted her eyes, one hand fluttering to her face to conceal her sorrow.

Harry removed his hand, feeling utterly wasted, and nodded his consent. He rolled onto his back, pain stabbing at him with the motion. He would not take her child from her, not even if he had the strength left to do so. The stars were nearly invisible against the bright magical light that flooded the Forest.

�Go.� His voice was barely audible. �I�ll protect you.� The words tasted rancid in his mouth.

He could hear someone running now . . . far away.

A hand brushed against his cheek as though wiping something away, and it might very well have been his own except that it was so cold. He wasn�t sure anymore. Things seemed thick and fuzzy. Then the touch was gone. Narcissa Apted,ted, still cradling Draco, without another word. The crack of the magic echoed loudly in his ears like a handgun fired at close range.

He turned away from it a second too late and, when he opened his eyes, the brilliant illumination made it clear that the whole fight had really taken place only a thirty feet or so away from the Wards. The runner was close now, almost on top of him. Laughter, unfocused and hysterical, seemed to bubble up in him, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. Jasperstone Senior and Avery and the blackened remains of Goyle all lay still within his line of sight. Avery�s eyes were open and a branch was pressing into one of his eyeballs. Casting the Curse had killed him. Harry didn�t bother to wonder how or why. The fifth Death Eater and Japserstone the younger were nowhere to be seen, nor was whatever the Death Eaters had been cing.ing. All had probably vanished back to Voldemort where they had come from.

�Harry!� A man. Someone he knew.

No, no, no. You should see to Malfoy. But then he remembered that the Malfoys were gone. The words wouldn�t come out anyway.

A dark shadow fell over him then, blocking out the light and the invisible stars. A second one, slig sma smaller, followed.

A woman. �Mr. Potter!! What happened?! Where�s Mr. Malfoy?!�

The laughter came then�thick, hard, and frantic�an squ squeezed his eyes shut against the sound of his own voice. �Y�y�you�re late��

And then arms were around him and the smell of sweat, and old, dead things, and peaches, and roses, and blood, and something he knew�something safe�was there. Something that he couldn�t name, but was not pain, or fire, or charred Death Eater.

Something real�

� I�o deo desire to be the latest of your victims of time and circumstance, Potter.�

Harry buried his face in the soft black robes as something horribly similar to a sob worked its way up his throat and burned behind his eyes and he knew where he was.

Anhur. Severus. Home.

He pushed the soft robes away from his mouth and felt himself slide away��I�I�m sorry��and fell exhausted into the darkness.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

b>

Voices.

�Where were you?�

Women. A man.

�How is he?�

They faded in and out. And he felt both warm and cold�like he was floating.

�Resting. Broken ribs . . . curses . . . burns . . . own body as a conduit . . . physical damage . . . reaction . . . worried might not recover . . . Calming drafts . . .�

�. . . see . . . Healer . . .?�

�. . . be . . . idea . . .�

�Draco . . .�

�. . . nothing . . . do . . .�

�And Severus?�

Severus.

Something solid. Something real.

Severus.

But it slipped away too fast.

�Mr. Jasperstone . . . injured . . .�

�. . . won�t . . . talk . . .�

�. . . Veritaserum . . .�

�. . . All . . .?�

�. . . Cancel classes . . . three days . . . weekend . . .�

�. . . Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger . . . angry . . . office . . . talk . . .�

�. . . Fawkes . . .�

� . . . the body . . . ?�

�. . . funeral . . . with Madame Malfoy . . .�

�Crabbe and Goyle . . . badly . . .�

�. . . Father . . . killed . . .�

�Severus . . .�

Severus.

�. . . Unforgivable . . . frantic . . . worried . . . potions . . . tell him . . .�

� . . . Azkaban . . . Ministry Inquiry . . .�

�. . . Board of Directors . . .?�

�. . . temporary injunction . . . custody . . .�

�. . . Obliviate . . . Creevey . . . St. Mungo�s . . .�

�. . . Slytherin House . . .�

�. . . angry . . . drunk . . .?�

�. . . Dark Mark . . .�

�. . . know . . .�

�. . . tired . . . Give him . . .�

Severus.

�And Potter?�

�Let the child sleep.�

The next time Harry woke up, it was night and he knew he was in the Hospital Wing. He was laying on something strange, though; something warm and firm. Something that smelled like roses and tea and something sweet and sour. Something safe. When he tried to move, a hand ran itself through gently his hair and pulled him closer to that delicious warmth.

�Shhhhh, Harry.� A man�s rolling voice. Shakespearian, deep, and tinged with exhaustion. ged ged with something more. �. . . Rest now.�

And so he did.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ & ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

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Where the Heart Moves the Stone