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Darkness Within The Light	By : crimson96 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 8759 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 24
- 25
- 26
Arthur's Note: Hello once more to everyone. Sorry, that this chapter has taken so long to write and placed on here, but it was a major challenge for both Eris and I, and we did not want to rush anything unless we were absolutely sure about the whole chapter. It is a very important chapter and a complex one, but in the end we believe that it will be a great chapter to read. Hopefully, you all, will feel the same after reading it. Please, feel free to leave comments and feedback. It is all very much appreciated and helpful in going forward with the story. There shouldn't be so long of a gap with the next few chaps as we already have a good foundation for them. Thanks Again to all of the readers!

Chapter 25: Bittersweet

Ron watched as Harry, Hermione, and Draco exited Lucius Malfoy's study. He smiled faintly at Harry, hoping to see some kind of assurance that they would soon be leaving Malfoy Manor. Ron's smile was returned with a small shake of Harry's head as their eyes briefly met. Hermione was next, as she frowned at Ron's hopeful expression. The trio slowly crept down the corridor before disappearing through a door.

He deeply exhaled as he walked over to the large sofa and sat down, his hands trembling. "It's all too weird."

"What, Ron?" Ginny asked, as she walked over from across the living room.

"I said it's all too weird, Gin." He put his wand down on the cushion beside him and began to rub his hands together, feeling the beads of sweat that had formed on them. "I would never say this to Harry, but now that we're here, I'm not sure about this."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Really, Ron? You've just now come to that thought? You weren't worried when Malfoy decided to split us up."

"It's not just that, Gin I can't help feeling a bit spooked being back here in this place. I mean, just a few months ago I was trapped down there," Ron said as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, pointing toward the door Harry, Hermione, and Draco had gone through. "It's all one big weird feeling."

"Oh, come on, Ron. You've got to stop panicking yourself like this."

Ron stopped wringing his hands and stood up. His long frame towered over Ginny, as he felt the sensations of his past fears ignite the adrenaline in his body. "It's not just panic, Ginny. I could have died here. We all could have. You don't know what that was like being captured and brought here!"

Ginny shrugged. "And you don't know what it is like being possessed and controlled by Voldemort."

Ron brushed by her and walked to the fireplace.

The brightly burning embers cast long, jittery shadows across the room so that where ever he looked, dark shapes danced in the periphery of his vision. He tuned Ginny's words out as his mind drifted, recalling the feeling of being captured and placed down below in the pitch-black dungeon cell. It was a fear of never being able to see his parents again and the knowledge that he might die in that cellar at the murderous hands of Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, or even Voldemort that had filled his mind as he had listened to Hermione's blood-chilling screams from above.

It was this thought and that specific feeling that Ron would never forget, nor would he ever tell anyone. Slowly, his mind came back to its present location and situation. He could hear the crackle of the fire, and the sound of low laughter.

"You can stop laughing at me. Just because I may not be as brave or daring as Harry, doesn't give you the right to laugh at me. I mean, I am standing here, you know!" Ron said as he whirled around only to see Ginny standing in the same place as before.

Her eyes scanned the room. "It wasn't me laughing! I don't think we're alone-"

The low laughter echoed again through the room. Both Weasleys took a defensive stance, their backs pressed against one another, wands at the ready, as their eyes surveyed the room.

"I must say that I am enjoying this more than I ever thought I would," the voice came from the distant corridor, followed by another peal of laughter.

Ginny and Ron made their way down the corridor and came to a stop in front of Abraxas Malfoy's portrait. The dead Malfoy continued to giggle as he pressed his weight upon his silver staff to keep himself from falling over. "Who ever knew that being dead could have its moments?" Abraxas chuckled as he raised himself up to his full height, still snickering.

"You bloody old git!" Ron shouted. "How would you like for me to continue what Malfoy started? I should burn your portrait, and then see how you like that!"

Abraxas ceased laughing, and raised his cane, shaking it at Ron. "If I were you, young, wretched Weasley, I would be more concerned about leaving this manor alive. As you said earlier, you were fortunate once. Aren't you tempting fate yet again by being here?"

Ginny elbowed Ron out of the way, pointing her wand directly at Abraxas.

Abraxas sighed. "A man tires of being killed. Or rather in my case, threatened, since I cannot die a second time." Abraxas opened his mouth in a protracted, theatrical yawn while waving a hand dismissively in Ginny's direction.

"Gin, back off," Ron whispered as he placed his hand upon her shoulder. He took a step toward the painting and looked Abraxas in the eyes. "Enough of your fun and games. If you know where Draco's mum is then tell us, and we'll leave."

Abraxas smoothed his silver hair back and puffed his chest forward. "I will never help a blood traitor like you."

Ron scoffed and cursed as Ginny asked, "Well if you won't help us then what about helping your grandson find his mother?"

Abraxas tilted his head down, and paused before answering. His brow furrowed, and for a moment Ron thought Ginny's words might have moved him. That moment quickly passed, and when Abraxas answered, he did so with a snarl. "Young Draco has made poor choices, as is obvious from the vermin which stand before my portrait."

Ginny swore loudly.

Abraxas wagged a finger. "My, my, such language. It's not very becoming from a young witch like you."

Ron placed his hand around Ginny's elbow and tugged. "Come on Gin, he's nothing but a waste of time. We need to get back into the living room in case they need us."

"Quite right, Weasley," Abraxas agreed. "They will need your help. Not that it will matter."

A loud animal-like growl escaped Ron as he grabbed the portrait off the wall. He sprinted back into the living room and held it close to the flames. "One chance! Now talk or I'll toss you into the fire! Then we'll see if you can die a second time."

A high shrill escaped Abraxas as he watched the flames inch closer toward his gold-framed portrait. "Not very Malfoy-like is it?" Ginny grinned.

"Alright, you two ruffians, place my portrait back on the wall, and I will tell you what I know," Abraxas said as he dangled sideways in his picture.

Ron walked back with Ginny right behind him and hung the picture back on the wall, purposely letting it slant so that Abraxas had to tilt his head in order to look them in the eyes. "There now," Ron said as he crossed his arms and stepped back from the portrait. "I've upheld my end of the bargain, now you tell us where Narcissa."

Abraxas viewed the awkward angle of his picture as he paced from edge to edge. "Damned kids," he muttered under his breath. "Gryffindors, if I'm not mistaken. Your kind never could resist a chance to play the hero. Nevertheless, I ask you this-what has my grandson ever done to deserve such loyalty? What makes you so sure that even now he is not using your friends as bargaining chips to regain Lucius' good graces?" Abraxas arched his silver eyebrows and waited for a response.

Ron and Ginny exchanged looks with one another. Ginny's seemed to say, "I told you so."

"I believe in Harry," Ron replied. "If Harry trusts Draco, then that's good enough for me."

Abraxas leaned forward on his cane and stared at Ginny. "And you?"

Ginny reached up and twirled a lock of red hair between her index finger and thumb. "Me? I don't trust the little ferret as far as I could throw him."

"Don't you now?" Abraxas rubbed his chin with the serpent head of his cane. "There appears to be a bit of good judgment in your family after all."

"Hey!" Ron interjected as he raised he wand to the portrait.

Abraxas waved his cane at Ron's wand, but continued to study Ginny's face. "The little lady has good reason to be cautious. Remember, Draco Malfoy is my grandson, and son to Lucius Malfoy. He will use every means necessary to gain whatever he wants. The truth is never pure and rarely simple."

"You're bloody crazy!" Ron said while pushing his dazed sister out of the way. "You expect us to believe this nonsense?"

A sly smile spread across the old wizard's face. "I didn't say that you had to believe me. The difference between truth and trust is measured only by what you can see in a man's heart."

"Stop stalling," Ginny advised, tapping her wand against her left palm. "You can trust us to throw your portrait in the fire if you don't tell us where Narcissa is. Now!"

"Truthfully? I have no idea." Abraxas spun on the spot and walked out of the picture frame, leaving Ron to sputter and mumble at the empty portrait.

"Come on, Ron," Ginny sighed as she reached for her brother's arm to pull him away from the empty portrait. "We'd better get back in case Harry or Hermione needs us."

"Abraxas bloody Malfoy! He deserves to be dead!" Ron yelled, his face burning with anger.

Several feet away, a knock came from the front door of Malfoy Manor. Ron and Ginny simultaneously looked at the door. Ginny walked toward the door with Ron at her side. "What are you doing, Gin? Don't open it!"

She whirled around, strands of her hair swatting Ron's face. "And why not? Merlin's beard, Ron, quit acting like every sound you hear is a giant spider!"

"Yeah, but-"

"But what, Ron? It's probably someone from the Ministry, or possibly Dad. For all we know it may even be Narcissa Malfoy home from a bloody shopping trip."

"What if it's some twisted psycho like Phillipe Moreaux?" Ron whispered as Ginny's fingertips touched the doorknob.

"Stop panicking, Ron. Everything will be just fine," Ginny sassed as she opened the door.

Time seemed to stand still as Ron and Ginny gawked at the towering figure before them. Their gaze traveled from the man's feet all the way to his dark, greasy hair. His yellow stained teeth flashed in a predatory grin.

"Now can we panic?" Ron asked as he glanced at Ginny, who had gone white.

The tall man raised both hands, palms out. "There's no need to be alarmed, it's just your twisted psycho."

The black fog thickened, enveloping Harry and Draco and reaching tendrils through the bars of the gate. It swirled around Hermione's ankles, and the cold dampness of it sent chills through her body. Her skin tingled where the mist touched it, as if the black cloud was charged with electricity.

A red burst of light shot through the darkness, and Hermione threw herself against the wall in an instinctive attempt to dodge the spell. The bolt hit the rock mere inches from her face, sending shards of stone flying. A sharp chunk of rock grazed her ear, and she screamed.

"Harry, apparate out of there!" she called as she ran up the steps, taking them two at a time.

She didn't dare look back.

Draco soon felt Harry's hand fumbling on his arm before locking onto his wrist. Seconds passed in silence. Draco's eyes burned from the black mist; it blinded him, and when he inhaled, it slithered inside him and gnawed on his lungs.

"Get us out of here now, Potter!" Draco rasped.

"I'm trying! There's some sort of anti-disapparation jinx, and I can't—"

"There will be no leaving this cell," Lucius' voice crept through the black fog. "Accio wands." Draco's wand flew from his fingertips into the darkness, and Harry cursed. "Allow me to shed some illumination on this moment."

The black fog dissipated, leaving only a light mist in the dungeon room. A small flash of light appeared in the corner of the room and then traveled toward the low ceiling where it hovered, bathing the room with a shadowy glow.

"Much better," Lucius said as he unclasped the invisibility cloak and let it slide away from his body. "You see, Mr. Potter, you are not the only wizard who has the services of a proper invisibility cloak," Lucius flashed a small grin at Harry. "How does it feel to be on the other side?"

"I'll tell you how it feels, Lucius. Accio wand!" Harry called, reaching out with his right hand, his hand left still holding Draco's wrist in a vice-like grip.

Lucius slashed his wand through the air. "I think not, Mr. Potter." He shook his head and patted his breast pocket. "This stays with me."

"Where is Mother?" Draco shouted, breaking free of Harry's grip and stepping toward Lucius.

Lucius stepped into the center of the room. "You have inherited Narcissa's lack of patience, Draco. However, don't worry as you will join her shortly. She is…resting peacefully, at the moment."

"I'll kill you!" Draco screamed. His veins burned with rage, and he lunged toward Lucius on instinct, heedless of the wand that now pointed directly at his heart. When Harry yanked hard on his wrist, pulling him back, Draco nearly rounded on him.

"You would dare strike down the person that helped to bring you life? That would be a fatal mistake, Draco," Lucius hissed.

"Hermione will bring help," Harry said, looking from Draco to Lucius. "She will bring Mr. Weasley and he will bring the Aurors here. If they find either of us harmed, you'll have no chance of avoiding Azkaban."

Lucius allowed his eyes to slide over to the spot where Hermione had been when the spell had just missed her head. "I doubt that, Potter. My…man upstairs will handle any unwelcomed visitors. Listen."

With his index finger, Lucius pointed upwards toward the ceiling of the dungeon as the muffled sounds of footsteps and shouting, along with what sounded like the breaking of objects, reached their ears. "You see, I have thought of all contingencies, and I have a plan in place for each of them. Your strength in numbers will be no match for my cunning and experience."

"What do you want with us, Lucius?" Harry demanded as he moved forward, placing his body between Lucius and Draco.

"I have what I want- the two of you," Lucius taunted as he pointed his wand at both young wizards. "Now, I have the opportunity to finish what was started at our last meeting."

Harry choked out a forced, unconvincing laugh. "If you think that I am still going to join your stupid new world order, you have-"

A vicious blow struck the side of Harry's head, causing the Gryffindor to stumble back against the earthen wall, his hand falling limply from Draco's arm. Lucius smoothed his hair back over his shoulder and replanted his cane firmly on the surface of the floor in front of him. "Insolent boy!"

Draco let his arms fall to his sides and felt a wave of shame when he realized that instinct had driven him to cover his own head when he saw his father raise the silver cane. He took a step toward Harry before Lucius' voice stopped him.

"Draco! Leave him for now. You and I have unfinished business," Lucius said as Draco turned on the spot, anger once more coursing through his blood, only to come face to tip with the end of his father's wand.

Draco took a step back, moving away from the wand as Lucius stood his ground. "Where is Mother?" Draco growled as his fingertips touched the dirt wall behind him.

"Narcissa is of no use to me anymore. I caution you, do not make her same mistake, Draco."

"No," Draco whispered, as his brain wrestled with Lucius' words. "No, you're lying," Draco repeated aloud, his voice catching in his throat.

"You of all people should know me better than that. Your mother forced me to do what I did not want to do. She brought the end upon herself by failing to cooperate with my requests."

Hot, wet tears wanted to form in Draco's eyes, but he forced them back, continuing to focus on his anger instead of grief. "What do you want with me, then? You want me to be a part of your bloody plans, or do you want me here just to torture and 'punish' me every day for your sick satisfaction?"

Lucius remained still, though his right hand twitched as if in anticipation of a curse. "Do…not…test…me!" With each word, a small spark of magic exploded from the tip of his wand as he inched it closer to Draco's face. "You are here only because I have decided to offer you the opportunity to redeem yourself. Unlike Narcissa, you are too important to be cast off so easily."

"Important?" Draco asked. "How so?"

"You are heir to the Malfoy name, and all of the wealth and power that comes with it. It is imperative that you remember your name and who you are, Draco."

Draco looked down at his feet as Lucius continued. "Now having said that, there are certain…inadequacies that I will purge from your body, mind, and soul. To think that you can be associated with someone like Potter or any of his friends is absolutely reprehensible, and I forbid it!" Lucius banged his cane down upon the floor, causing part of the stone to chip. "Your sordid affairs with Potter will end here tonight!"

"I am my own man, Father! You cannot control me for my entire life. I've seen what kind of man you are, and what methods you use to have people bow to your every demand! You will not rule me!"

Lucius' face remained expressionless, and his voice went dangerously quiet. "Is that so, Draco? What do you gain by associating yourself with Potter? Have I not provided you with everything that you will need for your lifetime? Does Potter even know who you truly are?"

Draco's jaw muscles clenched as his brain provided the answer. He wanted to speak, needed to tell the truth, even knowing that his father would destroy him for it.

"Don't...don't answer that, Draco! It's not his business what you do with your life. All he cares about is what he can do for himself," Harry said as he staggered to his feet, blood oozing through the fingers of his left hand as he cradled the side of his head.

The lips on Lucius face curled into an evil sneer. "Awake at last, Potter? Enjoyed your little rest?"

"It will take more than a strike from your cane to keep me down, Lucius!" Harry said as he wiped the blood from his hand onto his shirt and robes.

"Quite so. Well then, let's just see what it will take. Incarcero!"

The ropes shot out from Lucius' wand and coiled around Harry's wrists and ankles. Harry fell to the ground as Draco instinctively stepped over to catch him.

A red stunning spell flashed beside Draco as Harry fell to the stone floor. A quick flick of Lucius' wand and Harry was hovering in mid-air.

"Let's see how depraved you truly are, Draco," Lucius said as he levitated Harry's bonds, causing them to slip snugly onto the hook that hung from the ceiling. "Now, we explore the depth of your corruption! Now, we find out if you have passed beyond the point of redemption."

Draco looked up as Harry hung helplessly above. He glanced back at Lucius, who pocketed his wand and stood with his arms folded.

"I ask you again, son, what do you gain by associating yourself with Harry Potter? What is the true reason behind it all?"

Without hesitation, Draco spoke. "I went to Potter in order to bring him to you, Father, just as you had asked me to do. You wanted me to get close to him, and that is what I did. You have no reason to harm him now!" Draco hated the high, whiny tone of his voice. He took a deep breath, and forced his next words to come out in an imitation of his Father's calm tone. "He is worth more to us alive and safe! His testimony will clear me at the trial and then-" Draco's mind raced for an additional incentive. "And then you can use him as a bargaining chip with the Ministry to negotiate for your own freedom. It's in our best interests-"

"Our best interests?" Lucius asked raising his eyebrow as he tapped his fingers on the wands inside his robe. "And 'our best interests' were your primary concern as you were indulging yourself at Grimmauld Place? How very efficient of you."

"I did it all to help bring Potter closer to you, Father," Draco said robotically.

"And yet when the time came to choose your loyalty, you betrayed me!" Lucius snarled. He withdrew Draco's wand from his robe, and he held it in his hand, admiring it. "You have always had such a beautiful wand. It would be a shame to let it go to waste." Lucius lightly stroked the wand, allowing the smooth wood to gently slide along his fingers. "Crucio!"

Ron began to reach for his wand, but received a large gloved fist across his mouth. The force propelled him backwards, causing his bottom lip to burst open and drip blood. Ginny managed to get a stunning spell off, but missed Phillipe as he deflected it with a swift flick of his wand, which he had pulled from his sleeve. Suddenly, as if a large hook were around her waist, Ginny was hurled through the air down the corridor. She crashed onto the floor as Phillipe walked through the doorway, magically sealing the door as it closed.

"A fresh, feisty red-head. Lucius knows my favorite type of women," Phillipe said as his tongue ran along his bottom lip. "A little fight in ya: I like that."

"Over my dead body!" Ron screamed as he scrambled toward Ginny, placing himself between his sister and the sinister wizard.

"Precisely the way it will be," Phillipe growled. "I will allow you to live just long enough so you can watch what I do to her."

Ron could feel Ginny moving behind him as she slowly got to her feet. "Gin, move back into the living room." Ginny pulled her own wand, and trained it on the face of the large man in front of them. Phillipe scoffed and grinned at the site of two wands pointing at him.

"Do you really think that you can survive a duel with me?"

"Yeah, I can!" Ron shouted, the pitch in his voice rising upward as fear gripped him.

"Foolish words," Phillipe whispered followed by a loud scream as a green jet of light shot from his wand, narrowly missing Ron as it destroyed a portrait on the wall. Ginny's screams mixed with those in the other portraits as they fled to pictures that occupied other walls in the manor.

"Consider yourself warned, boy. The next one will be more accurate," Phillipe snarled.

"Ron!" Ginny screamed from the living room. Waving her wand in different motions, she volleyed a number of hexes and curses toward Phillipe as Ron ducked and ran toward the living room. He glanced over his shoulder to see Phillipe deflect one of Ginny's attacks into a picture frame with a resounding crash.

Once at the top of the stairs that led to the dungeon, Hermione began calling for Ginny and Ron. She could hear noises from down the hall. Several voices were shouting, and a loud crash was followed by the tinkling of broken glass.

"Hermione, look out!" That was Ron, who came barreling into the living room, Ginny on his heels.

Both Weasleys threw themselves to the floor, and Hermione followed suit just in time to avoid a shimmering blast of energy. A vase that had stood directly behind her went sailing into the wall and shattered. She sprang to her feet, aimed her wand in the direction of the blast, and shouted, "Stupefy!"

The manor fell eerily silent. Ginny and Ron both stood up, and Ginny moved slowly toward the hallway.

"So you think she got him?" Ron asked.

"Don't know." Ginny flattened her back against the wall and peeked around the corner, steadying herself with a hand on the wall.

A bolt of green lightening sailed past Ginny's head, and a moment later, a man loomed over her. Tall and broad-shouldered, he might be an even physical match for the three of them. If, as Hermione suspected, he was Phillipe Moreaux, he might be a magical match as well. Both Ron and Hermione fired off attack spells and then ducked as the man deflected their magic with a flick of his wand. Ginny darted around her attacker and disappeared down the hallway.

Cursing, the man moved into the living room, keeping his back to the wall and his head turned so that he could monitor the hallway while watching both Ron and Hermione.

"We have you surrounded now," Hermione said. "There are three of us and one of you. You might as well-"

"Confrigo!" Phillipe aimed the curse at Ron, who howled as the sleeve of his robe and the wall behind him burst into flames.

Hermione cast Aguamenti while running for the spiral staircase, weaving from side to side in order to avoid Phillipe's next attack. The jet of water from her wand was able to douse the flames, and soon Ron was behind her. She spun to face Phillipe and continued to ascend the stairs, walking backwards. Ron turned as well, but stopped halfway up the staircase.

"Just go!" He glanced briefly over his shoulder. "Gin and I will take care of him. Go get help!"

Sparks flew as one of Phillipe's spells missed, hitting one of the wrought iron posts of the bannister and making the metal glow white before fading to red. Cursing again, Phillipe moved toward the staircase, trading another series of spells with Ron and Hermione. As Phillipe's focus narrowed, Ginny crept out of the hallway, staying behind Phillipe and out of his line of sight.

Hermione balanced on one foot, torn between staying to help subdue Phillipe and apparating back to the Burrow. As she deliberated, a sound caught her attention. A woman's voice was calling from somewhere upstairs. Trusting Ron to cover her, she turned and ran.

Harry's screams echoed in the small chamber. His back arched, and his face contorted into an agonized grimace. Lucius quickly pointed the wand at Draco. "Do not think of imitating your Gryffindor friends with their misguided bravado. If you interfere, I will turn your own wand against you. Every time that you lie to me, Potter will get a dose of your punishment. I need not use Legilimency to know when you are lying to me. Your eyes will tell me everything that I need to know."

Draco swallowed hard, trying not to show fear in front of Lucius.

"Now we begin again. What does Potter mean to you?"

"He means nothing to me; he is a tool to be used," Draco said, hoping to appeal to Lucius' sense of reason, if he had any left.

"Very well. Crucio!" Harry screamed as the curse ravaged his weakened body.

"I'm sorry, Potter," Draco whispered to himself as he helplessly watched the carnage, remembering exactly how painful his father's "punishment" was.

The screams subsided as Lucius stopped the torture. He began to pant, his breaths coming in short bursts. "You are the only one that can save Potter. Will you watch him die just to keep your silence? Help to ease Potter's suffering. Answer me!"

Draco did not answer. He merely stood still, his mind racing as he watched Harry lightly sway on the hook. The room again sizzled with magical energy as the curse penetrated Harry's body for a third time.

After what seemed like a small eternity, Lucius released the curse, panting harder now as his frustration began to swell. "Answer me, damn it!"

"He…he won't answer you," Harry groaned. His body looked as if it had been hit by a group of rogue bludgers, but he slowly twisted his neck to be able to see Lucius and Draco. "He won't answer you." Harry winced as his shoulder and wrist popped loudly. "But I can tell you."

"Potter, no!" Draco said as his mind sprang back into overdrive.

"It's too late, Draco. He already knows that you have betrayed him," Harry strained as another jolt of pain battered his limp body. "Lucius…Draco," Harry groaned, his body shuddering as his tortured muscles spasmed. "Draco is your greatest failure. You…you tried to make him like you, but…he isn't. Even with everything you did, you could never put out the light inside of him. He's not…like you at all. He has feelings you could never understand! I…I even think that he has feelings for…for me."

Lucius' eyes burned with quiet anger as he stared at Draco. "At least he-" Lucius pointed to Harry with his wand "-has the courage to tell the truth! I have been in this room since before you entered. I saw the two of you with your disgusting display. My only question is the extent of your depravity. How much iniquity must I purge from you? How far has this gone, Draco?"

Draco smiled, a small part of him enjoying the fact that he had a way to strike Lucius with a pain that cut deeper than the Cruciatus curse. He also had no reason to hold back.

"What are you going to do now that your help has left you?" Phillipe savagely smiled at Ron.

"She's gone for more help!" Ron answered before he caught a glimpse of Ginny sneaking behind Phillipe to line up her next curse.

"She will only find more trouble upstairs. I have a surprise waiting for anyone nosing about up there."

"Everte Statum!" Ginny yelled as Ron leapt from the staircase and landed safely on the floor. The spell was on target with the middle of Phillipe's back. It pounded him into the stairwell, causing the staircase to shimmer.

"Stupify!" Ron cast the spell hoping to add more injury to the dangerous wizard. Phillipe deflected the spell, and it ricocheted down the hallway destroying more Malfoy family portraits.

Ginny and Ron retreated back into the parlor area as Phillipe advanced, hurling more hexes and curses at them. Ginny and Ron managed to counter most of them, but a few found their marks, and blood began to drip from wounds on Ron's legs and arms.

Alternating turns, Ginny and Ron released a plethora of spells as fast as they could. Many of the spells were deflected, and the manor itself took more damage than any of the three combatants. One stray curse ripped apart the curtains, while another blasted through one of the windows in the parlor, allowing cooler air to blow in and the hot, steamy air to exit the room.

"Bombarda!" Phillipe yelled.

At the top of the spiral staircase Hermione found a hallway that ran in both directions. The voice seemed to come from a higher floor, but the faint cries gave her no help in choosing left or right. She remembered Orion pulling on Draco's sleeve and pointing with his beak, almost as if the bird were trying to tell them something. Orion had flown into a west-facing window, which meant that turning left would take her closer to whatever it was he had wanted to show them.

"Narcissa!" she screamed. "Mrs. Malfoy? I can hear you! Tell me where you are!"

The reply was too faint to understand, but at least the voice was louder than before. The hallway ended in a door that opened on a staircase. She threw a locking spell at the door before running up the steps; it might not delay Phillipe for long, but she would take any advantage she could get. As she ascended the stairs, Narcissa's cries grew louder, and when she reached the final landing, she could make out actual words.

"Arthur? Is that you? Help me! Oh, Merlin, help me!"

Hermione tried the final door, found it locked, and attempted to cast Alohomora. When that spell failed, she called, "Stand back!" and then "Bombarda!" The heavy wooden door shattered with a blast that rattled the floors. Behind the door was a dark, narrow hallway. After lighting the tip of her wand, she noted rough boards below her feet and bare rafters over her head. A heavy blanket of dust coated the unvarnished floor, though someone had tracked through it recently.

The hallway opened into a storage room filled with a surprisingly mundane collection of old decorations, stacked boxes, and moth-eaten furniture. In the center of the room, Narcissa Malfoy sat in a high-backed wooden chair, an old suit of armor looming over her. Unlike the rest of the objects in the attic, the suit looked freshly polished, and its shield gleamed with inlaid gems and embossed runes.

"Quickly!" Narcissa cried. A piece of duct tape flapped from her chin, and more of the silver substance was wrapped around her wrists, ankles and torso, binding her to the chair. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and blood trickled from her split lips.

Hermione moved as quickly as she could, picking her way over old broomsticks, an empty picture frame, and what might have been a laundry mangle. When she came close enough to put a hand on Narcissa's shoulder, an ear-splitting howl began, seeming to come from all directions at once. Narcissa continued to speak, but her words were drowned out by the noise of the Caterwauling Charm.

"Diffindo!" Hermione used the spell to tear at the tape and then began peeling it off. By the time she had finished freeing Narcissa's hands, the caterwauling had stopped.

"Is Draco here?" Narcissa demanded, twisting in the chair and peering down the hallway while she helped Hermione to pull at the tape.

"No. He and Harry should be back at the Burrow." Hermione pulled the last strand of tape from Narcissa's ankles and helped her to her feet. "That's where I'm taking you now. Hold on."

She focused her mind on the Burrow and made the necessary effort of will, expecting to feel the familiar wrenching sensation. Instead, she stumbled in place as if a strong gust of wind had knocked her down. She tried again with the same effect, sighed, and shook her head. "Someone put an anti-disapparition spell on the Manor. We'll have to leave through a door or window, and then-" Her stomach knotted as she realized the implications of the spell.

"-and then what?" Narcissa prompted.

"Never mind that! I just realized that Harry and Draco are probably still trapped here, too. I told Harry to apparate out, but I doubt his apparition worked either. Mrs. Malfoy, do you how to get past the dungeon gate?"

"I know how to get in from the outside, unless Lucius has changed the spells or the password. Getting out from the inside is another matter," Narcissa grimaced. "Is that where my son is, in the dungeon?"

"I don't know!" Hermione regretted her answer immediately and hastily added, "That's where I last saw them. I couldn't get through the gate with magic. You'll have to give me the password or come with me. Can you walk?"

Narcissa nodded. "I can manage." She rose to her feet and stumbled toward the hallway, tripping and catching herself several times.

"Hold still a moment." Hermione pointed her wand at Narcissa and used a healing incantation. The next steps the woman took were sure and steady, and when she looked over her shoulder to nod her thanks, her face had regained its normal appearance.

Hermione followed Narcissa out of the attic and into the hallway. Halfway to the shattered door, thumping and crashing sounds came from behind them, followed by metallic, clanking footsteps. Hermione turned to see the suit of armor jogging toward them, its short sword extended and its shield held out in front.

"Petrificus totalus!" Hermione called, pointing her wand at the suit.

The shield swung like a tennis racket, deflecting the spell and forcing Hermione and Narcissa to duck.

"Duro! Stupefy!" Hermione aimed these curses at the suit's legs and head, respectively, but the shield responded with preternatural speed, and once again her magic was harmlessly deflected. Running backwards, she cried, "Finite Incantatem!" in an attempt to quench the spell that must be animating the armor. When that spell bounced off the shield like the others, she turned and ran after Narcissa, catching up to her as they reached the shattered door.

The armor sprinted toward them, and Narcissa started down the hallway that would lead deeper into the Manor.

"Wait!" Hermione called, panting. "Take this." She forced her wand into Narcissa's hand. "Keep the suit distracted. I'm going to get behind it." With no time for further explanation, she ran in the opposite direction. A smile crept across her face when she heard Narcissa call, "Incarcerous!" Hermione's grin broadened when she turned to see the suit following Narcissa, who bombarded it with a series of ineffective spells.

Once she was relatively sure that the armor had forgotten her, Hermione whispered, "Accio, wand!" Instantly, the wand appeared in the palm of her hand. The suit continued to advance on Narcissa while offering Hermione a clear shot at its unprotected back. "Finite!" she shouted, expecting the suit to fall apart into a pile of metal plates, or at least return to its status as an inanimate object.

Instead, it whirled to catch her spell with the edge of the shield and began bounding toward her. Running would be hopeless, as the magically animated armor could continue indefinitely, while her legs were already burning from exertion. The best she could hope for was a lucky shot, and so she held her ground and continued to hurl curses, some of them coming maddeningly close to connecting.

Hermione would have expected Narcissa to make a run for the dungeon, but instead she threw herself at the metal boots. The suit lost its balance, and Narcissa clambered over it. Taking Hermione by the arm, she said, "Run. Just run!"

"We're lovers," Draco lied, meeting his Father's eyes and finding all of the hate he expected there. Fueled by the fire in Lucius' eyes, Draco's imagination ran wild. "The first time was in a store washroom. Potter was helping me put on a pair of Muggle pants so we could hide from you. He had his hands in my pants, and I couldn't keep my hands off him."

"Draco, don't-" Harry began.

"Shut it!" Draco waved a hand to silence Harry, not wanting the moment to end. He could see the pain on Lucius' face. His father was wilting before him. "We stayed in a Muggle hotel that night; together, and in the same bed. I let Potter show me his feelings. He's willing to do anything for me, do you know that? Tell me, Father, how does it feel to imagine it?" Draco savored the slump of Lucius' shoulders, the way his eyes tightened, and the defeated sag of his mouth. Hoping to buy more time for the Aurors, he asked. "Do you want to know more?"

"No! It is as I had feared. You are beyond redemption." Lucius dropped the cane, and with a mighty swing, the back of his hand and ring hammered the right side of Draco's face, dazzling him with pain and bringing forth a hot wave of blood. Draco stumbled, falling down on one knee. "You…" Lucius spat with vengeful fury. "You…are no son of mine!"

Draco cradled his injury and looked up at Lucius, his eyes blazing with bitter hate. "And you..." Draco spoke as he raised himself back up to his full height. "You…are no father of mine!"

"So be it!" Lucius said through gritted teeth. "Then watch as Potter dies by your wand." Lucius stepped back, drawing his own wand on Draco. Another swift flick of Draco's wand and Harry was thrown against the wall of the dungeon with a sickening crack. "His death is on your hands," Lucius smirked as he stepped toward them.

Lucius raised his arm with Draco's wand straight into the air. "Avada-"

A loud, earsplitting sound came from the room above, and Draco covered his ears from the deafening noise.

The Caterwauling Charm echoed throughout Malfoy Manor as Lucius stopped the incantation and looked upward. "Impossible" he muttered as the shrieking alarm continued.

Draco seized his only opportunity and attacking like a wild animal, he lunged forward with all of his strength. His right hand hammered the left side of Lucius' face, causing him to flail backwards.

"Accio, wands!" Draco called, and his wand flew from Lucius' hand and into Draco's waiting fingers. Lucius reached for Harry's wand, but was too late in keeping it from leaving his pocket. His left hand securely held its grip on his own wand as he got back to his feet.

So, you've learned to fight like a Muggle? How degrading." Lucius rubbed the back of his hand against the left side of his face.

"I learned all about beating people from you, Father. I learned how satisfying it can be," Draco said as he stepped over in front of Harry's motionless form.

"You dare to oppose me, boy?" Lucius angrily queried. "You will regret your choice, Draco. It will be your last mistake!"

Ropes shot out from Lucius' wand, but Draco sent a counter-curse that dissolved the ropes. "Impressive!" Lucius said as he sidestepped around the room while Draco stood in front of Harry, shielding the Gryffindor.

"Everte Statum," Draco shouted, and a blue swirl erupted from his wand and flew toward Lucius. The elder Malfoy dodged out of the firing path, flicking his wand, and causing the curse to flicker and disappear.

"Lacarnum Inflamarae," Lucius hissed. A ball of fire erupted out of his wand and zoomed toward Draco. He dove as the fireball crashed into the dirt wall and splintered into tiny sparks.

Draco quickly glanced at Harry to make sure that he was not on fire. His decision to dive had created a perfect open target for Lucius to curse Harry. Seeing this, Lucius wasted no time with his next deadly curse.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lucius completed the incantation just as binding ropes tightened around his ankles, causing him to fall over. The killing curse struck the wall over Harry's head. Lucius quickly severed the ropes with a burning charm, and got back to his feet. "Enough of this," he growled. "Crucio!"

The blast destroyed the couch and most of the parlor room furniture, scattering it in fragments across the room. Bits of stuffing fluttered through the air like snow. Ron stumbled and fell face-down on the floor. When he raised his head, he saw that Ginny had been thrown across the room, where Phillipe now loomed over her.

"Weren't expecting that, were you?" Phillipe mocked as he stepped closer to Ginny. "Surprised ya, didn't it?" He placed his boot against Ginny's midsection and pushed her over.

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises, too" she quipped. A look of shock spread onto Phillipe's face as a curse hit him from point blank range and sent him across the room, smashing into the large glass mirror that hung against the wall.

"Ron!" Ginny screamed as she ran over to him.

"I'm alright, Gin, just had the breath knocked out of me," Ron said as he staggered to his feet.

"Come on, if we can just neutralize him somehow…" Ginny began but stopped when she did not see Phillipe slumped in the broken glass.

"Damn! He's disappeared," Ginny said, her eyes scanning every inch of the room while her ears listened for the faintest sound. They heard a loud, muffled scream come from below them.

"Harry!" Ron yelled, but not before a red ball of energy hit him in his chest. He screamed as his shirt briefly caught fire before being extinguished. Another flash of red light missed Ginny by inches as she dove to the floor behind the couch. Ron took cover behind a chair that sat overturned.

"Only a coward would fight by hiding under a cloak or a charm," Ginny said into the silent room. "Show yourself and fight me. If you want me, then you will have to beat me!"

Phillipe's frame appeared in front of the fireplace, his wand pointing directly at Ginny. "A tempting offer, red. What do I get if I win?"

"Bragging rights. Who wouldn't be impressed that you beat a seventeen year old girl?"

"And if you win?"

Ginny swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice calm. "If I win, then you'll be dead. That's all the prize I need."

"A challenge?" Phillipe grinned. "I accept, but first let's make it fair."

He waved his wand at the sofa, bringing it to hover in midair. Ron began to stand up from behind the chair when the sofa was hurled toward him. It connected with his leg, breaking Ron's ankle and pinning him beneath the weight of the furniture. He howled, and for a moment the room spun as lights seemed to explode behind his eyes. When he recovered his senses enough to reach for his wand, he found it had fallen out of reach.

"Bastard!" Ginny shouted as she sent a volley of curses at Phillipe. He countered with defenses and non-verbal spells that created a battlefield inside the parlor room. The sizzle and constant colorful glow of each spell and curse reflected across the room as the magic began to destroy what was left of the once majestic room.

The wail of a Caterwauling Charm mingled with the barrage of bangs and crashes, and Ron clamped his hands over his ears to mute the cacophony. Neither Ginny nor Phillipe missed a beat; the duel continued to rage through the noise.

"Is there a way out? A door? A window?" Hermione panted. She could hear the rattle of metallic plates and the shriek of hinges.

"This way!" Narcissa steered her down another hallway and then another.

The metallic sounds grew louder behind them, and Hermione fought the urge to look over her shoulder. They reached a set of double doors, which Narcissa threw open and Hermione locked behind them once they had passed through. When Hermione heard shrieks all around her, she first thought that they had triggered yet another Caterwauling Charm. Glancing around the room, she realized that this was the owlry. At least a dozen birds cried and rattled their cages, clamoring for food or freedom.

Narcissa was halfway to the leaded glass window on the far side of the room. Hermione ran after her, pointing at cages and repeating, "Carcero Aperio!" As the cage doors swung open, the birds escaped and darted around the room, stirring up a cloud of dust with their wings and raining shed feathers. By the time they reached the window, the tip of the sword was protruding from between the double doors, and they could hear the suit pounding on the wood.

A simple blasting charm shattered the window outwards, spraying shards of glass into the garden below. Hermione grabbed Narcissa's arm and climbed onto the sill.

"Are you mad?" Narcissa hissed. "The fall will kill us!"

"Not if I time it right. And I think that-" she pointed to the metal gauntlet that had just punched its way through the door "- is going to kill us anyway."

The door gave way, sending the birds into a fearful frenzy as the suit stormed through the ruins of the wood. Pointing at the rafters, where the majority of the birds had fled, Hermione said, "Oppungo," and watched as the owls descended upon the suit, which flailed its arms and continued its advance.

Narcissa gripped Hermione's free hand and nodded. "I will trust you." She climbed onto the sill.

Hermione swallowed, trying not to think about the cobblestone walkway below or the rose bushes or the broken glass. From this height, it wouldn't matter what they fell onto anyway. "Now," she whispered. As they jumped, she called, "Arresto Momentum!" praying that the spell could take effect before they reached the ground.

The thrill of falling came as a dizzying rush, and when Hermione landed safely with only the quiet crunch of broken glass beneath her feet, she nearly laughed with relief. Narcissa tugged on her arm and the two began jogging along the wall of the manor, moving toward the front door.

A moment later, Hermione whirled at the sound of a metallic crash. Under the broken window of the owlery, the animated armor wobbled to its feet and then resumed its single-minded pursuit.

"Run for the door," Narcissa urged. "Don't look back!"

"No." Hermione shook her head. "We'll just be leading it back to the others. We have to find a way to stop it." She darted onto one of the garden paths, hoping that the suit would have trouble navigating the maze of hedges and flowers.

Her sides ached, and her legs had begun to cramp. She could hear Narcissa gasping beside her, and the woman's steps were becoming more uneven. The suit clanked and clattered behind them, its hinges screaming in protest. Perhaps it would fall apart from metal fatigue, although Hermione doubted that physical laws applied to magical systems. She looked back over her shoulder and watched in sick fascination as the automaton closed the distance between them.

A blaze of pain shot up from her shin, and Hermione screamed as she fell forward, tripping over what turned out to be the low wall surrounding a giant stone fountain. She plunged forward into the water and might have hit her head on the bottom if not for Narcissa grabbing the back of her robe. A wall of water cascaded over her, poured from a stone urn in the hands of a marble mermaid. Narcissa continued to tug at Hermioe's robe, pulling her out of the fountain, but it was too late. Her fall had cost them precious seconds, and the armor was nearly upon them.

Hermione crouched on the far edge of the fountain, holding her breath in anticipation.

"Go!" Narcissa shouted, jerking hard on Hermione's arm.

The suit continued inexorably, stepping into the fountain as it made a direct line for Hermione and Narcissa. The water hardly slowed it, and it ignored the torrent pouring from above.

"Glacius," Hermione murmured, just as the suit was directly below the mermaid's urn.

The water froze instantly, encasing the armor in a wall of ice. Hermione ran behind it, pointed her wand, and shouted, "Reducto!"

Unable to move to deflect her spell, the armor exploded, sending bits of glass and metal flying. To be on the safe side, she cast a disenchantment spell on a few of the larger pieces before allowing herself to breath a sigh of relief and share a smile with Narcissa.

"Stay behind me," Hermione said as they approached the front door to the Manor. "Ron and Ginny may still be fighting with Phillipe." Or he may have captured or killed them both by now. She buried that thought, feeling disloyal for having let it enter her mind.

"No." Narcissa shook her head and put a hand on Hermione's arm, stopping her from opening the door. "Give me your wand and stay behind me."

"Mrs. Malfoy!" Hermione groaned. She could feel Narcissa's hand trembling. "I appreciate that you want to protect me, but you're-"

"Old? Weak? Foolish?" Her grip tightened painfully. "I am all of those, yes, but I am the one who has unfinished business with Lucius, and with Phillipe."

Remembering the black fog enveloping Harry and the flames catching Ron's robe, Hermione decided that now was not the time to argue. She handed Narcissa the wand, planning to call it back at the first sign of danger, and they entered the Manor.

This time Draco was prepared for the unforgivable, and his shield charm prevented the curse from impacting Harry or himself. The curse rebounded back toward Lucius, and the older Malfoy narrowly evaded it.

The results gave Draco the one opportunity that he needed. With all of the anger from years of pain at the hands of his father, Draco strode to the middle of the small room, his heart beating rapidly, while fire burned in his eyes. "Crucio!" The voice was not his, but another voice that hissed the word like a snake.

The curse caught Lucius completely by surprise as the effects ravaged him. He thrashed and convulsed as his body feebly tried to curl itself into a fetal position. Draco hovered above him, relentless in letting go of the Unforgivable.

"For my Mother!" Draco screamed as the curse intensified. "For me!" He shouted as his legs began to shake from the effects of using such powerful and dark magic for a protracted period of time. "Die, you bastard, die!"

Moments later, Draco could not hold the dark magic any longer. His arms fell loosely to his sides, as he stood above Lucius, panting heavily. Sweat poured down his face, biting at the nasty gash on his cheek and matting his hair to his scalp and forehead. Lucius lay on the ground twitching helplessly, but still alive.

"Killing you with magic," Draco panted, "would be too good for you." He reached down and unbuckled the dagger that Lucius kept on his belt. "Potter lied about me, Father." Draco grinned as he dragged the tip of the dagger across Lucius' cheek, making a gash that mirrored his own. "In every way that counts, I'm exactly like you. I'm going to enjoy this more than you ever enjoyed hurting me or Mother. Azkaban would not be a fitting end for you." He raised the dagger to his shoulder and momentarily looked at his reflection in the shining metal blade. "You deserve to die a very slow and painful death."

Lucius rolled over, his wand bursting forth a red blast that sent Draco across the room. He landed hard, his momentum sending him barreling across the floor until he hit the wall near Harry's still body. Before he could recover, Draco felt himself lifted into the air and propped against the wall. His body was immobile, except for his head. Lucius stood and walking forward, swaying as he tried to recuperate from Draco's Unforgivable curse.

"It's no use fighting against it," Lucius hissed as Draco tried to free himself from the invisible bonds that held his body against the dirt wall. A loud crash overhead caused Lucius to pause as he looked up once more at the ceiling. "No matter."

He wrapped his hand around Draco's throat, slowly squeezing the air from his lungs. "Now, you will be the one to die. I tire of your meddling existence!" Lucius shouted, his voice ringing through the narrow stone passage.

"Then end it!" Draco snarled back, his voice choking with emotion and lack of air.

Lit candles still hung in the air, but now their glow illuminated a grim battle zone. The air smelled of smoke and ozone, making Hermione's eyes water as she took in the sight of burned walls and demolished furniture. A chorus of screams and sobs came from the hallway, where several of the Malfoy family portraits had been mutilated.

"Narcissa!" A strong male voice called from the floor, and Hermione looked down to see Abraxas pacing the canvas of his painting, which hung loosely from its mangled frame. "Narcissa, you must help my son see the error of his ways! His servant is but a feral beast. He will destroy this house and bring ruin to the family!"

"I think he already has," Hermione muttered.

Holding the wand in front of her in both hands, Narcissa entered the parlor, Hermione only a step behind. The room was destroyed beyond recognition. The curtains hung in shreds, cool night air blasted through the broken window, and all of the furniture had been flung around the room. Only the grandiose crystal chandelier remained intact, scintillating with its many magically lit candles. In the center of the room, Phillipe stood atop an overturned upholstered chair, waving his wand to deflect a barrage of spells from Ginny, who stood in front of the fireplace. In between them, Ron lay on the floor, one ankle pinned beneath the sofa, his hand reaching desperately for his wand.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped.

Narcissa pointed Hermione's wand at Phillipe, but before she could speak, Ginny raised her own wand above her head and called, "Descendo!"

Phillipe made a flicking motion with his wand, but he was not the target of the spell. He looked upward just in time to watch the crystal chandelier come crashing down on top of him. The large wizard crumpled under the weight of hundreds of faceted baubles, and the floor reverberated from the impact. While Hermione ran to help Ron, Ginny used a spell to smother the fallen candles, plunging the room into near-darkness.

Narcissa lit the tip of Hermione's wand and picked her way through the shards of crystal. When she saw Phillipe's face protruding from under the ruined fixture, she kicked it, smiling when she got no response. Her smile faded as she turned in a circle, taking in the extent of the damage. Nudging Phillipe once more with the toe of her shoe, she said, "It's a terrible shame about the chandelier."

Ginny laughed. "Sorry about that."

Having lifted the sofa with a spell, Hermione pulled Ron to his feet and handed his wand to him.

"You're brilliant, Gin!" Ron grinned enthusiastically, elbowing Hermione. "Did you see the look on his face before that thing fell on him?"

"Yes, but we don't have time for a victory celebration. Harry and Draco are still down there." Hermione pointed to the door leading down to the dungeon.

"With Lucius," Narcissa added. "If he has done anything to harm my son..." The light wobbled as her hand trembled with rage.

"There's some sort of black fog," Hermione warned, but Narcissa had already opened the doors and started down the stairs.

Hermione followed her, supporting Ron as he hobbled on his injured ankle. Ginny trailed behind them, holding her lit wand above their heads.

Narcissa and the others had reached the bottom gate now. The fog had dissipated, and Hermione could clearly make out Draco pressed against the wall of the dungeon, Lucius standing before him, wand drawn. A dark, crumpled heap in the corner could only be Harry, and Hermione put her hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. Narcissa murmured softly, her lips close to the lock, as she waved Hermione's wand in an intricate pattern.

"You've ruined everything for me!" Draco continued. "Go ahead! I don't care anymore!" He dropped his wand to his side and thrust out his chin, squeezing his eyes shut.

Lucius shrugged. "Very well, then. You will die not only a sinner and a blood traitor but a coward, too. Avada-"

The gate flew open and banged against the wall. Before Lucius could continue the incantation, Narcissa screamed, "Crucio!" and a stream of red sparks spewed from Hermione's wand. Lucius fell, writhing, to the floor, his hands and feet drumming against the ground as if he were a toddler in the midst of a temper tantrum.

Leaving Ron with Ginny, Hermione dashed across the room to check on Harry. Draco had beaten her there and had one arm under Harry's knees and the other behind his neck. He rose to his feet with Harry balanced in his arms, oblivious to the blood seeping from the back of Harry's head and onto Draco's robes.

"Is he-" Hermione didn't dare finish the question.

"He's breathing. We have to get him out of here. Can you lift the anti-disapparation spell?"

"Not easily. It'll be faster to take him off the Manor grounds and disapparate from there." Seeing Harry's wand protruding from Draco's pocket, she took it and used it to cast a Featherweight spell. "You should be able to carry him now."

Draco nodded and darted for the stairs. Hermione followed but paused when she reached Narcissa, who stood over her husband with a strangely blank expression as the red sparks continued to pour from Hermione's wand like water from the marble mermaid's ewer. Lucius' screams had faded into soft whimpers and gasps.

"Enough!" Hermione barked. "Your son needs you."

"As does my husband." Narcissa's mouth curled into a sneer vicious enough to make Draco's look like a friendly smile. "You have no idea what I have endured, how long I have waited for this day."

"Go help Harry," Ginny said, gesturing to the stairs. "Ron and I will make sure she gets back alive."

"Don't do this, Narcissa!" Hermione pleaded. "You're not like him! This isn't-"

"Granger!" Draco screamed her name from the floor above.

After one glance back at Lucius' rictus of agony, Hermione ran to catch Draco up. Moments later, they were shambling side-by-side down the cobblestone drive. Her feet felt like bricks, and her lower left leg throbbed where she had bruised it on the fountain. Beside her, Draco panted and shifted Harry's limp body in his arms, struggling in spite of the Featherweight spell. By the time they had reached the gate, Hermione heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Ron limping toward her, supported by Ginny on his right and Narcissa on his left. They all passed through the open gate together, and Hermione allowed herself to rest, leaning forward with her hands on her thighs, gulping in air.

A cry sounded from the roof of the manor, and Hermione looked up to see Orion diving toward them. The eagle slowed his descent by circling them a few times before landing gracefully on Draco's shoulder.

"Try taking us back to the Burrow now," Draco urged.

"Right." She nodded, still catching her breath. When she was reasonably sure she could apparate without splinching anyone, she wrapped her left hand around one of Draco's wrists. His sleeve was wet with Harry's blood, and she cringed at the slickness. "Hold onto him," she whispered.

After an agonizing instant that felt like being sucked through a drinking straw, Hermione opened her eyes to see the Burrow, every window lit. Draco shook her hand away and pulled Harry closer to his chest while Orion repositioned his claws for a better grip. Ron, Ginny, and Narcissa soon appeared in front of them. Ron still leaned heavily on Ginny, and Narcissa came to stand behind Draco, her arm on his shoulder.

"We did it," Ron panted, his voice incredulous. "We actually made it back!"

"A bittersweet victory," Narcissa murmured, reaching over Draco to brush a lock of hair from Harry's forehead.

The door of the Burrow flew open and Molly Weasley stormed out, clad in brightly colored patchwork sleeping robes, her hair in disarray. Her cheeks glistened as if she had just been crying, but her voice was cool and steady as she said, "Ronald Billius and Ginerva Weasly!"
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Darkness Within The Light