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Chapter 24
Hero
Author's Note:
Hi you guys! Thanks again for the great reviews! You guys keep me going and inspire me to write more! I hope you like
this next chapter. I included a flashback scene from book five, The Order of the Phoenix. I finally
finished!!!! Yay me!
Lucius Malfoy was very happy, indeed, ecstatic. His plan was all coming together. The Mudblood's unexpected pregnancy had been like icing on the cake. Not only did he have the love of Potter's miserable life in his possession, he also had his unborn child. Yes, fate was definitely smiling down on him. He quickly reminded himself not to lose sight of the task at hand. He had come too far to lose sight of the task at hand. It was all within his grasp. He couldn't let arrogance and cockiness cloud his judgment. Potter had always been a formidable opponent. This time, however, Malfoy felt he held the winning hand. He was in control.
He'd planned this for a long time. He'd spent his years in Azkaban plotting the revenge. It had been the one thing that had helped him get through his sentence in that awful place. Now, after years of planning and strategizing, it was all coming to fruition. Tonight, he would have the satisfaction of watching as Potter saw his beloved die and then, he'd take Potter's life as well. Just as Potter had taken everything away from him---his fortune, his family, his prestige, his power----Malfoy would do the same to him.
As he stood in his bed chamber preparing for the night's events, he took a look at the small television set that he'd installed in the room. On the television, he could watch that horrible Mudblood's every move. He'd watched as she'd spent the past few days with morning sickness. He'd laughed as he'd watched her pace around the room and contemplate what was happening to her. He'd heard her whisper her suspicions that she was now with child. It was all too perfect. She had no idea that he could see her every movement and hear her every word.
As much as Malfoy hated Muggles, he had to hand it to them---this electronic equipment of theirs had come in quite useful, indeed.
Malfoy smiled wryly as he watched her sleeping yet again. She had no idea that tonight was the last night she'd ever see on this earth.
There was a knock at the door. Malfoy took one last look at the screen before turning toward the door and saying loudly, "Come in!"
"Finch-Fletchley!" Malfoy said. "My good man! How wonderful to see you again!"
"You're in a good mood, my lord," Justin said.
"Well, of course, I am," Malfoy said.
Justin just stood there watching Malfoy. He'd learned the hard way not to speak to Malfoy unless spoken to. That was what a good student did.
"Can you report that Potter received my owl post?" Malfoy said.
"Yes, sir," Justin said. "He was at The Leaky Cauldron with Black and Weasley."
"Of course, he was too stupid to catch on to the 'two most important people' line, right?" Malfoy said. "Never mind that. He'll know soon enough."
"You've done quite well, Finch-Fletchley. That's high praise, too. Considering you were a Mud-, I mean Muggle-born wizard," Malfoy said, appraisingly. "You've been quite useful. Your job in The Ministry helped out more than you'll ever know. It had been against my better judgment to take on someone like you as a student, but you've done well. There will be a reward for this. You can count on it."
Justin managed only a slight smile as he looked at Malfoy.
"Uh, how can you be sure that he'll come alone?" Justin finally asked.
"I can't be," Malfoy said. "But I think I know him well enough to know that he's not one to want to share in the glory. That hero complex of his will kick in and he'll not want to share the glory with anyone else."
Malfoy continued, "You see, Finch-Fletchley, revenge is something that has to be planned. I've always told you and I've always believed that revenge is a dish better served cold. You have to know your opponent like the back of your hand. You must know his strengths and his weaknesses. You have to recognize those weaknesses and use them to your advantage."
Justin swallowed hard. "Yes, my lord."
"Now get out of here," Malfoy said. "I still have much more planning to do. If I need you anymore, I'll let you know."
Justin nodded solemnly and walked out of the room. He didn't take an easy breath until he had left the confines of the mansion.
As the days had gone by, he'd watched as Malfoy had become more and more cold-blooded and vindictive. He knew how he'd been naïve to what it actually took to obtain this power and control that Malfoy had lost and now sought to regain at any cost.
The past few days, weeks, and months had been extremely hard on Justin. His conscience had been eating at him and he'd been wrestling with what he should do. When he'd signed on to learn from Malfoy, he'd had dreams of wealth and power.
The truth was that no matter what Potter and Granger had done in the past, they certainly didn't deserve to die because of it. They didn't have to pay with their lives because of Malfoy's sick, vindictive plans. And, now, that there was a child involved, the need to act was much more urgent. If this plan went through accordingly, three innocent people would die. Justin didn't think he'd be able to live with himself if he'd contributed to that. He'd hated that he'd let himself get sucked in as far as he had. He didn't like the person he'd become. He could do something about it, though. He'd known all along that he could stop this. He knew what he had to do.
He began to run as fast as he could. He didn't look back.
Sirius, Lupin, Ron, Harry and a handful of other aurors had gathered at The Burrow to discuss strategy for tonight's rescue. They'd spent the better part of the afternoon devising different scenarios. They'd decided The Burrow was the safest place as there wouldn't be any prying eyes or ears listening in to what they were planning. They'd all agreed that someone at The Ministry had to be helping Malfoy. They just didn't know who.
They'd been joined just a short while ago by Draco, who'd been summoned there by Ron. He'd been surprised, to say the least, to find out his dad was still alive and that he was behind Hermione's kidnapping. He'd apologized profusely to Harry and said he'd do anything he could to help out.
"He doesn't mean anything to me, anymore," Draco had said coldly. "He pretty much saw to that when I joined up with you lot against him and those bloody Death Eaters. For years, all I heard him talk about was how it was always someone else's fault that his life had turned to shit. It wasn't your fault, Harry. It was him. He needn't look any further than the nearest mirror to find out whose fault it is."
Although Draco had pledged his support and help, there wasn't really much that he could do. He hadn't seen or heard from his father in years and had no real insight into what he'd been planning or what he'd been doing. Although he'd wanted to there to help plan, Harry told him to go back and be with his wife and new son.
"They need you now more than we do," Harry said. "We'll let you know as soon as we hear anything."
The past twenty minutes had seen a heated argument erupt between Sirius and Harry over Harry going to meet Malfoy alone.
"You are out of your mind if you think I'm going to allow you to go in there alone," Sirius said firmly.
"I'm not 13 years old anymore, Sirius," Harry said. "I can make up my own mind and make my own decisions. I'm doing this alone. The letter specifically said for me to go alone. You don't know what that sick bastard will do if we go in there like the bleeding Calvary."
"Which is precisely why you shouldn't go in there alone," Sirius said, forcefully. "I mean it, Harry."
"You aren't listening to me!" Harry said angrily. "I'm going in alone. That's it. End of story. Now, are we going to spend the next couple of hours arguing over this and wasting time or are we going to find out how we can get Hermione back safe and sound?"
Sirius shook his head. "You are going to get yourself killed."
Lupin tried to assuage the situation. He stepped in between Sirius and Harry and help out his hands.
"Listen, we need to be calm and rational now. Sirius, Harry's right. We have to obey Malfoy's conditions," Lupin said. "Now, I'm sure Harry won't object to us being outside the house when he goes inside. We can have him give us a signal if he needs backup. Okay?"
Sirius looked flabbergasted at his old friend. "You're taking his side, then?"
"We're all on the same side," Lupin said, smiling. "We'll be the victorious side, too. Have faith."
"Okay," Sirius said, grimly. "But I still think that this isn't the best idea."
"Duly noted," Harry said. "Now, let's get back to-"
His voice trailed off as Molly walked into the living room and interrupted them.
"What is it, Mum?" Ron said.
Molly smiled nervously. "There's someone here to see Harry."
"We're kind of preoccupied, Molly," Harry said. "Who is it?"
"Justin Finch-Fletchley," Molly said.
"What's he doing here?" Ron asked, bemused.
Molly shook her head. "He said he needed to see Harry straightaway."
Harry was about to say something in response but Justin appeared at Molly's side at just that moment. He looked quite apprehensive.
"Justin," Harry began.
"Harry, I'm sorry to just barge in here like this, but I need to have a word," Justin said softly.
"I really don't have the time, Justin," Harry said, turning back to face the others. "We're working on something very important."
"It's about Hermione," Justin said softly.
Harry turned back to face Justin.
"What about Hermione?" Harry said.
"I, um, I was hoping we could talk in private," Justin said.
Harry took a deep breath. "Okay."
The others watched in silence as Justin and Harry walked out of the house and into the backyard.
"Justin," Harry said as they stood just outside the house. "I appreciate you coming here and everything, but I really don't have the time."
"I know where she is, Harry," Justin said.
"How do you know where she is?" Harry said, confused.
Justin exhaled. "It's a long story and I don't really have time to tell you everything, but she's being held by Lucius Malfoy in an old mansion on West Trenton Street."
"I know all of that, Justin," Harry said. "Hang on. How do you know where she is?"
Justin began to speak, but all that came out was stammering. Within seconds, Harry had pinned Justin against the wall of The Burrow.
"DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS?" Harry shouted at him. "ANSWER ME!"
"Y-YES! Harry, please. Let me explain," Justin pleaded. "Let me explain."
Harry released his grip on Justin. Justin stepped back from the wall and struggled to catch his breath.
"Okay, it's true that I've been helping Malfoy. I thought that he could give me what I'd always wanted. I didn't know how crazy he is, Harry. He's insane. He's been plotting against you for years."
"Is she okay?" Harry asked. "He hasn't hurt her?"
"She's okay. I mean, as well as can be expected," Justin said. "He's kept her in one of the bedrooms. He hasn't hurt her. She doesn't even know that he's the one that has her."
Harry didn't know whether to believe him or not. "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you're not trying to play me right now? Did he send you here to throw me off the trail?"
Justin shook his head. "I am telling you the truth."
Harry laughed. "You're the right hand man of the lead Death Eater and I'm supposed to believe anything you have to say?"
Justin shrugged. "I know it sounds crazy, but yes, Harry, I think you should trust me. I'm doing this because I feel bad about what has happened. I hate what this has done. It's been eating at me for weeks and if he knew I was here, he'd have me killed. You know that's true. He has no idea I'm here."
When Harry just continued to stare at him intently, Justin continued.
"I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing while he-", Justin said. "Anyway, with Hermione pregnant, I just couldn't-"
Harry felt as if he'd been hit in the stomach with Justin's last sentence.
"What did you just say?" Harry asked.
"I, um, I said Hermione's pregnant," Justin said.
"That's what Malfoy meant when his letter said 'the two most important people' in my life," Harry said, softly. Despite this, a smile played at his lips. Hermione was pregnant. She was pregnant with their child.
Awhile later, they'd all decided to take a break. The discussions had become heated as Sirius was still uncertain as to whether Harry should go in there alone. He'd finally relented, but Harry could tell he still didn't support that decision.
Harry had Justin repeat his story for the others and they'd all predictably been just as upset as he was. They'd allowed him to stay behind to provide any extra information that he could. To prevent him from escaping, Sirius and Lupin had bound Justin's arms and legs and sat him on the couch as they continued to plan.
Harry had gone outside to get a breath of fresh air and was now sitting at the picnic table alone with his thoughts. He was thinking specifically about another time when someone had told him he wasn't thinking straight.
"Look, I'm sorry," cried Hermione, "but neither of you are making sense, and we've got no proof for any of this, no proof Voldemort and Sirius are even there-"
"Hermione, Harry's seen them!" said Ron, rounding on her.
"Okay," she said, looking frightened yet determined. "I've just got to say this…"
"What?"
"You…This isn't a criticism, Harry! But you do…sort of…I mean---don't you think you've got a bit of a -a---saving people thing?" she said.
He glared at her. "And what's that supposed to mean, a 'saving- people thing'?"
"Well…you…" She looked more apprehensive than ever. "I mean…last year, for instance…in the lake…during the Tournament…you shouldn't have …I mean you didn't need to save that little Delacour girl…You got a bit…carried away…"
A wave of hot, prickly anger swept Harry's body---how could she remind him of that blunder now?
"…I mean, it was really great of you and everything," said Hermione quickly, looking positively petrified at the look on Harry's face. "Everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do-"
"That's funny," said Harry through gritted teeth,"because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero…is that what you think this is? You reckon I want to act the hero again?"
"No, no, no!" said Hermione looking aghast. "That's not what I mean at all."
His thoughts were interrupted, however, by Ron's voice.
"So, I'm thinking of leaving my career as a professional Quidditch player to join Snape as a comedic team. What do you think? I personally think he has it in him to be quite a funny guy. I mean, do you remember Potions? He was a laugh riot!"
"Hmm?" Harry asked, finally looking up. He hadn't even seen Ron approach him.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked. "I was asking if you thought this plan of ours was really going to work, but you looked lost in your thoughts, there. Sorry about my pathetic attempt at humor. It's being related to George and Fred. You know how they are---quick with a joke to brighten up the darkest situations."
Harry gave a half-hearted smile. "Yeah, I know. I was just thinking."
"About what?" Ron asked. "Stupid question. I've been thinking about her a lot, too."
"I was remembering that time in fifth year when I was all hell-bent on going to find Sirius at The Department of Mysteries," Harry said, he gave a small laugh. "And Hermione called me on that 'saving-people thing' of mine."
Ron thought back on that for a moment. "Yeah, I remember that."
Harry looked seriously at him. "You called me on it, too, at this very table just a month ago when we came here to tell you about us. You were both right. I do have a saving-people thing."
"Yeah, and thank Merlin for it, too," Ron said. "A number of my family and friends might not be alive today if not for your 'saving-people thing'. I'm serious, Harry. You can't help it. It's part of who you are. You were born to be the hero."
"I never wanted to," Harry said, wringing his hands. "I never wanted any of this."
"That's what makes you a good man. You didn't ask for any of this, but you've risen to the occasion time and time again. It's part of who you are. It's part of who your dad and mum were," Ron said. "We know that you don't do any of this for the publicity. You do it to protect the people you love and care about."
"Thanks," Harry said, softly. "I appreciate that."
"Oh, well," Ron said. "You know what I just thought? If Hermione were here, she'd probably make us hug."
Harry laughed. "She probably would. We wouldn't want to give her the satisfaction now, would we?"
Ron shook his head and tried to look indignant. "Of course not. Why don't we agree on a simple handshake for now."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, alright."
They shook hands and with a laugh headed back into the house.