Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JKR does. Some details are taken from the fanfiction HP and the Psychic Serpent by Barb that can be found on fanfiction.net.
A/N: Thanks for your reviews, they really mean a lot to me. And thanks to my wonderful beta Cheryl, who still helps me writing this story. If there's something good here, it is also, and probably most, for her help.
Chapter Seven
"Using the Death Arch"
When they arrived in the Headmaster's office they immediately sat down.
"Back so soon Harry? What has happened?" Dumbledore asked somewhat concerned.
"Headmaster, we had…" Draco started, but Harry stopped him.
"Professor, Ron is a Death Eater. He admits to having the Mark." Harry stated.
"Its true sir. We've seen it, Weasley has taken the Mark." Draco interrupted.
"Voldemort threatened him…threatened to kill Hermione if he didn't become one of them. Voldemort then promised him Hermione…Ron had no choice…he went along." Harry continued shooting Draco a look that said `Do not interrupt me again.'
"He says he had nothing to do with Hermione's disappearance and I believe him." Harry stated further, "Its the real reason he won't go with us to rescue Hermione. Voldemort will kill Hermione, then his family and then him."
"I have no doubt that Voldemort will follow through on any threat he made to Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore responded, "Is there more?"
"I think Ron is under some kind of Imperius he doesn't look dazed or vacant, it must be some kind of modified version of the curse as he appears to be in control, but he's not. He's trying to fight it but the curse or whatever is just too strong. I stunned him not only for our protection but his as well; he is secured in the Transfiguration classroom. He should probably have a guard." Harry said.
"I agree," Dumbledore said, "and the rescue team is nearly in place." Dumbledore then exited his office, Harry and Draco following behind.
With a knowing glance between them Harry and Draco thought Dumbledore was just stalling. If they waited any longer it would too late for Hermione, silently they agreed they would leave immediately.
The Headmaster knew the boys would not wait and he resigned himself to let them go. The extremely unlikely combination of the Death Eater's son and the Boy-Who-Lived off to rescue the women they both loved, a woman whose heart belonged to another. Harry was about to face his destiny and Dumbledore could no longer prevent the inevitable.
-
Harry and Draco ran from the room heading straight for the kitchens, not finding Dobby they decided to check out Snape's supply room. There had to be some stored in there.
Thinking for only a fraction of a second about asking permission, they decided to just take what they needed and go. Snape would understand, he wouldn't like it, but eventually he would understand.
They made their way to the lake as Dumbledore watched them from his office window. "Merlin protect him." the old wizard whispered as he turned away from the window with a sigh, "Be careful Harry."
Arriving at the lakeshore, both Harry and Draco quickly chewed and swallowed the absconded Gillyweed, shrugged off their cloaks and dove into the frozen lake, using the same route that Harry had taken earlier. On instinct Harry swam towards the Arch, Draco following closely behind him. They carefully avoided the Merpeople that happened to be about in greater numbers this time round. Certain they were nearly out of time to rescue Hermione, they didn't want to be further delayed by inquisitive Merpeople.
Following the path the pair came upon the "Death Arch". To Draco, seeing it for the first time, it was enormous and Gothic in design, the stones were black as pitch. As they approached Harry noticed the words engraved on several of the stones.
"The Dark Lord is with you.
Whomever passes this threshold,
will be delivered to the presence of the
Dark Lord; he will bow and be
submissive before his Master"
Harry and Draco looked each other and with steely resolve they swam forward. They were about to swim through the Arch when Draco noticed another inscription and signalled to Harry to stop.
"Those who chose to enter and
do not serve the Master shall pay
with their lives for their transgression"
Harry shook his head at Draco and turned and swam through the Arch. Threats like that had little effect on Harry. Bravely Draco followed behind.
Upon entering the Arch both wizards found themselves spinning out of control and thus cancelling the effects of the Gillyweed. Almost as soon as it started it stopped with them landing on soft earth of a courtyard leading to a larger building. Quickly regaining their footing they surveyed their surroundings, the building were situated on the ledge of a deep cliff and the atmosphere had a thick and heavy feel to it.
Harry pulled out his wand and cast a drying spell as Draco did the same, their lungs a bit achy from being in the cold water and now breathing in the warm humid air.
"Alohomora," Draco whispered and the door clicked opened. Harry was sceptical at how easy that had been and held Draco back to cast a few revealing charms but found no traps. Cautiously they proceeded through the opening, the walls were black similar to the Arch stones and every few paces a stone was emblazoned with the bright green Dark Mark. This was it; they really were in Voldemort's stronghold.
Harry and Draco moved forward wands drawn and very alert. Even if the Death Eaters numbers were few, they were still very dangerous. Harry's scar suddenly started burning with pain, he recognised this particular pain; the Dark Lord was speaking to Hermione. `At least I know she is still alive,' he thought.
"Ahhh Mudblood, your hero has arrived." Voldemort loudly announced and then laughed evilly, "and so it begins."
Harry and Draco stopped in their tracks as they heard Voldemort's voice. Paying more attention to Voldemort's words a Death Eater came up behind them shouting, "Who's there?"
Startled the boys jumped and then ran. Harry heard the Death Eater shout, "Crucio." He turned around just in time to see Draco fall to the ground writhing on the ground in pain.
"Stupefy!" Harry cried out and the Death Eater to fell to the ground. However, another Death Eater had arrived and started throwing curses toward Harry. He jumped behind a nearby wall to avoid being hit. Getting ready to cast a few hexes of his own he came out from behind the wall only to see the second Death Eater dragging Draco away. The fallen Death Eater was still lying on the ground; Harry cast a binding spell on him and then headed back in their original direction before the ambush.
It was now down to him, he knew he had to be extra careful, he couldn't afford to be captured too. He had to save Hermione, and would worry about Malfoy later. "Sorry Draco, but I know you'd do the same," Harry whispered as he pressed on.
A third Death Eater came out of nowhere and was firing curses at him. Taking up a defensive stance again, Harry quickly turned and fired off his own Impedimentia successfully blocking the Death Eater's curses. Harry then cast a memory charm and another binding spell on the third Death Eater and carried on.
Coming upon a staircase he ran up the stairs only to find a closed door. He cast a revealing charm, again nothing; he opened the door only to find another ten closed doors. He was reminded of the Department of Mysteries fiasco in fifth year, pushing back those painful memories; he proceeded to check each door only to find empty rooms. He went back down the stairs and tried a corridor to the left of the stairs and was met with another set of four closed doors. As he cast some more revealing charms he thought, `Moody's magical eye sure would come in handy about now.' He opened door one…nothing; door two…nothing; and then door three…nothing.
Only one door remained. Harry opened it and sighed…another passage, this time with more burning Dark Marks on the walls and more closed doors. Refocusing on finding Hermione, he knew she had to be close he had heard Voldemort talking with her from the other corridor; he went about checking the rooms. His hand on a doorknob he was suddenly overwhelmed by a strong coldness nearly freezing his very soul and he knew, it was a Dementor.
Harry reacted quickly his wand drawn and pointed directly at the Dementor swooping down on him. Gathering happy thoughts, he remembered when Hermione kissed him on the cheek at King's Cross at the end of fourth year and those few alone moments they had shared this past summer at Privet Drive. His heart filled with love and he radiated happiness. "Expecto Patronum!" Harry shouted out and the strong silver stag leapt out of his wand tip repelling the Dementor with great force.
As the Patronus turned to mist and faded away Harry briefly thought of his father and that gave him the strength to go on. He wasn't going to let Hermione down.
He opened another door and there it was, the stone slab he had seen in his vision. The room was dark expect for the lone light shining directly over the slab, he knew he had the right room. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he noticed first Draco laying on the floor unconscious and then Hermione, his Hermione bound to a chair and gagged. She had tears streaming down her face, her eyes wide with a mixture of relief and fear. She was looking behind him and that's when he heard the familiar chilling voice he had come to know so well, better than he ever wanted to…
"What took you so long Potter?"
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