A/N Here it is, sorry it took a while, blame the hard drive, I do.
Chapter 12: An Unexpected Detour
***********************Malfoy Castle********************************
Monday August 6, 2012
6:35 pm
A brown, mossy clump of vegetation moved slightly on the edge of a cliff overlooking a large castle. The castle walls were composed of a black, grained granite like stone, with large, wrought-iron gates closing all entrances, save one, the main one which was guarded by a pair of Death Eaters. A pair of lenses glinted in the fading twilight light for an instant before the omniocculars were lowered. Draco grunted slightly as he lowered his head to the telescopic sight on the rifle he had brought along in case of wolves. Draco frowned slightly as he considered the sight of a castle that he had been told by his father and grandfather was destroyed in 1795.
The ancient feud that had supposedly ruined this castle; that had set the Weasley and Malfoy clans at each other's throats was still unresolved even though few today knew the original sin that had started the hatred. The theft of the youngest daughter to the Weasley clan in 1789 for the Malfoy heir of that time to have a pureblood wife had precipitated a war that extended to this day.
The heirs of the allied clans that had responded to the Weasleys' call for assistance, the Potters, the Longbottoms, the Alexanders, and a proud young Vampire with the last name of O'Connor, did not know the reason either. Whether it was due to the near destruction of the Longbottom and Potter lines, the annihilation of the Alexanders at the start of Voldemort's first reign of terror or the deliberate hiding of the truth from the Weasleys did not really matter. In the end, the alliance had failed; Grace Weasley had died in the fighting, along with the unborn heir to that the first son of that generation of Malfoys.
None of that history was really important any longer. Draco had never been told of it and still would not know of it except for the words of one very old retainer when he was very young. Young enough that he had never thought about the possibility that the old redoubt still standing until he had run out of options...and hope. It was not only his promise to the old wizard that had him hidden outside of the castle of his ancestors, but his friend, one of the few he still had was hopefully somewhere inside this imposing edifice of stone.
Far below, a company of at least one hundred Dementors exited the castle and started off towards the west, directly away from him. Draco watched them leave and nodded to himself slightly. Under the cover of the gillie suit, Draco fastened a black bandanna over his all too visible hair. He checked his wand holster strapped down his thigh, a large dagger strapped hilt down on his chest and the pistol at the small of his back. He briefly considered the rifle laying on the ground next to him, and the vest full of magazines, but with a small frown, decided the additional weight wasn't worth it vs. the chance of running into werewolves. As the Dementors vanished out of sight, Draco rose to a crouch and started down the cliff, careful to keep out of direct sight of the castle.
*****************************Godric's Hollow**************************
Harry smiled as he hovered on his Firebolt, only about three feet off the ground as he slowly "raced" the kids on their training brooms. Hermione watched them from the back porch and waved. Harry rolled his eyes slightly as they passed going about ten miles an hour in their endless laps around the back yard pitch. Emilia giggled as her and Horry swerved back and forth in front of their dad.
Hermione leaned on the rail, a cup of tea in her hands, "yes Ron?" Ron shook his head as he walked out onto the porch from the kitchen door, a pilfered butterbeer from the fridge in his hands.
"Why don't I get those cool powers, the sensing people thing, the wandless magic, a sword named after me, huh?" Ron asked rhetorically. Hermione grinned and ran the tip of her tongue over her lips.
"It's because you are the sidekick, remember big brother?" Hermione replied softly, her eyes twinkling as she and Ron watched the twins start playing some sort of tag with Harry on their brooms. The kids dodged around the base of the Quidditch hoops, and Harry's laughter carried up to the house.
Ron laughed, after thirteen years they could joke about all the insults that others had thrown at them over the years. "Oh yeah, sis...I forgot." The smile faded from his face, and took a sip of his beer absently. "Valerie wasn't able to get anything from that guy." Hermione nodded, she had expected nothing else. "And there hasn't been anything from Draco, even on the secret drops...he's rogue Hermione, and the half of the Aurors out there will AK him on sight if they find them. Damn Springbolt has almost all of them out looking for him, instead of hunting Death Eaters. It's worse then when they were after Sirius." He rolled his eyes, "If you had told me back in school, I'd actually give a flying flip if Draco Malfoy saw the dawn, I'd thought you were taking the mickey." Ron rolled the bottle between his palms, "it's bad at the Burrow sis; mum's going ballistic. Dad's staying at the office and the twins haven't been over all week cause mum asks anyone who comes in the door, where Ginny is."
"And how are you doing Ron?" Hermione said softly.
"I have been better Herms," Hermione glared at him at the nickname but let it pass, "I want to be doing something, anything, its even worse than when we were seventeen and in that last month at Hogwarts, you know." Hermione nodded silently, "when we knew he was coming, well the inner circle did, we knew the bastard was coming for the chamber and I knew my brother was going to have to finally end it one way or another. But then we were training, making plans, having lots of sex just in case..." Hermione punched him in the shoulder. "Oh like you two weren't. But now there's nothing to do, other than to be ready just in case something turns up." He turned to her and his eyes held something else, some other thought that he did not want to relay.
Unfortunately, Hermione knew him rather well, not as well as Harry or her kids, but she had learned to read him before they had entered puberty. "What Ron?"
"Gran Longbottom came over to the Burrow today to talk to mum..." he turned away "She wants to have the funerals for Alice and Frank, and...Neville Thursday."
"Damn," Hermione whispered.
"Yeah." Ron agreed. They stood in silence, watching the next generation as they laughed and cavorted, totally unaware of the quiet angst that was unfolding on the porch mere meters away.
************************Minster of Magic's Office***********************
The door shut behind an Auror bearing a black folder and locked with a loud click. Arthur rose from behind his desk and paced to the hearth in the corner of the large office and lit the fire with his wand. A bare instant later, Alastor Moody and Albus Dumbledore tumbled from the flames. Arthur waved them to seats as he returned to his desk.
"There has been no word?" Dumbledore asked as he settled himself in a large comfortable chair. He absently looked around the dark-wood paneled office, and settled on a picture of the entire Weasley clan on Arthur's desk for a moment before falling back on Arthur.
"No." He replied, shuffling through a pile of parchments on his desk. "Sirius has been working almost nonstop. I finally had Lupin and Tonks drag him home to get some rest." He sighed and removed his glasses. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "There're rumors that a vote of no confidence will be called against me."
"That's arsine." Moody growled, "Bloody Fudge watched Voldemort try to take over and spent all his time trying to catch Black and discredit Potter and Albus. Voldemort had to show up here, right downstairs, before anyone went after that blowhard."
Arthur looked longingly at the photo on his desk of the entire family, including Harry and Hermione, though neither had been technically related when it was taken, the photo had been snapped by Remus of the entire group at Grimmauld place, right after Percy had returned to the fold. In it Ginny was actually the tallest of them all as she was sitting on Ron's shoulders. Percy was rolling his eyes at the rampant frivolity but at least he was there, while the twins were setting something at Ron's feet. Bill and Charlie were standing in the back, both still soot-covered in the picture from a floo trip while Harry was bent over whispering something in Hermione's ear. She was fingering her wand, and looking up at Ginny.
Next to these pictures, several smaller framed ones, held photos of the various grandchildren, some with and some without their parents in the photos. Arthur reached out and straightened them before answering. "It is not as if I haven't been expecting it, Mad-Eye." He said softly; "ever since that article by that bloody Skeeter woman, I have been expecting it. If it happens, it happens. At least I will have more time to spend with them."
"We need you here, Arthur" Dumbledore replied. He sat lower in his chair, as he looked over the tops of his half-moon glasses at Minister Weasley.
"Does it get tiring Albus?" Arthur muttered, just loud enough for all three of them to hear him. "Binding all of your friends and family with the chains of duty and honor." He looked up, "you should be in this chair, not me."
"I am afraid that you were the best choice for the position at the time, my friend. I needed the freedom to act that the position did not afford, and others were not ready for such a responsibility." Dumbledore pulled a many-handed watch from his pocket and examined it minutely. He nodded at something he saw there, "I have such members of the Order as I can trust to be discrete looking into matters as well, Arthur."
"Who?" Mad-Eye asked suddenly. He had an odd gleam in his one remaining eye as he thought over the few remaining Order members that were still young enough to participate in active operations and were not directly associated with the Ministry. "Who? Bill, Charlie, that bird of Black's?"
"I am afraid that information is classified my friend." Dumbledore replied as he rose and walked to the fire. He paced back and forth in front of it, his hands clasped behind his back, "I do not know whom I may trust these days...and even though I trust both of you, this place is not secure." He paused, considering his words, "let us just say that the um...operative I have on the case is free to act due to his unattachment to the Ministry." Mad-Eye's eye widened instantly discerning the meaning behind the words.
**************************Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office********************
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Minerva McGonagall walked around the staff gathered today for a pre-school meeting, handing out proposed timetables to
each of the members. The circular office was full with the entire staff, minus two, congregated to go over items for
the rapidly approaching school year. Dumbledore was sitting behind his huge oak desk looking through stacks of
parchments and proposed book lists for the next year. Dumbledore looked pointedly at the blank spot where Draco should
be seated, then at Minerva. "Very well..." Dumbledore started, and then was quickly interrupted as a large
set of feet thundered up the stairs.
The door slammed open to reveal a large, hairy form completely filling the doorway and then some. "Hagrid." Hermione cried and jumped up to hug him. She barely reached his waist. "You're back." She smiled up at him, even though it was tinged with a touch of regret even now at the circumstances.
""Ermione you know I had to be back for class, and 'ell y' know" Hagrid didn't want to finish his sentence nor did he need to. She nodded as Hagrid turned to Harry, ""arry, you too, 'orry I missed you birthday. I 'ave something 'ere for you...somewhere." Hagrid dung in the cavernous pockets of his coat, until finally he found a coarsely wrapped package and handed it to him. After greeting Ron and the rest of the attendees, Dumbledore waved them to silence and restarted his abortive staff meeting.
"Now that you are here Hagrid..." Dumbledore announced wryly, "Minerva would appreciate your course outline for the next year and as to other matters...Hermione, I'm sorry to say that first years can only be expected to read one textbook..." Ron chuckled behind his hand before he became silent at a brown-eyed glance. Dumbledore acted as if he didn't notice. "Harry, I am not sure that we should have such an emphasis of dark creatures in year two, I would feel more comfortable with leaving them in year three." He looked up at Hagrid. Hagrid was standing near the back of the room next to Ron, talking in hushed tones about lunch. "Hagrid, I need to see you after the meeting about Norbert's rations for the year...he, umm seems to be over budget for the year already on his feed."
"Professor Dumbledore sir, he's a growing dragon sir." Hagrid objected.
"He's a hundred bloody feet long Hagrid." Ron replied incredulously, as Flitwick nodded from the top of his stack of cushions.
"Be that as it may." Dumbledore interjected quickly, "we do need to talk about it." The old wizard paused, and looked out at all of them assembled today. "I expect all of you will be attending the services tomorrow."
*****************************Hogwarts***********************************
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The ancient, haunting strains of bagpipes echoed off the lake as dozens of black, robed mourners followed three union jack covered coffins, each trimmed with crimson and gold, down a thousand-year-old worn path to a cemetery hidden in the trees bordering the lake. An escort of Aurors in dress midnights surrounded the coffins as the they came to rest beside three open graves in a graveyard that held heroes, almost exclusively. Almost the entire active, remaining detail of the Auror corps was here to honor three who had given all in the fight. Frank and Alice would be interred next to the empty coffin of their son, his body had never been found in the rubble of the Ministry hospital.
Hermione led Gran Longbottom to her spot next to Dumbledore. Gran smiled tiredly at Hermione as she let her arm drop. Hermione crossed to Harry, and found his hand instead. They watched as a detail of seven Aurors took formation to the side, their wands held at parade rest. Tonks, Lupin and Alastor all took positions next to them, their golden medals glinting in the afternoon sun, contrasting with the deep midnight of their dress uniforms. Tears fell from Tonks' eyes; she wiped them away angrily as she forced herself to look at the coffins.
Harry's green eyes were shaded, dark as he watched another of his friends be lowered into the ground. He did not hear the Minister, or Dumbledore, or Alastor speak of the heroics that the elder Aurors had undertaken, or the stand in the war against Voldemort Neville had took. A dull buzzing filled his thoughts as he watched Gran take a folded flag from Alastor and Molly took another in Ginny's place, the flag from Neville's coffin that she would be entitled to as his fiancée. He distantly felt Hermione shiver next to him, at the snap-hiss, followed by the crash of three sets of seven reductors fired into the air to salute the fallen ones. Eventually he turned away as Ron placed his hand on his shoulder and he, Ron, Luna and Hermione walked away together, none of them ever having said a word.
****************************Malfoy Castle*****************************
August 9, 2012
11:34 pm
Draco crept along crumpled stones at the base of the wall. He had been trying to find a back way into the castle for three days, without much success. Normally he would have had support, intelligence, surveillance, backup, but for now he had none. He was a shadow, a darker patch in the night as he slipped past a brightly lit guard post. Both of the Death Eaters on station were standing in the pool of light cast from gas lamps in the walls. They were talking and smoking, not paying attention to their surroundings in the slightest. The Death Eaters were utterly secure in their security; no one knew where they were, so no one could threaten them. It would have been child's play for Draco to stun or eliminate either or both, but instead he chose to creep past.
Easing down a corridor, keeping to the shadows and walls, Draco slipped down a long, spiraling staircase. A bare flicker of light guided his steps as he skulked into a dungeon that closely resembled the one he had slept in for every day in his tenure at Hogwarts. A stair creaked, "OI, who goes there." Draco froze, as a portrait of an old wizard in dark red robes looked out, startled at the sound. The wizard strained at the corners of his canvas, but finding nothing, he grumbled to himself and returned to sleep. Draco rolled his eyes, laughing at himself as he continued on his solitary quest.
Finally, he reached a corner, and dropping to the floor, he stuck his head around it for an bare second. Hastily he slipped back around it, just as one of the two Death Eaters he had spotted turned to the corner. His back to the wall, he considered what he had seen. A pair of Death Eaters, both as secure in their isolation as the duo above. But almost irrelevant fact was not what he was thinking about now. A clump of fire-red hair, Weasley red hair, had been briefly visible through the bars. The small figure was barely visible in the cell, its head down as it was held spread-eagled to a wall. Well Draco, I guess there is no time like the present.
Draco dove around the corner, "STUPEFY, STUPEFY," he muttered. Twin stunners shot across the room, dropping both Death Eaters before they knew he was even there. He continued his dive, rolling to his feet at the end. Draco sprinted for the heavy iron door, barely pausing to mutter an "Alohomora" as he reached the door. It sprang open and Draco ran to the figure on the hall, "Ginny...Ginny." He hissed, the figure stirred but did not raise its head. Draco reached for Ginny, his eyes back on the door. His eyes grew wide as he felt only air. He glanced back, to see his hand passing right through the figure on the wall, "Oh, shit." A new set of bars slammed down from the ceiling blocking the door. Draco spun to the door, a metallic rattle met his ears, and chains reached out from the floor and captured his legs. More chains flew up from the floor seizing his wrists and causing him to drop his wand. The chains pulled him to his knees, the grate at the door grated and three, cloaked figures walked into the room.
The figure in the lead laughed as he lowered the hood on his cloak. "Such a pleasure to see you again...my son." Lucius laughed as he witnessed his son at his feet. "I had meant this trap merely as precaution, I had thought this castle unknown in this time..." he paced around Draco, a contemplative expression on his face. His eyes glowed slightly in the dim room, as he rubbed his chin. His white-blond hair fell loose around his face as he shook his head, slightly. "Did you really think that you could rescue the poor blood-traitor by yourself? Really? One would almost think you were a Gryffindor? Charging foolishly into such a simple trap."
Lucius spun on his heel, and waved at one of the two, cloaked shapes with him. The X'Sheen extended a scalely hand, palm-first, and an odd, purplish black bolt took Draco in the chest. He collapsed to the floor, his body still as the grave.
"Are we ready for the second phase, Bariss? I fear my wayward...child may have set us ahead of schedule."
"Yes, Sire."
"Then we shall begin."
***********************Hogwarts*****************************
"Yes Albus? You asked to see me?" Minerva McGonagall inquired, as she entered the large circular office. Albus Dumbledore was packing a large valise with various odds and ends; he placed a large brown leather book into the bag and glanced up.
"Yes Minerva." Dumbledore closed the bag with a loud snap, and with a brief wave of his wand, the bag shrank to pocket size. It vanished into his robes as he stood and touched his shoulder with his free hand. Fawkes, his ever faithful companion, hopped to it without a sound and looked at the Assistant Headmistress quizzically. "It seems that an old acquaintance has requested my assistance in looking into a matter. I will be gone for several days, cannot be helped I am afraid."
"But Albus, the school year..." Minerva objected annoyed, "There are matters..."
"That you will have to take care of, Minerva" Dumbledore quickly looked around his office, and finding his hat, he summoned it to his hand with a flick of a wand. He placed it on his head, cocked it at a jaunty angle and nodded. He started to reach up, but stopped suddenly as a thought came to mind. "Minerva, if anything happens while I am gone...let the castle defend herself. There are no children to get in the way. Let us go Fawkes" In a fall of fire, Dumbledore and Fawkes vanished.
A/N: There ya go another chapter. Not incredibly long, but busy. Next Chapter...it begins.