Chapter 17: Strangers in Grimmauld
Harry, Hermione and Neville all drew their wands on the new arrivals. If someone had flooed into Grimmauld, it should be an Order member, but they tended to arrive in the kitchen fireplace. One of the figures rose to their knees but seemed more concerned with the lack of movement from the other figure than the surroundings.
"Don't move," Harry commanded his voice lower than normal. The kneeling figure stopped moving. "Who are you?"
"Hannah Abbott," the voice trembled just a bit. "I need help."
"How did you know how to get here?" Harry questioned ignoring her request. All he knew about Hannah Abbott was that she was a sixth year Hufflepuff. If the cloak wrapped figure was in fact who she said she was.
"Draco brought us here. As a descendent of the Blacks, he can gain entry through the wards protecting the house. He said we'd be safe here," Hannah explained before once again requesting their help.
"What are you doing with Draco Malfoy?" Harry pushed again ignoring Hannah's request.
"He needs medical attention. We've just escaped from some death eaters, now are you going to help us or not?" Hannah's voice was rising the whole time and she almost screamed the last part. The three Gryffindors glanced at each other reaching an unspoken decision. Hermione and Harry then cried out as one.
"Petrificus totalus." Hermione's spell locked Hannah in a full body bind as Harry's spell did the same with the figure on the floor.
"Mobilicorpus," Harry incanted and both figures rose from the floor. "Hermione fetch Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey. Neville watch this entryway in case someone decides to try to follow these two." Hermione ran ahead of Harry in search of Molly Weasley and Madam Pomfrey, while Harry took the two to the hospital room. He eased both figures down onto their own beds as far away from Ron as possible.
He bound Hannah tightly before releasing the body bind. The girl seemed petrified. Her hood had fallen away and Harry could see a bruise along her cheek. A wave of compassion passed through him, and he felt bad for his actions, but only for a moment. It could all be a trick. It would not be the first time a traitor had appeared in their midst. He checked the other figure only to confirm that it was indeed an injured and bloody Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin appeared to be unconscious, but Harry knew enough from his own times at pretending sleep to be completely fooled. He moved back to Hannah's side.
"What were you doing with Malfoy?" He repeated his earlier question. It did not make sense to see Malfoy with a Hufflepuff.
"Death Eaters attacked at my parent's home. Draco helped me and my mother get out of the house. Some death eaters caught up with us before we could floo to safety and we fought them. My mother, she saved us," Hannah explained sobbing now. "Please help him."
At that moment, Molly Weasley and Hermione entered the hospital room. Molly went to the first bed which happened to be Draco's.
"Is he in a body bind?" Molly exclaimed in shock as she tried to move the young man's wrist to check for a pulse.
"Yes," Harry responded dispassionately. He was not keen on the idea of removing the bind. Molly flicked her wand and removed the spell.
"He's a Malfoy, Mrs. Weasley, you should probably keep the body bind on at all times," Harry informed her.
"I'll not hear of it. He's injured and we're going to help him." Molly scolded as she used her wand to try to determine the extent of his injuries. She knew she was going to need Poppy's help as the boy had lost a lot of blood and had several broken bones. He also had not responded to any of her attempts to wake him, suggesting the distinct possibility of a serious head wound.
"Harry, help me remove his cloak. Hermione, I'm going to need some hot water, a damp cloth, and some fresh bandages," Molly ordered. The two sprang into action following her directions. Molly attempted to clean the blood and grime away so she could see the boys injuries. She healed the cuts and scratches that littered his body as she cleaned each wound. Madam Pomfrey arrived as she was doing this and after a brief exchange with Molly she poured a few potions down the Slytherin's throat.
"Who is that in the other bed?" Poppy questioned after giving Draco a blood replenishing potion along with a vial of the new strengthening potion and then tending to his broken bones.
"Hannah Abbott," Hermione supplied, "they arrived together a few minutes ago through the fireplace in the living room." Poppy moved to examine the girl.
"Who tied her up? Good heavens," Poppy exclaimed undoing the spell and examining Hannah more closely. She had a bad bruise appearing on her face, several cuts, but other than that seemed fine. Poppy healed her easily with a few simple incantations.
"It's time the two of you left and let Miss Abbott and Mr. Malfoy rest," Poppy ordered attempting to shoo Harry and Hermione from the room.
"Not until we get some answers," Harry insisted refusing to budge. Hermione stood firmly beside him.
"This is nonsense. They need their rest. I am certain that someone else can question them later," Poppy replied not backing down either. These were students, after all, even if it was the summer holiday.
"Their arrival here could mean a serious breach of the safety of everyone in this place. We will not wait for answers. Now, step aside Madam Pomfrey," Harry stated. For the first time ever, Poppy Pomfrey found herself in a losing argument with a student. She knew as she looked at him that she had two choices, move or be moved. She moved out of the way.
Hermione placed a hand on Harry's arm and the two looked at each other for a moment before Hermione stepped forward alone.
"Hannah, we don't mean you any harm. We just want to know more about why you're here and how you came to be with Draco Malfoy," Hermione explained. She had spoken to the Hufflepuff prefect on many occasions at prefect meetings. The blond-haired girl closed her eyes for a moment as if taking time to compose her thoughts, and then, as tears made tracks down her cheeks, she began to speak.
"Many years ago during a death eater attack on Diagon Alley, my mother saved the life of another young woman. She knocked the woman out of the path of a killing curse and was injured herself when the curse caused rubble to fall down upon the women. My mother shielded the other woman as best she could and they both survived. While the two women were on the ground, my mother realized that the woman she had rescued was holding a baby. After that incident, the two became friends and as the woman's baby and myself were only a month apart in age, we played together as children. The woman my mother rescued was Narcissa Malfoy. When Narcissa overheard plans of an attack on my family's home, she sent Draco to help us get away while she distracted the death eaters," Hannah recounted the story carefully.
"What made Draco bring you here? Why not Malfoy Manor?" Hermione prodded.
"He said that his mother told him to come here as no one else would be able to follow us through the floo because of the ancient protections on the house. I think we were supposed to stay here until either she came to get us in a day or two or until we felt safe enough to venture out on our own," Hannah replied. "I guess that was her way of telling us that if she didn't arrive to take us away it meant she never would and that we would be on our own."
"What makes you think that Draco wasn't part of the death eaters who attacked your home?" Hermione continued looking for flaws in Hannah's story.
"As both he and his mother owe a life debt to my mother, I know that neither would ever harm her or me. Besides, I've known Draco for as long as I can remember, and I cannot see him blindly following anyone." Hermione nodded and stepped back to stand beside Harry. The two conferred quietly.
"Mrs. Weasley, we should contact someone about going to the Abbotts to check things out and see if we can help," Harry ordered then turned to Poppy, "Madam Pomfrey, please keep an eye on our new arrivals until we are certain that everyone is still safe." Molly Weasley nodded her ascent and went to the kitchen to floo Dumbledore, realizing on the way that she had just taken orders from a fifteen-year-old. Even more, she knew that both Harry and Hermione's actions had been carefully considered to protect everyone. In her concern for the two injured students, she had lost sight of the very real possibility that someone could still be after them, or that they themselves could mean to harm those at Grimmauld Place.
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Less than an hour later, Remus Lupin returned to 12 Grimmauld Place with an injured Narcissa Malfoy and an unharmed Daniel Abbott, who had returned home from work to find the last of a battle between death eaters and several members of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore had left specific orders to take any survivors to Grimmauld via portkey until he could arrange for another safe house. Remus led the two straight to their children in the makeshift hospital.
Daniel Abbott rushed to his daughter's side immediately. He knelt down and took her hand in his. Hannah opened her eyes to find her father by her bedside.
"Dad!" She exclaimed hugging him tightly. Daniel held his daughter closely, and as tears came to his eyes, he thanked Merlin he hadn't lost both his wife and his daughter.
Narcissa took in the scene only after she had first looked over her son lying on his own bed beside Hannah's. The two had argued over who should lead the Abbotts to safety and who should distract the death eaters. She had never been prouder of him then in that moment. She moved slowly towards his bed.
"I require a chair," she intoned evenly, fully intending to sit by her son's bed for awhile. "I also want to know the extent of Draco's injuries and what you have done for him." She spoke in a haughty tone as if she were speaking to servants. Remus fetched a chair for the woman who was cradling her right arm against her body. Despite having witnessed her fighting death eaters, he still did not trust her.
Narcissa didn't acknowledge his presence or thank him for the chair. Instead, sent him a look of dismissal and sat down stiffly, her back straight as Poppy Pomfrey appeared before her with a tray of potions.
"Let me tend to your wounds," Poppy requested waiting until the other woman gave permission.
"Have you finished with Draco?" Narcissa countered. Poppy paused for a moment before answering.
"Yes, he's sleeping now. His bones are healing as we speak. I've already healed his cuts, and administered a blood replenishing potion. I am concerned about his head injury, but I have treated it the best I can for now," Poppy explained.
"I have a broken arm and some bruises, you may treat them now," Narcissa conceded as if she were granting the healer some great honor.
"You would be more comfortable in the bed, mam," Poppy coaxed hoping to convince the woman to lie down and rest.
"I will stay in the chair," Narcissa insisted. Poppy didn't press her. Instead, she mended the broken arm and checked for other injuries. Finding nothing more but the bruises mentioned, Poppy was able to heal her quickly and easily.
"I'll send someone by to let you know when dinner is ready, until then if you'd like something, I am sure that Dobby won't mind fetching it for you if you ask," Remus informed the newcomers.
"Thank you, for all your help and for tending to my daughter," Daniel Abbott said first to Remus then to Poppy. "I'll do anything I can to help you."
"There's no need. If you can think of any reason why death eaters might choose to attack your home, then please tell me, otherwise, stay here with your daughter," Remus replied pausing at the door anxious to leave the room.
"I believe the goal is to attack families of the D.A. members, whatever that is, to get at the Potter boy," Narcissa volunteered. "I only heard part of the conversation before I was forced to leave to avoid being detected, and then I just wanted to make sure to get Ellen and Hannah out of harm's way." Remus turned pale at her remark about the D.A. He turned back to the pale-haired woman, wondering if he could rely on this information or not.
"Did you hear any other specific names?"
"Bones, Brown, Creevey, and Finnegan," Narcissa answered.
"Did Draco tell you anything about the D.A.?"
"He said that it was a group of student's that High Inquisitor Umbridge discovered had formed a covert defense group this past year at Hogwarts," Narcissa explained.
"Why send Draco and Hannah to Grimmauld?" Remus questioned curious as to the answer there.
"My grandfather increased the original warding on Grimmauld long ago. I knew it was the safest place for them to go. I also knew a critical secret. That only a Black could break through the wards, even that of the fidelus charm. What I hadn't realized is that my cousin had turned the house over to others," she revealed.
"If you think of any other details, please, tell Madam Pomfrey, I need to inform some others of this
news," and with that Remus left the room. They would have to increase the protections at Grimmauld because no one
needed Bellatrix Lestrange to floo into Grimmauld. For now, the D.A. members were all in danger. Trying not to think
about whether or not they might be too late, he raced to the kitchen and contacted Dumbledore.
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