Unofficial Portkey Archive

With Malice Aforethought

S. P. Smith

The pridie kalends of March passed without further incident. Minister Weasley had visited Dumbledore personally at the close of February. None of the students were privy to the conversation, but in the two weeks that had passed since then, no Aurors marched on Hogwarts. The Daily Prophet still wasn't reporting anything about the war, but since it hadn't mentioned the battleground in the middle of the Great Hall, no one was complaining.

Classes had just ended for the night and Neville, Ron, and Harry were clustered around a table in the Gryffindor common room trying to do their homework and play Gobstones simultaneously. Neither activity really carried much interest; whenever they got bored with one, they would switch back to the other. Oddly, it was the most productive they'd been all year.

Ginny flounced up to Neville, leaning the small of her back and her elbows on the the table they were sharing, and fixed him with a brilliant smile. Neville looked up and swallowed heavily.

"Hullo, Neville," she said breathlessly.

"Hello." Neville smiled politely, nervously.

Ginny's eyes flicked over to Harry for a moment before coming to land squarely on Neville. "So... It's a couple of hours 'til supper. Want to go for a little walk around the castle with me?"

Neville looked nervously over at Harry and Ron. "Actually, I was just working on my homework."

"We wouldn't have to walk too fast." Ginny batted her eyelashes appealingly. "We could even stop walking, just... hang out."

"Hang out?"

Ginny toyed with Neville's sleeve, briefly looking over at Harry as she did so. "Have you ever seen the lake from the Astronomy Tower?"

Ron growled a little at this, but Harry put a warning hand on his arm. He'd seen something of the look in Neville's eye, and wondered what was going to happen next.

Neville set his quill down, closed his text, and set his parchment to one side. He cleared his throat and looked up at Ginny. "For the past couple of years, when I've been daydreaming about you in Potions... I mean, it's not like I'd ever think about Potions, or anything... Anyway, whenever I imagine you kissing me, I've always imagined that it was me you wanted to be kissing.

"Now, I could be all wrong, but it kind of looks like you really just want to make Harry jealous. And when you kiss me, I don't really want you to be thinking about anyone else. So, even if it kills me to say it, I think I'll stay here for tonight."

Ginny backed away, a look Harry didn't recognize in her eyes. She put a hand to her mouth, and dashed upstairs into her dormitory. Ron and Harry watched her go in shock, then turned back to look at their normally shy friend.

Neville looked back down at his work and sighed. "I don't think I feel like working just now."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Longbottom? You been daydreaming about my baby sis?"

Neville pulled himself straight. "Yes, actually."

Ron pulled a face. "I'm gonna-"

He was silenced as Harry slapped a hand over his mouth. Harry spoke on behalf of his friend. "Be quiet, and hope something good happens for his sister and our friend. Right?"

Ron glared at Harry. After a long silence, Ron finally nodded. Harry pulled his hand away and closed his books too.

Ron slammed his book shut, his notes stuck roughly in between the pages. "So what do we do besides this?"

"Talk Quidditch," Neville answered.

Ron frowned. "Naw. The Cannons are dying the last few games."

Neville looked thoughtful. "Aren't they in a ninety-something game losing streak?"

Ron's expression was black. "I said a few games."

"Right." Neville hid a smile behind a cough.

Harry leaned in. "Well, I for one want to know what's going on with Luna."

Harry and Neville turned to look at Ron. Ron blushed. "How would I know?"

Neville rolled his eyes, while Harry just snorted. Ron toyed with the edge of his textbook. "Well, she was fine last night."

Harry turned to look at Neville questioningly. "Was this the night no one could find him after dinner?"

"I think so," he answered, looking thoughtful. "Hard to tell, since we haven't been able to find him after dinner for a week."

"Oh, you two are right comedians, you are," Ron grumbled.

Harry grinned. "So why haven't you disappeared tonight?"

Ron mumbled.

"Didn't catch that," Neville said with a smile.

"I said," Ron answered tartly. "It just so happens she has a review session tonight."

"Ah." Harry said, still grinning.

"What about you, oh Boy-Who-Can't-Get-A-Date?" Ron nudged him. "Any prospects now you're a free man again?"

"No," Harry answered simply. "I'm more worried about Hermione, though."

Neville and Ron exchanged an inscrutable look as Harry continued. "No one's asked her out since you two broke up, and I think it's hurting her feelings."

Neville pointed at Ron, who shook his head vehemently. Ron pointed at Neville, who sighed and mouthed, 'Me?' Ron nodded, and Neville sighed again. Harry watched this byplay, baffled.

Neville chewed his lip nervously before speaking. "Well, Ron and I think that maybe no one's said anything to her for fear of you killing them slowly."

"The hell?" Harry looked back and forth between the other two boys.

"See, you and Hermione are awfully... close," Neville pressed onwards. "I mean, just about everyone in Britain has at one time or another assumed you were... closer. Even if that was absolutely not true, I mean! Anyway, I think most people assume... and totally wrongly, I'm sure... that if they made a move, they'd be stepping on your toes. And stepping on your toes? That's scary."

Harry sat back, looking stunned.

Ron cleared his throat and spoke up. "Course, if you want to make sure Hermione has the opportunity to date loads and loads of guys, you could nip all that in the bud. Just make it pretty public you're not in the least interested, I'm sure her dance card'd fill up right quick."

"Er," Harry said.

"You do want to help Hermione find someone, right?" Neville leaned in closer to Harry. "How about that big guy in Hufflpuff, the Keeper with the chin? All the girls say he's dead handsome, and I'm sure I've seen him checking Hermione out in Herbology."

Harry glared at Neville. Oddly, Neville didn't back away like most people, but smiled widely instead.

Ron looked over at Harry. "You look awful, mate! What'cha thinking?"

Harry looked down at his broken wristwatch. "Uh, I have class with Snape. I have to go!"

Harry left his bag and books where they lay and scuttled to the portrait hole. As it closed behind him, Neville shook his head sadly. Ron sighed. "He's got the Pharoh's Disease, he does."

"The what?" Neville looked over at Ron.

"He's the King of De Nile," Ron said sadly. "It's a crying shame him and Hermione are mental, the both of them."

"Yeah," Neville said. He coughed. "So, Exploding Snap?"

"Sure." Ron reached for a pack in his bag. "While we play, you can tell me about the bit where you've been daydreaming about my sister."

Neville winced.

Meanwhile, Harry hurried off to Snape's dungeon offices, more than a little disturbed by his conversation with Ron and Neville. The rushing in his ears had made hearing a bit more difficult than usual, but it had sounded like Harry's mere presence was enough to keep Hermione uncomfortably alone. Although they hadn't said it, Harry thought it sounded like he was overbearing, maybe even acting like he was jealous!

He knew those were descriptions of himself he absolutely did not want to live down to. Overbearing and jealous were pretty good adjectives to apply to the sixteen-year old James Potter that Harry had seen in Snape's Pensieve. He couldn't let Snape be right in thinking that Harry was the living embodiment of his father's flaws, nor did he want to hurt Hermione by being her friend. He decided then and there, on his way down into the dungeons, that her happiness was the most important thing to him. He resolved to figure out what to do to help as soon as possible.

Harry slipped quietly into Snape's office. The sallow Potions master was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed. He regarded Harry down his hooked nose coolly. "You are four minutes late, Mister Potter."

Harry nodded. By now, he'd gotten used to the simple fact that neither apology nor explanation mattered to his Legilimency tutor. Snape assumed you had a reason for your failings; he just didn't care. Similarly, he didn't want apologies, he wanted compliance.

When it was clear Harry wasn't about to torment him with excuses, Snape nodded approvingly. "Your deranged band of misguided students performed adequately against the Aurors. You personally performed surprisingly well."

"Thank you, sir." Harry blinked at the unexpected, if backhanded, compliment.

"Of course, the fact that you avoided whinging was surprising. Is it possible that peering into my mind is all that is required to assist all my pupils in growing up?" Snape scowled, and shuddered. "Perish the thought. I don't think anyone could stomach the months of this required to turn Mister Weasley into an adult."

Harry bit his cheek. He didn't want to say anything to upset the Potions professor, but it was hard to avoid. Did he always have to be like this?

Snape nodded at Harry. "Begin!"

Harry extended his wand, and muttered, "Probitatis."

For a brief moment, his vision was obscured by a fuzzy image of Snape correcting papers for his fourth year class. He pushed with all his will, and the image snapped into focus. It looked like Harry wasn't alone in receiving regular 'T's' from the Potions Master.

With a jolt, the image faded. Snape nodded. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try, try again, hmm? You may be taking painfully long, but you are starting to show a glimmer of hope."

Harry wiped his forehead an nodded. It was difficult, forcing his way into someone else's memories. Snape rolled his eyes. "Are you ready again, or do you need a nap first? I assure you the Dark Lord will not honor requests for time out or Kings X."

Harry grimaced, but brought his wand to bear nonetheless. With a brief incantation, Harry started again. Nothing happened, no dimming of sight, no foggy visions.

Snape clucked at him. "Is it possible you're actually getting worse Potter? How sad."

Harry gritted his teeth and pushed. Again, a foggy image appeared before Harry. This time, Harry caught sight of white-blond hair, and red eyes. Harry caught his breath and dragged the image to his mind with all his might.

Draco was rising from the ground, clutching the Dark Mark freshly burnt into his arm, his father, Snape, and Lord Voldemort crowded about him. Thick, sluggish blood flowed from beneath the hand Draco used to staunch his wound. Unconcerned by the pain on his new follower's face, Voldemort tipped Draco's chin upwards with a long, white finger. "And now, boy," Voldemort whispered in a hiss, "what do you have for me?"

"Potter's girlfriend," Draco gasped. "The mudblood! She's... ah! She's staying at her cousins' for Christmas holidays!"

Voldemort leaned in, his corpse-cold breath stirring Draco's hair. "That is all you have?"

"I have the location," Draco gasped, still holding the oozing wound on his forearm. "And unlike her house, this one won't be protected by the Ministry."

His flat red eyes blinked slowly. "And you think I should care about this mud-child for what reason?"

"Kill her," Draco said, smirking through the pain, "You'll break him, my Lord."

"I doubt it." Voldemort straighted up, a hideous smile on his lipless mouth. "But let's try, shall we?"

Harry slammed against the stone wall in the dungeon, forcibly ejected from Snape's mind. He snarled at his Potions Master. "You knew? You knew they were going to attack Hermione's family, and you didn't do anything?"

Snape held a hand to his temple and shook his head delicately. "Of course not, you idiot Gryffindor. They attacked twelve half-blood families at once. My information was given to the Aurors, I've no idea why they weren't in place!"

"You have to know something!" Harry advanced on Snape, who sneered.

"Oh, I have to, do I?" Snape glowered at his student. "For your elucidation, I have been without information of any sort since I took up your training, you insufferable little snot! Which, I might remind you, was shortly after the attack on the Grangers!"

Harry paced in a tight circle, heart hammering against his chest. Draco had tried to kill Hermione, had succeeded in killing her mother. He was here at the school, he could try again. Thoughts swum around Harry's head like startled fish. He thought about the visions he'd had of the thing, the letter in Draco's pocket. There was something there, something creeping towards him on bloodstained feet. Whatever Draco and the Death Eaters were planning, Harry could feel it towering over him, over Hermione, ready to crash down.

Harry snarled. He had to assume that the visions were false, yet another trick on the part of Voldemort. But what? What could their plans be? Harry could only think of one way of finding out, and the bottom of his stomach fell out to even think of it.

Snape looked exasperated as he watched Harry pace furiously. "Are you finished with your tantrum?"

Harry swung about, his mind made up. "Probitatis!" Harry shouted, a very specific question on his mind.

There it was, as clear as the sight of the Potions Master had been a second before. Harry saw Professor Snape walk up to the blank wall concealing the Slytherin common room, and speak the pass phrase. Angra Mainyu.

Harry pulled free from the Legilimency vision, as Snape reeled backwards. "What do you think you're doing?"

Harry already had his wand out, and pointed at his Professor, so it was a simple matter to hurl a Full Body Bind at him. For good measure, Harry shot ropes from the end of his wand which twined themselves about his torso just before he toppled over backwards.

Harry walked over to Snape, and knelt down. "Sorry about this, but I think Voldemort's planning something right now. And I really, really need to know what. Sorry, sir."

Harry bolted from the room, running as fast as he could toward the lower level dungeons. He skidded to a halt before a section of blank wall, so very familiar from his most recent vision. The trick to getting the information, he thought, would be absolute and unquestioning fear. He needed Draco afraid. Harry yelled at the wall. "Angra Mainyu!"

The bricks shifted and ground together, each stone sliding to one side or another. Harry stormed into the Slytherin common room, and a dozen faces turned in shock to look at him. In the back, Harry saw Crabbe and Goyle staring at him in slack jawed awe. "Draco!" Harry thundered. "Where is that dead man!"

Crabbe pointed to a door at Harry's right. It was Draco's dormitory, the one Harry had glimpsed in his vision. A quick Reducto and the heavy oaken door was reduced to splintered shards swinging crazily from a surviving hinge.

"Draco!" Harry ground out as pieces of smoking wood drifted down around the common room. "Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused here?"

Malfoy sauntered out of his room, brushing splinters from his school robes. "Spare me the plebeian morality, Potter. I don't care."

Harry gritted his teeth so hard, he felt flakes of enamel. "I want to know what little plan you're working on, Death Eater."

Draco sneered easily. "It isn't wise to level baseless accusations at innocent students. I imagine you'll be quite a bit of trouble for destroying my door, too. Well, well, I guess spring is coming early this year."

Harry lashed out with his wand, crying, "Supare!"

The cut curled down Draco's arm from shoulder to wrist, drawing blood and parting the sleeve of his robes. Visible as he flinched and grabbed his arm was the Dark Mark burnt into his forearm. A gasp ran though at least some of the Slytherins.

"Again, Death Eater!" Harry stalked forward. "What's the plan?"

Draco pressed a hand flat to his shirt pocket. "Nothing. I don't know anything."

Harry's bright green eyes narrowed. Draco wasn't afraid, not yet. His hand pressed to his shirt pocket, it seemed affected somehow. "Try again. Start with what's in your pocket."

"Letter from home?" Draco smiled too easily.

"Pull it out." Harry held his wand on Draco as the blond withdrew a letter from his shirt pocket. It was the same one Harry had seen in his vision, with the skull and snake device affixed to the wax seal. Without prompting, Draco held the letter out for Harry to examine.

Harry's eyes widened, then hardened. He had a sudden hunch as to what the letter was. Harry stepped backward sharply, keeping Draco in his sight. "I don't think I want to touch that bloody thing!"

Draco looked a little stunned. For the first time, a hint of panic shone in his pale eyes. With a flick of the hands, he threw the letter at Harry.

Harry jerked his wand at the letter. "Immobulus," he yelled, freezing the letter in midair.

Draco took advantage of his distraction to draw his wand. Harry used his off hand to summon the wand wordlessly from Draco's grip. The blond boy's ebony wand arced skyward, and landed in Harry's left hand. He tucked it into his pants pocket.

"How- how did you do that?" Draco gestured to Harry's now-empty hand as he spoke.

"The better question," Harry said with a tight smile, "is what am I going to do next. I'm guessing that letter is a portkey. I want to know where it goes."

From the way the Slytherin's eyes widened, Harry realized he'd guessed right about the letter. Draco looked around the Slytherin common room urgently, clearly desperate for rescue. "I- I don't know what you're babbling about!"

"Fine. The hard way then." Harry snarled. "Iacto Draco!"

With a wave, Harry slammed the blond boy into the corner, and kept him pinned there several feet off the ground. Harry stomped up to Draco, shaking with anger. "Tell me where the portkey goes. What's the plan?"

"I'm not telling you anything, Scarhead!" Draco tried to look haughty pinned to the wall. He tried to sound nonchalant "I guess you'll just have to kill me."

Harry slammed Draco into the ceiling before sliding him down the wall to eye level. "I know you tried to murder Hermione. You got her mother killed," he growled, low and dangerous. "Please, keep lying to me. I want to beat it out of you."

Draco looked terrified now. "It's a trap. I was supposed to get you to touch it, and the Dark Lord would do the rest. I don't know where it goes to."

"I believe you." Harry looked at Draco, and turned away. Spinning back, he punched Draco as hard as he could in the chin. Draco bounced off the wall and crumpled to the floor, unconscious. Harry turned back to the letter, still drifting midair. He waved his wand hand over it. "Nocis Vocis Remandant ."

An image of a decaying Jacobite manor house wavered into view over the letter. Harry looked up at Crabbe and Goyle. "Do you two recognize this?"

Goyle looked over, face white. "Malfoy Manor. It's on Foulness Island, south of QinetiQ."

Harry grinned nastily. "Thanks."

He turned around and walked out of the common room. Crabbe cleared his throat and spoke up. "What are you going to do?

"Pick a fight." With that, Harry disappeared around the corner. The Slytherins stared at one another for a while.

Goyle looked over at Crabbe. "Should we get help?"

Crabbe shrugged. "Dunno. Think it's safe to move?"

Harry was already a floor away, running at full speed. He grabbed hold of the banister for the lower stairs, and used it to stop himself. He turned and ran up the stairs, lungs burning in his chest. He knew he didn't have much time to get out before either Snape or the Slytherins got Dumbledore's attention. Harry slid to a halt in front of the portrait hole leading into Gryffindor Tower. He tried breathing deeply, and acting as calm as possible. He couldn't afford for anyone in the tower figure out what he was up to.

Harry gave the password, and walked very calmly and coolly up the stairs to the his dormitory. Hermione waved him over, but he just shook his head and kept going. She looked worried, but not enough to come over and stop him. Harry slipped into his dorm room, and locked the door with his wand.

Harry tossed his trunk, looking for everything he needed. From the bottom, he pulled up his father's invisibility cloak, and threw it on. For good measure, he taped his head with his wand and disillusioned himself. Then he stood up on his bed to pull down another item he needed.

From Draco, Harry had learned that Voldemort's plan was stupidly simply; lure Harry into yet another a trap. He smiled to himself. What it meant to him was that Harry knew exactly where to find his nemesis. And with all the Death Eater's attention focused on the point they expected him to portky into, Harry thought he'd have an excellent chance of slipping in behind them.

No one else needs to die, he thought as he tore his coverlet into strips and tied them around his chest.

A minute longer he worked, and then another. Finally Harry was finished. He grabbed his Firebolt, ran to the window, and threw it open. He winced as he thought of one more thing he had to do before he could go. He paused grabbing a quill and a scrap of parchment from his bedside table and dashed off a quick note. He tossed the note onto his bed, and then leaped from the window. Tucking the broom beneath him, Harry pulled up from his free fall, and sped off towards the Forbidden Forest.

Once I clear the wards, he thought as the wind pulled at his hair, I can Apparate to Foulness Island.

* * *

The portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room opened abruptly, and Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stepped through, moving with more urgency that anyone had seen before in the headmaster. McGonagall headed up the stairs towards Harry's dormitory, as Dumbledore addressed the students still in the common area.

"Excuse me for being abrupt," Dumbledore said, "but have any of you seen Mister Potter tonight?"

Hermione's eyes went wide. "He's in his room, sir."

All eyes turned to the sixth year boys dormitory door, where Professor McGonagall was using her wand to force the lock open. She swept in, and out of sight.

"You'd better be in there," Hermione whispered desperately.

McGonagall came down the stairs waving a piece of parchment. "Albus! You'd best see this!"

When she reached the common room, Dumbledore took the letter, and scanned it very briefly. "Oh, dear. It seems Mister Potter has gone and done something rather rash."

The aging wizard turned to his students. "I rather doubt it, but is there any chance any of you know where Mister Potter might have gone?"

Hermione shook her head, eyes bright.

A Boreal owl descended from Harry's dormitory, gliding downward to land lightly on the wingback chair next to the Headmaster. Hermione looked over, and saw the neat handwriting adorning the letter. It was from Mafalda Hopkirk from the Improper Use of Magic Office. Dumbledore took the letter, and the owl departed in a flurry of noiselessly beating wings.

Dumbledore opened the letter, and scanned it quickly. He turned to Professor McGonagall, looking grim. "He has Apparated away-"

"Apparated!" McGonagall looked stricken.

"We know where he has gone to," he said calmingly. "Please go alert the others, and we will go after him. A good many of our... friends should be at the Old Place."

As McGonagall left through the portrait hole, Dumbledore turned to address the Gryffindors. "Mister Potter will be back shortly. Please all of you, wait here and remain calm. There is nothing for you to be concerned about."

"This letter, however, is for you." He handed Hermione the scrap of parchment McGonagall had been waving as she ran down from Harry's dormitory. And with that, Dumbledore fled the common room as quickly as possible.

She looked the letter over. It was torn off of his Artifaction notes, scrawled in his crabbed and awkward writing.

Hermione,

I realized I have a lot I want to say to you. Wish I had more time, since it's not fair to say some things in a letter. Please know I'm going to do what I have to, and if I can, I promise I'll will be back.

PS: If I don't come back, Draco's the one who set your family up. You should know.

He hadn't signed it.

Hermione took a deep breath, chewing her lip and blinking furiously. She nodded to herself, then flew up to her dorm room at a run. She was back moments later, wearing simple muggle clothing and pulling her messy hair up into a bun as she jogged down the stairs. Her wand hung from a D-ring at her side, and the top of the Magic Pez dispenser poked up over her hip pocket.

She started for the portrait hole, but Ron grabbed her arm to stop her. "Where do you think you're going? Dumbledore said there was nothing to worry about."

"And you believe him?" She looked half wild.

"Er, sort of, I guess." Ron lowered his arm, seeming sheepish.

"'Sort of' isn't good enough for me." Hermione headed for the portrait hole, but was stopped again as Ron jumped in front of her.

"And how do you expect to figure out where Harry is, exactly?"

She stomped her foot in irritation. "Something Harry saw or did set him off. He studies with Snape most nights, so I should be able to start there. All I have to do is retrace his steps, and I can find him."

Ron looked serious, an unexpected look on his usually mobile features. "And if he's toddling off to find You Know Who, what then?"

"Then I'm going with him." Hermione drilled him with a glare that burned.

"Right then." Ron fingered his Prefect badge for a moment, then tossed it and his robe aside. He loosened his tie and followed her to the portrait hole. "Just checking, let's go."

Ron and Hermione closed the portrait hole behind them, looking around to see if anyone was watching them. The castle stairs were deserted. Just then the portrait hole behind them opened again and Ginny, Neville, and Seamus poured out. Ginny looked pale, Neville was grim, and Seamus was rolling up his sleeves. "What're you starin' at?" Seamus looked at the two of them with a nervous grin on his face. "We figured you'd need at least one Irishman if you wanted to take on a Dark Lord."

Ron groaned and rolled his eyes. Hermione just nodded and started off down the staircase. "We don't have much time!"

At the first landing she nearly ran headlong into Crabbe and Goyle, running up from the lowest levels. "Oy!" Goyle wheezed. "We was lookin' for you."

"No time," Hermione said brusquely as she sidestepped the two of them and continued down. "I've got to find Harry."

"Malfoy Manor," Goyle said with a grimace, holding onto the stitch in his side and gasping. "Draco's workin' for You Know Who, tried to set him up. But Blondie still has a Portkey set for the manor."

Hermione stiffened. "Then I want Draco."

"Potter sent 'im to hospital wing," Goyle said, holding onto his chest and trying to breath.

Hermione pivoted about, and tore off towards the infirmary. Crabbe and Goyle shook their heads disbelievingly, and tried to keep up.

Seamus shot an ugly look over at the two thugs. "An' why should we believe the likes of you?"

"Slytherins talk a good game," Goyle answered between puffs. "'I'm gon'ter take over the wizarding world.' 'S just noise, somethin' to say to your mates around a pint. But Voldemort's got a real yen for destruction. Could really do it. And where are me an' me mate wifou' Honeydukes?"

Crabbe smiled. "Sides, birds dig a bloke wif' ethics..."

Hermione slammed bodily into the oversized infirmary doors. Pushing off of them, the pulled the right hand leaf open and pounded into the hospital wing. Draco looked up nervously from his spot in a brass bed on the right hand side, his head and one arm swathed in bandages.

Madam Pomfrey strode out from her office. "Miss Granger! What is the meaning of this? I can't have you disturbing my patients at all hours of the-"

"Sorry," Hermione said with a wince. She pulled her wand free of it's clip. "Petrificus Totalus!"

Madam Pomfrey toppled over onto one her her beds, frozen in a look of indignation.

Draco looked back and forth between Madam Pomfrey's frozen form and Hermione's towering anger. "You just attacked a teacher!"

Ron shrugged. "Old hat for us."

Seamus pushed a bed over in front of the doorway out, and Ginny used her wand to lock it more thoroughly. Draco pulled the sheets up tighter about his throat, all too aware that Potter had taken his wand.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Ron, hold Draco down! Neville, fetch the Blood Replenishing potion. Madam Pomfrey should have some in the cabinet behind her desk."

Ron looked at her strangely, but Neville ran off into the office.

Draco looked whiter than his linens. His voice broke as he spoke. "Blood replenishing potion?"

Hermione grabbed one of the glasses from his sideboard and shattered it against the wall. She extracted a long shard of glittering glass."Yes. If you bleed to death, you can't tell us how to get to Harry.

Draco swallowed hard. "You're bluffing."

Ron pinned Draco idly with one hand, holding the other out to forestall Hermione. "Uh, you know how Harry's note said this rat told the Death Eaters where to find your family?"

Hermione ripped Draco's shirt open from collar to hem. The slender Slytherin tried to wiggle away, but Ron's hand held him firmly in place. Hermione looked up at Ron, eyes burning. "How could I forget, Ron"

"Right." Ron nodded at the shard of glass glittering in her hand. "I don't think you should be the one questioning him."

"Why not?" Hermione appeared to be working up her courage as she stood straighter and licked her lips. "It's not like I don't have sufficient motive to torture him or anything."

Goyle leaned sideways and whispered to Crabbe. "Didn't we just leave this party."

Crabbe nodded quietly. "Match made in 'Eaven, those two."

Goyle winced. "I was thinkin' abou' somewheres south o' that."

Draco gasped, staring up at the glass sliver hanging like the sword of Damocles over his head. "The portkey's in my pocket. Activation word's 'vengeance.'"

Ron clearly wasn't paying any attention. "Why don't you leave him to me, or Neville."

Hermione adjusted her grip on the glass shard, trying not to look in Draco's eyes. "No, really. I'll be fine. He'll talk."

Draco giggled hysterically. "Honestly, I've a portkey in my pocket! Aren't you listening to me?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Ron shrugged, and Hermione licked her lips again. "He could be lying?"

"You crazy bint, I'm a Death Eater!" Draco struggled against Ron's restraining hand. "Keep her away from me!"

Ron drew his wand. "Stupefy!"

Hermione reached into Draco's pocket with an expression of profound distaste, and withdrew an envelope with a Dark device affixed to the wax seal. "Well, I suppose that worked."

"What now?" Ron looked around the infirmary.

"Who ever's coming, gather 'round." Hermione walked into the center of the room, holding out the letter in front of her. For a moment, déja vu washed over her. She saw herself, standing where she was now, holding out her time turner for Harry to loop over his head. She shook the image off, and looked around at everyone. "You should probably all stay here."

The other students gathered around, each getting at least a finger on the letter. Crabbe and Goyle reached in, and got their stocky mitts on the letter. Seamus looked over and coughed.

Hermione looked up at them uncertainly. "Why are you coming? And don't tell me it's because you don't want to loose a tutor."

Goyle looked sullen. "Good odds me dad's in that manor. I want to stop him before he gets himself killed."

Hermione sighed. "You know there's a good chance he might not care to listen to you."

Goyle's jaw clenched. "Gotta try, I suppose."

Hermione nodded, then looked over at Crabbe. He shrugged, pointed at Goyle.

Ron shrugged. "Stupid enough reason. You're in."

There was a very polite knocking at the infirmary doors, and everyone's head swiveled to look. Hermione set her jaw. "Everybody ready?"

"Excuse me," came the dreamy voice from the other side of the doors. It was Luna. "There seems to be something blocking the door."

Seamus groaned, and Ron glared at him. Extricating himself from the tightly knit pile of people, Ron ran to the doors and pulled the bed to one side.

Hermione hissed. "We don't have time for this, Ron!"

Luna pushed the doors open, and tripped into the room. Her blond hair was in even more disarray than usual, and she was winded from dragging a ridiculously bulging sack. Her wide grey eyes took in the infirmary, the stunned and wounded Draco, and the petrified Madam Pomfrey. Finally, she looked over at the group of people clutching the letter. Luna pushed errant strands of dirty blond hair behind her ear. "Portkey?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah."

She blinked slowly. "Harry's gone, and we're chasing after him."

Ron shrugged. "Pretty much."

Luna dragged the bag over to the group of students. "Let's hope this rescue goes better than the last one."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Luna?" Hermione looked at the young Ravenclaw worriedly. "I'm sure we'll be walking into a trap."

Luna shook the bag. "Ever since I got that letter from Harry, I was confident this was how we'd spend our spring session. I've been collecting."

Ron elbowed in between Crabbe and Seamus. "Push over!"

With a great deal of jostling, Ron and Luna situated themselves in the ring of students. Ron cleared his throat. "I just wanted to say, you're all really great, you know."

Crabbe straightened his tie. "I know."

"Oh, holy cricket," Hermione muttered. "Vengeance!"

There was a noise like the rushing of air, a brief light, and then finally a small pop.

The room was still, empty save for two unconscious bodies.

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