Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let J.K.R sue me.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Thursday, 30 May
Pansy watched Vincent carefully. He didn't seem any different than before he'd disappeared for two whole days. Actually, that was somewhat of a lie. Before he'd disappeared, he'd been quiet and reserved. Now he was much more lively. He smiled, paid attention to what she said, and even contributed in class and during their homework study sessions.
But there was something definitely wrong. She would have known that instinctively, even if it hadn't been odd that Vincent no longer wanted to have sex, or change in the same room as herself and Gregory. He didn't even like to hold her hand, and more than once, Pansy had caught him rubbing his left forearm subconsciously.
It was obvious that he had been Marked - they all knew it - but Vincent still hadn't said a word about it. That worried Pansy more than she let on, and by the bags under Gregory's eyes, she had no doubt that he was worrying about it late at night instead of sleeping as well.
Luna was still in the hospital wing, screaming about fire and death and other things that sent a chill up Pansy's spine despite not being able to understand it properly. Colin hadn't moved from her side, not even when Dumbledore himself suggested that he leave to at least eat or sleep on a more comfortable bed.
Vincent? Pansy called in her mind, more than the hundredth time since he'd gone, and more than the twentieth that day itself.
There was still no response, and no indication on his face that he'd heard her thoughts. This, combined with everything else that was happening, made her feel nauseous and Pansy left the room quickly, mumbling something about fresh air.
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Ginevra let out a grunt as her body slammed against the stone wall, head head connecting with the large stones and blood seeping out across her scalp and trailing down her neck. Her eyes went red as the smell of her blood filled her nose, and she fought the need to Drink.
She didn't have time to focus on the blood for long, instead Ginevra moved her head sharply to the left as a fist came towards her. Barely dodging more fists and feet that flew at her, she tried hard to fight back.
"Enough," Agnes' voice was quiet, but her one word had everyone stilling immediately. "Drink now. You are allowed three minutes rest."
The vampires in the room were gone by the time Agnes finished her sentence. Ginevra healed her head and slumped to the floor, feeling exhausted. She hadn't anything to Drink in four days, and the amount of bloodshed that was occurring in these training sessions was all but driving her insane.
"You are doing well, Ginevra. Try not to think about the blood, and rather on the change. You have done it before, and you can do it again," Agnes said with a smile, offering her a bottle of water. "Just because you are forbidden from Drinking, it does not mean that you should deny your body necessary fluids," she said when Ginevra looked at her with a frown.
"Thank you," she replied, drinking from the bottle quickly.
She wished it was blood. Draco's blood. His sweet, sweet blood sliding down her throat, the feel of his pulse under her fingers, beneath her mouth, each pump of his heart sending more of that delicious liquid into her...
"How long can we survive without blood?" Ginevra asked, her throat thick with need.
"The longest survivor was six years. However, he also went insane, so I would suggest you gain control sooner than that," Agnes replied, a slight smile on her face.
Ginevra managed a nod and stood up again. By the time she had done so, the vampires she was training against had come back into the room.
"Again," Agnes said.
A foot came towards her, and Ginevra had exactly a half second to wonder how Lettie was going before she dodged the foot, and tried to bring out her Vampiress side.
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Lettie Disapparated from the mansion carefully, as per Miles' instructions. She had no desire to get splinched in a place that not even the Ministry could detect, and therefore, not be healed properly. Shuddering briefly, she composed herself before straightening her jacket. Lettie hoped that she passed for a Muggle well enough. Colin had been helping her with various terms before she left Hogwarts, and had said that she was doing well, but Lettie wasn't sure if he had been humouring her or not. He had no idea that she would need to utilise the lessons so soon, after all.
"Ms. Lettington?" a voice queried.
Lettie turned around a second later, remember the alias she'd used for this.
"I'm Marissa Ferguson. Nice to meet you," the real estate agent said, holding out her hand.
"How do you do?" she asked with a smile, shaking the real estate agent's hand briefly but firmly.
"Well, thank you. Why don't you come inside? I was told that your client is absolutely in love with this apartment?" she said, sounding amused.
She headed upstairs and Lettie had to hurry after her.
"Yes, my Lady is quite taken with the apartment," Lettie replied.
"A Lady?"
Lettie froze on the stairs, her hand heading towards her wand. Had she already screwed up?
"My, how traditional. I haven't heard of many Ladies who still use their title. Well, apart from the Royals, and a few grandparents," Marissa said with a laugh.
Lettie laughed briefly, trying to ease her own nerves. "She comes from a very traditional family; it is all that she has known."
"Of course. Now, would you like to take some photos of the place, or were the ones on the website suitable enough for your client?"
"I am just here to ensure that everything is in order. My Lady will be able to sign the lease when it has been drawn up," Lettie replied, waiting somewhat impatiently for the real estate agent to find the right key to open the door.
"I must say that she is very lucky to have a PA like you then. Most people hate leaving things for other people to decide. Just make sure she doesn't get you painting the walls for her," Marissa said, unaware of the glare that Lettie was directing at her.
"I sincerely doubt that will happen."
The door opened, and Marissa hurried inside to open the curtains and light the apartment naturally.
Lettie followed her slowly, looking at everything critically. The walls were cracked slightly, the carpet stained with an unknown substance, and if she had blinked, Lettie might have missed the kitchen. However, from the window, Lettie could see that it was the same tower that her Lady had seen in her vision, and the other things could be fixed long before they needed to utilise the apartment.
Marissa was standing by the window, looking as if she was trying to compose her anxiousness. This apartment had been on the market for almost two months; something that was all but unheard of in a place that was so close to Central London.
Lettie smiled briefly, but it was somewhat strained after seeing the small size of the second bedroom. Even if it did have a balcony, it looked like it couldn't even fit a double bed!
"Is everything satisfactory, Ms. Lettington?"
"Not quite. We will require an inspection by a qualified pest specialist, mould specialist, and an electrician to ensure that none of the outlets are faulty. My client has instructed me that she will pay 270,000 pounds for the apartment, not a pound more or less. We will also need to meet with the building's maintenance officer, and there will be changes made to the kitchen with both the maintenance people and the council's permission."
Marissa's eyes widened slightly - 270,000 pounds was actually more than the asking price - but she nodded quickly. "Of course, Ms. Lettington. That can all be arranged," she hurried to appease her. "When can your client be ready to sign the paperwork?"
"Contact me when the specialists have finished their reports. I would like to review them before any further action is taken; I do not like to disturb my client if it is not necessary," Lettie replied, handing Marissa a business card.
"You don't have a phone or email address?" she asked, startled by the minimal information on the card. It was no more than Ms. Lettington's name (not even a first name, at that) and an address to write to.
"Phone reception is all but non-existent in my current location, and as the Internet is slow, I hardly bother with it," Lettie waved off, hoping she'd said it all right. "Please mail me as soon as possible; my client is quite eager to move closer to the city."
"Of ... of course," Marissa replied. "Thank you."
Lettie replied with a nod and left the apartment. Heading down the stairs, Lettie didn't stop until she'd walked out of the entire neighbourhood itself. She stopped at a park, resting on the bench and trying to calm her nerves. She couldn't believe she'd done it. She'd passed herself off as a Muggle - a personal assistant, in fact - and she hadn't had to Obliviate anyone!
A small laugh escaped her, and Lettie tried to keep her hands from shaking. She ignored the suspicious look from a mother nearby, even when the woman pulled her son away when he wandered towards the bench. Lettie stayed at the park for a few minutes longer before leaving to Apparate somewhere more inconspicuous.
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Draco snarled angrily as his flight was cut short by another Veelan, a spiked mace swinging towards him. He dodged it quickly, pulling his wings in before the spikes could break his wings. He plummeted down briefly, grabbing the ankles of the one carrying the mace. He wasn't allowed a weapon until he could bring someone else down. Ravi had already chosen his weapon- a crossbow that made him look like a fearsome Cupid.
Wings in, left turn, upward angle, dodge arrow, sword sharp. All of the other Veelans' thoughts were bombarding his mind, and Draco couldn't even concentrate long enough to block them out. He had to get past their thoughts; they were driving him not only to distraction, which could be fatal in its own sense, but somewhat insane as well. It had gotten so bad that Draco could hardly tell which thoughts were his own, and which belonged to his kin.
The person he'd grabbed on to struggled free of his grip, kicking him a few times in the head to do so. He let go with a grunt of pain and flew straight up into the entanglement of bodies above. They were all fighting against each other; yet there were no definite sides that anyone could align themselves to. It seemed that they were all fighting to be the last man standing. Or flying.
That was his thought, at least.
Clinging to the thought, Draco rose higher into the sky. His wings spread to their full length for a brief moment, casting shadows on the Veelans below him. He brought his wings in fast and sharp, diving down into the fray. He grabbed onto the nearest Veelan and continued to plummet down futher and faster. Whoever he had a hold of didn't stand a chance. The momentum of Draco's downward flight, as well as the added combination of his weight and gravity, meant that there was little even a full fledged Veelan could do.
Draco slammed into the ground, still holding onto the Veelan tightly.
"Good work, Draconius. Choose your weapon," Garion said.
Draco let go of his mentor, springing away and staying in the air for a few moments, unsure whether Garion was pleased or not.
"Hurry and choose your weapon before you get dragged back into the fight," Garion added, a slight grin tugging at his lips as he flew up into the air once more.
Draco landed softly and headed to the meagre weapon supply that was left. There were a few maces and clubs, but they were left there for a reason. Unless someone was experienced at flying, a hard swing of a mace could have the Veelan spinning as well, making it a very difficult weapon to fight with properly. There were a set of darts and a pipe, but Draco didn't think he'd be able to concentrate on flying while he was trying to aim and shoot the darts at someone as well.
His ears and body responded before Draco really comprehended what was happening, and he found himself flat on the ground mere seconds before a Veelan could pull him into the air. Getting up, Draco didn't bother to dust himself off. Instead, he chose two daggers as his weapon and flew up into the battle once more.
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Wednesday, 5 June
Vincent slipped out of the room quietly, careful not to disturb his lovers. He shut the door behind him, making sure that the door closed softly and didn't slam. He crept along the corridor quickly, heading to Ginevra's old room.
With one last look around him, Vincent left through the tunnel in the wardrobe. Once inside the dark tunnel, he fastened his pace, not wanting to be away longer than he needed to be.
He didn't notice the Erkling who was running after him, quieter than Vincent's distracted mind could hear. Relo frowned when Vincent stopped suddenly in the corridor, and tip-toed after him as he left through a tapestry door.
The Room of Requirement door appeared after a few seconds of impatient waiting, and Vincent went inside instantly, not even bothering to look around. Relo followed him inside before the door closed, the Room immediately covering the Erkling in shadows as was his requirement.
Vincent weaved his way through the tables and shelves of hidden secrets and forgotten treasures. He did it confidently and without stopping to look at his surroundings, as others might have done. It was clear that he had been in the room before.
Stopping in front of a large cupboard, Vincent opened the large double doors and sat on a stool that materialised. He began to fix the Vanishing Cabinet, mending broken bits of wood while the cupboard's twin sat in Borgin and Burke's shop in Knockturn Alley.
Relo clamped his hands over his mouth when he realised what Vincent was doing. This was not going to be good, not for anyone or anything, he thought decisively, leaving the Room as quietly as he had arrived.
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Lightning crackled in her hair and her teeth extended as Ginevra fought off the vampires. One of the women had said something about Draco, about her Draco, and Ginevra had lost it. She knew that they were just baiting her, but she couldn't help her emotional response. She lashed out at the woman, tearing her cheek with her long nails.
The woman hissed back angrily, jumping at her faster than mortal eyes could see. Ginevra, however, was in her Vampiress mode, so the jump seemed to be in slow motion. She moved away from the attack and pushed the woman to the side, turning to the others as she hit the wall with a loud thud.
They all came at her then, their own Vampiress and Vampire modes coming out completely. They had more control over it than she did, that much was obvious, but Ginevra was angrier and Thirstier than they were. In a matter of minutes, all four vampires were lying on the floor, and Ginevra was standing above them with red eyes and lightning hair.
"Very good, Ginevra. Again," Agnes said.
"Can I have something to Drink?" Ginevra asked, her voice a pitiful sound that even she loathed.
"Not until you have mastered it. Again," Agnes replied, nodding to the others.
Ginevra growled low in her throat, but didn't attack her mentor. Instead, she turned back to the vampires surrounding her, glaring and snarling as if it was their fault she hadn't had anything to Drink yet.
She leapt at them before they had a chance to get up completely, and Ginevra punched and kicked to keep them down.
Agnes just stood to the side and watched, a slight smile on her face.
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Thursday, 6 June
Luna was still confined to her bed, despite waking up almost two days ago. She'd started talking in a mixture of Latin and Greek, and neither Madam Pomfrey nor Theodore thought it wise to let her leave the hospital wing quite yet. She could understand their concern, but lying in bed with nothing to do and everything to See was doing very little to improve Luna's health and mood.
It didn't help things when they'd discovered that before now, she'd never spoken a word of Greek in her life. The language was nice, but Luna would have started talking in Mermish if she thought it would get her out of the hospital ward any quicker. Apparently, the fact that she'd checked herself in was not a factor.
Apollo understood Greek, of course, so Colin came to visit her every day, bringing Luna all of her class work so she wouldn't fall behind. Their final exams were starting soon, and she didn't want to fail. She tried not to think about everything that she Saw when Colin came to visit, trying not to think about the possibility of not having to do the exam, or the death and horror she had seen with it. She tried not to think about betrayal and torture, and tried not to think about the future.
Luna wanted to actually spend time with Colin when he was with her, and despite Cassandra's warnings and the unpredictability of her visions, she tried to actually pay attention and not See.
Colin noticed Luna's determination when he was with her, but said nothing on it, and continued to help her study. He knew how important Seeing was to her - to everyone, in fact - and didn't want her not to See because of him.
"It will start tonight," Luna's voice came out rough as her eyes rolled back into her head.
She clutched Colin's arm so tight that he couldn't move. Pomfrey had been called to the Quidditch pitch to tend to an accident so she couldn't help anyway. Luna was still talking in Greek and Latin, and it took Colin a moment to translate what she was saying into English.
"The greatest one will fall,
Marking the beginning of the fight.
The start of the wizarding war,
Revealed at the greatest height."
Elsewhere in the castle, her sherry-laced tea staining the carpet, Trewlaney was echoing Luna's words.
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Albus finished writing the letters, whistling briefly to Fawkes. The phoenix flew over immediately, leaving once he had the two envelopes in his claws. Albus sighed as he watched the magnificent bird fly up into the sunset. It was usually such a moving and wonderful sight, but tonight it wasn't enough to raise the Headmaster's spirits.
He closed the window and began to pack up his office. He wanted to leave it tidy for when Minerva became Headmaster of Hogwarts, and he had very little time.
Satisfied with his job, Albus began his walk to the Astronomy Tower; the highest point in the Hogwarts castle.
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Vincent watched as Albus stood before him. The Headmaster looked as calm as he ever did or had, despite the fact that Vincent's wand was pointed directly at him.
"You do not have to do this, Vincent. I know that you don't want to," Albus said, moving towards him with slow careful motions.
A flash of an image appeared in Vincent's mind. Pansy, bloodied and broken, her face swollen and her heart barely beating.
"I do have to. I have to protect her, them. I have to do this," Vincent said, his teeth gritted. "G-get back."
"Whatever Voldemort - " Vincent winced, hating himself for it. " - has promised you, I can guarantee that it will not help anything that you think is going to happen," Albus said, stepping closer still.
"He can stop it. He's promised me the power to stop it. She won't be hurt like that. Not ever," Vincent said.
His hand wavered, despite his determination to keep Pansy safe. Vincent didn't want to kill Albus, but if it meant saving Pansy from that terrible fate, then he would.
"You have had many chances to kill me, Vincent. You could have done it any time before now, and you haven't. We both know that you won't now," Albus said, his voice quiet and understanding. "If you come with me now, we can protect you. You can save her."
"I can't. You can't. He's too powerful," Vincent said, his voice wavering more than his hand.
Pansy, bloodied. Pansy, broken. Pansy, bruised. Pansy, dying because he was too weak to stop it from happening.
Suddenly, as Vincent was still convincing himself that this was the best thing to do, Albus raised his own wand, a spell on his lips. Vincent reacted faster than he thought he could, using the Expelliarmus spell to disarm him before he could finish. Albus looked satisfied rather than worried. Seconds later, a dagger was flying at Vincent. This one he didn't have time to deflect, and it embedded itself deep in his chest. Crying out in pain, Vincent fell to his knees, his wand clutched tightly in his fist. He sent another spell at Albus, watching in horror as the Headmaster began to fall back out of the window. Vincent struggled to his feet - to do what, he had no idea - and he tried to reach for Albus. He was too weak from the dagger to get there in time, and Albus fell to his death.
Vincent threw up, sickened by what he had done, as well as the blood loss. He didn't think that pulling the dagger out would be a good thing, but then he hadn't always had four hands. Vincent stumbled to the doorway, doing a spell at his chest to stop the bleeding - it was useful being friends with a healer.
He was losing blood too quickly, and he felt light-headed. The hospital wing was too far away to treat this in time, so Vincent went to the only place he knew where he could keep this a secret from his lovers and his friends: the Room of Requirement.
Still hidden, Harry watched as Vincent left the Astronomy Tower, while outside on the cold ground, the Headmaster lay dead.
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Friday, 7 June
Dear Miss Ginevra Weasley,
I do apologise for interrupting your studies, as I understand how important they are, and how important they will
be to come. With this apology, you will understand how reluctant I am to ask anything of you, especially considering
you have barely left to start your new life.
Yet, the worst is coming to pass, and I must ask you one favour before I am rid of the ability to ask it of you at
all.
I will die tonight, or at least very soon, and while I do not doubt the power and strength of those in my current
employment, I do fear that the opposition may be stronger and more powerful at this given moment. Therefore, I ask of
you this: please return to Hogwarts and protect the people, creatures, and beings within its' walls.
Again, I must apologise once more, and I hope that this letter finds you well.
Wishing you all the best now and in the future.
Regards,
Albus Dumbledore.
It was a simply written letter, but it managed to bring tears to Ginevra's eyes as she read it. She didn't bother thinking how Albus knew his death was so near; the man had always known things that no one else could comprehend, and he was hardly ever wrong.
Ginevra was knocking on Agnes' door before Fawkes had even left the mansion grounds.
"Come in, my daughter," Agnes said with a smile. Her smile faltered when she saw Ginevra's face. "My dear, what is wrong?" she asked, beside Ginevra in a second.
"It's Albus. He needs me to go back to Hogwarts," Ginevra replied, showing her the letter.
Agnes read it in two seconds, her frown turning into one of sadness. "Very well. I will have Miles organise your transport right away. Have Lettie pack what you need," she instructed, ushering Ginevra out with a firm hand.
"My Lady, is everything all right?" Lettie asked, rushing over. She had felt Ginevra's emotions clearly, and had immediately left the stables to find her.
Miles was beside Lettie, a concerned look on his face.
"We need to get to Hogwarts right away," Ginevra said.
"Oh. Of course," Lettie said, going to leave.
Miles grabbed her hand and moved close to her, murmuring something in Lettie's ear that Ginevra was too preoccupied to hear. A light blush graced Lettie's cheeks and she nodded, her eyes flicking to Ginevra. Miles smiled briefly and let go of her hand, Lettie all but running down the corridor.
Ginevra looked at Miles for a moment, and then hurried after Lettie.
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Draco arrived at Hogwarts mere minutes before Ginevra and Lettie did. He thanked Julianne for bringing him and said goodbye before she left once more. As he was looking at the castle, Draco felt the air shift beside him. He turned with his wand drawn and his Veelan side at the ready. When he saw Ginevra and Lettie appear with Agnes, he lowered his wand and waited.
"This is a perfect opportunity to hone your skills as a Vampiress, and to ensure you have enough self-control," Agnes said to Ginevra, her eyes flicking to Draco.
"Yes, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied, sounding distracted. She hadn't stopped looking at Draco since they arrived. Her eyes were red, and she looked ready to run at him with fangs bared.
Agnes sighed softly and moved so that she was directly in Ginevra's line of vision. "Be safe, Ginevra. If this does turn out the way that Albus thinks it might, then there will be blood. You need to control yourself, is that understood?" she asked, her usually-quiet voice taking on a sterner tone.
"Yes, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied. This time she sounded determined rather than distracted. "I will be safe, and I promise that I will return," she added, smiling briefly.
"You should never make promises that are out of your control, my daughter. There are always too many unknown factors in war, and you cannot control all of them. Just promise me that you will not take any unnecessary risks," Agnes said.
"I promise," she said with a nod. "Thank you for all that you've done for me, Lady Agnes. I truly appreciate it," Ginevra said, hugging Agnes before she could object.
"I thank you as well, Lady Agnes," Lettie said, curtsying when Ginevra let go.
Agnes smiled at both of them and touched their shoulders gently. "It is I that should thank you, but I accept your thanks humbly and I wish for a quick return. Be safe," she said one more time. Agnes disappeared before they could reply.
"All right there, love?" Draco asked, directly in front of Ginevra not even a second later.
"I'm fine," Ginevra said, her face saying otherwise.
"And I'm part Hippogriff," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
Lettie laughed softly with a shake of her head as Draco pulled Ginevra in for a hug. She grabbed their bags and started up the hill to the castle. Moments later, a shudder ran through Lettie's body and she almost moaned. Ginevra was Drinking from Draco. With flushed cheeks, Lettie tried to redirect her thoughts anywhere else, and all but ran along the grass to Hogwarts.
Ginevra's eyes were all but glowing red when she pulled away from Draco, bloody lips curved into a grin. As she licked her lips, the glow began to fade and her brown eyes returned moments later.
"Hello to you too," Draco said, smirking.
"I'd apologise, but I don't think I could mean it," she replied with a grin, kissing him softly.
Draco deepened the kiss immediately, holding her flush up against his body, his hands tight on her waist. Licking her lips, he could taste his own blood. His hands moved up to caress Ginevra's face. A moment later he was holding her head tightly. His fangs sank into her neck. She moaned his name loudly. Blood flowed into his mouth. He felt two sharp points enter his wrist, and realised that Ginevra had taken his arm while he had been preoccupied. How absolutely cunning.
A loud, high-pitched terrified scream had them apart in a second. Ginevra and Draco looked at the first-year Hufflepuff with disdain, glowing red eyes, and bloody lips.
The girl fainted.
Ginevra turned to Draco, half of the mind to leave the foolish girl there and just continue Drinking from Draco.
"It's her own fault for being out here so early," Draco agreed to her silent question. "But seeing red-eyed, blood drinking demons first thing in the morning is probably scarier than anything else the Forest could think of."
Ginevra sighed and rested her head on Draco's shoulder. "Let's take her to the hospital wing before someone thinks we've murdered the girl."
She had barely finished her sentence when a large and familiar figure came down the hill, brandishing a pink umbrella. Hagrid stopped when he saw them, and then looked to the girl on the floor.
"What happened?" Hagrid asked, seeing the blood on their lips. He looked over the girl for injuries, but saw that she was fine.
"She saw us Drinking and fainted," Draco replied simply, not bothering with a lie.
"Why is a first year outside at this time of the morning anyway?" Ginevra asked with a frown.
"The whole castle's in an uproar this mornin'," Hagrid said, shaking his head.
Ginevra noticed the tears in Hagrid's eyes, and looked to Draco with a slight frown. They hadn't heard a thing from their friends, despite the letter that Albus had sent. He looked as perplexed as she felt.
"Professor D-Dumbledore," Hagrid began, his voice choking as large tears ran down his cheeks. "Prof-essor Dumbledore is dead," he said, sobbing into his hands.
Ginevra hurried to transfigure a large leaf into an even larger handkerchief, offering it to Hagrid.
He thanked her in between sobs and tears, blowing his nose loudly.
Grimacing at the sound, Draco looked to the girl who was still lying on the ground. "Will you be able to take the girl to the castle, Hagrid? I don't think she'd appreciate waking up to us," he said, a slight grin on his face.
Hagrid wiped his nose one more time and nodded. Grateful for a purpose, he set his shoulders firmly and picked up the young girl gently. He left without another word.
"Let's get inside and find out what's going on," Draco muttered to Ginevra.
She looked at his bloody lips once with longing, and then took his hand to run to their old rooms.
They arrived there within a minute, and both Ginevra and Draco were surprised to see Lettie just standing in the doorway, looking shocked.
"What's wrong?" Ginevra asked, putting her hand on Lettie's shoulder gently.
Lettie jumped as if she'd hit her hard, her eyes wide. She seemed too shocked to be able to say anything, and even her mind was too stunned for them to interpret properly.
Gently manoeuvring Lettie inside, Ginevra stepped past her cautiously, wondering what had set her into such a state of shock.
"Oh, my," Ginevra murmured softly, seeing the room properly. Rather, what was left of the room.
Everything was a mess, every breakable thing was broken, and pillars and rafters that Ginevra were sure couldn't be broken were splintered and cracked.
"What on earth happened here?" Draco asked, staring as well.
There was noise to the side, and all three raised their wands, not knowing who or what to expect. Neville came through the meeting room door, carrying a large box. He placed the box on the only empty spot on the floor, and looked at them, waiting until they lowered their wands to move closer.
"I'd say welcome back, but it's not really a welcoming atmosphere today," he said in a voice that was more sad and ironic than humorous.
"What happened, Neville?" Ginevra asked. "Pansy would kill you if she saw this mess," she added, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"No, she wouldn't. Pansy was the one who did all of this," Neville replied.
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Vincent woke up with a groan. It seemed that he had made it to the Room all right, and must have had some sort of clarity, because the dagger was beside him on the floor, and his wound was healed. Vincent didn't know if the Room had healed him, or if he had done it himself, but either way, he was grateful, alive, and in a lot of pain.
Sitting up, Vincent groaned again as his body ached in protest. He managed to stand up without too much trouble, and upon walking around, he found that he was in the secret Room of Requirement. He could see the Vanishing Cabinet from where he was standing.
On his forearm, the Dark Mark began to burn.
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On finding that Pansy had basically disappeared moments after her destruction, Ginevra and Draco went to look for her while Lettie helped Neville, Blaise and Seamus clean up the mess. The others had taken Gregory to the hospital wing. He had tried to stop Pansy, but she had hexed him along with everything else in the room.
"I think it'd be quicker if we split up. I'll take the lower levels, and you can take the higher ones," Ginevra said, kissing Draco briefly before she headed down towards the dungeons.
With one last look at Draco, Ginevra turned into a cat, running down the hallway to find her friend.
Draco headed up the staircase, hoping that Pansy hadn't hurt herself too much after everything she'd done and broken.
Twenty minutes later, Draco was making his way up to the seventh floor. He didn't dare use his Veelan charms as he had on lower levels. A stampede of love-crazed Gryffindors would be too much for him to handle.
He almost passed the Room of Requirement, when out of the corner of his eye, Draco noticed that the door was actually in the wall, but it looked exactly like the bricks around it. There was a slight discolouration on one of the door bricks if you knew where to look, and Draco had hidden things in the Room before. Thinking that Pansy may be in there, Draco started to think of his need to hide something, and reached out for the handle.
Before he could even touch it, however, the door blew off its hinges and directly at him. Draco was too close to even think of dodging the oncoming door. Half a second after it burst out of the frame, the large wooden door slammed into him, pushing him back and flattening him to the ground. Draco didn't move.
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Harry screamed so loud that Ron and Hermione considered Stunning him just to get him to stop. He had started almost a whole minute ago, and he hadn't even stopped to take a breath. The shocked look on Harry's face had them both worried, and the fact that he was clutching his scar as if it were trying to burn its' way out of his skin could only mean one thing: Voldemort had come to Hogwarts.
The screaming subsided slowly, and Harry gently peeled his hand off his forehead. His hand, and entire body, was trembling.
"We have to get everyone out," he said, his voice hoarse.
Hermione and Ron both nodded quickly, grateful that he was all right and no longer screaming.
"I'll get Professor McGonagall," Hermione said.
Before she could even stand up, McGonagall rushed into the Common Room. The portrait slammed behind her, the Fat Lady's high-pitched screams indicating that nothing was well outside of the Tower. McGonagall's chest heaved as she leant against the wall. When she saw the Common Room full of students - Harry had brought more attention than scared anyone off - she straightened and looked around for the elder students.
"Seventh years, gather around please," she said, breathless. "Everyone else, return to your rooms immediately. Barricade the doors with everything and anything you can find. Everything will be fine," she added, attempting to sound reassured. "Quickly now, all of you!"
The Headmistress' urgency caught on, and every gathered student hurried to do as she said.
"It's Voldemort, isn't it?" Harry asked, his voice hollow.
"Yes, it is. He knew about Albus' death, and he's come when we are at our weakest," McGonagall said, a mixture of sadness and hate in her voice. "Luckily, most of the students are in their Houses, studying for exams. There are some students who are wandering the halls, but I have the ghosts instructing them all to hide until they can return to their House."
"Isn't there anything we can do, Professor?" Hermione asked, her hand subconsciously moving towards her wand.
"Yeah, we can fight," Ron said, his wand already out.
"No, you are students, and I will not put your lives at risk like that. You are all under my care, I cannot ask you to do that," she replied immediately, shaking her head.
"With all due respect, Professor, I don't think it's up to you whether we fight or not," Harry said.
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Ginevra weaved her way through the dungeons, stopping every so often to look at any sort of movement that could possibly be Pansy.
It took her almost twenty minutes, but Ginevra eventually found Pansy lying on the corridor floor. She was curled up in a ball, her wand clutched in her fist. As Ginevra padded over to her, she could smell the blood that was coming from Pansy's knuckles. She meowed quietly, licking the blood off carefully.
Pansy didn't answer out loud nor in her head, but Ginevra knew that she appreciated her being there. She didn't turn back into a human for the simple reason that it was easier to curl up next to Pansy as a cat. Besides, she could probably offer more comfort as a feline than a mortal.
After a few moments, Pansy began to stroke her fur, large tears dampening Ginevra almost instantly. They stayed that way for a while, neither one thinking about anything that had happened, anything that was going to happen, and not realising what was happening at that moment.
It was only when heavy footsteps came towards them that Ginevra realised something was wrong. Students didn't travel this far into the dungeons purposely, the footsteps were too heavy to be anyone their age, and the people didn't smell overly hygienic either. Unfortunately, Ginevra knew instinctively that it wasn't Filch approaching.
Her fur raised on its end and she hissed, moving out closer to the people. Even in the dark corridor, her cat eyes could see the masks on the people's faces, and she spat and hissed at the Death Eaters.
"That Mrs. Norris?" one asked.
"Probably, Avery... Evil fucking cat."
"Pick her up, we'll give her a kick around," Avery said, laughing.
"I'm not gonna pick her up, you do it."
"Big, evil Death Eater you are, Dolohov. If the Dark Lord heard you talking like that, he'd rip out your heart."
"He'd have to know where a heart was first," Dolohov muttered too low for his companion to hear, but it was much clearer for Ginevra.
Avery came towards her, and she scratched at him angrily. How dare he try to touch her! The Death Eater cried out in pain and sent a hex at her. Ginevra yowled loudly, the Cruciatus Curse no match for her small body.
"Leave her alone!" Pansy yelled, hexing Avery.
The hex distracted the Death Eater, but it wasn't for long, and Ginevra couldn't move to get away anyway. Her body spasmed with the after effects of the Unforgivable Curse. Dolohov hit Pansy with a spell. She flew back against the wall and crumpled to the ground.
"Hey, isn't that..." Dolohov's question trailed off as he looked at Pansy properly. He nudged Avery when he seemed more preoccupied with the cat.
"What?" he muttered, then he looked at Pansy. "Oh yeah, it is too. Grab her and let's get out of here."
Dolohov flicked his wand and Pansy floated into the air. His friend hexed Ginevra one more time, laughing as she spasmed and twitched on the floor. Ginevra screamed until she thought her vocal cords would break. Pain filled her and she screamed and screamed and screamed. If she had any thoughts in her mind that weren't related to the pain she was feeling, Ginevra would have thought that the sound she was making would fill up the entire of the Hogwarts castle.
"Avery, leave the damn cat alone. Get a move on, before Voldemort comes down here himself," Dolohov hissed.
Avery stopped hexing the cat, muttering under his breath as he followed Dolohov out of the dungeons.
A hand reached out of the shadows and Ginevra felt herself being lifted off the floor moments before the world went black.
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Vincent stepped out of the Vanishing Cabinet, biting his tongue in an effort to not scream at the pain the Dark Mark was sending through his body. The moment he was in Voldemort's presence, the pain faded. He sighed in relief, rubbing at his arm briefly.
"Ah, Crabbe. You have fixed the cabinet, how wonderful," Voldemort said.
His words of praise were like a cool bath on a hot day, washing over Vincent.
"And the other matter?" Voldemort asked, the feeling turning to a choking one.
"It is done. Dumbledore... Dumbledore is dead," he replied.
"Good work Vincent. I am pleased," he said smoothly, the choking feeling fading. "Now, we need to get into Hogwarts. Move out of the way."
"Why do you need to go there? Dumbledore isn't a threat anymore," Vincent said, frowning. "Pansy is safe."
"She isn't safe yet, Crabbe. There are those who would seek revenge on those closest to you because of Dumbledore's death. We need to get to Hogwarts so we can keep Pansy safe from them."
Vincent was dazed from his trip through the cabinet, but he could still tell that Voldemort was weaving a silent spell into his words. He was too weak to fight the spell, and with a whimper of protest, he moved out of the way. The moment he was out of the way, Vincent slumped to the ground, Voldemort's second spell taking effect.
"Move him, and let's go back to Hogwarts," the Dark Lord said.
Surrounding him, the Death Eaters cheered.
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A scream erupted from Lettie. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her, surprised and shocked. She had been talking to Neville, and the scream had come mid-sentence.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked, feeling stupid and helpless as he watched her scream in what was obvious pain.
"It has t' be Ginevra," Seamus said.
Ginevra's mind had closed off to them when she turned into a cat, but they hadn't known she had changed form. There was some confusion and worry until Lettie had said that Ginevra was fine. They trusted her, but now it seemed that there was something very wrong, and Ginevra was no longer fine. Added to the fact that Draco's link had disappeared suddenly about three minutes before, everyone was concerned.
"Come on, let's go. If we split up, we can find them quicker," Blaise said, already heading out of the door.
Lettie was still screaming in pain, tears trailing down her cheeks. Padma moved to her quickly. She'd barely touched Lettie's shoulder when her eyes rolled back into her head and she screamed too.
"Padma!" Parvati cried, moving to her twin.
Fred and George both grabbed her around the waist, holding her back.
"You'll just end up screaming too," they said, trying to make her see sense. Parvati kept struggling. "You all go. Make sure our sister and her fiance are all right," Fred and George said.
Blaise, Seamus, Neville, Theodore, Millicent, and Colin left quickly. The first three headed towards the dungeons, while the latter three began up the Hogwarts stairs quickly.
Padma and Lettie continued to scream, no matter what calming spells the twins sent at them. They'd had to Stun Parvati, and she was sleeping on the table. When Fred and George had used every spell they knew, legal or not, and they still hadn't worked, they finally admitted defeat. They cast a Silencing Spell at Lettie and Padma, the sound stopping immediately, but they still continued to scream.
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Ginevra woke up with a pitiful meow. Her head was pounding, and her body was aching. She saw Mrs. Norris next to her, and tried to get up.
You are hurt. Do not exert yourself. It may be better to return to your human form, Queen. It may hurt less, and many are waiting for you, Mrs. Norris said.
She thought better of hissing at the older cat, and Ginevra took a few minutes to become her normal self again.
"Glad you're all right, Miss," a rough voice said, knobbly hands placing a cup of tea in front of her.
"Thank you, Argus," Ginevra said, her voice raw.
She sipped the tea slowly, trying to piece everything that had happened together. She could hear her friends' worry in her mind, but she didn't even have enough energy to reply.
Filch whistled slightly, and Mrs. Norris sprinted out the door before his whistle had even ended.
"She'll come back with yer' friends, Miss," Filch said, giving her a brief smile.
Ginevra nodded in thanks.
"Don't like those Death Eaters here. They're making my halls muddy and scaring the students. That's my job, it is," Argus said, trailing off for a moment. "I couldn't help yer friend, Miss. I'm sorry, I really am," he said, choking on his words as his eyes filled with tears. "I hate being a Squib, I'm bloody useless!" he said, his teacup slamming onto the table.
"You're not useless!" Ginevra said, glaring slightly. "You helped me when no one else could; you saved me. I can't thank you enough for that," she said, her voice gentler now.
Filch looked hopeful, brushing his tears away quickly. "You mean it, Miss?"
Ginevra nodded. "Of course I do. The Death Eaters will think of you as harmless, but you can get information that is vital to their defeat. You're the only one who can do that, Argus."
Argus' eyes filled with pride, he puffed up his chest and flattened down his hair quickly. "Well, when you put it that way, Miss, I'll be glad ter help."
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Draco came to, finding himself being carried. He almost turned Veelan to fight his captors until he realised it was Theodore, Millicent and Colin carrying him.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked, his mind groggy.
"A few things, actually," Theodore muttered. "You almost died, Pansy's still missing, there are Death Eaters in Hogwarts, and Ginevra is the-gods'-know-where."
"What?" Draco said, struggling to get out of their grip.
GINEVRA?
We found her, calm down, Blaise replied curtly.
What happened to her? Why isn't she answering? What's wrong?
There was silence for so long that Draco wondered if they hadn't heard him.
Death Eaters used the Cruciatus Curse on her, she's a bit weak at the moment, Neville answered, just when Draco was about to ask again.
Draco's Veelan side burst out, and his friends lost their grip on him. He rose into the air quickly. The patterns on Draco's face were so white that they looked like they were burning his skin. His wings were trembling in anger, and the look on his face would have terrified Colin, Millicent, and Theodore if they were in control of their own emotions.
Two daggers appeared in his hands. With hardly a whisper, a spell wrapped around the blades. He threw the daggers straight up into the air. They didn't fall down onto him as they should have. Instead, the daggers flew into the middle of the staircase, plummeting straight down. Draco followed without hesitation.
Still on the sixth floor, Theodore, Colin and Millicent made their way downstairs quickly. Draco was so emotional that he continued to have control over them, despite the distance.
Draco flew after the daggers, weaving his way in and out, under and over staircases. With each floor that he passed, students began to file out of classrooms and Common Rooms. Even the ghosts were caught under Draco's Veelan spell. He ignored every one of them, intent on the weapons in front of him. They veered sharply to the right, and Draco barely managed to keep from smashing into the wall. He followed the weapons faster still, and watched as they started to glow hot white.
Avery didn't know what hit him, but he was suddenly lurching forward. He died before he hit the ground.
Hearing his colleague cry out, Dolohov looked down the staircase to see Avery fall forward, daggers plunged deep in his back. He grabbed Pansy out of mid air and pulled a handful of black dust from his pocket. Smoke rose quickly, masking his escape. He heard people coughing in the black air, but continued up the stairs to the Room of Requirement.
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It was Seamus who saw Mrs. Norris first. The cat was sitting in the corridor ahead of them, looking expectant. Which was a very odd expression for a cat to have, really. Neville and Blaise stopped when he did, and saw Mrs. Norris.
She meowed loudly, moving a metre down the corridor and looking back to them.
"Think she wants us to follow her?" Blaise asked, frowning.
Mrs. Norris meowed in response, but it sounded like a very haughty sound, as if she didn't believe that humans were so stupid. They followed her anyway, listening out for anyone or anything. They didn't know what to expect. Argus Filch armed with a tray of tea certainly wasn't on their list of things to expect. But that's what they saw. Even Mrs. Norris looked confused, but she continued along the corridor.
After checking that they didn't have muddy feet, Argus gave the three boys a nod, and continued along the corridors with a whistle. The teapot and cups were balancing carefully on the tray, their rattling the only sound the boys heard for another few minutes.
Mrs. Norris slipped into a room - Argus' office, they noted - and they hesitated for a moment. Then Neville heard Ginevra's voice, and they hurried inside quickly.
"Took you long enough," she rasped, grinning very briefly. Ginevra bit into the piece of chocolate Argus had given to her before he left, and nodded for them to sit down.
"What happened?" Neville asked, sitting across from her.
"Death Eaters. They used the Cruciatus Curse on me," she replied, rubbing her sore throat slightly.
"They've got Pansy?" Blaise asked, already standing again.
GINEVRA? Draco's voice screamed in their minds.
We found her, calm down, Blaise replied curtly.
What happened to her? Why isn't she answering? What's wrong?
Neville looked at Ginevra. She sighed softly and nodded to his unspoken question.
Death Eaters used the Cruciatus Curse on her, she's a bit weak at the moment, Neville said.
"We've got to look for Pansy. Do you know where they're taking her, anything at all?" Blaise asked.
Mrs. Norris hissed suddenly, and they all drew their wands quickly.
"Oh, lay off. I was jus' lookin'," Seamus muttered, closing the drawer to the filing cabinet of confiscated materials.
"We don't need to look for Pansy yet. Give it a few minutes, and we'll know exactly where she's gone," Ginevra replied.
"How? Is this about where Filch was going with the tray of tea?" Neville asked, frowning.
"The Death Eaters won't consider him a threat, and they won't think twice about his offer of tea. Everyone knows that Argus doesn't like the students, after all."
Mrs. Norris rubbed herself against Ginevra's legs, purring.
"That's a lot of assumptions, Ginevra," Blaise said, not looking happy. "I don't like that we're ... "
He cut off so suddenly that Ginevra looked up from Mrs. Norris to see her friends walking out of the door.
"What are you doing?" she asked, frowning.
Mrs. Norris left too, her ears pricked. Ginevra hurried after them, her body still sore. Seeing the identical look in their eyes - even in Mrs. Norris' - Ginevra realised that Draco was doing this.
She tried to call him in her mind to calm him, but she didn't have enough energy to do it. Suddenly Blaise, Seamus, and Neville started running. Mrs. Norris took off at a sprint, and Ginevra struggled to keep up.
Just as they were coming up to the second floor, Ginevra saw two daggers fly into a Death Eater's back. By the person's smallish stature, she figured it was Avery. Draco hovered over him, his entire body glowing white. The glow was actually radiating from him, and Ginevra hesitated for a moment. She'd never seen Draco look this angry before. Students were gathered around him, all of their faces covered with the same murderous look.
Suddenly, black smoke erupted on the third level. As the smoke filtered through the castle, students began to cough and call out. No longer able to see Draco, they were brought out of their trances quickly.
"Go to the third level, find out who did this. They might have Pansy," Ginevra said to Neville, Seamus and Blaise.
They nodded quickly, lighting the tip of their wands to navigate their way through the smoke without walking into the other students.
"Draco!" she called, coughing. "Draco!"
"Right here, love," he said, his wings flapping to create some fresh air. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking her over with a frown.
"Sore and tired, but I'll survive," she replied, hugging him.
He glowed brightly and thought a spell. The black smoke began to disappear slowly, and the coughs lessened. Holding Ginevra in his arms, Draco rose into the air, flying out of the Hogwarts entrance.
"We need to go back in there. They've still got Pansy," she said, struggling to get out of his grip.
"I'll be going back in; you're going to rest. Lettie and Padma aren't well," Draco replied.
Ginevra continued to resist, and by the short time it took to reach the rooms, she had exhausted herself to the point of sleep.
"George! Fred!" Draco called softly, Ginevra's eyes closing as he carried her inside. "Are they okay?"
"They've just stopped yelling," George replied, sighing and rubbing his eyes.
"Bring Gin into the room, we'll put her with them," Fred added, opening the meeting room door.
Ginevra had the sensation of being carried and gently laid down before once more, her world went black.
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Of all of her patients over the many years she had been employed at Hogwarts, there were very few that could ruffle Madam Pomfrey's calmness. She was proud of this, and often made a point of keeping calm no matter what was happening, what had happened, or what was about to happen to the students.
Luna Lovegood was a matter all on her own. She screamed, cried, yelled. She talked in different languages - sometimes Poppy wasn't even sure if they were man-made languages - talked about things that hadn't yet happened, and so far, she was right. Poppy had no idea how to deal with Luna without keeping her permanently sedated. It would help her aching head, at the very least. But she was a Healer, a medic, and she had the students' well-being at heart. She knew that even if she did heal Luna from this, it may not help her in any way whatsoever.
So Poppy just waited for Luna to finish this round of screaming, woke her up gently and gave her a piece of chocolate to eat.
Considering that Luna was still speaking Greek and Latin, it took Poppy a moment to realise that she was speaking in English again, let alone that the young woman was talking to her.
"Please, I need to go. If I don't go now, it will all end," Luna said, her throat raw.
"What will end, dear?" Poppy asked, putting a goblet to Luna's lips.
She drank some and then pulled away to look Madam Pomfrey straight in the eyes. She stared back at Luna, her milky white eyes hypnotising.
"The world."
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Using the corridors and tapestries, it took Draco less than a minute to find the fight between the Death Eaters and Professors and students. It was up on the seventh floor now, too close to the Room of Requirement for Draco's liking. He wasn't surprised to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron at the head of the fight.
Concentrating for a moment, Draco charmed the Death Eaters to look towards him. They struggled and resisted, and with more than one, the years of power and control Voldemort had over them was stronger than anything Draco could produce. He put more power into it, and ten of the thirty Death Eaters looked at him. The distraction was long enough for the students and Professors to disarm, maim or kill the person who was trying to kill them.
As their comrades were killed, the remaining twenty Death Eaters retreated to the Room of Requirement, the door disappearing as the last one went inside. Hexes were moments behind them, and there was more than one cry of pain as the wall righted itself. Harry almost lost his hand inside the wall trying to follow them. Ron and Hermione pulled him back, Harry cursing and swearing that he'd lost his only chance to kill Voldemort.
"That's enough, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly, her lips thinned. When she had everyone's attention, Minerva continued, "If you have been injured, please go to the hospital wing. If you cannot walk on your own, please let a Professor know and they will organise for someone to take you," she ordered.
There was chaos for a few minutes as people tried to organise themselves accordingly. When the last of the injured had left, Draco looked around at the students that remained. There weren't many, but considering for most, it was their first time in a real fight, Draco figured they had done themselves proud.
"Ready to go?" Millicent asked, grinning.
There were deep marks trailing down her arm, blood seeping from them.
"What happened to you?" Blaise asked, frowning.
"One of the Death Eaters transfigured his hand into a sharp rake-looking thing. I got too close," she replied, shrugging slightly.
"No sign of Pansy," Neville said, his voice hollow.
Draco looked at the Room of Requirement door, wishing that it could tell him exactly where the Death Eaters had taken his friend. The stone wall remained as it was, and he felt the urge to scream and curse as Potter had done only moments before. He sighed heavily instead, looking at the bodies on the ground.
"Go through the Death Eaters. If one's alive, make sure we get to question him before the Professors or Ministry," Draco said.
They didn't look overly pleased at the prospect of checking over dead people, but they nodded and began to step between the bodies carefully.
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Luna crept through the rooms, listening intently for anyone. Everything she had Seen in the last few weeks were all leading up to this one decision, and she had less than three minutes to decide the fate of her friends.
Opening the door to Greg, Vincent and Pansy's room, Luna knew that Greg was sedated and Stunned on the bed. She levitated him with her wand, carefully floating him out of the room.
Relo just watched as Luna levitated Greg out of the room, down the corridor, and outside. He was quiet and silent as a dead mouse (live mice were loud), and when they had both disappeared from sight, Relo crept back to sleep under Ginevra's old bed.
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Ginevra tossed and turned in her sleep. Fred and George watched her with slight frowns. Neither Lettie nor Padma seemed affected by whatever it was that was plaguing their sister. They didn't dare wake her, just in case she was Seeing something and it was important.
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Pansy woke up in a cell. Her hands were bound, her wand was gone, and from the way her hair was sticking to her eye, she was sure that she had a head injury of some sort.
"I'm so very glad to see that you're awake, my dear," Voldemort's voice rasped.
Pansy didn't reply and refused to look at him.
"Come now, don't you want to know why?" he asked, humour lacing his tone.
She was still silent, but she shook her head in a negative response.
"Poor Crabbe, he'll be ever so disappointed."
That had Pansy looking at him. She glared at the snake-like man, his scaly skin, red eyes and slit nose making her stomach turn.
"Ah yes, he's been very worried about you. He did all of this for you, you know. I've been trying to get the Crabbe and Goyle heirs for years, and you, you were my key to success. Thank you, my dear," Voldemort said, a hissy laugh coming from his lips.
The sound was creepy and it sent chills up her spine. Pansy tried to move away, to not listen to what he was saying. But she knew that on some level he was right. It was her fault Vincent was a Death Eater.
"Would you like to see Crabbe now, my dear? I assure you, he is better than he ever was."
Pansy didn't want to look, she couldn't bring herself to look, but Voldemort used a spell to hold her in place. She had no choice but to watch as Vincent Crabbe, her boyfriend of three years, walked into the dungeon. The Dark Mark was displayed proudly on his left forearm.
Pansy felt sickened just from looking at it. She was forced to watch as Vincent walked towards her with stiff movements. He opened the cell and she was still under Voldemort's spell so she couldn't even command herself to move and escape. Vincent began removing his robes methodically. Again, Voldemort did that creepy hiss of laughter, and Vincent closed the gap towards her. His fingers nimbly worked at her torn robes, and Pansy would have thrown up if she could have.
With whatever control she had left, Pansy shut off her mind link to everyone. She willed herself to turn to stone and not feel a thing.
Stones can still be smashed, and as Vincent entered her body, Pansy's mind yelled one final scream as she shattered.
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Ginevra woke up, throwing up over the side of the makeshift bed she was on.
A goblet of water was held to her lips a moment later. She drank a small amount slowly, her body trembling.
"Did you See something?" Fred asked.
"Do you need a dreamless potion?" George asked.
"Later," she replied to both of their questions.
They let her be for the moment, and Ginevra held her arms around her knees tightly, rocking slightly as she tried to process everything. She almost wished that she could forget.
Draco came into the room, gathering her into his arms. She cried.
"Excuse us, Gin?" Fred and George said a few minutes later, sounding apologetic.
She looked at them, her tears still falling.
"It's Greg," George said.
"He's gone," Fred said.
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(a/n: Thank you for reading.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)