Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: Okay, here's the pretty dang long chapter I promised (I think the longest so far). Sorry in advance if you get bogged down by some descriptions I put in later in this chapter…I literally drew up a floor plan for the place that is described to create a cohesive path for Harry to follow, and I just wanted to give some feel for the aura of the place. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Oh, and just so you know, I'm rapidly approaching the end to my stockpile of chapters, so very soon the wait between chapters will increase (sorry in advance!).

Thanks to cranksatnyc, UKwildcat820, auror_lumos09, noorelisa, h/hr4ever11, EmmaRadcliffe, VampLvr, Meli, SpecialK220, and BB Ruth for the great reviews!

Chapter 36: The Mission

Hermione stared in disbelief at Harry, who hadn't moved a muscle since fixing his eyes on her. Disregarding the bewilderment, the expression in his gaze was unreadable. He appeared neither pleased nor angry at the sight of her - not even triumphant that he'd finally cornered her.

Oh Merlin…she thought. It had never crossed her mind that Harry would be the Auror she would be teamed up with.

But apparently Fate had other things in mind. Bastard.

"Harry," she finally managed to choke out. "I - I didn't think you were supposed to be working today."

Harry finally came out of his trance at her statement, and he fixed her with an abrasively gratified smirk.

"I wasn't," he said in a falsely light tone. "Funny how things sometimes work out."

Hermione flinched at his unfriendly demeanor, and turned away from him, resigning herself to what would doubtless be an emotionally exhausting few hours.

If Cecilia detected any sort of coldness to their exchange, she made no comment on it. "Please have a seat, Harry. I'm sure the two of you are anxious to be on your way, so I won't take up too much of your time."

"No rush, Cecilia," Harry replied in an almost mockingly casual manner. "I've got all the time in the world." He sat down in the chair next to Hermione, and she could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to turn her head towards him.

"I'm sure your boss doesn't see it that way unfortunately, so I'll be quick. I promise Alec told you the location?"

"Yes, he gave me the coordinates just before I came down here," Harry said.

"In that case, I really don't have much more to tell you. I'll leave it up to you to fill in Hermione on the details." At this point she fixed Harry with a stern gaze very similar to the one she had given Hermione earlier. "And I trust you'll bring her back safely as well."

Hermione couldn't resist peeking over at Harry at this point, and saw that he was looking at her in a considerably softer manner than before.

"Of course," he said quietly.

"Then I wish you both the best of luck," Cecilia said. "We'll see you back here soon."

Hermione and Harry both nodded solemnly, stood up, and exited the office.

Hermione waited for the accusations to begin the moment the door had clicked shut behind them, but Harry didn't say a word. He led the way to the lift, up to the Atrium, and finally to the Apparition zone before he acknowledged her, and even then he did it wordlessly. He offered her his arm without even looking at her, and Hermione took it, gripping it much more tightly than necessary. Still he didn't look at her, but the next moment she felt the sensation of being forced through a tube and then she was standing at the edge of a forest, a cold breeze playing on her face. The green hills of Scotland met her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to find much beauty in them at the moment.

She dropped her hand from Harry's arm as soon as they appeared and turned her back to him.

"Thanks for acting like a pompous git in front of my boss," she said, though she felt strangely detached from the anger in her tone. She knew she had no right to be angry with him, but something clearly needed to be said…it just so happened that insults were the easiest things to say.

"My bad," Harry said harshly from behind her. "I forgot you prefer the cold shoulder over outright disrespect." He gave a bitter laugh. "Actually, that's not quite right either - the cold shoulder usually requires two individuals to actually be in the same room with one another. Even blatantly ignoring a person involves an acknowledgement of their existence. You seem to favor blocking people out of your life completely."

Hermione closed her eyes tightly as tears threatened to spill from them. She had really expected nothing less than these comments, and felt she deserved much more. She was grateful Harry was standing behind her.

"That's not fair," she said softly, hardly managing to believe her own words.

"Not fair?" Harry sounded quite incredulous. "You think I'm being unfair?"

Hermione could hear him pacing around behind her.

"I'll tell you what's unfair," he continued angrily. "Unfair is having your best friend refuse to see you for two fucking months. Two months, Hermione!" He seemed to stop walking for a moment, and when he next spoke she was uncomfortably aware that he was standing directly behind her.

"Did you even miss me?" he said quietly.

Hermione wiped at her eyes as she began to cry, hoping she could somehow stem the flow before it got out of hand. If she started now, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop. Before she even had the chance to respond, however, she heard him sigh.

"Never mind - it doesn't matter," he said. "We should get started." His tone became more businesslike with each word he spoke. "In case you weren't told, we're trying to find out why dementors have migrated into this area. Who or what's responsible."

Hermione bowed her head and nodded, but she didn't know if Harry was even looking at her.

"Point me," he said, and Hermione glanced his way in time to see his spinning wand come to a stop, pointing directly into the forest behind them. "Let's go," he said, and strode purposefully into the woods, leaving Hermione to trail along sadly behind him.

For the next half hour, not a single word was exchanged between the two. Harry continued determinedly through the lichen-covered trees, every now and again checking his wand to make sure he was going in the right direction, and Hermione simply walked behind him, intermittently staring at her feet and the back of his head as though she could perhaps see his thoughts if she examined it long enough.

The forest was intensely green, and she felt that it was mocking her - emerald staring down at her from every direction except from where she wanted to see it. The light decreased as they went deeper into the forest because of the thick canopy of green leaves above them, but eventually the fading sunlight began to peek through with more frequency.

At this point Harry threw out his arm to signal Hermione to halt. He pressed a finger to his lips, gripped his wand a little more tightly, and pressed forward at a much slower rate. Hermione thought that both of these actions were quite unnecessary considering their already intense silence, and she had been clutching her wand forcefully since they had Apparated.

Nevertheless, she slowed her pace and continued with much more care than before, listening intently for the slightest noise. But nothing could be heard beyond the occasional snap of a twig beneath their own feet and the soft rustle of their cloaks as they moved. Even the breaking of the twigs was muted due to the mossy ground beneath them.

Eventually Hermione could see a brighter gap of sunlight peeking through the trunks a few hundred yards in front of them, and as they drew nearer they saw that it was a break in the trees, perhaps a clearing bridging two sections of forest.

They proceeded even more slowly now, and Harry cast a Disillusionment Charm upon himself, which Hermione quickly mimicked on herself. As they neared the edge of the trees, they were surprised at the sight that met their eyes.

A huge mansion sat in the clearing, its stone façade staring menacingly at them from a distance. Actually, a small castle would be a more apt term to describe it. Although it was mostly rectangular, battlements reminiscent of medieval Scottish castles rose above the tall building. Ivy covered a large portion of its front, with lines of empty windows peeking through the thick vines to examine the forest indifferently. Directly in front of Harry and Hermione was a large tower situated at the end of the mansion, rising just as high as any of the battlements. As the two stared awestruck at the impressive fortress, they finally detected the wide double doors at the left end of the mansion, opposite from the tower. The sky seemed darker beyond the clearing, and the air had an unusually cold tinge to it.

"I think," Harry said, "we've found where the dementors are gathering."

Hermione watched him scan the area a moment more, and then he retreated back into the trees, just enough so that they would be hidden while keeping the castle and its grounds in sight.

Once they were back in the shadows of the forest, Harry removed the charm on himself, and Hermione once again did the same. Together they sat heavily on the ground, facing the mansion to wait for any sign of movement.

Although she tried to keep her attention on the forbidding mansion, Hermione couldn't help but glance over at Harry after several silent minutes. His arms were draped carelessly over his raised knees, and he held his wand loosely in his right hand, tapping it softly against his leg. Though he kept his eyes forward, she could tell he was deep in thought. He had a small frown on his face, and Hermione hated herself for causing him distress.

In a soft breath, she answered the question he had asked earlier, the one he hadn't allowed her to respond to.

"Of course I missed you," she said quietly.

Harry didn't look at her at first, but after a moment he raised his wand and cast Muffliato on the small area surrounding them. Then he turned to Hermione, still frowning.

"You certainly have an odd way of showing it," he said, but there was less animosity in his voice than before. "Usually you seek out someone you miss - your logic of avoiding me seems a little faulty."

He was trying to keep a joking edge in this last statement, but Hermione could detect more sadness than anything.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I never meant -"

"It's fine," Harry said, cutting her off. He fixed her with an intense stare, and the raw vulnerability in his gaze made her heart melt. "Just…don't ever do it again. Please. No matter what happens between the two of us."

Hermione fixed him with just as intense of a stare, as though trying to ensure that he would believe the validity of her reply.

"I won't. I promise."

Harry apparently did believe her, because he gave a satisfied nod. He turned his eyes towards the mansion again as though signaling an end to the conversation, so Hermione was surprised when he addressed her again.

"I missed you too," he said in a low voice.

Hermione felt a warmth spread through her that she hadn't felt for almost two months at his simple words. She ached to reach out and touch his hand, to show him that she appreciated his comment, but at the same time she was almost frightened of instigating contact with him. Though perhaps it was a good thing to ignore her impulse for the time being - to acknowledge it would be to delve into the inevitable conversation they desperately needed to have, and this certainly wasn't the time or place for such an encounter.

"How's James?" she said instead.

A ghost of a smile occurred on Harry's lips. "He's gotten big," he said. "And he's started to crawl."

Hermione smiled as well. "I bet that's quite the handful."

"Definitely," Harry chuckled. "Me and - we can hardly keep up with him."

Hermione noticed as Harry deliberately sidestepped saying his wife's name.

"How has Ginny been?" she said purposefully, knowing they couldn't avoid the topic forever.

"She's fine."

Hermione waited for him to say more, but he didn't seem keen to disburse any other information.

"Well, have you seen much of Ron?" she asked. She was determined to get him to acknowledge one of their spouses.

"Yes," he said, and she was pleased to see that he appeared more uncomfortable now. "I've spoken to him a few times at the office."

"And?" Hermione prompted.

"And nothing," Harry said, a slight edge to his voice. "Look, Hermione - I really don't feel like talking about Ginny or Ron until we've discussed a few other… more pressing things. Which we're going to do as soon as we're done with this."

His tone left no room for negotiation.

"Alright," she said quietly.

Night had almost completely overtaken the area by this point, and the only light provided to the courtyard was given by the moon. Hermione examined the sky above them thoughtfully - the stretch above them and the mansion was filled with thousands of stars, and she couldn't help but think back to what were ironically simpler times: sitting under a sky much like this one as they waited with a hippogriff to alter the course of time; picking their way through a familiar forest to meet the giant brother of Hagrid; lingering under the trees of forests that were completely unfamiliar to them, hoping and praying, with only the thin canvas of a tent protecting them from the outside world. Hermione wondered if Harry was possibly thinking of the same things.

But her nostalgia only extended as far as the stars - they ended abruptly in the sky beyond the mansion, creating a blank void of darkness that further attested to the creatures that resided there.

Engrossed as she was in the sky, she was a bit surprised by Harry nudging her shoulder and pointing to the middle of the courtyard. A tall robed figure had suddenly appeared at the very edge of the clearing, a little too close to their position for Hermione's liking. She was impressed that Harry had been able to see him in the darkness. The man was much more visible in the openness of the moonlit clearing, but the border of the trees was almost pitch black.

They both watched the figure until he had disappeared through the doors, and even then they continued to watch. After several long minutes, Hermione finally heard Harry move beside her. He stood up, and she did the same.

"Are you ready, Copper?" Harry asked lightly, his eyes never moving from the mansion.

Hermione gave a small nod. "As ready as I'll ever be, Swiftpaw," she said, understanding the connotations of using their nicknames.

"I want you to stay in my shadows, on the side opposite to the house," he continued. "If anyone's looking out of the windows it'll be less suspicious."

"Are wolves even indigenous here?" Hermione asked curiously. "And I'm assuming we're in Scotland?"

Harry shook his head. "Yes, we're in Scotland - Glen Etive, to be exact. And no, wolves aren't around here. They used to be, but they've been extinct in the country for a while. Foxes are still around, but obviously I can't hide behind you. Our best bet is to hope that they don't know what species live around here, though I don't think that'll be a problem. I'm more concerned with making sure they don't see both of us - seeing a fox and wolf together is obviously more suspicious than just seeing a wolf."

"You learned everywhere your form is indigenous to?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Yeah," Harry said. "It's pretty useful to know where it won't get questioned. Though I doubt that anyone's first thought when they see a wolf is whether or not it's indigenous to the area," he chuckled.

"True," Hermione said, also amused.

"Okay," Harry said. "If we're clear on that, let's go."

He immediately morphed into a large grey wolf and Hermione quickly changed into her fox form. Harry trotted forward to the edge of the trees and she scampered along beside him. When they emerged into the clearing, Harry was careful not to outstrip Hermione's pace. He walked briskly through the grass, which was surprisingly well-kept considering the remoteness of the location. Hermione held her breath as they hurried across the landscape, but before she had time to become too worried they had reached the mansion.

Harry quickly bypassed the door and slipped behind the corner just in case someone decided to exit the house. As soon as they were within the mansion's shadows, he transformed back into himself. When Hermione was also standing on two legs, she looked to Harry for further instructions. She could see he was thinking quickly, and he soon gave her a stern expression.

"I need you to stay here," he said after he had wandlessly performed another Muffliato charm.

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "You're kidding me, right? You must be joking."

"I'm not," he said firmly. "This isn't a game, Hermione. Here, you follow my instructions, and I'm instructing you to stay put."

"Don't pull that card on me!" she said angrily. "You have no right -"

"Actually, I have every right," Harry countered before she could complete her sentence. "I'm the Auror - I do these sort of things every day."

"And I used to do them with you, if you recall!" She couldn't believe his insensitivity. "I'm just as capable as you are!"

"Did I ever say you weren't capable of doing this?" Harry said.

"You're implying it by insisting I stay out here! I was obviously sent here with you for a reason: it's only logical that I should help you!"

"If we were actually dealing with dementors, I'd be inclined to agree with you," Harry said begrudgingly. "But we're not. I'm literally going to scout out the mansion and see if I recognize whoever just walked in here. It'll just be more difficult with two of us in there. I'll be in and out in no time." He sounded as though he was trying to placate her, but Hermione was unconvinced. Unfortunately, she couldn't find fault in his judgment.

"But what if there's more than one person?" she asked in a last ditch effort.

"Then I'll have to leave anyway so we can get backup."

Hermione wracked her mind for any other way to convince Harry to allow her to accompany him, but her search was unproductive.

Harry seemed pleased as he recognized her submission, which infuriated Hermione to no end.

"I'll be in and out in no time," he said again, and pulled something from within his robes. Hermione realized it was his Invisibility Cloak.

"Here -" he began, but she instantly pushed away his proffering hands.

"Don't you dare try to give me that," she said.

"Why not?" Harry said, bewildered.

"You're the one going in there," Hermione said furiously. "As you've made it perfectly clear that I'm not allowed to go with you, I certainly won't be needing it."

"But -"

"No," she said more forcefully. "You may be able to make me stay out here, but you can't make me take that. And if you leave it here I'll just use it to follow you into the house."

Harry gave an aggravated sigh. "Fine," he relented. "You don't have to take the damn Cloak. But make sure you're Disillusioned."

"I will," she said.

"And keep an eye out for anybody else."

"Of course."

She could see Harry attempting to come up with further orders, but he finally nodded as he could think of nothing else. He slipped the Cloak around his shoulders as he walked towards the edge of the house, but before he ducked out of sight he glanced back at her.

"Did you ever block me from you wards?" he asked.

Hermione could see the question had been plaguing him for some time.

She shook her head.

"No. You could've come in anytime you wanted."

Harry was seemingly satisfied with this answer, because the next moment he had raised the Cloak over his head and disappeared around the corner of the mansion.

*************

The first thing that struck Harry as he stepped into the cold shadows of the house was the sheer cavernous size of it. The sloped ceiling could be seen far above his head, and he guessed that it extended along every floor of the mansion. He stood in a large foyer that extended in front of him and to the right. A pair of tall double doors stood at the very end of the northern section, and a large window-lined corridor extended to his right. Harry debated for a moment about which way to tour first, and then decided on the double doors in front of him - there seemed to be a staircase to his right, so he would save that for later.

He trod silently across the white marble floors, his ears alert to the slightest noise, but the foyer was just as silent as himself. The doors loomed closer with each step, and when he finally reached the end he carefully pushed them open. Thankfully, no one seemed to be present on the other side, but Harry couldn't help but be momentarily astonished by the splendor of the room he had just entered. He stood in a room larger than the Great Hall, and by the expansive floor space he assumed it was a ballroom. Three enormous chandeliers hung at equally spaced intervals along the length of the room. There were also windows that were placed at the same intervals as the chandeliers, and although they extended almost to the ceiling, only the palest streams of moonlight crossed the floor (which Harry noted with a shiver was blood-red). The main light source came from the circular arrangement of candles in the chandeliers.

As Harry craned his neck to peer more closely at the candles and glittering crystals above him, he also couldn't help noticing the golden patterns on the arched ceiling. The detailed designs lacing their way across the ivory surface were simultaneously intricate and bold, and he found that he very much preferred to gaze at it than the starkly contrasting marble beneath his feet. However, he knew that he needed to get through this mansion as quickly as possible and turned his attention to more practical matters.

He quickly saw that there were two entries to the ballroom: the door which he had just entered through that led to the foyer, and an impressive staircase at the opposite end of the area. To his left were the windows, and to his right, a little more than mid-way up the wall, were two balconies arranged directly across from the gaps between the windows. He guessed that the balconies served the occupants of the house who didn't wish to directly participate in any events occurring in the ballroom.

Deciding to continue onward, Harry quickly made his way to the grand staircase and ascended to the next floor. At the top, he turned right and continued along a corridor that led into the bowels of the house.

Without the windows and candles to provide light, Harry found it very difficult to maneuver the dark hallways. He didn't dare illuminate his wand, so he remained close to the wall, using one hand to feel his way along like a blind man and holding his wand in the other. He noticed that there were unlit lamps lining the walls, and twice he felt his hand touch the smooth surface of wood, which he assumed to be doors, but he only paused for a moment by them to listen carefully for any sort of noise. When he heard nothing, he continued his slow trek down the corridor, grateful when he finally found the corner of the wall and was able to make another right turn.

However, he almost groaned as he saw that he was in another corridor that was almost identical to the last one. At least there were windows along this one, Harry thought - he was able to see where he was going.

Feeling a bit agitated by the size of the house, he strode forward and threw open the closest door he could see. Thankfully, no one appeared to be here either. Not that Harry could see, anyway. The room was even darker than the hallway had been, so he decided to take a risk and cast a quick Lumos.

As the soft light flooded the room, Harry could see that it was a library. Shelf after shelf of dusty tomes filled the room, as well as a few overstuffed, wingback chairs. The two doors that he had felt earlier were spaced along the right wall, and at the far end was one of the two balconies that he had noticed from the ballroom. Nothing at all suspicious.

With a sigh, Harry backed out of the room, quietly shut the door, and continued walking down the hallway. As he came to another wall, he noticed another door. He listened at the door, but just as before he heard nothing. He grasped the doorknob and went to turn it, but it barely budged. Frowning, he tried turning it a few more times, but nothing happened.

He debated for a moment about whether to try to unlock it with a Alohomora charm, but he decided against it, at least for the time being - he wanted to disturb as little as possible if he could help it.

Beginning to feel apprehensive at the lack of people, Harry turned from the door and walked a bit more quickly than before along the new passage. It was wider than the previous halls, and Harry could see the second balcony at the far end. He made his way closer to it, but found an archway halfway down the passage and went through it instead. To his right, he saw a large staircase that led to the ground floor. To his left, a smaller staircase that led to the second floor. Grumbling to himself, he turned left so he could search the higher floors.

When he came to the next landing, he could faintly see that the floors were covered in thick, deep red carpeting. There was only a wall to his right, so Harry had no choice but to turn left and try the first door he came to. He noticed small puffs of dust emitting from the thick carpet with each step he took, and again he wondered where the mysterious man had wandered to in this cavernous house - surely he was beginning to run out of places to look. Each door he opened increased the probability of finding him, and therefore each door Harry opened increased his trepidation. As he opened the next door, he stopped in his tracks.

Shit.

Squinting through the darkness, Harry saw that half a dozen doors lined each side of the narrow hallway. He quickly surmised that this floor served a residential purpose for the house's previous occupants. Cursing his luck, he strode to the first door on his left, resigning himself to a long and nerve-racking search.

However, when he cracked open the door, Harry began to wonder if the search would take as long as he had guessed.

A small, rectangular wooden table sat in this room, as well as a handful of hardback chairs. It was rather barren, Harry thought, and he would've passed it by had it not been for the fact that he realized he could actually see the room with ease. He pushed the door open a bit more, holding his wand at the ready, until the entire room was exposed to him.

Bingo, Harry thought grimly.

Three lamps were bracketed into the wall, much like the ones he had passed all the way through the house. However, unlike before, these three were lit. And better yet, there was another door at the other end of the room. A tapestry partially covered it, so Harry guessed that it was usually meant to be hidden.

I'm getting close now, he thought. He pulled his Cloak more tightly around himself as he walked forward, and gripped his wand more tightly than ever as he approached the door. Unfortunately, he could hear nothing on the other side, so he knew his search wasn't quite over.

He took as much care as possible to be silent as he opened the next door, and his eyes widened as he stepped into the next area. He had once again encountered another staircase, but this wasn't like any of the others he had seen in the mansion. The others had been wide, expansive, open, and not in the least bit intimidating disregarding the mission Harry was on. This narrow, dingy, spiraling stone staircase was the epitome of intimidating, especially since whoever Harry was looking for was almost guaranteed to be at the top. He inherently knew that he must be in the tower that he and Hermione had seen at the far right of the house. In other words, as far away as humanly possible from the main doors where he had entered the house.

Harry could feel himself shaking slightly as he finally steeled himself to ascend the stairs. He clenched his wand so tightly that his knuckles were white, and the eerie glow from the candles lighting the staircase made him uncomfortable - he almost wished for the darkness of the previous passageways. Without a single sound he crept up the stairs, and a little sooner than he would've liked he came to another door. And for the first time, he could hear voices behind it.

Pulling the Cloak from his head so he could hear better, Harry pressed his ear against the door.

" - long do you think it will take?"

"Be patient. It shouldn't be much longer now."

"I personally don't think this whole deal is worth a shit anyway. It seems like a long shot."

Furrowing his brow, Harry strained to hear the conversation so he would know what to say to Wahler. He wasn't sure he recognized any voices, but hopefully someone would drop a name soon.

"Anything we try these days is a long shot. This is the most we've come up with in months."

"Don't even bother with the git, Watts. He's just afraid of the dementors."

A burst of laughter erupted from the room, and Harry wondered just how many people were in the room. He had heard three distinct voices, but the level of the laughter made him think there were more.

There was a murmur as the laughter died down, but it was so quiet Harry couldn't hear it.

"Ah, lighten up, Krause, we're just screwing with you. None of us want to be out here in the middle of fucking nowhere any more than you do."

Krause? There was something very familiar about that name, but the memory alluded Harry's mind. He knew he had heard it somewhere, but he couldn't get caught up in his thoughts now. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the conversation.

"Not that we've been completely told what the hell we're sticking around here for…we brought the dementors and have been stuck here doing nothing ever since."

"Like I said, be patient. If tonight works out, it'll be worth it."

Harry pressed his ear so hard into the door that he felt as though it were being crushed into his skull. What were they planning?

He heard some grumbling from within the room, and then the same voice as before spoke up again, sounding harsher than before.

"Just because he doesn't tell us every little thing about his plans doesn't mean they won't work. Dolohov knows what he's doing."

Harry felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. So that's where he'd heard Krause's name…he was one of Dolohov's new recruits. His hand unconsciously went to the raised scar tissue on his stomach where Dolohov had stabbed him so many months ago.

"If you recall, the last plan didn't exactly go the greatest…"

"Actually, it went quite well. Just because we ran out of time-"

"Would both of you shut up already?" This voice was, surprisingly, that of a young woman. She sounded rather bored. "That was last time. We can't do anything about that. So stop flapping your jaws."

"Stop acting so high and mighty. I know we can't do anything about it, but it helps to know what mistakes we made."

"And we've already discussed it. There's no point in wallowing in the past. We need to focus…We won't let Potter get away this time."

If Harry had felt nervous before, it was nothing compared to how he felt now. Not only had his heart dropped into his stomach, but at the mention of his name it was beating so wildly that he felt it would burst through his skin at any moment. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he backed away from the door, his breathing erratic. He had to get out of this place. Now.

He spun around to do just this, but halted in his tracks as he came face to face with the hulking, blonde form of Thorfinn Rowle.

As Rowle stared straight into his eyes, Harry felt a trickle of sweat trail down the back of his neck.

Shit shit shit shit I forgot to pull my Cloak back over my head.

However, luckily for Harry, Rowle seemed too surprised at the sight of the disembodied head of Harry Potter floating just outside the door of the Death Eater's hideout to do anything instantly. He whisked his wand towards Rowle's face just as the man opened his mouth to let out a yell.

A red light shot into the Death Eater's face as Harry wordlessly stunned him, and with a muffled groan Rowle collapsed. Lunging forward, Harry attempted to grab the front of Rowle's robes, but it was too late: the man's body fell down the staircase, thudding loudly against the stone as he went, and Harry winced as he heard the Death Eaters in the room behind him clamber through the room.

Not bothering to wrap the hindering Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders, Harry dashed down the stairs, leaping over Rowle as he went. He was so intent about descending the stairs that he completely bypassed the door he had come through, but he knew there was no time to turn around - he could already hear the Death Eaters thundering down the staircase.

Praying for another exit, Harry continued to fly down the stairs three at a time. As the staircase continued to spiral downward, he felt his heart sink. But thankfully another door came into view a few moments later.

"Thank Merlin," he muttered as he threw open the door. The footsteps were coming closer every second. He ran into the next corridor, but he barely had the time to pick up his speed before he encountered another door. He grasped the doorknob and pulled at it urgently, but it didn't move.

"Shit! I really don't need this right now!" he hissed. He frantically pointed his wand at the handle, hoping his simplest spell would be enough.

"Alohomora!" he shouted, not bothering to keep his voice down. He felt like passing out in relief when the lock clicked. He had barely managed to open the door when a spell blazed past his head, ruffling his hair.

"You can't run forever, Potter!" he heard someone yell from behind him as he dashed out of their sight.

"I don't intend to!" Harry yelled back as he took off down the hall. "Just enough to get away from you," he muttered to himself.

As he ran, he realized the door he had come from had been the door he had attempted to open earlier, which meant he was on the first floor once more. Yes - the archway that led to the main staircase was just ahead to his left. He picked up his speed another notch as he realized this, but skidded in a wide curve as he saw a dark-haired man waiting for him under the arch, brandishing his wand threateningly. Harry slid feet first beneath the man's initial spell and was on his feet again as soon as he had evaded it.

Unfortunately, he needed to elude a whole volley of spells as soon as he had stood to his full height.

"Protego!" he yelled desperately as he ran in the only direction that was available to him: towards the balcony at the end of the corridor. He felt his shield take one, two, three spells, but it shattered as he was within ten feet of his destination. He sprinted the last few steps for all he was worth, grabbed the railing, and launched himself over the edge.

"Concutio!" the female Death Eater shrieked.

Harry had just leapt to clear the balcony's railing as the spell made contact with his right leg. He felt the bones of his knee and lower leg shatter from the force of the spell, and he let out a scream of agony as he hurtled through the air. After a few seconds of his dizzying fall, Harry crashed to the marble floor of the ballroom, his Cloak falling from his hand. He lay there for a moment, blinded by pain, but he knew he had to get out - he couldn't just sit here. Hermione needed him. She might not know he was in trouble until it was too late.

His breathing ragged, he tried to push himself to his feet. However, his leg wouldn't support his weight. He struggled for a few more moments, each attempt clumsier than the last, and then he heard someone clapping. He jerked his head to the side to see the Death Eaters standing in a semi-circle around him. He saw that it was the woman who was clapping.

"Excellent try, Harry. I know that must hurt terribly," she said sweetly.

"It does," Harry muttered through gritted teeth. With one final push, he managed to rise to his feet. He was incredibly unsteady, but he was stable enough to raise his wand defensively towards the Death Eaters.

"Ooooh, I'm impressed!" the woman said, smiling. She had long hair nearly as dark as Harry's, and dark brown eyes as well. She was extremely attractive, and she certainly seemed to know it. She approached him slowly, tantalizingly, and circled him, letting her hand lightly graze his chest as she went. He knew better than to attempt to stun her - the other Death Eaters would curse him before he had the chance to blink. He considered grabbing her and pressing his wand into her throat, but he knew that wouldn't work either. Even if the Death Eaters believed his threats and were compassionate enough to secure her safety, Harry knew that she could easily throw him off balance with the slightest movement. It would be better to wait for another opportunity.

If there is one, he thought uneasily.

"Not many people would be awake after withstanding that curse, let alone standing," the woman cooed. "Tough, talented, and good-looking…" Her mouth was right next to his ear, and Harry shivered unwillingly. She nuzzled the side of his face with the tip of her nose. "I could get used to having you around…" she murmured.

"That will be enough, Krista. I believe you've made Mr. Potter feel more than welcome."

Harry's eyes darted toward the Death Eaters, and saw who had spoken:

Dolohov had finally joined the group.

"If you insist, Antonin," Krista replied, sounding a bit disappointed. "I'll see you later," she whispered seductively into his ear, and then sauntered over to rejoin her comrades. Harry watched her leave with distaste.

Dolohov smiled as Harry surveyed the group. "It's been too long, Potter. As you can see, we've increased our numbers a bit. I believe you know Krause -" The thin, balding man in the back gave a curt nod. "And Watts and Nakul of course -" A tall, bearded man and a dark skinned man both jerked their heads in acknowledgement. "And of course you've already run into Rowle...he should be joining us shortly. And the gray-haired man to the right is Curtis Burkes - I believe you may know his uncle from the Borgin and Burkes shop in Knockturn Alley." The identified man smirked and gave Harry a short wave. Only one brown-haired, handsome young man stood unidentified in the back, observing the confrontation as passively as a student observing a lecture.

Dolohov then gestured towards Harry. "And of course you all should know Harry Potter," he said sarcastically. "The Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, Savior of the Wizarding World…"

The Death Eaters gave a harsh laugh, and Krista smiled pleasantly at him.

Harry felt his bad leg shaking as he continued to hold out his wand. He could see blood pooling around his foot in the periphery of his vision. It blended in well with the marble floors.

"Now that the proper introductions have been made on my side," Dolohov continued, stepping closer to Harry, "I believe it's time for you to make an introduction of your own…where is the Mudblood?"

Harry felt his blood run cold as he stared at Dolohov. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Dolohov gave a short laugh. "I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. I know Granger was asked to escort you on this little mission if yours."

"Well, you've been misinformed then," Harry replied, hoping they would take the shaking in his voice and hand as a result of his leg wound. "I didn't bring anyone with me. This was supposed to just be a scouting job…I didn't think I'd need anyone else."

Dolohov raised his eyebrows, his pale features contorting into a smirk as he gazed at Harry.

"There's no point in lying, Potter…we know more than you think."

His smirk widened until he was full-out smiling at Harry, and the effect was immensely disturbing. But before he could question the Death Eater, the doors to the ballroom were thrown open, effectively distracting him from Dolohov - and if he hadn't been so intent on remaining on his feet, Harry was sure he would've collapsed to the ground.

Rowle and an unknown, black-haired man had just entered the room, and Hermione was pinned between them.

She was thrashing around frantically, pure fury in her face as she bucked and kicked against her captors. Harry couldn't help but feel a trace of pride as he noted that both Death Eaters were struggling to keep a grip on the angry witch. The feeling only increased when he noted the numerous scratches along Rowle's face and the bloody mouth of the dark-haired man, who was also clutching her wand.

Dolohov, if possible, smiled even more widely at the look of distraught on Harry's face. "Now that we're all here, would you like to make the proper introductions, Potter?"

The two Death Eaters, clearly fed up with Hermione fighting, shoved her roughly towards Harry. He managed to catch her before she stumbled to the ground, but the effort nearly made him fall as well. Hermione seemed shocked by the state of his leg, but she knew better than to question him at the present time. Instead, she gripped his left arm and helped to keep him steady. He found her hand and squeezed it, but his eyes never left the group in front of him.

"Well, Potter?" Dolohov urged.

Harry maintained a stony silence as he stared down the Death Eater, who gave a sigh after a few moments.

"Since Auror Potter doesn't seem too keen on speech, allow me to introduce the new arrival. This is Hermione Granger, or more recently Hermione Weasley, and she is a very close friend of Mr. Potter -"

"How close would that be, Harry?" Krista said, interrupting Dolohov. "I'd like to think that you wouldn't sink so low as to fuck a filthy Mudblood, but after all, I don't know you all that well - I may have misjudged your character."

Harry felt a tic in his jaw as he glared at the dark-haired female, and he tightened his grip on Hermione's hand as he tugged her closer to himself. She rubbed her thumb along his hand, and he felt himself grow slightly calmer.

"Krista!" The dark-haired man who had helped bring in Hermione snapped at the woman. "Keep quiet unless you actually have something to contribute."

"It's fine, Xavier," Dolohov said, waving down the man. "I find your sister's outbursts to be quite…amusing. She means no harm by it. Besides, I would think the injury the Mudblood gave you would hinder your speech."

Xavier looked as though he wanted to protest, but merely inclined his head slightly at the snide remark.

"But as I was saying…" Dolohov continued, beginning to pace up and down in the space between Harry and Hermione and the Death Eaters. "Ms. Granger is a very close friend of Mr. Potter. She's always been a close ally of his - surprisingly useful for a Mudblood," he added dryly, and the Death Eaters snickered appreciatively. Harry again felt his jaw twitch a bit and his heartbeat rise, but Hermione again grazed her thumb against his hand.

"She's assisted Potter frequently over the years," Dolohov said as soon as the snickering had died down. "All the way up to the Battle of Hogwarts when the Dark Lord was defeated." His tone became slightly darker as he delved into the sensitive subject matter. "You might say that she is one of the primary reasons Potter is alive today."

Although Harry couldn't help but wholeheartedly agree with this statement, Hermione suddenly turned towards Dolohov.

"I may have helped him, but I wasn't the one who defeated Voldemort," she said, anger tingeing her voice. She still held tightly to Harry, making sure he was steady on his feet. "He did that without any help - they dueled and Harry won! And the sooner you realize that the sooner you can get over your sick obsession with a dead wizard who caused everyone nothing but pain!"

Harry almost winced, expecting a sharp retaliation, but Dolohov didn't seem particularly ruffled by Hermione's outburst; instead, he smiled at her in an infuriatingly patronizing manner.

"This is true, Ms. Granger…at least partially. Potter may not have had any assistance from you or any other witch or wizard, but his survival was a mere fluke. He had other, much more powerful assistance at the time."

"Which would be?" Hermione said contemptuously.

"The Elder Wand," Dolohov said calmly. "Had Potter not disarmed Draco Malfoy, the Wand would have had no allegiance to him. Without the Wand's allegiance, Potter would have been killed."

The room was silent as Harry stared at Dolohov as he halted his pacing.

"That's what this is about?" Harry said. "The Elder Wand?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Potter," Dolohov said, fiddling with his own wand vaguely. "Rowle and I were both present at the Battle, and even if we weren't, it would've been all too easy to recover the story from anyone else in attendance. You didn't exactly keep quiet on the matter. You were kind enough to explain everything to the Dark Lord before his death, and as you know, bragging about the Wand is the surest way to get it taken from you."

Harry felt his face flush at the memory of his encounter with Voldemort. Dolohov was right - he hadn't exactly been secretive about the source of his victory. He wracked his brains as he processed the situation. Dolohov wanted the Elder Wand. Clearly, Harry didn't have the Elder Wand. Dolohov knew this, because otherwise he would simply disarm him and take Harry's wand, thinking it to be the correct weapon. The Wand was back with Dumbledore…Harry had replaced it. Again, Dolohov clearly didn't know this. Otherwise he could simply go to Hogwarts and steal it…

"You're too late," Harry finally said after a moment's deliberation.

"How so, Potter?" Dolohov asked. "Enlighten me."

"I don't have it."

"Which is why I'm asking you where it is."

"No," Harry said, trying to make his voice sound arrogantly triumphant. "You don't get it. I destroyed it. It's gone."

Dolohov laughed in a true show of arrogance. "Do you take me for a fool, Potter? Do you honestly expect me to believe you destroyed the most powerful magical object ever created? That you were even capable of such a feat? Just snapped it in half, did you?"

"Maybe a taste of the Cruciatus Curse would loosen his tongue?" Burkes suggested.

"No," Dolohov said. "Torture hasn't proved to be the most effective tool to use against Potter in the past…" He smirked at Harry, flicked his eyes in Hermione's direction, and then directed them back at Harry. His intentions were clear, and Harry felt slightly sick to his stomach.

His mind whirred furiously as he desperately looked for a way out of this mess. The Death Eaters were blocking the doors to the foyer, which was obviously the best way out. He and Hermione could try to make a run for the staircase behind them, but they would be wide open to curses. And even if they managed to make it to the staircase, they could be cut off at any number of points throughout the house. No, outright running wasn't an option.

Then Harry glanced above him, and he knew what his only shot was.

Dolohov rapped his wand against his hand as he continued to stare at Hermione.

"Well, Potter? Do you feel a little more inclined to tell us the truth, or would you like your Mudblood to do the talking for you?"

Harry gripped Hermione's hand more tightly than ever, willing her to realize his connotation. She squeezed back, and he took this as a good sign.

Be ready, Hermione. This'll be our only chance.

Dolohov now seemed to be annoyed by Harry's lack of response, and his tone became more hostile by the second.

"Fine, Potter. Apparently you care less for that Mudblood -"

"STOP CALLING HER A MUDBLOOD!" Harry yelled furiously, directing his wand at Dolohov. Then, before the man could react, Harry jerked his wand upward.

"BOMBARDA!"

With a deafening explosion, the chandelier directly over the Death Eaters was blown from the ceiling and came crashing downward. Screaming in panic, they all threw themselves aside just as it smashed into the floor, the glass crystals shattering and flying in every direction.

"RUN!" Harry bellowed, and he and Hermione sprinted around the wreckage and towards the open double doors that led to the foyer. Harry tried to sprint, at least - his leg continued to hinder him greatly, and Hermione continued to support him as they dashed out into the cool night air. Harry used his wand to make the front doors shut firmly, and then began to cross the infuriatingly large courtyard.

"We just need to get to the trees!" he gasped, drawing in great mouthfuls of air as he limped forward as quickly as he could. He felt that he was about to pass out from pain, but he had to keep moving. "We can Apparate if we can reach them!"

Hermione uttered a small noise of consent as she tightened her grip on Harry's arm, but if she was going to say any more Harry didn't know, for at the same moment the doors behind them reopened with an explosive bang.

"Damn it!" Harry hissed. With Hermione leading him, he alternated between shooting spell after spell at the oncoming Death Eaters and shielding himself and Hermione. He felt a grim satisfaction as a weak cutting curse made contact with Nakul, whose face, arms, and chest suddenly became covered in shallow gashes. The dark-skinned man howled in pain and rage, which was enough to keep him momentarily distracted. An Impedimenta spell hit Krause a moment later, and he was hurtled back into the wall of the castle. The crack of his head against the stone was lost among the shouting and collisions of spells, but Harry knew the man was out for the count as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Just as Harry began to think that they must be nearing the edge of the forest, that he and Hermione just might make it out of this alive, she suddenly came to an abrupt halt, dragging him to a stop as well.

"Hermione, what the hell are you -!" he began, but didn't finish his outburst as he saw that, amazingly, the remaining Death Eaters had stopped chasing them. In fact, they weren't even casting curses anymore. Instead, they were staring past Harry and Hermione, some into the sky, and others into the forest. Regardless of where they were staring, however, they all had one thing in common: a horrible smirk was etched into each of their faces, and for the first time Harry felt the unnatural coldness of the air and saw the goosebumps that had already erupted all over his skin.

"Harry…" Hermione whimpered from beside him, and he finally turned his head towards the forest, knowing what he would see.

Dozens of dementors hovered by the edge of the forest. They could barely be seen in the darkness, and they were shrouded in a cold mist as they moved closer to him and Hermione. Harry knew without looking that just as many were swarming through the sky above his head.

"Harry!" Hermione said more insistently, and terror was evident in her voice.

Despite the freezing air, Harry knew his forehead was coated with sweat, and the shaking in his leg was worse than ever. He raised his wand, and saw that his arm was shaking almost as badly.

Taking a deep breath, he tried with all his might to think of something, anything, happy.

But he was so tired. His leg was throbbing horribly, and the dementors were so close already. His hearing was muffled in his ears...he could barely hear Hermione's frantic shouting, as though he were listening to her from far away…

Wait, that was right. Hermione was here with him. She was standing right next to him, his arm flung around her shoulders as she struggled to keep him on his feet.

Hermione made him happy, Harry thought vaguely. He glanced through blurry eyes towards her, and her frightened brown eyes met his. His mind cleared somewhat as he gazed at her, and even more so as he thought about her lips sculpted to his, and the feel of her skin against his. He may not have told her, but that night had meant more to him than he could possibly describe.

Maybe he could do this…

But just a quickly as these thoughts flitted through his head, just as he managed to focus his wand towards the dementors once more, his mind wandered down a much less welcome path.

He had not been able to tell Hermione the way he felt because she had avoided him. She had skipped carefully around him in a spacious impression of the intimate dance they had shared, a painful mockery of the original.

The dementors were drawing ever closer, and Harry distantly registered that he had fallen to his knees.

She obviously didn't feel the same way. Otherwise she would've spoken to him a long time ago…she wouldn't have left him like that, with that sad and horrified expression on her face. No, she didn't want to be with him…she wanted to be with Ron…

The image of Hermione's fearful expression as she fled his room blurred as he stared at the real Hermione, who looked more frightened than he had ever seen her as she looked down at him. She was saying something, but no sound came from her mouth. He couldn't hear anything at all…

"I'm sorry," he murmured, and then his eyes fluttered shut as darkness flooded his mind.

************

Hermione collapsed as Harry's knees finally gave way beneath him. His dead weight dragged her to her knees as well, and she frantically tried to keep him alert, though it was clear he was losing consciousness fast.

"Harry!" she yelled, shaking his shoulders. "You have to stay awake! I can't do this alone, please!"

Her shouting seemed to have no effect on him, and before long he sagged to the ground.

"No, Harry, come on, you can't do this!" She was positively sobbing now as she splayed her hands across his chest, but Harry turned his weary eyes up to her sightlessly. "I need you!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered so softly that she could barely hear him, and then let his eyes close.

"No!" Hermione yelled. She pounded his chest desperately as she continued to scream, but she knew that it was pointless. Every second she wasted trying to wake him was a second that allowed the dementors to get closer, and therefore reduced both their chances for survival.

Breathing heavily, she threw herself towards Harry's wand, which lay a few feet from where he had fallen. She felt warmth flood through her fingertips as they made contact with the wood. It wasn't quite the feeling she got when she touched her own wand, but it was certainly enough to get the job done.

At least she hoped so. Both her own and Harry's lives depended on it.

She raised the wand and pointed it towards the dementors, which were close enough to be causing her an enormous amount of discomfort.

"Expecto patronum!" she said, and was horrified when a small silvery mist was all that emitted from the wand.

Damn it! she thought hysterically as the dementors batted away the charm as though it were a pesky mosquito. I've never been good at this spell at the best of times! Let alone when I'm being swarmed by dementors with Harry lying unconscious next to me…or worse…

She shook her head as these thoughts entered her mind, but it was too late - the seed had been planted. The dementors swarmed towards her more quickly than ever as they fed off her misery…they were upon her now.

No, she thought groggily. I have to do this…Harry's always been there for me…I need to be there for him.

She glanced down at him as she thought of this, and swallowed the lump in her throat as she gazed at his features in the pale light from the moon. She moved her hand along the contours of his jaw, never taking her eyes from him, even as the dark cloaks of the dementors swirled around her.

She wouldn't give up now. She couldn't.

And suddenly, against all rationality, against the freezing air that surrounded her, she felt a strange warmth in the pit of her abdomen, at her very core. It was so unmistakable and tangible that she couldn't imagine why she hadn't felt it before.

As soon as she noticed it, the fogginess was banished from her mind. It wasn't a happy feeling, exactly…it was more like a feeling of complete contentment, a feeling that was entirely detached from her current situation. But she knew, regardless of how this feeling was happening, that she needed to utilize it. Now.

With the warmth flooding her, Hermione raised her wand.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Instead of the flimsy mist that came before, a more solid silvery substance shot from the tip of her wand, and began materializing into a corporeal Patronus. But as Hermione waited for the familiar shape of her otter Patronus, she was startled to see the charm condense into another shape entirely. It was much too different to be an otter…it was bigger, much bigger…with longer hair… a more pointed face…

Hermione stared at it blankly, unable to fully comprehend what had occurred.

Her Patronus had morphed into a wolf.

With a mighty growl, the Patronus bounded forward, its silvery hackles raised and teeth bared as it lunged at the dementors that had surrounded Hermione. Its shape emitted a powerful glow that nearly blinded her after the previous darkness, and through her squinted eyes she could see the dementors retreating into the sky and forest. The enormous wolf gave chase for a moment, but as the dementors disappeared it stopped, raised its head, and gave a resounding howl that resonated through the night. It echoed through the air longer than that of a normal wolf's, hanging in the air even as the ghostly form faded into the darkness.

She stared at the spot where her Patronus had disappeared for only the briefest moment before she heard an angry shriek from behind her.

"GET THEM NOW!"

Hermione instantly jumped to her feet as she saw the Death Eaters hurtling toward her and Harry. They had retreated to the walls of the house as the dementors had swarmed them, and she hoped it would be enough distance to ensure their escape.

She bent down and grabbed Harry, wrapping her left arm around his chest as she began to drag him backwards through the final few yards to the trees. With her right arm, she used Harry's wand to block the avalanche of spells that was hurtling towards them.

Dolohov was at the head of the group, fury in his face as he glared madly at Hermione. She heaved Harry back with all her strength, adrenaline pumping through her veins as the Death Eaters drew nearer. Tears were streaming down her face in earnest, and she barely noted through her terror that her shield, unmanaged, was maintaining its strength throughout the onslaught.

As she finally stumbled back into the trees, she saw Dolohov's fury reach a new height as he cast one final curse towards Hermione's shield. It shattered under the power of the curse, but now it was too late. Hermione glared defiantly at the group, wrapped her other arm tightly around Harry, and they both disappeared from the forest, just barely managing to hear the beginning of the Death Eaters' furious screams.

Hermione's knees crashed into the ground a moment later as she appeared in a calm grassy clearing. She honestly didn't remember where she had chosen to appear, but it didn't matter. She fell back into a sitting position as the final dregs of energy left her, still clutching Harry to her. As she settled down into the dewy grass, she gently placed his head in her lap, against her stomach, and tears flowed from her eyes more furiously than ever. Occasionally a stray tear would fall into his hair as she stroked the dark strands, and she clenched her eyes tightly to fight back her sobs.

What am I going to do now?

Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 1.2.7

-->