Chapter Forty Three - Death Eaters

Chapter Forty Three – Death Eaters

 

            Hermione vaguely heard Harry calling them from the Trophy Room.  Draco was seated on the marble floor, leaning against the scabbard display and Hermione was in his lap, pleasantly lost in a fog of bliss.

            Harry's voice grew louder as he entered the Armor Gallery.  Hermione fought her way out of Draco's embrace, with effort, and stood up shakily.

            “Here!” she called brightly.  She took Draco’s hand and pulled him to his feet, surprised to note he looked just as dazed as she felt.

            Harry blinked at them when he approached.  Hermione giggled at Draco’s disheveled appearance.

            “Am I interrupting anything?” Harry asked dryly.

            Hermione shook her head, but Draco said, “Yes.  Can you make yourself disappear, Potter?”

            “Never mind,” Hermione said.  “We were just… looking at the displays.  What did Dobby have to say?”

            Harry frowned.

            “Malfoy, have you ever heard of the Elven Council?”

            Draco paused in smoothing his hair back to its normal perfection, although Hermione thought he looked delectable with it hanging over his eyes in a silver curtain…

            “Elven what?” he asked.

            “That’s what I thought.  It doesn’t matter at the moment.  We were going to fetch the map, remember?”

            “What map?” Draco snapped.

            “You’ll see.  Come on.  The sooner we check this, the sooner you two can get back to snogging.”

            Hermione blushed, but Draco laughed.

            “Smartest thing you’ve said all week, Potter.”

            They were nearly to the fourth floor landing when a cry from below halted them.  They stopped and peered over the railing at Ginny Weasley, who bolted up the steps, looking agitated.

            Hermione felt a sinking sensation, wondering if they had received bad news of Percy.

            “Harry, come quickly!” Ginny yelled when she was near enough to be heard.  “Susan Bones just killed the Carrows!”

            “She what?”

            Harry raced down the stairs two at a time, followed by Hermione and Draco.

            “She tried to get Greyback, too, but he kept dodging her Avada Kedavras.  Nearly blew his cell to pieces.  Moody had to knock him out and move him when it was over.”

            The Great Hall had an atmosphere of shocked silence.

            “How did it happen?” Hermione asked Fred and George, who stood nearby.

            “We came in here and announced that Percy was alive,” said Fred.

            “Mum started going all to pieces again, knowing Percy was trapped somewhere,” George continued.

            “Possibly tortured.”

            “Susan got up and walked out.”

            “Hagrid came in from outside and heard the shouting.”

            “Susan was screaming, calling them murderers.”

            “By the time Hagrid tackled her, it was too late for the Carrows and Greyback was pretty singed.  Another few moments and she would have killed him, too.”

            “Too bad Hagrid wasn’t a bit slower,” Draco said dryly.  No one contradicted him.

            “And Wormtail?” Hermione asked.

            “Susan doesn’t know who or what he is.  She let him be.”

            “Another pity,” Draco commented.  “We should have labeled his cage.”

            “Where is Susan?” asked Neville.  He and Luna had come in to hear the tail end of the story.

            “Sedated in the hospital wing,” said Ginny.

            “They’ll have to turn her over to the Ministry, of course,” said Fred.

            “McGonagall went to contact them.”

            “I’ll go sit with Susan,” Neville said quietly.  “After what happened to my Gran, I sort of understand how she feels.”

            “I’ll go with you,” Luna offered.

            Bill Weasley stood up from where he’d been sitting near his parents.

            “Since most of you are here, at the moment,” he said, “I have an announcement.  We have decided the wedding will be held August fifteenth, and the ceremony will be outside, near the lake.  You are, of course, all invited.”

            Fleur suddenly burst into tears and fled the Hall.  Bill hurried after her.  Draco looked confused.

            “What?  Now she doesn’t want to get married?” he asked.  Hermione rolled her eyes.  Males were so dense, sometimes.

            “This is supposed to be the happiest time of her life, and look what’s happened.  Percy kidnapped.  Death Eaters everywhere.  The Ministry in danger.  Voldemort a complete unknown… And Bill stupidly announcing their wedding day in the midst of a crisis.  Of course she’s upset.”

            “Maybe they should postpone the wedding,” Harry suggested.

            “Well, that would be admitting defeat, wouldn’t it?” Hermione said forcefully.  Ginny nodded.

            “I’d better go talk to Ron,” Harry decided.  He and Ginny moved toward the remaining Weasley group.  The twins joined them.

            Hermione looked at Draco seriously.

            “We have to go tonight,” she said quietly.  His silver gaze sharpened.  She continued, “I feel like we’re running out of time.”

 

*          *          *          *          *

( Read more... )

Chapter Forty Three - Death Eaters

Chapter Forty Three – Death Eaters

 

            Hermione vaguely heard Harry calling them from the Trophy Room.  Draco was seated on the marble floor, leaning against the scabbard display and Hermione was in his lap, pleasantly lost in a fog of bliss.

            Harry's voice grew louder as he entered the Armor Gallery.  Hermione fought her way out of Draco's embrace, with effort, and stood up shakily.

            “Here!” she called brightly.  She took Draco’s hand and pulled him to his feet, surprised to note he looked just as dazed as she felt.

            Harry blinked at them when he approached.  Hermione giggled at Draco’s disheveled appearance.

            “Am I interrupting anything?” Harry asked dryly.

            Hermione shook her head, but Draco said, “Yes.  Can you make yourself disappear, Potter?”

            “Never mind,” Hermione said.  “We were just… looking at the displays.  What did Dobby have to say?”

            Harry frowned.

            “Malfoy, have you ever heard of the Elven Council?”

            Draco paused in smoothing his hair back to its normal perfection, although Hermione thought he looked delectable with it hanging over his eyes in a silver curtain…

            “Elven what?” he asked.

            “That’s what I thought.  It doesn’t matter at the moment.  We were going to fetch the map, remember?”

            “What map?” Draco snapped.

            “You’ll see.  Come on.  The sooner we check this, the sooner you two can get back to snogging.”

            Hermione blushed, but Draco laughed.

            “Smartest thing you’ve said all week, Potter.”

            They were nearly to the fourth floor landing when a cry from below halted them.  They stopped and peered over the railing at Ginny Weasley, who bolted up the steps, looking agitated.

            Hermione felt a sinking sensation, wondering if they had received bad news of Percy.

            “Harry, come quickly!” Ginny yelled when she was near enough to be heard.  “Susan Bones just killed the Carrows!”

            “She what?”

            Harry raced down the stairs two at a time, followed by Hermione and Draco.

            “She tried to get Greyback, too, but he kept dodging her Avada Kedavras.  Nearly blew his cell to pieces.  Moody had to knock him out and move him when it was over.”

            The Great Hall had an atmosphere of shocked silence.

            “How did it happen?” Hermione asked Fred and George, who stood nearby.

            “We came in here and announced that Percy was alive,” said Fred.

            “Mum started going all to pieces again, knowing Percy was trapped somewhere,” George continued.

            “Possibly tortured.”

            “Susan got up and walked out.”

            “Hagrid came in from outside and heard the shouting.”

            “Susan was screaming, calling them murderers.”

            “By the time Hagrid tackled her, it was too late for the Carrows and Greyback was pretty singed.  Another few moments and she would have killed him, too.”

            “Too bad Hagrid wasn’t a bit slower,” Draco said dryly.  No one contradicted him.

            “And Wormtail?” Hermione asked.

            “Susan doesn’t know who or what he is.  She let him be.”

            “Another pity,” Draco commented.  “We should have labeled his cage.”

            “Where is Susan?” asked Neville.  He and Luna had come in to hear the tail end of the story.

            “Sedated in the hospital wing,” said Ginny.

            “They’ll have to turn her over to the Ministry, of course,” said Fred.

            “McGonagall went to contact them.”

            “I’ll go sit with Susan,” Neville said quietly.  “After what happened to my Gran, I sort of understand how she feels.”

            “I’ll go with you,” Luna offered.

            Bill Weasley stood up from where he’d been sitting near his parents.

            “Since most of you are here, at the moment,” he said, “I have an announcement.  We have decided the wedding will be held August fifteenth, and the ceremony will be outside, near the lake.  You are, of course, all invited.”

            Fleur suddenly burst into tears and fled the Hall.  Bill hurried after her.  Draco looked confused.

            “What?  Now she doesn’t want to get married?” he asked.  Hermione rolled her eyes.  Males were so dense, sometimes.

            “This is supposed to be the happiest time of her life, and look what’s happened.  Percy kidnapped.  Death Eaters everywhere.  The Ministry in danger.  Voldemort a complete unknown… And Bill stupidly announcing their wedding day in the midst of a crisis.  Of course she’s upset.”

            “Maybe they should postpone the wedding,” Harry suggested.

            “Well, that would be admitting defeat, wouldn’t it?” Hermione said forcefully.  Ginny nodded.

            “I’d better go talk to Ron,” Harry decided.  He and Ginny moved toward the remaining Weasley group.  The twins joined them.

            Hermione looked at Draco seriously.

            “We have to go tonight,” she said quietly.  His silver gaze sharpened.  She continued, “I feel like we’re running out of time.”

 

*          *          *          *          *

( Read more... )