dysonrules | Feb. 27th, 2007

Chapter Forty Six – Bellatrix Lestrange

When Hermione returned to McGonagall’s office, Ginny practically leaped down her throat.

“We have to hurry!” Ginny cried and tugged on her arm. “Harry and—“

“I know where they went,” Hermione said calmly and resisted being dragged. “We have something to do before we can follow them.”

Ginny gaped at her in confusion. “But… it’s Snape!”

“Draco won’t let Harry charge headlong into battle. Besides, we still don’t know whose side Snape is on.”

“We know whose side Greyback is on!” Ginny cried, close to tears. “Frankly, your confidence in Malfoy is appalling—“

Hermione spied the Marauders’ Map on the desk and hurried over to look at it. A quick glance showed Harry, Draco, and Ron nearing Moaning Myrtle’s lavatory. Hermione scanned away from them to check out the route to the room where they had destroyed the other Horcruxes. They would have to use the room again because it had already been purified.

“Oh no,” Hermione murmured. Bellatrix Lestrange was on the stairs heading for the third floor. The other three crowded around the map. Neville paled.

“It looks like she’s alone,” Hermione said.

“Good,” replied Ginny flatly.

* * * * *

Moaning Myrtle was not moaning at the moment. A large hole gaped where one of the sinks used to be. The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, no doubt. At least it wasn’t part of a toilet, Draco thought, trying to dredge up something positive about the idea. What had Slytherin been thinking?

“My, my!” Murtle cried when she spotted them. “My toilet is such a busy place, today! So many comings and goings.”

“Who has been coming and going, Myrtle?” Draco asked. She zipped across the room in a flash of white and sidled up to Draco, partly disappearing into his arm.

“Oh, it’s you!” she crooned. “I haven’t seen you since your bath last night.”

Draco flushed a bit. Myrtle never seemed to miss one of Draco’s baths when he was at Hogwarts.

“Did you recognize them, Myrtle?” he asked, hoping to forestall any commentary regarding his bathing habits.

“Oh yes. Nasty Mr. Filch has been in and out, in and out all day. He’s very rude! And that wicked professor who saved your life the day he,” she jerked an accusing finger at Harry, “tried to kill you!” She half-sobbed and then looked coyly at Draco. “Although I was sort of hoping if you died that you would stay here with me.”

She giggled and Draco reflected that spending a lifetime in a toilet with Myrtle or being slow roasted over the coals of hell would be quite the toss up.

“Filch?” Potter snapped. “What was he doing down here?”

Myrtle ignored him. Apparently, she was still upset with Harry for nearly killing Malfoy during the Sectumsempra incident.

“Was anyone with him?” Draco asked.

“That nasty teacher. Filch went down this morning alone and came back with that fellow.”

“Snape,” Draco supplied.

“That’s the one.” Myrtle giggled. “Snape went out and came back with the other four.”

“Dolohov, Goyle, Greyback, and Wormtail.”

“If you say so. I didn’t recognize any of them.”

“I wonder where Filch went,” Ron said.

“Fenrir probably ate him,” Draco replied. Harry grimaced.

“I wouldn’t even wish that on Filch. Do you think he was Imperiused?”

“Who cares?” Draco said. “Shouldn’t we be getting after them?” He began to think Potter and Weasley were stalling. Harry sighed deeply.

“He’s right. Let’s go.”

Ron shuddered. “I hate it down there.”

Harry walked to the opening and stared into the huge pipe.

“I wonder how they opened it. Who speaks Parseltongue besides me and Voldemort?” It was a chilling question to which they had no answer.

“See you down below,” Harry said and stepped into the pipe.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Draco said as Harry disappeared into the distinctly slimy entrance. Ron gave him a commiserating look and followed Potter after a jaunty salute. Draco sighed deeply and stepped in after Weasley vanished. It was one of the most unpleasant experiences of Draco’s life—sliding along a wet, slime-covered pipe at increasing speed until he was shot out the end to land atop Ron Weasley. Malfoy rolled away immediately and got to his feet. He was coated in slippery grime. It was a hundred times worse than the mud he’d been covered in earlier.

Draco instantly cast a Scourgify on himself. He hated doing it because it stung quite nastily, but it was better than being filthy.

“Bloody hell, Malfoy, must you always look like you stepped out of a magazine?” Potter snapped as Draco smoothed down his clean hair with a contented sigh. He scowled at Potter, whose hair was finally lying flat, now that it was plastered with goo. Draco vindictively cracked a cleaning spell at him.

“Ow!” Potter cried and Malfoy smiled wickedly. At least The Chosen One was clean, even if he didn’t appreciate it. Draco looked speculatively at Ron, who backed away so quickly he tripped over a rock and sat down hard.

“I’d rather be dirty!” he yelled.

Malfoy laughed and Potter said, “Don’t say it, Malfoy. Let’s just go.” Then he paused and shook out the cloth in his hand. He handed it to Draco. “Put this on.”

“Your invisibility cloak? Why me?”

“We can’t all wear it. We’re too tall for even two of us to fit. Anyone waiting for us will expect Ron and I. But you? Let’s keep that a secret as long as possible.”

It seemed to take forever to navigate the dark tunnel. A door set with entwined serpents stood open before them and a strange, greenish glow guided them onward. Harry’s steps had slowed until he seemed to be forcing himself forward.

“This is where you fought the basilisk, eh?” Draco murmured. Potter nodded. Malfoy conceded that Potter was braver than he’d thought. This place was creepy. For a twelve-year old boy, it had to have been absolutely terrifying, especially knowing a deadly serpentine monster waited at the end of it.

They entered the chamber and Harry raised his wand. He cast a Lumos bright enough to illuminate anything hiding in the room.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to have sneaked in?” Ron squeaked.

“They knew we were here,” Harry said flatly. The light revealed three people: Peter Pettigrew, Fenrir Greyback, and Severus Snape.

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