57

Justice

Lucius thought he’d never met stupider people in his entire life.  Even Mulciber and Avery had more brains between them than Goyle and these other two.  They made a sheep look bright.  When he and Draco had come into the room where the three were staying, they found it a pigsty of empty paper cups, dirty dishes, crumpled candy wrappers, and beer bottles.  The place looked like a dungheap and stank even worse. Lucius could see Draco swallowing sharply to keep from vomiting from the stench.  He couldn’t blame his son, it was probably almost a week since anyone had picked up the rubbish or thrown any out.  Not only that, but the three didn’t even question Lucius and Draco’s sudden appearance.

Instead, they greeted the two Malfoys like long lost relatives, almost kissing their feet. 

“You heard, Draco? About who we captured and why?” asked Goyle, looking at Draco with the same kind of hero worship he’d displayed in school.

“You’re Draco Malfoy?” gasped Stephen.

“I am. And this is my father, Lucius,” Draco gestured to him.  “We came as quickly as we could.”

“How did you know we were here?” asked Adrian, his eyes practically bugging from his head.

“I have my ways,” Lucius said mysteriously.

Goyle nodded like a puppet on a string.  “Old Lucius—sorry, I mean Lord Malfoy—has some of the best intelligence network in the world.  He knows everything, right, Draco?”

“Pretty much,” Draco said smoothly.  He wanted to slam Goyle upside the head.  Along with his two chums. But he held his temper. For now.  “What did you find out? And why didn’t you just ask me to talk to Lily?”

“Well, we figured—Adrian and Stephen and I—“ Goyle introduced the other two belatedly.  “—that those kids might talk if they was scared first.  You know, the power of fear.  Works like a charm.” He guffawed and so did the other two.

Draco and Lucius remained stonily silent.

Goyle coughed, then said, “Anyhow, we found out about the trip Potter, you, and Lupin were on because my wife—remember Pansy, Draco?—well she saw Astoria and Ginny and Luna going into the camping store or whatever you call it in Diagon Alley.  She followed them and hid behind a display and overheard them talking about your little trip.  Then she told me and I called Adrian and Stephens and we planned this whole thing.  It just made sense, ya know?”

Like it makes sense to me to hex your balls off, Draco thought coldly.  He was furious, but had been trained to show no emotion even when he was seething. Only Harry had ever been able to make him mad enough to actually express himself in school.  “Of course, Goyle.  You’re lucky to have married Pansy. I always thought she was a good match for you.” Like a bulldog and her master.  Not to mention she’s the only one stupid enough to have you.  How was I ever friends with you I’ll never know. I must have had a moment of idiocy or something.

Lucius fought to keep his eyes from rolling as he said, “Now, tell us what you’ve learned about bringing back the Dark Lord?” Really, these three were so dumb it was a crime.

“They wouldn’t tell us nothing, Lord Malfoy,” Goyle whined.  “Not even when I smacked them around some.  I tried to get ‘em to talk, but them brats just kept saying they didn’t know anything. Adrian wouldn’t let me use Crucio on ‘em.”

“On account of we needed them to be able to talk, sir,” protested Adrian.  “And we all know you can’t after being under the Cruciatus.”

“Plus they’re kids, how much could they take before they snapped?” added Stephen.

“You’re right. That was good thinking, boys,” Lucius nodded, wondering angrily just how much they’d take before they snapped?  “Perhaps we’ll question them ourselves.”

Draco was ready to end this charade, but wasn’t sure how long Harry and the others needed to find the children.  So he gritted his teeth and imagined Goyle imprinted with hot irons and other torture instruments as well as the Cruciatus before he said, “Yes, Father. That sounds like a good idea.  I’m hungry. Do you have anything to eat in this dump?”

“Uh, Stephen, see what we have left in the ice box,” Goyle ordered.  “We don’t have much, Draco, Pansy was supposed to cook us supper yesterday, but she wasn’t feeling good, so she left us on our own.”

Stephen was bent over, hunting through the magically cold box for something edible, when they heard some loud howls coming down the hall.  Before Goyle or Adrian could react, Lucius threw open the door.

Draco drew his wand just as a black dog followed by Remus Lupin burst into the room.  “About time you joined the party, Lupin!” he exclaimed as the werewolf rushed in.

Even then, Goyle and Adrian didn’t quite get it.

“Is he on our side?” mumbled Adrian as Lupin strode into the room, his eyes a pale yellow and his canines elongated like a real wolf’s.

Stephen let out a yelp as Padfoot came and bit him hard on the behind.  “Yeoow! Somethin’ bit me, Greg! Get it off!”  he banged his head on the ice box as he tried to back up and see what had done so.

Draco fought to keep from laughing at the sight.  Before he could say anything, Lupin had slammed Adrian against the wall.

“What’s . . . what’s going on, Draco?” Goyle queried, looking like someone had just hit him upside the head with a club.

“We’re finishing what we started, Goyle,” growled Draco, and chanted, “Incarcerus!”

Ropes shot out of his wand and wrapped around his old friend’s feet.

Goyle stumbled backwards, crying, “What’d you do that for, Draco?”

“Because you kidnapped my daughter, you stupid slob!” Draco spat. 

“But . . . but she’s one of them!” yelped Goyle.  “Why do you care?”

“We care because she’s part of our family, Gregory,” Lucius said then, also pulling his wand.  “And family protects family always.”

“But . . . the Dark Lord would have . . .” Goyle began, trying to talk as Stephen was yelping and Adrian almost fainted because Remus was snarling in his face.

“The Dark Lord is dead, Greg,” Draco spat.  “And thank Merlin he is, because his old-fashioned ideas were what got us into this mess.  I don’t know why you still think you should serve him.  It’s ridiculous!”

Goyle looked from Lucius to Draco, so quickly he nearly got whiplash.  “Wh-a-a-t? You’re . . . you’re not . . . but you’re dressed just like . . . Are you Potter Polyjuiced?”

“No.  I’m Draco and I’m feeling like knocking all the teeth out in your head and stringing you up by your guts for what you did to Lily, Severus, and Lupin’s boy,” Draco snarled.

Before he could make good on his threat, a voice from behind them cried, “Leave my husband alone, Malfoy! Before I . . . I hex you good!”

Lucius whirled to confront a very pregnant, very angry Pansy, standing there, looking like a mad hippo, in the doorway.  “Damn it! Now I have to hex a bloody pregnant woman?” he muttered.  He had never liked hurting women, and had only done so under the aegis of the Dark Lord.

Pansy fired off a red beam of light at Draco, who ducked.

Stephen, who was running away from the snarling black puppy, ran right into Pansy’s hex.

He promptly collapsed on the floor, stunned senseless.

“Oh no!” she cried. “I meant to hit Malfoy!”

“Your aim’s still as awful as ever, Parkinson,” Ginny yelled, her wand drawn.  Unlike Lucius, she had no qualms about hexing Pansy.  “Let me show you how it’s done.  Stupefy!”

Pansy had a shocked speechless expression on her pudgy face as Ginny Stunned her right in the chest.  She sank to the ground, and the thud she made as she hit the ground shook the room like an earthquake.

“Hey! That’s my wife!” Goyle cried.  Then he toppled over.  Draco disarmed him with a casual wave.

Against the wall, Adrian whimpered as Padfoot nipped at his ankles while Remus, looking as feral and vicious as any of Greyback’s pack, pinned the recalcitrant sorcerer against the wall.  Strings of drool dripped onto Adrian’s quivering form as Remus growled, “Here’s a tasty snack.  How about I have some lunch?”

“No-o-o! Please!” wailed the Death Eater, shaking so bad he could barely stand.

Padfoot snarled and went to bite him when Remus snapped, “Down, boy! You could get a disease biting this disgusting piece of rubbish!”

Padfoot dropped to the ground, automatically obeying the alpha male of his pack. 

Remus bared his fangs and made believe he was going to rip out Adrian’s throat.

The cowardly wizard turned pale as a hunk of old cheese and promptly fainted dead away.

“Pansy-arse!” Remus sniffed, then tied Adrian up with the Incarcerous charm.

“You . . . you betrayed us,” wailed Goyle, finally catching on.

“Took you long enough to figure that one out,” Harry sneered, coming part way into the room.  Behind him were Severus and Lily.  “Then again, you always were slow on the uptake.  Probably because you relied on everyone else to do your thinking for you.”

“I think he was brain damaged,” Severus put in, glaring at his former student.

Goyle tried to back away, but his ankles were tied and he could barely get to his feet.

Suddenly Harry slammed him one right in the jaw.  “That’s for Severus!”

Goyle toppled over, groaning.

Draco reached out and dragged the gasping Goyle from the ground and chanted a hex that made great green pustules pop out all over his old friend’s face and arms.  “And that’s for hurting Lily, you pathetic excuse for a horse’s ass!”

Goyle squealed like a stuck pig.  “Draco, what are you doing?”

“Getting even,” Lucius replied, his eyes icy cold.  “This is justice, Gregory.  Our justice.”

Lucius began to cast something, but was interrupted as Padfoot flew across the floor and chomped upon Goyle’s thigh.

The man screamed as Remus said angrily, “And that’s for Sirius! Serves you right, you miserable kidnapper.  You’re going to rot in Azkaban for what you’ve done.”

Draco reached down and grabbed Padfoot by the scruff. “Enough! You don’t want to damage him too much.”

“Just enough,” Lily cried, her green eyes blazing.  She marched across the room and slapped Goyle hard across the face.  Then she turned and cried, “Daddy! I knew you’d come for us.”

Draco picked up Lily and hugged her tight.

Lucius was about to finish the job when he felt a small hand upon his arm. 

“Let’s do this together, old friend,” Severus said, and he placed his small hand atop Lucius’ larger one and together they chanted a spell that shot frozen pieces of hail at Goyle, slamming him all over until he collapsed with a groan on the floor, unmoving.

“Now that’s what I call a rescue!” Sirius said, shifting forms.

Harry looked at the four Death Eaters and hissed, “If it weren’t for the fact that the law demands a trial, I’d have happily buried them.”

“Even Pansy?” queried Draco.

“Her I’d lock up until she delivered, then I’d shove her where the sun doesn’t shine,” Harry growled. 

“What about the baby?” Ginny asked.

“We’d find him or her a good home,” Harry said shortly.  “Let’s get these scum to the Aurors before I change my mind and hex them all till they bleed.”

He opened up a glowing portal with his wand, it was connected to Auror headquarters, a spell given to him by Kingsley in case of an emergency.

As they floated the comatose Death Eaters and Pansy through it, the castle began to shake and groan.

“What’s happening?” Ginny yelped.

“The castle’s falling apart!” Remus howled. “Get through the portal, quickly!” He shoved Sirius through the opening. Draco jumped in with Lily and Remus followed.  Ginny came next, then Lucius pulling Severus after him. 

A huge tremor shook the old castle and Ginny screamed, “Harry! Where’s Harry?” She looked around as smoke arose from the portal and several stunned Aurors started to get to their feet.  They could no longer see the castle and Harry had not yet come through. 

Lucius grabbed Ginny when she would have run back into the portal. “No! Stay here!”

“No! I’m going to find my husband!” she shrieked, struggling against his grip.  “Harry! Where are you?”

Severus stared into the portal and prayed Harry would come through, whispering, “Come on, Ha—Dad.  I didn’t come back just to see you die, did I?”