Harry Potter awoke the following morning feeling incredibly drained.
His late-night conversation with Severus following his nightmare full of horrors left him with an incredibly heavy heart. He didn't have the desire to get out of bed that morning, with limited energy to face anyone, but he tried his best to make the effort. Harry managed to drag his weary body into the shower and allowed the hot water to soak into his skin for longer than usual. After his blood-soaked nightmare, he shuddered in absolute disgust as he could still feel it coat his skin. He had already dry-retched a few times since and the recoil left his throat burning with the stomach acid that continued to rise.
He stared at his pale face in the mirror. He doubted they'd be a charm strong enough to hide the dark circles under his eyes. He brought his hands to his face, feeling the new growth of scruff around his jawline.
I better deal with that now, so I don't end up looking like Hagrid. Ginny won't approve.
Finally feeling done with his shower and shave, he dragged his feet down to the empty kitchen and brewed himself a mug of tea to try and further settle his nerves. He glanced at the dust-coated clock on the wall, which read two-thirty in the afternoon. Neither of his friends had shown up, or if they did, he mustn't have heard them. He considered venturing out to the Burrow that day, but he felt more withdrawn than usual and wasn't entirely confident about the thought of facing Molly and Arthur. Especially Arthur. Ginny was always mentioning Molly's persistent concern over how Harry was doing. He was rather surprised the Weasley matriarch didn't show up to Grimmauld Place every single day, coddling him to the point of watching to shut himself up within his room. Molly missed Harry, but he really wasn't in the mood to have everyone pocking and prodding him about his troubles. He had enough to worry about, more than they realised.
Harry sat sullenly on the distant end of the kitchen table, eyeing the freshly baked savory muffins with distaste, still reeling from the nauseating images in his mind from the restless night. He couldn't bear to stomach anything else other than tea at this point, and the thought of food at that moment made him sick. So instead, he stared at the swirling hot liquid in front of him.
"Any lower in your mug, and you'll need a bubble charm. Wouldn't want you to drown now, do we?"
Oh, the irony.
Harry looked up to find Draco walking into the kitchen, saying nothing in response to his usual sarcasm.
Draco curled his lip in mild amusement, "Someone's a bit of a mess this morning."
Harry sighed heavily, "Really not in the mood for you, Malfoy."
There was a clanging of a spoon against a mug close to the sink on the far end of the kitchen. Harry turned to see Draco preparing a mug of coffee without magic, which was an odd sight. He could see the Slytherin getting frustrated, and Harry wondered in amusement when Severus would actually hand back his wand, that is unless Severus was more amused by this than he was. Must be another one of his tough lessons. After watching Draco struggle for a few moments, Harry finally called upon Kreacher to prepare it instead, leaving Draco slumping in a chair four spaces away from Harry. The Slytherin leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. His sling was now gone, as with most of the burns he had sustained.
"So…" Draco watched as Kreacher set down a steaming mug of coffee in front of him, and scurried away, "What's the plan?"
Harry inhaled sharply, "There isn't one yet."
"You must be joking? All of you knuckleheads, and you can't think of anything?"
Harry breathed heavily through his nose, determined not to snap already, "We're working on it. Right now, we have nothing to go on. When we figure out a plan that won't get people kidnapped or murdered, then great. I'll let you know." He was seething through his sarcasm.
"Then we draw them out. Capture one, then interrogate," Draco suggested, a little too casually.
Harry looked up, confused, "What?"
"You heard me. We need a location to where they are keeping them captive, yeah? Why not just hang around somewhere like Hogsmeade, or even Knockturn Alley, and wait for them to show up," Draco explained, "Instead of waiting for them to find us."
"You realise that's what they want us to do?"
"Exactly. Give them what they want. There is no other way. I've played their game. I know."
Harry shook his head, "And have them capture you? You're mad."
"I'm very flattered you care about me so much, Potter," Draco responded with a smirk, "We need one of us there."
"No, no, and no," Harry gripped his mug with both hands, "Too dangerous."
"Says the Boy-Who-Never-Does-What-He-Is-Told," Draco snorted, "Fine, a decoy. Make them think they have one of us. Stick a tracking Charm on them, and there you have it."
"You can't be serious. And put someone else in your place? While someone else gets taken?" Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing, "That's…No, Malfoy. We are not doing that."
"Not reckless enough for you?" Draco took a sip of his coffee, snatching one of the muffins from the table, "Well, when you have a better idea sometime this year, let me know."
"Hang on…" Harry paused, mulling over Malfoys idea, "Unless it doesn't have to be a decoy," He reached into the pocket of his faded jeans, and pulled out the master DA coin, holding it up for Draco to see," Hermione charmed these to act as a beacon if any of us were in trouble. Now, Ginny couldn't activate it when she was taken because the warded cage they kept her in, prevented it from working. Neville has one, and so does Lee."
Draco raised an eyebrow, "Your point?"
"My point is that they can't use the coins because they've already crossed that magical barrier, rendering it useless," Harry bit his lip, "Given that, we have two ideas. One, we use one of us as bait, so we can activate it before they take us in through their warded barriers of the base. Or two, slip the activated coin into one of the robes of the Death Eaters, so we can gain a trace once they apparate. "
"It could work. I mean, too many things can go wrong with both of those ideas, but we have options, " Draco gave a lopsided shrug.
"We only need a brief trace. If that gets us anywhere close by, then it's better than nothing, isn't it?"
"Hmmm," Draco paused in thought, "I suppose."
"You…actually agree with me?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Yeah, well remember, I'm not doing this for you, Potter," Draco snapped.
"I'm not suggesting you are. I'd never think of you to do otherwise, " Harry sighed, "We'll run the idea by Severus and see what he thinks."
Draco glared at Harry as if he had just transfigured himself into a goblet, "Since when do you call him Severus?"
"Does it matter? It is his name."
The Slytherin paused, examining Harry, causing him to feel somewhat uncomfortable. He really wished people weren't so shocked by it. "You know, ever since Hogwarts went up in smoke, he's been acting strange. Unlike his usual self. What's up with him?"
"Strange? Well, he doesn't have to play the triple-agent game anymore. And I know you know why. Everyone kind of does…Of course, he wouldn't be the same. Bloody hell, Malfoy."
"No, it's something else…" Draco narrowed his eyes, pondering, "Like he's…Every time I see him, he looks like he's about to drop dead."
"Well, ask him yourself."
"So, you do know something?"
"Ask him then," Harry challenged, "Stop hassling me about it."
Draco sneered, taking a sip of his coffee He finally bit into his muffin, devouring it rather quickly. It was not up to Harry whether Severus kept his illness a secret or not. That was his choice. If Draco had questions, he should be approaching his Godfather about it directly. He hated being stuck in the middle about it, but it really was not up to him to divulge that information. Not only that, but Severus' magic was failing him. The man's pride was far too great to admit that to his own Godson, as opposed to his diminishing dignity upon his illness.
Harry and Draco continued in conversation discussing other plans – some ridiculous - waiting for Severus to make an appearance so that they can discuss it with him. It was a risky plan, and he knew Severus would not take it well, but they had literally nothing to go on at this point.
Eventually, Severus did make his way downstairs looking paler than usual and stopped in shock to find both rival teenagers sitting at the table so casually. Harry and Draco looked up in anticipation, waiting for the man to take a seat. Harry watched as Severus slowly lowered himself to a seat a few spots down from Harry, wincing slightly from discomfort radiating from his neck. He looked tired. His eyes reddened; evident of the restless sleep he also likely had after their late-night conversation.
Severus clasped his hands on the table in front of them, carefully examining the unlikely allies seated in front of him, "I'm surprised to see neither of you have ripped out each other's throats yet."
"Muggle brawling isn't really my thing, " Draco smirked, "Far too messy."
Harry ignored Draco's comment and turned to Severus, "We may have come up with an idea to find the others."
"And what, pray tell, did you have in mind? I must reassure you that the Minister and the Auror Office are doing their best to exhaust resources to apprehend the remaining enemies, " Severus sighed, "It is not entirely up to us. You both must take extreme caution."
Harry exchanged glances at Draco, who tilted his chin upwards for the Gryffindor to explain. Harry looked back at Severus, "I believe we can try and activate some sort of tracking charm on them this time. I was thinking of slipping them an activated DA coin – "
"- No."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me clearly. I said no, " Severus spoke firmly, "The only way that will work is if you draw them out and get close enough to do such a blasted thing, and I will not allow you to risk your lives for such a reckless idea."
Draco slammed his mug a little too hard, back onto the table, "Oh, come on. It will work. Easy! Those imbeciles will be onto us like moths to a flame."
"And you assume they will not expect that? Don't be daft, Draco, " Severus hissed, "This is not a childish game of tag. "
"How else are we going to find them? We can't just…wait around…" Harry threw his hands up in the air.
Severus shot Harry a look of warning, "For now, yes, that is exactly what you must do. We have no more leads to go on at this time. We were exceedingly lucky to find the Quarry with Miss Weasley's wand. Furthermore, they will be sure not to be any more careless with their defenses and concealing their trail."
"So, you want us to wait?" Draco responded, clearly frustrated.
"Yes. That will be most wise, " Severus answered firmly, "We cannot simply guess, in the hope that a plan will work exactly how we intend. They don't. A plan such as yours is far too foolish to attempt." Harry gave a disapproving snort, and Severus shot him another warned look, "Enough of that. Have some common sense. Both of you. Draco, you know what they are capable of. Do not argue with me on this. They will not hesitate to capture either of you and torture you to oblivion until you beg for death."
"Fine, " Draco looked irked, "Then I'll go and scout Hogsmeade for a bit, so I can at least be of some use, and not skulking around here for Merlin knows how long," Severus gave him a venomous glare, "Relax, I can use the cloaking charm."
"You are not to venture alone."
"I am more efficient alone. I don't need anyone holding my hand."
"Take Potter with you – "
"I will bloody not."
Severus was unimpressed, "Do you want your wand back or not?"
Draco scrunched up his face, pondering a decision he really didn't want to make. But at that moment, the front door opened, and Hermione walked through carrying a wooden box filled with an assortment of glass jars, vials, smaller boxes, and other things Harry could not quite see or identify. As she walked in, aside from being startled by unintentionally interrupting a heated discussion, she placed the box onto the kitchen table and flung back a stray wisp of brunette hair from her face. She frowned at Draco for a few moments, almost forgetting everyone else within the room. Eventually, she blinked herself back into the present and looked at Severus.
"Sir, I managed to get a hold of more potion supplies, including some empty jars which we've been lacking, and a spare small brass cauldron to replace the one Ron accidentally mangled the other day…" Hermione spoke without a further breath, exasperated. She drew in a deep breath, finally, and continued, "Also I've begun the next…thing." She looked at Harry, trying to convey the message as vague as possible.
Harry frowned, slightly confused. Oh, the next potion. Duh, "Oh, yeah, of course. Blimey, that's today."
Severus gave a single nod to Hermione, "Ah, yes, " Harry noticed he tried to avoid Draco's quizzical gaze, and turned his attention towards the box of supplies, lifting each object to carefully examine them. With each item, he gave a nod of approval, and several times he looked surprised. But he seemed rather pleased to tear his gaze away to focus on the box, making sure to avoid further discussion on such a subject.
"I did gather some things that weren't so commonly found, and Hagrid gave me some extra ingredients, as he's been helping Professor Slughorn replenish Hogwarts supplies," Hermione explained, watching Severus a little nervously like he was grading one of her essays.
Severus placed the last delicate item back into the box, and looked up at Hermione, "Thank you, Miss Granger. Perhaps you can accompany these two to Hogsmeade. I trust you'd be responsible enough to deter them away from doing anything idiotic."
Hermione hesitated a little, "Uh, oh, of course, " She looked at Harry, confused.
Severus reached into his robes and pulled out Draco's wand. He slid it slowly across the table and watched as Draco immediately snatched it back into his possession, "If you are not responsible, Draco, I will confiscate it once again. Am I making myself clear? Do not linger there longer than necessary."
Draco sneered, "I'm not reckless, and at least I can cover my tracks. Nice to see you trust me, Severus."
Severus narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin, "To an extent. Remember, they have your mother as leverage. Any wrong move and they will not hesitate to send her corpse to your doorstep."
The younger Slytherin looked distastefully at his Godfather, "You've made your point."
"Good," Severus, although pleased by the answer, looked sternly back, "Now run along, and do not stay longer than required."
Draco was the first to rise from his seat, determined, "Ready, Potter? I'm not going to babysit you, so you better keep up."
Without another word, Harry rose to join Hermione, and with one last glance cast at his Slytherin rival, the three of them made their exit out of Grimmauld Place. Harry made a quick dash upstairs to retrieve the Cloak, and together they Disapparated away beyond the newly placed magical boundary at Hogsmeade. As Harry took a step towards the wizarding village, he watched as Draco backtracked and began to make his way into the forest instead. Harry and Hermione exchanged startled glances, as the Slytherin went in the opposite direction.
"Malfoy – wrong way, " Harry said impatiently, crinkling his brow, and closely watching Draco.
Draco stopped and turned on his heel to face Harry, "I'm backtracking. Where else would they hide to observe Hogsmeade and stay out of view? They captured an Auror and beheaded the poor sod. They knew what they were doing."
"The forest?" Hermione said, quizzically.
"Well, they aren't going to go camping at the station, are they? The forest is their best cover."
Harry shook his head, "But we already found their forest base."
"Who says they only had one?" Draco spoke smugly, "Death Eaters never stay in one place for too long. They move around often, hence why they have so many, well…checkpoints. Why do you think people like Severus aren't familiar with most of them?"
Hermione bit her lip, "Well, you're not wrong…"
"Of course I'm not, Granger – " Draco answered, "I didn't just follow them around like a lost puppy when I received the bloody Mark."
Harry exchanged glances with Hermione uneasily, then back at Draco, "How do I know you're not leading us into a trap?"
"You don't, " Draco raised an eyebrow, "But they have my mother. They care more about revenge against their two traitors, than the Chosen One. Trust me when I say, they will gain more satisfaction killing me and Severus, than they would with you this time. You're just a bonus, " Draco paused, "Besides, you have that Cloak you're so obsessed with. Use it if you don't trust me."
"Fine. Lead the way, " Harry drew in a deep breath, making sure to stay some distance behind the Slytherin just in case. Hermione had the same idea.
They walked for a few minutes beyond the treeline of the forest outlining the far end of Hogsmeade, until Draco stopped, and knelt down. Harry watched in silence as Draco scanned the forest floor around them, almost forgetting that both Harry and Hermione were behind him. They were in the lighter density of the forest, so they did not run into the dilemma of searching painfully in the dark. However, there were enough shadows cast to conceal them well enough. Harry had initially thought they'd be going into Hogsmeade, but he had the feeling that venturing out here would provide them will better answers.
Draco raised his wand above the ground, and gently flourished it, "Sanguis ostendeo."
A pale glow emanated from the tip of Draco's wand and coated the ground with small orbs of light. At first, nothing happened, but a few moments ticked by, and wisps of light caused some parts of the ground to glow, hovering above the forest floor. Harry scrunched up his face in confusion, as the light seemed not to distinguish footsteps.
But instead, was outlining blood.
Hermione let out a slight gasp, "Is that…blood?"
Draco nodded, still observing the ground, "Sure is. I noticed the ground back there had been trampled upon. They dragged a body up here. My guess is it was that Auror they beheaded. They wouldn't have done it in the village. They would have done it around here, so they couldn't be seen. Their attempt at covering their tracks didn't work very well for them."
Harry looked disgusted, "That's…disgusting."
Draco smirked, "Beheading is one of their milder forms of making a statement."
Hermione frowned, "You look far too pleased about that."
"I'm only pleased because I know what they are capable of. You can both live in your ignorance, but honestly, you'd never truly understand the lengths they'd go to. Not as I do, nor Severus."
For once, Harry was glad he didn't know. He didn't want to. Thoughts of his blood-soaked nightmare flashed back within his mind, and it was an effort to stop himself from dry retching. Draco continued to flourish his still-activated charm, and continued forth within the forest, following the white wisps illuminating their path. The further they ventured; the more concerned Harry was. He was scared of what else they'd find.
They continued to follow the illuminated path set by Draco until they reached a small clearing littered with giant, jagged rocks. Concealed beside the rocks, were twisted, broken metal cages with their doors clearly snapped off their hinges. Chains littered the forest floor around them, hidden underneath the growth of the shrubbery. Harry had tripped on the chains a few times, rattling them, and piercing the silence, much to his discomfort. The reveal charm Draco was using further illuminated the horror around them, as now, the mere wisps turned into mist as evidence of blood roughly concealed, was now evident in the area around them.
Not another soul could be seen, and Harry let out a sigh of relief. Regardless, the three of them held their wands up defensively.
After scouring the area for any further evidence, it was obvious that it was abandoned a short while ago. But eventually, they heard a sickening crunch of glass, and Harry turned around to see Hermione, who became wide-eyed. He watched as she looked below her feet, to find a mess of empty vials, one which she unfortunately crushed. Harry walked up to her, as she knelt down to pick one up, observing the droplets that still remained within.
She brought it to her nostrils and exhaled a few times. Eventually, she crinkled her nose, "Polyjuice potion."
Draco walked up to them, eyeing the mess of glass on the forest floor, "They've been busy." He paused, as he turned to point to a section of the clearing covered with vines and twisted tree roots, "And I'd avoid going over there if I were you. I found werewolf remains. Though, it looks like they've been there for quite some time."
Harry's stomach lurched, "Looks like someone else took them out a while ago."
"Good. The last thing we need is to deal with a bloody werewolf, " Draco responded.
Harry clenched his jaw, and all he could think about was Remus.
"I think we've seen enough. Those cages and chains are all rusted over. They haven't been used in a very long time. The blood is too recent to match, " Draco continued, "At least we know where they were on the night they decided to attack an Auror, murder a family, and decide to go door-knocking at both of our houses."
"We should go before they discover we're here, " Hermione suggested, clearly looking uncomfortable being here.
Harry nodded, as the three of them decided to leave the area, backtracking on the path they arrived in. It didn't take them long until they were just before the forest treeline, and Hogsmeade can still be seen through the afternoon sun. They pulled together and shifted behind a large ancient tree.
"Hey is that…Rita Skeeter?" Hermione whispered.
Harry was confused at first and squinted through the bushes to see the unmistaken green fitted suite of non-other than the notorious big mouth of the wizarding world of Britain. He spotted the woman talking to another man just outside The Three Broomsticks, who had his back to the trio, whom they could not identify. The woman's blonde curly locks hung over the side of her face, and her bright red lipstick glowed like a Muggle stoplight. In her hand was her notebook and Quick-Quotes Quill. The sight of her was repulsing.
It was indeed Rita Skeeter. He had wondered where she had disappeared to.
"Just great. Probably prowling around for the next lie-filled scoop, " Harry spoke dully.
Hermione looked worriedly at Harry, "Oh my gosh, do you think she was the one who falsely accused Snape of being here? Or eavesdropped on our conversation with Aberforth?"
Harry bit his lip, "That doesn't surprise me in the slightest."
Draco frowned, "And you two idiots didn't notice her before? You have to be careful what you say these days."
"Oi, Malfoy! Shut it!" Harry started to get mad.
"Hey, don't call us idiots!" Hermione snapped, spinning around to face Draco furiously, "You and your Slytherins had a field day spreading ridiculous lies about us, especially in the fourth year. I doubt you even realised she is an unregistered Animagus?"
Draco scrunched up his face, "Unregistered? What?"
"Now, who's the idiot?!" She leaned forward, almost yelling the last few words in the Slytherin's face.
"Calm bloody down, Granger, " Draco recoiled back, "Don't get your pants all twisted."
"Look – she's leaving, " Harry interrupted, still watching Rita and the mysterious man she was interviewing. A few minutes of silence between the three, and each watched the woman carefully. She disappeared in the opposite direction, still flourishing her quill furiously against the notebook. The man she was talking to had turned around, and this time they could see his face.
It was Blaise.
Draco growled under his breath, "You two wait here. I need to go and pay this disgusting swine a visit."
"Oi! Malfoy! Get back here!" Harry tried to call out, but Draco had already made his way toward the village, ignoring Harry's fruitless calls.
Not wasting further time, Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself and Hermione and made a quick dash to follow the Slytherin into Hogsmeade. They made careful steps, being thankful it wasn't winter and snowing, and making sure the Cloak could hide their feet as best as they could. It was so much easier when they were younger, but now they had to walk hunched rather awkwardly. He and Hermione were close to the same height, but Ron was significantly taller and broader, so their trip under the Cloak was usually the most difficult when he tagged along.
The blonde Slytherin followed Blaise until they reached the edge of Dervish and Banges. With his wand still raised Draco grabbed Blaise's shoulder with his other hand, spun him around, and jabbed his wand right into his throat. Blaise didn't even have a chance to withdraw his wand, as Draco grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and held him against the wall with force.
"- Hey, what the hell!" Blaise yelled.
"Shut it, Blaise!" Draco spat, "Were you the one spying on my house?"
"What?! – "
Draco further pressed the wand, "ANSWER ME!"
Blaise seemed to gasp from the wand pushing down on his windpipe, "NO! It wasn't me – "
Draco scrunched his face, "I call bull!"
"It wasn't me; I swear!"
"Who else was involved?!" Draco leaned closer to Blaise, baring his teeth, "Tell me, or I swear I'll curse your bloody hands off!"
Blaise tried to lean back, but could not move any further, "One of the Death Eaters. Rookwood. And Carrow…Err, Amycus. It was their idea."
"Where did they take her?"
"Her?"
"My mother, you idiot! Where are they taking the captives?"
"I don't have a clue! I get my info from Pansy. Her family is close to Selwyn, as you know. They don't tell us much else. They wouldn't risk it!"
Draco breathed heavily, clearly angered, "Any clue, anything…A bloody word, I don't care!"
"Err- " Blaise scrunched up his face in thought, "Well – Look I can't tell you anything. They'll kill me!"
"They don't have to know it was you. If you tell me something, I won't tell them. Just tell me what I need to know."
Blaise glared at Draco, scrunching his face in defeat. He sighed, "First, lower your wand. Then I'll tell you something."
Draco paused for a few moments, then slowly retracted his wand, lowering it but not removing it entirely. "…Go on."
After a moment of frustration and inner conflict, Blaise spoke, "Look, I don't know much. I was with Pansy the other day, and we encountered Rookwood. He was complaining that they were holed up like rats, and tired of his robes getting dirty with some weird, red powder. He was angry."
Draco looked slightly deranged, "…That's it?"
"That's all I know, I swear, Draco. Look, they are not happy with you swapping sides at the last moment. Neither am I."
"Well, maybe I never really wanted to be a part of all that in the first place. It's alright with you being all blasé about it because you didn't take the Mark. I was forced to!"
"Don't blame this on me. You betrayed us! What the remaining Death Eaters do, is on them. Not me. Not Pansy. They will turn on us too if we ever go against them."
Draco clenched his jaw, "I'm sure you'll think differently when you or your family are targeted!"
Blaise held his hands up, defensively, "I'm just trying to stay alive. Just like you."
Draco snorted, "Oh, please. How many times have I saved your arse? How many times have you sought protection with my family at the height of our power? Don't give me that pathetic excuse."
"You abandoned us, Draco! How do you expect us to feel? We lost Crabbe. Goyle was captured and sent to Azkaban after he lost his trial, for his use of the Cruciatus against first-year students last year. Nott's father was thrown back into Azkaban without a trial, so he's losing his marbles," Blaise continued to glare at Draco, "Everyone is a mess. I hear some of the Slytherins who actually did fight against You-Know-Who, want to return to the school."
Draco took a step back, finally releasing Blaise from his shirt hold, "Well, can't say I'm sorry it ended up this way. Like you, I'm just trying to survive. But I'll be damned if I lose whatever family I have left. Next time I see you, I won't be so reasonable."
Without another word, Draco turned to make his way back to the treeline beyond the village. Harry and Hermione had remained silent throughout the ordeal, trying to piece together what they had heard. It seems many of the Slytherins were scared, too. Even the ones who were working alongside Voldemort's regime. But he was relieved to hear that there were some Slytherins who weren't so corrupted, and that had him breathing a little easier.
Once they reached the point of being concealed enough, Harry shrugged off the Cloak.
"Err…Straight to the point, Malfoy?" Harry asked.
Draco sneered, "Yeah, well I'm not messing around."
Hermione paused for a few moments until her face contorted in realisation, "…You knew we'd follow you."
Draco smirked, "You are both far too easy to sway. Hope you heard it all. "
"Uh, yeah. Brilliant, " Harry felt strange to agree.
"Well, before I crash back at yours – Merlin forbid – there is something else I need to do, " Draco said, before he apparated away, leaving Harry and Hermione unable to protest further.
Harry threw up his hands in defeat, "I don't even know what to say about him."
Hermione shrugged, "Well, he did get us some information, I suppose..." She looked around nervously, "Let's get away from here."
Immediately she grabbed his arm, and the pair of them Disapparated and reappeared within the Hogwarts grounds. They followed the way to the designated empty classroom which was currently holding the two potions that could potentially save Severus' life. Hermione waved her wand at the door upon their entry, as it glowed a shimmering blue, making sure to ward off any unwanted visitors, including Peeves. Harry turned to the final potion, which was currently in a deep-blue sludge state. It was emitting some tiny blue stars, which shot up from the thickened liquid, like miniature fireworks. Harry had to stand back to avoid getting hit in the face.
"Careful with that one. One of the sparks flew out yesterday and nearly set fire to the table, " Hermione warned.
Harry crinkled his nose, as it emanated a scent of licorice. He moved towards the other table currently brewing the second protective potion. He took the mantle beside Hermione and began to prepare to shred the snowdrop roots.
"So, what are your thoughts about what Blaise said?" Harry asked, "Red powder? A potion ingredient…maybe?"
Hermione frowned, as she added a pinch of powdered unicorn horn to the cauldron and began to stir with the ladle, "I have a few things that come to mind, but I need time to think about it. I mean, it could be vermillion, ground dahlias, or even, well…mud. Or…dried blood. Honestly, without seeing it with my own eyes, I won't be able to make an accurate guess."
Harry sighed, "So we are back to learning nothing."
"Well, not necessarily. Given Blaise's mention of being 'holed up like rats', that does seem to confirm that they may very well be in a cave system. His mention of red powder tells me it's definitely not the tunnels underneath London as we originally thought. It does narrow it down."
Harry slowly nodded, still rather hesitant with the information, "Okay. So, it's a matter of working out what this red power is. Maybe Severus would know something about it."
"Hopefully. I'm not aware of any other ingredients that are in that description. It might not even be an ingredient. It's just…odd."
"Yeah. It is."
Hermione stirred the cauldron another four times, and added a few drops of the essence of belladonna, before allowing it to soak into the concoction. She tilted her head to the side, "Everything alright, Harry?"
Ugh. The question of the year.
Harry bit his lip, "…Is it ever?"
Hermione chuckled lightly, "I understand. Though, I can tell you haven't been sleeping again. I might have to start finding a blemish concealment charm for you if you keep that up."
Harry gave a lazy shrug, "Well if I can somehow stop these nightmares, I'd feel better. Severus had to limit my use of Dreamless Sleep a short while ago because it has no effect on nightmares, and is likely to cause me headaches throughout the day."
"They are not…visions, are they?" Hermione's voice lowered, almost too scared to speak the words.
Harry shook his head, instinctively touching the faded scar on his forehead, "No, it's not. My scar hasn't hurt since I defeated Voldemort, and I don't have to worry about a part of his soul hitching a ride with mine anymore. These nightmares are just…"
"- I know, Harry. It's hard not to think about…everything…isn't it? " Hermione spoke, sadly, "I still have nightmares about Malfoy Manor and the Department of Mysteries. Ron pretends he's okay, but he really isn't. I sometimes catch him staring off into space, not hearing a word I say sometimes, and I know it's more than just the loss of Fred. I wish there were something I can suggest, and I know you've dealt with the most. I'm so sorry, Harry."
"You don't need to apologise. You just got unknowingly dragged down with me through all of this, " Harry swallowed thickly, "Turns out I'm not really dealing with it at all. I barely even know how to cope with it most days. Everything is just so…out of reach. Like I'm running in quicksand every single day. And I'm just…tired of the struggle, you know?"
Hermione's lip quivered, as she took a step toward Harry and wrapped her arms around his torso. Harry returned the embrace and rested his head upon her shoulder. They stood there for a few moments, feeling comfort in each other's company.
"I'm sorry I've been so…distant, " Harry spoke; voice muffled amongst Hermione's hair.
She shook her head, "Oh no, Harry. Please don't apologise. You don't have to justify anything, especially not with me. Sometimes we just need our space, and there is nothing wrong with that."
"I'm just sick of…losing people. I'm so worried for Neville, " Harry responded, quietly, "And Severus."
Hermione gently pulled away from Harry, clasping his hand in hers for reassurance, "He's getting worse, isn't he?"
Harry nodded, wordlessly.
She squeezed his hand, "I wish there were a way we can speed this up, but we can't. Are the stronger analgesics working?"
"Not all the time. I just…hate seeing him like that and in pain all of the time. It just makes me feel guilty."
Hermione's face fell, "Oh, Harry. What happened to him is not your fault. Voldemort did that, not you."
"I know, but he died because Voldemort believed him to the master of the Elder Wand, when at that time, it was me, " Harry inhaled sharply, "I know I shouldn't blame myself, but I do anyway."
Hermione shook her head, "It's still not your fault."
"I just wish a lot of things happened differently. He does too. But there is another thing."
She arched up her eyebrow, "What is it?"
"His – " Harry closed his eyes briefly, "- His magic is fading."
Hermione's eyes grew wide and her mouth opened in shock, "I- I didn't know. Oh, no…"
Harry nodded, "It has been for the last few weeks. Ever since the memorial. When Grimmauld Place got attacked the other day…His shield charm failed, causing the upper floors to crumble because he couldn't block the attack. I got hurt. Hermione, he was so distraught."
"He's starting to worry about you. Well, I mean he did out of duty before. But now that he has no real mission anymore, his worry is stemming more than just from…obligation, " Hermione explained, "I mean, this is the most time you've spent in the same company than the entire six years of school combined. He's in a place now where he can finally see you for who you are, and not what he perceived you to be for all those years. It's no wonder he purposely kept distant from you. He couldn't afford to get even remotely close, because of something like this happening. And of course, the risk of his life if he ever did."
"Yeah, he said that to me last night. He regrets returning, for that reason."
Hermione offered a small smile, "Harry, don't you see? You know more about his life than anyone else alive. He has always been a, well…private man. He feels like he can trust you now and that you've helped…wake him up, in a sense. I mean, he still scolds you, but it's not out of spiteful revenge and pure boredom anymore. He genuinely cares."
Harry paused, taking in her words. It was true. He knew that already. But hearing it clarified by someone else gave it an entirely new meaning. It seems like he and Severus were developing some strange friendship after all. He realised that Severus was open about his past in order to ease some of Harry's perceptions. Last night, he admitted to feeling guilty about not doing anything during his time at the Dursleys. Severus wished he intervened and done more. Harry's heart swelled because no one had ever given a damn about it before in his life. He realised that Harry suffered a similar childhood as he did – Therefore they forged a better connection through similar experiences.
Harry felt guilty for thinking so little of him throughout his time at Hogwarts. All those times he saw him as the foul, heartless enemy, and the times he argued and snapped back sarcastically during his class. And all those times, Harry had no idea what hidden struggles the man had, nor the trauma he faced. He didn't have a clue. No one but Dumbledore knew. Severus had no one to confide in. In fact, he doubted even Dumbledore was aware of the extent of Severus' troubles.
His heart ached with an uncurable sadness.
Harry and Hermione departed from Hogwarts close to dusk and made their way back to Grimmauld Place to try and relay the information back to Severus. They needed to find the others.
Time was not on their side, in more ways than one.
CH 41: Strength In Unity