the first encounter
Their plan to get Neville back involved him and his little group to stay together. Sybill's sight soon made it clear it wasn't the case.
But it wouldn't have changed much had they stayed together, because she wasn't able to see them anyway. Anytime she tried, she was automatically redirected to Prince Draco and Hermione Granger.
It was like something was actively preventing her from seeing Neville.
The meeting had been just the evening before, and Harry already felt like it was a decade away. Like the last 17 years didn't happen.
Marlene surely didn't help, as she clapped him on the back like an old friend as soon as he went back to the meeting room that morning. They had spent the night on the island, all of them feeling it would be better to wait on Neville's course of action to do anything.
Their decision had proved to be good when Sybill had explained the issue to the group.
Weirdly enough, and somehow extremely logically, it was Luna who provided an answer :
"There might be some sort of wards on the place, don't you think ?"
"You mean, magical wards ?"
"It would make sense, actually," recognised Dorcas. "Didn't Riddle used to have a witch in his ranks ?"
"If I had to put a name to it I would call her a child soldier more than anything, but yes, Mary Mcdonald was a witch," sighed Fabian.
Harry's obliviousness must have been showing, because the man immediately went on explanations :
"Mcdonald was the same age as your parents when the war started, though on the other side. She was part of Riddle's clan of killers named the Werewolves. She died before the end. At least, we believe she did. Bloody vanished. Some say it was Malfoy who killed her."
"But if it's Mary's magic that prevents Sybill from seeing them, wouldn't that mean they are with the Werewolves ?" asked Harry, who did not receive an answer as Ginny prevented anyone from answering him by being a smartass.
"Is it just me or is there a terribly high amount of people who we just suppose are dead ?" asked Ginny. "Like, I'm not trying to be a mood ruiner or anything but, are we going to talk about the Black brothers ? Sirius disappeared, and Regulus, well the Crown said he was dead but is he really ? I mean, we never even saw the body ! Who's to tell us they aren't living somewhere together in a little cabin in the forest ? Maybe Mcdonald is alive and she's with Neville and co. Or maybe she's with Greyback. Maybe she's not and the wards she put up on the place more than decade ago are just strong as fuck !"
"Language !" Scolded Molly.
"I have got to say you have a smart kid, Molly," spoke August Longbottom for the first time that day. "And I agree with her. Personally, I think the best way to find my grandson is to find either that girl Mary, or the two of Neville's friends who are currently running from Merlin knows what like it's the bloody devil at their heels. They will know whether it's a killer witch we have to worry about or if it's a clan of killer cannibals."
That was some strong reasoning no one could argue against. So, finding Draco Malfoy and Granger it was.
They had Trelawney find them. It didn't take more than a few minutes.
"They stayed near the shore. It's only a matter of time before they break through the tree line and end up knee-deep in water. At the speed they are going, I'd say we might catch them at a key spot in two days if we leave this evening".
So, leaving that evening they did.
***
Turned out, finding Malfoy and that Hermione girl had been way easier than they had anticipated.
Firstly, because when the duo had finally found somewhere safe, they had actually stayed there for all two days in hope their friends would join them.
Secondly, because Hermione Granger had a bloody tiger.
Harry knew that, of course, but having the thing tackled him to the ground and practically bite his head off hit different.
They had decided to step right into it. Get to them, say "hi, I'm friend with your friend Neville's grandma, please come with me", bring them back to the ship, ask them about Neville's location, get Neville, then let them go on their merry way.
It was that simple, really.
Count on Hermione's tiger to ruin it for them. It actually took the girl three whole minutes to locate the place her tiger's growling came from. When Harry had screeched something like "get your fucking thing off me !", she had made the tiger go to heel and had pointed a makeshift spear in Harry's face.
This really wasn't going as it was supposed to.
"Who are you ?" she asked.
"Harry Potter," Harry answered, because he was a fucking dumbass.
Hermione seemed to think so too.
"Not your name, do you take me for an idiot ? Who sent you ?"
Harry practically answered "Neville's grandma", but he was afraid Hermione would take it as a yo-mama joke ans behead him.
But in fact, he didn't have to answer at all, because at that moment a blond haired boy broke from the tree line and called for Hermione. Hermione didn't move an inch, but her tiger went straight for the guy. Draco Malfoy, presumably.
Harry should have probably been worried about the nasty looking piece of wood that Hermione held under his throat, but he was too busy keeping his jaw from falling to the floor.
In addition to everything that was already going wrong with this, Draco Malfoy just had to be this fucking pretty. Great. Just Great.
"Who's that ?" Draco had the decency to ask once the tiger had stopped trying to tackle him to the ground.
"No idea. He won't tell me who sent him."
"Did you perhaps ask for his name ?"
"Didn't have to ask, he told me himself. Like I was supposed to know who he was or something. Harry Potter, he said."
At that, Draco's face went colourless.
"Give me the spear, Granger."
Hermione must have thought Draco wanted to stab him. Harry didn't blame him, he thought so too, until Draco took hold of the thing and threw it as far as possible for him to do without looking away from Harry.
Of course, Hermione wasn't happy with that.
"Malfoy ! What exactly do you think you're doing ?!"
"Granger, we are not pointing weapons at Harry Potter."
"Is one of you planning on telling me who the hell is Harry Potter ?" she gestured between Draco and Harry.
"The Boy Who Lived ? The Saviour ? The Chosen One ? Never heard of that where you came from, Granger ?"
There was a beat of silence.
"You mean the missing baby from 17 years ago ?"
Another one.
"Yep that's the one," sighed Draco.
Hermione at least seemed a bit put out by the information and didn't try to assault Harry again as he stood up and dusted himself off.
He decided a proper introduction couldn't hurt. He raised his hand for Draco to shake.
Draco shook his hand. The poor guy looked lost.
"What- I mean, can we do anything for you ? We probably won't be much help but–" he started rambling.
Hermione looked at him with eyes as wild as if he had grown a tail. The rambling probably wasn't something Draco Malfoy did a lot. Hermione seemed to agree with that as she prompted :
"Malfoy, shut your mouth you are making a fool of yourself."
Draco Malfoy shut up.
Harry, however, saw the perfect opportunity to introduce the touchy subject to the pair.
"Well, actually..."