Chapter 38 Draco
Chapter 38 Draco
Draco sped down the dungeon steps slipping several times in his haste, for once he completely ignored Dudley who was stood at the bars of his cell, he was talking, Draco could see his lips moving as he sped past but the muffliato spell he had cast earlier was still holding so Draco couldn’t hear what he was saying. Dudley’s face was distressed, eyebrows drawn in that way that sent daggers into Draco’s heart. Later. He told himself, he needed to speak to Harry first. Draco skidded to a stop at the bars of Ollivander’s cell. Ron was screaming.
‘Hermione! HERMIONE! I’m coming, I swear I’m coming’ he was hysterical and on the edge of hyperventilating. Harry and Ollivander were deep in a hushed conversation behind Ron. Harry had a sharp shard of mirror in one hand.
Ron took one look at Draco and his hands were through the bars and grabbing his collar. Ron gave Draco a swift but hard punch in the jaw. Draco was in shock, he fell to the floor with the force of the blow
‘You BASTARD!’ Ron was screaming
‘Go and get her! Bring her back to me now! I swear if she is hurt I will kill you! Do you hear me? I will kill you, you evil fuck.’
Draco stood up as quickly as he could. Harry was watching him with mild interest from further inside the cell. His face was almost normal again, the lumps and bulges deflated, Harry’s true face was almost back.
‘She’s still alive. I’m sorry, I couldn't help her.’
‘I swear when I get tour of here you’re dead Malfoy. HERMIONE! I’m coming Hermione!’ Ron was beyond, there was no reasoning with him, he was hysterical.
Draco needed to speak to Harry but without Ron or Ollivander interfering, he took a deep breath and forced an apparition, it was hard, his body still sluggish and weak but he was inside the cell. He gripped Harry’s shoulder and braced again, he apparated them both into Dudley’s cell. Draco fell to the ground, head swimming and eyes blurry, side along apparition was tricky at the best of times, even taking them both a few feet had made him worryingly weak, he couldn’t stand. Dudley rushed towards him.
‘Draco! Are you okay? What’s happened?’ Dudley joined him on the floor holding his hand cradling Draco into his body.
‘I’m okay really’ Draco managed.
‘Dudley?’ Harry looked like he thought he might be going mad. His jaw slack with surprise.
‘Harry?’ Dudley looked up and realised who Draco had brought into his cell ‘What? I thought it was you that Lucius brought through, but I thought I must be going mad.’ Dudley said.
‘Dudley what are you doing here?’ Harry was in disbelief.
‘It’s a long story… it- it’s really good to see you Harry. Are you- are you okay?’
‘Not really.’ Harry looked down at Draco who was still on the floor.
‘Draco what the fuck is going on? Why is my cousin in your dungeon?’
‘Voldemort got him, he thinks he knows where you are, but it’s not important at the moment Harry, I need to ask you something.’
At that moment Ron let out an anguished wail ‘HARRY! Where have you gone?’
‘I’m okay Ron I’m just next door!’ Harry called back.
‘Can you get us out of here?’ Harry aimed the question at Draco.
‘No. I can’t Apparate more than a few feet the moment, I - well I was hurt, and I’m still weak, there’s an anti apparition charm on the manor, only wizards with Voldemort’s approval can apparate in and out.’ Draco lifted his wrist to show Harry his nonexistent hand as proof of his injury.
‘Fuck. Draco. Did…did they do that to you?’
‘It’s not important I need to ask you something Harry. Are you… are you hunting horcruxes?’
Harry’s mouth closed instantly. He looked like Draco had just slapped him a round the face. He stared at Draco like he was an alien but he said nothing for a long moment.
‘How do you…’ Harry’s words failed him.
‘I know you don’t trust me Harry, you’ve good reason not to. But I swear, I’m on your side, I just…I need to know.’
‘Trust him Harry.’ Dudley implored.
Harry looked at Dudley’s hand that was laced with Draco’s. He looked at Dudley like he was assessing him, and then at Draco. Draco could almost hear the cogs turning in Harry’s mind as he decided what to do, considering whether he could trust them. Neither Draco nor Dudley had been good to Harry in the past, Draco was sure he would refuse to talk to them. Moments lapsed and Ron could still be heard through the wall shouting to Hermione. They could hear Ollivander trying to comfort him gently.
‘You say you’re on our side?’ Harry asked seriously.
Draco nodded.
‘Why?’
Draco needed to be careful with his answer, he needed Harry to trust him.
‘I met someone, they changed everything.’ Draco didn’t look at Dudley, he didn’t think he could without bursting into tears but he felt Dudley squeeze his hand.
‘Anyone I know?’
‘Yes.’ Draco answered.
‘They must be very special.’
‘You have no idea.’ Draco answered, the corners of his mouth turning upwards, he couldn’t help it.
‘In the tower, with Dumbledore Last year, you lowered your wand, you weren’t going to do it were you?’
‘No.’
‘I thought so.’ Harry said.
There was another thoughtful pause.
‘If this is a trick Draco I swear I will kill you, hundreds of people could die.’
‘It’s not a trick.’ Draco said it with fierce determination.
‘Yes.’ Harry said.
‘Yes?’ Draco asked.
‘Yes. We’re searching for horcruxes. There are six.’
Six? Draco couldn’t believe his ears, Voldemort had gone through all of that six times before? Now seven times? How many people had he killed to make horcruxes? The horror of it was incomprehensible.
Harry continued
‘We have destroyed three so far, there are three left.’
‘Fuck.’ Draco said, almost wishing he hadn’t asked.
At that moment there was a soft ‘pop’ had vinny entered the cell? The three of them looked around to find… Dobby? Draco’s old house elf had appeared, he was wearing a small pair of muggle children’s trainers with red lines down the sides, and he had a black bomber jacket on over the top of his rags.
‘Dobby!’ Harry exclaimed
‘Dobby what are you doing here?’ Draco asked almost at the same time.
‘Dobby has come to save Harry Potter of course.’
‘You can apparate in and out of the manor?’ Harry asked.
‘Yes sir, elves apparate differently to wizards.’
‘Dobby you are amazing! I need you to take Dudley here and Mr Ollivander next door to Bill and Fleur’s, Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth, can you do that?’ Harry asked.
‘Of course Sir’ Dobby answered and moved towards Dudley, Draco’s heart soared, Dudley would be safe! Dudley would have wizarding protection and be looked after far away from here, he almost broke down in relief.
Dudley stepped back.
‘No, I’m not going to Tinworth, take Ollivander but I’m staying here.’
Draco couldn’t believe what he was hearing, his heart crashed to the floor. Draco struggled up from the ground, and lightheadedly made his way to Dudley who had retreated to the corner of the room. Harry looked on with interest.
‘Dudley.’ Draco took his hand. ‘Dudley you have to go, this is your chance to be safe, they can look after you, I’ll come for you when all this is over, you have to go, you won’t get a chance like this again.’
Dudley was furious, face turning red and a large vein protruding in his neck.
‘Fuck you Draco.’ he spat ‘I’m not a child, I know what it means to stay, and that’s what I’m choosing, you are not in charge just because you’re a wizard. I’m not leaving you and I’m not leaving killer either.’
‘Killer?’ Harry asked.
Draco and Dudley ignored him, focused only on each other.
‘Please.’ Draco begged
‘Please Dudley, please go. Do it for me.’
‘No. You don’t get to play that card. You can’t guilt me into leaving you. I’m staying here. If the roles were reversed would you leave me to do everything on my own?’
Draco tried to counter his argument but found that he couldn’t. He wouldn’t ever leave Dudley.
‘We don’t have time for this.’ Harry interrupted. Dobby go and take Mr Ollivander, then can you apparate me and Ron out of the cells and we’ll go and save Hermione and Griphook.’
‘Yes Sir’ Dobby nodded and he disappeared.
Draco was still holding Dudley’s hand.
Harry was looking at them perplexed but Draco didn’t care, he continued to attempt to persuade Dudley to leave.
‘I can’t protect you here!’ He insisted.
‘This will be your only chance.’
‘He’s right.’ Harry agreed
‘Don’t you start.’ Dudley rolled his eyes.
‘Muggles can still make their own choices you know, I won’t be bossed around by you two just because you’re wizards.’
Draco sighed with disappointment, the only think smothering his anger was his knowledge that if the tables were turned Draco too would refuse to leave Dudley.
There was another ‘pop’ and Dobby returned.
‘Ollivander is safe.’ He announced. Dobby grabbed Harry and with a pop the two of them disappeared, moments later Harry and Dobby appeared on the other side of the bars with Ron.
Draco knew he would have one chance to say this to Dobby and he wouldn’t miss it
‘Dobby?’
‘Yes?’ Dobby replied.
‘I’m really sorry. I’m really sorry for how we treated you. I’m glad that you’re a free elf.’
‘Dobby forgives, Dobby asks that you are kinder to elves in the future.’
‘Thankyou. I will be.’
Harry looked at Draco and Dudley who were still inside Dudley’s cell.
‘Last chance Dudley?’ Harry asked.
‘Thanks but no thanks.’ Dudley answered
‘Go and save Hermione. She needs you.’ Draco said.
‘Come on Harry!’ Ron urged impatiently pretending Draco didn’t exist.
‘Good luck’ Harry said to the both of them.
‘Good luck.’ Dudley said.
‘Good luck Harry, and Thankyou for trusting me.’ Draco said.
And with that Harry, Ron and Dobby shot up the stairs to retrieve Hermione. If it was anyone else Draco would be worried for them but Draco believed that Harry would get his friends out of the manor, he was the chosen one.
‘You didn’t tell him about the other horcrux?’ Dudley asked
‘No.’
‘Why?’
‘Six, Dudley, he’s got to get rid of six. The least we can do is handle one for him, we know where it is and soon we’ll be able to get rid of it too.’
Dudley nodded
‘I wish you’d gone with Dobby.’ Draco said
‘I know. But I won’t leave you. I won’t leave you ever. We’re a team Draco. It doesn’t work if we’re not together. I’d rather die together than live separately.’ Draco couldn’t argue with that, he felt it too.
Above them the sounds of duelling were ringing out, Draco could hear Bellatrix and his father shouting curses.
Draco grabbed Dudley, suddenly imbued with an extreme sense of urgency.
‘I think this is our chance Dudley, we should go now.’
‘What?’
‘While they are all distracted we can use the floo network, I still can’t apparate you out of here, floo is our only chance of escape. Voldemort isn’t here now, but he will be coming and everyone else is busy, this is our chance.’
‘Okay, what about killer though? We can’t take her with us.’
Draco thought for a second.
‘Vinny’ he called.
‘Pop’ Vinny apparated into the dungeon. He was shivering with fear, hands over his eyes.
‘Yes Sirs? What can Vinny do? I’m sorry for the hiding, its the fighting scares me.’ Vinny was breathing raggedly.
Draco bent down to his level and peeled his hands from his eyes.
‘I’m so sorry Vinny, we need a favour, me and Dudley are leaving for a while to do something important, we need you to look after the creature. She’s very sweet really, though she looks a little scary. Can you do that for me?’
‘Of course sir.’ Vinny looked like he would rather do anything but look after killer but he quickly agreed nonetheless.
Draco took Vinny’s hands and led Vinny to killer’s wooden box which he opened slowly.
Killer stretched herself out and yawned, she looked as though she was just waking from a nap, completely oblivious to the carnage happening around her.
‘This is killer.’ Draco introduced her to Vinny. Vinny looked like he might pass out.
‘I promise she’s super friendly Vinny she won’t hurt you.’ He stroked her chin gently to illustrate his point.
‘The dungeons will be empty so no one should be coming down here, just keep her fed and watered and give her some company too? She will eat anything. Can you do that for me Vinny?’
Vinny looked like his eyes were about to pop out of their sockets but nodded.
‘Thankyou so much, I promise we will be back as quickly as we can, now go and hide, lay low for a while, if Harry, Ron and Hermione escape Voldemort will be angry. Keep out of his way okay?’
Vinny nodded again but he looked like he might burst into tears, then he disappeared as well.
‘Let’s go?’ Dudley asked.
‘Alohamora’ Draco released them from the cell. They crept slowly up the stairs, bypassing the duel happening in the entrance hall. Draco wanted to stop and help them, but if Bellatrix saw him working against them his cover would be blown, there would be no coming back from that. He said a silent prayer for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby’s safety, he even hoped Griphook made it out. Draco led them through the manor and up to Lucius’s study.
Draco grabbed the bowl of floo powder from its holder and was about to hold it out to Dudley before realising that He had never travelled by floo before, he wouldn’t know what to do. Also, where were they going? Draco didn’t want to floo directly into Riddle Manor, he didn’t know what kinds of defences Voldemort had put on the horcrux but he wouldn’t have left it unguarded. There was a small holiday cabin the Malfoy’s owned in a forest outside of Muddleford. Draco had spent a few summers there as a child, some of the best memories from his childhood were from that cabin. He hadn’t been in years, his parents had probably forgotten they even owned it. Muddleford was maybe ten miles from Little Hangleton, it was perfect.
‘Okay Dudley, this is going to be scary but you have to trust me, I’ll go first and show you how it’s done but you must come after me alright? You have to stand in the grate, you take a handful of powder like this’ Draco took a good handful of floo powder
‘You clearly say the name of the place you’re traveling, we’re going to Codwig Cabin, Muddleford. Okay? Say it back to me?’
‘Codwig Cabin, Muddleford’ Dudley repeated.
‘After you’ve said where you’re going, you drop the power into the grate okay?’
Dudley looked panicky, his breathing had picked up. Draco placed a steadying hand on Dudley’s shoulder.
‘You can do this Dudley, you’ve done much harder, much scarier things than this.’
‘I know. I can do it. I’ll follow you, I won’t leave you.’
‘I know’ Draco said, he kissed Dudley once on the forehead and then once on the lips.
‘See you on the other side?’ Draco smiled
‘See you on the other side.’ Dudley confirmed.
Draco stepped into the grate
‘Codwig Cabin, Muddleford.’
He dropped his powder and was gone in a bright flash of green flames, the image of Dudley’s terrified face burned on his retinas.