As Planned
“Listen up!” Harry hissed at Draco, Hermione, and Ron. “We know that they are keeping Hufflepuff’s cup in here. I realize that we didn’t plan on the first contingent of death eaters to break us up from the main group. But we know there is a side entrance that Nagini uses to hunt. If we have Hermione transfigure us into ferrets…”
“Funny Potter, don’t you think I have spent enough time as a Ferret already?” Draco interrupted with a hint of anger, and an exasperated eye roll. “Or do you think we should just ignore the servant’s quarters that are masquerading as a pile of split firewood?” The small flick of his hand the only indication that he was feeling the same anxiety as the others.
“No, you twat, not everything is about you!” Harry responded with a faint blush, having completely forgotten about the time Draco was the marvelous bouncing ferret. “And honestly, I forgot about the servant’s quarters. Not all of us grew up in a fancy home with multiple tunnels, corridors, and house elves. Also it was supposed to have disappeared” He scrubbed his hands through his already messy hair, in a vain attempt to relieve some of the growing tension in his gut. The first run in with the Dark Lord’s forces had thrown their entire mission off kilter. He just hoped that the others had made it out alive. He couldn’t think about that right now. Time was running out, and the cup would be moved to Bellatrix’s vault in the morning.The sun was just starting to slide across the horizon on it’s decent. Dusk was beginning to caress the tops of the trees, casting long shadows over the landscape.
“Well I didn’t grow up here either you dolt, but I can see the shimmer of the concealing wards from here!” Draco hissed out through clenched teeth. “By my estimation, that is the original entrance we were going to use before the scouts reported its disappearance.” Draco growled, rolling his shoulders to ease some of the tension, keeping his shoulder firmly pressed against Harry’s. “Damnit its’ elf magic, that’s how they concealed it. If only I had come to scout…”
“Draco, shut up. You noticed it now, so let’s go!” Harry interrupted, with a faint quirk of a shoulder and the hint of a smile. “Original plan mates, before the major scouting malfunction.” He raised his wand and tapped his head to begin the disillusionment charm, the other three followed his lead.
Harry took off in a slight crouch, sticking to the shadows as much as possible, while keeping his eyes roaming forward and to the right. Draco was close behind with his hand resting on Harry’s lower back. Draco was watching the rear and his left side as they hustled up to the pile of split logs. They reached the area Draco indicated the entrance was, and waited for Ron and Hermione to make it across the open area. Harry grabbed Draco’s hand closing his eyes as he shifted his vision to look through Draco’s eyes. He could see the shimmer of the concealment charms and the entrail-expelling curse that was waiting for someone to try and force their way through. The soft whisper of fabric announcing Hermione and Ron’s arrival.
“I still don’t bloody know how you do that mate.” Ron commented quietly, a touch of awe and fear in his voice.
“Shhh Ron, let them focus.” Hermione whispered as she watched Draco and Harry staring at the seemingly innocuous pile of wood. Both of their eyes glowing a faint silver as they focused on dismantling the wards around the entrance. Harry began hissing the counter curses his wand circling in time with the counter curse. He kept it up until he could no longer see anything but the concealment charm on him and his friends. He went to release Draco’s hand but a hushed ‘not yet’ ghosting through his mind kept his hand firmly linked with Draco’s. They ducked through the wall and scanned for any more curses that might be hiding. A small notice-me-not charm concealing a silent alarm was dismantled and they took a few more steps to make room for Ron and Hermione. When their eyes had adjusted to the gloom inside they all dropped the disillusionment charm. The drain on their magic was not worth the risk of being depleted later on.
Harry began walking down the hallway, he reluctantly released Draco’s hand with a muffled sigh of disappointment. They continued to walk sensing for any threats as they went, creeping past the kitchen, and formal dining room. They took the second right and pressed their ears against the door that should lead to the library, where the cup was being stored. Harry held his hand over his moleskin bag silently summoning four extendable ears and the rest of their espionage equipment. Draco held out his hand as Harry gently place a fist sized spider into the palm of his hand and a pair of glasses that had definitely seen better days.
Draco placed the glasses on while activating the concealment, and eavesdropping charms on the device. He placed the extendable ear in and maneuvered the spider under the door and into the room as the glasses began to display what the spider was seeing.
My ear is not picking anything up, Harry signed to the group, how about you Hermione?
Nothing, Hermione signed back at them.
Nothing here either, Ron signaled with a slight huff to display exactly how he felt.
Draco shook his head focusing on guiding the spider through the library trying to see if the cup was still in the same place that the early reports said it would be. I see the cup, he quickly signed.
“There is nobody in the room, but I think there might be something on the cup that we need to look into. I couldn’t see it clearly through the spider but it looks off.” Draco whispered as he bent down to pick up the tiny device. He handed his surveillance devices back to Harry, brushing his fingers against the palm of Harry’s hand. Harry could feel a slight flush rise up his face from the soft touch of Draco’s hand.
“Location? Concealment charms? Door?” He fired off in rapid short hand, while packing the devices into his pouch.
“No, I didn’t see anything to indicate that there was anybody concealed in the room, and no there are no charms on this side of the door. There is one concealment and a forget me charm on the other side both in elf magic. If we leave it cracked that will deactivate both until we get back in. Same location, far back corner of the room.” Draco replied in a whisper just in case. He was used to Potter’s short hand questions that required a full fledged answer.
Taking a deep breath, his hand holding the door knob Harry whispered, “Let’s go then.” Praying that he wasn’t leading his friends into a death trap as he pushed through the door. Keeping as close to the walls as possible the group made their way toward one of the multitudes of shelves that were home to numerous dark tomes, and artifacts. Hufflepuff’s cup was the center piece in a sprawling display. The plate it was resting on looked tarnished compared to the gleaming gold of the cup.
Formation, Harry signaled. Knowing that no matter how curious Ron was he would be facing away from them to keep an eye on their backs and left side. Hermione stood next to Ron facing away and watching to the right. Harry bit his lower lip to keep a sigh of pleasure from tumbling out, as Draco slipped his cool hand into his warm one. Threading their fingers together, Harry closed his eyes so he could see the spells through Draco’s eyes.
“You'ree right, there is something wrong about this one.” Harry commented opening his eyes, trying to adjust to the double vision of looking through Draco’s eyes as well as his own.
“I know! The locket had a dark aura around it that actually sucked in the light. This one doesn’t have that same aura.” He paused taking in a deep breath, “This isn’t the cup we need.” Draco groaned in frustration, and turned to look around the room. He could always see spells clearer when he had contact with Harry. He arched one eyebrow as he looked across the room at another rather plain bookshelf. “There is no way, right?” He turned to Harry with a questioning look.
“I would say no, but it sure as hell looks like what we are looking for. The container has been transfigured into a vase, but it’s still a horcrux.” Harry whispered back with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His hand still firmly clasped in Draco’s. They quickly made their way across the room looking at the completely ordinary vase that was practically oozing darkness, if you knew what to look for. Harry waved his hand over the pouch silently summoning the containment box for the vase. “As soon as we touch that thing with any magic we are going to need to get the hell out of here quickly. Ron, Hermione take positions between here and the escape door. When you’re in place whistle, Draco and I will put the vase in the containment box and sprint your direction.” Harry directed.
It was another moment before Harry realized he was still holding Draco’s hand. He was idly running his thumb across the skin of Draco’s wrist while his brain worked out all the possible ways this could go wrong.
“Potter, that was the signal.” Draco hissed, a slight flush decorating his cheeks, he hadn’t pulled his hand away from Harry either. Much to both of their surprised pleasure.
Harry reluctantly dropped Draco’s hand and flipped the lid open on the containment box. He sent out a warning whistle to be ready, as Draco quickly levitated the vase into the box. It was in that moment, when Draco’s magic touched the vase that a number of things happened. A series of caterwauling charms went off. The bookshelf that was holding Hufflepuff’s cup-vase jumped and rattled. In the next instant the shelf exploded as Nagini came bursting out of an undetectable hole, hell bent on destruction. Draco slammed the lid over the box concealing the cup-vase causing the large snake to pause searching for the piece of her master she was supposed to protect. That tiny pause gave Draco the opening he needed to grab Harry’s arm and pull him into a sprint as they headed toward Ron, Hermione, and the exit.
The moment Hermione saw Draco and Harry appear around the corner of the shelves, she began to fire off serving hexes and stunners at the massive snake that was quickly gaining ground. She took off running as Harry and Draco drew closer. All of them running for their lives toward the place where Ron was holding the secret door open, while throwing spells trying desperately to slow the snake. They all tumbled through the door landing in one very inelegant heap as Ron wrenched the door closed. A muffled thump was heard through the wall as sprinkles of dust rained down on top of them.
“Fuck, that was close!” Harry swore, as he wiped his arm across his sweating forehead. He pulled out a nondescript black bag from his moleskin pouch. He slipped the warded containment box that was holding the cup-vase into the warded bag and could immediately feel the lessening of tension in the group. He put the warded bag into the pouch and there was a collective sigh as the remaining dark energy was blocked.
“Elegant as always Potter, and yes that was much closer than I would care to chance again.” Draco drawled with a slight tremor to his usually smooth intonation.
“Let’s get the bloody hell out of here, now!” Ron asserted as he pushed himself to a standing position. Hermione lit her wand as she gestured for everyone to follow her back down the corridor they had entered from. Ron pushed past Draco and Harry so that he could walk next to Hermione. Draco rolled his eyes with a slight smirk, as he finished straightening his robes twisting his wand to cast a nearly silent cleaning charm on both him and Harry.
“Thanks Draco” Harry murmured as they fell into line behind Hermione and Ron. The corridor began to lighten as they drew closer to the wood pile. Hermione cast a quiet Nox as she stopped just before the exit. Her eyes searching for any telltale movement that would show enemy death eaters lurking in wait. The shadows now reaching almost across the clearing.
“Draco, do you see anything?” Hermione whispered looking back over her shoulder.
“Nothing discernible from this vantage point. Ron shove over so I can get a better view.” Draco hissed as a pushed his way closer to the exit. “I see a slight shimmer off to the right, it could be a concealing charm, or it could be the last little bit of sun reflecting off the fountain. I can’t be certain either way. Potter what do you see?” Draco asked as he held his hand out, palm up. Hermione shuffled back as Harry carefully pushed his way up next to Draco and grasped his smooth cool hand. A slight tingle running up his overheated arm. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in his stomach.
“I can’t be certain either from this distance, but I looks more like a concealing charm than light refraction.” Harry sighed and dropped Draco’s hand with hesitation. He could feel their magic refusing to pull apart. It was even more reluctant to separate than he had been to released Draco’s hand. Draco arched an eyebrow at Harry’s choice of words but decided to forego the ribbing that would definitely have included 'swallowing a thesaurus'.
“Disillusionment charms on.” Draco ordered while tapping his head.
“Done…” Grumbled Ron.
“Done!” Whispered Hermione, nervousness present even in that one-word answer.
“Done. Someone shut off the caterwauling charms." Harry whispered in the eerie silence. "We need to be as quiet as we can. We can’t risk using muffliato in case one of us need help” Harry took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders for a fight. “Alright mates, let’s do this on three.” Harry expressed, his own charm neatly in place. He felt Draco grab a hold of the back of his robes. “One, two…three.” Harry hissed out as he took off into a sprint toward the tree line.
They were halfway across the clearing before Ron tripped over a small rise of dirt, his slight stumble landing his other foot in a depression. A scream of pain tore from Ron’s mouth as his ankle snapped audibly. He skidded into the ground sending rocks, twigs, and dirt scattering through the air. His disillusionment charm failing. Shrieking exploded from the area of the concealment charm as spells began flying their direction.
Harry and Draco doubled back for Ron. They all dropped their charms as well, to keep Ron from being the sole target. They each looped one of Ron’s arms over their shoulder as they shuffle ran toward the trees, dragging a mostly conscious Ron between them. Harry aimed a moderate healing charm at Ron’s broken ankle and missed due to the jostling. The momentary attempt at healing left him open to a severing hex that crawled across his right should, and Ron’s right forearm. The could hear Hermione off to one side, behind them, hissing shield spells and firing off hexes. They were so close to the trees and the boundary of the anti-apparition wards.
‘Just a little further’ Harry thought to himself, ‘almost there’. A muffled Ooomph was heard from behind them, just as they crossed the wards. Harry turned around looking for Hermione, who was stumbling up off the ground clutching her side as blood flowed through her fingers.
“Take Ron!” Harry roared as he pushed Ron’s almost limp body toward Hermione, as he threw up a shield to deflect the Diffindo headed right at her. He watched for a split second as she caught Ron wrapping her arms around him while simultaneously twisting into the crushing black of apparition. He turned just in time for his heart to stop.
“Draco, NO!!” Harry screamed as he lunged wrapping his arms around Draco and twisting to push him out of the path of the killing curse. A slight hitch in breath and the wide eyed terrified look in Draco’s pale grey eyes was the last thing he saw as he was pulled into crushing blackness. The pressure eased and the distant screams of anguish filtering through layers of cloud until everything was white.