Under A Clouded Sun

Chapter Four : Godric's Children

By Arianrhod

For a few minutes they could see nothing. Hermione looked to where she could see Draco's shape in the mist. He did not appear to be worried by the thick whiteness surrounding them, he just kept walking forward, his eyes fixed on a point in the nothingness.

Then all of a sudden they were standing in a richly decorated hall with a high ceiling, walls hung with rich tapestries, and a roaring fire in a large fireplace. Hermione's head reeled, only a moment before they had been walking through the thick damp mist, closely surrounded by the whiteness and now they were standing in the centre of this fine hall, all rich reds and golds. Opposite them there was a raised platform on which two people were standing. A girl and a boy. They were dressed in the same rich reds and golds with which the hall was decorated. Gryffindor colours, Hermione realised.

When Godric's children saw the four of them, they smiled and beckoned to them to come closer. Standing in front of the dais, they looked older then Hermione had first thought, they were probably both in their early twenties, both dark haired and eyed.

The girl smiled, "Welcome." Then she frowned and whispered something to her brother, who also frowned. Then he pointed at Draco, "You're not a Gryffindor. How did you get in?"

Hermione bristled at his tone. Draco, as always, seemed unperturbed. "My blood was in the tear which opened your door for these Gryffindors. And it was a member of my house who discovered the information which allowed me to lead them here, you should treat me with more respect, Gryffindor."

Godric's children exchanged looks. "You mean you didn't find your way here on your own?"

"No," Harry said, wishing that they had, but fair to the last. "Malfoy guided us."

"Then putting that spell on Dumbledore made no difference," the girl said to her brother. "I was right."

"No, you weren't," the boy argued. "They had to work far harder to persuade that slime-ball, check what they knew. It would have been to easy if we hadn't cast a spell on Dumbledore to stop him helping."

Here Harry cut into the siblings argument politely. "Excuse me, but what was that about casting a spell on Dumbledore? We went to see him and he said he had had a spell cast on him to prevent him telling us anything about the key. Did you do that?"

"Yes, We had to make sure that whoever made their way here was worthy of their task."

Harry exchanged glances with Hermione and Ginny. It was Ginny who spoke, "Sorry, if this seems rude, but who are you?"

"Sorry, we should of introduced ourselves. I'm Elaine and this is my brother Morgan. Godric Gryffindor was our father," Elaine explained with a smile to Harry, Hermione and Ginny.

"But that would make you...." Ginny's voice trailed off as she tried to work out their ages.

Morgan laughed kindly but there was a sad echo to the sound as he and Elaine moved down from the platform and as they did, the tapestries could clearly be seen through them. The only reason that none of the others had noticed until then was that the tapestry behind the dais was red, which was the colour of their robes.

"We are just memories. Memories preserved in this place."

"You mean like Tom Riddle in the diary?" Harry asked.

Both Elaine and Morgan looked puzzled. But Hermione nodded, "I think so."

"But then how did you cast a spell on Dumbledore? He'd have been born thousands of years after you."

"We used a time-turner to come forward into the future to where we thought the task would have to be completed. Unfortunately we didn't get it quite right, we left our father's study and arrived in what we discovered to be Dumbledore's office, before you'd been give the key. Luckily it gave us time to discuss a lot with him and cast a spell on him to stop him helping you."

* * *

Ron forced his sluggish eyelids open. His head was pounding and his chest hurt abominably but he was awake at least. On the table next to his bed was the parchment he'd seen Madame Pomfrey write and on it was a familiar scrawl. Reaching out he held it close to his tired eyes and read Harry's message. His eyes travelled to the window, it was still dark outside. He wondered when they'd be back and when they'd come to see him.

Settling back, he let his eyes roam around the room until they came to rest on the bed next to him. It was occupied by a girl. The girl he'd rescued last night and she was watching him silently. Her eyes were strange. The right eye was Slytherin green, the colour of their Quidditch robes, the colour that had decorated the hall on that day in first year when they'd thought Slytherin had won the house cup. The other eye was a pale blue, the fresh colour of a rain-washed spring sky. Somehow it was hard to reconcile the two starkly different colours in her pale face.

It was very unusual to come across someone with different coloured eyes in the wizarding world. There were those, especially in pureblood families, who considered the variation to be unlucky and a sign of weaker powers. This was in fact as much myth as the idea that muggle-borns were less talented than purebloods but it was believed by the same kind of people. The kind who would cast out their own children if it turn out they were squibs.

He smiled weakly, almost apologetically. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Elizabeth Nott, Tobias's little sister."

"Tobias Nott? But aren't you a Slytherin, then? Why was Blaise having you beaten up? To upset your brother?" Ron had heard all about Slytherin relationships.

"I'm not in Slytherin. I'm in Gryffindor." She said it apparently without emotion. This puzzled Ron, most people in either house would be mortified at being thought in the other. In fact, Elizabeth felt too much emotion. Too much to show without cracking up and living the rest of her life in a cosy room at Saint Mungo's.

"What? But I've never seen you before.

"I keep out of everyone's way. I don't go in the Common Room much."

"But, Nott is always boasting that all of his family have been in Slytherin."

"Everyone except me. But I don't really count anyway," she spoke quietly.

"Why not?" Ron asked puzzled.

"Because I'm different, because I'm in Gryffindor, because my eyes are different colours.." The rest of her words were covered by the fact she burst into tears.

Without thinking, Ron got out of bed and went across to her. He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly, unsure what else to do to stop her tears. She seemed surprised and didn't know how to react. As though she doesn't get hugged very often, Ron thought.

"They threw me out. When they discovered I was in Gryffindor, they wouldn't let me come home for any holidays, I have to stay in a smelly boarding house in the summer. I wasn't even sorry; I'd rather stay anywhere then go home. They all hate me. They're ashamed of me because I'm bad at the dark arts and I'm squeamish. I don't even look right; every Nott has pale skin, white blonde curls and two dark green eyes. When I was a child my mother used to charm my eye every day to make it green."

"That's like Harry. He lives with the Dursleys, they're muggles. And they hate him, they're ashamed of the fact he can do magic."

"But at least he has friends here. The Gryffindors say I'm really a Slytherin and avoid me and the Slytherins call me a traitor and beat me up at very opportunity. Tobias doesn't talk to me much, he's ashamed of being related to me."

"He lets Blaise have you beaten up?!"

"Of course. Why would he care? And Blaise has a particular dislike of me. "

At that moment Madame Pomfrey came in to see Gabrielle. She did not comment on the fact that Ron was sitting on Elizabeth's bed or that her cheeks were tear-stained. She drew back the curtain from around Gabrielle's bed. Ron and Elizabeth got up quietly and went to stand behind her.

Gabrielle was lying still with her eyes open. She seemed more like a flawless statue then a girl, so solemn and unchanging was her expression. Her sheet of silvery blonde hair flowed across the pillow, her big blue eyes glistening with tears. She accepted the food Madame Pomfrey brought noncommittally then looked up at her visitors. She recognised Ron instantly and smiled at him.

"Who's that?" Elizabeth whispered.

"She's called Gabrielle Delacour. She's a first year in Beauxbatons. Her voice was stolen a week ago by a dark wizard."

Elizabeth didn't ask any more but knelt next to Gabrielle and they stared at each other gravely for a moment.

Ron was struck by the likeness between them despite their age difference. The same pointed chins, the same shaped eyes, although they were different colours. Their hair was similar too, the same colour, although Elizabeth's was far more curly and unruly.

He sat on the end of Gabrielle's bed, "You look quite alike."

Both girls looked up and grinned at him. "Well we're probably cousins of some sort. There have been so many intermarriages between the big pure blood families that I'm probably related to any Malfoy, Zabini or Delacour that I meet. You can tell. I mean, the Zabinis share our dark green eyes and the Delacours and Malfoys share our colour hair."

* * *

"Listen," Elaine said urgently. "There is much that you need to know."

"But first," her brother cut in gently. "I assume the key was given to you as a present. Which one of you was it given to?"

"Me," Harry said uncertainly. "It was given to me and my friend Ron."

"But where is this friend now?"

"He's in the hospital wing. He got into a fight." Ginny said.

Elaine turned to look at her. "He's a relation of yours?"

"Yes, my brother." She seemed to be expecting disapproval that he had been fighting but none came. In Elaine and Morgan's time, fighting was considered honourable and Gryffindor had taught his children to fight if the cause was just.

"Then you must take something to him, will you do that?"

Ginny nodded and Elaine came over to her. The dark haired girl drew a band of what appeared to be liquid gold from her wrist. She took Ginny's hand and wrapped the strip around it, where the ends over lapped, the bracelet dissolved until it was just a fluid band again. It lay tight against Ginny's skin but was as flexible as a second skin.

Elaine continued. "Give him this. To remove it, tap it once with your wand and it will come undone. Place it around his wrist. It will not come off then until its job has been done."

Morgan was removing an identical bracelet from his own wrist and placing it around Harry's. "These will help you," he said. "They will open doors for you, even where there isn't a door. In fact they have absolute power in the land to which you must go."

Both of Godric's children had been studiously ignoring Draco. Hermione looked over, he was standing in the gloom at the back of the hall, listening intently. He was stuffing something into an inside pocket of his robes. She strained to see what it was from the corner of her eye but at that moment Morgan noticed Draco's action.

"What are you doing over there, Slytherin?"

"Nothing, Gryffindor."

"Well, come where we can see you then. I don't trust you slinking around in shadows."

Draco stepped into they light. Hermione had to admire the way he held himself, like a prince or, she thought sadly, a Malfoy.

Elaine drew a small book from her inside her robe. It was bound, like everything else in the hall, in red and gold. Hermione was amazed when the older girl held it out to her.

"Here, this is portkey. It will bring you back to Hogwarts." Elaine reached behind her and brought out a small dark wood box which had evidently been made for the book because it fitted perfectly. Hermione took the proffered box and slipped it into her pocket.

"Now," Elaine sobered suddenly. "We must tell you of your task. Slytherin's descendants are rising again. By now they will have re-inhabited the fortress he built when he left Hogwarts. It was in a place he himself had created, a barren desert of grey rock."

Harry nodded, his face pale. "With a strange sun. I've seen it. But how do you know about this if it's going on in our time?"

Morgan looked horrified, "Do they no longer teach Divination at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, but it is considered to be a very imprecise form of magic." Hermione explained without too much patience. Harry hid a grin, he remembered Hermione in Divination lessons. "Anyway," she continued. "You can't mean that you saw this happening in a vision or something. That simply isn't possible."

"And why not, may I ask?"

"Well, no-one has accurate visions really. I mean it's not like you can prophesise or anything."

"Um, actually Hermione, Dumbledore says that Professor Trelawney has made two." Harry cut in diffidently.

Hermione glared at him.

Morgan said, "Our father has made quite a number. Well, he can only prophesise accurately when it's about himself, Rowena, Helga or Salazar or any of their descendants. He has seen that the descendants of Slytherin will be rising and will be in the fortress. Those bracelets were made by him and they will get you into inside."

Hermione suddenly realised that by "descendants of Slytherin" Morgan must mean Voldemort and some of his followers. They were indeed rising, despite having been fought off in several small skirmishes. Godric had prophesised truly then. And one look at Harry and Ginny's drawn, pale faces showed her that they had realised it to.

"And we have to go and destroy him?" Harry asked in a quavering voice. "But what about Fleur and Gabrielle? And what about the woman? It's always been a woman I've seen in that place."

"Fleur and Gabrielle? Are they blonde? Pretty?" Morgan asked. He was answered with nods. "The older one was taken to draw you in. They'll try to take the younger one soon, you'll have to follow her to get into Slytherin's land. They want you to go there but they don't know that our father has sent you the help of the book and the bracelets. As for the woman, I assume she is the guardian that Slytherin appointed. She cannot leave that land, she cannot age, and she cannot do anything that is not Slytherin's will."

"And so we have to go face Voldemort, again?" Harry asked, his voice small and slightly strained. His last meeting with Voldemort had been in his fourth year and over the last few years there had been many fights between Death Eaters and Aurors but Harry had inexplicably been left alone. They had all thought that Harry always would be left alone now. Hermione realised with a jolt what a foolish, optimistic assumption that had been.

"Of course." Elaine looked surprised that she had to spell it out.

"But why not Dumbledore or the Ministry? Why me?"

"From what we understood from talking to Dumbledore, neither he nor the Ministry are making much progress. You've beaten Voldemort before, have you not?"

"Not the last time."

"But you escaped."

Harry's face crumpled and Hermione knew he was thinking, not like Cedric...

As if Morgan also knew what Harry was thinking he said, "He took those girls as bait, Harry. If they prove useless, he'll kill them."

Obviously clear in Harry's memory were Voldemort's high cold voice. "Kill the spare" and the flash of green light

Morgan spoke again softly. "You can save them, Harry. As you didn't get a chance to save...Cedric. Dumbledore isn't happy about you going into danger but even he agreed on that, although he says you must tell him, if anything happens." Morgan seemed to have inquired closely into Harry's previous confrontations with the Dark Lord.

Harry nodded.

There was a moment's silence. Hermione thought of Gabrielle, hopefully still safely asleep in the hospital wing. Suddenly she was filled with an urgency to get back. As though seeing this urgency, Morgan left and then reappeared with a jewelled container filled with what looked like Floo powder.

"This fireplace is connected to most of the schools Floo network. It will take you back to the Common Room."

"What about Draco?" Hermione's question obviously surprised Godric's children. As did her use of his first name, which they had not heard before.

Elaine frowned. "Our fireplace is not linked to the Slytherin Common Room," she said curtly. "He will have to find his way out the way you came in. Can you do that?" she asked Draco.

"Of course," he answered contemptuously. "Malfoys aren't afraid of the dark."

"Go then," Morgan said, his voice cold. He waved a hand and a dark hole appeared in the air in the centre of the hall. Hermione realised it was the doorway through which they'd entered.

Draco shrugged as if he didn't care and stepped through the hole. Hermione's eyes lingered a moment longer then they should have done. Elaine noticed. While Harry and Ginny were getting their Floo powder from Morgan, she said quietly, "He's a Slytherin. Whatever he does, however nice or charming it may seem, is strictly for his own benefit."

"I know."

"Do you? I couldn't help wondering."

"Yes. I know. I'll never trust him but that's no reason to make life more difficult then it already is by being horrible to him while we're working together." Her snappish tone made Elaine raise her eyebrows but wisely she let the matter drop.

Elaine hugged them all good-bye and Morgan shook them by the hand, wishing them luck in their venture. One by one, Harry, then Ginny, and finally Hermione, threw their powder into the flames and were transported back to the common room. The last thing Hermione saw before she shut her eyes were the two Gryffindors, so strong, so beautiful, surrounded by richness. Elaine raised her hand and then Hermione was whirled away.

She landed with a bump on the floor of the Common Room. Harry and Ginny helped her up. It was the middle of the night and thankfully the Common Room was deserted so no-one was around to see their inelegant arrival. Hermione gave thanks for small mercies because all three of them were sooty and thoroughly dishevelled.

After a discussion, they decided that Ginny and Hermione should go to bed and Harry would go see if everything was alright in the Hospital Wing. He promised faithfully that if anything was wrong or if they were allowed in to see Ron he'd come back and tell them immediately.

Hermione changed into her pyjamas and was about to go to bed when Harry stuck his head around the door to say that he'd met Madame Pomfrey on the Stairs and while she wouldn't let them in now, she'd promised that they could see Ron and Gabrielle first thing in the morning and that everything was fine.

Hermione lay in bed but did not sleep. She waited a few minutes before slipping out again and throwing her cloak over her pyjamas and slipping downstairs. She moved through the darkened Hogwarts corridors like a shadow and reached the corridor leading down to the Slytherin Common Room just as dawn was breaking, stretching pale fingers through the tall windows.

She didn't have long to wait until Draco arrived, opening the great doors a fraction, slipping through then and shutting them with barely a sound. Even she had to admit how amazing he looked in that moment, with the dawning light streaming over him, the same colour as his hair, staining his skin a golden colour, making his always-cold eyes seem warm.

But something made her reluctant, possibly that she was garbed in only pyjamas and an old cloak while he, despite having made two journeys through the cramped caves, was dressed immaculately in his jet-black robes and Malfoy charm. She hung back, following him, deep in the shadows until he was almost at the Slytherin Common Room. And then she knew that she had to ask him now before he went inside. Cautiously she stole forward, letting the light of a burnt-down torch wash over her.

"Malfoy?" she whispered, not wanting to disturb the early morning hush.

"What is it, Granger?" His voice showed no malice. For once, he actually sounded vaguely interested, as well as slightly preoccupied and tired. It amazed her that Malfoy was allowing her to hear any emotion, other than hate, in his voice.

"I wanted to know what you took from the Gryffindor hall."

"What do you mean?" His eyes had a lazy challenge in them.

"I know you took something, I saw you. Tell me what it was."

"You saw me? Why didn't you tell someone?"

"I.." Hermione was at a loss for words, why hadn't she told someone?

"Not trying to protect me were you?"

Hermione blushed. "Stop avoiding the question," she said, aware she was doing just that. "Tell me what it was."

"This," he said simply and pulled from his robes a large sheet of scarlet fabric, embroidered with gold lions.

Hermione looked at it, bemused. "That? That was what this was all about? That was what you wanted? That was why you led us in there?"

"Yes."

She frowned at him. He was swishing the fabric through the air and pretended not to notice. "Everything in there is powerfully imbued with protective spells. This particularly. It was probably Godric's cloak from what I can tell, although I have nothing more then its appearance and age to prove it. I knew it would be in there, I also knew that once you'd been in the door would close up and even if you did give me the key then there would no longer be a doorway. I think this cloak may come in handy."

"So that's it, then. It was all about you, as always. You just led us in there because you're a greedy, selfish..." She struggled to think of word bad enough convey her feelings and failed. After a moment she continued. "You led us in there to get something which has strong protective spells on it just because one day it might save your own worthless skin." She felt a wave of disappointment swamp her. For a few hours she had actually believed he had hidden depths, that, despite what she had believed for years, he actually had some good in him and did know how to think about someone other then himself. She'd been wrong. Even being wrong for a few hours hurt bitterly. "Coward."

He seemed to suddenly snap. "Coward? Coward!" he hissed, angry now. "How like a Gryffindor. You think that bravery is just about dying for each other. Haven't you noticed that if you do that then you all end up dead? No, everyone for themselves and you all survive."

"Only because you have no-one who'd die for you. Or perhaps you think you're above all that. Above things like friendship, love and companionship." She still felt sick with bitterness. She turned away. His hand closed on her arm, pulling her back. She was suddenly very aware that she was dressed in thin and probably see-through pyjamas. She tried to pull the cloak closer around her but he was too close, his presence was intoxicating, she couldn't move. With tormenting slowness, Draco leant down and gently kissed her cheek, his lips seeming to burn against her skin.

"Goodnight," he whispered, fully aware of the horror welling up in her.

Hermione turned and ran, her bare feet hitting the stone floor with stinging force. His laughter followed her even after she could no longer hear it.

She lay in bed trembling, her chest heavy with horror. Not horror that he'd kissed her but horror that she'd let him.

* * *

"Ron!"

The door flew open and Ginny, Harry and Hermione came bursting in. They slowed as they saw the happy scene that greeted them. Gabrielle and Elizabeth were sitting on Ron's bed, the sun washing over Gabrielle's hair and corkscrewing into sparks on Elizabeth's. They were having a conversation that consisted of vastly over exaggerated mimes that were making Ron laugh.

Turning, his face lit up as he saw his visitors. They began to relate their story and Ginny passed over the bracelet. Just as Elaine had said, it came from her wrist easily and coiled around Ron's. Ron couldn't help but exclaim over the beautiful thing. It was the most expensive thing he'd ever owned and he and Harry scrutinised them for any clue as to what they did, but found none.

Then Ron related his story, omitting what Elizabeth had told him about her life until she was talking to Ginny and he could tell Harry and Hermione in private. He looked up and saw horror written on Harry's face. He knew how Harry must feel, after all Harry knew what it was like to live in a place where you were hated and staying with the Dursleys every summer kept it fresh in his mind. But Harry had escaped when he'd come to Hogwarts, in Hogwarts he was happy, he had friends, he was hailed as a hero. To think that Elizabeth had had a life similar to his and then come to Hogwarts where she still didn't have friends and where more people hated her was so awful that it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"I had no idea," Harry whispered.

Hermione shook her head, "None of us did." She looked stunned.

Ron knew they'd help him watch out for Elizabeth from now on and he sensed that last night was not the first fight that they'd get into on her account but now they knew what was going on, they could hardly ignore it.

Madame Pomfrey had decided that Ron was well enough to leave but she asked Elizabeth if she would stay to amuse Gabrielle and keep her company. Elizabeth was glad to do so, having got along well with the younger girl. The others left, having promised to visit later in the day.

* * *

Elizabeth spent most of her time in the Hospital Wing over the next two days, with Gabrielle, except when she was in lessons. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny were also frequent visitors.

Hermione spent a lot of time with Harry, as Ron spent most of his spare minutes with the two pureblood girls. She was amused by Harry's changing reactions to Ginny.

Hermione became glad of this as when they played Wizard chess in the evenings. He or Ron could usually beat her. She was quietly bitter about this because it seemed unfair that as her skill improved so did theirs.

But if Ginny came to watch, as she often did, Harry would become distracted, hot-cheeked as he struggled to retain his strategy.

It was after classes on Thursday, Ginny was busy with her friends, struggling over Arithmancy homework. Harry and Hermione sat facing each other over a chess board. They had been playing in silence until with no warning Harry spoke.

"What did Elaine Gryffindor tell you before we left their Hall?"

Hermione paused. She bit her lip and then told the truth. "She warned me against trusting Malfoy."

"I know. I heard," his eyes were troubled. "You don't do you?"

It shook Hermione's being that he could bring himself to ask her that question. "Of course not."

"Herm.." he paused, then forced himself to go on. "Hermione, you can't. I'm not blind, I've seen you watching him. But you're clever, Herm, it takes more then a pretty face and lots of money to fool you, doesn't it?" He was almost pleading with her. Wanting her to say he was imagining things, that she hated Malfoy as much as he did, that she would be true to the memories of the time they'd spent allied against Malfoy.

But this was Harry. She couldn't lie to him. "I'm sorry." It was all she could say.

He looked down at the board and continued with the game, saying nothing more. But he hadn't looked down fast enough and she'd seen the revulsion in his eyes. She knew he'd never be able to accept Malfoy and so she tried to put the blond boy out of her mind, he wasn't even worth subconsciously dreaming about if it would mean losing Harry.

Harry didn't mention the matter again. There was nothing more to say. Hermione let him know with the extra care and time she spent that evening with him and Ron that the three of them were still close. Still a strong, unbreakable triangle.

* * *

They were late for dinner on Thursday because they had had to collect Ron from the Hospital Wing. They were almost the last people in and Hermione was struck that the only other notable absence was that of Malfoy. It annoyed her how much she had begun to notice his presence, or absence, over the last few days.

He arrived fashionably late. She wondered if he waited outside until everyone else was seated and settled before he made his entry but then she reflected that this was ridiculous and his immaculately timing was probably an instinct bred into all Malfoys.

As she watched him enter and make his way to this table, she realised that she'd never allowed herself to notice how popular he was. Many Ravenclaws and some Hufflepuffs greeted him with respectful nods as he entered, while his arrival at the Slytherin table was greeted by much calling and shouting.

She watched as he talked to each Slytherin who was bold enough to beg his attention, ignoring them until in suited him. But he was instantly forgiven for his rudeness when he did deign to speak to them because he focused on them so completely, greeting them by name, listening, agreeing and smiling for them alone in a way, that Hermione knew with disgust, that they would secretly treasure. She looked away, fearing Harry would see the direction of her gaze.

But it wasn't just Slytherins, either. Hermione's eyes lingered on him as he made his way out of the Hall, after a short time that she was sure could not possibly have given him enough time to eat more than a snack, especially considering his numerous conversations, he stopped to hold short discussion with members of other houses.

The varying body language of both Malfoy and whoever he talked to made her realise also that some of the relationships were based on admiration or liking, others were based on respect for power and wealth and many were based on fear.

* * *

Hermione slept soundly that night. At first she didn't realise that a silent observer had slipped into the dormitory. She looked so peaceful, curled in the foetal position, Crookshanks stretched out, warming her back.

He slipped silently through the window from a high quality broom. Luckily for him Lavender insisted in sleeping with the window open, despite the cold and Hermione's recent experiences.

He stood, shrouded in his invisibility cloak, and regarded her asleep. Her bushy hair was tightly plaited to stop it being un-brushable in the morning. Her dark eye-lashes stood out against her pale skin. Under her eyes there were dark smudges, evidence of the nights she'd spent exploring added to the nights she'd spent in research.

All in all, she looked like almost a different person when she was asleep. None of the determination, intelligence or fire showed and she was just an ordinary girl. The invisible watcher leant over her and gently kissed her cheek. Next to her, on the pillow he left a small package wrapped in black silk.

She stirred and he left quickly the way that he'd come. Hermione was used to sensing the presence of someone wearing an invisibility cloak, she and Ron had quickly learnt, used to Harry using his, and it was that which dragged her up from slumber, coupled with the kiss which at first she thought had been a memory of the day before. The she saw the package on the pillow next to her.

She looked around, unsurprisingly she could see no-one. But she could hear no-one and sense no-one either. Whoever had been had already left. She looked down at the package. Who? She only knew two people with invisibility cloaks: Harry and Draco. She looked down at the package again. The black silk was embroidered with black dragons. With trembling fingers she fumbled with the wrappings, finally the silk fell away revealing a silver chain, bright against the dark wrapping. Silver and black silk, she knew that it hadn't been from Harry.

* * *

The next day, Hermione crept through the quiet school corridors, shrouded in Harry's invisibility cloak. The others were out in the grounds, taking Gabrielle for her first out-door excursion in a while. Earlier, Ron and Harry had been down to the Kitchens and asked the house Elves to pack them a picnic instead of taking lunch in the Great Hall. Now they were out on the lawns, laughing and joking. But she was here, slipping cloaked through the dull corridors in the hope of meeting someone they hated. She had not even allowed herself to think that that was what she was doing.

From the other end of the corridor, Hermione saw the stone door that led to the Slytherin Common Room slide open. Malfoy stormed out and took a right turn. She followed him at a distance, not wanting to approach when he looked so furious.

He carried on up the corridor until he reached the closed door of an empty classroom. The noises from within made Hermione blush under the cloak but Draco, as usual, was unperturbed.

"Blaise! I need to talk to you." He tried to open the door but found it locked.

"Blaise!" he called again like a master calling his dog to heel.

"I'm busy, Draco."

"I don't care."

It was becoming apparent to both Hermione and Draco that Blaise was not going to open the door. He sighed and, much to Hermione's amazement, executed a hard, high kick, his foot connecting solidly with the lock. Again and once more and then the door flew open. Hermione was amazed, impressed and slightly perturbed, she had no idea that Malfoy's fighting skills would cover martial arts as well as dagger and sword fighting. She wondered briefly why Draco didn't open his door with his wand, a simple Alohomora would have worked. Then it occurred to her that classroom doors didn't actually lock and Blaise must have sealed it with a spell.

"Get out, Nott. I need to speak to Blaise." Draco snarled.

"What she done?" asked Nott in his thin, nasal voice.

"I said, out." Draco's voice was now dangerously low and calm.

Wisely, Nott obeyed. He scuttled from the room.

"Draco, Draco," purred Blaise. "To what do I owe this rather inconvenient interruption?"

Hermione moved forward until she was just inside the door. Blaise was leaning against the edge of a table, she looked as annoyingly attractive as usual. Draco stood glaring at her. As Hermione watched, his hand shot out and grabbed Blaise's face, twisting her head up to look him in the eye.

"I understand that you set Crabbe and Goyle on Nott's sister. The little Gryffindor." He was almost whispering, his face close to Blaise's. From what Hermione could see of his expression, she marvelled at the other girl's courage in not flinching for Blaise looked calm and composed, a slight flash of resistance flickering below the surface of her beautiful eyes. She made no reply.

"And if I remember rightly, I specifically forbade you to do so." Draco spoke slowly, allowing each word to carefully drop from his lips into the still pool of silence.

Hermione was shocked, Malfoy had forbidden Blaise to hurt Elizabeth? Draco had been protecting Elizabeth? It seemed incredible but he himself had just said so. Hermione couldn't help but feel annoyed. Every time she had formed an opinion of Draco over the last week, he had straight away gone and done something which forced her to change her mind.

After a moment Blaise did speak, "But she is a traitor. She defiles her Slytherin blood. Her very presence and being insults us all."

"She could be useful." Draco's quiet words silenced Blaise. She and Hermione looked at him amazed.

"She may be a Gryffindor," Draco continued. "Which means she is weak and stupid, but she has Slytherin blood. She must yearn to be in Slytherin, to fit in with the rest of her family. I think she'd do anything to earn the Slytherin respect, even betray the Gryffindors. Spy. After all, most of the Gryffindors don't much like her either, it's just Potter and his friends. And her being close to them will make it all the easier."

Blaise was staring at him in admiration. She smiled and they began to laugh quietly. Smug, self-satisfied laughs which made Hermione want to hit the pair of them. How could she have been so stupid as to think, even for a moment, that Draco would protect Elizabeth? How could she have been so stupid?

Blaise was sliding her hand up Draco's back and up his neck. "When will you speak to her?" She was whispering now, Hermione had to strain to hear.

The two pairs of Slytherin lips brushed teasingly, then Draco pulled away. "Soon. Go back to the Common Room and tell the others. No-one is to so much as touch Nott's sister or they answer to me." Blaise nodded and left.

Draco waited until she was gone before turning and looking straight at Hermione. "Did you think I could sense an invisibility cloak? What did you take me for? A Mudblood? Or a halfblood?"

Hermione turned to go. She didn't want to talk to Draco anymore.

"Wait? Why did you come?" he called after her.

"No, it was nothing. It doesn't matter." Even to her own ears, Hermione's voice sounded lost and sad.

Draco wasn't fooled. "You didn't believe what I told her, did you?"

For the third time that day, Hermione turned to stare at him, amazed. With trembling hands she pulled off the cloak, allowing it to ripple down her body and pool in a silvery puddle around her feet.

"What?"

"I had to tell her something, Granger. Now that she thinks it is for Slytherin benefit, she won't touch Elizabeth."

"Why do you care?"

"Would you rather I hadn't told Blaise to leave her alone? Would you rather I let her be beaten up every day?"

"Of course not. But why do you care what happens to Elizabeth?"

He smiled his beautiful smile. "What makes you think I didn't do it out of the goodness of my heart?"

"You haven't got a heart, Draco Malfoy. What's in it for you? I don't trust you."

He turned to go. "I thought you'd be pleased," he said over his shoulder as he strode away. "But I forgot, you're just an ungrateful Mudblood, aren't you?"

Hermione was left feeling confused, exasperated, offended, hurt, lonely, upset... the list was endless, no longer knowing what she felt, Hermione sat down on the grimy floor and cried. Her tears dripped down her face to mingle with the dust.

* * *

It was mid-morning on Saturday and Ron and Hermione had seen Harry headed for the Common Room with Ginny and had decided to leave them alone for a while by going for a walk in the clear, cold morning. It was peaceful in the shelter of the Quidditch stadium, away from the freezing wind. Ron and Hermione leant against the wall and chatted, gossiped and moaned about the amount of work they were being given in run up to their N.E.W.T.s..

The conversation turned serious and they discussed what they should do next to regain Gabrielle's voice and complete the task that Godric's children had laid on them. Both of them were anxious to keep a closer watch on Gabrielle, but Madame Pomfrey, perhaps only half believing what was happening, insisted that with herself and Elizabeth there constantly and plenty of other staff passing in and out there were plenty of people to raise an alarm if something happened.

The conversation petered out. Hermione was busy shredding a blade of grass. She wanted to tell Ron about Malfoy the day before but found she didn't know how to broach the subject and her feelings were too confused.

Suddenly, Hermione became aware that the hush that had fallen was not a natural one. Nothing moved, nothing sang.

"Ron," she hissed. He looked up and realised what she meant, without her having to explain. They stood up, looking around.

Suddenly, there was a howling and a tearing wind roared around the Quidditch stadium. It seemed to come from every direction at once, they tottered and had to clutch each other to stop themselves falling.

They struggled towards the stadium, heads down against the gale, anxious to gain the benefit of its shelter. They didn't see the person who approached until they collided, throwing all three of them to the ground.

"Quickly, under here." She barely heard the voice over the noise of the wind. Suddenly she felt herself enveloped in a red cloth. She thrashed, panicked until she felt Ron's hand descend on her shoulder, at least he was here with her. Then the voice that had spoken before, made her freeze. It was a familiar voice.

"Calm down, Granger. This is the cloak I believe we talked about . We're safe."

Ron was lying to her right, she could feel his presence, warm and comforting, with an effort she turned her head until she could look to her other side. Grey eyes smiled at her. It was the smile he'd given Blaise, charming, beautiful, and, Hermione supposed, completely false.

"Saving someone other then yourself for once, Malfoy?" she asked softly.

His eyes were hard. He didn't reply. Instead he said, "You're wearing my necklace."

She reached up as though to undo the clasp. "Sorry, would you like it back?"

His hand shot out and gripped her wrist. "Don't. It's yours now. It's supposed to be lucky, we may need the luck soon."

"Not trying to protect me are you?" she echoed.

At that moment, Ron asked loudly over the wind, "What's going on out there Malfoy?" Hermione guessed he had not heard the exchange going on next to him. At least she hoped he hadn't.

"Something to do with our visit to the Gryffindor Hall, I think." Malfoy answered.

Then something clicked in Hermione's brain. She remembered her puzzlement when Elaine had said that both Fleur and Gabrielle had been taken to draw them in. Suddenly filled with the urgency she'd felt last night she whispered hoarsely, "We have to get up to the Hospital Wing."

Draco understood at once but Ron, not having heard the discussion with Morgan and Elaine, was puzzled.

"They're going to try and take Gabrielle." She explained impatiently and Ron, knowing her and understanding enough to know that they had to go as fast as possible, nodded. They were just considering the problem of standing up when the wind above them abruptly stopped. There was an eerie silence.

Cautiously, Draco stood up, carefully holding the cloak around the three of them. The scene that met their eyes made Hermione gasp. The Slytherin Quidditch team lay prone, scattered in various corners of the pitch by the wind. None of them moved. Hermione realised that it must have be a Slytherin practice, which explain why Draco had been leaving the stadium.

Draco walked towards the team, they didn't move even when he kicked them. Frowning slightly, he moved round so they could see the face of Malcolm Baddock. The handsome chaser's eyes were open. His face was rigid, like carved mask, and it showed an expression of surprise. It reminded Hermione and Ron terribly of the basilisk's victims that they'd seen in second year.

"Frozen in Time." Draco's voice was expressionless but Hermione, her shoulder jammed up against his chest, could sense how tense he was.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"They've stopped time. It doesn't affect us because of this is powerfully spelled and charmed to protect whoever's wearing it."

Hermione gasped, horrified. "But only an incredibly strong witch or wizard would have the power to do that."

Draco looked at her. "The Dark Lord is incredibly strong."

Ron shook his head. "Even the You-know-who won't be able to keep it up for long." Indeed they could almost feel time straining against whatever was holding it still.

Draco didn't reply but turned on his heel and made his way briskly back towards the Castle. They realised that if they let the cloak drop from their shoulders they would become like the Slytherin Quidditch team, froze in time. It meant they had to walk close, similar to walking under the Invisibility Cloak. But walking that close to Draco was nothing like walking that close to Harry. Hermione felt distinctly uncomfortable as they made their way up towards the Castle.

Everywhere they walked in the castle, they saw frozen figures, pupils out on the lawn, ghosts in the corridors, diners and teachers in the great hall. As they drew closer to the Hospital Wing, Hermione felt a feeling a dread mounting in her. This dread reached its peak as they pushed open the door to the Hospital wing, making her clutch ineffectively at Ron's shirt.

What they saw when the door was open made them all gasp. There, seeming to hang in the centre of the room, was a doorway in to the barren, desert land. Through this doorway they could see Gabrielle's small figure, trudging a ways away, under the clouded sun. Hermione realised that she was heading straight towards the brooding castle. Next to the doorway was Elizabeth's small form, lying prone on the floor as if the great wind had knocked her over.

The three of them approached the doorway and stood looking at it.

"We have to follow her," Ron said with a stricken glance at Elizabeth.

Hermione nodded. Draco did not respond but she knew that he'd come to. Had she judged him to harshly?

At that moment, a thunderclap sounded and the sheer energy knocked them to the floor. The doorway seemed to waver but Ron had fallen with one arm outstretched, it was the arm with the bracelet and by a lucky quirk of fate went through the doorway. The doorway stayed open.

Hermione realised that somehow it was the bracelet that had kept the door open and was grateful. She thought back to the power Morgan had said the bracelets possessed and wondered if this was what he'd meant.

As the ringing sound of the thunder faded, Elizabeth stirred. The clock hands began to move again. A leaking gutter outside began to drip. Time had been started again.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth's voice was faint.

Ron crouched down next to her and almost lifted her to her feet, speaking gently, "Lizzie, Gabrielle's gone, whoever took her voice has called after it. We need you to go find Harry and Ginny and tell them. We have to go through after her."

"Oh, and tell Harry that if the door has started to close then his bracelet might open it," Hermione interrupted. "Ron's did anyway."

Elizabeth nodded. She looked worried but she knew better than to protest. She hugged Ron hard and set off to the Gryffindor Common Room. The other three exchanged glances and without feeling the need to speak stepped through into the world of Harry's nightmares. Godric's cloak, no longer needed, lay folded over Draco's arm.

* * *

Ginny was seated on the floor dangling a piece of string for Mistoffelees. She had collected him from Padma on Thursday morning and had received visits from the Ravenclaw every day since. Padma was evidently finding it hard o relinquish responsibility for the kitten and Ginny's patience was running thin.

The string waved in front of Mistoffelees's nose. He, in true kitten fashion, would dart and dance for the string with all his energy. The next minute he would fall fast asleep and then be up again, ready to play.

Crookshanks watched disdainfully from a chair. He had accepted Mistoffelees with a grudging lick when he had arrived. This was enough to convince Harry, Ron and Hermione that Mistoffelees was really a true cat. Since then, Crookshanks had rather avoided this indecorous, rowdy and noisy newcomer.

There was a clatter as Harry entered the common room beaming. He was clearly excited.

"What is it?" Ginny asked curiously.

"The owls finally delivered my new sword," he answered, the grin broadening. "They got lost by the look of them. I don't know why it took so long for it to be made." He pulled the blade from the sheath he carried, holding it for her inspection. It was a plain, sharp blade with an unadorned hilt. Ginny knew Harry could have afforded a more extravagant sword but fuss and decoration were not his style. This sword sums him up well, she thought. Practical, rather plain but quite attractive none the less. The thought surprised her. Surely she didn't still find Harry attractive, did she?

He looked past her and saw Mistoffelees curled up on the thick rug. Crossing the room he bent down and stroked the tiny head with gentle fingers. He smiling as the tiny creature purred in his sleep.

Ginny leant on the back of a chair and watched him. Everything about him was so familiar, his dark hair, his slight form, his mischievous grin and of course, his famous scar. He was almost like a brother to her, but not quite. At one level, that still very occasionally broke through, he was still the unattainably attractive hero she'd met aged ten.

She went across and knelt beside him and her cat, noting as she did the slight flush in his pale cheeks and that his hair and shirt were sweaty. Evidently he'd been to practise with his new sword immediately. She grinned, knowing how impatient he'd been for its arrival. Until it was made he'd had to practice with a roughly made wooden sword that Hagrid had fashioned for him or wait until Sirius visited, bringing his real one.

As Ginny knelt, Mistoffelees awoke with a loud meow, as though awakened by her presence. Harry found the string Ginny had been using and began to wiggle it along the carpet. Mistoffelees gave chase excitedly, his tiny form pouncing, his little tail lashing.

Ginny watched them play for a bit, feeling contented. All of a sudden, Mistoffelees lost interest, deciding that the string was dead. She scoped him up, holding his warm, wiggling body close. He began to bat at her plaits which Harry kindly rescued. With nothing more to play with the black kitten settled down in her arms, purring happily.

Harry was still brimming with excitement over the sword. He raced about the room, fighting off imaginary opponents, his speed and power amazing Ginny. His familiarity with an object whose sole purpose was to kill unsettled her slightly. True, a wand could kill, but that wasn't its only purpose, it wasn't a weapon in the way a sword was. On the other hand, although she hated violence, she was well aware that Harry would face many kill-or-be-killed situations in his life, especially if he achieved his goal of becoming an Auror. And she knew that in such a situation which option she'd prefer. Even in the magic world you couldn't always rely on a wand in jobs like that. Beside he looks so damn good with a sword, she thought. He doesn't look like the Harry I know at all. Older, more intent, sexy even, added a rebellious voice in the back of her mind.

Seeing her watching him, he stopped. "Sirius is coming today. I can't wait to see him, to show him how much I've improved. I hope he's bringing his sword. We can practise properly now I've got mine."

"I haven't seen Sirius since Christmas. I know he keeps in touch with mum." Ginny grinned. "I think she's adopted him as another errant son to look after." This was true. Ever since Mr. And Mrs. Weasley met Sirius at the end of Harry and Ron's fourth year, and the truth about the night the Potters died, they had helped Sirius as best they could. Partly for Harry's sake but mostly for Sirius's own.

"But he's too old to be her son," protested Harry.

" He's not, you know, he's only a few years older than Bill. Anyway, he was hardly acting it at Christmas was he?"

"He's had a hard time, even since he left Azkaban. I mean he's always on the run. He deserves a bit of happiness and fun." He was looking at her seriously, his eyes troubled at the thought of the hardships his godfather had to endure.

"I know. But I'm glad Bill and Grace are inviting him to their wedding, he's really become part of the family."

"Probably the first Weasley wedding with an escaped convict as a guest," joked Harry. "When is the wedding? Ron said that Hermione and I were invited too."

"I think they've set it for May."

Harry nodded. He pulled at where his sweaty shirt was sticking to his back. "Yuck. I'm going to go get changed." He disappeared upstairs, only to reappear moments later, shirtless. Ginny felt herself redden slightly.

"Why exactly are you wondering around half naked ?" Ginny demanded. Her voice came out half an octave higher than she would have liked. Harry didn't appear to notice.

He looked embarrassed. "I left my other shirt down here," indicating the shirt that was thrown across the back of one of the armchairs.

"Other? You only have two shirts?" Ginny asked incredulously having decided not to ask why the shirt was down here in the first place, she felt she'd rather not know.

"I've grown in the last year and the others aren't clean."

Ginny remembered the few times she'd been in her brother's dormitory.

"That's because you actually have to put dirty laundry in the basket. House Elves don't pick up laundry that's strewn across the floor."

Harry laughed, "You sound like your mum." Ginny blushed.

Harry reached for his shirt. "Here, could you hold this for a minute?" he asked, passing her his sword. Ginny took it having first set the gently purring Mistoffelees down in a deep armchair.

After seeing his skill with the weapon, she wasn't sure how to hold it. It felt heavy and awkward in her hand. Seeing her puzzled frown he laughed again, kindly this time. "No, no. Hold it like this." He re-arranged her fingers so that she had a better grip.

She gave an experimental swish. Her admiration for anyone who could use this unwieldy thing was growing.

Harry quickly shrugged the shirt on, neglecting to do up the buttons. "Not like that, like this." He took the sword and showed her. Obediently she copied. And before she could think he was teaching her the rudiments of sword fighting. He stood behind her and brought his arms forward to occasionally correct her grip or other faults he found. Each time she became increasingly aware that he had his arms around her found it harder and harder to concentrate on the sword in his hand.

She tilted her head up to see his face. He was a head taller than her, her head fitting neatly beneath his chin. She watched the gently curve of that chin and his soft mouth moving as he spoke, it no longer seemed important what exactly he said. He realised that she had stopped listening and looked down into her face. Both were completely oblivious to the raising wind outside.

It occurred to Ginny that she was exactly where she'd dreamed of being for years and then spent a few more years persuading herself that she did dream of it, namely with Harry Potter's arms around her, leaning on his bare chest. And now that she was here she felt an absurdly strong urge to kiss him. She was standing frozen in indecision between ignoring that urge and wanting to give in to it when Harry settled the matter for her and kissed her.

They were oblivious to the stop in time, as all the other inhabitants of the school were, expect for Ron, Hermione and Draco. They only felt something was wrong as Time snapped back into existence with a loud thunder clap, the whole tower seeming to shake. They were thrown to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Luckily, the sword, which had been hanging forgotten in Harry's hand was thrown clear. He struggled to his feet and helped Ginny up before scrabbling after it and sheathing it at his waist.

"What the hell was that?"

Abruptly they portrait slammed open and Elizabeth burst in. Her breath came in ragged gasps, she had evidently run all the way from the Hospital wing. Ginny helped her to a chair. The blonde girl tried to speak but Harry hushed her, making her get her breath back. He glanced at Ginny worried, Elizabeth was stark white, something was wrong.

"What's happened?"

"Gabrielle's gone. We were lying on the floor because that wind seemed to shake the building and them I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew Ron, Hermione and Malfoy were there. There was a sort of doorway thing, open in the air and Ron said Gabrielle had gone through it. He said the dark wizards who stole her voice had taken her. They went through after her. The doorway started to close but Ron's bracelet kept it open."

Harry was on his feet. "Did you see through this doorway?" he asked urgently.

Elizabeth nodded. "It was grey rock and there was a dark castle on a hill. It had a funny sky, kind of.." She struggled to find the words but Harry had heard enough.

"I have to go after them, they may need the other bracelet. You two, stay here, go tell Dumbledore."

Then he stopped, remembering something. "Actually, can you do something for me?"

They nodded. "Go and meet Sirius. I was supposed to be meeting him outside The Three Broomsticks at 3 o'clock. Tell him what's happened. He may be able to come through after us and help. But before that, go tell Dumbledore, he'll be able to arrange some help to come after us."

Harry hugged both girls, a little awkwardly, and then was running from the room. At the picture hole he hesitated and glanced back at Ginny, as though he meant to say something else, but seeing the urgency in their faces he leapt through without a word. Then he was running through the school intent on getting to the Hospital Wing, still wearing the sword at his waist.

* * *

Ron, Hermione and Draco were making steady progress across the strange land, following the occasional glimpse of Gabrielle's bright hair ahead of them. When that was no longer visible, they headed towards the castle.

The ground was hard and almost unchanging except for the occasional swirl or design of sand. These swirls were huge, taking the three of them several minutes to cross, and far between. At the first one, they'd stopped, bewildered. The sand had, after some inspection, turned out to me glittering dust, catching and refracting the light from the cold sun that hung above them.

"Diamond," Draco pronounced authoritatively.

"How do you know, Malfoy?" asked Ron aggressively, still hostile towards Draco despite the help he'd given. He was too used to hating Draco, and being hated in return to change years of habit after only a few days.

"As you pointed out, I'm a Malfoy. We're surrounded with diamonds from our earliest years. I can recognise diamond in my sleep."

They carried on in silence. The strange sun seemed to draw Hermione and Ron to look up, again and again. Hermione tried to resist this urge, the sight of the sun reminded her that they were in Slytherin's creation, inhabited by Voldemort and his minions. But Ron was intrigued by the sun, glancing up at it often.

They had been walking for an hour or so when Ron's eyes became over drawn to the sun. It held his gaze, clouding his vision as its own surface was clouded. He stumbled and fell, crashing to the rock with a cry, his eyes finally torn from the sun. Hermione bent to help him.

Draco stood idly, his face twisted into a smirk as he watched Hermione finally, with difficulty, get Ron upright. He was completely unable to put any weight on his right ankle. She had to support him, his arm over her shoulders. They progressed a few halting steps but she wasn't strong enough. They needed to go faster. They needed a second person to support Ron. There was only one other person there.

"Draco, will you support Ron's other side?" Hermione asked, her voice betraying fatigue.

"No." Draco's voice was petulant.

"Why not?" Hermione had lowered Ron to the ground and stood hands on hips

"Why would I want to touch Weasley? It's his fault he's fallen, he should have been looking where he was going. Leave him here."

Hermione had reached the end of her tether. Shouting and screaming rarely got any reaction from Malfoy these days, she only knew one thing which would get a reaction. She had done it once before and she knew it would make her feel a lot better. With the force born from days of anxiety, too little sleep and immediate fear, Hermione brought her arm around and delivered a stinging slap to Draco's face.

"How dare you? How dare you!" she hissed.

He was looking at her coldly. For a moment she thought he was going to hit her back, she almost wanted him to so that she would have an excuse to hit him again and again because she felt that that was the only thing she could do to release the tight anger and fear in her chest. It would persuade her that she did hate him as she used to and would enable her to squash her confused feelings. But he didn't hit her, he just continued to stare.

"Even if he wasn't one of my best friends and I was prepared to leave him stranded out in this barren desert for one of Voldemort's followers to find, it would be no use because he has one of the bracelets that have absolute power here, we'd never manage without him. I need him, he's here for a purpose, which is more then you are." Her voice was low and almost overflowing with the boil of anger and fear she now felt coursing through her blood.

Her stinging words hung in the air between them. Their eyes met with a crackling tension and much to Hermione's amazement it was Draco who looked away, almost as though he'd made a decision. He went to where Ron was sitting, the red haired boy evidently slightly awkward at the angry words having been spilled on his account, even if it had been Malfoy. Without looking at Ron, Draco took his weight and heaved the taller boy to his feet. Hermione moved to support his other side. Draco cast her single glance and then they set off again.

* * *

Ginny and Elizabeth sat outside the Three Broomsticks. It was cold but the January sun was bright, cradled between gloved hands both girls held butterbeers. Elizabeth had the hood of her cloak up to hide her distinctive hair, Ginny noticed how uneasy she was outside the reassuring walls of the Castle she knew so well.

Many people went in or out of the pub, greeting Ginny as they went. Three o'clock came and went and Ginny was becoming uneasy. What if something has happened? What if he's been recognised? What if he is on his way back to the Dementors? Questions fluttered around Ginny's mind.

They hadn't been able to find Dumbledore before they'd left. He was away at the Ministry apparently and wouldn't be back until the evening. This also worried her but she consoled herself with the thought that she'd tell him every thing that had happened as soon as he got back.

A breeze picked up and sent Elizabeth's hood back, revealing her bright hair and mismatched eyes. A stranger about to enter the pub stopped and gasped. He had white blonde curls, a neat white blonde goatee and moustache and dark green eyes. Ginny assumed he was Elizabeth's father, the abusive Francis Nott.

"What are you doing here, Odd-eyes?" he sneered.

Elizabeth paled. She didn't respond.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you, brat." The man raised his arm to hit her, Ginny moved forward to stop him but before she could, another man grabbed Nott's hand and stepped between the father and daughter.

"Leave her alone, Nott." The newcomer hissed with considerable malice. He was cloaked but Ginny recognised the voice and felt a wave of relief.

"Who are you, man? Go away, I can hit my own daughter in public if I want!"

"So she's your daughter then is she? A scrawny wench with mismatched eyes...."

Nott almost blushed. "No, urrr, she's nothing to do with me, I've never met her before," he stammered embarrassed and hurried indoors.

Sirius lifted his hood enough for them to see his mischievous grin. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," he apologised to Elizabeth. She shook her head wonderingly, surprised that he'd stood up for her.

"Where's Harry?" Sirius asked Ginny. She looked at him, thinking how much he'd changed since she'd met him three years ago. Thanks to Mrs. Weasley's cooking he had regained his lost weight and no longer looked so gaunt, but nothing could hide the anguish that sometimes flourished in his eyes. Now, however, those dark eyes were twinkling and she answered him, satisfied he was well.

"It's a long story. Let's get up to the school before either of you get into anymore trouble. I'll tell you on the way."

And they set off, Sirius striding ahead, his cloak billowing in the bitter wind, the girls trotting to keep up. Ginny scolded him for being so careless and risking discovery but he laughed her words away, so, in breathless snatches, she told him what was going on.

* * *

Having used his bracelet to open the slowly closing door in the infirmary, Harry made his way across the desert. Instead of running from the castle as he always had, he was making for it. That was where Gabrielle would be so that was where the others would be headed.

It took him hardly any time to reach it. He wondered whether distances were different every time you came here and depending who you were. The idea of Voldemort being so powerful this land that he even controlled things like distance and time made him shiver.

Soon he was standing in front of the castle. It appeared to be made of a black, glassy substance. He could dimly see his reflection in the dark wall, but it seemed to be twisted, subtly changed, made malevolent by the slightly curving black walls. Harry shivered and strained his eyes in search of a door. There was none. Slowly, he made his way around the exterior of the fortress but still drew a blank. There was a strong malignity almost oozing from the structure but he had to find a way in so he did his best to ignore it.

There also appeared to be no guards patrolling the walls, evidently they felt that the lack of any form of entry would discourage most visitors. But an adult witch or wizard would be able to Apparate inside so presumably there would be guards inside. Unless this was a place like Hogwarts where you couldn't Apparate. How then did you get inside?

He looked down at his bracelet. "They will open doors for you, even where there is no door." The words ran through his mind. Cautiously, and rather self-consciously, Harry lifted his arm up and bent in so that the outside of his wrist was pointing at the smooth barrier in front of him.

"Open!" he said, feeling foolish. Nothing happened.

He moved his arm so that his hand was back and it was the inside of his wrist that was pointing at the wall. "I command you to open!" Again, nothing happened.

He tried his hand sideways, nothing.

He tried using "I am Harry Potter and I command you to open." Still nothing.

Even "Yield to me and open in the name of Godric Gryffindor," produced no result.

At last, disheartened, he sank down, a little way from the castle walls, he was completely exhausted. Head in hands, Harry racked his brains and tried to remember what exactly Morgan Gryffindor had said regarding the bracelets.

"These will help you," he had said. "They will open doors for you, even where there isn't a door. In fact they have absolute power in the land to which you must go."

Absolute Power. Did that mean he had the power to change the land around him? In that case had Morgan meant that he could create door instead of just uncovering hidden ones as he'd supposed?

Even curious as he was to see if he was right and anxious to explore the bracelet's strange powers, Harry felt it was too much effort to approach the menacing castle. Being near it seemed to drain his energy, so great was the force of will with which he had to fight it. So, he just laid he wrist flat against the hard ground, so that as much of the bracelet was touching as much of the rock as possible.

"I command you by the bracelet of Gryffindor to grow," he whispered fiercely, the words springing unbidden to his mind.

A strange tingling sensation spread from the bracelet up his arm and through his body. Then the bare rock began to break down, becoming a small patch of fertile soil. Small green shoots broke through, unfurling swiftly and growing rapidly. It reminded Harry of a speeded up nature film he'd been shown in his muggle primary school.

Within minutes a sturdy rose bush stood on a lush patch of grass, barely a foot square. The bright green of the grass and the dark green of the leaves were startling and gentle compared with the black, grey and diamond that surrounded them. At the very top of the bush a single bud swelled and blossomed. A rose. A red rose, its petals fringed in gold. Gryffindor colours, thought Harry. How fitting.

He sat back, admiring the beautiful little oasis of life he had created. In truth he was amazed at the power the bracelet had, the power he now commanded. Shaking himself he turned back towards the door, he hadn't time to sit gawping now that he'd discovered the power of the bracelet.

With a slightly trembling hand, Harry reached out and touched the bracelet to the cold glass of the wall.

"By the bracelet of Gryffindor I demand to be let in. I command you to form a doorway."

The tingling sensation again and then the wall under his hand seemed to melt away and reform its self into an ancient wooden door, complete with florin-spikes and a menacing portcullis. Harry frowned at it, dismayed, but as he walked forward the portcullis ground up and the door swung eerily open, admitting him to Voldemort's fortress.

* * *

The swirls of diamond dust were becoming bigger and the patterns more extravagant. The three of them had been walking for what seemed like an hour or so but they hardly seemed any closer to the castle. Ron wondered whether it was just his pain-dazed state or whether the others could also feeling the malevolence which seemed to crackle through the air, catching at them and dragging them backwards. It seemed that something was preventing them reaching the castle, or stretching out the distance between them and it.

No-one had spoken for a while. Ron fervently wished that either he or Hermione had bothered to learn medimagic further than healing a paper cut or curing a bruise. Although that hadn't actually been fair, this lack of knowledge on Hermione's part had been because medimagic classes were held on the same evening as a debating club she was attempting to set up. If they ever came through this, Ron vowed to himself that he and Harry would go religiously until they could heal even life threatening diseases and broken bones were small work.

He felt Draco freeze to his left as he apparently spotted something ahead. Hermione gasped close to his right ear. Ron was vaguely aware of himself being lowered into a sitting position before Draco and Hermione scrambled away.

Ron wiped a hand across his eyes because they were blurred with tears of pain and saw that they had reached a new diamond design. It was far more complex than any that had preceded it. In the centre was a large circle of diamond sand. Draco and Hermione were kneeling in the centre of that, next to someone who was curled up as if asleep, her head pillowed by diamond, her silvery hair almost matching it in colour under the clouded sun. Gabrielle.

* * *