Draco: Phoenix Rising

Chapter Twelve - Portkeys

Hermione appeared in the Lovegood parlour and stared into a Death Eater mask for a shocked moment. The Death Eater bolted for the kitchen and nearly collided with two others rushing into the room. Hermione aimed a curse at the lot of them, but they all disappeared at once.

A jet of light shot past her and she turned to see another black-robed figure in the doorway, with a wand pointed directly at Harry.

"Look out!" she yelled and sent a hex at the figure. The Death Eater ducked out of sight and her spell sent splinters flying from the door frame.

"Watch it!" Harry cried at her and sent a bolt over her shoulder while yelling, "Protego!"

Whatever the spell had been, it rebounded, but the Death Eater in the kitchen did not pause.

"Stupefy!" Ron yelled as a jet of green clipped his hair. Ron's spell hit the Death Eater at the same instant as McGonagall's. The Death Eater screamed and fell back into the kitchen.

The one outside peered around the corner again and Hermione leveled Expelliarmus at him. His wand spun off and she heard an angry yell. They heard an odd thumping sound from the direction of the kitchen and then an ominous silence. Harry approached the kitchen archway cautiously and poked his head around the corner.

"They're gone!" he shouted and took off. Hermione growled and raced after him, in time to see him leap out of the back door. When would he learn not to be so bloody reckless?

She stopped on the back stoop after nearly running Harry down.

"Where did they go?" he asked.

"The basement!" she cried. They hurried back to the kitchen and yanked open the door to the cellar in time to hear the muffled cracks of Disapparition. Harry bolted down the stairs, but Hermione stayed, sensing it was too late. Harry's voice confirmed it.

"Empty. Bloody cowards! They never stay and fight unless it's six to one odds!"

McGonagall and Ron entered the kitchen just as Harry returned to the top of the steps.

"The one outside fled," McGonagall said.

"But, where's Luna?" Ron asked.

Hermione pulled out her Galleon. The time for secrecy was obviously past.

Devlin? Where are you?

She was relieved to find both Luna and Devlin safe.

"Luna is with Devlin," she said to the others after a brief conversation by coin. "Apparently, there was a Portkey and they are in a cave somewhere."

"Who the hell is Devlin?" Ron demanded.

"Devlin Whitehorn. He's the one that warned me about the attack on my parents. And now Luna."

"Devlin Whitehorn?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Yes. Why?"

"Devlin Whitehorn is the founder of the Nimbus Racing Broom Company," Harry explained. "Didn't you read any of those Quidditch books you bought us?"

Hermione flushed. "Well, no. You know I think Quidditch is boring. That's beside the point. He can't be the real Devlin Whitehorn, can he?"

"I doubt it," Ron said and shrugged. "But, there's no telling who wants to join up with the Death Eaters, is there? Maybe he's into the whole pureblood thing. Or was, if he's turned. How long have you been in contact with him, anyway?"

Hermione concentrated for a moment. "Well, we'll find out who he really is soon enough. I told him it's safe to come back."

She sighed, rather disappointed to discover Devlin could be a middle-aged businessman. She had been picturing a young, witty, somewhat tortured man struggling to escape the bonds of evil that surrounded him. She scowled and shook off her foolish fancy. He probably did have a face like a goblin.

The coin warmed in her hand and she looked at it.

Slight problem. Miss Sorted-into-Ravenclaw-by-Mistake tells me it's a one-way Portkey. We seem to be stuck in a hole until rescued.

There was a commotion in the next room and they all hurried back to see Sturgis Podmore and Luna's father appear in the Lovegood fireplace.

"Where is my daughter?" Mr. Lovegood demanded.

"She's safe, but she's in a cave. Apparently, she used a Portkey. Hopefully, you can tell us where they ended up."

"They?"

"She's with... a friend."

Mr. Lovegood's brow drew down in consternation.

"Well, it depends on which Portkey she used, of course. Many of them lead to caves. Hopefully she didn't use the one that goes to Nepal... on my last visit a group of trolls had moved in..." He scratched his head. "Well, let me check around. I'll figure out which one she used." He headed upstairs. Hermione looked at the others helplessly.

McGonagall went outside for a moment and then returned.

"I sent a message to Lupin. I told him the danger has been averted. Now, I really must get to Hogwarts. These side trips have put me seriously behind schedule."

"I don't want to leave until I know Luna is safe," Hermione said. And Devlin, she added to herself. She had no intention of leaving him to be discovered and mistaken for a Death Eater, even if he was middle-aged and looked like a goblin. Harry gave her a quizzical look, knowing Luna wasn't her favorite person to spend time with. "Harry, you and Ron go with Professor McGonagall. I'll catch up. It shouldn't take long, now that Mr. Lovegood is here."

Harry was about to protest when Sturgis Podmore spoke up. "I'll stay with Hermione."

After a bit more arguing, McGonagall, Harry, and Ron Disapparated, bound for Hogsmeade.

Mr. Lovegood returned from upstairs, carrying a purple goblet with gold lettering on the side.

"I've been looking everywhere for this!" he exclaimed. "This is my souvenir from--"

"Mr. Lovegood, can we focus on finding Luna, please? Perhaps, if we Apparate to all the caves you can think of--"

Mr. Lovegood shook his head violently.

"Oh no. We never Apparate. Terribly risky way to travel. Luna and I only travel by Portkey or the Floo Network."

Hermione nearly pulled a page from Harry's book and yanked her hair in frustration.

"Then, can you possibly remember to which cave Luna might have Portkeyed? One with no exit, perhaps?"

Mr. Lovegood's made a humming noise and shook his head.

"No exit? That would be extraordinarily foolish. They all have exits. Take this one, for example--" He stepped forward and picked up what looked like a stuffed quail--and disappeared. Hermione stared at the empty spot for a moment, and then she did yank her hair, hard.

"If that was another of his one-way Portkeys, I think I will scream!"

"We'd better hope it was," Sturgis commented from the post he'd taken up by the window. "The Death Eaters are back."

She ran to join him, in time to see at least six masked Death Eaters materialize in the yard. One of them raised a wand toward the house. Hermione grabbed Sturgis and Disapparated.

She fell to her knees when they reached their destination. Side-Along Apparition was difficult and she'd done it twice in one morning. Sturgis helped her to her feet, but said nothing. His gaze was fixed on a point over her shoulder and his expression was grim. She turned around reluctantly, but no Death Eaters met her gaze. Instead, she saw a lazy spiral of smoke curl from a jumble of blackened timbers.

"Why did you bring us here?" Sturgis asked hoarsely.

"It's close to the Lovegoods. I didn't think beyond escape," she whispered. She felt physically ill when she saw what had been done to The Burrow, the scene of so many pleasant memories. "Oh God, I can't believe they did this. To what purpose?"

Sturgis said nothing and Hermione already knew the answer. She turned away before the tears could start and held onto her growing anger.

"Come on," she said brusquely. "We need to make certain Mr. Lovegood didn't return. It's not far to walk."

She started off. The clouds were beginning to break up and the temperature was mild. It was shaping up into a beautiful summer day. Hermione was in no mood to enjoy it. She wanted to go back to the Lovegoods' and take on all of the Death Eaters herself. It was barely fifteen minutes to the Luna's house on foot, which was why Hermione had chosen it. She had been afraid the Death Eaters would cast an Anti-Apparition jinx on the house. She and Sturgis would have been trapped--but for an assortment of Portkeys, one of which led to a den of cave trolls.

Partway back, she felt the coin heat on her chest.

You are planning to find us, correct? Devlin asked.

Yes, but there are complications. The Death Eaters returned.

Looking for me? How touching.

Actually, I think they were hoping to catch Harry Potter.

I know, I was joking. If I caught fire, some of them would throw kindling.

I'll come as soon as I can, she promised.

As they approached the Lovegood house, they circled around to get a view of the front. Luckily, there was a large amount of undergrowth to hide them. The Death Eaters were milling in the front yard. There was no sign of Mr. Lovegood. Hopefully, he wasn't lying dead in the house... As they watched, several of them set fire to Luna's house, as they had done The Burrow. Sturgis nearly burst from concealment in rage, but Hermione held him back with a hiss.

"There are too many!"

The Death Eaters suddenly vanished. They waited for a few minutes to be certain none remained, and then they raced for the house. Working quickly, they rained fountains of water from their wands and managed to halt the flames before too much damage was done. Hermione stood guard while Sturgis entered the house.

"No sign of him. He must not have returned, or we would have seen him."

"That's a relief, but how are we going to find Luna?"