Draco: Phoenix Rising

Chapter Forty Six - Bellatrix Lestrange

When Hermione returned to McGonagall's office, Ginny practically leaped down her throat.

"We have to hurry!" Ginny cried and tugged on her arm. "Harry and--"

"I know where they went," Hermione said calmly and resisted being dragged. "We have something to do before we can follow them."

Ginny gaped at her in confusion. "But... it's Snape!"

"Draco won't let Harry charge headlong into battle. Besides, we still don't know whose side Snape is on."

"We know whose side Greyback is on!" Ginny cried, close to tears. "Frankly, your confidence in Malfoy is appalling--"

Hermione spied the Marauders' Map on the desk and hurried over to look at it. A quick glance showed Harry, Draco, and Ron nearing Moaning Myrtle's lavatory. Hermione scanned away from them to check out the route to the room where they had destroyed the other Horcruxes. They would have to use the room again because it had already been purified.

"Oh no," Hermione murmured. Bellatrix Lestrange was on the stairs heading for the third floor. The other three crowded around the map. Neville paled.

"It looks like she's alone," Hermione said.

"Good," replied Ginny flatly.

* * * * *

Moaning Myrtle was not moaning at the moment. A large hole gaped where one of the sinks used to be. The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, no doubt. At least it wasn't part of a toilet, Draco thought, trying to dredge up something positive about the idea. What had Slytherin been thinking?

"My, my!" Murtle cried when she spotted them. "My toilet is such a busy place, today! So many comings and goings."

"Who has been coming and going, Myrtle?" Draco asked. She zipped across the room in a flash of white and sidled up to Draco, partly disappearing into his arm.

"Oh, it's you!" she crooned. "I haven't seen you since your bath last night."

Draco flushed a bit. Myrtle never seemed to miss one of Draco's baths when he was at Hogwarts.

"Did you recognize them, Myrtle?" he asked, hoping to forestall any commentary regarding his bathing habits.

"Oh yes. Nasty Mr. Filch has been in and out, in and out all day. He's very rude! And that wicked professor who saved your life the day he," she jerked an accusing finger at Harry, "tried to kill you!" She half-sobbed and then looked coyly at Draco. "Although I was sort of hoping if you died that you would stay here with me."

She giggled and Draco reflected that spending a lifetime in a toilet with Myrtle or being slow roasted over the coals of hell would be quite the toss up.

"Filch?" Potter snapped. "What was he doing down here?"

Myrtle ignored him. Apparently, she was still upset with Harry for nearly killing Malfoy during the Sectumsempra incident.

"Was anyone with him?" Draco asked.

"That nasty teacher. Filch went down this morning alone and came back with that fellow."

"Snape," Draco supplied.

"That's the one." Myrtle giggled. "Snape went out and came back with the other four."

"Dolohov, Goyle, Greyback, and Wormtail."

"If you say so. I didn't recognize any of them."

"I wonder where Filch went," Ron said.

"Fenrir probably ate him," Draco replied. Harry grimaced.

"I wouldn't even wish that on Filch. Do you think he was Imperiused?"

"Who cares?" Draco said. "Shouldn't we be getting after them?" He began to think Potter and Weasley were stalling. Harry sighed deeply.

"He's right. Let's go."

Ron shuddered. "I hate it down there."

Harry walked to the opening and stared into the huge pipe.

"I wonder how they opened it. Who speaks Parseltongue besides me and Voldemort?" It was a chilling question to which they had no answer.

"See you down below," Harry said and stepped into the pipe.

"You've got to be kidding," Draco said as Harry disappeared into the distinctly slimy entrance. Ron gave him a commiserating look and followed Potter after a jaunty salute. Draco sighed deeply and stepped in after Weasley vanished. It was one of the most unpleasant experiences of Draco's life--sliding along a wet, slime-covered pipe at increasing speed until he was shot out the end to land atop Ron Weasley. Malfoy rolled away immediately and got to his feet. He was coated in slippery grime. It was a hundred times worse than the mud he'd been covered in earlier.

Draco instantly cast a Scourgify on himself. He hated doing it because it stung quite nastily, but it was better than being filthy.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy, must you always look like you stepped out of a magazine?" Potter snapped as Draco smoothed down his clean hair with a contented sigh. He scowled at Potter, whose hair was finally lying flat, now that it was plastered with goo. Draco vindictively cracked a cleaning spell at him.

"Ow!" Potter cried and Malfoy smiled wickedly. At least The Chosen One was clean, even if he didn't appreciate it. Draco looked speculatively at Ron, who backed away so quickly he tripped over a rock and sat down hard.

"I'd rather be dirty!" he yelled.

Malfoy laughed and Potter said, "Don't say it, Malfoy. Let's just go." Then he paused and shook out the cloth in his hand. He handed it to Draco. "Put this on."

"Your invisibility cloak? Why me?"

"We can't all wear it. We're too tall for even two of us to fit. Anyone waiting for us will expect Ron and I. But you? Let's keep that a secret as long as possible."

It seemed to take forever to navigate the dark tunnel. A door set with entwined serpents stood open before them and a strange, greenish glow guided them onward. Harry's steps had slowed until he seemed to be forcing himself forward.

"This is where you fought the basilisk, eh?" Draco murmured. Potter nodded. Malfoy conceded that Potter was braver than he'd thought. This place was creepy. For a twelve-year old boy, it had to have been absolutely terrifying, especially knowing a deadly serpentine monster waited at the end of it.

They entered the chamber and Harry raised his wand. He cast a Lumos bright enough to illuminate anything hiding in the room.

"Wouldn't it have been better to have sneaked in?" Ron squeaked.

"They knew we were here," Harry said flatly. The light revealed three people: Peter Pettigrew, Fenrir Greyback, and Severus Snape.

* * * * *

Bellatrix Lestrange stood before the shattered scabbard display. Her fists were clenched.

"Looking for this?" Hermione called sweetly. Bellatrix spun and Hermione dangled the scabbard from her left hand temptingly.

"Accio scabbard!" Bella yelled without preamble. The leather case snapped out of Hermione's hand, but the leather strap had been tightly wrapped around her wrist. The scabbard hovered for a moment, straining to reach Bellatrix.

Hermione tsked. "Oh no, it's not going to be that easy," she commented and shot a Full Body Bind at Lestrange, who stepped lightly aside. Ginny and Luna joined the fray and several bolts of light headed for Bellatrix. A large shield jerked from the wall to float before Bella and the spells bounced off harmlessly. Hermione Transfigured the shield into a small hand mirror. Bellatrix threw it down and it shattered on the floor.

"Seven years bad luck, Bella!" Hermione called.

"The Dark Lord will walk on your dead carcasses!" Bellatrix screamed and sent a green spell racing for Ginny, who avoided it by throwing herself to the floor. Hermione retaliated, but Bellatrix ran behind a large display of horse armor. The spell clipped her black hair as she fled. Luna cowered behind a halberd display and shot random spells at Bellatrix. Neville had disappeared.

"Harry will stop your precious Dark Lord!" Ginny cried angrily as she climbed to her feet. Bellatrix laughed and poked her head out to send a spell at Hermione, who reflected it back. It recoiled off the horse armor with an empty clang.

"Harry Potter?" Bellatrix spat. "That foolish child? His days are numbered. He'll not live to see his next birthday."

The comment seemed to enrage Ginny, who shot spell after spell toward Bellatrix in a flurry. The room rang with the reverberations of the armor. Luna joined her, happily sending who-knew-what spells winging at Bella. Hermione hoped none of them bounced off and hit her, but she took advantage of Lestrange being momentarily pinned down to hurry forward, hoping to get behind Bellatrix. Lestrange spotted her at the last moment and shot a wild spell toward Hermione, who held up the scabbard in reflex. The green spell enveloped the sheath and Hermione felt a stinging backlash. Bella cried out in alarm. To the relief of both of them, the Crucio had no effect on the Horcrux.

"Don't damage the Dark Lord's little toy, Bella!" Hermoine taunted and aimed a hex that Bellatrix deflected--barely. Damn, she was fast. Ginny and Luna had not relented with their barrage of spells and Bellatrix had a cornered look on her face. Hermione was afraid Lestrange was about to do something crazy and braced herself for anything--anything, that is, except for the blue light that pelted Bellatrix from behind and then enveloped her in a huge, clear bubble.

Enraged, the black-haired woman cast a spell, which bounced around inside the bubble and finally hit her on the posterior. She screamed in rage--or pain--but none of them could hear her.

"Lucky she didn't cast Avada Kedavra," Neville commented. Hermione grinned at him in surprise. He had obviously run down the hall to the Trophy Room and entered by the connecting door.

"Brilliant! It's soundproof, too!" Ginny said and giggled.

"I've never seen a spell like that," Hermione commented. "Where did you learn it, Neville?"

"Fred and George," Ginny answered for him. Bellatrix had tentatively tried other spells with the same result. She was now jumping up and down furiously and banging her wand and fists against the bubble walls. "She might want to stop that. She'll run out of air faster if she keeps that up."

Hermione gasped. "You mean it's airtight, also?"

"Yeah. She'll die if we don't let her out," Ginny said mildly. Neville's face hardened and Hermione remembered Bellatrix was one that had tortured his parents into insanity. She couldn't really blame him if he wanted to leave Bella in there. Neville sighed.

"We'd better let her out," he said.

"How do we do that without her killing us?" Ginny demanded indignantly.

"We could levitate it up to the ceiling and then release it," Luna suggested. They all look at the ceiling some six meters above.

"That might kill her," Hermione commented.

"What a pity," Ginny said dryly. Hermione sighed. Time was ticking away and they still had to destroy the Horcrux. They quickly made a plan and Luna levitated Bellatrix's bubble into the air. The Death Eater held the sides of the sphere in alarm and screamed at them soundlessly. It was beautifully coordinated, Hermione had to admit. Neville released the spell, Ginny cast Petrificus Totalus the instant Bellatrix began to fall, and Hermone gently lowered the frozen Death Eater to the ground. Her eyes glared at them in purest rage when Hermione plucked the wand from Bella's petrified hand.

"Better luck next time," Luna said brightly.

"There won't be a next time," Ginny gritted. She and Neville conjured so many ropes and tied them tightly around Bella she looked like a brown mummy. Hermione quickly cast a Patronus message to let McGonagall know what was happening, considering not a single one of them had remained in her office as ordered.

"We'd better hurry and destroy this thing," she said.

* * * * *

"Nice of you to join us, Potter. Weasley." Fenrir's grin was hideous.

Snape shook his head. "No backup? I see you're reckless as ever, Potter. I never expect you to learn, but sometimes you still manage to disappoint me."

"Damn, I really hate to disappoint you, don't I?" Potter said with a sneer. Snape returned the expression and his eyes flashed. Wormtail and Greyback started forward. Draco, invisible, began to sidle around behind the pillars. It worried him that Dolohov and Goyle were missing. Where had they gone? Another tunnel? Hiding behind the pillars somewhere?

"Harry Potter, eh?" Greyback snarled. "Be a nice treat to sink my teeth into your tender flesh."

"Down, Fenrir," Snape said sharply. "Plenty of time for that, later. Potter can entertain himself with some other playmates while we're gone."

Snape cast a spell and the area surrounding the Death Eaters was suddenly filled with clouds of black smoke. Draco ran forward quickly, expecting them to make a run for it--but to where? He heard coughing and followed the sound, plunging into the cloud. He wished he had his Hand of Glory--it would have been useful in this black fog. He kept a handful of the cloak over his face to filter the smoke.

Draco hurried a bit too fast and actually ran into someone.

"That you Wormtail?" Fenrir growled. "Watch where you're going, you stupid git!" Draco backed up cautiously, afraid the werewolf would recognize his scent. Thankfully, the smoke seemed to be masking it.

"What are you talking about?" Peter's voice sounded somewhat farther away.

"Will you two shut up and get inside?" Snape hissed. "Potter won't be detained for long. I'm sure the Dark Lord will want to prepare for his imminent arrival."

Draco's heart sank at the confirmation--Lord Voldemort was here. He followed the sound of footsteps as quietly as possible and heard the unmistakable grating of stone on stone. A doorway. The Death Eaters had been heading for the back wall, so the passage was likely beneath the statue of Salazar Slytherin. The black mist was already beginning to dissipate.

Ron Weasley began to yell, though Malfoy could not make out any words. He heard Potter shout, also. Draco fought his way out of the haze, coughing despite the cloth over his mouth. When he could see again, he stopped in surprise. A dozen dementors were swirling through the pillars of the room. Weasley stood behind Potter, yelling madly and waving his wand like an idiot. A silver stag burst out of Potter's wand and routed a number of dementors, who shredded like cheesecloth and tried to flee. A bolder one approached Weasley from behind. Ron wheeled in terror.

"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!" Ron shrieked. Silver flashes spurted from the end of his wand and fizzled. Potter spun and cast another Patronus that charged the dementor, but those Harry had initially routed had nowhere to go--they reformed quickly in the shadows near the ceiling and swept downward en masse. Draco swore. There was no help for it. He shrugged the invisibility cloak back over his shoulders and raced forward. Draco's Patronus sprang from his wand and scattered the dementors menacing Potter. Draco halted at Harry's side--Potter's emerald eyes were wide and frantic.

"There are too many!" Harry shouted. Weasley finally managed to cast a Patronus and the ratlike dog flew from his wand and routed a lone dementor. Others began to reform.

"Keep shredding them--don't let them regroup!" Draco cried and cast his Patronus once more. "And keep them off me!"

He steadied himself and raised his wand to cast a Binding. It would be difficult with so many. Luckily, Weasley's success seemed to have steadied him and Ron managed to keep casting. He and Potter kept the creatures from completely coalescing. Draco's voice rose to a scream. The dementors swirled in a spinning, dark cloud near the ceiling, as if trying to escape. Malfoy fought to maintain control.

At last it was finished. Draco grabbed Potter's wand to halt the next Patronus.

"Wait," he gasped, panting. His throat was raw. The fleeing dementors solidified and gathered, but they did not try to descend. They floated menacingly--an evil cloud above their heads.

"What did you do?" Potter gasped in amazement.

"A Binding," Draco said tiredly. "It's how the Ministry--and the Dark Lord--can control them. It's damned hard with so many. Fucking Snape is a master at the Dark Arts. I'm sure it was child's play for him, damn him to hell."

Weasley suddenly laughed weakly. Potter looked at him curiously.

"Nice Patronus, Malfoy."

Draco scowled. "I'd rather not discuss it."

Potter grinned at him. "A unicorn? Who would have guessed?"

"Shut it, Potter."

"I mean, the very symbol of purity and innocence. It boggles the mind."

"Are we going after Snape, or not?" Draco snapped. That, at least, forced Potter back to reality, although Weasley was still chuckling like a loon.

"Where did they go?" Harry asked.

Draco pointed. "We need to find the door."

With one last apprehensive look at the dementors hovering near the ceiling, Potter hurried toward Slytherin's statue.

"A unicorn," Draco heard Weasley whisper. Draco felt like yanking at his hair. Now he knew why Potter did it so often.