Montane Hope

Chapter 13 (of 16)

On Monday morning Draco received a letter at breakfast which he took absent-mindedly, waving the owl away. It was from his Mother. He slit it open, expecting it to be a note about some small thing that had happened at home.

Darling Draco,

Your father is going to be released today. I will go to Azkaban to meet him at lunchtime. We intend to travel for a little while, so please do not be concerned if you don't hear from us. As usual we will meet you on platform 9 ¾ on the first day of your holidays. It will make things much easier if you arrive on the platform awake and in one piece. Whatever you do, do not get involved with Harry Potter and his friends. Keep a low profile, it is rumoured that the Dark Lord is turning his attention to any that he thinks may have betrayed him now or in the past.

Send a reply back with the owl. I expect you to assure me that you will not associate yourself with Harry Potter or any of his friends, nor do anything to draw attention.

Your ever loving mother.

He stared at it, then stuffed it in his pocket. After breakfast he went up to the owlery. It had taken all of his concentration while he was eating to think of a diplomatic reply. How could he promise not to get involved if an opportunity came up to do so? Waiting and wondering was killing him more effectively than even Voldemort could.

Dear Mother,

I received your note this morning - unfortunately I had already sent the owl away before reading it. I have no desire to draw attention to myself, and will naturally do everything I can to avert mishap.

Give my love to Father,

Yours ever,

Draco

Draco was under no illusions about why they wanted to travel. Students from both sides of the Voldemort/Dumbledore divide thought the Malfoys were traitors. Some were more than happy to tell him so. Apparently his parents had swapped sides, claiming that Voldemort was controlling them against their will, almost before the Dark Lord was vanquished. Draco wasn't too surprised that his father's support for the returned Voldemort had been only nominal. Once he wouldn't have believed it, but over the past year he had learned far more about his father's motives than he thought he ever wanted to know. He was no longer a child who could be fooled, blind to the obvious. But he was still a Malfoy, and before long a decision would have to be made one way or the other. Voldemort? Or Dumbledore? Lucius was clearly choosing the safest way. Running and hiding.

Two years ago Draco would have thoroughly approved. Now he was beginning to think that loyalty and fairness had something going for it - at least, while Granger was in danger he felt an obligation to do what ever needed to be done to get her out of it.

He met up with Lisa on Sunday and cancelled the practise times they had arranged for the next couple of days, claiming to be too busy with his prefect duties. It had been a rather... awkward... encounter, to say the least. He'd expected her to say something about practising for the end-of-term show, but instead she had taken one look at him and told him not to waste time worrying about Granger, she wasn't worth it. Her face was solemn, for once, as she said, "fancy spells aren't everything and looks aren't everything and when you find out who your friends really are - well, I'll still be here anyway."

On Monday afternoon Draco was speaking to two of the ghosts just outside the Great Hall when a girl rushed up and hugged him, knocking over a suit of armour with a huge crash.

"Draco! Draco Malfoy! Wotcher cousin? - oh, I'm so sorry we couldn't talk to you before, you must have been worried."

"You're my cousin?" Draco looked at her. She was slightly smaller than him, good looking in a rather aristocratic way with short, curly black hair. She hadn't washed her face before hugging him - there were streaks of blood across it and her robes were torn across an obviously injured shoulder. "Who did that?" he started to say, as she shifted the robes slightly to cover up the wound, and then he saw a person standing behind her, a man with a big chunk missing from his nose. He froze. Mad-Eye Moody limped forward, holding his hand out.

The girl who was his cousin tried to pick the suit of armour up while Moody spoke to him, but first the helmet fell off and then it toppled over in the other direction.

"Never mind that," said Draco when the noise had died away. "Filch'll sort it out." He looked warily at Moody. The man seemed friendly enough, but he'd never quite forgotten being turned into a ferret in front of Potter and Weasley.

"C'mon," said Moody, rolling his eye back into his head. He turned round sharply - Draco had thought he was going to jump out of his skin when the suit of armour had been dropped a second time. He was a lot more cautious about things than he'd been when Draco last knew him. Satisfied that there was nothing more dangerous than a couple of students in the entrance hall, he led the way to Dumbledore's office. The girl put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. "Don't do that," said Moody, when he started to breathe again. The gargoyle sprang open. Draco thought at first that the whistle was a new password, but then realised that the noise had simply been to alert Ginny Weasley.

Ginny was sitting behind the desk with books and papers all around her. She looked more tired even than Pansy, but smiled warmly at Draco's cousin, then scowled at Draco.

"Oh, I'm sorry Draco," his cousin said. "Whatever was I thinking of? I'm Nymphadora Tonks - call me Tonks - Andromeda's daughter."

Draco looked blank for a moment. Who is Andromeda? Then he suddenly remembered that he'd seen Nymphadora before. "You were in the house with Potter and Granger. After the phoenix saved them." He turned to look at the phoenix, sleeping with its head tucked under its wing. Tonks looked puzzled, Ginny even more so.

"Are you a metamorphmagus? You had purple hair."

"Yeah." She looked even more puzzled, and Ginny was openly staring. Moody cleared his throat.

"Er, Yeah," said Ginny, glancing at the papers on the desk. "We'd better get down to business." She sounded quite collected. Draco was sure he wouldn't be at all relaxed if he were the one sitting in Dumbledore's chair, ordering adults about. He was looking at Ginny when Luna glided to his side, really startling him. He hadn't seen her sitting in the corner.

"First of all," she said, sifting papers, "I received a note this morning that Lupin was waylaid by Death Eaters in Yorkshire. He dispatched Mundungus to continue with the message, and managed to get away but he will unfortunately be out of the action for the next few days. Oh, and Nott and MacNair are both in St Mungo's Hospital. Apparently they didn't know he was a werewolf.

"I have here a note from Dumbledore. 'Our worst enemy tries with all his might to make us greater. Our trials of misfortune today will be our wisdom and hope tomorrow.'

"From Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville, nothing."

"That's bad," said Moody, breaking the silence. "Very bad." No-one else spoke. Finally Tonks asked, "What about Molly and Arthur?"

"Holding the fort. They'd be on the scene in an instant if we gave the word, but we've got to know more."

"And Malfoy?" asked Moody.

"Lucius? Vanished, what did you..."

"No, no, Draco here."

"I honestly don't know," said Ginny. "Dumbledore left a message to be opened when Fawkes got back. I opened it last night. It is only one sentence, with instructions to read it out to Draco Malfoy, in the next meeting of members of the Order."

She stood up and looked at Draco, who was doing his best to look as though he knew what was going on.

"'Never ask a thing without being able to help all you are able.'"

Moody looked stunned. "Well. There's your challenge, boy."

Relief washed over Draco. He was going to be allowed to help. He was going to do something. Theatrically he stood up, crossed his hands over his heart and bowed.

"When can I go? What do you want me to do?" Somehow he found the fact that he was saying this to Ginny Weasley quite humorous.

"Hang about boy. You'd better know what's going on first." Moody sounded quite amused. "I'd never have thought - being who your parents are you know."

"No. I would never have thought." Ginny Weasley was scowling. She tossed her hair back and sat down again, leaning over to whisper to something beside the desk. Draco heard the gargoyle down below jump aside.

"Kingsley coming up," said Moody, rolling his eye back to look through the door. Kingsley arrived a few seconds later, an overcoat over his arm.

"Ah, Draco Malfoy. I'm sorry we couldn't talk properly before. Have you told him anything yet?" he asked, looking round at the group.

"Not a thing," said Luna. "He's promised to fight the hump-backed philatery, or the spume-feathered mallock if it comes to that, but no-one's told him anything."

Kingsley sat down. "I might as well start. I don't have much news, but I'll come to it in the course of things. In fact, some of you may not know that Draco was with Hermione, Ron and Neville when Voldemort attacked her. He gallantly attempted to save her - which, Hermione being who she is, probably doesn't appreciate."

It was clear from Ginny's stunned face that she hadn't known that. Luna turned her dreamy eyes on Draco as if seeing him for the first time.

"All went as planned. Draco, you may not have realised that as members of the Order of the Phoenix, some wizards can be extremely foolhardy. Especially when they are underaged, very limited in what they can legally do..."

"Not that that makes any difference to them," Moody growled.

"Yes. Anyway, a certain wizard volunteered himself as bait, knowing that if he attracted his fish he would probably not live to tell the tale. Naturally everyone with any sense said no."

"Except Dumbledore," cut in Ginny.

"Albus Dumbledore being very well respected as he is, succeeded in talking everyone round - except Molly Weasley. Molly's vote would have been enough to stop the plan going ahead if the boy hadn't taken matters into his own hands. By the time anyone who might have stopped him realised what was going on, the three of them..." Ginny was blushing, and Draco looked sharply at her, amending that in his mind to, the four of them. "...had a house organised and had tipped off one or two people who they knew would relay the message back to the Dark Lord himself. In the face of such obstinacy, Albus Dumbledore gave them, and Neville Longbottom permission to spend a weekend there with members of the Order cleaning it up and setting such spells as were needed for their protection."

"A move which nearly resulted in the tragic death of the two main players," Moody interrupted.

"Fortunately," Kingsley paused and looked directly at Draco. Draco felt his skin glowing pink as he blushed. "Fortunately such tragedy was averted. Four days ago young Harry was removed to the house to await Voldemort's arrival. The fish snatched at the bait far quicker than we had expected, capturing Hermione down in the village early on Saturday afternoon. She played her part and then returned directly to warn Professor Dumbledore. Although the Order was gathered and in position within forty minutes of Voldemort disapparating from Hogsmeade, we suspect that he may have spent some time alone with Harry Potter before the other children arrived."

Here Kingsley paused, swallowing hard. "They'll be okay," said Tonks reassuringly. "They can all handle themselves." Ginny looked furious - annoyed at not being there with them, Draco suspected. He couldn't believe it himself. He didn't think much of Dumbledore, but he hadn't thought he was so silly as to send three 16 yr old wizards and a witch - Neville Longbottom being one of them - to face up to Voldemort on their own. What are all these other people doing? Where are Snape and McGonagall? It's no wonder they need my help.

How can I possibly be of help? His own parents were too scared to face up to Voldemort, and they were his supposed followers.

"That's about it," said Kingsley. "I've been to the observation point. In two days I've seen nothing, and Severus and Minerva have not seen any action either. Albus Dumbledore entered the house yesterday and found it completely empty. Minerva is beside herself with worry. So far there has been no word from any of the four. Interestingly, Voldemort seems to have vanished also. He is not in any of his usual lairs and his closest followers appear quite unaware of his whereabouts."

Ginny put her head on the table. Moody, Tonks and Kingsley were talking so fast that Draco couldn't hope to understand what they were on about. In a few minutes they had apparently decided their course of action. Moody beckoned Draco to join him. Draco hesitated just a second, remembering the ferret, then stuck his chest out and carried his head high. If anyone's going to hurt you today, he realised, it'll be Voldemort, not Mad-Eye Moody.

"I'm sorry Ginny and Luna," said Kingsley. "You'll have to hold the fort. As soon as Lupin's better we'll send him to relieve you - bit unfortunate his being caught just before the full moon like that." Ginny had her head up now, smiling bravely. She looked exhausted.

* * * * *

Draco could just make out the shape of a tree and the outline of the marker. He reached up to touch it, feeling a triangle shape. Still on the path then. He was reluctant to get his wand out in the gathering dark, knowing that the faint light would spoil his night vision. He walked on, seeing black lines against the deep blue sky, vague grey shapes where the undergrowth was thick at the side of the path. It was no longer possible to see the path, or the tree roots that crossed it. He took shorter steps, placing each foot carefully in the knowledge that if he tried to stand lengthways on a root his foot would slide.

It was almost pitch black when Draco stepped over a tree root and hit the ground hard with his right foot - he'd stepped over an eight-inch drop. Within a few steps he did it again. Stopping, he unstrapped his wand and held it up. Lumos. It glimmered faintly and then faded. He tried again, to no effect. Draco walked on. The brief flash of light had shown him that the path was straight and level for the next few metres.

Ten minutes later it was impossible to see more than occasional patches of sky. Draco had no idea how long it was going to take to walk out. Unaccountably, his wand was behaving like a piece of wood.

You're still on the path. Listen to your feet. He shortened his steps, placing each foot carefully. You'll trip over the undergrowth - or hear leaf litter rustle if you leave the path. The path was firm, free of debris. Occasionally Draco walked through a soft part, where the mud stood up in ridges and squelched underfoot. He welcomed these patches, knowing that the mud had been formed by hundreds of Muggle tramping boots over the previous weeks and months. They meant that he was still on the track.

This is easy. My feet are self-guiding - or something is guiding them. Each time Draco nearly stood lengthwise on a root he felt it and moved his foot a couple of inches onto firm ground. The path twisted and turned and he followed it. The spirits of the forest are helping. Or maybe I'm super-intuitive. He couldn't understand how he followed the bends of the path; he just knew that he did.

Strapping his wand back in place, Draco walked on. At one stage he nearly stumbled into a tangle of brush. He stopped; backtracked till he was sure he was on the path, then turned and walked forward again. Again he turned towards the brush, touching it with his fingertips. I did take the right turn, I was just a little close to the edge of the path. Twice more in the next minutes he backtracked, the first time because of some dry leaves lying on the path, the second because some small branches had fallen across it. Each time he discovered he hadn't gone wrong at all.

The bush was a dark brooding presence, but not an unpleasant one. Despite the frost that morning, the air was still warm. Draco walked with his arms outstretched. The trees had become further spaced, taller. Neither undergrowth nor leaf litter was there to guide him now and for five minutes there had been no sign to indicate that he was still on the path - apart from the fact that the ground was still firm and he hadn't walked into a tree yet. If I know for sure that I've come off the path I'll have to stop and wait till morning. There's no way I'd find it again without wand light. The hunger that had plagued him most of the day had ceased, replaced by a heightened awareness and a deep sense of calm.

I'm still on the path. I'd surely have walked into a tree by now if I wasn't. Draco's right arm thumped soundly into a flat board. What's that? It's not a tree. He stopped and felt it. It was the marker for the beginning of the track. Cautiously he eased forward, feeling the ground disappear under his right toe. He lowered himself down that step, and then the next. If I hadn't hit that board I'd have walked straight over these steps without realising. Draco inched forward. The path to the car park should be a right turn, but he was still in deep bush. In places the new path consisted of wood planks raised several feet off the ground - not the sort of thing he wanted to fall off.

A few paces further on he saw clear starry sky ahead. He slid down a muddy bank onto short open grass and stopped, finding himself right next to the road he had driven on that morning. Before turning towards the car park, Draco directed his thoughts back to the bush. Acknowledging the spirits, he remembered the peace and beauty of the bush clad slopes, and thanked the earth and air powers for guiding him out. He'd been walking for an hour in darkness.

*

"Draco! We were so worried. Where were you?"

Narcissa Malfoy hugged Draco so tight he couldn't breathe. The warm calm he'd felt in the wood was still with him, and he smiled a very un-Draco-like smile.

"I'm fine Mother. I just went for a walk."

"You must be hungry. We saved some dinner for you," said Dylan's mother as soon as they went inside. Draco sat by the fire and ate one of the nicest meals he'd ever tasted - chicken and lentil casserole with leek, celery, parsnip and broccoli, followed by a newly made fruit salad (kiwifruit, sweet orange, apple, grape, persimmon and banana) with fresh unpasteurised cream.

* * * * *