Harry Potter and the Emerald Dragon

Harry Potter and the Emerald Dragon

Chapter 16 - Run

Draco ran blindly through the black smoke, holding the cuff of his robes up over his mouth in an attempt to filter the air he was breathing. It didn't really help. Every once in a while, someone would run by him, jostling his shoulder as they bumped past. He was crazy to have voluntarily entered this war zone.

He was about to turn back, deciding he had made a valiant effort as it was and that sticking around to save someone he wholeheartedly detested would be the stupidest thing he'd ever done, when the smoke suddenly began to clear, and he could make out figures that loomed in the hallway. Still holding his cuff to his mouth, he looked around, searching.

"Where is she!?"

Draco nearly fell to the ground, as someone had leapt out of the thin mist and grabbed him by the front of his robes. They then threw him back against the wall, coming at him in a fiery, coughing, rage. But this time Draco was ready. He dodged out of their grasp and used their own momentum to throw them against the wall. And then, he pinned them, bringing his face very close to his attacker's.

"Where do you get off attacking me when the only reason I'm in this bloody fire hole is to save your arse," he barked. Potter looked angrier then Draco had ever seen him.

"Where did you take her body?" Potter demanded, bringing his arms up and pushing Draco away from him. Draco stumbled backwards, and when he caught his balance and looked back up at Potter, he found himself looking down the shaft of a wand.

"She's fine," Draco said, using his hand to push the wand to the side. "Or, rather, as fine as she can be considering..." But Draco stopped talking. He doesn't know she's alive, he realized, staring at the boy opposite him, who no longer looked angry. Draco thought that he much preferred an angry Harry to the one that was now standing opposite him. He could handle anger, but this...this sadness...Draco couldn't deal with. He reached forward and grabbed the other boy's robes. "Come on, we've got to get out of here."

* * * *

Emily sat with her back against the wall, consciously controlling her breathing. It was becoming easier now that she had figured out how to control the pain.

At first, it had been excruciating. The feeling of the silver as it sliced through her flesh was unlike anything she could begin to describe. And wrenching it back out again was even worse. Not only was the pain equally present, but as soon as the sword was removed, she could feel her lungs begin to fill with blood. She felt as though she were breathing underwater, and the world around her began to fade as dots of black threatened to overtake her vision. She'd somehow managed enough strength to say something to Harry. But now, sitting up against the wall in the room where Draco had left her, she couldn't remember what it had been. And then, the cold had set in. She felt as though someone had thrown her body into a frigid ice bath. The dots in front of her were no longer black, but began to swirl into many, many colors.

She was falling. Not to the ground, as her physical body had done, but through something entirely in her mind. She'd thought for sure that she was dying - and that she had just made the biggest mistake of her life. She hadn't meant to kill herself; she'd simply meant to make it look like she had. After all - the nurse back at Hogwarts had said, as if foreseeing her situation, that she could stab a sword through her heart and live to tell the tale. But what if she had been wrong? What if this sea of color was her death... and she was dying?

And then, quite suddenly, the color stopped, and all she saw was black. She was still cold, but something beneath her was even colder. She was on a stone floor. And she'd heard voices; loud, angry voices. And people were hurrying about around her. She hesitantly opened one of her eyes and instantly spotted Draco, standing only a few feet away from her, staring off into space. And then she knew. She was still alive, but she had to get out of there before anyone else realized it.

And now? Now she was propped up against the wall of an empty room. Her entire body was weak, but she was regaining strength with every passing moment. The room was no longer swimming around her, and her eyes were able to focus on the objects that furnished it. She could move her head, and her arms, and her legs if she really tried.

More deep, controlled breaths.

The minutes seemed to pass like hours. Her thoughts kept drifting off to Harry, and even Draco, and wondering if they were all right. Her fingers and toes no longer felt numb, and the cold was slowly slipping away. Groaning, she pushed back against the wall and used it as a support, lifting herself up off the floor. Her legs were weak, but they held her. She realized she was no longer thinking about breathing, and that her lungs no longer felt as though they were under pressure. She looked down at herself and saw all the blood. Her entire shirt was covered in it, as well as a good portion of her pants as well. But the sight of it didn't frighten her; it didn't make her gasp in horror.

Instead, it made her smile.

It had worked. She reached up and pulled out the collar of her shirt so that she could look at the spot where she'd stabbed herself. Using her hand, she wiped away the blood from her skin and found herself unmarked, save a paper thin, pink line about two inches long. She wondered if it would remain as a scar, hoping it would.

She took several steps forward, testing her legs to make sure they would hold her. She felt fine. She jumped twice. She felt fine. She reached up her hand, and pointed it at one of two large vases that sat next to the windows, picturing in her mind that it would crumble into a hundred pieces. It did. She then flicked her palm to the side, and it was instantly repaired.

"Impressive."

Emily froze.

"Especially for a dead person," the voice came again, louder and closer this time. She whipped her head around. Standing behind the closed door was her father, looking as though an entire building had just collapsed on him. He was covered in grime, from head to toe. And he was furious. She hadn't heard him come in, and the sight of him instantly threw her into aggressive mode.

She reached out her hand, every inch of her intending to send her father flying back against the wall, hopefully causing some sort of irreversible damage to his stubby little body.

"I hate you!" she screamed, aware that it wasn't a very rational comment. Her father paused, as if the words had some sort of effect on him. But then, he laughed.

"Very original," he said, taking more steps into the room. She raised her hands in a more threatening manner. He simply cackled again.

"I'm serious, don't come any closer!"

"You wouldn't hurt me," he said, ignoring her and grabbing her by the arm. "What did you hope to gain by your little performance back there, eh?" he questioned. She stiffened and leaned away, turning her head so as not to look at him. "Answer me!"

"Get off," she cried, shrugging out of his grip. She took a few steps now that she was free, and rubbed her arm.

"Come on, we're leaving," he barked. She stood her ground. "I said--"

"I heard you," she retorted, spitting the words out, allowing her hatred to surface. He stepped forward to grab her again, but she twisted away. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Your blatant lack of judgment back there can be forgotten, it happens to the best of us. The Dark Lord is forgiving; you will regain his trust with time." She blinked, unsure as to how to respond. He didn't understand. How stupid can he be?

"Lack of judgment?" she scoffed. "Lack of judgment?" she repeated, the idea of it sounding more and more ridiculous. "That was the one true moment of clear thought I've had in a long time!" Her father shook his head and reached for her again, but as before, she twisted away. "Don't touch me!"

"Emily, the Dark Lord is waiting." They both stared at each other, glaring, until finally Emily couldn't take it anymore.

"You're so pathetic," she said. "I'm surprised Voldie has kept you around for as long as he has." Her father flinched at her whimsical reference to his master. She leaned in, looking at him dead in the eye. "So. Pathetic," she repeated, ennunciating every symbol and allowing the end to roll out of her mouth with a loud snap. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her. He was her father, but as far as she was concerned, he held no control over her. He was a lowlife, scared, little wizard who had sacrificed her to his master, and she would never, ever forgive him for that.

"That's enough," he responded.

"Oh, I was done," she quipped in return. This only served to enrage him more, and he stupidly reached forward and tried to grab her again. But this time, she didn't move out of his way. Instead, she raised her hand, palm forward, and sent him crashing back into the wall behind him.

"I said not to touch me," she growled.

* * * * *

Ron, Hermione and Ginny ran down a narrow hallway, which dead-ended into a large, open room with windows all around it. The three of them raced in - spreading out and each running to a different window.

"Do you see Lupin?" Hermione yelled, leaning herself out of the open window. All she saw was a sea of green treetops that seemed to go on forever. The sky was bright, but it was still dark outside.

"There! Come look!" Ginny yelled. Hermione quickly pulled herself back inside and ran over to Ginny. "Down there, by the large tree." Sure enough, Hermione instantly spotted their old professor, pacing back and forth in front of the tree almost exactly where they'd left him several hours earlier. Every once in a while, he would look up at the castle, but never in their direction.

Hermione stepped away from the window, leaning up against the wall, her head in her hands, trying to think. They were a good seven stories above the ground, and she knew that it would only be a matter of time before the Death Eaters they'd managed to outrun would catch up to them.

"Um...you guys?" Ron's shaky voice suddenly brought Hermione back to the room they were in. "You should come see this." Both Ginny and Hermione ran over to him, and the sight they saw caused them both to gasp. There was smoke billowing out over the castle.

Hermione quickly ran from Ron's window and back over to the one where Ginny had been. She removed her wand and leaned out - pointing it at her throat.

"Sonorus!" she commanded. She swallowed hard. "Lupin!" she cried, but soon found she needn't have yelled. Her voice burst from her throat, making both Ron and Ginny leap back with surprise. Their former professor quickly looked up, but she could tell that he could not see them. She waved her arms, but still, he just kept scanning the castle. "Here," she spoke, regulating her voice so it wouldn't explode like the first time. He still didn't get a look of recognition. Hermione turned to Ron and Ginny, about to speak, but then quickly pointed her wand at her throat before proceeding, mumbling Quietus under her breath. "He doesn't see us. He can hear me, but can't see me."

"Send out red sparks," Ron suggested. To this, Hermione shook her head.

"He said to send them if we needed help." She could see Ron's eyes open wide, and could almost hear his thoughts, which were most certainly along the lines of We DO need help!

"Hermione, the castle is on fire!" he bellowed, looking incredulous. "Unless you learned how to fly in one of your prefects meetings, I'd suggest you--" He cut himself off, as Ginny had pushed past him, pointing her wand out the window. Hermione watched closely as Ginny mumbled something under her breath, and water suddenly came shooting out of her wand. "Brilliant!" Ron cried, leaning out of the window. Hermione stood her ground for a second, wondering why she hadn't thought of that. It was a much better alternative to her screaming her head off, which had most likely clued several Death Eaters into their location in the processes. Ginny is definitely underappreciated in the brains department, Hermione thought to herself.

Within moments, they had Professor Lupin's attention. As soon as he saw them, he scrambled over to the tree, and emerged a few moments later. He had something small in his hands, and Hermione quickly realized that it was the owl they'd brought to communicate with Dumbledore.

The owl soured up and zoomed through the window, hooting and flapping about. Ron and Ginny instantly set to work trying to catch the excited owl, and when they did, they brought the parchment over to Hermione. She unrolled the scroll, finding only two words scribbled onto it.

What's happening?

She noticed that he had sent a quill up with it, and so she grabbed it and leaned up against the windowsill, scrawling as fast as she could.

We were caught trying to rescue Harry and Ginny, but then there was a fight, and we got away. Death Eaters are searching for us, trying to get out of castle. What is the smoke from? Is the castle on fire?

"Anything to add?" she asked, looking up at Ron and Ginny, both of which were looking over her shoulder. They all shook their heads. But then, just before Hermione started to roll up the parchment, Ginny grabbed her arm.

"Maybe you should tell him about Emily," she said in a quiet voice. Hermione swallowed. In the rush to escape, she's pushed it to the back of her mind. Hastily, she unrolled the parchment and added a postscript.

P.S. Emily killed herself.

As soon as she wrote it, she instantly scratched it out.

P.S. Emily didn't make it, she's dead.

Hermione was about to scribble that out as well, when Ron grabbed the parchment and quickly attached it to the owl. "We don't have time to make it perfect," he muttered, sending the owl on its way down to their old professor. The three of them watched as he retrieved and read their note, scribbled down his response, and sent the owl back.

Get out of the castle as soon as possible.

Hermione sighed, feeling as though he'd just stated the obvious. She didn't even bother to respond back, she simply sent the owl unburdened. They were watching the owl fly back down when the three of them suddenly swirled around. There were voices approaching.

"They're close," Ginny whispered, looking around. Hermione did the same, quickly realizing that the only exit was the one they'd come in through. Ron pulled his wand out, holding it before him.

"What do we do?" he asked. Hermione realized he was looking right at her as he asked the question. She was about to shake her head, admitting that she hadn't a clue what they should do, when a thought suddenly popped into her head. Hastily, she reached around and threw the rucksack she'd packed onto the floor, quickly bending down and untying it before rummaging through it. After a few moments, she pulled out what she was looking for.

"We can hide under this," she said, unfolding Harry's invisibility cloak. She thanked Merlin that she had remembered to grab it at the last minute. "Hurry, into the corner." They didn't have to be told twice. Hermione grabbed her bag, threw it over her shoulder again, and within seconds, the three of them were huddled under the cloak, listening as their pursuers approached.

* * * * * * *

Harry ran through the hallway, Draco gripping his arm and steering the way. His mind wasn't working properly, images of the past hour flashing before him. He wondered if Sirius was ok. And, what had happened to Ron, Hermione and Ginny. But then, his mind became stuck on the image of Emily lying lifelessly on the floor. He wasn't sure why he was voluntarily allowing Draco to lead him, but he didn't have any other choice when he thought about it. He didn't know the layout of the castle, and he had to get away from the smoke.

After turning a corner, Draco ran to a door and tried to push it open, but nothing happened. He pushed harder, throwing his shoulder into it and rattling the polished silver door handle. Still, nothing happened. Harry stood back, watching Draco, as he got more and more irritated that the door wouldn't budge. Finally, Draco removed his wand, pointed it at the door and...

"Alohomora!"

This time, the door flew open, and Draco quickly ran inside. Harry hesitated, his mind suddenly realizing what was happening. He was following Draco - the one person at Hogwarts who would go out of their way to make Harry's life a living hell. Not only was he the son of a renowned Death Eater, but he was Emily's watcher. This was a trap - Draco was going to set him up.

But then he heard Draco speaking to someone inside, and the voice that responded made Harry's heart stop dead in his chest. He couldn't move at all. He just stood there, listening.

"Are you all right?" That was Draco.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Did you find him?" That was....

"What happened?" Draco again. "What's he doing here?"

"He must have stumbled in here after the explosion. He saw me and....Did you find Harry?"

"He's right..." Draco's voice died out. "Bloody hell, he was right behind me a second ago." There was movement, and within moments, Draco was standing in the doorway, peering at Harry. "What are you doing out here?" he asked. Harry continued to stand where he was, not bothering to focus his eyes on Draco. "Well?" he prompted, shoving at Harry's shoulder.

"I--" Harry began, shaking his head and rubbing the spot where Draco had shoved him, more for something to do than because of actual pain. "I thought I heard..." He shook his head again. "I must be hearing things."

"Just get in the bloody room already." Harry didn't move. In response, Draco reached forward and took hold of his robes, pulling him into the room and slamming the door behind him.

Harry stumbled to a halt a few feet through the doorjamb - and then blinked at the sight before him. Blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then blinked again. He couldn't possibly be seeing what he was seeing. It was some evil trick that Draco and the Death Eaters were playing on him. Some horrible, evil, underhanded...

"Harry?" she hazarded, looking at him with concern. He flinched at the sound of her voice. She looked so real, so alive.

He took a few weary steps forward, subconsciously ready to draw his wand should the situation become dangerous. As he approached, he stopped a few inches before her - he could see her eyes searching him, darting back and forth and watching every movement he made. Every inch of him wanted to believe that it was her - that his Emily was standing before him. But it couldn't be.

He reached up his hand and brought it to her face, trailing his fingers down her cheek and around to her chin. As she always did, she leaned into him, closing her eyes at his touch. I'm dreaming, he thought to himself, unable to tear his gaze from her. That, or I'm hallucinating.

You're neither.

Harry blinked several times again, quickly withdrawing his fingers from her face.

"How?" his voice seeped out, more a breath then actual speech. "I thought you were...that you had....I saw you...."

Suddenly, Draco was at his side.

"Yes, she's alive," he drawled. "Yes, I see her too. Yes, she's really standing right there. No, I don't understand it either." Harry tore his gaze away from hers and focused on Draco. "Now that we're all up to speed, can we figure out a way to get out of here?" Every bone in Harry's body wanted to tell Draco to sod off and leave him alone with her. But then he realized that this was hardly the time, and that they were still in danger. Instead, Harry settled for a quick glare, before turning his attention back to Emily.

"Are you alright?" he asked, still in shock that she was alive. He realized what a strange question that was, asking a person who was all of dead only half an hour ago if she was okay. He shook his head though, realizing that there were a lot of strange things about Emily. "Are you weak or anything?"

"I'm fine," she responded. She then turned her head, and when Harry followed her gaze, he saw her father's limp body. "When he wakes, he's going to run off and tell the Death Eaters I'm still alive."

"They will figure out that you're alive sooner or later anyway," Draco reasoned, heading for the door. He opened it just enough to stick his head out and into the hallway. After scanning both directions, he leaned back inside. "It's clear. Let's go."

Emily started to take a few steps forward, but Harry caught onto her wrist, holding her back. "Are you sure we can trust him?" Harry asked, eyeing Draco suspiciously.

"Positive," she answered.

"How do you know?"

I can read minds, remember? He's not like his father, and I think he's finally realized it. Harry continued to stare at Draco, allowing Emily's words to echo through his brain. Harry, trust me. He'd never do anything to hurt me. This quickly snapped Harry's head around and back to Emily. His hatred towards Draco had managed to rise a few more notches.

"We should bring your father with us," Harry said, glancing over at the portly wizard again. "We can bind and levitate him."

"Won't he hold us back? We won't be able to hide as easily if a body's floating with us." Harry thought about this for a moment, realizing she was right.

"If it's too difficult, we'll leave him wherever we are. Maybe he'll trip up any pursuers." This seemed to satisfy Emily, and they both walked over to the body. Harry quickly bound him with ropes using his wand, and then Emily used her hand to levitate him and walk him towards the door.

Draco was still keeping watch on the hallway, and when he saw them approaching with Wormtail's levitated body, he looked at them as though they were mad. He opened his mouth, most likely to berate them, but Emily beat him to it.

"Don't," she said.

"But--"

"Draco, don't." She stared at him, and Harry saw Draco relax and give in. He stuck his head out into the hallway again, and then slipped through the door. Emily followed, steering her fathers body, and Harry took up the rear.

* * * * *

Oliver hurried up a narrow hallway, directly behind two of his fellow comrades. He held his wand out before him, ready to act.

The hallway opened up into a brightly lit room, and the three of them quickly entered it.

"Bloody hell, we've lost them," Roger exclaimed, reaching up and pulling off his hood. Roger was a young wizard from Durmstrang that the Dark Lord was actively recruiting. Like Oliver, he hadn't yet been initiated, and losing a bunch of students wasn't going to expedite the process.

William, a recent Durmstrang graduate in the same situation as Roger and Oliver, removed his hood as well. "They had to have come in here, I heard them yelling."

"Yelling what?" Roger asked, looking rather frustrated. "Why the hell would they be yelling?" He ran his hand through his hair. "I certainly don't go around yelling when I'm being chased. You're hearing things."

"I know what I heard," William responded, agitated. "They were here."

"What, are you a bleeding echo locator? How the hell could you know they were here? They're probably on the other side of the fucking castle right now, skipping merrily because they managed to loose us."

"Sod off," William responded. "You're the one that couldn't keep up with the little brats."

"I didn't see you sprinting ahead, nipping at their feet, either!" At this, William lunged forward, moving to grab Roger. But, Oliver was quick, and was between them in seconds.

"We're fucked. All of us. It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Oliver said. "Now stop whining about it."

"We're going to have to go to the meeting place soon," Roger answered, absently stroking his forearm. He didn't have the Dark Mark yet, but the reminder of what would happen if he did was most likely spinning through his mind. "And when we show up empty handed..." his voice trailed off, and Oliver knew all too well what was in store for them should that be the case. Cruciatus, if they were lucky.

"We'll find them," Oliver responded. "You two, go back in the other direction and see if you can find them. Split up when you reach the main hallway - three of us looking in different locations will have better odds of stumbling across them. Don't backtrack - it'll only waste time." Roger and William both nodded, pulling their hoods back up over their heads and starting to flee the room. Oliver took a deep breath, and suddenly, he realized something. "Wait!" he called, stopping his comrades in their tracks. They turned around, looking at Oliver, puzzled.

"Shut the door," Oliver instructed, turning in place. The two wizards didn't move. "I said shut the bloody door!"

"Oliver, are you mad?" Roger answered, still not moving. "We have to find--"

"They're here," Oliver responded, spinning again. "Shut the door so they don't get out!" Roger and William looked at each other, but then William stepped to the door and shut it.

Oliver took another deep breath. "I know you're in here. You can come out now." After several moments, he cleared his throat. "Perhaps you didn't hear me," he added. "You can--"

"I heard you," came an irritated voice. He then heard some muffled whispers before Ginny suddenly appeared over near the door. She was holding her wand, poised directly at him. There was some more muffled movement, and the rest of the invisibility cloak slipped to the floor, revealing Ron and Hermione.

"How'd you know we were here?" Hermione asked. Oliver nodded his head toward Ginny.

"I could smell my cologne," he said. At his remark, Ginny flinched, grabbing at the robes she wore. He noticed that she was looking much healthier, the cuts and bruises from the night before had healed up completely and she was....

* SMACK *

Oliver crashed to the ground, sliding backwards from the force of the blow. He looked up, stunned, to find Ron standing over him. But he wasn't there for long. In a heartbeat, he was gone, running from the room, Hermione and Ginny ahead of him with Roger and William close behind. Oliver pushed past his dizziness and followed suit, running after them, catching up to Roger and William quickly.

But they were fast. Especially Ginny and Hermione. Ron, he supposed, moved so swiftly because of his long legs - but Ginny and Hermione just ran fast because they could run. Sure on their feet, quick paced strides, easy breathing. He was panting, a stitch starting to take hold in his side. Roger and William were looking like they were tiring as well. He didn't understand how they could possibly be moving so fast, so easily. He just had to push harder, faster.

But as he ran, he started to realize that he didn't want to push harder, faster. His feet were slowing, and the motivation was nearly spent. He really didn't care if he retrieved the threesome ahead of them. In fact, if he admitted it to himself, he'd realize that he didn't want to retrieve them at all. He wanted them to get away; to make it safely back to Hogwarts. This entire situation was more then he'd bargained for.

Those who go against the Dark Lord don't have time to think about their stupidity. They're dead before sunrise the following morning.

Oliver pushed his feet faster. There was nothing he could do at this point. Wishing he hadn't allowed himself to be tempted; wishing he'd never taken this assignment; wishing he'd never gotten close to Virginia Weasley.... That was all for shit. He wasn't a child any longer, and he had to stick to his decisions, his path in life. He was going to be a death eater, and that was that.

They all turned a corner, the threesome about five yards ahead of them. At the end of that passageway - Hermione quickly ducked left, Ron behind her, closely followed by Ginny. Oliver kept his pace, darting along the same path, not thinking about where he was going, his mind made up. He was going to get these kids, bring them to his master, and receive the acknowledgement that he deserved.

They came to a large, open stairwell, very similar to the main staircases at Hogwarts. It was a magnificent structure with staircases lining all sides, going in all directions, moving from one story to another. It looked almost like what Oliver imagined a Muggle machine would look like, with a thousand moving parts.

As he entered the large, cavernous, space, he came to a halt, immediately spotting his targets as they started to run quickly down a staircase that spanned the entire space, leading to the floor below them, the east wing. Oliver started to follow, until he heard the familiar clicks, signaling a change in stair configuration. He paused, holding Roger and William back.

The three students paused as well, gripping the sides of the staircase for balance as it started to shift. They were almost on the other side. It was Ron who realized this first, suddenly pushing forward and leaping the short distance to the east wing. Hermione followed suit, having to jump a little farther. However, by the time it was Ginny's turn, the distance was a good three feet, and quickly growing as the staircase shifted.

"Jump!" Ron called, holding out his arms to her. "Hurry, jump!" Oliver watched as she readied herself, crouching low, swinging her arms back. But, just as she was about to push off, the staircase jerked, throwing her off balance completely. She wobbled, throwing her arms out at her sides to catch her balance. But it was of little use. The staircase suddenly jerked again, swiftly swinging around, and sending Ginny toppling off the ledge.

* * * * *

Ron watched in horror as Ginny gripped the side of the moving staircase, her legs kicking below her. She'd somehow managed to twist around as she fell, grabbing hold of the edge of the ledge with her fingertips. He wanted to do something, anything. He looked down at his wand - but then realized that his skills at levitation weren't all that trustworthy. It was something you learned to master in your last year at school, and besides simple pillows, he didn't even know how to go about levitating something as heavy as an entire person. He glanced over at Hermione, thinking that maybe she had read about it and would feel up to the task. As if reading his mind, she shook her head frantically. The staircase had stopped moving now, and Ginny's cries had died down. She was simply whimpering, her eyes clamped shut as she held on for dear life. Ron never felt so helpless in his entire existence.

"I'm slipping!" Ginny cried out suddenly, her strangled voice ringing through the entire corridor. Ron could see that she was clawing at the ledge, trying to get a better hold, but her fingertips just kept slipping farther and farther down.

"Hold still, Ginny!" Ron called. She didn't listen. She just kept wriggling. And then...

She fell.

Hermione grabbed him, making him look away. Ginny's screaming hit a pitch that, effectively, made his entire body shut down. His sister. His little sister....

And then, the screaming stopped. Well, sort of. It didn't stop as much as become less frantic. She was whimpering again, muffled cries emanating from the deep stair shaft. Ron slid Hermione away, and leaned down, looking over the ledge, preparing himself mentally for what he'd see. But the sight that met his eyes wasn't nearly as gruesome as he'd expected. About ten feet below them, Ginny was floating. Just.... floating. Ron couldn't understand it. How could she possibly be...

"What do you think you're doing!" came an enraged voice from the other side of the corridor. Ron snapped his head up, and saw the strangest sight. Standing over the drop, wand trained downwards, in deep concentration, was Oliver - his two sidekicks looking furious. "Oliver, what the hell--"

"Shut up!" Oliver snapped. His voice then softened. "Gin, don't move. Hold as still as you can." Ron, dumbfounded at this turn of events, glanced down at Ginny again, who was floating, trying to keep herself stiff as a board, below. Her body then began to levitate upwards, very slowly. When Ron looked back up at Oliver, he saw that he was muttering stuff under his breath, his full concentration on Ginny's upward moving body. Before long, Ginny was at a level parallel with the staircase, and was moving towards where Ron and Hermione stood. She had her eyes closed. "Ok, Ron, don't grab onto her until she's on the platform," Oliver instructed. Ron instinctively nodded, not about to question him. Within moments, Ginny's legs were firmly on the ground, and she collapsed into his arms.

A loud clanking noise signaled the moving of the staircase again. "Go!" Oliver yelled. Ron continued to grip Ginny, but didn't turn to leave. Is Oliver on our side now? "Go, now!" Hermione was the one who took hold of Ginny, and then steered Ron around. Before he knew it, they were hurrying away, and Ron wasn't able to think about the significance of what had just happened.

* * * * *

Lupin sat with his back against the large tree, waiting. He hated this. He needed to know what was happening, and other then the brief correspondence with Hermione, he felt as though he were uselessly wasting time. Every inch of him wanted to run into the castle and help with the rescue, but he knew his place was out here.

He idly picked up a stick and used it to draw on the ash-like dirt. Before he knew it, he had started tracing symbols he remembered learning in his Ancient Runes class back at Hogwarts. He found that he often did this when he was anxious, the fluid symbols calming him somewhat. The class itself had been a complete waste of his time, in his opinion. He had yet to use any of the knowledge he'd gained, and very seriously doubted he ever would.

As he used the stick to scratch out several runes he had created, he heard footsteps approaching. His entire body froze, and he cursed himself for becoming so distracted. He should have been aware of their presence before now, seeing as that they were currently quite close to him. He had little choice in his present situation; there was only one plan of action.

Swiftly, Lupin leapt to his feet, grabbing his wand from out of its holster as he did so.

"On edge, are we?" Lupin relaxed immediately, it was just Sirius.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me like that," he responded, putting his wand back in his holster. As he returned his gaze back to his friend, he noticed he was uneasily looking around. "They're not out yet," Lupin said, knowing what he was looking for. He then realized that Sirius, too, was alone. "He's not with you?" He didn't feel he had to say his name, it would be clear to Sirius who he was talking about.

"We got separated," Sirius answered sadly. "Only way." Lupin nodded, knowing that Sirius would never have voluntarily left Harry's side. James couldn't have chosen a better godfather for his son. "Have you heard from any of them?"

"About half hour ago," Lupin answered. "They were still in the castle, mid-level." Lupin could see the question forming on Sirius' lip before he spoke it.

"Was Harry with them?" he asked. Lupin shook his head, not meeting Sirius' eyes.

"I don't know. Hermione was definitely there, and I caught a glimpse of Weasley hair, but don't know who. They're on their way out." And then, Lupin remembered the post-script. "What happened to Emily?" he asked. After Sirius had informed him that Peter's Emily was at the school, and of her powers and what it all meant - Lupin had been instantly saddened. Out of all the friends, he and Emily's mother were the closest, and he had taken care of Emily quite frequently when she was a young child. Even after all these years, hearing that she was dead had hit him hard.

As soon as Lupin had asked the question, he noticed a marked change in Sirius' demeanor. The look in his eye was one Lupin hadn't seen in years: one of deep sorrow. It was the same look he had when he first learned of Lily and James' deaths.

"She sacrificed herself for Harry," Sirius said softly. Lupin was instantly taken aback. He waited a few moments before Sirius continued. "It was the hardest thing I've ever watched someone do." Sirius bristled before pushing on. "At first I thought she was going to kill him. She was standing right before Harry, with the sword raised and I panicked. I thought for sure she was going to do it," Sirius leaned up against the tree, looking quite weak. It was then that Lupin fully noticed how ragged Sirius looked, as though he'd been through a great ordeal. "And then she stabbed herself. No hesitation whatsoever. She just, did it."

"I can't believe it," was all that Lupin could say. What else was there to say? A sisteen-year-old girl had made the ultimate sacrifice to save someone else's life. Lupin was quite sure that there were very few examples of such behavior.

"Neither could I," Sirius answered. "And Harry was right in front of her; saw the whole thing from only a meter away." Sirius shook his head. "He cracked after that, threw off two Death Eaters and ran over to her. Then he turned on Voldemort--"

"He what?" Lupin urgently interrupted. Had it happened, had Harry finally realized his prophecy?

"Moony, you could almost see the anger radiating off of him. He turned and fired an Avada Kedavra at him." Lupin could feel his eyes open wide. "It was a little confusing from there, because Voldemort shot it back at him in defense. I didn't see exactly what happened, but when all the green light was spent, Harry was on his feet yelling 'where'd he go?' and Voldemort was gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone," Sirius repeated. "And then, all the other Death Eaters attacked. I told Harry to go, and then--"

"You got separated," Lupin finished. Sirius nodded.

"If anything happens to him--"

"Sirius, you've done everything you can. I'm sure he's with the rest of them, and that they'll be out here in no time." Lupin tried to sound upbeat, even though his thoughts were as turbid as Sirius's. "We'll just have to wait."

"I hope so," Sirius responded, leaning up against the tree and sliding down it. "I really hope so."

* * * *

Draco walked swiftly ahead of Emily, Harry, and the levitated body of Peter Pettigrew. He didn't know why, but he was in a foul mood. Extremely foul. He glanced over his shoulder at the couple behind him. Emily was concentrating on the task at hand, being sure to steer her father expertly through the halls. Potter was staring at Emily, seemingly in his own dream world. Great, Draco thought to himself. Just brilliant. Leave it to Potter to be all caught up in his emotions at a time like this. He rolled his eyes, and turned his attention back to scouting out the hallways up ahead. He wasn't going to allow his mind to wander; he had a job to do.

He heard movement up ahead, and used his hand to signal Emily and Harry to stop walking.

What is it?

Draco jumped, not expecting to hear her voice in his head. He swung around towards her. "Don't do that," he snapped.

You'll get used to it. Now, what is it?

"I don't know," he whispered. "I heard something. Stay here."

Hesitantly, he resumed his walking, trying to make himself look like he had a purpose in his strolling through the halls. If he came across another Death Eater, he was technically allowed to be here. He'd been invited. He could play it cool and not arouse any suspicion. As he walked past the passage, he casually looked up it, and his shoulders instantly fell when he saw who was walking swiftly towards him.

"Son!" Lucius barked, quickening his steps. Draco stopped, turning slowly towards his father. "Where have you been?"

"I was disoriented from the smoke, father," Draco lied.

"Come this way; we're late as it is." Draco felt his heart start to quicken.

"Late for what?"

"You dare question me?" his father barked. Draco knew he shouldn't have; it was against everything he was taught when he was younger. Never, ever question your father unless you wanted a severe beating. "Hurry along, I don't have time for your insolence."

Draco faltered, unsure as to what to do. Emily, can you hear me?

What, so NOW you don't mind talking telepathically?

This is NOT the time to get pissy, Em, he shot back mentally. My father's got me cornered.

"Draco, what's wrong with you?" his father questioned. "You're acting strangely." Draco looked at his father blankly. Em, I can't get rid of him.

Oh, for heaven's sake. Be a big boy and tell him to go fuck himself. Draco instantly knew that was a horrible idea, and planned on telling her so at the next opportunity.

"I'm fine, father," Draco responded. He then decided to play along as best as he could. "Have we found Potter yet?"

"He seems to have disappeared. There are several groups out scouting the castle, all of which will be reporting back to our master within minutes."

"The Dark Lord wasn't defeated?" Draco didn't even see his father raise his hand to him, but he certainly felt it as it cracked across his face.

"Do not utter such words," his father hissed, leaning over, his face very close to Draco's hunched over body. He'd forgotten how hard his father could strike. "You are naïve, and will, some day, pay dearly for it."

Draco, go with him, came Emily's voice between throbs of his jaw.

What?

We can get out--you heard what he said. In minutes, all the searches will be called in. It's better that you go with him.

Are you sure?

Yes. Harry agrees. Draco couldn't help but feel the urge to do exactly the opposite of whatever Potter agreed with. Just go with him.

Are you sure you'll be able to get out of here? He asked one more time, not wanting to leave her while she was still in danger. From where those feelings had come, he hadn't a clue. Since when did Draco Malfoy want to keep someone protected?

Just don't let him catch wind that you helped us. You've risked more then you should have already. Draco realized that this was all a far cry from her previous 'tell him to go fuck himself' attitude, and regretfully realized that Potter probably talked her into changing her mind. He scowled, aware that his contorted facial expression was probably confusing his father even more.

"I am sorry, father," Draco whispered. His jaw hurt with every word. "I was out of line."

"That you were," his father barked, straightening up again. "Come with me then, and don't forget your place." Draco nodded, and then followed his father. He was just able to keep himself from glancing behind him. Good luck, he cast out, hoping it would reach Emily. She didn't respond.

* * * * *

Instead she sighed.

"I think they're gone," she informed Harry, who was standing just beside her. "But we should stay here, just for a few minutes, to allow the searches to be called off." Harry nodded.

"Do you like him?" The question caught her off-guard.

"Excuse me?" she asked, honestly needing clarification.

"Malfoy," he answered. "Do you like him?" She sighed again.

"Yes," she answered. His face looked panicked. "But not like how you mean." Without even trying, she could hear his turbid thoughts. She knew she shouldn't be listening and tried to stop herself, but they just kept flowing to her like a leaky faucet she couldn't turn off. And she hated what she heard. He was doubting their entire relationship, wondering if she cared for him as much as he did for her. She could feel the sadness he had felt at thinking she was dead. Everything seeped into her, and it hurt. It hurt more then she could possibly explain. "Harry, he's my friend. Haven't we gone over this before?"

"He's in love with you," Harry said, averting her eyes. Emily bristled.

"No, he's not," she answered weakly. Harry met her gaze, and raised his eyebrows at her. "You don't even know him," she returned. "He's just a little confused at the moment." But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't true. He was in love with her, even if he hadn't realized it yet.

"I know what I see," Harry responded. "In all his years at Hogwarts, he's never done a single thing that didn't somehow benefit himself. If it gave him an advantage, he'd hex me into Voldemort's lair without a second thought. Now he's outright helping you and me and," Harry shook his head, "I know what I see, and he's in love with you."

"Love's a strong word for it, don't you think?" she questioned. Harry looked at her blankly, his thoughts flooding to her. He didn't think so. She looked away from him, trying to mentally build a blockade against his bombarding thoughts. She couldn't stand to hear his doubts. She'd never felt about anyone else the way she did about Harry, and it scared her. Didn't he realize that?

"I think it's safe now," Harry spoke, jogging her out of her thoughts. She started, suddenly remembering where they were.

"Right," she responded. She didn't move for a second, the thought that Harry didn't know how she felt about him suddenly surfacing. She had to tell him. And yet, she couldn't. The words wouldn't come to her. She opened her mouth, shut it again, and then sighed. "Right, let's go."

She turned then, keeping her hand trained on her father's body. Harry stepped in front of her, leading the way through the halls. Every step she took, she felt like she took a giant leap away from him emotionally. When they were safe, they'd have to sit down and have a long talk.

* * * *

Hermione never thought a sunrise looked so beautiful. When she finally broke free from the castle, it was the first thing she noticed. The bright, yellow sun peeking up over the distant hills. Such a beautiful sight after all the darkness she'd experienced in the past few hours.

Ginny was at her side, though Hermione doubted she was truly conscious of what was going on around her. After her fall, Ginny seemed to be in a far away place. She responded to direct commands, but otherwise had an extremely vacant look on her face. She was ghastly pale, and was behaving mechanically. She supposed that such an ordeal would have that affect on a person.

They found Lupin quickly, still located near the tree where they'd left him. And much to their surprise, he wasn't alone. Sirius Black was sitting next to him.

"You three made it," Lupin said, getting up to greet them warmly. Hermione could instantly see the disappointment in Sirius's eyes that Harry wasn't with them. Hermione was fairly certain the same look was visible in her own eyes. She'd expected them to be together.

"No Harry?" Ginny asked, stating the obvious. He was the last person from their group still missing, and the one that was most wanted by the Death Eaters. Sirius and Lupin shook their heads. Ginny glanced back at the castle. "He's all alone in there," she whispered.

"I'm going in to get him," Sirius grunted, jumping to his feet.

"Padfoot, we discussed this," Lupin shot back, grabbing hold of his friend.

"We thought he was with them," Sirius boomed. "I can't just allow him to die."

"Give him time," Lupin said.

"Time for what, to get killed?" Hermione gasped, surprised that Sirius would speak as such. "I have to go in there, Mooney. He might have done something stupid."

"Give him time," Lupin repeated, not releasing his friend's arm. Hermione noticed that he had quite a strong grip on Sirius, and supposed that Sirius couldn't have broken the connection should he have tried to do so. Part of Hermione hoped that Sirius would go in after him. While a more rational part agreed with Lupin. If they had only just gotten back, he still had a chance himself.

"I can't let him die," Sirius growled, sounding very much like a dog. "He's the only hope we've got." Hermione looked over at Ron, who looked equally as confused by Sirius' last statement. Hope for what? she wondered.

"You have no clue where he is. It would be futile for you to go in there when he might be almost out." Lupin relaxed his grip. "Give him time."

Hermione sensed Sirius' reluctance, but nonetheless, he backed down, crouching over near the tree again. He didn't speak to anyone; he just crouched in complete silence.

"What did he mean, our only hope?" Ginny asked Lupin after a few moments. Hermione was glad Ginny was there, because she didn't think she would have been able to say it. Apparently Ginny's mechanical behavior allowed her to be more up front with her questioning.

"Harry is...well," Lupin paused, looking uncomfortable. "He's special."

"Well, duh," Ron retorted. "We could have told you that." Hermione glared at Ron. One of these days, she'd have to teach him to keep his mouth shut.

"It's more then just his scar," Lupin continued, unfazed by Ron's rudeness. "However, I think he would be a better person to tell you than I." Hermione was shocked. Last she'd heard, Harry didn't know much about why he was special.

"It's why You-Know-Who wants him, isn't it?" Ron asked, sobering. Lupin nodded, causing Ron to drop his head, looking down at the ground. "He never told us," he mumbled.

"He only just found out," Lupin responded. "It would have been too much for him to handle before now." Hermione was fairly sure it was still too much to handle. Everything about his life was unfair, and she couldn't think of a person less deserving of it then Harry. And now with Emily gone...

"He doesn't deserve any of this," Hermione scowled, suddenly quite angry. Lupin stepped forward, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I know," Lupin said softly. He then straightened up, putting on a supportive smile. "Why don't the three of you eat some of the food you brought? It will make you feel better." Hermione saw Lupin turn to glance at Ron and Ginny. "You must be famished." Hermione's stomach clenched, making her feel more like vomiting then eating. How can I eat when Harry's still in that castle, alone?

* * * * *

As Harry walked, he felt as thought he were in another dimension. So much had happened in the past few hours, and his mind was still only beginning to take it in.

He hadn't known why he'd brought up Draco's feelings for Emily before. He hadn't been intending on it, but it had suddenly become so urgent that it couldn't wait. He had to hear her deny it. But, more importantly, he needed to hear her say how she felt about him.

And she hadn't.

So now, he was filled with an enormous void. He couldn't explain it, but it almost felt like a piece of him were missing. A piece that was as important to his existence as his liver or kidney...

Or heart.

Thinking he'd lost her had made him realize how much she meant to him, how much he needed her. He felt stupid thinking this. Wasn't she just his girlfriend? Didn't girlfriends come and go? But somewhere, there was a voice in his head that told him this was different. It was more then just his feelings for her. There was some deeper force bonding them together, such that he needed her and...

"Aaaarrrgghhh!"

Harry swung around, and found Emily on her knees. A loud thump seconds later signaled that Wormtail's body had just hit the ground next to her. She was crouched in a ball, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was going on.

She screamed again, gritting her teeth. A string of profanities then shot from her mouth that would have made a sailor blush. Within seconds, Harry was at her side.

"What is it?" he asked. She was obviously in pain, but the cause of it completely baffled him. He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder to sooth her, but as soon as he touched her, he realized what was happening.

She was being called.

The pain shot through his forehead like a red-hot stake. He pulled away from her, and grabbed at his scar, applying as much pressure to it as possible. The sight of them both, crouched in the hallway, cursing to themselves under their breaths, would have been rather startling to any onlookers.

Harry rolled to his side, on the verge of passing out from the pain. He didn't think he'd ever experienced it quite like this before. But then, he realized that Emily's powers probably magnified the link between her and Voldemort, which in turn would magnify Harry's link between him and his nemesis.

It stopped as suddenly as it had struck, its absence allowing Harry to breath evenly again. He rolled onto his knees and inched over to Emily, whose body was hunched over, her breathing ragged.

"That's the worst it's ever been," she said, clasping at her forearm still. "You felt it too, didn't you?" Harry nodded, the both of them using each other for balance as they got to their feet. Once they were both standing, their eyes met for a moment. And then, she looked away. "He was calling me specifically. He already knows I'm alive."

"He was going to find out sooner or later," Harry said in as comforting a tone as he could.

"What if he can tell I'm still in the castle," she asked. Harry didn't want to think about that. They were almost free.

"Come on, we're almost out of the castle." The two of them started to walk in the direction they'd come, Emily throwing her hand behind her as she walked, levitating her father's body again.

It didn't take them long before they finally exited the castle. They'd come to a passageway that lead into a room that was only one story above the ground, and so they chose to simply jump out of the window. It was only about an 8 foot drop, and while she didn't tell him, Harry could tell that Emily had semi-levitated him on his way down.

"Where do you think they are?" Emily asked, looking around. Harry looked around as well, as unsure as she was.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I think one of them said something about Lupin waiting outside, close to the castle. Maybe we should just circle around and see if we can find them." Emily thought about it for a moment.

"It's risky," she said, looking up. "We're in plain sight now." Harry looked up as well, suddenly very much aware of how vulnerable they were now that they were outside, in the daylight, below several stories of windows that could be hiding peering death eaters.

"Have any better ideas?" Harry asked. It came out a bit on the snappish side, even though he hadn't intended it to.

She twisted her head towards him, her face looking worried. He wished that he could sense her thoughts the way she could his.

"No," was her answer. After a few moments, she turned away from him and started to walk off to the right. Harry reluctantly followed.

* * * * *

Ginny felt like time had stopped. Every second seemed to pass by at the speed of a snail. She was sitting on the ground, staring at the dusty soil. She was aware that her eyes were unfocused, but didn't care.

Off to her left, she could hear Ron and Hermione talking. She couldn't understand the words though. It was as if they were speaking another language; her mind just wouldn't process it. She took a deep breath and exhaled it through her nose as slowly as she could, allowing her eyelids to droop. Even the air around her felt foreign.

She wondered how most people dealt with near-death experiences. Death, in itself, had never been something that Ginny had thought about. Sure, in second year when she was in the chamber of secrets, death had been knocking at her doorstep. But she was so weak and delirious at the time, it hadn't registered that she was in any danger.

It was quite different from what had just happened.

She shook herself, trying to snap back to reality. It didn't work. She'd been trying to get a grip since she'd fallen, with little success. She just kept slipping back into her dream world. A place where she overanalyzed everything, thought about the worth of her life, worried about her family. Her mind was working faster then it had ever worked before, making everything in her physical world move deafeningly slow.

She again tried to shake it off, this time succeeding to actually turn her head towards the castle. But as soon as she did that, she thought she would have much rather stayed staring at the loose soil.

She was now delusional. Her mind had completely gone into hyperdrive, and she was seeing things. Things she wanted to see, perhaps. But nonetheless, things that were impossible to see. It looked so real, which was the strange part. She had always imagined that the things that crazy people saw would be translucent, obviously nonexistent. But now she understood why crazy people were truly crazy. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn it was really happening.

She quickly turned her head back to the ground.

Oliver. The name kept popping up. She'd quickly push it to the back of her mind, trying to forget about what he'd done. She didn't want to think about it.

Hesitantly, she glanced back over at the castle. Bullocks.

She was really, really losing it. She thought about interrupting Ron and Hermione, telling them that she was on the verge of a psychiatric episode and was in need of immediate medical attention. But then she thought better of it. They didn't want to hear about her altered mental state. They had enough things to worry about.

She couldn't take her eyes off of what she saw though. As before, it was remarkably realistic.

"Ginny?"

Ginny snapped up her head and saw that it was Prof. Lupin. She then turned back to the castle.

"Ginny, are you okay?" She nodded, moving her head very slowly up and down, never once taking her eyes off of the two people she saw creeping around the castle. "You don't look so good, if you pardon my candor." In a rash, split-second decision, she decided that maybe it was a good idea to alert the others to her plight.

"I'm losing my mind," Ginny answered as matter-of-factly as she could. It was a fact, after all. "I've gone completely loopy," she then added. Professor Lupin didn't answer, but she could feel his piercing gaze. He hadn't been expecting an answer like that. "For instance," Ginny decided to elaborate. "Over there, by the castle. I swear I see Harry and Emily. But in real--"

But she never got a chance to finish, because all of a sudden, Sirius had gotten up and was running past them. She looked at him, wondering if perhaps he had lost his mind as well.

* * * *

End Note: We're almost done, just one more chapter to go! And lots of questions to be answered. As usual, please don't forget to review. Everyone's comments and suggestions really help!