The Breadcrumb Trail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another stick snapped beneath Harry's foot and he froze, waiting for the cloaked figure ahead to whirl around at the noise. When they continued to move ahead at a steady pace, he breathed out in relief and pressed on.

Harry's fingers were slick with sweat and he knew it was the humid air of the Forest more than nerves. He figured they were near the swamp now, and it seemed like the person he was trailing was heading straight towards it. He muttered a spell to stop his glasses from steaming up and switched his wand to the other hand in order to wipe his palm across his jeans.

If anyone knew Harry was out here at this hour, alone and unprotected, he strongly suspected they'd form a committee to murder him.

After all, it was less than a year since the fall of Voldemort and while the Wizarding World pretended to no longer jump at moving shadows, Harry could see through the facade. People were still afraid and probably would be for a good long time.

For that reason, even though Hogwarts was safer than it had been for decades, Headmistress McGonagall had announced strict curfew and safety regulations upon the re-opening of the school. Harry honestly didn't know what it was about him and rules - they never seemed to get along - for now here he was again, breaking them.

Of course, it could all be blamed on circumstance. Harry had previously been atop the Astronomy tower, waiting for Firenze. He'd wanted to talk to the centaur about Hagrid. The half-giant had been looking exhausted and worn during classes, dark circles beneath his eyes and occasionally even stumbling while he walked. That morning he'd actually fallen asleep in the middle of a sentence during a lesson on bow-truckles. Harry was concerned and hoped Firenze had some insight into what was going on.

Firenze was usually on the Tower on a clear night like this. Tonight he'd apparently had other places to be. Harry had waited nearly an hour, pulling his cloak tighter around himself and gazing over the ramparts at the school grounds. He'd looked at Hagrid's little hut in the distance, the light in the window still on, and then movement near it caught his eye.

A familiar slight figure, hood obscuring his face, was edging quickly along the trees behind Hagrid's house. Malfoy.

Harry thought it strange, moving stealthily as he could under the Invisibility Cloak that he'd almost out-grown, that Malfoy would be out here at night. The little git had always feared the Forbidden Forest - even on day excursions with teachers. Malfoy stopped suddenly, before a patch of swamp grass with tendrils swirling in the pond before him. He seemed to be listening for something intently.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he crouched down, close enough to see Malfoy's expression as he glanced around him nervously. If the ferret was this unnerved, why was he alone?

Draco saw something then and his eyes lit up. There appeared to be no malice in his delight, but Harry's gut twisted as Draco suddenly pounced and came up with something in his hand. He inspected it, then gave a small laugh of triumph. Malfoy stuffed whatever it was into the pouch at his side and took off. Harry made to follow him again, but a suddenly loud crashing made him turn around.

Something big, slobbery and fanged leapt at his chest, knocking him flat on his back. "Agh!" he yelled, panicking, and tried to push the beast's crushing weight off him.

"Oi! Fang! What've ye got there!?"

Harry gasped and turned his face as a wet tongue lapped all over his face. The hood of his Cloak fell back and Hagrid lowered his crossbow with a look of astonishment. Just as quickly, bemusement and a little bit of crossness replaced it. "'Arry, what the blazes you doin' out here in the woods? Leave off, Fang!"

The boarhound finally let Harry up and he struggled to his feet. "Hagrid!" he gasped, breathlessly. The half-giant gripped his flailing hand and pulled him the rest of the way up effortlessly. Hagrid scowled at him.

"I'm disappointed in ye. I unnerstand breakin' the rules when ye gotta, but there ain't no more reason now that Riddle's gone!"

"I saw Malfoy out here," Harry stated, then winced at the new look of exasperation on Hagrid's face. "He was looking for something and I think he found it!"

"Merlin's beard, 'Arry, you know what people are starting to say about you always running about after Malfoy all over the school?"

"But I --" It took a moment for the words to sink in and Harry stared dumbly. "Wait, what?"

"Exactly, that's what I said." Hagrid answered shortly and turned back to his hut. "And I know it ain't true. But you best stop trying to go after him; he and his family already paid their debts. Nobody even talks to them anymore. They're a shunned family."

Stunned and more than a little disturbed, Harry followed. "Well, he's not helping his image any by sneaking around the grounds at night."

Harry somehow missed the look of pure irony that Hagrid flashed him over his shoulder.

"What do you suppose he was up to?"

"Maybe he lost something," Hagrid said dismissively.

Harry stopped in his tracks having a sudden horrible thought. "Maybe the Resurrection--"

Hagrid whirled fast for someone his size and Harry actually backed up a step. The half-giant's face was definitely angry.

"'Arry, I care for ye deeply and I'll say this as gently as I can. Ye cannot be this daft having a mother like Lily Potter, so I think what's going on is that ye ain't using that noggin' o' yours as keenly as ye should be! Ye really suppose Malfoy's gonna try to bring back Riddle? After what Riddle did to him and his family? Ye really think that?"

"No!" Harry managed, horrified he'd even for a moment let his mind run over that possibility. He remembered Malfoy's terrorized face as he was made to torture Rowle, remembered Voldemort's rage after the escape from Malfoy Manor. No, there was no reason Harry could think of that would prompt Draco to bring back his former master. He lowered his head, face heated. "No," he said again, quietly. "I just . . . I thought . . . I don't know."

When he next glanced up at Hagrid, he found the half-giant's expression had softened somewhat. "I understand now. Ye've been raised to fight a war. Now it's over, but you're still lookin' for danger cause it's what ye've always done."

Harry pressed his lips together and looked away, frustrated. Hermione had said the same thing to him, just as sympathetically, and so had Molly Weasley and even Percy. He was fed up with it, even if it did contain just a smidgeon of truth. His mind raced to find a subject.

"What are you doing out here, Hagrid? You looking for trouble too?" Harry countered, looking pointedly at the crossbow. He was expecting denial from the half-giant or another scolding, but not for Hagrid's eyes to suddenly overflow with tears.

He let the crossbow drop, great chest heaving and let loose a great bawl that startled several night birds out of the trees. Harry frantically tried to shush him. "Hagrid, I'm sorry, I . . . I'm sorry! Please don't cry!"

"'Arry, I failed! I failed 'em!" Hagrid dropped to his knees with a thud. "I was supposed to keep 'em all safe!" He struck the ground with his fist and caused a tremor beneath Harry's feet. Harry knelt next to him.

"Who? Supposed to keep who safe?" Harry asked, heart aching for his large friend.

"The . . . the Carrows, they . . . they took them all! The students asked me for 'help, but there was nothin' I could do!" Hagrid sobbed. Harry rubbed his back, awkwardly and looked around, but there was no Hermione to help cheer Hagrid up this time. It was just him and the sobbing half-giant, man to man. And Harry was bollocks at comforting people.

"Took who, Hagrid?" He asked, gently.

Hagrid snuffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve and looked up at Harry through weeping black eyes. "'Aven't you noticed, 'Arry? In the common rooms an' the dorms . . . All the students who couldn't stay last year on account o' their bloodlines . . . Haven't ye noticed at all?"

"Noticed what?"

"The animals . . ." Hagrid choked out and scrubbed at his face. "All the animals . . ."

Harry's racing mind finally clicked on an image. He remembered Crookshanks purring on Hermione's lap in the Gryffindor common room as she stroked him. Several girls passing through had slowed and watched, faces unreadable before turning away quietly.

Seamus' rat no longer woke Harry up, chewing on the wood of his trunk. Dennis Creevey's incorrigible calico no longer jumped on the table and batted at the tie on his essay scroll or tried to trip him down the dormitory stairs by dashing between his ankles.

There were so many small things he hadn't noticed missing; there having been so much on his mind, but Harry at last understood what Hagrid meant.

With the exception of Hermione, all the muggleborns' familiars had disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Of course I remember what happened," Luna said serenely, tying a bleating vegetable lamb to its stake with twine. Her breath came out cold in the night air as she stroked the plant-lamb's wool, trying to calm it. "The Carrows decided to send the unwelcome students after their families, after collecting their wands. But then Crabbe pointed out they ought to take the animals away as well. After all, if Muggleborns shouldn't have wands or magic, they shouldn't have familiars."

"Yeah," Neville said, bitterly. He didn't look at Harry, hadn't said anything more than two syllables since Harry had first brought the matter up. Presently he seemed to have gained his voice back. "They took Filch's cat too, on account of being a squib. They had no reason for it, just wanted to hurt him. Then they got the idea that the all the blood-traitors who needed to be taught a lesson should lose their companions."

Harry looked at him and remembered how Neville had been a thorn in the side of the Carrows. "Trevor?" he ventured, almost afraid to.

Neville was silent for a moment, and looked up at the sky. There were a few stars out, but it was not as clear as it had been the previous night. Finally, he answered, almost too soft for Harry to hear. "I don't know. Some students, like me, got warning ahead and went to Hagrid with their familiars, but Crabbe and Goyle followed them and reported it. Hagrid saw the Carrows coming and let the ones he was entrusted with run off into the Forest. Better that than give them over."

"So that's what Hagrid's been up to. He's been searching every night for them?"

"That would explain why he's so tired during classes," Neville said. "I've tried telling him not to worry about it. Trevor would be impossible to find by now."

"Do you think he's dead?" Harry asked carefully.

Neville's mouth twisted. "I dunno. Probably. If not, there's no chance I'd ever find him again. Not before some predator."

"You should always hope," said Luna as her sheep grazed upon the mossy growth around its stake. "Maybe he's found a lady frog."

Harry glanced back at Neville and was surprised to see a hint of a smile on his face. "If Trevor's got my luck with girls, I doubt it."

"Oh certainly not," Luna agreed cheerfully. Harry stared at her, embarrassed at her candidness. "If he's got your luck with girls, he'd have at least five by now."

Harry snorted and tried to muffle his surprised laughter and Neville joined in, just as shocked.

"Yeah. Maybe," Neville said, shaking his head as he finished his last row of vegetable-lambs. In its early stages, the plant had to be treated under the moonlight, due to the sensitivity of the lambs' eyes to the sun. Neville had special permission from Professor Sprout to tend the plants after dusk and had invited Harry and Luna along for company. He'd invited several other people as well, but they'd all had other plans.

As Harry struggled to get his lamb tied properly without being bitten, he could see why people had chosen to decline Neville's invitation. There was nothing glamorous about Herbology. Perhaps that was why Neville was so keen about it. Harry had to admit it was peaceful out here.

"Anyhow," Neville continued, "taking away the animals certainly got the effect the Carrows wanted. They rounded them all up and put them in pens in a room in the lower dungeons. Crabbe kept walking around, telling all of us he was going to use Fiendfyre on the poor things on the next weekend, when all the Muggleborns were scheduled to leave."

"Please tell me he didn't," Harry replied quietly. He'd stopped what he was doing, appalled. His mind went to Hedwig in her cage, helpless to dodge the killing curse. That had been bad enough, but if she had burned -

"No, no, it didn't happen. The Carrows were going to let him torture a few before they went home, but they suddenly changed their minds and made everyone just stay in their dorms until it was time for to board the Express home. They announced later that all the animals had been transported back to Diagon Alley to be sold to new wizards - real wizards who deserved them.

"It was a lie of course, although nobody could prove it. All we knew for sure was that the animals were gone .The Carrows looked sour about it, so we don't think they've been killed. They aren't in the castle anywhere - not even their bones. The house-elves searched and they know Hogwarts inside and out," Neville finished.

"But where do you suppose they are?" Harry wondered.

"We have no idea. In a way, that hurts worse than if the Carrows had killed them. Whatever happened, it wasn't the Carrows' idea and I really have a hard time seeing how Crabbe could have come up with a plan like that either."

"Yeah. Though I think Crabbe surprised all of us in the end," Harry said, darkly.

"He wasn't a very nice person," Luna agreed as her hands smoothed out the tangles the lamb was making of its vine. "Not even to his own housemates it seems. I talked to a girl who was crying in the bathroom. She told me what he did right after they got off the Express."

"A girl from Slytherin?" Neville asked, surprised.

"Yes. I think she said some things he didn't want to hear. So he practiced a rather nasty spell on her cat."

Harry and Neville exchanged glances, guessing without words what that spell must have been.

"Did the poor thing survive?"

"I don't know. I didn't run into her much after that. She always seemed busy."

A sudden movement from the Forest made Harry turn his head. There was a pale green light flitting through the trees, and then it was extinguished. "Did you see that?" he asked, eyes straining through the dark.

Neville and Luna stopped and listened. Aside from the calls of night birds and the occasional bleat of restless pod-sheep, there was nothing. Harry saw the faint light again, farther on. It was Malfoy. It had to be.

"I'll be right back," he said lowly.

"Harry, you'll be careful won't you? It's on my head if anything happens to you," Neville reminded and sounded a little exasperated, but he didn't try to stop Harry.

"I'll be fine," Harry insisted. He remembered his Cloak was left up in the tower in his trunk and cast a disillusionment charm on himself instead.

Harry crept into the woods and onward after the flickering wand. He could hear Luna, asking whether Neville's grandmother still had a problem with tufted horasquonks in her attic. In the next few steps he was too far away to hear Nev's amused reply.

The figure he was following was faster, and gave him just a little trouble keeping up without making a noise. Harry finally cast Muffliato which covered the sound of his footfalls as he crashed through the underbrush. After what seemed like ages, the figure ahead stopped abruptly and Harry had to check himself, skidding on the damp leaves and half-crashing behind a tree.

His disillusionment charm was still on, but he had no way of knowing if Malfoy couldn't see right through it. Despite his experience he had to admit he was not as skilled as sneaking around as most Slytherins, at least not without the aid of his Cloak.

Harry needn't have worried, for the figure ahead who pulled down her hood was not Malfoy. He blinked, and wondered what on earth Daphne Greengrass was doing out here by herself. Then she moved further out of the shadows, raising her illuminated wand, and Harry could see she was not Daphne Greengrass after all. Her school colors noted her as Slytherin, and this was only confirmed when Malfoy stepped forward to meet her.

The smile on his face was different than Harry had ever seen, neither mocking nor insincere.

"Did you find -" the girl started, but Draco hissed for quiet and looked around. Panicking a little, Harry crouched lower behind his tree. After a tense moment, Draco looked back at the girl.

"Yeah. I did. Just where you told me."

"I thought so," the girl grinned, sounding just a bit smug. She quickly sobered though as she looked at a point past Malfoy. "We have to move quickly. He's been searching the woods and if he steps through the wards -"

"Don't worry about him, Astoria," Malfoy drawled, with a light sneer. "The turf's been enchanted to keep him going in pointless circles. I told you I'd take care of things until you got back. What've you found out?"

"Anthony Goldstein's back. His mother wanted to keep him home a while longer because of his health, that's why he wasn't on the train with everyone else."

Malfoy's smile wavered then vanished. He turned his body, focusing on something deeper in the forest that Harry couldn't see.

"Good," he muttered, unconvincingly. Astoria put a hand on his shoulder and he made a move as if to shrug it off, but didn't succeed.

They were silent for a moment, then Astoria sighed sharply. "Draco." Malfoy didn't turn around. Astoria's voice gentled. "Draco, you can't have expected to -"

"Of course not," Malfoy retorted, laughing bitterly. "That's not what I'm best at, is it?"

"This time will matter more. You know that."

"No, it won't." Malfoy retorted contrarily. Harry couldn't help but notice how childish he sounded. Draco seemed to flush, perhaps noticing the same thing. He didn't see Astoria smiling slightly. "Not to anyone."

"It will to me." Astoria's voice caught and her smile looked strained in the half-light. Draco turned back to her, and touched her hand very lightly.

"How is she?" he asked softly. Astoria shook her head, and did not answer. Malfoy grimaced. "Damn him. If I'd been there just a moment earlier -"

"Then she would've suffered even longer. For now, it's . . . she'll come when I call her." Astoria lowered her head, turning her wand in her hands. "Look, we don't have much time before Slughorn makes his curfew-rounds. I think everything's ready, don't you?"

With apparent great reluctance, Draco let his hand drop from Astoria's shoulder, where it had rested under her black curls. "Yeah, probably," he said, almost too soft to hear. He drew a bit closer to the girl than seemed necessary. "We'll lead them into the school tomorrow night."

Harry went from curiosity to immediate alarm. Lead who into the school? He leaned forward, intent on every word.

"- during dinner in the Great Hall - everyone will be there, I should hope. McGonagall's making some sort of remembrance speech about -" Malfoy paused, swallowed and made an odd face, "about Professor Snape. We won't have to worry about diversions or getting the doors open." Malfoy patted the pouch at his side, confidently. "I've got that covered."

Astoria cracked a bitter smile. "Just think. All our hard work, all that sneaking about. A whole year of that will be over by tomorrow night, and nobody will even know it was us."

Draco did not answer immediately, but looked saddened by something - not that Harry was concerned about that. Who the bloody hell was Draco going to lead into the castle?

"We never really wanted them to," Malfoy said lowly. He hesitantly offered his hand to Astoria and she took it.

Harry wasn't satisfied. It sounded like they were planning an attack, or at least something unpleasant. Why weren't they being more specific? Maybe Malfoy had heard him after all. But if he had, why had he said anything at all?

Draco was talking lowly to Astoria now. Arm in arm, they left Harry's line of vision, disappearing behind a large oak. Harry waited for them to stroll out past the other side, but they didn't. Puzzled, he went a little closer and saw nothing but moonlight patches on the ground between a grove of trees. He stepped forward, through where he'd seen Draco and Astoria step.

Harry walked determinedly and suddenly found himself marching out of the forest into the broad moonlight. He frowned and scratched the back of his head, wondering how he'd gotten out here.

"Hullo, Harry. Back again?" Luna asked. "You've got leaves in your hair you know."

Harry raked a hand through his hair, brushing them out and scowling. Luna tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I was about to say they matched your eyes, but you're right. You definitely look better without them."

Neville looked like he was about to burst from the effort of not laughing. Harry sighed and bid them both goodnight, mind whirling with questions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Harry. HARRY!"

A jab in the side, and Harry raised his head from his folded arms, blinking owlishly at Hermione. She scowled at him. "Honestly, you've been half-awake all day. Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Not much," Harry groaned. He looked up at the starlit ceiling of the Great Hall, focusing past all the Slytherin decorations in Snape's honor. All day, part of him wanted to get away and find Malfoy or a teacher or somebody and tell them what he'd seen and what he'd heard.

At the same time, he was simply too tired. Hagrid was right, maybe he saw danger everywhere because it was all he'd ever seen for years - even in the safe haven Hogwarts was supposed to be. Whatever Malfoy was planning, perhaps it wasn't as sinister as he'd thought last night in the Forest.

Hogwarts was filled with the best witches and wizards that he had ever known; it would be exceedingly foolish of Malfoy to mount any kind of attack. Foolish and unlikely - Draco's family had barely scraped out of going to Azkaban. He wasn't going to endanger them at least.

Dusk had fallen again and he would have to wait and see. Harry reached for a treacle tart and bit into it. His blood sugar could use a boost right about now.

Harry found his gaze drawn toward the front where the faculty were seated. With a pang, he noticed Filch standing in his customary place, looking alone and defeated. Harry saw no sign of the red-eyed cat he'd always doted on beside him.

He looked away and looked across at the other tables. They were fuller than they had been in the very beginning of the school year, now that the Muggleborn and their families no longer had reason to fear being part of the Wizarding world. However, there was a pall of subdued despair hanging over the newly returned students that seemed to have nothing to do with the solemn atmosphere.

Hermione poked him in the arm again. "Harry, you don't look very well. Are you sure everything's -?"

A resonating chime of silver on glass rung through the Hall and students stopped their conversations, turning to face the table where the Headmistress sat. She raised her glass.

"As many of you might have heard, our feast together tonight honors the memory of our former Potions Professor and Headmaster, Severus Snape," McGonagall declared, "Without whose dedicated love we may have never had hope of winning the past war."

With sudden heat in his face, Harry remembered who exactly that 'dedicated love' had been for and sunk down a bit in his chair.

Ron snickered unhelpfully and Hermione elbowed him in the side, gazing sympathetically down at Harry's head. He had wanted to honor Snape, but he should have known his mother would be mentioned in some way, even if McGonagall was trying to be discreet, and it was unexpectedly mortifying. As she went on, Harry wondered if Snape's portrait was somewhere in earshot and looking just as embarrassed.

He was more than grateful when Hagrid's delighted voice boomed down the Great Hall, interrupting McGonagall's speech. Harry raised his head to see Hagrid striding down alongside the Gryffindor table, holding something in his hands and beaming. "Neville! Neville - where are ye? Ye won't believe it!"

Harry heard a stir coming from the Slytherin table and turned to see Draco and Astoria, looking flushed and out of breath, quickly sitting down. Pansy Parkinson glowered at Draco, obviously getting the wrong idea of why the pair were out of breath, and wrapped her arm around Theodore Nott's to make a point. She looked even more put out when Malfoy didn't even spare her a glance.

"Hagrid," McGonagall started, sounding less than pleased.

Something green plopped out of Hagrid's hand and landed onto the table, hopping across plates, upsetting goblets and heading straight toward Neville.

Harry saw Neville's face go white. Slowly, Longbottom stood up and picked the toad off the table with shaking hands. "Trevor?" he asked, in a small voice. Hermione made a small noise and covered her mouth, squeezing Ron's arm. Hagrid had not stopped beaming and excited talk spread like rapid-fire along the Gryffindor table.

"Is it him, then?" shouted Seamus. Neville just grinned and nodded, blinking tears. A cheer erupted from that section of the table and the older students pounded their goblets and some whistled loudly.

McGonagall beamed from her seat, having heard the cause of the commotion and content to let it wind down.

It wasn't to be quiet for some time however. The doors of the Great Hall creaked opened further to allow something to pass through. Harry leaned back in his seat and caught a glimpse of white as the shape moved around the edge of the Hufflepuff table and trotted into view. Harry could make out the form of a white cat, coat glowing with an ethereal shine. The cat paused halfway then turned, meowing. The chime-like sound carried through the Hall and students began to turn their heads.

There was a scream. Susan Bones ran toward the door and disappeared out of it. Harry could hear her laughing, or sobbing, and in the next moment there were animals - flying beneath rafters, racing into the hall, running under benches and over laps and between the great tables. Students sat still in shock for a moment, then all of a sudden the Great Hall seemed plunged into utter chaos.

Anthony Goldstein stood with a shout, holding out his arm to let a black raven perch upon it. Harry saw Dennis Creevey running toward a tortoiseshell calico who cleared the distance between them with an energetic pounce. Seamus held up his rat, grinning ear to ear.

Everywhere Harry turned, there were witches and wizards reuniting with their companions. He then saw Filch, who'd been watching in a kind of daze, give a sudden start and toddle forward as if every step hurt. He didn't make it far down the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff table, falling onto one knee, arms outstretched toward something.

Old Mrs. Norris was weaving her way toward Filch, limping more than usual but stubbornly making progress. Filch scooped her up, making heart-wrenching sounds in his throat that shook his whole body. McGonagall was just as overwhelmed, covering her face with her tartan kerchief and Hagrid - tears running down his cheeks - fairly howled with emotion. Students were screaming, laughing, sobbing, shouting questions nobody had the answers to.

Well, almost nobody.

Harry glanced at the Slytherin table again in bewilderment and saw Astoria staring at the white cat, who still sat calmly in the front of the Great Hall. It seemed to be fading rapidly. The cat looked toward her, eyes blinking once in a gesture of love and he heard the faint bell-like cry echo into a final silence.

Astoria closed her eyes, no longer having anything there to look at. Harry watched her lose the battle to control her grief and hide her face in Draco's shoulder. It was then Malfoy seemed to notice the Gryffindor's scrutiny, and his protective glower made Harry look away quickly.

Nevertheless, as Hermione clutched at both him and Ron, tears running down her face (as well as Ron's, though he'd hotly deny it later) Harry couldn't help but smile. Of all the people who could have done something like this, he'd never expected it to be a Slytherin.

He was never more happy to be wrong in his life.