Destination Unknown

Chapter 12

Ides of March, 2015

"Wake up, Crinon," drawled Nimrod Zabini, shaking his dorm-mate, "Heron's already awake."

It was rather strange, but except Sylvia and Doug, no other students called them by their nicknames. Professor Longbottom (Uncle Neville) called them Harry and Cory, but only in private. The boys were used to it by now, though.

Cory sat up so suddenly that Nimrod jumped back in alarm.

"You ok, Crinon?"

He nodded slowly and all but ran to the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face.

"Are you all right, Cory?"

Cory turned around to see his twin brother looking at him with concern in his green eyes. Cory shook his head.

"Nightmare?" Harry asked. Cory nodded. Harry's expression shifted from concern to anxiety.

"Are you hurt?" Harry asked solicitously.

"Not physically," Cory replied, "I think I am more shocked than anything else. We haven't really had any pain since we got these things around our necks, have we?"

Harry clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah, they've been useful. What did you dream about?"

"People wishing me a 'Happy Birthday' in rather unpleasant manners."

"But our birthday's in July!"

"Yeah, I know. That's why the dream was so strange."

Harry nodded sympathetically.

Professor Snape burst into the classroom with his robes billowing behind him. After taking the attendance, he began, "Today we shall learn the-,"

None less than Albus Dumbledore walked in.

"Severus? I was wondering if I could borrow Mr. Malfoys and talk to you for a moment?" he asked, his voice very serious. Harry and Cory cringed. Never had they seen Dumbledore radiate such an aura of power. Snape merely nodded and waved them over. The four of them went out.

"I'm afraid we have bad news for you, Mr. Malfoys," Dumbledore said, "I regret to say that your mother has been abducted."

Cory nearly fainted. Harry, unsteady himself, held him up. Snape looked utterly bewildered.

"Who was it?" Snape asked the Headmaster.

"We have no idea. Draco thinks that it might have been one of the people she threw out of her research institute for stealing," said Dumbledore calmly.

"What do you think?"

"I think that is unlikely, Severus. I think someone has reverted to their original nature."

Snape nodded and turned to the two boys. In a voice uncharacteristically soft for him he said, "You are excused from the lessons. You may want to go home."

"I'll take you to your father and sister," said Dumbledore. The shocked boys walked behind him. Harry was the first to recover.

"How is Dad coping? How is Ace?"

"Not too well, Harry," Dumbledore sighed. He led them to his office and they Flooed to Malfoy Manor. They found a very pale Draco and a sobbing Ace waiting for them. The boys ran to hug them, their own tears falling.

Sometime later, Draco stood up and said, "I'll go to the Ministry and check if the Aurors have found anything. You two - take care of Ace."

The boys nodded, but Ace cut in.

"I'll go with you, Dad," she said firmly. Not in a mood to attend to domestic quarrels, Draco took her along and warned the boys to stay out of danger. Dumbledore left soon after, telling them that Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville will be coming over soon.

"Do you think she's ok?" Harry asked his brother.

Cory looked ready to cry again. Before he could answer, though, their pet Boa slithered in.

Anything wrong, young masters?

Do you know where our mother is? Harry hissed.

Sure I do. Follow me. They have kept her not too far from here. I followed them out when they took the mistress...I just returned from there.

The twins glanced at each other and followed the snake. Cory placed a tracking charm on them and instructed the House elves to inform the necessary people.

Half an hour later, they were standing in front of an old cottage-like structure. Two men in black robes stood at the door.

She's inside. The Boa informed them.

"What do we do now?" Cory asked.

Distract them. Harry ordered the Boa. As the snake diverted the attention of the two men, Cory muttered a quick 'Alohomora' and they slipped inside, unnoticed. They froze at the sight of their mother's body. She was bound to a chair with ropes of what looked like blue light. It looked as though they had used the Lacerating Curse on her. She was bleeding horribly, but still managed to hold her head high. Never had she looked so beautifully proud. Three men loomed over her.

"Tell us, Mudblood," sneered one of them. Hermione spat at him.

"It's a pity Draco married a Mudblood...he could have been great if he had remained with us...may be he will join us after we kill you, you filthy little Mudblood!" he screamed back. Another one stepped forward and said calmly, "I don't think we ought to kill her before we can extract the information we need." He turned to the bound Hermione.

"Well, Mrs. Malfoy, why don't you oblige us?"

"I told you that I don't know," she gasped as a jet of light hit her squarely on the chest.

The third man, who had been lurking in the shadows, stepped forward. The boys couldn't see his face clearly.

"Why do you insist on doing this, Hermione?" he said softly, "I don't want to hurt you. Just tell us where he is buried. That's all we need to know."

"What will you do if I tell you?"

"We have found an ancient spell to resurrect him. We will bring him back. Please help us, Hermione," he continued in a gentle voice.

"And what do I gain?"

"A chance to join our cause. We do not approve of Mudbloods, but I'm sure we can make an exception in your case. You will be a valuable asset to our side."

"Get lost, Boot."

The man lost his temper.

"You'll die for this!" he shouted and drew his wand out, pointed straight at her. Hermione stared back at him defiantly, scared, but not showing it.

"NO!" Twin voices rang out. A great white light erupted from the two boys' wands, took the shape of the white phoenix and rushed towards the abductors. In a flash, the three men inside and the two outside, all slumped to the ground. So did Harry and Cory. The last thing they heard was their father's voice calling them and their mother.