The Death Eater's Daughter

Chapter Thirty-Four - Our Next Stop Is MoM (corresponds with POTP chapter 23)

Hearing this, Luci gasped and reached out in alarm. Her hand found Harry's wrist, her heart fluttered, and he looked into her face. She released him hastily and headed straight for the stairs.

She knew it, she knew it! She should have never ceased searching for her brother!

"We're going after him," she called down to Narcissa as she practically flew along the steps.

"We can't do that! He'll kill us all!"

"Well, we have to try, don't we? We can't just leave him there!"

"It's too late! He'll kill my Draco!"

The woman was wringing her hands.

"No, he won't," came Bill Weasley's voice, from somewhere in the room. "The Malfoy boy is bait."

Arthur stepped closer to his son. "Bait for whom?"

Bill immediately looked up at Harry, and everyone in the room mimicked this.

Harry frowned. "Me? Why would I care if he had Malfoy?"

But then his eyes went to Luci, who suddenly realized that she was wearing a very meager pajama set. The fact was but a flash in her mind, however, because she knew at that moment that Voldemort had set a trap. And it was her fault. Her chest filled with anguish, terror both for Harry and for Draco.

No one had spoken, but Harry finally said, "We'd better be off then."

Hermione, who Luci only just noticed was standing on the first landing, next to Ginny, called up, "But Harry, what about... you know?"

Harry looked thoughtful, and then replied, "It'll have to wait."

Without warning, Molly appeared next to her husband. "I will not allow any of you children to go running after that boy. Especially not in the wee hours of the morning. This is a Malfoy family matter, and their problem, as far as I'm concerned."

She gave Luci and Narcissa a distasteful glance. Apparently, the entire house knew of the blood relation at this point.

"But if Voldemort wants me-" began Harry.

Except that Molly sliced through his words with, "Then you won't go playing into his hands, young man."

Luci actually agreed with the woman. She and Narcissa should be the ones to go after Draco. But she knew that Bill's comment would ring in Harry's head, and that he would insist on escorting her. She hated Bill for that.

Regardless, she turned to Narcissa and said, "Let's you and I go. We'll get him back, I promise."

"Me?" she scoffed. "I'm merely a worried mother! You are a trained Auror! Go alone if you choose, but I certainly will not be joining you at the Ministry."

Luci was floored. And then suspicious. "The Ministry?"

Narcissa faltered for a split second. Then she responded coolly, "The Dark Lord has been known to hold his victims there, in the Department of Mysteries."

Luci raised an eyebrow. "How do you-"

"She's not going alone," interrupted Harry. "I'm going with her."

He started down the stairs, and Ron was right behind him. "So am I."

And then Hermione and Ginny were both coming down the staircase too.

Molly looked downright infuriated.

"Absolutely not!" she screeched.

"We can't stop them, Molly," Arthur coaxed her gently.

The woman shook angrily at this.

"Well, we can stop Ginny," she growled.

"I don't get to do anything!" complained her daughter.

"Let me get this straight; you want to put your life at risk?"

Ginny glared up at her mother cheekily and answered, "At least I'd have some kind of a life then!"

The two of them argued some more, and Luci just stood there, her eyes on her bare feet. She could Disapparate right now, and no one would follow her, and she'd be on her own...

"And I don't see why all three of you must go!" Molly was rattling on. "Without any method of reaching us or getting help. It's absurd!"

"But we do have a method," cut in Hermione.

She started to explain a charm that allowed her to contact groups of people. Luci wasn't listening anymore. She couldn't just stand here while her brother was in danger.

But she had to change first.

So she started past these ridiculous people and back to her room.

"Where are you going?" Harry piped up, and he sounded panicked.

"To get my brother. I don't have time for this shit."

But she had kept walking, and Harry was shadowing her.

"I'm not letting you go by yourself. Voldemort wants me!"

"All the more reason for you to stay here," she countered. "Molly's right."

"Thank you!" sighed the Weasley matron. "Finally, some common sense around here!"

Luci was almost to the second landing by now, with Harry on her heels. She stopped and turned to him, "Work this out with them. I'm going, with or without any of you. And I need to go now. I have to get dressed."

He opened his mouth, but didn't reply, merely blinked.

She wanted to throw herself into his arms at that moment. Instead, she left him on the stair upon which he'd been standing.

When she returned downstairs, the members of the Order had apparently agreed to allow Harry, Ron, and Hermione to accompany Luci, if they promised to send for help in any time of need. It seemed that they believed it highly unlikely that Voldemort would be found at the Ministry anyway.

While her three companions were upstairs, dressing, Charlie pulled Luci aside, into the kitchen.

"I need to talk to you," he whispered.

"About something top secret?"

He gave her a questioning look.

"Why are you whispering?" she clarified.

"Because people are meddlesome around here," he responded. "Listen, you have to promise me you're going to be careful."

"Didn't we already have this conversation?"

"That was different. This is... He Who Must Not Be Named," he gulped.

"Right," she said, swallowing just as loudly. "I'm a mess. I'm not even sure what I'm getting into."

"I know; that's why you have to be careful!"

His eyes were clouded with genuine concern, and she moved forward and hugged him.

When she pulled away, she said, "I appreciate you, Charlie. You're a phenomenal friend."

"Are you trying to change the subject?" he said with an uncertain expression. "Are you going to promise to be careful or not?"

"I'll try," sighed Luci.

He nodded. "And I know I don't have to ask for Harry, but keep an eye on Ron and Hermione, okay?"

"If you don't have to ask for Harry, you don't have to ask for Ron and Hermione. They're kind of a package deal, you know."

Charlie gave a short chortle. "Good point."

"And when I get back," Luci went on, lowering her voice even moreso, "there's a lot I need to tell you."

"What happened?" he asked, interest engraved upon his face.

She shrugged coyly.

"Is it about Harry?"

She didn't say anything. She just allowed a small smile.

Charlie almost released an exclamation, but instead, he stopped and inquired quietly, "Did you tell him? Does he feel the same?"

She gritted her teeth. "He... feels something. But I scared him off."

He tilted his head to the side, silently scolding. "What'd you do?"

Then, from her left, someone loudly cleared their throat.

Charlie looked up with a pained expression, gave Luci one last troubled glance, and hurried out of the kitchen.

Luci faced Harry, and suddenly, their kiss bounced into the foreground of her memory. She instinctively touched her mouth, and it was burning, recalling, hungering...

"Luci?"

She hadn't realized that he'd said anything.

"Sorry... what?"

"You don't have to come with us," he said, for what might have been the second time.

She was almost insulted. This was hers to do, after all, and nobody else's.

"That's crazy. Of course, I'm coming with you. I've gotta get Draco out of there. I'm the only one who cares what happens to him."

Harry's hands fell to his sides in frustration. "You're right, I don't care about Malfoy."

Somehow, it felt as if he'd just disregarded her. So she fired carelessly, "Do you care about me?"

His expression softened. "You know I do."

"Okay, then," she said with finality.

But he continued, "You're... important to me."

She was incapable of going over this with him again. Her nerves were frazzled.

"Harry, please don't do this right now."

"No, listen to me," was his demand, his voice so adamant that she nodded her compliance.

He went on resolutely, "It doesn't matter whether or not you feel the same. Voldemort knows how I feel and that means that you could possibly be killed."

She supposed he didn't realize that death would not bother her. No, if he and Draco were alright, she wouldn't mind dying at all. And she told him this as best she could.

"I don't care, Harry. He's my brother and I have to go after him."

"Fine," he hissed at her.

She wasn't sure why he'd unexpectedly become angry. But his emotional instability, so similar to her own, made her feel very connected to him. Yes, there was certainly something here...

"I should tell you..." she started, but she ceased immediately. That she was sorry? That she loved him? So much.

"What?"

Luci's pulse had quickened. She made no response.

"What?" he exhorted, and she could only close her eyes on the question.

"God, you're doing my head in!" fumed the boy that she loved, and she flinched.

"We're ready," barged in Ron's voice.

He, Hermione, and Ginny were in the room now, and Luci felt oddly like she'd been caught naked or something. She wanted all of them to disappear. Except for Harry, of course.

"Mum has the Galleon, and the Order will come if we need them," Ron added.

"And the D.A.?" asked Harry.

Ginny broke in, "We'll get the message."

Then, to Luci's utter horror, the red-haired beauty flung herself at Harry in a firm embrace. Luci's first instinct was to pry her off and claim him, but Ginny simply said to him, "Please be careful, Harry."

And he nodded.

Next, her eyes met Luci's, and she concluded, "Good luck finding your brother."

"Th-thank you, Ginny..." she managed, trying to conceal her bewilderment.

There was a moment of silence, and Harry said, "Alright, let's go rescue someone we don't even like."

"To the street outside the telephone box?" asked Hermione, and Harry and Ron concurred.

But Luci shook her head. "I don't know that street."

So Harry reached out and took her hand, and before her stomach could turn itself completely over, they were standing outside. And his fingers were no longer laced with hers. It was dark, still early morning, and the January cold nipped at her skin. She focused on the phone booth immediately, knowing that it was the passage into the Ministry, and gave a quiet instruction.

"Come on."

The other three were behind her, and Ron was the last into the box. He closed the door, just as Luci was thinking of the last time that she'd been inside of a phone booth, crying about her unrequited love, which was now the least of her problems.

Harry had retrieved the headset and she watched him dial 62442 onto the keypad.

A female voice responded, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Luci Keegan... um... looking for Draco Malfoy?"

Luci glanced up at him, flashing what she hoped was a cheering smile. She must have failed at the inflection, because he wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. Her insides danced happily, and she rebuked them.

The woman's voice was speaking from the telephone again. "Thank you. Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Four small clasps appeared in the coin chute, and Harry reached for them, handing them to his companions. Luci shoved hers into the pocket of her jeans.

The operator had gone on, "Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

"Yes, we know," Harry answered her impatiently.

Subsequently, the booth began to shake with great force, and then they were sinking into the pavement. The shadows grew heavier, and Luci impulsively pressed herself into Harry's body. She wished that they were alone, and she would run her hands over his skin and her lips over his mouth and...

Draco. She had to think about her brother and what they were about to face. Suddenly, panic overtook her.

She spewed, "I'm scared," before she could stop herself. Then she added, mellowing her tone, "Just so all of you know."

Harry's best friends shared expressions of astonishment, while he said skeptically, "You're an Auror."

I'm an idiot, she thought. Then she inhaled slowly and explained, "Courage was never my strength."

"Well, it's mine," said Harry, and Ron added, "We're Gryffindors for a reason."

Fortunately, their elevator stopped at this moment, the merry voice saying, "The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day."

Then the grates opened, showing them a beautiful Atrium, lined with numerous fireplaces. If anyone worked here, they had yet to report for duty.

Harry began to step out of the booth, and Luci made to follow him, but he abruptly moved backwards, plummeting her to the floor of the box.

"What the..." she panted.

He was hammering his palm recklessly against the button that would close the doors again. Luci was perplexed by this, until she saw the Dementor floating toward them. It seemed to have eyes only for Harry, and though he reached for his wand, he was succumbing to its powerful vacuum.

"Do something!" shouted Ron.

Hermione contributed, "I'll do it!"

Luci had been momentarily frozen, but she replied, "Hold on!" and went for her wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" she launched at the Dementor.

Her robust panther sprang from her wand, barreling into the hooded figure. Except that the Dementor didn't react at all. It continued to drain Harry, and he fell into the side of the booth. Fear pierced Luci's heart. She'd never seen an impenetrable Dementor before...

Unless...

She stepped forward, between Harry and the creature, and her thoughts had been correct. Everything went orange before her eyes, and she could feel the water lapping at her ankles. It hadn't been a Dementor at all, but a Chipretta, and the fear in Luci's heart grew stronger.

She was going to drown. She was going to die right here. Right when they needed her. But she had to try...

Flourishing her wand madly, she began to chant the complicated spell.

Nothing happened, and she repeated the words, over and over again. The water was rising, then diminishing, then rising again. She felt terror and weakness bombarding her. She thought she might be crying, but there was so much wetness everywhere that she couldn't tell. Her legs were so cold...

And then she lost her will.

"I can't do it!" she sobbed, giving up.

"Yes, you can!" encouraged Hermione, and then there was another wand, and another voice.

So Luci took up again. But the fright had yet to subside, and she was fucking up the spell. She had to steady herself in order to repeat it properly.

And the water was withdrawing! A surge of hope, and she persisted with renewed vigor.

"Can we help?" she heard Ron offer, but no one answered.

It was working, and she and Hermione were gradually defeating the Chipretta together!

When there were only scattered puddles left around them, Luci's legs gave way beneath her. Someone caught her, and she thought perhaps she'd go to sleep now...

But she forced her eyes open. Harry was supporting her weight, so she wouldn't have hit the floor.

"Thank you, Hermione."

The shorthaired girl looked as exhausted as Luci felt, and she could only nod in reply.

Then Harry asked, "What was that? Everything was... orange."

"A Chipretta," she croaked, her throat dry and sore.

"Ky-what?"

She began to sit up, but he was still propping her with one hand.

"Chipretta," repeated Hermione in answer.

"I thought it was a Boggart..." he said uncertainly.

Luci countered, "Your greatest fear isn't a Dementor, is it?"

"My greatest fear is fear," said Harry, and her heart flared with admiration.

"As it should be," she smiled weakly.

"Yours isn't?"

If she told him her greatest fear, he would think her pathetic, as he'd experienced it more times than anyone should. But she answered anyway, "Mine is loss."

His expression turned to aggrieved nostalgia, and she felt awful.

"A Boggart can't kill you," Hermione threw in. "A Chipretta's sole purpose is to kill you, in the worst way that you can possibly imagine."

Luci nodded in agreement. "In your case, a Dementor, even though Dementors don't actually kill you. That one would have."

And Ron said, "Scariest bloody thing I ever heard of."

"And you're afraid of drowning?" Harry asked Luci, and her body reacted from the horror again.

"How did you get rid of it?" he went on.

"Harry!" warned Hermione, before Luci could respond.

And then a frosty voice snarled, "Well, well..."