The Brightest Black

The sudden sound of a desk being shoved across the floor made Draco's hand slip; creating a huge splotch of ink in the middle of the transfiguration notes he'd been writing.

He scowled and looked up, opening his mouth to yell at Black.

But as soon as he saw her he knew something was terribly, horribly wrong.

There was such a look of pure, unbridled terror on her face. Before he could ask what was wrong she was on her feet and racing out of the classroom, her wand appearing in her hand as she flew past him.

He didn't stop to think about it.

He followed her.

Though as he slipped through the doorway and lifted his robes to accommodate his longer stride he found himself wondering what his life had come to, chasing Black through the corridors of Hogwarts.

If he hadn't had such long legs he didn't think he could have kept up with her. She was moving so fast, her hair had fallen out of its usual bun, trailing behind her like a long, shimmery cape.

"Black! Stop! What's going on?!?"

She ignored him as she tore through an archway, racing down a circular staircase.

They were on the other side of the castle, somewhere on the fifth floor, when Black let out a pained gasp and fell to the ground, clutching her left forearm.

He skidded to a halt and fell to his knees beside her. He felt her wand digging into his knee, but he ignored it.

"Black? What's wrong? What's going on?" He reached out, hands shaking, trying to see if she was injured.

She didn't respond, her face frighteningly pale under her tangled curtain of hair.

"Black? BLACK!"

Still no response, he moved her right hand and looked at her arm, but everything looked normal on her black sleeve.

He was very confused, and her refusal to answer made him wonder about her sanity. Though, much as Black annoyed him, he'd always thought she had a sound mind.

Her lips moved and he barely heard her whisper, "Drown, please drown," repeatedly.

He started to push her sleeve up, to see what was wrong.

Her right hand was suddenly gripping his wrist and she was shoving herself away from him. He looked up at her, meeting her soft brown eyes with his own steely grey ones.

She gasped, her eyes wide with fear, viewing something he couldn’t.

“Black?”

Her breathing quickened and her hands began shaking as she felt around on the floor, searching for her wand.

He moved his knee and handed it to her, but didn’t let go as she took it.

“Black, answer me!”

She just tugged on the wand, as if trying to pull a cranky mandrake out of its pot.

“Hermione!” He gave in and used her given name. It twisted across his tongue in a rather unsettling way.

She jerked and looked up at him, meeting his eyes once again; but this time she actually saw him.

“He’s back.”

“What do you mean? Who’s back?”

She just yanked her wand out of his hand and hopped to her feet. There was a panicked, yet fierce note in her voice as she spoke, “He’s got Harry and he’s back. We need to go, NOW.”

She took off running, but this time she headed up.

Draco was still just as confused as before, but that didn’t stop him from following Black. He wanted, no, he needed, to find out what was going on.

XXX

Harry’s vision swam in front of him as he watched the horrible figure emerge from the cauldron before him. Rain coated his glasses, making the figure nothing more than a pale blob, but he still knew who it was.

He knew exactly who it was.

And he was terrified.

His heart was beating like a drum in his chest and there was a rushing in his ears as a cold voice said, “Robe me.”

“Yes, master. Of course.”

The strange man that had snatched Harry from the alley he’d been snogging Ginny in carefully picked up the black robes with his one remaining hand. He then slipped them over his master’s head, grinning madly the entire time. Ignoring the blood seeping from his stump.

Ginny…he hoped she was alright. He’d last seen her bobbing ponytail as he’d followed her towards the street.

Please, please let her be alright.

“Barty, hold out your arm,” Voldemort said as the robes fell into place.

The strange man, Barty, held out his left arm. Voldemort pushed up the sleeve, revealing the twisting snake and skull that made up the Dark Mark. Harry had only ever seen it in old newspaper clippings Padfoot kept stuffed in a box in the attic.

“It is back,” he said softly, “they will all have noticed it…and now, we shall see…now we shall know…”

He pressed his long white forefinger to the brand on Barty’s arm.

Harry’s scar immediately erupted with pain. He gasped and pushed back at the pain. Using the mind exercises Professor Roux had taught them during a ‘detention’. Instantly the pain lessoned, but his head began to swim. He knew it had to do with the blood loss. He could feel his wrist dangling strangely as blood mixed with rainwater at his feet.

Barty had cut him deeply when taking blood. Too deeply.

He’d felt his mind link up with Hermione’s. He’d felt her presence. He knew it. He’d been with her too many times over the years, when her dreams took her to places he couldn’t truly understand. Never once had he been on the receiving end, not really. Maybe during the incident with the Philosopher’s Stone, but he’d been in too much pain to know what was going on.

Hermione had seen what he had seen.

She was smart enough to figure it out. To see the angel next to him; the regularly placed stones. She’d know it was a cemetery.

Maybe…maybe they could find him.

Dimly he realized Voldmort was speaking. Something about a house up on a hill, but he couldn’t pay attention.

He felt cold.

So cold.

His cheek began to sting and he heard the distant sound of a slap; he rolled his head to the side, too tired to look up. From the corner of his eye he could see the blood red eyes of Voldemort blazing down at him.

“Harry Potter! Pay attention!”

Harry couldn’t help it, he snorted in laughter, jostling his arm and making him gasp as the blood began to flow even faster.

“What…”

Voldemort grabbed Harry’s arm and held it up so he could see it in the dim glow of Barty’s wand. Harry felt the world grow dark as pain overcome him. Briefly he felt Hermione brush him, and together they looked into the angry red eyes of a man everyone thought was dead. And then, sweet, warm darkness swallowed him up.

XXX

Black skidded to a halt outside a portrait of a fat lady.

“Codswallop.”

The portrait sent Draco a strange look, but swung open to reveal a cheerful little common room. For half a moment he felt a little envious of the Gryffindors. Being up so high, able to look out over the grounds…

His thoughts were abruptly stopped as Hermione grabbed his arm and yanked him through the portrait hole.

She pulled him through the common room, earning quite a few glances from the first and second years there, but none of them dared to question two prefects - even if one of them was in the wrong house.

She pulled him up a spiral staircase and into a comfortable room outfitted with five beds. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, wondering just how much his world had changed that Hermione Black had pulled him into Gryffindor Tower.

That she seemed to be relying on him for help.

She dug around in two trunks and came out holding two broomsticks. One was a Nimbus 2000 and looked well-used, the other was a fairly new Firebolt.

“Both brooms have beaten you to the snitch, they’re fast. Just what we need,” she said as she panted, trying to catch her breath.

“Wait, brooms, isn’t Potter in Hogsmeade?”

“No, didn’t you-” she froze and her eyes glazed over again, but only for a moment.

“Black?”

She gave her head a shake, worry filling her face as she handed him the brooms before sweeping her hair back into a ponytail. “Look, Malfoy, I will do this alone, but I need help and there’s no time to deal with adult politics. No one would believe me anyway. Harry was taken, by a Death Eater. Voldemort is back.”

Draco shook his head in disbelief, “No, he’s gone. Father assured me.”

“Your father was mistaken. He tied himself to this world. I can’t explain how, but he did it. He’s not gone, and he won’t be until we figure out what was missed.”

“That makes no sense!”

She gave a snort of frustration and yanked the Firebolt out of his hand. “Look, Malfoy, I don’t have time to explain. Harry is DYING. Now, I know you’re not evil. Maybe I thought that once, but I know you better now. I also know your mother and I can’t see her wanting Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, to die. Even if it means directly confronting Lord Voldemort. So, are you going to help me or not?”

Draco felt torn. Black was family, and he’d always been told that you did everything for family. Potter was her family, much as the prat annoyed him. And that meant Potter was his family, too. In a way he didn’t really want to think about.

His mother would tell him to go.

But his father…

He didn’t know what his father would want.

And He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…the Dark Lord…to stand against him….

He couldn’t.

He couldn’t do it.

He wasn’t a hero.

He thrust the Nimbus into her hands, “I-I’m sorry. I can’t.”

She closed her eyes, hiding whatever was shining there, and took a deep breath, “Fine. Go find Dumbledore. Tell him what happened.”

She opened her eyes and met his. Her eyes were no longer soft - they glittered with a sharp starkness. “Can you do that?”

He gulped and nodded, unable to find words to speak that wouldn’t reveal how wrong he knew his decision was. She grabbed a belt out of one of trunks and transfigured it into a harness, then she fixed the Nimbus to her back. He watched as she moved to the window and pushed it open. She stood there for half a second, frozen, and he felt the sudden urge to call out, to stop her.

But then she was gone, racing off on Harry Potter’s Firebolt.

Draco turned and ran back out of Gryffindor Tower.

XXX

Ginny’s lungs were screaming as she sprinted up the road between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

Stupid, stupid adults!

No one had believed her when she said Harry had disappeared. They’d assumed she had fought with her boyfriend and he’d gone off on his own or headed back to Hogwarts.

But they didn’t know Harry like she did. He wouldn’t do that. Not that they’d fought. No, they’d been doing the exact opposite.

And then she hadn’t been able to find Ron or Luna. They were likely off sitting by some bubbling brook looking for Nargles or Squadges or some such nonsense. And Neville and Pansy had already left to go back to Hogwarts.

Professor Dumbledore would believe her. Merlin, even Snape would believe her! They knew that there were still people out there that wanted to harm Harry.

She rounded a bend in the road and caught sight of a figure on a broom right above her, racing off to the south.

She knew broomsticks, and she knew how people rode them.

“HERMIONE!!!”

The broom slowed and turned, coming closer until Hermione made a clumsy landing next to her.

“Ginny! Harry, he’s been-“

“I know!”

Ginny reached over and unhooked Ron’s Nimbus from Hermione’s back. She threw her leg over it and looked at the older girl.

"I assume you know where he is? You two and your weird sensing thing?”

Hermione gave a quick nod and then pushed off the ground. Ginny was in the air an instant after her. Luckily Padfoot had spent so many hours tutoring Hermione on flying, because flying over the Scottish countryside, staying low enough to avoid muggles, was extremely difficult.

Ginny’s hands were completely numb by the time the landscape became softer, the hills more rolling. Not too long after that the clouds moved in and soon they were battling their way through piercing needles of icy rain.

Hermione never wavered.

It was as if some invisible compass directed her onwards. And Ginny supposed that was true. Harry had told her some about the weird connection between himself and his foster sister. How he’d always known when Hermione was having flashbacks or nightmares, ever since they were young. Hermione had only experienced it when Harry had been attacked by Quirrell; before Ginny had started at Hogwarts.

Whatever it was only occurred when one was in danger or great pain. And for Hermione to sense Harry so clearly…

Ginny was terrified of what they would find.

Not too much later Hermione took a sudden dive downwards. Ginny followed, spiraling to slow her descent, mildly surprised when Hermione did the same.

The two girls hit the muddy ground and went sprawling, their frozen limbs refusing to function. They laid there for a moment, and then Hermione managed to unclasp her broom and cast a warming charm over the two of them.

“There, the trace should let them know where we are,” Hermione said.

Ginny snorted and pulled her own stiff fingers off of the Nimbus. “Are you so sure they’re looking for us?”

“Yes, I sent Malfoy to tell Dumbledore.”

Ginny looked over at Hermione in surprise and rolled over, pushing herself up onto all fours in preparation of putting weight on her frozen feet.

“You really think Malfoy would tell Dumbledore? It was likely Death Eater scum that took Harry.”

Hermione pushed herself into a sitting position and looked at Ginny, “Malfoy is family, even if we end up on different sides. If he says he'll do something, he'll do it. And it wasn’t just Death Eater scum. It’s Voldemort. He’s back."

Ginny was halfway onto her feet when Hermione spoke. She toppled back to the ground in shock.

“He-he’s BACK?!?”

Hermione nodded grimly, “And he’s not too far away. I can feel Harry close by. We need to hurry.”

“But the adults...”

Hermione stood up, holding onto a nearby tree. “I don’t think we have time to wait for them. Harry feels very, very weak. I don’t know what they’ve done to him. But it’s-“

She abruptly fell to the ground and began writhing in pain, her hands clasped over her mouth to stop from screaming.

That didn’t stop Ginny from hearing distant screams over the constant pitter-patter of raindrops on leaves.

She shoved herself to her feet and yanked out her wand - eyes scanning the trees around them. There was nothing she could do to stop Hermione's pain. When the screaming stopped and Hermione was lying still beside the two broomsticks Ginny reached down and grabbed her friend’s arm, pulling her to her feet.

“Hermione. Block him. Put up your shields. I know Professor Roux taught occlumancy during ‘detention’. We’re here. You don’t need the connection to find him. And I can’t have you falling to the ground every time they torture him.”

Tears mingled with rain on Hermione’s face, “But…he’ll be alone.”

Ginny gave the older girl a rough shake, “Hermione Granger Black, wake up! He’s not alone! He knows we’re coming, doesn’t he?”

Hermione took a deep, shuddery breath and nodded.

“Good, now let’s go.”

Ginny grabbed the Firebolt this time, and handed the Nimbus to Hermione before moving through the small copse of trees, towards where the scream had originated from.

It was slow going, neither of them wanted to create a light, for fear of being seen.

A couple times Hermione gave sharp gasp, just before the screams started again. After the first time Ginny took her friend’s hand, offering what little comfort she could as they made their way over tree roots.

Abruptly the trees came to an end. Dimly they could make out a low stone wall before them, an small wrought iron gate illuminated by a group of glowing wands not more than twenty feet from them.

The two girls crouched down and moved to the wall, peering through the gate.

There were a number of robed and masked people encircling a tall, thin figure.

It was a high, cold voice that spoke, cutting through the sound of the rain.

"That hurt, didn’t it Harry? You don’t want me to do that again, do you?"

There was a pause, but no one spoke over the sound of the rain.

“You are but a boy that has had pure luck on his side. Taken so easily off the streets of Hogsmeade. Weakened so much by a simple cut. Now, I asked you whether you want me to do that again.” Voldemort said more softly this time. His voice just barely heard from Ginny’s hiding place. “Answer me! Imperio!"

They stood their frozen, waiting for Harry to respond. Not sure what they would do, but knowing they needed the Death Eaters to be in confusion if they were to have a chance of rescuing Harry.

Abruptly a rough, familiar voice yell out, "I won’t!"

“You won’t? Why, Harry, obedience is a virtue, and I must teach you it before you die. Perhaps some more pain?”

Ginny winced and gripped her wand tightly in one hand, her broom in the other. She looked over at Hermione to see her mounting her own broom, still in a crouch.

“We are not playing hide-and-seek, Harry.”

Hide-and-seek? Harry must have run and hid.

She glanced over at the older girl and locked eyes with Hermione. The two of them then pushed off the ground and rose slowly. They had no time to make a plan, all they could do was their best to delay events until help arrived. If Hermione was right in her belief that Malfoy would tell Dumbledore.

Soon as they were in the air they froze, hovering ten feet in the air.

“Expelliarmus!”

“Avada Kedavra!”

The entire graveyard lit up as two streams of light poured from Harry and Lord Voldemort's wands. One red and one green. They met in the middle and a narrow beam of golden light connected the two wands.

As Ginny watched, frozen, Harry and Voldemort were lifted off the ground. They floated away from the gravestones and landed in a grassy area even farther form where Ginny and Hermione were hovering.

The Death Eaters began shouting and hurrying to follow – to reform the circle.

Ginny made out a great shape slithering along the ground and felt her skin crawl.

As the two girls watched the light changed, becoming a web that formed a dome over the two combatants.

The Death Eaters took a step forwards, towards Harry, and Ginny raised her wand, but Voldemort's voice stopped them.

"No! The boy is mine!"

Ginny glanced over at Hermione to see her staring intently at what was occurring. Distantly they heard whispers, but could make nothing out. Ginny urged her broom up higher and forwards, Hermione following her.

When they were almost directly above the Death Eaters Ginny leaned over to whisper to Hermione.

“When this, whatever it is, ends, I’ll swoop down and grab him. Can you cover us?”

Hermione nodded, her hands bone white on her wand.

Ginny settled her gaze on the golden dome, looking for any sign that it would break. Through the shimmery curtain of light she could make out additional figures. There was more than just Harry and Voldemort in their now, but she had no idea how they had gotten there. Nor could she do anything about it. She wasn’t the most studious witch, but even she knew if it looked like a shield, it was probably a shield.

Then there was a yell of, “NOW!” and the dome of light broke. There was a rush of something towards Voldemort, but Ginny paid it no mind. She aimed the Firebolt downwards and pushed it to go as fast as it could. She narrowed her eyes as the wind bit at her face. Her entire focus was on her target, sure in the knowledge that Hermione would do all she could to shield her. She almost crashed into Harry, but at the last possible moment she leveled out, reaching down with her right hand.

There was a loud ‘SMACK’ as their hands collided, she felt the impact through her bones. With a great heave she yanked him upwards. Her muscles screamed in pain as he hung from her arm. But then, far enough up, she leveled out. Harry took the chance to swing himself up on the broom behind her. His hands were shaking as they wrapped themselves around her waist. His wand jabbing her in the stomach.

All the while she heard spells fizzle and crash against the shield Hermione had erected around them. She glanced over to see Hermione beside them, casting spells and throwing up shields as needed. A jet of green light caught Ginny’s eye and she rolled to the side. Harry clung tightly to her, both of then using every trick in their quidditch bag to stay on the broom.

“Let’s go!” Ginny shouted.

The three of them raced away from the graveyard, not entirely sure where they were flying, but knowing they had to get away.

Ginny could tell that Hermione was beginning to fall behind them, her lack of ease with a broom, as well as her spell-casting, was causing her to slow down.

“Hermione! She needs help!” Harry shouted in her ear.

Ginny felt Harry unwrap his right arm from around her waist and twist to look behind them.

“Stupefy!” he called out.

Another jet of green light came streaming past them and Ginny made a few erratic swerves, dodging more streams of red and green lights, as well as a nasty looking orange one.

Hermione let out a sudden scream, and Ginny spun her head around, almost stopping in mid-air, to see Hermione let go of the broom and clutch her side in pain. In response her broom tilted and she plummeted towards the ground.

“HERMIONE!!!”

Ginny didn’t know if it was her scream or Harry’s that clashed with the sudden sound of thunder booming in the distance.

She yanked on the broom and headed straight down, praying that she could reach Hermione in time.

She pushed down on the broom handle, pulling herself as close to the broomstick as possible, Harry’s weight was pushing against her, urging her down, but also holding her back, their robes catching the wind. Both of them were urging the faithful Firebolt to just go a little bit faster. Ginny’s heart was in her throat as she pulled beside Hermione, who was bent in two, screaming silently and clawing at her stomach. She reached out one hand to grab the front of the Nimbus, but her hand slipped on the wet wood. She reached out again and only succeeded in pushing Hermione farther away. She cursed under her breath and pushed harder. There was almost no time left.

Suddenly her broom gave a lurch and Harry was no longer behind her. She felt herself being pushed backwards as he threw himself at Hermione.

Miraculously he landed on the back of the broom, immediately reaching around and pulling the broom level just before it hit the ground. A moment later they tumbled off, Harry holding onto Hermione’s writhing form as they rolled across the ground.

Ginny pulled herself out of her own dive just in time, her toes brushing the grass.

She quickly landed on the ground, keeping a hand on her wand and looking around for any Death Eaters. They were now on the other side of the copse of trees, about where she and Hermione had first landed not too long ago.

Harry was crouched over a thrashing Hermione, the two of them were rapidly pulling her robes out of the way. Trying to reach where the spell had affected. Ginny wanted to help, but she refused to lower her guard. The Death Eaters were still out there, and they’d have seen them fall.

CRACK.

She jumped and spun around, raising her wand, a spell on the tip of her tongue.

But it was never cast.

The aurors had arrived.