章 21: The Rain Of Retribution
Malfoy
"Alright, guys, let's get this done quickly, so we can match the timing with Ron's team as soon as possible. Hermione, you deserve to finish what you started a few days ago, so this pleasure will be all yours, to destroy this thing with your own hands," Harry said as he placed the cursed cup on the ground and stepped away from it, to give her room to get her revenge on the Horcrux that had made her hesitate in emotional shock and surprise the last time she faced Tom Riddle. And just like before, as soon as the Horcrux sensed danger, it manifested itself in a more corporeal form for everyone to see the smoking figure of Tom Riddle, even without Malfoy's enchanted glasses.
"She doesn't have the guts to even scratch me. She fears me, my power, my dominance in every corner of this magical world! None of you will escape your fate even if you try! I am invincible!" Tom Riddle shouted to try to intimidate the girl once again, but Malfoy smirked as he watched Hermione take Gryffindor's sword and stab the cup with enough force to shatter it into hundreds of pieces, sending them flying everywhere.
"Shut up, you bloody ghost! I've challenged the older, stronger version of you and lived to tell the tale. We all survive this quest and you won't succeed even if you try." Hermione said to the dissipating ghostly figure before it disappeared completely. Last time she had hesitate because it have been too much to take when things went wrong right and left and exposed to the influence of the Horcrux for months, but not anymore. Then, she heard Malfoy clap his hands in approval.
"Masterly done, Hermione, not that there was any doubt you wont be able to do it, because we all know how fierce you are. To be honest, I pity anyone who dares to stand up to you, especially when you're angry," Malfoy said with a wider smile on his face.
"Is that a compliment or an insult, Draco?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow as she removed the sword from the remains of the cup and Tom Riddle, causing Harry to roll his eyes in a "here we go again" gesture and Malfoy raise his hands in surrender while visibly amused.
"A compliment, of course, you deserve nothing less, my fair lady." Malfoy said as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
"Idiot, come here," Hermione said as she hugged him, which he tenderly responded back, slightly kissing the curve of her neck and pressed closer. Watching that warm exchange, Harry had to admit that the very way Malfoy flattered Hermione, even when he teased her rather than simply pissing her off, was the real reason Ron lost his place in Hermione's heart.
It was obvious that Draco and Hermione were definitely far more compatible than she was with Ron, so Harry was now relieved to know that this time, Hermione would truly be appreciated by someone who knew her worth and how to expertly handle it. Harry knew that Ron had genuine feelings for Hermione, but he had to admit that the way he showed them wasn't the best.
More often than not, they backfired, making it painfully clear that he just didn't know how to make her happy, how to make her feel less upset or at least better understood and less hurt whenever he felt like throwing a harsh comment at her, a taunt, an inconsiderate act towards her feelings, or the most recently, asking her to choose between him and her best friend.
Although the old Draco Malfoy wasn't that much different from Ron in the beginning, the new, more mature version of Draco was, in fact, the perfect match for what Hermione needed in a romantic relationship, because he knew exactly what she needed and he was willing to gladly give it to her.
However, shortly after that brief moment of triumph and tenderness, things took a turn for the worse, just as Malfoy had feared earlier. This was because after they destroyed the Horcrux simultaneously, they heard an explosion coming from Hogwarts, closely followed by Voldemort's amplified scream throughout the Forbidden Forest, along with a sudden magical storm that filled the night sky with green lightning that flashed like twisted snakes. Then it began to rain under the greenish magical clouds and the temperature dropped considerably.
Malfoy then, fell to his knees in deep pain, as his Death Eater's mark had become scorching on his wrist, nearly making him faint on the spot. Hermione was immediately at his side, asking him what was wrong, but Malfoy could barely hear, much less feel her caring hand on his back, as his pain was simply as unbearable as the Crucio curse he had suffered when he was tortured in his own home.
"Draco! What's wrong? What's happening? Is it the rain? Draco Malfoy!" Hermione yelled at him hoping to get a reaction other than seeing him grab his wrist like he wanted to take it off somehow and gasp in pain, probably trying to swallow back a scream she knew he couldn't hold back for long under the chilling rain.
"Master Draco is in danger, it's not the rain..." Kragkor said as he touched his Master shoulder, trying to heal him with his own magic, but mostly in vain.
"It's his Death Eater Mark working on him like a curse. The Dark Lord is hurting him directly through it, now that he knows we've destroyed his Horcruxes. We need to find the snake as soon as possible and get the others to safety," Harry said as he looked at his parents through the rain who were still standing near him, but shortly after he said that, his own scar flared up with an equally intense pain from its connection to the now enraged Voldemort and he too fell to the ground with a searing pain that felt like his head was about to split in half.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, now also worried about her best friend as well as her boyfriend, but unable to do anything since Draco felt the same pain while she held him in her arms.
"Kragkor! The snake will return to Voldemort... now that he knows we're looking for it. Tell the house-elves to evacuate the remaining students to the manor without delay... Voldemort will not hold back this time in either the castle or the city... Tell Longbottom that this is his last chance!" Malfoy shouted hoarsely, almost as if he were forcing the words out through his intense pain.
"But Master Draco, you two are hurt and in grave danger, I can't leave you like this and..."
"Both me and Harry can handle this! We are no strangers to pain, but he is summoning every single Death Eater in the country here! The Dementors will also come to feed freely on the fear his rage will cause everywhere. The snake most die! Make sure of it or none of us will live to see the next sunrise!" Draco implored him.
"I will return shortly, Master Draco, please Madam Granger, take care of them until I return," Kragkor said under his Master's order, then he left, leaving them alone, even when the last thing Kragkor wanted was to leave them behind in a dangerous forest while they were hurt.
"Draco..." Hermione whispered as she hugged him closer to at least give him some of her warmth under the cold rain, fearing that this would be the end of them, because she was sure that Voldemort would appear where they were sooner rather than later.
"I lied to Kragkor. The pain is too much for me to bear in my weakened state... and I might faint soon, just like Harry. Therefore, you must leave Hermione and join the others in the castle, because this forest will be overrun with Death Eaters before long." Draco tried to reason with her, but Hermione only kissed his wet blond hair.
"No can do Draco, not without you and Harry. Whatever future we are about to face, we will face it together. To live or to die here, it will be our destiny, our choice and faith. I love you." She whisper to him, while trying to hold back her tears, as she slightly let go of him to take out her wand.
"For Merlin's sake, I love you too, Hermione Granger, but it's not the end of us yet, so don't say things that sound like last words... I can't stand them." Draco whispered to her, as he gathered the last of his strength to stand up with her help. "We still have one last card, don't we, Harry?" Malfoy asked as he looked at the wet Harry, who was lying on his back with his eyes closed trying to deal with the pain and the falling rain.
"Yes... it's time... he's coming," Harry confessed, as he did his best to keep Voldemort at bay long enough to give Draco and Hermione a way out before he faced his inevitable death.
"Wait... What are you two talking about? What secrets have you been keeping from me? Tell me!" Hermione demanded as she turned Draco to face her, knowing that something really bad was going to happen there and that they both already knew what.
"It's fate, Hermione," Harry said as he stood up as well, while placing a hand over his burning scar. "Take her away, Draco. What has to happen can't be stopped now," Harry said tiredly, trying to control himself through Voldemort's intrusion into his mind for a little while longer.
"Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean? Harry! Draco! Tell me what you two have planned behind my back." She was trying to free herself from Draco's arms now.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Draco whispered as he closed his eyes, also holding back tears.
"Don't be... like you say... it's not the end... now go!" And with that last command, Draco hugged Hermione tighter and disappeared from Harry's sight along with her. It was then that Harry let Voldemort in completely, so he could come and kill him.
Voldemort
The moment Voldemort realized what had just happened to him so unexpectedly, he blew up the Slytherin common room while screaming in fury as magically loud as he could, so that everyone for miles around could hear his declaration of war. How dare they! How did they find out about his most closely kept secret and go to the extent of nearly destroying them all without him even realizing it before? It was unimaginable, maddening, and just as shocking as it was to realize that he had been tricked by a bunch of teenagers who barely knew how to defend themselves properly for who knows how long!
"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, you're both dead!" Voldemort screamed as he used his most painful summons on the nearest Death Eater within range, knowing that Draco would feel the effect in full force, as would the rest of the Death Eaters who had failed to bring them both to him so he could take great joy in killing them in the most painful way.
"Lord Voldemort... please..." A Death Eater implored as he twisted his body in pain in the destruction around the blasted chamber.
"I want every undesirable student at Hogwarts dead to repay the blood debt Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy owe me, until they themselves bleed to death! Go and kill every single one of them!" Voldemort ordered as he summoned Nigini to return to him quickly and focused on locating Harry Potter while using their equally unexpected bond.
The boy was getting better at resisting him, he will give him that, as he had to really push his mind the hardest so far to break through his defense, but in the end, it turned out to be futile, as well as his last struggle to make him mortal again. Did they expect to easily kill Nigini as had happened with his other Horcruxes? Let them keep dreaming, let them believe in the child who lived and who in a few more minutes will no longer live.
Voldemort laughed as he discovered that he was somewhere in the Forbidden Forest, alone or at least with no one else around, which could be an opportunity for the boy to try to ambush him or his snake. Silly, but no matter, because even if the others were waiting for his arrival, the end would be the death of both Harry Potter and his little traitor Draco Malfoy. He was going to make an example of them to all others who dared to defy him.
"Let the hunt begin," said Voldemort as he transported himself into the Forbidden Forest, closely followed by a group of his Death Eaters and even Dementors, determined to end the legend of Harry Potter once and for all.
Ron
"Bloody hell! What is this freaking rainstorm? It's bone-chillingly cold!" Ron protested, while wiping his face with his sleeve, only to be wet again in seconds. It was a futile effort, but the sensation of rain was like the falling snow, not only cold but sticking into your skin, freezing it.
"Isn't it obvious? The Dark Lord is mad and wants retribution on every single one of us," Luna said, staring at the greenish night sky with a kind of fascination that no one else seems shared with her.
"What now? Where's the snake? Can we find it in this freakish forest? It's so huge and full of who know what more than Centaurus and Death Eaters!" Seamus asked for guidance, and the others simply looked at Dobby at the same time. Perhaps the little elf was not imposing, but at least he seemed to know what to do or where to go with his connection to the other elves who worked for Draco Malfoy, who in their minds, was the creator of all the plans and in total control of them.
"Neville Longbottom will take care of it. Now we'll help Harry Potter," Dobby said, pointing to the spot where he sensed the trail they had on him.
"Oh, so you know where Harry is, Dobby?" Cho Chang asked curiously as she saw him point somewhere to their west.
"Of course. All elves have traces of their Masters, they do! So they will know where to go when they are summoned." Dobby answered for her, giving the team a sense of relief that at least they have a direction to take now.
"So what about Draco Malfoy, do they have a trace of him too?" Luna asked without taking her eyes off the strange night sky, because she have a bad feeling on that eerie sight from the start and her instinct where usually sharp.
"Yes, yes! We helped Master Draco, we do!" Dobby said as he jumped up and down in happiness.
"That ferret... what's so amazing about him? He's just a Death Eater, a traitor, a coward who somehow fooled you all! I hope you don't come crying when it's discovered he was working for the Dark Lord all along." Ron let out his frustration at Draco. The man who had charmed Hermione with who knows what, but all he got out of it was Luna's laughter.
"Your jealousy is amusing, Ron, but it's still pointless. Hermione really does care about Draco and for your information, he's an ex-Death Eater, a traitor only to the Dark Lord and his minions, he's not a coward as I've seen him fight other Death Eaters and get badly injured by them and he hasn't fooled us. His change of heart is real and we're all glad for it. I, for one, wouldn't be here if he hadn't risked his life to save me." She said while feeling great gratitude for Draco, not only for saving her, but also her father and Mr. Ollivander, as well as the rest of the people he rescued directly and otherwise.
"Yeah, mate, let it go. Hermione's already made her decision. Be happy for her and move on like you did with your ex-girlfriend, Lavender." Seamus told him seriously, hoping the message would finally get through to his thick head.
"Hey, that's none of your business!" Ron protested.
"Well, you know what is our business?" Luna asked as she looked at Ron a little paler than her usual.
"What?" Ron asked back in annoyance.
"Dementors... lots of them." Luna pointed at the sky she had been staring at and the rest of the team looked in the direction she had pointed to see in horror that there was indeed a cloud of dementors heading towards them.
"Damn it! Let's go back to the castle!" Ron cried as he ready himself to Apparate close to the castle grounds.
"Wait, no! What about Harry, Draco and Hermione?" Cho Chan asked quite worried about the fate of their friends and savior.
"I'm sure they will leave the forest too, there is no point on staying when so many Dementors are coming. We need to regroup and help defend the castle. Luna is right, the Dark Lord want revenge on us and who are there closer to him right now?" Ron asked to the group and as the others look at each other, they agree that Ron's words make sense.
"He is right... the rest of the students and teachers will be the first to pay." Luna agree, thinking in Ginny and Neville.
"Then is settle." Seamus said and before any of them could use the magic, Dobby make a gesture with his hand and they were gone.
Hermione
As soon as they reappear closer to the edge of the forest, Hermione pushed Draco away from her in rage. It wasn't like them to leave others behind... well, to be honest with herself, it wasn't that unlikely since Ron had already done it before, but to her and Harry it was... unnatural, unthinkable and cowardly. It just didn't sit well with them, they were friends, they were a team, a force to be reckoned with, a shield that could stop anything in their path.
"Draco Malfoy! Why in Merlin's name did you do that?! We don't leave others behind, we don't abandon them either! What were you thinking?! You've changed, you are no longer a coward and bastard, you were supposed to be one of us now!" She screamed at him through tears.
"And I am... trust me Hermione, I am... but as much as I hate doing this to you and him... it can't be stopped. I'm sorry Hermione, but what's going to happen to Harry, not even Dumbledore could have stopped it even if he had lived," Draco said, moving closer to her while still resisting the pain in his wrist.
"Then tell me... what is the secret you two hide from me..." Hermione almost implored, coming closer to Draco in sign of her surrender, of her desperation to save a dear friend.
"His death..." Draco confessed and before Hermione could scream even louder and attract Death Eaters to their position, he hug her and pull her face over his chest in an iron grip that cause more than just physical pain.
"No! No, no, no, no... That can't happen! It can't happen!! Draco, let go of me!" But Draco only enclose her harder against his chest and as he cry, he whisper to her while she keep struggling.
"He's a Horcrux... the last one Voldemort made by accident. He needs to die..." Hermione barely heard him, but the impact of the words only made her legs give out and they both fell to the wet ground where she began to cry. She had always wondered why Harry and Voldemort shared such a close connection as to be able to meddle in each other's minds without the use of spells or why Harry could use Parseltongue... so that was the reason...
"So it was all for nothing?" Hermione asked in defeat.
"No... he lives..." Draco murmur into her ear, so lowly that she could barely hear it, but she did and when she looked back at him in more shock, she saw him smile at her.
"Against all odds, he lives..." He repeated.
AN: Oh my, after 8 years coming back to try finish this story? Yeah, right. It will never flow in the same way, but at least I try... if anyone is still interested.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット