The Girl Who Lived (Draco Malfoy x OC)

The Smoke

February 5th 1998

Draco apparated to Hogwarts with Lupin, Ron, Nott, Bill and Fleur. They landed on the solid ground of the courtyard with so much haste they nearly toppled over. Above them, the darkness of the sky was incomplete, aglow with stars that stretched to infinity, thousands of pinpricks of cold light. The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky. All around him, other Order members were appearing and amongst that, students scattered with craze. He could barely recognise anyone in the flurry of faces. Beside him, Ron mimicked his panicked actions, glancing everywhere in search of the girls.

"Let me get this straight, Professor. You're giving us permission to do this?" A familiar dopey voice caught Draco's ears. He whipped around to see a battered Longbottom, excitedly dogging the steps of McGonagall.

"That is correct, Longbottom," she said with an air of prowess.

"To blow it up. Boom?"

"Boom."

"Wicked," then Longbottom frowned, "exactly how do you propose we do this, Professor?"

"Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnegan. As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics," she said.

"Minerva!" Lupin called and the Scottish witch's focus immediately drew to them.

"Remus," she greeted, but there was nothing about it. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is coming. Potter has work to do in the castle on Dumbledore's orders. We need to put in place every protection of which we are capable while she does what needs to be done."

Lupin nodded fiercely.

"Where is she?" Draco demanded.

McGonagall flashed stunned eyes to him, Draco couldn't care less about niceties, even on the best of days he didn't. Her face slowly sunk into something accepting, no doubt the rumour about their relationship had spread within Hogwarts walls.

"I don't know, Mr. Malfoy," she said gently. "Somewhere in the castle is all I can offer."

He looked to Ron who nodded, they seemed to have a silent conversation between them, acknowledging Harper was searching for the last horcrux. Something must have indicated to her it was in the castle.

"You realise, Minerva, there is nothing we can do that will be able to keep out You-Know-Who indefinitely?" Flitwick said. In all the alacrity, Draco didn't even notice the Charms Professor's arrival.

"That doesn't mean we can't hold him up," she said, nodding grimly to both he and Lupin. "And his name is Voldemort, Filius. You might as well use it. He's going to try to kill you either way."

A cold aura washed over Draco, at a glance, he could see Nott feel it too. The stark realisation that they would be facing the Dark Lord himself weighed heavy on them. He knew he would stop at nothing to protect Harper, even if it meant facing the devil himself. Draco didn't let his mind travel to how powerful Voldemort was or the fact that Harper would be facing off against the most powerful, skilled and dangerous dark wizard in the proceeding hours if he penetrated the castle's defenses. Which the Professor's just said he would eventually. McGonagall then wheeled around, raising her wand and pointing it in the direction of the Great Hall.

"Piertotum Locomotor!"

Instantly, the statues and suits of armour that Draco had walked past time and time again into castle sprung to life, pouncing off their plinths with strength. Together, in uniform, they paraded out of the castle with thunder.

"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries and protect us! Do your duty to our school!" She instructed.

A rush of fear engulfed him as he and the others wove their way out of the path of the soldiers. He ran smack into Professor Sprout who was passing by, muttering something about Devil's Snare and Snargaluff pods. When he looked back to his unusual entourage, Slughorn was running up to them, desperate to talk to McGonagall. Draco supposed she was in charge now that Snape had fled the school.