Hidden Wings - Part II

The Headmaster

Draco was kept busy the next few weeks. As Dimitry made no progress in finding the Birth Place, Draco was sent with several others to search the grounds outside of Hogwarts. Dementors regularly accompanied them, swooping low beneath the trees in the shadows and making a shiver crawl up Draco's spine. The sky never seemed to clear up any more; the clouds hung low above the grounds in a dreary grey, never raining but making the air feel heavy.

McGonagall had taken charge over the castle, obviously because she had been Deputy Headmistress, and she scowled from behind the protective wards of the castle at the Death Eaters. Once her eyes found Draco's and although his face was concealed by a mask, he felt like her sharp eyes pierced right through it. Agaim more a lump formed in his stomach at the memory, but he pushed his guilt aside and continued combing through the forest.

A gnarled branch tugged at his cloak and he cursed under his breath as he yanked it free from the hollow wood.

"Lumos", he muttered and shone the blue light of his wand down a dark path, overshadowed by the dead trees.

Trudging around in the silent forest gave him actually the only opportunity to think in peace about his next steps.
One, give a message to Dobby and tell McGonagall about Dimitry. The message obviously had to include that Mioha was going to get transferred to Malfoy Manor at around Christmas.
That was still several months away, but the Order would need time to conduct a plan on how to get Mioha out of Malfoy Manor.

Two, search for the remaining horcruxes and find a way to contact Harry, Ron and Hermione. Perhaps Dobby could assist him, but it was extremely dangerous sending a house-elf somewhere unknown. But Dobby was the only one he had who could find them.

Three, get Lovegood and Weasley out of the dungeons while the Order was getting Mioha. The escape had to be quick, which meant Lovegood and Weasley had to be out of their cells by the time the Order arrived. They couldn't waste their times searching through the dungeons for them.

The muggle girls that occupied the other cells came into his mind, but Draco did not see how he was able to get them out any time soon. They couldn't defend themselves against curses or hexes, any attempt of rescuing them would only succeed if he had an army by his side.

His neck started prickling and Draco's eyes narrowed behind his mask. Without slowing down, he scanned the path before him. Left and right everything was covered in darkness.

His wand, ready in his right hand, whipped upward as he whirled around, ready to stun the person following him.

The curse he was about to say never left his lips.

"Bane", he said instead in a low voice.

The raven-haired centaur glowered at him, an arrow pulled back at his bow while his quiver was slung over his broad shoulders.
"Malfoy", he growled and stomped with his hoof, smashing dead leaves together.

Draco kept his wand raised at the centaur while his heart rate slowed down again.
There was no one else nearby, he could sense it.

"You were wrong to come here", said the centaur icily while pointing the sharp arrow straight at Draco's chest.
"This forest is no place for humans anymore."
The flanks of the centaur quivered, as if it itched him to just let go of the arrow.

Draco held the centaur's gaze firmly with his own eyes, his wand steady.
He could stop the arrow if he wanted. He could curse Bane before the centaur even moved. But he was interested in how far Bane would actually go.