What's at Heart

Through the Trapdoor

I will take this time to thank bookhater95 immensely for also beta reading these last few chapters. I don't know what I'd do without you!

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It did not go according to plan.

His timber like growls shook the floor before the room stopped spinning, Malfoy's shrieks somehow continued to increase beyond what should be possible, and Padfoot lay on the other side of the room bleeding, unmoving.

It wasn't until somebody raised their wand beside him in tandem and shouted, "Protego!" He realized it was Neville's voice, not Ron's, but the feeling of relief flooding him was all the same as his shield blocked one of the three heads already swooping in on the pool of blood. His hot breath steamed the magic, saliva flew in all directions, splattering and mixing into Sirius's life force and making travel even more impossible.

Hermione and Tonks had an unconscious Professor Lupin between them and were trying to haul him to the hatch still closed while Malfoy hid behind the harp. Harry and Neville still had the attention of two of the heads snapping and pressing them into the wall behind by Neville's loan barrier, his shield the only thing keeping them in place while the third continued whining and straining his obscenely thick neck muscles to sniff at the red and black pool.

For a heart stopping breath, Harry didn't know where Ron was, and he feared even as his arms trembled and his heart beat louder than the thunderous growls that would never stop his best mate was already swallowed into a gullet. The girls were trying to get through without being trampled underfoot, Hermione's cloak was caught under a massive nail the size of her face, her frizzy hair crackled with the scream she let lose as she tried to wrench herself free with the promising deadly vines only feet away while they held two-thirds of Fluffy's focus with dwindling power as their shields began to flicker-

TWANG, BANG, CLANG

It sounded like somebody was beating Fleur Delacour's voice to death, the musical quality all drained out and only leaving the sharp noise of a distraught instrument, but Fluffy froze in place. Ron did it again, violently rubbing the heel of his palm across the harp Quirrell had once left behind as he shouted, "Hermione move!"

TWINGE, BLURR, SCREEEECH

It was no semblance of music Harry had ever heard, or would wish to hear again, but the dog's eyes were drooping. He was making a deceivingly sad, keening noise in the back of his throat like a child whining about nap time as two legs began to fold down. Ron did it one last time, his nails and Quidditch calloused rough digits beating out a few more notes as the massive monster hit the ground snoring on his side. One hind leg was left kicking at the air like he was at least having a nice dream, the very same that had been pinning their friend down.

Tonks tapped Professor Lupin with her wand now to go ahead as she helped Hermione limp along, who was conjuring blue flames as they finally jumped down.

Harry and Neville let their shields drop with shocking gasps, shaking and sweating from exertion. With one deep breath though, Neville steadied himself and kept his wand trained right in place as Ron kept up the same back and forth movement, almost getting into some kind of rhythm that didn't hurt their ears but still no closer to a tune as the same strings were being rung back and forth. Harry marched over to where Malfoy was still cowering, his face filled with tears and snot streaks as he clung onto the golden hilted base like it was his actual prison. The shimmering cords only added to the effect until Harry reached around and grabbed him roughly by the scruff of his neck, marching him over to the hatch and dumping him unceremoniously in spite of his yelp and trying to hold onto Harry's sleeve.

His eyes flickered longingly to the door for just a moment, but it would do no good to sit around and try to get it open. The path was obvious, and his friends were down there.