Everything Remains

Chapter 26- Me Tinks This is a Bad Idea?

Tinks watched as Sir Malfoy led Draco up the stairs, back to the dining room party. 
'I don't understand what happened? Why did he follow him back up there?' Tinks thought to herself, puzzled about what had transpired. 
'Sir Malfoy was talking about Harry Potter and needing him, then he leaves? Something isn't right to Tinks..'

Tinks paced around her corner of the dungeon, holding her sock in between her long fingers. 
Now that she is free, she does not have to punish herself or listen to Sir and Mrs. Malfoy any longer, much to her happiness. 

'Tinks things that she should talk to Harry Potter? Just in case?'
Tinks questions herself, wondering if that was the right thing to do. Concentrating hard, Tinks apparated herself with the snap of her fingers.

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*Hogwarts main entrance*

Tinks appears in the only part of Hogwarts that she has seen herself, the main entrance. Tinks was taken here by Sir and Mrs. Malfoy when they came to retrieve Draco, telling her to stay put and not move until they came back. 
'Tinks wonders how I will find Harry Potter? Sir Malfoy didn't give Tinks directions...'
Tinks began to walk further into the castle, deciding to move forward into the first double doors that she sees.

Tinks pushes open the doors to see four huge tables, adorned with all sorts of foods, pastries, and hundreds of students enjoying their meals. 
Tinks walks slowly down one of the walkways inbetween the tables, looking around, wondering what to do. 
"Oi, hello! We never get to see any of the elves up here! Thank you for dinner, miss!" Tinks turns towards the voice addressing her, seeing a brown haired boy with big front teeth and a charming smile. 
"Sir, I wonder if you know where Harry Potter is? I need to talk to him, please?" 
"Well I'll be. Sure, Miss. I can take you to him. Ready to go?" 
"Yes, Sir. Lead the way." 

Neville leads Tinks out of the crowded Great Hall and up to the Gryffindor common room. Neville finds it a little odd that an elf that lives in the castle doesn't know where the common room is, but leads Tinks there anyways. 
As they approach the Fat Lady, Neville whispers the password *Trecle Tart,* and makes way for the portrait to swing open. 

Neville makes sure Tinks is following behind while they climb through the portrait hallway. 
"Oi, Harry? Are you still in here?" Neville calls out, looking around the common room. 
"What is it Neville?" Harry pokes his head out of the dorm room doorway, looking down at them from above. 
"I have someone here that wants to speak to you? A Miss... actually, I didn't get your name. What's your name, Miss?" 
"Tinks, sir. I like you all much better than the Malfoys. Much kinder!" 
"Did you say Malfoy?" Harry rushed down the stairs, speed-walking towards Tinks and Neville. 
"Yes, sir. Tinks works for the Malfoys. Actually, used to work for them. Sir Malfoy gave Tinks a sock to free Tinks." Tinks held up the sock with pride, her tiny, yellow teeth gleaming. 

"Tinks, do you know if Sir Malfoy, Draco, is alright? What is going on? Why are you here to see me?" Harry rambled out, his anxiety rushing his words. 
"Tinks was talking to Sir Draco. He asked Tinks if Tinks knew Sir Harry Potter and Dobby. Sir Draco said that he needed to come here to talk to you, sir."
"Where is he then, Tinks?" 
"Sir Malfoy found us, and Sir took Sir Draco back upstairs. Tinks doesn't know what happened, Sir Harry. But Tinks thought that Tinks should tell Harry, in case something is wrong." 
"Tinks, you are brilliant. Thank you for letting me know. Would you be able to apparate back into the Malfoy Manor?" 
"Tinks thinks so, sir." 
"Alright. Let me go get Ron and Hermione and we will return with you, is that okay Miss Tinks?"
"Yes, sir. Being called Miss is rather exciting for Tinks!"

Harry ran back up the stairs to where Ron and Hermione were, laying on Ron's bed together brainstorming of how to infiltrate the Manor. 
"MERLIN, we have a way into the Manor! Get up!" Harry practically yelled, startling the two. 
"Oi, what do you mean? What's happening?" Ron scuttled to his feet, confused but ready. 
"One of the Malfoy's house elves just showed up looking for me. She said something is wrong and she can get us into their house. She... she knew Dobby." Harry paused, realizing how similar this was to a year ago, before Dobby died saving them. 
"They got more house elves? Why am I surprised, the arses." Hermione gasped, covering her mouth. 
"LET'S GO! We don't know what is going on. We could be losing precious time." Harry grabbed Ron's wrist, pulling him and Hermione forward. 

"TINKS! We're ready. Do you think you can get all three of us there at once?" Harry inquired, strapping his go-bag across his chest. 
"Well, of course sir. I'm an elf?" 
Harry smiled, realizing the memory of Dobby saying the same thing. 
The trio held onto Tinks hands and closed their eyes to apparate to Malfoy Manor. 

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*POP*

The distinctive apparition sound reverberated through the dungeon kitchen that Tinks took them to. 
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood tall, assessing where they were. 
"Tinks, do you happen to know where they all are and what is going on?" Harry implored. 
"Sir, they are having a dinner party in the dining room. Master told me how important it was for their future." 
"Tinks, you're the best. Do you think you can meet us in the foyer and apparate us back to Hogwarts after we retrieve Draco?" 
"Yes, sir. Tinks can do that easily." 

"Let's move." Harry disillusioned himself quickly, Ron and Hermione following suit. 
They began to ascend the stairs up into the main area of the manor, being as quiet as they can, Harry leading the way as Ron took up the rear. 
Hermione grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him into place on the stairs. "Harry? What about a game-plan?" she whispered, shaking her head with frustration.
"Obviously, I don't think they will let him go quietly. Depending on how many people are in there, we will have to rapid-fire stupefy. Ron, you take out the guests if you can. Hermione, you focus on the Malfoys. I'll grab Draco as fast as I can and we will get out of here once and for all." Harry whispered back, rubbing the back of his neck in worry. 
"Got it mate." Ron whispered, pointing his wand at the ready. 

The trio continued their silent walk up the rest of the stairs, crouching by the doorway to the dining hall. Harry nodded to Hermione and Ron before opening up the door with a resounding BANG as it hit the wall. 

"STUPEFY" Ron blasted at the Greengrasses after locating them at the side of the table. Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass going down easily enough, but Astoria ducking under the table in fear. 
Quicker on their feet, Lucius and Narcissa jolted to the side to avoid the stupefy coming from Hermione and Harry's wands. 

Ducking down behind the table edge, the trio waited as Lucius and Narcissa blasted spell after spell at them, leaving scorch marks on the mahogany and causing chunks of table to spew across the room. Draco, still under the imperio curse, stands silently in the corner of the room, dissociating from the present battle. 

"You FOUL half-breed! How DARE you come into my own manor and attack me!" Lucius spit out as he cast another spell in Harry's direction. At the same time, Narcissa ducked down and cast "Petrificus Totalus" at Hermione through the chair legs, barely hitting her on the thigh. Hermione seized up, completely unable to move. 
"NO!" Ron started shaking Hermione's strict form, willing her to forgo the spell. 
"RON. Take her to the foyer out of harms way!" Harry rushed out, casting his own 'stupefy' at Narcissa and knocking her out through the forest of chair legs.

Ron continues to duck as he grabs Hermione and slides her over the sleek wooden floor, into the foyer and out of harm's way. 
"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY WIFE!" Lucius howls. Instead of firing more spells at Harry, Lucius turns to Draco.
"Draco, my boy. Protect your parents..." Lucius moves his wand towards Draco, green sparks emitting again. 
Draco, in his trance like state, walks over to Harry with a blank expression. Draco doesn't raise his wand, but instead, reaches out his fist and begins to choke Harry's throat. Harry, sputtering and trying to get Draco's hand off of him, begins to panic. 
Draco lifts Harry into the air, taking him off of his feet and stopping him from using the floor as leverage to breath. 
"YES Draco.. finally rid the world of this PEST." Lucius smiles horrifically, watching Draco squeeze the life out of Harry. 

"ro...hel..." Harry attempts to choke out, still struggling against Draco's hand. 
In an instant, Lucius is knocked off balance and splays against the hard wooden floor. With Lucius unconscious, the hold that his imperious curse had stops. Draco's hand slackens, knocking Harry to the floor. Harry chokes in breaths as he coughs, wondering what just happened. Did Ron return to the rescue??

Draco also slumps to the floor, exhausted from being controlled for such a long period of time. 
Harry looks around the room, spying the Greengrass teen standing across the table from Lucius' spot, her wand out. 
Astoria notices that Harry figured out it was her. "Go. GO and never look back." Tears prickle in Astoria's eyes. 

"tha.. yo" Harry chokes out, grabbing and dragging Draco's limp form out into the foyer. 
Ron and Tinks are there, minus Hermione. Noticing the quirk of Harry's eyebrow in confusion, Ron explains "I had Tinks take her back already, now let's go before the spells wear off!" 
Ron reaches out his hand to Harry, holding Tinks' in the other. Harry grabs Draco's arm forcefully before connecting with Ron and transporting back to Hogwarts.

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