My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Freeing My Friends

April 1998 - Malfoy Manor

I put the finishing touches on Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. Jane promised she would read The Order Of The Phoenix over the break, but I couldn't wait for her feedback before finishing book six. It was important to me that Draco read it. Sixth year was a huge turning point for him, and even Harry could tell there was more to him than a snobby rich bully. If my stories were from Harry's eyes, sixth year would be the year that my readers would begin to sympathize with him. It would be the year he was humanized.

"Draco," I said, holding my copy of The Half-Blood Prince.

"What?" he asked. I handed him my book. "Is this the fourth?"

"The sixth," I said.

"But I've not read the fourth or fifth," he said.

"I know," I said. "But it's really important to me that you read this one. Ok?" He took it hesitantly.

"Fine," he sighed. I looked over at the clock. 11:30. It was time for me to meet Mippy. "Where are you going?" he asked as I headed out the door.

"For a walk," I said.

"I don't believe you," he said.

"I don't know what to tell you, babe," I said. "Believe me or not. That's your choice." I started walking out the door, but I turned around for a second. "Hey," I said, catching his attention. "I love you."

"I know," he sighed as he opened the book. I rolled my eyes and walked out the door.

A few minutes later, I met Mippy at the agreed-upon location: the balcony above one of the many foyers. She was pacing nervously.

"Well?" I asked, startling her.

"Mippy sent for him," she said. "He told Mippy he would be here." I sighed out of frustration. Apparently, Mippy knew someone who could apparate in and out of Malfoy Manor. She told me that he could come, but it seemed that he was late. Then he wasn't.

"Hello," a shrillish voice said. I turned around, looked down, and saw...another elf. I was not expecting another elf.

"Oh," I said. "Uh...hi. You're..."

"Dobby," he said. "Free elf thanks to the one and only Harry Potter.

"Hi...Dobby," I said. "I'm Grace."

"Oh you're Grace," he said. "Dobby has heard about Grace before. From Harry Potter."

"Oh," I said. What's the opposite of flattered? That's what I was. 

"That's...reassuring. Alright, listen, Dobby. Luna is trapped in the dungeon with Olivander. All you have to do is apparate-" as I tried to tell Dobby about the plan, the loud sound of a door swinging open echoed throughout the entire house. I ducked and looked between the bars of the railing so I could see what was happening below us. And my heart dropped out of my chest. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been dragged into Malfoy Manor by Snatchers and Bellatrix. Something was off about Harry's face. It was disfigured, but I could tell it was him. Only seconds later, Lucius dragged Draco into the room as well. Bellatrix grabbed Harry by his hair.

"Well?" she hissed. Draco stared at Harry uncomfortably.

"I can't be sure," he said. Then Lucius grabbed Draco by the neck from behind and said something to him, but I couldn't quite hear it.

"Shit," I said to myself. "Ugh, this is bad."

"Bellatrix has Harry Potter," Dobby said. "Dobby must help Harry Potter."

"Dobby, don't go anywhere," I said. "They don't know it's him. You can't expose him in front of everyone. We'll figure out a plan." Suddenly we heard a commotion and looked down to see Bellatrix, the sword of Gryffindor in her hand, having just attacked nearly everyone in the room.

"Go!" She screamed. "Get out!" She grabbed Harry and Ron by their collars and threw them into Narcissa's arms. "But the boys in the cellar." Wormtail rushed to the top of the stairs to escort Harry and Ron. Bellatrix walked right up to Hermione. "I want to have a conversation with this one. Girl to girl."

"Alright Dobby, listen to me," I said. "I want you to apparate into the dungeon. You can't tell Harry you saw me, alright? Luna and Olivander are in there. You and Harry come up with a plan to get all of you out." Suddenly we heard a loud bang, and we looked down to find Hermione on the ground, and Bellatrix on top of her. "Oh my god," I muttered.

I was too far away to hear what Bellatrix was hissing in Hermione's ear. But I could definitely hear Hermione's cries.

"I didn't take anything," she moaned. Bellatrix leaned over and started doing something to her arm. I couldn't quite tell what it was. It looked like she was...biting it. Hermione's screams echoed throughout the halls as tears started to form in my eyes.

"Go, Dobby," I said. "We're running out of time."

"Stop it!"Hermione screamed.

"Shut up!" Bellatrix hissed.

"Go Dobby," I said louder.

"But what about Hermione Granger?"

"Go Dobby!" Dobby snapped his fingers and disappeared. I turned around. I couldn't watch it. Hermione was one of my best friends and she was being tortured by the family I was about to marry into. But suddenly the screaming stopped. I turned around to see Hermione, lying defenseless on the ground. Bellatrix was across the room, intimidating a goblin. Then suddenly, Dobby was back again.

"Luna and Mr. Olivander have been saved, Grace Snape," he reported.

"Consider yourself lucky, Goblin," Bellatrix said, walking away from the Goblin and back towards Hermione. "The same won't be said about this one."

"Like hell," I heard from the corner of the room. Suddenly, Harry and Ron emerged from the staircase.

"Expelliarmus," Ron said, snatching Bellatrix's wand. I saw Lucius attempting to get his wand out, but Harry knocked him out with stupify. Harry and Ron were battling Draco and Narcissa. But suddenly Bellatrix screamed at them to stop, and she was holding a knife to Hermione's neck. My heart started pounding.

"Drop your wands," she demanded. "I said drop 'em!" Harry and Ron let their wands fall to the ground. "Pick them up Draco," she said. Draco did exactly that.

"Well, well, well," Bellatrix said, letting her knife play around Hermione's neck. "Look what we have here. It's Harry Potter. He's all bright, shiny, and new again. Just in time for the dark lord."

There didn't seem to be a way out. Bellatrix had a knife to Hermione's neck, Draco had everyone's wands, and Lucius was preparing to call Voldemort. Then I noticed that Bellatrix was standing directly underneath a chandelier.

"Dobby," I whispered. "The chandelier."

"Dobby's on it," he said before snapping his fingers and apparating onto it. A few seconds later, everyone down below stopped when they heard a creaking noise from up above. Dobby slowly untwisted the knob on the chandelier, but it wasn't happening quickly enough. I finally rolled my eyes and used my wand to give the last bit it needed to come undone. The chandelier fell to the floor. Bellatrix let go of Hermione, allowing her to run into Ron's arms. Harry snatched everyone's wands out of Draco's hands. The three of them, and the goblin, all ran to the front of the room with Dobby.

"Stupid elf!" Bellatrix screamed. "You could have killed me!"

"Dobby never meant to kill," Dobby said. "Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure." Narcissa raised her wand, but with a snap of his fingers, Dobby had her wand in his hand.

"How dare you take a witch's wand," Bellatrix screamed again. "How dare you defy your masters!"

"Dobby has no master," Dobby said. "Dobby is a free elf. And Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends." They all joined hands, ready to apparate, but Bellatrix still had the knife in her hand. She sent it flying right at Dobby, just in time to disappear with him when he apparated.