Harry Potter and the Wrath of the Fallen

Chapter 27: The Sins of the Father

The following few days had dragged out for Harry as he awaited each evenings report from Kreacher. He tried to maintain a calm exterior and concentrate on his teaching duties and his own studies during the day; but each night he sat and waited in his room, biting back on his own impatience.

Kreacher had appeared each night as directed, but had been unable to make any further headway with his task of locating the Malfoys. Kreacher had told Harry that the Malfoys had stopped running for now, but they were once again hidden beyond the house-elf's sight. As Harry's frustration threatened to get the better of him, welcome relief had come in the form of a trip on Saturday morning to a familiar location.

                                                               *

 

The Burrow stood before them, and from his vantage point at the boundary of the property, Harry could not tell which bits were original, and which had been rebuilt following the fire which had guttered the bottom floor.

To his left, Molly and Arthur had both been overcome with emotion as they looked at their family home reborn from the ashes. While tears flowed down Molly's face, her happiness was almost bursting out of her. She held tightly onto Arthur's arm as they began to make their way up the dirt path towards the house.

Behind them, their children and their partners stood and waited, all feeling it was best to let their parents enjoy their restored house by themselves for a few minutes. While they waited, Bill had caught Harry's eye and motioned for him to join him by the old stone shed.

"I'll be back in a minute, Gin," said Harry as he made his way towards Bill.

Ginny had watched as her brother and Harry had spoken quietly, both of them casting nervous glances towards the Burrow. Within the predicted minute, Harry had returned to Ginny's side, and was now doing everything in his power to ignore the very intense stare he was receiving from her.

"What have you two done?" whispered Ginny, as she leaned in close to Harry.

Harry kept his gaze focussed on the house in the distance, not game to look Ginny directly in the eyes.

"I don't know what you mean," he said as innocently as he could.

Ginny stepped in front of Harry, her eyes now boring into his. "Harry Potter. Don't make me do something you will regret," she warned sternly.

Harry swallowed and looked around at Bill, who appeared to be pretending not to notice the predicament Harry now found himself in. Harry looked back at Ginny, and he felt his resolve weakening by the second.

"It's nothing to worry about," said Harry weakly. "I was just checking that the plans had been followed by the builders."

"What plans?" demanded Ginny. "I didn't see you two holding any plans."

Harry looked around again and noticed that Ginny's steadily rising voice had now attracted the attention of the rest of the assembled group. Harry saw that Bill at least had the decency to look sheepish by this point.

Harry sighed resignedly. "Bill and I have added one or two little improvements to the Burrow. Bill was just telling me that the work had been carried out as discussed."

"Discussed by who? You and Bill?" asked Ginny. "I thought the plan was to rebuild the house exactly as it had been before?"

Harry was suddenly worried that Ginny seemed to be becoming upset.

"It has been," said Harry reassuringly. He leant in and whispered in Ginny's ear. "We have added a couple of features similar to the ones in the plans for our house, that's all."

Ginny visibly relaxed as understanding dawned. She pulled back from Harry and he could see the quizzical look on her face.

"So why the secrecy then?"

"It was supposed to be a fun surprise for everybody," said Harry, smiling at Ginny. "Now you will just have to act surprised along with the others."

"Oh," said Ginny awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry put his arms around Ginny and kissed her lips softly. "My Ginny. Should we go and have a look at the house?"

Ginny nodded as she grinned. "Definitely."

                                                               *

 

While their children waited outside with their partners, Molly and Arthur had stepped through the front door and into their repaired home.

Molly had been lost for words as she surveyed the living room. While the sofas and other furniture were clearly not their old belongings, it was apparent Bill had tried to source as many pieces as he could that were of the same style and from the same era as the original furniture had been.

Molly had cried as Arthur put his arm around her. She had looked up at her husband's face to see he was grinning from ear to ear. Apart from his shed, this was Arthur's favourite room in his house. It had been the site of so many happy occasions for him, and he was left feeling overwhelmed as he admired the effort that had gone into recreating this room.

From their vantage point at the doorway, they could both see that the staircase had been rebuilt, and while it looked similar, it now also looked a good deal sturdier than the previous improvised contraption that had wound its way up the centre of the house.

Molly couldn't contain herself as she bustled through the living room and into her beloved kitchen. She gasped as she tried to take it all in. Again it was remarkably similar to the original house, but the pots and pans, along with the table and chairs, appeared to be new items.

Molly ran her hand across the top of the new oak table, feeling her throat burn as she struggled to contain her emotions. She glanced at the items around the kitchen as she slowly circled the room. When she reached the back door and turned around she had been startled to find her entire family standing by the fireplace between the kitchen and the living room, watching her intently.

As she felt the sting of tears in her eyes, Molly had noticed that Bill in particular was looking very nervous. This had been his project, and he was evidently rather anxious about how it was going to be received.

Molly pulled a handkerchief from out of her sleeve and dabbed at her wet eyes. When she looked up at Bill again she was smiling broadly.

"It's wonderful, Bill," she said shakily.

Bill exhaled loudly, the colour returning to his scarred features. He stepped forward to his mother and embraced her tightly. When he broke apart from his mother, he had looked back over his shoulder and grinned at his family.

"It wasn't just me, Mum. Everyone pitched in when we tried to work out exactly how the house had looked," explained Bill.

Molly moved towards her family as started hugging them all one by one. "Thank you all so much."

"There is one more thing you should probably be aware of, Mum," said Bill, as he made his way to the back door.

Standing by the fireplace, Harry grinned as he watched Bill. He felt his heart start to race and he just hoped Bill had already tested this before today.

By the back door, Bill drew his wand and tapped it against the wall. Molly gave a yelp of fright as the floor began to vibrate beneath her. The rest of the family all exchanged confused looks with one another while Ginny gripped Harry's arm tightly.

As they all looked on, the back wall which Bill was standing beside began to move further out. The room was growing steadily larger, and Harry looked down and could see the table was also lengthening; new chairs popping into existence on either side of it as the space became available.

Once the table was large enough to comfortably seat twenty people, Bill stopped tapping the wall with his wand. He turned back to look at his astonished parents.

"What do you think?" he asked warily. "We were always short on space in here, and Harry suggested this idea after seeing it at the Halloween Ball at Hogwarts."

Molly and Arthur were currently lost for words, but Ron had no such problem.

"That's bloody brilliant, that is," said Ron, as he moved to the table and sat down on one of the chairs which had just appeared.

Bill held his wand against the wall, mischief in his eyes as he watched the table start to retract to its original size. Ron looked apprehensive as the chairs started to disappear. He fell to the floor with a thump as his chair vanished from beneath him. Ron glared at Bill as he picked himself up off the floor, while the rest of the family laughed.

"You prat," grumbled Ron, before he joined in his family's laughter.

Bill quickly expanded the room again, before he made his way over to the stove. It was only now that Molly noticed there were two stoves.

"As the room expands, so does everything else. If you are going to have fifty people sitting in here, the kitchen also becomes big enough to cook for fifty," explained Bill, resting against the cold black metal of the stove.

Molly clutched at her heart while Arthur put his arm around his wife as he feared she may be about to collapse. He led her gently to a chair at the table, shooting Bill a warning glance that clearly indicated that it would not end well for him if Molly's chair disappeared from beneath her.

Ginny moved from beside the fireplace and sat down opposite her mother. "Are you okay, Mum?"

Molly extracted her handkerchief again and wiped her eyes dry. "Yes, dear," sighed Molly, before she smiled brightly. "I think I just need a minute to take it all in."

The rest of the family then joined Molly at the table. Charlie produced a bottle of Firewhiskey which resulted in him being admonished by Molly as it was not yet midday. Instead, Ron and Hermione had started to make everyone a cup of tea, and the family settled in and began to marvel at the rebuilt house.

As the morning had drawn out, Harry noticed Bill quietly step out the back door. Harry stood and made his way to the back door, tapping Arthur on the shoulder as he passed him and indicating that he should follow him. Ginny had watched Harry go with curiosity, wondering what he was up to as the back door closed behind him and her father.

                                                               *

 

When Molly had finally realised that it was now the middle of the afternoon, she had announced that she would make lunch for everybody. It was only then that she noticed her husband, Bill, and Harry were nowhere to be found. As she began to prepare the meal for her family, she had sent Ginny to find the missing men.

Ginny had headed straight out the back door and into the garden. She had looked around both sides of the house but had been unable to see any sign of Harry or her father. As she walked around the front of the house, she had spotted an unfamiliar sight in the dirt outside the front door. It took her a moment to realise that the marks in the dirt were the tyre tracks of a car. A car, Ginny suddenly realised, that had been missing from out the front of the house when they had arrived.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Ginny followed the tyre tracks across the yard until she came to the doors of her father's shed. Uh oh, thought Ginny as she heard the sounds of laughter coming from inside the wooden shed. She cautiously opened the door and peered inside.

Ginny's jaw dropped as she tried to comprehend the sight that now confronted her. Her father's dusty and cramped shed stood before her as she had always remembered it; but a wall no longer stood where the shelves ended. Instead, a cavernous room lay beyond the shelves, several times larger than the shed should have been able to contain.

Ginny inched her way down between the old shelves, her mind starting to catch up with what was going on. Bill and Harry had given her mother an expanding kitchen; this appeared to be the surprise they had organised for her father.

The walls of the new expanded shed were lined with work benches and equipment Ginny was not familiar with; while overhead, bright white lights were suspended from the ceiling. Beneath the lights sat the Ford Anglia, and Ginny smirked as she saw the bottom half of her father hanging out from under the raised bonnet.

Ten yards away, Bill and Harry were standing together by one of the strange pieces of equipment, trying to read a book of some kind that had a picture of that very piece of equipment on the cover. Ginny watched as Bill leaned down and opened a cupboard under the nearest work bench, and stood back up holding a bottle of Butterbeer.

"Care for another drink, Arthur?" asked Harry as he began conjuring glasses while Bill opened the bottle.

Arthur's head emerged from beneath the cars bonnet, a large streak of grease already smeared across his brow. "Yes, thanks," he said, before his head disappeared back into the car's engine bay.

Ginny couldn't restrain herself any longer. "You cheeky sods," she said loudly, her voice echoing off the walls as she stepped out from between the shelves.

Bill and Harry froze in the middle of pouring drinks, while a loud bang announced that Arthur had just smacked his head on the car bonnet in surprise as he spun around and straightened up.

Ginny was trying to glare at the three men, but the laughter was already threatening to overcome her as her body began to shake.

"Um...," began her father, looking from Ginny to Harry and Bill, "do something."

Harry and Bill abandoned the bottle of Butterbeer, leaving it suspended in mid air as they rushed towards Ginny. Ginny was so startled she didn't even have time to react before she found Harry and Bill were both holding her by an arm each.

"What..." uttered an astonished Ginny.

Arthur raised his hands. "It's not what it looks like, sweetheart," he said, as he ineffectively tried to use his body to shield Ginny's view of the immense room. "Your mother doesn't need to know about this."

Ginny couldn't help herself now, as a snort escaped her. Meanwhile, Harry and Bill started to have a disagreement over the top of her.

"I thought you locked the door," said Harry, a note of exasperation in his voice.

"No, I was the first one inside. You should have locked it."

"You had the keys."

"Keys? Some wizard you are. Why didn't you seal the door?"

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Harry.

Bill rolled his eyes. "How about you go and lock the door while I come up with a plan to keep your girlfriend here quiet."

 "That was some secret operation, boys," said Arthur, interrupting their bickering. "A curse breaker, a future Auror, and the Deputy Head of Magical Law Enforcement; and we forget to lock a wooden door."

Ginny burst out laughing as she saw her father shaking his head as he muttered to himself. It took her a few moments before she was able to get herself back under control. When she looked at Harry and Bill again they both looked a little embarrassed.

"So this is what you three have been doing for the last two hours," said Ginny, laughter again almost overcoming her, "drinking Butterbeer in the shed while tinkering with the car."

Arthur, Harry, and Bill all hung their heads.

"I tell you what," said Ginny, grinning happily. "How about you pour me a drink, and we'll keep this our little secret."

Harry and Bill both chuckled while a look of relief crossed Arthur's face.

"That's my girl," said Arthur, beaming at his daughter.

"We'd better hurry though," warned Ginny. "Mum will have just about finished getting lunch ready and she wants us all back inside."

Fifteen minutes later the group exited the shed and headed back towards the house, talking animatedly and laughing loudly. Halfway between the shed and the back door, they noticed that Molly was standing in the back garden glaring in their direction. Silence fell as they filed passed Molly. Bill inclined his head towards his mother as he walked by her; Harry, Ginny, and Arthur all following his lead.

"Mother."

"Molly."

"Mum."

"Dear."

Molly turned on her heel and followed the four of them inside for lunch, silently cursing the baffling phenomenon of men and their sheds, and hoping Ginny wasn't falling into that strange world of old junk and broken contraptions.

                                                               *

 

Draco was feeling distracted as he tried to focus on the television in the corner of the living room of the terrace house they had taken over. He had been captivated by the images on the screen for the last few days, but now the sound of constant warbling from one of his father's sensors was beginning to irritate him. It had been sounding on and off since they had first arrived at their new hideout.

The incessant grumbling of the others scattered around the living room was also pushing Draco's tolerance to its limit. He pushed himself up out of the chair he had been sitting in, and made his way through the large living room and into the kitchen. In the kitchen he found his father seated at a small, glass topped table, an array of sensors spread out in front of him.

"What keeps making that noise?" asked Draco impatiently.

Lucius looked up at him, and Draco could see the dark circles around his father's eyes. He wondered if his father had slept at all since they had arrived at this house in Bath. Lucius's paranoia was now going unchecked by any semblance of reality, and Draco thought his father may have actually suffered a mental breakdown.

"Someone is nearby," said Lucius, returning his gaze to the sensors in front of him.

"Is this the same someone that set off the sensor last night?" asked Draco.

"How should I know?" snapped Lucius, bringing his head back up to glare at his son.

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "Another wizard lives in the area close by, father. That's all it is."

"Don't be naïve, Draco," spat Lucius. "It is that sort of assumption that will lead to your downfall."

Draco bit back on his sudden anger. He worked his jaw in circles as he tried to unclench his teeth.

"Just turn the thing off," suggested Draco, after he had regained his composure.

Draco felt the tension start to spread through his body as his father stood up from the table and glowered at him.

"So like your mother," hissed Lucius. "Always looking for the easy way out. She quit when things got too uncomfortable for her as well. She lacked the will to do what was necessary to win, and I see now that she has passed that defect on to you."

The blood pounded in Draco's head. His rage overcame him for a split second, and he snatched the beeping sensor off the table and hurled it against the wall on the far side of the kitchen, where it shattered into pieces before falling to the floor.

An eerie silence suddenly filled the house, until a small cheer came from the direction of the living room. Clearly someone else agreed with Draco's actions. Draco ignored the distraction from the living room, instead watching his father intently, waiting to see what sort of reaction his rash behaviour would result in.

Lucius drew his wand so quickly that Draco didn't have time to react. As he felt the wand being forced roughly into the soft skin under his chin, Draco was rising up on his toes as he tried to back away from his father. It was a futile gesture as Draco found himself pinned against a wall; his father now applying so much pressure that Draco was sure the wand was going to pierce his skin.

Draco gripped his father's arm, trying to force the wand out from under his chin as fear stabbed at his heart. His father's face was contorted with fury as he brought his face so close to Draco's that their noses almost touched. Draco grunted from the effort of trying to restrain his father's arm.

Lucius relaxed the pressure he was applying slightly as he saw his son's eyes widen in fear.

"Treason will not go unpunished, Draco," said Lucius coldly. "You would do well to remember the fate that befell your mother."

Lucius withdrew the wand from under Draco's chin, letting his son fall to the floor gasping for breath. He turned and looked at the kitchen doorway, which was now filled with onlookers, startled by the way he had treated his son.

"Go about your business," said Lucius threateningly. "This is between my son and I."

Lucius turned back to face his son and knelt down. Regret suddenly flooded his mind. He had gone too far, and he knew it. He put his hand on Draco's shoulder, feeling his son flinch at his touch.

"Forgive me, Draco."

Draco brought his head up and glared at his father. Pushing himself to his feet, Draco was overcome by strange emotions. As the pain subsided, he had a moment of clarity. He was no longer afraid of the man he had worshiped his whole life.

"Will you stun me, as you did my mother? Will you throw me to the Ministry if it serves your purpose?" asked Draco, his voice dripping with venom.

Lucius paled as his son's words tore at him. He looked into Draco's eyes, and for the first time he could see no fear in him. Lucius watched helplessly as Draco walked out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

It's all starting to come apart, thought Lucius bitterly. He needed to regain control of the situation quickly. The others had seen how he treated his own son, and it would not take long before they started to abandon him if they thought they would also be treated so poorly.

                                                               *

 

Within the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione. He was feeling dejected as his original optimism for a quick solution to the Malfoy situation had not come to pass. In fact, it had been weeks without any further progress, and Harry's guilt for setting Kreacher's ongoing task was steadily growing with each passing day.

Harry glanced at his watch. It was almost midday, and Ginny would be finished with her Herbology lesson soon. He sighed loudly as he rubbed his neck and stared at the ceiling.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look between themselves. They were becoming worried by Harry's increasingly despondent mood of late, as well as fighting their own sense of frustration at the lack of progress in locating the Malfoys, to the point where Ron had voiced the opinion that it would help if the Malfoy's attacked them again because then at least they would have had a chance to capture the buggers.

Even Harry's students had started to notice that their teacher had lost some of his enthusiasm lately. Their learning was still progressing at a rapid rate, but the sense of fun in their lessons had been replaced by a more subdued atmosphere.

"How about we get our brooms out and go for a fly when Ginny gets here?" suggested Ron, trying to come up with anything that would break Harry's dour mood.

Harry looked across the table at Ron, knowing that his friend was only trying to help, but inwardly jealous that Ron could take the whole situation so casually. He knew he was not very much fun to be with at the moment, but he just didn't seem to be able to cheer himself up. If they didn't make any further progress soon, he was considering sitting in the middle of Diagon Alley until Lucius Malfoy came to him. He would do just about anything to stop the maddening frustration at this point.

                                                               *

 

Meanwhile, in an upstairs bedroom of a terrace house in Bath, Draco Malfoy seethed as he considered his options. He needed to get away from his father so he could think clearly, but he was unsure what other wards may be protecting the house at the moment. If he left, there was a very real possibility he would not be able to return, even if he wanted to.

His mind raced as possibilities occurred to him. He no longer wanted anything to do with his father, and the clues he had left for the Ministry appeared to have achieved little if anything. If he left his father's refuge now, he could make his way to the Ministry and hand himself in. The idea appealed to him, but he wanted to think things through carefully once he had calmed down. He knew he wasn't in any fit state to make a good decision at the moment.

A knock on the bedroom door startled Draco from his reverie. He stared at the door but made no attempt to open it. After a minute, his father's muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

"Draco, I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I overreacted."

Draco continued staring at the door, but he could think of no response for his father.

"Please, Draco, we need to talk."

Draco turned away from the door and looked out the window into the garden below. Now his father was sorry. He could not recall a time when he had ever heard those words come out of his father's mouth. But for Draco the damage had been done, and today's confrontation was merely the last straw.

Tonight, he would make his move and let the pieces fall where they may.

                                                               *

 

"Come to bed, Harry," said Ginny softly, trying to ease the tension she was feeling as she watched Harry sitting at the desk in their room, pouring over his class schedule. "It's nearly midnight. You can organise your schedule tomorrow."

Harry sighed as he looked across the room and saw Ginny sitting up in the bed. She looked troubled, and he didn't blame her. He knew he was becoming a little tiresome to live with at the moment, but he couldn't seem to help it. Doing his paperwork was distracting him from his thoughts right now, but Ginny had seen right through him as she always did.

Harry dropped his quill on the desk and stood up, stretching his arms above his head as he tried to work some of the tension out of his shoulders. He made his way to the bed and sat down next to Ginny. He placed his hand on her cheek and put his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry, Gin," he whispered. "I'll try not to let it get to me so much anymore. I promise."

Ginny smiled sadly as she pulled back and looked at Harry's tired face.

"Is it really the Malfoy's you're worried about, or is it Kreacher?" asked Ginny.

Harry's face fell. "Kreacher, mostly," he answered honestly.

"Then why don't you call him back and let the Ministry find the Malfoys?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think I can. Kreacher would feel like he had failed if I stopped him now, and I don't want him to think he needs to punish himself."

Ginny was left speechless by Harry's words. Like Harry, she had fretted over the discomfort Kreacher may be suffering as he carried out Harry's orders, but she had never considered the full ramifications involved. Despite the remarkable change that had occurred in Kreacher since Harry had become his Master, he was still a slave, and as such he was still bound by the rules of his bond with Harry.

Ginny shuddered at the thought of Kreacher punishing himself because of something Harry had ordered him to do which he failed to complete. She put her arms around Harry and held him, finally understanding why he was so troubled.

                                                               *

 

In the dead of night, Draco made his way quietly down the stairs, testing each step for creaks as he went. After what felt like an eternity, he found himself at the front door of the house. He looked back over his shoulder as the sound of snoring coming from the living room spooked him.

He grasped the door handle in one hand, and drew his stolen wand in the other. If there were wards or sensors on the doors, he may have to act quickly. He needed to be ready if running didn't work.

The handle turned easily in his hand and the door swung open almost silently. Only the sound of the door rubbing on the carpet could be heard, and to Draco it sounded very loud, as if each bristle of carpet was deliberately trying to alert his father to the late night departure of his son.

The cool night air wafted into the house through the open door. Draco wasted no time as he stepped through the door and pulled it closed behind him. The loud click of the doors metal latch startled him and he froze, straining to hear any sounds of movement coming from inside the house.

After a minute Draco was sure that nobody had heard his departure. He turned and hurried down the concrete path to the front gate of the little garden. Once through the gate, he turned right and began making his way down the dark street. He didn't know where he was going for the moment, but he knew he had to keep moving.

About a hundred yards from the house, Draco passed through the wards his father had set. He didn't notice a thing. As Draco walked away from the house and his father, his world had never felt darker.

                                                               *

 

It was a vastly different situation for Kreacher. For Kreacher, as Draco crossed the wards in darkness, it was like a light turning on for him. His objective was in the open for the first time since the people he tracked had departed from the London warehouse.

Kreacher considered his options, wondering if he should physically verify that a Malfoy was in the open, or if he should return to his Master. He knew it was the Malfoy boy who he could now sense, but not the father. His orders were very clear that he was not to be seen by any of those whom he tracked, but only to report the location back to his Master.

Kreacher smiled as he snapped his fingers, disappearing with a 'crack'.

                                                               *

 

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as the light tried to penetrate his eye lids. Bony fingers began prodding his shoulder until he could ignore it no longer. He opened his eyes, only to have his vision filled with a blurry house-elf. He sat up and grabbed his glasses from the bedside table.

"Kreacher?" rasped Harry, his voice still thick with drowsiness.

The little house-elf gave a small bow. "Master, I have located the Malfoy boy."

Harry started to nod as a yawn escaped him. It took another few seconds before it finally registered to him what Kreacher had just said. Adrenaline surged through his body, leaving him feeling dizzy and breathless for a moment.

"You found him? Where is he?" asked Harry almost frantically, feeling Ginny stir behind him as he tried to calm himself down.

Ginny's arm wrapped around his waist.

"It's alright, Harry," murmured Ginny, "it's only a dream. Go back to sleep."

Harry's thoughts came to a sudden halt as he tried to figure out what Ginny was mumbling about. She must think I'm having a nightmare, he realised. He looked back at Kreacher just to make sure he was really there. Sure enough, his house-elf stood before him waving a lamp and grinning broadly.

"Sorry, Kreacher. Where is he?" asked Harry again.

"Bath, Master. He is walking alone." answered Kreacher as he placed the lamp on the bedside table.

Harry considered this for a second. "He's not with his father?"

Kreacher's smile faded. "I cannot sense the father, Master. The boy is alone," said Kreacher dejectedly as he placed the lamp on the bedside table.

Harry was deeply troubled by this. If Draco had abandoned his father, then he would no longer be able to leave clues for the Ministry about the movement and numbers of the Malfoy group.

"How long ago did you find him?" asked Harry urgently.

"Minutes ago, Master," answered Kreacher.

Only minutes, thought Harry. There is still a chance.

He knelt down in front of Kreacher. "Kreacher, I need to change your orders."

"Of course, Master. Kreacher is ready."

"I need you to take a message to Draco Malfoy for me," said Harry, his voice shaking.

Kreacher's ears pricked up at that. "You wish me to contact the Malfoy boy, Master?"

"Yes," said Harry, "but you must make sure that when you contact him he is alone. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master. What is the message you wish me to deliver?" asked Kreacher

Harry's thoughts raced. He needed to be very careful now. He knew he was doing something that had the potential to end disastrously, and Kingsley and Gawain may be less than impressed when they find out what he had done, regardless of the outcome.

"Actually, it's more of a question," explained Harry, as he told Kreacher exactly what he wanted.

                                                               *

 

Draco stuffed his hands into his pockets as he continued walking the deserted streets of Bath. For the first few minutes after leaving the house, he had felt invigorated, but now Draco felt a crushing sense of despair. He was now truly alone.

As he walked aimlessly, he had reached a decision. He would wait until the morning and then go to the Ministry and hand himself in. He didn't think turning up there in the dead of night would be a very wise move.

A cracking sound came from a short distance behind him. Draco spun and pulled his wand out. He scanned the dark street for any sign of the source of the disturbance. Draco was just about to put his wand away when he heard the sound of light footsteps coming towards him.

"Who's there?" he whispered. "Show yourself."

As Draco peered into the gloom, he could finally make out a very short figure with bat like ears moving towards him. He was so stunned he didn't even think to run. Within seconds a house-elf stood before him; a very familiar house-elf. The house-elf inclined its head towards him.

"Master Malfoy, I come to you with a question on behalf of my Master," croaked the house-elf.

Draco was still trying to catch up with what was happening.

"I know you, don't I?"

"Yes, Master Malfoy. I am Kreacher. I served the house of Black for many years."

So that's where I know this creature from, thought Draco. He brought his wand up and pointed it squarely at the house-elf's chest. He knew how to deal with this sort of creature.

"Who sent you? How did you find me, elf?" demanded Draco.

Kreacher looked up at Draco with barely concealed contempt. "My Master sent me. I found you because my Master asked me to find you," said Kreacher by way of an explanation.

"Who is your Master?" asked Draco impatiently, his grip tightening around his wand.

"Harry Potter," said Kreacher.

Draco's breath caught in his throat and he looked around wildly, as if expecting Harry to step out of the night at any moment.

"My Master has a question for you, Master Malfoy," said Kreacher, as he started to tap his foot.

Draco brought his focus back to the house-elf, his wand hand falling back to his side. "What's the question?" he asked weakly.

"What are your intentions?"

                                                               *

 

Ginny's eyes snapped open at the sound of the sharp 'crack' coming from inside her room. She instinctively grabbed her wand from the bedside table and sat up, looking around the room and seeing only Harry and Kreacher standing before her. They both stared at her for a moment before Harry knelt down and turned his attention back towards Kreacher.

"So, what did he say?" asked Harry.

"He said you didn't need to worry about him anymore, Master," croaked Kreacher. "He said he was going to surrender to the Ministry in the morning."

"It's not him I'm worried about," said Harry, a grimace crossing his face.

Ginny was bewildered as she listened to Harry and Kreacher talking. Something had happened but she couldn't work out what.

"What's happened, Harry?" she asked nervously.

Harry glanced at her. "Hang on a minute, Gin," he said, his brow furrowing as he tried to think.

"Kreacher, take this question back to Draco for me. 'Can you tell me where to find your father and his followers?' Go, Kreacher, quickly," urged Harry.

As Kreacher disappeared, Ginny leapt out of bed and stepped rapidly across the room to Harry. She could feel her pulse starting to quicken as she replayed Harry's words over in her head again.

"Kreacher's found Draco?" she asked rapidly.

Harry looked at her and he could see the fire in her eyes now. "Yes, but he's not with Lucius anymore."

Ginny's excitement started to grow. Finally, something was happening. She rushed around the room and began putting on jeans and a jacket. As she grabbed her shoes, she sat down on the corner of the bed and started pulling them on.

In the middle of the room, Harry was baffled as he watched her dart around.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Ginny looked up from her shoe tying task. "I'm getting ready, of course," she replied, giving Harry a look of disbelief. What else would I be doing?

"Ready for what?" asked a bewildered Harry.

"To get Malfoy," replied Ginny simply.

Harry regarded Ginny for a moment. "We don't know where Lucius is at the moment, Gin. It appears that Draco has left the group and is intending to hand himself in. I'm trying to find out what I can, using Kreacher to talk to him, but it won't matter if Draco doesn't tell me what I need to know."

Her shoes tied, Ginny stood up. "So let's get Draco and force the answers out of him," she suggested.

Harry smiled at Ginny's idea. "It wouldn't work, Gin. By the time we could learn anything useful, Lucius will have noticed that Draco is missing, and then he will simply move on again. Then we won't even have Draco slipping us information anymore."

A 'crack' announced Kreacher's return. Harry spun and faced the house-elf, looking expectantly at him.

"Master," said Kreacher, bowing. "The Malfoy boy seems reluctant to answer your question."

Harry sighed loudly. "What did he say, Kreacher?"

"He asked me why you couldn't find his father on your own, Master," said Kreacher apologetically. "He said he has already tried to help you and the Ministry, but you did nothing."

Harry regarded Kreacher with concern as he looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Alright," said Harry soothingly, "take this message back to Draco. 'We have been unable to find your father because of the wards he is using. They are too powerful for us to penetrate. The Ministry has been working non-stop to track Lucius, but we have failed. We need your help. Please.' Take that message to him now, Kreacher."

Kreacher disappeared and Harry looked at Ginny. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll beg if I have to, just to see this finished."

                                                               *

 

Draco let out a breath as the little old house-elf appeared before him again. He was so tense now that he thought he might explode at any moment. After Kreacher had departed last time he had started to regret his words. Harry Potter was the one person who could help him, and antagonising him now might not be the best idea he had ever had.

Kreacher relayed the message to him from Harry, and Draco was taken aback by Harry's plea. He momentarily felt himself revert to his old instincts as he contemplated how to best use Harry's desperation to serve his own ends.

He shook the thoughts off. The old ways had achieved nothing for him, but to assist Harry voluntarily now may work to his advantage later on.

"Do you have a message for my Master?" asked the house-elf as he waited nearby.

"Yes."

                                                               *

 

"Master Malfoy says he can show you where his father is staying, but he also says he does not know if the wards will prevent him from returning to the house," croaked Kreacher.

Harry thought it through for a minute. He was becoming very concerned that events were going to move out of his control if he kept trying to do this himself. He turned to Ginny.

"Gin, I need you to wake up Ron and Hermione and take them to Minerva's office. Tell her what has happened and get in contact with Kingsley, okay. I'll meet you in the office in half an hour."

Ginny nodded her understanding despite confusion spreading across her face.

"Where are you going?"

Harry gave her a worried smile. "I'm going to see Draco."

Ginny felt a cold chill run down her back. "Are you sure?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Not entirely," replied Harry, "but I need to look him in the eye to see if I can trust him."

Ginny looked unconvinced and Harry knew any argument she came up with to disprove Draco's trustworthiness would be a valid one. This was just something he knew he had to do.

Harry put his arms around Ginny and looked into her eyes. "I will come back to you, I promise."

"Make sure you do."

Ginny held Harry tightly for a moment before she broke away and they headed for the door. Kreacher's voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Where are you going, Master?" asked Kreacher.

Harry turned and looked down at his house-elf. "I need to get beyond the school boundaries so I can apparate," explained Harry.

Kreacher's eyes shone brightly as he smiled at Harry. "I could take you to Master Malfoy from here, Master."

"You can do that?" asked Harry incredulously.

Kreacher nodded. "If you permit it, Master."

Harry exchanged a look with Ginny before he slowly made his way back to Kreacher in the middle of the room. When he reached Kreacher's side, the house-elf reached out his bony hand and clasped Harry's hand.

Ginny watched from the door, a thought occurring to her. "Take out your wand, Harry, just in case."

Harry drew his wand. He looked up at Ginny and his eyes glowed. "I love you."

Kreacher clicked his fingers and they were gone, leaving Ginny momentarily stunned. When her reason returned she remembered what she should be doing. She turned and left her room, a sense of purpose and determination filling her.

                                                               *

 

Draco shrank back in fear as he unexpectedly found a wand pointing at his chest.

"Hello, Draco," said Harry, hoping his voice sounded confident despite the nausea he felt.

Draco quickly regained his composure. He surveyed Harry for a moment, noting the casual attire, shaggy long hair, and the strangest pair of glowing eyes. He couldn't stop the words from passing his lips.

"What's with the eyes, Potter?"

Harry stared at Draco. "Do you really want to talk about my eyes, or would you like to discuss how we may bring about an end to the... hostilities... between our families?"

"Families?" enquired Draco. "What's your family got to do with any of this?"

"The Weasleys, Draco," said Harry patiently.

"Oh, right." Draco rubbed his chin for a second. "I would like to put an end to this foolishness, but I won't help you if you are planning to kill my father," said Draco seriously.

Harry was sorely tempted to agree to all manner of outlandish conditions at this point, but his conscience wouldn't let him deceive the person who was risking so much to help him; even if that person was Draco Malfoy.

"I can make no promises, Draco," said Harry truthfully. "If he chooses to fight back against Aurors, he may be killed."

Draco knew this was the case, but he hadn't expected Harry to be so candid with him.

"Very well. I will accept your word then, that you will do all in your power to spare my father's life."

Harry considered this proposal. The desperation in Draco's voice was unmistakable, and Harry didn't think it was an unreasonable request. He just wasn't sure if it was a realistic one.

Slowly, he nodded his agreement. "You have my word."

Draco visibly relaxed upon hearing Harry's words.

"Let's get this over with then," said Draco, as he started walking back in the direction of the house his father was sleeping in.

Harry looked down at Kreacher. "Stay close to me, Kreacher. We may need to leave in a hurry."

"Of course, Master," croaked Kreacher as he and Harry began trailing after Draco.

                                                               *

 

Minerva McGonagall rubbed her bleary eyes again.

"You had better start again from the beginning, Ginny," she said, pulling her nightgown tightly around her body.

Ginny relayed the details of what had already happened tonight so far. Ron and Hermione stood by her side as she talked, both eager to hear the details again.

Once Ginny had finished, Minerva made her way to the fireplace. Green flames erupted as she threw the floo powder into the grate, and she stuck her head into the flames.

"Minerva McGonagall for Kingsley Shacklebolt. This is of the utmost urgency," said Minerva, before she pulled her head out of the flames and turned back to face her three students.

"Ron, could I ask you to go and wake Gawain and bring him back to this office?"

Ron's face suddenly fell. "I don't know where he sleeps, sorry."

"In the former High Inquisitor's quarters," explained Minerva. "Surely you remember where that office is?"

Ron nodded and turned on his heel, heading out of the office and down the stairs.

Hermione and Ginny took a seat by the fire and waited while Minerva retreated to her private quarters for a few minutes. When she returned, she was dressed in a set of black robes and her hair was perfectly in place. Ginny was about to ask her how she had done that so quickly when a 'whooshing' sound announced the arrival of Kingsley.

                                                               *

 

Draco strode quickly down the darkened street. The house he had been staying in wasn't far away now, and he just wanted to show Harry the location and then leave. He had no desire to be a part of the fight.

Harry walked beside Draco, his wand still at the ready in his hand. While Draco had previously demonstrated his objection to his father's methods, Harry knew that he would be unwise to trust entirely in the son who was about to betray his father. Draco's courage may well fail at the last moment.

"Why have you been trying to help us?" asked Harry cautiously.

Draco's pace faltered for a moment. "I don't really feel like explaining that to you, Potter. Let's just say that I would prefer to live in a peaceful world."

Harry considered this response. So even the bad guys get sick of fighting do they? It was a revelation for Harry, who had always assumed that his enemies had enjoyed the violence.

As they walked, Harry noticed that Draco had started to slow down. He was just about to ask why when Kreacher tapped him on the leg. He looked down at the little house-elf.

"We have passed through the wards, Master," said Kreacher.

Harry gazed around at the row of terrace houses which ran down each side of the street. His mind reeled as he realised just how public this place was. There were so many muggles in the area that they would be bound to notice something if a fight broke out in their street.

"How much further?" asked Harry, hearing the nervous edge in his voice.

Draco pointed down the street. "The third door from the end," he said flatly.

Harry began making his way slowly towards the end of the row of houses. As he reached the third house from the end, he stopped and crouched down behind the front fence.

Draco, however, kept walking for a few steps before he realised Harry had stopped. He turned and rolled his eyes as he looked at the crouching figure of Harry.

"What are you doing? I said the third door."

Harry looked up at Draco. "This is the third one."

Draco looked over his shoulder before he focussed back on Harry. "The door of the house is dark green. Can you see a dark green door?"

Harry looked up and down the row of houses. "No, I can't."

Draco's eyes widened in alarm. "Back the way we came, quickly."

Harry stood and followed Draco as he scurried down the street. He stopped a few houses away.

"The wards are still up," said Draco. "You can't see the house."

"Are you using a Fidelius charm?" asked Harry.

Draco shook his head as he bit his bottom lip. He was starting to lose his nerve.

"Then why can't I see the house?" demanded Harry impatiently.

"I don't know what else my father has used to hide us," said Draco. "It must be a different kind of ward."

Harry's mind raced. It was maddening to think he was so close, yet he was going to be denied a chance to bring Lucius down.

"Can you go back in and find out what sort of wards he is using?" asked Harry. "If we knew that, the Ministry could break through them."

Draco smiled at Harry's naive idea. "Do you think I left my father's side because we were having such a nice family bonding experience? My father has not confided his secrets in me, Potter."

Harry hung his head. "Who would he have talked to? Goyle, maybe?" hazarded Harry, "or Crabbe?"

 Draco shook his head. "No, not those fools, but there is somebody who might know my father's methods."

Harry looked at Draco expectantly but no further information was forthcoming. Instead, Draco looked to be in pain, the blood draining from his already pale features.

"Who is it?" asked Harry.

Draco brought his eyes back up to meet Harry's. "My mother."

Harry was startled. He had not thought of Narcissa Malfoy since the trial. She would know much about her husband's dealings if Severus Snape had been accurate in his description of her character. She was not a token wife for Lucius just so he could maintain appearances, but rather she had been a partner he had relied upon.

"Right," said Harry. "I need to ask you to do something, Draco. Something I know you don't want to do."

Draco nodded. "You need me to go back to my father, don't you?" he said, a look of regret on his face.

"Yes. I will not be able to get back here tonight, and once Lucius realises you're gone, he will move and I will have to start again."

Draco swallowed. He did not relish the idea of returning to his father's refuge, but it would provide an opportunity for this whole fiasco to be brought to an end.

"I'll give you twenty four hours, Potter, and that's all," said Draco, his old leer returning as he glared at Harry.

Harry quickly agreed. "I will meet you where we met tonight, in twenty four hours."

Draco's sudden return to his old persona evaporated as quickly as it had appeared. "Can you do something for me, Potter?"

"What is it?"

"Can you take a message to my mother for me?"

Harry could hear the yearning in Draco's voice. He nodded and listened as Draco gave him the message for Narcissa. With that, Draco spun and made his way to a house Harry couldn't see. Harry watched until Draco vanished as he was only half way up a path through a small front garden. Now he knew that Draco was telling his truth. Lucius Malfoy was almost within his grasp.

Harry and Kreacher made their way back outside the wards and to the end of the street. Harry checked the street sign for a name in case he needed to return here without Kreacher's assistance later on. Kreacher then returned them to Hogwarts, bringing them directly into the office of Minerva McGonagall.

Harry looked at the astonished faces that now stared at him following his unexpected arrival. He could see the relief on Ginny's face as she sat on the sofa on the other side of the office. However, it was Kingsley that was the first to react.

"Harry, what's going on?" he asked, his deep voice sounding worried.

Harry smiled. "We've got a job to do."