Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love

Chapter 33: Heroics, Hazards of

Draco did not care about any gory death at the moment but Granger's, and preventing it with his own, if need be. Potter and Weasley jostled for their wands, looking as wild-eyed as he felt.

Tonks stuck her head out of the conference room and called for Montjoy and Goggin. "Kit up and get your arses over here."

As Montjoy and Goggin scrambled over, she asked, "Who was on duty with Hermione at the lab?"

"Fernsby," said Weasley.

"Humphreys – with Montjoy, to the lab – see what happened to Fernsby. Brimble – call in all available Aurors and DMLE agents. All of you join us as soon as you are able. I've a feeling we are about to walk into the werewolf lair."

"Right."

"Nearest Floo is Leverburgh," said Brimble, pointing to the map.

They piled into the corridor towards the Auror Office's Floo hearth. Draco's heart thundered in his throat, in his mouth.

As they ran past Tonks' office, a hulking figure loomed in her Foe Glass. Tonks flicked a V at Greyback.

"Disillusions on," said Tonks, tapping her head with her wand. Everyone followed suit and stepped into the Floo.

A confused innkeeper in Leverburgh heard a gaggle of Disillusioned individuals drop out of his hearth. Before he could so much as offer them a pint, they'd rattled his glassware with the cracks of their Disapparations and left.

The Aurors Apparated to the tiny island amongst the Outer Hebrides that had glowed on Draco's map. They materialised onto a flat, green piece of coastline. There was no one to be seen. Draco was unsurprised – he had felt his Apparition get forced off course by an Anti-Apparition Ward.

In his head, a screaming chorus: where is she? Where is she? Where is she?

Nothing whatsoever from the ring.

He cast detection spells towards the centre of the island as the Aurors girded themselves with protection and deflection charms.

Things took an unfortunate turn. "Looks like three hundred of them, if not more," said Draco as figures lit up beyond.

"Bloody hell," said Weasley, at the same time as Potter said, "Shit," and Tonks said, "Fuck."

Draco cast his tracking spell again. At this proximity, the spell was able to produce a more detailed map, which showed Granger in the centre of a kind of bowl-shaped depression in the terrain, bound around the periphery by a high ridge.

"Wards?" asked Tonks.

"The usual," said Draco. "Anti-Apparition and alarms, all along the ridge around this hollow. Tonks, she's in the middle of everything – we're going to need a distraction."

"Take care of the wards. Buckley, Goggin – you're the distraction. Draw fire from the western edge."

Tonks focused on a morph. Through the Disillusion, Draco saw her features grow smaller and her broad shoulders grow narrower. He was now looking at a Disillusioned Granger.

"That's a dangerous game," said Goggin, shaking his head.

"Brilliant," said Potter.

"Potter, Malfoy, Weasley – with me," said Tonks. "Tambling's infiltration protocol. We are going to Hermione. If we can get her out together, we do. If we can't, I'll take her place. You're to extract her before they notice the swap. Send sparks when she's safe – then we can have a spot of fun."

Draco set himself upon the wards at the top of the ridge. He disarmed a patch large enough for the Aurors to squeeze through.

The Disillusioned forms of Goggin and Buckley sprinted off to the left.