Sapphire (Lazuli Book #3) - Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter Two

Mad-Eye and I apparated into one of the fields at the back of the Burrow, easily passing through the protective spells that had been placed around the perimeter after the attack by the Death Eaters last Christmas.

I stared up at my home, with lights twinkling in the windows, and appreciated for the first time how good the repairs my parents had done after the house was damaged were. The foundations were stronger this time than they had been before, the walls stronger and the roof had been properly sealed to prevent leaking, which had always been a bain of mine when it rained, as having the attic room, it was always me who ended up with dozens of buckets dotted around the floor to collect the incoming rainwater. Thanks to the fact that some highly skilled wizards in the Order including Lupin and Tonks had been present at the time of the attack, they'd been able to safe the house before it was too badly damaged, and most of the furnishing had been saved. But - deliberate or not - my bedroom had been completely destroyed, my childhood toys gone, burned to ash in the blink of an eye. Thankfully my trunk had still been downstairs, so objects like my broom had survived, but everything from the doll I'd had since I was a baby to the Slytherin banners that hung on the walls had been destroyed.

Having no choice, Mum and Dad had repaired the room and added the necessities when I returned from school for the summer - a bed being the single necessity. I didn't bother to redecorate the walls in Slytherin regalia nor add a chest of drawers or even unpack for the summer - I was hardly at the Burrow anyway. It was clear to me that my 'parents' didn't want me there, and frankly I would have rather spent the time with my real mother and brother, who honestly cared about me and wanted me to be happy. With Cecelia's help, I learned how to make new potions specifically with healing purposes, potions to substitute for dittany, to heal broken bones and to expel poisons. Potions to bring people out of coma's and to minimalise scarring. Everyday since I'd learned how, I'd been taking the scarring potion Mother had made in the hope it would remove my Dark Mark.

I couldn't admit to myself that a simple potion was useless - this was no normal scar.

To my surprise, Perseus had joined the Order. Now that he had left Hogwarts, he proclaimed that there was no better way for him to spend his abundance of free time than fighting against the man who had been responsible for the murder of his father, and for the wrongs done to me. At first, Mad-Eye, Lupin and the others had been distrusting of him - he was a Slytherin after all, and a Black too. But after some surprising words from Dad that Sirius had been a Black, he was allowed to join, and had proven himself to be of great use to them. Perseus' connections in Europe from his Durmstrang days were invaluable - he was able to gain information about the Dark Lord's movements in Europe and to converse with Charlie in Romania, not to mention spreading pamphlets encouraging people to rebel against the Dark Lord at great personal risk to himself. Even the stubborn Gryffindors in the Order had been unable to deny that Perseus had been more useful than others.

"Hurry up, Black" Mad-Eye shouted at me. I snapped from my daydream and noticed that he was already at the front door, waiting for me to follow him. With a sigh, I heaved my trunk and mumbled under my breathe that of course he, the ex-auror, didn't need to help me carry my belongings. If he heard me, which he most likely did, he didn't say anything.

Mad-Eye was insistent on calling me Black, and occasionally Andromeda. Unlike the other members of the Order (except of course Perseus) he refused to deny my true parentage and openly referred to me by the birth name my real parents had bestowed upon me. It was clear that this infuriated Mum no end, and so I allowed it to continue.

The door of the Burrow was opened by a pretty young witch with long red hair and a delicate face. And yet I knew better than anybody that she wasn't as innocent and weak as she seemed - her usage of the Reductor curse in the Department of Mysteries had brought down the entire room.

My little sister Ginny nodded at Mad-Eye, stepping aside to allow him to storm into the Weasley family home, and then her eyes drifted to me over his shoulder, and she let out an excited squeal. "Juliet!" she exclaimed, rushing out from the door and grabbing me, pulling me into a tight hug and giggling as she did it. Ginny was about the same height as I was now - over the past couple of months she'd grown into an even more beautiful and talented witch, and to say I was proud of my little sister was a great understatement.

"How are you?" she exclaimed, letting me go and taking my trunk from me, leaving me to carry my broom and backpack. I shrugged my shoulders, "I've been worse," and then followed her towards the house.

"I'm so glad you're here" Ginny jabbered, throwing me a grin, "Fleur's been driving me insane - 'you are zo lucky to 'ave zuch a wonderful big brother az Bill' - it's infuriating!" I couldn't help but laugh a little as Ginny put on an overly French accent in an attempt to recreate the voice of our eldest brother Bill's fiancee Fleur. I'd met Fleur before - whilst she was at Beauxbatons, she'd been a Triwizard Champion with Harry and Cedric. Even then she'd been a spoilt and pompous little princess, but Bill loved her with all his heart, and she'd earned the family's respect when she continued to love Bill back despite a vicious attack by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, in which Bill's face was left badly scarred and he was no longer as handsome as he had once been. Although I still wasn't particularly fond of Fleur, I had to admire her commitment to Bill, and believed my brother could hardly have found a better wife for him.

"Hermione arrived yesterday, as did Charlie. Bill and Phlegm have been here for about a week, Lupin and Tonks are already here, and so are Fred and George, Dung, Kingsley and Hagrid. Dad was here already obviously, and now that you and Mad-Eye are here, everybody is ready to go."

I frowned at Ginny as we ducked through the door and entered the kitchen and I dropped my belongings down by the door. "What's going on Gin?" I asked her. All I knew was that Mad-Eye had another mission for me - I had no idea what, or that it included anybody else.

"Through here, Li" I heard Fred call from the living room. I looked to Ginny, and she shocked her head, glaring at the group of people. "I'm not allowed to join - apparently I'm too young. It's rubbish, they know I'm as good a witch as any of them."

I placed an apologetic hand on Ginny's shoulder and gave her an apologetic smile. "You've still got the Trace Gin - it's a year until you lose it, it'll fly past."

I didn't add that I hoped all of this would be over before Ginny lost the Trace.

Ginny rolled her eyes and disappeared upstairs, leaving me alone. I didn't ask where Mum was, simply throwing my backpack down to the floor beside my trunk, and stepping through to the living room. Our tiny living area was crammed full of people, as a soon as I entered, I was greeted by a huge hug from Hermione.

"I've been worried sick about you!" she exclaimed, scowling at me as she released me. I shrugged my shoulders, "I've been too busy to write."

I scanned the room as I took a seat between Ron and Hermione on the sofa, counting the people. Fred and George were sat on an arm of the sofa each, wearing their familiar Weasley's Wizard Wheezes uniform. Bill was sat in an armchair, Fleur with her arms drapped protectively over his shoulders as she stood behind him. Dad sat rigidly in an armchair opposite us, Charlie was leading casually against the fireplace, Tonks and Lupin were sat on a couple of stools besides the fire, Kingsley paced calmly up and down in front of us all, Hagrid's great shadow loomed in the corner, Mad-Eye stood confidently before us all, and little Mundungus Fletcher sat on a stool in the corner, nervously examining all of us and no doubt trying to decide the best moment to make his escape. When his eyes fell on me, I narrowed his eyes at him, and saw him gulp as he no doubt remembered the black eye I'd given him when I captured him in Knockturn Alley.

"Now that we're all here, we can inform you all of our mission tonight," Mad-Eye announced. Everybody concentrated on him, even Dung, who looked scared to do anything but listen.

"Tonight, we're going to move Potter."

There was a mumble of chatter between people, before Mad-Eye banged his staff against the floor and immediately silenced everyone. "We haven't much time, so there'll be no idle chatter. Now, we're going to travel using methods of transport that the Ministry can't detect, since we have reason to believe they've been compromised." His magical eye moved to Kingsley, who nodded slowly. "That means brooms, thestrals, a motorbike in Hagrid's case."

"Why can't we just apparate?" Fred asked curiously.

Mad-Eye scowled at him as if the answer were obvious. "Potter still carries the Trace - he can't apparate anywhere without the Ministry knowing exactly where he's gone. I don't want Scrimgeour and his friends knowing where our safe house is, do you?"

George looked at Fred and snorted in laughter, earning a glare and a punch in the ribs from his twin. George went to fight back, but not before Dad glared at them and snarled "boys!"

"Won't it be obvious though, if we're attacked that is, who Harry is anyway?" Hermione asked warily. Mad-Eye's unnerving eye shot to her and seemed to stare straight through her as he replied "we've laid a fake trail - given another date for Potter's moving to the Ministry. If the Death Eaters somehow do catch wind of what we're doing though, we'll be using Polyjuice Potion. We're going to pair up, and half of us will take the potion with Potter's hair in it, and the other half will act as protectors. Eight Potters - eight protectors."

There were mutters of understanding throughout the group.

"Each pair will be heading back to a different safe house, where there's a portkey waiting to bring you back here. It's essential that you do not miss your portkey and get stranded, but if you do, do not use the Floo Network or try to apparate at any costs. Remember, the Ministry and the Death Eaters know that Potter still has the Trace - if you disapparate, you'll give it away right away that you're not the real Potter. We meet back here once we've reached our separate safe-houses and portkeys, understood?"

"Harry isn't going to like this plan" I declared. Everybody's attention turned to me. "He won't give us his hair - he won't let us all risk our lives for him like that."

Mad-Eye glared. "Well then Miss Black, it'll be down to you to take the hair from him, whether he wants to give it to use or not."

I glared back at Mad-Eye - I wasn't afraid of him anymore like I used to be, or perhaps I just didn't care what he thought of me. Either way, he turned his attention back to the main group.

"Fred - you're with Arthur. Bill and Miss Delacour. Kingsley and Miss Granger, Ron and Tonks, Hagrid will be taking Harry once he's collected, George and Lupin, Mundungus will be with me, and Miss Black and Charlie."

I looked to Charlie, who grinned wildly at me. I found myself grinning back - with my favourite Weasley brother by my side, this would almost be fun.

"I can take my broom" I said to my brother with a grin, thinking to the Firebolt in the kitchen and how I hadn't had a good flight in months. "The broom he got you?" Ron said before he could stop himself.

Suddenly it fell silent. Everybody knew that Draco had been the one to buy me my Firebolt. Hermione punched Ron in the arm, and every set of eyes in the room fell upon me, except for Mad-Eye's magical one, which seemed to be staring off into the horizon.

I gulped, and tried to appear nonchalant when the mere mention of Draco had shaken me. "H..Harry has a Firebolt" I stuttered quickly, staring at the floor so they couldn't see the tears that rushed to my eyes. I wouldn't let them see me cry over Draco; that would be too embarrassing for me to handle.

"I think it's a good idea," Hermione said slowly, "Harry has that broom too - it might throw them off his scent if they see a Firebolt. Besides, it's fast."

I gave her a grateful smile, and Mad-Eye nodded. "Ok, you can take the Firebolt. It's time - any second thoughts?"

Everybody shook their heads and rose to their feet - everyone except Dung of course, who gulped and said "I suppose it's too late to back out of this?"

Hagrid grabbed Dung by the scruff of his neck and threw him forward, so that he landed near the door. "You're not getting out of this one, Mundungus" he snarled. The tiny wizard gulped and held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I didn't mean for me! I'm 100% ready for this!"

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Mundungus, if you betray us, I will personally hunt you down and take great pleasure in performing the Imperius curse on you before making you use the Cruciatus curse on yourself."

The little wizard gulped. "You wouldn't..." he hissed. I smirked at him and moved so that I gently lifted my left sleeve slightly, flashing the end of the dark mark on my forearm for only Dung to see. "I think I would."

Mad-Eye glared at me before hobbling towards the door, and nodding to my mother who was waiting in the kitchen. We all took this as the moment to leave, everybody standing up and making sure that they had what they needed; wands, flying goggles, even a few of their best selling fireworks in Fred and George's cases. I rolled my eyes as they chucked me a small package of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, but nonetheless shoved it into the pocket of my thick coat.

I quickly tied back my hair as I left the living area and followed Ron, Hermione, Fred and George outside. Making sure to grab my broom from where I'd left it beside the table, I looked up at my mother as she grabbed my three brothers and squeezed them tightly. "Please be careful" she ordered them all, giving them the glare she only did when she wanted us to do something. I didn't expect her to even acknowledge me, and grabbed my scarf from my backpack rather than look at her. It shocked me then when she cleared her throat, and I realised that we were alone in the kitchen.

"Yes?" I muttered, frowning in confusion.

Mum took a deep breathe and then looked up at me. "Just be careful Juliet," she mumbled, before returning to the stew she was cooking for our return. It was so quiet that at first I thought I'd imagined it, but then after a few moments I realised that it was true - I had heard right. She'd told me to be careful.

A wide smile sat on my face as I joined the others outside. "What are you so happy about?" Ron asked me with a frown. I threw him a wink as I climbed onto my broom, and watched Charlie mount his Cleansweep beside me. "Are you sure you'll be able to keep up with me?" Charlie asked sarcastically, staring enviously at my beautiful broom. I rolled my eyes and the broom lifted with my amusement, hovering a couple of foot above the ground. "I'm positive."

Bill and Fleur climbed on top of a Thestral, as did Hermione and Kingsley, Hagrid straddled a muggle motorbike I vaguely recognised as belonging to Sirius, and everybody else climbed onto brooms. Mad-Eye gave the signal for us to leave with a drop of his hand, and my Firebolt shot forward and up into the air on its own accord, climbing higher and higher with the others trailing behind.

We passed through the defensive spells, and immediately I felt vulnerable. I'd spent the entire summer running into danger, but now that I had to concentrate on flying as well, I couldn't help but be glad to have Charlie flying beside me. He played as Seeker during his Hogwarts years - although for Gryffindor of course - and so would have no problem on a broom.

I could hardly say that same for Hermione though - as I glanced over my shoulder, I saw that she looked ready to be sick.

We flew through the night silently, afraid to talk and draw attention to ourselves. By some miracle, we made it to Little Whinging without an attack, and everybody began to hope that perhaps everything would go to plan. But as if the clouds and the storm forming in the sky ahead were a sign, I was wary to build up my hopes, because I knew all too well that hopes could easily be destroyed.

As we flew over the muggle town, I stared down at the lights twinkling in houses, and wondered how so many of them could be so blissfully unaware as to the war that was raging between the wizard kind. How could they not know that a few streets away, a few doors even, the Chosen One lived and ate and slept, had spent his childhood. How many times had these people passed Harry on the street and looked curiously as the little boy trailed behind his aunt and uncle (who they wrongly presumed to be his parents), wondering what the child could have done to be so despised. And yet none of them ever tried to help him. For years they must have seen little Harry Potter, the strange child that the Dursleys kindly adopted, and shrugged him off as being simply a weird boy. They had no idea how special he was.

I tightened my hands around the handle of my broom, grinding my teeth as I tried to suppress my anger. Following the lead of Mad-Eye who had started to descend towards the town with a fearful looking Mundungus clutching on for dear life, I lowered my broom and it followed my command as always, sinking towards the typical muggle suburb below.

It would be impossible to distinguish from above which of the identical houses was 4 Privet Drive. Built in a typically muggle way, each house was a direct copy of it's neighbours; the same well-maintained garden, the same clean gutters and weedless driveways. And yet Mad-Eye seemed to know exactly in which of the houses we could find Harry, and took a steep dive towards it, earning a high-pitched squeal from Dung. I rolled my eyes, and pulled my Firebolt into an identical dive, Charlie copying my action identically.

We sank lower and lower until we passed through an invisible barrier that I knew protected Harry from attack. It was no regular force-field however - this was a shield made entirely of love. The love of Harry's mother Lily, protecting her son when she had cast herself between the Dark Lord and her child, sacrificing herself to save her baby. Lily's love flowed through Harry's veins and would continue to do so until the day he turned seventeen, when the spell was broken, and he would be vulnerable to attack. That was why he had to be moved before that could happen. It was imperative that Harry remained protected, at all costs, and his mother's love was the only thing keeping the Dark Lord from crashing into the small muggle town of Little Whinging and snatching Harry right there.

I landed with ease in the front garden, quickly hopping off the Firebolt and moving aside so they others could land also. Charlie followed me as we pulled our hoods over our heads and headed towards the door, looking cautiously to the houses on either side of Harry's for any peeking neighbours. "Concealment charm" Mad-Eye grumbled as we reached him at the door, "no muggles will be able to see what's going on."

"It's not the muggles I'm worried about" Charlie muttered in reply.

Quickly, everybody jumped off their brooms and various other modes of transport. I watched in amusement as Ron helped Hermione down from her Thestral, holding her tight as she looked like she was about to be sick. How long would it be before the two of them finally admitted how they felt about each other? It was obvious to everyone - except for each other of course.

I smirked and watched as Hagrid staggered up to the front door, taking a deep breathe before knocking three times upon the door, which compared to him was tiny. We all stood still, holding our breathe and keeping our wands raised defensively, as slowly the door creaked open, and Harry Potter stood grinning in the doorway.

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The update day for Sapphire will be Fridays, and I'll update every Friday unless I specify otherwise.

I changed the cover - it's still the same except I changed the colouring of the font and the lighting, because I didn't like the way that the previously baby pink light looked. Tell me what you think!

Thank you for your support, please vote if you enjoyed this chapter, comment and tell me what you thought, and become a fan!