What a Terrible Mess

Chapter 28

They had stopped to get gas and food in a rural town, just outside of London when Ron spotted it. A little eagle owl, fluttering desperately to catch up to them. Clutched in it's claws, a bloody envelope. Landing on the hood of Hermione's car it shrieked at Harry.

"Abeo! Abeo, you poor thing!" Harry went to take the letter and it burned his fingers. Abeo shrieked and pecked his hand, drawing blood. "Damnit Abeo, that hurt! I think the cursed envelope was enough, it doens't need you protecting it too." Abeo shrieked again, tilting it's head from side to side, "Abeo! Drop it!" The owl turned it's head sideways, as if to say 'you must be joking'. Then, another eagle owl swooped in, landing beside Abeo and shrieking. It too pecked at Harry when he tried to retrieve the letter. "Oh you must be one of Draco's family owls too! Drop it!" The black owl shrieked- beating it's wings at Harry's head. "FINE!"

"WHAT is going on?! Adduco! Drop it!" Blaise yelled, holding out his arm. The black owl screeched and beat it's wings at Blaise. "Argh! Adduco, one of these days I'm going to feed you to some terrible beast."

"Adduco! Abeo!" Draco called, rushing for the car. Handing the bags to Harry, Draco held his hand out and Abeo dropped the envelope. Eyes wide with fear, Draco read it.

"Your place, Grimmauld? Has been compromised. Mother is hurt, though not seriously, a few Aurors were killed, and some muggles. The Ministry has it under control now, though they know where it is. She said to tell you not to worry, it still stands- not much damage was done to the house. Looks like Nymphadora lost a finger..." Draco read on, "Charlie Weasley was there," Draco glanced up at Ron, "he lost an arm. Otherwise, everyone else is okay. Adduco- here!" Draco snapped, holding out his hand.

"Who's owl is that?" Hermione asked, as she and Neville approached.

"Adduco is my owl. Adduco means to be persuasive, to persuade. Abeo is my mother's, it means to depart, to go away. Or die." Draco said dismissively, reading over the parchment Adduco had brought. Draco paled and leaned against the car.

"Well? What's this one? More bad news?" Hermione said, obviously saddened, her arm around Ron.

"No... a letter from Severus. He requests that we stay out here, not go back to Hogwarts. It's not safe."

Draco stuffed the parchment in his pocket, motioning for Abeo and Adduco to go. Adduco paused briefly, then was gone.

"Well... what now?" Ron asked, looking around at everyone.

"Nowhere is safe," Neville offered, staring up at the sky.

"What if... what if we made our own place? What if we found somewhere to fortify- better than Grimmauld? We could do it." Hermione said, her eyes twinkling.

"No, that's too dangerous too, I think. It would have to be someplace already hidden, already semi-fortified. If we knew of a place like that... well, I'd be living there." Ron scoffed and Harry and Neville nodded in agreement.

"No, it wouldn't. We could search out a place- there's got to be something. We all have our particular talents and together, we could make a place that even we couldn't get into together."

Blaise stood up a little straighter, a broad grin covering his face. His face was lit up like Hogwarts at Christmas. Harry frowned,

"you have an idea, Blaise?" Everyone turned to look at him.

"Draco- the old Thronton place. We're the only two who know where it is, it'd be perfect." Blaise said, excitedly, grabbing hold of Draco by the shoulders.

"No." Draco replied, scowling.

"Yes, Draco! Think about it, no one knows where it is, it's already protected-"