Chapter Thirty Four
They were at the edge of a great room, with high stone arches and huge blazing torches. Fluffy, the three headed dog Harry knew all too well was standing at the other end, which really, all things considered, was not far enough away.
Parvati screamed. Seamus jumped to his feet and made to run out again, but it was as if a great gust of air rushed them all off their feet, depositing them into the room, and slamming the door shut in their wake. Draco cried out in pain as he fell on his sore leg. Fluffy raised his hackles and growled even louder, taking a couple of steps towards them. There were bones all over the floor and a rotten stench filled the air.
"What do we do!" cried Hermione, petrified. Harry thought desperately; they needed music to put him to sleep, it was like an instant knock out. They'd used a flute last time, but they didn't have a flute, or a...or a...
"Violin?" wondered Harry out loud. Something was surfacing in his memory. "Hermione!" he cried, pulling her to her feet. "Can you sing?"
"What!" she cried in confusion. "What on Earth-"
"Can you sing?" he yelled. "Properly, in tune?"
"Yes!" she screamed back.
"Do it!" cried Harry; Fluffy was stalking closer to them. "Sing - anything!"
"What the Hell!" shrieked Parvati as Seamus clawed at the door, heaving at the handle. "Does that have to do-"
"Sing!" bellowed Draco, clutching his leg. "Anyone!"
Hermione pulled at her hair in panic, wide eyes staring terrified at the giant dog. "Uh-" she whispered. "Um - er - oh! Uh...I'm, giving you everthing," she began, her voice quivering but in tune. "All that joy can bring, this I swear." As soon as she started, Fluffy stopped in his tracks, his many eyelids drooping. Harry made a motion for her to keep going, so she did, thumbing the old key still in her hand from the puzzle. "And, all that I want from you, is a promise you will be there - Say you will be there." Fluffy curled up and started snoring, and they crept round his heads. Harry's heart was thumping. He guessed anyone could have tried to sing something, but he had a suspicion that the more in tune it was the better, so he nodded at Hermione again and she carried on.
"If you, put two and two together," she crooned, worry still alive on her face. "You will see what our friendship is for." They were creeping closer, foot by foot.
"If you can't work this equation then I guess I'll have to show you the door." Their own door was in sight, Harry looked back at the hyper-anxious group, but they were all falling to Hermione's step, and a glance at Fluffy told him all he needed to know as the giant dog drooled and snored from all three of his mouths.
"You're doing great," Harry whispered, and Hermione nodded.
"I'm," she continued. "Giving you everything all that joy can bring this I swear." Harry reached his arm out and grasped the door handle firmly. It wasn't locked, and he couldn't help but grin in relief as he clicked it open. "And all that I want from you," Hermione croaked as they eased through the door onto the other side. "Is a promise you will be there."
Seamus and Parvati slammed the door resolutely shut, and Draco sagged against the wall. "Nice job," he said, punching a still trembling Hermione lightly on the arm.
Parvati threw her arms around her for a second time. "You saved us again!" she squealed happily, and Seamus patted her on the back.
"Did it have to be Spice Girls though?" he asked cheekily. Hermione tossed her shoulders back and mumbled something about the first thing that came into her head and what did it matter what song it was anyway?
Harry was watching Draco. He was clutching his right forearm as if it was on fire. His eyes were closed as he balanced on his good leg, his breathing steady and long. "Draco...?" asked Harry tentatively.
"We're here," said Draco, opening his eyes. Harry immediately stiffened, and the others stopped talking. Harry realised that although they were still in a tunnel of sorts, it was dramatically different to what they'd been used to in the last hour or so. The dank rock had been replaced with shining white marble, the torches were ornate with snakes curling round the brackets. Emerald green plush rugs stretched out along the polished floor and paintings of intricate battle scenes adorned the walls. The movement of the painting's subjects was fluid and dizzying, their warrior's cries unnerving.
Harry felt a sharp pain in his forehead; just where his scar should have been. He gasped and his hand flew to the source of the pain. That wasn't a good sign.
Draco limped by himself to the end of the corridor. It ended in an engraved black door; there was no handle or knob, but instead a blank silver plaque in the middle of the steal. Draco glanced back at the others as Harry propped him up again. "I'd rather you didn't look," murmured Draco, and Hermione backed off respectfully, Seamus and Parvati following reluctantly. Draco pushed up the bulky sleeve of his coat, revealing a familiar black skull tattoo surrounded by several silvery lined scars. Harry took this in, then was about to voice his fears about what his own scar hurting meant, when Draco turned his head and swallowed. "Whatever happens in here," he said through dry lips. "You've got to trust me."
"What?" asked Harry,
"What!" demanded Seamus, but they received no answer.
Draco placed his Dark Mark, the sign of a Death Eater, onto the silver plaque and the door swung open easily. He walked swiftly through, masking his limp as best he could, flanked quickly by the others. Harry was momentarily blinded by the bright light shining into his eyes; he flung his hand up to block it just as the others did. Almost as soon as they had done this though, the light softened to normal, and Harry lowered his arm.
They were in a semicircular auditorium, with stone steps extending high up from where they were standing; the middle of the half-moon stone stage. The door slammed behind them, but Harry barely noticed. He was looking out at the scene that lay before him.
There were people in hooded black robes standing on every step, looking down at them, arms folded.
Directly in front of them stood Lord Voldemort. He smiled.
Positioned either side of him were Bartemius Crouch, Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, and the woman with curly black hair that Harry had seen in Dumbledore's Pensive. Her lacy black dress glinted as she smiled the widest of them all.
Harry couldn't seem to breath properly, he must be in a nightmare. But he felt the pain in his forehead and knew it was real. He tried to find his voice, he had to ask Draco what was happening. But before he could, Lucius Malfoy opened his arms and smiled his cruel smile.
"Draco," he said warmly. "How nice it is to see you."
Draco smiled back and bowed slightly. "Hello father," he replied calmly.