he lost it now, his father was probably going to snort in disgust and leave.
"Pay attention," Lucius ordered. "I gather they are currently occupied seeing to Bellatrix's arrival, if she isn't here already. Draco?"
He was remembering his mother's words ...we don't have a lot of time, so you need to listen to me very carefully...
The dream! He remembered it now. Something about light being important.
"The captive Auror will prove more difficult," his father was saying. "I was not able to access the room where she is being kept. Her cell is magic-barred. You will need one of them to open it for you. I will arrange a distraction, at which point I suspect they will send the girl to the dungeons to keep her out of the way. Be ready. If you are unable to free the Auror, do not hesitate to leave without her. Ministry law enforcement will arrive shortly and if Andromeda Tonks was anything to go by, her daughter is likely to outlive us all. Head back to Hogwarts via the way you came. You'll be safe once you're there." "Hogwarts," Draco nodded, lamely.
"Son." Lucius voice was urgent.
Draco stared at him. Yes, I'm paying attention, he meant to say, but stopped short at Lucius' dark, weighted gaze.
There was a great, long, emotion-laden pause.
"Do what you will with the Manor. It' s yours. I only ask that you leave my study as it is. I'mpartial to that room."
And with that, Lucius Malfoy was gone. To have a chat with Bellatrix Lestrange, presumably; the only other person on the planet who was probably crazier than Blaise Zabini.
It's official, Draco thought, as he sprinted down the corridor, towards the stairs, on legs that were still very wobbly.
Chapter Forty-Four
Ron was wearing bright, white trainers, with reflective, silver streaks down the sides. It was very dark and what little moonlight there was, was currently hidden behind passing clouds.
Still, Lupin wanted to slap the boy in the back of the head.
"Budge up, a bit," Lupin whispered to Harry, who was squatting in between Ron and Lupin.
Harry did as requested and watched as Lupin transfigured Ron's shoes into a pair of black, lace up boots.
"Sorry. I didn't think" Ron muttered, staring down at the new fa?ade of his more appropriate footwear. They still felt like his comfy, old trainers.
"Shh!" Moody said, from somewhere in front of them. "Someone' s coming."
Harry counted nine of them. All were wearing different variations of dark-coloured, hooded cloaks. The amount of noise they made as they walked out of the trees and into the clearing in front of the old, stone fort showed just how confident they felt about the security of the hideout. Two of them were talking excitedly. A third was trying to carry on a conversation with someone behind him and was not watching his footing on the uneven ground. He stumbled once and nearly fell. There was laughing.
If these were indeed Death Eaters, they were unlike any Harry had ever encountered before. He was thinking what a sorry lot of criminals they were, when the smaller, cloaked figure at the head of the rabble spun around and removed his hood.
Her hood, Harry silently corrected. Cloud was no longer obscuring the moonlight and the pale face of the woman was revealed in sharp relief against her dark clothing and even darker hair.
Bellatrix Lestrange glared at the small group behind her. They ceased their talking and proceeded with more sobriety.
Harry didn't realise he had stood up from his hiding spot deep in the trees, his right hand gripping his wand so tightly it seemed a miracle the thing didn't snap in his palm. Rage became a perceptible, static charge that swirled around his fingertips.
One of the Aurors behind him swore softly. Suddenly, Harry felt Lupin's heavy, firm hand on his shoulder. A second later, that same hand yanked him back down.
"Do not make me regret bringing the two of you!" Lupin hissed.
Harry felt dazed and not a little stupid. He exchanged a sheepish look with Ron and then returned his attention on the procession of Death Eaters making their way into the building.
The rage dissipated and after blinking a few times, he no longer saw Sirius' face when he closed his eyes.
"What is this place?" Ron asked Lupin, once Bellatrix and her companions had entered.
"Some sort of safe house, I'm guessing. There are a number scattered through Europe. We do our best to find them and burn them to the ground, but