Hermione and his purple-haired cousin safely out of there, with or without Goyle.
"My father is here," he chosen then to inform. It was still unbelievable, for all that Lucius had held him and spoken to him in the flesh.
"WHAT?!"
"I know. Don' t ask. I have no idea how, but I suspect Snape had something to do with it. That explosion you just heard was probably the distraction he promised me."
He took hold of her hand. "Now, we're going to find Tonks and then the three of us are getting the fuck out of here. Agreed?" he asked. He knew her well enough to know that asking for her compliance was much quicker than simply demanding it.
She gripped his hand just as tightly. "Agreed."
**
People were coming. Goyle could hear wand fire just beyond the charmed entrance doors to the dungeon.
There was shouting. Fuck. Were they already inside? He was too late, he had waited too long to free the Auror.
Free she was, in any case. It had taken him ages to take down all the spells without tripping any of the alarms that warded the dungeons. The level of skill involved was quite frankly, beyond him, but he had made a point of memorising everything Blaise did each time he had accompanied the other boy to the dungeons.
For one horrible moment, the password hadn't worked and Goyle was sure he was about to get splinched by the dungeon's defence system, but then there was a hiss, as if compressed air had been released, and the bolts on the other side of the door had slipped free.
Getting Tonks' cell door open was markedly easier. She came flying out.
"Do I hit this with you now or later?" she asked dryly, holding aloft the slab of stone Goyle had given her earlier.
"Plans gone to shit," he blurted.
She blinked and dropped the stone. "Yes, I know. I can hear it."
It was probably time to tell her the other news. She wasn't going to like it. "Hermione Granger and Draco have been taken prisoner. I found out just before I left to come here."
Aurors were a tough breed, Goyle thought. Tonks processed this bit of dire news with nothing more than a grim expression.
"Are they in once piece?"
Draco? Goyle swallowed. Probably not. Granger? He couldn't be sure.
"Yes." he extrapolated.
"Right, well you run along then. I'm not leaving here without them."
That was what he had been counting on. Time for the other bad news. "Bellatrix Lestrange is also here with the Death Eater recruits from Beaubaxtons and Durmstrang," Goyle informed
Her mouth formed a thin line. "Where?" she whispered.
"The Recruits are being kept in a room on the top floor. That's where I'm supposed to be. As far as I can guess, Bellatrix was about to start the interviews when the east wall came down. Wormtail is missing."
She was thinking quickly. Goyle thought how very much she looked like Hermione Granger in that moment. She was wearing a small frown and an expression that said no problem was insurmountable if enough brainpower was applied.
"We'll find the kids first."
Goyle was confused for one moment before he worked out she was referring to Draco and Granger. He strode to the dungeon entrance and spoke the same password that would set the wards on pause.
Tonks stood back as the six sets of locks were undone and then Goyle swung the heavy doors open.
There was a feminine gasp, but it didn't come from Tonks. Goyle stared in open mouthed astonishment at Hermione Granger and Draco, who Goyle couldn't help but notice, had a wand pointed squarely at Goyle's face.
Chapter Forty-Five
Draco shoved Hermione behind him as soon as they became aware that the dungeon entrance was about to open.
There was a couple of seconds of predictable protest before she did as she was told. Stubborn as she was, she was aware that he was holding on to their only wand, their only means of defence.
"Draco," she whispered worriedly, as the door started to swing open.
"Be ready," he replied, pushing them backwards a little.
He felt her tense exhalation of breath at his bare shoulder. The heavy, opening doors connected with Travers' body and this resulted in a rather nasty, bloody smear, as the body was picked up by the momentum of the door and pushed to the wall.
Draco raised the wand, Stupefy poised on his lips.
The spell was just about to leave his mouth when he saw not Blaise or Bellatrix or worse, Voldemort, but Goyle. Behind him was Tonks, who looked