DRAGON'S HEARTSTRINGS || dramione | harry potter

Chapter Twenty-Five

When Hermione, Draco and Luna Apparated back to the Manor, Blaise Zabini was waiting for them. He looked a lot worse that he did three days ago, the smile was long gone from his lips, his face seemed ashen and the dark circles under his eyes were deeper. He saw the three of them come back, but his eyes were on Luna.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice dead.

Luna stepped forward, reaching out her hand toward him. "I'm going to help Hermione and Draco kill the snake. It's the last Horcrux." She paused, watching him carefully. "What are you doing here, Blaise?"

Blaise's face contorted into a pained grimace. "They set my home on fire," he said quietly. "They thought I was inside when they cursed it, and they probably think I'm dead, art least for now, although I managed to escape." Luna went closer and touched his hand softly, comforting him. "Nineteen... Nineteen generations lived in that house... My parents, my grandparents, my grandparents... My children were supposed to grow up there... Now it's all gone..." His voice broke more and more with every word he said.

Hermione's heart sank. If Blaise's house was burned down, that meant the Malfoy Manor will be next...

"Oh, Blaise... I'm so sorry..." Luna spoke out, her voice filled with pity as she hugged her, and he hugged her back, leaning into her as if she were the only anchor he had left.

Blaise finally raised his head to look at Draco. "I didn't know where else to go..."

"I'll kill him tonight," Draco said firmly. "If everything goes according to plan, Voldemort will be dead by nightfall."

Blaise nodded, determined, his eyes filling with justified rage. "I'm coming with you," he said.

Draco inclined his head. "Lovegood, walk him through the plan, I'm going to retrieve the sword."

Luna listened and told Blaise what they were planning to do. A few minutes later Draco came back with the Gryffindor sword at his side. Hermione only now thought that they should've taken some Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets so that all of them had a weapon to kill the snake with, but she also had no idea there would be four of them on this mission, since the original plan involved only her and Draco, and in Draco's plan, there was only him. So a single sword will have to do. They had no time left to waste.

"Mipsy, we will be back soon, but I will put up the wards back the moment we're gone," Draco informed his house elf who popped in front of them at the mention of her name. "Don't let anyone inside unless it's me or Hermione, and even if it's me, make sure I'm not under Imperius."

Mipsy watched her Master speak with wide eyes, then she nodded quickly. "Yes, Master."

Hermione said her goodbyes to the elf, hoping to see her soon with victorious heart.

Draco told Blaise to change into the Death Eater robes, while Hermione and Luna were to act like submissive wives in case they met someone on their way to the Department of Mysteries. Hermione gave Mipsy one last look of farewell. When all was done, the four of them Apparated to the Ministry.

They reappeared next to a battered telephone box and opened the door, somehow all of them fitting inside. Blaise dialed six, two, four, four, two, and stated their business as work, their destination - Department of Mysteries. The floor shuddered and the four of them sank into the depths of the Ministry. For a few short moments, everything was only a mix of dark with sudden bursts of light, and when they reached the lowest ninth level and the door of the lift swung open, the light that settled was so low they needed time to adjust.

The long corridor lined with black glossy tiles seemed endless, but they started walking. Draco hid the sword under his robes, but his hand was looming over it, ready to sheath it out whenever necessary.