Chapter 17: Raiding Malfoy Manor

The Opposite

Chapter 17: Raiding Malfoy Manor

Harry looked absolutely miserable two days after Ginny had gone. Ron looked just as miserable and put his heart and soul into destroying everything within reach with a curse or his fists. Neve still hadn't told anyone but Draco about her horrific experience at the hands of his father. Draco had been rather distant like her as of late. Aurora was starting to worry about him. The only ones who could function normally were Hermione and Neville.

Harry and Draco were eating lunch in the wine cellar when they heard footsteps. They looked at each other, wondering who it would be. They tried desperately to hide the evidence of them drinking. Then Drake stuck his head out the door.

"D-D-Drake!" Harry stammered. Drake rolled his eyes and walked forward.

"I've known you guys knew about this place for quite some time. It's quite all right. I can understand if you need a drink every now and then. Just don't let Fionnula and Aislin catch you. You two are going on assignment," Drake said, taking a glass and pouring some firewhiskey in it. Draco and Harry exchanged blank looks.

"Assignment? What assignment?" Draco asked. Harry straightened up in his chair. Drake took a gulp of the strong drink and sat back, looking at the two serenely.

"You two are going to see first hand what an Auror and a Magus do. We have deemed you two ready for this assignment. Seeing as there will be no 'important' Death Eaters at this place, you should have no trouble. You leave tonight. It'll just be you two," Drake said. Harry almost choked on his drink.

"You're sending us on a raid?" Harry asked. Drake nodded. "Where?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Ron, Hermione, Neve, Neville, and Aurora will have their time soon. Get ready. You leave in two hours." Drake stood and walked to the door. He turned back towards the young men. "Also, wear your battle uniform. You will be taking a Portkey to this place." And with that, he was gone. Draco stood up and followed Drake out, leaving Harry seated and looking amazed.

A raid? He wasn't ready for a raid. Let alone a raid against Death Eaters. What if Voldemort was there? Drake said no "important" ones would be there. But, how could he know that? Sighing, he got up to follow Draco out.

Two hours later, all of the trainees stood, looking at Draco and Harry. Hermione hugged Harry and shook Draco's hand.

"Good luck, you two," she said, looking as though she was going to cry. Ron shook both of their hands and Neve nodded in their direction. Neville wished them well, and Aurora nearly knocked Draco down. Aislin walked over to them.

"You're looking for any prisoners or information that might be in this place." She took out a glass. "Portus. This Portkey will reach both ways. Once you are done, touch it. You will be brought back here. Tie all of the Death Eaters up, and Aurors will be deployed to take them to Azkaban. Good luck." Aislin sat the Portkey down. Harry and Draco looked at each other and touched it.

The familiar tugging was felt, and Harry landed on his butt. Draco did the same. Draco stood quickly, dusting himself off. He looked up and paused completely. Harry stood and walked up beside Draco, who looked like he'd just seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. Draco stood, speechless. He couldn't believe this. This couldn't be the place. It had to be an illusion. It just had to be. Harry shook Draco, bringing him back to reality. "What is it?" Harry asked more urgently.

"This is Malfoy Manor," Draco whispered. "We're going to raid my house?" Draco said quietly. Harry looked at the place. It looked very depressing. He didn't understand how Draco could've lived here. "Come on." Draco started walking. Harry went for the front door, but Draco pulled him down in the bushes.

"What are you doing?" Harry whispered. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I think I know this place a smidge better than you do, Potter. We're not just going to go in, wands firing. Are you daft or something? We need a plan. Remember, we're supposed to be subtle and tactical. The keyword there is TACTICAL. Come. There is another way in through the dungeons." Draco pulled Harry along.

"I'm not daft, Malfoy. This is a house. Why do you have dungeons?" Harry asked, looking quite skeptical. Draco sighed and pointed his wand at a stone door.

"Aprire," he said. The door swung open quietly. Apparently, it had a password. Draco went in followed by Harry.

The dungeon was a quiet, dark, and gloomy place. It smelled of wet dogs. As Harry followed Draco, door slammed shut behind him. Harry jumped and whirled around, pointing his wand at the door. Draco looked around and heard shuffling. Harry was still moving, making more noise.

"Quiet, Potter! Do you hear that?" he whispered. Harry stopped moving and looked around. The shuffling was heard far off to their right. Draco looked down the dark hallway and went forward. Harry followed. When they came to the door, Draco unlocked it and opened it. They both gasped at what they saw.

Nymphadora Tonks was tied up on the ground. Her face was dirty, and she was gagged. She looked up at the two, and her eyes widened. It was like she couldn't tell the difference between them and Death Eaters. Harry walked forward and pulled out his wand. Tonks tried to scoot away from him, mumbling unintelligibly. Harry realized what he must look like to her. He removed his hood. Draco stood guard.

"Tonks, it's me, Harry. We're here to rescue you. Hold still." Harry untied her, and she removed her gag. She coughed loudly, and Draco turned his head quickly.

"Death Eaters are coming. Tonks, hide. Potter, get ready." Draco took out his wand. Tonks went and hid in a dark corner. Harry didn't bother pulling out his wand. He looked out the door and saw three Death Eaters approaching.

"Potter! How did..." a woman's voice said. She was in the center of the two taller Death Eaters the boys assumed were men. She pulled out her wand. "Stupefy!" she yelled. Harry held his hand out and reversed the spell. The woman just stood there, shocked. She went flying backwards. Harry heard Draco chuckle.

"Good one, Potter. Tarantallegra!" Draco pointed his wand at the other Death Eater. He dove to the side and sent curse at Draco. Draco moved and Harry stunned another Death Eater. "Petrificus Totalus!" The Death Eater's body went rigid, and he fell forward on his face. Draco started to walk off.

"And where do you think you're going?" Harry asked, tying up the Death Eaters. Draco turned and looked back at him.

"To look for information." And with that, Draco was gone. Harry sighed and continued his task. He conjured an invisible binding around them. Tonks came out of hiding. Harry turned to look at her.

"You're pretty good, Potter. I see they've been training you well," she said, smiling weakly. Harry almost blushed.

Draco looked around his house. He armed his bow with a magical arrow. He turned a corner and saw three other Death Eaters, sitting and conversing. Draco took out one of his knives and threw it. He hit one Death Eater in the arm. An ear-piercing scream was heard. Draco snorted and hid behind the wall, picking up another one of his arrows. He charged it, and then shot it. The other two Death Eaters dodged while the one with the knife in his arm was flailing about. Because of the blast, Draco's hood had fallen back. He stood, facing the two Death Eaters.

"You're Draco Malfoy. What are you doing here?" one said. Draco smirked and looked at him.

"Trying to take my home back. Not to mention kill all of you." Draco aimed at them. They stood there, their wands still in hand. "Drop your wands, or I'll blow your heads off," Draco said, looking very serious. The Death Eater who'd spoken dropped his wand. The other looked cynical.

Suddenly, the banging of a door startled him. Draco lost his bearing for a moment as Harry and Tonks appeared. The Death Eater still holding his wand took this opportunity to strike.

"Rictusempra!" he yelled. Draco was blasted backwards. Harry looked at him, then at the Death Eater. "Well, if it isn't baby Potter. The Dark Lord learns to see you, baby Potter. I see you've found Nymphadora. Well, this should be a new change of scenery. Crucio!" The Death Eater threw the curse at Tonks. Harry pushed her hard on the ground. Tonks hit it just as the curse flew above her head. Harry looked at the Death Eater again. "Looks like you're up the creek without a wand, Potter," the Death Eater said, laughing maniacally.

"Who says I need a wand?" Harry asked. The Death Eater stopped cackling for a moment. Harry smirked and held his hand out. A white light flew from it, and the wand in the Death Eater's hand flew out of it. "Who's without a wand now?" Harry asked, taking a step forward. The Death Eater looked at him with wide eyes.

"Potter, step aside," Draco's voice said from behind him. Harry turned around. Draco was standing. His slicked back hair had fallen into his eyes. He looked positively homicidal. Draco walked forward, holding his wand. Harry and Tonks watched him. Draco stepped over the fallen Death Eater. "Take care of him, Potter. I've got this one." Draco grabbed the man around his neck. Harry stunned the quiet Death Eater.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?" Harry asked, looking at him in a peculiar way. Draco looked at Harry, then at the man whom he was holding.

"Quiet, Potter." Draco pulled out a knife. He pressed it against the man's neck. The Death Eater swallowed hard. Draco smirked, sensing the man's fear. "Not as bold as before, huh? Tell me where Voldemort is hiding, and I might let you live," Draco said in a deadly tone. The Death Eater grimaced.

"I wouldn't betray the Dark Lord's whereabouts to a traitorm," the Death Eater managed to choke out. Draco smirked.

"Then it seems to me that you have a death wish. Have it your way." Draco moved the knife from the man's neck. Then, suddenly, Draco stabbed the man in the side and twisted. Harry cringed as blood splattered everywhere. Draco licked his lips. He was enjoying this killing bit a little too much.

"Draco, what are you doing?" Harry asked. Draco looked up at him and removed the knife. The Death Eater squirmed on the ground. Draco looked down on him smugly.

"He refused to help. Out of that wound, his blood will flow. So, technically, I didn't kill him. I just stabbed him. I like this raiding thing. I really could get used to it." Draco wiped off the knife. Tonks and Harry just stared at him. Then, a loud pop was heard. Draco and Harry turned around, both pulling their wands.

"Someone else was here," Harry said quietly. Draco nodded.

"They just Disapparated, though," Draco said. He turned back towards Harry and Tonks. He pulled the glass out of his pocket. "Funzionare." Draco tapped the glass with his wand. "Let's go." And with that, they left the place.

This time, Harry and Draco landed a little more gracefully on the ground. Hermione jumped in shock at them just appearing out of nowhere. Harry laughed at her. Neville snickered from the corner he sat in.

"You really should've seen your face," he said between giggles. Hermione hit him hard on the shoulder. Harry pretended to be hurt. Drake and Dumbledore walked in the room. Ron followed behind them. Everyone noticed that Tonks was standing there.

"Nymphadora! I see you've been rescued thanks to Harry and Draco. Well done, gentlemen," Dumbledore said, for the first time in a while sounding relatively happy. "Did you find out where the others are hidden?" he asked.

"No," Draco said. Aurora came in the room and saw Draco drenched in blood. She ran toward him, touching him everywhere. "What is your problem, woman?" Draco demanded. Aurora continued looking, unfazed by his outburst of annoyance.

"I am looking for an injury; you are covered in blood," Aurora said. Draco grabbed her hands. She looked up at him.

"I'm fine, love. It's not my blood," Draco said. Aurora stepped back from him. Her eyes seemed to be examining him. Draco just stared back at her. "What?" he asked. Aurora just kept staring at him.

"Why are you covered in another's blood?" she asked. Draco smirked smugly. He crossed his arms.

"Because..." he began.

"...he had to kill a dog. A very big, vicious dog," Harry said. Draco and Aurora looked at him in wonder. Harry made the slightest movement with his eyes, and Draco understood.

"Uh, yeah. This dog attacked me. I had to stab it because I couldn't reach my wand," Draco said. Aurora nodded slowly. Draco wasn't quite sure she believed him. If she had her doubts, she didn't express them to him. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Well, I must take Nymphadora to St. Mungo's to have her thoroughly looked over. I bid you all adieu and goodbye. Come, Nymphadora." Dumbledore turned to walk out of the room. Drake followed, but Tonks hung back.

"Thanks again, you two," she said, smiling. Draco and Harry nodded. After everyone was gone, Hermione sensed that the boys needed to talk. She grabbed Aurora's hand.

"Let's go make them something to eat. They look worn out," Hermione said. Aurora nodded absentmindedly and managed to tear her eyes away from Draco. Once they were gone, Draco rounded on Harry quickly. Ron and Neville watched them.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, sounding a bit furious. He walked up on Harry. Harry stepped forward.

"I don't think your girlfriend knowing that you're a murderer is normal, Malfoy. How do you think Aurora would've acted knowing that you killed another man in cold blood and had no second thoughts about it?" Harry asked, crossing his arms. Draco narrowed his grey eyes at Harry. Harry stared directly back at him.

"He's right, Malfoy. How do you think Aurora will see you?" Ron asked. Draco cut his eyes at Ron.

"No one asked you, Weasley. Potter, you think lying to her is a good idea?" Draco asked. Harry nodded.

Ginny opened her eyes. She was breathing very hard. She'd just seen the exact events that occurred at Malfoy Manor. She sat up as the door to her room opened. Bellatrix and Astrid walked in. Astrid examined Ginny, and Ginny looked at her.

"What? Were you a vulture in another life?" Ginny asked. Astrid touched Ginny's hair and smirked.

"She's not a Seer, Bellatrix. But, she does have a funny aura about her. I can't quite place it, though. I will report this to the Dark Lord," Astrid said. She strode out of the room, looking back at Ginny once. Ginny turned her attention to Bellatrix.

"What I wouldn't give to curse you right here and right now, little girl," Bellatrix whispered in a demonic tone. Ginny grinned arrogantly.

"What's stopping you now, Bellatrix? Has Voldemort really got you that tight on a leash?" she taunted. Bellatrix pursed her lips together tightly. She turned on her heel and stomped out of the room, leaving Ginny alone. Ginny sighed and laid back down.