The Last Two Standing
Chapter 2
When the battle was finished, there was nothing left of Voldemort but a pile of ash while Nagini's corpse lay scattered in pieces about the room. They had been too late to save the Muggle though. Hermione covered him with her cloak as Ron bound the unconscious Death Eaters. Harry stalked around the room methodically snapping wands in half.
"We should go, Harry, before the others come back," Hermione said, her voice choked. She had never seen anyone tortured before and what they had done to the poor Muggle had left her distraught.
"Lucius got away," Harry growled. "We should look for him." Ever since Harry had learned that Lucius had escaped Azkaban, he had vowed to find him and see him locked away again.
"Harry, please, let the Order deal with him," Hermione begged. "We may have caught them unaware this time, but Lucius won't be surprised again."
"Besides, mate, he's probably long gone by now," Ron agreed, looking rather pale at the carnage around them. Not all the Death Eaters were just unconscious. "Let's just go."
Harry sighed, suddenly tired as his adrenalin rush subsided. It was finally over. Voldemort, the man who had killed his parents and so many others, was gone for good. "You're right. There's some Floo powder on the mantel," he said, motioning toward the fireplace. "Let's send the Death Eaters on to the Ministry and then get out of here."
Knowing that if they left the Death Eaters behind, their companions would free them once they returned, Hermione floated them to the fireplace one at a time and Ron sent them through for the Ministry to deal with.
As the last of the Death Eaters disappeared, Hermione joined Ron at the fireplace. "Come on, Harry. Let's get back to the Burrow."
"Let's send the Muggle through too. We might be able to find his family and return his body to them. It's the least we can do," Harry said. He was about to float the Muggle across the room when a shout from the doorway took them all by surprise.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Hermione screamed as the green light from Lucius' wand enveloped Harry. Ron, who had been reaching for another handful of Floo powder, spun toward the door when he heard Lucius' voice.
"Incarcerous!" Ron yelled as he turned. Ropes flew out of his wand to wind around Lucius' legs. Unfortunately, Lucius' wand arm remained free.
Faced with the new threat, Hermione and Ron dove behind Voldemort's chair, shooting curses across the room at Lucius who was using the door as a shield.
The issuing battle seemed to last an eternity, while in reality it lasted only moments. Finally, Lucius lay unconscious while a magical fire burned out of control up a side wall.
"Hermione, Harry," Ron coughed as smoke filled the room. "We've got to get out of here."
Ignoring Ron, Hermione crawled across the floor and threw herself across Harry's lifeless body, sobbing.
Ron stumbled across the room, realizing for the first time that his best friend had been hit by the Killing Curse. "No!" he cried, falling to his knees beside Hermione. Tears began to thread their way down Ron's face as he wrapped his arms around Hermione, rocking her slightly as she threw her arms around his neck and continued crying.
Squinting into the smoky haze, Ron realized that they had to leave before the burning room took them both as well. "Come on, Hermione, we've got to get out of here."
Ron jumped as the chair they had hidden behind exploded in flames. With his heart pounding as the fire drew closer, Ron picked Hermione up and carried her to the fireplace. "I'll put you though first," he said as he lowered her to the floor and scooped up a handful of the Floo powder.
"Wait, what about Harry?" Hermione cried out, grabbing the front of Ron's shirt. "We can't just leave him here."
Ron winced as a beam fell near the doorway. He could barely see Harry's body through the smoke and flames. "There's no time, Hermione. He's gone and we've got to get out of here."
Hermione's eyes widened as the chair collapsed in a shower of sparks. Unable to speak for the tears choking her throat, she simply nodded her acceptance. Harry was gone. Risking their lives now would not bring him back.
After sending Hermione through the Floo, Ron turned for one last look at his best friend. "I'm so sorry, mate," he whispered, then tossed the Floo powder in and disappeared.
~ * ~
Draco rattled the doors to the mausoleum in frustration. The doors were locked to keep riff-raff out, not keep mistakenly entombed family in. Why had the wards not been designed to be aware of that possibility? Draco laughed humorlessly at the thought. There had probably been a few Malfoy's in the past that had been placed inside without the benefit of actually dying first. In fact, he may have been placed here as part of the Dark Lord's twisted punishment.
Walking back to 'his' shelf, Draco reclined on the hard stone as he worked through his options. Without a wand, he could not remove the wards that locked him inside. Since he could not remove the wards, he would have to wait for another family member to do so… or one of the servants. The house-elves were the ones who actually prepared the bodies for burial and periodically checked on the preservation spells, so that was the more likely possibility. Draco had no idea how long it might be before a house-elf would appear though. He might be genuinely dead from lack of water and food by the time one arrived.
However, if a house-elf did come in time, it would be loyal to his father and, even if it were inclined to help him, it would not be able to keep his secret due to its oath. Without his mother, Draco had nothing worth staying for and he did not intend to remain to be tortured further. He planned to get as far away from the Manor as possible before his father learned that he was still alive and free.
Lying on his stone, feeling cold and hungry, Draco recalled rather longingly how Loddy, his personal house-elf, would bring him treats whenever he demanded, even in the middle of the night. It was unfortunate that, though she belonged to Draco, she was bound to his parents first, as it was unwise to let a child have free reign over a creature as powerful as a house-elf. She would not become his until…
A slow, sly smile touched Draco's lips. He had passed his seventeenth birthday, the age of adulthood, a few months ago. Draco's house-elf would now be bound to him alone.
"Loddy!" Draco called imperiously.
There was a small pop and the house-elf appeared. A soft, glowing light illuminated her huge, surprised eyes. "Master Draco, you is alive!" Loddy squeaked. "Oh, Master, Loddy is sorry. She is putting Master Draco in the burial vault and he is not being dead. Loddy is a bad elf… bad, bad."
Draco clenched his teeth as the house-elf began to bang her head against the nearest stone wall. "Loddy, stop that at once." When the house-elf turned to him with a slightly dazed expression, Draco shook his head in aggravation. He would have to head off any more of the house-elf's self-punishment or he would never get out of this place. "You are not to punish yourself for this. I'm sure you believed me dead and acted accordingly."
"Oh, yes, Master Draco. Loddy was sure Master was dead. Until Master called, Loddy believed she belong to Master Lucius."
Draco frowned a bit at that statement. He had been taught that a house-elf always knew who their master was. In fact, Draco had heard that was how they were sure that his mother's cousin, Sirius Black, was dead. Black's house-elf now answered to Harry Potter of all people. However, house-elf magic was so different from human that perhaps there were nuances Draco failed to grasp. That was not the important thing now though. "Everyone believes I'm dead then?"
Loddy looked doubtful. "Loddy is not knowing if everyone believes, Master Draco. Loddy is only a house-elf, Master."
Draco refrained from growling at the creature for its literal interpretation of his question. He would get nowhere if she began beating her head against the wall again. "By everyone, I meant those at the manor such as my father and the other servants."
Loddy brightened considerably since she could answer positively. "Oh yes, Master Draco. All the servants is being at the ceremony when we is placing Master Draco and Mistress Narcissa in the burial house. Master Lucius and Mistress Bellatrix is saying the words and then we all is going back to work."
"Excellent," Draco exclaimed while Loddy beamed with pleasure. Perhaps his first hypothesis was correct and his father had merely assumed he was dead. Lucius would hardly have bothered trying to fool the servants just to punish Draco further by entombing him alive. Even more reason to get as far from here as possible before Lucius discovered his mistake. "Is my father currently at the Manor?"
"No, Master Draco. Ministry wizards comes looking for Master Lucius and he is going. House-elves is telling wizards the Mistress and young Master is being dead, but is not saying anything about Master Lucius." Loddy shuddered at the thought of what Lucius would do to any house-elf who dared say that Lucius had been at the manor since his escape from prison.
"Are any of the Ministry wizards still here?" Draco asked in concern. He did not want to be captured by the Ministry anymore than his father did.
"They is not staying, but they is leaving wards behind so they is knowing if Master Lucius is coming home."
Draco uttered a few choice epithets. While the Ministry's interference was a problem, it was not insurmountable. "Loddy, I want you to listen carefully. You are to tell no one, not even the other servants, that I am still alive. Do you understand?"
"Not even Master Lucius?"
"Especially not Lucius," Draco growled. Appealing to the house-elf's protective instincts, he added, "He's the one that killed my mother and me."
Loddy nodded solemnly. "Loddy is understanding. Master Draco is being dead and be laid in the burial house. Loddy is not telling anyone anything else."
Draco nodded in relief, and then glanced down in consternation as his stomach growled. "Loddy, could you get me some food without arousing suspicion?"
Loddy smiled happily. "Yes, Master Draco. The kitchens is empty without the Masters and Mistress. No one be asking Loddy why she is taking food."
"Good, bring me something here," Draco ordered. "Oh, and leave a light."
Loddy disappeared with another pop, and Draco returned to his shelf to ponder what he should do next. He needed a wand, but he knew of no spares that would not be missed by his father if taken. Fortunately, his Gringotts vault key was in his room. Loddy would be able to retrieve that for him and he could get money to buy a new one.
Unfortunately, to get money he would have to find a way to travel to Diagon Alley. Using the Manor Floo was out of the question and Draco was not confident enough in his Apparating abilities to try that method of transport. Without a wand, he could not create a Portkey or flag down the Knight Bus.
Unable to think of another travel option at the moment, Draco turned his thoughts to the problem of entering a wizarding community without being recognized by someone who would tell his father (or the Dark Lord) that he was still alive. If he had some Polyjuice Potion, he would be able to walk the streets of Diagon Alley with no problem, but that would take almost a month to brew, even if he had Loddy get the ingredients for him. It would be much easier to put a glamour on himself, but he needed a wand to do that. Of course, if he had a wand, he would not need to risk entering Diagon Alley to begin with.
Frustrated by his circular thoughts, Draco found himself wishing for the much simpler days when all he had to worry about was completing his homework or plotting the next strategy to beat Gryffindor at Quidditch. It was almost a pity that Hogwarts had closed its doors after Dumbledore was killed. If Snape were still there, he would have a potion that Draco could use to disguise himself for a few hours. In addition, Draco's trunk was still at the school and it had plenty of galleons stored inside.
A smile slowly spread across Draco's face. If he could get to Hogwarts, Draco could pilfer Snape's potion cabinet and perhaps even locate his trunk. That would solve the problem of a disguise. However, the problem of transportation remained. How was Draco to travel from southern England to northern Scotland without access to the Floo network and without a wand?
Loddy reappeared with a pop and conjured a small table and chair on which to place the tray of food she had brought.
Draco delicately picked at the food on the tray as he continued to consider possible modes of transportation. As he picked up a celery stick and broke off the leafy end, a previously unthought idea presented itself. "Loddy, we still have several brooms stored by the gardens, don't we?"
"Yes, Master Draco. Loddy is making sure they is kept clean and oiled until Master and his friends is using them again."
Draco's lips curved in a slight smiled as he broke off a piece of bread. He had found his transportation to Hogwarts.
~ * ~
Harry woke gasping for air as if he had been holding his breath for far too long. His muscles spasmed as he involuntarily stiffened his body. Even his hair seemed to throb in pain.
"Lie still for a moment. Your body is still healing."
Harry did not recognize the voice, but he did not intend to move again any time soon anyway. As the spasms caused by his breathing began to fade, Harry risked cracking his eyes open. The room, as well as the man sitting across from him, were both unfamiliar.
"Where am I?" Harry attempted to say, although it came out more like the croak of a frog.
Apparently, the man understood frog though, because he answered. "We're in my room at an inn in Scotland. You were injured and I brought you here to recover."
"Ron… Hermione…" Harry croaked. He began to panic as the memory of his last few hours before losing consciousness crept in.
"They're fine," the man said soothingly. "They escaped unharmed." He handed Harry a glass of water and helped him drink a few sips.
Harry dropped his head back to the pillow, only then realizing he was lying in a bed. "Who are you?" he finally asked.
"I'm Duncan MacLeod," the man said as he returned to his seat. "And you are…?"
"Harry Potter," Harry replied.
"Well, Harry, if you're feeling better, we need to talk," MacLeod said.
Harry managed to push himself upright in the bed, amazed at how quickly the pain was fading. "Are you a healer?" he asked.
MacLeod smiled. "No, but you'll find that you will heal quickly without one now. It's one of the advantages of what we are."
Harry blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. MacLeod's words did not make much sense to him. "What we are?" he repeated.
"You're an immortal now, Harry," MacLeod said gently. "Your friends saw you die, which is why they left you behind. They had to escape before the building burned down." MacLeod stopped to let Harry process what he was saying.
"Wait, I died? What happened? And how can I be immortal if I died?" Harry asked. His brow furrowed as he tried to piece together what he had heard. Had a crazy man kidnapped him?
"I'm not sure how you died, Harry. I was rather out of it myself at the time. My guess is that it was Lucius. He and your friends were fighting when I came too," MacLeod said. "As for being immortal - a violent death is what triggers our immortality. From now on, you will never age and cannot be killed unless someone takes your head."
Harry simply stared for moment, then his eyes widened in surprise. "You're the Muggle the Death Eaters were torturing," he exclaimed. "You were dead!"
"Yes," MacLeod said, filing away the term 'Death Eater' for future reference, "but I can't be killed so easily. Not even by wizards."
"Unless someone cuts your head off," Harry said as what he had learned began to sink in. Then the second part of what MacLeod had said registered. "You know about wizards?"
"The wands were a dead giveaway," MacLeod responded with a small grin. He had known a few witches and wizards in his life, although none who had the type of power No-nose and Lucius had.
"Right," Harry replied, his mind racing. Then he asked, "Why were they torturing you?"
MacLeod sighed and sat back in his chair with a frown on his face. "They discovered that I couldn't be killed and wanted to know the secret."
Harry jolted upright, a horrified look on his face. "He didn't get it, did he? I mean, he really is dead this time, right?"
"Relax, Harry," MacLeod said, walking over to sit on the side of the bed and place a calming hand on Harry's shoulder. "Our immortality is born in us. It can't be taken."
Harry sat back, relieved. His thought drifted to Ron and Hermione once again. "My friends really think I'm dead?"
MacLeod nodded.
"Then I've got to find them and tell them the truth," Harry said suddenly, swinging his legs off the bed as he looked for his shoes.
"Harry, wait."
"No, they'll be so upset. I've got to let them know I'm okay." Harry frantically began to pull his trainers on.
MacLeod shook his head. He had been through this so many times, and it was always the same. "Harry, it's better this way. They'll grieve, yes, but eventually they'll get over it and move on."
Harry looked up, eyes flashing. "They're my friends. I don't want them to just 'move on' without me, not if I'm still alive."
MacLeod took a deep breath and let it out in a rush as Harry tore the door open and stormed through it. Just once, MacLeod would like to have someone else explain the facts of immortal life while he sat back and had a cold drink.