Left behind

Back at the Burrow, Hermione was restlessly reading through reports, most arriving by owls. She did not respond if someone tried to talk to her. Ron was pacing in the kitchen, feeling useless. Harry and Ginny just sat and stared at each other, worried. Harry occasionally received a piece of parchment from Hermione's stack, but he dismissed them with a shake of his head. Draco was present but tried to hide away in a corner. He was worried about what his son might have got caught in, but he didn't want to think about what could have happened to him. He worried that Scorpius might be punished for the things that he, Draco, had done. At best, he may just be held captive to get Draco to give himself up to them. That seemed to be what the others thought would happen. He hoped it was only that. He hoped he wouldn't find his son dead somewhere. He was all he had left.

Molly Weasley came in from the kitchen. "Here, everyone, at least have some tea and biscuits. No use in going hungry just because we are worried."

Just as she said that another owl appeared. Hermione read the note, leaped up, and tossed it to Harry, who was also on his feet and running before he had even finished reading. Ginny and Ron looked at each other, then ran after them. Draco followed them.

"Harry, wait!" Ginny shouted. "What's happened?"

Harry stopped, realising the others had followed him.

"There was a report," he explained. "Signs of Dark Magic in a graveyard in Anglesey. There is no need for you to come. We will let you know if there is any news."

And with a loud POP, he was gone. Ginny was just left staring after him.

"I hate it when he does that," Ginny said.

"He is right, though," Ron said. "A graveyard with signs of Dark Magic? I've seen enough of that for a lifetime". In his many years of working in the Aurors office, Ron had seen more effects of Dark Magic than he thought he would ever see. That is what eventually made him leave. That, and the fact that George offered to make him a partner at Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

"I'm more interested in what we could find about our children there," Ginny pointed out.

"Listen, I know you think you want to go and see for yourself. Trust me, you don't," Draco interrupted. "You really, really don't want to see it. I feel bad for the people having to sort through that. Besides, Potter and Granger are just as eager to find the kids as you are."

"For once, Malfoy is right. Come, let's go back to Mum. She will wonder what we all ran out for," Ron said.

Ginny sighed but followed Ron back towards the Burrow. They were both right. She just hated being left behind.

***

Harry and Hermione joined many of the Aurors at the graveyard. It was not a pleasant sight. There were blood and body parts everywhere. They had already needed to bring in an Obliviating Squad to make the neighbouring Muggles forget this.

But Harry was most worried about the statue. It was clear that it had been the centre of whatever ceremony the Death Eaters had done last night, and he could still sense the residues of Dark Magic that had pulsed from it.

"This was a focus, somehow. I can feel it. This is the reason they chose this specific graveyard. It wants to suck out something. A relic of a Dementor? No, something worse," Harry mused to himself. Hermione nodded. She had felt much the same. Neither of them had seen anything like this before. Had this statue always been here, or had the Death Eaters created it for a specific purpose? Neither of them wanted to think about any of their children being subjected to such treatment.

One of the Aurors called out. He had found Dean! They both rushed over to see what was up. Dean was alive! Slightly singed clothes, and blood on his shirt, but alive. He tried to get up to greet them, but Hermione curtly told him to stay down. She quickly turned him around and closed the wound in his back.

"Dean! What happened to you?" Harry asked.

Dean groaned "A knife happened to me. A knife and then a fire. All thanks to your son."

"What?"

"It was Albus. He was here with V… You-know-who. He was told to pick any one of us, and then kill them. He walked around a bit, then chose me. I don't know if he recognised me. But then I was dragged off to that statue there, and your son put me upright and then stabbed me in the back."

"Stabbed you in the-! "

"Did you see the other children?" Hermione interrupted him.

"Yes. Rose was quite distraught. She was crying and sobbing. James was quiet. I don't know if it was shock or terror that held him silent."

"James? James was here too?" Harry asked in shock. He had forgotten to check in with James. He had chosen to not go to the Burrow, but rather stay with some friends for a few days.

"Yes, I think so. I can't say for sure; I was rather preoccupied with not dying, but I think it was him on that statue. It looked like he was in pain, being dragged into it…I don't know what happened after. I think I am supposed to be dead. Albus sure acted like he had killed me, and he whispered to me to pretend to die. Probably tossed me over here so that no one would have time to check before they left."

"Did you see Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Draco Malfoy? I don't think he was here; I believe I would have recognised him, even with a hood on."

"I meant Scorpius."

"The son? I'm not sure, but there was another young person looking at us. He stood right next to V…You-Know-Who. He didn't look like a prisoner but wasn't dressed like a Death Eater either."

Harry sat back in thought when he heard this. What had happened here? Had Malfoy lured Albus and Rose out of the castle? That seemed unlikely, from what impression he had got of him. But what was his role in all of this? What had happened to James? And why did Albus need to pretend to kill Dean? Many ideas came to him, and he did not like most of them. A shared look with Hermione told him that she had had many of the same thoughts.

"Let's get you back to the Burrow," Hermione said. "You should be at St. Mungo's, but that is too dangerous. If you're supposed to be dead, you need to lay low."

"I understand. I'll be fine," Dean assured them.

Just then, another ministry worker ran up to Hermione. He held a few bloody pieces of parchment and a badge in his hand. Hermione looked at them, and her face darkened. Harry stopped her just before she crumbled the notes to dust. One was addressed to "Potter," another to "Mudblood Minister." Harry read the one with his name on it.

"I have your sons. One came willingly, the other not. One was foolish, one was wise. The wise one saved me from having to turn the fool into a pawn. If you want your sons back, come and meet me at the graveyard where we first met."

"No signature, but we hardly need one. Turning into a pawn? Is that what the statue does?"

Hermione read her note. The Prefect badge was attached to it.

"I caught a weasel in my trap. I thought it was only a normal weasel, but now I realise she is your weasel. She will be returned if you resign from the office you are clearly unworthy of."

"Rose! He found out who she is. We must find them!"

If this was meant to deter them from searching, Harry thought, it had had the opposite effect. He hadn't seen Hermione this angry in years. He just hoped she would manage to keep a clear head. They were probably going to need it in the coming days.