"Thanks angel," Harry replied and finished the sentence he had started to Rita, "There is one more thing. Lucius Malfoy appeared in full Death Eater mask and robes at the Judge's table holding the Triwizard cup. The cup was how I was originally kidnapped and taken to that graveyard. The only way he could have had it was if he was in that graveyard this evening after we left. He is now in the custody of the MLE."
Rita's eyebrows shot up at that bit of news. "With the way things happen around you Mr. Potter, I think I'll enjoy our little tit for tat. I'll go check on that immediately. Thank you."
"Now if there's nothing else," Harry said. "I really really want to sleep."
They quickly finalized things with Rita and within minutes the four of them were on the seventh floor of the castle. They all knew where they were going.
The room of requirements provided exactly what they needed. A room with a large enough bed for four people to sleep comfortably with a door leading to a bathroom with a water closet attached. Dobby was called to see if he could get them their nightclothes and after a shower by each of them, they climbed into bed. Neither Hermione nor Gabrielle thought anything of Harry pulling Fleur toward him that night and wrapping his arms around her. Hermione climbed into bed behind Harry and wrapped her arms around him. The bed was large enough for Gabrielle to stretch out above them. Harry fell asleep with Gabrielle running her fingers gently through his unruly hair while Hermione held him tight. Fleur sunk into her slumber with Harry's arm around her. Though each had expected to succumb to nightmares of what they had experienced, the only dreams that they had were of each other.
...
Draco Malfoy was the most miserable person at Hogwarts. Serving one of his last days of detention, he had already been told what he had to do. As soon as the winner was announced, he and Hagrid would enter the maze to start cleaning it up. Hagrid would take care of the various monsters and other beings while Draco would follow closely behind with shovel and a pail to clean up anything else. He was not close enough to the judge's table to see his father appear, but when he heard Harry Potter had won, he broke the handle on his shovel in anger.
"There be no replace'n it. You has to work wi what ya have," Hagrid told the blond-haired boy.
Draco knew he couldn't even repair it. Hagrid had his wand to make sure he didn't clean up the messes the easy way. "You just wait until my father hears about this," He grumbled.
Hagrid yanked the hedges completely out of the ground and tossed them aside as he walked into the maze. Eventually they came across the remains of the blast-ended skrewt. While Draco started scooping up the pieces that were blasted off the beast, Hagrid took out his tablecloth sized handkerchief and started sobbing into it. "It was like me own child," He blubbered.
As Draco cleaned up the mess he didn't see the vine of Devil's snare untangle from the hedges and snake its way toward one of his feet. Though when it wrapped around his ankle he let out a very high-pitched scream of terror.
"I woulda said you scream like a girly, but then I'd be insulting too many fine women, I would," Hagrid told him when he walked over and untied the vine from the ferret.
All night it continued. The sphinx had already departed by its own magical powers. Hagrid once again broke down and cried when he saw the remains of the Acromantula. He knew he'd have to take the body back to Aragog and explain to his friend how one of his children came to die in the maze.
Draco finished his duties at a quarter past four am. He was covered in blood and various other body fluids and solids. As he left the maze his only thoughts was how much he hated Harry Potter. He planned a long letter to his father to tell him how things were.
...
The screams of Gregory Goyle Sr. still echoed in the den of Malfoy Manor when Voldemort lifted the Cruciatus Curse from the Death Eater. Goyle had been the unfortunate one to inform Voldemort that Malfoy had disappeared from the graveyard. He looked around at his other followers who had left with Malfoy to clean up the graveyard.
"None of you saw what happened to him either?" He asked them.
"No my lord," Nott replied. "He...he was gathering the body of your..." All of a sudden Nott's muscles tensed as he knew the next words he uttered was going to bring pain, but anything less to his master would bring death. "We found the snake you had mentioned my lord and it was dead," The pain was intense and though the pain ended rather swiftly compared to some of the punishments doled out by Voldemort, Nott could still taste the metallic taste of blood that seeped from his tongue where he had bitten it. He swallowed the blood in his mouth before continuing. "Lucius was..." Nott continued trying to get the rest out and disappear into the pack of Death Eaters and not be singled out again. "He was securing the snake's body and then he wasn't there a few seconds later," Nott tensed expecting to be cursed again and silently thought how fortunate he was when he was allowed to move away.
"Was there anyone else in the graveyard?" Riddle asked.
"No my Lord," Nott replied. "Lucius himself did the detection spell."
"And no signs that he might have been captured and apparated away?"
"No my Lord. There were no sounds."
"So Lucius might have run away?" Voldemort asked. "Did you try another detection spell once you saw he was gone?"
Nott tensed again as he expected more pain as he answered. "No my Lord. We didn't..."
Voldemort rose from his chair and started to pace the floor. "I cannot stay here," He said finally. "Though it's more likely he is running, I cannot take a chance he didn't go the Ministry."
"My lord," A female voice spoke quietly.
"Yes Narcissa," Voldemort hissed to her. "Do you have something to say about your husband?"
"Yes my lord," Narcissa Malfoy swallowed nervously. "Lucius would not have run my lord. He...I mean there must be another explanation. Maybe Dumbledore knew you'd send someone there and left a trap of some sort or someone captured him and apparated after a silencing charm."
....
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