Кассандра Клэр - Draco Sinister

Hermione suddenly flashed back to the creature engraved on the box that had held Ginnyś Time-Turner. "A manticore?"

Rowena nodded. "It is hidden inside the manticore, which is itself immortal and impervious to most types of magical harm. It would have to be killed for someone to retrieve the Orb from it."

"But if he did," said Hermione. "If he did kill the manticore, and if he had the Orb — then what?"

"The Orb can only be opened in the presence of all four Heirs. Each must touch it, and speak an Opening Charm, and they must do so by choice. Words spoken under the Imperius Curse would be ineffective."

"Does Slytherin know that?"

"No. But he is clever. He knows me, as well. He heard the Charm I spoke that imprisoned him in the first place. Given time, he could work it out."

"So he won´t hurt Harry," said Hermione, her shoulders sagging in relief. "He can´t — he still needs him."

Rowena looked at her, and Hermione realized who her blue eyes reminded her of. Dumbledore. They were so steady and calm, so piercing. "You love him," she said.

"Yes," said Hermione, feeling unable to lie. "More than anything else in the world."

"What about Salazarś Heir?" Rowena said softly. "What of him?"

For a moment Hermione thought Rowena was asking if she loved Draco as well, and she simply stared. It was Ginny who answered.

"There in an Heir of Slytherin, if thatś what you mean."

"And has he joined with Salazar?"

"No. He was kidnapped, along with Harry, otherwise he would be with us. He wouldn´t join with Slytherin, though. He just wouldn´t."

"Perhaps he has not joined with him yet," said Rowena gently. "But that is what the prophecy has said will happen. It was foretold. I´m sorry, if heś a friend of yours."

Ginny shook her head in denial.

Hermione agreed, "Draco wouldn´t do that."

Rowena flinched. "Is that his name?"

Hermione was taken aback. "Yes," she said slowly. "Draco Malfoy."

"Malfoy," echoed the woman in the bed. "That sounds like Salazarś idea of a joke, that name. Mal fait, a bad deed. And creating an Heir was the worst of his." Rowena was looking off towards the window.

"I wish I could believe in his goodness, for your sakes." She turned to Hermione. "But you love him. Don´t you?"

Hermione goggled, and said nothing. Beside her, Ginny tensed slightly.

"Love is a blinding force," said Rowena. "If he is truly Salazarś Heir, then in his blood runs dark wizardry. By the time Salazar created the veela who bore his children, he was so far gone into the Dark Arts that when he was cut, he bled not blood but fire. And I knew this and still I did not believe he would hurt me until it was too late." She raised her eyes to Hermione and Ginny. "It is possible to be so mistaken in someone you have loved that you think you can never trust yourself again. I hope, for your sakes, that that will not happen. Could you kill him, if it came to that?"

Hermione felt the shocked blood surge through her veins. "Kill Draco?" She closed her eyes, pictured him against her inner lids, smiling as he did only at her, his gray eyes darkening into slate, mouth curling up at the corners. She couldn´t imagine killing anyone, much less a friend, much less Draco. It was a ridiculous impossibility. "Of course not."

Ginnyś whole body was vibrating with tension beside her. "None of us could hurt him. None of us would. We want to know how to stop Slytherin, not Draco. Heś not like that. I´ve seen him do good things, heroic things. Heś saved Harryś life, and Hermioneś. He might have dark wizardry in his blood, but in the end itś his choice, isn´t it?"

"Salazar has a way," said Rowena, "of not leaving much of any choice. What matters to him — to Draco? Whatś the most important thing in the world to him?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione almost smiled. "Besides himself?" She thought for a moment. "Harry." Tears suddenly prickled the backs of her eyelids.

Resolutely, she stared them away. In a halting voice, she said, "I have to tell you something. When we used the Turner, when we were in-between Time, I thought I saw him, saw Harry. Just for a second.

He was in a blue room, his arms were chained behind his back. It wasn´t any place I´ve ever seen before."

And I didn´t see Draco with him, she thought, but pushed the thought down. Be quiet. It means nothing.

"I know where he must be," said Rowena, sitting up. "If he is a Magid, there is one prison on this earth that could hold him. Salazar built it himself. He meant to keep me in it. And adamantine, in great enough quantities, is blue." She bit her lip, looking distracted.

Hermioneś head was spinning. "Harry is in an adamantine cell?

Doesn´t that mean it would be impossible to get to him?"

"I could tell you how to get into the cell now," said Rowena thoughtfully. "In the future, though…Salazar may have changed the wards."

"Well, if I go there now, and use the Time-Turner," said Hermione eagerly, "it should bring us forward in time…to Harry."

She sat back. "Touch it and say mobiliarus, and it will act as a Portkey which will bring you to his castle. Take Benjamin with you.

He can let you into the cell, and Portkey back- "

There was a rustle at the tent flap. Benjamin poked his head in. "Did you call for me?"

"Eavesdropping, Ben?" Rowena smiled. Then her smile faded slightly. "Is there someone with you?"

"Well, yes but I wasn´t going to — "

"No." Rowena straightened up. "Let him come in."

With a puzzled glance, Ben stepped into the tent and held the flap open for Ron to follow him. It looked as if it had started snowing, there were little white flakes caught in Ronś scarlet hair. He looked curiously around the inside of the tent, taking in the elaborate furnishings and the collection of weaponry hanging on the wall.

"Come here," said Rowena to him, and held out a hand.

Looking even more curious, he obeyed. Hermione watched as he crossed the room to the bed, his hands shoved in his pockets, eyebrows raised.

"You´re a Diviner," said Rowena, without preamble, looking closely at him. "A seventh son."

Ron jerked his hands out of his pockets in astonishment. "A what?"

"A Diviner. Are they not common in your time?"

Hermione felt her mouth drop open. "But Ron hates Divination!"

"He must not have had the proper teaching, then," said Rowena serenely.

"Ain´t that the truth," grinned Ron, who looked surprised, but not altogether displeased to have been credited with an unexpected talent.

"Let me look at you," said Rowena, and Ron took another step closer to her. Suddenly, she reached up, drew his head down and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Be very careful," she said. "Swear that you will."

Looking very alarmed, Ron straightened up. "I, uh, I will. I promise."

Rowena nodded. "Thank you." She sat back against the pillows. "You can go now."

Ron nodded uneasily. "Right. I… should go."

He backed up, nearly stumbling into Benjamin, who took his arm and steered him out of the tent, while Ron stared back over his shoulder until the tent flap closed behind them.

Ginny had a puzzled expression on her face. "Why should he be careful? Is he in danger?"

"Being a seventh son and a diviner is a gift, and like all gifts, it is a double-edged blade. It seems he has not been trained at all, but with some training, he could be powerful. And power attracts danger."

"Don´t we know it," said Ginny, with conviction.

Rowena closed her eyes as if exhausted.

"We should go," said Hermione gently. She got to her feet, and impulsively leaned forward to take Rowenaś hand. "Is there anything you want to ask us, anything about the future?"

Rowena shook her head. "It is best if I don´t know, I think." She smiled gently at them. "The future cannot be too bad, can it, if it produced you two, and your Diviner friend. And your Harry."