Draco's POV

While Blaise was recovering in the hospital wing, Amycus gave us a tour of the "New" Hogwarts. Most of what we saw was heartbreaking, and even though Mitch and Micah had never seen Hogwarts, I knew they could feel what had been done. 

"Here in the dungeons, other than having the Slytherin common room," Amycus explained as he opened the door to where Snape used to have detentions, "we of course still have detentions. In fact, this is the sole place we conduct detentions now." 

We followed him inside to see Fenrir Greyback smiling and yelling at some students. There was a little girl, who had to have been a first or a second year, standing over another student. This girl looked terrified. I wanted to reach out to her, but I stopped myself. I exchanged looks with Mitch, who looked like he was about to cry. 

"Do it again," Fenrir yelled. "Again!" 

The little girl started crying, but she raised her wand again. The boy on the floor, who looked like he was a fifth year, had started crying as well. I took in a deep breath as she uttered the pain torturing Unforgivable Curse. We all watched as screaming filled the room, and the boy was raised into the air. 

"As Alecto and I share the Dark Arts position, we have decided that the best way to learn how to perform the proper dark curses is to practice. The kids that deserve to be punished are the ones on that receiving end," Amycus smirked to himself. "It's a stroke of genus really." 

I so wanted to punch that smirk off of his face, but I could hear Courtney in my head telling me to stop. I then smiled to myself because it had been a while since I had heard her as my conscience. In fact, it had been since I had believed that she was dead. It sure was good to have her back. I quickly lost my smile as Amycus dismissed the young girl and the boy. He made his way over to have a private conversation with Fenrir. I turned to face both Mitch and Micah. 

"This is one of the most horrible things I have ever seen," Mitch said, disgusted. 

I nodded. "That's precisely why we have to change things here." 

"That's a suicide mission," Micah shook his head, "and you promised to do whatever it takes in order to stay alive." 

"I know that, but I couldn't live with myself if I let this continue here in the only place I have ever felt at home," I looked behind me to make sure that Amycus was still in his conversation. "Look, what if this is why we are here? Perhaps Snape requested that we came here because he needs help in order to stop what is going on here?" 

"It makes sense," Mitch shrugged. "But how can we  pull this off without being killed?" 

"It'll have to be slowly. Our first order of business," I said, licking my lips, "is getting rid of the Carrows." 

"Are we reading to keep going with the tour?" Amycus said from behind me. "Next, I will be showing you where the Ravenclaw tower is so Micah will know where he will be staying." 

"Sounds great," Micah said, half smiling. 

We headed in the direction of the Ravenclaw tower, but as soon as we left the detention room, a shot of pain went up my left wrist. I lifted up my sleeve to see my Dark Mark was moving as it does when You-Know-Who is trying to communicate with us. I looked around and saw that everyone else had pulled up their sleeves as well. That's when we heard His voice: 

Harry Potter has infiltrated Hogwarts. The war starts now, and I would like every Death Eater to be on the hunt for him. He may try to get into the Ravenclaw Tower. I will communicate where to bring him momentarily. 

"Come with me," Amycus directed us. "We are still going to the Ravenclaw tower. My sister has communicated with me. She is already in the Ravenclaw common room." 

We all broke into a run with Amycus in the lead. I couldn't believe it. That simpleton, Potter, had enough gull to break into one of the most heavily Death Eater guarded places in England. Amycus started rapping on the door as soon as we got there. 

A soft, musical voice erupted out of the eagle doorknocker:  "Where do vanished objects go?"

 "I dunno, do I? Shut it!" snarled Amycus. "Alecto? Alecto? Are you there? Have you got him? Open the door!"

I could hear the Ravenclaws on the other side of the door whispering amongst themselves. They sounded nervous.  Amycus then sent a round of spells into the door in order to get in. Micah silently laughed at him. 

"All he has to do is answer the question," he whispered. "The question is so easy." 

Mitch shook his head. "Well, don't give it to him because this is hilarious." 

"ALECTO! If he comes, and we haven't got Potter – d'you want to go the same way as the Malfoys?ANSWER ME!" Amycus bellowed, shaking the door for all he was worth, but still, it did not open. 

I rolled my eyes at him. I knew that my family was the laughing stock of the Death Eaters, but we were still useful. Well, we were to an extent.  

"May I ask what you are doing, Professor Carrow?" 

I turned to see the familiar face of Professor McGonagall. I was actually surprised that she was still employed at Hogwarts, but I highly doubt that Snape would continue Hogwarts without her. 

"Trying – to get – through this damned – door!" shouted Amycus. "Go and get Flitwick! Get him toopen it, now!"

"But isn't your sister in there?" asked Professor McGonagall. "Didn't Professor Flitwick let her in,earlier this evening, at your urgent request? Perhaps she could open the door for you? Then you needn'twake up half the castle."

"She ain't answering, you old besom! You open it! Garn! Do it, now!"

"Certainly, if you wish it," said Professor McGonagall, with awful coldness.

She stepped forward and used the knocker. The musical voice asked, again, "Where do vanished objects go?"

 "Into non-being, which is to say, everything," replied Professor McGonagall. 

"Nicely phrased," replied the eagle doorknocker, and the door swung open.

"See," Micah whispered again. "Easy." 

Amycus pushed his way passed McGonagall and stomped over the threshold. We followed behind McGonagall inside of the common room. There were a few students huddled around what appeared to be Alecto, who was knocked unconscious on the floor. 

"What've they done, the little whelps?" he screamed. "I'll Cruciate the lot of 'em 'til they tell me whodid it – and what's the Dark Lord going to say?" he shrieked, standing over his sister and smacking himself on the forehead with his fist. "We haven't got him, and they've gorn and killed her!" 

"She's only Stunned," said Professor McGonagall impatiently, who had stooped down to examineAlecto. "She'll be perfectly all right."

"No she bludgering well won't!" bellowed Amycus. "Not after the Dark Lord gets hold of her! She'sgorn and sent for him, I felt me Mark burn, and he thinks we've got Potter!" 

'"Got Potter"?" said Professor McGonagall sharply. "What do you mean, "got Potter"?"

"He told us Potter might try and get inside Ravenclaw Tower, and to send for him if we caught him!" 

"Why would Harry Potter try to get inside Ravenclaw Tower? Potter belongs in my house!" 

"We was told he might come in here!" said Carrow. "I dunno why, do I?"

Professor McGonagall stood up and her beady eyes swept the room. I did the same as well. Potter really was stupid if he thought it was a good idea to come here. There was no way that he would've not been spotted. 

"We can push it off on the kids," said Amycus, his pig-like face suddenly crafty. "Yeah, that's whatwe'll do. We'll say Alecto was ambushed by the kids, them kids up there," he looked up at the starryceiling towards the dormitories, "and we'll say they forced her to press her Mark, and that's why he gota false alarm. He can punish them. Couple of kids more or less, what's the difference?"

I shook my head. I highly doubt that He would believe that lie.

 "Only the difference between truth and lies, courage and cowardice," said Professor McGonagall, whohad turned pale, "a difference, in short, which you and your sister seem unable to appreciate. But let memake one thing very clear. You are not going to pass off your many ineptitudes on the students of Hogwarts. I shall not permit it."

"Excuse me?" Amycus moved forwards until he was offensively close to Professor McGonagall, his face withininches of hers.

She refused to back away, but looked down at him as if he were something disgusting shehad found stuck to a lavatory seat. 

"It's not a case of what you'll permit, Minerva McGonagall. Your time's over. It's us what's in chargehere now, and you'll back me up or you'll pay the price." 

And he spat in her face. I stepped forward with my wand out; Courtney was yelling in my head, but I couldn't take it any longer. At that same instant, Harry pulled the Cloak off himself, raised his wand and said, "You shouldn't have done that."

 As Amycus spun round, Potter shouted, "Crucio!"

Amycus was lifted off his feet. He writhed through the air like a drowning man, thrashingand howling in pain, and then, with a crunch and a shattering of glass, he smashed into the front of abookcase and crumpled, insensible, to the floor. My eyes darted back to Potter. He really was  stupid. 

"I see what Bellatrix meant," said Potter, "you need to reallymean it."

 "Potter!" whispered Professor McGonagall, clutching her heart. "Potter – you're here! What –? How–?"She struggled to pull herself together. "Potter, that was foolish!"

"He spat at you," said Harry, nonchalantly. 

"Potter, I – that was very – very gallant of you – but don't you realise –?"

 "Yeah, I do," Harry assured her. 

"You do know that He is on his way, Potter?" I pointed out, finally finding my voice.

"You mean Voldemort?" Harry smirked at me. 

 "Oh, are we allowed to say the name now?' asked Luna with an air of interest, pulling off the Invisibility Cloak. 

The appearance of a second outlaw seemed to overwhelm Professor McGonagall, whostaggered backwards and fell into a nearby chair, clutching at the neck of her old tartan dressing gown. 

"I don't think it makes any difference what we call him," Harry told Luna, "he already knows where Iam."

I was about to let Potter know just how stupid he was before he fell to his knees with his hands on his forehead. Instead, I motioned for Micah to follow, and we helped him to his feet. He looked a little confused as he looked to see who was holding him. He pushed out of our hold as soon as he could.

 "You must flee," whispered Professor McGonagall. "Now, Potter, as quickly as you can!"

"That would be the smart choice here," I chimed in. 

"I can't,' said the buffoon. "There's something I need to do. Professor, do you know where the diadem ofRavenclaw is?" 

"The d – diadem of Ravenclaw? Of course not – hasn't it been lost for centuries?" She sat up a littlestraighter. "Potter, it was madness, utter madness, for you to enter this castle –" 

"I had to," said Harry. "Professor, there's something hidden here that I'm supposed to find, and it couldbe the diadem – if I could just speak to Professor Flitwick –"

There was a sound of movement, of clinking glass: Amycus was coming round. Professor McGonagall quickly  rose to her feet, pointed her wand at the groggy Death Eater and said, "Imperio."

Amycus got up, walked over to his sister, picked up her wand, then shuffled obediently to ProfessorMcGonagall and handed it over along with his own. Then he lay down on the floor beside Alecto. Professor McGonagall waved her wand again, and a length of shimmering silver rope appeared out of thinair and snaked around the Carrows, binding them tightly together. 

"Potter," said Professor McGonagall, turning to face him again with superb indifference to the Carrows' predicament, "if He Who Must Not Be Named does indeed know that you are here –"

Before McGonagall could finish her sentence, Potter went down to his knees again. Once again, Micah and I helped him up. 

 "Potter, are you all right?" I asked, wondering what the hell was wrong with him. 

 "Time's running out, Voldemort's getting nearer," He responded as he pulled himself out of our grips once more, still confused. "Professor, I'm acting on Dumbledore's orders, I mustfind what he wanted me to find! But we've got to get the students out while I'm searching the castle -"

"You're acting on Dumbledore's orders?" she repeated, with a look of dawning wonder. Then she drewherself up to her fullest height. "We shall secure the school against He Who Must Not Be Named while you search for this – this object."

 "Is that possible?"

"I think so,"  said Professor McGonagall drily, "we teachers are rather good at magic, you know. I amsure we will be able to hold him off for a while if we all put our best efforts into it. Of course, somethingwill have to be done about Professor Snape –"

"Let me –"

"– and if Hogwarts is about to enter a state of siege, with the Dark Lord at the gates, it would indeedbe advisable to take as many innocent people out of the way as possible. With the Floo Network underobservation and apparition impossible within the grounds –"

 "There's a way," said Harry quickly, and he explained that there was a  passageway leading into the Hog'sHead from the Room of Requirement. 

"Potter, we're talking about hundreds of students –" 

 "I know, Professor, but if Voldemort and the Death Eaters are concentrating on the school boundariesthey won't be interested in anyone who's disapparating out of the Hog's Head." 

"There's something in that," she agreed. 

She pointed her wand at the Carrows, and a silver net fellupon their bound bodies, tied itself around them and hoisted them into the air, where they dangled beneath the blue and gold ceiling, like two large, ugly sea creatures.

 "Come. We must alert the Headsof Houses -" she paused and turned to look at Mitch, Micah, and I. "Well, I guess they are already here with the exception of Zabini. So, I guess my question for you, Malfoy, is whether you and your friends are with us." 

I exchanged looks with the other two. I was slightly nervous about accepting going against the Dark Lord. My heart was telling me to say yes. I knew I needed to be on the right side of things, but there was the prophesy. I would die if I switched sides. It always happened. Micah then nodded in response to my gaze. 

I took in a deep breath. 

"We're with you, Professor."