Title: Rebellion
Author: Wildecate
Email: wildecate@hotmail.com
Summary: Draco Malfoy rebels.
Notes: Set post BTVS S7 and post ATS S4 and definitely post OOTP.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.

Suddenly the terminal was full of people. The muggles lay sprawled across the floor, blooding seeping from a hundred wounds. Ministry wizards, Aurors that Harry recognised, appeared, wands drawn. Harry stole a glance down at Hermione who was still deep in unconsciousness. He was incredibly relieved to see a group of medi witches edging towards them.

“It’s me Voldemort wants” Willow said “let Dawn and Giles go and I’ll come.”

“Oh I’m terribly sorry Miss Rosenberg, did you happen to miss the all or nothing part of the conversation?” Goyle said sarcastically. “Besides I believe our Master has plans for all of you. I know he’s especially looking forward to seeing you again, Ripper.”

Willow tried to summon the strength to cast a spell which would flatten the Death Eaters before her but she couldn’t focus for long enough without the shooting pains searing through her head. Dawn lay motionless in Goyle’s arms and Giles stood for a moment, feeling incredibly lost. There was no choice.

He stepped forward and held his arms out to take Dawn from Goyle who handed the girl to Giles and the Death Eaters surrounded them, Willow clinging to Giles to help her keep her balance.

Before Harry and Ron’s horrified eyes, there was a massive crack and they vanished, leaving a slowly spreading cloud of smoke. The Aurors rushed towards them now, shouting questions but Ron and Harry only had eyes for Hermione now. The medi witches took over now, pushing them aside to bend over her. One of them lifted her hand, taking her pulse, placing tender hands on either side of her head. Harry sat back on his heels, stunned by how quickly things had gone wrong.

“They were waiting for us” Ron said dully “They knew we were coming. How did they know?”

“Snape. Dumbledore said that Snape had gone missing. He knew when they were leaving. He must have got the information from Snape.”

“Or Snape told him” Ron said.

“Don’t be ridiculous Ron. Snape wouldn’t have betrayed us. Not willingly.”

Ron gave Harry his best are-you-crazy look but deep down he knew that his friend was right. Just because they didn’t like Snape, didn’t mean he would betray them. He had put himself in some difficult situations to protect them. there was no way that he would betray them now.

“We need to tell Dumbledore” said Harry. “I’ll go to Hogwarts. You need to go back to the house, get Ginny and come to Hogwarts.”

Ron nodded but then a thought struck him. “Harry, what are we going to do? We don’t even know where they are.”

“Dumbledore will know” Harry said hopefully. He saw one of the witches levitate Hermione’s body into the air. One of the witches caught the concern on his face and came over.

“We’re going to take her to St Mungo’s. She’s been hit by a pretty strong curse. It’ll take a while for her to regain consciousness. I’ll send a message to Hogwarts when she has woken up.”

Harry nodded but was hardly comforted by this. What he really wanted was Hermione to wake up now, blinking her bright eyes at him and smiling when she saw him. He was not oblivious – he knew how Ron felt about her and part of him hated himself for being with Hermione but he loved her too and, in one of his more selfish moments, decided that he deserved to be with someone he loved. That was when he had asked her. Hardly a question and she had barely given him an answer. He remembered it suddenly, the luminous smile on her face when he had said simply “Will you?” and had taken her hand. “Yes” she had answered and then had turned her face up to the sky to feel the heat of the sun on her face. He hoped that she would be all right. Now wasn’t the time to be worrying about her. They had bigger problems on hand now.

Ron vanished back to Grimmauld Place and Harry gritted his teeth. He had never liked apparating that much. It made him feel incredibly sick. The world of Heathrow Airport with the Ministry wizards trying to control the damage that the Death Eaters had caused.

Harry materialised in Hogsmeade Village, knowing that he would not be able to apparate into the School. He moved quickly through the village, pulling his coat around him. The gates of the School stood open, as usual, and he hurried through them, running towards the castle.

He pushed open the familiar wooden doors to the main hall, avoiding Filch who was coming towards him howling about trespassers and a lack of respect. The students were eating dinner but he didn’t care. He burst into the Great Hall, his footsteps echoing on the polished wooden floor. Dumbledore sat in his usual place at the top table but stood up when he saw Harry tearing towards him.

“Professor Dumbledore” he panted “They’re gone. They attacked……at Heathrow……right in front of everyone…..Hermione’s wounded……but they took them. Willow and Giles and Dawn. I don’t know where they’ve gone….”

Dumbledore held up a hand and Harry stopped, trying to regain his breath.

“I think perhaps we need to discuss this in private Harry” he said kindly and nodded briefly to Minerva McGonagall who had risen to her feet when she had seen Harry come in.

“Do continue with your dinner everyone” he said and then led Harry out of the Great Hall towards his office.

“Well well. Willow Rosenberg. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

Lord Voldemort prowled around her and she watched him nervously. She could feel the power emanating from this man and she didn’t like it. He reminded her of Rack, that creepy feeling that had made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She stared up into his slitted red eyes showing a bravery she did not feel. She wondered where Giles and Dawn were.

They had been separated as soon as they had materialised outside a massive castle. Giles had been beaten around the face several times before allowing them to take his wand and lead him away. Dawn had been handed on Lucius Malfoy who had been standing waiting for them outside. He had glared at the three of them with intense hatred and Willow had noted the marks on his face. She guessed that he had been severely punished for his misadventure in London and knew that she was the cause of this. He had disappeared down a corridor with Dawn and Willow herself had been led straight into the main chamber where Lord Voldemort awaited her.

They had not bothered to tie her up or gag her, presumably aware that she was too weak to sustain any magic.

Willow, despite her experiences in Sunnydale, her incontestable power and her knowledge, was scared. She did not know why she was here although she could hazard a pretty good guess. The three of them together were a prize that Voldemort had not been able to resist.

He would attempt to get her to betray her friends, to go all Darth Willow again. She would not. She made a promise to herself at that point that she would rather die than to lose control so completely ever again. This time there was no one to pull her back if she did overstep the mark and she couldn’t be sure that she had the strength to pull herself back.

“I would appreciate it if you would lift the spell you have placed on Lucius and Draco Malfoy.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” A sudden gust of power came out of Voldemort’s wand and swirled around her, crackling over her skin. She whimpered a little as thousands of pins and needles pricked her skin.

“Don’t toy with me Miss Rosenberg. I have no patience for fools.”

She shot him an angry glare and made a motion with her hand.

“It’s done” she said.

“I would not want Lucius and Draco to continue with no real memory of why they were being punished.”

“Punished? Why did you punish them?” Willow did not care that Lucius had suffered but she felt unaccountably guilty that Draco might have been in pain to protect them.

“Carelessness, boredom. Pick a reason.” Voldemort settled himself back on his throne and regarded the red head before him.

She was smaller than he thought she would be. A messy mass of red hair swept back from her face. Her expression showed signs of tiredness and exhaustion but also the one thing Voldemort had expected. Defiance. Good – he was looking forward to breaking this one as well. She would not be easily turned but he would enjoy every single minute of it. With her power behind him, he would be unbeatable. And there was something else.

Something else stirred within him, something he had not felt for many years. He had concubines, willing or unwilling he took them either way but taking no real pleasure in their bodies. But this woman who stood before him had something else. She had her own aura of power which he found incredibly attractive. Perhaps a consort, he mused, before dismissing the notion for the moment. It was something to be considered when she stood on their side. For the moment though, she was a danger to him.

But she had a weak spot. Two, in fact. Ripper and Dawn Summers and these could be exploited. Voldemort smiled to himself. He was going to enjoy this.