A Gilded Cage

Chapter 11
Red like Rubies

Harry’s first thought was Scorpius and in an instant he was running towards the boys room. Scorpius was sitting in the middle of his room playing with a fake snitch. He looked up as Harry rushed in, out of breath wand at the ready. The boy was confused and slowly began to stand. Over the boy’s shoulder Harry saw the first of them, a bulky man already half way through his first spell.

Harry dived tackling the boy out of the path of the spell, while it came within inches of his own body. The man sneered at Harry and fired off another of the green curses. Harry dodged and rolled with the terrified boy clinging to his robes. Another close call as Harry barely made it through the door a cutting curse slicing through his shoulder, but missing Scorpius.

Harry grunted in pain, but had no time stop the blood that had already began to flow freely. Another man was coming down the hall and Harry launched himself to his feet, quite a task while holding a ten year old boy. Several times Harry nearly tripped and tumbled, but the yelling behind him forced him to keep his balance. He had to get Scorpius away somewhere safe.

Harry suddenly turned down another hall, one that led to Draco’s study. He entered the room and slammed the door. He made his way to the floo and forced Scorpius into the hearth,

“Scorpius here take this. Go to the Burrow. Ok? You’ll be safe there.” he insisted even as the boy shook his head, “You’ve got to do this ok? You have to-” Harry didn’t have a chance to finish as the door was blown off it’s hinges and three men entered the room. He took a stance in front of Scorpius. When the spells started he did what he could to protect the boy who was trembling. When another cutting curse hit him he cried out and yelled to Scorpius,

“Go!” the boy snapped from his frightened daze and in a roar of green flames was gone. Harry had barely raised his wand when, instead of being hit by a curse, he was tackled to the floor his head cracking against the stone hearth. For a moment he saw the three blurry shapes, then nothing as blessed darkness took over.

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Draco had been planning ever since Blaise had left. He needed to escape and save his son, he needed to warn Harry. But how was the problem. He could not access his magic and he knew he could not win a physical confrontation with the stockier man.

He had just sat again when someone was at the bars, he was on his feet again in a second. The man opened the cell door and walked right up to Draco who refused to back down. For a moment there was a standoff then the thug grabbed a fist full of Draco’s hair and dragged him from the cell and down the hall. Draco didn’t have the energy to struggle against his assailant, so he allowed himself to be dragged and used that time to try to figure out a plan.

He would have kept his calm, but screams of pain made him instantly worried. And the closer he got to the sound the more he recognized the person screaming. But he wouldn’t allow himself to believe it. When he saw the man who had defeated a dark lord suspended from the ceiling he nearly broke.

Harry was bleeding from numerous gashes across his back and chest. His breathing was labored and each time he breathed out a spray of blood hit the air,

“Oh God.. Harry!” Draco couldn’t keep his silence anymore. Harry’s head lifted slightly to look at him and he smiled a bloody smile that turned into a scream. Blaise sat lazily in a chair casting crucio upon the suspended man. Blaise delighted in the screams he tore from the other mans throat,

“It’s funny really.” Blaise said standing and walking towards Draco, “Here’s the man who destroyed the greatest wizard of all time, at my mercy. Slowly dying. Isn’t it sad? And all because he got involved with you. And because he had to go and save that brat of yours. We’ve been trying to torture it out of him for a while now. But nope. This one is… incredibly stupid. Doesn’t understand when it’s time to just give in. Then we could end all his suffering and begin yours.” Blaise laughed and mumbled another crucio. Harry could no longer scream by this point. He just hung limply, pool of blood beneath him like a grotesque mirror.

Draco stared in horror as Pansy walked in, wearing a long formal gown. The type his mother had like to wear when entertaining quests. In her hand was a dagger embroidered with rubies and emeralds. She placed a hand on Harry’s cheek,

“Oh you poor thing… bleeding all over the floor…” she smiled softly before driving the dagger into Harry’s side and twisting it savagely. She released it, leaving it buried to the hilt in Harry’s flesh, “Poor poor boy. No mummy and daddy to save him… to teach him to keep his half blooded nose out of other people’s business. Such a shame.” she took a towel from a stand and wiped the bit of blood from her hands.

Blaise was smiling bright and leaning against Draco,

“It’s she such a charmer? Beautiful and Deadly. Perfect combination… well for me. Not so much for you and Potter.” he chuckled and walked over to her. She smiled sweetly, but turned when a soft call of ‘mummy’ came from down the hall. She sighed,

“Well must go check on our little princess…” she kissed Blaise, “Make it quick. We have to find the boy.”
Draco couldn’t believe what was going on, it was all as if it was in slow motion. Blaise was walking towards him again,

“Well our plan has been messed up quite a bit. But you still die Draco. But I can’t decide if you should watch Potter die… you know it’s going to be slow… and oh so painful… such a wonderful story. The perfect story really. No happy ending. Just death. No one’s going to come to the rescue. Because no one know where you are. Your lover is dying right before your eyes. And your wife? Running off with your best friend. I love it!” Blaise laughed turning his wand once more on Harry.

“Blaise stop!” Draco suddenly begged surprising even himself, “Modify his memory leave him out of this. Please!” Blaise turned his gaze to Draco smirk slowly slipping into place,

“Oh how could we forget? The weak has to beg for the life of his love. Music to my ears. Go on Draco, show us how pathetic you are. Beg, plead for his life.” Blaise erupted into laughter, “You are utterly pathetic. But I will hand it to you, your not begging for your own life. Your acting better then I thought, I would have thought you would be wanting to trade his life for yours. You know? Let him die in order to live. But you’ve disappointed me yet again. Just like you disappointed your father, mother and how you’ve failed your lover and son.”

Blaise began to pace around Harry his dragon hide boots making a sickening squelching sound at each pass. Finally he came to a halt in front of Harry,

“Ah look Draco, he’s not breathing anymore… but perhaps I should make sure he’s dead? hmm? Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?” he pressed his wand against Harry’s chest, over his heart, “Say goodbye. Avada Kedev-” Blaise had nearly finished the curse when there was suddenly hundreds of cracking noises and then yelling voices.

Draco ignored it all ripping his hair from his captures grasp. All that mattered was Harry, he needed to help Harry. He stood before the other man and put his hands on either side of his face,

“Harry? Harry please you need to open your eyes and look at me…” Draco said, but Harry didn’t respond, “ Harry please!” Draco tried again until he was pulled back from Harry and Aurors shielded the other man from view. Draco struggled against the person that held him,

“Malfoy stop it! You can’t help him right now. We’ve got to get you out of here!” Ron Weasley shouted over the noise of spells. More of Blaise’s men had appeared and were giving the Aurors a run for their money, but Draco didn’t care he needed Harry. He needed to make sure the other was going to be ok. Ron sighed and pressed his wand to Draco’s side. A moment later he sagged in Ron’s grasp. Harry took one last look at his best friend, now laying in a pool of his own blood before leaving with Draco.

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Almost the last chapter... One more after this. What will happen to Harry? Would I really kill him off? Yeah probably. But that all depends on you guys. Let me know what you think and if I get enough Reviews Harry just might survive this.