Blade wouldn't let him go. Harry watched in amazement as Wormtail was wrenched to his feet and hurled again towards Draco, eyes screwed nearly shut in terror. Draco made a movement with his sword that seemed to Harry both incredibly tiny and incredibly quick, and Wormtail jerked back, bleeding from the wrist. They was standing nearly at the edge of the quarry now. Be careful, Harry thought at Draco.
I'm always careful--
Draco's thought broke off as Wormtail lunged at him again, arm outstretched. Draco struck at his blade and the thrust went high and wide; Wormtail half-fell forward, the point of his blade jamming itself in a crack between two rocks. Harry saw him heave back with his shoulders, and it took a moment for him to realize that Wormtail's Living Blade was stuck fast, and that he couldn't move.
Draco turned, saw what had happened, and raised his sword, the bright blade glinting like moonlight seen in a mirror. Wormtail made a strangled sound of terror; he was gripping his right wrist with his left hand, pulling hard, but to no avail.
Draco looked up at Harry and Harry saw that he was very white in the dim light. His eyes asked a question, and Harry answered it, keeping his gaze steady:
Finish him.
Harry could sense Draco's uneasiness when he replied: You mean kill him?
Yes.
I've never killed anyone before.
You haven't?
A bright flash of Draco's irritation popped like a flashbulb behind Harry's eyes. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Potter. No, I've never killed anyone!
Sorry…
Draco raised the sword again, and Wormtail screamed out loud.
Harry saw Draco wince and step back a little, and Wormtail, seeing his movement, jerked hard on his caught arm — and with a rending sound, it freed itself. Released, Wormtail stumbled backward, throwing out his hands-Malfoy, watch out! Harry thought sharply — but it was too late, one of Wormtail's flailing hands caught Draco in the stomach. With a surprised 'ooph,' he stumbled backward — and lost his footing on the edge of the rock.
Paralyzed with shock and horror, Harry saw Draco's eyes widen in surprise, his hands flying up, the sword tumbling out of his hand as he fell backwards and out of view.
A moment later, Harry heard the splash as he struck the water.
He heard Draco's voice in his head. I can't swim, for starters.
Harry began to run. He was barely conscious of Wormtail, his face contorted with horror at what he had done, Disapparating; was utterly unconscious that there were footsteps behind him, someone running nearly as fast as he was. He was conscious only of the steady light in the back of his head, which was no longer steady but had begun to flicker like a blown candleflame.
This can't be happening.
He reached the edge of the quarry, flung himself down, and gazed down at the still and unmoving black water. There was no sign of anything, of any life, not even a ripple on the surface.
'Malfoy!' he yelled, knowing it was useless, hearing only silence.
'Malfoy!' He tipped his head back despairingly, looked up at the stars — 'Sirius, where are you?'
In the bedroom back at Malfoy Mansion, Hermione suddenly felt Harry's hand tighten convulsively on hers, his fingers gripping her wrist so tightly it was agony. 'Harry,' she whispered, leaning towards him, 'Harry — '
His muscles tensed abruptly, his back arcing up off the bed, his hand tearing out of hers. Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth.
'Harry — what's going on — ? ' She dropped down next to him, tried to take him by the shoulders, but he wrenched away from her, flailing out with his arms. She caught at one of his hands, clutching it tightly, and reached out with her other hand to push the sweaty black hair out of his eyes. Where is he? What's happening to him?
'It's all right, Harry,' she whispered. 'You're fine, nothing can hurt you — '
Harry wrenched his head to the side, and shouted — the first sound she had heard him make since he'd been put him under the spell -
'Sirius, where are you?'
Hermione looked around wildly. Sirius- I have to get Sirius, she thought. But I don't want to leave Harry- She got to her feet, letting go of Harry's hand reluctantly, and backed away from the bed, her eyes fixed on Harry. He was still twitching as if he were having a nightmare. Oh, God, is he all right? Nothing can hurt him; Lupin said nothing could hurt him -
She hesitated, staring at him — and then she felt it vanish.
It. That feeling in the pit of her stomach, the cold anchor that had lodged itself there, that feeling that had been there every second of every minute of every day since she had swallowed the potion Wormtail had given her.
It was gone.
Gone.
Hermione clutched at her stomach for a moment, not daring to believe it. It's gone, she thought wildly, the spell's off me. And then, more slowly. It's gone. The spell's off me.
Draco….
She bolted towards the bedroom door, flinging it open with such force that she heard the hinges creak, and tore out into the hallway, screaming at the top of her lungs, screaming for Sirius, even though she knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that if the spell was off her, it was already too late.
