The way Snape looked at her would have normally made Shannon flinch, but she was too upset to notice his rage.

“What’s wrong with Draco?” Tori asked, forgetting her own state of confusion when she saw the tears on Shannon’s face.

“He’s not waking up, but he looks like he’s in pain and sometimes he screams and…oh!” loud sobs prevented her from speaking, but it was no longer necessary.

Snape had somehow managed to get a hold of himself again and was ready to act. “This sounds like a curse. Tori go get Lupin and Dumbledore and come to Hagrid’s. I’m going over there right now.”

Without looking at each other, they both went in different directions. No time to think about what almost happened a few minutes before. This was serious.

Tori ran through the passages. She bumped into both wizards on her way to Dumbledore’s office. “Headmaster, Remus! You have to come to Hagrid’s right away! Something’s wrong!” she said, catching her breath.

She didn’t dare say Draco’s name where it could be overheard, but luckily both Dumbledore and Lupin got the message. They hurried to Hagrid’s and upon entering; they saw Snape standing next to Draco’s bed. The look on his face was not promising. He seemed at his wit’s end. Draco himself was tossing and turning, clearly in a lot of pain. He kept murmuring: “No…please, no!” and Tori’s heart went out to him.

“Severus, is there anything you can do?” Dumbledore asked.

Snape sighed deeply. “I’m not sure what we’re facing Albus. At first I thought it was a curse, but knowing Hogwarts’ protection, it couldn’t possibly be.”

“But you can help him, can’t you?” Shannon’s tiny voice rang out in the silence.

Nobody answered.

Hagrid was sitting next to Draco, big tears running down his cheeks, ending up in his beard.

“Remus?” Dumbledore remained calm, but frowned.

“This is way out of my league Albus. If Severus can’t come up with anything…”

Tori had kept silent, but slowly an idea started to grow in her mind. “Um…Severus, when do the Death Eaters usually have their initiation?” she asked.

Everyone looked at her like she had been on another planet for the past few moments. Only Snape seemed to know what she was getting at. “They usually perform the initiation ceremony on Halloween.” A glitter of hope began to manifest itself inside his head.

“But that’s only this weekend. Why is he in pain now? At least, if you’re referring to a summoning, that is.” Remus could not yet see the link between Draco’s condition and the initiation ritual.

Tori and Snape found themselves in the center of attention, but both shook their heads, not knowing the answer. “All we can do is give him a potion to ease the pain and calm him down, but I doubt if he’ll wake up soon.”

Snape left Hagrid’s house to fetch the potions, leaving the others at Draco’s side.

“Tori, how is your work coming along?” Dumbledore asked.

“It’s ready, depending on how long the potion has to boil.”

“Then we must act quickly. It’s important we get it there before the initiation.”

When Snape returned, they discussed their course of action. The potion would be ready in a few days. Since the Death Eaters operated during the night, the potion would be brought to Voldemort at the crack of dawn, this Saturday. No doubt he would need his strengthening potion for the ceremony. They needed to switch the potions before he could drink it. Dumbledore sent a message to Alastor to warn him about the upcoming events. Harry would arrive on Saturday anyway, so he would know first-hand whether the mission had succeeded or not.

Everyone was excited and terrified at the same time, knowing that by Saturday the war with Voldemort would either be over, or they will have suffered some severe losses.