Chapter Nine “ The Malfoys
Hermione, in her Animagus form, continued to track Professor Snape as he made his way into Hogsmeade, followed by Draco and his mother. Harry and Ron moved as carefully and quickly as they could underneath the Invisibility Cloak, staying as near to Snape as they dared. The Potion Master seemed to be headed towards the Post Office (where there were also carriages for hire), when Mrs. Malfoy stopped him. “I wonder, Professor, whether we might get something to eat before we leave Hogsmeade. I am quite famished.”
Snape looked disconcerted, but recovered quickly. “Of course, Madam. Perhaps you would care to refresh yourself in the Three Broomsticks?” They were standing only a few feet from the door of that establishment.
“Thank you; that would be lovely.” Snape opened the door for his guests and they entered; as Draco passed, Harry saw Snape give him an intense look, and wondered if he was attempting to snare his thoughts. Harry and Ron managed to slip inside just before the door closed; they didn’t notice that Hermione the rabbit was still outside.
Snape and the Malfoys selected a table near the back of the room, where it was darker. Harry felt helpless; he had no idea what to do to protect Professor Snape, or from where the assault on him would likely come. Did Draco’s mother know of Voldemort’s plans to kill him, or was Draco alone sent by the Dark Lord? Could he be carrying more poison, and would he try and slip it to Snape in his meal? There was enough noise in the Three Broomsticks that he felt safe whispering to Ron without being overheard. “Keep your eyes open.” Ron nodded and pulled out his wand; Harry did the same.
Professor Snape and Mrs. Malfoy made small talk as they waited for their food to arrive. Draco seemed unable to speak, and Harry noticed that his expression was grim. He was sure that when Draco joined the Death Eaters, he had not expected to have to turn in the head of his own house to Voldemort.
Harry’s thoughts were interrupted by a nudge on his arm. Ron pointed towards the door, where a tall man in a hooded cloak had just entered. The man was making his way to the table occupied by Snape and the Malfoys. Harry shifted round under the cloak to try to see the man’s face. He needn’t have bothered; the man lowered his hood as he quietly slipped into the empty chair next to the professor.
“Hello, Severus,” said Lucius Malfoy. “So nice to see you again.”
“Lucius,” said Snape calmly. “I was sure I would be seeing you soon.”
“Hello, Narcissa, my dear. Hello, Draco,” he said smoothly. Harry couldn’t tell whether they were surprised to see him or not. “ I understand Headmaster Dumbledore asked you to return to school early, Draco. Whatever for?”
Draco turned red. “I need to retake my potions exam … Sir,” he finished.
“Mmm, I see. Well, that would explain why Severus came all the way out here to meet you, wouldn’t it? Tell me, Potion Master,” here his voice dropped to a dangerous whisper; Harry strained to hear over the buzz of the crowd, “why haven’t you taught Draco all you know? About, say, poisons and their antidotes?”
Harry saw Lucius thrust his wand into Snape’s side. He quickly lifted the hem of the cloak that was concealing him and Ron, pointed his own wand at Malfoy, and whispered, “expelliarmus!” Lucius’ wand flew into the air. At that moment, the door of the Three Broomsticks burst open and Hagrid came flying through. Harry had forgotten how quickly the giant of a man could move. He and Ron hastily moved aside as Hagrid rushed headlong towards Lucius Malfoy. Wandless and with Hagrid’s vast expanse bearing down on him like a freight train, Lucius had time only to leap out of his chair and turn to face the giant. Hagrid did not stop his onrush, but landed on Malfoy and pinned him underneath his massive weight.
Draco rose, his hand inside his robes, but before he could make a move Harry had thrown off the cloak and was beside him in an instant, his wand at the boy’s throat “Try it,” Harry hissed in his ear. “Please!” Ron grabbed Draco’s arms and pulled them behind his back, Draco whimpering with pain at Ron’s grip. Hermione appeared out of nowhere, her wand held to Mrs. Malay’s temple before the startled woman could even move. As quickly as it had begun, it was over.
Snape spoke a few words and everything went silent; the movement of the bar’s patrons ceased. It seemed as thought everything had frozen in time, except for the little band from Hogwarts. “Whoooaa,” murmured Ron, clearly impressed.
Hagrid rose from the floor. The wizard that had been pinned underneath him looked decidedly worse for wear. As Harry had seen him do once before, Snape conjured a stretcher, and then swung round on them all with a murderous look in his eye.
“How dare you burst in here where there are a million eyes to see! Any one of these people,” he indicated the crowd with a wave of his arm, “could be part of the Dark Lord’s spies. How long do you think it will take them to report to their master what they have seen? Do you not recall that we are to be operating in secret?”
Hagrid looked bewildered. “But, Professor,” he stammered, “Lucius Malfoy was goin’ ter kill ya!”
“I know that, you great oaf! And you, Potter! Do you have no more sense than to expose yourself to the very one who wants nothing so much as your life? Do you think so little of the sacrifices of others on your behalf?”
Harry was furious. He had undergone this dangerous trip into Hogsmeade to warn Snape, gone when he was tired and hurting and weak. He had done this to try and protect a man who cared no more about him than a sparrow fallen to the ground, and here he was being called out by the very man he had helped to save.
“Sorry, Sir,” said Harry coldly. “Next time I get wind of a death threat against you, I’ll be sure to mind my own business.” He lowered the wand he had been holding pressed to Draco’s throat. “C’mon, guys. Let’s leave the professor to take care of himself,” Harry said bitterly.
Hermione looked at Harry with pleading eyes. “Harry, please,” she said, as quietly as possible. “We have to do what’s right, you know that.”
Harry did know that. But he wasn’t sure his present feelings towards Snape would allow him to do what was right. The decision was taken out of his hands when cords burst forth from Snape’s wand, tightly binding the unconscious Lucius Malfoy. Hermione and Ron followed his lead, ropes from their wands restraining Mrs. Malfoy and her son. Snape magicked Mr. Malfoy onto the stretcher, picked up Harry’s Invisibility Cloak from where he had dropped it on the floor, and threw it over him.
“Since you have all been a part of this rescue,” Snape sneered, “I must ask you to all come with me back to Hogwarts. This intrusion must be explained to the headmaster.”
Harry, Hagrid, Ron and Hermione silently followed the professor and his prisoners out of the building. Harry was still angry, but he felt especially bad for Hagrid, who looked as though he might cry. Hagrid deeply respected all the teachers at Hogwarts, and had especially stuck up for Snape when they had thought he was on the side of Voldemort. Snape stopped at the door and again spoke an incantation that released the clientele of the Three Broomsticks from their frozen state (Harry heard him murmur “Obliviate!”), and they went back to their food and drink as though nothing had happened
“We can find our own way back to the castle from here, thank you, Professor,” said Harry, very formally.
“Olympe’s waitin’ fer me down t’ Madame Puddifoot’s”, added Hagrid, reddening behind his black beard. “That’s where Hermione found me,” he whispered confidentially to Harry, who would rather not have known.
“Mr. Potter, I shall not leave you on your own to wander the streets of Hogsmeade. Nor you, Hagrid. You will accompany me to Hogwarts.”
“Sir, the fastest way back is through an underground tunnel beneath Honeyduke’s,” volunteered Hermione. Harry and Ron both rounded on her with eyes wide.
“Hermione!” hissed Ron under his breath. “Have you gone mental?”
“Mr. Malfoy needs medical attention, Ron, and quickly. We’ve got to get back as fast as we can.”
Harry couldn’t believe his ears. One of his best friends had just given away their best-kept secret. He was sure to lose the Marauders’ Map now. He couldn’t even look at Hermione, much less speak to her.
They all walked up the street towards the sweet shop. Even Ron would not walk near Hermione; he was clearly as upset with her as Harry was. The little party, with Lucius Malfoy floating along invisibly, managed to get into the cellar without attracting too much attention, and hurried through the tunnel back to Hogwarts. No one spoke during the journey, but Harry, whose anger had not abated, felt Snape try to come into his mind. He closed it off, emptying himself of emotion as best he could, just as Snape had taught him. He had no wish to hear his professor’s thoughts at the moment.
The small band went immediately to the Hospital wing when they arrived. Snape helped Madame Pomfrey move Lucius Malfoy to a bed, then took Mrs. Malfoy and Draco to the dungeons where they would be placed under troll guard, along with the captured Death Eater from Hogsmeade. He instructed Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid to meet him at the stone gargoyle in 15 minutes time. Harry heard the labored breathing of Mr. Malfoy, saw the concern on the nurse’s face, and he grudgingly began to forgive Hermione for revealing their shortcut. They would need information from him, and they couldn’t get it if he were dead. Having a 400-pound giant land on you would certainly be considered life threatening.
They left Malfoy with Madame Pomfrey and headed of to the second floor corridor to wait for Professor Snape. Harry heard Hermione sniffling behind him, and knew that he owed her an apology. But he couldn’t seem to utter one just yet. He noticed Ron was walking up ahead with Hagrid, and he figured this disloyalty was eating at her, even more than his own silence. He had almost decided to say something to them both, when Ginny came flying around the corner, running headlong into Hagrid. She was followed closely by Remus Lupin.
“There, now, watch where yer goin,’” exclaimed Hagrid, who didn’t seem to want to be responsible for any more injuries that day. “Ginny, are ye alright?”
“Hagrid,” she asked, breathless, “have you seen “ Harry!” She had spotted him behind the gamekeeper, and rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck. “Harry, are you okay? I’ve been so worried!”
Harry gently disentangled her arms from round his neck. Somehow it seemed wrong to be embracing Ginny while Ron and Hermione were not speaking. But he was glad to see her. The last of his brooding anger evaporated at the sight of her worried brown eyes.
“I’m okay, Ginny; we all are. Snape’s okay, too,” he answered Lupin’s unasked question. “We’re meeting him at Dumbledore’s office. Is he back yet?”
Lupin looked relieved to see them all back safely. “He arrived just a few moments ago, and told us what happened. Thank heavens you’re all safe.”
“Hang on “ how did Dumbledore know what happened? He wasn’t in Hogsmeade.”
Lupin disregarded Harry’s question. “Harry, I am astounded that you left the castle without permission, especially in your condition. You promised me that you would keep me informed of your whereabouts at all times!” Lupin’s eyes were locked onto Harry’s, filled with all the dread he’d experienced in the past hour.
Before Harry could say a word, Ron and Hermione jumped to his defense, trying to explain at the same time their need for haste, their concern that Snape’s life was in danger. Remus looked from one to the other, understanding them not at all as they spoke all over one another, joined by Hagrid’s great booming voice. Lupin raised his hands.
“All right, all right! Harry, we’ll talk about this later. In the mean time, we’d better go and meet Professor Snape and the headmaster.”
They continued down the corridor to the stone gargoyle. The statue had already moved aside, and the spiral staircase was slowly winding upwards. They all climbed on for the uneasy ride to the top. Dumbledore’s office door was standing open, something Harry had never seen in all his visits here. They peered uncertainly into the room. Everything seemed in order. Lupin entered, with Hagrid close behind him.
“Professor? he called. “Severus?” Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny came quietly into the headmaster’s office. Harry saw Fawkes sitting contentedly on his perch. The sight of Dumbledore’s bird always made Harry feel calmer. “Hello, Fawkes,” he said. The phoenix flew to Harry’s shoulder and nibbled his ear. A small, silvery insect leaped off of the bird onto Harry’s arm. Harry worried for a moment that Fawkes might have fleas. He needn’t have concerned himself.
The tiny pest jumped off Harry’s sweater onto the floor. As it did so, it began to grow into a silver-haired man in long, midnight blue robes with twinkling eyes. Before them stood Albus Dumbledore.
Ron fell into the chair that was fortunately behind him. “Is everybody in this place a bloody Animagus?” he moaned.
Dumbledore smiled. “No, Mr. Weasley, not everyone. But it is a helpful way of going unnoticed, don’t you think?” He winked at Hermione. At that moment, a bat swooped into the room, and by the time it had landed next to Dumbledore, the silky black wings had become the long black robes of the potion master. Ron slumped further down into his chair and whimpered. Harry was speechless, as was Ginny. Hermione wore a small, self-satisfied smile.
Snape crossed fluidly to the door and closed it. “Now, Potter, do you see why I was in no need of your help? Do you see why you risked your life unnecessarily?” His oily voice had lost some of its edge.
“Harry’s life was never at risk, Severus,” Dumbledore spoke confidently. “Harry, we have been training as many students as are capable, and loyal, to become Animagi. That is the project I spoke of earlier with which Miss Granger has been helping us. She learned quite quickly to transfigure, and has been of invaluable assistance in training other students. In fact, we are hopeful that when the rest of the DA returns, they can all be trained as Animagi. Remus, I’m sorry you were alarmed. I should have told you about all this. Forgive me.”
“No need, Headmaster. I’m just glad Harry was safe. I only wish I could have been more use to you.”
“You are of tremendous ‘use,’ Remus. You are Harry’s mentor, which he needs now more than ever.”
Harry was uncomfortable being talked about like this while he was standing there. “So, there were other Animagi with us in Hogsmeade? Besides you and Hermione, I mean?”
“Our teachers here at Hogwarts have many talents “ not all of which have been revealed to their students. I would prefer to say no more than that. However “ Miss Granger, if you would . . ..”
Hermione pulled a flittering blue butterfly out of her hair. She had been wearing it ever since Ron gave it to her at Christmas. But now Harry saw that it looked different, somehow. She placed it gently on the chair next to Ron. Seconds later, Neville Longbottom was sitting on the arm of Ron’s chair, looking uncharacteristically pleased with himself.
Ron leapt up in disgust. “You!” he wailed. “You’ve been riding around in Hermione’s hair? My girlfriend?”
Neville turned red and started to splutter, but Hermione stopped him. She moved next to Ron and took his hand. “Yes, Ronald, your girlfriend.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “Just remember that.”
Dumbledore, Lupin, Hagrid, Neville, Harry and Ginny all laughed. Professor Snape glared at them all, wrapped his robes around himself, lifted his arms, and a large black bat swooped from the room.
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