On the twenty-ninth of October, the school is in an uproar. Not even the Carrows can do anything to staunch the flow of the rumors flying around the castle.
No one knows how the word started spreading. Even the Daily Prophet doesn't have anything to say about the matter. But somehow, the entire school has started talking about the exciting bit of news. I suppose that it's a way to reassure themselves that the reign of Snape and the Carrows is about to crumble.
"Did you hear the news?" Amos asks me during Defense Against the Dark Arts.
I raise one eyebrow. "What news?"
Making sure that no one is listening, Amos leans in close. "Harry Potter broke into the Ministry of Magic yesterday!"
"What?" I ask, too startled to care about who hears me.
"Sssh!" Amos looks around nervously, but Amycus Carrow is nowhere to be seen. "Yesterday, Harry Potter and two others--don't ask me who, nobody knows--used a Polyjuice Potion to get into the Ministry."
"But that's a suicide mission!" I'm struggling to keep my voice low.
"I know," says Amos, grinning. "The three Ministry workers got laid off for it, and one of them--Cattermole, his name was--fled with his family and hasn't been seen once. His wife was a Mudbl--Muggleborn, and Potter saved her and a bunch of others from Azkaban!"
"So Potter's rescuing them now?" I wonder aloud. "He's risking his neck for people he doesn't even know?"
"No one knows, to be honest," Amos replies. "The rumors are spreading like a wildfire, and it's hard to tell what's real and what's a lie. One of the stories is that he attacked Delores Umbridge! Remember that--?"
"Hag?" I supply, smirking. "Yes. Where's Potter now? How did he escape?"
"Not sure. I haven't found out yet. A handful of Gryffindors seem to know the truth, but they're not talking. Snape's got them in his office right now--Longbottom and his lot."
Meaning Potter's ex-girlfriend and Loony Lovegood. I'm about to ask Amos another series of questions when the door the door bangs open and Amycus stomps in, yelling at Daniel Max to sit up straight in the process. I turn to look at the Gryffindor and find myself staring at a glowering Beatrice Porter. She stares defiantly back, daring me to look away. Sneering, I turn back around and focus on Amycus's lecture.
Later, in the Common Room, I sit with Matthias, Audiurn, and Rosier. They, also, are talking about Potter's latest exploit.
"They're bound to catch him one of these days," Hadrian says, sounding rather hopeful. His thick eyebrows are drawn together in a sort of half-scowl. "I wonder if he can get it through that scarred head of his that he's going to get skilled when they do."
"I hope it happens sooner rather than later," Nathaniel mutters. "All he's doing is letting the Mudbloods think they've got a chance. Makes them harder to control."
Matthias smirks. "You're not a Death Eater yet, Nathan."
"Oh, and you are?" the other boy snaps.
Matthias shrugs. "I might as well be. My whole family is. Dad, granddad, aunt, uncles, you name it."
"We all might as well be!" Nathaniel retorts. "Once we're out of school, we'll have to join up either way."
Suddenly, I feel sick. "What?"
Hadrian laughs. "Surprise you, Oliver? I'd hope not, seeing as your family would expect you to join up anyway. Especially given your, ah, mother."
I grit my teeth. "My mum's dead, Rosier."
He smiles. "Do you know why?"
"She died when I was born." What is he talking about?
Hadrian laughs, a sharp bark of a laugh. "Whatever you say. I just thought that--"
"What?" I demand. "You thought what, exactly?"
"Nothing." He shakes his head, still grinning.
Suddenly feeling sick, I stand up. "I'm going to bed." Before any of them can say anything, I turn on my heel and make for the dormitory.
What does Hadrian know? My mother died in labor. He has no business bringing her up! I'm so busy seething that I crash into someone without even noticing them.
"Bloody hell!" a boy's voice grunts, and I find myself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy. "Watch where you're--!"
"Malfoy," I say hastily. "Sorry, I just--"
"Oh," he says, his nearly colorless eyes focusing in on my face. "Flynn. Sorry."
Despite his faults, I know Draco to be nicer than he'd want anyone to think. I've known him since I was little enough to hero-worship the older boy. These days, however, his reputation tends to make him seem tougher than he really is.
"Care for a chat?" he asks dully, running a hand through his pale hair.
I'm about to decline when I realize that it's been ages since I talked to Draco. I can't even remember the last time I had a conversation with him.
"Sure," I say weakly, following him to the seventh year's dorm.
"You drink?" he asks, taking a bottle of something brown and unpleasant-looking from his trunk.
I shake my head. "You?"
He shrugs. "It helps." Gripping the neck of the bottle, he takes a swig.
I know better than to rely on booze to get through tough times. Matthias persuaded to let an older student let him try some last year, and he was sick for days. Plus, I've seen my father when he's drunk and it's not something that I wish to have happen to me.
"What did you want to talk about?" I ask awkwardly.
"Anything that doesn't involve politics, Potter, or Death Eaters," Draco replies. Automatically, my eyes flit to his left arm. The sleeve is rolled down, but I know that the Dark Mark is on his forearm. He's one of them. I wonder if he regrets it.
When I'm silent, he laughs. "Anything," he repeats. "Quidditch, Hogsmeade plans...girls...." He glances at me sidelong. "Given how red your face just turned, I suspect that the last option is preferrable."
I splutter incoherently. He laughs and takes another swig of whatever-crap-he's-putting-into-his-body.
"So who is it?"
"No one!" I protest, hoping he's not a Legilimens. He can't be a Legilimens, he's a seventh year....
He snorts. "I'm guessing it's that Hufflepuff girl, what's-her-name...Francesca, or something?"
The notion is so ridiculous that I choke out a laugh. "If you mean Francine Ebbs, it's not her."
"Ah." Draco lays down on his four-poster, stretching out and closing his eyes. "Thought it might be her. That's who most boys in your year like, correct?"
–Just like how everyone in your year likes Lavender Brown and Ginny Weasley, is that right?â€
A sneer distorts his pale face. –Only if you like blood traitors who haven’t got a sense of decency…hanging around with Mudbloods and the like.â€
I stare at him. Even after everything that’s happened, Draco can’t shake his bad habits. He sees the look on my face and frowns.
–You don’t like that stuff, do you, Oliver?â€
I shake my head, embarrassed. –I don’t kn--–
–Neither do I.†Shaking his head, he takes another drink and closes up the bottle. –I’m sorry. I didn’t know.â€
I doubt that he’s truly sorry, but I don’t mind. –It’s ok,†I mutter.
An awkward silence ensues. Then, –It’s Astoria Greengrass, isn’t it?â€
–What?†My head snaps up. I get the feeling that he’s trying to maneuver back into comfortable conversation, but it isn’t working.
–I see the way you look at her. Everyone does.â€
I stand there for a moment, unsure of what to say.
–You be careful, Flynn,†Draco drawls, smirking. –Astoria may not be as pretty as her sister, but if Daphne’s anything to go by….â€
–Oh. I see.†I don't.
A few moments pass by, each of us staring at the other.
–You’d better get going then, huh?†Draco’s voice is cold, but his gray eyes are full of remorse.
–Yeah. Guess I should.â€
Giving a weak wave of farewell, I turn and exit the dormitory.
Fighting for the Cause by PeppermintToads
Chapter Endnotes: Very, very, VERY sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of issues with this chapter. Thanks to Nidhi (my beta) for being awesome. Hopefully I fixed everything, so please let me know if I didn't!