Harry was walking back from their first real DA meeting with Ron, Neville, Ginny and Hermione by his side, they were making their way back to the castle when Umbridge's little pet – Draco Malfoy – stepped into their way.
For a split second Harry was almost going to curse the Slytherin, but then something odd happened, the pale boy smiled a mischievous smile and asked, "You need a place to practice, don't you?"
"Shouldn't you be running off to tell the Toad about this?" Ron snapped, his wand pointed at Malfoy, ready to curse, hex or jinx.
Malfoy just shook his head and looked at Harry with a questioning expression.
The Gryffindor Golden Boy just nodded, "Do you have any place in mind, Malfoy?"
"Do you trust me enough to give it a look?" the Malfoy heir was grinning and he had raised a blonde, delicate eyebrow.
Just as Ron was about to retort Harry beat him to it, "Yes."
Malfoy nodded quickly and then stepped a little closer to the group of Gryffindors.
"The Malfoy family tomb, it's not used or cared for. With a few little spells the place will be a grand practicing hall."
"How can you trust him, Harry?" demanded Ginny with a frown on her small face, "What if it's just a trap?"
"It would be a little too late for that, now wouldn't it, Weaslette? If I'd have wanted to make sure you're caught I could have just had Umbridge standing here instead of me," Malfoy snapped, finally showing some emotion.
Hermione who had been quiet for the rest of the conversation turned to Ginny and Ron, "If he says he's on our side, than I reckon we should believe him."
"Where exactly is it?" Harry asked after a long silence, which, surprisingly, hadn't been awkward.
Malfoy pointed at the direction, where between the snowy trees one could see the rooftop of an old, broken house-like object, "There. On Hogwarts grounds actually."
"It's quite far, isn't it?"
"Not really, there's a secret passage actually."
Harry didn't remember seeing neither the Malfoy family tomb nor the secret passage there on the Marauder's Map, but then again, maybe even they hadn't known about it… There had to some secrets on the grounds in the end, whether you thought you knew everything or not.
Harry raised his eyebrows quizzically and Malfoy nodded curtly, before explaining, "See you all here tomorrow at 7pm."
Hermione told her goodbye as did Harry, but the two Weasleys didn't seem to be exactly happy about having to deal with Malfoy as a part of the DA.
Once they had reached inside the castle they noticed something almost impossible, Malfoy was chatting with Zabini over there, without any sign of him ever being outside with the Gryffindors.
"How was he that fast?" it was Hermione that asked the question in a hushed voice.
"Well-well-well, if it isn't our beloved Gryffindors," Zabini, who seemingly was Malfoy's only and best friend around school.
"Leave us alone Zabini!" Ron grumbled and then added, "We're going back to the Common Room with Ginny. Catch you later!"
Harry was about to shoo the Slytherins when Zabini chuckled, "I wasn't planning on hexing you or anything, really. Just wondering whether you needed some help with your little army…"
Just as Hermione was going to ask something Umbridge stomped up to them and glared at them. After that the four scrambled in different directions, just to be sure they weren't going to get detention, Malfoy and Zabini towards the dungeons and Hermione and Harry to the Gryffindor tower.
When the two Gryffindors made it to their Common Room, Ron was sitting in the corner, frowning and Ginny was sitting alongside Dean Thomas, who was listening to the young ginger intently.
"We have a spot for the DA!" Harry announced with a smile on his face, he didn't even know why he was smiling, but he just felt like it. "The Malfoy family tomb."
This caused whispers, but no one objected like Ginny and Ron had.
"Tell everyone that is involved to meet us outside the castle at 7pm!" Hermione added, without being certain why.
Now all there was to do was to hope that everyone was going to be there and agree with the fact that a few Slytherins were going to be there…
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