The Choice

Confrontations


Early the next morning, the four friends were still in the common room, having spent all night discussing these new events. No one bothered the sullen group on their way down to breakfast, the group didn't seem to notice the noise anyway. An hour later, Hermione noticed the light steaming in through the large windows. For once, even she had lost track of the time, which inevitably would not last long.


"Oh no, We have to go. Now!" Hermione squealed, knocking her chair over in her haste to get up. "We have five minutes to get down to Potions, and we definitely don't have time for breakfast."


"What's the hurry, it's not like Slughorn is going to yell at his 'Slug club'" Ron mumbled under his breath.


"Ron, we have a test on the Veracious potion, and we will be learning a new healing potion as well." Huffed Hermione, "some people actually care about their grade."


Rolling their eyes, and with a slightly sheepish look on his face Ron and Harry followed an annoyed Hermione out the portrait hole. Meanwhile, Ginny dragged herself up to her room to get some sleep as she had her first period free. "Do you think any of the Slytherins have visited Malfoy? I wonder if McGonagall has even told anyone else that he is back here." Ron stuffed his potion ingredients deeper in his bag, as something scaly had been attempting to climb out.


"I don't know, but I think we should go up there after class. Malfoy said that he knew of an attack planned for next week, I want to find out some more." Harry said thoughtfully. "He also said that Voldemort had wanted him to get a sword from Dumbledore's study, I wonder if he was trying to make another Horcruxe, he can't have much of a soul left to break up anymore though."


Potions seemed to pass quickly as the fumes from the many Caldrons had begun to mix, creating a rather nasty pea-green fog. Since the book that had helped Harry so much last year was still buried in the room of requirement, his potion grade had definitely taken a dive. Fortunately for Harry, Professor Slughorn had just written his average grade off as the mourning for his late mentor.

When the trio was finally able to reach the infirmary, the door was packed with Slytherins. "He is in our House, why can't we see him? Pansy is his girlfriend, and you won't even let her in?" A large sixth year Slytherin boy was yelling at an angry Madam Pomfrey. The Slytherins were so absorbed in trying to get to Malfoy, that Harry was able to shoulder his way through unnoticed.


"Ah, Harry, come on in, the Minister is just finishing up." Madam Pomfrey yanked Harry in before the seething Slytherins tried to crush him. An equally exhausted Ron and Hermione emerged seconds later. "Come, come, I don't have all day."


Ignoring the threats sent their way by the put off mob, they followed the nurse to Malfoy's bed. Minister Scrimgeour was just standing up when he spotted Harry. "Potter." He greeted stiffly before limping towards the exit with Madam Pomfrey. Shaking his head in annoyance, Harry turned his attention to the bed's lone occupant.


"Always making friends aren't you? I would have thought that you would be best mates with the Minister, you being 'The Golden Boy'." Malfoy croaked, he looked like he had not slept in ages. His eyes were bloodshot, but color had started to come back to his pale and bruised face.


Ignoring the comment, Harry asked, "Malfoy, last night you said that you were told to get a sword from Dumbledore's office, did Voldemort ever say why he wanted it or what he might use it for?"


Cringing slightly at the mention of his old master, Malfoy swallowed visibly. "He never told me what he wanted it for, It's not something to ask the Dark Lord if you value your life. I did overhear him talking to Snape about it though, he said that with this new prize he would be even more powerful than before." He paused, "Harry, I don't want to serve that monster, I see him for what he really is now... I...I'm sorry for everything that I have done before to all of you, I'm not the same Draco I used to be… I was always told that the Dark Lord was right, purebloods were meant to rule and extermination of all muggles was the only choice. I don't expect us to become friends in the future, not after what I have done."


Ron snorted in the background as he glared at Malfoy. "Bloody right, you are lucky that Harry even listens to you."


Hermione stepped up to Malfoy defiantly. "We may not completely trust you, but I agree with Harry, we will help you if you help us. We can get rid of Voldemort, but the price is heavy for all of us. I understand that you feel hatred towards Voldemort for what he has done to you, but do you understand why we need to be cautious towards you? You are still a Death Eater to us, trust isn't something that you can just inherit, it is earned."


"I know, I don't expect you to trust me either, just listen to what I have to say with an open mind. And call me Draco, Malfoy sounds like my father." He smiled darkly as he whispered, "maybe we can beat...Vol...de...Voldemort."


Smiling grimly, they said their goodbyes and promised that they would be back later to talk more. On their way back out of the infirmary, a large group of Slytherins were waiting for them. After a few minutes of trying to intimidate the other group, Pansy Parkinson strode up to Hermione and punched her in the gut as hard as she possibly could. The next thing Pansy could remember was being thrown against the wall by a very angry Ronald Weasley.


Nobody seemed to notice the slight rumble in the floor, until all of the Slytherins were plastered against the wall by a force so strong it knocked the wind out of them. Goyle was the first to recover though, shooting a curse at Harry, he slammed bodily into Ron, knocking him away from Pansy.

Harry just absorbed the spell in his wand, while helping a gasping Hermione up. Right after, Ron scrambled to his feet just when Harry had pinned Goyle to the wall. Harry and Ron towered over Goyle as the rest of the Slytherins made their getaway. Hermione was leaning against the wall trying to catch her breath as she raised her wand at Pansy.


Together, Ron and Harry made a very formidable force. Ron was no longer the tall, skinny boy he had been last year. Harry had grown as well, and had started working out while at his uncle's house so that now, even just one could give Goyle a run for his money. Trembling, Goyle wrenched out of their grasp and skidded out of sight.


Hermione, on the other hand, was handling the spells that Pansy threw at her with such ease that the boys just stood back to watch the duel. Suddenly, Pansy was whipped off of her feet and flung into the air by her ankles. "There, know, why don't you just stay like that for a while, it will give you time to cool down." Hermione turned to applause from both Harry and Ron.


"Hermione, I thought that you were never going to come around to our side!" Ron was so excited that he raced over and grabbed her in a huge bear hug, without thinking, he lifted her chin and kissed her. Suddenly realizing what he had just done, Ron turned thirty shades of crimson before he started sputtering about how he hadn't meant to do it.


Hermione, on the other hand, just grabbed him by the ear and pulled him back down into a deeper kiss. To Harry, that was the cue to take off, fast. He left Pansy kicking and screaming from the ceiling as a romantic backdrop for the happy couple. Snickering, Harry quickly jogged back to the common room to tell Ginny what had happened.


"Levicorpus! She actually did it? What else happened?" Ginny was so into the story, she fell off of the edge of her chair when Harry told her that Hermione had kissed Ron. "What! Finally, I thought that they would never get together." But she sobered up instantly when she asked, "Harry, do you think that the Slytherins saw you use your powers? Some of their parents are Death Eaters, if Voldemort finds out..."


"I know, I thought about that, I used my wand to absorb the curses, but I almost lost it there. Ginny, I had the floor shaking again, I'm starting to get really concerned, I can't seem to control this power like the others." Before he could get any farther, Neville walked over and handed Harry a rolled up piece of paper.


"I ran into McGonagall in the hall, she says that she wants to talk to you in her office." Neville paused then said in a rush. "Is it true what happened? I heard that you tried to curse Pansy for talking to Malfoy."


"What? No, Pansy actually punched Hermione in the stomach, and so Ron and I defended her. Figures that the Slytherins would say that, they wouldn't want to sound weak, would they." Harry grumbled. "Well, I better go find out what McGonagall heard and set her straight."